Inspired by HYROX? Here’s How to Turn That Motivation Into a Training Plan
By Alicia Bell, founder of Train It Right
Watching a fitness race can make you want to sign up for something, push your training further or finally commit to the goal you keep putting off. That excitement is useful. What you do with it over the next few weeks is what matters.
HYROX is a good example of a goal that gives training a clear direction. The race combines eight 1 kilometre runs with eight workout stations, alternating between running and functional exercises. It asks you to bring strength and endurance together. See the official HYROX race format.
But you don’t need a race entry to train with purpose. You might want to build muscle, improve your conditioning, feel more confident in the gym or get back into a routine. Each of those goals deserves a plan that reflects where you are starting and what you can realistically commit to.
Give your goal a clear direction
“Get fitter” can mean a lot of things. Before you change your workouts, decide what you want to improve. Is it your running endurance? Your strength? Your ability to move confidently through a full session? Having a clear answer helps you choose what belongs in your program.
For someone preparing for HYROX, that means considering the demands of both the running and the stations. For someone focused on building muscle, the priorities will look different. A useful program connects the work you do today to the outcome you want later.
Start with your current ability
I want to know what you are already doing, how consistently you are doing it and how you feel afterwards. Your training history, available equipment and weekly schedule all matter.
Being strong in the gym doesn’t automatically tell us how prepared you are for repeated running efforts. Being comfortable running doesn’t tell us how you will handle loaded carries or other strength tasks. Those details help us decide where to start and what needs the most attention.
The same approach applies when you are returning to training or learning new exercises. We choose a starting point you can perform with control, then build from there.
Give every session a purpose
When a goal feels exciting, it can be tempting to make every workout as demanding as possible. I prefer to give each session a specific job.
A strength session might focus on controlled technique and gradually improving the load or repetitions you can manage. A conditioning session might focus on sustaining a comfortable effort. A more specific session might practise combining movements and managing your pace.
Exactly how those sessions fit together depends on the person. The aim is to create a week you can repeat, learn from and progress, with enough room to recover between demanding efforts.
Track something you can use
Keep a simple record of your training. Write down the exercises, loads, repetitions and how the session felt. For conditioning, you might track duration, distance or pace, depending on the workout.
That record gives us something concrete to review. Are you completing more controlled repetitions? Is a familiar session feeling more manageable? Are you showing up consistently? Are you recovering well enough to keep progressing?
Those details help guide the next step. They also make it easier to recognise progress when a single workout or a number on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story.
Build a plan that fits your life
Your program needs to work around your actual week. Work, family, travel, sports and access to equipment all affect what you can maintain.
If you can reliably train three times a week, we can build around that. If your schedule changes, we can discuss how to organise your priorities. Coaching starts with understanding the person who will be doing the program.
My background as a kinesiologist, former national level sprinter and IFBB Figure Pro shapes how I coach. I bring a science based approach to exercise selection and progression, along with the perspective of someone who has trained for both performance and physique goals. I work with beginners, experienced lifters and athletes, helping them build strength, confidence and consistency.
Ready to put a plan behind your goal?
Whether HYROX has sparked your interest or you have a personal fitness goal you want to take seriously, I would love to hear what you are working towards.
For personalised online coaching, contact me here with your goal, current routine and the support you are looking for.
For personal training in Toronto, view my in person training options and contact me before purchasing so we can discuss availability and the right fit.
Choose your goal. Give it a plan. Let’s Train It Right.
NPTA Personal Training Certification: Get Certified in Canada
If you're in Canada and thinking about becoming a certified personal trainer, NPTA (National Personal Training Institute) is one of the most recognized certification paths in the country. Their program is built to take you from fitness enthusiast to certified trainer with a curriculum focused on practical, real-world coaching skills, not just theory.
A personal training certification opens the door to working in gyms, running your own client base, or building an online coaching business. With gyms increasingly looking for trainers who are job-ready from day one, having a recognized Canadian certification behind your name matters.
Use my referral link and save 15% with code NPTAtrainitright when you enroll.
Train Like a Pro: My Airbnb Experience Inspired by the FIFA World Cup
I'm partnering with Airbnb to host a workout experience built around the energy of the FIFA World Cup. Think community, culture, and the kind of high-energy training session you'd expect from a celebrity soccer trainer, minus the celebrity price tag. It's a hands-on session designed for anyone who wants to move like an athlete for a day, whether you play soccer or just love the sport.
This isn't a typical gym class. It's built for people who want to combine fitness with an experience worth remembering, especially with the World Cup buzz in the air. If you're visiting the city, hosting friends, or just looking for something different to do with your weekend, this is exactly that.
Spots are limited since it's an in-person, small-group experience, so book early if the dates work for your schedule.
Book your spot:https://www.airbnb.ca/experiences/6244180 | Code: ALICIA40 (please confirm this code is still active before sharing, as it was set to expire July 19)
The Best Fitness Certification Deals of the Year and Why I Recommend ISSA for 2025
Every year people ask me for advice on getting started in the fitness industry or levelling up their coaching. Whether someone wants a career change, a new income stream, or a way to finally back their passion with credentials, I always give the same answer.
