Calorie Crunching in 6 Minutes

Lets pretend you weigh 200 lbs and you want to lose some weight - specifically fat off your belly, thighs, under arms, etc.

But you aren't sure what exercises you should be doing. Weight lifting or cardio? Or both? And if so, how much? And which exercises produce the best results?

Well when it comes to weight loss your primary goal is to have a caloric reduction. So you should be doing approx. 70% cardio exercises (because cardio exercises burn more fat) and 30% weight lifting (to maintain muscle tone).

So for example if you had 9 minutes to exercise you might do 6 minutes of cardio and 3 minutes of weight lifting. Which is a tiny amount really, but lets do the math anyway. You have 1,440 minutes in a day so 9 minutes is really only 0.00625 of your day.

So in 6 minutes the most calorie intensive thing you could do is bicycle as fast as you can - approx. 20 mph - which would burn 145.4 calories if you weigh 200 lbs.

In contrast 6 minutes of vigorous weight lifting would burn a mere 54.4 calories. So half that if you did it for 3 minutes, so 27.2 calories.

Grant total for 6 minutes of bicycling + 3 minutes of vigorous weightlifting is 172.6 calories.

It is not a lot. But lets pretend you did that every day for a year. 364 x 172.6 = 62,826.4 calories. Just under 18 lbs of fat. (Exact results will vary on the weight of the person.)

Do that 9 minute exercise routine every day, 2 or 3 times per day and you would lose between 36 and 54 lbs in 1 year. Likely more if you add in the Afterburn Effect and a healthy balanced diet. As your endurance builds and weight drops you will start going faster and pushing yourself harder, possibly exercising for a lot more than 18 or 27 minutes per day... In which case you will reach your exercise goals faster than expected.

27 minutes is less than 2% of your day. Isn't it worth 2% of your day to achieve your exercise goals?

INTERESTING NOTE: Compare below the stationary gym bicycle calories burned vs cycling on a real bicycle. You burn way more calories on a real bicycle because you are moving your own bodyweight, whereas on a gym spinning stationary bicycle you aren't moving any weight. You burn way more calories on a real bicycle - which means the people shelling out money for spin classes would be better off just buying a normal bicycle.

The chart below shows many different activities a person can do and how many calories a 200 lb person would burn in 6 minutes doing those activities. The two best for burning calories (and therefore losing weight) are running and bicycling.

