Personal Training by consultation. Personal Training by consultation
Operating as usual
20/10/2022
Sometimes you need to be willing.
Willing to participate.
Willing to lead.
Willing to give your best.
Willing to encourage others.
Willing to learn.
Willing to fail.
Willing to succeed after failure.
Partner sessions can provide all these things 💪🥵
28/09/2022
Hands up if you want more from your training?
Hands up if you are stuck in the rut of the same training programs?
Hands up if you want something different?
Something more?
I’m offering something unique, I’m not sure how to present it, yet.
This is a “train-along” trial.
To train with me.
To experiment.
To explore.
To see where you can go.
To see where I can go.
Let me know if you want to know more.
25/09/2022
Sunday sessions look a little different at my place.
07/09/2022
Spend your time doing the work instead of looking for a shortcut.
23/06/2022
As I checked the letterbox before I went for my run I discovered a parcel that I had ordered and was eagerly awaiting. The dilemma? To open this parcel or continue on my run.
The parcel?
A book.
You are probably not surprised.
“Poison - Sermons on Suffering” are the “philosophical musings…. guaranteed to motivate, admonish, inspire and critique, all linked by the inseverable bond between the physical and psychological, the mind and the heart”.
Back in the day before Instagram influencers, Facebook scammers, and woke culture, there were the curious few who played and experimented with fitness, searching for something that wasn’t marketed to you by magazines or television. If you looked hard enough through the internet you might have found a trace of intriguing truth daring you to dig deeper. I dug it.
Mark Twight wrote a weekly essay/ blog posted up as the “Sunday Sermon”. Part inspiration, part motivation, part confrontation, with regards to his experiences with mountaineering, fitness, cycling, competing, people, places and life. I couldn’t get enough and his writing probably helped shape who I am today.
I’m glad those writings have not been confined to the hard drives and servers of history and now I have a signed copy of them.
For those interested, I went for the run before opening the parcel. That much I have learned (TNSTAAFL). However, if you are really interested, you can check out where written sermons have been switched out to podcast conversations with similar effect.
Not a paid endorsement, but grateful thanks.
26/05/2022
It’s not the program that gets you results, it’s the effort you put into doing the program.
02/05/2022
The voice in your head will beat you more times than any opposition.
27/04/2022
I need less things to do on my phone, purely for the distraction point of view. I do like “old school”, I do like “analogue”, I do like to write things down, I like my diary system. However I know I can learn new tricks too, so I’ve added a booking feature to my page. These tech things are supposed to make life easier, right?
If you would like to book a pt session with me follow the Book Appointment link and we’ll see how well this system works 🤔
27/04/2022
17/04/2022
Over many years I have learnt that when I am working, I am working. But also when I am on holidays, I am on holidays. Relax, it’s just a day off😜. Time for some Jack Carr 👍
Pics or it didn’t happen.
I post a lot less often than I used to. Perhaps that’s partly to do with my age, and also partly to do with the fact that most things have been said, done, seen before (particularly with social media). There’s not that much new in the world, but, there’s always time to try something new.
A muscle-up is an athletic/gymnastic movement more specific to the sport/training philosophy of CrossFit. It’s a long way from the bench press and bicep curls gym initiation I got back in the day. Plenty of people can do muscle ups, my news feed is full of elite fitness people. So why should I post one?
Because it’s new, to me. Today, I got my first one. This one is technically my second.
11/01/2022
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. Start slow, assess your results, and make improvements. Keep it simple. Apply effort. Keep going.
Things to do on New Year’s Day.
4 hours of Dante’s Triathlon ✅
This consists of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 calories of rowing, skiing, and cycling, repeated for time (4 hours), on stationary gym equipment as devised by the crew at . This was their way to bring in the new year as a bit of a “fitness party”. Although their effort was split into teams of three and spread over 12 hours, I couldn’t convince anyone to join me, hence splitting the time by 3 and going solo. It’s probably one of the stranger things I’ve done in the gym, and, while exhausting, strangely fulfilling. Thanks to .willoughby and the fam for coming to keep me company.
