Training Thursday: 50 rep burn

This week's Training Thursday is all about simplicity. This total upper body routine is not for the ADD-gym rat. We're going back to the basics with only one exercise per muscle group. What's the catch? You need to complete a total of 50 repetitions of each exercise! I do not mean 50 consecutive reps. I mean a total of 50 reps. You may find that when you start these you can easily pump out 10-15 reps but with the short rest period, the full set of 50 will seem like I'm one sadistic trainer! Trust me, you'll feel good tomorrow.

The recommended weight I have indicated is just that: a recommendation. If you feel like it is either too much, or not enough, adjust accordingly. As a general rule, you want to aim for a 10-12 repetition max (RM) weight. This means that by about the 8th rep, you should definitely be feeling challenged.

To warm up, perform a series of dynamic shoulder and back stretches to prepare your body. Perform one set of 10-15 reps with a weight about 25% lighter than your working weight. And no, these reps do not add to your 50 rep total, these are just the warm up!

Bench Press
Load: 50-60% of your body weight
Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Underhand Bent Over Barbell Row
Load: 50-60% of your body weight
Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Military Press
Load: 30-40% of your body weight
Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Dumbbell Bicep Curls (on slightly reclined incline bench)
Load: 20-30% of your body weight (total for both dumbbells)
Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks
Load: 20-30% of your body weight (total for both dumbbells)
Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Remember: FOCUS ON FORM! Do not cheat through these reps. Take as many rest periods as you need to complete the full 50.

And, don't forget to stretch!

Happy sweating :)

Training Thursday: Ripped in 100 reps - Part Three

I thought I would end this series off with some personal advice on goal setting and motivation.

Whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned gym rat, starting a new program is always exciting! You have your hopes that within a week you will look like Demi Moore in “G.I. Jane” or Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Pumping Iron” (Okay, maybe not quite, but you get where I’m going). All too easily we get discouraged when after a solid week or two, our efforts don’t show to the degree we expect them to. The advice I can give anyone is: “Rome wasn’t build in a day!” Changing your body composition (gaining muscle, shedding fat) requires time, consistency, shifting your focus.

Time… Did you know that 1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories? Unless you are starving yourself, it is impossible to lose 1 pound of fat a day! So if your goal is weight loss, be aware that a 1-2 pound loss per WEEK is a healthy and achievable goal. Anything more than this and you are likely to gain the weight back. Just remember, you didn’t gain extra weight over night, you will not lose it over night. As soon as you come to terms with this fact, sticking to your goal will be a lot easier. Focus on making each day worth while by sticking to a clean diet and following your weekly program. Stressing about losing weight will not make you lose weight any faster. Patience is important in order to stay focused on your goal.

Consistency… We have all been guilty of this at one point or another: You’re doing great with your healthy eating, then a sugar craving hits and you devour a giant cookie from the coffee shop next door faster than you can even say “Ripped in 100 Reps”. Don’t freak out! It’s okay to let lose every once in a while! Just be aware that just because you had that cookie doesn’t mean the entire day is a write off and free-for-all binge fest. Hop right back on that healthy food band wagon and let your moment of weakness go. Dwelling on a minor diet-mishap like that one will only put you in a negative mind set. Acknowledge that it happened, remind yourself that it’s okay, and move on. Consistency isn’t a perfectly straight line. It’s got some ups and downs, but overall it carries on towards the same direction.

Shifting your focus... The best advice I can give anyone struggling to either gain or lose weight is to shift your focus. We live in a society that bombards us with what the “perfect” body should be. We are all either too fat, too skinny, too muscular, not muscular enough, or out of proportion. STOP comparing yourself to what you see in the media. I challenge you to focus on how healthy nutrition and regular exercise makes you FEEL versus how you’d like to look at the end of it. Next time you’re squatting in the gym think to yourself, “My legs are so strong. They carry me through my entire day!” Next time you’re eating a healthy meal think to yourself, “I’m respecting my body by feeding it the nutrients it deserves”. I promise that once you accept your body shape for what it is, and start focusing on optimizing health, your body composition will fall into place in it’s own time. Everyone is unique and beautiful in their own way and this whole series is designed to help you achieve YOUR best body!

Here is the final workout of the “Ripped in 100 Reps” program:

**Disclaimer: If you are a beginner please seek help from a qualified fitness professional before attempting this program as proper form is required to avoid injury.

Be sure to perform an appropriate warm up utilizing all the major muscle groups prior to starting your first working set. You may want to perform 2-3 very light sets of the first exercise per muscle group in order to get the movement pattern down and warm the muscles up. You will be performing 100 repetitions per muscle group. If this is too much, cut back on a set or two per exercise and gradually work up to the full workout.

