IN FOCUSAMP ATHLETICGet to work: at AMP the warm-up is f
more than a few half-hearted stretchto stabilise the key parts of the body targeting the
glutei, lower abs and rotator cuff. From there we build
into a block of posterior chain (back of the body)
work, as we feel this is neglected in everyday life.” For
anyone hunched over a desk all day, this is particularly
important, and while such a comprehensive warm-up is
something new to me – roughly 14 minutes longer than
I would usually spend – it does make what follows feel
decidedly more comfortable than it would otherwise.
Although full-body focused, each session leans
slightly towards either upper or lower body, and today’s
is the latter. I’m guided through a series of giant sets,
the fi rst of which is goblet squats, box jumps and
kneeling shoulder presses for three sets of ten. Th en it’s
barbell squats, glute bridges and T press-ups.
“We believe strength is an essential part of any
training programme,” says Mellor. “It provides the basis
to build all other components of fi tness. In a week atAMP you will hit the whole body. Each session has a
focus, and we fi nish with some higher intensity ‘work
capacity’ eff orts where the members will normally get
their heart rate up into the red heart-rate zone.”FIT FOR PURPOSE
Such a full-body focus, particularly with the emphasis
on mobility, is new to me, but the results speak for
themselves. Although only recently opened, Mellor
says that, on average, “in the fi rst month people lose
between two to fi ve per cent body fat, and increase
strength and fi tness by more than 25 per cent.”
If your goal is to get big, this probably isn’t the gym
for you. For anyone looking to improve their general
body composition and functional fi tness, however – all
under the tutelage of personable, highly knowledgeable
instructors – AMP's structured, tailored approach
seems to be the way forward.“AMP’s solution to the problem of
consistency is to make it as easy as
possible for its clients, so excuses are kept
to a minimum”
Photography
Jon Payne
Top to bottom: founder
Steve Mellor, Stephen
Gordon and
Matt Curley