Hi Peak Performer! Are you watching the Olympics? If you are, you'll know Canada is getting it done in the pool. And the women are leading the way with a silver in the 4x100 m free relay including Taylor Ruck. What an anchor leg by Penny Oleksiak? Amazing! This was followed with a gold by Maggie Mac Neil in the 100 m fly. She was 7th at the turn an...

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past couple of weeks you've probably heard the name Ryan Lochte. And if you're not familiar with the name than you may have heard something about a US swimmer at the Olympics fabricating a story about being robbed in Brazil at the Olympics.You can google the story later if you're interested. Otherwise I'll you're up to speed let's see what take-aways there are from this train wreck.[caption id="attachment_4941" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY SportsSo with that in mind here are 6 Lessons from US Swimmer Ryan Lochte to help with your health & fitness. Have Fun - I would guess Lochte might be a pretty fun guy. He's always seems to have a smile on his face, he has a funky hairstyle and enjoys a night out celebrating. His decision making might need some work. The take-away lesson would be to enjoy the process. Choose workouts that you enjoy doing. Train with people you like. Eat healthy foods that you find appetizing. Life's too short to not enjoy the process. The Company You Keep - This example has less to do with Lochte and more to do with the swimmers that were hanging out with on the night in question. You may have heard the expression that you are the average of the company you keep. If you're a student you'll want to hang around with the smarter kids. If you're looking to grow your business you'll want to connect with leaders in this area. And with health and fitness you'll want to train with people who are stronger, faster and fitter than you are. Or at minimum you'll want to associate with people who are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Be Honest - I'm not sure who Lochte thought he...

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...

One of the things that has been fun as we continue to move forward with Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. has been all the changes that have happened in the past year. We've moved into a new facility. And we outfitted it with the best equipment anywhere in town. Next we did some touch ups to freshen up the look of the place and make it a little more comfortable for everyone. Lastly we've looked to bring on some new talent that can help us continue to help you get better results in less time. But we're not looking to bringing just anyone on board. We want people that meet very specific criteria. They need to be great people, who live an active life already and have a desire to continue learning and getting better. With this mind we've recently added Matt Baumeister to the OPP team. Matt is a recent kinesiology graduate from UBCO and is certified through the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists. But besides his degree and credential Matt is also an accomplished athlete specifically in triathlon. Recently we did our weekly sand dunes workout on a Saturday morning. If you've joined us before you'll know what this workout it all about. If not let me explain. This dune can take anywhere from 5 minutes plus for a newbie to climb. Some first timers don't make it up. And the all-time fastest climb ever was 3:12. I thought I might have a shot at this time as I put up a 3:15 this year but now this dream is crushed. You see Matt climbed this dune in 2:50! For the longest time I was trying to go under 4 minutes. And when I did I felt like Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile. Now sub 4 minute climbs are a regularity. And seeing Matt going under 3...

Local Olympian to Open Okanagan Strength & Conditioning Conference FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Kelowna, BC – June 19, 2012) Local Olympic medallist Chris Le Bihan will open the Okanagan Strength & Conditioning Conference and provide the welcoming address. Le Bihan, who won bronze in four man bobsled at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, will speak as to the impact top-level training methods and scientific research allowed for his success at the Olympics.Notes conference co-host Chris Collins, of Okanagan Peak Performance Inc.; “Typically we associate Olympic legacies with the facilities which remain after the Games. In this case with Le Bihan, we have a real life legacy that interacts with our clients and athletes on a daily basis. He exemplifies what an Olympic athlete should be and is a great mentor for those seeking elite athletic performance.”Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. will be hosting this inaugural event bringing to Kelowna some of the top experts in athletic strength & conditioning. Following Le Bihan’s welcoming address attendees will have the unique opportunity to learn from the best in the field of strength & conditioning.Presenters will include: Dr. Charlie Weingroff – Noted physical therapist, former NBA      strength coach, Nike Sparq Training Human Movement Expert Dr. Martin Gibala – Professor McMaster University, emphasis in high      intensity interval training Dr. Jeff Cubos – Chiropractic sports specialist, certified strength      coach, specialization in core stabilization Joel Jamieson – MMA trainer, specialist in managing athletic      training stress & recovery Sean Skahan – Strength & conditioning coach with the Anaheim      Ducks, 2007 Stanley Cup, 9 players in the 2010 OlympicsAttendees will range from personal trainers, strength & conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, therapists, medical professionals, sports coaches and sports enthusiasts. In addition to the presentations attendees will have opportunities to meet Le Bihan and the presenters during meal...