There's been lots of discussion recently regarding diaphragmatic breathing. Some people are aware of the benefits of this type of breathing and others are probably thinking 'what's the big deal?' At a recent conference in California one of the more veteran presenters at a round table discussion said he didn't understand the big deal everyone was making about breathing. And I can kind of see his point. Sometimes we can get caught up in the minutiae of training and lose focus on the big picture. But in this case breathing is the basis for everything we do. It provides feedback as to the state of our nervous system, the effectivenss of our gas exchange and whether we are leaving anything on the table during athletic performance. But it's more than that. Because 20, 30 or 40 years ago we didn't sit and drive as much as do today. And we didn't specialize in one sport or activity as much as we see going on today. And maybe we lived simpler lives and didn't carry all of the stress that we do now in 2013. So we would therefore expect there to be differences in our posture, our mobility, the type and severity of the injuries we suffer as well as how much stress we are under. As a result there would be benefits to ensuring that we are breathing properly. In fact below are 6 Benefits of Proper Diaphragmatic Breathing. Diaphragmatic Breathing Benefit #1 - Better Gas ExchangeInstead of breathing maybe we should say respiration because with every breath we take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. If we repsire, as many people do thoracically, we see the shoulders rise up towards the ears and the neck and traps contract. ***quick aside...The new Twilight movie involves the main character Bella getting...

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...

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...

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...

The other day I was talking to a client telling them they could accelerate their fat loss efforts by eliminating certain foods from their nutritional plan.And so I mentioned things like starchy carbohydrates (breads, potatoes, pasta, rice, cereals, grains), most drinks as well as food with corn.But as soon as I mentioned the word 'corn' this client stopped me. 'Really?' they said. 'I can't eat corn? Why not?' It's a vegetable and it comes from the earth.And herein lies the problem with some of the nutritional rules I have passed on to clients. Some are borrowed from others. Some are our own creations at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. Now without going into the entire list here are couple of the rules:* eat as many vegetables as you like* foods from the ground, the ocean or a tree are good food for youJust considering these two rules we would all probably agree that these two rules would lead you in the right direction regarding a nutritional choice. Because corn is a vegetable that comes from the ground.So what's the big deal with corn? Why is it on the list of foods to avoid?I can see how this gets confusing. And the quick answer is to say there are exceptions to the rules. But that is kind of like a parent saying to a five year old 'just because' as part of suitable explanation.Well you aren't five years old and 'just because' won't cut it. We need better reasons than that to cut corn from the program. So with that in mind here are 4 Reasons to Cut Corn From Your Nutritional Plan.Reason #1 - Is It a Vegetable?The first thing to consider when it comes to corn is that depending on who you ask or what resources you use it may be considered a...

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...

We live in a world where we can access professional advice for all areas of our life.We can consult with an investment advisor on the best ways to save for retirement. We can meet with an accountant about tax strategies that would benefit our business. And we can work with a strength & conditioning coach as to the best ways to achieve the results in the least amount of time.But what would you think if your advisor didn't follow the same advice they gave you? What if there was a case of 'do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do'?Recently there was an example of such an instance. At our facility. With one of our own coaches!After berating this poor coach for the better part of the day I said they would use this as an opportunity to explain why what they were doing was not good and what a better option would be.And this has lead to the birth of a new blog series called 'A Hint of Hypocrisy'. Every now and again your coaches and trainers will share with you some of the decisions they make which are contrary to the advice they try and drill into you on a daily basis.So sit back, relax and enjoy this inaugural installment of a Hint of Hypocrisy by Matt Baumeister.Hi everybody,Do you have a secret indulgence? I sure do, and I’m here to tell you all about it. But first, let me tell you about how it came about and why I love my treat so much. Can I get a drum roll please….everybody: my secret indulgence is Arizona Ice Tea. Why you ask? I love it simply because it reminds me of sitting on a beach with my good friends while basking in the hot Okanagan sun.While it’s true that we all have our little vices, I...

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...

