BRIGHTON KETTLEBELLS NEWS

New site- new blog!

2011-06-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

Please note we have now launched the new-look Brighton Kettlebells website!

Check it out here: NEW SITE.

Be sure to stop by to check out all the new Video content, photos, Member testimonials, Free Classes and Newsletter opt-in! You may even be in there!

Please let me know what you think of the site as I'd appreciate ANY feedback!

ALSO!
Note the blog has now changed too. New blog is here: http://www.brightonkettlebells.co.uk/blog

Did you miss out?

2011-05-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Missed the offer?

Earlier this week I made a crazy offer for our Beach Body Bootcamp in June.
This only lasted 48 hours....and some of you are contacting me as you missed it.
I'm a nice guy, so I'm happy to extend another offer with a new price of £70.
This is Thomas Angus who took part in last year's bootcamp....you too can achieve results like this!

You have until this Sat 28th May: 8pm!
Go to:http://tiny.cc/48hroffer

You don't need Paypal: you can use your card.

Don't hesitate!
This is your last chance to grab this at a bargain price!
Maybe you haven't been to classes for a while and want to rejoin?
This is an ideal opportunity!
Make a difference in your health, fitness and body shape!
Price will go up to £120.

Click here to enrol: http://tiny.cc/48hroffer

Let me know if you have any questions.
Christian Vila
BRIGHTON KETTLEBELLS
07876-558850

The perfect omelette! (Video)

2011-05-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

My man Jason Baney from baneys kitchen takes us through the way to create the perfect omelette!

Get on it!

Live in Brighton or Hove?

2011-05-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

Then we've got an amazing line-up of classes to suit all abilities at three different locations!

If you live in Brighton:
Varndean School, Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 6NP

View Larger Map

Here we have classes on every week:

Mondays: 7.30pm- 8.30pm

Thursdays: 7.30pm- 8.30pm

Saturdays: 9.30am- 10.30am

If you live in Hove.... 2 locations:

1. ZT Fitness, Fonthill Road, Hove, BN3 6HA.

View Larger Map

Here we have classes every week:

Mondays: 8pm-9pm (Beginners)

Wednesday: 7pm- 8pm (Advanced)

2. Crossfit Connect, Unit 9, Basin Road North, BN41 1UY.

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Here we have classes every week:

Thursdays: 7.30pm- 8.30pm

Saturdays: 12noon- 1pm

Join from just £28 per month!

Did you know you can pay just £28 per month for one class a week?

For all our pricing options go to: http://www.brightonkettlebells.co.uk/payments.html

Full timetable:

Mondays: 7.30pm (Varndean) or 8pm (ZT)

Wednesdays: 7pm (ZT)

Thursdays: 7.30pm (Varndean or Crossfit)

Saturdays: 9.30am (Varndean) or 12noon (Crossfit)

Brighton Kettlebells in Latest Homes magazine!

2011-05-03T03:53:00.000-07:00

New classes at Varndean School featured in Latest Homes magazine editorial....

The new Varndean School location has been a hit thanks to its central location near Fiveways, ample parking and lovely outdoor space to train on. If the weather turns we have a large room at our disposal.

Classes are on as follows:

Mondays: 7.30pm

Thursdays: 7.30pm

Saturdays: 9.30am

For more info see: www.brightonkettlebells.co.uk or contact Christian on 07876-558850.

New classes start this week!

2011-04-26T03:32:00.000-07:00

Wow!
What an exciting week we have in stall for us! With our new Varndean location starting this Thursday, you all have more choice than ever for your training needs!

The new classes at Crossfit Connect where a hit last week, with people loving the new outdoor location near Hove Lagoon, with plenty of new toys to play with!
Here's your training menu for the week:
Brighton- Varndean School
Thurs 28th: 7.30pm with Christian
Saturday 30th: 9.30am with Dan

Hove- ZT and Crossfit Connect
Wed 27th: 7pm with Christian (ZT)
Thurs 28th: 7.30pm with Mark (Crossfit Connect)
Saturday 30th: 12noon with Simon (Crossfit Connect)

FREE PASS.... give this to your friend or family!

PLEASE NOTE:
Anyone with a ten-session card or monthly card can attend classes at BOTH locations.

Why not bring a friend or family member? They can attend for free at Varndean School, and if they join up you get a referral reward of up to 1 month for free!

See you there! xx Christian xx

New Kettlebell Fitness timetable.....

2011-04-18T02:39:00.000-07:00

As of this week our new timetable will be as follows....

ZT Fitness, Fonthill Road, Hove:
Monday: 8pm-9pm (Mark)- All abilities.
Wednesday: 7pm-8pm (Christian)

Crossfit Connect,
Unit 9, Hove Enterprise Centre, Basin Road North, BN41 1UY

Thursday: 7.30pm (Mark)
Saturday: 12noon (Simon)

The truth about building muscle.....

2011-04-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

Christian Vila in Men's Fitness Magazine- May 2011.

New Hove location classes at Crossfit Connect!

2011-04-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

PLEASE NOTE! CLASS TIMES/LOCATIONS ARE CHANGING FROM NEXT WEEK
- MON 18TH APRIL!

HOVE MEMBERSHIP........
will have 2 locations:

ZT Fitness, Fonthill Road, Hove- with larger studio!
Monday: 8pm-8.45pm (Beginners)
Wednesday: 7pm-8pm (Advanced)

Crossfit Connect, Unit 9, Hove Enterprise Centre, Basin Road North, BN41 1UY
Thursday: 7.30pm- 8.30pm (Intermediate)
Saturday: 12-1pm (Intermediate)

This location is ideal for us, with outdoor space to train in and lots of funky toys!
Its only down the road from the King Alfred, just West of Hove Lagoon on the seafront.
MAP:

View Larger Map-------------------------------

We'll also be starting a Brighton membership at Varndean School, 28th April....more info to come!

New classes at Varndean School!

2011-04-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Well what a lovely weekend we've just had! It seems summer is here already, so now we start to think about training outside!

New Classes- Varndean School!

Running alongside our Hove club, we are starting a new club in Brighton at Varndean School on Thursday 28th April: 7.30pm.

We not only have a lovely large room to train in, but a great outdoor space for us to swing our hearts content! Furthermore there is ample parking space in the free car park at the school!

Location:

The school is situated less than two miles from the A27 dual-carriageway.Its situated on the corner of Balfour Road and Ditchling Road.

MAP:

View Larger Map

Brighton- Varndean School location timetable (as of Thurs 28th April)

Mondays: 7.30pm- 8.30pm

Thursdays: 7.30pm- 8.30pm

Saturdays: 9.30am- 10.30am

We will introduce a separate membership for the Brighton location, with an option for people to use both Hove and Brighton locations. Info to come.

Hove- ZT Fitness timetable (this week)

Monday: 7.30pm (Beginners)

Tuesday: 7.30pm (Intermediate)

Wednesday: 7pm (Advanced)

Thursday: 7.30pm (Intermediate)

Saturday: 11am (Intermediate)

Anyone interested in the Brighton location, please get in touch! If you know anyone who may be interested in joining us at Varndean School, please forward me their details!

CVPT- Liz Fergusson trains for Brighton Half Marathon

2011-02-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

New Year- New You Bootcamp- the conclusion video!

2011-02-16T00:37:00.000-08:00

28 days later and look at them now!

Awesome group, all getting awesome results!

Elimination Diet review....

2011-02-06T00:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Craig Lowe (http://craigseliminationdiet.blogspot.com/?spref=fb) for sharing his experience on the Elimination Diet...as used in our recent New Year- New You bootcamp.....

Elimination Diet:Results and 'after'photos

Seriously I am quiet impressed with myself for doing the 30 days without (as far as I'm aware) having anything off the banned list. When I first started this I thought I might slip up somewhere and either admit it, or say nothing and carry on, thankfully I didn't have to do either.

But you just want to hear about the results (and some topless photos ha ha)
So here we go, I'll start with any low points - this is where you'd expect me to go on about cravings and really looking forward to some 'treats' as I probably was too, but to be honest my body doesn't need it or crave any of those 'treats" (chocolate in my case) I can easily walk past sweets shelves and not actually be bothered, a very different story from 31days ago, or even the first week, where it was a constant battle of will power to not buy that one, tiny, won't make any difference, its only one, bar of chocolate.
The first few days are obviously the hardest, with the headaches (3 days) the sleep problems, due to the headaches, the cravings, feeling tired and breaking those food habits you had, although if you know these are coming and why there happening (toxins getting put back into the bloodstream to be processed, and some withdrawal symptoms thrown in too, maybe) then you have a greater chance of working your way through it.

Truthfully that was it for me, the first 5 days (at most) then it has all been plus points as I'll explain.

So what did I gain from giving up all these 'treat' foods ? Well here is the list -

1. Fat Loss - Starting weight 3/1/11 13st 1lb or 83Kg, Finishing Weight - 11st 12lb or 75.5Kg a grand total of 16lbs or 7.5Kg .
Amazing eh ? I can't believe it myself actually, especially after watching Britain's Biggest Loser, when some of then actually lost no weight at all last week !!!
The weight came off like this. First week 4lbs, Second week 5lbs, Third week 4lbs, Fourth week 3lbs, now some of you may be thinking this is too much weight to lose so quickly (you've heard you should only lose 1-2lbs a week), or I must not be eating anything, starving the weight off.
Well nothing could be further from the truth, for the first point, your body doesn't want or need to be carrying excess fat around with it, as soon as you stop feeding your body (excuse the french) crap food, and start giving it the tools it needs to operate correctly, it will ditch that fat as quickly as it can,

YOUR BODY DOESN'T WANT TO BE FAT !!

Secondly I have not stopped eating, especially once you get your taste buds back working and actually taste real food again, so none of this, small rabbit size portions for me, I listen to my body now, if I'm hungry I eat, when my body says stop I stop eating, simple eh ? But the way everyone should eat.

2. Sleep patterns - Now I have never been a great sleeper, waking up 3 or 4 times a night, not for long, but every night, as I said before except for the first week, due to the headaches (and a couple of days, which I now blame on a full moon, my client told me that ?) I have went to my bed, actually ready to sleep and slept all the way through, till either just before my alarm or by the alarm, feeling rested and ready for the new day, not the usual taking half an hour (or a coffee) to actually get me moving ! Until your getting that good, restful sleep, you don't actually realise how much you actually do need it.

3. Energy Levels - Now I've never been someone lacking in energy, but as with most people had the odd dip during the day, or after finished work and sneaked in a wee catnap, now my energy levels are high all the time, all day, until I go to bed, where I'm ready to sleep. Funnily enough one of my clients was asking me if my energy levels were still high, after me telling him how high they were last week, but the strange thing was, that I had to think about it, because this new found energy has actually became 'normal' for me, so doesn't feel as massive as it did when I started feeling this way. And boy is it a good feeling to have day in day out.

4. Recovery Levels - My training sessions have always been tough, intense and draining, which they were during the 30days too, the difference being recovery, usually after a tough workout, that's me for the day, not actually unable to function, but my body is tired and not up to doing anything else that day, now within a few hours I feel refreshed, revitalised and ready to go, and on some days I actually did just that, weight sessions then a run or even 2 runs in the one day, as my body is starting to function correctly, the organs and repair processes are fired up and working super efficiently, being given all the nutritional support from my high nutrient, high variety diet.

5. Skin - Now I have never had any skin problems, but the difference in my skin is extremely noticeable, even for me, my complexion has a healthy glow, which has actually led to people thinking I've been on the sunbeds (the photos later will show, I've not ha ha)

6. Strength and Endurance - I have seen, a slightly higher than normal increase in my strength and a huge difference in my endurance, especially running, but the weight loss obviously helps that too.

7. Health - Last but certainly not least, I feel what I can only describe as, clean and lighter inside ! This is due to less inflammation of my joints and my digestive system, its amazing what you think is normal is far from it, the difference now is so far away from where I started, 31 days ago, when I thought I felt good, shows you what I knew.

8. Breaking bad habits - The longer the ED went on the more I have realised, how unimportant all those 'can't give up' food and drinks are, I feel way better without them, it really makes me wonder why I ever thought I needed them or why I thought i was treating myself by having them. Even tonight when I could of bought anything I 'wanted' I just don't see the point.
I will still go out for a drink and have dessert at dinner, but it won't be regular and I'll be right back on track next day.

Next up, things that I have found really beneficial and hopefully may help anyone else doing this challenge.

