It’s a well-known and undeniable fact that exercise helps you keep fit & healthy and using supplements to help boost the results of every workout you do is a great way of getting more out of your programme.

Taking supplements on board at specific times really can improve the impact that each workout has on your body, so we thought we’d take some time to explain when (and how) you should be focussing on your supplements.

It’s important to remember that there can be too much of a good thing though, we wouldn’t advise you gobbling it ALL up before, during and after every single workout you do – these supplements should be taken as part of a varied and balanced diet; and they do say that variety is the spice of life.

Before you start your workout a good strong black cup of coffee doesn’t just give you the obvious caffeine ‘boost’, it also increases your metabolism and helps you to burn fat faster when you do begin your workout. If you are exercising here at Diana’s, why not make a pit stop in The Café for a nice cup of pre-workout Jack’s Beans coffee?

You could also enjoy a pulse bar with your coffee (the MyProtein Pulse Bars available in The Shop here contain one gram of L-Carnitine, a gram of Taurine and 100mg of Caffeine) to help break down fatty acids, produce energy and stop your skeletal muscle taurine stores from being depleted.

There is a range of supplement drinks available on the market that contain minerals and nutrients that can help you both pre and intra workout. The L-Carnitine, Green Kick and Red Kick drinks are all great, both before and during your workout, they are all packed with various goodies including caffeine, taurine, guarana extract, sugar and sweeteners, all of which help to replace the nutrients you lose during sweating and exercise.

Once you’ve completed your workout, why not kick back in The Café with a great tasting Hurricane XS protein bar from MyProtein? They are an excellent snack to eat post workout as they provide up to 28 grams of premium protein with only 23 grams of carbohydrates (depending on the flavour). The addition of creatine monohydrate in these bars helps to grow and maintain muscle mass and also helps to improve performance in high intensity, successive bursts of short-term exercise (like a HIIT class for instance).

For more information on supplements and how they can make a difference to your results, chat to our team the next time you are in, or give us a call and book a meeting; any specific questions? Drop them in the comments below.

If you’ve not given personal training a go yet, I can see how it can be easy to let those excuses build up and build up! In my experience though, once someone has given it a try and seen the results, they never turn back – their trainer becomes an invaluable part of their fitness plan. So, let’s explore some of the common myths that prevent people from giving personal training a try…

1) All personal trainers are scary, shouty and general crazy

This is a myth I come across all of the time – not helped by the Bootcamp fashion that has adopted an army-style approach. If that works for you then fab, but it isn’t the only way! Your personal trainer should be there to support you – yes they are going to push you and at times you’re probably going to hate them for a few minutes until you achieve that goal! They should get to know you and your limits so while training can feel challenging, it should never feel impossible or uncomfortable. Start by having an informal chat with a trainer and get to know them before committing to a session with them.

2) Personal trainers are ripped to perfection!

This can be true – it all depends on that person’s particular goal…did you get that…we are people too! Haha! Seriously, some trainers want to be all six packs and muscle, others train for stamina or general well-being. Just like you, we all have our own personal goals. You might want to find a trainer who has similar interests and goals to you.

3) Trainers don’t eat cake

Ok, looks like you missed my point above…we are just human! We might have got ourselves into an awesome routine so we know when we can and cannot cheat (guilt-free, I might add…due to the planning) but what is a life without the occasional piece of cake? It’s all about balance, moderation and appropriate rewards! Have a chat with us about how we tackle temptation.

4) Hiring a personal trainer is magic!

Unfortunately as much as we’d like to be, we’re not magicians and hiring a personal trainer won’t give you instant, magical results. You’ve got to be committed and work hard to achieve your goals. Think of us more as your cheerleading squad – I must prefer the outfits!

5) It’s all about the workout

Your trainer is there to help you build a programme that will achieve your goals. They will work with you side-by-side on the workout element of this but it doesn’t mean that once you leave the gym you can forget about your plan. In fact, nutrition, for example, is such a huge part of training, whether you’re aim is weight loss or muscle gain. Your trainer should also help you get motivated – even during the tough bits, you should leave your session pumped!

Ok, so now we’ve cleared that up, pop into Diana’s and have a chat with us about your goals and how a personal trainer could help you achieve them!

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, and it is ideal for anyone pushed for time, hence the words ‘high intensity’. 20 – 30 minutes of training can be equal to a whole hour’s moderate workout, which means that you don’t need to worry about spending hours of the time you don’t have.

HIIT is also significantly effective in gaining muscle and reducing fat and studies have shown clear results of the benefits of high intensity sessions when compared to slower cardio sessions. Not only does it affect you while at the gym, but has a strong after-effect that aids your workout even further. This training increases the metabolic afterburn, meaning you will continue to burn calories up to 6 hours after leaving the gym!

What can HIIT involve?

Tabata is a great form of HIIT that really burns fat and builds muscle. It can be used for any type of exercise, and emphasises the high intensity part of the training by allowing you to complete short bursts of all-out activity with minor breaks in between each one. For example, you could do 20 seconds of strong, full-on training and break for 10 seconds before repeating this 8 or more times to total around 4 minutes of workout.

