How to evaluate your fitness levels at home

by Mollie Millington | Apr 23, 2019 | exercise, fitness, How to

How can you tell if your hours in the gym are making a difference?  Do you track your race finishing times in a spreadsheet? Do you keep a record of your weight sessions to monitor your progress?  It may be easy for you to keep track of your physical fitness progress without lots of fancy equipment or even a personal trainer.

In the USA, every year in physical education class we had to take part in the Presidential physical fitness test.  We would have to run a mile, do pull ups and sit ups, run shuttles, and sit and reach (for flexibility). Each year, we could see how we did compared to the last year or against our classmates.  Unfortunately, I was never very good at the tests and even failed it in 3rd grade  (I wish I could go back and re-take them now!).

Even though we aren’t still in school, there are ways you can keep track of your fitness too.  If you do circuit training, you might already keep track of your weights and reps with each workout.   Similarly, with a simple notebook, here are examples of other fitness tests you can do at home:

Take inspiration from the Presidential fitness test and every few months measure how many press ups and proper sit ups (not crunches) you can do in one minute.  Time yourself when you run a mile outside or on the treadmill.  Ok take it a step farther and work on how long you can hold a plank or wall sit.

You can also regularly check your percent body fat and Body Mass Index (BMI) (this is not part of the Presidential fitness test).  As BMI isn’t the best measure (it simply creates a relationship between your weight and height, without taking into account your body shape or muscle mass), I recommend investing in a sewing tape measure.  Body circumference measurements of your biceps, waist, hips, and thighs can be more telling if you are losing body fat or gaining muscle.  Of course, calipers are the best methodology (in terms of accuracy)  for assessing body fat and this can be done by a certified personal trainer.

Monitor your explosive power by practicing a long or a vertical jump.  Go for speed and endurance by counting how many times you can skip rope without missing a step.  Too easy? Go for burpees in a set amount of time. Still too easy? Add in box jumps at the top and press ups at the bottom, like these guys.

Open up Excel and create your own fitness test log. On the first of each month, set aside 15 min to see how fast you can run a 5K, how many press ups you can do in a set time frame, and how  your waist circumference measures up.  Make it a mini-competition with friends and create a small trophy to win which will keep it interesting.  Use this info to adapt your training regime to maximise your potential. If you need any tips, feel free to send me an email (mollie@ptmollie.com).

How to choose a gym

by thinkmarsh | Apr 19, 2019 | exercise, fitness, How to

We are quite lucky living in London that there are hundreds of gym and fitness studios to choose from.  It is always a bit tricky though, deciding which one to commit to.  Class Pass gives people with a fear of monogamy a chance to try out lots of different studios and classes, but I think it also limits how often you can visit some studios (please correct me if I am wrong.  I have never tried it).  There are also a few apps out there of a similar nature, and the Move GB membership.  But for me, I don’t have time to travel all over London and book a different class each day.

My preference is to streamline my efforts and spend my time efficiently.  Until I was training for the Ultra X Co Jordan Ultra, I didn’t have a need to join a gym.  If I was teaching group exercise classes, I would get a free workout.  Plus, most gyms I worked at would allow me to use the facilities for free.

But now I need to focus on my strength training, especially if I want to maintain some fitness while being injured.  Here are a few of the things I considered when I was choosing a gym to join.

• Location and hours– Julie Creffield, blogger and owner of Fat Girls’ Guide to Running, goes to a local Crossfit Gym because it is literally across the road from her flat.  She can also bring her daughter, who will sit and read or color, which makes it a win-win for Creffield.  I knew location would be important to me too as I am always pressed for time.  If the gym wasn’t somewhere between work and home, I wasn’t going to be able to get there.

• Price– This will probably be the most important factor for many people.  I know it was for me, but mostly because I have been lucky so far in London and not had this as a regular expense.  Be mindful that you will get what you pay for.  In my experience, large budget chains are not very tidy, have staff that are not engaged, and equipment that needs repair.  On the flip side, boutique studios tend to give you more 1-2-1 attention, have lush toiletries and little perks, such as free towels.  For example, 360 Athletic (near Victoria station in London) offers tailored personal training for their members by incorporating physiotherapy into training plans.  If you train for a specific sport or have strength imbalance, this will help you train more effectively.

