This is Part II of my Top 10 Fitness Predictions for 2011.  Please see below for Part I.6. Long duration workouts are out.  If intensity is to become more popular than long distance training will be out.  The harder you push the shorter you can go.  And vive versa.  Everyone's time is at a premium and we want the best results in the fastest way possible.  It used to be that being in the gym 2-3 hours a day five days a week earned you respect amongst your peers.  Now they're more likely to see this amount of time in the gym as a waste.  Unless of course you're a pro athlete working on a variety of different elements in that time.  Most likely this doesn't apply to you.7.  Increased demand for higher quality nutrition.  Previously we weren't as aware of which foods were toxic to us and should be removed from our nutritional plan.  Next we learned which foods we should be eating and tried to include more of them.  Lastly we start to see that there are various grades of the foods we should be eating and people are opting for the highest quality possibility.  The perception that quality nutrition always has to cost more is beginng to fade and more are making better choices during their grocery store trips.8. The hips are cool. For a while there everything was about the core. Everyone wanted core stability. They wanted core strength. They wanted core to fix their bad back. And they wanted core to help them in their sport.Well guess what? The emphasis is going to switch more to training the hip complex. There will be more attention to strengthening the hips. There will be more attention to aligning the hips. And there will definitely be more attention to mobilizing the hips....

As we close out 2008 I thought I would take a look into my crystal ball and share with you where I see the fitness industry heading in 2009. So here are my Top 10 Fitness Predictions for 2009.#1 - A decrease in overly intense workouts on day 1In 2008 and with the popularity of the movie 300 we saw a number of people trying to replicate the workouts performed by the actors in that movie. While these workouts had a number of great components to them what we saw happening was the general public attempting the same without proper coaching, instruction, planning or periodization. Picture the individual with low back pain attempting Olympic lifts. Or the person with knee instability doing 50 box jumps in a row. Subsequently we have realized an increase in rhabdomyolysis (damage to muscle tissue), injury and burn-out. In 2009 the hype that came with this movie will have died down and hopefully the negatives associated with it as well.#2 - Less training on balance toysThis one may take a while but eventually the fitness world will realize that standing on a half ball doing biceps curls does not make your biceps stronger. 'But it burns more calories when I have to engage my core to stand on the ball' is the quick answer from some 'trainers'. The answer should be if burning calories is your goal then choose activities, resistances and workouts that burn the most calories. Besides a less than effective way to train for caloric consumption, standing on a balance toy causes the foot to over-pronate, lengthens the ground reaction time during plyometrics and results in a decrease in power production. The athletes and parents of athletes should be paying attention to the last sentence and questioning what is the purpose of the...

Today we're celebrating Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. So with the indulgence in turkey, gravy, potatoes and of course some pumpkin pie the mind tends to shift towards thinking about ways to burn all these extra calories. Plus as the seasons change our activities move from links and lakes to the hills for winter fun.So with this in mind I usually like to incorporate more step-ups in the workout. Step-ups are great in that they work well for all levels, they allow you to get in some quality single leg work and with a few changes in the acute variables of sets, reps and rest you can train for a variety of different purposes.But before you jump in and start with the step-ups there are 5 technique points that will help you perform this lift more safely and effectively.1. Maintain a neutral foot. Many of us tend to roll into pronation when we bend at the ankle-knee-hip. Imagine your foot collapsing towards the arch when you take a step. If this happens you will disrupt the chain reaction that occurs with ground based motion and have altered mechanics as you step up. Keep a neutral foot and watch that the knee is in line with the 2nd/3rd toes.2. Paw the bench. With the foot that is on the bench imagine pulling the bench towards yourself. This loads up the glutes and hamstrings which many of us have difficulty recruiting during our leg training. 3. Take a larger step. This ties in with the previous point of trying to engage the posterior chain. Many of us are quad dominant and look to use our quads first and glutes and hamstrings, second, if at all. With a larger step you open up the angle at the knee and hip which takes load off the...

Hi there: Hope you have a great weekend. I was at the Okanagan Sport Leadership Conference at UBC on Saturday. Okanagan Peak Performance had a booth at the trade show and was there to provide information and hand out t-shirts. It was great to meet a lot of athletes, coaches and sport practitioners at one time. You can definitely see the impact the Olympics has had on the sports being practiced locally. This was the first time there was such a large contingent of freestyle skiers, ski and boardercross, figure skaters and other winter sport athletes.After the conference the rest of the weekend was spent landscaping and watching the UFC over at some friends. While I don't follow the sport that closely I do appreciate the training that goes into preparing for a UFC event. You have to be versatile in a number of martial arts and develop your energy systems for both quick explosive efforts and to be able to go five-five minute rounds. And so this part I find fascinating.And after years of study, research and training both myself and other athletes I have found that we all have certain abilities and strengths. For example some people respond better to higher volume training and others are better suited to a lower volume of training. Some athletes are very effective with short burst efforts and others really shine when the challenge is longer in duration. So what accounts for these differences?Part of it has to do with your body type. An ectomorph is going to find it easier to move themselves then to move an external load. And the opposite is true for an endomorph who can pile the plates on a leg press but may have difficulty performing overhead bodyweight squats.So what do we do to improve? The answer is...

Hi there: I hope you had a great Hallowe'en weekend. It's such a great time of year to be able to let loose and be a kid again for a night. And possibly the next morning if you promise to wear your costume the following Saturday AM for a stairs workout. Looking back this probably wasn't the smartest thing I've decided to do but I did it and hopefully it lightened the mood for those that came out for the workout and helped them work a little harder. Below you can see a picture of Wonder Woman, Les Grossman and Kat Von D.I've got some video footage from the Saturday morning workout and will try to work that into a future post.Switching gears here a little bit I want to let you of a device I'm testing out. It's called a BodyBugg and it measures you caloric expenditure. You wear it around your left arm and it records how many calories you expend during day.Now some people will be thinking 'I have a heart rate monitor that tracks my calories so how is this any different?'True, a heart rate monitor provides an estimation on calories burned but it isn't very accurate. Basically the caloric measurement from a heart rate monitor correlates to how many calories would typically be burned at a particular heart rate.So first of all we realize this is an estimation and therefore is not a totally accurate method of tracking your calories. But secondly your heart rate monitor has no way of detecting whether an increased heart rate is due to physical exertion or a hightened emotional state. For example if you wore your heart rate monitor to a scary movie you might get a number of spikes during the frightening scenes of the movie. And your heart rate monitor would...

A colleague wrote a blog post recently about the leg press machine. He made some great points that I thought should be shared with you. So here are some of the reasons to be cautious with the leg press and some tips to perform this lift as safely as possible.For many people when they want to do a lower body workout there are a lot of exercises they could choose from. They could perform squats, deadlifts, lunges, step ups, leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses with multiple variations of each of these.But if we don't have a lot of experience in the weight room we may shy away fromt the free weight exercises. And as a result people tend to migrate towards the leg press machine.And even if we're not a newbie to the gym we will sometimes opt for the leg press because it's one exercise where we can really load up the machine with lots of weight and feel strong.But the leg press has some limitations. One of the biggest is that it results in a posterior tilt of the pelvis as the knees and hips flex to lower the platform.And as the pelvis tilts posteriorly it causes the low back to go into flexion and increases the chance of disc herniation.And nobody wants this. But there are certain things we can to minimize this from happening.First, our core works the best for us when we establish proper posture.  From the head down through the trunk we know this to mean:* neutral head* chest tall* shoulders down and back* neutral spineIf we can establish these positions prior to initiating the lift we'll do a better job of protecting the spine.What we sometimes see happen  are the following mistates:* forward head* flexed neck* chest and shoulders rounded forwardSo before we even attempt...

