Archery Testimonial

"Charles was great. Patient, gives good advice and his approach to setting up for a shot was helpful and resulted in consistent shots." 

- Cesar O.

Are Frozen Veggies Bad For You?

If you can get fresh vegetables, preferably picked, purchased and prepared for dinner all within 48 hours, then yes, that is absolutely healthy for you.

But lets pretend you can't always go to the grocery store to buy fresh vegetables. Maybe you like to stores veggies in your fridge and they tend to go bad easily. So you ultimately end up throwing out rotten onions and other things you meant to eat, but simply didn't get to them in time to save them from a grisly rotting demise.

So the question then is:

Are frozen veggies bad for you?

The short answer? NO.

They're actually quite healthy for you.

Frozen vegetables have a tendency to lose a bit of their taste, but all the nutrients are still there. Just frozen nutrients. They're perfectly healthy and if you toss them in a stewpot, boil them, toss in some cooked beef or chicken, and you've got yourself a healthy veggie and meat soup.

HOWEVER! Not all veggies can be frozen. Onions and potatoes for example, just don't freeze that well. But corn, peas, carrots, beets... perfect! Works great for berries too!

And what is better, if you get flash frozen vegetables you will discover they maintain the quality of the taste too. All the convenience, all the healthy goodness and all the great taste too!

Three Ways to get rid of Cellulite

First what exactly is cellulite?

It's actually just fat.

It is just fat that is arranged differently than the other fat on our bodies. Fat is separated by connective tissue and on a woman's body some of those tissues are honeycombed shaped. An excess amount of fat in these areas will bulge out and that is the cause of cellulite.

However contrary to popular belief, it is not caused by poor circulation, or toxins in the body, although
lack of exercise certainly is part of the problem. With age, women put on more weight and their skin becomes thinner and they exercise less. This causes an increased appearance and occurrence of cellulite.

But can it be "cured" naturally? Not really (because there is no cure for fat), but like all fat cellulite can be reduced. There is no miracle exercise or diet, just old fashioned fat burning to reduce the excess fat that is being stored, and weight training, to build muscle and tone the area. You really want full body exercises that cut down on all your extra fat stores and this will, with time and effort, reduce your cellulite. (Or prevent it altogether by exercising regularly.)

Tips to Reduce or Prevent Cellulite

1. Exercises that target the lower body
 

Squats (try with a side leg raise)

Lunges (try one foot on a chair)

Lying inner and outer thigh raises

Step Ups

Standing Leg Curls
2. Diet Changes to Reduce Cellulite
 

Cut out Junk food, eat more healthy greens

Clean up the diet to reduce the chance of unhealthy weight gain. Cut out fried and fatty food.

Drink more water
3. Add more Cardio plus a dash of weight lifting

Cardiovascular exercise burns fat in large amounts. A reduction in overall body fat will decrease the appearance of cellulite and prevent more from developing. Any exercise that can be maintained for 20 or more minutes and elevate the heart rate will achieve this result. It can be walking, cycling, dancing, rowing, boxing, power yoga, etc. You have to do this daily to get the benefits.

Add a dash (5 to 10 minutes daily) of weight lifting and you will also maintain your muscle tone and maximize your fat loss.

For many women cellulite has always been a problem, but don't stress about it. You can work our butts off and eat as healthy as possible, but ultimately self-acceptance, loving your bodies and noticing all of the positive attributes that you have to offer is more important than a little bit of weird looking fat!

Exercising while Watching TV

The average American spends less than 30 minutes daily exercising, but spends 3 hours watching television.

This means that if the average American simply exercised while watching television they would increase the amount of exercise they get by 700%.

With that in mind here is 10 Tips for Exercising while Watching TV...

1. Fidget while you watch your shows. Science has proven that people who fidget even while sitting down can burn up to 350 more calories per day. If your body is in motion, it is burning calories. (Note that this also can be done at work at your desk.)

2. Move your exercise equipment in front of the TV. If you have a treadmill stuck in the corner doubling as a clothing hanger, now is the time to dust it off and move it right in front of the TV. You cannot see around it, so you’ll be forced to get on and walk while your favorite shows are on. Keep some dumbbells / etc in the same room as the TV so you have something to do with your arms while you watch.

3. Set up a circuit training route in front of your TV. If your living room is large enough, you can set up “stations” that you go to in order to perform cardio routines while your shows are on. You can jump rope, walk in place, or use equipment like dumbbells, exercise balls or steps to get your heart rate up.

