The document discusses how modern lifestyles have led to decreased physical activity and more sedentary behaviors like excessive sitting, which are associated with various health issues. It provides advice on how to incorporate movement into everyday life, such as taking breaks from sitting, stretching, and making fitness a social activity. The document also discusses the importance of training all three planes of motion - sagittal, frontal, and transverse - for health and well-being.
1. www.thethirdspace.com • Soho - 020 7439 6333 • Marylebone - 020 7042 6333 • sohoenquiries@thethirdspace.com • maryleboneenquiries@thethirdspace.com
NO 6
JUST
MOVE!
CAN I
SQUAT?
OUT WITH
THE OLD,
INWITH
THENEW
2. In the last 50 years physical activity has decreased
whilst obesity now affects a third of the UK and US
population and two thirds of the world’s! It is generally
agreed that low levels of physical activity are in the
pathogenesis of obesity. Long durations of sitting have
also been associated with markers of cardiovascular
disease, premature mortality, herniated lumbar
intervertebral disks, metabolic syndrome and
even diabetes.
The wealth of technology has also begun to take a toll
on our health. The work and home environments are
congested with personal computers and other gadgets.
The convenience of cleaners, gardeners, remote controls,
ready-made meals, and the popularity of TV and video
games now dominate the interest of modern society
and erode physical activity.
This new environment carved out of modern technologies,
convenience and added to that increased workloads
(where many have to sit for long periods of time) has
led to a more inactive lifestyle and people more prone
to injury. Really it should be no surprise that research
suggests that musculoskeletal pain is more common
now than 40 years ago.
Understanding your own working environment is
therefore critical to ensure a pain and injury free
experience in the gym, as well as generally reducing
the risk of injury and promoting sound health.
Why can sitting be so dangerous? Sitting more or less
eliminates the legs from their support function meaning
that the pelvis becomes the major base of support.
The spine is in a flexed position, elongating the
back muscles and shortening the front muscles.
Learn to Sit Correctly
The proper balance for the spine in a sitting position is
the same as that for standing, i.e. spine in an easy full
extension with the major body weights of the head,
chest and pelvis poised on top of each other.
Falling into a poor sitting posture involves much more
complex movement. The head drops forward from the
lower cervical spine (neck), the upper neck goes into
hyperextension, the chest and rib cage fall, shoulder
blades protact, the lumbar (lower) spine goes into
flexion and the pelvis goes into a posterior tilt.
Sitting with the correct posture may give you better
alignment and even reduce the potential for injury
when exercising. It promotes correct muscle balance.
One way to correct muscle balance is to lengthen the
shortened muscles and activate those that are not
working properly.
Don’t Forget to Stand
Getting up out of your chair every once in a while
won’t hurt and could help muscle alignment. The new
concept of ‘stand up desks’ will be something we see
more of in the future and should look forward to.
Warm Up Properly
The below pre-workout exercises could be prescribed
for the classic office worker:
Lengthen (Stretch)
„„ Chest
„„ Abdominals
„„ Hip Flexors
„„ Calves
„„ Shoulders
Activate (Switch On)
„„ Back
„„ Glutes
Integrate (Into Your Programme)
„„ TRX T/Y Lunge
„„ Banded Scapular Retraction Fly
„„ BarBell Split Squat
If you would like personalised exercises, speak to a
Personal Trainer who will be more than happy to help.
Be aware of what you ask of your body in the gym and
whether your body is ready for the exercises you want
to do. Exercises similar to that of sitting (i.e. rowing,
cycling and various core exercise) may promote and
develop the poor muscular alignment further, as they
encourage the same posture as sitting.
Get yourself screened by a trainer, listen to their
suggestions and implement them in your workouts.
You will see the benefits!
Andrew Johnston –
Personal Trainer, Marylebone
One of the most commonly repeated patterns that
most of us use every day is walking. We could say
that most of our life is dominated by walking, but I
prefer to suggest that most of our life is dominated
by movement in the 3 planes of motion: the sagittal,
frontal and transverse planes.