Hi there: Hope you had a great weekend. Were you watching the Grey Cup? If you were it's a sad day in Riderville. But getting to the championship game two years in a row is quite a feat when you consider there was a time when making the playoffs or hosting a playoff game was something to get excited about. It's great to see the Riders do well and set new standards and expectations for themselves.But enough about football I want to look at a popular training product. This product is the Perfect Pushup and while it's not necessarily new to the market, the research investigating its claims is new.This device allows the arms to rotate on the handles while performing a push up. And from their website the claims include:* engages more muscles* reduces strain* helps accelerate resultsA very recent study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research looked at upper extremity and upper body EMG data to investigate the claims made by the manufacturer. Here's what they did.They measured muscle recruitment at the triceps, chest, serratus and shoulder while performing push ups with three different hand positions. The positions were narrow, standard and wide. Participants performed both regular push ups and those with the device.Here's what they found.* The narrow hand position was most effective at stimulating the triceps and rear deltoid (shoulder) muscles.* The Perfect Pushup did not preferentially enhance muscle recruitment compared to a standard push up.What does this mean?According to this study the investigators dismissed the claims made by the manufacturers of the product. There is no additional benefit in terms of muscle recruitment by using this product compared to a traditional push up.So is there any benefit to using this device at all?One of the other claims of the manufacturers is that the device helps...

So every now again I'll find myself looking around the gym seeing things that I don't understand. Don't get me wrong. Some of these things I probably did myself as some point. And looking back I'm not too sure why I did them. Maybe it was because I saw somebody else train this way. Maybe it was from a fitness magazine I was reading at the time. Or maybe it was just a bad habit I developed all on my own. But it doesn't change the fact that seeing some of these misktakes being made in the gym is like finger nails on a chalk board.Whatever the reason for developing these bad habits or using bad form the fact remains that I wasn't aware that what I was doing was bad and that I needed to change this. And so now when I see others making some of the same mistakes I once did I feel  compelled to help them out.But why not walk over and help that person right then and there you may be asking? For a few reasons including:1. The gym is the last place unsolicited advice seems to be accepted. Short of you injuring yourself on the spot I've found that many people prefer to be left alone.  Am I wrong  in assuming this?If you were doing this I may come over.So as long as you aren't going to kill yourself by what you're doing I may stay out of it rather than get into a debate with someone.2. I can reach more people this way. With these posts we can help thousands of people compared to individuals at a time on the gym floor.3. When I work out it's my time. I like to make my workouts as intense and short as possible. Stopping to help coach, correct and advise...

  This is a continuation of a 3 Part series related to common gym training mistakes. Please see the previous post for Part I.4. Going straight into my first set. When I was younger and it was bench day a warm-up involved doing 10 or so reps with just the bar. That's it. And then as I started to add load to the bar for my working sets I might do a doorway chest stretch in between sets. Not anymore. Now before I even get under a bar for I'll do a general warm-up, some foam rolling, a dynamic warm-up, some mobility and stability work and then some full depth squats or hip hinges. And even once I step under the bar I'll do many more light sets before getting up to working load. And guess what? My lifts are as good as they ever been, I recover more quickly and I have no joint issues to speak of. Couldn't say the same of my body in my younger days. 5. Don't ignore the little guys. I'm talking about the 2.5 lbs and 5 lbs plates. When was the last time you added 2.5 lbs to the bar? Be honest? But how many guys with a strong bench will do 135 lbs, 225 lbs and 315 lbs for their last set? I'm not sure why it is but we seem to ignore the value of small increments in our loads. If you are calculating your loads properly then 2.5 lbs per side  may be adequate for some people to increase from one workout to the next. To keep your gains coming and to minimize injury look to the little guys. 6. Shrugs. Every young at some time has wanted big traps. It goes without saying that when we're young guys we want to work on every muscle from the...

  And now here's the final installment in the 3 part series 10 Things to Avoid Doing During Your Workout.  8. Elevating your heels during  squats. Have you seen this done in the gym? Maybe you've done it before as well. You perform a squat and realize that your heels lift off the ground as you reach full depth. So you've got two options. One is to limit you range of motion to only go as low as your heels stay in contact with the ground. The other option is to put a shim under your heels so that they are always in contact with something as you lower yourself. And since you're not a wuss you opt for option #2. Because in order to get the best leg development you need to go full depth you need something under your heels to do so. But here's the problem. As you lower yourself into a squat your body is going into pronation and flexion. You are reducing the force of the lift through your joints and muscles. This energy is being loaded up to be released during the upwards phase of the motion. As you lower yourself the hips flex, the knees flex and the ankles flex. And as you stand up the hips and knees extend. During the upward motion the ankles plantar flex. And during the descent it dorsiflexes. When you put a plate or a shim under your heels you put the ankle into plantar flexion. As you start the descent of a squat you need the foot to go into dorsiflexion which is the opposite of the set up you've just established.And the body works as a series of chain reactions. So as one group of joints and muscles loads up under force this triggers the neighbouring joints and muscles to prepare...

In the last post I introduced a discussion about body awareness. And what I meant by this was understanding which muscles were firing, when they are firing and how they are firing. The reason this is so important is that many of us having compensations or deficiencies of some type. Think about it. The aches and pains that we get from time to time are partly due to the strain we put our body under when it is out of alignment. And when we live with these aches and pains for long enough we can sometimes become a little bit desensitized to the feedback our body is trying to give us. For example if you've had a chronic low back problem you may not think about it all the time. But if someone asks you how it is and you stop and think about it for a second you'll realize it simply hasn't corrected itself but instead you learned to block it out somewhat in order to get through the day. And you aren't consciously thinking about it until someone asks you about it or it gets worse. So let's jump ahead and assume that someone was able to point out where it is that you're out of alignment and how to correct this alignment issue. Perhaps it's a lack of frontal plane (think side to side) glute activity and by firing this muscle helps to restore your alignment and take stress off your joints that were 'picking up the slack'. As well, you were also made aware of how you will alter your body position to cheat when your glutes get tired and you don't want them to work anymore.This would all be very useful info to you. So how do you make sure to ingrain this process and ensure...

This is the third part of a series on learning proper body position and alignment. Please see below for Parts I and II.At the end of Part II I mentioned the importance of body awareness and how we know when we are in or out of alignment. Because sometimes the clues as to being in or out of alignment are a little more subtle. We don't necessarily have to be in excrutiating pain in order to recognize something is wrong.And so I gave you three ways to work towards proper alignment.1. We need to understand what the muscle we are trying to contract is doing.2. We need to know what the opposite muscle is doing.3. We need to recognize when both of these change and step back at that point, recuperate and try again fresh.Consider something as simple as being in a half kneeling position.What does the ideal position for half kneeling look like? Well it should resemble the following:Straight lines and 90 degree angles.From the front the foot, knee, hip and shoulder should all face straight forward.From the side the there should a 90 degree angle at the knee and hip of the forward leg. And the trail leg should have the knee under the hip which is under the shoulder. The chest should be up, shoulders down and back, with a neutral head position.Take a look at the following picture.From the side the front leg has a 90 degree at the knee and the hip. And the left knee is under the hip and the shoulders stack up nicely over both of these.If you notice my arms hang a little bit in front of the body and you can see more of my pinkie than my thumb. This gives a clue that I am slightly internally rotated on the...

