Australian Health & Fitness Blog

Welcome to the LocalFitness.com.au Australian Health & Fitness Blog! A place where you can keep updated on things going on in the fitness industry. Whether it be things going on in the gym, personal training or group fitness world or in the world of running your own fitness business.

If you would like your event covered by LocalFitness.com.au or have a product you would like reviewed, drop us a line.

Gatorade REPLAY – A Fitness Journey which changed History

October 3, 2011 - By Gatorade

OLD COLLEGIANS 9 9 63
MERRIVALE 2 6 18


Comedian David Hughes and his Old Collegians Warriors teammates proved you are only as good as your last footy game after taking the trophy from 91’ flag winners, the Merrivale Tigers. The 63 | 18 win was the end of the battle to redeem their 91’ Grand Final efforts to REPLAY the game and re-write the scoreboard, in the process re-igniting the spirit of the teams, town and Aussie Rules community as well as raising $20,000 to support Peter’s Project cancer care program. The 12-week REPLAY challenge built on a training program developed by the Australian Institute of Sport, pushed teams to their limits as they regained match fitness with the objective of re-playing and settling the 20 year old score. “After the 12-weeks we’re finally here,” says Warriors coach Leigh McCluskey.

Following a pep talk from Aussie Rules legends Scott Cummings and Chris Grant, the teams take to the field in front of a record crowd in a match they will never have the chance to play again. “They (Merrivale) want to hold on to the title, but for you boys (Old Collegians) it’s redemption day,” lectures Scott Cummings. “You’re only as good as your last game, and this is going to be your last game,” he adds. Despite players taking some big hits in the first quarter, including a dislocated finger to Dave Hughes, McCluskey’s men redeemed themselves in a moment when Peter “Rat” Day put the ball through the posts in the third quarter – succeeding in the moment he had failed those 20 years prior and carried with him until the final second. “I couldn’t feel any better about this,” Day comments. “The whole journey has been amazing and we all really put everything we had into this match, yeah, I’m pretty happy with the outcome,” he adds. Fellow team member and winner of Best on Ground Shane Timms said the match was hard work, the effort involved was worth it. “It is sinking in at the moment. It has just been great to catch up with the boys.” “I am thrilled that the community has supported the match and shown its support for Peter’s Project to almost double our fundraising target of $12,000,” he said.

The Merrivale Tigers walked off the field with a sense of dignity and pride. “It was great to have been given this chance, and although we walk away without the trophy this time, we do walk away with a memory that will live on forever”, Comments Merrivale Coach David Cassidy.

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Gatorade Replay Grand Final

September 5, 2011 - By Gatorade REPLAY

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Gatorade Replay Training Report Week 11

August 26, 2011 - By Gatorade REPLAY

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WIN a $100 REBEL GIFT CARD IN THE GATORADE REPLAY FOOTY TIPPING COMPETITION

August 22, 2011 - By Gatorade REPLAY

That's right fitness fans. It's Grand Final Week and it's time to REPLAY!

The Old Collegians Warriors will go head to head with the Merrivale Tigers this Sunday the 28th of August 2011 at the Reid Oval in Warrnambool to show who the real champions are once and for all.

Localfitness.com.au and Gatorade REPLAY will be giving 4 lucky fans a $100 REBEL Gift Card each to help them start their own REPLAY journey.

Just post on the Localfiness.com.au Facebook Wall who you think will win the REPLAY GRAND FINAL and by what margin. e.g. Merrivale Tigers by 10 points.

RULES:
1. All contestants must be a fan of Localfitness.com.au. Click the like button to become a fan.

2. The first 4 contestants to guess the right winner and the right winning margin WIN! So get your footy tip registered early.

3. If no one guesses the right margin, the first 4 contestants to guess the closest winning margin and the right winner will WIN!

4. Winners will be posted on Monday the 29th of August




Good Luck to both the Old Collegians Warriors and the Merrivale Tigers teams!

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Gatorade Replay Training Report Week 10

August 19, 2011 - By Gatorade REPLAY

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Gatorade Replay Training Report Week 9

August 10, 2011 - By Gatorade REPLAY

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Showing up is not enough - Plan your Fitness

August 9, 2011 - By LocalFitness

You wouldn't build a house without first drawing up a plan. The same concept applies in fitness. Without a plan you jeopardise wasting a lot of time, effort and money. This is a sure way to ensure your gym membership doesn't get used and the excitement you once had when you started is reduced to a mere chore. Showing up at the gym is not enough. Plan your fitness and you will achieve what you were looking for - a Better YOU!

Set your baseline
It's hard to know where you are going, until you know where you are at. Set your baseline in fitness with a series of individual tests aimed to measure your performance in areas you want to improve. This could be speed, strength, flexibility, agility and so forth. Your baseline will not only tell you your current fitness condition but will help you lay out a realistic plan to reach your goal.

Set you deadline
Nobody likes a deadline, but unfortunately this causes us to act, focus and make a commitment. Whether you are getting ready for summer, slimming down for that special day or REPLAYING your 1991 Football Grand Final, setting a time frame helps you create a plan.

Create a fitness plan
Your baseline should have given you some greater indicators of your strengths and weaknesses. Your plan is your key to maintaining your fitness program. If your plan is not realistic, you set yourself up to fail. If your plan is too simple, you set yourself up to not achieve. Your plan should map out a step by step process of how to get to your goal and should be tailored to you. To get a tailored program, seek a fitness professional close to you... Personal Trainer Search.

Track your progress
Your fitness plan is not just a document your write and store in your drawers. It should be with your every session so you can record your results and track your progress from week to week. Showing up is not enough, you should be getting better and if you are following your plan you should be progressing and pushing yourself. If you are pushing yourself, fitness can never be a chore, it becomes a challenge and if you're challenging yourself you are always improving.

Re-test, Set a new baseline
Re-tests should occur frequently throughout your plan to measure your progress against you baseline. If you have been tracking your progress, this will be your taste of real measureable success. Repeat your individual baseline tests to see how far you have come, and how much further you still need to go. If all goes well, you will have a new baseline otherwise you will have an opportunity to re-adjust your plan. The fulfillment of these re-tests will give you the encouragement and excitement to keep chasing your goal.

Fitness is not rocket science. Don’t make it any more complicated than it needs to be. Approach your training with a plan to avoid become an exerciser who just shows up.

Watch Episode 2 and Episode 3 of the Gatorade Replay challenge as the players go through testing and set a baseline for their fitness...

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Rewind Your Fitness

August 2, 2011 - By LocalFitness

Watch Dave Hughes and his former team try to re-write the history books in the Gatorade REPLAY challenge.

Everyone has that one time in their life. Remember yourself when your body was slimmer, stronger, sexier and healthier? You could fit into any dress, you were confident at the beach, you could run a mile without running out of breath. Everyone has that one time in their life that they wished they could rewind to. For an athlete it was on the field, that one game, that one moment they wish they could do over. In sports you don’t get a second chance, but with Gatorade REPLAY you do. REPLAY, fuelled by Gatorade, offers what every athlete dreams of - a second chance...the chance to reunite with former teammates and get back into shape and play the game of their lives...one more time. For Dave Hughes and the Old Collegians Warriors Football Team it was that epic loss in the 1991 Warrnambool & District League Football Grand Final where the Merrivale Tigers took a win against all odds.

The Challenge
Gatorade has set the challenge for the two sides to REPLAY the 1991 Grand Final 20 years later to show who the champions are once and for all.

The Journey
20 years on, the 50 or so 40 something year olds will undertake a 12 week training program to rewind their bodies back into shape with the help of the Australian Institute of Sports and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. The 12 week journey full of heartache and determination will be followed by Localfitness.com.au on their Australian Health and Fitness blog and the Localfitness.com.au Facebook page - www.facebook.com/localfitness.com.au

The Glory
On August 28th, 2011 the Old Collegians Warriors and the Merrivale Tigers will hit Reid Oval in Warrnambool once again. On the day there will be only 1 winner, but for the players involved they will all be winners, winners who survived a 12 week fitness training program to reclaim the glory of their fitness.

