Mannum open

Yesterday was the Mannum open Powerlifting meet. There were 10 competitors and the competition level had greatly improved. I had jumped up to the 82.5KG class weighing in at a colossal 76 and a bit!

This was the heaviest I have lifted at in competition and qualifies me for the nationals in that class.

Many of us hit PB's I hit a 220KG squat, a 225KG Deadlift that gave me a P total of 587.5KG

This was enough to win my weight class & best overall lifter on the Wilks formula (pound for pound).

Results can be found at www.powerliftingaustralia.com

That was the last meet for this year, so I will do some other strength training and do a bit more strongman training.

If you are interested in competing in either contact me

The USA and a strongman comp!

Hi There,

It has been a while since I posted something. A lot has happened, I had the pleasure of visiting the USA. It was a fantastic trip, the people I met were extremely generous and very open and easy going. It was a very enlightening trip in many regards.

I had my eyes open to some different training perspectives, and not just the physical side of it. I had the opportunity to meet some incredibly successful people, who had the time and the heart to share some of their pearls of wisdom with me.

It was a very intense trip, in terms of learning and the limited time spent there.

I would highly recommend going for a look!

Since then I have been preparing for a new project that is coming up, an exclusive training club, if you are interested let me know, then we can arrange an interview to see if you match the profile we are looking for.

On Saturday I competed in the Murray bridge Viking strong man challenge. It was a great experience, I met some great people, and learned a few new tricks. I was the lightweight in the comp, and all competitors had a solid strength background. We had strongmen, Olympic lifters, powerlifters and a shotputter. We competed in 5 events, an overhead medley ( pressing rocks, kegs, car axles and a log over head in the quickest time possible), a carry medley( carrying a rock, keg and an atlas stone over a 20M coarse as fast as possible), a farmers walk ( 85kg, then 105kg and then 125kg in each hand up the 20 m coarse), log press for max weight and finished with the atlas stones ( big concrete balls weighing from 100kg to 150kg).

Both competitors and spectators did well to brave the temperamental weather and make it a fantastic day.

I had a brilliant time competing and am looking forward to doing it again. The competition was dominated by a 17 year old power house Casey Snodgrass, followed closely by his Dad Pete.

If you are interested in learning more or competing contact me.

Eat well and train hard!

Results from nationals

Fridays technical meeting was interesting, we learned the ins and outs of drug testing. There is a massive amount of time and effort involved. Super tough glass canisters and specifically assigned codes, it was quite mind boggling. Some funny stories of competitors dashing out of events, leaving partners and children behind!

We also set our bar and safety bar heights. ( this stops the bar landing on your throat and face on the bench press). A handful of people die performing this exercise every year!

I weighed in at exactly 75kg, was almost scared to eat. Decide to eat plenty and go easy on the water, plenty of lifters were heading to the sauna before the weigh in. In stark contrast plenty were scoffing to make weight, or because they were some where in the middle.

Saturday came along, I weighed in at 73.5 KG's all good!

Checked out some of the female competitors, there were some strong chicks who were also easy on the eye ( doesn't lifting big weights make you bulky!), great poster girls for the sport.

Some were not poster girls but lifted some impressive weights.

I had left my Rev 3 energy drinks, next to my bed ( doh!) so I purchased some ammonia capsules.

I hit my opening squat 210kg's, then failed on depth at 220, it felt easy so I jumped to 227.5, I got up but only on one side, it felt like someone was pulling one side. It turns out (Robyn took a pic and it showed my knee wrap had slid up off my knee) so I only got assistance from one side, failed lift no 2.

This was not going to plan, especially because the weight felt good.

The bench was next, I had been struggling with the shirt in the lead up, and continued with the theme. I was initially opening at 145, but opted for 135 to be safe. Good plan, I nailed 135 jumped to 145 and missed both lifts (doh!)

It all came down to the deadlift, I opened up at 210, hit that 220, nailed that. Now at this point I was tied for 2nd place, but David weighed less than I and would win by default. I jumped to 227.5 but bombed the lift.

I came home with a bronze, great to place, and plan on winning it next year!

I met a great bunch of people over in Sydney and was blessed enough to have support from my girls, Terry and Andrew who coached and wrapped me (involves sticking hands up shorts pulling shirts down and more!).

Tom a fellow South ozzy representative and top bloke scored a bronze in the bench contest.

A great weekend was had by all, I am now looking for people to train up for the Mannum comp in October, let me know if you or somebody you know is keen.

Sunday we took Olivia the birthday girl to Tooronga zoo, it was a great day & a fantastic way to finish the weekend. We then attended the awards dinner and prepared to fly home.

There were some very strong competitors Odell Manuel a former rugby league player hit a 350.5kg deadlift and and a total of 916! Plenty of national records were broken.

I learned a lot from the weekend and will return all the better for it.

Eat well and train hard!

Big drop and PB

Had my last big training session before Saturday. Many thanks to Terry, after a long day of presenting some great content, he then wrapped my knees & will be assisting me in Sydney. Competition is strong, I can't wait to indulge. Around like minded individuals who love lifting and making progress.