4. See how many pushups you can do during a show trailer or commercial. If you’re just starting out, then you might start with pushups during commercials, but once you become more adept at exercising, see how many you can do during a half hour or hour long show! If pushups are too tiring, do jumping jacks instead.

5. Do lunges while you watch TV. You can do lunges in place or walking lunges around the room while your shows are on.

6. Walk in place as you catch up on your favorite show. Walking in place requires no special equipment and it won’t put a strain on your body while you do it. Just march your legs up and down and rest during the commercials.

7. See how many squats you can do. Squats can be done in place or up against a wall in a sitting position. See how long you can hold it. Can you reach a certain number of squats before the next commercial?

8. Become a commercial crunch Queen (or King)! Crunches take less effort than a full sit up, but they help tone your abs a lot better. See how many crunches you can do during commercials or if you’re brave – during the length of the show itself!

9. Watch exercise shows on TV and move along with them. You don’t have to invest in a lot of expensive exercise videos if your budget is small. There are tons of free cable channels that have daily exercise shows on them for all levels – beginner through advanced.

10. Switch up your exercise routines with your TV watching habits. You do not watch the same TV show over and over every hour, do you? No – you switch it up between the news, a reality TV show, and maybe a sitcom or police drama. So do the same with your exercise routines, too. Switch it up so that you don’t get bored and are more likely to stick to it for the long haul.

An Apple per Day helps Shed the Pounds

According to a study published in May 2011, two groups of postmenopausal women aged 45 to 65 were given either dried apples, or prunes every day for one year to see how it would effect their cholesterol and weight.

After six months the findings determined that the women who ate the dried apples had lowered their LDL "bad" cholesterol by 23% and increased their "good" HDL cholesterol by 4%.

The extra calories consumed daily from the dried apples did not cause any weight gain. In fact, the women in the apple group lost on average over three pounds. This is said to be because apples help satiate hunger so you don't feel as hungry and don't feel the urge to binge on food.

So if you are not already making apples a regular part of your meal plan, there's some motivation for you to make apples part of your daily snack routine.

While the women in the study were using dried apples, it probably doesn't matter what kind of apple it is. The old adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is likely because of some very good scientific reasons.

The Benefits of Apples

#1. Reduced Appetite

#2. More Good Cholesterol, Less Bad Cholesterol.

#3. Long Term Weight Loss

#4. Nutritious!

Does Exercise Stunt your Growth?

A commonly asked question that people have when they see an image like the one on the right here (a boy who clearly does weightlifting) is how does this effect his physical growth?

Does exercising stunt his growth?

This, as it turns out, is actually a myth. Exercising actually does the opposite. It actually INCREASES growth by triggering the brain to release Human Growth Hormone...

Children who exercise and eat healthy grow up to be "big and strong". Its an old concept similar to Popeye's "I'm strong to the finish because I eat my spinach!"

Exercising, any exercising, causes the brain to release more Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which in turns triggers the body to both regenerate existing tissue, but also triggers growth spurts in children, and in adults HGH works to hinder diseases like cancer and keeps the body feeling younger.

It is one of the reasons why people who exercise are typically taller and also appear younger than counterparts in their same age group. (I am frequently told I look to be approx. 25 years old and almost no one ever guesses I am 33. That is the result of exercise and healthy eating.)

For children who are growing regular exercise needs to be part of their regular routine. Lack of exercise and unhealthy eating will result in children growing up to be "short and stout". Exercise, vitamins, calcium and a balanced diet make a big difference in a growing body.

If children excel at a particular sport, for example competitive weightlifting, it isn't going to stunt their growth and will actually make them taller. Look at the weightlifters at the Olympics. A lot of them are hovering around 6 feet tall or over. That is the result of exercise and eating their proverbial spinach.

Now lets pretend you don't believe me or don't believe in the science behind HGH.

Go ahead and ask some pro-weightlifters when they started exercising and how tall they are. The majority of them will say they started weightlifting around 11 or 12 years old and say they are between 5'9" and 6'6" tall. No shortage of tall people amongst weightlifters.

But they will also stress the importance of proper diet. Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to growing both taller and bigger physically.

Understanding Interval Training

Targeting Maximum Fat Loss Through High-Intensity Interval Training

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that is growing in popularity. HIIT combines two of the most effective fat-burning methods.

The first method is high-intensity training, which pushes the body to maximum effort to achieve muscle fatigue and maximum oxygen use in a quick burst. Think sprinting or heavy weight lifting. The harder muscles work, the more oxygen they require. This is measured relative to one’s maximum amount of oxygen their body consumes during exercise. Working your body close to its oxygen max triggers the Afterburn Effect, where the body continues to consume oxygen (and burn calories) up to 48 hours after the workout (it takes approximately five calories to consume one liter of oxygen).

