Days of sled dragging lay ahead, across this shifting landscape

Rupert Goodwin has been connected to Balance for many years now – he has had some tough times and has overcome them. Now he has a daunting challenge ahead of him that was taken on voluntarily!

Rupert's London training involved kettlebells, sandbags, mobility, rowing and copious tyre dragging

Ruperts preparations have been thorough but as with most living in London he has had to deal with the stresses of a his career, long hours and business travel. His physical training has included sandbag training, kettlebell conditioning, bodyweight drills, concept rower intervals and a few efforts on the “Deadmill”.

Apart from setting himself a personal challenge of a lifetime Rupert is doing this with the added incentive of raising some money for 2 wonderful charities.

Rupert pulling his sled on sand dunes in the Netherlands with his Dutch team mates

Please support Rupert in this great adventure by giving to Down’s South and HemiHelp, two wonderful charities that help families with children with Down’s Syndrome and or Hemiplegia – they are local and make a direct and very positive impact. Special children with special needs and their parents need help and support. These charities offer practical help and therapy – to families and especially to the children who need it.

These are the Just Giving sites you can use to support these two very worthy local childrens charities:

Down’s South: http://www.justgiving.com/Rupert-von-Eisenhart-Goodwin0
HemiHelp: http://www.justgiving.com/Rupert-von-Eisenhart-Goodwin-HH

Best wishes to Rupert from everyone at Balance.

Balance Performance #Running Clinic info: http://bit.ly/cp1Oe5 our expertise goes beyond high quality rehab and the Alter-G, we do PBs too!

We have long catered for runners – from novice marathoners to elite and professional runners – but we have refocussed some of our existing services and changed the structure some to better cater for a runners requirements. Early feedback is very positive.

We hope London’s runners, triathletes and recreational marathoners will see that Balance is a place to get expert advice on getting personal bests not just high quality rehabilitation.

Click here for the Running Clinic page

Jonathan Lewis and Balance have had a long working relationship with Steve Cotter, one of the worlds best teachers of strength and conditioning, health and fitness concepts, an incredible athlete and an internationally recognised authority on kettlebells. We are therefore very proud to have made our ties even stronger and will now be the UKs exclusive distributor of Steve Cotter products.

Watch this space and the Balance shop as we will soon carry more DVD titles and other information products from Steve and the IKFF.

To celebrate the Marathon and Racing Season Balance has a Buy One Get One FREE offer for sessions on the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill.

The benefits of the Alter-G a.k.a the “G-Trainer Pro” are many and Balance is going to make a concerted effort to see that more people get to see the potential in using the treadmill. Its not just for accelerated rehabilitation and weight loss. Running and multisport athletes can improve running speed, conditioning, prevent overtraining and assist recovery.

Despite all these benefits many baulk at the idea of running inside even its just once per week! So high praise from world class athlete Shannon Rowbury who last week “Tweeted”:

“Alter-G at M2. Very few products could make me run inside on a gorgeous day like today. Love AG. Great for recovery.”

Shannon Rowbury: Olympic athlete, 2009 World Championships 1500m Bronze Medalist and Alter-G user

To book a session on the Alter-G and find out what a difference it can make contact us via the main website by clicking this underlined link CONTACT PAGE.

To get the details on the offer GO HERE

Updated news piece on main site:  http://bit.ly/cxTTQj

Mick and Graham "working" and forging links in Chamonix

click here the highlighted link for news and a thought on Steve Cotters guide to Kettlebell Lifting and also details of the UKs upcoming CKT workshops, one of the worlds most highly regarded and recognisable certifications for kettlebell coaches: http://bit.ly/9cyg82

The Complete Guide to Kettlebell Lifting

Cj (Cj’s Fitness) and Sabina Skala (Gym Jones protege) are back in action at Balance every Saturday for this conditioning circuit style class (Londons Best!).

Saturday, 12.15-13.15pm

“Kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls, free weights, the works! Get fit (or die trying!)

Its here at Balance, London SW4 6LE (60 seconds from Clapham North Tube Station, 60 seconds from Clapham High Street Overground Station).

TEXT CJ to get the class concession price of £10 or turn up on day at £15.

+447903210510

Bring a friend, share the burden!

PS. Next week Dennis Ricketts will be starting a new Boxing Class at Balance, 1.30pm every Saturday. This isnt Boxercise! this is an experienced coach teaching technique and working you out.

All welcome you dont have to be experienced just enthusiastic!

There have been new year resolutions set early within the Balance team.

Two members of the Balance sports injury team – Frances Lynn and Paula Coates, have recently started their base training for individual endeavours in 2010.
With professional support from Pat Leahey at Provo2 (www.provo2.com) both girls have undergone metabolic testing and cycling power testing to tailor their individual training needs. Paula and Fran will be regularly updating this blog to keep you up to speed with their progresses.

Fran, one of our triathlon and cycling specialist physios, has entered an Ironman distance triathlon in Roth, Germany in July 2010. This has been voted in the top 10 best Triathlons in the world by 220 magazine. It is sadly now fully entered, but for more info on the race see www.challenge-roth.com.