Let’s break these down into simpler terms. The sagittal
plane divides the body vertically into left and right. It
involves movements straight forward or backward
without crossing over the body (e.g. a bicep curl or
hamstring curl). The frontal plane divides the body
vertically into front and back, involving side and lateral
movements (e.g. shoulder lateral raise or a lateral
side bend). The transverse plane divides the body
horizontally into upper and lower halves and involves
rotational movements (e.g. a cable side chop and a
Russian twist).
One of the biggest misconceptions about walking
is that it is linear, due to the arms and legs moving
forwards and backwards in the sagittal plane. In
reality it is a sequence of all three dimensions working
together to create locomotion. So while the direction
we move in is in the sagittal plane, we transfer weight
from right leg to left leg and induce a small movement
in the frontal plane and rotate in the transverse plan
through peltrunkular movement.
Walking is, in fact, dominated by the transverse
and frontal plane working dynamically to propel the
body in the sagittal plane. The body takes advantage
of the rotational capabilities of the joints, muscles
and predominantly the proprioceptors (our sense
of movement and position) to allow us to ‘load and
explode’ from one part of the floor to another. If we
increase this ‘load and explode’, it enables us to move
faster and either start to jog or even run across the
ground.
What does this mean for you?
A common mistake is to predominantly perform
exercises in the sagittal plane alone, and neglect the
potentially more important frontal and transverse
planes. You need to incorporate the 3 planes of motion
into your gym programmes and training regimes. This
is not only necessary for the elite athlete performing
a sport specific programme, but every individual who
wants to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.
When beginning, it is wise to work on these 3 planes
individually. This gives the muscles, joints, and
proprioceptors time to adjust to the new movements
you might not have worked on before. Once adjusted,
you can start to add more multi-plane movements into
your regime to utilise a larger network of muscles in
one movement. Finally, whatever your goal may be,
it is important to be using all the planes in balance to
maintain your health and wellbeing, as life is the tri-
plane game we all should play.
Autumn is probably one of my favourite seasons.
There’s a crispness to the air, a change in scents from
stale heat to fall food favourites, and a changeover in
sports to a new season of possibilities and upsets.
It’s also the time where I see an increase in the number
of people coming off vacations, returning to routines,
and trying to see if they can still do what they did in
the spring.
If the summer was relaxing for you, and your fitness
programme was one of the lower priorities behind
meeting friends at the pub, holidays abroad or sleeping
in until the crack of noon, there are easy and effective
ways to get your groove back and make the coming
seasons your fittest yet. If you’ve stuck to your guns
and just want some ideas to shake things up, this will
offer some small yet easy-to-implement options to
keep you on your toes.
01. Walk More and Take the Stairs
It’s easy to rely on the Tube to take you everywhere,
but even if it would mean an additional 10 minutes
of commute to walk between stations the daily habit
could help you to accumulate some physical activity
that might otherwise not happen. Adding just 10 minutes
to your commute by walking at a brisk pace can add
up to 100 extra minutes a week of activity with an
increased heart rate.
Along these lines, when exiting or entering the Tube
stations opt to take the stairs where possible, or walk up
the escalators for a brief but intense spark to your day.
02. Stretch
We tend to spend most of our days moving through a
very similar range of motion with our joints. Walking,
sitting, standing and taking the stairs tend to be the
limit to how much we bend our hips, knees and ankles,
which eventually leads to the muscles controlling these
joints becoming shortened and tighter than optimal.
Using our joints through a full range of motion often
helps to keep them healthy and able to handle sudden
changes that might occur out of the blue, like slipping
on a wet floor or reaching into the back seat of a car
to grab a bag.
Try this simple 2 movement series in either the
morning or evening to help keep limber and healthy.
Standing with your feet flat on the floor, bend forward
from the hips and try to reach as far to the floor as you
can, trying to stretch the backs of the legs and buttocks.
Try to avoid getting the back to feel like it’s doing
everything, and make this more of a leg stretch. From
the bottom position, come back to standing and reach
your hands to the sky, all while tensing your bum as
hard as possible while straightening your knees and
spreading your fingers to the sky. Do this 10 times
slowly and while breathing.
