Bob had a growth spurt!

Great Day, it started early with new recruit Sharlene who did a great 59 rep sit up challenge to almost win the sit up comp if it wasnt for Christie later on in the day. Sharlene also completed several other exercises utilising the 2 minute maximum rep method. Sorry about the stuff up also Sharlene! I cant wait to train you next time.

Next came Sid, feeling better and ready for WAR! She started us off with todays WOD:

Row 1000m
Thrusters 50
Pull Ups or Deadlifts 30
Row 500m
Thrusters 25
Pull ups or deadlifts 15
Row 250m
Thrusters 15
Pull Ups or Deadlifts 10


For time:

(Todays workout proved challenging and it really tested everyone)

Sid clocked a best time for the 1000m at 6:03. Next time I'll have you getting sub 6 minutes Sid. She then got through the 50reps with a 6kg Dumbbell and finished it with Deadlifts using her heaviest weight to date - 20kg barbell. The second and third rounds were tough but easy because they were both half of other. Overall, Sid was in great form and I look foward to tomorrows session.

Ginette had a go next and did extremely well. She set a great time of 25 minutes overall which proved hard to beat. She clocked 4:26 - 2:14 - 1:03 for each of her rowing times, setting a new personal best for her 1000m. She also used 7kg dumbbells for the thrusters and 30kg for her Deadlifts. It great to see the girls enjoying the olympic lifts.

Jen finished off the arvo also using this WOD. She scored 5:59 - 3:23 - 1:20 respectively, also setting a personal best for her 1000m rowing times. Go Jen. She did extremely well with the thrusters, hardly stopping at all, and made the pull ups look easy. She finished the WOD in 29 minutes. Also, thank you for the kind comment on yesterdays post. If only everyone was as kind!!!

Christie was in and fresh and ready for the sit up challenge. She beat everyone, men and women with a score of 71. FANTASTIC CHRISTIE, it was a courageous effort. She also did the days WOD and scored great times in rowing 4:25 - 2:12 - 1:12. Again a personal best for the 1000m. Christie equalled Ginette in the time it took to complete the WOD - 25 minutes - and she also used 7kg dumbbells and did 30kg deadlifts.

Gulnaz was in - her third session in a row. It took Gulnaz 31 mnutes to do the WOD and we had some variations as muscle fatigue was kicking in after the last two sessions. She scored 3:43 - 2:23 - 1:24 for her rowing but it was with less distance 700m - 350m - 200m. Her thrusters were tough and so were the pull ups. Although Gulnaz does deserve a special mention as she is one week away from doing a full pull up on her own. The first woman to achieve this at GarageGYM.

Bob followed her up and did absolutely fantastic. He scored a personal best in his 500m and 1000m in the same row. His times for both were 1:51.7 and 3:54 respectively. He smashed through the thrusters with the heaviest weight of 9kg dumbbells and did excellent form deadlifts - the whole 30 in a row. This allowed Bob to also finish with the fastest WOD time of 20 minutes which made him untouchable... Well Done BOB

Robert finshed the night and almost beat Bob in his first attempt at 1000m. Despite having a big day at work, Robert managed to get the second best 1000m rowing time at GarageGYM of 3:59, five seconds behind Bob. Robert used the second heaviest weights in the thrusters and got through the first round despite being sick, lightheaded, and absolutely smashed from the row, he managed to do the full first round. It wasnt until the second round when he pulled the plug. This man is the essence of GarageGYM. We are not here to pace ourselves but exceed ourselves and Robert proved this by 'hitting the brick wall' - similar to Frank B a few days ago.

Overall all it was a superb day with many new records across the board. Thank you all and see you tomorrow.

Wednesday at the Garage

First up, Sid after a few days of not feeling well. She was still under the weather but determined not to let it hinder her progress. She completed several exercises, each for two minutes, doing as many reps as possible. Her scores: sit ups 45 - walking lunges 48 - 10kg bench press 35 - Leaning towers 25 - 4kg push press 35 - jumping pull ups 48 - and jumping squats(we lost count). It was a great session back and it was good to see Sid hasnt lost her determination.

Dynamic Duo in trying out a new WOD for me. The first one I have administered and havent actually done my self.

Over head Squat 5
Pull Ups 5

as many rounds in 20 minutes


It was an awesome effort by both of them, Liz achieved 25 rounds and Frank, 24.5
Frank used a massive load of 40kg overhead for several rounds before switching to 30kg - both extremely challenging loads and more than most people can handle. Great intensity Frank. Liz used 6 kg dumbells in each hand and after a shaky first few rounds she found her rhythm and used excellent technique. Great session both of you-try and make it Friday to boost results.

Jen was in - who said exercise wasn't fun?!? First we did the two minute sit up challenge (53 reps) followed with walking lunges and dips for two minutes each - straight after we played a high speed game of dodgem ball which forces you to move in highly explosive ways utilising the entire body. Next was ten minutes on the rings - acrobatics is always fun. To finish we had a four round sparring session. All in all it was a fun, challenging and explosive session. Great work Jen.

Mary and Seb started off the afternoon. They boh performed the sit up challenge (Mary with weighted feet) and they scored exceptional scores: Mary with 47 reps which is extremely high for a beginning garagegym member, and Seb, as always setting the bar high, had the highest score out of everyone with 69 sit ups in 2 minutes. I knew you would do it Seb, great work. They both finished off the session with several exercises each for two minutes (lunges-dips-leaning towers-push press-jump squats-jump pull ups-sprint skip). Mary was keen to play with the rings at the end so while she practiced her summersaults, Seb got to work perfecting his handstand technique. Great work guys, practice makes perfect.

