THE GAIN IS WORTH THE PAIN

An Introduction to Lee

2012-01-30T02:56:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back Bootcampers; with the New Year in full swing and those New Year’s resolutions still going strong, I trust!

New beginnings and new challenges lie ahead for us all in 2012, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Lee and I’m the newest member of the Bootcamp training team.

Currently working at the Fulham and Richmond studios, those of you that have taken a class with me will now know me as the bald one… I like to call it folically challenged! J For those who haven’t yet… why not?! Come on and try the new guy out! I will beg if I have to…

Having worked within the fitness industry for the past 6 years, both as a personal trainer at various locations across London and Surrey, and within NHS facilities, I am currently a self-employed personal trainer and Bootcamp Pilates instructor. Working mainly with clients who require exercise correction, rehab and strength training within sports, I trained and qualified through NASM and the YMCA as a personal trainer and exercise correction specialist.

Fitness has always played a part in my life and at the age of 11 I started to play ice hockey for Guildford and Streatham and had the great honour playing for my country as an under 16/18 and as an under 21. Ice hockey is a great sport that I still enjoy playing today, however not at the same level. With a recent return to ice hockey, I have been able to get involved in the coaching side of the sport currently studying towards coaching qualifications.

At 21, I took some time out of ice hockey, and joined the army where I served as a driver and PTI. This gave me the opportunity to travel and gain some new skills. At this time, I really gained a passion for fitness; having to train every day has given me a real discipline to my life and training.

Anyway enough about me you’re probably starting to yawn…. I know I am!

I would like to take this opportunity to express how much Bootcamp Pilates is a safe and effective way to exercise, with emphasis on postural alignment, challenging core muscles to make them stronger, burning a huge amount of calories, toning those problem areas, decreasing lower back problems/pain and increasing flexibility. All of these results I have witnessed myself whilst taking part in the Bootcamp Pilates training which in turn has pushed my own training on leaps and bounds. I’m sure you’ll all agree you have felt these benefits from training at Bootcamp Pilates. As they say the proof is in the pudding! Cheesy I know….!

I teach at the following times at the Fulham and Richmond studios; so why not come and give me a try!

Fulham: Mon 5.30-9.30 Richmond: Thurs 6-9

Tues 6.00-11.00

Weds 11-2

Sun 9-3

Finally, I promise... I would like to thank all the Bootcamp team for all of the help, support and knowledge you have shared whilst I have been training and for the words of wisdom that you have provided! Big thank you to Ali for the opportunity and Ashton for the training he has given me... I know it wasn’t easy! Nevertheless, a good laugh, Cheers mate.

Bye for now!

Lee

A Healthy Start to 2012

2012-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! This week we have invited our friends at Jane’s Diet Plan to write a guest blog, so sit back, relax and enjoy…

“I use Jane Plan to compliment my workouts’’ VOGUE MAGAZINE

The New Year is well and truly underway and many of us (including me!) haven’t even got going on our New Year’s Resolutions, or else we’ve started and already broken them. So, why do 75% of the population fail to keep their New Year’s Resolution?

1. They are unrealistic or too big

2. They are not specific enough

3. We don't fully commit to them

4. We think we can do it on our own

5. We feel forced into it - even by ourselves

If losing weight is top of your Resolution list, then be realistic about how much you want to lose and set a manageable time frame. Don’t give up at the first hurdle, stick with it and you WILL get there in the end! Choose a diet that fits into your lifestyle and make sure it’s not what I call a ‘fad’ diet; you want something that works in the long-term.

If that all sounds a bit too much like hard work and you want guaranteed results, then get in touch, and together we’ll work out a diet plan just for you.

No cooking, planning, weighing or measuring (in fact, you don’t even have to think) - just deliciously healthy food delivered to your door.

At Jane Plan, we know how hard it is to stick to your Resolutions, so we help you set realistic and achievable goals. We are 100% committed to your success, offering you support, guidance and tips to stay on track. What's more, we'll be with you all the way. We will hold your hand as much or as little as you like on your journey (and a bit afterwards as well).

Kick start the New Year, lose a few pounds and boost your lust for life with Jane Plan.

SPECIAL OFFER EXCLUSIVE TO MEMBERS OF BOOTCAMP PILATES

Get in touch and mention Bootcamp Pilates, and we’ll offer you FREE DELIVERY on your first order

Visit www.janeplan.com or e-mail jane@janeplan.com

Tel - 020 7731 8453

Happy New Year!

