Form, Posture and Breathing

Let's start by welcoming newcomer Sarah! Hopefully you enjoyed your first session in Glebe and will be back for more fun (and work) next week. Tanya also deserves a special mention, as she managed to beat Andy to the punch on Sunday, sending her sessions through before he'd even sent the text out. Love your enthusiasm, Tanya! You made Andy's day... And for anyone not on social media, it was great to see these happy faces, finishing last week STRONG!

Meteorology school should really be a prerequisite for outdoor trainers. Andy and Poppy give it their best, but its a tricky science and I know they appreciate your good humour on the days when the weather gods throw a curve ball. Speaking of wet weather, Poppy's Wednesday group had the pleasure of exploring a different corner of the park this week, using the pavilion for their yoga session. 

If you've not seen the video of Psalty and Georgie in the Sydney to Hobart, jump on the Whatsapp group to take a look. What an incredible experience!

This week I'd like to encourage you to focus on good form, posture and breathing. All three are vital during exercise regardless of your goals, and can sometimes suffer if we are tired or really pushing to increase the load. Maintaining proper form not only aids in building strength and endurance but also reduces the risk of injury. Be sure to pay attention to the alignment of your arms and legs, particularly when performing exercises such as burpees, push-ups, squats, and lunges. When running, maintain a straight back and lift your head to enhance speed and endurance. Additionally, focus on proper breathing techniques to effectively engage your core, manage fatigue and stay focused throughout the session. If you've got all that sorted, a smile can't hurt either!

Here's your weekly highlights. Have a fabulous weekend.

Go Team Tuesday!

It wasn't a typical week with Poppy being unwell, but hopefully everyone was able to get to what they needed from other sessions. I'm sure I can speak for everyone in wishing Poppy a speedy recovery!

Congratulations to those who showed resilience by turning up in the pouring rain on Tuesday. Nothing is getting in the way of YOUR goals!!

Resilience leads to success in so many endeavours, including the pursuit of fitness goals. Setting specific, measurable goals is an important first step, but resilience enables us to weather the storms (sometimes literally) and continue toward our desired outcomes.

The importance of goal setting won't be new to anyone, but let's refresh our memories:

1. Setting goals significantly improves your chances of success.

2. Setting fitness goals guides your actions and tracks your progress.

3. Without goals, it's easy to lose focus and neglect intentions.

4. Regularly checking and updating your goals keeps you motivated and on track. 
   

Fitness goals make workouts more efficient, help you progress faster, and provide a clear measure of your achievements, keeping you motivated when obstacles come along.

Assuming you know what you want to achieve and how you intend to do it, you're left with taking action. You're more likely to succeed if you have a plan. One of the primary reasons for Andy's text on Sundays, along with managing resources, is to get you to make that plan. Making a commitment on Sunday sets you up for success, by encouraging accountability to yourself and your goals. Don't let the weeks slip by. Text through your intentions first thing on Sunday and make the week count. 

It looks like you've had a great week - rain, hail or... extreme humidity. The proof's below. Have a fabulous weekend!

Strength it is!

Just like that... its February! Hopefully you all made the most of the long weekend and found a way to beat the humidity. Apologies for the absence of a newsletter, I've included photos below from the last fortnight to make amends, but first up, Kathryn's captured the beautiful natural light you all get to witness at 6 am. Thanks, Kathryn!

Thank you to those who got involved with my goal poll (its not too late for anyone who forgot). It wasn't surprising to see that strength came out ahead, though I've since realised I didn't include an option for fat loss! Fat loss is best achieved in partnership with other goals, particularly gaining strength. Chasing gains is much more satisfying than chasing a loss, and an increase in metabolically active muscle mass is a much more sustainable approach to weight loss than hours of cardio, particularly when accompanied by good food choices (keep scrolling for the return of recipe suggestions).

Getting stronger is a fantastic goal. Most of us will have heard that we begin to lose muscle mass from around the age of 30, with the process accelerating from about 50. Load bearing exercise is crucial to prevent this decline. But the benefits of strength training are numerous:

• Strong muscles protect joints from injury and improve balance and posture

• Strong bones (improved bone density) reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bone injury

• Increased muscle mass maintains or improves metabolic function, burning through more energy at rest

• Assist in the management of chronic conditions such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes

• Improved self-confidence, body image mood and sleep... And lets not forget that feeling strong just feels great! Moving with ease is hard to beat.
  

When it comes to strength goals, one thing always comes to mind: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten". The absolute key to progress is change, but more specifically, progressive overload. No matter what resistance you're working with (body-weight, bands or weights), if the stimulus doesn't increase you won't gain strength. If its a body-weight workout this might be the difference in the depth of a squat, plyometrics to target explosive muscle groups or simply increasing the load by moving the fulcrum. A great example of this is push-ups on your toes instead of knees, or if you're really keen, raising your feet to increase the load on your chest, upper back and shoulders. If you're working with weights or bands, you simply MUST increase the work in small increments REGULARLY. Increasing the actual weight is ideal, but adding a couple of reps to ensure you work the muscle to capacity can also help. Every resistance session should challenge you, so try picking up something a little heavier this week. You can always skip a rep if you need to, or do one heavier set before returning to the weight you're more confident with. 

And now for the fun bit - highlights from the last fortnight. All the best for the week ahead!