DAY 3: ARMS, ABS, & CARDIO

Straight Set 1 Barbell Bicep Curls: 10 reps x 4 sets 60-90 sec rest

Super set 1 Hammer Curls: 8 reps x 3 sets + Tricep Dips w/ legs on the Swiss ball: 12 reps x 3 sets   60-90 sec rest

Straight Set 2 Swiss Ball/Bosu Crunches: 10 reps x 4 sets   60-90 sec rest
*When performing this exercise be sure to into a full abdominal extension, then lift up from your abs (not your neck) as you bring your chest up. Keep your lower back in constant contact with the ball, and do not round over. Keep your chest and chin up at the top.

Super set Double Leg Drop (or Hanging Leg Raise): 12 reps x 3 sets + Side Plank with a Hip Dip: 8 reps x 3 sets   60-90 sec rest
*In a side plank, using your oblique muscles, relax your hip so it almost touches the floor, then contract them and lift the hip back up into a straight alignment.

Cardio Training:

Using a cardio activity of your choice (example: jumping rope, sprinting, spinning, etc.) perform the following workout after an appropriate cardio warm-up:

2 min at an effort of 7-8/10 (…This means you should be able to maintain it for the full 2 minutes, but talking throughout it would be a challenge.)

1 min at an effort of 5-6/10 (… This is a fairly easy pace, enough for you to catch your breathing and to be able to maintain a back and forth conversation)

Repeat 6 times for a total of 18 minutes.

Finish off with a proper cool down and a full body stretch.

Training Thursday - Ripped in 100 reps - Part two

Training to build muscle can be simple: follow a hypertrophy program, don’t ignore the principle of progressive overload, and stay consistent. Eating to build muscle is the tough part. So many times I hear the same complaints: “I’m training hard throughout the week, I’m getting stronger, but my body composition is not changing!” In order to altering body composition (as in decreasing body fat and increasing muscle tissue), your diet needs to be top notch!

When it comes to nutrition, I recommend following these 4 basic principles:

1. Eat enough nutrient-dense calories

This is a very basic, yet often overlooked principle. The best (and most cliché) analogy is to think of your body as a slick and sexy Ferrari. You can’t take a sports car out for a spin without enough fuel in the tank. That being said, you also need to make sure to fill that tank with premium fuel! Okay, enough with the Ferrari analogy. My point is: you need to consume healthy, nutrient-dense food in order to have enough energy to not only take you through your workouts, but to then rebuild the damage you have done to your muscles!

2. Eat carbohydrates, and don’t over do it on the protein!

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose during digestion. Glucose circulates in your blood and is used by your brain and nervous system for energy. Simply put, with out it your mental power suffers. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose found in your muscles and liver and is the major source of fuel for working muscles (1). Consuming carbohydrates helps with altering body composition because it spares protein from being used as energy and allows it to do it’s primary job: rebuild tissue. Approximately 45-65% of your total energy intake should consist of carbohydrates (2). That being said, be sure to consume healthy complex carbohydrates such as whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal), vegetables (yams, beets, kale), and fruit (bananas, mangos, pears) to ensure adequate vitamin and mineral, as well as fiber intake.

The most common misconception is that in order to gain muscle you need to load up on the protein. Protein is essential for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and are found in all animal food sources (meat, fish, dairy, eggs) and a very wide variety of plant sources (nuts, seeds, legumes, grains). Approximately 10% to 35% of your energy intake should consist of protein (2). The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for healthy adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body, however studies have shown that if you are working on increasing muscle mass, this number can be increased up to 1.5 - 2.0 grams (1,3). Once your body has used up all the protein it needs, guess what happens with the rest? Yup, it gets stored as fat! If a 130 lbs (59 kg) woman is looking to increase muscle size, she could consume up to approximately 90-120 grams of protein daily. With a well balanced diet, this could easily be attained without having to gorge on meat at every meal. Beans and lentils provide up to 18 grams of protein per serving! This brings me to the next principle…

3. Vary the foods you eat

By including a balance of complex carbohydrates, lean sources of protein, and healthy fats with every meal, you ensure an adequate supply of not only energy, but nutrients as well. Each food group provides essential vitamins and minerals that promote good health, so don’t get stuck in a rut of eating the same foods day in and day out. Eat locally grown in-season fruit and vegetables, and experiment with a variety of grains and protein sources.

4. Eat small meals frequently throughout the day

The best advice I can give anyone trying to alter his/her body composition is to eat small, but well-balanced meals frequently (about every 3 hours) throughout the day. This is the best fat-burning, muscle-building strategy because it promotes variety of nutrients in your diet and keeps your blood sugar levels stabilized (1). Keep in mind these are small meals. You should feel satiated but not overly stuffed after each meal. Listen to your hunger cues. If you feel hungry (not just craving a treat), eat a small meal, if not, wait 30 minutes and check in with your body again.

Incorporate these 4 principles into your lifestyle and you will be amazed at the results! Stay tuned for next week’s posting as the final wrap up in the “Ripped in 100 Reps” series.

And now for the muscle burn! Here is Day 2 of the “Ripped in 100 Reps” program:

 **Disclaimer: If you are a beginner please seek help from a qualified fitness professional before attempting this program as proper form is required to avoid injury.

Be sure to perform an appropriate warm up utilizing all the major muscle groups prior to starting your first working set. You may want to perform 2-3 very light sets of the first exercise per muscle group in order to get the movement pattern down and warm the muscles up. You will be performing 100 repetitions per muscle group. If this is too much, cut back on a set or two per exercise and gradually work up to the full workout.

 DAY 2: HAMSTRINGS, GLUTES, BACK & TABATA TRAINING

Straight set 1 Traditional Deadlifts: 10 reps x 4 sets   60-90 sec rest

Super set 1 Straight Legged Deadlifts: 8 reps x 3 sets + Swiss Ball Hamstring Roll Ins: 12 reps x 3 sets   60-90 sec rest

Straight set 2 Pull Ups (or Lat Pull Downs): 10 reps x 4 sets   60-90 sec rest

Super set 2 Wide Grip Bent Over Row: 8 reps x 3 sets + Single Arm Bent Over Row (on a bench): 12 reps/arm x 3 sets   60-90 sec rest

Tabata Training Using a cardio activity of your choice (example: jumping rope, sprinting, spinning, etc.) perform the following workout:

20 sec HARD (…and I mean the hardest you can physically push yourself!) + 10 sec RECOVERY (full rest, but keep moving at a very low intensity) x 8 rounds

Finish off with a proper cool down and a full body stretch.

References

(1) Kleiner, S. (2007). Power Eating. 3E. Human Kinetics.

(2) Hammond, G. 2012S. UBC FNH 250 Class Notes: Carbohydrates; Protein

(3) Baechle, T. R., & Earle, R. W. (2008). Chapter 10: Nutritional Factors in Health and Performance. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd Ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Training Thursday: Ripped in 100 reps - Part one

The “Ripped in 100 Reps” program is a high volume, moderate intensity split-training program designed for those who want to see some serious muscular hypertrophy. Hold on, hyper— what? The word hypertrophy means an increase in cell size of a particular tissue. In other words, bigger muscles! With summer just around the corner, now's the time to seriously start working on your physique.

Arnie knows a thing or two about hypertrophy!

But first let’s clear up some confusion about repetition ranges and program planning! There are several ways to train: one can train for endurance, strength, speed, power, or hypertrophy. We are concerned with hypertrophy. In order to see muscle gains, the muscle needs to receive a stimulus sufficient enough to elicit a hormonal response. The best way to do this is through high volume multi-joint compound exercises at a moderate intensity with minimal rest between sets (2,3). To clarify, “volume” is the total amount of weight lifted in a workout whereas “intensity” refers to the average amount lifted in a workout in relation to the lifter’s one repetition max. This program ranges in intensity from 70%-78%, in other words, you will be lifting within the 8-12 repetitions max range with little (60-90 sec) rest between sets (1).

There is an acute hormonal response 15-30 minutes post-exercise to this mode of training. Let’s start with testosterone. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone, meaning it helps with tissue growth. It has been shown that large muscle exercises (such as squats or deadlifts) result in the greatest testosterone concentrations in men but, interestingly, not in women (2). So don’t worry ladies, this program will not turn you into the Incredible Hulk over night. Another anabolic hormone of importance for muscle building is human growth hormone (GH). GH concentrations have been shown to be elevated in both men and women 30 minutes post-exercise (2). Protocols that produce high blood lactate levels (that burning sensation in your muscles) produce the most substantial GH responses (2). And trust me, you will feel the burn with this program! It is important to note that with an increase of GH comes an increase of cortisol, a catabolic hormone. “Catabolic” refers to tissue breakdown. Hold on, isn’t that the opposite of what we want? With a proper dietary intake of carbohydrates, this acute increase in cortisol is just a part of muscular tissue remodeling process, and is inevitable. I will educate you on adequate nutrition for muscle building next week.

Now it’s time to feel those muscles burn with the first of this 3-day split routine!

 **Disclaimer: If you are a beginner please seek help from a qualified fitness professional before attempting this program as proper form is required to avoid injury.

Be sure to perform an appropriate warm up utilizing all the major muscle groups prior to starting your first working set. You may want to perform 2-3 very light sets of the first exercise per muscle group in order to get the movement pattern down and warm the muscles up. You will be performing 100 repetitions per muscle group. If this is too much, cut back on a set or two per exercise and gradually work up to the full workout. Don’t forget to stretch at the end!

DAY 1: CHEST, SHOULDERS & LEGS 

Straight set 1 Squats: 10 reps x 4 sets    60-90 sec rest

Super set 1 Walking lunges: 12 reps/leg x 3 sets + Sumo goblet squats: 8 reps x 3 sets    60-90 sec rest

Super set 2 Bench press: 10 reps x 4 sets + Military shoulder press: 10 reps x 4 sets    60-90 sec rest

Super set 3 Incline dumbbell chest press: 8 reps x 3 sets + Lateral raise: 8 reps x 3 sets    60-90 sec rest

Super set 4 Push ups: 12 reps x 3 sets + Reverse flies: 12 reps x 3 sets    60-90 sec rest

Happy sweating :)

References:

(1) Brzycki, Matt (1998). A Practical Approach To Strength Training. McGraw-Hill.