Gulnaz ended the night by starting off with some interesting exercises reserved for days like today. Several laps of the studio doing cartwheels (yes..cartwheels) followed with walk backs, utilising the awesome alligator technique on all fours. Next was a ring session where Gulnaz can almost spin 360 degress. Again it was another playful yet practical session and Gulnaz really improved a lot. Keep it up Gulnaz, your only a couple sessions away from a full pull up!

Thanks everyone and see you all tomorrow.

P.S. Frank and Josephine were in yesterday and both as fit as ever. They performed the Jumping Squat 21 / dips 18 / jumping pull up 15 rep workout for as many rounds in 20 minutes. Together they blasted through the workout while exchanging stories of death defying jetski experiences. Both are always exceptional performers when it comes to the workouts and are alwasy in the top ten of leaders at the end of them. Its great to train you both and always a pleasure.

Gulnaz was also in...again...but I always talk about how well she is going so no need to do it again!!!
Comments Welcome

Row, row, row your boat...FAST!

Sorry about Friday's post...internet refused to cooperate?!?

Not to worry, here is Friday's post, today!
Anne started off the morning, and although she didn't feel at peak capacity, she refused to listen to that lazy little voice in hear and instead just turned up(NOTE: this is the secret of success - turning up!) She completed a solid 9 rounds of Thursday nights WOD and she was extremely proud by the end, sp was I. Anne, great work, enjoy your time off.

Tricia was in soon after and also completed the same WOD and also completed 9 rounds. Tricia, like Anne, is a trooper and has consistently turned up for over a year now. Tricia, your company is always welcomed and even more so is your commitment and willingness to challenge yourself - thank you!

Dynamic Duo were in - need I say more! Of course, they were in to break records today and that they did. Their challenge was to beat their 500m records (Frank holds the overall mens record here at GarageGYM - 1:50) and Liz started them off. Last time Liz was in she wiped over 10 seconds off her old PB and today she did it again. Liz went from her old time of 2:23.9 to her new record of 2:12.7-amazing! She even completed three more rounds after the row of 30 reps of Bench press with 20kg.
Frank, well done, you beat your long standing record and set a new one of 1:48.8. You already were untouchable, now see them try and catch you. Frank rowed extremely well today, so much so that there was nothing left in him after - a true sign of his character, not saving anything and giving it his all. You make us all proud Frank.

And, last but not least - Gulnaz was in, again, another one who has increased her workouts per week, today she did the extremely difficult overhead barbell squat with a heavy load of 20kg which she did for 7 ournds of 6 reps each round. Well done Gulnaz. Keep it up and you'll amaze everyone, but most importantly - yourself!

Thanks for the great day of wokouts everyone.

P.S. I'm writing this post on a Sunday, the only day off this week as I was busy filming a short film on Saturday.(for those who dont know, as well as being one of the best personal trainers in Melbourne, I'm also a pretty good actor as well!) Unfortunately it was not completed on time and I agreed to finish the shoot on Monday. This means I wont be taking you through your gruelling workouts on Monday, but almost as tough as me is Mr Neim who will. So no changes for Monday - just turn up ready for the same tough sessions!

Please post comments by clicking the posts comments below and letting me know how much or how little you enjoy the workouts. The only way the service will improve is through constructive criticism - so be honest and remember to mark the comment as anonymous so I don't bite your head off next time your in - no really, please use the website as a discussion board, even post notes for other members. Enjoy

Wonder Women Ginette Does It...

Super day, great workouts and great results. Unfortunately Sid's daughter has been sick the past two days and it has kept her from training. I look foward to seeing you back tomorrow Sid...

Christie was in first, second session after her holiday and already much fitter. She attempted the wall ball as she missed the comp last week, and what do you know - she beats everyones times, and she used the 5kg medicine ball for the first 50 reps. She ended with a time of 3:35. Very impressive Christie.
Jess followed her up and in under a week has already lost 5kg. He really is a determined individual and showed that with a great three round performance with the pull up 20/ push up 30/ sit up 40/ squat 50 workout. Keep up the tenacity Jess, its great to watch you achieve good things.

Ginette the wonder woman was in (I think this will be her new nickname) and ready for battle. She agreed to have a go at beating her Personal Best rowing time of 2:03.6 seconds before we got stuck into the WOD and she beat it, and not only that, but we achieved our aim of being the first woman at GarageGYM to break 2 minutes. Ginette, it was an outstanding result. I look foward to you beating 1:50!

Josephine was a lone ranger today as her two training partners were out of action. Again she trained with a the sniffles and again she performed exceptionally well. She began the next days WOD of:

push press 5
pull Up 10
Box Jump 15

Doing these three exercises every two minutes, on the second minute for up to 30 minutes.

Josephine performed an easy 10 rounds in twenty minutes, allowing her to get a work out but not fatigue her body too much so she can beat her cold as well.

Gulnaz came in next and really is showing phenomenal progress. She also reached ten rounds in the 20 minutes worth of work, and being happ with her current resutls, she is going to step it up next week and train four days a week.

Bob, by far the best at this WOD, got through the first ten rounds in 20 minutes no problem. So i upped the ante by making him perform the last five rounds in only 1 minute ach, which he did gracefully. Excellent fitness Bob.

Robert capped off the night, again with what looked like an easy perfomance. He achieved 12 rounds in 24 minutes, only sweating lightly. His strength has improved and I think I took it too easy on everyone this workout...oh well, 1 easy one out of 100 aint so bad.

