I am going to make blogging a daily thing from here on out. Since pre covid I have been inattentive to this blog and my own passions for helping people become the best version of themselves. And that is partially due to the fact I wasn't being the best version of myself. I was in a bad place after a bad relationship and a bad breakup and multiple unhealthy competition preps.
I am making 2024 my mission to find myself again and get in control over everything in my life:
Personal
Professional
Passions
Bodybuilding
Blogging
Vloggng
Podcasting
Re-building my brand
I wan to show up as the best version of myself. But not just for me but for others.
What does that mean for this blog?
It means content in blogs, reviews, news and all things health and fitness. I love it - even if no one is reading this or seeing my content this platform, YouTube and my podcast are more like journals/documentation of things I love and enjoy. And if I can positively impact anyone while sharing then that brings me joy.
This post is to keep me accountable. So thank you to those who made it this far.
The seasons are changing and with that we now need outerwear. Especially here in Toronto, Canada. Our seasons are so unpredictable we find ourselves needing a variety of coats. We also want to keep in style and up to date in fashion and also have versatile and functional winter coats that is a truly made-in-Canada Company.
A lot of time I find myself leaving the house in the morning, heading to the gym and then having to go to a meeting. I need outerwear that can fit all of my daily events and I have found it in The Wild North. I have a coat for every possible weather scenario now and I feel beautiful in the styles and comfortable in each and every coat.
A few facts about the company that I love:
They Live in Harmony with the Environment - As a truly made-in-Canada company, they choose to source our material, such as wild fur, from Canadian northern communities because they strongly believe in protecting our habitat from industrial forest clear cutting. They also support local industry and advocate outdoor activities to encourage people living a fulfilling lifestyle that is in harmony with nature.
They want you to live A Free-Spirited Winter Season - They believe in bringing one piece winter outerwear and accessory with timeless design and superior quality on your Christmas trip, skiing in Whistler and visiting Vancouver city along the way. I love that they create versatile and functional winter wear fashion lines that inspire you to fully experience the winter season and not have to hide indoors, including some of the most breathtaking views the snowy weather brings.
Their winter fashion is unlike any other company out there. The focus on the European trend driven, these simple, yet sophisticated looks are made with finest material, quality fabric, and high-fill-power down insulation. Keeping you warm and comfortable for the weather. They create contemporary and luxurious pieces that bring fashion back in winter. You will be glad of the change of season when you have fun wearing with different outfits from going to concerts, fine dining, and a long walk along the Harbourfront.
Another reason I fell in love with this company is that their coats are also light resistant so that they won't fade, water resistant at grade 4, which means that water slightly sticks to the upper surface of the fabric.. On top of this they use their fabric can withstand significant contact with minimal colour transfer and there will be minimal colour change over time with perspiration. I have had many coats in the past fail to meet these standards and I was having to continually replace them because of these faults.
My three favorite coats that I want to share with you are:
I love the weight of this coat. I find it easy to wear when I am getting in and out of my truck. It isn't big and bulky nor is it heavy. Its so warm I would wear it on any cold wintery day without ever second guessing. The coat is down-filled with a convenient two-way zipper, inset knit cuffs and removable fur trim hood, the Lila Classic Winter Jacket provides protection from the elements, with a classic modern style. Designed with a flattering fit, this medium length women’s winter jacket has a wool and silk blend outer shell that is exquisite to the touch! My favorite feature of this coat is the hidden pocket on the inside that perfectly fits my Iphone Plus.
My favorite thing about this coat is that it is multipurpose and you can actually wear it three different ways! You can wear it together or each separately. It's the perfect fall coat because here in Toronto the weather can be one way in the morning and another way in the evening. Its also great if I am attending a dinner party after work and need to dress up. The removable external short jacket has a 100% wool shell with genuine leather sleeves. Inner medium length vest has a 100% wool shell lined with 3M ThinsulateTM insulation.
This coat is gorgeous and so warm! I love the detachable hood and its stylish for any event. It is also extremely light and comfortable. The blue accent on the fur is an eye catcher and adds just the right hint of colour to the coat. It is definitely a classic winter jacket with 100% wool shell and leather panels draped over the shoulders lends itself to classic elegance.
The jacket consists of elements that will keep you warm in extreme weather. Elements like Tibetan lamb wool hair, which covers the inside of the hood, down fill insulation, and an adjustable belt allow for heat retention.
Give True North a follow on their social media channels and stay warm this winter with one of their amazing coats!
There is lots of great content coming! Vlogs, exercises, motivational workouts, Q&A and more! Go subscribe, like and comment. Yes I know I need thumbnails for my videos but I am pressed for time lately. They will be coming soon!
Make sure to comment and let me know what you would like to see or if you have any Q&A's for me!