In sports you don’t get a second chance...but fortunately in life you do. Everyone reminiscences of that time when they were once slimmer, stronger, sexier and healthier. What's stopping you from regaining your health and fitness? Reclaim what you deserve like the Gatorade REPLAY participants and Rewind Your Fitness! Download a FREE pass to your local gym today at www.localfitness.com.au

Follow the same program the players are using to prepare for the REPLAY match - Gatorade Replay AIS Training Program

Further Information...
http://gatoradereplay.com.au/index.php
http://www.youtube.com/gatoradereplay/

See the first episode NOW!

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Heart Foundation Recipe - Speedy Chicken and Tomato Bake

October 5, 2010 - By The Heart Foundation

Served with pasta and your favourite vegetables this speedy chicken bake will become a family favourite. Serves: 4 Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
ProChef extra-light olive oil cooking spray*
2 (275g each) chicken breast fillets, trimmed, thinly sliced*
1 large red onion, halved, cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, crushed
700g jar Leggo’s sugo di pomodoro Italian herbs with basil*
300g broccoli, cut into florets
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup Birds Eye frozen peas*
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Cooked penne pasta, to serve

To make this meal even healthier use Tick approved ingredients. *Products available with the Heart Foundation Tick. Remember all fresh fruit and vegetables automatically qualify for the Tick.

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan-forced. Spray a flameproof baking dish with oil. Heat over mediumhigh heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add onion and garlic to dish. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened.

2. Return chicken to dish. Add pasta sauce, broccoli and tomato. Season with pepper. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Add peas and rosemary. Stir to combine. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through and broccoli is just tender. Serve with pasta.

Help support the Heart Foundation by donating to LocalFitness.com.au's "Keep the Heart Clicking" Campaign for The Heart Foundation: Keep the Heart Clicking.

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30 Tips For 30 Days (Part 1 – Exercise Tips)

October 5, 2010 - By The Herald Sun's ExtraWell Editor - Daniel Hoy

1. Buy some scales.
If you have a lot of weight to lose, buy a set of scales. Some trainers advise you not to use scales, but if used properly they can be a valuable tool. They help give you a starting point and can keep you motivated. If you decide to use them, make sure you weigh yourself at the same time every day.

2. Start an exercise diary.
Plan your week, preferably one day off out of seven. The rest of the week you should alternate between cardio and weight bearing exercise.

3. Push ups rock.
In order to lose weight you need to build lean muscle, the more lean muscle the quicker your metabolism. Push ups are a great way to build strength and muscle. Do as many as you can, then mark down the number, that is your goal for the next day.

4. Move quicker.
By adding some speed session to your cardio you’ll burn more energy. This does not just mean running, if you walk add some hard walking to your nightly strolls. See our interval training program here

5. Find something you love.
Go back to a childhood sport you enjoyed, join a basketball, or netball team. Then at least one night a week your exercise is taken care of, and it’s fun.

6. Buy a pedometer.
It's a great way to motivate yourself to walk more. You'll find yourself keeping an eye on how many steps you have taken that day. If you give yourself a target, such as 10,000, you'll find yourself trying to find ways to reach that number. Parking at a train station farther down the line and walking to your stop is a good way to get in a few extra steps.

7. Join an exercise group.
Exercising in a group has several benefits. You surround yourself with like-minded people and the topic of conversation will revolve around weight loss and exercise. Being in a group trying to lose weight motivates you. It's easy to give up an exercise program if you're doing it on your own - in a group you're letting others down, not only yourself.

8. Stay motivated.
Picking the right form of exercise and starting slowly is the way to keep your motivation high. Setting goals and writing them down will help keep you on the straight and narrow. You are more likely to be successful if you have something to aim for.

9. Get the family involved.
Working out as a family unit makes it fun, and helps you stay motivated. Remember running around with the kids after work counts, it’s all burning energy.

10. Take the stairs.
Take the stairs when you would normally use the lift. It all adds up.

11. Start a walking group.
In your lunch hour at work catch up with a few workmates and head out for a walk, maybe even try a walking meeting instead of sitting around in the office for half an hour.

12. Pick an event.
It’s easier to motivate yourself to train if you set a goal. Choose a fun run, swim or bike ride and start training.

13. Plan an active holiday.
Head to the snow with the kids, or enjoy a weekend hiking, or hire some bikes and go for a bike ride. Making exercise fun and part of your everyday life means it seems like less of a chore.

14. Walk more.
On any drive less than ten minutes, if practical, walk or ride your bike. You’ll save on petrol and get some exercise.

15. Take up swimming.
Once a week head to your local pool and swim a few laps. It’s low impact on your body so it’s unlikely you’ll get injured, and it’s a great way to tone your upper body.

For more great tips on losing weight, eating well and getting fit visit FitYou.

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5 Tips For Better Training This Spring

October 5, 2010 - By Melbourne Storm Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach - Daniel DiPasqua

Having worked with a wide variety of athletes ranging from professional and Olympic athletes, to your average Joe trying to lose weight, I have learnt there are many factors that contribute to successfully reaching a desired fitness goal. There are many barriers that deter people from reaching their goals. These include motivational, lack of direction, poor planning along with organisational time management. Below are 5 tips that I believe can help contribute to having greater consistency and intensity and therefore great results leading up to summer in reaching your desired goals.

1. TRAINING STRUCTURE
Having a training structure in the form of a weekly template is a very effective way to manage your training sessions. For example, having a designated strength day, or conditioning day along with planned recovery sessions can help take the guess work out of the equation and re-direct your focus on the goal of that session.

2. ENVIRONMENT
Creating the optimal training environment can be one of the most essential tools in reaching your goals. This can help contribute to increased motivational levels, greater energy and the overall enjoyment of each and every session. Here is a small list of some ideas to creation your own optimal training environment EVERY session.
• Music – Training to your favourite song can greatly boost energy levels
• Training partners – invite people to train with you who have positive, push you, similar goals and who have a great work ethic.
• Competitiveness – use group dynamics to push past your comfort zone
• Variety – train in a view that offers a great deal of variety and methods to reach your goals can help spark new energy and motivation.

3. TRAINING DIRECTION
Training direction refers to what information and methods used to reach your training goals. Having the right program mapped out for you by an exercise professional can really help get you to where you want to be faster. Try to seek out coaches or trainers who have achieved the same goals that you desire or who have worked with a lot of athletes/clients who has a lot of experience in their field of expertise.

The fitness industry is always evolving coming up with new and innovative methods of training.

4. 1 %
One factor that I have found that separates those who reach their goals and those who don’t, is doing the 1 percenters. This refers to doing the small things that can have big influences on your goals. For example, this could include:
• Doing optimal warm ups prior to your workouts to prevent injuries (if you are hurt, you won't reach your training goal)
• Consuming pre and post exercise nutrition that helps facility your goals (recovery, weight loss, muscle gain etc)
• Optimal recovery interventions to enhance results (ice bath, hot cold showers, stretching, massage)
• Addressing prior injuries or muscular imbalances (doing extra hamstring or lower back work if these are problem areas)
• Controlling and monitoring training volume and loads (make smart progression jumps in volume and intensity)
• Seeking out professional advice on the correct technical execution of your training method (running coach, lifting coach, swimming coach)

5. PREPARATION Preparation is an essential component of maximizing the results you get out of your training. Simply turning up will not grant you your fitness goals. Optimal preparation refers to coming ready to train at your best for every training session. This covers many areas such as nutrition, supplementation, recovery, mental focus, goal setting and anything else that prepares your body to go as hard as you can to train optimally to reach your goal. If you work long hours during the day, preparation for you could be making sure you have all your meals for the day so you can train effectively at 7pm that night. If you have difficulty recovering between workouts, preparation for you could include having 2 ice baths per week to speed up the recovery process so you can run that extra 5 minutes instead of stopping short. For those with busy lifestyles, preparation could include packing 2 protein shakes to consume throughout the day at the desk rather than eating a Mars bar. As you can see, optimal preparation can make or break your training results regardless of how hard you train. Reaching your fitness goals is a long term process that requires planning and preparation.

By applying the above strategies of establishing a training structure, creating the best training environment, seeking training direction, doing the 1%ers and preparing you can be well on the way to achieving your training goals leading up to summer.

Daniel DiPasqua is an assistant strength coach for the Melbourne Storm NRL rugby league team. He also works as a strength coach for the Malaysian Sprint and Endurance Track Cycling team. Daniel also works as a strength coach/trainer at Elite Sports Performance working under a Collingwood Football Club Strength Coach, Martyn Girvan with a wide variety of athletes from many sporting disciplines.

