Despite the weather, there were smiles on everyone's faces at the Walking Home 2010 event

Walking Home is an event to raise awareness of homelessness in our region and is a 37km walk from Queenscliff to Geelong, which is taking place this Saturday, 12th November.  Not only is Geelong’s Gym a sponsor, but we’re also going to be at the event giving out free leg massages and bottles of water and Gatorade… and of course, encouraging the several hundred (possibly thousand) walkers involved in the event.

But it doesn’t stop there… 10 of my Geelong’s Gym Team are also doing the walk and personally getting involved in this worthy event.

So, I’d like to put it to anyone reading this who is in the Geelong region… get out there on the day and support the walkers.  A friendly face welcoming them into the various pit stops can make all the difference in the world when they’re tired.  Or better yet, join the walk yourself – it’s not too late to register and there are a number of different entry points, so you don’t need to feel daunted by taking on the whole walk.

And if you can’t make it on the day, why not make a donation or buy a T-Shirt from Reception.

The latest research on many sporting topics was presented by not only Australia’s leading orthopaedic surgeons, strength and conditioning coaches of elite sporting teams, the gurus of fitness and physiotherapists that know bodies inside and out, but also by international experts in their specialty field.

It was challenging for me to follow everything all the time, but what a buzz to be hearing the new advancements in training, injury rehabilitation and discoveries in sports science.

What struck me most though, was the detail, correctness and cross-referencing of the various studies of research that had to take place before it could be deemed acceptable and given the stamp of approval.  A lot of theories are put out there, but do not hold up to the rigorous testing or don’t quite add up. A lot of ideas sound great but really don’t have any backing.

It got me thinking about why we do some of the things we do in the gym. A lot of information we use is now being overtaken by new advancements that have been clinically researched and tested. The way to perform an exercise may have evolved from the way your dad did it, maybe even from when your older brother did it. Maybe not.  But I feel we need to check our knowledge and be sure that what we are doing comes with the best advice. We need to make sure we’re not just handing down advice that is no longer applicable.

It reminds me of a story I heard when I was learning basic fitness at Fitness Instructors school 18 years ago.

Why do we do what we do?

A young woman wanted to roast a piece of beef and she asked her mother the best way to do it.  Her mother said that it always works best if you cut one end off the meat before cooking it.  The young woman asked why and the mother responded, “Because that’s what my mother taught me”. Wanting more information, the young woman went to her grandmother and asked the same question.  She also responded, “That’s what my mother taught me.”  Luckily, the great grandmother was still alive so the young woman asked her why she cut the end off the piece of beef before roasting it. She replied, “That was the only way to fit it in my little oven”.

As leaders in fitness, we owe it to our members to make sure that they are being advised in the most informed manner with current, up-to-date information.

Adam Ryan, Geelong's Gym Manager and Stair Climbing Guru, conquered the Empire State Building Run Up in January 2011.

Yes, that’s right.  Our very own Geelong’s Gym Manager, Adam Ryan, has made the Channel 7 National News… we have a celebrity in the house people!  Well okay, maybe we’re getting a little carried away but we’re just that proud of him we want to shout it from the roof top!

So I guess you’re wondering what attracted the reporter’s attention… aside from his stunning good looks of course!

On Friday, Adam competed in the Westpac Stair Climb in Adelaide not once, but twice, winning both races.  To run 30 storeys and over 600 steps twice over is a huge test of fitness, strength and endurance, but a challenge which Adam loves to take on.  We know… he’s a little crazy in the head!

The news report about Adam is really quite funny and worth a watch – you can check it out here.  And a huge congratulations to Adam on his outstanding result.  Next up, the Eureka Stair Climb in Melbourne.

But only a little, mind you.  Because too much chocolate… well, this picture says it all really, doesn’t it?

Thanks to Dr Marc Dussault from Exponential Programs for sharing this picture with us.

Thankfully, Valentine's Day has become slightly more sophisticated!

On Monday, 14th February, for one day only, we will have an Exclusive Membership Offer for you to buy your Valentine, or your Valentine to buy for him/herself!

It’s so fantastic we can’t tell you what it is until Valentine’s Day…

PLUS, we have a special (and romantic) surprise planned for the day… it’s a secret too, but we promise it’s a good one…

So make sure you come in for a workout and check out what’s happening at Geelong’s Gym on Valentine’s Day.

If you’re not one of our members, don’t despair… come and check us out on our Open Day on Saturday, 19th February and find something special for you too… but more on that later…

Adam Ryan is all set for the Empire State Building Run Up on February 1st.

Our Geelong’s Gym Centre Manager and Personal Trainer, Adam Ryan, is setting off tomorrow for New York where he will be competing in the annual Empire State Building Run Up – the world championship of stair climbing - on Tuesday, 1st February.

Adam has been doing stair racing for six years now and we’re delighted he’s reached the ultimate event in his chosen sport.  He will be climbing 86 floors and 1575 stairs in the race – a huge feat indeed!