See you all tomorrow.

Wonderful Wednesday

Super day of training. Simple and effective workout yet tough! Dynamic Duo in and ready. Today's WOD:

Push Up 20
Pull Up 30
Sit Up 40
Squat 50


3, 4 or 5 rounds and 2-3 minutes rest between rounds.

Liz and Frank did extremely well, there fitness levels holdiong up so we went the full five rounds. They went so well I would have given them six rounds had they let me!?! Excellent work. Let me know what time you are both in on Friday.

Jennie was in and looking foward to a few rounds boxing. Six rounds exactly. Three minutes each round with one minute rest between rounds. Usually she is huffing and puffing, understandably, by the third or forth round, but instead, she was still fresh and full of energy by the final round. Jen, your progress really showed today and the three sessions a week are making a big impact. Your power in your punches has increased dramatically as well as you reflexes.

Seb and Mary were in last to finish off the day doing the daily WOD. Mary graduated from jumping pull ups on the rings to strict pull ups with her feet raised on a crate. Great work Mary, again a sign of your progress. Mary completed three rounds in twenty five minutes and din't use any rest period between rounds. Good work Mary, you looked great today.

Seb, as always, blasted through the workout. We only used two minutes of rest and even this was too long, he really has improved tremendously and his fitness is at new heights(Seb, your back to where yo left off before your trip abroad). You were in great form today Seb, always a pleasure to watch. He did all five rounds in record time, the fastest for this workout so far. Enjoy the soup and sandwiches Seb!

Daddy daughter day

Here is my beautiful daughter and her delicious mummy. As you all know, Tuesday's is daddy - daughter day, although I do train clients after 5pm. Gulnaz was in in the evening, and she had an extremely challenging session. We dragged it out for 40 minutes doing heavy bench press, one arm lunges, dips, sit ups and skipping. It was a good session Gulnaz, keep pushing hard, the toned arms are coming along just great!

Wall Ball Comp

Great day of workouts and results

Tricia was in and we toned down the session due to her high workload the previous week. Warm up, rowing, core work and stretching were the name of the game. Thanks for coming in Tricia, its probably the last place you felt like coming.

Anne, fresh and ready as always took to the stage. She clocked a 7:15 with a 2kg wall ball. We followed it up with 'perfect technique' deadlifts. Your technique really is outstanding Anne. reached a max weight of 4okg for 4 reps for 4 sets. You reached the second heighest weight for the girls Anne. Great improvements.

Dynamic Duo were in and ready for a challenge. These two young ones ripped it up, youth working for them in this exercise, Frank clocking the best time overall: 3:35 with a 5kg ball. Liz was close behind on 4:55 with a 2kg - one of the best times for the women. Well done to both of you, especially Frank for winning the wall ball comp! They both finsihed the day with deadlifts. Frank doing 80kg and Liz doing 40kg. Again Frank - that is your heaviest deadlift weight to date. Exceptional

Ginette wondered in as the dynamic duo were leaving, and having a time to beat for the girls, Ginette was keen to do just that - and she did. She started out with a 5kg ball for the first 50 reps, switching ot a 2kg ball for the final 100 reps; her time: 4:20 Second best girls time Ginette. She did lift the most out of all the girls in deadlift with near perfect strength. Your power amazes me Ginette. Keep it up!

I got the times mixed up and Sid and Jen ended up arriving together - not to worry though, the added motivation really pushed both of them to higher planes, so much so that their Monday session has now become a dual workout. I think I call them the deadly duo - they are both highly intelligent and strong women and not to be messed with! Jen scored 8:15 for the wall ball with a 2kg ball and Sid scored 7:30 also with a 2kg ball. They then went separate ways, Jen doing a massive 22.5kg one arm deadlift for multiple reps and really working hard while keeping great form. Sid pushed her way into her own record books, getting a personal best on the Push press with 7kg dumbells in each hand. Go Sid. I fnished them off with tabatta sit ups where they both kept up to each other and scored 14/11/10/8/8/8/7/9 reps. It was a fun session girls.

After the break, Frank and Josephine started of the next round of wall ball and Josephine won it for the girls with a time only 10 seconds behind the boys. She scored 3:45 wth a 2kg ball - not bad for someone who has a cold! Frank did extremely well and really used his head to get him through the 150 reps with the 5kg ball. He scored an outstanding time of 5:05. It was extremely impressive Frank. They both hit the one arm deadlifts where Frank really showed his strength, lifting a 22.5kg dumbbell for multiple reps. Josephine wasn't far behind on 20kg. I hope your hands are ok guys, and don't worry about the calices - wear them with pride!

Next was Jess, second session back and already showing improvement - 5:45 with a 5kg wall ball. Excellent work Jess. He also followed it up with near perfect deadlift technique - the best for the men - and lifted 80kg for multiple reps. This was the weight Jess was lfiting before his break so it is great to see him retain his strength.

Coral was straight after with a fantastic time of 4:22 with a 2kg wall ball. This was one of the best times and efforts for the tournament - Coral really pushed herself to the limts and the times show this. Congratulations on an excellent time Coral. She finshed off the session with some hard core work including tabatta sit ups for 6 rounds. She scored a perfect 10/10/10/10/10/10 each round.

