ISSUE 010
FEELING SUPERSONIC
M O T I V E 8 P R E S E N T S Y O R K ’ S L AT E S T C O N C E P T IN FITNESS, WELLBEING AND LIFESTYLE
WHOLE MIND & B O DY W O R KO U T A H O L I S T I C H E A LT H Y OV ERH AU L TO BOOST PH YS IC A L A N D M E N TA L W E L L B E I N G
LUKE T YBURSKI
CONQUERING SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXTREME CHALLENGES
WO R KO UTS
PRODUCT REVIEWS
P O S T- P R E G N A N C Y FITNESS JOURNEY
FUNCTIONAL AND STRENGTH-BASED FITNESS EQUIPMENT FROM ERIMUS
erimusfitness.com
We are focused on customer needs, we push the limits of design and innovation in our products and we strive to be the best equipment supplier in the country. As specialists in the production and supply of functional fitness equipment, this is our promise to you, our customers, from all here at Erimus. Our experienced team can advise you on the best equipment for your personal fitness needs, or on the design and installation of a fully functional gym facility. With knowledge and experience – gained over a 20-year period in the health and fitness industry – we are confident we can help you on your fitness journey.
CONTENTS
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Contents 5
Erimus Equipment Collection
14 Supersonic Fitness Case Study
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motive8 News
19 Nutritional Nuggets
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Residential Gyms
xplore a new and exciting range of functional and E strength-based fitness equipment from Erimus p-to-the-minute news and the latest events from motive8 U teams in the North and South n exclusive look at two of our most recent residential A installations, Landmark Place and Stratford Central
10 Whole Mind & Body Workout
Wrapping up a great fitness session with a holistic healthy overhaul to boost physical and mental wellbeing
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Post-Pregnancy Fitness Journey
motive8 Director, Jenny Cromack, shares her incredible post-pregnancy fitness journey
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PT Success Stories An inspiring personal training story about determined client Maddie
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Inspirational Story
Learn all about Luke Tyburski, ultra-endurance athlete who has taken on and conquered some of the world’s most extreme challenges
Learn all about York’s latest concept in fitness, wellbeing and lifestyle
Supersonic Café shares seasonal nutrition tips on how to create the perfect summer salad and vegan bowl
20 My Favourite
Discover some of the motive8 team’s favourite fitness kit and de-stress tips
22 60 Seconds With
Gym & Spa Design Consultant, Kim Mead, takes time out to answer a series of quick-fire questions
23 motive8 History
Founded in 1998, see how motive8 has evolved over the past 20 years
24 Residential Gyms
The inside track on gym installations at Aberfeldy Village and Keybridge House
26 Best Of Our Blogs
A round-up of the best health and fitness blogs from our website
ISSUE 10 M8: LIFE 3
ISSUE 010 PUBLISHER
motive8 Limited EDITOR
Kimberley Mead ART DIRECTOR
Paul Godfrey GUEST CONTRIBUTORS
motive8 is committed to delivering the highest quality bespoke health and fitness solutions to our customers. We hope that through our magazine our team of experts can share their knowledge and passion to help inspire you to embrace a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Layla Smith PRODUCTION
Kimberley Mead, Becky Hepworth PRINTING
Prontaprint
A
s always, a warm welcome to the latest edition of M8:Life. We’d like to say it has been a calm and relaxing time here at motive8 but not a chance! As you will see from the news pages, our team have been out and about at various events, including a trip to FIBO in Germany, keeping up-to-date with what’s hot and what’s not in the world of fitness. In this edition you will find plenty of our regular features, such as our specialist workouts, client success stories and delicious recipes to try, as well as some new items including a 60- second interview with one of the team. In keeping with tradition, we have showcased a selection of our most recent projects, including an amazing new commercial facility in York, which features plenty of our own brand fitness accessories, a few of which are covered overleaf on page 5. We hope you enjoy it all. Thanks for reading. motive8 Directors
Staff Contributors
Rob Clarke
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Shawn Mullix
Kimberley Mead
Jenny Cromack
Layla Smith
Ashley Metcalfe
Sarah Cleland-Smith
ERIMUS
Equipment Collection
Erimus is our new and exciting range of functional and strength-based fitness equipment. Crafted from only the highest grade materials and designed by a team with over 20 years of experience in the industry, they’re the ideal accessories to help you on your fitness journey. Take a look at our collection of fitness equipment products, which have all been through vigorous testing to ensure they are of the highest quality, designed to be durable with strong aesthetics for a slick, modern and versatile look and feel.
