Here's another post workout snack, ideal if you're not into nuts, or allergic!

This recipe is yummy - I sourced it from BodyRockTV - a great source of crazy workouts too.

Ingredients:

1c rolled oats

2c almond meal

4 tbsp honey

1 c carrots

1/2c shredded coconut (or you can use slivered almonds)

4 tbsp coconut oil

- Nutritional Breakdown is 28 balls : per ball 109 calories / 7g fat (with almonds), 3g protein, 9g carbs

How to make them:

Cook up carrots, and mash with potato masher.

Put rolled oats in blender, and blend up to make an oat 'flour'. 

Combine oats, with almond meal and honey, then add in coconut oil and carrots. Mixture should be moist, but if it's too moist and sticky, then add some more almond meal. You could even add in some LSA mix as well if you wanted to add in more health fats.

Roll into small balls then coat in the coconut (or slivered almonds). 

Place on greased oven tray, bake for about 25 minutes on 160 deg Celsius.

Balls will be soft when they come out, so wait until the cool for about 10 minutes, then put all in fridge for another 10 minutes to really chill. This will ensure they stay together better.

Enjoy!!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Ingredients:

The basic ingredient list is:

1 c crushed cornflakes or rice crisp cereal. I used the Protein 1 cereal combined with some puffed brown rice cereal I found in the organic section.

1/2 c sunflower seeds - de hulled!

1/2 c sesame seeds.

1/4 c sliced or slivered almonds - I used dry roasted.

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 c honey.

- I doubled this recipe and it made 33 bars about matchbox size.

Nutritional breakdown for my bars came out at approx:

229 calories per bar, with 4.96g protein, 6.12g fat (good fats!), 12.29 g of carbs. A good pre or post workout snack.

How to make them:

First, combine the sunflower and sesame seeds and put in non stick frypan on low-med heat to 'toast'.

Then combine all ingredients, except honey in a big bowl.

Measure out honey and put in saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 8 minutes.

Pour in honey, and mix together whilst in pan.

Eat :-)

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

We've finalised our Christmas Training Timetable, so you can download it here and keep it handy!

ATBXMAS.pdf Download this file

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Coming in February - A running group for newcomers through to advanced focusing on improving your running fitness and technique.

The sessions will be designed to get you fit for fun runs and other events on the running calendar each year. There are so many on the calendar to choose from!

Run for fun is being developed to help beginners right through to advanced runners achieve their desired running goals.

Whether you are looking to complete your first fun run, train for an improved personal best time or simply want to get into great running shape our run for fun squad will keep you focused and ensure you achieve your desired goals.

Keep an eye out for our new timetable with all run squad sessions listed!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Realistically though, we often think we have to schedule an hour or so to exercise effectively, when this simply isn't necessary.

If time really is your big excuse, then don't worry - we're going to be launching a whole series of simple, effective and quick workouts that you can do at home in around 20 minutes.

Keep an eye out for our first few by the end of this week - simply visit our website and look under the Training tab, where you will find our Home workout programs.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The best time to start getting yourself into shape for the warm weather is now. 

First of all, set yourself a goal - think about the body that you want, and some great incentives to help keep you on track. I've been getting clients to find an image of someone's body that they would like to realistically work towards, and put that on a 'focus board'. Add a picture (oversized) of your happy face over the top of the body - it has to be slightly comical to make you smile.  

Then around that, put pictures of say, a holiday you are working towards, like pictures of a beautiful beach on an island that you would like to visit in the next 6-12 months. Or, add in other things that you are working towards. Every time you look at this board, you need to be reminded of what you want to achieve, and how good you'll feel when you do!

Then set a plan of action. If you know what things trigger your failure to adhere to a plan, then write these things down, and think about what steps you can put in place to avoid this from happening again. One of the biggest excuses that I hear, is a lack of time to exercise. Everyone is too busy with everything these days. It just seems that our health doesn't rate that highly in important things, until it's gone.

You don't need to spend an hour a day exercising to get the body you want. Quite the contrary.

All you need to do is firstly, tighten up your Nutrition. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet, so invest in a good nutrient rich program. We use and recommend Matt O'Neill's Metabolic Jumpstart Program. Easy to use, easy to follow, and.. IT WORKS!

