Greg McKenzie Personal Fitness Training in Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia | Medical and health

Greg McKenzie Personal Fitness Training

Locality: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

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• Alternative & holistic health service
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24.01.2022 I'm back on the bodybuilding stage after a 34-year retirement. Having a crack at the Grandmaster division which is very competitive apparently. I'm in shape and hope to push place-getters and winners if not be amongst them. Final stages of dieting and posing practice. 19 more hungry days...

24.01.2022 May lead to peroxide and collagen/botox overuse however...https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-//Michael-Jordan-568

24.01.2022 Ben is ready! Looking good for the Australasian titles this weekend...

24.01.2022 Peter James' pro shots from last weekend's competition capture the condition I dieted and trained so hard for...

24.01.2022 Finding it hard to get midsection lean as usual but getting there. Haven't weighed myself for weeks, never do when extreme dieting but just under 85kg before Saturday's gunfest with Ben...

23.01.2022 Most bodybuilding competitors feel they look better a day or two after the comp at the photo shoot or back in the gym following a day or two of celebratory eating (read bingeing!). I mean, look at these shots - big, ripped and still vascular as all heck. The contest shots look kinda flat by comparison. A few thoughts on this: We gravitate to our favourite mirror/lighting combination. Contest lighting these days is a bit of a flat wash. In the old days we stepped under a hot s...pot that made every detail stand out like in these shots. These shots follow a chest workout and no amount of backstage pumping up can replicate the skin-tight, bulging, vascular pump you get from actual training. The muscles are stuffed with glycogen and water from all the eating but it hasn't "spilled over" into subcutaneous space nor has enough time elapsed to convert it to body fat. So, why don't we just binge on chocolate cake two days out? I would be far too paranoid to do something reckless like that for fear of messing up months of work. A better approach might be to get super lean and peak a few weeks before the show then gradually add calories and grow towards the event, perhaps finishing with a bit of calorie overload. If I have a crack at the Grandmasters next year might do this, that way I can monitor condition along the way and adjust. I rejected all voodoo and bro science associated with final week prep: carb/sodium/water depletion and loading, etc just kept a steady hand on the low-calorie tiller, cut out obviously intense sodium sources like condiments and favoured sweet potato and rice over pasta and bread. I did cut water intake the last day or so and took a herbal diuretic compound for the week. There may be something in manipulation of carb/water/sodium levels but I feel this is aimed at the elite end of the sport in order to offset the water retention from high doses of testosterone and anabolics. I didn't feel I was holding water. Maybe I should have just gorged on chocolate cake and ice cream, he he!

23.01.2022 Rrripped! Looking back on contest photos from my comfortable but still in shape 89 kilos I can see the beneficial effects of long term strict dieting. If I do this again I plan to be a bit bigger and even more shredded. That means lots of hunger and will force myself to do much more cardio...oh boy!

23.01.2022 The full video of my posing routine - thanks Ben!

23.01.2022 The great Clint Walker has just passed away at the age of 91. What a dude!

23.01.2022 GOOD LUCK BEN - THE STAGE AWAITS! A few months ago Ben Saravia walked into City Gym a little hesitant about competing in a mens physique competition. Last weeke...nd he took a few photos to see how his physique was coming along. It has been impressive watching his body transform right before our very eyes. Ben will complete in the IFBB Amatuer Australasian Titles this Sunday at the Cronulla Leagues Club. We wish Ben all the best in his first competition and no doubt we’ll see him lining up for many more competitions in future.

22.01.2022 Try as I might - I just can't catch up with this guy! A fantastic trainer, an all round gentlemen - and my good friend.

21.01.2022 1999 was the year everybody turned up looking their best. Any of the top ten can consider themselves uncrowned Mr Olympias...

20.01.2022 Ben onstage at the Australasia Titles. Winner far R took out Junior as well as Novice division here. He looked good but Ben was sharper and more dense in my opinion. Check out Ben relaxing afterwards having dropped a punishing 10 kilos in quest of the ultimate definition. He was definitely the most muscular there...

20.01.2022 Everyone's big...conditioning is everything!

18.01.2022 A few shots from the comp...on stage with the Big Boys, winner of my division (Grandmasters) to my L. It was close. I think I hold up pretty well in terms of conditioning, proportion and mass. The Open winners (far R) seemed absolutely massive backstage but they don't completely outclass me here...very happy.

18.01.2022 Contest Update: Now starts at 10am in order to allow the many expected interstate competitors to arrive and register. Hmmm, this ain't no regional/metropolitan affair, it's a biggie. Running order the same: Women's Bodybuilding, then Men's, etc so a 10.30-11am arrival is probably good timing for those who'd like to attend. Still planning a celebratory meal afterwards, will advise...damn I'm hungry!

