Welcome to the Grange Fitness blog, a blog written and managed by the fitness professionals at Grange Fitness, Ipswich
Tuesday 18 November 2014
TUESDAY 18th November 2013
TUESDAY 18th November 2013
WOD:
'KELLY'
5 rounds for time:
400m run
30 wall balls
30 box jumps
Monday 20 February 2012
Don't be "as flat as a..." on pancake day, enjoy it!
You don't want to miss out, here is a recipe that is clean, healthy and yummy!
Gluten free pancakes;
For 4 pancakes-
Ingredients;
2 eggs
Gluten and wheat free flour
Rice milk
Coconut oil
Strawberries
Algarve nectar
Whisk the eggs, and then add the same amount of Rice milk and the same amount of flour to the mixture. Whisk vigorously.
Lightly heat half a t-spoon of coconut oil into the pan. Add the mixture and fry until its golden and toss it over.
Finish with algarve nectar or lemon juice and Strawberries or a fruit of your choice.
If you want to go for something a little different again, a client sent me the following protein pancake recipe;
1 cup oats (blended to powder)
1 cup of water/oat drink
1tsp baking powder
8 egg whites
Blend the oats then whisk the egg whites to a consistency similar to making meringues and blend with oats. Add the oat drink or water you can add more or less depending on the thickness you like then chuck in the baking powder.
Put pan on with spray oil. I make about 3 days worth and just microwave them in the morning adding stevia with natural lemon juice or sugar free syrup.
Gluten free pancakes;
For 4 pancakes-
Ingredients;
2 eggs
Gluten and wheat free flour
Rice milk
Coconut oil
Strawberries
Algarve nectar
Whisk the eggs, and then add the same amount of Rice milk and the same amount of flour to the mixture. Whisk vigorously.
Lightly heat half a t-spoon of coconut oil into the pan. Add the mixture and fry until its golden and toss it over.
Finish with algarve nectar or lemon juice and Strawberries or a fruit of your choice.
If you want to go for something a little different again, a client sent me the following protein pancake recipe;
1 cup oats (blended to powder)
1 cup of water/oat drink
1tsp baking powder
8 egg whites
Blend the oats then whisk the egg whites to a consistency similar to making meringues and blend with oats. Add the oat drink or water you can add more or less depending on the thickness you like then chuck in the baking powder.
Put pan on with spray oil. I make about 3 days worth and just microwave them in the morning adding stevia with natural lemon juice or sugar free syrup.
Saturday 6 August 2011
Groupon debate - does it work for your fitness business?
There has been plenty of chatter from fit-pro's on whether Groupon is a good or a bad for business.
The general consensus is that it's a bad thing.
Well, I have thought long and hard about this, and although I agree with all the posts, blogs, updates, videos giving reasons why it's not good for business, I decided to give it a try.
Recently, a local bootcamp session instructor run an offer with Groupon, and from what I hear, he done pretty well out of it, I thought I would give it a go and see if it works for me.
Now don't get me wrong, there is no point on running an offer like this if your camp is full or close to full, it will upset current campers and devalue the business. But if you are like me, and have only recently started to expand your camps or you maybe just about to launch a new camp, carry on reading as this is why I think it could work for you and me....
Groupon have a pretty standard offer for bootcamps, £19 for 10 bootcamp sessions wherever you are. Groupon then will take 50% of this, so basically you are left with £9.50 per person - crap eh?
So this is what I did, I didn't want to devalue my regular 4 week camp, or upset my current members, so I set up a 'groupon special intensive camp'.
Most of my campers start seeing fantastic results in the first few weeks, so for my intensive camp, I scheduled 4 sessions in two weeks = 8 sessions for £19.
On this Intensive camp, they will do the same workout routine's as my regular camp, and of course, receive the nutritional plan along with the majority of the handouts.. but not all of the goodies!
I also invited all my current campers, and previous campers to purchase the camp at £19 (direct to me) as a special bonus!
What about the money? Well, I sold 125 groupon vouchers, Im guessing (based on what the groupon sales rep told me) 80 of these will actually use this voucher. This equates to £760. The 80 will then be split into 4 different camps (I have 3 locations) = 16 hours of work per week for two weeks. It's starting to look better right?
Well, now it get a little more interesting.....
Immediately following the two week camp, I have dates set up for my full camp which costs £77.
I would be naive to think all of these individuals will sign up, a lot of them would have just bought the voucher purely for price (great price!!), but there will be a percentage that may have just been thinking about joining a gym, or always wanted to do a bootcamp, and hopefully there will be some on this camp who planned to do just the groupon offer and by the end of the two weeks were converted by the results!
So what is this percentage? Well, I don't know yet as my camp has not run yet, however, I estimate 20% will sign up straight away, and a further 40% will come back to camp at a later date.
So from the off, you have another 20 bootcampers paying £77 each. You will also be getting FREE brand awareness, in Ipswich alone, there are 45000 subscribers, who will see your company name and logo in their inbox when they wake up in the morning, the groupon offer (with specific dates) may not be suited to them at this point, but at a later date, they may join up with your camp! Not forgetting the 80+ people who will be sampling your camp and spreading the good word for you.
So for me, everyone's a winner: Groupon certainly are, The customer - even more so, and for us the guys who run the bootcamps it's a gamble, there will definitely be some benefits, but also there should be some great benefits!
If the bootcampers get the results which they should do (similar to what you will get in 4 weeks) then I will run regular 2 week camps at £77.
I will of course update this post when the camp is complete (end of September) and I know the actual figures of converts to my regular 4 week camp, but for now I believe it Is a good business model for newby bootcamp owners.
Matt Brennan - bootcamp director
www.woodbridgebootcamps.co.uk
www.kesgravebootcamps.co.uk
www.felixstowebootcamps.co.uk
The general consensus is that it's a bad thing.
Well, I have thought long and hard about this, and although I agree with all the posts, blogs, updates, videos giving reasons why it's not good for business, I decided to give it a try.
Recently, a local bootcamp session instructor run an offer with Groupon, and from what I hear, he done pretty well out of it, I thought I would give it a go and see if it works for me.
Now don't get me wrong, there is no point on running an offer like this if your camp is full or close to full, it will upset current campers and devalue the business. But if you are like me, and have only recently started to expand your camps or you maybe just about to launch a new camp, carry on reading as this is why I think it could work for you and me....
Groupon have a pretty standard offer for bootcamps, £19 for 10 bootcamp sessions wherever you are. Groupon then will take 50% of this, so basically you are left with £9.50 per person - crap eh?
So this is what I did, I didn't want to devalue my regular 4 week camp, or upset my current members, so I set up a 'groupon special intensive camp'.
Most of my campers start seeing fantastic results in the first few weeks, so for my intensive camp, I scheduled 4 sessions in two weeks = 8 sessions for £19.
On this Intensive camp, they will do the same workout routine's as my regular camp, and of course, receive the nutritional plan along with the majority of the handouts.. but not all of the goodies!
I also invited all my current campers, and previous campers to purchase the camp at £19 (direct to me) as a special bonus!
What about the money? Well, I sold 125 groupon vouchers, Im guessing (based on what the groupon sales rep told me) 80 of these will actually use this voucher. This equates to £760. The 80 will then be split into 4 different camps (I have 3 locations) = 16 hours of work per week for two weeks. It's starting to look better right?
Well, now it get a little more interesting.....
Immediately following the two week camp, I have dates set up for my full camp which costs £77.
I would be naive to think all of these individuals will sign up, a lot of them would have just bought the voucher purely for price (great price!!), but there will be a percentage that may have just been thinking about joining a gym, or always wanted to do a bootcamp, and hopefully there will be some on this camp who planned to do just the groupon offer and by the end of the two weeks were converted by the results!
So what is this percentage? Well, I don't know yet as my camp has not run yet, however, I estimate 20% will sign up straight away, and a further 40% will come back to camp at a later date.
So from the off, you have another 20 bootcampers paying £77 each. You will also be getting FREE brand awareness, in Ipswich alone, there are 45000 subscribers, who will see your company name and logo in their inbox when they wake up in the morning, the groupon offer (with specific dates) may not be suited to them at this point, but at a later date, they may join up with your camp! Not forgetting the 80+ people who will be sampling your camp and spreading the good word for you.
So for me, everyone's a winner: Groupon certainly are, The customer - even more so, and for us the guys who run the bootcamps it's a gamble, there will definitely be some benefits, but also there should be some great benefits!
If the bootcampers get the results which they should do (similar to what you will get in 4 weeks) then I will run regular 2 week camps at £77.
I will of course update this post when the camp is complete (end of September) and I know the actual figures of converts to my regular 4 week camp, but for now I believe it Is a good business model for newby bootcamp owners.
Matt Brennan - bootcamp director
www.woodbridgebootcamps.co.uk
www.kesgravebootcamps.co.uk
www.felixstowebootcamps.co.uk
Wednesday 27 July 2011
The importance of detox and weight management….
Our bodies have a natural in built detox system – made up of the digestive tract, urinary system and the liver, these help to process the chemicals modern life throws at it – these chemicals are called toxins – toxins are poisonous and have harmful effects on the body.
Most people are exposed to low level toxins everyday because of our environment. Chemical preservatives may help food last in a cross country trip but only add to the toxin count in our bodies.
Tiredness, dark circles under the eyes, dull skin and bad digestion are all symptoms of a toxic body.
You must be able to get toxins out of your system fully as you lose weight, otherwise fat will not release them and you will struggle to lose weight past a certain point.
In order for your body to release stored toxins you need to alter your diet (detox) this involves cutting out alcohol and caffeine – two of the biggest culprits, prepare your meals from natural foods free from additives and preservatives, saturated fat and sugar and for maximum benefits steer clear of wheat and dairy.
The benefits you will receive – weight loss, more energy, healthier skin, stronger immune system and a healthy digestive tract.
Most people are exposed to low level toxins everyday because of our environment. Chemical preservatives may help food last in a cross country trip but only add to the toxin count in our bodies.
Tiredness, dark circles under the eyes, dull skin and bad digestion are all symptoms of a toxic body.
You must be able to get toxins out of your system fully as you lose weight, otherwise fat will not release them and you will struggle to lose weight past a certain point.
In order for your body to release stored toxins you need to alter your diet (detox) this involves cutting out alcohol and caffeine – two of the biggest culprits, prepare your meals from natural foods free from additives and preservatives, saturated fat and sugar and for maximum benefits steer clear of wheat and dairy.
The benefits you will receive – weight loss, more energy, healthier skin, stronger immune system and a healthy digestive tract.
Tuesday 12 July 2011
My first season - Away days
After nearly 4 seasons as Ipswich Town masseur, I finally got the call.........
When I was younger as most boys, I wanted to score in the FA Cup final, for me the dream was to be in a Gooner shirt and to be scoring that goal in the final minute against Spurs. As I grew older, I would realise that I was not good enough, so the next best thing would be to work for a professional football club.
For the past 10 years I have lived in Ipswich, and to be honest, because of an overly biased mother in-law who is an avid season ticket holder, I never took much interest in Ipswich Town FC, why would I, my team was the mighty Arsenal..
Then in the summer of 2008 I got a call and would soon take up the role of Ipswich Town Football club's Masseur. I work as part of a team of Masseurs under the guidance of the physio's, where up until recently, our role was to loosen, stretch and relax the bodies of the players at the training ground.
In January 2011 the club went through a few major changes, the new manager Paul Jewell and his backroom staff, the arrival of Jimmy Bullard, but there was a not so glamorous appointment in the physio department, me taking on the role as away day match day masseur.
The appointment could not come at a better time, a few weeks before I lost one of my businesses, something I had put a lot of time, money and passion into. The appointment also came a week before the league cup semi final game against Arsenal at the Emerites stadium!!I had prayed for this tie for 4 years, I even remember 2008 3rd round FA cup draw, I put on hold booking a holiday because I was convinced Arsenal and Ipswich would be drawn out of the hat together....
Obviously I get paid for my job, however for this game, if asked, I would have paid for my seat on the bench - but it was a priceless seat!
For this game I made my own way to North London with a couple of friends, to say I was excited was an understatement. Ahead of schedule I arrived at the Emirates and was escorted in via the players entrance on a golf buggy!
