Welcome to Aspire’s Blog, where you find the latest articles, videos, promotions and free strategies with Bangkok’s leading personal trainers and fitness professionals to help you get in great shape and be the best you can possibly be!
27
Mar
2012
Bangkok Personal Trainers
Personal Trainers in Bangkok
Your best options for personal training in Bangkok for getting in great shape with a dedicated team of professionals at Fitcorp Asia.
The first step people take when wanting to kick start their fitness routine and new lifestyle, the majority hit the internet. Google searches for Bangkok personal trainers, or Bootcamps in Bangkok, personal training Bangkok is where they start.
They key here is personal. The research that supports the success of those working with personal trainers as opposed to working out themselves is evident. Aspire is the personal training center of choice in Bangkok. Establish for 10 years, Fitcorp Asia has revolutionized the health, fitness and personal training industry here in Bangkok, Thailand and raised the bar for the fitness industry throughout Asia.
Why is personal training with Fitcorp Asia so effective? We are all unique. Losing weight, shedding fat, improving health, optimizing energy and changing your behaviours is a science. It’s well documents. The human body and the brain is extremely complicated and intricate. We, as human beings having developed through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution adapts to certain stimulus. We are all unique, and finding the right stimulus for your body to respond most effectively is based on a collection of strategies. Science based, experience based, proven by the tremendous success of our clients over the years.
The personal trainers at our Bangkok personal training center have developed a unique system for success. Developed over 15 years in the industry, training, mind set, nutrition, adaptation to get you the best results possible in the least amount of time.
Our experience, systems, service and exclusive private personal training facility is what makes the difference. It’s what differentiates us from the rest. Support, education, passion and outstanding results. We have successfully created a solid community of health and fitness enthusiasts in Bangkok. All focused on one thing. Achieving results, and being the best they can possibly be.
One essential tool we use which is exclusive to Aspire and the team at Fitcorp Asia is the Aspiration map. The Aspiration Finder tool help us determine and understand what motivates you.
Try It here www.aspirationmap.com – it’s totally free even for non members and personal training clients.
The biggest common denominator among our personal training and Bootcamp clients in Bangkok? All are driven towards outstanding success. Being surrounded by like minded individuals with similar goals aspiring to be the best they can be. Aspire by Fitcorp Asia, Bangkok’s leading personal training center is where we all come together.
Altitude Training Bangkok for sports performance and weight loss
The Personal Trainers at Aspire by Fitcorp Asia Bangkok are passionate, committed and completely dedicated to helping you achieve outstanding results. In addition to passion, our expertise rests with our systems to motivate, support and motivate you towards successful lifestyle change. Education in nutrition, how to eat strategically, how to order health Thai food, make simple easy to prepare meals, salads, snacks – everything you need to fuel your body, manage your energy levels and eat intelligently towards your health, fitness and fat loss goals. 100% commitment, 100% of the time.
Our personal training and lifestyle change systems are designed to support you even when you are not here in Bangkok. When you are travelling, on days in between your personal training appointment with us, in doors, outdoors, in gyms, on holiday, at the beach in the mountains. We also run strategic and education health and fitness holidays and retreats in Thailand, Vietnam, Maldives and throughout Asia.
Safe, effective, progressive and corrective programs to not only get leaner and maximize your energy , also to help you move better, performance and stay injury free.
You get what you pay for. Results, support, education, an exclusive and private training environment in addition to quality service and expertise.
For your complimentary health and lifestyle consultation and goal setting session, drop us an email or use the form below to book in and find out why Fitcorp Asia and the Aspire Club is leads the fitness and personal training industry in Bangkok See for yourself how we can help you be the best you can possibly be.
05
Mar
2012
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11
Dec
2011
5 Reasons Why Athletes Should Do Yoga
Yoga offers tremendous health and wellness benefits for everyone. As a means of therapy, Yoga is becoming increasingly popular among athletes and sports enthusiasts. Here are 5 key reasons why Yoga can be beneficial for those involved in sports and athletic training programs.
