That’s a long trip across North America let me tell ya.

I spent the weekend in San Deigo (what an amazing city) with a bunch of Fitness Professionals.

However as great as the city is, it was really strange when the power went out at 3pm during our seminar.  Thinking it was our room, maybe the building we come to find out that ALL of San Diego had no power and that it may continue until the morning.

WTF? Not good.

Luckily I just “convinced” myself that I was fasting and it was not big deal that I couldn’t eat (which made me want to eat twice as much, funny how that works hey.)

Anyways we got power back like 3am, no big deal, but breakfast sure tasted good that next morning.

I am pretty lucky and I have access to some of the smartest minds in the fitness industry which takes my level of education & knowledge to another level. I am so grateful to be able to meet such smart people.

In our group we have a wide variety of people from Travis “The Freak” Stozel, Rick K from Exercise For Injuries  & Peter, The Gluten Warrior, and of course Dan Go – “The Fat Loss Ninja”.

Overall I had an amazing time and I met some great people, got to see San Diego (again), but best of all I got some killer workouts in with some of my buddies that were at the events.

On Friday I was lucky enough to hit the Cross Fit Gym in San Diego, Cross Fit East Village.

What a WICKED atmosphere this place had. It was your typical Crossfit warehouse gym, but it was totally bad ass and I LOVED IT. We went for a workout on Friday night and we killed it.

I ended up training with a couple of great guys from my group. Dan Go “The Fat Loss Ninja”, Travis Stoetzel “The Freak” (well that’s what I like to call him), and Mike “Alpha Male” Inscho.

Travis, Mike & I did up the “Freakshow Friday” workout consisting of the following as fast as you can

25 Pull Ups
25 Thrusters
25 Kettlebell Swings
25 Plyo box jumps with a burpee (Travis thought normal plyos would be too easy lol)

We had a wicked workout!

One thing I gotta say, is that at 37 I have my share of “war wounds”. 2 bicep tears (1 bicep surgery, and 2 hand surgeries), 1 herniated disc in my lower back, and 3 bulging discs.

But ya know what, when it comes to training there is NOTHING I LOVE MORE! Check out our workout below, we had a blast doing it. If you are looking for some hardcore workouts do what I did and grab Travis “The Freak” Stoetezels “Bags, Bells & Bodyweight” I love it and so do my clients.

After this wicked workout I enjoyed finished it up with some stretching, soft tissue work and a nice walk home in the San Diego weather,

Crossfit Gym San Diego

Saturday I got another workout in, this time at “FIT” gym.

I had a great workout there with my buddy “The Fat Loss Ninja” Dan Go. I tagged along with Dan and we did Rusty Moore’s Visual Impact BodyBuilding workout.

It was a nice change of pace from the intensity workout at the Crossfit gym, it is more of a BodyBuilding type workout of 5 sets of 5 reps.

It was a great workout all the same.

However FIT Gym was more like a dance techno bar than a gym!

The crazy beats were playing, people were training doing some weird sh*t. One guy (wearing gloves mind you), was doing reverse shrugs in the power rack, but to make matters worse he was doing like a upright row with the bar behind his back in the power rack. WTF! All I could do was turn away and focus in on my own workout.

Thank god for hardcore gyms like Crossfit & Heavyweights Training Center, I just can’t stand typical crazy techno gyms with mirrors and machines everywhere, not my style.

After the 5×5 workout Dan Go and I finished with some Plyo box jumps. I LOVED these plyo boxes as they are the Safe Plyo Boxes. I have these on order for my gym and it was great to test them out. Man they feel nice to land on.

I got some great workouts in and if you are in the San Diego area be sure to hit up one of these gyms depending on your choice of training style.

Along with some great workouts I got a good few hours in hiking along Sea Port Village, checking out the sights and the USS Midway.

Saturday night we took it to another level partying VIP style at The Hard Rock located on The Gas Lamp District. As they say for Vegas “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” , this should be applied to San Diego as The Gas Lamp District is just as crazy as Vegas!

Overall I had am amazing time, met some super smart & fit people, got in some great workouts, and got to see beautiful San Diego.

