How To Build Muscle, Honestly and Healthily

Arnie as a teenager (left). Myself as a teenager (right) I'm blessed with the ability to gain muscle relatively quickly and easily. Ironically, as a fashion model this has been more of a curse over my 10 year career than a blessing. A few weeks of eating and training how I would like to and I no longer fit the sample size 40 suits! While I'll admit that part of my growth potential is genetic, I think it can largely be attributed to my passion/obsession...

Find Your 'It': Form a Habit, Forge a Lifestyle

In this guest post on the Blackwood Fitness blog I give an insight into my own personal health and lifestyle journey and share four transformative truths that I have learned along the way. Here is an excerpt:  "At 13 years old, I was unhappy with my body. My pre-pubescent years of soy milk, McDonald’s and Kit Kats had left me with ‘puppy fat’ and little man boobs. With a new-found level of competitiveness (and therefore physical motivation)...

Paleo Model Bodyweight WOD

I've decided to lean down a wee bit coming up to Christmas. Not that I'm particularly heavy at the moment (around 84kg at 6'2). However, I have been focusing on strength and power this year in my workouts - doing low rep range olympic lifts, powerlifts, sprints etc - and I've been somewhat neglecting my muscular (strength) endurance.  I'd like to improve my maximum pull ups, push ups, handstand hold, dips and other measures of relative...

Why Sprinting is Cool + Three Track Sprint Workouts

I often promote the benefits of sprint training. I really think it is something that everyone should incorporate into their workout regimen. Here's why... Aside from the obvious benefits, sprints are fun, simple and time efficient. Of course I don't expect everyone to hit the track and smash out 11 second 100m sprints! As always be smart - work to your limitations and ability level. Sprints can be done across many different modules and...

The Big Three Weight Loss Myths: # 2 - Do Cardio to Burn Fat

Who do you think looks better naked? MYTH # 2: Do cardio to burn fat This myth ties in with the calories in, calories out myth. Conventional wisdom will tell you that you should do volumes of steady-state cardio or "chronic cardio" (to steal a term from Mark Sisson), in order to get in that "fat-burning zone".  Jump on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical or stair-master for 30-40 minutes three or four times a week and the...

The Big Three Weight Loss Myths: # 1 - Calories In, Calories Out

The Big Three Weight-Loss Myths I have discovered that conventional wisdom is often wrong. Dietary studies, often funded by multinational food conglomerates, commission some of the most biased, manipulated and unscientific research that you will ever find. This research is then picked up by the mainstream media who sensationalize the authors' conclusion from the abstract - often misinterpreting the results. Other media outlets pick up...

Sledmill Sprints

Here is a super effective and very efficient sprint workout for when you are in the gym but short of time. It is essentially a sled run without the need of a sled… and faster. This workout is so powerful because of the resistance of the treadmill belt paired with an all-out sprinting effor...

Seven Controversial Health Tips to Getting Lean

This post is a nice little taster to my upcoming beast of an article and must read, 'The Three Big Weight-Loss Myths: Or how to get lean by defying conventional wisdom'. Let me start by saying that not all things work for all people. There are many ways to skin a kangaroo. Yet I am convinced that the following seven tips are key to getting lean in a realistic, healthy and sustainable way and should work for most otherwise healthy people.  These...

My Diet vs Exercise Analogy

From personal experience and extensive reading on (evolutionary) nutrition, diet and exercise, I believe that 70% of one's body composition can be attributed to diet (what you eat), 10% to genetics and 20% to exercise. Therefore, given that you can't directly upgrade or trade in your genes yet (although epigenetics is a very exciting new field), I argue that it makes sense to focus on DIET rather than EXERCISE. Here is why: It's a...

Barry's Bootcamp

A smart brand Well I had to see for myself what all the fuss was about regarding Barry's Bootcamp - "The Best Workout in the World" according to their moniker and registered trademark. Barry's has several locations throughout the States and has just recently opened a location in London. Judging by the popularity and exclusivity of this place, it wouldn't surprise me if they expand rapidly. Look out Australia! Barry sure has nailed his marketing...