Thank you for your support!
I may have always been an athlete. But since moving to Toronto to be a personal trainer and fitness expert I’ve had many ups and downs in my life on my personal fitness journey. Big set backs continuously seemed to occur. They always needed up preventing me from reaching my fitness goals each time. However never did I get down on myself. I always picked myself up each and every time and kept going. I did not complain and I did not blame anyone or anything for my circumstances.
First I had a full and complete ACL tear. When this happened at the same time I also ended up rupturing my meniscus while fracturing the tibia at its plateau. It took me over a month post op to even be able to do a full cycle on a pedal bike. I had to have a second surgery less than a year later to remove scar tissue and shots of synvisc (a synthetic synovial fluid) as well. To this day I still don’t have full range of motion. Did this stop me? No. Does it prevent me from doing anything? No. Do I use it as an excuse? No.
Then the following spring I was on my way to coach my track team and a cab driver cut me off as I was riding my motorcycle through an intersection. I t-boned him and flew over the cab. Hit my knee that I had the ACL repair on pretty bad, got whip lash, hurt my back, got road rash and also had my hand caught in the street car track as I was sliding. Did this stop me? No. Does it prevent me from doing anything? No. Do I use it as an excuse? No.
Finally, as I was still going through physio for my motorcycle accident I had some crazy symptoms.The biggest and most obvious one was that I was exhausted all day long and had no energy (very unusual for me). So I went to the doctor and they did some scans and said you have to go to emergency now! I still had no idea why. They admitted me and performed an emergency surgery to remove a mass of cells in my stomach. This mass was very rare. And no it wasn’t cancer. From September until November I had to have blood work every week to monitor my body and make sure it didn’t come back. And it came back. Again very rare. Based on where it was my only option was chemotherapy. I had 7 rounds before I got to ring the bell that I completed my chemo! Wahoo! The whole time I kept on training my clients and I even began my very first prep while still undergoing chemo. The chemo made me very puffy and swollen but I didn’t get down on myself. I honestly didn’t even tell many people. Did this stop me? No. Does it prevent me from doing anything? No. Do I use it as an excuse? No.
I hope that you realize that sometimes the journey can be hard and tiring. There may be obstacles in your way but persevere, follow the plan, find a support system and be honest! Good things will happen and your consistency will pay off! Don’t give up and don’t let anyone or any circumstance bring you down!
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.
Now’s the time to hit the streets and running trails! Whether you’re a novice or in it for the long run, there are two ways to become a faster runner: by moving your legs at a higher cadence or taking longer steps.
Here are some tips to get you started:
The distance between your right and left foot touching the ground is called stride length. As speed increases, so does the stride length. Improve stride length by undertaking specific strength work like running hills, in soft sand, or up steps.
Don’t over-stride! The most efficient stride length is the one that feels most comfortable.
Cadence tells you the number of times your foot hits the ground per minute. To develop it, train your nerve-muscle connection by running regularly. A session of cadence training a week is a good start.
Taller runners will naturally have slightly lower cadences, and the values vary also depending on whether you’re running up- or downhill. Tune in to what feels comfortable for you!
If you’re training for a half marathon or a marathon, work on increasing leg speed at expected race pace to keep your legs from tiring mid-race. Set your M400 to show pace and cadence, and try to shorten your stride and increase cadence while holding the pace.
The Polar Bluetooth® Smart Stride sensor is ideal for keeping track of your stride length and cadence. Whether you’re running on a treadmill or the muddiest trail, you’ll see the information on your M400.
Get the Polar Bluetooth® Smart Stride sensor from the official Polar webstore or a retailer near you.
When you find your way back to my post you’ve completed the loop.
1. Follow me @trainitright and like this photo.
2. Comment by telling me one of your health or fitness goals are for 2015 and tag a friend.
3. Tap the photo to see where to go to next! The winner will be announced early next week.
For further Rules and Regs, find the contest post on Best Buy Canada’s Facebook page or check out the Plug-in blog article on BestBuy.ca!
Good luck! 🙂 #trainitright
In case you haven't heard:
I am happy to announce that I am now a Fitluential Ambassador.
What is a Fitfluential Ambassador?
Well it means that I was selected after an application by the folks over at Fitfluential. The FitFluential Ambassadors are social media influencers who work with FitFluential’s brand partners. FitFluential’s goal is to successfully connect brands in the fitness space with influential fitness enthusiasts. An ideal match is one where the FitFluential Ambassador (and their audience) matches with the brand’s target market. Our Ambassadors have a strong presence on their social media channels, high quality content with a definitive voice and a passion for fitness-related topics.
TRAIN IT RIGHT NEWSLETTER
Sign Up and get a free 7 day Train it Right HIIT Program!
Shop now
