Geelong's Gym

Ever wonder what we get up to at Geelong’s Gym on the odd occasion we’re not motivating everyone to improve their health, fitness and well-being?  A few of our members got a bit more than they bargained for this week when they found some of the familiar faces around the gym looking a little different than usual…

Germain Spriet and Gerard Spriet (Head Coach at Geelong's Gym) get in character

We love to mess around with new ideas and find different ways to connect and communicate with our members and those who we’ve had an association with in the past.

As you can imagine, due to changes in work and personal circumstances, from time to time our members have to leave us, sometimes for a short while and sometimes permanently, because they’ve moved away and the like.

We got to thinking about this and how we’d like to acknowledge those people leaving in a fun and cheeky way, so that they remember us and if they ever decide to join a gym again, it will be us they’ll think of.

The team express their sadness when a member leaves Geelong's Gym

So with a bit of face painting help from The Party Girl and some wonderful photography from Nitch Photography, we put together a fun, tongue in cheek card letting those people know we were sad they were leaving and they’d be missed.

We had such a good time on this project that we thought we’d share some of the photos with you.  Enjoy!!!

Heart breaking, isn't it?!

You would think the world’s top athletes would be pretty confident in their skills and abilities.  But apparently, there are some who feel their particular superstitious practice is what gives them the extra edge.  Some of these are a little weird but read on…

No wonder he was called Michael "Air" Jordan

10.  Michael Jordan.  The greatest professional basketball player of all time was known for a specific quirk.  He wore his University of North Carolina shorts under his uniform in every game.  To cover them, he wore longer shorts, which inspired a new trend in the NBA.

9.  Bjorn Borg.  This Swedish tennis legend’s superstition related only to Wimbledon.  He would prepare for the annual tournament by growing a beard and wearing the same Fila shirt.  Maybe it helped, because he took out five straight Wimbledon titles from 1976 through to 1980.

8.  Kevin Rhomberg.  Rhomberg had a compulsion to touch someone if they touched him.  This made life difficult for him when word of it spread – players would touch him and run, sending him into a panic!  In fact, a game had to be halted when the Yankees players refused to stop touching Rhomberg.

7.  Serena Williams.  Despite being one of the most feared female tennis players of all time, Serena believes much of her winning is the result of closely followed routines.  These routines include, bringing her shower sandals to the court, tying her shoelaces a specific way and bouncing the ball five times before her first serve and twice before her second.

6.  Jason Terry.  Seriously superstitious, Terry wears five pairs of socks while playing and the night before a game goes to bed wearing the  shorts of the next day’s opposing team.

5.  Wade Boggs.  This All Star pro baseballer, known as The Chicken Man, ate chicken before every game, always took batting practice at 5:17 and running sprints at 7:17.  And that’s not all.  Before coming up to bat he would draw the word “Chai” (Hebrew for “life”) in the dirt.

4.  Patrick Roy.  Before every game, NHL Goaltender Roy would skate backwards towards the net before turning around at the last second, which be believed made the goal shrink.  During the game he would converse with the posts and thank them when a puck was deflected.

3.  Jason Giambi.  Whenever he hit a slump, this 6 foot 3, 240 pound first baseman would put on a golden thong/G-String.  So well did this work, his teammates would often borrow it to break out of their own slumps.  Yuck!

2.  Lyoto Machida.  I think this one definitely goes into the “What the…” realm, because this Brazilian Shotokan karate master drinks his own urine every morning.  He believes it is a natural medicine that cleanses his body.  Gross, yes, but he has yet to lose a round in his professional mixed martial arts career.

1.  Turk Wendell.  This New York Mets reliever really takes superstition to a new level.  His eccentricities include: leaping over the baselines when walking to the mound, chewing black licorice while pitching and brushing his teeth in between innings.  He also wore a necklace decorated with the sharp teeth of wild animals he had hunted and killed.  Not to stop there, he asked the New York Mets to make his contract for $9,999,999.99 in honour of his uniform number of 99!

Information in this blog is thanks to Men’s Fitness magazine.

They say that laughter is the best medicine, so in aid of that I’ve got a great post today from Dr Hu, who shares his views on a healthy, fit lifestyle…

Q.  Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.  Is this true?

A.  Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it… don’t waste on exercise.  Everything wear out eventually.  Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster.  Want to live longer?  Take nap.