1) Yoga enhances recovery - most vigorous sport activities generate lactic acid in muscle tissue. If lactic acid is not removed
Yoga Bangkok at Fitcorp Asia
properly, it can adversely affect performance in future training sessions or events. Yoga exercises can help in the removal of lactic acid by gently circulating lactic acid out of muscle tissue and into the blood stream where it will make its’ way to the liver for processing. Yoga also has shown to improve sleep patterns. Proper rest and ample sleep are critical periods for an athlete’s recovery process.
2) Yoga restores balance and can help reduce injury. Many sport activities are dominant on one side of the body due to specific movements and joint loading. This mechanical dominance can create musculoskeletal imbalances that can generate chronic injuries. Yoga can be beneficial in reducing these tissue and joint imbalances.
3) Yoga improves biomechanics and energy conservation. Moving a joint requires energy. The more tension one has around that joint, the more energy is required to facilitate that movement. The goal of athletes is to have maximum performance with the most energy conservation. Yoga exercises that improve flexibility and joint range of motion reduce muscle tension and enhance sport biomechanics. This enhancement reduces the amount of energy needed for those movements, thus allowing an athlete to perform at higher levels and/or longer intervals.
4) Yoga improves body awareness and focus. Yoga employs physical and mental exercises that deepen one’s sense of body positioning and movement (proprioception). Enhanced proprioceptive skills are crucial in the development and progression of athletic training. Yoga’s use of breathing and centering techniques can be valuable tools for event preparation, routine and skill visualization, as well as stress/anxiety reduction.
5) Yoga improves breathing function. Yoga exercises, particularly pranayam exercises, have been shown to improve breathing mechanics and lung capacity. Focused breathing exercises develop one’s ability to maximize function of all breathing mechanisms (diaphragm and intercostal breathing). Maximal lung health is vital for athlete’s, especially for those who partake in aerobic-based sports and require efficient lungs to deliver sufficient oxygen uptake.
Caution for athletes doing Yoga. Although Yoga offers great benefits, athletes should be mindful of the type of Yoga they do and how it is integrated into their training program. For example, some styles of Yoga can be very vigorous (vinyasa yoga) or have dehydrating effects (Hot Yoga). An athlete adding Yoga to their program needs to insure that the style of Yoga does not introduce over-training or other adverse effects. It is ideal to discuss with a qualified coach/trainer how best to integrate Yoga into a training routine keeping in mind the cycling of events and peak training periods.
Athletes can be too flexible! As much as one can see the benefit of being flexible, keep in mind that joints need stability. Over-training flexibility can reduce the ability of muscles, tendons, and ligaments to stabilize joint structures. Understand the nature of joint loading that is involved in particular sports and be mindful to not overuse Yoga flexibility exercises on those joints.
Finally, it may be easy for some athletes to try Yoga for the first time and feel they can jump into intermediate to advanced postures. Just like the sport they are coming from, they took years to build a foundation of where they are in that sport. This same approach should be applied with Yoga. Athletes, regardless of fitness level, should start with beginner classes so they build a foundation of all aspects of the practice: basic posture alignments, breathing techniques, and meditation applications. Many intermediate and advanced Yoga classes are taught in a manner that assume students have these foundations in place. Therefore, by skipping beginner programs, an athlete will miss out on crucial foundation elements.
Thanks to Kreg Weiss, BHKin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thailand Fitness Company, Fitcorp Asia Opens the First Commercial Simulated Altitude Training Center in South East Asia at The Aspire Club.
(Bangkok, December 1, 2011) Fitcorp Asia, Thailand’s leading personal training, fitness and sports performance company launches Asia’s first simulated Altitude training center at the Aspire Club in Bangkok. SAT, also known as Hypoxic training, where individuals train at simulated altitude environment at heights of 5000m above sea level forces the body to develop greater number of red blood cells to adapt to the lower levels of oxygen, improving the amount and delivery of oxygen to working muscles, improving the removal of waste products from energy production such as lactate, increasing fat loss, improving recovery and allowing individuals to work at higher intensities for longer with less fatigue.
Altitude Training @ Aspire Club
Since the Mexico City Olympics, where speed and power athletes demolished world records and endurance athletes struggled, the sports performance world has spent millions in researching the benefit of training at Altitude.
In line with Fitcorp Asia’s commitment to improve results and sports performance of their clients, the opening of the SAT chamber is cutting edge to support the evolution of the industry. The chamber, at a cost of 5 million baht, was invented by the world’s leader in altitude training systems, ATS based in Brisbane Australia. ATS Thailand has introduced the systems to Thailand and plans to have 10 systems installed with leading sports industries and the Sports Authority of Thailand. IN addition to installations in Australia, ATS has systems installed
Majority of research conducted has primarily involved endurance athletes and the benefit include facilitation of fat loss, increased anaerobic threshold, faster recovery times, weight loss, and cardiac rehabilitation. Fitcorp Asia has created result driven programs to include small group training, weight management programs for the amateur athlete and fitness enthusiast as well as those looking to lose weight more effectively and prepare for trek to altitude.
“Simulated Altitude Training (SAT) has an undocumented track records of close to 100% of those heading to altitude to trek without any altitude sickness,” said Daniel Remon, founder and CEO of Fitcorp Asia and the Aspire Club.
“Aspire by Fitcorp Asia continue to revolutionize the Asian and Thai fitness industry, delivering high end result driven programs that enhance performance and introduce cutting edge concepts into the region. This is what Aspire is all about, achieve aspirations, redefining the industry and leading through innovation. This is what sets us apart and allows us the create the path for others to follow”.
We have already experienced outstanding success with altitude training, with athletes, weight management clients and trekkers in Thailand. This is an exciting arena to be a part of, where Fitcorp Asia is leading the industry in South East Asia for sports performance and cutting edge athletic development.
You can find more research from the following sources and international studies:
Training in hypoxia: modulation of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in men. Bailey et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Jun;32(6):1058-66
Training-induced increases in sea-level performance are enhanced by acute intermittent hypobaric hypoxia. Meeuwsen et al. Eur J Appl Physiol (2001) 84: 283-290
For more information:
Fitcorp Asia Co., Ltd.
Aspire Building | 348/2 Sukhumvit Rd, Klongtoey, Asoke, Bangkok
Tel: +662-229-4114, Fax: +662-229-4115
Call Center: +668-188-4114
Email: info(at)fitcorpasia.com
Web: www.fitcorpasia.com, www.theaspireclub.com
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19
Nov
2011
6 Week XMAS Fitness Frenzy!
Xmas Fitness at Aspire
Every year we have launched a super promo to get people out of thinking that New Years resolutons work. Why? They just dont. What we want is for you to be active and engaged throughout December so you can still enjoy the festive season AND train more than you normally would AND come back in January looking hot, fit, lean and super confident!!
Now, this is an incredible offer, not 4 weeks but a total of 6 Weeks of group training classes for just 4,777 baht.
If you are a current Copper Member, you can upgrade for just 1,997 baht!
We know you are going to be busy! We know you are going to have lots of parties to attend, we know you might be travelling for Xmas too AND and we also know you will be training as much as you can to keep the Kristmas Kilos off! That’s why we are give you an extra 2 weeks of training till January 15, 2012. Then we can plan ahead for the rest of the year.
Here’s what you get:
- Unlimited Small Group Training Classes (Choose from 50+ sessions per month)
- Unlimited Outdoor Fitness Bootcamp Sessions (Choose from 24+ sessions per month)
- Nutrition Journal to keep track of your Kristmas Kalories
- Pre and post Weigh in and Bodystat Analysis
Confirm your place today as spaces are strictly limited! Conditions apply.
Email us to book in your place for the 6 Week XMAS Fitness Frenzy!.
25
Sep
2011
Running – Quantity vs Quality
There is an ongoing debate whether endurance training should stress quantity or quality in order to get better results. Should the bulk of a runner’s training regime consist of easy-medium intensity long runs or should the focus be high intensity intervals? Not many respected running experts suggest it is either or, the argument is rather what type of training to emphasize on.
