GarageGYM

Bring in the Champions

2008-04-11T10:14:00.002+09:30

Super athlete and professional sprinter, Coach Tommy Neim, is on board at the Garage while coach Michael takes a short hiates to perform in the local play (Dead), directed and written by Luke Robson. If you are at all interested in an entertaining and dark story, then head down to screen actors on Epsom Rd Ascot Vale. Ill post the dates closer to the day. Although the first show is on Friday 25th April.

Coach Neim has been in the fitness world and a professional athlete for over five years and is known for his 'never say never' attitude when it comes to obtaining your fitness dreams.

Congratulations to the members who turn up every week and are reaping the benefits; Mel W, Bob M, Sarah M, Robert G, Anna C, Jennie O, Anne T, Luke R, Craig C, Jess S, Seb T, Erin, Andre, and Aza.

Keep belting out those repetitions and the sweat pouring.

Its CHALLENGE Time

2008-03-08T14:20:00.002+10:30

Fastest time for 150 wall ball shots

Max sit-ups in 2 minutes

Static squat hold for max time

Max bench press lift for one repetition only

Max deadlift weight with "proper" technique

Three contenders so far; Mel W, Luke, Anna

Mel achieved an always fabulous score of 3:14 for wall ball, 82 sit ups, 3:01 squat hold, 50kg bench press, 60kg deadlift. Whoa Mel...you are absolutely outstanding. Huge improvements. Humungous...

Luke also smashed his old Pb's: 4:50 wall ball, 40 it ups, 55 second squat hold, 70kg bench press, 65kg deadlift. Everything has improved, some by 30-40%, Go Lukey.

Anna: 5:00 wall ball, 54 sit ups, 1:06 squat hld, 30kg bench press for over 5 reps, 40 kg deadlifts for 7 reps. Anna, awesome results. I really enjoy training you.

See you all Tuesday. Shut Monday of course.

Jess is surpassing the mob

2008-02-24T16:13:00.003+10:30

Jess S has been determined to better her time on the rower since joining the Garage, and with the three session a week, 100% effort she puts in she is reaping the benefits. From a 2 minute time, she has come down bit by bit and is now the second fastest rower at the Garage and fastest female on a time of 1:45.8. Your great Jess.

Bob is back in the zone and pushing hard once again. His body is now strong and durable thanks to his consistent twice a week routine (plus all the other stuff he does while not at the gym)

The new recruits (too many to name) are finding their feet now and delivering the results. Lower row times, heavier weights and better bodies. It is encouraging to everyone to see people improve and this bunch is doing a lot of improving.

The gym is getting busy so it is important t get your routine and set times as this will help you stay motivated and guarantee you a time you want.

I look forward to next week and keep up the great work loads.

Welcome Back and Go Tommy

2008-02-19T12:12:00.002+10:30

Been off line for a while due to internet hiccups...yes, even the computer gets sick!

But never fear...im never that far away...and we have all been training like crazy no matter what.

The consistent troopers are still coming in: Bob, Robert, Jess, Mel, Luke, Anne, Anna, Seb,

And we welcome back some old friends: Jen, Erin, Casey, Ruth, Paul

And the hang a onerers are still hanging on: lets keep them anonymous...

All in all we are having some mean sessions which are really building up a sweat and pushing members to their limits. Never say never is the attitude we employ and im always fascinated to see how far everyone can go...yes, you are all my science projects...ha!

And a big salaute to Mr Tommy Neim, a garagegym coach who has just come back on board with some new members, and just as important, the hard work he has been putting in for the Stawell Gift this year on Easter is about to prove very rewarding...he is going to win...place your bets!

See you all this arvo and i look forward to some more devastating and terrorising workouts.

Smack that Bum

2008-01-31T17:40:00.000+10:30

A wonderful session to make your bums sore for a week.

As many lunges as possible carrying either a 15kg/30kg/40kg bar on your back.

All of you got over 100 steps which is tremendous, although the amount was less important as the fact you reached total muscle failure...until your legs buckled from under you!

Straight after you did the same with dumbbell flyes for the chest increasing in weight until you couldn't lift anymore.

Luke and Seb did the best with 17.5kg dumbbells in each hand...nice.

We have had some awesomely tough sessions lately - you have done yourselves proud.

Welcome to new members Luke and Rob N and Amy - all three of you have shown you have what it takes to become a garagegym members.

one legged squats

2008-01-12T13:27:00.000+10:30

A simple yet effective WOD for the day:

As many rounds in 20 minutes of:

Leg raises 5
One legged squats 10 each
pull ups 15
dips 20

Jess, Erin, Mel, and Jackie all enjoyed this nice littel workout today. Jess and Ering got 11 rounds, Jackie 10 and mel about 15 with a slight variation to the WOD which made it a little easier.

Enjoy the weekend everyone and ill see you all back for an even busier next week as the new year kicks back into full gear.

Run, row and feel sick!!!

2008-01-08T16:50:00.000+10:30

Tough WOD today - short, sweet and simple.

Three rounds of:

Run or Row 400m
Squats 20
Push Press 15
Sumo squat with high pull 10

Jess and Anna first victims. Tough, sweaty and courageous is how i would describe their performance. Great going girls.

Next was Erin, a little sore from yesterday but still keen as mustard. Excellent workout Erin.

Jackie and New recruit Sommer in to complete the night. Sommer is fresh out from having a beautiful baby boy so we will make it mild for the time being...but not for too long!

Tailor-Made

2008-01-08T15:51:00.000+10:30

Notice how in this great squat exaple above, the kness stay in line with the feet, not turning in, not turning out, they stay on track.

A day geared toward individual preference, everyone was dished out a different WOD...I don't know why, just felt right!

Anna 's first day back so we did a well balance workout of Tabata intervals of pull ups, push ups, sit ups and squats. Good work on coming back after such a fantastic get away in the USA.

Jess was a little low on enrgy so we did a strength session which yields great results but for some reason tends to be easier than the more high paced workouts. A mammoth legs session with Jess Lunging with 25kg dumbbells in each hand. Ouch.

And Erin in following suit also reaching the 25 kg dumbbell lung.

Mel had a big upper body and core session doing heavy reps with the shoulder press(30kg - a record for the girls) combined with straight leg raises.

Bob finished the night off with Bicep curls and press working his way up to 22.5 kg in each hand for one rep. Just short of 25kg but still a monumental wieght to lift.

These were Monday's results. Look out for today's still to come.

100

2008-01-05T09:26:00.001+10:30

Daily Wod:

120 pull ups
100 push ups
100 sit ups

Mel's times:

11:56
8:00
2:42

Looking hot (pink) Mel. See everyone next week

Mixed Bag

2008-01-04T09:42:00.000+10:30

A combination of potent Workouts today as everyone begins to return from their exciting New Years adventures...

Anne's WOD:

Get ups 10 reps
Push Ups 10 reps

Row 1500m

Anne has been slaving away at work all over the holiday period and it was a feat in itself just turning up. Enjoy your mini holiday Anne.

Mel's WOD:

As many rounds in 20 minutes of:
Dips 20
Thrusters 15
Push Ups 10
Pull Ups 5

We decided to use today as a warm up workout for the rest of the year. Mel achieved 9 rounds using 7kg for the thrusters. It was a fun 20 minutes of work. Great to have you back Mel.

Robert & Colette's WOD:

A varied workout today for the two hard workers:
Tabata Row and Push Ups for 8 rounds each followed by one lap of the gym doing one arm db lunges and then 10 squats and then another lap and then 10 pull ups for ten rouns all up. Ouch! Finish this off with 100 wall balls. ANd as if this wasn't enough, we tried a new invention of mine - the Kebab...I'll leave it up to your imagination to guess what it is. You'll all be trying it!

Jess returned and followed Mel's lead. A little flat from the festivities but a great effort none the less of 12 rounds in the 20 minutes allocated.

I look forward to a busier week next week.

Get Ups & Push Ups

2008-01-03T20:49:00.000+10:30

Suggested reading from a member: "Did You Know"Click Here

Bob was ready for a serving of today's WOD:

As many rounds in 20 minutes of:
10kg Get Ups 10 reps
Push Ups 10 reps

An intense and sweaty session, Bob managed a marvellous six rounds with great form (arm as stiff as a plank facing the sky - always - and eyes on the dumbbell). Excellent work Bob.

A few more members in tomorrow to sweat it out!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-27T15:59:00.000+10:30

Thank you all for the wonderful times this year. It has been a very productive one in every sense of the word and we have had some tremendous results both inside and outside of the gym

It has been a pleasure training you all and i want to thank the dedicated few who have hung around through all the pain. WIth out you there would be no garage gym. It is your perserverance and hard work which makes this such a unique and great gym to train out of.

Have a great start to 2008, and lets make it better than the last one.

Jingle Bells - our workouts feel like hell

2007-12-09T20:31:00.000+10:30

Its been an extreme few weeks with multiple clients feeling the pain of intense workouts.

Robert G had a massive attack of the 'burn' when he achieved what no one else has achieved before at the garge. A 1:40 500m rowing time and an untouchable 3:40 1000m rowing time. Despite the pain, Robert soldiered on and now is the undisputed knig of the hill.

Jess was another victim of the 'burn' as she to reached the pinnacle of the girls rowing times with a 1:50 and 3: 50 rowing times for the 500m and 1000m respectively. These tow members are one of the hardest working and they have the results to prove it.

Mel W is another fine specimen of how to bust your guts and feel like shit for it. Mel punishes herself (with the help of coach michael) and gets better and better every single session. A fereocious competitior and never happy with second best, Mel proves she is the best she can be...and sometimes even that isnt good enough for her.

Seb is addicted. A five day a week (or six, im not sure) gym addict, he has glistening muscles and a ripped torso, he also has overtraining symptoms of sore limbs, tendons and rotator cuffs - but you think thats going to stop him!?! Like i said he is a ddicted and is always looking for that next hit of the 'burn'. Im al for obsession Seb - you've picked the right one.

Bob is addicted also, but Bob is controlled. He is the type of man who uses disciplne to not only push himself in the gym, but to keep coming back, despite whatever he is facing. Second only to Robert in the rowing times, he leads the way in strength and is one of, if not the, strongest member at the garage. I just love bustin' his hump!

Erin is a soldier who always gives 100% and is always looking for more. She completes every workout flawlessly and in her on subtle way, ends up winning a lot fo the daily WOD results. Super fitness, growing strength and a perfect attitude contribute to her stealthy attitude and resluts.

Yvonne works hard. ANd when she finds the time she is a pleasure o train. Already a very fit contender, improvement is coming session by session. Keep coming back Yvonne. You have the potential to be the greatest - not that you already aren't!

Anna just doesn't stop. She is the most frequent trainer at the garage and is getting better. Despite the obstacle facing her, she continues to arrive, put in a tough effort and come back for more the following day. I take my hat off to you Anaa.

Anne, facing severe injury and the opportunity to discontinue her training regime, instead gets qualified opinions, finds out what is wrong and finds a way to keep on training. Now if any one deserves a medal for bravery it is Anne T. Nice one Anne.

The Garage is firing on all thirty cylinders

2007-11-14T07:23:00.000+10:30

Back to business. That is the agenda for this week. And you all have
already set up some good results. Erin smashed her 1000m row time by
12seconds to get an equal best time with Jess of 4:04. Well, Jess came
in and couldn't have this, so she busted a gasket getting the third
ever sub four minute time at the garage, 3:58. Wow! Earlier on in the
week we had a devastating workout of 1000m row - 200 skips - 750 row -
400 skips - 500m row - 600 skips. It tried and challenged everyone,
but, Erin stood outabove the rest with Bec in close behind in second. Not many others finished the wod. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Mel was in today, looking recovered from her big cup week. A tough WOD of sumo deadlifts
- 10 reps and proper dips - 10 reps. Good going Mel, you worked up a
healthy sweat, had a great session and you keep coming back - what more
could you want(and if you do want more your just being greedy)!

A couple of new clients, Albert and Vena. I look forward to making them as sick as i make the rest of you.

Bob
did well on Monday nights session, and he will be away this Thursday so
he gets a little respite, not that he would want or need any.

The Brady Bunch of girls (Jess, Jackie, Ruth, Erin, Anna, Bec,
Casey) are in full swing and working out hard and challenging each
other. All are very consistent and their bodies are shaping up just
wonderfully.

I look forward to some tough session this evening.

I'm Impressed

2007-11-09T20:43:00.000+10:30

Despite the celebrations going on almost everyday in Melbourne, members at garagegym have been sweating it out and doing some extraordinary things. You are all improving in leaps and bounds and it is great to see the determination and committment from all of you.

Sid is getting stronger and her attitude is in exactly the right place. After a few months she has finally cracked her 500 and 1000m rowing times. From 2:40 to 2:35 and from 4:54 to 4:32. About time Sid. Also, an increase in weight in various other exercises means Sid is ready for the big leagues. What does this mean? SId will soon be training three times a week and then her progress will really accelerate.

Bob, what more needs to be said? His name alone stands for grit and determination and his buldging arms, rippling six pack and massive chest are the proof. Always, always on time and ready for almost anything, Bob is an extraordinary athlete, enjoying the painful workouts and glamorous results that accompany them. Summer is yours for the taking Bob.

Robert, reliable, consistent and also very determined, Robert is sincere in his training and never gives up. The right attitude is what makes Robert a winner as he pushes himself to the limit every single session. Not only keeping up with the best of them but setting the bar for everyone, Robert is a record holder at garagegym for a reason. Exceptional work Robert, the sessions are adding up and so is your fitness.

Mel W stands alone. She came to the Garage about six months ago on a mission and she is seeing it through, not letting anything get in her way. Another sucker for the pain, Mel is exceptionally strong, coordinated and gutsy and will try anything at least once. Pushing herself is her strength and where other people drop off, Mel gets to work, her positive approach and great sense of humour always make it a pleasure to train her.

Yvonne got roped into the workouts via Mel and there compatibility as friends extends into the gym. Another talented performer, Yvonne came to us as an athlete, and she works out like one. A champion netballer, her fantastic technique, high strength and all round fitness make her a contender for best athlete at the Garage. Already with a 2 minute flat 500m rowing time after only a couple of months, and high weight to rep ratio, Yvonne is already shining and her results will also.

Jess, strong, very strong...fit, amazingly fit...and her attitude...ive never seen anything like it. She loves to work out hard, and she always wants more. It is a challenge to challenge someone like Jess- who else does extra exercises on her designated rest between exercises. Your looking great, your body is taking shape, and in a month or two you will beat the boys rowing times if they don't improve and you'll be doing full chin ups.

Ruth is one unique human being. A false start in the beginning of her career at garagegym, she came back the second time with a vengence. She put in 100%, attended at least three sessions a week, and with the help of some heart pumping tunes, she has come out on top with a body a lot of people can only wish to obtain. And Im not the only one who thinks so. Stunning results all round, it will be a sad day at the garage when Ruth takes off on her summer adventure. Its been a blast Ruth. Take what you have learned with here and keep up the intensity.

Jackie, fortunately blessed with wonderful genetics, still gives it her all when it comes time to work out. A success inside and outside the gym, Jackie tackles everything she does with tenacity, focues and a very pleasant demeanour. Always postive, she encourages all who work out with her and enjoys a challenge herself also. Be proud of who you are Jackie and keep coming back, I always enjoy your suprise visits.

Anna, what can I say about Anna, if only she channeled her aggression into her workouts her results would be multiplied. No stranger to fitness, Anna's fitness journey has allowed her to clock up hundreds of hours working out all around Melbourne. Of course, nothing compares to the intensity she faces at garagegym which means finally she has found the place where her goals will come true. Keep turning up, stay focused and the world will be your oyster Anna.

Erin really has what it takes to go all the way as a garagegym athlete. not only does she devour almost all the WODs given to her, she usually arrives at the gym after doing a 20km bike ride. Working hard is her motto and always finding the time to train, Erin is a strong a d fast athlete with the rowing times to prove - 1:55 for the 500m - the fourth fastest time at the garage. And only after four months. Show them all how to do it Erin!

Anne, courageous, hard working, intelligent and sincere are a few words to describe Anne behaviour inside and out of the gym. A foundation member of the Garage, Anne is a true example of what the right attitude will do for you. Overcoming several injuries along her exercise journey, Anne has continued to put in despite all that was thrown at her, continuing to the very end of each workout, never giving up, and always leaving with a smile. Anne is no stranger to hard work and it is inspiring to see her 7am sharp every monday and friday without fail.

A very new member, Casey has already proven her steel and will be one of the most improved athletes at the garage. Taking to the exercises with confidence, her previous exercise habits will soon return and she will be on par with the rest of the garagegym veterans. I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership Casey.

Seb is the most dedicated person I have ever meet. Alway doing that little bit more inside and outside the gym, he is by far the most weel rounded and fittest gargegym athlete. His rippling muscles and shredded body are the result of consistent, intense and intelligent workouts and he will always, for the rest of his life be committed to keeping a healthy and active lifestyle, and herein lyes the secret...lifestyle!

And no wonder he is so dedicated when he gets his DNA from fellow athlete Mary. Not letting anything hold her down, Mary is sincere in her attitude to the workouts and gives it her utmost, enabling her to do any workout dished out at garagegym. A competitive tennis player, hard working mother and ferocious garagegym athlete, Mary is a pleasure to know and train.

Jen. who deals with whatever Fate deals her with strength, attitude and cheerfulness, uses these same attributes to deal with the fateful workouts at the garage. A combatitive athlete, Jen enjoys pain, even if it comes from an injury which isn't always ideal to push through, but if anyone can do it, Jen can. A pleasure to train and know, Jen carries the garagegym banner with pride and is the also the longest serving member at garagegym. Exceptional Jen.

Thank you all. And if i forgot anyone it is because you didn't train this week. Just one of the perks of keeping it up is also getting good feedback. See you all for some more success and the odd failure, and keep up the inspiring stories. the only way is up!

Todays WOD:

50-40-30-20-10
Db Swing
Push press
Push Up
Box Jump

Ouch!!!

