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HOW TO WORK OUT LIKE YOU’RE IN AN NFL TRAINING CAMP

FITNESS

Get ready for the NFL season like the pros and train like your favourite players.

Across the United States of America, NFL training camps are kicking off meaning the season is drawing closer. The glimpses we’re seeing of running routes, passing plays, and sprints down the field remind us that football might be on TV for half the year, but the training season for players never stops — especially during training camps.

The reality is that players need to come to training camp already in shape for grueling drills and midsummer practices. Training camps are no joke, players must fight to survive as another season begins under the sweltering summer sun. The days are long, the pain is real, and the pressure is incredible.

The hard work pays off, though. There’s no doubt that players in the NFL are some of the most athletic humans, and if you’re looking to step up your workout game, it can’t hurt to take a few pointers from the pros. You might not have the advantage of several months of pre-training camp workouts on your side, but there are definitely ways to adapt those routines to your own gym workouts.

Here’s a few tips and some exercise routines that will make you feel like you’re in the middle of a training camp, unfortunately minus your favourite team’s swag.

Focus on the basics

If you’re looking to get in great shape, don’t think you need an intricate new routine. NFL players train by doing exercises like the bench press, Romanian deadlifts, and ladder drills to name a few. Check out the full workout routine blog of former NFL great Andre Johnson.

Emphasize core exercises

If you’re looking to increase your speed and agility, following tips from the speediest of the NFL players will help you out. Micah Parsons, defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, does exercises like cable-resisted physioball crunches to help him to make sure he can beat the tackles and get to the quarterback. The majority of the moves he does on the field have an offensive lineman grabbing and tugging on him, so he has to use his core to make an explosive movement to beat the block and get to the quarterback. In other words, even NFL players don’t get out of crunches. They’re just more intense.

With a cable machine behind you, lie with your upper back on the physioball while holding the crunch straps in each hand just above your chest. As you crunch upward into a sitting position on the ball, the cable resistance behind you will help to strengthen your core, especially as you keep those muscles tight the entire time. Include this in your workout by doing 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps each.

Work out in the sand

This tip won’t be helpful if you don’t have access to a beach or a sand pit, but the benefits are huge if you do. The sand absorbs all the force you exert with your feet, which means your muscles have to work harder than when you’re working out on firmer surfaces like rubber or grass. Performing drills on the sand barefoot can also help to prevent injury in the long run because without shoes the muscles in your feet and ankles learn to work in unison with your knees. Your Achilles tendons might complain, but otherwise it’s a great way to get more out of some simple cardio or drills.

If you don’t have access to sand hills can be a good alternative to improve your speed.

Squats, squats, squats

Squats build strength while also improving balance and stability, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that most football workouts include tons of variations. The Kettlebell Bulgarian squat is one, used by former Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk. Numerous variations are also staples in several football-inspired workouts, including box squats and more.

Plus, squats have great implications for everyday life. Building muscles in your legs and back (and really all over) helps to take the stress off your knees. Squats can get a bad rap for being knee-killers, but they’ll actually benefit you when performed properly. Some resources advocate for full-body squats, where you’re going as low as you can go. If your knees are already in bad shape, this might not be a good call for you, but definitely don’t neglect some variation in your typical gym routine.

Mind over matter

Former New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees can slam a 420-pound truck tire with a sledgehammer, but that was just one part of his training routine. In most cases, the mental state dictates how successful a training session actually is. The future Hall of Fame quarterback overcame injuries and was known to be the last one on the field during his training days, completing extra 300-meter shuttle runs. NFL players are always looking for that edge to get one percent better each day.

It’s that one percent better that will make a difference on the field during NFL Sundays, and it’s the same mentality that will make sure your workouts keep improving.

Story Reference: https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19531639/inside-the-nfls-secret-training-camp/

Programming For Success – How To Guide

FITNESS

As certified personal trainers, we have an obligation to our clients—to encourage them, to make them better, to push them beyond their limits, and to keep them safe while doing it.

