News | Run Macclesfield Relaunch

March 2018 marked the start of an exciting transformation for Macclesfield Performance.

It was “out with the old, in with the new” - new equipment, new time table, new coaches and a new outlook on how we delivered our sessions to you. We are delighted to have seen the gym go from strength to strength in the last 16 months and we continue to look for ways of bringing you even more as members and regular visitors of our independent strength & performance facility in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Run Macclesfield (Formerly DS Running Club) has been a huge part of Macclesfield Performance and we are really pleased to see that our committed running club has so many happy and dedicated runners every week.

For many years now our RM coaching team have worked hard to ensure that our runners, no matter what their ability, receive the coaching and programming they need to improve as runners.

Emma, Natalie & Rich are keen to see the club continue to grow and to stand out from the crowd, known for for the quality coaching our runners receive. As such, we will be making some exciting changes to help each of our runners become more capable within their groups and with their goals.

From end of August 2019, each group will have their own dedicated coach. The groups will be as follows:

• T Group - Coached by Natalie, Tuesdays at 18.30.

• W Group - Coached by Rich, Wednesdays at 18.30.

Each of the groups will be programmed by the dedicated group coach and will be multi-terrain groups, meaning all of our runners will become efficient and familiar with both road and trail running.
Each of the groups will meet at Macclesfield Performance at the allocated time slot, unless your coach has informed you otherwise with notice prior to your run day.

The group coach will offer a weekly update on the upcoming runs and locations if anything changes via our social media feeds. You can also contact the session coach directly to request information if you do not have social media access.

You will not be restricted to just one group, runners that wish to run in more than one group a week are of course invited to do so. The only condition being you must be capable, as per the group description.

We will be releasing information on each of the groups, the coaches, and what to expect from September over the next 3 weeks. Starting with information on “T Group” with Natalie, so watch this space.

News | Meet Sam

I am really excited to be joining Macclesfield Performance. I am a strength and conditioning coach and a personal trainer.  I specialise in strength and conditioning for outdoor athletes – anyone who enjoys the great outdoors, either competitively or purely for fun. 

Although there can be some old-school thinking/reluctance around strength training in outdoor athlete communities, the bottom line is that if you’re a cyclist (road or MTB), climber, mountaineer, runner, triathlete, wild swimmer, skier, snowboarder or even paraglider, targeted, individualised strength training can make you faster, stronger and more injury-resistant. All of which mean that you can perform at a higher level, train more consistently and enjoy your sport more.  Strength can help you keep you racking up those great adventures for many years to come!

Having spent many years in a busy, stressful, time-poor (non-fitness) job I know how hard it is to keep fit and strong in and around the other pressures of life.  Because of this, I also provide personal training for anyone who would simply like to get stronger and fitter, but who might not know where to start or how to fit it into a busy life.  There is a lot of confusing information out there and sometimes we all just need someone who knows what they’re talking about to point us in the right direction.  

I have a life-long love of sport, exercise and the outdoors.  Previously a county- and university-level badminton player and coach, most of my 20s and 30s were focussed on outdoor sports, in particular climbing, cycling and winter sports.  I’ve been cycling (including competitively) for 30 years, climbing for 11 years and snowboarding for 20 years, and they’re just my 3 favourite ones!  

Although sport and exercise has always been central to my personal life, it hasn’t always been my professional life.  After originally starting a sport science degree at Glasgow University, my interests evolved a little, and I eventually gained a PhD in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from The University of Bristol, via a couple of stints living in Japan.  I worked for a number of years researching the molecular mechanisms behind cancer and other diseases, and later I moved into medical, scientific and health communications here in Macclesfield.

Multiple injuries over the years led me to explore and become passionate about focussed, science-based strength training, and I came to view strength as the absolute foundation for long-term athletic performance, injury resistance, recovery and health, both physical and mental.  Over time I decided to leave my career in science and communications to pursue a new career providing strength coaching and personal fitness training.  