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FIT Australia

August 2nd, 2010

Every once in a while we come across a site that we find extremely useful to our readers. FIT is the only job site in New Zealand and Australia specialising in the Health, Fitness, Sports, Recreation, Leisure, Spa & Beauty markets. As a specialist site, their focus is entirely on your industry by ensuring you find your FIT! So whether you're looking for a job in the Health & Fitness industry or are looking to recruit staff for your business, fitaus.com.au wil help you find your FIT!

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100 Million Dead From Tobacco

September 15th, 2009

Just watched a documentary on tobacco and cigarettes and was simply astounded at some facts that came out. So much so that I went ahead and spent hours researching to find references and sources for all the figures. I think the figures speak for themselves...

Death Counts Worldwide
Hiroshima - 220,565 dead
World War I - 37 million dead
World War II - 73 million dead
Tobacco - 100 million dead

Of the 100 million dead due to tobacco, 40 million died in the last 10 years (since 1999) and 5.4 million more die every year - and rising - that's 10 people dead every minute of every day of the year.

By 2011, more people will have died from smoking than during both World War I & World War II combined.








Death Counts in Australia
In Australia, out of all 16,830 drug related deaths in 2004-2005...
-1,057 were from alcohol
-872 were from illicit drugs
-14,901 were from tobacco

Close to 90% of drug-related deaths are from tobacco...41 people die every day. On top of this, each of those 41 people could have lived another 22 years on average had they not smoked.

If that wasn't enough, according to a 2008 report by the World Health Organisation, tobacco kills from 30-50% of all people who use it and causes 1 in 10 deaths among adults worldwide.

Taxes & The Government
Australian Government Tax Revenue from Cigarettes is more than 60% of the cost of cigarettes as of Feb 2007. And in the year 2000, revenue generated from tobacco taxes was $3.3 billion ($3,333,000,000 AUD) . Other countries' taxes go up to as much as 80% in France.

Second-Hand Smoke
Second-hand smoke is three to four times as toxic compared with mainstream cigarette smoke. And the toxicity increases by a further two to four times as it ages. So lingering second-hand smoke is approximately 12 times more toxic than mainstream smoke. Although second-hand smokers may inhale a lesser volume of smoke than smokers themselves, the smoke to which non-smokers are exposed is substantially more toxic than the smoke inhaled by smokers. Second-hand smoke is regarded as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer in humans), for which there is no evidence of a safe level of exposure.

British research suggests that second-hand smoke may account for an excess risk of up to 60% for coronary heart disease in heavily exposed non-smokers, a rate similar to that of active smokers of up to 10 cigarettes per day. Non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke also have about a 20% greater risk of developing lung cancer than non-exposed non-smokers.

Further Reading...
Quit Victoria
Tobacco in Australia - Cancer Council Victoria
World Health Organisation - Tobacco Free Initiative
University of Oxford - Deaths From Smoking

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LocalFitness.com.au Mid-Year Fitness Resolution

August 1, 2009

Happy Mid-Year to all from Localfitness.com.au!

You are all ready for summer right? 6 months ago you made a new year’s resolution. You made a commitment to lose weight, becoming fitter and adopt a healthy lifestyle. You must be half way there by now. Unfortunately, if you are like the majority, your plan to resolve has by now itself 'resolved'. In a study on resolution adherence, 71% of people kept their resolution for 2 weeks, 64% for a month, and 50% for 3 months.

We all love the optimism of the New Year. But how do we make our resolutions stick? First of all we propose a Mid-year resolution. If the statistics tell us that our resolutions fade after 3 months, we need to set as many opportunities to reset and recharge our goals as possible. Next we need to reflect on some of the key barriers and reasons that stopped us from achieving our fitness resolution in the past, so our new resolutions have a better chance to stick and be effective.

5 Reasons Why You Broke Your Fitness Resolution

• Convenience & Availability - Reason: Fitness facilities aren’t conveniently located to me; they are too far, out of my way.
• Lack of Time - Reason: I'm too busy and I don’t have enough time in the day.
• Excessive and Unachievable goals - Reason: I need to look like that girl/guy in the magazine.
• Absence of Social Support - Reason: People keep telling me that I haven’t lost any weight.
• Lack of Knowledge / Instruction - Reason: I already know everything about fitness - I got my education from magazines.

If we are going to make a difference this time we need to face the truth. Starting and maintaining an exercise program does not come automatically. It takes conscious planning, time and effort, and performance monitoring. We will take a look at some simple solutions to overcome our common barriers...

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Fitness Resolution

• Location - Research has shown that if an exercise facility is located within 5 km from a person’s home or work, they are more likely to adhere to an exercise habit. If a facility isn’t convenient to you, find one that is. Find a location that is close to where you work, located on the way to or from work, or close to your home. So start by finding a suitable facility that is close by to your home, work or where you spend most of your day by using the LocalFitness.com.au distance based fitness search.
• Times of day - We all have different schedules, and we all have different time preferences to exercise. The truth is, a person who claims lack of time really is telling us they have poor time management skills. Adopting three 1 hour sessions a week is as simply as watching less television, spending less time on the internet or spending less time out with friends. Find a time that suits you and plan it into your schedule by using the LocalFitness.com.au time-based fitness searches.
• Goal Setting

  

  
  One of the most common reasons for drop outs is failing to meet goals and expectations. It is no wonder we fail when we are aspiring to look like a magazine cover. Everyone advises to have realistic expectations but what does that mean? Set performance (process) goals rather than outcome (product) goals. E.g. “I will complete 10 minutes on the treadmills” “I will complete 3 sets of on the bench press”. It is okay to have outcome (product) goals e.g. “I will lose 5 kg in 3 month”. These are long term goals that give you purpose to adopt exercise regularly. But while setting the long term goals, plan the daily performance (process) goals as stepping stones and measures to achieve them.



• Social Support

  

  
  Taking this long and difficult journey alone is hard enough but without the emotional support of family and peers is a recipe for failure. People are more likely to adhere to a program if their efforts are supported and encouraged. There are some easy fixes around this. Get to know the staff at your local facility, train with a friend, family member or work colleague. Introduce yourself with more experienced exercises in the gym to help guide you. The more emotional connection you have with your facility, the more likely you are to adhere. Get to know the staff at your local facility by looking through virtual photo tours of all local fitness options here.


• Personal Instruction / Training

  

  
  What would you give to achieve your fitness dreams? How important is it to be injury free? The problem with exercisers is they would rather acquire their fitness knowledge from a magazine and spend years of training with minimal results before asking for any help. Is it pride? Are they embarrassed? A high quality trainer has a mastery of the fitness science, exercise technique, nutrition and goals setting and can be the difference between achieving and not achieving your new year’s fitness resolution. They will help you track your progress, keep you accountable and provide you with unlimited motivation. Not worth the cost? But you can afford years of memberships with little results. You need to learn how to train efficiently and a high quality trainer will teach you how to train in order for you to train yourself. You may not need one all your life, but I advise to start with one, so you can learn about exercise correctly and then you can make the decision later if the costs outweigh the benefits. But at least you would now have some foundation in exercise. Find a high quality personal trainer in your area using the LocalFitness.com.au personal trainer search.

The Localfitness.com.au Mid-year resolution will help restart your fitness or keep you on track with your current fitness program. If you really want to maximize your resolutions in fitness, you should think about quarterly or even monthly resolutions. The more you are thinking about your goals in fitness, the less likely they will dissolve and the more likely you will achieve your goals. Spring is just around the corner, this is the perfect time to re-start my own.

Start your mid-year fitness resolution today at www.localfitness.com.au

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Chocolate Milk 'Just As Good As Sports Drinks'?

July 18th, 2009

There are many fallacies in fitness. Walking can get me fit - Fallacy. X number of crunches each day will get me ripped abs - Fallacy. Chocolate Milk is just as good as sport drinks after exercise - Fact! What? I can do my exercise and have my chocolate milk too? In a growth industry that accounts for $37 billion dollars with 1.8 litres consumed per person globally, could the answer for recovery be in a glass of chocolate milk?

