One of the most common questions that people often ask me is “how can I take my training to the next level?” and it’s a very valid concern. After all, it’s only natural that you want your hard work to produce the best results.
There’s no quick answer to this one, but you can get more from your workouts by taking heed of these tips below. Try them out now, and you should soon see far greater results in the gym and the mirror.
Mix Up Your Training Regime
If you’re finding that your routines aren’t getting the desired results, it could be down to two things. Firstly, you might not be working hard enough. Alternatively, it might be a case of your body become acclimatized to the current strategies.
Shocking the body into overdrive by mixing up your routines is one of the best upgrades you can make. Try hitting a high-intensity interval training program to drive your results to the next level. Meanwhile, attempting new sporting activities should keep exercise fun.
Making this change will make your workouts more exciting while the increased results will make them more fulfilling. You couldn’t ask for much more.
Improve Your Nutrition
Your training is crucial to gaining the best results. But every gym-goer should be aware that diet forms the foundation for everything you achieve.
While employing a positive diet will serve you well, you should also consider muscle building supplements. Adding these to your daily ritual won’t just give your body a natural boost. It will also help provide extra motivation to work out as regularly as your schedule allows.
Your body is a machine, and it won’t perform unless you give it the right fuel. Take care of this vital aspect, and you should be just fine.
Compared to other forms of leisurely activity, working out is pretty cheap. A monthly gym membership costs less than one night out down clubbing while clothing is pretty reasonably priced too. However, there’s no reason that you can’t treat yourself by embracing the latest technology and gadgets.
Running belts and other products can help push your workouts to the next level. Meanwhile, investing in these items should serve as a slight guilt trip that will encourage you to stay on track too.
Furthermore, there are plenty of mobile phone Apps to aid your workouts. Even if it’s only a music streaming service, you should embrace these facilities with open arms.
Team Up With A Buddy
One of the biggest struggles that many gym-goers face is motivation. Let’s face it, fitting exercise around a hectic schedule or work can be difficult. If you’ve found yourself taking one too many off days, it might be time to team up with a friend.
Working out with a friend brings many benefits and should help keep you on track. Better still, the social aspects will probably make working out more fun. Once you start to see this as a social event, as well as building a better body, you should find yourself skipping days on a far less frequent basis.
Ultimately, if you dedicate more hours to exercise, you’ll see better results. It’s as simple as that.
TOMSand National Geographic Big Cats Collection launches Toronto, ON – The One for One company, TOMS, today announced its partnership with National Geographic in support of its critical non-profit work through the TOMSand National Geographic Big Cats Collection. The special edition collection will be available for Canadians at TOMS.ca starting Tuesday, September 15.
“When I learned that wild lions are at risk of being extinct, it inspired me to start the TOMS Animal Initiative,” said Heather Mycoskie, TOMS Chief Animal Lover. “Big cats in the wild are disappearing at an alarming rate, and this collection draws attention to the critical need to protect these majestic creatures for generations to come.”
Through the TOMS Animal Initiative, TOMS partners with nonprofit animal conservation organizations to drive awareness and funding for global animal protection. For 2015, TOMS has partnered with National Geographic to help with its efforts to protect big cats.
Big cats in the wild are disappearing and since 2009, National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative has worked to reverse this decline through on-the-ground conservation and educational projects in Africa, Asia, and North and South America. These projects include instituting patrols to prevent lion snaring and poaching and building livestock enclosures to protect endangered cats from retaliatory killing. National Geographic’s net proceeds support vital exploration, conservation, research and education programs.
The TOMS and National Geographic Big Cats Collection features a special edition line of footwear for women, men and kids, sunglasses for men and women and a unisex backpack inspired by National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative. Ranging in price from $38 to $169 CAD, each item in the collection features design elements representative of a big cat, as well as iconic photography from National Geographic’s image library.
The collection features the women’s Nat Geo Jaguar Classics ($70), the men’s Nat Geo Lion Paseos ($75), the youth and tiny Nat Geo Jaguar Classics ($48, $38), the youth and tiny Nat Geo Lion Classics ($48, $38), the Noah Sunglasses ($169), the Sandela 201 Sunglasses ($169), as well as the Savanna backpack ($98).
Mycoskie visited Botswana this summer to meet with Big Cats experts Dereck and Beverly Joubert to fully immerse herself in the Big Cat Initiative and to learn firsthand about the dangers facing Big Cats in the wild.
Learn more and find out how to get involved at CauseAnUproar.org/TOMS.