Fitness sure has changed over the last couple of decades. This used to be the way we worked out. And I don't mean we as in all of us personally but in a more general sense as in this was how many people trained a few years ago.What about now?What are we doing differently with regards to fitness? Well pretty much everything.We've changed the way we warm up to the lifts we do. We have some new tools to use and a different way to cool down and recover.But one of the biggest changes with respect to fitness has to do with technology. In particular fitness apps. Not quite a year ago almost half of Americans owned a smartphone and thus had access to the various apps available to them.Below are five apps I like when it comes to tracking my workouts and fitness. 1. Interval Timer Before this app came along everyone was going with a GymBoss timer. Not that there's anything wrong with this device except the extra cost and it's one more to bring with you to your workout.Interval Timer is a free app and allows you to set up your workout to have a count down timer displayed during your sets. You can contol the number of sets, the length of the intervals, your rest breaks and even what type of bell sounds.I know there was an update for this update which others say isnt' as good as the initial version. So I haven't bothered to update mine and find it works great for me.2. Azumio Heart RateA college buddy in Washington put me on to this app which measures your heart rate. Why do I like it? It's easy to use. There's no need for a timing device or to try and count a racing pulse after a strenous session. One...

 How important is healthy eating for you? What does healthy eating mean to you? The second one might be a more important question because our understanding of what is healthy can vary drastically. For some people it means 'low fat'. For others this means 'low carb'. Some people will try and grow some of their own fruits, vegetables and herbs. And when we start with a new client we will do a consult and assessment. The answer for many of them regarding their nutritional habits is to qualify the quality of their nutrition with saying where they buy their groceries. This is kind of funny. Funny because even 'health food' stores sell cookies, pop, ice cream and all other types of junk food that you can find at regular supermarkets. Don't believe me? Take a look at the current flyer for your local health food supermarket. You will find gluten free cookies, cane sugar soda, dark chocolate, soy based ice cream all on sale. But here's the problem...you can't make junk food healthy simply by using a natural ingredient or removing the worst ingredient of the day. This could be trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, gluten or whatever is the current nutritional villain of the day. Now I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here. You aren't the types to believe gluten free cookies will help you towards your weight loss goal. Or that cane sugar cola all of sudden become a healthy choice. I'm sure you get this. But there is an area where many people get tripped up. And that is when they buy organic. (pause...wait for crickets...) Now I may have the attention of a few more of you that this refers to. Do you buy organic? If so, what are your reasons for buying organic? Is it...

Normally I write the majority of the blog posts. But every now and again I like to step back and let someone else take the lead. I encourage our staff to do this as much as possible. Write, that is.  In school I was never a very good writer and I'm sure there's a few of you that are thinking to yourselves 'you still aren't very good!' That's ok. I'm working on it. And I'm getting better. And this helps me to be a better communicator. And hopefully a better coach. So I want the same for our team. Today I step aside and let Jordy share with you her experience from the Perform Better Summit in Long Beach, CA. Now in my best Tonight Show impression....'heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Jordy! The Okanagan Peak Performance crew and I went to a 3-day “Perform Better: Functional Training Summit” that took place in Long Beach, California from August 9-11. This conference included both lecture and hands-on sessions allowing us to not only listen to the speakers, but also take their information in our own hands. There were four sessions on at one time; two lectures and two hands on. However, the only problem with this is choosing which session to attend.Do you go to the “one and only” Charlie Weingroff who was explaining “Joint Centration”, or do you go to Martin Rooney for some hands-on “Energy System Training”? After a few rounds of flipping a coin, I ended up attending the hands-on session with Martin Rooney and would crown this session as one of my favorites! I love any kind of hands-on sessions where you get to move and stay active while learning and applying it to your own clients. The best part of this session was the energy that Martine Rooney brought to the room! You...

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...

Summer time at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc means a number of things. It can mean the arrival of the hockey players we work with. It can mean the return of a summer intern. And it can mean school is in session. Not literally though as summer is the time students are off from school. But more in terms of the staff at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc going to school. This summer has been no different. Here's a quick recap of where we've been for learning. NSCA State Clinic - Spokane, WAHeading to Spokane for a conference is always fun as I 'm able to reconnect with some college buddies. If you're in the area go see Dan and his staff at the Laguna Cafe. Try the Irish Death beer. I hear it's good. In early June Jordy, Megan & I packed up and headed south to Spokane for the NSCA Washington State Clinic. We would have been four but one of the interns forgot his passport and had to stay home. Interns... A few years ago I had the opportunity to see Dr. Dale Canavan provide a review of the literature with respect to stretching. Knowing the quality of his own presentations I felt confident he would put on a great event this year. We weren't disappointed. Sessions included topics on dynamic warm-ups, sprint training and training the high school athlete. As this all took place at a training facility called U District it was nice to have access to some turf and room to move for the hands-on portion. U District is located in the Gonzaga University district and thus the name. Personally there were a couple of highlights of this clinic. First was Ryan Hite's presentation on speed training. He did a great job on defining the various energy systems...