Secondly, get moving! The best exercise is something that you will enjoy and stick to. If you've got kids, take them to the park and kick a ball around. Whatever you do, make sure that you can combine some cardio exercise - short bursts of intervals are best for burning calories, or find some hills to walk or run up, walk down. Invest in a skipping rope! Add in some resistance training - bodyweight is fine - think squats, lunges, pushups, crunches, chinups etc.  If you need accountability and education in the best ways to do things, either invest in some personal training sessions, or join in some group personal training sessions. Or have a trainer guide you through a program that you can do at home, with check-ins and updates every 4-6 weeks.

Thirdly, make some relaxation time.

We have put together a great introductory group training deal to help get you in shape for summer... check it out here!

Make this winter the one you put your health and body first!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

If rainy days are the undoing to all your good intentions, then how about planning some super quick indoor bodyweight sessions?

There really isn't any excuse to not exercise, even if the thought of stepping outside is not to your liking.

Some simple bodyweight exercises can be performed in circuit fashion, quickly to not only elevate your heart rate, but to burn some of that winter flubber away.

Make sure you warm up with some skipping or marching on the spot with big arm circles, and then give these a go:

Workout A.

10 squats

10 pushups

10 situps

10 star jumps

- Repeat 3-5 times through non-stop for time. 

Workout B.

10 stationery lunges each leg (make sure front knee lines up with 2nd/3rd toes and back knee is bent with heel raised and weight down through back leg)

10 mountain climbers each leg (in full pushup position, pull alternate knees up to chest as if running on spot)

10 oblique crunches (each side) (lie on back with knees bent, lift upper body and reach across to opposite knee) 

10 burpees (see picture)

- Repeat 3-5 times through non-stop for time. Make a note of your time, for both workouts and next time it's rainy outside, try and better it!

Make sure you stretch and cooldown for 3-5 minutes after, and you're done!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

... or haven't you had a chance yet to sit down and set some?

If your goal was to lose weight, you might have set a non specific goal like, 'I will eat less and exercise more'.

You need to get more specific around how much less you will eat, and of what? Also, how you are going to exercise, how often and where.

Your 'eat less' goal, may translate to.... I will not eat any cakes or biscuits at work, and replace these with healthy snacks - particularly when it's birthday celebration time as I know this can be my downfall.

Your 'exercise more' goal may be... I will go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6am for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Recent studies show that by using this technique you will have much higher success rates.

Start implementing these strategies now into your goal setting and get off the merry-go-round!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

..and not be one of the many Australians who end up around 3 kilos heavier at the beginning of the new year!

No. 1 - even though it may advertise being open on Christmas Day... avoid McDonalds - or forever enjoy your bingo wings.

2. Plan out your week's meals. In this plan, include all scheduled 'activities' that may involve poor eating or drinking choices. Make sure you plan to eat 100% clean in and around these planned indulgences. You have to plan to fail, as much as you have to plan for success. This way you avoid the old conundrum, of... oh heck, I've blown it now so I may as well chow down on another 10 packs of chips.

3. Plan out when you can exercise. If you can only fit in 10-20 minutes every couple of days, don't use this as an excuse that you haven't got time. You have - so just make the most of it. Get a skipping rope, do some skips, squats, pushups, hold plank, do lunges, burpees, more skipping. A few rounds of this will have you gasping for breath - and burning calories!

4. Enjoy yourself, but just take all the above into account and you should get through relatively unscathed.

5. Get straight back into your normal routine as soon as you can! Set more goals, mini goals and longer term goals.

6. Keep a food & exercise diary to make sure you are accountable. 

I hope everyone has a safe and happy festive season and that you plan & achieve all your goals for 2011.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Quite often I hear the same thing from my clients that just can’t seem to shift the kilos… ‘but I don’t eat anything bad..no junk food, cakes, cookies or takeaways…’ and still they can’t lose weight…. Quite often it’s the portion sizes that are to blame.

US Professor Brian Wansink coined the term ‘Portion Distortion' to describe the upward trend in the size of snacks and meals people are consuming. 

It is really important to be aware of your portion sizes as obviously, larger portions mean more calories consumed. It doesn’t matter how well you are eating, if your portions are too large, they will be the thing that prevents you from getting the body you want.

