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11/08/2020
This is a question that often perplexes me when it comes to seeing (or not seeing as the case may be) people take action on the most important thing one can do, bar none. It is hard I know because why would you want to invest in something that takes a reasonable length of time to show a return on investment? It is a world of, I want it now! When you buy a new car, you get the instant feedback on that new car smell and that pleasing shiny look as it sits parked in your driveway. Not so when it comes to health and fitness. You pay, then you work which are two relatively painful things. Although I would say that when fitness training is done right, you should walk out the door of the gym feeling better than when you came in. You should not be exhausted, injured or wishing you stayed in bed. In reality, it is far easier to keep your head down and not really look at what is happening. This is why I say, ”awareness” is your very first step on the journey to better health. I guess if you understand the importance of investing your finances then the principle for improving your health and fitness is exactly the same. Often people will come to us after years of not ever weighing themselves or looking in to a full length mirror or observing the changing shape of their image in photos over the years. I mean it is easy to write off these […]
21/01/2016
At Best Practice, we are big on behaviour change and we like to use every little psychological trick in the book to achieve it. When it comes to the best tricks, I look at how games are designed and then use the addictive nature of such ingenious methodology to mould the action of clients towards the ‘good’ habits, as opposed to the numerous bad ones we form, seemingly without even trying. And you know what, I think that last point is key – ‘without even trying’. When I finish a workout now, I almost can’t wait to tick the box in our systems that says, in graphical form, “hey you got something done pal”. My little calendar, which is easily accessible on my smart phone displays a little orange man on the day when ever I have completed a workout. As simple as that is, the accumulation of little men means I know at a glance that I am active in that week, and I will do almost anything to make sure I can tick the box that means I get a little icon to show up. I guess another big reason this works is because ‘being active’ is one of my KPI’s for a good life and like anyone, I want a good life. We use this method with our clients and members because it is easier to drive new behaviour with the simple rather than the complex. You should give it a go. Even a simple walk get’s you a tick and an orange man. Our two group […]
21/01/2016
It’s the time of year for the ra ra. Same old, same old goal setting blah blah! If that is how you see it, I want you to stop what you are doing and go to take a good hard and long look at yourself in the mirror. If you can maintain the wonder of a child you will live an awesome life. Do you want an awesome life? Come on, don’t be an oxygen thief! There’s not that much room on the planet. Participate, contribute and understand that unless you can play the violin like fiddler on the roof and impact people’s emotions, sing like an opera singer in a concert hall, swing a racket like Roger Federer, make chess moves like the Bobby Fischer, make business moves like Warren Buffett, present like Steve Jobs did, act like Robert Deniro…….and so many other things that I can’t even think of, then you have no business being cynical about setting goals and shooting for stuff because the job will never be done. I don’t know about you, but that makes this life exciting and motivating. It is the process that matters too – engagement in the activity and just plain old ‘taking action’. The best people I like to hang out with are always creating, thinking, doing, laughing, planning and aiming for new things. Now, if you have stared in that mirror long enough and thought about all the things worth chasing or trying, then there is no time to be bored, cynical or tired. Get to it! Shimmering eyes, […]
18/09/2015
Is there anything better than a good night’s sleep? Research is now telling us that it is much more than just a subjectively ‘good’ thing to do. Let’s have a look at the magical power of sleep… How’s this for a list of general benefits? If you’re wanting to reach optimal levels of brain power, make sure you rest nicely. Just as we need enough rest to function physically on a day to day basis, your brain needs enough also to be most productive and efficient. This seems like common sense, but it’s definitely worth mentioning at least as a reminder. Creativity – getting the right amount of sleep essentially works its magic on your brain which enhances your creativity levels. So if you’re thinking about taking your art supplies out on a beautiful sunny Saturday, make sure your Friday night sleep is a good one! Some of you might find it hard to believe, but sleep has actually been shown to improve your memory. “How?” I hear you ask… Research shows that you actually practice certain things you learned (or attempted to learn) while you were awake whilst you sleep! If you’re thinking about going on a diet, have a think about this: in the brain, the same sector are in control of metabolism and sleep. Diet studies have found more fat loss is associated with well rested people. This one might seem pretty obvious, but getting adequate rest helps you improve your quality of life. If you’re resting too little (or even way too much), the way you feel on a […]
02/09/2015
