I especially like the part about getting “addicted” to exercise…

If you can relate to any of this, please comment below…

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Thank you!

I bet you wonder what we do when the gym is closed all day. Well, here it is:

Have a great vacation Cary! (Now, what can I write about her while she’s gone?)

This is VERY funny. Please comment if you enjoyed it.

If you’re at work you may want to turn the sound off (it’s only music anyway).

Hi-lights:

0:12 – Why there are no more Instructor group vacations
0:32 – Cary – age 7
0:41 – Christine – age 8
1:10 – Rob runs his first group exercise class
1:38 – Preview of next week’s new move
2:39 – Don’t tempt me when I’m on a diet
2:55 – Rob – age 5 (and 45)

Interesting facts about Friday the 13th:

• Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Theodore Bundy and Albert DeSalvo all have thirteen letters in their name. (Remember this when naming your kids… it may come back to haunt you.)

• In France, socialites once known as “quartoziens” made themselves available as the fourteenth guest at a party or dinner. (Hey everyone – just so you know, I’m a quartozien.)

• In Formula One racing there is no car number 13.  The number was eliminated after two drivers died in crashes driving a car numbered 13.  (Formula One is the one where they don’t just drive in circles.)

• In Florence the house numbers go 12,  12-1/2,  14.  (Leave it to the Italians to make even house numbering complicated.)

• Most airports skip gate 13 and have no 13th aisle. (They should’ve learned from the Italians.)

• One of the origins of number 13 being unlucky is the fact that 13 people attended The Last Supper. (It was only unlucky for 2 of them.  Okay, so it was REALLY unlucky for them.)

• Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. There is no 13th Avenue in San Francisco, instead Funston Avenue is between 12th and 14th Avenues. (Did you know there are a lot of Italians living in San Francisco?  I wonder if there’s a connection?)

• Every year has at least one and at most three Friday the13ths.  (Only Port Dover, Ontario wishes there were more – to find out why CLICK HERE)

• The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia. (Say that 3 times real fast.)

• According to the British Medical Journal there is a significant increase in traffic-related accidents when the date is Friday 13th.  (Lesson:  Drive carefully if you’re going to be in Britain today.)

• More than 60 million people worldwide claim  to be affected by a fear of Friday 13th. Some of them won’t go to work, drive cars or get out of bed on this day. (Funny, I feel the same way on Sunday mornings – so maybe it isn’t the drinking after all?)

Motivation Monday

Why do so many people fail in life? The answer will surprise you… especially as you really think about how true it is. Don’t be trapped like so many others – Aim High!

That’s right, Monday morning we’ll all start using this new move… so limber up and get ready… especially for the second move (watch to the end) – OMG!

I shouldn’t expect any more complaints about Turkish Get-ups, eh?

It was April 12, 2010 and I was racing down the ice at full speed (for me) when I tried to make a fancy move (my first mistake) in a crowded area (my second mistake) and I fell with my full body weight onto my outstretched left arm.

I felt the arm pop out of the shoulder socket and then slip back in.  It actually didn’t hurt too much.  In fact I played in the championship game later that afternoon (we won).  However, the next morning was another story…

I woke up at 5am with a start. I had rolled onto my left side and WOW did it hurt.  Naturally I rolled back onto my right side and went back to sleep

I figured it would slowly get better.  It didn’t.  Finally I relented and went to see my chiropractor.  She determined that I hadn’t torn any cartilage and I didn’t need surgery.  More than 3 months after the original injury she went to work.  I want to give a big shout out to Stefanie Medoro of Complete Chiropractic for the great job she did of healing my shoulder – Thanks again Stefanie!

Needless to say I couldn’t work out… but I could still eat.  In fact, I had more time to eat.  I took my focus completely off my health and fitness and focused on my shoulder and other things.  For months I was afraid to even walk by my electronic scale in case it read my vibes and flashed that HUGE number on it’s screen.  But still, it taunted me.  “C’mon Rob let’s see how you’re doing” , “How bad can it be?”  “I won’t break, I promise.”

Finally I took the plunge and as lightly as I could I stepped onto the scale and watched the numbers flash.  I stepped off the scale, slid it to another part of the tile floor that looked like it might give me a more favourable reading and stepped on gently again hoping the scale will be nice to me – it wasn’t.  The numbers read the same – 244 lbs – or 39lbs of pure lard more than when I fell on that fateful day in April.  Ouch!

But my shoulder was hurt, I’ve been busy with my business, kids’ activities on and on and on.  Excuses. Every one of them, excuses.  This summer I finally started working out again seriously and my shoulder feels great!  I completed my 105lb Turkish Get-up (left and right), I could almost press my to my peak weight and I was swinging my 85lb ‘bell again.  20lbs dropped off me over the next 6 weeks – and then it just stopped.

So I thought, why not recruit my clients to help me on my journey?  Maybe a few of them can come along to.  Well, here I (we) go.  Today is Day 1.  Please post your comments below

I’m asked this question all the time.  First of all, everybody is different.  Some people can scarf down a big meal right before they work out while others can’t even eat a grape without having stomach issues.  This means you’re going to have to experiment to see what’s right for you.  But here are some guidelines:

If you work out in the morning you might try it on an empty stomach first and see if you run you out of energy during your workout.  Within 30 minutes of finishing your workout  it’s important to eat a breakfast that includes lean protein (like egg whites with spinach) and carbs (like whole wheat toast) to give your body the building blocks it needs to repair and rejuvenate itself.
If you work out later in the morning you might try eating a piece of fruit along with some protein like peanut butter or cottage cheese to give you a little energy (just watch your portions because, while healthy, these foods are LOADED with calories).   I cannot stress enough how important it is to get some healthy proteins and carbs into your body immediately after your workout.  The egg white omelet breakfast I mentioned earlier is great, but if you don’t have time a high quality protein shake or a Daryl’s Hi N R G bar is also a good option.  Ask your Instructor about them, they’re all natural and they taste amazing!
If you work out in the early afternoon you may want to try eating a fruit plus peanut butter (or 1/2 a Daryl’s bar) about an hour before your workout.  Going without eating anything after lunch is too long and you’ll probably feel tired as your blood sugar drops late in the day. Your work and your workout will suffer.
If you work out later in the evening you may want to eat a light dinner and a larger healthy snack immediately after your workout.  Or if your stomach is sensitive hold out for your snack until late afternoon and then eat dinner right after your workout.  Remember to give your body those all-important building blocks including lean protein (like fish) and healthy carbs like quinoa and veggies (not breaded or deep-fried, of course).
In all these cases you’re going to have to balance waiting too long between meals and feeling tired with eating too close to your workout and feeling uncomfortable.  Plus, If you work out in the morning the most important thing you need to do is drink water…  not coffee, not tea (yes, you can have them too), not sports drinks (more on them in another post) but plain water is HUGE!  If you can’t tolerate plain, cold water in the morning try it warmed up with some lemon.  Remember even though you’ve been sleeping your body is still using water to function so just about everyone wakes up dehydrated.  Again, you’re going to have to experiment with how much and when is right for you.

Recently an article appeared in the Windsor Star about a product called “Vitaminwater.”  Needless to say the name of the product rings “healthy.”   Vitamins + water = healthy? Right?  Wrong.  In case you didn’t know the ingredients in food must be listed in order of the quantity contained in the product.  With Vitaminwater, according to the article, the number one ingredient it contains is water.  No surprises here.  The number 2 ingredient?  Sugar.  In fact, each bottle contains the equivalent of about 8 teaspoons of sugar… and they call this stuff “Water”!

But it gets better.  Even if you’re an educated consumer and read the food label you’ll be in for a surprise.  The government (who we pay to protect us from scams like these) has allowed Coca-Cola to classify this product as a “natural health product” instead of a “food product”.  While this doesn’t sound like a big deal it is if you want to sell Vitaminwater.  What this means is Coca-Cola doesn’t have to list the amount of sugar it contains on the nutrition label!

So if you’ve been chugging away vitaminwater instead of soda thinking you’re doing your body good – think again.  This is NOT an isolated incident.  Big Food like General Mills, Coca-Cola, Kraft and Pepsi aren’t looking out for your best interest when they create new “healthier” foods.  They only care about selling product.  And it’s become blatantly obvious you can’t depend on the government to protect you from these profiteers.  You must protect yourself.

My next post is going to be on these new “shape up” shoes I’ve been seeing everywhere.

We all know it’s best to have a healthy snack after working out. Studies have shown that eating a small meal of protein and healthy carbs helps increase the benefits of your workout and speeds up the fat loss process.

So what’s your favorite post workout meal?

Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite healthy after-workout snack.