Of course, this is only one example of a massive variety of workouts you can do using this method of training. But that doesn’t mean that you should be using this method all of the time – as HIIT is so intense, too much of it can be damaging, so you need to know how to pace yourself.

What we can do

We can figure out exactly how much training you need and can monitor how it is working for you personally. At Diana’s, we run HIIT classes Monday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, combining cardio exercises and muscular toning in our get-lean programme.

So what are you waiting for. HIIT the gym!

Read the tips below and start making your fitness plan.

Training

Back to Basics

First, and probably most importantly, don’t forget the basics. Throwing yourself into a complex workout routine in your first weeks back after the holidays can be a daunting task. Keeping things simple will allow you to get back into the swing of things more effectively than jumping straight in at the deep-end.

Compounds are Key

Be smart about your training. Don’t waste hours at the gym training using every piece of equipment and doing every exercise under the sun. Compound exercise will build more muscle and burn more fat than isolations. So, if all you’ve got is 30 minutes to workout on your lunch break, don’t waste it doing 4 sets of bicep curls. Stick to compound lifts for the best and quickest results.

Form Over Ego

Don’t go too heavy or do too much. When jumping back into the gym lots of people make the mistake of lifting too heavy or doing too much. Remember you’ve just had a break from the gym and may have even lost a little strength or muscle mass during your merry holidays. Take it slow and steady. There’s no shame in lifting lighter dumbbells for the first few weeks. Equally important as not lifting too heavy is form. Form trumps weight, there’s not debating it. Always remember to get the most out of your weight training, control the lowering portion of the exercise. Slowly lower for 3 to 4 seconds to get the best results.

Avoiding the Rush

With all the masses taking up a health and fitness resolution, the Club will be extra busy this time of year. So to get the best possible workout and not have to wait, try changing your training time. Your body will adjust to a different training time in a few days and after that it becomes routine.

Mixing Things Up

Many people see cardio or weight training as the enemy. Try mixing up your workouts to get the most out of your training and really give your body a kick-start to achieve your goals. Or maybe try something completely new like one of the many classes on offer here at the Club.

Nutrition

Don’t Restrict

Changing your eating habits can be a great way to lose weight and look your best, but changing it too quickly and severely can have a negative effect on your mood and stop you achieving your goals. Some of your favourite ‘unhealthy’ foods can be too tempting to resist after a long day and hard workout, and having them can cause you to binge on more ‘unhealthy’ foods. To avoid this don’t restrict just control. If you love some peanut butter have a smaller serving every few days or, if you crave a bowl of ice cream for dessert, schedule a day a week where you allow a little indulgence. Controlling your eating habits in this way will keep you sane and keep you on track.

Gradual Changes

As with training, don’t jump in too fast. Making gradual changes to your nutrition every week will allow you to stick to your new eating habits a lot longer than jumping in and restricting everything from the start.

Motivation

Don’t be fooled by the Water Weight

After all the merriment of the holidays, your body is bound to be holding onto a little bit of extra water. After you start training and eating better you might find a few more pounds dropping off the scale than usual. But don’t be fooled. The maximum you should aim to lose in a week is 1lb (0.5kg). Anymore than that and you may not be eating enough, which could cause you to put the weight back on more easily when you’ve hit your target weight.

Setting Goals

Always start small. Setting your long-term goal is great, but not having short-term goals can leave you unmotivated after a few weeks. Simple things per week, like going to a extra class or lifting 10kg more, can be the different between sticking to your resolution or crashing a few weeks in.

Partner Up

Sharing a resolution can be a great way to stay motivated and help someone else achieve their goals too. Working out with other people is a great way to keep you focussed on your fitness goals and help you both stay on track. Plus the competitive edge can give you a boost during your training routines.

Need a Helping Hand?

And of course, if you really want to get the most out of your workouts, why not speak to one of our experienced Personal Trainers and book a taster session.

When first joining a gym to improve fitness and lose weight, it can be a very daunting experience. You start the journey with an eagerness to fulfil your goals but as time goes by your motivation starts to flag and your training becomes stagnant, leading to you slowly losing all interest.

Smash your fitness goals with group exercise

Group exercise classes can reignite your passion for the gym and set you back on your weight loss and fitness journey. You will have more fun exercising with the group than if you were alone and you meet people who have similar goals to you. You’ll quickly find these new found friends will encourage you to attend more regularly and boost your motivation to meet those goals.

Achieve more with motivational instructors

Working out as a group with a dedicated instructor challenges you to push beyond your own perceived limitations. I monitor each member of my classes closely and motivate you to push past the fatigue.

I also encourage you by helping you improve your form and providing hints and tips throughout the class. I like you to understand how the exercise is impacting your body too so we discuss the muscles worked and benefits you should expect to see over time.

Join our family

Group exercise is like belonging to a family. We all go through the pain and the joy of success together. We praise each other to boost esteem and work together to stay on track. Classes quickly become addictive!

Try a class today and join our family!