The Beat Fit Tip with The active clubs in The Ferrycarrig Hotel Wexford & Hotel Kilkenny.

We hope you enjoy our health and fitness tips!

For further information on the Griffin Group Active Clubs follow the following links:

Kilkenny Active Club, Hotel Kilkenny

Ferrycarrig Active Club, Ferrycarrig Hotel

1. Core:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. My fitness tip is...For overall better fitness you MUST work on your core. Don't be afraid of situps as they increase your range of motion, which makes your abs work harder & longer. Not a bad combination after that Christmas Excess! Just avoid situps with anchored feet, which can hurt your lower back. Start off by doing three sets of 10 each day to get a leaner firmer stomach. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

2. Bench More Now:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. Want to build a chest like Arnie or be as big as Bruce Wayne? Then you need to hit the bench press. Make sure you concentrate as with free weights you need to be careful at all times. When using the bench press make sure to inhale in as you lower the weight and exhale when you push up the weight for maximum effectiveness. Another tip..Look at your dominant hand—without turning your head—while bench-pressing. "You'll be able to lift more weight. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

3. Weights and Women:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford Women have a fear of using weights, but the benefits are great. They speed up your metabolism which helps burn calories faster, strengthens muscles and helps prevent osteoporosis. Weights will help you tone up and not bulk up so you wont end up like Arnie. If you are seeing no results from your cardio programme you should introduce weights into your routine today. So don’t be afraid of weights embrace them.Commit to be fit and you will see results.

4. Weight Belts: 
’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford This is a tip for the big boys. Don’t do all your training with a weight belt! Over time, regular training in a weight belt actually weakens your abdominal and lower back muscles and that is something that you don’t want if lifting weights. Wear it only when attempting maximal lifts in exercises like squats, dead lifts and over head presses. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

5. Results:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford.  If you change your diet, lifestyle and exercise routine you should see results in 6-8 weeks based on a 3 day a week workout. Do a reassessment of your fitness programme every 6 weeks, review goals & change the routine to suit. We will also ring you if you haven’t been to the gym! The most important element to ensure results is to stay in contact with our fitness professional, to stay motivated and change your life. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

6. Swimming:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford.  Whats out there for people who don’t like the gym?? Swimming. It’s fun and you can get a great workout also. We can design specific swimming programmes to teach you how to swim or develop an actual swimming technique. For example programmes like endurance teach you how to swim 50 lengths or 1k. Ideally you need 3 sessions a week. It is a great way to help you overcome your fear of water also. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

7. Aqua-erobics:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford.  If you don’t like the gym, Aqua-aerobics is a good alternative: It’s 45 minutes of different cardio exercises using muscles and techniques in the swimming pool. I’ll be shouting at you from the side lines making sure you sweat because its non-weight bearing so you wont feel it while in the water but you will know it after! It’s a great social outlet as it is a class environment and free for members. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

8. Motivation:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. One simple way to stay motivated is to look back on how far you've come. Use a monitoring system like we use in our clubs to keep track of every workout including calories burned, distance travelled & weights lifted. When you see the progress that you make on the results chart it will give you the motivation to keep going and will encourage you to push yourself that bit harder the next time you workout. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

9. Stretching:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford.  A common question asked is “Should I stretch after my workouts?” When you here the benefits you will know the answer, and it only takes 5 minutes. Benefits include reduced muscle tension, Increased range of movement, Enhanced muscular coordination, Increased circulation & ENERGY LEVELS. When doing a workout we can’t guarantee that you won’t have soreness in your muscles the next day but you will have a lot more soreness if you didn’t do your stretches. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

10. Classes:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford.  If you are getting a bit bored of your workout, introduce a class into your exercise routine. There are classes to suit everyone and free for members in our clubs. If you want to de-stress and become more flexible try yoga or pilates. For adrenaline junkies try spinning; a workout that will get the heart pumping! Variety is the spice of life so make sure your gym has enough variety to keep you motivated & interested. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

11. BLT:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. This is one for the women. To help achieve that toned body that we all strive for why not try our BLT. And no it’s not the Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich from your lunch break. Our one is the healthy option a workout designed to tone bums, legs and tums. The Active Clubs BLT. It’s a combination of core, squats, lunges & posture workouts, for targeting those specific trouble spots. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

12. Running:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. Here are some tips to get the most from running. Have your gait analysed and get the proper footwear for your foot type. Set goals with your distance. For example run 5k and see how long it takes. Then aim to do the same distance faster each time. As fitness increases, increase the distance also. This will prevent boredom. The technique is known as Chi Running developed at our clubs by Irish Olympian Catherina McKernan. Commit to be fit and you will see results.

13. Goal Setting:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. Have you got a fitness goal this year. You’ve probably heard how important it is to write it down. This is why...

