I'd spent most of my 30's in
Melbourne playing rugby and keeping relatively fit. I trained 2 days a week, playing at least 1 match on the weekend and occasionally extra activities like cycling, jogging and swimming.
I guess I was in an okay place, although I would offset the good work with post-game beers, bbq's and parties. In my last 2 seasons I had a number of injuries which meant that I couldn't train as much as I should have and spent less time actually on the paddock playing rugby.
The change in my fitness activities didn't have a similar effect on my post-match celebrations, in-fact in some ways those activities were increased, as I spent more time watching rugby with a beer in my hand.
At the end of the season in 2006 my body was tired and sore, mentally I realised that I hadn't given my all on the field, so I decided to pull the pin and retire from playing rugby. So for the next 2 or 3 months I spent lots of time on the sofa, watching sport, eating "footy foods" and drinking beer.
Suddenly, or so it seemed, my stomach had expanded, whatever muscle-tone I had was disappearing, I was feeling very lethargic and not at all motivated to do very much at all. I realised that if I didn't do something I would be following a family history that included heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
What to do? Like many people I was looking for a quick-fix, not a lifestyle change, and I decided to do a couple of months of a Melbourne CBD boot-camp to get back in shape before Christmas. Somehow, through the magic of the internet, I came across Gary and the Juggernaut Personal Training crew and joined the Alexandra Gardens sessions. I did 3 sessions a week and whilst in the first few weeks I seemed to be constantly sore, I really started to enjoy the training.
It really didn't take long for me to regain my fitness so Gary and his team started to provide me with new and exciting challenges. It started with beating my best time or increasing my reps and then it was to get the best time or highest number of reps in the group etc.
Then the challenges included things like fun runs or cycle events, as well as abseiling, kayaking, trekking through National Parks etc. As the challenges increased so did my fitness levels, strength and my over-all wellbeing improved immensely.
At some stage, over the past 18 months I added a fourth activity to my weekly schedule, boxing near the Tan Track on Saturdays, which I really enjoy.
I'm not always certain that my partners always get the same level of fun, when they hold the pads for me but my aim is always to get the most out of what I'm doing, which does mean I like to hit the pads hard, sometimes very hard.
The boxing sessions have helped me to reduce the stress in my life, sometimes hitting something really hard is just the antidote for expressing how I feel about my working week. Boxing has also added a new element to my training and it has improved my over-all fitness.
At different times during my training I have also undertaken self-imposed challenges, to get me over a plateau in my training/fitness. These usually involve ramping up my training for a few weeks and including some personal training sessions at either Chapel St, St Kilda or in the Melbourne CBD. This is a really effective way of giving your body a major shock and boosting your fitness levels.
Gary and Nathan both work you very hard, taking into account your aims and goals, helping you to exceed them. There is nowhere to hide in a one-on-one session, so the opportunity to have an easy session just isn't there. After my usual 3-4 weeks of doing Personal Training I always feel and look fitter, leaner and hungry for more training.
At different times over the past few years I have had minor health related issues and I have been able to discuss health and nutrition with Cara. She has been able to help me make minor changes to my diet to ensure that I am fuelling my training, as well as maximising the health benefits of what I'm eating. That's not to say that I only eat healthy foods but I now control what I put in my mouth, rather than bad foods controlling me.
I travel for work sometimes and that used to be the time where I would fall down on my training, as well as spending way too much time in the bar. Now I ensure that I train at least as hard as I would do normally and that I off-set the time in bar with extra efforts in the gym or park or pool.
For someone who set-out for a quick-fix, I have actually made quite a lifestyle change, without even realising. It's almost 4 years since I started the quick-fix and the thought of stopping or reducing my training is not an option at all for me. The team at Melbourne's own Juggernaut Personal Training have helped me to achieve all of my goals, reset them and achieve those ones as well.<
Anthony Shaw
From: Richmond
Job Title: National Sales and Marketing Manager, for a Publishing Company
Age: The wrong side of 40
