RetroFitters tend to feel out of touch/shun the glossy, shiny, superficial hyperbole so often found in the fitness world and feel let down by those who promise but repeatedly fail to deliver.
RetroFit works for the complete novice right through to advanced level students. Our classes often contain 50 somethings returning to exercise after decades of inactivity working alongside semi-pro and pro athletes (a truly scaleable format).
RetroFit training challenges students of all levels because it takes us into ancestral movement patterns that modern lifestyles have placed in cold storage through many hours of sitting, driving, gaming, texting etc.
To join the ranks of our graceful, powerful and strong RetroFitters, book your FREE first session now by calling 0161 478 7031 / 07932 183 782.
Sunday 15 April 2012
Tuesday 31 January 2012
Space to grow
Today, in between clients, I went grocery shopping for the usual list of meat, fish and vegetables. After storing them away at home I decided to take a look at the 4 shelves in our pull-out larder. It had needed attention for some time so I decided to spend just 10 minutes on the top shelf only. This involved throwing away 3 part used containers of various sugars used in baking, out of date herbs and spices (does anyone ever finish one of these?) and recycling some old cup cake cases that had gained their freedom from a clear plastic container.
After this I cleaned the shelf and returned the items that hadn't been shown the red card, to their now spacious new home. The process wasn't at all painful as it had a short deadline (just 600 seconds). It felt cathartic disposing of the obsolete 'foodstuffs' (I use this term loosely) and creating space within our environment. It dawned on me that there are parallels here compared to our modern life-styles - trying to cram in too much into too small a space while steadfastly refusing to let go of what isn't necessary and surplus to requirement.
Here at RetroFit (Tameside) we specialise in giving our athletes the knowledge, guidance, motivation and support to find the space in their lives, to exercise and make the sometimes difficult changes to create permanent fat release.
Is it time for your to make some space in your cupboards, shelves, wardrobe, pantry....... or even clothing?
Visit www.retrofit.me.uk www.facebook.com/retrofit.tameside
After this I cleaned the shelf and returned the items that hadn't been shown the red card, to their now spacious new home. The process wasn't at all painful as it had a short deadline (just 600 seconds). It felt cathartic disposing of the obsolete 'foodstuffs' (I use this term loosely) and creating space within our environment. It dawned on me that there are parallels here compared to our modern life-styles - trying to cram in too much into too small a space while steadfastly refusing to let go of what isn't necessary and surplus to requirement.
Here at RetroFit (Tameside) we specialise in giving our athletes the knowledge, guidance, motivation and support to find the space in their lives, to exercise and make the sometimes difficult changes to create permanent fat release.
Is it time for your to make some space in your cupboards, shelves, wardrobe, pantry....... or even clothing?
Visit www.retrofit.me.uk www.facebook.com/retrofit.tameside
Sunday 22 January 2012
Are you a predator (victor) or a scavenger (victim)?
This post is based on research carried out by Ori Hefmekler. Ori is close to 60 years old now and hovers around 6-8% body fat all year round. Not only is he an impressive athlete ( a former Israeli special forces officer ) but he is also a noted military historian and political cartoonist as well as a broadcaster, prolific health and fitness writer (Warrior Diet) and entrepreneur (Defense Nutrition).
We are, according to anthropologists and naturalists, a species of predator. We evolved to hunt, kill and eat other animals. We have eyes mounted in the front of our heads like other predators e.g. bears, lions, wolves etc. whereas prey animals e.g.deer, rabbits, birds etc. have theirs mounted on the side of their heads to aid a wider field of vision with smaller blind spots. That being said when homo sapien is compared to other predators, like those listed above for instance, our arsenal of sensory/physiological weapons is woefully lacking (see below).
Weapons Rating
Vision Limited, particularly in low light situations
Hearing Very limited
Smell Very limited
Touch Limited
Taste Sophisticated
Muscular strength Limited, even when compared to other closely related
primates
Muscular endurance Quite impressive
Intelligence Unlimited
Learning ability Unlimited
One of the main reasons we are comparable (or even superior?) to bigger stronger predators is our intellectual learning ability. To gain knowledge from our experiences and improve on our previous actions is the key to hunting/survival success and avoidance of being predated ourselves. At the deepest levels of our psyche and physiology we are goal driven predators (victorious in the hunt, victorious in survival).
