Training with Pain #17: It's So Good to Be Back

It's So Good to Be Back

After a great six weeks in Europe, I am so happy to be back.

I had an unreal time away and got to spend some amazing time with family and friends. Six weeks is a decent amount of time to properly switch off and it's left me feeling refreshed and energised.

But I missed this place a lot.

I missed being at work, seeing the team, catching up with clients and training with our gym members. I genuinely love everything about our gym and the vibe we have here. The fact I missed it so much while I was away is absolutely down to all of you.

I couldn't love work any more than I do, so thank you. Thank you for supporting us, trusting us and making IAC what it is. I absolutely love working with you all.

And we're going to keep building.

There are so many things I want to do to improve this place, but everything has to be done with the business in mind. As we continue to grow organically from the results we're getting, we'll keep taking steps forward wherever we can. Better equipment, better systems, more education and anything else we think can help you feel better, get stronger and improve your health.

We've always believed massively in strength training and I think its importance is becoming more widely understood. Maintaining strength and muscle as we get older is associated with better physical function, independence and long-term health. We want people coming through our doors to be thinking about what their body will be capable of in 10, 20 and 30 years, not just what it can do today.

We want to be there supporting you all the way.

And please keep giving us feedback. Good or bad, we want to hear it. If there's something you think we can improve, tell us. We might not always be able to do it immediately, but we'll always listen and explain our thought process.

I also owe a massive thank you to our team.

They did a brilliant job while I was away and continued doing the great work they always do. The fact I can disappear to Europe for six weeks and the place keeps moving forward is a massive milestone for us.

We Turned 2

We had our second birthday at the start of September and it's something I wanted to reflect on.

What a two years it's been.

Could we have envisioned what this place would look like when we launched in 2024?

Not quite.

The structure, the model and the results, yes. We had a really clear idea of what we wanted IAC to be and how we wanted osteo, sports therapy, rehab and strength training to work together.

But the team, the members and the culture?

We've been absolutely blessed.

The community that's developed here is the thing I'm most proud of. People genuinely want each other to do well. New members get welcomed in, people notice when someone is improving and there's usually someone taking the piss when it all goes wrong. Nice cossacks on Wed night Renee, good effort ;-)

That's exactly what I want a gym to feel like.

Two years down and plenty more to come.

WE LOVE YA 💜💜

Laura

I want to tell you about our much loved member Laura, who started with us the same time we opened.

Laura had never been to a gym before. Her main goals were to lose some weight, improve her health and start feeling better in herself.

How do we explain her results to someone who hasn't seen the last two years?

You probably can't.

After consistently training with us for two years and working closely with Emily, who has helped her manage her nutrition, Laura has become an inspiration to so many of our new starters.

She's fit. She's strong. She turns up week after week. There are no excuses (just a bit of moaning when running or bike work is involved).

She swallowed the IAC pill and trusted the whole process.

And just look at what she's achieved.

Her body has changed massively, but what I probably love more is watching her performance skyrocket. The weights she's lifting, the fitness she now has and the confidence she carries are miles away from the person who first walked through our doors.

That's two years of work.

People naturally want quick results when they start training, and I completely understand that. But Laura is such a good example of what happens when you stop thinking in weeks and start thinking in years.

Training becomes normal. Eating well becomes normal.

Being fit and strong becomes part of your life rather than something you're temporarily trying to achieve.

Laura, we're incredibly proud of you.

Your daughter can't speak highly enough of what you've achieved and even she can see how much more confidence you have now.

We love having you with us.

We know how difficult it was at the start, which is probably why seeing where you are now feels so good.

And we're not stopping.

We're going to keep getting stronger and I promise you this: I will see you complete a half marathon.

I know you're capable of it.

Love ya, Laura.

Emily's First Bodybuilding Comp

Best of luck to our Em, who is competing in her first bodybuilding show tomorrow.

Em has dedicated her entire existence to getting herself show ready over the last few months.

The commitment required for a bodybuilding prep is no joke. Training is the easy bit compared with the discipline required around food, recovery and posing, particularly as you get closer to the show and energy levels start dropping.

We've all seen how much work you've put into this, Em.

Whatever happens on that stage tomorrow, you've done an amazing job getting yourself there.

Best of luck from everyone at IAC.

LET'S GO LONG FEMUR! Xxx

Movement Culture: Our New Home

We've recently moved into our new Altona home inside Movement Culture.

MC have renovated the space and it looks bloody great. We're really pumped to be working alongside their team and members.

Whenever we look at partnerships like this, the values of the people we're working alongside are incredibly important to us. Movement Culture's approach to training and looking after their members aligns really well with what we're trying to achieve at IAC, so this feels like a really good fit.

Nick, Dani and I will all be working from the new clinic.

It's another exciting step for us and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can build there.

What's Next for My Training? HYROX in December

I've finally mentally recovered from the half marathon training block back in July.

Using this email as a sounding board definitely helped.

It meant I could moan to all of you once a week instead of doing it repeatedly in person. Thanks for the ears and the support.

I'm ready for another challenge now.

One thing I really like about signing up for an event is that it gives your training some direction. You have a date in the calendar and suddenly those sessions you've been thinking about skipping become a little harder to avoid.

If you don't prepare properly for an event, eventually it will find you out.

So I've decided to give HYROX another crack.

I'll be competing in the men's doubles event with a friend of mine and we've got around 12 weeks until race day.

For anyone who hasn't seen HYROX before, it combines running with a series of strength and conditioning stations. You run 1km, complete a station, then repeat that format eight times. There's everything from sled pushes and pulls through to rowing, farmers carries, lunges and the dreaded wall balls at the end.

It's a different challenge to the half marathon because being a good runner isn't enough. You need to be able to run well when your legs and lungs have already taken a beating from the previous station.

That's the bit I'm looking forward to training for.

I'll continue doing my normal strength work in the IAC classes because I don't want to sacrifice the strength I've built. Around that, I'll be following a 12-week running programme and gradually adding more HYROX-specific work as the event gets closer.

Here is what the running side looks like:

I'm interested to see how the body responds to this one.

I'll keep you updated on here as the training progresses.

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It feels bloody good to be back.

See you all soon.

Craig