Sorry I haven’t blogged for a while on my website but I wanted to use this as an opportunity to bring you all up to date with whats been happening with world of personal training and performance at Potentia Performance Ltd.

The last 4 weeks has proved a really busy period for our trainers with an influx of clients which has also led to us taking on expert trainers Danny Murison and Luke Sumner-Wilson. This has taken our personal training team up to 9 now. We are looking for some female trainers though as Kate and Charlotte are getting heavily outnumbered. If you think you have what it takes to join our team at Potentia then please give me a bell or drop me an email to discuss further.

We are pleased to announce that Ross Knevett will be operating out of the performance centre very shortly too. Ross has been involved from the day we opened the centre, managing our treatment rooms and being involved in decisions made but after a long wait for equipment for his room we now have a delivery date. Once the room is kitted out he will be based here a couple of days a week with Matt Swan from his team also being based here for a day carrying out sports massage. They will join our therapy team of Jen Macaulay (Physio), Michelle Lock (Beauty Therapy), April Chunnoo (Reflexology and Massage Therapy) and Paula Ruane (Bio-Energetics).

As well as building the team at the performance centre we are also continually working to drive the business forward outside of the centre too.

We have teamed up with DNA Boot Camps to deliver 6 week outdoor exercise workshops with a ‘learn as you train’ approach which will enable participants to see the physical results while gaining the confidence and knowledge you’ll need to achieve your health and fitness goals, whatever they may be and where ever you want to train.

We are also planning some other exciting projects and I have actually just come out of a meeting with one of our specialist trainers Kate Mitchell this morning in which we were discussing one of these ideas in detail with the hope of moving it to the next stage very quickly. You will have to watch this space closely for more details though as I can’t reveal anything yet.

As well as everything being busy at Potentia I am spending as much time at home as possible with my wife Leanne, my 2 and a half year old son Charlie and our new addition to the family Freddie, who is now 12 weeks old and getting bigger by the day!! Charlie starts football club this Saturday so hopefully have a budding football talent in the family.

I will try harder to get regular blogs out to keep you up to date with everything as it develops but until the next time, happy training.

Dave

Colchester started the strongest and were soon rewarded when captain Helen Bass skilfully headed home from a fine run and cross by Hannah Gowland. The U’s looked good for their one goal advantage at half time but were stunned seconds from the restart when Becky Merrit’s superb run and shot levelled the scores.

It was now the Hammers turn to take the ascendency and it was not long before they took the lead through Gemma Shepherd. Colchester showed great resilience however responding to the sudden loss of their lead and once agin started to threaten the West Ham goal where Nikki Duncan twice thwarted the lively Zoe Rushen.

It was third time lucky for Rushen however in the 73rd minute when she cooly tucked away her shot after getting free in the box.

Bass went close to winning it for the U’s in the dying seconds before 30 minutes of tense and dogged extra time as both sides dug deep to prevent relinquishing the trophy.

It was on to penalties then where goalkeeper Nikita Runnacles emerged as the Colchester heroine, brilliantly saving two of West Ham’s first three kicks before emphatically dispatching one of her own.

With Rushen & Megan Jiggins having already confidently put away Colchester’s first two spot kicks, it was down to Gowland to seal the deal and she made no mistake stroking the ball left footed, solidly into the corner of the net to spark scenes of jubilation for the U’s.

A fantastic, highly competitve game played in great spirit must surely have been great entertainement for the large crowd on hand and great credit must go to the players and staff of both sides.

The 5th Colchester Starlight Walk starts at 8pm from Lexden Wood Golf Club on 16 June 2012. Organisers, Nicky, Karen and Colin

Nicky, Dave Bond, Sarah Claxton, Karen

 invite you to join them for a beautiful, starlit, country walk to raise funds for the Breast Surgery Unit at ECH. Every walker will receive a T-shirt and medal and refreshements will be served during and after the walk.
Email starlightwalk.hotmail.co.uk for an information pack and entry form.

Starlight Walk Colchester is an annual event set up to raise awareness (yes, and money too) in support of breast cancer.

Starlight Walk Colchester is unique in that it recognises the fact that men as well as women suffer from breast cancer. We actively encourage men, women and children of all ages to take part in the challenge.

Over the past four years Starlight Walk Colchester has grown in numbers of participants and the support it has been able to give to local charities in support of breast cancer.

For more information on taking part in the walk or any other aspect of our cause please contact Nicky or Karen at starlight walk@hotmail.co.uk

I am pleased to let everyone know that I am really enjoying the change that has taken place with my personal training business.

