circuit training

HIIT 5-Day BootCamp - Jan 19

Get ready for a New Year calorie blasting week!

Training over 5 consecutive mornings, you'll get a full body workout, combining strength, cardio, endurance, core and functional movement. You'll scorch calories and be challenged from head to toe.

You can do it all before work, and before the rest of the family gets up. Just give us everything you've got for 45 minutes, every day for 5 days!

It'll be fast, furious, and fun all at the same time. Book now for an early bird discount!

But it’s January and I'm not feeling very fit?
Don't worry. We'll be offering different levels to suit all abilities. Beginners, weekend warriors & serious fitness freaks are all welcome.

What if I can't make every session?
No problem. You can make up a class at one of our regular Fit In The Park classes.

But I don't want to go on my own?
You'll be introduced to all of our BootCampers on the first day. We'll then work hard to ensure an inclusive, motivating spirit and strong sense of comradeship during the week.

So when is it? 

  • Monday - Friday: 6.15 - 7.00am

Where and when is it?

How much does it cost?

WIMBLEDON PARK: Price before 1st January:
Class Pass Holders: £22 (plus 2 sessions off your class pass)
Non-Class Pass Holders: £40

WIMBLEDON PARK: Price after 1st January:
Class Pass Holders: £27 (plus 2 sessions off your class pass)
Non-Class Pass Holders: £45

SOUTH PARK GARDENS: Price before 1st January:
Class Pass Holders: £31 (plus 1 session off your class pass)
Non-Class Pass Holders: £40 (plus 1 session off your class pass)

SOUTH PARK GARDENS: Price after 1st January:
Class Pass Holders: £36 (plus 1 session off your class pass)
Non-Class Pass Holders: £45

How Do I Book?

HIITJan18_IG.jpg

Head over to our BootCamp page to book or contact us for more info.

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Christmas?!?! Here's What We're Up To...

Our last timetabled class will be on Saturday 22 December, and we're then back in action again on 2 January 2019.

But, we know you'll still want to workout over the Christmas period, so our popular Mince Pie Burn-Off BootCamps are back!

When, Where And Who?

26 December with Sophie:
Wimbledon Park 8.30 - 9.30am
South Park Gardens 10.00 - 11.00am

28 December with Antonio:
Wimbledon Park 8.30 - 9.30am
South Park Gardens 10.00 - 11.00am

31 December with Laura:
Wimbledon Park 8.30 - 9.30am
South Park Gardens 10.00 - 11.00am

All levels & abilities are welcome to join our Mince Pie Burn-Offs, including our Buggyfit Mums. Your little ones are welcome to come along and play/sleep/eat nearby (they remain your responsibility).

Price:

1 person per BootCamp = £10.00
2 people per BootCamp = £15.00

Please note that our BootCamps are non-refundable and non-transferable. You must complete a health form before you join, and you attend at your own risk. Please also read our full Terms And Conditions.

Book now while you're still thinking about it!

SantaExercising_re-sized.jpg
Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Monday Nights in South Park Gardens - Time and Location Change

As we've done over the past few years, we're moving into the Holy Trinity School Hall on Monday nights starting from 29th October. We'll be training there every Monday night until the Spring.

Unfortunately, due to hall availability, we will have to move this class to the later time of 8.00pm. 

We can really appreciate that some of you will be happy with the later time, whilst others will find it more challenging to join us. We're really sorry for any inconvenience.

We do promise a really fun session though, so do come and give it a go!

Holy Trinity School, Wimbldon
Posted by Heather Waghorn.
, , , ,

Early Morning Cardio Blast Classes

, , , ,
Cardio blast.jpg

When:

6.15-7.00am - Monday mornings
6.15-7.00am - Wednesday mornings

What Is It?

A high energy, fast paced BootCamp designed to burn fat, boost cardio fitness and build muscle strength. Both fun and effective, we'll interlace HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) with innovative circuits and calorie burning workouts.

Who Is It For?

Everyone! We warmly welcome all abilities and offer options for every level. All we ask is that you give us everything you've got for the 45 minutes you're with us!

Where Is It?

Hill Place House, 55a High Street, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5BA

There is free parking at that time in the morning, and a place to get changed too.

How To Book?

To pay for a drop-in class head over to our BootCamp page. To book a slot using your HA fitness pass or as a Boot Camper, drop us a line. Make sure you do book in advance as we are limiting numbers (it's a bit different from being in the park!).

Come along and give us a try - you won't regret it!