Bob was in, first time doing wall ball for him so it took him a few shots to get the hang of it. But as soon as he did he got to work, posting a terrific time of 4:42. Great for a first attempt at the exercise. He then had a hard session after it with: pull ups 20/push ups 30/sit ups 40/and squats 50 for three rounds with no rest. He scored a time of just over 13minutes which is one of the best times ive seen for this combe. Great Bob. (I also caught a glimpse of his torso and his abs were buldging - whatever you're doing keep it up Bob - "GarageGYM of course!!!")

Sarah followed and like dad likedaughter, she did wall ball with a 5kg ball. She switched to a 2kg half way through and ended up with a fast time of 4:25. She also completed the same circuit as Bob and ended up with a time of 16:05. Super session Sarah and good luck in the coming tennis grand final.

Great Day. See you all next session.

Injury is part of the game... (Saturday's Post - today!)

Unfortunately, injury and exercise are not mutually exclusive, something Jen learnt about on Friday. She arrived this Saturday a little sore and swollen in her left arm from post Fridays workout. Courageous enough to still exercise, Jen did a solely lowerbody workout (yes- we can work around injuries instead of just spending time at home doing nothing) comprising of 100ft of walking lunges, 50 squats and 25 sit ups, a workout others had enjoyed a day or two ago. And what do you know - she beat everybody elses time by over 4 minutes. Now if this is not the sort of spirit and drive legends are made of...!!! Jen, you are a fantastic athlete, keep up the great work. On another good note - her arm was back to normal by Monday - nothing to worry about, just a small glitch in the bigger picture!

Gulnaz was also in on Saturday, she started off the Wall Ball comp of 150 repititions. Her time: 9:46. She also hit the deadlift rack, looking for her one rep max (1RM) and we got close, with 30kg. As Gulnaz is a beginner, we didnt push her to hard. It takes time to develop the body to be able to lift extremely heavy weights.

If it is raining, just put your rain jacket on and keep going!

Beautiful day of rain, and even more beautiful day of training:

Today we had a mixed day of WODs.

Anne kicked of the day at 7am with a WOD we tried yesterday:
Walking Lunges 100ft
Squats 50
Back Extensions 25
3 rounds for time

After a little over a week off, Anne was refreshed and in excellent form. She had near perfect Lunge technique and powered through the back extensions. Anne achieved a total 3 round time of 18:10 which ended up being th best for this WOD. You did it again Anne - good to have you back - keep up the terrfic work.

Sid was in looking foward to her two days off after her four days on. We practiced deadlifts (with impeccable technique) and then started the days WOD: Row 800m / 21 Thrusters / 21 Pull Ups / 21 V-Ups - repeated 2 times. Sid set a fast pace for her first 800m ever clocking just over 4 minutes. She followed this up with her heaviest Thruster weight yet: 4kg. For the second round, we opted for a personal best in the 500m row and Sid did just that, achieving a new PB of 2:40 (a 25second improvement) Enjoy the rest Sid, you deserve it!

Jennie followed Gulnaz's lead from yesterday and completed a heavy weights session on the Push Press. And just like Gulnaz, she managed to press the 20kg barbell which is no small feat. This is a very demanding exercise and it is amazing to see the ladies handle so much weight. It pleases me to see that I was right that this elite form of exercise can and should be practiced by everyone. Jen also finished off the session with some drills on the gymnastic rings - the best form of upperbody strength available on the planet! See you at tomorrows session Jen.

Margaret and Josephine finsihed the day off also competing in the daily Wod of walking lunges, squats and back extensions, they also performed 25 sit ups as part of the circuit as they both display tremendous core strength and ability and need to be challenged accordingly. They both got through the workout with excellent echniuqe, in just over 20 minutes each. As they were both still fresh at the end, they both had a go at the record for knee holds: Josephine broke her old PB of 1:30sec and scored 2:00 flat. While Margaret followed and just pipped Josephine with 2:05. Great work Girls, Margaret that was a tremendous effort.

Busy Day at The GarageGYM

Todays WOD (multiple WODs for different clients)

New recruit Charlene was in and in great shape already. We introduced her to the Official GarageyGYM warm-up and then hit her with yesterdays WOD. She reached four rounds in twenty minutes and with great form. It was a pleasure to train you Charlene, I look foward to some outstanding results from you.

Christie (C) is back in town, and unfit as ever. Two weeks off of inactivity and it definitely showed. Christie is one of our top performers and it was almost funny to see her struggle for a change. But it wont be long before she is back on top, I'll give her two weeks and she'll be as strong as before.

Jess was to follow, same senario as Christie (they had their honeymoon) He struggled through but got there in the end. Again, a couple of weeks and he'll be back to where he left off. Both Christie and Jess completed four rounds each of yesterdays WOD. Good to have you both back.

Ginette finished up the morning sessions. It's around her eighth week here and it really is showing - she is full of energy, seeing results, and demoliting the WODs. We also gave Ginette yesterdays WOD and no suprise, she beat the field to end up on 6 1/2 rounds in the 20minutes. It was a tremendous effort by Ginette, and she even used the 5kg medicine ball for the Wall Ball. Go Ginette!

Sid started off the afternoon session and this is when the WODs got messy. She did a 3 round workout combining: 100ft walking lunge / 50 squats / 25 back extension - it is a leg intensive workout and extremely painful. You handled it with grace Sid - keep it up (She finished the workout in 20:08)

Gulnaz was in in the evening. She skipped the usual WOD and opted instead for some heavy powerlifting - how could i refuse. I gave her a smashing session of 3-3-3-3-3-3-3 rounds of Push Press with a 20kg Load. For her first real attempt at this exercise, Gulnaz did extremely well. So much so that the last four rounds were 4-4-4-5 reps accordingly. Excellent work Gulnaz. We also did ten minutes of gymanstic rings to finish the session off. Your enthusiasm will take you far.