Perform the perfect press, muscle-creating curl or bicep-building row with these hardwearing solid-end dumbbells. With a 1-10kg set (1kg increments x10 pairs), a 6-24kg range (2kg increments x10 pairs), a 12-30kg set (2kg increments x10 pairs) and with optional storage rack
Perfect your plyometric exercise routine with the MultiPlyo Box – highly versatile, it’s excellent for explosive drills and cross training. The dense foam 3-in-1, soft multiheight box is available in black or grey
Fitness Mats that are designed to be durable whilst ensuring that floor work sessions remain comfortable. These deluxe UK-made 25mm thick fitness mats are available in two sizes. (Black or grey) The ultimate in functional free weights, these kettlebells enable a free-flowing fitness and resistance workout. Black durable rubber with stylish chrome handles, they’re available in 6kg, 8kg, 12kg, 16kg, 18kg & 24kg with the option of a storage rack too
A modern take on that most traditional of functional fitness equipment, the Erimus medicine ball features a black and grey design available in 3kg, 5kg, 6kg, 8kg & 10kg - with optional storage tree ISSUE 10 M8: LIFE 5
News
An overview of our latest news and events from our Northern and Southern branches.
motive8 – UKAA Event
Earlier this year motive8 exhibited at the 2019 UKAA Innovation Show, which took place over one day at the Business Design Centre, London. Organised by UKAA, the leading UK membership body for the residential rental sector, the event saw leading developers, agents, investors, consultants and operators attend the exhibition, educational seminars and informative sessions. The two-hour morning session kicked off with a series of pre-planned meetings with key managing agents and developers that motive8 had carefully selected in advance. The well-designed stand, which was located in a prime location, attracted lots of potential new clients and gave the team the chance to catch up with existing clients too. Our aim was to promote our services in the design, installation and management of residential and corporate health and fitness facilities alongside the services provided by our personal training team (many trained in rehab and nutrition) who provide employee and fitness services for businesses and corporations throughout the UK. Rob Clark, Operations Director, commented “We have consulted on several projects in the ‘Build to Rent’ sector so welcomed the opportunity to meet with lots of new developers and managing agents, many we’d never met before, to promote our expertise and services in this growing market.”
What’s happening at the Leeds Studio Our focus in Leeds continues to be on personal training and we've seen some great results with our clients. You can read about one of our PT clients – Maddie – and her amazing transformation on page 12. We've got plenty more great success stories from other clients too. One of our long-term gym members, Richard Breakspeare, definitely deserves a mention. Richard has lost a phenomenal amount of weight and looks amazing for it. He’s been a regular class goer since we opened eight years ago, but he’s recently switched his focus to gym sessions and has seen awesome results. Of course weight loss isn’t everything. Many of our members are reaping the rewards that come with training, including greater strength and vastly improved fitness levels. Through our consultations with new clients we’re discovering that the reasons for exercising and the motivation for people working out stretch far beyond just weight loss these days. There’s a growing trend for health and wellbeing – both physical and mental – being the key motivators now.
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NEWS
motive8 welcomes new staff GYM & SPA • Aikeem Reid • Andre Candeias • April Vismonte • Ashley Wright • David Gordon • David Turiczki • Emma-Louise Kingsley • Jacob Prosser • James Heath • Jordan Lannaman • Joseph Bobo • Justin Banting • Justyna Jurzyk • Khalifa Akudolu • Li Tearle
motive8 visit FIBO FIBO is Europe’s leading trade show for all things fitness. On the 8th April, Gym & Spa consultant Sally Ottewell was joined by motive8 founder Nick Sadler for the annual show in Cologne.
Day One Technogym - The team trialled the latest Technogym SKILLLINE range with the Bio-Circuit proving to be extremely popular. motive8 were also invited to Technogym’s gala dinner, set in the gorgeous Flora Und Botanischer Garten, in the city centre. Matrix - The ClimbMill and Treadmill products were once again a great hit with consumers and buyers alike – as was the special guest performance by 80’s pop star Kim Wilde - ‘Kids in America’ is a track that still sounds good for its age reportedly! Stairmaster – The revolving staircase remains a firm favourite but the team were especially excited by the new ‘Box Master’ - a multidirectional boxing training tower, presenting the user with endless boxing combos. XClimb Pro – This conveyer belt climbing wall is an increasingly common addition to gyms and
fitness centres, especially with climbing being added into the Olympic Games for 2020. It’s a challenging training option - due in no small part to its tilting function - and definitely worth considering for use across all facility types. Eleiko – To wrap up day one motive8 got hands-on with the new dumbbell range from Eleiko. Beautifully designed with a great feel, they left the team wanting a set for themselves.
Day Two The second day was more relaxed and consumer focused, allowing the team to roam the halls of supplements and nutrition products and to upgrade some of their gym kit. The supplement stands are always an amazing aspect of FIBO. The weird, wonderful and truly dedicated were out in force. A highlight for Sally was meeting the beautiful Valentina Lequeux, Instagram influencer, fitness coach and motivator. Mr Olympia 2018, Shawn Rhoden and Bio-Tech’s fitness entrepreneur Ulisses added to the star-studded quality of the hall. The team’s trackers revealed that over 40,000 steps were clocked-up in the two days, proving just how massive this essential fitness trade event really is.
