BUT…..I’m not sure that everyone saw it……so I have re-posted on our blog here. It’s just under 5 minutes long but worth watching as you’ll see the remarkable transformation of disabled War veteran.

Doctors told him that he would be in pain and not able to walk for the rest of his life. Did he listen to what they had to say? Watch the video to find out.

Have a good weekend.

Ben

It’s called ‘5 Steps To Get In Shape For Summer’

In NO particular order this is what you need to do, to get ready for the summer:

1.    Get some rest

Not an obvious choice but, quite simply put, if your stress levels are HIGH and you’re not getting 8 hours of quality sleep a night you will struggle to lose body fat, the reason being that by being stressed and not sleeping will mess with your hormones, resulting in you keeping hold of body fat.

2.    Just eat meat, fish, vegetables, & fruit 

This is something you should try and do for 30 days! Basically, avoid wheat, dairy, alcohol and any processed foods. If you do just this you’ll get results, add the other tips to the equation and your results will be even better.  If you need extra help with this way of eating I recommend this book – The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet – http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Paleo-Solution-Robb-Wolf/dp/0982565844

  3.    Exercise at high intensity using your whole body 

When you work out, you want to use EVERY single muscle in your body, and you also want to work out at a high intensity just like we do at Sussex Bootcamps.  This way, you get your heart rate up and you burn calories in a high tempo body changing workout. If you’ve not experienced a Sussex Bootcamps’ workout come and give it a go!

4.    Set a goal & stick to it 

What is your goal? Find out what your reason is to work out and eat a healthy diet. Once you know this it ALL becomes easier, and the stronger the goal the more chance you have of reaching it. A good example is, if you’re going on holiday your goal might be… “I want to lose weight for my holiday”.  BUT if you change the wording around so it reads like this… “I’m going away August 19^th and I will be able to fit into my new size (??) bikini or swimming trunks and feel confident on the beach”, that is much more powerful and I bet you’ll stick to that goal more!

5.    Have a professional show you what to do  

I’ve recently taking up wakeboarding and I have had lessons from a professional. If I didn’t I would still be hitting the lake VERY hard and not be able to stand up. Instead I invested in a wakeboarding expert to help, coach and show me how it’s done. And guess what…. in 3 hours of lessons I was able to stand up fully and complete a lap of the lake.  The same applies to your own fitness and health. Either you do it on your own and you may get results (this may take a while), or you get experts like Sussex Bootcamps to help you AND you’ll get to your goal faster!

There are my top 5 tips. If you apply these now you’ll be looking healthy and feeling fitter by your summer holiday 100%.

If you want to get body changing results faster than anything you’ve done before then sign up to Sussex Bootcamps here.

Many thanks

Ben

Sussex Bootcamps' Trainer Jo Stow After The Race

Sunday was the London Marathon and Sussex Bootcamps’ staff members Jo and Katie took part. Both trained very hard for the race and in a very short amount of time (Jo and Katie both only started training for the Marathon in January, and Katie only gave birth last October!)

I’m glad to report back that both finshed the race in respectable times and raised a lot of money for their chosen charities; Jo was running for St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley and finished the race in 4:41:30 and Katie’s charity was the Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in Arundel and her time was 3:57.

To date Jo’s ongoing fundraising is at £8,394  http://www.justgiving.com/stowey8-remembered

and Katie raised £851  http://www.justgiving.com/Katie-Francesca-Sean

Both had VERY sore legs on Monday at Bootcamp but also VERY big smiles on their faces.  They would both like to publicly thank all Sussex Bootcamps’ members who donated and watched them on TV on Sunday.

To accomplish a BIG goal with limited training is a MASSIVE achievement. Well Done Jo and Katie!

Ben

P.S. – Jo and Katie…….what’s your next goal?!

Jo is running for St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley; her brother died of cancer in 2007 and since then Jo and her family have been raising money and awareness for the local hospice that helped her brother in his final stages.  Jo only took on the challenge of running the London Marathon in January; already a keen runner who took part in short distances, Jo was offered the opportunity by the hospice to represent them and run the Marathon. With only 4 months of training behind her Jo is undertaking this MASSIVE challenge.

Katie is running for Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice, a charity that is very close to Katie and her fellow marathon runner and former Sussex Bootcamps’ member Fran. Katie only gave birth to her baby boy Charlie in October last year and again, similar to Jo, started training for this Marathon in January. She has been out most weekends pounding the pavements of Horsham in preparation for this race. This is a huge achievement, as I’m sure you can appreciate that juggling being a first time mum, working and training for the London Marathon must have been tough on her time and body!

Look out for Jo and Katie this Sunday on TV. Jo’s race number is 48134 and Katie’s number is 2977. If you would like to wish Jo and Katie good luck for Saturday please visit our facebook page and write a few words of encouragement for both of them. I’m sure they will appreciate your kind words and that will power them around the course!

If you would like to sponsor Jo and Katie or just read a little bit more about the charities they are running for and their reasons behind why they chose these charities, again this can be done on the facebook page.