Start with a certification that teaches you something real, something you can use, and something that sets you up to grow.
Right now ISSA, the International Sports Sciences Association, has launched their biggest sale of the entire year. This is the one time I actually tell people to jump on a certification because the savings are unreal and the programs give you a strong foundation.
I am currently working on my ISSA CPT and I genuinely love it. It is textbook heavy in the best way because it forces you to understand the science and apply it in real life. I am already excited to take more ISSA courses once I finish this one. When you learn the why behind the programming, your confidence grows, your coaching sharpens, and your clients feel that.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start your fitness education, this is it.
ISSA offers over one hundred fifty certifications across fitness, nutrition, wellness, and specialty modalities. Whether you want a fresh side hustle, a full career shift, or a way to elevate your coaching knowledge, there is something for every level.
Foundational certifications worth starting with
Certified Personal Trainer Nutrition Coach Strength and Conditioning Corrective Exercise Specialist
Pilates Instructor Yoga 200 Glute Specialist Bodybuilding Specialist Indoor Cycling Tactical Conditioning Functional Aging Health Coach and Life Coach DNA Based Fitness Coaching
My Perspective as an IFBB Pro and Coach
If you want to get into the fitness industry, ISSA gives you education with substance. Everything is laid out clearly and the knowledge stays with you. This field requires trust and responsibility. Clients rely on you and you need to understand the science behind what you are giving them.
As someone who manages trainers, interviews staff, and coaches clients every day, I know the difference between a coach who learned properly and someone who rushed through the basics. ISSA builds strong coaches.
And that is why I recommend it.
Easy Content Angles If You Want to Share These Deals
Best Fitness and Wellness Deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday New Year, New Side Hustle under $600 Best Online Fitness Certifications to Kickstart 2025 Affordable Ways to Invest in Yourself Top Certifications for Coaches Who Want to Earn More in the New Year
Final Thoughts
If you want to learn, grow, and set yourself up for a better 2025, these ISSA deals are honestly the best time to start. The CPT is unmatched and once you are certified you can take that knowledge anywhere.
If you need help choosing which certification fits you best, message me. I will point you in the right direction.
Train It Right. You are stronger than your excuses.
Alicia Bell IFBB Pro Celebrity Trainer Kinesiologist
SPOTS LIMITED! SIGN UP NOW! PROGRAM STARTS MONDAY!
alicia@trainitright.com
Intense Weight Loss Techniques You Can Use
If you want to lose weight to become more healthy, you’re going to need to take action. It’s not good just doing nothing and hoping the problem will fix itself. You need to make sure you come up with as many different ideas and options as you can to help you lose weight. The good news for you is that there are plenty of ways to do this these days.
Coming up with the best weight loss techniques is one of the best things you can do. It’s important to have different options and ideas you can use. You should take a look at the ideas and techniques listed on this post. They will help you come up with the best ways to lose weight and get you looking and feeling fantastic.
Boot Camp
To get serious about losing weight you need to make sure you take decisive action. You’ve got to immerse yourself in the process, and take it as seriously as you can. And one of the most effective things you can do is to attend a boot camp. Prestige Boot Camp is one of Europe’s leading fitness and weight loss boot camps. A visit to one of these is going to set you on the road to the perfect fitness regime. You’ll be in the ideal surroundings to work on losing weight and enjoy the motivation and facilities necessary. This is one of the best things you can do if you want to work on losing weight and getting fitter. Think about signing up for a weekend or a week of intensive boot camp training!
Personal Trainer
The next option would be to hire a personal trainer to put you through your paces. This is one of the most sensible options, and will really help keep you dedicated. A personal trainer can take care of all the difficult and strenuous parts of the process like devising fitness regimes. It’s important to have somebody who will keep you in line and motivate and inspire you. A personal trainer can provide you with an extra impetus to stay fit and healthy. They will be able to use some of the best bodyweight exercises, and come up with a personal fitness program. If you’ve never used a personal trainer before you might find it hard work. But it will all be worth it in the long run, and the end definitely justifies the means.
Fad Diets
As well as the exercise there are other approaches you can take to losing weight as well. For example, you need to look into what you’re eating. Dieting is closely linked to weight loss and a healthy body. That’s why it’s important to make sure you come up with sensible diets that can help you. Fad diets are very popular these days and provide a quick and easy way of losing weight. However, it’s worth noting that many fad diets act solely as short-term measures. And, as such, you need to make sure you have a sensible diet once you’ve reached the end of your fad diet.
Losing weight is an important part of the process of staying fit and healthy. That’s why it’s important to come up with as many weight loss techniques and tips as you can. Many of these will involve a balanced diet and regular exercise. But, there are more extreme examples like the ones listed on here.
Instalment Plan #2
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 want to motivate anyone that I can. So When you think you can't...you can. In the past two years I've had two knee surgeries, a motorcycle accident that gave me 7 stitches in my hand and 7 rounds of chemo for a tumor, worked full time with no disruptions and I still managed to do this. Someone out there has it worse than you, are busier than you, and they still find ways that they CAN. So stop making excuses and just do it. I don't care if you're tired, angry, sore, etc.... You will be happy that you did in the end.
