Category: Lifestyle

Olympic Weightlifting, otherwise known as “Olympic-style weightlifting” is a registered based on a sport which incorporates the use of two independent lifts which require the athlete to lift a loaded barbell from the floor to an overhead position in an explosive manner. The two lifts, the “Clean & Jerk” and the “Snatch” are explosive movements as they require a combination of maximal strength and maximal speed. Athletes in other sports that require high-load speed strength such as football, volleyball, basketball, and track and field use these 2 lifts and their variations as have been shown to improve many aspects of their movement like jump, sprint, and balance.

If you want to learn these Lifts, you need to be patient. First, there are safety requirement. You need to have good mobility, flexibility and balance to start. Don’t be discouraged!!! The journey to master these lifts can also create a healthier and more athletic version of you. Our “Movati Athletic Fuel Studio” is a great place with everything your need to get started. In the path of learning the full lifts, you’ll see there are many familiar exercises that can be use to practice every section and position of these lifts with control and intensity progression. Some of these exercises are listed below:

Front Squat, Push Press, Overhead squat, Front BB Lunges, Deadlift, Bent Over Row, Hanging Leg Raise, …

I have also attached 5 minutes Simple Dynamic Warm up that have been use by athletes before their lifts:

Ankle Rolls x10 each, Knee and Hip Circles x10 each, Active Side and Forward Bends x10 each, Shoulder Circles x 20 each, Elbow and Wrist Circles x10 each, Neck Circles x10 each, Neck Circles x10 each, Bodyweight Squat x20, Thoracic Extension in Squat x20, Cossack Squat x20, Glute Bridge x20, Scapular Push Ups x20, Side Planks x1 min/side

I hope you enjoy this topic. To learn more about our Fuel Studio and Learn these lifts, please connect with our Personal Training Team 

Milad Emadi

On March 8^th, we celebrate International Women’s Day.  The theme for this year is ‘Break the Bias.’ The past few years Canadian female athletes have broken barriers, and they did it again at this year’s Olympics in Beijing. 

Team Canada’s Long Track Speed Skating female team, consisting of Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann, won gold in the women’s pursuit making it Canada’s first Olympic medal in the event in 16 years! They did it by posting an Olympic record time of 2:53.44 in the final against Japan. 

This trio had some setbacks as they fell second place in the quarterfinals and started a little slower than the Dutch in the semifinals, but did not give up and with determination, they were able to pull through and managed to get their spot in the finals. 

For Weidemann, this is her third medal of Beijing 2022, adding to the silver she won in the 5000m and her bronze in the 3000m. She is Canada’s first triple medallist of the Games and is the second Canadian to ever to collect a set of gold, silver, and bronze medals at one edition of the Winter Games. 

Another accomplishment we need to highlight is our TEAM CANADA Women’s Hockey team taking home the gold. They celebrated a 3-2 win over the United States in the finals. Even with stiff competition each Games, this marks Canada’s fifth gold in women’s hockey at the Olympic Games. 

 Shout out to Captain Marie-Philip Poulin who scored twice to lead Canada to their 3-2 win. Not only was Poulin a star, the goalie, Ann- Renee Desbiens, stopped 38 of 40 shots! Congratulations to this team, we are sure this was quite the celebration.

Main Image: Team celebrates gold medal in the team pursuit at Beijing 2022. Photo by: Andrew Lehodynski/COC

This year instead of making a New Year’s Resolution make a list of goals you hope to accomplish. 

Why goals instead of resolutions? The difference is in the definition! 

The definition of a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something” whereas the definition of a goal is “an aim or objective that you work toward with effort and determination.”

When we make resolutions we often feel let down if we do not achieve them. How many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution only to feel defeated in the weeks that follow because you didn’t stick to it. When we feel like we have let ourselves down it can spiral into feelings of defeat and affect our confidence in our ability to accomplish anything. 

A goal on the other hand is something we know we can continue to strive for. Goals allow for setbacks and the ability to refocus and continue to work toward achieving them – even if that means it takes months or even years to accomplish. Goals can be modified as our lives and environments evolve and goals can build on one another. Setting smaller goals to help you reach a much larger goal is an effective strategy for ultimately getting to where you want to be. 

What are YOUR goals for 2022?

Are you trying to declutter? Eat healthier? Exercise more? Start a new career? Or maybe you are trying to do a little more self-care? Put your intentions out to the universe by writing them down in a journal, make a vision board, or create a goal list. Having your goals visible and reviewing them often helps to keep you on track. 

Set goals that are specific, measurable, and most importantly realistic. And remember – your goals are unique to you and your life. 