Next, find a stable pole to hang from, and slowly lower
into a squat position, trying to keep your back straight
and tall. Sit in the deepest squat you can manage for 3
full deep breaths, and then return to standing. Do 6 of
these breathing squat stretches.
This brief series of movements helps to wake up
sleepy joints and can also help tired muscles stretch
out at the end of a long day before bed. It might only
take 5 minutes, but it’s the easiest and most beneficial
5 minutes you could spend on yourself.
03. Make Fitness Social
Staying active doesn’t mean you have to spend
countless hours on a treadmill alone while surrounded
by other solitary beings. Make fitness something that
you look forward to. Take some group classes at The
Third Space with other like-minded people, find a
workout partner or hire a trainer. If sports are more your
speed, join a recreational team or league, or jump in on
a playground game where possible.
Whatever your interest, there’s probably a club
dedicated to helping you participate. For instance, if
you enjoy biking to work, you could take a spin class,
join a competitive cycling team that engages in races,
or even looking to do something like a triathlon.
Joining The Third Space is a great way to make fitness
social. The combination of group classes, personal
training, and new experiences with classes you would
have never tried before makes working out more fun
than trying to do it in your flat with your cat staring
oddly at you. Many friendships and relationships
have started from health clubs.
My wife and I met at a squat rack once upon a time.
I like to tell the story that I was doing some squats,
she came down the stairs, saw me in all my tight-
shirted glory and fell madly in love instantly. I am
sure it was more of a case of pity on the guy who
was trying, but I digress.
Whether your goal is to reduce medications, get a
rippling six pack, or merely drop some of the summer
indulgence weight, small hinges can swing big doors
in terms of your health and fitness. Making small
changes to your daily and weekly routine, as well
as trying something new and enjoyable, can have
a massive impact on your health, waist and overall
energy levels as the days become slowly shorter
and grey. Before you know it, the weather will be
warming up again and all those t-shirts and shorts
will be making an appearance again. Let’s give them
a reason to be proud you’re the one wearing them.
HOW TO SIT(ANDSTAND)Will Downing – Personal Trainer, Marylebone
JUST MOVE!Dean Somerset – World Renowned Coach
DAN JONES
ON WRITING,
FILMINGAND
TRAINING
Historian, Author,
Member of The Third Space
Dan Jones has been writing in the Evening Standard
sports pages since 2010 but his passion lies in history
which he studied at Cambridge University.
This year Dan has published the second volume in
his epic history of medieval England – The Hollow
Crown. It follows on from where the first volume,
The Plantagenets, left off and covers the period
from the triumphant marriage of Henry V in 1420
to the catastrophic and final destruction of the last
branches of the Plantagenet dynasty between 1485
and 1541. This second volume is bigger and bloodier
than the first. It looks at how all our ideas about the
wars of the roses were fixed in the Tudor period, a lot
of which came from Shakespeare, who inspired the
title ‘Hollow Crown’.
Dan is now working on a TV series called Britain’s
Bloodiest Dynasty: The Plantagenets. Dan describes
it as “Game of Thrones minus only the dragons. And
the giants. And the White Walkers… Exciting, brutal,
human and above all, great fun.” It is to be shown
in four parts and Dan promises some of the most
incredible dramatic reconstructions of the middle
ages on the small screen.
Dan trains at The Third Space, having been a member
of the Soho Club since 2006. It’s convenient for him,
being only a 5-minute walk away from the London
Library in St James’ Square, where he often works.
He praises the facilities, both medical and fitness,
for improving year on year and enjoys the
community feel about the place.
The Third Space gives him the sense that there is
always something new to try and do, new ways to
expand your knowledge and interests in fitness.
He once trained with Catherine Brown, one of our
personal trainers at Soho and a British and European
boxing champion, to take part in a 3-round boxing
match. Although intense and demanding, Dan also
found this to be life-changing, learning far more
than just boxing technique but also about mental
discipline, focus and resilience. He also won his
first journalism award for the piece he wrote
about the experience.
