This will appeal to any golfers reading this as it may help you increase your performance. And we all know, that even a small increase in performance will transfer to a few shots off your game.

Over to you Shaun:

Are you a ‘weekend warrior’, or professional golfer? It matters not. Chances are you have injured, or will injure yourself on the golf course.

There have been many studies on injuries in amateur golfers. They generally show common themes.

Around 1/3 to 1/2 of amateur golfers report some form of golf-related injury, with low back being the more common site of injury.

Most golfers will seek treatment for their injuries. Chiropractic, physiotherapy and massage are generally the more common modes of treatment sought.

Studies have also shown that a regime of strengthening (core and muscle), flexibility and a practical warm up pre-match may reduce the incidence of injury.

The same will apply to any sport in which you chose to participate.

Structure governs function.

Improve your structure – improve your function.

Function in sport. Function in work. Function in family. Function in life.

A Hands on Superhealth tailor-made program will meet your specific needs.

Dr Shaun Evans is a member of Sports Chiropractic Australia and the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic. He has co-authored on injuries to professional golfers. Any enquiries or requests can be made to Dr Shaun on (02) 9251 3411 or shaun@handsonsuperhealth.com.au.

So there you have it – chiropractic work has more benefits than just mending my dodgy body! Golfers, I recommend you see Shaun or Deb at Hands on Sydney and get your body working FOR you.

If you missed the past post on my experience at Hands On and what it has done for my body check this post out.

Here’s a quick short-list of 10 that you can implement TODAY in your daily life

1) Break your routine that isn’t working now: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Don’t make this fatal mistake with your workouts.

2) Forget eating breakfast cereals ever again if you really want to accelerate your fat loss. One of the biggest cons of all time is that cereal is a ‘healthy’ way to start your day. Any so-called professional that tells you it’s true definitely doesn’t deserve your hard earned money.

3) Drink more water: this is a biggie that is often neglected. Water can help increase your sense of fullness in some people – meaning they eat less at each meal – and a properly hydrated body is going to perform a lot more effectively for you in your day to day life and training life

4) SLEEP! Too many people expect to be able to burn the candle at both ends and still get their dream body. Sorry but that’s not going to happen! Your body needs the recovery and rejuvenation time to actually melt your stubborn fat stores away.

5) Coffee is ok! Providing you drink either long blacks or espressos – coffee can be part of any successful fat loss mission. Turf the milk – no arguments just do it!

6) Dairy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: Another big myth is that dairy is a health food. You don’t need to dairy to be healthy or for calcium. In fact, the biggest reason why people have bad skin or bloated bellies can be put down to their intake of dairy. Your body will thank you when you get rid of it!

7) On the note of bloated bellies – get rid of wheat from your diet! Take it out for a week and notice the difference. You will not be bloated. You will not be sluggish – you WILL feel a hell of  a lot better though.

Don’t train for hours on end: If you can train for over an hour each workout you simply aren’t working hard enough. It’s time you discovered the DPM Performance Fatblast method that provides better results in only half the time – 30 minute sessions!

9) Follow my 3 Day Detox Diet available here. You’ll get the complete road map of what to eat and what not to eat so that you can experience surprisingly great results in only 3 days! It only costs $27 and if you’re not satisfied I’ll give you your money back!

10) and probably the most important one of all – learn from the people who are where you want to go. A recognised fat loss expert can take months, if not years, off your fat loss journey.

Make sure you ask them to show you their proof – ie their success stories. Some of mine are available here so you know that I don’t just talk the talk like some trainers – I actually walk it!

Before Belinda starting basing herself out of the Shire she used to be my go-to girl for massages and she is good.

She knew how to get into all of my trigger points and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Belinda’s going to talk about the stress connection with your body and your pain or lack of progress:

The majority of my clients suffer from daily/ weekly / monthly bouts of sore neck, shoulders and headache pain.

The majority of my clients report their unstoppable “addiction” to sugar, (or chocolate more specifically) in times of stress.

The majority of my clients detail their constant feeling of being overwhelmed, stressed, or just plain exhausted in their daily life.

This got me thinking…….Is there a connection?