For those of you that are unaware of the changes in brief here is what has happened;

Potentia Performance Ltd reception

After the success of my personal training business I was looking at ways to expand and take my personal training business to the next level, so last year I joined forces with David Chandler to create Potentia Performance Ltd. Over 2011 we worked incredibly hard to create a personal training centre run by personal trainers, for personal trainers. Our mission is simple; Potentia performance Ltd is dedicated to helping individual clients and the community as a whole improve their levels of fitness, health and overall well being.

Rehab and Functional Area

I am pleased to announce that on Dec 24th we opened for trading and now boast a team of the highly qualified and extremely experienced personal trainers as well as a physiotherapist, a sports injury specialist, a massage therapist, a reflexology therapist, a bio-energetics practitioner and a beautician.

We are also currently launching our Potentia Vibeworkz brand which will be headed up by vibration specialist and movement coach Alan Pearson. We currently run vibration plate classes

Performance Area

at Potentia Performance Ltd and Topnotch Health Club, Colchester but watch this space for more vibration plate studios opening soon.

Cardio Area

As you can see we are working hard but really enjoying the experience and the journey. As we grow though, one thing we are continuing to maintain and that is keeping the client as the most important aspect. If something doesn’tbenefit our clients, then we don’t do it.

So why not pop in and see us at Potentia Performance, 892 The Crescent, Colchester Business Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9YQ or visit us at www.potentiaperformance.co.uk.

You can also like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Potentia-Performance-Ltd/156518141116732

Over the years I have been committed to delivering the highest quality of personal training to all of my clients. As part of this commitment I continue to study developing techniques, test new fitness products and challenge the latest science/thinking to ensure I am the best I can be for my clients.

As part of my continued development program I have looked to align myself with other professionals who can further enhance the services I offer.

I am, therefore, pleased – and really excited – to share the newsthat I have joined forces with fellow personal trainer David Chandler to form Potentia Performance Ltd.Potentia is an exciting new concept in personal training that will ensure you receive even more from your training sessions.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more news about Potentia, the additional services on offerand other exciting developments all aimed at exceeding your expectations.

Change can be scary for some. With that in mind, I wanted to take this opportunity to personally assure you that the formation of Potentia will only add to the training quality and commitment that I offer to my clients and fello proffesionals. If you have any questions, thoughts or comments I will, as always, be happy to answer or listen to anything you have to offer.

Thank you for continuing to support me on this exciting journey so far and I look forward to continuing it with you and Potentia Performance Ltd.

Watch this space for more developments or visit our new website www.potentiaperformance.co.uk

Colchester United’s Female Academy completed a remarkable and unprecedented clean sweep of major domestic college titles with success in the fourth leg of their grand slam, a 2-0 victory over Arsenal Ladies Oaklands College Academy in the British Colleges National Cup Final at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium.

The young U’s were under pressure for much of the first half as Arsenal moved the ball around stylishly but Colchester’s well organized and determined midfield and defensive units coped well and did not allow the Gunners any real looks at Helena Brodie’s goal. As Colchester continually frustrated Arsenal’s attacks they began to take better care of the ball themselves and started to look dangerous on the counter attack. Hannah Gowland and Hayley West both had good opportunities to open the scoring Gowland shooting just wide and West’s half volley at the far post flying over. Both were to make amends however before the break as first West’s determination allowed her to power past the Arsenal back line and goalkeeper to tap into an open net and then Gowland provided an exquisite left footed finish into the far corner after chasing down a Flo Gamby through ball.

Arsenal’s only real chance of the game came from a free kick that struck the post shortly before half time but Colchester preserved there two goal advantage into the interval.

Hannah Gowland

In the second half Arsenal again enjoyed possession in the first two thirds but could not break Colchester down, their incredible work rate denying Arsenal any time or space in dangerous areas. Again Colchester always threatened on the break, Sian Fagg striking the cross bar with a powerful header and the hard working Gowland, named player of the match, could have sealed the game after rounding Elizabeth Stanley in the Arsenal goal only to shoot into the side netting.

There was to be no comfortable run in for Colchester though as they lost commanding centre half Megan Jiggins to injury with ten minutes of regular time remaining and the referee then saw fit to play nine minutes of added time as Arsenal desperately sought a way back into the game. Colchester were in no mood to relinquish the advantage though and there were jubilant scenes when the final whistle eventually came as the U’s youngsters realized the final exclamation point on an incredible season had been achieved.

Captain Maegan Doyle lifted the cup which joins the BCS Elite League National Play-Off and East Division championships along with the English Schools FA National Cup in Colchester’s bulging trophy cabinet.