Having completed 70 days filming and the physically
demanding schedule that entails – no fixed diet, fitness
routine or abode – Dan is more aware than ever of the
need to train when he is at home even if it’s so he
doesn’t “look fat on the telly.” Vanity in this
instance seems a most honourable cause!
We look forward to welcoming Dan back to the Club
soon and discovering the past with him both on screen
and on the printed page. Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty:
The Plantagenets will be shown on Channel 5 in
November. The Plantagenets and The Hollow Crown
are available from most bookstores and online.
INTRODUCTIONMartyn Evans - Fitness Manager
In contrast to the lethargic atmosphere that sometimes accompanies the arrival of Winter in this edition we
have decided to talk about movement. Movement can be described as our most primal activity. Simply put
in order to survive we need to move.
To this end most people would assume that all movement is good. This unfortunately is not always the case.
Movement deficiency in my opinion is more prevalent these days than the common cold. This might seem
like a bold statement to make, however, in most cases colds are temporary. Unless identified, addressed and
corrected a movement deficiency can be permanent and often lead to both acute and chronic pain, injury and
general discomfort.
The following articles by our team of experts will hopefully help shed some light on how and why we move
the way we do and offer some useful insight on techniques you can utilise to improve how you move and in
turn how you feel.
TRAINTOWALK
SAGITTAL
TRANSVERSE
FRONTAL
3 4
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Whether you are an elite athlete, a 60+ year old looking
to stay fit or someone returning from an Anterior Cruciate
Ligament reconstruction (knee ligament surgery), you
should be doing some form of squatting and you can
master the skill.
There are a number of reasons that many people
don’t squat. They say it’s difficult to master, it requires
coordination and balance, or it doesn’t make your chest
or biceps bigger.
So before we go any further, what is a squat and why
is it so important?
The squat is a lower body movement that involves
every muscle in the core and legs. It requires flexibility
in the hips, stability at the knee and strength from the
quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes (mainly). Your centre
of gravity needs to stay over your feet and you need
to keep your back straight. All the time you need to
be bracing your core and tensing your back. Given all
of the factors I have just detailed there is little wonder
many people don’t squat, there is a lot going on.
However, when people don’t squat it tends to lead to
poor posture, weak glutes, and unstable knees. Not a
good combination if you then start running miles after
mile in order to try and lose weight.
You squat nearly every day without realising. Sit down
on the tube? You just squatted down. Climbing stairs?
You just did a one leg squat up. As soon as you give
people a 5kg medicine ball and ask them to squat
they worry it will hurt their knees. However, people
carrying backpacks and bags do it without thinking
twice. So there should be no need to fear squatting in
a controlled environment with the help of a trained pair
of eyes.
Some think that they don’t have the flexibility to squat.
Are you one of them? If you can lie on your back and
bring your knees up to your chest comfortably and hold
them there with your hands, you can squat. We just
have to make sure you do it safely and go through the
correct progressions to master the movement. Like most
things in life, you cannot expect to start with the hardest
form of squats and expect to instantly master it.
If you struggle then it may be worth looking at getting
a trainer to help you.
Before we get started there are a few key cues to
remember. Take a deep breath and hold it, squeeze
your glutes, squeeze your abs, release your glutes
and then descend breaking the hips and knees at the
same time. Once you have completed the squat and
ascended back to the top, breathe out and repeat.
01. TRX Squat – Hold onto the TRX with both hands
and descend into a squat while using the TRX to
take some of your weight and to help keep your
back straight. Use a mirror to help you make sure
your back is straight. Make sure your hips are as
low as your knees and your thigh is parallel to
the floor.
02. Front Loaded Squat – Hold a light plate (5kg) or
medicine ball straight out in front of you with your
arms straight and parallel to the floor and sit back
into a squat. Make sure your back is straight and
your knees are over your toes or pointing out, not
collapsing in. Try and go as low as possible and
hold the bottom position for 3 seconds. Make sure
your hips are as low as your knees and your thighs
are parallel to the floor.
