Bouncing Back After an Injury at the Gym

There’s nothing much fun about suffering an injury at the gym. It’s natural that you’ll want to bounce back as quickly as possible.

Stop When the Pain Starts

As soon as you start to feel an abnormal pain in a particular part of your body, you should stop exercising. The old cliche of working out is is that there’s no gain without pain. But that kind of attitude is not at all helpful when it comes to keeping your body in good shape. In fact, it can cause you a lot of damage. You need to get to know your body over time. Sometimes, you will feel the burn, and it usually won’t be an injury. If you keep at it, you will learn when your body is hurt and when it is just tired. These small differences are very important to recognise.

Put Ice on the Injury and Rest

The next thing to do is to get ice on the area of your body that hurts. Do this as quickly as you possibly can because it might help to limit the size of the problem. It helps by reducing the level of inflammation and swelling that often occurs after an injury in the gym. Never begin your treatment with a heat pack; ice should always be what you start with. Get your hands on some ice packs and then use them as much as you can. This will at least keep your injury under control until you can get advice from a medical expert.

Follow All Medical Advice You Receive

If the initial rest and the ice haven’t fixed your problem for you, you will need to seek some medical attention. This will allow you to get to the bottom of the issue if you’re not sure what’s wrong. Most people who work out a lot know their bodies inside out. So, if you’re not sure what’s going on, it’s a sign that something needs to be done. When you get the advice from a doctor, make sure you listen to it. Don’t be tempted to think that you know better than the doctor because you probably don’t. If they tell you to not do any physical activity for a couple of months, you need to do that, however frustrating it might be.

Prevent the Injury Recurring When You Go Back to Normal

When you are finally coming to the end of your recovery, you will need to think about how you can return. This is one of the most important stages of the process, and it definitely should not be rushed. If you rush, the injury will recur, and you will be left on the sidelines for even longer, and that’s not what you want, is it? Make sure you get the all-clear from your doctor before you hit the gym again. And then make sure that you warm up very carefully and don’t overdo it to begin with. Ease yourself back into your old routine over a period of a couple of months. This is the most sensible approach to take.

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How To Keep On Track With Your New Year's Fitness Goals

OK, so just over a week ago, a lot of you might have made yourself some new year’s resolutions. And, by now, you may already have given up on them. If so, worry not. There’s still time to get yourself back on track without too much damage - and these tips should help.

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Get emotional

We all have different reasons for getting fitter and healthier, and all of them are emotional. It might be so that you can fit into your old jeans again, or it could be because you are tackling a charity marathon and want to do your best. Whatever your personal reasons, always keep them in mind - especially during tough workouts, or after a busy day. All you have to do is turn up, push yourself to your limits, and you will soon catch that dangling carrot.

Read everything

Read about people hitting their fitness goals, and you will want to keep going yourself. I’d like to think there is more than enough inspiration on this blog, but there are hundreds of others. Fitness Edge is a new one I have recently found, but there are plenty more. Read up on everyone’s success stories, and picture yourself in their shoes. If you can understand the possibilities, then making it happen will be much easier for you.

Go faster

‘I don’t have enough time’ is an excuse I hear a lot from people when it comes to breaking their fitness goals. Well, if you are short on time, just work harder in the time you have. You can get more out of a high-intensity workout over twenty minutes than you can from an hour long jog anyway. So, push yourself faster and harder, for shorter periods of time, and you will see results.

Plan your week better

Another big reason people don’t achieve their fitness goals is through lack of planning. We’re all busy, but if you want results, you have to make time. Plan your week or month long in advance, and identify times when you will workout. Don’t miss them - for anything. Treat them like you would an appointment with the doctor or even part of your working day. Once you get used to it, it will feel like it is part of your life. But, you can’t get to that stage without including your workouts in your calendar or diary.

Get a support network

OK, so getting a support network means two things. The first one is obvious. You just hang out with people that understand what you’re doing and give you help and encouragement. But the second one involves keeping yourself away from those that don’t understand. You know who I’m talking about - it’s the guys that doubt you. It’s the people that enjoy a drink a little more than the next person, and encourage you to tag along. It can be tough to keep good friends at arm’s length, but it won’t be forever. Once you have got past a certain point, you mind will be a lot stronger to deal with these issues. And, when it comes to drinking, you can always have one of these.

Hope this has helped - let me know how you are getting on!

The Guy's Five-Day All-Round Workout Routine For 2016

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Guys, it’s nearly 2016, and you know what that means. New goals, more effort, and better shape. The new year is the best time to get back into the gym, and back into your routine. Your fresh with motivation and ambition, so let’s take advantage of that.

We also know that working the same muscle groups day-in-day-out isn’t effective. Your muscles need a full day of recovery to rebuild and repair. Getting on the bench press every day isn’t going to help here. We need to break those muscle groups down, and focus on one each day. That gives them time to heal, while you’re working on the next group. Make sense? Here’s how it breaks down.

