Liberte Fitness trainer Tony Germany - the man behind the head lamp!

Giving it heaps: Liberte instructor
Tony Germany

Something's happened to park sessions in Bury St Edmunds over the last couple of weeks - the arrival of the bundle of fun that is Kiwi king Tony Germany!
The man greedy enough to have a whole country as his surname has taken us all out of our comfort zones with his cracking sessions that seem to bring team play and bonding to the fore.
We've seen the arrival of Duck, Duck Goose, watched him try and work out the difference between a rank and a file and he's sent us all dizzy with his interestingly choreographed circular high-five routine that brings our hour of fun to a close.
But one thing's for sure, Tony's got the love of the whole park behind him and we're all thrilled to welcome him. 
But how did Tony end up in Nowton Park teaching us lot when he could have been, well, anywhere in the world? 
I bent down and held a perfect virtual squat with Tony G for the lowdown. 
Time to give him heaps!


Nick: Tell us about growing up in New Zealand - what sports did you do? 
Tony: Growing up in New Zealand was great! The diversity of sports is so wide with the outdoors having a huge impact on participation in sport I grew up at a beach so I tended to do a lot of swimming in the sea, surfing, body surfing and fishing. Rugby is huge in New Zealand, much like football is here. I played rugby at high school but football pre and post my high school years.

Nick: How did you got into the fitness industry? 
Tony: I started on a Level 3 Fitness course after 7th Form (Upper Sixth form to us Brits, Year 13 to Joe) because I was interested in sport but I wasn't sure where I would go with it. This then solidified my love and I went on to complete a degree in sports and recreation and haven't looked back

Nick: When did you decide to come to the UK and what do you love most about it? 
Tony: I lived in the UK, personal training for a few years in 2009 and 2010. I initially came over to gain some experience in the industry and travel (I managed 28 countries). I left my girlfriend and the UK behind to return back to New Zealand to complete my degree as I had another year to complete.

Nick: What do you miss about New Zealand? 
Tony: My friends and family and outdoor sports and activities

Nick: Papillon had the idea for Liberte after watching training on Bondi Beach - have you seen similar outdoor training in New Zealand and have you done any yourself? 
Tony: I have seen it before but it was generally facilitated by individual personal trainers and typically fizzled out over the length of a year. Last year I ran rolling 6-week challenges where most of the exercise was completed outside. I worked at a boxing facility so most of the exercises had the boxing theme.

Nick: What attracted you to want to join Liberte as an instructor and, so far, what's the best thing about it? 
Tony: I LOVE the outdoors and when I heard Liberte were looking for members I jumped at the chance to get involved. I believe I have a great positive energy and a fledgling business like this can benefit from this and my experiences from both here and abroad. The best thing about Liberte is the MEMBERS! All of you are lovely and have been very welcoming. Also I like the whole package (the branding, ethos and culture). 

Nick: Final question - which Liberte exercises do you personally love doing the most, and which do you hate? 
Tony: I LOVE the teamwork and games because we all have so much fun and we don't feel like we're working until we stop and have to have a few deep breathes and a drink. I hate press ups! They seem to suck the life out of me!


Tony, you're a star, thanks for your time and look forward to seeing you back in the park asap!

It's Alcohol-Free Week: How two Liberte members have handled going tea-total

Nick Richards and Stuart Haystead
who are both non-drinkers

National Alcohol-Free Week starts today with the aim of encouraging us all to be more aware of our drinking habits and to help you reduce the amount you drink if you are drinking too much. 

This is the sixth year in a row the spotlight has been given to alcohol in this way and the organisers hope to challenge everyone to give up booze for one day, a weekend or, if you're up to it, the whole week!

This will give you a chance to test how much of a role alcohol plays in your life and how easy it is, or not, to do without. The organisers are hoping that, whether you give up for a day, a weekend or a week, you'll use the opportunity to take stock of when you drink alcohol, why you drink, and how much you drink. 

Liberte's Papillon Luck and Gareth Thomas make no secret of how little alcohol they consume - they are professionals in the fitness industry after all. But what about the members who workout in the park? We're all striving to get fitter and faster, so are there any benefits to not drinking if you're serious about doing Liberte workouts? I've been alcohol-free for under two months, while Bury member Stuart Haystead has been alcohol-free for much longer.

Here's how two Liberte members have handled giving up drink and how the tea-total twosome have found positive effects on their health.

What did you use to drink and how often did you drink it?