When I was 7 I was lucky enough to have taken a tour around Highbury, I remember the tour guide telling us how the decorated the away changing rooms to create a depressing atmosphere and how the away dug out had no heating, well if they done the same at the Emirates the designer must have been a very happy person! The size of the changing rooms were enormous, let alone the shower and toilet area, I then walked around the corner to the coaches area which was bigger than most changing rooms alone! This is where my treatment table was.
I had plenty of time, so I decided to have a walk on the hallowed turf, As I looked around I could see a few eager fans in the stadium along with a few stewards. I walked out to the centre spot and looked around - WOW! This was my team that I followed since the age of 5, and now I was going to be sitting on the opposing bench.
The team normally arrive an hour and half before kick off, today they were a little early, you could see a lot of the lads were quite tense and different from how I normally see them at the training ground. I had previously worked a few games, but none of this magnitude, in fact most of the lads had never played in a game like this, the league cup semi-final with a 1-0 lead against the best footballing team in Britain, and in my opinion only bettered by Barcelona.
Having a masseur at a game is a new thing for the team, im not sure if it was the gaffer that bought it in or the Physio Matt Byard, I would say when Roy Keane parted company, Matt saw it as a good opportunity to make some changes to help him out, but either way, it was a something that would help the team in their preparation for a game.
The massage therapy I normally give on a training day is normally, hard, deep and slow, where as the idea on a match day is to get extra heat into the muscles to loosen up any tight spots before the warm up, like a pre-warm up.
So this game was a test for me, if I was seen to be standing around and doing nothing by the coaching staff and Matt this could be the last, but I couldn't really walk around the lads and ask them if they would like a massage, I had to wait, would anyone want one? Fortunately all footballers like to be pampered and gradually they jumped on the bench - I think all in all I saw 7 players in 25 minutes - that was fast work! These players included Connor Wickham, Mark Kennedy, Jason Scotland, Colin Healey, a group of players who would regularly have massage as part of their routine, Im not sure if they felt it was beneficial or they were just superstitious, either way it was part of their pre match preparation.
The players normally go out for a warm up 45 minutes before kick-off, during this time I will clean up my area and then pop out and observe the warm up and soak up the atmosphere.
The players then come back into the changing rooms and do their final touches to prepare for the game, the manager then normally has the last word, during this time you can feel the intensity increase, the manager certainly knows how to focus the lads and has great words and delivery for this, then the bell rings, and the changing room explodes!
The players lead by Chuck, the captain then line up in the tunnel, followed by the subs and the management staff, I waited for the manager to go out and followed him....any chance to get on the TV!
So, Im sitting on the away bench facing my boyhood team, to say I was confused was an understatement!
As the game went on my mindset was changing, My heart was Arsenal, my head was Blue!
With the half time score 0-0 and at this point Ipswich were leading, back into the changing room we went. Paul Jewell encouraged, congratulated but also kept the lads feet grounded, Chris Hutchins would be more tactical, in telling the players where they went wrong but also what was working.
As the bell rang for the second time, something changed, as much as I love the gooners, I knew these guys personally, I have friends and family who are passionate Town fans, how could I not want them to win........
Arsenal stepped up the pressure, and it was about the 60th minute when I looked at the clock and made the mistake of starting to think about my suit for Wembley - Yes I really did, I started to imagine walking out in the league cup final and wondering if I would be allowed to keep the club suit.......Then the Crowd erupted 1-0 to the Arsenal! I was gutted, Arsenal hadn't won a trophy for 6 years and were looking like getting their best chance to do so, and I was praying for an away goal! The game quickly ended, it was a brave 3-0 but it wasn't good enough to reach Wembley. In the dressing room players were disappointed, yes disappointed after losing against some of the worlds best players, Cesc, Wilshire, Nasri and Bentdner....Well the first 3 anyway!
I think they were disappointed because two of the goals were mistakes, mistakes that on another day wouldn't of have happened, but that was enough to end the dream.
The Away days came quick after Arsenal, Derby, Barnsley and Doncaster in quick succession, Barnsley on the Saturday then back up the A1 for Doncaster 3 days later was tough, even though we won emphatically in Donny, my driver got lost getting out of Doncaster and we didnt arrive home til 2 in the morning and I had to be back in work for 7! Derby and Donny were recently new stadiums, I was very impressed with Doncaster's hospitality, Barnsley was a much older stadium with a very strange atmosphere: the stand where the dug out was, was empty, so you could clearly hear every conversation on the pitch!
For a lot of these games my couch was set up in the shower rooms, some of the newer grounds did have more space, but stadiums like Barnsley, Leeds and QPR had very limited space, in fact, as a semi-pro player, I played in grounds that had bigger changing rooms than some of these teams!
The next test was QPR, the league leaders with a class squad. I think if we had of won, the momentum would have put us in a great position for the play-offs. I made my own way down to London for this game, and got there a bit early, Loftus road is one of the strangest grounds, literally the stand of the players entrance is in the middle of a high rise housing estate. For this game I invited my cousin to the game, the club get 50 tickets for each away game and there are usually lots left over, so I thought there wouldn't be a problem....forgetting that fellow Londoners Jimmy Bullard and Lee Martin would take about 40 between them! I ran around looking for extra's, I even had the QPR 'old boy' scrounging around in the QPR dressing room, but no luck! The game was a sell out and my cousin and his mate were waiting outside, so I ended up buying the tickets from the nice ladies in the ticket office. Before the game the atmosphere was relaxed, Damien Delaney and ex QPR player had got some new boots...without laces! he took some stick and decided against wearing them. Anyway, the game was a good one, and Town should have had the game wrapped up in the first half, however Rangers went on to win 2-0.
Following QPR we had a few tough fixtures and journeys, Cardiff, Leeds and Burnley.
