I love HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training)! It can be done with just your bodyweight and the will to get it done. For this workout we have 9 exercises, each one done for 30 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest, and a total of 3 rounds. It works great. The exercise are   Burpees Pushups Squats Speed Skaters Renegade Rows Mountain Climbers  Ape Crawl Bear Crawl Crab Crawl For more Information about Online or In-Home Personal Training, click here  

We're living in a very chaotic time right now. In December , nobody knew what the Coronavirus was and now it's all over the news in what seems reminiscent of the Spanish Flu of the early 20th Century. We will get through this with positivity, social distancing, and being careful and responsible. In the meantime however, managing stress is super important. And one of the best ways I know of is through Qigong Meditation. I've practiced it for many years now and it's really helped me at particularly stressful points in my life.   There are many ways of practicing this. It…

Almost everyone has hard of reflexology. But what you may not know is just how simple it is to incorporate into your daily life with simple techniques that can be done anywhere. First, what exactly is reflexology? It's all about the various pressure points of the body. Applying pressure to the hands, feet, and ears in the correct way can relax your body, relieve pain, and relieve stress.   For this post, we'll focus on the hands since your hands are always right there out in the open and can easily be done anywhere. Even if you're on a subway or a…

One thing I've seen a lot in the fitness industry is trainers giving everyone the same workout regardless of their goals and needs. For the most part, this is a bodybuilding style split routine. You know the ones I'm talking about. The programs where you train different muscles on different days. You may have an upper body day and a lower body day, or you may do your chest and back one day, legs and abs, one day, arms and shoulders one day, etc. And depending on your goals, that may be the right program for you. Or it might not…

A question I get asked sometimes is whether or not I feel the time and effort invested in fitness is worth the sacrifice. It's true that I do spend a great deal of time working out, researching, pondering, etc. As a result, I'm not able to spend as much time doing other things such as watching tv shows, gaming, and other similar activities. I'm very selective about which shows I watch as I only have limited time. I do however make time for playing music, spending time with my family, art, and some other interests. But nonetheless, there are things…

No matter what activity you engage in, footwork is buy far the most important thing. In today's video, I demonstrate some martial arts footwork and body connection drills, but they can be applied to any activity. Remember that without good footwork and strong legs, it is very similar to a car with a pitiful engine. It may look fantastic, but if the engine is useless you won't be going very far or fast.   In the video I go over a few exercises. The first two are Qigong exercises taken from the Bagua system of Chinese martial arts. The third is a…

Nowadays we hear a lot about pre-workout drinks. People like the idea of getting an energy boost before a workout. Unfortunately there are also some ingredients in these drinks that may not be the best for your health. In addition, many of their supposed benefits are not backed by research. Also, why would you want to resort to stimulants or other questionable supplements when natural approaches can get the job done safely?   Dried fruits (or regular) have been used for centuries for an energy boost and a source of quick fuel. They are probably the richest natural foods on earth in…

With 70 to 80% of the adult population suffering from lower back pain, it's essential to learn how to exercise properly to train it. It isn't as hard as you might think, but what it does require is consistency. I had the pleasure recently to meet up with Ian Edmondson who is a personal trainer from Ottawa, Ontario. He is also and Active Aging Specialist dealing with many clients with lower back pain. He himself is no stranger to it since he's had several severe care accidents.    Anyway the exercises he demonstrated today were: 1. The Angry Child 2. The Sphinx 3. The Cobra 4.…

There are many misconceptions about self defense. What it is and what it is not. But most of it boils down to what your goals are. Similar to fitness goals, if you don't have a clear idea of what you're trying to achieve, there's no way you can possibly know how to get there.   First, let's get something straight. Your goal is not to win a fight! Your goal is to survive and get home in one piece. If it's possible to do it peacefully, do it! Getting into a street altercation never ends well. Even if you win the fight,…

One of the older workouts from the golden age of bodybuilding was the "I Go, You Go" workout. It's as simple as it sounds, but it certainly isn't easy. It is a more advanced program so I'd recommend that you have at least 6 months or so before trying it out. A good trainer can of course evaluate your fitness level and determine if it's appropriate for you.   You'll need a trainer or a training partner for this one. One person does 10 reps of an exercise. Then the second person does 10 reps. Then the first person goes again and…

Steve Reeves was so many things in life. He was a champion bodybuilder, a world renowned actor (known especially from the Hercules films), the inventor of Power Walking, a rancher, And an excellent cook with a solid understanding of nutrition. He was never a fanatic when it came to his food choices and he never followed any of the extreme practices such as cutting out entire macronutrients from your diet!   Instead he ate REAL food! Good, wholesome, tasty, and nutritious food. He was also a great guy to meet and talk to. One of my most valued possessions is the autographed…

Yes, not all trainers are created equal. While there are many outstanding trainers out there, there are also many trainers who have no business training themselves and certainly not clients So here are the Top 10 signs that your personal trainer sucks.   1. THEY DON'T SHOW YOU WORTHWHILE OR PRACTICAL EXERCISES There are many trainers who love to amp up the "WOW" factor and show you crazy, exotic, and often dangerous exercises. Standing on a stability ball while doing dumbbell curls and simultaneous knee lifts may seem very effective. You're training your balance, core, coordination, and so much more, right? Wrong! You're risking falling…

In the first part of this series for Seniors' Exercises, we covered mobility exercises. In Part 2, we're covering balancing exercises. The key to balance is to 1) Understand and feel your root or connection to the ground 2) Understand and feel your centreline   These are actually part of the same concept, but it's better to think of them separately at first. Watch the video to learn more. In Part 3, we will conclude this series with breathing exercises.  

Most people have probably heard the term HIIT before. In case you haven't, it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. A very solid method of training particularly for fat loss. In fact, some studies have actually shown that it can be up to 3 times more effective than steady state cardio.   Not that anything is wrong with steady state cardio, but for maximum efficiency HIIT wins. Of course this concept is hardly new. A round of boxing is interval training as well. 3 minutes of work followed by 1 minute of rest. And of course, as an alternative to timing your…

This is a really fun gamified version of the Bear Crawl. The goal is to stay at the same range to your partner and mirror their actions. If they move backwards, you must move forwards. If they move to their left, you must move to your right. It can be a bit confusing, but it does test your reaction, coordination, and you're training your core the entire time!  

You may have heard about the popularity of the Mediterranean diet for improved physical and mental health. But, do you know what specific factors or nutrients in this specific diet are the ones that are making such a big difference? What do the foods that are commonly found in the Mediterranean diet all have in common that other foods may not? Studies have shown that, in fact, there are specific nutrients in these foods that work to improve brain health. This means that instead of relying on a specific diet such as the Mediterranean diet to stay healthy, you may focus…