Mother's Day Gift Certificates Available Next Week Only - 50% off Personal Training 6 Pack

Drive Fitness is celebrating our first ever involvement in The Corso Street Fair in Seven Hills on the Mother's Day Weekend by offering a special Gift Certificate for Mother's ONLY!. We are offering 6 personal training sessions at 50% off the normal 6 pack price. This works out at $20 per session, a total of $120 for 6 sessions.

These special Mother's Day gift certificatetes are limited in numbers, only redeemable by new customers and available only at Drive Fitness studios between Monday 2 May and Friday 6 May and at the Drive Fitness stand at The Corso Fair between 12noon and 5pm Saturday 7 May..  

Often the trouble with giving personal training gift certificates is that it Can become quite an expensive gift if you decide to purchase 6 sessions or more - unfortunately, it really takes 6 sessions to build some momentum and start seeing results. For this reason we are making it an affordable option this Mother's Day for you to give the gift of 6 personal training sessions.

If you would like to purchase one of these Mother's Day specials talk to your personal trainer next session.

Bench Press Challenge 2011 Photos Have Arrived

We have photos of all participants lifting at the 2011 Bench Press Challenge. The photos turned out great! If you would like your action photo, your team photo, or podium photo (for the winners) please email David at dave@drivefitness.net and we will reply with your photo. Alternatively, if you would like your photo uploaded to Facebook we can do this also.

We have included a few in this post and uploaded a selection to Facebook so you can see how they turned out. Thanks again for your every one's participation - it is everyone being there that makes it a great event and gives us these fantastic photos.

Kokoda Challenge Brisbane: Entries Close Next Monday 2nd May

Last reminder for all Drive Fitness people looking to enter this years Kokoda Challenge Brisbane. It will be a great event and you only need a team of 2-4 to join. If you are looking for a different kind of fitness challenge this is it.

A 30km walk through the Brisbane State Forest with a 9 hour time limit!

If you do not have a team ready we can help you put a team together with other people from Drive Fitness, otherwise you can form a team of friends and family. You do not have to be super fit to complete this event, 9 hours will give you plenty of time at a normal walking pace.

You can complete an online registration at: http://www.kokodachallenge.com/brisbane-kokoda-challenge. Mention Drive Fitness in your team now to help represent us!

Happy Easter

Have a safe, enjoyable and healthy Easter. We look forward to seeing you back at training next week to burn off all of those Easter treats.

From the Drive Fitness Team.

Kokoda Challenge Brisbane: Entries Close 2nd May

Less than 2 weeks now until the entries close for the Kokoda Challenge Brisbane on the 2nd May. At this stage we have a number of teams ready to go but have not completed registration. If you would like to be a part of the first ever Kokoda Challenge Brisbane event please give David a call at the Tarragindi studio on 3397 3779 to find out how.

This event can be taken at your own pace, it is not a race. You are given a 9 hour time limit to complete the event which is plenty of time even if you just walk it at a comfortable pace. Visit the website to find out more: http://www.kokodachallenge.com/brisbane-kokoda-challenge.

The Corso Street Fair in Seven Hills on May 7

On May 7 Drive Fitness will be setting up a stand at the first ever annual street fair on The Corso (The Corso is the street that Drive Fitness Seven Hills is located on). Drive Fitness will have a fitness challenge set up in the training studio open to all existing Drive Fitness clients. This challenge will be designed to take only 10 minutes. If you are interested in registering to give it a go please call David at the Tarragindi studio on 3397 3779. There will be a personal training gift certificate  for the best male and female results.

Drive Fitness will also be offering specials on Mother's Day gift certificates offering a 6 pack at half price ($120) for use at the Seven Hills studio. We will also be providing free quick health appraisals on the day measuring weight, BMI and waist circumference.

