So we got a dog. And it wasn't a decision we took lightly or came to quickly. We've been considering this for a number of years, even before we had kids. In fact, when Olivia was 3 she was asked if she thought she'd be getting a dog. She's 7 now by the way. Sorry to all other dog owners out therebut Poppy is the cutest puppy in the world. Anyways, she thought about this for a second and then gave a great answer. She said "she'd have to get a new family first". That comment has haunted me ever since. Nobody wants to be the bad dad. But we do enjoy to travel. And we head up to the hill in the winter. And I couldn't see how we could continue our current lifestyle with a dog in the mix. And to be honest I'll still don't. To give you an example of how 'on the fence' I was about getting a dog, we told the girls we were going to babysit the dog for a few nights. And so the dog would have a few nights sleepover with us. This would allow Alexandra and I the chance to evaluate how everyone was adapting to this new member of our family. And how this little puppy was adapting to us. Because let's be honest, a new puppy can be a lot of work. And if we realized we weren't up for the challenge or we'd bitten off more than we could chew than we still had the option to take the dog and the girls would still be over the moon about having a dog stay with us for a few nights. Win-win, right? Plus, since we decided to keep the puppy you should have seen the girls faces and...

No one is perfect. Even in the areas where we see greatness there are still times when mistakes happen. But the average person may look at greatness and think it could never happen to them. For example: I could never be an expert in my field. I could never achieve financial freedom. I could never have a lean and pain-free physique. We assume those that have achieved success are blessed with talent and abilities that we don't. We got short-changed when God was doling out the gifts. And there's no point trying, failing and then proving to yourself and the rest of the world that this is true. Don't give talent too much credit for success. Sure you need to know to pull instead of push. But then it's work hard and persistence. Do you feel this way? Do you have self-limiting beliefs? Many people doubt what they're able to achieve. And this has less to do with talent and more to do with not meeting a minimum threshold of effort or not making the effort for long enough. Sometimes it could be both of these. In Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich, Hill tells the story of a prospector giving up on his quest for gold. Later when others resumed the dig they struck gold 3 feet from where the previous efforts had stopped. How frustrating would that be? To be so close to success and to quit. This is what happens to many with their health efforts. They haven't seen the outward sign of their sacrifice and so they pack it in. You can succeed in any area of your life. And here's how. If you read 10 pages per day that would be 3650 pages per year. This would be equivalent to 12 books a year or...

It's New Year's Eve and we're not only about to start a new year but a new decade. Plus it's 2020. Very few people were around for 1919 and fewer still will be here for 2121. So this is a special one. Many will be looking to start anew. This might be wiping the slate clean and getting a fresh start. It's like making your bed and cleaning your room. You feel a sense of accomplishment and want to keep it up as long as you can. I'm sure this is how many feel with their health and fitness as we prepare for a new year. And if we flashed forward 12 months to this time next year I can tell you right now, without any doubt, whether you will be successful or not. And I know this because of one thing. And that one thing is your habits. Let me share a quick story about habits with you. It involves our 4 year old daughter Vangie. Every since Vangie was old enough to communicate with us I've said the same thing to her at dinner time. I ask her: 'Vangie, do you want to say grace?' Similar to our family...holding hands and praying before we eat. Sometimes she rolls her eyes. Other times she'll ask why we have to? And on occasion she'll just start eating. But even if she's reluctant to do so she'll always lead our family in grace. She'll add her own version every now and again as well. We'll usually hold hands as we pray but she may mix it up and cross her arms to the opposite sides and want the other family members to do the same. She's also be known to link with the person beside her with knuckles and finish the amen...