Posted by Heather Waghorn.
, , ,

New Wimbledon Village BootCamp!

, , ,

Cardio Blast - 5 Week BootCamp!

Jump start your day with 45 minutes of cardio fitness at our new studio in Wimbledon Village!

A high energy, fast paced BootCamp designed to:

  • burn fat
  • boost cardio fitness
  • build muscle strength.

Both fun and effective, we'll interlace HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) with in novative circuits and calorie burning workouts.

Who Is It For?

Everyone! We warmly welcome all abilities and offer options for every level. All we ask is that you give us everything you've got for the 45 minutes you're with us!

When Is It?

  • 18 September - 18 October 2017 (5 week course)
     
  • 6.15-7.00am Monday mornings
  • 6.15-7.00am Wednesday mornings

Where Is It?

Cost and How To Book: 

  • £60 for 5 classes or £100 for 10 classes (18 Sept - 20 Oct only).
  • You can book by heading over to our BootCamp page, or drop us a line for more info.

Happy Training!
 

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Exercise your Eggs Off In Wimbledon!

Yes, we're thinking about Easter all ready and we'll no doubt have you hopping around the park like a bunny at some point.

But before I get into that, it's Mother's Day in a couple of weeks time, and if you need (or would like to drop hints for) a fantastic gift, why not go for one of our Gift Vouchers? Or book that amazing woman in your life onto one of our BootCamps or courses (see below). It'll last longer than flowers and is better for the waistline than chocolates!

On that note, if you'd like to burn-off any chocolaty indulgences in advance, we're running a special class on Good Friday (14 April) at 9.30am in South Park Gardens which will replace our regular Fit In The Park session. It's suitable for all levels and abilities and we'd love to see your husbands, wives, partners, family & friends there too. Children can come & play nearby & babies in buggies are welcome (they all remain your responsibility!).

It's a busy time of year for everyone, so we'd like to know how many people will be joining us. We’re therefore asking everyone to book & pay in advance (your class passes won't be valid). It's just £8 for 1 person or £14 for 2. Hop over to our BootCamp page to sign-up now while you're still thinking about it.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that our Saturday classes in Wimbledon Park and in South Park Gardens will all be running as normal over the Easter period. Unfortunately there will be no Buggyfit classes on Bank Monday, however we'd love to see you all with or without your little ones on Good Friday and Easter Saturday!

As always, you're welcome to drop-in on any of our Buggyfit or Fit In The Park classes (check out our busy timetable online), but it does work out cheaper to buy one of our class passes in advance.

Happy Training,

Heather & the HA team x

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Make It Happen!

It's summer holiday time! If you're not going away over the next couple of weeks, make sure you join us in the park. We've got a full timetable for you, with only a couple of changes to our Wimbledon Park early sessions (see below).

All mums are welcome to our Buggyfit classes over the summer, including those with older children. Your little or big ones are welcome to play/sleep/eat/read nearby whilst you train (as always, your children remain your responsibility). Head over to our timetable for all the details.

If our daytime sessions don't work for you, why not join us at 6.15am? You can choose to finish at either 7.00am or 7.15am. When it's warm, there's no better time to exercise than in the cool early in the morning. Before work. Before the rest of the family are up. Before you've managed to think up all those excuses not to do it!

Here's the plan for Wimbledon Park early classes over the next couple of weeks. We hope to see lots of you there tomorrow morning! Come into the park via the Revelstoke Road entrance & you'll see us.

Wimbledon Park Early Classes Next Week...
Mon 1 Aug: 6.15am - 7.00/7.15am
Wed 3 Aug: 6.15am - 7.00/7.15am
Fri 5 Aug: No class
 
And The Following Week...
Mon 8 Aug: 6.15am - 7.00/7.15am
Wed 10 Aug: No class
Fri 12 Aug: 6.15am - 7.00/7.15am
 
All of our other Fit In The Park & Buggyfit sessions will be going ahead as normal over the next few weeks. You can buy your pass online & then pick it up at your next class.
 
Don't forget to apply suncream & squirt some bug spray on (especially for our early morning & evening sessions).
 
Happy Training,
 
Heather

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Set Your Alarm For Early!

Thanks to everyone who completed our Wimbledon Park Survey. We've now re-jigged our summer timetable accordingly. We've added some Monday mornings in as they're so popular with you, & taken out a couple of other days, as we know many of you will be away (see below).

Grab your diary, here's what's coming up over the next couple of weeks. Which early morning sessions will you come to?