What makes us as fitness professionals different from the rank and file fitness enthusiast trying to help their friends is the knowledge and education we work so hard to keep up to date. And, that extensive knowledge of exercise science should be reflected in each exercise program we make for our clients. But all too often, we end up seeing the same techniques employed across the board, regardless of the individual fitness goals of the client in question. What we’re going to do today is go over a method for optimizing your program to ensure you aren’t just giving them the same old program they could get anywhere online.

You are the secret sauce. Equipped with the fitness tools you learned when getting your personal training certification, you stand in the unique position to affect positive change in the lives of your clients. And that’s a special responsibility. Sometimes, though, even the best of us run out of creative juices. So, what do you do when you feel tapped out in terms of piecing together a unique program for each individual? The answer comes down to your process.

To Start, It’s All About Listening

Anyone can go online and find a program for working out. What clients get from you that they can’t get from random articles is your expertise, knowledge, and experience. Whether you’re trying to be the rockstar trainer at your gym or trying to make your own personal training business succeed, everything begins with listening.

What are their goals? What is their motivation? Have they tried to achieve these goals before? What about injuries or health conditions? This might seem obvious, and many trainers ask these questions, but unfortunately, many are only passively listening, just waiting for their opportunity to get in their pitch as opposed to learning about what their clients need.

Some would say that you should begin with a fitness assessment right out of the gate. But, what’s the good of a standard fitness test if the client can’t perform some of the exercises within your assessment? Furthermore, being a trainer isn’t only about doling out workout routines. It’s also about being your clients’ source of accountability.

So, pay attention to what they tell you. Try to investigate their triggers. Where are they vulnerable? What causes them to eat off their nutrition plan? What makes them skip workouts? What workouts do they hate and thus avoid? And what are some strategies they can employ to push through these moments?

Most clients end up terminating their relationship because they fail to get results or because they feel stagnant. Learning about them and what can make them successful will allow you to nip issues in the bud long before they get to this point. Focus on maximizing their health and well-being. Listen well, and you’ll be well on your way to a positive beginning.

Start with a Plan

Like with the artists, you need to develop a process. Whereas your programming shouldn’t be templated, your process very much can be. Once you’ve listened to your client and learned about their goals and needs, you can start with the physical aspect of fitness training. From their goals, needs, and preferences, you can start developing a workout program that will be the winner.

Overall, a successful process, or plan, will usually look something like this:
Listen to their goals and needs.
Determine exercise metrics in alignment with their goals.
Put those exercise metrics together into a fitness assessment.
Based on performance in the assessment, develop programming targeted to improvement.
Re-test them at regular intervals.
Adapt your programming based on performance.
Repeat as their fitness level improves.
Furthermore, you want to incorporate elements of their life in the plan.
Do they spend eight hours a day sitting? See what you can do to encourage them to move throughout the day.
Do they already take their dogs for walks? Try to get them to stretch that out a little bit, getting every bit of physical activity you can out of them when they aren’t with you.

Make sure you are targeting your approach to their day-to-day lives as well as what they’re doing in the gym. This type of customization is the nature of what makes your training certification so valuable. Give them in your sessions what they can’t get anywhere else.

Finding the Right Metrics

Standard fitness assessments test for things like target heart rate, physical strength, balance, and endurance. These elements are all great in generalized fitness, but ultimately, what are your clients’ goals? This will allow you to develop your own fitness assessments that are targeted towards your client seeing the improvements they want to see.

Now, sometimes, you have to push back a little bit. If you’re dealing with someone who only wants to bulk muscle, yet hasn’t ever really performed proper strength training, they’re going to need to start with something much more basic. One way to handle this is to show them the road map. Let them know that in order to get into the type of training they’re asking for, they’re going to need to start with the basics. Otherwise, there could be a serious risk of injury. Make sure they’re heard, but also make sure to manage their expectations.