STUART: If we went to a pub it would normally be Guinness that I would drink, maybe two or three pints twice a week. I wouldn't drink beer at home, maybe the odd glass of wine with a meal. Never been a great drinker

NICK: Beer, vodka and wine. Not in any great quantity, but probably used to have a beer or vodka five or six days a week. I certainly didn't drink more than the average of 21-28 units a week for a man.

When did you last have a drink and why did you give it up?

STUART: I gave up alcohol about six years ago, It was making me feel really ill and causing stomach problems, I found out that I was actually allergic to it, but I went to a wedding four years ago and had three pints of Guinness. I felt so ill and toxic the next day. That was the last time I drank.

NICK: New Year's Eve 2011. I hadn't planned to give up but found I was driving a lot of Christmas and had cut down for that reason. I'd hardly had a drink for a couple of weeks and found that when I did, I was just going through the motions as it was Christmas. I also started to get bored and uninspired in the alcohol aisles of supermarkets and started to feel I was only drinking because it was the either the weekend or as a post Liberte session reward. The subject of New Year's resolutions came up as the clock raced towards 2012 and on the spur-of-the-moment I decided to banish the booze.

How hard was it for you to stop drinking and what benefits have you felt so far?

STUART: I found giving up alcohol very easy as it made me feel so much cleaner and healthier, my stomach problems went within a few days.

NICK: Much easier than I thought, even though it has only been 53 days so far. Someone asked me the other day if giving up drink was hard and I likened it to giving up going to China on holiday. If you don't book a ticket or go to an airport, you wont find yourself eating noodles in Beijing! You know what I mean. I've hidden all the alcohol in the house and told friends and family I don't drink. They haven't offered me a drop and I haven't had any desire to seek out what I know is there at the back of my cupboard.

What do you drink instead and do you miss it?

STUART: I normally drink orange juice and lemonade when we go out, At home I drink water, black decaffeinated tea, green tea or the newly discovered Matcha. I don't miss it one bit

NICK: I've got a new-found love of green tea and drink decaffeinated tea too, plus water, orange juice and milk and the odd hot chocolate if I am feeling naughty.

What health benefits have you found from not drinking alcohol?

STUART: I started cycling three years ago and my fitness started to come back and I am able to train better now without drinking I know if I was to drink now I wouldn't be able to train as hard as I do now because of the way it would make me feel.

NICK: I feel much less sluggish, especially in the park and generally better. Best of all it's nice to be able to drive everywhere without worrying if I've had a drink, nice to not wake up with a slight hangover and nice not to have to bother with buying drink in a supermarket. It may be a current novelty, but I am proud to say I don't drink and I know this alcohol-free spell, however long it lasts, will change my attitude to drink.

So that's the story with Stuart and me - we're not saying you have to stop altogether, but with plenty of other people giving up drink for a period over the next week, now could be a good time to lay off the booze, if nothing more than to see how it makes you feel. You can get more information by clicking here

Snow what? One of my best ever Liberte sessions

Fun in the snow at the end of the session

So it's February, the snow is covering Nowton Park and this morning was one of the best ever sessions!

Jumping around in beautiful Nowton Park 

It's been pretty muddy for the last couple of weeks but now everywhere you turn it's just one big carpet of thick white snow (except for the yellow bits!)
I was up all night watching the Super Bowl but was genuinely so excited to be able to take part in this morning session as I'd taken the day off work.
I may have only had three hours sleep but I had to get int he park and I wore all white so I could blend into the background and that meant a chance to launch snowballs at, among others, Stuart and Emma!
Any thoughts of it being cold were soon over once we got on the floor and never has a game of Minefield been so well enjoyed!
Paps didn't escape a good snowballing too but got her own back on me, let's just say my butt cheeks were a little chilly!
Training in the snow is awesome fun and anyone in two minds on whether to come tonight - come along, but be ready to get snowballed!