The second method is interval training, which alternates periods of intense effort with periods of moderate-to-low intensity effort. Interval training boosts metabolism significantly longer than a steady workout of equal or even greater length (for example, a 20 minute workout of alternating high/low-intensity periods burns more calories than a 20 minute workout of steady intensity). Interval training also builds lean muscle tissue faster than steady state training.

So instead of jogging for 30 minutes you alternate between sprinting and brisk walking for 30 minutes. Due to the Afterburn Effect it burns even more calories than plain jogging, even though the distance traveled and the time is the same.

By combining the above two exercise methods, exercisers can maximize fat-burning and muscle-building potential through significantly shorter workouts. HIIT also maximizes increased metabolic rate, optimizes muscle building and muscle retention during fat loss, and increases calorie burn during and after workouts.

The Science Behind Interval Training

HIIT taxes and maximizes both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, while light cardio addresses aerobic only. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen to generate energy in the form of ATP, while anaerobic respiration does not. HIIT affects muscle tissue at the cellular level, actually changing mitochondrial activity in the muscles themselves.

University studies indicate as little as 27 minutes of HIIT three times per week produces the same anaerobic and aerobic improvement as 60 minutes of steady state cardio five times per week.

Anytime, Anywhere Fitness

Okay, admittedly there are some times when maybe you should NOT do exercises.

#1. At a funeral.

#2. Jumping jacks in an elevator.

#3. When your best friend tells you that their mom has cancer.

#4. When your boss is threatening to fire you and you suddenly have the urge to do boxing...

But the basic concept of "Anytime, Anywhere Fitness" is to be able to exercise when waiting for something (like your friend to pick you up on the side of the road because your car broke down) and you've got nothing better to do.

So instead of pacing back and forth, which I admit is still exercise, try skipping, doing jumping jacks, yoga, jogging in one spot, etc. If you have something heavy that you can use as a weight you can even do weightlifting with your groceries, briefcase, backpack, books, etc.

Once you learn how to do this you start to realize how there is no shortage of time available to exercise. You can exercise in the shower (I like doing chin ups in the shower, but make sure whatever you are using can support your weight), you can take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, you can lift your own bodyweight while sitting in your chair at work using your arm rests, you can do chin ups on the monkey bars while waiting to pick up your kids after school, you can play tag with your kids or if they're older take an interest in whatever spots they are into (including archery, which is really popular now, but you will need equipment for that).

If you tell a personal trainer you have no time to exercise they will look at you with a pained expression of disappointment because they're well aware that people have plenty of time to exercise... but choose not to because of lack of motivation.

There's always time! If you truly want to workout there's a time in the day that can be put aside no matter how busy life gets.

Three Tips to Squeeze in a Workout

1. The Morning

It's not uncommon for me to wake up at 4 or 5am and my neighbour wakes up at 3! Working out early in the morning has the benefit of getting the routine out of the way early so that no matter what the days throws your way it won't derail the fitness plan.

2. Pencil it in

A lot of people miss their workout because they have other priorities that they have to get through, before they can hit the treadmill or weights. Fitness should be booked just like a meeting, doctor's appointment or picking up dry cleaning. If you say that you'll workout when you have time the fact is, when will you ever? There's not enough time in the day as it is!

3. Fitness Anywhere, Anytime

I'm not unaware that people actually do lead very busy lives. Some work long hours and simply do not have the energy for fitness late in the evening (and need to unwind) while others are busy parents who are trying to balance their work, family and social life. In this case just fit in some exercises whenever you can. Do squats while you cook, or push ups while you're on hold with a corporate client. Walk a few extra blocks to grab a healthier lunch.

Really all it takes is some extra effort and motivation. It has very little to do with time.

How to Measure Muscle Mass

Some weightlifters like to know what percentage of their total weight is muscle and the lbs / kgs of muscle they have. There are several different methods for measuring or calculating the amount of muscle mass in the human body... And the methods are all highly inaccurate.

The only way to directly measure muscle mass is via cadaver dissection, which is not a good option! The methods described below are estimations, and based on different assumptions, and with varying degrees of accuracy. You've been warned!

The human body is made of several things:

Muscle Mass
Fat Mass
Bone Mass
Blood Mass
Waste Mass (Urine, Excrement)
Organ Mass

And so forth. Usually what people want to know is how to measure their Fat Mass and their Muscle Mass, often represented as a percentage of their total weight. Body Fat % X Total Body Weight = Fat Mass; Muscle % X Total Body Weight = Muscle Mass.

