Here's our full list of classes. Whether you were a lycra-clad gym bunny in the 90s or you've never set foot in a class, we are going to have something for everyone. Guys- it's not just for the ladies - there will be some serious strength classes going on as well. Stand by for the full list.

Mild Cognitive Impairment involves problems concerning memory, thinking, language and judgment, MCI significantly sums up the decline of dementia. Dementia targets usually an older audience however it can happen to anyone during their lifespan. 47.5 million people suffer from dementia with 7.7 million new cases of it occurring every year, Alzheimer's is the main cause of this as studies show that it contributes to 60-70% of cases concerning dementia. As of February 2016 there is an estimated 353,800 people living with dementia in Australia, without some sort of medical breakthrough this number is estimated to rise past 900,000 by 2050.

Dementia is considered the second leading cause of death in Australia due to it having no cure. Recent studies have begun to emerge sharing the same idea that weight training may be the breakthrough cure to a significant reduce in alzheimer's. Exercise helps cognitive function meaning the more you train and the stronger you become the greater benefit for your brain. The benefits of weight training consists of how much effort you put into it, to see results you must participate in an exercise program at least twice a week at high intensity as this will give you the maximum benefit for your brain.

Most adults reach their peak strength around the age of twenty and are able to maintain this strength for decades. From the age of 40+ remember its never too late to start training as the earlier you start the chances of dementia decreases and is also better for your health in the long term. When you reach your eighties your strength declines to almost less than a half of that of a young adult, this is known as sarcopenia. Strength training improves on general mobility, simple functions such as standing and sitting, improves strength and increases balance. Although there are many benefits of strength training those with osteoarthritis may suggest otherwise. Osteoarthritis is a painful musculoskeletal condition that may put more stress on the person's joints resulting in a decrease of functional mobility. For example if someone with osteoarthritis injures their hip or back their quality of life is ruined.

Strength training is definitely beneficial for the older generation, it may have varied effects on those with conditions such as osteoarthritis but in the long term it does improve your mobility and general functions (such as balance) and does have a major impact on those with dementia as it decreases its effect and helps with cognitive function.

The deadlift performance wise is a muscle and mass builder. It is a fundamental movement among powerlifters, bodybuilders and trainers. The deadlift strengthens the whole body and acts as a protective barrier against injury and physical pain, however if the deadlift is not done correctly it can cause serious sprain or strain on your back which can result in muscle spasms, lower back pain, serious spinal damage, abate mobility and stiffness.

The deadlift is the most effective exercise as it builds core strength which in turn supports all other key muscle groups such as the Erector Spinae, Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis Major, etc. There are many different variations of deadlifting to support what you want to achieve, injury history and height/body proportions.

The deadlift requires you to maintain a stance a shoulders width apart, grip the bar with your inner forearms outside your thighs, squat down so the bar rests against your shins and keep your back flat. Begin lifting making sure to extend your knees and hips. Keep the bar close to your body, make sure your feet are firmly planted and set your lats as they act as the stabilisers for the spine. Your lower back, glutes and lats all work together in synchronicity for this multi joint exercise.

Continue ascending until your spine is in a neutral position and your knees are locked with your shoulders braced back. Unlock your knees (still maintaining a flat back), Keep your head up and lower the bar slowly as you descend. Your knees should be bent as you lower the bar below them. Once back in the start position remember to not drop the bar but keep your knees still bent and shoulders pulled back.

The Sumo deadlift is also another well known compound exercise that is commonly used to primarily work the hamstrings. The Sumo deadlift is a wide stance deadlift in which your hands are placed on the inside of your thighs, you are behind the bar with your toes pointed out and your arms are directly below your shoulders.

When you're ready to lift the bar, make sure your knees are pointed outwards so there's no interference with the lift, you have a pronated or mixed hand grip (could potentially cause injury if not done with proper technique), and are standing straight with your knees and hips locked. Your main focus is on pulling your shoulder blades together and driving your hips into the bar as you ascend to accomplish the perfect lockout. But do not overextend the lower back as this can cause injury. The Sumo deadlift complements the entire posterior chain, demanding your body to reach its full potential.

The Romanian deadlift differentiates from other deadlift variations as it not only attacks the upper body but also in turn works and predominantly strengthens the lumbar erector hamstrings and gluteals. The Romanian deadlift is often considered technical as it requires you to have more flexibility in the hamstrings and hip joint. To accomplish the perfect Romanian deadlift without attaining any underlying injuries you first must make sure to stand straight with your feet a shoulder's length apart whilst maintaining an overhand grip on the bar, resting just across your upper thighs with your knees unlocked.

Pull your shoulders back, take a deep breath and start to descend making sure to maintain a neutral spine. Lower the bar towards your knees now push your hips forward and ascend whilst breathing out, shrug your shoulders back until you are back in a standing neutral position. During doing the romanian deadlift it is important that you keep an arch in your back and hinge forward at the hip whilst keeping the bar in contact with your shins, this in turn minimises your lower back and maximises your glutes and hamstrings.