Springing forward into a fit and healthy 2012

The familiar start to a Liberte Fitness session in
Nowton Park in winter

Well that's it - that's January out of the way and I, like most Libeterians are surely getting excited about the coming spring.
January is traditionally the toughest month of the year to get back in the swing of things after the excesses of Christmas, but I think you'll all agree we went for it big time this month!
From that glorious first session of the year on January 2, which I and a dozen others took part in on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday morning, we dug deep in and exercised hard in cold wet weather.
Bury's Nowton Park has become a right old mud bath in the last week or so and I seem to take half of it home with me on the bottom of my trainers after every work out!
Despite that I managed 14 sessions for the month, a nice average of three-and-a-half mud-covered sessions a week. I, for one, am looking forward to a change in weather conditions in the park.
The new Nowton Park café/showers are due to open soon and that could mean something great to do after each session but one thing I won't be doing after each session is drinking alcohol.
That first Liberte session of 2012 came just 33 hours after I stopped drinking - and 31 days later I don't miss it one bit. I've been in a pub once and out for two meals and on each occasion alcohol was offered to me but I turned it down.
I've never been a massive drinker but often used to reward myself post session with a beer ot two. I've replaced green bottles of lager for green tea and now drink matcha while Match of the Day is on!
I didn't think what I was doing was that amazing until I overheard a conversation at work. A photographer was talking to a colleague saying that he'd given up drinking. 'Wow', I thought. A comrade to spur me on in my year-long quest. We could chat every day and compare our year-long campaigns against alcohol.
Only then he told his mate that he was giving up drink for January and that, although he'd slipped a couple of times and had a few beers the other night, he was confident he would be able to get through to the end of the month alcohol-free!
I'm one twelfth of my way through my year without alcohol and feeling much better for it - who's up for joining me in February?

My second year of Liberte - and I'm really stepping it up!

IT'S 2012 and the blog is back for the new year. This is my second year of Liberte and it's time to get tough!
Yes one year ago today on a Monday night in early January I turned up in too many clothes, grabbed my inhaler and got ready for an unforgettable hour.
I stopped every ten minutes, thought I was going to pass out and drove home feeling slightly unsure of whether I would ever go back.
To read my initial thoughts of Liberte, click here.
I stepped up my training and got fitter and fitter - click here to read how I felt after six months:

A slightly larger version of myself working out in Nowton Park last  May

But for 2012 I'm stepping up the challenge. Towards the end of 2011 I think I found my comfort zone, I relished certain exercises and couldn't wait to stop doing others. But that's all changing now. I don't see the point of doing Liberte for a year and then having exactly the same experience all over again.
I don’t want to come over all Carol Vorderman but let me dazzle with you with some basic maths: everyone who went to their first Liberte session last year will at some stage this year have their first anniversary.
And I'm sure you'll feel the same as how I do today.
I feel proud that I went to something like 130 sessions in 12 months and have trained in all the parks and taken part in a beach weekend, and when I look around from the people I saw in Bury at my first session I'm amazed at how much it's changed.
From one session on a Monday night to sessions in Norwich and Newmarket too all over the week.
I've changed too. I've started to eat much healthier, I can't wait to train, I want to train when it's miserable weather and even when I've got a cold like tonight, I know I'll feel better sweating it out in the park than feeling sorry for myself with a Lemsip and a blanket.
This year I'm keen to step it up. I stopped drinking alcohol on New Year's Eve at 10 seconds to midnight and have vowed not to touch a drop for the rest of the year.
I feel I would be kidding myself if I didn't do something different in year two - and I can't wait to see what happens to the rest of you when you hit your special anniversary later this year!

Liberte members reach new heights

Just goes to prove that Liberte are an independent lot... a few decided to get together and climb a mountain - just for fun!

It was the brainchild of PT GT, formed from a backhanded joke about the 3 peak challenge, which started a few members to think it would indeed be ‘fun’ to climb a mountain.

So on a bright and surprisingly warm November morning, following a bacon butty extravaganza cooked by PT turned Personal Chef, GT, an intrepid 11 set out at the base of the Pyg Track, to return on the miners trail. An ascent of 3,560 feet (1085 metres).

Storming up in front was Papillon Luck and Dan Claxton who got to the top in 1 hours and 40 minutes, closely following by Gareth Thomas, Liz Best, Emma Hunter and Claire Francis.

Tara Cross, Lucy Carter and Helen Kroon followed, with Alison Hall and Andrew Foulger chasing their heels.

Not an official ‘Liberte’ outing (can anyone else think of anything more hellish than writing a risk assessment on mountain climbing..??!!) but goes to show what liberte members can do, after attending a few sessions, and some encouragement from their instructors.

An added huge bonus to the weekend was that new cross-park friendships have been formed, and visits to different park sessions have been planned to see ‘what the other lot’ get up to (with a dash of who is tougher thrown in for good measure).

So – have YOU ever done it on a mountain?.....

As if that wasn’t enough for Paps, rumour has it she’s trying to drum up interest for the Snowdonia Marathon www.snowdoniamarathon.co.uk or the Snowdonia Slateman Triathlon www.snowdoniaslateman.com. Anyone fancy it?

From little acorns grow Liber-trees!

It all started one fresh spring evening when an NHS worker was in Nowton Park and came across a strange circle of people standing on one leg, with a finger in their ear....