Advocates for a high mileage training claim it is vital to build up a large aerobic base, which is the body’s ability to take oxygen into the blood and deliver it to the working muscles. The lungs become more efficient, more capillaries are developed that will bring oxygen into the muscles to produce energy, and lactate will be removed easier. These factors will able you to keep a higher intensity for a longer period of time. Since the idea is to build up the distance over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles will be allowed time to adopt. The great runner and coach Arthur Lydiard (1917-2004) once said, “Miles make champions”.
The other side of the debate is backed up by researches that favor the practice of high intensity interval training (HIIT). “Forget talking-pace. Talk during the breaks and in the rest of your life instead”, as the Norwegian professor Jan Helgerud puts it. His research has shown that training with an intensity of 85-95 percent of maximum heart rate is the most effective way to improve heart capacity. According to Helgerud, 4×4 minutes’ intervals (4 minutes of high intensity runs, 4 times) are recommended to optimize the heart’s strength. Another benefit with high intensity interval training, which several other studies point out, is the increased ability to boost metabolism (and burn calories).
Whatever the researches indicate or what the experts say, it essential to find out what works best for you. After all, to be consistent and get results, you have to find joy in your training. Also, your training program has to fit well together with your daily life. Not many of us are full-time professionals runners who can dedicate our time solely to training.
Perhaps Tom and Martin from the excellent weekly podcast Marathon Talk concluded it best, “Have quantity of quality”.
Give your self the chance to become a better runner, sign up for the Aspire Running Club!
We provide quantity of quality to you!
Call: 08-7672 7452
or email: henrik.olofsson@fitcorpasia.com
ASPIRE RUNNING CLUB – starts this coming Thursday, September 29th, at 6.30 pm – Benjakitti Park (Queen Sirikit Park)
14
Sep
2011
Interval Training for Runners
Interval training is an extremely effective training form to increase running tempo, increase cardiovascular output, despite this it’s most certainly one of the most neglected forms of training.
Most people just chose to stay in their comfort zone, run the same old casual run and is missing out on a lot by doing so. Provided interval training is well planned and structured, it can give great results fast, add a new dimension to your running performance in preparation for your next scheduled race or endurance event.
Benefits
The major advantage of interval training is that you can maintain a high running speed over a longer period than you are capable of during a long slow distance (LSD) run. Put simply, interval training allows you to bump up the lactic acid threshold and teach your body to cope with running at a faster pace by breaking the total running distance in to shorter intervals with period of recovery in between.
Potential problems
The difficulty with any type of interval training is finding the right pace and distance. Experience shows that it is easier for an inexperienced runner to initially stick to the relatively short intervals repeated numerous times. The hardest part when determining intervals is finding the right running pace. There are basically three ways to measure and control the intensity:
- - Measuring time at a known distance
- - Appreciate the effort (using Borg’s scale for example)
or to measure heart rate using a heart rate monitor.
At the Aspire Running Club will use measuring time at a known distance as the strategy to keep every aspiring runner on a structured program and to keep track of progress. Speed, recovery and duration will adjust gradually as performance is improved.
Interval training is an integral part for runners, endurance athletes, desk jockey’s and people across the demographics. The benefits of short bursts of high intensity work followed by recovery and then to be repeated has shown to be superior in not only cardiovascular performance (http://tinyurl.com/j5kbq)
but also to burn fat (http://tinyurl.com/6f49jly) and all other benefits that comes along with physical activity – not to mention how it can also save time!
Interval training is perceived by many as something daunting and too much hard work but can be extremely satisfying and engaging as it requires you to stay focused and tap in to energy systems your body might not have experienced in a while, kicking your endocrine response to another dimension!
The 8-week Aspire Running Club will guide, prepare, introduce and structure interval training (among other things) to assure you are in great running shape at the end of 2011 (weather it’s to prepare for a race or just to run and have fun in a group of like minded, inspiring people)!
The Aspire Running Club start on September 29th – taking place on Thursday’s at 6.30 pm at Queen Sirikit Park for 8-weeks.
Spots are limited – sign up today!
