Sweaty Betty blog

The first two weeks in England’s Garden have been energising and revitalising. Since arriving, we have been darting from studio to studio in Tunbridge Wells. The variety of different workouts on offer has blown us away.

 

We have punched it out with Fit for a Princess, vibrated it out with Pure Power Studios and stretched it out with the Freestyle Yoga Project. For our daily dose of Pilates, we’ve worked it out on the reformer at Cordio Pilates and revamped our form at Studio 1 Pilates. The lucky ladies of Tunbridge Wells are not short of selection for their all body workouts, where each studio and instructor complement one another so well. 
 

Every week Sweaty Betty boutiques host a total of 68 different fitness classes as part of our Get Fit for Free initiative. And yes, when we say Get Fit for Free, we mean it – all our club classes are completely free for Sweaty Betty members.
 

As part of Sweaty Betty's Guest Instructor programme, we asked Zara Dampney, Team GB Olympian and one of our SS13 models, about her high intensity training regime Volleybody and her life as a professional athlete. 

 
At what point did you decide that your career was going to be sports based?

I played volleyball from when I was 14. Once the Olympics were announced, I was 20 – I knew then I was going to commit and play professionally with the Olympics as my goal. 

You’ve  fulfilled your dream to become a Team GB Olympian in 2012.  What was the journey like?

I was always sporty growing up. I have two brothers and cousins who are all male, so I was a tomboy and would always compete with them. I did law at University and never thought about being a professional athlete until London was announced.

The journey was stressful. We had to fight for our position to be part of the team but it was worth every second once we had made it. The personal challenge of being a professional athlete every day is so empowering.
 
What is a typical daily routine for you?

Wake up, eat, train, eat, reflect/meeting, train, recover, eat, sleep! It’s repetitive but essential.

Volleybody is a new sport – how does it work?

Volleybody is a training regime inspired by what we do as beach volleyball athletes. Developed by myself and a team member plus our coach, it works through all of the exercises we do on a daily basis and adapts them so that you exercises can be done anywhere. This means you get all the basic whole body movements from volleyball, but in more realistic form so that it’s really easy for anybody to take part. As the name of the sport might suggest, you don’t actually need a beach to play on, that’s the beauty of it!

What are your most tested and trusted moves from the regime?

My favourite is the jump squat, as you feel it working all over your legs and glutes plus it ensures you move in the correct posture. The straight arm push-ups are amazing great for shoulder posture and toning which a lot of attendees of classes feel is really important in the run up to summer.

Some inspirational advice?

There was never a workout anyone regretted!
 

You can learn more about Volleybody by visiting the Volleybody website. Zara's exclusive Guest Instructor class takes place Wednesday, May 15 at our King's Road boutique. 

Last week, the UK’s top fashion journalists and fitness bloggers attended our AW13 Press Showcase. Unveiled in London's Soho, the new collection due to launch in July was an unparalleled fusion of fashion and technical wear across ranges including ski, yoga and dance.

 

As part of our collaboration with the English National Ballet, Sweaty Betty got a chance to catch up with Artistic Director Tamara Rojo. We asked questions and she answered. Here's what we learned.
 

Tell us about your background with dancing from how you began to where you are today.

 
When I was 19 years old, I won the gold medal at the Paris International Dance competition, which was judged by some of the most important figures in the dance world.  Despite having performed in many competitions, this was the first time that I was recognised as an up-and-coming talent. Two years later I was offered my first contract as a principal dancer with Scottish Ballet.

With heavy hearts, rock-hard abs and plenty of places to return to, the Road Show team bid farewell to St Albans.
 

 
 

Have you run a marathon in the last year? If so, Sweaty Betty wants to reward you!
 

 

Here at Sweaty Betty we know that all marathon medals are well deserved. So as a post-marathon treat we would like to reward anyone who has run a marathon in the U.K in the last year with 20% off at Sweaty Betty.
 

The Marathon is nearly here and for all of those that have been clocking up those miles and are both excited and nervous about the big day, we’ve asked two marathon pros to give us their top tips: