We all want beautiful, full muscles. Right? But spending hours in the gym is something that few people really enjoy. Thanks to the unique Milon circle, that is not necessary. In this blog, you will discover how you can strengthen your muscles in just 35 minutes every five days and get the most out of your training.

The importance of time-efficient training

Strength training is essential for building full muscles. However, in a busy life there is often little time to work on fitness goals. That is why it is important to choose a training method that is time-efficient. The Milon circle is specially designed to give you a complete full-body workout in just 35 minutes, optimally combining cardio and strength training. If you choose Happy Bodies, your body will be scanned super-fast by the innovative Milonizer during the first training session. Based on so-called biometric markers, all devices are automatically and accurately set every time. This way you are assured of a personal and optimal training, regardless of your physical condition and you achieve maximum results with a minimum investment of time.

The benefits of the Milon Circle

The Milon circle offers numerous advantages for building full muscles. Firstly, it is an efficient training method, giving you a complete workout in just 35 minutes. Furthermore, the Milon circle is suitable for people of all fitness levels, as the equipment automatically adjusts to your personal needs. Furthermore, the combination of strength training and cardio ensures effective fat burning, so that you not only build muscle, but also reduce your body fat percentage.

The unique concept of Happy Bodies

At Happy Bodies we believe in a total approach to a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the Milon circle and personal guidance – but without the ridiculous price tag of a personal trainer – we also help you optimize your nutrition. This way you not only build full muscles, but you will also experience a sense of well-being and vitality. Our trainers are ready to guide and motivate you during your fitness journey. Personal attention, result-oriented training and an inspiring environment, that is what makes us happy at Happy Bodies.

We previously wrote a blog about sarcopenia and dynapenia: the loss of muscle mass and muscle strength as we age. In this blog we zoom in on the major disadvantages that sarcopenia brings with it and - more importantly - what you can do about it.

Prevent muscle mass loss

Sarcopenia is a natural consequence of aging, where you lose muscle mass, strength, and function. This can lead to an increased risk of falls, fractures, and reduced mobility. Losing muscle mass not only affects your physical performance, but can also lead to a slowed metabolism and an increased risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Strength training is king

Fortunately, there is something you can do about it. By doing strength training regularly, you can prevent muscle loss or regain lost muscle mass. If you think that strength training is not for you because you have physical complaints, we have more good news! Strength training is possible for everyone, even – or perhaps especially – if you have physical complaints. And fears of ending up like a female Schwarzenegger are also completely unfounded.

Nutrition and lifestyle for muscle health

In addition to strength training – properly combined with cardiovascular training – a healthy diet is essential to support muscle health. Make sure you get enough protein, as these building blocks are essential for muscle growth and recovery. It is also important to have a balanced and varied diet, rich in vitamins and minerals. Combining good nutrition with regular exercise and sufficient rest contributes to maintaining muscle mass and a healthy lifestyle.

Regular exercise not only makes you feel better in your body, it also makes you feel better in your head. In this blog, Thomas Esselink, franchisee of Happy Bodies in Hilversum and Soest, tells you how a well-functioning body makes you happier.

Nice concept

I ended up in the sports world more or less by chance. I studied tax law and started my own company in 2015. Through that company I came into contact with Happy Bodies. I was so enthusiastic about the concept that I decided to become a franchisee at the beginning of 2019. Not the best time to get started, in retrospect, but then it is nice to be part of such a group of smart and hard-working entrepreneurs, as colleague Gert Jan Straatsma already told in his blog.

Step between big gym and PT

Happy Bodies is the ideal step between a large gym and a personal trainer. I have had a lot of lessons from good trainers myself, so I know what the body does and how it works. How great to be able to convey that to other people? With the training method of Happy Bodies you come as close as possible to a personal trainer, without having to pay a lot of money for it. With the Milon circle, the exercises are perfectly tailored to the person who is training. At the large gyms you often see that people just do something. Incorrect setting of equipment, wrong amount of weights, wrong pace, all that together can go very wrong. The Milon circle prevents that.

Better in your body

I even got my 63-year-old mother to exercise. She was very fixated on losing weight, but she has now made the switch to wanting to be healthy. By exercising twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach, you will feel better about yourself and live a few more years in good health. How great is that?

Better in your head

In this society everyone is in a hurry and busy, we have to perform, perform and perform again at work and socially. That quickly fills up our heads. Sports literally provide distraction, after all you have to keep your head with the effort. That makes you think about something else and literally creates space in your head. That is already a gain. But you also overcome something. People often see sports as an obstacle, but once you do it you have really overcome something. That gives self-confidence and makes your next decision that day probably wiser than you would have made otherwise.