Call: 08-7672 7452 Email: henrik.olofsson@fitcorpasia.com
13
Sep
2011
Workout of the Week: Wheels of Steel
Ah, the (in)famous legs! Either you’re born with them either you’re not… Although genetics tend to play a major role in the shape and available muscle mass your legs can boast, hard work and dedication will indeed alleviate the consequences of Mother Nature’s stingy gift.
As usual, I’ll focus on the big picture by proposing you three basic exercises that are the foundation of any sound leg workout program. As a note to the readers, once in a while we like to address the needs of people looking to dramatically increase their fitness levels and their muscle mass as well, so be aware that this type of workout is primarily intended for bodybuilders.
However, by adjusting the repetitions and intensity accordingly, these exercises will also be beneficial to those in quest for that ‘toned’ and ‘sharp’ look, so read on.
FULL SQUATS
The full squat is the most basic and probably the most effective tool to build strength and mass. Please forget the machines for once – I know there are many squat machines available but none of them can truly mimic this movement – because this ‘free weight’ movement has the added quality of making you work supporting muscles in order to keep your balance and stability. Not only you’ll add some serious meat on your frame, but functionally speaking, you’ll improve as well.
Execution :
Keep your feet apart. As a rule of thumb, the distance between your two feet shouldn’t exceed that of your shoulders. If you are not familiar with the movement, I suggest you use the tip of a bench as your ‘seat’. This is very useful because you’ll instantly know that your buttocks don’t go too deep so you don’t risk injuring your knees. Imagine that you want to sit down, but as soon as your glutes touch the bench, instantly go back up in a controlled motion.
Intensity :
It’s no secret that when trying to build mass the range of repetitions is key. In this case, you’ll want to perform (with good form) between 8 an 10 repetitions, the last one being so difficult that performing one more correctly would be impossible. Legs workout are very taxing on the body, so please eat light prior to engaging in this. I’d say that 3 sets with 2-3 min. rest between each set is plenty.
QUADS ON BENCH
The picture is self-explanatory as it shows that keeping your back straight and avoiding going too deep make for great form. Although this exercise is somewhat similar to the regular squat movement, this is not a mass-building exercis by any means so avoid adding too much weight on this one.
Execution:
Slowly go down, but not too deep as you don’t want your knee to touch the ground. This would mean that your other knee is leaning way too far as well and this would put unnecessary stress on your joints and lead to an injury.
Intensity:
Contrarily to the first exercise, with this one you’ll want to exert the muscles to exhaustion by recruiting muscle fibers that weren’t much involved before. I recommend performing 12-15 repetitions, always with good form, for each leag with rest periods of 45 to 60” per set. Three sets are good as well.
HAMSTRINGS
As much as I despise machine-based movements, it is quite difficult to train the hamstrings effectively without resorting to at least one machine exercise. Alternatively, you could use a barbell, standing up and slowly depressing the weight to your feet. However, I dont’ really recommend it, because it’s very tricky to perform correctly and most of the time, my clients complain about lower back uncomfort, a clear signal that the movement isn’t performed properly.
So for now just stick with this. Since the movement is mostly guided by the machine contraptions, it is not necessary for me to go in details about how it should be done. Just keep in mind that although this movement is very effective, hamstrings usually take a very long time to respond, unless -here we go again- you’ve been blessed with great genetics.
Most of the time though, people do have weak hamstrings so training them thoroughly is necessary. It will tighten you lower chain, help you posture and give a much bigger ‘oomph’ to the overall appearance of you legs.
Intensity:
Add enough weight to perform 8-10 reps correctly without using your hands and the very convenient handles to give momentum. I know it’s tempting because you can move more weight and thus feel more empowered or feel like you exercise with more intensity, but you actually don’t. You just swing the weight like a pendulum, increasing the likelihood of injury and the likelihood of looking weird.
That’s it for today, I hope you’ve enjoyed the read. Please give us some feedback on twitter here @fitcorpasia, we’d love to know what you think of this routine and how it’s working for you.
11
Sep
2011
TRX training: learning the ropes
Watching someone train with TRX ropes might remind you of your childhood, when you went to the circus to admire the performances of acrobats and high flying daredevils. TRX ropes are fun to watch, but are they purely for the show too?