Quiet Monday

2007-11-05T12:14:00.000+10:30

Daily WOD

3 Rounds of:

Squats 50
Pull Ups 21
Dips 21
Power Clean 10

Most of you are still hung over or on vacation so it is a quiet day at the studio Not to worry though, the ones who do attend are up for a fun, intense workout.

New format

2007-11-05T12:10:00.000+10:30

Im going to change the way I write posts:

Firstly, at the start of every post I will write the Workout Of the Day (WOD)

This way, everyone can see it and do it even if they are on holiday.

Secondly, Ill continue to write progress reports on clients as I have been.

And thirdly, as I have done in the past, Ill add articles of interest to keep us all well informed and motivated.

Enjoy

A Smashing End To The Week

2007-10-26T20:17:00.000+09:30

What a week of intense effort, sweat and some tears!

Mel W did a punishing upperbody session and finished with the fastest 200 Sit Up time of 5 minutes 30 seconds. Excellent work Mel, your looking trim and terrific.

Jess as always pushing her body to the limit, got the second fastest 200 sit up time of 5:47. Well done Jess. Your pull ups are getting closer and closer to full ones. In two weeks you will be doing at least one full one. Quite an accomplishment this will be.

Ruthy, super Ruthy whose body is transforming as quick as the weather here in Melbourne. Consistent, hard working and passionate about getting results, Ruth is improving in leaps and bounds and nothing can get in her way...not even a trip to noosa for a week. Enjoy your time there and Ill be sending you your workouts while your away.

Erin, who in four months has gotten her row time down from 2:30 to 1:55 (the second fastest female time at GarageGym) is excelling in everything. Knee raises, pull ups and excellent bench press strength, Erin is a force not to be messed with.

Jackie is back in town, ultra lean Jackie who fortunately has super DNA to begin with, still pushes herself to the extreme and in a few weeks will be back up there on the leaders board.

Anna, who turns up on time every time is a trooper and together with the coach, achieves exceptional results. A hard worker both outside and in the gym, Anna is on her way to extraordinary - keep it up Anna, I look forward to a tough week next week.

Jen, never fail Jen, is back on board and putting in a tremendous amount of energy into her workouts. A solid performer at the Garage, Jen is always a pleasure to train. See you tomorrow Jen for even more punishment.

Robert is always keen for his weekly dose of Garage Fever. Not only his he the leader in rowing sprints, he displays great strength, tenacity and humour as he battles his way through the WODs dished out to him. Superb work Robert, see you next week.

Bob is still going strong, after more than eighteen months at the Garage, he has transformed humself into a true soldier of the Garage. never fearing anything thrown at him (at least he doesn't show it) and putting in every repetition, Bob is a true pleasure to train, and watch train as he finds his optimum output each and every session.

Sarah is not far behind. Another hanger on, Sarah has remained at the Garage for a long time, and always enjoys pushing herself. This would explain her promotions in career as well. Keep coming back Sarah, there is no limit to your success at GarageGym.

Anne always in top form mentally, keeps coming back for more despite the odd niggling injury. A star performer, Anne is another long time serving member of GarageGym and her toned, trim and strong body is evidence.

Sid feeling the effects of her first session back still came in for more. A 2000 metre row to get rid of any soreness and 200 ferocious sit ups saw her leave happy. . .and more sore. Good to have you back Sid.

All of you troopers are a pleasure to train and I look forward to next week.

Welcome Back to the old members!

2007-10-25T07:08:00.000+09:30

Mel in the morning. We were allowed to tackle her
legs as well today so I gave her a full body smashing. Wall ball for
maximum repetitions followed by chin ups for maximum repetitions.
Unfortunately for Mel, she is so strong and fit that her max reps is a
lot so a lot of work had to be done.Im very proud of todays results Mel, you did exceptionally well. And top job on the 60 second knee raise and achieving a score of 36

Sid back from a long, long spell. She drags herself in all bandaged up. This is what happens when you have a month off from garagegym
- you get frail and soft. Let this be a warning to all of you. Although
Sid did just fine as her muscle memory recalled all her previous hard
work. Welcome back Sid

Jen in and determined. I have never seen
her so focused in a session before - lucky she was though, we did: 100
pull ups, 150 push ups, 200 sit ups. Go Jen. A really hard workout
completed gracefully.

Evening began with Anna and Jess. Jess the
soldier as always, and Anna, with a little pushing, kept up and did
well. Great going girls, your all getting fitter and stronger by the
day.

Seb and Mary in. Different workouts for the genders. Mary had multiple rows followed by db swings, thrusters and sumo deadlifts(our daily WOD) and Seb had a special surprise. First up, burpees
for max. time (he achieved 2:39) and then bench press(60kg) and chin
ups for maximum reps for five rounds. Avery worthy result was had, so I
rewarded him again. This time with 200 sit ups - it took Seb 9 minutes. Well done to both of you, still at it and going stronger than ever.

And Erin and Ruth finished
the night off. These two girls are really on a mission and it shows
every time they workout - Intense with 100% effort. Jackie rocked up a
few minutes later and joined in. Great to have you back, Jackie.

Tuesday's Trauma

2007-10-24T14:28:00.000+09:30

Hardcore training day, a little different to our usual routines. Burpees for as long as possible with a maximum time of 5 minutes. The only performer to reach the 5 minute mark is Jess. But do not feel down if you do not get to even 2 minutes. This is probably the hardest exercise on earth. Also, chin ups for 60 seconds without letting go of the rings. The fact that you do not let go still works the muscle so you are literally under tension for a minute which is a long and difficult time. We then finished the WOD with various other exercises, ie. push ups, sit ups, knee raises. A great evenings session.

I was watching Oprah today and Dr Oz was on talking about the mini studies they do with various foods.

Test 1: fresh vegetables and fruit - 5kg of it daily for one week. This studied measured the cholesterol levels of the participants and after just ten days their levels had dropped 25%. This is more then any prescribed pill has ever achieved.

Test 2: Tomato paste eaten four times daily for a week while the body was exposed to infra red rays. And then a normal diet for a week and the same amount of infra-red radiation (sun). The tomato paste (which is just condensed tomatos, and the same can be gotten from tomatos) reduced skin damage by 20%.

Test 3: Twins, both drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day to preserve skin. For a week, one drank as much as possible while the other drank none. Both stayed on the same diet. After a week, there was no difference in either of their skins substance. The water did nothing for their skin. Water has lots of other benefits but it seems skin health is not one of them. Why was there no difference? Because of the amount of water in the foods we eat - watermelon 95% water; potatoes 75% water; hard cheese 50% water. Interesting!

Everyone's Number One

2007-10-19T11:37:00.000+09:30

After Jess' blistering rowing time last night, everyone was in and challenging themselves to do better and they all did. Anne really powered from the word go and despite not getting a new PB her rowing average got down to 2:06 per 500m which is over 20 seconds below her old average. After hitting the brick wall at 370m, her next attempt will be even better and Iknow she is just a few weeks away from smashing her previous time of 2:27 down to a sub 2:20 time. Her chin ups are getting much stronger as well.

Mel W skippedthe rower dueto some leg fatigue but she still powered through a great upper body workout. Again, chin ups getting stronger and stronger as she can keep her self up for longer, and her push press technique is superb. I look forward to the fullbody workouts Mel. Oh yes, and great job and beating your old sit up challenge by 5 sit ups extra. Great!

Ruth in next complaining of no energy as it was the last day of the week, but with a little coaxing from the coach, she blew her old time out of the water and went from 2:12 seconds down to 2:07 seconds. Excellent. She did the wall ball challenge and sit up challenge as well for a tough twenty five minute workout.

Anna also not feeling up to a fast row time but her body was. From an old PB of 2:25 to a new one of 2:07. That's almost a 20 second improvement. See Anna, you can do it and you are strong and you are fit. Keep going.

Finally, Jen cappedoff the morning with an easy but very, very enjoyable session. Excellent Jen. Keep ongoing also. "Chin Up"

Watch out world...here comes Jess

2007-10-18T21:03:00.001+09:30

Jess, one of our star athletes, along with the rest of you, performed a miracle feat on the rower with a blistering 500m time of. . .wait for it. . . 1 minute 50 seconds. Wow. And she even did a full workout after it.

Gulnaz in and slowly getting back into after a lay off. not a spring chicken, but a chick none the less, she can still do three full pull ups. Extraordinary.

Bob, great session, finished the WOD in super time, but instead of letting him walk out the door, we did more and more. Technique is getting better and strength is always there.

Robert, consistent Robert, despite a full days work and saying he was lacking in energy, he completed the WOD without a hitch. Proving why he is on top of the leaders board.

Hard days work deserves a good nights sleep.

I look forward to tomorrows sessions, see you all then.

Note: See the picture above of the wall ball exercise - now that is how you do it. Full way down into a squat...ouch!

And as for all your efforts in the eating department. I made a delicious pumpkin soup today, simple, tasty and healthy. Here it is:

olive oil heated on medium heat and put the diced onion in and cook for five minutes until it is soft. Quickly add one teaspoon of cummin, quarter of a teaspoon of cinammon, and a teaspoon of coriander or parsley finely chopped. Stir this for one minute to let the aroma out. Now add the diced pumpkin (about 2cm blocks) and cover them in the onion stew. Add the vegetable stock (I just boiled some corn together with carrot and asparagus - you can use any veges - and I added the water to the pumpkin - about 4 cups worth). Let it boil on medium low heat for half hour and then mash it all together. Add about 1/2 cup of cream, salt and pepper and eat, eat, eat. Eat the corn while you are waiting for the soup to be ready.

yesterdays feedback

2007-10-18T10:48:00.000+09:30

Frank and Josephine P - Anna and Jess - Yvonne - Sebastian - Erin and Ruth; these are the names of the soldiers who so valiantly braved GarageGym last night. We had a combination of battles, the original WOD from yesterday which included deadlifts and thrusters in the same combination, and tabata intervals interrupted with chin ups.

All up it was a great night of victories, especially as all of the soldiers are experienced, well trained, and just as important, well lead by General (Coach) Michael.

Thank you all for the spectaculr display of strength, power, finesse and stamina. You make me proud to be your teacher.

Note: Seb brought in his daily food diary to get feedback on his progress. It was flawless. Seb is in great shape and it is due to his continuous effort in not just training but also things like the food diary, so he can monitor and adjust his diet if need be, to attain the results he desires. It is the small things like this that add up to the big things in life. "God is in the details"

See you all soon

Back By Popular Demand

2007-10-17T07:13:00.000+09:30

After many request, inquisitions and orders about our daily Blog entries, I have decided to re-start the dribble from Coach Michael's mouth.

Starting with Mel W, who limped into training today. Waiting patiently as always for Coach Michael to arrive, we got stuck into her upperbody only. Tabata intervals of push ups, dips, push press, and bench press with 10 pull ups thrown in between. Mel blasted through the workout and destroyed her arms - good luck finding a new pair Mel!

A Special Note goes out to Jen whose mother passed yesterday. Although I did not know her personally, I know her daughter who is a spectacular human being who is nothing but giving and loving, and a human cannot be as great as Jen without a super mother. We are thinking of you all day Jen. Love from the GarageGym Family.

And that is all for this morning so far.

I'll keep writing as I see fit. I may miss the odd day. But oh well. Shit happens.

Follow Up

2007-10-03T12:51:00.000+09:30

Following on from the last post on nutrition:

Here is a typical daily meal plan which will guarantee you to lose fat fast in the most healthiest way possible and not allow you to lose muscle either (its always a fine line between the two).

Breakfast:

fresh, plain yughurt (flavoured yoghurt adds sugar) with some fruit (passionfruit, banana, strawberries, and or apple) with either a quality protein rich muesli (found only at health food shops) or oats, wheatgerm, licethin and flax seeds (all bought separately for a couple of dollars each and you combine them as you need them.

or

two eggs fried with olive oil only. 1 strip of bacon and some wholemeal, wholegrain bread - 1 slice.

or

two eggs as an omelette with some veges in it (broccoli or capsicum or some other invention) served on one slice of the above bread and sprinkle it with some fetta or cottage cheese - not too much though.

These meals are full of everything you need to start the day and will keep you full for a longer time and keep your metabolism up.

Mid morning snack:

a little fruit and a handful of nuts (cashews, almonds etc)

or

a black coffee (no milk will really make a difference - and no sugar either) and some nuts

Lunch:

grilled chicken breast or fish or a quality piece of meat with a small serving of steamed veges (do not over do the veges to retain their nutrient content)

Maybe a sandwich but only wholemeal or rye bread and no flavour such as butter, or mayo. Add cold meat like chicken and have it with avacado, tomato, cucumber. Top with a vegetable juice of carrot, celerey, orange and aplle with a dash of ginger and lemon.

Mid afternoon snack:

If you didnt eat all of your lunch or if you made extra, have the rest now - either the other half of the sandwich or a few mouthfuls of the grilled meat and steamed veges you made earlier.

Black coffee is ok

Dinner:

Less carbs is good so stay away from pasta in the evening. When I am serious about losing fat I do not have pasta ever as much as I enjoy it. A wholemeal rice is fine but only a cup full. Again have grilled fish or chicken breast or meat - as little fat on all of them as possible.

If you have a salad have tuna with it.

Supper:

Again, have a few mouthfuls of the left over dinner - it is always good to cook extra and eat it as a snack as both lunch and dinner are well balanced meals, do not contain to much of any one thing, and will fill you up.

Eating like this all day will keep your nutrient levels up, which will stop all your cravings. It will also keep your energy levels constant which will stop cravings as well and keep you burning fat.

Yes, I know, black coffee isn't as nice as with milk but if you add up all the calories you aren't ingesting by doing these little alterations you will be having over 300-500 calories less each day and considering one kilogram of fat on your body is 1,700 calories, you will be sheding 1 kilogram of fat every four days. AMAZING. SIMPLE. Yet requires some planning and effort. But it is well worth it.

I'll add new and delicious meal ideas as I discover them.

Enjoy the fat melting away.

A bit of trivia

2007-09-30T20:04:00.000+09:30

Here are some snippets of information which relates to all of us which may help in your weight loss goals.

Jogging for one hour will burn approximately 150 calories.

1 kilogram of fat is actually 1,700 calories of stored ENERGY

The average male requires approximately 3,200 calories per day to MAINTAIN his weight

The average female requires approximately 2,900 calories

Going by the above statistics, if you ate just 100 calories below your daily requirement you would lose 1 kilogram in exactly 17 days. Have a deficit of 200 calories per day and it will take you just 8 days to lose 1 kilogram.

If you were to jog a kilogram off your body it would take you about 12 hours of non-stop jogging. But, don't forget, jogging for that long will also cause muscle to be lost, the essential tissue which requires 50 calories per day per kilogram. So you would have to jog a few more hours, but you'd also lose more muscle, and the viscious cycle continues.

The real and only possible way to lose fat is to know what you are putting down your neck!

Here is a sample of what you are putting down there:

1 bottle of beer = 135 calories
1 glass of spirits = 220+ calories
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories

We eat to comply with our daily energy expenditure (from 2,900 - 3,200 calories per day) and to also give our bodies the essential building blocks and nutrients to keep on living healthily.

We need carbohydrates for energy for our brains and our body to operate optimally. Our bodies only stor about 700 grams of carbohydrates(when you weigh over 60kg - that isn'tmuch at all) So we are required by nature to constantly eat carbohydrates to keep functioning. We cannot burn fat without the energy to burn it up with!

We need protein as all muscle, tissue, brain and other body parts are made of it. Eat it or lose it!

We need fat for brain function, organ function, and as a form of energy as well. If you do not have fat in your diet (real fat-meats, nuts, dairy) you will also not function properly and this will againlead to bad health and an inability to process and lose excess fat.

Now, if wee need 3,000 calories per day, and we need all three food groups-fats, carbs and protein. What is the ratio? A standard one everyone talks about is 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. A healthy and typical meal of grilled meat or fish and a side of veges or salad would equal this ratio.

What portion side is correct. The theory says nothing bigger than the palm of your hand. The theory works. Eat more than that every meal and you are guaranteed to eat well over the 3,000 calorie threshold.

Sorry to get so technical but it is really quit simple.

Eat less than your daily requirement and you will lose weight.

Avoid losing muscle as it will lower your daily requirement and you will have to eat less and less to keep from putting fat back on.

Exercise is not the best form of fat loss, eating correctly is.

Eat a balanced meal every meal.

Eat no more than can fit into your hand. If you eat this way you are able to eat every two to three hours. Every two is better for fat loss and energy levels and to stave of sweet cravings.

And most importantly, JUST LIKE EXERCISE, IT IS HARD WORK, TAKES TIME AND EFFORT AND THOUGHT ON YOUR BEHALF, AND WORKS IF YOU PUT THE EFFORT IN, JUST ASK EVERYONE WHO IS FIT AND IN THEIR BEST SHAPE POSSIBLE!

Thanks for listening.

Coach Michael

blue skys: and judd's coming to the blues!

2007-09-17T17:04:00.001+09:30

Michael D has only one week until he goes in for a physical test to get him into a firemans suit. over the last couple of weeks he has been training real hard to improve his all round fitness. Good luck Mic.

bob the builder of muscle blasted his way through an enduring session. its sessions like these that make life worth living!

Welcome Back

2007-09-17T10:17:00.000+09:30

We were off line for a few days doing some technical work on the website (being a lazy bastard and having a holiday)

Over the past few weeks a lot of people have had the sniffles or a little
worse. But it looks like its all past now and we can get back on with
our hardcore training.

There were no Monday morning session today so I came in and did a workout (yes, I do workout as well). Coach Tommy is in this evening to give all your bodies a good whoping, just what they need after a relaxing weekend - we can't let all those hard
earned muscles get stagnate and atrophy!

Ive been doing a fair bit of research lately into fitness, as I always almost do, and there is always two common themes that reoccur no matter what form of
training, or sport or athlete is speaking. 1) high intensity,
intelligent hard work, and 2) consistency.

