Supersonic has a new personal trainer, Sam, who is also a rugby player for the York City Knights. The Knights have prestigious training methods to ensure they can perform to their highest ability during a game and to speed up recovery. There are similarities between the methods used by The Knights and Supersonics’ class instructors during circuits, rig training, HIIT and Superset and our personal trainers.
On receiving a York Knights training program, there will be 4 main components; strength and conditioning, cardiovascular training, recovery and most importantly rehab. This will be sent through in session formats in the same style we do here at Supersonic – we create 4 personalised programs per year to help you towards your goals.
Having a balanced training program is vital for anyone partaking in any forms of exercise; it allows you to maintain focus by working towards set goals and targets with a pattern to follow. Some people may lack motivation for going to the gym, however, here at Supersonic we strive to be different by switching up the routine in our classes, providing a range of the most innovative equipment in our gym, and ensuring our recovery zone is a relaxing area to retire to post-workout or when you simply require a relaxation session.
Strength and Conditioning
Most of the time, York Knights’ strength and conditioning programs consist of a strength exercise superset with power or plyometric exercise. This is something that involves an explosive movement normally using the whole body, for example an Olympic lifter would specialize in these movements, such as a snatch which is a shoulder press that’s pushed vertically above the head whilst also using the legs to power a much heavier weight then can be lifted in isolation. This benefits the athlete in many ways; the focus being to build strength whilst also maintaining fast-twitch muscles. Fast-twitch muscles are an anaerobic group of muscles that provide bigger and more powerful forces, but for shorter periods of time and fatigue quicker. Thus, being very useful to anyone wanting to engage in exercise that requires fast muscle fibres that kick in when reacting to short sharp movements. For example a side step in rugby that requires your bodyweight to shift from one spot to another in a short space of time, or to put it in gym context it could be a lateral skater, bounding laterally from one foot to the other.
Cardiovascular Training
Often, many people aren’t fans of cardiovascular fitness. Ironically it is the one that makes us feel the best when the session is finished. This is due to the release of serotonin – a chemical that is naturally released when exercising – and has been scientifically proven to boost your daily mood. A common misconception is that cardiovascular fitness involves sitting on a bike or rowing machine, however, there are many ways you can enjoy it. Any sporting activity done at a high intensity is conditioning. For example, tennis or badminton, or fitness classes such as our HIIT class, circuits, Pilates and yoga. All of these would burn calories and improve cardio, strength and muscular endurance under fatigue.
Recovery
Recovery is a key component in The Knights’ weekly routine, aiming to fit in at least two stretch sessions per week along with a foam rolling session and sauna visit. Supersonic’s yoga classes are an excellent approach for ensuring that you stretch effectively, and the learned movements can be repeated after a gym session. We have a variety of foam rollers on our stretching mat area in the gym, each giving benefits such as a decrease in DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness0, tightness in the muscle and flexibility.
In addition to this, our recovery zone has a Finnish and Infrared sauna, aiding relief from joint and muscle aches, increasing blood circulation, and encouraging relaxation and better sleep. Also in the recovery zone, there is an experience shower which applies more pressure to the back and can be switched from hot to cold. When used with the ice dispenser, the cold therapy is excellent for muscle aches, reducing swelling and inflammation, and ice assists with exfoliating the skin.
Rehab
Rehab or rehabilitation is exercising past and previous injuries you may have sustained, aiming to prevent them or any new injuries from recurring. This often involves stretching, balance, and activation exercises. For example, glute stretches along with hamstring stretch followed by a range of mechanical movements around the knee joint to strengthen the ligaments. This could be found in our yoga and Pilates classes that can be taken into your own gym routine. Rehab is a perfect form of training for anyone in a gym as it allows you to stay injury-free and continue exercises uninterrupted by niggles or different injuries that may occur under intense training.
Sam’s goal when training with The Knights is to be fit and strong whilst on the pitch. However, anyone looking to train at Supersonic can have a range of different goals that will benefit the individual in their own way. Whether you’re training for a challenge such as a marathon, preparing for a big game or focusing on general fitness, these 4 components are recommended and can be utilised in Supersonic’s gym, classes and recovery zone.