player blog
© THE PLAYER 2013
Having lived in North Belfast for the first 20 years of my life I became astute at dodging petrol bombs and house-bricks flung by those with nothing better to do thereby introducing me to speed and agility at an early age. There is little doubt that sport played a major part in my upbringing and kept me away from the bomb chuckers of the Ballysillan where I’m from.
I’ve been around sport and sporting people all my life. My parents have been a huge influence in my life. My dad is a Portadown man who at 82 still can’t talk properly and no one outside of Northern Ireland can understand a word he says. He has always been a fit man and played senior league field hockey in Ireland. He continued to umpire at a senior level well into his fifties. Also a keen golfer, but a self confessed hacker.
It was my mum who suggested coaching after I stopped playing, She saw me play only once and refused to watch again having seen me battered by two Irish International centres. However, she continued to support the way only an Irish mother can, by shouting and hurling abuse from home!
My brother, Colin, was a judo player who competed at International level
until a serious knee injury forced him into early retirement. I was part of
his training team in those early days. He now lives in Brisbane, Australia
and is probably a worse hacker than my dad.
I now live in leafy Hertfordshire, a million miles away from the happy Belfast
home I grew up in during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I’m married, for the second
time, aren’t most of us these days, with two sons.
Andrea, my wife and she who thinks she wears the trousers, works with me on
the business. She is a trainer and sports therapist and has worked with some
of the biggest names in the entertainment industry such as Peter Gabriel,
Guns n Roses, Oasis, W.W.E, Cirque de Solieil and many more. I have two sons,
one a County level rugby hooker and the other a guitar playing rocker hoping
to make it in the world of music.
I am fortunate to have been coached by some outstanding people in my time
including legends such as the British Lion, Mike Gibson and sprinter,
Don McBride. Their approach was very hands on and personal, traits that I
admire and attempt to replicate when delivering my own training sessions today.
My three main sports were rugby, sprinting and golf. I still try to spank a little
white ball around fields, with limited success.
I worked in the services for 15 years before a back injury and major surgery
forced me into retirement. Having been a sportsman for years it made perfect
sense to pursue a professional career within this field.
I retrained and initially travelled to clients’ homes. The decision to open my own
studio came about, as I believe the average High Street gym simply does not
cater for ordinary people like us very well. That said, they are generally well
equipped with treadmills, cross trainers, rowing machines and bikes, however,
there seems to be little real effort put into personal interaction with members
to assist them in their quest to change.
Most modern high street gyms are banged out with expensive C.V. equipment, which looks great but appears to miss the point. When the vast majority of those attending gyms want to lose weight there is little to no scientific evidence that C.V. training will work.
How many of you have spent months plodding along on a treadmill, jumped onto a cross trainer and then finished off your session on a rower? Loads of you I suspect, only to find it’s made little to no difference in your shape or weight.
What’s the point in joining a gym and being thrashed to within an inch of your life by a spotty, orange skinned, spiky haired, cap sleeved, baseball cap wearing youth who, whilst probably well intentioned, doesn’t have the first idea about your goals let alone how your body currently works and insists on calling you “mate”?
Many of the better known branded gyms can be intimidating environments with aircraft hanger sized spaces occupied by scores of nubile young things, not wearing much posing away in front of numerous bronzed young muscled chaps wearing even less. This image, whilst sweet to some, is a real off putter for most and discourages many from joining a gym.
I felt that a more intimate space with fewer members alongside knowledgeable and experienced staff utilising the latest training techniques alongside cutting edge equipment specifically chosen for performance would provide a training environment where people would achieve their goals in comfort.
We provide a very personal service with outstanding trainers who enjoy interaction with our members creating a fun environment where people have a laugh whilst achieving their goals. Where else will you see professional athletes training alongside us ordinary punters looking for a six-pack and trying to banish the old bingo wings and muffin tops.
At Bond Fitness we use short 25-30 minute sessions of interval training. After all we’re busy these days and who has 90 minutes a day, five days a week for the gym? This type of training works, eat properly and move more, you don’t need a PhD to work this out, just good old common sense and someone who can point you in the right direction with an array of exercises that do the trick.
Whether it’s making a professional athlete faster, leaner and fitter for his or her chosen sport or to help a young mum or dad lose some baby weight we’re there to help.
We have built a network of renowned experts in their respective fields including Dr Paul Hurrion, a biomechanist and coach to Rory MacIlroy and Paidraig Harrington and Matt Lovell sports nutritionist to the England rugby team.
Our short-term goal for the business is to ensure that we continue delivering results for Bond Fitness members. In the longer term we intend expansion into new sites and continue to deliver outstanding service.
Each member that has joined us has been through word of mouth recommendation. Our retention figures indicate that our members are motivated, happy and getting results. Something that I’m hugely proud of as it indicates we’re doing a good job. Long may it continue.
“So many people are destined for failure in the gym
before they even put their trainers on”
melt down
Bond Fitness,
Highfields,
Hoe Lane,
Ware,
Hertfordshire,
SG12 9NZ
Tel: 0845 070 3007
Steve Bond has over 25 years experience within the fitness industry and runs a company that specialises in creating bespoke training that is required to maintain a balanced weight and a healthy life.
