FASTER FITNESS SOLUTIONS — FORTNIGHTLY STRENGTH SCOOP (Edition 5)
Helping Denby Dale stay strong, mobile and feeling younger — one smart choice at a time. 

Hey Team — Welcome to Week 5!

We’re back with your first fortnightly Strength Scoop — thank you for all the brilliant feedback on the weekly editions. You’ve told us you’re loving the content, the humour, and the practical tips… and yes, we promise to keep the dad jokes to a minimum (but not zero).

This week we’re diving into a topic that affects every part of your health after 40: sugar — how it impacts your fitness, your inflammation levels, your energy, and even your recovery.
Let’s get into it.

 Featured Article: How Sugar Affects Your Health & Fitness After 40Sugar isn’t evil — but after 40, your body becomes a lot less forgiving of it. Think of sugar like that friend who’s great fun in small doses… but causes chaos if they stay too long.

Here’s what you need to know.

 1. Sugar & Your Strength Goals

As we age, our ability to build and maintain muscle becomes more important — and more challenging. Too much sugar can:

• Increase fat storage
• Reduce insulin sensitivity
• Make it harder for your body to use nutrients effectively
• Slow down recovery

When your blood sugar spikes and crashes, your body prioritises dealing with that rollercoaster instead of repairing muscle tissue.

 2. Sugar & Inflammation — The Hidden Saboteur

Inflammation naturally increases with age, and sugar pours petrol on that fire.

High sugar intake can lead to:

• Achy joints
• Stiffness
• Slower recovery
• Increased tendon irritation
• Higher risk of chronic pain

If you’ve ever wondered why your knees feel “puffy” or your shoulders feel grumpy after a weekend of treats, inflammation is often the culprit.

Reducing sugar helps calm the system down — meaning better mobility, less pain, and happier tendons.

 3. Sugar & Energy Levels — The Over‑40 Crash Cycle

After 40, your energy system becomes more sensitive to blood sugar swings.

Here’s the typical cycle:

1. Eat something sugary
2. Blood sugar spikes
3. You feel energised
4. Blood sugar crashes
5. You feel tired, foggy, hungry, and irritable
6. You crave more sugar
7. Repeat

This cycle makes training harder, motivation lower, and consistency more challenging.
Stable blood sugar = stable energy = better workouts.

 4. What To Do Instead

You don’t need to cut sugar completely — just manage it.
Try:

• Protein at every meal
• Fibre-rich foods (veg, fruit, whole grains)
• Healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil)
• Swapping sugary snacks for Greek yoghurt, fruit, or protein shakes
• Keeping treats small and intentional

Your body will thank you with better energy, better recovery, and better strength gains.

Nick has been a PT client of mine now for about 18 months or so. Before that he was a part of our Evening Group Coaching Program. Just as he was finding his groove with the group training, Nick was struck down by an E Scooter in London. 

It was moving quickly!!! Quickly enough to shatter both his heel bones and break both his feet and ankles.

After about 4 months and a few operations Nick contacted me to begin some 1:1 rehab and training (lucky he lived close because I had to pick him up and drive him to and from the gym ). 

The first few months were slow, but he was determined to improve and over time, he kept getting better. Able to do more things, able to cope with more load and we have even got him back running. We did some gait retraining with Nick and he now runs better than most people, even with 2 smashed up ankles. 

So where are we now? Well, we are smashing every session and Nick is fitter and stronger than he was before his accident and his recent PB's prove it. 

We still got a bit of a way to go for his feet and ankles to fully heal but we are getting there. 1 training session at a time. Almost forgot!  Congratulations on getting your Masters Degree in the process too. It's been an eventful journey!

If you would like to be featured in Member Spotlight Section, drop me an email and we can tell the world about your journey (There is 1 requirement. You do have to pose for a cringe selfie with me )

 Studio Updates

• 28‑Day Kick Start Programme is filling fast
• New website is about to go live, so stay tuned for more info on that
• Our new monthly challenges will be starting on Monday for our group training clients
• Our Faster Fit Seniors continue to surprise me. They are on fire at the moment.

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 Quick Tips for This Fortnight

• Start your day with protein
• Keep steps high — 7–10k most days
• Hydrate before your first coffee
• Add 5 minutes of mobility before bed
• Swap one sugary snack for fruit or yoghurt

 Coach’s Corner

This fortnight’s shoutout goes to everyone who has ever said: “I don’t eat much sugar… except biscuits, chocolate, cake, cereal, fruit juice, and the occasional ice cream.”

