How many times have you looked in the mirror, tugging exasperatedly at those love handles which refuse to disappear, and in a state of determination marched down to sign up for the gym.
You buy yourself new workout clothes- some great trainers, a sports bra, new leggings and a fantastic new lycra top- because if you’re going to take this workout seriously (which of course you are) you need the proper, expensive gear for it. That first gym trip is a sweaty, breathless mess, yet you come out feeling fitter, stronger and a whole lot more motivated than you have in a long time. This follows with a long bus journey home where you promise yourself all will be worth it in the end.
You fall asleep that night with visions of six-packs and biceps and triceps just a few treadmill trips away…
That is until three weeks down the line when your membership card is sitting pristinely in your purse, having not been used apart from the odd couple of times at the beginning.
You flick past it guilty when reaching for your debit in the shops, but other than that, keep gym thoughts firmly out of your mind.
We’ve all been there.
But what if there was an easier way?
And that is where Jon Doris’s new book comes in.
The Pop Up Gym is a book which creates an approach to fitness that is highly flexible, with feasible, practical and effective exercises and routines that can be carried out almost anywhere- from your home, to the outdoors and even at work. Eradicating some of the barriers to exercise, this book encourages you to become more active and get fit with minimum fuss.
The Pop Up gym book’s programme promises that:
1) You will look leaner, and maybe a little younger!
2) You’ll raise your metabolic rate
3)You will strengthen your bones and joints
4) You will find it easier to maintain a healthy weight
5) You will be able to control your blood sugar levels
6) You will have a healthier heart
7) You will develop greater inner strength and feel better in your whole self
8) You will have more energy
9) You will increase your capability to tolerate stress
10) You will sharpen your mental processes
11) The routines will lift your mood
12)You will improve your ‘executive functioning’
13) You will improve the quality of your sleep
14) You will boost your immune system
15) You will enhance and lengthen your life
The book mixes together interval training, strength and conditioning exercises and a whole host of nutrition tips. It is an easy to follow, interesting guide ensuring even if you are the beginner of all beginners you will have no problem following the programme and enjoying it along the way. On the book, Jon speaks about how much experts try to make fitness complicated. He said he wanted to create something that was so simple it would be usable. And that he did.
The Pop Up Gym enables you to keep fit without forking out a fortune for flashy gym equipment or memberships, instead using objects around you such as a tree branch for pull ups or a heavy bag instead of dumbbells.
This is why Jon says it’s important for people to find out which location works for them.
The workouts in the book range from squats and burpees, to dumbell punches and push ups, with both warn up and cool down exercises too. As the six week programme progresses so do the exercises, meaning as your body becomes stronger and more agile, the workouts level of challenge reflect this.
Whilst the type of workouts used aren’t new, Jon says they are the type of exercise which are most effective yet often overlooked in favour of over-complicated fancy challenges.
You can find more information about the book and purchase it here
