A question that was asked in the gym yesterday prompted some reflection.  The question asked me yesterday was "Do I see a lot of changes with people training here – strength, health issues, etc?"

As I think of all the people that have, and continue to train at Victoria Wellness over the past 12 years, there are some very significant changes in strength gains, mobility and movement, health issues (blood pressure, diabetes) and weight loss.

To give you a few examples:

Keep in mind that all of these amazing clients came to VWP with no strength training background.  They had not been in gyms before so every exercise was a new experience.

Lisa K. has trained at VWP since Sept 2003 – coming up 9 years.  Lisa trains 5 days a week.
Her strength stats:

Squats in 2003 was 10 lb.   Back Squats 2011 – 200 lbs (at a bodyweight of 123 lbs)
Dumbbell Chest Press in 2003 was 8 lbs to now 40 bs.
Dumbbell 1 Arm Rows in 2003 were 10 lbs to now at 45 lbs.

Lisa is a petite lady so weight loss was not an issue.  But, she is now much leaner with a healthier ratio of body fat to lean muscle. 

Kim R. start with VWP in 2005 and he trains 3 days a week at VWP.
Kim's strength stats:

Cable Rows in 2005 were 60 lbs; to now at 110 lbs
Dumbbell chest press in 2005 at 12 lbs to now at 50 lbs in 2012
Dumbbell 1 Arm rows at 35 lbs in 2005 to 55 lbs now.

Anne C started at VWP in 2007.  Anne trains 5; sometimes 6 days with us.
Anne's strength stats:

squats with 8 lbs in 2007 to goblet squats now with 50lbs!
Dumbbell Presses with 10 lbs to 30 lbs now in 2012.
Deadlift (romanian) with 15 dumbbells in 2007 to 135 lbs now.

Alita started t VWP in 2009 and trains 3 days a week.
Alita's strength stats:

Dumbbell Chest Press started with 8 lbs in 2009 and now at 40 lbs.
Squats with 10 lbs dumbbells in 2009 and now goblet squats with 40 lbs.
Deadlift (romanian) with 25 lbs in 2009 and now at 115 lbs!

Not every workout here is about pushing large amounts of weight.  Regaining mobility and movement that were lost due to injury, inactivity or illness is just as vital as how much you can squat or bench press.  I remember several years ago training a client that did not have huge aspirations with respect to weight lifting.  She was an active lady that loved to hike, bike and work in her garden.  I think the most satisfying comment ever made to me was after a beautiful summer weekend and this lady had spent the whole weekend in her garden.  Come Monday she was so excited that she worked hard all weekend and even after the hundreds of wheelbarrows of dirt she had moved, she felt great.  For the first time ever, she had been able to garden a whole day and not end up on the couch in pain.  This is what is important in my job – this is real life!

We also have had 4 ladies successfully tackle Mount Rainer, not once but twice!  A trek thru the Himalayas – no worries for Mary P.  She has been training here at VWP since 2005 and is strong, fit and ready to tackle just about anything!

Health issues have also brought clients to Victoria Wellness.  Illness ranging from hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, osteoporosis to arthritis are some of the health issues that have presented here.  What is wonderful is that all of these clients have responded well to including a sound exercise program into their life.  This has resulted in either a decrease or an elimination of diabetic medication required.  We have also seen a reduction/elimination of blood pressure medications.

Weight loss is another issue that brings clients through our doors.  To achieve success with weight loss, you must have a will to succeed and a plan to follow.  We hold several "Fitness Challenge" contests throughout the year.  With the Challenge, clients have 6 weeks to hyper focus their efforts and tackle their weight loss issues head on.

With our last Challenge just prior to Christmas 2011, we had a total from all participants of 86 lbs lost, over 40" lost and a total drop of 34.6% body fat!

These are all amazing clients – strong, fit and capable of taking on any Challenge that life throws their way.  The one thing I notice with all of these clients is their commitment and dedication to their programs.  These clients do not miss workouts.  We can set our clocks by the day/time they come.  Other than illness/vacations, these dedicated clients are here working hard.

It is because of their consistency that they realize the strength gains, the weight loss and the satisfaction of a job well done.  Congratulations to all the hardworking, dedicated clients that share their busy lives with us.  You make our job easy!