As a massage therapist, I see the results of not breathing correctly and the effect it has on one’s posture, mind and emotions.

When we shallow breathe, we engage the muscles of the front of our neck, and over use the upper chest / pectoral muscles. This inevitably leads to tension in these muscles from chronic overuse.

This then affects the upper back and shoulders muscles (rhomboids and trapezius muscles) and we feel intense pain in between our shoulder blades, and across the top of the shoulders.

You may even end up looking like your shoulders are always up around your ears. You may even feel like you have “the weight of the world on your shoulders”.

Take a moment to press gently into the space just above your collarbone. Is it tight and resistant? Does it hurt if you press deeply (go easy!)? This could be a sign that you are not breathing deeply, and are in a constant state of stress (even if you don’t “feel stressed”.)

Deep Tissue massage helps to gently but firmly assist in releasing stressed and tight muscles, to allow them to become more pliable.

Those that have experienced this kind of massage may remember being coached to breathe deeply while the massage is taking place.

This helps to give these muscles a rest from their normal “shallow breathing job” and give the muscles of the diaphragm their proper time and space to do their work!

This massage technique encourages deep relaxation as your mind is focused simply on breathing deeply through the tight muscles.

Stress is known to cause headaches, light headedness, shallow breathing, feelings of tiredness, cold hands and feet, jaw grinding, general body pain, increased thoughts of worry and anxiety. Not to mention tummy pain and IBS, reflux and heartburn.

Sugar, specifically Fructose is connected to both stress and shallow breathing, (Sweet Poison Gillespie D, 2007 Penguin Group).

Fructose is found primarily in ripe fruits, which is why it is called “fruit sugar”. It is present in honey, maple syrup and agave syrup. Look at any packaged cereal, or muesli bar or yoghurt in your kitchen and you are sure to find it on the label somewhere. It is literally in almost everything these days!

Fructose has been linked with heart disease, stroke, PCOS, infertility, depression and anxiety, IBS, general body pain plus more.

When you eat foods that contain Fructose, it literally elevates the Cortisol levels in your bloodstream.

The “stress-hormone” – Cortisol- is released by the body in periods of threat, whether they are physical or mental. Our body is meant to cycle through periods of calm, then high stress, then recovery, then peace, and then high stress and so on.

The high stress state is meant to be fleeting. However for most, it is almost constant, which creates a state of imbalance in the body, resulting in general pain, headaches, muscle tension plus heaps more.

Most people I know spend the majority of their waking moments in the high stress phase, and almost never recover. Most of the people I know feel hurried, stressed, overwhelmed and “just coping” most of the time.

It is important to learn how to recover after a period of high stress, whether it is daily or weekly, that is separate from reaching for the chocolate or something else that is sweet, in order to move beyond your frustrations.

Learning to breathe deeply can be of immense help. Getting stuck in traffic may put you over the edge – why not count your deep inhalations until the traffic moves again?

A colleague may push your buttons at the morning meeting, but instead of having another coffee with two sugars, make yourself practice “belly breathing” when you get a moment to yourself.

This seemingly simple plan helps you to recover from the initial stress of the situation, and then move beyond it for the rest of the day.

A daily or weekly meditation session could help you to finally release all that pent up anger / aggression / hostility / bitterness in a deeper way.

So if you breathe shallowly, have sore muscles, tummy issues, heart problems, weight issues, and a racing mind, sugar and stress could be said to be partly (or wholly) to blame for it!

An integrated approach to healing your body and mind is the best way to better health.

• Learn how to relax. From here you can better listen to your body and respond when you feel pain, or just “off”.
• Treat yourself with things you like doing, (not with food, which is usually a sweet item that will further exacerbate the problem). This is where deep tissue massage and relaxation and meditation classes all come into play. A walk on the beach, or lying in a hammock with a good book is also an option!
• And finally, stop reaching for sweet things when you are happy, tired, sad, bored, worried or sick! Give your body some time to rest, repair and heal itself from the constant demands of your busy lifestyle.

Of course, if you are suffering with health problems it is always a good idea not to self-diagnose, but see your naturopath or GP. Don’t talk to Dr Google, because you may get the wrong advice!