So, if you have a client who is looking to lose body fat, you know the exercise route to this is going to involve increasing their basal metabolic rate via resistance training. As such, think of exercises that are resistance-based and easily performed at regular intervals. This could be push-ups or squats if they’ve never touched a weight before, or if they have more experience, it could include some more advanced strength and conditioning exercises. The important part is that it should be tailored to what they’re seeking.

Don’t ignore the basics of what the fitness assessment is also tracking. In this technique, we’re just recommending that you adjust what you do to make it as relevant as possible to your client’s goals. This will help to ensure the client understands you have heard them and are working with them towards their specific, unique goals.

Programming for Success and Communication

Again, this comes down to a process. You don’t exactly have a blank canvas now, with the fitness assessment you’ve conducted, you now know where they stand. And this should guide your programming from day one. Every aspect of the fitness assessment should be targeted and improved, but you should also direct more attention to the elements of the fitness assessment to which they performed worst.

Make sure that, in each step of the process, you’re explaining to them what you’re doing and why. Demystifying the personal training experience for them will make them more confident in your abilities and will make your process easier for the client to understand, increasing the likelihood of their adoption and success.

The fitness industry has a problem with common “rinse, recycle, repeat” where everything is a one-size-fits-all template. This might work for larger group training systems, health clubs, and other such businesses, but they’re targeting a more general consumer. When someone opts to use a personal trainer’s services, they’re looking for your unique style. Imagine how you would feel paying more for a service and still just getting the status quo. Show them your attention to detail in what they’re wanting. Demonstrate your expertise by tailoring their program to their life.

Just remember, at the end of the day, follow the process. Re-administer the fitness assessment at the right periods, every six weeks or so. This is a great way to see where clients are improving, as well as to see where you need to adjust your programming to meet their goals.

If they’re strengthening in one area and staying stagnant in another, it’s time to tweak your exercises to whatever will improve that performance. This process is involved, but it’s going to give your clients a practical way to not only see their improvement but to feel it as well.

Join MOVATI Today and get Started with This Special Offer. Already a member? To customize programming and help you improve your training, consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session or join seminars with one of our fitness professionals.

#LetsMoveCanada – National Health and Fitness Day!

FITNESS

Get out and get active to celebrate National Health and Fitness Day on June 3^rd at your local MOVATI Athletic club.

Jayde Kabeya, our Group Fitness Education National Manager has challenged you! Take part in her AMRAP CHALLENGE. How many rounds can you complete in 5 minutes!?

Complete the four workouts below and share your experience on social media using the hashtag #MOVATIMovesCanada #LetsMoveCanada .

AMRAP CHALLENGE

10 Squat Jumps

8 Dumbbell Shoulder Presses

6 Goblet Squats

4 Push ups

To learn more about National Health and Fitness Day, check out the Fitness Industry Council of Canada website: https://ficdn.ca/

OPTIMIZE YOUR WORKOUT RECOVERY WITH MOBILITY AND STRETCHING

FITNESS

After a long week of workouts, it is important to make sure we are taking care of our bodies by properly recovering. How do we do that?! With a recovery and mobility workout! In order to make the most out of all the hard work you put into working out, a recovery workout is a must!

WHAT IS A RECOVERY WORKOUT?

It is a common belief that a recovery day is a rest day, meaning you do not need to do any kind of workout that day. This is NOT the case! On a recovery day, you should still be doing a workout, although it is a different kind of workout, typically focusing on mobility and flexibility. This workout is typically relaxed and requires only a small amount of time. This recovery workout is meant to help flush out any soreness in the muscles and release lactic acid after a tough week of training. It is focusing on hip mobility, back mobility, as well as adductors.

SHIN BOX

The shin box is a fun hip mobility exercise I first learned in jiu-jitsu training to help prepare the hips for a lot of movement and muscle activation while rolling.

But beyond that, the shin box is the perfect way to work on your hip mobility and loosen up tight hips from your workouts or from time spent sitting during the day.

The movement involves internal and external rotation of the hips, which is crucial to help you avoid rounding your lower back during exercises like squats. It also helps improve your range of motion, making your workouts more effective.