Then came Bob and because of the big legs session we did on Tuesday, we did a full upperbody workout - 120 pull ups and 120 dips - its a nasty workout and sure to make him sore tomorrow. Bob did extremely well, and a session that usually takes others thirty minutes and more took him just 25:45. Super work Bob.

Robert G completed the days workouts, and we also did a variation of the Upperbody workout. This time we did 100 pull ups (parallel to the floor using the rings) and 100 dips. Robert flew through the workout in twenty minutes so we finished off with a gut busting(literally) core workout. Robert, you've improved 100% since walking in the doors 15 weeks ago, and you'll only get better.

Keep working hard.

Circuit training

Todays WOD:

Pull Up 10
Thrusters 20
Wall Ball 30
Skip 40


As many rounds in 20 mins


Sid was in, no longer sore and ready for action. Four strong rounds in 20 minutes of work. Always improving, Sid is a great new recruit who is sure to make waves in the the results boards as she improves daily. Sid trains a monstrous four days a week.

Dynamic Duo Liz and Frank took to the stage, both looking fresh after Monday's workout. Straight into it, and veterans of the circuits here at GarageGYM now, they both performed with near perfect technique. Both worked non-stop to set up an almost unreachable target of 5 1/2 rounds for the girls and 5 3/4 rounds for the boys. It has been great to watch you both develop as athletes, you both embody the philosophy, "from ordinary to extraordinary!"

Jen was in also, although she is extremely busy, she proves that you can still make time for exercise. Jen hit a three round score with added work in each round (ring swings). Jen is really showing the improvements in her physique by training an extra session a week. Jen, keep it up, your progress is accelerating.

Coral was back for a taste of GarageGYM after a short holiday. We had some variations to the WOD (step ups instead of skips) and Coral managed to complete four rounds in just under twenty minutes. Coral, your never say never attitude really shows and keeps getting you through these tough workouts, keep it up!

Then Mary and Seb T were in to finish the night off. Seb, always raring to go, got stuck straight into the WOD. Seb, who usually wins the WOD wasn't any different today. He also had a 250m rowing sprint instead of the Skipping so each round took him longer. In the end he achieved a 6 round score which made him take the winners stand for todays WOD, just infront of Liz and Frank B.

Mary was in great form today. She started off great and finished even stronger. I usually hear complaints how heavy the weights administered are by other members, instead, Mary complained, " how light the weight felt today!" - Even though it was the weight she struggled with just a week ago. Mary, your improvements will come every week. Some you will see, some you won't, but they are there.

To everyone; every session you do makes you a better person - physically, mentally and emotionally. Keep up the tremendous work. The workouts you do here at GarageGYM are like no other around. Here, you really work HARD!

Thanks for the great days workouts.

You Can't Fake It

Special Note: For those interested, the Moonee Valley Classic is on this Sunday 20th May. Its a 5 or 10 km walk, jog or run, open to everyone. A few dollars entry, its around the Maribyrnong River. For more info click here

Powerful evening of work, Josephine and Frank P were in first. We carried on with the nasty Turkish Get Ups. Joesephine reached ten reps with 5kg in good form, and Frank did an easy ten with 6kg. Both for three rounds combined with 20 ring pull ups. After this they both went their separate ways; Josephine punched the studding out of the punching bag for three 2min rounds with only 30 second rest intervals, while Frank performed gymnastics with handstands, followed by cartwheels and finally sommersaults, foward and back. Its always fun when these two train, Frank proved he has what it takes to be an acrobat with his summersault off the rings onto a sitting position on the bench - go Frank!

In came Gulnaz, no longer a beginner, straight into 4kg TGU's. After ten reps we increased it to 5kg TGU's. A great start to an even better finish. Straight after we hit the tabatta intervals for 8 rounds of squats (perfect technique Gulnaz) followed up straight away with 10 25cm box jumps and a 150m rowing sprint...for four rounds. And an agonising four rounds it was. It was a supreme effort by Gulnaz, already hurting by the second round to do two more at the same blistering pace.

Bob was next, same routine as Gulnaz, except more weight added on. He did three rounds of the TGU's, 10 reps/8 reps/6 reps with 6kg/7kg/8kg respectively. A little wobbly with his left arm, and so was everyone else Bob. Then, into tabatta squats, his lowest was 21 reps for the rounds, then straight onto box jumps with 300m rowing sprints. Bob, it was a nasty session but you passed with flying colours. Well done.

A fantastic lot of sessions tonight, every one busting their guts. Its the only way to true fintess, but even more so, to true confidence and happiness. To quote Lance Armstrong,

"You can't fake confidence, you have to earn it - the only way to do that is through hard work!"

Looking foward to tomorrow's sessions.

P.S. Good to have a little rain. Its important the earth recieves moisture otherwise it dries up. The same is true of our skin. If we aint drinking enough water(a minimum of 2 litres a day) then our skin will start to look dry and old!!!

Turkish Delight

Great day of workouts today utilising a very formidable yet highly effective exercise - the Turkish Get Up (TGU).

The TGU is an outstanding exercise that develops strength, flexibility and stability throughout the entire body. It takes tenacity and commitment to conquer this exercise. Doing the TGU slowly and steadily builds a solid foundation of strength that nearly "injury proofs" the body, making it ready for more demanding training. It also is great at strengthening the major muscle groups, smaller stabilizing muscles, and connective tissue.

Todays workout:

Row 500m
TGU 20/15/10

Record times and loads.