Q.  Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A.  You must grasp logistical efficiency.  What does cow eat?  Hay and corn.  And what are these?  Vegetables.  So steak is nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system.  Need grain?  Eat chicken.  Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).  And pork chop can give you 100% of recommended daily allowance of vegetable product.

Our esteemed Dr Hu

Q.  Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A.  No, not at all.  Wine made from fruit.  Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way.  Beer also made of grain.  Bottom up!

Q.  How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A.. Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one.  If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.

Q.  What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A.. Can’t think of single one, sorry.  My philosophy is: No pain…good!

Q.  Are fried foods bad for you?

A.  YOU NOT LISTENING!  Food are fried these days in vegetable oil.  In fact, they permeated by it.  How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?

Q.  Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A.  Definitely not!  When you exercise muscle, it get bigger.  You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.

Q.  Is chocolate bad for me?

A.  Are you crazy?!?  HEL-LO-O!!  Cocoa bean!  Another vegetable!  It best feel-good food around!

Q.  Is swimming good for your figure?

A.  If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me…

Q.  Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?

A.  Hey!  ‘Round’ a shape!

Thank you to Dr Hu for his valuable input.  I’m sure we all have a much better understanding of food and diets now!

And don’t forget, life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “Woo Hoo, what a ride!!”

But here’s my final word on nutrition and health…

1.  The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

2.  The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

3.  The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

4.  The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

5.  The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

CONCLUSION:  Eat and Drink what you like.  Speaking English is apparently what kills you!

The battle to stick to a diet is nothing new.  Today, I thought I’d share with you some funny diet quotes from years ago…

• Oh!  That this too solid flesh would melt.  William Shakespeare
• Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening.  Alexander Woollcott
• Let me put it this way.  According to my girth, I should be a 90 foot Redwood.  Erma Bombeck
• All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.  John Gunther
• Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.  Voltaire
• Food is an important part of a balanced diet.  Fran Lebowitz
• We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.  Epicurus
• The more you eat, the less flavour; the less you eat, the more flavour.  Chinese Proverb
• Avoid fruit and nuts.  You are what you eat.  Jim Davis
• Fish, to taste right, must swim three times – in water, in butter and in wine.  Polish Proverb

And I thought I’d leave you with this one:

Marcus’ therapist told him the way to achieve true inner peace was to remember to always finish what he started.  So today, Marcus has finished 2 bags of potato crisps, a gallon of ice cream, two buckets of chicken and a chocolate cake.  He feels much better already.

Here are a few funny comments from people who’d really rather not change their ways and do a little exercise…

• Walking 20 minutes can add hours to your life.  This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $8000 per month.
• I have to walk early in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.
• I joined a gym last year, spent about $450.  Haven’t lost a pound.  Apparently you have to go there!
• I don’t jog – it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.
• Every time I hear the word “exercise”, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
• I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
• I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years… just getting over the hill.
• Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a “Happy Hour” and by the time I leave, I think I look just fine.
  

  If only it were that easy!

I bet that got your attention and I’m willing to bet that right now most of you think I’ve lost my mind.  But hear me out.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger is famously quoted (admittedly back in the 1970s) as saying that he found exercise more exciting and fun than sex!  I’ll leave that decision up to you, but there are certainly some great ways to make exercise more fun…

• Change your mindset – when we were children we didn’t exercise, we played.  So stop thinking about your exercise routine as hard work and start thinking about it as play.  Sound impossible?  It’s not.  There are some great, fun ways to exercise that actually do feel like play.  For example, try a Body Jam class, which combines dance with exercise, and tell me you didn’t have the time of your life when you came out of the class.
• Try a Mind Body Spirit class – imagine ridding yourself of the stresses of your day, relaxing your body so completely that you feel like you’re floating on a cloud and letting your mind drift to a place with no cares, worries or responsibilities.
• Workout with a friend – you can catch up on your day, have a good chat and exercise at the same time!

I’m sure that you can come up with some other fun ways to exercise.  Why not make it your goal in 2010 to exercise more and have fun doing it?!

