Member Meets – Introducing Sam Turner

  1. Home
  2. Fitness
  3. Member Meets – Introducing Sam Turner
Fitness

Dedicated Member and University of Sydney student Sam Turner sat down with Sera Naiqama to share how her perspective of training has changed for the better since joining SUSF.

How long have you been training at Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness?

I have been training at SUSF since April 2019. I’ve always trained regularly but really started getting into it last November.

Why do you like coming to the gym here at Sydney Uni?

Initially I liked coming because of how affordable the membership is and how I could hire towels, which is very convenient. Since then I’ve chosen to stay because as part of my membership, I can have fitness programs tailored to my training goals. I’ve found that coming to the gym can be quite daunting especially when you have no idea how to use the equipment, however the staff are so friendly and always willing to help which has shifted the experience of coming to the gym to be a real positive thing for me.

Can you run us through your gym routine?

My gym routine is structured. I train five days and alternate between focussing on my upper and lower body.

Warm up: I used to row so I start my workout on the erg. I find it as a great way to warm up most of my body without having to do anything too complex.

Reps: I do three sets of eight for each exercise. I place a huge emphasis on getting proper reps in and increasing the weight where I feel comfortable to do so.

My upper body workout:

  • Bench press
  • Overhead press
  • Chin-ups
  • Seated row
  • Abs

My lower body workout:

  • Banded hip thrusts
  • Squats
  • Hip abduction machine
  • Lunges (moving or stationary)
  • Hyperextensions on the Roman Chair

Do you enjoy any other types of exercise outside of the gym?

I used to play hockey and soccer competitively which I really loved but due to time constraints I’ve stopped playing. Nowadays I enjoy going for a walk on my days I’m not in the gym. You feel most alive when… Whenever I do something well or better than I anticipated. Especially if I’ve been grinding at it mercilessly for a long period of time with no results and then I finally get it. That’s a good feeling.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

In the gym… I’ve come a long way from not feeling intimidated by people in the gym. I feared judgement of what others might think of me but the more I came into the gym, the less I thought about it. Now I realise most of us are in the gym to workout and don’t really pay too much attention to anyone else. Noise-cancelling earphones don’t hurt either.

Outside of this…

Managing the balancing act between work, uni, gym and life without blowing up or without sacrificing sleep. It can be hard so massive kudos to anyone who has lots on their plate and still manages to do their best!

Menu