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

                          

A few years ago I used to think goal setting was just fancy talk people in seminars would talk about, but after reading books such as Psycho-Cybernetics, Leading The Field and Think And grow Rich I began using some of their techniques – and within a short amount of time my life began to change for the better.

If you don’t have clearly defined goals you have nothing for your subconscious mind to work towards. And as Earl Nightingale put it…

“A person without a goal is like a ship without a rudder!”

Your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between reality and fiction, so you can actually trick your subconscious mind into doing anything that you feed it, borrowing another quote from Earl Nightingale (I’m bit of a fan)…

“You will become what you THINK about!”

If you keep thinking about walking around looking toned and lean, guess what? This will become reality.

But…

Thinking is only a part of the process because you still need to take action!

However if you keep focusing on your end goal you’ll be thinking less about getting up at 5.30am to go to boot camp and find it easier to NOT cave into the temptation of eating junk food.

Instead you’ll have more focus on the end goal – and how good it will feel once you get there.

And once you do get there it will be well worth the effort!

Right now get a pen and paper and write down your goals, add a timeframe you’d like to achieve them by, now put it somewhere you will see everyday like on your desk or fridge.

By subconsciously seeing your goals everyday you’ll be feeding your subconscious mind with something to work towards, and when you have clearly defined goals anything can happen.

Till next time!

Dan Clay.
Dangerously Fit

P.S Here’s another post I did a while back on a similar topic…

http://dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com/blog/fat-loss-diet-or-exercise/

                          

It’s been a while since my last post, it’s been a hectic couple of weeks with the March boot camps starting up again. We’ve had a flying start to this months boot camps – we saw great results from everyone last month and we’re aiming to do one better this month. We’re also bringing in a nutritionist that will be supplying a weight loss plan and will be giving us ongoing support through our soon to be launched Dangerously Fit community site (more on that soon).

So for today I’m just going to leave with a really cool video clip I came across yesterday, check out the surfer dude – he’s insane!

Everything is Possible – The most popular videos are here

Speak soon.

Dan
Dangerously Fit

                          

But now I’m in the best position of my life both physically and financially and I only go to the gym once a week to lift really heavy stuff – for fun.

The other 3 training sessions are all done outdoors in the park or at the beach with only the use of Olympic rings, sandbags, kettlebells, bodyweight and med-balls – all tools that we use at our boot camps.

It’s funny but as soon as I stopped working and training at the gym my life instantly got better.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to imply that leaving the gym was the only reason for a turn in events, but it just worked out that way.

Here are 5 reasons why NOT to go to the gym…

1. Waiting for equipment
This used to drive me nuts. I reckon I’d waste a quarter of my valuable workout time waiting for equipment. Not only are you getting cold whilst you’re waiting but it’s impossible to finish your workout without spending an extra 15-20 minutes in the gym – and who wants that?

Either build your own home gym, join a fitness boot camp or use the jungle gym at parks and beaches – that’s what they’re there for.

2. People bugging you
Now I don’t know if people just used to bug me because I was a trainer but I’d spend half the time answering people’s questions. I’m not anti-social but if I’m training the last thing I want is to be asked questions when I’m In mid workout – if you need advice then hire a trainer. My Info Is reserved for my personal training and boot camp clients!

I was once asked a question mid bench press whilst listening to my I pod!

Then there’s always the guy that spends the whole time walking around the gym giving bad advice to unexpecting victims even though he’s In terrible shape himself – every gym has one, he’s the in house know it all.

3. Expensive memberships
What a con! Gyms are nearly as bad as banks. You pay hundreds of dollars for a membership card so you have the privilege to pay them a monthly membership fee – cheers!

Then you get locked into a long term contact with no way out (unless you give them more money).

For the all the money you spend on gym fees spend a few bucks on some useful pieces of home training equipment and use it for a lifetime with no more fees.

4. Useless equipment
A little secret in the fitness industry is that all those shining fancy machines you see in gyms are actually useless. I haven’t used machines for years because they don’t work – they don’t allow your body to move in the natural way it was designed to and often lead to overuse injuries.

