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

                          

Recently we’ve incorporated boxing workouts into our Sydney boot camps and they’ve been a massive hit with everyone in the program.

Boxing is great for cardio fitness, self-defense, weight loss and will help tone the muscles in your upper body.

Studies show that a boxing workout uses both energy systems with 60% coming from the anaerobic system and 40% from the aerobic system.

So you can see why professional boxers are so fit, but you don’t need to be Muhammad Ali to enjoy the benefits of boxing.

Sure, if you want to take up boxing as a competitive sport I would definitely recommend you see a professional boxing coach for 1-1 training.

But if you just want to get fit, lose weight and blow off some steam then boxing fitness is safe and lots of fun.

Most boxing fitness classes will combine regular boxing drills with bodyweight strength exercises and running to enhance your strength, stamina and overall fitness.

Also, during a boxing fitness workout your heart rate can elevate up to 80-90% of it’s maximum which will raise your metabolism and put your body into fat burning mode.

Boxing training will bring about a huge number of positive results, so if your bored of plodding away on a treadmill and fancy a change, feel free to contact me for a free trial session at… dan@bootcampsydney.com

We currently have boxing classes at Rushcutters Bay, Bondi Beach, Centennial Park (Queens Park) and will soon have classes in the CBD (Domain) and Coogee Beach.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit

                          

There simple…

…but effective!

Top 2 Fitness Tips

Perform Total Body workouts
You can do these using a 5 station circuit, we often use these types of circuits at our Sydney boot camps.

This way you get to work the upper body, lower body and core all in one circuit. The way we program the circuits is an upper body pull (i.e. row, chin up), lower body push (i.e. squat/lunge)
upper body push (i.e. press ups, shoulder press), core movement (i.e. plank, rusina twist), lower body pull (kettlebell swings, deadlifts).

Perform each exercise for between 50-60 seconds and have a 10-15 second rest between each station.

High Intensity Carido
Interval training (HIIT)has been scientifically proven to burn nine time more fat than regular steady state cardio and keeps the metabolism elevated for up to 48 hours after your workout.

Perform interval training after strength training or on non-strength training days at least 3 x per week.

Depending on your fitness level alternate between 10-20 seconds of maximal effort, followed by 10-20 seconds of rest. Repeat these intervals for 10 times with a 90 second rest, then perform a 2nd set. The type of cardio can vary but at our Sydney boot camps we like to use bodyweight exercises i.e. burpees, mountain climbers etc or good old fashioned sprinting and hill training.

Top 2 Diet Tips

Eat at regular intervals
You should look to eat your first meal as soon as you wake in the morning and then every 2-4 hours after to starve fat and feed the muscle. By suppyling your body with regular fuel you will keep your metabolism high and will stop your body from going in to fat storage mode.

Think fiber first
When consuming carbs Eat as many green veggies as you like to keep your belly full between meals. For optimum fat burning try to cut out starchy carbs such as bread, rice and pasta, the only time you can break this rule is immediately after your workout.

Use these 4 health and fitness tips and you can’t go wrong!

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit

                          

It doesn’t matter how hard you train – you CANNOT out train a poor diet and I believe diet is about 80% of weight loss.

The following nutrition guidelines have produced some life-changing results for our personal training and boot camp clients all over Sydney.

If you follow our nutrition plan and exercise program CAREFULLY you can expect to lose 1kg per week.

Nutrition Tip 1. Eat at regular intervals

Your first meal of the day should be right after you wake up in the morning and then every 2-4 hours thereafter for a total of 6 small meals per day. This is the foundation of any weight loss program as it feeds the muscle with the nutrients it needs and prevents the body from going into starvation mode which will slow down your metabolism and fat burning.

You should try to consume 3 staple meals per day – breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 3 snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and before bed).

Nutrition Tip 2. Eat carbs that are high in fiber

Remember to focus on the quality of the carbohydrate first, then on the quantity. All carbs (except dairy) should contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

Use the following 5 step carbohydrate reduction process to begin eliminating bad carbs…

Step1. Replace all white carbs with whole grains and all refined sugars with natural sugars i.e. fruit and honey. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable which is key to maintaining high energy levels and burning fat.

