We are hosting the next Junior Squash Coaching clinic in the Term 1 holidays here at Viva Fitness.
This is a first for Viva in many years and we want to bring the great game back. It is huge in the eastern suburbs and we want to promote the fun, active and social sport, that is squash!
Would you like your kids to try a individual sport? Or perhaps to simply try something different?
Who knows, they might have a hidden skillset we are about to unravel. And they might simply just love learning something new and being active in the holidays. You could even get a workout in whilst they are 🙂
We have great coaches available specifically for this event who work with ‘Squash Sa’ in supporting squash for juniors.
Then, we are arranging junior coaching for next term, so if they like, they can continue. Its worth a try if you are looking at something different for your child!
Check out the details below and register by contacting Viva and registering at frontline or by emailing Lucas direct at:
SA’s best Gym…. What??? We are truly humbled and thankyou to all of our amazing members that allow us to do what we do each day. We ‘love our club’. The following article was written in the Advertiser and can be see here.
A family run, community-centric gym has been named SA’s best gym of 2025. Here’s why it’s so special.
Viva Fitness owners wife and husband team Kristy and Dion Mychalyn with former owners Sharon Mychalyn and Dennis O’Donnell with Fitness Instructor Laryssa Tarasenko at Viva Fitness Adelaide, Kidman Park the winner of the Best Gym in SA. Picture: Emma Brasier
Nestled in the western suburbs there is a gym that will not only help you achieve your fitness goals but also provide a community to support you every step of the way.
Viva Fitness have been treating their clients as “more than just a number” since the 1980s.
The family-owned business offers group training, personal training, group fitness, open gym facilities, kids classes and an over 50s program.
Sharon Mychalyn and Dennis O’Donnell originally attended the venue as members before deciding to buy into the business in the late 90s.
“I have done some sort of fitness all my life and I had a passion for it, an absolute passion,” Ms Mychalyn said.
SA’s best Gym Has operated since 1980
Over their 40 years of business, the pair bought out the other partners while welcoming Ms Mychalyn’s children, Dion Mychalyn and Laryssa Tarasenko, and Mr Mychalyn’s wife, Kristy Mychalyn on board.
The younger generation have now taken over the reins, with Ms Mychalyn commending them for doing an “amazing job”.
Mr O’Donnell has continued to run three aerobics-style classes a week as part of the Strength for Life program aimed at senior members, which combines fitness and socialising.
The program, which is run in various gyms across the country has been so successful at Viva Fitness that they now boast the largest cohort of participants in Australia.
“It’s all well and good for them to train but it’s nice for them to get together and to get out and be a part of something,” Mrs Mychalyn said.
“(My classes) all last three to four hours (because) every class I take there is coffee, lunch after, every time,” Mr O’Donnell added.
The strength of Viva Fitness’ community spirit really proved itself during the Covid-19 pandemic when they were forced to close their doors.
“We were ready to pack up … and 800 of our members started messaging all of us, saying, keep taking our money … we support you,” Mrs Mychalyn said.
After their members’ kind gesture the team knew they needed to give back so busied themselves setting up online classes, recording workouts and even leasing out their equipment for people to use at home.
“(It) didn’t matter, we were always there for the members and that’s what’s come back tenfold now,” Mrs Mychalyn said.
The Best gym’s have the best people and community help with consistency!
While gym memberships can often be criticised for being pricey or restrictive, Mrs Mychalyn said each package is “tailored to the member”.
“We’re not competitive and we don’t argue that point,” Mrs Mychalyn said.
“We don’t try and price match, we’re never going to match (corporate gyms) … keeping our prices where they are and backing ourselves, that’s what we’ve done well.”
The community-minded concepts fuelling this Kidman Park gym are clearly working with Viva Fitness being voted South Australia’s best gym for 2025.
With over a thousand members, including babies, teens, working mums and those in their nineties, this tight-knit team look forward to welcoming more people into the Viva Fitness family.
“The whole idea (of Viva Fitness) is that we want it to be somewhere you can start at and stay for the rest of your life,” Ms Tarasenko said.
