Pregnancy & training – my views & opinions whether you like them or not!

On the way home from my 9:15am sessions yesterday (which in fact is ALL Mums – who for the record are KICKARSE) I heard a ‘news’ update-

Michelle Bridges under scrutiny and deemed ‘irresponsible’ for her post birth training schedule consisting of a combination of walking and running only 3 weeks after birth.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

What makes me so frustrated about this is the actual post they are referring to Michelle clearly states – ‘I am a professional trainer and have been for 30 years’ it isn’t like she is a non-active female giving running and walking a crack for the first time. She’s Michelle Bridges for god sake.

Secondly what REALLY got me is that it is perfectly okay for Mum’s both during and post pregnancy to lounge around blow out and eat & drink every thing in sight but when they have an interest in health & fitness heaven forbid they too are deemed irresponsible and it becomes ‘news’, piss off.

Think about it, when there isn’t a little human in you & you decide to live off junk and become sloth like you know your self this isn’t great for the body and you end up feeling like shit, let alone having a little human in you and doing that.

IT IS PERFECTLY okay to move & make healthy eating options - insert mums reading this thinking she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, she’s never been pregnant – if I’m offending you it’s okay it is only because deep down you know what I’m writing is true and yes continue on to tell me ‘wait until you're pregnant blah blah’

Thirdly how the hell is this news?
I don’t watch the news. It is filled with rubbish and this is a clear example of what’s wrong with the world. It’s all backwards and when I step out of my happy bubble and re-connect with what’s going on by watching ‘the news’ it only leaves me frustrated or depressed.

I don’t know if it’s the water or the toilet seats at Royale Fitness but I have almost 10 mum’s to be training - as well as a handful of new mummies who trained right up until birth and are now back at training again. Yes, every case is different - yes, I need to alter movements as their due date approaches BUT yes, they are all lifting weight, doing cardio and certain core work in an extremely SAFE environment.

IT is their choice to remain fit and healthy during pregnancy as well as after their pregnancy DO NOT question them about it or deem them irresponsible – become inspired by these amazing women I know I sure as hell am. 

Stay Strong & Stretch,
Tel X

Why drinking wine won't send you to hell.

You know when you come across those beautiful ‘fitspos’ via social media looking effortlessly fit, tanned, motivated and just down right perfect.

Well doesn’t that just make you feel like a sack of shit!! 

Here I am sitting in my undies and latest LJ crop (you know that one that was purchased to help motivate me) watching Seinfield and eating Zooper Doopers, scrolling through social media - almost every second post is some hot as f*ck girl frolicking around in the summer with a killah rig, eating acai smoothies & fresh juices – no flab, cellulite or sweat insight and here I am sweating my balls off like a hot mess with hair so greasy you could probably cook chips in it.

Phrases that often go through my mind consist usually of

‘How?!?’

‘Why am I more interested in the rig of a female rather then a male?’

'Who are these people?!'

'Why am I not one of these people?!'

‘I should really go train’

‘Why am I even following you?’

‘Fuck off”

You do realise this is their ‘highlight reel’ yeah?  Something you’ll tend to forgot is the amount of effort that went into that photo – something I need to remind myself often is that it’s okay not to be ‘on point’ 24/7 like these girls may seem to be and that eating icy poles in my underwear occasionally is totally okay!

I see so many girls following the above ‘fitspos’ putting pressure on themselves to achieve a certain body type and trying to achieve the ‘perfect’ lifestyle and trends.

It’s crazy.

There needs to be more honesty in the fitness industry that makes females aware that it is extremely healthy to have a passion for fitness & a few wines with your girlfriends on the weekend.

That six-packs are hard as hell to achieve but even harder to maintain.

That yes, you should have fitness related goals that you continually work hard towards and there will be days when you just can not be f*cked – everyone hands down experiences this – myself included. It doesn’t mean you ‘failed’.

That girl you follow on social media will NEVER always be ‘on point’ but you will always only see the best bits.

So I’m going to leave you with this….

If you can see the best bits of her – a stranger, someone you don’t know.

Why is it so hard to see the best bits of you?

Perhaps your focus needs to be slightly altered.

Stay Stronger & Stretch,
Tel x

2016?! But I'm not ready! HELP!

Unless you're a teacher, stay at home Mum or some lucky devil chances are your holidays are wrapping up and you're getting ready to start back at work for the New Year.


Crazy I know - 2015 boom done & dusted just like that! You were meant to be way more prepped and 'ready' then what you are.

It can be a daunting thing - the new year often represents a time where we need to be highly motivated and ready to tackle the next 365 days smashing goals and breaking barriers but if the new year has come around to quickly for you chances are you aren't ready to face reality yet - you just need one more week off because you were supposed to be way more organised then you are right now.

