UPDATE - I made a YouTube video version of this article if you'd like to watch it instead of reading. It can be found HERE
I tell all my clients to batch-cook, or at least make enough dinner for leftovers. I'm sure to warn them about food poisoning.
Any time you eat leftovers, there is the risk that you end up writhing around on the floor exploding your insides out from both ends. Or worse. In 1999 20 Canadians died of food poisoning, that we know of. More likely were misdiagnosed. Every...
To be a great coach, I have to relate to my clients. I don't struggle (much) with my fitness or nutrition anymore, so it's good to humbled in another arenas. It allows me to feel the frustration of learning, change, and set backs -- since that's part of transforming our health and bodies.
What better way to dish up some humble pie than getting my ass handed to me in a DIY project.
"What could be so difficult?" I thought.
Well, a lot apparently.
Here is what happened and why I think it was...
I have a fairly-new client who always talks about how great it feels to exercise. I've heard this before (and of course felt it) but this ENTIRE SESSION was spent me listening to him go on and on about how amazing he feels. I couldn't get a word in!
At the end I quickly gave him some new homework, but he had already got what he needed out of me -- someone to say, "I know, I've felt that, keep doing what you're doing."
Because in his world, no one is supporting...
I suppose I should write something for my followers, but I don't want it to be some predictable NYE thing. It should be something uplifting because most people do feel refreshed and motivated today, so I should support that. But it can't be preachy. It also has to be research-based.
This is a tough one.
Kyle's 2014 Top Five Things About New Years (Not New Year's)
First of all I want you to know that I care about you. I care that you are moving toward what you want in life. I care...
This article assumes:
1. You are trying to stay in shape or get in shape
2. You are going to eat some treats and have a few drinks at some parties.
For each party, pick a strategy:
Are you going to eat anything you want?
or
Are you going to use moderation?
or
Are you going to be strict?
I plan ahead to dictate this. If I have a lot of social events, I make some of them loose, and some of them strict or moderate. I eat the most treats at the parties with the best food.
Another way I...
Is this the cure for the common cold? Try it and see. Before I used it, I would get 2-3 colds per year, and now I get ONE cold every 2-3 years.
I don’t often promote herbal remedies due to the sparse research on them. But this works and there is some data behind it.
At the FIRST sign of a cold, you must act swiftly, and fight on THREE fronts:
1. Supplements:
500-2500 mg of Vitamin C (daily total, spread out over 3-5 doses)
Echinacea (I use Jamieson brand for these and use...
(This is a follow up to my last blog post was on how to get a training buddy. It's here.)
This is a photo of the guy I train with. I am not, nor have ever, looked as fit as this! He is younger, stronger, leaner, has more discipline, has better genetics, and no chronic injuries.
Young guys like him with no chronic injuries can train harder than guys like me (older with loads of spinal issues).
I have a lot of clients who train with these more-structurally-sound people, so I felt some...
[caption id="attachment_509" align="alignleft" width="300"] Helping each other over the wall at Tough Mudder May 2013[/caption]
A training buddy has more to do with support and accountability than it does helping you finish a rep. How does one get a training partner?
First there are the obvious ways, like asking around the office, or among your friends. What if that doesn't work?
1. Become a "resident" at your gym. As in, train there a lot. Or at least go at the same times. You'll start to see the same people and that familiarity...
Binary thinking is referred to as "black and white thinking" to illustrate the harsh contrast that typifies the thought process.
We implement binary thinking when we can't grasp a complex situation. You could say it is a stress-coping mechanism. It helps us cope since instead of being frustrated with a situation, we smash into one end of the spectrum and hold on to a belief for dear life, or we just back out of the decision process entirely.
Ever hear someone say, "Something is going to give me cancer so I might...
A 16 Km trail run with about 20 obstacles; such as crawling under barbed wire, swimming, and dodging electrical shocks. The Toronto version is held at Mt. St. Louis, which one must traverse six times. It is not a race, but you can approach it that way if you wish. You are encouraged to help those around you (there was plenty of that going on).
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] One of the Obstacles[/caption]
How Did I end up here?
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="319"] Starting "Pen"[/caption]
I was hired to train a team, and they...