A common goal of everyone that trains is to be lean. And I don't mean to be skinny. By lean I mean to carry the most amount of muscle mass and the least amount of body fat possible. And this should still allow us to do our regular tasks and activities without lacking fitness or mobility. Sometimes when someone initiates a fitness program the results can be slow in coming. We know we feel better. We have fewer aches and pains. We sleep better at night. And our performance in sports is trending up as well. Yet the scale doesn't budge. If this happens to you we recommend you to buy CBD oil for its many benefits in weight loss and pain reduction. Below are a number of nutritional reasons this may be the case. Meals Eaten Alone When we eat with others there are natural pauses for conversation. We want to hear how the other person's day went. We comment on the flavour and textures of the prepared meal. We put the fork down every now and again to listen and answer. Eating alone leads to eating more quickly. Nutritional quality tends to be lower. Maybe this is because we like to have a treat when no one is watching and won't be judged. Or it could be that when we cook for others, i.e. for children, we feel a responsibility to provide the best nutrition possible. Eating alone also means we could be doing something else while we're eating. Maybe we watch a TV show. Sadly, we used to do this. Maybe we're on our phones. Maybe we read a book. Maybe we try to get some work done at the computer. Regardless of what we do while we're eating it serves as a distraction and leads to mindless...

Do you find people constantly mistake you for a pro athlete? And I don't mean based on your appearance.If they do, congrats. You probably won the genetic lottery.I mean this based on your lifestyle habits. You get 8 hours of sleep every night. You consume the right amounts of high quality foods at the right times. You take supplements to fill any gaps that may exist. You make time for pro-active appointments to see the dentist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, massage therapist...You do something active on a daily basis. And you have an abundant mindset that seeks to be your best.Often-times we think of these as associated with professional or elite athletes.But here's the thing...These aren't the exclusive domain of the top sports performers. Each of us can make these choices a part of our daily routines. And when you do the results are incredible.Consider for example what is going on in the playoffs right now.The teams that are succeeding have adopted a self-less attitude. They are committed to doing all the little things right. They are willing to make sacrifices for the greater good of the team. The communication among teammates is open, clean, honest and continual. There is no sulking. They are enjoying the moment and having success as a result. Aligning your teeth requires clear braces that work.Did you notice I didn't mention which sport I was talking about? All of the descriptors above apply to both basketball and hockey. Sure there will cultural differences between the sports. But the basic philosophy about what it takes to win in sports in consistent whether we're talking about hockey, basketball or any other team sport.It gets back to basics.[caption id="attachment_5207" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Basics x Frequency x Time = SuccessWhen you have positive habits (i.e. the basics), and practice them regularly (frequency) over a...

Is there someone in your life that epitomizes health? They always look good. They don't have a weight issue. They always seem to have energy and be in a positive mood. You rarely see them getting sick.Do you know this person?If so, maybe you've noticed that they can make this all look pretty easy.And they also don't seem to get sucked in by the various nutritional and fitness fads. The probably haven't tried intermittent fasting. They didn't eliminate all carbs from their diet. And they didn't give German volume training a go when everyone was going crazy over 10 sets of 10 reps.So what is it that accounts for these people having the best health and fitness? Why do they seem to have it all without having to work for it?Part of this has to do with the fact that these people have established really good health habits. And they practice these health habits all the time. They exercise when on vacation. They get 8 hours a sleep every night. And they have good nutritional practices.Well success leaves clues. And we can model what works and reap some of the rewards ourselves.Really it comes to doing one thing. And doing it really well. What is the one thing? Well it could be one of a number of things. And below are a few examples. Read through the list. And pick the one thing that resonates and sounds like would fit you the best.A. Build New Habits - We are creatures of habit and it can be hard to break patterns. For example, when I wake up in the morning I grab my phone and go to the bathroom. While waking up I'll check my email, business and personal. Then I'll check social media, usually Facebook and Instagram. Next I'll check the...

