So here it is. Straight from the CanFitPro Fitness Conference, North America’s Largest of its kind!

The 4 take-aways from the total weekend conference are

1. Keep Learning. I know many fitness professional in the industry who do not continue to learn. They don’t go to the conference because the feel they know everything already.

One of the fitness professionals I look up to the most, Peter twist says it best…”Everything I know today may be proved wrong tomorrow”.

This is so true in fitness with science backing it. That is why the TOS team goes to CANFITPRO.

2. You Are What You Eat. At the conference, I failed to bring my packed lunch. I tried to survive off of energy drinks and protein bars (with one quick jog to the Starbucks on John st. lol)

I was exhausted. I ate like crap and felt like it too. I didn’t feel strong or confident. To top it off, I was just recovering from my bad case of swimmers ear.

Proper food through fruits, veggies and real meals would have made such a big difference.

3. Try Something New. There was so many different training contraptions and devices there – at one point I didn’t know if I was at a fitness conference or an adult film expo! (never been to one…)

That being said, there were some really cool new peices of equipment like;
the UGI Ball, the RIP Trainer, the Flexi Bar and VIPR.

New fitness “toys” recruit new muscle fibers. That leads to increased gains in lean muscle and cognitive gains in the mind as well.

4. Skip the Escalators. Man oh man. Going from the south floor at the 800 level all the way up to the skywalk without and escalators is a lot of work!!! I thought I was inside the CN Tower for a moment. Well, it felt like it.

I was standing at my booth for most of the day and I needed a bit of exercise to wake up instead of a coffee – so I went for a stroll.

How will you plan to move more? Don’t take the escalators in life.

and the bonus is…

read on…

David Patchell Evans is a very wealthy man. He owns CanFitPro and GoodLife.

Wow, who is really making the moolah??? LOL. Great guy actually.

Hope this helps you in your quest to stay fit at home!

A couple of days ago I read an article in the Globe and Mail titled; “No Time for a Workout? Try Micro-Exercise”.

The article essentially suggests that any duration of exercise is better than none.

Try a 1 minute bout of exercise like climbing stairs and add that to plenty more accumulated minutes throughout the day. This is supposed to decrease the risk of Heart and stroke for obese and sedentary people.

However, Doctors and other health professionals warn that such limited exercise is in no way a substitute for the standard 30 minutes/day 5 times/week.

OMG, what is this world coming to?

The standard use to be 1 hour per day 7 days week,

Too hard for the average individual, so lets make it less than half of that.

No we are talking about “Micro-Exercise”. “In less than 1 minute/day you can achieve…”

Give me a break!

Soon, drinking a soda will be considered exercise. “1st we take our right hand…”

Having great health is not easy for everyone.

It takes work.

It takes effort.

Like in my last post I mentioned, it doesn’t need to be 75 minutes/day 6 days /week either.

Find your balance and start to move more.

30 minutes 5 days/week – minimum.

Combine that with eating right and fitness success is around the corner.

(Pls be reminded that if you are overweight and reading this post thinking “You cruel S.O.B.”, I am not trying to hurt your feelings and discount whatever exercise you can do. I just want everyone to know what reality is and how much effort weightloss, gaining lean muscle and losing fat in your sleep takes)

Let me know, Do you think 1 min works?

Do you think I am being mean?

So, unless you have been living under a rock for the last 6 years – You must have heard of P90X!

If you don’t know of what it is, let me give you a brief breakdown.

Since coming on the scene in 2004, P90X has sold over 3 million copies and upwards of $400 million in revenue.

In the U.S. it is sold via infomercials and multi-level marketing.

In Canada, it sells via infomercials too, but the MLM format was dropped in order for retailers to promote it at their stores.

Don’t let the big retail numbers fool you. This might not be your perfect home fitness program.

It is for fitness enthusiasts. Those who have worked out on a regular basis but need a little “Muscle Confusion” to change things up.

There are 12 workouts which combine cardiovascular training on seperate days with strength training other ones – including yoga.

Of course the program is for 90 days too. Almost every workout is 1 hour long.

Busy Mom’s – there are better ways!

Isolated heavy strength training is not for someone looking to lose weight and spend more time with the family.

In all Trainers On Site client programs we have an element of strength but combine that with full body circuit training and compound movements.

Every workout is different, new and exciting for the client.

All of this in 30 minutes – half the time!

Don’t get me wrong, Tony Horton has done a beautiful thing with systemizing a strength training program for people who are stuck in a fitness rut and need more results.

Maybe the music is a litttle cheesy and his jokes are sometimes corny – but all in all, a good program.

So, if you think you need a switch in your fitness program – infomercials and shopping channels might not be the answer?

Think strength training with a little more higher repetition, full body, intervaled with cardio and = presto! Fat will melt away.

Remember that 1980′s Wendy’s commercial with that little old lady…

“Where’s the beef”?

