Fitness Boxing Sessions

NO Contact, Just 100% FITNESS.
Mr Hunter's Fitness Boxing sessions are designed using the training concepts boxers use to keep fit. Session will take a variety of formats. A typical session may include shadow boxing, skipping, hitting focus mitts, punch bags, press ups,shuttle runs & sit ups.
Combining the use of both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. A great workout helping body fitness, hand-eye co-ordination, balance and timing


Session are perfect for mums & dads, adults.

FUN - ENERGETIC - CALORIE BURNING - STRESS BUSTING


If you'd be interest in Fitness Boxing session please join the early bird information list below

Plan of action: A four-week, step-by-step way to fight diabetes

Plan of action: A four-week, step-by-step way to fight diabetes

Tens of millions of Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes — dangerously high blood sugar that develops when the cells throughout your body resist insulin.

An estimated 57 million Americans have pre-diabetes — above-normal blood sugar
that can lead to diabetes, and another 47 million have metabolic syndrome — a
step before pre-diabetes, when blood sugar is OK but insulin resistance is
high.

Get your blood sugar levels under control now with Woman Day magazine's
four-week anti-diabetes action plan. It's based on a healthy lifestyle that
works for every woman, taken from the four main strategies of the Diabetes
Prevention Program, and the good news is that there is no major overhaul necessary.

The evidence compiled is so strong that researchers at the Harvard School of
Public Health think that healthy habits could prevent 90 percent of type 2
diabetes cases.

The outline of the plan includes:

Week 1: Move!

Your goal: Thirty minutes of activity such as walking, riding an exercise bike,
swimming or doing a workout DVD at home most days of the week, plus strength
training (lifting weights, using resistance bands) two to three times a week.

How to do it:

-Think 10-10-10. Ten minutes of stretching in the morning, a brisk 10-minute
walk at lunch, and 10 minutes of strength training in the evening every day
adds up to 3½ hours a week of exercise — an hour more than people in the
Diabetes Prevention Program did. And the short bursts really work. One British
study showed that very short, high-intensity workouts on exercise bikes
improved insulin resistance by 23 percent in just two weeks.

-Put it on your calendar. If you prefer 30-minute sessions, take time on Sunday
night to pencil them into your calendar on at least five days each week. Tell
yourself and your loved ones it's your time to exercise, and unless something
of major importance comes up, stick to it. Scheduling makes it more formal, and
you might even find that your kids or spouse will remind and support you.

-Strength-train while you watch TV. Devote commercial time to a few
muscle-building (and maintaining) moves. Try crunches, modified push-ups (on
your hands and knees), squats and lunges. Aim for two to three
strength-training sessions per week for the best results.

Week 2: Stop portion distortion

Being overweight doubles your odds of developing diabetes, and if you're very
overweight or obese your chances triple. The key to keeping the scale steady —
or losing weight, if you need to — is to practice portion control.

-Measure. Use measuring cups and spoons to check portions before you eat.
Sounds like a pain, but after you do this a few times you'll be able to eyeball
it. (But re-measure monthly to make sure you're not inching toward overdoing
it.)

-Divide your plate. Another way to make sure you're eating the right amount:
Fill half of your plate with vegetables (with little or no added fats, oils,
breading or sauces). Use one-fourth for meat or a non-meat protein such as
beans, eggs or tofu, and one-fourth for a grain or starchy vegetable such as
brown rice or a small sweet potato.

-Wait 20 minutes after eating. This is how long it takes for your brain to
register the "I'm full" message.

Week 3: Hello, fiber

Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber foods protect against
diabetes by filling you up for fewer calories, slowing the natural rise in
blood sugar after a meal, and providing nutrients such as magnesium and
chromium.

-Visualize your goal. Every day, aim for three servings of whole grains (one
serving equals a slice of bread or one-half cup brown rice), 2 cups of fruit
(one medium apple or orange is about 1 cup) and 2 and one-half cups of
vegetables. Have at least two servings of fruits and/or vegetables at every
meal. This will make reaching that 25 grams a no-brainer. Double up at dinner
by serving an extra vegetable.

-Check the nutrition facts label. Make sure breads and cereals have at least 3
grams of fiber per serving. Five grams is even better. Take a look at the
ingredients list, too: a whole grain like rolled oats or whole-wheat flour
should be first.

Week 4: Fix your fats

There's the good-poly- and monounsaturated fat, and the bad-saturated and
trans. Your mission is to cut the amount of saturated fat to less than 7
percent of your total calories (that's about 14 grams or less a day for a
2,000-calorie diet) and have the good fats in moderation. The bad fats are even
more dangerous than sugar. Be sure to read all labels carefully for saturated
fat gram counts: Even "healthy" foods have it.