TOMS x National Geographic Big Cats Collection
Heather Mycoskie in Botswana, summer 2015
Photo from National Geographic’s image library
TOMS are available at retailers across Canada and at TOMS.ca.
With every TOMS product purchased, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One®.
About TOMS:
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One®.
Realizing that One for One could serve other global needs, Blake launched TOMS Eyewear in 2011 to help restore sight to persons in need with every purchase of sunglasses and optical frames. In 2014, TOMS Roasting Co. launched with the mission to provide clean water to developing communities with the purchase of premium coffee.
The most recent TOMS give is tied into the TOMS Bag Collection, which launched in early 2015, and helps provide safe births to mothers and babies in need through skilled birth attendant training and birth kits. Additionally, the TOMS StandUp Backpack Collection helps TOMS Giving Partners provide training for school staff and crisis counselors to help prevent and respond to instances of bullying.
TOMS is in business to improve lives. We identify global needs and create products to help address them. This simple idea is what makes us more than a company – we’re a movement that’s continually evolving.
Who is Alicia Bell? She is a Toronto based Social Media Influencer, Kinesiologist, Strength Coach and Track and Field Coach who has devoted her life to helping people reach their goals in fitness and sport. She is a nationally recognized track and field coach who coached team Canada at the Maccabi games in Israel in July of 2013. She lead the team to 13 medals. Alicia has over 10 years of practical and educational experience and is a published Fitness model for Zenzation with her pictures gracing their equipment and she leads their product DVD instruction.
Alicia has experience working with many types of clientele. She has worked as a Kinesiologist and an Exercise Rehabilitation Specialist. She is also experienced at weight loss, strength training, toning and athletic conditioning. She has worked with clients such as Dwight Howard (NBA), Rashad McCants (Former NBA), Geoff Harris (Olympic 800m runner), Lil Jon (Rapper/Dj), Karla Moy aka HustleGrl, Hill Harper (actor, author) and even the mother of the Toronto rapper Drake.
Alicia Bell and Telus Present - Living Better With Samsung S6
I have such a busy schedule! Not only am I a personal trainer in busy downtown Toronto, Canada, but I also work for a water company (GP8 Sportwater) and I am also an athlete who trains to compete in the Ontario Physique Association (OPA) bikini category.
My life is filled with fitness, nutrition, travelling and social interactions. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of not only my own goals and activities but also my clients and other business adventures. I have to keep a very tight schedule, so for me timing is everything.
Since getting the new Samsung S6 from Telus I have been living better! I love to take pictures and video of my clients training, my own workouts, the food I eat and the day to day activities and events that I attend. I have found that the Samsung S6 really captures these moments. Its dynamic, ultra-responsive camera captures the true-to-life brilliance of any moment throughout my day. It also has a quick launch camera so that I can pull out my phone and quickly (under a second) launch the camera to take an in the moment photo.
Another convenient feature for me is the quick unlock finger print option. Instead of keying in a password (which you can also do) you can use your very own finger print to quickly unlock your phone. It was very easy to set up and when I need to open my phone fast to read a message it only takes a quick second to unlock from being secure.
Another one of my favourite features is that it has a super charger. What does this mean? It means that because I am always on the go I can plug the S6 in for just 10 minutes and get up to 4 hours of battery life!!!! When you take as much photos as I do and you are constantly travelling from one place to another and listening to music this is crucial. I don't have the time to leave my phone plugged in for hours at a time.
The apps that I have found useful on the Samsung for my busy and active lifestyle are:
S- Health: This app you can personalize and sync your health data with your Samsung account. You can choose your personal units of measurements and receive notifications of events in the status bar. Within the app you can download extra things. I use the Workout Trainer (if I need a quick workout for myself), Recipes & Nutrition(for finding healthy recipes) and the Hydro Coach (for recording my water intake). There are so many useful apps to help with staying on track and these three are just a few. You can completely personalize the S Health and the apps that you use within it for whatever your goals are.
The phone can also counts your daily step count and allows you to adjust your goals for the count. I have it at 10, 000 steps per day. The only downfall is that if you don't have the watch to go with the phone you have to have the phone in your hand or in your pocket for it to keep track.
The sleep tracker is also key. As an athlete and trainer I cannot express how important sleep can be. If you don't get enough sleep your body will be high in cortisol. A stress released hormone that can trigger your body to store fat. Keeping track of your sleep will help you with your fitness goals.
Another awesome feature with the phone is that it actually has a heart rate sensor that allows you to instantly measure your heart rate and record it. This is great when training because it allows you to check if you are working in the right zone for your goals when you are doing an intense training or cardio session.
