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What is the new David Lloyd Blaze workout about?

November 27, 2018

What is David Lloyd Blaze?

So David Lloyd clubs have been very busy renovating many of their clubs, introducing the new studios for their Blaze classes. For weeks we were given sneak peaks and promised something amazing coming with David Lloyd Blaze.

Blaze is described as a ‘Boutique Group Training Experience’ bringing intense cardio with strength and combat training. A high energy fast-paced workout where you can see just how hard you’ve worked thanks to a unique heart-rate monitoring system. Meaning better results quicker. I was really excited and expecting big things.

The Studio

Finally launch night arrived and I was excited to see the new Blaze Studio.

The Boutique style studio looked amazing. Each area defined clearly. There was a cardio section with high tech treadmills, a strength section with weight bench and your own set of weights and a combat zone with suspended punch bags for mixed martial arts.

Where Blaze slightly differs from your usual high intensity interval training is that you can purchase a belt that tracks how hard your working and displays on large screens around the studio. The trick is to work within your ‘red zone’ to really burn those calories!

The first thing that struck me was how sleek it looked, the lighting was quite dark but the colours gradually changed, almost like a club feel and the music was loud and upbeat. Perfect to get you in the zone.

The Blaze Class

So you’re advised to arrive early for your class to get set up with your Myzone belt and boxing gloves. The Myzone heart rate monitor is worn under your clothing just under your breast bone and is surprisingly comfortable. I didn’t notice it whilst working out. You can trial a belt for your first Blaze class but you would need to purchase your own belt if you wanted to continue to use one. It keeps track of your workouts and sends the information to an app on your phone. So if you’re serious about Blaze workouts, it’s a great investment.

After getting set up we could see our names appear on the screen each showing our heart rate. We all started off on blue or green but our target was to work hard enough to change our square on the screen to yellow and even better red! Once in red, that is where you want to stay to really feel the burn!

So off we went, we started with a warm up before progressing into our Blaze workout. The music was loud, the light colour changed and the instructor’s energy was high! It was a great feeling. My Myzone square changed quickly to yellow and then red. During the workout I kept checking I was still working hard, if I noticed the percentage dropping slightly I knew I could push myself that little bit harder to keep in my red zone. There is no doubt it really motivated me and I worked harder than ever before. The class was fun and we worked for 3 minutes before changing to the next section, rotating cardio, strength and mixed martial arts. You didn’t get time to get bored in one area.

After the workout

I really enjoyed my first Blaze class and can see why they are proving so popular. I liked the varied workout and I pushed myself like never before with the help of the Myzone belt. In the dimly lit boutique style studio I found it easy to get in the ‘zone’ without feeling self conscious, unlike under the bright lights of a regular gym class. In just a 45 minute Blaze class I almost doubled my regular calorie burn, which is quite incredible.

Blaze definitely has a place in my regular workout routine, a short class that delivers excellent results!

There are 30 minute David Lloyd Blaze taster classes available if you’re feeling nervous about trying a full class for the first time! Give it a shot, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain! Burn it up people!

Read more about why I love working out at David Lloyd clubs here.

Written in collaboration with David Lloyd but all thoughts, feelings and opinions are completely mine!

fitness, Food, Home, Lifestyle

Relax and unwind with David lloyd, not just a gym…

April 11, 2018

david lloyd collage photos relax and unwind with david lloyd

Relax and unwind with David Lloyd Clubs

I regularly go to the gym, workout and then leave. Sometimes I stop off for a quick coffee or breakfast, but often overlooking the other great facilities that are available to me. I go to the gym to get into shape and then go about my day to day activities. Recently I’ve had a stressful time in my personal life. It can really take its toll on your mental health so I’ve needed to learn to relax more and find some ‘me time’. I’ve looked for ways to help me to de-stress and I now feel like I’m finally learning to relax and unwind with David Lloyd.

Over the past few weeks I’ve made sure to book into some of the more relaxing classes like Pilates and Body Balance. I always walk out of a class feeling so good, feeling like I am benefiting both my mind and body. Recently I’ve been using the David Lloyd club as a spa experience. I’ve met up with friends, relaxed by the pool, treated myself to a jacuzzi, followed by a steam or sauna session. I have enjoyed eating some delicious lunches, relaxing in the quiet room with a book and catching up with friends on a comfy sofa in the lounge over a coffee (or wine!). When the weather gets warmer I’m really looking forward to making the most of the outdoor pool and relaxing on a sun lounger outside, dreaming of warmer climates!

Fun for kids

David Lloyd has been great for my daughter too, I’ve been able to get some much needed ‘me time’ whilst Eden is busy having fun. David Lloyd offer a mix of sports and games clubs, dancing, football, along with creative art and craft classes. She has an amazing time in one of the many classes or meeting new friends playing in the soft play area. It’s allowed me to just sit quietly with a coffee and catch up on life! Sometimes we forget about our mental well being and how important it is to look after ourselves both physically and mentally. I always train hard and try to eat well (in between the afternoon teas)! I now know to spend a little bit more time focusing on me and relaxing more too! It has really helped me get back on track these past few weeks. I’ve continued with my usual classes in the gym and incorporated some relaxing using the other facilities.