All opinions in this article are the writer’s and do not replace advice from a qualified health professional.

Great tips there Belinda cheers! I can highly recommend Belinda from personal experience. If you are based in or near the Sutherland Shire give her a call. If you are not completely satisfied with her massages like I was I’ll refund your money you paid for it!

By the way I don’t get any commission or anything for recommending her. I just know she is first class and I’d still be seeing her if she wasn’t soley based in the Shire!

You can find out more about Belinda here http://bodiesbelliesbabies.vpweb.com.au

If I had a dollar for every time that was asked I’d be retired I reckon.

So here’s your inside mail on how you can finally beat it. Watch this short video to find out.

As you would have heard the best 2 things to do is to cut out diary and to eat gluten free. Within a week you’ll notice a big difference!

And follow my 3 Day Detox Diet for best results. You can get access to this straight away for only $27.

Thanks in advance for clicking the facebook like button below.

So here’s your no excuses answer – the perfect indoor wet weather workout that will work your entire body and comprising bodyweight exercises.

To make the news even better the workout is only going to take you 10 mins! It gets your heart rate up and you’ll know you’ve had a workout after you’re done.

Prisoner Squats x 100

Start off with a full body hit out – the squats as you know are going to hit your quads, hammies and glutes. By doing them Prisoner style you’re activating your upper body – back, shoulders, arms.

Elephant Side Planks x 50 each side

This is a TOUGH exercise for your whole midsection. Really cranks up a normal side plank hold by putting in the extra rotation.

If you have problems with your wrists/hands do them on your forearm for the extra support.

It’ll be a tough stretch to get 50 straight either way but that’s your challenge.

Shadow Boxing x 3 mins

If you’ve never done shadow boxing before you’re missing out. It’s harder than it looks. The game plan here is to do a 3 minute boxing round (just like a fighter would) and move shuffle around the room throwing punching combinations at an imaginary opponent.

Throw random combos – eg 6 fast punches, 3 lefts, quick 1-2′s etc. Mix it up and shuffle around the room and constantly keep moving on your feet.

To make things even more interesting if you have a set of handweights grab them and throw the punches holding them.

When you’re not throwing punches and just shuffling around the room make sure you keep your guard up in front of your chin to work your arms even further.

Once you’ve done that it’s time to back up on the Prisoner Squats and Elephant Side Planks for another round each!

Prisoner Squats x 100

Elephant Side Planks x 50 each side

That’s it!

You’ll be puffing after that.

If you’re feeling ok go another 3 minute shadow boxing round.

Let me know how you go!

Years of a misspent youth playing rugby, getting kneed in the back after being dropped in a lineout and not recovering properly from injuries have led to chronic lower back and neck issues.

In fact even though I hadn’t laced on a rugby boot since a neck injury from a spear tackle stopped me from playing when I was 23 (I’m now 34) I had the constant grief of a neck that didn’t like even spending a few hours at a keyboard.

And a lower back that must be constantly looked after each day to ensure that I can actually get around relatively pain free.

It didn’t stop me doing things. I guess the body gets used to being ‘broken’ and works around it. It was never a massive pain or agony. It was just constant dull aching.

However, over the last 5 months I’ve had the pleasure of working with the great team of the best Chiropractors at Hands On Sydney – Dr Shaun Evans and Dr Debbie Miller to help repair my ‘broken’ body.

While I’m still a work in progress the differences are amazing!

I can work at a computer for a few hours straight and not get the daily discomfort that I used to have. My foam roller hasn’t been getting the daily workout that it used to.

As you can see from my before and after pictures below there’s a massive difference in my posture.

My wife always used to joke that in photos I always had a head lean going on. I found out it wasn’t cause I liked to ruin a photo but because my spine was all over the shop.

You can see that lean in the before photo in the blue shirt on top. It is definitely not as significant 4 months later (these photos were taken late in March 2012).

The other big thing that you can really see is I don’t have the forward head tilt that is so significant in the first shot. My posture is a lot straighter and as a result my spine more comfortable.

On the picture on the right you’ll see from the scans the amount of red (ie bad trigger points of grief) from my body scan.

These red spots in the lower back – especially on the right side were massive in shot one. Now they are no where near as bad – hence my lower back being a lot more friendlier to deal with.