• Micah Wellington • Nikolett Borbely • Paul O'Mahony • Romans Vedze • Ronald Francis • Sabina Camacho • Stefan Camber • Walter Masaracchio PERSONAL TRAINING • Alex Parry • Joe Bradbury GYM MAINTENANCE • Jakub Perske • Joel Fullerton HEAD OFFICE • Nicole Cullen
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LANDMARK PLACE
Overlooking the River Thames by Tower Bridge, Landmark Place holds an unparalleled position in the City of London. This high-end, luxury, ground floor project provides a 20m pool and spa and fitness suite.
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RESIDENTIAL GYMS
STRATFORD CENTRAL Stratford Central is a new 31-storey residential tower in Stratford, E15. motive8 provided a variety of services including equipment supply and installation and specialist flooring.
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Whole body & mind workout Introducing a holistic approach to your workout session not only improves your fitness levels but also boosts wellbeing, aids sleep and improves diet to give you an all-round therapeutic experience.
WARM UP
Light Cardio Work 10 minutes brisk walk or a light run (ideally outdoors) but if the gym environment is where you’re training then using a cross trainer or treadmill are just as good
Flexibility and Mobility Performing a range of drills that will get your joints and muscles warmed-up further
Knee Hugs Alternating from leg to leg, hug the knee up to the chest and hold for 2 seconds before repeating on the opposite leg
Arm Circles Backwards and forwards - focus on trying to complete full circles, taking the arms as close to the head as possible
Lunge with a Twist Perform lunges with a rotation of the torso over the leg that is out in front. Performed correctly this will work the whole body and is a great mobility exercise
Plank Rotations Whilst in a high plank / press-up position, aim to twist the body and turn the chest up to the side, taking the top arm up as straight as possible. Maintain balance and control between sideto-side changes
Windmills Stand with feet wide apart, arms out straight to the sides, rotate and reach over to touch your left foot with your right hand. Repeat over and over touching the opposite hand to foot
MAIN WORKOUT - FULL BODY Bodyweight Squats 4 sets of 15-25 reps with 45 seconds recovery. Focus on depth in the squat and a good squeeze of the quads and glutes when stood up on each rep
Walking Lunges 3 sets x 20 reps (10 each leg with 60 secs recovery) Kettlebell Swings or Fake Jumps 3 sets x 10 reps (45 secs recovery)
Downward Dog Yoga Pose for 30 seconds or inchworms 3 sets x 5 reps (45 secs recovery)
High Plank (on hands) > Wide hand position > Narrow hand position > Neutral hand Position 2 x 30 secs each (90 secs recovery after all 3)
Push Ups (full body or from knees) 4 sets x 10 reps (60 secs recovery) Resistance Band Standing Row or Cable Row 4 sets x 10 reps (45 secs recovery)
COOL DOWN
Sprints 4 x 20m (60 secs recovery)
Light Cardio Work 10-minute slow walk Flexibility Work Combination of static stretches and mobility exercises - each stretch should be held for 30 secs, but judge for yourself to feel if the tightness is easing Fake Jumps x 10 reps Standing Quad Stretch at least 30 secs per leg Straight Leg Hamstring Stretch (minimum of 30 secs per leg) Windmills x 20 touches
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Arm Circles 10 each direction Child’s Pose (Yoga) Hold in this ‘resting’ position. Extend the fingers out in front of you and retract every 10 seconds whilst keeping the hips on the heels Hip Flexor Stretch with twist (at least 30 secs per leg) Resistance Band Overhead Squat x 10 reps aiming to sit as deep as possible without compromising technique
Workout in the moment Focus on a goal Make every session mean something. Give yourself a target, so that when it starts getting tough you have that original intention in mind. Turn off your phone Make your workout a break from work and focus fully on being in the moment. Mindfulness can’t be achieved if you’re multitasking. Change into the moment Take a mindful approach before you’ve started exercising. Feel how you slide your foot into your training shoe, how the upper feels wrapping around your foot and how the lace feels in your hand as you tie it. Breathe in the moment Listen to your breathing and be aware of the intake and exhale and focus. Make this the starting point as you pay attention to how the rest of your body is feeling and reacting to your workout. Switch senses Begin your session by tuning into your sense of sight, notice everything that comes into your field of vision then switch to your hearing, notice the sounds around you. How does the air taste? Ground yourself in the moment.