-Snack strategically on nuts. They're an excellent source of the
"good" monounsaturated fats, which some research shows may protect
against diabetes by reducing low-grade inflammation, making cells a little more
insulin-sensitive and even helping with healthy insulin production. Pairing a
small handful of nuts (one-fourth cup or less) with a piece of fruit or a small
bowl of sliced raw veggies gets good-for-you monounsaturated fats into your
diet without going overboard.

-Cook with olive or canola oil. Rich in monounsaturated fats, these oils are a
smart swap for butter, which is packed with saturated fat. Just watch how much
you use: one tablespoon has 120 calories.

-Switch to lowfat or fat-free dairy. The calorie and fat savings can be
dramatic. An 8-oz glass of whole milk has 8 grams of saturated fat; lowfat (1
percent) has just 2.5 grams and fat-free (skim) obviously has none. If you
drink two glasses a day, switching to fat-free could save you 16 grams of saturated
fat.

-Sidestep "stealth fat" in chicken and turkey. Trimming the fat and
removing the skin from a chicken breast cuts saturated fat in half. If you're
buying ground turkey instead of ground beef, be sure it's turkey breast;
regular ground turkey and some turkey products may contain fattier dark meat
and even turkey skin, which raises the fat content as high as some ground
beefs. Look for types that say "light meat," "white meat,"
or "breast" on the ingredients list.

Mr Hunter’s Fighting Fit is our NEW fitness class for MEN & WOMEN!

This class will blow away ANY other 'themed' fitness class you've EVER tried. Fighting fit will give you a tough & exciting workout drawing from MMA & Kickboxing pad & bag drills, Russian Kettlebells training, Circuit Training- ALL IN THE ONE CLASS! This class is scheduled for Thursday’s at 7.45pm. If you want an exciting & challenging workout look no further.
This class isn't taught by someone who's just done a weekend course! The trouble with many 'themed classes' locally is that they're taught by people with little or no martial arts or instructional experience. So very often you're being taught movements & exercises incorrectly (& we've seen many instances where they're taught in a way thats actually damaging). Our class is taught by Mr Darren Hunter; who holds many degree black belts in Kickboxing and various other arts & is a LKD qualified Kettlebells Instructor. Darren is an EXPERIENCED martial arts & fitness instructor, & prides herself in the QUALITY of the instruction you get in his classes.
There is no easy way to get fit, but lots of people will try to sell you 'snake oil' & fool you into thinking there is. If you think you're going to get fit by doing 30 minute workouts with 30 seconds on each machine/exercise then you're fooling yourself. If you want to get fit there is no silver bullet or magic fix....it takes hard work & sweat. If you REALLY want to get fit its not easy; & Fighting Fit is NOT an easy class....but it's great fun, & Darren is with you every step of the way helping you to get where you want to be.

SMA has made a Differnce in My Life.

Here’s the lowdown on what you need to know about me. My name is Ellen. I’m 22, 5’9”, have blue eyes and was born in July. I studied Japanese at university, and in my spare time I like learning how to kick things. Oh yeah, and I suffer from depression.

I’ve had depression since I was 14, but I wasn’t diagnosed with it until I was 20. Depression, not ‘I’m having a bad day and feel a bit down’ depression, but real ‘the chemicals in my brain are all screwed up’ depression, is a frustrating condition. It never really, fully goes away. So while I’ll go through periods where I feel fine and generally upbeat, there are also times where I feel so bad I can’t even get out of bed. And during those times, the only thing to do is learn to cope with it.

A few months ago I went through a particularly bad patch. I started sleeping 13 or 14 hours a day, comfort eating, and barely left the house except to go to work. For 3 weeks I stopped going to SOLO at all. It always felt like it would be too much to cope with, I didn’t have the energy or the drive, and I’d only get exhausted and make a fool out of myself in front the class. I was on the verge of writing to Dee and Darren and telling them I was just going to stop going altogether, cancel my payments, and hand back my gloves. I even had the email I’d send to them all planned out.

But in the end, even that was just too much effort for me. So finally, one Monday, I thought I’d try going back to SOLO just one more time, just in case, just to see if maybe I could cope. And I went, and it was like learning to smile all over again. The combination of exercise, and spending time with friendly, non-judgmental people, of learning that I still had energy, that I could cope with classes, and that my fears were all imagined, was exhilarating. At SOLO I found freedom from the bad feelings that were trapping me, and stopping me from enjoying my life.

