MY Zone Challenge Month, Feel Good Fitness, New Classes | Daniel Marshall Adventures

Welcome, In this post i will be talking about how i did During the Myzone Challenge month and about the new classes at The gym !!!

I have been posting a lot about Feel Good Fitness Because of how much it has changed my life, and how the more i keep going, the more i get stronger and the more memories and friends i make (:
The last week In September I noticed posters advertising October Myzone  Challenge month.
The idea was simple just put on your Myzone belt used to track your stats and myzone points, work hard and have fun (:

You got 1 ticket for every 100 Points, with it being capped at 50 tickets which is 5,000 points.

I had worked out for me to earn the most per day would be to do a lot of Cardio, which because i loved taking the Wattbike classes, it fitted nicely.
I knew October would be very demanding on my body, as i was in the middle of a 9 week Training workout with friends which was very intensive, on top of doing tennis 3 times a week, and doing classes, It meant that everyday i was at least doing something physically.
I had decided about a week into the challenge to try using the belt while i played tennis.
As I normally run a lot anyway and for at least 3 hours, so even without the challenge it would be cool to see my stats, see how much effort i put in and how high my heart rate
is.
I had never worn the belt beforehand as i was worried it might put me off my game, I have always had this annoying thing where i can not stand things being on my body, like watches etc.
Lucky enough it did not put me off my game, and i think somehow in the back of my mind, it made me push harder to improve my game and fitness because i knew i was aiming for a goal (:


As you can see I earned 403 My Zone Points, from playing 3 hours of tennis, with 25min walk there and back, and some breaks, 0 points are usually earned from a standing heart rate, its only when your heart rate goes higher that you start to go into the different color zones, 50-60 =1point, 60-70=2points, 70-80 =3 points, and 80-100 is 4 points, all points are worked out per min your in that zone.

 
So to compare that with a gym result above youll see that i push myself harder but for a shorter time, 

I am normally in the higher zones longer then tennis, because even though i push myself at tennis and its a lot of moving, your managing your stamina throughout the time your playing, rather then giving it your all in a class for the gym. if i did 3 straight hours of gym Cardio i would earn more points in a quicker time but run the risk of burning out with trying to keep in a high zone for that time period.

We all need Breaks !!!! even working out you can not expect to keep at a high rate for that long.

The reason i do not wear the belt while doing weights, is to me it does bother me, and if i am doing anything where i have something pressed to my chest the belt then digs in.
I am sure a lot of people do wear it while doing workouts but for me it just does not work out.
The cool thing about the belt is when your doing activity outside of the gym it stores the information on the device, then once your done, pair the device on your phone,tablet etc, open the app and upload the data (: 
After 2 weeks into the challenge i was noticing people way ahead of me, so i decided to push even harder at least 2-3 times a week for that month i was going to play tennis, and then in the evening either do some Cardio on my own or do a class.
As you can imagine i was very competitive and determined to win some prizes, my goal was to reach the capped level, and then still work hard but not push even harder as there would of been not point as any points over the capped level would not count towards the prizes anyway.

One of the days i went to play tennis i played the best i ever did and earned the most points which was great for Racking them up.

That month only seemed to get more competitive with me swapping places between 3rd and 4th with the most points earned.
The pressure to do well got even higher when more rewards were thrown into the mix..
Nothing to do with the Myzone challenge month, but in the case of the myzone match which is using during the Watt Bike class.
The concept of the zone match, is to keep in the zones for the time it says so for example stay in the yellow zone 80-90 percent, for 1 minute, On the live board in front of you, you can see your match percent, as you can see from the picture above.
so if you have someone matches you, and then you drop out of the zone or even go into a higher one before your supposed to your percent will drop while the other person who is still in the right zone will go up.
A prize would be given to the person who wins 6 zone matches, so of course this now meant swapping one of my weight workout days to enter another watt bike class for more chances to win prizes haha... Hmm Competitive much ? (:
I had got to know new people, and had a arch rival, her name was Jo !!!! hehe
I had a blast as me and her were so close in the class, the first class i Lost to her by 1 percent, as when it gets to the last few sections where you had to drop your heart rate, i really struggled, which meant i was not the right zone, as i watched my percentage drop and Jo"s rise, it was fun as we both pushed each other with the more times we went onto the watt bike class.
The next time we faced i had won by 0.1 percent !!!! and then recently we faced again and like with the first time my heart rate would not drop, but we all have a laugh and come away feeling happy (:


