MAXXCAMP 03/09/11

Just a reminder that maxxcamp this Saturday September 3rd will be at Caufield Park. Meeting at the Lacrosse club parking lot at 6:30am.
Hope to see you there and remember to bring a friend.
Click here to see the map of where we will be.

Melbourne Rugby Club

One down, one to go....
Melbourne and Power House will contest the Dewar Shield Grand Final on Saturday 3 September. Melbourne powered past Moorabbin 71-21 to become hot favourites to win the Dewar Shield Premiership for the third year in a row. In the other knockout Semi final Power House narrowly defeated a determined Southern Districts by 24-23.

Smart Toner Bands

The Smart Toner is specifically designed to perform under the most progressive training style on the planet.

A robust sleeve protects the tubing core from pre-mature breakdown, wear, and failure in the field while providing an optimal length tension relationship.

The Smart Toner is functional, durable and made from the highest quality materials.

Professional athletes to the fitness beginner can use the Smart Toner Bands and see results.

Join us at a maxxfit session and see what all the fuss is about. Take yourself out of your comfort zone.

Finished

The feature exposed brick wall is now completed. However, we will be cleaning red dust out of our house for another 20 years....

Corporate Events, MAXXCAMP & House Renovations

It has been a busy last few days.
Friday I was in Brisbane holding a corporate fun and fitness day for Dr Susan Barber Orthodontics Office, which has a huge success.
Flew back to Melbourne late Friday evening and early Saturday morning was at the Tan for MAXXCAMP.
Saturday and Sunday we we did Reno's to our feature brick wall in the kitchen and will continue for a few more hours today (not fun).

Brisbane

Landed in Brisbane last night at 11pm, my flight was delayed 1hr. Slept at the maxxfit gym and had a total of 2hrs sleep. Feeling great this morning, need coffee.
Going to my favorite New Farm cafe, Vue for breakfast.
Back to Melbourne tonight at 10:20pm, it is going to be a whirlwind day.
Tomorrow is maxxcamp at the Tan starting at 6:30am, see you there....

Balance Board

The Smart Board™ is just that - smart. You have to be out of balance to develop balance. With 3 different adjustable skill levels, this balance board becomes more challenging as you improve. Wooden board with rubber traction. Wooden rocker. Use the Smart Board™ for rehabilitation and prehabilitation - the dynamic balance and proprioception demands strengthens ligaments, joints and muscles to prevent injuries. Transfers strength over to a functional sport environment. maxxfit athletes also use the balance board as a warm up to stimulate the nervous system and activate muscles prior to strength training. Stronger and safer lifts result.

Run programs

With summer fast approaching running is a fantastic way to shake the winter blues.

A great way to kick start your fitness and weight loss goals is to run. If you are in need of a program to help reach that desired distance or cut minutes of your timed runs, then I can help.

Contact me today to discuss your goals and I will help make you a stronger, fitter and more well rounded runner.

8 weeks to go until the Melbourne 1/2 and full marathon..

The Bench Press

The Bench Press is the most popular lift in the gym. It is the upper-body exercise that lets you lift the most weight.
You have several ways to Bench Press by varying grip, grip width, bench angle, etc. Some Bench Press variations are:

• Close Grip Bench Press. Shoulder width grip. Emphasis triceps.
• Reverse Grip Bench Press. Palms facing you. Also emphasis triceps.
• Incline Bench Press. From an incline bench. Emphasis shoulders.
• Decline Bench Press. From a decline bench. Allows more weight.
• Floor Press. Bench Press while lying on the floor. More triceps.

Benefits of The Bench Press. Why should you Bench Press? Here are two reasons to do the exercise.

• Builds Muscle. Bench Press if you want a big chest, as popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 70s. Front Shoulders & triceps work too.
• Builds Strength. The Bench Press is the strength training exercise that lets you lift the most weight using your upper-body muscles.

Bench Press & Shoulders Pain. Shoulder pain from doing the Bench Press is common. Switching to dumbbells or quiting the Bench Press avoids pain, but doesn't solve your shoulder problem. What you should do:

• Improve Technique. If you don't Bench Press with proper technique you'll injure yourself sooner or later. Read on.
• Fix Posture. You can't Bench Press with proper technique if you have slouching shoulders. Focus on bringing your chest forward & squeezing your shoulder-blades.
• Avoid Muscle Imbalances. The Bench Press works your front shoulders more than the back ones. If you don't strengthen these by doing the Barbell Row & Overhead Press, you'll get a muscle imbalance. Causing bad posture & thus bad Bench Press technique.