I missed Burnley as my wife was about to give birth to our daughter Rosie, however the other two were long trips so I had plenty of time to get to know the rest of the backroom staff. Our drivers Danny and Dave - they have both been part of the club for many years and follow the team to all corners, on home match days they help out with player hospitality. Also travelling is the club doctor, which rotates between three. When we head north or far west, Steve Pearce the club reporter jumps in with us. Then there's Ken Goody, Ken again has been part of the club for years, mainly as part of the youth set-up, but in recent years he has assisted Wayne the kit man. The Kit man has a very important job, hence needing two of them. Its not just about putting 11 shirts, socks and shorts on the pegs, the squad including coaches on match days is normally about 25, and its Ken and Waynes job to make sure all of them have warm up gear, match day kit, boots, shin pads, spare boots (some players take 4 pairs) and then the lads have their own underwear preference too. On top of this there are about 10 large chests of kit, all in place to help the team on match days.
So we had a good run, 2 wins and a draw, the draw in my opinion was a great draw at Elland road, Elland road is the most intimidating ground I have been to, the crowd was raucous, to the point where I didn't want to turn around and look at the persons hurling abuse from behind!
Following Leeds was Bristol City, again another great win but sadly this game would be remembered for Lee Martins sending off and Grant Leadbitter's visit to the hospital. Grant had got a whack on the head, and was out cold for a worryingly long time. Grant came out of hospital that evening and was back playing three days later - Also for this game I was sat next to 12 Cheerleaders - I bet you're thinking lucky guy! well, no, they sounded and looked like Vicky Pollard!
By now the season was over and only pride to play for, and the last two games are better forgotten, Swansea & Leicester.
It was a great few months, hard work (even though it was only 20mins of work each game) but a great experience. I am excited for the prospects of 2011-12 season, and If Paul Jewell carries on making the changes that are needed, Im sure he can lead Ipswich Town into the premier league something I would love to be a part of, and with my record of Played 10, won 5, Drawn 2, Lost 3, that is promotion form!!
When I was younger as most boys, I wanted to score in the FA Cup final, for me the dream was to be in a Gooner shirt and to be scoring that goal in the final minute against Spurs. As I grew older, I would realise that I was not good enough, so the next best thing would be to work for a professional football club.
For the past 10 years I have lived in Ipswich, and to be honest, because of an overly biased mother in-law who is an avid season ticket holder, I never took much interest in Ipswich Town FC, why would I, my team was the mighty Arsenal..
Then in the summer of 2008 I got a call and would soon take up the role of Ipswich Town Football club's Masseur. I work as part of a team of Masseurs under the guidance of the physio's, where up until recently, our role was to loosen, stretch and relax the bodies of the players at the training ground.
In January 2011 the club went through a few major changes, the new manager Paul Jewell and his backroom staff, the arrival of Jimmy Bullard, but there was a not so glamorous appointment in the physio department, me taking on the role as away day match day masseur.
The appointment could not come at a better time, a few weeks before I lost one of my businesses, something I had put a lot of time, money and passion into. The appointment also came a week before the league cup semi final game against Arsenal at the Emerites stadium!!I had prayed for this tie for 4 years, I even remember 2008 3rd round FA cup draw, I put on hold booking a holiday because I was convinced Arsenal and Ipswich would be drawn out of the hat together....
Obviously I get paid for my job, however for this game, if asked, I would have paid for my seat on the bench - but it was a priceless seat!
For this game I made my own way to North London with a couple of friends, to say I was excited was an understatement. Ahead of schedule I arrived at the Emirates and was escorted in via the players entrance on a golf buggy!
When I was 7 I was lucky enough to have taken a tour around Highbury, I remember the tour guide telling us how the decorated the away changing rooms to create a depressing atmosphere and how the away dug out had no heating, well if they done the same at the Emirates the designer must have been a very happy person! The size of the changing rooms were enormous, let alone the shower and toilet area, I then walked around the corner to the coaches area which was bigger than most changing rooms alone! This is where my treatment table was.
I had plenty of time, so I decided to have a walk on the hallowed turf, As I looked around I could see a few eager fans in the stadium along with a few stewards. I walked out to the centre spot and looked around - WOW! This was my team that I followed since the age of 5, and now I was going to be sitting on the opposing bench.
The team normally arrive an hour and half before kick off, today they were a little early, you could see a lot of the lads were quite tense and different from how I normally see them at the training ground. I had previously worked a few games, but none of this magnitude, in fact most of the lads had never played in a game like this, the league cup semi-final with a 1-0 lead against the best footballing team in Britain, and in my opinion only bettered by Barcelona.
Having a masseur at a game is a new thing for the team, im not sure if it was the gaffer that bought it in or the Physio Matt Byard, I would say when Roy Keane parted company, Matt saw it as a good opportunity to make some changes to help him out, but either way, it was a something that would help the team in their preparation for a game.
The massage therapy I normally give on a training day is normally, hard, deep and slow, where as the idea on a match day is to get extra heat into the muscles to loosen up any tight spots before the warm up, like a pre-warm up.
So this game was a test for me, if I was seen to be standing around and doing nothing by the coaching staff and Matt this could be the last, but I couldn't really walk around the lads and ask them if they would like a massage, I had to wait, would anyone want one? Fortunately all footballers like to be pampered and gradually they jumped on the bench - I think all in all I saw 7 players in 25 minutes - that was fast work! These players included Connor Wickham, Mark Kennedy, Jason Scotland, Colin Healey, a group of players who would regularly have massage as part of their routine, Im not sure if they felt it was beneficial or they were just superstitious, either way it was part of their pre match preparation.
The players normally go out for a warm up 45 minutes before kick-off, during this time I will clean up my area and then pop out and observe the warm up and soak up the atmosphere.
The players then come back into the changing rooms and do their final touches to prepare for the game, the manager then normally has the last word, during this time you can feel the intensity increase, the manager certainly knows how to focus the lads and has great words and delivery for this, then the bell rings, and the changing room explodes!
The players lead by Chuck, the captain then line up in the tunnel, followed by the subs and the management staff, I waited for the manager to go out and followed him....any chance to get on the TV!
So, Im sitting on the away bench facing my boyhood team, to say I was confused was an understatement!
As the game went on my mindset was changing, My heart was Arsenal, my head was Blue!
With the half time score 0-0 and at this point Ipswich were leading, back into the changing room we went. Paul Jewell encouraged, congratulated but also kept the lads feet grounded, Chris Hutchins would be more tactical, in telling the players where they went wrong but also what was working.
