Healthy Balance Fitness

Home workout: Centurian Challenge

healthy — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:26:48 +0000

Important: This workout will not be appropriate for everyone. If you are new to exercise, or if you have any injuries or health issues, do not attempt this workout. See your GP or allied health professional for advice. If you are unsure about the technique of any of these exercises, do not attempt without consulting a fitness professional.

Fitness Testing: Tony Tackles the Beep Test

healthy — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:34:12 +0000

To continue achieving fantastic results it’s important to bravely face up to some fitness testing and goal setting. Our long term client from Fitzroy, Tony, shares his story of fitness testing here…

Written by Tony – our awesome Fitzroy boot camp client since 2007

A while ago I made a promise to myself that if I ever had the opportunity to do a beep test I would definitely give it a go. So when I found out that HBF were offering fitness testing sessions on a quarterly basis including the beep test, I naturally cursed, and then decided to be true to my word.

In early February, still very much feeling the effects of an indulgent Christmas holiday I joined in on the first round of fitness testing. I was quite nervous beforehand which I guess is to be expected. After all this was different to the usual boot camp sessions. Being in ‘test mode’ and keeping a record of the results in order to set goals for improvement felt a bit daunting and confronting. Although I took comfort knowing that I wouldn’t be alone. One of the reasons I enjoy HBF bootcamp sessions so much is due to the camaraderie. No matter how much faster or stronger other participants may be we’re all still going through the same thing together at the same time. Of course the fitness test proved to be no different. It was great to meet new people from different HBF crews, and as always Jodie and Jill were a wonderful support. I was also really impressed with how discretely and respectfully the body measurements were done, and ended up walking away feeling good about the experience, proud that I’d kept my promise, and determined to do better next time!

I set myself just two goals for the May fitness test:

1) 20 push ups on my toes

2) Reach level 6.3 or better on the beep test

What I did to work towards my goals

I do the majority of my push ups on my knees so over the next three months I tried to make sure that I occasionally did a set on my toes.
I also did some push ups at home a few times a week.
For the beep test I made sure that I gave it my all in any cardio related activity we did at boot camp.
I also focused on doing quick turns with a hard push off whenever we did any running drills.
The rest of the time I just tried to push myself a little harder whenever we did exercises that related to the fitness test (e.g. trying to do 1-2 more burpees a minute than I usually do, choosing the squat jump option instead of opting for squats when I felt alright to do so).

I couldn’t believe how much difference this change of focus made to my performance in the May fitness test. I was really happy with the results. Most of all I was so surprised to see that my measurements had improved. I hadn’t set any goals in relation to this, and truth be told was expecting them to go in the opposite direction.

My Results

Test	Feb 2013	May 2013
Max Jump squats 2 mins	56	69
Max Push ups 2 mins	15 toes /22 knees	20 toes /27 knees
Max Burpees 2 mins	25	28
Wall sit hold max time	:50	:54
Plank hold max time	1:36	1:48
Beep Test (Shaun Austin App)	5.3	6.5
Optional: Measurements
Chest cm	114	113
Waist cm	116	107
Hips cm (widest point)	114	112.5
Thigh cm (at thumbline)	67	62
Bicep cm (mid point)	39	37

I’m now looking forward to the third instalment of the fitness test in August. I’ve got my sights set on:

holding a 2 minute plank
breaking a minute for that dreaded wall sit
smashing out 32 burpees
80 squat jumps
25 push ups on my toes (already on my way with 22 at home just last night) with another 32 on my knees.
I’m aiming to reach level 7.5 or higher on the beep test (which got me started on all this in the first place)
A 2cm reduction for each measurement as well.

Thanks HBF for giving me the chance to do a beep test, and everything that has gone with it in the process! I hope this encourages a few people to give the August fitness test a go. Better yet, why wait?? Why not do some baseline testing right now (all it takes is a stop watch, measuring tape, and beep test app) and set yourself some goals for the August testing session.

I look forward to seeing you there

Cheers Tony

Do you have any questions, comments or high fives for Tony? Share them in the comments below…

Home exercise: Quick core blitz workout

healthy — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:13:00 +0000

A fast workout to improve core stability – repeat 3 x per week!

Home workout: Burpee Challenge!

healthy — Sun, 05 May 2013 02:46:03 +0000

High Intensity, Quick Workout: Sevens

healthy — Sun, 05 May 2013 02:40:43 +0000

Boost your fitness results with our Fitness Testing Session

healthy — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:59:32 +0000

How do you know if you are getting fitter and stronger?

Join us for a fun and non-threatening testing session for all levels!

