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The Need to Hire

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I wrote an article similar to this a few years ago, but I was recently inspired or rather, frustrated, to write something similar again. I was recently at the gym for a few hours to do some work, (yes, I was actually there), and during those few hours in the gym upstairs, it was like déjà vu. Seems like some things never change, no matter how hard you try. As I was working away, I couldn’t help overhearing and observing three young adults working out on the weights. They were training their chest muscles that day. Wow, what a waste of time and effort. The effort and enthusiasm was certainly there, but the know-how in regards to form, and duration of training was non-existent. Too bad, because if they only knew what I knew, they would not only be spending less time at the gym, but they would get much more out of that reduced time. So, on to the article:
When do we hire professionals most of the time? Think about it. You want a new kitchen, so in order to get the result that you want, you hire kitchen renovators. You want your bathroom renovated, same thing; you hire someone who is good at it and have them do it so you can enjoy the end result as quickly and efficiently as possible. You want new windows installed in your house, so because that’s such an important job, you hire window installers to do the job to get the result you want, guaranteed. Once you make those investments, the money is certainly gone, but you get to enjoy the results for many, many years…..if you hire the right people. So now, let’s think about what should be the most important thing in a person’s life, their health. Most of those who are concerned about their deteriorating health as they age, join a health club like ours, and most of those people do not hire anyone to set them up on a proper programme, teach them how to do the exercises properly, teach them how and what to eat, etc. in order to get the result that they want. Same as the kitchen, bathroom or windows, it’s not cheap, but once the money is spent, and you have the proper job done for you, you will benefit from that hire for many years to come. We spend literally thousands and thousands of dollars on material improvements in our lives, but most of us never consider spending any considerable amount of money on our own health. What’s wrong with this picture? Everything. Just buying a membership is like just buying the windows, uninstalled, or buying a beautiful kitchen and not hiring an installer. You get it, right? I found it very disappointing that after we decided to incorporate personal training in our business, I realized that we should have been doing that right from the start, thirty two years ago, and for that, I’m sorry and embarrassed at the same time. So do yourself a favour. If you are as concerned about getting the results you want out of your time at the gym as you should be, stop wasting your time and hire our personal trainer. Once you are set on the right path, you will reap the benefits for many years to come, we guarantee it. Schedule your Free Consultation today!

Gino

Abby Bolton

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This month our member of the month is one of our own team members! Abby has been working with G&M at the front desk for 1 year now. Many of you know her already but what you may not know about her is how much she has accomplished in her fitness journey already. Here is her story:

Abby was always active in her childhood. She competed in gymnastics from ages 8 to 18 as well as in track and field through high school. But once her gymnastics career came to an end she knew she had to find something else to challenge her, keep her active and in shape.

In grade 10 Abby had a fitness class where she was introduced to weight training and was hooked. So naturally when gymnastics ended she transitioned into weight lifting and started working out consistently in the summer of 2016.

Her goal was to get stronger, beat her 1 rep max’s and just lift as much as possible. And then last summer she decided that she was going to pursue a new challenge and compete in Fitness. Her new goal had her switch from heavy lifting to more hypertrophy training. Fitness competitions combined her gymnastics background with her new found love for weight lifting and seemed like a natural fit.

In December 2017 she competed in her first competition coming in 1st place! Since then she has competed 3 more times claiming 2 more 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish just a few weeks ago at the Toronto Pro Super Show.

Her next competition is coming up on August 4th at the Natural Canadian Pro Qualifier show in Toronto.

“My main goal is to get my pro card and compete at the Olympia whether that happens this August or it takes me a few years.”

Abby has had to overcome a few injuries, one shoulder injury that kept her from being able to lift weights for 3 months which set her back a bit. Also, she has had to learn how to manage her time efficiently between going to classes, studying, working and getting her workouts in.

“I am most proud of my 1st competition. I proved to myself that I have the discipline and commitment to push myself and my body.”

Abby also is grateful to see how many people have reached out to her and let her know that she has inspired them to get into fitness and working out.

Currently Abby is at Brock University going into her 3rd year of Kinesiology and hopes to pursue a career in the fitness industry helping others better themselves.

Abby’s Words of Wisdom:

  • Goal setting is huge. Make sure you set goals. They are what help you stay on track.
  • Be willing to put in the work. It will be worth it.
  • Don’t give up when it gets hard. That is when you see the best results, when you push yourself through the hard times.
  • Find a way to make fitness fun for you, and
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions

“Thanks to the community at G&M Fitness for making this job fun and for all of your support!”

Congratulations Abby! So many huge accomplishments already! We are lucky to have you as part of our team. Good luck with your next competition and we look forward to seeing you on stage at the Olympia’s one day!

STRENGTH TRAINING AND WEIGHT LOSS

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Do you want to dramatically increase your chances of weight loss success? Of course you do! Who wouldn’t? And while you are at it become stronger to do activities of daily living with more ease then ever? Yep! The answer to this is strength training.

We talk to a lot of people who are either struggling to lose weight or have hit a plateau in their weight loss but are afraid to incorporate strength training into their routine out of fear that it will make them gain weight. This is especially true with women.

Let me give you the run down on why we believe strength training is a MUST if weight loss is your goal. (We actually believe that strength training is a must no matter what your goal is but let’s focus on the goal of weight loss.)

Strength Training Increases Your Metabolism

Your metabolism is the amount of energy you burn throughout the day doing every day things. Getting ready for work, walking up and down stairs, getting up from the couch etc. Basically, it’s the amount of energy you use up outside of planned exercise. Muscle is metabolic tissue, meaning that it requires energy to work. When your muscle contracts, energy is spent. The more muscle you have and the more efficiently it works, the more energy you use up throughout the day. This in turn allows for better weight loss results. And the best way that I am aware of to increase muscle and its efficiency is through regular strength training.

