By Craig Mac
R
EVOLUTION. There are
few professionals in
the Australian fitness
industry with more years
of experience than Chief
Brabon.
the naysayers, when the entire
industry was shifting towards Gentle
Exercise programs such as yoga
and Pilates, Chief and Em drew up
to 80 Recruits each session, paying
good money to be put through high
intensity, strength and conditioning
based sessions, where the primary
motivation was instilled through
discipline and team work.
Having completed his Athletics
coaching certification in the late
80’s (at the age of 15), establishing
Australia’s first bootcamp fitness
program in the very early 90’s (as a
teenager serving in the Australian
Army), and managing multiple
health clubs, whilst also becoming
the first Strength & Conditioning
specific Coach for a professional
NBA team by the age of 21, you
might be forgiven for thinking
that had already achieved his
professional fitness goals.
In 2000 though, Chief teamed up
with a tough young female group
fitness instructor to found what would
quickly become the largest out-door
group personal training program in
the Southern Hemisphere – Fitness
First Bootcamp. That young instructor
was Emilie Hames, who not only
went on to become Australia’s first
female bootcamp fitness instructor,
but also co-founded the country’s
most successful bootcamp fitness
brand ORIGINAL BOOTCAMP™
(OBC), and eventually married her
co-founder and business partner,
Chief.
REVOLUTION
TO EVOLUTION
Over the next decade and a half,
the Brabon’s built their reputation on
innovation, extraordinary results, and
an unwillingness to compromise their
personal and professional standards.
Early in their partnership, the New
York Times described the duo as
“Revolutionaries” siting that, despite
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WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - WINTER 2019
WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - WINTER 2019
Many industry insiders see Chief
and Em’s world-renowned OBC
program as the precursor to other
highly successful programs such as
F45 & Orange Theory (HIIT based
team training), ZUU and Rulk’s Raw
Functional Training (think animal
inspired movement patterns and
body weight exercises), and even
CrossFit (high intensity, metabolic
conditioning sessions, utilising
unusual implements such as ropes,
sandbags, kettlebells etc).
The cutting edge physiological, and
psychological benefits of Chief and
Em’s training methodology were
even recognised by the military,
and first response units, seeing the
pair invited to work with trainers
and operators from some of the
world’s most elite Special Forces,
Special Operations, and Elite Law
Enforcement units including the
British SAS, SBS, and über-elite SRR
(Special Recognisance Regiment),
the Indonesian Kopassus, and the
US Navy SEALS, Marine Force Recon,
Airforce Pararescue Jumpers, and
numerous SWAT/ Tactical Teams.
In 2008, Chief designed and
conducted the gruelling selection
process for the TV program
Gladiators, which whittled the tens-
of-thousands of eager applicants
down to just over a dozen within a
matter of days. Chief, Em, and long-
term colleague Rob Coad where >>
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