It is my mission to provide highly personalised, evidence-driven training and coaching to athletes and non-athletes alike, blending my own athletic-, scientific-, life- and career-experience to help people meet their own sporting, health and life goals as efficiently, effectively and sustainably as possible.  

If you’d like to explore getting stronger, whatever your sport or motivation, please come and chat to me on the MP gym floor, or contact me via my website for more information.

I look forward to meeting you!  

News | Half price membership offer all summer!

You may have seen during July we decided to launch a 50% off your first month’s membership offer to all new members.

This was aimed to offer you the chance to visit Macclesfield Performance & Run Macclesfield with a little incentive and we are delighted to see so many of you have enjoyed your first month with us for half the price!

We’ve decided to run this offer all through the summer. This means those such as students, teachers, parents with more time off work and anyone else keen to boost their training regime this summer can continue to grab a bargain membership through July and August, ending in September.

Simply enter discount code FIRST50 at checkout when choosing your membership package on our booking page and enjoy!

Once your first payment has been made you will receive a confirmation email. Keep hold of this as you can change or cancel your subscription using this email at a later date if you wish.

If you are happy with continuing your membership after your first discounted month, full payment will automatically be taken the following month on the same day.

Training at Macclesfield Performance, is fun, pressure free, has no tie-ins and easily adaptable to your lifestyle and financial needs. We are an independent gym, that allows you to keep your independence too!

Testimonial | Client Cristy

I have always fancied myself as a mountain biker and a bit of an adventurer. I have big dreams and love a challenge.  

When my friend coerced me into signing up for the Joberg2C, a 9 day 900km mountain bike race across South Africa, I had little hesitation in signing up. It was absolutely aligned with my dreams.

Fast forward a few months to September 2018. I had an impending sense of dread: “what I was thinking?”. I had been trying to follow an extremely complicated online training plan, with little improvement. My approach (just ride & ride) was not working, and… winter was coming! I was frustrated, unfit, overweight and totally overwhelmed. Self-doubt becomes a slippery-slope!

I had just started thinking that a cycling coach / trainer of sorts may be what I needed when I met Dom in her Cyclone class one Friday afternoon. I consider it a moment of divine intervention that our paths crossed and that I asked her if she knew of anyone who could help me to prepare for the event. That is how I ended up at Macclesfield Performance. At the risk of sounding dramatic, this was a turning point not only for my training, but emotionally and physically too.

It was very overwhelming for me (a “recreational cyclist”) to start a new training program with a completely different approach to anything that I had done before. I was strength training 2-3 times a week and following a bespoke cycling program that Natalie put together for me. The stress and chronic sense of failure I had endured while trying to follow the unmanageable online program disappeared as I started with their joined-up approach. They did the thinking and the planning, all I had to do was put in the time!

I was always dismissive about my status as a “Recreational Cyclist”, Dom and Nat made me feel like an “Elite” and were so committed to helping me smash my goals! Having this level of interest, care, support and, of course, challenge was something that I had not experienced before.

Encouragement for getting a squat right, or having a good Wattbike session, or improving on a Strava segment meant so much to me, at a time when I had been feeling so lost and low. Bit by bit, session by session, my strength, endurance and confidence grew. My countdown app to the event started to excite and no longer scare me.

In April I set off to South Africa to participate in the event. I was excited for it. I took a lot of confidence in the fact that my coaches were confident in me smashing it! Also, I had seen so much progress in my strength and endurance while on the program. Having cycled in snow, rain and mud (mostly on my own) I had built a good amount of mental resilience too. Somewhere along the way I started to believe in myself again.

The Joberg2C experience was incredible, and incredibly tough. Cyclists bikes and bodies take a massive hammering on the trails, some of which are very technical. 9 days and 65 odd hours in the saddle is significant, with little opportunity to recover in between. I was ready though. I can honestly say that I had been perfectly prepared for this kind of event!

