What’s the best exercise for fat loss? We get asked this all the time and the simple answer is, there isn’t one! The important thing to remember is that to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit. This is where you consume less calories than you burn, and is vital in order for you to lose fat. Physical exertion through exercise and just moving around more during the day will assist you to be in a calorie deficit, along with looking after your calorie intake. One way of looking at it is that you can lose fat with a calorie deficit and no exercise, but you can’t lose fat with exercise but n ..read more

At the beginning of March 2020 the new Switch Academy will be opening its doors to new clients, offering Semi Private Personal Training at our fantastic facility based at Oathall College. As a thank you to our current members, we want to give 10 of you the opportunity to take out the trial month at an unbelievable price. We are looking for 10 members who want to improve their health and fitness, and need the accountability of a coach to help them along the way. So, what will you get? 2 x semi private workouts per week in the Academy. Your own accountability coach to keep you on track. A priva ..read more

Is protein really bad for your kidneys? Switch Gym’s Chris Patch investigates. As you may well know, we are very keen on Protein and making sure that people are getting enough of it. So when this headline hit, I needed to investigate it.  As a type 1 Diabetic, my kidneys are at risk and so anything that puts more pressure on them I need to know about. Having looked into this in some detail, the evidence suggests that unless you have existing issues with your kidneys then consistent protein levels up to around 2.2g per kg will not have a negative effect on your kidneys. So there is no need ..read more

So if ab exercises are of very little use (unless you have managed to strip fat down first), why do we still see people doing planks and other exercises? In one word CORE,  The “core muscles,”  are the muscles responsible for giving us strength and stability when bending or twisting. The major core muscles are pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae (sacrospinalis) especially the longissimus thoracis, and the diaphragm.   We use these muscles a lot during our workouts: squats, deadlifts, lunges and ..read more

This may seem like a bit of a joke, but it really is very good advice. Going shopping at the end of a long day when you’re hungry is a recipe for disaster (excuse the pun). All the foods that you should consume in moderation suddenly look even better. The ready to heat and/or ready to eat choices on offer look much more appealing than the prepare, cook and serve options. The rich, roasting aromas from the rotisserie bar, the golden, flaking pastry of a hot sausage roll, the eve…. Well. You get the drift. Planning out your meals in advance and getting as much preparation done beforehand really ..read more

We’re delighted to announce that from the beginning of March we’ll be open from 6am Monday to Friday! Let’s get those early workouts in ..read more