We see you. We love you. We’re here to help.

 Call to Action

Want help reducing sugar without feeling deprived? Ask us in the studio — we’ll give you simple swaps that actually work.

 Final Word

Small changes make big differences — especially after 40. Look after your energy, your joints, and your recovery, and your strength will skyrocket.

See you in two weeks for Edition 6.

Stay strong, Darren & the Faster Fitness Solutions Team

There comes a point when the workouts you did in your 20s and 30s just don't seem to work anymore.
You tell yourself you'll start on Monday. You join a gym, train hard for a couple of weeks, life gets busy, and before you know it, you're back where you started.

Sound familiar?

If you're over 40, you're not lacking motivation—you've probably just been following the wrong approach.
At Faster Fitness Solutions, we work with people who want to lose weight, get stronger and feel healthier, but who also have demanding jobs, family commitments and busy lives. That's why we've created the FREE 7-Day Over 40s Reset.

Why Most Fitness Plans Fail

Most programs expect you to completely change your lifestyle overnight.
Train every day. Cut out your favourite foods. Spend hours in the gym.
It's no wonder so many people give up after a couple of weeks.

We believe lasting results come from building small, sustainable habits that fit around your life—not taking it over.

Introducing the FREE Over 40s Reset

The Over 40s Reset is a simple, fully guided 7-day online program designed to help you regain momentum and rebuild your confidence.

Each day you'll receive:

✅ A short coaching video
✅ One simple habit to focus on
✅ Practical nutrition and lifestyle advice
✅ Daily accountability through our coaching app

No complicated meal plans.
No exhausting workouts.

Just simple steps that help you feel healthier and more in control.

By the End of the Week You'll...
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✅Feel more energised
✅Move more each day
✅Build healthier eating habits
✅Improve your confidence
✅Prove to yourself that you can be consistent again

Most importantly, you'll realise that getting fit after 40 doesn't have to be overwhelming.

Your Next Step

The Over 40s Reset is just the beginning.

Once you've completed the Over 40's Reset, you'll have the opportunity to continue your journey with our 28-Day Kick Start Program, where we'll help you build strength, improve your fitness and create the habits that lead to long-term success in our private coaching studio in Denby Dale.

If you've been waiting for the "right time" to start...

This is it.

Start your FREE Over 40s Reset today and take the first step towards becoming stronger, fitter and healthier for years to come. 💪

Then our gentle chair based exercise program is for you... JUST KIDDING!!! We don't think 60 is a time to be slowing down and settling for life in your favourite chair. No way, you guys are the toughest generation we have left and we want to make you even stronger, faster and tougher than you were in your forties or even your 30's. 

Now our goal is not to turn you into body builders, instead we want to show you how improving your strengh, stamina and flexibility will help you build bigger and stronger muscles and vastly improve your bone and skeletal health. The bye product of all of this? Your functional capacity improves, you will literally start feeling and looking younger.

Lifting up the grand kids and crawling around with them on the floor will be no problem, gardening will be no problem, climbing ladders and doing jobs around the house will be no problem and lifting heavy stuff that you may have previously struggled with will be achieveable for years to come. 

Check out the above picture of American Fitness coach Joan Macdonald, she didnt even start until she was 70 and she has gone from being tired, overweight and old to feeling young, fit, healthy and in great shape. Check out her story by clicking on the picture above. 

In July 2024 we will be launching our brand new Faster Fit Seniors Program. This program will be predominantly based around functional weight trainig, you will not be sitting down very much I can assure you. Instead you will be learning how to safely lift dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and other objects to improve not only your strength but also your balance, co-ordination and your flexibility. 

​I know what you are thinking... What about my dodgy back? My dodgy knees? My achey hips? Guess what, strength training has been proven to be the most beneficial form of training when it comes arthritis, back pain and a whole host of other ailments. Im almost certainly sure that a lot of that stuf will vastly improve by starting our program. 

All sounds too good to be true right? Well there is a bit of a catch, its gonna be pretty tough! Your are going to have to commit to the program and work hard. Results won't come over night so don't expect instant miracles. The first few workouts are going to make you ache, everywhere, don't worry, this will get better. After about 3 weeks, you will start to feel stronger, after 4-5 weeks, you will feel like you have more energy. After 8 weeks you should start to see things tighten up and look visibly stronger. After 12 weeks... Well you are fully commited then and are now an athlete again (or maybe for the first time). 

