Information | Sign in/out at Macclesfield Performance

We are delighted to inform you that we are undergoing a series of updates and upgrades at Macclesfield Performance and Run Macclesfield, with each intended to enhance your experience as a visitor or member of our gym.

With an increase in coaches, classes, courses, treatments and open gym time to our timetable it has become apparent that we need a more sophisticated signing in and out system at MP.

To ensure the safety of all on site and to also enhance the professionalism of our service to you, we felt that a comprehensive system with individualized coding was the only way forward.

We may be a small independent facility but we have huge aspirations and your 100% customer satisfaction is at the heart of every decision we make.

Over the next few weeks your coaches, instructors and sports therapists will be trained in our new signing in system. They will then be setting out to ensure that every member and visitor to the gym has signed in and signed out on each visit.

Those that are regulars to the gym such as “members” will receive an invitation to download our partner app next week, which will store their individualised QR code for quick and easy sign in/out. This will be sent by email to all on our members list so if you do not receive one and you are a member please let us know.

Even if you have been sent the QR code, you will be prompted on first visit to sign in manually to complete your member profile. From then on a quick scan of your code both in and out of the gym will suffice.

One-off visitors such as “pay-as-you-go” customers and personal training clients who do not use the gym as a member will be required to sign in as a “guest” on arrival using a simple 4 step process of which takes just a few seconds of your time.

“Sign in” will be clearly marked at the front of the gym at the top of the stairs, we ask that everyone does their best to get in the habit of this as soon as possible and so in an effort to get you all in to a good routine. We will be running a series of sign-in/out competitions once the system is fully active. Keep an eye open for more details on this.

In the meantime we ask all members to keep a look out for their invitation and to complete the download process as soon as they recieve it.

Many thanks from all the team at Macclesfield Performance & Run Macclesfield.

Black Friday at Macclesfield Performance

That’s right… We’re jumping on the “Black Friday” bandwagon and why not? You deserve it! ;)

The little difference is, Macclesfield Performance is an independent business with a very open and transparent price list, meaning unlike many other Black Friday sales you are 100% guaranteed that we won’t be putting our prices up, before offering you a discount.

So what’s on offer we hear you say? Check out our list of discounts below.

1 Day Offers - Friday 29th November 2019 - Between 07.00 -19.00

20% off all memberships paid as an annual payment.

• 12 months : Elite Membership £480 from £600

• 12 months : Standard Membership £384 from £480

• 12 months : Open Gym Membership £240 from £300

• 12 months : Run Macclesfield Membership £240 from £300

• 12 months : Elite Family Membership £1,144 from £1,430

Pay now train later? All annual memberships purchased using this discount will have an “open start date” up until 1st January 2020 meaning if you have already paid up to the end of the year you don’t have to miss out!
Also making this offer great as a Christmas gift and January incentive for loved ones.

15% off 10 run coaching sessions with Run Macclesfield coach Emma. Includes a FREE 4 week online programme complete with home workouts and tailored runs and training zone programming to suit your goals.

• 10 x 121 running coaching sessions plus 4 week plan : £255 from £335

1/3 off personal trainer Mandys’ recently launched “30 Quick & Healthy Recipes” e-book.

• FlexFit Ebook Price : £4.00 from £6.00

Up to 40% off Macclesfield Performance & Run Macclesfield branded clothing.

If you would like to be first in line to take advantage of any of these limited time offers click below and let us know what you’d like more information on and how to get your hands on these awesome discounts next friday!

News | Meet Sam

I am really excited to be joining Macclesfield Performance. I am a strength and conditioning coach and a personal trainer.  I specialise in strength and conditioning for outdoor athletes – anyone who enjoys the great outdoors, either competitively or purely for fun. 

Although there can be some old-school thinking/reluctance around strength training in outdoor athlete communities, the bottom line is that if you’re a cyclist (road or MTB), climber, mountaineer, runner, triathlete, wild swimmer, skier, snowboarder or even paraglider, targeted, individualised strength training can make you faster, stronger and more injury-resistant. All of which mean that you can perform at a higher level, train more consistently and enjoy your sport more.  Strength can help you keep you racking up those great adventures for many years to come!

