The gym at my hotel was pretty basic but as always on holiday I took a set of Olympic rings with me for some outdoor training. On my first attempt I hooked the rings over the only tree I could see that had branches (most of the trees around were palm trees), within 2 mins I had to move to another site coz I was getting attacked by giant green tree ants. After walking around for a while looking for another tree I found a kids playground which became my gym for the rest of my time in port Douglas.

I then flew to Darwin for next leg of my trip where men are men and so are the women. Unlike port Douglas I decided to stay in a backpackers and although noisy was lots of fun as I got to meet more people. I love Darwin – there’s always something to do, the place is buzzing 7 days a week and the town is very new and happening. The markets are great and the sunsets are the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world and literally draw in thousands on people.

I was also lucky to be there for the beer can regatta which only takes pace once a year, this involves drinking as much beer as possible throughout the day then racing boats made from beer cans and round a buoy about 100 metres out. Luckily everyone made it back without drowning – they sure love a drink in the Northern Territory.

After spending 5 days in Darwin I booked a 3 day camping trip to Kakadu National Park which turned out to be the highlight of the trip. Our tour guide was a great laugh and had me in stitches the whole trip, he’s a combination of Steve Irwin, Rodney rude and Crocodile Dundee.

Kakadu is an amazing place and far exceeded my expectations, everyday we were swimming in waterfalls looking at incredible scenery and viewing aboriginal artwork – some up to 50 thousand years old. You couldn’t go swimming in many places as many of the billabongs and creeks are infested with big crocs, but there are plenty of places that are safe.

During the trip we saw just heaps of wildlife including snakes, lizards, buffalo, dingo, saltwater crocs, freshwater crocs, sea eagles, kites, huge 7 meter termite mounds, rock wallaby’s and jabiru’s. We also saw jumping crocodiles in Adelaide river which is the only place in the world you can see a tour like this in the wild.

I booked a tour barramundi fishing and caught my first barra, we were swimming lures past the noses of 5 metre crocs but it wasn’t really the best time for barra fishing as it’s the ‘cold season’ (33 degrees is cold for the Territorians) but we still was caught around a dozen fish up to 75cm in length. We were eating barramundi for days and got so sick of it I gave the rest away to people in the hostel.

I got a ride to Litchfield National Park with two Irish backpackers I was staying with, like Kakadu the gorges and waterfalls are amazing and we spent the day swimming in different waterholes and looking at the incredible scenery.

Unlike Port Douglas I couldn’t train outdoors, it was just too hot for me. I found a good gym 5 minutes from where I was staying and managed to get a workout in everyday I wasn’t on a tour.

Well I can honestly say that it’s great to be back, one of the best things about going away on a long trip is coming back feeling totally relaxed and refreshed. I’m fortunate enough to have job I love and what better place to do it than Sydney’s parks and beaches.

Ill personally be hitting the training hard through August, although I managed to train 3-4 times per week while I was away Ive eaten out too much and will get back into good shape before it begins to warm up in September.

Training in the gym in Darwin was a nice change but I’ve missed training outdoors with kettlebells and sandbags, as much as I love the warmer climate it’s a lot easier training in colder conditions.

All through this week we’ll again be having fitness test’s at our Sydney boot camps, if you’ve been here through July be sure to come to these sessions so you know how much your fitness has improved. If your still thinking about getting started now’s a good time to before the September rush.

I look forward to training you again this week – see you soon.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit

                          

Looking to join a City To Surf  running group?

Dangerously Fit are putting on a 12 week running program commencing May 21st.

The classes will be held every Saturday morning in Centennial Park at 8.30am and is suitable for all fitness levels.

If you would like to get into the best shape possible for the race…

–>> Click Here To Join Our 12 Week Running Program <<–

2010 City To Surf Running Group Commencing April 17th In Centennial Park!

To Join Our 16 Week City To Surf Running Program Please Contact Us Today – Numbers Are Strictly Limited!!!

City to surf is fast approaching so it’s time to set yourself a goal and begin training towards it.

Whether it’s your first attempt or you’re a seasoned competitor, having a goal is paramount to achieving the fastest time because you need a goal to strive for.

Dangerously Fit are offering a full 16 week running class that will give you all the tools you need to reach your full potential.

The program includes fartlek, resistance, long distance, hills and sprint training – everything you need to complete the 14km run on August-8 in the fastest time possible.

The classes will be held at Centennial Park on Saturday’s mornings at 8.30am – the price is $320 for the 16-week course ($80 billed per month).

We have limited spots available for this running group – so contact us today to ensure your spot. E-mail dan@bootcampsydney.com.au or call 02 8006 2417.

Wishing you the best of health.

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit
Sydney

                          

Part 1 Fitness Myths

Fitness Myth #6 – Training the abs last.
Many people believe that you must train the abs last to avoid fatiguing the stabilizing muscles of the core. Although this sounds like a fair statement this has never been scientifically proven. If you think about which section of the body is the most important (the core) and what is most peoples biggest weakness (the core) it doesn’t make sense to train the core last when you’re already fatigued.

Fitness Myth #7 – Bodybuilding programs for fat loss.
Bodybuilding programs are for bodybuilders. Unless you are using drugs these programs will not work for you! It still amazes me how many people are still reading bodybuilding magazines, following their programs using “body-part splits” and “blitzing muscles”. The people writing most of these articles are’ nt even bodybuilders, they’re marketers from the supplement companies trying to deceive you, what looks like an article is probably an ad, look closer!

Fitness Myth #8 – You can out train a poor diet.
No matter how hard you train if your diet is poor, you will not see the results your training for. With the right nutrition you will be able to fuel your workouts far more effectively giving you a greater return in results.

Fitness Myth #9 – More is better.
Too much of a good thing can be detrimental to your training.
If you’re training;
• Too frequently
• For too long
• Without enough rest
This will lead to overtraining. Overtraining can lead to sickness, depression and injury.

Fitness Myth #10 – High reps cut.
There is no such thing as a “cutting phase”.
If you progressively lift heavier weights your muscles will grow, if you lift the same size weight as your previous workout your muscles will stay the same size, if you lift less weight than your previous workouts your muscles will get smaller. The only thing that determines whether you get the “cut” look is the size of your muscles and how low your body fat percentage is.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit

                          

Fitness Myth #2 – As you age you gain fat.
There’s a common myth that as you age gaining fat becomes unavoidable. This simply isnt true – the reason you gain fat is because your metabolism has slowed down due to a lack of exercise and bad diet choices.

Fitness Myth #3 – Steady state cardio is best for fat loss
The problem with steady state cardio for fat loss is;
• It doesn’t burn many calories whilst performing the exercise and burns very little if any after.
• It causes the body to reduce its release of the fat burning hormones and enzymes.
• The body adapts by becoming more energy efficient, meaning your body has to work less to perform the same workout.

Interval training is far better for losing weight because you will burn far more calories and will keep your metabolism revving for up to 24hrs after you finish training. Interval training is short bouts(10-60 seconds) of high intensity exercise broken up with periods of low intense exercise. The good thing with this is that you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, so there’s no need to spend 45-60 mins pounding away on a treadmill, you can be done in 20-25 mins and that’s including your warm up and cool down.

Fitness Myth #4 – Stop exercising & your muscles turn to fat.
I’m not sure where this one comes from – it’s one of those myths that gets past around but when you really think about it it’s ridiculous. Muscle is working tissue which is designed to move your body around, fat is stored energy – it’s as simple as that. The reason people put on fat when they stop training is because the loss of muscle tissue will cause a drop in metabolism, and if your still consuming the same amount of calories where else are the calories meant to go?

Fitness Myth #5 – Spot reducing.
Spot reducing means targeting a specific body part or muscle with an exercise to reduce fat in those areas. I’m always getting asked which ab exercise is best for losing that bit of extra weight around the mid-section. Unfortunately the body doesn’t work this way, when you begin losing weight you are unable to determine which area your body will lose fat. For example doing lots of sit-ups will not reduce fat around the mid-section, it will only strengthen and tone the abs.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part 2 of… The 10 Biggest Fitness Myths!

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Personal Trainer Sydney
Boot Camp Sydney

                          

If you missed part 1 you can view it here… Fat Loss Tips

If you have any questions please feel free to comment below.

Fitness tip # 6 – Calorie deficit. Through proper diet and regular exercise create a calorie deficit. This simply means burning more calories than you’re consuming. Keep a journal and get a calorie counter, you can record your diet for free at www.fitday.com. How are you supposed to know how many calories you’re putting into your body if you’re not keeping track of what you’re eating and drinking? By creating a calorie deficit you’ll be using energy from your energy stores (body fat). The trick is not to create a calorie deficit that’s too high or your body will think its starving and will begin too slow your metabolism down, your focus should be on losing fat, not necessarily weight. A too high calorie deficit can also cause a reduction in lean muscle mass making it harder for you to lose weight.