Sit on the floor with one leg in front, bent at the knee.
Your back leg will also be bent at the knee, facing backward, with your foot facing away from you.
Some prefer the foot to touch the knee, while others need an open stance. See which works for you.
Swivel your hips, starting with your back knee and allowing your front knee to follow.
Your knees will come off the ground and swivel across like a windshield wiper, grounding your heels and lifting your knees up, and rotating them across your body.
At this point, you will be back into the starting position but on the opposite side with the opposite knee in front.
Practice this swivel a few times.
Next, try to lift your hips and glutes off the floor after a swivel, raising into a kneeling position at the top.
Control your body weight to lower and swivel up onto the opposite side.
Repeat for 10 repetitions on each side.

BIRD DOG

Bird dogs are a practical exercise that moves several areas of your body, but getting the technique just right is essential. Done correctly, the bird dog will help you work on torso stability and core bracing, which are vital for improving your deadlift, squat, and other movements.

Doing this movement on your recovery days can help you avoid losing stability in your core and spine during lifting days. The result? Less pain, better performance, and way less likelihood of injury.

Moreover, bird dogs are renowned for boosting recovery from back pains and strains and are recommended in a paper by Dr. Stuart McGill(opens in new tab), one of the world’s top back and spine researchers.

This exercise is one of his “Big Three” movements for the back and core, used by physiotherapists and pain-free performance specialists (like myself) for clients with lower back tightness.

It looks easy, but the goal is to make it feel challenging. To do this, you must tense your entire body and keep yourself steady.

Start on the floor on all fours, with your wrists stacked under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
Stiffen your torso by contracting the muscles in your back, abs, glutes, shoulders, and hips.
With your lower back stiffened, extend your right arm and left leg very slowly.
Keep your foot about two to four inches off the floor, not raised super high behind you, so that you can keep your hips level without your back arching.
Keep your lower back stiff and make a fist with your extended arm.
With a stiff body, hold this position for 10 seconds.
Slowly bring your leg back underneath you along with your fist, touching your knee to your fist if you can. Do not allow your back to relax; keep it stiff.
Raise back up to the extended position.
Try five reps of 10-second holds on each side. Gradually add reps as you improve.

T-SPINE ROTATIONAL LUNGE

Our bodies aren’t designed to sit for long periods each day, so it can cause problems in your upper back and spine, often leading to muscular imbalances, weakness, and tightness across your body.

Depending on your job and habits, your shoulders may feel tight and have a limited range of motion, with one side being worse than the other. To help reduce these impacts, you can try this rotational lunge.

It incorporates the t-spine and helps stretch the lower back, hips, and hip flexors. You can hold a kettlebell (opens in new tab) in one arm for this movement or use body weight.

Start on the floor kneeling, then place one leg in front in a lunge, foot flat on the floor, and knee bent 90 degrees.
Hold a kettlebell in a racked position up by your shoulder, if using, in the same arm as your bent front knee. This will help improve shoulder stability.
Slowly twist toward your front knee, rotating your torso while keeping your back straight.
Use your free hand to grasp the outside of your raised knee, gently pulling yourself to encourage a deeper rotational stretch.
Hold for five seconds.
Try performing this movement two or three times on each side.

PRONE COBRA

The cobra is a popular yoga pose that helps open your shoulders, but this prone cobra variation adds in an isometric hold, which means holding a contracted position for a certain amount of time.

Isometric holds help build muscle and strength by combining your body weight and time under tension (the amount of time you hold the move).

It’s a corrective exercise that can help address poor posture and Upper Cross Syndrome, a common condition in people who sit for long periods.

Lay on the floor on your stomach with your arms by your sides.
Lift your chest off the floor, keeping your chin down.
Then, lift your arms off the floor and contract your core and back muscles to stay lifted.
Try moving your palms to face away from you from here, pointing your thumbs upward if you can.
Otherwise, you can keep your palms flat facing upward or turn them down if you don’t have the mobility to rotate your shoulders this way.
Try to get your thumbs pointing up over time to increase the openness of your shoulders.
Hold for about 30 seconds, then rest on the floor for 30 seconds.
Repeat for six rounds so that you will have held the contraction for three minutes by the end.