Fitness testing is the best way to:

Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and know what to improve

Help you with goal setting

Monitor your progress over time

Provide motivation and incentives

All participants perform the tests together – no embarrassment

Tests include:

Beep test, upper and lower body muscular endurance, core stability

Optional body measurements for those interested

We’ll send you your results via email and you can compare them each quarter.

All clients, friends and family welcome!

Saturday May 4th, 10:30am – 11:30am

Swinburne Community Recreation Centre Ovals
120 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East

$10 for current clients

$19 for non-clients (friends, family, past clients)

Purchase your ticket now…

Sell Tickets through Eventbrite

Why wasn’t my race as fast as I expected?

healthy — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:56:22 +0000

Factors that affect your running performance

Every now and then, our fun run time or our running time trial is disappointingly not what we expected. There are many factors that affect your running performance on any given day.

If your time doesn’t hit the goal you set for yourself, here are the factors to consider:

Nutrition: Did you prepare for the event with a snack or meal 90 mins-120 mins prior? Have you skipped meals today? Have you been eating good quality foods and getting enough kilojoules? Dieting, very low carbs, low protein, can all affect your energy and performance.

Hydration: Do you drink enough water? Gulping a litre prior to a race or time trial is useless and uncomfortable. Aim to stay hydrated all week by keeping water with you.

Sleep: Poor quality, short or interrupted sleep will affect your energy and performance. Get into a good routine with your sleeping habits!

Iron levels: It’s quite common for women to be low in iron. If you’ve been feeling fatigued most days, don’t write it off as ‘being busy’, see your GP for a blood test to check your iron levels. Your exercise performance will be severely affected if your iron is low.

Commitment to training: Did you do the training that needed to be done? Did you attend classes and complete your homework? Performance improvements don’t just magically happen because time has passed and you’ve set a goal. You need to commit to the work required to reach the goal.

Pacing: With experience comes the ability to pace yourself under race conditions as well as during training runs. Finding your ideal pace to start steady and finish hard, as well as dealing with steep hills can be tricky. Practice and experiment. Definitely don’t be swept up in someone else’s pace that’s vastly different to your own. At every fun run there’s a bunch of people who run hard for the first kilometre and end up walking soon after. Don’t ride their wave!

Effort level on the day: Did you give it your all on the day? If you finished and felt like you had quite a bit left in the tank, you’ll need to up your efforts. Some fire in the belly where you’re competitive against your own personal bests is helpful.

Other runners: Invariably if you do a time trial on your own, you won’t perform as well when there is a group of runners with you. Fun Runs are an inspiring way for us to achieve our best times. The crowd, the other runners and the atmosphere help to change our mental state and spurs us on. I’ve found that time trials in a large group result in even better performances than time trials in small groups.

Stress levels or emotion: If you’re really stressed or upset about something it’s unlikely you’ll run your best. Running is a fabulous way to manage stress and emotions, so don’t skip the run, just keep in mind this is not the best time to assess your performance levels.

Music: Having inspiring tunes on during your workout has been shown to significantly decrease the level of perceived effort. What does this mean? It means that when listening to music you feel like you’re not working as hard as when there’s no music, even when you’re working at the same level! Use this to help you get that edge on your performance.

Experience: It’s a fact of life that new runners will improve in leaps and bounds. We see dramatic time trial improvements in our beginners, however the more seasoned runner you are the smaller the improvements you’ll achieve. Adjust your expectations so they’re realistic – have a chat with your run trainer.

Our running trainer, Jono suggests:

What to think about during a race/time trial
breathing, foot strikes, foot speed, perceived effort, relaxing shoulders, maintaining good technique

What NOT to think about during a race/time trial
work, chores, to do lists, daily stresses

Have we missed any? Share your tips below…

Who’s your fitness hero? How my attitude to exercise was formed

healthy — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:39:01 +0000

Everyday fitness heroes inspire you to set goals, support you to stick to healthy habits, and celebrate your achievements as if they were their own. Who’s your fitness hero?

My father has undeniably shaped my attitude towards exercise. From early primary school, I learned that exercise was just a regular part of the week, and a fun one at that.

Dad volunteered as a time keeper at Little Athletics, and warmly encouraged my brother and I to do our best efforts at the weekly meet that we adored. Despite my highly mediocre achievements, I loved participating and that had so much to do with Dad helping us create scrapbooks of our events and results. The 6th place tickets were saved with just as much pride as the rare 1st places. It was all about giving it a go.

I took it for granted that everyone had active hobbies. My earliest memories involve me tagging along to Dad’s pennant squash games, or walking around golf courses. As soon as I could ride a bike, I would ride alongside Dad while he jogged the neighbourhood, my little legs relieved when he’d push me up the killer hills of the outer East of Melbourne. I’d learn running technique tips and how Dad liked to make a rhythm out of his breathing on long runs.

