There is so much going on at the moment at Balance Performance that i could be blogging daily, the reality is that its so busy the blogging activities are at a low!

Stewart Laing is one of the UKs most respected Sports Physiologists, has worked with some of the worlds elite athletes but is able to find the most relevant tests to suit you and your goals. From hydration tests to help you optimise injury recovery to the full battery of tests to assess aerobic capabilities, body fat percentage/lean mass composition. call Balance on 02076272308.

The strength and conditioning team is very strong. Kettlebell coaches, (Svetlana, Cj Swaby) with the most experience and highest skills, knowledge gained from the worlds best teachers. Movement specialists Julien Diaz, Jason Progl delivering the Lissom technique to individuals and small groups, learn how to move with poise, control and fluidity. Strength and conditioning coach Darren Brown guiding personal training clients through bodyweight drills, olympic and power lifts.

Balance Performance has two of Londons best sports masseurs in Trevor Speller (also an osteopathic student) and Kellie Roberts (who London Irish players also benefit from). they provide deep and effective soft tissue work, Trevor also uses active isolated stretching techniques.

Martina Kehoe is teaching 2 classes each week to empower clients to care for themselves using Trigger Point Performance self massage tools to work on muscular adhesions, scar tissue and trigger points – to see the performance/recovery tools click this link http://bit.ly/fbbYKr to find out more about the classes (FREE for existing clients) call 02076272308.

As always there is an ever present depth of expertise in sports injury treatment and back pain rehabilitation.

To break up the text here’s a video to show you a piece of equipment that encapsulates alot of what goes on at our London performance centre and what we promote across Europe. Flow and control, strength and power in movement for everyone, accessible to all:

CrossCore Pulley suspension system – the WarMachine.

Balance is growing in its impact in providing people with products that are effective in strength, fitness, recovery, prevention, sports injury treatment and back pain treatment, consumables like sports tape, kinesio tape (our brand is KT Tape). Our gurantee is that we will never sell you anything that we dont believe is effective, if you are not sure if a product is right for you contact us to be absolutely confident in your purchases.

Balance Performance is once again extremely proud that Steve Cotter, world class teacher of kettlebells, athletic movement and all aspects of strength, conditioning, movement and wellbeing, will be teaching a 3 hour Masterclass at our London facility.

Friday, October 8th, 6pm – 9.15pm
Balance Performance
113 Gauden Road
London SW4 6LE

call 020-7627-2308 to book a spot: £65

Content of the Masterclass is split between the use of the Animal Moves for bodyweight strength and conditioning followed by 90 minutes of kettlebell technique work. For those who do not know Steve Cotter, he is a teacher who not only has an indepth understanding of the subjects he teaches but as an athlete also he is incredible. Poise, touch, balance, power, strength and grace in movement are very obvious.

Animal Movements:

The original Martial Arts originators observed the animals in nature for inspiration in how they would develop such force and ferocity to defend their habits. Certain animals in particular were revered for their fighting prowess. Out of these studies were develop Animal movements, which recreated the power, grace and agility of the natural kingdom. In this course, full contact champion Steve Cotter shares some of the secrets of Animal Movements to teach you how to use your whole body in a powerful, graceful and integrated manner. Not only are these tremendously challenging, but also unique and a lot of fun.

Kettlebell swing, jerk, snatch and variations:

For those new to kettlebell training, we start from the ground up essentials. For those who have been training for years, you have the benefit of Steve’s experience and the constant improvements and refinements he makes in his own training through his study with the Russian and Ukranian World Champions Lifters. If you think you know how to do these lifts, you will still learn some new tweaks and modification to take your current level to the next level. If this is your first taste of KB training, you will learn the essential movements to get you started on a safe and effective fitness program.

Call soon as previously these Masterclasses have sold out rapidly – because of this i have held off sending text messages to my own personal network to give others a fare go at getting on theMasterclass before it sells out.

Hope to see you there.

This Saturday in Edinburgh – Jonathan Lewis, Physiotherapist, Movement Strength and Conditioning coach is teaching alongside Keith Openshaw of Mad Dog Functional Training Sytems the first of a series of workshops they have written for fitness professionals, physiotherapist, sports therapists, osteopaths and chiropractors. Flow Restoration – Kettlebells for Injury Rehabilitation is a 1 day introduction to the subject (though its a subject that you could fill an MSc with).

For an overview of the workshop take a look at the Simple Strength website, our hosts in Edinburgh this Saturday. http://simplestrength.com/workshops-2/

This workshop wil be running in London and the East Midlands soon so if you are interestred in knowing more please contact either Jonathan or Keith.

On May 29th Jonathan Lewis and Keith Openshaw (Mad Dog Functional Training Systems) are teaching the a workshop in Edinburgh which will be the first of a series “Flow Restoration”. The Edinburgh workshop is “Flow Restoration – Kettlebells for Injury Rehabilitation”. If you are a physiotherapist/personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach or any other professional wanting to know more than contact Jonathan at Balance or Rannoch Donald begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting in Edinburgh http://simplestrength.com/

But was it is flow?