Academy Manager David Coyle reflected on the day and season commenting;

“I have never seen a side work as hard as our players did today. To limit an extremely talented side like Arsenal to one speculative shot on goal as well as playing some great football ourselves was exceptional. It was a performance that really summed up our season and the qualities the players have displayed all year. We don’t necessarily have the big name to attract internationals from around the country like our opposition today are able to, but our players have demonstrated what can be achieved with hard work, commitment and heart.”

Summing up the season’s achievements Coyle added;

“Essentially what we have done at the U-19 women’s level is the equivalent of winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup all in one season. It’s an incredible achievement to win four major trophies in one season, something that has never been done before and is unlikely to be repeated. It’s been a real team effort from the players, staff and supporters along with the support from Thurstable School and Colchester United Community Sports Trust and an amazing experience I am sure everyone involved will never forget”

So how do you get an honest answer about the right nutrition? The truth is that we are all different and therefore our bodies function in different ways. No one diet can guarantee healthy weight loss for all and exercise programmes need to be tailored to meet your specific requirements and lifestyle.

Fad diets offer no permanent solution. They generally involve starving the body in one way or another. The end result is usually the same. You reach your target weight only to gain back all the weight you lost and more besides as soon as you go back to your normal eating habits..This is because your body goes into ‘starvation mode’. Think about a bear sleeping all winter without having to eat. When it wakes its body craves food which is instantly convereted to body fat to ensure the bear survives the next winter. Our bodies work on a similar principle. When food is scarce our bodies adapt to use less energy. We become lethargic; we sleep more and generally feel sluggish. When food is readily available again such as at the end of a diet, our bodies convert more of the food to body fat faster so as to protect itself in case of future famine.  So what do we do?

Let’s go back to basics, back to how our bodies have evolved over the past 600,000 years. Our bodies are built to eat and digest food in a specific way. While evolution has seen our anatomy change (the appendix being no longer active in the digestion process for example) this has taken hundreds of thousands of years.

Early man used to live off the land eating only what they could hunt or gather. Meat, fish, nuts, berries, seasonal fruit and vegetables were all high on the menu. They had a balanced diet getting their protein source from the meat, fish and nuts and their carbohydrates from foods such as berries and fruit. There were certainly no artifical flavourings or additives.

Nowadays many of us bulk out our meals using complex carbohydrates such as potato, rice, pasta and bread. These kinds of foods only became available through the introduction of agriculture which, in the scheme of our evolution is surprisingly recent. All this means that our bodies have not yet evolved enough to be able to break some of these foods down properly.

As a personal trainer the first task I set myself when I am looking at a client’s eating plan is to find out which complex carbohydrates they are eating. We then work together to introduce alternatives which can be more easily broken down and digested. This is achieved by adding and removing foods from the client’s diet while closely monitoring their body fat percentage, body measurements and weight. I also look at my clients eating habits, when are they eating, how often and how much. We work together to get them into the habit of grazing.

The aim of graze feeding is to ensure clients don’t get hungry and go into starvation mode but I also don’t want them overindulging and putting on body fat due to excess eating. That’s why, initially we work together to identify suitable snacks to take in between main meal times that will work well as part of a complete and balanced diet.

One snack which is a favourite among dieters is the “healthy cereal bar”. This product was introduced to the market in 1997 and sales continue to grow. A lot of money has been spent advertising these bars as “healthy, light, diet or “Good for you”. The reason given for this is the use of whole grain that is low in fat and uses natural ingredients. However, once the ingredient lists are investigated and a full understanding of healthy eating applied then it soon becomes apparent that cereal bars may not be as healthy as the marketing may indicate. This can also be true for a lot of modern day food variations. Listed below are some considerations when next buying a cereal bar.

Whole grains are bland and tasteless – cereal bars often contain high amounts of refined sugars, sugar alternatives and fruit concentrates. This often exceeds the 15g sugar per 100g that the FSA (Food Standards Agency) set as the level for a high sugar food.

They will likely cause a high insulin response because of the moderate to high glycaemic loads. This is associated with fat storage.

- Grain products are usually high in mineral blocking phytic acid.
- They often use omega 6 dominant vegetable oils such as sunflower, rapeseed or soy bean oil.
- Starches, gums, preservatives and emulsifiers are commonly included additives.
- They may be fortified with synthetic vitamins.

Cereal Bars are just one example of how the new market of healthy, convenience foods continues to expand. Only time will tell what these highly refined carbohydrate snack foods will do to our bodies.

A good snack to have to hand during the day are nuts and fruit. Nuts provide a good source of protein and unsaturated fats that not only provide you with a much needed energy source but the unsaturated fats within the nuts assist with brain stimulation. Fruit is a good carbohydrate source so by combining a piece of fruit with a small handful of nuts you have created a good mid morning and mid afternoon snack for in between meals.

