Winter and Taylor in conjunction with Geelong’s Gym and Claridge Naturopathics recently participated in an 8 week Biggest Improver challenge.

Winter and Taylor participants hard at work!

Participants were split into three teams of mixed ability and from different work areas at Winter and Taylor.  Interestingly, some of the participants had not even met some of their fellow work mates!  So it was a great opportunity to get to know each other and build closer relationship within the wider team.

Through weekly individual challenges, weekly group challenges, and improvements made over the eight weeks, participants were scored and given rankings.  We’re delighted to announce the winners are as follows;

THE BIGGEST IMPROVER – Graeme Ruby

Most Consistent Male – Anthony Hopkins

Most Consistent Female – Meagan Anderton

Highest Point Scoring Team – THE A-TEAM (Trainer – Annie)

All of these winners came from the same team.  All of the winners exercised closely together and their enthusiasm fueled their efforts.

So grab some friends, get excited, and get exercising.

Annie, with a member of the St Joseph's Football Club, on game day.

Here’s just part of the reason why Annie, an Australian Sports Medicine accredited Personal Trainer, won this award:  “Annie, trainer at the St Joseph’s Football and Netball Club in Geelong, Victoria, understands that appropriate hydration and nutrition are not just an issue on game day, but something that needs to be constantly addressed, managed and encouraged at every training and recovery session.  She understands the importance in having up to date and accurate advice from industry professionals such as dieticians, physios and medicos to ensure that all players at the club are prepared for game day.”

Wow!  What an achievement.  We are so proud of her and wanted to acknowledge what a fantastic trainer she is and the awesome contribution she has made (and continues to make) here at the gym and out in the community, to help people have lives overflowing with health and fitness.

We are delighted to have her as such an integral part of our team (and one of our Team Leaders to boot!) – this award only acknowledges what we’ve known for a long time… her care and concern for her community is reflected in her every action and word.

Well done, Annie!

Ann Cramp and Paula Kontelj on the night

One of the things we love best at Geelong’s Gym, is to support our various sporting activities in our community.  That’s why we sponsor the Geelong Supercats Basketball Team.

So we were thrilled when Ann Cramp, one of our Personal Trainers and our liaison with the Supercats, organised for us to play a special part in the South Conference SEABL Grand Final on 21st August.

During half time Paula Kontelj, from Bay FM and our Group Fitness Coordinator at Geelong’s Gym, took to the court with some fellow Geelong’s Gym Zumba enthusiasts to give the crowd a taste of what Zumba Fitness is all about.  And boy did they love it!  A great way to get the crowd revved up for the second half.

Paula Kontelj leads the Zumba demonstration during half time

And what do you know… the Supercats won the game and went on to take out the All Conference Grand Final at MSAC on Saturday night!  Well done boys!

If you haven’t tried Zumba yet, why not give it a go?  Check out our extensive timetable and choose the class which suits you best.

Ann Cramp beside the Glass of Knowledge which looked at where men and women store fat

One of our Personal Trainer’s, Ann Cramp, has been heading up this particular area of the gym and she works really hard to find out interesting and informative facts about our bodies so we can learn to better utilise them in a healthy, safe way.

Afterall, the more we know about how our body works, the more we will get out of our workouts at the gym and the more motivated we will be  to strive for greater health and fitness in our life.

The information on this board changes regularly and has lots of different handouts alongside it which Ann has created for members to take away for free.

The current Glass of Knowledge focuses on how the knee works and functions.

The Glass of Knowledge which looks at the function of the Knee

Do you know how lucky you are to have a warm house to go home to over the winter period?

I am proud to announce that Geelong’s Gym is one of the sponsors of the Walking Home Event, a walk from Warrnambool to Geelong to raise awareness and understanding of homelessness issues in our region.

This is such an exciting initiative and we are thrilled to be involved.  The event will be taking place in November over a five day period and there’s lots to be done in the meantime.

Like what, you might ask.  It’s just walking, right?

Well, yes.  Except the participants are going to be clocking up a total of 189 kilometres over the five days!  I’m sure you’ll agree that’s quite a distance and requires a whole lot of physical and mental preparation.  And that’s where we come in, naturally.

Ann Cramp, one of the trainers at Geelong’s Gym, has already started training the participants with a tailor-made program that will elevate their walking fitness and stamina levels while ensuring that injuries are prevented.  They even have their own special Spin class once a fortnight, to add some variety to their training regime and the Spin Instructors who take those classes are contributing their time in support of the event.

You might wonder why I’m telling you about this.  I believe it’s important to support the community events and initiatives in our area, particularly when they’re for such a good cause.  Geelong’s Gym has been involved in the Geelong community for 45 years and we’re proud to be such a significant contributor.

So, when you see some of the participants training in the gym, why not take a couple of seconds to encourage them as they work towards the Walking Home Event.  I’m sure your support will be greatly appreciated.

Ann Cramp, one of the trainers on the Strong Project, has been doing a fantastic job of keeping us updated with what’s happening in the project and I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve observed and some of the feedback I’ve had.

To date the Strong Project has been a phenomenal success!  Our Type II Diabetes candidates have taken huge strides in their health, fitness and general well-being.  And it’s great to see the big smiles on their faces when they arrive at the gym.  And guess what?  They’re still smiling at the end of their workouts and telling their friends what a difference it’s making in their lives!

Many of them have reported that they feel stronger, more stable, more flexible and their quality of life has improved drastically.  And, on top of that, they are feeling fitter than they have felt for a long time.

Wouldn’t you like to feel that way too?
Wouldn’t you like to feel fit, strong and energized every day – even on the days that you’re not exercising?

Well, you can.  Health and fitness is essential to a long and happy life.  But the good news is, it’s not difficult to achieve.

Just ask any one of the Strong participants and I’m sure they will tell you that they wish they’d started on this journey years ago!

So stop procrastinating.  It doesn’t matter what shape your body is in; it doesn’t matter that you haven’t exercised for years; it doesn’t matter that you have been battling a condition like Type II Diabetes…

You can start making some positive changes to your lifestyle, general health, fitness and strength TODAY!

So what’s stopping you?