Fotunately for all
of our members, the first one is mandatory as soon as you enter the
studio. And fortunately for our members again, all you have to do is
turn up. Also, just as important but not as recurring , is the need for
feedback - visible, tangible results, and this just doesn't mean
physical transformations. It can include increased loads, better
technique, faster times, and even being victorious at competition. I
find I work best when training for a reason, instead of an abstract as,
"i want to get fit," or "i want to look good." Like a competition or a
certain load, or a time, etc. Think about it, what would motivate you
to do better and give more each session. Is it a local fun run, a
tennis tournament, the first time you can do a certain movement, or
anything else which would motivate you. See what you come up with and
post a comment or bring it up next session. Keep training hard, and Ill
see you all later in the week.

Its good to be back online.

Great Work

2007-09-10T08:47:00.000+09:30

We've had some great results and workouts the past few days. A big
congratulations is reserved for Robert G who smashed his old 500m
rowing Pb and at the same time, set a new world record atGarageGYM. His time - 1:40.6. Great Result Robert. Enjoy your three weeks off now in the U.S.

Another
fantastic competitor is Jess. Not only did she beat all the girls and
boys on the beep test with a great result of 11.7. Her rowing times are
almost the best for the girls. She is currently on 1:59 and is afterGinette's
1:55. Jess also want to be the first girl to beat 4 minutes for the
1000m Row, event though only two men have broken four minutes. Your
determination will get you far Jess.

Erin
has been extraordinarily consistent. Turning up four sessions a week,
taking advantage of the new system. And her results are showing. She's
toning up, tightening up and getting fitter and stronger. She is 3
seconds off a sub 2 minute rowing time and she will break it!

Mel
and Alex have also been taking advantage of the new system and have
taken up three sessions a week. One sure way to get fitter is do
exercise more.Together they are a great team, and despite different
aims, they both put in as much intensity as they both can. I hope you
two enjoyed your days off and are ready for another big week of
training.

Linda is doing exceptional. Although only once a week, she has improved out of sight. Straight
leg lifts for multiple rounds, excellent squat technique and a high
beep test score. You put in every session and don't complain once
Linda. Keep it up.

Anne is back in the zone and her body is
ready for more. She did a big session today and with flawless technique
and big loads. All up she is getting better and better and she proved
it with a 2:29 rowing time at the end of the session.

Mel W is
getting stronger and better and stronger and fitter. A great attitude
towards training and on the new system ready for three sessions a week.
With her determination and consistency, there is no limit to what she
can achieve. Her rowing times keep dropping, her loads keep increasing
and her form gets better and better. Its always a pleasure Mel.

Sid
in, and looking great. Tough sessions as always. Her form is also
improving and her body is getting stronger and stronger. You all probably
don't notice, but as the sessions progress, I can see the subtle
progressions in performance. And Sid has over the months, gotten stronger and more stable in her technique and her body is stabilising itself much better. This means, less injury and great health and wellbeing. Good work Sid.

Michael
D is on a mission and nothing is going to get in his way. He pushes
hard every session and does not give up. What ever you want you can
have Mickey with an attitude like yours. Keep applying yourself and
good luck on your test today.

Overall, everyone keeps excelling.
Everyone is putting in 100% and getting the results they desire. Keep
coming back and I look forward to a big weeks of training.

As to the previous posts of price changes etc. etc. I hope your all not confused because I am!!!

A definite change will be the opening hours which are now advertised on the studio door:

7am - 10pm and 4:30pm - 7:30pm.

No
session will be performed out side of these times so you'll have to
make yourselves available between these times. Most of you do train
between these times so it will only be the odd one or two who are put
out.

As to the pricing structure. I don't bloody know - it keeps
changing. Some of you are now on the old rate, some are on the 50 a
week rate and some are on the 20 a session rate...what a f@#*$ up!!!

I'll clarify it all during this week. Bare with me. The studio is remaining open, just the change of hours will make it easier on the trainers. Thank you for your patience and support.

Oops - I've done it again

2007-09-06T17:16:00.000+09:30

Forgive me for being a pain in the ass, but again I'm going to make some changes to the structure here at The Garage. But first I'll tell you why...

I love fitness, lets get that straight. It's probably no surprise to any of you and that's because its the truth. I study it constantly, try to do it consistently and for the past two years, have been sharing that knowledge with you all.

Of course I also love a lot of other things in life, and despite the pleasure I derive from running a business, it is not what I solely want to do with my life. It was then, but it isn't now. Of course, if I were to just shut the doors, all of you would be left without this fantastic facility, and the equipment would just collect dust. What a waste. Not the best option. And besides, I do like it here, I just don't have the time to run it like I have been. Sure I could hire other trainers, and Ive thought about it a lot, but again, this will take up my time and is not how I want to see the place end up. It started as a nice, communal gym, and it will end up as one. And this is what I have in mind.

The first change will be the opening hours. No longer will I be open all day everyday as I have been, and training one client every few hours. Not a good use of my time. I will therefore open from the times: 7am - 10am and 4pm - 7:30pm.

Secondly, we will still have bookings due to the limited space, but we will be able to book up to two clients per half hour, and sometimes three, but we'll see how that goes. For now it will be two clients per sessions. The bookings will also be left up to you, on our new communal bookings board. Each week you will write up the times you would like to come in, for everyone to see, so you can all work around each other. And the onus is on you to turn up, if you do not, and I notice you are writing up times and not coming in, you'll be booted out of the community garage gym for lack of commitment and wasting other peoples time.

Thirdly, I'm scraping all payment methods, systems, plans, rates etc. From now on, there will be one flat rate and one flat rate only. $20 per session. Every time you come to the community garage, you will pay just $20 for entry. Its pay as you go. That's all there will be. $20 visits. Nothing more, nothing less.

Fourthly, keeping score of all your workouts will be up to you from now on. I'll teach you all how to do it, and if you wish, you can keep track of your workouts. If you don't care. Don't do it. It's your choice.

I'll still write up workouts, watch and teach you technique, motivate and push you that bit further. I'll keep going with the website as it is a great way to pass on knowledge and just have fun. I'll pretty much do what Ive been doing. Keeping the gym going, keeping it clean and tidy, making sure there are fresh towels and water. And offering fitness advice whenever i can.

The only real changes is the $20, and communal booking board, and the time open and closed.

This way, it will ensure the continuation of the studio and allow me to also pursue my other endeavours. If these changes are not to your liking, your more than happy to join a commercial gym, or pay a minimum of $50 per session at a personal training studio. I doesn't phase me. What I do know is that we are the best priced personal training studio, we have the best approach to training around, and we have a lot of fun competing and urging each other on through our results. Not many other studios can boast these three claims.

Questions or Comments - write an email or ring me up.

beep beep

2007-09-05T19:16:00.000+09:30

Mary and Seb tried there luck at the good old beep test and ran till their hearts were content. Mary scored 5.4 and Seb scored 9.6 but stopped when Coach Tommy acidently turned off the computer! Im sure Seb will beat his score next time he gives it a go.

Mel and Alex arrived in yet another new car. this one being a convertable! but trained hard they did and left satisfied.

Big WOD Day

2007-09-04T19:27:00.000+09:30

Big Workout Of the Day today. Erin kicked it off 12 hours since her last session. She is a girl on a mission. First 1000m row she broke her 500m and 1000m record: 2:03 and 4:18 respectively. Go Erin. Great thruster technique and challenging pull up combos. Combined with two more rounds she did extremely well and worked extremely hard.

Kim and Janaya in for it next. They did the beep test first. Kim got a solid score of 5.5 and Janaya burned up the floor to get a great 7.0 score. They then hit the thrusters and pull ups followed by the last two rounds of the WOD. Janaya's squat technique has improved out of sight as Kim always does it right!

Gulnaz back in, another one on a mission. A big workout from her doing the WOD with variations due to her tiny injury. Very strong rowing times for all the three row combined with overhead squats with 10kg and deadlifts with 30kg with great technique. A super session G.

Paul and Belinda in, all fired up and ready for another big week of training. The beep test to begin and both hitting high scores. Paul on 8.0 and Belinda on 8.5. Exceptional, both of you. The rest of the WOD was difficult but Belinda ate it up well. Paul did the best pull ups he has ever done which slowed him down a little. Remember everyone. the aim isn't quantity, its quality - quantity comes after we have perfected form.

Alex and Mel M to finish off the night and they finished it with a BANG! Mel hitting the highest score for the girls with 9.8 - SUPERB, and Alex getting the highest male and overall score of 10.6. A very, very, very good score Alex - this equals a high level of cardio fitness. They then went on to finish the WOD which Mel did easily and Alex took his time with - again he did great pull up form. Mel was so good she did three rounds of knee holds for a long 45 seconds each. Both of you are superb and it is great to see you are both going to take advantage of the "more sessions per week" rule.

Great day - can't wait for tomorrows victims!

A New System for a New Season

2007-09-04T09:22:00.001+09:30

The new season is here and with it comes a change in the conditions at garagegym. Just as spring brings in longer days and warming sun rays, the new changes at the garage herald more training days for a lower pay rate.

We want you to train as much as possible and to make it as easy, convenient and affordable as possible. For these reason we have set up a simple system to allow you to train as much as you possibly can for one flat rate.

- from now on there will be a single flat rate for each member of $50

- this one rate will allow each member to train up to four days per week

- you will now be able to train with one other member, so it will be more challenging, fun and inspirational. Your still required to book in each session.

With the new method you will be able to train more for less money, have greater flexibility and of course, get fitter, faster.

Thank you for all your support and I hope you all take full advantage of the new and improved system at The Garage.

What the "Beep"!

2007-09-03T21:06:00.000+09:30

The weather didn't hold anyone back today.

Anne's first session and couldn't wait. After an adventure on the slopes it was time to get back into it ready for the warmer months. A simple program of 800m rowing followed by 30 reps of heavy bench for three rounds gave Anne a good start back into it. See you Friday Anne.

Michael D was in and kicked off everyone on the beep test. Mick has only been training for four sessions now and already he scored an above average 6.2 for the garagegym beep test. He finished the session off with tabata intervals of push ups, over head squats, knee holds and back extensions. Your getting fitter daily Mick.

Coral in next and my first session back with her after some time. She showed her increase in fitness and strength by doing three rounds of pull ups, step ups, sit ups, knee holds and wall ball for 50 shots. Great to see you again Coral. Go hard all the way until you take off for Vietnam.

Frank and Josephine in to trial the Beep test as well. Josephine hit the wall after 7.1 and Frank made it all the way to 8.2. Together they finished the day off with tabata over head squats and dips, 6 rounds of 30 second knee holds (tough) and 60 heavy wall ball shots. See you both Wednesday. Keep it up. Thanks for the business advice Frank.

Bob and Sarah in together flexing their muscles. Sarah ran a 7.1 to go keep the Gym's average up and Bob blitzed everyone, despite his sore bum from the 400 lunges the other day, and got the top score so far of 10.5... WOW! Always amazing me Bob. Together they did a nice finish off session of pull ups, push ups, sit ups, back extensions and squats for 50 reps each.

Gulnaz was in while Merty raised his IQ. G did a 7.8 on the beep test to get the highest score for the girls so far. She then did 100 10kg db lunges, 15 strict pull ups, and then 100 free lunges. -you'll be sore tomorrow Gulnaz.

Erin finished the night with a 6.8 beep test score. Again an impressive result for a new girl and some one who hates running. Erin has been at it for a little while and has just started doing four sessions a week solidly. With our new pay rate and freedom of training schedule. Everyone can now enjoy multiple sessions a week for less money. Ask about it if you don't already know!

Nighttime

2007-08-31T19:17:00.000+09:30

Gulnaz back after a two week lay off and straight back into the hard work. She is the second person to have a short break and come back and do a better 500m rowing time - from 2:27 to 2:22. Says a lot about rest and recovery. She also did jump squats, sit ups and back extensions for 25 - 20 - 115 - 10 - 5 reps each. We finished with 8 rounds of tabata skipping.

Paul completed the evening and looking trim and terrific and brown from the sun at the snow - lucky man! We did a monstrous session of Bench press 30 - 25 - 20 - 25 reps combined with 20 10kg Db lunges and 10 bench pull ups. Great improvements from Paul already showing as his fitness and strength increase. Great session Paul and even better chat afterwards.

See you all next week.

Mixed WODs

2007-08-31T12:26:00.001+09:30

Anne needed one more day off after her long ski season so she will be back on Monday.

Jackie, Erin and Jess were in for a workout despite both Jackie and Erin being still vary sore from the other days workout. Jess was psyched from her 1:59 rowing time. Together they did 20 push ups, 15 over head squats and 10 burpees for as many times they could in 20 minutes. I was very impressed with both Erin and Jess, Erin scoring 11 rounds and Jess scoring 10. Jackie had to leave early so her score didn't count, although she has been busting her guts all week here at The Garage and just turning up deserves a mention.

Sid was in soon after not wanting to miss any session despite a hectic schedule. Sid has been putting together an event which is to be on this weekend (you may have seen the P.E.G.S fashion show poster up at the Garage) but she doesn't let it stop her train. We began with 100 lunges, followed it with 30 second knee holds, step ups, wall ball, tabata skip for 8 rounds, some more knee holds, and then finished again with 100 lunges. Good work Sid.

Kim G was in and we were hoping Janaya was close behind. Kim did an extraordinary workout with 400 lunges. Ouch. But it didn't even phase her. I tried to finish her off with some pull ups - a hundred of them - but she managed this too. Then Janaya arrived looking amazing, and with the little time she had, she whacked out an impressive 1:08 rowing time which is another 4 second improvement. Good going girls.

Mickey D was in straight after, third session up and still nice and tender, no reason to take it easy on him though. A different WOD for the strong man, 21 jumping squats, 15 push presses (barbell), and 10 pull ups (rings) for as many times in 20 minutes. Mick's score: 6 strong rounds. Excellent work Michael, I look forward to Monday's Beep Test.

Michael P in for his first session after some time off from training. And after he requested I work him hard (big mistake) that we did. I watered down the previous WOD to only 15 jump squats, 9 push presses, and 5 pull ups, and for as many times in 14 minutes. Michael achieved 5 heart pumping, gut wrenching rounds which we then followed with the 2 minute sit up challenge and a 500m row (Time: 2:06.2) which sent him over the edge and his stomach too. After he recovered he swigged down some protein and was ready for the world again. Well done Michael, the first of many, many more to come.

Renovating Bodies Renovating Bathroom

2007-08-31T07:41:00.000+09:30

Not only have we been shaping, strengthening and changing our bodies, but at The Garage, our urgently needed bathroom is about 48 hours from being operational. And its about time! Now you don't have to hold it in, you can change before or after work or just check your hair is still in place.

Thursday was a good day all round, good training and some amazing workouts.

Linda in first up nursing a small twinge in her shoulder so we gave it a rest and focused on the legs and stomach instead. It was actually quite and intense workout of heavy steps ups, deadlifts and sumo squats, and the hard part was the 30 second knee hold between every exercise which meant Linda did a total of 5 minutes of knee holds...ouch. Of course she managed just fine and I look forward to raising the stakes next session.

Jackie and Erin in again, and I gave them a big leg session as well. This time we did 100 lunges, yes, 100 lunges. We followed it up with 100 push presses, 100 pull ups, and finished with he 2 minutes sit up challenge. The session obviously worked well as they came in the next day quite sore.

Half way through renovations Bob and Robert appeared for their workouts. I took Bob down to the park where he did the most extraordinary thing I have ever seen. 400 LUNGES without a break, at all! Bob, you amazed me, exciting stuff. The 100 push ups you did straight after pale in significance. Outstanding.

Robert hit the laneway for two sets of 100 lunges, still a lot of lungin', interspersed with 100 pull ups and a NEW MALE RECORD for the 2 minutes sit ups: 71 reps. Well done Robert. I'm going to push you extremely hard over the next two session seeing as you are going away soon. Get ready for it!

Another day - another muscle fibre gained

2007-08-30T10:16:00.000+09:30

A great days training today. Aldo had a tough one, three rounds of rowing, pull ups, dips and over head Db lunges. Today got Aldo's heart rate up a bit more than usual, but still he managed well, scoring nice consistent rowing times and doing more reps of the pull ups consecutively. Great going Aldo.

Sid in and we did a variation of the WOD which proved even more challenging. Still the rowing for the three rounds but we combined it with deadlifts, sitting shoulder press and squats. All with heavier than ever attempted before weights which Sid gobbled down. Her rowing times were very fast and even and all up it was a smashing session which we both enjoyed. Exceptional session today Sid. Well done.

Christie in again, second session back after her month long break. I decided not to take it easier on her, but of course she still survived it. Again the same WOD as Sid, but with a little extra weight on the push press. You did extremely well Christie and I look forward to more demanding sessions as we get back into our routine again.

And Jen brought the sun with her again today so we took full advantage of it outdoors. 10 x 60m sprints at 100% to really make Jen sore the next day. Superb form, great speed and the stamina to last the whole ten, Jen did very well indeed, a session I'd like to give other GarageGYM members. Sprinting is one of the best ways to cut away the fat, build strength, and feel great. As always, it comes at a price, it is a very demanding session.

Coach Tommy and Coach Michael shared the afternoon session, with Michael D, Frank P, Josephine, Jackie, Jess, Erin, Mel M and Alex all under the direction of Coach T. Mel W looking absolutely radiant and Mary and Frank P, and Belinda and Paul were under the guidance of Coach M.

Paul did very well and is already getting compliments on his "work in progress" physique, Belinda has switched to once a week, but while she is here, she puts in 100% and has extraordinary fitness. Together they push each other and are a great team.

Mary always does well, and despite Seb's absent, the session still went along strong. A lot of fun was had, and Frank P is always looking for a challenge. Keep up the workload both of you - too much in this case isn't a bad thing.

Mel W had a hard and fast one and again shaved 7 seconds off her rowing time. All up she worked her butt off, and it was a great workout all round. Keep going Mel!

