Thursday 22 December 2016

Christmas Recipe - STIR-FRIED SPROUTS


A great Christmas side dish from Frank at wild in the pantry.

Serves 4 as a side dish

400g sprouts, peeled and thinly chopped
2 tbl sunflower or rapeseed oil
1/2 onion, finely sliced
piece of root ginger, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 chilli (any type), finely chopped
4 pieces crystallised ginger, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a wok until just under smoking point. Add the onion and stir fry (moving continuously) for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Add the sprouts, fresh ginger and crystallised ginger and stir for 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat, add a splash of water, cover with a lid, and steam for 3-4 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper



Tuesday 13 December 2016

Gift Vouchers - The ideal christmas present

We offer a variety of festive gift vouchers - Gym Membership, Personal Training & Sports Therapy

Friday 25 November 2016

Why bother to go to the gym?


 It’s a palaver isn’t it?  Find your kit (have you remembered to wash it from last time ?  Oh no, still grubby and smelly in your bag!) and check your trainers for excess mud and whatever else gets stuck on them.  Then check that you’ve has enough to eat and drink – don’t want that faint and dizzy feeling again do you?  Oh, and is it raining again?  That little voice inside your head that says ‘just stay in – once won’t matter and there’s that programme on that you want to watch’. 

Let me tell you why we should bother –  Avril has had a letter from her GP .  The letter says that her bone density has increased – yes, increased.  Avril is post menopausal, has rheumatoid arthritis and takes steroids.  You would expect her bone density to decrease – so,  what has she changed in the last year?  She comes to the gym, she does CV and weights and works out with me as her Personal Trainer.  Bone density is really important to us as that’s a measure of how strong our bones are and how likely (or otherwise) we are to fracture a bone if we fall.  So Avril is less likely to fall as she has strengthened her core and less likely to break a bone if she does as her bones are denser and stronger.

We reckon its worth getting off the settee for?  So next time you’re not sure if you can find a clean T shirt – just remember you could be preventing a nasty fracture

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Award Winning !


 
 
On Friday evening we attended the Hunts Post Huntingdonshire Business Awards 2016. This was already a significant event for us as we had been shortlisted for the Small Business of the Year award. We had to get dressed up, Black Tie was the dress code !
 
We didn’t win Small Business of the Year, but did receive very positive feedback from the judges. We did however win the The Judges Award ! What a relief we stayed, we received a glass trophy to celebrate our success.

As you know we both really enjoy our work and it is great that efforts have been recognised by others. We have a great team of people that work with us at Forefront Fitness and this award is a result of their hard work and desire to help people.  

You can now say you attend an award winning gym! Reporting from the event should be in this week’s edition of the Hunts Post should you wish to see our moment of glory!

Friday 21 October 2016

What is your head telling you?

I was taking a class this week in a local residential home.  The participants are, as you would expect, older people many in their late 80s and 90s.  There is lots of laughter and fun, but sometimes its all too much.  I passed round a core ball (medicine ball with handles) and the first lady I gave it to declared it to be far too heavy for her.  All the other people in the class also decided it was too much and that they couldn’t possibly pick it up and move it at all. 

We carried on and did lots of other exercises (I reckon an hour of activity when you are old enough to remember a time when your husband was fighting in the war is pretty good going) and we returned to the core ball.

This time round it was  picked up and pushed in front of her chest and pulled back in – several times. It was passed on and the next resident took it and did the same – in fact everyone in the class moved that ball around.

Why am I telling you this?  Because so often we all tell ourselves that we can’t do something and then behave as if we can’t .  I have lost count of the number of people who tell me that they can’t run and then get on the treadmill and with a bit of encouragement – break into a jog.  OK – they won’t break any speed records but it is still their own Personal Best.

What is your head telling you?  Today – check out the reality – are you sure you are getting the message right ?  Don’t let your head restrict your body – lift that weight, run that mile – don’t listen to that negative voice – its not telling you the truth !

Thursday 13 October 2016

Working with those on their cancer journey

We are featured in this weeks Hunts post!



To be able to support everyone who wants access to the scheme more funding needs to be raised.

Go to www.justgiving.com/hccn to donate


Thursday 29 September 2016

Don't let your age define you!

I am on my soap box (surely not I hear you say!) – I was listening to Ian Wright (the footballer) talking on the Steve Wright show on Radio 2 the other day. He was telling us how accessible he was as a footballer and he talked to ‘little old ladies’. I wondered how it ever became acceptable to talk about people in terms of their age and size? I don’t even want to think about the response if I were to describe Ian according to his physical characteristics.