RESISTANCE BAND PULL-APART

Resistance bands (opens in new tab) are an excellent tool for recovery day workouts. They come in various resistance levels and provide tension that will help gently activate muscles without adding fatigue.

The banded pull-apart is excellent as a warm-up exercise for upper body training and as part of a recovery workout to combat Upper Cross Syndrome.

This exercise will help stretch and strengthen the upper back and shoulders. You can do it with palms facing up or down as both hit different areas of your back and shoulders in unique, beneficial ways.

Hold a light resistance band with an underhand grip in both hands, spaced slightly wider than shoulder width. Just ensure you will have band tension at the end position of the exercise.
Bring the band to chest height and separate your hands, pulling and stretching the band to increase resistance.
Bring the band to touch your chest, separating your arms to your sides as far as possible. Don’t allow your elbows to bend or your arms to rotate during the movement.
Squeeze your shoulder blades back and together to feel the contraction. Hold for up to five seconds, then slowly reverse the motion.
Repeat 15 to 20 times.

HIP FLEXOR LEG LIFT

Your hip flexors are a muscle group (iliacus, psoas, pectineus, rectus femoris, and sartorius) located at the front of your hips and thighs that assist with flexing your hip or raising your knee upward toward your body.

They can become very tight due to sitting, leading to back pain and poor performance in movements such as squats. Strengthening your hip flexors combats the effects of sitting, improves mobility, and can help reduce your risk of injury.

Sit on the floor, legs extended in front of you, with a kettlebell or another obstacle several inches high beside your ankle.
Raise your arms out to the sides for balance and sit upright.
Lift one leg up and over the kettlebell, then down to touch the floor on the other side.
Reverse the motion by lifting back up and over.
Repeat 15 to 20 times, then switch sides.

PLATE SHOULDER MOBILITY DRILL

Shoulders are notoriously troublesome and can become injury prone or dysfunctional relatively easily. This is because our shoulders have a great range of motion, but it can be challenging if you don’t have stability.

This shoulder mobility drill uses light 2.5lb weight plates to increase shoulder mobility and stability during your recovery day workout and combats the effects of sitting while strengthening your shoulders.

If you don’t have a weight plate to hand, you can either do the move without weights or grab a couple of full water bottles or canned foods instead.

Lay on your stomach on the floor with a 2.5lb weight plate in each hand.
Bend your elbows at shoulder height with the plates in your hands and elbows at 90 degrees.
Slowly straighten and extend your arms to move the plates away from you, arms overhead.
Don’t allow the weight plates to touch the floor and keep your arms hovering above the floor.
Reverse the motion to return to the bent arm position.
Repeat 10 times.

Join MOVATI Today and get Started with this Special Offer. Already a member? Get customized programming and improve your mobility and recovery by consulting with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session or join seminars with one of our fitness professionals.

Story Credit: Toronto FC Training Staff

Choose your side and workout like Adonis Creed or Damian Anderson from Creed 3

FITNESS

With another installment of the Rocky franchise ready to hit the big screen on March 3, 2023, Michael B. Jordan steps into the ring for the third time as Adonis Creed and Jonathan Majors makes his debut in Creed III as Damian Anderson. The two actors are set to square off in the ring but put in a crazy amount of work in the gym to pack on the muscle for their respective rolls.

Depending on who you are cheering on, here are the workouts that each actor did to transform themselves into the physical boxing specimens you will witness on the big screen.

Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson

Straight Arm Lat Pulldown

3 sets
10 reps

Close Grip Pullups

3 sets
10 to 12 reps

Leg Raises

3 sets
8 to 10 reps

Oblique Knee Raise

3 sets
8 reps

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

3 sets
12 reps per arm

Dumbbell Shrugs

3 sets
12 reps

Overhead press

Sets – 3
Reps – 10

Pullups & Chin-ups

Sets – 4
Reps – 12

Dumbbell Bench Press

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Kettlebell goblet squats

Sets – 3
Reps – 10
Rest – 60 seconds

Forward Lunge

Sets – 3
Reps – 8
Rest – 1 minute

Hip Thrusts

Sets – 3
Reps – 10
Rest – 60 seconds

Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed

DAY I

Chest, back & arms

Incline Dumbbell Press

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Dumbbell Fly

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Pushups

Sets – 10
Reps – 1-10

Dumbbell Kickback

Sets – 3
Reps – 15

Triceps Pushdown

Sets – 2
Reps – 20
Bench Dip
Sets – 10
Reps – 1-10

DAY II

Biceps, triceps & lats

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Neutral-Grip Pulldown

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Bent Over Row

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Dumbbell Curl

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Barbell Curl

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Hammer Curl

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

DAY III

Legs + abs Circuit

Dumbbell Lunge

Sets – 3
Reps – 30 SEC. (EACH LEG)

Single-Leg Hip Extension

Sets – 3
Reps – 15 SEC. (EACH LEG)

Leg Curl

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Romanian Deadlift

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Squat

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Crunch Swiss Ball

Sets – 3
Reps – 25

Leg Raise

Sets – 3
Reps – 25

Toe Touch Med. Ball

Sets – 3
Reps – 25

DAY IV

Chest, arms & abs

Sprinter Situp

Sets – 3
Reps – 25

Reverse Crunch Resistance Band

Sets – 3
Reps – 25

Dumbbell Bench Press

Sets – 3
Reps – 15

Bench Dip

Sets – 4
Reps – 20

Dumbbell Flye

Sets – 3
Reps – 25

To customize programming and help you look like your best version of Michael B. Jordan or Jonathan Majors, consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session.

You can’t run from your past!

Story Credit: Men’s Health (https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a41576163/jonathan-majors-workout/ & https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a41568343/jonathan-majors-creed-3-body-transformation/) Insider (https://www.insider.com/michael-b-jordan-creed-3-workout-routine-diet-trainer-2023-1)

Train like a Warrior and Conquer your Workout to Look like the New Big Bad of the MCU

FITNESS

Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is officially kicking off this month with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Unlike past MCU movies where the focus is on the protagonist, this new phase will focus and build a story around the antagonist who will make Thanos (the previous MCU antagonist from phase 3) look like a piece of cake. Who is this antagonist you may ask … none other than Kang the Conqueror portrayed by Jonathan Majors.

Majors made his MCU debut as He Who Remains—a multiversal variant of Kang the Conqueror—in Loki Season 1. Fast forward to February 17^th, 2023, and audiences will see the commitment Majors’ made to this role putting on 10 pounds of muscle to prepare and transform his body to look like an imposing figure.

How did he accomplish this, you may ask? By waking up at 4:30 a.m. and hitting the gym, then going back to the gym at 7 p.m. This is one of Majors’ workout routines (back focused) that got him ripped:

Straight Arm Lat Pulldown

3 sets
10 reps

Close Grip Pullups

3 sets
10 to 12 reps

Leg Raises

3 sets
8 to 10 reps

Oblique Knee Raise

3 sets
8 reps

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

3 sets
12 reps per arm

Dumbbell Shrugs

3 sets
12 reps

Overhead press

Sets – 3
Reps – 10

Pullups & Chin-ups

Sets – 4
Reps – 12

Dumbbell Bench Press

Sets – 3
Reps – 12

Kettlebell goblet squats

Sets – 3
Reps – 10
Rest – 60 seconds

Forward Lunge

Sets – 3
Reps – 8
Rest – 1 minute

Hip Thrusts

Sets – 3
Reps – 10
Rest – 60 seconds

To customize programming and help you look like your best version of the new big bad of the MCU, consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session.

For all time, always!