(2) Kraemer, W. J., & Ratamess, N. A. (2005). Hormonal Responses and Adaptations to Resistance Exercise and Training.Sports Medicine, 35(4), 339-361.

(3) Rippetoe, M., & Kilgore, L. (2010). Practical programming for strength training. 2E. The Aasgaard Company.

Training Thursday: Prepping for hiking season

Happy May everyone! May I point out to you that hiking, biking, running, and outdoor exploring season is upon us? All puns aside, if you've been lacking in the lower body training department, it is time to up your game. If there's one thing that all of the above mentioned activities have in common, it is that they require a set of strong and powerful legs. Today's training Thursday is dedicated to helping you prepare for hiking season.

Why hike? Because THIS is the province we live in!!! The Lions Binkert Trail.

As usual, be sure to warm up adequately before jumping into this routine. I highly recommend beginning with a few minutes of foam rolling, followed by some dynamic stretches to open up the hips and gain full mobility. Do not neglect any rehab exercises you may need to incorporate as well. And finally, perform one set of each exercise with only about 50-60% of the weight you would normally use in order to warm up the movement pattern.

Unlike my other workouts, this is not a circuit style session. Perform these sets as indicated, making sure that you're focusing on form. If you're unsure of how to execute any of these exercises, ask a fitness professional for technique advice.

1. Deadlift 6RM x 4 sets 30-60 sec rest
2. Front (of goblet) squat 8RM x 4 sets 30-60 sec rest
3. Weighted step ups onto bench 10RM* x 3 sets 60-90 sec rest
4. Bulgarian split squats 10RM* x 3 sets 60-90 sec rest
• *perform all reps on one side, then switch leading legs. Rest once both sides are complete.

And for a quick kick of HIIT, if you're feeling up for it, try...

Speed skater lateral jumps x 30 sec superset with jump squats x 30 sec
Rest for 30-60 seconds between supersets.

Don't forget to stretch. You'll be feeling sore after this workout for sure :)
Happy sweating!

High intensity interval training & fat loss

High Intensity Interval Training, also known as “HIIT”, has received a lot of attention in the strength and conditioning industry. And for good reason: It’s effective. But what exactly is HIIT? What are the effects of HIIT? And is HIIT for everyone? As your trainer, I will do my best to educate you on this trendy acronym.

HIIT is exactly what it sounds like: intervals of short but very intense bursts of activity followed by intervals of rest (or “recovery”). The most commonly studied protocol involves the usage of a cycle ergometer. Unfortunately not a lot of research has been done on the usage of other forms of exercise such as running, rowing, or skipping (1).

The Wingate test is the most popular of all the protocols. It involves a 30 second full out sprint against a hard resistance followed by 4 minutes of recovery, usually repeated 3 to 4 times. I have performed this protocol for various lab assignments throughout my schooling, and let me tell you it is anything but easy! This is by far one of the hardest tests out there because it involves extreme self discipline to push for those 30 seconds. By the last 5 seconds your legs feel like jello, and it’s not uncommon to feel nauseated. A gentler protocol involves 4 to 6 second sprints followed by 12 seconds of rest repeated for 60 rounds total. Alternatively, for the novice, perhaps a slightly easier option would be a 2 minute sprint (obviously not at the same resistance as the Wingate) followed by a 3 minute recovery for a period of 20 minutes (1).

There are numerous physiological effects, but I will focus specifically on how HIIT aids with fat loss. There is a significant catecholamine response to HIIT. What does that mean? That means that there is an increase in epinephrine and norepinephrine. In other words, your adrenaline gets going. This is important because epinephrine in particular has been shown to release fat from subcutaneous tissue for lypolysis (1). (That’s the scientific way of saying that HIIT burns fat!) A decrease in post-exercise appetite has also been observed which could be another reason for the increase in fat loss with this type of training (1).

A study by Trapp et al. compared the effects of HIIT (using the Wingate protocol) to steady state aerobic training and to a control group among healthy but inactive nonsmoking women aged 18 to 30 years all with healthy BMI levels (2008). The study found that the woman in the HIIT group lost more weight overall, specifically due to a greater loss in fat mass (2)! If that’s not good enough news then keep on reading: Where was the greatest fat loss? In the abdomen and in the legs! We all know that you can’t spot reduce fat, but this article seems to be proving otherwise.

As I have already mentioned, HIIT is not for those faint of heart. It is an extremely demanding form of exercise both physically and mentally, and is not recommended for those who are brand new to fitness. Be smart when you train. Just because everyone is talking about the latest trend does not mean it’s appropriate for you yet. Here are a few of my personal tips for anyone looking to start their fat loss journey.

Kat’s HIIT Tips:

• If you are brand new, it is imperative that you build your aerobic capacity before delving into HIIT. Build the habit of exercising first, build your tolerance, then slowly start incorporating HIIT into your workout schedule. Stay focused and positive. You will eventually be able to work up to the Wingate!

• HIIT is like cayenne pepper. You can sprinkle it in throughout your workout to add some intensity, but if you do too much, everything else will suffer. I suggest that you start with only one session per week, and eventually work up to 3 non-consecutive sessions per week MAX. Remember, this form of training is extremely taxing, and your body needs rest in order to recover.

• Periodize your training schedule. Incorporate HIIT into your program for no more than 12 weeks at a time. Studies have shown that anything more than this and you stop reaping the benefits of it (1)! Once your 12 weeks of HIIT are up, let your body recover from it before starting it up again. I recommend incorporating HIIT into your summer plan!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: trainwithkat@gmail.com. 

(1) Stephen H. Boutcher, “High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss,” Journal of Obesity, vol. 2011, Article ID 868305, 10 pages, 2011. doi:10.1155/2011/868305

(2) Trapp, E.G., Chisholm, D.J., Freund, J.J., & Boutcher, S.H. (2008) The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. International Journal of Obesity, 32(4), 684-691. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803781

Training Thursday: Planks, planks, planks

This week's Training Thursday is basic but it'll have wincing Holy Mother of Mercy probably after the first set. The workout consists of 3 variations of planks, each performed for 30 seconds. Beginners may shorten this time, and may take rests between each plank. More advanced trainees will perform all of the planks in succession and rest at the end of each set.

Planks explained...

Table top plank: Get onto all fours. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders, and your knees are directly under your hips. Curl your toes underneath, slightly tuck your tailbone under and lift your knees only about an inch off the ground. Imagine that you are pushing the ground away from you and keep your spine in a neutral position. Keep your gaze down at the ground to avoid hyper-extending your neck. Hold here.

High plank: From the table top plank, walk your feet back and extend your legs. Keep the torso exactly as you were in the table top plank, and hold here.

Low plank: Carefully walk your hands down towards the ground so you are resting on your forearms. Legs are still extended long, tailbone is still slightly tucked under, and once again you are pushing the ground away from you to engage all of the core muscles. Hold here.

Do you remember that hot lava game from when you were a kid? Imagine you are playing it again and do NOT let your knees come in contact with the ground until you have completed your final plank in the series. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets.

To make this even more challenging, reverse the order with every set. Aim for 3-4 sets total.

Happy sweating :)

Training Thursday: Tabata

Today's work is very simple. And quick! This bad boy takes only 4 mins, so I do not want to hear ANY excuses that you don't have time to do this.

The name of the game is Tabata training. It is a short and grueling form of interval training in which one alternates between 20 seconds of high intensity exercises with 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 rounds.

“Originally I thought this type of training was just for speed skaters or other highly motivated athletes because it is very painful and tiring,” says Izumi Tabata, [the training coach who originally spent the time analyzing this protocol] now a professor and researcher at Japan’s Ritsumeikan University. “However, I found that there were groups of people interested in building muscle and therefore doing short high-intensity exercises that trained their muscle, but not those exercises that improved their aerobic training. When this regimen came along, they began to realize they could train both at the same time.”

(source: https://www.acefitness.org/prosourcearticle/3497/is-tabata-all-it-s-cracked-up-to-be)

For this week's Training Thursday you can choose to do just one round of Tabata, or all 4 to get a killer total body workout in just 16 minutes!

            Tabata set 1: Jump squats

            Tabata set 2: Push ups 

            Tabata set 3: Mountain climbers

            Tabata set 4: Burpees

Happy sweating :)

Training Thursday: Baby got back

The human back consists of groups of muscles used for keeping you stabilizing, extending, flexing, rotating, and allowing for pretty much any other movement in your torso. It is not an area of the body that should be overlooked. This week's quick workout will hit all the major muscle groups.

As always, be sure to warm up and stretch pre- and post-workout.

Pull-ups 3 sets x 5 reps

If you are not strong enough to do a full range-of-motion pull-up, perform 'negatives'. Negatives are the down phase of the exercise. Jump up and hold yourself in position, then very slow, resisting the urge to let gravity do all the work, lower yourself down.

Single bent over row superset with underhand narrow grip lat pull down 3 sets x 10 reps

Seated cable row pyramid set 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps

In a pyramid set you start with a light weight and perform the given amount of reps. Take a short break, and go one set of weights up to perform the next set of reps. Keep increasing your weight and lowering your reps until you are complete.

Superman triset arms in Y, I, T, positions 2 sets, 15 reps each position.

Remember to keep your spine in a neutral position at the gym, and day to day. Happy sweating :)

Training Thursday: Track workout

It's safe to say that spring is upon us. For this week's Training Thursday, take your workout outdoors. Find a 400 m track and enjoy this gem of a cardio killer:

Warm up:

• 2 x 400 m easy jog
• 100 m long lunges into a quad stretch

Workout:

• 4 x 100 m sprint, 300 m walk
• 1 x 400 m easy jog/fast walk
• 3 x 100 m sprint, 200 m walk
• 1 x 400 m easy jog/fast walk
• 2 x 100 m sprint, 100 m walk

Cool down:

• 1 x 400 m walk
• Quad, glute, hip flexor, hamstring, calf stretches. Hold for 30 sec each.

Happy sweating!

Training Thursday: 60 sec Lower body rounds

No excuses, everyone! All you need is a skipping rope and some space, for this week's Training Thursday. Check out the video below for full details.

Happy sweating :)

PS. Sorry for the crazy loud music... Technical difficulties! 

Training Thursday: Lent push up challenge

Most people give something up for Lent (refined sugar, coffee, chocolate, TV) but this year I challenge you to add a push up every day! The first week will be easy, but as the 40 days accumulate, so do your push ups. If you miss a day, perform all of the previous day's push ups AND the current day's push ups.

Technically Lent started yesterday, so today you need to perform 1 push up for yesterday, and 2 push ups for today. Tomorrow will be 3 push ups, the day after will be 4, and so on for the next 40 days.

Make sure each repitition is done well. Once we get up to the bigger numbers (10+) feel free to break the total up into smaller, more managable sets. Perfect form EVERY time, even if it means it takes you a little longer :)

Training Thursdays: Delts + bicep superset

Check out this week's training Thursday:

Perform each superset 2-3 times with a 30-60 second break between rounds.

Superset 1 Standing shoulder press x 10 + Hammer curl x 15
Superset 2 Arnold press x 10 + Resistance band lateral raise x 15
Superset 3 Resistance band external rotations x 10 + Resistance band bicep pulses x 15-20

Happy sweating everyone!

Training Thursdays: Plyometric circuit

Feeling sluggish? Give this killer plyo circuit a try!

Don't jump into this routine with cold, stiff muscles. Be sure to properly warm up before and stretch after. If you are a beginner, start with 1-2 sets of half the reps indicated. Take a longer rest period if you need to, and work up to the recommended amount of reps and sets.

Complete 4 rounds of:

• 20 Split squat jumps (10 per leg)
• 15 Burpees
• 30 Straddle jumps
• 100 Mountain climbers (50 per leg)
• 60 sec Rest

Happy sweating everyone :)

Training Thursday: Run, walk, bike, or swim!

In light of tomorrow being Valentine's Day, this Training Thursday is dedicated to your cardiovascular system!

Get out there and complete a 5 km route! Too daunting? Try alternating between running for 2 minutes and walking for 3 minutes until you have completed the distance.

Is the simple thought of running making your knees/hips scream? Opt for a 10 km bike ride, or complete 5-10 laps at the pool.

Whichever activity you choose, push yourself and make your heart work hard today. Be grateful for having such a powerful, all enduring body. Get out there and USE IT!

Carrot ginger soup with quinoa

Do you have a case of the winter blues? The sun may be shining over Vancity, but with sub zero temperatures (I don't know about you guys but,) I'm left longing for the days when the sun rays would warm my pasty white skin. So what's a girl to do to stay warm? Invent a tropical flavoured soup recipe, obviously!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup dry quinoa
• 1 large parsnip, diced
• ~1.5 lbs of carrots, diced
• 1.5" cube fresh ginger, grated 
• 1 vegetable bullion
• 400 ml organic coconut milk
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like more kick)
• pepper to taste

Cook quinoa in 1.5 cups of water with a little bit of salt. Make sure it's light and fluffy and not over done.

As the quinoa is cooking, in a separate pot bring 1.5 L of water to a boil. Throw your parsnip, carrots, and vegetable bullion in, and let the water come to a boil again. Then turn down the heat to medium and let the vegetables simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender enough to break apart with a fork.

Add the ginger and coconut milk in.

Throw everything into a blender and purify the soup until it is smooth. I used an immersion blender, which resulted in a not-so-well purified concoction, but hey, you gotta work with what you've got!

Reheat the soup and add in your cooked quinoa. Add more spices if you feel you need to, and serve with a side of toasted Silver Hills Squirrelly bread.

Enjoy!

Training Thursday: Dumbbell destroyer

For this workout you will need two sets of dumbbells: a slightly lighter one for your upper body, and a slightly heavier one for your lower body. The maximum amount of reps you'll be doing per exercise is only 10, so be sure you grab heavy enough weights to be challenged. The last two reps of each exercise should feel like a struggle. Your goal is to run through these exercises with as little rest as possible to leave you a sweaty, heaving mess. (It'll feel good, I promise!)

As usual, warm up with about 5 minutes of aerobic activity followed by some dynamic stretches of all the major muscle groups. I'd highly recommend running through the first set of exercises with dumbbells that are about 60% of your "working weight". (And no, this doesn't count as your first set!)

Complete up to 4 rounds of this circuit depending on your fitness level.

