Fitness Road Test: EMB Bootcamp

Posted on 9 April, 2014

If you have been reading HerCanberra for a while, you will know I am no stranger to fitness, and yes for those that followed my series last year, I am in comp prep once again. This time, I have learnt that no two preparations are the same! When a fellow competitor recommended I like Empower Mind & Body (EMB) on facebook, I did so with little thought. Upon further investigation I became intrigued when I noticed photos of fresh and happy looking faces atop Mt Ainslie following an early Saturday morning boot camp, and I was motivated to add something different to my training schedule and give the sessions a go. I am so thankful I did!

Darren Bruce runs weekly boot camps every Saturday morning at Regatta Point, Saturday mornings (weather permitting) at 7am – I love getting outside to train and you couldn’t pick a much more picturesque spot. Every session has been different, and for me that has been the fun part! Not knowing what you will be getting up to each week makes it exciting – and each session has been unique and challenging. Darren breaks down each movement and readily adjusts based on injuries (this has been me a couple of times), and there is a fantastic group atmosphere. We started out as a group of strangers, but everyone is supportive and encouraging of each other which definitely helps motivate me to push further!

Having completed a great session by 8am is a great feeling; however, Darren takes it one step further. Rather than asking for payment, Darren asks participants to offer a donation to Cerebral Palsy Alliance. So by breakfast time on Saturday, I have been outside in the fresh air, my body is humming from exercise AND I have done something good for others who may not be able to enjoy such mobility. Definite a weekend high!

Darren has a holistic vision of health which I really relate to – I caught up with him to quiz him more about his plans for EMB.

Darren Bruce

Why did you want to bring EMB Bootcamp to canberra?

I’ve always been naturally passionate to get active and be healthy, growing up playing a vast array of sport and being highly competitive and curious to always push the limits and increase my capabilities. From getting coached for performance, I then turned to start learning how to train and coach others at the age of 18 by completing my Certificates to become a qualified Personal Trainer. Since then I have done everything possible to work with leading experts in their field within the Health & fitness Industry whilst taking my ability to coach and lead to another level by becoming the second fastest person to be promoted into my leadership position in the Defence Force as a Physical Training Instructor.

I have now left that position in order to help more people through Health, Wellbeing and Leadership. I have continued my education with the best in the industry, enrolling in the Strength Coach Academy with world leading strength coaches, headed by world renowned NRL Roosters Premiership winning Strength & Power Coach Keegan Smith.

I wanted to bring my boot camps to Canberra because I know that exercising and working to achieve a goal is always better when you’re doing it with a group of like minded people aiming to achieve the same goals. I aim to provide and instil a fun, hard working approach towards group exercise with a large variety of exercises that represent that kind of fun and hard-working experience.

What does a typical workout entail?

My Boot Camps are designed to burn the most fat and increase fitness levels in the shortest period of time whilst developing a mental and physical resilience that will permanently change body shape and physical ability.

I love to see people gain a physical and mental capacity that they previously thought not possible through my training and education. I think that human potential has no boundaries and too many people place those boundaries on themselves. I feel privileged and grateful that I am able to break down those boundaries for people and set them up for further success. My mission is to affect positive change to the current health epidemic we face, on a global scale – to change a million lives through health and wellbeing. My Mission may seem unrealistic to some but as I encourage others to do, if you think bigger, you will achieve more.

What is next?

I am now in a position to empower people to be in full control of their health & fitness running 9 week challenges that have people walking away knowing how to transcend from habit into lifestyle, with nutrition, strength training, self healing mobility techniques and various motivating dynamics to use when creating your own conditioning circuits. My aim is to train people to the point of skill and knowledge where they no longer require me and I believe that I am capable of doing this.

The essentials

What: EMB Boot Camps
When: 7am every Saturday
Where: Regatta Point
What to bring: yourself, a towel and water bottle, and a donation
Web: www.facebook.com/embstrategies