We wish you a happy, healthy and goal achieving 2022! 

For some, 2020 has been about developing healthy habits while for others it may have been a year to pause and take some time to focus on other areas of their life. With the gift giving season just around the corner you may want to surprise your loved ones with a gift to align with their goals.

Fitness Journal or Activity Tracker

2020 has been the year of shifting priorities, but even if their gym is closed or they are not attending as often, there are many ways to still stay accountable to healthy living. You can pick out a nice journal for logging exercises, water intake, mindfulness practices and so much more! It’s a great reflective tool for anyone wanting to spend more time focusing on themselves.

Alternatively, if budget allows, an activity tracker can be a motivational tool to get generally sedentary people to start moving around and walking in their day. As the weather gets colder and we continue to stay home, this may be the perfect gift for anyone in your life!

Virtual Personal Training Sessions

If your gift recipient is a MOVATI member currently staying at home and wanting that extra push, our personal training teams are offering virtual sessions! Get all the benefits of personal training from the comfort of your own home. They can be sure to start the year off on the right foot by staying active and supporting their immune system into 2021.

Virtual Personal Training is now only $239 for 4 sessions, for more details visit: https://movatiathletic.com/live-classes/online-training/

A meal from a local restaurant

Nothing says I appreciate you like a nice warm meal especially for your super active family and friends. The 2020 closures have also likely affected your favourite local restaurant, so why not gift a meal to someone while also giving the gift of business to someone who may be struggling to stay open.

Even if you’re distancing yourself you can always order a meal through a delivery app to arrive right at their door!

This holiday season may be a little different than usual, but we can still express our love and gratitude in different ways and with small tokens of appreciation or gifts to help them reach their goals.

We hope everyone ends the year with a positive mindset and continues to do everything they can to  stay healthy and safe throughout! 

With new protocols in place, how can you ensure you are ready to have a safe and healthy experience at MOVATI Athletic?
Although general workouts don’t require reservations, we still ask members to maximize their efficiency throughout their visit and that starts with bringing just the essentials!

When possible, come dressed in your workout clothes and bring only the following items with you to ensure a successful and safe visit:

Mask — MOVATI Athletic will be enforcing any by-laws and guidelines provided by the municipality or local public health units. You will need to wear a mask to enter and while walking around the facility. It may be removed during physical activity.

Phone — now with the new MOVATI App you’ll be able to swipe into the club right from your phone! Also, if you’ve booked a spot in a group fitness class, have your phone with you to show confirmation of the booking before entering the studio.

Electronic payment – MOVATI Athletic will no longer be accepting cashl payments. We encourage members to bring credit or debit payment methods or setting up MOVATI Pay on your account for purchases.

Yoga/Exercise Mat — to maintain a clean and safe environment, MOVATI will not be providing mats for members participating in yoga and pilates classes. If you are planning to participate, please ensure to bring one with you!

Water Bottle – water bottle filling stations will still be available throughout the club however water fountains will be out of service. In order to ensure you are staying hydrated please come with a reusable water bottle to help you stay hydrated throughout your time with us.

With all of the above in hand, you are all set to have a great in-club experience! We hope to see you soon.

We’ve been exercising from home for 2 months and you may be hitting a wall when it comes to making progress with just using bodyweight. Here are some household items that can help add variety or an extra challenge to your workouts!

1) Backpack or duffel bag

One of the most readily available, yet most useful, tools for training at home is just a simple backpack filled with books, groceries or any items you can find in your closet or pantry. 

How to use it:

• Weighed planks – wear on your back or in front for a side plank
• Weighed push-ups – wear on your back
• Lunge variations – wear in front, on your back or hug the bag
• Squats – wear in front, on your back or just hug the bag
• “Sandbag” Carry – hug the backpack and walk at a steady pace
• Glute/Hip Thrust – place a backpack or duffel bag on your hips

2) Broomstick/Mop Handle 

To advance the versatility of the backpack, find yourself a broomstick or detachable mop handle. This will allow you to create a “handle” to hook under the straps of the backpack or duffel bag.

Use for following exercises:

• “Barbell” Bicep Curls 
• One arm supported row 
• Bent over rows
• Romanian deadlifts

3) Step Stool

Have a small step stool in your kitchen? Well now it’s more than just there to help you reach the top shelf in your kitchen.

Use for the following exercises:

• Bulgarian Split Squats – elevate your leg on the stool the way you would on a bench
• Elevated Romanian Deadlifts – the added height allows you to reach a larger range of motion especially if holding on to a weight or a backpack.
• Step ups – step up on the stool with full control using only the leg on the stool
• Step downs – starting on the stool, step down in a controlled manner by using the strength of the leg on the stool

4) Towel(s)

You may be surprised at how much versatility towels can have when it comes to exercising from home. The best benefit of a towel is that it can glide on kitchen and hardwood floors.