Paula will be travelling further afield to the beautiful landscape of Cape Town, South Africa to compete in the Cape Argus Pick n Pay cycle tour. The 109km race claims to be the largest timed cycle race in the world. This can still be entered, for details see www.cycletour.co.za

Sunday 8th November, Fran says:

“Sorry for the delay in updating my progress, but I have been busy…training!  I am well into my 16-week base training plan that Pat has planned for me using the results of my metabolic tests done in September.  It is going well but has taken a lot of juggling to get most of my sessions in.  I find using my heart rate monitor really useful.  It makes me realise the mistakes I made in the past when training for my Olympic distance tri’s and even when I used to row.   The intensity of my sessions are much lower now, and as a result I am less tired following a session and experience fewer cravings or sugar lows throughout the day.

I am most pleased with my cycling training.  I am now up to 4hrs on my long ride, with a 1hour power interval session, and a 2 and half hour recovery ride.   I have had my road bike set up expertly done by Julian @ CYCLEFIT.  After some adjustments and a need to reduce my handlebar reach I have also invested in some new cycling shoes that I can fit my orthotics into (have a dodgy left big toe), they are great and make such a difference to my ongoing left pelvic pain I have had since pregnancy.  I have also supplemented my strength training with the help of CJ, and I have now started an intial 4 week kettlebell strengthening phase.

Part of my motivation for doing an Ironman triathlon next year is to give me a focus for my training and fitness.  I found it hard to routinely make time for myself after having my son 13 months ago, I felt weak, overweight (7kg and 5% bodyfat overweight at the 12 month mark) and lacking energy.  I now feel that I have a great structure of work, family, friends and training that is really coming together.  I am doing much more physical activity than 3 months ago, but week by week I am definitely feeling more vibrant and alert and importantly to me, stronger.  I will get my metabolic tests, cycle power tests and body statistics updated at the end of the month, and I am confident that I will have lost body fat and hopefully my VO2 max will have improved as well.  My running speed has certainly improved.  My mile PB at 75% bodyweight on the G-trainer has dropped from 5min23sec to 5min 11sec, I am gunning for the 5minute barrier at the next WRC Mile Challenge meet on 21st November.

Please let me know if there are other mum’s out there with sporting challenges for next year, whether its triathlon, marathon or anything that is a challenge to you.  Myself and the Balance team would love to hear about all of your plans.  Happy training!  Fran”

Wednesday 9th December, Fran says:

‘ I have my re-test tomorrow with Pat Leahey for my running VO2 max… a little nervous, I think my VO2 max will be better because I feel so much fitter than I did 3 months ago.  I don’t think I will have met my weight loss target of 7kg though, but have definitely lost some weight and feel stronger.  I have been carrying an injury for the past 3 weeks, because it has been my neck it has limited me in pretty much all 3 disciplines.  Have been working on core and flexibility but little else.  Back running and cycling this week a little edgy, but feels good to get the endorphines flowing again.  Lets see how it goes in the morning….’

Recycling this blog direct from Cj…

With 19 days left until registration closes, the Uk Open Kettlebell Competition 2009 is truly underway. Men, women and teams from throughout the UK and beyond will be stepping up to the platform and pitting themselves in a gruelling contest against the steel, plus raising money for two worth while charities.

The stage is set at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre 18th July, for what promises to be a phenomenal event. The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is rich in sporting history, hosting everything from Olympic standard international athletics and Judo. The UK Kettlebell Open Championships will continue that rich sporting tradition by making history as the fist Kettlebell Championships to be hosted at this prestigious venue.

Steve Cotter and Kenblackburn will be competing

The event is not just for elite Kettlebell Athletes, Amateur and Professional divisions are available for the men and women categories, and for those of you who want to enter a team to spread the work load, there are special team events – so there is something for eveyone. You can register online at www.kettlebellcompetition.co.uk and find out the full details of each event in the Rules and Regulation download. Every entrant gets a medal and there will be trophies for the overall winners.

The event will also feature various exciting displays of dynamic human movement. We are proud to announce that Urban Free Flow ( Free running and Parkour specialist) will be unleashing their skills. Cutting edge Health and Fitness related stalls will be available on the day for you to enjoy.

Check it out and enter at www.kettlebellcompetition.co.uk

Cj and Jon

“Girevoy Sport – Keeping the UK Open”

There will be at least one Balance Team for you to join or if you are part of the Industrial Strength London crowd

]]> http://balancephysio.com/blog/2009/06/uk-open-kettlebell-championships-july-18th-2009/feed/ 1 http://balancephysio.com/blog/2009/06/mma-fighter-coach-michael-bisping-training-video/ http://balancephysio.com/blog/2009/06/mma-fighter-coach-michael-bisping-training-video/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:07:36 +0000 JonathanLewis http://balancephysio.com/blog/?p=157



MMA Bay arranged a Q&A session on their forum with Michael Bisping, I logged on and asked a question on strength and conditioning. http://tinyurl.com/pb3lgx

There is also a training video on the Industrial Strength London website http://www.islondon.co.uk

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