2012-01-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hello Bootcampers and a very Happy New Year to you all! I am sure by now you’ll be getting back into the swing of things and enjoying our no nonsense approach to getting in shape here at Bootcamp Pilates. For those of you that haven’t revisited us yet, hurry back – we miss you! In fact, we have a fabulous offer on right now, in our ALL YOU CAN EAT PILATES - don’t miss it, it ends on the 15^th January!

Just to introduce myself, for those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Korin and I teach mainly at the Hoxton studio and occasionally at Notting Hill – I’m the tall blonde one with a Northern accent, you really can’t miss me!

Well like many of you I expect, the Christmas holidays really took its toll on me and I couldn’t wait to throw myself back into a healthier lifestyle and give the mince pies and choccies a miss for a while! Yes, we all over indulge at this time of year and do you know what? I think that’s fine and even good for you to certain extent. I truly believe it’s the best approach to being fit and healthy – after all we can’t live like saints all of the time can we? It’s about moderation; if you overdo anything, be that fitness or diet, you will most likely get bored, fall off the wagon and probably go completely in the opposite direction. I don’t really like to make New Year resolutions anymore, as it has the same effect – I just like to make a promise to myself that I will look after my body in a sensible and healthy way. In fact the reason I love Pilates so much is because it does exactly that; it gives me great posture, works my muscles in the most efficient way and above all - it really gets results. How many of you have spent years sweating it out in a gym only to see very little, if any difference? I know I have. Quite frankly who’s got the time for that? We live in a world that’s fast paced (especially here in London) and we come from an ‘I want it now’ culture, which means we want results and we want them fast!

The reason that Bootcamp Pilates is so effective is that we perform exercises that burn a shed load of calories as well as toning the body at the same time. We are also continuously challenging our core muscles to build in core strength and we focus on working in the correct alignment in order to get the most benefit from each and every move we make, which in turn encourages good posture too. So if you are already a fully-fledged member at Bootcamp Pilates give yourself a tap on the back and be proud that you are doing the very best you can to look after your body! I get asked numerous times by clients ‘how many times a week should I be coming to see results?’ My answer is; it’s like anything, the more you do it the better you will become in a shorter space of time. To see changes in your body, this will depend on the individual and their lifestyle, but I would say three times a week is ideal and if you can do more, then you will most certainly acquire those buns of steel pretty quickly!

If you need any more reasons to work out then let it be that you want to show off your new stylish yoga and Pilates gear from Lovestretch! http://www.lovestretch.co.uk/shop/yoga-clothes-pilates-clothes.html I have made a few recent purchases and their stuff is totally gorgeous and certainly encourages me to work out more often!

Of course exercise and healthy eating go hand in hand when it comes to looking and feeling good and I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that you can’t expect the pounds to melt away if you’re partial to a nightly feasting on fast food!!! Again, I believe a sensible approach to healthy eating is the best way forward– one of the most common mistakes people make is trying to starve themselves – starvation does not work guys n gals, it will just make you end up reaching for the biscuit tin even quicker! There are so many healthy and delicious foods out there so as I always say, try and focus on what you can eat as opposed to what you can’t. There are certain foods, however, that you can and should avoid, such as sugar as it ages the skin as well as piling on the pounds – the route to all evil! Also, try to give all processed foods a miss too, they’re packed full of sugar, salt, saturated fat and artificial toxic ingredients which result in fat and the dreaded cellulite!!! If you are looking to lose a few pounds then one of the most effective ways is to cut out carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, white potatoes and white rice and swap them for super food carbohydrates such as quinoa and short grain organic brown rice.

Now it just so happens that I myself have written a cookery book along with my bessie mate Miss Sasha Parker and we recently knocked up some rather tasty, super simple and very low fat dips which I thought you may all like to try – aren’t I thoughtful! Take a look this way - http://www.channel4.com/4food/how-to/how-to-do-sauces-dips-and-dressings/healthy-dip-ideas-video

Or why not try our Garlic Spinach Chicken with Spicy Wedges and Salsa – again it’s low fat and includes super healthy ingredients like antioxidant boosting spinach. http://www.howtocookinhighheels.co.uk/recipes/garlic-spinach-chicken-with-spicy-wedges-and-salsa/

To make life a bit easier and to help encourage you to eat your greens and get cooking healthy homemade meals, why not order an organic veggie box delivered to your door from Abel and Cole - http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/ - they offer great value for money - prices start from as little as £10.

