READ the label!

I was shopping for Christmas dinner/ entertaining supplies yesterday. There are alot of things that I would NEVER eat or drink the rest of the year (like Egg Nog) that I will indulge in during the holidays. Egg Nog is one of them (many people hate it, but, I love it). Reading labels has become such a habit for me that even when buying fattening, sweet stuff I have to look at the nutritional breakdown.

Well...when I compared two brands sitting side by side, I was pretty shocked! One had 22 grams of fat and 36 grams of sugar per serving. The other had 9 grams of fat and 19 grams of sugar! Not exactly health food, but, a much better choice than the first one.

'tis the season!

I have made a commitment this year to actually get MORE fit during the month of December! Last year I enjoyed the eggnog, panettone and everything else so much that the pants my wife bought me didn't fit until the end of January! Not this year. I put together a plan and have been training while tracking my weight, body composition etc... So far, so good. I am down about 4 pounds and a couple of percent of body fat. There has also been a noticeable difference in my endurance in my hockey league as well. Cool.



Friday night, however, was our annual Christmas night out with the All Canadian trainers. If you know us, we live by the credo of "Everything in moderation.....including moderation!". Well... moderation was out the window for one night. Lots of great food, good drink and tons of laughs. It's good for the soul and the reason why we do what we do.

Monday morning......back at it! I might be getting some new pants for Christmans.

Fast Results

Wow. What a weekend. 2 hockey practices, 3 birthday parties, 1 karate class, 1 dance class, Monster Truck show, dinner party..... Lots of stuff happening with the Schramayr clan!

When you have a weekend like I did and you absolutely want to do SOME exercise, do THIS!

While the oatmeal was cooking and the eggs were boiling this morning, I did 20 bodyweight squats, 20 pushups and 20 crunches. Then I repeated the whole thing 4 times. It took about 7 minutes and I had completed 80 squats, 80 pushups and 80 crunches.

Not bad, eh? You ALWAYS have time to do something.

The Good Ol' Hockey Game!

Well, I never thought that I would want to coach sports (even though I have played them my whole life). Sitting at the rink watching my 5 year old son, however, I felt that I really SHOULD be on the ice with them. I guess it's just in me.

I have been coaching with them for just over a month. I love it!!!

Today was our first (sort of) game. More of a scrimmage actually. It was really fun. Especially sharing the experience with my boy.

I just might be hooked.

Eat this!

How many people say that they have "no time" to eat a decent lunch?



Anyway, I am at my desk working on some files when my stomach started to growl.....grrrrr....


I popped two slices of whole grain bread into the toaster and opened a can of Wild Pacific Salmon (incredible source of essential fatty acids and protein). I mixed the salmon with a tablespoon of Miracle Whip (ONE tablespoon), some black pepper and some Balsamic Vinegar. While the toast was....toasting, I sliced up a red pepper to have on the side. Toast pops up, salmon goes on, food goes in..... no more growling.

3 minutes prep time, 5 minutes eatin' time.



No time? Yeah, right.

They're Back!

I know it doesn't have anything to do with fitness, BUT, Metallica are back.....and their new album is awesome! I like to recognize excellence and it is impressive how these veteran musician's were able to pull themselves back together after all kinds of hardship and write and record an album that easily stands amongst anything that they have done.

Death Magnetic is the new soundtrack for my workouts (there THAT's a Fitness connection!).

All the hail the kings!

Fall is Here

Anybody else love fall? Like a real Canadian, I just love the change of the seasons each year. Specifically fall means biking, hiking, running etc... in the amazing colours of the season. It also means football is getting serious and things are picking up.

As the kids head back to school (and karate, dancing, hockey etc...), make sure that you pick something that gets your juices flowing as well! Get into a new activity, make a date, get a hobby. Don't fall into the trap of sitting around every night watching reality tv (blech) while chowing down on god knows what.

It is a great time of year. Enjoy!

That's Better!

I just got some more news about my shoulders. They have been improving greatly over the last 2- 3 weeks, so my Doctor (who also happens to work with the Hamilton Bulldogs) felt that surgery would not be necessary! Yay. I have been cleared to simply "work through it". In time, if improvement stalls, I may need a cortisone injection, but, that is not for sure either.