End
We are so grateful and look forward to making it happen for many years to come!
Maxim commercial equipment range. These are European made, they will last a lifetime and outlast your kids.
Selling due to making space for a new range of equipment we currently do not have.
RRP for these pieces are over 3500 brand-new.
Lat pull-down 800
Leg press 1200
Leg curl 800
Leg extension 700
Maxim plate loaded pull-down not shown – silver line new- 550
Chest press 600 no pic
Pec dec 500- no pic
Monark 828e fitness testing bike- 1000
Medicine Ball rack- 50
Incline Bench press- 250
call dion 0413137811, email dion@vivafitness.com.au
You want a high protein spicy beef recipe you say?
This Spicy beef and corn casserole is a great meal prep meal that freezes well and fills a tummy!
Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
0.25
tablespoon (20mL)
Corn, Cob, Raw
0.5
cob, large (182g)
Beef, Chuck Steak, Fully-Trimmed, Raw
87.5
gram
Onions, Red, Raw
0.5
large onion (184g)
Capsicum, Red, Raw
0.25
medium (271g)
Garlic, Cloves, Raw
1
clove (3g)
Cajun Spice Mix
0.5
teaspoon
Beef Stock, Liquid, Salt-Reduced
0.25
cup (250mL)
Tomato, Canned, No Salt Added
0.25
whole tomatoes, 400g tin, juice drained
Black Beans, Canned
0.25
tin, 400g (240g net weight drained)
Baby Spinach
0.25
cup (250mL)
Coriander Fresh, Leaves & Stems
1
tablespoon (20mL)
Cheese, Cheddar, Reduced Fat
1
tablespoon, grated (20mL)
Description
This one-pan wonder brings together the warmth of Cajun spices with the heartiness of beef and the sweetness of corn, all topped with a golden cheese crust. It’s a low-fuss dish that promises minimal cleanup and maximum flavour, perfect for a nourishing family dinner.
Methods
Preheat your oven to a moderate setting. Begin by lightly oiling a deep ovenproof dish.
Remove the kernels from the corn cobs and set aside. Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces.
In a large frying pan, brown the beef pieces over medium heat. Once browned, transfer to the ovenproof dish.
Sauté the chopped red onion, diced capsicum, and crushed garlic until softened. Add this to the beef in the dish.
Stir in the Cajun seasoning, followed by the beef stock and diced tomatoes. Mix well.
Scatter the corn kernels and drained black beans over the top, then cover the dish and bake until the beef is tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Uncover, mix in the spinach and half of the coriander, and top with grated cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Serve hot, garnished with the remaining fresh coriander.
Analysis Summary
Quantity Per Serving
Quantity Per 100g
Weight (g)
569g
100.00g
Energy (Cal)
438Cal
77Cal
Protein (g)
37g
6g
Fat (g)
17g
3g
Carbohydrate (g)
34g
6g
Sugar (g)
17g
3g
Fibre (g)
14g
2g
Sodium (mg)
682mg
120mg
These Top Fitness Tips Will Help You Discover the Key Ingredients to Unlock Your Success!
Are you ready to elevate your game and seize the day? Dion’s top fitness tips for achieving success isn’t just about setting lofty goals—it’s about taking action and embracing a lifestyle that sets you up for triumph every single day. Here’s the secret sauce:
Start Strong with a Protein-Packed Breakfast: Kickstart your mornings with a high-protein breakfast that fuels your body and primes you for success. Picture this: mouthwatering scrambled eggs or a fluffy omelette paired with creamy avocado and crunchy nuts. And if you’re pressed for time? No worries! Dive into a delightful blend of chia and yogurt for a quick, nutritious fix that keeps you energized throughout the day. See more here
Power Up with Weight Training: Want to sculpt your dream physique and unleash your inner warrior? Train with weights consistently, aiming for 1-4 sessions per week without fail. Whether you’re pumping iron at the gym or crushing it with home workouts, prioritize strength training to build muscle, boost metabolism, and skyrocket your confidence. Period.
