You may recognise him for his dark sunnies, bellowing voice or his ‘guns’. He’s one of Australia’s ‘biggest’ fitness trainers on a mission to help Aussies combat a healthy lifestyle, even when they’re travelling.
No cadet when it comes to hitting the road, Commando Steve aka Steve Willis took time out on the launch day of his second fitness book ‘Get Commando Fit‘ to tell KarryOn that staying fit – regardless of your destination – is not only important but easy to conquer.
How often do you travel?
I’m travelling all the time internationally and domestically. I’m constantly going from Sydney to Melbourne to Perth to Brisbane etc. Now that my book is out, I’ll head out on a publicity drive over the next couple of weeks, which can be quite hectic because we’re hopping from hotel to hotel and flight to flight.
It’s enjoyable but it takes away some of the consistency from your everyday life.
How does that impact your exercise routine?
I’ve done so much travelling at this point in my life and I’m use to doing what I can while I’m away from home.
Being fit it’s not only my job but it’s a part of who I am, so when I’m travelling I try to find a Cross Fit gym or I’ll go out for a run. If I can’t find anywhere to exercise, I’ll do a quick hotel session.
But where possible, I will find a gym. It’s not only to keep myself under the hammer but also to keep my head clear, especially when I’m travelling for work.
When you’re consistent with your exercise and you’re suddenly on holidays and not working out, you have all this extra energy and it can make you go stir crazy.
What do you recommend people do during a quick hotel workout sessions?
I would recommend doing some body weight exercises and training. Use a timer app on the phone and do some intervals of push ups, squats or jump squats.
My personal tip is to carry a skipping rope everywhere you go. I always have a skipping rope on me.
If you don’t want to travel with a skipping rope, there’s always the power band, which a lot of people jumped on lately. You can use it to do all type of stretching and strength exercises.
Ideally, people should plan ahead and find a hotel with a gym or that’s close to a park so they can get a quick session in before they start the day.
When it comes to eating, are you tempted to try local [unhealthy] dishes?
If course, particularly when I go to Italy or Greece. I like to embrace the culture especially if I haven’t been there before.
But for me to have fulfillment and truly enjoy the food I need to get some form of training in.
What do you find a lot of travellers struggle with when it comes to travel and health?
People are always saying to me ‘I’m going to need to train with you when I get back because I’m going to put on five kilos’.
They’ve already programmed themselves and told themselves they’re going to over indulge on their holiday and put on weight.
You can still enjoy your holiday and local foods but still maintain your health.
I like to relax and chill by the pool but because my schedule isn’t busy, I can get heaps of training in and my body thanks me for it.
It’s also good to establish what it means to be healthy before going on holiday so you know if you’re going to have a blow out for one meal, then make the next meal a little better.
More so, Australians have this mindset where they beat themselves up and torture themselves if they have had a bad meal – they’ll say to themselves ‘there’s no point of eating good or training because I messed up’. Well no, you chose to eat that meals and that’s okay but be sure to drag yourself to the gym the next day and eat a little better next time.
Is that the type of message readers will get from your new book ‘Get Commando Fit’?
There’s so many different gyms and fitness industry professionals these days, the industry is huge, and it’s because people don’t just need help and positivity in the physical but also the psychological.
In the book we talk about steps to commitment and how change will not happen unless you’re committed. We go through steps to enforce a change in habits. there’s also eating and fitness plan for beginners, intermediate and advanced.
You also have an online program, how many people have signed up?
We’ve got thousands in the online program and it’s great to be able to provide something like that for people who enjoy my way of training.
The other thing I love about the online program is that it’s not just about me, but the team. It provides a foundation and platform for people to implement change in their lives. We have a professional chef and we have a chiropractor that offer their tips. I don’t confess to be an expert in all fields – my two strengths are motivating and inspiring and movement, so we have specialists in other areas that come on to support the community.
Can people expect to see more books from you in the future?
The first book came out in 2009 and it was ‘No Excuses’. It’s out of print now, but we’ve just released ‘Get Commando Fit’ and in April there’s a third book that is based around diet and focuses more on nutrition, menus and plans.
And just quickly, do you travel in your army pants and dark sunnies?
[Laughs] No, only when I’m providing the training.
What is your number one tip for staying healthy and fit while travelling?
Commando Steve [Steve Willis] is one of the expert trainers on The Biggest Loser, participating on the show for six seasons.
The fitness guru also offers a wider get-fit-tool to everyone who needs a push in the right direction with his GetCommandoFit online fitness programs.
Next month, Commando Steve’s GetCommandoFit is launching Mission 2 with its latest health and fitness plan – Get Active. The plan is providing an entry level approach to getting fit and healthy, so there’s no better time to start planning the fit and healthy mind and body you’ve been dreaming of.
Copies of the new book can be purchased at all book stores, online and other retailers.