Feb 3, 2012

Pushing and Dragging – what kind of workout is that you ask?  One of the best is the answer.  Sled training has very quickly become not only a fun workout, but also very beneficial.    Sled training involves pushing, pulling backwards, dragging behind you or any combination of these for a pre determined time or distance.

The Benefits are:

*  Easy to learn, no special skills required.  This is a huge factor as it allows anybody to get involved in this amazing workout early in their training.

*  Not a complicated movement.  This allows everyone to feel successful early on which helps with motivation and ongoing success in your exercise program.

*  Perfect for anyone dealing with orthopedic issues.  There is not the stress on joints that may be associated with squatting orlunging movements.  So even those with knees problems, shoulder issues or even low back issues can safely do sled training.  This allows for fundamental movement patterns to be trained and allows you to be fit, stronger and improve your ability to move through these various movement patterns.

*  Sled training allows for a variety of movements without a great change in the equipment; making it a very efficient training tool.  It is easy to learn and easy to implement.

*  Most people have huge muscle imbalances.  This is especially true of the "posterior chain" group of muscles or the muscles on the back of the body.  Since we are unable to personally "see" these muscles, they are often forgotten about in training   programs.  Sled training targets the muscles in the hips and thighs and allows us to address hamstring and glute weakness.

*  The pulling movements with all its variations help to address the posture issues for all the desk workers.

*  The sled allows for training thru multiple movement patterns with ease.  You can incorporate lunges, side stepping, backward drags, low pushes without even changing the load on the sled.  This would target all the muscle groups of the hips, glutes, thighs and back.  The upper and lower body ust work together to coordinate movement.  These movements transfer much better to everyday life or sport.

*  The core also serves an integral role to stabilize the body so that the limbs can exert force on the sled and the ground. 

*  It is a fantastic cardiovascular workout – talk about interval training and fat loss – the best!

Sled training can be as varied as the imagination.  Incorporate rowing movements, chest presses, squat rows with pushups.  The variety is endless and incorporating sled training in any exercise program will increase the metabolic demands and along with that increase your fat burning capability.

Spending as little as 10 minutes at the end of your workout will put your metabolism in overdrive and keep you humming along for the rest of the day.

Talk about a big bang for your buck:  increased metabolism, head to to integrative workout, easy to use and easy to learn!

Get Pushing!  Till next time,

       Narina

Today's blog post is a collection of interesting articles/videos and recipes.    First up is a great little video about the benefits of exercise.  I was interested in what Dr. Evans had to say, but the video is totally captivating and I found I was really enjoying the writing as much as listening.  Hope you enjoy it as well:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crisp Squares

Thanks to Meaghan, here is a great low cal, healhty snack.  Everyone needs a treat once in a while! Why not make your own, with real ingredients, instead of buying something prepackaged.

Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)

1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey or brown rice syrup)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups crisp rice cereal (rice crispies)

1 – 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (I used one scoop.)

1/4 cup water or unsweetened almond milk

**Optional: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

In a small sauce pan on low heat, gently heat up the nut butter, agave nectar, vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt until it all melts together. You could probably microwave this & frequently stir it, but don't blame me if it starts on fire.

Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups of crisp rice cereal. (this is also the time you'd add your optional chocolate chips, or nuts)

Let it cool until it's just slightly warm and then add your chocolate protein powder. I used one scoop and just kept working it in. You may need to add a couple spoonfuls of water to get the powder worked in.

Pour the mixture into your baking dish and press it down evenly. Place in your freezer for about 5 – 10 minutes until it firms up. Slice into 9 squares.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Protein: 9 grams

Carb: 26 grams

Fat: 7 grams

Calories: 203 calories

And something to think about:

Till next time,

Narina

At Victoria Wellness, we as trainers, are very fortunate to have such an committed and dedicated group of clients that come prepared to put forth their best efforts each and every time they come to train.  Our role isn't so much about motivation as it is support and monitoring.  For the most part, it is the clients that motivate me.  I agree, it is nice to have that booked appointment, but I feel our clients are already well motivated.

We have a very active group of clients that participate in a host of activities and sports outside the gym.  Along with the very active lifestyle, comes potential for injuries, be it minor or more serious.  Some issues are more chronic but still do have an impact on training sessions in the gym.