Six months later Papillon Luck from Liberté Fitness, and Claire Webb, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust’s ‘Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator’, got together to begin planning free trials specifically for Hospital staff.

The Trust’s idea was to find a convenient, fun and sociable fitness workout, which would motivate the Hospital’s staff enough so they would not give up and allow them to see real results. Liberté felt up to the challenge and two initial trials were planned. They were well attended, not only by West Suffolk Hospital staff but from other NHS organisations, such as the local Primary Care Trust.

As one of those initial NHS ‘trialists’ I can remember the first few sessions of Liberté. Even the warm up was exhausting, but I was thrilled that the pattern of the sessions meant that just as I reached my limit running, the trainer would change the type of exercise to a toning one, so I was still working out, even though it felt like a rest! It was also nice that some of the exercises were done in a couple, and some individually or as a team.

So, 8 weeks on from the beginning of the NHS sessions, how is it really going?

Within this short period of time, the ‘NHSers’ have a team spirit which is unique. Even though we all work for the same organisation, many of us had not met before and new friendships have emerged which cross the old boundaries of age, departments and grades. The NHS sessions are frequently of a ‘noisy’ nature, with much laughter being heard when trying to avoid (or not!) perilous rabbit holes, as well as groans in response to the cry of ‘tabatta’ and ‘burpees’.

Rebecca in Healthroster commented: “The support from our trainer, GT, is fantastic; he manages to make everyone feel valued and motivated to do the best they can. Perhaps most importantly the support and encouragement from your fellow colleagues is what makes the session so enjoyable, there is such a strong feeling of team spirit.”

8 weeks ago many could only manage a few low level press ups, now for the first time GT had us all doing full press-ups, as part of a combination of bicycle crunches and squat thrusts. Recovery times have decreased significantly and fitness levels are markedly higher.

Individuals have taken on special characteristics of their own. Jane is frequently chatting, even when running;along with Bex and myself, who are all often chastised for not listening; Dan is the model ‘demonstrator’ of the pack; Andrew is a silent whippet on the sprints; to name but a few. New NHS staff have joined since the beginning and have been welcomed in by this ground-breaking, revolutionary team of ordinary health workers! Even the odd Bury member has come along. Possibly to see who’s making all the noise!

Comments from NHSers include: Lorraine in Rheumatology “What I love about Liberté night is that even though we are all working so hard, we still have time to laugh, and because of this it makes it such an enjoyable to workout, and to keep coming back for more!!” Alison in Respiratory Medicine “I could still feel my stomach muscles hurting Saturday and that was without the use of any weights! Liberté are obviously providing you with an excellent workout!!” and Katrina in Breast Care Services said “It was so much more interesting than the Gym”.

The sessions are constantly changing to encompass our increasing fitness levels, but also allow for the levels of new members to join in.

The general consensus from us is come and give it a go, what do you have to lose??? Liberté still offer the first free trial session to NHS staff, and it is hoped that our numbers will continue to grow. We’d love to welcome some new NHSers! To book or discuss a free trial, e-mail Papillon Luck at Info@libertefitness.com.

Papillon is thrilled with how the first wave of NHS Staff had reacted to Liberté. “...out of all our park launches, the NHS one has been the one which has had the most attendees sign up in one go combined with their regular attendance. In other parks people sign up and sometimes miss sessions but regular as clockwork the NHS (bar a couple) have never missed a session and it's that which means their fitness levels are improving so quickly in such a short period of time.”

Paps is also a welcome sight on the occasional Tuesday night, possibly there to help GT keep the rowdy bunch in line, but really to offer extra support and encouragement.

Be warned though!! Liberté is highly addictive, and a conversation overheard last night was as follows: “Personally I think they are brain washing us! There is no other explanation for why you spend an hour pushing yourself to your limit, making your body do the most bizarre things. Seriously, who thought up scorpion press ups, burpees and alternate squat thrusts, a normal squat thrust is bad enough! To then be driving home feeling full of energy and totally de-stressed and also a little smug….”

Helen Kroon, Medical Staffing, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust

New glow in the dark kit will help you stand out this winter

The clocks are going back in two weeks and Halloween is on its way -what better to stand out in the park this winter than grabbing some of the new stunning Glow in the Dark Liberte kit?

There's a big range of new items available from the Liberte Land Rover including brilliant Glow in the Dark hoodies and Glow in the Dark long-sleeved grey marl t-shirts.

The back of these items has big bold 'Ever Done It In The Dark' lettering that lights up when you run past a floodlight, lamp post, park light or street light.