The polar opposite of this survival paragon is the scavenger (who plays the victims role in this primeval tale). The victim is reactive rather than proactive. The scavenger allows the world to shape their destiny while the predator strives to shape their own destiny.
Take away points : Next time you are doing your shopping, rather than scavenging in the supermarket aisles, fill your trolley with FOOD ! Food, you ask? Yes I mean real foods i.e. food that will nourish your body rather than poison it. 'Hunt' and gather whole foods like meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds and fruits and vegetables. Purchase foods with as few ingredients in them as possible. Avoid 'scavenging' for non foods (anything that will rob your body of it's reserves rather than nourish it). Non foods include : alcohol, biscuits, doughnuts, sugar, bread, rice, pasta, chocolate, ice cream, muffins etc.
The average supermarket is crammed full of around 40,000 different products, all but a handful of them will make you into a fat, grazing scavenger victim. Isn't it time you reclaimed your hunter/gatherer instincts and became the goal driven, successful victor of your own story?
Your comments and views are always welcome.
We are, according to anthropologists and naturalists, a species of predator. We evolved to hunt, kill and eat other animals. We have eyes mounted in the front of our heads like other predators e.g. bears, lions, wolves etc. whereas prey animals e.g.deer, rabbits, birds etc. have theirs mounted on the side of their heads to aid a wider field of vision with smaller blind spots. That being said when homo sapien is compared to other predators, like those listed above for instance, our arsenal of sensory/physiological weapons is woefully lacking (see below).
Weapons Rating
Vision Limited, particularly in low light situations
Hearing Very limited
Smell Very limited
Touch Limited
Taste Sophisticated
Muscular strength Limited, even when compared to other closely related
primates
Muscular endurance Quite impressive
Intelligence Unlimited
Learning ability Unlimited
One of the main reasons we are comparable (or even superior?) to bigger stronger predators is our intellectual learning ability. To gain knowledge from our experiences and improve on our previous actions is the key to hunting/survival success and avoidance of being predated ourselves. At the deepest levels of our psyche and physiology we are goal driven predators (victorious in the hunt, victorious in survival).
The polar opposite of this survival paragon is the scavenger (who plays the victims role in this primeval tale). The victim is reactive rather than proactive. The scavenger allows the world to shape their destiny while the predator strives to shape their own destiny.
Take away points : Next time you are doing your shopping, rather than scavenging in the supermarket aisles, fill your trolley with FOOD ! Food, you ask? Yes I mean real foods i.e. food that will nourish your body rather than poison it. 'Hunt' and gather whole foods like meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds and fruits and vegetables. Purchase foods with as few ingredients in them as possible. Avoid 'scavenging' for non foods (anything that will rob your body of it's reserves rather than nourish it). Non foods include : alcohol, biscuits, doughnuts, sugar, bread, rice, pasta, chocolate, ice cream, muffins etc.
The average supermarket is crammed full of around 40,000 different products, all but a handful of them will make you into a fat, grazing scavenger victim. Isn't it time you reclaimed your hunter/gatherer instincts and became the goal driven, successful victor of your own story?
Your comments and views are always welcome.
Wednesday 28 December 2011
The goal is to keep the goal the goal !
You've joined a fat club that's a household name, you've bought your pedometer and you've downloaded the APP that calculates how many calories you ingest and how many calories you burn for every activity from snow boarding to needlepoint. You are going to start next Monday (it's always next Monday isn't it?) with a guaranteed fat loss, nutrition plan which consists of a cup of liquid pixie dust every 4 hours that has the RDA of all the vitamins and minerals a healthy body needs.
So what's your actual goal? Do you know what your goal is??
It could be fat loss or muscle gain or increased energy and better health or stress reduction. Regardless of what the goal is your behaviour(s) will determine the level of success you attain. Several empirically researched studies have found that making one habitual change at a time has an 80% success rate. Double that to two changes attempted simultaneously and the success rates plummets to 35%. Three or more changes attempted at the same time rates at less than 10%.