The deadlift should be an essential part of your workout routine as it improves your performance and strengthens your physique. When it comes to exercising most people don't reach their full potential, the deadlift however pushes your body forcing it to reach its maximum potential.

The squat is an essential component used in strength training exercises, the squat is a natural movement in which you crouch then stand up. Squats work the entire lower body, this includes the Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes and surprisingly the Erector Spinae (as the muscle group contracts isometrically). There are many different types of squats, these may include the Back squat, Front squat, Overhead squat, Hack squat, One-Legged squat, etc. The preferred Squat to improve your performance include the Olympic, Powerlifting, and Bodybuilding Squat. Squat training will improve your functional mobility, prevent injuries and improve your performance.

The Olympic Squat is classified as a High Bar Squat, it requires you to focus on two things, that your weight is on the outside of your foot and that your toes are in an outwards position. The Olympic Squat requires you to push your knees outwards to engage the glutes as you descend to the bottom position then using your outward leg drive to accelerate from the bottom position of the squat. When doing this method be cognizant to pull your scapula into your back pockets to help lock the spine into a neutral position as you ascend from the bottom position.

The Olympic High Bar Squat is one of the leading exercises when it comes to building strength in the quads and glutes, it allows for a maximum range of motion, it's a great torso stabilizer, less loading/stress on your lower back due to your vertical position, it's great for the core, less stress on your knees, and better to be used as a transition exercise for all other lifts. Although there are many reasons as to why this exercise will benefit you when training, there are drawbacks. These drawbacks include; less weight can be lifted, more loading can cause injury on the knees, and if not done correctly it could cause serious injury to your Erector Spinae. The Olympic squat is performed relatively quick with a controlled eccentric and meteoric concentric action.

The Powerlifting Squat is primarily used to lift more weight, this form of squat will not damage the knee but notably strengthen it. When doing the Power Squat the bar must be placed low, just below the tops of the deltoids, traps and just above the rear deltoid. The Power Squat involves maximising your body's biomechanics and the distance the bar travels to enable you to lift greater loads. Some benefits of the power squat include more loading on the posterior chain, more weight can be lifted, does not put strain or injury on the knees, strengthens the muscles in your legs, back and upper body. This type of squat is best used when powerlifting competition is your goal.

The Bodybuilding Squat is a multi-joint exercise used to effectively develop the muscles in your legs (Quadriceps - Rectus femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Intermedius, Vastus Medialis); (Hamstrings - Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus, Biceps Femoris). This squat builds overall strength and power but must be done with good form otherwise injury could occur. Some of these injuries include knee problems, lower back strain and muscle tearing.

To prevent this you must make sure to take a balanced grip on the bar in the rack, duck under the bar and stand up with your feet directly under the bar, step back whilst standing upright with the bar resting on your upper back.

Breath deeply making sure to gaze straight ahead, hold your chest out, maintain a neutral spine whilst tensing your abs and glutes. Keep your feet pointed slightly outwards to ensure your knees follow the angle of your feet as you bend your knees when descending. You should be able to feel the stabilisers in your back and abs working to keep you solid. Continue to bend your knees, easing your hips back until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your body should be at a 45 degree angle. Now return to the start position making sure to breath out.

“From personal experience my preference is the Olympic squat as it maximises muscle activation and minimises injury”

Mark Patience owner and founder of Animal Kingdom Gym, Sydney Australia

"The Glute-Hamstring-Developer is considered one of the best movements as it attacks the entire posterior chain this includes your glutes, hamstrings, lower back and calves." This machine is great as it prevents hamstring strains, ACL knee injuries, strengthens/fixes imbalances in the lower back and strengthens the knee and hip joint. There are many variations that can be done on the GHD, today we are going to talk about the fixed hip.

To do the GHD you must start with your body in a horizontal position, making sure your feet are locked into the back pads, your hips are just over the front pad and that you are face down with your chin tucked. Dig your knees into the lower pad making sure to keep your spine neutral and your glutes contracted whilst you curl your body up with your hamstrings. When you are approaching the top position, squeeze your glutes to finish in a vertical position. Muscles the GHD attacks includes:

Gluteus MediusGluteus MaximusAdductor MagnusILiotibial TractBiceps FemorisSemitendinosusSemimembranosusGastrocnemius

Once you have mastered your body weight, progressive loads can be applied. The best way to achieve this on the GHD is by placing a bar across your shoulders in the same position as the high bar squat, this position transfers well to the deadlift and the squat.

The GHD is a machine rarely seen in gyms, the Animal Kingdom gym provides this piece of equipment as it is an essential element to be incorporated into an individuals strength program.

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Charles Poliquin, one of the world's most elite and respected strength and conditioning coaches awarded the Animal Kingdom as one of the top 10 gyms globally to visit based on the high end equipment, excellent training advice and the positive gym environment.

“The Reverse Hyper is one of the most valuable pieces of equipment in the gym, but it's interesting how most gyms don't have them and most people don't know how to use them”.