Last year I took a look at the trends I was noticing in fitness, saw what my colleagues were doing in other parts of the world and sampled some of the new innovations coming down the line as health products. As while some of these developments are simply fads I believe some of them to be true changes in the industry and here to stay.Below are my 2010 Fitness Predictions that I can now look back and grade myself. How did I do?1. Barefoot Running - Have you tried ditching the shoes? Maybe you own a pair of Five Fingers or some Nike Frees. Have you read the book Born to Run? There are definitely more products, gear and information related to barefoot running. I think we'll see this trend continue in 2011.2. Recovery & Regeneration - There is some evidence that we're more aware of the necessity to recover between workouts. More gyms have foam rollers and more people are using them. There are still a lot gains and results being left on the training room floor when you consider the number of people walking out of the gym without a post-workout shake.3. New Cardio Programs, Equipment and Classes - There maybe wasn't so much an explosion in new program and equipment so much as we saw more people doing intervals of some type as opposed to the regular slow, steady-state cardio they were used to. Consider as the well the number of people performing some type of metabolic resistance training where they alternate between resisted sets to achieve an elevated heart rate and you see people continuing to try something new when it comes to good old cardio.4. Saving Time & $$$ - Part of this one has to do with the economic situation and part of it is due to wanting...

You might be surprised to realize how little exercise is required in order to detect physiological changes in the body.And this is important because often times a common complaint to performing exercise is not having enough time. I know there are days when I don't get in a workout because I feel swamped with many other 'priorities' and therefore convince myself it simply doesn't work with my schedule on that day to find time to exercise.I may think differently in the future knowing the following bit of research.10 minutes of exercise is all it takes for there to be metabolic changes in the body. With just this small amount of time it can take upto to an hour for your body to return to a pre-exercise condition.This means enhanced circulation, ventilation and caloric burn that extends well past the moment we stop exercising.So this in itself should be reason enough to step away from the computer every couple of hours and do 10 minutes of jump rope, running stairs, jumping jacks or swinging a kettlebell. There are endless options. The point being that if all it takes is 10 minutes than we really can't use a lack of time as an excuse.But here's where things get interesting.Do you think this investment in exercise is the same for everyone? I mean does 10 minutes in exercise have the same results for two people of the same size, age and sex?We might assume that it does but we'd be wrong.Leaner people have increased levels of a metabolite called niacinamide, a nutrient involved in blood-sugar control. It comes from the group of B vitamins and has a number of health benefits.When researchers measured this compound at the end of the Boston Marathon, the more fit people had levels ten times higher than their less fit counter parts.There are over...

This is always a fun blog post for me.  I like to try and look at what I noticed over the past year, what I saw working and where I think things are going for the coming year.Some of my guesses may be a little bit optimistic.  As in maybe these are things I'd like to see happen in the fitness industry.  And others will happen, it's just a matter of how soon and when others recognize them as well.So let's get to it.  Here are my Top 10 Fitness Predictions for 2011.1. More suspension training.  People seem to like hanging out.  I think it's a combination of the versatility and the challenge that comes with performing some type of suspension training.  Add to that the fact that each exercise can be quickly modified to a regression or progression and it allows this tool to work well in any group fitness setting.  Look for more gyms to offer suspension training classes.2. Less is more.  In life we all want maximal return on investment.  No one wants to spend their time, money or efforts on something that yields marginal results.  With sleep being the one exception we are going to see what is the minimal amount of training and caloric intake required to ellicit the best possible outcome.  In calculus I remember these questions as being 'max-min' problems.  What is the maximum return with the minimum cost?  More will look at their investment in health in this way.3. Simpler workouts.  You'll see more people perform workouts with less equipment.  It might be one set of powerblock dumbbells.  Or one kettlebell. Or one suspension trainer.  Or maybe even just their bodyweight.  Gone are the days of needing a variety of machines and accessories in order to complete a decent workout.  Gyms recognizing this...

Often times when we step foot in the gym it's with the intent at getting better at something.  Maybe we want to accelerate our fat loss goals (a big one at this time of year). Or maybe we want to improve our joint function and move a little bit better. And then sometimes the goal is to perform better. Specifically with respect to sports.And this is my passion. Don't get me wrong it's very satisfying to hear of someone who's had shoulder pain for years tell you how they now sleep through the night because digging their elbow into the mattress to turn over doesn't wake them up anymore. (hello AV!)Or someone else who tells you how their hip pain has improved enough they can finally make a trip to their home country where there was not an unbandance of modern plumbing and thus had to be able to maintain a static deep squat. (BG will vouch for me on this one!)And then there has been countless stories of  the many who have lost pounds and inches off their bodies.  How their confidence and energy are at all time highs and life hasn't been better for them.  These are all the things that make getting up when it's still cold and dark out that much easier.But when it comes to training for performance there's no comparison. That's when it gets fun for me.And here's the interesting thing.Sports performance and sports training are completely different.What?How can that be?Wasn't sports training supposed to be as 'sports-specific' as possible? (I put that term in quotes because it can so many different things to do different people)Actually no.Sports training is quite distinct from sports performance. And here's how.1. Sports performance is on the balls of the feet whereas sports training is on the heels.  Ever...

Last month I attend a seminar in Vancouver with Mike Robertson presenting. Mike is a great strength and conditioning coach from Indiana who put on a 2 day seminar related to the knees and low back. One of the points Mike covered during the weeknend involved the use of a balloon to illustrate core theory.I really liked his analogy and the use of the balloon to make the point. But I thought the point could be taken further. And expanded to other areas of core theory. So I made a note in my conference notes to develop the point further once I got home. And this has since been developed into the 7 Keys of Balloon Core Theory.To read the article go check out Mike's blog, robertsontrainingsystems.com, or click on the following link to go directly to the article:http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/7-keys-of-balloon-core-theory/After you have a read, make sure to leave a comment. Make sure to say:* What you liked about the article?* What other analogies there may be between a balloon and the core?* Anything new you learned from the article?All the best,Chris                                                                                                                                                                                                                     okanaganpeakperformance.com 'always moving forward'

As promised here is Part II of my 2011 Fitness Predictions. The deal was we needed 10 comments in order to receive the second half and now we're there. So here you go.Prediction #6 - Long Duration is OutI can remember when I started going to the gym as young guy and people who sit around and talk about how often they went to the gym and for how long. It was almost like a badge of pride the way some discussed what their schedule looked like. You would hear comments such as:'I go 2 hours a day 6 days a week' or'I do 2.5 hour each day during the week' ...etc.Wow! Can you imagine spending spending that much time in the gym? I can't! And I do this for a living.2011 will be the year more people understand the concept of workout density or getting more resistance-based work done in less time. Don't you think it would be much more impressive to have an incredible physique and have people wondering how you can achieve your look with only 4 hours per week in the gym?Prediction #7 - Increased Demand for Quality Nutrition More and more people are recognizing the importance of a quality nutritional plan. They are hearing the expressions such as 'you can't train yourself out of a bad nutritional plan' and making appropriate changes.No  longer can we use the excuse of ignorance. 'High fructose corn syrup is bad for me?'No longer can we see it is hard to find. Costco now sells almond milk, steel cut oatmeal, greek yogurt and buffalo burgers.No longer is it way too expensive. The costs have come down substantially for better quality nutrition and is actually less expensive in the long run than eating low, empty nutrition food.Prediction #8 - The Hips are the New...

This is the follow up to the post  Is Sitting Killing Your Back? A Few Quick Fixes.You provided some excellent questions and comments from that post so now as a reward I've got The Top 6 Tips to Save Your Back When Travelling. Some of these tips relate specifically to driving your vehicle and others have to do with air travel. Tip #1 - Set the Alignment Before You StartDo you think you feel better after travelling when you feel good before you start. And similarly don't you think you'd feel worse after travelling if you felt tight to begin with? Probably so.Before I get on a plane I make sure to do some foam rolling. I want to release any tension I'm carrying in my body and not put additional stress on joints. 15 minutes of foam rolling while watching tv is a small price to pay for the benefits is extends after a 5 hour flight to Hawaii.As soon as I arrive I want to make sure to target the areas that tightened up during travel and resume light activity as soon as I can.Tip #2 - Set Your Mirror Up HighOne of the most common ways we wreak havoc on our backs when sitting is by slouching. We slide forward in the chair. Our hips tuck under. Our pelvis tilts posteriorly and we round our low back. None of which is good.By setting your rear view mirror as high as possible, but still where you  can see traffic, you'll be forced to sit taller and minimize the potential for slouching.And when you can't see in the mirror anymore? Don't adjust the mirror down. Instead sit up or pull over and take a break.Tip #3 - Empty Your PocketsDo you remember what George Costanza's wallet looked like on Seinfeld?It was so jam-packed...