Embrace Daily Movement Practices: Elevate your fitness game with a daily movement ritual that gets your body in sync and your spirits soaring. From dynamic Spiderman routines to deep squats that ignite your core, find ways to move that ignite your passion and invigorate your soul. Just do it—your body will thank you later!
My Top Fitness Tip is This- Keep Moving Forward:
In the pursuit of greatness, every step counts. Don’t let the small stuff get in your way! Do Not spend 80% of your time on the 20% of the things that don;t really matter. Flip it in reverse and spend 80% of your time on the 20 % that matters! For instance, fueling your body with nourishing foods 80% of the time while indulging in the 20% that delivers maximum results. Prioritise protein-rich meals, aim for 10,000 steps a day, and hit those weights multiple times a week. Consistency is key—week in, week out, make it happen! Don’t let the small stuff get in your way! Do Not spend 80% of your time on the 20% of the things
Focus on Action, Not Outcome: Shift your mindset from chasing outcomes to embracing actions that pave the way for success. Remember, it’s the daily habits and routines that create the life of your dreams. So, roll up your sleeves, do the work, and revel in the journey. The results will follow—trust the process and savor the ride! See this blog here.
With Dion’s winning formula, you’re not just setting goals; you’re crafting a lifestyle that propels you towards greatness. So, lace up your sneakers, grab your spatula, and dive headfirst into a world of endless possibilities. Success awaits—let’s make it happen!
We will support your goals, guide your fitness and make it fun. Most importantly, we will know who you are and care that you’re here!
Try us today!
Coach D
Consulting Room in Adelaide for rent. Suits Masseuce, Chiro, allied health, etc
Viva Fitness has a Consulting room for lease but is suitable for a variety of allied health professionals.
This purpose built room for massage, physio or other allied health practitioners is located inside Viva Fitness, Kidman park.
This has been leased for 5 years and we are looking for someone to either grow and expand in massage, beauty or another alled health service to suit the gym environment.
This is the perfect place in western suburbs to grow your business or re- locate and start fresh with a vibrant team and awesome people to work with.
The space is newly fitted with facilities for eftpos, landline, hicaps, air con and waiting area.
There is a waiting area outside, toilets, front entrance and welcome area and all outgoings are covered.
The total site is 1800square metres so is a huge area and practitioners can use floor space and have access to the gym with clients if need be. Also you are welcome to use the facilities yourself and get corporate benefits to friends and clients to use the club. This will also incur a commission to yourself.
There is a lot of cross promotion in our club as we are service orientated and want the best results for our clients.
If you feel you can add to the team and grow in your profession we would love to meet with you. I want to point out we view this as a partnership and will support in launch strategies, marketing and growth as we view partners as key stakeholders in our business.
Please check out my family at www.vivafitness.com.au to see if you think your a fit.
I’m excited to meet with you.
Dion
Club Champion
83535533
If you are ‘New To Fitness’ Let’s Unlock Your Potential: Embrace the Power of Consistency!
Picture this: You’ve got the best diet plan, top-notch exercise programs, and expert trainers cheering you on. But here’s the kicker—without consistency, reaching your health and fitness goals becomes an uphill battle. That’s right, consistency is the magic ingredient that turns dreams into reality and aspirations into achievements.
Repeat after me: “Any workout is better than no workout.” When your new to fitness it doesn’t matter whether you’re hitting the gym for a full-blown session, or squeezing in a quick sweat sesh at home. Understand that every bit of effort counts towards your success. More importantly it strengthens your resolve, your will and the athlete in you. Likewise every decision to not come to the gym, not move is strengthening your unhealthy version! You can do it.
But wait, there’s more! Let’s dive into the timeline of transformation:
21 Days: That’s all it takes to form a habit. Commit to showing up for yourself, day in and day out, and watch as your dedication transforms into second nature.
4 Weeks: Picture this—you’re starting to notice changes in your body. The hard work is paying off, and you’re feeling stronger, leaner, and more confident with each passing day.