The program involves you attending 2 sessions per week on a Monday and Thursday mornings at 9am, We will also set you specific targets to help you with your nutrition too, so you can fuel you body to get the most out of your workouts. 

Every other week, we will have a chat about your nutrition targets to see how you are getting on and if you are ready to make 1 or 2 more changes, In short, we want to help you get fitter by teaching you how to work out and how to properly fuel your body for better health and well-being by making small and manageable changes that will help you create long term change. 

Our 6 Week Group Fat Loss Program is a hybrid of our awesome Evening and Morning Club Group Training Programs and our Brand New Online 6 Week Fat Loss Program. From the first week of October 2023 we will be opening up 5 morning club slots and 5 evening club slots for our brand new 6 Week Fat Loss Challenge.

This is probably the most comprehensible program we have ever created and gives you literally everything you will need to get amazing fat loss results. Just by turning up to 3-4 sessions per week  and following our habit based coaching program, we fully expect you to lose anything up to 14lbs over the 6 week period. And, if you do we will reward you by giving you 50% of your initial investment back in cash or you can put it towards more great coaching at Fatser Fitness Solutions. 

You have 2 options for our Morning Club Group Coaching Sessions. These are either

6:15am Monday, Wednesday & Friday
or
7am -7.45am every day from Monday to Friday.

Our Evening Club Group Coaching Sessions give you 3 options. These are either: 
​
5pm, 5.45pm or 6.30pm Monday to Thursday
Supplemented by a Friday Hero Workout at 5.30pm on Fridays (everyone welcome to attend)

All sessions are a combination of focused strength training coupled with high end cardion and conditioning training. We have a huge vaiety of people with varying fitness levels abilities on our group coaching program, meaning that we have gotten really good at catering for evryone. It really doesn't matter how fit you are or what your starting point is, we will help you get the most out of your training. 

All you have to do is pick a time slot that suits you best, then just turn up and give it your all. 

The 6 Week Habit and Nutrition Coaching element of the program will be brought to you online via our brand new coaching app. Here you will access your daily targets, all your nutrition and coaching resources and your home workouts incase you cannot make a training session. 

Your coach will also be checking in on you every week too, via our in-app messaging service to see how you are getting on and to help give you that all important support and accoutability to help you stay on track. 

If you would like to find out more about the program and book one of the limited places, fill out the short form where Darren or Danny will be in touch to book your free goal setting call and to help you get set up. 

Introduction

Aging is a natural process, but it doesn't mean we have to accept the inevitable decline of our vitality, strength, and appearance. For those of us over 35 who refuse to let age dictate our future, achieving hormone balance through weight training can be a game-changer. In this article, we'll explore how weight training can serve as your anti-aging ally, helping both men and women over 35 unlock the secrets of sustained youthfulness by balancing essential hormones.

The Hormonal Changes with AgeAs we journey through life, our bodies undergo significant hormonal changes, which can affect our overall well-being. Here are some of the key hormones that play a crucial role in aging:

1. Testosterone: Often associated with masculinity, testosterone is present in both men and women, albeit in different quantities. It plays a pivotal role in muscle growth, fat metabolism, and overall vitality.
2. Estrogen: While primarily associated with women, estrogen also plays a role in men's health. It's essential for bone health, cognitive function, and overall wellness.
3. Growth Hormone (GH): This hormone is responsible for tissue repair, muscle growth, and the maintenance of healthy body composition. GH production naturally decreases with age.

Boosting Testosterone Naturally

1. Resistance Training: Weight training is a testosterone-boosting powerhouse. Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses can stimulate the production of this vital hormone.
2. Intensity and Volume: Short, intense weightlifting sessions with adequate rest between sets have been shown to be particularly effective in increasing testosterone levels.
3. Nutrition: A balanced diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and essential nutrients can support healthy hormone production. Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin D are especially important.
4. Adequate Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for hormone balance. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted rest each night to optimize testosterone levels.

Managing Estrogen Levels
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1. Resistance Training: Weight training can help women maintain a healthy balance of estrogen. The muscle-building benefits of resistance exercises can mitigate age-related changes.
2. Nutrition: Consuming a diet high in cruciferous vegetables, fiber, and lean proteins can assist in estrogen metabolism and balance.
3. Stress Management: Chronic stress can disrupt hormonal balance. Practices like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness can help manage stress levels.
4. Consulting Healthcare Professionals: For women experiencing significant hormonal imbalances, consulting with healthcare professionals, such as endocrinologists, can provide targeted solutions.