It's okay breathe.

I feel you! As someone who relies on motivation for success this new year came as a shock to me too.

So how will we get through the next 365 days making them the best days possible? It'll go a little something like this…

-Buy a journal or note pad take time to sit down and jot down what it is that's going through head - this a crazy time of year so this will help you see things a little more clearly setting out what you want from the year. Simply if you don't want something enough you won't do it.

-Seek guidance/support/mentor - achieving goals solo can be super challenging wether it's outsourcing help from someone who has done what you want to do, getting support for your loved ones (thats a big one) or investing in a mentor who will help plan and hold you accountable - this is something people often look over or forget because they don't realise the amount of useful resources out there - USE THEM.

-Make a plan and chart it until it becomes routine - it can be hard to start a new routine when you re stuck in old habits - a great way to overcome this is write your new habits in a table (like the one at the bottom of this blog) you want everything ticked daily & before you know if it you'll be doing it with your eyes closed.

-Cover all areas of life (core 4) - Goals aren't always about the body. Remember this. Are you focusing too much on your body and letting it ruin your social relationships with friends or partners? Or maybe you're too focused on your work staying back late daily - this causes you to be unorganised and your body will suffer, as will relationships & mental health. If you are to learn any thing this year it is to learn balance. Work hard, be organised and healthy, love and be loved, don't feel guilty for having 'you' time & eat that occasional piece of chocolate. Finding balance is something so many of us struggle with step back and see how your work life, relationships, mental health & body are currently balancing out.

-Focus – it’s easy to fall off the wagon and get back into old habits - one freddo turns into one block very quickly when you're not focused (I know this form personal experience). You should re-visit your goal on a monthly maybe even weekly basis to re-assess, track your progress and ensure you are still on the track for victory! If your goal is a big one that may take 6 months know it won't happen over night and break it down into monthly targets then you'll know exactly where you should be at the end of each month.

& most importantly Start - DO NOT be one of those people who always SAY they are going to do something and never follow through. The hardest part at times is just starting. Get through that first step and break the barrier basically don't be a pussy wishing they had of started months ago. Start NOW.

So what are you waiting for? GO GET IT!

Stay Strong & Stretch,

Tel X

What to buy a female who trains for Christmas….

Dry Shampoo - We like you all think our hair is clean, when we really haven’t washed it in almost 4 days – we don’t see the point when we know its only going to get sweaty again.

ActiveWear – You may think we have enough activewear….. but we don’t! If it starts with ‘L’ you get brownie points…. ** cough ** Lululemon ** cough, cough ** Lorna Jane.

Runners – These are a tough personal selection so why not leave the selecting up to us and opt for a foot locker or east bay voucher so we don’t end up with god knows what, which we’ll be forced to wear only because we love you to much to tell you.

Bobby pins and Hair Ties – There is nothing worse then feeling your rats tail hanging in the breeze with no bobby pin to secure that sh*t up – and if we break a hair tie – it’ll be our last hair tie and it’ll be mid training session, sure other girls will have spares but we are better off asking for their blood.

Laser Hair Removal Voucher – Shaving is so pre-training days & we are sick of getting caught with our arms up and a 5 o’clock shadow, plus knowing you are hairless give you one less thing to worry about while doing yoga in little shorties.

Biebers New Album – We need some bangers to listen to while on our fasted walks & while cleaning the house, after listening to it on repeat I swear he tries to serenade you.

Socks – as ridiculous as this sounds socks are a necessity - Why? a) You don’t realise how expensive they are until you move out of home and mum stops buying them and b) One always seems to go missing?!

If you think you being cute by buying us a 5kg kettlebell we are more then likely going to knock you over the head with it, b*tch please.

Peanut Butter – I don’t know there is something about peanut butter and fitness that just go hand in hand. Actually there is something about peanut butter and EVERYTHING that go hand in hand.

Massage Voucher – If you aren’t willing to massage our sore, aching, tired muscles that’s fine leave it to a professional – 1 hour full body please & thank you!

And if none of those tickle your fancy we are ALWAYS keen for a puppy.

Girls, share this & save your partner from buying you a crap present this year.

Stay Strong & Stretch,
Tel X

Fat-Nation

On my recent trip to China I got the opportunity discover their way of living – although very different to us (squat toilets, chop sticks and chicken feet are included in their everyday living) one thing stood out – the only over weight people in China were the western tourist! The over weight Chinese were like an endangered spices – they stood out like dogs balls compared to the rest of the nation, over weight locals would have just blended in on the streets of Australia.

So what do they do so differently to keep that spare tyre off?!