03. Goblet squat – Hold a dumbbell in front of you,
close to your chest and go through the squat
pattern as you would with the front loaded squat
but this time with the heavier weight closer to
your body.
Once you have mastered these progressions and feel
comfortable, it would be advisable to seek advice from
a trainer on how to progress to the more traditional
barbell front and back squat.
Once you squat regularly you’ll move better, you’ll
have stronger, more stable legs and you’ll find that
everything becomes easier. Standing on the tube feels
easier, climbing stairs is not so much of a chore and
you’ll be able to walk further without fatiguing. You’ll
also start to develop awesome, firm, toned glutes,
which, let’s face it, everyone wants.
The key to overcoming the intimidation factor
sometimes associated with squats is to understand
that there are systems and progressions available to
ensure you develop the necessary skillset required
to be successful. The fact is a squat is a fundamental
everyday movement that our bodies are designed to
perform. You don’t need to be squatting double your
own body weight to make it worthwhile; just having the
ability to move through a full range body weight squat
with good form is an excellent place to start and can
have a massive influence on your quality of life.
THINGS THAT
DON’TMOVELuke Worthington –
Personal Trainer, Soho
With all the current emphasis on movement, movement
patterns and movement quality, something I am a huge
fan of, I thought it may be worthwhile to pay a little
attention to musculature that is designed to not move.
Muscles in the body can be broadly categorized into
‘tonic’ or ‘phasic’ muscles. Tonic muscles have a job
of maintaining tone and are also known as postural
muscles or stabilizers whereas phasic muscles, as
the name suggests, provide movement.
Maintaining optimal functionality requires us to use the
right muscles, at the right time, for the right job. When
we have large global (phasic) muscles doing the job
of smaller, local (tonic) muscles, the big boys become
overly ‘tonic’ (tight) and the little guys become weak
and inactive.
A classic example of this is the chronically tight
hamstring (a phasic muscle) doing the job of stabilizing
a pelvis in a person with a weak core. The hamstring is
working overtime trying to stop an even more excessive
anterior pelvic tilt, and potentially debilitating back pain.
It is not ‘short’. It could perhaps better be described as
being ‘busy’; the tension it is providing is protective.
Stretching it to either increase tissue length or to get
the muscle to relax can therefore cause an even bigger
problem. Instead, the answer to ‘tight’ hamstrings is
more often than not to strengthen the anterior core.
The hamstrings can then get out of panic mode and
do what they’re supposed to do – extend the hip
and flex the knee.
The entire musculature of the ‘core’ falls into the tonic
category. Tonic or postural muscles have a role of
resisting movement rather than providing it. Their job
is quite simply to keep you upright, or more specifically
keep your ribcage on top of your pelvis. Understanding
the role of the core then makes training it very simple.
All we do is understand how many ways our upright,
neutral posture can be compromised, and train to
provide strength resisting those forces.
What directions can affect or challenge our
core ‘neutrality’?
„„ Flexion (forward bending)
„„ Extension (backward bending, or arching)
„„ Lateral flexion (side bending)
„„ Rotation
Now to effectively train the core we need exercises to
provide strength and stability resisting ALL of those
directional forces. The most important to consider are
the flexion and extension resistant exercises, as they
are the most common forces we have to deal with.
Which of those we bias will depend on the starting
posture of the individual.
Good ‘bang for your buck’ exercises for each plane:
„„ Anti-flexion: ‘bird dogs’, prone ‘superman’,
glute bridges.
„„ Anti extension: dead bugs, roll outs, plank
variations.
„„ Anti lateral flexion: Side planks, suitcase carries.
„„ Anti-rotation: chopping variations (as a guide -
start with half kneeling and progress through tall
kneeling, to standing).
The most important point to get across with core
training, or indeed training any other tonic muscle
(rotator cuff included), is that you must not train it to
failure-ever! Muscles that we need to maintain posture
and prevent injury we must not teach to fail and shut
down– that’s like driving without your seatbelt on….
Little, often, and always with correct form is the key
to core stability. Learning to train the core muscles to
resist unwanted movement will improve your core
and help you move better overall.