17.01.2022 Cross Fit by Jesus - Nailed it. Like The Kloons for more Jesus shit.

17.01.2022 The first of the vids from my bodybuilding contest yesterday are beginning to trickle through. This captures the second half of my routine: an homage to the 70s era I am from. I used the 1960 theme from the Otto Preminger movie "Exodus" which was popular with star bodybuilders back then, principally Arnold. It's via my brother Ken who drove up and back from Goulburn to see his big bro perform...

16.01.2022 Sounds good but keep up the tempo, don't sacrifice fitness to strength...

16.01.2022 Update on my bodybuilding contest for those who would like to attend. It's on Sunday, May 27 at Club Burwood, Shaftesbury Rd Burwood. Starts at 9am(!) with Women's Bodybuilding then Men's Bodybuilding so a 9.30-10am arrival is probably good timing.Tickets are $55 at the door. My plan is to be wrapped up by lunchtime, skip the bikini and fitness competitions and go eat somewhere local...and I do mean eat! I am enduring prolonged hunger in the final two weeks but shaping up well and hope to be competitive...

15.01.2022 Morning after the 1984 Mr NSW, placed 3rd Men's Open. I have never eaten so much food as I did that night...all night!

12.01.2022 Weight loss and dieting are the Holy Grail of the fitness industry and beyond. There are so many "experts" pushing extreme, unbalanced and unsustainable diets on the vulnerable and gullible. Losing fat takes time, you cannot "crash" it off. Allow one month per kilo of genuine fat loss and follow a healthy diet low in calories. I start women off on 1800-2000 calories per day and men on about 2200-2400. After 3-4 weeks they evaluate body fat levels and usually drop 200 calories.... They repeat this 3-4 weeks later, and again in 3-4 weeks until they hit a minimum of 1600 for women and 1800 for men. Everyone has to find their own level that allows for training energy but maintains fat loss. Then you settle in for the grind. It took quite a few months for me to get down to extremely low body fat levels for my recent comp. Most people go too hard, too soon and cut out essential foods. This condemns them to failure. I know what I'm talking about and have put it into action but most prefer to follow marketing fantasy and ignore metabolic reality... See more

12.01.2022 Doubt if protein supplements make you sick but they are laden with artificial sweeteners and other additives. Super-sweet sucralose may even be causing body fat gain as gut bacteria treat it like regular sugar...wish there was a plain, sweetener-free whey on the market.

11.01.2022 Easter cheat treat of ricotta cheesecake and gelato doesn't seem to have interfered with my waistline and it was damn good for the soul!

08.01.2022 Received some accolades for my back development at recent comp. I visualize this shot now as I do the heavy work on this body part. Today Ben and I did heavy T-Bar rows, Dumbbell Pullovers, Lat Pulldowns and Seated Row Machine. Got crazy and did the whole stack on last set of final movement. Up around 25-30 sets total. You really have to work hard on heavy duty movements for mass in this area, a few chins and pulldowns will not do it...

07.01.2022 My boy Ben is not only super fit but super smart and passionate about his causes as well...

07.01.2022 Uncrowned Mr Olympia Gunter S should have beaten Ronnie at the 2002 comp as well...he placed 5th!

07.01.2022 A golden moment backstage...

06.01.2022 As a fitness pro it was so interesting and informative to put myself through competition again. It has taught me so much that I feel I can pass on to my clients. I prepare them for so many challenges from enduring medical conditions to running up mountains, outrigger races, triathlons and everyday life. Paramount is the need for support. You are alone at the starting tape or deep in the hurt box far from the finish of course but the preparation and motivation to train and end...ure is always enhanced by backup with passion and expertise. I relied on training partners and friends at and around the event and experienced the anxieties and last-minute doubts of all competitors and came through to enjoy one of the most exhilarating days of my life. I feel I can relate so much better to my charges who have the courage to challenge themselves physically, mentally and emotionally and look forward to even better coaching... See more

06.01.2022 Would I do it again? Let me devour the cake in the fridge, soak in a tub, get back in the gym to work out and debrief with The Sherrif and The Deputy and think about it...the dieting is the hardest part and I would want to improve at the next one so that means more deprivation for longer, hmmm. This was a 34-year comeback so a lot to consider. I am currently satisfied with being reborn emotionally and vastly improved physically and in another year I'll be 63 so a lot to consider. It's an all-consuming process leaving little energy or space for other worthwhile projects...get back to you on that one!

06.01.2022 Training partner and friend Ben in today's Good Weekend spruiking his diet of plant foods only. He has made a strong commitment to this and deserves commendation for proving a heavy training program is compatible with vegetarianism. In fact, he takes it further and is vegan. For the record, he won his last contest and is not a trainer at City Gym but one of the more hard-training and affable members of that noble institution...

05.01.2022 Back in the gym, stuffed with chocolate cake and almost 5 kgs heavier, hmmm not lookin' too bad! Post to follow on this topic...