On the surface, personal training may look like an easy job.  Hanging around in a gym all day – lots of fun.  In fact I once had a male hairdresser tell me he could be a personal trainer since he liked to work out.  My thoughts?  Well, being a gym rat doesn't qualify you to train clients.  After all, I don't think he would appreciate me cutting his hair!  

To help you understand our role a little more, I thought it might help if I shared with you our role in keeping you healthy and playing hard.

First and foremost we need to talk about the workouts.  Program design at Victoria Wellness is taken very seriously. 

A lot of time and preparation goes into the design of each clients' individual program. Yes, there are certainly similarities.  There are a host of exercises that are the basis of what we do.  Namely, variations of squats, deadlifts, rowing, pressing and all the core exercises lay the framework for all our programs.  It is how, when and if we incorporate any of these exercises that determines the individuality of each program.  What may be appropriate for one client could injure another.

Exercise selection here is based on what the lastest science has to offer.  Never, will you see the latest exercise making the rounds on You Tube or Facebook.  Even our small group training has exercises carefully chosen for the group, and regressions and progressions for each base exercise lays the framework.

Along with the intital program that will be the base program for a term of 10-12 weeks, we make allowances for training frequency, injuries, chronic issues and even personal preference.  Yes, we do like to see you have "fun".   Programs must be established for those that are in the gym every day to those that are here with just once a week.  Each program will have it's own set of variables.

Also, at Victoria Wellness, we work as a team.

  All trainers will work with all our clients at any given time.  Most clients will spend the majority of their training sessions with one trainer, but they also may be working with any one of our team members.  For that reason, all staff must be familiar with each and every client and the intricies of each program.  Having most of the programs designed by just one individual (myself mainly) helps with the continuity and keeping detailed training logs/notes on each and every workout of every client assists that as well.

In order to prepare for each day's training sessions, all trainers will go over each clients' training card and review the workout that is scheduled for that session.  This is also the time that the training team will communicate any concerns that may have come up with a client.  Many of our clients are under care from other practioners (physio, chiro, family doctors, etc).  It is imperative that all staff know the status of each clients' training in order to keep clients safe and training within their abilities.

The training team must also be prepared to change workouts "on the fly".   We will routinely check with each client on their arrival to see how they are feeling from last workout, or last time we have seen them.  If all is okay, we move forward with the planned workout. 

However, it is not usual for clients to arrive with aches, pains and sometimes even an injury since last in.  In these cases the planned workout may need to be shelved and a new workout prepared.  And again, since we have such a dedicated group of clients who wish to stay active, taking time off is not in their makeup.  Yes, there are times when it is not prudent to train, but for the most part there is always something we can come up with.
 

In order to keep pace with the changing face of exercise science, the training team must be a group of dedicated individuals that thrive on learning. Yes, it is necessary to do a certain amount of continuing education to maintain a training certiifcation, but here at VWP we go above and beyond the basic requirements. 

Constant reading, practice in the gym, staff meetings, seminars and conferences are all an integral part of keeping pace.  I think that unless you have a constant desire to learn and have an open mind to new ideas, personal training is not your field.   Thankfully, Victoria Wellness has a training team that thrives on the challenges our industry presents!

Till next time,

Train hard, train safe.

Narina

1. Women NEED to lift HEAVY!

I have known and followed this rule but have rarely seen it in practice. Most women I see working out at big box gyms, pick up the five to eight pound weights and attempt to 'tone' up. Routinely at VWP, women will be doing Romanian deadlifts with 135 or more pounds, performing 8 repitions of chin ups and pushing 300 to 600 pound sleds! These ladies are STRONG and very inspiring. This year I focused on lifting heavy weights and have put on 10 pounds of muscle. Guess what? My clothes fit better! The scale doesn't matter ladies! Strength is Beauty.

2. Intensity is key

You've heard it before, but I still see people plodding along for an hour  on treadmills and elliptcals. Increase your intensity, shorten your intervals and get that workout done faster! You can burn tons of calories by doing treadmill or hill sprints, kettlebell swings, battling ropes, sled sprints, countdowns and ladders. We do all of these at VWP throughout workouts and as finishers.

