The Shake UP is a 25 minute, high intensity training program that brings people together from all walks of life with one common goal…to challenge themselves to be better.
Most of these people nail it while others come, hang around for a few months but fall short of their goals.
The greatest attribute that is obvious in all of the success stories that come out of The Shake UP is ‘Consistency’.
Consistency is not a skill or talent, we all have direct control over it. The key is to create some rock solid habits around your training program that will allow you to get to training regularly and see the desired improvements.
Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”.
Greg McKenzie is one of our Palm Beach Shakers who knows a thing or two about consistency.
In the past 12 months, Greg has been training with purpose, destroying 3 to 4 Shake UP session every week. A deserved winner of our Shaker of the month. We recently caught up with Greg to ask him how he does it?
G’Day Greg, Tell us a little bit about yourself…
Ok, I am married to Megan my beautiful wife and we have 2 kids Darcy 9 and Hamish 10 years old.
I have been in the Police force for 17 years and am currently a Police Prosecutor. We moved up here from Victoria where I worked in the police force from a young age.. I love working in the police force, there is plenty of scope and heaps of opportunity.
I was in the army when I first left school and I loved it, we travelled around Asia loads and it gave me the chance to meet some great mates while learning about discipline.
Should police officers be fit, strong and healthy?
Yeah I think so. Exercise has always been an important part of my life. I have always played football throughout my life which has kept me fit. These days if I don’t train I tend to pile on the kgs.
I stopped playing footy when we moved up here so I tried to do other things to maintain my health and fitness, like half marathons. It’s tough on your own though and I found my training for marathons was kind of dropping away..I was involved in Fight Like a Pro last year and from there began taking on some other challenges like Tough Mudder, Spartan etc. I love this kind of stuff, it’s just like the army training I used to love.
What are your top 3 tips for consistent training?
1.Create a routine around your training:
I’d have to say that building a strong routine is paramount. I am fortunate that I learned this from a young age in the army and throughout the Police Force. Discipline comes from solid routines and once you create the right amount of momentum, it’s just a part of life!
2.Give yourself targets:
Lock in physical challenges that will help keep you accountable. For me it was things like Fight like a Pro, half marathons, Kokoda,Tough Mudder. I know I’ll be doing Tough Mudder in May, so it’s important that I get 3 to 4 high intensity training sessions in every week.
3.Make it work with your lifestyle:
It’s important to find a training program that you enjoy and that you can fit into your lifestyle. Coming to the Shake UP is so easy for us as a family. The boys and I ride down here and we are home an hour later without disrupting our evening too much. The boys play around with the other kids down here so it fits into our lives pretty well.
What do you love about training here at The Shake UP?
I love that it’s short and intense! I love that the boys enjoy coming down here because I believe that it’s important for me to set a strong example for them.I can totally see the benefits from this kind of training. Currently we are training for the Kokoda walk and I am finding that I recover from the hills really quickly. It definitely helps in all physical challenges.
What will be your greatest challenge this year Greg?
The half marathon in July should be good. I have done a few of these and I am aiming for under 2 hours.The 96km Kokoda Challenge event on the Gold Coast in July is exciting! I think July will be a pretty big challenge for me this year!
What a legend! Greg is one of many QLD Police crew who train at the Shake UP and it really is admirable to see this kind of commitment to health, fitness and constant self improvement!
For all of his hard work, Greg has scored himself a massage with Andrew Saunders of Raynor Massage Gold Coast. Andrews highly detailed and intricate technique is a form of deep tissue/ acupressure massage that delivers great results. We are stoked to have Andrew supporting our hard working Shakers! Andrew can be reached on 0415 389 079.
