Meet the Instagram superstars luring Aussies on Active Escapes fitness retreats

BURPEES for breakfast. Lunges for lunch. Dumbbells for dinner. Thousands of Aussies are spending their holidays on fitness ‘retreats’ run by sexy trainers.

Going for a run isn’t that bad when this is your backdrop.

BURPEES for breakfast. Lunges for lunch. Dumbbells for dinner. Repeat.

No, this isn’t a week in the life of a Biggest Loser contestant.

This is how thousands of Aussie fitness fanatics spend their holidays — on fitness “retreats” in exotic overseas locations — trained by ridiculously good-looking trainers with huge social media followings.

These guys aren’t spending their holidays lounging around the hotel pool all day, cocktail in hand. They train hard all week, eat “clean” and get to bed early for their 7am start.

The week-long fitness holidays in Bali or the Maldives usually consist of two workout sessions a day, combined with activities such as surfing, tree climbing and circuit training. Most meals are provided and all transport is organised for you. It costs around $2000 all up, excluding flights.

Going for a run isn’t that bad when this is your backdrop.

But for some it’s not just about getting fit. It’s about meeting their fitness idols.

Amanda Bisk is one of the head trainers at Active Escapes, an Australian company who runs these fitness holidays, and is one of the reasons the company is so successful.

Bisk is a former Australian pole vaulter, who represented Australia at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010. She’s now a crossfit trainer and yoga coach and has a huge social media following, with almost 150,000 followers on Instagram.

Her Instagram is full of envy-inducing snaps of her killer bod soaking up rays on picturesque Bali beaches. It’s the best advertisement Active Escapes could ask for.

“Having trainers with high profiles on Instagram and social media is a big drawcard,” says Rachel Freeman, from Melbourne, who recently went on an eight-day retreat to Bali.

“People like Amanda Bisk and Ashley Freeman [another Active Escapes trainer, who has 160,000 Instagram followers] are such big idols for people that part of the drawcard is they can meet and train with that person and have that exclusive experience,” Ms Freeman said.

“You can pick the trainers you want to train with and say, ‘I’m going to create my holiday around that trainer’”.

Ms Freeman is a personal trainer herself and wanted a holiday where she could relax, but keep fit at the same time.

“Fitness is a big priority in my life. There were a lot of other trainers in my group too. We were a strong physical group and fitness is a fairly big part of our lives outside of work. We wanted to keep active and learn new things from the other trainers and experience that professional development as well.”

While Ms Freeman says most people on her retreat were heavily into fitness, Amanda Bisk says the retreats do have a broader appeal.

“We have a combination of people, from absolute beginners who want the initial motivational kick to get into fitness and exercise, and we have seasoned campaigners who have been doing fitness for years,” she told news.com.au. “We have young, old, fit and unfit.”

“Some people take it as a total overhaul, they go there and eat well and train hard. Some people want to go out and check out the city and do touristy things too.

“You can get physical and moving and keep to your own pace if you want to train, but if you just want to chillout and take it easy you can. It’s totally up to you.”

Ms Freeman says the opportunity to meet new, like-minded people was a big drawcard.

“I went on my own not knowing any one. But I wanted to meet new people and make new connections. That certainly happened,” she said.

She’s even keen on becoming one of the Active Escapes trainers.

“I’m certainly working on a way I can get into them,” she said. “To be able to be a trainer on one of those retreats would be amazing.”

Ms Bisk says people shouldn’t feel like the retreats are “fat camps”.

“It’s really what you make of it. Everyone that comes really gives it their all. It’s not going to be torture. It’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said.