For those asking, I got through 5 rounds and some change which meant all up 2324 calories🥵. I like a challenge, and when I said I’d do this, I could’ve backed out, compromised, or found something else to do, but as states “if I did what I said I would then I could ask and expect others to do the same”.
31/12/2021
New beginnings are here everyday.
As we say goodbye to 2021, remember to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for the doubt/anxiety/fear that you may have. Forgive yourself for that time you took out your frustrations on those who care about you. Forgive yourself for the time you were selfish and put yourself before others. While you’re doing this, forgive others for their own faults, for they are just like yours.
Thankyou to those who supported G Personal Training in 2021, I look forward your continued friendship.
May prosperity be there for those who work for it. 💪
01/12/2021
Again I am reminded in this last week that we only get one shot at life. You can spend your energy shouting at the clouds, or you can rejoice and dance in the rain. We all have our struggles, but keep fighting the good fight.❤️
04/09/2021
There was a moment this week where I almost let a 2 minute interaction take the wind from my sails. Some people can sure seem to suck the positive out of you, out of the room. They see the negative in everything and won’t stop until you feel unworthy, in an attempt for them to feel better about themselves, or merely just because someone else did it to them so they must repeat the cycle. For retribution is fulfilling, right? Wrong.
Negative goes nowhere, with no one.
Let it go.
Thankyou, to all those who lift others, who treat you like family, whether it is with a coffee date, a shoulder to lean on, a phone call and a listen, or a hug and a thankyou.
I can guarantee you actions like these will take you, and those you truly care about further.
I’m not just about fitness.
20/08/2021
If you were wondering why there is not a new post every few days, here is one of the reasons why.
This is the social media conversation I had to have. Social media is not going to go away. It’s not essentially bad, or good, it just is what it is. How you use it, how it affects you, and how you use it to affect others is absolutely up to you. Lately I’m finding contradictions in the way I want to use it and the way I want to communicate with people. Initially I had rules about what I was willing/not willing to do on social media. I still have them. Some things I’m more relaxed with now, but other things are more of a moral stand that I feel quite strongly about. There are quite a few fitness industry stereotypes that I won’t be a part of. I understand how bizarre it is to tell people to use less social media from the same medium. But for someone who tells people to “go out and be their best selves”, I felt it was more appropriate for me to spend more time doing the same. Don’t get me wrong, I like catching up with people, I like being able to see the great things that people are doing. But I also know that the more time I spend doing that, the more I miss out on doing myself. I’ll be here for the personal (messenger/direct message) contact, and to keep people up to date with my business, but as for the mindless scrolling and daily posts or stories to come back for regularly, not so much. There is only so much time in a day.
24/07/2021
Things are looking up. We made it to the weekend.🙌
21/07/2021
Locked down, not locked up.
Let me know how you’re dealing with it, what have you learned?
Positives only, no politics.
Communication is important.
02/07/2021
Sanctuary.
A place you can go and be yourself. Where you can enter feeling down, but emerge feeling better. A place that can uplift and enlighten. It need not be a spiritual place to gain a spiritual experience. It is a place that must be appreciated, nurtured, respected and protected. Your place may have a physical location, it may be in your mind, or it could be in your heart and soul. Wherever or whatever your sanctuary may be, it is yours.
01/07/2021
1000. Thankyou all.
22/06/2021
Went to training. Didn’t die. Rumours of a comeback are greatly exaggerated.