If you have been to San Diego maybe you can leave a comment below telling me some places that you liked or that you recommend.

So post up some feedback as I would love to hear from you.

I hope you had a fantastic Holiday Season.  It is such a great time of year to enjoy time with friends and family, eat too much food, skip workouts, and get ready for some major Resolutions in 2011.

A lot of people stay focused over the holidays and train consistently, I am not one of them.  I enjoy a few weeks of bad food, and taking a short well needed rest from the gym.  It only fires me up more to hit it hard and heavy soon as the New Year rolls around.  I like challenges, and fresh starts and nothing like the New Year to get that going!

One thing about New Years resolutions though is that 90% of people FAIL at them. It sucks, but its true.  However this doesn’t have to be the case for you.  I am going to share with you some tactics and stratergies that work for me to stay on track with my resolutions.  Hopefully these will help you.  On top of this I want you to post your resolutions below mine.  Trust me, its worth 30 seconds of your time.

Here are 8 Tips To CRUSH Those Resolutions!!

1. Set a SPECIFIC GOAL. Yes this is old and has been said a thousand times.  BUT let me explain.  Saying something like “Exercise More” is NOT a specific goal.  Instead of saying Exercise more you would say “Exercise 5 times a week, every week”.  This is MEASURABLE.  So be SPECIFIC, the more specific the better.

2. Be Accountable – OK so you have a goal to lose 2lbs a week or gain 1lb of muscle a week.  What happens IF you don’t get it?  You NEED a reward for getting your goal and a punishment for not reaching it.  Set up MEASURABLE GOALS and ACHIEVE THEM.

3.  Get A Training Partner -  This may sound simple but having someone to train with is key.  When you know someone is at the gym waiting for you chances are you won’t skip it.  Plus having a workout partner can make training a lot more fun.  So partner up.  Arnold didn’t train alone, neither should you.

4. Have a LONG TERM GOAL broken down into SMALLER goals.  IE say you want to lose 20lbs.  Having that as a goal is great, BUT you need a PLAN. Its easier to plan to lose 2lbs a week every week for 10 weeks than to just say “I want to lose 20lbs”.  So Your #1 GOAL is to lose 2lbs a week.  Do this 10 times.

5. Have a DEADLINE. Without a deadline goals to not get met.  We are all more successful under DEADLINES.  So set a DEADLINE.  IE Build 10lbs of Muscle By March 1 or Lose 10lbs of fat By March 1.  You HAVE to have a deadline. I can’t stress how important this really is.

6. Have a PLAN. Don’t reinvent the wheel.  I am coming out with a 6 week Fat Loss & 6 Week Muscle Building plan for March.  In the meantime I strongly recommend you check out the following

Fat Loss – Tom Venuto’s The Holy Grail Of Fat Loss Transformation Program (This kicks A$$)

Muscle Building – Jason Ferrugia’s Muscle Gaining Secrets (Fantastic Program for Building Muscle)

7. Have FUN. Look if you aren’t having fun with your program and reaching your goals you won’t stick with it.  Find a way to make your training and attaining your goals FUN.  You have to wake up fired up and ready to attain your goals.  If it becomes work and a chore forget it.  Keep your training and goal setting FUN & CHALLENGING!

8. Keep A Journal. I keep a calander that I record ALL my workouts.  I can then see if I am on track or not, this works awesome and no one does it.  I can look back at my week and see how many / or X’s I have.  A / means I got cardio in a means I got weights in, a X means I got BOTH!  I want to look back at my week and see lot’s of X’s.  This simple tip works really well.

So there you have it,  8 tactics to stay on track with your resolutions!  Now while speaking of resolutions here are mine, and I want to hear from you so post them up!

These are my personal resolutions for Fitness.  I have many others, i can post.

1. Get to a lean 190lb by March 1.  I am going to the Arnold Classic this year, and I want to be IN SHAPE and bigger.  So this is a big goal for me.

Soft Tissue Torture

2. Do cardio 6 days a week.  By cardio I mean any cardio.  Treadmill, my bootcamp classes, circuits, do some cardio 6 days a week.