Supplements, I haven't used that many, but these are the ones I did you use and found most useful, but you may need different options.
Alkalising Salts - I have these everyday, especially as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, this kick starts your metabolism, helps get your system into a more alkaline state, which helps get more oxygen into blood and sets you up for a good digestive day.
Milk Thistle - This is especially good when detoxing as it helps the liver function and in liver repair.
Amino work capacity - My pre workout drink, which floods your blood stream with amino acids and actually helps produce ATP, which your body uses for energy, hence you last longer while working out.
Vitamin C - An amazing vitamin, which humans cannot produce, I feel everyone should take Vitamin C everyday, to help your immune system, fight illness, I've no idea the last time I had a cold.
Fish Oils - A high quality fish oil is essential too (not cod liver) high in omega 3, EPA and DHA.s

Shopping/Preparation

PREPARATION IS DEFINITELY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ACHIEVING SUCCESS ON THE ELIMINATION DIET !

Without proper preparation and good shopping habits, you ED journey can become very hard, knowing what you need, when you need it, may seem tedious and boring, but once you get into the habit of it, believe me it is very very simple.
Shopping and preparation tips - Buy organic as much as you can, food shop when your not hungry, shopping after a tiring day, when your hungry, tired and just want to eat, can lead to bad choices, stay away from the aisles that sell processed food, sweets, ice cream, alcohol etc, you know there's nothing in those aisles you can have, so why go there ? As I said to someone the other day, I walk past mothercare everyday, but never go in, because I know there is nothing in there I want or need, why go down the chocolate aisle ??

Try to buy local, in season produce, look for farm shops or as I do a local fishmonger van, who can tell you exactly where everything was caught.
If you don't want to or don't have time to cook every night, make some one pot wonders, there are recipes in previous blogs, this doesn't take anymore time than making one meal, but you can freeze extra portions and you know you have a healthy convenient meal in the house, if you want it.
While making your evening meal, make your breakfast and lunch for the next day, again going out for lunch can lead to very bad food choices.
Read labels, it will amaze you what is in some 'healthy unprocessed' foods.

So my 30 days are up, what now ?
Well I decided a while back as I finished on a Wednesday, i would carry it on 100% till the weekend, but I have now booked myself on a Strength and conditioning course next week, so plan to carry it on until next Friday (11th Feb), which will be interesting to see how I go on that, with my new found energy, so I will keep this blog running, maybe not everyday, and Internet connection dependent through the whole of next week and on going, when I'll start reintroducing banned foods and see if I have any reaction, so keep checking for new updates, the journey is far from over, may even have after course photos !

One thing that I could do without is when explaining the ED to people the first question I get back in most cases is "Whats can you eat ?" AAAAAAAAAHHHHH !!

Hopefully after following this you have became aware of just a little section of what you can eat, out of the hundreds of choices available.

Would I recommend the Elimination Diet to you ? DEFINITELY ! This is easily the best health related thing I have ever done, including all the different training methods and tools, I have used, nothing has got me feeling as good as I do today, and definitely nothing as quick as this.

So a round up - 30 days - 16lb lost, energy levels high, sleep restful and all night, recovery levels high, downsides none !

If you think you can't do this, its a bit extreme for you, you have to do one of two things, think again, this is easily doable for anyone, ask yourself how important your actual health is to you, 30 days is not a long time, no matter what you think.

Its a very short time, considering all you have to GAIN and the only thing you'll lose is body fat and an unhealthy body and life.

NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU DO IT, YOU HAVE TO WANT TO BE LEAN AND HEALTHY, IF YOU DECIDE TO DO IT, YOU'LL FIND AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF PEOPLE (starting here) WHO WILL ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT YOU ALL THE WAY THROUGH, SO I GUESS THE ONLY QUESTION LEFT IS

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO START ?

Well done Craig...awesome effort and results! This is only the beginning bro!
You can read the rest of Craig's in-depth daily blog here:
http://craigseliminationdiet.blogspot.com/

New Year- New You Bootcamp- final week!

2011-01-31T07:11:00.000-08:00

Now in its fourth week, many New Year-New You bootcamp members will be facing their toughest week so far! Temptation is more present than ever- but they must keep strong and resist the toxins we've all eliminated in the last three weeks.
One of the foods we've been avoiding is dairy. Want know why? Read on.....

We often hear in the news that research studies have shown that cow’s milk is good for us, providing all our nutritional requirements for the important mineral calcium, and that we should increase our consumption for the benefit of our health.

After all, there’s a good chance you were encouraged to drink the ‘white stuff’ by your parents when you were younger, so that you’d build good strong bones as you were growing up, right?!

But… did you know that there’s a dark side to milk that many people are not aware of…or that there are many health issues that are also increasingly being attributed to the regular consumption of dairy products?

Another little known fact is that our bones are not just made of calcium, but many other minerals as well, such as zinc, magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorous to name a few.

For many of us milk is cheap, readily available, and tastes good. But have you ever thought about how milk is treated before it is put into plastic bottles, or the welfare of the dairy herd? I’m guessing not!

When we are weaned off milk as infants, around 70% of us stop producing an enzyme called ‘lactase’ which helps us to digest the milk sugar lactose. The effects of continued consumption of milk and dairy products on the human body can in some people be so severe that they become severely ill…

These negative effects can cause poor absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract, irritable bowel and leaky gut syndrome, allergies and intolerances such as itching, hives, rhinitis, itchy eyes and ears, nausea, bloating, wind, cramps, diarrhoea, aggravation of lung conditions such as asthma, and can also lead to diabetes, and osteoporosis.

So how does all this happen?

During the manufacturing process milk from the cow is treated by two processes: pasteurisation andhomogenisation. The pasteurisation process is supposed to kill off harmful bacteria, but during this process, important enzymes and vitamins are also destroyed, including naturally occurring lactic acid that protects milk from infectious agents.

The homogenisation process means that the fats in milk are passed through a fine filter to make them smaller. This process enables these fats to bypass our digestive system and enter into our blood streams, sensitising our immune system and causing the allergic reactions and intolerances.

And you thought that milk was supposed to be good for you?!

One of the major reasons why we see government health campaigns and the like urging us to drink milk is because it contains the important mineral calcium. At first, that might sound beneficial…right?!

BUT… when you look behind the modern marketing messages and media campaigns, the science shows us that the mineral calcium is actually very concentrated in cow’s milk, with the ratio of calcium being up to 10 times more than magnesium (10:1 ratio). In human breast milk the calcium to magnesium ratio is 2:1! This can lead to major imbalances between these two co-dependent minerals in the body. Too much calcium causes the body to try and gain more magnesium in order to stay in balance. But too little magnesium in proportion to calcium can lead to muscle tension – ever suffered with restless leg syndrome at night?! This is because your body needs magnesium to relax the muscles, but too much calcium stops this from happening.

Magnesium is also important because it helps with the transport of calcium through the body. This is why excessive intakes of calcium can prove counter productive, because without the assistance of magnesium, calcium transport can slow down, allowing it to find its way into our tissues and form plaques. This can cause a build up of cholesterol, and lead on to atherosclerosis.

Cow’s milk is also bound with a sticky protein called ‘casein’, which is present in quantities four times that of human milk. It is also four times bigger than our own cells and forms large gluey clumps which are hard for the human digestive system to break down, and requires a lot of energy to do so.

The casein also coagulates in the acids in your stomach, leading to poor internal function. Casein is an allergen and forms a toxic mucus in the body. Eventually, the prolonged consumption of dairy products can mean that this mucus builds up and coats our intestine walls, leading to problems with nutrient absorption as the mucus becomes hardened and covered with food residues. The consequences of poor absorption can lead to a weakened immune system and resulting illness.

(Here’s a bit of trivia: Did I also mention that casein is actually a key ingredient in the wood glue you can buy from your local hardware store?!)

Next, the fat in cow’s milk contains a protein- splitting enzyme called Xanthine Oxidase. This enables the milk to be broken down by the digestive system. However, when milk is processed through homogenisation, this enzyme is damaged and can instead be passed into our circulation from the intestines. From here it can reach our artery walls and attack the tissues, causing lesions which are then repaired by the body with calcified plaques. Cholesterol can then build up on top of the calcification, and an accumulation can arise leading to blocked vessels. The result could be high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, all of which could contribute to a heart attack.

Recent scientific studies have even suggested a link with the consumption of dairy products to some cancers, such as Ovarian and Prostate cancer. According to researchers, it is the lactose contained in milk that causes the problem.

Once it has been broken down into the sugar ‘galactose’, it may over stimulate hormone production, thus leading to an increase in cell growth and then into ovarian tumour growth. In prostate cancer, researchers suggest the link is to calcium and the way it affects the role of vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D suppresses the growth of cancer cells, thus preventing tumour growth. However, a high intake of calcium prevents vitamin D from doing this, therefore leaving room for cancerous growths to develop.

Another health problem that can be associated with dairy products is Diabetes. According to Canadian researchers who conducted a study on children in Finland, the milk proteins contained in cow’s milk may encourage the immune system to attack the milk. However, because there are similar looking cells residing in our pancreas to produce insulin, these cells also get attacked, and hence insulin production is disturbed, eventually resulting in diabetes.

Because cow’s milk is in so many of the products found on our supermarket shelves, we can extend these disadvantages to products such as cheeses, yoghurt, cream, as well as cow’s milk itself. The exceptions would be natural yoghurt, and dairy products made with other forms of milk, such as goat’s milk, or non GM Soya, nut or seed milks and cheeses.

If you think about it logically, cow’s milk is meant for calves to assist in their development, and provides very specific amounts of calcium and nutrients to aid their development. Human milk, on the other hand has a different chemical composition, specifically for a baby’s development. As it is natural for us to be weaned, continuing to consume milk, especially that of a different species, clearly can and does have negative effects on the human body.

If you think about it, isn’t it odd that we drink the milk of another species in the first place?!

But let’s not forget the cows themselves who are subjected to excessive milking and cramped conditions. Dairy practices now mean that cows can be continually milked even when pregnant. This over milking can lead to an infection called mastitis, which is swelling and infected udders – the pus of which ends up in the milk we drink.

Gross, huh?!

The increased risk of mastitis means that farmers have a greater need for antibiotic use. Cows are also often fed poor quality foods, that can contain high levels of herbicides or pesticides, and cows may also be subjected to up to 2700 drugs in the

course of its lifetime – the result – all of these carcinogens are passed onto us through the milk we consume.

It seems apparent that, while government health campaigns lead us to believe milk is a wonder food and encourage us to ‘drink more milk’; the excessive consumption of dairy products in today’s modern diet is actually to the detriment of our own health. Makes you think, doesn’t it?!

Laura Russell

___________________________________________________________________________________________

About the Author

Laura Russell has recently completed and will soon be one of only a small handful of people in the UK to be have been taught by Dax himself in his Elimination Diet principles, and will be qualified as an E.D 3.0 Coach.

She has also studied various health courses with the Open University, achieving a Diploma in Health and Social Care and a Certificate in Mental Health studies. While finishing off her degree, she is also currently qualifying to be a Nutritional Therapist with the Nutritional Healing Foundation.

To find out more go to: http://nutritionaltherapistchester.com

Grains- the evil we're all consuming!

2011-01-27T01:28:00.000-08:00

Now in week 3, everyone on the New Year-New You bootcamp is looking amazing! Workouts are being taken to another level as their fitness improves, and we're impressed with how much energy everyone has!
People's faces are transforming too- looking healthier and well rested as their toxins have now left their body, and sleep quality has improved.

One of the toxins we have cut from our diet are refined Grains. Laura Russell, Nutritional Therapist explains all in her post.....

Many of us eat refined grains everyday, at virtually every meal without even realising it. How often do you have toast or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches or a pasta salad at lunch time, and perhaps a pizza or a takeaway at dinner time? And how often do you have those heavily processed ‘in between meals’ snacks that are also sugary or high in fat? Probably more often than you’d like to think! And did you ever consider you could even be addicted to them?!

In fact, refined grains in one form or another are in so many of the foods we consume it’s difficult to imagine what we would eat if we were to take these things out of our diets completely. Before you make your mind up that there is absolutely no possibility of that ever happening, let’s consider the damage that refined grains can cause, without us even realising it.

Here’s a quick bit of evolutionary history…

We began planting, sowing and eating grains approximately ten thousand years ago. This was at the time when the hunter gatherers were forced to seek a new food source due to the decline of large mammals through over hunting, because of the increasing numbers of people at that time. This change in eating habits resulted in the introduction of the early farmers and agriculture, and also led to the development of settlements. However, along with this new way of life came health problems and a change in the structure of the human body.

As a result of grain consumption, the average height of the hunter gatherers decreased, as did bone strength, and new bone diseases became apparent. The early farmers also experienced tooth decay and infectious diseases, and along with them, a shorter life span. Fast forward to the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800’s, and to

another major change – the processing and refining of grains. During this period, health declined still further, with the development of degenerative diseases such as cancer, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, in the wider population.