Step2. Limit all 100% whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption
to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast. Your body best handles these types of carbs at these times without excessive risk of this energy being stored as fat.

Step3. Replace all starches and sugars with fruit and veg. Fruit and veg are the most nutrient dense carbs and are loaded with all types of nutrients, antioxidants, minerals, fiber and other photochemical’s making them an essential component of any sensible eating plan.

Step4. Decrease the amount of fruit and increase the amount of veggies (except corn, peas, carrots and potato) to limit the amount of natural sugar (fructose) that will prevent your body from maximally using stored body fat for fuel. Eat plenty of dark green veggies like green beans, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, dark leafy lettuce etc.

These types of veggies are the most figure friendly foods and you can consume as much of these as you like.

Step5. Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level (my clients and I have had great success with this but it is beyond the scope of this article).

Nutrition Tip 3. Take the right supplements

Not all supplements are equal and like everything you get what you pay for. The best type of multivitamin supplements are whole food based – meaning they originate from real food and not coal or tar as many synthetic vitamins do. These types of supplements are little more expensive but are definitely worth it.

The right type of multivitamin will ensure your body functions optimally even if you fail to eat 8-12 servings of fruit and veg a day.

You should also be taking a high quality essential fatty acid or fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fats found in fish oil are scientifically proven to increase metabolism and generate increased fat burning, besides having a host of other benefits like preventing cancer, reducing inflammation and joint pain, enhancing skin and hair quality, etc.

Well, those are my 3 nutrition tips you can instantly begin implementing. Keep your diet simple and clean and you’ll look your best in no time.

Let me know how you go.

Dan Clay
Dangerously fit

                          

Here’s the workout

Split campers into pairs, 1 person performs the strength exercise, the other person will sprint to a cone 50 meters away and back. 90 seconds per station, 15 seconds rest then move to the next station.

Exercise 1 – Centennial Park Personal Trainer Combo:
1. Kettlebell Swings
2. Medball crunch
3. Push ups
4. Slam ball
5. Squat jumps
6. Kettlebell Swings
7. Medball crunch
8. Push ups
9. Slam ball
10. Squat jumps

Exercise 2 – Strongman sprints
Split camper into pairs, mark out 5 cones 15 meters apart. 1st person squats down and picks up the kettlebell then runs to first cone and puts the kettlebell down then sprints back and tags partner. 2nd person then repeats, continue until you have reached the 5th cone and then start making your way back until your back at the 1st cone.

Enjoy

Dan Clay
Group Personal Training Centennial Park

                          

Step Two – The What and When

What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish
it by?

We already figured out the obvious – you want to look better in the mirror.

So from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:

1.) Scale weight: This by far the least effective goal and something that far too many people get caught up on, but it gives a number worth tracking.

Even though body fat percentage would be a much better option, it’s too inaccurate for you to do by yourself and too expensive to hire someone who knows how to do it PROPERLY.

The key is too not weigh yourself on a regular basis, peoples weight fluctuates too much on daily basis due to hydration, menstrual cycles and diet. Your much better off weighing yourself when you begin, then every 2 weeks after that.

2.) Pant/Dress Size: This is the most simple and effective way of tracking whether or not you look better. For most people I think I’d be right in saying that if you drop a few pant/dress sizes you’ll be looking better.

Pick a dress or set of pants that you’d really like to get into, don’t be conservative – if it’s a size 6 dress then say it’s a size 6 dress. Don’t dilute your goals because you think it’s unattainable!

3.) Digital pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. There’s no better way of assessing whether you look better than with pictures. This is important so do don’t skip this. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling everybody that you’re ready to and committed to change.

Take pictures of what you would like to fit into or something that you think will look good on you. If your goal is to get abs then take a picture of your abs, if you want to lose weight around the hips then take a picture of your hips.

Take pictures from the front, side and rear and note the conditions you took the pictures in (lighting, time of day/week etc) be as accurate as possible. Take pictures bi-weekly or monthly until you reach your goal. Clients that have seen amazing results who failed to take before pictures had nothing but regret. Your pictures will become your trophy and a reminder of the ‘dark days’.