Story Credit: Men’s Health (https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a41576163/jonathan-majors-workout/ & https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a41576725/jonathan-majors-kang-the-conqueror-warrior-workout/)

12 Days of Yoga

FITNESS

Who said the holiday season is the wrong time to practice yoga? There’s no wrong time to de-stress yourself with some stretching, meditation and breath control. Roll out your mat and add these 12 poses to your practice.

Don’t do them all at once. Try one pose each day of the festive season to let your body and mind gradually soak up the holiday spirit!

Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Tree Pose

Day 2: Turtle Doves

Warrior 2

Day 3: French Hens

Warrior 3

Day 4: Calling Birds

Plank – lift up each of your 4 limbs one at a time Or Crow Pose

Day 5: Golden Rings

Wheel

Day 6: Geese a Laying

Pigeon

Day 7: Swans a Swimming

Cobra

Day 8: Maids a Milking

Cow Face Pose

Day 9: Ladies Dancing

Dancer’s Pose

Day 10: Lords a Leaping

Standing Split or Hand to Big Toe

Day 11: Pipers Piping

Close twist crescent lunge with hands mimicking a pipe

Day 12: Drummers Drumming

Warrior 1

Staying on Track During the Holiday Season

FITNESS

The holidays can be a challenging time of year for many, especially when you are watching what you eat and focusing on having balanced meals. During this time, it can be hard to control what food you’re served, alcohol is abundant, and it can be difficult to refrain from binging when everyone else is loading up on treats.

Here are a couple of “tips” to get you through this Holiday season:

Start the day off with a modest breakfast and eat light snacks throughout the day.
Eat close to your usual times to keep your blood sugar steady. If your meal is served later than normal, eat a small snack at your usual mealtime.
If you are a guest in someone else’s home offer to bring a dish that you know fits into your meal plan,
Don’t skip meals. It will be harder to manage your blood sugar, and you’ll be really hungry and more likely to overeat.
If you slip up, get right back to healthy eating with your next meal. Don’t punish yourself, beat yourself or shame yourself.
Begin the meal by eating your vegetables first! Eating fibrous vegetables can balance your blood sugar and fill you up a lot faster-leading to less snacking and mindless eating.
Eat slowly. It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to realize you’re full.
Eat mindfully. Be aware of what you are eating.
Avoid or limit alcohol. If you are having alcohol have it with food.
There are no bad foods. Select your favourite foods and enjoy them in reasonable quantities. Savour a small serving, especially if it is something that you do not eat often.
One piece of pie will NOT destroy your progress. Remember that life is to be enjoyed and sticking rigidly to a meal plan at times is not a sustainable lifestyle choice.

The Black Panther Workout: Train like the true warrior of Wakanda!

FITNESS

Are you ready for the highly anticipated release of Wakanda Forever?

We are so excited to see how Marvel Studios will conclude Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and how this story fits into the upcoming Phase 5.

In honour of the November 11^th release day of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we want you to train like Wakanda’s mightiest hero.

The Black Panther Workout Routine

Training Volume – 3 days per week

Explanation:

There are 3 days of programmed training, but this routine is pretty tough but effective and will leave you sore and wanting more.

What you need to know:

Circuit training means you’re performing movements in groups. If a movement is part of “Circuit 1” it’s part of the grouping of movements that needs to perform back-to-back and then proceed to break and do another set [of those movements] after. 3 rounds of each Circuit and then 2 minute break.

Day 1 – Cardio/Pull/Core

15 min cardio (row, run, bike)
Circuit 1: Box Jumps: 3X20
Circuit 1: Renegade Row Burpees: 3X10
Circuit 1: Jump Rope: 3X1 min
Circuit 1: One Arm Dumbbell Row: 3X10(each)
Circuit 1: Chin Up: 3X10

2 min Break

Circuit 2: Hammer Curls: 3X10
Circuit 2: Pull Up: 3X10
Circuit 2: Wall Slide: 3X10
Circuit 2: Toes to Bar: 3X10
Circuit 2: V-Ups: 3X20