Gym Activities Calories Burned in 6 Minutes (calculated for a 200 lb person)
Aerobics: low impact	45.4	Aerobics: high impact	63.6
Aerobics, Step: 6" - 8" step	77.2	Aerobics, Step: 10" - 12" step	90.9
Aerobics: water	36.3	Bicycling, Stationary: moderate, 150 watts	63.6
Bicycling, Stationary: vigorous, 200 watts	95.4	Calisthenics: Vigorous, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, pullups	72.7
Calisthenics: Moderate, back exercises, going up and down from the floor	31.8	Circuit Training: w/some aerobic, minimal rest	72.7
Elliptical Trainer: general	65.4	Riders: general (ie., HealthRider)	36.3
Rowing, Stationary: moderate, 100 watts	63.6	Rowing, Stationary: vigorous, 150 watts	77.2
Ski Machine: general	63.6	Stair Step Machine: General, without supporting any bodyweight on hand rails	81.8
Stretching: Mild, Hatha Yoga	22.7	Teaching aerobics	54.5
Weight Lifting: Light, free weight, nautilus or universal-type	27.2	Weight Lifting: Vigorous, free weight, nautilus or universal-type	54.5
Training and Sport Activities Calories Burned in 6 Minutes
Archery: non-hunting	31.8	Badminton: general, social	40.9
Basketball: playing a game	72.7	Basketball: wheelchair	59
Basketball: shooting baskets	40.9	Basketball: officiating a game	63.6
Billiards	22.7	Bicycling: BMX or mountain	77.2
Bicycling: 12-13.9 mph, leisure, moderate effort	72.7	Bicycling: 14-15.9 mph, leisure racing, fast, vigorous	90.9
Bicycling: 16-19 mph, very fast, not drafting	109	Bicycling: > 20 mph, racing, not drafting	145.4
Bowling	27.2	Boxing: sparring	81.8
Boxing: punching bag	54.5	Boxing: in the ring	109
Coaching: football, soccer, basketball, etc.	36.3	Cricket: batting, bowling	45.4
Curling	36.3	Dancing: Fast, ballet, twist	43.6
Dancing: disco, ballroom, square, line, Irish step, polka	40.9	Dancing: slow, waltz, foxtrot, tango, fox trot	27.2
Fencing	54.5	Football: competitive	81.8
Football: touch, flag, general	72.7	Football or Baseball: playing catch	22.7
Frisbee: general	27.2	Frisbee: Ultimate	72.7
Golf: carrying clubs	40.9	Golf: using cart	31.8
Golf: driving range, miniature	27.2	Golf: walking and pulling clubs	39
Gymnastics: general	36.3	Hacky sack	36.3
Handball: general	109	Handball: team	72.7
Hang Gliding	31.8	Hiking: cross-country	54.5
Hockey: field & ice	72.7	Horseback Riding: general	36.3
Ice Skating: general	63.6	Kayaking	45.4
Martial Arts: judo, karate, kick boxing, tae kwan do	90.9	Motor-Cross	36.3
Orienteering	81.8	Polo	90.9
Race Walking	59	Racquetball: competitive	90.9
Racquetball: casual, general	63.6	Rock Climbing: ascending	100
Rock Climbing: rappelling	72.7	Rollerblade / In-Line Skating	113.6
Rope Jumping: general, moderate	90.9	Running: 5 mph (12 min/mile)	72.7
Running: 5.2 mph (11.5 min/mile)	81.8	Running: 6 mph (10 min/mile)	90.9
Running: 6.7 mph (9 min/mile)	100	Running: 7 mph (8.5 min/mile)	104.5
Running: 8.6 mph (7 min/mile)	127.2	Running: 10 mph (6 min/mile)	145.4
Running: training, pushing wheelchair, marathon wheeling	72.7	Running: cross-country	81.8
Running: stairs, up	136.3	Running: on track, team practice	90.9
Scuba or skin diving	63.6	Skateboarding	45.4
Skiing: cross-country, light effort, general, 2.5 mph	63.6	Skiing: cross-country, vigorous, 5.0 - 7.9 mph	85.7
Skiing: downhill, moderate effort	54.5	Skiing: downhill, vigorous effort, racing	72.7
Sky diving	31.8	Sledding, luge, toboggan, bobsled	63.6
Snorkeling	45.4	Snow Shoeing	72.7
Soccer: general	63.6	Soccer: competitive play	90.9
Softball or Baseball: slow or fast pitch, general	45.4	Softball: Officiating	36.3
Softball: pitching	54.5	Squash	109
Surfing: body or board	27.2	Swimming: general, leisurely, no laps	54.5
Swimming: laps, vigorous	90.9	Swimming: backstroke	63.6
Swimming: breaststroke	90.9	Swimming: butterfly	100
Swimming: crawl, moderate, 50 yds/min	72.7	Swimming: treading, moderate effort	72.7
Swimming: lake, ocean, river	54.5	Swimming: synchronized	72.7
Table Tennis / Ping Pong	36.3	Tai Chi	36.3
Tennis: singles, competitive	72.7	Tennis: doubles, competitive	45.4
Tennis: general play	63.6	Track & Field: shot, discus, hammer throw	36.3
Track & Field: high jump, long jump, triple jump, javelin, pole vault	54.5	Track & Field: steeplechase, hurdles	90.9
Volleyball: non-competitive, general play, 6 - 9 member team	27.2	Volleyball: competitive, gymnasium play	72.7
Volleyball: beach	72.7	Walk: 2 mph (30 min/mi)	22.7
Walk: 3 mph (20 min/mi)	30	Walk: 3.5 mph (17 min/mi)	34.5
Walk: 4 mph (15 min/mi)	45.4	Walk: 4.5 mph (13 min/mi)	57.2
Walk: 5 mph (12 min/mi)	72.7	Water Skiing	54.5
Water Polo	90.9	Water Volleyball	27.2
Whitewater: rafting, kayaking	45.4	Wrestling: one match = 5 minutes	54.5
Outdoor Home Maintenance / Improvement Activities  Calories Burned in 6 Minutes
Carpentry, installing rain gutters, building fence	54.5	Carrying & stacking wood	45.4
Chopping & splitting wood	54.5	Cleaning rain gutters	45.4
Digging, spading dirt, composting	45.4	Gardening: general	36.3
Gardening: weeding	40.9	Laying sod / crushed rock	45.4
Mowing Lawn: push, hand	54.5	Mowing Lawn: push, power	50
Operate Snow Blower: walking	40.9	Paint outside of home	45.4
Planting seedlings, shrubs	40.9	Plant trees	40.9
Raking Lawn	39	Roofing	54.5
Sacking grass or leaves	36.3	Shoveling Snow: by hand	54.5
Storm Windows: hanging	45.4	Sweeping: garage, sidewalks, outside of house	36.3
Trimming shrubs/trees: manual cutter	40.9	Trimming: using edger, power cutter, etc.	31.8
Watering plants, by hand	22.7	Workshop: general carpentry	27.2
Yard: applying seed or fertilizer, walking	22.7	Yard: watering by hand, standing/walking	13.6
Indoor Home Repair / Improvement Activities Calories Burned in 6 Minutes
Carpentry: finish or refinish furniture or cabinets	40.9	Caulking: bathroom, windows	40.9
Crafts: Standing, light effort	16.3	Hang sheet rock, paper or plaster walls	27.2
Lay or remove carpet/tile	40.9	Paint, paper, remodel: inside	40.9
Sanding floors with a power sander	40.9	Wiring and Plumbing	27.2
Home & Daily Life Activities Calories Burned in 6 Minutes
Child-care: bathing, feeding, etc.	27.2	Child games: moderate, hop-scotch, jacks, etc.	36.3
Cleaning House: general	27.2	Cleaning: light dusting, straightening up, taking out trash, etc.	22.7
Cooking / Food Preparation	18.1	Food Shopping: with or without cart	20.9
Heavy Cleaning: wash car, windows	27.2	Ironing	20.9
Making Bed	18.1	Moving: household furniture	54.5
Moving: carrying boxes	50.9	Moving: unpacking	31.8
Playing w/kids: moderate effort	36.3	Playing w/kids: vigorous effort	45.4
Reading: sitting	9	Standing in line	10.9
Standing: bathing dog	31.8	Sleeping	8.1
Vacuuming	31.8	Watching TV	9
Office Activities Calories Burned in 6 Minutes
Driving vehicle to work	18.1	Sitting: light office work, meeting	13.6
Standing: filing, light work	20.9	Riding in a bus or vehicle to work	9
Typing: Computer, electric or manual	13.6	Walking: work break	31.8
Occupational Activities Calories Burned in 6 Minutes
Bartending/Server	18.1	Bakery: general, moderate effort	36.3
Building Road: hauling debris, driving heavy machinery	54.5	Carpentry Work	31.8
Coaching Sports	36.3	Coal Mining	54.5
Computer Work	13.6	Construction: outside, remodeling	50
Custodial Word: general cleaning, moderate effort	31.8	Electrical Work	31.8
Firefighting	109	Forestry, general	72.7
Forestry: planting trees by hand	54.5	Heavy Equip. Operator	22.7
Horse Grooming	54.5	Light Office Work	13.6
Locksmith	31.8	Masonry	63.6
Masseur, standing	36.3	Moving / Pushing heavy objects >75 lbs.	68.1
Patient Care: Nursing	27.2	Plumbing	31.8
Police Officer: making an arrest	36.3	Printing: operator, standing	20.9
Sitting in Class	16.3	Shoe Repair: general	22.7
Steel Mill: general	72.7	Theater Work	21.8
Truck Driving: loading and unloading truck	59	Welding	27.2

Exercise Vs Bullies and Depression

Exercise is an amazing thing for the human body.

It builds self-confidence. It keeps away depression. It burns calories. It builds muscles. It promotes better sleep.

And it deters bullies in school.

If the photo of the kid on the right looks familiar that is because it is a young Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was 14 years old.

He didn't start weight lifting and weight training until he was 15 years old. Before then his favourite sport was soccer.

And it certainly did not stunt his growth either. Weight lifting took a skinny teenager who had confidence issues and turned him into a weight training champion and later a Hollywood success story.

Parents these days worry about their kids a lot. They worry because their kids are being bullied in school, because their kids are moody and depressed, and they think they can solve these problems by taking the poor kid to a psychiatrist.

A psychiatrist who will often prescribe anti-depressants designed for adults for children.

I would argue however that teenagers are already going through enough hormonal problems that throwing anti-depressant medications into the mix causes a lot more harm than good. If anything anti-depressants are probably stunting their growth, contributing to childhood and teenage obesity rates - and worse - creating a culture of drug addiction within the child's mind.

In contrast exercise (not just weight lifting, any kind of exercise) is a natural remedy for depression. Exercise boosts a person's sense of well-being, their metabolism speeds up, they burn more fat, build more muscle, sleep better, and feel more positive about themselves.

That increased self confidence also means they can stand up to bullies / ignore bullies more easily, without feeling like a loser because they know they are better than the bully. (Bullies are inherently filled with their own feelings of inadequacy and usually take to bullying because they have troubles at home, have weight issues, feel they are less intelligent compared to other students, any number of causes.)

In other words thanks to boosted self-confidence and an increased lack of bullying the child becomes ever more confident in their own abilities - and yet often has a degree of humility because they remember where they once were in life.

Many parents often get their kids martial arts lessons when they discover their kids are being bullied, but honestly any kind of aggressive exercise would help dramatically. I say aggressive with respect to exercises that utilize weightlifting and resistance training, including many kinds of sports. So for example jogging simply isn't aggressive enough because it would only build leg muscles and endurance and would not build the same amount of self confidence that came with learning a sport like caber tossing.

Now admittedly your kids probably won't get into caber tossing. But this is just an example of many of the sports that kids can get into that are more physical and require a bit more brute strength and effort compared to other exercises that are comparatively not that difficult. Parents need to encourage their kids to try these more difficult sports so the kids have a chance to try something they might like, and the boosted confidence from doing it (even if they didn't like it) will stay with them for years.

Some parents even hire personal trainers for their kids in an effort to encourage their kid to enter a life of healthy exercise which will keep their child on a healthy track all their way through life. It probably won't lead to the Olympics or professional sports, but the child which grows into an adult will have many years of happiness and health ahead of them thanks to the parent who planned ahead and put some thought into their child's exercise regimen.

