I remember thinking way back when I started on this fitness journey, that the whole point of going to the gym was so we could be better outside of it.
I seem to be in a minority in this regard, especially in the current era of “The Sport of Fitness”
My journey started as a 16 year old skinny Karate kid. I wasn’t doing too well at Karate, not for the lack of trying, so my instructor, the late Mr Jack Parker said the immortal words
“Dave, you need to get strong”
And that was it, I spoke to my buddies in school who were on the rowing team, I knew they had strength sessions with their coach, and I asked to join.
The first lift I ever learned was the Power Clean.
And I was hooked.
I already ran and cycled as well as trained karate.
But within a few weeks, I noticed the change.
I ran faster, cycled harder and my karate went through the roof.
Or in other words, shit got real!
After I left school and started working in a Hotel as barman, I used the Hotel gym, either before or after my shift. This was when I was introduced to the concept of going to the gym to look better. I didn’t get it. I still don’t.
You go to the gym to develop strength, mobility and endurance. You eat well to look good.
The two are not mutually exclusive. I bet most track athletes, most gymnasts and most wrestlers would do pretty well in bodybuilding/physique competition despite their training revolving solely around performance.
Jess Ennis leading the 800meters during the Heptathlon events. Non of these girls are pro weightlifters/bodybuilders or physique competitors
Personally the only time I cared about looking big and strong was during my time as a nightclub doorman. I might have done some direct arm work and a few delt raises back in those days, but looking like you can do business in that job is almost as important as being able to do business.
A snap of me at the recent AiM course in Dublin, no I’m not working security…..
So where am I going with this rather drawn out story?
One of my members, a strong dude who has been around gyms and training for years, a guy who would be hard to impress came back to our Bootcamp recently. He’s been training in a standard gym for a while, a place where aesthetics are more important than performance. But at the end of his second 4 week bootcamp cycle he stops me and told me that he has never had so many fitness ducks in a row as he has after the Bootcamp training
By ducks, I mean strength, mobility and endurance. All built concurrently.
I asked if he’s offer feedback, and this is what he wrote in:
Hey Dave
I have been back training in WG doing the boot camp for the last few months and just wanted to say I am loving being back in WG and the Bootcamp. The mix of things along with an atmosphere which encourages hard training is great and I feel all-round the strongest and fittest I think I have ever been. If you’re not inspired to train hard when you look around WG at the mix of people training for KB sport, fights and whatever else they may be preparing for then you probably should give up training.
I have at certain times improved some things at the expense of others if I have done specific training for a race or kettlebell competition etc. but I don’t think I have ever really had everything(strength, work capacity and cardio) at as high a level all at the same time. I am hitting PB’s regularly in the deadlift and other lifts, I can walk out the door and comfortably run 5-10 km and pretty much do any activity I want without issue or getting tired. All this is also while old injuries have improved and I can move better than I have in a few years.
I couldn’t recommend the boot camp enough for anyone like me who wants to be fit and strong enough for whatever they want to do and for whatever life throws their way no matter what their age.
Keep up the great work
Cheers Mick Duggan
This is music to my ears. Hearing that my clients appreciate that their WG-Fit training allows them to do more in any walk of life means more to me than anything.
Who gives a shit about about looking like an action hero when you can actually be an action hero
We’re open for enquires.
All you have to do is get in touch or book yourself in. And yes, those bold, italic green words are links, click them.
Regards
Dave Hedges www.WG-Fit.com