TRAINING Outdoors

Fitness anywhere, anytime by Chloe Hodge

kick boxing expert Christian Thomson, has been training for fifteen years and teaching since 2005. Kick Fitness combines kick boxing with fitness to develop classes during which you’ll “never fail to use every single muscle in the body”.

Not only does Kick Fitness cater to the physical needs of each individual, but equally to their schedule. Christian is aware that the businesspeople and traders of Southwark are often too busy to hit the gym between 7am and 9pm, so he works 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Clients can meet their trainer in a park or even at home – “we’ll happily turn up at your house first thing to get you up for a session!” Christian jests. Training sessions range from 20 minutes to an hour, and Christian assures that clients will meet their goals through any of their chosen timeframes.

Christian Thompson Kick Fitness
Christian started Kick Fitness in 2011, but other key team members are full-time trainers Ashley Kenny and Laura Towers, and three other part time staff. All have been trained from scratch by Christian himself, so that his Wada-ryu karate technique runs through the entire team.

“bespoke training regimes and fantastic results guaranteed

Christian’s career in martial arts began at home; bonding with his father over Kung Fu films, before starting up classes himself. His dedication to the sport was spurred during school GCSEs when he was given the opportunity to use his skills as a qualification. At the age of 16, his trainer decided that he was “ready for a bounce”, so Christian took on his first fight, and won. This was no ordinary fight either – Christian had taken the prize for the adult category of the very first ‘Judgement Day’, a competition which has escalated ever since. From here Christian committed himself entirely to martial arts, taking on an informal apprenticeship with his trainer and becoming qualified in every possible respect.

As impressive as his extensive qualifications is Christian’s kickboxing medal collection: winning gold and bronze at the junior European championships; remaining British champion for three years running, 2007-9; and winning the bronze at the World Championships in 2009, before taking the world title in 2011.

To get started all you have to do is call Chris and he’ll set up a basic 30 minute consultation to ascertain your wants and needs, current diet and health history and any possible hurdles to exercise, before agreeing on how to meet your goals. Following this is the fitness assessment, during which your chosen personal trainer will look at how you react to certain exercises, what you enjoy and what you don’t, before putting together a suitable plan.

Christian says the main wall that people seem to hit is fear, fear so strong that it can stop them from starting; he encounters this fear with a cheerful approach, “everyone has to start somewhere, what will it take for you to be ready to start?”

To prove that exercise can be done and results can be achieved anywhere, any time, Christian has developed five exercises to get us all in shape. It takes 10 minutes to do 10 reps of each of these 5 exercises; hardly a time commitment, but it will still get your heart going and blood pumping.

Squat:
Feet shoulder width apart
Big toes pinned to the floor at all times
As you squat keep your heels, knees and shoulders in line
Bum, back and hands pointing forward to aid your balance
Chin up and chest out

Variation: Wall Squats
The same pointers, only with your back against a wall for support

Press Up:
Hands under your shoulders
Hips level at all times
Keep your abs tense
Keep a flat back
Keep your bum down, but not leaning towards the floor

Variation: Press Up on knees
The same pointers, only with knees as well as toes touching the floor

Tuck Jump:
Use your hands for momentum
Land on the balls of your feet
Bend your knees slightly before each jump
Drive your knees to your chest

Variation: Alt Leg Thrusts
Stretched out, hands and toes on the ground
Hands under shoulders
Hips level at all times
Keep Abs tense
Keep a flat back
Keep your bum down, but not leaning towards the floor

Accordion Sit Up:
Keep your abs tense
Use your hands for support, or make it harder by taking them off the floor
Raise your torso with knees folding in
Remain balanced on your bum at all times

Variation: Basic Sit Ups
Feet on the floor, hands behind your head, folding in and up toward knees

Christian Thompson Kick Fitness outdoor personal training Burpee
Burpee:
Place your hands by your feet
Kick both feet out together and back in
Keep your abs tight as you do
Stand up straight before restarting

Variation: Squat Thrusts
Same pointers as a burpee, but without coming to standing after each rep

Christian Thompson, Kick Fitness
t: 07946 319906
w: www.kickfitness.co.uk

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