One of the major reasons why refined grains have such a damaging impact on our health is because they contain a protein known as ‘gluten’.

Many of us are intolerant or even allergic to gluten without even knowing, but quite often addicted to it at the same time. Many people have years and years of ill health without ever being able to find out why. Test after test has proved inconclusive and the best advice people get is to ‘slow down a bit’ and ‘take it easy’, inferring it’s a state of mind than a physiological problem. But how many times has your doctor ever asked you what you eat on a regular basis???

The reason why gluten is so problematic for many of us is the proteins it is made up of – ‘gliadin’ and ‘glutenin’. These proteins bind together in the intestine, and create a gluey substance. In particular, gliadin is inflammatory, and it flattens the tiny hairs called villi that coat and protect the intestinal tract. Over time, the result is the reduced absorption of nutrients which can make us run down and tired and eventually lead to serious illness

Gluten is also very difficult for the human body to digest. Partly or undigested particles can permeate the gut wall and find their way into the blood stream, producing symptoms of intolerance which can include gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, chronic fatigue, rhinitis, aching muscles and joints and severe headaches.

One of the biggest problems with refined grains and gluten is the autoimmune disorder known as coeliac disease. The symptoms of this disease are fatigue, diarrhoea, fatty stools, abdominal pain, gas, fever, depression, anaemia and malnutrition.

However, coeliac disease is often misdiagnosed as another health issue, depression being one of them. On the other hand, the danger of coeliac disease is that sometimes it presents no symptoms at all, or people don’t present themselves with ‘classic’ symptoms. It can take years for a diagnosis, and during that time permanent damage can be done, not just to the intestines, but to the liver, the immune system, the skin, the brain and our neurological system. Gluten sensitivity can cause a whole host of other problems, such as dermatitis or psoriasis and can aggravate respiratory diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Depression is also another common symptom in someone who is allergic or intolerant to gluten. This is because our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter, serotonin, is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, and gluten impacts on neurotransmitter production by damaging the intestinal tract, lowering serotonin levels in the body.

Before we started to refine grains, we used to eat the whole grain, including the germ, which is the heart of the grain and the bran, which is the hard outer layer. While whole grains are better than refined grains they are less than ideal, because they contain high levels of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, especially those which are refined cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. To counteract this, the pancreas produces the important hormone insulin to bring the blood sugar down to normal levels. However, the continuous rise and fall of blood sugar in rapid succession exhausts the body by putting stress on the adrenal system.

The milling process largely removes the nutrient value of grains. In fact, some vitamins and minerals have to be added by law, to compensate for what is lost during production. However, the quantity and quality of these vitamins and minerals is often questionable, because what is replaced is actually less than we would get before processing, and in terms of quality, these ‘extra’ nutrients are often the cheapest available the manufacturer can obtain, which usually equates to a format that is less available to, and therefore usable by the body!

White flour also has the addition of additives such as bromine and carbon dioxide that are used to oxidise the flour. These can react with other substances from processed foods and make them toxic, which increases our body’s already toxic load.

Interestingly, another effect of gluten in the body arises from the undigested proteins, which are contained in the gluten grains that have properties similar to morphine. Once these are in our blood stream they can become potent. The people who are at greatest risk from these effects are those that are likely to have become addicted to glutinous foods, and it is suggested that this is where the term ‘comfort foods’ originates from!

Gluten can also affect our behaviour by causing us to use our ‘left brain’ function, or the ‘fight or flight’ mode; a state of stress and anxiety where we have far less rationale than if we were to use our ‘right brain’. Using our ‘right brain’ function encourages us to be more creative, calmer and less susceptible to stress, and to develop our greater intellectual capacity.

It’s no surprise then that diseases such as cancer can manifest from excessive grain consumption, or that our life expectancy is in danger of being dramatically reduced when the staple in our diet is refined grains. The production of refined grains means that vital nutrients are lost during the process, and our ‘unconscious’ consumption is starting to cost us our health.

If many of us were to take stock of what we eat on a daily basis, we would not have a clue where to start in terms of changing our diets to a gluten free existence; such is the quantity of some form of grains in our meals.

But, there is a better way to get the nutritious content of grains with out all the bad bits, and that is to sprout them, and eat the young shoots. The sprouts contain all the nutrients required for the growth of a new plant and so are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins, enzymes and fibre. By eating the sprouts, we get all the goodness that grains have to offer, but without the gluten and all the problems that this brings for our digestion, and our bodies and wellbeing as a whole.

So there you have it; the good, the bad (and the ugly!) on the grains found in our modern diet…definitely some food for thought right?!

Laura Russell

www.nutritionaltherapistchester.com

Spelt Bread recipe.

2011-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

I response to high demand....here is the famous Spelt Bread recipe!

Get involved- get on it- toast it!

SPELT BREAD

650G Sharpham Park Spelt Flour
2 tsp Sea Salt
15g Soft Organic Butter
Sachet of Yeast
400ml Water (100ml warm, 300ml cold)

- Rub butter into flour and add salt, and stif in yeast.
- Add warm water to form a soft dough
- Knead for 10mins on a floured surface
- Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for half an hour until it has doubled in size
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 230oC for half an hour.

You can also add dried fruit and nuts for a sweet.

Great toasted with eggs for breakfast, or as a snack with Peanut Butter on!

Enjoy!

New year- New You Bootcamp launched!

2011-01-10T04:25:00.000-08:00

35 keen bootcampers have started a month-long journey of self-discovery today. Most will be eating their first detox lunches as part of the Detox Diet prescribed to them at last Saturday's induction.
Results of the programme are guaranteed thanks to a tried and tested system involving a strict diet and comprehensive training programme.

The Diet....
....is simple. Avoid all toxins and artificial additives to allow the body to function as it should, and dispose of the fat stores which cling on to the toxins.
The toxins being avoided are:

Wheat
Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
Dairy
Artificial additives

The Training....

....involves Kettlebell training, whole body movements and functional training with fun tools in the studio at ZT Fitness in Hove. With nine classes to choose from, bootcampers must attend at least three classes per week, with a mandatory session on Mondays of Kettlebell technique and Diet advice.

Everyone on the programme is weighed, measured and bodyfat taken at the beginning and end of the month to monitor results. On average most can expect to lose 6kg and two inches off their waist. I myself will be doing the programme with them.

Here's my shopping trolley yesterday.....

This looks set to be a very exciting group, with a very enthusiastic mix of people taking part for different reasons and with different goals. Some want to lose weight, some want to gain muscle, and a few are doing the programme simply to feel better and break dietary habits.

Thomas Angus (pic below), did great in the last Bootcamp- with an awesome six-pack as a result!

...next week I'll be detailing what everyone will do after the programme is over. Be sure to subscribe to this blog (tab on top right), to be kept up to date.

:-)

Christian

Ace review for Kettlebells bootcamp!!

2010-12-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

Latest Homes magazine has just printed a great review of our last Guaranteed Results Bootcamp!

Read the review online here: http://thelatest.co.uk/7/health-christian-vila’s-weightloss-programme

We still have spaces on our next Kettebells bootcamp!

The New Year- New You Guaranteed Weight Loss programme starts on the 8th January, finishing 28 days later on the 5th February.

Results come with a money-back guarantee- so what do you have to lose!?!

To enrol go to: http://www.kettlebellsbootcamp.co.uk/

Ace review for Kettlebells bootcamp!!

2010-12-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

Latest Homes magazine has just printed a great review of our last Guaranteed Results Bootcamp!

Read the review online here:

Christmas and New Year Class timetable.

2010-12-14T01:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Timetable- all at ZT Fitness, Hove.

Mon, Dec 20th: 7.30pm- Beginners

Tues, Dec 21st: 7.30pm- Intermediate

Wed, Dec 22nd: 7pm- Advanced

Thurs,Dec 23rd- Tues,Dec 28th: NO CLASS

Wed, Dec 29th: One-off class- All abilities

Thurs, Dec 30th- Mon, Jan 3rd: No class

Tues, Jan 4th: All classes back to normal

NOTE!

In January we will be starting a Friday evening class to cope with the influx of new people in January. This will be at 7.30pm at ZT Fitness.

Wishing all Brighton Kettlebell members and their friend and family a very Happy Christmas and New Year! Here's to a great training year and a fun-filled 2011!
XX
Christian

RIPPED IN 28 DAYS!!

2010-11-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

..on the Guaranteed Results Bootcamp!

WOW! What can I say? The photos speak for themselves!
Congratulations to Thomas Angus- losing a staggering --4% Bodyfat and 2 inches off his waist on the Guaranteed Results Bootcamp!

Part of the Kettlebells Bootcamp, the Guaranteed Results- Weight Loss programme does exactly what it says on the tin! Lose bodyfat and feel great...or your money back!

If you missed out on the last programme, don't worry as the next bootcamp is running in January! This is called the New year- New You programme.

See: http://www.kettlebellsbootcamp.co.uk/

The average weight loss is 6kg, and you can expect to lose up to 2 inches off your waist.

This is achieved by following an easy to follow detox diet, alongside regular training classes involving Kettlebells and other funky toys!

Classes are held indoors at ZT Fitness in Hove, by Hove train station- no nasty outdoor classes in the rain and cold here!

Next bootcamp starts on 8th January, and runs till 5th February. Spaces are limited, with the first spaces at only £90!

Remember- these are real people, with real results! What are you capable of achieving?

To enrol on the next available bootcamp, please go to: KETTLEBELLS BOOTCAMP, or e-mail Christian: christian@brightonkettlebells.co.uk

Call Christian direct with any questions on: 07876-558850

Oli Thompson set for win at BAMMA 5!

2010-11-13T02:17:00.000-08:00

With the UFC 122 looming this weekend, all eyes are on the international spectacle. But very soon we have a major event right here in the UK, in the shape of BAMMA 5 on Saturday 5th December.

The fightcard looks great, featuring Bob "The Beast" Sapp who is fighting Stav "The Bear" Economou.
We are most excited about another Heavyweight fight, where my money for a win is with Oli Thompson, former Britain's Strongest Man, now a formidable Heavyweight MMA fighter who is slowly climbing the UK MMA ranks with a 4-1-0 record. He will be fighting Darren Towler (3-4-0).

Having trained with Combat Ready Training for the last year, Oli Thompson is set to peak for fight night with ferocious power and the cardio abilities most middleweights would be envious of. Five minute rounds are nothing to Oli, he eats them up with ease and plenty left in the tank for more.

COMBAT READY TRAINING: The Tail Pipe

2010-11-04T03:07:00.000-07:00

Combat Ready Training- The Tail Pipe

Fighters from the ZT Fight Skool team got together with me for some strength and conditioning. After a rigorous warm up using tabata and bodyweight, and mat based crawls, few I subjected them to the "Tail Pipe" protocol- a truly sickening workout which has you working with a partner.

Anybody who has wrestled, sparred in BJJ or fought in MMA will know what it feels like to try and breathe whilst pinned to the ground or against the cage. The Tail Pipe builds resistance and endurance in these situations.

The Workout
Originally a Gym Jones protocol, Tail Pipe is 3 rounds of a 250m row followed by 2x 24kg Kettlebell rack holds.

As one partner holds the kettlebells in the rack, the other rows. As soon as they finish their row, you switch positions- repeat this three times....as these are tough lads, we did it for four rounds!

The guys loved this workout, so it will definitely be coming back soon!

Dedicated to those fighting in the upcoming ZT Amateur Tournament and ZT Fight Night.

Oli Thompson Vertimax and Raptor training

2010-11-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

Christian Vila in Men's Fitness magazine...

2010-10-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Men's Fitness- November 2011 issue- in Newstands now!

Hathaway looks ripped for tonight's bout!

2010-10-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

John Hathaway looks in great condition at the UFC 120 weigh-in!

Congrats to his team for putting together a great conditioning programme and diet.

Good luck tonight bro! We're all behind you!

Personal trainers beware!!

2010-10-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

If you're a trainer, or sports coach you should be aware of a scam that is spreading internationally.
Whilst I was on vacation, I was contacted by someone who pretended to be a potential client.

This is the way they scam you (full scripts coming up....this is funny!):
1. They contact you with an enquiry
2. You confirm a price etc.
3. They ask you to charge their credit card as usual, plus also add an amount which they need you to forward to their "logistics agent" who happen to NOT have a POS.
4. You then forward the extra amount to the agent, who would then do a runner with your money.

The scam is quite obvious, but I had some fun with them all the same- making them think I was actually game!

Here are the e-mails we sent back and forths....

