2M Coaching and Fitness

So first marker laid down to see what the winters training has produced and it’s fair to say we are very pleased. I knew she’d PB today even if it was very cold but dipping under 4:40 per km was better than expected. Right track indeed to .

It always baffles me why there’s so many injuries and slower times out there when in reality if you’d been supplementing a good progressive running program with ‘specific’ and not what everyone else does S&C you’d be on the right path to great form(lack of injuries) a healthy aerobic capacity and pacing that you’re confident in achieving.

This half was first step for the years goal of Berlin marathon @4:45per km. Everything we do is geared towards that goal. This is specific running training to a goal, if you’re a runner and there’s plenty of you, try it, it works. You only need read Rebecca’s story, and then wonder why your own doesn’t mirror this upward trajectory in line with yours and surely then question yourself and become smarter, generic training works to a point, and copying that and your mates runs also work to a more limited point. But you aren’t a generic robot that fits all sizes, you are uniquely individual. So take the guesswork out of your training, if you want to realise what you can achieve.

Sometimes plans really do go accordingly, and wow didn’t this one just!
Bearing in mind this lady was 2years ago. Within our time working together she has taken her untapped potential to a 3:35 marathon which gets her (like she’s already a winner) a good for age place at any marathon too.

Step 1 Wants to get stronger/fitter and would like to run faster (17 months ago) ✅
Step 2 liking the running and Want to improve all with a LT goal of York’s Marathon for my 40th…. Running specific training begins (16months)
Step 3 Running week to week plan where we focussed on getting faster and stronger with mini goals along the way of (5km ) 10km and Half marathon times. Blocks of training specifically to achieve these but with marathon long term goal. ✅
Step 4 Periodise the marathon plan 36weeks. ✅
Step 5 carry out the plan of specific 5 minutes per km race plan training ✅ 5:06 not bloody bad ex*****on that👏👏

Safe to say, you train properly, you reap the rewards. I said to Rebecca that she’d already won before she even crossed the start line and all she needed to do was trust in her training. She raised over £5000 for charity too, like I said she’s already won!!

Big congratulations to .r.b.9 on romping home in her first marathon. her aim quite simply was to finish it and that she did. Great work Claire @👏💪🏼🏃🏼‍♀️

Good luck on your new adventures in the Yorkshire dales .helen. It was with sadness the last few weeks that we ended our weekly sessions on strength and run specific conditioning and Helen moved up north to pastures new. It’s been fantastic working with such a dedicated lady, and we have shared loads of highs including national titles. The lows have been kept to a minimum and keeping injuries at bay is what we did week to week.

As for the running training Helen embraced my newer methods to the old volume volume volume and tasted more success than she probably envisaged at first.

🏆The only upside to her moving up north is that I have a few hours free for new clients on Friday afternoons, who’s the next champion in waiting??
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“So Marc you are 2M COACHING & Fitness, but all I see is you training people in the studio, why the coaching bit??”

Fair question from somebody looking from the outside in. So a quick snippet, thanks for sharing
So I don’t really go into much details about peoples programs I work with because I tailor it to the individuals needs, and I gain their trust in following what I say to do week after week session to session.

I don’t shout about everyone’s achievements which would make me look great I’m sure, because they are personal and I as them are learning more about their potential day after day.

And I could shoot the rooftops down seeing the same runners, athletes or cyclists doing the same training and getting slower and slower, but I figure we have the choices to change direction if and when we choose, I shouldn’t be the one coming to you, You should be asking me in what new direction can you take me.
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Mid 30’s and snowed under at work as a PGA professional coaching every day. There’s little time as we all keep saying to train. So freezing and foggy parkrun on Saturday brought a 22:35 time, Operation 5km and stronger Luke now in full swing.

We are going to work on his running specific program to smash the park run, and build his body back up not only to become more resilient to injury through training but also in his work and day to day life. As well as help him condition his running performance and efficiency much more in tune to a faster run time.

Training schedule, eating better, work/life balance, rest and recovery. As with any change in habits these should be foremost in all considerations.

These goals should be attainable and realistic, and will help maintain the outcomes on the other side, whilst a short period focus can help rebalance, and add a new focus to your lifestyle . Change should be for your better and for life. I’ll keep you posted. 💪🏼
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A few shots from some work. Treadmill testing where we do an aerobic capacity test which works out your current zones so we no longer do junk miles and concentrate on getting aerobically fitter more specifically.

Then we move onto a VO2 test which can give us us a great performance indicator and level at which to quantify all the training by.

Then finish off with a sub-maximal 5 minute distance test, this shows us our top end ability to
Utilise the oxygen uptake at current fitness levels.

After a cool down and then reinforcing the strength work for the core, and running specific movements, I will send the report and program to follow based on this client and not a generic session plan from me mate Bob.

Want to get fitter, faster, run better with less emphasis on poor volume miles and more quality based on your current levels, then get booked in this January.

A quick combo on this one where we hit legs and core, back, shoulders and a big dose of confidence.
All this while accumulating more every set, learning to how breathe, but the hearts pumping away like a good un.
This uncomplicated exercise combo worked plenty but especially taught Rebecca Sprowell about the relationship of pressure and the ground and she bossed it.
You only need look around at your local and see we all run differently, but we can when highlighted and worked on run more efficiently and importantly suffer less injury through doing so.
Now tell me a runner who doesn’t want that for Christmas 🎅🏼

A plank is fine when executed well, but you add variations and work through different planes, and resistance on top of it, you’ll soon have automatic functional core to be proud of.