Because of the strength training, I could keep form over hours on long smashing descents. Because of the bike sessions to specifically build endurance, I could get to the top of long climbs without my heart rate going out of control. Oh, there were plenty of them (a few days were in an area called “the valley of a 1000 hills”)!

I am deeply grateful to Dom and Nat for their help and thoughtful programming. I would never have managed this ambitious goal without them. As much as I loved the ride itself, it was the journey getting there that made it the so satisfying.

Course | Couch To 5km June 2019

Running can be a scary thought if you’ve never done it before. Where do you start? How much should you do? Where should you run?

There are so many questions that are sometimes off putting enough if your confidence is already a little low.

At Run Macclesfield & Macclesfield Performance we aim to take all the unknown away to make it as simple and as exciting as possible for you to lace those trainers up and get started! So we developed our Couch To 5km course.

What is the c25km course?

Our C25km is a progressive 8 week course, under the tutelage of our two UKA accredited Running Coaches, Emma & Natalie and a UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) Rich. Who endeavour to offer you full support and programming during your learning period. We have been leading Couch To 5km Courses in Macclesfield for 5 years and our excitement for getting newbie runners to that 5km marker never fades!

The support at our C25Km courses doesn’t stop with the bare bones of the session plans and weekly group runs. Your coaches and LiRf are on hand throughout the 8 weeks to offer you all kinds of support; ranging from advice on footwear, correct running form, warm up and cool down help, training tips and so much more. The course also includes 8 weeks of “core strength” sessions to attend if you wish as part of your course content amongst lots of other helpful hints and tips along the way - laying you the perfect foundations for your new found healthy hobby.

History has proven with all of our previous C25Km courses that by end of the course you'll be tackling the distance without a moment’s thought, a fully fledged and more than capable 5km runner!

Yes - YOU!

Your course content includes two coached runs a week, Monday and Wednesday evenings at 18:30. Meeting at Macclesfield Performance on Gunco Lane, Macclesfield, and a homework run to do in your own time. Don’t worry if you aren't able to attend every single session as we have plans in place to ensure you never fall behind.

Over the last 5 years we've delivered 15 courses with over 250 course graduates. These runners have gone to achieve plenty more impressive milestones and goals with us. These include…

• Continuous weekly club running with Run Macclesfield.

• Involvement in other courses at Run Macclesfield & Macclesfield Performance

• Park Run participation.

• 10km obstacle courses and local events.

• Regular trail running.

• Half Marathons - both road and trail.

• Marathons - both road and trail.

• Regular gym attendance at Macclesfield Performance. 

• Fat loss, better health, new found self-confidence and improved physical fitness.

We are immensely proud of all our runners and to help new runners go from strength to strength is one of our favorite things to do.

Check out some of these testimonials.

+ Jules thinks....

C25Km with Run Macclesfield was a fantastic opportunity and experience. The coaches were extremely knowledgeable, they kept an eye on your running form so they could advise you how best to improve or tweak things. The warm ups and cool downs were fantastic and the course worked! Never in a million years did I think I would be able to run 5 kilometers, now I'm doing it regularly! Most importantly... I'm enjoying doing it.

+ Rory says...

For years I tried to run 5km but I always ended up walking bits. The Run Macclesfield C25KM helped me crack how it was done and build it up. It has also been a great way to meet lots of fab people in Macclesfield.

+ Julia has found...

Joining Couch To 5km with Run Macclesfield has been a personal game changer for me. I really enjoyed the training sessions they were incredibly professional, very friendly and lots of fun. The coaches are so inclusive and so encouraging. I can now run 5km without stopping and even get up a few cheeky hills. I have continued to attend the club nights and also run with a few other of the couchers who I met on the course. Running is my new passion!

+ Jayne feels...

For me it was great value for money 16 coached sessions. I still have Emma's advice in my head running now. the longevity of it - I'm still running now where as friends following an app have given up and I get to run with a great bunch of people each week.

