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Sign up for personal training / sports training by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com.

Autumn Cycling

The Fall months are arguably the best time of year to go bicycling. And it is a great time of year to do something with the whole family.

It is not too hot, not too cold, you can wear a hoodie or a short sleeved shirt (or both), and the chance of rain is minimal.

The cooler temperature means you can cycle harder and faster without overheating.

Visually the scenery becomes quite brilliant too, so take your camera with you as you cycle through pretty neighbourhoods in Toronto - or take the bicycle with you as you visit locations near Toronto.

One of my favourite places is Hilton Falls near Milton. It has both hiking and bicycle trails. And with the waterfalls as part of the scenery it makes for a fantastic place to stop and enjoy the wonder of nature.



Hilton Falls is one of the few waterfalls in Ontario which you can walk around behind the waterfalls and then plunge your arm into it. The Hilton Falls Conservation Area has multiple bicycle trails of varying intensity. More than enough to challenge experienced cyclists - and plenty for fun for people new to cycling in the great outdoors.

I am already planning another trip back there in October when the leaves will be different colours.

There are many other fun locations to go cycling in the region around Toronto.

Things to take with you:

Camera / cellphone

Water / Sports Drink

Snacks

Umbrella (not for the rain, for walking around behind the waterfalls - trust me on this one)

Depending on where you are going you might also wish to take a map with out. A proper paper map is easier to read than your phone app. So if you are going on a bicycle / wine tour of the Niagara wineries, take a map with you - and don't drink and ride!



Spinach, one of the world's healthiest foods

A single half cup of cooked spinach (90 grams) contains a lot of nutrients - including many of the nutrients people need and often lack in their unbalanced diets. It makes a great way to rectify that problem by re-balancing your diet.

Note: 90 grams of cooked spinach is only 8 tablespoons.

vitamin K 493.6% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin A 52.4% of your Recommended Daily Intake

manganese 42% of your Recommended Daily Intake

folate 32.9% of your Recommended Daily Intake

magnesium 19.5% of your Recommended Daily Intake

iron 17.9% of your Recommended Daily Intake

copper 17.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin B2 16.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin B6 13.9% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin E 12.5% of your Recommended Daily Intake

calcium 12.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

potassium 12.0% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin C 11.8% of your Recommended Daily Intake

fiber 8.6% of your Recommended Daily Intake

phosphorus 7.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

And many more nutritious things in a single half cup of spinach.

And if you're thinking "yuck", remember a half cup is only 8 tablespoons (or roughly 4 heaping tablespoons) - which means you get all that nutritional value from eating a mere 4 gulps worth.

Spinach is also high in antioxidants (which prevents / fights cancer, and slows down the aging process).

Spinach also fights inflammation of the digestive tract - so if you have problems with that region, this is a good food to be eating.

Spinach is especially valuable for fighting prostate cancer. And getting rid of constipation, and for fighting stomach ulcers.

According to various nutritional groups, they list spinach as being the world's most healthiest foods. Other groups list it in their top 5 or top 10 - the exact placement varies on the organization, but its constant presence in the top 'whatever' lists of healthiest foods shows that it deserves to be there.

Spinach also helps prevent osteoporosis. This is because it contains a combination of vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium - all three are needed for healthy bones.

Unlike other veggies, cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits. Half a cup of spinach is actually more nutritious than 3 cups of uncooked spinach. (Raw spinach is too hard to break down by itself, it needs to be cooked so the nutritional value is released.)

Blended uncooked spinach is another good way to eat spinach - it also breaks down the fibre and makes it more nutritious.

Baby spinach or smaller leaf spinach is the healthiest of spinach to eat.

A little spinach goes a long way. Add just a bit to your pasta for some extra flavour and reap the health benefits.

September 2014 Exercise Quotes - Robin Williams

Robin Williams was a huge advocate of bicycling and exercise overall. Here are just a few inspirational / exercise quotes from the comedy legend.