Boy oh boy, do we have a great success story to share! The person involved in this story is 43 year old David Heath who is a previous Best Practice Personal Training member. Read what David has to say below: “I thought you could pat yourself on the back for some habits from my Brisbane days. I always remember you telling me “you can’t out-train a bad diet….“, so I’ve finally got around to doing something about it (after my wife, Narelle, said she wanted to do something as she had been feeling lethargic etc). Not advocating one particular diet over another or anything (I still have my Precision Nutrition/examine.com feeds directly feeding into my inbox) but Narelle landed on whole30.com as it didn’t seem too ‘left of centre’/extreme. I simply ate fresh fruit & veg + meat and gave up dairy/sugar/alcohol/processed grains for 30 days (& threw the scales away) to see what happened. I definitely haven’t skimped on portion sizes & have enjoyed cooking up eggs/mushrooms/tomatoes/salmon for most breakfasts! Always feeling full so not a starvation diet. Well today was day 31 so I actually weighed/measured myself and was pretty amazed at the results: 66.5kgs, 77.5cm waist – so dropped ~6kgs & 5-6cm off my waistline. I don’t think I’ve had such a low weight/waist measurement since early uni days. I think I got to 80cm whilst in Brisbane working with Best Practice but definitely not as low as 77.5cm. I am still riding regularly (200-250km/week) & started lifting weights again so keeping the exercise up (I […]
06/08/2015
A new healthy lifestyle… One of the things that gives us great satisfaction and in fact is the reason we do what we do, is seeing clients/members of ours achieve big goals. Now, it is not always about fat loss and massive body transformation, but it is always about simply ‘feeling better’. Brett Campbell started with us about 12 months back and has actually achieved both of these things. Check out the picture below to see the change he has experienced. It is very inspiring. And what is even more inspiring is that he is still going – he is building more strength after a great initial effort and continually improving his nutrition and activity levels. Life is feeling much better with 20+kg less, a slimmer waist and more energy. Good on you Brett for finding that new healthy lifestyle! It is now your new habit which means will power is no longer needed. It’s just what–you–do.
15/07/2015
As I hear asked over and over again, what are the fat loss methods that work??? Here at Best Practice Personal Training in Bowen Hills, we specialise in combining behavioural change with the most well researched training methods. You can have a look at our services on our website at www.bestpracticept.com.au. When it comes to fat loss methods that actually work, different approaches can work for different people. In saying that, the top 5 things to do if you really want to start losing body fat now and then manage it for the rest of your life are as follows: Get your head right: Science has now proven that what you think on a regular basis directly affects your actions. It is no longer a cute coffee cup platitude to say “so as doth think, thou wilt be”. By implementing goal setting (i.e. writing it down and practicing positive thinking) you are carving a new groove of thinking which will lead to the new (desired) action. You absolutely must do strength training. There is no escaping this fact. If you do not lift weights you will lose 2-4 kg of muscle mass per decade meaning that your ability to burn energy will diminish. This essentially means the older you get, the fatter you get. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be that way at all. Build muscle and burn body fat. It’s that simple. You have to move more on a regular basis. You burn calories by being active, but you can burn more calories if you are […]
09/07/2015
The question most people want answered when they decide to to get fit and healthy is how do I burn up those excess calories as quickly and effectively as possible…? Should I do strength or cardio training? The answer, my exercise loving friends, is BOTH! Wonderful, isn’t it? 🙂 There are many facets to this debate, and the calorie thing should not be the only consideration. Improving general health and fitness is a combination of many things, not being limited to weight control. Don’t forget to think about flexibility, heart health, functional strength to perform daily tasks and postural correction, just to name a few. There is no argument when it comes to the fact that cardiovascular training will burn more calories in a session. However, it is worth keeping in mind that when you are actually lifting weights you are burning more calories, it is the rest time needed in strength training that limits the total calories burned in a session. It is worth noting however that higher total calories burned doesn’t necessarily translate to greater body shape transformation. A well designed strength training routine is likely to have a greater impact on body composition than cardiovascular training on a session for session basis. This is because while it will be burning less total fat content, it is simultaneously increasing lean muscle mass (and this helps out those before and after photos more than you can imagine). The crucial point above is ‘on a session for session basis’ – a drawback with strength training is that your muscles need time to repair themselves. So you need longer […]
08/07/2015
We make a living by what we get. We make a life from what we give. – Winston Churchill. I believe the best thing you can ‘give’ is a great example. I am thinking specifically here about family and health. In health and fitness, it is all about a getting into a consistent routine. When you can display this in your own life, you will start to see it multiply around you. Your kids will model what you do. Have you ever heard the saying “I can’t hear your words because your actions are screaming so loudly”? If you are wondering why your kids aren’t getting outside to play whilst all you ever do is crack a beer and slouch down on the couch, then maybe it is time to think what kind of picture you are giving them of life. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed and all you ever do is give. Well, the idea that charity starts at home is well worth considering. When was the last time you gave something to yourself? When did you last carve out some ‘you time’? I have mentioned this concept before. You are no good to anyone if you are feeling this way. You need to factor in some ‘energy up’ time. Let’s also not forget recovery and recuperation. It is a salient point that the most gains in fitness happen when you are NOT doing anything. But of course you have to do the ‘something’ first! So harking back to the wise words of Winston… You can make your own […]