I also use the food recording within the S Health application. This can let you see what you are eating and how many calories are in it. Its great to achieve your goals. Whats also really cool is that if you haven't recorded anything for the day it will ask you if you feel like tracking your food? It will also remind you. Which is great if you are as busy as I am and often forget.
Check out the phone for yourself in this video from Samsung:
GIVEAWAY CONTEST AND ENTRY INFORMATION
Two ways to enter:
1) Tweeting a contest-specific entry:
If I win a Samsung Galaxy S6 from @trainitright & @TELUS, I'll USE IT TO HELP ME REACH MY GOAL OF_____ #TELUSS6
2) Either sharing or commenting on my Facebook post for this contest on the Facebook page. www.facebook.com/trainitright
The contest is Canadian only, no Quebec entries, 18+
A random winner will be selected
Check out my fellow bloggers perspectives on how they use their Samsung phones as well. The phone is so versatile for whatever your life may bring. You can completely personalize the Samsung S6 and for me that is what makes it such a great phone.
I was browsing through Best Buy Canada and I came across this little white box that caught my eye. It read: Lost It? Find It? - TrackR. Since I am always on the go in and out of gyms, clients homes, track and field facilities, my car and constantly traveling to different locations for meetings I am always loosing things. So the idea of the TrackR is perfect for me.
This little guy can be attached to your phone, put on your keys, on your bicycle, in your wallet or any electronic device that you use on a day to day basis. It can be 3M adhesively attached to any device. It can also be tied to a keychain, back pack or even your dog.
Once you download the software/app and set up your account (which is very easy) you are good to go. The app is compatible with:
Iphone 4S Or Later
IPad with retina display or IPad mini or later
iOS 7 and later
Android 4.4 and later
Once you realize that you have lost whatever item your TrackR is attached to press your TrackR device button to ring. Even if you phone is on silent you will find it! What a great idea! Also if you log into the app you can ring your item and find it whevever it may be. If you still don't hear the ringer it has a GPS where you can see the location of the item. It also comes with a one year warranty.
The TrackR is definitely TRAIN IT RIGHT Approved! Grab yours HERE.
BurnThis Mobile App - Community - Photo Sharing - @burnthis
Hey Everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I am now a member of the BurnThis Community. I am also an ambassador! That's right! You can create and share fitness photos with the app on your smart phone. This app isn't specifically for for personal trainers, fitness instructors or fitness lovers, but it is for everyone. You can be motivated by like minded people who all love fitness and want to be the best that they can be. You can also check out the blog here: http://sweat.burnthis.com where they share awesome recipes, workout tips and fitness related articles!
As a BurnThis Ambassador I am actively involved int he community and I am also currently running a challenge. The #trainitright Challenge. Make sure that you download the app. Once it is downloaded hit the challenge button and pick the #trainitright Challenge. Post a photo of a workout that you are particularly proud of, a fitness quote, or an image that drives you to accomplish your fitness goals. Make sure to use the hashtag #trainitright and you could win a whole months supply of Quest Bars! Each post counts as a separate chance to win! The winner will be announced February 2nd 2015. If you don't know about Quest Bars they are a healthy way to have a snack, high in protein and they taste great!
So go check out the blog and also download the app! You can download it directly here: bit.ly/burnthis_socialfitnessapp It will keep you motivated and on track. I hope you meet some great new fitness friends that will help you along your journey! #trainitright
Luce On king - promoting non-GMO, hormone and antibiotic free foods - @luceonking - Train It Right
Recently I had a great business meeting with like minded people at this awesome restaurant on King West in the heart of downtown Toronto. The are known as an Italian restaurant but what is unique is that they promote non-GMO, hormone fee and antibiotic free foods! What other Italian restaurant does that?!?! They also have some gluten free items on the menu too. The service was great and they had very knowledgable staff. I was very impressed so I wanted to share with you all! My favourite items were the pan friend cauliflower and the dates. MMMMM! So good! I suggest you head down to King Street and give this restaurant a try!
Luce Restaurant is an Italian Tapas Eatery just steps away from Bathurst, on King West. This hidden gem is known to have the BEST pizza in the city, including gluten free! A mom and pop shop with a health flare, serving their famous tapas menu promoting non-GMO, hormone and antibiotic free foods. Not your typical Italian eatery with a Renaissance Night every last Wednesday of the month. A must try, especially with their weekly specials. @luceonking 647-748-5464
The following are photos of all the items that they served us during our meeting. Don't they all look amazing!?
