MEMBER OF THE MONTH: CLIFF

- You have been a member of C-Life since 2004! What what keeps you motivated and driven to come to C-Life?
Wow 20 years! Time certainly flies!
C-Life motivates me to turn up as it continually evolves, grows positively over time, from its range of great equipment and facilities, friendly, experienced staff and the community vibe created by its fellow members.
- How have your training program changed, and goals changed over the last 20 years and what is your current routine?
Early on in my training journey, I was hellbent on bulking up to be as big and strong as possible, so my training program was the stereotypical ‘bro-split’ of training each major group once per week, 5 days a week with continuously heavy weights.
Currently my goals are to get a bit leaner. I train using a Push-Pull Legs (PPL) program, still 5 days a week but it’s now combined with a ton more stretching and mobility work compared to previous years.
- How does exercise benefit your life outside of the gym?
For me, exercise is a key pillar for my mental and physical wellbeing, making it a ‘lifestyle’. Exercise gets me out of the house, reminds me to eat correctly, rest and recovering optimally. Exercise allows me to remain disciplined, keep organised and set long term goals. This allows me to form positive habits throughout my daily life, day job and life’s responsibilities.
- What advice would you give to someone thinking about or just starting an exercise program?
If possible, I suggest that someone who is new to exercise, kicks off their exercise journey with a qualified trainer. A trainer can help set goals with realistic timeframes as well as teach the correct techniques for a wide range of exercises. They will also quickly identify your strengths and weaknesses. There’s so much information and potential misinformation (often conflicting and contradictory) about exercise programs available on the internet and social media. Ironically, this could be overwhelming and confusing instead of helpful for new starters in selecting an optimal exercise program.
- Weights or cardio? And what is your favourite exercise and why?
100% I will choose Weights over cardio! My favourite exercise is the Lat Pulldown, because the stretch when performing it feels so good, it’s great for improving your posture and it hits so many muscles across the back.