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11 Minute ReadTrend Report
02.12.20
It can be hard to motivate yourself to stick to a healthy workout routine, whatever that means for you. But whether you’re into HIIT, pilates, lifting weights at the gym or stretching it out at yoga, you don’t have to go it alone.
At LYMA we believe that achieving your health and wellness goals should be a pleasure and treat; it shouldn’t be stressful or arduous. So we’ve pulled together a list of some of the most inspirational, holistic, compassionate and balanced fitness gurus out there in the hope that it will inspire you to try something new. Get ready to hone your body and your mind. Your health won’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.
Here is our round-up of the best workout trainers and coaches to help you stay motivated, achieve your fitness goals and reach your full potential:
Joe Holder is a health and wellness consultant and Nike Master Trainer. He also writes a monthly fitness column for GQ. He is best known for achieving marathon levels of fitness with minimum effort, and for his uniquely compassionate approach to keeping his clients fit and well.
Joe’s ‘Ocho System™️’ is more spiritual than sweaty. His method focuses on the individual and on the mind as much as on the body. He says that his goal is to “help people to take control of their wellbeing in an attempt to reach self-actualisation and personal autonomy.”
What makes The Ocho System™️ so special is the holistic thinking behind it. Joe reasons that, instead of pushing yourself to the edge every day lifting weights and running long distances, you conserve some energy to eat well, recover right, and meditate. He also prescribes daily reading challenges to his clients, covering topics ranging from self-help to philosophy.
Each programme is entirely tailored to the individual, but as a general rule Joe recommends two longer 90-minute workouts a week that involve pushing you out of your comfort zone, and then two or three “exercise snacks” each week which involve lighter strength-work, stretching and jumping rope. These shorter sessions should last around just 30 - 45 minutes. When it comes to judging whether you’re doing things right, he says: “We were born to run, so moving my body as one unit, without pain—is the best indicator of physical proficiency.”
If you’re looking for a holistic, individualised programme that focuses on quality of training over quantity then this is the one for you.
New Zealander Kirsty is a Nike Master Trainer and performance specialist. She’s famed for her love of HIIT and the sense of fun she brings to her workouts. Her line is: “If you aren’t having fun when you’re working out then you’re doing it wrong.” We couldn’t agree more. Fitness is akin to therapy for Godso, who believes that as much as being enjoyable, fitness should be healing too.
Her M.O. is to help her clients, first and foremost, to find a range of exercises that they enjoy doing - only then does she allow them to move on to building up strength and improving their fitness. Her argument is that if you don’t like what you’re doing, you simply won’t stick to it, and it’s commitment and consistency that bring results.
Godso’s fitness philosophy centres on a winning combination of HIIT and strength training and, for her, results are not about aesthetics but rather about developing a sense of fun and exploration.
“A transformative workout for the body and mind,” The Class by Taryn Toomey is a fitness system and “practice of self-study” that assimilates cardio, mediation and a whole lot of screaming (apparently therapeutic).
Famous for it’s A-list clientele, as well as it’s proclivity to bring participants to tears, The Class is as much of an emotional rollercoaster as it is a workout regimen.
The Class’s Instagram page is littered with quotes such as: “Awakening does not happen in your comfort zone.” Taryn invites her students to “witness their resistance to discomfort,” as they work through a series of calisthenics and plyometrics with the goal of achieving “expansive, heart-clearing and body-strengthening release.”
Classes are conducted to powerful music and the movements are kept simple and repetitive (this does not mean that movements are easy - far from it, in fact) to allow clients the space they need to pay attention to their minds. Expect to be challenged physically and mentally, and to leave with not only a stronger and more resilient body, but also a stronger and more resilient mind.
Studios can be found in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Vancouver, and The Class can also be streamed online.
Dance. Sweat. Sculpt. Repeat.
After years of slaving away at the gym and not enjoying exercise at all, Megan Roup suspected there must be a better way. After a long search to find her personal workout panacea, she discovered the joy of dance-based fitness and decided to bring it to the masses. Megan’s philosophy is all about empowering people through movement, growing community, forging connections and helping her clients to develop physical strength and a sense of mental freedom.
Specifically geared towards the ‘non-dancer’, The Sculpt Society uses just body weight and light weight resistance - hand weights, resistance bands, sliders and ankle weights - to create a long, lean and strong body. Classes build on each other so that you’re constantly being challenged and pushed outside your comfort zone whilst keeping things fresh so that you don’t get bored.
Not unlike the other trainers that have made out our list, Megan strives to strike the right balance between fun and fitness, and mental and physical health. And she has some sage advice for those of us under lockdown right now: "Continue to sprinkle things into your day that make you feel happy. Whether that is a call with a friend, a 10 min workout, or a meditation, make sure each day you're creating space for those things that make you feel good."
The Sculpt Society has a physical presence at Energi Studio in New York City but is also available to stream online so you can boogie away in the privacy of your front room.
Ahmed is a yoga teacher with over 600 hours of training under his belt. He has also written about health & wellbeing for titles including GQ, Men’s Health, Vogue and Mr Porter.