On Sun 10/10/10 12:00 PM , Philip Howard philiphoward19@gmail.com sent:

Hi
I'll be in the country with my friends for a one month vacation. During our stay, we would like to book for 3 weeks classes for 1Hr each day, Monday to Saturday (morning or Evening hours) for 6 persons.
As part of our plans to keep fit during the vac, we need Private group training. Do you have a training studio/facility where you conduct the classes? What Forms of Fitness Program do you teach best?

TRAINING COMMENCEMENT DATE: 4th November, 2010.

On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 7:00 AM, CHRISTIAN VILA <christian@cvpt.co.uk> wrote:

Hi Philip!

Thanks for you enquiry. I do have a facility to train you guys in Hove.

First of all, can I ask where you got my details from?
and
What kind of training are you looking for? (I do pretty much everything!)

Christian Vila
CVPT
07876-558850

Hi,

It is okay, We are not looking for any specific kind of training but just to keep fit.I have made inquiries with my colleagues and none is with any previous or present severe/non sevrere injury record, age is between mid 30s and early 40s. We are currently not in the country but we will be arriving 2 days at your city of location before the commencement of the classes?, my method of payment will be credit Card, because we are offshore at work right now in an oil rig. What are your payment options for registration? We'll be grateful if you'll be willing to do the work to teach quality classes to us and make our visit a memorable and fun-filled one. Send a confirmation to this email(AS PLAIN TEXT AND NOT AS AN ATTACHMENT) so that we can know what to do. please kindly total the cost and get back to me asap.I hope you do have a POS machine for charging the credit cards. Provide me with the total cost asap. ps: our accomodation and other logistics arrangements will be made by an agent that we've contracted, so i need to your response to this mail.

Thanks

On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 8:19 AM, CHRISTIAN VILA <christian@cvpt.co.uk> wrote:

Hi,

This sounds great! I have a POS machine and the charge will be £150 per hour...and I'll even throw in a bit of spanking at the end of the sessions.

If this is something that interests you I also throw in a lot of other "personal" services, for example those involving leather.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Christian

On Sun 10/10/10 4:21 PM , Philip Howard philiphoward19@gmail.com sent:

Hi,

Thanks for the mail,we're all happy that we'll be doing the fitness sessions with you,do reserve our classes for us as agreed. Everything as specified is ok. Moreover,we've also concluded arrangements with the Translator agent like i told you who will take care of our logistics as well( Flight tickets & travel insurance,International Airport transfer, Transportation logistics & Accommodation).
However, I also want to let you know that I have an agent who will handle our logistics details like i said in my previous mail, but he runs a private business and does not have the facilities to charge a credit card, so i will need you to help in facilitating my payment to him, because it's very crucial to our making this booking.
At this point I would authorize you to charge my credit card to the amount you quoted for the cost of your services, with an additional $8,500 for the agent, deduct your fee and transfer the balance to my agent so he can start processing our travel arrangements prior to our coming. I will be waiting for your response, so that i can send the credit card details for the payment.i will also need a direct phone number so i can give you a call before sending my credit card details.

Thanks

On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 8:51 AM, CHRISTIAN VILA <christian@cvpt.co.uk> wrote:

Hi!

There seems to be an issue with your logistics....I am a logistics expert too, and would like to look after your logistics, so can you please tell me your arrival date for logistic purposes.

My logistic fees will be an additional $85, i hope this is logistically ok.

Please send your credit card details so I can charge your card today.

Thanks,

Christian

Is it possible you charge the extra 8,500 and transfer it to the agent once the funds clears into your account via money transfer as we are already committed to him.
Phil

Can you believe anybody would actually fall for this? Well apparently some have- I scanned the web and found sports coached who actually charged the card and transferred the amounts to the second account.

The mind boggles!

Christian

Oli Thompson- UCMMA Training camp with Raptor Vest

2010-10-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Guaranteed Results is a success!

2010-10-04T04:01:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a month its been! The Guaranteed Results Weight Loss Bootcamp came to an end this weekend, with twenty very happy attendees all losing an average of 5kg of fat each, 3-4% Bodyfat and a couple of inches off their waist!

How did they achieve this?

No starvation- no calorie restriction- no faddy diets.

They simply cleaned up their diet, eating only natural, fresh food, and trained at least three times a week.

Food toxins where avoided for the 28 days causing a staggering result in everyone on the programme.

These where:

Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
Wheat
Dairy
Artificial additives.

The biggest loser award goes to Nick Hillier and John Stallard who each lost 7kg of bodyfat in 28 days!

Helen Fairbrother even lost 5kg and 2 inches off her waist. She was over the moon with the results!

Mikie (in the video above) managed to get down to 11% Bodyfat in the 28 days!

If you missed the programme this time round, you can join the New Year- New You Guaranteed Weight loss programme which start on the 8th January.

For more info and registration please see: New Year- New You.

Hammer and Tyre fat burn circuit- training with Christian Vila

2010-09-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

Week 2: Guaranteed Results Bootcamp!

2010-09-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Hi!

How are you getting on? Well I hope! If you're at the same stage as I am, you'll now be sleeping a lot better than me, waking up early and feeling great!

If you haven't yet reched that stage..then don't worry- it will come! It really depends on how toxic you where before the programme.

Here's some questions sent to me the last few days and on forums I've read. I've posted them up so everyone can see them:

In answer to your question, whilst I have not yet added Soya to the banned list, I believe it's better to give it a miss as there are lots of new studies and articles coming out that really call it into question. You may use rice, oat, hazelnut, almond milks but make sure they have no additives or oils added.
If you feel your weight is not progressing quickly enough...consider dropping your portion sizes by 25%.
Micowaving is out! See why: http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm
As far as I know tinned tuna is ok as long as it's in spring water as opposed to brine or oil. I would assume that applies to other fish.
Herbal teas are fine and there are plenty of varieties to try.
Dried fruit is okay as long as there are no chemicals added, sun dried would probably be best if you can find them. Fruit whether dried or not, if you eat too much will slow down weight loss if that is what you are after, so just watch how much you are eating, the same for nuts.
Houmous is made with chickpeas, sesame seeds and olive oil so that is fine if you make it yourself but I haven't seen a commercially made one that didn't have vegetable oil and preservatives in it.
Hi, my advice for carb cravings is to eat more protein and fat. Especially if you are weightlifting. I eat about 20g protein per meal or more, 6 meals a day.
I will say having followed the elimination myself before & having coached many clients through the process, the difference a few cheats can be quite good. Some clients have been happy with "average" weight loss & cheating, but those that stick to it are truly excited by what they can achieve. It is hardcore for some people to stick to this, but the dramatic weight loss experienced by those that stick to the letter of the diet is fantastic.
For a quick pick me up, I also made my own trail mix. I used almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, or any cut up dried fruit...1/2 cup of this when you are having a sugar craving will help you through the day. You may mix any type of nuts.

Here's this week's classes- weather forecast looks good for the first three days!

Mon@ 8pm (Compulsory- diet and training)- Cheetahs with Christian

Tues@ 7.30pm (Intermediate)- Cheetahs with Christian

Wed@ 7pm (Intermediate)- Cheetahs with Christian

Thurs@ 7.30pm (Intermediate) - ZT Fitness with Mark

Sat@ 11am (Intermediate)- ZT Fitness with Simon

DON'T FORGET! BRING YOUR DIET SHEETS TO MONDAY'S SESSION!

Keep it tight guys!
:-)
Christian

GUARANTEED RESULTS BOOTCAMP KICKS OFF!

2010-09-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today 18 people embarked on a journey of self-discovery and test of self-will, with the Guaranteed results- Fat Loss bootcamp.

The 28 day programme has a strict detox diet which has you eliminating major toxins, alongside a training programme based around kettlebells and other functional movements.

The programme is so effective as the diet is strict with no ifs or buts. Toxins which we ingest are often stored in the body's fat. When we eliminate these, the toxins, along with fat are purged from the body.

Most people can expect to feel pretty crappy over the next few days, as they go cold turkey from foods they have become addicted to. Sugar and Caffeine are the biggest culprits.

Everyone was measured today, with benchmarks for weight, bodyfat percentage, fat mass and waist circumference.

This is an awesome group- all very upbeat and excited about the programme! Bring it on!

If you missed this one, don't fear. The next bootcamp will be the New Year-New You in January. Message me for details! christian@cvpt.co.uk

Does your gym offer a money-back guarantee?

2010-08-24T02:30:00.001-07:00

Now in it’s third year, the Guaranteed results Weight loss programme makes promises no other bootcamp or trainer dares: if you’re not happy with the results, you get your money back!

Fed up with the big gym chains taking money from the public without delivering results, Christian Vila, owner and operator of Brighton based Christian Vila Personal Training is putting his money where his mouth is, with the “Guaranteed Results” fat loss programme.

Christian, has put together a 28-day programme, which guarantees changes to your body shape, by using the latest training tools including Kettlebells, Boxercise and fun group exercises, alongside an easy to follow detox diet

Taxi driver, Richard from Hove says of the programme: “Thanks to the Guaranteed Results Bootcamp I was able to lose 8kg and keep it off!”

Clients will be expected to attend a minimum of three training sessions per week, following a prescribed healthy eating plan.

The Guranteed results programme, which commences on the Saturday 4^th September 2010, is enrolling now with limited spaces at £90.

To enrol contact Christian on 07876-558850 or visit the GUARANTEED RESULTS WEBSITE.

GUARANTEED RESULTS...WEBSITE IS LIVE!

2010-08-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

The Guaranteed Results bootcamp is now enrolling- ready to start on Saturday 4th September!

The dedicated website is ready to take enrolments now:

GUARANTEED RESULTS WEBSITE

If you have any questions please phone me on 07876-558850 or e-mail me here.

Beach Body Bootcamp in the national Media!

2010-08-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

The recent Beach Body weight loss programme has received an excellent review in Out in The City (p112) magazine! If you missed the last programme, we have the Guaranteed Results programme starting on Saturday 4th September!
We have limited spaces at £90, so don't hesitate to enrol now!

Beach Body-Out in the City Magazine

You can read the review by clicking here, then scroll to page 112.
The magazine is also available in newstands in and around London.

ZT Fighters sweep the opposition at Fight Night!

2010-08-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a night! After so many months of preparation, ZT's Fight Night- Stand Your Ground was a huge success. Held for the first time in Eastbourne, fighters where able to let rip in a full size cage thanks to a more forward thinking local authority. In Hove, fights have to be held in a boxing-style ring, causing more hazards and stoppages during a fight.

The headlining fight was Oli Thompson, who defeated a Polish man-mountain weighing 150kg by the name of Thomas Czerwinski with a brutal ground and pound. To put things in to perspective, Oli fights at around 125kg....Mariusz Pudzianowski weighs 128kg. So this Polish guy was BIG!

Oli faces up to a rather large man.

Oli celebrates his win- photo by Ben Donoghue
The training camp leading up to the fight focused on Oli's cardio and speed. Five-minute fighter circuits would usually end with ground and pound exercises using tyres, tornado balls or a sledgehammer. It was awesome seeing Oli put his strength and power to great use in his fight against the gigantic Thomas.

Huge congratulations to all the ZT Fight team who all won their fights including Ryan Roe-Barnett who displayed amazing skill on the ground, Laura Howarth (watch this girl!) who overcame a very unorthodox and tough fighter, Ryan White who kept his cool despite his opponent trying to head-butt him after losing to him and Tolly Plested for showing well-rounded skills in front of his excited home crowd.
Fight of the night has to go to Kenny Moyston who defeated a Thai champion and Asian Boxing champion who had 220 fight under his belt, with amazing ease and ferocity!

Huge congratulations to Sol Gilbert, Donna and the ZT team for putting on an amazing show which is evolving in to one of the best fight shows in the country. Roll on the next one!

Get your review in! Boost our ranking!

2010-07-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

Hi.

I've just added Christian Vila Personal Training to Freeindex.co.uk - the UK’s free business directory.

As our valued customer, I would really appreciate it if you could submit a rating/review of Christian Vila Personal Training and/or Brighton Kettlebells which will help us get feedback on the services we provide.

If you are happy to write a review, please click on the following link or paste it into your web browser:

http://www.freeindex.co.uk/wr.htm?id=66691&br=1

Here's a link to my page on the site:
http://www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(christian-vila-personal-training)_66691.htm

It only takes a couple of minutes and is of great value to us!

Cheers,
Christian

View our full profile in the FreeIndex Personal Trainers Directory directory.

Christian in Combat Network magazine

2010-07-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

You can view the magazine free online or download it via this link:
http://combatnetworkshop.net/FREEMagazine.aspx

Over 80 pages of competitions, news, interviews, features, instruction and more!