To get me even more excited about going to the gym more, was the announcement of new classes at the gym !!! which inc Adult Dance,bootylicious,Hit and Box fit, as well as having the other classes they had on before.
The last week of the challenge i got angry and upset with myself as i had come down with a nasty cold, which meant i had to miss a few things, and take it much easier, which meant i was earning less points.
However as much as possible i still kept pushing hard and overall by the end of the month i had reached just over 6,000 Points !!!
You will see though that i earned over 7,000 as i was told that one of the zones did not count in the challenge, and with that in mind i have no idea how the person who came in first ranked up so many !!!! to be honest its good to push yourself but as i mentioned its silly to go at full pelt still if you have earned over 5,000 as the tickets would be capped.
It was now time for the prize draw with tickets being pulled at Random, prizes inc, next vouchers, scales, lanyards, myzone T-shirt, extra membership, and personal training sessions.
I had won a session with the manager Helen, i was gutted i did not win anything else, but hey that is life, just means that i will keep trying next time its on (:
Speaking of driving forward, is having the chance to get to know a wonderful new addition to the gym Team which is Kelsey Pakes

she is a level 3 Personal Trainer with a love for exercise and fitness. she has a strong dance background and has worked as a professional dancer as well as leading her own dance classes. she wants to help others find confidence in the gym and work with them to reach their goals, whether it be training for an event or whether it’s making exercise a part of your weekly routine. shes very much a people person, she  hopes to find ways of making fitness engaging and creating programmes that work for each individual. she specialises  in a range of classes from dance and aerobics to circuits/bootcamp and strength and conditioning. If your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle and improve your overall health and fitness levels – she  can help you!

whenever i am at the gym she is also up for a chat, and much like the picture she always seems full of drive and being happy (:
So if you want to find out more about her please check in the links at the end of this post.

Weather i am working out with my friends, or doing classes with a group and the member of staff taking it, i am always able to not only push myself a lot harder but come away from the session, tired but happy knowing that its been a fun class or a good laugh with my mates and the amazing hard working staff.
The whole team at feel good are truly amazing people, not only do they work on their own fitness goals, but they manage the place, they make sure your ok, always up for a laugh, and work hard putting on the awesome classes that if your a member they are all free !!! and i tell you what, being on some of the classes as really helped my confidence, its given me a higher drive, of focus, and i have created such wonderful fun memories (:

The last exciting thing i wanted to talk about was going on my first Box fit class which was only Yesterday 08-11-17
I had never done boxing before, and never worn boxing gloves, as well as my confidence still not being that great around others,
The class got into pairs with me pairing with Helen.
She explained what the class was about, demonstrated the moves and off we went for a intense 45 minute session.
the first technique was the good old 1-2, the boxing gloves felt so strange on me and i was not sure how hard to hit, as with doing a 9 week training program with my friends, and with never punching before, i was unsure of my strength.
it was time for a swap as now i was defending Helens punches, and man is she super strong haha, i was a little worried but it was good fun (:
we learned many more steps like, 1-1-2, uppercuts etc.

Halfway through the session to make it easier for helen to get around everyone and to help them out to, i went on the punching bag, doing the same moves as the rest of the class still.
I did enjoy using the bag more as i did not have to worry in case i accidentally hurt someone and my focus was a lot better, learning boxing was hard and at times it did hurt my hands.
Like with anything new you have to wear it in ,get a feel for it, and although i had been doing a lot of weights and getting stronger, i had never used those muscles in that way so of course it was going to hurt a bit.
Overall i really loved the session, i left feeling very pumped, and i certainly will have a crack at it again !!!!
This is a lovely quote from the net that is true to who i am.
I might lack confidence when talking to people but i just focus in life what makes me happy (: That is working hard on my mental health, working hard on my physical health,
trying out new things, learning about life, and most of all just trying to fill each day with a lot of laughs, and memories !!!

What i want to keep working on is expanding my circle of friends, keep being who i am,
Keep coming out of my comfort zone and to just keep pushing myself more and more,
Physical activities make me happy, so if something is not broken do not try to fix it just find that something your good at, or you enjoy and work at it to keep improving (: 

Thanks for reading please check out the links below - Kelsey Pakes
https://www.facebook.com/kptraininguk/
https://www.instagram.com/k.p.training/

Feel good fitness-
https://www.facebook.com/FeelgoodGrantham
http://www.feelgoodfitness.net/grantham/grantham.html
https://www.instagram.com/granthamfeelgood/

Grantham Tennis Club, Master Club Coach LTA Level 5, Training For Coaches | Daniel Marshall Adventures

On 1st November 2017 I got a experience of a lifetime and so did the coaches.
Grantham Tennis club was Offering a Free 3 hour coaching session for players, as coaches who are level 4 are working onto Getting their Highest Qualification which is the Master Club coach level 5.