3. Lift 4 days a week.  Upper/Lower Body Splits and or Push/Pull workouts.

4. Do soft tissue work and stretching for 30 min a day.  I ALWAYS skip this and this is far more important to me staying healthy than lifting weights (it just sucks lol)

5. Set training goals.  This year I completed the TRX 40/40 challenge, the 100 burpee challenge.  Id like to get my bench back up to 315 for 1 and 225 for 12.  I have had some bad injuries (arm surgery and a bike accident) so I used to bench 405 for reps, but that is long gone. But I want a 315 controlled bench, that’s one of my goals.

Now I want to hear from you so take 5 minutes and POST THEM BELOW!

It’s a late Sunday night but I always use this time to write, read and work on cool projects.

I am very lucky to have the job I do.  Reading fitness websites & blogs and watching The Walking Dead on a sunday night isn’t too bad a gig .

However, if you are a dog lover (and you are like me), then I suggest you keep reading and tell me about your dogs and share their stories here with me..

Meet Jersey.

Jersey started out as a GoldFish. Well, let me back track a little. Jersey is our girl because I went out shopping for goldfish and came home with her. It was the best mistake I ever made >>Insert Jersey Pupply Pic <<

Jersey is now 6 years old. She loves to pretend that she is a person. In her mind she hates being treated like a dog. For example one time when we were driving across Newfounfland and our other dog Rommel Threw up in the back seat of our Xterra our poor girl jersey was traumatized. She was so dainty and embarresed just having to sit in the back with them even for a minute.

Jersey’s hobbies are trying to run away, get up on the couch and watch TV and of course pretend she is a person.

The next of our kids to enter our lives is Rommel.

Rommel started out as a cranky, angry bad ass puppy! When we first got him was a funny story. After driving 5 hours to get Rommel we arrive at the breeders house. Upon entering there was a cracky, barking, angry alpha male trying to come through the fence at me. He was only 8 weeks old but he as a bad ass! So I made a joke and said “who got the dog with the attitude” to which the breeder replied “That’s yours”. I thought I had my hands full! Boy was I wrong!

Rommel turned out to be a teddy bear (to those who know him). Rommel doesn’t have many friends, but the friends he has he loves and protects. He is my boy and he was the best money I could have ever spent. I always dreamed of having a german shepherd, and Rommel is beyond perfect.

Rommel’s hobbies include destroying kongs (aren’t they suppose to be unbreakable?), being a goof ball, Posing for the camera (He LOVES pictures), and herding our cats, and protecting our home from non friends ☺.

Next meet Becka aka Moopy

We adopted Becka about 2 years ago. She was an abused and mistreated dog. When we took her in she had bitten 3 people, spent most of her life in a kennel and had sores on her nose from wearing her muzzle almost all the time.

Becka was a very sad and mis understood dog.

Her previous owner was going to have her put down for biting people. She was neglected and not worth his time. Luckily for Becka Danielle stepped in and saved her and took her home.

She was a very difficult dog. Along with Weimerainers being a difficult breed Becka had severe aggression, mistrust, anxiety, and depression. She didn’t play, she didn’t relax. Becka had nothing, she hated everything and everyone.

Becka loves stealing my Reese Peanut Butter Cups!

I am glad to say that a lot of that has changed. Even though she is a work in progress

Becka’s hobbies consist of running outside (and on our Treadmill), wrestling and giving kisses. She even loves to cuddle. Going to bed and cuddling is the highlight of Becka’s day. As soon as she hears the TV goes off she runs straight to bed in excitement!

Never ever ever give up on a dog. You wouldn’t want anyone to give up on you.

Last is my little buddy Sam. Sadly Sam is no longer with us anymore due to a tragic accident he left us 2 years ago. Not a day goes by I don’t think or miss Sammy.

Sammy was also a rescue for Danielle and I. We took him in about 4 years ago. Before we took Sammy he was actually used to drag someone around in a cart (don’t ask about that one).

The person who had Sammy after he was rescued the first time could no longer take care of Sammy, so Danielle and I decided to take him in. It was a decision I made without hesitation.

