Fitness Coordinator and GB triathlete Claire Bloom, who is sponsored by GRAVITY UK and David Lloyd Leisure, has won the bronze medal in the 50-54 Age Group Sprint at the ETU European Triathlon Championships in Alanya, Turkey, which took place on Saturday 15^th June 2013.

“It was a fantastic day and a great race despite the heat, and to podium made it all the more special,” says Bloom. “I would like to thank my sponsors David Lloyd Leisure and GRAVITY UK for making it possible for me to have come.  Now for a well-earned rest before I pick up training for the World Championships in September.”

Bloom juggles her triathlon training with a busy Fitness Coordinator role at David Lloyd Leisure’s Chigwell club. Her next major race will be the World Championships in Hyde Park London on Friday 13th September.  She plans to relax her training for a month and then do some easy races, including the London Triathlon at ExCeL in aid of Motor Neurone Disease (which she lost her younger brother to in 2012) and then build up to the World Championships.

GRAVITY Training on Total Gym equipment is a big part of her regular training regime, as it’s excellent for full body conditioning and sports specific training, as well as injury prevention. The adjustable glideboard and cable pulley system enables a huge variety of closed chain exercises with variable resistance to strengthen key movements required in sports.

“I first used gravity three years ago at Loughborough and I was hooked from my first session,” says Bloom. “Now that we have the Total Gym equipment at David Lloyd Chigwell I do a half hour programme twice a week. Squats, single leg drills and dynamic squat jumps to strengthen my legs. I then lay on my front with the cables and do front crawl movements, breaststroke moves and surfer pulls. I then do ten minutes of specific abdominal exercises in the supine position using cables including pullovers with feet on and off the glide board, single leg extensions and jack knife leg pullovers. I finish doing more abdominal exercises with the scrunch board both up towards the tower and down to the squat board area on both knees and single knees into plank position and pike. If I have more time then I may do some specific shoulder strengthening exercises.”

“Sticking to my training schedule can be tough with such a busy job with David Lloyd,” Bloom continues. “I love working in the fitness industry, and I love the challenge of competitive triathlon, so that definitely helps!”