New Year Inspiration

Photo credit: Rebecca Andrews

So my 6 day detox is well and truly over and I have continued to stick to a healthy diet since, as I only have 16 weeks until Fit Factor in May, I've got to keep going. 

To give you guys a bit of inspiration to continue with your goals past January, we have an exclusive Q&A with my friend and trainer, Emma Louise Burrows. What she has achieved, not only in her competing career but in the last year alone; opening her own studio (Studio ELB) is truly inspirational! She is an inspiration to me and motivates me to train harder and to dream bigger...

So Em, we've just finished the 6 Day ELB detox; thank you so much for putting it together. Is there any significance for making it just 6 days?

I like to design 'detoxes' which achieve as much as possible in the time set so this time I went for 6 days which meant I could ramp up the intensity of the training. Any more than 6 days of back to back training combined with a conservative calorie intake would result in some participants having to drop out. It is about considering the mental side of things as well as what our bodies are capable of achieving, whilst still maintaining a healthy approach if that makes sense. 

What are the health/ fitness benefits with a detox like this? Is this the type of detox you would usually do?

For the participants who carried out the full detox which included step by step meal plans for the 6 days as well as daily 45 minute workouts with the rest of Team Detox, they would have achieved the following:

- Increased fitness levels

- Body fat loss

- Increased levels of hydration

- A steady balance of insulin levels throughout

- The all important feel good factor which will motivate them to use the detox as a spring board into a healthier fitter body for 2015

Do you have any top tips about detoxing i.e: the do's/ don't?

The main DO when detoxing is dedicate your life to that timeframe. If you are unable to work your daily routine into a detox plan then it simply won't happen.

The main DON'T when detoxing is to keep it healthy. Anything too extreme will do more harm than good.

Gyms Kitchen sponsored the detox and provided the amazing breakfast smoothie's. Are you guys planning on working together again in the future?

Gyms Kitchen are most certainly the restaurant of choice for us and we sponsor them also. We believe that whilst we are the best place to train in town, Gyms Kitchen are the best place to dine for those who take their bodies and health seriously. We make a good team and yes are working on plans to partner up and offer the fitness family of Essex some very unique opportunities to benefit from our partnership. More will be revealed soon. 

With all the training we've done over the last 6 days, what was your favourite? And what was your favourite smoothie?

The success of the detox has led us to offering a monthly membership for those who want to keep up the 7am workouts 3 x per week followed by what we found to be the most popular smoothies. The 2 favoured smoothies were; Fruity Fusion which is a classic blend of berries, banana and almond milk and the Pick Me Up which consists of oats, walnuts, banana and almond milk. I loved the final workout we used for the detox team as we combined everything they had learnt through the week to create one big crazy high intensity and full body circuit. 

You're a big ambassador for Tabata? What makes you so passionate about it and have you got any future plans?

I have never been a fan of fad classes that come and go. There is always a new gimmick but for those of us who are results driven in the industry, Tabata is a breath of fresh air because it is scientifically proven to achieve more in 20 minutes than an hour or steady cardio. It combines my love for using your own bodyweight to workout and my strong belief that to burn fat most effectively, a high intensity approach is always the most efficient. It is also a great way for people who have limited time and/or money to get a lot out of what they put in.

Your studio is such an amazing space to train in. What made you want to open your own studio?

I am extremely passionate about what I do and the only way I could envisage offering everything I wanted to people I train and coach, was to create the perfect space. Along with the right team of fellow trainers/coaches/gurus that are just as passionate in what they do. We cover various things at the studio, as I am a sought after competitor coach as well as training clients, so designing my own studio has allowed me to offer the best of both worlds. Every request we get from a new client is always unique and I am lucky enough to have the studio that allows us to cater to each individuals needs. 

DREAM - BELIEVE - ACHIEVE