This week...
Mon 25 July: 6.15am Wimbledon Park
Wed 27 July: Sorry, NO 6.15am class
Thu 28 July: 6.15am South Park Gardens
Friday 29 July:  6.15am Wimbledon Park
 
Next week...
Mon 1 Aug: 6.15am Wimbledon Park
Wed 3 Aug: 6.15am Wimbledon Park
Thu 4 Aug: 6.15am South Park Gardens
Fri 5 Aug: Sorry, NO 6.15am class

In Wimbledon Park we meet just inside the Revelstoke Road entrance. In South Park Gardens, we meet in near the Trinity Road gate.
 
All of our other Fit In The Park & Buggyfit classes will be going ahead as normal. Check out our timetable for all the details. Don't forget to buy your pass online first.
 
Happy summer holidays!
 
Heather

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Inspired by Wimbledon Tennis? Here's how you can Get Match Fit

The All England Tennis Club might call the shots when it comes to big international tennis names, famous courts and legendary matches, but Wimbledon also has an abundance of smaller clubs for the non-pros and more casual SW19 players.

No matter what your tennis ability is though, if you want to improve your game, you should do what the Centre Court Champions do, and train off-court.

STRENGTH, ENDURANCE & POWER

For a winning combination of fast serves and powerful volleys, you need a strong upper body and good core stability.

Medicine balls, kettle bells and battle ropes will all help with this. Use big moves that require large ranges of motion and make demands on your whole body.

Build up endurance in your legs with body weight exercises like split jumps, squat jumps and box jumps. Include lots of multi-directional moves that involve leaping and hopping sideways, forwards & backwards.

CARDIO

Tennis requires brief bursts of intense effort. To be fast on the court, practice short sprints with quick changes in direction.

The fitter you are, the quicker you’ll recover after pushing hard. Include some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) into your week and you’ll be less like to gasp for air in between points.

AGILITY

Off-court training allows you to focus on your footwork technique, without having to worry about hitting a ball. Set-up some drills using agility ladders and cones. Test yourself on both your speed and accuracy. Try and improve one, without detrimentally affecting the other.  It’s not as easy as it sounds!

FLEXIBILITY

To reach those really challenging shots, you need a certain degree of flexibility. A good yoga or stretch class will help you to loosen up those tight bits and give you a greater range of motion, particularly in your hips and shoulders.

Taking time out each week to improve your flexibility, will not only boost your game, but will reduce your risk of injury and may help you to unwind a little too.

ENJOY IT!

Vary your workouts to keep your mind motivated and your body challenged. Off-court training can be lots of fun, and you might be pleasantly surprised how it can really transform your game.
 

HA fitness runs a wide range of outdoor classes that incorporate all of the above! Check out our timetable for more details. Or why not get in touch to book some one-to-one personal training sessions with us.

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

BodyRock BootCamp Jan 2016!

BodyRockBootcamp.jpg

Kick-off your New Year's resolutions at our new-style BodyRock BootCamp in January.

Training over 5 consecutive mornings, you'll get a full body workout, combining strength, cardio, endurance, core & functional movement.

We'll bring a variety of different kit along to keep it fun, help you scorch calories & challenge you up from head to toe.

Mon to Fri, 6.15 - 7.00am

11 - 15 Jan, Wimbledon Park
18 - 22 Jan, South Park Gardens

Early Bird Discount! £40 for each 5-day Bootcamp if booked before 22 December 2015 (regular price £45).

Book your place now!

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Monday Night's Fit In The Park Location Change

Don't forget that tonight's Fit In The Park will be at the Holy Trinity School Hall between 7.30 - 8.30pm.

Situated on Effra Road, the school is just a 2 minute walk from South Park Gardens. Come into the school via the French windows at the front of the building.

Address for your Sat Nav: Holy Trinity Primary School, Effra Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 8PW

There is free parking on the road outside the school (but do check the restrictions).

There are clean toilets, a drinking fountain and it's mud-free!

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Train Like an Ancient Persian Warrior!

Have you got the balls?

Some bounce, some have handles and some have ropes attached to them. Modern medicine balls now come in an amazing array of sizes, colours and weights.

However, the original prototypes (produced some 3000 years ago) were not so attractive. Made out of animal bladders and stuffed with sand, they’re thought to have been used in training by Persian warriors, Hippocrates, and ancient Chinese martial arts masters, to name but a few. 

So why are they called medicine balls?