"Why do they call it Rush Hour when nothing moves? Except all the cyclists zooming by like everyone else is standing still!"
- Robin Williams

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."
- Robin Williams

"I was going to say diet and exercise, but the love thing's good too."
- Robin Williams (in Battle of the Smithsonian)

"Cricket is basically baseball on valium."
- Robin Williams

"I love running cross country....On a track, I feel like a hamster."
- Robin Williams

"And I love to ride my bike, which is great aerobics, but also just a great time for me to think, so it's like this terrific double bill."
- Robin Williams

"And if we bury you *** up, I have got a place to park my bike."
- Robin Williams

"I'm strong to the finish, 'cuz I eat me spinach."
- Robin Williams (in the 1980 film "Popeye")

"Death. To die. To expire. To pass on. To perish. To peg out. To push up daisies. To push up posies. To become extinct. Curtains, deceased, Demised, departed And defunct. Dead as a doornail. Dead as a herring. Dead as a mutton. Dead as nits. The last breath. Paying a debt to nature. The big sleep. God’s way of saying, 'Slow down.' "
- Robin Williams

We bid a fond farewell to Robin Williams. He was a truly unique inspiration to millions.



12 Steps of Becoming a Healthier Exercise Machine

#1. Eat healthy, and you will be better able to exercise more. Healthy eating = more energy, more muscle and your internal organs will be happier and healthier too.

#2. Avoid smoking and alcohol. The cigarettes just hurt your lungs and the alcohol damages you heart, liver and kidneys.

#3. Exercise a little bit every day. Even just 6 minutes of cardio per day can have a dramatic benefit for your overall health. Making the effort to exercise 6 minutes x 365 days equals 2190 minutes of exercise per year you would not have gotten otherwise.

A 200 lb person who jogs 6 minutes every day burns approx. 100 calories each time. That is 219,000 calories burned in 1 year. Or 62.57 lbs of fat burned. So yes, 6 minutes per day really can make a huge difference.

#4. Take up a sport that you can really sink your teeth into. No, I am not saying you become like Luis Suarez (soccer legend who likes to bite people), but I am serious about people finding a sport they love which gets them outside exercising at least once per week. And the sport could be anything - axe throwing, rock climbing, kayaking, cycling, competitive dog running, etc. It doesn't matter. Just do it.

#5. A little weight lifting never hurt anyone. You aren't going to bulk up like Hulk Hogan by lifting a few small weights. But you will build extra muscle (which is handy to have) and stronger bones - which will stave off osteoporosis in your old age.

#6. Eat healthy snacks that you love. eg. I love carrot sticks. I cannot get enough of them.

#7. Remember it is not your body that is stopping you from exercising. It is your brain that is too weak willed. Summon the courage and just exercise anyway, regardless of what your brain tells you what you can and cannot do. Start slow and let your body pick up steam as exercising becomes easier as the months go by. Before you know it you will be shedding pounds, adding a little muscle and tossing out your old clothes for new clothes that is tighter fitting.

#8. Be positive about yourself. The people who fail are often the people who are negative about their own abilities to succeed and thus sabotage themselves mentally. Stay positive, stay focused - if you fall off the wagon, just get right back on it without blinking an eye.

#9. "The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a first step." But you need to have the willpower to finish the journey, and the courage to keep going even when the going gets tough.

#10. Stop hanging out with people who insult you. They are not your friends. Make new friends along the way as you change your life for the better. Strangers are only people who have yet to either become a friend, a rival, or an enemy - and most people are not that bad and most likely enjoy having new friends.

#11. Share your exercise / sports passions with friends. Who doesn't want to take up axe throwing, rock climbing, kayaking, cycling, competitive dog running, etc?

#12. Hire a personal trainer in Toronto - because we make lots of free lists like this one just because we really care about the health of our clients. Want to become healthier? We can help you! I don't care if you hire me, but you can always hire someone - even a friend - who can help get you set on the path to healthy exercising.

Archery Testimonials X 5

Five testimonials from a selection of my archery students.

1.

"I am so grateful for your tutelage. I will refer you when I come across someone interested in [your archery] services."

- Joseph Ian Z.