Other activities on the day include live music, food, kids activities and much more. Come along and support Drive Fitness and be a part of the fitness challenge and have a great day out. Details below:

When: Saturday 7 May 2011
Time: 12 noon - 5pm
Where: The Corso, Seven Hills

No Walk and Run Club this Saturday

There will no Walk & Run Club this Saturday due to the Easter long weekend. Walk & Run Club will return the following Saturday 7th of May at the Mt Gravatt studio. This will be our last week running the Mt Gravatt loop before we challenge ourselves with the Mt Gravatt Look Out run the following week.

The up to date Walk & Run Club Schedule through to June  is outlined below. Don't let the colder weather keep you in bed on Saturday mornings, the temperature is very pleasant at 7am and there is no better way to kick off the weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all there after Easter.

Saturday 23 April: No Run
Saturday 30 April: Mt Gravatt
Saturday 7 May: Mt Gravatt
Saturday 14 May: Tarragindi
Saturday 21 May: Tarragindi
Saturday 28 May: Tarragindi

New Boot Camp Sessions Launch After Easter

After Easter Drive Fitness will be launching its new boot camp sessions. We have introduced a later boot camp session time at all locations. The new Camp Hill boot camp will kick off on Monday the 2nd of May, and the Holland Park and Moorooka boot camps will kick off on Tuesday the 3rd of May.

If you would like any more information about our new boot camp times please visit the website, send us an email or give us a call.

Seven Hills Street Fair on The Corso

Drive Fitness is getting involved with the first ever 'The Corso Steet Fair' in Seven Hills on Saturday May 7 2011 (Mother's Day Weekend) which will develop into an annual event. This event will include live music, food, kid orientated activities such as face painting, Mother's Day related stalls including flowers and home wares and give aways. Drive Fitness will have its own stall set up offering prizes, free health and fitness assessments, Mother's Day gift certificates and personal training demonstrations. Many other local businesses will be there!

If you would like to be involved in your local community head down from 12 noon and check it out. The details are listed below and more information about the Drive Fitness stall will be announced as we get closer to the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

When: Saturday 7 May 2011
Time: 12 noon - 5pm
Where: The Corso, Seven Hills (the street where Drive Fitness Seven Hills is located)
What: Community event including live music, food, entertainment and give aways

Kokoda Challenge Brisbane Route Map

Click here for a map of the Kokoda Challenge Brisbane Route: https://www.kokodachallenge.com/files/kokoda_challenge_brisbane_coure_map.pdf.

Walk & Run Club April 9 Lap Split Results

Well done everyone at our first Walk & Run Club session back at the Mt Gravatt loop. I think everyone will agree that we found it a lot easier after working on the Tarragindi loop for the last 4 sessions. Lap splits are listed below

Remember for next session we are looking for each lap to be as close to the same time as possible. We want to try to avoid having some laps significantly faster than others.

Peter: (5 laps) 6.55, 14.17, 22.00, 30.13, 37.40
Rebecca: (4 laps) 6.55, 14.47, 23.18, 31.40
Jane: (5 laps) 6.41, 13.52, 21.30, 29.12, 36.32
Melissa: (4 laps)
Margie: (4 laps) 10.05, 20.19, 30.36, 41.06
Andy: (4 laps) 4.57, 10.10, 15.25, 20.33
Dave: (5 laps) 6.10, 12.55, 18.50, 25.15, 37.40
Steve: (2 laps)

Well done everyone and I will see you all this Saturday back at the Mt Gravatt studio.

Kokoda Challenge Brisbane - 3 Weeks to Register

We have 2 teams confirmed for the Kokoda Challenge Brisbane event which takes place on May 29. If you would like to join but have not, you only have 3 weeks from today to organise your team and register all members.

This is the first ever Kokoda Challenge Brisbane event and it would be great to be apart of. If you would like help registering or would like to join in but do not have a team, please contact David at dave@drivefitness.net or at the Tarraginid studio on 3397 3779. We can organise for you to join a team of a similar fitness level with other Drive Fitness clients.

For more information visit the Kokoda Challenge Brisbane website: https://www.kokodachallenge.com/brisbane-kokoda-challenge.