Sadly Sammy left us too early, but I am happy knowing that the last 2 years of Sammy’s life he had a great time playing with our pack. We treated Sammy like gold and he will always be missed…..

RIP Sammy You will be missed!

Sammy’s hobbies included trying to run away, giving kisses, and lying on his back getting his belly rubbed as much as possible (and sometimes peeing on me because he loved it oh so much…. Not once did I mind cleaning up that pee….)

So there you have it, that’s our dog’s and our “Pack”.

I would love you to share your stories and pictures about your dogs (aka kids) so please take a few minutes and tell me a story or share a picture.

Tell me about your dogs…..

First off THANK YOU To everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday On FaceBook Friday! It made my day!

So Friday past I turned 36 years old (young) or whatever you care to call it!  But I turned 36.

It’s a weird number because I can no longer look back and say “well I am not that far from 30″ because, well, now I am lol.

This means that I have been exercising and working out for almost 20 years now.  Which is a long time!  But in that time I have learned & experienced a lot in the gym!

So I wanted to share 36 “Insights” that I have learned over the years

1. Have Fun!  If the gym isn’t fun find something that is fun!

2. Help Others. Most people who workout are focused on their own goals, or their own body.  Help others, it will come back to you 10 fold

3. Stay Healthy!  It’s one thing to be big and strong, but its NO good if your not healthy.

4. Don’t stop learning!  Its easy to get complacent, always keep learning and improving!

5. Ask for help!  I can assure you that many people have done or are doing what you want to accomplish.  Ask for some help

6. Try different sports!  When I was hardcore into weights I wouldn’t dare try another sport as it would ruin my workout.  What a mistake that was! Stay Active!

7. If you want to get bigger it isn’t hard.  Eat More, Train Harder, Rest, Repeat!  The hard part is the eating!

8. We are creatures of habit.  Identify your habits and fix them.  It will make it easier to build muscle, lose fat, or whatever you goal is.

9. If you aren’t building muscle the way you want ask yourself 2 questions 1. Are You Squatting?  2. Are You Deadlifting?  If you answered YES to both questions then you need t0 eat more food!

10. Cardio isn’t the enemy for building muscle! Far from it!  No one lost muscle doing 15-20 min cardio 5 days a week.  If your not doing cardio you are missing out!

11. Pay attention to your Pre & Post Workout Nutrition!  It doesn’t matter how hard you push yourself, if you dont pay attention to what goes in your body you won’t get nearly the results you should!

12. Do a bodybuilding or figure show!  Not for the ego, but do it as a challenge and to see what your body CAN look like.  It will surprise you!

13. Get a GOOD COACH or TRAINER!!  It amazes me the people that buy 1-2 magazines and think they know it all!

14. Protein, Creatine etc ISN”T bad for you! (God I hate hearing this) It doesn’t hurt your kidneys or any other crap like that!

    
    

15. Your Doctor doesn’t know everything!  Always ask for help, research, learn, and ask questions.  I see anti depressent and thyroid meds way too often with customers these days…

16. CHANGE YOUR WORKOUT!  Is it Monday?  That mean’s Bench & Bicep for 80% of the people at the gym.  if this is you PLEASE CHANGE YOUR WORKOUT LOL.

17. You Get ONE body!  Take care of it!  It amazes me to see people spend all day cleaning and fixing their car, only to neglect their OWN BODY.  Think about this for a second.  It’s pretty scary!

18. STRETCH!  Let me say that again, STRETCH.  It is by far the most neglected part of fitness & exercises today!

19. “You can’t out train a bad diet” Remember that, it is beyond important!!!  Nutrition is everything for getting in shape & feeling good!

20. Train heavy, then back off.  you can’t always get stronger and stronger.  Sooner or later something will remind you that.  Better to back off by your own choice than a bad injury!

21. Train with your friends!  Go try a different workout, try a new program!

22. The biggest obstacle of people getting in better shape is POOR NUTRITION!  I see packed gym’s but hardly anyone in shape!  What does that tell you?

