Hayley Fever is a certified strength and conditioning coach who’s overarching goal is to “train like a well-rounded athlete” This includes strength, explosive power / plyometric, conditioning, mobility and handstand drills. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Hayley to talk all things training to inspire those of us on a fitness journey!
Pro-tip 1 – train like a well-rounded athlete
Strength work to ensure that day to day living and through ageing (especially for us women) we remain strong. It also feels really empowering to be strong.
Explosive power and plyometric work means you can be fast on your feet, explosive to jump and move at speed.
Conditioning is a fun way to get your heart rate up and keep it up. Challenging your cardiovascular output. This transfers so easily to day to day life. Being able to go on walks or hikes, for my clients to run around after their children, to commit to activities with confidence in their heart and lungs to be able to not only do it but enjoy it knowing that they won’t suffer the whole time.
Mobility simply put is the ability to move well through a full range of motion, I think that speaks for itself.
Lastly, handstands (or other skill based training), in my opinion it’s work disguised as play! It’s a fun way to connect back to your childhood. To try a new and challenging skill not only for your body but for your mind.
Pro-tip 2 – Eat the most that you can, to train your body to use the fuel you’re giving it
I know my nutrition is on point based on my performance. If I am training consistently, recovering well, gaining strength and muscle, this is a good indicator that my nutrition is supporting my training goals. And you’ve heard it before, but adequate protein intake is so important for reaching training goals.
Can you share an example of when you stepped out of your comfort zone?
I have always been a driven individual and now speaking from firsthand experience, I know the feeling of accomplishment you get when you push yourself both physically and mentally and I recognise the growth that comes from this. From owning my first company at the age of 22 and all of the challenges that came with this, to grinding out a really hard training session, for me it’s important to build my physical and mental resilience.
Pro-tip 3 – Active recovery for the win!
A long, slow walk. A swim at the beach. A stretching session, foam rolling session or yin yoga. If you rely on the sense of achievement, this will help you to reframe it as a positive to working towards your goals. But ultimately learning and understanding why rest is so important to reaching your goals. Then you can accept a rest day knowing it’s all a part of the success.
Can you recommend a source of information to help the person reading this with their training?
Fortunately and unfortunately there is a lot of free information out there with our world of technology and social media, but not all of it is good quality. Below are a few of the women in the industry, that I follow, who share training information based on knowledge, experience, science and it’s shared with integrity – @hattieboydle / @sharellegrant /@lisafiitt
But it’s not just women who are for women, @coachmarkcarroll , @coachgreen.pt and @vernongriffith4 all post quality content on training and mobility.
And one of the best in the business to really develop women’s glutes (because we are in the age of everyone chasing the booty gains) – @bretcontreras1 Bret created the Hip Thrust and has a book that is full of useful information to glute training and the mechanics of it. Knowing why, helps to understand how.
Where can the community find you?
Instagram @h.feaver_pt
hayleyfeaverpt.com