Update: Joseph also sent the following in March 2015, updating his original testimonial:

"Charles has been a wonderful instructor. I am as novice as they come when I started my first lesson. The whole experience was very pleasurable. He was very personable, adaptable and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend to all. The fact I was able to hit a coffee cup lid from about 60 ft, by my third day, says a lot.

Thanks."


2.

"This has been an awesome experience and I can see why people say you are #1 archery instructor in Toronto. I will be coming back for more lessons, but first I want to go buy a compound bow and then you can teach me how to tune the compound bow during the lessons. Thanks again!"

- Barry D.

Note - I was unaware that I am being called the #1 archery instructor in Toronto, but sure, if that is what people want to call me I am okay with that title. I am not going to go shouting it from the rooftops however. Humility is better for your aim.

3.

"Hey man, thanks again for the lessons. I learned a lot from you. I am going to be buying my own bow and maybe a 2nd one so I can get my girlfriend into it. I might end up bringing her back for lessons as well."

- Jake T.

4.

"Thanks again for the lessons. Patrick and Ryan really enjoyed learning from you and I am amazed at how quickly they learned how to shoot 10s. We will definitely recommend you to our friends. As per your suggestion we have already enrolled the boys in Boy Scouts so they can get some archery practice that way too. See you next Summer!"

- Mary-Lee and Jason G.

5.

"Thank you again for teaching me and my boyfriend. He is now demanding we buy our own equipment so we can get into archery on a more permanent basis. We had a wonderful time and look forward to shooting more zombie targets in the future."

- Andrea L.


Below - Elvis teaching archery during a clip in the film "Tickle Me".





Want a fun target to shoot at? Zombie Elvis. :)


Dieting - How much dieting is actually necessary to achieve results?

Q

"Hello!

I have noticed in the past that sometimes people don't actually diet or exercise that much and yet still manage to shed the pounds they were looking to shed. What are they doing differently? How much dieting [or exercising] is actually necessary to achieve results?

- Vanessa R."

A

Hello Vanessa!

Honestly, it varies with the person obviously, but the quick and easy answer is "not that much".

People can sometimes achieve amazing results just by reducing their caloric intake to the recommended amount for their body type (if they were over eating this will be more difficult for them to do because they will get cravings for their favourite foods) and combining their new "reasonable and balanced diet" with an exercise routine - something simple like jogging for 30 minutes every day or doing yoga for 30 minutes, or swimming, bicycling, or any kind of cardio activity.

30 minutes out of every day is a tiny portion of the 1,440 minutes a person has available in a day - we use 480 minutes just for sleeping. 30 minutes is only 2% of your day, but that 2% can make amazing differences if you use it for exercising.

For food it is all about calories in and calories out. The average female only needs approx. 1800 calories per day, and the average male only needs about 2000 calories per day. The exact number a person needs varies with their body type and their level of physical activity, which is usually based on their occupation. Athletes for example often consume 2500 to 3000 calories per day because they need the extra energy. But for the Average Joe, those numbers are unnecessary extra calories.

Unfortunately many people often eat out at restaurants, order pizzas, snack on junk food, etc - and their diet might be closer to 3,000 to 4,000 calories per day.

Let's pretend you're a man who we will call Average Joe who only needs 2,000 calories per day. At his normal weight he weighs 170 lbs.

But Joe likes eating junk food regularly and consumes closer to 2,100 calories per day, but he is only burning 2,000 calories per day during his daily activities.

Now here is the important part: 1 lb of fat is 3,500 calories.

Ergo if Joe keeps eating an extra 100 calories per day he will gain 1 pound every 35 days. He would gain roughly 11 lbs of fat in a year - and possibly start developing health problems if he does this over many years without changing his routine. In a single year (plus overeating during Xmas) he might go from 170 lbs to 185 lbs.

But lets pretend that Average Joe decided he wanted to reverse the process. By going on a healthy diet, and only eating 2,000 calories per day.

Joe's weight would then stabilize and stop going up. He would stay at 185.

