Personal Trainer Durham | Glenn Hill | 07983570574

Righty ho tribe this blog is all about what kit you do or do not need in your home in order to keep or get yourself fit.  There is endless amounts of stuff you can buy online some of which is great and some is absolutely pish (pardon the expression).

Firstly i am going to explain what you really do not need:  Going to save you a fortune here,,,,,,,

Any electronic cardio machines including treadmills, steppers or bikes(the hamster wheels).  I run a gym and see people all day plodding away on these beasts and generally there is little to no physical change.  Only if these machines are used infrequently and as part of a structured mixed training plan they will have any benefit.  The first few weeks you may possibly lose weight and once your body has adapted to the load and learned the exercise LESS and LESS results. 

Abdominal rollers, machines or anything with abdominal or core in the title.  I have covered this before but we do not get a six pack from any of these items or even by doing endless sit ups and crunches.  Now saying that, once your body fat is low enough to start seeing your core muscles then by all means smash them but you don't need an ab roller to smash the core.

Vibro plates or vibrating beds.  They may or may not work even when you are exercising on them, however just standing on a vibro plate waiting for the weight to come off is not the right course of action.  You only have a finite amount of years and it will take longer than that to have any real effect.

Multi Gym or Smith Machine.  They are great or can be great when they are used properly by someone who knows what they are doing.  Just having the equipment and going on it every day does not guarantee results, you need to lifting the right amount of weight safely with the right amount of sets etc.  If you have learned the basics about resistence training and hypertrophy then you should be fine, but not for novice trying to lose weight.

Weights Benches and Free weights.For the same reasons as before this is best left for the budding weight lifter and expert, because the weights are free (your whole body weight and structure needs to support them) they are inherently more dangerous.  If you are unfit, not firm with poor posture the chances are you could do some real damage to your back and end up putting some more weight on.

Not an exaustive list but will do for now.

What does that leave, what would i recommend ?


 A suspension trainer,a heavy medicine ball and resistence band

Suspension trainers (Body Intensive Trainer)

These things are marvellous, they are an adjustable fabric strap that you can hang most places and do lots quality exercises with working the big and small stabilising muscles. They are a gym in a bag and are even small enough to take on your holidays.  When you buy these, they come with desrciptions and demonstrations of exercises, they are brilliant and my fittest PT clients have these for use at home and on holidays.  £138 for the one i use ( BIT trainer)

Heavy medicine ball

Cheap and cheerful but magnificent in its range of exercises, from explosive power of throwing it at a wall to full muscular strength of doing a med ball clean.  Roughly £15 for a cheap one.

Resistance band

just a rubber band with handles either end, again very cheap and brilliantly versatile from use in rehab of injuries, to muscular activation of certain muscle groups to making certain core exercises much harder.  Well worth the few quid even if you just use it as a method of warming up the joints and muscles.  Roughly £10.

So that is not a lot of kit and with that equipment with a bit of help you could get yourself in fabulous shape at home...  right who wants a BIT Trainer i can get you one

If you cannot afford any kit then make sure you get yourself to the Gym and the staff will help you get fit.

If you would like a bit for £138 either order on my site or drop me a line on Facebook or email i.trainhard@yahoo.co.uk.  I will train you on the BIT and provide you with a home training plan.

Glenn (body weight functional training) Hill

Personal Trainer | Durham | Glenn Hill

A little bit about this blog, i am discussing the fact that some modern magic works better for stretching tight muscles than traditional stretching, Massage stretching or PNF.

My credentials to talk about this subject are:

18 years Army Fitness and being a physical training instructor
Sports Massage Therapist level 3
Master Personal Trainer
BodyMap Practitioner
(BodyMap is all about looking at functions like breathing, eyes, balance, spatial awareness and proprioception in order to take our brain out of threat/fear which improves all of our functions including flexibility and power -it's upstream thinking (in your brain) it works)

Let me tell you the story that suprised me too:

I have been training one of my PT clients who has tennis elbow and tendonitis of the shoulder, we have been doing a bit of running and lots of functional leg and core work.  Our recent sessions have been very hard so i decided to take her through a BodyMap assessment and maybe some massage etc as a form of a full Body/Brain MOT.