In our household, we often joked that exercise was the only medicine for a bad mood. If Dad was grumpy, my mother would quietly say “Your father needs to go to gym” and she was right. We also learned that relaxation and exercise went hand in hand, when Dad would sign up to the local gym for two weeks during our family holidays. We never heard the words “have to”, “fat loss”, or “diet” when it came to keeping fit. Exercise as medicine, enjoyment, reward and fun.

It was when I started tagging along to my Dad’s aerobics classes that I was bitten by the bug. I adored the instructor’s routines and music, imagining myself a mini Olivia Newton-John. Although the moves, the tunes and the outfits are now hilariously dated, the spirit of group fitness is much the same. I adored the camaraderie between participants, the natural support and encouragement that emerges, and the passion of the instructors to inspire and inform. I created mix tapes and routines and hoped I’d one day be courageous enough to lead a fitness group.

Decades later, and my Dad is my number one fan in my group fitness classes. In fact, in my brother’s group fitness classes too! His awesome example resulted in both his children becoming fitness professionals. Now in his mid 60’s, my father still sees exercise as rewarding, fun, and medicinal. He can run 15 kilometres, smash out 70 jump squats, and hold a plank for 2 minutes.

I’m incredibly lucky and grateful that my attitude towards exercise was shaped by such a role model.

Who’s your fitness hero? What example will you set for your children, family and friends? Share your early memories of exercise and your thoughts below. Go on, give them some credit and a huge thanks by mentioning them!

Tips for making early morning wake ups easier

healthy — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:08:19 +0000

Our Trainers share their tips for waking up early

Are you finding it tough to get out of bed early enough to exercise before work? I thought our trainers could assist with tips for early rising – since most of us rise between 4:30am and 5:30am daily to keep our participants exercising hard. And we’re not all natural “morning people”! Over the 15 years I’ve been in the fitness industry I’ve just had to learn to cope.

Here some of our trainers share their tips on how they get up so early…

Michael (Corporate boot camps)
“Keep a regular time of wake ups and going to bed even when you’re not training in the morning. And use two alarm clocks!”

Michelle (East Hawthorn & Richmond boxing and boot camp, Tough Bloke training & Corporate boot camps)
“Get to bed early enough to ensure at least 7 hours sleep”

Shannon (Richmond boxing & boot camp, General run group, Tough Bloke training)
“Preparation. Get to bed early the night before, eat well the night before and rest your body. Set your alarm 30 mins earlier than you need. Give yourself a little extra time in the morning to wake up before you head to your class or the gym. Prepare your clothes, breakfast etc the night before – avoid rushing around, give yourself time to come into the world and let your mind focus.”

Jono (Caulfield, Fitzroy, Richmond Boxing & Boot Camp, General Running Program)
“I never used to be a fan of mornings either… if you get it out of the way early, you will feel 10 times better for the rest of the day. You won’t have to worry about it again! You can then spend evenings with your family and friends.”

Chris (Fitzroy boxing & boot camp)
“Go to bed early and wake up to water”

Matt (CBD & Caulfield boot camp, General running group)
“Put your alarm clock in a position where you cannot reach it from your bed, making it harder to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Also get your exercise kit, work clothes & breakfast ready the night before if possible.”

Jill (Fitzroy boot camp & boxing, Corporate Classes)
“If it’s not too uncomfortable, sleep in your work out gear (especially in winter) – then all you have to do when the alarm goes off is get up, throw on your shoes, grab your keys and head out the door! Also, don’t think about it – just do it!”

Jodie (Director of HBF & General running group instructor)
“Don’t make it negotiable. You are getting up no matter what. If you start to look at your early morning workout like it’s your ‘job’ to be there you won’t reconsider. I can’t decide not to go to my early morning classes – neither should you! Set two alarms so if one doesn’t go off the other one will wake you. Make sure one is over the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. See your early morning rises as an important commitment not a choice”

What are your tips for making an early wake up easier? Share them below…

Win unlimited fitness classes for you and a friend for 3 months!

healthy — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:48:46 +0000

Enter our draw to win!

Imagine what you could achieve with unlimited boxing, boot camp and running classes for 3 months. And if you win you get to bring along a friend for maximum motivation!

Total prize valued at $1,200.

All you need to do is Like us on Facebook and fill in your details. EASY!

Click the image below to enter. Good luck! Competition closes March 13th, 2013 10:00am Aust EST.

(Open to Australian residents only)