Step Three – Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks

What are the biggest obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?

Now you know what your goals are you need to plan for any obstacles you might run into along the way.

One of the most common excuses I hear is… “I’m too busy or too tired to train”.

I don’t care how busy you are, everyone has at least 30 minutes a day when they can train. Whatever your excuse may be you need to have a plan to ensure you don’t fall into the same old trap.

It might just come down to a case of prioritizing, if your goals were important enough to you when you started your fitness journey then they deserve some priority – how important are your goals to you?

Set an appointment with yourself and keep it, don’t make excuses and don’t procrastinate – usually once you begin a workout it’s a lot more fun than you think. Don’t talk yourself out of something and try to justify it later – be honest with yourself.

OK, now you should have your goals written down and a timeframe you want to accomplish them by. Is it scale weight, dress/pant size – do you want to get into shape for a friends wedding? Be specific!

What are the roadblocks? How will you overcome them? You should have it all written down.

Now…

Put these answers and your before pictures somewhere you will see them everyday, if you feel like missing a workout or ordering take away instead of cooking at home – look at your plan and stay focused.

Till next time.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Personal Trainer Sydney

                          

A large part of my client’s success stories is due to our fat burning workouts and nutrition system, I have read countless scientific research, through trial and error I have put together a system that flat out works – and we’ve got many client case studies to prove it.

But, today I’m going to share something more powerful, something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.

So what do you think is the real secret behind many of my client’s successes?

If you said it was my training and nutrition system then you’d be wrong, even the best programs out there are worthless if someone is unwilling to follow them carefully.

It’s been said that you can take a poor program, follow it carefully and get amazing results.

Or…

Take a great program, follow it poorly and get lousy results.

So it appears that the most important component of changing your body is finding the right motivation to stay focused on achieving your goals – and that’s what I’m going to talk about today.

I’m going to get right into the actual consultation process that each of our clients goes through before they start working with us. This is such an important aspect to our client’s success that we require it for any new client to be considered into joining our program.

Now first I must warn you.

If you think goal setting is a load of fluff and just a big waste of time you should stop reading NOW, there’s nothing I can do for you – you’re not ready change your body.

The truth is that the most successful people out there, and not just in weight loss success, but in any situation whether it’s business, sport, lifestyle etc are totally goal driven.

These people know exactly what their goals are and why they want to accomplish them.

Not only that, they have a plan of attack and have contingencies for any kind of roadblock they face along the way.

This is what I want to talk about today.

Before we start get a pen and paper and write down the answers to these questions.

Step One – Figure out the Why

Why do you want to do this?

This is where you need to be honest with yourself. In nearly every consult I’ve ever done I hear the same blanket response – every time.

”Not sure really, just wanna get fit and healthy I spose”

Wrong answer!

I’m sure they do want to get fit and healthy – who wouldn’t. But, that’s not why they’ve come to see me, getting up at 5am to train in the dark in winter time is not a powerful enough motivator (though it should be).

Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better when you look in the mirror. You know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve
your appearance is the most powerful motivator there is.

So after their initial response and some digging by me I usually get to the real reason. We find their past pain and failures and then establish new goals and future ambitions.

For some it’s being able to feel comfortable to take their shirt off at the beach, others may want to fit into clothes that looked good on them 5-10 years ago.

It all works, these are the powerful goals that will keep you focused and motivated.

So the first thing you need to establish is the WHY.

Be sure to check back tomorrow to read part 2 of this blogpost

Till then.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Personal Trainer Sydney

                          

If you think you’re different, ask yourself how many soft drinks you consume on a daily basis?

Just one can of soft drink contains on average 39 grams of sugar.
If you don’t know how much 1 gram of sugar looks like, 1 teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 grams of sugar.

Which means that 1 can of soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar or a quarter of a cup of sugar!

If you drink 1 soft drink a day that amounts to 90 cups of sugar a year just from sugar.

Which is a total of 56,940 calories.

Just to let you know – 1kg of bodyfat stores 7.700 calories.

