WEBVTT - Laura Dundovic’s inspiring ethos for strength training

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Healthy Ish. Yes, you have tuned into the

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<v Speaker 1>almost daily podcast from Body and Soul. I'm your host

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<v Speaker 1>of Felicity Halle now model Laura Dundavic. Well, she's been

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<v Speaker 1>around for a while. Gosh, that makes her sound old.

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<v Speaker 1>She is not. But you've probably come across her and

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps you follow her on social media and damn that

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<v Speaker 1>girl is strong. So I thought we needed to get

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<v Speaker 1>her on the podcast to well pick up brains about

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<v Speaker 1>how she approaches fitness and her strength training. Laura is,

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<v Speaker 1>of course a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and she

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<v Speaker 1>has studied a Bachelor of Science in psychology. She knows

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<v Speaker 1>her stuff. She joins us today to share how she

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<v Speaker 1>approaches fitness and strength. Now make sure you're listening to

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<v Speaker 1>extra Healthyish as well, because she talks about how Hashimoto's

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<v Speaker 1>disease has upended her life in the past couple of years.

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<v Speaker 1>You can catch that reveget your podcasts. Laurah. Nice to

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<v Speaker 1>have you back on the podcast. Nice to be back

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<v Speaker 1>here a while. Do you know we did the last

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<v Speaker 1>one when when we were in COVID Wow. Yes, So

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<v Speaker 1>it's nice to have you in the studio.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, to be face to face finally.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and we have known each other for a few years,

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<v Speaker 1>but we so it's nice to see you again too.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about your fitness. I mean, you are one

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<v Speaker 1>of the strongest people on my Instagram feet. I like

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<v Speaker 1>to hear that, and perhaps I am a bit envious.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to talk about how you approach well, not

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<v Speaker 1>just fitness but strength training.

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<v Speaker 2>So for me, it's never about I don't train for esthetics.

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<v Speaker 2>I trained for longevity, and so I think I was

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<v Speaker 2>quite blessed growing up to have two very fit parents.

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<v Speaker 2>They're in their sixties now and they run seven kilometers

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<v Speaker 2>every day. You'll see them going through Sydney Harbor.

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<v Speaker 1>Amazing.

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<v Speaker 2>They're amazing. And I also had a next door neighbor

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<v Speaker 2>growing up, and he was probably in his late seventies

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<v Speaker 2>and he still used to sail and get out on

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<v Speaker 2>his boat. And I realized that during that period of

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<v Speaker 2>probably your late fifties onwards, there's a big difference in

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<v Speaker 2>the activity that people can do. And there's people who

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<v Speaker 2>I know will say I'm getting married overseas, but my

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<v Speaker 2>grandparents can't come. Then there's other people whose grandparents are going.

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<v Speaker 2>And I always I'm such a go getter if you

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<v Speaker 2>know me, I get the biggest fomo. I want to

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<v Speaker 2>be doing everything and I want to do as much

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<v Speaker 2>as I can for as long as I can. So

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<v Speaker 2>I think earlier on I never had any upper body strength,

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<v Speaker 2>and I sort of used to let that define me.

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<v Speaker 2>I'd be like, I can't do push ups, I don't

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<v Speaker 2>have upper body strength, and then all of a sudden,

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<v Speaker 2>one day I thought, why do I not have upper

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<v Speaker 2>body strength? And I started training that. And so for me,

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<v Speaker 2>it's about things like being able to carry heavy groceries,

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<v Speaker 2>being able to, you know, walk all day while I'm

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<v Speaker 2>overseas and not get tired, and that's kind of what

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<v Speaker 2>I do. And I think the aesthetic part obviously comes

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<v Speaker 2>with that, but it's about just having my whole body

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<v Speaker 2>being strong, not just one area.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you feel strong?

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<v Speaker 2>I do feel strong, yeah, And I'm doing things that

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<v Speaker 2>I could never do. Like years ago, my train array,

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, I can't do a pull up and

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<v Speaker 2>he's like, oh well, why don't we work on that?

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<v Speaker 2>And things like that I never thought i'd be able to.

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<v Speaker 2>And then even doing boxing and just having that full

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<v Speaker 2>body workout, I just feel a lot more, I guess

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<v Speaker 2>balanced than I was before.

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<v Speaker 1>This a new approach for you, the longevity thing.

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<v Speaker 2>I've actually been like.

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<v Speaker 1>This for a long time.

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<v Speaker 2>I really treat.

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<v Speaker 1>My body like a temple.