Having spent many years in a busy, stressful, time-poor (non-fitness) job I know how hard it is to keep fit and strong in and around the other pressures of life.  Because of this, I also provide personal training for anyone who would simply like to get stronger and fitter, but who might not know where to start or how to fit it into a busy life.  There is a lot of confusing information out there and sometimes we all just need someone who knows what they’re talking about to point us in the right direction.  

I have a life-long love of sport, exercise and the outdoors.  Previously a county- and university-level badminton player and coach, most of my 20s and 30s were focussed on outdoor sports, in particular climbing, cycling and winter sports.  I’ve been cycling (including competitively) for 30 years, climbing for 11 years and snowboarding for 20 years, and they’re just my 3 favourite ones!  

Although sport and exercise has always been central to my personal life, it hasn’t always been my professional life.  After originally starting a sport science degree at Glasgow University, my interests evolved a little, and I eventually gained a PhD in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from The University of Bristol, via a couple of stints living in Japan.  I worked for a number of years researching the molecular mechanisms behind cancer and other diseases, and later I moved into medical, scientific and health communications here in Macclesfield.

Multiple injuries over the years led me to explore and become passionate about focussed, science-based strength training, and I came to view strength as the absolute foundation for long-term athletic performance, injury resistance, recovery and health, both physical and mental.  Over time I decided to leave my career in science and communications to pursue a new career providing strength coaching and personal fitness training.  

It is my mission to provide highly personalised, evidence-driven training and coaching to athletes and non-athletes alike, blending my own athletic-, scientific-, life- and career-experience to help people meet their own sporting, health and life goals as efficiently, effectively and sustainably as possible.  

If you’d like to explore getting stronger, whatever your sport or motivation, please come and chat to me on the MP gym floor, or contact me via my website for more information.

I look forward to meeting you!  

News | Half price membership offer all summer!

You may have seen during July we decided to launch a 50% off your first month’s membership offer to all new members.

This was aimed to offer you the chance to visit Macclesfield Performance & Run Macclesfield with a little incentive and we are delighted to see so many of you have enjoyed your first month with us for half the price!

We’ve decided to run this offer all through the summer. This means those such as students, teachers, parents with more time off work and anyone else keen to boost their training regime this summer can continue to grab a bargain membership through July and August, ending in September.

Simply enter discount code FIRST50 at checkout when choosing your membership package on our booking page and enjoy!

Once your first payment has been made you will receive a confirmation email. Keep hold of this as you can change or cancel your subscription using this email at a later date if you wish.

If you are happy with continuing your membership after your first discounted month, full payment will automatically be taken the following month on the same day.

Training at Macclesfield Performance, is fun, pressure free, has no tie-ins and easily adaptable to your lifestyle and financial needs. We are an independent gym, that allows you to keep your independence too!

Testimonial | Client Cristy

I have always fancied myself as a mountain biker and a bit of an adventurer. I have big dreams and love a challenge.  

When my friend coerced me into signing up for the Joberg2C, a 9 day 900km mountain bike race across South Africa, I had little hesitation in signing up. It was absolutely aligned with my dreams.

Fast forward a few months to September 2018. I had an impending sense of dread: “what I was thinking?”. I had been trying to follow an extremely complicated online training plan, with little improvement. My approach (just ride & ride) was not working, and… winter was coming! I was frustrated, unfit, overweight and totally overwhelmed. Self-doubt becomes a slippery-slope!

I had just started thinking that a cycling coach / trainer of sorts may be what I needed when I met Dom in her Cyclone class one Friday afternoon. I consider it a moment of divine intervention that our paths crossed and that I asked her if she knew of anyone who could help me to prepare for the event. That is how I ended up at Macclesfield Performance. At the risk of sounding dramatic, this was a turning point not only for my training, but emotionally and physically too.

