Heath Hacks Episode 2. Jackie Karim - F45 Crows Nest

Health Hacks episode 2! SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES!

https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/podcast-alignment/id1109636228?mt=2 

Is F45 training for you? What does F45 actually stand for? Hear from Jackie Karim from F45 in Crows Nest give the run down on Functional Fitness.

DISCLAIMER:

All material included in the Health Hacks podcast and found on the Alignment Chiropractic and health Website is intended to be of a general nature only, and is included for the sole purpose of providing general information. Material included in this website does not, and is not intended to constitute advice or any statement on which reliance should be placed. The content is purely a reflexion of the thoughts and experiences of Dr Bryce Fleming (chiropractor) and his guests. Users should seek advice as appropriate from a professionally qualified  on all specific situations and conditions of concern to them. 

Show notes:

Hello, welcome to episode 2 of Health Hacks. It's great to talk to you again. In our last episode we spoke with Sarah and this episode we're speaking with the excellent Jackie Karim from F45 in Crows Nest. Before I introduce Jackie, I just want to give a big shout out  to our sponsor alignment chiropractic and health and yes that is my business and I'm doing a bit of a self shameless self promotion. We haven't opened yet but the doors will be opening soon. If you want to keep updated go to alignmenthealth.com.au. But Jackie, Hello! Welcome!

Jackie: Hi, How are you?

Dr. Fleming: I'm very well thank you! So, F45, now we're going to delve a little bit into what F45 is all about. So people can understand more about it. But, before we do I just want to know a bit more about you. You know, how did you get to where you are coaching, and tell me a little bit about your journey.

Jackie:  I probably started training a little bit later in life in terms of solo training. I was a group sports kid throughout school and always committed to a team and love being accountable to a team and training with others. So, touch volley was my game and applied that through Uni and the rest of it and then sort of got to a point where commitments with work etc. didn't allow me to make it to the field and based active in touch volley as I would like. And so, I had to sort of find some training for myself. And I did, I started off with a small boot camp, a girlfriend and I and another colleague and then I went to another independent group where knew no one. And sort of started some group training, maybe once a day you know that's sort of all they offered  and then I found Rolex health which later turn into F45. I did one session with him in centennial park, a long long time ago. So Queens park, and one of the best driving sessions I've ever done. And then they moved into a complex at Paddington and went indoors. Offered seven classes a day. Just went off the scale. Went in there for my first class they make every other group training that I've ever done look amateur. Absolutely amateur. I was hooked and here I am 3 years later. Three and a half years later I've got my own and all the rest of it.

Dr. Fleming: Ah Cool! So, when you say, you know it makes other group training looks amateur. What is it about the group training atmosphere that you think really draws people to want to be part of that group.

Jackie: I think everyone loves to be part of a community. As humans we want to belong. There's just that natural instinct to want to belong to a tribe or a squad as I now call it. At F45 you belong, we build communities. We don't just build gyms, we build communities. On top of being part of community you get fed up, you get strung up. You see this health benefits that transfer across the rest of your life. I was a retail buyer while I was training in F45. As a retail buyer, we glorify the gadgets. We got numbers running to our heads all day, everyday. We have to know cell threes and colorways, style, cabin replenish, what's our inventory to buy, how did you do inventory, what's going to be our growth's margin. Numbers that we're just a blur till I started training properly at F45. These numbers were rattling off so clearly because I was thinking so clearly. I was eating so well. I was sleeping so well. I was a better person for my training. And I know that sound farfetched but I tell you from the moment I walked in to F45, I said these has to be taken to other people. Thankfully the owners were on the same page and now this has been delivered to the masses and people love it and you see it. It just got this happiness, this community, this positive surrounding about it. Because of what we build in our dreams.

Dr. Fleming: That's awesome! And I know in my experience, looking after people for such long time that when you give people the right ingredient for a healthy life, whether the right type of nutrition, the right type of movement, positive thinking, outlook, making sure that their structures align and nervous system firing up and that that kind of stuff. It really is like the blinkers that just come off. All the sudden your life just becomes that little bit easier. You start to take more risks and enjoy more benefits and so on so forth. So, is it fair to say that you've seen people in your group, in your squad go through those changes?