I tested her spinal, hip and shoulder  flexibilty and pain levels before going through the body map protocols.  Within ten minutes she was 6 inches closer to touching her toes, spinal and shoulder mobility had improved hugely especially on 1 side.  Pretty amazing really as we are not actually stretching anything just moving eyes, breathing and some other magic (it's a secret-ask Dax) .

The interesting thing here is i wanted her to get the extra inch to touch her toes so i reverted back to downstream thinking of pulling, bending, stretching etc.  Lower limb/posterior chain massage,  massage stretching )pin and stretch, PNF stretching of hamstring and fascia release techniques.

You would think that this has got the extra inch wouldn't you?  WRONG

The process of painful sports massage and PNF looks to have put the client back into a state of threat/fear and limited her toe touch - posterior chain flexibilty hugely.  She is now 5 inches from touching her toes?

So traditional methods of improving flexibility have actually reduced it after the initial BodyMap (your brain just giving you flexibility because it feels safe)

I have learnt a lot today about how your primary giver of mobilty and function (brain) hugley supersedes our attempts of stretching for flexibility and function.

Cool i would like to here your thoughts, questions on a Postcard...

Glenn ( Durham PT geek) Hill

Shortlisted on the National Fitness Awards 2014

I am always trying my best to help everyone be fitter, healthier and happier.  Can i help you?   All of the ways as FREE help i will provide for you...

Hopefully by now you have got in touch and i have been able to help, if not what is stopping you?

Personal Trainer of the year shortlisted 2014

Glenn Hill (Personal Trainer County Durham)

07983570574

So i am looking at helping more people out with my specialist brand of Personal Training but this time in Durham.   I have no idea how good, great or bad they are, there are probably some excellent Personal Trainers in Durham, however i am looking into helping more clients in that area.

My pond is getting smaller you see, i already have helped so many Cestrians by improving their lives and now it's time to help our friends in Durham.  My reputation in my little pond is excellent, but it's time to expand.

Hopefully by November i will have been crowned gym based Personal Trainer of the year 2014 at the National Fitness Awards, if not i am still very pleased to be in the top 7 (shortlist). 

My Personal Training involves a no stone unturned look at the mind/brain and body, i bet some of you are thinking the mind and brain are the same thing? mmm.  Today for example as an average day i was just waiting for my PT Client Coreen (who has upper body injuries so we can only train lower limbs) when a gym member came in complaining of an injured back.  Some PTs cannot help but because of my Sports Massage and BodyMap background i had removed the painful back within 5 minutes (BOOM).  One very impressed  gym member and then onto helping my client.

Coreen had been working very very hard for a couple of weeks and was stiff so we never carried out exercise today, instead we conducted a BodyMap assessment which within 15 minutes improved all of the mobility and function issues for Coreen.  Then we carried out some basic sports massage removing painful nots and then Sports Massage and PNF stretching.  Basically my intuition told me that the best thing for my client today would be a (Full Brain and Body MOT) to get everything back to good working order to ensure better results in the future.

She left her session feeling amazing and ready for our next one.

That is the difference  between what i do and what others do.

If you are in County Durham and would like to work with a Personal Trainer with an excellent reputation then get in touch.

Glenn Hill

Hey tribe in true Ex Army/Glenn Hill style i attended the level 1 Crossfit trainer course over the weekend with absolutely no idea about Crossfit.....MENTAL.
This is typical me and just to expand...... other Glenn Hill moments were running the Biel 100km race twice without training (no i never learnt the first time), attending the Army Physical Training Instructor course and Army Diver (frogman) course without training.    Berlin Marathon, German duathlons, biathlons and 320 mile charity bike ride without training.
 