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...

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  

Over the next couple of weeks we're going to be setting a new standard for fitness education in the Okanagan.What do I mean by that?Well we are sending four of our team to California for a 3 day event in Long Beach that's one of the best in our industry. And this is unique because I doubt anyone else from the Okanagan will be there. But the fantastic foursome of Jordy, Megan, Jeremy and myself are going to getting our geek on to learn as much as possible.I'm so proud that our team is going to learn at this event because it demonstrates our commitment to life long learning. This business is so dynamic that we are quickly learning new things about the body and nutrition which changes the prescription we have for our clients. It is not simply change for the sake of change but a constant quest to seek better results in less time.And that's what this is all about. To get you the best results in the least amount of time by applying evidenced based solutions. We want to be your fitness advisors and seek out the absolute best resources and information for you.That's how I truly think about this. You are all my bosses. And I take investing in your health and fitness extremely seriously. Here's what I mean.Before the event I research all the possible combinations of presentations and lectures and select the topics most applicable to your goals. Once we have the selection of topics I then divide the topics amongst the staff so that we can attend as many presentations as possible. Because we take thorough notes we are then able to teach other what was discussed in the presentations we all weren't able to attend.We also make sure to sit through all the presentations. This...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Over the last few weeks you may have noticed some changes at Okanagan Peak Performance. When there was a flu going around we thought hand sanitzers might help to control the spread of this.  When Ryder Hesjedal won the Giro D'Italia, and in anticipation of the London Olympics, we thought it would be appropriate to display a Canadian flag. And when we recognized we would have a need for a summer intern we brought on Jeremy Martin. Jeremy is going into his 3rd of kinesiology at UBC and is gaining some practical experience with us this summer. He has played a number of sports from football, rugby, basketball, MMA and more recently has gotten into powerlifting. I'll step aside here and let Jeremy introduce himself to you all.                 If anyone is still wondering who the meat head in the OPP shirt telling you what to do is, my name is Jeremy Martin. I'm a 21 year old Kelowna native, transferring into my third year of kinesiology at UBC Vancouver. Chris was brave enough to hire me on as a summer intern and I couldn't be more excited to be here.                I'll start by giving a brief rundown of my athletic background; I played basketball and rugby all through high school, going to provincials a few times in both sports. I also played football from grade 8 to grade 12 but my high school (Immaculata) did not have a football team so I played city league. After high school I decided to take up competitive mixed martial arts, much to the chagrin of my mother. I competed for about a year, ultimately stopping due to a mixture of concussions and the desire to pursue an education/career. Not having a sport to compete in started wearing on me so I decided to take up...

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...

Remember back when you were in school? Maybe you're still in school and this is very familiar. But for those of us that aren't going to school anymore we'll have particular memories.Sometimes they are good memories of teachers that helped us get to the next level and develop. We probably did better in their classes and worked a little harder. And maybe we had some smart friends to do some group study sessions with to help us along.The point is when we have success in school, or in many other things for that matter, there is often someone else we can look to who helped us. With school this would have been a teacher, a tutor or a friend.But the cool thing is that this applies to all areas of your life. Think about it.When I think back to when I made the best gains in the gym it was when I had a training partner. But not just any training partner. It had to be someone who was equally committed. Someone who shared similar goals. And most importantly someone who was a step ahead of where I was. Someone who could show me the ropes and help me get to where I wanted to be.This is very similar to the saying that your income is related to the five people closest to you. That's not the exact expression but it's something along those lines anyways.And it applies to your health and fitness as well.We could hang with these 5 guys...or...with these 6 people.Most likely the second group is going to be a better influence. They will probably get more sleep. They will probably train more frequently and more intensely. They will make better nutritional choices. And they probably won't smoke and drink.Of course these are all generalizations.Fit people stay up too late....

