New Year, New Me.
We have all uttered those words each time we have woken up with a stinking hangover and cloud of regret hovering over us on January 1.
The new year always starts with the best intentions and one of the most common goals for anyone looking to make a change as the sun sets about spinning around the earth for another 365 days is to join a gym.
READ MORE: Edinburgh gym opens offering 20-minute-a-week workouts that will get you fit
Then work gets in the way, or the kids pick up a new sport or Netflix just keeps releasing series that are banger after banger, making it tricky to commit to a new fitness regime.
But a change has been made in the fitness world, a new revolutionary gym that claims to get you fit and healthy by doing one 20-minute workout a week has opened its doors in Edinburgh’s South Gyle Industrial Estate.
Former triathlete and Canicross Champion, Warwick Dredge, is behind the fit 20 fitness studio empire but has implemented his business by making the gym both accommodating and accessible.
In order to understand what all the fuss was about, I headed down to be put through my paces.
Now I’ve recently become a new father and unfortunately I somehow developed a knack for mirroring my pregnant partner who was eating for two.
This has led to me carrying a touch more timber than I’d like just twelve months away from a wedding.
The idea that I could get fit, build up my strength and conditioning, and start feeling good about myself from just doing a 20-minute workout a week really appealed to me.
Like many people I find it difficult to put time aside for exercise with family, work and your social life commitments, so I was overjoyed when I found out that there is something out there for someone like me.
Warwick welcomed me with a beaming smile and a professional manner as he set about getting my height, weight and a bit about my background.
Within five minutes he was introducing me to the machines which are set in a calm, cool and composed environment - there is no thudding from the treadmill or loud dance music with other gym goers glancing at my every move.
Each session is either one to one or two to one with a personal trainer. This allows for the attention to be focused on improving form, technique and results in an individualised setting.
The focus of each workout is to make sure that muscles are worked to the point of failure by focusing on relatively short but controlled exercises that incorporate form and rhythm.
Each machine is fitted with a tablet that tracks the movements of the person exercising, allowing them to keep the correct gradual pace, whilst professionals like Warwick ensure that posture and breathing is correct.
The tracking element is extremely fun and also distracts from the lax minded individuals like myself who can find exercising boring - the time element that tries to get you to push and hold at the exact right times almost feels like you are playing a games console.
Fit20’s 20-minute exercise is split into five different stages, with each stage focusing on working a different muscle group.
The idea behind this is that your metabolism will improve as your strength improves which helps you to not only get stronger and fitter but also leaner.
Everything is set at your own pace with Warwick and his team meticulously catering to your own ability and progress.
What is amazing is that each session tracks how you perform and breaks the data down into digestible nuggets so that trainees can see exactly how they are progressing.
For me I loved the one-to-one element and the interactive feel that the tablet technology introduced - it was great to have someone like Warwick there to ensure that I was keeping myself in the correct position and getting the best out of each rep.
The cool 17 degree temperature meant that I did not sweat which is a quirky little design that means anyone can come along for a workout - whether on your break from work in your shirt and trousers or in a traditional shorts and t-shirt.
With that being said, I still felt challenged and as though I had been put through my paces with a burning sensation in all the right places.
However the workout is so controlled that it alleviates the feeling of being completely stiff the next day.
The entire experience was a breath of fresh air, it got me feeling better about myself and the entire workout felt attainable.
I’d highly recommend the workout for anyone who is feeling as though they do not have enough time to hit the gym for an hour everyday and who wants to escape the sometimes intimidating setting of traditional fitness spaces.
Warwick added that the fit20 is not only ideal for young busy professionals but also those who would class themselves as elderly, as the whole ethos of the business is ensuring that people can maintain an accessible fitness regime, which is evident with their eldest client being 85 years young.
I really enjoyed it with my noodle arms and chicken legs, so do check it out by visiting their website here or Facebook page here.
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