Moving forward into the 19th century, ball training became a popular workout feature in the gymnasiums. At this time, the words “health” and “medicine” were synonymous, and the term “medicine ball” is believed to originate from this period.

More recently, hi-tech gadgets and complex machines have taken over in our gyms. However, the humble medicine ball is now making a come back, as the benefits of functional training are seen as being increasingly important.

Time to take your medicine

Medicine ball training is really adaptable and can be used for beginners, weekend warriors and endurance athletes alike.

Using a few differently weighted balls, you can beef-up circuit training sessions and traditional exercises to create tough, stamina-building workouts. It's a really efficient way to develop your speed, strength, balance, and endurance.

They're also perfect for beginners and are a fun tool for those wanting just to get into shape and vary their workouts.  Medicine ball training uses your muscles in a similar way to when you're lifting objects in everyday life (eg children, shopping etc) so it is much more practical than using dumbbells.

Medicine balls can also be a really efficient form of sports specific training. With a bit of imagination, they can be used to simulate and help improve golf and tennis swings, swimming strokes, and football and basketball techniques. Runners can also train with the ball to push their core rotational muscles.

You can work your whole body or just target specific areas, and they're an ideal tool for improving your core power and stability. Practically everything you do with a medicine ball will work your core muscles to some extent. So whether you're lifting, throwing, squatting, crunching, pressing, or twisting with them, your abs should be fired-up too!

Ball practice

Start-off with some lightweight balls and keep the movements slow whilst you focus on your technique.  After a few training sessions, you can speed up the actions, but remember to maintain good control at all times.

Make sure you get proper instruction on technique as even lightweight medicine balls can cause injury.

So whether you're a beginner, seasoned exerciser needing some inspiration or training for the Tough Guy event, it's time you added some balls to your workouts!

/

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Getting into shape for the slopes

To get the most out of your ski trip, you should get your body into shape well before you hit the slopes. Ski-specific fitness training will help you to ski harder, faster, and injury-free. You'll also have more energy to party in the evening!

Feel the burn!

You should focus on exercises that simulate the moves you'll be making on the slopes. For example, start to build-up your "crouch endurance" by getting into your ski tuck position and holding it for several minutes.

Work your thighs by holding a squat position with your back flat against a wall. Build up the time you can endure in this position and/or hold weights in your hands to increase the intensity. Once you've mastered this, try lifting one heel up at at time, putting more weight on the other leg (similar to turning on the slopes).

Try placing a skipping rope on the floor and jump sideways over it with your feet fairly close together (as if you had skis on). Start with several sets of 30 to 40 seconds and gradually add time on to increase your endurance. Up the intensity by doing this in a crouch position!

Endurance and stamina

A great way to work the whole body whilst also increasing your stamina and endurance for skiing is circuit training. The three key areas to focus on are cardiovascular fitness, lower body strength training and core stability.

Perform 1 minute of each of the following exercises, then rest and move onto the next one. Each week, reduce your rest period until you just have enough time to sip some water in between exercises. Building up your endurance in this way will help you to recover quicker in between challenging ski runs.

Always warm-up before you start, and finish with a cool down and stretches.

Cardiovascular fitness

  • Jogging on the spot, skipping, step-ups, jumping jacks, squat thrusts etc

Muscular strength and power

  • Squats (include some challenging variations such as one-legged squats, plié squats, narrow squats, half squats, squat calf raises, squat kicks etc.)
  • Lunges (include some challenging variations such as skater lunges, lunges with knee lifts, lunges with back leg raised, walking lunges, half lunges etc).
  • Calf-raises. Try doing these on a step and/or on one leg.

Increase the intensity of any of the above by holding dumbbells.

Core strength, agility and balance

  • Crunches, reverse curls and back extensions to target your core muscles
  • Holding the plank position to increase your core stability. Try different variations on this including plank walking, reverse planks, side planks etc.
  • Exercises using stability balls, medicine balls and wobble boards to develop your balance and agility

Improving your overall fitness

Aerobic endurance activities such as running, cycling and hill walking should also be included into your fitness plan. As with all of the above, you should try to increase the intensity and duration of these activities over the weeks leading up to your trip.

If this has whetted your appetite and you fancy some ski-specific training, please give me a call on 07941 851 778 or email heather@hafitness.com. We can arrange to meet up for one-to-one sessions, partner training, or small group classes. Why not get your friends together for a pre-ski workout?

http://www.hafitness.com


Posted by Heather Waghorn.