Empowering Men and Women Over 35

The power of weight training goes beyond sculpting a fit physique; it empowers us to take control of our hormones and defy the aging process. For both men and women over 35, it's a path to renewed vitality, strength, and confidence.

Weight training offers a holistic approach to anti-aging, providing benefits that extend far beyond hormone balance:

• Improved Metabolism: Resistance training revs up your metabolism, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
• Enhanced Bone Density: Weight-bearing exercises strengthen bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
• Increased Energy: Regular exercise, including weight training, boosts energy levels and combats fatigue.
• Mental Well-Being: Exercise releases endorphins, reducing stress and promoting a positive mindset.
• Functional Fitness: Building muscle helps you stay active, independent, and agile as you age.

Conclusion
​
For those of us over 35 who refuse to let age dictate our lives, weight training is our ally in achieving hormone balance and reclaiming our youthful vitality. It's never too late to start, and with dedication and consistency, you can enjoy a more energetic, confident, and youthful version of yourself. Embrace the power of weight training, and watch as your age-defying journey unfolds before your eyes. Age may be a number, but your strength, vitality, and confidence are yours to shape.
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I know what you are thinking. Here we go again someone else banging on about how abs are made in the kitchen or its 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Blah, blah, blah! Well I'm not even gonna mention nutrition and changing eating habits in this blog. Why? Because most people who are starting out on a health and fitness kick are usually not ready for that. They might think they are but they are not! And that's why it doesn't take them long to fall off the wagon, leaving all their efforts nul and void and maybe even getting a bit fatter in the process. So for me, the 3 things we talk about in this piece are the foundations of good health and nailing these 3 things before you start changing your eating habits will make you far more successful at doing so on a long term basis. 

1. Training Consistency

People often want to make changes to their bodies and do 1 of 2 things with their training. They go off too fast, try to train every single day thinking that more is better. When you are just starting out, this is not the case. As we have previously mentioned a loads of other videos and articles is that 3-5 sessions per week is the optimimum training volume to allow you to make improvements in muscle mass and cardiovascular health. 

DO NOT TRAIN FOR FAT LOSS OR TO BURN CALORIES!!! This is not what your workouts are for. You  are in the gym to do 3 things. 

• Boost your mood - Regular training will make you happier. I guarantee it! 

​

• Build lean muscle - If you want to reduce body fat and build lean muscle, you must do weight training. If you are over 40, weight training is the single best form of exercise you can do bar nothing. Not running, not yoga, not pilates. Weight training is the Mother f***ing Fountain Of Youth! You want to move better, age slower, feel and look younger? THEN LIFT HEAVY SHIT! Do it consistently and often.

 

• Improve your health health - The actual energy burn you get from cardio training is a very, very low percentage of your overall daily calorie burn. So focus your cardio around building stamina and improving health. 

TIP!!!!! If you are just starting out, timetable in 2-3 workouts per week for the first 3-4 weeks, After week 4, try to consistently hit 3-4 sessions per week. Once your body is feeling fitter and more conditioned then 4-5 training sessions per week will give you the best possible restults. Always timetable in 2 rest days for muscle groeth/repair and bgeneral recovery. 

CONSISTENCY OVER TIME IS THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE!!! MAKE YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY AND UNLESS YOU ARE SEVERELY ILL, LAME OR DYING, THERE IS ZERO EXCUSE FOR NOT TRAINING A MINIMUM OF 2-3 DAYS PER WEEK

3. Recovery...

... Or in this instance, SLEEP! Sleep is the single best recovery tool we posses. It is also the single best thing we can do to help keep us in a good mood. Let's face  it. Everyone turns into a big cranky pants when they are tired don't they? And when you get tired mid afternoon because of a shit nights sleep, it's biscuits, crisps and sweets from the vending machine we turn to isn't it? 

So study after study, after study has shown us that in order to function optimally as adults we need somewhere between 7-9hrs of sleep per night and that is the target we should be aiming for. If we are training hard on a consistent basis then up to 10hrs of sleep is optimal. So let's really strive for that minimum bench mark of 7hrs to get all the benefits which include:

• Improved brain function, helping you stay in control of your decisions
• Better recovery both for your muscles and your brain
• Reduces your want to snack and eat sugar which in turn helps you regulate blood sugar and stops you getting Hangry
• Improved mood
• Improves muscle repair and growth, meaning you will get more out of your training
• Improves enrgy levels. Again, meaning you will get more out of your training. 

