Geelong's Gym

Yes, you did read that right.  If you train the right way, you can burn double the calories in only half the time.  Here’s the key: 20-60 second intervals at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate, followed by 30 seconds rest.  Before I say any more, have a look at this video of two of Geelong’s Gym’s Personal Trainers, Adam Ryan and Nathan Moore, putting this into practice…

First off, please don’t be intimidated by what you’ve just watched.  These guys are incredibly fit and prone to extreme exercise.  But here’s the good news – you can do what they’ve done…

Adam and Nathan are doing High Intensity Interval Based Training, which is based on your heart rate and is suitable for all levels of fitness.  Training in a high heart rate zone of 85% and beyond can only be maintained for a short period of time (high calorie burning zone).  When the heart rate hits the red zone, 95% plus, your body is then forced to rest and allow the heart rate to come down to be capable of repeating the exercise.  During this rest period the energy expenditure is still great, therefore burning a high amount of calories continuously while you rest.

And as an added bonus, it’s really great for time-conscious people who want to get fit and healthy but don’t have a lot of spare time on their hands.  By doing this kind of training you can achieve the results of a one hour workout in just half an hour!

Surely not, I can hear you thinking.  Here’s the key.  This is functional training, which means a variety of different muscle groups are used in each exercise, which results in a higher heart rate thereby increasing your energy expenditure (i.e. burns calories FASTER).  Plus, no session is the same as the last one, so your body doesn’t get a chance to plateau but instead remains at a peak level of training.

So if you want to see real results FAST this is the kind of training you need to be doing.

Come and join the party!!

Yes, it is possible to have fun and get a great workout at the same time.  The answer is Zumba, the latest fitness craze to hit the world.

Zumba truly is a gift to anyone struggling to get motivated to exercise.  Why?  Because we all know we should be exercising but that doesn’t mean we want to.  Let’s face it, sometimes it can be a slog and when it starts to hurt you just want to give up. 

And that’s why Zumba is the answer to all those prayers you didn’t even know you were praying.  The funky music and easy to follow dance moves will have you capitivated.  You’ll be so busy having fun and contributing to the electric atmosphere, you won’t even realise you’re exercising. 

Oh and in case you’re thinking having fun can’t possibly be much of a workout, Zumba is a huge calorie burner, is great for your fitness and it utilises virtually every muscle in your body, with a particular focus on the stomach, butt and legs.  Don’t believe me?  Come and try it out for yourself… you won’t be disappointed.

Geelong’s Gym has three classes a week, with a fourth coming soon…  Check out our timetable.

Today we have some tips from Rich Barretta, who has helped sculpt the bodies of Naomi Watts, Pierce Brosnan and Naomi Campbell, on the four rules for healthy eating which his clients swear by.

Naomi Watts swears by these four rules

1.  Cut back on Alcohol.  Alcohol is loaded with carbs and calories and, on top of that, it tends to cause people to make bad food choices.  Just a couple of sugary cocktails can add up to 1000 calories – half an average person’s daily need.  Avoiding alcohol altogether is best, but if you do indulge, opt for a glass of wine or slim down your drink with tonic instead of soda.

2.  Say “No” to fried food.  You can grill, bake, steam or broil, but just don’t fry!  Frying takes away the nutrients of healthy food and adds fat and calories.  Plus, many restaurants use trans fats, which increase your risk of raising artery clogging bad cholesterol and lowering fat-clearing good cholesterol.

3.  Avoid carbs at night.  You don’t have to completely deprive yourself of carbs, despite popular belief, but you should be conscious of when you eat them.  Consuming high-carb foods, such as potatoes, rice, pastas and breads, early in the day allows your body more time to burn them off.  Whereas carbs eaten at night are more likely to go unused and be stored as fat.  Barretta’s rule: stick to lean protein and vegetables after 6pm.

4.  Choose unprocessed foods.  Out of convenience we often reach for processed products, even though we know fresh unprocessed foods are better for us.  While it can be difficult to cut out processed foods entirely, there are certain ingredients you should steer clear of, such as high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, white flour and processed sugar.  Here’s a tip: shop around the perimeter of the supermarket, where all the fresh meats and produce are.

The good news is you don’t have to follow a strict diet plan.  If you adopt these four nutrition rules you’ll see a vast improvement in the way your body feels and looks.  And they’re really not that hard to follow.

Yes, it’s true.  Geelong’s Gym is contributing to the Australian economy and not just by providing jobs!

I’m sure you know health and fitness is good for you and everybody else, but it’s also good for the economy.  Why?

Well, it has a huge impact on the cost of health care, employment and even our GDP.  Currently, around 1.73 million Australians are estimated to use fitness centres.  That’s a big number, true.  But here’s what Fitness Australia has estimated will be the impact if that figure increased to 10% of the population:

• An additional $204.8 million will be saved in health care costs
• 2609 extra full time employees in the workforce
• As a result of the additional employees mentioned above, an increased GDP of approximately $82 million

Maybe you’re a bit sceptical.  But the simple fact is, improving your health and fitness is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, your community and your country!

You see, the fitter and healthier you and the rest of Australia are, the more energetic and productive we’ll all be and much more likely to participate in the workforce.  This, of course, is fantastic for the many businesses and industries we are involved in.

Maybe it's time to pull on the exercise gear and start getting fit and healthy

But that’s not the only benefit of health and fitness.  The four main diseases most associated with physical inactivity are:

• Type 2 Diabetes  
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Cancer

Did you know in 2004-05, the direct health care relating to these four diseases was $14.6 billion?

Now imagine the savings if we could reduce the number of obesity-related chronic diseases. Even if just 50% of gym users exercised regularly, the estimated savings in direct health care costs is $71.9 million – $49.8 million of that figure is just the avoided costs of cardiovascular disease.

And it’s really simple to achieve… all you need to do is start getting fit and healthy today!

Do you ever feel like you’re doing all the right things but the weight just isn’t coming off?  It’s times like this you need a little inspiration and encouragement to keep going, so today I want to share with you a story of one of our members at Geelong’s Gym…

Rebecca Cortorillo with a pair of her old pants

Rebecca Cortorillo had always been overweight and a bigger person.  In January 2008 she joined Geelong’s Gym but, needing some help, in February 2009 she decided to get a Personal Trainer to try and turn her life around.

In the past she’d lost a bit of weight only to regain it again.  Sick of the non-stop roller coaster ride of losing and gaining weight, she knew she needed to be accountable to someone.  And it worked.

Since training with Marcus Smith she has lost a massive 32 kilos!  In her own words:

“I have heaps more energy, feel healthier and jump out of bed in the mornings now.  Plus, I feel much more confident.  In fact, I actually enjoy buying clothes now.  The first time I bought a new top I was so excited to be able to tell Marcus how amazing it felt to be able to choose any top from the rack.  Marcus makes me laugh, and we have heaps of fun training – it’s great.  It is definitely the best thing I have ever done.  I love it!!”

Rebecca’s story is truly inspirational and the best thing is, she’s still going strong and working towards her goal weight.

So if you’re feeling disheartened with your progress, don’t give up.  You can do it.  And if you need a little help and motivation, why not book in for some Personal Training.  You won’t regret it.

Marcus Smith and Rebecca Cortorillo say goodbye to the old pants, now much too big!