Here is the time Id like to re-cap the exceptional rowing performances that have been achieved in the past few days:

Jess S 1:59 (the second girl ever to break 2 minutes)
Erin 2:02 (a whopping 14 second improvement)
Jackie S 2:02 (almost under 2 minutes - come on Jackie)
Mel W 2:03 (proving she can keep up with the best of them)

Paul 1:52 (only new here but after the title of fastest man)
Alex 1:50 (another new comer with great potential)

A great new bunch of talent who are going strong, keeping the GarageGYM competition alive and allowing for greater progress as a result. Great going everyone. See you all tomorrow.

A warm welcome is always needed for two more new recruits jumping aboard the train to optimum fitness this week. Robert who has shown his dexterity already by not procrastinating and joining up for a Saturday morning session. And Michael P, ready for a battle, starting here tomorrow afternoon. Welcome to both of you.

Rest Day

2007-08-28T17:40:00.000+09:30

No training today so here is a little light reading:

"Training is no Guarantee of Health"

Back Online

2007-08-27T13:06:00.000+09:30

Sorry to have missed the last few days of posting. No excuses so I'll just shout my mouth and get on with it.

Last week ended on a fairly easy note as I downgraded most peoples sessions to allow them a bit of recovery from the long hard haul we've all been doing over the winter months. It was a mixture of exercises, enough to the get the heart rate going but not enough to emit any soreness.

Jackie and Erin are going strong with Jess jumping in the deep end and matching it with them both even though they have been here for several weeks now and Jess is just beginning. Together you all push each other and push the garagegym envelope of what is possible. Great going.

Robert still hanging around and still putting in all he can muster. Robert, you are one of the most consistent people Ive ever met, well done! See you next week for a more brutal session.

Mel W is getting in better shape every session, each one building upon last weeks work. Fairly new to the world of GarageGYM but enough session under her belt to know what is asked of her, Mel does extraordinarily well ever time and without even a whimper.

Sid had a great session, no holding back - not that you ever do Sid. Another one who keeps coming back and if I have learnt anything from my many years in the fitness industry it is those who continue to turn up each week who get the gains they are after.

And we welcome the return of Christie who has had a month off to finish home renovations. A moderate session of mixed exercises to break her in, but no suprise she rowed a better time than she had done before with a new PB of 2:05.7 - showing us that a little rest isn't a bad thing - just not too much hey Christie.

Paul and Belinda in Friday noght after their trip to the snow along with several other GarageGYM members and Coach Tommy took them through their workouts.

Jen finished off the week on Saturday with a beautiful park workout as the sun was shining and we couldn't resist. Lots of fun on the play equipment, Jen showing me she hasn't lost her childhood spirit. See you Wednesday Jen.

Monday back at the Garage and it was one of those weekends where most people wanted their Monday's off from training. Only Ginette made it in for the morning and even she was in a hurry. A solid set of squats, deadlifts and the dynamic clean and press reserved for the elite only is what Ginette was served with. She managed just fine and had superb technique and really showing her foundational work she has doen over the past winter. Time to pick up the pace and enjoy the sun Ginette.

I'll make a post now about new recruit Michael D.

Michael is on a mission and we here at the Garage are going to help him achieve it. I won't divulge too much yet, but from first impression, Michael seems the type to really put it all on the line and get the most out of every workout - another real Garagegym memebr in the making. Great to have you on board Mick.

The Sun is Back

2007-08-22T19:12:00.000+09:30

Mel W waiting patiently for her first session this week. Mel is a favourite of GarageGYM's, never whinging and always asking for more... Today was no excetion. We strated the day with yesterday's WOD of db burpee variations, rowing and knee holds. Three devastating exercises performed for three rounds. Always a great combination. And really pushing clients. Great going Mel, and well done on a new 500m rowing PB.

Aldo in straight after looking for the same challenge. Aldo has graduated from five plus sessions now and is in the big league and he took up the challenge well. Again the same WOD and again the same attitude getting him over the line. Never say never. Try, try, try...! Great Aldo, a definite improvement in fitness and a big twenty plus seconds improvement in 500m rowing times. Go Aldo.

Sid in for a great session and she kicked off the daily WOD of tabata intervals for pull ups, push ups, sit ups, squats and skipping. And Sid smilled with glee as she got through all of them with improved strength, stamina, and overall fitness. Sid, keep going, your always improving. Always.

Ginette the Gun in looking for some revenge from Monday's challenging workout when she was a little flat. Who cares Ginette, you made up for it today with an awesome tabata interval session of pull ups, push ups(on her feet for most), sit ups, squats and skipping. Again, another session bites the dust as you cleaned it right up.

Liz and Frank in today, not so dynamic as Frank was nursing a runned down body due to a nasty little bug trying to beat him. He didn't let it stop him as he and gorgeous Liz hit the Tabata intervals. Great all round, especially Liz who was on fire and always, and I mean always, does whatever is thrown at her, proving once again that girls are as tough if not stronger than men when it comes to will power. Frank did well just turning up.

And Jen, glorious Jen, with her new found contentment in life, really had a fresh new approach to training and tackled it in superb form and even finished the session off by saying, "oh, that was easy" - see Jen, its all in the mind. Excellent work, i look forward to more brutal and demanding sessions with you.

Coach Tommy had his 5pm session with GarageGYM members so I cannot speak on his behalf, but i did train ALex and Mel and I must say, obviously they are both young and in okay shape as it is, but their genetic potential is extraordinary, and they will both go far with consistent and intense training whcih they have shown they are capable of. Great going guys. Love your work.

Buuurp.....y

2007-08-20T17:44:00.000+09:30

Coach Tommy gave Coral some of the old PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD to her specialised program. It is amazing how as little as 5-10 more reps can make all the difference to a session at the GARAGE. The PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE is a part of each members program at the GARAGE. It basically means that Coach Michael and Tommy add a little bit more intensity to your WODS every week (this is how we all better ourselves during each and every session

Franky and josephine seem to progress in strength and fitness every time they get stuck into there workout.
They enjoyed the new variation to the burpees and after the WOD still had some energy and motivation left to go for a 5 min run around the block. Great Stuff guys

Bob the builder of muscle did an awesome job at the Garage gym work site. Bob completed the WOD ( DB burpees, skipping, knee raise and hold) to max intensity. SO DID HIS DAUGHTER SARAH. Great sess you two!

mel and alex are new to many of Michaels WODS but they are quick to pick things up. Alex wanted an extra set of bicep curls so Coach Tommy gave him 3! ha!

How to Eat

2007-08-17T23:34:00.000+09:30

Meat and Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds, Some fruit, little starch, and almost no sugar. Enough said. "quoting my mentor, Coach Greg"

Another fiery day at the Garage

2007-08-17T23:09:00.000+09:30

What wonderful competition and results we are all achieving.

Anne in for her last session before her big ski trip so we took it moderately so she wouldn't be sore for the slopes this weekend. A bit on the rower, some intervals and the wall ball challenge, of course, which she did in under four minutes, a three minute improvement on her old score - with a heavy medicine ball. Have fun Anne, you've trained hard and you will be rewarded with many fun days on the slopes out doing all your peers.

Mel W in straight after and no holiday for her. Hard work again after Wednesdays big session which she was still feeling the remnants from. Wallball challenge, and yes, she also scored under 3 minutes for the wallball - with a four kilogram ball. Wow, absolutely great! We followed this up with tabata push ups, 50 sit ups and back extensions, 5o thrusters, and a good solid 1000m row. All in all, another great performance from mel who is going from strength to strength.

Sid in for her second one of the week. Again the challenge was put to her and she scored under 4 minutes. To note: under four minutes is a great time, under three is incredible. All of you achieved either one of these. Looks like the Garage is working! Sid did a variation of the WOD, doing heavy lunges instead of thrusters, tabata skipping, sit ups. Good work Sid. Moving along nicely.

Ginette, Guinea Pig Ginette today. She sampled a new interval I am playing with: 15 reps of a heavy weight exercise followed by 30 seconds rest, repeated for a total of 5 rounds. And boy did it hurt. A few extra seconds rest to keep her form, what a gut busting effort. But that wasn't all, tabata row for 8 rounds in between this exercise and the next, same interval pattern, different exercise - 40kg squats. A herculean effort from ginette saw her over the line. Thanks for toughing it out Ginette. Today was my pleasure.

Belinda and Paul in, both sore from Wednesday's workout, Paul a lot more so. He didn't tell me they were leaving for the slopes also this weekend - I could have taken it easy!!! They did do the smart thing and trained this evening to help dissipate the soreness to a degree by exercising (moderately) which got blood to the sore muscles (and as we all know, it is the blood which carries all the goodness around our bodies) and will speed up their recovery. Belinda did a cariation of Ginette's monster session, combined with tabata skipping and sit ups, and Paul rowed his soreness away mixed in with some push press and squat rounds. Enjoy the snow - we will all be thinking off you.

"I'll see tomorrow's members for another end to a smashing week"

I Must Eat My Words

2007-08-16T19:32:00.000+09:30

I said in yesterdays post that no one else would possibley beat 3 minutes for the wall ball but it looks like I have underestimated you all. Enormous gains have gotten you all extraordinary results and tonight Robert was the Hero. He did the wall ball challenge for the first time since starting GarageGYM several months ago. His time, a fantastic 2:39. WOW! And finished the session of with a ferocious tabata push up, thruster, sit up, beck extension and row session - fast and hard. Exceptional Robert. Well done.

Jackie and Erin started the moring and Erin had her shot a the wall ball challenge. A new client and stopped several times to improve her technique, she scored a time of 7 minutes. Great time Erin - something to work on! Jackie did her first 1000m row and got a moderate score considering her other records for other exercises, but she has to have one weak point. Erin did well on the row and scored a new PB for her 500m row time from 2:22 to 2:20. They finshed with some heavy weights.

Gulnaz was still nursing a small injury in her arm so we focused on her lower body again: box jumps 50, sit ups 50, back extensions 50 for three rounds. Super G. Have a rest after three solid sessions and I'll see you on Saturday.

Bob, we missed you yesterday and a big thanks for the flowers sent to our door to celebrate the arrival of our newborn. Thank you very much.

Ive gotten some sleep last night so I feel much better today.

A Family Affair

2007-08-15T22:28:00.001+09:30

We have several members from the same family - siblings, uncles, aunties, mothers, fathers, partners...its crazy! Anymore and I'll have to re-name the studio after them.

On a more serious note, business is going strong, thanks to a fantastic, no-nonsense approach method of fitness, dedicated and hard working clients, and our will as humans to better ourselves and take the challenge of greater health.

Its so busy that keeping this post going is a full time job. You'll notice the time I'm writing this entry and the fact that I have missed the last couple of days as proof.

Here is a re-cap of the last few days:

First session in on Monday morning - Linda. Linda is one of our newest members and so far is enjoying the gradual increase in intensity. We did a meener than usual workout with Wall ball, box jumps dips and tababta skipping. In between each exercises we did ten reps of knee raises - a fantastic core exercise which is far superior to sit-ups.

Next in was Anne. A soldier in the army of GarageGYM and always ready to take up the battle. Anne is supremely fit, strong and looking great. Anne came to us over a year ago looking for improvements for her annual ski trip. What she found was a challenging and rewarding habit which is making her achieve a level of fitness which will help her in more than her skiing. Well done Anne on a tremendous years training. Enjoy your week of up the alps.

Ginette was back in after a week of to rest those tight and toned muscles of hers. Ginette trained a monster session on Monday and then came in today and she showed her increased energy and fitness with a record breaking wall ball record of 3:09 with a 4kg medicine ball. This is an extraordinary effort and she beat everyone up to date with this everyone - the men and women. Ginette, you having improved ten fold since joining several months ago and it is due to your unwavering persistance. You truly fight to the death - sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. I love working out with you.

Liz and Frank - the dynamic duo - were also in Monday and today. Again to dedicated members who push till there is nothing left in the tank, and again they did with the wall ball challenge, both breaking their own personal best times. Liz down from over 5minutes to 4 minutes flat, and Frank from 3:45 down to 3:35. Both have shown extraordinary body transformations and also have a long list of other benefits from continuous traing. Thank you both for your time here. It has been a blast

Coach Tommy continued with the devastating sessions on Monday evening. Unfortunately I cannot speak for him but I do know all his clients. Coral is one of the longest members here at the Garage and has soldiered on despite many setbacks. She continues to turn up and do her utmost at attaining great health. Keep up with the work load Coral. It must be done.

ALso Frank, Josephine, Bob, Jackie and new member Ellen were in that night - but I'll speak about them later on.

Tuesday saw Gulnaz and Mert start the evening sessions off. Mert, full of beans, keep us enteratined while we worked on and around G's small injury. They both hit the gym tonigh as well, and G focused on her legs finishing a monster leg workout of 150 squats - 100 jumping squats - 50 lunges. Mert did wall ball and a watered down version of the daily WOD. See you both tomorrow.

Mel and Alex (great to meet you both for the first time) were in for another one of their initiation sessions. Both keen to get results, they pushed extremely hard despite being only newcomers. They did the farmers run with very heavy weights interspursed with various exercises which really gave them a hard and thorough wokrout. Keep it up, the results will come and you'll being to love every minute of it.

Erin continuing with her exercise routine and becoming a familiar face was in again to push hard. The same was as the session before, she also was pushed hard, as everyone always is, and together we got her to really get the most out of herself. Now you are a pro at GarageGYM Erin, its time to accelerate the intensity and reach for the stars in terms of health, fitness and all that comes with it.

And, finally, to Wednesdays session - all twelve of them. Mel W in for her workout which she loves so much and keeps coming back for more. Again the WOD of farmers run and various other exercises was administered and she devoured it whole. Excellent attitude, strength and increasing fitness is seeing Mel W get the results she wants - hard work + time = success.

Lovely Sid and ready for whatever I throw at her. A really hard session as well. Instead of just various exercises in between the farmers run, we also threw in some great conversations. Thanks for the words of wisdom Sid. Your body is getting better every time I see you but don't think it is ok not to train just because your looking great. Keep coming back.

Jen is back for more - always and forever. She is adicted and cannot get enough of this place. Its obvious why though. Great coaches, a private environment and pure, hard, work. Jen hit the wall with the ball and smashed...yes, smashed her old time of 8:05 and recorded a blistering 3:39. I forget to tell her first time that it was a race against the clock, but still, an obvious improvement. Jen, your great, thanks for the presents and I look forward to Saturday's session.

Kim and Janaya completed the mornings workouts with their first attempt at the Wall Ball Challenge. The shared the load and finished together on 4:20. A great starting time and lots of improvements to come. Janaya was keen to beat her already impressive rowing time and that she did. A new time of 2:14 was recorded and she put out the challenge to Ginette that she is after her record - this si what it is all about! Kim, your technique, understanding of the human body and all round fitness is superb and I cannot wait to build on it. It's great to have you both on board.

Frank P made his return to GarageGYM this week and together with sis Josephine, they hit the wall to beat their old times, and, obvious now in this post, they also beat them. People are getting fitter, better bodies, and feeling full of energy thanks to the hard work they are applying on themselves. Oh yes, their times for the challenge: Josephine - 3:21 with 4kg and Frank with 3:20 with 5kg. Very impressive, and great end to the session as well.

Seb and gorgeous Mary followed. A few niggles didn't stop Mary as she powered through a leg session of 150 squats - 50 jumping squats - 50 lunges and much core work. Mary, you try and try and try and you can match it with anyone when it comes to determination. And, THE CHAMPION OF THE DAY, YEAR, DECADE - should I go on. Not only has his body gone from great to absolutely spectacular, Seb's fitness, muscle mass, body fat, strength, power, agility, endurance, speed and so forth has increased through the roof. How do I know, just look at his Wall Ball Challenge time - 2:24 - the first ever person probably on the face of the planet to get under three minutes. No more words are needed. P.S. Thank you so much for the gift both of you - Thank You.

ALdo in as a lone ranger which allows me to hone in on him. After Mary's advice to 'work him hard' that we did. But, Aldo was up to the challenge and he completed the wall ball challenge in a blistering pace of 3:10. A fantastic result for a newcomer and the super performance must run in the family. Aldo also completed the rest of the session with thirteen rounds of the WOD. Excellent Aldo, your fitness is already up.

Belinda and Paul in. Belinda a few session in so i didn't let up on her once. Paul on the other hand is just new to the garage so I went a little easier - that won't last. Belinda got her first result for the wall challenge and she got uner 4 minutes for the exercise. Again, for a beginner, this is extraordinary. Paul did a variation of everything cause I want him to come back - I'll unleash the full force in a few sessions time. Thank you both for putting your trust in me and I look forward to a growing relationship in body, health and just everyday life.

And, for the final session but just as great as all others - Jackie and newbie Ellen. Ellen displayed awesome fintess, endurance and resolve for a first time GarageGYM user and will definitely achieve much with this program. Welcome Ellen. Jackie - psycho Jackie(psycho because she never stops and does it four times a week) lived up to her fittist woman title and almost threw Ginette from the podium. It has only been a couple of months but Jackie is already showing results in everything she does. You may be genetically gifted Jackie - but that doesn't mean anything when faced with the pain of the workouts - you also have the tenacity to keep coming back for more. Go get 'em!

Thank you and good night. I love this place.

.

Why?

2007-08-14T13:58:00.000+09:30

Why gymnastics, weightlifting and sprintings as fundamentals to optimum and true health and fitness?

Gymnasts have no peer in core power, upperbody strength, and agility, accuracy, balance and coordination. They are superior to everyone in body control.

Weightlifters are masters of power, speed and hip and leg strength. Powerful hip extension is the most critical element of human performance and funtionality and no one can compete with a weightlifter.

Sprinters have enormous physical potential due to their competency in both metabolic states - high intensity (anaerobic) and low intenisty (aerobic) and the total conditioning that sprinting demands.