If you are out and about like me most of the time, then it can be difficult to grab healthy food on the go, but the good news is, that it is getting easier to find healthier fast foods. In fact just around the corner from our Hoxton studio is one of the best fast food joints in town, it’s called Pod Good Food http://www.podfood.co.uk/ they use super food ingredients and offer some fabulously tasty alternatives to high carb lunches.

Right my dears I’m off to do a lunge or two!

Look forward to seeing you soon in my classes.

Korin x

The Little Black Dress

2011-12-16T06:17:00.000-08:00

Well hello and welcome to the first in our new series of Bootcamp blogs.

In the coming weeks, we are going to bring you the most up to date, interesting, and exciting fitness information you have ever had the pleasure of reading...ok, so it might not actually be any of those three things; but we are going to try to pass on our wisdom and knowledge as fitness professionals. We aim to keep you up to date with the latest health and fitness research and topics as well as giving you more information on the benefits of our wonderful classes (which by the way run across 4 studios, 7 days a week and are delivered by THE best trainers in London!!! – shameless plug numero Uno!!) ,as well as the benefits of staying healthy in general.

So before we start, let me introduce myself; I am Ashton. For those of you that don’t know me, I work mainly in our Nottinghill Studio, with the odd evening in Hoxton.. I was once described on our website as the “cute” one, with “so much confidence for someone so young”. FYI, I am 27 and was hoping that, at my extremely young age, the cute tag would have worn off by now! In any case, thankfully the trainer pages have now been updated and you are able to read about the backgrounds and personalities of all trainers, as well as how we deliver our classes. We will all be contributing to this blog and so if you have a favourite trainer look out for their words of wisdom coming soon. If it is your first time coming to us, take a look, see who you like the sound of... and book into one of our classes soon, we will all welcome you with open arms (shameless plug numero deux!!)

Well as it’s the first blog and we have recently launched our new seasonal class - The LBD, (or Little Black Dress for those of you not as ‘cool’ as the rest of us), I thought I would talk a little more about the benefits of the class and the inspiration behind it.

If you haven’t had the chance to read our newsletter, the LBD class has been rolled out across all studios in the run up to the Christmas Party Season. It is a class that is aimed at working on the parts of the body that your Little Black Dress is most likely to reveal, giving you the confidence to wear it with pride and show off your trim and toned body. Now obviously ladies, this class isn’t just for the guys, so if you too are planning on wearing a Little Black Dress this party season you should think of giving this class a go!!!. In all seriousness though, Gentlemen, don’t be put off by the name of this class. Having taken part in it myself, (as have all trainers) I can assure you, you will see the benefit of this class. It is not only a great workout for the legs, which will make those suit trousers fit easier with all those mince pies and port that will be drunk, but also the shoulder and back exercises are fantastic for making those suit jackets hang perfectly (as if you have been visiting a top Savile Row tailor!).

As with all of our classes, we are not only giving you aesthetic benefits. As many of you will already know, our classes deliver more than just a calorie burn. Our exercises are carefully chosen for their health benefits, and the LBD class is no different. The shoulder exercises, as well as giving you those toned shoulders to compliment your arms, also help to strengthen the shoulder, which will not only help when lifting heavy bags, children...diamond rings...but also helps with your posture. Due to its fragile structure, the shoulder is also commonly injured, and strengthening the muscles around it reduces this risk. It is also important to have shoulder strength for when pushing or lifting things over head, and whilst this may not be top of your ‘To Do’ list, just think how often you lift things above your head in day to day life, for example getting decoration boxes down from the loft. This will put pressure through your shoulder joint and, if you are weak, this could result in an injury. This also goes for the back muscles. The majority of people are tight across the chest muscles and weak, over stretched through the back muscles. This, again, results in poor posture; so by strengthening the back muscles and stretching out the chest muscles you will see an improvement in the way that you hold yourself. Finally, the leg exercises are picked to target the calves (again Gents this is so you look good in those heels), the quads, glutes and hamstrings. Not only are leg exercises fantastic for developing strength in functional movements such as walking, running, sitting and standing, but all leg exercises are a great calorie burner, as your body requires a massive amount of energy to use these muscles due to their size (compare this to something like a bicep muscle). So next time you huff at your trainer when he/she says you are squatting, remember it is because we love you all and have your best interests at heart!!

The final benefit of the LBD class is that it will increase your heart rate, which will give you cardio vascular benefits. Whilst the class does not have a specific cardio element, the higher tempo of the class will keep your heart rate up, which in turn will result in a higher calorie burn.