As the bell rang for the second time, something changed, as much as I love the gooners, I knew these guys personally, I have friends and family who are passionate Town fans, how could I not want them to win........
Arsenal stepped up the pressure, and it was about the 60th minute when I looked at the clock and made the mistake of starting to think about my suit for Wembley - Yes I really did, I started to imagine walking out in the league cup final and wondering if I would be allowed to keep the club suit.......Then the Crowd erupted 1-0 to the Arsenal! I was gutted, Arsenal hadn't won a trophy for 6 years and were looking like getting their best chance to do so, and I was praying for an away goal! The game quickly ended, it was a brave 3-0 but it wasn't good enough to reach Wembley. In the dressing room players were disappointed, yes disappointed after losing against some of the worlds best players, Cesc, Wilshire, Nasri and Bentdner....Well the first 3 anyway!
I think they were disappointed because two of the goals were mistakes, mistakes that on another day wouldn't of have happened, but that was enough to end the dream.
The Away days came quick after Arsenal, Derby, Barnsley and Doncaster in quick succession, Barnsley on the Saturday then back up the A1 for Doncaster 3 days later was tough, even though we won emphatically in Donny, my driver got lost getting out of Doncaster and we didnt arrive home til 2 in the morning and I had to be back in work for 7! Derby and Donny were recently new stadiums, I was very impressed with Doncaster's hospitality, Barnsley was a much older stadium with a very strange atmosphere: the stand where the dug out was, was empty, so you could clearly hear every conversation on the pitch!
For a lot of these games my couch was set up in the shower rooms, some of the newer grounds did have more space, but stadiums like Barnsley, Leeds and QPR had very limited space, in fact, as a semi-pro player, I played in grounds that had bigger changing rooms than some of these teams!
The next test was QPR, the league leaders with a class squad. I think if we had of won, the momentum would have put us in a great position for the play-offs. I made my own way down to London for this game, and got there a bit early, Loftus road is one of the strangest grounds, literally the stand of the players entrance is in the middle of a high rise housing estate. For this game I invited my cousin to the game, the club get 50 tickets for each away game and there are usually lots left over, so I thought there wouldn't be a problem....forgetting that fellow Londoners Jimmy Bullard and Lee Martin would take about 40 between them! I ran around looking for extra's, I even had the QPR 'old boy' scrounging around in the QPR dressing room, but no luck! The game was a sell out and my cousin and his mate were waiting outside, so I ended up buying the tickets from the nice ladies in the ticket office. Before the game the atmosphere was relaxed, Damien Delaney and ex QPR player had got some new boots...without laces! he took some stick and decided against wearing them. Anyway, the game was a good one, and Town should have had the game wrapped up in the first half, however Rangers went on to win 2-0.
Following QPR we had a few tough fixtures and journeys, Cardiff, Leeds and Burnley.
I missed Burnley as my wife was about to give birth to our daughter Rosie, however the other two were long trips so I had plenty of time to get to know the rest of the backroom staff. Our drivers Danny and Dave - they have both been part of the club for many years and follow the team to all corners, on home match days they help out with player hospitality. Also travelling is the club doctor, which rotates between three. When we head north or far west, Steve Pearce the club reporter jumps in with us. Then there's Ken Goody, Ken again has been part of the club for years, mainly as part of the youth set-up, but in recent years he has assisted Wayne the kit man. The Kit man has a very important job, hence needing two of them. Its not just about putting 11 shirts, socks and shorts on the pegs, the squad including coaches on match days is normally about 25, and its Ken and Waynes job to make sure all of them have warm up gear, match day kit, boots, shin pads, spare boots (some players take 4 pairs) and then the lads have their own underwear preference too. On top of this there are about 10 large chests of kit, all in place to help the team on match days.
So we had a good run, 2 wins and a draw, the draw in my opinion was a great draw at Elland road, Elland road is the most intimidating ground I have been to, the crowd was raucous, to the point where I didn't want to turn around and look at the persons hurling abuse from behind!
Following Leeds was Bristol City, again another great win but sadly this game would be remembered for Lee Martins sending off and Grant Leadbitter's visit to the hospital. Grant had got a whack on the head, and was out cold for a worryingly long time. Grant came out of hospital that evening and was back playing three days later - Also for this game I was sat next to 12 Cheerleaders - I bet you're thinking lucky guy! well, no, they sounded and looked like Vicky Pollard!
By now the season was over and only pride to play for, and the last two games are better forgotten, Swansea & Leicester.
It was a great few months, hard work (even though it was only 20mins of work each game) but a great experience. I am excited for the prospects of 2011-12 season, and If Paul Jewell carries on making the changes that are needed, Im sure he can lead Ipswich Town into the premier league something I would love to be a part of, and with my record of Played 10, won 5, Drawn 2, Lost 3, that is promotion form!!
The diary of a Grange Fitness client with severe back pain
June 2009 my daily life as I knew it came to an abrupt halt. I was used to exercising 4 to 5 times weekly, plus hill-walking, cycling, gardening etc and of course working!
I got injured whilst exercising. Initial assessment diagnosed a grossly over stretched left sacro-iliac ligament....the good news was it should all be ok in 6 to 8 weeks. Little did I know then, that 6 to 8 weeks would actually be 2yrs!
The 8 weeks passed and I was nowhere near fully recovered; my left hip kept going out of alignment causing excruciating pain on standing /walking. I could not stand for any length of time; sitting down was very uncomfortable too. I'd not had a good night's sleep since it happened; lost over 12lbs in weight and was now getting very regular painful sciatica from my left lower back all the way down to the sole of my left foot.
Every day simple activities were getting impossible. I was starting to feel totally miserable and fed up.
5 months later I was now constantly in pain unable to even walk the short distance over the heath to our local shops.
Trying to stand at the hob and cook or prepare vegetables, hang the laundry out etc was excruciating......my independence was disappearing fast.
I was still unable to do any of the things I loved to do, I'd not done any exercise since June. I still wasn't sleeping more than 45 mins/1hour at a time at nights; the pain awoke me and then I was then another good 90 minutes trying to get comfortable and back to sleep again. My weight loss now was 15lbs and I was looking very gaunt and drawn.