There's a navy short-sleeved version too and even a rain jacket with 'Ever Done It In The Rain' on the back.

While that kit is great for training, there's other fab garments to keep you toasty this winter starting with the brilliant white figure-hugging base layer that will show off your abs and keep your body heat close to your chest when you're working out in the chilly winter.

And what better way to show off to your friends that your a committed Liberte Fitness member than sporting a Liberte-branded beanie hat and scarf - you could wear the hat to keep your noggin warm in winter or just keep it for when you're Christmas shopping around town - you're sure to turn a few heads!

Order forms are available from Paps and Gareth in the parks - but the kit is selling fast, so place your order asap to avoid disappointment.

Q&A with the newest Liberte trainer Joe Sadler

The newest trainer on the Liberte Fitness block is 23-year-old Joe Sadler who has been mainly teaching sessions in Newmarket. For those who haven’t had a session under the guidance of Joe yet, you’ve got to see the all-energy bundle of fun in action.
Joe’s full of enthusiasm and great ideas and for those of you who don’t know much about Joe, here’s the lowdown – or should that be the Joedown?

Nick: How long have you been in the fitness industry and how did you start?
Joe: I have been working in the fitness industry for seven years, starting off at Newmarket Leisure Centre where I gained my level 2 fitness instructor course while working as a leisure officer. I went to LA Fitness for nine months working as a membership advisor working at LA Fitness and I really got the fitness bug when a position came available got a transfer to be an instructor. I worked as an instructor for 18 months gaining my aqua fit and spin qualifications as well as my personal trainer qualifications. I’ve been working as a self-employed PT for the last year.

Nick: What attracts you to Liberte and how is it different from working out in a gym?
Joe: I only teach aqua classes on a cover basis now, so I miss working with a group and Liberte allows me to do this, learning new skills with bodyweight and functional exercises. The members are fantastic, it’s a great atmosphere and they’re full of commitment which helps motivate me to deliver new exciting sessions. Outdoor sessions allow more freedom in terms of group/team races and exercises plus they’re a different environment to work in.

Nick: What do you enjoy most about training Liberte members?
Joe: The Liberte members are always looking to get pushed harder than last week and it’s been a great friendly atmosphere from my first day taking part and then teaching sessions. Trying to stop members chatting is always a personal favourite challenge of mine! But, seriously, the members have made a huge commitment to change their lives and I love being able to help them in doing this!

Nick: Your sessions are starting to get a reputation for being tough - why is pushing people so hard beneficial?
Joe: I am still a huge believer that everyone under estimates their bodies’ potential so with a little bit of encouragement members will push their bodies harder than they ever believed possible. Once your body reaches a certain fitness level we hit a plateau, not increasing our fitness levels we always need to push our bodies harder to gain to the next level.

Nick: What's the best bit of training advice you can give someone who has just started doing the Liberte sessions?
Joe: Liberte sessions are for everyone and it doesn’t matter what your fitness levels are, each exercises and session is tailored made so anyone can complete a session. We don’t ask for a certain number of reps, or a certain time it’s how many reps can you do in 10, 20, 30 ,45 ,60 seconds etc.

Nick: What Liberte exercises do you personally find hardest to do?
Joe: Good question, when I first started taking part in Liberte sessions, I found the whole overload leg circuit tough, so squat/lunge pulse, squat jumps, single leg squat thrusts are all very challenging and I still find them tough today – hence I only demonstrate two reps!!

Right, so now we know Joe’s secret! Thanks Joe for sharing some interesting insights into what being a new Liberte Fitness instructor is like and we are looking forward to getting back in the park with you soon.

All-action Papillon really is monkey magic

All-energy Papillon showed her fearless energy has no limits after taking part in Go Ape! at Brandon, near Thetford on Saturday.

Liberte's founder joined Nick in circuit of tree-swinging fun and frolics straight after taking part in a Nowton Park session.

And it was no surprise that a woman who craves the adrenaline rush of all-action sport took to the course like a monkey to a banana!

After swinging, climbing, crossing and zooming down zip wire's Papillon reckoned Go Ape! is the perfect place for a Liberte Fitness member to hang out for the day as some of the strength that's been built up in the park under the tuition of Gareth, Joe and of course Paps is needed in the forest

Anyone who has trained at Liberte for even a few months will find the course really good fun and you'll probably be surprised just how fit you've become when you see other people struggling to pull themselves along.

See - all those burpees really did have a benefit!!

Liberte session was a piece of cake

Great Liberte session in Bury St Edmunds this morning as the Newmarket and Bury groups came together - my first Saturday session for a couple of weeks and it was full of drama.

