Archive for the ‘Bootcamp Questions’ Category

Do You Really Need “Cardio” Workouts?

What is more effective?? Doing cardio workouts or weight training for losing fat…
 
In this post I am hoping to get you thinking differently, and trying new things.

Do you really need cardio training to get lean and in great shape?

Most fitness trainers, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, consider it a fact that they need “cardio” exercise to burn up their fat and attain their these goals. They would never even question it.

In fact, you may be surprised to know that some of the leanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of normal or traditional cardio. And I’ve spent over 15 years working out in various gyms in Australia, and hanging out with athletes of all sorts, so I’ve seen it all.

I will say that there can be a place for low-moderate level cardio for really overweight or deconditioned people, but even in those cases, there can be more effective methods.

What do most see “Cardio” as?

Most people would consider cardio to be riding to knowhere on a bike, or running on a treadmill, or cruising on an elliptical strider, while watching the TV screen at their state of the art gym. This is what I call “traditional cardio”. No wonder the majority of people get bored with their workouts and give up after a couple months without seeing results. On Average about 70% of people that take out a gym membership never use it more than a dozen times in a year.

But, “cardio” exercise can be considered any type of exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. To keep it simple, if it gets your heart pumping, and gets you huffing and puffing, it’s cardio. I don’t care if you’re holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone calls it a weight training exercise…it’s still conditioning your heart.

Let’s take a look at a couple examples:

 Take a barbell  clean & press for example (of which many of you have seen me do plenty of), which involves lifting a barbell from the floor up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, because even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it doesn’t matter if you’re not lifting 100kg; if 15kg is challenging to you, then you will still benefit just as much.

At first glance, most people think of the barbell C&P only as a weight training exercise or strength exercise. However, I challenge you to do a hard set of around 15-20 reps on the C&P. If you used a challenging enough weight, what you’ll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max (get a HR monitor and try it), and you are huffing and puffing like you just ran a 100-meter sprint (which by the way, sprinting kicks the crap out of jogging any day if you want the easiest way to lose the flab).

Try the same thing for a set of 20 reps of one-arm swings with each arm with a kettlebell or dumbbell, and tell me your legs aren’t burning, heart racing, and you’re gasping for breath. How about trying 5 minutes straight of bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups with no rest. Again, notice your heart pounding, sweat pouring off of you, and chest heaving for breaths!

Try and tell me you’re not conditioning your heart with this style of training!

Conventional trainers and thinking says that these are weight training or strength training exercises. However, they are fulfilling your cardio workout needs as well (saving you time!).

Not only do you save time, but you strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body with these full body functional movements if you do them with enough intensity…some thing that can’t be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV.

Gone are the days of the boring 90 minute gym sessions. Doing one set and talking to your mates for three minutes before you do your next set. If you can sit and talk you are not training hard enough!

Work hard, get in, get out and see the fat just melting off you..

So what do I recommend??

Group sessions like: Boot Camp, Crossfit, Boxing, or find a very experienced trainer in your area to help you out with a program.

For those in Canberra that have never tried a session, you can come for FREE to one of our Boot Camps and get a feel of what it is really like. For the month of August we have $50 off our Boot Camp program so why not make it NOW to make the change?

Simply go to the contact us section above and leave your email and location.

Scott Williams

As most of you that attend Bootcamp Canberra will know we only have a few weeks left before we start our new Boot Camp series right across Canberra.

I have attached the flyer at the bottom for you to click on to see the dates and locations.

This program will only run for six weeks, then we finally get to head back outdoors and enjoy the beautiful Spring and Summer months ahead in Canberra (personally I can’t wait).

Also note that we will be introducing a NEWprogram to the Tuggeranong area for our upcoming Spring Bootcamp, with a Crossfit Canberra style program being introduced for the first time to the outdoor program..

Winter is well and truly over half way gone, so NOW is the time to think about getting into shape for the warmer months fast approaching.

 Why not come and join Australia’s current fitness business of the year, and know you are in great hands with Australia’s best!!!