• Amenities– Do you want a pool, a variety of group exercise classes, or access to a personal trainer?  Ask to look at class timetables before you sign on the dotted line in case you were planning on going to yoga class and later find out that the classes are at 6am (which is when you are normally sleeping).  I didn’t check the fitness schedule too closely before joining my gym and am not able to attend many classes.

• Equipment– Does the equipment look new and taken care of?  Or is it laying about and rusty?  Do they have the free weights you want or the right kind of indoor rower?  This aspect will be more important if you are training for something specific, such as a mountainous trail ultra or Trans-Atlantic rowing expedition.

• Staff– When you ask a member of staff a question, what is the response that you get?  Are they friendly?  Helpful? Dismissive? Do they go the extra mile?  Or is there no staff in the middle of the  night because it is a 24 hour facility? You will need to decide how important the presence of staff and their attitude is to you.  Being American, I like prompt and effective customer service and struggle to find it in the UK.

How to choose a gym

by Mollie Millington | Apr 19, 2019 | exercise, fitness, How to

We are quite lucky living in London that there are hundreds of gym and fitness studios to choose from.  It is always a bit tricky though, deciding which one to commit to.  Class Pass gives people with a fear of monogamy a chance to try out lots of different studios and classes, but I think it also limits how often you can visit some studios (please correct me if I am wrong.  I have never tried it).  There are also a few apps out there of a similar nature, and the Move GB membership.  But for me, I don’t have time to travel all over London and book a different class each day.

My preference is to streamline my efforts and spend my time efficiently.  Until I was training for the Ultra X Co Jordan Ultra, I didn’t have a need to join a gym.  If I was teaching group exercise classes, I would get a free workout.  Plus, most gyms I worked at would allow me to use the facilities for free.

But now I need to focus on my strength training, especially if I want to maintain some fitness while being injured.  Here are a few of the things I considered when I was choosing a gym to join.

• Location and hours– Julie Creffield, blogger and owner of Fat Girls’ Guide to Running, goes to a local Crossfit Gym because it is literally across the road from her flat.  She can also bring her daughter, who will sit and read or color, which makes it a win-win for Creffield.  I knew location would be important to me too as I am always pressed for time.  If the gym wasn’t somewhere between work and home, I wasn’t going to be able to get there.

• Price– This will probably be the most important factor for many people.  I know it was for me, but mostly because I have been lucky so far in London and not had this as a regular expense.  Be mindful that you will get what you pay for.  In my experience, large budget chains are not very tidy, have staff that are not engaged, and equipment that needs repair.  On the flip side, boutique studios tend to give you more 1-2-1 attention, have lush toiletries and little perks, such as free towels.  For example, 360 Athletic (near Victoria station in London) offers tailored personal training for their members by incorporating physiotherapy into training plans.  If you train for a specific sport or have strength imbalance, this will help you train more effectively.

• Amenities– Do you want a pool, a variety of group exercise classes, or access to a personal trainer?  Ask to look at class timetables before you sign on the dotted line in case you were planning on going to yoga class and later find out that the classes are at 6am (which is when you are normally sleeping).  I didn’t check the fitness schedule too closely before joining my gym and am not able to attend many classes.

• Equipment– Does the equipment look new and taken care of?  Or is it laying about and rusty?  Do they have the free weights you want or the right kind of indoor rower?  This aspect will be more important if you are training for something specific, such as a mountainous trail ultra or Trans-Atlantic rowing expedition.

• Staff– When you ask a member of staff a question, what is the response that you get?  Are they friendly?  Helpful? Dismissive? Do they go the extra mile?  Or is there no staff in the middle of the  night because it is a 24 hour facility? You will need to decide how important the presence of staff and their attitude is to you.  Being American, I like prompt and effective customer service and struggle to find it in the UK.