Fitness tip # 7 – Weight training. Muscle is the only tissue that is metabolically expensive. Therefore increasing muscle mass will elevate your metabolism at rest, you’ll burn more calories sitting behind your desk and whilst you’re asleep, you will also burn a considerable more amount of energy whilst you’re exercising through greater energy demand from the increase in lean muscle. Perform exercises that will give you the biggest return, compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats, pushing and pulling exercises and use a variety of combination lifts and circuits. Use drop sets and superset’s and keep the rest period in between exercises to a minimum.

Fitness tip # 8 – Consume more protein. Eating protein will keep you fuller for longer, meaning you’ll consume less overall calories in a day. Eating protein also makes your digestive system work twice as hard as eating carbohydrates and fat, so by eating more protein you’ll be burning more calories through digestion (this is known as the thermic effect). One of the biggest mistakes people make when dieting is that they lose muscle as well as fat, which will in turn slow down their metabolism. By eating plenty of protein and following a suitable weights program this will ensure you maintain your muscle tissue. If you have trouble consuming adequate amounts of protein, try supplementing with a ‘whole food based’ protein drink.

Fitness tip # 9 – Interval Training. Interval training is the #1 cardiovascular exercise for weight loss. It includes high intensity exercise (for10-60 seconds) broken up with periods of low intensity exercise. The good thing with interval training is that you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. So there’s no need to spend hrs pounding away on a treadmill, you can be done in 20-25 mins and that’s including your warm up and cool down! This form of training will keep your metabolism elevated for up to 24 hrs after you’ve finished training, through E.P.O.C (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), so you’ll be burning calories even while you’re sleeping.

Fitness tip # 10 – Include a cheat day once a week! Keep your body guessing and have a cheat day once a week. This will stop your body from hitting a plateau and stop your metabolism from slowing down. A cheat day is a good time to eat the foods you’ve been craving throughout the week. No-one can eat perfectly 100% of the time without cracking, so hold off any foods that aren’t in your nutrition plan until this day. Having a cheat day will allow you to be good for the other 6 day’s of the week, (just don’t go too mad)!

Be sure to check back in a few days for part 3 of this mini series.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
Sydney Personal Training
Sydney Fitness Boot Camps
Sydney Corporate Fitness

                          

5 min dynamic warm up

Exercise 1
Sprint 400 meters
a) Push ups x 10
b) Mountain climbers x 10
c) Crunches x 10

Complete 3 sets

Sprint 400 meters
a) Dips x 10
b) Lunges x 10
c) Step up with reverse depth jump

Complete 3 sets

Sprint 400 meters

Exercise 2
Everyone in pairs, 6 cones set out 10 meters apart. 1st partner sprints to 1st cone and back while partner performs an exercise, change and repeat until all 6 cones are complete.

Tuck jumps
Squat thrusts
Lateral hops (in push up position)
Squat jumps
Plank
Burpees

Exercise 3
Hill Sprints 7 mins

5 min cool down and stretch

Train hard!

Dan Clay

Dangerously Fit Personal Training
Personal Training Sydney
Boot Camp Fitness Sydney
Corporate Fitness Sydney

                          

Do this workout at least once a week this is your homework for the next 6 weeks, weekends are always a good time to fit a quick workout in – all up it should only take you about 45 minutes.

Warm up

High knee running
High hill running
Lateral running
Back peddle
3/4 sprint
Shoulder circles

Strength

Rest 15 seconds between exercises.

2 x 10 Squats
2 x 10 Press Up’s
2 x 10 Plank
2 x 10 Reverse Lunge (each leg)
2 x 10 Ab Crunches
2 x 10 Inverted rows

Cardio

Sprint for 10 seconds (fast as possible).
Rest for 20 seconds (slow walk).

Repeat this 10 times.

Rest for 90 seconds (slow walk).

Sprint for 10 seconds (fast as possible).
Rest for 20 seconds (slow walk).

Repeat this 10 times.

Warm down and stretch

Let me know how you get on, if you have any questions regarding the workout please post them below.

Train hard!

Dan.

P.S If you would like a trial at Dangerously Fit Boot Camp Rushcutters Bay, click here –>> Boot Camp <– for more info!