Enjoy your next can!

Train Hard

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit
Personal Trainer Sydney

                          

More specifically, the sickening fact that Australian adults keep getting fatter, more lethargic, and less healthy has mirrored the unabated deterioration in the health and fitness of our youth population. However, on a positive note, I feel that 2009 will be host to several growing fitness trends that will provide the long-term answers to solve this ever-growing problem.

Fitness Trend#1- The popularity of Fitness Boot Camps Will Rise and One-On-One Personal Training Will Fall

With the recent credit crunch in the U.S, U.K and other parts of the world many experts are predicting the same for Australia.

With an economy that will likely get worse before it gets better, the average Australian may find that one on one personal training at a cost of $70 – $90 per session will simply become too expensive.

However there’s always a solution and fitness boot camps are just that. Boot camps are without a doubt the hottest thing going on in the fitness industry right now. The group fitness model is a win-win for both the trainer and the client which will make one on one personal training a thing of the past. Fitness trainers are able to leverage their time and maximize their income while clients can access personal training in a dynamic environment for a ¼ of the cost.

Fitness boot camps are popping up all over Sydney and with good reason. If your goal is to lose weight what better way than to save yourself a heap of money and get even better results by joining a local fitness boot camp.

Fitness Trend#2- Interval Training Destroys Steady State Cardio for Fat Loss and Fitness

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is fast becoming the number one way for losing fat and increasing fitness. In 2009 there’ll be an increase of people doing more sprints and less marathons to lose weight and get fit.

Steady state cardio basically means going at a slow, low intensity pace for a long period of time (usually between 30-60 minutes). This kind of training results in minimal fat loss and lots of overuse injuries.

The focus with interval training is intensity of exercise. Interval training consists of alternating short bouts of high intensity effort with rest for a much quicker workout (typically between 10-20mins). High intensity exercise is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat and leads to quicker gains in fitness than steady state cardio.

It’s time to jump on the interval training bandwagon. Ditch steady state cardio and get sprinting for a leaner, meaner 2009.

Fitness Trend#3- More Lean Protein And Fiber for Carbohydrate Addict’s

Australians are carb addicts, most Ozzie’s simply can’t get enough of the stuff. Our diets are full of starches and sugars and the flabby midsections are there to prove it. One of the most understood aspects about diet today is that low carb means eliminating all starches and sugars. Although eliminating all types of grains and processed sugars is a good thing, don’t make the mistake of eliminating the fruits and veggies in the name of ‘cutting out carbs’. The majority of these nutrient dense carbs is actually low GI and is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber which create stable blood sugar levels to keep your body burning fat all day long.

All of our clients that have lost the most fat have followed our guidelines of unlimited veggies all day long (besides corn, peas, carrots, beets, and potatoes). In other words, eat lots of veggie carbs, and very little of the other stuff if you want to see your abs!

Till next time.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
Personal Trainer Sydney
Fitness Boot Camp Sydney
Corporate Fitness Sydney

                          

Exercise 1 – Round, Round, Robin
Perform 3 sets, keep reps down to 10 and do 3 sets so they don’t grind reps of 30 out.

a) Push Ups x 10
b) Squats x 10
c) Shoulder to crunch (use wall) x 10

Run half a lap of a football field.

d) Dips x 10
e) Lunges x 10
f) Reverse depth jump (step up and land in a squat)

Run half a lap of a football field.

Exercise 2 – Bodyweight Shuttle relay

Split camp in teams of 2, set out 6 cones 15 meters apart.

1st person runs to 1st cone and performs 1st exercise for 5 reps
2nd person runs to 1st cone and performs 1st exercise for 5 reps
1st person runs to 1st cone and performs 1st exercise for 10 reps
2nd person runs to 1st cone and performs 1st exercise for 10 reps

Continue till all 6 cones are completed

Exercises:
1. Mountain climbers
2. Squat thrusts
3. Lateral hop over cone
4. Squat jumps
5. Tuck jumps
6. Burpees

Till next week.

Enjoy

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
Personal Trainer Sydney
Boot Camp Sydney
Corporate Fitness Sydney