Speaking for myself my parents put me through numerous years of ice skating, swimming, boy scouts, and as I got older and started making my own decisions I got into cycling, archery, boxing, tae kwon do, freehand mountain climbing, and many other physical activities long before I became a personal trainer.

I am very thankful my parents took an active interest in my physical and mental well-being.

In our day and age, with the USA and Canada's cutbacks on physical education, the lowered interest of children with sports (and increased use of computers / electronic gadgets), it has become ever more important for parents to encourage children to engage in sports and physical activities.

Find something that your kids enjoy and encourage them to keep doing it. It doesn't matter whether it is ballet or parkour (although I recommend wearing a helmet for parkour) and find ways to add such activities to your child's weekly schedule so they are guaranteed to keep doing them for years to come.

And if it is an activity that both parents and child can take part in, so much the better!

Variants on Classic Weight Lifting

Chin Ups, Dips, Bicep Curls, Push Ups and Squats are five commonly used classic exercises that you can do at home and you won't need much in terms of equipment to do them. However if you are looking for more of a challenge you can also ramp up your workout a bit by trying new things.

Chin Ups

What do you need? A chin up bar.

Try lifting your legs up and pulling your knees in closer to your chest while in the middle of a chin up. Alternatively, try doing your chin ups really slowly - up slowly and down slowly. Or try doing chin ups with your legs at a 90 degree angle. Experiment with it and see what you can do! You can also do reverse grip chin ups, pulling behind your head chin ups, moving your legs backwards at the knees, holding your hands closer together or further apart...

Or even one handed chin ups!!!

Dips

What do you need? A chair or bench or table.

Dips are very easy to do, but if you want an extra challenge try raising one of your legs up and pulling your knee in towards your chest using your ab muscles.

Other variations include putting your feet on a stability ball or basketball, so you need to concentrate on your balance at the same time. (To make it easier in the beginning try wedging the stability ball into a corner so it doesn't shift around so easily.)

Bicep Curls

What do you need? Dumbbells.

Try the classic bicep curl with one foot raised or down on the floor balancing on both knees. By weight training and balancing simultaneously the entire core is worked, in addition to improving balance.

Push Ups

What do you need? Nothing really, just some empty space.

There are literally hundreds of ways to modify the classic push up. From speeding up or slowing down your usual pace, holding the "down" position for five seconds on every rep, touching your nose to the ground each time, to fingertip pushups, or simply elevating your feet. Changing up your push up is easy, and important. Other variations include: Using a stability ball under your hands or feet (or both), doing one push up and then alternating with one stability ball leg tuck. Also, push ups with alternating dumbbell rows for the back, or alternated with mountain climbers for an intense cardio and upper body workout. 

Squats

What do you need? Standing room.

Squats are safe, easy and work your core muscles plus most of your lower body. Squats can be combined with other exercises such as: overhead extension, bicep curls, and front raises. Squats can be made into cardio and co-ordination training by moving with your squats. To do this simply take a side-step, the squat, and repeat taking a step and squatting all in one direction, and then coming back again. You could also try plyometric squats. This power training exercise should only be attempted by intermediate exercisers with no lower body injuries. Go into a squat and when in a seated position, spring up by focusing the force in your quads and glutes. Your feet should come off the floor in a small but powerful jump.

CBC Interview about Archery / The Hunger Games

Yesterday I did an interview with the CBC about archery / The Hunger Games. One of my younger archery students was also interviewed regarding her interest in the Hunger Games and her newfound interest in archery.

The interviews will be appearing in forthcoming episodes of CBC News, the National, and also be available on the CBC website. (If you are paying attention this comes mere weeks after I shot several archery clips for TSN, so there is a lot of demand right now for archery clips in the news.)

The new Hunger Games film "Catching Fire" arrives in movie theatres tomorrow (or tonight at midnight if you like midnight screenings). Doubtlessly this will fuel more interest in archery amongst young people. Which as I said to the CBC, as long as people are getting outside and exercising this is something I am going to support and continue to support.

Weighted Bar Exercises

Many exercisers like using a weighted bar because of its versatility. It can be used for strength, cardio and high intensity routines - and all it is really is a big heavy stick.

The brand name version of this is the Body Bar, which is a basically heavy weighted metal stick that has been on the market since 1987, but material wise it is no different from a metal bar you could purchase at Home Depot, Home Hardware or Canadian Tire. In fitness terms the brand name Body Bar has managed to stay popular because it is versatile, despite the fact that you could easily buy any metal bar and do the same job with it.

For extra comfort you can also attach a foam insulation tube around the metal bar, or you could just wear weight lifting gloves on your hands. Either way you don't need to buy an official Body Bar - because quite frankly I don't want to promote a product that is a complete ripoff when people can purchase the equivalent for a lot less.