Blending workouts from gymnastics (push ups, pull ups, squats, sit ups, jumping), weightlifting (deadlifts, bench press, push press) and sprinting (short bursts of high intensity) gives us a total greater than the sum of its parts - GarageGYM athletes!

Keep up the great work - the workouts performed at GarageGYM give you the potential to be one of the fittest people on earth - at least fitter than YOU have ever thought possible. But it doesn't come easy - happiness never does.

2007-08-11T13:45:00.001+09:30

Left, good deadlift starting position. Next three, common deadlift faults

First in, Jackie. A very, very hard workout which obviously Jackie can handle, although the Farmers Walk is the first time I've seen her being tested - what do you expect with 15kg in each hand! She did full eccentric pull ups(eccentric = the lowering pahse, concentric = the pulling up phase) and I know she will be at full pull ups within a month. Go get 'em Jackie.

Aldo and Belinda next. A few sessions in now and the pace is increasing as well as the intensity. They did the leg emphasis WOD of squats, box jumps and wall ball. Together they got one of the fastest WOD times for this workout. Already proving they will be a force to reckon with. COngratulations in attaining a higher intensity level. The momentum has been created, there is no stopping you both now.

Jen in to finish the day off. Wonder Jen, always keen to get sweaty and puffed, we also did the leg emphasis WOD which Jen handled no problem. An avid GarageGYM member, Jen has been here from day one, and her skill in the gym is the proof!

Thank you all and I look forward to a big week next week. Don't mind me if I fall asleep on the job - its the newborns fault!

News

2007-08-11T09:33:00.001+09:30

You'll notice a change to the table of contents on the right hand side of this page. The names of each member will eventualy appear and when you click on your name, you will be directed to a website which will contain most of your workout history, days trained, weights lifted, milestones reached, and you'll be able to compare old results with new ones in order to give you that added drive when you're feeling flat some days.

It is a work in progress and it is something Im teaching my self to do so be patient. Currently if you click on a name it will not send you any where. I'll let you know when its up and running.

Another reason why I want to do it is because I have all this wokrout history for each member and it isn't being utilised, hopefully this will change all that.

Fingers crossed it works out they way I imagine.

Things are heating up

2007-08-09T18:58:00.000+09:30

A beautiful days weather - a little windy but hey, that's Melbourne. Sid in first up with Coach Neim. A very quiet morning for the first time in a long time, giving us hard working trainers a little respite.

Bob first up in the evening followed close behind by Sarah. Bob, like the rest of the elite athletes, did the daily WOD of deadlifts, pull ups and burpees for 30-21-15-9 rep rounds instead of the usual 21-15-9. Of course, Bob is fit enough to handle it although today's session gave him a bit of a heart pumping workout. Bob is competing in the Victorian Penit Finals this weekend. Kick butt Bob!

Sarah did the new WOD of:

wall ball 50
box jumps 40
heavy squats 30
Sit ups 100
heavy squats 30
box jumps 40
wall ball 50

Of course Sarah handled it with ease and almost n o whinging. Go Sarah. Your working hard and the rewards are coming - not just in the gym but in everyday life as well. Keep it up.

Robert in to strut his stuff. Braggin about his latest purchase of a new car, i decided to take my envy out on him by also letting him do the elite level WOD as Bob did of 30-21-15-9 rounds. Again it got the heart rate up to near maximum levels, which is always the aim, and it tested his fitness. And, as always, he stayed strong to the end. In the old days Robert that would have burnt you out, instead you handled it gracefully. You really have come along way.

To finish, Erin again, making up for some time off. We did the second WOD with the legs emphasis and 80 sit ups. Again Erin swollowed it up despite a little muscle soreness. Excellent effort Erin, your consistency is what will get you your results. That is the SECRET.

He's back

2007-08-08T17:45:00.000+09:30

Above: great overhead squat technique - arms locked out and behind head, lower back nice and straight, bum out & knees behind toes, heels on floor and hips drop below knees in bottom position

Looks like things run just fine wothout - I could get used to having all this time off!!!

Coach Tommy started the day off and had a few session (Mel W, Liz & Frank, Belinda & Mel, and Jen i think) and Im sure they were devastating workouts. From the feedback he hasn't relented once - good work Coach Tommy, take no prisoners.

I kicked off the day with Kim on her third session in. We did the WOD at a moderate pace(well it was meant to be, but Kim just kept on going!) The WOD of squats, step ups, one arm db lunges, and 200m row was performed. Kim managed a strong 3.5 rounds in the twenty minutes allocated. She also worked up a high heart rate and a few beads of sweat. Excellent work Kim.

It was great to see Margaret and Josephine again and both looking trim. Because it had been a while since I had seen them, I gave them a tough...very tough session of deadlifts, pull ups and burpees. And Josephine had a big weight for the deadlifts - 40kg, while Margaret did 17.5kg one arm db deadlifts. Great techniqu throughout Margaret, you have come along way since first starting here several months ago. If you had the opportunity - you would woop your old self's bum, literally. And Josephine- it was a tough weight you had to lift, but you did it, as you always do. Thank you for working out so hard. It makes my job so much more pleasant. I look forward to Frank's return also.

Seb in alone, and in the best shape of his life. I increased the previous WOD to a mammoth 30-21-15-9 reps of deadlifts, pull ups and burpees. A really monstrous amount of work, and pushed Seb hard - of course he managed, but that is why he looks so good. Excellent session Seb. I thoroughly enjoyed it and your deadlift technique has come along wonderfully. Keep it up. Summer is around the corner.

Erin and Kelly back in for a smashing...literaly. It was a tough session with burpees, deadlifts and pull ups. Both kept up with each other(the benefit of two on one training) and they finished strong. Two very motivated and tough individuals - I look forward to some extremely tough sessions together. Good to have you both back girls.

Thank You

2007-08-06T22:51:00.000+09:30

Thank You All for your well wishes. It was a grand day and a very different experience giving birth to my second daughter. For starters, my emotions were under check instead of overflowing like for my first daughter, hence, I was able to truly be in the moment and enjoy the beauty, reality and extraordinary act of creation called giving birth. We all do it on different levels in our daily lives - a new goal, a new career, a new body - and in this case, a new life. She came out in under 2 hours, thankfully, and she (Mila, after her grandmother) was taking her first breath. It took mine away. A very fulfilling time in my life and again I'd like to thank you all for your support throught the past two years since I entered the business of great health.

GarageGYM is moving in leaps and bounds thanks to your dedication, faith and pure, hard work. And that is what it is all about. You are dedicated to a cause, becoming better human beings, both physically and mentally, for the two go hand in hand. you have faith in the organic and challenging methods applied at GarageGYm which I believe so passionately in and know, from experience as well as common sense, make for the best form of exercise in the world (just challenge someone to a push up competition and Im sure you will all win hands down); and finally, the pure, hard work bit which I always preach about and more to the point, what you all know feels like, not just in exercise, but in creating a happy, stable and fulfilling life. For there is no success without pain and effort, unfortunately and fortunately. Unfortunately because it makes life so damn hard; fortunately because when you do finally get there, it taste so sweet.

To my existing members, you all put in a tremendous effort to turn up week in, week out, and I know exactly what you go through each session, as I too am human, and I applaud you, and even more so for putting up with all us bossy trainers - its for your own good though (and our pleasure!). To the new members, you are about to embark on a life changing journey. The sort of fitness we preach here is what the elite athletes of the world do to prepare themselves for competition (or battle, if you prefer) and it will also prepare you for a life well lived. Make no mistake, it is tough, it is painful, and you always feel like turning back. But, as with giving birth to your own beautiful little creation amongst the other 6 billion creations out there at the moment, you will be overjoyed, ecstatic, and elated at the birth of the better, more alive you that comes with this sacrifice.

Keep up the great work, keep turning up, and I look forward to many more heartaches and successes. Life is GREAT! Especially when we are all in it together.

Coach Michael (aka daddy)

Congrats coach michael, its a girl!

2007-08-06T18:42:00.000+09:30

great news guys, michael is now the proud father of another baby girl. all the best michael (i mean dad)

Linda was first up bright and early with a full leg workout for breakfast! Great way to start the day i reckon.

Liz and Frank (dynamic duo) were early (for once) which was a shock to coach tommy (cheers guys much appreciated). to say thanks tommy made them work a little harder(haha)

M/J (margaret and josephine) started off there leg routine with a 10min run around north essendon. wat a lovely town it is when u stop to smell the roses

Jackie came in flying solo and that means only one thing to coach tommy. MORE INTENSITY, which means one thing , TONED BODY

BOBBY! YOU BLOODY RIPPER. this man is fit, i mean really fit. never backs down from a challenge and loves the burn you get from hard training. keep it up champ

Ending a big week

2007-08-04T12:36:00.001+09:30

A final days workouts after a long weeks worth of work. Kim and daughter Gianna in for their second and first sessions, respectively. Still feeling the soreness from last session, Kim soldiered on and performed brilliantly at all that was thrown at here. Gianna took to the workout strongly and blitzed the rower with a 2:29.9 500m time. Maybe a little too much too soon as she was pretty muched wiped out after that - or probably just the lack of breaky - not enough to stop her though, back next week for more. Great going girls, see you next week.

Jen finished the morning off. Always willing and able, Jen took to the rower for a 1000m, 750m, 500m, combined with step ups with dumbbells from 6 - 9kg from 1- 3minutes and push ups and dips. A solid workout and great performance. Jen, you are an inspiration and are in terrific health. Thanks for the present and see you next week.

Cold but we managed

2007-08-03T18:39:00.000+09:30

Anne was terrific in todays WOD. In fact, everyone who has completed this same WOD two months ago has shown a super improvement, going up in weights by 50 - 100% and completing it with greater technique and better fitness. Anne was no exception. From 6kg to 9kg is a big leap Anne, great work. Also, your body is looking amazing, your year long consistency has paid of well.

Another big warm welcome again, for another new memebr ready for the GarageGYM challenge is Linda. Ready to fine tune her already trim figure, she is ready to increase her current exercise regime and hit peak performance. As always, a light introduction to soften the muscles and get her ready for some action.

Mel W in for her forth session, and already impressing everyone. I let her do the daily WOD for the first time and she handled it no problem, and with big weights to boot. 9kg was no problem for Mel as she tackled and won andother days workout. See you next week Mel.

Sid in, and despite a sore wrist from her never say die attitude, she carried on and also did a great efort with the daily WOD with a slight variation. Sid reached a great load of 8kg and didn't let anything slow her down. She finished the session off with 8 rounds of 20 secodn intervals of excellent skipping which Sid and I do now and again and her fitness has improved dramatically. And I always say it to you, your looking tight and terrific, keep it up.

Gulnaz and Matty finished off the day and it was a big legs session for G:
40kg Squats 15
Step Ups 60 sec each leg
20kg Lunges 20 steps
Row 200m
For 4 rounds.

It was a big session and you did great G. Really improved and your fitness is showing a dramatic increase also. I look forward to harder session and greater results. Matty proved he can handle himself with the adults as he tackled a devastating opponenet. He did well and never backed down. I look forward to a rematch between the two.

Still No Baby -but only four days to go now - definitely

2007-08-02T19:03:00.000+09:30

For all of us who are waiting anxiously for the arrival of my second child, this coming Monday is the day I will be a father again. Tommy will take the days sessions so there is no excuse not to work out.

I missed yesterdays post - I was running all around town and working here so it was a full day and the time to write just slipped away, not to worry, lets make up for it now...

Forth session in and Mel W is breezing through the workouts. Intensity is increasing and the results are already coming. Combined with her healthy eating habits and steadfast resolve at the Garage, Mel W is and will, continue to do extremely well. Keep it up, its only going to get better. Just ask everyone else(now is the time you all insert a comment on how much you love this place!!!)

Jackie is back after a week of battling the flew. Ready for a tough one as always, we did a very intense session which will surely make her sore. She battled it with joy as her mascot Freddy kept up the motivation. Its great to have you back Jackie. I look forward to extraordinary results, you have the potential and attitude.

Sid in, wonderful Sid. Determined and a never say never determination, Sid competently completed her WOD in superb fashion. Sid, you're looking great. Your efforts are being rewarded and your consistency - and coach - are the reason why. Keep coming back!

Liz and Frank in after a big Monday for Liz's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ) A great session was lined up for them and great results is what we got. Frank - your strong. Liz - your fitness is fantastic, you can probably outlast anyone here at the Garage. The dynamic duo is a force to be reckoned with. Both of you are great role models and your determination and results aren't going un-noticed. Well done.

Again we need another very warm welcome to our newest recruit - Kim G. Welcome to the wonderful world of hard work and real results - GarageGYM. Of course it was Kim's first time in so we did a nice and light session, which, as always, still left her sore. I look forward to a successful training regime.

Afternooon was very hectic for coach Michael so a few times were re-arranged. Of course, Seb and Mary alwyas find the time to turn up and push the limits. A very large workout for both, Mary doing several exercises for multiple reps for three minutes with no rest in between. A fantastic performance Mary. Seb took first place though with his magnificent workload, heavy weights and burst of energy at the end getting his heart rate to 95% max for the last five minutes. Unbelievable. Enormous effort Seb Well done.

Ginette started off today. Again a phenomenal performance and ready for a well deserved break. Ginette has been training non-stop for several weeks three times a week and her body is showing the results, and also the fatigue. Its good, when training at such intensities, to have a feww extra days off in between just to let the body recover totally. Most times this gets rid of niggling aches and gets you better results the next bout of weeks of training you do. Ginette. Monstrous effort with four rounds of the WOD. See you in a week.

Belinda and Aldo ready and waiting. Forth session in so the intensity was up a notch. We let them get away with three rounds of the WOD, but it was still a great three rounds. Both improving already. Technique was spot on. I look forward to more and more hard work.

Gulnaz in - she forgot her runners at home - who cares - no one to tell us off here. She started the last three sessions off with the dumbbell bear. G did twelve rounds of a medium to heavy 6kg which will work her out and let her tiny injury heal. Go G. See you tomorrow.

Bob in, battler Bob. And battle he did. Both Bob and Robert did this WOD two months ago and both have shown a 200% increase in fitness, strength, and power. Bob did a max. of 12.5kg last time and he hit a new record of 17.5 kg. And he did extra rounds. And he did it with much more grace. Go Bob. Well done on your 500m row ending. 1:47.7 on a light row. Ha!

Robert to finish the night off. Again massive increase, from an old 10kg dumbbell lift to a new 15kg dumbbell lift, and again, with ease compared to last time. It is absolutely fantastic to repeat a workout now and again and see these vast improvements. You both are dedicated and are reaping the rewards. See you both next week and Ill let you know when bubs is born. Keep coming back Robert, I really enjoy or Thursday evening chats as well.

Thank you all for your support and well wishes. The time is near for another little soul to appear in this beautiful world. With people like yoursleves it is surely a world that I want to bring my daughter up in. I truly am blessed to have one healthy child and another on the way, a beautiful wife and such dedicated, funny, nice, caring and honest clients. Lets pray for a safe delivery and another beautiful, intelligent child.

movin monday

2007-07-30T13:04:00.000+09:30

A great man (coach michael) once said that the best way to tackle mondayidis is to get down to the garage and work ya butt off (literally) and blow ur biceps up!

Work it belinda and aldo sure did. Belinda continues to show impressive endurance and determination while aldo gets 100% better every week.

Someone who moves around all day for a living is Ginette, and together with coach tommy they worked up a pool of sweat from beginning til end. great endurance Gin

HAPPY BDAY TO LIZ, for Liz's present tommy gave her and Frank very limited recovery with the good old Tabata routine.

Coral is still fighting her cold but the tough bugger still turns up and gives her all. Very inspirational.

M/J are in the dancing form of their life and they showd it once again with a massive session.

Bob hewitt worked on some much needed tennis footwork drills while delivering some left and right boxing combos, that tyson would applaud.

Sarah showed her love of the Garage by driving in from the other side of town.. nice isn't she!

Fantastic Four

2007-07-28T09:17:00.000+09:30

Here is a link to a video of a speech by a man who is before my time, but maybe during some of yours (no pun intended) Click Here Make GarageGYM YOUR Battle Ground

Four fabulous and fit members in to create a whirlwind of action. First in, Sid, last session for the week and on a timeline so we had an intense workout combining the rower, squats, push press and sumosquats with uprights - a variation on the 440 run WOD of the other day. Sid did tremendously well, with heavy weights through out each exercise and no need to break. Sid, your looking good in and out of the gym. See you next week.

Ginette in next, we blasted her lower body the day before so we did the upprbody today. First off bench press and skipping - then, push ups and sit ups - then, pull ups, deadlifts and back extensions. All with minimal break and challenging weights. Again you proved why your at the top of the food chain Ginette. A massive session - you did good.

Frank B in, lone ranger today (sorry I couldn't fit you in yesterday Liz - I'll make it extra hard on Monday to make up for it). Again we hit the upperbody workout. We used big weights and multiple reps and I really made Frank work his muscles till there was nothing left. Technique was flawless, energy was high, and attitude just right. No wonder why your looking great. Thanks for a good session Frank.

And Mel W back for her second session. This girl has the right attitude and I have to contain my self from unleashing the full force of GarageGYM too soon. Today we had a fairly big session, considering, and it consisted of Row 500-400-300-200-100 interlaced with Squats and Push Ups of 50-40-30-20-10 reps each. A monster second session and the appettite to handle it. Excellent session Mel. And congratulation on beating your Rowing time second session in: from 2:18 to 2:14. It'll be below 2 minutes in two months or less.

Keeping up

2007-07-26T19:37:00.000+09:30

Busy bodies everywhere - pumping iron - getting fit - getting stuffed! This have picked up immensely around here and times are filling up. It is great to see you all "enjoying" the workouts and I'm very proud of the day to day and long term successes we are all having.

Sid has been consistent with her two days a week of high intensity training. Her technique has improved dramatically and she is trying harder and harder every session. She pushes through the pain - literally - and keeps on coming back for more. Excellent effort Sid - I always look forward to our sessions.