How Do Your Serves Stack Up?

The following servings and serving sizes are based on a recommendation for adults wishing to lose weight. Depending on your age, gender and physical activity you may need to vary the amounts. There are many ways to determine your individual requirements, either by speaking with a nutritionist or dietician, or utilizing online nutrition programs such as www.metabolicjumpstart.com or Nutrition Complete 

Meat or Alternatives - 3 Serves

• 100g cooked lean meat (chicken, beef, lamb etc)
• (about the size of your palm)
• 2/3 cup cooked legumes and pulses (eg. lentils, chickpeas, 3 bean mix)
• 2 eggs
• 200g tofu

Dairy - 2 Serves

• 400ml skim milk
• 300ml reduced fat milk
• 200ml whole milk
• 200g tub of reduced fat yoghurt
• 2 slices (40g) low fat cheese
• 150g low fat cottage cheese

Fruit - 2 Serves

• 1 medium apple, orange, banana, etc (150g)
• 3 small apricots, plums, etc (150g)
• 22 grapes
• 3 fresh dates

Vegetables - 5 Serves

• ½ cup (75g) cooked green vegetables
• 1 cup salad vegetables

Starch - 3 Serves

• 1 slice (30g) bread
• ½ cup of cooked pasta or rice
• 1/4c muesli
• 1/2c breakfast cereal (all bran, bran flakes)
• 1 small potato or sweet potato
• ½ large corn cob
• 2 weetbix

How do your portions measure up to these on a daily basis?

When it comes to wanting to change your body and your health, and succeeding, you must remember the famous Bruce Lee quote :

'Knowing is not enough, we must apply, willing is not enough, we must do' 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Summer is getting close, and with it comes a flurry of activity with people jogging, walking and joining gyms in an effort to get in shape for the warmer weather. Sales figures for treadmills and assorted abdominal equipment and other gizmos generally go through the roof.

People start out well, then their progress plateaus and just when they need to be running further … they run out of patience – and time. Let’s face it – who really has the time to spend an hour or more pounding away on a treadmill or footpath for 6 sessions a week?

There is a better way to produce maximum results, in less time and that is by adding interval training into your weekly routine.

Interval training brings high intensity cardio work into your exercise program, which is proven to:

·    Boost your metabolism both during exercise and for many hours after

·    Preserve lean muscle (you need muscle for better metabolism)

·    Provide significant increases in aerobic capacity – which results in increased endurance and stamina

·    Provide a faster conversion rate of body fat to energy

 Best of all, you can do them in 10-20 minute bursts!

How to get started

Working to your optimum level of intensity is key to intervals. It is important to be exercising at a level of intensity that will have you struggling to finish the last seconds of the interval. Intensity is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 is pretty much standing still, 5 is a light jog and 10 is running as if your life depended on it.

If you’re an absolute beginner, then going at it like your life depended on it would prove counterproductive. A 10 for Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is one thing – a 10 for you starting out might be walking as fast as you can or jogging until you start losing your breath. It means going as intensely as you can. So listen to your body and learn to distinguish the difference between pushing it hard and pushing it over the limit.

As a beginner to intervals, a good place to start is by incorporating 30 second bouts of high intensity with 90 seconds of rest (this is known as a 1:3 work to rest ratio) – again, listen to your body. If 30 seconds sounds or feels like too much to start, take it down a notch and start at 15 seconds of intensity and 45 seconds of rest.

An example of a program might be:

30 seconds sprinting (or fast running)

90 seconds rest

30 seconds burpees

90 seconds rest

30 seconds star jumps

90 seconds rest

30 seconds skipping rope

90 seconds rest.

Repeat.

Ensure you warm up for 5 minutes with a brisk walk or jog, and cool down for 5-7 minutes at the end with a light walk/jog and stretch.

As your fitness levels increase, then you can gradually decrease the rest periods. An intermediate program would be for 30 seconds of intensity; 60 seconds rest (1:2 work/rest ratio) and an advanced program would be 30 seconds of intensity, 30 seconds rest (1:1 work/rest ratio).

It is recommended that you incorporate intervals every second day, and for maximum results, intersperse that with resistance (weight) training and allow your body 1 full day of rest. You will be on the road to a fantastic body for summer before you know it!