The beauty of a weighted bar is it can be used like a barbell or like free weights. Being weighted throughout the bar, oppose to loading plates, makes it an ideal tool for beginner barbell squats. It makes balance easier and the exerciser can practice on their own, without need for a weight lifting spotter.

You can also use the weighted bar for cardio and abs. Holding on to one for resistance when doing step ups, or placing it over the shoulders and twisting for core training, makes the exercises more challenging, but is still comfortable.

A huge issue with barbell training is that even if the bar is placed correctly across the shoulder blades, as opposed to across the neck which is improper, many people find it uncomfortable and unsettling to be resting the weight on their shoulders thusly. If you opt for the brand name version Body Bar or get the foam insulation then it is not only slightly padded, but the even weight distribution makes such exercises more comfortable and less intimidating.

The other advantage is that metal bars can be purchased in a range of weight increments from lower weights to 50 lbs or more, which means that unlike the Body Bar which has a lesser range of weights you can purchase, you can match the bar to your individual needs. Thus regardless of whether you only want a little weight or a lot of weight you can challenge yourself with heavier bars as you see fit.

It also means you don't even have to PURCHASE such things. You could easily use a big heavy wooden stick that you find while out for a walk and use that for your purposes. Or alternatively sometimes people even throw out metal bars they don't need any more.

I myself use the metal bar that came with my home gym and then wrapped it with leftover faux leather (for comfort) I had lying around from when I made a quiver for archery. So no worries there.

DIFFERENT WEIGHTED BAR EXERCISES

#1. Bench Press

#2. One Arm Row

#3. Shoulder Press

#4. Bicep Curl

#5. Skull Crushers

#6 Make up your own exercises! eg. I enjoy swinging the bar around like it is a kendo shinai sword.

#7. Chest or overhead for weighted crunches.

#8. Across the shoulders and twist from the core, while trying to touch the elbow to opposite knee.

#9. Across the shoulders for lunges

#10. Squats

#11. Yoga poses with 8 to 10 reps, such as warrior 1, 2 and 3.

#12. Deadlifts

#13. Bicep Curls + Raises

#14. Shoulder Lifts while doing Stairs Step Ups

Basically you can do a huge variety of exercises with a big heavy stick. This is but a small sample of the exercises that are possible with a weighted bar. They're perfect for your frugal home gym, so if you're looking for a new fitness toy to motivate your workouts, try it out.

I would definitely recommend making your own rather than spending the $49 to buy an official Body Bar off Amazon / etc. You can buy a metal bar + insulation / faux leather for a lot less than that.

Build a Beach Perfect Body - In The Winter!!!

It is November and it is starting to snow in Toronto maybe once per week. By December it will be snowing more regularly. By January there will be a foot of snow on the ground.

But if you count the months until mid June (the start of swimsuit season) then there is November, December, January, February, March, April and May - 7 months to get prepared if your goal is to lose weight and look fit for swimsuit season.

Now pay attention... most people only start trying to get fit a month or two before swimsuit season - and most of them FAIL to meet their exercise / weight loss goal.

The reason why is because they are focusing all of their exercise goals into a month or two month period and then wonder why they failed. When asked why they will point to reasons like not enough time, the workouts were too difficult, they fell off the wagon diet wise, lack of motivation and so forth.

I argue that they need to change their approach.

#1. Stop trying to do everything a month or two before swimsuit season. Start exercising NOW, many months before swimsuit season is even close. Thus their excuse that they didn't have enough time will be null and void.

#2. By doing the first it also means the workouts don't need to be quite so intense. People burn out and lose motivation if their workouts are too intense. In contrast if they start exercising over a 6 month period their workouts will be about one third the intensity of a 2 month workout regimen designed to accomplish the same goal. Thus the second excuse about workouts being too difficult will likewise be null and void.

#3. If you are going to make lifestyle / dietary changes you need to make permanent changes that you can stick with it. Now I admit that means making changes during the Christmas holiday season - a season during which many people are prone to binge eating on chocolate treats, xmas dinners, etc. But it can be done and you can do it if you give it an honest try. Start by making the switch to dark chocolate only (70% or better) - no more sugary chocolate or "white chocolate". Eat more veggies during xmas dinners and make fruits and vegetables part of every meal you eat, and every snack. Find the fruits and veggies you love and stock up on healthy foods you love.

#4. Find ways to motivate yourself. Music I find is a great motivator. Another way to motivate is to use fun activities that you enjoy doing. eg. Ice skating, downhill skiing, or just plain going for an afternoon walk and taking your camera with you.

Wait, its cold outside! I hate going outside in the cold!

Then invest in some thermal underwear. Learn how to layer clothing so you don't feel the cold. Get tight fitting clothes that fits really well and keeps you warm. Wear 3 or 4 layers under your jacket, get good thermal gloves, a neck warmer, hat, thermal longjohns for wearing under your pants/jeans, warm boots, thick socks - and voila! You will probably be so warm you will be unzipping layers!