The coaches Taking their level 5 was Jonathan Haynes who is a coach for St Mary’s Calne Tennis Academy (SMCTA) which  provides a structured coaching programme to pupils of St Mary’s Calne and St Margaret’s Preparatory School.
Alan Smith Coaches at David Lloyd Teeside which is at Tees Barrage Way, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6QB
I could not find any images for the 2 coaches above but here is a picture of the last one which is the guy on the left

Lastly we have Richard Surtees who is Head of Performance at Grantham Tennis club.
Here is a summary of what the aim of the level 5 course is about

What is the aim of the course?

The aim of the course is to provide coaches with a transformational coach education experience that will equip them to be successful developers of players ranging from 11 years of age to under 18 National / International level juniors.

The course will develop coaches with a high level of versatility in working with performance players. Coaches will be able to comfortably transition between, for example, making a technical impact with an 11 year old National level girl, to later creating an inspirational training environment on court with a group of 14 year old boys and then to providing clarity of thought and excitement to a 16 year old in delivering their pre-match practice session prior to them playing a grade 2 ITF.

The course is designed to develop a coach from “knowing more” to deeply influencing their performance on a day to day basis with their players.

The picture above is of a level 1 coaching taking place.
There are coaches who are at different levels, who work hard at not only achieving their grades, but learning about the sport, doing coaches sessions one to one and in groups to help people improve their game, For me for the last year going through the feeling good project through the tennis club, ive had the chance as part of a group to have fun learning tennis, improving my game, play mini games that not only work on a set style and skill but are also fun to play.
Without the Dedication of these coaches, people would not be able to find the love of the amazing sport of tennis.
In Fact the other day i was looking on google and saw this image and its so true that its a key sport on your physical health (:



so for us it was a chance to get free advanced Coaching, while the coaches were training for their exam, with observes being there, to take notes, and for the coaches to ask any questions about the tasks they needed to do.
There was around 12-15 people who got the chance to have this free session.
After a small Warm up with others in the group while the coaches were getting briefed,
we got told that The 3 hours was going to be split into 3 sessions lasting just over 45 minutes with a small break in between each one.
the 3 coaches split us into groups, with each being taught something different and then a swap around when the next session started, so that everyone got a chance to do the drills.

The first session Was focused around serving, working on getting a high percentage in.


For me I have always had a issue which this as i have tried many different types of serves, many different type of stances etc, i always have the same problem which is balance.
Being able to serve a first serve while not moving all over the place, which then get lead to not being on your feet quick enough to return the shot coming back at you.


So the first part was working on getting serves a lot slower but at body level so its a lot harder to return as you body tends to tighten and also not a lot of time to think if the ball is right at your body rather to the side.

We Then had Targets to aim for which because of the insight on slowing my serve down and balancing i was able to hit a target, get more serves in and get close to the targets i was aiming for.
The next stage was then putting it into a little game, working on getting the serve to the players body, and seeing how they coped under pressure.
I cant remember who taught us, but he made sure to watch everyone,s Technique and give advice to each person, to improve there serves but also explain the differences and showcase them so the coach was covering all bases.
I felt that session had taught me a lot and really helped me understand what was going wrong with my serves, its good that he was not only able to provide a fun session but understand each persons different serve and give  different advice based on further advancing the percentage of serves in.


Next up was forehand drills with Richard Surtees, and net play.
Using the serving skills we got taught from the other session it was now time for one person to serve and to try and aim for the person right at the base line, making it harder for them to return it also means your body become very tight, and have not much time to think how to hit your shot.

A lot of body movement is used in order to get a stronger forehand hit, you need core strength in your arms and body, also the strength in your legs to have a strong standing force, and the agility to run from a standing point, to reach the ball, and then the arm strength to get that power, drawing the swing back and then forward to carry the momentum.

Its a lot harder then you think to not only aim for where you want the ball to go but to not over cook your shots or  even hit them to soft.
We then worked on a rotation of a player being at the net to intercept while the other 2 aimed to get they forehands across court and towards the base line.