WORKOUTS FITNESS JOURNEY
Post-pregnancy fitness journey motive8 Director, Jenny Cromack, shares her incredible post-pregnancy fitness journey JENNY CROMACK
Before I had my son William, my husband Joel used to joke that he came third in the pecking order....work, training, Joel. He would probably say now he is fourth! I'm going to be honest from the start; some days trying to fit everything in is a juggle! Joel and I don't have any family who can support us in Leeds, so I'm extremely thankful that Joel is very understanding and supportive of both my work and my training which means that quite often we can both fit everything in (Joel also has his own business and enjoys training). Essentially we work as a tag team when looking after William. However, it does mean that when we do spend time together as a family, or whenever I spend time with William, we make sure this is quality time doing fun things! Before I had William, training was a massive part of my life, it still is. I did triathlons and duathlons and had competed for GB in the standard distance duathlon in my first ever Age-Group race. I trained right up until the day I gave birth, and by the fourth week of being a new mum I was chomping at the bit to start with some light exercise. I want to stress the word ‘light’ here. I wasn't some Superwoman who went straight back into running. I started off with some easy bodyweight circuits at home or in the park. I built up my running gradually with short walk-runs. I thought I would find it hard to 'rein it in' but I didn't. For once I listened to my body (something I never used to do) and knew I needed to take things slowly. I remember the first time I picked up one of my old 5k routes, the first kilometre killed me! Now it's nice to get to the same point on
that run and see how much I've improved. My aim is to qualify for an Age-Group race this year. I know it’s going to be hard, but as time is not a luxury I have any more I make sure that each and every training session I do has a focus. I'll be honest, pre-William, sometimes if I was feeling tired or having an off day then I would just do a training session more for my own mental wellbeing than a focused session. Now all of my sessions have a clear focus with the added benefit of mental wellbeing and ‘me’ time. So that I can fit in all of the training which comes with taking part in triathlons and duathlons, I've decided to step down from standard distance to sprint distance. I'm naturally made for endurance, not sprint events, but taking part in sprint events means the training load is more manageable. It also means I'm not away from William for hours on a weekend cycling on my bike. One other thing I've found since becoming a mum is that I'm more flexible with my training. Luckily, I love training so this makes it easier to motivate myself to get up at 5am for a session, but if I miss this I'll fit it in on an evening.
Thankfully I have an awesome team of PTs in Leeds. I confidently handed my sessions over to them knowing they would get the same results – and in some cases they’ve got even better! For the sessions I do still deliver, I think having a baby has made me a bit more empathetic (just a little!). I now understand that people have other commitments and priorities in their lives and it’s a job in itself to juggle them sometimes. At work I think I'm more focused with my time. Have you seen the film ‘About A Boy’ where Hugh Grant’s character works in units of time? Joel used to joke that was me pre-William, and it definitely is now when I’m at work. But interestingly when I’m not in work I think I'm less time-focused (Joel may say different). But yes, at work, I don’t procrastinate on decisions, things just get done! I work full time, but I have the luxury of flexibility with my working hours which means I can spend Monday and Thursday afternoons with William and all day Friday. It does mean I work late on a night or sometimes get up at 5am to work but I'd rather do this so I get more time to spend with William.
"Before I had my son William, my husband Joel used to joke that he came third in the pecking order.... work, training, Joel. He would probably say now he is fourth!" I used to hate training at night, but needs must, so some of my training sessions are after bedtime. I also don't beat myself up if I miss a session, something I used to do, I just make sure I fit it in some other time in the week. So, that's me and my training but how about work? I'm one of the Directors at motive8, overseeing our two Personal Training studios in Leeds and our Personal Training Department in London. Before becoming a mum I was very hands-on in Leeds, delivering between 10 to 15 PT sessions per week in addition to running the business. Having a baby has afforded me the chance to step away from delivering PT sessions. It was a hard decision to make as I love that aspect of personal training and I've worked with my clients for a very long time, but if I was to continue to grow both departments whilst only initially working part-time then that's what it would take.
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PT SUCCESS STORIES
Personal Training Success Stories A look at some of the fantastic results achieved by motive8 trainers and their hard-working clients.
‘Do It In 12’ is the unique, guaranteed results personal training package from motive8 personal trainers. A fitter, leaner, stronger, healthier you… whatever your goals… we guarantee you will achieve your results in just 12 weeks. MADDIE OLIVER
Trained by Kate Halsall
it felt like there was such a long road ahead of me which was going to be hard to stick to. But time just flew!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? It has to be the results! I never maintained or gained, it was always a loss of weight as well as inches and body fat. I’ve always found it hard to stick to something for longer than a couple of weeks in the past; but I finally feel that I have a good relationship with food – I’m not scared by any of it – it’s all about balance! The other thing was going from only being able to run 3k to finishing the York 10k within a matter of weeks. It’s amazing what good nutrition, more strength and motivation can do for fitness.
WHAT’S NEXT? We all have different reasons for starting our fitness and weight-loss journeys. When Maddie signed up for personal training she had specific goals for us to help her achieve. A holiday was booked for August and she wanted to not only look good but feel good too. ‘Do It In 12’ was perfectly timed – the 12 weeks would be up just before the holiday started. It wasn’t easy; Maddie is a social butterfly, so we had to compromise and find a lifestyle that was sustainable but also met Maddie’s goals. We think you’ll agree from the pictures that we did just that! Losing one and a half stone, 5% body fat and 54cm from her body. AMAZING! But don’t just take our words for it, we asked Maddie what she thought:
WHY DO IT IN 12? To find a better relationship with food and exercise – so instead of feeling like I’m constantly on a diet, I wanted to feel like it’s just a lifestyle and that it’s sustainable. I also wanted to shed a few pounds and be able to wear more of my wardrobe.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE? Cutting down on the drinking and socialising! Although, to be honest, I managed to find a good balance. I was also able to go out without going over on calories or go out and not drink! The other hard part was that at the beginning
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‘Do It In 12’ was just the start. I’m going to keep up with one personal training session a week to stay motivated, and I’m going to try more of the classes too and will keep up with the
running. But I also feel confident to try other workouts in the gym – exercise is just part of my routine now! I currently log all my food in My Fitness Pal to keep on top of it, but I’d like to get to the point where I can just see from portion size and food types what is healthy and what I should be eating.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE THINKING OF DOING DO IT IN 12? The support you get from the trainer is second to none, but it’s not easy at first. I had to change my lifestyle significantly, but I instantly realised the huge benefits that came with this. My first advice if I’m totally honest would be not to start until your heart is 100% in it, but as soon as you get to this point GO FOR IT! It’s not only your health, but also your mental health and how great you start to feel in yourself. Stop saying I’ll start tomorrow and start today – what’s the worst that can happen?