Let’s stop letting ourselves be defined by age or shape. Your age is a tally of how long you have lived, it’s not a marker of physical competence, mental agility or anything else. Some 80 year olds are incredibly smart, some 40 year olds lack a modicum of common sense. Some 20 year olds wouldn’t even know how far a marathon is but we all know men in their 70’s who run apparently effortless marathons.

You are what you are and it’s up to us all to make the most of us. That little voice in your head that says ‘I can’t do this because….’ needs challenging. If you let your age define you you might miss out on lots of fun and many challenges. I do things because I am 62 not despite. We are all more than a number. Today I am going to be ………..

Thursday 18 August 2016

Monitoring your steps

Any idea how many steps you do every day?  The recommendation is 10,000 every day – great for your heart, your weight and to keep you generally active.  We have a great, easy way for you to monitor your steps.

A new wearable, BuddyBand is available in our gyms.  Really easy to set up but we can help – just link to your smartphone and off you go.  

The great thing is that you can see the time, the number of steps you have done, distance travelled and calories burnt at the push of a button on your wrist.  You can be reminded to ‘move it’ if you have been too still for a pre-set period of time and you can set it to alert you to texts, incoming phone calls and more! 

With a push of another button you can upload all your info onto graphs on your computer and review whenever you want.  Link this to the special blue tooth enabled scales and you can collect all the data you need!  

The scales will help you to monitor much more than your weight; looking at BMI, body fat,  visceral fat levels and muscle composition and bone density .
  
Buy both from us for less than the price on Amazon.









BuddyBands £58.00
 











Scales £58.00

Thursday 28 July 2016

Update on Leslie


Leslie has had a great week –she (pictured here with her twin sister) has been to the UK blessing of the marriage of her son Tom to Miho.  Tom & Miho got married in Japan last year.

The weddings have taken a lot of Leslie’s time and focus so now, she says, its time to get back on plan

Her plan this week is really simple;
  • Healthy, local food
  • Fresh air
  • Exercise
We can all do this – its not complicated!  The tricky bit is staying focussed and doing what you say you are going to do.

If you see Leslie in the gym – please tell her you are gunning for her (and then ask to see some fantastic wedding photos)!

 
 

Friday 8 July 2016

July Newsletter


Welcome to your July Newsletter, containing the latest news from Forefront Fitness
View this email in your browser
July Newsletter
Steve's Bucket Birthday Bash
2nd July at 7:30pm

 
We hope to see as many of you as possible at this event. No presents, we are raising money for Hunts Community Cancer Network.
 
Donations can be made through JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Foreman1
Introducing Debbie

I have always had an interest in health and fitness and spent a number
 of years working as a finance manager in gyms and health clubs. I have
always exercised, swimming, aerobics or running. Three years ago I
completed the London Marathon with the support of Marion and Steve to
achieve this particular fitness goal.

I perceived that the benefits I had experienced as part of the process
had improved my life experience so significantly that I wanted to join
the team and support others to be the best they can be.

I qualified as a Personal Trainer and have completed a number of nutritional courses including sports nutrition,  detox and weight management. I am also a
qualified NLP practitioner. The combination of these disciplines as
well as a science background degree in psychology and biology allow me
to support clients with their fitness goals in a complete and holistic
way.

I provide exclusive one to one personal training in clients own
homes as well as within the gyms at Bluntisham and  Willingham. I am
working with Marion to develop a special weight management programme
for Forefront and I am completing training in the Autumn with Les
Mills GRIT HITT training. I would be delighted to discuss your fitness
goals with you and really love working in partnership with clients to
achieve these as part of the Forefront team.
July Gym Challenge

How Long Can You Hold The Crucifix Position For?

Use 2kg - 4kg dumbbells

Compare your time to last years to see how much you
have (hopefully) improved.