Like I said, both shoulders have gotten way better recently. To the point that I am pain-free at night and can even sleep on my stomach again! I have been trying to figure out what has helped the most and I think that I have improved from a combination of things.

Firstly, total rest! (really hard for a restless type- A guy).
Secondly, I started taking an herbal supplement specifically for joint pain (I have never been into this stuff, but, figured it couldn't hurt).
Thirdly, after a couple of weeks of rest, I started working out using rubber resistance tubing in every possible angle involving the chest, shoulders, back and arms within a pain-free range of motion.
Lastly, I have been seeing my RMT (Linda Valconi) for work on loosening up the shoulders, upper back, neck and trapezius area.

It would make a terrible research study because there are so many variables, but, it seems to be working. Next week I am going to increase the intensity, cross my fingers and see what happens!

Ouch.

Well, I just got the results from the ultrasound exams on my shoulders (see blog below). It turns out that I have tears in the rotator cuffs in BOTH shoulders! Ouch. Sleeping has turned into a real adventure I tell you.

I am now waiting to see my doctor to find out if I need surgery or if therapy can take care of them.

In the meantime, I have been training in "unique" ways to at least maintain my fitness level without causing further damage to the joints. I have been using our new invention, the Aqua Ball! It is a stability ball partially filled with water (19lbs.) that is used for core training and stabilization work. Believe me, it works. It kind of feels like you are trying to wrestle a dog into the bath that REALLY doesn't like water because of the water continually sloshing inside the ball with each movement.

After the Aqua Ball, I have been doing interval work on the bike, elliptical trainer and I have been doing intervals on the treadmill.

The point is....You do what you can!

Yeah!

Hey, Canada just won their first medals in the Olympics! Yeah!

Gold Medal for Women's Wrestling. Cool.

Tonya Verbeek from Beamsville, ON also medalled (Bronze)

Road Block

The last week and a half has been somewhat challenging. During my first mountain bike ride of the year in Dundas, I took a tumble down a hill and landed, full weight, on my left elbow. Ouch. Immediately, I felt nauseous and completely winded. I have broken enough bones and torn enough muscles to know that this was NOT a good sign (what a genius!). I finished riding since I was in the middle of the forest in the Dundas Conservation Area and immediately pulled into an Avondale store to buy some ice. My shoulder was killing me and needed icing right away. This helped a bit, but, by the time I got home I could barely move my arm at all.



Several hours later at the ER, I learned that (surprise, surprise) there were no broken bones.
Good news except that I was pretty sure that I had torn something.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I have an ultrasound appointment to determine just WHAT it is that is torn in my shoulder so we can deal with it.
It really sucks to get hurt in the middle of summer (I play summer hockey and mountain bike), but, what are you going to do, eh?



By the way.....if you ever injure yourself and are not sure what to do until you get medical attention, remember RICE.



Rest



Ice



Compression



Elevation



It is critical to control swelling as soon as you can. Never, never, never (did I say never) put heat on a new injury. Ever.

Happy CANADA Day.....eh!

Here is my Top 15 List of great fitness activities to take part in across the country.

Just in time for Canada Day!

15. Climbing the stairs of the CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario.
14. Hiking in Val-d'Or, Quebec for "sugaring off".
13. Running in Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC.
12. Playing football above sea level at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta.
11. Running in the Around the Bay Road Race in Burlington/ Hamilton, Ontario.
10. Cycling on the "petit train du nord" in the Eastern Townships in Quebec.
9. Running "the stairs" up the escarpment in Hamilton, Ontario.
8. Jogging along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Ontario.
7. Snowshoeing on frozen Pigeon Lake in Ennismore, Ontario.
6. Canoeing at Mt. Tremblant, Quebec.
5. Hiking on the Bruce Trail at Tobermoray, Ontario.
4. Cross-country biking along the Niagara Escarpment in Dundas, Ontario.
3. Mountain Climbing/ Hiking in Kamloops, BC.
2. Downhill Mountain Biking at Mt. Bromont, Quebec.

1.......... Skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Ontario!

Make a decision.

When you "DECIDE", you cut off all other possibilities. To decide literally means that all other options no longer exist.