Morning Fit & Strong Course at Macclesfield Performance

We only have 6 places left on our upcoming morning Fit & Strong course starting on Monday 10th June.

To help you make your decision and to avoid you missing your chance to book your place we have listed below some information about the course.

Course Session Days/Times

Monday & Friday  

9.30am - 10.30am 

These are programmed 1 hour coached sessions. All course participants will receive 15 weeks of programmed training to help them achieve their goals. 

This programme is delivered by our coaches every Monday & Friday at 9.30am in a small group setting and is coupled with a course pack and a private training community on Facebook.  It is not essential to have Facebook. We will make sure you are kept up to date with any important information if you do not.

We don’t just stop there, as part of the course you also get 100% access to our entire timetable. Meaning you can attend any classes and open gym sessions at MP for the full 15 weeks as well.

Course Price

The course is £200 upfront or £50 per month for 4 months.

Our courses at Macclesfield Performance are accessible to our “Elite Members” at no extra cost provided they book their place. There are no hidden charges. Therefore all you need to do to secure your place on this course is join as an “Elite” member and book your place before they run out.

Booking is done via email to team@macclesfieldperformance.co.uk

You may prefer an upfront payment to help ensure your regular commitment to a fully paid for course. If you are lacking in motivation this is a great way to make sure you show!

If that is the case we also accept the up front payment in full of £200 for your 4 months membership. 

What else?  

All course attendees are treated to a graduation event at the end of the course. Our latest graduation event was an exclusive photo shoot with fitness photographer Eddie Whitehead Photography. The group were treated to a fun shoot and five of their favorite images professionally presented to keep.

Watch this space for the surprise graduation event for you and your course mates following completion of your course!

All course attendees are also taken through a full movement screening to ensure that their programming is individualised and created specifically for them, their limitations or advances and their goals. 

Who can book? 

You. All of our courses are open to current members and non-members to book.

No matter your sex, experience, age (so long as you are over 16) you are suitable. We like a challenge. All we ask is you bring your game face, be motivated to work hard and learn. 

Our coaches work tirelessly to ensure they deliver the best quality service to you and so in return all they ask is you open heartedly give it what you can. If you put in the time and effort you will reap the rewards.

What if I miss some dates while I am away? 

100% attendance is not compulsory, any sessions you have missed will be in your coursework packs. This means you can catch up during open gym, or even take the session away with you to do on your travels if you find a gym. We offer the freedom and resources to you for you to make it work for you!

I have an injury, can I still do this programme? 

Of course! This is why we provide you with a movement screening before you start the programme so that we can identify any injuries or muscle imbalances that we need to work with. Our expert coaches will then adapt the programme to suit your needs.

Information | FTP at Macclesfield Performance

What is an FTP test?

Your “functional threshold power” (FTP) is the maximum power (Watts) that you can sustain on average, over a 60-minute time-trial effort ride. 

The FTP test is a means of determining your functional threshold power in a controlled environment and over a shorter time frame, without the discomfort, risk and resulting fatigue of cycling hard for 60-minutes.

What are the benefits of doing an FTP test?

For any keen or competitive cyclist (or multi-sport athlete), training at the exact intensity necessary to develop the specific areas of fitness you need is not only essential in ensuring you reach your maximum potential throughout the season, but also critical to reducing your risk of injury and over training. 

Training using “power zones” is the easiest and most accurate means of doing this, especially when training on an indoor bike (unless you have a power metre on your outdoor bike).

You may know of more commonly used methods such as rate of perceived exertion (RPE) a method used to determine exercise intensity levels based on how the athlete “feels”. 

FTP helps you define power ranges to work in, relative to the purpose of any particular training session. Therefore your intensity is more accurately measured using the information gathered during the test.

The FTP test is not just for competitive cyclists!

No matter who you are the FTP test is a great way to measure fitness progress. 
It’s a simple 20 minute test, that can be repeated at regular intervals and changes in power and heart rate can be great indicators as to how your fitness is changing and how your body is adapting and improving through your training.