So there we have it. If you have tried to diet or stick to exercise before, chances are nobody told you or you didn't focus on this stuff. So next time you want to make real changes to your body and lifestyle, don't rush head long into another fad diet or try to survive on 500Kcals per day. Take your time, build up your training slowly and build consistency, start drinking water to stay hydrated and focus on getting a good night's sleep. If you can do this, dieting for weight loss or increased muscle mass becomes a million times easier. 

This is our brand new online coaching program that we are launching with our clients to help them get off to a great start on their health and fitness journeys. Its a fully coached 3 week program where we help you build consistent habits that will allow you to:

• Get in the gym more consistently and build momentum in your training
• Gradually increase your hydration levels to help you stay hydrated so you feel fuller and have more energy
• Get a better night's sleep

All in all, this program is designed to help you feel mentally and physically better. So when you are ready to make changes to your diet and nutrition, you will be in the best possible place to ensure these changes stick. Because staying consistent over a long period is the only way to be successful when it comes to improving your health and body composition. 

In this article we will be looking a bit more closely at our 1:1 and small group coaching programs. Weighing up the pros and cons of each and helping you decide which is right for you. Let's start with our 1:1 Personal Training Options first. 

1:1 Personal Training

So our 1:1 Coaching (personal training) options are built entirely around you, your goals and the information we obtain from your individual assessment. The programs can be tailored to help you achieve anything you need to. All our 1:1 Coaching Packages include full nutrition support and daily habit coaching to ensure you are optimally fuelling yourself to get the most out of your training sessions. 

You will benefit more from 1:1 coaching if you:

• Have a very specific training goal. You might be training specifically for a run or a specific endurance event, a combat sport, body building or any other specific sport. This is where we can build you a specific program to target the demands of you sport and track improvements in your fitness and performance. 
• You might have a current injury that means we would need to do some specific rehab work in order to get you back to being pain free
• You might have a very low starting point and low in confidence. Here 1:1 training will help you build a solid foundation and we will be able to improve your fitness, strength and movement capabilities at your own pace. 
• Work shifts and are unable to attend the gym at regular time slots each week. Our 1:1 sessions are a bit more flexible, you can change the appointment days/times each week and we can set you up with a specific program that you can do in-between sessions at your convenience. 
• If you feel you would benefit more from having your coaches undivided attention and simply prefer that to being in a group. 

Small Group Coaching

Our Small Group Coaching Programs are designed specifically to turn you into a well rounded athlete, giving you a good balance between strength, power, endurance and flexibility. We use tried and tested strength and conditioning principles to help you enhance and maintain all aspects of your health and fitness. We vary the focus of our training sessions every week to ensure you are able to focus on both strength and power and erobic conditioning every week. 

Both our Evening Club and our Morning Club Small Group Programs include full nutrition and habit coaching support and guidance, just like we provide to our 1:1 coaching clients. 

You will benefit more from our Small Group Coaching Program if you: 

• If your overall goal is to improve general fitness and overall health
• If you want to make general changes to your body composition (to look fitter and leaner by reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass)
• If you feel like you would enjoy and thrive in a team environment (friendly competition, banter and camaraderie
  
• Cannot afford to attend more than 1 personal training session per week
• If you struggle to motivate yourself to get into the gym and complete your program by yourself 
• If you can commit 45 mins per day 3-5 days per week to imporving your health
• If you would like to make fitness your new sport

How much does each one cost?

Our 1:1 personal training sessions start at £30 for you first 4 sessions then they are proced at £35 per session thereafter. This does include individual program design and nutrition coaching as standard (minimum attendance is one session per week)

Monthly Cost- £140 (1 session per week) rising to £420 (3 sessions per week)

Our Small Group Program starts at £10 for a 1 week trial (training only) then rises to a standard cost of £95 per month, which includes up to 5 small group coaching sessions per week plus full nutrition and habit coaching support. 

Which do we as coaches beleive is the best option for someone who's goal is weight loss and general health and fitness?

The group program is designed specifically to cross the bridge between 1:1 personal training and group fitness classes. In all honesty, once you achieve a reasonable level of competence in basic movments like the squat, lunge, press up and overhead press, we can train you just as effectively in a group environment as we can 1:1. We track your performance in a variety of strength and endurance workouts to help you see how you are progressing and we provide the exact same habit coaching and nutrition coaching as we do to our 1:1 PT clients. 

So unless you have very specific training needs like we outlined earlier in the article. IN terms of bang for your buck, the group programs are a no brainer!