Often times the seasons dictate what we do for exercise. When it is nice outside people tend to move their workouts outdoors and take advantage of the warmer weather. Around here you see more people boating, golfing, biking and doing triathlons.But when the weather gets cold we move indoors and get in more of our gym-based workouts. I'm not saying that's the way it should be, only that's what many around here tend to do.Even though we may move indoors for a lifting workout there are still somethings we can do outdoors and can actually only be done outdoors in the winter. Consider the outdoor skating rink downtown. Or going up to the ski hill. Going snowshoeing, tabogoning or even just going for a run and you can see that cold weather doesn't have to mean all activity stops.If you're going to do some exercise this winter make sure to check out the following video where I give you a number of tips for going outdoors this winter for some activity. Now there was one more tip I didn't cover in the video that I want to share with you. And this has to do with supplementation. If you're in the habit of taking omega-3 (which I think is a great thing by the way) you don't want to jump up your dosage too much during the winter months. Especially if you plan on going up to the hill. Here's why.You see omega-3 has blood thinning properties which is part of the reason it is effective in lowering blood pressure in some. In the winter however the relative humidity is much lower than in the summer.Basically warm air holds more water than cold air. So in the winter our tissues lose water to the environment as we have a higher humidity than the...

Movement is an interesting thing. In some ways it comes naturally to us. Think of a baby on its back wiggling the arms and legs. Eventually with enough effort and momentum the baby will be able get a leg across the body, rotate the hips and flip onto their stomach.But what starts out as an inquisitive exploration of our surroundings can lead to many great abilities in sports and performance. As young kids we are fearless and will do and try just about anything to seek a thrill and have fun.As we get older life gets a little busier and we get a little wiser about the downside of being hell-bent for speed and thrills. Basically all we have to do is experience one injury to curb our thirst for extreme movement and velocity.But that doesn't have to mean sport and movement stops all together. In fact it can't and is essential for our vitality.So we must find that balance between fearlessly attacking a sport or activity with reckless abandom and taking ourselves 'out of the game' completely.And this balance comes with being able to load and unload the forces we experience with movement. And we do this most effectively when we have neuromuscular efficiency (NE). This basically means we get the right muscles to fire, at the right time and in the right plane.Unfortunately success in sport is not as simple as simply having NE because we still need to develop the fitness, strength and power of the relevant muscles. Add to that the demands for reading and reacting to an opponent as well as changing environmental conditions and you can quickly appreciate how skilled high level athletes really are.In order to develop some of the athletic abilities of the pros look to be able to efficiently load and unload the body....

Today was a great morning. Why? Because when I was at the gym for a couple of sessions the gym was hopping.And I don't mean the cardio side of the gym which is normally busy but the weight room side. This brings a smile to my face as it makes me feel the message is starting to get out there to the masses that intense resistance-based workouts is the way to go for weight loss, sports performance or general fitness. Period.While part of the crowd had to do with it being a Monday morning in January it was still encouraging to see a shift in training approaches taking place.So what about the rest of the people there? Why are there still so many cardio kings & queens? Well part of it is mis-information and believing that cardio will yield the best return on their investment. But part of it has to do with intimidation. Or not knowing what load to use.You see many people would rather go to the gym and feel productive by walking/running on the treadmill than to venture over to the weight room side and feel lost.So how can you feel confident and safe when selecting your weights for your training session? Here are 4 rules.Rule #1 On Selecting the Correct Weight - Consider the muscles doing the workIf the first thing you can answer is what part of the body you will be working or what movements you will be performing you will do a better job at choosing the correct weight. For examplen if you were performing a squatting exercise you will be able to handle a heavier load than an exercise for the triceps. Duh, right?You'd be surprised though to see the number of people that use the same dumbbell to squat with and then go straight into a...

Did you ever watch those tv specials 'When Animals Go Bad'?You know the ones I mean? They show video footage of a normally docile and affectionate pet or animal that just snaps and some poor unsuspecting soul pays the price for it?I remember seeing an animal handler have a koala bear freak out at Busch Gardens in Tampa once. The little kids that were so curious to see this cute bear all rushed the handler and surrounded him quickly.And if you can imagine to a koala bear seeing all these little monsters running at it and screaming the koala bear thinks it's getting attacked.So the koala starts clawing at the handler to get away. The bear doesn't want to be held by the handler while all these little people are charging forward.And up until that point I never realized that koalas have sharp claws. But after seeing the handler get sliced and diced by the koala I don't think of these animals as cute and cuddly anymore.Long story short the koala ended up back in its habitat. And the handler was taken away on a stretcher for stitches and medical treatment.So what the heck does this have to do with training and fitness?Well just like at the zoo sometimes we have different intentions of the final outcome.In this case the koala bear, the handler and the little kids all hoped things would have turned out a little differently.The handler probably didn't forsee a trip to the hospital for stitches and maybe a shot.The bear didn't forsee what it perceived as an apparent attack.And the little kids didn't realize they wouldn't be able to pet the bear and were a little distraught to see the bear attack the handler and be wisked away shortly after still snarling and trying to defend itself.Now back to the gym.Imagine...

I'm sure most of you have taken a plane before. And you've probably paid for that flight.Sometimes you time it right and book during a seat sale. And other times you need to get somewhere and end up paying more than you'd like. And definitely more than what others are paying for the same flight.Back when I was in grad school my brother was working off-shore off India. He became sick and I ended getting on a plane to help him back home to Canada.Since the amount of time from we when learned he was sick to the time time it was decided I would go get him no more than a few days passed.So I showed up at the airport and bought my ticket on the spot to leave on the next available flight. This is not the way to travel on a budget.Even though I was sitting beside someone travelling the exact same route as me we experienced vastly different financial 'pain' to make that trip. Even though the result was the same our investment in that trip was totally different.And this is very similar to the experiences many people have when they work out in the gym.Some people plan ahead and have a purpose in mind and get tremendous results from their efforts in the gym.Others do not plan anything out and are not sure of their purpose. These people get minimal, slow results from training.Below are 5 keys that account for achieving great or marginal results.Reason #1 Some Get Better Results - PlanIt's really hard to make effective use of your time in the gym when you don't have a very clear idea of what you're going to do that day in the gym.What exercises are you doing? How many sets? How many reps? What loads will you...

I like doing things that maximize my return on something.I like when I sit down with Ben and he points out an investment strategy that saves me money in one area and makes me more in another.I like when you are travelling somewhere foreign and a local gives you some inside knowledge to save time, beat the crowds and have an overall better experience.And when I'm training I like to find small tweaks and changes we can make that give me better results for my efforts on the gym floor.Basically I guess if you had to sum it up I really like efficiency and getting a great return on investment. And the opposite of this would be spinning your wheels or worse going backwards.And the best ways to increase your return and get better results is through finding modifications to the things you are doing already.Sure it's great to learn that working out another hour per day will allow you to burn an extra 500 calories. But wouldn't you be more excited to find ways to burn those extra calories without extra time or effort? I know I would.And that's what today's topic has to do with. Not burning calories in this case but spinal stabilization and core development.Here's how it works.When most people who go to the gym and workout, core training is one of the most popular elements included in their programs.And those who are well informed know that there more potential for core development by lifting a load with optimal technique than there is to do endless crunches on a stability ball.But here's where it gets interesting.Our core works harder at the ends of our range of motion. In other words when our extremities are further from our center we have to work harder to stabilize in order to...

