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Mat Hall – The Man Who Smashed The Challenge

Mat’s the kind of guy who brings the good vibes to the gym every day. He’s been crushing it on his health journey this year, even with a newborn at home! Went from ‘not bad’ to ‘wow, ripped!’ Plus, he totally aced his first Hyrox competition – talk about impressive!

I’m seriously stoked about Mat’s progress, and hanging out with him is always a blast. Oh, and get this – he started a football squad for refugees in Chichester! Every week, they come together and kick it on the field. It’s awesome seeing him making a real difference in the community.

Enjoy.

 

 

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Podcast #5: Two Fascinating Members Who Escaped Persecution For Standing Up For What Is Right

I’m not going to lie, this was emotional. I was in two minds about whether to publish this, but I feel that these two people’s story needs to be told.

They are refugees, from Iran, and have an amazing story to tell. We didn’t get into too many details because I felt actually some of their experiences are probably too raw to talk about.

Long story short, they escaped Iran because of the activism that they were doing. What I find astounding as that they are two educated people. Who were successful in their own right having to leave a country they were both contributing to.

Needless to say it was a fascinating conversation, one which I have more questions and hopefully will get a chance to speak with them again.

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Podcast #3 – Hyrox, Programming and Injury

This is a short update episode on how we in December 2023 are changing the programming, talking about hyrox events, and how to prevent injuries within the gym.

Today’s episode includes myself, Lydia and coach Derren who completed Hyrox as a team.

Let us know if you’re interested in doing Hyrox or joining one of our classes.

Archie

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How It All Began – Our Story So Far and The Lesson’s Lydia and I have Learnt

This started out as a question between Lydia and myself and if she’d be willing to talk about our experiences over the last 10 years of running a gym.

We thought this conversation would only be 10 minutes, but it actually turned our we had a lot to talk about it.

Let us know what you think.

Archie

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Sahra’s Transformation – How She Lost 18kg and dropped 3 dress sizes

 

Sara’s journey with us has been nothing short of incredible. From the moment she walked in, determined to make a change, we knew something special was happening. Back then, she was stressed, unhappy, and craving a shift towards better self-care. It was evident she needed to prioritise her well-being amidst the responsibilities of caring for her special-needs child.

Seeing her transformation unfold has been truly remarkable. She started at 97 kg, and today, she’s shed 18 kg and three dress sizes. What’s even more impressive is how she navigated a busy work life, stress, and the challenges of daily life to achieve these incredible results. Sara taught us a valuable lesson: there’s never a perfect time to start – the right time is now.

Her approach was simple but consistent: exercising three times a week and sticking to a nutrition plan without fussing over perfection. Her dedication is something to admire; she never complained but simply put in the work day after day. Now, she only needs monthly check-ins because she’s mastered the skills needed for her journey.

Sara’s resilience and commitment inspire us daily. Her attitude – just doing what’s necessary to achieve her goals – is admirable. Sara, you’re not just a client, you’re a motivation for all of us. Keep pushing forward, and we’ll be here, cheering you on every step of the way.

 

 

 

 

 

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How We Helped Jack To Lose 20+ kg of FAT In 6 months



Discover the incredible journey of Jack’s transformative weight loss and learn how he achieved such remarkable results. We didn’t just stumble upon success; we strategically focused on three essential pillars that paved the way for his triumph:

1. **Fitness:** Jack’s demanding schedule, which included a full-time job, holidays, and even overcoming an ankle injury, didn’t deter him. He committed to just three workouts a week, showcasing that consistency and dedication are key to achieving fitness goals.

2. **Nutrition:** We tailored Jack’s nutrition plan to maximize effectiveness. By ensuring he consumed adequate protein, limiting fat intake, and strategically incorporating carbs during the day, we optimized his energy levels. Vegetables became a staple in every meal, and we even redefined his snacks to include half a portion of protein, making every bite count towards his success.

3. **Accountability:** Staying on track was a collaborative effort. Jack sent me daily meal updates, and we conducted weekly weigh-ins to closely monitor his progress and make necessary adjustments. This level of accountability played a crucial role in his consistent and successful weight loss journey.

Six months later, Jack has shed an impressive 20kg, and his momentum shows no signs of slowing down. If you’re ready to embark on your own transformation, you can access Jack’s exclusive meal plan along with exciting bonuses, including customized workout plans, insider transformation secrets, and six weeks of our cutting-edge gym programming. Are you ready to unlock your potential and achieve lasting results?