So we focus on the engaged pelvis flat back and powerful balanced hips.

Breathing is next focus and this is all about rhythm, but if you forget about breathing you’ll soon tighten up.

Rotations internal and external require extra pressure in your stabilising muscles lower back, hips, flexors and shoulders to allow a controlled turn.

All the while we can’t let the core go or relax because if we do we are just doing lower back rotations and we can’t have that can we.

The Weighted vest session.

An occasional session wearing a 20kg weighted vest and doing exercises that will work the core better, have the back working in load a lot more and give that general feeling of being slower, more deliberate and focussed.

The great part is of course taking it off and feeling the immediate impact on all exercises, as your focus hasn’t dropped and your muscles are still on overdrive engaged mode yet the exercises feel so much easier.

So we learn to focus and switch on more to what the body requires when an external focus is added, then see the benefits when that’s gone, moral being, switch on and focus from the get go!!

I work with some very fit and healthy over 60s, I’m lucky they understand the benefits of strength work, resistance training and cardiovascular exercise.

Here are some of the factual benefits to reduce the inevitability’s of the ageing process.
*Stimulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease like heart attack and stroke, and reduces cancer risk and all-cause mortality.”

*Exercise improves strength and flexibility, which also help improve balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls.

*In addition to reduced muscle mass, bone density is generally reduced. This could mean weakness or frailty, poor balance
difficulty moving (mobility) and lower endurance. working with weights/resistance is proven to aid mobility and muscle function as well as good maintenance if not improving muscle density.

There is nothing better for anyone who exercises at any age never mind our older population than if they do so having a body that’s more resilient to injury, better mobility to deal with the dynamics of everyday life and with a smile because there’s more time to enjoy challenges again.

One of today’s exercises on the circuit, a hard one to get right, but timing and weight distribution is key. You are using the weight as a leverage and so it’s a counter weight, so activate the core, push the force down through the ground (feet) and shift the weight down below the glutes. We got there today but the feel at the feet is a good mechanism to work to, force through the ground is so important for much of what we do, and this exercise highlights it perfectly. #

For an all round body exercise, the is a beast. Glutes, traps, lower-back muscles, hamstrings, triceps, lats, and calves, and importantly core strength and teaching shoulder stability. Good session here incorporating into the technical part of the PT. Teaching with smaller weights first will help Neurological facilitation and build up confidence when dialling in larger weighted sets.

Sometimes it’s great to get busy using different kit to achieve results on the areas we wouldn’t associate using that kit for.

After working hard with the speed section of the session, we focussed on control, which when your fatigued physically and mentally is an area that falls by the way very quickly. However if you train the pathways regular enough they will constantly focus on form and correct engagement. trust in the process of building patterns and the confidence will shine through. The sessions should always have a purpose, not just 4 sets of 8 this or that. Focus on the small details to add texture and fill up the bigger picture.

one of the elements on today’s session. Looking at keeping the core engaged and supporting the lumbar through activated pelvis, this kept Rebecca strong enough to deliver on this tough exercise. Note her flat supported back shows her level of control. a few more weeks left before and her work@will pay off I’m sure

Using the force of the ground better, allows both the primary and secondaries to@contribute to better mechanics. So instead of holding this for 15 seconds and having all the force through the quads then having to stand up for relief, Stella was able to sit in position and pull through the bands into the back for over a minute no problem. Morale of the story is sort out your body mechanics!!

No circuits remember!

Good days work today, a few snippets montage from some of my PTs. Lots of core indirectly in charge of all exercises today. North Notts Arena

Good form on this mornings laughter session at Marc’s Asylum. Heather getting her last test in before her pretty mudder Clumber Park NTthis coming weekend. I’m sure she’ll love it!!

Today’s session with Rebecca Sprowell. “I’m
Blowing more today than I was on Sunday’s ”
Time to start upping the game a little bit, working from the core on every exercise today. No Abs sessions here I’m afraid, and to be truthful if your not working your core when exercising, your only doing it for show.
Get the most from your training and let your core be an automatic starter always in tune for all repetition you perform, whether sport, exercise or in life. fitness North Notts Arena

2M Circuit Training

Start of the Autumn means circuits are Go!!

Good varying mix of circuits catering for all abilities. Designed to get you functionally stronger, fitter and moving better.

Main Hall at North Notts arena
1800 every Sunday.
£5 per session

2M circuits starting back up on Sunday 5th September and every Sunday thereafter over winter. Sessions are tough but all levels catered for where required. Get yourself stronger to function better in movement or sport or general everyday life.

Sessions are from 1800 hours in the main hall at North Notts Arena on Eastgate. £5 per session

Last session of the day coming up in the studio, loving the new place!! Pyramid deadlifts, cable circuit and partial squats under varying load conditions to follow, heavy session.
North Notts Arena

Off on holidays for a little while. So no circuits, training or bookings till I return. See you in August. 💪🏼🙌😊