It was very overwhelming for me (a “recreational cyclist”) to start a new training program with a completely different approach to anything that I had done before. I was strength training 2-3 times a week and following a bespoke cycling program that Natalie put together for me. The stress and chronic sense of failure I had endured while trying to follow the unmanageable online program disappeared as I started with their joined-up approach. They did the thinking and the planning, all I had to do was put in the time!

I was always dismissive about my status as a “Recreational Cyclist”, Dom and Nat made me feel like an “Elite” and were so committed to helping me smash my goals! Having this level of interest, care, support and, of course, challenge was something that I had not experienced before.

Encouragement for getting a squat right, or having a good Wattbike session, or improving on a Strava segment meant so much to me, at a time when I had been feeling so lost and low. Bit by bit, session by session, my strength, endurance and confidence grew. My countdown app to the event started to excite and no longer scare me.

In April I set off to South Africa to participate in the event. I was excited for it. I took a lot of confidence in the fact that my coaches were confident in me smashing it! Also, I had seen so much progress in my strength and endurance while on the program. Having cycled in snow, rain and mud (mostly on my own) I had built a good amount of mental resilience too. Somewhere along the way I started to believe in myself again.

The Joberg2C experience was incredible, and incredibly tough. Cyclists bikes and bodies take a massive hammering on the trails, some of which are very technical. 9 days and 65 odd hours in the saddle is significant, with little opportunity to recover in between. I was ready though. I can honestly say that I had been perfectly prepared for this kind of event!

Because of the strength training, I could keep form over hours on long smashing descents. Because of the bike sessions to specifically build endurance, I could get to the top of long climbs without my heart rate going out of control. Oh, there were plenty of them (a few days were in an area called “the valley of a 1000 hills”)!

I am deeply grateful to Dom and Nat for their help and thoughtful programming. I would never have managed this ambitious goal without them. As much as I loved the ride itself, it was the journey getting there that made it the so satisfying.

Information | FTP at Macclesfield Performance

What is an FTP test?

Your “functional threshold power” (FTP) is the maximum power (Watts) that you can sustain on average, over a 60-minute time-trial effort ride. 

The FTP test is a means of determining your functional threshold power in a controlled environment and over a shorter time frame, without the discomfort, risk and resulting fatigue of cycling hard for 60-minutes.

What are the benefits of doing an FTP test?

For any keen or competitive cyclist (or multi-sport athlete), training at the exact intensity necessary to develop the specific areas of fitness you need is not only essential in ensuring you reach your maximum potential throughout the season, but also critical to reducing your risk of injury and over training. 

Training using “power zones” is the easiest and most accurate means of doing this, especially when training on an indoor bike (unless you have a power metre on your outdoor bike).

You may know of more commonly used methods such as rate of perceived exertion (RPE) a method used to determine exercise intensity levels based on how the athlete “feels”. 

FTP helps you define power ranges to work in, relative to the purpose of any particular training session. Therefore your intensity is more accurately measured using the information gathered during the test.

The FTP test is not just for competitive cyclists!

No matter who you are the FTP test is a great way to measure fitness progress. 
It’s a simple 20 minute test, that can be repeated at regular intervals and changes in power and heart rate can be great indicators as to how your fitness is changing and how your body is adapting and improving through your training.

What should you expect during an FTP test at Macclesfield Performance?

Prior to getting on the WattBike you’ll be introduced to a coach and have the opportunity to discuss your goals.  We’ll get you set-up on the WattBike, your fitness devices connected (if you have them) and then we will take you through a functional warm-up both off and on the bike.  You’ll be introduced to the data screens and the main FTP session explained. 

You can choose whether to have a coach guide you through the main FTP session or be left to your own devices to get “in the zone” for the 20 minute session!
Once the test is completed, we’ll take you through a thorough cool down, both on and off the bike.  Then we will finish with a review of your data and the opportunity to discuss next steps!

What information will the FTP test give me?

The two most valuable outputs from the FTP test are “functional threshold power” - total average watts sustained during the 20 minute test, and your “functional threshold heart rate”.  From these two results your power and heart rate training zones can be calculated.  These training zones can then be used to ensure your training and programming is correctly applied over future workouts or training sessions.