Researchers from James Madison University certainly think so. In a recent study "Effects of chocolate milk consumption on markers of muscle recovery during intensified soccer training", published May 2009 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009 and presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting found that "Post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk was found to provide equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories." (link)

We have said here in recent posts that maximising opportunity for growth and recovery occurs during the "Golden Hour", which is 30 – 45 minutes after the workout. During this period your muscles can absorb nutrients and glycogen most efficiently. Sports drinks have been an ideal choice to provide carbohydrates which aid in glycogen restoration. But how are we preventing muscle breakdown? This has been the notion of the present study. The small study consisted of 13 university soccer players who took either a high-carbohydrate sports drink or low-fat chocolate milk on a periodisation of a week of normal training followed by four days of more intensive exercise. The research measured tiredness, muscle soreness, muscle strength, running speed and performance, which showed no difference between the sports drink and chocolate milk. But when analysing a chemical called creatine kinase, players who had been drinking chocolate milk had lower levels of creatine kinase signifying less muscle breakdown.

So you can do your exercise and have your chocolate milk too. To increase performance and aid in recovery, carbohydrates are essential but adding protein to the mix may further improve recovery by preventing muscle breakdown. The key benefit for exercise enthusiasts is that chocolate milk is more affordable than its sports drink counterparts, and now you also don’t have to feel guilty about your chocolate pleasures...in moderation anyway!

Further Reading...
Dark Chocolate and Exercise
Chocolate and exercise really do go together

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Melbourne City ROMP

June 26th, 2009

Team LocalFitness.com.au participated in the 2008 Melbourne City ROMP charity event, which drew in more than 11,000 rompers to take on the challenge in the heart of Melbourne on Sunday the 19th of October & raising more than $244,000 for the Burnet Institute.

If you haven't heard of the Melbourne City ROMP, the event is Part treasure hunt, part ‘Amazing Race’, part puzzle as you explore the streets and sights of Melbourne. Equipped with a clue map and a mobile phone, teams of rompers embarked on a 4 hour journey through the terrains of Melbourne City, hunting to solve as many clues to the many hidden treasures of Melbourne.

The event is sponsored by Go For Your Life, a Victorian Government initiative which aims to promote healthy eating and increase levels of physical activity. Bringing together 11,000 rompers made up of teams of family and friends, school children, university students and corporate socials, ensured that more than the daily recommendation of 30 minutes of physical activity was achieved.

But just because the ROMP is over it doesn’t mean your daily physical activity needs to stop with it. For new ROMPERS the event showed that being physically active can be fun, challenging and only limited by your imagination. But before we begin exploring our fitness opportunities, let us look at some helpful tips that will help us adhere to physical activities inspired by participation in the ROMP!

1. “Planning activities” - The Melbourne City ROMP was a planned activity with participants registering weeks in advance. We are all creatures of routine and there is a higher likelihood of maintaining physical fitness if we plan the activity in advance into our schedule. Planning keeps us accountable and helps us work towards achieving our goals. It allows us to set aside some time for fitness and reduces the risk of unexpected tasks. If physical fitness is going to be a priority in your life, then it needs to be worthy to put into your schedule.

2. Social support – The Melbourne City ROMP showed us that we are more productive working in teams. If you could not get your friends, colleagues or family members to commit to this event, most likely you didn’t go either. The same holds for fitness. If you isolate yourself, you risk falling out of the routine. "Social support is one of the most important principles in exercise adherence". We all have needs to be part of or belong to a group. It helps us feel connected with others and commit to the task itself. Training with highly motivated and like-minded people will help you excel miles beyond what you could do alone. So use this as leverage to not only help yourself to adhere to fitness, but to achieve your fitness goals as well.

3. Get Moving and Explore – If you participated in the Melbourne City ROMP you would have come to the realisation that becoming physically fit doesn’t have to be boring. You don’t need to be staring at a wall for 30 minutes or doing the same activity day after day. The event should have enticed activity exploration. Whether you’re jogging through the many beautiful parks in Melbourne, or participating in a bootcamp on the beach, fitness is only limited by your imagination. Your body is not aware of how you increase your body temperature, raise your heart-rate or increase muscle, so keep your body guessing. The key things here are to "Get Moving and Stay Moving" and start exploring fitness activities that best suit you.

4. Challenge yourself – Everyone needs to have a goal and have a vision of what they want to achieve. Simple challenges such as I want to recover this many clues in this time frame or reach this location by this time helps you challenge yourself to achieve. Yes you may have to start to sweat and your feet may begin to hurt but if you are willing to pay the price, the price pays off and you achieve your goals. Starting your fitness regime is the same. You need a game plan and to continually challenge yourself. Working out may not always be fun, but sometimes you have to pay a price of exercise to accomplish your goals. The joy is in trying to attain, which means you can fit into the dress sooner, have more energy for your children and enjoy that family holiday with a healthier and fitter you. Fitness is about progression and continuously challenging yourself to excel. Isn’t this the same in every facet of life? Don’t settle for mediocrity, "set some goals and challenge yourself to achieve them".

To begin to explore fitness options, visit www.localfitness.com.au and www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au.
To join in all the fun of the Melbourne City ROMP, visit www.melbournecityromp.com.

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9 Tips From the Pros

January 21st, 2009

Over the past year, LocalFitness has conducted interviewes with many current and former professional bodybuilders and fitness figures. For our first post of 2009, we have taken the opportunity to pool the knowledge learned from these into a short but powerful list of tips.

Tip #1 - Bola Ojex – "Maintain perfect form when you work out 'cause you won't be a bodybuilder for long if you can't stay clear of injuries. Prevent injuries by regularly warming up, warming down and stretching. It is very important to have a massage regularly. Keep good nutrition and have good rest."

Editor's Note: One of the most common injuries in the gym is muscle strain and the best cure is prevention through warming up, warming down, and stretching. Everyone is in a rush to build muscle, but can’t take 10 minutes out of their workout to minimise a risk that could place them out of action for several weeks - if not longer. Like many things, people don’t do things because they don’t understand why they are doing them. So let’s have a look at why we should warm up.


Some of the goals of a warm up are:

• Improved elasticity and contractibility of muscles
• Greater efficiency of the respiratory and cardio systems
• Shorter reaction time
• Improved perception
• Better concentration
• Improved coordination
• Regulation of emotional states

So we are not just increasing our blood flow and body temperature, but we are grooving the motor patterns and preparing ourselves for the training session that is to follow. Preparation is the key to performance. The goal is to get your body to work as efficiently as possible so you can achieve goals in a planned manner, which leads to success. This also relates to the execution of movement. Everyone always encourages proper form yet no one still seems to do it. Why? Again this is because they don’t understand why. They just want to lift heavy weights. The purpose of an exercise is to fulfill a certain goal such as isolate a muscle for stimulation, improve a fitness component such as agility, speed or co-ordination. If we are not doing an exercise properly, we are not working to achieve this goal. As an exercise recruits certain muscles and fitness components, poor form recruits the wrong muscles and fitness components. This translates to the development of compensation patterns where you are finding a way to compensate to achieve the goal, grooving incorrect motor patterns. To build muscle and improve your fitness you have to be in the gym, and to be in the gym you have to stay healthy and injury-free.


Tip #2 - Amanda Doherty – "After training there is a window of opportunity to feed your muscles (approximately 30 minutes). Feed them with protein and mix and vary the types to provide different combinations, such as egg and tuna."

Editor's Note: Maximising your opportunity for growth doesn’t end after the training session. After a session, your body’s glycogen stores - your body’s fuel levels, fluid stores, hydration levels and minerals are depleted. There is a notion that there is a 30-45 minute window of opportunity, known as ‘the golden hour’ to feed your muscles after a training session. And this is due to the body’s increase efficiency to restore and repair, increasing insulin production which aids in muscle glycogen production. Your main source for glycogen restoration will come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates cannot do the job alone so to compliment the process and speed recovery we need to reserve at least 10% of the post exercise meal to proteins (more if your goal is weight management). This is known to nearly double the insulin response. So mixing carbohydrates and protein in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio is recommended. The general misconception is that protein intake is only for bodybuilders, power lifters and people who want huge muscles. But unfortunately your body can’t distinguish this claim. All it understands is that every human has muscles, and during your workout you have stressed and depleted your body and risk muscle breakdown if not replenished.
      Which types of protein should I take? Your body needs many different sources of proteins for different purposes. Why? This is because proteins contain amino acids necessary for muscle growth and different proteins contain different amino acid combinations. There are 20 amino acids. 9 are essential amino acids, meaning you need to get them from food and 11 are non-essential, meaning your body can produce these itself. Foods such as meat, chicken and dairy and animal sources contain complete protein which means they contain all the essential amino acids. Legumes have the most protein levels but they are incomplete as they don’t have all the essential amino acids. You can complement these with plant food (grain, seeds etc) to complete the amino acid chain. So mix your foods to source different levels and types of protein and other nutrients. If you expect to reap the benefits of your hard work during your training sessions, you must pay just as much attention to your recovery as you do to your active exercise.