Tricia was in fine form today, although a little fatigued from a wonderful mother's day (I was to find out later on, all the mothers were a little low on energy today!?!) Still, Tricia did extremely well with a heavy 4kg dumbbell thorughout all repititions. Her rowing times were good, as we trained along to some Barry White and Dionne Warwick. Thanks for the music lessons Tricia.

The Dynamic Duo were back after an enjoyable seven days away in Sydney. Although a little nervous, they both equalled their best rowing times for all three rounds which is a tremendous feat of stamina. Well done Liz and Frank. The TGU proved much harder, but for the first time doing this exercise this is to be expected. Good to have you both back.

Ginette is looking great and her progress is really accelerating now. We did 300m sprints instead of the 500m row to really test her power. She performed extremely well on the TGU, so well that I threw in at the end 50 dips, 50 sit ups, and 50 back extensions. As I always say to everyone, the fitter you get the harder it gets, here's proof. Ginette really did a lot of hard work today.

Sid finished off the day. Again I gave her 300m sprints on the rower to increase her power, and she handled them very well with precise accuracy, doing all three within 2 seconds of each other. Her TGU's were a little wobbly at first, but after getting comfortable with the movement, she really did ten perfect ones in the last round. Sid, you get better every session.

Now that mother's day is over, its back to work for everyone. I look foward to a productive week in the Studio.

Fun Day (Happy B'Day Gulnaz)

Mixed workouts today, new exercises, different weights...

Gulnaz powered through her session, as always, squating her body weight in squats for four rounds of 8 reps. We finished with a meen 50 sit ups and 50 back extensions. She forgot to tell me it was her birthday until after the session so we didn't take it easy even though she had a late night out. Great work Gulnaz, the imporvements are showing already and its only been three weeks. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Jen was in, fresh and ready to go. First up she did a 500m row and blitzed her old time by almost a full 3 seconds (from 2:40 to 2:37.4). Then did five rounds of jumping squats (they really burn) and her heaviest weight to date on the push press (5kg dumbbells). We also ended with a nasty 50 sit ups. All in all it was a great day of training. Both these girls are training a minimum of three times a week and it really shows. Congratulations to both of you.

Stoic Resolve

Limited clients in today due to much anticipated renovation works which begin today and will continue over the next two months. They include a fantastic lightbox erected on Leake Street in case you get lost, our much needed bathroom, and some more equipment and rubber flooring for inside the studio. GarageGYM is growing...

...On to the workouts, Tabatta Intervals today. You should all be familiar with Dr Tabatta's study now, if not, click here for his groundbeaking study!

Sid, fourth day in, extremely sore, but she still soldiers on. She battled the four exercises, 7 rounds each, and didn't wimper once. Thanks for the great week of training Sid, enjoy the two days off and be ready for round two next week.

Josephine and Frank P were on in the arvo, again we did tabatta style training, a few variations thrown in. Together they battled it out and set many records today. An exceptional 'well done' to Josephine who only had a injection yesterday and still managed to make it in. This is the sort of attitude that gets you the results you desire, and only this attitude. Josephine and SId, you have done yourselves proud today. (Frank, your always in peak form, i hope foty training wasn't to much this arvo!)

Have a great Mothers day to every mother out there who has blessed this earth with their beautfiul children. Without you, i would not have my daughter Ava - my reason for living. Thank you Tanya.

On the Farm!

Todays WOD:

Farmers Walk 10
Pull Up 10
Deadlift 10
Double Under/Skip 25/50

4 Rounds - Record Loads

Tricia was back in this morning after a short seven day spell, so we repeated yesterdays WOD for her. As always, excemplary performance and with minimal motivation she always produces a strong performance.

Sid, nice and sore from her first two GarageGYM workouts was back in, for the first time we tackled the WOD from start to finish. She really is passionate and hard working - hte only two ingredients needed for success at GarageGYM. She did a 6kg Db farmers walk and a 10kg Deadlift. Well Done Sid.

Ginette's dose was next. 9kg farmers Walk, and 30kg Deadlift. Superb technique on the pull ups, best ive seen yet.

Gulnaz came in early, ready and energised. Excellent performance, her eight session now, and all muscle soreness has disappeared. Although she is fairly new to GarageGYM, Gulnaz has treamendous strength, she did the farmers walk with 10kg Db's - the most for the girls. Also, she used 10kg on the deadlift, and I know she can push out some more wieght the more experienced she gets.

Bob, 15kg Farmers Walk, Second only to Seb(17.5kg) yesterday, and a great Deadlift Pull of 40kg for all the reps. Bob, your technique has improved tremendously and an even better improvement is your flexibilty - you can really go deep into the motion and remain on your heals.

Robert, welcome back after the mess up last week. And what a welcome back it was. Not only did Robert storm through the WOD with a 10kg farmers walk and a 30kg Deadlift, he begged me to let him have a crack at his 2:05 500m row time and now I know why... He smashed his old time, broke his old time by 13sec, got a sub 2 min time, and recorded 1:52 for the sprint. That is the equal second best time in all of GarageGYM. Not bad for his fourteenth session in!

Well Done to all of you, a difficult WOD, yet great results all round. Very Impressive.