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...

The other day I finished up a session with a client and we were talking about post-workout nutrition. And as we have chocolate milk for after your workout I offered one to this client. And she had a question regarding drinking chocolate milk. Specifically she wanted to know if it was ok to drink the reduced sugar version. Here's what I told her. After training the body is looking to begin the repair process and replenish metabolites that have been depleted. During training the body uses ATP as the energy source. Carbohydrates are a prime source for generating ATP during training. Some of the cards we eat are stored in the body in the form of glycogen in the muscle and liver. Anyways, it makes sense that after training we've depleted the body's source of glycogen and this needs to be replaced. If we eat only protein we won't have the necessary nutrients to replenish our store of glycogen. This is a common mistake some make with regards to their post-workout nutrition. They believe they need protein, which they do, but nothing else. There is also the belief that more is better and if 20 grams of protein in your post workout shake is good than 40 grams would be better and 50 or 60 grams would probably be best. But here's the thing. 20 grams of whey protein will get the job done. As will 6 grams of branched chain amino acids. Or 2 grams of the essential amino acid leucine. But we tend to follow label instructions on our favourite protein supplement which tells us a serving is 30-50 grams of protein. And the other protein is the lack of carbohydrate. And optimal post-workout formulation would have 3 or 4 times the amount of carbs as protein. A regular...

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 things we really put an emphasis on at Okanagan Peak Performance Inc. is education. I talked about this many times before and the number of different ways we look to further our education and involvement with students.Recently I announced that we would be hosting the Okanagan Strength & Conditioning Conference. This two day event will bring in some of the top practitioners and researchers in our industry. And I say practitioners and researchers because these are people working in the trenches working with clients on a day to day basis. Or they are performing novel cutting-egde research that allows the rest of us to have a better insight as to what methods work better or ellicit a result sooner.So we feel very fortunate to have these guys coming not only to our region but to our facility. While there may be a day or two in August where our regular coaching or programming is altered to account for this opportunity please know that you will benefit immensely from the enhanced knowledge our staff will gain.If you are a fitness professional, coach, trainer, physiotherapist, massage therapist, chiropractor, physician or anyone else that trains or rehabs clients, you should attend this event.The registration page www.strengthconference.com is now open. Besides two days of presentations and learning we are also hosting an evening social and including some of the meals for the attendees. Register before June 1 for the lowest possible rate.Besides this conference we are hosting we are also going to start something else that new for our area and of special benefit to our members.How many times have you heard one of our coaches make reference of a book, study, recipe or something else and wished you had a pen and paper to make note of the reference?Maybe you have a...

Recently Alexandra and I drove down to Seattle with Jordy and Megan for a one day clinic put on by Perform Better. At this particular event we were lucky to catch the following four presenters: Rachel Cosgrove Charlie Weingroff Gray Cook Alwyn Cosgrove Mike Boyle was scheduled to present but I can imagine his new position with the Red Sox probably limits his time and availability to participate in these events. So Gray Cook filled in for him. Are you familiar with Gray Cook? If not it's like saying Crosby is not available for the shootout but Ovechkin can fill in for him. Kudos to Perform Better for providing a fill-in such as Gray. And lucky for all of us in attendance. But let's get to what they all talked about. 1. Rachel Cosgrove -  Designing Fat Loss Programs For Your Female Clients The big take aways from Rachel's presentation was the level of system development that exists at Results Fitness which she owns with her husband Alwyn. Better systems allows for better results. She went into detail showing the breakdown of what an hour session looks like at her gym and provided a number of examples of factors that are unique to training women. For example there should be consideration of prone exercises, jumping exercises, time of month (menstruation) and time of their life (menopause) when training women. 2. Charlie Weingroff  - Understanding Joint Centration If you've seen Charlie speak before you'll know what a treat it is to learn from him. And while he's great online and on podcasts etc he's such an energetic personality you really do need to see him in person. Click at the end of this sentence to see Charlie in Kelowna this summer www.strengthconference.comWhat is joint centration? Well I hope I'm doing Charlie justice by describing...

