Jerry Hamill
Operations Manager, part-time athlete and sports coach and Brutal trainer. All round lunatic.

Being someone with such an extensive background in hard physical training what brought you to Brutal Training in the first place? 

Rea suggested I should come as she’d seen me training and obviously thought I was mad enough to hack it at Brutal. I’m glad the push was there to come along. I came with an open mind - that was the key element and I would encourage anyone to adopt it if you are considering attending a Brutal DAT session. Don’t let the name or crazy vids deter you. You’ll find a whole new ball game waiting for you.

You took to our sessions like a duck to water. What was the attraction to keep coming back?

I liked the approach to the session. Whilst it was hard it was enjoyable and I knew that on the ball I’d worked my butt off, however the enjoyment factor was huge. There’s no mind
fk shouting, all positive encouragement, support and various levels of fitness in many different exercises. The drills - well - how in the hell do I explain to people some of the sublime crazy looking easy stuff you make us do that ends up murdering your core. Shall I say that’s BRUTAL???.

You coach athletes yourself. What principles do you adhere to when trying to get the best out of them.

People need to be understood first before you embark on making them better at whatever they do. Sometimes they need to be turned upside down and shaken a little to air out the cobwebs. Sometimes they just need to be taken into a dark room and left to deal with their own anguish and mental torture. Sometimes they need to be cherished and molly cuddled. Other times it’s plain blunt reality checks. I like to know who and what I’m dealing with. When I do I test the individuals or teams. Call it cruel but a lot of people have a misconception of what they are like under pressure, or in a team environment or about their general physical performance. I just tell it like it is to them - plain, blunt and simple. 

Once I establish what the weaknesses are I work only on the weaknesses. Once the wrinkles are ironed out I then start working the mental and physical limitations. Taking an athlete or any individual beyond their limitations mentally or physically or both, is a journey worth watching. Everyone is different and reacts in a different manner to this exercise. Once complete you see a different animal staring you back in the face. Then and only then do you find someone’s true driver and what makes them tick.

You discover whether you have to shout at them, piss them off, encourage them, say nothing,  lie to them about the end goal - if there is one, support them, destroy them mentally, or just watch a mature mindset apply itself gracefully to the task at hand and revel in their mental and physical strength (these people are few and far between).

Once we understand each other we work hard on what needs improved and let the other stuff take care of itself. Sounds easy - sometimes it’s a long arduous and heart wrenching exercise. Sometimes it’s a walk in the park.

How has Brutal influenced your own training and coaching style if at all?

Brutal brings a huge mix of training into the arena. It’s mixes of exercises – in particular trilogy stuff makes sessions a lot quicker and explosive plus so much more interesting and challenging to an athlete. From a mental prospective it adds a positive flavour on principles such as breathing, push pull techniques, focus on ball play and has brought gains to my own personal achievements so I know the principles work. Not only that but the sharing of knowledge and general open attitude makes for a great environment for an athlete or trainer alike.

What is your favourite exercise and why?

Any explosive stuff. Why- because it hurts like hell quickly but you’ve gotta love that burn.

And your least favourite?

Chewing on sand when I have nothing left and I’ve just face planted myself leaving my mouth full of grit. No amount of water gets that stuff out. It’s hours later even brushing your teeth you are still chewing. AND what is it with chewing - your brain makes you chew sand - go figure.

What major influences have affected your training and coaching style over the years?  

Mainly peers or instructors who have an awesome history and proven track records that are tangible to the eye. Coaching style has come with life experiences and looking at people from every walk of life to realise what drives them plus what is hidden behind some very sombre appearances where a monster lies beneath.

I think everyone is affected by mainstream fitness applications whether it be Tae Bo classes, boot camps, circuits, spin etc. I have taken a lot of this and tried to combine what’s best for individuals or alternatively more enjoyable for groups. Training to me HAS to be enjoyable. We all have to enjoy it - no point in having a smiling instructor all happy, energetic and motivated when you are all suffering and not even a joke is being cracked or your all miserable because he or she is a miserable btrd with no personality.

You bring a great deal of experience, wisdom and knowledge to Brutal. Why though did you want to become a Brutal Trainer?

I wanted to affiliate myself to Brutal because it attracts a different breed of individual. I mean it takes balls to come to a session called “Brutal Training” . Brutal is the closest thing you get to dealing with Pro Athletes or people who are near or have surpassed that level of fitness and what you can do with them is amazing. Sometimes watching some of the crew smash it up without complaint or whimper is enough in itself to inspire anyone. Not only that but there is a whole Aladdin’s cave of wisdom knowledge and different training advice you can incorporate into your own personal training or develop into some of your own clients or group sessions.

Give us your opinion on the general state of the fitness industry and the moment.

It’s money/fads, money/fads, money/fads. Here’s a new fad – gimme your money and now fk off I’m not interested in you anymore now you’ve paid me. Plain and simple training requires DISCIPLINE. The amount of people today that have been brought up without some form of consistent and solid discipline is growing rapidly given new parenting consensus and society frowning on kids getting a good talking to or smack on the butt in the supermarket should they misbehave.

I have met far too many people that slag off personal trainers because they did not achieve anything because the trainer did not motivate them, follow them up, show some god dam decency or respect, or actually teach them some self discipline on how to manage their own expectations on training. Equally the amount of people taking group classes that HAVE “NO PERSONALITY”. I mean seriously FFS!!!!. If someone is mundane, boring, lethargic and timid when taking a class how can they generate enthusiasm, fun or engage the audience they are working with.

The Sausage factory PT courses - you know the old “in 8 weeks we can rebuild you and make you a personal trainer”. I’m sorry but people who are dumb enough to take one of these monkeys on board are just that - dumb. Sure there are people out there who may know a bit but I’ve been into sports and fitness for over 20 years. Been trained by the best and have trained some of the best. By no means am I the best, however I have the advantage of doing my stuff part time and it intensifies my passion for it and my clients.

Large corporate gyms with franchises are now the biggest things going along with Boot Camps. That’s great however specific gyms for the more serious athlete or sport specific gyms do not currently exist. I’d love to be part of a more specific aligned gym or create one that would be a unique conditioning gym for pro athletes and sport specific people alike. I suppose I can keep dreaming at the moment.

Overall the fitness industry is a thriving one however it’s full of inconsistency which breeds a lot of contempt. New fads come and go and when it comes down to the wire going back to basics gives the most gain.

Do you listen to music when you train at all? If so, what gets you going hard in a session?

Do I ever!!!!!!!!!!.  I’m (believe it or not) a little bit partial to dance music and quite like the group Faithless.  God is a DJ and Insomnia being my favourites as both build up slow but with a quick beat for like 8 mins and blow into crazy fast explosive beats to end. Awesome build up for running or that tiered workout pushing for a finish. Many a time I’ve finished a 10km run so hard and fast my nose has burst and I can’t breathe properly for at least five minutes as my HRT has been sitting at 217 bpm for five mins solid. Tunes are still strumming in my head.

Describe a recent training session you did?

100 lunges
100 squats
100 tuck jumps- no rest

That’s the warm up

Sit up trilogy ladder
Wheelbarrow explosive clap push ups between ladder
Burpee tuck jumps other side

Up and down the ladder of 10

Sea sprints - into water full bore up to chest- turn around and run back to beach - 20 push ups - repeat back to water 10 times

Crawl out of the water at 10 fall face flat on the beach and do 100 sit ups whatever way I possibly could.

Finish with a gentle sea swim

What are your current athletic pursuits and how are they going?

Until my accident I was building a strong fast base for the Triathlon Sprint Series. Since my accident and now my bike is wrecked I’m focusing on building the legs up for more explosive power on court at Basketball. Run time and swim time will also be worked on until I can get back on a new bike. Run goal is 3 min 50 over 5 kms.

What intangibles do you look for in athletes you coach?

Goodwill and dedication are things that are difficult sometimes to explore within someone or a group of people. Sometimes it can be too late to get the right amount of dedication from someone. They may be a sportsperson through and through, however their ability to dedicate the right time and focus to their training is compromised by developing life cycle of families, relationships, kids etc.

Sometimes and more often than not, it’s the selfish people who succeed in their chosen discipline of sport because they care about nothing else other than succeeding in that discipline. These people can be extremely obsessive to the point they actually overtrain and this is the cause of their loss.

Once a person dedicates themselves to something I look for the fire in the belly - the driver. I have to know how far they will take it beyond anything else to achieve their goal. Once I establish that I can then channel some sense into the passion. It does not always work with people as things change mentally and physically which dictate the speed of the journey.

Goodwill comes with maturity and background. We are all a product of out parents so sometimes it’s important to delve into someone’s upbringing to understand them a lot better. Why they are the way they are.

Do you include mental strength training as part of the overall process for your athletes and if so how do you go about it?

I start with limitation training. We build on the limitation and focus on the factors that affect an individual. Once the eyes are opened I tend to start really messing with heads in terms of challenges, end goals and ever changing environments. Simply put “Bastardisation”. No roaring no shouting but changing the status quo.

E.g. - run someone so ragged in a session within 15 mins they have nothing left - I mean zilch - really hard fast paced blow out stuff. Then slow down the movements but increase the anaerobic intensity and difficult of the exercise. Set rules - If you put your knees down it’s back to the start, knees to elbows - if they do not touch we go back to the start. If you give up the exercise becomes harder and harder. Smash them until there is completely and utterly nothing left in the tank and they are virtually crawling on hands and knees or flopped on the floor.

Then you take them back to the start of the session and tell them we are going to do it all over again right now. This is the time to watch, the time to really see what unveils itself within someone. What is it I’m looking for????  A  wry smile, not even a flinch and someone willing to go for it. At this point you only take them maybe 5 mins into the session but you really see if they have the mental ability to push through all that pain and overcome it.

Guess what - this never ever ever ever ever stops. Always push the mark - always. Change the intensity, never let them relax as to what to expect. Bring this into competition and see a keen athlete able to mentally overcome the arduous crux of competition when they are on the line or under pressure from competitors. This is one of the methods I use to mature an individual to develop their mental strength. It works well however needs to be controlled very closely.

What makes you laugh at training?

You ya psychotic bastard!!!!. Can’t stand still for five seconds, piss fart around with the next dreamt up crazy exercise - make it look easy when you do it and next thing I know I’m in complete and utter agony or face planting myself yet again into the abyss of sand.

Plus the amount of SAND I get in my hair. I mean do you know how much I spend on shampoo and product only to get it ruined by sand.:0)))))