Sussex Bootcamps Facebook Page

Many thanks

Ben

PS – Also best of luck to Haywards Heath Bootcamper Stuart Poole as he is also running the London Marathon for the first time! Visit our facebook page to wish Stuart luck as well!

“A big thanks to everyone who helped in raising money for the project in Zambia.

People from the Horsham mobility workshop, the charity bootcamp session in Haywards Heath, and even some people who couldn’t make the charity session, kindly contributed.

I believe that when we improve our lives through improved fitness and health, the lives of those around us are positively influenced also. Sometimes it’s nice to help ourselves and help others more intentionally and this was something I wanted to allow to happen in supporting this worthwhile cause.

We managed to raise £216.

Once again, thanks to all involved and well done to those at the Haywards Heath session who took on the challenges I threw at them on the day!”

Charity Bootcampers after their workout!

Steve Cork (left) with Brian Grasso

We all know what a difference positive sport and role models can provide to people’s lives.  This is why Steve Cork, co-owner of health and fitness company, Sussex Bootcamps, wants to make a difference to those children’s lives in Zambia which are affected by poverty and disease.

Steve has teamed up with Brian Grasso who will be going to Zambia to help inspire and develop change in the level of sports coaching out there.  By training 13 different sports people, Brian will pass on his expertise in this field, to help inspire children to take part in sports activities.  He will also visit a number of communities where there is not much hope beyond poverty and Aids and will deliver a much more positive message for people to believe in.  It is hoped that long term links can be forged with these communities.  This ‘Mission to Zambia’ will also be fully documented to act as an example for how people can create change in their own world and the world at large.

To raise funds for this mission, Steve will be holding a donation only fitness Bootcamp session on Sunday 11^th March from 10am to 11am at Beech Hurst Gardens behind the Harvester in Haywards Heath.  It will be a fun packed hour with something to appeal to everyone!

Steve says “This is a group of people and a cause I fully believe in and support and I hope to raise as much money as possible.  I encourage everyone, no matter how fit, to come along and support this worthwhile cause”.

To sign up for this event, please visit our website http://sussexbootcamps.co.uk and click on ‘Charity Bootcamp’.

More information on the charity can be found at http://audacityofpurpose.com

James and trainer Ben Davis

James, why did you join Sussex Bootcamps?

Over the last few years I had promised myself to get in shape for summer, needless to say it never happened and before I knew summer 2011 had started (kinda).  I knew of SBC via friends so I dropped them an email, asked some questions, roped in a friend and signed up!

What results have you seen since joining?

I’m now into my 8^th Bootcamp and I’m really pleased with the results I have seen and felt.  In physical terms I’ve toned up and lost over a stone in weight which has really helped with my dodgy knees.  Mentally I feel more energized and I’m definitely more confident in unfamiliar social circles.  I’ve also got into a good routine with my diet although there’s still the odd hash brown splurge.

What aspect of SBC do you enjoy the most?

I like the fact that ‘all’ you have to do is turn up and give it 100%.  Unlike the gym there’s no prior planning involved or waiting for equipment to become available. It’s a total workout over 3 sessions during the week, simple!

What would you say to anyone thinking of joining SBC?

Just do it!  Initially I thought: what if it’s too hardcore or not enough and what about doing it all in public!?  It’s all a non-issue.  I’ve attended several of the groups and they’re all really friendly and supportive.  All the movements are graded so it’s as tough as you make it.  As for the public I can’t say I really notice them as you get wrapped up in the session.

What was your life like before joining SBC?

I’ve always been active but the frequency and intensity of the cricket and football I played was never enough to maintain a level of fitness never mind get fit.  I also wasn’t particularly happy within myself but SBC has given me a real focus and I’ve been boosted by the results to date.  I also love to cook but previously never really gave any consideration to the foodstuffs I was eating.  The nutritional advice has  helped me understand how food influences your mood and energy levels.

How has your Bootcamp trainer played a role in helping you?

I’ve had sessions with a few of the trainers now.  They all share the same passion for fitness and genuinely care and support you in attaining your personal goals.  Bootcamp can be a real mental battle sometimes if you’ve had a tough day but the trainers just give you that extra push and encouragement to achieve more. They (Katie) can also talk you into signing up for silly things like half marathons!

Fitness can be simple, but not necessarily easy to do and achieve. Simplicity does not imply a lack of fundamental principles either. A random programme will likely get random results. Yes some people thrive in spite of their training, but why not invest in good training and stack the cards in your favour?

A professional who I respect a great deal put out a quote recently saying ‘a good coach will cost you a lot, a bad coach will cost a lot more!’ This is the point I wanted to get to. We at Sussex Bootcamps didn’t evolve as fitness professionals in an isolated bubble – we got to see and experience a load of other trainers around us – good and bad. There are still and probably always will be a mixture of good and bad trainers out there, but I’m not sure how often a member of the public will realise the difference!

I remember buying my first 2nd hand car and not really being that into car maintenance etc. Luckily my neighbour was and worked in the industry professionally and was able to give the car the once over and let me know it was a good investment.

It wouldn’t really matter what the previous owner said, or what an advert proclaimed! What mattered was getting someone who knew what they were looking at to give me the thumbs up, as I didn’t have a clue about cars!