Of course the normal session was brilliant, but there was the added highlight of the Tour of Britain going right past Nowton Park as we trained - thanks to Gareth and Paps for stopping the session so we could all see this big sporting event come past.

But that wasn't the real highlight.

Some of us have been on holiday recently and we've been indulging in a little extra food - some sweet treats that have included cherry mojitos for some and cream teas for others.

I was one of the guilty few who nibbled a couple of extra scones over the previous week and boy was I made to pay today.

A routine session of minefield ended with me way out in front of everyone else and the rest of the bunch hanging back. Gareth, who had been calling "Minefield", "Enemy Left" and "Grenade" suddenly announced a new exercise "Artillery".

Muggins here turned around to see a hail of scones coming towards him, fresh from the conniving mitts of the rest of the Liberte bunch.

I ended up on the floor with bits of scone being crumbled in my face - thanks Martina!

It was very funny, but be warned - I'm out for revenge!!

Final 2011 beach weekend is another big hit

SEPTEMBER's gloriously sunny weather was the perfect backdrop for the final Liberte Fitness Beach Weekend of the year at Holkham.
The beach weekends, held at the famous Norfolk beach, have been a real hit with Liberte members who are looking for a monthly summer treat to supplement their weekly park sessions.
The final weekend combined all the best bits of beach events held earlier in the summer - and next year they will be back and bigger than ever with hopefully a second location added.
For those who haven't been to one so far, make it a point of going to one in 2012. To give you a flavour of what they are like, Liberte members Alison Hall and Nikki Wright shared their views.
Alison, who usually works out in Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds said: " The beach weekend was awesome. It was a good mix of training and nutritional advice plus a lot of good advice from Gareth about muscle groups and different types of training.
"Obviously there are some similarities to the park training sessions with regards to some exercises but you could not get a more contrasting landscape! It is an amazing place to train with the sand offering another level to the challenge.
"I loved every element of the weekend and met and made some fab new friends. The team games were brilliant fun and the running, while challening, was exhilarating.
"I couldn't fault the weekend apart from maybe it wasn't long enough and I didn't want it to end! My least favourite part was probably the yoga but only because I get so frustrated at being so inflexible! To sum up it was an awesome weekend spending time with great like minded folk soaking up loads of vitamin D. I left feeling revitalised, de-stressed and with an ache in my side from excessive laughter - I can't wait for 2012."
Nikki Wright, who is a regular at The Severals in Newmarket said: "It was fantastic, even better than before because Ed and I are fitter, our recovery from each section of exercises was much better, but it was good to be able to 'measure' that.
"I love the park sessions, especially at Bury St Edmunds as Newmarket is so flat and not so pretty! But the beach just rocks, especially if the sun is shining. Its good to train on sand, I feel it works you harder as the ground is even more uneven.
"I'm learning all the time from Paps, Gareth and Joe, the beach session just brings it home even more. Ed and I love the team games, but I especially love the yoga part, its very zen and ends the day(s) nicely."
So that's what two dedicated members think - if you 've never experienced the fun of doing Liberte on sand then make a date for 2012.

Getting back into Liberte after a holiday is a killer!

Damn holidays!

Bloody over-rated if you ask me. Sure it's nice to have a lay in, not think about work and laze around for a bit, but getting back into Liberte after even the shortest break is a right old killer!

I went last night for the first time in two weeks and boy am I feeling it today.

Since the start of April, when I last had a week off, I've been to pretty much every session in a five-month spell that's seen my fitness rocket.

But after missing five sessions, the last of which was due to a cold, I was back on Wednesday night and the slight fever I was feeling made me sweat like a pig after just five minutes.

The sweat has all dried up now, but the aching today is something I haven't felt in months - and it feels just like it did when I first started some eight months ago.

The old legs and arms feel like lead today and those Cornish Pasties and cream teas are starting to feel like a bad idea.

What have I learned?

I've learnt that I can't wait to get back into it this autumn and as for taking a break from the park, it's just not worth it. It's the first time I've had a cold since I started Liberte and I'm sure the two are connected. Just when I stop training I end up getting ill.

Holidays are for whimps and Liberte is for life!

How about this for a new Liberte Fitness exercise?

Imagine if Liberte Fitness had existed back in the 1950s.

Alas, Papillon's grandparents never thought of it way back when, but if had existed, perhaps it would have looked something like this.

This picture recently emerged from my family's archive (sounds a bit glamorous that - in reality it's from my grandad's photo album that he keeps in a draw next to his stash of peanuts and just in front of his collection of 50 pence pieces).