Including:
- Full SENI Combat show report by Christian Vila with photos of the stars

- How to improve your cardio, for the fighter by Christian Vila

PDF download:
http://combatnetworkshop.net/Documents/Combat%20Network%20Magazine%20-%20Issue%203%20PDF.pdf

Let me know what you think!

Christian

Beach Body Programme is a success!!

2010-06-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

Having completed 28 days of training and detoxing, 16 lucky people changed their bodies in to fitter, leaner and happier versions!
I was truly amazed at people's will power and determination through the programme, with some training up to five days a week using Kettlebells, sandbags and body weight exercises!
Shireen says of the programme: "I Love Brighton Kettlebells and cant thank Christian Kettlebells Vila enough for for the amazing support that he has given me over the past 4 weeks!!!! Life changing stuff!"
But this is just the beginning! Now we've got the body toxin free, we can re-introduce each one to see its effects on the body. As a result of doing this diet myself, I am now dairy and wheat free as I find these to be bloating and energy leaches. I've also kept caffeine to a minimum (once or twice a week).

Karen did the programme with her husband and was amazed at their results: "I was so pleased with my results and to lose 5kg in 4 weeks! and the amount of body fat was really surprising too....Ron and I feel so much healthier and we feel 'clean' - no more 'dirty food' for us. We will continue on the plan!
The biggest loser wins a prize, and on this occassion its Ron Puttock who lost an amazing 8kg on the programme! Ron wins 2 months of unlimited Kettlebell training worth £85!

"I was quite a coffee drinker and now I don't miss that at all which is great. We have enjoyed being on the Beach Body programme and I am recommending it to my work colleagues and friends" enthused Karen.

This has been an amazing group with an average of 5kg lost, 2-inches off waists and drops of up to 5% Bodyfat. These results make my job a dream. I cannot wait for the next one!

If you're interested in joining us on the next Guaranteed results Bootcamp, we've got one starting 4th September, 2010!

See: GUARANTEED RESULTS Spaces are LIMITED, so contact me to secure your place! CONTACT CHRISTIAN!

Beach Body programme....final week!

2010-06-07T02:07:00.000-07:00

Now in it's fnal week, the Beach Body will conclude this Friday with 15 people having their final weigh-ins and measurements to gauge their progress.
Weight, bodyfat and waist circumference will be compared to the previous readings taken at the beginning of the programme three weeks ago.
Most have stuck to the programme and looking great already as a result. I've noticed people's energy levels have improved, as well as their skin and eyes. I've been doing the the programme too- even giving up meat (not easy as a South American!)

Personally I'm loving the feeling of sustained energy throughout the day, waking up at 6am every morning. My quality of sleep is much improved as is the my performance in workouts. Its great not being a slave to caffeine with its daily highs and lows.
For many on the programme this is the first time they will have gone four weeks without drinking any alcohol in their lives! I'm very excited to see the results at the end of this week- the biggest reward any trainer can get!
I've been making smoothies every morning using Acai berries (frozen pulp from Sublime foods)
Here's the super-foods smoothie I'm having every morning (beware this has you buzzing for hours!)
MrC's Buzzing Smoothie

1 pack of Sublime Acai
1 teaspoon Bee Pollen
1 teaspoon Maca
1 teaspoon Spirulina
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Blueberries
Cinammon
Fresh ginger
1/2 cup of Water
1/2 cup Bio-live yoghurt

Blend together for the best smoothie in the world!

Beach Body Programme- Week 1

2010-05-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Now entering the second week, the Beach Body programme is well underway. Fifteen determined individuals are following the strict detox plan, and exercising with Kettlebells up to five times a week for records breaking results. One lady lost 6kg last year..so I'm really excited to see how this bunch get on!

After a weigh-in, bodyfat measurement, and waist circumference reading, everyone was given a full run down of their diet. These measurements are then compared at the end of the programme to gauge results. Not everyone is doing the programme for weight loss. Some are looking for better health and more energy. One chap is looking to gain (lean) weight on the programme.
Now at the end of Week 1, some are finding it harder than others. After a few days the body is purging its toxins- with headaches and feelings of lethargy (showing how addicted we are to these toxins) ,most people are now reporting feelings of wellbeing and high energy.

The hardest things to give up (for me included), was Caffeine. I love my Mate tea (an indigenous tea from South America)....but I've given this up for the Beach Body programme.
For others, Sugar is the hardest to give up....many rely on a sugar hit, a few times a day, just to get them through the day!
Thats the whole point of the diet: to re-programme how we feel about these foods and to allow ourselves to break habits formed around the toxins (ie: Coffee in the morning, followed by sugary cereal for breakfast).
Each Monday we all sit down with our filled-out diet sheets, to talk about the diet and share experiences and education. The Kettlebell training further augments the results. With lots of calories being burnt, the body's metabolism is put on over-drive burning more calories even when we go home.
This year I'm experimenting with cutting out meat from my diet, to see how it affects me, my training and recovery time. I'm still eating fresh fish every day (responsibly sourced), to keep my protein levels high. So far so good!
This year's Beach Body is full of enthusiastic and driven individuals from all walks of life- giving the programme a fun and motivating experience! The programme has three weeks left, ending on Friday 11th June.

Spelt is allowed on the Detox diet, so here's a great recipe for Spelt Bread which you can make yourself!

SPELT BREAD

650G Doves Spelt Flour
2 tsp Sea Salt
15g Soft Organic Butter
Sachet of Yeast
400ml Water (100ml warm, 300ml cold)

- Rub butter into flour and add salt, and stif in yeast.
- Add warm water to form a soft dough
- Knead for 10mins on a floured surface
- Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for half an hour until it has doubled in size
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 230oC for half an hour.

You can also add dried fruit and nuts for a sweet version. Olive oil can also be used instead of butter.

The next Guaranteed Results weight loss programme will be in August- if you'd like to join us, please send me your details to be added to the list!
Keep checking back for further reports on the programme!

Beach Body is set to go!

2010-05-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Starting this evening, the Beach Body Programme in Hove will see fifteen determined people embark on a journey of self-discovery and test of will power.
Christian Vila, who runs the programme guarantees the results based on a simple formula:

Clean diet + regular exercise= results.

Christian himself will be following the diet with the group, which involves taking all toxins out from the diet. This includes:

Wheat
Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
Dairy
Artificial Additives

Everyone attending the programme will be weighed, and measured to monitor results. In the past programmes its not uncommon to see up to 6kg of fat lost in the 28 days period. Around 4kg is most common.

The detox diet works excellently with the Kettlebell workouts to sculpt and tone the entire body. People will be expected to attend at least three classes a week as well as follow the prescribed diet to the letter.

The biggest loser will win 2 months membership to Brighton Kettlebells worth £85.

Last Woman Standing gets the Kettlebell treatment.

2010-05-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of training Anna Campbell, the winner of the hit TV show: Last Woman Standing.

If you didn't catch the programme on BBC Three, this awesome TV series follows five British athletes from different sporting backgrounds as they take on the challenge of a lifetime - travelling the world competing with women from remote tribes and cultures. This included some crazy challenges including stick fighting and Buffalo racing.
To give Anna a taste of ZT's Ultimate Training, Sol Gilbert and Christian Vila went back-to-back to deliver a kick-ass session involving Kettlebells and relentless pad work.

Rounds looked like this-
Kettlebells: 2 minutes:
Snatch left: 30 seconds
Jumping Squats: 30 seconds
Snatch right: 30 seconds
Press ups: 30 seconds
1 minute rest
Pad Work: 2 minutes:
Using punches combos and kicks- non stop.
1 minute rest
Repeat above for 6 rounds.
Using the same determination and fitness that won her the title of Last Woman Standing, Anna got through the session sweaty and exhausted but happy.
She'll be back for more!

MMA fighter Ryan White prepares for big fight....

2010-04-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

With only three weeks left to his big fight, Ryan White has been training with Christian Vila to be at his peak of fitness at BAMMA 3 on May 15th 2010 in Birmingham.
Ryan White (6-4-0) fighting out of ZT Fight Skool is known for his ferocious fighting style and rarely has to go beyond the first round to defeat his opponent.
His opponent, Seth Petruzelli is best known for his controversial 14 second knock out of Kimbo Slice. This is going to be an exciting fight!

Already possessing awesome strength, Ryan has been working with Christian on the conditioning and speed aspect of his fitness.
Using the Turbulence training protocol we set up a treadmill and two exercises for four gruelling 5 minute rounds.
The workout involves sprinting on a treadmill for 30 seconds, followed by two barbell exercises: the split thruster and barbell high pulls, ten reps each.
Once this is completed, Ryan goes back to the treadmill which is still running fast for a further 30 seconds, then goes back to the barbell exercises. This goes on for 5 minutes without rest, taxing all the body energy systems to the max. Ryan rests for 1 minute and repeats the process three times- with one minute rest between rounds- just like a fight.

This workout would have most people puking, but Ryan White's conditioning is outstanding enough to withstand the battering. Ryan who is training daily leading up to the fight, is confident he can defeat Petruzelli who called Ryan a "Limey bastard" on the Caged Warriors forum. Ryan said "I've been called worse"!
Tickets for the fight are available from the LG Arena Box office.

Is your trainer qualified to teach Kettlebells?

2010-04-09T01:47:00.000-07:00

Oh dear...I've just spotted yet another trainer advertising Kettlebell training in my area- who is NOT qualified or certified to teach them.

Don't get me wrong- I love some healthy competition, its good for business. But it is worrying when Personal trainers tout themselves as Kettlebell trainers, leaving you (the client) exposed to malpractice and potentially injuries which are inevitable when Kettlebells are used incorrectly. Furthermore, we the Kettlebell community will be blamed for a list of injuries caused by other's mistakes.

What can go wrong?
What some trainers don't realise is that Kettlebell training is very different to conventional gym exercises. Certain muscles must be used to avoid pressure on the wrong areas and joints. Speed and tempo, along with correct breathing are essential components in kettlebell training. When I qualified as a Kettlebell trainer, I pretty much had to throw out what I had learned as a Personal trainer. Isolation is something I focused on in the past, now I'm all about working the whole body- in dynamic and explosive movements. You'll rarely find me doing bicep curls or teaching them nowadays!

As with any exercise, if you use the wrong muscles, and have bad form when training with kettlebells you WILL get injured. Kettlebells are an art that must be taught to you by someone who is personally proficient in their use and qualified to do so.
What should we look for?
If your Personal trainer is qualified to teach kettlebells- they should state this in their bio or website. There are only a handful of certifications which are acceptable.
These are (in no particular order):

IKFF CKT 1: International Kettlebells and Fitness Federation- (see IKFF )
ADPF: Angie Dowds & Rob Partridge Professional Fitness- (see ADPF)
Optimal- Extreme Kettlebell Instructor- (see Optimal)
UKKA- now GBKA
RKC- Russian Kettlebell Certification- (see RKC)

Sometimes I'll hear the arguement: "I don't need to certify, experience counts for far more than a certificate". To a certain extent this is true, but how can you guarantee experience and that they've been doing things correctly? Bad habits die hard. Furthermore, if your trainer is commited to their self-development and expansion of knowledge why would they not become certified to teach?
The current situation.
I sell kettlebells. I sell to gyms, training facilities, individuals and even personal trainers. Whenever I sell kettlebells to trainers I ask them if they are qualified to teach...sadly most say NO. What they do is watch a few videos on youtube and teach themselves (wrongly) how to train with them. With these guys I'll ask them to show me a simple kettlebell swing. What follows is usually a terrible display of mis-understanding of what kettlebells are and how to use them....too much backward lean at the top, kettlebell too high at the top of the arc, back bent over and no hip extention- its like a car crash.
I'll then recommend they do a few sessions with me, or even better: do a Kettlebell certification, to which most reply: "its too expensive" or "I don't have time"!
Disaster waiting to happen.
These trainers are jumping on the band wagon- and you'll pay the price if you train with them or attend their classes.
The take home message.
If you're attending a class or bootcamp which involves kettlebells, or being trained by a trainer who uses kettlebells as part of their service, ask them if they are qualified by one of the above organisations. Furthermore, ask to see their certificate proving their qualification. It still shocks me how no one asks to see my well earned certificates! Its crazy! Its like allowing a non-Corgi registered engineer to service your boiler....you just wouldn't do it!
Insurance
If the trainer is operating outside of a gym or training facility, they will need adequate Civil liability insurance which covers their legal liability to you (the client) for death, injury or illness to others and loss of, or damage to third party property. This is important and you should ask to see the certificate of cover checking dates on the paper work.
Brighton Kettlebells prides itself on the high standard of all the instructors taking their classes, all of which are not only qualified and certified, but insured for peace of mind. Furthermore, we constantly evolve, investing money to take on new certifications, keeping up with the latest trends and learning new training forms.

