Workout World | The Fitness and Exercise Equipment Specialists

Store In Focus: Workout World Tuggerah

Former Olympic rower Stephen Stewart, once at the helm of the bronze-winning Men's Eight in Athens, is now in the driver's seat at Workout World Tuggerah. There, Steve is steering locals to better fitness and helping people get a handle on their health.

Q. What's your career background?
A. Before becoming a franchise manager with Workout World at Tuggerah I worked for a high performance clothing brand, called 2XU, as state manager. Prior to working with 2XU I sold commercial equipment to large gyms.

Some people know me from my bronze medal win in Athens as part of the men's eight (Stefan Szczurowski, Stuart Reside, Stuart Welch, my twin brothers James and Geoff, plus Boden Hanson, Mike Mckay and Michael Toon) in 2004. It was the first time in Australian Olympic history that three brothers had won a medal.

My brothers retired from rowing after Athens but I went on to compete in Beijing. I competed in the Mens VIII after qualifying in 2007. We were a highly rated crew although didn't perform to potential on finals day with a sixth place.

Other people I rowed with are still going strong - like James Tonkin who's 45. Rowing is a very low impact form of exercise, so that's why you see athletes staying involved in the sport for long careers - the only downfall is that you don't make any money!

Q. Tell us more about your rowing career.
A. I've been involved with rowing since I was six (I began as a coxswain) and I started rowing when I was eight or nine. It was always my dream to go to the Olympics. I joined the Australian team when I was 17. I raced in Europe for three months of the year, from 1995 to 2004, in different Australian World Championship teams.

Q. What made you decide to give up rowing?
A. The time it involved. Training three or four times a day - doing about 40 hours a week - ultimately became too much. I began training for Beijing in 2006 while working for Avanti. This meant a 5am on-water start, 8am finish then to work until 5.30pm and back to the shed at 5.45pm.

As the training picked up so did my time commitments. Unfortunately this meant leaving Avanti.

Q. When you were rowing, what did your training regime involve?
A. As a member of the men's eight we'd do eight or nine training sessions a week in the boat. The standard session is 25 kilometres on water which takes around two hours; our weights regime was three times a week, two hour sessions involving mostly bulking and stability weights. There was lots of cycling (about 300 kilometres per week) and every nine weeks we would do a 250 kilometre-plus cycle.

Cardio training was very important. Rowing is all about developing strong quads and lungs. You perform a lot of cardio, to get your heart to work at certain rates.

Q. Why did you decide to join Workout World as a manager?
Having worked closely with the team at Workout World previously, I liked their work ethic. I saw joining Workout World as a great opportunity to sell quality fitness equipment to the community.

It's highly rewarding to know you're helping members of the community achieve their fitness goals, providing customers with qualified advice about fitness equipment that will suit their lifestyle and fitness goals.

Q. What are the most rewarding aspects of your job as a Workout World manager?
A. Selling quality products and having confidence in what you're selling someone.

Q. What business philosophy do you follow?
A. I believe in being open and honest with customers. For example, I recently had a customer visit my store to test a rowing machine. The customer weighed about 140kg and when he was rowing he only moved about three inches.

Put simply, I could tell he would not get much enjoyment from the rower. I suggested that there was a more suitable form of exercise he would enjoy. I sold him something of lower value recumbent bike and he welcomed the feedback and left the store as a very satisfied customer. I think it's critical for customers to buy fitness equipment that they will enjoy using. That makes all the difference to achieving your overall health and fitness goals.

Q. What are your top tips for consumers buying health and fitness equipment?
A. Trying fitness equipment before you buy it is important. Once you've tested the equipment, make sure you ask the sales person for more assistance with the functionality of the equipment so you fully understand the product's capabilities.

For example, one customer, who was looking to buy the AXT3, didn't realise it had a complex side arm functional trainer. Once the customer understood how it worked, he was able to make an informed choice - and he was pleasantly surprised about the functionality of the product.

Q. What do you believe is the most effective fitness equipment for helping people lose body fat?
Many people don't realise that cardiovascular exercise, stuff that gets your heart pumping, is what's going to help people achieve their weight loss goals. There's no quick fix! Treadmills, cross trainers or a Cardio Gym are great examples of equipment that provides you with a cardiovascular workout.

One of the most effective ways to lose weight is combining cardiovascular and strength training. Using a treadmill (for cardiovascular exercise) and a home gym (for strength training, such as lifting weights) is a good example. If you're time poor, like many Australians, Workout World has a great product called Cardio Gym that lets you perform both cardio and strength training in the one device - simultaneously. It cuts your workout time in half.

Visit www.cardiogym.com to demonstrate the benefits of this effective, proven piece of fitness equipment. We've got a great range of Cardio Gyms, treadmills, weights and much more at Workout World Tuggerah. It's a wise idea to try before you buy, so visit my store today and find out what's right for your personal fitness goals.

Q. What do you enjoy most about being physically fit?
A. I love being free from stress! When you run or cycle you can escape the everyday and think about what's really important in life.

I think a lot of people get trapped in their world - in the mundane stuff - but exercising regularly really helps you achieve clarity and purpose - and it makes you feel fantastic, too!

I think a life with a balance of being healthy and fit - and enjoying everything else in moderation, is a great way to live. When you work out and get yourself into a routine, training yourself isn't hard to do! A great way to train is with your friends - having ongoing support is a great motivator.

Q. What do you think of the rowers sold at Workout World?
A. The resistance and the overall feel of them is quite nice and compared to a commercial machine there is less resistance on your back (for less back pain).

Q. What does your typical training regime consist of these days?
A. I still train every day. I love cycling and running, doing triathlons and taking part in mountain bike adventure racing (I completed the Australian Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championship, coming third at the National Championship in 2006).

I also love doing weight training. Now that I've bought a house I'd like to build up my home gym, so that I can train with my wife, and it is quick and hassle-free.

It's so convenient working out at home - it's there whenever you feel like it - a home workout is at your fingertips, 24/7.

Q. What are your personal health and fitness aspirations or goals?
A. I am focused on maintaining my health and wellbeing. I'm also keen to compete in the Ironman 70.3 race. I think I would need to take 12 months off work just to be able to qualify for this one - it includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1 mile run!