The end of a hard days work

Today's two WOD's:

Step Up 50
Pull Up 50
Walking Lunge 50
Knee Raises 50
Push Press 50
Back Extension 50
Wall Ball 50
Skip 50


For time:

And the Advanced WOD

Farmers Walk w/Step up 10
Pull Up 10
Deadlift 10
Double Unders 25


As many rounds in 20 minutes:

Sid's second session and she reports big improvements already. Being someone who has a background in training, this is most likely the case. Like a desert after the first rainfall after the dry season and all the plants sprout within 24 hours, so to the body, after the first session after a dry spell of training, the muscle were just in hibernation, waiting for the first real workout, ready for action. Sid, your gains will come quickly now.

Mary T was in after a couple weeks off and blew through the workout. She recorded a time of 22:08 for her WOD, taking the lead in the wrokout of the day.

Seb took on the advanced WOD and reached 4 rounds. It is an extremely demanding workout Seb and it was good to see you do it round by round non-stop. Keep up the training and I look foward to next weeks session.

Yesterday's WOD results

Yesterday's WOD:

Thrusters 100
Jumping Pull Up 100
Push Ups 100
Sit Ups 100

for time:

Only afternoon sessions today, but, Mr Tommy Neim will be taking Tuesday day's from next week as the member list at GarageGYM is growing and the need for extra session times has arisen. As we are a personal one and two-on-one studio, places are limited so once the maximum capacity membership has been reached we will unfortunately have to restrict new member intake.

Frank and Josephine P were in first up and completed the WOD in 21:06 and 22:07 respectively. Both are progressing well. They both had a shot at their 500m rowing PB's but at the end of an intense workout, they were already fatigued. They both did well to equal their best times though.

Gulnaz was in and is looking tighter and leaner every session. Although she took a bit longer on the WOD (28:55) she has improved from 5 full push ups on one round of the warm up to ten full push ups on all of the warm up rounds, in such a short time. Well done Gulnaz.

And finally, Bob was in, ever so strong, and completed the WOD in 18:23. Excellent Bob.

Thank You all for your support over the past twelve months. It has been a great journey and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all in achieving a greater state of health. A special note to Jennie who has been here from the beginning - one of our foundation members; keep up the tough work Jennie, it has been a pleasure watching you challenge yourself and grow every week, not only physically but also spiritually. I always look foward to our sessions and I too have grown and become a better person through your presence. Thank You.

A Dark Horse

She came, she rowed, she kicked butt...

...Sarah was in doing the WOD tonight. Her first 500m row in a month of other training and she came from middle of the filed, with an existing time of 2:19 to move into second place(I thought she was going to take first place) with a time of 2:07. Thats a whopping improvement of 12 seconds. Well done Sarah. And well done on completing the WOD in 23:58 even though you were short of breath!

The crew here at GarageGYM are improving everyday. Soon only a few seconds will separate everyone. Its only a matter of time!

Morning Glory

Anne's follow up session after her victorious WOD victory last week. Straight away she beat her old rowing score from 2:33.9 to 2:31. A big help this time round was an improve in technique, which is where the real success in rowing lies; nice, long, powerful strokes. Anne completed her session in 27:20.

Then came Jennie. We got straight to work. This is her second week of three session a week from just two sessions a week. So be ready Jennie for a litle extra fatigue in the early days until your body adjusts to the new work load. She moved through the session extremely fast and really got a great session time of 22:06. Well done Jen. Her rowing times suffered a little this session because of the extra workload, but her strength still increased, especially on the bench press where she got through 10 reps on 20kg.

In came Ginette, fresh from a few days off. She almost beat her GaragGYM female rowing record, and clarly she can go faster. Within a couple of weeks I believe she will break the 2 minute barrier. Today she really moved fast throught the workout of the day. Hardly resting at all. She ended the day with an 18:05 session time. So far, Ginette is the WOD leader.

Sid had her first session today. We took it easy as we do with everyone first time round. We did a variation of the WOD and gave the body a little taste of what is to come. This is the first day of something great Sid. Stick at it and the the days and weeks will go quickly and your results will really start to show.

Good luck to the afteroon crew!

Pipped at the post

Last session today, Margaret and Josephine P. Together they shook up the leaders board. Both slamming the competition from the word go. Towards the end Josephine got a slight lead., but together, they both equalled the best and out did them. In the end, Margaret was on 11 strong rounds, and Josephine is our new WOD victor on 13 rounds - one behind the boys (watchout). Super work, both of you. Especially Margaret, all this time and you've been hiding this abundance of energy...bring it on!

Anne "the flower girl" wins the WOD

Congratulations to Anne. The last member to attempt the Ovrhead Lunge and Burpee workout and she gobbled it up with pleasure. A speedy start, and 6 rounds in ten minutes, I knew if she could keep it up she would reach a record 12 rounds for the girls and beat all the other men (except Seb on 14 rounds). Well, she did keep it up, and scored a monster 11.5 rounds to take the trophy for the days WOD. Well done Anne. Extraordinary fitness due to your consistency and 100% effort each session has led to your fantastic results. You'll be slicing up the slopes this ski season!

Baby Locked In Car

Todays Workout, Same as yesterday's (so everyone can have a go of competing!)

Tricia was in, a little flat, so we jumped started her with a 2000m row followed by som core work and stretches, and then finished with a 500m row, and what do you know...a PB, 8 second improvement: from 2:22 to 2:14.

In came Ginette, Our female rowing leader, and she really had to push to get through the 8 rounds she achieved. And push hard she did. It is not just a matter of how you score. More importantly, it is about pushing yourself beyond your limits, from the known into the unkown. This is the only way to improve, and it is what Ginette did. Well done.

Jen came in, equalled Ginette's score, well done Jen, who now is training three days per week. Watch her blossom as an athlete now!

