Another week, another blog and it certainly didn’t get easier with our personal trainer Jon Ashwood increasing the intensity as the group and I entered week four of our eight-week training programme on the 360 Synergy Elite course with Smart Fitness.
WEEK FOUR
It now totally makes sense as to why Jon increased our dietary intake – it’s because he is working us so much harder that our body needs the fuel. In fact, we were so pushed to our limits in week four that I found myself sleeping more than ever. I felt so exhausted post-class that I found myself walking like Mr Soft from the early 1990s soft mints adverts in the UK. Don’t remember it? No worries here’s a clip so you can understand my pain:
Diet
I’m enjoying the meals set by Jon in the diet plan and find them easy to follow. Having being diagnosed with a severe form of IBS over four years ago I banned all rice and pasta from my diet. However, I’ve allowed by myself pasta two nights a week – as per Jon’s recipe – and I find myself hugging the bowl in sheer delight. Oh how I’ve missed my friend/foe. Luckily it doesn’t cause me pain – but I won’t risk the treat more than twice a week.
As I can’t eat dairy I replaced the scrambled eggs and pancake recipes with smoothies – my new addiction.
Since coming off the juice diet and eating regularly I’ve noticed I’m suffering from the odd day of bloating again and have less trips to the toilet. This is definitely an area I need to keep an eye on.
Workout
Mon: EW photographer Victor Besa kindly joined us for our gruelling one-hour session to document the Elite group in action. Below is just our Monday session (yep, all this was in an hour’s class).
The group listen to Jon as he explains the warm up, which is all laughs when we begin
- As ever, Jon’s so-called warm up turns into pure cardio hell with weighted sprints – we are held back by the person behind us. We do around 12 shuttle sprints each
We’re not faking it. We’re shattered, but Jon won’t let us rest for longer than five seconds
- After the warm up it’s indoors for a TRX circuit which puts are legs, arms, core and shoulders to the test
After a strenuous session on the TRX platform we hit the treadmill for 20-second sprints, followed by 10-second rest. At a speed between 15-18, by the eighth and final round we’re exhausted. But it’s not the end… we have to do as many TRX body pull ups and press ups as we possibly can in 40 seconds, then we rest with the group helping each other to stretch out
Weds: A weights and conditioning class, while not as gruelling as Monday in the cardio sense, we learnt how to lift weights sensibly. That said, the continuous circuits of bar and kettlebell training (including weighted squats, clean and press, kettlebell swings and weighted sit ups) had us red, sweaty and panting. We ended the class with a 780m sprint around one of the lakes, with all of the group improving on their previous time fitness test times.
My shoulders and arms hurt so much after this session I could barely type. However, I mustered just enough energy to abuse Jon on Twitter.
Fri: I instantly regretted going out Thursday night when we had to do three sets of 200m sprints followed by a 400m sprint after a muscle burning circuit with the ViPR. More ViPR training was then followed by more sprints. We all literally ended the session face down on the grass. Tough doesn’t come close to describing this session. Every muscle and limb was so tired that, after a slow evening stroll around the marina, I was home and in bed by 9pm – on a Friday night! What has become of me?
Extra: As well as the three days of training, I usually try to do at least one form of exercise. This week I was too exhausted.
The happy (and sweaty) Elite group
360 Synergy programme costs Dhs3,000 and includes a two-month membership at Smart Fitness gym, including classes. For more information visit Smart Fitness, Cluster M, HDS Business Centre, JLT, (04) 4385055
Missed the last three weeks, visit here week 1, week 2 and week 3