Unlike many other fitness companies, our trainers work full time in the industry and are here for you…. If you don’t Succeed, then we don’t Succeed!!!

 After six years in the Canberra market, we know we have helped change many people’s lives for the better, we can also help you to…

Registrations are now being taken for both this six week Boot Camp and also our main 12 week Outdoor Spring Program that is starting mid September. Here is the flyer for upcoming six week session:

We will also be holding Boot Camp Canberra health checks on Sat 31st Aug from 12 - 2pm at Club Lime Anketell St Tuggeranong

We look forward to seeing you all creep out from under the Doona and make a start on your fitness quest and work on getting that body ready for the swim suit and the Summer months….

The Succeed Team

A blog post on the latest Boot Camp Canberra program due to start.

Well with Winter fast approaching here in Canberra, now is NOT  the time to go into hibernation and undo all the good work you have done over the last few months….

I am sure nobody wants this to happen (see below)

FROM THIS

TO THIS

Why not join the fastest growing Group Fitness Program in the world in BOOTCAMP???

Our new Boot Camp Canberra program is due to start on Monday 10th May, but if you are NEW to the Succeed World I will give you the first week of May FREE to come to our introductory trial week of Boot Camp Canberra and make sure you get to give it a go and that you know that Boot Camp is for you before committing to the program.

Here is the flyer for you with all the details, click to enlarge:

If you wish to enroll for our upcoming Boot Camp series please email or call from the details on the flyer.

Scott Williams

Suceed Personal Development

With daylight savings just about over it is time to move Canberra Boot Camp indoors for the winter months.

Now is the time to register for the NEW evening Boot Camp classes.

Start date: Tues 6th April

Location: Stirling Brain Gym in Stirling

Time: to be advised (looking like a 6pm start though)

If you wish to register please do so ASAP to admin@succeed.com.au as we will only be taking a very limited number of clients.

 At this early stage I still have 13 spots left available, but don’t leave it too late.

Come and join Australia’s best fitness company. The company that delievers proven results.

The Succeed Team

A post on the Succeed Fitness Session of the Day

 Made my way back to Benny and the boys last Saturday to do a Crossfit session with them.

Was a killer session and was great to see how the boys have improved over the last six weeks, Ben is only a few weeks away from the Crossfit Games Sectional trials and he is in sensational condition.

Session consisted of this:

20 x D/B Thrusters (I did 15kg each side)

20 x Push Ups

2 x out and back sprints of basketball court

15 x HSPU (hand stand push ups)

20 x air squats

2 x out and back sprints of basketball court

x 4 rounds for time

My Time: 18.30 (was and truly flogged by Ben 14.10 about & Pauly 17.30)

Are you looking to step up your training?? Here at Succeed we may have just the program to suit you!

Here is a demo of our Super Saturday session running at 7am each Saturday at Tuggeranong Town Park:

Cost is only $10, so why not come and try it out.

Succeed Daily Boot Camp Canberra Fitness Post

Ok a very short and sweet post this morning.

Here is the latest Succeed Workout of the Day for you all to get out to try.

This particular fitness session, you need nothing else other than a bar about 2ft out out reach that you can do chin ups on.

This is an awesome outdoor Boot Camp fitness session. If you are not a member of a gym, then head to a school playground and they will have a set of monkey bars for you to do this workout on.

Check out a demo here:

Pretty straight forward really, just do 100 full burpees into pull ups as fast as you can..

My Time: 15.51

P.S. I was sore in the arms for about three days….

Scotty

A post about Boot Camp in Tuggeranong this morning

Well I have to say that this mornings sessions was up there with one of the best Boot Camp sessions I have experienced in my six years here in Canberra.

After about 10 minutes into our Tuggeranong Boot Camp session we had a torrential down pour.

Here is a photo of us:

Sorry you can’t see us, we were under water at the time….

I must say I am very impressed with the 36 people that fronted this morning to brave the elements (and no one left).

It actually felt like a fully fledged Boot Camp in Tuggeranong this morning.

Well done to those that ran out the sessionstrong at Tuggeranong today.