Now he could try reducing his diet to 1,900 calories (or lower, which is problematic for your health if you go below 1,500) and would lose weight doing that (some of that would be muscle mass however, due to a loss of protein in his diet).

A better solution for Joe is to maintain that 2,000 calories / day routine - but ADD more exercise to his routine.

So for example if Joe weighed 185 lbs and then got into cycling and cycled 6 miles (or 10 km) every day then he would burn approx. 350 calories each time. (Note: It takes approx. 25 to 30 minutes to cycle that far at a leisurely pace - it isn't even cycling that fast.)

At 350 calories per day Joe would lose 1 lb (3500 calories) every ten days.

Which means Joe could be back at being 170 lb "Average Joe" in only 150 days.

And have more muscular legs to show for it. So truth be told he might actually be closer to 175 lbs, because he might put on 5 lbs of muscle (or more).

Note also that Joe could have also just skipped the diet and gone straight to cycling. At 2,100 calories - 350 calories, Joe would be losing 250 per day. Or 1 lb every 14 days. Thus it would take him longer to lose the weight, but he would eventually achieve his results (and still be able to enjoy the snacks he loves).

Eventually Joe would reach his goal and then would actually need to either decrease his cycling or increase his eating habits to balance his exercise activities with his diet. Preferably with healthier food so he puts on more muscle.

He might even add weightlifting to his exercise routine later - becoming a cycling and weightlifting aficionado. No longer is he "Average Joe". He would become "Hunky Joe".

So yes, back to Vanessa's question, people can make dramatic changes with relatively minor (but permanent) changes to their diet and exercise routine. It is really just a matter of math. Calories in vs calories out.

Note - The guy in the photo below is just a model. His legs are too skinny to be a cyclist.



Archery Personal Note - Robin Hooding a Moving Target

The following is more just for me.

Dear Diary,

Today I Robin Hooded (split my own arrow) while shooting at a moving target 60 feet away.

In recent years (ever since I started taking archery seriously) I have gone from shooting cake sized clusters to doughnut sized clusters and more recently to shooting at tiny moving targets.

To what I did today... Hitting and splitting my own arrow on a moving target, on a very windy day (30 kmph gusts).

Today was a day to remember.

I need to start shooting at small moving targets 90 feet away. I figure that should be more of a challenge.


Shooting compound long distances / adjusting sights

QUESTION

"Hello!

I am a beginner at archery and recently bought a compound bow because I was told that you could shoot long distances using them. But when I went to the archery range and tried shooting at the long range I couldn't even hit the target. The arrows didn't even go half way. When I tried adjusting the sight higher the arrows kept going roughly the same spot. I used the peep sight and everything they said to use in the store, but I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong.

Someone at the range said I was shooting at the 90 yard range, which doesn't seem that far to me. My arrows are flying at 305 feet per second so 90 yards (270 feet) should be no big deal. Why are my arrows only going halfway?

- Geoffrey C."

ANSWER

Oh wow.

#1. Your arrows may be traveling at 305 fps, but they are still arcing downwards as they fly through the air. You need to be aiming higher - which on a compound bow means moving the sight lower. See #4.

#2. You really need to practice at shorter distances first. Especially if you are a complete beginner. Start at 20 yards and sight in the top pin. Then go to 30 yards and sight the next lowest pin. Then 40 yards, 50 yards, etc. If you just purchased the bow it likely came with a 3 pin sight, which means you are very limited in what ranges you can shoot accurately using the pins.

8 Pin Compound Sight
If you get a 5 pin sight then you can sight in 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 yards. Or you could do 20 yard increments: 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100. Obviously having a 5, 6, 7 or 8 pin sight gives you more options.

The Toronto Archery Range has 20, 30, 50, 60, 70 and 90 yards targets - thus a 6 pin sight would be sufficient for every target - with larger gaps between the 30 and 50 pins and between the 70 and 90 pins.

#3. You should stick to the 20 yard range until you can get tight (doughnut sized) clusters that are on target using the top pin. Then move to the longer ranges. Beginners are always trying to shoot at longer distances before they are ready to do so, so you are not alone in this.