Dressed like that and you can go jogging / winter walks / ice skating / tobogganing like when you were a kid and you won't really be bothered by the cold at all.

Next you need to avoid the temptation to just relax all winter indoors watching cable television, mucking around on Facebook and nonsensical videos on YouTube. Cancel the cable (33% of it is advertising anyway), take a vacation from Facebook, and go outside and make your own winter oriented videos and then post them on YouTube instead of watching other people's junk.

Things To Do This Winter!

#1. Cross Country Skiing - burns a tonne of calories! Burns 500 to 700 calories per hour depending on your weight.

#2. Take Up the Biathlon - cross country skiing with a rifle on your back! Yeehaw! Who says cross country skiing isn't a manly sport???

#3. Archery Biathlon - don't like guns? Take up the archery biathlon. Basically the same idea, but using a bow and arrow.

#4. Snow Shoeing - also burns lots of calories. Good for balance training too, plus it doubles as weightlifting for your legs. Try it and you will see how hard it is.

#5. Snowboarding - Good for cardio and balance. Works your abs too!

#6. Downhill Skiing - Same as snowboarding, makes for fun cardio.

#7. Ice Skating - Great cardio and balance training.

#8. Hockey - On skates or as Road Hockey, this sport will get you outside and having fun while also providing great cardio. Just don't forget to shout CAR!!!

#9. Shoveling Snow - Okay so technically it is not a sport... but it is very good cardio and weightlifting exercise. Shoveling snow is very hard so if you have a poor heart be certain to take it easy while shoveling snow because it is so difficult people are known to have heart attacks.

#10. Taking the dog for a walk - Seriously. Pets need to get outside and exercise too. So take the dog for a walk as often as you can. Or better yet, try competitive dog jogging.

300,000 Pageviews and 150,000 Unique Visitors

Earlier today, sometime around noon, CardioTrek.ca surpassed 300,000 pageviews from approx. 150,000 unique visitors. (Each unique visitor to CardioTrek.ca stays for an average of 2 pages.)

I realize it is not a popularity contest but it is nice to know the website is growing in popularity.

Most of our visitors come from Canada and the USA - and quite a few are from Toronto, possibly looking for a personal trainer or a sports instructor who teaches archery, boxing, ice skating, swimming and similar activities.

The great city of Toronto has a lot to offer for people looking to either stay fit or become more fit.

Toronto has many bicycle trails, lots of parks, our beaches are rated 5-star world class (betcha didn't know that, eh?), public ice skating arenas, tennis courts, swimming pools, university gyms, YMCAs, publicly funded recreation centres, an archery range, and numerous other things for Torontonians to utilize if they desire to go outside and exercise.

As a personal trainer I believe in spreading the knowledge of such locations - and giving away free frugal exercise advice - because if people want to exercise, then it is best they have those resources at their disposal. It helps my personal training clients, but it also helps anyone who is just looking for exercise advice - including people not in Toronto and therefore outside of my market demographic.

It is true I only make money when clients actually hire me to help them to lose weight, gain muscle or train for a specific sport - but that doesn't mean I don't also feel a certain amount of pride knowing that I helped thousands of other people who are just looking for good solid exercise advice.

So if I have helped 150,000 people to exercise and improve their health, then absolutely, I feel I should toot my horn once in awhile about how awesome free information is and that helping other people is always a good feeling even when you aren't getting paid for it.

The beauty of exercise is that anyone can do it. You don't need a personal trainer to exercise. Or a gym. Or your own exercise equipment at home. You just need the will to do it. But having the advice - especially free advice - available can make all the difference to some people who want to make the most out of their workout.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
Toronto Personal Trainer / CardioTrek.ca

Movember and Prostate Cancer

I just finished shaving off my beard - and my mustache.

I was tempted to grow a mustache for Movember (to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other male cancers), but I changed my mind because every time I have done so my mustache is so itchy it annoys me. (I even tried using conditioners and other things on it to make my mustache softer, but they don't work well enough to suit my needs.)

The Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of any family history of cancer, to have an annual checkup with their doctor and to adopt a healthier lifestyle - all things which I heartily support for both men and women.

However since I am not growing a mustache myself I have instead decided to write a post - this one - promoting healthy food and some interesting facts / statistics.

The average person has cancer 40 times during their lifetime, the difference is that usually your body fights it off. As you get older however and toxins build up in your body the toxins make it more difficult for your body to fight off the cancer growing inside you. When it gets really bad the cancer becomes malignant and life threatening by shutting down one or more of your body's vital organs.

The connection between toxins and cancer growth in the human body are well documented. Alcohol, cigarettes, and other sources of toxins can build up the amount of poison in your system that leads to cancer.

So how do you get rid of these toxins?

The easiest and most effective way is through a healthy diet which includes lots of green vegetables. Foods like spinach, broccoli, peas, cabbage, lettuce, asparagus, brussel sprouts, etc. Other types of vegetables are also good, as long as they are high in alkaline.

