Blog

When was the last time you overcame something?Maybe it was a situation that had you worried, an obstacle you thought you couldn’t push past. Remember how you felt once you got through it?Relieved? Confident? Surprised at your own grit? That’s one of the reasons I love working on my strength and fitness—it’s not just physical. Every session is a mental challenge. Pushing through fatigue, trying to better my last effort, and enjoying the sense of accomplishment of getting it done. At our gym here in Castle Hill, we just celebrated clients who averaged 3 or more sessions per week over [...]

At some point, we’ve all been there. You miss a few sessions, life gets hectic, and suddenly you feel like you’re behind. The temptation? To write off the week.“Too busy.”“Too tired.”“I’ll start fresh Monday.” But here’s the truth:What you do next matters. That’s a message we live by at GSD Performance.And it’s one that top mindset coaches like Brendon Burchard have been sharing for years—transformation doesn’t come from waiting for perfect conditions. It comes from choosing differently in the moment you’re in. Progress Isn’t Perfect—It’s Momentum We see this with our clients every week.Parents on broken sleep. Business owners with [...]

You know the feeling: you watch an inspiring reel, hear a friend talk about their latest health kick, or scroll past a transformation post and feel fired up. You tell yourself, “This is it. I’m starting Monday.” Then Monday rolls around. You had a bad night's sleep, you’ve got 78 unread emails, and you’re pretty sure dinner won’t make itself. Suddenly, that surge of motivation is... gone. Maybe it's not that first Monday, maybe it's later that week, or the week after. As we get into the second quarter of 2025, I hope you have found some habits to get [...]

Joy reached out to us in February 2024, looking to boost her energy and develop her strength and fitness. Joy's lack of energy was making it challenging for her to wake up in the morning, leaving her feeling sluggish at work and unable to make the most of her down time on the weekends. As a busy school teacher, we looked to build some structure into her weeks to set about getting those energy levels back up - starting with incorporating some regular exercise into her routine and working through her nutrition. We start all our clients with some one [...]

Stuck on your fitness journey? Looking to re-start that journey? A fitness program that truly understands your individual needs and goals, whilst offering the atmosphere of a group environment? Time to try semi-private training at GSD Performance —fitness, reimagined. Customised Yet Collective: Train alongside your mates, your spouse or your sibling while following a workout program tailored to you. Experience the motivation and enjoyment of a shared journey without compromising on your individual goals. Watchful Expertise: Our experienced coaches are there for you, ensuring each movement is executed with precision, helping you move safely and efficiently toward your goals. Dynamic [...]

5 years ago today we opened our doors in Castle Hill. A bit over 3 years before that I left my 20 year-long finance career to become a Coach. Training in a gym has played a part in my life since my 16th birthday. Early memories of my dad lifting weights in our lounge room, or in the garage, or heading off to the gym - asking him how he got his muscles, and then watching him answer my question with those actions. I'd sometimes join him in the home sessions in my younger days, and all I wanted for [...]

If I only had 1 hour each week to exercise, how would I spend it? 1 straight hour in the gym or 4x 15 minute sessions across the week? In the long run, the 4 movement “snacks” each week will yield more benefit. These movement snacks could be things like: A 10 minute walk in your lunch break A 10 minute yoga/mobility session off YouTube before you go to bed A walking coffee date/phone catch up 5 minutes of stretching in your office chair 3-4 times each day Walking laps of the oval whilst the kids are at training You’re [...]

Has your weight crept up over the last few months? Feeling like your life would be a lot easier if you dropped the 5kg "extra" you have been carrying the last few years? Not sure where to start? First things first - understand the key element to get under control is your energy balance. Very simply - where our energy intake (from food and drinks) is higher than our energy output (what we expend going about our day) - we will gain weight. Where they are in balance - we maintain our weight, and when our intake is less that [...]

Concerned about derailing your progress during the holiday season with all the Christmas parties and festive indulgence? It's a common source of stress for those on their fitness journey. Setting realistic expectations at the onset of the festivities can make a world of difference. Let's face it, aiming for weight loss or a strict workout routine during this time might not be realistic. Instead, try adjusting your approach: 1. Adjust Movement Goals: With more social events and late nights, aiming for your regular gym routine might be too much. Consider three gym sessions a week or opt for shorter workouts, [...]

