Liam Louth PT

Sub 60 Doubles....

I'd have taken 59:59 so more than happy with 58:01 for a first run out.

The standard at HYROX UK is only getting better and better though.

Previous events that would have been enough for Top 10 or Age Group Podiums but the competition was fierce in London.

37th out of 1000

25th Age group.

Every second counts when the margins get smaller so there's lots to improve.

Lots of positives - Lunges, Ski-Erg, Burpee Broad Jumps, farmers walks and Wall Balls were comfortable...as a pairing at least.

Most of the strategy we'd practiced paid off but there's always room to improve running as that's half the event.

For me personally getting out of that Rox Zone and back on pace after finishing stations is my area to improve but I was always finishing runs strongly despite the crowded field.

Not sure which event will come around next but I won't be doing a Uk Pro for a long time that's for sure.

Enjoying the open division sleds and wall balls too much.

Plus its nice to dodge the late night finish and enjoy supporting the members and eating pizza.

Powerhouse Performance Club

Massive well done to everyone whether you survived or thrived.

Knuckle Down November.....

That Summer holidays feels like a long time ago

The temperatures dropping and the dark nights are creeping in.

There's usually less socials and fun distractions in the diary between now and Christmas.

Most people have already begun to switch off but you should be doing the opposite.

Building some momentum.

Establishing some routine.

Setting the tone for next year.

Personally I'm ready to step things up!

Feeling better than last month, in a good swing of training right now, enjoying good old sets and reps that I've missed with all that walking.

My running is heading back in the right direction and looking forward to a new challenge in the doubles HYROX UK

Lots going on behind the scenes at Powerhouse Performance Club to keep us busy and focused.

Here's to knuckling down this November!

Whether that's on the training, nutrition or business front.

The London Warm Up..

Had to massively lower my expectations for this one.

Birmingham 'Pro' Hyrox - 1hr 26 mins (9 mins slower) than last year but there was plenty left in the tank, enough to run to Five guys before it closed at 11pm👀

The late start time wasn't an excuse and my running wasn't as bad as expected after out 500 mile walk but after two charity events in one year, I'd gone into this with without a strong foundation of strength training and that was painfully obvious when it came to the sled pull.
Glad I wasn't the only one that thought that though!

Being ill in the run up meant id not done much other than run and some fluffy technique based stuff but it was good to experience the intensity of an event again and support clients/members.

It's been a busy year at raising £5k for Red Kite Family Centre and £25k for Gist Cancer care but I'm definitely not doing anything silly next year so I can focus on my own training.

Looking forward to a much faster run through for the open doubles in November
After running with the giants I'm ready for the open division...

Time to build some momentum!

Where it all started...

Moonlighting whilst in the forces.

Cycling into Aylesbury from RAF Halton before and after the normal working day.

Working 16 hours a week without pay with no clients and no idea if it would work out.

Briefly juggling lorry driving on side to get the ball rolling.

Planting the seed for Powerhouse.

A mountain of courses, workshops, books and podcasts.

Thousands of hours coaching clients and members.

After 6.5 years it's time to leave to focus on Powerhouse which is becoming bigger and bigger but it's been a great experience working with a good bunch of clients and coaches.

With a huge 3 weeks of walking coming up plus a week in Greece to look forward to it seemed like the perfect time to call it a day.

Huge thanks to everyone's who's trusted me, hired me and recommended me/us along the way.

Fitness isn't conditioning

it’s common to have good level of fitness but poor conditioning outside of your favourite sport or training style.

Picture Fitness as your athletic potential - Strength, Power, Speed, V02 Max, Resting Heart Rate etc

Frame Conditioning as your mental and physical ability to apply those qualities in a very specific environment.

After another 16 miles today I'm pleased with my loaded walking conditioning.

We're 10 days away from attempting to take on the 3 Peaks Charity Challenge without a minibus or support team.

Waking 470 miles from Snowdon, Wales - Ben Nevis, Scotland.
Carrying everything we need 15-20kg TBC

I've gradually increased load, distance and more recently frequency and I've adapted physically to those demands.

On the other side of that coin.