So a few Saturday's ago we hosted a charity training session at Okanagan Peak Performance. The goal was to raise funds for a team of women we work with that is competing in the Pull the Plane Challenge. And while it may seem weird to state these ladies are competing in this charity event this is no mistake. These women aren't entering this event just to take part. When I mentioned the winning time from previous year's was 9-11 seconds their reply was 'we'll do it in 8!' Right on! I love that answer! But back to the fundraiser. We managed to raise $700 in a one hour training session. And many of you that weren't able to participate still were very generous to donate to this cause. In addition to the $700 raised from the training sessions I know Ric's Grill Restaurants, a Kettle Valley business and Dairy Queen (Gorges family) all made sizeable donations as well. So needless to say, in addition to the forth coming effort to actually pull the plane there will be a large donation being made for this cause. And on this Friday, May 11 these 12 ladies are going to pull the plane. They've even got costumes. I know they got shirts from Big Kahuna because Megan keeps me in the loop on these types of things. But I didn't know about the tutus! And apparatently they bought 13. I wasn't too sure what the extra one is for until I realized that I am leading the warm-ups for all the teams competing in this event... So that got me thinking about what I will do with these teams to get them ready. Because I will have all of about 3 minutes to meet them, warm them up and then send them over to pull the...

The body is a pretty amazing machine.It adapts to new environments. For example, in equatorial regions we develop more pigment to prevent burning. And in arctic regions we retain more bodyfat for insulation against cold weather.It responds quickly and measurably to stimuli. For example, step on a tack and you will reflexively flex the knee and or hip to pull away from the source of the pain. Or if you cause damage to the soft tissues of the body, which help to maintain strutural integrity, we will get an inflammatory response to provide more stability to the injured body part.For everything we subject our bodies to there is a reaction. Sometimes the reaction is obvious and external which allows us to take notice and make the connection. Falling asleep in the hot sun on vacation may result in a sunburn which is easy for us to recognize and connect the dots as to why we got burned.Other reactions in our body are harder to perceive.They may not be as immediate.Drinking 2 cans of soda a day as a young person may eventually lay the foundation for future diabetes issues. But at the time it is difficult to recognize the damage we are doing.I guess it's kind of like being a baby.We are not able to communicate our needs except through crying. And unless something is painful, such as a dirty diaper or hunger pangs, we may not cry at all, giving the impression that everything is alright.But absence of pain doesn't mean everything is alright.We can be putting stress and doing damage to our tissues and organs without even realizing it.How can this happen?Well as long as we can 'get away' with a lifestyle or habit there is no reason to change it, is there?However when we discover there is a problem we always...

I remember growing up and my parents were following one of the low fat diets of the day. One of the ones that comes to mind was the Scarsdale Diet. Anyways this diet, and a number of others, recommended that for the best health we needed to reduce our intake of fat. Particularly saturated fat. And so we stopped eating egg yolks. And we cut back on our consumption of animal fat. Or we eliminated animal products altogether and became vegan or vegetarian. By we I mean society in general and not me personally. What have the results been? Obesity has more than doubled in the USA over the last 20 yers. But about our internal health? Have we become sicker as well? Take a look at the graph below which shows the changes in diabetes over the years. And below we can see the increase in sugar consumption over the past 80 plus years. So fat may not be the culprit we thought it was. Sure it has more than double the energy of carbohydrates and protein. But I've tried to drive home the point that a calorie is not a calorie many times before. Any five year will tell you eating 1 lbs of broccoli is not the same as eating 1 lbs of cotton candy. However many still cling to the belief that a caloric deficit is all that is needed to drop unwanted bodyfat fat. But is sugar really that bad? Consider the following research just coming out. Dr. Cantley, a cell biologist and biochemist, has recently shown that cancer cells have insulin receptors just as muscle, fat and liver cells do. So when we eat sugar these receptors are able to receive the sugar flowing through our blood and supply the energy to grow the tumour. And it appears the...

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...

