Workout Tip

If you haven't already noticed we constantly put up new workouts for our followers to do. Some workouts require fitness equipment and some require no equipment at all. We try to cater to all individuals whether it be a workout at your local club, at home or hotel. Now there may be exercises that you may not know how to do but thats okay. Send us an email with your question and we will do our best to answer in a timely fashion. 

Try our new simple circuit that you can do at home. Remember that when we say 'simple' it means it's easy to set up and perform anywhere. The workout will be tough and is meant to push you but you can do it! The only bad workout is the one that didn't happen. We all can Conquer performance. 

Video of the Day

Found this great video of a woman performing various yoga positions on a beach. She shows amazing strength, flexibility and balance. It also proves that physical activity and exercise can be done almost anywhere.

Banana and Nut Protein Pancakes

A fellow personal trainer gave me a great recipe for protein pancakes. I tried it with bananas and choppped walnuts topped with sugar free syrup and it was awesome. I just had to share.

 Recipe makes for one serving

Ingredients:
1/3 cup oats (I used quick oats)
5 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 small banana

Toppings:
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp sugar free syrup

Cooking Directions:
Heat a small to medium sized non-stick pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Put in the oats and nutmeg into a magic bullet. If you dont have a magic bullet you can use any standard blender. Blend until it has a flour consistency. Then add egg whites, half the banana and vanilla. Once all ingredients are blended pour the batter into the preheated pan. The edges wil start to bubble and once the underside is golden brown flip the pancake. Slice the rest of the banana on top of the pancakes and add chopped walnuts and sugar free syrup. Now enjoy!


                                     
 (note: I did not take this picture. Mine looked very similar but I was too hungry and forgot to snap a pic, sorry)

Nutrition Value Per Single Serving: 
Kcal: 350g Fat: 11g Carbs: 36g Fibre: 5g Sugar: 5g Protein: 24g

For people who are bulking you can also add a scoop of vanilla whey protein to bump up the nutritional value.

The runners worst fear: The Shin Splint

New runners and avid gym goers fear the dreaded shin splints and are common among beginner runners. They are usually cased by an imbalance in the muscles of the lower leg. (The shin muscles are weaker than the calf muscle)

With the proper care they can be treated and/or prevented.

Here's How:

1. Over-striding is one of the major causes of shin splints. Keep the running stride longer in back and shorter in front. Go faster by pushing off more with the back leg.

2. Strengthen your lower leg muscles, the calf (back leg muscle) and tibialis anterior (front leg muscle), with exercises. Toe Raises can help build the shin muscles and improve their strength. (Thus be able to keep up with the calf)

TIP** Toe raises can be done by placing a plate weight on the floor and lie it over you shoe covering your toes. while standing, or sitting, raise your toes lifting the weight higher off the floor. Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.



3. Replace old shoes. Shoe cushioning is exhausted every 500-600 miles. Most of the time they will run out of life long before the soles or the upper shoe. Your old, dead shoes can be a cause to shin splints and plantar fasciitis (a condition that feels like you have bruised your heel) as well as foot and leg fatigue.

TIP** When getting new shoes look for shoes with a low heel. high heeled shoes are bad running shoes. Saucony, Asics and Newbalance are a great brand of runners.

4. If you're running on concrete you can try softer surfaces like dirt or grass, or even sand rather than concrete as the hard surface of concrete can cause a lot of impact on the muscles as well as your joints.

5. Take every other day off so that the muscles can relax and recovery. running is an exercise for the legs so treat them like you are working out any other muscle. No need to overdue it.

6. Ice will also become your best friend as ice will help to reduce the swelling that may be caused by micro-tears in the muscle. Try icing before and after each run.

TIP** A good warm up will help your legs prepare for the run you are about to do. Try jogging at a easy pace to get the blood flowing and your muscles warm before you kick up the pace.

So don't let shin splints stop you from reaching your goals as it is just a stepping stone that can be kicked aside with right remedy and proper training.

Video of the Day!!

The World Cup is almost here and Nike has already begun to take advantage of probably the worlds most anticipated sports event. Even for a rugby player like me I still get pumped for the World Cup every time I see this ad.

I wonder if Canada will be in it this year?

Check it out!

Core exercises to improve your golf swing

Golfers need to focus on technique to see improvement, but two basic components of conditioning can improve your golf swing and reduce your risk of injury. Core strength and flexibility can help to get you those few extra yards as well as help to prevent injury in the future. To increase your core strength try these two exercise.

1. Seated ab twists




2. Swiss ball Russian twists



Flexibility exercises will help to keep the mobility in your back and help with your range of motion. Try these stretches to help improve your flexibility.

1. Toe touch


(Make sure to switch the stretch to both the left and right toe alternating your hands)

2. Lower back stretch


(Make sure to switch the stretch on both the left and right side)

Time to hit the track!

With the weather getting better it is about time to start training at the track again. I'm a big believe in high intensity interval training as I hate doing cardio. The track at most high schools, some elementary school and even parks is a great way to do some intervals. What I usually do is start with 2-3 laps of a nice jogging pace. Once I get to the starting line I will begin with a sprint until I reach the bend in the track. At this point I will walk around the bend till I am facing the next straightaway. Once again I will sprint as fast as I can till I reach the bend. Each time you do one sprint followed by a walk, that is one interval. My usual goal is to complete 8-10 full laps (not including the warm up laps) or until I collapse.

For you beginners I would suggest aiming for 4-5 full laps and increase by 1 lap every week as your runs become easier and faster. Work your way up to your goal and watch the fat melt right off your body.

Now as the weather gets hotter try to hit the track in the early morning or the late evening to make it easier for you to breathe because this is very important. You will be pushing your body hard and you need to make sure you take in fresh cool air to fuel your muscles with oxygen. Give it a try!

Kettlebells for Cardio

Many people are unaware of the benefits to training with kettlebells. It wasn't until a fellow trainer introduced me to them that I found a love for these old fashioned exercise equipment. He basically preaches using kettlebells and I've seen his gains first hand. If you are interested you can check out his blog at http://boristerzic.blogspot.com.

Kettlebells can be used to gain power, strength, endurance, cardio and even enhance focus. I have recently begun to test my strengths and add kettlebell training into my weekly routine. I have only focused on using kettlebells for cardio for now as I am trying to train for certain events in this upcoming spring/summer season.

Here is an example of a recent workout I did which was a lot harder than I thought. Give it a try. And remember just like all other types of training if you are new or inexperienced seek help from a professional in your gym. Once you understand the fundamentals of kettlebell training it can be done almost anywhere.

Begin with 5mins of a warm-up (I used skipping as i had the rope handy)

10 one arm swings (right then left)
1 minute of skipping
10 one arm snatches (right then left)
1 minute of skipping
10 two-arm swings
1 minute of skipping
10 one-arm clean and jerk (right then left)
1 minute of skipping
10 one arm swings (right then left)

To finish I walked on a treadmill to bring my heart rate back down to a normal rate.

UFC 111 GSP vs Dan Hardy

A great ad that speaks for itself.

Video Of The Day

For all things Irish, Happy St. Patrick's Day!



Spirit of the West - "Home For A Rest"