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Gym Update

The gym before and after

Finally we managed to get the gym refurbished.
After 10 years of heavy use our gym needed a little bit of an update.
First of all we needed stairs in front of the gym as the height of the gym entrance was just too high for some of my clients.
Our carpenter, decorator and handyman Dean has made me a fab step which is perfect for the gym.
Dean also painted the front of the gym, changed the doors (the old ones were literally rotting) and helped me to put up new rails, racks and hooks inside of the gym.
I painted the woodwork in yellow inside to create a happy and energising atmosphere .
We also placed a corkboard in front of a now useless window (my neighbours built a summer house right next to mine and obstructed the view of my side window). So now I have a huge useful corkboard instead of a useless window.
I used to have white blinds and they ended up looking completely shabby after 10 years (it was also almost impossible to clean them).
So we replaced the shabby blinds with hilarious tassel curtains.
Another happy and cheerful addition to the studio.

To me the studio has always been a happy and positive place. I wanted to reflect that in the decorations as well.
Colourful and cheerful. The black equipment and flooring is quite heavy and can give a bit of a cold vibe. So I tried to counteract it with bright and energising colours.

So far my clients are loving it. One needs to be in the room in real life to feel the happy vibes. It really is quite nice in there now. The perfect atmosphere for a workout 😃💪

Thank you for reading and see you in the happy gym.

The gym outdoors

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Fitness With Your Dog

I’ve some adorable little guests recently in my gym, from cute maltipoos, to adorable and very inquisitive sausage dogs, hilarious labradoodles, super chilled French bulldogs, polite mini Schnauzers and sweet little schih-poos.

They have all been fantastic in the sessions and were very helpful workout assistants. Being as extra weight doing squats or motivational face licker for a job well done.
When our downward dogs were below standards we were positively reminded how a proper one looks like by the pros and when our mobility needed adjusting then our furry instructors would also show us how it’s done….naturally and gracefully!

Every dog has been amazing with their own unique personality and temperament. It’s so sweet to see how they react seeing their human doing funny things such as press ups, squats, back bridges and many more exercises.
When a dog is in the gym we focus on body weight exercises only (no big weights) to make sure that no-one can get hurt from a massive kettlebell or so.
I also use mats, which I only use for dog sessions, so that non-dog -fans can use the “human only” mats.

I very much miss having pets and this has been the longest time (over a year) I’ve been pet free. But being pet free has become very handy recently as I’ve been able to invite a lot of other furry little workout assistants without the worry that they accidentally eat my own furry workout assistants😂

I personally grew up with a Puli Dog Mix called Purtzel, a Bavarian Mountain Hound called Burschi and Hovawart called Arrec. I have a huge love for dogs whatever size and temperament. And as I have to deep clean my studio all the time anyway I might as well have a proper reason for it😂.
So if you ever feel like bringing your dog to the session and have your furry friend assisting me with the fitness instructions, don’t be shy and let me know. I’ll make sure that I’ll have the studio ready for you.

Anne

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The difference between training your abs for performance vs aesthetics

I train most of my clients and myself to have a strong core, however with a preference to keep it small. I don’t choose exercises which could possibly widen and thicken the core. Meaning that a good focus of mine is also on how the core looks rather than just performs. And most of my clients, female or male, want their waist to be smaller.
However I did have clients (mainly male) who wanted a very noticeable Adonis Belt (one needs a pretty impressive set of external obliques for that) and in this case we skipped the cute mini core and focused on some killer abs.
I appreciate both versions. I love any set of good abs. Just on me, with my small frame, a small set of abs looks better. But this doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate a bigger set 😍💪

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Lower Back Workout – Gentle


This video provides information about how to train your deeper lower back muscles.
It is a gentle workout for beginners. If you need a tougher workout for your deeper core muscles, check out my broom workout.
If you have any questions, please do let me know.
Please, after this workout or any workout targeting your lower back muscles & deep core muscles, check out my Lower Back Stretching Video (posted right before this one here).

Anne, Personal Trainer Beckenham

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Lower Back Stretch Routine – Every Level

This is a stretching routine focusing on nothing but the lower back muscles.
Suitable for any level. Great after a lower back & core workout…but also just to stretch your lower back out after a long day of sitting on the desk.
If you have any questions, please ask.
I hope it is helpful to you.

Anne, Personal Trainer in Beckenham BR3

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Broom Workout For Core & Cardio

This is a fun workout targeting the core, posture & cardio fitness.
Any type of long stick is suitable.
Apart from the first 40sec it’s a non-stop workout and if you like & want to burn off an extra calories, play it twice. After 30min of this you should be ready for the sofa.

For absolute beginners, once is enough though.
Once you get fitter, go through the routine 2-3 times.
And once you get ultra fit, start with weighted barbells. This becomes an absolute killer workout with any barbell weighting 4-12kg.

Anne, Personal Trainer in Beckenham BR3