8 Weeks: Your family and friends are taking notice. They’re showering you with compliments, marveling at your progress, and asking for your secret sauce to success.
12 Weeks: It’s official—the world can’t stop talking about your transformation. From coworkers to acquaintances, everyone’s buzzing about your remarkable journey and newfound vitality.
12 Months: Congratulations, you’ve made it! What started as a commitment to regular training has blossomed into a lasting lifestyle change. You’re living proof that consistency is the cornerstone of success, and the sky’s the limit for what you can achieve.
So, what are you waiting for? Embrace the power of consistency, and let’s embark on a journey of transformation together. With dedication, determination, and a sprinkle of sweat, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. Your health and fitness goals are within reach—let’s make them a reality, one consistent step at a time!
Viva fitness. Changing Lives and Making it happen!
Coach Leisa
Habits shape your identity. So Change Your Habits to Hit Your Goals!
If you want to hit your goals we need to create new identities and start new habits. According to author James Clear of ‘Atomic Habits’.
Look at it this way in order to hit your goals, ‘If you keep casting the same votes you’ve always casted, you’ll keep getting the same results you have always received’. As the saying goes, ‘If nothing changes, nothing is going to change’!
So how do we hit your goals ?
Changing your identity is a two-step process.
1 – Decide the type of person you want to be.
2 – Prove it to yourself.
In the area of health and fitness, this could be to wear a dress size 2 smaller.
Knowing the outcome, you wish to possess is all you need to form your action plan. Let us start from there and work backwards.
Ask yourself.
In order to have this goal what would I be doing?
Who is the type of person who is leaner, stronger and fitter wearing size…?
What actions are they performing daily?
How could I perform something similar that works for me?
You could ask yourself ‘What would a healthy person do’? This is a great mantra to hit goals in any area of your life. Do you remember those wristbands that used to have the words, ‘What would Jesus do’? They were around in the late 90’s and they worked! They worked by constantly reminding yourself, throughout the day of your current mantra, to reinforce the person you want to become. You simply would look at your arm and ask yourself ‘what would a size X do’ or ‘what are healthy persons eating for lunch’? Any mantra would work here.
You don’t have to win all the time to hit your goals
In an election you don’t have to win all of the votes, you just have to win majority. It’s unlikely that you’re going to win every action that’s going to help you toward your goal. You may slip from time to time, it doesn’t matter! Are healthy people perfect with exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices?? Of course not! But they believe they are healthy and that’s a key difference. Here is why.
Your beliefs shape your decisions and therefore your habits!
It’s not that you are wanting to get fit. It’s that want to become healthy. Those words formulate a belief telling you that you believe you are healthy person. You’ve made a choice. You are now acting as a healthy person.
Unfortunately most of us are stuck in the past with those same beliefs, trying to create new habits. Another example is:
A person who says ‘no’ to a cigarette because ‘they’re trying to quit’, still believes they are a smoker who is trying to quit.
But a person who declines a cigarette because they ‘have quit’, believes they are a non-smoker and are acting in such fashion.
Your habits shake your identity.
And
Your identity shapes your habits.
Your focus should always be on becoming the type of person you want to be, rather than achieving one specific outcome.
By stacking small wins together toward your desired outcome we can reinvent ourselves.
Remember you don’t need to win at every practice, just the majority.
So what ‘Mantra’ will you take on board towards the person you want to be??? Me… ‘I am strong fit and functional’!
Make it happen.
Plan Your Cheat Meals
Firstly, an ‘off meal’ known as a ‘cheat meal,’ is something we all do from time to time. It is perfectly ok and permitted in any diet or nutrition regime. We believe that if your focus is on managing your shape, then a question to ask yourself is “have I ‘earned’ this”?