So there you have it, the LBD class in a nutshell. Give it a try, see what you think and, as always, let us know your thoughts. After all, we are there for you - so the more feedback we get, the better we can make your future classes.

I hope you have enjoyed our first blog, and I hope you have enjoyed reading my words of wisdom.......more Norman Wisdom than Plato mind you! If there is anything that you would like us to blog about, please feel free to contact us.

Until the next time!

The Bootcamp Pilates team

Bootcamp Pilates Recent Press - Spring 2011

2011-06-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

"London's Top Reformer Pilates Company Stretching to Fulham, The City, Notting Hill and now Richmond"
Chelsea & Belgravia Life, Richmond Life, Notting Hill Life, Mayfair & St James's Life Magazines

"If summer is on your mind and you need to get into that bikini or those trunks then Bootcamp Pilates are the ones to help you get there"
Stylebible.com

"The pilates class goes one step further..."
Metro Newspaper

"London's first reformer pilates company - Bootcamp Pilates - is leading the way for city dwellers to get in shape both physically and mentally in time for summer"
Pinkpaper.com

"London's leading pilates company"
New Style Magazine

"Kick start summer with London's leading reformer pilates company"
London PA Magazine

"Bootcamp Pilates are leading the way"
EK One Magazine

The All Inclusive Dynamic Reformer Pilates Body & Mind Experience

2011-04-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

London’s first and top Reformer Pilates company - Bootcamp Pilates (formally Beautcamp Pilates) - is leading the way for Londoners to get in shape both physically and mentally in time for summer. Each dynamic Pilates session delivers improved co-ordination, increased stamina, focused breathing, better alignment, focused concentration and a more toned body concentrating on the core muscles as well as thighs, arms, shoulders, buttocks and a flatter stomach and trimmer waist.

Londoners in a variety of areas including Notting Hill, Hoxton, Fulham and now Richmond can use state-of-the-art reformer machines made by Balanced Body, getting the ultimate core muscle workout by targeting & strengthening all the muscle groups to give the body long, lean muscles and a balanced physique. The reformer machines are more efficient and targeted than traditional mat based Pilates. Dynamic Reformer Pilates is not only one of the safest forms of exercise available, but also one that after as few as 10 sessions delivers real, noticeable, long lasting results including those mentioned above as well as less obvious benefits such as a more efficient respiratory, lymphatic and circulatory system, boosted immune system, fewer injuries, better posture and improved performance.

The medical profession has also embraced Pilates as an ideal activity for those who suffer from remedial issues including back problems and clients often find themselves stronger and pain free as a result of Pilates. Pilates is open to people of all ages and levels of experience. The latest trend has seen rugby players using Pilates to improve any physical problems they have developed including targeting and improving general flexibility whilst on the pitch and many in the sporting profession now actively refer those involved in a selection of sports to Pilates and especially Reformer Pilates, with a view to delivering an improved on-going performance.

Bootcamp Pilates are also leading the way with innovative activities to further enhance the Pilates experience with the launch of a food blog showing which foods complement the fantastic effects of Reformer Pilates and how to maintain these results. Other innovative approaches include Boxilates which is also now available. All Reformer Pilates classes last 55 minutes for between 6 and 10 clients in one studio making the whole experience personalised and allowing individuals to enjoy the qualified trainer’s time one-on-one, something often overlooked at gyms.

Says Dominique Day, founder of Bootcamp Pilates, “When I introduced the UK to the LA fitness craze in 2005, I knew it would be massively successful as so many Londoners are strapped for time and gyms often restrict access and attention - especially at peak hours. At Bootcamp Pilates you have your own piece of equipment in a room of like-minded Pilates fans and a qualified trainer - no queues and full commitment with excellent results. The many benefits of Pilates are something that I always knew Londoners would not only enjoy, but benefit from. We have just opened our 4th studio in Richmond and are expanding further across London. I want London to be the new city of Pilates fans and furthermore Reformer Pilates fans - all of course with great stamina and co-ordination. Reformer Pilates is here to stay.”

Everyone gets their first class free, so there really is no excuse not to sign up now and get fit fast!

With London’s number one dynamic reformer Pilates company, both body & mind will be in great shape for summer.

http://www.bootcamppilates.co.uk/

1 class - £18 (inc VAT) - £18
5 classes - £16 (inc VAT) - £80
10 classes- £15 (inc VAT) - £150
20 classes- £14 (inc VAT) - £280
From prices at off-peak times