Tip #3 - Dexter Jackson - "Train hard, Train smart with Muscletech supplements."

Editor's Note: There are several factors that influence muscle growth and strength development. The most obvious is the training you do in the training room. Sweating it out and maximising your workout with correct form and sound exercise principles is a sure way to ensure you train hard and achieve muscle growth. Training smart is the result of experience and understanding that growth develops beyond the training room. Muscle growth is the combination of exercise, diet and rest. Your diet and what you put into your body will significantly affect your results. Food is your energy consumption mechanism and to effectively maximise your results to respond to your training you will have to balance the right amount of calories and nutrient intakes. This includes the magic word of Supplementation. Huh, isn’t that unnatural, what do I need supplements for? I can get everything I need from foods. Whether you want to blame the rise of high processing, hormone pumping, artificial and synthetic manipulation of foods, one of the main reasons for lack of nutrients in our western diets is the depletion of agricultural soil. Also, because of the speeds in which we live our lives today, we are more susceptible to illness, fatigue and disease. As a result we acquire deficiencies in our diet and require certain micro and macro-nutrients that 1. Can’t be gained from foods or, 2. Can’t be gained in the required amounts.
      So what is the purpose of supplementation? Supplements don’t only exist to protect against deficiencies but also to assist in moving from average nutrition to optimal nutrition. They can prevent free radicals from harming healthy cells while speeding up recovery and regeneration of damaged cells. In terms of fitness, this relates to optimal growth and health and compliments your efforts in the training room. Without optimal nutrition you can’t achieve optimal health, and supplements merely "supplement a need" in your body to do so. So train hard in the training room and train smart in your nutrition.


Tip #4 - Luke Wood – "If there was one supplement I was going to take out of all the supplements, it is Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA). Amino acids are very underrated and are the building blocks of our bodies and growth, so take them before, during and after your workouts."

Editor's Note: We know that amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and in terms of muscles this protein is used in the body for repairing tissue and protein synthesis. Amino acids can be divided into essential and non-essential amino acids in which essential amino acids cannot be made by the body and must be taken from foods. Branch Chain Amino Acids are made up of the three essential amino acids of leucine, isoleucine and valine where this combination makes up 1/3 of the skeletal muscle in the body. Its role in sport nutrition comes in when liver glycogen stores are depleted - the body needs to manufacture glucose from other substrates. The importance of BCAA’s is that they are metabolised directly in the muscle itself rather than the liver. This unique quality means that they are very anabolic (they build muscle) and very anti-catabolic (they don't prevent muscle breakdown). So if we take BCAA’s before, during and after training, we can minimise the muscle repair needed, leading to increased recovery time and maintenance of muscle tissue.



Tip #5 - Con Demetriou – "When dieting and training, listen to your body. Stick to a strict and regular plan, but let your body guide you to what you should do and how you should be eating."

Editor's Note: While the purpose of exercising and sporting activity is to improve health and fitness, a byproduct is self-discovery and understanding your own health and fitness needs. Learning about fitness is essentially learning about your needs and limits. And while we can turn to scientific data to generalise trends across a population, no one is going to understand your body as well as you. This is why some people may swear by dumbbell bench presses and others by barbell bench presses, because they have discovered what has worked for them and eliminated what hasn’t. This is the process of learning and comes with experience. So maintain and follow sound principles in order to understand yourself and what your limits are.



Tip #6 - Melvin Anthony - "Don't forget to do your cardio and fluctuate between your carbs and protein intake in a 3:1 and 1:3 ratio."

Editor's Note: Often we are placed in the continual dilemma of should I build muscle mass or lean muscles. The difference requires different dietary needs and for a bodybuilder, continuing to grow and stay lean is a high priority. The key is paying attention to consuming good foods all year round and to be consistent and vary the number of calories and macro-nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats). When we provide our body with a high carbohydrate and low protein intake diet, we provide a high amount of our calories from these carbohydrates. These keep your muscles saturated with glycogen, increasing your energy stores in your muscles and liver, which helps fuel your training and growth. Now that your glycogen stores are loaded, drop your intake to a low carbohydrate and high protein intake. While you will still maintain the same calorie intake, the high protein in your diet will provide your body with important amino acids to prevent muscle breakdown. Cycling your carbohydrate and protein intake in a way such as a 3:1 and 1:3 ratio will encourage lean muscle mass production rather than body fat.



Tip #7 - Troy Alves – "When suffering cramps during times of elite performance, replenish your nutrient stores and salt intakes."

Editor's Note: We have all heard it before. Right when you least expect it a cramp in your muscle occurs. What is it and why does it happen? A cramp is an involuntary and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. While the exact causes are unknown, certain characteristics have been associated with the onset. Muscle fatigue can alter spinal reflex activity and any overexertion can deplete a muscle's oxygen supply leading to waste build-up and spasm. Also, during strenuous activity sweat occurs draining your body fluids, salt and minerals stores, leading to exhaustion and electrolyte depletion. Loss of these accentuates muscle fatigue which can cause muscle spasm. Through anecdotal evidence, increasing salt intakes and nutrients can reverse muscle cramping.



Tip #8 - Jenny Hendershott – "Everyone is looking for the magic pill, magic answer, magic exercise….it’s not any of that, it’s get off your rear end and commit yourself every single day to doing something good for yourself. Go back to the basics, doing pushups, jumping jacks, running and jumping like when you were younger, eating your vegetables, fruits and raw foods. It is not that hard, but people try to make it big and complex."

Editor's Note: In today’s day and age, everyone is looking for the quick fix. In most cases, what they are looking for is another excuse not to get out there and put in some work. Everyone will quote the common barrier that they have no time. Although there are 168 hours in a week, in which a proper fitness program should consume about 3 hours per week which is 1% of 168 hours. Therefore lack of time is not the real reason, just the perception of lack of time. You will get a whole array of barriers to why people don’t exercise and the majority of them are perceptual limitations, which lead them to believe in these quick fixes. First of all, you’re not trying to fix anything. You’re trying to develop yourself. And when you develop yourself you need to go through the process of learning, understanding, deciding and rejecting - which helps you build lasting change rather than quick fixes that soon crumble. Just like A B C’s are the basics of words, there are basic building blocks in exercise. And once you develop your knowledge, confidence, self-esteem and social support you will realise it wasn’t that hard. The complexity was all perceptual and with that out of the way you can challenge yourself and focus on acquiring optimal health.



Tip #9 - Donna Jones – "Be consistent, set small achievable goals, stick to your plan, small meals at regular intervals."

Editor's Note: Exercise is not rocket science. Like many other tasks you face in your life, it relies on a basic planned concept that we all have done before, and that is goal setting. Creating goals give you a long term vision, and in the short term it breaks everything down into manageable steps so you can progress in stages, just like when you were in school. Why do we want to progress in stages? Because we are trying to integrate these health promoting behaviours into your lifestyle so you can experience a better quality of life. Yes...it sounds cliché, but this is the purpose of exercise. To keep your body productivity at optimal levels which in the ‘long term’ will benefit you across everything you do in life. But I forget we are dealing with ’generation NOW’, so let’s talk about these small ‘milestones’ or immediate goals. Before you can bench 100kg, you have to bench 90kg. And before you bench 90kg, you have to bench 80kg. Setting small achievable goals keeps you motivated and challenged. There is no point saying I’ll bench 100kg tomorrow when you haven’t benched 80kg. You’re setting yourself up for injury, failure and potentially an exit out of fitness. Remember, becoming overweight and unfit probably took years, so don’t expect things to change in a few weeks. What you will experience is marked improvements that will keep you achieving towards your long term goals.
      We all know your diet plays a major role in this, which should be an integral component of your goal setting plan. Eating small meals helps your regulate your calorie intake at a given time (small goal) and overall (long term goal), and setting these at regular intervals helps you groove these behavioral patterns into your daily routine. This is why we stick to a plan. Because the converse leads to unplanned meals, with unknown calorie intakes leading to you missing your goals. If we want to achieve our goals we have to measure the path to achieve it. Create a plan, with clearly defined goals, and watch your fitness flourish.