My local David Lloyd Club hosts lots of brilliant social activities too, whether it’s a theatre coach trip to the Westend or a Casino night in house. The kids are not forgotten either… there were Chocolate making parties at Easter, a fabulous panto at Christmas and lots of great things on for kids throughout the year! Once a month they even have a children’s entertainer come down to party with the kids with no extra to pay! The kids absolutely love it, especially Eden, she is a party animal!

Check out David Lloyd’s website or pop into your local club to see what activities or offers they have available! You would be surprised David Lloyd is not just a gym but also a great social experience too and perfect for kids. See why we love being members at our local David lloyd here.

Thank you for reading ‘relax and unwind with David lloyd, not just a gym’.

Written in collaboration with David Lloyd, all views and comments are my own.

Family Life, fitness, Home, Lifestyle

New Year’s Resolution, how to succeed!

January 24, 2018

New Year, New You!

I think most of us are guilty of setting a New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier, maybe lose some weight. Quite often forgotten about within just a few weeks.

After the Christmas celebrations I think most of us are wearing a few extra pounds (or stones!!!). Each year in January, I’m on a mission to lose some of that extra weight… ‘I would just like to lose this extra stone’ (sound familiar?)!

Last January I wanted to lose that extra bit of weight and set myself a super strict low carb diet, not only that I started at the gym too. After just a couple of months of such a restrictive diet I started to cheat more and more. Over the course of the past year, I never lost that extra stone but I did work hard at the gym and tried half heartedly with eating right. My downfall is that I like to eat socially… a lot! I love nothing more than an afternoon tea with my family or a huge yummy roast at the weekend!

My weight

My weight stayed the same over the course of the year, fluctuated by a few pounds but on the whole remained pretty level. What did happen was my body shape completely changed. I developed muscle and toned and shaped my body. With muscle weighing more than fat, there was no surprise there was no change on the scales, so I tried not to get disheartened by the scales and kept going. I actually started to like what I saw in the mirror and stopped giving myself such a hard time.

What I discovered during this time was much more important… I finally realised after all these years, it wasn’t losing that stone that would make me happy… it was about finding my confidence again. No I didn’t weigh what I did when I was 25 but I was working hard at the gym and getting happier and falling back in love with my body. The number on the scales stopped mattering and instead I took photos to see my progress. This time last year I carried more weight around my bottom, waist, upper thighs and back. This year however I weigh the same but I now have a waist, a really strong core, my bottom has lifted and I’ve shed a load of back fat… I also stopped judging myself so harshly and started concentrating on what actually makes me happy.

I’ve come to realise that no one actually cares what you weigh, it’s actually all down to how you see your self. Quite often that pressure comes from you. You have to learn to not only like but love yourself and actually the only opinion that should matter about how you look should be yours, not that of a family member or old school friend! You need to stop judging yourself so harshly and be kinder to yourself.

My New Year’s Resolution

This year I’m continuing with all my hard work at the gym, building my confidence and trying to target those areas I’m still less than happy with… for me it’s my arms. I go to a David Lloyd gym and find there are a huge range of classes which means I can be flexible with my training. I like to challenge myself and try new classes and keep things fresh. I also take my daughter and she absolutely loves going to the DL kids club there. The children’s timetable is brilliant with so much for them to do and keep them active. To read more about why we love training as a family see here.

Mental Health

Over the last year I also discovered that I need to put at lot more effort not into my physical health but also my mental health. People can be so busy with their lives that their own mental health can be way down on their list of priorities. I had a particularly stressful time last year and I neglected my own mental health. The stresses of daily life took their toll. It made me realise just how important it is to look after yourself mentally as well as physically. At the gym I now book classes that are just as great for your mind as they are your body. David Lloyd recognise this and offer so many great holistic classes. I always look forward to relaxing on a matt at the end of a Body Balance class, lying in the dimly lit studio concentrating on my breathing and forgetting about whether I’ve loaded the dishwasher or if Eden has clean uniform for the following day. I’ve really found classes like that are helping me to deal with my stress and anxiety.

Declutter

As part of my New Year’s resolution for 2018 I need to tackle my clutter! I think it’s important to break down big tasks into more manageable chunks to avoid being overwhelmed. My desk at home is almost always a mess and I constantly mean to go through and declutter my wardrobe… each time I look at them my heart sinks as it seems such a huge task. I’ve now started to take the pressure off and set myself a target of 30 mins a day. I set myself a timer and tackle a bit at a time instead of spending a whole day doing it. This gives me peace of mind, I feel like I can ‘cope’ and don’t feel so overwhelmed by it all. I really wish (and so does my husband) that I were a ‘super tidy neat freak’ and that it came more naturally to me… but sadly not!

This year… I will succeed!

So this year, I’m not setting myself an unrealistic challenge of losing a stone in a month. I’m eating healthy but if I want a cake at the weekend or ice cream at the cinema I’m going to allow myself that treat. I’m concentrating on working hard on the inside as well as the outside. I want to be strong and healthy not skinny. This year I’m going to do what makes me happy and going to the gym really does (I never ever thought I would say that!!!). I’m going to tackle my house and declutter where I need to and I’m going to make time for me! Most importantly I am going to continue making happy memories with what is most important to me… my family.

Look after yourselves… get healthy but in a safe way, make good food swaps, don’t deny yourself something you truly love, forget unrealistic goals, ditch the fad diets, try out a new class and learn to love yourself in 2018!!!