Ask yourself this question: Is your Trainer qualified to teach?

Mark Stroud and Silvia Elia are set to compete!

2010-03-19T03:19:00.000-07:00

Both have their eyes set on the traditional 'Biathlon' Sport Competition this Sunday 21st March 2010.
This competition will be held at the OLF Training Centre in London.

Here's whats involved:
Traditional Biathlon
Male competitors
Male competitors will compete in the Double Jerk and the Snatch (one hand change), with a maximum of 10 minutes for each lift and a minimum of 30minutes between lifts. Bells will range from 12kg through to 32kg

Female Competitors
Female competitors will compete in the One Arm Jerk and the Snatch (both with one hand change), with a maximum of 10minutes for each lift and a minimum of 30 minutes between lifts. Bells will range from 8kg through to 24kg.

The competition is open to all lifters from beginners through to international competitors. Flights or heats will be in weighted categories e.g. Womens 12kg Jerk, Mens 24kg Jerk.

Both Mark and Silvia have been training hard leading up to the competition. You can read Mark's training blog here: BRIGHTON GIREVIK.
Having attained a WKC III ranking, Mark will push himself even further by competing with 2 X 20kg Kettlebells.
Silvia, recently attended the Trojans Kettlebell Sports camp with Gregor Sobocan, and will be competing with the 12kgs.
We wish them super-luck and proud to have them representing Brighton Kettlebells!
Kill it guys!!

Important notice about classes in the coming weeks...

2010-02-13T01:31:00.001-08:00

I will be away from this Saturday visiting family in South America, so I’ve arranged cover for my classes at ZT during the next three weeks.

During this time we will be:

Moving the Tuesday class to ZT Fitness at 8pm

Cancelling the Wednesday class till Wed 10^th March.

All other classes are on as normal.

Please find below the class schedule for the coming months, along with the instructor’s numbers should you need to contact them.

Mark and Simon will be collecting money at these classes, so if you need to renew or top up your memberships you can do this via them.

You can also pay in advance online using the following link:

http://www.brightonkettlebells.co.uk/payments.html

If you have any questions please get in touch with Mark or Simon.

Mark Stroud

Tel: 07795-610938

E-mail: mstroud99@btinternet.com

Simon Millstone

Tel: 07905- 313192

E-mail: info@abacusaupairagency.co.uk

Have fun, train hard and see you when I get back!

FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2010 CLASS SCHEDULE

DATE	TIME	LOCATION	TEACHER
February 2010
Mon 15/2 (Beginners)	7.30pm	ZT	Mark
Tue 16/2	8pm	ZT	Mark
Thurs 18/2	7:30pm	ZT	Rooth (ace instructor!)
Sat 20/2	12.30pm	ZT	Simon
Mon 22/2 (Beginners)	7.30pm	ZT	Mark
Tue 23/2	8pm	ZT	Mark
Thurs 25/2	7:30pm	ZT	Mark
Sat 27/2	12.30pm	ZT	Simon
March 2010
Mon 1/3 (Beginners)	7.30pm	ZT	Mark
Tue 2/3	8pm	ZT	Mark
Thurs 4/3	7:30pm	ZT	Mark
Sat 6/3	12.30pm	ZT	Simon
Mon 8/3 (Beginners)	All classes back to normal. Tues (9/3) and Wed (10/3)-7.30pm@ Cheetahs

New Year- New You is a success!

2010-02-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

28 days ago fifteen people of all walks of life embarked on a journey of self-recognition and test of will power to make some serious changes in their lifestyles and health.

Now in its second year, The New Year- New You programme had everyone, including myself follow a strict diet in which you eliminate all toxins including:

Dairy (live yoghurt and Raw dairy allowed)
Caffeine (evil!)
Wheat
Sugar
Alcohol
All preservatives and chemicals.

This is coupled with a three days a week training regime to further augment the results. These sessions where based around Kettlebells, bodyweight exercises and other funky toys thrown in for good measure!

After a few days feeling pretty crappy due to the toxins being expelled, you start to feel and look great. At the end of the programme people where hugging me delighted with the results!

Sam Nash who attended the programme despite reservations as to wether she would be able to complete it said the following today:

"Hi Christian - just a note to say I'm thrilled with the results I have achieved so far by joining the kettle bell community! The 4 week course we did has seen incredible results so far (1 stone, 8.5 cm off my waist and 5% body fat) Whoop whoop!!!!! I'm a convert and shall carry on in my quest with the help of KB. Thanks again :-)"

Another trainee was able to stop taking medication she had been on for years- awesome!

Messages like this make my job worthwhile and getting up in the mornings so easy! Thank you to all those who attended and completed the programme- I'm so proud of you.

Keep up the great work.

Those of you that missed the programme, I'll be doing the Beach Body 2 Bootcamp in May, which will be outdoors...get in touch for details!

Why margarine could be killing you!

2010-02-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my friend Cris Leahy for senfing me the following post:

Pass The Butter .. Please.

This is interesting . .. .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow colouring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavourings..

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories...

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and
only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease .
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact...... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with paint

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperw are and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to butter them up')! Send them this link:

http://brightonkettlebells.blogspot.com/

ZT Fightnight: Draw Results

2010-01-30T06:32:00.000-08:00

Draw results for the ZT fightnight Heavyweight Tournament.

Tengiz Tedoradze – James Thompson
Steve Day – Oli Thompson
Neil Wain – Rob Broughton
Miguel Bernad – Joe Vedepo.
* Martin Thompson ( out) – replacement Joe Vedepo.
More on Joe Vedepo.

Vedepo is no stranger to the big stage. He fought on two UFC fight night’s and most recently KO’ed his last opponent Webster Farris in 0:14 seconds into the first round.
He currently holds a record of 8 – 3 – 0.

Nice draw for Oli! See you there!

Oli Thompson primed and ready for ZT Heavyweight Tournament!

2010-01-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

With only one day left for ZT Fight Night- The Tournament, Oli Thompson has peaked in great condition,ready to take the title and £10,000 prize.

Not only is he in the best shape ever, his cardio is through the roof as he kills it through gruelling rounds lasting 5 minutes each, with only one minute rest between rounds. This will ensure the rounds in the cage will be a breeze, allowing him to concentrate on the technical aspects of his game.

Not only has he retained his strength and imposing size, but he's quicker than ever on his feet and much improved hand speed.

The last Strength & Conditioning session ended with a ground and pound drill which resulted in a smashed Tornado Ball..... could this be one of his opponant heads in the tournament?ZT Fight Night - THE TOURNAMENT plan to hold four events over 2010 kicking off with the big guns where the Heavyweights collide for an explosive night of MMA action and with the fighters determined to prove who is the best pound for pound fighter in the heavyweight division. To be held on 30th January 2010 at the confirmed venue of Hove Town Hall with an exceptional line up of supreme talent, this is definitely one not to be missed!

The 8 confirmed fighters are:
Rob Broughton (M-1 Challenge Team member)
James Thompson (Pride Veteran)
Martin 'THE OX' Thompson (UK MMA title holder)
Tengiz Tedoradze (UK MMA legend)
Oli Thompson (former Britain's Strongest Man and ZT Fighter)
Neil Wain (UFC Veteran)
Steve 'Judgement' Day (Boxer)
Miguel Bernad (Muay-Thai Fighter)

Sol Gilbert said 'For me this is going to be the most exciting event to come out of the UK MMA since the UFC came to town. This type of old skool tourny will show who is the best in the heavyweights and will hopefully move on to bigger and better things, this is going to be great and definitely not one to be missed!'

If you haven't bought your tickets yet...its not too late to catch this exciting tournament! Go to: http://fight.fatsoma.com/home.php or telephone ZT reservation and payment direct on 01273 202226.

Week 3 of the New Year- New You programme!

2010-01-25T01:18:00.000-08:00

...and I'm feeling great! The 15 other lucky people to have joined me on the 28 day programme are already reporting:

* Increased energy levels
* Better sleep
* Better skin condition
* Weight and fat loss
* Improved nail condition
* Improved concentration
* Better ability to wake up in the mornings!

As part of the programme, we've all given up wheat which is not tolerated by many and easily stored as bodyfat. Instead we've been eating carbs like beans, vegetables, rye, fruit and my favourite Spelt.

Spelt is an ancient grain, which unlike Wheat has not been altered by man, and is easily digested by us.

So yesterday I had a go at making my own Spelt bloomer using an easy recipe passed on to me by Lynne Norman.

SPELT BREAD

650G Doves Spelt Flour
2 tsp Sea Salt
15g Soft Organic Butter
Sachet of Yeast
400ml Water (100ml warm, 300ml cold)

- Rub butter into flour and add salt, and stif in yeast.
- Add warm water to form a soft dough
- Knead for 10mins on a floured surface
- Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for half an hour until it has doubled in size
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 230oC for half an hour.

You can also add dried fruit and nuts for a sweet version.

Give it a go!

Oli Thompson- Heavyweight MMA fighter Circuit with Christian Vila

2010-01-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Protocol:

KETTLEBELL FIGHTER: OLI THOMPSON

FINAL 4 WEEKS- JANUARY 2010

Eqpt: Med Ball, , 2 x Dumbells, Bungee, Tornado ball, Kettlebells

1. Warm up- MMA Matrix- Join Mobility

2. Circuit: 5 mins – 2-3 times. 40-60 secs rest between circuits

· Row 300m- level 10 in 60 seconds

· 30 seconds take down defence

· 30 seconds Tornado ball slams

· 30 seconds bungee sprints

· 30 seconds hand switch press ups

· 30 seconds take down defense

· 30 seconds kettlebell guard-hold

· 30 seconds bungee crawls

· 30 seconds hand switch press ups

· 60 seconds on concept 2 rower@ level 10 (aim for 270m)

Oli Thompson: Ready to rule the UK heavyweight division

2010-01-08T12:12:00.000-08:00

From MMA Ultd Magazine:

January 8, 2010
Oli Thompson talks to MMA Unltd as he prepares for the ZT Fight Night Tournament featuring the UK's top heavyweights.

Author: Ben Ince

Interview

Having amassed a 3-0 professional record during his first full year of MMA training, heavyweight prospect Oli Thompson is preparing for the fight of his life in January when he competes alongside seven of the UK’s biggest names in the inaugural ZT Fight Night Tournament.
A relative late-comer to the sport, Thompson only began training MMA after an illustrious career in Strongman competition was cut short by injury.
Having won Britain’s Strongest Man in 2006 - finishing eighth in World’s Strongest Man the same year - he tore his bicep clean off the bone whilst attempting a 400kg deadlift.
The injury kept him out of action for the better part of a year, and when he eventually returned to competition in 2008, a recurrence of the tear forced him to re-evaluate his ambitions in the sport:
“I realised I was never going win World’s Strongest Man with this arm. I could still compete with the big guys, but I was never going to win it, and my competitiveness is at a level where I always want to win.”
Around this time, his best friend Tolley Plested - a BJJ brown belt under Ze Marcelo – began encouraging him to attend his grappling classes in Eastbourne. Already a big fan of the UFC, Thompson accepted the offer and began training at the Brazilian Top Team affiliated school.
A gifted, versatile athlete in his youth, who played rugby at county level prior to being a Strongman, his thoughts swiftly turned to the possibility of competing in MMA.

“I always thought MMA was exciting, and everything I felt I could do was involved in it so I made a conscious decision with my family and friends to pursue it. I figured I’m 28 years old and it’s now or never, and I wanted to push on and show the world what I can do.”
He immediately set about re-structuring his training to make the transition from Strongman to professional MMA fighter, spending time at BST MMA in Northampton and BTT in Slough before eventually settling at ZT Fight Skool in Hove.
“Everyone’s been really helpful to me here at ZT, and they believe in me, which is the most important thing. If I have a positive attitude around me, I can do the rest.”

He currently trains twice a day, usually before or after work which he hopes to phase out once fighting “becomes more lucrative.” Morning sessions typically consist of 45 minutes of weight training and a 2 mile run on the treadmill, whilst he spends one night a week focusing on conditioning with fitness coach Christian Vila. This includes circuits and kettlebell training, which he believes has made “a massive difference” to his cardio. He also spends two nights a week working on BJJ and another two focusing on stand-up. Friday night is spent working on his wrestling at the ZT site in Tilgate, whilst on Saturdays he spars and does extra conditioning work with the rest of the ZT Fight Team in Hove.

