Reach Success Newsletter

Hi there.

It's March already! 2019 is whizzing by so fast. That might explain the delay in getting out February's newsletter (we've combined it with March).

I seem to be saying this all the time now but the level of success and the results that are constantly coming in are absolutely fantastic - so many people really getting to grips with the nutrition!

When Cat and I look around the studio at some of the physiques and the fitness levels that have been earned (it didn't happen by fairy dust and wishful thinking) we really do feel privileged to work with you guys.

So a huge well done - keep going!!!!

Reach Fast Food Survival Guides

We're always thinking of ways to help you Reach your goals whilst navigating through life. We're not professional athletes or bodybuilders, we're normal people who keep fit. So one of the key things to master is planning around social occasions and eating out.

So, this month we've brought you the first in a series of Fast Food "Survival Guides". As usual, log in to the Reach Members' Area via the Reach website (usual password), just navigate to Nutrition and then the Fast Food Survival Guides page - you'll then find the current batch of guides, including Costa, Burger King and Nandos.

You can use these to make sure you don't get caught on the hop, plan ahead and ensure you hit your calorie and macro targets.

Coaching Tip: The Hip Hinge

The hip hinge is a key position for exercises such as deadlifts, bent over row, good mornings, kettle bell swings and reverse flyes.

Get it right and it is a fantastic builder of core strength that, unlike squats and overhead press, doesn’t compress the discs in the spine. This makes it a fantastic movement to strengthen the lower back to prevent and recover from injuries. It also helps to put you in the right position to lift more weight, more effectively, more safely. Get it wrong, however, and it can do more harm than good.

Thankfully (by design rather than good luck) just about everybody who trains at the Reach studio has a very good hip hinge position👏👏!

Here are some of our fantastic clients with lovely hip hinge positions. You will notice that their anatomy (height, limb length, flexibility) and the movement they are performing (deadlift, bent over row, reverse fly etc) will determine the angle of their back and how bent their legs are but, in general, a good angle to aim for is around 35 degrees. Shahid’s and Heidi’s are perfect for bent over row! 💪👌🏆

Cat and I are on hand to assist you with the finer points and the actual positional aspects of the movement, but here are three tips that you can use to take your hip hinge to the next level.

1: Practice at home. Check your form regularly at home or in the office using a mirror or a window. Do it often so you can get into that position without having to think about it. Make it an automatic position that comes naturally without having to think about it too much.

This will speed up your progress and help you to get the most out of your session without having to (to use a golfing analogy) “do your practice out on the course”.

This philosophy can be applied to anything. Several clients have improved their press ups and walking lunges just by taking a few minutes a few times a week to do them at home until they get better.

I’ve seen people go from not being able to do a lunge to being just about the best in the studio at advanced movements such as jumping lunges and overhead lunges, simply by putting in the odd couple of minutes practice here and there.

2: Learn to feel the difference between discomfort arising from muscle tension (good) and discomfort arising from poor position or injury (not good).

If you are doing bicep curls then your biceps will “feel” it. If you are doing Arnold Press then your delts will “feel” it. That’s what you want - you want to feel your muscles working.

Similarly, if you are in a hip hinge position then your erector spinae, lats and other core muscles will feel it. That’s the point of the exercise. You are strengthening your lower back muscles. However, if you feel discomfort or pain that is different to what you would expect (sharp stabbing pains, pain that radiates down the leg and/or glutes, pain travelling to part of your body other than the localised group of muscles that you are training) then that can be an indicator of poor position or a weakness in that area.

If this happens then you can scale back the exercise as per point 3, below.

3: If you feel discomfort then you can regress the exercise either by reducing the load that you are using or by removing all additional weight and simply using your body weight to perform the movement/action.

For example, with bent over row, you can hold the hip position for 15 reps and use a pair of imaginary dumbbells. This will help to develop core strength in a key position without the fear of going too heavy.

Once you are comfortable doing multiple sets in this position you can then gradually build up the weight again.

Remember, as always:

Mechanics (Get the movement right)
Consistency (Get the movement right over an appropriate number of reps and sets)
Intensity (Increase load* , increase speed*, increase reps/sets*, reduce rest time*)

(* where are appropriate)

1-2-1 Nutrition Coaching

If you feel you need some extra help with nutrition then the 1-2-1 nutrition coaching programme might be just what you need to get you on track to success.

What it is
   •   Helping you to achieve YOUR goals
   •   Daily support via WhatsApp
   •   A scientific approach to achieving your goals through nutrition
   •   A platform where we look for honesty, not perfection
   •   Helping you to break through the plateaus
   •   Helping you to understand what you should be doing
   •   Helping you to put the “bad” days into perspective
   •   Helping you to manage your own expectations
   •   Helping you to distinguish real-life from social media

What it isn’t
   •   Me telling you what your goals should be
   •   Something where you should be worried about letting us down (this is actually a very common worry!
   •   An all-or-nothing approach

What you get
   •   We'll work togther to clarify your body and fitness goals
   •   We'l create a plan that is aligned with your goals, timescales and mindset
•    I’ll tell you exactly what to do to achieve your goals in a healthy and sustainable way
   •   Specific advice on calories, foods, macros, meal timing, eating out
   •   I’ll help you find your ideal calorie intake and macro split
   •   I’ll guide you through the peaks and troughs, the ups and downs
   •   I’ll be on hand via WhatsApp to provide the knowledge, advice and experience to complement your drive and desire

What matters
   •   You MUST have an “internal locus of control”. I.E. Take responsibility!
   •   No excuses or passing the buck
   •   No “yeah but…”
   •   You must be able to see past social convention and habits, and want to make your goals your priority
   •   You must be more interested in making progress than doing what everyone else does

What doesn’t matter
   •   Your weight
   •   Your fitness level
   •   Your goal (whether it’s a few pounds or a few stones)
   •   Whether you want a six pack or just to fit into a smaller dress / trouser size – doesn’t matter, I can help!

Pricing
£1.00 per day charged in 12 week blocks. £84 for 12 weeks.

All you need to do is drop me a message via Facebook or drop me an email.

Reach Recipe Book: February and March

The Reach Recipe Books for February and March are out now. You can download them here: February March

You can also download past recipe books in the nutrition section of the Reach Members' Area, which you can access via the Reach website (usual password).

If you make any of the recipes then make sure you get a picture and tag us on Facebook and Instagram!

Kind regards.

Danny Sroda
Head of Client Services
Reach Personal Training
www.reachpersonaltraining.co.uk
www.facebook.com/reachptbirstall
www.instagram.com/reachptbirstall and www.instagram.com/dannysroda