PT SUCCESS STORIES INSPIRATIONAL STORY
REACHING YOUR LIMITS Luke Tyburski loves pushing boundaries in life, as he believes this leads to opportunities to learn, grow, and truly live life!
An ultra-endurance athlete who has taken on and completed some of the world’s most extreme challenges, Luke is also a speaker, author, and mindset coach who lives by his own personal life philosophy of building relationships, learning daily and teaching others what life has taught him. Luke has written about his adventures, as well as his battles with depression and binge eating, plus some real-life setbacks in an aweinspiring autobiography Chasing Extreme. What do you miss most about your footballer days? Being in a team environment where you’re working together with a group of people towards a common goal and everything that went along with that. Also the fun that would go on in the changing rooms at training and before and after games was always memorable. Explain what the transition period from football to endurance sport was like for you? What aspect of it was most challenging? My transition period was about 3 hours. The day I decided to retire (after years battling injury) I felt lost and didn’t want to face up to the fact I wasn’t a footballer anymore. I had an identity crisis that afternoon. In a kneejerk reaction I signed up to the Marathon des Sables about three hours after deciding to retire; I had just six months to prepare for this brutal race. What kind of training regime did you have to adopt when you started running? What kind of workouts were you doing? I simply started to run. I was used to training every day so when I first started out I worked alongside my physiotherapist to make sure I wasn’t overloading my body. My runs were slow and steady at first. I went from three 5km runs a week to adding a few kilometres to each run and adding fourth then fifth runs each week. I’d never run more than 10km in one go as a footballer. The day I ran non-stop for 12km I remember having this feeling that I could run forever. How did the training differ from when you were playing football? My training regime changed to focussing a lot more on strength endurance rather than
explosive exercises. And I had no skill-based training, so I simply ran! I was a complete novice at ‘being a runner’. I experimented with types of running sessions that I had read about but as I have a background in exercise science I applied the small amount of knowledge I have of the body to create some of my own training sessions. What changes did you make to your nutrition when building up to and taking part in endurance events? I went from eating a diet heavy in starchy carbohydrates, minimal fat, and adequate protein to replacing the majority of my carbs with dietary (healthy) fats. There is plenty of science coming out these days showing the benefits of using fat as fuel and becoming more efficient at training your body to use fat as fuel. This mindset shift was pretty simple. I would tell myself I’m putting in a more nutrient-dense fuel source into my body using fat than carbohydrates which, for the most part, has a lot less nutrients. I’ve always been an advocate of eating real food so although I used traditional, processed sports nutrition during my first ever running race (the Marathon des Sables) after that I switched to eating only real food – experimenting and making my own energy products.
Finally, what would you say to those who are suffering from mental health struggles as you did? Speak up. Tell people what you are going through, or that you are simply having a ‘tough day’. What I found from opening up to people when I was struggling, suffering and battling with depression was that they were not judgemental. From those I confided in I received nothing but love and support. WWW.LUKETYBURSKI.COM
What advice would you give to those who are thinking about getting into endurance sport? You are capable of so much more than you believe. Train your mind just as much as you train your body. Experiment, learn, and have fun! What goals have you set yourself for the future? Physically; I’m running the length of Ireland in June, 660km in 9 days. Life wise; continually to live my own life, learn daily, and teach others what life has taught me! What would you tell young Luke now, after the success of your book and sporting achievements? Trust the process. Know why you want to achieve something in life, and understand that you’ll encounter setbacks - but believe in your why and that the path you are on to achieve the goal you have set really IS the way.
“When reaching your limits, it’s only there where you’ll catch a glimpse of your true potential.” Luke Tyburski ISSUE 10 M8: LIFE 13
feeling Supersonic Fitness is a new fitness, wellbeing and lifestyle concept for York, located in the transformed Stonebow House development. Once the legendary Fibbers music venue in the heart of the city, the new fitness venue offers a full range of premium gym equipment alongside studio space for classes, a state-of-the-art spa recovery zone and a healthy eating cafĂŠ open to members and non-members.
