Personal Training Secrets Revealed: Part 3: Body Blueprint Personal Training, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, Papamoa, Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, NZ

In the final part of this special three part interview, Mark Woodgate talks about the benefits of following a healthy lifestyle, disease prevention, motivation and more!

Interviewed by Stephen Shepherd
– NZ Strength and Conditioning Coach & Personal Trainer

Q: Many of your fit tips speak about the cancer prevention, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. What’s the message you’re trying to get across?

That disease- including cancer- is highly preventable with a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition. Cancer has grown to epidemic proportions – at the turn of the 1900’s, cancer was responsible for 1 in 750 deaths. Now that number is almost 1 in 3. New Zealand now has one of the highest incidences of cancer in the developed world!

The question is why? Why are more people being diagnosed with cancer than at any other time in history? I believe it’s because of the ‘chemical revolution’ of the last 50 years. Today, more than at any other time in history, our bodies have to deal with an onslaught of toxic chemicals. There are toxic chemicals in our foods, personal healthcare products, prescription drugs... just to name a few.

These toxins accumulate in the body and unless we have sufficient protection in the form of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, unless we give our lymphatic systems a workout through regular exercise, it’s quite possible that cancer will manifest at some point in our lives.

Our current medical system is focused on treating symptoms - not on prevention. There needs to be more education about prevention. Cancer is preventable. Prevention is the key...

Also, cancer just happens to be a subject that’s very close to home for me. My mother and father both died from cancer. And I’m sure most people can say they know friends or family members who have been affected by cancer in some way.

There’s a book I highly recommend to people interested in this subject, who have cancer or know someone with cancer. It’s called “Cancer- Why We’re Dying to Know the Truth”– by Phillip Dey.

Q: What are these toxic chemicals you speak about?

I’m mostly referring to the chemicals found in personal healthcare products. Unfortunately it’s no longer enough to exercise and eat well… we need to rid our homes, and especially our bathrooms, of toxic chemicals!

Most people are quite shocked to know that many chemicals in our personal healthcare products are known carcinogens. In fact, I have a quote here from Phillip Dey’s book, “Cancer – Why We’re Dying to know the Truth.”

“As many harmful ingredients can be found in the average bathroom, clear these out in one fell scoop. At the moment, many of us are brushing our teeth with rat poison, washing our hair out with cheap engine degreasants, putting liquid paraffin on our babies in the form of baby oil, firing aluminium into our lymph nodes under our arms and using constituents of brake fluid and antifreeze in our make-up and personal hair care formulae.”

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) and propylene glycol are 2 of the most commonly used toxic chemicals and they can be found in many shampoos, shaving foams etc. Propylene glycol is a component of brake fluid and antifreeze – and SLS is used as an industrial engine degreasant! The accumulation of these chemicals in the body over time can cause serious adverse health effects. I always encourage people to check out the labels on their personal healthcare products - and if these chemicals are present, to seriously consider some healthy alternatives.

Q: Aren’t these chemicals regulated in some way?

Surprisingly no. The industry is unregulated and many companies use these chemicals primarily because they’re cheap and appear to ‘do the job.’ There are very few safe companies. It’s a sad state of affairs.

Q: So what’s the solution?

There are several companies such as Neways that produce a range of chemical free products. I’ve completely converted my bathroom and encourage everyone to do the same.

Q: Tell me about your recent projects...I understand you’ve recently become the new owner and manager of Bay Bodyfit in Mt Maunganui and launched your own 12 week Challenge?

Yes, my partner and I are very excited to have our own health & fitness centre in the sunny Bay of Plenty. (Visit the Bay Bodyfit website at: www.baybodyfit.co.nz)

I’ve created the “Body Blueprint 12 Week Challenge.” This programme is a complilation of the very best training techniques and nutrition principes and is designed to produce outstanding results.