For the previous few weeks I’d become more and more convinced that I would always feel this bad, constantly exhausted, and not wanting to do anything – certainly not trying to follow my dreams. But after 45 minutes of hard work and some serious pain, I realised I’d had what I needed in me all along. The energy was still there, along with happiness, and a renewed sense of determination to make something of my life. All I’d needed was someone to make me work, and show me I had it in me. So I went back, on the Wednesday, and the Friday, and the following week, and the following one, and recently I’ve been going as much as much as I can, almost every day. And every time I do I feel that little bit brighter, that little bit better inside.

I’m not saying SOLO is that answer to all my problems, or that it’s cured my depression for good. But going there helps me more than medication, more than counselling, and so much more than hiding away in my room. There are still days when I wake up and feel horrendous, when I want nothing more than to hide away from the world and give up everything. But then I go to SOLO, and run, and jump, and punch, and kick, and pray that Darren won’t be too evil tonight, because there is only so much that one girl can sweat, and I smile, and feel like I can cope with life again.

SMA provides all of the elements for my training.

As an A&E doctor, I have an exceptionally busy, challenging and stressful job. I work long, erratic hours which makes having a healthy eating and exercise routine a little bit of a nightmare. This said, I still have a ridiculously high energy level (as my housemates will attest!!) and I always need to have a positive focus into which I can channel excess energy (otherwise silly videos and photos appear on facebook!).

Up until two years ago I was an extremely competitive swimmer. I would train up to nine sessions per week (that’s about 18 miles) with the Newcastle masters squad and a local triathlon club. I loved the swimming, the club spirit and the fact I could eat and drink anything I liked. Sadly, due to recurrent injury I found my fitness and stamina dropping and weight increasing until I had to eventually stop swimming at the same level. I took up boxing at a local gym. It was great exercise and had a certain level of camaraderie, but there was always something missing. Now I’m sure that those of you who have got to know me over the last few months will be expecting me to produce a list of flippant and shallow things that were missing, but alas this is not the case. Fulfilment! (ah, you see, I can be philosophical sometimes!) That’s what was lacking. For me, exercise is not just about fitness and weight loss, it’s about global wellbeing; a feeling of emotional, physical and social challenge.

Now, I live opposite SMA and often noticed the steamed windows and the black clad people entering and leaving. Curiosity eventually got the better of me and I contacted some bloke called Darren. He was ridiculously enthusiastic about everything and suggested I come along and see for myself. That was February, and since then I haven’t looked back. It wasn’t until I started training that I began to appreciate just how much I had let my fitness and weight deteriorate. As I said earlier, exercise encompasses more than just weight loss and fitness. SMA provides all of the elements that are important to me. I’ve made some fantastic new friends, I’m more fulfilled, I’m much less grumpy, every session is different so I have variety, I have the goal of working towards the different belts, and for me, the best of all.......I get to see Darren pummel Craig at least once week!! Oh, and getting back to the superficial me, I’ve also lost a shed load of weight and size too (good times, bring on the beer!). SMA has become such a big part of my life that I can’t really envisage not being a member and not hearing that ear shattering laugh (and deliciously inappropriate humour) of Dee’s. I am however; slightly nauseous at the prospect of how much pain I’m going to suffer when I get back to training in the next few weeks (although Darren has assured me that he does indeed have a sympathetic, and possibly slightly warm and fuzzy side!).

I want to say Cheers to Daren and Dee for their endless energy and enthusiasm. We all appreciate that it has been an extremely sad and difficult few months for them both, but they have continued to provide motivation and support to us all with a humbling level of dignity and selflessness.

Luvs ya loads guys!!!

sas

SMA member Success Story.

Solo, part of a calorie control diet----------------------------------------
How has training with Solo Martial Arts helped me with my weight loss?

Pretty much all of my adult life I have been overweight, inactive and coupled with a poor diet and sedentary job it was a recipe for disaster. Well, roughly eight/nine months ago, for heath (a struggling diabetic) and general wellbeing reasons I knew something had to change. ( Cue the violins... )

It is a cliché, but it does take time and perseverance but the small changes soon make a difference, and as I sit here writing this the 4 stone I have lost is proof of this. I am more than happy to discuss what changes I made over the months, and my experiences were but a lot of what has happened is still relevant today especially more so whilst training at Solo Martial Arts.

Convenience, Engagement, Support, Enjoyment and Commitment (to some hard graft) are, in my opinion are words to describe the foundation of a good weight loss and training program. As you think about these words, I hope you can see that most, hopefully all of these words, could at sometime or other be used describe your own experience at Solo Martial arts.

