New fitness regime ShredFast has landed in Jersey, making high-intensity workouts accessible to anybody, anywhere, any time. JEP Sports reporter Oliver Kidman gets involved
A NEW movement is beginning to take over and change the game in the fitness space, as ShredFast has finally arrived in Jersey to a stirring reception.
Brought over by the team of Sammy Sutcliffe, Maria Le Cuirot and Darryl Mvalo, ShredFast brings its own unique approach to fitness and wellbeing, with its intense workouts, bouncing atmosphere and a strong methodology, numbers are already growing and word’s quickly getting out.
With its recent launch already raising a load of interest, I decided to try a class for myself at their current home in Fitness First, keen to find out everything about this new addition to Jersey’s fitness community.
ShredFast – what is it?
“ShredFast is a mixture of kettlebell and bodyweight exercises at a high intensity, which will push you to your limits. No matter what fitness level you are, whether you’re just starting out or the fittest person in the world,” said Sammy Sutcliffe – personal trainer, online coach and one of the three team members to bring this fitness regime to the Island.
“About this time last year, Darryl – who also takes the sessions – was doing the sessions in Liverpool, so he showed me it when he got back from uni. From then on, we haven’t looked back. I’ve got my mum (Maria Le Cuirot) doing it – everyone around me is now on it.
“We absolutely loved it – we were doing it more or less every day and just saw our fitness levels go up and up, and we got an addiction for it.”
ShredFast, quite simply, is a blend of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), kettlebell and bodyweight workouts that is available for all fitness levels. It’s also way more than that, going beyond just workout plans to look at your general wellbeing, nutrition and motivation.
Chief executive Luke Powell founded the fitness regime in 2019, bringing over 15 years of dedicated experience in the health and fitness industry to inspire, motivate and empower all individuals.
Through the blend of exercises, ShredFast does an incredible job of working on several aspects of fitness at once, as explained by Sutcliffe: “What we say to people when they’re coming in is that it’s cardio, strength and conditioning. So, if you come through the door and want to get a little bit stronger, then I might say to do more weight, fewer reps. Or, if you want to lose weight, drop the weight and do more reps – it’s completely adaptable to a person’s needs.
“For example, a kettlebell swing – which is one of the key movements to our classes – gets the heart rate up to a point where you could be sprinting, but you’re also weight training.
“Every muscle is engaged in your body, but you’re also getting the benefits or running without having an impact on your joints, so these exercises really do kill two birds with one stone.
“No one’s ever breezed through a class – and nobody ever will – but it’s also about making sure no one hurts themselves, so we really emphasise getting the form correct above all else. Don’t ego lift, as you get more out of the session through doing the right technique.”
This approach looks set to contend with the traditional gym practices, as Sutcliffe said: “I’ve been there myself, where you spend hours in the gym and you don’t really feel like you’ve done anything once you’ve left, not really seeing results.
“However, this is an hour of your day where you’re guaranteed to get results.That’s a part of the reason why the three of us have moved into the PT space, because we know that we can break some of them old traditions of the gym, where people are in the gym for two-three hours a day – no one has the time for that.”
Although the workouts may look gruelling across the ShredFast social media feeds, their flexible and inclusive approach to fitness makes itself incredibly clear, consistently promoting the message of “Anybody. Anywhere. Anytime”.
That message hasn’t been lost in Jersey, as Sutcliffe continued: “Anyone can come, any time. I’d never say no to anybody. Unless we’re fully booked, anyone and everyone is welcome to come through our doors.
“Genuinely anybody can come through our doors and get a good session. We’re getting so many different people in the classes, from 16-year-old lads all the way up to women in their 70s, and we ensure everyone’s welcome.
“We’ve had some people come to us and say they’re a bit intimidated by it, which I completely understand. But, I’d say for people to come and try it, as there’s nothing to be intimidated by.
“No matter what your fitness level is, we’ll make you feel welcome, as everyone who comes in is there to improve themselves and we have a great community.”
Many readers will have some experience of the usual monotony and tedium of general gym workouts, doing the same exercises week in – week out. However, ShredFast strives to keep participants engaged through constant variation and a vibrant atmosphere, with no two classes being the same.
“Our classes run for an hour, and they’re never the same. We run different complexes throughout the class so it’s never repetitive or boring, and there’s always different challenges,” said Sutcliffe.