Squat into shoulder press x 10
Alternating reverse lunges with dumbbells x 30
Double bent over rows x 10
Push ups off dumbbells x 10 (use your dumbbells as handles, you'll find you can go a little deeper with this technique. Push yourself!)
Side plank with hip dips x 10/side
Burpees x 10

Happy sweating and stretch, stretch, stretch afterwards!

Training Thursday: Core burn

One of the most common requests I get from clients is to really work the abs because everybody wants a six-pack. What most people don't realize is that abs are made in the kitchen! In order to get superhero-like definition, you must have quite a strict and regimented diet. (Unless, of course, you're one of the specimens that has a natural six pack at all times. Your kind is rare, so bask in your ab-ness!) Not only that, but abs come in all different shapes and sizes! Some people have naturally bulkier muscles, therefore their abs will "pop" easier than those of us who have longer, leaner, more endurance based muscles.

Thanks someecards.com for always knowing what to say!

Having said all this, a strong core is beneficial for everyone! If you're a glutton for punishment, and you love to "feel the burn". Add this circuit to your routine, make sure to do it on non-consecutive days.

I challenge you to get through this circuit at least 3 times.

Because these exercises are timed, it is absolutely vital that you execute each one with perfect form. If the time frame is too long, cut it down and only do as much as your capable of doing. Form over frequency, ALWAYS.

• 45 sec plank hold
• 45 sec superman
• 45 sec double leg drop
• 45 sec Russian twists
• 45 sec reverse crunch
• 45 sec bicycle abs
• 45 sec rest

Happy training!

Get Well green smoothie

If this doesn't help my immune system, I don't know what will.

I'm writing this post as I sit covered under a heaping pile of blankets all mopey because I can't be outside enjoying the Vancouver sun. It seems that my immune system has failed me again, and I've come down with something. So, what does a vegan-personal-trainer-who-doesn't-like-taking-cold-medication do? Well, I'm going to try to reinvigorate my body with a blast of vitamins and minerals!

Though slightly chunky despite using a Vitamix blender (I'm rarely patient enough to wait for it to pulverize everything), this Get Well green smoothie is packed full  potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, folate, beta carotene, vitamin K, thiamine, and vitamin C. Plus it's got a light zesty kick from the all immune-boosting and powerful ginger root! (Seriously that stuff is great for everything!)







In a powerful blender, mix the following ingredients until smooth:

• 3 leaves of fresh kale
• 1 gigantic handful of fresh spinach
• 1 Granny Smith apple, without the core
• 1" cube of fresh ginger root
• 2 heaping tablespoons of hemp hearts
• 1-1 1/2 cups of water (you may choose to add ice as well)

Enjoy and stay healthy my friends!

Training Thursday: Cardio circuit

Today's Training Thursday is dedicated to your cardiovascular system!

You will need access to a treadmill and an indoor bike, so this workout is best performed in a gym.

To warm up, jog for about 5-10 mins and progressively increase your speed. By the last minute you should start feeling out of breath. 

You will perform the following circuit 2 to 4 times through depending on your fitness level. The effort of each exercise is based on a Rate of Percieved Exertion (RPE) which is a scale of 1 to 10. For each exercise you want to be at a level of 8. This means that you shouldn't be able to talk beyond a couple of words at a time.

5 minute fast run at an incline of 2-3

5 minute hill power walk at an incline of 15 (Avoid using the handles of the treadmill. Focus on steady, long steps and an upright posture)

5 minute fast ride on the bike (Keep your revolutions per minute between 100-115. If your legs are spinning out of control, increase the tension)

Cool down with a 5-10 minute easy rode on the bike followed by a good stretch of the hip flexors, glutes, and legs.

Happy sweating!

Training Thursday: Amazing arms, shapely shoulders

You might not look like Arnie after this workout,
but you sure will feel like him!

I did this routine yesterday afternoon, and let me tell you, I am feeling it this morning! This workout calls for a rep range of 8-10. This means that you absolutely can not physically perform an 11th rep. Your muscles will be burning. If you feel uncomfortable pushing yourself this hard, invite a friend along to do the workout and to spot you as well. You will be performing supersets, meaning two back-to-back exercises with a 1-2 minute rest between sets, for a total of 4 sets each.

To warm up, I performed a series of shoulder rolls and dynamic stretches using a dowel rod, followed by a fairly light set of 10 standing shoulder presses, 10 bicep curls, and 10 tricep kickbacks, just to prepare my body for the upcoming movements. Just to be extra cautious, make the first set of each exercise a bit lighter than the remaining 3.

Superset 1

• Seated shoulder press
• Incline bench dumbbell bicep curl - Set an incline bench to just slightly less then upright. Sit tall against the bench and let your arms (dumbbells in hand) hang at either side. From here perform a basic supine-grip bicep curl. Do not let your back arch too much, and keep the back of your head against the bench as well.

Superset 2

• Barbell military press
• Barbell 21's - Perform 7 bicep curls from straight arms to a 90 degree at the elbow, immediately followed by 7 bicep curls from 90 degrees at the elbow to full flexion, followed immediately by 7 full range of motion bicep curls.