 
Marion is currently trialling a new wearable fitness tracker. It's waterproof to a depth of 2m for 30 minutes and robust enough for your wrist. It has a 3D Sensor, 24-hour time, upgradable firmware, notifications for emails, social media calls and more. This simple yet powerful actvity tracker measures physical activity and calculates energy expenditure in calories, the distance  walked or run and the total active time during each day — it's especially useful as part of an exercise schedule, overall health and wellbeing or weight loss programme - sleep patterns and Custom Trackers are also present so that you can record anything you like with two taps of the touch sensor. It  has several innovative notification features which include: Text, Email, Voice, Calendar, Social Media, and Incoming Phone call; an Inactivity Alarm to alert the wearer by vibration to get up and get moving after a chosen amount of time and programmable Alarm reminders of other routine events during your day.
Initial impressions are great, more news next month.
Exercise Of The Month

Dead Bugs

 
Lay flat on your back with your hands extended above you toward the ceiling. Bend your knees in 90 degree angle and raise your thighs until they are perpendicular to the floor. Now deeply exhale and embrace your abs to bring your ribcage down and flatten you back onto the floor. To initiate the exercise slowly lower the right arm and the left leg down to the floor simultaneously. Lower them down until just before the lower back starts to rise off the ground (starts to arch). Then slowly return to the starting position while inhaling. Alternating sides and continue the movement as required.
Recipe Of The Month

Sweet & Sour Salmon

 
2 good sized salmon filets
Chilli sauce
Honey
Light soy sauce
Coconut oil
Root ginger – peeled and sliced
Heat oven
Place salmon on a large square of foil
Put slices of ginger on top of foil
Add drizzle of chilli sauce and teaspoon of honey to each salmon parcel
Add a dollop of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to each parcel and wrap foil round each piece of salmon
Cook in pre heated oven for about 30 mins or until cooked through – serve and pour sauce over salmon
 

Struggling to reach your goals?
Need extra motivation?

We now offer 'one-off' PT sessions

Let one of our PTs get you back on track.

Prices start from £35* for a one hour session
.

* payment must be made at time of booking
Has anything changed since you completed our Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) when you joined? If so please let a member of staff know on your next visit.




If you enjoy what we offer, please leave us your feedback at: http://bst.bz/UnvBSb

You could win £100 to spend with a great local business just for telling us what you think.

Thursday 30 June 2016

Leslie


It was PT day again for Leslie and we had to make a new plan.  Despite thinking she is eating healthily and keeping to plan, Leslie has put on a little weight and is feeling it in her clothes.   Clearly her body is doing something different to what her head is saying.  This isn’t unusual and is one of the main reasons that we ask people to keep a food diary.  Leslie is going to do the Forever Living Clean 9 programme to lose a few pounds and to get a bit of order into her life around food.  She will have a couple of days of protein shakes and Aloe Vera juice, followed by the addition of a small daily meal.  This has been used thousands of times all round the world and works really well – frequent measuring and weighing will demonstrate this. Part of this programme is to be really mindful of what you are eating and to jot it down.

Leslie is also going to get outside for a proper walk every day.  She is aiming for 10,000 steps a day – so her walk should give her at least half of these steps straight away. 

This is a tough journey and it requires a great deal of personal strength to persist – so well done Leslie.  Lets hope next week brings great results

Thursday 16 June 2016

Leslie this week


Well, it’s interesting isn’t it?  We have a plan and Leslie thinks she’s sticking to it.  She knows what ‘healthy eating’ means and can reel off lists of healthy meals that she’s had.  But she’s not losing any weight.  Now Leslie is still large enough to be losing weight and losing it at a decent rate (around 2 lbs a week) so what is going on?

Well, she thought she might have had a bit of this and a little of that.  She’s got the dentist again this week – so is very stressed and her mind set is such that mindlessly eating a piece of cake is the only thing that can calm her down.    We know that cake tastes good but it doesn’t actually solve anything – and we wonder if rather more stress events have caused even more slices of cake to disappear.    
So Leslie is going to write down (or record on ‘myfitnesspal’) everything that she eats for a full week.  She knows she needs to eat ‘mindfully’ and that this will help.  This is Leslie’s accountability for this week – to notice what she is eating and to focus on that eating – not just absentmindedly eat something because its there (or because it needs ‘finishing up’!)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Friday 3 June 2016

Calling all students


Are you at home for a few weeks?  Missing studying ?  (thought not) – Missing working out?  (thought so)

Come along to one of  gyms – we have all the kit you need to get a really decent work out.  We would love to see you for the weeks you are around here.  We have even put together a special deal for you.

Student Summer Special

Membership from now until you go back to uni - £50  (12 weeks)

Alternatively – just £25 a month

Free induction (and a programme if you need one)

Use the gym as much as you want between 09.00 and 17.00 weekdays and 08.00 to 20.00 weekends (Willingham) and 08.00 to 12.00 weekends (Bluntisham)

You never know – we might even play your choice of music! 