More vitality

If you look purely from the body, sports ensures that you create all kinds of substances that make you healthier. The testosterone level increases, you slow down the aging process and create muscle, which increases your skeletal muscle mass. That in turn ensures that you have less chance of injuries later in life. In short, sports ensures more vitality and less risk of dying early.

Many people think you can only lose weight by exercising at a high heart rate, because you burn more calories that way. But did you know that you burn optimal fat in a lower heart rate zone? In this blog post, Rémon Koetje, Lifestyle coach and trainer at Happy Bodies, explains what the fat-burning zone is, why it's important, and why you shouldn't forget strength training!

The fat burning zone

The fat-burning zone is a heart rate zone where your body primarily uses fat as an energy source and draws less on your glycogen stores—carbohydrates. The good news is that this fat-burning zone is a relatively low heart rate zone. So you don't have to exercise super intensely if you want to burn fat. So, if you want to lose weight, you don't have to exhaust yourself. By training in the fat-burning zone, your body burns fat, which is important for a healthy and fit body.

The added value of strength training

If you want to lose weight and burn fat, don't forget strength training. Strength training strains your muscles and causes minimal damage, without sending your heart rate through the roof. Afterward, your body needs extra energy to recover from that strain. This is called the afterburn effect, where you continue to burn extra calories for hours after your workout. So, it's important not only to do cardio but also to add strength training to your routine to achieve and maintain a healthy and fit body.

What is my fat burning zone?

There is a formula to calculate which heart rate zone is optimal for your fat burning, but you can also simply consult one of the trainers at Happy Bodies.

It's all about the right balance

You don't have to work up a sweat to lose weight—we've written a blog post about that before. The best way to lose weight is to combine cardio and strength training correctly, by varying the frequency, intensity, and duration, and by making the right nutritional choices. That's why at Happy Bodies, we offer a balanced mix of cardio and strength training to help you achieve your personal goals.

Collin Schouten started as a coach at Happy Bodies in Heemstede eight years ago. He progressed to club manager and later regional manager. Since 2019, he has been the operations manager responsible for all Happy Bodies locations. In this blog post, he talks about his work as operations manager and what makes Happy Bodies unique.

Operational matters

I started as a coach at Happy Bodies and progressed through various roles to become operations manager. In this role, I'm responsible for the operational aspects of all Happy Bodies lifestyle clubs, from staffing and training plans to being the face of the clubs, and inspiring new members and retaining existing ones.

26 locations

My "home base" is Haarlem, where I work one or two days a week. The rest of the week, you'll find me at one of the 26 locations across the country, from Alkmaar to Eindhoven. I often work at the coffee table. That way, I'm closest to the work floor and stay in touch with the members. There, I hear all sorts of things: from goals to enthusiastic stories and the occasional improvement suggestion. What's really great is that the athletes really feel compelled to tell me how great the coaches are. That makes you incredibly proud, doesn't it?

Keep up with sports

At Happy Bodies, the athletes are happy to have finally found a way to maintain their workouts. Many people don't feel comfortable in a regular gym, as Romano mentioned in his blog. They don't know what to do, they don't see any results, they hate the pounding music, the pumped-up bodies, and the large mirrors. After a few weeks, they quit, only to try again months later at a different gym of the same type. With us, it's completely different. Here we play relaxing background music, there's a homey atmosphere, and people find like-minded people. More importantly, the training plans are completely customized. Thanks to the Milon Circle, the athletes know exactly what to do, and here they finally see results, even if health isn't something they take for granted.

Efficient way of exercising

The Milon Circle offers an efficient way to exercise. It's a fully automated circle with fitness equipment where you can train your entire body in six 35-minute workouts each month. The equipment is configured to your body, so you always train with the correct posture and intensity, on your way to your personal training goals. The risk of injury is minimal, and truly anyone can improve their health this way. If you have any complaints, you always move within your pain limits: if you can only extend your arm 90%, we'll start within that 90% and then see if and how we can gradually improve.

Grow

I also love fitness and enjoy mountain biking. But my biggest hobby is my work. I've been working at Happy Bodies for eight years now and have seen it grow from one location in Amstelveen to its current 26 locations. I've grown too, from a coach with a passion for helping people to where I am now, as an operations manager. Although, I secretly miss helping people improve their health and become fitter and happier sometimes.

It's common knowledge that personal guidance in fitness has many benefits. But why are personal trainers so expensive? And is it really necessary to spend so much on a personal trainer? In this blog post, Romano Morais, CEO and co-founder of Happy Bodies lifestyle clubs, explains why personal guidance is a smart investment and how to get it without breaking the bank.

The benefits of personal guidance

A personal trainer can help you achieve your goals faster and in a healthy way. A good personal trainer ensures you train in a way that suits you, prevents injuries, and gives you tips for a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, personal guidance offers the opportunity to tailor your training schedule to your individual needs and wishes. This way, you'll achieve results faster and that motivates you to keep going.

