To see Pedj at work...

 

In 2004, while Bojic was plying his trade at Northampton Town in England, an injury spell prompted the former Australian U/17 to ponder his future after football.

With encouragement from his better half, the Mariners defender attained the requisite fitness certificates and in 2007 began taking clients for one-on-one fitness training in Sydney. And so began Pedj Bojic Impact Training (www.pbimpact.com.au).

Based at Fitness First in George St near Circular Quay and with outdoor sessions around the Domain, Bojic has built a business from scratch.

And now he's eyeing the Central Coast as he looks to expand his fitness empire north of the Harbour City.

au.fourfourtwo.com dropped by to discover more about Bojic's double life before he heads off with his Mariners mates for a tricky away tie with Phoenix in Wellington.

You’re a Central Coast player but work in Sydney – any sky blues fans give you stick in the gym?

There are a few Sydney FC fans who come here and I had one Sydney fan as a client who I converted to the Mariners. But there was one client last year who always gave me stick about Sydney FC  - not so much this year though...

How do you balance your two lives? And what’s an average day like?

I get up at 5am and do a few clients then shoot off to the Coast and do a training session. I’m back around 2ish then have one or two clients at night and maybe around 4pm. That’s probably two to three days a week – sometimes four. So I fit in about 15-20 sessions a week of my own clients. I do one-on-ones a few groups and some two-on-ones.

Balance in your life is important. Putting 100 percent effort into both and being passionate about both which will get you rewards in the end. The key is knowing how to manage both by not overworking yourself in either area - and enjoying it, too.

Must be tiring at times?

Yeah, but you’ve to make sure you’re eating and recovering right. I’ve been travelling for 10-15 years now for training but I’ve not done this before. And it can be hard to find that extra energy to motivate your own clients and be positive for them – but I always find the energy from somewhere. But every day I’m always hearing a new goal. The best thing is seeing people achieve their goals through me. It’s exciting because it’s my own philosophy in a sense.

How did the Mariners feel about this business when you first started?

Lawrie [McKinna] said if it doesn’t interfere with the Mariners, we’re happy for you to do that because the Mariners come first. And I’ve done that. Football’s a short life – perhaps only till you’re 35. And I’m looking to expand onto the Central Coast to do more outdoor groups up there. Hopefully that will take off. I think word of mouth is very important.

So why should someone choose your business over other personal training outfits on offer?

I guess the combination of being a professional athlete and the experience of what I’ve learnt through my personal training. And with the clientele here in the city, learning to deal with people’s stresses, different eating habits, sleeping patterns - all these combinations and fitting them into their goals is hard to do but very rewarding.

What do your clients ask for?

The basic ones are weight-loss-tone-up. Then there are real specific ones focusing on certain body parts or postural improvements or even just breathing. And many say they know about diet but halfway through realise they don’t know – so we help out. A balanced diet and exercise is the key..

For au.fourfourtwo.com readers, what are some of your tips on health and fitness?

Don’t over-train. People tend to over-train. It’s not so much how many times a week – I don’t believe in someone training until they throw up. That’s going overboard. Work to what you can, your capacity. Remember every day you generally feel a little different. One day you might be tired the other maybe not so. So work to what you can.

And don’t get stuck in a routine. Always try and change things up day in day out. Routine leads to boredom and in that sense it doesn’t stimulate the body. Change it, keep it interesting and fun too. And a balanced diet of course.

If your readers are working in offices, every half an hour get up and have a walk around. Have a stretch and try get your breathing right.

A lot of people in offices have bad posture because they’re leaning forward so therefore do the reverse and open yourself up. Try to get 30-60 minutes of exercise a day and keep the body ticking over.

I should add we regularly give out complementary sessions for the first people who come along, so you can try if you like it. Head to www.pbimpact.com.au for more details.

To see Pedj at work...