You get the idea, i just rely on the fact that the human body is tough and you can pick things up along the way. (i am not suggesting other people copy this though lol)
 
I digress, i was very interested in Crossfit (the sport of fitness) and without knowing much about it or even attending a workout or Ramp (a preparation course you are supposed to attend prior to completing a workout) i booked myself on the level 1 trainer course in Manchester.
 
I intended on attending the preparation ramp and a few classes before my course but work and staff shortages ensured that never happened.
 
I turned up and soon figured out that the other 40/50 course members had all been doing Crossfit for months or years and knew what was going on.  However i said nothing and cracked on, actually no one realised that i was an absolute novice.  I was picking things up quicker than some and holding my own.  I told a couple of the other students that the course was great and i liked the whole Crossfit thing and explained that it was my first ever taste.
 
Well end of Day 1 and the instructional staff who where excellent had been told that i was an absolute novice and thought it was hilarious.  The weekend was great and i am loving Crossfit and hope to be smashing loads of it soon.
 
Morale of the story here is confidence and a base level of fitness can go a long long way in preparing you for anything.  Actually it's all about what's going on in our heads if we think we can do it we generally can.  If we think we can't then we definitely can't.
 
Crossfit is constantly varied high intensity functional movements combining gymnastics, Olympic power lifting and cardio.

That's me third from the right on the front row, sporting itrainhard.co.uk t-shirt......awesome.

If you would like to find out more or learn some functional training just give me a call on 07983570574.

The life of a unique Personal Trainer

Glenn Hill

This blog is all about what i do as a Personal Trainer and coach that, perhaps is a little different to the others you may find.

You can decide.. i am best known for running a ladies gym, hair salon and being a specialist female only personal trainer. Actually my speciality is helping ladies above 30 years old get much fitter, lose some weight but mainly get their heads in a much better place.

I have had a lot of success at this and i put it down to the other stuff i do and the knowledge and experience that gives me.

I have given my PT clients a break for two weeks now, well actually i designed an online training plan and gave them my drop box password which has all my digital classes and challenged them to get fitter even without me.??

As i am away taking soldiers from all walks of life mountain biking down some of the scariest trails Uk has to offer.  So far trails around North Wales and North West Scotland.  The benefit of becoming proficient at something difficult and scary like mountain biking is mainly because the process takes you out of your comfort zone and helps build you up as a person.  It also helps build a sense of team work, self reliance, determination, mental strength, physical strength and fitness.

These attributes can help anyone in any other circumstance including work, thats why big business spends millions sending their workers on team building training.

I am taking a group on a Biking course putting them through their paces and teaching them skills and techniques on arduous terrain.

Today was awesome the group and myself navigated around loch Morlich high on the cairngorm road and cycled up a huge hill to Rothymurchus Lodge(old army lodge high up in the Cairngorms) we then technically descended our way down a steep single track descent called the Lairig Ghru.

These activities all have an element of risk and sometimes someone gets hurt, and yesterday was one of those days.  I have been coaching mountain biking for a number of years now and have never had a student in hospital, that is until yesterday.

The student was a little un-fitter than the remainder of the group and the last descent of the day she took a tumble and injured her hand.  We were not sure if it was broken, i quickly assessed for mobility of wrist and hand it seemed ok which was a positive sign.  So i calmed her down, gave her a sip of water and an energy gel and then put a support sling around her to support and elevate the hand/wrist.  We then evacuated her to the nearest A&E which was Inverness and waited hours watching all the usual druggies and drunks coming in and out.  Eventually she was treated and we found out it was only severe bruising which was great news.

So that's just a couple of my days, the experiences my students  recieve on these epic days are amazing and life changing and it's these experiences and knowledge which i take back to my awesome clients that makes all the difference when it comes to helping them and making what i do a little different.