One thing we put a high priority on at Okanagan Peak Performance is education. We have summer interns who come work with us during the summer. We subscribe to relevant journals and trade publications. Staff are paid for the journals and articles they read each week.We put on seminars for our clients every few months. And of course we travel far and wide to learn from the best.So how do we improve on that?We bring the best to us, that's how.And who do we mean by the best anyway? Well bringing in 5 top level speakers from across North America. This list includes:Dr. Charlie Weingroff - I first saw Charlie speak last year in Seattle and I was immediately impressed. He stole the show. His presentations are a great mix of both interesting and useful. He has a great sense of humour and fields questions from the audience like a pro. Besides the fact he is one super smart dude he is also an accomplished powerlifter putting up a 1915 lbs total for his squat, deadlift and bench. Unbelievable!Want more? How about the fact he was the strength and conditioning coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, has his doctorate in physical therapy and trained the special forces the United States Marines. Wow!Dr. Martin Gibala -In our industry there are a number of research papers that constantly get quoted by those of us who want to appear really smart and show what we know. Just kidding. But Dr. Gibala's research is commonly referenced when you are talking about high intensity exercise, EPOC and other exercise related topics. As well, it turns out Olympian Adam vanKoeverden thinks pretty highly of this guy as well. I still can't believe we're going to have him here.Joel Jamieson -Have you heard of this thing called...

 So the #1 goal of people who go to the gym is weight loss. And it's like finger nails on a chalk board when I see people making all the right decisions when it comes to training, rest and the foods they eat only to blow it in one area. What is that one area? It's the calories they drink. They will drink coffees with flavoured shots, artificial sweeteners, creams and other additives. They will puree enough fruit for two days and drink this. Worse they will buy the commercial varieties of the juice smoothies which often have well over 100 grams of sugar. They will finish off a hard day's work with a glass or two of their favourite beer or wine. Which normally isn't a problem except when you're trying to drop 20-30 lbs. And so for these people we make the rules very simple. 1. Get all of your nutrition from food. 2. Get your hydration from water. But there are exceptions to the rule. And this post is all about those exceptions. Because at a certain point you should gain control of the calories you drink back. And your water intake should be adequate. And you should be getting all your nutrition from food. And your weight loss should be on track. And if this the case read on to find out how you can begin to reintroduce drinks back into your like. If this is you then here are 5 drinks you can reintroduce back into your lifestyle. 1. Workout Drinks - Are your workouts at least an hour in length? Are workouts fairly intense? By this I mean that you broke a sweat, lifted as heavily as you could and were out of breath at various points during the workout. If you answered 'yes' 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....

Last week while I was in California I had the chance to meet up some friends, colleagues and fitness celebrities. In particular I had the chance to meet Ronnie Coleman.Ronnie is a former 8-time Mr. Olympia. Here's a pic of meeting him.He had some pretty funny stories to share about how he started working at a pizza place after university then went on to become a cop. And eventually he became the best bodybuilder in the world.And this guy is pretty entertaining. When he trains he is famous for yelling out his catch phrase 'yeah buddy!' before a set in the gym.Now you have to imagine this massive black guy, at nearly 350 lbs in his prime, yelling 'yeah buddy!' in a rather unique and higher pitched voice. It's not Mike Tyson-high but it's definitely not to be confused with Barry White.So last Saturday at our Group Fitness trainin session we had everyone yell out 'yeah buddy!' as I panned the room with the camera.Here's the clip:Saturday Group Fitness TrainingSo what's the point of all this?Well for a number of reasons including:1. Strength in NumbersIt's much easier to doing conditioning sets with others. On this day there were about 20 people out all different ages and abilities. Because of this community everyone was able to push a little harder and do a little more. You may recall on Saturday morning it was snowing. How many from this group would have ventured out had they known they'd be the only one?2. There is No IntimidationOn this day we had NCAA Div 1 and world level podium athletes. Provincial champions. As well as people with Type II diabetes. And joint pain. And a few extra lbs. Some had years of training experience. For others this was their first Saturday workout.It didn't matter what your story was....

 So I just got back from a conference in California. And this means flights, hotel stays and long days of sitting in on presentations. For most this is a prescription to derail one's fitness and performance efforts. But not me.No sir! I feel like Superman when I travel. What do I mean by that?    Well basically it's that I have strategies in place that allow me not lose any of the forward momentum I've achieved with my training. And since we're into spring break here and many of you may be hitting the road for vacations this is a great time to share these tips with you.Here are my Top 10 Strategies for Staying Healthy on Vacation.Tip #1 - Bring a shaker cupThe thing with flights is that you get dehyrated. And with security rules limiting the volume of liquid to 100 ml you can't bring carry a drink with you. And once you're on the flight you get a serving of water as if you were rinsing your mouth at the dentist's office.To get around this invest in a shaker cup. They cost less than $10 and often are included at supplement stores when you purchase a bulk order. Don't bring a coffee cup or water bottle. The next points explain why.Tip #2 - Bring dried veggiesHave you ever noticed how great the salad bars are in airports? And how fresh everything is? And of course the variety rivals that of a Las Vegas casino. But the best part is how reasonable everything is. I'm surprised more people don't drive out to airports for their evening meals.Obviously I'm not serious about the points above. Therefore  it is that much more important to bring a number of dried veggies in envelopes. I use Prograde Genesis because I get 5-6 servings per packet and the...