What should you expect during an FTP test at Macclesfield Performance?

Prior to getting on the WattBike you’ll be introduced to a coach and have the opportunity to discuss your goals.  We’ll get you set-up on the WattBike, your fitness devices connected (if you have them) and then we will take you through a functional warm-up both off and on the bike.  You’ll be introduced to the data screens and the main FTP session explained. 

You can choose whether to have a coach guide you through the main FTP session or be left to your own devices to get “in the zone” for the 20 minute session!
Once the test is completed, we’ll take you through a thorough cool down, both on and off the bike.  Then we will finish with a review of your data and the opportunity to discuss next steps!

What information will the FTP test give me?

The two most valuable outputs from the FTP test are “functional threshold power” - total average watts sustained during the 20 minute test, and your “functional threshold heart rate”.  From these two results your power and heart rate training zones can be calculated.  These training zones can then be used to ensure your training and programming is correctly applied over future workouts or training sessions.

Completing an FTP test on the WattBike Trainer at Macclesfield Performance will provide you with numerous other data outputs aswell that can be used to evaluate your training. The Wattbike is even able to evaluate your pedalling efficiency and your power distribution. All of which will be accessible to you after the FTP test and can help identify other areas of your training that you need to work on for example your strength, muscular balance, proprioception and conditioning.

What do I need to bring?

As a minimum, you’ll need some suitable gym clothes, your trainers and a drink, we provide bottled water at MP for £1a bottle if you forget. 

The WattBike Trainer is compatible with both MTB and SPD cleats, so bike shoes are a definite if you have them and feel free to wear your cycling shorts for extra comfort if you’d prefer.

In addition, the WattBike can be linked to many fitness apps so if you have a fitness watch e.g. Garmin, great, bring that with you too and if you have a HR monitor strap this can also be linked.

Finally we recommend that you ensure your smartphone is fully charged so you don’t have any frustrating battery charge let downs during the test.

Don’t worry if some of the above does not apply to you, the minimum requirements listed are fine in any instance.

How do I book?

Click on to our “Performance Assessments” tab on our booking system, there you will see some available dates and times for you to choose from.

MP Elite members get in touch before booking, we are offering this to you FREE as part of your membership package.

News | Meet Tom

I am excited to now be working a regular clinic from Macclesfield Performance on Gunco Lane.

I’m a Sports Rehabilitation specialist, I graduated in 2016 with a First-Class degree and since that have worked in a variety of settings. I started off after my degree working at Glamorgan Cricket working alongside the physiotherapists and doctors, treating, rehabilitating and running conditioning for the First team cricketers. This environment was great for developing my rehab skills by working alongside (constantly injured) world class cricketers, physios and strength and conditioning coaches.

After moving back up north I decided to set out on my own providing a mobile service around the east Cheshire area, whilst also working at Harris & Ross Physiotherapy in Wilmslow and Norris Health in Congleton. At Harris & Ross I had the pleasure of working with Red Bull in the Harris & Ross ‘High Performance playground’ where injured red bull sponsored athletes would come from around the world to be patched back up. This was a very enjoyable part of my career where I got to help rehabilitate some very complex injuries, using some high-tech techniques!

Alongside my extremely varied career so far, I also juggle my career in rehab with being a semi-professional rugby player for Macclesfield RUFC, and International Rugby for the massive rugby nation of Israel.
Playing at quite a high level with rugby also gives me a great insight to high level sport and the conditioning required to compete at that level. Additionally, with my fair share of injuries, it means I have to practice what I preach!

You might be thinking, why would I need sports rehabilitation? Sports Rehab differs to both physiotherapy and strength and conditioning, however there is a lot of crossover. Physiotherapy is designed to rehabilitate an injury to allow someone to return to work and function, and strength and conditioning is designed to condition healthy individuals to allow them to perform a certain task/sport. Sports Rehab differs in the fact that we can treat from the moment of injury, and rehabilitate an injury all the way back to the ‘return to sport’ phase. Eventually allowing you to perform optimally.

