Be Patient!

I saw this image online, and it immediately spoke to me! Working in the training world, people are always asking me “How Long?” How long to rehab an injury, change a movement pattern, build bigger muscles or lose weight. In a world dominated by super high-speed internet, 5-minute ab workouts and fad diets, I feel a lot of us have lost focus on the process and instead focus solely on results… and we want them RIGHT NOW! The sad thing is, when we get those immediate results, we’re often not satisfied for long. We want more, another PR, an even smaller waist, 6 connected muscle ups when we’ve just gotten our first one and herein lies a problem. We have lost our appreciation for the ‘grind’…the hard work that must be put in consistently, day after day in order to achieve our goals in a safe and efficient manner.

I often describe training as an investment; like saving up for a major trip, or a down payment on your first home. When saving for a major expense, sacrifices must be made: you might have to cut down on your clothing budget, your ‘weekend’ expenses, or even give up some of your free time in order to work overtime. I think we all recognize this…we know we cannot accrue a down payment over night.  Training is very similar. In order to give our tissues time to build resilience, our nervous system time to learn movement patterns, and our muscles time to grow bigger and stronger, we must put in time and effort…as Dhani Oks of Academy of Lions would say, we must #dothework.  Sacrifices must also be made in order to reach your training goals.  Diet, PERIODIZED training, sleep, and stress management become extremely important, and might require you to give up Friday night take-out and evenings out with friends. You may have to change the way you eat, when you go to bed, and possibly even your circle of friends. Training is, and should be HARD…but I guarantee you, it is worth it.

With a periodized training and nutrition program, you’ll reach your goals in a manner that minimizes your risk of injury, ensures you have built a safe and efficient movement pattern, and most importantly in a way that allows you to appreciate the gains you’ve made.  You’ll feel proud of your accomplishments, confident in your abilities, and ready to take on other challenges. You’ll also have a realistic idea of what types of goals you should be setting, as well as the time and effort its going to take to reach them.  When we set goals for instant results, we’re often left feeling disappointed, inadequate or unsatisfied; in short, we set ourselves up for failure. By re-framing the way you think about training to include realistic training goals and timelines you’ll be in a much more positive state of mind and in better place physically and mentally to meet them. Focus on the process; all it takes is a little bit of patience, persistence and positivity. You will reach your goals; it will take time and effort, there will be ups and downs, but in the end, it’s worth it!

Inverted Rows

Inverted Rows are a great exercise to build upper back strength and endurance! Training your back is unbelievably important, especially if you spend a significant part of your day sitting at a desk or driving. Because we live in a 'forward dominant' society, many of us tend to have forward-rounded shoulders, tight chests, and head-forward postures. This can lead to headaches, tired and sore neck muscles, and even limited shoulder mobility. Training your back, and particularly your upper back can help balance out strength imbalances between your chest and your back and to mitigate many of the above issues. 

Inverted rows are easily adaptable and can be done using rings, a TRX apparatus, or even a barbell on a squat rack. Here are a few tips you will want to keep in mind to make sure this exercise as efficient and effective as possible:

1. Wrap your hands around the rings; with your arms straight, you'll want your shoulder blades directly under the straps of the rings. 
2. Imagine you are doing an inverted plank. Squeeze your bum, tighten your abs, and lock your pelvis to your ribcage. You want to move your whole body as one unit.
3. Start this movement by pinching your shoulder blades together, back and down towards your pelvis. You'll want to 'double-chin' yourself to keep your spine long, with your shoulders away from your ears.
4. Once your back is engaged, start pulling with your arms, slowly and smoothly until your chest is at the level of the rings/TRX/Barbell. Try to avoid curling your chest up at the top - rather, pull your whole body up as one unit.
5. Reverse this movement on the way down. Remember to stay tight at the bottom; don't let your bum droop towards the floor.

In terms of difficulty, the closer you get to standing, the less of your bodyweight you'll be supporting and the easier the exercise will be. On the other hand, the closer you get to the floor, the harder the exercise will be. I usually program these in sets of 5-15, with the progression and reps dependent on the fitness level of my client. 

Give this exercise a try, and see how it feels! Happy pulling friends!

j

Done By Dawn: Week 1 Review #betterforit

The sunrise was amazing this morning! I can tell you because I was way up in the Toronto skyline, on the roof of the Thompson Hotel, teaching a 6:30 am #NTC class to some of Toronto's most dedicated ladies! They worked their butts off to the sounds of Pharrell, Shaggy (yes I said Shaggy), Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj, just to name a few. Today's workout was inspired by two NTC Get Focused Workouts: Ali Krieger's Summer Strong Workout, and Christen Press' Goal Getter workout! We push-uped, bounded, squatted and planked like lady bosses, all before the sun was up; best of all, everyone left feeling happy, sweaty, and recharged, ready for an amazing day ahead! Three different sets of partner work also allowed the ladies to make some new friends in Toronto's fitness community! Sounds like something you don't want to miss right? Join me next week to get your workout #donebydawn, and you're sure to feel #betterforit! Registration for next week's classes will be up on Nike.com/Toronto as of Sunday at midnight! 

If you're looking for a great workout in the meantime, check out the 2 workouts mentioned above on the N+TC App.  The Summer Strong and Goal Getter Workouts are both complete body workouts that will challenge your strength and capacity, but leave you feeling awesome. You'll find both of these workouts in the 'Get Focused' section of the app.

Find this workout on the N+TC App under the Get Focused Stream

If you're interested in trying out the workout I did with my class today, heres an outline of the movements and timing:

2 Sets of 

• 1 min of alternating single leg squats
• 1 min of push-ups
• 1 min of diagonal bounds 
• 30 sec per side of Side Plank  with Forward Backward Touches 
• 30 Sec recovery

Partner Challenge: Tabata high knee Runs (4 sets)

2 sets of:

• 1 min Single leg balance with reach knee tuck
• 1 min walkout to front raise
• 1 min Lateral forward jumps
• 1 min V-sit (facing your partner for extra motivation)
• 30 seconds recovery

Partner Challenge: Tabata Squat Jumps (4 Sets)

3 sets of

• 40 sec Ski Jumps
• 1 min of alternating step back lunges

Plank Hold Challenge: Up to 2 minutes!

Cool Down

Photo by @kristinnickolas 

Give it a go, and see how you like it! Happy training friends! Hope to see you next week!

j

Done By Dawn: #betterforit

Are you Ready for your Fittest Summer yet? Over the next several weeks, Nike Women have some amazing events planned to get you ready for the epic Nike Women's 15 Km race taking place on Toronto Island on June 14th, and your fittest summer yet!

Working as an NTC trainer (although I can't really call it 'work') is one of the highlights of my career. I get to hang out with unbelievably talented people, ranging from bloggers, to athletes, to the amazing trainers and thinkers. I can't explain how grateful I am to work as a part of this group, and to be trusted by so many Toronto women to help them get strong, healthy and fit. On Saturday morning I participated in the launch of Nike Women's #betterforit 'Done By Dawn' Series at St. Jame's Cathedral Centre in Toronto. To describe this even as anything less phenomenal would be an understatement...and this is only the beginning.

Over the next several weeks, EVERY DAY from Monday to Friday, Nike Women are hosting early morning (6:30 am) NTC workouts for YOU! The classes will occur at a different location, with a different trainer each day and will be posted for registration on Nike.com/Toronto each Sunday at 12:01 am! Just like the classes at Academy of Lions, the Done By Dawn classes are sure to fill up fast, so make sure you reserve a spot! I personally will be teaching on Wednesday mornings, (are you ready for this), on the roof of the Thompson Hotel at King and Bathurst (King West Location). I don't know if you can feel it as you're reading this, but I am bursting at seams with excitement over this series! These classes, as well as the N+TC App are the perfect tools to get you ready for all the fitness challenges Toronto has to offer this summer! So set your alarm clock, and get ready to sweat! You're sure to feel #betterforit!! 

I'll be waiting for you, every Wednesday at 6:30 am! You know where to find me!

J

The Toronto NTC Trainers!

We're ready for you Toronto! Come and find us!