Why are personal trainers expensive?

An hour of training with a personal trainer is much more expensive than an hour at the gym. That's understandable, because you're paying for personal attention and expertise. A good personal trainer often has years of experience and extensive training. Moreover, a personal trainer invests time in you. It takes time and effort to create a personalized training plan and build a personal relationship with you.

So why not pay top dollar at Happy Bodies?

At Happy Bodies, you get personal guidance without paying top dollar. Does that mean our trainers aren't good? Absolutely not! Our coaches have all completed extensive training and have years of experience in the field. But we cleverly combine that knowledge and experience with the Milon Circle. The Milon Circle is a fully automated circuit with fitness equipment on which you train your entire body in six 35-minute workouts each month. During the official first Happy Bodies workout, the innovative Milonizer quickly scans your body using biometric markers. This ensures that all the equipment is automatically set correctly for every workout, regardless of your physical condition. This way, we combine the best of both worlds and create the perfect balance between the masses of large-scale gyms and the price tag of a personal trainer.

For people with busy jobs and busy social lives, it can be difficult to find time to exercise and maintain a healthy diet. But the good news is that with a few small lifestyle changes, you can quickly see results. In this blog post, we'll give you five tips for losing weight quickly.

1. Create a consistent calorie deficit

One of the most important factors for weight loss is creating a negative energy balance: a (slight) calorie deficit, as we discussed in a previous blog post. This means you consume fewer calories than you burn. This works best by combining healthy eating with more exercise. Set a realistic goal, for example, 0.5 kilograms per week. This will help you maintain it and prevent you from falling back into old habits.

2. Alternate between cardio and strength training

It's important to do both cardio and strength training. Cardio helps you burn calories and improve your fitness, while strength training helps you build muscle mass and boost your metabolism. Try to exercise at least three times a week—and moderate intensity is fine—with strength training twice a week.

3. Maintain a balanced diet

A healthy, balanced diet is essential for weight loss. Make sure you get enough protein, vegetables, and healthy fats, and avoid sugary and processed foods. Create a weekly menu and plan your meals ahead to avoid the temptation of unhealthy snacking.

4. Use the Milon Circle

Don't have much time to exercise? Then use the Milon Circle. With this fully automatic training method, you can exercise your entire body in just 35 minutes, very efficiently and effectively. The ideal solution for people with busy lives who still want to work on their health and fitness.

5. Find a gym that suits you

Not every gym is right for everyone. If you hate crowded gyms and prefer a home-like atmosphere, choose Happy Bodies. Here you'll receive personalized guidance and train in a small setting. This way, exercising not only becomes more effective but also enjoyable again.

No shortcut

There's no shortcut to fast weight loss. It's all about maintaining a small calorie deficit, maintaining a balanced diet, alternating between cardio and strength training, and exercising regularly. With the Milon Circle, you can get the most out of your workout in 35 minutes, and at Happy Bodies, you'll also receive personalized guidance. All in a home-like atmosphere.

Limburg resident Stans Lammerse has struggled with back pain since she was seven. Mensendieck brought her little, at most a profound aversion to exercise. As an adult, she tried various gyms, but these were always short-lived. In 2022, her back pain worsened to the point that doing nothing was no longer an option. Stans: "I went to Happy Bodies, and there I finally found what I was looking for."

Fall from the stairs

I was born and raised in Limburg. At age three, I fell down the stairs in the factory where my father worked. I was carrying a bucket and a broom when the broomstick got caught in my boot. Since then, I've had back problems. Mensendieck is supposed to alleviate the pain, but the only thing I've been left with is a complete aversion to exercise. At 19, I fell down the stairs again, resulting in a hernia and major surgery. After that, I started exercising again, but I still hated it.

After two months, I'm done with the gym again

Even as a teenager, I wanted to escape Limburg. I ended up in The Hague and found work in home care. After a few detours, I ended up in the graphics department of Shell. That's where I met my husband, and that's how this Limburg native eventually ended up in Heemstede, North Holland. I still have back pain. I felt that exercise was good for me, and I tried it more than once. I think many people recognize this: you sign up for a two-year membership with one of the big chains, and after two months, you're done with it. I tried several gyms in Heemstede, but it was always a nightmare.

Short, clear and efficient training

Last year, my back pain got so bad that I just had to do something. I went to Happy Bodies Heemstede, and it was a bull's-eye. Since then, I've been diligently working out every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I'm very conscious of going in the morning; if I plan it later in the day, I quickly think, "Forget it." It's great that it's a short, manageable, and varied program. No twenty minutes on the treadmill, or an hour staring into space on the bike. Six 35-minute workouts a month, training your entire body in the Milon circle. Super efficient.