I recommend that you read the last paragraph again and all the first paragraph again. If you want a new habit to stick then the goal is to keep the goal the goal, by changing one step (goal) at a time. Too many balls in the air can result in broken toes and if something is worth doing, it's worth doing everyday. Is looking after your health and vitality worth doing everyday?
Takeaway point : Pick a habit you can sustain, at a level you can sustain easily. When you perform it without thought (unconscious habit), then increase the level or begin a new habit.
So what's your actual goal? Do you know what your goal is??
It could be fat loss or muscle gain or increased energy and better health or stress reduction. Regardless of what the goal is your behaviour(s) will determine the level of success you attain. Several empirically researched studies have found that making one habitual change at a time has an 80% success rate. Double that to two changes attempted simultaneously and the success rates plummets to 35%. Three or more changes attempted at the same time rates at less than 10%.
I recommend that you read the last paragraph again and all the first paragraph again. If you want a new habit to stick then the goal is to keep the goal the goal, by changing one step (goal) at a time. Too many balls in the air can result in broken toes and if something is worth doing, it's worth doing everyday. Is looking after your health and vitality worth doing everyday?
Takeaway point : Pick a habit you can sustain, at a level you can sustain easily. When you perform it without thought (unconscious habit), then increase the level or begin a new habit.
Monday 5 December 2011
New Year, New You?
By Guest Blogger : Jim Etikett
Today's title is a tag line taken from a New Year's marketing campaign for a world wide health club chain. It could easily have been lifted from the cover of any of the following publications: Cosmopolitan, Zest, Men's Health, Men's Fitness etc. The list is endless. As the end of this year rapidly approaches, the festive season looms, with all it's excesses of gluttony, sloth, hangovers, parties and so on. Is this different from last year? For most of us, I doubt it.
Many of you will once again be at least flirting with the notion of marching down to your local leisure centre or health club in early January with high hopes and a fistful of your hard earned. You have my admiration and good wishes, for you will need them. A mind numbing 98% of us (this is not a typo) will have failed in our quest for a leaner, healthier, happier lifestyle by April Fool's Day (prophetic perhaps?!). Those in the health and fitness industry know this all too well. That is why, when New Year boom time arrives, they love you to pay a lump sum for 6 or 12 months membership in advance. Because they know after March, the statistics show that you won't show! Are they losing sleep over this? Not likely, as they have their pound of flesh and you will likely be stuck with a few of these yourself.
The present economic downturn has sharpened our focus on how, when and where we spend our currency much more so than in recent times. I recommend you delay your decision this year until you have visited RetroFit (or somewhere like it). This place is unique. "How is it unique?" I hear you ask. Well firstly there are no membership fees, no enrolment fees and no admin fees: you simply pay as you train. At RetroFit our clients are educated in the necessary skills for a leaner, stronger, healthier you! This is (hopefully) a lifelong endeavour for us all i.e. think twelve months a year, for many many decades, rather than January to March every year. Bristling, pain free, vital health is beyond value, so I recommend that you invest your time, money and energy wisely. Look beyond the obvious and try a different route to success.
http://www.retrofit.me.uk/
www.facebook.com/retrofit.tameside
Today's title is a tag line taken from a New Year's marketing campaign for a world wide health club chain. It could easily have been lifted from the cover of any of the following publications: Cosmopolitan, Zest, Men's Health, Men's Fitness etc. The list is endless. As the end of this year rapidly approaches, the festive season looms, with all it's excesses of gluttony, sloth, hangovers, parties and so on. Is this different from last year? For most of us, I doubt it.
Many of you will once again be at least flirting with the notion of marching down to your local leisure centre or health club in early January with high hopes and a fistful of your hard earned. You have my admiration and good wishes, for you will need them. A mind numbing 98% of us (this is not a typo) will have failed in our quest for a leaner, healthier, happier lifestyle by April Fool's Day (prophetic perhaps?!). Those in the health and fitness industry know this all too well. That is why, when New Year boom time arrives, they love you to pay a lump sum for 6 or 12 months membership in advance. Because they know after March, the statistics show that you won't show! Are they losing sleep over this? Not likely, as they have their pound of flesh and you will likely be stuck with a few of these yourself.