Only 300 athletes from around the world get selected for this elite event, so we’re incredibly proud of Adam and the amount of training and preparation he’s put into getting to this point.

While it does take a huge amount of endurance and mental energy to get to this level, Adam can inspire us all to set realistic goals, put our mind to them and then commit to making them happen.

Good Luck Adam… we’re 100% behind you and no matter what result you get, you’re our champion!!!

A big thanks to The Geelong Advertiser for providing a copy of the photo and article they wrote about Adam in today’s Addy.

Merry Christmas from Geelong's Gym.

With only three sleeps to go, the team at Geelong’s Gym would like to wish you a very merry, safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!

However you celebrate the festive time of year, we hope it will be a special time for you and your loved ones with much fun and laughter.

We look forward to seeing everyone back in the gym and going hard to work off all the yummy indulgences we’re sure you’ll be partaking in (and, no doubt, already have!!).  Enjoy!

This movement involves a large number of different muscle groups working together, all of which require considerable amounts of oxygen rich blood to perform. As you can imagine, this places a significant amount of stress on the cardiovascular system, resulting in rapid breathing, high heart rate and massive calorie expenditure.

The movement of stair climbing is actually very functional; this means many muscles have to work together in order to perform full body movement efficiently. Thus, taking the stairs over the elevator at any opportunity can build the strength in your arms and legs, increase your aerobic capacity, and burn five times the calories than standing in a lift, staring at the levels as you go up to your destination.

87% of the population take the elevator. You may be one of them, but you can also change that statistic and start taking a few stairs…

Would you believe that climbing stairs can be taken to the next level? It’s not just about simply getting to your destination, but getting there as fast as possible.

Stair racing is one of the most brutal of fitness challenges out there! Athletes line up at the base of the building and are let off by the starter to then enter the emergency stairwell and climb their way to the top as fast as they can. There are no specific rules in a stair race but most elite runners will take two steps at a time and never let go of the handrail. The heart rate usually peaks at 190+ BPM and is sustained for the duration of the race!

Some races are in excess of 100 floors and take over 15 minutes for the fastest climbers to complete. Now that hurts!

So the challenge is out there… Australia’s longest stair climb is the annual Eureka Tower run up in Melbourne, Victoria. The exhilarating climb consists of 88 floors, 1642 steps and 300m of vertical climbing. Ultra marathon runner, Stuart Gibson, holds the current record at 8 minutes 56 seconds. AMAZING!

Have a look at the video below of the recent Adelaide Stair Race where myself (Adam Ryan, Manager of Geelong’s Gym) and Geelong’s Gym members, Chris Price and James Carroll, took out the top three places.

Have you ever noticed when there’s a large sporting event happening in the world – like the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games or the Soccer World Cup – that there’s a surge in physical acitivity, both indoors and outdoors?

Choose cycling to get around town - it's fun, quick and you'll feel much fitter!

We certainly notice it at Geelong’s Gym.  Suddenly everyone gets inspired and people pour through our doors to take part in classes, workout in the gym and just generally get more active.  Maybe it’s because people start to recognise where a little physical activity and fitness can take them.

So, we are thrilled that Geelong is hosting the 2010 UCI Road World Championships next week. This event is the largest cycling competition Australia has ever hosted and it’s right here on our doorstep – literally! Many lucky residents will actually be able to look out their front windows and see world class cyclists racing by!

Some local residents may be wondering how they’re going to get around with so many road closures. And our suggestion is, make this upcoming week your fittest week ever, dust off your bike and join in the activity. You’ll be surprised at how fit you feel after a week of cycling to the gym, to work, even to get your groceries!

But whatever you do, make sure you enjoy being part of such an exciting event in Geelong.

Over the weekend, I took a few of my team (Nick Ford, my Membership Coordinator, Jude Sharp, from the Reception Team and Kirsten Hanafin, my PA) to the Ultimate Success Summit, where we had the awesome opportunity to hear advanced success strategies from the All Stars – Anthony Robbins, the world’s #1 Peak Performance Coach, Sir Richard Branson, world famous entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group, Mark Bouris, star of TV’s “The Apprentice“, and Siimon Reynolds, personal and business achievement guru, to name but a few…

Why is this so important?  I’m continuously looking to improve the value proposition of my gym, in other words, what can we do for our members and clients to make Geelong’s Gym stand out more than other health and fitness providers in our area and, well why not our state too, while I’m at it?!

Going to events like this one, and taking some of my team with me, is what helps us learn and grow as individuals, which in turn gets reflected in the workplace, in both our interaction with those around us and in terms of germinating new ideas to improve our service and facility.

I can say unequivocally that Tony Robbins is definitely my number one mentor, and despite having seen him speak numerous times, I continue to get new learnings and understandings from him.

As for Sir Richard Branson, well, he is totally outstanding in his approach to life and the world.  This is a man who uses his wealth and influence to impact the world.  Just one of the amazing things he’s done is form a group called The Elders, which has been working behind the scenes to preserve peace in our nations.

Check out the video below to hear a bit about what my team got out of the weekend…