Skipping: benefits, basic techniques & workouts

Skipping is one of the best pound for pound cardiovascular training options but unfortunately it is often overlooked. It is well suited for warm ups, cool downs and intervals between weight training exercises. Some of you reading this may not have skipped since school (or ever) and jumping may feel foreign initially. Like all exercise techniques it will take time and practice to develop proper form but it's well worth persevering with for the following reasons:

Kokoda Challenge Brisbane - Registration Closes May 2

The closing date for the Kokoda Challenge Brisbane has been announced -2nd May 2011. It is our understanding that they have had to cap participants in previous Kokoda Challenge events so we encourage you to register as soon as possible if you are interested.

You can go ahead and register yourself and your team if you already have a team together. If you would like us to put you in one of our teams of up to 4 people of a similar fitness level please talk to your trainer during your next session or contact us on phone or email. If you are registering your own team and you would like to show that you are forming a team from Drive Fitness please feel welcome to use Drive Fitness in your team name. Please let us know your team name once you register so we can acknowledge you!

We would like to have as many teams entered as possible. It is a great fitness challenge and it helps to raise money for a good cause. For registration and more information visit the Kokoda Challenge Brisbane website: https://www.kokodachallenge.com/brisbane-kokoda-challenge.

Introducing New Boot Camp Session Times: 6:30-7:30am

The first week of May will see the launch of our new boot camp session time of 6:30-7:30am at all current boot camp locations. In the past the colder months of the year have made it more difficult for some people to stick to a boot camp training program at 5:30am starts so we have decided to give everyone the option of an extra 1 hour sleep in. Existing 5:30-6:30am sessions will continue as per normal and this later 6:30-7:30am session time will continue ongoing into the warmer months for those that would like to continue with this time.

If you would like more information about Drive Fitness boot camps please contact us by phone or email or chat to your personal trainer during your next session.

The new full boot camp schedule is outlined below:

Moorooka Boot Camp

• 5:30-6:30am
• 6:30-7:30am

Camp Hill Boot Camp

• 5:30-6:30am
• 6:30-7:30am

Holland Park Boot Camp

• 5:30-6:30am
• 6:30-7:30am

Thank You to Sovereign Homes

We would like to thank John and Sovereign Homes for sponsoring our 2011 Bench Press Challenge with some great prizes. The prizes were greatly appreciated by this years winners and Drive Fitness.

Thank You For Leaving a Google Review

Thank you to those of you who left us a Google review. The more Google reviews we have the better Google finds our website so we really appreciate you taking the time to do this. Your positive reviews also let other people know about our service and what to expect from our personal trianing team.

If you have not left us a Google review but would still like to you can follow the easy instructions at this link: http://drivefitness.blogspot.com/2011/03/write-google-review-about-drive-fitness.html. It only takes 2 minutes.

Thank you again!

Walk & Run Club at Mt Gravatt this Saturday

Walk & Run Club will continue this Saturday at the Mt Gravatt studio. This first week back at the Mt Gravatt track will be used to set our target lap times to beat over the coming four weeks at this location. The map of the track is outlined below. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

View Mt Gravatt Run (1.1km) in a larger map

100 Facebook Friends!

Drive Fitness is excited to announce that we have reached 100 Facebook friends! If you know of anyone that might want to 'like' us on Facebook please invite them to. Word of mouth is without question responsible for the majority of new interest in Drive Fitness and we thank you very much for telling your friends about us!

If you have not liked us on Facebook already you can visit our Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/drivefitness.

Brisbane Kokoda Challenge 29 May - New Entry to the Drive Fitness Event Calendar

Drive Fitness is introducing a new event into our 2011calendar. We are looking to put a team together for the first ever Kokoda Challenge Brisbane. More information regarding Drive Fitness teams will be discussed soon. The information flyer is attached below to get you ready!