Jackie: Definitely!

Dr. Fleming: yeah.

Jackie: It's amazing to see, I mean the beautiful thing with the resistance program, the strength program at F45, you actually see yourself get stronger. You used less resistance bands. You add more weight to your barbel. You pick up heavier weights to bench press. You could push the sled with a heavier weight. You see yourself getting fitter and stronger. The mental benefits that carries for someone like huge.They walk out and they thought that they, they came in going, "I can't do that." It's like "No, you just have not figured how to do that yet. We’ll teach you how to do it . You can do it, just gives us a few weeks will teach you how. Then they applied that for the rest of their life. Suddenly they're a little bit more courageous in their work , and they a little bit more courageous in their personal relationships and standing up for themselves and say what they want and it just transfer across everything. It's great!

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, Awesome. I love it. you know I really do respect that and I think that's why I was doing it along so well. Because we got very aligned values.

Jackie: Yeah..

Dr: Fleming: So, just tell me exactly what's F45 is? So, If I'm a person who's never experienced F45 before. I'm coming off the street, I walk into your gym, what do I expect?

Jackie: Penning you've dotted your eyes and crossed the chase and I know you would, you would've gone to our website and registered and you would've signed up for your first class. So I'd know you are coming.

Dr. Fleming: Okay.

Jackie: So, by the time you get up the stairs, I'd say " Hi Bryce! I'm Jackie." And you go, you'd feel at ease right away because you wouldn't make contact with me over  email and you've made it in the gym. So, straight away that sort of put you at ease. I will talk you through what's about to happen and depending on your fitness level. We'll probably have chatted over email where you tell me how high intensity you been training or you never train before. And I'll encourage you into the right session for that week. So, you would be rocking out, you have your towel, you have your water bottle and I would talk you through what's about to happen that day. You fill out a little bit of paperwork for me just a creed screener and we make sure that all the “i’s” are dotted and things across you are fit, and  healthy ready to go. Then we get you into your class. At the beginning of the class we're going to demonstrate every movement and explain it. Any problems or questions in the class will be addressed then and there. Throughout the warm up if there's anything you're unsure of you can speak to the other trainer. One trainer will be leading the warm up, there' still be another coach in the room that you can speak to and ask questions to.

Dr: Fleming: Yup.

Jackie: We'll then direct you to where you're starting and you'll start your movement. Now, ideally you'll be partnered up with someone who's been in the room many times before and will guide you through. And you try to stick your hand up and you ask coach question, if at any time you have a problem you can stop and your work out will not affect anyone else's in the room. That is the beautiful thing about F45 . You come as part of the community, but someone can be bench pressing 30 kilos and some of them can be bench pressing 5 kilos that works side by side. There's no ego, there’s no I can lift stronger than you, it just the nice, smooth friendly community.

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, and I'm guessing I can kind of visualize the people would be encouraging other people. If you're the new kid on block then you know you have that support and whereas I think if you go to like the regular global gym, the regular machine way sort of kind of stuff, it can be almost the opposite. You know it's extraordinary intimidating for someone who's never set foot into a gym to see all this people kind of flexing in front of mirrors and grunting and you know that kind of stuff. Almost making you feel uncomfortable. It seems like you know it's really helped to fill a void in that fitness community. Is that the same?

Jackie: I definitely agree. It's the same thing as playing team sport. Except here you're getting stronger, you're seeing fitness levels increase and it's for you. But, you still got that camaraderie and when you do something great you’ve got 26 other people in the room who'll gonna cheer you on. Not just one person at the gym. You deadlifted RIM excellent. Go share it on Facebook like. It ends there.  If you're an amazing guy, it doesn't end there with us. With us we’re, you know in the room you are going to be acknowledge for what you do with that pride and that sense of accomplishment it's up to you. Anyway, you take it for the rest of the day.

Dr. Fleming: Awesome, So, what's does F45 actually stands for?

Jackie: Functional 45.

Dr. Fleming: Okay. So, does that mean 45 minutes of work?

Jackie: Yes, it does. So, classes around 45 minutes except on a Saturday. Told you a little lie, Saturday they run for an hour. So, with the sessions, are an hour. There will be different instructor. Usually there's a live DJ playing, 27 exercises individual around the room and so you do sort of do 2 laps around.

