Geelong's Gym

I had an interesting experience recently when I was in for a workout, which I thought I’d share with you.

One of our Personal Trainers was finishing a session with a client in Zone 10 and she had just paid her client a very positive compliment… and I mean, really positive!  I watched as this woman rose to her feet from the floor with a larger than life smile on her face – she literally looked like a light beacon!

Now, this member has a reasonable amount of weight to lose… which immediately got me thinking about what a huge decision it would have been for her to join the gym and start the long journey towards a healthy body.  Good on her!  It’s not easy for overweight/large people to walk through the doors of a health club.  It’s unfortunate, but a lot of people believe only fit people go to the gym.

About 30 minutes later I was sitting at home eating breakfast.  I happened to notice a photo which immediately put a smile on my face, just as big as this woman exercising earlier.

A stop on my cycling journey around the world

You see, it’s a photo of me sailing from Fiji to New Zealand and it made me think back to how I got on that boat.

I had been traveling around the world on a push bike (but that’s another story) and one night, while sitting around a bon fire, I met a Kiwi who told me you can sail from one country to another.  I thought, “Wow” and immediately bombarded him with thousands of questions.  The very next day, I rented a car and drove around the whole island looking for a yacht to sail.  Within a few hours, I was in a one man tinny (little paddle boat) knocking on the side of boats, saying, “I’m Gerard and I’m looking for a boat that needs crew.”

A few days later I was off to New Zealand on my first sailing adventure (my second time on a boat was sailing the Sydney to Hobart!).

59' Nautor Swan

You might be wondering where all this is leading.  Well, my point is, I had the most amazing experience on that sailing trip from Fiji – an experience I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t knocked on those boats.  I’m sure my face was glowing a lot like that woman who had just got off the Zone 10 floor after her Personal Training session.

Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there, like she did when she first walked through the doors of our gym determined to turn her life around.  I’m confident many people have thought to do this or that, but for some reason don’t take the initiative, probably because doubt and negative self-talk get the better of them.

It’s said that those who stretch themselves to learn and grow in some area of their life, find that other areas and things improve in their lives as well.

So, make sure you go and knock on whatever your boat is!

As a Personal Trainer, believe me, every excuse you can possibly come up with… I’ve heard before.  You’d be surprised at how good people are at talking themselves out of positive behaviour… literally!! 

Check out this Nike YouTube clip.  I bet your excuses are there, because as you can see, there’s no excuse that hasn’t been used before!

Ok… so you’ve decided you need to make some changes in your life.  You’ve upped the effort on exercise and you’re trying to be a bit more sensible with your diet.  You’ve set goals and time frames.  It all sounds great until you open your mouth!

I can’t. 

I want to but…. 

I would if….

STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE.  Stop speaking what you can’t have or can’t do.

TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR CHOICES.  Stop blaming someone else or the circumstances for why you can or can’t do something.  Instead, try speaking only positive words and making the statement yours.

For example: 

Out for coffee with a friend who wants a piece of chocolate cake and wants you to have a piece too so they don’t feel guilty.

You respond, “I can’t, I’m trying to be good.”

Friend- “Go on, one little piece won’t hurt you!”

You- “I would but my trainer would kill me if they found out.”

Friend- “Well how about we share a piece…go on…”

You-“Oh alright…but only a little bit.”

And now the damage is done, you’ve undermined you goal, feel crappy that you gave into temptation so easily and the cake wasn’t even that good.

Imagine this:

Out for coffee with a friend who wants a piece of chocolate cake and wants you to have a piece too so they don’t feel guilty.

You respond, “No thanks.  I’m choosing to eat healthy stuff.”

Friend- “Go on, one little piece won’t hurt you!”

You- “No thanks. It’s not what I want to do.”

Friend- sits quietly sulking wondering why you’ve changed so much????

Choose your language carefully and take a moment to stop and listen to yourself.  What message are you really giving around the choices you’ve made?

And you know what, no more excuses… Just Do It!!! 

This says it all really!

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Annie Cramp, one of our Personal Trainers here at Geelong’s Gym, has just been awarded the 2010 Sustagen Sport Community Sports Trainer of the Year!

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!

At Geelong’s Gym we strongly encourage Personal Training, because we know for a fact that it gets the best results in the least amount of time.  But here’s a tip to help you get even more benefit out of your PT session: eat food which powers and repairs muscle!

Cherries help prevent muscle inflammation.

Here are three foods which will get you the most out of your session with your Personal Trainer:

• Cherries – it has been proven that anthocyanins eliminate muscle inflammation and pain.  Cherries are loaded with anthocyanins.  Have about two dozen on them, either fresh or dried, ready to eat after your PT session.
• Whey Protein – consuming the essential amino acids found in whey powders during your PT session suppresses cortisol, a stress hormone which can hinder muscle building.  Before your session, mix about half a scoop into your water bottle.
• Low Fat Ricotta Cheese – the protein in ricotta cheese comes mostly from whey and so is full of the best amino acids to pump you up and speed up your recovery.  It’s also the best for building lean muscle.

A tasty way to get all that good stuff inside you is to whip up a smoothie straight after your Personal Training session: put 1/2 cup ricotta cheese in a blender with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 scoop of whey protein and a handful of pitted cherries.  Blend until smooth and enjoy!

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.

One of the things we love best at Geelong’s Gym is giving our members the chance to learn more about their bodies and how they function.  Bearing this in mind, this year we decided to start a new informational area at the gym which we call the Glass of Knowledge.

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 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!

It’s such an exciting time when a woman finds out she’s pregnant.  Many women still want to exercise during their pregnancy but are reluctant to do so for fear of causing damage to their unborn child.

But here’s the good news.  You can still take care of your fitness while taking care of your baby, you just need to adapt to the changes of your body.

What exercise you can do while pregnant will depend largely on your fitness level, which trimester you’re in and, of course, how you’re feeling.  And the best thing about being pregnant at Geelong’s Gym, is if one cardio machine or strength exercise isn’t comfortable, there are always plenty more to try.

You may find it’s a little harder to get motivated, but rest assured the extra effort is well worth it.  Consistent exercise during pregnancy has some huge payoffs such as:

You can keep your fitness level up throughout your pregnancy

• Minimizing aches and constipation
• Help you sleep better
• Lower the risk of gestational diabetes and depression
• Can result in a shorter, less complicated labour
• 35% decrease in the need for pain relief during labour
• 50% less likely to be induced and require intervention in labour
• 75% decrease in the need for forcep deliveries and caesarean sections
• Help you get your body back more quickly after delivery!

One of the most important things to remember is to not let your heart rate get over 140.  This may eliminate some of your favourite classes, although if you’re careful it doesn’t have to.  Make sure you tell the Class Instructor you’re pregnant and they’ll tell you how to keep your intensity and range of motion at a suitable level.

However, there are also some classes which are fantastic for pregnant women:

• Pilates – Pilates helps maintain your abdominal muscle tone, which will support your growing belly, minimize back pain and give you more oomph for pushing during labour.
• Yoga – Yoga is fantastic for strengthening your core and improving your flexibility, pluys because of its gentle movements and emphasis on breathing and meditation, it helps foster a sense of calm.

And don’t forget to keep up your weights program.  Why not invest in a Personal Trainer during this time and allow them to guide you through the correct exercises, which will increase your fitness and keep your body in shape, while keeping your unborn baby safe.