3. There is a lot more to being a trainer than just kicking someone's butt!

A good personal trainer or coach should be doing their research not only into your back ground but into what exercises you should be doing based on your health history. Should you really be doing overhead pressing with rounded shoulders? Should you be squatting heavy loads with limited movement through your ankles? These are things we look at and research at VWP daily to keep our client's bodies healthy. I used to, and now often see trainers, give clients the most challenging exercises just to kick their butts. Now, after learning and experiencing a lot, clients are put through progressions to increase their strength and move towards more challenging exercises. Maybe they will never get to the most advanced excercise and that is just fine. I would much rather keep a client healthy and strong than have them doing something unsafe.

4. Warmups should include mobility and stability drills for each joint.

Gone are the days of using a piece of cardio equipment to warm up for 10 minutes before your workout. Why not use your warm up time to work on ankle mobility, hip stability and thoracic spine mobility? Your body will thank you!

5. I haven't done crunches for an abdominal work out in over a year and neither should you.

Why do crunches when you can do an anti-rotation press (called the Pallof press at VWP)? Honestly, if you haven't tried it…DO IT! Doing weighted crunches can not only injure your low back in the long run, but for women they actually can make your abdomen look bigger. If you want a flat stomach, work on your nutrition intake and try core exercises like the pallof press, body saw, supermans, and planks.

6. Massage Therapy doesn't always have to be painful to be effective.

I often hear people say that getting a therapeutic massage is too painful so they shy away from it.  A good RMT will have many tools they can use to help you with your condition or injury without causing a lot of pain. Some people are firm believers in 'no pain, no gain' when it comes to massage and can get great results from it. But from my experience in the last year of being an RMT, people like to leave a treatment feeling good. In my massage treatments I work on the painful area, but also try to provide relaxation too. In our busy lives these days we definitely  need and deserve a little TLC and I like to have people leave my treatment room feeling good and positive, even if it was just for that hour they were with me.

7. Your workouts don't need to be split into a different body part each day.

I used to do split workouts religiously! I thought it was the only way to work out. But my eyes were opened at VWP! Now three days a week I train all my muscle groups within one workout with compound exercises like the ones we do at VWP (squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, pull ups, rows). Try doing these big exercises and skip on the seated bicep curls, leg extensions and wrist curls and I bet you will look just as good or better!  

8. People are inspiring.

Over the past year I have witnessed and heard a lot of stories on my massage table of people over coming injuries, horrific events in their lives and stress. In the gym, I have seen  clients overcoming boudries and fears, showing amazing strength and pushing themselves to their limit every day. I am very lucky that I get to be part of these people's lives each day and it constatnly reminds me of how awesome life really is.  I look forward to learning more and meeting and working with more inspiring people in 2012.

See you in the gym!
Meaghan
Eat clean, Train hard, Laugh often

With the Xmas season fast approaching, there are a lot of demands on our time and pressures mount as the Xmas party season hits full speed.  This newsletter is just a few hints to help keep the wolves at bay and help you sail through the party season without too much damage.  Remember, whatever you add to over the next few weeks will all have to be dealt with come January.  And, wouldn't it be just a little easier to step back, take a little control and soften the blow.  After all, wouldn't it be so cool to be one of those rare people that can actually claim in January that not an extra pound was put on?  You have all been working so hard.  A little indulgence with some control will do no damage, but let's try and limit that ok?

Some tips to survive the next 4 weeks and come out alive and healthy on the other end.
 

• Maintain routine as much as possible.  Try to follow your regular schedule of eating, sleeping and exercise as much as possible.  This will help to reduce stress.
• Minimize shopping stress.  Try to be as organized as possible.  Possibly try on-line shopping or gift cards to help save yourself time.  You can then use these extra moments to keep up your exercise routine.
• Get the family involved in your exercise plans.  Before or after a meal, gather everyone together and go for a walk around the neighborhood.  A perfect time to say hi to neighbors and see the xmas lights.

For the many xmas parties that abound here are some special survivor tips:

Eat before you go – try try to have a light snack before attending a cocktail part or dinner.  A salad or   piece of fruit or some raw veggies will help take the edge off your hunger.