Jen has gotten straight back into the thick f things now - doing supremely intense and sometimes unique workouts. Jen, your fitness is always great, and your attitude is just as powerful. Ill miss you this Saturday.

The whole "tribe" was in on Wednesday, the Tartaglia / Panzera and Barbaro Mob... (And also now the Maggiore crew!) I think I'll call the tribe TPBMob. Seb blasted the hell out of his body as his results show. Strong, powerful, fit, lean and defined. Seb has put on over two kilograms of pure muscle in just a few months. Time for a new wardrobe Seb. Mary is always raring and energised and always puts in 100%. If she hasn't had enough, she always asks for more. Mary is a committed trooper who doesn't shy away from all the challenges thrown at her. Thanks Mary. Josephine is looking better every session - not that she didn't from day one - leaner and stronger muscles are the result of GarageGYM workouts for women - no bulking up here! And Margaret had a quicky - abs all the way!
Gulnaz, despite her less than 100% energy levels due to a bout of the flew has still attended GarageGYM religiously. Working hard, high intensity, heavy weights and big challenges, her toned body and shrinking midrift is all the motivation she needs to keep on coming back for more - great work G, its all coming together now.

Erin in on her own, straight into the warm up and she was raring to go. She did a meen three rounds of thrusters, bench, plank and pull ups. Erin is not fearful at all of the intensity here at GarageGYM. Her seventh session in and she accepts what ever is thrown at her, despite the difficulty. Its her attitude which will get her the results she desires. Keep it up Erin, you are truly tenacious.

We have another new recruit - every give a warm welcome to Melissa W (Mel W). A local girl who has had some extraordinary success on her health on her own is now looking for an upgraded challenge - you've come to the right place Mel. This is where the tenacious come to get fit - no bull/ no gimmicks - just straight forward, hard core - workouts that work! You have amazing strength and great form. You'll be a sinch to tone up.

Super Ginette was in and finding it tough for a change!!! 400m runs combined with sumo squats, push press and squats - all with the barbell and for three rounds - as most of you know how this workout feels i don't need to say more. It was a gutsy effort Ginette and I know you are very proud of yourself for getting through it. I always enjoy our hardcore sessions.
Bob - you are dedicated, motivated, persistent and focused - if your life is anything like they way you train here at the Garage then you must be the happiest man alive. You put in every single session and always, always, give it your all. You are the epitome of GarageGYM and a true survivor. Keep up the gut busting workouts Bob. I enjoy watching you as much as you enjoy doing them.

Robert, hungover from a big night out - probably mixing it up with Melbourne's elite as usual - dragged himself in - out of habit - ready but cautious for what he came for. I told him I would take it easy but that went right out the window as he did heavy bench press / multiple pull ups / dips / push ups/ and step ups. Great effort Robert. You are another dedicated performer whose actions in the gym reverberate throughout your entire life.

And again, we need another warm welcome for second time Garagegoers - Aldo and Belinda. Easy does it as we break you both in, but as the community here can attest - the initiation occurs quickly - and the pain will soon begin. I hope you enjoy your stay! (Don't be frightened though, its all in the name of physical success)

Thank you all, welcome to you all, and keep up the body and mind stimulating workouts. Lets all grow stronger together.

run, run, run tommys coming!

2007-07-23T16:50:00.000+09:30

Frank and liz were pumpd when they heard that running was on the WOD. Coach Tommys crackd his whip and pushed his athletes to the finish line. 1st place Liz by a whisker!

Coral braved another tough session which pocused (i mean focused) haha on the upper body muscles. She will be thinking of me tomorow morning when she reaches for the coco pops!

Margaret is back in town, so we thought that we would make her run around the town! The lactic rose to her throat she commented. Josephine gets her leg stitches out tomorow so a gentle jog was administered to her (along side a mega drop set of shoulder presses, ouch!)

Bob set a new Garage Gym record for the run of the block 1.39 (at the end of his session) HUGE effort Bobby Brown

Belinda and eldo had their first taste of the Garage and boy did it taste like lactic acid! Great start guys, keep it up

And last but not least Sarah rounded up the herd of fit Garage gym go-ers with 3 fast 400m efforts on the awsome rowing machine

Jen always brings the Sun

2007-07-21T11:28:00.001+09:30

Three intense sessions. First in was Johnny P doing yesterdays WOD of step ups, sit ups and back extensions. Very hard work as he set a fast pace on the steps ups - but challenging yourself is the essence of good work so well done Johnny. I look forward to next weeks session.

Sarah in, also doing the a similar WOD yet we exchanged back extensions for push press with 6kg dumbbells for 25 reps. She needed to get out on time so we picked up the pace and flew through the workout. Even if you only have 20-25 minutes we can still give you a blistering workout at high intensity to elicit results. Good work Sarah.

Jen in to finish the morning. It was one of your best sessions Jen. Pure intensity from start to finish. Step ups and sit ups for three rounds followed by three sets of 20 dips followed by three rounds of 3 minutes of boxing with excellent technique and super power. It was a smashing effort Jen and I look forward to your continual improvements.

Sit-Ups crunch Crunches

2007-07-20T16:30:00.000+09:30

Click Here for a full explanation as to why we do sit-ups and how we can improve on them. I want you all to know that, probably like the rest of you in your field of expertise, you still have a lot to learn and are learning everyday. I have known about the abmat for sometime but am unable to purchase it in Australia yet! This article explains that while the Sit-Up is superior to the Crunch - the Abmat Sit-Up is superior to the Sit-Up. So, we must adjust our sit-ups?!? What we've been doing isn't wrong - we can just get more out of each rep and get faster results with less effort. Isn't that nice?

A 'mountain' of work today

2007-07-20T15:51:00.000+09:30

New research suggests that high intensity training improves cognitive functions. The report below to highlights many advantages of high intensity training:

Sports Conditioning

This new research is focused on unique aspects however.

High impact running improves learning

As stated by researchers:

We found that vocabulary learning was 20 percent faster after intense physical exercise as compared to the other two conditions (low impact aerobic running or rest). This condition (high intensity) also elicited the strongest increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and catecholamine levels.

As you can see, there are more than physical advantages to high intensity training protocols!

Note: this post is borrowed from a fellow High Intensity Advocate as used here at GarageGYM

I'm always excited to have the girls in: Anne, Sid, and Ginette. All three always pushing right to the end, and listening intently to the direction given them.

Anne started us off with yesterday's WOD of super heavy push press/ deadlifts/ and pull ups. As always she kept going past exhaustion and because of this, ended up with the most number of rounds for females for this WOD. Congratulations Anne. It was a monstrous effort today and well worth a couple of days rest.

Sid was in after a big session yesterday and she was the first to kick off todays WOD: 3 minutes of step ups, 50 sit ups and 50 back extensions. Due to yesterdays heavy back work we opted for a different last exercise but still just as painful. She soldiered through the three rounds, completing her last of a full weeks workouts. See you next week Sid. Make sure you get a massage to loosen those gradually tightening muscles. AND THIS GOES FOR EVERYONE. The best form of relaxation is a massage. Nice and firm!

Ginette also in the morning. It was a terrific effort again. Always welcoming any thing thrown at her, she Climbed the mountainof steps at full steam ahead, blaster her abs on all 50 rep sit ups and burned her back muscles on the extensions. Your great form and balance will only lead to more exact results and better efficiency at gaining them. Go for it Ginette.

And to finish the morning - dynamic duo on their third session this week. Never complaining and always "on time" they welcomed a reprieve from the heavy weights we have been lifting lately but were still challenged by the step ups and back extensions as everyone was. They finished in a great time of 23minutes and really had a solid session, non-stop and were rewarded at the end by a visit from my delicious and delectable daughter, Ava. Ava said, " they both looked pumped daddy!" "Yes dear," replied daddy, "they workout at GarageGYM."

You just never know when you need your fitness

2007-07-19T19:00:00.000+09:30

Us trainers always espouse the benefits of being healthy and at optimum performance. For most people this is too far fetched, they just want to be 'well'. Our arguments: you never know when you are faced with a situation when being extraordinarily fit will be the only option for survival.

For instance, a client had a child run in front of her car recently and she knows, due to her on-going training at garagegym she was able to react with lightning speed to avoid certain catastrophe. It may not be this drastic, it may be as simple as keeping up with the kids. Or it could be worse, you may be involved in an accident, or diagnosed with a terrible illness, and already being active and healthy will obviously boost your chances of recovery or survival by ten fold. Or even, like today, when i was called onto the set of neighbours as an extra, and our scene involved being in our speedos, and there, for all of the world, my body was exposed for what it is. Of course, as I am fit and active and do my best to be in the best shape my body can be in, i was proud and ready to reveal it - now this could have been a catastrophe had I not been prepared with constant training that garagegym offers. What we do here is a total body fitness which allows us to be ready for danger, when it appears, or simply just look and feel our best on a day to day basis. Sometimes the results are obvious, as when our increased reaction time saves a child's life, or they may not as obvious, as when faced with an emotional hurdle, and we have the self-belief and conviction to overcome it, as we know we can, because we have overcome the pain, difficulty and challenge of continually working out on a day to day, week by week, year by year basis. I know you all know all this otherwise you wouldn't be able to put up with the the intensity that you do at garagegym. But it is always nice to hear it again. So go out there, challenge yourself, and enjoy it, because you never know when it may help you, and that day may never come, but just in case it does, we will all be ready and waiting, as we have done all we can to be better people, both physically and mentally.

Today saw Sid and Ginette in the morning followed by Robert and daughter Sonia in the evening. It was, as it always is, an intense and 100% effort by all. All scoring well with more than 6 rounds on the daily WOD and all lifting as heavy weights as possible. It was a goods days workouts, and the set of Neighbours wasn't bad either, talking to regular folk like Lou Carpenter, Glen Robbins and few other young stars I'm not up to date with.

Enjoy your workouts, and keep up the intensity. It will get you far!

Handstand Gang

2007-07-18T18:44:00.000+09:30

Handstand Gang in today - Seb, Frank B and Bob. All three showing improvements.

Dynamic Duo in to perform the WOD of the day first. Frank did an amazing 8 rounds with flawless technique and great range of motion, always working hard and performing to his optimum, but the stand out of the two was Liz with the heaviest db push press by a female ever at GarageGYM...12.kkg. And for 8 rounds of the WOD. Well done Liz. Super impressive. Really! (8 rounds each a piece)

Jen in and hanging for a hard work out so that is exactly what she got. A few variations on the WOD to suit her progress and it was a tough one. Lunges, Deadlifts, Sit Ups and Pull Ups. Super session Jen. You're already getting back into the grove of things and your technique is just as good as when you had a break. See you Saturday.

Seb and Mary in and I almost went blind when Seb took his shirt off to reveal a massive, chiseled physique. A great effort on the handstands and a huge improvement in deadlift technique - nice and safe. But again, the females stole the show with Mary lifting a massive 7kg for her push press which is about double from when she first arrived only some months ago. That's a 100% increase in performance. Go Mary.
(Seb also got a big score of 12 for the daily WOD and Mary 6)

Gulnaz and Matty in, again a variation on the WOD, but just as intense. Gulnaz was feeling todays session after yeterdays hard one and is looking foward to her break...which is still two session away. Hang in there G, your doing great. Well done on your improvements Matty - explosive push ups and great ahnds with the mits.

Bob finshed the day and finished strong as always. slight assistance with the handstand push ups but just as difficult. A 50kg deadlift and full pull ups. He scored a 9 round for the 20 minutes which put him in second place for the day. Great Bob. It might be cold, but GarageGYM is always open.

See you all tomorrow. Thanks for the brutal workouts.

Three contestants...all WINNERS

2007-07-17T18:56:00.000+09:30

Erin and Kelly in after a record breaking session yesterday. Both got PB's on the rower for 500m, but a special mention is due to Kelly who clocked a low time of 2:02...watch out Ginette.

Today we started with the wall ball challenge - 150 shots in the fastest time. Erin set the pace of 5:30 today and Kelly wasn't far behind on 6:10. It was then on to seven rounds of deadlifts(20kg) and skipping for 30 seconds. Erin's technique was flawless for a first timer and Kelly came good third set in. The girls finished with 5 sit ups and 5 push ups for 10 rounds. Great session. See you both Thursday.

Gulnaz finished the night with a super session of:

Heavy Push Press (20kg) 5
One Arm DB Deadlifts 10
Pull Ups 15

for as many times in 20 minutes.

Gulnaz managed 6 rounds with great technique in all. A slight twinge in her right quadricep which will go in a day or two. We must make sure we warm-up as much as possible in this cold, cold weather.

Mellow Monday Morning

2007-07-16T10:12:00.000+09:30

Two persistent clients always wanting a battle. I was feeling nice today so we did an "easy" workout:

Row 60% 500m
TGU's 20
Row 85% 500m
Dips 8 rounds of Tabata
Row 8 rounds of Tabata
Sit Ups 50

A good wholistic routine with a gradual increase in intensity. Anne did superb on the rower, setting a great average time for each round. She conquered the TGU's as everything else and finished with 50 squats.

Ginette welcomed the change of pace and had an enjoyable couple of rows. The TGU's were tough as she went up 2kg from her usual weight, and the dips were even harder. She set a blistering average pace for her tabata rows of about 1:55. Great.

Coach Tommy is in for the rest of the day to add to our progressive results. Keep up the work everyone. Summer is just around the corner.

Jen's BACK!

2007-07-14T12:33:00.001+09:30

Second session back for Jen after a few weeks off - first session back we hit the pads to get the heart pumping and grease her joints. This session we got a bit more intense with lunges / wall ball/ rowing / dumbbell exercises and skipping. You'll probably be sore Jen - Enjoy it!
Johnny was back in for an intense upper body workout. He did three rounds of 25reps of Ring dips (painful for the best of us) / Heavy Push Press (15kg) / and Double Unders to keep the heart rate up. He finished with three rounds of Deadlifts (50kg) which we didn't go too hard on as he still is a beginner with exercise and we don't want to push it...not yet any way. Good session Johnny.

Here is a very motivational speech from a very influential man who has brought us all a lot of joy - even if we don't realise it! 14 minutes of truth-click here

Its all about YOU

2007-07-13T17:02:00.000+09:30

Early Anne on time as early - pity about her instructor. A huge accomplishment today, one that has wowed me and really shown that persistence, hard work and tenacity is the essence of life. Unable to clear the crate height some months ago and substituting for the foam hurdle, today Anne very easily jumped on the crate - and for 50 repititions. Anne, I am very happy and excited about your progress. Your physique is looking sharp and strong and it will only get better. Enjoy the juice!

Erin and Kelly in again. They got stuck into warming their mouths up with the daily gossip as they did the warm up, but then it was straight to work as we did a full intensity WOD (Workout Of the Day) Box Jumps / Pull ups / Knee raises / push press / back extensions for 50 reps each. Extremely good performance Girls. Enjoy the weekend.

Frank P was in next and looking very muscular. His arms were strong and defined and I decided to work them some more. We did the 50 box jumps and 50 pull ups and 50 curls + presses but as a change of plans, we repeated those two again to make it a truly devastating workout, one Frank accomplished with pleasure. Its always good to make you work hard Frank.

Ginette followed, same workout, same results. Hard work, massive jumps, excellent pull up technique, and quality push presses. Go Ginette! Your arms are the envy of everyone.

Sid finished the morning off. Just beginning on box jumps we opted for the foam hurdle. after 50 intense ones we did a fast 50 jumping pull ups. To finish the round we did push press with a nice weight. And then we did it all again. Sid - its always fun and your progressing well. Enjoy the sore bum the lunges gave you the session before - it really does equals success.

And to end the day off brilliantly, a new force to be reckoned with on the rower - Jackie, and alpha woman Ruth created a whirlwind of action at the Garage! Both had three attempts at 500m mixed with turkish get ups. There rowing times were as follows:
Jackie - 2:20.6 / 2:08.6 / 2:04.1 (not only is it unusual to get such a low time on her second time rowing but alos on her thrid rowing attempt for the night - very impressive), and
Ruth - 2:36.3 / 2:32.5 / 2:22.7 (again, very unusual but terrifc to get a lower time on each consecutive row - usually its the other way around) What a wonderful workout and wonderful times. I look forward to more times being broken!

Thanks for a wonderful week and see you next one. Have a fun weekend and don't drink too much - and if you do - lots of water to make the morning after not so unpleasant.

Note: I read fitness articles all the time and am always coming across interesting bits of info that i think you all will appreciate. Well, from now on I will have a way of getting it across to you - the GarageGYM Newspaper- a once a month newsletter full of juicy bits of info you will all love to eat. Coming out at the end of the month and every month there after. It will help you keep up the training by knowing why we train the way we do - and so much more. Look out for it!

I Love GarageGyM...!!!

2007-07-12T19:12:00.000+09:30

For those of you who got some Concord Juice from GarageGYM - here is a link to its benefits: Click Here
And to quote the site: "Purple grape juice contains the most antioxidants, which are believed to help reduce premature aging and minimize heart disease and other chronically disabling diseases."

Another great days of training and fantastic company as each of you come in and try your utmost while progressing your health and physical performance.

Erin and Kelly in for their first 7am session. Their second session in so they were feeling sore. We did a nice 4 rounds of Step ups, dips, presses and pull ups. Of course the soreness faded away as they got stuck into it. We finished with 6 rounds of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest of skipping. Enjoy your two days off and I'll see you both back on Monday.

Sid was in soon after. I nice session of dumbbell flyes, lunges which Sid has shown dramatic improvements on, and curl + presses which Sid handled great. It was a fantastic session Sid, nice and solid, and the conversation was just as good. We finished Sid off with 8 rounds of Skipping.

Gulnaz back for her third session in a row. We needed something new so we hit the 50's. Several exercises for 50 reps each. They were: Bench Jumps / Pull Ups / Curl + Presses / Squats / Knees to Elbows / and Back Ext. Gulnaz did exceedingly well and is showing big improvements in not only strength and fitness - but also appearance.