"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
-Neal Peart (from "Free Will")


Decide.

I tried my best!

Wow.

I am helping a client prepare for her next belt grading in karate. She is a relative newcomer to the sport and has watched her two young sons in class for a couple of years now. Finally, she joined herself and is now onto her second grading. She spoke to me, looking for help to "absolutely crush" the test! There are several young (guys) in her class that will be testing with her. Not wanting to feel like the old lady of the group (a ridiculous notion, by the way), she asked for assistance to prep for the conditioning portion of the grading. In her words "make me do whatever is necessary".

Well.

"Make me do whatever is necessary" to a trainer is like giving the keys to Toys R Us to a 5 year old. I put her through a workout that would have "absolutely crushed" the young guys in her class.... and she survived! 2 other trainers in the studio at the time kept looking at me funny (kinda like....did someone piss in your Corn Flakes today?). Anyway, I made her bear crawl around the studio with dumbells in her hands, made her do explosive squats, jump over cones, throw endless punches with weights, pullups from ropes, crawl backwards UNDER hurdles etc.... and on and on. ......and she survived! Asked for more even. What the_____?

I think she will be ready! :)

What the.......?

I am just getting ready for my morning mountain bike ride. I am trying to pile on some good mileage because the 50k Lake to Lake Race in June is fast approaching.

I just stuck my head outside and can't believe how cold it is. And grey! I can't believe that it is the May long weekend and I am going to be wearing a balaklava for my ride.

Enough already!

Little things

Sometimes the answer is so obvious that it seems ridiculous to even mention it! Three times this week, clients have asked me how they are supposed to eat all day if they are on the road! Remember the 3 P's.

Plan, Prepare and Pack.

Think about where you will be, plan what you could eat and then prepare it (the night before) and then pack it!

If you don't already have one, you MUST get a lunch bag that can keep foods cool. You can have food with you for every 3 hours that will keep you moving in the direction of your goals. If you are trying to eat supportively and have a real life, you should also get yourself a shaker bottle for mixing up meal replacement shakes. They are not to be used instead of food, but, rather as a supplement to your great supportive eating attempts.

Nobody said it would be easy, but, you either do the necessary things and succeed or don't...... and don't.

Another week....

Another week draws to a close! We like to write inspirational messages on our eraser board at the Studio. There was one that I really liked this week; "You can either wait for the storm to pass, or, learn to dance in the rain!"

I like that.

In other words, it's gonna keep on rainin' whether you like it or not. Might as well do something fun since you can't do anything about it.

Think about the things in your life that you have no control over. Weather, other people's attitudes, death, taxes blah, blah, blah.... Now think about the things you CAN control. Your lifestyle, your mood (believe it or not, you have a choice to be happy or not), what you do in a day, your approach to problems etc....

Take control over the things you can control, screw the rest and........start dancing in the rain.


Go Habs Go!

Playing in Sedona!

Wow. Wow. Wow!

Fitness Fest in Tempe (Arizona State University) ended yesterday and Liesa and I packed up and headed to Sedona, Arizona to check out the Red Rocks and Canyons etc... We arrived late at night and couldn't see anything because of the dark. When we awoke in the morning..........wow what a sight. USA Today calls Sedona the most beautiful place in America. No kidding! We went hiking first thing and had trouble keeping from tripping over our jaws. After a quick afternoon nap, we took a Pink Jeep Tour which is crazy off-roading in a Pink Jeep to see the Canyons up close. Absolutely amazing.

In the afternoon, I found a really cool bike shop called the Bike and Bean and decided that I absolutely HAD to go mountain biking while I was in Sedona. Armed with a map, some Jelly Belly Energy Beans (more on that later) and some water, I headed out for a good 2 hour ride. Check out the pictures below to see the scenery. To be honest, the actual trails were very similar to the riding that we do in Dundas, but, the scenery makes it feel like you are riding in an old western (or the Coyote/ Roadrunner cartoon!).

Like I said, wow, wow, wow. The biggest danger was keeping my eyes on the trail.... and looking for rattlesnakes!


Go Habs Go!

Sleepless in Tempe!