January 1st 2015 - What I Saw At The Gym
Almost every year after the holidays people make a "resolution" and most of the time it involves healthier eating and regular gym attendance. There is almost always a spike of personal training sessions, gym memberships, and gym goers. And it almost never lasts.
Today on January 1st 2015 I went to the gym (which I obviously do often). The gym was not very busy at 10:30am. However for the first time I saw quite a few interesting characters. First there was a man in red tie dyed pants and a beanie. His outfit was a bit strange for the gym (but who am I to judge). I respect everyone who makes an effort to be healthy. HOWEVER, mr. dyed pants was bare foot. Trapping through my big box chain gym shoeless. I had to do a double take. Yep there he was walking from the stretching area to the free weights and back barefoot. Not socket, but his gross feet touching places where I sometimes put my hands or body. ARE YOU SERIOUS BUDDY!? OF course I was in the middle of a huge super set so I a) couldn't say anything to him and b) couldn't go tell one of the workers. GROSS! Ugh why why why? Why on earth would anyone do that? And the worst part the whole time Im watching this guy. Maybe 5-10 minutes NO ONE.....and I mean NOBODY said anything to him. Am I seriously the only one who thought it was gross? Unsanitary? Or was everyone else like me and "busy" too busy to care or say anything. It's weird how we can care but still be too wrapped up in what we are doing personally to care to disturb our workout to interject.
Anyway I moved area's and never saw the bare foot wonder guy again. After my workout it was time for my cardio. I headed to the back of the cardio area where the Cyber Arc Trainer that I wanted to use was. About 10 minutes into my workout I hear a loud thud. I look up and some big guy that clearly was either a) not paying attention or b) passed out flew off of his treadmill and on to the ground and smashed his face along the way. Again I though "holy f%&*" but did not stop in my stride at all. No one else around me did either. About 30s later a woman on a treadmill walked up to the guy and asked if he was ok. Helped him turn the machine off, and then helped him to the water fountain. Mind you the front desk was a mere 15-20m away and do you think any of the chit chatty little girls moved from their posts to see if they were ok? NOPE! I wonder if any of them have their first aid or CPR? Probably not. But I was slightly in shock that non of them went to see if this guy was ok or not.
Wellllllllll needless to say I finished my workout and got my first workout of 2015 in! And what an interesting morning at the gym it was today. If this is an indication of what the gym will be like in 2015 I can't wait to watch all of the madness for my own personal entertainment.
If you saw anything at the gym today that was interesting like this comment below. Or tell me a good gym story that you have and want to share!
#trainitright
Do you suffer from indigestion, heart burn, bloating or gas? You are not alone. According to Yahoo around 70 million of American's suffer from different types of digestive problems each year.
It is important to your overall health to maintain a healthy digestive system. GESA reports that "Although the digestive system can withstand a lot of stress (from the foods you eat to emotional stresses), it can only do so for a limited period. Over time, the negative effects will accumulate and create health problems in the long-term." Therefore you should watch your diet and take preventative measures to limit the risk of problematic situations occurring.
Although the best way to diagnose and take care of digestive problems is to promptly report any that appear to your doctor, research on nutrition has found that certain foods effect your digestion positively than others. According to Inside Fitness some of these foods include the following five:
Apples: This tasty fruit has a magic combination of both soluble and insoluble fibre helps you eat and digest quickly and easily.
Tumeric: Has been known to help with inflammation which can help smooth out the digestion process as your food travels through your system.
Almonds: These little nuts are filled with digestion enhancing fibre and calcium which also supports many functions in the body.
Peppermint Tea: Is known to calm the stomach muscles and improve the flow of your bile. Try to refrain from the use sweetener or milk.
Coconut Oil: This natural oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids that can help with digestion. You can take it as a supplement, cook with it, add it to smoothies or even use it as a replacement for butter.
For more tips on fitness and healthy eating check out
We have to give big props to former reality tv star Somaya Reece for her weight loss journey. Her fitness classes, constant twitter and instagram updates have inspired many. She over came the eating disorders bulimia and anorexia to become fit and healthy. She went from a size 18 to a size 8.
Check out the video below:
My favorite quote from this interview "Abs are made in the kitchen NOT in the gym"
Way to go Somaya! Keep Inspiring us! For more on Somaya check out her website. www.thisfitsme.com
Basketball Wives Miami star, and Train It Right favourite Evelyn Loazada has officially been named www.Latina.com ’s celebrity fitness blogger. According to the stars site starting next Wednesday Ev will be blogging about workout routines, eating healthy and other fitness related topics. Congrats!
Evelyn Lozada
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