05.01.2022 Crawford too good...great counter punching Vs straight ahead style...

05.01.2022 41 year-old vegetarian beats Mr Olympia...

04.01.2022 Runner up, Silver Medal! Just a whisker between me and winner - a 90-comp seasoned veteran off to the Universe in Singapore. Had him on legs, back and posing according to feedback but he was a formidable specimen and honoured to have pushed him as hard as I did. My beautiful backstage support crew in Holly and Benjamin who were and are wonderful. Thanks to all my crew who attended, including my brother Ken McKenzie who drove up and back from Goulburn for the event. Thanks to ...you all for the support, encouragement and congratulations...very happy! Extra special thanks to Karla Aspden, Peter James, Anne Bartolone, Amanda Kelly. Nigel Bartlett and of course The Sherrif. If I've forgotten to mention anyone it's because I'm heady from a wonderful celebratory meal at Zenobia in nearby North Strathfield and my first fab beer in months at The Bearded Tit courtesy of Karla and Karen McKenzie...phew! See more

04.01.2022 Advocates of a Paleolithic Diet usually have no idea of paleoanthropology, human nutrition biochemistry or the workings of the remarkable gastro-intestinal tract. Joining a food cult bolsters one's identity and individualism while feeding food phobias, and facts/knowledge are optional. Bread and grains are incredibly nutritious and an important part of the human diet. They have been around a lot longer than the fantasies of faddists. When the Ice Age began to thaw around 14,...000 years ago wild grains proliferated in temperate regions and were gathered, processed and consumed by our ancestors. The 1.8 million years of the Pleistocene (Ice Age) encompassed interglacial periods of warmth and fertility (hippos swam in the Thames 500,000 years ago) and it's likely wild grains were eaten then too. We are OMNIVORES! Our species has survived through tough times because of our ability to eat a staggering variety of foods, from tapeworms, toxic seeds to narwhal skin. The gastro-intestinal tract digests food via chemical, mechanical and bacterial pathways. Food begins to be broken down by enzymes in the mouth and the stomach churns it to chyme, before enzymes and bacteria at following stages reduce food to minute constituents. We are not weaklings, we are hardy survivors. Run a mile from food cults and put your trust in your wonderful anatomy and the foods that have served humanity for tens of thousands of years if not much longer... I became super lean on a diet rich in grains. I really only reduced bread intake for 7-10 days prior to competition to control sodium. Bread really is the staff of life...

04.01.2022 Filters, lighting and perfect angles, he he...

04.01.2022 The Grandmaster (to my left) has fantastic structure, awesome chest and abs, a very imposing man to stand with, but stand you must...

03.01.2022 Ben has stayed very lean after his competition. At 83.5kg he has a good base for his next run at a title...

02.01.2022 Completed my final brutal workout with The Sherrif yesterday and am now in the poodle show/beauty pageant aspects of preparation for Sunday's competition. Waxing, spray-tanning, teeth-whitening, haircut, posing practice etc, etc. Two more hungry days to launch and feeling very good. Not 100% happy with midsection, would need another two weeks to utterly shred navel area but every competitor has these anxieties. Unfortunately a sore, swollen left shoulder is obscuring the craz...y separation and definition in this area I have built several poses around and am frantically icing to bring it down. I have an anti-inflammatory gel that's very effective but have to lay off it as it takes off my fake tan! Ahh, showbiz... I'm probably in the best shape of my life and this competition represents the culmination of four years of intensive training and a return to emotional strength after an unpleasant and destructive emotional jolt in my personal life so ready to strut my stuff! See more

02.01.2022 Not much I can do about the early morning face but am chipping away at body fat while trying to pack on a bit more mass. My Golden Era is drawing to a close. I train super intensively and diet strictly over the warmer months then taper off a bit for winter. Might even don the gloves and abuse some leather for a change of pace as I keep promising The Sherrif every year. Bodybuilding and being in shape is very addictive...

01.01.2022 Now this is strong!!!

01.01.2022 Just before medal presentation they had competitors of all divisions onstage together for a free pose down. After hustling with the guys in my division the big boys took over and the Grandmaster competitors sorta hung back, seemingly intimidated by the massive muscle blocking the stage. A gap opened up and I thought - dammit! - slid into it and found myself taking on the overall runner up, hitting poses right alongside him. The Sherrif, my training partner and gym bro was in the audience and he loved my bravado and lack of intimidation...had a ball!

01.01.2022 The worm is turning against Carbophobia. I have always maintained fat is the most fattening nutrient and that the combination of fat and carbs is the problem not carbs alone. Carbohydrate is your body's preferred choice of fuel and should comprise about half your calories. I cut up for my contest on rice, oats, crumpets, fruit etc...ate more bananas than Cheetah!