If you know me you know I like speed. I enjoy finding new and better ways to help our athletes produce force at a higher rate. This helps them have more success in their sport and can extend careers when others might be losing a step.But as much as I'm an advocate of training to improve speed I will often start slowly with a new client. In fact you might hear the coaches at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc use expressions like:'Speed hides need'or'Nobody cares how fast you can do it wrong'or'We're going to start slow in order to go fast'or'Anyone can whip a rented mule. We're here to train thoroughbreds'[caption id="attachment_5434" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Are you training to be sore, sweaty and out of breath?Unfortunately though for a number of coaches there is a pressure to start at the end. They feel that their clients need to be sore, sweaty and out of breath at the end of every session. And should someone end up puking during a training session, which is then acknowledged with pats on the back and rounds of encouragement and praise. The following day is spent recounting the story around the water cooler at work while struggling to make it down a flight of stairs.No one should want or have to experience that. Instead we should be helping people become stronger, leaner, fitter and happier versions of themselves.And not only can this take time it should take time.Rush the promise and you end up short-changing yourself on the results that could be achieved.Don't believe me?Check out the following research studies that prove the point that you are better off to take the moderate rather than the extreme path to success.Study #1The first study had six males perform 5 sets of eccentric biceps curls at 110% of their 1 rep...

There's an expression we'll commonly use at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc that goes 'It's simple but not easy'. What we mean is that healthy living involves a simple plan but following the plan isn't always easy.Get eight hours of sleep per night. Drink water. Eat protein and veggies. Move your body, preferably with resistance.That's not very complicated. Every 5 year old would understand this prescription. Yet most adults struggle with doing these things.And we know they struggle because each year they put on more weight. They become more diseased and injured.So where is the breakdown? We have a simple plan. We understand the plan. Yet we fail to achieve the goal at the end.Why does this happen?Why is that by the first week of January 27% of people abandon their new year's resolutions. Why is thatjust over half of people make it to the one month mark?Well there are a number of things that come to mind.But here are 5 reasons why you might not be satisfied with the results.1.You do it for the wrong reasonsWhen you decide to make a change you need to do this for the right reasons. This means it has to be your choice and not due to outside pressures.Consider a dad that is trying to quit smoking. And the family is hounding him to give up this bad habit. They do things to 'help' like hiding his cigarettes or lighters. They make jokes about smokers and how awful their teeth look and breath smell. They complain constantly about this habit and nag dad about giving it up.Obviously this won't work.Dad will recognize this outside pressure and won't like it. He may get annoyed when his smokes are hidden on him. And he won't feel in control of the process but instead may feel restricted and bound by someone...

We are creatures of habit. There are certain things we do routinely, or ritualistically, in our lives. I'm sure we all do certain things every morning as we start our day. And we do them the same way. For me, it would be waking up in the morning and going to the bathroom. And unfortunately, I'm on my phone for the first part of the day. I say unfortunately because this usually involves checking social media to see what everyone else in my circle of 'friends' ate for their last meal. Or to check in for any potential spoilers in the shows we watch. Obviously I don't need to be doing these things every morning when I wake. And I should add a new ritual to break this habit. Another example of a daily routine can involve the commute in to work. Have you ever been deep in thought about something and driven right past where you need to turn? And when you finally snap out of your day dream you realize you've driven well past your exit. But habits can be positive and helpful. They can help us conserve energy. We don't have to work too hard for something to comes to us automatically. They can help us reduce brain fatigue. It does't take a lot of focus or attention to brush our teeth in the morning. [caption id="attachment_5304" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Steve Jobs over the years. Could this fashion ensemble be the reason for the iphone? They can help reduce stress. When  things are straightforward and easy for us to do we can relax a bit. Think back to the last time you had to try something new. It was a little more stressful, wasn't it? They help us quickly complete a task. If we don't something many times before...

