Certain sports have always looked at strength and conditioning as ways to improve sports performance. Football is a perfect example of this as Boyd Epley is widely recognized as the first to introduce a s&c program to the University of Nebraska in the late 1960s. Other sports, particularly endurance ones, have been slower to look to the weight ...

Hi Peak Performer! I've got a story to share with you. And it goes back to when Alexandra and I were engaged and planning out our wedding. First we had to decide on a date. Since we were having a traditional church wedding and Kelowna is pretty incredible in the summer we wanted to pick a date that would allow as many as possible to attend. It's ki...

I've been in the strength and conditioning industry for over 20 years. And on average I'll meet with 20-30 people per month to learn about their goals, to explain how we would help them achieve their goals and ultimately to see if working together would be a fit. When we take some time to identify goals we will hear the following: * Improved sports...

When we first opened Okanagan Peak Performance Inc we put in a big order for all our equipment along with a 50% deposit, with the balance due upon arrival. We placed this order in April, in time we thought, to be able to train all of our athletes that summer. Our equipment was delivered on August 23rd. We never expected our equipment to take 5 mont...

The Olympics wrapped up a little more than a week ago. And we're aware of all the medallists and final placings for each country. But some impressive things that happened at the Olympics didn't garner headlines and are worth mentioning. Below are 7 good news Olympic stories you may have missed. 1. Moms Competing in Hurdles Qualifying for the Olympi...

Life is not fair. We hear stories where a wealthy person wins the lottery. Or of a gainfully employed person is presented with multiple job offers. Aging quarterbacks move their supermodel wives and families to a new team and win the Super Bowl in the first year. And other times there are stories of someone who is trying to do the right t...

If you asked anyone that goes to a gym the following question, many would get it correct. And the question would be a fill-in-the-blanks. _____ sets of _____ reps What would you answer? If you said 3 sets of 10 reps you'd be correct in terms of choosing one of the most popular rep and set schemes. 10 reps won't be overly heavy nor too light. And 3 ...

When you train, what do you do to warm-up?  Do you ride the bike or get on the treadmill? Do you have some stretches or mobility drills you go through? Or does your warm-up consist of doing a few extra sub-maximal reps of your first exercise? When we're pressed for time, the warm-up can  be the part of the training session that gets trimm...

A new school year means new students. And more specifically to OPP, new student interns.  You may have recognized some new faces around the gym the last couple of weeks and we'd like to introduce to you some of our interns. Today we'd like you to meet Tasha Reiter. Hello everyone! My name is Tasha and I am from the small town of Picture Butte ...

Resistance training is typically geared towards achieving one of two goals. We're either looking to get bigger, or stronger, or both. But how hard should we train? How hard should we push ourselves? And should we train to failure? If we look at those who make a living training for size, i.e. pro bodybuilders, it seems pretty clear what the ans...

If you wanted to gain muscle mass, what would you do? For many the prescription might be to eat more and lift weights. And for the right individual at the right time in their life, i.e. a teenage boy, this could be the perfect formula.  But what if you're not a teenage boy? And you'd still like to put on muscle mass, to get stronger and m...

Running a marathon can be a very stressful physical task. Unlike other sports like cycling or swimming, the impact on the body can be much more severe. In cycling, the bike is the physical contact with the ground and almost all the effort is concentric. And in swimming all the muscular actions are concentric, except for the turns. So it should...

With training we have a variety of exercises to choose. And usually our choices are related to our goals. For example, if you wanted to achieve activation of the gluteus maximus as well as horizontal and vertical forces during sprinting, which exercises would you select? The back squat has a lot of research demonstrating the benefits for jumping an...

When we perform resistance training, we have a lot of options available to us. And I'm not talking about exercise choice or which tool to use. Instead I'm referring to how many reps we perform, how many sets we do, what tempo we use and how long our rest breaks will be.   From the table below we can see how the various rep ranges are repr...

When we go to the gym and train, we do so with a specific purpose and goal. Some will be looking for better health, others to shed some extra weight and more still to enhance sports performance. But even though we may already be training, we may be leaving results on the table. Below are 9 things that may help you to get a better result from your t...

When it comes to knee pain, this is something I can relate to and know a little bit about. I've torn both my ACLs and had both surgically reconstructed. Thankfully both surgeons did great repairs and I was on top of my rehab to be able to return to full sport and activity. More recently there are some people who suffer from knee pain and use CBD pr...

We've known for a while that exercise is good for the brain. For example, I remember reading a while back how exercise led to the increase in BDNF (brain derived neurotropic factor) which helps students perform better in school. BDNF is like miracle grow for the brain.  But exercise can also help with slowing the ageing process and c...

At the checkout of any supermarket, we see the headlines of a variety of magazines telling us how to shed the pounds. The advice ranges from: * keto * paleo * vegan * intermittent fasting when it comes to nutritional approaches and in terms of exercise our options include: * HIIT (high intensity interval training) * traditional cardio (running, swi...

Early in my career as a strength and conditioning coach I believed my job was to help people play, feel and look better. We helped athletes attain their highest levels of performance. We helped those with chronic pain and health issues live better lives. And we helped a number of other people shed some pounds, add some muscle and improve the c...

Many athletes will identify a stronger or more stable core as something they want to improve to enhance their performance in sport. And swimmers are no different. But while many swimmers may know the importance of training the core, few understand why. The following is a recap from the book Developing the Core which talks about 6 reasons this matte...

Recently my wife and I watched Dopesick which is a show on Disney Plus. The show is a 7 part series about the narcotic painkiller Oxycontin. I couldn't say how fictionalized or accurate the story is but it does may make for an interesting 7 hours of viewing.  From the various lies of the pharmaceutical company, to the addictiveness of the...

Have you ever heard the expression, 'If you want something done, give it to a busy person'? In other words, it seems that those that do more, can do more. It makes me think back to when I was in university. It seemed like the busier I was with the academics, the better my GPA. But when I took a lighter class load I didn't do as well. Looking back t...

Have you ever gone back to a sport after an absence? Depending on your age, the highest level you've achieved in the sport and the amount of time away, would determine the extent to which the skill comes back to you. For example, a retired NHL hockey player would probably always be able to lace up the skates and feel comfortable heading out on the ...

Have you ever had a training session when you've surprised yourself? Maybe didn't have the motivation to train but as the workout unfolded, you kept hitting your numbers and completing all your reps. And we all know it can go the other way as well. For example, there are times when you're looking forward to training. You're well rested and fueled. ...

If you're a sports fan you'll recognize the names Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Phelps is the the GOAT of swimming and the most decorated Olympian of all time. Simone Biles is tied as the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all time. And Naomi Osaka is a former world number one tennis player with four grand slam titles to her cre...

If you've ever tried to lose weight you know how important nutrition is in terms of the result achieved. Part of the challenge is that nutrition may be confusing for many.  How many calories should you eat? Should you go keto? Or low-fat? Will intermittent fasting help?  And if all the different approaches aren't confusing enough, add to ...