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SUPERSONIC CASE STUDY
Supersonic is the first lifestyle facility of its kind: harmoniously balancing the industrial features of the building with oxygen-rich natural plant life and modern thinking, and advancing the concepts of fitness and wellbeing, lifestyle and social interaction. ISSUE 10 M8: LIFE 15
With an unusual space to work with, including a fully glazed gym, the equipment layout was very important to make best use of the space available. Erimus equipment was specified throughout the gym alongside Technogym, Octane, Concept 2, Matrix and Watt Bike. Essentially a best of breed approach was taken from a variety of manufacturers. A dedicated functional zone with a bespoke ceiling mounted rig was created to mix up training alongside a stretching area offering members a spacious area to warm up and cool down. There are two fitness studios, one which focuses on the more high intensity and sweaty stuff such as Spin, Boxing, and HIIT whilst the other is a more relaxing space for yoga, Pilates, barre, tai chi and meditation. Both studios were designed to create the optimum environment for working out.
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SUPERSONIC CASE STUDY
The unique recovery zone includes a state-of-the-art infrared sauna, a Finnish sauna, experience shower and ice fountain allowing members to move between the dedicated ‘heat and ice’ areas for a full contrast therapy session. The treatment room and changing facilities have been finished to a beautifully high standard, offering members a luxurious and spa-like experience. Understanding that nutrition and how we fuel our bodies are an essential part of wellbeing, there is also a welcoming café open to both members and non-members.
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SUPERSONIC CAFÉ
The Supersonic CafĂŠ, located on the ground floor, is a bright, spacious and calm space filled with beautiful oxygen rich plants. The all-day menu boasts fresh, local and organic meals and a daily salad bar. Freshly made juices and smoothies are available when you need a nutrient boost and if a treat is on the cards then the homemade cake complemented by locally roasted coffee and a range of herbal teas is a winner (it is about balance after all!).
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SUPERSONIC CAFÉ SEASONAL RECIPES
from Supersonic Fitness Chef Ashley Metcalfe We’ve teamed up with Ashely Metcalfe, Head Chef at Supersonic Café, who has put together some nutritious DIY recipes which are quick, easy and taste delicious!
Healthy Banana Loaf
Mixed Bean Salad
1. Preheat the oven to 160c. Grease and line a loaf baking tin. 2. I n a large bowl, mash the bananas, then add the oil, molasses and mix. 3. Sieve the f lour, baking powder and allspice, add to the mixture and mix well. 4. Stir in 20g of crushed walnuts and add mixture to the baking tin. 5. G arnish with sliced bananas, walnuts and sea salt. 6. Bake at 160c for 55 minutes. 7. A llow the loaf to cool slightly, then carefully turn out on a wire rack to cool. 8. Transfer to a plate, cut into slices, then serve.
1. Drain all tins of beans in a colander. 2. W hile draining, slice and wash spring onions. 3. F inely slice the chives and add to the olive oil and apple cider vinegar. 4. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. 5. S eason to taste with salt and pepper and it’s ready to serve.
INGREDIENTS 3-4 Ripe bananas 100ml Rapeseed oil 100g Molasses sugar 220g Plain f lour 3 tsp Baking powder 3 tsp Allspice 20g Walnuts Sea salt and slices of banana to garnish
Roasted Vegetable Salad
INGREDIENTS 500g Heritage carrots 500g Parsnips 1 x Celeriac 1 x White onion Carrot tops (for garnish) 50ml Organic cold pressed Yorkshire rapeseed oil 1 tbsp Organic Yorkshire honey
1. Roast white onion whole for an hour at 180c. 2. W hile the onion is cooking, peel all the carrots, parsnips and celeriac and save the carrot tops for later. 3. S lice all the carrots and parsnips length ways and slice the celeriac into battons so all veg is roughly the same size. 4. P lace all into a roasting tray and drizzle with oil and honey and add a little salt and pepper. 5. Roast them for around 30-40 mins at 180c. 6. When all veg is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. 7. Slice the onion into quarters and heat up a non-stick frying pan. When the pan is smoking slightly, add the onion into the pan dry and don’t move them as you want them to char slightly for colour and flavour. This will take around 5 minutes to get a nice char on the onions. 8. O nce the vegetables are all cool, place in a nice serving bowl and garnish with the carrot tops saved.
INGREDIENTS 400g Organic chickpeas 400g Cannellini beans 400g Black beans 3 x Spring onions 50g Chives 50ml Organic apple cider vinegar 100ml Extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Vegan Super Bowl
INGREDIENTS 1 x Beetroot 200g Butternut squash 140g Brown rice ½ Avocado 30g Kale 50g Red cabbage 20ml Pressed rapeseed oil 2 tsp Mixed seeds DRESSING 2 tsp Olive oil 55g Tahini 20ml Lemon juice 1 x Crushed garlic glove Salt
1. P re-heat oven to 180c. 2. Wash, peel and grate beetroot. 3. D ice butternut squash and place in mixing bowl with 20ml cold pressed rapeseed oil, salt and pepper. 4. P lace on a roasting tray and roast at 180c for 30 minutes. 5. Cook brown rice for recommended time and rinse once cooked under running cold water until rice is fully cooled, then drain for a good five mins. 6. Wash the kale and shred. 7. A dd all dressing ingredients in a jug and mix together. 8. P lace all ingredients in a bowl placing the avocado on top. 9. D rizzle the dressing over the bowl and sprinkle with mixed seeds to complete the dish.