When you put pen to paper you turn your thoughts into something tangible. You can see and touch it if you like. The goal is no longer a thought, it becomes something that motivates us inside. So write down your goal and at the end of 2012 see how much you have achieved.   Commit to be fit and you will see results.

14. Commit To Be Fit:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. If you are not sure where to start on your fitness, try a personalised goal oriented fitness programme like our Commit To Be Fit. It’s personalised for you, to keep you focused, to get you results. Past members like Marian Downes said “it sealed her personal commitment, brough focus, self belief and results, Michael Halpin said he has a healthier lifestyle and better quality of life from it.

So commit to be fit and you will see results.

15. Losing Weight:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. 

When attempting to lose weight it’s important to remember that all weight loss procedures must be followed in conjunction with a balanced nutritional diet. Then a combination of cardio and muscular workout will garner the best results. The most effective combination would be to use 20 mins of weights followed by your cardio each session. If you put in the effort and do a combined programme 2-3 times a week you will see the benefits. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

16. Why should I Get in Shape:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. 

Another common question is “Why should I get in shape”. Staying in shape is vital to our overall health and wellness, reducing the risk of developing many serious medical conditions, like Diabetes, Heart Disease. High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol & more.

A balanced and health lifestyle, which includes physical activity, a balanced healthy diet and enough sleep will improve one's overall quality of life. So commit to be fit today to ensure a better quality of life not just for you but your family too. 

17. Fitness Benefits:
Hey it’s Nicole here, personal trainer with the Ferrycarrig Active Club Wexford. Feeling a bit down in the New Year?, Well Exercise and Stress Relief go hand in hand, Rather than reaching for that bar of chocolate or glass of wine why not try a 30 min walk on one our Technogym Treadmills or join one our many Classes. At our Active Clubs our fully qualified Instructors will design a programme that suits you and most importantly you’ll enjoy. So commit to be fit today to ensure a better quality of life not just for you but your family too. 

18. Drinking Water:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. If feeling tired during the day, Our Tip is to increase your hydration levels, by simply drinking more water. Just remember to drink 1-2 glasses before your workout, 1 glass for every 20 minutes of exercise and 3 glasses when you’re finished. Keeping yourself hydrated will improve your energy levels meaning you can get more from your workout. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

19. Get Physical:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. Want to do something that will help every other aspect of a healthy lifestyle? Get yourself physically fit. Physical exercise provides health benefits that cannot be obtained in any other way. Simply by doing 20-30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week will vastly improve your quality of life, Why not try one of our numerous exercise classes, It’s a great way to work out and your doing it as a group so you’ll always make new friends. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

20. Excuses For Not Training:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. The number one excuse for not training is not being able to find the time. Ninety nine percent of all excuses are not valid! Personally, I find it easier to get up an hour earlier and train first thing in the morning. Training first thing increases your metabolism for the day. Another great reason is it gives you a sense of accomplishment which will help you tackle the rest of your day and insane schedule with a smile. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

21. Spinning Class:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. Whether weight loss or cardio capacity is your goal our spin class is the one for you. Our instructors will take you through numerous routines like sprints, climbs and a few twists along the way, combining cardio and conditioning in a low impact style of training. When attempting to lose weight it’s important to remember that all weight loss procedures must be followed in conjunction with a balanced nutritional diet. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

22. Fab Abs:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. If you are fed up with hundreds of crunches daily for those 6 pack abs, but still cant feel the wash board you need to change things up. To get those abs you desire the most effective way is to incorporated strength and cardio workouts. Why not try one our fab ab classes or ask one of our qualified instructors for a programme just for you. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

23. Kettlebells:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. Are you looking for a new challenge?? Why not try some of our exercise classes such as Kettlebells. Kettlebell training provides cardio, strength and endurance as well as definition in one class. It’s an all in one gym on the go, particularly strengthening the core, a problem area for most people. It’s a great cardio workout for people of all ages and abilities and has a social element also so you can meet friends at the same time. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.

24. Swimming:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. Whether you can sink our swim, Water based exercise is good for everybody. Swimming is a non – impact activity and is even used in the treatment of injuries, It exercises all muscle groups and improves overall cardiovascular fitness. If you are new to the pool one of our instructors will gladly do a programme to suit your needs. Take the plunge and commit to be fit today and you will see results.

25. Lose Weight:
Hey it’s Stephen here, personal trainer with the Hotel Kilkenny Active Club. We find the same questions and misconceptions arising each week, particularly about what is the best way to lose weight. For best weight loss and long-term weight maintenance, combine Cardio-Aerobic Exercise with Weight/Strength Training. Aerobic exercises help to burn extra calories and weight training builds muscle to raise your metabolic rate.  Remember that all weight loss procedures must be followed in conjunction with a balanced nutritional diet. So commit to be fit today and you will see results.