As a Defence applicant, you need to meet a strict fitness standard in order to be considered for the job. If you’ve been told to go and gain life experience and come back in a year then you could look at that as ‘gifted time’ to work on your fitness. ​

Throughout basic training and the remainder of your military career you’ll be expected to partake in numerous obstacle course activities to develop coordination, team work, agility, endurance and resilience. The rope climb will become your bread and butter of obstacle courses. ​

​​I see this happen often with new clients at The Barracks Gym. Just because they feel "older" than the average age of the applicants for the ADF, they use it as an excuse when not being able to lift as heavy or run as fast as the others, which then often translates into less effort. Does that sound familiar? Then keep reading...

​You probably heard many times while discussing nutrition topics with your trainers or reading up on the subject, that food is fuel for the human body, like petrol or gas for a car engine. But how much do you know about how your body generates energy from your food? 

Ever wondered why females are more likely to get injured than males when it comes to pack marching and wearing armour in the ADF?
Below we highlight the main concerns, drawn from years of research, such as physiological factors including body fat mass, strength and aerobic endurance, as well as biomechanical factors and poor nutrition intake to raise awareness for the increased injuries risks for the female members of the ADF during load carriage activities. ​

​When you’re training, you often have a goal in mind, and you’ll be set on achieving this goal as soon as possible. Whether that's to meet the criteria to be accepted to the ADF, losing a certain amount of weight, strengthening a particular area of your body, lifting heavier or improving your running technique, speed and time, it’s important to remember that rushing forward isn’t always the best approach.

​We understand that many of our clients, just like Carly and me are working hard to tackle their career and raising children at the same time while trying to stick to their fitness routine AND stay on top of their nutrition habits.

All rookies go into their basic training with excitement and apprehension. It’s in basic training where you will get to know your limits, and through a combination of determination, discipline and knowledge you will also learn to push past them.