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THE RIGHT SHAPE FOR

RADIO

 Although my work demands

a high degree of mental agility,

it seldom requires me to break

into a sweat. I was fat.

NAME:   STEPHEN BUMFREY

DOB:      29/10/59

JOB :      BROADCASTER

FACT : I will never be skinny. No matter how strict the diet, my sternum will maintain its current distance from my vertebrae.

FACT : 12 months before I was introduced to Lee Ashford, the first thing you might have noticed about me was my blubber.

FACT : I now enjoy above average fitness for a man of my age.

FACT : This isn’t a quick fix – it’s a change of lifestyle.  

NOVEMBER 2007 UPDATE: Well, to be honest, weight-wise I have reached a plateau. However, that’s down to me disregarding good nutritional advice, and a succession of boisterous moments in the personal diary. But the running and jogging has REALLY come on.

November 2005 and a mile was pushing me to my limits. Today I think nothing of my regular five-mile route around the Norwich suburbs – I go for it two or three times a week. I can really belt round it if I want to. It’s a great way to level out the mind.

Ten miles are now manageable. Beyond that I do start to feel the challenge, but I can do it. I took part in the 10k Great East Anglian Run, which rather got the better of me – I just wasn’t quite up to scratch on the day. But more recently I completed a 10k course with the Coltishall Jaguars and knocked seven minutes off my previous time.

I’m down for the 2007 Norwich Half Marathon – I’m okay with that. What is worrying is being a potential contender for the 2008 London Marathon. Now, that is scary! I’ll have my work cut out for me there.  

As for the boxersize and light sparring, I’m still doing one session most weeks. Again, this is a good way to burn off any excess calories, and the punch bags are an ideal way of getting your own back on a difficult day at the office. I do have to work on my concentration when Lee holds up the focus pads – the tricky stuff like remembering my left from my right!  

AUTUMN 2006: A year later and my blood pressure is now normal, my body fat is down, energy levels up, and I’ve gone from an unfit maximum of 11 push-ups to 58 at the last count. And get this - I actually look forward to a work out! My local gym is just down the road from me. I go there four or five times a week, and every Tuesday I spend an hour at L. A. Personal Training. That’s a total of just five or six hours out of 168.

I don’t think I’m quite ready for a spandex Spiderman outfit. But these days, when the alarm clock rings at 3am , I can leap out of bed and confront myself in the shaving mirror without wincing. Lee has introduced me to boxercise, even a little light sparring, which has given me a feeling of confidence I’ve never had before.  

AUTUMN 2005: I was in a bit of a mess. But before we go any further, I should mention that I still have some way to go until I’m where I want to be. But it is an achievable goal. And that’s how Lee operates – No false promises, no short cuts. But no dreadful sacrifices either! It has been a gradual and realistic regime.   

 

I front BBC Radio Norfolk’s breakfast programme, co-present The Cox & Bumfrey Show on British Forces station BFBS Radio One, and occasionally report for ‘Inside Out’ on BBC 1 (East). Although my work demands a high degree of mental agility, it seldom requires me to work up a sweat. I was fat. So why had I allowed myself to grow outward and old before my time?

WHY BOTHER?: Suddenly I was in my forties – a little too late to start keeping fit. Did I really want to show myself up at my local gym? Could I be bothered? In any case, I’d always been a bit podgy – apart from my late teens, and a few months in 1990. Then in May 2003, I came home from work one evening to discover that my partner of nine years had died from an epileptic seizure. What was the point of anything anymore? I had ticked all the boxes on the ‘Let Yourself Go’ sheet. 

But how can you turn down the call of BBC Children In Need when they ask you to participate in an obstacle race? Three weeks ahead of the event the organisers insisted I at least tried to get into shape. They persuaded me to visit L.A. Personal Training for an assessment with Lee. I will always remember his impeccable diplomacy as he delivered the bad news.

The obstacle race came and went with some surprising results, not least of which being that I could barely handle ten minutes of energetic fun. Post race, I found Lee among the spectators and, once I had returned to my usual colour, asked if I could sign up for an hour session once a week for a couple of months. Why? Because I’d had enough of making excuses for myself!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Lee knows all about nutrition. Of course, we all have a reasonable idea of what’s good and what’s bad. But there are hidden calorie hotspots. For example, many products boasting a low fat content actually contain heaps of added sugar.

Lee talked me through what I ought to be eating, and gave me a list of foods types - ranging from green for healthy, through amber for okay in moderation, to red for danger. The good news is that the choice of nosh in the green category makes for a tasty menu. And now if I know something is loaded with calories it rather puts me off wanting to buy it – even chocolate!    

LONG-TERM PLAN : L. A. Personal Training isn’t a boot camp. You won’t be limping home with pulled muscles and torn ligaments. It’s all about you, your aims, your ability, your potential. Lee is a qualified professional. He’ll keep tabs on your body fat, blood pressure, heart rate and, of course, your weight. All you have to do is put in some time and effort.

As for me, well, I still have to keep a beady eye on my weekly calorie intake. Again, this is not a quick fix. It has to be a permanent change of eating and drinking habits. But it gets results. Red wine? Just now and then!

 

Boxercise

Boxercise develops hand-eye co-ordination, balance, timing and cardiovascular fitness. It’s a great calorie burner and most of all it’s fun! Boxercise teaches the techniques of punching, footwork and defence moves without physical contact between opponents. As a Boxercise personal trainer, Lee gives one-to-one tuition allowing you to enjoy a safe and rewarding workout.

Weight Loss

Lee specialises in weight loss programmes and relies on effective, fun and varied routines that not only help you lose weight safely and progressively, but also shape and tone your body whilst maintaining your optimum weight.

Nutrition Advice

Combining good nutrition with exercise is crucial to help you achieve your goals. Lee can advise you on what to eat and where to find it whatever your dietary needs may be. Whether you are a vegetarian looking for different sources of protein, seeking to cut out saturated fat from your diet or interested in pre and post- exercise nutrition then Lee can guide you.

General Fitness

Personal training with Lee Ashford can help you achieve any of the following: an improved cardiovascular system, better flexibility, muscle build, muscle tone,  mental wellbeing, increase confidence, reduce body fat, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure, ultimately increasing your chances of living longer.

Special populations such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and pre & post natal can all benefit from personal training.

Regular fitness testing, health checks and progress reports are all part of the service to enable you to reach your goal.

E-Mail: enquiries@leeashford.co.uk         Mobile 07775 922463

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