Often times when we think about our reasons for training they can be pretty obvious such as a weight loss goal. This is an obvious goal because it's the number one goal of people who have gym memberships. Heck, it's probably even the number one goal of even the ones who don't have gym memberships.And it makes sense to drop a few extra pounds. It takes stress off weight bearing joints. It allows us to move more easily and without feeling totally spent after performing daily tasks like walking up a flight of stairs.There are improvements to our blood chemistry and overall physiology. Our sleep improves and so does our mood. The truth is we can find many reasons to invest our health by taking some time for training and proper nutrition.But what I find really interesting is that all of these reasons are lower in the grand scheme of things.Consider Maslow's Hierchy of Needs.The diagram represents a variety of human needs from more basic ones at the bottom. In other words as basic requirements we need to breathe, eat, drink water, sleep and carry on basic physiological human needs.But as we progress we must satisfy higher levels of needs related to feeling safe, being loved, having esteem and eventually realizing self-actualization.So how does this relate one's fat loss goal? What does my fitness training have to do with these needs?Let's look at each of these in detail.Physiological - Getting started on a training program involves better nutrtional choices. We drink more water. We sleep better. And as a result our physiological needs are satisfied.Safety - With our training our primary goal is to reduce the incidence of injury. We want to strengthen your immune system to keep you from catching the various colds and flus that get passed around. You...

So for the next little while I'm going without alcohol, candy or treats. This might seem like an obvious thing for someone is this line of work. But the truth is it's usually fitness professionals who enjoy the biggest cheat days and splurge the most when it comes to food and drink. Case in point last August I registered our summer intern and I for a pub crawl while at a conference in Long Beach. But back to the story.I'm not going to have any chocolate, candy, popcorn, wine, beer or alcohol of any type until Easter. This all started last Wednesday and goes for 40 days until April 8, which is Easter Sunday.Now while this might be a Catholic tradition you don't have to be of this faith, or any faith for that matter, to participate. All you need to do is pick things that are treats for you and you go cold turkey for the next 40 days.Think of all the things you could give up for the next 40 days which don't add to your health and performance. Besides the ones I've listed you could also add:* smoking* watching tv* checking your facebook profile* going to movies* watching your favourite tv showsBut you don't have the limit this experience to only giving things up. Although, I always recommend eliminating a negative makes more sense before you look to add a positive.So if you don't have a sweet tooth or enjoy a cold one while at the hockey game maybe it makes more sense to add some positives to your life for the next 40 days.Some examples would be:* go for a walk after dinner* walk or bike to work - the weather is getting better for this* eat more green leafy vegetables* drink more water* get more sleep* add one more...

So we all know the importance of the pre-workout meal. Well, maybe I'm jumping the gun. I should say that I hope we all know the importance of the pre-workout meal.And I should qualify the position I'm coming from on this topic. This is based upon training for performance and athletic excellence. The reason I make the distinction is that there is a growing movement and popularity for intermittent fasting when it comes to weight loss and body composition changes. I'm not referring to this type of goal.When it comes to pre-workout nutrition for a performance goal wer're looking to hydrate and top up the body's supply of glycogen. Glycogen is the body's stored form of carbohydrate which can be found in the muscle and liver. If we have some carbs before training this can help 'spare' muscle glycogen or minimize the depletion of this energy source.And while carbs are our best source to accomplish this we want to make sure to keep the pre-workout levels of fats and protein a little lower. This may seem contrary to what you'll see many 'meat heads' doing as they suck on a protein shake while warming up on the treadmill. Don't follow this lead. Too much protein slows gastric emptying and impairs performance.But while we hear all the time how important it is to eat before training, how important is it really? How much does it impact your performance? Can one meal really make a difference?Consider the following session I had with a client this week. This client wears a heart rate monitor while training and of course we are monitoring loads, recovery times and outputs on energy system work. And for this particular workout the client had not had a pre-workout meal.Here's what happened.When we got to some of the conditioning sets...