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<v Speaker 2>And then, as I said, just seeing people around me

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<v Speaker 2>and the difference in what they can do with their bodies,

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, there's no reason if you start young

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<v Speaker 2>and you look after yourself that you can't end up

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<v Speaker 2>that way. So that's what I aim for now.

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<v Speaker 1>Before we pressed play, you did tell me that your

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<v Speaker 1>hit and that you should be doing lots of yoga.

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<v Speaker 1>Talk to us about this whole conundrum.

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<v Speaker 2>So I have an autoimmune disease and a genetic disorder,

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<v Speaker 2>so high intensity is not supposedly my friend. I've also

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<v Speaker 2>had I had glandela fever when I was sixteen and

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<v Speaker 2>got chronic fatigue as a result of that. I personally

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<v Speaker 2>feel better when I train Medically. I'm not supposed to

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<v Speaker 2>train as probably as hard as to do, but I

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<v Speaker 2>really enjoy and it's what gives me energy.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you do? What's the hard? Look like?

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<v Speaker 2>I love strength training like love love love, so heavyweights

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<v Speaker 2>that's not too bad. But I also love my running.

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<v Speaker 2>So I did half marathon a few months ago. I

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<v Speaker 2>did one train full one last year and I broke

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<v Speaker 2>my ankle.

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<v Speaker 1>When you were training.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, so I likes I know, so that was the

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<v Speaker 2>beginning of me finding out about my autoimmune But yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>I broke my ankle. And then prior to that, I

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<v Speaker 2>used to do marathons and triathlons and I'm sort of

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<v Speaker 2>getting back into that. I just don't really have an

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<v Speaker 2>off button. And then boxing is just to meet It

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't even feel like training.

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<v Speaker 1>I love it, So what is it like? What does

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<v Speaker 1>your week look like?

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<v Speaker 2>My big rule with training is that I don't train

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<v Speaker 2>because I have to. I train because I can, and

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<v Speaker 2>so it's never something.

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<v Speaker 1>That I have to do.

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<v Speaker 2>If I've got a really busy week and I can

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<v Speaker 2>only make it to the gym two or three times,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't feel bad about it. Just recently, I got

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<v Speaker 2>knocked out with that stupid fl cold thing that everyone had, Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>and I honestly had about four or five weeks off,

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<v Speaker 2>And that's fine. You know, my body needed to recover.

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<v Speaker 2>That was more important to me. But on an ideal

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<v Speaker 2>week that I when I can. At the moment, my

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<v Speaker 2>train array has a run program that I'm doing, and

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<v Speaker 2>that's four runs a week and then I'm supplementing that

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<v Speaker 2>with I use the base body Waves app and I'm

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<v Speaker 2>doing three training days of that at the gym waits

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<v Speaker 2>and then boxing whenever I can.

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<v Speaker 1>So are you training for? Are you doing it aiming

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<v Speaker 1>for another half marathon? Or are you just fine a marathon?

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<v Speaker 1>Can we do a full?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah? Next? But again I just I enjoy it. It's

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<v Speaker 2>a nice social thing. If my friends are doing something,

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<v Speaker 2>I go, yeah, great, I'll do that.

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<v Speaker 1>Now you are a certified PETE. Yes. When you got

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<v Speaker 1>this qualification, I think it was a few years ago.

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<v Speaker 1>Now was Yeah, did this change how you approached workouts

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<v Speaker 1>or did it change your what you actually did?

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<v Speaker 2>It changed my understanding of my body. So I started

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<v Speaker 2>going to the gym when I was quite young. As

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<v Speaker 2>I said, my mum was fit. I always looked up

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<v Speaker 2>to her, and as soon as I was allowed in

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<v Speaker 2>a gym, I was like, I'll do it with you.

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<v Speaker 2>But as I once I got my qualification, I started

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<v Speaker 2>learning about, you know, things like my mobility. I'm not

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<v Speaker 2>very good at squatting. I have to raise my heels

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<v Speaker 2>when I scored. I've got poor mobility. But then working

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<v Speaker 2>out ways that I can strength that or other exercises

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<v Speaker 2>that I can supplement, and so if I do, I

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<v Speaker 2>like to work off a program just because it's easier

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<v Speaker 2>for me and don't think about it. If I've got

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<v Speaker 2>a program, I know how to make the changes that

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<v Speaker 2>I need to make. If I turn up at a

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<v Speaker 2>hotel and they've got three or four weights, I know

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<v Speaker 2>how to do a full body workout off that and

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<v Speaker 2>just having that understandings being great.

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<v Speaker 1>So for people listening who aren't pts, how do you

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<v Speaker 1>what do you recommend? Like if we do turn up

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<v Speaker 1>to a hotel, I mean I'm probably that person where

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<v Speaker 1>I'm like, Okay, what am I going to do? Where

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<v Speaker 1>do I start? What's some give us some tips here?

