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Ben and his mates were overweight. What they did next changed the lives of many 'fat farmers' like them

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Ben and his mates were overweight. What they did next changed the lives of many 'fat farmers' like them

Twelve years ago, a trio of middle-aged farmers had a good hard look at themselves and weren’t happy with what they saw.

“We were all sort of finished playing footy, had a family,” Ben Wundersitz said.

“And, from 30 onwards, we just began to eat a bit of fast food, go to kids sport [and] lost our will for our own physical fitness.” 

The farmers, from Maitland on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, decided to give the local gym a go.

Fat Farmers co-founders Greg Hean and Ben Wundersitz working out with the Maitland group.()

“To be honest our wives were noticing that the three of us were all snoring so we were booked in for a sleep apnoea test and, at the end of mine, the doctor just said, basically, you need to lose some weight,” he said. 

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“We just couldn’t believe, after two or three weeks of cardio, how much better we felt.

“Eventually, I think we all stopped snoring and then we thought, ‘Well, wouldn’t it be good if we could get a few more people involved?’.” 

Men boxing in a gym, wearing black and white tee with fat farmer log, man in foreground, bald, bearded, blue carpet.
In Millicent, the Fat Farmers group boxes to stay fit.()

They held a breakfast barbecue to fire up some enthusiasm. It attracted about 20 mainly middle-aged farmers.

Since then, the South Australian rural health initiative has also spread to Victoria, benefiting almost 20 rural communities.

The group soon became known as the Fat Farmers, and the catchy, if not politically correct, name proved to be part of the appeal, says co-founder Greg Hean.

A smiling Caucasian man with his thumbs up, wears black cap and tee with fat farmers logo with wheat sheaf.
Fat Farmers co-founder Greg Hean takes credit for the group’s tongue-in-cheek name.()

“One day, I came in years ago and I just yelled out, ‘Hey, f***ing fat farmers’, and it’s stuck,” he said.

 “So, I’ll claim it.”

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Mr Wundersitz said they had considered changing the name.

“We’ve certainly been asked the question if we’d like to change the name maybe to Fit Farmers,” he said.

“But any time we’ve done a survey with all the people involved, they’ve said they love the name and they wouldn’t have come if it was anything else.”

Push ups and saving lives

Behind the tongue-in-cheek name were some life-changing results for farmers like Cameron Ferguson.

Caucasian man on a cross-trainer, wears blue and white uniform with fat farmers logo. Two men using treadmill, one drinks water.
Cameron Ferguson goes to the gym several times a week after joining the Fat Farmers group.()

“My fitness was probably non-existent, almost. I don’t even think I’d ever done a push-up before,” he said.

“I’ve probably doubled my fitness, easy. I can run a lot further, I can do heavier weights and it’s easier doing stuff on the farm.”

Mr Wundersitz  said he was also surprised to see the impact of the combination of exercise and mateship on farmers’ mental health.

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“We’ve had a fellow that was probably doing it pretty tough and his wife actually rang me and said we saved his life,” he said.

“And, I think, that’s what really just keeps me inspired to keep pushing on.”

Smiling Caucasian man wears black tee, grey lining on inside of collar, leaning on the gate, sheep in paddock in foreground.
Sam Croser says he has learnt how important it is to look after his body and mind.()

The mental health benefits were largely why Sam and Nicole Croser decided to help start a Fat Farmers group at Millicent, in South Australia’s south east, where farmers were dealing with one of the driest seasons in years.

A few years ago, Mr Croser was also struggling.

“I did reach a point where I pushed myself too hard and it was getting a bit much,” he said.

It showed him the toll life on the land could take when you didn’t take a breather.

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A man and a woman and three children, one boy, two girls on a farm with a dog. Chidren  on white and red scooters.
Sam and Nicole Croser and their children on their farm near Millicent.()

“We service our tractors and we do preventative maintenance on that [but] we don’t do that for ourselves or our bodies or our minds,” Mr Croser said.

“Some people are struggling at the moment, so I’m a little bit passionate about wanting to help my mates through that.”

Man on an exercise bike in a gym, other men in similar uniforms, of blue and white stripes in the background.
Maitland Fat Farmers group working out.()

‘Not our thing’

Some farmers Mr Croser contacted were reluctant to head to the gym for the weekly early morning class.