An excuse I often hear from clients when it comes to main meals is ‘I don’t have enough time.’ This usually means either a lack of preparation or psychological barriers they are putting in the way. People who really want to lose weight do not miss breakfast. If necessary get up 15mins earlier. Lunch time meals can be prepared the evening before or can even be leftovers of the previous evening meal. Meals can be simple and easy if time is precious. By far the best way to make your weeks eating simple and manageable is preparation. If you know work commitments or a busy family schedule will stop you eating properly during the week plan ahead and prepare your meals at the weekend. If you have an idea of what you are eating on which days then you can prepare for the coming week so write a menu for the week. It is important that all meals are eaten to allow you and your body to get into a routine and avoid going into starvation mode.

Even though, there are no generic magic diets there are some general rules that you can stick to that will improve your eating habits, help your bodies function properly and optimally help you to achieve your goals. Eat little and often. Three main meals and mid morning and mid afternoon snacks.

Cut out caffeine after 4pm to allow time for all stimulants to pass through the body by the time you go to bed. This will help you sleep better and allow the body to recover properly. Lack of sleep can also be a contributing factor to body fat storage. This is due to hormone imbalances and certain chemical productions within the body.
If you need an evening snack after your evening meal, ensure it is a protein based snack such as cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. Carbohydrates are an energy source and will stop you achieving a deep sleep when you go to bed.

Get the majority of your carbohydrates from foods such as fruit, vegetables and salads and reduce your intake of potato, rice, pasta and bread.

Ensure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.

I see a lot of people who want to lose weight and most have tried different diets before coming to see me. Some people have achieved great weight lose but suffered other effects such as loose skin or eating disorders. The majority have put the weight back on and more besides. To lose weight and keep it off you must eat healthily and combine it with an exercise programme suited to your specific needs.

You should always consult your doctor before carrying out any major changes to your eating habits or starting on a course of exercise especially if you have existing medical conditions. If you would like an individual eating plan tailored specifically for your requirements contact me today via my contacts page. Alternatively, contact a professional in your area.

Colchester were in control throughout the match but chance after chance went begging as Balby Carr somehow managed to stay on level terms into the half time break.

It looked like the deadlock would be broken midway through the second half when Hannah Gowland who terrorised the Balby defence all day long without managing to find the net was sent tumbling in the box. The frustration continued however for the U’s as Emily Heaslip’s spot kick was well saved by Katie Bailey in the Doncaster goal who then also managed to scramble away the rebound.

It was left then to a moment of real quality from captain Maegen Doyle to seal the deal, producing a 65th minute goal truly worthy of winning a major cup final. Collecting the ball in the centre circle the England U-19 international jinked past a series of opposition challenges before unleashing a vicious swerving, dipping strike from 25 yards that this time Bailey could only watch as it bulged the corner of the net.

Colchester continued to control the game and confidently played out the remaining minutes to clinch the title sparking jubilant scenes at the final whistle highlighted by a series of back flips from the elated goal scorer Doyle. While Doyle had provided the moment of inspiration, it was a tremendous all around team performance from the players, staff and supporters that got the team over the line, one that left Academy Manager David Coyle brimming with pride,

“I am delighted for the players, I know how hard they work and it is a fantastic reward and achievement for them. We were the better team by far today but the longer it stayed goaless you never know especially after we had missed so many chances and the penalty. It was a great testament to the players attitude though that they kept going and eventually made the breakthrough. At the end of the day in a cup final you just need to score one more than the other team and that was good enough today. In some ways it was good for the players experience and development that they had to work so hard as if we had put away our chances and won by six or seven it may have lessened the sense of acheivment.”

Colchester United Ladies Director of Football Kevin Anderson remarked on the importance of the win in the context of the club’s overall ambitions,

“It’s a landmark for the club, we have a great set up along with our Centre of Excellence and Ladies teams, the club is ambitious and moving in the right direction and we want to be challenging for honours at all age levels. The Academy is leading the way, the players and staff are a joy to be around and work with and are a fine example of the standards we are setting, everyone involoved was proud to wear the badge today”

There could be more honours in store for the Academy squad as they are still involved in the latter stages of four other competitions. On May 11th they will take on Arsenal Ladies Academy in the British Colleges National Cup Final, while the team also sits on top of the BCS National Elite League ahead of both Arsenal and Chelsea Ladies Academy programmes. The team will also be looking to reach the BCS National Elite League Play-Offs final for the second consecutive season and also to defend their Essex Colleges crown.

Any talented young female players aged 15-18 interested being considered for next season’s squad should contact Academy Manager David Coyle on 07872 542300 or dcoyle@cucst.org.uk