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<v Speaker 2>I think that anyone that's not a PT the consistency

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<v Speaker 2>is key. And so some people get really overwhelmed in

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<v Speaker 2>being like I have to do this program and I

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<v Speaker 2>have to do this, and I have to do that,

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<v Speaker 2>and rather than thinking that just moving every day, whether

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<v Speaker 2>it be just a walk, is all you can manage

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<v Speaker 2>today or whatnot, is the most important thing. So I

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<v Speaker 2>think consistency is my number one thing and to make

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<v Speaker 2>it something you enjoy. So if my friend, like the

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<v Speaker 2>other week, my cousin was in town and she wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to go for a walk and we ended up walking

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<v Speaker 2>twenty five thousand steps. We did die and went and

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<v Speaker 2>got lunch, and I didn't train that day. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I was supposed to go to the gym, but I'm like, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>I've done my walk, that's my exercise for the day.

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<v Speaker 2>And so I think probably that And then the other

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<v Speaker 2>thing is just realizing that we all have our first

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<v Speaker 2>time in a gym. I have a lot of friends

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<v Speaker 2>that asked to go to the gym with me, and

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<v Speaker 2>it makes me sad because I did it when I

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<v Speaker 2>was young, but because they're embarrassed of walking up to

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<v Speaker 2>a weight on their own, and especially being a woman,

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<v Speaker 2>And I think not.

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<v Speaker 1>Knowing what to do machine, like how do I pull

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<v Speaker 1>those like levers down on that machine? How do I

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<v Speaker 1>lose the weights?

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<v Speaker 2>And I mean that's what I was saying. I used

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<v Speaker 2>the base Body app and on that they've actually got

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<v Speaker 2>videos of how you know to use each piece of equipment.

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<v Speaker 2>So if you're stuck, you know, everyone's on their phone

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<v Speaker 2>at the gym, pop up an app. Well, even you

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<v Speaker 2>can google a movement and I know all different I

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<v Speaker 2>know every movement you can do at the gym, but

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<v Speaker 2>I google things sometimes to check that my technique is right,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think that's the one thing as well. I

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<v Speaker 2>would always put a technique over a heavier weight, So

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<v Speaker 2>even starting with body weight, getting that correct, you'll get

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<v Speaker 2>much better results than lifting a really heavy weight with

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<v Speaker 2>poor technique.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, just quickly before we go, you're a health coach

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<v Speaker 1>as well, Yes, talk to us about the importance of

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<v Speaker 1>nutrition for your fitness.

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<v Speaker 2>Food is fuel. You'll never get good results without training hard.

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<v Speaker 2>I think as women, we probably don't need as much

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<v Speaker 2>protein as we should. So that's the one thing that

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<v Speaker 2>I really focus on. And I would always say to

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<v Speaker 2>you like, oh, yeah, like you know, I get plenty

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<v Speaker 2>of protein. And it wasn't until I started tracking it.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't track it every day, but I did it

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<v Speaker 2>to understand because one thing with having autoimmune is that

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<v Speaker 2>your body doesn't absorb anything. And the doctor kept saying

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<v Speaker 2>to me, don't have enough protein, and I was like, well,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm eating plenty. And then I started tracking it and

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<v Speaker 2>I realize that, hey, like you know, yes, a piece

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<v Speaker 2>of chicken might have say, thirty grams of protein in it,

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<v Speaker 2>but you're supposed to be having, say around, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>double your body weight or whatnot. That's not a whole

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<v Speaker 2>day's worth. So I think just making sure that you're

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<v Speaker 2>having adequate fuel for your training is so important. And

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<v Speaker 2>if you're not fueling your body, you're not going to

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<v Speaker 2>train hard.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Absolutely, Laura, great to have you back on healthy, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>back on what's your fitness ethos? Do you see it

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<v Speaker 1>through the lens of longevity as well, or perhaps you

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<v Speaker 1>see it through a bit of both longevity and whatever

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<v Speaker 1>you do helps you, well, just be a bit of

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<v Speaker 1>human and be better at life today. That's how I

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<v Speaker 1>view it. Anyway. If you did enjoy this chat with Laura,

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<v Speaker 1>tell us rate and review this episode, or of course

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<v Speaker 1>subscribe to this podcast. Anything else, head to body andsoul

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<v Speaker 1>dot com dot you for loos and socials, or of

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<v Speaker 1>our print edition which is our your local Sunday paper.

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<v Speaker 1>And until tomorrow, of course, stay healthy, deep,