23. BCAA’s, Fish Oil, Multi Vitamins & Greens should be staples in everyone’s diet!

24. To build more muscle train heavier, eat more quality food, reduce cardio (not cut out), and hit the big muscle groups.

25. To get leaner train at a faster pace.  Blend circuits with basics in the gym, reduce carbohydrates and bad fats.  Dont reduce FOOD, reduce CRAP.

    

26. Your biggest roadblock to getting in better shape is your surroundings! (work, home, school etc). YOU Can’t control that but you can control YOUR RESPONSE.  If everyone is having a tims donut & they want you to eat one it is because THEY want you to fail!  They feel better when you are weak like them.

27. Stop using machines.  I know, every gym is full of them!  Which is why you should NOT be using them.  More on this soon!

28. Do more exercises standing.  Why would you sit down to shoulder press?  I will tell you why, because your gym is making you lazy!

29. Don’t Do Bar Curls In The Power Rack!  Please….only unless there is NO one at the gym…  Please….

30. Don’t growl, scream, grunt, or make weird noises in the gym.  Unless you want to be known as an idiot, then by all means scream away!

31. Take 8-10 minutes and do a proper WARM UP.  It will make your workouts better, improve recovery, and reduce injuries.

32. Train your GLUTES!!  Yep train that butt of yours!  It’s important!  More info on this shortly also!

33. IF your squats aren’t at least parallel then please don’t brag about your squat #’s.  A 225 squat done RIGHT is far more impressive than a 405 knee bend!!

34. The best way to bigger arms is squatting.

35. If your in the gym longer than 60 min your making friends (or staring at the girls on the treadmill way too long lol)

36. Your own as OLD as you FEEL!  And after my birthday celebrations I feel OLD!!  :)

I hope this gives some brief insights into my thoughts!  I thought I’d post some party pics but i will save those for another day lol.

Stay Thirsty My Friends!

Massage assists in this process by improving muscle tone and helping to prevent fatigue and muscular atrophy which could result in injury. Injury is commonly caused by fatigued muscles that have become shortened (that is, tightened and strained). This type of massage has been known to actually lengthen the muscle, which reverses this problem.

Injury prevention is imperative for athletes. Massage helps the individual to be conscious of how their body functions and what restrictions it may have. It is also very important for athletes to keep their body cleansed of impurities, thus massage acts as a mechanical cleanser, by stimulating lymph circulation and quickening waste and toxic elimination. Also aids in digestion!

As we all know, when a muscle is pushed too hard without enough water, muscle spasms can occur. Massage works to relax muscle spasms and gives a relief of tension, while also provides natural recovery to the body. After an intense workout, the body is depleted of essential amino acids, such as L-Glutamine. Massage can offset this depletion as well as boost the immune system. Athletes know that it is vital that they stay in optimal health so they can continue to train.

To become sick and have to stop training for even three days can be detrimental to an athlete and their workout regimen. Massage helps by decreasing your cortisol levels and by doing so, boosts your immune system. Also by lowering your cortisol levels you are also aiding in abdominal fat loss. If you’re already suffering from a cold massage is helpful because it helps you to rid your body of these toxins at a faster rate.

One of the most popular reasons to schedule a massage is to relieve the amount of tension and stress that one may feel. This includes athletes; Training is difficult and requires an enormous amount of dedication and hard work. Also Increases circulation and lowers blood pressure, emphasizes the elimination of metabolic wastes, Effective because it lessens ischemia (reduction of blood supply to organs and/or tissues which affects muscular pain) also Improves the lymphatic system which also removes waste from the body thus resulting in less swelling from injury.

So with all the above Benefits of massage therapy you can’t go wrong, not to mention that most Insurance companies cover Registered Massage Therapy. Book an appointment today WithLesley Young R.M.T. at Kings Bridge Massage Therapy Clinic, 67 Kings Bridge Road, and St.John’s, NL 579-7962 for a deep tissue, relaxation, and Motor Vehicle accident or sports injury/prevention related massage.

(I generally don’t pimp people out on my blog but Lesley is a FANTASTIC Message Therapist, I highly recommend her!)