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I would have to say the treadmill, as you can adjust it to how you feel on the day. If I’m feeling lazy I will do a brisk walk on a high incline. On other days when I have more energy, I can speed it up… a bit – I’m no Usain Bolt!
I love Zumba! It’s a lot of fun. I find it to be exercise in disguise. There’s always a great vibe and lots of energy from everyone taking part.
It has to be dumbbells – when working out I use them with so many different exercises. They’re great for strength training, plus they help to balance my strength since they provide equal load to both sides of my body.
Log lift - for me this is a must! The log lift makes a big difference to my training but in everyday life too as it allows me to move more freely so less risk of injury.
It would have to be a deadlift. Lots of varieties and plenty of bang for your buck in terms of working the full body. You can’t beat an Olympic Bar. Such a versatile piece of equipment to incorporate big, heavy compound moves into a gym session.
Fit bit – easy to use, tracks everything I need, relatively accurate and nudges me to eat well, exercise and get enough sleep.
I have recently got into tracking my cycling both to and from work and when out for longer rides. For this I’ve been using Strava, the app has been really helpful at tracking my miles and providing a breakdown of each ride.
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Squat - simple but effective if done right. Pull-ups for same reasons.
Love to squat!
MY FAVOURITE…
Members of the motive8 tea m sha re a few of their favou rite thi ngs
Definitely outdoors! I used to only ever workout at the gym, mainly because I lived in the centre of London. I found it difficult to workout outdoors due to lack of space, overcrowded pavements and roads. I recently moved to Middlesex and have found the space to workout outdoors great. At the moment I am running around the block a few times as a warm up and then finishing my workout in my garden. The convenience is great. Outside – I love the feeling of being outside whilst exercising and the environment constantly changing around me. This also teaches my body to adapt to different surfaces and deal with the elements. Also the wind resistance can help burn calories! It also gives me the opportunity to turn exercise time into family time.
As the sun is starting to make an appearance, I currently enjoy snacking on tangerines. Easy peelers – of course!
Almonds – I love almonds not only because they are full of healthy fats but also contain a number of important vitamins and minerals to keep me feeling fit and healthy.
Outside of work I teach RIDE for Digme Fitness. Nothing beats a packed studio with a great playlist.
Apple slices with chunky peanut butter without a doubt!
Running on the peaceful back country roads around my village, Chalfont St. Giles. Spending a lot of time indoors, I like to be out when I get chance especially if it’s a warm evening.
My favourite gym was one that was stripped back and basic, just a lifting platform, rack and a load of bumper plates. The Chainstore over in Trinity Buoy Wharf was somewhere I could just get on with my own workouts with no fuss, no crowds and loads of chalk.
Satsuma, taste great, natural sugars, full of Vitamin C to warn off colds. Cheap too!
Currently my top go to snacks are Grenade Carb Killa Protein bars. Handy snack to grab on the go and help to stop me buying a load of naughty treats to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Believe it or not, I clean to de-stress. It’s a great way to keep your mind occupied and you get a great result at the end of it. A clean home is great for the soul.
Yoga – I love the peace I get from yoga and the way it helps me manage my energy and mood. You can also do it anywhere – a yoga session in the beautiful gardens of the ITC Mughal hotel in Agra, India has to be my all-time favourite yoga experience.
I love trying out new recipes and spending time in the kitchen to unwind and switch off.
Gardening outside - the kids can help and be occupied, creative, active and, in an evening, you can sit back with at G and T and marvel at your work!
At the moment it’s definitely cycling as I’m planning to cycle to Paris with some friends over the summer. It’s a great way to get outside for a few hours and clear the mind.
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seconds WITH Kim Mead
Gym & Spa Design Consultant, Kim Mead, reveals all about bungee jumps, local tipples and the Olympic 100m final… What’s the one thing you couldn’t live without? My family. Where is the best place you’ve travelled and why? Las Vegas. One of those places you must see to believe it. It’s just bonkers and I love it!
Uplifting house music for working out to or just picking up my mood depending on how long I’ve been stranded on that island! What has been your most ‘pinch yourself’ moment? Doing a bungee jump in New Zealand. It’s something I wanted to do since I visited in my early twenties. Finally got to go back in 2017 and I almost bottled out when I got there but I’m so glad I did it in the end. Definitely one I’ve ticked off the bucket list.
My top sporting event and why? It has to be the Olympics but particularly the one we hosted in London back in 2012. I was lucky enough to attend a couple of events including the 100m final absolutely epic atmosphere and incredible
athletes. I would love to attend another Olympics around the world somewhere. What is your favourite thing about working at motive8? The team spirit. motive8 is like my second family and I absolutely love working there. I even keep in touch with people that have moved on – it’s the kind of place where you make friends for life.