*It’s important to note, if you are just starting out on a fitness program, we always recommend you seek medical clearance prior to commencement.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Republic of Skin was started with 3 simple things in mind - namely skin care & knowledge at great prices offered up with outstanding service.

We are proud to announce that Republic of Skin is offering Attitude to Burn clients 10% discount on their services. But you have to call me for the code!

Republic of Skin  are located at 281 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul
Ph: 4268 3558

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

to your inner slug over winter?

Does the thought of Summer being only 7 weeks away have you filled with dread?

Do you need someone to help motivate you through your darkest hour (of chocolate need)?

We can help! We have extended our Spring/Summer group outdoor fitness timetable so there are no excuses! There are early morning sessions, mid morning sessions and afternoon/evening sessions all designed to get your heart rate up and burn those calories & whittle away those kilos.

Call us now for your free week's group fitness trial and be well on your way to 6 kilos lighter by the time summer hits! 

Ph 0430 605 701 to book in now for your free group outdoor fitness trial in Wilton, Helensburgh, Bulli or Thirroul.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The body can sometimes appear to work in mysterious ways. We are so bombarded with diet information and more often, misinformation, that it can be really hard to know what is going to be best for us.

Here are some quick tips to help you on your way to success:

1. Drink plenty of water. Aim for about 2L per day if you are active. If we don't drink enough fluid, our body tends to hold onto the fluid that we do have. 

2. Eat fat - good fats! Yes, we are bombarded with the low fat/ no fat message,  but I swear this is why we are becoming more obese. When foods are generally listed as low fat or no fat, you need to check the sugar content - this is usually increased if fat has been decreased to help improve the flavour. Hello Diabetes! We need to eat a certain amount of dietary fat in our diets (stear clear of the trans-fats though!). Again, if we don't eat enough fat in our diet, our bodies tend to retain that too! Whenever you 

3. Reduce processed foods in your diet. Try and eat foods as close as possible to how they are in nature. Try to ensure your diet is full of lean meats, fresh vegetables, wholegrains and fruits. 

4. Plan to fail. This is a big one in my books. Too often we set out on 'diets' only to fail miserably, beat ourselves up and then fall in a heap of chocolate. Nobody is perfect. We should never aim to be 100% on plan with our food/nutrition. Aim to have 1 or 2 cheat meals a week to keep you sane and sociable! Just don't go overboard with them.

5. Plan your week's meals ahead of time, and ensure you shop for the week ahead. The better prepared you are, the less likely you are to fall prey to the takeaway game!

6. Lastly, just watch your portion sizes. Think of your lean meat serving as being the size of a deck of cards, your starchy carbs (rice, potato, pasta) as being the size of your fist or a tennis ball, and loads of green leafy, red & yellow vegetables.

Photo courtesy of:

Image: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Just a reminder our timetable is slightly altered over the long weekend....

Saturday: 7am - Couch to 5km/Jog Squad (there will be no 8am Bodyweight Blast)

Monday: 4pm - 1 1/2 hour Super Session - X-Training/Boxing/Games

Monday: 5.30pm - Couch to 5k group Wk 4 commences.

Normal Timetable resumes on Tuesday - but now we'll have Daylight Saving!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Okay, we've gone a little bit crazy and decided that you can bring a friend along to any of our Group Personal Training sessions in the first 2 weeks of October for absolutely FREE!

This offer is available for all of our Group Personal Training sessions in Thirroul, Bulli, Helensburgh & Wilton.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The revised timetable for that period is attached

ATBSepOctHolidaycalendar.pdf Download this file

The venues are also listed for each with the time - only change being Bulli morning Bootcamp will just meet at Bulli Park for the 2 week holiday period. Plus, you'll be having a special mystery guest trainer...

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Our 6 week Lean Abs Challenge has now been completed, with just a few more people to measure. So far we have had some awesome results with great losses recorded from two measurement sites - those being the belly button, or umbilicus area and the narrowest part of the waist.

Our challengers have scored losses from 4cm through to 11cm. 

All they had to do was combine our Group Outdoor fitness sessions with a Metabolic Jumpstart program. It's that easy!

If you would like to have Lean Abs for summer, then call us now to book in for your free consultation/session.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »