Michelle Bridges Interview
Michelle you changed the course of my life as my Body Pump aerobics instructor 16 years ago at an Alice Springs gym in the Outback Australia.  The circle has come back around and here I am interviewing you and many of the world’s best athletes in part because of your influence on me back then.  Now you reach a much larger audience with your exceptional talents.  Do you ever stop and think about the exponential impact you can have on people now and realize that you will never be able to measure your influence?

Wow! I am so thrilled that you came to my classes back then! What a lovely surprise. I had such a great time in Alice. I think that it was there that I really developed my passion for teaching. My mission has always been to inspire more Australian to move. I was going about doing my bit back then and decided I could do more by training other instructors which is what I did for over a decade, both nationally and internationally. The fact that I now am able to reach such a massive audience just blows me away. We reached 2.3 million viewers on our last season of The Biggest Loser which I have to say makes me feel honored to be part of a show which is making a difference. I get stopped on the street all the time by people who thank me for helping them lose weight, get fit and turn their life around! It’s bloody fantastic!

How did you make the transition into TV?
As I mentioned I had such belief in my mission, I was always pushing to expand my audience. Every thing I had done and set out to achieve has all been through hard work and determination. I can put my hand on my heart and say that nothing has been handed to me, what so ever! I told my husband that I was going to try to use the biggest medium possible – TV. With that I approached the Morning’s with Kerri Anne show to have a fitness segment. Before long it had grown into a segment that was played up to four times in a week. So I had had some TV experience. When they were casting for TBL, they went to my industry and asked around, my name came up and after 4 months of interviews, tests and anything else they could throw at me I got the job! I wanted it so badly, because I believed in it. I knew this show was powerful, it was something that could really inspire a nation. It was sheer joy when they told me I had it. I think I actually jumped for joy in the truest sense!

You are known for pushing the workout limits.  How or what do you do to find the inner strength to push yourself harder during a workout?
To be honest there are days when I just don’t feel like it, but I don’t allow myself to think about it for too long. As soon as you start talking yourself out of a workout you’re gone! Before the ‘rot’ sets in I throw my gym gear on and get out there pronto! I know the benefits that my training gives me and they really are priceless. So the endless stream of excuses that I hear getting dished out all the time by others doesn’t really wash with me. I often say to people, how much do you want it? If you want it bad enough, if it’s high enough on your priority list you will make the time and make it happen. I am so cool with people who just aren’t up for it. They choose something else, and that is totally cool. I do though have a problem with those who keep saying they want it, but do nothing about it. Enough talk and more action!
I also don’t make a big song and dance about my training either. I train everyday just like I shower everyday and brush my teeth every day. It’s just what I do and its part of my every day schedule. Some days I set the gym on fire and other days I don’t, the key to my success is that I am consistent. That’s the key to any one’s weight loss or fitness success, be regular.
Knowing you personally I can say all your friends and I considered you so genuinely sweet, fun and kind.  Is it hard for you to do the tough love?
It’s never easy having what I call “straight” conversations with people, however, there needs to be some sort of a breakdown in order for there to be a breakthrough. It all starts with honesty. I find that training is the best forum for this to occur. When you are at your limit physically, you are at your rawest. You tend to become very clear about what’s real and what’s not, and the barriers are down. That’s absolutely the time to be asking some big hard hitting questions about what it going on. Yep, that’s tough. Most of the people that I work with are at an extreme. They have built a world for themselves where no one is acknowledging what is real. Them, their family and their friends. My goal is to arm my people with tools to empower themselves once again, but to do that they must first be honest with themselves and take responsibility. I do this from a place of love. I really want to help them be the person I know they are. And of course, when you see the results, you know it’s all been worth it.

I have fallen off the fitness rail once or twice in the past 16 years.  Have you and if so how did you pick yourself up and climb back on the fitness wagon?
I have never let myself get right out of shape or pack on weight, but I have had times where I haven’t felt that I am living ‘the best version of myself’ for want of a better description! It’s not a happy place, whether you’ve put on 5kgs or 20kg, you don’t particularly like yourself and that spills over into all other parts of your life. However! You do what you would do if you lost your career, your money, your husband or wife – you pick yourself up and you get on with it. You make a plan and you go for it! The longer you wallow in the ‘oh my god, I’ve put on weight blah blah blah’ you’re wasting time! The quicker you just get on with it the quicker you’ll be where you want to be. You don’t find the time to exercise, you make the time and you make smart choices about your food. And then – be consistant!

What do you do to keep motivated?
Ahh, the old ‘motivation’ question. I get asked this all the time and I find the of motivation topic fascinating, and it’s a really important and valid question. I figure that there must be a lot of ‘motivation’ junkies out there because of the number of times I am asked this and over time I have developed a bit of a theory. Like any junkie, a motivation junkie is always looking for their next hit! However, human nature tells me that there will come a time in your life when that ‘hit’ doesn’t come. There will be a time when you are simply not motivated. Infact, there will be plenty of times when you are downright UNmotivated!! (I was there just the other day when the alarm when off at 6am and it was a lovely 13 degrees outside! Charming!) What then? Are you going to chuck it all in? All that hard work gets washed down the drain because you can’t find the motivation? Are you for real?? While it’s great to have specific goals to keep you inspired, I believe the endless quest for motivation can wind up being the down fall for some, or should I say the excuse. “Well, I’m not motivated, so I just can’t exercise!” Mmmmm, I think there’s a bit of the old ‘victim mentality’ being wheeled out here. “But it’s not my fault! I’m just not motivated!!” Now I get to blame something which means that it’s not my fault and therefore not my responsibility. Whoa!!!
I guess what I’m saying here is that don’t let not being motivated at some point in your life stop you from looking after yourself. You’re the one in the driver’s seat, set some goals here and there, but more importantly, be consistent.
To answer your question though – being on national TV in lycra is pretty motivating!!!

What do you do when you feel like breaking your diet?
Firstly I try not to use the word diet. It usually has a lot of people breaking out into a sweat when it’s mentioned – me included! I simply choose to eat well. I make smart choices everyday about my food and I repeat them. It’s a habit. Every now and then I might choice to indulge, but it’s just every now and then, it doesn’t become a habit. Last night for example, I went out to dinner with some friends. We ordered a tasting plate for desert and I had a taste. It was really nice, but that was it. I’m not beating myself up about it today. As usual, I will be going to the gym tonight and today I will be eating my usual healthy stuff. Again, I am consistent. There’s that word again. Can you see a theme here? There’s no secret about how to stay in shape.

What age do you think is ideal for children/teenagers to start lifting weights?
Lifting weights is something that children don’t really need to be thinking about until they are around the age of 16 or 17 and only then if it interests them or assists with a specific sport. Before then it’s really important to start instilling some habits around exercise, whether that be through sport or family bike rides. The earlier they start the better! It doesn’t have to be hard core! It’s just about forming habits. It might be that the family always takes a 10 minute walk after dinner. Or you have a family competition on who can jump rope the longest and you have go at it every morning before breakfast. I love kindy gym. I see toddlers learning how to balance and catch and just know it is setting them up for success! The sooner you start the better, but also know that its never too late! My mum started training with weight at 56! She is leaner, fitter, stronger and more confident in her 60’s than she was in her 40’s! Go mum!!!