Any nutrition geek knows that the best way to consume grains, is fermented, so we’re going to check out some of the finest fermented grain based beverages in Manchester, by doing a Chorlton based Ale Trail
Summer is here, and while we veterans know that outdoor training rocks all year round, for the uninitiated it’s a great time to find their Primal Bare-feet!
To help your pals take the plunge, we’re offering any friends of members 2 whole weeks of totally free Primal Fitness!
This offer is valid at either venue – Chorlton Park or Greengate Square.
Even better, introduce 2 or more friends, and we’ll give you a free Primal T-Shirt to say thank-you!
On 21st July 2013 Jill “#PrimalGirl” Milns will be attempting to complete the Race for Life Trafford 5k – on all fours!
In case you’re not sure what we mean, here’s a video of Jill doing some training for the event:
For the uninitiated, one might think, “Crawling 5k, that doesn’t sound too tough! Surely 4 limbs are better than 2?”
Those of you who have done some crawling at Primal Fitness, however, will know that this is going to be no walk in the park!
Why Crawl?
We include crawling, aka Quadrupedal Movement or Animal Movement Patterns in our training sessions for a number of reasons:
Coordination
Quadrupedal Movement is fantastic for developing body awareness and coordination. Babies first learn to explore movement and develop proprioception through crawling on all fours.
The cross-body coordination involved in crawling has been shown to be critical to proper development – later in life, children pushed into walking on two legs too early by their parents have been found to lack the athletic abilities of their peers who spent more time in the crawling phase.
For adults today, a lifetime of inactivity and desk based living can lead to a loss of that mind-body connection. Taking things back to basics, and re-learning to crawl can be a great way to find it again!
Mobility
Mobility is the active range of motion (ROM) around a joint. Stretching may improve flexibility, but what you really need is to be able to move through a full ROM actively and dynamically, in exactly the way you do when performing Animal Movement Drills.
Mobility is intrinsically linked to body-awareness and coordination, another reason that Quadrupedal Movement Patterns are a much better way to develop it than traditional passive stretching.
Core Strength
The real function of the core muscles, or muscles of the trunk, are to transmit power from the lower body to the upper body (or vice-versa) and/or to provide a stable base from which both sets of limbs can produce force.
Cross Body Crawling does just this, providing a constantly changing and challenging stimulus to all the muscles of the abdominal wall whilst simultaneously working all of the limbs unilaterally.
Conditioning
Quadrupedal Crawling is hard work! This is because it is a full body exercise which recruits an awful lot of muscle.
Just crawling along on the ground is hard enough, but if you want to make it more of a challenge, try crawling up and down hills or stairs, or on uneven ground or unstable/slippy surfaces!
It’s Fun and Accessible
There are many ways to improve coordination, mobility and conditioning, and we employ many as part of Primal Fitness. We particularly like Animal Movement Patterns however because a) you can do them anywhere, with no equipment and b) they’re great fun!
How do I add crawling to my workout?
The best way to begin is by including some Quadrupedal Movement Drills into your warm-ups.
Over the next few weeks we’re going to be releasing a series of Quadrupedal Movement Pattern videos via our YouTube Channel – subscribe now to stay updated.
You don’t have to go far – 5-10 meters at a time on a flat surface should be enough to begin with. The most important thing to focus on is movement quality first. Conditioning can come later once you’ve laid a good foundation.
Why Crawl 5000m?
This is not one to try at home folks!
Crawling 5000m on all fours is going to be absolutely brutal. Don’t believe us? Try crawling for just 50m, then think about doing that x 100. Finished? See what we mean!
By doing this crazy challenge, Jill is hoping to raise both money and awareness for Cancer Research, a cause close to her heart – as it is mine and I’m sure many of you reading this, with more than 1 in 3 people in the UK diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.
After the success of last Saturday’s Free Bike Clinic, Fix Bike Go Mobile Bicycle Repairs and Primal Fitness have decided to team up on a regular basis, and offer free bike health check ups in Chorlton Park on the 1st Saturday of Every month.
Get your ride in shape while you get in shape!
The next clinic will be on Saturday 1st June – please use our contact form to book your space.
This Summer we have two new additions to the Primal Fitness Coaching Team.
Jill Milns
Many of you already know Jill, and may have attended some of her classes last year.
After a six month sabbatical travelling around Asia, Jill has returned to Primal with some new strings to her wildebeest hunting bow!
Having immersed herself deeply in the practices of yoga, thai chi and meditation, Jill is
now not only a lean, mean, burpee machine, but also brings with her a wealth of experience in mindfulness training, relaxation and stress management.
In addition to teaching classes and offering personal training, Jill can also provide Guided Relaxation Sessions, on either a 1-2-1 or group basis.
Very glad to have you back Jill!
Carole “Cazza” Jaszewski
Carole was one of the original members of Primal Fitness (http://www.primalfitness.co.uk) – a participant in the very first class in Alexandra Park many moons ago.
She quickly embraced not just the training, but also the lifestyle, and has been going from strength to strength ever since – literally!
Cazza loves to put her Primal Skills to the test – From rock climbing, trail running, and adventure races, to power lifting and fitness competitions, no challenge is too great.
Even more impressive than her athletic prowess, however, are Cazza’s abilities to motivate, inspire and coach others to achieve and surpass their own health and fitness goals.
We are therefore extremely pleased to have her on board as our newest instructor.
In just less than a month, Primal Fitness will be branching out from our leafy Chorlton Park location, to start new additional classes in the Urban Jungle of Manchester City Centre!
These classes are designed with the busy professional in mind, and will be focused on quick and efficient High Intensity Interval Training sessions using bodyweight calisthenic exercises, but still with an emphasis on fun and natural movement.
The idea is that you can bring your bike down to the class, while Fix Bike Go give your bike a good look over, checking the tyres, breaks and chain to ensure your bike is safe and road ready.
In addition to the basic check-up, Fix Bike Go can also offer everything from long term bike maintenance, cycling advice and tips, and can even provide bicycle repairs at your home of place of work!
The first Bicycle Health Clinic will be held during the Saturday morning class on the 18th May 2013. Spaces will be limited to 5 bicycles, so please contact us to book your place.
Spring is on its way, so I thought it was about time to organise the first Primal day out of the year, on Sunday 21st April.
The plan is to start the day off with some outdoor activity of a different kind – Kayaking up the River Mersey with Paddles Away UK
OK, the Mersey might not quite by this exciting…
The Kayak trip will be downstream from Burnage Rugby Club to Jackson’s Boat/Chorlton Water Park area.
The day starts at 10.00am at the Rugby Club, where Ian from Paddles Away UK will give us a quick briefing on safety and technique, before letting us loose on the water.
As the trip is downstream, and there are no white water rapids or waterfalls, the trip is suitable for all levels of ability/Sunday morning hangovers. For those that want to make it a bit more of a challenge however, you can paddle ahead, then try to “tread water” or paddle back upstream.
The cost of the days Kayaking is £20 per person. Spaces are limited due to a finite number of boats, so if you do want to come, please confirm by the Facebook event here ASAP (those of you not on Facebook let me know by email please)
The second part of the day will be refuelling with some Sunday Dinner at Jackson’s Boat Pub. Again, spaces are likely to be limited, so if you do want to eat, please confirm on this separate Facebook event.
I’ve created 2 events in order that people have the option to do either one or both, so if you do want to do both, please accept both events.