The right incentive

My back remains a vulnerable spot—I call it my eggshell—but I can't help but admit that it relieves my back pain. Happy Bodies is a bit more expensive than the big gym chains, but it does me so much good and it fits easily into my life. It's an investment in my health, and there's no price tag on that. You really get your money's worth here. Besides, a cheap membership that you don't use is ultimately a waste of money. My regular instructor is Rémon Koetje. He encourages me in just the right way and is very interested in my progress and how I feel. I regularly get a pat on the back when I'm doing well. Rémon listens carefully to me, and if something is too much or doesn't feel right for my back, he adjusts the program. He deserves a big compliment!

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time to exercise and are struggling to achieve good results? Then it’s time to get to know the Milon Circle! In this blog, Romano Morais, the general manager and one of the founders of Happy Bodies lifestyle clubs, tells you what the Milon Circle is and why it’s the perfect training method for busy people.

More results, less time, lots of fun

One of the biggest advantages of the Milon circle is that you can do a complete workout in just 35 minutes. The Milon circle consists of a series of hypermodern and fully automatic fitness equipment that you go through in two rounds. Because the digital circuit is centrally controlled, everyone turns to the next device at the same time. A kind of zipper for athletes. This way you perform your workout as efficiently as possible and you never have to wait in line. In addition, there is a lot of interaction, because you train in a circle. Fun is therefore an important aspect at Happy Bodies.

Personal settings

Another great advantage is that the training is completely tailored to your body. During your first visit to Happy Bodies, the innovative biometric Milonizer scans your body based on biometric markers and we look for any injuries or other limitations. The devices are then automatically set correctly for each training session. This way you always get a tailor-made workout and the chance of injuries is minimal. In addition, your progress and performance are automatically tracked digitally, so that you always know where you stand and we can adjust your goals at any time - in consultation.

Full-body workout

The Milon circle offers a balanced full-body workout, involving both strength and cardio. This ensures that you train all muscle groups and at the same time work on your endurance. Another unique aspect of the Milon circle is that the return movement of the exercise is heavier than the upward movement. This is also called concentric. This not only makes the workout more intense, but also ensures that you train the muscles twice as much in the same time as with normal fitness equipment. This makes a complete workout on the Milon circle possible in just 35 minutes. The result is a varied and effective workout that contributes to better health, a tighter body and more energy.

Motivational training

Training in the Milon circle is very efficient and effective, which helps you stay motivated. In addition, our trainers give you personal support and guidance, but without the price tag of a personal trainer. This way you get the best out of yourself, in two times 35 minutes every ten days. The solution for people with a busy life who still want to work on their health and fitness. You can come whenever you want and always train with other people in the circle. That motivates twice as much!

It's not just learning that makes you smarter. Reading can also increase your knowledge, and you can continuously train your brain with puzzles and memory games. But did you know that you can also become smarter by exercising? In this blog, Danny Kors, head trainer and nutrition coach at Happy Bodies, explains how that works.

Intelligence as a multifactorial concept

There are several factors that determine how smart we are. A large part is genetically determined. Scientists have discovered that there are genes that influence our cognitive functions, such as the ability to learn and remember. The environment in which we grow up also plays an important role in determining our intelligence. Think of the extent to which we are stimulated and challenged, but also the nutrition we receive. Then of course we also have education. Good education helps to increase our level of knowledge, learn new skills and increase our thinking ability. Finally, we become smarter by supplementing all of that with experience. If you have gained a lot of experience in a certain (professional) area, you can solve complex problems in that area better and faster.

Exercise for a smarter brain

What few people know is that exercise is also good for the functioning of your brain. For example, we read on the website of the Brain Foundation that exercise can contribute to improved memory, better sleep and a reduction in stress. Sufficient exercise ensures good blood circulation in the brain, which provides the brain with sufficient oxygen. This allows new brain cells to be formed and connections between nerve cells to become stronger. Communication between brain cells also improves. Exercise also reduces the risk of various brain disorders, such as dementia, depression and Parkinson's. Of course, exercise is also important for your physical condition and general health. So it's a win-win situation, really.

How much exercise?

How much exercise is good for you depends on many factors. The Health Council has drawn up exercise guidelines. As an adult, it is good to exercise moderately intensively for at least 2.5 hours per week. You can achieve this by walking for half an hour every day, which will cause you to breathe slightly more quickly. But don't forget daily activities such as climbing stairs, vacuuming and gardening. In addition, it is advisable to do muscle and bone strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Not only good for your brain, but also essential to prevent loss of muscle mass or to regain lost muscle mass and strength, as we already mentioned in our previous blog.

Do you exercise enough?

Are you keeping your brain flexible? You can check it here. Whatever the results, remember: Exercise is good, more exercise is better, and some exercise is better than no exercise!