Whatever you undertake, at the beginning until you can be “suitably motivated”, convenience is a major factor. Look for things or situations in every day routines which can help. For me it was as simple as starting with a 30 minute walk in my lunch hour which I continued for a few weeks until I started to get bored. This is where Engagement comes into it, you need to mix it up to keep you engaged and motivated, so I joined a gym. In doing so started to demonstrate a little more Commitment to what I am attempting to achieve. So now with the Support of the instructors, I can once again start to be more Engaged and Committed, and started even Enjoying some of the activities.

But as time progressed, as before, my body became accustomed to the same routines and it was time to mix it up again. This is where Solo Martial Arts enters the equation.

Living in North Shields, Solo it definitely convenient so no excuses there and if I am honest I would probably travel further because at my stage now, the other factors are more important in helping me to achieve my goals. Engaging, well its certainly more engaging than any x-trainer I have been on and in the 5 months I have been training I can’t recall any of the sessions being the same. One thing I have noticed since joining Solo is that it’s not only the instructors that offer support and guidance but fellow students are also happy to share their knowledge and are extremely welcoming and approachable.

What about Enjoyment I hear you ask, well it may be hard to believe, but I enjoy every second of my sessions even though the heavy breathing and pained expression may convey otherwise. This can only be achieved through a combination of all of what has been described before. I am proud of what I have achieved, but Solo Martial Arts has and will continue to help me in the future.

Whatever you want to achieve, YOU have to have the commitment but Solo Martial Arts can demonstrate it can deliver all of the other key elements to ensure your commitment is rewarded.

Written By Keith Office, A SMA Student.

Going 2 the Gym but not progressing?

You've been working for month on your fitness and trying to build up your muscle strength but feel no further forward. This could be the reason why,

Not in the moment: You are too engrossed about reading what celeb has done what in the magazine you've taken along to the gym.

Your phone: You haven't taken time out from the world and decided to slow down your workout or stop to txt away about what you will or may not be doing this weekend.

Chatting: You spend too much time chatting with your gym buddy.

Same routine: You do the same routine each week, same pieces of equipment used, same weight used, same amount of rep's, no variation.

Solution suggesting for you,

Get rid of the magazine and set your mind (focus) for what you want. You wanted to exercise so do so, the magazine will still be there when you get back.

Turn off your phone and exercise for a solid 45 minutes to an hour. It should be your time now.

Challenge your self during your workout. If you do a 10 minutes cardio routine, every 2 minutes up the pace a little then go back down to your normal rate. This will challenge your body as your hear rate keeps changing.

Try a heavier weight for one set (8 repetitions of lifting a weight) then go back down to your normal weight.

Get your friend to help motivate you, share turns on equipment. save the chat for afterwards. wouldn't it be better to discuss about how much more you did during your exercise routine that day.

BEST SOLUTION
If you live in Newcastle (UK) area come see me. I'll put you through my fitness kickboxing routines. Everyone is sweating, achieving all together while I work your whole body from top to bottom. I'll challenge your body so no workout is ever the same meaning your body will start too become slimmer and stronger because your muscle groups will be challenged every week stopping them from becoming lazy and accustomed to the routine.

you'll feel motivated because I will be there personally to make sure you achieve your set rep's, no time to sit and watch MTV or read your magazine, instead listen to the blasting track and sweat away to the beat!
Ready for a chat afterwards, no probs! were very sociable.

To your Health & Fitness
Darren

What does achieving a Black Belt Mean to You?

Getting a black belt means different things to each individual person. I know my self becoming a black belt meant many different things as i progressed.
What I'd like you to think is what does been a black belt really mean? does it me not to kick A**SS, hit harder, able to defend myself, able to compete in competitions or does it have a different meaning.
Martial arts teaches us along the way to instill principles of self discipline, perseverance, humility, self control, integrity.

Here's what been a black belt meant to me personally:

Having the same high standards of black belt in everyday life, helping my family, been the best brother I can be (black belt brother not a white belt standard), help helping my parents now there becoming older and giving something back, helping pass my experience on to the younger generations to work hard at school and not listen to negative peer pressure, to stand up fir themselves, be a go getter's!!

Helping adults believe in themselves no matter what colour, religion, gender, were all humans begins and deserve ti be treated as such.
My proudest moments have been helping students with disabilities, to allow them to partake and experience what martial arts has to offer, helping to build them up physically and mentally.

now imagine your parent, do you strive to be a black belt parent?, do you strive to be a black belt Friend?, support and be there for one another..........see been a black belt can mean different things....Go on and have a THINK!