The results have been dramatic. Already possessing an iron will -“you can’t buy mental toughness, you either have it or you don’t”- hardened by years of Strongman training, he now has a rounded skill set and the correct physical tools required to compete as an MMA fighter. An important part of the transition involved re-sculpting his considerable physique:
“I’ve changed a lot since Strongman. I’m down from 22 and a half stone to 19 and I’m leaner. I cut down on unnecessary muscle because carrying it on your frame tires you out. I’m built as a fighter now.”
Even without the extra weight, he believes his natural strength and explosiveness will be major assets in the cage, giving him a clear advantage over many of his opponents:
“I can’t lift the same weights I used to, but I can probably lift any of these guys in the heavyweight tournament. I’m still going to be the strongest guy there, and that’s all you need to know.”
Whilst he is understandably proud of his Strongman background, he believes it is an often misunderstood discipline whose participants do not always get the credit they deserve:

“There are some really good athletes in Strongman, it’s not like bodybuilding. People see us as bodybuilding lumps who look massive and throw stupid things about. I want to represent Strongman, and show that we can adapt to different sports.”
At the same time he is keen to be judged on his merits as a fighter, and not treated as a novelty act due to his prior accomplishments:

“I’m not trying to use my name to get somewhere. I feel like my grappling and wrestling is what’s going to get me to the top. I don’t want to be Britain’s Strongest Man who is fighting, I want to be Oli Thompson, professional fighter who happened to be Britain’s Strongest Man at one point.”

Returning victorious from the heavyweight tournament would go a long way towards achieving this, and would provide the platform from which to launch his career on a national, and possibly international stage. But to do so he will need to win three fights in one night, against a list of possible opponents comprising a who’s who of the UK division: M1 Challenge Team member Rob Broughton, Pride veteran James Thompson, Former Cage Rage champion Tengiz Tedoradze, UFC veteran and former Cage Rage champion Neil Grove, UK MMA titleholder Martin Thompson, CFC champion Karlos Vermola and UFC veteran Neil Wain.
But despite being the least experienced fighter in the tournament, Thompson is hungry for the challenge and eager to shock the fans, who are “in for a surprise if they don’t know what I can do.”
Looking further ahead, there has already been considerable internet speculation surrounding a high-profile fight between Thompson and former five-time World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski, who was victorious in his recent MMA debut at KSW 12 in Poland.

Whilst he understands the bout’s promotional and financial appeal, Thompson is far more interested in working alongside his long-time friend and former Strongman rival than fighting him:
“I’ve been thinking about inviting Mariusz over to do some training in the New Year. It’d be interesting to see him work with some top coaches. I’ll be speaking to him and his manager about it, so it’s in the pipeline.
“At the end of the day where Mariusz goes the money goes so I’ll never say never, but he’s a friend of mine and I want us both to do well.”
Whether or not that fight ever happens, 2010 is set to be a big year for Thompson, and with a lot of hard work and a strong team behind him there’s every chance he could replicate his success as a Strongman and emerge as one of the breakout stars of UK MMA.
The ZT Fight Night Tournament will take place at the HMV Forum in London on January 30th.

Some pictures of Oli's training courtesy of Shireen Z Rusbridge.

How NOT to fail on your New Year's resolutions this year!

2009-12-31T04:47:00.001-08:00

Every year we have good intentions with New Year's resolutions which we then fail by the second month of the year.
Here are some tips on how to keep to your resolutions- follow these and make 2010 a successful year!

Make the resolutions REALISTIC! Don't aim to run a Marathon in Spring if you haven't started jogging yet... make the resolutions achievable to avoid dissapointment.

     2. FUN should be the key to your resolutions...don't go for boring goals- the more exciting the better! Aim for something that will inspire you and keep you excited for the rest of the year. It doen't always have to be diet or booze related!

     3. Try something NEW! Try a new sport, a new class or learn a new skill. Don't be afraid to do what you've been putting off for ages!

   4. WRITE down your resolutions and put this in a prominent place for you to see. If its diet related keep it in the kitchen, if its fitness related put it somewhere near your sports kit. And NO...this doesn't include the WiiFit!

5. Tell OTHERS about your intentions. The more people you tell the more support you'll have and the more likely you are to stick to your goals.

6. TEAM UP with others with similar goals or aspirations. Join a team or a group class which will keep you motivated and inspired when things are getting hard. Get your partner involved!

7. Enlist a Personal trainer or coach. These professionals will help you set realistic and measurable goals- and give you the motivation to keep going! Ensure the trainer is REPS registered. CVPT is a good start.

Follow these steps and you're sure to succeed! Most importantly don't beat yourself up if you stumble at the first hurdle! Get back up and try again!

NEW YEAR-NEW YOU!

Want the support of a group and a Personal trainer?
Join the New Year- New You Guranteed Results training bootcamp- beginning on the 11th January.
Having seen many people fail in their efforts to try and sort their life out in January, I have put together this easy to follow programme which guarantees results to every person that attends...or your money back!

What have you got to lose?

Spaces are limited with a few left at £90.

For full info please see: NEW YEAR- NEW YOU WEBSITE
or e-mail me at christian@cvpt.co.uk

Merry Xmas!

2009-12-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my Kettlebell friends a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Please note we have one more class before New Year on Tuesday 29th December- 7.30pm- meet in Cheetahs gym.

The next class after that will be Simon's class on Saturday 2nd December- 12.30pm@ ZT Fitness.

All classes resume as normal thereafter.

Have a good one!

Oli's fitness is going through the roof!

2009-11-30T03:53:00.000-08:00

With Christmas and New Year looming, Oli Thompson is showing no signs of letting up on his preparation for the ZT Fight Night- Heavyweight Tournament in January.

Christian Vila, from Brighton Kettlebells is phasing Oli's training in blocks so he is in peak condition for the tournament.

Tournament

This one of a kind event will be one of the most exciting things to happen in UK MMA, with some of the top UK heavyweights fighting for a £15k Prize money.

Held at the HMV Forum in London, tickets are now selling fast.

See: http://www.ztfightnight.com/

THE TRAINING

The gruelling sessions with Christian involve the use of bodyweight exercises, bands, kettlebells and anythings heavy Oli can throw around.

To warm up Christian has Oli perform Tabata Jump squat to sprawls- throwing punches in the rest periods.
They then use IHPCombat's MMA Matrix with dumbells to build all over endurance and flexibility whilst on the move.

As an MMA fighter, Oli needs to be a multi-faceted athlete. He must have great cardio, agility, power, strength and flexibility to survive the tournament. Rounds last a gruesome five minutes and are relentless!

Heavyweight MMA fighter Ollie Thompson begins 11 week training camp.

2009-11-14T02:59:00.000-08:00

This week ZT Fight Skool's Heavyweight fighter, Ollie Thompson began his preparation for what will be the biggest test of his MMA career.

Ollie who won the title Britain’s Strongest Man in 2006, was also ranked in the world strong man top ten. He has also competed in the prestigious World’s Strongest Man competition.

Ollie in action:

He is now persuing a career in Mixed Martial Arts, already winning his first three fights (3-0) with great ferocity. Christian Vila and his revolutionary training techniques has been brought in as Strength and Conditioning coach Ollie's weekly training sessions leading up to the highly anticipated ZT Fight Night- The Tournament on January 30th in London.

The tournament

The eight confirmed fighters for the tournament are Rob Broughton M1 Challenge Team, James Thompson Pride Veteran, Martin ‘THE OX’ Thompson UK MMA title holder, Tengiz Tedoradze UK MMA legend, Neil Grove UFC Veteran, Karlos Vermola CFC Heavyweight Champion, Oli Thompson former Britain’s Strongest Man and Neil Wain UFC Veteran.

This is going to be one not to miss!

Strongman attitude

Using his wealth of training knowledge, Christian will be pushing Ollie to his mental and physical limits, both of which are very strong thanks to his strongman training.

Ollie's mental attitude is what allows him to move his 125kg frame for extended periods, like someone weighing in at 85kg. Christian, who always tests circuits and programmes on himself was truly shocked to see how quickly Ollie finished his circuit despite his size.

The test

Using a Concept Rower and Kettlebells, Christian decided to test Ollie's power and endurance with a series of gruelling exercises running against the clock.

Ollie finished the circuit in 23 non-stop minutes and even had enough for some core work at the end.

Keep checking back to see how Ollie's training is progressing leading up to the big day!

TacFit ISS

2009-11-06T01:17:00.001-08:00

Think you're fit?

Try this....

This is the intermediate level skill version and intermediate level fitness version of the workout. Advanced skills are too difficult unless you’ve mastered the intermediate level. However, if you’re gutting it out and can perform the 6s. The advanced fitness level version of the program is with 8 reps per exercise; beginning fitness 4 reps each.

Each minute on the minute for 20 minutes; finish 20 rounds in 20 minutes of:

* 6 Quad Hops to Flat Foot Squat
* 6 Knee Drop Spinal Rocks to Butterfly
* 6/6 Springing Tripods
* 6/6 Swinging Planks.

If you don’t get all of the reps finished in 60 sec, you don’t get credit for the round! You start the next round as soon as the next minute begins, whether you finish the prior round and get credit for it or not!

Tonight's workout!

2009-11-04T02:25:00.000-08:00

We haven't done the Newport workout by the Art of Strength guys for a while...so its time to get sweaty and go for it tonight!

Here's what you can expect:

Circuit style kettlebell workout divided into 10 “rounds” including a 5 minute snatch test.
Most rounds take about 4 minutes and consist of continuously alternating between two exercises for 4 minutes.
We'll rest between rounds with 1 minute of abdominal work! (Active Rest jejeje!)- followed by a proper rest of 1 minute!
All exercises will be done with just one Kettlebell!

Check out the Art Of Strength Website for more videos and cool info!

This is one workout you won't want to miss...so come on down tonight to the King Alfred Leisure Centre, Kingsway, Hove! We kick off at 7.30pm!
Bring a towel!

BRIGHTON KETTLEBELLS LAUNCHES ATTACK ON TEENAGE OBESITY!

2009-10-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

Brighton Kettlebells has introduced a new membership package which allows people under the age of 21 years to attend unlimited Kettlebell classes to help tackle the increasing levels of obesity among teenagers. Owner and operator, Christian Vila said: "With ever increasing levels of inactivity in school leavers, this has become a serious problem which needs to be tackled now!"

At just £20 per month, children from 16 years old will be able to participate in any of the five weekly kettlebells classes held in Hove, East Sussex. Classes incorporate fun exercises done with Kettlebells which burn fat, improve muscle tone and flexibility in a safe and effective way. These are coupled with bodyweight exercises for a truly holistic approach to training.

"The government just isn't doing enought to tackle the obesity epidemic", says Christian, "so it's down to organisations like us to take positive steps to counter it".

Children are playing more computer games and eating more junk, resulting in more calories being stored as bodyfat. Teenagers just aren't moving enough.

In the sessions, everyone under the age of 21 will receive advice on what to eat and a sheet detailing healthy diets to help educate teenagers as many don't know what to eat.

To sign up please see: BRIGHTON KETTLEBELLS or contact Christian on 07876-558850.

5 Strength and Conditioning Mistakes Made By Fighters by Jon Le Toq

2009-09-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

5 Strength and Conditioning Mistakes Made By Fighters

Thank you to Jon Le Toq for allowing me to publish his excellent post- taken from:
http://worldstoughestworkouts.com/5-strength-and-conditioning-mistakes-made-by-fighters/

Fighters of all disciplines are a different breed. Whether amateur or pro, it takes something special to drill yourself into the ground in training just to earn the right to face off in the ring with someone who has the sole intention of knocking you out or forcing you to submit.

The dedication is unparalleled, especially in the pro ranks where hours and hours of sparring, strength and conditioning, flexibility and mindset training are required. Ignore any one of these components and it could become the chink in your armour that ultimately determines whether you’re now 10-1-0 or 9-0-1.

Unfortunately, whilst the dedication may be unquestionable, tradition and misguided information often mean parts of the training are.

Here are the five biggest mistakes made by fighters in their strength and conditioning training.

Long, steady-state runs

Gone are the days of fights fought using the Marquess of Queensberry rules which dictated that fights took as long as was required to determine a winner and ‘rounds’ only ended when either man was knocked down. He was given 30 seconds to sort himself out then the fight was restarted. Jack Smith and James Kelly may have gone for 6h 15 minutes, but today’s fighters don’t.

The rules, and consequently the requirements, have changed.

MMA fights currently consist of the longest rounds at 5 minutes. There is no longer a need for extreme endurance at a relatively moderate intensity.

It makes little sense therefore, for fighters to be spending an hour every day, pounding pavements at a moderate intensity over 5-10km. This will serve only to develop the ‘slow-twitch’ muscle fibres of the legs at the expense of the ‘fast twitch’ fibres which are critical for developing power in punches, kicks and knees. The risk of injury also increases.