2 min Break

Circuit 3: Wall Plank Hold: 3X1 min
Circuit 3: Walk to Plank: 3X10
Circuit 3: Reverse Superman Hold: 3X1 min

Day 2 – Cardio/Push/Core

15 min cardio (row, run, bike)
Circuit 1: Box Jumps: 3X20
Circuit 1: Thrusters: 3X10
Circuit 1: Jump Rope: 3X1 min
Circuit 1: Dumbbell Bench Press: 3X10
Circuit 1: Push ups: 3X20

2 min Break

Circuit 2: Dumbbell Fly: 3X10
Circuit 2: Dips: 3X20
Circuit 2: Dumbbell kickback: 3X10(each)
Circuit 2: Diamond Push Ups: 3X10
Circuit 2: V-Ups: 3X20

2 min Break

Circuit 3: Wall Plank Hold: 3X1 min
Circuit 3: Walk to Plank: 3X10
Circuit 3: Reverse Superman Hold: 3X1 min

Day 3 – Cardio/ Legs/Core

15 min cardio (row, run, bike)
Circuit 1: Box Jumps: 3X20
Circuit 1: Clean + Squat + Press: 3X10
Circuit 1: Jump Rope: 3X1 min
Circuit 1: Deadlift: 3X10
Circuit 1: Pistol Squats: 3X10(each)

2 min Break

Circuit 2: Goblet Squats: 3X10
Circuit 2: Walking Lunges: 3X10(each)
Circuit 2: Single Leg Deadlift: 3X10(each)
Circuit 2: Hip Thrust 3×10
Circuit 2: V-Ups: 3X20

2 min Break

Circuit 3: Wall Plank Hold: 3X1 min
Circuit 3: Walk to Plank: 3X10
Circuit 3: Reverse Superman Hold: 3X1 min

To customize programming and help improve the strength, stability, and flexibility, consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session.

WAKANDA FOREVER!

Beat Aches and Pain with These Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back

FITNESS

Ready to take the pressure off your lower back? The key to beating low back pain is to build up the right kind of strength and we’re here to help you.

Your core muscles—not just your abdominals, but the muscles that wrap around your midsection—support your spine and lower back. Your core, hips, glutes, and hamstrings together form one big stability machine, so weakness in any one of those muscles forces the others to pick up the slack.

Now that we know the information around causes of low back pain, here are some special workouts and stretches that target your lower back so that you can reduce muscle strain and other pain.

Elbow Plank

Sets: 5 | Reps: 30-second hold per set | Load: Bodyweight | Rest: 45-60 seconds between sets

Get on the ground, with your stomach on the floor
Prop yourself up on your elbows and lift your knees off the ground
Tighten your quads and glutes and continue to push through your elbows and lifting your chest
If you can’t do 30 seconds, start with 10 seconds [or] start with 15 seconds and then work your way up

Side Plank

Sets: 5 | Reps: 30-second hold per set | Load: Bodyweight | Rest: 45-60 seconds between sets

Lying on your side, stagger your feet so there’s no pressure on your heels
Come up onto your elbow into the side plank position, keeping your lower hip high off the ground and the core engaged
Push through your elbow and pack that shoulder blade back
If you can’t do 30 seconds, start with 10- or 15-second holds and work your way up gradually

Glute Bridge

Sets: 5 | Reps: 15 | Load: Bodyweight | Rest: 45-60 seconds between sets

Lie faceup on the floor with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms resting at sides
Squeezing your glutes, lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees
Pause for 3 seconds, and then lower back down to the starting position

Hip Stretches

Sets: 4 | Reps: 12 | Load: Bodyweight | Rest: 45-60 seconds between sets

Kneel on your left knee and place your right foot forward, with your right knee bent
Pull your left foot upward toward your butt and hold it for 10 seconds.
Repeat the exercise with the right leg

These are just a few exercises to help strengthen your lower back. To customize programming and help improve the strength, stability, and flexibility of your lower back, consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session.