For the forehand players it was working on keeping a rally going, and working on the skills of positioning and power, while the net player, watched for a opening to attack the ball.

which then it was time for  some points games again learning everything we did into practice.

over half over the 3 hours now gone, and i had already learned so much, and again, had a great coach to take the time to address each players skills, workout the best way to help them and encourage them to do well, so far the 2 sessions, were not what i expected, we were really tested and a lot of cardio was in play, it was Advanced training we was getting, and i loved it, it was pushing my limits and improving my game !!!!
as you can see by the picture above most forehands are normally hit by the side as its better to keep putting the other player under pressure, get in building up  rather then aiming to win the point straight away, let them make the mistake, and then put a shot down the middle, a drop shot, slice shots etc (:

By this point i was starting to struggle as i have been battling with a cold for over a week now, and only starting to recover.
This meant that i was not moving as fast as i normally do, or even have the same focus on top of which that although social tennis is competitive, its not as fast paced as the coaching we was getting.
The last time i did heavy Cardio tennis was over 4 months a go when i had a session indoors to see what it was like and i did really enjoy it, but i still need to keep improving my fitness and stamina !!

Indeed by the quote above, you can never perfect your game, and never aim to play tennis to win everytime, we learn of others, we watch, we study, we practice, we have fun and then we do it all again, thats my little quote haha, the image quote is better (:

For the final session we had our final coach, still working on forehand but this time working on placement and watching your opponents move and hitting it to a place where its a lot harder for the other player to return.

A marker was placed, and this is where the real fast Cardio session started, by taking it in turns we had to try for a standing point in the middle,having the ball fed to our right and trying to aim to the right of the marker.
Trying to get precision on your forehand is really hard as its easy just as a ball is coming to you to just give it a big whack and hope for the best, the skill comes in the control and placement (:

The next task, was hitting the same ball, but then getting another ball fed to us, and having to use our feet to get into a position where we could hit our forehands shot to the left side of the court.
To make it harder the first bounce had to be in court, with the second bounce making sure it went out.
This was to work on getting close to hitting a deep forehand shot to the corner without the first bounce being out, as in tennis your only allowed for the ball to bounce once.

I was making a lot of mistakes but with the help of the coach and the atmosphere i soon pulled it together which helped for the last task.
now we had Balance of our forehands, it was now time to do the same for the first shot but then the second feed the coach/player would be either moving, or stood still,
Often we move to quick to try and predict where the shot is going and if the other person can see that, and your running lets say to the left, you have now let the whole right side of the court open for the player to make it easier to win the point by hitting it to the right.
Its amazing that in a space of a seconds sometimes just one, our eyes, body, mind can analyse where the ball is coming, where the player is, is the person moving, where we want to place the shot, how much power, what type of shot, a forehand, slice, smash etc, like with any sports you watch on TV it seems a lot longer but in real life, a split second wrong choice can cost you a point or even the match.
    

What really amazes me is when we as adults try so hard to improve and a lot of the time kids who are 10 years and younger, are hitting shots better then us, like !!! how haha.

When you think that these sessions did not even go into really Technical types of shots, that gives you some idea how much training, coaching there is involved and how fun but how hard tennis can be as a sport.
Its took over a year from getting coaching, to watching others play and put that into practice, to develop my own game, which now i not only can do the essential skills, but my own little tricks and flicks of shots !!!

Overall i felt all 3 coaches, knew a lot, were already well trained to say  they had achieved their level 4 and looking to get that one step further in life.
All 3 coaches, delivered a fun but intensive session, which all of them, helped assess each person weak points to turn them into stronger points, and parts of their game that needed to that little tweak.

 
In my opinion i think all 3 coaches should pass their level 5 as they are top notch !!!
Weather, your young, old, in a wheelchair, you can always learn, and enjoy playing tennis thanks to all the hard work, coaches, staff, managers put into providing a place for people to learn 
So i thank Grantham tennis club, for this wonderful experience, and of course the coaches, i hate to think how they felt under pressure but i can say they swiped the sweat away and performed to the best of their ability (:
Thank you for reading if you would like to know more about LTA you can do by the links below
https://www.lta.org.uk/
https://twitter.com/ltalincs

Grantham tennis club links -
https://www.facebook.com/granthamtennisclub/
https://twitter.com/GTCManager
https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/granthamtennisclubMy social links

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