Member Story: Carey M

Carey's Story - 53yrs

Carey has been part of Boss since the very first day, back when some session would just be him on his own. Carey has always been someone who went to the gym but has now taken everything to the next level - his fitness, his strength and his knowledge on good nutrition and training.

I am so impressed with Carey’s dedication, watching how much his technique has improved over the last 12 months is amazing. No matter if Carey has limitations, he will find a way to exercise, he wont let it bother him and will work around anything and still manage to be covered in sweat and smashing out an awesome session. Because Carey understand how important exercise is for both his physical and mental health nothing will get in his way.

“I felt like throwing up when I first joined “team Mia” but I was hooked! For years I had been going to the gym and just doing the standard 4 sets of 8-12 reps on specified muscle groups with no real purpose or results.

It was by chance that I signed up for a 12 week challenge (Mia promised me weight loss and youthful looks) at least she achieved one of her objectives! As circumstance played out Genesis closed and we were “forced” to continue our program at Mentone Primary School with Mia where I did my first boot camp. Anyway after three knee reconstructions and a hip replacement (his joking haha) I am still hooked on the style of training Mia provides.

Now exercise is like my Viagra of life. It is what sets me up for the day ahead and where I can push myself physically and release any tension I may have."

What motivates you to keep turning up and training?

It is part if my routine. I want to be a fit Dad and keep up with my boys and be a good role model for them both. Also, it is a good stress reliever  

What advise would you give someone who is looking to start?

Take it at your own pace and really think about what you want to get out of your training…what is your Why?

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Member Story: Karen G

Karen's Story - 58yrs

Karen started with us back in July with the goal to lose 10kg before her son’s wedding and to be able to chase her grandchildren. She was essentially starting from “scratch” with no real experience in a gym, spending most of her time sitting at a desk because she works in Administration and concerned that at 58 years old she might even be too old to start.

I have been incredibly impressed by Karen’s progress over the past 8 months – her technique, strength, fitness and confidence have completely turned around! She has a real understanding of what it means to “work to intensity”, and I love seeing her push herself to her limits each session. She recently had a fall and injured her knee but she hasn’t let that get in the way of getting the most out of her training sessions. Karen has incredible focus and determination, her can do attitude inspires us all.

“I felt nervous starting my first training session as I had no confidence in my ability to achieve anything. I didn’t know what half the exercises that Mia was talking about were.  I was also a bit concerned about my age and if I was just too old to start.  I now love coming to the gym, the Boss family are amazing and are so supportive of not only me but each and every member. We all push each other to achieve our best and when I leave I am totally exhausted but also feel amazing.

Mia has been an amazing trainer for me adapting my training to suit my abilities, encouraging me through a recent injury, which I did think, would be the end of my training regime.”

What motivates you to keep turning up and training

“My initial motivation was to lose ten kilos before my son’s wedding (which I achieved) my second motivation was to be able to chase my grandchildren (I can).  

My motivation now is simple – I love going to the gym it has become part of weekly routine ‘I do it for me’. “

What advice would you give someone who is looking to start?

“Just do it, you won’t regret it, I certainly haven’t’.”

Exercise: Dead Ball Slams

Training with weighted balls has been around for literally thousands of years. And one of our favourites is a dead ball. Dead balls as the name suggests, are a dead weight with little to no bounce.  

Dead Balls are extremely tough and designed to withstand very high impact, making them perfect for exercises such as slams.

Dead ball slams are tremendous tools for training strength and power throughout the entire kinetic chain. Dead balls are hard to grip so help in developing core strength and stability, from the ground up.

THE DEAD BALL SLAM

The medicine ball slam is a full body exercise, utilising the shoulders, lats, abs and quads.
As the slam is a compound exercise it’s fantastic for overall conditioning and quickly gets the heart rate going. Slams are an excellent power exercise that involves rapid shoulder, truck and hip flexion which can transfer over to benefit many other exercises:  

• Improves the speed of shoulder extension which can benefit swimmers and throwers
• Improves explosive power for sports like basketball or football.
• Builds strength and stability through the trunk and midline which benefits EVERYTHING you do (one of the main reasons we love them so much).
• And of course, they burn calories, dead ball slams are intense and are required to be performed in short, explosive bursts which get the heart rate up quick. 