Dangerously Fit Personal Training
Personal Training Sydney
Boot Camp Fitness Sydney

                          

The goal with interval training (for fat loss) is to get your heart rate up to 85-95% of your maximum, this will speed up your metabolism for up to 24 hours after your workout through E.P.O.C (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

Generally – the faster you sprint – the higher the E.P.O.C – the more calories you’ll burn after your workout – the more fat you’ll lose.

So the problem is if you’re not sprinting fast enough your heart rate won’t reach 85-95% of it’s maximum and you won’t get the full benefit from interval training.

Plus if you don’t rest enough during the rest phase, you’re unable to sprint as fast enough during the sprint phase.

I find the best way of doing interval training is using a heart rate monitor instead of time to determine rest and work ratios i.e. 10 seconds of rest for every 10 seconds of work.

You know if your heart rate isn’t reaching 85-95% of its maximum you have to work harder and you can accurately gage if you’ve had enough rest during sprints.

Interval Training Done the Right Way…

My favorite way for working out your maximum heart rate is using a rowing machine.

Wearing a heart rate monitor set the rowing machine for 1000 meters, row the first 500 meters at 50% of your fastest speed, then on the 500 meter mark sprint as fast as possible.

Straight after you finish your sprint check your hear rate monitor, this will give you a good idea of your maximum heart rate.

Interval training can be done anywhere, running/cycling in the park, swimming in the pool, on any type of cardio equipment in the gym. Personally I prefer to run.

Start off your workout with a 3 minute dynamic warm up, then walk, row or cycle briskly for 2 minutes.

Sprint as fast as possible for 1 minute (ensuring your heart reaches 85-95%), then rest until your heart rate drops down to 2/3rds of your maximum.

Repeat for 10 – 20 minutes (depending on your level of fitness), as you become fitter your heart rate will recover faster decreasing your rest periods and making it harder.

Warm down for 5 mins and stretch.

Let me know how you get on.

Train hard!

Dan Clay.

Dangerously Fit Personal Training
Personal Training Sydney
Boot Camp Fitness Sydney

                          

The great thing about these bodyweight circuits are they’re quick, effective and you don’t need a gym.

So no more and queuing up for machines or long boring cardio workouts.

These exercises can be performed in the park, at the beach or even in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a clear space of about 2 square meters and you’re good to go.

Short high intensity workouts elevate your metabolism through EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption).

EPOC basically means if you train very hard even for short periods you’ll continue to burn calories after you’ve finished your workout.

It’s difficult to predict how much EPOC any workout will bring but as a general rule, the more intense your workout – the more EPOC.

High intensity exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for up to 2 days after your workout, which is why this type of training is the key for fast and sustainable fat loss.

The workout…

All the exercises in this circuit are compound exercises working more than one muscle at a time.

The circuit is split between cardio and strength upper and lower body exercises to give your energy systems and muscular a systems a rest between exercises.

Perform each exercise for 10 seconds, have a 20 second rest then move on to the next exercise until you’ve completed the circuit.
Have a 120 second rest, then repeat.

1.Squats
2.Mountain climbers
3.Push-ups
4.Squat thrusts
5.Reverse lunges
6.Jumping jacks (star jumps)
7.Inverted rows
8.Burpees

Guidelines…

Begin with a 2-1 work rest ratio meaning your resting for twice as long as you’re exercising

As you get fitter you can either increase the work (exercising for longer intervals)
or decrease your rest time between exercises – NOT BOTH.

With this workout only taking 10 minutes 3 times a week and being able perform it at home, there’s no excuse for being too busy.

Train hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com
www.personaltrainersydney.com
www.bootcampsydney.com.au

P.S For more great bodyweight fat loss workouts check out Turbulence Training.

                          

Although both are essential for losing weight I don’t think either are the most important factor.

Personally I believe mindset is by far the most important tool for losing weight.

Mindset is the thing that will bring everything together, it gives you the imagination, focus and belief to become what you’re capable of.

It doesn’t matter how good a nutrition or exercise program is if you continually slip up and miss workouts or eat garbage, the program simply won’t work.

If you have the right mindset losing weight becomes much easier, you’ll be more focused in your workouts and you’ll find it much easier to avoid pizza hut.

To learn more about mindset and I’d definitely recommend you grab yourself a copy of the pycho cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.

Train Hard and Eat Well!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com
www.personaltrainersydney.com
www.bootcampsydney.com.au