Month: June 2017

Challenge Yourself Daily

Many people talk about the importance of challenging yourself daily, do something that is outside your comfort zone, learn something new.  This is great for our bodies and our minds.

When we are in the gym, we directly see the importance of this. Our bodies are built to respond to the demands placed on it.  The greater the demand, the greater the response. Our muscles grow and lengthen through progressively adding resistance and movement challenges.  The opposite can also happen, if we don’t do anything that challenges our bodies, our muscles will weaken and we become frail.

Just because we have no classes happening this week doesn’t mean we can’t still challenge ourselves, I know my family is making sure I am out and pushing my comfort zone (see the picture above!)

Here are some simple workouts you can try this week at home:

Lucky 7: Complete as many rounds as possible in seven minutes – rest as needed throughout the seven minutes
7 step-ups (use one step on your staircase at home)
7 air squats
7 push-ups (use a countertop or a chair positioned securely so it won’t slide away on you)

10 minute EMOM: every minute for 10 minutes complete the following
8-10 reverse lunges

Don’t forget to try and get out and go for a walk or a hike, maybe a bike ride or a swim. Enjoy all that our beautiful area has to offer and Happy Canada 150!!

 

 

 

Summer Class Schedule Update

Many of you have met and had Janet Meesters as a coach when I have been away with my family.  I would like to congratulate coach Janet Meesters on her new job that she has just accepted.  This is a great change and opportunity for her.  She will be starting her training for her new position and unfortunately will not be able to coach next week as we had planned.  Therefore, I will be cancelling classes on June 26, June 28 and July 3.

Keep following the Blog next week and I will post some very simple “At Home” workouts for you to try so that you can keep your routine going while I am away.

And now for today’s workout:

Strength Focus

4 sets of
20 Bird Dog
80m Carry: 20m Farmers Carry, 20m Front Rack Carry, 20m Farmer Carry, 20m Front Rack Carry

Conditioning Workout:

21-15-9 interrupted  … walk one lap
Sumo Dead Lift High Pull
Step-up and over

 

 

 

Hoping you and all the fathers in your life had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend, despite the wet and stormy weather!

Summer holidays for school children are fast approaching and I just want to let all of you know that I will be away here and there throughout the summer and coach Janet Meesters will be coaching for me.  She will be coaching next week on June 26, June 28 and July 3, so please welcome her.  There are some other dates throughout the summer that she will be coaching and I will keep you all informed so you know who to expect when you arrive at the gym.

Today’s workout:

Strength Focus

3 sets of 8-10 of the following:
Goblet Squat
Push-ups

 

Conditioning Workout:

In teams of 3, complete 9 rounds of:
6 Burpees
9 Goblet Squats (heavy)
12 KB swings (heavy)

 

Balance

We will focus a bit of time today after our warm up practicing some Balance Challenges and Balance Training. Balance is vital in our everyday lives and we often take it for granted until we find ourselves loosing our footing, fling our arms in the air as our heart goes racing into high gear with the adrenaline rush as your body tries to save itself.

As we age there are many things that can contribute to loss of balance leading to falls:

• Vision may decrease which can lead to falls due to not seeing clearly.
• Hips and legs can become weaker making it harder to walk.
• Poor posture or spinal degeneration can make it harder to stand erect.
• The ability to lift feet decreases and leads to stumbles.
• It takes longer to react when something is in our way causing us to fall.
• Many drugs interact causing dizziness or decrease balance.
• Low blood pressure can lead to light-headedness increasing our risk of falls.

There are 3 systems that our body uses to keep our body from falling.

1. Somatosensory: being able to feel the ground under your feet, sensory feedback from your feet, ankles, knees and hips
2. Vision: provides feedback to your brain about your environment
3. Vestibular system: your inner ear, gives your brain feedback about different kinds of motion (circular, up and down) and works very closely with your vision

Balance can decline as we age, but research suggests that we can train it.  With practice and training we can limit the loss of balance associated with aging and even improve our balance.  The strength training work we do each class often has a balance component (think squats, lunges and step-ups) to it and greatly assists in the prevention of falls.

So, come to class and try our Balance Challenges and Training Focus today!

Single leg challenges

Strength Focus

Bench Press 5 sets of 5 reps

 

Workout

In partners, complete a total of 3 rounds of the following:
40 KB swings
30 Box Step-ups
20 Push-ups
10 Rings Rows

We had another beautiful weekend and I hope everyone was able to get out and “play” in the warm weather and sunshine. By “play”, I mean anything that you enjoy in the outdoors. For some of you it might be going for a hike or playing a round of golf. For others in might be puttering in your garden or going for a bike ride or a walk. Whatever you did, I hope you remembered to stay hydrated and drank lots of water.

As the weather gets nicer, we will try and take advantage of being outside as well.  That is the plan for this workout so be prepared and don’t forget your water bottles!

Strength Focus

Goblet Squats 3 x 30 sec hold at bottom with light kettlebell

Goblet Squats 5 sets of 5 reps,  progressively loading each set

 

Workout 

Thruster Review, then …

4 rounds of:
100m run/walk
10 DB Thrusters

 

Strength Focus

3 sets of:
Deadlift 8-10 reps
Isometric Hold – chin over bar 15-30 sec

 

Conditioning

3 rounds of:
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 sumo deadlift
100m walk/run

Exercise is a Miracle Drug

Scientists have been looking at the effects of exercise on the human body for a long time. It was in 1953 when a study comparing postmen to other more sedentary workers like mail sorters that established a link between exercise and disease prevention, thus inspiring more research.  This study clearly showed that postmen suffered fewer deaths from heart attacks and heart failure than those that were employed in more sedentary work.

We now have a wealth of research to draw from and it is very clear that exercise directly impacts our health.  Some of you have been part of the research process through McMaster University and the work of my friend Christina Nowak.  As the results from her recent work become official I will try to share it with you.  I know that her unofficial results were what I think we all knew, strength training resulted in improved health measures.

If you want to see what she is up to and learn more about health and fitness related issues from an incredible physical therapist, check out her Blog here:

http://www.staveoff.ca/category/blog/

 

Today’s workout:

Strength Focus:

3 sets of:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press  8-10 reps
Plank Holds  30sec

 

Workout:
2 min of work followed by 2 min of complete rest for 4 rounds

6 DB shoulder press
10 box step ups
4 burpees for 8 lunges