Summertime and the Livin' is .....easy!

Boy has it been HOT lately! Wow. Summer is really here. I love it.

When I am at Bayfront at 5:30am with my Adventure Boot Camp ladies it is already warming up for the day. It really is a glorious time of year. This morning, we did the Dundurn Stairs for about 30 minutes before hitting the Stability Balls in The Studio for core work. Great way to start the day.

It can, however, be tough to keep your fitness efforts going during this time of year. The heat, the humidity........ and the BBQs! It IS a challenge to stay lean and fit. What I tell all of my clients (and what I do myself), is to "Do the best you can.... in the place that you are.". Do your best. You can't do anymore than that.

Also, if you pick long term goals that are spread throughout the year, you can DECIDE to make summer a time of recovery, regeneration and growth... as long as it is part of your overall plan. There is a time and a place for everything. If you are planning to do something significant in the fall, then do your absolute best to maintain your fitness level during the summer, recover from any nagging injuries and get ready to rock in the fall.

....and enjoy yourself! Before you know it, the sweaters will be coming out again.

Joy and Pain.... the Rollercoaster

Boy, the last few weeks have been intense. Life is never static and we have experienced some real highs as well as some trying times.

First off, we were saddened by news that we got from our trainer Rich Menna that he and his wife suffered a personal family tragedy. Our hearts go out to them. They are fighters, survivors and they will endure. We're with you Rich and Ashley.

Next, we are all so proud of our partner Adam Higson, (All Canadian Fitness Personal Trainer) who has coached his THIRD Kickboxer to a title in the last couple of years. Adam performs miracles in his private fighting gym Phoenix Fight Club...... just like he does with his ACF clients.

On a personal note, one of my personal heroes/ icons left us this month. Legendary singer Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer at 67 in April. While I didn't know RJD, I must have spent at least 10 000 hours listening to his music from Rainbow to Black Sabbath to Dio. I have run, biked, trained and partied with Ronnie since I was 13 years old. Hears to you Ronnie!

The Stanley Cup playoffs have been AWESOME! What a run the Montreal Canadiens have had. NOBODY expected them to even get into the playoffs and they ended up knocking off the top team in the league as well as the defending Stanley Cup champs. Way to go boys.

...and finally, tonight I am going to my daughter's dance recital! She is so excited and will be awesome! Jazz and Acro. It will be worth sitting through the FORTY other acts to see her! :)

All of this is fitness. Remember.............Fitness is Life!

Two GREAT Products

What a great mountain bike ride this morning! 2 hours on the trails and the road is like 3 hours of meditating. My head is clear and I am feeling fatigued, but, energized at the same time. If you are hauling your bike out at this time of year and looking for an edge, you really have to try this incredible product that I swear by.


Pedro's ICE WAX. An all in one chain lubricant and cleaner. No squeaking chains or gears and any winter rust will be gone as you ride. It really makes you feel like the wind as you shift gears that much easier. Believe it or not, the ride becomes more fun.







Another, totally unrelated, great product that I found today was at Metro. Life- Smart Whole Wheat Couscous! Finally! I love couscous with meat and veggies, but, didn't like eating white flour. So..........here it is:

This 'n That

It's been too long since my last Blog! In my case that's a good thing. I have been sooo busy with so many things that I just haven't had the time. A lame excuse I know, but, here goes....

The weather is beyond amazing and that excites me because it is time to get back on my mountain bike and back on the trails! Sunday morning, I'm out the door. We're lucky around Hamilton that we have so many trails in and around the city. Can't wait.

Around the Studio, we have experienced some real successes lately. Adam has a client that has lost 15 pounds in about 8 weeks! He pushes hard and the clients that buy into it and go along for the ride experience AMAZING results. Adam is also working with a client that is about to go over the 100lb. weight loss mark. Wow.

Rich has a client that has been out of work for many months due to TWO knee injuries. As a letter carrier, she obviously needs to be able to walk and needs strong knees. Well..... she is now at the point that she is planning to return to work. Well done Rich!

Bryan has been TRANSFORMING a client for the past few months and has been training with him as a partner. They are within weeks of revealing the results. Believe me when I say that the results are nothing less than mind blowing.

So.... at this time of year, it is important to plan for "something". Get in shape for golf season, plan to be leaner and lighter in a bathing suit, lose the winter weight, be strong and agile for baseball season or pick a sport and actually train for that sport.

Summer is coming! The living is good. Kill your TV and get out there!

3-2-1...........Burn

I did something recently that I almost NEVER do! I read one of those Supermarket / Celebrity magazines. It was a Fit and Famous issue and focussed on celebrities and their workout/ diet regimens. About 90% of it was fluff and junk written as an excuse to show hot pictures of Fergie, Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman!

One article, however, stood out. Ramona Braganza is a Hollywood trainer that specializes in working with actresses post-pregnancy that NEED to get into killer shape for movie roles. These women tend to be very busy and short of time, so they need a great, efficient workout that doesn't take up their entire day. Ramona created the 3-2-1 training method that incorporates 3 cardio sequences, 2 strength sequences and 1 core sequence into a single session.

I was intrigued and decided to try it with a couple of clients that I currently see who are ALWAYS pressed for time. I have to say, I like it! AND they are really feeling it. I love it as a "shake up" for a routine that may have become stale or for someone that has been overdoing the weights without enough cardio (because they HATE cardio!).

I am planning to use the 3-2-1 training method in my next Adventure Boot Camp for Women that starts on March 22nd on mondays, wednesdays and fridays. I am anticipating greater results next month then any other!

............spots are still available at http://www.adventurebootcamphamilton.com/

Green Life..... Eco- Friendly

For a few weeks now we have been using a new CANADIAN product called the GREENlife Eco- Friendly Exercise Balls. We LOVE using stability balls in almost all of our workouts. The GREENlife balls work great and as an added bonus, they are PVC free. This means that they are more environmentally friendly and less abrasive or irritating to those with skin sensitivities.

The balls take a little getting used to as they are a bit more "stiff" in feel (the PVC is what makes rubber pliable) then the other balls that we have been using. The stiffness gives you a little more of a stable feel as you pump them with more air.

We used them in a class setting today and everyone had a fantastic workout. It is amazing how much work you can do with a simple tool like a stability ball.

Here is the workout that we did which hit ALL major muscle groups.

Wall Squats
Crunches
Pushups
Back Extensions
Rollouts for the Lats and Abs
Lower Back Extensions
Jacknifes
Abdominal Ball "Passes"

Tough.... but effective. You can check out GREENlife here: http://www.GreenLifeBall.ca

Goals!

At this time of year you hear over and over about how you should be setting goals. Not just any goals, but, SMART goals. Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timed goals.

BORING! Realistic? Are you kidding me? When it's dark, cold and dreary and you just don't want to eat another egg white or chicken breast, realistic will not get you out of bed, on the bike or in the gym.

Forget realistic. Dream BIG! Make your goals ridiculously huge and exciting. Make them MAKE you get up and at 'em.


Aim for the stars. You might end up on a mountain top.