Testimonial: Primality 1 Day Workshop Experience

My Primality 1 Day Workshop Experience

I attended the Fitness Explorer's one day Primality seminar to discover new ways to complement my current training regime. I am a Crossfit Certified Trainer and Personal Trainer and like to work outdoors so saw this as a good fit. In the introduction his Primality philosophy had good definitions and was well thought out so I was intrigued to learn more.

The talks were relaxed and informal with plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Of particular interest were of being more mindful and having an awareness of our body in it's physical but also social environment, this opened my mind to a more holistic approach to not just fitness but to lifestyle.

We also covered some paleo nutrition topics, here Darryl demonstrated indepth knowledge and was comfortable with any questions fielded on this topic.

The sessions were freeflowing, fun, social and became more challenging as the day progressed.  We ventured outside as well as doing some work indoors.  I especially thought that the balance work, animal-like natural movement, precision jumping and primal imaginative play all added a new dimension.  At the time I thought that physically it wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be, but at the end of the day I really felt my body telling me that it had been worked hard!

The seminar was really enjoyable, I felt as though I made loads of friends and I remember laughing a lot. Great day!! 

Jerry

Testimonial: 8 One-To-One's And a Few Groups Sessions Later

A New Life Resolution

Even though my office is directly above a gym containing a treadmill, a concept II rowing machine, a bike, fixed resistance machines and free weights, I have struggled in recent years to find the motivation to exercise in this kind of environment.  Even though I would be able to access this facility free of charge, I knew I needed something different than pounding a treadmill day after day to get me back into regular exercise.

 At 38 years old and after almost 2 years of non-activity, I contacted Darryl to discuss my situation and to see if he would be prepared to coach me back into a fitter/healthier lifestyle.  Thankfully he agreed and following a thorough fitness assessment we began a 4 week plan that would take us up to Christmas 2011.

 This 4 week plan consisted of 2 one-to-one sessions each week plus a group session in the local park on Saturday mornings.  The results of this plan are as follows:

• ·                     Body Fat % reduced from 24.3% to 19.4%
• ·                     Bodyweight down from 71.4kg to 69.1kg
• ·                     Hydration levels up from 55% to 58.3%

I also managed to lose 1.5 inches from my waist, an inch from my hips and my stomach looks as it did when I was 22 years old :-)

I can remember a few years ago, attending the gym on 5 days each week, using all sorts of equipment, but I have never achieved these kinds of results and in such a short period of time.  I am stronger, fitter have more stamina and look better too.

Don’t get me wrong, at no point were Darryl’s sessions easy, infact he has me training harder now than at any point in my life, but the results speak for themselves. 

The sessions have consisted of primarily bodyweight exercises, using an intensity that is higher than any cardio workout I have ever taken part in.  Many of the exercises mimic the movements of a variety of animals which is one of the reasons why Darryl’s sessions are so interesting.

As we begin 2012, I may not be ready for the Olympics, but I trust Darryl to continue to push me and get me into the best shape possible as I approach the big 4……….0!

Nick

Testimonial: Primal Playout

“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”
Lance Armstrong

It’s Monday and I am walking like an old man. My gait is stiff, uncertain and slow. Colleagues in the office offer comments of sympathy and concern. They wonder why I am nearly always limping on a Monday. Sometime on Tuesdays too. They don’t know I spend Saturdays crawling around on all fours in an attempt to get fit.

Primal Boot Camp is unlike any other fitness class I have taken. Crab walking across a wobbly bridge in a playground is not exactly what I expected when I signed up. But it is great fun. Our trainer, Darryl Edwards, is very inventive. He runs a class that is physically challenging, and far from boring.

I have attended the class once a week for two months now, and I have seen progress in all areas of my fitness. Strength, stamina, agility, flexibility and balance are all improved. So I have decided I want more of it. I will be starting personal sessions with Darryl soon. My wife and I have also decided to have regular family sessions with him. We tried one before Christmas and our 7-year old son loved it!

If you happen to live in or around West London and you are interested in giving Primal Boot Camp a go, check out Darryl’s website and blog. The class is very affordable and open to people of all ages and abilities.

The Guardian newspaper recently pronounced this kind of class the latest trend in fitness. Hopefully, this is a sign that primal living is becoming more mainstream. I for one prefer this kind of outdoor exercise to stuffy indoor gym sessions.  Even on cold rainy winter days.

Reprinted with permission from www.primalpeter.com

Testimonial: Four Weeks Later

 Four Weeks Later

Four Weeks Later

I am a 26 year old mother of two children, a one year old, and a toddler of two and a half.  My husband and I moved to the UK in October 2010 when my youngest baby was just a few weeks old and I joined a gym as soon as I could. I did lots of training, from spinning, dancing, swimming to boxing and weight training.  After a year I had lost some weight but it felt like mission impossible to get back into the sort of shape I expected.  

I was really struggling to lose my post-baby tummy even when surviving on an occassional salad leaf and protein shakes!  Trying dozens of diet plans and workout programmes but to no avail.  I started to wonder - am I creating unrealistic pressures to lose the baby weight and get back into those skinny jeans?

I first met Darryl at one of his Primal Bootcamp sessions.  I told him what my current activity level was - which was very high.  To be honest I thought his class would be quite easy.  Big mistake.  I soon realised my fitness levels were really quite poor.  I couldn't do a single squat or press-up correctly, and I would also often give up at the earliest opportunity.  After my first training session my whole body was sore for days and I couldn't understand why after spending one year training in a gym three times a week I still wasn't fit enough to do the most basic movements that were demonstrated by Darryl.

After a few group classes I decided to try one-to-one sessions with Darryl - would his approach to training and nutrition really make a difference?  He started with a health and fitness assessment which involved a series of tests and let me know exactly what my starting point was.  He explained that payment alone wasn't enough, but a commitment to pursue health not just during our sessions but for the rest of the week.  It would have to be on his terms and something jointly agreed.  I was a little sceptical but I had tried everything else.  I decided I had nothing to lose.

I booked a series of sessions and then we formulated a plan setting realistic goals.  I really enjoy and look forward to each session.  It is so different to anything I have done before.  I am always learning and achieving new things.  For example I could never imagine I could do balance walking on a park bench or learning to vault a fence (I'm sure it wasn't a big deal when I was a child).  He has such a unique approach to getting fit, with animal crawls and play-based moves that I'd never experienced in my gym.  Hard work but fun and engaging at the same time.

MOTIVATION

 

What Darryl made me understand is that I can push myself a bit further, that and I didn't need to train for hours and hours until I felt sick or survive on low-fat, low-calorie diets to achieve my goals.

I learnt not to give up at the first obstacle and that nothing bad happens if I push myself to the limit:

"pain is temporary it may last a minute or an hour a day or a year but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If i quit however it lasts forever"

I wrote this in big letters and stuck it to the fridge doors. Darryl sent this to me as a motivational email.

Darryl is a great inspiration and teacher, we talk a lot about health, nutrition as well as being prepared for life's challenges.  I am on my way to recovery.  Stopping my obsessions about weighing myself ten times a day.  Aiming to maintain a healthy body composition rather than a certain amount of kilos.

FOUR WEEKS LATER:

After 4 weeks I was hesitant to take any measurements or photos, in fact I postponed the 4 weekly assessment because I was sure there would be no change.  I am pleased to say I was happy to trust Darryl's judgement.  

The photo above shows the before and after from Day 1 to Day 28.  In terms of the results after 4 weeks.  I've lost 8 cm (3.2 inches) from the waist, 7cm (2.8 inches) from the love handles, 6 cm (2.5 inches) off the hips and I've lost 3% in body fat.  My resting heart rate went down from 67bpm to 54bpm, what progress after a year of no significant changes.

It wasn't easy to agree to post my photo.  But this has given me the encouragement I need to continue, I am happy with my progress so far, but still have work to do.  I feel positive about making these lifestyle changes.  Thanks for your help so far Darryl!

Samanta