Super Bob was in and after a couple of big sessions we also hit the 50's. He did the same workout as Gulnaz but of course Bob NEEDED more. So we also added wall ball and Burpees to the mix which was enough to finish him off. Excellent session Bob - your technique has improved and you keep getting better even after all this time. It just goes to show that fitness is a life long pursuit. Its a way of life. Enjoy the Concord Juice!

Robert finished the night off. Always on time and consistent, Robert showed no mercy as he powered through yesterdays WOD of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-2 rep rounds of Dips / Lunges(15kg) / and Curl + Presses(12.5kg). A solid performance from Robert with no break needed in between rounds. Your looking good in training Robert - a lot more graceful and in control. Well Done.

Wednesday - Wowday

2007-07-11T18:18:00.000+09:30

It was a beautiful day full of beautiful clients.

The morning began with the Dynamic Duo (Liz and Frank B). Always ready for action we did the total body blitzer which involved:

Dips 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10
Lunges &
Curl + Press 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-2

Together they used extremely heavy weights - Frank had 22.5kg dumbbells for his lunges and 15kg dumbbells for his curl and presses. Liz had heavy 10kg dumbbell lunges and 9kg dumbbell curls and presses. The Dynamic Duo cheer squad was in full effect as they smashed their legs and the rest of their bodies/ Both a getting trimmer and more terrific... P.S. A special note to Frank (shut your eyes Liz) a couple of girls in the street saw you leave the gym and wanted to know who that ripped and muscular man was!!! I told them that that gorgeous girl he was with was his wife - they still wanted your number(typical!) Keep up the great work - your both astounding everyone with your results.

Ginette - Magnificent Ginette. Always wanting a challenge and today was no different. She did the same WOD and used a massive 12;5kg dumbbells for her lunges will definitely make her sore. She also used a big 10kg dumbbell curl and press and did super dips. It was a great session topped off with 2 minutes of fast paced skipping to add to her fitness. Your new found health is radiating from every pore Ginette. Keep coming.

Jen was back after a month lay off and still looked as good as ever. Jen has fantastic genetics to begin with so she has a huge advantage whne it comes to looking her best. We did a meen cardio workout combining rowing - boxing - skipping. Great to see you back Jen - will get started at where we left off.

The afternoon session began with the return of Super Seb and his even super mother Mary. They also did the daily WOD of lunges and dips and curl + presses. Seb's loads were 20kg lunges and 15kg presses. Mary used 7kg lunges and 4 kg presses. After watching them both perform i reckon that Mary should have had more weights with both exercises and Seb also. Sorry for not making it heavier enough - next time! And as if this WOD wasn't enough - Seb finished with some gruelling Barbell shoulder work while Mary clocked a personal best time for her 1000m row - 5:55. Super session.

Gulnaz was in straight after and required a new workout as she did todays WOD yesterday. We focused on her upperbody with a four round workout of push ups - heavy presses(10kg) - and 20 dips. We broke it up with bench jumps. Overall all it was a superior effort which will garner Gulnaz superior results. See you tomorrow!

Finally, Jackie and Ruth were in...again...wanting more. Tonight they had the upperbody blaster that Gulnaz started. Jackie used a big weight of 10kg for the press and Ruth was only two kilograms behind on 8kg dumbbells. It was a ferocious upper body workout that they both were pushed in. No more easy sessions girls - Let's hit it full steam ahead. You've had your initiation and now your in the big league. You both showed you are capable by finishing with a short but intense core workout which will surely make you sore in the abs!

A great days training. Much soreness will be felt tomorrow and the next day...Enjoy it!

WODs going on!

2007-07-10T18:08:00.000+09:30

A thriller of a workout - working the whole body to the maximum in the shortest time possible utilising the Tabat Interval method.

6 lucky soldiers ready to do battle tonight.

First trooper - Christie... Her score: 17 - 20 - 9 - 15 - 16 She pushed almost as hard as she could, so we will see how she compares to the rest of the night.

Next was lone ranger Frank P: his scores 16 - 20 - and we ended it there as we tried a new workout but I'm sure he Frank would have kept up if not beaten most people.

Then came Gulnaz, and she wanted a firestorm so we did a massive workout of dips/heavy lunges/curl + press for 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps. It was devastatingly painful and Gulnaz will feel its effects for days.

Sarah followed Gulnaz's lead and after doing Sumo deadlifts with highpulls and squats she did the 10 to 1 reps of heavy 12.5kg lunges and full dips on the dip bar. Best effort Sarah - those dips are the best female dips Ive seen.

Jackie and Ruth were in on their 4th session. I'm still watering down the sessions for them so we did the tabata intervals with just six rounds, but we still used heavy weights. They both did extraordinary well and pushed each other right to the end. Their scores:
Ruth: 11 - 17 - 14 - 7 - 10 with 5kg db's when used and Jackie: 11 - 16 - 12 - 5 - 10 with 7kgs.

A powerful days workouts.

Welcome

2007-07-09T21:20:00.000+09:30

Welcome to two more new recruits: Erin and Kelly. A brief workout to get the engines started and the cogs oiled and within a week we will be at it full steam ahead girls. Its getting to be a full house here at GarageGym - now let us see the competition really begin!

big old WOD

2007-07-09T16:56:00.000+09:30

MOnday started at the firing of the gun as coach tommy and ginette sprinted down the athletics track at aberfeldie. Ginette was proud with her efforts but couldn't beat her coach in the 100m sprints! maybe next time. here are ginettes pb times 100m 19.5 400m 1.40
who is game to take on these times?

this was a sad day for coach tommy as sid will not be training mondays anymore due to tennis competition. instead sid will train during the week with coach michael. was a pleasure getting you fit sid, all the best!

Once again Liz and Franky g brought a massive audience (their kids) and boy were they tough. all three youngsters could punch real hard and with great technique. Look out mundine. Frank trained hard and almost threw up his breakfast of coffee and more coffee. Liz kept her healthy breakfast down like a champ

Coral came in throwing the hardest punches i have seen and felt. my hand still trembles!

Bob blitzed todays WOD but was really buggered after it!

Extraordinary People Extraordinary Results

2007-07-09T09:05:00.000+09:30

It's been a while since we've had a post and I'd like to start by saying, wow...WoW, WoW, WoW!

You have all improved, you have all stayed committed, and you all have given 100%.

I've been asked lately, due to the cold weather, "has my gym attendance dropped off!" and I'm always proud to say, "NO, definitely not!"

It is comforting, (both financially), but more importantly, in terms of self improvement and progress, that you all continue to arrive, without fail, in these cold and wet days, and continue to put in your best effort.

We've had many record breaking times, Anne, Tricia, Frank P, Christie, and Ginette all set new rowing personal bests in either there 500m or 1000m row.

Heavier weights have been lifted by Sid, Ginette, Anne, Margaret, Mary and Liz. There have been several new recruits including Jackie and Ruth, Melissa, and Johny who scored a great first up time of 1:57 for his 500m row. Watch out Guys!!! Gulnaz is back from holidays and hasn't lost an ounce of strength.

The men have been doing extremely well as well. Bob is always pushing himself to his limits and beyond and it is a pure pleasure to train him. Jess has been out sick but will make his return this week. Frank P's arms are buldging and he is getting better every week. Frank B is a trooper. Tim B has began an intense three day workout regime and is keen to get up to the other guys standards. Robert G never misses a session and never says NO - what a typical GaragGYM attitude! Seb was also out sick - must be a terminal illness - he is not one to shy away from any workout!

The studio is flourishing and it is all because of the intense effort you all put in week after week.

It is extremely satisfying to see the results of better and stronger bodies, and also improved workout times and heavier lifts. You all are an inspiration and when I feel my training sliding (Yes, I am human too!) I think of how much you all put into your workouts and I try and do the same.

Coach Tommy is loving the progress also and he is thoroughly enjoying your results as well. He has been in the fitness industry for over three years now and he still cannot believe how hard we all work out here at GarageGYM compared to every where else. You all truly are working out with and extraordinary method which will give you extraordinary results.

Keep at it, keep up the intensity, and keep having fun.

I look forward to dishing out more hot workouts for this cool winter and by the time the sun hits, our bodies will be ready for showing off - if they are not already!

Life's great when your fit

2007-07-02T16:09:00.000+09:30

the WOD was prepared by chef Michael while Coach T- Gun served it up to the hungry Garage athletes! and boy did they eat

Ginette loved this WOD as it worked every muscle in her body. During the dead lift coach tommy heard screams never witnessed before as the intensity was intense lol.

Liz and Frank brought the whole family along for the ride as it is school holidays. The kids couldn't stop laughing as they watched their parents push the limit.

Sid was amazing today due to the fact that she hardly took a sec off in between exercises and sets. great job sid

Coral and Coach Tommy picked up the boxing gloves again and hit the pads 500 times! her arms were burning big time!

Bob had it hard from the start and pushed through as always till the very end.

Slammin' Sessions

2007-06-28T19:44:00.000+09:30

Our next GarageGYM exercise - boxes are being made

Tricia all fired up after a few big weeks at work. We did a heart pumping leg workout which entailed a total of 2500m of rowing with wall ball, lunges, step ups and sumo squats. You did a fantastic job Tricia, with an extended workout time of 38 minutes.

Sid ready for some more pain, even though she was already sore. We also did the Tricia workout with some large rowing distances and fearful leg workouts. Great Sid - see you tomorrow for some Boxing.

Christie always full of suprises - she did the dreaded squat, push press and leg lift workout of yesterday. 40kg squats with great technique, extra heavy push press of 10kg to equal Ginette, and perfect leg lifts. It was a great session and it got even better when Christie did perfect ring technique with her "skin the cats"

Jess finished off the morning in a beat up sort of way, but he was determined to keep training. We work around his injuries with 10 rounds of barbell struggles and jumping pull ups. We finished the workout with bicep curls which is unusual for garagegym. Keep going Jess.

Bob in first for the evening - Bob the champion!!! He tried out a new workout with one arm dumbbell snatches - barbell struggles - rope pull ups - extended planks(one of the hardest core exercises around) - oblique twists - keg lifts. As always Bob blitzed the workout - you're really fired up!

Robert in and anxious to get going after a week hiatis. Same workout as Bob - same intensity - same result - strong muscles, improved power and cardio efficiency, better health and lots of fun! Keep going Robert, you're consistency will lead to your success.

Josephine in alone. We did the same workout as the guys - a little less weight but similar intensity. Josephine, you've been a true garagegym member from the beginning - always turning up and never complaining. Well done. And great work on the pads after the session. We'll do a bit more of them next time.

Plenty of rain to drink during training...

2007-06-27T19:11:00.000+09:30

This is our aim when doing leg lifts - practice and patients and motivation makes perfect

...A good solid days work today.

Sid began the day with a 500m row (she's done better) and then five rounds of pull ups, her heaviest pull ups, and some awesome squats with 40kg of weight. Sid finished with tababta skipping and did 8 rounds much better than her previous attempt at this exercise. I look forward to tomorrows session to see how sore you are.
Ginette followed with another smash hot performance. We started with tabata skipping to get Ginette's body ready for the tough 40kg squats for 12 reps and 5 sets. Ginette also hit a PB with 10kg push press for 8 reps. Super. It was a fantastic session and both you girls are looking fantastic.

Dynamic duo smashed down the door ready for some action. Frank wanted blood (Bob's blood) but I didn't let him row 500m - he'll have to wait a week (let Bob enjoy the top for a little while) and instead they both also completed some great squating (Frank on 60kg and Liz on 40kg) and heavy push press (Frank on 15kg and Liz on 9kg) and some straight leg lifts which they both did to perfect form. We finished with 50 sit ups and 50 'burning' back extensions.

Seb and Mary started off the night and together we plowed through some new exercises. Too many to name but they were as tough as they were unique. I look forward to dishing them out on everyone. Mary got through the routine twice in 26 minutes and Seb got through it three times in 32 minutes. Despite the cold their bodies were running at peak temperature as they did some tough routines. Congratulations to both of you, it was a solid performance. And a special note to Seb who has mastered the double unders.

New recruit Melissa finished the night. She has great genetics to begin with and will only get better and better. She will join us for one session a week in the beginning but may take up another couple - as most of you do once you get a taste. We ran through the basics and did some wall ball, jumping pull ups, tabata sit ups, skipping, thrusters and push press. It is a pleasure to have you join us Mel and we all look forward to your progress and added competition.

Wot a WOD!

2007-06-25T10:32:00.000+09:30

Ginette entered the Garage with goosebumps all over, it was so so cold. Coach Tommy knew the perfect solution, row a personal best time and SWEAT IT OUT! Row hard she did and took 5 secs off her 1000m time. Well done Ginette.

Liz and Frank went head to head in the legendary 2 min sit up test. Frank went in as favorite but Liz came through with the goods winning 70 to 63.

M/J arrived on time and were pumpd up big time. Margaret wanted to row row row the boat so off she went for 500m No pb but showed good form. Josephine had a bug in her belly but that didn't stop her doing 4x 50 squats (she loved each and every rep!).

Coral or should i say coral balboa went for 10 rounds with Tommy and almost knocked herself out with her wild punching. I must say that i wouldn't like to meet her in a dark alley way (she hits real hard)

Bob the strong builder is now the king of the mountain. 1.46.2 new pb of garage. enough said!

sez otherwise known as sarah missed a pb by 0.8 secs (due to the fact that she didn't eat lunch).
but sarah dug deep into her energy reserves to finish off the WOD.

Friday Morning Greats

2007-06-22T10:32:00.000+09:30

Anne in and fitter than ever. She performed the squat, push up and turkish get up workout from the past two days WOD board and she blitzed through it. Not even a huff or a puff and didn't require a rest at all. We finished off with tabate skipping which made her puff(just slightly though) Super Anne. You progress has just reached a new peak. Keep it up. See you Monday for another tough one.
Christie was in and also ready for a challenge. She finished the Squat, push up, TGU WOD the quickest out of everyone which allowed her to do much more at the end of the session. After a blistering result in the WOD and the biggest load for females of 6kg for the TGU we then hit the deadlift(30kg) and pull up double for three rounds of 10 reps. But this still wasn't enough, so we did a tough core workout, which still wasn't enough. So we skipped for 8 rounds of 20 seconds and despite being a good workout, Christie showed great strength and fitness and another one who has showed great progress.

Sid in next and looking to get out some aggression. Still sore from her previous two days of wokrouts, she hit the boxing mits and smashed the life out of them,. Jabs, hooks and uppercuts - great combos for 5 rounds of approx. 2-3 minute each round. She finished off her body with 55 dumbbell thrusters with 5kg dumbbells. Enjoy the time off Sid. Your results are also really showing now after just 8 weeks.

Ginette to finish the morning session. A ferocious workout was given to her, requiring extreme skill, concentration, strength and agility. It is known as the "three bars of death" and now Ginette knows why.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Clean 20kg
Bench press 30kg
Deadlifts 40kg

We did each exercise for 10 reps and then each for 9 and so on. It is extremely demanding and Ginette was up for the challenge, she even enjoyed it !!! Your changes are coming Ginette and your body is looking better every session. Let's try not plateau and keep doing tougher and tougher sessions.

A beautiful Friday morning sessions. Thank you all.

Look out for Coach Tommy's Post tonight as he finishes off the evening members.

Monster Workouts

2007-06-22T10:19:00.000+09:30

post for THURSDAY 21st JUNE 2007

Here is a fellow fitness sites notion of fitness competency. There are four levels. How do you rate? Click Here

A fabulous couple of days at GarageGYM with tremendously intense workouts and just as intense performance of them.

Sid kicked of the ice cold morning very sore, but after the warm up and some acrobatics she had forgotten how sore she was! We did farmers walk with multiple crate step ups with a heavy load of 12.5kg. Go Sid. She also did tabata intervals of sit ups, blasting her stomach and finishing the session nicely. A bit lighter than usual but we made up for it the day after.

New client Connie was in and had a browse of her new surroundings. Not really dressed for a workout we agreed to start fresh on Monday. Look out for new recruit Connie's posts.

Bob in and looking for a tough workout after Monday's medium intensity one. And tough it was.
He did the full upperbody WOD of pull ups, dips and turkish get ups followed by some heavy Push presses of 30kg. Bob finished the wokrout in a good time of under 20 minutes. Well done Bob. I'll see you next week to beat Frank's rowing time.

Super days workouts.

NOTE: for anyone wishing to comment and is having trouble. When you click on the comment tab, you will have three options to choose who you are. Always click the anonymous box and simply write your name at the end of you comments box if you do wish to be known. Lets hear those remarks. Good or Bad!

Its cold outside but HOT at the GARAGE

2007-06-20T18:43:00.000+09:30

Today's WOD:

Squats 50
Push Ups 20
Squats 50
TGU's 20
Squats 50
Push Ups 20
Squats 50

Finish off with various other exercises!

Sid arrived nice and early, right in the heart of the early morning chill and rain. Not the nicest weather to workout in but as she saw, the warm up was enough to get the body at the right working temp. She did a perfect lot of squats, her technique has improved tremendously, mixed in with some bench press instead of push ups. Her TGU's were a big improvement - a lot more stable than previous workouts. You're looking great Sid, lets see how you cope with just three workouts a week(which is still more than most members). Tommy may be doing Tuesday's now so you will be able to fit another day in!

Ginette, strong, lean and ready for action - we hit the workout straight away. She breezed through the workout and used a big weight of 5kg for the Turkish get ups. We finished with deadlift and pull up sets and a final exercises of tabata intervals on skipping. The same finish Sid had. Ginette is now doing three days per week so she might experience rapid results and a better looking body - WATCH OUT!

Dynamic Duo were in with their heads up high after some record breaking times last session. They also performed the daily WOD and both used a heavier load by 1 kg each than previously in their TGU's. They both smashed the squats and push ups. Together they did deadlifts - Frank on 50kg and Liz on 30kg mixed in with pull ups. And they also had a heart starting 8 rounds of skipping at then end. Try and continue fitting the three sessions in guys, other wise all those records you have might fall!?!