The following is a guide to ‘mitigate damage’ with ‘off meals’. Just allowing yourself a treat because ‘I have worked hard’ unfortunately is not enough to keep the kilos off for most of us. Think of it this way, if you were to buy an expensive dress and you have not saved over the previous weeks, you are likely to be out of pocket. You now have to restructure finances to get through your next week or arrange to pay off the debt in some way. With food it is no different. If you have overspent (as in the dress example above) you now need to make a plan to pay off the debt. What I want to encourage is that you have ‘saved’ in the first place. This allows you to spend a few extra calories guilt free whilst managing your budget.
Here is the next step:
We want to implement conscious decisions with our nutrition and below I have created a checklist in order to create this healthy mindset around your cheat meal. By weighing up the pros and cons for the action to be taken, you become aware if your personal inner dialogue supports your goals or is sabotaging your progress.
2 Health Conscious-Some of us may feel we are losing weight but adding in too many treats. Here are some questions you could ask yourself.
Cheat Meal
Weight Management
Clean Eating
Have I earned it?
· Have I kept in my calorie budget for the week?
· Did I exercise today- Higher Cals are better on exercise days for weight loss.
Some ways to do this are:
· Removing a meal that day
· Low Cal days for a higher calorie day
· Try removing a food group like carbohydrates from meals if your splurge had carbs. I.e., alcohol
Have I earned it?
When on a calorie deficit you have a limited budget of food, making it hard to get in all the micronutrients and fibre needed for health and wellbeing. So, earn it by adding in power packed foods earlier in the day. This means foods like lean meat and fish, healthy fats, fibre, and veggies. I.e., Try for three types of protein and eat the rainbow in veggies daily. Always use fish oil, magnesium, and zinc to support your immune system and nervous system.
Can I keep this around exercise?
Try to keep excess eating post training within 3 hours.
Your body will use the excess calories better. Majority of your carbohydrates should be ingested post training as the excess calories will be used more rapidly, rather than stored. Splurging on non- training days is a great way to add some size to your frame.
Can I substitute this for a healthier option?
I.e., popcorn for chips, hot choc for choc. Diet soda options for the real thing.
Healthy sweet recipes. Homemade fudge, cookies, yoghurt sweets, date energy balls, banana bread, homemade muesli, frozen yoghurt, homemade ice cream, smoothies, protein shakes
Is it a treat or a habit?
let us say ice cream or chips (which has little to no nutritional value) limit these foods. If it occurs weekly or more then this is not a treat but a habit.
See across as you may have healthier options in which can be substituted and built in your plan more frequently.
Do not justify it but earn it!
Food is fuel- creating this belief is powerful!
When you think this way, your decisions are influenced by this belief, and you will become more conscious of how foods make you feel and your performance afterwards
I.e., how would you feel during the day when starting with a bowl of ice cream? You will probably crash soon after due to unstable blood sugars. Compare this to some high fibre veggies and low gi eggs, which have both protein and healthy fats. Your mood will be far more stable, and focus/ performance will be better.
To Summarise on Your Cheat Meal
Is this food doing what I need it to? Go through the above and then use these final questions as a checklist to support your health and body shape goals! If it is a no- go back and look above for your options 😊
If I have this, will I feel good about it? Will I be able to move on with no guilt and stay on track? Am I handling my stress, and will this make me feel good about my choice?
Do I have control over it? Can I opt in or out? Am I constantly justifying these foods or having them sparingly? That is what an ‘off meal’ is after all.
Is it budgeted for (calories and micronutrients)?
Am I ok with any possible fat gain and health repercussions? I.e. 2 off plan days in a row. You are likely to gain bodyfat
Can I get back on track and leave this here?
Am I ok with how I perform after this food?
Stick me up on the fridge and challenge yourself over this next month to build some healthy habits.
Make it happen
Dion Mychalyn
The Perfect Training Plan- “Suitable without deviations”
The perfect training plan is arguable but lets take a moment to discuss perefection. Perfection and art are almost inseparable concepts forged together through the aisles of history and its many cultures. The ancient Greeks considered art as the ultimate pursuit of perfection. The Pythagoreans considered perfection as a harmonious balance between forces. While Plato said… It must be “suitable, accurate and just, without deviations” – in other words, perfect.