“While everyone’s working out, we’ve got house music pumping, the energy’s really high and the vibes are good – the energy we have is unmatched. Honestly, there’s no better feeling than when you’re seeing people next to you who are struggling just as much, but you’re seeing on their faces that they really are enjoying it.”
Completing a class really does bring a rewarding feeling, with a “ShredFast high” leaving participants “buzzing for hours.
The benefits of partaking in this fitness programme extend beyond the ShredFast high, as Sutcliffe went on to explain the wider positives: “I think the fact that it’s as much of a mental battle as it is a physical battle helps make your life a lot easier, especially once you’ve overcome it.
“If you do a ShredFast in the morning, there is not much else for the rest of the day that will be anywhere near as challenging.
“The best example I can give is my mum, who was really suffering from going through the menopause. Once she came across ShredFast, she hasn’t looked back and is now a completely different person, leaving her job to take classes and commit to this full-time.
“I’m way more confident and sure of myself now, and seeing how much my mum and Darryl have changed for the better over the past year just goes to show it works, and that’s why we’ve brought it to the Island.
“Even with some of our classes so far, it’s great to hear them say things like they’ve moved up a weight or feel better about themselves, that always puts a smile on my face.”
Although it’s still early days, the team have big aspirations for the future of ShredFast, as shared by Sutcliffe: “We’ve been getting really good numbers for our classes, pretty much filling them each week. Now, it’s about opening up more times for our classes and bringing in more people of different demographics, because it really is for everyone.
“The future’s really exciting, and the three of us are going to help hundreds of people in the next year fall in love with fitness.
“We want to become the biggest fitness brand in Jersey, while helping as many people as we possibly can.”
Time to get a sweat on
Through hearing about the ShredFast workouts through fellow Sports Reporter Archie Corbett, as well as scrolling through the ShredFast Instagram page, I knew it was never going to be easy.
However, as an avid gym-goer myself, I was extremely curious to try it. I’ve seen various reels pop up on my feed showing the workouts and the amazing results they’ve achieved in such a short time-frame, and with work commitments piling up, could this be the answer to keeping fit and healthy on a tight schedule?
The short answer is yes – it’s definitely one of the best workouts I’ve ever done. The session was far from monotonous, I was always absolutely engaged and I already felt fitter straight after the session.
First off, I have to give a huge shout-out to Sammy, Darryl and Maria who all took the session – their welcoming nature made me feel immediately comfortable in the group session, and they were always happy to help with technique and offer their advice whenever needed.
In the hour session, three complexes (AMRAP, TABATA and EMOM) were completed before the concluding abs routine, all of which pushed me to the limit, as promised.
I should have listened to Sammy’s prior advice, though, as I had to change the weights and drop down from 12kg to 10kg halfway through.
Throughout all the complexes, you could really feel your whole body working, which was no small feat considering the only equipment you had was a mat and kettlebells. Whatever the movements were, from kettlebell swings to an alternating press, the coaches always stressed the importance of form to ensure everyone got the most out of it.
I’m a guy who prefers to train as an individual most of the time with my music blaring, so taking a group class isn’t usually my approach to fitness.
However, looking around and seeing everyone completing the workouts with you and being pushed to the limit made way for a real communal feel, and there was such a variety of people all combining to complete the same workout, which demonstrated the adaptability and accessibility of ShredFast.
For anyone who’s usually intimidated by such classes, perhaps due to being worried about what others are thinking, then you have nothing to worry about here – everyone is in the same boat and focusing on themselves and their targets.
I didn’t really know what to expect, but the intensity of the session was unbelievable – I don’t think I’ve ever sweated that much. Every second of rest felt earned, and that’s exactly what you want from a workout.
Even once it was all over, people were hanging around and the coaches made efforts to speak with several members, once again showing their commitment in creating a real community.
If you want to burn calories, get stronger and work on pretty much all aspects of fitness to get results, then this is the regime for you.
As sessions last up to an hour, the beauty of this is that it completely removes the excuse of not having enough time – I know how busy people can get, so with this producing remarkable results, it’ll hopefully inspire more people to get fit and active than ever before.
If you want to get started on your ShredFast journey, then please reach out to either Maria Le Cuirot, Darryl Mvalo or Sammy Sutcliffe, who will get you started either with classes or one-to-one sessions.
Contact details:
Maria Le Cuirot: Instagram – @mlecfitness
Darryl Mvalo: Instagram – @darryl.mvalo
Sammy Sutcliffe: Instagram – @sammysutcliffept, or get in contact through his number 07829 991744
As they say: “ShredFast or be last!”