With towels under your feet try:

• Cossack squats – towel under outstretched leg
• Mountain climbers – towel under each foot
• Plank to Pike – towel under both feet
• Reverse lunges – towel under back leg
• Hamstring curls – one towel under both feet
• Kneeling ab glide – towel under your hands being pushed in front of you
• Slider Fly Push up – towels under both hands and pushing out as chest lowers

Another useful way to use towels is to take advantage of how rigid they are when compared to a resistance band. 

Tip: Try wedging a towel over your door and using it like a TRX strap to do inverted rows or hold on to it to stabilize you while you do single leg (or pistol) squats!

The possibilities are endless, even if you’re limited with using just household items. You may not have a gym with the equipment you’re accustomed to, but you can still be creative; all it takes is an open mind and a positive attitude.

We hope to see you back soon!

Leslie, start off by telling us how many kids you have, and how many of them are part of our MOVATI family?

Leslie: I have 3 kids and they all work in management positions at MOVATI.

What was Jayde like growing up? Did you think she would get into group fitness as well?

Leslie: Jayde always loved music, skating and dancing. Starting at the ripe old age of 3 she did her first skating competition and skated to the Pink Panther theme song. Jayde was also always very caring. In her first month of JK she helped her teacher solve a problem where no one would hold one of the student’s hand so she suggested they just all stand in the circle without holding hands (she was 4!). So, in answer to your questions, I am not surprised she is in this industry, helping people and moving to music.

What was your experience like having a mother who was so invested in fitness?

Jayde: I grew up in the gym, which was super cool! I had birthday parties in the gym, attended the odd kids’ fitness classes taught by my mom, and as a figure skater had her to help me with off ice training at times. Some days I loved it, some days not so much lol. As soon as I was old enough to teach classes, she convinced me to get certified. If it wasn’t for my mom, I would not be the instructor that I am today!

 What, in your opinion, is Jayde’s greatest strength or what makes her so successful?

Leslie: Jayde’s greatest strength is her caring and loving nature she walks the walk and talks the talk in the most humble and professional way. 

What do you think are your mom’s greatest strengths are as an instructor and then also as a mother?

Jayde: As an instructor- She is super versatile! She can teach a killer Cardio Box or Tabata and motivate the heck out of you, or slow things down with a super calming Anti-Gravity Restorative or take you through a fun step class or Rhythm & Beats, the list goes on… It doesn’t matter what class you take with her; you will leave with a smile on your face.

As a mother- She’s my cheerleader, always there for me, no matter what, I know I can come to her for advice or feedback and I will get her real honest opinion.

 Mothers often talk about feeling guilty for taking time to go to the gym or do a class. What advice would you give to them?

Leslie: You should never feel guilty for being a good role model when it comes to looking after your health and wellbeing.

As a mother of two young kids yourself, how do you continue to prioritize fitness and has anything had to change compared to before you had the added responsibility of kids?

Jayde: It really is a choice you must make. At first it was tough, you have less time and less energy, I didn’t have the luxury of being able to choose when I wanted to work out, I worked out around my kids nap schedule. Some days I would put them down for a nap, start my workout and 10 minutes in they’d wake up needing me. That was the hardest part, not only building up the motivation to do the work out but being able to stop a quarter of the way in and get back to it with that same motivation. My advice to new moms wanting to continue their fitness journey is be kind to yourself, some days the work out will happen and other days it will not and that’s okay. Things changed for me after having the added responsibility of kids but I knew I had to keep trying, like I said some days it happens, other days it doesn’t but most importantly do not quit, as they are getting a bit older and more independent it’s become a lot easier to be able to schedule my workouts in.

Because you are so active in the fitness community are you seeing yet the influence you are having on them? How do they like to stay active?

Jayde: My kids love to run! They love to race and see who is the fastest. I love practicing handstands and tricks which my daughter has picked up and is now flipping or doing handstands any chance she gets.

What quality do you hope to pass on to your kids?

Jayde: Nothing in life comes easy, so I hope to pass on consistency and hard work.

What is one quality you hope to have passed on to Jayde, or any of your children?

Leslie: Be genuine and treat people the same way you would like to be treated.

What is your favourite part of being a mother?

Jayde: My favorite thing is watching my kids grow and learn new things. There is never a dull moment, they are always making me laugh!

Leslie: Raising my children with good values and seeing them become incredible adults.