CAN ISQUAT?Dan Meek – Personal Trainer, Marylebone
5
4. THE ASCENT
THE DEADLIFT
START POSITION
LIFT FROM BLOCKS
HIP THRUSTS - 01
HIP THRUSTS - 02
ROUNDED BACK
OUTWITHTHE
OLD,INWITH
THENEW
We are excited to announce that in the coming months
we will be introducing £250,000 worth of new
equipment to upgrade our treadmills and stationary
bikes at both our Soho and Marylebone Clubs.
Soho will have all of the current Life Fitness
treadmills replaced by the industry leading Matrix
T7xi. In addition, the Technogym stationary
bikes will be replaced by the same Matrix range.
We will also be adding 4 Woodway treadmills
to upgrade the current high performance area
in front of the Watt bikes. For the performance
athlete, these are the Rolls Royce of treadmills.
Marylebone will experience similar upgrades.
The same Matrix T7xi will replace the treadmills
and we will be introducing the Life Fitness Elevation
series of stationary bikes. Marylebone will also
see the introduction of the Woodway treadmill
range, including 2 Woodway Curve treadmills.
We are expecting most of this to arrive at the beginning
of November, although Marylebone have already
received an early arrival of 2 Matrix treadmills.
We sincerely hope you enjoy your new
equipment and, as always, if you need advice
on how best to use them you need only ask.
NEW YEAR
CHALLENGE
As 2014 draws to an end, thoughts inevitably turn
to the year ahead. In the spirit of the ‘New Year, New
Beginnings’ mind-set TTS is excited to announce our
inaugural 8 week personal training challenge.
One of our primary goals of 2015 is to further improve
our outstanding personal training culture at both of
our locations. In the spirit of friendly competition and
trying new things, our 8 week challenge is designed
to motivate both our current regular personal training
users and hopefully encourage those members who
have often thought about personal training but for
various reasons have not yet made the jump.
Before we begin we must stress that this is not
“a weight loss challenge”. Starving yourself for 8
weeks and spending countless hours on the treadmill
will not enable to win you this competition. The judging
criteria to determine a winner will go far beyond the
weighing scale. We are looking for people who have
made significant changes to their lifestyles and in
turn made significant gains in their quality of life.
A combination of increased mobility, strength,
endurance and lean body mass are the keys
to success.
The entry requirement is a commitment to a minimum
of 20 personal training sessions to be used over an
8 week period. You can obviously train more if you
wish but a minimum of 2 sessions per week with
your trainer is recommended in order to be a
serious contender.
Once all of the results have been submitted and a
winner determined by our judges we will credit that
member’s account with a prize of 52 personal training
sessions in order to ensure they further increase the
gains they have made over the previous 8 weeks.
The challenge will commence on 15th January 2015.
If your competitive flame has been ignited please talk
to your personal trainer or contact martyn.evans@
thethirdspace.com for further details.
WHY CHOOSE
SEQUENTIAL
TRAINING?
Martyn Evans – Fitness Manager
Consistency is key! This statement can relate to
many things in life however it is absolutely vital
when it comes to exercise. Contrary to what the
adverts might say performing 2 x 20min workouts
a week will in most cases not transform your life
and give you the beach body you have always
dreamed of. As the saying goes “you get out what
you put in” and this is very much the case when
it comes to personal training. Historically, those
who are able to commit to a long term periodical
plan that focuses on your long-term goals, while
not overlooking your short-term limitations, will
inevitably gain the most from both their personal
time and financial investment in personal training.
An effective, structured exercise programme should
in theory follow an undulating pattern. Simply put
this means that your exercise methodology should
be varied over time to ensure that you are improving
in all aspects of fitness. For the recreational gym user
this might mean achieving consistent gains in postural
balance, strength and cardiovascular conditioning
while not overtraining to the point where postural
deficiency and/or injury occur. A classic example
of this would be starting every workout by heading
straight to the bench press and lifting the same weight
for the same amount of reps with no progression,
regression or shoulder mobility drills since 2001.