As little as 2-3 sessions per week for 20-30 minutes each can help you reap the benefits from strength training. Each session should cover all major muscle groups with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows. Life is a juggling act, often leaving little time for self-care. Amidst the chaos, one cornerstone often overlooked is strength training. Here’s why it’s crucial and how incorporating it into your routine can be a game-changer: Impacts of Skipping Strength Training: Reduced Functional Abilities: Neglecting strength training can lead to decreased functional abilities, impacting everyday tasks like lifting groceries or carrying your child. [...]

We are all capable of achieving incredible things when it comes to our health and fitness. Why is it we see so many people give up? It is super tempting in our moments of inspiration to ramp things right up - we're gonna: get to the gym 5-6 times per week and train the house down every session throw a 5km run in each week cut out all "cheat meals" and cut out alcohol for a month at a time eliminate sugar and carbohydrates from your diet try some fasting because that's good for weight loss someone said This inspiration [...]

There is nothing worse than feeling like you are putting lots of effort in and not getting the results you hoped for. The fitness world can add plenty of confusion to our efforts with all kinds of conflicting information out there about the BEST DIET to have you dropping weight fast, getting you amazing results in no time at all. Often supported by some impressive before and after photos that make you sit up and pay attention. "I think I'll give that a try" you think to yourself, so off you go, following the protocols as best you can. Invariably, [...]

As I hit my final year of high school, like a lot of us, I had no idea what I wanted to be as I’d “grown up.” Childhood dream job of driving buses was quickly dismissed as I’d added a love of cars over the years, and realised the quickest way to get myself into my dream car was to find a job I could do that paid well. I scraped into a university degree majoring in Accounting, and began a full time cadetship, whilst completing uni at night. Fun fact – my lack of application in my final year [...]

Are you tired of doing the same old solo running, cycling or walking routine? Do you struggle to motivate yourself to exercise in the gym alone? Don't worry, we've got the perfect solution for you: small group fitness classes at GSD Performance, located in the heart of Castle Hill! Working out with a group of like-minded people led by a trained instructor can do wonders for your fitness journey. Not only does it provide a positive effect on your health and overall well-being, but it also helps you stick to a fitness routine and remain motivated. But if you're still [...]

How much does stress suck!?!? In my late 20s, stress sent me to hospital. Late nights, early mornings trying to get ahead in my finance career, I was working myself into the ground, stressed every day and not coping. I didn’t say no to anything or anyone, and just kept trying to do more and more. Passions of mine like exercise and eating started to suffer, I was too busy for any of that!! I did such a good job of running myself into the ground that contracting glandular fever alone was not enough, my body thought combining that with [...]

How well do you sleep? In understanding where our personal training and group training clients are at – this is one of the first questions we ask. How much? How soundly? Fundamental to our recovery and day to day function, the power of your sleep cannot be understated when it comes to optimising your strength training and fitness training. One thing I do pretty damn well is sleep, below are some tips on improving your sleep, huge thanks to Nick Littlehales and his book titled “Sleep” – I have shared below advice from the book and application to my own [...]

We all need it – Why? Where should we get our protein from? How much is enough? 🥩 Why? Having protein with each meal will have you feeling fuller for longer – amino acids in protein triggers the release of gut hormones that reduce appetite. Preservation of muscle mass – increases muscle protein synthesis and suppresses muscle breakdown resulting in more lean tissue. Higher thermic effect – you burn more calories digesting protein foods than from carbs or fats. Healthier blood pressure, stronger bones and better blood sugar management are among the other benefits. 🍳 Where should we get our [...]

How am I going?? When was the last time you asked your partner/boss/friends for feedback? Stubborn, close minded Colin used to sail along through life, happy to not rock the boat, keep to myself and think anyone that gave me feedback or what is often called “constructive criticism” (a term I hate, more on that below) was just stupid or wrong. In terms of personal growth whilst I felt I was learning lots for myself or doing things my way, I began to realise this was a super limiting way to go about my life. It is confronting to ask [...]