There's one thing I've found that consistently leads to improvements on the training room floor and in competitive performance. And the thing is this is nothing new. And it works in all areas of life. For example, this approach will lead to a higher GPA in school. It leads to better fiscal health when it comes to your finances. And it improves your relationships. So what is this magical approach that appears to make life better across the board? Well, it's quite simple actually. And unfortunately it's something many people skip past. And here it is. Remove the negative. What? Really? That's what is going to lead to new gains? This will lead to more weight loss? This will reduce joint pain and allow for more efficient movement? Absolutely it will. So how do you identify what your negatives are? Are they the same as your training partner? And how do you go about eliminating them? With these questions in mind here are 3 Strategies to Removing the Negatives. Step #1 - What Do You Not Enjoy?Do you love chin ups? Or pull ups? Maybe you're a huge fan of Turkish Get Ups? I'm guessing 0-for-3 on the above. Which would be no surprise. We tend to steer away from the more challenging movements and exercises. In order to separate yourself from the average gym-goer you need to do the things the average gym-goer won't do. Find out what it is you struggle with and prioritze this in your workout. Step #2 - Add More Glutes, Hamstrings and LatsQuestion...what do the above muscle groups have in common? Answer...you can't see them when you face a mirror. But most people go the gym and want flat abs, bigger biceps and a more powerful chest. So they do crunches, curls and bench press....

There are a few things Okanagan Peak Performance is synonomous. And these include physical feats, strong women and helping others. So when we were approached about sponsoring a team for the United Way's Plane Pull Challenge it was a no-brainer. But we're not just sponsoring any team. We're sponsoring a team made up 100% of women. And these women will probably be the only all-female team pulling a plane down the tarmac. I know they will put some of the men's teams to shame. I already know what Jordy and Megan can do on the weightroom floor and they don't ease up for anyone in competition. But this event is for charity and we need your help. The team needs to raise $750 as an entry fee. So here's what Okanagan Peak Performance is going to do. We're going to run a Pull the Plane Training Session at our facility on Saturday April 14, 2011 with a mimimum $20 donation. We will run two training sessions at 11 am and another at 1230 pm with a goal of having 20 people out for each session. 40 people get an awesome workout. The United Way collects a $800 donation for the entry fee. We get to have fun working your butt off! Everybody wins! Here are all the details.DateSaturday April 14, 2012Times11:00 AM-12:00 PM and 12:30 – 1:30 PMLocationOkanagan Peak Performance Inc. #123-1511 Sutherland Ave.What to bringIndoor athletic shoes, comfortable workout wear, water bottle, min $20 donation 5X Bonus - We want to throw something else in for you to make this day a little more memorable. Take your donation to the United Way and times it by 5. We will credit this much towards a membership for you on Saturday April 14, 2012 should you sign up that day. For example, donate...

Have you seen the movie The Avengers? If not you should check it out. And you don't have to be a comic book geek and know the story line. Even if you haven't seen the Iron Man movies or Captain America you'll still enjoy this one. And while most girls usually don't care for these kinds of movies my wife liked it. Wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that every male in the show was ripped? Anyways there was a scene during the movie that got me thinking about you. Seriously. And I wanted to make sure to let you know about this as soon as I could. So what was it from The Avengers that made me think of you? Well first of all you need to know a couple of the characters. The first one is Hulk. He's normally a likeable scientist named Dr. Bannister but when you make him mad he turns into a huge green monster that likes to smash things. The other guy to tell you about is Thor. He has supernatural strength and is the only one who can wield his hammer. In fact no one else can even pick up his hammer, let alone use it as a weapon. And this brings us to the battle scene between Thor and Hulk. Thor is using his hammer to beat on Hulk until he loses his grip on the hammer. Hulk goes to pick up the hammer but nothing happens. Well that's not entirely true. Hulk pulls so hard on the hammer that his feet break through the floor. But the hammer doesn't budge. And that's exactly what you should be thinking of when you deadlift. But let's back up and set the stage here so you understand exactly how to pull a...

One of the great things about life is that it constantly changes.And there always opportunities to experience new things, to learn and to grow.With education and wisdowm we hopefully will do a better job as move through life when it comes to our health and fitness.Sometimes we'll learn a better way to get an end result. It may be a new way to mobilize a joint or to provide more stability. It may be a way to ellicit new strength or power gains. It could also be a way to recover more quickly from one session to the next.But life isn't always about finding better ways. Or short cuts. Or ways to get ahead.Sometimes it's finding out what hurts us. And then trying to stay away from the danger.***if you don't know it already Dumb and Dumber is often quoted during staff workouts, conference road trips and many other times***But besides sticking your tongue on a frozen ski lift there are things happening during training sessions which are just as bad.Below are 3 things you make sure you aren't doing when it comes to your training. The cool thing is that they all have something in common.What's the common link?With all three there is excessive lumbar movement. So we've dropped these exercises from our programming to minimize potential strain to the low back.Don't Do Movement #1 - ScorpionWe don't use this as part of our warmup any more. But I'll admit that a few moons ago we did.The goal was to increase hip mobility. Instead the hip reaches end range and further motion comes at the expense of the low back.Don't Do Movement #2 - Supine Hip RollsWith many sports and activities a common goal is to encourage separation of the upper and lower parts of the body. Sometimes this is referred to as dissociation...

We're a week into June and it seems like we've gone back a page or two on the calendar. The temperatures have dropped and we're getting more rain. But besides the weather changes we know we're into June because the school year is almost done. And a number of young athletes will be looking for something to do. They'll have their days open and have energy to burn. With that in mind I should probably tell you about our Youth Summer Athletic Training Camp (YSATC). You can find all the details below. But I thought it would be important to tell you what makes our camps special. Here are 5 Unique Features About our YSATC. Feature #1 - New Camps for Younger and Older AthletesWe started these camps 2 years ago and there were 3 athletes that attended. Last year this grew to 31 participants. So for this year we're splitting the groups into two different times and 2 different groups. This will allow each group to work on things more relevant to their needs and goals. And for the older athletes they will have a better start time in the afternoon. Some teenagers seem to like to sleep in during the summer. Feature #2 - Effective & Safe Coaching of All Exercises Some of the athletes we work with will attend high school in the fall. And many schools now have weight rooms for the students. And unfortunately there aren't budgets to allow for proper instruction or supervision of these weight rooms. We want to make sure that these athletes have the basics in place before they step foot in a high school weight room. We want them to know what precautions to take. We want them to know the fundamental technique points on the major lifts. And we want them to be...

So you want to be a Tough Mudder?Well maybe not. Maybe you've never heard this term before.Fair enough.Below are a few videos that will fill in the gaps.Ok so are you still in? Do you want to know what it's like to push your body physically to the limit and overcome? Do want to test yourself and see how you stand?If that's the case then we can definitely help you out.Actually that's not true.There might be a few people that could help you out. We can help you crush this event. We can help you compete rather than just complete this event (if you have that kind of competitive spirit). We can make it so you aren't crippled walking stairs on Monday.But more on the program later. If you just can't wait leave a comment and I'll set you up with the exact program we used. Plus a few inside secrets as to what gear to use, how to fuel up, how to attack the obstacles and more. Trust me this insider knowledge is crucial to dominating this event.So what about the race? What was it like?Well it a was a true mountain challenge. You are running almost the equivalent of a half marathon race in the mountains. You will be completely submerged, and swim a short distance, in ice cold water. You will be run through mud that could be up to waist deep in parts. You will have to do climb Berlin walls and half pipes. And much more.Here's a sampling of some of the videos Okanagan Peak Performance client Nick Fane shot during the race.The first shows the Monkey Bars from Nick's perspective as he has the camera on his chest. The bars go up, across and then down. And if you don't hang on to the bars you...