By combining a detailed needs analysis with the
findings of a structured movement screen our
trainers are armed with the right information to
plan a progressive, and in some cases corrective,
training regime that can lay a foundation and over
time enable you to achieve whatever your short- or
long-term goals might be. Personal training is an
excellent way to learn how to combine effective
mobility drills with correct exercise technique in the
short term however those clients who commit to
the long-term option will in nearly almost all cases
gain the most. An often overlooked benefit of the
prolonged use of personal training is the education
the client receives in correct exercise practice. This
can remove the hurdles of not knowing what to do
and when to do it and sometimes the intimidation
felt when walking into a busy gym. From a self-
confidence aspect, the benefits can be immeasurable.
The Third Space personal training programme is
at the very top of the industry when it comes to
the quality of the product we deliver and also the
percentage of our membership base we deliver it
to. The skillset of our trainers is leading to more and
more of our members committing to the long-term
option and utilising our 20 and 40 session offering
based on the outstanding progressive results they
are seeing. A major reason for this is that it allows
the trainer to plan for 3-6 months of training and
by re-screening they are able to evaluate whether
or not the client is achieving the desired results.
Unfortunately there is no quick fix when it comes to
exercise. The reality is that an undulating programme
based on structured analysis and screening practices
should be measured in months not weeks. A lifestyle
change cannot happen overnight and to put it bluntly
we do not get out of shape in 4 weeks so how can
we expect to get into shape in a similar timeframe?
Long-term personal training may not be for
everyone, however, those who do take the leap
and make a 3, 6 or 12 month commitment will
seldom regret it. Why not see for yourself? The
New Year Challenge gives you the perfect excuse!
BACKGROUND
The Deadlift is a compound movement that if done correctly leads to significant gains in total body strength. Having a good Deadlift
technique leads to:
Improved Strength Fat Loss Postural Correction Hypertrophy Rehabilitation Injury Prevention
Due to the multi-joint nature of the movement, around 200 muscles are used in order to perform a technically correct Deadlift. The primary
movers are the glutes, hamstring and upper back muscles, while the abdomen, quads and lower back muscles are worked in a supporting role.
STARTING POSITION
„„ Your feet should be hip width apart.
„„ Sit back into a squatted position
while maintaining a vertical shin.
„„ Grip the bar wherever is most
comfortable. This will usually be
just outside the line of the feet and
for a standard deadlift have both
hands gripping in an overhand
fashion.
„„ Your starting position should see
the hips below the shoulders and
slightly above the level of the knees
with the shoulders over the bar.
As pictured, your back should be
perfectly flat.
„„ Look at the floor a metre in front of
you (keep your neck neutral).
„„ The arms should be fully extended
with your chest elevated and the
shoulder blades pulled back and
down.
TECHNIQUE
„„ Movement is initiated by extending
the hips whilst maintaining good
posture throughout. Your hips must
fully extend before your knees.
„„ The arms remain fully extended at
all times.
„„ The bar should be kept close to
the body for the full duration of the
movement.
„„ You should achieve triple extension
of the hips, knees, and ankles, and
ensure you fully engage your glutes
to finish the lift.
„„ Return to the start position, lowering
the bar while maintaining the
correct hip movement and upper
back posture to avoid injury.
LIFT FROM BLOCKS
If you have limited range of motion,
particularly at the ankle, it will help to
initiate your lift from an elevated platform.
The movement is performed in exactly
the same way as a standard Deadlift,
the only difference being the use of the
technique boxes pictured here.
01. Most mistakes happen before
the lift even begins. Incorrect hip
elevation and the curvature of the
spine are common issues that will
very often result in injury. Before
introducing Deadlifts to your
workout programme, please ask
for the input of a Personal Trainer
to ensure that a Deadlift is the right
exercise for you. They will also be
able to ensure that your start up
position and the sequence of joint
extension are correct.
02. Although the concept of
the Deadlift seems fairly
straightforward it is in fact an
advanced exercise that should
only be attempted by those with a
sound sense of proprioception, core
function and joint mobility. It is an
exercise that truly encompasses
full body movement and if
performed correctly will enhance
your results regardless of gender or
training goal.