Our June Newsletter

Welcome to your June Newsletter, containing the latest news from Forefront Fitness
View this email in your browser
June Newsletter
Has anything changed since you completed our Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) when you joined? If so please let a member of staff know on your next visit.
Exercise Of The Month
Swiss Ball Pike

 
Get in the  push up position, then rest the tops of your feet on a Swiss ball. Keeping your legs as straight as possible, bend your hips and try to pull your feet toward your chest so that the ball rolls forward. Hold at the top for three to four seconds, then slowly roll back to the starting position. Continue rolling the ball backward (letting it move up your legs) until your body forms a straight line about 30 degrees to the floor. That's one rep. Perform two to three sets of 10 repetitions, resting 45-60 seconds between each set.
Finding your ideal Personal Trainer

My grandchildren have a series of books called ‘that’s not my ……….’ And various items are deemed to be too something or other to please the owner – (‘That’s not my teddy – he’s too fluffy’) and I wondered if that was how you make your choice when you are considering hiring a Personal Trainer?

That’s not my trainer;
·        He’s too young
·        She’s too skinny
·        She’s too old
·        He’s too muscly?

So, what / who should you be looking for?
How would you know if you had met your ideal Personal Trainer?  You need:

·        Results
·        Empathy
·        Sympathy
·        Fun
·        Understanding
·        Support
·        Commitment
·        Friendliness
·        Openness
·        Value for money
·        Knowledge
·        Variety

How will you know if your PT is going to provide that?  I suggest you ask his / her clients.  There should be testimonials on the website and they should be happy to ask any of their clients to talk directly to you. Watch what they do with their clients in the gym – do they chat, is there laughter, do they concentrate?  Do they demo the exercises and correct clients’ form?
And what do you want?  Do you want to come in, work out with your trainer, and go home, or do you want to come in, talk, discuss the challenges of your week while you are working out and make a plan for the week ahead?  Do you want to text and email your trainer between sessions or just say ‘hi’ next time you are booked in?

So, how do you choose?  Best way is to just chat to a trainer – we love talking about our work and your body.  Ask us how we train, what we offer, what you can expect.  Tell us what worries you about a PT session and what you would really like to happen.
 
Ask for a free half hour taster session
– after all – what have you got to lose?
Need a quick workout, try Kieran's Just A Quickie:

In this order, perform consecutively..

Squat x 10
Flat Chest Press x 10
Bent Over Row x 10
Stiff Leg Deadlift x 10
Seated Shoulder Press x 10
Lateral Pull Downs x 10
Tricep Dips x 10
Bicep Curl x 10

60 seconds.. REPEAT.

Beginner - 2 rounds
Intermediate - 3 rounds
Advanced - 4 rounds
ENJOY!!
Struggling to reach your goals?
Need extra motivation?

We now offer 'one-off' PT sessions

Let one of our PTs get you back on track.

Prices start from £35* for a one hour session
.

* payment must be made at time of booking
  Recipe Of The Month - Chinese Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 onion,finely chopped
250g pork mince
salt and pepper
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1 tsp coconut oil
2 green chilies – finely chopped
bunch spring onions, finely chopped
tin chopped tomatoes
35 g peanut butter
250g pak choi, chopped
 
Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Put the chopped onion into a large bowl with the mince and S&P and ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice.
Mix thoroughly and form into about 8 balls
Put the meatballs onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and put in the oven and cook for 15 mins
Make the sauce by ;
melting coconut oil in a frying pan add the spring onions and green chillies and fry for about 5 mins.
Add the tomatoes and peanut butter, stirring well (you might need to add some water if this is too thick)
Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir in well
Add the pak choi to boiling salted water for about 3 mins
Serve meatballs on a bed of pak choi
Steve's Bucket Birthday Bash
2nd July at 7:30pm

 
We hope to see as many of you as possible at this event. No presents, we are raising money for Hunts Community Cancer Network.
 
Donations can be made through JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Foreman1
Burpees are an awesome, calorie-torching,
strength-building, full body exercise.


June's Gym Challenge

How many Burpees can you perform in 60 seconds?
How to perform a Burpee:
  • First, stand up straight, then get into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you.
  • Kick your feet back into a push up position and immediately drop your chest to the ground.
  • Bow your chest up, then return your feet back to the squat position as fast as possible.
  • Immediately jump up into the air as high as you can.




If you enjoy what we offer, please leave us your feedback at: http://bst.bz/UnvBSb

You could win £100 to spend with a great local business just for telling us what you think.