The present economic downturn has sharpened our focus on how, when and where we spend our currency much more so than in recent times. I recommend you delay your decision this year until you have visited RetroFit (or somewhere like it). This place is unique. "How is it unique?" I hear you ask. Well firstly there are no membership fees, no enrolment fees and no admin fees: you simply pay as you train. At RetroFit our clients are educated in the necessary skills for a leaner, stronger, healthier you! This is (hopefully) a lifelong endeavour for us all i.e. think twelve months a year, for many many decades, rather than January to March every year. Bristling, pain free, vital health is beyond value, so I recommend that you invest your time, money and energy wisely. Look beyond the obvious and try a different route to success.
http://www.retrofit.me.uk/
www.facebook.com/retrofit.tameside
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Eat fat, get thin.....?!
Coconut oil is my favourite fat, closely followed by olive oil. I consume it daily, usually carved in hunks straight from the jar. It has a high melting point so is ideal for frying and roasting too. It blends well with other oils particularly olive oil (another 'good' fat). Coconut oil is a saturated fat, like bacon rind, meaning it is usually a solid mass at room temperature. LIKE BACON RIND.....?! I hear you exclaim. Now before you have an anxiety attack take a look at these facts www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Kettlebell swing - the most important movement 'not' in your fitness kit?
The kettlebell swing and its derivatives (high pull from hang, snatch etc) is a movement which quite frankly, totally revolutionized the way I train and subsequently how I look and feel as an individual. The first time I witnessed a kettlebell swing being performed on Youtube University (very poorly performed, as I was to discover later) I instinctively knew that this old school, hard core fitness tool was for me. A true lightbulb moment.
Now, fast approaching 44 years old, I am more or less the same weight as I was at age 19-23 years, when I was representing GB as a light middleweight muay thai boxer. The difference now is (over 20 years later) I am leaner, stronger, better conditioned and less prone to injury than all those years ago. This is a cast iron fact (pun intended). The kettlebell has been a focal point of my lifestyle since January 2009 ("your other children" as my wife terms them) and they are so much more obedient than the flesh and blood variety!
Every year, at least once, I journey north to Edinburgh to bolster my education (and those I subsequently coach) by investing my time and money under the tutelage of world renowned strength coaches like Steve Cotter (IKFF) and Mike Mahler (Aggressive Strength). To improve at any endeavour you must spend time with those further up the ladder than you. It is all too easy to rest on your laurels and get all nostalgic about what you have achieved rather than what you intend to achieve. Take a look at the following bullet points and ask yourself which of these you would not benefit from by adding this essential exercise to your fitness regimewww.facebook.com/retrofit.tameside:
Now, fast approaching 44 years old, I am more or less the same weight as I was at age 19-23 years, when I was representing GB as a light middleweight muay thai boxer. The difference now is (over 20 years later) I am leaner, stronger, better conditioned and less prone to injury than all those years ago. This is a cast iron fact (pun intended). The kettlebell has been a focal point of my lifestyle since January 2009 ("your other children" as my wife terms them) and they are so much more obedient than the flesh and blood variety!
Every year, at least once, I journey north to Edinburgh to bolster my education (and those I subsequently coach) by investing my time and money under the tutelage of world renowned strength coaches like Steve Cotter (IKFF) and Mike Mahler (Aggressive Strength). To improve at any endeavour you must spend time with those further up the ladder than you. It is all too easy to rest on your laurels and get all nostalgic about what you have achieved rather than what you intend to achieve. Take a look at the following bullet points and ask yourself which of these you would not benefit from by adding this essential exercise to your fitness regimewww.facebook.com/retrofit.tameside:
- weight loss/body fat reduction
- increased metabolic rate (ie heightened calorie expenditure during training and away from training)
- gains in lean muscle tissue
- improved aerobic/anaerobic cardio function without comprimising joint health
- teaching your body to function as a whole fluid unit, not a collection of disjointed, misfiring parts.
- improved lower back stabilization while reducing/eliminating aches and pains.
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