Category: Guest Post

Four Hard ‘Core’ Training Circuits For Six-Pack Abs

Your abs are a stabilizer muscle built for endurance, so it only makes sense to train them that way. In this article I’ll provide an overview of how I prefer to train the core in all types of clients, from beginners to advanced fitness competitors, by detailing the style of training, sets and reps, frequency, favorite exercises, rep cadence and highlight my personal favorite training technique — the abs circuit or giant set. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App Some of the most impressive cores I’ve helped to sculpt have been built with a circuit style of ... Read more

5 Insanely Effective TRX Exercises For A Total-Body Workout

Without question, time (or lack thereof) is the most common excuse for not working out. Can you relate? How many times have you skipped the gym because you thought you didn’t have enough time? Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App I see this time and time again with my clients. When life gets busy, the first thing to fall by the wayside is exercise. Well, you can kiss that excuse goodbye with this innovated way to train anywhere, anytime – home, office, on vacation, outdoors… If you follow this TRX workout routine to the letter, you ... Read more

Why Form Is So Important In CrossFit

Technique is always a hot topic in any sport or fitness program. Moving well and with purpose sets us up for success by producing desirable results and better performance in our given sport or activity. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App On the flip side, moving poorly and without technique often times contributes to injury, muscular imbalances and poor results. In no other sport or fitness program has the topic of technique been so hotly debated as it has been with CrossFit. The Internet is plagued with articles ruling CrossFit to be the most dangerous sport, ... Read more

What I Learned Teaching Yoga In Antarctica

“Antarctica has this mythic weight. It resides in the collective unconscious of so may people, and it makes this huge impact, just like outer space.  It’s like to the moon.” — Jon Krakauer Having the opportunity to be a yoga and wellness guide aboard a ship in Antarctica was a dream come true as i always wanted to be a successful yoga teacher training enthusiast. My senses were alive and heighted by its spectacular beauty. To be able to experience the pristine waters, the icebergs and the wildlife — and to breathe and feel the crisp, clean air — felt like gift. There ... Read more

What Is Tabata Training? 4 Moves To Get Started

CrossFit, HIIT, Tabata, P90x, TRX… With so many different types of workouts out there, it’s hard to know which one is right for you. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App For those who swear by it, the ‘Tabata Revolution” is the new frontier of fitness. But what is Tabata, exactly? And why should you consider incorporating Tabata-style training into your routine? Let’s take a closer look at this wildly popular exercise trend. What Is Tabata Training? Tabata is a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with rounds that last four minutes, with intervals of 20 seconds of “work” ... Read more

The Benefits Of Balasana (Child’s Pose)

Your eyes are closed. Your body is still. You are floating in a warm, turquoise bed of water. There is absolutely no effort. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App   As you sway farther into your inner landscape, the ocean continues to gently rock you. Your breath is calm as it melts in and out of your core. Remember this sensation of floating; of being held and being free all at once. Remember this sensation of ease, of sukha. Meaning pleasant, sweetness, or ease, sukha is an essential component of all āsana. It is a practice ... Read more

Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work. Here’s Why

How many times have you obsessively tracked and restricted your daily calorie intake to only find the scale won’t budge? If the answer is too many times to count, you’re not alone. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App We are often led to believe that a calorie = a calorie = a calorie, but it’s not as simple as that. Many popular weight loss programs are based on the basic math of eating fewer calories than your body burns each day. While this simple science of creating a calorie deficit makes sense in theory and has ... Read more

Yoga Vs. Stretching: What’s The Difference?

Non-yogis may find it hard to understand the difference between a good stretch and a yoga pose. Could it be that yoga just a fancy form of stretching? Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App Both yoga and stretching emphasize placing the body in various positions to help lengthen and strengthen. But while it’s true that stretching is a big part of yoga, there is so much more to it than that. So what, exactly, is the difference between stretching and yoga? Let’s begin to answer this question by diving deeper into the purpose and origins of yoga. What is ... Read more

Strength Training For Beginners: 6 Best Exercises To Maximize Your Workout

When walking into a gym, you may notice that the fittest gym-goers are usually not using the cardio machines. Contrary to popular belief, strength training plays a more essential role than cardio does when it comes to getting in great shape. However, with so many different pieces of equipment available at the gym, it can seem confusing, intimidating, and frankly, uncomfortable to make strength training a fitness priority. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App As a female trainer, one of the most frequent questions I am asked is, “Will lifting weights make me bulky?” At the ... Read more

Impact Kitchen Toronto Serves Up Paleo Breakfasts, Power Bowls And More

It’s been less than a year since Toronto’s Impact Kitchen first opened its doors, yet it’s already made great strides in offering some of the city’s cleanest eats. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App Co-owner and personal trainer Josh Broun emphasizes minimally processed, nutrient-rich food. Although much of the menu is a godsend to paleo advocates and those with allergies or food sensitivities, like gluten or dairy, there are options for everyone. With plenty of seating, both in their dining area and as part of their smoothie/coffee bar, the interior is spacious with a modern-industrial feel. Rustic wood tables ... Read more

Unique Fitness Classes To Try In Toronto

Are you stuck in a fitness rut? Do you feel exhausted at the thought of going to the gym, seeing the same faces, and doing the same old routine, day after day, week after week? Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App I know the feeling. Don’t settle for a humdrum, boring fitness existence. Change up your routine and find the fun in fitness again with some unusual and daring classes. Here are some unique fitness classes in Toronto to try if you want to shake things with your exercise regime. Surfing You don’t need to live near ... Read more

You Have To Try This: Spirulina Superfood Smoothie Recipe

A handful of kale or any other green is a pretty standard smoothie ingredient these days – green is the colour of health and balance, after all. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App But recent social media attention has been all over a deeper, green-blue colour, that which can only come from the likes of blue green algae. (You may be familiar with spiriulina, chlorella and kelp, which are types of blue green algae.) Juice bars are turning out nut “mylks” tinged with blue, and Melbourne Australia’s Matcha Mylkbar recently made waves on Instagram with its ... Read more

What Is Restorative Yoga? (And Why Should You Do It?)

At times, we are so mystified by all the beautiful and wondrous chaos that surrounds us that we become too engulfed in the details of our everyday lives. We forget to go inwards – to ground ourselves emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It is when we reconnect with our bodies, our minds and our centre, that we heal and recharge our sense of being. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App One of my personal favourite practices (evoking a sense of grounding, healing, and renewal) is restorative yoga. Restorative yoga is a gentle and therapeutic style of yoga, ... Read more

Strength Training For Runners

There are two kinds of people who call themselves “runners”: those only run, and those who incorporate strength-training exercises into their fitness regimes. Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Training App The latter tend to be the most successful and well-balanced athletes. A powerful runner will be faster and less likely to suffer injuries than one who only runs and does no other form of exercise. We know that strength training and running aren’t mutually exclusive, so why don’t more runners lift weights as part of their fitness routines? Many runners don’t know where to begin or don’t recognize the importance of ... Read more

10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running

Running isn't for everyone. Fortunately, there are other exercises that burn more calories and keep you fit. Try these 10 awesome alternatives to running.