Everything about Andy Hackney’s neat, bright and modern fitness studio on the Eco Park in Ludlow says for all intents and purposes, “all who enter here get ready for a serious workout.” There’s a whole lot of equipment and gear: the boxing bags in the corner, free weights and exercise machines stand stridently in the private studio but it still feels quite airy and roomy.
Andy is celebrating Pulse Studio’s 10th anniversary — that’s ten years of helping clients meet fitness objectives or getting them back to fitness after injury or illness. Most clients Andy says come to him for a purpose: “The type of training I do with people is based more on resistance training to build a stronger body mixed with mobility and flexibility, all taught in a controlled and safe environment.”
Pulse 1 2 1 Training: helping clients to feel stronger but also to move more freely and to improve their lives
As a personal training professional with more than 20 years experience under his belt, Andy sees a range of clients and offers up a whole package of services that is not only about helping clients to feel stronger but also to move more freely and to improve their lives.
There are personal fitness sessions tailored to individuals or small groups, boxing exercise classes (Andy is a qualified boxing instructor), sports massage, intrinsic biomechanics and core stability training are all available at his gym.
He describes: “The sessions I provide are a bit different than normal P/T sessions. I do provide a good workout and I do put them through more challenging and different exercises alongside a range of biomechanical type mobility movements and, if required, sports massage. I also do circuits in small groups for women and men.”
WORKING WITH INJURIES
Andy works with a range of clients but notes that the majority of people come to him ecause they have had issues with injuries in the past and want to get fitter and stronger and to learn to do this in a safe way. Some of his clients are those just returning from an operation and have already done physio and are ready for the next stage in their rehabilitation.
Health practitioners — chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists — refer people to Andy who have completed a course of treatment and suggest to them that a structured strength-based programme is the next step. This can range from someone who has undergone hip surgery or had a knee operation to someone who had a sports related injury.
Whatever the issue Andy works with his client to come up with a programme of exercise that can be integrated into a whole package with sports massage and intrinsic biomechanics.
For example, Andy says he also has clients “who have reached a certain age and decided they want to take more care of their bodies and as I call it ‘train for longevity’ as well as those participating in a certain sport or activity like running/cycling/golf and want to improve their performance.”
BENEFITS OF BIOMECHANICS
As an intrinsic biomechanics coach, Andy (who trained at Loughborough University) works out what is causing an issue using an evidence based assessment system that comprises a screening process designed to look at the whole body before diagnosing the problem.
Intrinsic biomechanics, which focuses on what is happening mechanically on the inside of the body and how it could be affecting movement which in turn could be causing inhibited or dysfunctional movement patterns is slowly seeping its way in to mainstream consciousness according to Andy.
In the past, it was an expensive process that only professional athletes had access to but now anyone can benefit from a manual system that can help clients to move more freely while helping reduce the risk of injury and enhancing performance..
FREEDOM IN MOVEMENT
The style of personal training at Pulse then is very much forward thinking and Andy says he likes to work with people with more interesting and complex issues to help them move forward with their goals. It means he can bring together elements from a veritable back catalogue of more than 20 years’ experience, training and knowledge to meet those needs.
Andy illustrates this holistic touch to training with an example of a long-term P/T client he has trained for three years, who mentioned in a session wanting to improve his golf game. No sweat for Andy, who followed up with 45 minutes of golf-related movement exercises with his client.
It doesn’t matter where you are on the fitness scale, Andy is able to help, whether it is that niggling knee injury that has been holding you back from feeling good or from having an active life. Or if you are already doing a sport and simply want to elevate your performance then we suggest you head to Pulse.
To contact Andy Hackney and learn more: Pulse 1-2-1 Personal Fitness Training or on 07969 833879
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