Completing an FTP test on the WattBike Trainer at Macclesfield Performance will provide you with numerous other data outputs aswell that can be used to evaluate your training. The Wattbike is even able to evaluate your pedalling efficiency and your power distribution. All of which will be accessible to you after the FTP test and can help identify other areas of your training that you need to work on for example your strength, muscular balance, proprioception and conditioning.

What do I need to bring?

As a minimum, you’ll need some suitable gym clothes, your trainers and a drink, we provide bottled water at MP for £1a bottle if you forget. 

The WattBike Trainer is compatible with both MTB and SPD cleats, so bike shoes are a definite if you have them and feel free to wear your cycling shorts for extra comfort if you’d prefer.

In addition, the WattBike can be linked to many fitness apps so if you have a fitness watch e.g. Garmin, great, bring that with you too and if you have a HR monitor strap this can also be linked.

Finally we recommend that you ensure your smartphone is fully charged so you don’t have any frustrating battery charge let downs during the test.

Don’t worry if some of the above does not apply to you, the minimum requirements listed are fine in any instance.

How do I book?

Click on to our “Performance Assessments” tab on our booking system, there you will see some available dates and times for you to choose from.

MP Elite members get in touch before booking, we are offering this to you FREE as part of your membership package.

News | Meet Tom

I am excited to now be working a regular clinic from Macclesfield Performance on Gunco Lane.

I’m a Sports Rehabilitation specialist, I graduated in 2016 with a First-Class degree and since that have worked in a variety of settings. I started off after my degree working at Glamorgan Cricket working alongside the physiotherapists and doctors, treating, rehabilitating and running conditioning for the First team cricketers. This environment was great for developing my rehab skills by working alongside (constantly injured) world class cricketers, physios and strength and conditioning coaches.

After moving back up north I decided to set out on my own providing a mobile service around the east Cheshire area, whilst also working at Harris & Ross Physiotherapy in Wilmslow and Norris Health in Congleton. At Harris & Ross I had the pleasure of working with Red Bull in the Harris & Ross ‘High Performance playground’ where injured red bull sponsored athletes would come from around the world to be patched back up. This was a very enjoyable part of my career where I got to help rehabilitate some very complex injuries, using some high-tech techniques!

Alongside my extremely varied career so far, I also juggle my career in rehab with being a semi-professional rugby player for Macclesfield RUFC, and International Rugby for the massive rugby nation of Israel.
Playing at quite a high level with rugby also gives me a great insight to high level sport and the conditioning required to compete at that level. Additionally, with my fair share of injuries, it means I have to practice what I preach!

You might be thinking, why would I need sports rehabilitation? Sports Rehab differs to both physiotherapy and strength and conditioning, however there is a lot of crossover. Physiotherapy is designed to rehabilitate an injury to allow someone to return to work and function, and strength and conditioning is designed to condition healthy individuals to allow them to perform a certain task/sport. Sports Rehab differs in the fact that we can treat from the moment of injury, and rehabilitate an injury all the way back to the ‘return to sport’ phase. Eventually allowing you to perform optimally.

Many people benefit from sports rehabilitation and you might too, without realising it. Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a weekend warrior, sports rehabilitation can help a range of populations. Rehabilitation can be tailored to different sports, and to different levels. You also don’t have to be injured to benefit from it!

If you are training or competing regularly, and you are struggling with things like form, technique, stability, strength for example, then going through an assessment and screening process can potentially help you achieve YOUR specific goals, such as knocking a minute off that run time, pushing that extra 20kg or just improving your mobility and flexibility.

If you are keen to improve your performance and would like some more information, then why not join me on one of my free 20 minute taster sessions over the next 3 weeks at Macclesfield Performance. To book check out our booking page I look forward to meeting you.

Testimonial | Client Dawn

PART ONE…. 2017

ONCE UPON A TIME I was a Runner……. in 2009 I  ran one of the popular 5k Race for Life cancer research events, from there I joined my local running club, ran 3 times a week and decided that running was my sport, I completed 3 marathons between 2011 and 2014, various half marathons, 10ks and 5ks etc, I didn’t do any other sport, just running.