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2008 NABBA Mr & Miss International - Interview

November 6th, 2008

We were fortunate to recently catch up with some upcoming talent from the MAX’s 2008 NABBA/WFF Mr & Ms International Championships who gave us an insight into their experiences preparing and competing and their upcoming goals. We met Donny Henderson-Smith who is a NABBA/WFF 2008 International Body Building Champion and a NABBA/WFF 2007 Australian Champion. His partner, Hayley Bertram, made her debut at the show, winning WFF Miss Athletic Novice Class 1 and landing a sponsorship with Australian Sports Nutrition and Black and Blue Clothing. They, like Graeme Lancefield and Pina Theodoridis of the Athletique Health Club have been inspired by fitness and bodybuilding and started their own personal training and bodybuilding training company DHS Body Building inspiring Australians back into fitness.





Q. How did you get started in bodybuilding?

A. Donny: I was inspired by my mother; she was a competitor when I was a teen. I trained for years and through my career in the military and as a personal trainer, it has allowed me the time to prepare. I finally got my chance in the October 2007 NABBA Australian championships where I won the novice category.

Q. Congratulations on your successful placing this year.

• 1st place WFF class 1 novice figure Mr & Miss International 08
• 4th place WFF class 1 southern hemisphere 08

As a first time competitor, how was your first experience on the bodybuilding stage?

A. Hayley: It was one of the most enjoyable & rewarding things I have ever experienced. Very nerve racking leading up to the big day but once you’re on that stage you forget all about the nerves and just enjoy yourself.

Q. What inspired you to take on the challenge of body shaping on stage?

A. Hayley: I had always loved the sport but never really thought of myself doing it, and then when I met Donny he suggested I should give it a shot and the rest is history.

Q. An accomplished NABBA/WFF Australian champion yourself, you played an important role in Hayley’s success. As you now move towards a contest preparation role, training people to compete in bodybuilding/shaping shows and athletic sports, with your own training company DHS Bodybuilding, how has your experience and background helped new comers like Hayley learn about the art of bodybuilding/shaping?

A. Donny: Bodybuilding has been a part of my life from a young age and will be for a long time to come. It has always been a passion and I apply this passion to all the athletes I train. To me there is no greater satisfaction than helping someone achieve their dreams & goals.

Q. How different is it to train males vs. females for competitive shows/sports? What preparation is involved that the public don’t see?

A. Donny: As every athlete has a different body type, starting points and perhaps a different desired outcome, it is as challenging to train and prepare both males & females. What the public don’t see is the mental wellbeing of the athlete which normally requires as much focus and attention as the physical.

Q. What has been the hardest thing about preparing for a body shaping contest? What advice can you give newcomers looking to follow in your footsteps?

A. Hayley: The hardest thing is probably losing a bit of your social life, you often have to say no to invitations to dinners, parties etc because you have such a strict diet and little energy. The best advice I can give is to make sure that you are doing it for yourself because it’s a big mental & physical challenge.

Q. You both had a successful year, what are your next milestones on your journey? What are your goals for the coming year?

A. Donny: I would like to compete on the world stage next year and experience competing overseas. I will continue to grow and develop & progress as far as I can in the sport.

A. Hayley: My goals are to keep working on my physique and to just come in better and better every time and just keep enjoying the sport.

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MAX’s 2008 NABBA/WFF Mr. & Ms. International Championships

August 12th, 2008

Australia has always been recognised for producing many of the world’s best bodybuilders. Among the shortlist of Australian legends that have lifted the profile of the sport is Graeme Lancefield, who can be mentioned among this elite group. If you walk into his office you will see a strong bodybuilding legacy across the walls. Bodybuilding has taken him onto the world stage. From winning his first NABBA Australia title in 1978 to competing on the same stage with the great Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1980 where he competed in the Best Built Man in Australasia contest during the famous 1980 Sydney Opera House Mr. Olympia. Bodybuilding has created many opportunities for Graeme none more than meeting his wife, the graceful Pina Theodoridis - one of Australia’s greatest female bodybuilders.

After taking over the reigns as the Australian NABBA President in 1999, Graeme has been committed to lifting the standard and profile of the NABBA federation, giving new hopefuls the opportunity to see where bodybuilding can take them and how bodybuilding can change their lives - whether you’re an upcoming junior like Lucky Hatzipantelis or an 80 year old weightlifter defying age like Ray Moon.

Graeme has set the foundations to help these athletes through mentoring, support, funding and exposure through creating and delivering entertaining and professional bodybuilding contests around Australia.

This year the MAX’s 2008 NABBA/WFF Mr & Ms International Championships were held on May 10th at the Camberwell Civic Centre drawing in over 80 local and national competitors. The 80 competitors were competing to take top places in over 20 categories, from NABBA Juniors under 21’s title to WFF Miss Glamour. The Overall Winners in the four main categories of NABBA Figures Overall, WFF Overall Men, WFF Overall Women and NABBA overall Men would automatically qualify and represent Australia in the 2008 NABBA World Championships/WFF Universe in Greece and Germany.

The venue was capacity packed with friends and family attending to support every competitor who graced the floor. As each of the categories was called out, the crowd would respond with cheers, urging and chanting their favorites to perform. Daniel Lancefield looked to continue the legacy of his father and mother in the NABBA Juniors but was overwhelmed by a former Junior champion in Lucky Hatzipantelis out of Next Level Fitness who had made his long awaited return after some time away from the sport.

As the day progressed, each category was called up for judging to the crowds delight. Competitors were from all different walks of life with one thing in common, they love to train and they love to be fit. Hayley Bertram was one competitor who made her debut on the bodybuilding stage coming from a background in plastering, modeling and personal training. Training out of Adrenalin gym in Mornington, she was honored to start her career with a first place in the WFF Miss Athletic Novice Class 1. Meanwhile her training coach and partner Donny Henderson-Smith, another upcoming talent was competing for the NABBA Men Class 1 awards. As a seasoned bodybuilder he comfortably took home the first place honors joining 26 other competitors who won various classes.

With all the classes finalised, it was down to the business end of the show, where all class winners would compete on stage for a place to join the Australian team and represent Australia in the 2008 NABBA World Championships/WFF Universe. Although making a commendable debut, Hayley Bertram was edged out by Lisa Saygun of Muscle Body and Shape for the WFF Miss International title. The overall prize for NABBA Ms International 2008 went to Lisa Bellingham. For the overall WFF Men, Kris Porthill took the honors. And for the prestigious prize of NABBA Mr International 2008, after a long battle with Donny Henderson-Smith, the prize went to former Junior Champion and upcoming talent Lucky Hatzipantelis who made his long awaited return to take out the NABBA Juniors Under 21 and the NABBA Mr International 2008 Overalls. These four competitors will be joining the Australian team in representing Australia in the NABBA World Championships and WFF Universe later this year.

Congratulations to all competitors!

If you want more information about challenging yourself to compete on the bodybuilding stage contact Graeme Lancefield at Athletique Health Club on (03) 9480 5975.

For all the latest on bodybuilding in Australia make sure to get your copy of HARDCORE AUSSIE MUSCLE at your local newsagent.

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INBA - All Female Natural Muscle & Fitness Classic

May 24th, 2008

You think body shaping is only for men? The fit beauties you see training to perfect their feminine figures on gym floors across Australia are probably preparing for the July All Female Classic. The INBA is once again setting the stage for these beauties to grace the floors in the new Glen Eira Auditorium.

Starting in 2003, the all-female concept gives females an avenue to celebrate fitness, training and lifestyle. Bringing new challenges to all women whether they are students, lawyers, mothers or models. They have all embraced fitness as part of their lifestyle and the show gives them an opportunity to display their hard work, dedication and passion while having fun.

With contestants flying in from all over Australia and New Zealand the competition has gathered wide spread attention from sponsors such as Ladybird, Strathfield and Pioneer, and media coverage from localfitness.com.au, Hardcore Aussie Muscle and Foxtel Aurora. This means more exposure and prizes for our ladies with over $20,000 worth of giveaways.