18/06/2021
I’m not sure when exactly it was that my wardrobe went “funeral chic”, but, like my social media accounts, it certainly lacks colour. It’s no risqué novel, but next to black, there are enough other shades of grey too. I never wanted to stand out, at least not in the flamboyant sense. If I did, I felt that I would be ridiculed over style before substance. Everyone has been guilty of fashion crimes and I’m no exception, but I’ve probably played it real safe with the black on black on black attire for some time. At some point I read that “if you are good at what you do, no one cares what you look like” and while I care what I look like, I also make it a point of mine not to seek or direct attention to it. While this is not a grab for attention, it certainly is a break from the normal. Orange is not the new black, it’s just an alternative. New merchandise coming soon.
Interpretation, perspective, narrative. I’ve enjoyed conversations recently talking about things I may not remember. Or about how I might have remembered events differently. Or about how I might choose to remember them. I used to pride myself on remembering the small details, but I’m not so sure now that I’m a little older that I can. Maybe it’s what we tell ourselves, why we remember such things so distinctly. Maybe it’s the repetition of our own (or other’s) narrative that keeps things fresh in our memory, like the “flashback” or the “instant replay”. I was a little embarrassed when I couldn’t recall an event that held enough meaning for someone else to remember. I’m not only disappointed in my ability not to remember, but also to not have the details in my brain. They are gone. In this day and age of modern information storage such as hard drives and digital history, there are many things you can find at the click of a button, but you can’t bring back the feeling of a memory that has been forgotten. Since having some of these nostalgic moments I’d love to hear about some of yours. Even if you don’t want to tell me about them, write them down, or, bring them up in a conversation with a friend. They might remember it differently.
19/04/2021
Following the recipe. Someone has done this before, right? There aren’t that many new trails left to blaze. Sure, fitness is not necessarily rocket science, but still, rocket science has been done before too, successfully, and, um, not so successfully. It proves that you can still follow a proven plan and still have it go wrong. How then, do you assess success and whether it was the right plan? Could you put it down to a human element?Was the environment conducive for success? Did you work hard enough? Self sabotage? Luck?
Before you follow any “foolproof” plans, check first that you are not a fool, and then, not following one. Recipes on the other hand are much easier. I’ll stop now because I’m just waffling on.🙄
Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated when you haven’t set yourself any goals. Sometimes it’s hard to set goals, not knowing if if they are achievable (due to outside factors). I’ve been reluctant to set any goals since, well, you know when (*cough*covid). I’ve just been working away at things, making steady progress. Along the way there have been “mini-wins” and personal bests, that only mean something to me. But today was different. I cracked 100. Never before have I lifted this weight above my head,in any type of lift, and at 45+ there are still personal bests that are achievable. The best thing was, I didn’t wake up this morning expecting it. I had no intention in going to the gym to get it. It just happened. Some things in life you chase, and some things happen because you put yourself in a place where they can happen. Sorry, it’s not normally the type of thing I post.
02/04/2021
What would happen if you pushed yourself?
12/02/2021
Plans change. Are you prepared?
05/02/2021
Serendipity.
You might find things along the way that you weren’t even looking for. The lessons I’ve learn from fitness, and interacting with people is so much more than just “three sets of twelve” or “Monday is chest and triceps” or “people really don’t like burpees”.
While I might explain how to do the exercises, and why they may help you, how you use the benefits of such exercise is up to you. The things you do might open up the experience you want to have.
Sometimes it will be something you weren’t looking for.
Something you didn’t know you needed.
Something you didn’t know about yourself.
Something that puts things in perspective.
Something that changes you.
Sometimes it surprises you.
26/01/2021
❤️ what you do
14/01/2021
Where do I start?
In a year that is already 14 days old, after a year that seemed to go forever, before a week that sees me going on holidays.
Am I even starting?
I’ve been at this for a while now and I would like to think that I’m not at the beginning stage. At the very least I should assess where I AM at. Then I can make a decision of where I want to go.
No, this is not a cryptic message, don’t read any more into it than necessary.
23/12/2020
It’s about this time every year I turn off the socials until the new year. It’s a time I am able to to reflect and feel fortunate for the support of those near to me. For those of you that found yourself distant from the ones you love I hope you get to spend some quality time with them again soon. This year has been tough on many, for many reasons, so do what you can to rectify things, or help out, rather than making them worse, or just complaining about it.
