Hello and welcome to this month's newsletter. It is packed with information about current events happening in and around the gym, information on the monthly challenges, exercise information and the recipe of the month.
Bonfire &
fireworks Night
Saturday 1st November
On
Saturday 1st
November
we held our annual Charity Bonfire Party.
The heavens opened at 6:30pm making lighting the bonfire
and fireworks challenging to say the least. The fireworks
were launched from pontoons on the lake and problems caused
by the rain meant a slightly delayed start as well as
problems during the show. (I had to swim to the other raft
to get a light).
Despite getting soaked I think and hope all of you who were
watching enjoyed the night.
After the fireworks there was live music, hot food and
drinks available in the Clubhouse all helping to raise
funds for the County Air Ambulance. A grand total of £3000
was raised which is fantastic considering the awful
weather. So a big thanks to all who braved the
elements.
Congratulations
Maxwell Martin for completing the Stroud Half Marathon last
weekend. Max has run a few halves before with times varying
from 2:15 to 2:06.
His goal
in half marathon running was to finish in under 2 hours, so
I volunteered to help Max achieve this. With only a few
training sessions left before the big day Max and myself
worked hard on improving his time. A week before the race
we ran the distance in 2:06 a P.B but still not under 2
hours. It would have to be all or nothing on Race day. A
few steady runs during the week prepared us for the run on
Sunday. We lined up at the start line near the back
(knowing we would overtake everyone) then off we went. I
led keeping pace with Jeff’s Garmin Sat Nav. The
Stroud course is rolling hills and 13.1 miles later with a
time of 1:57 minutes we both crossed the finish line with
smiles on our faces celebrating a job well
done.
Exercise of the
month: Vibration Platform, just stand on it this
month.
Have you seen our new toy? Gym & Tonics Vibration
Platform
What
is vibration training?
Vibration
training is a technique for training, strengthening and
toning your muscles by using short bursts of intense
vibration.
Vibration training takes place on a vibration training
platform. You stand on the platform holding particular
positions while the platform vibrates rapidly beneath you.
This causes your muscles to tense and relax very quickly as
they counter the vibrations to keep you from falling over.
This tensing and relaxing is similar to the way you’d
tense your muscles when lifting weights it builds
strengthens and tones muscles even more.
What is vibration training good for?
Vibration
training is often thought of as being a celebrity fitness
aid but its uses extend far beyond just toning up
Madonna’s butt!
Fitness fans love vibration platforms because they deliver
intense results in a short space of time. By adopting the
correct pose as you stand on the rapidly vibrating platform
you’re making your muscles contract and relax quickly
to keep you standing in the correct position. This fast
action from your muscles actually exercises them up and can
help build muscle tone and definition.
Vibration training platforms are also being used in
rehabilitation work to speed recovery and to help increase
bone density in cases of osteoporosis.
One of the major benefits of vibration training is that it
delivers results from very short sessions. Ideal for people
with busy lifestyles who need to get the maximum results
from their time in the gym.
So ask Chris or Jeff how to use the Platform next time your
in.
Monthly
Challenge:
Novembers
Circuit challange. Follow the circuit on the sheet against
the clock (if you have to stop or rest the clock keeps
going). Write total time onto your sheet with the date.
Let’s see how much you improve in the month.
Last
Months Winners
And the
winners of Octobers Bike Challenge are husband and wife:-
Boys 1st
place
John Minter for cycling 284 miles in the month
Girls 1st place goes to Shirley Minter cycling 149 miles
Well done both. Excellent effort all
round.
This Months
Recipe
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
A
deliciously tasty dish, you won't believe it's only 350
calories a serving!
Calories 350
Fat 12.7g
Carbs 41.9g
Protein 17.8g
Fibre 4.6g
Ingredients
• 1
Medium Aubergine
• 2
Courgettes
• ½ Tsp
Salt
• 400g Cherry
Tomatoes
• 1 Medium
Yellow Pepper
• 1 Medium
Onion
• 2 Cloves
Garlic
• 1½ Tbsp
Olive Oil
• Freshly
Ground Black Pepper
• 25g
Sauce Flour
• 500ml
Skimmed Milk
• 30g Parmesan
Cheese
• 9
Sheets Lasagne Verdi
• 60g
Mozzarella
Method
1.
Wash, top and tail
the aubergine and courgettes. Cut into 2cm (3/4") cubes.
Pop in a colander, and sprinkle with salt; shaking well to
coat all the vegetables. Set aside.
2.
Using the point of
a sharp knife carefully prick each tomato, to just break
the skin.
3.
Pour boiling water
into a glass bowl and, using a spoon, add 5-6 tomatoes.
Once the skins split, remove them from the water; leave to
cool for a few seconds; then peel the skins off and pop the
skinned tomatoes in the roasting tray. Repeat until all
tomatoes skinned. (Don't be tempted to add them all at
once!)
4.
Pre-heat oven to
190°C
5.
Quarter and seed
the pepper; peel and halve the onion - cut them both into
2cm (3/4") cubes and add to the roasting
tray.
6.
Tip the aubergine
and courgettes onto a bed of paper towel and, using more
paper towel, dap the excess moisture away. Add them to the
roasting tray.
7.
Sprinkle the
crushed garlic and freshly ground black pepper over the
vegetables. Drizzle the oil over the top, and pop in the
oven for 40 minutes (until the edges are charred
brown)
8.
Meanwhile, mix the
sauce flour with the milk. Heat in a saucepan over a medium
heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce begins to
bubble and thicken. Reduce the heat to a simmer, continue
stirring for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and
stir in the grated Parmesan (reserving a little for the
top)
9.
Once the vegetables
are roasted assemble the layers of lasagne in an oven proof
dish:
1/4
Sauce
1/3
Roasted Vegetables
1/3
Mozzarella
3
Sheets Lasagne
10.
Repeat the layers
twice more and top with the remaining 1/4 sauce, and the
reserved Parmesan.
11.
Return to the oven
and roast for 25-30 minutes.
12.
Serve with a green
leafy salad