- Mark Patience, founder and owner of Animal Kingdom Gym, Australia

The Reverse Hyper addresses areas of the spine that are not usually associated with each other, It Increases strength,speed,power, posture and reaction time. It was created and made famous by Louie Simmons from westside barbell, one of the most influential caricatures in the scene of powerlifting.

The reverse hyper decompresses the spine allowing for no vertical compression of the spine whatsoever. The Reverse Hyper Allows for dynamic strength development in the concentric phase. It then in return acts as a reconstruction apparatus during the eccentric phase.

The spine is softly stretched and depressurised during the hyper extension hence allowing blood to flow through the lower back muscles, this allows the spinal column to be filled with spinal fluid. Lower back pain affects predominantly those above or between the age of 35 - 55.

Diseases such as osteoarthritis, hunchback, disc disease, rounded shoulders, osteoporosis, anterior pelvic tilt and some genetic conditions are linked to issues concerning posture and injuries. Some factors such as age, physical fitness, poor posture, smoking, genetics, excess weight, the type of work you do, and stress are all components that may increase the risk of developing back problems.

The “National Health Survey of Australia” estimates that around 3 million people (14% of the population) suffer from Lower Back Pain, it is also estimated that “70 - 90% of people will suffer from lower back pain” at some stage of their life cycle.

In conclusion, the Reverse Hyper is an essential piece of gym equipment which provides benefits for both athletes and members of the general public. “Based on how it positively affects the posterior chain of the body via muscle activation, strengthening and decompression, the reverse hyper is one of my number one picks for machines to be included in your routine.”

When most people talk about your "core" they are focusing on just the abs.

But there's so much more to core!

Abs = transverse abdominus, obliques and rectus abdominus, but what about the rest?

What you really should be thinking about is the entire torso and how it works as a team to stablise the body, spine and limbs.

It's important not to forget the lower back muscles, the muscles around the shoulder blades and the glutes.

Meet the Core team:

Let's look at a full core workout:

Abs: Swiss ball crunch, prime plank

Lower back: Back extension, reverse hyper-extension,

Scapula & friends: Chin-ups, face-pulls

Glutes: Hip thrust

***For a full explanation of these exercises and how to make them right for you, just pop in and see me***

Put your attention on the rear chain of muscles at the back of the body as well as the abdominal muscles, to develop a strong and balanced core.

Like most blokes, I don't frequently look at women's magazines. But Kerri Anne Kennerley's fantastic cover shot on Women's Day took my eye:

Wow! that's a lean and toned figure for a 62 year old.

So, I picked up the magazine, (my wife's copy of course) and flipped through the article.

One thing really stood out for me: NO CARDIO. JUST WEIGHTS.

This reinforces something I've known for a long time: Weight training works better than cardio for weight loss. Why? Because you get two bites of the calorie-burning cherry:

FIRST: You burn calories as you're doing the exercise and your body doing the work.

THEN: You continue to burn calories as your body repairs the depleted muscles.

So, let's look at a workout that Kerri-Anne might have done. Remember, she only worked out twice a week:

Bb Bench PressAssisted ChinsSwiss Ball CrunchesBb Military PressLand mine SquatsReverse CrunchTrap Bar DeadliftReverse Hyper Extention.

Now, that might sound like a lot, but I reckon you could get through it in about 50 minutes, working briskly.

So here's my message for all the ladies around Cromer and the Northern Beaches: If you're just doing cardio to lose weight, you're just wearing yourself out and raising your cortisol levels, over and above your current level of stress. Even if you've never lifted anything more than your handbag, you really should give weights a try, and get me to write a program especially for you.

As you know, we are a specialist body building gym, but there are plenty of "average" blokes and ladies who come along and are enjoying the benefits. So, As Kerry-Anne has demonstrated, you're never too old to get fitter!

Give me a call on 0438815052 and ask me for your own #Lift-Like-Kerri-Anne program!

You would be surprised how many people say to me "Oh, I've read up on Google and I've managed to work out my own fitness program."

To which I reply "That's great...how did you callibrate your single dead-lift to back-squat ratio to work out your rep lift weight?"

or, to put it another way: "How's it working for you?"

About this time, they start to shrug and back away awkwardly...turns out, it's very difficult to work out exactly what you need to do for fitness, if you've spent your whole life being an accountant. Or a school teacher, web-designer or else for that matter.

I've spent all my adult life in the gym. When I wasn't training myself, I was getting the qualifications I needed to train others. When I wasn't doing that, I was learning about the nuances of this technique or that piece of equipment. It really is my field of expertise.

These days, many gyms get people to join, show them the nice shiny machines, but give them very little guidance on how to perform weights techniques properly, how to measure performance effectively, and how to get the results they need.

I make it my business (and yes, it actually is my business!) to ensure each and every member is working out effectively and meeting their goals.

I'm in the gym every day, so make sure you take the time to say hello to me and ask me for advice on any fitness topic. I know my stuff.

Just don't ask me anything about accounting - I have a specialist for that!