Australian Survivor 2021: Kerryn (Kez) McGee shares her home fitness tips
Personal trainer, body builder and current Australian Survivor Brawn tribe member Kerryn McGee reveals how she got ripped.
It’s hard not to marvel at the physical feats contestants are achieving on the current season of Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn.
Each episode the two tribes go head-to-head in immunity and rewards challenges.
And they’re all trying to position themselves that one step closer to being crowned the Sole Survivor and pocketing $500,000.
FIND KEZ’S AT-HOME FITNESS TIPS BELOW
From the comfort of our homes, it can be exhausting to watch but with some careful planning and energy output, we can all build up a base level of fitness to be Survivor ready – even if becoming a contestant is far from one of your life goals.
Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia says “while it’s possible to be not very good at challenges and still win, it’s difficult, especially in Australian Survivor, where the challenges are skewed to physical prowess”.
“So you are going to need a pretty solid base level of fitness in running, jumping and swimming,” he says.
“Hand-eye co-ordination is also a plus for the throwing elements.”
Being a well-rounded player requires a balance of both brain and brawn but if you’re focusing on just improving your fitness, there are a few things to consider.
Survivor All Star and Australian Survivor: Talking Tribal On 10 Play host Nick Ladanza says: “My measuring stick before I played each time was whether I could climb six flights of stairs and not get puffed out.
“If I couldn’t, then it was back on the treadmill to work on my cardio. Usually the thing that trips contestants up the most is the swimming. Before the game there is a physical test with a swim test and you need to be able to do 200m without stopping.
“That is a good guide for would-be castaways or people who want to hone their inner Survivor.”
Here personal trainer, body builder and current Brawn tribe member Kerryn McGee gives her expert tips to up your pandemic fitness.
FOCUS ON YOUR WEAKNESS
McGee says, despite her regular weights and cardio training in the lead-up to the show, swimming was one aspect of fitness she was not prepared for.
“I can sprint for hours, but when I jumped in the water, it just took it out of me. It’s truly a different type of fitness,” she says.
To cope, McGee added in sprints to her body builder training to boost get her cardio fitness.
“To build my endurance and grip, I did a lot of farmer walks, where you hold a kettlebell, keep your core in tight and start walking.
“I also did a lot of pull ups, and static hovers to build my core strength.”
BUILD ENDURANCE
Focus on holds such as planks, squat holds and push-up holds. For squat hold, get into a deep squat and hold for as long as possible. Drive yourself up, then sit back into that squat. Repeat six to eight times.
EXERCISE GRIP STRENGTH
Try farmer’s walks, pull-ups and hangs. Hang from the bar for as long as you can. This will work your grip strength and is a great way to build up from scratch.
CORE STRENGTH IS CRITICAL
Planks and hovers are best. The trick is to hold the hover as long as possible, beyond the point where you’d normally tap out. It’s about pushing yourself. You can’t stop in Survivor, so don’t stop at home. It’s a mental game more than anything.
DON’T FORGET CARDIO
The best way to build up cardio at home is sprints. Sprint at an interval: 10 seconds as hard as you can, 30 seconds rest, then 10 seconds as hard as you can again. Repeat for five to 10 minutes. Walking is also so good for your fitness and muscles – don’t underestimate a good walk.
Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn airs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday at 7.30pm on 10.
Originally published as Australian Survivor 2021: Kerryn (Kez) McGee shares her home fitness tips
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