Without Strength Training You May Actually Be Losing Muscle and Decreasing Your Metabolism

This is a big point. If you take the route of just dieting or dieting and doing cardio to get to your weight loss goals you could actually end up in a scenario where you could be doing more harm then good for your body long term. For every pound of weight loss, up to 25% of that could come from muscle loss. If you kept this up it would have the opposite effect on your metabolism then we want. Decreasing your muscle mass would also end up decreasing your metabolism, which then slows down your weight loss results. And what is the best way to combat this 25% muscle loss? Regular strength training of course! Strength training keeps the muscle stimulated and significantly decreases the chances of it getting broken down in the weight loss process. We want our weight loss from fat loss not muscle tissue!

Use Compound Exercises

Strength training itself burns quite a bit of energy, especially when you do it right and focus on using compound movements in your workouts. Compound exercises involve multiple joints. Think squats or push-ups versus a bicep curl or calf raise. These types of exercise recruit several different muscles which in turn burns more energy compared to any single joint exercise. Again, over time, this increase in energy expenditure adds up to better weight loss results.

How Often Should I Strength Train?

The minimum would be two times per week, ideally 3 times per week would be most beneficial. There are many different ways to structure your strength training program but however you do it just make sure that you are setting yourself up for success. If you only realistically have time for 2 sessions a week then plan for that. Don’t use a program that is set up for 5 days a week and then get frustrated with yourself because you were not able to complete all of the workouts. Consistency is the key and you want to set yourself up to stay consistent for the long haul.

Final Thoughts

One last big point is that for strength training to be effective, regardless of your end goal, it must be done with effort. You want to use enough resistance to cause what is called temporary muscle failure, meaning you couldn’t do another repetition while keeping proper form. And please make sure that you are performing the exercises correctly. Proper form is crucial to getting the most out of the exercise and to ensure that you do not get hurt.

If you have read this and you get it, great, now go out and get busy. If you are confused or still unsure of how to incorporate strength training into your routine or how to perform exercises properly, don’t hesitate to ask for help. That’s what we are here for! Schedule a free consultation with us to see how we can help you reach your health and fitness goals!

The Power of Regular Activity

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What if we told you that you have the power to add years to your life span, perform daily activities easier or prevent disease and sickness?

The truth is we all have this power and it can all be accomplished through consistent, regular physical activity!

This can be planned exercise or any activity really that requires you to expend energy.

The power of regular movement, be it planned exercise or not, has many proven positive benefits. The more consistent the physical activity is, the greater the potential benefits.

Here is a brief list of what you can expect to achieve by introducing regular physical activity and movement into your lifestyle:

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower blood sugar
  • Improve cholesterol
  • Reduce your risk of heart disease
  • Reduce your risk of diabetes
  • Lose weight
  • Gain strength
  • Improve bone density
  • Improve range of motion
  • Stronger joints
  • Improve joint conditions (eg. arthritis)
  • Help with depression
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase longevity
  • Perform daily activities better/easier
  • Maintain independence
  • Reduce risk of some types of cancer
  • Improve cognitive abilities

This list could go on and on.

The human body was meant to work. Today we sit more then ever in the history of our existence so building regular physical activity and exercise into your life has become a necessity. The more we move and challenge our bodies, the more fit we become, the more efficient and effective we are and of course the healthier we are. So, get moving!

What Are The Best Exercises?

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There are literally hundreds of different exercises you can do and incorporate into your regular exercise routine. Some are better then others, and some we see are ridiculous and useless. We want you to use your time wisely and efficiently in the gym. To get the most out of your workout routine you want to incorporate exercises that will build strength in functional everyday movements so that you will not only look better, but perform and feel better doing everyday tasks. Here are the exercises/movements we would recommend.

  1. Bent and Lift Movement. (Squats)
  2. Single Leg Movement. (Lunges or Split Squats)
  3. Horizontal Press. (Chest Press or Pushups)
  4. Vertical Press. (Overhead Press)
  5. Horizontal Pull. (Rows, One Arm Row, Bent Over Row)
  6. Vertical Pull. (Pullups, Pulldowns)
  7. Twisting. (Woodchops, Haybailers)

Try including exercises like these into your routine on a regular basis. For most of us, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions will do. Just remember to use enough resistance to challenge yourself!

Exercises like these incorporate multiple joints, where muscle groups work together to move a load, just the same as in everyday life!

If you need any help incorporating exercises like these into your routine let us know, we are here to help!

What is the Point of Exercise Really?

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We talk about this in our Start Right class for new members and others who are interested in getting started exercising and bettering their lives and want all of the information possible to set themselves up for success right from the start.

There was a time where we as humans physically worked, a lot. We had to to survive. Over many many years we have created smarter, more efficient ways of doing things that are either much less stressful or are completely automated and don’t require any physical effort on our part at all.

Although this is great as it makes our lives easier and allows us to do things quicker and also do things we otherwise would not ever be able to do, it’s also weakening our bodies.

It was my Dad who put it this way but I thought it’s really the best analogy of what the entire point of exercise really is and that is to simulate work.

That’s it. The entire point of exercise is to simulate the work we used to do and that our bodies were made to do. It keeps us strong, agile and maintains our independence.

Sure, there is a much deeper more scientific answer to why we need to exercise but it’s really not necessary. The simple point is that our bodies are made to work and exercise simulates that environment that most of us no longer encounter on a daily basis. And it’s true that if you don’t use it, you will lose it.

So, take advantage of all the automation, tools and gadgets you want to enhance your life and make things easier, as long as you incorporate regular exercise into your life to keep your bodies strong and fit over your lifespan and keep your body working.

Unfortunately, exercise is not an option in this day and age, it is a requirement to feel, look and perform your best.