Another thing that is super effective against cancer is Green Tea. A single cup of strong green tea has more alkaline than two cupfuls of broccoli.

Lastly you will want to avoid foods you know to be carcinogenic. Foods that are burnt for example contain carcinogens, so try to avoid eating meat that is burnt. Well done is good, but avoid any burnt pieces.

Which means that even if you cannot grow a great mustache like Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, Sean Connery, George Clooney, Hulk Hogan and others well then at least you can still eat and drink healthier - which in turn will decrease your chances of developing prostate cancer and similar cancers.

Want to learn more about this and similar topics?

Just Google something like green tea prevents prostate cancer and learn more!

Whey Protein + French Press

Do you get annoyed by the chunky bits of whey powder in your drink when drinking a protein shake?

Well, here is a hot tip.

Buy a French Press (typically used for making coffee) and use it for mixing your milk and whey powder together.

No chunky bits of whey protein. Huzzah!

The Lowly Chin Up Bar

If you have a chin up bar, or a place in your home where you can place a chin up bar, you should absolutely be using it.

The chin up bar is a great body-weight device for weightlifting. The concept is simple - lift your own bodyweight using your biceps.

This is something some people have simply never done. They don't have adequate strength in their biceps to physically lift their body - and their body is sometimes in ample proportions. Which is basically a polite way of saying a person is too fat to do a chin up.

But that doesn't mean a person will NEVER be able to do a chin up. With some weightlifting exercises over a period of two months a person who is overweight (but not obese) should be able to do a chin up after the two month period.

To achieve this they would need to do the following...

1. Bicep Curls with 20 lb Dumbbells - 12 sets of 8 reps, every 2 days for 60 days.

Rationale: Doing bicep curls will build up your biceps, the primary muscle used during chin ups. Doing 12 sets of 8 reps means your focus is on muscle gain, not on endurance. You can build endurance later...

2. Pushups (or Knee Pushups) - 12 sets of 8 reps, every 2 days for 60 days.

Rationale: Doing pushups will build your triceps and deltoids. The deltoids (shoulder muscles) are a secondary muscle used during chin ups. Even though they are secondary you will still need those muscles during a chin up.

3. Jumping Jacks - 10 sets of 100 jumping jacks, every day for 60 days.

Rationale: Lowering your body weight via cardio exercises will increase your chances of doing a chin up by reducing the amount of fat in your body. Jumping Jacks and Jogging are both good for this.

4. Jogging (or Jogging on the Spot) - 15 minutes, every day for 60 days.

In the morning of every day you should attempt to do a pushup. After 60 days of doing the above workout they should have lost some fat weight and gained some muscle weight - enough muscle that they can lift their body during a chin up.

You will also need to be eating a balanced diet. That means no binge eating on unhealthy foods, eat smaller portions, learn to snack healthily, cutting out sugary drinks and all those things you know are bad for you.

If you are more overweight (ie. obese) you will need to do a lot more jogging, jumping jacks, and other cardio activities to reach the point where you can do a chin up. So this process may take longer than you were hoping if you are severely overweight.

AFTER YOU ACHIEVE YOUR FIRST CHIN UP

Congratulations!

Now keep doing them! Now is the time to start building endurance and strength at the same time. Work your way up so you can do a set of 5 chin ups at a time.

Once you reach that point you can basically swap out the #1 exercise above (Bicep Curls with 20 lb Dumbbells) and replace it with the following:

1. Chin Ups - 20 sets of 5 chin ups, every day. Or 12 sets of 8 chin ups.  Or 10 sets of 10 chin ups. Or 8 sets of 12. Or 7 sets of 15. Or 5 sets of 20.

Rationale: Now that you can do chin ups you can keep doing them, and if you increase the number of chin ups you do per set then you will be building both your strength and your endurance simultaneously. So pick whichever set combination from above that you want to do and keep doing them. Upgrade to the next set combination when you feel you are ready for a challenge.

Note! Keep doing the pushups, the jumping jacks and the jogging.

Add other exercises to your routine. Yoga for example is great for core muscle strength. But you might also try swimming, ice skating, archery, marathon running, competitive sports...

Basically if you make doing that First Chin Up your exercise goal, and then once you achieve that chin up goal you need to start setting new exercise goals so you can keep progressing. Making recognizable progress will help you keep motivated and keep exercising.

 

Archery Segment for TSN

This morning I helped a film crew from TSN make a segment on archery for an upcoming TV episode about archery / accuracy.

Huzzah!

In other news I have added to me "To Do List" a series of YouTube How To videos on archery. Something for me to work on when Spring 2014 comes.

And in more other news I am not teaching archery any more in 2013. I am done for the season. See you in March 2014.

Yoga Injuries - Be careful, trying to perfect a pose can hurt

TORONTO - Sports injuries sounds normal for many more vigorous sports, including ballet dancing, but what about yoga?

