Do you train low intensity 'cardio'? You should! When was the last time you moved purposefully at a low intensity for more than a few minutes? And when was the last time you went for a leisurely walk? Walking, cycling, swimming, and other low intensity, steady state type ‘cardio’ offer powerful health and longevity benefits which most of us desperately need. Our human ancestors walked somewhere between 6 to 16km a day, and most of us today probably don't even walk 1km!! It's

Intensity is sexy. It’s addictive. High intensity training is sweaty, feel good stuff that makes you forget your problems, and helps you feel invincible. High intensity conjures up ideas of people pushing their limits, and performing heroic feats of strength. It has a great wrap for providing fitness benefits, and fast tracking fitness goals. High intensity is so alluring, that it’s hard for most people to workout without it. We are so accustomed to aiming high, going hard or

Training with heart rate monitors gives us enormous insight into our clients efficiency and overall health. We can see when people over train, under train or simply are functioning at a lower level. Giving guidance to members during HR training gives us even more feedback. Some people experience a wake up call, and a quick connection to how their body is really feeling, and others choose to ignore the feedback and continue flogging themselves. At the start of every session, w

ViPR is one of the most popular tools in our studio for its versatility, intensity and novelty. Aside from being a great training tool, it has some even greater principles behind it. ViPR is an acronym for Vitality, Performance and Re-conditioning which encapsulates the adaptability of the tool, and the variety of ways it can be utilised for different training goals and populations. The ViPR concept was inspired by farmer style movement habits whereby the whole body is recrui

This Blog was written as an Ambassador PTA Global - See the original here In the fitness industry many people think that the more you train, the better. We are conditioned to obsess over how to get more out of each workout. Fitness culture is plagued by motivational messages telling us to set aside pain and excuses in pursuit of fitness. While some of these approaches may be applicable to elite athletes, they are rarely a sustainable option for the general population, who lik

Making positive fitness change can be a challenge with the many stresses and commitments that we all have. Life has a tendency to throw curve balls at you, which can make it hard to prioritise your own health. This is especially true if you have kids, or run your own business! The key to lasting change is consistency. Fitness consistency comes from creating a habit, and transforming it into a staple in your lifestyle. Unless it's important to you, it will always be put on the

I'm forever hearing the outdated phase 'better sore than sorry!' when it comes to fitness. Why on earth is this message so dominant in the fitness world. It's not inspirational, it's moronic. Why the hell would anyone actively seek pain? Why is it better to be sore? If you are actively seeking pain as a reward for your training efforts, you might need to think about why. Why are you wanting to hurt yourself? Is pain really a solution to what you are seeking in life? Of course

A common misconception is that out core is just our abdominals, and that we need to perform local strength work on the core, or ‘suck in’ our abs or ‘brace’ to get them to work. By doing this, we can actually de-train the core and prevent it from working smoothly with the rest of the surrounding tissue! Our core is just one part of an interconnected system which should work together in synergy as we move. So what’s the best way to train for a healthy life? Full body movement

HIIT training or High Intensity Interval Training is all the rage in the fitness industry boasting claims that it is the fastest way towards fitness, body composition goals, and ultimate health. True HIIT training means pushing hard, and then recovering after each effort, to create an intense, high volume session. HIIT training has a range of well researched benefits (as listed above), and is a brilliant style of training to add into your routine. But HIIT training isn't for

Wellness is a precursor to fitness. You cannot build a house on poor foundations. When it comes to fitness so many attempt to cut corners by not chasing wellness. It’s more common than you think for fitness driven individuals to focus on their adrenalin-fuelled time at the gym where all the exciting stuff happens. When you get caught up in the fitness side of things, it’s common to over train, eat poorly, train only your strengths, and not bother with the less exciting but fu