Some big results to report

I hit a pb in the squat of 220kg's a 10 kg improvement

Ed has dropped 9kg's in just 19 days! A fantastic effort

"I would recommend the reset plan if you want to lose weight, it is easy to follow and works"

1 week to go

Nationals are a week tomorrow, so my last big session is tomorrow. Still a touch of fine tuning to do, in regards to knee wraps and bench shirt. I shall address these tomorrow.
Then a light training week and then full bore on the Saturday.
We fly over early Friday, have a technical meeting on the evening and comp the next day. Sunday I will be taking my wife and daughter, who will be 1! to Tooronga zoo, to check out the new addition ( baby elephant). Should be a great weekend around like minded people. The dinner & presentation is on the Sunday night, then fly out early Monday morning.
Will post on progress

Eat well & train hard!

Core training

Enter core training on google and this is what you will get. Now core training is widely misunderstood, using an unstable surface is not necessary and can be detrimental to your training.

Especially if your suffering back pain!

What we really want to achieve with core training is stabilising the trunk in a neutral posture. To create a greater training effect we resist movement against a load (gravity etc...) whilst maintaining optimal alignment.

Just like a baby we start on the ground, work up to our knees and finally on to our feet.

We also need to be stable in all plains of movement (Sagittal, Transverse and Frontal). Stuart Mcgill ( the foremost knowledge on lower back performance) recommends the big 3 the curl up, side hover/bridge and the bird dog. I would definitely recommend these as a great starting point.

Balls like everything have a role to play in exercise, however this isn't core training or functional.

Train for your goal with deadlifts!

Why we should do more deadlift work to bring up our posterior chain as opposed to leg curls. Every day we become more quad dominant, sitting on our ass too much, running on treadmills etc…Now you may be doing leg curls for your hamstrings but that will not help you to lift an object from the floor or be enough volume to balance out your quad dominance. Personally I think leg curls are a waste of time & should be left to body builders, who are to scared to perform deadlifts. They also put a lot more sheer load through the knee. A better alternative is the Glutham raise or any other deadlift variation, this way you work from the knee and the hip, more bang for you buck!
If you see someone performing deads, checkout their trap, glut and hamstring development. One they will look strong, and unlike most bodybuilders they will be real world strong! ( able to move stuff!)

Now there is no reason why you can’t have real wordstrength (see Marious) and still be big and shredded. There is a myth that you cant be strong, move well and look good. Now a lot of body builders are like ornamental swords. They look good on the mantle piece but fall apart in battle. Watch the world strongest man, abloute beasts who run while carrying mind blowing loads!
So if your training like a body builder but you have a different goal i.e. fat loss, performance enhancement, rehab etc… You should ask yourself why?

Lose the sugar cravings

Every now & then I used to go weak and feel super hungry even though I would have eaten a couple of hours before. Since I used the Reset plan and use the maintenance plan , those hunger pangs have gone. My weight is also consistent and that helps me to be confident I will make my weight in competition.

" I lost 3.5kg's and no longer have cravings for sugar. I am really happy with the results & would recommend the Reset plan to others."

Sonia

Eat well & train hard

Where the mind leads

I have had a big week this week, I hit a new pb in the deadlift 506 pounds (230kg) and a 210kg squat. 3 weeks tomorrow is the National Powerlifting Championships, so am progressing nicely.
Now the mind is incredibly powerful, Through good nutrition, hard training and visualising I have smashed my old limited goals.
If you are looking to make progress in your training or any other aspect in life, it starts in the mind. A great book on this topic is Dr Dennis Waitley's "The Psychology of winning' I highly recommend it.
Like minded people who share common goals of self improvement will also help you to channel your energy in the right direction and unleash your true potential. Look to those who have accomplished what you seek & learn from them. Being open to learn opens many doors so focus on what you want and let me know when you get there.

Eat well & Train hard!

Great results

Some big results from last week,

Kathy Bennett lost 4.5kg's in 5 days! on the Reset jump start plan, Great work!

Also Candice took her total fat loss to a fantastic 25.5kg's! 

Let me know if you have some great results, or if you want some then contact me and we can begin.

Eat well and train hard!

 fitnessdefined.usana.com 

State Champ!

The state Powerlifting championships were on in mannum on the weekend, my preperation left a little to be desired with an overseas trip and preparing my new facility. The level of competition was up, with competetitors from as far as Melbourne. Now this is the most masculine way (if there is one) to wear a one piece!
Last year I totalled 500kg's and new that would not be nearly enough, I set a goal of 550 minimum and ideally 560. I started with a 180kg squat all good, failed on depth at 190 and nailed 200 on my third attempt a new personal best!. I was on track. Now my bench has gone down in the last 12 months, so I started at 130 all good 140 good a new best in competition, then failed at 145. Still on track, Deadlifts, I nailed 200 then 210 and went for an all time best 220 and got it, I strained every ounce of anything resembling muscle to grind it out, it was killer!
Now this was down to a few things, I had cranked up on the rev 3 energy drink (that gave me a coule of best in training) and positive thinking. I have been taking my Usana supplements and they make the difference, so now when I train properly I am gonna take my total to a new level!

