Shaping up in “the vainest place on the planet”

What better location for exercise than the breezy shores of Bondi? January promises a rush of new faces pounding the pavements, hoping to make good on their fitness resolutions for the New Year.

Personal trainer at Bondi Gym, Nathan Page, tells new starters to forget about dietary fads and “quick fixes”.

“Everybody in this day and age is looking for the easy way out,” he said. “The truth is – you can do as many crunches as you want, but you are never going to see your abs unless you get lean enough. And the only way to get lean enough is if you eat less calories than you burn. It’s calories in versus calories out.”

Celebrity trainer Jenny Jafari says it can take up to three months for people to settle in to a new habit.

“You need to start goal setting, that’s number one,” she said. “Second of all, like any sort of coaching you do, you need a personal trainer, or else you won’t have any motivation.”

Serious dieters would do well to cut out the booze too.

“It is number one for ruining the body,” Ms Jafari said.

For those not keen on personal training, it is possible to develop your own successful fitness regimen without setting foot in the gym. Mr Page, an International Federation of Bodybuilding professional judge and a two-time Mr Australia champion, said you simply need to create a routine which is fun and burns the calories.

“I’ve seen many people acquire great results just by getting outdoors, playing a local sport, getting involved in some physical activity with your kids or your family,” he said.

Those in the Bondi area are spoilt for choice, according to Mr Page.

“We’re very lucky. We’re close to one of the most famous beaches in the world – it’s almost a kilometre long, so everyone comes down here to do soft-sand walking and running. We’ve got a local outdoor gym here in North Bondi, and people can get involved in the Surf Life Saving Club.”

There are also plenty of options for participating in team sports, Ms Jafari said, including cricket, volleyball and watersports.

However, the trainers agreed that the Eastern Suburbs can be an intimidating place for those trying to shed the kilos.

“Bondi is the Hollywood of Australia; there’s a lot of beautiful people, a lot of beautiful bodies,” Mr Page said. “I’ve travelled all over the world, I’ve been doing this for the last two decades – I’ve probably never been to a place that relies more on looks than here. This is the vainest place on the planet.”

“People in this area will judge you in the first 45 seconds [based] on what you look like, and then they’ll spend the next five minutes reconfirming their first thoughts.”

New clients of Bondi Gym who mention this article will receive a 7-day free trial.