Flow can equally be a mental state as it is a physical expression. It is seamless transitions from one posture to the next, one sequence of movement to next, a change in direction, a shift in energy systems. Flow ultimately becomes completely smooth and unconscious. Keith Openshaw writes in the workshop manual about the mental state of flow “several terms can give its meaning such as ‘super clarity’ being ‘in the zone’ or ‘totally psyched’ but flow is a way of ‘lifting you from ordinary to optimal’ “.

Our workshop will not go anywhere close to teaching what is demonstrated below but its a great piece of footage showing how humans can flow. However whatever level you are at when flow is interrupted through injury a system is required to restore what has been lost.

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.

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.

If you are serious about strength and conditioning you really should attend a high quality kettlebell workshop. If you are a “kettlebell coach” you really MUST train on a workshop of international standing with a solid curriculum: the IKFFs CKT- Certified Kettlebell Teacher – is one such workshop.

Details are below but if you have questions on the workshop feel free to contact IKFF UK Directors:

Jonathan Lewis on 07960861267 or 02076272308,

or Rannoch Donald of Kettlebells Scotland at: rannoch@simplestrength.com

London, England – March 13 – 14, 2010

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!

Just found a website called Urban Path looking at which London gyms and fitness centres had managed to get themselves in to their listing.

Some of the “top” gyms in Notting Hill, Fitzrovia, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden, Marylebone, Battersea, Fulham and Soho are listed with reviews invited. The comments  are insightful and should give us, the Strength and Conditioning team at Balance, things to think about as we expand further into the world of Personal Training! The negative comments reassure us that we are not making the common errors seen at membership gyms, and the positive comments are similar to the ones we have received consistently for over 8 years.

Some of the other comments tell us we should be sure to manage peoples expectations.

What we are and what we are not!

As we tempt new clients by highlighting the results of our clients and the extent of our  experience and expertise we should be just as clear about what we dont offer. So to avoid some of the comments and criticisms given to the gyms at Urban Path here are some facts to head them off:

• no joing fees to complain about
• no Molton Brown shower gel or body lotions
• we are open 7.30am -9pm Mon- Thurs (close 5pm Fri), 9am-4pm Saturday and shut on Sunday (at moment mostof our clients are happy with that – things may change of course).
• we have no jacuzzi or sauna
• we dont have any resistance machines – not even a lat pull down! Consequently you dont have to get annoyed waiting for someone to get off one. We teach our clients who lack confidence in their abilities to gain body awareness and practice movement control so the vast majority of our equipment is free and dynamic (kettlebells and bands) or we simply use our bodyweight. We do have 3 treadmills, a bike or two, a cross trainer, and a concept 2 rower however.
• we have no direct debit run or contracts. You like it you stay, you want to train outside in the fresh air or at your sports club no problem.
• there is no juice bar…or nail bar.
• we sold our bench pressing bench – there are enough in the world and we wanted a bit more space to be creative in.
• we do have classes:  Kettlebells (5 of them), pilates (3 run by the Pilates Sanctuary), athletic movement, full throttle conditioning – maybe some boxing in the near future, and always looking for a yoga class. We promote Eischens Yoga for home yoga training (especially for those recovering from injury) but have struggled to find a class that resonates with what our clients want.
• we dont have gym instructors “walking the floor”, although for about 75% of the week we have at least one of the strength and conditioning coaches around to assist physiotherapists with treatment and rehabilitation needs of  clients. The majority of the time those using the Balance facility independently are expected to be independent.

Gym use and personal training.

Its true that we have been doing one to one training with clients since 2001, we have guided individuals to success after success, achieving their unique personal goals. We have seen the widest range of men and women, old and adolescent, with varying goals and aspirations:

• elite and professional sporting and performance goals;
• peak conditioning for military operations;
• recovery from long term illnesses such as chronic fatigue;
• rehabilitation following major surgery such as heart and lung transplantation;
• a return to healthier lifestyles and a sense of well being following episodes of mental illness, addictions,  and periods of counselling.
• and of course a speedy return to work and recreational sports, athletics, dance and martial arts following minor and major inuries or orthopaedic reconstructive operations.

however most of the people who have trained with us have by and large come to us based on Balances reputation as being one of the uk and europes top centres for sports injury treatment and back pain rehabilitation. Now we are opening up a little and inviting those seeking more traditional “personal training” results to come to Balance and see why its more about the training and less about the Molton Brown, sauna or eyebrow technician.

RESULTS

By traditional results I mean:

• trimming of legs and bums
• abdominal toning
• fat and weight loss
• chiselling chests
• sculpting shoulders and buttocks

Our approach to health and fitness clients is no different than that taken with sports and performance, injury and illness – train like an athlete, use dynamic movement not machines, train frequently, with discipline and quality, enjoyment and satisfaction.

We also have the most important professional required for weight loss – a dietician, Rees Colling, who will guide you to the inevitable truth, that a sustainable bodyweight can only be achieved with a sustained approach to eating. To find out which way is going to suit you speak with Rees.

For more information on Personal Training at Balance, using the gym independently (pay as you go), strength and conditioning for sports, dance or martial arts, a consultation with Dietician Rees, or coming to us for treatment and rehabilitation go to our contact page – click here.