How to perform:

• Pick up the ball and raise it over your head with arms extended.
• Throw the ball into the ground as hard as you possibly can. (be careful to bend through the knees and not the back - use your legs to generate the force)
• You want to try to get the ball to bounce, even slightly depending on the type of ball you’re using, and attempt to catch it on the first bounce.

*Check out the video and photos below on how to perform the dead ball slam

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Balls

Chewy Chocolate Balls 

If you want a healthy bliss balls that taste just like chocolate, then this one is certainly the winner. This is super easy to make and only has 5 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of pitted dates

1/2 cup raw almonds

2 1/2 scoops of Gold Standard Chocolate Protein powder (you can use any brand you like)

2 tablespoons of raw cocoa (use a good quality brand to get the best flavour)

Desiccated coconut to roll balls in.

Water if needed to make mixture more moist.

METHOD:

Place the almonds into a food processor and blend until smooth (if you prefer chunkier pieces of almonds then blend for less time).

Add the dates, protein powder and raw cocoa into the blended and blend until combined. Slowly add in a little water at a time and blend again, scrapping down the walls of the food processor.  

Once mixture feels and looks quite gooey then this is the perfect consistency. 

Using a tablespoon, scoop out bite size amounts and roll into balls (the mixture should stick to your hands) roll through desiccated coconut which will stop the balls from sticking. 

Place into freezer for atleast 60 minutes and enjoy straight from the freezer, these balls should be chewy and chocolatey.

*Nutrition 

Fats: 4.8g

Protein: 8g

Carbs: 15g

Calories: 130 

Recipe: Peanut Butter Bliss Balls

Peanut Butter Bliss Balls

There are so many different recipe for bliss balls, but this is one of my favourite ones as I LOVE peanut butter! This only requires 4 ingredients and so easy to make. The best thing about healthy bliss balls is getting them packed full of protein and having them for a healthy treat for yourself and also for the kid's lunch boxes. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of wholemeal quick oats

3 scoops of Gold Standard Chocolate protein powder (you can use any protein)

1/3 cup Mavvers Peanut Butter (use any natural peanut butter)

2 tablespoons of raw organic honey

Add water as needed (these balls should be sticky but easy to roll)

Method:

All you need to do is add all ingredients together in a blender until mixed through, add more water as needed to get the desired texture. You could always add extra honey or peanut butter but be aware these two ingredients are high in calories. 

Take a dessert spoon and scoop out enough to fill the spoon and roll into bite size balls. This recipe will make 10 balls depending on the size.

Store in a container in the fridge or freezer and enjoy.

 

*NUTRITION:

Fat: 6g

Protein: 11g

Carbs: 11g

Calories: 145 cals

Exercise: The Back Squat

The Back Squat is often referred to as the king of all exercises and this is because it works so much more than just your legs. The Back Squat is a compound movement using so many different muscle groups. Your Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves, Rectus Abdominis (abs), Erector Spinae (muscles supporting your spine and Obliques are all used during one repetition.

Back Squats are an extremely effective exercise, and ought to be a part of nearly everyone's workout routine - no matter whether your goals are strength, size, or just general fitness. However, as you're going to be lifting more weight in this exercise than most others, you need to make sure you use the right equipment, and do them safely.

While squatting should be a very natural movement to us, unfortunately this is not the case for most and may require a bit of mobility before you can even start to try a Back Squat. A very common limitation people will find is not enough dorsiflexion of the ankle (no range) so they are unable to get their knee to go over their toe. A way to help this while you are starting out is to place two thin plates under your heels as I have done so below. This is only to help you get started with your squats, working on mobility (foam rolling and stretching) through your calves will help build up the movement you need long term.   

Instructions:

In preparation for performing barbell squats, position an empty barbell on a squat rack at a height that's about 3cm lower than your shoulders.

