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16 entries · Newest first

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6 March 2025, 19:00

18 Months... and still at the gym!

Some said it wouldn't last. Some said I'd even fail at acheiving my goals. Well, here we are 18 months on since first sitting down with my Personal Trainer - Matty Schmid - an…

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6 March 2024, 15:00

Six Months of Gym Life

6th September 2023 was the day that I walked into a gym for the first time in my life - JD Gyms, Thornton-Cleveleys. Exactly six months on and life is very different. 181 D…

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25 January 2024, 15:50

German Volume Training (GVT)

German Volume Training (GVT) is a weight training method that involves performing 10 sets of 10 repetitions for a specific exercise. It's often used to promote muscle hypertro…

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6 January 2024, 20:47

JD Gym Away Day - Newcastle-under-Lyme

Whilst my local JD Gym is Thornton-Cleveleys my membership gives me access to all 70+ JD Gyms in the UK. Today, I was down in Warwickshire at the British Motor Museum for a…

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28 December 2023, 10:44

Rowing Machine

Rowing machines offer a full-body workout and come with various benefits, making them a popular choice for fitness enthusiasts. Here are some of the benefits of using a rowing…

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26 December 2023, 14:01

Gravity 20kg Weighted Vest

A new component to my training in 2024 is going to be a weighted vest. A weighted vest can enhance your workouts by increasing resistance, promoting calorie burn, and …

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2 December 2023, 21:13

JD Gyms - Thornton-Cleveleys

JD Gyms Official Photos https://youtu.be/IsduLpQgM6g?si=B7RUhfhIY7FwI2W_…

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28 November 2023, 21:00

Mark's First 40kg Squat

During my lower body days at the gym, over the past 4 weeks, Matty the PT has introduced me to the Barbell Squat.…

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23 November 2023, 21:36

Mark's 35kg Bench Press

During my first week in the gym back in September, Matty the PT wanted to test my ability level with the bench press. It wasn't great, I could barely hold the barbell steady, …

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17 November 2023, 20:28

Mark's First Gym Class

It's 06:45 and I'm leaving the house, getting in the car and driving to the gym. Now, I do visit the gym every weekday morning but not usually quite this early. Today marks a…

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25 October 2023, 11:49

The Morning after Leg Day

Yesterday evening was lower body/leg day with Matty the PT. Following a 7 minute warm up on the treadmill it was into the, now familiar, dumbbell walking lunges and SkiErg…

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30 September 2023, 07:00

No excuses

Even though I'm away in Burton on Trent for a Jaguar car event at the National Memorial Arboretum this weekend, that's no excuse for skipping the gym. An early start - …

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More from Mark's Road to Newcastle - The Great North Run.