In 2013 I was introduced to Dom via my husband, who happened to work at the same location in Gunco Lane,  at first I wasn’t interested, thinking that Macclesfield Performance (then DS Lifestyle & Fitness) was just another gym, I’ve never been a gym person, but the words “we can help with her PB’s” caught my interest, I was always looking at how I could gain PB’s every time I raced, I had become quite obsessed, so I gave it a go and joined Dom’s Pro X PT course, had some nutrition coaching with Dom, trained hard and planned to PB at the Wilmslow Half Marathon in March 2015, I was ready to smash that PB…… happy ending right? NO! ….far from it!

This race ended for me at mile 12, one mile before the end, I don’t remember much about it but around mile 10, I knew I was overdoing it, ignoring the signs I pushed on, after all I was on for a great PB!, next minute I’m on the floor surrounded by paramedics and ambulanced off the course, what followed was 3 months of extensive tests, tears, anger and a gradual realisation of what on earth was I doing? I had lost the joy of running, I had become so obsessed with pace that I lost all reality on what was achievable but more important why? I wasn’t winning anything, what did it matter and why was I in that situation?… it was at that point that a cloud lifted and I realised that I wasn’t enjoying running after all, it had become something all encompassing and I couldn’t see the wood for the trees.

So… what happened next?

Well Dom said “why not come and learn some new skills, get your confidence back” and so it began, a new chapter in my life, I started strength training once a week and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! What I found was that the stronger I got, the less running I needed to do and I was a better stronger faster runner! Who knew? I stopped wearing my running gadgets and got my joy of running back, what a relief. Approx. 12 months later I bought a hybrid bike, having never cycled since childhood except for the odd ride here and there and found that my new strength made cycling easy and enjoyable… I was delighted and started cycling regularly, and even cycled the coast 2 coast on a cycling holiday.  By this point I had turned 50 and decided in my 50th year to have a go at a Triathlon, I had been a swimmer in my teenage years, so why not have a go?

A week before the event in September 2016 I bought a road bike, and entered the North West Super Sprint Triathlon, having absolutely no idea what I was doing and no specific triathlon training except for what I was doing with Dom, guess what…. I CAME 2nd!! Losing out by just 23 seconds to the winner who was 20 years younger! I had so much fun and realised that this was indeed my sport!

Fast forward to 2017 and joining Louis’s conditioning course, a specific triathlon training plan designed by Dom and I tried my hand at 3 Triathlons, my first one in Open water didn’t go to plan but I finished, picked myself up and tried again, the next one in Birmingham and I came 5th overall but more importantly I hit my goals, so I was very happy with progress,  then my 3rd one in August, the North West Super Sprint and I WON by a huge margin of 1 min 50 secs over 2nd place, (she was half my age!), and a huge 8% improvement on the 2016 race, I felt amazing in this race, very strong, in control and paced it well and a realisation that I’m not just taking part anymore, I’m competing! Something Dom had to explain to me!

During my 2017 training season I bench marked my cycling progress and tested myself periodically, in the first 6 months of 2017 I gained a massive 30% improvement in my speed strength over a set 12 mile hilly course… absolutely incredible, you could hear my whoop whoop as I smashed through the session feeling fantastic. Oh and that PB I was hankering for when I was “just a runner” came during the triathlon specific training plan phase, beating my 5k PB by a massive 45 seconds!

So the happy ending I was looking for all those years ago… finally I found what I was looking for and had no idea when starting out on the strength training programme that it would lead to this, they say every cloud has a silver lining and it’s certainly true here, I cannot thank Dom enough for her incredible coaching ability, her motivation, her dedication to my cause and her mentoring skills, she picked me up and shook me down and slowly but gently coached me into believing.  