A Caucasian man on the ground, green carpet, car tyers near him, he lifts weights.
Sam Croser exercising with the Fat Farmers.()
Four men doing boxing training in gym.
A boxing exercise at Millicent Fat Farmers training session.()
Man carrying weights on both hands, green carpet, yellow stripes, wall has colourful mural. Another man behind pushing weights.
Millicent Fat Farmers at gym doing the farmers carry exercise.()
Smiling men boxing in a gym, pink gloves.
Millicent Fat Farmers group boxing together.()

“If you had asked me a few years ago, I probably would have had the same response,” he said.

“You think gym, mirrors, blokes pumping weights and you know that’s not our thing.”

Someone who was up for the challenge immediately was Andrew Skeer, who had already overcome challenges in his life.

Smiling Caucasian man standing behind a bale of hay in paddock, dark hair, cut short, wears dark hoodie over shirt.
Andrew Skeer says a farm accident changed his life, but he never gave up.()

“When I was 10, I was involved in a farming accident and lost my leg above the knee,” he said.

“My life changed dramatically, but it didn’t end.

“I’ll just gently attempt and have a go at anything I can try, even if the instructor says you mightn’t be able to do that.”

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He’s learnt to skip, something he hadn’t done since he was 10.

A man wearing a dark top and  khaki pants skipping in front of three boys in a shed. farming equipment behind.
Mr Skeer says he is always willing to have a go at anything — including skipping.()

For most of the Millicent Fat Farmers, the gym was a pleasant surprise with a mix of familiar skills like the appropriately named “farmer’s carry”, and less familiar exercises like boxing and stretching.

Fitness

EXCLUSIVE: Lindsay Arnold’s The Movement Club Launches Its First Home Exercise Tool

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EXCLUSIVE: Lindsay Arnold’s The Movement Club Launches Its First Home Exercise Tool

“Dancing With the Stars” alum Lindsay Arnold is expanding her digital fitness universe with the launch of a home exercise tool, The Everything Band.

Out now, the all-in-one, multiloop resistance band is a first-of-its-kind product designed to replace clunky gym equipment such as reformers, leg machines, rowers, kettlebells and more. With 11 loops (five “levels” on each side of the center loop), the portable tool, $35, can assist more than 100 movements, all of which are modeled in Arnold’s four-week, low-impact Tone Program, available on The Movement Club app.

Lindsay Arnold using The Everything Band.

Ambit Creative

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Speaking with WWD, Arnold described the band as a physical manifestation of her need to multitask. “I like to get things done. I like to be efficient with my time. And anything I create is going to be kind of a physical version of that,” she said. “The Movement Club is our digital version of that. It’s accessible movement that people can truly do anywhere. So when we decided to go into the physical product space, I knew I wanted something that’s multifunctional, that is versatile, that is innovative.”

Arnold founded the membership platform in 2020, after her 10-year run as a coach on “Dancing With the Stars.” The idea was born out of a sudden change in her own fitness regimen that occurred when she was pregnant with her first baby. “My body was my tool to perform, but when I stepped away from that career and became a mom, life looked a lot busier. I didn’t have as much time to get back to myself,” she recalled.

“I started looking at fitness in a different way,” she continued. “I felt like there was a missing space in the fitness industry for a program that’s for everyone, not a program that’s only for pregnant women or only for people in the best shape of their life, but truly a program that meets people exactly where they are at in their fitness journey.”

The Everything Band in the new four-week Tone Program.

The Everything Band in the four-week Tone Program.

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In 2025, The Movement Club saw a 190 percent increase in revenue, a 226 percent increase in new subscribers and 151 percent growth spike in returning subscribers.

With 12 programs including Full Body, Bridal, Postpartum, Pilates Strength and Self Care, the membership-based platform is, indeed, suitable for beginners, experts and every exercise level in between. Most workouts range from 18 to 30 minutes, with elements of dance woven throughout. “A lot a lot of my classes incorporate ballet, bar movements and also the stretching that I do feel like is a lot more targeted for dancers, which is really, really cool, because it’s all about lengthening and strengthening your muscles while also stretching and keeping your body safe,” Arnold explained.

The Tone Program, which is five days on and two days off, targets arms, glutes, legs and core, with short, high-intensity intervals and three-to-four reps of each exercise. The format, Arnold said, allows members to familiarize themselves with the band, and hopefully, inspire them to use it in their own regimen. “I will continue to add new videos with the band, like I always do, but first, I really wanted to launch with a good program for people to follow along with and track their progress,” she said.