Afternoon sessions were with Gulnaz, Bob and Robert. I got Gulnaz's times mixed and I arrived fifteen minutes later than she did. It was great to see her use the knowledge she has gained and began working out without me. And when I did arrive, we pushed even harder, scoring 7 rounds for the WOD. With a heavy ten kilogram plate overhead for every round. More than any other girl. Bob got stuck straight into it. 9.5 score. Great burpees, and even better to see his flexibility on the lunges improve dramatically. One day at a time, but it all adds up. Keep it up Bob, you keeo getting better.

And then Robert arrived. A busy week at work and he was a little low on energy, so we hit the mits instead and started boxing out the rounds. UNTIL... "baby locked in car!!!"

My partner, Tanya, came rushing in. She had left our fifteen month old daughter in the passenger side front seat (with the car keys under her) as my partner walked around to the drivers side front seat, and just before she got to the door, she heard the central locking, "lock".

Uh ho, no chance of getting lucky again and Ava stepping on the keys a second time. In the beginning it was alll fun, but as we fussed around, we all began getting distressed, and ava was crying. Racv came, but couldn't jimmy the door open, so I got a hammer, smashed the back window and saved Ava...

Sorry to cut our session short Robert, thanks for hanging around in support.

Parenting Lesson#2461 "never leave your keys in the car with a baby"

P.S> a special mention to two new members starting next week, Sid and Tim. We look foward to breaking you both in and initiating you into the GarageGYM way of life.

Nasty Workout . . . Even Nastier Results

Todays Evil Workout:

Overhead Lunges 15
Burpees 10

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

First up, the Dynamic Duo, Frank and Liz. Both still a bit sore from last workout but still powered through this one. A massive 9 rounds each. Go Liz - catching up to Frank!

Then in came Jen. She was feeling a little aggressive today so we skipped the WOD and went straight into 5 rounds of 3 minutes of hard, fst and furios boxing. She pounded the mits so hard I think i bruised my hand!!! She was on fire. Technique has improved tremendously and for the first time ever I got a little frightened of her power. That session was slammin Jen. Go, go, go!

Then Seb, and a new recruit Lucille, in place of Mary, finished the night off. Together, this brother and sister team absolutely smashed any previous record for this workout.
Seb on 14 rounds and Lucille on 11 rounds. Seb keeps getting better and better. I have seen arms that big for a while. Lucille - I hope we didn't scare you off with intensity and you come back for another serving of GarageGYM.

Tommy was in today, organising his new position as a coach at GarageGYM. Tommy is a professional athlete in many sports. In his junior days he was squash champion. from there he took to sprinting and has titles in 400m, 200m and 100m events. I look foward to Tommy serving you up some of his awesome experience and extensive knowledge of the elite athlete world. Conversely, for all GarageGYM members, show tommy that just because we ain't classified as elite athlete, we can still train just as hard(if not harder!!)

Finally, to Jen, sorry I couldn't get it out to you earlier, here's todays quote:

"She's soft, and she's fat, and she's wearing my clothes, and she's getting too old, and she was born on my birthday, and I'm afraid if I stop training she'll catch up with me!"

Daddy daughter day

Tuesday mornings are daddy daughter day for Coach Michael so we are only open evenings. Frank P and Josephine were in this evening. Josephine was under the weather so she paced herself through various exercises although she did break the record for knee holds: 1 min 15 sec. Frank zipped through the WOD, he also pulled out a few flips on the olympic rings. I got a good photo of him and his tricep development for the website. I'll post it next time.

3 more days and the official name change occurs. Can't wait. Its going to be a good one...

One day at a time...

Yesterdays Workout:

Ring Pull Ups 10
Push Ups 10
Squats or Lunges 10
Knee hold 30sec

As many rounds in 20 minutes:

First up was Tricia. She really had a strong session. 9 rounds in total - huge number. She loves the ring pulls for all those who hate them!!!

Then came Anne, a solid 7 rounds. Could have snuck another round in as we finished on about 18 minutes but instead Iwe opted to break her PB on the 500m sprint. And that we did: ffrom 2:36 to 2:33. Super Anne. Each session counts.

Liz and Frank turned up late as always. We got straight to work. A woping 10 rounds in 20 minutes for Frank and 8 rounds for Liz. Frank had a go at his PB last session for the 500m row, this week it was Liz's turn. From 2:34 to 2:33.9. She smashed her old time by 10 seconds. Now that is improvement. Liz also noted that since starting training the numbness that she used to get every night (she is a long time hairdresser who uses her hands and arms in an uncomfartble way) has dissapeared. Another important reason to exercise other than physical beauty.

Coral was back after being Missing In Action. We gave her the basics - 12 rounds of push ups, squats and sit ups: 10 reps each. She really got through them quickly, 20 minutes max. Good to have you back Coral.

Gulnaz popped in. She scored a 6 rounds, and while lower than the other girls, she used a
massive weight on the lunges 12.5kg. And held each knee hold for 30 seconds complete. And did full push ups unlike most of the other girls who use their knees. Great strength Gulnaz.

Super Bob was in. Smashed the circuit. 8 rounds in total. But had the most weight for the lunges, 22.5kg each hand. OUCH! Plus i pushed him to a 60 second knee hold last round and he did it no sweat.

Sarah also returned after a couple of weeks off. We got stuck straight into it and she scored 8 perfect rounds.

So, at the end of the day, Frank B scored a winning 10 rounds and Tricia, on 9 rounds for the ladies. A special mention for Bob and Gulnaz for using the heaviest weights and hardest technique.