Hey everyone, I am blogging from Arizona State University in Tempe Arizona. I have been here with Liesa since tuesday. What an interesting place. Blazing hot during the day and cool to cold at night and in the morning. Apparently it is like that in the desert! We are here attend the Fitness Fest Conference at the University. I have been attending workshops with my mentor Phil Kaplan who always, always delivers the goods in terms of immediately useable information about training or business matters related to fitness. Yesterday's workshop was mostly about mastering "influence" over people to help them achieve their goals. In other words, many, many people know how to "eat right" and how to exercise, but then (for whatever reason) don't follow through. Guess what? No follow through..... no results. For my money, mastering influence is the difference between an average trainer and one that gets phenomenal results, always. I am also attending a workshop presented by the highly esteemed exercise physiologist Dr. Len Kravitz. I have never met him or heard him speak so I will try to soak up as much as possible to bring back to Hamilton!

The really interesting (verging on psychedelic!) thing the last couple of days has been trying to adjust to the 3 hour time difference after getting up at 4am on the day that we left. That would be 1am Tempe time! When we arrived, we were starving and found a cool patio that was serving great nachos grande and ice cold Corona (when in Rome, eh?). After a snack and a couple of beers, we headed back to the hotel for a bit of a siesta. Well...... a nap that started at about 5pm local time (8pm Hamilton time) stretched on and on and on into the night. I woke up to listen to the Montreal Canadiens playoff game on the internet (they won, btw :) and then fell back to sleep. After sleeping for what seemed like days, I finally woke up at around 3am (6am in Hamilton) and could not go back to sleep. At a little after 4am, I decided to explore Tempe, so I put on my running shoes and hit the road. I ended running and walking for about 2 hours until I found a Starbuck's that was open and grabbed a paper and a coffee. I tell you, there is nothing more beautiful and peaceful then exploring a new city by foot as the sun rises. After Liesa awoke, we ate breakfast and then re-traced the route that I had run and checked out all of the stores and shops that had by then opened for the day. All in all, I think that I ran and walked about 30 kms yesterday!

Tomorrow, I am going to the world famous Athlete's Performance Center for elite professional and amateur athletes. I can't wait. Check it out here: www.athletesperformance.com

She Did IT!!!!

Our very own Sheila Wynne Fung did it! She passed her 4 hour Black Belt grading that is! Despite being very (very) sick all last week, she sparred for 60 minutes, grappled for 60 minutes, did "Kata" for 60 minutes and did physical testing for 60 minutes on sunday afternoon and is now a BLACK BELT. An unbelievable feat. She worked harder than anyone possibly could for longer than was really sane and finally did it.

Sheila trained like a woman possessed for well over a year now all the while maintaining an absolutely jam packed client load and even found time to write and perform music and edit a book for a friend. We have our suspicions that she is really a cyborg..... but whatever.













Congratulations from everyone here. Enjoy your well deserved holiday back east with your family.

Habs Rule, Part 2

Well, well. The Montreal Canadiens have won the Eastern Conference and have home ice advantage for the Stanley Cup playoffs. I can't remember being this excited about watching a sporting event in a long time. Growing up in the 70's and 80's in Montreal, it seemed like they ALWAYS won the Cup. This year's team is reminiscent of some of those squads. Not in superstar calibre, but, in team unity and the X-Factor. They just look like they are having fun.... and they are kicking butt doing it!

Go HABS Go!!!

Around the Bay!

Congratulations to a couple of our clients that took part in the Around the Bay road race on sunday.

Jamie West ran in a race for the first time in his life. He finished the 5k run without walking once. A major accomplishment for a life long "non-runner" that was pretty sure he was going to die at the 3k mark! Well he didn't die....and he didn't walk either! The run was a landmark personal event for Jamie and he is going to use it as a motivator for great things to come.

Peter Turkstra also competed in the 5k and knocked 1:30 off of his time from last year, despite being stuck behind a bunch of walkers! Way to go Peter.

Habs Rule!

Well, I just returned from Montreal once again. Any time I get "back home" it's fun. Seeing friends, just hanging out and of course indulging in some real comfort food is great. While I was in town I got to visit my favourite watering hole (Le Brasserie Manoir) and take in a Montreal Canadiens game (The 24 time Stanley Cup Montreal Canadiens!). They beat the Bruins yet again and have secured a first place spot heading into the playoffs on fire!