STEP 2: CORRECT TECHNIQUESTEP 1: IMPROVING MOBILITY & TECHNIQUE
STEP 2: CORRECT TECHNIQUE
HIP THRUSTS
One of the most important skills
required in order to Deadlift is the ability
to hip hinge. To this end we would
recommend incorporating hip thrusts
into your regular workouts.
„„ Sit on the floor with the bottom of
your shoulder blades against a
weight bench (as pictured).
„„ Bend your knees to 90° keeping
your feet roughly hip width apart.
„„ Drive your hips vertically as far as
possible without over-extending
your lower back.
„„ Squeeze your glutes at the top of
the movement.
„„ Pause for a count of 1-2 seconds.
Return to the start position.
„„ It is important to ensure that your
heels remain in constant contact
with the floor throughout.
A 2-day course with Gareth Cole and Carl Wilson recommended
for all, from personal trainers to fitness enthusiasts, covering
kinesiology, biomechanics and coaching techniques.
22-23 November 2014 from 10.00-17.00
@ Studio, The Third Space, Soho
Cost: £500
Contact courses@thethirdspace.com to book
MOVEMENT COURSE
HIPS TOO HIGH
COMMON MISTAKES
7 8
5. SOHO
Mon – Fri: 6.30 – 23.00
Sat – Sun : 8.30 – 20.30
MARYLEBONE
Mon – Fri: 6.30 – 23.00
Sat – Sun : 8.00 – 20.00
THE THIRD SPACE MEDICINE
Mon – Fri: 7.30 – 20.30
Sat – Sun: Closed
THE THIRD SPACE PILATES
Mon – Fri: 7.30 – 20.30
Sat: 9.00 – 17.00
Sun: Closed
SPA@THETHIRDSPACE
Please see website
for opening hours
SOHO
020 7439 6333
sohoenquiries@thethirdspace.com
www.thethirdspace.com
MARYLEBONE
020 7042 6333
maryleboneenquiries@thethirdspace.com
Marylebone
Bulstrode Place
Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2HU
Soho
67 Brewer Street
London W1F 9US
MARYLEBONECHRISTMASLIGHTS
Date: Wednesday 19 November
Time: 15.00 – 18.30
Place: Marylebone High Street, London W1
The event, organised by The Howard de Walden
Estate, is not only a true village affair, with local
retailers and residents working together to make
the evening a great success, but also attracts
crowds from outside the area with around
8 -10,000 people filling the streets on the night.
We are particularly delighted to announce that
this year we have Jessica Hynes turning on the
lights. The actress is kindly volunteering her time
to join the event which will be raising money and
awareness for the disability charity, Scope.
Children from the local schools sing Christmas
carols on the stage, Father Christmas sets up
temporary magical Grotto to hand out presents
to the children and once again there will be real
reindeer to pet and feed. Many of the shops and
restaurants have special Christmas promotions
and offer mince pies, hot chocolate, mulled
wine, BBQs, champagne or a glass of sherry!
The event runs from 15.00–18.30 with entertainment
on the main stage on Marylebone High Street.
You will be audience to a superb line up
of live performances on the stage.
So come down to Marylebone Village, welcome
in the Christmas spirit and help raise money
and awareness for a most worthy cause.
Activities include:
„„ Live music and performances on the main stage
„„ Father Christmas Grotto – free gifts for children
„„ Real reindeer
„„ Christmas Card Competition – viewing area
„„ Street Entertainers
„„ Fireworks
„„ Snow
„„ Cabbages and Frocks Market
„„ Street Stalls
„„ Retailer Discounts and Promotions
„„ Tombola
For more information on the event, please
visit www.marylebonechristmaslights.com.
INDOOR
TRIATHLON
TABLE TENNIS
COACHING
with Darius Knight
6 December 2014
@ The Third Space, Soho
For more information
or to book please contact
annelies.harte@thethirdspace.com
13 December 2014
@ The Third Space, Soho
For more information
or to book please contact
annelies.harte@thethirdspace.com