Training with ropes isn’t really new and rumor has it that it was introduced to US soldiers serving during the Iraq war in an effort to keep them fit and fight the boredom inherent to being stationed in a brown tent, wearing brown fatigues and staring at a brown desert all day long.
The range of exercises that can be performed with these ropes is only limited to your imagination and this form of resistance has a few unique features that set TRX apart. First of all, since most of the basic exercises involve leaning and fighting off gravity, a great deal of the stability needed to perform the movements correctly will come from your core. This area is highly solicited and you’ll notice a visible improvement in that particular problem area within a few weeks of training only.
Secondly, not only you’ll look better, but your posture will be greatly improved as well : no more shoulder slouching or lower back over extending as TRX training, and functional training in general, truly promote a healthy postures due to the very nature of the range of exercises they have.
OLD GYMS ARE OLD
Traditional bodybuilding, or machine-touring as I like to call it, won’t yield the same results because your body doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain proper form during movement. To picture this, first think of the typical Bankok fitness center: cramped with highly specialized machines designed to make you work your muscles separately, sometimes going as far as dividing small muscle groups into even smaller segments to make extra sure you DON’T train any other muscle!
This approach is evidently not very savvy because it makes the practice of working very dull and mechanical and to make things worse, it will exacerbate existing body imbalances and posture issues.
TRX turns your whole body comprised of hundreds of muscles into one, unique muscle that is to be trained holistically. The experience is truly an eye-opener and unless you’re a hardcore bodybuilder (in that case, this blog won’t suit your needs), you eventually will embrace functional training and get rid of your existing gym memberships.
Trying it is loving it! Test is for free today : call us now here 02 229 4114 or email us for a complimentary session.
09
Sep
2011
Personal Trainers: More Than Rep Counters
Personal trainers are often given a bad rap because some of them consider the job a mere pastime and they don’t really understand that training people successfully requires more than a clipboard and a pair of sneakers.
Some trainers undermine the credibility of the whole profession, especially in places where freelancers with questionable business methods are a dime a dozen. At the Aspire Club, we pride ourselves in having probably the best team of knowledgeable fitness professionals around. Why? because we care. We have passion, this is our career, and we are not cookie cutter, we come to you PT wanna be’s.
Dedicated and dynamic, our trainers will go the extra mile to make absolutely sure your needs and your goals are fully understood and addressed. That means we have do whatever approach it takes to helping you, be the best you can be! Whether you need support in your quest for a slimmer figure or you really want to add some solid muscle mass on your frame, their scientific approach will deliver. Fully licensed and experienced, they’ll offer your the most advanced solutions in order to get your where you want to be: they’ll keep you accountable, focused and motivated so you can break through training plateaus and constantly push yourself.
Everybody can copy a generic fitness program from the internet and just stand there counting repetitions, sheepishly reproducing someone else’s work. We believe that every individual is unique – physically and psychologically – that’s why we develop custom programs for each of our clients and never rely on others to bring you the level of service you deserve.
What you should be looking for
An outstanding service with results is always of massive value, and when it comes to your health and wellness you should never settle for less than the very best. Remember, pay peanuts, and get monkeys! A good personal trainer should always have:
- A qualification recognized internationally
- A broad knowledge of everything related to fitness
- Great interpersonal skills
- A professional appearance and attitude
- A visible passion for sports in general
- Verifiable references and background
- Proper legal work documentation
At The Aspire Club, all our trainers are fully certified and working legally. Every foreign international professional working at Fitcorp Asia and the Aspire is 100% legal, with work permits. More often than not, the majority of freelancers are simply passing through, here one day, gone tomorrow, with zero systems in place, taking your money and leaving a sour taste in your mouth! Unfortunately this is quite common in Bangkok.
We’ve been in the business for over 12 years in Thailand and are the only international fitness center that provides an impeccable level of service, where 80% of our members are working with coaches and trainers. This you cannot compare with anywhere else. We fully comply with local laws and can guarantee your peace of mind: you’re in good hands at Aspire.
We look forward to welcoming you in our brand-new building dedicated to your health and fitness.
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