I don't know if I will be able to take it if the Leafs squeak into the playoffs and take on the mighty Habs.

Go Habs Go!

Yum!

Here's an idea for a quick, healthy, supportive mini-meal that I had today.

Take a whole wheat/ flax tortilla. Spread about 2tbsp. of Almond Butter on it and place apple slices on the "butter". Roll it up and enjoy with a glass of skim milk.


mmmmmm.......... mmmmmmmmmmm..... good!

Happy Family Day!

Well the first "Family Day" Holiday has come and gone. I have to admit that I was skeptical about the idea of simply decreeing a new holiday, but, it was actually nice to have another day to spend with my wife, kids and my dad and his wife. We made the trek up north to Pigeon Lake, where my dad lives, through freezing rain on sunday. After safely arriving we got down to some serious "family" stuff and played games, laughed, ate, drank wine and basically had a good time.

Liesa and I even got in a workout before brunch on monday morning. It is amazing how tough it is to do bodyweight squats and pushups consecutively for 20 minutes without a break!

Check out the Snow family that we built in honour of "Family Day"!

What's Going On?!

Well.....the new year is in full swing. All Canadian Fitness is absolutely ROCKING! I can't believe how many amazing people we are privileged to work with every day. The new year, as always, is being very good to us. We have been on an amazing roll as of late and have been experiencing some inspiring success stories with many, many clients. After the eating and drinking orgy that is the Christmas season, several clients are reporting that their pants keep falling off! It really is amazing how quickly you can see a dramatic physical change when you put the right pieces together in the right order. Check out the Success Stories pages on our website and you will see some awesome people doing awesome things. In the last couple of months, we helped a mom take her body back, we have helped a police candidate pass her running test and helped another client run her all time personal best 8km race. We have also helped a few guys lose 15- 30 pounds and helped one client literally get back on her feet after being ill for an extended period of time.

Amongst the trainers, we have also been busy with our own pursuits. Adam is taking his Kick boxing career global. He fought in Japan in December and will be in Europe, Japan and possibly Australia in the coming months. Sheila has just passed her fourth (of five) tests on the way to her black belt in Karate. Me and Andrew are in training for the Paris to Ancaster 60km Bike Race in April. Matteo is studying like crazy for his Engineering Degree and is playing and coaching soccer.

Life is good.

He must have sold his soul..........again.

The favourite workout song of the year for 2007 at All Canadian Fitness has been "I Don't Wanna Stop" by Ozzy Osbourne. If it doesn't win a Grammy for "Best Song", something is wrong! Anyway, last night I caught VH-1 Salutes Ozzy Osbourne on TV and there he was singing our fave tune. I have to say, Ozzy looked incredible. Whatever he has been doing (apparently working out), it seems to be working. For a guy in his 60's that has lived his life, you've got to admire his fire, drive and enthusiasm. Hats off to the Ozzman! May he "never stop".



"All my life, I've been over the top. I don't know what I'm doing all I know is.... I don't wanna stop!" -John "Ozzy" Osbourne

..Crosstraining Continued

My family spent the last few days in the Kawartha Lakes Region in Northern Ontario. Talk about a ton of snow! Wow. That feels like Christmas I tell you.

Growing up in Quebec, I have always had an affinity for colder weather and for lots of snow. I think if we are going to have winter, it should be WINTER!!! if you know what I mean. We should have some fun with it. Which is what we did up north.

To continue to really enjoy the feasting and the loafing over the holidays, it is important to break things up with some activity and at least a few healthy meals. Luckily for me, my sister Stef is a regular workout person and she and I decided to keep things moving over the holidays. We planned out a workout that would take us about 45 minutes one morning and threw together a list of 7 exercises (Medicine Ball Chopper, Leg Cranks, Pushups, Ab Wheel, Dips, Hip Bridges, Bike or Treadmill) that we ran through three times as a circuit and hit it hard for the whole time. Later on in the day, we strapped on snowshoes and trekked out over Pigeon Lake for 2 hours. I have never snowshoed before, but, loved it and can't wait to go out again!