If you want to be lean and toned forget about the machines, get yourself some dumbbells/ kettlebells, Olympic rings and you make your very own gym.

5. Rubbish trainers
The truth is most trainers suck. Some of these big franchise gyms (mention no names) churn through trainers so fast they simply cannot keep up with the demand of their massively high membership rates. So they hire trainer’s fresh out of 3 month fast track certification course and throw them on the floor. Many of these trainers have no experience training clients and by looking at them don’t have experience training themselves.

It’s time to try something new!

Get out of your comfort zone.

Get out of the gym.

Get outdoors.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously fit
www.bootcampsydney.com.au

                          

1. Cost effective – very little equipment is needed
2. Large variety of exercises
3. Competition between partners provides better fitness results
4. Accountability and social support
5. Its more fun!

We often use buddy training in our boot camps and find that it works particularly well. The competitive side in people comes out they push themselves to the limit which in turn yields better results – faster.

The Buddy Training Workout – Tabata Style

This total body workout will consist of bodyweight exercises. Each station you will alternate between 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat this 30 second set another 8 times for a total of 4 minutes followed by a 1 minute rest before moving on the next station.

Exercise 1 Med-ball squat and pass

Exercise 2 Buddy Push up and Row

Exercise 3 Plank and reach (tapping opposite hands across)

Exercise 4 Buddy resisted reverse lunges

Now go find yourself a buddy to train with – or join one of our Sydney boot camps and get training.

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
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

                          

Exercise 1
We split the camp into groups of 4-5 people. Set up 5 exercise stations 50 meters apart. 1 minute of work at each station, then everyone had 15 seconds to get to the next station. We completed 3 sets with a 90 second rest between.

On the run
Station 1. Ring Rows >> Jog
Station 2. KB Push up, Squat, Press >> Jog
Station 3. Squat and Squat Thrust >> Jog
Station 4. Lunge and Chest Press >> Jog
Station 5. Med-ball chop >> Jog

Partner Sprints
We split campers into pairs(similar fitness level). Partners face each other 60 meters apart and race each other to opposite end. Complete 10 sprints with a 30 second rest between reps. We completed 2 sets.

Till next week.

Enjoy

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit
Dangerously Fit Personal Training

                          

It seems many employers are jumping on the bandwagon that says good employee health means good employee performance.

And it makes perfect sense.

Employees that are fit and healthy have a greater impact on a company’s profit margin as they have a higher moral and increased productivity. They take fewer sick days, maximizing their performance and lower companies health care costs.

Considering that 75% of illnesses are caused through lifestyle related choices, it’s a better option to care for employees every step of the way rather than waiting for employees to become sick.

In the Western world the health care system is backwards, it’s reactive rather than proactive.

Unfortunately not enough time and money is spent on keeping people fit, healthy and out of the doctor’s office.

We wait for people to get sick, give them a few pills to mask their symptoms, then get them out of the doctor’s office a.s.a.p.

So what can a company or business owner do to assist staff with their health?

A small business owner can arrange for a fitness expert, nutritionist and other healthcare professionals to come into their business to conduct a “lunch and learn”.

Employees benefit from such seminars through learning how to bring daily physical activity into the workplace and how to fit short effective workouts into a lunch break, which is crucial for a sedentary workforce.

Companies can also run “Biggest Loser Contests” with prizes for the winner such as gift vouchers or cash and offer employees incentives for giving up smoking as well as discounts on health insurance.

Expert nutritionists help employees to create a well balanced and healthy eating plan which guarantees increased energy levels and productivity through out the day. The essential nutrients are vital to every body’s well being and prevent a number of illnesses.

Both a well balanced diet and an effective exercise program are crucial for a society that is becoming increasingly obese.

Not only will a strategic health care plan positively affect your businesses bottom line, it will send a message to your employees that you care and take their health care issues seriously.

If you have any questions regarding our corporate fitness programs please feel free to contact me at enquiry@personaltrainersydney.com

Train Hard!

Dan Clay
Personal Trainer Sydney
Dangerously Fit Personal Training

                          

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