I continue to build on my strength and conditioning, finally I am stronger, faster, fitter, happier and healthier than I’ve ever been, I’ve had no injuries ..absolutely none…I cannot stress enough how much strength training with Dom has enabled me to stay injury free, and amazingly I’m not flogging my guts out training at every opportunity, I take plenty of rest and recovery, it’s not all encompassing, it’s a passion.  On top of this I completely believe in Dom, she is such an inspirational person to be around, it’s infectious and I continue to look forward to my sessions with excitement.

I am now planning my 2018 season…bring it on!

THANK YOU DOM and Macclesfield Performance, you are incredible!

PART 2 – 2018

Well when I said bring on 2018… I didn’t expect such an incredible year ending with qualifying for GB in the Aquabike European Championships in Romania 2019!!

OMG… how did that happen?

I continued my strength training with Dom every week and we started planning my 2018 season, this included my first ever sportive in March – the Cheshire Cat Sportive (short route) and my longest bike ride to date which was 50 miles. I felt great and managed a negative split, finishing the 2nd half faster than the first half. I loved that event so I booked on a few more for the rest of the year.

Then we started planning for my first Open Water Sprint Triathlon in Whitchurch, Shropshire on 16th June. Dom programmed me for the whole race (not just strength) but the swimming, cycling and running elements and got me at peak fitness, I was ready!

The open water (500m) went exactly to plan, I felt strong and paced it well, into Transition 1 and jumped out of my wetsuit onto my bike. It was a 20km hilly course and I gave it my all, cycling past many competitors, as I came into Transition 2, I heard “2nd lady is in”.

I wondered who they were talking about and it was ME!!

OMG really? So I had just a 3 mile run to get through, that was really tough, I wanted to hold onto my position and I did. I won a huge trophy for 2nd place overall and a trophy for 1st in age group which is the prize I was after, what a bonus… what a start to the season!

I then settled down and started planning my second race of the season, this time a Relay Sprint Triathlon in Salford, Manchester in July with the incredibly talented and inspirational Maddie Pawsey and Natalie Duncombe. I couldn’t wait to share the race with these 2 super strong ladies, I had the bike leg on this occasion, however the weather was awful, it was throwing it down and extremely windy with 50mph gusts. Hardly cycling weather and we were up against mixed teams.  Maddie got us off to a very fast start absolutely nailing the swim, I then cycled my fastest ever 20k, desperate not to let my teammates down and handed over to Nat who nailed the run and brought us home to a 3rd place win!

Then for my last race of the season – the Ellesmere, Shropshire Open Water Lake Sprint Triathlon on 16th September.  Again Dom programmed me for the whole race.  

However...2 weeks out from race day I went to see Dom about upgrading to Half Ironman distance a whopping 2000m swim and 83k bike ride (up from 750m/20k bike) (note here that I’d never swam that far in one go before) because the Aquabike European championship dates had been released and the criteria was to come within 120% of the Age Group winner of the race for swim/bike at half ironman distance.
I reckoned why not have a go, I’ve nothing to lose so we collectively decided I should go for it and see what happens.
Well, the risk paid off and now just 2 years after having a go at a Super Sprint Triathlon I am a GB qualifier for Aquabike European championships. To say I’m excited is an understatement, I never knew I had this ability.

Dom has never doubted my ability, she has programmed me right from the start, making it very specific and personal to me, I’ve never been injured, I’ve just got stronger and stronger and I’ve not once got bored or questioned any of it.  

I completely believed in the programming, following it to the letter. I cannot believe that 4 years ago when I chose the path to strength training that it would lead me to this, being inspired by Natalie’s achievements I never thought that one day it would be me, although this is what I dreamed of…

Dreams can come true, hard work, dedication, passion and an incredible strength coach, Dom knows her stuff, knows her client and personalises everything to fit in with my ability, lifestyle, goals and dreams. I’ve got a fantastic team around me who believe in me, what a combination! I’m soooo excited about 2019 and the journey I’m on. I can’t thank Dom and Macclesfield Performance, the friends I’ve made who share the same passions, all are an inspiration, its an absolute privilege.

Bring on 2019! Who knows what will happen but whatever happens I’m totally committed and focused and will give it my all.