When your clusters are tight then you can try the 30 yard range and repeat the whole process until your clusters are on target and the size of a doughnut.

#4. When adjusting your sights, if your arrows are too low then you need to move the sight lower, not higher. If the arrows are too high, then you need to move the sight higher. Whatever you do on the sight, the arrows will do the opposite.

The same goes with left and right. If your arrows are too far to the right, you need to adjust the sight to the right.

Now you might wonder "Why is it the opposite?"

The reason is because you need the arrow to be angled upwards on a higher angle. If you move the sight higher, the arrow goes lower instead of higher. When you move the sight lower - closer to the arrow - then your arrow will be angled higher.

#5. When it comes to shooting really long distances you may need to get an oval-shaped sight with quite a few pins, like the 8 pin sight shown further above.

#6. You might also benefit from some archery lessons. You might even consider getting recurve archery lessons too, just so you understand the physics better. I always recommend people learn recurve first before trying compound, longbow or Olympic.

If you continue to have difficulties you should consider archery lessons as an option. Beginners especially should consider getting lessons because beginners have so many bad habits that need to remedied before they can shoot straight.



10 Exercise Tricks that Help Burn Fat FASTER

Want to learn how to lose weight faster? Well then you need to learn how to burn calories FASTER!

#1. Move faster when doing cardio activities - including daily activities like running to catch the bus. The faster you move the more calories you burn.

#2. Try harder - The harder and faster you do an activity - whether it be yoga, jogging or even sex - it burns more calories!

#3. Angry? Upset? Want to key your boss's car? Time to exercise! Exercising while angry or upset is a great way to burn more calories faster and it relieves stress.

#4. When weightlifting do the exercises SLOOOOOOOWER. Cardio exercises you want to do fast, but for weightlifting you get better results if you do things slowly. Lifting a weight slowly takes more energy and burns more calories - and it builds more muscle, faster! Seems counter-intuitive, but it works!

#5. Music makes you burn more calories faster - especially if it fast paced music that gets you excited. More excitement equals more calorie burn.

#6. Try to do everything - exercise wise - perfectly. It takes more energy, but you reap more rewards. So if you're doing yoga - try to do each pose perfectly instead of being lazy about it. If you are weightlifting, use perfect form while lifting - which means lifting slowly and watching your form carefully, sometimes even in a mirror.

#7. Exercise with a friend. You lose track of time, you exercise longer, you help motivate each other, you even compete with each other, and you burn more calories overall. No exercise buddy? See trick #10 instead.

#8. Stay hydrated. You burn more calories if you can try harder while properly hydrated. Don't bother with the energy drinks (they're mostly a waste of sodium which will give you more "water weight"), good old chilled water works wonders.

#9. Eat before you exercise. Not after. Helps burn more calories and you won't feel hungry afterwards. Sometimes people binge eat after they exercise, and it ruins what they were striving for.

#10. Hire a personal trainer. Me. Someone else. It doesn't matter. We can teach you a much longer list of ways to burn calories faster.

8 Activities to do at the Beach

#1. Frisbee!

#2. Build a sandcastle - if you are moving sand around, it still counts as exercise.

#3. Go snorkeling in the water!

#4. Try Rock Balancing. See my post "Sculpture as Exercise".

#5. Fly a Kite - admittedly this could burn very little calories, but if you run with the kite it burns a lot more.

#6. Go for a jog or run along the beach.

#7. Do yoga at the water's edge.

#8. And the classic, go swimming!

Bonus Activities!!!

Tug of War

Beach Volleyball

Skip Rope

Arm Wrestling

Play Tag with Water Guns


Archery on the Beach - this used to be a pretty popular activity in the 1950s - but now it is banned in some locations. eg. You cannot do that in Toronto, but there are other beaches within an hour drive of Toronto where you can do archery at. Check the local by-laws to be certain. You will need your own equipment and you will still need to establish some safety guidelines so you are not shooting near people (reckless endangerment = fine + possible jail time). Best way to do it is to pick a secluded beach which has almost no people there.
Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!

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