If you’d like to have a good laugh about some hilarious exercise moments, click here.

Have you ever felt like you were the only one hurting after a session at the gym?  You’re not the only one.  Here’s a look at one woman’s humourous take on a week of Personal Training at “Torturer Gym”.  Just remember, nothing good  comes without hard work.

The name says it all!

Dear Diet Diary

As a Christmas present this year, my daughter, Cresley [what a thoughtful darling] bought for me a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in reasonable shape since being a high school cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Juan Antonio [ooh what a name] who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

Monday

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Juan Antonio waiting for me.   He is something of a Greek god: he has curly hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Yippee!

Juan Antonio gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skilful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Juan Antonio [call me Tony by now] was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my stomach was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FABULOUS week!   My New Year resolutions will be easy.

Tuesday

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out of the door. Tony made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air. Later he put weights on it. My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Tony’s rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It’s a whole new life for me.

Wednesday

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. Tony was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning; and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Tony put me on the stair ‘monster’. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Tony told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other garbage too.

Thursday

Tony was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were back in a full snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes. That man then took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent a skinny woman to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine - which I sank.

Friday

I hate that man, Toady or whatever his name is, more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. He is a stupid, skinny, anaemic, anorexic little bighead. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Toady wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps! And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the flippin’ barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on the health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

Saturday

That person, that Toady, left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday

I’m having the Church bus collect me up so I can go to services today and thank God that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter Cresley [the cruel, whingeing creep] will choose a gift for me that is fun: like root canal treatment or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!

Have you set some goals for the year ahead yet?

Most of us see January as a time for goal setting and planning ahead what we want to accomplish over the course of the year.

I thought I’d share with you some funny goals I read:

Maybe your goal for the year is to lose a little weight.

• I will polish my pate – Bald Person
• I will do less washing and wear more deodorant – Executive
• I will not regale the same story at every function – Incorrigable Bore
• I will remember that Cake Day is only on the 29th of every month – Foodie
• Finally, remember that a New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other!

I’m sure that over the years you’ve set some New Year’s resolutions of your own, maybe you stuck to them and maybe you didn’t… so to help you have your Best Year Ever, we decided to help you keep track of your goals for 2010 and the progress you’re making.

You may have fitness goals, personal goals, business goals, relationship goals… whatever it is, Geelong’s Gym can give you a tool to make sure you don’t forget about it by the end of January.  And it’s free.  Simply click here to get started.  The page says “Make That Decision NOW”, so sign up and let 2010 be your Best Year Ever – remember, it’s completely FREE.

Continuing on from our last post, let’s look at some other ways that the Twelve Days of Christmas can remind us of some gifts we can give our bodies.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a-swimming…

Did you know that the swan is considered to be the Bird of Light?  Light reminds me of the sun and the importance of Vitamin D to a healthy body and the maintenance of strong bones, musces and teeth.  Our bodies only store enough Vitamin D to last between 30 and 60 days, so it’s really important that we get outside (being sun smart of course) throughout the year.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking…

I’m sure you know where I’m going to go with this one.  Diets rich in milk and milk products help build and maintain bone mass throughout the life cycle.  This is especially important during childhood and adolescense when bone mass is being built.  And for those who are approaching the older years, strong bone mass may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  This doesn’t have to be full cream milk either, low-fat or fat free options are just as good for your bone mass. 

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing…

Nine Ladies Dacing

Many people when they think of dancing immediately think of ballet and girls in tutus.  But believe me, that’s not all dance is about these days.  There are many different forms of dance, most of which provide a fantastic way of staying fit and healthy, while still having fun.  If you don’t believe me, come along and try a Geelong’s Gym Body Jam class and discover the amazing workout that a variety of dance genres will give you.  Trust me, you’ll break a sweat and have fun doing it!

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten lords a-leaping…

Have you ever watched kids jumping and leaping around on a trampoline?  It looks so easy but it’s actually a great form of exercise.  Jumping with a jump rope is a fantastic way to increase your heart rate and get your blood pumping.  Or take a leaf out of the kids’ book and get on a trampoline.  Ten minutes of jumping is the equivilent of 30 minutes of running!  Yes, you did read that right!  So is anyone adding a trampoline to the Christmas list?