Testimonial | Client Maddie

MADDIE

I guess when thinking of my time at MP, we need to rewind a little further for the work Dom has done to really make sense.

Due to a number of (at the time) undiagnosed medical issues, I’d been unable to consistently exercise for a number of years without my shoulder, knee or hip subluxing.   Finally after seeing the right consultant, I was diagnosed with hypermobility, Polar 3 instability (abnormal muscle patterning, leading to inactive muscle groups) and multi directional instability.  I was referred to the best physio I have ever come across (and I’ve had a few!) as the combination of issues meant that I wasn’t a good candidate for surgery.  After about 18 months of working with him, I decided to jump back in the pool in October 2017 and swam 200m (8 lengths), with no subluxations.  I don’t think I’d ever been so happy to swim 200m!  Over the course of the next 4 months, I gradually increased the distances and joined a swimming club.  It was at that point that I considered I might be able to swim competitively, and that’s where Dom came in.  

I showed up to my initial consultation with her in February 2018, with a white board completely full of aims, goals, questions and a very long list of medical issues.  To my surprise, the goals I had put down for a few years time, Dom seemed confident that they not only could be achieved, but some could be achieved this year.  Now I am sure Dom will forgive me for saying, I was very excited, but I did not believe her!

Now to get to work…

Dom programmed my gym and swim work on cycles of 3-4 weeks.  Every single programme took my instabilities in to account, focused on the requests from my physio, and worked to get my inactive areas switching on.  The work Dom did went completely hand in hand with the physio work I’d been given.  What made me even happier is when the physio reviewed the programmes, his response was: “I’ve never seen a coach ditch big ego-lifts in favour of working with bands, nor have I ever seen a coach take so much notice of what a physio has said and worked with me, not against me”.  So much so, that I’d been seeing my physio every 2-3 weeks for 18 months, and within a couple of months of following Dom’s programming, my sessions with him had dropped down to every 5 weeks.

Dom’s focus was not only to get the right muscle groups working though strength sessions, but to increase my speed and endurance in the water.  I followed a mixture of speed and endurance sessions that Dom had planned for me, sending her the results after each one ready for her to calculate what my next session would be, ensuring they were always progressive.  We also included a couple of tests to measure any improvement in speed – within just 7 weeks of following her programming, we saw a 15% improvement on my 1km baseline test.

Within a couple of months of working with Dom, I’d bought a wetsuit and trained in open water for the first time in my life (note to anyone wanting to try it – don’t do it in 6 degree water. It hurts. A lot…) and event #1 came round – a 1 mile open water swim.  The original goal was to complete the event with no injury, however after seeing the improvements in speed, it was hard not to change the goal to “I want to finish within 30 minutes”.  The big day rolled around and despite a bit of a panic in the water, I’d finished the event in 29:38!  I was so incredibly happy, but I wanted to see what I could have done had I not had a panic attack and stopped.  And so on to event #2.  I gave Dom 2 weeks to get me ready for the next event (sorry Dom!), the Big Bala swim in Wales.  Well, it’s safe to say, it went well!  I had no panics, I finished 4th lady out of 50, and more importantly, I came away injury free!

And finally on to the third – the Salford Triathlon relay with fellow MP members, Dawn and Nat.  Anyone that trains at MP will know how incredible these two ladies are, so I was very excited and nervous that they asked me to compete with them!  The shorter distance meant that Dom’s focus turned more to speed, which was hard (06:30am sprint session anyone?) but so much fun!  Again, thanks to Dom’s programming, this resulted in a PB for me in the swim leg, coming out of the water 3rdin my wave and coming in the top 15% of all 300+ male and female competitors that day.  Dawn and Nat smashed the bike and run and as a team we came away with 3rd place in the relay!

So over the course of 5 months of working with Dom, I’ve gone from seeing my physio every 3 weeks to being discharged (yes, that really just happened, today!), I’ve been able to train consistently both in the gym and in the water and competed in 3 open water events!  And it doesn’t stop there, we’ve already sat and planned goals for 2019 and 2020 – work towards those goals start next week!