But you know what’s the best feeling even after seeing all the visual proof? It is actually realising that you don’t have to live with the constant nagging pain and niggle.

There is a way that the body can repair itself – even 11 years after the fact of the initial injury.

I cannot recommend Shaun and Debbie and Hands on Sydney highly enough if you are like me and have any old sporting injuries or the typical constant office worker syndrome of the tense upper back and lower back from staring at your keyboard all day.

They are based in Circular Quay at Ground Level 15 Young Street Circular Quay or you can reach them on 9251 3411.

Don’t think you have to put up with the pain any more. I’m still getting treatment because the body is not 100% but it is 1000 times better than what it was.

Thanks guys!

Catherine gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last year and was determined to get her pre-baby body back.

See for yourself what she did in only 4 weeks!

WOW! Not bad for a month. Imagine how many mums (and even non mums) would love a flat stomach again in only 1 month? Well Catherine did it and nailed it.

She looks amazing and I asked her to share some of her secrets.

DPM: What was the biggest thing holding you back from transforming your body previously?

CM: I think the biggest thing holding me back was that I’d become so comfortable in my everyday routine that it seemed like too much of a mountain to climb to do things differently – cooking differently, doing more exercise and not having the foods I was so used to just seemed like such hard work.

In other words, it was easier to just do what I’d always done.

DPM: What was the easiest thing to change?

CM: Despite thinking that changing my eating habits would be almost impossible, I found that was one of the easiest things for me to change. I never felt hungry and was actually eating more often than I normally would, but the right stuff rather than a bit of chocolate or a piece of bread here and there.

I think cutting out most of my normal intake of gluten had a big impact on my body as I lost around 2.5kg in the first week. Dan’s quick healthy meals recipe book was great and I still cook from it regularly.

DPM: What was the hardest thing to change?

CM: One of the biggest challenges I faced was fitting in my exercise around my 9 month old daughter. There were plenty of times when I’d plan to exercise after she’d gone to bed, and then when she did all I felt like doing was crashing out on the sofa to watch tv and snooze.

I’d really have to force myself to stick with the training but I always felt better for it at the end of the day.

DPM: What is the best tip you can give to other DPM’ers who want to do what you’ve achieved so far?

CM: The best tip I have is not to think about it too much and just do it. The thought of doing something like this is far more daunting than the reality.

And that’s why the results speak for themselves. Well done Catherine – you followed the game plan and look what happened.

Who else wants to transform their body in only 4 weeks? Leave a comment and i’ll let you know about the latest 4 week Express Transformation Contest details.

Sick of not being able to fit into your favourite pair of jeans that have been hiding at the back of your wardrobe for the last 2 years?

Fed up with all of the broken promises you’ve fooled yourself with “this time I am going to stick to the program?”

Who else wants to win a dinner for 2 to SAKE – with a $250 gift certificate?

Or do you just want to look like previous success stories Soren and Megan?

Well guess what? You are not alone!

If you answered yes to any of those questions then you definitely want to be in the running for the

SMASH THE EASTER BUNNY

DPM EXPRESS TRANSFORMATION CONTEST

If you want to buy SPEED to achieve your progress and your dream of a smaller waist and flatter belly you know that the smart answer is to say yes right now and save a spot.

The investment for this new you challenge is only $125 PLUS for every mission that you successfully complete – you get $25 back. So if you complete all 4 missions successfully you get back $100 total AS WELL AS A NEW BODY!

*$25 admin fee will be kept aside as will all funds for anybody who fails to complete any mission successfully.

* Missions will be revealed week by week via email

To confirm your spot make sure you are one of the first 20 people to submit your $125 email daniel@dpmperformance.com.au for bank account or paypal details.

Make sure you put your name in the transaction line so I know that it has come from you.

You will then need to send me the following:

- Your before shots (front and side shot) – you can do these in front of a mirror by yourself if you don’t have anyone else.

- Book in a time for your first measurements

NOTE: from this contest forward all shots MUST be taken in shorts only for men and either swimwear or sports bra/tights for women.

WHY? Because it may be confronting for you and further proof on why sticking to this game plan is essential!