Hey though...Mountain Biking isn't just for fit soldiers, biking around the woods has become a great method of de stressing and helping with the fitness and morale needs of atleast one of my PT clients. "She loves it now and is much fitter and happier"

Anyhoo i just though i would share a couple of days in the life of a unique Personal trainer.

Glenn(Adventure Coach Personal Trainer) Hill


Losing weight and feeling great in County Durham doesn't come easier than this.

This is about the rotten apple at the bottom of the barrel

Personal trainer chester le street

So i am a firm believer of being genuine, honest, helpful and caring to my members and PT clients and they would all vouch for me on this statement.  I also dont like to hate as it has a negative effect on me and not them and therefore they have achieved their aim.

Recently some one used a social media review site to spout a load of malicious, hateful lies about me as a person and my gym.

Ofcourse no names here as it wouldn't be fair as she couldn't defend herself.  The hurtful thing here is that personally i have helped her in the past with financial asistance and other business related things again i cant say too much as you would know who i am talking about.
I explained my case on FB again not mentioning names etc for the best word to describe someone who would do this and the answers that came back were interesting... lots i couldn't put on here but here is some:

• Bitter
• Pathetic
• Bumder
• Jealous
• Small minded
• Ignorant
• Sad lives
• Hateful

Must mention here that the people who left comments are my friends and clients etc who know me and have my interests at heart, however i agree one hundred percent.

You work VERY hard to be the best you can be for your family, colleagues,clients and members and then some insert your word___________ tries to ruin your reputation by slandering you on social media.

The beauty of this is though i have seen the response from the people that noticed it and it has made the person responsible look very sad and un-professional and done the opposite for me. 

Glenn (the go to guy) Hill

Please come to our open day to see all of our new services and stuff and win some goodies on the 23rd July 2014.

Dont be so rude..

Does your other half have a big nose? the reason i ask is..  you see having high standards is like having a big nose and i should know i have both.

1. Every one can see that you have a big nose or standards.
2. Some people don't like the look of a big nose or high standards   generally because they have nil standards and are probably scrounging layabouts that always chose the easy path.
3. A big hooter gets in the way some times, kissing etc. However high standards can be a pain too because doin things properly and to the best of your ability takes much longer than doing it half hearted.

The point i am making here is that high standards are something some people just have and i/we are making Ladies at Leisure / Personal Training /Beauty Spa and New Salon all about high standards.  This doesnt mean expensive it just means professionalism, diligence, customer care and a strong work ethic.

If you see it not happening in any of the facilities or staff just let the management team know and we will endeavour to improve things. 

Our new Hair salon is opening on the 5th of July and is called "Hair Kandi", we have a brilliant head stylist and are proud to offer a discount of 50% off the full works for our members for first cut etc and for everyone for the entire first week.   
BOOK UP NOW FOR 5th,7th,8th,9th,10th,11th July.


"Hair Kandi"
Ladies & Gents hairdressers
182 Front Street
(within ladies at leisure gym)
Chester le Street
0
I know we generally stick to what we know, however you should try our stylist she is great and has lots of experience and a great style. 

Open day 5th July we are offering great extra offers and styles including nibbles.

BOOK UP NOW FOR THE FIRST WEEK BEFORE ALL OUR PLACES GO....01913874222

www.itrainhard.co.uk

The problem as i see it is that lots of the Weightwatchers members are just like my Personal Training Clients.  They are a little low in self esteem and confidence and would find joining a normal class a bit daunting and that's the idea behind WWW.

Come along and do an exercise class that is solely designed for Weightwatchers members and only frequented by these members too.  Not only can you train with your friends, you can get fit together and build a greater rapor and  team.

Th class would comprise of big compound exercises that burn a lot of fat, however all of the exercises would have an easy and hard variation to ensure maximum benefit to members.

If you would like to see WWW in your area please email:  i.trainhard@yahoo.co.uk or telephone/text :   07983570574

Personal Trainer Glenn Hill (the go to guy)