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...

How do you determine if you've had a good workout or not?Is it something objective such as lifting a certain amount of weight, covering a distance in a certain amount of time or something else?Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. It might be that some people simply see getting exercise or doing a workout as something to cross off a list.And there's nothing wrong with that. Unless you have specific goals and want to have the best health possible.Then it's important to be tracking your workouts. And making both subjective and objective notations in your journal.And this is as well as how you feel the days after your workout should determine whether or not you had an effective workout.Because I'm seeing something developing that is a little bit discouraging. And it involves people getting excited about painful, overly intense workouts.Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for intense training. Athletes will bond when they go through a tough physical challenge together. I want everyone I work with to lift as intensely as is possible for them. And I want them to feel like they could repeat the same workout the next day.But that's not what seems to be happening in fitness circles these days.People are posting on their fb walls about how 'yesterday's workout killed them!' and 'how they are still sore from the last workout!'.There is even a 'fitness' style that gives you a t-shirt with their clown caricature on it for throwing up during a workout. Some of you may know which style this is. Anybody else see anything wrong with this picture?This is not the goal. This is not what you should be shooting for. The goal should be to stimulate and not annihilate the neuromuscular system.On occasion it does happen that you will have some lingering muscle soreness....

Are you someone that gets a vaccination?When flu season comes around do you get one or not?If you don't what is your reasoning? Is it because there is a cost associated with it? Is it because you believe it is only really necessary for health care workers, young children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems? Or is there some other reason?Because for the past few years there has been a growing movement against getting vaccinated. And some of this influence came as a result of the 'work' of Andrew Wakefield from the UK.You should notice that I haven't referred to him as a doctor and I wouldn't consider his findings as research. This is because Dr. Wakefield was stripped of his medical license in May 2010 and the British Medical Journal called his research 'elaborate fraud' with financial self interest and falsified data.Does this ring a bell?A few years ago there was an email circulating warning us of the dangers of immunizations and vaccines. It was worded in official scientific language and style and referenced medical and health authority. The gist of the email was that the various vaccines going around were causing a number of diseases and conditions such as autism.So began the great debate. Should you get vaccinated or not?And then there were the associated conspiracy theories. I never knew that that getting vaccinated when I was a boy for measles had nothing to do with preventing this disease but everything to do with:* Installing a tracking device inside me so the government can monitor my daily activities via satellite.* Using me to test out chemical war-fare agents.* Instigating a disease within me that leads to the purchase of over-priced prescription medication.Other than the first one I naively believe that vaccines are actually to prevent disease. The first one is true because I...

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...

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...

Here's another post from Dov. In his last post Dov introduced himself and shared his story about how he lost 130 lbs and has managed to keep it off.Below Dov talks about a behaviour that sabotages your results. He's talking about smoking while you are trying to improve your health.But he isn't someone who stands on the sidelines and hurls insults and comments without foundation or understanding. I say that because when I trained Dov he was a smoker. But he made the decision to quit and hasn't looked back.Whether you are a smoker or not, there may be something in your life that is holding you back from attaining the best results possible. Simply substitute whatever that is for you to get the take home message.Dov, the floor is yours....On my last post I mentioned I wanted to discuss some hurdles I had to overcome to achieve significant fat loss; thought it may be true that "losing weight isn't hard", you might be doing some things that make it significantly harder on yourself.SMOKING.If you smoke, and you are working out, just stop working out.If you are sure you cannot quit smoking, do yourself a huge favor, and resign yourself to being a flabby, out of breath, unhealthy person for the rest of your life. There is absolutely no point in attempting to do "cardio" or lift weights, if you smoke.You won't have the oxygen you need to push yourself to any meaningful level.When you work out, the point is that you are putting strain on your muscles so they recover stronger than before. If you cannot generate enough power or sustain enough endurance to perform, you are wasting your time in a serious way. Walking on a treadmill because your lungs cannot supply your poor dying body with enough fuel to...