The picture shows my grandad's brother Richard, or Dickie as he was known, strutting his stuff at Barking Fire Station in the late 1950s.

Can you see the family resemblance? Apparently he used to put on shows like this during downtime a t the station where he was stations as a fireman.

Don't you just love that he felt the need to take his to off while everyone around him just seemed to want to spark up a fag - and that's not to mention the men who just want to look up the woman's skirt!

Maybe we should give it a whirl at Liberte - we just need a volunteer to be lifted up like a dumb bell.

Liberte scoops two awards at Velvet Magazine award

They did it!
Premier outdoor training company Liberte Fitness are celebrating scooping two gongs at last night’s annual Velvet Magazine awards, held at Wooddittion, near Newmarket.
Liberte beat off the fierce competition from boot camps and gym-based companies to take the Best For Diet and Fitness Award.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the company, which was founded in 2009, then went one better by taking the coveted First For Customer Service award in which they topped the voting of more than 180 companies across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
That was the cue for a night of celebration for Liberte founder Papillon Luck, head trainer Gareth Thomas and Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket members.
An overjoyed Papillon was thrilled with the wins that means her award-winning company has been recognised as East Anglia’s best fitness company – and the best in the region for customer service.
She said: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I was obviously hoping we would win but didn’t want to get too excited in case it didn’t happen. But when I heard that Liberte had won, it was such a good feeling.
“When I think back to when I had the initial idea and compare that to now, it really has been a fantastic journey.
“Winning the Diet and Fitness award is amazing, but the Customer Service award probably means slightly more. To be recognised as providing the best customer care is really important to us and the fact that we’ve been singled out in front of so many of our brilliant members is just the icing on the low fat cake!”
As well as celebrating with a glass of bubbly, Papillon wowed the audience with what else but a perfectly executed trademark Liberte exercise. Yes, she actually did a burpee in her cocktail dress!

Can Liberte Fitness scoop their first award on Friday night?

Liberte Fitness has been up and running for two years and this Friday night they could be celebrating winning their first award.

Liberte have been nominated twice in the Velvet Magazine 2011 awards which will be announced in Newmarket on Friday.

Up for Best Health and Fitness company and Best Customer Service, the awards, which are being voted for by the general public, the award would be the icing on the low fat cake for Papillon and Gareth's hard work.

Watch this space for news on how Liberte gets on.

How Liberte have the edge when it comes to customer service

When Bury Liberatrian Nikki-Bosely Temple slipped and sprained her ankle in July, she couldn't have been in better hands.
A month since the incident in Nowton Park which ended her Saturday morning session after 10 minutes, Nikki is fully recovered, thanks in part to the swift treatment she received from trainer Gareth Thomas.
After the routine warm up, Gareth moved the class to the benches for the start of a gruelling circuit of exercises which involved step-ups on the seat of the picnic benches.
But within seconds Nikki was on the floor in agony after going over on her ankle and flaring up an old injury.
She said: “I’d done the ankle before but as I went to step down from the bench I felt something go. I fell to the floor in pain, but it was fortunate that Papillon and Gareth were on hand to help me.
“Within a minute, Gareth had handed control of the session to Paps and he was comforting me on the bench. He quickly diagnosed the problem and I had a compress on the ankle within a couple of minutes.”
The care didn’t stop there as Nikki was carried to the Liberte Land Rover and driven straight to the casualty ward so the ankle could be checked. Fortunately it was just a sprain and Nikki was back in action within a week.
Liberte Fitness founder Papillon Luck said: “We would never let anyone just go off on their own after being injured like that. Taking Nikki to the hospital was a no-brainer. We want to make sure our members are looked after from the minute they set foot in the car park to the minute they leave the car park."
The Liberte customer service story doesn’t stop there. In the last year there have been numerous times when people have taken knocks and blows and the Liberte first aid kit has been whipped out. Gareth has even gone to the aid of a footballer who broke his leg in Nowton Park.
Papillon said: “Customer service is so important to us and it extends to wanting to socialise with our members. We don’t just want to take their money and give them an hour of our time. In the last year or so I’ve made some great friends through Liberte and we all regularly socialise. It’s one thing to meet all these lovely people, but to now count them as friends perhaps shows just what an impression they have made on me.
If you’ve been impressed by Liberte’s customer service then you can vote for the company to win a Velvet Award this weekend. The company has been nominated in the Fitness category and the Customer Service category.
Click the link here to vote.