My GP now referred me to the Muscular Skeletal dept at our local hospital. A further 6 to 8 weeks passed and I was still no further forward. The only plus was I was now on prescription anti inflammatory for the chronic nerve irritation.
Steve my husband and family and friends had been/were brilliant and very supportive and helped to keep me sane!
Early December arrived and Steve and I were getting very frustrated with the lack of any course of treatment so we contacted Gilmour Piper. I started seeing Mark Piper (osteopath) straight away, he immediately diagnosed a bulging L4/ L5 disc and an MRI a few days later at the Nuffield Hospital confirmed this.
Regular twice weekly, then weekly treatments started to show improvement in my well being and 9 months after the initial injury Mark Piper referred me to Matt Brennan at Grange Fitness for rehabilitation.
Unfortunately for Matt my rehab was not plain sailing. Long term chronic nerve irritation made it difficult for me to progress beyond the initial levels of rehab. Sports massages were so painful too!! Matt never gave up and constantly reassured me that I would get better and return to my exercising.....it was just taking longer than anticipated!
Dec 2010 I had a nerve root block into my L4/L5 at the Nuffield Hospital. Everything felt brilliant. For the 1st time in 18months I was totally pain free...I could stand for longer than 20mins at a time....I could walk.....I had my independence back!
2 weeks post injections my osteopath said I could start back gently with my rehab work...but as soon as the exercise levels were increased to the next stage my sciatica was back with vengeance.
Around this time too, Matt and Paul had just completed their Level 1 KCA course and both were very keen to start implementing their new knowledge into Grange Fitness client's PT sessions.
I still was not improving as rapidly as I hoped to do; so mid March I eventually went back to see my osteopath again. He was quite perplexed at first and after fully assessing me, said my spine was still offset to the right causing some nerve irritation. He referred me to Mark Newman the practice spinal physiotherapist who confirmed this and gave me a simple exercise to straighten my spine, He also asked me to refrain from twisting, rotating or load bearing the lower back until my spine was looking straighter. He liaised with Matt and Paul at Grange Fitness to tailor my rehab around these instructions.
Since then, I haven't looked back, I have come on leaps and bounds with Paul Stemp initially doing basic mobility and stretching work. His constant encouragement, knowledge and exercise programmes have isolated the main problematic muscle groups and I am now able to twist and rotate without any adverse effects.
I had a joint follow up appointment with my Spinal Physio and Osteopath at the end of June. They were both amazed at my progress and it is all down to the fantastic work of the personal trainers at Grange Fitness.
Steve, my husband, had got some long term old sports injuries and Matt and Paul have 'fixed' him too!
As a member I feel totally safe in their environment (my injury had made me very nervous) as their vast knowledge and experience is applied to each individual's requirements and adjusted as I make progress.
Grange Fitness is a very friendly place and both Steve and I have made many new friends here.
We had both been members at another club in Ipswich for many years but have now experienced, and seen for ourselves the excellent overall benefits that have been gained by following Grange Fitness’s integrated fitness, nutrition and exercise regime.
We have learned about our own bodies and understand a lot more now realising that it is not just exercise alone that is important but many of the other ideas that have been introduced to us by both Matt and Paul resulting in me feeling fitter, in better shape than I was before my injury and better prepared to progress to the next level of my training.
This is borne out by Steve’s bi-monthly assessments with all his measurements heading in the right direction including (over an 18 month period) loss of over 20lbs, reduced BMI and body fat as well as increased muscle mass and hydration. Most importantly of all his visceral fat has come down from 16 to 13 and hopefully continuing to reduce..
Encouragingly for myself even with the restrictions imposed by my injury and without intense exercise, I have kept my weight down and all other measurements are within healthy limits. Most encouragingly my visceral fat is only 8. All of this is down to the Grange Fitness regime. Before joining Grange Fitness, even with the regular exercise my weight would fluctuate and feeling bloated would recur. This seems to have come to a halt.
My sister has recently done two consecutive Kesgrave Bootcamps and her results are amazing....she said she wouldn't have achieved what she did without the encouragement and belief that Matt, Liam, Jayne and Karen gave her......along with the excellent nutritional plan and of course all her fellow boot campers who have now become good friends.
To date, I am not allowed to load bear the lower back yet but I am looking forwards to the time I am able to participate in some of the additional exercise classes held at Grange Fitness especially Paul's Stretching Class and Jayne's Thump Boxing......at this rate I won't have long to wait!
At the time of my injury both Steve and I had just semi-retired looking forward to doing lots of hill-walking and travelling. This of course has been put on hold for two years, but the benefit has been that I am more aware of my own body and with the massive improvement in Steve’s fitness and well being am confident that once I begin full training will have similar benefits.
I am currently away on holiday BUT standard things now taken everywhere with us are: yellow/green bands, foam roller and a folding broom handle.....as well as keeping my mobility work up whilst away; the foam roller is excellent when you've been laid lounging round a pool for most of the day reading!!!!
Gina Smith
I got injured whilst exercising. Initial assessment diagnosed a grossly over stretched left sacro-iliac ligament....the good news was it should all be ok in 6 to 8 weeks. Little did I know then, that 6 to 8 weeks would actually be 2yrs!
The 8 weeks passed and I was nowhere near fully recovered; my left hip kept going out of alignment causing excruciating pain on standing /walking. I could not stand for any length of time; sitting down was very uncomfortable too. I'd not had a good night's sleep since it happened; lost over 12lbs in weight and was now getting very regular painful sciatica from my left lower back all the way down to the sole of my left foot.
Every day simple activities were getting impossible. I was starting to feel totally miserable and fed up.
5 months later I was now constantly in pain unable to even walk the short distance over the heath to our local shops.
Trying to stand at the hob and cook or prepare vegetables, hang the laundry out etc was excruciating......my independence was disappearing fast.
I was still unable to do any of the things I loved to do, I'd not done any exercise since June. I still wasn't sleeping more than 45 mins/1hour at a time at nights; the pain awoke me and then I was then another good 90 minutes trying to get comfortable and back to sleep again. My weight loss now was 15lbs and I was looking very gaunt and drawn.
