Inspire Strength & Wellness

I believe the overwhelming majority of people want to be healthy.

So the fact that a large chunk of the population are overweight, obese and/or on medication for chronic health issues means we have to ask the question...

Either people just aren't willing to do the work or the advice they are following doesn't work.

I think almost everyone puts in a lot of effort at different stages of their life to improve their health. But when the results come slowly, or not at all, or at too high a cost, it's hard to not start thinking maybe it's just not meant to be. It becomes very easy to justify poorer choices because "better" choices don't work anyway.

So I don't believe people aren't willing, which leaves bad advice.

From the food pyramid and avoiding fat and salt, to metabolic diseases being irreversible, calories in/calories out, low serotonin causing anxiety and depression, too much acid causing reflux and cancer being genetic - all of these (and more) have at least some evidence pointing in a different, often opposite, direction.

We've been given advice underpinned by these theories for decades and, being extremely generous, have very little to show for it.

As much as we might say the evidence says this or that, the only evidence I need is the outcome.

We are getting poor outcomes from the advice we're being given. It's time to change the advice.

I started by saying I believe people want to be healthy, I also believe most people can be. Even some of the sickest.

We might just need better information, maybe even the opposite of what we've been told...

Agree or disagree? Let me know!

We don't have leg machines...

I mean, we do have 1 but it's not a typical leg press or pin loaded hamstring curl.

What we do have is everything you need to get fit and strong, open space and small groups, plus great coaching.

A while back we had a new prospect come in, when he realised we had no leg machines he turned around and left immediately.

I was a bit dumbfounded and a little pi**ed off to be honest. But on reflection, I realised he just was not a fit for us.

We're not here to help people get massive. We want to help people get healthy, to move better and be strong so they can be pain free and enjoy life.

We can do all that without leg machines 😉

We're all human, we all go through challenges and we all get knocked off course at some stage. What happens next is the difference..

The Ups and Downs of health and life. This year has been quite a challenge. I've been a bit like Carlton in reverse. I was really switched on with my health and fitness for the first few months of the year. Off alcohol, eating very clean, I’d lost about 4-5kgs and feeling pretty good.Then we lost Mez.Our relationship was pretty unique...

Time to step up!

For me and anyone else who needs to hear this 💪

And the winner is...

Last Saturday night we hosted the Strength Challenge awards in our new family home.

It was very much a privilege to invite and celebrate our challengers there.

Congrats to Sally who took out the challenge champion and was presented with the Merrill Battista Legacy Shield.

Named in honour of the woman who not only consistently made the podium (winner, 2nd, twice 3rd and twice 4th) but also put as much time into building it as I did and will be forever missed 💔.

Other winners were Amy Hardy in 2nd and the Greatest Strength Gain Award, Chris in 3rd place, Jono Christopher with the Max Strength Award and Jill winning the Inspire Award.

And of course, well done to all other challengers who all had incredible strength improvements as well!

"Your health is the foundation, not the reward.

Most of us treat fitness, sleep, and strength as things we will get to once the real work is settled. The problem is that health is the one asset you cannot easily buy back later at any price. You can rebuild a career, recover from a bad investment, and repair most mistakes given enough time. The capacity you let slide in your forties and fifties is far harder to reclaim, and some of it does not come back at all. Invest in it now."

(Seven Things This 63 Year Old Surgeon Would Tell My 40-Year-Old Self) Dr Howard Luks