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Gymnema sylvestre – the sugar destroyer

Gymnema sylvestre, also known as the sugar destroyer or miracle fruit, is a popular medicinal herb that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to treat various health conditions. The herb is native to India and is also found in other parts of Asia, Africa, and Australia. The leaves of Gymnema sylvestre contain active compounds such as gymnemic acids, which are responsible for the herb’s medicinal properties. Here are some of the health benefits of Gymnema sylvestre:

 

Blood sugar control: Gymnema sylvestre has been found to be effective in reducing blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The active compounds in Gymnema sylvestre are known to block the absorption of glucose in the intestine and also increase insulin secretion, which helps to lower blood sugar levels.

 

Weight loss: Gymnema sylvestre can also aid in weight loss. It contains compounds that help to reduce sugar cravings and prevent overeating. By reducing sugar cravings, Gymnema sylvestre can also help to reduce calorie intake, which can lead to weight loss.

 

Lower cholesterol levels: Studies have shown that Gymnema sylvestre can help to lower cholesterol levels in the body. The herb works by reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which helps to lower the overall cholesterol levels in the body.

 

Anti-inflammatory properties: Gymnema sylvestre has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is linked to various health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.

 

Digestive health: Gymnema sylvestre has been used in traditional medicine to treat digestive problems such as constipation, indigestion, and flatulence. The herb has been found to have a laxative effect and can help to promote bowel movements.

 

Anti-cancer properties: Gymnema sylvestre contains compounds that have been found to have anti-cancer properties. The herb has been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and also induce apoptosis, which is the programmed cell death of cancer cells.

Gymnema sylvestre is a powerful herb that has many health benefits. Gymnema sylvestre is available in various forms such as capsules, teas, and extracts. For the most part we recommend the consumption of this herb for our personal training clients who struggle with sugar cravings and snacking as a strategy to help them create long lasting habits that will improve their overall health.  

Find Gymnema Drops Online:

Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre or Marsdenia sylvestris) Leaves, Liquid Extract Drops 120 ml

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The Health Benefits of Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha, also known as Withania somnifera, is an ancient medicinal herb that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to help with a wide range of ailments. In recent years, modern scientific research has begun to uncover the health benefits of this herb, and it has become increasingly popular in the Western world as a natural health supplement. 

 

Reduces stress and anxiety

One of the most well-known benefits of ashwagandha is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. Several studies have shown that ashwagandha can lower cortisol levels, which is a hormone released in response to stress. It has also been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety disorders and improve overall mood.

 

Improves brain function

Ashwagandha has been found to improve brain function and memory. Studies have shown that it can enhance cognitive abilities, including attention, information processing speed, and decision-making. Additionally, it has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect, which may help prevent or slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

 

Boosts immune system

Ashwagandha has been found to boost the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off infections and diseases. It has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammation in the body and prevent chronic diseases.

 

Reduces inflammation

In addition to its immune-boosting properties, ashwagandha has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects. Chronic inflammation is linked to several diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. By reducing inflammation, ashwagandha may help prevent these conditions.

 

Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels

Ashwagandha has been found to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels in several studies. High levels of cholesterol and blood sugar are risk factors for several chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. By reducing these levels, ashwagandha may help prevent these conditions.

 

Improves physical performance

Ashwagandha has been found to improve physical performance and increase strength in athletes. It may also help reduce fatigue and improve endurance. Additionally, it has been shown to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat.

 

Increases luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

LH and FSH are hormones produced by the pituitary gland that stimulate the production of testosterone in the testicles. Studies have found that ashwagandha can increase LH and FSH levels, which may lead to increased testosterone production.

 

Boosts nitric oxide levels

Nitric oxide is a molecule that helps to dilate blood vessels, which can improve blood flow and increase the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the body’s tissues. Studies have found that ashwagandha can boost nitric oxide levels, which can help improve blood flow to the testicles and increase testosterone production.

 

Increases muscle mass and strength

Ashwagandha has been found to increase muscle mass and strength in men. This may be due in part to its ability to increase testosterone levels, which are necessary for muscle growth and development.