In honour of the Kokoda Spirit, this new 30km event winds through some of Brisbane’s toughest terrain.
The track undulates through the green scenery in the west of Brisbane Forest Park.  Starting at Brookfield showgrounds you and your team will make your way up to the half way checkpoint at McAfee’s Lookout before returning to showgrounds via the tropical terrain of D’Aguilar National Park that is reminiscent of the Owen Stanley Ranges in Papua New Guinea.

The 30k distance coupled with wide open fire trails makes this the perfect event for beginners or runners having a hit out. Teams of two, three and four will find the course is not without toils, as you descend down to a creek bed you encounter a sharp turn onto a narrow trail aptly named ‘hell hole’ - ensuring that you don’t forget the meaning of endurance before arriving at the finish line.

2011 Bench Press Challenge Recap

Well done to everyone who participated in the 2011 Bench Press Challenge. For most people it is a big step out of their comfort zone to participate in an event like this and from the whole Drive Fitness team we applaud your great efforts in training and on event day. Everyone handled the extra pressure of the day very well and some were even able to use the encouraging atmosphere to achieve personal best lifts.

The event ran over time due to the large number of participants and the Seven Hills studio was barely big enough to contain the number of participants, family and friends and even random passersby who stopped in for a look. With the original plan being for the ladies lifting to finish by 10am it was clear early that the near 40 female participants would need longer. With amazing encouragement from all ladies in attendance the nervousness for most participants disappeared and they were able to perform comfortably.

The lady's presentation ceremony had to be cut short to make way for the men's event which was already delayed 30mins! With a higher sense of competitiveness in the room (as to be expected) but with equal encouragement and support from everyone in attendance the men's event had a great atmosphere.

The 2011 Bench Press Challenge had some great results. The lady's division was won by the same winner as in 2010 but both 2nd and 3rd places were taken by new comers to podium finishing positions. The long standing Drive Fitness Hall of Fame relative score was broken by this years winner! We also have a  new Drive Fitness Hall of Fame record for the biggest lady's lift.

Lady's Places:

1. Angela Verner (lifting 57.5kg with a relative score of 0.817 & new Hall of Fame record)
2. Bec Blemings (lifting 42.5 with a relative score of 0.802)
3. Amanda Cook (lifting 45kg with a relative score of 0.794)

Biggest lift went to Callie Conomos with a huge 67.5kg lift and new Hall of Fame record.

The Men's division also had amazing results with all records broken. For the first time in 4 years we saw a new winner in the men's division who also broke the relative score Hall of Fame record. 2nd and 3rd places were taken by the same participants as in 2010. We also saw the biggest lift in the event's 4 year history in the men's division taking the Hall of Fame record.

Men's Places:

1. Mitch Edwards (lifting 132.5kg with a relative score of 1.525 & new Hall of Fame record)
2. Ben Blemings (lifting 100kg with a relative score of 1.439)
3. Mark Shellshear (lifting 90kg with a relative score of 1.294)

Biggest Lift: Emmanuel Polichronis lifting 140kg and breaking the Hall of Fame record

Numbers proved to be the key to team success with Team Lisa winning the lady's title and Team Dave winning men's - both of these teams presented with the largest number of participants in their respective divisions. Team Tim had a strong showing taking 2nd place in both the lady's and men's division. Team Jared & Theo were unable to place in either the men's or the lady's and will no doubt look for a greater showing in participation for next year to level the team playing field.

This year was without a doubt the most competitive and exciting Bench Press Challenge in its 4 year history. A full list of results will be posted up on the notice board in your Drive Fitness studio during the week and photos will soon be available. Thank you again for your participation and we look forward to improving the event next year as we cater for more and more participants. The possibility of two bench presses operating simultaneously and holding the event at an outdoor venue are already being discussed in preparation for next year.

Time for a change in training goals as we move forward onto new things - until next year's Bench Press Challenge!

No Walk & Run Club Tomorrow

Just a reminder that there will be no Walk & Run Club session tomorrow. Our 2011 Bench Press Challenge will be taking place at 8:45am for the lady's division and 10:00am for the men's division.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at the Walk & Run Club next Saturday  9 April!