Nationals are on in July so I have 6 weeks to become a beast!
I will post some footage soon

If you want the best nutritionals to enhance performance or improve health visit

fitnessdefined.usana.com

Eat well & train hard!

All systems go!

My training facility is up and running. Have had groups and clients learning to move there body as one cohesive unit. No shiny machines ( fancy towel racks!), just good old fashioned, honest training. Using kettlebells, dumbell and various barbells and sandbags. Things are only going to improve, am currently fine tuning the prowler (sled contraption) and modifying my safety squat bar. All set for the state powerlifting championship, on Saturday, I will let you know how I go. Will post a couple of pics of the new training pad soon.
Some great progress from some clients Pauline Shute has dropped a massive 26.5 kg's, a fantastic effort and a shot of adrenaline for those who need to pick up there game!

I can't wait to crank out some serious strength training, if you want to step up to the plate, let me know.
How many people do you know who want to drop body fat, increase strength or reduce pain? Get them to contact me, and take the first steps in self improvement.

Eat well and train hard!

I just added 15kg to my PB!

Today I added 15kg to my deadlift. It was also the first time I used Usanas Rev 3 energy drink. I also hit a 10kg PB on squats! Check it out and add some numbers to the bar, or your performance on the field. I still feel charged, that is why I felt the urgency to let you know.

Eat well and train hard!

Group sessions

I will be running some group sessions starting this Monday the 18th, so let me know if you are interested. We will be learning to use our body as efficiently as we can, to maximise fat loss and strength gains. There will also be nutritional plans as an additional option.
I have recently updated my site so check it out! www.fitnessdefined.usana.com Let me know what you think.
State powerlifting titles are on at the end of the month, I need to make some significant progress to challenge for honours. I'll keep you posted.

Eat well and train hard!

Good to be back

Landed back on Friday morning, good to be back. It is now Sunday and I am starting to fire on all cylinders. 3 weeks have flown by and big things are happening. My training facility is almost complete, just some fine tuning to get done. Now I am back my training is gonna go to a new level, less than 4 weeks to state titles and I'm not where I wanted to be. Time for some serious action. Will keep you posted on progress.

Home sweet home

We fly home tonight. The trip has been great, but time has gone too fast. Great to catch up with friends and family and mixed fortunes with the weather. Training has dropped off a bit. I managed 2 sessions last week, so on maintenance with a month until the state titles. Not the best preparation.
Meanwhile at home my training facility has been progressing, so I'll be able to train hard in the perfect environment. I will let you know when it's finished, I can't wait!
All for now packing to be done and the joy of goodbyes.

Eat well and train hard

All is good over here in England. We have now moved on down to Cornwall and had a belated celebration of mine and Robyns marriage and the birth of our daughter Olivia. It was a good day and great to catch up with friends and family. We went to Warwick castle before this, great surroundings but pouring with rain, am glad to have experienced the sun since heading down south. Trained today, quick session on the big 3, have struggled to get proper training in, but will make it happen this week. Will keep you posted on my trip.

Eat well and train hard!

Health clubs suck

Robyn and I went down to one of the local health and fitness clubs to crank out some squats. Before a freshly trained instructor could tell me that squatting below 90 degrees was dangerous, the receptionist informed us that we would need to be members to train there. The minimum membership was 3 months! It had taken 30 mins to get there, I was unimpressed to say the least. On the walk home we did some push ups on the hill home at every lamppost. Hopefully tomorrow I can find a place to train that has weights and lets me through the door.
The football was great a 3-3 thriller, the atmosphere was brilliant and we loved every minute of it.

Eat well and train hard!

Return of the prodigal son

Well, I've arrived in the Motherland, all is good and we're heading to see the mighty Villa play Everton today........
Olivia has turned out to be an excellent little traveller. She slept like, well, a baby and we arrived surprisingly freshfaced at Heathrow almost 24 hours after jetting out of Adelaide.
I've managed to go to one of the local gyms - which was only about the size of our living room and I had to take all the weights in the room to bust out some deadlifts, but at least its maintenance........
I'll keep you posted on the mighty Villa's victory and other events of our holiday up in the cooler climbs.......
Eat well, train hard!

4.5 kg's in 5 days!

All set to jet, flying out on Tuesday. I have 2 seminars to attend on the weekend, should be good. One on health and wealth and one on posture. I will keep you posted on my travels and adventures. Have had some more happy users of the reset plan, here is what one had to say:

 

"Not only great products but also a unique educational experience, I enjoyed the process not being just about how but also why.

It was refreshing to have a system that created a greater awareness of the body's functions and nutrition not only during the Reset Plan but also with a purpose for long term health goals.

I recommend the USANA products to all users."

 Tyson Linke Lost 4.5 kg's in 5 days!

Eat well and train hard!