Victoria Wellness is now accepting applicants for their upcoming 3 month hockey conditioning program.    This is an intense, hockey specific program that will help develop strength, speed, shot power and reduce injuries.  This program is for those players who are serious about taking their hockey game to the next level.  Call 250-382-2355 today to register.  Monthly fees for our hockey program are $200.00 per player.

Personal Training Sessions:

We have a few openings for our 4 and 5 pm personal coaching sessions.  These do not stay available for long, so call today to reserve your spot.  Nothing like a workout after the work day to help rid your body of stress and reduce the injury risk from sitting at a computer.  Come train with dedicated, like minded individuals.  Train hard, have fun and leave relaxed and with a smile.

At the gym right now, we have the Spring Fitness Challenge underway.  A group of dedicated individuals have risen to the Challenge of making noticeable changes to their lifestyle to lose weight and get even more fit!  A few have even taken it one step further and are coming in on their days off to do extra sled, ropes, hill sprints and bike sprints.  Talk about a keen bunch!

To help everyone be successful, I am happy to pass along some hints that will help everybody incorporate baby steps into their daily regime.  Here goes:

• Use stairs instead of elevator – such a little thing, but counts big time. In fact, do a couple of laps up and down the stairs before you get to your destination.
• Eat breakfast each day – for some of you not an issue. But for those of you not accustomed to eating breakfast, this could be your biggest challenge. Make it happen!
• Finish lunch 10 minutes early and go for a walk – helps to stretch out the ole body and get a few calories burned. Get the heart rate up now…..
• Try a new vegetable this week – one of the biggest issues with watching your food intake is boredom. Be brave, try something new or a new recipe…
• Eat your quota of protein each day – .8 grams per lb of body weight is a good start. Without adequate protein intake, your weight loss will come to a screeching halt.
• Watch your portions – this is Numero Uno in the weight loss department. See number 7 for a good start.
• Use a smaller dinner plate – pick a smaller plate and don't over fill it.
• Drink a minimum of 8 glasses water each day. It is important to keep well hydrated. I know not a problem for a lot of you. But take a moment to make sure you are drinking water throughout the day.
• Make sure you are getting protein, carbs and a good fat with each meal. Our goal is to include some protein, a healthy carb (fruit or vegetable) and some healthy fat (nuts, olive oil, flax seed) at each meal and snack.

Till next time,

Narina

                                                      Heidi – always smiling                  Donna 

     Donna & Cory                    Shannon & Dean                    John & Renata – looking good!

Mary & Lisa                                       John                                             Gail & Narina

Meaghan & Dawn                     Narina & Alita                                       Hey Heidi!

Amye & Jimmy                      John & Max – pretty serious!     Gerald, Loree, Mary & Lisa

Bill, Renata & Christine           Connie & Dick                               Kate, Jackie & Will

Cory & Rosalyn                  Cory, Rosalyn and Shannon             Donna, Laurie & Scott – kid pics!

Dick, Will & Connie                     Cherie, guest & Jon                     Pauline & Norma

Michael &  John                    Donna, Eric & Loree                  Michelle, Rhonda & Narina

Michelle, Rhonda & Narina         Michelle, Rhonda & Narina      Gord, Lisa & Teresa

Gord, Lisa & Teresa                     Narina & Michelle                 Narina & Stefanie

Narina & Loree                           Narina, Michael & Dana                   Liz & Cherie

Rhonda & Lisa                      Gerald, Lisa & Me (peeking over)

Often in the gym during training sessions, questions come up and if I am asked the same question a few times, then it is time to write a blog post about it. One question that seems to crop up on a regular basis is about starting a running program to "get lean" or lose weight.

Now, I have never been an advocate of running as a fitness program. First off, I am not a runner. Yes, I have trained and actually participated in several 10K and 12K races over a one year period, several years ago. I am not a "pretty runner". I feel like I glump more than run. I don't think I was meant to run, but that is purely a personal opinion. I detest running with a passion – the boredom factor is huge and I can't even seem to enjoy the scenery because I am too busy thinking when is this torture going to be over! Hill sprints, treadmill sprints or even stair sprints I can handle – short, sweet and to the point! And if you are talking about getting leaner or fat loss – high intensity interval work is the answer.

But, I digress – sorry! Back on topic. I have done several articles in the past couple of years that talk about fat loss, interval work and the "afterburn" or EPOC. These articles help explain the rationale and science behind interval work as opposed to steady state cardio. If you would like a review, these can be read at:

Want to Lose Weight? Say Goodbye to Steady State Cardio and Hello to Intensity.