Thankyou for all that I’ve been in contact with over the year, if I’ve missed you, I’ll endeavor to make amends.
Happy festive season, however you like to spend it. 🙏
My socials might be off, but I’m always available if you need 👍
16/12/2020
Today I wasn’t the only dummy in the room.
24/11/2020
Groundhog Day.
Are we just doomed to repeat it all, over and over?
Are we learning from the experience?
Could this reset be the one you/we/I need to forget the things from the past and do it better? By remembering all that came before us, should we discern what is bad and reject it, or is it disrespectful to those before us who forged a trail and knew no better? Is it disrespectful to future generations that we know better but continue to act irresponsibly and selfishly?
Are you doing the same thing and expecting a different result?
19/11/2020
Home. Office.
17/11/2020
Adapt. Overcome.
02/11/2020
The deep end. Part 2
Just because I can, or they can, doesn’t mean that you can, or, even that if you could that you should.
I’m not trying to offend, but...
Why do you want this?
Well, what is it exactly that you want?
It depends.
Or in other ways, it deepens.
Most of the time I’ll use the ambiguous “it depends” as an answer because there is not enough information inside of the question. Yes, but. Or, no, but. There is not a perfect answer because it would depend on the person, or their circumstances. Which leads me to the most common of my answers, “it depends”.
Then the conversation gets deeper as more questions open up only more questions.
Jump in the deep end? We’ll that just depends ....
28/10/2020
The deep end. Part 1
You might only want to go in so far. Dip your toes in the water, wade in, take it easy. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But to go deeper may require a little bit more commitment.
It might require skill, or knowledge, or courage.
It might take you out of your comfort zone.
It might ask questions of you that you don’t know the answers to.
The big question.
Why do you want this?
21/10/2020
The invitation.
A lot of the time we wish or hope that we were asked, or invited to join in. To be accepted and belong, to be a part of something. The small sense of acknowledgement, that someone has noticed you, or seen what you do, and that they want, or need, or accept you. That sense of belonging and being familiar, in essence, “you do what we/I do, we/I like it, so join us/me. We/I accept you.”
It could be that you have qualities or skills that they need or could learn from. Similarly it might be they could see an opportunity that you could benefit from by collaborating.
But what if you don’t get the invite?
Sometimes, without an invitation you are left on the outside, not knowing if you are welcome, or a part of the team/group. Was the invitation implied and not asked? Was there an “open” invitation, free to all who wanted to join in? Maybe they were waiting for YOUR invitation?
Sometimes people will not know that you wanted to be invited. Or you may not know that you didn’t need to be invited.
I don’t usually invite people to train with me, it’s generally an open invitation.
But, It’s nice to feel wanted or needed, so here is the invitation. The rest is up to you.
04/09/2020
The grind. One day blending into the next until you don’t know what day it is. Working away at something, anything, until you get a chance to reveal your work. A chance to have downtime, relax maybe? Is that really what you’ve been working for? Work for the capability, which only leads to more work.
I don’t usually put up many of my personal workouts, but I purchased a new piece of gear recently and I used it accordingly. The plate carrier is an awesome piece of kit. Made in Australia by a veteran owned company with direct experience of it’s use and durability. It feels like quality, and certainly looks it. I paid retail for it, this is not a paid advertisement.
Set a timer for 2 concurrent 30 minute intervals.
Part 1.
10 rounds wearing plate carrier
10 pushups
Sled push 20m
kB carry 40m @ 2x24kg
10 squats
Finish under 30 minutes, rest in remaining time.
Part 2.
Then at 30 minutes repeat it without the vest.
There is nothing you can do about yesterday, except, be better than that today.
You’ve crossed that bridge. Set it on fire, you can’t go back.
Your old standards don’t apply here.
This is the new standard.