It’s really going to suit those people who are looking to achieve substantial fat loss in a relatively short period of time. 3-4 hours exercise time per week is all that is required for best results. And most importantly, the principles can be followed for a lifetime. The nutrition plan is not a ‘diet,’ it’s a healthy eating plan that can be maintained in the longterm as well.

Q: Having been in business for a number of years now, what would you say is your number one objective in terms of the service you provide to your clients?

My ultimate objective is to take away the confusion about training, nutrition, supplementation. I’ve done the research, so you don’t have to!

It’s also to provide a complete service - a ‘one stop shop’ if you like. To provide superior training and nutrition programmes, access to a top range of supplements, the latest information about health and fitness, and motivational tips with my free fortnightly ‘fit tips e-newsletter.’ As the business name suggests – it’s to provide a complete plan or a ‘blueprint’ for the body.

Q: What advice can you offer to clients who struggle to stay motivated?

Stay focused on what it is you’re trying to achieve. If you find yourself losing motivation- which can happen from time to time- always come back to the reasons why exercise needs to be a consistent part of your life. Ask yourself, what will be the cost to me if I don’t exercise 3 times per week, what will be the cost if I don’t continue to eat healthy. How will I feel? What will be the cost to my health and wellbeing…to my family & friends?

Inevitably, there’s always going to be days when you could easily drive by the gym…or when the temptation to have just one more piece of cheesecake is overwhelming! The fact is, you’re much more likely to turn up to the gym…or to skip that that cheesecake (!) if your coach or trainer has set tangible goals for you to achieve.

Motivation levels can wane from time to time – and sometimes motivation from an external source can be exactly what is needed to start the fire burning again!

Also I find it helps to be creative with your workouts. A good mentor or trainer can make your workouts fun and exciting - and something you really look forward to!

Q: What about goal setting?

In order to achieve those goals, it’s important to identify small- but achievable- daily and weekly strategies that will put you on the right path. At the same time it’s important to identify and discard the habits that are slowing your progress and taking you further from your goals.

Just like one of my recent fit tips titled, ‘do something positive today,’ the people who achieve the best results - whether it’s in business, relationships, or achieving peak fitness, have learned the art of practicing daily habits that take them continually closer to their goals. Consistency and persistency is the key.

I also believe in the importance of having a role model. Some of the most successful people have modelled themselves after someone who achieved what they aspire to achieve. It’s as simple as identifying what that person did to achieve their success - and then do exactly what they did! And if you’re genuinely passionate about achieving your goals, you’re mindset is such that you’re prepared to make a few small sacrifices along the way...

Q: And those people who say “I’m just too busy to exercise”?

It’s all a question of priorities and making time for the things that matter the most. The bottom line is that if you don’t have your health, it’s very difficult – if not impossible- to appreciate the finer things in life. A small investment in your health can pay big dividends.

Exercising regularly actually gives you more time- that’s because you’ll feel more energized, you’ll be more efficient and more productive in your day to day activities.

Some of most active people are also the ‘busiest’ – they have the same 24 hours as the rest of us, they have fulltime jobs, partners, children to care for…and yet they still find time to exercise!

I encourage people to analyze how they spend their day and to eliminate unnecessary ‘timewasters.’ For example, this might involve cutting back on tv..or perhaps there are projects we have taken on that are not really that important. Learn to say no if it's appropriate! We’re always faced with a multitude of choices. SIMPLIFY your life! Clear out the clutter from your house - sell or get rid of anything you don’t really need or use. Create more time for what really matters! It can be a very liberating experience when you start to simplify your life and prioritise!

Never lose sight of the things that are most important in your life, your health, the relationships you have with friends and family. Life is for living...so live every moment to the fullest!

Mark Woodgate is a leading New Zealand personal trainer. He has successfully transformed thousands of people thanks to his revolutionary ‘quality versus quantity’ training principles.

To receive Mark’s FREE fortnightly fit tips plus a FREE e-book exposing the biggest scams in the weight loss industry, click here

PERSONAL TRAINING SECRETS - PART 3