Remember to keep the tight position during the Bench Press from start to finish. Squeeze the bar, keep your upper-back tight & your chest up. Unrack the weight with straight arms. 

• Bar to Chest. Touch your chest where your forearms are perpendicular to the floor when looking from the side.
• Press in a Straight Line. Don't look at the bar. Fix a point at the ceiling. Press the bar in a straight line above your chest, not towards your face. Keep the bar above your elbows during the whole lift.

Good luck..

The Deadlift

The Deadlift is the most important exercise next to the Squat because it works all your muscles with the heaviest weights possible. Deadlifts will also teach you to pick up an object with a straight back - this will prevent injuries like hernias which usually result from repeatedly lifting with a round lower back.

How to Deadlift.
I've found proper technique to be absolutely crucial for Deadlifting big weights and eliminating lower back pain. 

1. Stand with the bar above the center of your feet - your stance should be a bit more narrow than shoulder-width to give your arms room.
2. Grab the bar overhand so your arms are vertical to the floor.
3. Bend through your knees until your shins hit the bar which must remain above the middle of your feet. Shoulder-blades directly over the bar.
4. Lift your chest but don't squeeze your shoulder-blades like on Squats. Just put your shoulders back & down, head inline with rest of your spine.
5. Pull - keep the bar close to your body, roll it over your knees and thighs until your hips and knees are locked. Do not lean back at the top.

That is all there is to it. Lower the bar by pushing your hips back first, and then bend your knees once the bar reaches knee level (NOT before otherwise the bar will hit your knees).

 

The Squat

The Squat is the most important weight training exercise because it works your whole body, not just your legs.

What Are Squats? Bend through your knees with the bar on your back until your hips come lower than parallel. Once your hip joint is lower than your knee joint you Squat up again. Popular variations of the Squat include:

Olympic Squat. High bar position, close stance & deep.
Front Squat. The barbell rests on your front shoulders.
Overhead Squat. Squats while holding the bar overhead.

Why Should You Squat? Every muscle works when you Squat: your legs move the weight, your abs & lower back stabilize it, your arms squeeze the bar, etc. The Squat is NOT just a leg exercise, it's a full body exercise.
As a result, here's what you can expect...

Build Muscle. Muscle size is directly related to strength. That's why the best bodybuilder ever, Arnold Schwarzenegger, could Squat close to 500lbs. Getting stronger at Squats is the fastest way to gain muscle.
Gain Strength. Squats strengthen your legs by working them through a full range of motion. This helps all sports but also daily activities. No more bending over to pick up an object, you can just Squat.
Gain Flexibility. Squats are proof that weight training doesn't make you inflexible. You need flexibility to Squat, and regular Squatting will help you maintain that flexibility. Especially if you sit a lot at work.
Strengthen Your Knees. Unlike what ignorant people will tell you, Squatting CORRECTLY will strengthen your knees by strengthening their surrounding muscles. Many people can rid themselves of knee pain by doing Squats.
Won't Squat Blow My Knees? If you do them wrong for months, they will. Just like any other weight training exercise (or movement!) will get you injured if you do it wrong long enough. Many idiot personal trainers and "highly educated" (but dumb) doctors will tell you to do half Squats to keep your knees safe. This is the WORST advice ever - you'll HURT your knees if you do what they say.

Here's why: your knee joint is strongest in a fully flexed/extended position, not the positions in-between. On top of that, partial Squats only strengthen your quads, not your glutes and hamstrings. That will result in muscle imbalances and injuries. Half reps are also less effective for strength and muscle gains.

If you use common sense, you'll see that Squatting parallel is the logical thing to do. Here are some examples to get you on the right track...

In many parts of the world, Squatting deep is "normal" and people do it a lot. As an example, watch this video of the Asian Squat.
Babies sit in the bottom Squat position all the time without injuring their knees. The fact that most guys lose this ability over the years, doesn't mean that Squatting parallel is bad for your knees.
Thousands of weightlifters Squat deeper than described here and with heavier weights than most guys will ever handle. Nonetheless, weightlifting has the lowest rate of injury compared to any other sport.