Join us on the path to success!

Just put you details in below:


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Jack’s Transformation

Jack embarked on his transformative journey with us in May 2023. From the very moment he set foot in our program, he was resolute about bringing a positive change to his life.

Jack dove headfirst into the process, leaving no room for hesitation. In his first week, he diligently purged his kitchen of unhealthy choices, meticulously prepared his meals, and unwaveringly adhered to our guidance.

He committed to a rigorous training regimen, dedicating three sessions each week to ensure he not only exercised effectively but also moved with precision. We thoughtfully tailored his workouts to match his fitness level, and he persisted with unwavering determination.

Gradually, Jack’s fitness level improved, and the pounds started melting away. He rekindled his passion for running, witnessed his clothes grow increasingly loose, and found himself adjusting his belt buckle to a smaller size.

During this time, Jack managed to balance his newfound commitment with two overseas holidays, where he consistently sent us proof of his dedication to working out. Additionally, he celebrated a momentous occasion by getting engaged to his girlfriend, highlighting remarkable physical and mental enhancements since he adopted a routine of nutritious eating and thrice-weekly training.

Central to Jack’s journey has been the invaluable support and accountability provided by our community and his dedicated coach, guiding him steadfastly toward his aspirations.

Jack’s transformation didn’t go unnoticed by those around him. Friends and family alike observed the remarkable changes he underwent in just six months, marking a profound and comprehensive metamorphosis.

 

 

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How I Learnt To “Muscle-Up”

When I first started my journey towards achieving a muscle-up, it felt like an elusive goal, something we considered the pinnacle of difficulty, especially to my brother and me. It took us a dedicated six-month effort, with my brother achieving it before me.

Here’s the step-by-step process we followed:

1. Building foundational strength was crucial. I made sure I could perform 10 strict pull-ups and 10 strict dips before attempting a muscle-up.

2. To start, I employed the “false grip” technique, which shortens the pulling distance and reduces the overall load. This was my initial approach until I built enough strength to switch to a “neutral grip,” where I held the rings in the palm of my hand.

3. Next, I progressed to seated transitions using either a band for assistance or by keeping my feet on the ground to make it more manageable.

4. Over time, I gradually advanced to elevated transitions, preparing myself for the eventual transition from a dead hang.

5. Once I had mastered the basic movement, the focus shifted towards linking multiple repetitions together. My personal record was achieving 9 consecutive muscle-ups.

 

By following these steps and gradually progressing, I was able to conquer the muscle-up.

Summer Throwdown 2022

Testing your fitness is part of the fun. July 23rd 2022, we had three teams enter into the Newbury CrossFit Summer Throwdown.

The competition was for teams of four, two guys, two girls, to complete 4 workouts starting first thing in the morning, and finishing in the afternoon.

Anyone who’s done a competition knows how hard it is to compete over four workouts. You need to mentally prep, hydrate, stretch, warm-up and cool down for each one. It’s really tough to do well.

         

Three teams who came down gave it everything they had. It was super impressive. The three teams consisted of:

Team T-Jam – Rich Johnson, Ben Marley, Helena Thomas, and Laura Addison.

Team Rough and Ready – Dave Rough, Rich Griffiths, Manon Lartet, and Katie Webb.

Team Rehab Facility – Macca Relf, Josh Gray, Ana Davenport, Grace Greenshields.

These three teams absolutely smashed the workouts. Putting in seriously good efforts across all four events.

T-Jam, posted an excellent effort in the front squat, rowing, run and sprint event, narrowly completing the fifth round with a sprint finish – this was their event win across the board. Team Rough and Ready, hammered out some excellent thrusters at 40/50kg over the event and posted a high ranked finish. Rehab facility came second. So on the engine work, our teams all performed really well.

 

 

The weightlifting event saw personal bests from nearly all athletes. Having to complete a 5 rep hang snatch for the RX division, or a 5 rep hang clean for the intermediates. This wasn’t a strength for our athletes in comparison to some seriously strong guys and gals from other teams (more heavy lifting coming up in the programming I think!)

The workouts were hard. The final workout for Rough and Ready included heavy overhead dumbbell lunges, squats, handstand push-ups and burpees. Few teams finished it, but they got further than most posting a respectable 3rd finish. All members demonstrating excellent form on the handstand push-ups, and the squats. The lunges punished the shoulders, if you lacked the overhead mobility to keep those elbows locked. Simply put, it was brutal.