Also, well done to our new instructor in Rachel (she is already mean), give her a few weeks and she will have you all in tip top shape (the girls will like her because she likes to do abs…)

All Tuggeranong and Canberra Boot Campers, do not forget that we all head back to our respective locations for the kick off of the next 12 week Boot Camp Program.

If you are not sure where to go on Monday click here and scroll down to the flyer with all the addresses on it.

Have a great weekend Canberra Boot Campers, we will see you all on Monday morning (hopefully not so wet…)

Boot Camp Tuggeranong earlier this week:

If you have a few weights to use, why not give session a try. We ran in 15 minute blocks with 3 minutes rest in between.

Until next week

Scotty (the very sore trainer)

P.S. If you are in Club Lime Tuggeranong in the morning, keep an eye out for a special guest making an appearance for a 21st Birthday training session

This is a Boot Camp Canberra Session with Australia’s Fitness Business of the Year

Well I thought I would step right in and do a few Boot Camp Fitness Sessions with some of my wonderful Boot Campers across Canberra.

Have to say I do not appreciate being beaten by some of my younger and more vivacious clientele…

I may be a little bit older, but I still like to be leader of the pack, so our Boot Camp session the other day was a wake up call that I need to be a bit fitter to catch up these girls.

Had a great time with the Boot Camp Tuggeranong group.

Here is a bit of footage of us in action.

To give you a rundown, I set up a massive circuit around the oval with different checkpoints requiring a different exercise to be done.

It consisted of:

10 x push ups, run to set of logs

10 x tricep dips, run to hill,

5 x hill sprints with 10 x step ups each leg at the top each set, run to the middle of the oval

bear crawl 20m, run to opposite hill

lunge to the top, run to cone

10 x 1/2 burpees, run back to the starting line

10 x clean & press

repeat x 3

Here is a clip of the session:

A great outdoor fitness session that required minimal equipment. Why not give it a try next time you wish to do an outdoor session??

If you wish to join one of our Boot Camp Canberra Groups, be sure to click here NOW as we only have 20 total spots left available for the upcoming Boot Camp series starting Mon 8th Feb.

Scott

Demo and explanation of the latest fitness training session

Hey all,

Well I have had a few killer workouts this week and I am hurting all over (I know what you are thinking - toughen up Scott, and don’t worry I will).

Here is a the demo of the latest session done at

 Club Lime Tuggeranong:

Be sure to leave us a comment and rate the demo for me on you tube….

A quick written explanation of the latest session for you:

15 x 1 arm 14kg clean and press

15 x 1/2 burpees

15 x 1 arm 14kg D/B snatch

400m run

15 x 30kg push press

x 3 rounds for time

Time: 25.51

Have a go and let me know your time. Just be aware of modifying where you need to. Obviously some people will be stronger or not quite as strong. Please accordingly to suit yourself, with the emphasis on safety always.

If you are not confident with your training, then maybe look into a Personal Trainer in your area that can help you out.

We also offer online Personal Training if you are comfortable with your technique and just wish to have someone write your program.

Very soon we will have daily, weekly, monthly  sessions available at your disposal.

P.S. Here is a demo of the Nasty Girls session from the weekend as well for you:

Scott

Hey all,

Been a few days between posts.

I have been away for a few days and unable to reach a computer. I will post about that later in the week with a few pics of some fun times we had.

Anyway just shot some video footage of one of our Boot Camp Canberra groups having a great time in the early ours of the morning.

Check it out:

See anyone you know??

Had a great sessions and gave them something more like a strength interval session, that is basically short bursts of high intensity work with short breaks in between.

Across the fitness industry now this really seems to be the most effective way to train people for a variety of fitness reasons:

1. burn more calories in and after the session

2. work more muscles with functional training

3. works for the trainer as the clients cannot give you to much lip back because they are too tired to argue

4. a more efficient way to train

5. less time required to train

6. lessons the chance of injury as less load required for the sessions

7. again clients don’t argue so much…

8. helps with weight loss

Do you have a view on training systems?? Have you tried something else that is really working for you?

I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.