A while ago we did something really cool at Okanagan Peak Performance. We ran a number of athletes through the Bobsleigh Decathalon Camp which is a number of tests the National team uses to identify potential athletes to compete in this sport for Canada. So what tests are we talking about? Here's the list. 1. 40yd dash - x2 attempts 2. Standing Triple Jump - x3 attempts 3. Overhead Backwards Throw - x3 attempts (4kg-women; 5kg-men) 4. Squat Toss - x3 attempts (4kg-women; 5kg-men) 5. 40yd sled pull - x2 attempts (sled + 10kg-women; sled + 20kg men; sled is approx 3kg) 6. Standing Hurdle Jump - 3 misses at a height and you are out 7. Power Clean - 1RM 8. Bench 225lbs x reps (95lbs for women) And when I say 'we'  I should clarify it was Chris Le Bihan who put the athletes through the various tests. Chris is former National Bobsleigh team member who won bronze in the 2010 Olympics and we're lucky to have him training at our facility. This was a huge bonus for the athletes as they had someone who is not only passionate about sport and athletics but has 'been-there-done-that'. His opinion carries a lot of weight due to the success he has had on the World Cup and Olympic stage in his sport. I won't go through all the test we covered but will describe two in particular. The first was the fourty yard timed sprint. We used timing gates for this test meaning the athletes' times were as accurate as possible. They would pass through the light beam to start the time and then run through the gate at the opposite end to stop the clock. It was fun to break down various aspects of the athletes sprint technique. What were...

Do you enter competitive events? For example, if you don't play a sport what are you doing to assess yourself?For many, the days of playing competitive sports is long gone and a thing of the past. Now just the thought of getting in a workout feels like a accomplishment let alone thinking about actually entering a race or competitive event.But there are huge advantages to entering some type of competitive event. Here are a few.1. You'll zero in on the weak points of your training.Let's say you entered a powerlifting competition and tested your squat, deadlift and bench. And you put up a personal best in your squat and bench but not in your deadlift. You would know where to put more of your attention in the next phase of your training.You can also get very specific about certain aspects of your lifts. I won't go into all the details here but let's imagine you had difficulty locking out the arms to finish the lift. That would be a clue as to how we could modify your training so this is not an issue for you.2. You'll get a better appreciation for tapering.For example, if you were to enter an 8 km race on a Sunday it may not make a lot of sense to go out late on Thursday night and run intense sand dunes and initiate a swim program on a Saturday (more details below).If doing something you routinely do for a race feels difficult on race day, chances are you didn't back off on the training enough, increase your rest enough, or both.The higher the level you attain in your sport the more you'll appreciate the benefits of tapering and adjusting your training as race day approaches.3. You'll be more clear of what you're capable.If I weren't a runner...

Often times people will stop in to our facility and ask what it is we do. They already have some idea because the signage out front identifies us as an athletic training facility and through the mindows they can see some of the equipment. But while there will be some pieces of equipment they will recognize there will also be some items which are foreign to them. For example, for what do we use the big wooden platforms are the floor? And what is the bench back by the med balls? And lastly why do you have a big tractor tire? And that's just trying to figure out the equipment. Imagine trying to make sense of the various types of training that goes on. Whereas most fitness centres are slower in the summer we are the opposite. Summer is the time winter sport athletes have an off-season. And it's also the time student athletes are home for the summer and can make gains with their training. And summer is when we run our youth fitness training camps. So when you add all of these to the mix it can make for a busy place. Take a look at the following video to see what I mean. http://youtu.be/AiRHwZ8fZ3M Let me walk you through everything that's going on here. The first thing you'll see is a client foam rolling before a training session. This is something we have all our clients do before training to release any knots or trigger points. Next the shot shows Matt and Jordy doing a powerlifting session. Matt is doing deadlifts on the platform and Jordy is doing presses beside him. All the way in the back corner you'll see someone in a Group Fitness session performing a hip mobility drill at the squat rack. This involves stepping over the...

So have you seen the new Batman movie, The Dark Night Rises? If not you should check it out. From the special effects, to the story line and acting everything was very well done. But even though I'd recommend this one and say it was probably one of the best the series I wouldn't say it was perfect. There were three things that missed the mark on this one.  First of all it's hard to hear let alone understand the bad guy, Bane. And sorry ladies, if you had a thing for Tom Hardy who plays this character this movie might wreck it for you. What were the other two issues I had with this movie? Well one was how the other characters refer to Batman as 'The Batman'. It just sounded funny and made me think of all the football players from Ohio State who identify themselves as playing at 'The Ohio State'. It just sounds goofy, that's all. But my major gripe with this movie was how they dropped the ball with Batman's workout. You see after 'The Batman' fights Bane for the first time he is banished to well-type prison cell. This is supposedly a greater form of punishment because you can see the sky and your way out but only one person has every escaped. So while 'The Batman' is recovering from the older-brother style beating he got from Bane he starts to train to build up his strength in anticipation for a future battle with the bad guy. And you'd think with the popularity of obstacle-style races such as Tough Mudder they'd have him doing obstacles of some type. Or maybe with the new show 'American Ninja Warrior' you'd see a rip-off of some of the physical feats you see on this show. Heck, you could even...

Starting next Monday August 13 Okanagan Peak Performance Inc is proud to present its 8 Week 10 K Running Clinic. So what brought this about? Well there are lots of people who start running programs. And fewer complete them. And fewer stay injury free. And fewer get faster over the years. Are you one of these people? Have you given running a shot in the past? Have you suffered an injury? Or found that the time you needed to invest to running became too great? Chances are you may have answered 'yes' to one of these questions. So we created the 8 Week 10 K Running Clinic - The efficient, pain-free way to running your best 10 K. Here's what's included. 1. Complementary Gym Based Workouts - Have you ever noticed people either lift or they run? But they don't do both. But to have the best health we need both muscular strength and a well developed cardiovascular system. And since these two types of training are often separate we tend to fall short of our full potential. Or we see people make the effort to incorporate resistance training with their run program and they select exercises like leg presses, leg extensions and leg curls. Sure these are lower body exercises, which should be beneficial for running but definitely not your best choice. We'll show how to do better exercises specific to running. 2. Efficient Run Programs - If you've tried running in the past you've noticed there is a time commitment required. And the more you run the more time you need to invest. I remember reading in Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes that if a women in her 20's runs 3 miles per day, she will have to run 15 miles per day in her 40's to keep the...

Thanks to everyone who came out for our inagural running clinic last night! It was a great time, and I really enjoyed meeting each and every one of you. The fun starts now! Don't forget: We still have spots available in this fantastic program! Join us and see how we can help you run faster, longer, and injury free! See you at the gym,  Matt  

So we've picked up a new toy for the clients of Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. Obviously it's not a toy but a tool. And we can use it for almost everything we need to do with a client. We can train for strength and power with it. We can move it all planes and angles. And we can track loads and watts to be able measure improvements. What is this new tool? It's a Keiser Functional Trainer. Here's a quick video to give you an idea of what it is. http://youtu.be/P3FAFx4E_x0So what makes this trainer so great? I mean, you've probably see cable columns at most commercial gyms before, right? Well the difference is the versatility of the device as well as the ability to train for power. You can use each cable column independently or in tandem. You can use it for lower body and upper body. You can move through any angle and plane and extend the cable out 12 feet. So you can throw on a belt and do resisted cone drils. But the maybe the best feature about the Keiser Functional Trainer is that you can train at a variety of speeds and loads. And you can quantify all of them. Why does this matter? Well imagine using a traditional cable column and performing an explosive movement such as an explosive row. The pin is positioned in the weight stack at a particular load to provide resistance. When a explosive movement is performed on a column of this type the stack crashes into the top of the column. Plus you have no way of knowing how much power you generated. Now not only you not have the problem of the weight stack not crashing into the column at the top but you'll also be able to quantify your power...