Many people benefit from sports rehabilitation and you might too, without realising it. Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a weekend warrior, sports rehabilitation can help a range of populations. Rehabilitation can be tailored to different sports, and to different levels. You also don’t have to be injured to benefit from it!

If you are training or competing regularly, and you are struggling with things like form, technique, stability, strength for example, then going through an assessment and screening process can potentially help you achieve YOUR specific goals, such as knocking a minute off that run time, pushing that extra 20kg or just improving your mobility and flexibility.

If you are keen to improve your performance and would like some more information, then why not join me on one of my free 20 minute taster sessions over the next 3 weeks at Macclesfield Performance. To book check out our booking page I look forward to meeting you.

Equipment | Wattbike at Macclesfield Performance

At Macclesfield Performance we are proud to offer our clients use of a brand new top of the range WattBike Trainer.

“Engineered to enhance the performance of any athlete, the Wattbike can be used as an addition to your training as a complete beginner or elite athlete. Designed to perfectly replicate the sensation of riding on the road. WattBike has been created to be the ultimate indoor cycling experience.”

Watt bike isn’t just a bike. It’s a computer, created to compile accurate performance data alongside top of the range power gauge technology. For those wanting to increase power and performance in cycling Wattbike is the bike for you! 

Specifically designed with performance in mind Wattbike gives you precise individualised data that can be used by professional athletes and beginners alike to get the best out of themselves in the gym which can be reflected out on the roads also. 

Do you ride with a power meter attached to your bike? Use what bike to gauge your FTP and PES then translate that to your ride outside.

Do you want to lose fat, get fitter and in better shape? Use what bike as a low impact way to get high impact results.

Are you rehabilitating an injury? Use what bike to get accurate data on imbalances, strengths and progress post injury and during rehabilitation.

Are you training for an event or a challenge? Use what bike to track your training sessions and adapt your programming to you. Even allow it to create the program for you to follow, wattbike offers countless training plans inbuilt into the Wattbike Hub and onboard bike memory. 

If you are keen to use Wattbike as part of your regular training routine, why not join our “Open Gym’ membership for just £25/month or Pay As You Go for just £5/gym pass.
Either way to guarantee the bike is available for you.
Make sure you book it out (this is free to do) via our booking page also once your visit/membership is confirmed, you can allocate time frames for you to use it, this is a way to ensure that when you arrive the bike is not already in use.

Session Information | Movement Screenings

WHAT IS A MOVEMENT SCREENING?

At Macclesfield Performance we offer 60-90-minute postural assessments designed to help our coaches identify particular movement patterns within our clients that may be contributing factors to reoccurring injury risk, or potential injury risk.

A movement screening can highlight inefficient muscular activation and inefficient joint mobility issues in individuals which in turn can lead to reduced performance and even regular discomfort.

You will be led through a series of movement patterns each designed to help your coach asses your level of strength and mobility in a low impact and controlled environment.

You do not have to be fit and strong to participate in a movement screening. In fact those that are new to exercise can benefit greatly, as a movement screening is the perfect pre-hab tool for anyone looking to start out on a new fitness regime.

You will be given an in depth insight into areas of your body that could present you with issues at a later date should you not address them now, alongside advice as of where to start to correct the issues.

Those that are already suffering from recurrent joint and muscular discomfort have found that attending a movement screening and continuing with the recommendations following the screening has often led to partial or total rehabilitation of the problem.

If you are interested in joining in with our group sessions at Macclesfield Performance but are concerned you will not know how to do the exercises properly. A movement screening can help you and your coaches go through the movement patterns required to participate so you are prepared for your first attendance.

Our movement screenings are free to all MP Elite Members, non-members can book on a 121 movement screenings for £35 or in a small group at £20 per person.