Open to women of all ages (18+) and levels from first time and casual novices who want to be toned and develop their figures to the serious professional, every contestant will enjoy the energetic, supportive and friendly atmosphere of the INBA All Female Classic with no contestant leaving empty handed. But for the ladies who have taken their physique to the next level, they could see themselves on their way to the All Female and Miss Fitness World in Las Vegas. Or it could just be a challenge in your path to bigger and greater things such as for Australian Fitness Model Lindy Olsen and The Angelic Gladiator Tiffany Hall

No matter what your ambitions may be, female fitness is essential. It all starts with a goal, some dedication and you never know where your physique could take you.

To See the Beauties in Action
Saturday July 12, 2008
All Female Natural Muscle & Fitness Classic
Amazing New Venue: Glen Eira Auditorium - Cnr. Glen Eira & Hawthorn Rds, Caulfield.

Tickets are available online here, at Bell Street Fitness or on the day.

To Be a Beauty in Action
Download an entry form or contact TONY LANCIANO on (03) 9354 0284.

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A fitter, healthier you - bikeExchange.com.au

May 2nd, 2008

bikeExchange.com.au offers a unique opportunity for enthusiasts to find or sell bikes or accessories online. They cater for all bikes and cyclists including Mountain, Hybrids, Racers, Flat Bar Road, Touring, Triathlon/Time-trial, Track, BMX/Freestyle, Women’s, Tandem, Folding Portable, Recumbent and Electric bikes.

Australia is doing less exercise and eating more junk food so it is no surprise that obesity is a growing epidemic. Beating the bulge can be as easy as riding your bike to and from work/school or using your bike instead of your car when going somewhere local. Trying to ride each day is a big step in the right direction towards a fitter healthier lifestyle.

bikeExchange.com.au is not just for pre-loved bikes, they are also well established for private advertisers and bike shops to exhibit their stock as well as the content of their bargain bins.

Riding is an excellent way to get fit and bikeExchange offers a range of information and advice pages about bike riding. So if you’re looking for a bike, brand new or pre loved, head to bikeExchange.com.au!

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2008 IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix VIII – All Access

March 17, 2008

In a city filled with sporting tradition, you will find a generation of athletes at the junior, state and professional level sweating the gym floors around Melbourne, strengthening, conditioning and perfecting their art in their chosen sport. For one, Melbourne’s own Con Demetriou, has made it to the Professional ranks in bodybuilding and made his debut among the biggest and baddest bodies of them all at the Australian IFBB Pro League Grand Prix VIII last Saturday, March 8th in Melbourne.

Grand Prix? Isn’t that formula 1 racing? While March is full of sporting festivities from the Moomba Waterfest to the International Formula 1 Grand Prix, Melbourne is also host to a heart racing, adrenalin pumping event that draws the world’s best bodybuilders to our shores. If you think you have nothing in common with bodybuilding, think again.

If you are a regular to fitness, then weight training and toning are part of your regular routine. If you ever wanted to look good for a wedding or the beach, your diet and nutrition would be something you kept a careful eye on. And if you ever wanted to move a crowd, performance would be your strongest trait. Bodybuilding in the 21st century is all these elements rolled into one. It’s not just about the training, it’s about the show, and how you showcase your physique to the crowd and a panel of judges during a bodybuilding spectacular.

The Who's Who of Bodybuilding
This year’s Australian IFBB Pro League Grand Prix attracted 15 of the world’s top bodybuilders, with world class names such as Melvin Anthony, Toney Freeman and Troy Alves and current champion and three time Arnold Classic winner Dexter ‘the blade’ Jackson. The event included a trade show for the public to experience the latest in supplements, the NPFC All States Amateur Bodybuilding showcased Australia’s up and coming talent, the King of the Bench allowed crowds to witness world record breaking lifts and of course the night heralded in the headliners, the Pros in the much anticipated night show.



If you’ve never experienced a bodybuilding show it’s time to update your calendar. The heavy lifting, sweat pouring and loud grunting is left on the training floor. At the show it’s a spectacular of fireworks where it is time for these elite bodybuilders to put on show their months of training, dieting and determination in a performance that showcases their sculptured physiques and a little bit of personality. From the energy driven dance routines of Marvelous Melvin Anthony and Oscar Dexter, to the graceful poise of Troy Alves and Dexter Jackson, each bodybuilder is given a chance to personalise a routine that best shows their physique. For hometown hero Con Demetriou it was a matter of flexing those biceps and embracing his hometown fan base. It’s a spectacular that brings the crowd to their feet.

Backstage Antics
Backstage it’s an atmosphere of concentration. While some are pumping up their muscles with weights and pushups, others are relaxing listening to music and waiting for their call outs. For the bodybuilders coming off stage it’s a moment of ecstasy - talking with fellow bodybuilders about their performances, sharing tips and experiences.



The Last Stand
After each bodybuilder has performed, it’s time for the top 6 to make their last stand in a showdown against each other where they are placed on stage side by side for everyone to make comparisons. “In numerical order” emcee Tony Doherty says. “The top 6 are, Moe El Moussawi, Toney Freeman, Melvin Anthony, Troy Alves, Ronny Rockel, and Dexter Jacskon. The 6 line up on stage with the emcee yelling out “POSE DOWN” where they are given several minutes to flex their muscles to the crowd side by side.

Into the Crowd...
Troy Alves lead the charge, taking his flexing off stage and right into the crowd, much to the delight of the hundreds in attendance. The remaining 5 bodybuilders soon followed, giving the Melbourne crowd an up close and personal look at the biggest and baddest bodies drawing a sea of camera flashes. As the crowd applauded on their feet in a rare crowd interaction, the top 6 were re-lined up for the judge’s decision.



And the Winner is...
The placings are…… Does it really matter who won? For those in attendance, they experienced a spectacular treat of the hardest bodies in the world right here in the heart of Melbourne. Filled with show stopping performances, muscle flexing mayhem and enough photos and inspiration to fill your MySpace account with pure muscle delight. But for the record, Dexter Jackson claimed his 3rd Australian IFBB Pro League title, with Melvin Anthony second and Moe El Moussawi third.


What Next?
For the fans in the crowd waiting to take a picture with their favorite bodybuilder, it's back to the gym inspired by what they witnessed. For many of the Pros its back home, back to building that muscle – that is of course after a much deserved meal and after party at the Dolce Lounge. For Pro Bodybuilder Bola Ojex from Nigeria, it's back to sharing his knowledge as a Personal Trainer at Doherty’s Gym for the following weeks before the New York Pro Show. For Melbourne based Con Demetriou with his first Pro show behind him, it was an adrenalin rush which left him contemplating whether to take his physique on show at an upcoming New Zealand event. But for Con he knows it’s only the beginning, and he is ready to show a whole new wave of fans what he’s got at next year’s 2009 Australian IFBB Pro League Grand Prix VIIII.

For more information about the latest in Australian Bodybuilding visit Hardcore Aussie Muscle.

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How to Build Muscle Using Techniques the Pros Use

February 28, 2008

You can walk into any gym and the scenario is the same. An exerciser will come in, pick up some weights and 10 seconds later the weights are back on the rack. Are you done you ask? Yeah I’ve done 2 sets...just got one more set to go. You decide to take a closer look, and you see arms flying, legs moving, backs arching and 5 seconds later the weights are back on the rack. Besides the fact they are increasing their risk of injury by grooving incorrect motor patterns and reinforcing compensations patterns, they are also not maximising muscle growth. So how do muscles grow?

Before you go out and buy the latest magazines with the latest workout programs and do things differently, let’s try to understand what we are doing and do things correctly first. Without getting too scientific, muscles grow from trauma incurred from intense exercise. Knowing this we must plan to stimulate this muscle growth by recruiting maximal muscle fiber activation, and placing this activation under tension for a certain duration. This duration is called Time Under Tension (TUT) and was popularised by the well-known strength and conditioning coach Charles Poliquin. “Time under tension (TUT) is a way of calculating the total amount of work you place on a muscle. It refers to the total time a muscle resists weight during each set.” (link) The National Strength Training Association (NSTA) states that the longer your muscles are under tension, the greater the work resistance which recruits more muscle fibers. And if we relate back to how muscles grow, we see that the trauma from this increased work intensity stimulates muscle growth. Starting to make sense now? So how much time should the muscles be under tension to maximise muscle growth? This is an area where some disagreement lies, and is based on anecdotal evidence. But what is agreed upon is a numerical timing system first used by Australian strength coach Ian King.