There are machines (electronic gadgets) at gyms that can give a rough estimate of fat mass and then using your weight it can be used to calculate the approx. muscle mass. But its based on a percentage and makes a number of assumptions that, including that the fat estimate was accurate and ignores things like above/below average bone and organ weight.

GIRTH MEASUREMENTS

Girth measurements can be used to monitor changes in muscle mass. As the girth measure will also include the fat underlying the skin, any changes in your body fat will affect the results. Therefore, girth measures themselves are only a rough guide to muscle mass changes. The calculation below adjusts the girth measures based on skinfold levels in the calculation of muscle mass.

The Girth Muscle Mass Calculation equation to use is as follows, where: H = height, FG = forearm girth, CG = calf girth, CCG = corrected calf girth, TG = mid-thigh girth, CTG = corrected mid-thigh girth.

CTG = TG - π(mid-thigh skinfold/10)
CCG = CG - π(calf skinfold/10)
Muscle mass (g) = H(0.0553CTG² + 0.0987FG² + 0.0331CCG²) - 2445

24-HOUR URINE CREATININE MEASUREMENTS

Another method for determining muscle mass is through the measurement of the 24-hour urinary excretion of a chemical called creatinine. This method is based on on the correlation between total body creatine and urinary excretion of creatinine, and assumes that nearly all creatine is within muscle tissue, that muscle creatine content remains constant and that creatinine is excreted at a uniform rate.

BODY SCAN

The following methods are not used routinely to measure muscle mass, though it is possible to get estimates of muscle mass from these measurements. Most of these methods require sophisticated and expensive equipment, not usually available for most people.

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) - using this method you can determine body components including non fat soft tissue.
Total Body Potassium (TBK) accurately determines the body's total cell mass (that is, the active growing tissues in the body), which in turn can be used to estimate fat-free or lean body mass. When this measurement is combined with measurements from the Total Body Protein, you can determine total organ and muscle mass.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - with MRI it is possible to get accurate measurements of the composition of body tissue, by identifying muscle, fat and organs etc.
Total Body Electrical Conductivity (TOBEC) - can be used to estimate lean body mass.
Computed Tomography (CT) - the high quality images can be processed to differentiate and measure the amounts of fat and lean body tissue.

WHAT'S THE POINT???

So yes, you can try to measure your total muscle mass. But do you really need a number? What difference will that number make beyond bragging rights?

If you're going to do any kind of measuring the things I recommend measuring is your Personal Best.

How you do that depends on you, but what I like to do when weightlifting is to once a week see what the maximum amount of weight I can lift with a specific group of muscles. And to me it doesn't count as successful unless I can do 10 repetitions of that weight. If I can only do somewhere between 1 and 9 then it doesn't count. If I am going to lift something I don't want to lift it for a few seconds and then drop it and be unable to lift it again because my muscles are too tired. I want to be able to lift it and sustain that weight for a reasonable amount of time.

Once I know I can do that I can say that is my Personal Best and then aim to improve upon that.

Knowing my Muscle Mass percentage is comparatively useless.

How to Succeed in a Marathon

Autumn is a popular time of year for races and marathons in Toronto. The Scotiabank Waterfront Half Marathon for example, but if you want to compete in a long race you may want to take the following tips and advice into account to make yourself more competitive and to give yourself an extra energy boost.

Four Tips for a Successful Race-Day

#1. Eat well the night before and day of

You will want lots of energy and that means packing in the carbs the night before the race and on the morning of the race. Think pasta, bread, pretzels, anything with lots of energy in it. Just don't overdo it or you will feel bloated.

#2. Use the Washroom before the race

If you think that those porta-potties on the course will be vacant, think again! There's a huge line-up at every one! If you don't want to botch your time waiting in line 10 minutes, make sure everything is taken care of before you enter the corral and cross the start-line. Plus you will be able to run faster without carrying the extra weight in your bowels.

#3. Wear your Foil Blanket (Heatsheets) 

After you finish the race the volunteers will hand you a foil blanket. After the run you're pretty hot and sweaty and at first you think that the last thing you want is a blanket! But what actually happens is you start to cool down quickly after the race and you will feel hypothermic for about an hour after the race.

#4. Remember to stretch and eat after the race

It won't help you win, but its a good idea to eat something and stretch your legs/arms after the race. Otherwise you will be very sore for a week after the race. Have a friend bring grapes or some kind of fruit for you to eat after the race is over and try to do some stretching / yoga after the race.

Happy Racing!