It may seem ironic at first, but the exercise regime often recommended by doctors and therapists (aka yoga) as a rehabilitation tool to overcome a range of sports injuries can itself become a cause of sports injuries if people get "too into it".

Yoga, considered a relatively gentle means of building flexibility, muscle strength and endurance through physical poses and controlled breathing, can lead to a number of repetitive strain injuries and even osteoarthritis, Ontario doctors say.

"Most of the injuries I see are from repetitive strain," says Dr. Raza Awan, a Toronto sports medicine physician who's been practising yoga for about a decade.

The most common yoga-related injuries he sees in patients are rotator cuff tendonitis and tears; spinal disc injuries in the low back and neck; cartilage tears in the knee; hamstring strain and tears; and wrist injuries.

There are a number of reasons why yoga — in which practitioners generally perform a series of poses, called asanas — can cause injury, he says.

One of the causes is "definitely pushing too hard" to attain a specific pose, which can involve stretching the upper body into a forward or backward bend, twisting the torso, or performing an inversion, such as a handstand or headstand, balanced on the hands or forearms.

In other words trying to show off by doing handstands and headstands can get you injured. Gotcha!

"So, for instance, people who are too flexible or people who are too tight, they're at more risk, I find," says Awan. "If you're too tight and you try to force yourself into a pose and your muscles aren't flexible, then you might strain another area to compensate."

"Or let's say that you're very flexible and you get to the end range of a pose and you don't have the muscular support to maintain the pose ... you're holding the pose without muscular endurance, you're basically holding it on your ligaments or your tendons and you strain those structures that way."

Ego also can lead to injury, he says, explaining that in yoga classes, some people push their bodies beyond their limits trying to match or outdo the person on the next mat. Being a showoff is basically an excellent way to get yourself injured doing any exercise.

Even competing with oneself — for instance, trying to get the heels flat to the floor during the "downward dog" pose, despite having tight calf muscles from sitting at the computer for hours — can lead to strains or tears, he says.

"You strain yourself because you push yourself."

Sometimes, overdoing it in yoga may exacerbate an underlying problem called femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, in which the bones of the hip are abnormally shaped and don't move together smoothly. The hip bones grind against each other during movement, causing joint damage over time and osteoarthritis.

Dr. Chris Woollam, a Toronto sports medicine physician, says he started seeing "an inordinate number of hip problems" about two years ago, including among women aged 30 to 50 who were practising yoga.

When range of motion in their hips was tested, not only was movement limited, but "they would jump off the table because of the pain," Woollam says.

MRI scans showed the women had joint damage resulting from FAI, which can be severe enough in some cases to require hip-replacement surgery.

And since yoga is becoming increasingly popular it is now ever more important to warn people about the dangers of trying to over do it.

"So maybe these extreme ranges of motion were causing the joint to get jammed and some to wear," Woollam says of certain yoga poses. "If you start wearing a joint down, then it becomes arthritic. So you're seeing these little patches of arthritis in an otherwise normal hip that seems to be related to these extremes of motion or impingement or both."

However yoga isn't entirely to blame. You just have to listen to your body. When it's saying there's a pain, then you have to recognize that and then take a break from whatever you are doing. Pain is a good signifier that you are overdoing it.

Vancouver chiropractor Robin Armstrong, who's been practising yoga since 1999, says the most common injury she sees among fellow enthusiasts are hamstring strains. Typically, they are overuse injuries and tend to occur more among experienced practitioners rather than beginners.

"I think it's also just repeating core movement patterns, and if you have a teacher who corrects the way you're moving, I think that can help prevent these types of injuries," says Armstrong, who also teaches anatomy and injury prevention to yoga instructors.

"I talk about where you have to use caution in certain poses and when appropriate use certain poses for certain people and when to avoid them altogether."

Some yoga teachers will encourage students to try a more challenging pose, while others may physically "adjust" a student to correct their posture and alignment. And that can take a person to a place their muscles and joints aren't ready to go. So sometimes it is the yoga instructor who is pushing the student too much.

But Armstrong says how far and how fast an individual advances in yoga is a shared responsibility between the student and the instructor.

"The teacher doesn't know what you're feeling in your body and you have to be comfortable enough knowing, 'OK, is this right for me? This might be right for the person beside me, but is this right for me at this moment?'"

"Don't get so attached to making the pretty picture with your body, you're still doing yoga even if you're not doing the full expression of the pose," she says. "And that goes back to not comparing yourself to others, because everyone comes with a different body and a different experience."

Yoga has many upsides, including sharpening mental focus, easing stress, and improving range of motion that can help avoid injuries while performing day-to-day activities or participating in sports.

"There's a lot of benefits to doing yoga for certain types of problems, but obviously any physical activity has its risks, too," says Dr. Awan, who is among those who uses yoga as a therapy for some patients and believes most yoga-related injuries are preventable.

"It's a great movement-based activity to do, but you have to try to keep safe, just like in other sports activities. Don't push your body beyond."