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping…

Did you know that the Scots used to carry bagpipes into battle with them?  In fact, there is strong evidence to suggest that bagpipes were present at the great Battle of Bannockburn back in the 14th century.  I can imagine that the pipers came together just before the battle started and played played a rousing, stirring rendition of songs such as Scotland the Brave.  I’m sure that there was nothing more motivating or inspiring to propel them into fierce battle.  If you need that extra bit of motivation when you’re working out, try loading some strong songs with a good beat onto your ipod and see what a difference it makes.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming…

In many cultures drums are a symbol of power and if you’ve ever been at a concert where the drummer has done a solo I’m sure you would agree with that, because you can feel every beat reverberate through your body.  If you’re struggling with your workouts, put some music on with a strong drum beat in it, listen for a moment and let the power of the drumming flow through your body.  Then let that power come out in your workout, let it motivate you to push harder and stronger than you ever have before.  Remember, having a good workout is 90% about having the right mindset.  If you’re thinking power, then you’ll produce power!

As we rapidly approach Christmas, have a good break but don’t forget to take care of the health and well-being of your body – you’ll have a better Christmas for it. 

All the team at Geelong’s Gym would like to wish you a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

Unless you’re the Christmas Grinch I’m sure you’ve heard the popular Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Christmas.

In the lead up to Christmas I thought we’d have a look at the 12 gifts in this song and how they can be a gift to the health and well-being of your body (or not as the case may be!).

Christmas - a time for joy and laughter

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree…

Did you know that according to Greek legend the first partridge appeared when Daedalus threw his nephew, Perdix off the roof in a fit of jealous rage?  Now I’m not advocating that you add nephew tossing into your fitness repertoire, but something you may not know about partridges is that they are seed eaters?  If you want to increase your metabolism and keep your brain alert, try snacking on seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, in between meals.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves…

Turtle doves symbolise love and deep friendship.  During this Christmas season, take the time to show those you care about how much they mean to you.  Sometimes the end of the year and the lead up to Christmas can be stressful and the ones who usually bear the brunt of your stress are those you love the most.  I’m sure you’ll have a much happier and healthier Christmas if you show a little extra love to your friends and family.  And if you’re really struggling to get rid of that stress, come along to a Yoga Class at Geelong’s Gym and watch it just melt away.  I’m sure your family will thank you for it!

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three french hens…

Did you know that french hens are actually a variety of chicken in France?  Chicken is a low fat protein and is, in fact, one of the best sources of protein.  However, if you suffer from heart disease or high cholesterol then chicken is something you should try to avoid or at least eat very little of – chicken has a considerable amount of cholesterol, almost as much as red meat.  So check with your doctor before you indulge in a whole lot of roast chicken on Christmas day!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds…

Here’s an interesting fact for you… in the original version of the song the calling birds are actually “collie” birds, a variety of black bird in England.  Does anyone remember the song Sing A Song Of Sixpence where the black birds were served as a meat pie?  Now it’s difficult to find many health benefits in pie, since it’s loaded with buttery pastry and many other things we shouldn’t be eating.  But let’s face it, Christmas is a time when we should be able to loosen up a little and if necessary open the top button of our pants to create a little more room.  Let yourself indulge a little, because you can always work it off in the gym in the New Year.  Afterall, that’s what New Year resolutions are all about!

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings…

I bet you’re wondering how I’m going to turn gold rings into a health benefit, right?  Well aside from the weekly massages you could probably demand if you gave  your true love a gorgeous ring, there are actually some health benefits to wearing rings, or copper ones at least.  Copper has been used to promote health since ancient times, although the greatest benefit it has is through ingesting small amounts as recommended by a doctor.  However, there are many people who swear by wearing copper jewellery to target specific areas and alleviate things like arthritis.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a-laying…

Once again we’re back to food, which I guess isn’t that surprising considering so much of Christmas revolves around eating!  Goose eggs are highly sought after, especially since they’re much larger than your ordinary chicken egg.  But I’m sorry to say that goose eggs are incredibly high in cholesterol and so for the greater good of your body, I recommend staying away from these.

Tune in next blog post for the remaining six days of Christmas.