Ed and Nikki are feeling oh so Wright - thanks to Liberte Fitness

Liberte Fitness has been up and running in Newmarket for three months this week and everyone who works out at the Severals is getting much fitter.
None more so than Liberte's favorite couple from the far West of Suffolk, Ed and Nikki Wright.
They were there back on May 3 when the Liberte flag was first sunk into the Newmarket turf and in the quarter of a year since, have both seen their health receive a real Liberte-enhanced boost.
Nikki, 40, said that her and Ed, 46, (pictured) have both changed their diets as a result of starting Liberte and are both feeling physcially and mentally happier.
She said: "We found the first session back in May a killer (that's Ed and Nikki working out with Papillon as Gareth watches on in the picture) Ed ached for days afterwards and I was just amazed at how unfit we both were, but we knew we had to carry on to start seeing results
"We love the sessions even more now! They aren't getting any easier as Papillon keeps adding new things to push ourselves even further, but we have noticed we are certainly becoming fitter as our recovery periods are getting quicker."
The pair took their love of training at the Severals up to the North Norfolk coast last month when they both took part in the beach weekend. It proved a valuable lesson in terms of diet and they've used that weekend as the springboard for a new healthier lifestyle.
Nikki said: "Since the Holkham Beach Weekend and Gareth's talk about food and diet and where I was going wrong (eating devil food!) we have changed what we eat and how we eat. We noticed differences within a week to the extent that Ed has had to go to the next notch on his belt to keep his work trousers up! We both feel so much healthier, not just physically, but mentally too."
As well as getting something back from the sessions by losing weight, Nikki loves the fact that Ed and herself can workout together as well as being part of a team.
"They're a good group," she said. "Not just in Newmarket but in Bury too which we've seen from the Saturday morning sessions and it was great to meet some of the Norwich crew and new people on the beach weekend. We all encourge each other and Paps and Gareth are a mine of information, they also make you feel that they are also your friends and that means alot today where customer service just doesn't seem to matter anymore. Although, we don't feel like customers any more, we feel like part of a team., so big, big praise for Liberte."

Getting hot and sweaty after a day in the office

August 1st meant a new job for me to start today and it was back in the office after around a year of working from home.
So Liberte Fitness has taken on a whole new world – I now have spend my pre-workout times hot-footing it from the office, changing in the toilets and then having the best hour of the day in the park with my good friends.
Working back in an office, the one thing I notice is just how much crap everyone eats. Sure there’s the office fatty who sits in the corner with his spare tyres for company – but the average person, my average colleague, seems to tuck into crisps and chocolate all day long.
And it's not just that - my boss was seemingly keen to ensure I soon became as unhealthy as possible within ten minutes of starting.
On my tour around the office I was shown where I could go if I needed a fag, the drinks machine that would serve me a Coke for 80p and the chocolate machine that would give me a quick fix of Cadbury's finest.
By this point I did feel slightly insulted - I mean, could they not see that I was a lean, clean Liberte machine?
It did make me proud to say I had to dash just before six as I had to go and workout in the park. While everyone else was probably heading down the pub to waste money on alcohol and increase their waistlines, I had a great hour session with Gareth and 12 pals and it felt better than ever.
Sitting at a desk all day makes you yearn for just one thing – the sun, the camaraderie and the burpees.
So for anyone who goes to Liberte after putting in a day at the office, I now know what it’s like and I salute you.
I just may need to warn my new colleagues that I may do a couple of deltoid press ups next time I’m standing by the photocopier!

Tree strike illustrates just why we don’t train in lightning

We’ve trained in the rain, stretched out in the sun and high-kneed in the hail – but there’s one element that we just don’t mess with.
Yes when there’s lightning, we sensibly stay well clear of the park. Most people know that when the skies are thundery the first thing to avoid is open spaces and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that the second thing to avoid is standing under a tree.
Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds is full of open spaces and trees and on Monday night, our regular session was cancelled due to a shocking lightning storm over the town. It came just hours after a lightning strike in the park split this tree in two in a spectacular electrical explosion that had more power than one of GT’s burpees.
Papillon Luck, Liberte’s founder, surveyed the sight this morning and was pleased that lead personal trainer Gareth Thomas had rightly made the call.
She said: “I was astounded at the damage to the tree in our lovely park – it looked incredibly dramatic. This only reinforces our health and safety policy to keep our members safe and we just don’t train in lightning.
“Even if lightning starts during a session we would act sensibly and protect our members by evacuating the park. Your instructor knows what to do at the first sign of thunder and would ensure you were safe at all times.”
Here’s hoping that we all pile up in the back of the Liberte Landrover and cuddle up together!