Load an equal amount of weight on each side of the barbell and secure the weight plates to the barbell with barbell clips.

Step under the barbell and place the centre of the bar directly on the meaty part of your shoulders below your neck. If this is uncomfortable, you can use a towel or other padding to cushion the bar. The bar will become less uncomfortable as you get used to doing squats.

Once you've positioned the bar on your upper back, grasp the bar firmly with your hands. It's a good idea to position your hands so that they're separated by a distance at least twice your shoulder-width. Spacing your hands too close together can lead to straining of your shoulders.

With the barbell centered on your shoulders, use your legs to lift the barbell off the rack and then step back just enough to perform the exercise without bumping into the rack, as shown below.

You can position your feet about shoulder-width apart with your feet and knees pointing slightly outward.

Once your hands and feet are suitably positioned, you can perform the barbell squat. Take a big breathe in and start by bending your knees and allowing your hips and upper body to descend under control until your bum is below your knees.

Next, breathe out and vigorously push the weight upwards until you reach the initial standing position. Make sure you are keeping your stomach as contracted as possible during the entire squat and not holding your breath. 

Common Mistakes:

1. Knees buckling in when pushing up out of the squat - focus on pushing your knees out externally as you are pushing up to the standing position.

2. Bending only the knees and not the hips - focus on bending both your hips and knees at the one time so you descend naturally to the ground.

3. Back rounding out during the squat which can cause serious injury to the lower back - focus on looking straight ahead and keeping your back from changing positions at all.

4. Coming to far forward and allowing your heels to come off the ground when coming out of the squat - keep your bodyweight centred in your heels when pushing up outside of the squat.

The majority of Aussie kids are not getting enough exercise

Physical activity is vital for a child’s development and will lay the foundation for a healthy and active life as an adult. I cannot stress enough the importance of developing good habits surrounding physical activity and healthy eating habits early in life, and encourage families to engage in regular physical activity.

According to the Heart Foundation the majority of Australian children and young people are not meeting the daily Australian physical activity guidelines. Whilst it is estimated that 60% of Australian children participate in organised sport, this participation is no guarantee that children are getting enough exercise or the physical development that their growing bodies require.

Even if a child is involved in organised sports from a young age, the variety of skills taught during their training sessions will be specific to the sport they’re participating in rather than focusing on building the appropriate strength or movement that the child needs to minimise their risk of injury or developing poor form that will lead to problems later in life.

Research has shown that the health benefits of exercise among children and youth include increased physical fitness (cardio and muscular strength), reduced body fat, favourable cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk profiles, enhanced bone health, and reduced symptoms of depression*

A focus on essential movement training is imperative for children that are beginning school. They have shifted from a day where they were constantly moving freely around the house or kindergarden to sitting at a desk for 6 hours a day. Naturally, this results in a decline of their basic movement skills, causing instability and a decrease in strength of core stability and ankle, knee and hip mobility.

As a child progresses through the school years and their homework loads increase, they are now spending even more time sitting at a desk, and often lunch times will be spent sitting outdoors instead of engaging in active playtime. This results in an even more marked decrease in strength and movement.

This pattern continues into adulthood and we find ourselves with constant niggles and pain caused by poor movement in young age and compounded by limited physical activity as we age. I spend a significant amount of time re-programming adults to reduce the damage caused, but taking preventative measures now can help your child achieve a lifetime of strong fundamental movement and a positive association with exercise.

At Boss, we are passionate about this issue and its role in reducing chronic pain in later life (of which currently more than 70% of our adult population suffer from at least one form).

Just like adults, children learning to move well through guided targeted  exercise enjoy the benefits of increased confidence and self-esteem, stress relief, improved sleep and digestion  in addition to improved posture, balance, co-ordination, strength and flexibility. All vital to overall health and wellbeing.

Our Kids Fit Program kicks off on May 16th and is designed for children between the ages of 6 and 12. Our classes are held at 4.30pm on weekdays and we are currently offering free introductory sessions. To book or make an enquiry call 9584 1212 or email us below.

* https://heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/ahka_reportcard_longform.pdf