My GP now referred me to the Muscular Skeletal dept at our local hospital. A further 6 to 8 weeks passed and I was still no further forward. The only plus was I was now on prescription anti inflammatory for the chronic nerve irritation.
Steve my husband and family and friends had been/were brilliant and very supportive and helped to keep me sane!
Early December arrived and Steve and I were getting very frustrated with the lack of any course of treatment so we contacted Gilmour Piper. I started seeing Mark Piper (osteopath) straight away, he immediately diagnosed a bulging L4/ L5 disc and an MRI a few days later at the Nuffield Hospital confirmed this.
Regular twice weekly, then weekly treatments started to show improvement in my well being and 9 months after the initial injury Mark Piper referred me to Matt Brennan at Grange Fitness for rehabilitation.
Unfortunately for Matt my rehab was not plain sailing. Long term chronic nerve irritation made it difficult for me to progress beyond the initial levels of rehab. Sports massages were so painful too!! Matt never gave up and constantly reassured me that I would get better and return to my exercising.....it was just taking longer than anticipated!
Dec 2010 I had a nerve root block into my L4/L5 at the Nuffield Hospital. Everything felt brilliant. For the 1st time in 18months I was totally pain free...I could stand for longer than 20mins at a time....I could walk.....I had my independence back!
2 weeks post injections my osteopath said I could start back gently with my rehab work...but as soon as the exercise levels were increased to the next stage my sciatica was back with vengeance.
Around this time too, Matt and Paul had just completed their Level 1 KCA course and both were very keen to start implementing their new knowledge into Grange Fitness client's PT sessions.
I still was not improving as rapidly as I hoped to do; so mid March I eventually went back to see my osteopath again. He was quite perplexed at first and after fully assessing me, said my spine was still offset to the right causing some nerve irritation. He referred me to Mark Newman the practice spinal physiotherapist who confirmed this and gave me a simple exercise to straighten my spine, He also asked me to refrain from twisting, rotating or load bearing the lower back until my spine was looking straighter. He liaised with Matt and Paul at Grange Fitness to tailor my rehab around these instructions.
Since then, I haven't looked back, I have come on leaps and bounds with Paul Stemp initially doing basic mobility and stretching work. His constant encouragement, knowledge and exercise programmes have isolated the main problematic muscle groups and I am now able to twist and rotate without any adverse effects.
I had a joint follow up appointment with my Spinal Physio and Osteopath at the end of June. They were both amazed at my progress and it is all down to the fantastic work of the personal trainers at Grange Fitness.
Steve, my husband, had got some long term old sports injuries and Matt and Paul have 'fixed' him too!
As a member I feel totally safe in their environment (my injury had made me very nervous) as their vast knowledge and experience is applied to each individual's requirements and adjusted as I make progress.
Grange Fitness is a very friendly place and both Steve and I have made many new friends here.
We had both been members at another club in Ipswich for many years but have now experienced, and seen for ourselves the excellent overall benefits that have been gained by following Grange Fitness’s integrated fitness, nutrition and exercise regime.
We have learned about our own bodies and understand a lot more now realising that it is not just exercise alone that is important but many of the other ideas that have been introduced to us by both Matt and Paul resulting in me feeling fitter, in better shape than I was before my injury and better prepared to progress to the next level of my training.
This is borne out by Steve’s bi-monthly assessments with all his measurements heading in the right direction including (over an 18 month period) loss of over 20lbs, reduced BMI and body fat as well as increased muscle mass and hydration. Most importantly of all his visceral fat has come down from 16 to 13 and hopefully continuing to reduce..
Encouragingly for myself even with the restrictions imposed by my injury and without intense exercise, I have kept my weight down and all other measurements are within healthy limits. Most encouragingly my visceral fat is only 8. All of this is down to the Grange Fitness regime. Before joining Grange Fitness, even with the regular exercise my weight would fluctuate and feeling bloated would recur. This seems to have come to a halt.
My sister has recently done two consecutive Kesgrave Bootcamps and her results are amazing....she said she wouldn't have achieved what she did without the encouragement and belief that Matt, Liam, Jayne and Karen gave her......along with the excellent nutritional plan and of course all her fellow boot campers who have now become good friends.
To date, I am not allowed to load bear the lower back yet but I am looking forwards to the time I am able to participate in some of the additional exercise classes held at Grange Fitness especially Paul's Stretching Class and Jayne's Thump Boxing......at this rate I won't have long to wait!
At the time of my injury both Steve and I had just semi-retired looking forward to doing lots of hill-walking and travelling. This of course has been put on hold for two years, but the benefit has been that I am more aware of my own body and with the massive improvement in Steve’s fitness and well being am confident that once I begin full training will have similar benefits.
I am currently away on holiday BUT standard things now taken everywhere with us are: yellow/green bands, foam roller and a folding broom handle.....as well as keeping my mobility work up whilst away; the foam roller is excellent when you've been laid lounging round a pool for most of the day reading!!!!
Gina Smith
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Matt Brennan Interview
Interview with Matt Brennan (MB Fitness) by Tom @ www.foresight-fitness.co.uk
TG: Hi Matt, thanks for being interviewed. Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?
MB: Hi Tom, it all started in 2002, I had picked up so many injuries from football, two which lead to unnecessary operations, so I wanted to learn more about my body, and how I could rehab these injuries without surgery. Whilst doing my reserach, I came across Premier training, and decided to re-train and enroll on the Premier diploma course. From there I set up MB Fitness, where I went to people’s houses for PT and massage. After two years I set up my first personal training studio. In 2007, I accepted the a role at Ipswich Town FC as their first team masseur, In 2008, I set up Grange Fitness on the outskirts of Ipswich, then just this month, I moved MB Fitness into a new functional training gym.
TG: Can you tell us a little about your gym and how it is different to the mainstream chain gyms?
MB: Well, as a trainer there is nothing more boring then standing next to a client on the treadmill pressing buttons, so I wanted to give the people of Ipswich something different, and after a lot of different training courses, hours brainstorming, and a few trips to some of the best gyms in the country (the one that was closest to my ideas was the underground training station in the north west) I came up with a gym that offers so much. Yes we have treadmills, bikes, rowers etc, people expect this, we also run regular fitness classes, but where our uniqueness in Suffolk comes into play, is the metabolic resistance training classes, where we swing on monkey bars, flip tyres, pull sledges and basically functionally train! this type of training burns calories at a great rate, plus also increases strength and power at a much faster rate too, all this whilst having fun!