Once your money is in my account you will receive confirmation and the following:

- The 3 day detox diet

- The recipe book to go along with the rest of your weeks meals

- My HOT SHEET of NEW action steps to fast-track your progress even further (this will surprise you as it is a totally NEW trick to accelerate your progress that I have never revealed before)

- The 4 week home workout plan to ensure you get the 4 workouts each week even if you cannot get to any or all of my sessions

- Your first of 4 missions to complete

Remember you have until midnight Sunday April 15 for your $125 to be in my bank account and there are only 20 spots. This will sell out.

Your money will be refunded if you are #21 or above.

So if you are an action taker who indeed does want to invest in your new body today reply back to this email when you have transferred your $125.

If this challenge doesn’t appeal to you but you know someone who may please forward this on (you will be rewarded by me and thanked by them for their new body!)

NOTES:

By participating in this 4 week express transformation contest you consent to me using your successful transformation story and photo on my blog and website to help inspire other people who were once like you (don’t worry your head will be removed for privacy reasons)

So if you want, no scratch that, DESERVE a better body and a new start as well as a better than 1 in 20 chance to win that $250 Sake voucher then you know what you need to do right now. Get on it!

(why better than 1 in 20 chance? Because you need to finish the actual 4 week contest and pass all 4 missions to be in the running – and to be honest there’s always a small percentage of people who for whatever reason don’t see out the challenge)

Let’s go through them one by one.

1) Never, Ever Say Die Attitude

The one thing you really need is the attitude and belief that YOU CAN ACTUALLY SUCCEED. I put it in bold capitals because too many people talk themselves out of achieving success before they even start.

You need to have this attitude that you can achieve your end goal no matter how out of reach it may seem at the moment.

2) Belief In Themselves When No One Else Did

You need to be like this even if your best friend or your partner don’t think you can achieve your goal. It ties in with the never say die attitude from earlier.

3) Don’t Listen To Critics

Once again, even if the whole world is at you and trying to sabotage your thoughts you need to remain strong and believe that you can achieve anything that your mind can conceive.

If Richard Branson had’ve listened to his critics when he founded Virgin he’d be a broke nobody now.

4) Take Each Week As It Comes

While you may have the seemingly impossible task of losing XX amount of kgs it is essential to never got ahead of yourselve.

Sure, you may need to loose 20kg but is that going to happen this week? Of course not.

Celebrate your small victories, like when your jeans feel a little looser and take it week by week. Each week gets better and better

5) An Unshaking Belief That You Actually Deserve Success

One thing you definitely do not want is a negative mindset. Always back yourself.

Just remember that you can actually feel great and believe it or not you actually DESERVE to!

Do you really, truly believe that you can achieve the body that you deserve. I believe you can but do you? Look deep inside and get all the negative thoughts out of your head once and for all.

6) Focusing On Doing The Little Things Right

This means planning your meals and alocating your cheat meals quota without overdoing it.

This means planning your training sessions for the week and crossing them off when you do them.

Iron out your problems as you go and change something if it is not working.

Have you done that?

Remember if you do what you’ve always done you get what you’ve always got.

7) The Motivation To Keep Digging Deeper & Striving To Be Better

You need to constantly pump up your own tyres each week. Pat yourself on the back when you do the right thing. Dust yourself off when you slip up.

I know that you can dust yourself off after a slip up and not let it ruin the rest of your progress.

Just remember that the sky is never the limit.

First exercise of the rank was chin ups. The goal is 100 of them in total. Because these are a bloody hard exercise you can break them down into 20 sets of 5.

If you can’t do a normal chin up you could use my chin up alternative – cheat chin ups .

After you’re finished those off – you’ll be feeling a bit worse for wear! – the goal is now 100 step ups on each leg straight – keep your leg on the top step the whole time.

The final piece of the puzzle is 100 Decline Push Ups . By this stage you may understandably be feeling smashed and aren’t able to knock out the 100 straight. That’s fair enough too!

So that’s it. Try it if you’re game!

And if you want a complete step by step home exercise program why not test drive my Bodyweight Blitz done for you workout system – it’s only $4.95USD for the first 30 days!