For most of us the holidays are a time to indulge and enjoy the company of friends and family. In January, however, the guilt of one too many second servings starts to kick in. So it’s only logical that January is when most gyms see a spike in membership as we all scramble to get fit in the New Year. What’s also very common then is for many of those who joined a gym in January to lose interest or impetus by March. This will be down in part to not having the right programme or enough guidance when first joining a gym. We all have different bodies, movement ranges, metabolisms, lifestyles, and importantly different goals. This is why the correct programme should be designed specifically for you in order to help you make sustainable changes to your daily-routine that won’t see your interest burning out after just a few weeks of training and one that will have achievable targets throughout allowing you to see results and motivating you to keep going.
At COACH LONDON we offer all new members a 1-hour consultation and biomechanical assessment with one of our expert Coaches. The information and data gathered from this is then used to design a bespoke 6-week programme, tailored especially to helping you achieve and maintain your performance & health goals. Our programmes cover all 3 of our core principles – Body (your training plan), Mindset (recovery and stress management), and Lifestyle (nutrition and sleep). Your Coach will then guide you through your programme in a follow-up session. This is how we ensure that our members have the knowledge and tools they need to make long-lasting changes to their health and well-being.
To celebrate the New Year we are giving you an exclusive look at a new member’s journey at COACH LONDON. We are sharing a small example of our member Jane’s assessment and bio-mechanical analysis, to give you an idea of the level of detail and personal data that goes into creating our bespoke performance programmes, designed to help YOU succeed.
Member: Jane Phillips
Personal Details:
Age: 31
Height: 5.5
Weight: 64kg
Bp: 127/86
Goals/Aspirations
Improve general fitness after a long bout of inactivity due to lockdown.
Return to regularly running 5km twice a week
Reduce body fat by 5% gradually over time and increase strength.
Movement/Exercise History
Regular “Gym goer over the years” and enjoyed one-to-one sessions with a coach twice a week.
Completed two 10km races a few years ago and would like to plan more in the future if fit enough and pain-free.
Medical History
Suffered with “Shin splints” when running regularly along with intermittent bouts of lower back pain.
Also requires regular shoulder massage as it’s “where I store my stress”
Lifestyle summary:
Sleep: Averages 6 hours a night
Nutrition: Following an eating plan from personal nutritionist
Energy levels: Morning person and prefers to exercise first thing – can get a little fatigued from time-to-time mid-afternoons.
Time: Work full time in a sedentary job and has 2 young children under 5 years old.
Character traits: High in conscientiousness and anxiety
Jane’s Biomechanical Analysis:
Overview: Programme Recommendations
Lifestyle Micro Changes:
Sleep: Aim to start with finding an extra 30 mins sleep each night and build from there to an average of 7.5 hours a night.
(Difficult with small children but Jane admitted that she could go to bed slightly earlier.)
Time Constraints: Limited with spare time to follow the programme due to work and family commitments but finds 3 x 40 mins a week manageable if organised.
Mindset: Don’t feel guilty if you miss a session – Try to adopt a growth mindset with a “work in progress” perspective.
Notes for Jane’s programme:
Structure: Provide Jane with a safe, sustainable 30/40 minute progressive programme, training two to three times a week over the next 6 months to address findings and reach aspirations.
Specifics: Jane needs to improve her strength and stability in a single leg stance. Based on the findings from her assessment Jane’s programme will have to include exercises to improve her mobility and motor skills to her scapulas and thoracic spine. Recommend running gait drills to manage and reduce ground reaction forces, which will help reduce stress to her lower back.
These notes were made during the assessment and discussed with Jane, her programme will follow.
Written by Gareth Cole, Head of Performance and Nefeli Christofides, Membership & Marketing Manager
For more information on our personalised programmes please email info@coachlondon.uk or call us on (0) 207 315 4260