Author: jameschrisshannon

On first hearing, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Turf Games is a fancy five-a-side football tournament. Instead, the games are the Glastonberry festival of the fitness industry.

So why are you hearing about them now?

Well, the games are returning to the UK (Farnborough) on Saturday 18th February 2023 with three divisions for entry: Everyday, Intermediate, and Elite.

The elite division is what you would expect. Pitched as ‘the best of the best’, it has teams from around the UK competing for the coveted fitness crown. The intermediate division is for those with some experience and fitness professionals who might have previously entered a Turf Games or taken part on other events.

For the rest of us, the Everyday division is the place to be. The festival atmosphere gains the camaraderie of teammates but also between teams to be a truly special event. If you don’t have a gang of fitness-leaning buddies, you can sign up as an individual and maybe make a few friends along the way.

You’ll be picking up dumbells, kettlebells and barbells to deadlift, should to overhead, carry and clean. You’ll also be rowing, biking, skiing, running, climbing and jumping.

Find more information at https://turfgames.com/blogs/news/uk-winter-festival-23

Sign up at https://www.team-aretas.com/competitions/801

With more than 7,000 fitness centres in the UK, there will be the right place for you.

The challenge is finding it. Whether that’s on a fitness finder like Gymist or a map service like Google, there are some things to consider first.

The first step is deciding why you are training. Is there a specific goal? Is there a particular activity? This will help you start to filter and rank the centres near you. Obviously, if you want to play five-a-side football, you want a centre with 5-a-side pitches. If you’re training for a powerlifting competition, you want a centre with specialised weights. If you don’t have a specific activity in mind, that’s no worries; general gyms will do.

So now you know what you’re looking for, there are a few other factors that will help you decide on the place for you.

Proximity sounds like a simple one but the distance you’re willing to travel depends on a few things. When are you training? Peak time? Then you won’t want to travel far. Taking public transport? Then you might not want to walk far after leg day. Map it out and make sure you will be willing to travel the distance regularly.

You may already have decided on what facilities you need if you have a specific activity or type of training. However, you might also think about parking, 24-hour access or whether there is a pool.

Now you’ve decided the type of gym you are looking for, the areas you will travel to and what facilities you want. The last part is finding it. You might start with Google maps, but I’ve found that if you want to find the classes and facilities you want, Gymist is the site I prefer. 

It might look like the steepest learning curve you’ve seen and sound like a cult; however, Crossfit has gained so much popularity because it has value.

Your friend who got into Crossfit went through the Scientology style preaching and levelled off into the stray invite, then appeared on holiday with the body you’ve dreamed of. Magic?

No, it isn’t magic, but it is an exercise system that rewards dedication and determination. While we often see the crossfitters who have been working out for years, most sessions are filled with those of us that need a step change. The beginning of the journey can be intimidating, so here is a quick guide for getting started.

The first step

When I’m feeling very unfit, it can feel like a thousand-mile journey to get passably fit. However, that is ancient Chinese wisdom. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Just deciding and committing to starting the journey is enough to start. Crossfit might be a fast journey, but it is still a journey.

Live it, love it

A large part of fitness is the lifestyle, and Crossfit emphasises this. You have to make the effort in your lifestyle to achieve the results you see online. You have to live the Crossfit mentality in your diet and day to day before you’ll love the exercise sessions.

Cross-functional fitness

It sounds like a marketing blurb for the uninitiated, but Crossfit is what it says it is. The easiest way to understand it is in reverse order. Fitness, yep, we got that. It might lead to exceptional fitness, but we all understand that fitness is the goal.

Functional is where the exercises may differ from your regular gym routine. Functional literally means movements that you may find helpful in life. Rather than isolating individual muscles as bodybuilders do, you want to build a functional body.

The cross part is not the result of the faces made during Crossfit. It is the idea of cross-function. For most people, this means building a body that has multiple functions or ‘cross functions’. This is why you will perform a variety of exercises, from flipping a tyre to sprinting. 

However you begin, the fastest way to know if Crossfit suits you is to find a Crossfit centre near you and get started!

I’m all ‘all the gear and no idea’, are you?

Have you ever wondered what the best gear to buy for your workout is? Whether you are a yoga practitioner, a marathon runner on the treadmill, or just enjoy the free weights area, it’s essential to choose what you are comfortable with. This article gives great insights and tips on choosing the right gear to help make your experience more enjoyable and even more productive.

*Let’s skip over clothes. You can work out in a hoodie or in fabletics, whatever is functional and comfortable. Today let’s just look at what will help your gym time.

Lifting shoes

Edward Cooper writing in Men’s Health, suggests that you can tell the serious weight lifters not by their muscles but by their shoes.

The idea is that the spongey sole that takes the brunt out of impacts while running is not helpful when lifting weights. A softer sole can absorb some of your lifting power and allow movement around your ankle, which will not work out well.

These shoes are function over form and are specific to lifting. They aren’t going to give you the cushion that we are used to. However, if you are lifting, they are worth the investment. 

Gloves

Caliber has a great article on the pros and cons of wearing workout gloves.

In short, the article explains that gloves can add grip in some instances, reduces grip in some exercises and will not stop your hands from developing calluses. I very much recommend reading the full article.

Straps

The next level of grip is straps. It can be a little difficult to figure out how to use straps the first time. This video will help. Straps can be cheaper than gloves and may give you better results. 

Chalk

Chalk is the bain of everyone who has had to clean the equipment. The crusty substance left on bars worldwide is counterintuitive. Chalk, or magnesium carbonate is a powder (or liquid) that is used to aid grip. I questioned whether adding a powder or liquid should add grip but it does!

The real question is whether you should. The chalk stays on your hands and whatever you touch. In theory, helping the next person… to develop an OCD about cleaning.