What does wellness mean to you in 3 words? Self-confidence, happiness, love. You’re stranded on a desert island, you get one piece of fitness equipment, one drink and one album to get you through, what are they? 1. A TRX – you could fling it round a tree and do a great bodyweight workout. 2. Sipsmith Gin & Tonic – distilled in Chiswick where I live so would be a little slice of home. 3. Shakedown 3 by Freemasons. Illustration: Anasofiapaixao, Photo: RP Norris 22 M8: LIFE ISSUE 10
60 SECONDS WITH… MOTIVE8 MILESTONES
milestones
Founded in 1998, motive8 celebrates its growth over the past 20 years
Acquisition of London Headquarters Became a Limited Company
1st Gym Installation
Opened Office in Leeds Won Contract for 1st Fully-managed Site
Became SafeContractor Approved
motive8 Founded
1998
2000
2001
2003
2006
2008
2009
200
Refurb of London HQ & Went Paper-Free
Appointed to manage 8th Gym & Spa site
2018
2016
Won on our 175th Maintenance Contract
2015
Became ISO 9001:2008 Accredited
2014
Installed Our 200th Gym
2013
Employed Our 50th Member of Staff
2011
Launched Pool & Spa Division
2010
Launched our 10th Manned Spa Site
2019
2020
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ABERFELDY VILLAGE
Situated at East India Docks, this London-based residential project, for developer EcoWorld, is a temporary gym that will eventually be opened up into a larger space. motive8 carried out consultancy, supply and installation services.
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RESIDENTIAL GYMS
KEYBRIDGE HOUSE
Keybridge House is a Vauxhall-based residential development. motive8 provided gym design consultancy services, equipment supply and installation for this temporary gym project.
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BEST OF OUR BLOGS Our website is packed full of interesting and educational blogs, from digital trends in gym equipment and hiring a corporate gym consultant to the benefits of sports massage along with a whole host of nutritional tips, motivational advice, workout challenges and much, much more. Here is a selection of our favourites:
A QUICK GUIDE TO HEATHLY OFFICE SNACKS
GYMS IN SCHOOLS – TIME TO RETHINK SCHOOL GYM DESIGN
m8group.co.uk/blog/a-quick-guide-to-healthyoffice-snacks/
m8group.co.uk/blog/gyms-in-schools-rethinkschool-gym-design/
It can be difficult keeping up a healthy lifestyle whilst at work. That’s why it’s important to have healthy snacks available in the workplace that can help you stay energised and focused. So take a look at our five healthy snack options – all are perfect for office consumption and easy to put together. Now there are no excuses when it comes to beating that afternoon slump.
This is usually followed with something about how we had to be more responsible, walked to school instead of being driven or, more commonly, how we could play outside with friends whenever we wanted to. The importance of getting children active cannot be stressed enough as there are so many benefits. One solution is for schools to offer more comprehensive fitness equipment at both secondary and primary level. In this article, we outline why.
THE BENEFITS OF CYCLING TO WORK
WELLNESS: WHY YOU SHOULD TRY YOGA
m8group.co.uk/blog/the-benefits-of-cycling-towork/
m8group.co.uk/blog/wellness-why-you-shouldtry-yoga/
Despite more and more of us taking to the roads on bikes in recent years, only 4% of people rode their bike every day in the UK in 2016. The vast majority of us travel to work via other forms of transport, such as cars or public buses and trains. The largest part of our working day consists of being sat down. Whether it’s sitting at our desks, in meeting rooms or sitting on a journey home, you can get stuck in this same routine – and sometimes it’s hard to make a change. We take a look at a number of reasons why you should ditch your car, or your preferred choice of public transport, and cycle to work. Take a look!
Thinking about giving yoga a try, but not really sure what it’s all about? Yoga practice combines both a strong spiritual and meditation element alongside many physical benefits. Yoga focuses on strength training and flexibility, and with postures that improve your body from the inside out, you won’t just look good but also feel good too.
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USING A RAMP WARM-UP m8group.co.uk/blog/using-a-ramp-warm-up/ Warming up before a session is crucial to get the best results from your session. A RAMP warm up makes sure that the body is well prepared and ready to go. RAMP stands for: • R – Raise body temperature which can be done by doing a 5-10min pulse raiser such as a jog • A – Activate the most important muscles which include your lumbo-pelvic hip area, core muscles as well as your postural back muscles • M – Mobilise your joints to have better range of motion while you are exercising. This can be achieved with exercises • P – Potentiate the main muscles that you are going to use during that particular session. This can be done by doing a submaximal lift if you’re going to lift relatively heavy or by doing a few repetitions of the exercises you are going to use during the session.
DIFFERENT HOME GYM DESIGN PACKAGES TO SUIT ALL BUDGETS AND REQUIREMENTS
For more information:
Call 0800 028 0198 Email info@m8group.co.uk Visit m8group.co.uk
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