His Ashtanga-inspired vinyasa classes balance strength with softness, and prioritise alignment and breath over depth and gymnastics. Through sweat, focus and - most importantly - fun, Ahmed’s practitioners leave class feeling more connected to themselves, having experienced the joy and freedom that conscious movement can bring.
Ahmed is also a bodyworker and healer, so expect precise anatomical and energetic cueing as well as hands-on adjustments. All of this is accompanied by a killer playlist and a heavy dose of philosophy. Taking a class with Ahmed will not only improve your strength and stamina but, as with all good yoga, it should calm your mind too.
Ahmed leads weekly classes at BLOK in Shoreditch, Indaba in Marylebone and The Light Centre in Moorgate. You can also catch his virtual class on Zoom (see @ahmedyoga for information). Healing and bodywork sessions are available at Indaba - there is currently a one month waiting list.
See touchenergetics.co.uk for more information
From yoga, to HIIT, and even training geared specifically towards rock climbing, Kim is a real fitness all-rounder. But everything Kim does is geared towards one ultimate end: to help people to feel their very best.
The self described “avid-adventurer” is passionate about helping her clients to feel confident in both body and mind, and to exercise mindfulness whether on or off the mat. Kim wants her clients to know that a healthy body and a happy body are one and the same. Movement and nature, she believes, are the best medicine against the stresses of the modern world.
In 2017 Kim completed her yoga teacher training in Sri Lanka. She has since gone on to further training in yoga, movement and coaching. Her personal development has led her to take workshops in anatomy, creative sequencing and movement training and she shares everything she has learned generously with her clients. Balance and positivity are the names of the game. Kim is also a Lululemon ambassador and works with brands such as Vivobarefoot, The North Face and Roxy.
She currently teaches Movement, HIIT and Yoga classes and Psycle, Move Studios and Core Collective in London. She also hosts regular events and workshops and is available for small groups and one-to-one yoga, mobility and flexibility sessions, and for corporate classes. You can also access some of her classes online.
Lenny is a strength and movement specialist with over two decades worth of coaching experience. 15 of those years were spent training personnel of the British Army’s elite Airborne Forces as a soldier in the Royal Army Physical Training Corps. Seeing operational tours of Kosovo and Iraq during that time and responsible for the physical capabilities of all soldiers he served with, he knows fully what is required to prepare personnel for the most demanding of physical tasks.
Leaving the forces in late 2012 he initially took work as a close protection operative in Iraq and returned to the UK in 2014 to begin his career in the commercial fitness sector. Now working as Head of Personal Training for Ten Health and Fitness, he is a proponent of the Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) system and teaches bodyweight modalities including Animal Flow and calisthenics as well as more traditional strength methods such as barbell and kettlebell training.
Lenny firmly believes there is simply no one-size-fits-all approach to health and training. Instead, understands that we are all a unique Rubik’s Cube of conditions, adaptations and issues that has been formed by our preferences, experiences and lifestyles. Solving some of these puzzles is frequently the key to achieving our goals. By re-establishing some of the more ‘human’ elements to our approach, whether that be increasing a joint’s range of motion and function or streamlining the recovery process with improved sleeping habits and gut health, we are better able to make the progress we’re looking for.
Lenny’s training philosophies see him placing education at the forefront of everything he does. He not only delivers on what you need physically but also empowers you with the knowledge required to manage your own health and training needs for the future. From a full movement assessment through to breathing mechanics, conditioning and strength training, it’s a thoroughly robust approach and no element is overlooked.
Lee Mullins is the Founder of Workshop Gymnasium. Located within the prestigious setting of the Bulgari Hotels in London, Milan, Bali, Beijing, Dubai and Shanghai, Workshop Gymnasium specializes in creating the most bespoke, one-to-one training programs in the world.
Lee’s personal training journey began when he graduated with a degree in Exercise Sports Science. 13 years of experience later, and an ever-expanding list of qualifications has positioned Lee as one of the most sought-after health professionals in the world.
Mastering an unrivalled knowledge of the health and fitness industry, Lee has collected an impressive list of respected qualifications in fat loss, nutrition, strength training and exercise physiology and has gone on to open the first Workshop Gymnasium in October 2014 in Knightsbridge, London.
His ability to communicate knowledge that is both inspiring and educational has led to his success not only with high profile clients but also within the media: Lee has become a regular contributor to magazines such as Vogue, Grazia, Forbes, Elle, Women’s Health, Glamour, Tatler, InStyle, The Telegraph and GQ, as well as Mr. Porter, where he featured in their ‘How to’ series and helped to secure record viewing figures.
His experience and education allow him to utilise a variety of effective training methods to continuously achieve visible results for all his clients, regardless of their circumstances.
We all know the regular exercise is fundamental to wellbeing; from boosting mood to bolstering the immune system , and improving the quality of your sleep to reducing inflammation , it can and will work wonders. You just need to find the movement system that works for you. The secret, as attested to by all of the above trainers, is to find a workout or exercise routine that brings you joy, that you can laugh through, and that, ultimately, makes you feel like the very best version of yourself.
LYMA’s evidence-based formula has been designed to support you in unlocking your full potential and to help you thrive, not just survive. When your body and mind need it most, trust LYMA, because there is no better feeling in the world than feeling your best. Click here to buy LYMA snd find your journey to ultimate health.