Getting beyond the fact that most of the time moving is going to be better than not moving, it would be ideal to create an intelligent programme based on science and experience. One that has you progressing towards your goals successfully and safely and not just randomly doing movements for no reason or because it was the last thing seen on you tube!

A good trainer can look at a session going on and within a few minutes know if it’s well put together. If there is any doubt, they could establish with the trainer what the aims of the session were to see if what was being done was appropriate. As mentioned above, I wouldn’t expect the average person to know what they are looking at on this level.

‘Buyer beware’ is definitely one thing to recommend. We often have many choices that influence our decision – it obviously doesn’t just come down to a list of qualities. However, it may be what you don’t know or can’t see that is really worth appreciating.

Sussex Bootcamps is a system that is smart, simple enough for everyone to do, and presented in such a way that people can more easily reap the benefits of an active and healthful life.

Peter Halata: Age – 38; Height – 5 ft 10; starting weight – 100kg

“I used to go to the gym pretty regularly about 3 times a week for at least an hour, played squash, badminton and even starting to go swimming once a week.  I thought I was in pretty good shape.  I never really paid much attention to my diet though as I thought with all the exercising I would counter balance my love for eating out and treats.

In the last year I started a new job, which involved slightly longer hours and quite a lot of taking work home.  This made me put any exercising to one side for the time being.  As my work was taking priority I didn’t really worry about anything else.  Anyway 6 months passed with no real exercise, I hadn’t cut down on the food I was eating and my clothes were getting very tight, my belly was certainly showing and I started to feel more and more self conscious and embarrassed.

I eventually rejoined a gym near work and started to slowly get back on track.  With limited time due to work hours I was definitely finding progress slow, but at least I was doing something.  I was managing 3 gym visits a week each of which were about 30 minutes in duration.

My wife Donna told me about the Sussex Bootcamps challenge and I was immediately interested as I had seen with my own eyes what the results could be from what Donna had achieved during her Bootcamp sessions.  I’m quite a goal orientated person and the whole 6 week time frame appealed to me as it was something that I could aim for a result at the end.

Week 1 Summary.  It felt like a really good start to the Bootcamp challenge though I thought it wasn’t a very tough 45 minutes workout, but then really felt it on the Sunday with my body really aching.  That has made me feel this is going to really work.  I’m feeling really enthusiastic about the challenge and signed up for some spinning classes at the gym.  I’ve set myself a mini challenge – to see how far I can run in 25 minutes – I’m aiming for 5km.  I’ve never been a quick runner so this would be good for me.  I’m going to do this in my lunch breaks at work as I have 1 hour so this fits in nicely and takes care of my cardio training.  I have managed to cut out alcohol and chocolate this week.

Week 2 Summary.  A good week generally.  It was a surprisingly interesting nutrition talk and I certainly learnt a few things.  I’m going to try and implement it in the next few weeks.  I’ve always eaten a lot of rice, bread and pasta, more out of habit than anything else so it will be interesting to have a change.  I enjoyed the spinning classes and managed 2 again this week!

Week 3 Summary.  Even though I went away for my birthday, I managed to carry on with the exercising and tried to stick with the paleo diet as much as possible.  I had a bit of a cold this week so didn’t push myself as hard as I wanted.  I will try to get back on it next week!

Week 4 Summary.  A good week though I missed the Bootcamp session as I was away – I made up for it with alternative exercise.  My cold seems to have almost gone away so I managed to push myself more this week.  I feel I’m doing well food wise and I’m getting some encouraging comments from people at work so am feeling really positive!  Using my lunch hour for my running feels really productive…I used to just sit at my desk eating a sandwich before.  Spinning classes are getting a lot easier too.

Week 5 Summary.  A great week – I managed to reach my target run of 5km in 25 minutes!  I’m very pleased.  I’m feeling really fit, have lots of energy this week and am quite excited about the final Bootcamp session tomorrow.  I haven’t weighed myself throughout the 6 weeks but I have definitely noticed a change in my body shape – I’ve had to tighten my belt up further this week!

Week 6 Bootcamp Summary. We had our weigh in today at the final Saturday Bootcamp session – my weight has dropped to 93.9kg from 100kg at the start!  I’m really really pleased! I have really enjoyed the whole 6 week challenge.  It’s been something totally different.  I’ve enjoyed working outside of a gym, and for the first time in my life I have actively taken my nutrition seriously, rather than eating whatever I liked.  I have managed to totally cut out alcohol, fizzy drinks and chocolate/sweets and feel better for it.  I did include quite a bit of weight training, including lots of bodyweight training learnt from the Bootcamp sessions, which may have resulted in less weight loss but I definitely feel that I have better tone and posture throughout my body.  I have lost inches around my waist, am full of energy throughout the day and am sleeping better too.

I’m also seeing this as a starting point and am looking forward to building upon what I’ve done so far.  So a big thanks to Rachael and the rest of the Bootcamp team for getting me starting.  I’m looking forward to the new January Saturday sessions!”

Peter at the start of the 6 week challenge

Peter after 6 weeks