Ontarians are busy, active people who take part in all kinds of sports and recreational activities. That’s the great thing about living in the greatest province, in the best country in the world – there’s never a shortage of things to see and do. From swimming in the summer, to snowshoeing in the winter — or simply keeping up with the kids — we love to get out there and enjoy the outdoors.
With the turn of the calendar, I know many Ontarians take the opportunity to reflect on their health and fitness. You may put some thought into what you can do to get even more out of your everyday life — or to bring your fitness to the next level.” – Posted by Dalton McGuinty
We’ve all heard that alcohol is not you’re friend with it comes to losing weight. The term beer belly says it all. The explanation that usually gets tossed around is that it contains empty calories, but what does that really mean? What is it that makes alcohol so bad, and how bad is it really? Keep reading to find out!
Alcohol in your body.
INSULIN – consuming alcohol causes a raise in insulin levels. When insulin is high in your blood stream your ability to burn body fat is suppressed. Dancing the night away may not compensate for the extra calories you get from alcohol? So what are you burning?
EMPTY CALORIE – means you’re body can’t use it as an immediate source of energy. It would then have to be stored in your body first…most likely as fat in this case.
MUSCLE WASTING – when alcohol is in the system, neither fat or carbs can be burned with all that insulin circulating. Your body’s last option is to pluck amino acids out of muscle and convert it to fuel. Of course, less muscle means slower metabolism. Now just think of every time you’ve seen someone with skinny arms, skinny legs and a big fat beer belly! Excessive alcohol causes muscle wasting and fat storage, and there’ still more!
DINING OUT - alcohol is often accompanied by late night feasts, be it bar food or the deceptively calorie packed restaurant entrees. Couple that with the existing high insulin and you have the perfect recipe for a pudgy tummy! Are you getting this yet?
If your goals are really important to you, then lay off the booze. Chill out with your friends, have a coffee or stay home and sip a protein shake. When going out, be smart about and choose moderation instead of over indulgence. Be a designated driver, or just save it for those truly special occasions. In the end, you have to want the results more than just another nigh at the bar. Keep that mentality and you’ll get there!
Watch me put down a set of HOTCAKES a few moments before entering my first national competition. Listen in as I share my thoughts about the competition and how I prepared for it.
I would go on to place 3rd in this competition and knock the socks off of all who doubted I would place well this early in such a prestigious contest.
Hotcakes, Syrup….That’s right! After dieting for months eating high glycemic foods moments before a bodybuilding competition is a great way to get the muscle pumped up. This WILL NOT work before a typical gym workout because it will increase your insulin too high and then cause a sudden drop in blood sugar levels causing a loss of energy and leaving you feeling lethargic….so don’t do it!
Recently a friend asked me how I have stayed motivated after all my 11 years of training. Honestly Its never a question of being motivated with me…and that’s just it. I don’t question motivation. If you have to question your motivation, then you’ll be spending more time looking for answers then you’ll be doing. It’s not a how, it’s not a where, its not a when. Motivation isn’t something to be waited on.
If you’re waiting to be motivated to go to the gym, look for a job, clean up your room, or whatever, then you’re doing just that; WAITING! Waiting for some motivation rock to come and hit you out of your laziness. Meanwhile you sit on the sofa and watch TV. Who’s in charge of your life? You or the sofa?
OK so to answer the question of motivation is not to question it. Its not to wait for the feeling and see if it comes to you. The feeling of motivation comes from choosing to being motivated and doing something no matter how you feel about it. I have plenty of days when I’d rather be sitting at home with my PS3, but going to the gym regardless is what I call being motivated. For the most part, we’re creatures of habit, and the actions we take on overtime will become more of who we are.
Next time you find yourself being lazy. Don’t turn to yourself in agreement and say “I’m being lazy.” Don’t wait for some external thing to turn you around. There’s no power in that! Choose to be motivated, and take action. Then you can enjoy the feeling you get along with a new source of your own power.
A few weeks ago we had a few athletes enter the 2010 OPA Mississauga Championships. One was my client Alva Robinson, the other was my girl, Kailash Persaud. They both did an exceptional job with Alva (Al) placing 1st bodybuilding middle weight, and Kailash placing 2nd in figure tall.
Alva (Al) Came to me first simply to help him with his posing and build a routine. At about 5 weeks out, we knew he wasn’t progressing as he should and I was certain I get him into the condition he needed. I took over his contest prep and became his adviser. Al was very coachable throughout the process and the way he showed up contest day said it all. He was super diced, very symmetrical, and with the best back lat spread I’ve seen in a long time! He lost over 30lbs to get into his condition and weighed in at 180.4lbs. Congrats Al!
For Kailash, this was her 2nd show coming off an overall win in IDFA Word Championships in November 2009. She came into this show in better condition than before and was a crowd favorite as soon as she stepped on stage. She placed 2nd this time around, and only missed the top spot by 1 point! You can see from the pictures that this decision was a tough one, which could have EASILY gone the other way. With that said she has had a tremendous journey having lost almost 70lbs since she started working out. Now she’s catching the eye of many photographers and promoters and it’s only a matter of time before she hits the National stage and does some damage! I wish her the best in her next contest which will be the IDFA International Championships, July 17th.
Here a few link to Kailash’s online interviews and transformations.
Working as a fitness consultant requires me to figure out what my clients’ fitness goals are and then to help achieve them. Often times I sit with someone and ask them what their goals are and I get a response like, “Well, I don’t want to get as big as you.” And by “you” they [...]
Today is a special day. It’s the day you declared that you are going to get your ass is shape. No more saggy gut, big hips, or days of feeling like everyone is staring and you wish you were invisible. You know… like when you’re at the beach. Today you decided that by next summer [...]