Well, this is not an article about Wendy’s highly processed man made artificial food (if you can call it that?).

This is an article about REAL grass fed beef.

You see, your doctor tells you to stay away from red meat, “its high in cholesterol”.

(The same doctor could stand to lose about 40 lbs. I think that’s funny!!!)

What your doctor teels you is half-true.

He or she has the best of intentions.

The majority of our beef comes through cows.

Corn fed Cows —– booo! (or moooo?)

Why are they fed corn?

Because corn is cheap! It fattens them up quick for little money.

Dirt cheap and profitable. In fact, corn is one of the highest traded stocks on the market.

Just take a look at any of the products in your fridge or cupboard that are packaged.

I bet corn is listed in the ingredients in more than half of them.

So….

Corn is high in sugar,

Sugar turns to fat,

Fat is cholesterol,

Therefore beef gets a bad rap!

But…

There is another way.

Eat grass fed beef from places like Wholefoods, other organic stores and local farms.

Be careful though.

Grass fed beef can get expensive.

The way we justify it (besides the obvious benefits of protein, iron and other bonuses) is…

We figure it costs about $28 for a steak dinner at the Keg (with veggies and a potato mind you),

At wholefoods, for about $20 you can get about an extra 25% more in size than a Keg steak and it is “grass fed”.

This feeds myself, my wife and kids – without the excess fat and cholesterol.

I can’t wait until the NEW Wholefoods opens at Square One this summer.

If you want to get Nutrition Tips and Coaching from my lovely wife Michelle who is a Nutritionist, email her at eatright@trainersonsite.com

Tell me what you think?

Do you like it?

Will you try it?

Evelyn Lopez, Vaughan In Home Personal Trainer.

Are you too busy with the kids to get fit?

Finding excuses why you cant work out even it’s just for 15 mins?

Well I know what that’s like. I myself am a busy mother of 2.

Bewteen soccer practice, swimming lessons and everything it takes to run a family – I understand how hectic our lives can be.

But Moms, I have a solution for you to get fit and did I mention the kids will love it too.

Yes, you can do all this in the comfort of your own home.

So let’s get started in getting yourself fitter and stronger.

Here are 5 fun exercise (that include your kids) you can follow that will have you feeling better and healthier in no time.

Of course, always remember to warm-up before doing any type of exercise at home or anywhere.

A great warm-up exercise with your kids is a game of tag. Now when was the last time you played tag?

Do it for 3 – 5 mins then get into this kid-friendly routine, no daycare required.

1) Piggy back squats – have toddler wrap around your back instead of using barbell or bands. Try doing 15 – 20 reps.

2) Modified Monkey push ups – with minimum to no rest, have your child on your back both arms and legs wrapped around you. Try doing 10 – 15 reps (it all depends on the weight of your child).

3) Bear Hug stationary lunge – again, limiting your rest… have your toddler wrap around you like they are hugging you instead of using dumbbells. 10 on 1 leg then 10 on the other.

4) Hen Crunches – have your child sit on your tummy like a (hen would for her eggs) while you perform your crunch. This helps you stay contracting in your core the whole time. Do 20 reps.

5) Teeter Totter Pelvic thrust – pretend you are a teeter totter at the park and have your toddler sit on your hips and pelvic region while thrusting up in the air (replacing weights of course). Do 15 – 20 reps.

*Remember to always be cautious and ensure your child is secure and holding tight while performing these exercises.

If at any point you feel like you need a break then go for it and try to come back and complete the set.

And always have your water near by for you and your child.

Evelyn Lopez is a Personal Training Specialist and Expert Home Fitness Coach in Woodbridge, Maple and Kleinburg.

She can be reached at evelyn@trainersonsite.com

If you want to BURN FAT FAST in the comfort of your own home, check out these framed pictures from a famous Brampton Personal Trainer.

These are simple home fitness moves that I show my clients how to perform.

I want you to try them out and tell me what you think?

Here is the 1st; The Downward Band Woodchop

In this home fitness exercise you work your back, shoulders, obliques, hips – all in one.

Then we have exercise 2; The Upward Band Woodchop

In this exercise you work the chest, shoulders, obliques and legs. Hello fat-burning!

Up next, exercise 3; 1 Arm/Opposite Leg, Squat/Row

This is where you work your back, biceps, hamstrings and quads.

I hope you enjoyed the pics and I also hope they give you more ideas on exercises you can do at home.

In this last video Jon talks about how to graduate or upgrade resistance bands or even if you need to?

Remember, my favourite bands to use at home are Twist Conditioning Smart Toner Bands. Which brand of band do you use at home?

Watch and learn busy moms, watch and learn.

Do you like band training? Leave a comment on the Blog and lmk.

Did you ever think of doing body building exercies with resistance bands?

I have.

Check out Jon in this video.

He knows his stuff.

Remember to give us a call for a FREE Fitness Audit – 1.888.269.1TOS (867)