Well throughout the week I began to discover why we as a country are so fat here are a few things I noticed…

1) The whole time I was in China I saw like 5 McDonalds – there was hardly any take away restaurants – there version of ‘take-out’ was lining up for some freshly made dumplings, squid or chicken.

2) It was really hard for us to find somewhere to eat for breakfast – from what I saw they are not big breakfast eaters – there is no sourdough, acai bowls or bacon and eggs – I have read a lot about how breakfast is actually not the most important meal of the day and I believe it.

3) It was not uncommon so see the locals walking around with a plastic bag of boiled eggs. At first I was confused and thought it was so random! Then I saw a family on one of our tours squatting (in perfect form I might add) peeling their eggs and I realised it was a common snack – no processed bars, shakes or chocolates here.

4) We ate out every meal. Almost daily we were told we ordered too much food. We disagreed - the waiter was correct we did order too much food but we still almost ate it all. Portion sizes are a huge factor when it comes to eating healthy we tend to ‘supersize’ without even noticing this only puts pressure on our digestive system and waist line.

5) Water is cheap, if not free. You know when you’re thirsty and you go to the servo and they sting you 4 bucks for a small pump water bottle? You are better off getting the $1 coffee with your fuel. China was the opposite – we were paying $5-7 for coffee and $1 for water. Not only was the water cheap but in public places they also had filtered water with disposable cups for free.

6) On the topic of water – majority carried around drink bottles – our tour guide was sipping all day we asked her what it was she was drinking… it was warm water. In China the thought of cold water makes them cringe, they’ll only drink warm/hot water. This is GREAT for your body and skin – especially your digestive system.

7) Instead of having a fast food store on every corner of every street there was fresh fruit such as watermelon already cut up for convenience for $1-2.

8) Gyms are not a common place like in Australia, which gives you even more reason to believe they have their diets right!

9) Main meals are not fancy or complicated, they were simply noodles or rice serves with greens (kale or bok coy usually) and protein. I say all the time STOP COMPLIATING YOUR MEALS.

10) They eat with chopsticks – although this is a theory I’ve made up – I believe eating with chopsticks will help your weight. Why? Well eating with chopsticks compared to a knife and fork means you cannot shovel the food in a quick, as you’d like. By eating slower it gives our food a chance to hit the stomach, which then signals the brain to tell us we are full. We have all done it before when we eat really fast and it is only 15-20 minutes later when we realise we have eaten too much and we are super full. Eating with chopsticks can help with the problem!


Have we become too westernised with big brands, big food & big stomachs for our own good? Lets bring it back to basics and take a leaf out of the Asian lifestyle to help feel and look healthy.

Stay Strong & Stretch,
Tel X

Perception vs. Reality

Post comp I haven’t really stuck to a strict diet and meal plan - I’ve still been eating pretty basic with maybe a cheeky donut here and there. 

Although this diet is FANTASTIC for my soul turns out its now that great for my waistline!

I’m feeling soft, frumpy and just blah (yes this is a usual way I describe a lot of things!)

I feel this way because I can’t help but to compare my body to what it was comp prep.

It is stupid.

I’m far from fat but can’t help to squish my lower tummy and think ‘where’d this come from?’

Anyway that’s how I’ve been feeling and I know many of you go through the same thing daily…..

I ran into a past client of mine whom had a beautiful baby, we got talking and mid conversation she asks ‘have you lost weight?’

(Yes she is now my new best friend and I want to bring her everywhere with me)

It resinated with me not only because it made me feel awesome but made me stop and realised I’m being ridiculously hard on my poor body and that my perception of myself is completely different to other peoples reality.

As females we worry about minor imperfections – it’s like we stand in front of a mirror and pick out the ‘worst’ parts about us and then threat about it 20 times a day.

Your ‘worst’ part that you are constantly worried about is more then likely someone’s idea of perfect and by you constantly putting your self down is only going to make you believe the ridiculous things you are saying.

So why waste your time and energy on something that is only going to leave you feeling self-conscious, unhappy and sad? Why not focus on the good parts?

‘I don’t have any good parts’ you are saying.

SHUT UP!!  That’s a big crock of poppy cock. 

First thing in the morning acknowledge 3 amazing parts of your body you admire, are thankful for or simply just like.

It’s kind of weird but so is telling yourself how disgusting you look everyday.

I’ll go first:

#1 I’m thankful for my perky boobs they are not too big or not to small and I get to enjoy going braless often.

#2 I admire my core strength, which is visible through my upper abs and obliques.

#3 I like my butt because it has shape and keeps me comfy when I sit down and it also makes me think I’m a black person when dancing. #twerking

Your turn.

Stay Strong & Stretch,
Tel X