Training with Dom has completely changed my life.  It’s enabled me to work towards goals I thought could only be dreams a year ago.  She listens to your goals, hopes and concerns, sits with you to devise a plan that you feel comfortable with, goes away and makes it happen.  She’s not afraid to change the plan if it’s not working (or in my case, if my shoulder decides it doesn’t feel like working that day) and is always at the end of the phone for a bit of reassurance and guidance when needed.

Training at Macclesfield Performance opens the door to meet so many incredible athletes that become your friends.  You couldn’t ask for a more inspiring, motivational bunch of people around you.

If you have a goal that’s been at the back of your mind but you think you couldn’t possibly achieve it – speak to Dom, it might not be as far out of reach as you think!

Testimonial | Kim

I contacted Macclesfield Performance’s Head Coach Dom directly in December 2016 for help.

I had hit rock bottom. I was self-conscious, I had no confidence, and had a constant negative mood. I met with Dom and arranged to have 121 personal training sessions, for one hour every other week. I also arranged to attend a Run Macclesfield session once a week, and classes PADS and core conditioning. I knew that I wanted the old me back, and contacting Dom was my first step.

My motivation and determination grew from my first 121 session with Dom. I felt positive and happy after my sessions, and began to love my body again. Slowly but surely, my confidence began to grow, and I became less self-conscious. I was also developing muscle!

With Dom’s experience and support, I began lifting heavier weights and became stronger. I began to push myself further and set myself new goals to smash. I couldn’t wait for my next sessions.

In summer of 2017, I started the twelve week strength and conditioning course ran by Louis at Macclesfield Performance. A group class of ten people lead twice a week for an hour. I enjoyed the course that much, that I have now completed my sixth course and to not intend on stopping. You learn a lot in the sessions, and also meet great people and have a laugh along the way.

Every aspect of my training at MP is fun, and I am learning so much. In my 121 sessions with the coaches at MP I learn techniques of exercises, as well as which muscles I am using. Knowledge is key to performing a correct technique.

In “PADS”, a boxing based interval training class, I push my cardio to the limit and release all of my daily frustrations. Everybody can relate to having a bad day at work and struggling to juggle a hectic life.

“Run Macclesfiled” which is lead by both Emma and Natalie, is another aspect to Macclesfield Performance, ideal for keen runners or those that want to learn to run. I get to run different routes and distances with the groups.

In strength and conditioning I get to develop my progress week on week. Core Conditioning classes help me me test and progress my core strength.

In late summer of 2017 I discussed with Dom a new goal that even six months prior, I never would have dreamed of. I wanted to transform my body and compete in a bikini modelling competition. Dom was very supportive and suggested I work with Louis for my new goal, as Louis is a bodybuilder as well as a personal trainer and nutrition coach.

In winter of 2017 Louis started my nutrition and exercise plans. I initially found this challenging as it was a whole new routine, and I had to juggle everyday life and fit everything in. Four weeks in, and I had myself a new routine and was seeing changes. I was enjoying the challenge, the exercise plan and also nutrition plan. It is now my goal to compete in May 2019. This gives me enough time to transform my body and to be prepared to step on that stage and show myself and the world my achievements.

As with anything in life, there are setbacks, and not everything goes to plan. In early February 2018 I had the flu which was followed by a chest infection. This hindered my training and nutrition for a three week period. However, I am back to feeling great and am more determined than ever to achieve my goals, and to be a healthy and happy me.

Macclesfield Performance has helped me to achieve more than I ever thought possible, and the goals keep on growing which is amazing. From Dom’s support and encouragement, to Louis nutrition and bodybuilding experience, to Natalie cheering me on in strength and conditioning classes, to Emma’s recommendations and help with my running and gait analysis. They are all fantastic coaches and are always there to help and support you. The members are friendly, and you enjoy exercising.

Thank you Macclesfield Performance for all that you have done, and all that you continue to do for me!

I cannot recommend Macclesfield Performance highly enough.