TG: What are your top 5 weight loss tips?
MB: 1. Set realistic and achievable goals.
2. Train regularly, intensely, and keep it varied.
3. Try to eat as many natural foods as possible – stay away from processed foods!
4. Have someone you can talk to about your fat loss problems, like a mentor or trainer
5. Stay away from the scales otherwise you will become obsessed with what the scales show
TG: What part does nutrition have to play in weight loss?
MB: From my previous clients results, it plays a massive part of weight loss. Unless you combine training and good nutrition you will not maximise your weight loss chances. So many of my clients think they are eating healthily, however a food diary normally puts that claim to shame, once they put a little effort into planning and preparing their meals, the weight loss speeds up!
TG: How important is effective communication between personal trainer and client and how do you build this?
MB: I think it is a fundamental part of a good business for the trainer and for the client in achieving their goals. The way I build this is by being honest and upfront from the start. By setting realistic goals, and if a client isn’t doing their part, telling them, I think the client appreciates this and instantly increases their trust in me. If a member of my gym doesn’t come in for a while, I send a polite email reminding them of their goals and in most cases this is the kick up the backside my members are waiting for!
TG: How do you go about setting effective goals with your clients?
MB: I assess my clients every two months. We then set goals and agree how many sessions it will take to reach them. Two months later, If my client reaches their goals I reward them with extra PT sessions. If they do as I say but dont reach their goals for some reason, I still reward them with PT sessions for the effort the put in.
TG: How do you monitor their progress towards these goals?
MB: We have regular updates to check that the client is happy with the exercises and type of training they are following. If they are unhappy for any reason (exercise too hard, not enjoyable) we address this straight away and try a different approach to reaching the goals.
TG: What do you feel are the most important traits of a good personal trainer?
MB: Knowledge is essential, an understanding of your clients lives and how different people are is an advantage but as mentioned above, a good communicator is a must.
TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?
MB: Well, my immediate future lies with keeping my current members happy whilst trying to build up MB Fitness into the best training zone in the county! This year I would like to expand my knowledge so I can continue changing my clients lives! Going forward, I may look at taking the “MB Fitness empire” further afield, however after this last venture which took a lot of time and energy, a little more family time is needed.
TG: Thanks for your time Matt, and we wish you all the best for the future!
TG: Hi Matt, thanks for being interviewed. Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?
MB: Hi Tom, it all started in 2002, I had picked up so many injuries from football, two which lead to unnecessary operations, so I wanted to learn more about my body, and how I could rehab these injuries without surgery. Whilst doing my reserach, I came across Premier training, and decided to re-train and enroll on the Premier diploma course. From there I set up MB Fitness, where I went to people’s houses for PT and massage. After two years I set up my first personal training studio. In 2007, I accepted the a role at Ipswich Town FC as their first team masseur, In 2008, I set up Grange Fitness on the outskirts of Ipswich, then just this month, I moved MB Fitness into a new functional training gym.
TG: Can you tell us a little about your gym and how it is different to the mainstream chain gyms?
MB: Well, as a trainer there is nothing more boring then standing next to a client on the treadmill pressing buttons, so I wanted to give the people of Ipswich something different, and after a lot of different training courses, hours brainstorming, and a few trips to some of the best gyms in the country (the one that was closest to my ideas was the underground training station in the north west) I came up with a gym that offers so much. Yes we have treadmills, bikes, rowers etc, people expect this, we also run regular fitness classes, but where our uniqueness in Suffolk comes into play, is the metabolic resistance training classes, where we swing on monkey bars, flip tyres, pull sledges and basically functionally train! this type of training burns calories at a great rate, plus also increases strength and power at a much faster rate too, all this whilst having fun!
TG: What are your top 5 weight loss tips?
MB: 1. Set realistic and achievable goals.
2. Train regularly, intensely, and keep it varied.
3. Try to eat as many natural foods as possible – stay away from processed foods!
4. Have someone you can talk to about your fat loss problems, like a mentor or trainer
5. Stay away from the scales otherwise you will become obsessed with what the scales show
TG: What part does nutrition have to play in weight loss?
MB: From my previous clients results, it plays a massive part of weight loss. Unless you combine training and good nutrition you will not maximise your weight loss chances. So many of my clients think they are eating healthily, however a food diary normally puts that claim to shame, once they put a little effort into planning and preparing their meals, the weight loss speeds up!
TG: How important is effective communication between personal trainer and client and how do you build this?
MB: I think it is a fundamental part of a good business for the trainer and for the client in achieving their goals. The way I build this is by being honest and upfront from the start. By setting realistic goals, and if a client isn’t doing their part, telling them, I think the client appreciates this and instantly increases their trust in me. If a member of my gym doesn’t come in for a while, I send a polite email reminding them of their goals and in most cases this is the kick up the backside my members are waiting for!
TG: How do you go about setting effective goals with your clients?
MB: I assess my clients every two months. We then set goals and agree how many sessions it will take to reach them. Two months later, If my client reaches their goals I reward them with extra PT sessions. If they do as I say but dont reach their goals for some reason, I still reward them with PT sessions for the effort the put in.
TG: How do you monitor their progress towards these goals?
MB: We have regular updates to check that the client is happy with the exercises and type of training they are following. If they are unhappy for any reason (exercise too hard, not enjoyable) we address this straight away and try a different approach to reaching the goals.
TG: What do you feel are the most important traits of a good personal trainer?
MB: Knowledge is essential, an understanding of your clients lives and how different people are is an advantage but as mentioned above, a good communicator is a must.
TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?
MB: Well, my immediate future lies with keeping my current members happy whilst trying to build up MB Fitness into the best training zone in the county! This year I would like to expand my knowledge so I can continue changing my clients lives! Going forward, I may look at taking the “MB Fitness empire” further afield, however after this last venture which took a lot of time and energy, a little more family time is needed.
TG: Thanks for your time Matt, and we wish you all the best for the future!
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