Are You Intense Enough?

I also think of those just starting on a fitness program for the first time and choosing running as the base of their program. I firmly believe you need to be fit to run, not run to get fit. Running is a very demanding, high impact activity that can wreak havoc with an untrained body. I think your time in the beginning of an exercise program would be better spent on mobility exercises, flexibility work, core stability/strength work and an overall strength training program. In these early stages, you can prepare the body for running if running is an activity you want to participate in.

Running becomes an issue if you are constantly dealing with running related injuries (shin splints, plantar fascitis, knee pain, etc). If your running based exercise program is causing pain or injury, then your overall health will suffer as you find yourself unable to participate. Running, if you choose it, should be a small portion of your overall fitness program – not the base of it.

If we get back to the original question raised in the gym – should I run to get lean or lose weight? – then I think two pictures will illustrate these very well.  If you take the runner who does no cross training or the sprinter who weight trains and runs sprints – who do you think is the more "toned" looking individual?  I know who I would prefer to look like!

Till next time,

Narina

The foot – intricate in it's construction but able to withstand our bodyweight as well as hundreds of pounds of impact during dynamic movements such as running and jumping.  The foot allows for proper movement continuous with the whole body.

The foot is made up of:

28 irregular bones
30 joints
over 200 ligaments
23 muscles

Without going into pages and pages of anatomy, let's highlight the major players in the foot.

Bones:

The ankle and foot contain 26 bones, arranged into the tarsus, metatarsus and phalanges.  There are seven tarsal bones.  One of the tarsal bones, the talus, is the tarsal bones that articulates with the tibia to form the ankle joint.  The calcaneus is the largest of the tarsal bones and forms the heel.  The metatarsus, or sole of the foot, is composed of five metatarsal bones.  These bones are numbered 1-5, with the medial or big toe, being one.  The first metatarsal is larger than the others due to its weight bearing function.

Arches:

The foot has two arches that support the weight of the body and provide leverage when walking.  The arches are formed by the bones held in place by ligaments and tendons.  These arches are not rigid, but yield when weight is placed on the foot and spring back when weight is lifted.

Muscles:

All muscles originating on the lower leg except the popliteus muscle are attached to the bones of the foot.  The tibia and fibula and the interosseous membrane separate these muscles into anterior and posterior groups,  in their turn subdivided into subgroups and layers.  Muscles of the lower leg originate at various points of the tibia and fibula but insert at various points of the foot.  One familiar muscle, the tibialis anterior muscle, arises from the tibia and inserts on the plantar surface of the foot.  The gastrocnumius (calf) muscle arise from posterior surfaces of the femur and insert onto the calcaneus bone via the common Achilles tendon.  This muscle acts on two joints to flex the knee and the foot.  There are a total of 13 muscles that originate on the lower leg and insert onto the foot.  These muscles give the foot the ability to flex, extend, evert and invert.

The muscles acting on the foot can be classified into extrinsic muscles, those originating on the anterior or posterior aspect of the lower leg, and intrinsic muscles, originating on the dorsal or plantar aspects of the foot.

The intrinsic muscles are located within the foot and cause movement of the toes. These muscles are flexors (plantar flexors), extensors (dorsiflexors), abductors, and adductors of the toes. Several intrinsic muscles also help support the arches of the foot.

The extrinsic muscles are located outside the foot, in the lower leg. The powerful gastrocnemius muscle (calf) is among them. They have long tendons that cross the ankle, to attach on the bones of the foot and assist in movement. So, why the anatomy lesson you ask?  I think it is important to know just how intricate the foot is.  Also when you take into account that muscles in the lower leg have an impact on the foot and ankle.  If you have a problem with the foot or ankle, it is going to move the kinetic chain or move up your body to create dysfunction and other joints.  If the ankle and foot don't move well, then you are going to have problems in the knee.

In the gym we work on ankle mobility by doing the "knee to wall" exercise in three directions.  This exercise will help to improve the mobility through the boney portion of the ankle.  Combine this with appropriate stretches for muscles in the foot and lower leg, you are helping to address problems that could have a much more far reaching effect.

Single leg work (single leg balance exercises) also help to strengthen muscles and tendons that support the foot.  Helping to build strength in all the muscles of the foot will help to keep a much more stable platform.  Remember the foot is the first point of contact and plays a huge role in how the rest of our body will function.

Till next time,

Narina

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