Dr. Fleming: A live DJ playing?

Jackie: Yeah!

Dr. Fleming: That is awesome! You know hopefully one of our friends, Clint, is listening to this right now. Because I told him, I literally I could have been 10 or more years ago that this type of environment that you've creating, this is what the future will be. And I'm on the same when clearly having a live DJ, having a environment like that.

Jackie: It has to be fun.

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, it’s got to be fun right?

Jackie: It has to be fun and you know I don't know how many people as referred to what the global gyms would honestly treated that their workout was fun or they paid attention to who's around them or who is instructing them.

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, if they've got anyone instructing them.

Jackie: Yeah, if they do.

Dr: Fleming: So, that brings up really good topic. You know you said a couple of times having a coach, I think you know having a coach in anything that you want to do in life is probably an important thing. And a lot of this just kind of bumble through looking through social media or whatever might be and try to do what someone else does on a youtube clip. But the reality is you know if you don't have that coach that  help you it's very difficult for you to get that level of achievement.

Jackie: That's right.

Dr. Fleming: So, with the coaching that you provide, what are some of the techniques that someone might learn in F45?

Jackie: I think the biggest technique that I teach people is hamstring glute activation and learning to move from your hips. It's probably the biggest thing that I say hip impingements and hips just being locked up. Glutes and hamstrings just not activating the way that they should and not firing in things like a squat. A lot of people come to me, tell me they never felt the squat in their hamstrings or their glutes. All their pressure is to the anterior part of their body, left front part of their body. You could literally get them on their toes, but ask to push back their heels, no chance.

Dr. Fleming: No chance.

Jackie: No chance. Absolutely no chance. So, that's really the biggest thing that I would teach people over and over again and shoulder retraction. We unfortunately live in the community where we drive, we type, we hold our phones and everything is forward facing. Naturally we’re curving our shoulders in, getting really tight pectoral muscles, really tight across the chest and unfortunately  that means we can't do the opposite movement which is to retract our shoulders which is key to movements like a deadlift, when you're doing rows, when you're doing a bench press and all the rest of it. So, they're probably the two biggest  movement I'd say is shoulder attraction, hip movement, and just keeping your eyes naturally ahead. The amount of people that would strain through their neck to move and whether they’ve bent on the phone to one side or the other. That's probably the three things that I see over and over and over again.

Dr. Fleming: When I was a chiropractor, I obviously seen a lot of spines. Especially in kids and teenagers nowadays, it's scary to me about how this forward posture that we've created it's not only affecting their health now, but you know what's gonna be like the future  for them, you know? And I think having a strategy in place like getting chiropractic care, doing functional base activity, strength training. You know that's not just a, something that you should do to look better or feel better even though it will get you those things but it's something that you need to do just to have a good life.

Jackie: I could not agree with you more I mean I don't wanna go deeper than we need to here but doing PE once a week at school isn't going to cut it. It's not going to cut it. You can't sit a child down for 6 to 8 hours a day and make them move for an hour a week and hope that it will undo everything you've done. It's not going to work that way. It's sad that you see elderly people walking down the street. They hunched over, that didn't just happen. It's for lack of movement and muscles atrophying and that's how they curve over because they don't have the strength to hold themselves up anymore. If we want to live in a self sufficient community where we live by ourselves towards elderly an age as possible, we need to get strong now. We need to build muscles, we need to build function now. If you cannot shoulder press, you're not going to be able to put over head in the cabinet. It's that simple. So unless you're prepared to live with showing from the eyes down you need to be able to shoulder press.

Dr. Fleming: Hanging out and watching.

Jackie: Yeah, and if you try to do a benchpress  you can't carry groceries.

Dr. Fleming: Yup.

Jackie: You're not going to be able to lift your child overhead like it's just, it's functional. Where not lying about it. These are functional movements. The sad thing is Bryce, you watch a baby move, they move absolutely perfectly, flawlessly, squat flawlessly, deadlift flawlessly, have perfect mobility and we can't teach that.

