This week we're chatting to Simon, Paul and Joey at Urban Training Systems, winner of the Best Fitness Class category in the MoveAWARDS to find out more about the men behind UTS.
What inspired you to get into the world of fitness?
We are all keen sports people and have been from a young age; racket sports, rugby, skiing, football, swimming. We all have passion for movement, and testing our bodies in various ways. We all had inspiring role models when we were younger; like Andre Agassi who had a great mental attitude towards sport with a charismatic sense of humour. Each of us researched and listened to mentors and tutors, then enrolled on courses to be fully-fledged accredited fitness professionals. We all have a passion for delivering training sessions to a high standard and sharing our knowledge. We individually decided to start our own businesses and by fate, met and merged our offerings to give our clients a truly amazing product. As time moved on, inspiration came in the form of the Olympic Games in London, we took up cycling and branched into the world of triathlon.
What do you love most about what you do? We are extremely focused trainers who prefer nothing more than delivering diverse group training sessions. Helping clients redefine themselves; push themselves to new levels and improve their quality of life. We believe that movement is the key to improvement, not just strength or stamina. If you can move in the correct way the task will be easier to achieve and reduce the risk of injury. We all love the interaction with our clients, whether its helping them improve technique or giving them advice to take away and think about. Exercise is not just for an hour now and then, it’s a way of life.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? We hope to expand the Endurance Club side of the brand, allowing us to put on our own triathlon event. We’d love to see our team compete in national endurance races and also run regular training camps and workshops (hopefully abroad, where there is sun!)
Who or what is your inspiration? We are inspired by anyone who puts effort into achieving their goals. Also our peers in the same business sector as us who manage to grow and share their knowledge to help others improve. Our clients who always want to learn and progress also inspire us. With the correct knowledge and hard work they show incredible improvement, which gives us a great feeling knowing we have helped make a difference.
What's your top tip for anyone looking to get fit
Always start slow, don’t over-do your first couple of weeks as your body will need to adapt. If you’re not sure about something then ask for advice, whether it be from a gym instructor, personal trainer or physiotherapist. This is what we are trained to do so we can set you off in the right direction and avoid you becoming confused by the masses of conflicting information on the internet and in the press. Visit our blog STARTING A FITNESS regime to find out more but here's a few of oyr top quick tips!
Get started
- Be clear about your goals and date your targets
- Give yourself (realistic!) milestones to reach
- Tell friends and family about them so you don’t back out!
- Invest if you can in one-to-one time with a personal trainer
- Get a fitness programme specific to your requirements
- Keep your programme up to date
Get organised
- Plan the week’s sessions in your diary
- Make sure your gym kit’s ready, running watch/heart rate monitor charged
- Remember to warm up, cool down and stretch
- Treat yourself to regular massages to help muscle recovery
- Prepare healthy meals and snacks in advance
- Set a bed time rule to ensure optimal rest (7-8 hours/night ideally)
Stay motivated
- Use mobile phone apps to record progress
- Have a visual reminder to get out and train – hang up that little black dress where you can see
- Exercise to music (be careful when running outdoors)
- Try something new – do a group fitness class or be active with your friends/family
- Set benchmarks, such as entering a fitness event
- Get feedback from your personal trainer on your progress
- Reward yourself when you reach your goals
Live in Bath and want to check out UTS's award winning class? Just click this link and join for free.