One of the characteristics that define living things is that they respond to stimuli. In other words there is a response as a result of some external cause or action.For example blow in a baby's face and they will blink and hold their breath. Swim instructors will use this technique before a baby is submerged in a pool.***By the way, you may notice more references to babies in coming blog posts. It's what we talk about at our house these days.***Anyways, we need this stimuli for there to be a response. And the more varied the stimuli the better. This helps us develop more complete neural patterns.Think of all the things we do the same way everyday.We probably brush our teeth with the same hand. We use the computer mouse with the same hand. We probably get dressed the same way. And mow our lawn in the same pattern.You get the idea.So if the stimuli is infrequent or not varied there is a reduction in the response of the nervous system. Our brains get to take a shift off. And we don't grow as much as we could.In order to be your best you need to constantly challenge yourself. You need to step up to the line and see where you stand. Where are you at with your training? What do you need to work on? What could be better?While we can self assess to get an idea of where everything is at this doesn't compare to entering a race or event. When you compete you can't have any excuses. You have to battle through conditions that are less than ideal. You have to work with the way things unfold on a given day.Sometimes this can be malfunctioning equipment. Or cold weather. Or a change in the schedule. Or travel complications.There...

Once you've been training for a while you experience what every lifter realizes at some point.The dreaded plateau.When you first start training you will make gains from week to week. If your deadlift starts at 135 lbs you will find that you will jump to 155 then 185 and 255 in no time.Obviously this doesn't carry on forever or we'd all be setting world records after only a year of training.So is there anything we can do to prolong our gains? Is there a way to off-set wear and tear injuries associated with training? And is there a way to feel 'up for training'?Yes, there is. And it involves unloading your training.What exactly is unloading? Well you can think of it as pre-planned reductions in training volume or intensity or load or all three. We've all heard the expression 'you grow when you rest'. Unloading gives you a brief respite, or rest, from training that allows you to come back stronger.So when should you unload? Does everyone need to unoad?Let's start with the second question first. Not everyone needs to unload. For example, if I go for one hour walks at a caual pace and if have been doing so for the past year I should be able to handle this physical demand fairly easily. The same goes for any other training or physical activity I've been at for a while and is not physically taxing.On the other hand once I've been training for at least six months with some level of intensity I'm probably due for a break. But if I'm just a newbie the intensity and tempo of my lifts isn't at a high enough level to justify easing up momentarily.But let's assume you are someone who has been training for a few years with regular frequency (3-4 days...

So we're into the final phase of our powerlifting program here at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. In other words we've got 3 more weeks, not counting the one week unload at the end, to make the biggest gains possible before we test our lifts again.On December 15th we're going to have an intra-club powerlifting meet. Anyone can come out on this day if they want to test their deadlift, bench, squat and chin up. You don't have to participate in all of the lifts. And if you just want to come out, see what it's all about and cheer us on you're welcome to do this as well.But that's not the main purpose of this post. What I want to share with you is a great way to warm-up the shoulders before any upperbody training session, specifically for pressing motions.What is this great tip I'm talking about?Well I was probably first exposed to it by Tom House at an NSCA coaches conference. Baseball players, specifically pitchers, will know this name.Later on at a course in California I was able to experience the benefits of this on a commercial type version of this device.Later, I came across a tool that I picked up at another conference and almost had it confiscated going through security at Calgary International Airport. Can you believe security thought it was a crossbow?And more recently I collaborated with Eric Cressey on a program and some coaching for a local pitcher. Anyone who reads t-nation or baseball specific training will know this name. Speaking of powerlifting, Eric has deadlifted over 660 lbs while weighing in the 160s!What I'm talking about is using vibration training or some rhythmic stabilization drills into your program before you lift.Before I get into what kinds of drills you could do it's important to realize...

Who doesn't want better results? It doesn't matter whether this relates to business, finances, education, fitness or anything else. We all like to experience improvement.But you know what's better than improved results? Better results in less time.Think about it.If I told you that investing $1000 could turn into $10,000 would be impressed or interested? It depends, doesn't it? Obvioulsly the time component makes a huge difference on whether or not this would be considered impressive. 10 days to turn one thousand into ten thousand would make any investor curious and possibly interested. However if it took 100 years to achieve the same no one would be interested.In the same we need to consider the time component when it comes to achieving results in the gym. Better results in less time always wins. So with that in mind here are 5 ways to make your workouts more efficient and get better results in less time.1. Skip the General Warm-upWhat's the first thing most people do when they get to the gym? The jump on a bike or walk on a treadmill. While there may be a slight increase in heart rate and circulation this does next to nothing to mobilize and activate the thoracic spine, shoulders and upper body. And while the foot may contact the belt of the treadmill there isn't the same proprioceptive feedback gained from solid ground contact. And with a bike there is no ground contact. Add to this the lack of frontal or transverse plane motion as well as nervous system excitation and the pre-workout cardio becomes more useless. But personally my main reason to ditch the general warm-up is that is uses energy that may have allowed for more intensity, volume or speed of movement.2. Perform Complentary ExercisesWhen someone new to training performs a chin up for...

We have a number of our clients deadlift barefoot. And usually they ask us why? Below is my answer. In the last few years the pendulum has swing towards minimalist running shoes. From the Nike Frees to the Vibram 5 Fingers and everything in between there is definitely more awareness as to the benefits of barefoot running. And while it may not be necessarily in correlation to the barefoot running movement there are more people who workout barefoot on the gym floor. Or maybe they would like to train barefoot but their gym doesn't allow it. Some gyms, specifically ones in New Zealand, encourage barefoot training for their average to elite level members. For the novices and anyone with special needs regular footwear is required. When we're talking about gym workouts there is one exercise in particular that justifies barefoot training. And while many things in a gym may be done to look different but not actually serve a purpose this is something that will allow you to train more safely and effectively when you deadlift. Below are 4 Reasons to Deadlift Barefoot. Reason #1 - Better sensory inputWhen you deadlift you feet are what connect you with the ground. And this lift is definitely an example of press your heels through the floor to pull the bar off the floor and finish by extending the hips. If we are off balance we are not going to recruit the right muscles, at the right time and in the right plane. Any of my grade 10 science students will recall this is called neuromuscular efficiency. And our ability to be neuromuscularly efficient is enhanced when the sensory input from the ground through our feet is maximal. Think about it this way. We are taking in sensory input through our feet. How well...

Recently we held a power-lifting meet at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. Below are the results of this lifting meet as well as some benefits of testing your lifts.Before we get to the results of the meet it is important to understand why we held this lifting competition. My goals and some of the main reasons were:1. To see where we're atHere's an analogy I like to use as to the benefits of testing.Imagine you want to go to Vancouver and you're starting out in Kelowna. But you don't know where Kelowna and couldn't pin it on a map.What are the chances you will reach your goal of getting to Vancouver? Probably not very good. And if you do make it what are the chances it was the most direct and efficient way of getting there? Again, probably not very good.When we test our lifts we set a starting point. We know where we are. We know what the next goal should be. We know how long it will take to get there. And we have a good idea of the most efficient way to achieve success.Given this is all common sense and fairly obvious isn't it surprising the number of people who train but don't test themselves?2. To identify weak linksI'm a big believer in addressing weak links. If weak links are ignored they come back o haunt as bigger, more painful problems.When we test our lifts we push ourselves to the limit. This exposes our weak links and lets us know what we need to do to improve.For example, for some people they missed their bench press as they couldn't lock out and complete the press. For this individual some more triceps training or rack presses would help overload the finishing portion of the lift to eliminate this weak link.3. To...