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, absolutely. Actually this was something we talked about with Sarah last week about that ability to perform in everyday activity and how building strength through safe functional movements is key to that. Again I see people all the time where they go through their everyday life. They sit down put in a baby seat pretty much from the age of a week, never really get out. Then they go and pick up a pen or something and they throw their back out and then they wonder why. It's not really their fault .They haven't really had that education to understand why. But the reality is it's just that they're so deconditioned that you know it will literally is that the straw that breaks a camel's back situation.

Jackie: It is.

Dr. Fleming: So, with F45 I mean that's a really good strategy to have. To help combat those type of issues. How many times a week should someone train?

Jackie: Look, It really depends on your level of fitness and if you;re training for a specific  purpose or you're just doing it general maintenance. If you're generally maintaining your body it was once said that you need 5 hours of purposeful exercise to change your body condition and 3 hours to maintain. With high intensity, in full training the beauty that is it's get it done a little bit quicker so, we say you've got a 45 minute class you may only be training for 27 minutes, 24 minutes, 28 minutes but what's going to carry on with high intensity in full training is the elevated heart rate afterwards and what happens when you walk out in the room for the next 72 hours. So, ideally if you could make 3 - 4 sessions a week that's perfect.

Dr. Fleming: Yeah. I've been thinking along that way of line too, it's kind of outlined in the book that I've written about how you actually get the benefits on a physiological level. But from my training personally, time constraint is a very big thing. I mean as you do our online business, I have a couple of kids, it's just the time. For me to allocate 5 or 6 hours a week in training, it's just not ideal for me and my wife.

Jackie: And to be honest, I believe this was all said when movements made functional. When all went compound movements. When we’re isolating muscle groups and you are only doing that bicep curl and you come back.

Dr. Fleming: And you have to spend an hour doing it.

Jackie: Yeah, you don't have to do that anymore. The beauty of functional movement, 2 muscle joints working together, giving you a more bang for your buck. You can do it in half the time.

Dr. Fleming: It's funny I went some, cause I've just moved house so, I’ve come from Utah I'm really established myself with the community were training group yet so, I’ll just joined the little jets individual gym just to keep moving. My workout the other day was, I went in and i just did 5 in a row, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off as high as you can for that time and the whole thing is about 3 minutes and then I left. Then people look at you like what are you doing? I'm like, I'm done. that's my workout for the day.

Jackie: Yeah.

Dr. Fleming: But I gave it my absolute for those 3 minutes. And people, I don't think people really understand yet that on a physiological level is really all you might need to keep your brain taken over, to keep your hormones running, all that kind of stuff.

Jackie: Exactly right.

Dr. Fleming: So, What would you say if again I've never done functional high intensity base activity. What should I do if I want to make that next step?

Jackie: You should log on to www.F45training.com.au/crowsnest. And you can register for actually a complimentary trial. You'll hear straight back from me and I'll guide you to the next step of booking in for your first class and what to do, what to bring, and which class to attend.

Dr. Fleming: Cool. And you have a Facebook group?

Jackie: We do. We have F45 training process. We're also on Instagram F45_training_process. You can find us on our Facebook page that will link you straight into booking for your class as well. You register your interest there. Whatever is the easiest is for you. Get in contact email crowsnest@f45.com.au. Any way you want to contact us. Contact us and definitely you'd hear back from us and we can go from there.

Dr. Fleming: And that's, yeah and all Jackie’s see files will be on the show notes from today as well. So, I actually have a bit of a link from my page to F45 and crowsnest. It's been great having you on the show and that's okay and I'm sure I’ll ring you back a bit later.

Jackie: You need to come join our community..

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, probably. It is something that I am definitely going to do. The thing is I'm just trying to settle my life at this stage.

Jackie: Of course.

Dr. Fleming: Cause it is all overshot as it is actually we should probably realize we're in the studio here though in alignment chiropractic and health and  literally it's a construction zone.

Jackie: A very pretty one.

Dr. Fleming: Pretty construction zone. So, once things settle down, I'll be definitely be joining.

Jackie: It's cool having you.

Dr. Fleming: Yeah, It's going to be cool. Awesome. All right till next week, I'm Dr. Bryce Fleming, thanks for listening health hacks. I'll catch up with you soon.