NEWSLETTER #1

Ash French
Jul 23, 2024
4 min read

Welcome to Your

Monthly Newsletter

#1 - July 24

Welcome to your newsletter from Battle PT where I aim to help you simplify the confusing world of health and fitness.

This newsletter will provide you with more information to help you with nutrition, creating healthy habits and applying training principles.

The aim of this month’s newsletter is to help you understand;

The effects of poor sleep and how we can improve this very valuable free tool.
We will also discuss the required intensity needed from you when you
exercise to get you the results you want.

The contents of these newsletters will be inspired by your weekly check-ins. If there is similar barriers that a lot of you are facing, I will create the topics around this so that it speaks to the broader audience. But if you have any suggestions or ideas please feel free to drop me a message.

There will be some information about any upcoming events within the business and Battle PT community.

NUTRITION AND HABITS!

THE POWER OF SLEEP

Sleep is one of the main factors that affects your health and wellbeing. This one of our most powerful tools that is completely FREE that most people deprive themselves from. Sleep can help you;

Lower stress.
Recover from exercise.
Improve mental health.
Lower blood pressure and risks of cardiovascular diseases.
Improve your immune system.
Regulates blood sugar and lowers the chances of type 2 diabetes.
Improve your performance when you exercise.
Help maintain a healthy bodyweight.

So how do we improve our sleeping habits?

Create a sleep schedule! Your body has a circadian rhythm (internal clock). Try going to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Your body loves repetition!
Create a healthy sleepy environment! It has been showed that humans sleep better in a dark, quieter and cooler room. I invested in some blackout curtains and a fan to help
improve my sleep.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Caffeine is a stimulant that causes alertness and takes a long time to wear off effecting your sleep. Avoid caffeine 6-8 hours before bed. Some people will report that they fall asleep better when they have had a drink of alcohol which may be true but alcohol affects us reaching stage 3 NREM and REM sleep (deep sleep). This is where we get the best quality of sleep and is needed for us to fully
recover and rest.
Exercise has been proven to help us sleep better. Avoid exercising close to your bedtime so that your body has time to relax after exercise.
PUT YOUR PHONES AWAY! Modern day technology is a leading cause in to why people are lacking sleep. Blue light stimulates your body to release a chemical that makes it harder for you to fall asleep (Melatonin). Avoid screens 30 minutes before bed, find a distraction like a book or a hot shower has been proven to help you improve your sleep.

Exercise intensity refers to how hard your body is working during and after physical activity.

To get the most from our sessions we need to be aiming for a moderate to vigorous intensity. This is to ensure our muscles are getting enough stimulation to cause a stress. (Hans Selye model). If the intensity is too low (easy) then you will not cause any anatomical changes and you will stay the same. If the intensity is too high it can cause you to fatigue very quickly, feel sick, feel dizzy and lead to injuries.

So how do you measure intensity?

The fastest and easiest way to do this is to use the RPE Scale (Rate of Perceived Exertion). You would have heard me say this in your sessions when I ask you on a scale of 1-10 (10 being difficult) how difficult was that weight? This target varies from person to person due to differences in strength, goals, exercise age (how long you have been training), hydration, sleep, stress and recovery. Women’s menstrual cycles affect this massively!

For example if you was in Strength phase (heavy weight) I would target a RPE of 8-10. This will tell you that the weight is going to be very heavy. If you are wanting to build muscle (hypertrophy) then you need to target RPE 7-8. This is to cause a stress to the muscle without accumulating to much fatigue and risking an injury.

As time goes by, that weight you was lifting before will start to feel easier (adaptation) so you will need to increase the intensity to cause another stress to your muscles/body. This is progression overload in it’s simple form.

So after each set ask yourself how difficult was that set? If you felt like it was too easy then you need to increase the weight. If it was RPE 9 then you need to lower the weight slightly. At the end of your session review how difficult was that session? Could you push a little bit more or was it too much?

Intensity is the key factor to achieving results in the gym. Without it we would stay the same and never reach our goals.

Weekly check-ins - These are now need to be completed every Sunday. This is
to hold more people accountable during the weekend. I will send reminders in
the group chat every Friday evening and Sunday morning. All reviews will be
completed on Monday afternoons.
Team meet up Saturday 3rd August - The first meet will be just a social meet,
next week I will give more details on where and what time. If you can’t make this
one do not worry this is something I plan to continue moving forward to build
the community.
End of July - The 25% referral discount will start for 1 month. If you know
somebody who is looking for a personal trainer and they say you have referred
them to me, you will then receive the discount off your next month of coaching.
Monday 5th August - This is when the new 30 day challenge will start. This will
challenge everyone to stay consistent throughout the summer holidays. There
will be 1 x winner at the end of the challenge where you can win a prize.
Saturday 31st August - There will be t shirts or bottles that you can order. I will
share designs in the group where you can decide which one you like and if you
would like to order one.