My trainer always told me to train with a rhythm and I guess this is what he was talking about, a training tempo. An example is 4...1...2. This indicates that you lower the weight for 4 seconds, pause for 1 second, and lift the weight for 2 seconds. So a set of 10 reps should theoretically take 4 + 1 + 2 = 7 seconds x 10 = 70 seconds. The general agreement amongst strength and conditioning experts is a TUT value between 30 and 70 seconds. Another timing tempo could be 2...0...1 which is 2 + 0 + 1 = 3 x 10 = 30 seconds which is the lower limit. The key thing to note is in each case the lowering portion of a lift has a longer TUT. This is because it is generally well known that during the lowering portion of a lift (eccentric strength) more traumas are experienced by the muscles stimulating more muscle growth.

So to sum up, they say amateurs lift weights and professionals build muscles. The difference between the two is the knowledge each have. So act like a professional. Apply some timing to your workouts, and stop missing out on the muscle gains you could be getting.

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How to Burn That Fat Quicker!

February 19, 2008

When you think of fat loss, you think of hours upon hours of long, low intensity cardio training to burn as many calories as possible. It is no wonder that many people's expectations and goals are not fulfilled when they choose the longest path possible. You mean, low-intensity training for long durations isn’t the best method for fat burning? Many fitness experts and strength and conditioning coaches would agree and would promote a high intensity workout of interval training and strength training. So there is no magic pill for fat loss, instead it will require you to use your fitness evaluation you get with your membership, and get a program written by a personal trainer to include strength training and interval training. But before you decide to take this path, let’s have a look at why these methods are so efficient.

We know both low intensity and high intensity training both effectively burn calories over the same distance. But as higher intensity training requires more energy, we can achieve the same calorie expenditure in half the time (pdf) and in a time consuming society, we want to work out smarter and not longer. So the key is to vary your cardio workout in bouts of hard and light intervals (called interval training) rather than a continuous steady state. A recent study by the University of New South Wales found that a "group which did around eight seconds of sprinting on a bike, followed by 12 seconds of exercising lightly for twenty minutes, lost three times as much fat as other women, who exercised at a continuous, regular pace for 40 minutes". One of the reasons for this is because of a concept called Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) which is an increased rate of oxygen consumption to replace an oxygen debt from strenuous activity. The effects of this include more energy intake (including burning of fat) and increases in metabolism. What this means is if you are training at higher intensities, you will continue to burn fat for longer periods after your workouts.

So we have moved from low intensity training - which has an EPOC of virtually zero - to a more efficient interval training which increases EPOC. But what studies have shown is that there is a greater EPOC effectiveness in strength training as opposed to cardiovascular training. This is primarily due to a larger energy requirement during strength training. This energy consumption is due to the demands of muscles. So having leaner muscles means more energy consumption not only during your workout, but throughout the day. So on your next workout, try a combination of strength training and interval training, and burn that fat more efficiently!

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Does Eating Slower Help You Lose Weight?

January 12, 2008

Since the 1970s, diet experts have believed that eating food more slowly can help you lose weight. The premise being that it takes about 15-20 minutes for our body to register that we are full. So just by eating slower, we would feel full sooner, before consuming too much food. In fact, some suggest that just by doing this, we could lose 9kg a year.

Unfortunately, as most things in life, things aren't quite that simple. The "being full" signal, for some people, actually takes an hour or more to register. One study showed that while people consumed less due to eating slower, they in fact ended up eating for a longer period of time and in the end consumed the same amount of food as usual! In another, people pausing in between bites actually ate more.

Whilst yet another study showed that eating slowly had no influence on how much women consumed during a meal. In the same study, men ate about 10 percent less (100 calories). It is not quite clear why there was a sex difference, but because men tend to eat faster than women, slowing down may have a bigger effect on them. Another possibility, according to one of the authors of the study is that "Women tend to be more cognizant of how much they eat, so they may stop before they’re entirely full."

Further Reading...
Eat Slow, Lose Weight?
New gadget helps wearers eat more slowly to cut calories
Study suggests eating slowly translates to eating less
Eating slowly may not help you shed pounds

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5 Ways Towards Healthier Mature-Age Exercising

January 7, 2008

With an increasingly aging population, and as baby-boomers reach retirement age, maintaining a healthy fitness regime will be necessary for vitality for many Australians. The inevitable circumstances associated with aging such as decreases in cognitive and physiological processes and the increased risks of medical disabilities have led an ill-informed population to rely on drug related solutions rather than to consider exercise as a maintaining and preventative measure. Older people should not be afraid to exercise and people need to understand the difference between chronological aging which is inevitable, and physiological aging which can be slowed markedly.

To increase your wellbeing and lifestyle while maintaining a health promoting exercise regime, here are 5 ways you can make fitness safe and enjoyable.

• Walking and Aquatic-based Exercise Programs - These types of exercises produce less stress on the skeletal system.
  
• Resistance training - This form of exercise is vital to reverse osteopenia/osteoporosis which affects 1 in 2 females and 1 in 3 males in Australia. A resistance weight slows down the loss of bone mass and strengthens the body and improves joint stability to avoid falls and fractures.
• The Social Environment - Choosing the right social environment for mature age fitness participants is important. As such, physical activities and programs in these social settings help promote adherence to the activity. Many programs such as the COTA organisation are helping to make fitness a comfortable transition for mature age exercisers. You can also see detailed profiles of other mature-age fitness classes near you.
• The Technogym Wellness System - This technological system allows mature-age clients to maintain correct posture and technique, shorten their range of motion, monitor vital bodily statistics and gradually monitor their improvement of health and fitness. See Technogym-equipped gyms near you
• Incidental Exercise - While maintaining an exercise regime, incidental exercise should also be increased to improve physical activity. This could include gardening, walking instead of driving and recreational activities such as golf, fishing and other past times.

It is important to make health and fitness a priority at every age, and it is never too late to start a fitness regime. While prevention of disease and minimizing the biological changes with aging are the primary goals, increasing your functionality and lifestyle in everyday life is the reason, and no one said you can’t have fun doing it too.

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Technogym Wellness System

November 19, 2008

For some, fitness is already a choir they want to avoid. But, once in a while, a revolutionary system unveils an easy approach to exercising. The Technogym Wellness System is a cutting edge technological system which combines technology into the fitness realm. Doesn’t technology just make fitness more complex you may ask? Not in this case. The technology is not used to alter your experience of fitness. The core components of resistance training, cardiovascular training and free weight training are still core components of the system as should be in any fitness system. But the way you monitor your progress and results is where technology is used to compliment your workout.

Some of the primary reasons for dropouts in the fitness industry are perceived results and exercise understanding. People come and train intensely for a short period and conclude that they have achieved no results and drop out. They also perform the exercises incorrectly which adds to this reality. The Technogym Wellness system resolves these issues by mapping out your progress so you can see your results before you see it in your own body and keep motivated. By inserting a USB key into specially designed Technogym equipment, all your workout data is recorded and monitored while you workout. This system assures you make progress by assuring you perform exercises correctly, with the right amount of repetitions, force and range of motion to achieve optimal results. This is a complete customer relations system which works with you and your gym instructor to provide the results you deserve.

See profiles of some fitness centres that have the Technogym Wellness System and start your Technogym Journey today!
Inspire Health & Wellness
Fitness HQ
More Technogym-equipped gyms...

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Melbourne Fitness Expo 2007

November 13, 2007 — Share This

LocalFitness would like to thank everyone who came to visit us at our stand at the Melbourne Fitness Expo. It was our first time exhibiting there and it was definitely a fun experience. It was also great to see a lot of our clients there and to hear their stories of success using our services! Hope everyone enjoyed themselves and had as good a time as we did!

First Blog Post!

November 10, 2007 — Share This

Welcome to the LocalFitness.com.au Blog! A brand new addition to the LocalFitnes.com.au website! This blog is a place where you can keep updated on things going on in the fitness industry. Whether they be goings on in the gym, personal training or group fitness world or in the world of running your fitness business.