• Never go to the grocery store with a growling stomach – once again try to have a little snack before grocery shopping.  Have you ever noticed the extra things that make their way into your shopping cart when you are hungry?
•  
• Try to limit your treats at parties – xmas is that special time of year when all the stops are pulled – all the goodies that you don't have any other time of year come out.  I am not one to say don't, but let's try and limit the damage.  So instead of going full steam ahead.
•  
• Try picking just one treat – something different that you don't often have a chance to enjoy.
•  
• Watch alcohol consumption – try once again to limit how many xmas drinks – remember the calories from alcohol add up just as fast as with all the sugary goodies.  Try having a tonic water spaced throughout the night – calorie free!

Try to maintain your exercise program.  Here are some tips to help you at least maintain your fitness level so when you do start back to your regular program in the New Year, you are not paying with sore muscles for the time off:.

• do shorter cardio sessions – if you normally try to do 30-60 minutes of cardio (walking, biking, etc) break it up into 2-3 10 minute sessions spaced through out the day.  Remember that exercise is cumulative; so those shorter bouts throughout the day can be effective.
• exercise wherever you can – if you have stairs in your house, use them.  Make a game of them.  If you are going to mall (and who isn't this time of year) park in the far corner and walk in.   
• if at the mall take a extra few minutes and do a couple of laps.  If you want to add an extra load to your lap workout, go after your shopping when you have many bags to carry!

Here is a quick little workout you can do at home anytime.  Please note that some of these exercises may not be appropriate for all people.  Adjust where needed:

            Body weight squats – 15 reps
            Push ups – on floor or up against counter – 12 reps
            Lunges   – 10 reps each leg
            Floor bridges – 12 reps

            Do this quick little workout 3x through and done.

So, there you have it.  We don't need to watch Survivor on television this time of year.  From now until January 2nd, our lives are Survivor!

Hopefully these tips will help get through the Christmas season a little easier without too much damage to make up for in the New Year.  Don't worry about being perfect this time of year – you will just set yourself up for failure and give up.

Forget all the rules, go ahead bend a little if you need to, but do whatever it takes to keep yourself moving.  The biggest obstacle most people have trouble with at Christmas is maintaining movement and keeping up a routine with their exercise program.  Remember that exercise is the very best stress reliever.

Till next time,

Narina

A comment that we hear frequently at the gym is "boy I must be out of shape".  This is heard fairly often after doing sled runs, rope intervals, hill sprints or combo of 20/10 intervals

.  As I have tried to explain, it isn't about being "out of breath" when you are finished your set of sled runs, ropes or whatever.  You should be out of breath.  If you are working at the intensity that we would like (provided it is within your training ability/capacity) then you should be breathing hard.  I want to see you standing half bent over with hands on knees catching your breath.  This is not a bad thing!

What is the determining factor of your fitness level, is how fast you recover from that output of work, not the fact that you may be out of breath immediately following an interval.

During exercise, the lungs and cardiovascular system work to delivery oxygen to the body.  The more people exercise, the more efficient this delivery system becomes and the more oxygen the body is able to use.       As you become "more fit", your ability to delivery and utilize oxygen is improved therefore you are able to work out harder and also your endurance will improve, so your ability to work out longer will improve as well.  This is why program development (selection of exercises and combinations used) in the early stages of starting a fitness program is important.  You will have only so much tolerance for load and oxygen demands in the beginning stages.  As you become stronger and your tolerance for exercise increases, so will the program demands.

Once you develop a good base of fitness/tolerance, it is then that interval training or high intensity work will be introduced.  This interval work will require very high and intense effort for short bursts paired with an adequate recovery time.  This allows for maximum effort.  There are many different intensity intervals that can be utilized, depending on requirements (general fitness, sport specific).  The stresses put on the body during interval work requires once again an adaptation by the body to allow for the intensity of the work.  This will result in a stronger heart muscles, increased blood flow caused by increase of the capillary network and an increased ability of the body to utilize oxygen and deal with the lactates produced during maximum effort work.

When an intense circuit or sprint is performed, the body can't supply oxygen at a fast enough rate to fuel all the muscles involved.  That is when our "anaerobic system" kicks in the provide energy to the muscle.  After the maximum effort is completed your body must repay this "oxygen debt".  This is where the high heart rate and hard breathing comes in.  This is your body's way of repaying the oxygen debt.  This is a simplified explanation, but it should help you understand why heavy breathing and higher than normal heart rates are experienced when doing high intense work (sleds, ropes, kettlebell swings, sprints).