Getting into a boxing ring for the first time was the most humbling experience ever and I remember being so relieved when the bell went and at that point didn't even care what the result was as I was just happy it was over.

Two weeks ago I completed a Hyrox PFT (fitness test) after a coaching course and that was a gentle reminder how tough Hyrox is when it's not something you've been actively training for.

My first Hyrox I was talked into going into the Pro division probably based on running ability and definitely not taking into account size, power and technique (wall balls) and that was probably the hardest thing I've done.

All examples of good fitness potential and poor conditioning.

A good training programme raises the cIeling of potential and if it's done and timed well enough it translates into high performance conditioning on the day/event.

Takeaways?

Make sure you know what your goals are and train accordingly.

What specific qualities/abilities do you need?
Random training can't lead you to a specific destination!

Skills pay the bills and efficiency matters when it comes to conserving energy.

Train specific movement patterns but think about the energy systems, duration and intensity needed for of the activity.

Haven't wrote a long caption in the reel world for a while, so please let me know if that's usefull as I'm not sure anyone reads captions anymore?

The London Weekender...

With the Powerhouse Crew.

Blown away by the determination and effort from everyone to get over that finish line with some awesome support from the members.

Great to see clients tasting the pro division.
Surviving first events and signing up for more.
Even finishing up with better times than me (1:17:09) with a 1:16!
(we can talk about that later)

Executing the game plan whether that's nailing broad jumps and doing less burpees, consistent running splits or surviving wall balls with a cool head.

How did I find it?

Annoyingly 6s slower than last time around in Frankfurt but the two aren't really comparable with the congested the running loops so I'm focusing on the positives..

Finally managed to power through farmers walks without dropping and chopped away another 60+ on wall balls.

11mins - 6 mins in 3 races 📈

Sled Push & Pull are now my lowest hanging fruits to improve on as I'm losing far too much time on those
and not finding any sled tracks in Vietnam definitely held me back.

What's next?
After going up against another stacked field of Pro Men I'm getting more curious about doing the open..

Maybe some doubles in November too

First up though, on 12-13th May we've got a 24 hour Charity HYROX coming up Powerhouse Performance Club which is going to be nasty at Pro- Standard.

More info/Donation link in bio

https://www.justgiving.com/page/powerhouse-24-hour-hyrox?fbclid=PAAaYnAKJYjoOYkqBK8_0wIrDuOycuTb-1O46qhGZx4fxRLlbxk4Yz23HnVYA

Well done to everyone who competed at the weekend , catch you in Birmingham...

Don't miss your flight....

For clients check-ins are crucial to help them reach their destination.
Just like the last time you went on holiday.

It's confirmation we're heading In the right direction and offers the chance to correct course nice and early if needed.

"A plane flying just one degree off its assigned flight path can end up hundreds of kilometres from its destination"

That can easily happen when you're flying solo and going through the motions.

Training without directions, eating on impulse.

For me check-ins are an important part of my week, setting time aside to receive feedback, respond and make changes where needed.

It's a process that's evolved over time.

I'm noticing a big trend amongst online clients, those who value the check In process, they tend to get a higher standard of result, on a shorter timescale.

Getting the most out of me and the best value for money.

Sure there's some exceptions and online app's aren't for everyone but generally the more consistent the check in , the smoother the journey.

So if you're paying for coaching make sure your respect the whole coaching process, whatever that looks like and not just the training.

If you need some direction this year or next just drop me a message and we can talk...

Don't whisper it to yourself...

Make it public.

If you're the only person who knows about your goal, it'll be very easy to give up, switch off or get distracted.

Maybe even forget.

I'm sure a few people forgot about this years goals already.

One of the reasons people don't generally progress well on their own is a little thing called accountability.

Hiring a coach, Investing programme or booking an event can help but accountability comes in many forms and doesn't necessarily cost anything.

If you shared pictures of your food on social media every day you'd probably improve your nutrition.

If you publicly declared your were signing up to a fitness competition and planning to share your progress I'd bet you'd improve your fitness.

Creating a social media page to your goal has helped a few clients I've worked with in the past.

