It’s that classic time of year when you promise yourself that you are going to lose weight, get fit, and take better care of your body. The problem for a lot of us is that those good intentions don’t tend to stick past the first week of January. It’s all too easy to give up when we are doing it on our own, or we don’t have a good enough plan. The guys from RYS Training know that all too well which is why they have launched their Consistency Challenge, starting on January 15. Anyone can participate, wherever you are in the world, it doesn’t matter because it will all be online, although if you are local to Santa Ponsa and CrossFit Mallorca, you can participate there as well!
Brothers Brandon and Sam Brown from RYS were born in the UK and moved to Minorca when they were six and four respectively. “We were both really into being outdoors, like most kids growing up in the Balearics, we spent a lot of time riding our bikes.” But unlike some brothers they are very supportive of each other. “We’re very close,” says Brandon, “We don’t really compete with each other, except in a workout to see who can lift the heaviest or who can run the fastest. Obviously we are brothers but we are very different in athletic ability. Sam started training seriously when he was a teenager, going to the park and doing pull ups, push ups and squats and he went to university and did a degree in Nutrition whilst I took a very different path. I was back in the UK and chasing my career, and living a very unhealthy lifestyle!”
Sam in his words, “fell in love with training” whilst he was at University, but it wasn’t until COVID that the brothers were both living in Mallorca and Brandon was inspired by Sam to start training and taking care of his nutrition. “We started doing workouts in the garden together during lockdown, and through some coaching from Sam I lost a lot of weight and it’s just progressed from there,” finished Brandon. Having inspired his brother and taken the qualifications to become a personal trainer Sam now works alongside Rob Martin, the founder and owner of CrossFit Mallorca in Santa Ponsa. Rob is a very well known trainer who has lived and worked on the island for more than 15 years, working first in the Country Club Santa Ponsa before setting up his own business. Rob has competed at regional level in CrossFit and in the new fitness race which has taken the community by storm, Hyrox. And it was at the gym, fuelled by the joint mission to encourage more people to take control of their health and fitness that the two brothers and Rob hatched a plan to launch RYS.
Why did you start RYS?
We wanted to inspire people no matter what their fitness background is and to show them that all round fitness is possible, little by little every day. We also decided to launch it online as we can reach more people than only the members at the gym that way.
What does RYS stand for and what is the concept behind it?
It stands for “Raise Your Standards”. Everyone’s standards are different and we just want you to try to reach your next level, whatever that is. We believe that training with a goal in mind is really motivating, whether it is to improve your Hyrox time, or to increase muscle mass.
What training programmes do you offer?
Currently we have Hyrox and Functional Bodybuilding programmes and we are now launching our minimal equipment programme for people without access to a gym. We have more in the pipeline which we are excited to create. We are also planning to start a running club in Mallorca.
What is your aim with RYS?
We want to build a community of people who are motivated to enjoy fitness and improve a little day by day. We would like to help people to transform their lives by improving their fitness for the better. We know that by focusing on functional fitness it can help everyone with their everyday activities such as playing with their kids or make it easier for them to do their work or just live their lives. It makes everything feel better!
What is the Consistency Challenge and how is it going to help me reach my fitness goals?
We are launching our 8-week transformation challenge which starts on January 15th. It will include guidance from Rob and Sam, your choice of an 8 week Hyrox, Functional BodyBuilding or Minimal Equipment plan, an individualised macros plan for everyone based on their personal goals and a supportive community to encourage you, hold you accountable and remind you why you started! Anyone who is motivated to take their fitness past their New Year’s Resolutions should consider joining in, AND at the end of the eight week process there will be a prize for the “most transformed” member, voted on by the community, and that person will win 500€! People have already started to sign up, and the challenge begins on January 15th so enquire now if you want to get involved. You can find out more about the challenge and sign up for it online https://www.rys-training.com or you can WhatsApp the team on +34 711 02 14 65.
What is your advice for someone looking to start their fitness journey in 2024?
▶ Starting is easier than you think. Put one foot in front of the other and begin.
▶ Is it hard? Yes it can be but being unfit is also hard. You choose which is harder.
▶ Don't worry about being judged in the gym as everyone starts in the same position and no one would actually judge you anyway, they are far too focused on what they are doing.
▶ If you are worried about what to do, join a class or PT for guidance, at least at the start and don't be afraid to try new things to see what you enjoy!