 

In conclusion, ashwagandha  has been found to have several health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving brain function, boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and improving physical performance. It is available in various forms, including capsules, powders, and teas, and is generally safe for most people to take. However, as with any natural supplement, it is important to consume an organic version of Ashwagandha, If you wish to purchase a good quality source click on the links on this blog and It will take you to Amazon to make a purchase:

 

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Group Physique Camps

Intensive 8 Week Group Personal Training

What are the Intensive Physique Camps?

 

Scientific approach to resistance training and nutritional programming in a group personal training setting with the focus on decreasing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass with our professional coaches.

What will I achieve from signing up to the camps?

  • You will learn how to resistance train correctly under the guidance of a professional coach and accelerate your progression.
  • Learn what meals and food to consume, we workout your calories and macros based on you as an individual.
  • Supplemental and lifestyle advice based on an assessment.
  • Support from your coaches and your community.
  • Build positive relationships
  • A fun way to achieve a lean and strong physique.

What times are the camps on?

Monday – 9:15 am, 8:00 pm.

Tuesday – 6:30 am

Wednesday – 9:15 am, 8:00 pm.

Thursday – 6:30 am

Friday – 6:30 am, 9:15 am, 8:00 pm.

Saturday – 6:30 am

You select your times for each week and you commit to those times for the duration of the 8 weeks.

For example the groups will be:

Monday/Wednesday/Friday – 9:15 am
Monday/Wednesday/Friday – 8:00 pm
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday – 6:30 am

 

How much is the investment?

£449.99

What happens once I pay?

The first session we do with you is an assessment, we take some before and after photos, and assess your mobility stability and strength so that we can devise a training program for you.

We provide you the quality of coaching from a 1-1 personal training session to a group session which is a lot more affordable. We cap the session at 15 people per class, 5 clients per 1 coach. This enables us to be able to focus on the execution of your exercises.

  • We base your exercise program on you as and individual based on your first initial assessment.
  • 8 weeks of focused coaching 3 times per week. (24 sessions)
  • We tailor your nutritional plan towards your overall goals and lifestyle.
  • Lifestyle and supplementation advice based on the data we extract for our assessment process.
  • 24/7 support from our coaches via watsapp group.
  • Discounted 1-1 personal training sessions at Soma Fitness.

How do I sign up to the camps?

 

Contact us and one of our team will let you know when it begins and will guide you through the payment process. You pay for the camps up front and once this is done you select the which times you wish to commit too, we then send you a questionnaire to fill in and send back to us so our coaches can process it and extract the important data.

 

What is expected from me when I begin the camps?

 

  • During the sessions give all your effort and attention to your coaches and other members of the camp.
  • Be respectful to other members of the camp, the gym can be an intimidating place for some people so we strive to make a positive and progressive environment for all.
  • Follow your coaches nutritional plan, this is going to be massive if you wish to make changes to your physique, you will be accountable to your coaches during this process and we are there to help you for the whole duration of the camp.
  • If you have a bad day let us know we learn so much from the bad days so be open and honest we are in it together.
  • Enjoy every session and have fun! It’s not a boot camp you won’t have a coach shouting at you aggressively our coaches will be coaching you and encouraging you to be the strongest version of yourself.

If your interested and would like to know when the next camp begins please contact us and we can let you know the start date and availability.

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Resistance Training Benefits for Females

What is Resistance Training?

Resistance Training can be defined as a form of exercise, whereby external weights provide progressive overload to skeletal muscles in order to make them stronger and often result in hypertrophy (growth in overall size of muscle cells) (Alix-Fages et. al, 2022; Phillips and Winett, 2010), which can lead to several benefits.

Mental Health:

Firstly, Ramirez and Kravitz (2012) looked into the benefits of regular resistance training and found that it has been shown to improve numerous aspects of mental health including: lessened anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, self-esteem, memory and cognition. The way in which resistance training helps achieve this is not yet clear, but the benefits to mental health could well be consequences of the physical benefits that resistance training provides. For example, when we start training regularly, our sleep may improve. In turn, we see a reduction in stress hormones (Maggio et. al, 2013), which then can have a positive effect on our level of anxiety.

Fat Loss:

When wanting to lose weight, we need to be in a calorie deficit. When in this calorie deficit, weight can be lost via losing body fat, water, and muscle tissue. Regular resistance training helps preserve muscle mass when in a calorie deficit (Miller et. al, 2018). This, in turn, results in more of the weight lost being from body fat tissue, as opposed to muscle tissue. It is important to note that protein intake and sleep must also be sufficient to maximise muscle preservation, and therefore fat loss, in a calorie deficit. (Nedeltcheva et. al, 2010; Stokes et. al, 2018)

Frailty and Functionality:

As we age past the age of 35, we experience a gradual loss of muscle mass of around 1-2% per year, this is known as sarcopenia (Cruz-Jentoft and Sayer, 2019). Once we reach our 60’s and older, sarcopenia may contribute to a loss of functionality in daily tasks such as climbing stairs with ease, or playing with grandchildren.

Resistance training in elderly populations has been shown to increase their ability to go from sitting to standing with less postural sway and more proprioception, which is linked to more functional ability and lower risk of falls. (Faigenbaum and Myer, 2010)

‘I Don’t Want to Look Bulky’:

This is a common worry with female clients. Fortunately, there is about as much chance as accidentally adding significant amounts of muscle mass accidentally as there is as taking driving lessons and accidentally ending up in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Putting on significant amounts of muscle mass requires consistent training on a hypertrophy focussed plan, being in a calorie surplus, and consumption of adequate protein for a number of months before noticeable increases are seen. Overall, resistance training can be used as an excellent tool to improve one’s quality of life, regardless of age or goals.

Reference List:

  • Alix-Fages, C., Del Vecchio, A., Baz-Valle, E., Santos-Concejero, J., & Balsalobre-Fernández, C. (2022). The role of the neural stimulus in regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 1-18.
  • Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., & Sayer, A. A. (2019). Sarcopenia. The Lancet, 393(10191), 2636-2646.
  • Faigenbaum, A. D., & Myer, G. D. (2010). Pediatric resistance training: benefits, concerns, and program design considerations. Current sports medicine reports, 9(3), 161-168.
  • Maggio, M., Colizzi, E., Fisichella, A., Valenti, G., Ceresini, G., Dall’Aglio, E., … & Ceda, G. P. (2013). Stress hormones, sleep deprivation and cognition in older adults. Maturitas, 76(1), 22-44.
  • Miller, T., Mull, S., Aragon, A. A., Krieger, J., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2018). Resistance training combined with diet decreases body fat while preserving lean mass independent of resting metabolic rate: a randomized trial. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 28(1), 46-54.
  • Nedeltcheva, A. V., Kilkus, J. M., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D. A., & Penev, P. D. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of internal medicine, 153(7), 435–441. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006
  • Phillips, S. M., & Winett, R. A. (2010). Uncomplicated resistance training and health-related outcomes: evidence for a public health mandate. Current sports medicine reports, 9(4), 208.
  • Ramirez, A., & Kravitz, L. (2012). Resistance training improves mental health. IDEA Fitness Journal, 9(1), 20-22.
  • Stokes, T., Hector, A. J., Morton, R. W., McGlory, C., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). Recent perspectives regarding the role of dietary protein for the promotion of muscle hypertrophy with resistance exercise training. Nutrients, 10(2), 180.

 

 

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INSIDE SOMA FITNESS: Hale & Altrincham Based Private Personal Training Gym

What has been happening inside Soma Fitness while Corona Virus has been keeping our business closed for most of the past 12 months?

We have been updating our equipment and transforming our private gym facility into one of the best kitted out private personal training facilities in the area.

If you never heard about Soma Fitness and this is the first time visiting our site here is a little more insight about how we work:

Soma Fitness is a private personal training facility with dedicated coaches guiding you to reach your physique, fitness, health and performance goals.

We use a bespoke approach to your individual anatomy, lifestyle and genetics.

Contact us to reserve your complimentary consultation.

Minimal spaces available reserve your slot today. Soma Fitness is a private personal training facility with dedicated coaches guiding you to reach your physique, fitness, health and performance goals.