What is the hardest part of being healthy? Is it the training? The dedication to eating healthy foods? Is it getting enough quality sleep every night? Depending on what your weakest link is will in part determine what is the hardest for you. If you struggle with cravings maybe healthy eating will be your biggest challenge. If you have injuries and joint pain maybe finding pain-free exercise is the hardest part for you. And with shift work it could be that getting into a fitness routine when you are up at night and sleeping during the day might be the toughest part. Regardless of what is the hardest part for you there is one thing that is common to everyone. And that is simply getting started. [caption id="attachment_5002" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Inertia can make getting started the hardest. Overcoming the inertia to go from doing nothing to doing something is harder than Turkish get ups, sled pushes and burpies. It's harder than eating a kale salad with no dressing. And it's harder than drinking plain branch chain amino acids. (which taste pretty awful btw) In other words going from zero to one can be the hardest thing. Think about it. Once you've done something once you have that experience to draw upon. You know what to expect. You know how hard it will be. And you know that you've survived it in the past and can do it again. And that makes going from one to two much easier than zero to one. [caption id="attachment_5003" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The longer we put off some action, the harder it can be to take action. If you're a procrastinator you know how true this is. You can find any reason or excuse to get out of doing whatever you're supposed to do. And putting it off to the...

Coaching, programming and nutrition are important components of a fitness program. But they aren't the most important. At this point many will be rolling their eyes or scratching their heads. What else could be more important? Certainly not supplementation, recovery or equipment. We would argue that mindset trumps all of the things that normally are seen as the essential elements in a fitness routine. Because let's face it...great coaching, programming and nutrition mean very little to someone who doesn't want their goal. It means little to someone who doesn't believe in their goals. And it means very little to someone that isn't willing to make changes to achieve their goal. And with the right mindset is the commitment to do something on a consistent basis. This is part of the secret formula of success which is to do things repeatedly. Success doesn't come with training 1,2 or maybe 3 hours per week. And it doesn't happen by eating healthily during the week only to drink beer and eat pizza during the weekend. And it doesn't happen by getting to bed on time four nights of the week and staying up too late the other three nights. Success happens when we do the right things regularly. [caption id="attachment_4934" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Positive, consistent habits lead to success. After having coached, presented to and interacted with tens of thousands of clients and teams I can tell you this be true. Consistent positive efforts lead to successful outcomes. But I was curious what consistency meant to our clients? I wanted to know what consistency meant to them? And how does it relate to their health and fitness goals? Here's what they had to say. 'Consistency means overcoming inertia. A body at rest wants to stay at rest. If I'm always resting it's harder to get going again.''When...

I’ve misplaced my motivation somewhere between the soft pillows and biweekly Timmies runs.You gasp and sit up. The alarm on your phone is blaring its obnoxious wake up call, urging you to move your butt out of bed, from beneath the warm, comfortable, soft.....zzzzz.... ARGH, HUH, WHAT???! For a moment, you can’t remember why on earth your eyes are open, or what day it is. Then you remember. It’s Monday. You’re getting up to exercise. You’re supposed to be leaving your haven of blissful dreaming to get changed, go out in the cool air and run/bike/drive to the gym. You think about the cold side of the pillow (colder than your ex’s heart), lay your head down, and promise yourself you’re just going to close your eyes for a moment. Just close them to wake them up. You’re startled awake by your alarm. For work (or school, or a coffee date, or some other appointment). Not exercise, because you fell asleep. Again. Ah well, looking on the bright side, there’s always tomorrow to start. Yeah, tomorrow, it’ll be different. Is this you? Is this a struggle you’ve battled and lost multiple times? (Insert infomercial background music here).No, sadly, life and exercise cannot be solved by an infomercial. Chris wrote an excellent article (read here) on motivation, pain, athletes, and finding what matters to you and using this as your driving force to live stronger, fitter and as an absolute goal crusher. This is a follow up post. On that note, most of us, in regard to exercise, fall into one of these categories: You’ve battled the motivation and rocked it. You have this exercise thing figured out, and have no trouble getting out to run/bike/gym/team practice/gallop your horse into the sunrise. You have yourself convinced you love exercise, but whenever you...