I was invited to compete at the annual Matti Tikka competition, held earlier this month. This was my first competition of 2017.

Being a powerlifter, I do a lot of bench pressing. I lift heavy four times a week, and most weeks that includes benching six times. One of the most popular exercises in the gym (especially for men) is the bench press, but you see far less people working on their opposing back muscles. Building a strong back is essential to gaining and maintaining good posture, and if you're someone like me, who is interested in building a bigger bench, it's also essential for bench gains!

In the last few months of last year, I started to feel some shoulder pain while squatting, as frustrating as it was, I found I could push through it and still make some great squat progress. However, I wasn’t making any bench progress. I put this down to going on an overseas holiday and not benching as much during that time. My bench definitely suffers if I don’t keep it up regularly. However, my bench started to go backwards and my shoulder pain increased. I knew it was time to get it checked out (I wanted bench gains!).

Summer is a great time of year for an abundance of seasonal fruit, and right now there are plenty of berries in season. Choosing seasonally is an excellent way to get great tasting produce at a good price. Below is a salad recipe that incorporates my love of berries. It's a refreshing salad that is great for hot summer days and also an easy dish to make to take to BBQs. Yum!

Every year I compile a list of my top workout tracks that were released in that year. When I train, I generally listen to rap and RnB. Depending on how I am feeling, I will listen to music that makes me feel happy and positive or even cocky and confident (whatever I need for that day!). Sometimes I use music to distract myself between lifting sets, as to not stress about the weight I am about to lift.

Your glutes are the strongest and largest muscle in your body. Developing your glutes isn't just about making your butt look good in tight pants (that is also an advantage!), but having strong glutes helps in building athletic performance and decreases your risk of injuries.

I was recently searching for some new salad recipes and came across this one, which I just had to try! This recipe is a great healthy alternative to a creamy potato salad. I tried it and now it is something I make regularly as a side to some protein. It will be a great salad to take to BBQ's, with the Australian summer just around the corner!

I've posted a few workouts this year which use minimal equipment. These workouts make it easier to exercise at home or when you are on holidays. Below is another such workout and all you need for this is one dumbbell.

Winter is the perfect time to get out the slow cooker to make some tasty meals that are healthy, hearty and will keep you warm. Below is a delicious soup recipe that I love. You can put it on before you head to work, and you will have a delicious meal waiting for you when you return!

Winter has definitely hit Canberra this last week and so I thought I would put together a workout to get you warm! A full body work-out you can do at the gym or inside the comfort of your own home (with minimal equipment - a kettlebell and a medicine ball).