This type of workout not only gives the lungs and heart a good workout, but it revs your metabolism with the benefit of more calories burned for a longer period of time after you are done exercising!

So, what can you take away from this?  Work hard – it is ok!   Preparation and progression to maximum effort workouts are mandatory – do not jump into high intense interval work with no background.  Heavy breathing and fast heart rates are ok in the right situation – embrace it – you are getting stronger and more fit!

Go for it!

Very little in life or sport happens with two feet on the ground. With all movements, there is always one foot on the ground and one in motion. Simple walking is a case of single leg movement.

When performing double leg exercises, we are using the prime movers mainly (quads, gluteus maxiumus, hamstrings). With single leg squats for example, the stabilizing muscles (glutes medius, adductors or inner thigh) and spinal stabilizers must all come into play to maintain a stable pelvis.

Some examples of single leg exercises are: step ups, lunges, split squats, rear foot elevated split squatand one leg squats. With all of these single leg exercises, all but one have the non working foot supported. With lunges, the non working foot is still on the ground.

With rear elevated split squats, the non working or rear leg is supported on a block. The only unsupported single leg exercise is the single leg squat. With this squat, the non working foot does not touch the ground.

"Having only foot in contact with the ground forces the hip structures, the abductors and external rotators, to stabilize against movement in both the frontal and transverse planes". (1)

It is known that one way to prevent knee pain is to strengthen the muscles that control the hip, the knee and the foot. This can be accomplished with single leg training.

Another group of exercises done as a single leg is the deadlift. The single leg deadlift is primarily a hip hinge movement. But, the spinal erector muscles as well as the lower trapezius and rhomboid muscles of the back must work to stabilize the spine and shoulder. The glute (or hip rotators) and pelvic muscles must work to stabilize the pelvis and keep it in the sagittal plane. The single leg deadlift takes the load off the lower back and loads the glutes.

So, even though single leg work can be demanding and even a little frustrating at times, it is vital to our overall health and well being. Single leg squats and deadlifts are excellent examples of strength training exercises that will allow you to stay healthy and enjoy all the many activities that you do outside the gym.

Till next time,
Narina

1. Advances in Functonal Training, Michael Boyle. On Target Publications 2010

Nov, 9, 2011

Today's blog post brings forward a couple of interesting articles that I have come across in my travels.  One aspect of fitness/strength training that keeps me motivated and excited, is the constant learning.  As the knowledge of the human body and how it functions (muscularly speaking) forges ahead, our training practices must also change.  If I think back to how I trained myself and clients back 12 years ago when I first opened the studio, I almost shudder.  What was I thinking back then?  

Fast forward now 12 years later and my training programs and exercise selection looks very different.  Yes, there are still some of the old standbys (deadlifts, squats, pressing, all sorts of rowing, lunges, etc).  But even within those exercises, the way they are performed is very different.  Going back to when I was still competing in bodybuilding (circa 1997) I was still doing 315 lb back squats. 

Well, we don't back squat at our gym at all now – not even me.  Goblet squats, front squats, rear elevated split squats, rear lunges are the leg exercises of choice now.

To read a little about back squats and how they can have an impact on our spines and especially young bodies, have a read:

Squat lifts likely cause of stress fractures in young athletes.

Also, when I think back into the late 1990's we thought nothing of doing situps and crunches, most of the time with very heavy weights!  Today, no sit ups and crunches are done in our facility.  And, if crunches are used they are McGill style which does not involve spinal flexion.  

University of Waterloo kinesiology professor Stuart McGill is one of the world's foremost experts on spine biomechanics. Here, he discusses several pervasive myths about back injury, exercise, proper lifting, and strengthening the core. Plenty of exercise and movement demonstrations teach you better ways to keep your back healthy for a lifetime.

Waterloo's Dr. Spine, Stuart McGill

As with any field of study that involves the human body,  the search for knowledge must continue and along with that our ways of training and our exercises of choice must  be open to change.

Till next time,

Narina