The airbike, and D-ball event saw most athletes unable to walk correctly after it, as it hit the legs like no other. This is where I saw Rehab Facility excel. Grace and Macca went all out on the bikes and posted an outstanding 121 calories in the time cap which was a good 10 cals beyond any of the nearest teams in their heat. Clearly their hour long max cal air bike training every week has paid off for this event.

The most impressive aspect of all this was the support for one another and camaraderie felt by all the team members. The support given by some members making the journey up to Newbury, was much needed. CrossFit events involve a lot of running around, extra food, looking after, water, and the emotional support is absolutely necessary during the later stages of the day when your body feels tired and you’re suffering.

Huge thanks to Stacey Smith, Coni Stockman, Alisha Renwick, Dan Gunby, Georgia Punter, Hannah Marley and the kids, Henry Marley, George Marley, and Henry Cunningham, for coming to support the teams. It was quite difficult to support all the teams at once as their events were often running simultaneously, so this was particularly important when in the weightlifting event all the teams were surrounding Rehab Facility to hit their lifts and they did exceptionally well with their weights.

Overall the day shot by. Everyone had a great time, and with Rehab Facility taking the intermediate category win, topped it off and showed that all their hard work has paid off. It was great to see everyone working so well, and having such a good time doing it, we’ll definitely be organising more teams for similar events in the future.

The overall standings were:

RX – Rough and Ready 8th out of 16

Intermediate –  Rehab Facility 1st out of 22, T-Jam 6th.

The RX category was extremely competitive. Despite their best efforts, the other teams just got ahead. The team that won were completely dominant, in that they won every event bar one.

The venue was excellent. Newbury Rugby club was a great choice of facility, and ground for the athletes and the spectators. The catering was top notch and to be able to have a beer straight after the workout was even better. The weather held thankfully, meaning that as a gym owner I didn’t feel for the guys with all the kit being put outside (how they would have done this with it raining I don’t know). Either way thank you so much to T-Jam for starting this off and encouraging everyone to come along and join in the events and thank you to CrossFit Newbury for taking the risk and putting on an exceptional event from organising all the judges, all the kit, all the logistics, all the prizes, and the catering and venue. I really hope you guys do it again next year. We will definitely be there!

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200406 wk 15 Gym Programming

GYM PROGRAMMING
Monday – April 6, 2020 – 200406

Context: Practice –

Dynamic Warm Up Option: St Petersburg KB Warm Up Flow – 100′ Suitcase Carry each arm, 100′ OH Carry each arm, 2L/2R Turkish Get Up, 12 Russian Swings, 8 (4 per side) Front Rack or Overhead Squat, 30s Floor Scap Stretch, 30s Psoas So Good stretch –

Mobility/Activation/Prehab: Hip

Skill Practice Warm Up: None.

Strength: 6×4 Back or Box Squat 11 of 12 (6 sets of 4 reps, same weight across, 80-90%)

Super Set: 6×6 Single Arm Ring Row or DB Bent Over Row (6 sets of 6 reps, each side, same challenge with all sets)

Metabolic Conditioning: “Legolas Greenleaf”

AMRAP in 6 min

8 LH DB Power Snatch (Health: 15lb/ Athletic*: 25lb/ Performance: 45lb)

30′ OH Lunge with DB in left hand

8 RH DB Power Snatch (same)

30′ OH Lunge with DB in RH

100m Sprint or 30 Double Unders, 3 Burpees

*Women’s “Performance” weights and reps (Rx)

Scaling Guide: 2.5 – 5 rounds, about 1:45 per round. Scale Up: 35/50lb DB

Compare to: April 23, 2018

Coaching Tips: Make sure to catch the dumbbell overhead with a straight active arm, keep your thumb pointed behind you and your shoulder in good position also make sure to stand all the way up. On the lunges make sure you don’t step too far or short, your knee should be right over your ankle. As you stand up drive through the heel of your front foot.

Optional ‘Cash Out’ or Hypertrophy: 2 min Row, 1 min Toes to Bar or Sit Ups, 2 min Row, OR 3 sets of 10-15 Strict Toes to bar in a super set with 12 Loaded Hip Extensions

“By the Numbers” Book References: Back Squat p. 171, Ring Row p. 122, Power Snatch p. 438, Running p. 269

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