We use a bespoke approach to your individual anatomy, lifestyle and genetics.

Contact us to reserve your complimentary consultation.

Minimal spaces available reserve your slot today.

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LEARN TO LIFT PROGRAM

Who is this program for ?

  • Are you new to weight training and want to understand how to get strong or get big?
  • Do you want to learn how to execute exercises correctly and be more efficient with your time in the gym?
  • Do you play a sport and want to improve your physical performance?
  • Receive 1-1 or small group coaching (more cost effective).

Why should you join?

  • Learn to lift correctly and safely.
  • Learn the foundations of strength training and muscle building.
  • Training programs tailored towards you and your goals.
  • Personal bespoke nutrition plans.
  • Get coached from an ex-professional athlete and current sports science student and personal trainer Tim Jeffers.
  • Train in clean and safe private gym.

RESERVE YOUR SLOT TODAY

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Soma Fitness COVID 19 Virus Prevention Protocols

We cannot wait to welcome our clients back into our gym. The team have been working hard to produce protocols in order to keep the environment of the gym as safe as possible. Every month the team at Viroclean will be giving our gym a deep sanitation to keep Soma a virus free enviroment. As a private facility focusing on personal training we can manage and have control over making sure all surfaces and equipment are clean and sanitised before any of our clients use them.

Here are a few more protocols we will have in place:

  • We will be leaving 15 minutes in between clients to clean and sanitise equipment, handles and surface areas. We ask clients to please be slightly flexible with us so that we can keep this in place and to be on time for their sessions.
  • On entering the gym please make your way to one of the hand sanitising stations to sanitise your hands before you touch any equipment. Hand sanitising stations will be located at the front section of the gym and at the back section of the gym feel free to apply as often as you feel comfortable.
  • Cleaning procedures for every evening have been put in place 6 days per week after each operational day for sanitation. This will mean we cannot conduct any training sessions past 9.30 pm MON – FRI & 7 pm SAT.
  • Our coaches will be equipped with gloves and visors for any close contact spotting. We will give you a choice if you wish your coach to wear them for the whole session. Please contact your coach prior to let him know what you wish them to do so, we have all the PPE available on site.
  • We will not be performing any assisted stretches with clients that which will require contact, all stretching routines will be demonstrated by your coach with the coaching cues required. (so, there is no getting out of stretching off at the end of your session).
  • If a coach requires to demonstrate technique to you on a piece of apparatus or equipment, prior to the demonstration your coach will then sanitise the equipment before you go to perform the exercise for yourself.
  • Coaches will be washing their hands before, during the middle and end of every session if they are not wearing gloves, Gloves will be replaced after each session if they are required to wear them.
  • Your coach will allocate you to either the front or back entrance to enter the gym if in doubt just press the buzzer at the front of the gym your coach will let you know if to come in through the front or through the back.
  • We please urge if any clients are suffering from any symptoms please let your coach know and do not attend your session.
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AT HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM – DAY 5 – FULL BODY

SUPERSET 1

A1) Bulgarian Split Squats x 8-15 reps per leg – tempo 4:2:2:1

A2) Back Widow x 8-12 reps 1:1:1:3

SETS – 3
REST – 60 seconds

SUPERSET 2

B1) Dive bomber press ups – 8-12 reps (regression from the knees) 2:1:2:1

B2) Glute bridge off the couch – 2:1:2:4 x 10-15 reps

SETS – 3
REST – 60 seconds

SUPERSET 3

C1) Bodyweight Lateral Raise 8-12 reps per side 2:1:2:1

C2) Alternate Leg Forward Lunges x 30 reps 4:2:1:1

SETS – 3

REST – 60 seconds

SET 4

D) Superman’s 12 reps 1:1:1:4

SETS – 3

REST – 60 seconds

FULL INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
How to structure your week of at home training:

Monday or Day 1 – Full Body Resistance

Tuesday or Day 2 – Cardio & Core

Wednesday or Day 3 – Full Body Resistance

Thursday or Day 4- Cardio & Core

Friday or Day 5 – Full Body Resistance

Saturday or Day 6 – Mobility & Breath work

Sunday – Rest and Recovery