Today, we are striving for our own representation of perfection, through the art of programming. We will reconcile the thoughts of our ancestors with the concerns of today, in developing the “perfect” program. This program must be harmonious, balanced, accurate and just… Without deviations. It needs to be able to balance training with recovery. It must take a holistic approach to personal development. It must use all the tools at our disposal. It must consider the needs of our brain, our psyche, as well as our body.
I must state this will not be the perfect program for fat loss, or muscle gain, or strength development or any of those things. For a program like that would not fit with the classical view of perfection. This program is going to be one that considers all elements of the being, and looks to improve them simultaneously. Beware, this is just the blue print, as the specifics will change from person to person, but by in large this outline is designed to be “perfect”.
A few key elements.
In any perfect program we need to consider the elements that it is aiming to improve. As mentioned, this is looking to develop the person as a ‘whole’ rather, than just one element of them. As such, there are three main categories I am going to consider in this program: Physical, Aesthetic and Mental Benefits.
Physical benefits
Obvious isn’t it? …The one people call “fitness”. For the sake of this program we are considering physical benefits anything that will improve the physical health of the body. This might be improving cardiorespiratory health but also includes things such as reinforcing the bones and muscles through strength development.
Aesthetics
This is the one most people put at the fore front when pursuing exercise. Aesthetics basically comes down to two elements, fat loss and muscle gain. For those after fat loss, exercise must be intended to “burn” energy. Those after muscle gain must be more concerned with muscle breakdown – I understand the paradox in what I just said, but muscle break down (aka hypertrophy for natural exercisers) during a session causes overcompensation in recovery and ultimately leads to a larger muscle.
Mental clarity and energy
I would call this the money maker. In my opinion this is where the greatest benefits from exercise truly come from. Exercise is great for the brain and should be considered essential for anyone who wants their brain working at top levels – ie. Everyone. There are two trains of thought here, cardio and power training. Cardio is largely beneficial for its release of brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) which stimulates the growth of new brain cells. While power training is largely responsible for the myelination of our nervous system through the release of glial derived neurotropic factor (GDNF). Nervous system myelination is what increases the speed at which our neurons can communicate with each other, thus increasing myelination increases our nervous system as a whole.
Program Outline
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Power
Strength
Recovery
Power
Strength
Recovery
Rest
Justification of the Perfect Training Plan
Monday and Thursday
We are starting the week of our perfect training plan with power training. Power training has many benefits and in the sense of this program it is specifically intended to improve your mental performance, energy levels and muscle strength while also improving your fitness. We do it Monday and Thursday as it is when you have just had a recovery and/or rest day, therefore you will be most fresh and ready to perform on these days.
Tuesday and Friday
Tuesdays and Fridays are going to be strength training. Strength training has many benefits including muscle development, cardiovascular development, bone strengthening and is even good for fat burning. This day you can modify depending on your goals, if it is fat loss you are after, make your strength training program on this day a circuit where you have very little rest. If you are more interested in muscle gain and pure strength, keep the rests longer and lift heavy weights. This fits in here as you can perform it after a day of power without any significance hindrance from the previous session.
Wednesday and Saturday
Wednesdays and Saturdays are for recovery, but not rest. Ideally this would be something like swimming as it is low impact on the joints, keeps the blood flowing, stimulants neurotropic factors within the brain and burns through some energy and basically comes with zero downside. But, as swimming pools are closed at the moment bike riding is just as good an option; further alternatives include rowing, using an elliptical, a moderate paced walk or even yoga.
Sunday
Sunday is when you can rest completely. This would not be a bad time to try get outside of the house, it might look very similar to your Wednesday and Saturday but it does not need to be a specific session. Getting down to Morialta, or a local park to just get outside and spend some time recuperating should have you ready to go again come Monday.
There you have it: balance, harmony, beauty… perfection in the form of programming. A perfect mix of cardio, power and strength training. The ideal balance between improving the mind and improving the body. Whenever you are in need of a guide to structuring your workouts, use this guide, for it is suitable, just and accurate, without deviations.
