I work with a variety of clients. People come to me for rehabilitation, to gain strength, for general health, appropriate exercise prescription, weight loss, muscle gain, and accountability.
Now more than ever, during a time when public stress is at a high, having a place to go to bolster one's health and relieve stress is important.
Aside from just feeling better, some of my clients (myself included) continue to train as a means to let off steam and stay sane.
During this pandemic I've trained clients virtually and in person. Although training virtually has been a great tool to keep people consistent anywhere in the world, nothing beats the in-person experience with access to a variety of equipment.
Elevate is an easy to use app, with short (roughly 5 minute) daily training sessions that help improve vocabulary, grammar, reading speed, simple math calculations, and memory. Along with daily exercise and healthy eating habits, training your brain is important to stay sharp.
I’ve been making the most of my skills as a trainer and therapist over video calls while our government mandates that most of us work from home and avoid physical contact.
There are pros and cons to this arrangement:
It’s nice that I don’t need to spend time commuting and limit my expenses as a therapist and trainer, but the important aspect of physical contact with therapy or physical contact when cueing a training client where they should focus their attention while performing an exercise, is missing.
The next best thing however are virtual sessions for both training and therapy. Some insurance providers…
Back pain is something I help many of my clients with both in training and in treatment. Success with treatment and training will depend on each client's condition. I've had some cases resolve after one treatment, and others took half a year of training core endurance and coaching movement that spares the spine. In some cases, the problem comes and goes - it depends on how effectively the pain trigger(s) can be avoided. If, for example, someone has back pain that is triggered by prolonged sitting in a slouched posture and consistent training helps alleviate it, that person will have…
There are many guidelines one can follow when it comes to getting lean and staying lean. Some of the most important factors are your training program and your eating habits. The video above outlines some of the rules I follow and encourage my clients to follow when it comes to attaining and maintaining a healthy body composition.
Here's the link to the Precision Nutrition Calculator:
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator
Possible contributing factors to chronic knee pain can be one's movement habits; the way they walk, squat, lunge. This video is meant to bring awareness to movement habits and provide simple tools (for example, side lunges and ankle/foot exercises) to help address possible contributing factors to chronic knee pain. This video is not meant to address all causes of knee pain. It is also not meant to be a self-diagnostic tool. Your best option in determining your cause of pain or dysfunction is to see a therapist that is well versed in physical assessment.
If you are interested in a more…
I had the pleasure of working alongside Dr. Hilary Chambers (ND, HBSC, Doula) for a couple of years while I worked as an RMT and Medical Acupuncture Practitioner at Royal York Massage and Osteopathy.
I’ve since referred several of my clients to Dr. Chambers. Her perspective and expertise have proven very helpful in getting results for my personal training clients. She reinforces positive lifestyle habits that have helped with clients’ weight loss. Among other things, Hilary also digs deep into the root cause of clients’ ailments and creates a plan of action that goes beyond my scope of practice (i.e. blood…
The importance of calories in vs. calories out is commonly referred to when people speak on the topic of weight loss or weight gain, but few do enough in guiding their clients through the steps. This video is the second instalment of my introduction to using the 3 main tools you'll need to manage your weight for either weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance. How to use the 3 tools for weight management: 1. Food tracking app. 2. Body weight scale. 3. Food scale. Learning the basics of how to track your numbers (food intake and bodyweight) over time…
For many people, weight loss or improving body composition usually comes to a halt even when they’re on a diet. There may come a point when you’re stuck at the last bit of fat, or you’ve been lean for a long time and have trouble gaining weight. If you’ve tried everything else and you have the work ethic and discipline to control your body composition more predictably, counting calories and diving deeper into being aware of exactly what you’re eating in specific amounts will be your best bet at eliminating the guesswork. I’m putting together a free step by step…
This recipe came about by me searching for an oat bread recipe in order to use up some rolled oats that were sitting in my cupboard for a while. I found this recipe online and added an extra ingredient: turmeric. This recipe is very simple and quick - that's what appeals to me the most. The fact that it tastes pretty good is a bonus. Here it is:
I keep everything as per the instructions when I make this oat bread. I've always used water instead of nut milk and I've always added a teaspoon of turmeric because I have excessive…
If your goal is to lose or gain weight, your main determining factor whether you gain or lose will be the amount of calories you consume.
Your training regimen will determine your body composition. I.e. the amount of muscle you have. For example, look at the physique of an endurance runner vs. a sprinter. The way they train determines their physique.
Even with pristine nutrition and good eating practices that get you to a desired, healthy, sustainable weight range for your body, you will need consistent application of training in strength and conditioning to stay strong, healthy, and functional throughout your life.
Hiring an…
The picture above is what I consider a solid meal, whether it's in the morning, midday, or at dinner time. It contains some of the key elements I need a major meal to have: quality animal protein, some fat, and a variety of vegetables.
The purpose of this article is to help abandon old ideas that don't serve us and adopt new practices that result in better health and performance. The idea of 'breakfast foods' has been around in Western culture for a long time and many common 'breakfast foods', for example, orange juice, pastries, baked goods, and sugary cereals are…
Introduction
This is a review of the last 6 years I've been training and competing in obstacle races. This is also an article for A type personalities that don't value the importance of recovery for performance. Its also for people that are interested in the training variables that may lead to better results when applied to obstacle course racing.
As a trainer I've always taken my clients through very appropriate, structured, and progressive phases of training that have led them to achieve good results in strength and conditioning, I've also seen my clients, colleagues, and other A type personalities take it too…
Some of the most important factors when I look for recipes are: how fast it can be made, and quality of ingredients. I don't like spending more time than I need to in the kitchen, and I can usually get a good idea of what something will taste like based on the ingredients. I developed this recipe by combining 2 great recipes for crust and pie and refined them into this quick, easy to make, rich tasting, lower sugar pie.
Almond Flour Pie Crust
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp…