What makes for a good workout? Ask 10 people walking out of a fitness centre and you may get 10 different answers. Unfortunately what many consider to be an effective workout may not be the case. Below are 8 common answers given by regular gym goers as to what makes for an effective workout. At the very end of this article I'll distinguish between these 8 common answers and what may be a better may to assess our workouts. 8 Reasons People Say They Had an Effective Workout Reason #1. Lots of SweatThis answer is given a lot. And whenever we see someone in a movie or tv show that is exerting themselves there needs to a spray bottle close at hands and sweat stains all over their outfit. But does sweat equal work? Or instead is it an indication of the body's ability to cool itself? Think about sitting in a steam room. But you're not exercising. And you're not even moving. And let's say you've got a bottle of water with you. There's a really good chance that after 10 minutes of sitting in the steam room you may have some sweat on your brow. Does this mean you did a workout in the steam room? Obviously it doesn't. It just means the body was doing its job of trying to cool itself down. So sweat may accompany an effective or intense training session but it also might mean your body is doing what it should to regulate temperature. Reason #2. VolumeYou can think of this in a couple of ways. One can mean the audible noise produced during a workout. And the other can mean the reps times the sets performed. Let's look at each. The first one has to do with the noise produced. And over the years I've...

In the last article I discussed some things that are commonly used to assess the effectiveness of a training session. And I explained why mainy of these factors may not qualify as determinants of effective training.So what does constitute an effective training session? Well if you looked at the list from the previous post all of the items had something in common. And that is that they were subjective measures and therefore difficult to measure. What we should be using to evaluate the effectiveness of our workouts are objective and measurable tools. Below is a list of 7 Things You Can Measure to Determine the Effectiveness of Your Workouts. #1. Body Changes This one is fairly easy, low cost and doesn't take much time. And it's easy to see trends over time. For example you can track the following: * weight * bodyfat * tape measures * pictures from the front, back and side And while the bathroom scales you can pick up at any big box store aren't the most accurate way of measuring bodyfat they are consistent and do not depend on the expertise of the user. Photos are great because they will show changes in body shape and tone when the net gain on the scale may be zero. #2. Tracked Workouts We record every workout at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc for our clients and ourselves. We are so aware of the numbers that when a staff members posts that they were able to dumbbell snatch 60 lbs for 4 reps I know this is a personal best. And I know the previous best. And when they set their previous best. Besides loads we know distances and times during energy system workouts. We know heights jumped on plyo boxes. And we know how we felt during and in...

Everything we do with our clients has to serve a purpose.The foam roll drills and stretches need to facilitate increased mobility. The nutritional plans need to provide the essential nutrients, energy and hydration. And the training plans need to fit the needs, goals and abilities of the individual doing the work.So I'm always curious as to why people go to yoga?A quick google search lead me to healthyyoga.com with the Top 10 Benefits of Yoga. Their list includes:1. Stress Relief 2. Pain Relief 3. Better Breathing 4. Flexibility 5. Increased Strength 6. Weight Management 7. Improved Circulation 8. Cardiovascular Conditioning 9. Focus on the Present 10. Inner Peace***I'll look at 4,5 & 8 below. The rest are fairly subjective and therefore difficult to measure.***There is no doubt that a number of people practice yoga but I'm always curious as to their reasons? I look at everything that our clients do as being beneficial and purposeful.And yoga has me perplexed.Because I hear constantly of the purported benefits of yoga. And especially the benefits it lends to sports performance.In fact there is power yoga which sounds like it would be perfectly suited to athletes that are seeking more power and to move more quickly.But power is the definition of the amount of work done per unit time. And work is equal to a force applied over a distance. So you need to move a substantial force quickly over some distance to train for power. Holding bodyweight poses for extended periods of time hardly meets the criteria for power development.Case in point India has one, count it one, individual gold medal in the history of the Olympics. Ever. And by the way that gold medal came in air rifle. Hardly a sport requiring power. Well, a powerful gun maybe :)In a similar sense to the...

Recently I attempted to initiate a dialogue on the topic of whether or not yoga is good for athletes. Because a number of athletes use it as part of their training.But is it something that benefits them? Is it a need to have or a nice to have?The last post was meant to examine yoga as to how it meets the needs of athletes. And I wanted to focus primarily on what 99.9% of athletes that come through our door are asking for which is to get stronger, to get faster and to become fitter.Yet in the comments section on the previous post the proponents of yoga didn't address those questions. Instead we heard about many of the other benefits of yoga, some of which I agree with, a listing of the various types of yoga as well as offerings as to new spellings of words. The urban dictionary will be calling. [caption id="attachment_3014" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Just before my first yoga class. What I'd like to do with this post is see if there is agreement as to what develops strength, power and fitness? I will also share what my first experience with yoga was like. Lastly, I am going to pose another question regarding yoga not so much from the athletic development perspective but in a more general sense. So rather than hide in my squat racks with weight vests on like Salman Rushdie I want to continue the dialogue and get some more feedback. Here we go. If we are to discuss increasing strength then there needs to be consideration to resistance. There are a number of ways to apply resistance to a system. It can be variable such as bands and tubing or constant such as body or free-weight. We can move the resistance through or against the...

Do you remember one of the things many teachers would say at the beginning of the year? You know when everyone is new to a class and nobody feels comfortable to ask a question? And even when the teacher would put a question to the students everyone would stay quiet. And so at a certain point the teacher would say questions are great because usually there is someone else thinking the same thing. This is the inspiration for this post. Hopefully the content helps a number of you as well with your training. Let's get at it. The other day Joanne K. was doing front squats and mentioned that often feels restricted in the hips. I say hips plural because she mentioned that the restriction alternates between right and left depending on the day. [caption id="attachment_3037" align="alignleft" width="200"] Psoas, one of the hip flexors So here's what we did.First of all I took a look at Joanne's squat pattern. This involves looking all sides and examining for alignment, depth and symmetry. What stood out was there was a slight collapse of the left knee. Now we had something to address. First we had her foam roll the left adductor followed by an exercise to activate the left external hip rotator. For this we used a banded clam shell exercise. This took all of about 5 minutes, or less, to do. When Joanne retested her squat she said it was substantially better without a pinching at the hip. But what about the fact the issue seemed to alternate from right to left depending on the day? Well first we'll assume the warm-up and training is performed in a balance matter. Then the other thing to examine is activities of daily living which may contribute to this imbalance. In this situation we discovered...

In my last post I went over the things that don't make sense to me as coach when it comes to Crossfit. However to be fair I want to present both sides. So here is the Good of Crossfit.I've got to give Crossfit props. They do some things really well. Although most don't have to do with training.Community - They definitely do a great job of creating a sense of community amongst their members. I'm not sure if it's so much that they identify with the process or if it's a trendy place to train. Members can get all their ink done, pull up the knee high socks and ditch the shirts once they get at the WOD. If you are a CFer you eat, breath and live the culture. You're all in or you're out. I like that about them.Record Keeping - It appears as though every workout is tracked and measured. And this is a great thing. How else are you going to know how you're doing and if what you're doing is working? A quick Google search will quickly provide tons of data regarding times and best scores for the various workouts Crossfitter like to do. Many fitness professionals would be wise to steal a page and keep these types of notes as well.Marketing - They sure do a great job of getting the word out there. If you're involved in fitness chances are you've heard of Crossfit. And they were the ones to land Reebok as a major sponsor of their brand and competition. Maybe you've seen the Crossfit games on TV. Or come across an article about in a fitness magazine. Whatever the method they are doing a really good job of getting their name out there.Competition - They hold competitions to measure yourself against others....