Powerhouse Performance Club we announce our 24 hour Charity events not just to create a buzz for fundraising, it's also to create a sense of urgency and training spark for ourselves.

Announcing to Instagram I was going to complete a marathon in under 3:00 kept me motivated for months early last year.

If you were wondering....
By the skin of my teeth, on the 3rd attempt.

This years aims....

🎯10km - Back under 40:00.

🎯Hyrox Pro - Sub 1:20 (3rd attempt)

Next year ?

🎯70kg Chin ups.

🎯Qualify for the London Marathon for 2024 by running a sub 3:00 - on an accredited route -

Not running around Aylesbury like a headless chicken.

So the question is what are you committing to?

Feel free to comment or DM me and maybe I'll check back in next year.....

HYROX UK

Be honest.

Are you confident what you're currently doing is actually working?

Are you seeing measurable or visible benefits on a weekly basis?

Or are you one of the many people caught up in the attendance trap.

Dragging yourself into the gym without actually seeing results.

Training more often to "get there faster"

Operating in a commercial gym is always interesting and you'll see all sorts of training styles, tools and methods but there's only so many scaleable needle movers.

Your programme should always be based around needle movers with minimal fluff

With a big focus on application and ex*****on and some level of intensity because what you're doing in the gym and how you're doing it matters.

So if your app has you trapped inside the functional area doing endless dead bugs, single arm unsupported bent over rows and high knees you've got a problem.

As well as casual observation I've got two real examples of clients abandoning the random intensity of free apps for coaching.

They've been flying ever since!

Plus there was that one guy who almost signed up 6 months ago and has been doing "cat-cows"
15kg barbell squats (badly) and burpees ever since.

You can't save everyone...

If you're in need of a new programme, fresh approach and some much needed structure and accountability, drop me a message.

Sloppy Season...

When people begin to get a little too comfortable and cosy around this time of year.

Cold mornings make snoozing more appealing.

Dark nights can lead to dips n motivation and poor training frequency if you're not careful .

Especially if your goals are very casual.

Before you know it, its Christmas and there’s no chance of you picking up some momentum then if you’re not already on your way.

Someone in the gym said the exact same thing to me on Tuesday and I’ve seen enough cycles of good intentions fade away around Autumn/Winter

If that sounds all too familiar, lets reframe this time of year as…..

Commitment Season

Commit yourself to something, Something big enough to keep you interested.

Whether that’s investing in coaching, Joining a programme, signing up to an event or competition.

Even if the goal/event starts next year it’s enough to create a spark with your training.

I’m literally doing this myself today looking at upcoming HYROX UK races in the Uk and Europe.

I've recently started working with a few new clients and some familiar faces have returned recently so somethings in the air.

We're seeing lots of new faces sign up or enquire about Powerhouse Performance Club too.

What are you committing to this season?

Hope that sparks a little action!

Hyrox Birmingham ✅

Very frustrated at the finish line yesterday after wall balls took even longer than London but I'll take the small wins.

Paced myself much better, didn't get that little voice in my head wanting to quit and didn't dawdle in between stations.

3 mins quicker than my London time.

66th place in the "Pro" category
from 75th last time around.

Running wasn't faster but it was way more consistent even after the sled push which wasn't a big stumbling block this time around.

Sled pull was a different ball game though and felt way harder to move than last time around.

The loads still feel ridiculously heavy for my build but I might have another crack at pro before trying the open as I'm determined to get sub 1:20 as a minimum.

Awesome to see so many members and clients smash it for the first time and most of them said they'll be back for more so it looks like we're off to Manchester next...

Powerhouse Performance Club

Go-Pro and Gurn your way through.

9 days out and way more confident this time.

5 months ago I spent the first 30 mins thinking..

I'm a fitness professional, not a professional athlete

Regretting getting talked into entering the "pro" category.

Had a really good run though yesterday, told myself I was toning down the running but soon got in the mood, maxing out the treadmill at times for some quick 1km runs.

Although treadmills breed false confidence and the sleds are still weak areas for me.

We'll see soon enough...

Looking forward to seeing a big team of members and clients at the event too.

Powerhouse Performance Club
HYROX UK