Seb/ Mary arrived nice and early and got to say hello to little Ava who isn't so little any more. Seb did the upperbody variation of this workout which is :

push ups 50
dips 20
push ups 50
TGU's 20
push ups 50
dips 20
push ups 50

He got a great pumped and managed the first few sets of push ups fine which is extraordinary. Seb dropped a piece of information tonight whcih is: "if you can currently do 30 push ups then you are very unlikely to put on any weight in the next decade" - hows that for an incentive to train GarageGYM style. We do 30 push ups on just our warm up!!!

Mary did the squat version of the WOD despite hurting her ankle today. She is determined to kick butt at her tennis grand final next week and wants to keep training hard for it. Excellent determination Mary and fantastic session, especially your TGU's.

Gulnaz finished the night off extremely well. Also doing the WOD, she got through the workout and substituted burpess for turkish get ups (i don't know why - burpees are much harder) and did thirty of them instead. She did it all and then finished off with her deadlifts and FULL pull ups. Keep it up G!

Mean Machine Frank P

2007-06-19T17:51:00.000+09:30

Frank P only tonight. He is young, fresh and ready for a challenge any time.

Record setting mode tonight he began with 8 skin the cats in just 30 seconds - 1 up form his personal best.

Then he hit the rower and blasted 7 seconds off his old time landing him on 2:07 seconds.

8 perfect pull ups followed then several attempts at handstands, finally getting it and ready for phase two --- handstand push ups!

We then had another attempt at his 2 minute sit up record which is 125 reps - tonight he got 100, which is still better than every other members.

Super session Frank.

Sorry for making you wait in the cold. I'm working on the digital recordings now. I'll try and get them uploaded before the night ends.

tommy= monday!

2007-06-18T17:47:00.001+09:30

Monday = Tommy!

What a day at the Garage.

Michael set the challenge with a very well thought up WOD.

Anne and Ginette were up first and they delivered with style. No challenge is big enogh for these fit women.

Liz and Franky G got held up in the city but that didn't stop them rushing to get to training and battling it out between themselves. Like always niether gave an inch!

Tommy had TWO lunches during the day to fuel up for the remaining clients that lay ahead.

M/J showed up and went hard from start to finish. They even went for a run around the block to warm up. Awesome stuff!

Jess loved the bench Press as any gym junkie would. Wat a ledgend

Coral was out in record time due to the fact that she didn't take a break at all. well done coral

Bob breezed through the session and wanted more so tommy did what he had to do and smashed his legs with 4 sets of lumber jacks. ouch!

Catch Up

2007-06-18T08:45:00.000+09:30

Here is a short demo video of a correct and an incorrect squat technique: Click Here

It's been very busy here at GarageGYM - records being broken, new recruits being signed up, much soreness, even more results...

Coach Neim has been going strong, coaching people on to even greater success. The Dynamic Duo hit new records on their rowing times. Frank set a new GarageGYM 500m rowing record of 1:46.8 which will force Bob to train harder to reach him. Liz set a new personal best for her 1000m row - 4:39, over 20 second improvement on her old time.

Anne has been going strong and consistent for fifteen months now and it really shows. Great improvements in strength, cardiovascular endurance, power, and speed, also agility, balance and coordination. Anne, you really have adapted well to the training stimulus. It has been a pleasure to watch you battle away at the WOD's and almost always come out victorious. Keep it up.

Tricia has been away for a while, busy at work and only fitting in one session a week. Tricia is also a consistent athlete who refuses to give up and loves a challenge.

Gulnaz is only getting better. Great to see you keeping up training consistency, it is what will get you what you want and so much more.

Jen, you have been a great recruit at GarageGYM. It has been great training you and I've thoroughly enjoyed your company. I look forward to future sessions but I realise you have greater commitments at the moment and need some time off. It has been a fun sixteen months. Make sure you remember everything GarageGYM has taught you - "train hard...train very hard!"

Welcome to new recruit Sharlene. A new member ready for battle. Sharlene comes to us with already a good background in training so her results should come quickly. Get ready for some fun and dynamic workouts Sharlene - just ask everyone else!

Christie and Jess are back and in action. Always impressive in their workouts they continue to train hard and consistently. Well done.

Look foward to more sessions with Coach Neim as he continues to blend into the GarageGYM way of life and training.

A few more changes are expected at GarageGYM as we like to keep it interesting. Any feedback is welcome and together we look foward to greater health and a more abundant life - only achieved through hard work.

The life of GarageGYM

2007-06-13T18:31:00.000+09:30

Mary recorded her first 500m rowing time. A beginning time of 2:56 is exceptional for her first attempt. And this result was after an intense session of 50reps of step ups/wall ball/bench press/push press/lunges and pull ups. Well done Mary. See you next week.

Seb was in - bigger and better than last time. He flew through his workout of 50 reps of bench jumps/bench press 50kg/wall ball/pull ups/lunges with 15kg dumbbells/ push press 9kg/back extensions/ and dips with knee raises. You truly are an athlete Seb. He finished the session with a big improvement on his rowing technique for the 500m and a few flips on the olympic rings. Go Seb!
Jen was in and demolished the four hundred rep exercises: pull up on rings/standing push ups/sit ups/squats. Jen, your improvements are extraordinary. And your results even better. Keep coming in and showing the other members how to do it...
Josephine who has been one of the most consistent members was in again today. She did the 50 rep round of exercises including the full bench jump which used to be impossible and is now a walk in the park. Josephine, keep it up, you are strong, full of energy and your results keep on coming. Well done. Good luck on the GAT.

Dynamic Duo were in after Liz's lay off for a week. Together they blitzed the 100rep exercises. Liz demonstrated flawless technique, while Frank recorded a record time of 20 minutes to complete all four and Liz was close behind on 24:00 minutes. Good to have the team back and I look forward to Friday. Note: Coach Neim will be in after 12pm this Friday - make sure you all show off your improvements)
Sid was in and struggled today - We all have our off days and today was one of hers. Great effort on still coming in and performing the workout Sid. See you on Friday, refreshed and ready for war.

Gulnaz was in last night with Matty and together they completed the 100rep workout. Gulnaz did a fantastic set of full pull ups with a jump for assistance on the positive phase. All up she did an extraordinary workout and showed vast increases in strength and stamina. Keep up the great work Gulnaz. Matty displayed his skills not just in the gym but also outside of it with a fantastic master mix of heart starting songs which are sure to get everyone into action. Thanks Matty.
Frank and Josephine were in before them and together they set records for the sit up challenge they missed out on last week. Frank recorded a super set of 125reps in 2minutes and Josephine set a girls record of 75. Well done. What was just as impressive was there gymnastic skills. Together they did several rounds of summersaults. Josephine getting a great score of 3 reps in 30 seconds and on his last attempt Frank got 7. Well Done! It was an enjoyable session.
Jess was back and his leg was still playing up - it didnt stop him though. Tabata intervals for several upper body exercises. You are extremely strong Jess and it is a pleasure to watch you chew the weights up.

Sid was in this day as well and was ready for a tough session and that she had and completed. Sid, you really pushed hard today. It was great to watch, your determination will get you everything you want.

Ginette, your always strong and ready for a great workout. We did tabata intervals and she chewed them up. You really showed big improvements and your body is looking great to boot. I look forward to our three days a week session from next week onwards instead of two.
You'll only get better.

Anne, I had fun with you on Tuesday morning. Sorry for arriving a little late and great for sticking around. Super workout and especially the deadlifts. Your technique is superb. Keep working as hard as you do - it truly is a sign of a healthy mind (and body)

Well done to everyone and a special note to Frank B who last Friday had a crack at his PB and just missed it. He is still the champion by .02 and Bob is hot on his tail. I look fowrard to the future of this competition.

Don't worry about the cold you have come down with John P. You have plenty of time to work out and get into the best shape of your life.

Progress is the name of the Game

2007-06-07T19:15:00.000+09:30

The great results just keep on coming...if you all get any fitter you'll be able to replace me!?!

Tricia was in, ready fro some action, Tabata intervals was her medicine today. Rowing / squats / dips / core work. Tricia breezed through it, perfect intensity, super session.

Tim was in for his second session. Got him trialling his 500m record: 2:16 after a 7 week lay off. Next he did the sit up challenge - 53 - again not bad for a long lay off. Good to have you back Tim. It will only get harder!

Sid came next, always better than the session before. Despite her soreness, she mustered up the strength to get her through a session she did 27 days ago. It was also the Tabata intervals - squats/sit ups/push press/rowing. Sid astounded me so much with her increases in such a short time. In comparison she improved over 25% in all the exercises, some even 100% improvements. Super work Sid. And you've been here so little. Imagine 3 more months!!!

Jess was in, still carrrying a slight injury, so again we focused on upperbody. Jess has by far the greatest Bench Press out of everyone at GarageGYM. He was doing 6 reps of 80kg easily. I hate to think how much he could have lifted if i pushed him. Amazing Jess. But be careful of your arms - any bigger and they'll explode.

Gulnaz was in with 10 year old Matty. Together they did pull ups, push ups, straight leg raises and back extensions. Matty is a smart, confident, motivated boy who obviously takes after his mum.

THE EVENT OF THE NIGHT - - - - BOB'S CHALLENGE TO FRANK B - - - - 500M ROW

After giving Bob a whole new rowing technique to learn, he had a go at the standing 500m record here at GarageGYM. Currently it stands at 1:48.8 seconds and is held by Frank B.

Bob, who wasn't as puffed as he thought he would be , scored a very, very close finish of 1:49 seconds. 0:00.2 seconds off Frank. (I think Bob eased up at the end too Frank!?!)

Well done Bob. Unless Frank improves - you'll have him for breakfast next time.
Bob finished the session with 10kg and 12.5kg dumbbell bears. He then went off to play a game of tennis.

Robert was back after his record breaking performance. He picked up the Dumbbell bear technique fairly quickly and we got stuck straight into it with 10kg dumbbells. He then picked up the pace and finished with 12.5kg weights. A very strong performance indeed. The high end of the athletes here at GarageGYM is extremely close. Only a few seconds and few kilograms separates you all. (And if you are not sure of who I am talking about - check the results board on the tab on the right) Robert finished the session with 60 sit ups in 2 minutes.

Super day, you make me very proud. All your bodies are developing accordingly. If you all keep up the great work, I'll release a GarageGYM calender with all your body shots on. I reckon it'll be a smash hit!

Latest Achievements

2007-06-07T08:26:00.000+09:30

Seeing as there has been so many sessions over the past few days, here is a list of all the achievements that have been performed:

Josephine is officially the first female at GarageGYM to perform a full summersault on the olympic rings. Josephine has been coming to GarageGYM religiously, twice a week, for more than ten weeks now. Great effort Josephine.

Gulnaz, after trying for three weeks and getting better everytime, has performed not on, but two full pull ups on her own. Gulnaz is the first girl too perform a full pull up on her own. Better than some men!

Not only did Frank B perform the Dumbbell Bear exercises flawlessly, he achieved the heaviest weight of 15kg dumbbells in each hand for a round. Super courage Frank.

Bob is one of our foundation members toughing it out for over a year now. Bob was already active when he came to us and he has only gotten better. Bob is up for any challenge (this includes the challenge of whopping Frank B's rowing record) and would rather physically fail than mentally give in. Your progress, rippling muscles and persistent are a joy to watch Bob.

Jen came in, fresh, ready and motivated and got straight into the rower and achieved a massive 7.5 second improvement on her old 500m rowing sprint. She achieved a time of 2:30sec. Go Jen!

Sid, who has only been with us a short while, is improving every week. Despite a few days off due to the many bugs going around this time of year, she still showed signs of strength and fitness increases. Especially on her bench press. Where once Sid would struggle with 10kg of weight, she now manages just fine with 15kg of weight - in only a few weeks of training. Great work Sid. Your body is also showing the signs of your effort.

Seb was in and always in fine form. Seb's major improvement is his body itself. From when Seb first arrived here several months ago till now, Seb has gone from above average to elite in such a short amount of time. Handstand push ups, olympic ring flips, multiple pull ups to just name a few of his success, it amazes and please me to see him look better and better everytime he comes in. Congratulations Seb.

Tricia, a true disciple of the GarageGYM philosophy, has been a member for more than 15 months now, and she has attended religiously twice a week for that amount of time. Her latest achievements are a PB on the rower of 2:14 sec and balancing on the swissball for more than 2 minutes on her knees. Excellent tenacity Tricia.

There are many, many, many more stories of success to mention but I'll reserve them for next post. Congratulations to all of you and keep up the hard work and attendence. It is these two ingredients that will set you apart from everyone else.

A special welcome to the return of Tim B and John P. One away on holiday, the other away on business. Welcome back to GarageGYM and I'm sure your progress will come quickly.

And finally, congratulations to Coach Tommy for doing a great job in fitting into the coaching role at GarageGYM. Tommy is a professional sprinter with many titles to his name. His most recent one, the Bendigo 400m Black Opal race is the richest 400m race in Australia and Tommy won it. He also just missed out on selection for the Stawell Gift last year which has only made him more determined for victory this year - true GarageGYM grit.

Thank you all.

Coach Michael's

2007-06-04T18:32:00.000+09:30

I had three clients only today - early morning and late afternoon. Sorry to Tricia for this morning - I'll see you on Thursday.

Anne was in - a little under the weather as everyone is this time of year, but still raring to train. We did multiple circuits of some tough exercises which Anne handled well for three rounds - it included a 5kg Wall Ball which she had never attempted before - you did it with ease Anne. After the three rounds we backed it off as we didn't want to push her while she isn't 100% - great effort for coming in Anne.

Gulnaz came in after a few days off - so we hit a heavy 30kg bench press for multiple sets and then hit the chin up bar. Gulnaz is about seven days away from her first full chin up - I just can't wait.

And Bob was in the late arvo - always happy to be here(who knows why after the saught of workouts I put him through!) We did Tabata intervals for three different exercises: bench press - oblique twists - push press. Tough session. But Bob managed just fine. Bob also told me to pass on a challenge to Frank B... Next time Bob has a clean slate and just comes in for the 500m row...he'll beat your record! What do you think Frank?!?

Another fun day with tommy at the GaRaGe

2007-06-04T17:11:00.000+09:30

An article for the day: What happens to your body if you drink coke right now?

Ginette was outstanding once again with her flashing bursts of speed and power. Look out for her at the Garage as she will be showing off a new pair of running shoes!

Jen rocked up in her sports car and was ready to rumble. She was glad to see me and not Michael as her trainer (only kidding). Jen learnt a new way to smash her abs on the rings. Ask Tommy how this can be executed during ring training! And yes Jen, we have your jacket here.

Sid made an appearance today! We made the most of this special occasion and trained hard from start to finish.

The dynamic duo had a stressful morning but all their worries vanished (and were replaced by new ones such as hand stand push ups). Frank gave it a good crack and pulled them off nicely. Liz was on fire as always

Jess came in with an injury so we focused on the upper muscles and his six pack. We pumped him up then sent him home with blood pumping through his massive arms!

Coach Tommy's last client for the day was the one and only Coral. We got along like a house on fire and put in a session that did the job perfectly.

Thanks to everyone, I loved the day of sessions and I look foward to many more days training at GarageGYM. "I thought only athletes trained this hard, but i now know - GarageGYM does it just as hard!"

Posted By Coach Tommy

Friday's Post

2007-06-03T20:45:00.000+09:30

Anne started off the day nice and fresh after her week off. She performed the 1000m Row with a time of 5:25 - her best so far, 50 thrusters with a heavier than usual load of 5kg, and 30kg deadlifts. She then did two more rounds of half of the work load from the previous round. Anne had done this workout two months ago, yet she used a lighter weight back then. Despite having a heavier load this time, she not only beat her old workout time of 26:26 with a time of 24:24. she got a rowing PB as well. Well done Anne.

Sid was in at 9am as usual, her third session in a row. We did the WOD from Monday of this week as Sid was unable to join us: jump squat 21
one arm db press 18
jump pull up 15
As many times in 20 minutes

Sid achieved 5 rounds in 20 minutes. After which she did two more exercises for three rounds:
Sumo Squat with a 10kg dumbbell followed by 15 back extensions.

Overall it was a mean session which Sid devoured with pleasure. See you Monday Sid.

Liz and Frank (Dynamic Duo) were in for their third session this week and boy did we have fun. Starting with Tabatta squats for 8 rounds, they keep up a great pace for all 8 rounds. Next came the alligator walk, a unique exercise with great results - works the whole body in a different plane to usual. They did this for a minute until they had had enough of looking silly!?! Next came the ball slam - it went okay. Turkish get up for 2 minutes, Frank had 8kg and Liz had 5 kg. Next was an overhead Lunge - a very challenging exercise especially with weights they both used. Then came the olymipc rings, where Frank performed "skin the cats" and Liz did her variations of the theme. They skipped, did tabatta intervals of push ups, and if all this wasn't enough, we did knee and arm sprints at a 100% pace for 10 seconds with a short rest in between. It was a varied, challenging and intense workout, but fun none the less.

Margaret and Josephine finished the day off and i got them to start with rowing. 500m. Margaret equaled her best time of 2:35 and then Josephine achieved a personal best of 2:05 - another personal best for the week at GarageGYM. Straight after we got into some thrusters, sit ups and ring work. But it was the great rowing times that really took it out of them. Congratulations on the new 500m time Josephine. Lets aim to be the second woman to break 2 minutes.

See you all Monday and enjoy Coach Tommy's workouts.

Bob had a growth spurt!

2007-05-31T19:36:00.000+09:30

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

2007-05-30T19:13:00.000+09:30

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!

2007-05-27T14:50:00.000+09:30

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...

2007-05-24T19:05:00.000+09:30

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

2007-05-23T17:40:00.000+09:30

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

2007-05-22T21:33:00.000+09:30

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

2007-05-21T19:12:00.000+09:30

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!)

2007-05-21T17:41:00.000+09:30

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!

2007-05-18T16:23:00.000+09:30

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.