I just went on a really short run to keep my little health and fitness venture heading in the right direction. I’ve learnt some really important things over the last month which I think could really help other blokes working to get their health and fitness back on track.  ??????? has had more of an influence on many aspects of my life than I realised. I haven’t had a drop since the 13th of July (25 days) which is a huge achievement for me. It has been much easier to abstain than I ever imagined since the benefits have been so noticeable. I have experienced better sleep, improved mood and ..read more

University studies are difficult. When I first began studying externally I completely underestimated the time, effort and commitment required for success. I foolishly enrolled for four subjects in my first semester of University and completed exactly zero subjects. Sue me, I was excited. Whilst working full time – 12 hour days, living in a half renovated house and learning the ropes as a new parent with our first born child at the tender age of 5 months old, I bit off way more than I could chew in my decision to study. Once I understood the sheer workload involved in this undertaking, I immedi ..read more

There are a number of things one would expect to encounter when living a sedentary lifestyle with an unbalanced diet and the intake of rum at a volume Captain Jack Sparrow would be proud of. The things I expect to experience include lacking energy, moody attitude, obesity and experiencing shortness of breath when manoeuvring my body from a seated position to standing position. What I didn’t expect was the ‘old-man’ rash that developed around my ankles and the lower parts of my legs. I was a little concerned before I got the rash checked out by the quack, but was completely embarrassed by the e ..read more

Going to a public toilet with your child. Warning: this post contains high concentrations of toilet humour. You know how it goes. You’re in the middle of Woolies and your little one complains of a full bladder. ‘Awesome. Perfect timing’ you think to yourself. So you stop mid-way through the weekly grocery shop, abandon the half-full trolley and hustle to the Parent Room so your kid to do their business. While you’re waiting for them nature calls and you also get the sudden urge to go. “Shit“. You’d hold it if you could, but the urge is too strong. I’m not sure why, but being trapped in a toile ..read more

How do you know if you are on track with achieving your fitness goals? Tracking metrics such as weight, body measurements and Personal Best achievements is a great way of measuring progress of achieving goals. In fact, without this essential component of a S.M.A.R.T goal, it is impossible to Measure progress or success in achieving your goal. Tracking metrics has also been a great way for me to stay motivated. I made bold promises in my Dad Bod post, claiming to be on the verge of a total health transformation. It didn’t take long for me to forget those promises and my beer induced stomach pro ..read more

I imagined the FIFO lifestyle would be the ideal working situation. Company funded jet setting across the countryside, racking up the frequent flyer points, set roster, good money and the chance to pursue a fantastic career opportunity on a $150M+ construction project. The truth is, I really struggled with the FIFO lifestyle on a personal level. I was very unhappy being away from my wife and two young girls. Life always felt temporary, living out of a suitcase, the work was hard, stressful and being in Central Queensland, it was pretty fucking hot. Temperature in the HiLux on 13th February 201 ..read more

Sometimes it feels like my kids will do everything in their power to ruin our relaxing family getaway. As if their evil little sub-conscious is aware that the adults need time to recharge and they get a kick out of seeing us stressed. Take our most recent holiday for example. Our youngest girl cut her first tooth the day before we left and our normally perfect little angel temporarily morphed into the spawn of Satan himself. Our eldest little girl also decided that no matter what she received, it wasn’t enough for her. The whinging was relentless. The pair of them have a supernatural sisterly ..read more

Of my many excuses to avoid fronting the gym for a workout, anxiety is my main deterrent. When I walk into the gym, everyone stops mid-workout to cast their judging eyes over my unfortunate Dad Bod and ill-fitting workout attire. At least that’s what my mind convinces me is happening. Sound familiar? It is a problem that a lot of blokes face. This could be due to a multitude of reasons including low self-esteem, the fear of being judged, or fear of failure. Not to mention the ever-present expectation on blokes to exhibit masculinity and confidence which seems to be amplified in a gym environme ..read more

I love beer. Any beer, any time, give it to me and I’ll drink it. Ironically, I am drinking a beer whilst writing this. Unfortunately, drinking beer excessively, along with poor diet choices and a sedentary lifestyle generally results in obesity. This is what occurred when I became an adult and began making my own lifestyle choices. Add the sleep deprivation, time deprivation and sanity deprivation that inevitably accompanies a newborn baby and the excuses to avoid healthy lifestyle choices will manifest by the 21 piece original recipe bucket load. My worst fears were confirmed recently, not b ..read more

Welcome to Quintessential Bloke! My name is Ben and I want to introduce the Quintessential Bloke philosophy firstly by providing some background about myself and my reasons for writing this blog. About Me I am an average Aussie bloke with a good job, perfect wife and two beautiful baby girls (eldest is 3 years old and the youngest is 6 months old). I have an electrical trade background however after pursuing a number of opportunities I am currently working in the civil construction field as a cadet engineer whilst undertaking part time studies externally. I don’t consider myself a Greenie but ..read more