Monday - Chest and back day

Chest workouts are our favourites, so we like to put them right at the start of the week. We’re talking about flat-bench barbell presses, and incline bench presses. Remember to focus on slow movements, and get your technique just right. Otherwise you’re doing yourself no favours. Throw in a few cable crossovers, and try some bodyweight exercises like push ups. You can also add a few back workouts into the mix. Try some wide-grip pull ups, and a narrow-grip lat pull downs.

Tuesday - Core

Core workouts are one thing that a lot of guys skip. Many of us focus on arms and chest, but forget that most of your all-round strength is in your core muscle groups. These are your abdominals and side muscles. The best workouts here are bodyweight holds. Try a series of plank positions, and hold each for at least a minute. Do some slow movement crunches, and a powerful burpee workout (the hardest workout out there!)

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Wednesday - Fitness and cardio

It’s time to give the weights and muscle building a break, and focus on fitness and cardio. It’s a crucial part of your workout routine, and much better for your overall health. If you struggle with the running machine and cycling, enrol for some fitness classes. Try the notoriously difficult bootcamp classes, or join a spinning class for ultimate cycling!

Thursday - Leg day

Muscle building guys are always guilty of missing leg day. What you end up with is a stacked chest and arms, but tiny legs! You’ve got to balance out this routine, and get your lower half in prime condition. Start with a series of squats to engage the glutes and your primary leg muscles. Use the leg press, and do slow sets of leg extensions.

Friday - Arms and shoulder day

We like to finish the week on another powerful workout. The arms and shoulders are closely linked to chest and back. So it’s a good idea to spread them out, and leave plenty of rest days in between. This workout is all about biceps, triceps, and shoulders. We’re talking about curls, extensions, and military barbell presses. Yeah, you’re going to feel this one in the morning!

And that’s the week complete. Remember to take a full rest day on either Saturday or Sunday. You can fill the gap with some light cardio or sports, but don’t over-exert yourself. Let those muscles rebuild.

Sweating your way to optimal health
Giacomo Fasano highlights the benefits of detoxifying the body through running in new fitness book

I recently received the book Revolutionary Powercycles to review. As I am a track and field coach and recreational runner it was very fitting to my lifestyle. The fundamentals of fitness have been under our noses forever, but some aspects have not been diligently recognized. I also myself had to under go chemo last year (non cancerous) and used exercises as part of my therapy for both the mental and physical aspects. Although after reading this book I don't think that it is for everyone but there is a place for it with a lot of people. Sweat does help use release toxins in our bodies and I think we need to focus more on that with our treatment plans for a lot of illnesses. Please use the programs that the author suggests if you have a doctor to supervises especially if you are on any radiation therapy or chemotherapy drugs.

In the book “Revolutionary Powercycles,” Giacomo Fasano presents an 8-year self-study of his unique exercise regimen, Powercycle68, which combines 68 minutes of vigorous and slow-paced running to achieve the highest amount of sweat extraction.

Lead and other toxic metals present in sweat are cumulative toxicants that affect multiple bodily systems that can lead to many illnesses like cancer, tumors, depression, high blood pressure and premature aging. The World Health Organization says there is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe, and that lead can enter the body through environmental contamination or ingestion.

“The pragmatic approach to targeted lead removal in Powercycle68, known as progressive displacement, is like a reverse vitamin to our bodies,” Fasano said.

By following Giacomo’s fitness plan, readers currently undergoing cancer treatments can also improve their health through progressive displacement by lowering the levels of arsenic toxicity in their bodies caused by radiation or chemotherapy drugs while generating new, healthy cells in the brain, lungs and other organs.

“I am of the strong opinion that the calculated, systematic and consistent removal of lead and other bad toxins from the body can only begin to have mankind be taller and better than cancer and other ailments,” Fasano said.

For more information, visit http://www.revolutionarypowercycles.com.

Or Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Revolutionary-Powercycles-Giacomo-Fasano/dp/1503512525/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450066117&sr=8-2&keywords=revolutionary+powercycles

The author Giacomo Fasano has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Johnson & Wales University and a law degree from Pace University School of Law. His passion for health and fitness is well into its fourth decade, having logged more than 14,000 miles of running throughout the last 10 years.

Thank you so much for giving me the honour to read your book Giacomo Fasano. It really reminded me and re- opened my eyes as a health professional and track coach about the benefits of sweat and exercise. Endorphins are a powerful drug. We all need to take exercise I bit more seriously.

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.

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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.

Massage Track and Neck Track - Review

Firstly the products were invited by a man named Eric (47) who has a rare illness (mercury and lead poisoning) which among many other nuisances causes tightness in the muscles and connective tissues. He created the patent pending Body Track™ and Neck Track™ for relief when he was really depressed and desperate. He now uses  them every day and on occasion several times during the course of the day.

For almost a year I (Alicia Bell of Train It Right) have been using the balls and the track for relief of tight/sore muscles from working out. They are great trigger point release balls and using them with the tracks helps keep them from slipping out of alignment and I am able to get them exactly where I want them placed. They come with a variety of light, medium and hard balls depending on your sensitivity or tightness. I highly recommend getting these if you are active in sports, the gym or suffer from any ailments such as what Eric has. We often all do the workout component of fitness and neglect the nutrition and recovery which are just as important. Thank you eric for helping me be able to focus more on the recovery component by creating this easy to use and great functional product!

