Results matching “Australia”

A friend of mine is about to do a little travelling, and has decided to sell a few things before he leaves. Top of the list (from my point of view, anyway) is a superb collection of home gym gear : comprising rack, bench, bars and a healthy dose of iron.

If you're in Sydney, Australia and looking to get started on the strength-training path, let me know and I'll get you some details. It's a great setup.

NB : That's actually a photo of my own home gym, but it's a very similar arrangement.

A friend of mine is about to do a little travelling, and has decided to sell a few things before he leaves. Top of the list (from my point of view, anyway) is a superb collection of home gym gear : comprising rack, bench, bars and a healthy dose of iron.

If you're in Sydney, Australia and looking to get started on the strength-training path, let me know and I'll get you some details. It's a great setup.

NB : That's actually a photo of my own home gym, but it's a very similar arrangement.

Australian Olympic high-jumper John Winter.

Australian Olympic high-jumper John Winter.

I'm currently trying to flesh out a few details on Rex Bird, who lived in various parts of Australia's East Coast between 1906 and 1978.

The information I have to date :

• Born 28 June 1906 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia
• Married Serenie Sorrensen in Maryborough
• Had at least 5 children :

M : George
M : Jess
M : Trevor Lynton
M : Kevin
F : Coral

• Family lived in Padstow, Sydney, Australia during 1950s and 1960s (was still there in 1966)

If you can help add to this story, let me know.

I'm currently trying to flesh out a few details on Rex Bird, who lived in various parts of Australia's East Coast between 1906 and 1978.

The information I have to date :

• Born 28 June 1906 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia
• Married Serenie Sorrensen in Maryborough
• Had at least 5 children :

M : George
M : Jess
M : Trevor Lynton
M : Kevin
F : Coral

• Family lived in Padstow, Sydney, Australia during 1950s and 1960s (was still there in 1966)

If you can help add to this story, let me know.

Ross Enamait.

To kick things off, I'll be taking a peek at something which many of us can put to good use - a bit of outdoor space.


In 2005 I moved from Glasgow, Scotland to Sydney, Australia. I've done a fair bit of travelling over the years, so the logistics of shifting from one place to another weren't much of a problem (aside from the paperwork at customs, but that's another story).

What did stand out, however, was the big difference in the way I worked out. This consisted of :

• A tiny garage gym in Glasgow, without lights or heating - very much at the mercy of the elements
• During the trip itself there was very little exercise - aside from the stretching on the plane, and the mad running between flights
• In Sydney (before I set the main gym up) I used my father's all-in-one home gym - a large machine that covered most of the basic exercises
• Once the rack and free-weights were in place, it was back to business-as-usual (without the extreme cold, that is)
• As the weather in Sydney grew warmer, I gradually added outdoor training elements such as kettlebells, sandbags, a sledgehammer and odd objects (I just happened to find an old anvil lying around)

Through this experience I noted many things (including the fact that it would've been cheaper, quicker and easier to sell everything first and buy it again in Sydney). Today, however, I'll just be looking at one of them - the things you can do with a yard.

How big is the yard?

When I first arrived in Sydney, I stayed at my parents' house whilst looking for something a little more permanent. The house sits on a 1/4 acre block, which was pretty typical here at the time it was built (early 1970s).

This is roughly broken up into thirds, with a third each for front, house and back yards. Easily enough for a bit of football, a game of cricket and a dip in the kidney-shaped swimming pool. It's a great set-up.

Time for some serious outdoor workouts

This space immediately lends itself to outdoor training. This has included :

Plenty of kettlebell training : although there's no real reason why kettlebell training can't be performed indoors, the ceiling height here means it's definitely an outdoor pursuit. Especially when it comes to kettlebell snatches.

NB : I haven't yet tried this, but the idea of kettlebell training in the pool is definitely on the cards. Once summer really gets underway, of course.

Sandbag work : again, this could be done indoors. However, there's always the feeling that one of these days a sandbag will burst, and, well, I'd rather be outside when it does.

Farmers' walks : I usually perform these with heavily-laden dumbbells, although I'm tempted to construct something a little more like this. The hardest part? Carrying them back into the house following a dumbbell Inman Mile. Love it.

Odd objects : no matter how hard you try, there's no way to drop something like an anvil without making a dent in the ground. I'd rather have a hole in the dirt than broken floorboards.

I also like lifting things that are already outside, such as the various stones, bags and machinery around the yard. Good fun.

In this series Blaine and I will be looking at just some of the ways to take advantage of your location when it comes to working out. No matter what your idea of 'working out' is, there are several things you can do right where you are.

To kick things off, I'll be taking a peek at something which many of us can put to good use - a bit of outdoor space.


In 2005 I moved from Glasgow, Scotland to Sydney, Australia. I've done a fair bit of travelling over the years, so the logistics of shifting from one place to another weren't much of a problem (aside from the paperwork at customs, but that's another story).

What did stand out, however, was the big difference in the way I worked out. This consisted of :

• A tiny garage gym in Glasgow, without lights or heating - very much at the mercy of the elements
• During the trip itself there was very little exercise - aside from the stretching on the plane, and the mad running between flights
• In Sydney (before I set the main gym up) I used my father's all-in-one home gym - a large machine that covered most of the basic exercises
• Once the rack and free-weights were in place, it was back to business-as-usual (without the extreme cold, that is)
• As the weather in Sydney grew warmer, I gradually added outdoor training elements such as kettlebells, sandbags, a sledgehammer and odd objects (I just happened to find an old anvil lying around)

Through this experience I noted many things (including the fact that it would've been cheaper, quicker and easier to sell everything first and buy it again in Sydney). Today, however, I'll just be looking at one of them - the things you can do with a yard.

How big is the yard?

When I first arrived in Sydney, I stayed at my parents' house whilst looking for something a little more permanent. The house sits on a 1/4 acre block, which was pretty typical here at the time it was built (early 1970s).

This is roughly broken up into thirds, with a third each for front, house and back yards. Easily enough for a bit of football, a game of cricket and a dip in the kidney-shaped swimming pool. It's a great set-up.

Time for some serious outdoor workouts

This space immediately lends itself to outdoor training. This has included :

Plenty of kettlebell training : although there's no real reason why kettlebell training can't be performed indoors, the ceiling height here means it's definitely an outdoor pursuit. Especially when it comes to kettlebell snatches.

NB : I haven't yet tried this, but the idea of kettlebell training in the pool is definitely on the cards. Once summer really gets underway, of course.

Sandbag work : again, this could be done indoors. However, there's always the feeling that one of these days a sandbag will burst, and, well, I'd rather be outside when it does.

Farmers' walks : I usually perform these with heavily-laden dumbbells, although I'm tempted to construct something a little more like this. The hardest part? Carrying them back into the house following a dumbbell Inman Mile. Love it.

Odd objects : no matter how hard you try, there's no way to drop something like an anvil without making a dent in the ground. I'd rather have a hole in the dirt than broken floorboards.

I also like lifting things that are already outside, such as the various stones, bags and machinery around the yard. Good fun.

Julius 'Judy' Patching.

He fired a starter's gun at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Now - aged 91 - he's running with the torch in the leadup to Beijing. Not bad at all.

He fired a starter's gun at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Now - aged 91 - he's running with the torch in the leadup to Beijing. Not bad at all.