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Can 2 days of exercise make up for a sedentary week? Fitness coach reveals truth about weekend workouts

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Can 2 days of exercise make up for a sedentary week? Fitness coach reveals truth about weekend workouts

The weekend workout trend is taking over the internet, and people are obsessing over it. But with most of us leading sedentary lives, is it too good to be true? HT Lifestyle spoke with Sumit Dubey, fitness expert and the founder of Sumit Dubey Fitness (SDF) centre to understand whether weekend exercise actually works or it is just another passing fad.

Weekend workout trend involves doing exercising only twice a week. (Unsplash)

​Also read | Woman who lost 27 kg shares exactly what to eat before and after a workout for fat loss: ‘Aim for 15-25 g of protein…’

Weekend workout trend

Sumit Dubey said, “These days, life moves quickly. Folks find it tough sticking to regular workouts through the week. So they shift everything to Saturday and Sunday instead.” “Squeezing sweat into just a couple of days has become common lately,” he added.

“When Monday hits, and the chairs stay full again. Two long pushes each weekend. Can those really balance out five lazy ones after? The body keeps score differently, maybe,” said Sumit.

Weekend vs daily exercise

According to Sumit, weekend movement counts more than you might think. Scientists see gains when people hit 150 weekly minutes of solid effort, even if it’s just two days. Hearts respond well, so do blood sugar levels. Long-term illness risks dip slightly, and doing something beats doing nothing – no perfect routine needed.

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Still, some key limits need attention. Sumit highlighted that often moving keeps things running smoother. When you stay seated all day, circulation slows, posture slips, body parts weaken – little by little, they lose their edge. Five inactive days dull the gains from two active ones. A weekly rhythm matters more than weekend effort alone.

Here’s another thing to think about: getting hurt more easily. When exercise gets squeezed into just a few minutes, people tend to go too hard – especially if they haven’t moved much lately, highlighted Sumit. Pushing fast without building up slowly can pull muscles or strain joints. Tiredness shows up quicker when effort spikes out of nowhere. Bodies unprepared for sudden bursts react with soreness or discomfort most times.

“Still, working out on weekends might actually help, as long as it’s done with some thought,” said Sumit. Ease counts more than effort. You can try running, sometimes swimming instead; pair either with strength drills along with quick footwork. Wait until movement feels smooth before adding speed, ease off gradually once finished.

Mornings aren’t the only time motion matters. Getting up to stroll, reach, or shift positions through workdays cuts down the health downsides of too much stillness.

“Just twice a week, moving your body? That still misses what everyday motion offers. Showing up – any way you can – is more crucial than how hard you push. Consistency wins easily when matched against sporadic bursts. Skip perfect routines; choose ones that fit smoothly into life. Progress forms slowly, built by tiny actions done again and again,” said Sumit.

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Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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Vernon seniors personal trainer is moving to Anytime Fitness

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Vernon seniors personal trainer is moving to Anytime Fitness

New gym, same exercises

Vernon’s favourite senior’s personal trainer is on the move.

For more than 25 years, Don MacLeod has been leading weight-resistance exercise classes for seniors.

And for the past eight years, MacLeod had taught classes five days a week at Snap Fitness in the Landing Plaza, but on March 31 that gym closed its doors, so MacLeod needed a new venue for his popular classes.

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Enter Anytime Fitness in the Anderson Subdivision.

MacLeod said he is grateful to have reached a deal with the fitness club to carry on his morning exercise classes, and many seniors have already signed up.

While there are other gyms in Vernon that have seniors exercise classes, the certified personal trainer uses weight-resistance training to target all major muscle groups.

He will lead seven classes from Monday to Friday.

“It’s basic strength training,” MacLeod said of the exercises that geared towards the older crowd.

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“We do everything that the bodybuilders and powerlifters do, but in a reasonable manner where we are just going to get our bones, our muscles, our tendons and ligaments stronger.”

MacLeod, 71, has also taken special courses geared specifically towards working with seniors.

Some seniors may feel too intimidated to go to a gym on their own, but MacLeod said seniors can find a common bond when they exercise in a group.

MacLeod said he has heard a few people say “what a waste of space” to hold senior’s classes.

“They really make life difficult for us. They think old people shouldn’t be in the gym, why are they lifting weights: to stay strong and to stay healthy,” MacLeod said. “One day, these guys are going to be old too.”

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MacLeod said he started lifting weights in 1972 and continues to reap the benefits of regular exercise as he enters his 70s.

For more information, contact MacLeod at 250-260-1001.

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