Obviously the fighter will build cardiovascular strength, but there are much better ways to achieve this.

For example, a combination of hill sprints over 100-200m and interval sessions of 5 x 2.00-3.00 minutes at 85-90% of maximum effort with around 1 minute rest or active recovery (walking or jogging) between intervals, would be much more appropriate for a Muay Thai fighter.

The rest interval is not long enough to fully recover and the heart rate will stay at least as high as that achieved for the duration of a long run developing the cardiovascular strength necessary to last a 5 round fight (many are shorter).

If we were to look at a graph of the heart rate in both runs we would find the maximum heart rate to be much higher in the interval run but the average to be about the same, if not higher in the intervals.

However, the fighter will have also developed the anaerobic capabilities to handle the lack of oxygen associated with the intensity of repeated two minute flat-out bouts in the ring.

Anaerobic exercise develops aerobic capacity but not the other way around.

We must also consider that most fighters maintain a high training volume already. Adding to this unnecessarily is crazy especially when the benefits gained from the training can be achieved with other methods.

Focussing on the working muscles only

Punches require power to be generated by the legs, torso, chest and shoulders.

However, many fighters struggle to improve punching power because they will spend a disproportionate amount of time working with resistance bands, medicine balls and clap push ups to develop power in the chest muscles which accelerate the punch.

Whilst this is clearly a requirement, there is little attention paid to the upper back muscles which act as decelerators to the forward momentum.

Consequently every time the fighter attempts to unleash a bomb of a right hand, their body senses a weakness and an inability to decelerate the arm. The body is always looking to protect itself and will restrict the power that can be generated in the punch because of its awareness that the back isn’t strong enough to decelerate it properly. Unfortunately it doesn’t know that the other man’s jaw is supposed to do this job!

This is an in-built injury prevention mechanism which must be addressed in training.

Spending a little time performing exercises like single arm rows and kettlebell snatches can work wonders for developing punching power, not through direct effects on the working muscles but by ‘releasing the brakes’ imposed on them by the body’s protection systems.

Nobody would slam their foot on the accelerator of a car knowing the brakes don’t work, and neither will a fighter’s body!

The same applies to knees in Muay Thai.

The power from a knee may appear to come from the hip flexor muscles which is true to a certain extent. However, the strength and power in the glutes (buttocks) are also critical.

First, they enable the thrusting of the hips forward into the movement for real damage to be done, and second they act as the opposing muscle to the hip flexors as the back muscles do to the chest.

Take the brakes off and get your butt working for maximum impact! Glute activation exercises, kettlebell swings and snatches, front squats and plyometric split squats should be included in a training program.

Building strength and power but keeping it locked up.

If a fighter has poor flexibility they are not only increasing the risk of injury, but also preventing their abilities from getting out!

Too much running (as mentioned above) and time spent on the heavy bag without sufficient flexibility work, often results in tight hamstrings, rounded shoulders and hips that couldn’t win a hula contest.

Imagine a coiled spring with glue between some of the rings. it’s not going to rebound very fast. That’s the state many fighters find themselves in.

Holding static stretches for 30 seconds is not enough and techniques such as PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching must be employed regularly to not only ‘loosen up’ after a session and return muscle length to normal, but actively improve flexibility.

An example for ‘kick’ fighters would be to go from standing to taking the feet as wide as comfortably possible, making a triangle out of their legs.

Once at this point, contract the inner thigh muscles pushing the insides of the feet into the floor as hard as possible for 6-7 seconds. Release the tension then immediately slide the feet further apart.

Continue repeating the cycle until no further gains can be made then hold the new position for at least a minute to ‘set’ the new muscle length, developing range of motion at the hips.

This method also improves strength by developing the ability to generate strength in extreme range of motions. Anyone who’s ever been submitted in an MMA fight will understand why this is important!

Similar techniques can be used on most muscle groups.

Avoiding strength training altogether

Many fighters (or more often the case, trainers) still have the out-dated belief that strength training results in muscle-bound, inflexible, slow athletes.

This is true when the methods used focus on the bodybuilding protocols of 3 x 10 reps with sub-maximal weights.

The use of power based training which develops the efficiency of the nervous system without building new or larger muscle fibres is absolutely critical to athletes of pretty much every sport.

Some essential exercises for fighters include…

Single arm kettlebell jerks

Kettlebell snatches

Jump squats against resistance

Working within a range of 1-3 explosive reps will develop awesome power without unwanted bodyweight, and high rep sets will develop the power endurance required to avoid being a first round, one-hit wonder but go the distance without fading. Again, this is a much more effective and specific way to develop endurance than long runs.

Concentrating on the ‘abs’ and static core movements

Too often fighters will perform hundreds and thousands of crunches each week, maybe paying a little attention to the core muscles with planks and side bridges.

This is a good place to start (apart from the needless crunches) but few understand the need or the methods involved to develop core strength in a dynamic situation as in a bout.

Exercises which require a good deal of body awareness and utilise the whole body will transfer over to the actual art of fighting. Throwing a punch requires the ability to transfer power from the legs, through the hips into the upper body and ultimately into shoulder and arm.

Exercise such as the Get Up, Renegade row, and Windmill are all great examples of core strength being built using the body as an integrated unit.

Medicine ball throws should also be used extensively to build core strength and rotational power simultaneously. Again think specific to fighting. Punches are rarely thrown in a perfectly straight line but with a degree of rotational power to deliver the knock out blow!

Think specifics and you’ll see your performance levels rocket – there’s no point looking like Floyd Mayweather if your abs and core turn into jelly in the ring.

Conclusion

These are some of the biggest mistakes made by fighters in their strength and conditioning training.

Everything in training should be directly correlated to a physiological or technical requirement in the ring and careful attention should be paid to every session to avoid unnecessary volume, stress and time wasting.

All of this becomes even more important as an amateur who doesn’t have time for full time training.

Make every second count or you may find yourself facing a ten count.

Jon Le Toq

Phew! What a weekend! - MMA Strength & Conditioning Certification

2009-09-16T02:40:00.000-07:00

WOW!

What a weekend! The MMA Strength & Conditioning Certification really lived up to expectations. Fifty Personal Trainers, MMA fighters and Strength & Conditioning coaches from all around the country came together to learn from one of the top conditioning coaches in the world- JC Santana.

JC owns and operates the world famous Institute of Human Performance (IHP), at Boca Raton in Florida. If you want to prepare for a fight or competition, JC is your man to ensure you peak at the right time, and in top shape.

UFC fighter Jeff Monson, and World Jiu Jitsu champion Pablo Popovitch are amongst the many athletes who have used JC’s revolutionary protocols to prepare for their gruelling battles. As someone who is looking to emulate this work and become a specialist in fighter strength and conditioning, I jumped at the opportunity to learn from the best!

Simple-yet effective

Most of the exercises learnt where simple- yet effective, using bands, slings and bodyweight to tax the nervous system and muscles, and groove movement patterns which are identical to combat situations. You just can’t get any more fight specific!The thing I loved most was JC’s honesty and simplistic way of looking at things. The fitness industry loves to complicate things in an effort to be taken seriously and to add validity to what is often common sense!
JC reffered to strength training of combat athletes as “Making you strong enough to break shit...including bones”!

Jeff Monson- UFC
The improvement of the clinch was paramount in the preparation of Jeff Monson leading up to his UFC fight. Monson, a heavyweight, could crush the head of an opponent to the extent that he would offer their neck for a choke submission. So JC had Monson using the sling and hang with a gable grip for up to 2 minutes for Strength Endurance.

If anyone wants to try this, I’m getting those slings, and believe me- I’ll be putting them to good use! This will have my toughest clients whimpering!

My favourite section was the bodyweight exercises..no equipment- just a partner! Years back JC was asked to coach a wrestling team and had little equipment at the time. So he devised a bodyweight only programme, which made perfect sense as a fighter needs to be able to handle his own weight, and the weight of his opponent before going in to the realms of throwing artificial weight around!

Chisel Your Chest
JC's “Chisel your chest” programme featured in Men’s Health is a big seller so far. One of the drills involved (feel free to try this!):

10 Press Ups with Left Hand on a Med Ball
10 Press Ups with Right Hand on a Med Ball
10 Press ups hopping hands from one side to the other
10 Press ups with both hands on ball
10 Explosive press up going from floor to ball

Carry me home!

Chest completely fried! Then came a partner carry. Carry a person who is stiff as a board like a fork lift truck, by doing a lap around the room. The weight of your partner crushes your ribs, making it hard to breathe...sound familiar? Ever tried to breathe with someone on top of you in a grappling situation? Prior to that, JC ensured we where adequately tired by making us do 20 Sprawl to Jumping squats...then pick up the body and do the lap! Killer...but fun!

Thanks to Joel from the Strength Company and JC for working together to put this excellent programme together.
There will be another one in December for those that missed this one!

Anyone attending this week’s Kettlebell Figher class on Thursday (2.30pm@ ZT Fight Skool) will have the pleasure of experiencing the body weight drills. No equipment needed...just good old muscle!
I just can’t wait!
;-)
Christian

BRIGHTON KETTLEBELLS NEWS

New site- new blog!

Did you miss out?

The perfect omelette! (Video)

Live in Brighton or Hove?

Brighton Kettlebells in Latest Homes magazine!

New classes start this week!

New Kettlebell Fitness timetable.....

The truth about building muscle.....

New Hove location classes at Crossfit Connect!

New classes at Varndean School!

CVPT- Liz Fergusson trains for Brighton Half Marathon

New Year- New You Bootcamp- the conclusion video!

Elimination Diet review....

Thanks to Craig Lowe (http://craigseliminationdiet.blogspot.com/?spref=fb) for sharing his experience on the Elimination Diet...as used in our recent New Year- New You bootcamp.....

Elimination Diet:Results and 'after'photos

New Year- New You Bootcamp- final week!

Grains- the evil we're all consuming!

Spelt Bread recipe.

New year- New You Bootcamp launched!

Ace review for Kettlebells bootcamp!!

Ace review for Kettlebells bootcamp!!

Christmas and New Year Class timetable.

RIPPED IN 28 DAYS!!

Oli Thompson set for win at BAMMA 5!

COMBAT READY TRAINING: The Tail Pipe

Oli Thompson Vertimax and Raptor training

Christian Vila in Men's Fitness magazine...

Hathaway looks ripped for tonight's bout!

Personal trainers beware!!

Oli Thompson- UCMMA Training camp with Raptor Vest

Guaranteed Results is a success!

Hammer and Tyre fat burn circuit- training with Christian Vila

Week 2: Guaranteed Results Bootcamp!

GUARANTEED RESULTS BOOTCAMP KICKS OFF!

Does your gym offer a money-back guarantee?

GUARANTEED RESULTS...WEBSITE IS LIVE!

Beach Body Bootcamp in the national Media!

ZT Fighters sweep the opposition at Fight Night!

Get your review in! Boost our ranking!

Christian in Combat Network magazine

Beach Body Programme is a success!!

Beach Body programme....final week!

Beach Body Programme- Week 1

Beach Body is set to go!

Last Woman Standing gets the Kettlebell treatment.

MMA fighter Ryan White prepares for big fight....

Is your trainer qualified to teach Kettlebells?

Mark Stroud and Silvia Elia are set to compete!

Important notice about classes in the coming weeks...

FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2010 CLASS SCHEDULE

February 2010

New Year- New You is a success!

Another trainee was able to stop taking medication she had been on for years- awesome!

Messages like this make my job worthwhile and getting up in the mornings so easy! Thank you to all those who attended and completed the programme- I'm so proud of you.

Keep up the great work.

Those of you that missed the programme, I'll be doing the Beach Body 2 Bootcamp in May, which will be outdoors...get in touch for details!

Why margarine could be killing you!

ZT Fightnight: Draw Results

Oli Thompson primed and ready for ZT Heavyweight Tournament!

Week 3 of the New Year- New You programme!

Oli Thompson- Heavyweight MMA fighter Circuit with Christian Vila

Oli Thompson: Ready to rule the UK heavyweight division

How NOT to fail on your New Year's resolutions this year!

Merry Xmas!

Oli's fitness is going through the roof!

Heavyweight MMA fighter Ollie Thompson begins 11 week training camp.

TacFit ISS

Tonight's workout!

BRIGHTON KETTLEBELLS LAUNCHES ATTACK ON TEENAGE OBESITY!

5 Strength and Conditioning Mistakes Made By Fighters by Jon Le Toq

5 Strength and Conditioning Mistakes Made By Fighters

Phew! What a weekend! - MMA Strength & Conditioning Certification