Fit To Tackle Blog – Week Ten
Fit To Tackle Blog – Week 10
So we’re at week 10! Heading for the final whistle! Group weightloss is pretty much bang on the 30stone mark – so let’s push on and make the last couple of weeks count!
Monday night saw the group take part in the popular team challenge, where groups of four do as many sets of various exercises as possible in the time available. From tyre slams to sets of steps, burpees to squats – it’s a fast paced, fun session that left everyone knackered but happy!
This week we thought it was time we heard from Fit To Tackle coach Tom Kearney! Here he tells us all about FTT from his side of the steps! Over to you Tom…..
How long have you been involved in FTT? Since the very start! It’s been about 4/5 years since we started, although it feels a lot longer!
What makes FTT so unique in terms of a weightloss/exercise programme? Fit To Tackle is unique for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s held in the Halliwell Jones Stadium, which is somewhere that nobody else can train apart from those on the programme. Being able to use the stadium steps, seats and concourses is completely different to anything every other fitness session in Warrington can offer. Secondly, there is no cost involved for participants which makes it a lot more accessible for people whatever of their background.
Why does FTT get the results it does? I think one of the biggest factors in the success of FTT is the team that runs it! I’m not trying to big myself up here by the way, im talking about the mentors. They are our team of volunteers, who have previously completed the course, and they are the most vital ingredient to our success as far as I’m concerned. They attend every single session, encouraging, supporting, and motivating the participants to achieve their potential. Without them my job would be an awful lot tougher! Another vital part of the programme is teamwork. Although participants sign up to the programme to achieve their own personal weight loss goals, the sessions are designed to put a big emphasis on teamwork and helping each other out, as at some point during each programme every single person hits a rough patch, so the better the team morale, the more likely they are to overcome these challenges.
What’s the best thing about being involved in FTT? Seeing the difference in people from week 1 to week 12 is probably the most enjoyable part of my job. On week 1 they come into the stadium looking anxious, lacking in confidence and self-belief and not really thinking that they are going to achieve much. After investing 12 weeks’ worth of time into helping them through what most people will describe as the toughest thing they have ever done, they leave the stadium a completely different person. They leave the programme with more confidence, more belief, and a real sense of achievement. They go from being inactive and unmotivated, to regular exercisers who often go onto participate in more challenges such as marathons and triathlons. As a die-hard Warrington fan working at the stadium is a pretty big bonus too.
And the most challenging aspect of it? The most challenging aspect of FTT is when people don’t make the most of the opportunity they’ve got. There is a massive interest in FTT, and we always get many more applications than we can accommodate. So you want everyone who is taking part to grab the opportunity and really make the most of it.
Can you give a few easy tips to anyone reading this who would like to make some positive changes to start becoming healthier? Book onto our Fit To Tackle Bootcamp! If attending a fitness class is not your thing though, just start small. Try and do a little bit of exercise everyday whether that’s going for a walk or doing an exercise DVD. Exercising regularly brings numerous benefits, and one of those is improved energy levels, so as time goes by you will be able to increase the amount you do and eventually end up at FTT Bootcamp!
Thanks Tom! And thanks for all those steps you make us do (KIDDING, we hate those!)