MAXX PERFORMANCE

Today we equaled a record for our MAXX PERFORMANCE session at Goodlife Glen Iris, 53...
If you are interested in checking it out, have a read below about the class and come see what all the fuss is about. Check the website for class times and locations.

MAXX PERFORMANCE

The maxxfit performance class is based on off season functional training for professional athletes. Sessions are always challenging, varied and fun with a mix of cardio and strength training. Be prepared to work outside your comfort zone pushing yourself to a level of fitness you could only dream about.
Cost: Free for Members of Goodlife when classes are held @ Goodlife, $15 for classes at 1442 

Malvern Rd. Duration: 1 hour

MAXXCAMP

What a great way to start your Saturday, training with a bunch of like minded people in the beautiful setting of the world famous Tan in the heart of Melbourne.

If you are ready for a early morning adrenalin hit then come and join us every Saturday morning at 6:30am. Visit the website for more details.

100 Club

Another 100 club session this morning.
1. kettlebell swings
2. Push ups
3. TRX pull ups
4. Kettlebell clean press
5. Bench squat jump
6. Back extension
7. Side plank unders
8. Tri bench dips
9. EZ bar bicep curls
Well done to all the maxxfit team who participated in our 100 club challenge this week. You all did a fantastic job. We will have another challenge for you next week...

Group Fitness

Group fitness classes are a fantastic way to increase your fitness, burn calories, meet new people and most important, have fun. At maxxfit we have a number a classes to choose from, click here to view what we offer.
Don't hesitate, join us today, you will not be disappointed...

Nike Free Running Shoe

Below is a description of the Nike Free Running Shoe. These are the shoes that I do all my training and running in. Before I used the Free's I had endless problems with my calf muscles and knee soreness. The Nike Free Shoe has helped me develop a stronger foot and ankle complex and I am now injury and pain free in my lower legs.

The Nike Free story started like many stories at Nike. It was born out of curiosity, innovation and a relentless drive to seek out new ways to help our athletes. In 2000, after traveling to Stanford University and observing that legendary Track coach Vin Lananna had been allowing his athletes to run barefoot on the soft grass of the Stanford University golf course for years, Nike researchers set out to see if all this barefoot running actually impacted the way athletes performed.

The Research Team at Nike spent years studying the natural motion of the foot during exercise. They used state-of-the-art technologies to observe athletes of all shapes and sizes. The result was undeniable.

It was clear that a runner’s biomechanics change and the foot itself behaves differently when striking the ground barefoot. The bare foot naturally distributes pressure over a greater area, reducing the impact on certain areas of the foot. Nike’s researchers and scientists knew though, that athletes could not just start running everywhere barefoot. They had to find a way to create a shoe that would encourage the foot’s natural motion without sacrificing protection.

The result was the Nike Free; a shoe unlike any other that would let athletes reap the benefits of barefoot training without actually running barefoot. But that was just the beginning. The Nike Free marked the start of a whole new way of looking at footwear, and became the inspiration for many of Nike’s most exciting innovations in recent years.

MAXXCAMP 06/08/11

Come and join us this Saturday August 6th for MAXXCAMP at the Tan, meeting on Alexandra Ave just up from the Swan St Bridge at 6:30am.

The weather is starting to warm up and the sun is rising just that little bit earlier, therefore it should be easier to get up for the session.

MAXXCAMP is a great way to kick start your fitness and shed those extra winter kilos for the summer.

We cater for all fitness levels so don't hesitate, bring a friend and join us this Saturday.

100 Club

Today at the Strength & Conditioning session we brought back an oldie but a goodie, the 100 club.
100 repetitions of:
1. Bench press
2. Off set push ups
3. Assisted chins
4. Prone barbell row
5. Upright barbell row
6. Overhead dumbbell press
7. Kettlebell squats
8. Romanian deadlift or fitball hamstring curl
9. Brazilian crunch
10. Prone fitball jack knife
11. EZ bar bicep curl
12. Tricep dips
This session is not for the faint of heart. No one finished the whole session, however a lot of them came close. Good work to all that attended, see you Friday morning. Be ready to work just as hard....