Superset 3

• Lateral and front raise - Perform one standing lateral (side) raise, then perform one standing front raise. This is one rep. Continue for 8-10 more.
• Tricep dips - If you don't find 8-10 of these challenging, either add extra resistance by placing a plate on your lap, or increase your rep range until failure.

Straight set - Finish your workout off with 4 sets of tricep kickbacks.

Good luck, and as always, don't forget to stretch!!!

Training Thursday: Legs on fire

Blast your legs with this bodyweight workout. Just because there's no extra resistance, don't be fooled because this quickie will have your legs burning and your heart racing after just the first set!

Warm up by performing 20 long walking lunges making sure to stretch out your hip flexors. Then perform 20 squats with quad stretches. To do this dynamic stretch, simply perform one bodyweight squat and as you stand up, grab your left ankle behind you and stretch the front of your thigh. Hold for 5 seconds. This is one repetition. Squat down again and repeat the stretch on the right side.

Perform the following circuit 2-4 times. Be sure to have minimal rest between exercises. Rest for 45-75 seconds between rounds.

     10 squats

     30 sec mid-squat pulse

     20 alternating reverse lunges

     20 split squat jumps

     15 burpees with a push up

     REST & repeat!

Be sure to stretch your quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, AND chest afterwards :)

Happy sweating!

How to go vegan

Thinking about going vegan? Here are my tips on how to make the switch.

Educate yourself.

The ol' saying "knowledge is power" couldn't be more true! Educate yourself on proper vegan nutrition first and foremost. It's very common to commit to veganism with the most positive animal-loving-world-saving intentions, only to wind up lightheaded and dizzy from various micronutrient deficiencies. The most common deficiencies include vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. The book, Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman is a great reference for proper nutrition on top of the many reasons why plant-based diets are the way to go. The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete, is a great one too. Not into reading? Check out the documentary Forks over Knives.

If your reasoning behind going vegan is of the ethical variety, a good documentary to watch is Vegucated. This documentary does have some graphic footage of animal abuse and slaughter, so it is not for everyone. I have heard amazing things about Earthlings, but my sensitive heart can't handle such an eye-opening documentary yet. This one is particularly graphic.

Start small.

Now that you've read the books and seen the footage you're ready to begin your journey! Speaking from experience, I highly recommend that you take your time and start small. It is very easy for us to get freaked out by what we read and watch and to want to make a drastic change. Unfortunately, that's not always sustainable. Unless you know you're someone who can kick a bad habit cold turkey (pardon the poor choice of cliche sayings), give yourself at least 3 to 6 months to gradually transition.

Begin by eating vegan at home. If that's too much, even just Meatless Mondays are a great start! After a few weeks of adjusting to this change, eat strictly vegetarian while you're out. Limit yourself to dairy and eggs at most. Then when you're ready, cut back again to only dairy or only eggs while out. Before you know it you'll be eating vegan at home and at restaurants!

Make it public.

Tell your friends and family that you are going vegan. Prepare yourself for the worst reactions but stay true to your intentions. As soon as someone finds out you're vegan, they will most likely have an opinion about it. 

Truthfully, that has been the hardest thing to deal with. If there's one thing I've noticed from observing people's reactions to me telling them that I am vegan, it's that it can go one of two ways. Either:

a) the person is genuinely curious about how it is that you maintain such a "strict" diet, because they could just never give up cheese. Or,

b) people get very opinionated about the roll of animals on this planet, and how we are the greater species therefore we are at the top of the food chain (blah, blah, blah). 

The trick is to not fall into a screaming argument if your friend/family member falls into the (b) category. It can be tough, but respect his/her opinion, and let him/her know that you are vegan because it is your right to decide how to fuel your body. For the most part that shuts them up :) Attacking others by pulling the activist-card is like fighting fire with fire. Stay calm and level headed.

Don't beat yourself up.

Going vegan is not always easy. No one is perfect, and there will be moments where your will power is tested. If you give in, don't beat yourself up over it! Instead, figure out why you gave in and prepare better for next time. Understand that your dietary decision is making an impact on not only your body, but other animals and the planet! Celebrate your success and educate others! :)

Training Thursday: Core countdown

I'm kicking off 2014 with a new weekly special: Training Thursdays!

This week's workout focuses on core strength. A strong, stable core is important for much more than a slick six pack! Relief from back pain, improved posture, balance, and overall athletic performance are just a few of the benefits of a strong core.

Perform this routine 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days in addition to your usual training regime.

With each set you will deduct TWO repetitions, or 10 seconds per exercise. Complete 10 sets for the full count down.

• 60 sec Plank
• 20 Supermen
• 20 Alternating Leg Drops (10/leg)
• 20 Crunches on a BOSU ball (protect your lower back!)

As the famous saying goes, "Feel the burn"!

And as usual, don't forget to stretch. My favourite core stretches include: child's pose, cat-Ccow, and cobra pose!