Tech blog did a great video review that you should check out:

For more product information or how you can get your own set all of the info is listed on the Massage Track website:

http://massagetrack.com

Now accepting registration for the Train It Right Transformation Program Round 2

SPOTS ARE LIMITED

Initial payment will reserve your spot.

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The Transformation Program Runs 12 weeks! (the next program starts in January. Exact date TBD). All entrants will be notified upon start date. YES we are in it for real change! 3x workouts with Alicia at OTC and 2-3 workouts provided for you to do on your own (dependant on your goals).

Why group transformations? It isn't for everyone but some people like the group atmosphere:

• Less Money than 1 on 1 pt: Small-group training offers clients a great way to split training costs for the same great personal-training experience.

• More Support: Clients are more motivated to train regularly and consistently, knowing they have like-minded training partners who push them and hold them accountable.

• Greater Adherence: Knowing that a partner is counting on them increases adherence and loyalty.

• More Fun: A shared personal-training experience is often more fun for clients.

• Avoids Burnout: Small-group training allows clients to xperiment with different equipment and different formats, which helps avoid boredom and burnout.

Where: https://www.facebook.com/otctoronto?fref=ts (A brand new facility in Etobicoke). 222 Islington Avenue. This is a studio there is no membership just trainers like myself with great clients like you!

When: Tuesday 7pm, 8pm Option, Thursday 7pm, 8pm Option, Saturday 8am, 9am Options (the odd occasion may be switched to a Sunday due to track and field coaching obligations). If you cannot make the odd switch to a Sunday you will get to make up for it in a bootcamp at the end of the 12 weeks.

What else?  We will do before photos and progress photos each and every week. We will also track your measurements along the way so we can adjust the program accordingly.

Why isn’t this for everyone? Because I am going to help you with your nutrition every step of the way. That means meal planning, meal prep, food journaling and tracking!!!!! Myself and the other ladies will be your support

You will also have 24hr access to an exclusive group Facebook where you can share questions, recipes or have open discussions and questions with me and the other ladies in the group.

Cost: The cost is $1000.00 plus HST for all 3 months of training 3x a week, nutrition guidance and off day workouts!

SIGN UP TODAY. SPACE IS LIMITED

Payments are non-refundable. If you miss sessions I will do my best to accommodate a finishing bootcamp at the end of 12 weeks to make up for the missed sessions but please do your best to attend them.

Instalment Plan #1

Instalment Plan #2

Hey Train it Righters

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The 4 Best Techniques For Building Upper Body Strength

As a personal trainer, one of the most common goals
my clients have is upper body strength. Lots of it! Whether it’s all about the looks or overall strength, it’s a common request. Over the years, I’ve developed some great techniques for building upper body strength. The following workouts are great for both men and women looking for more power up top.

Before we dive in, remember to start small. We’re looking to perfect the technique before we add too much weight. Lots of weight and poor technique isn’t just useless, it’s dangerous! So, follow me, and let’s work out safely.

1. Incline bench press - The bench press is all about working those chest muscles. It’s one of the best body training ideas out there. Guys, it’s going to build your pectorals in a strong and powerful way. The reason why I personally recommend the incline option is that you get an extra boost in your triceps and shoulders. It’s the perfect all-rounder. Start with the bench at a 30-45 degree incline. Grab the bar just wider than the shoulders, and push up to your starting point. Lock it out comfortably, then bring it down slowly to the chest. Breathe in as you come down, out as you go up.

2. Dip - The dip is going to work your entire upper body, and your core. It strengthens abs, shoulders, and your arms all at once. This is a killer strength exercise, and it will take some time to get it right! You’ll need parallel bars (or you can set it up using the bench press bars). From a standing start, put all your weight on your arms, and dip down. When your arms are at 90 degrees with the bar, push back up. Repeat!

3. Pull up bar - The pull up bar is one of my favourite workouts for the back. It gives you those strong ripples of muscle on your back. Grip the bar with your palms facing away from you. Lower yourself into a hanging position, then pull yourself up slowly until your chin is above the bar. Lower yourself gently back to the starting position. Try to lock out completely to a full hang. If you don’t, you’re not using your full back muscles, and your arms kick in. This is poor form.

4. Dumbbell lateral raise - This is another one for the back (working the lateral muscles). It requires a mixture of explosive power and slow control. It’s tricky to get right, so try working it with a friend or spotter first. Start small, and grab two dumbbells, one in each hand. Hold them down by your side; this is your starting point. Now, using a controlled burst of energy, raise them both 90 degrees, so you’re holding your arms wide apart. Control the movement as you bring the dumbbell back down to your sides to the start point. Do this as many times as you can. This one is exhausting, so be careful!

That’s all for now, folks. Get started on these exercises, and remember to focus on form, control, and technique. Then you can start pushing up the weights.