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March 11, 2010

Exercise in the Office

exercise at the office posted by personal trainer in torontoEven if you work long days at a desk, taking a few minutes every half hour to an hour to stretch and engage in bursts of physical activity can give you just as effective of a workout, without the gym or long cardio sessions on the treadmill.

Check out this article 80 Effective exercises you can do at your desk and never be short of ideas, or motivation ever again!


Each exercise is linked to instruction to learn proper form to guarantee a safe and effective workout.

Stay Active!












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March 9, 2010

Bodybuilding Supplements 101 PART 1

bodybuilding supplements 101 by kaleena lawlessIf you are thinking of competing in the sport, or you just want to look like you do, it's about time to brush up on bodybuilding supplements. Take them or not, knowledge is power!


Bodybuilding Supplements 101. The Basic Foundation

Multivitamins
Most athletes, hobby lifters and even the average sedentary person have probably tried nutritional supplements, such as a multivitamin/multi mineral at one point in their life or another. Taking dietary supplements ensures the athlete's nutritional requirements are met. This is particularly important in bodybuilding. If you don't have a solid baseline, forget about huge mass gain.

Protein
This is another supplement staple that most people have tried. Protein is "the building block of muscle." It repairs muscle after a workout, builds and aids the growth of healthy skin, hair and nails. If your goal is to put on serious muscle, you will need to eat up to 2g of protein per lb of body weight either through the food you eat, or with protein supplements.

Essential and Non Essential Amino Acids
Amino acids make up protein. There are nine essential and thirteen nonessential amino acids. Essential meaning, the body receives these nutrients from food, and they are not produced in the body. Non essential meaning while they are produced in the body, exercise depletes amounts in the muscle and supplementing increases energy and strength. Different amino acids function differently within the body. The two most popular amino acids are:

1. Creatine
Found naturally in muscle tissue, this high performance bodybuilding supplement essentially, fills the muscle with water. This gives the lifter temporary strength increases to lift heavier for longer periods of time. This will assist the lifter in achieving mass gains. After decreasing the dose of creatine the muscle will lose water retention but the energy and strength it provided will result in increased muscle mass, as a final product. Learn more about creatine by reading my article Creatine and Fitness

2. Glutamine
This amino acid is well known for quick muscle recuperation, and prostate health. Many protein powders include glutamine but the supplement can also be purchased separately to mix into shakes and food. Glutamine is also naturally occurring in meat, beans, dairy, fish and poultry. Strength training decreases the amount of glutamine in the body and supplementing with this amino acid restores levels back to optimal capacity. Read more about glutamine in my article Glutamine the Repairing Supplement.

There are other amino acids such as Leucine, isolucine, valine, and L Argine that can be supplemented for maximal performance in athletic training, particularly in bodybuilding.

Understanding the foundations of supplemented training goes a long way when you walk into the health store, or browse products online. There are many different products, brands and choice so brush up and be informed before you buy.

Stay Strong!
Part 2 High Performance Supplements will be posted Saturday. Stay tuned!












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March 8, 2010

Five Balanced, Satisfying Lunches

healthy lunch options by kaleena lawlessWhether you eat on the go, at home or work these five lunches will have you feeling full until dinnertime:


1. Pita Bread and Hummus

Complex carbohydrates, low in fat and high in protein. Hummus can easily be carted around in a Tupperware container and pita can be stored in a resealable bag.

2. Soup and a whole grain roll

Servings of veggies, complex carbohydrates and low in fat. Bring microwavable container and bun in a resealable Ziploc. On the go? Try soups made to be served cold.

3. Whole grain couscous with lentil salad

Couscous salads take 15 minutes to make and this salad is a fully balanced, low fat meal. Make couscous as directed then add half can (or less) of lentils, and any veggies you have laying around. Some examples include carrots, red or green sweet peppers and zucchini.

4. A sandwich on whole grain bread or bun

The classic lunch can be made very healthy with the help of a wholegrain bun or bread. Add whatever you like on it. A quick and nutritional sandwich can include: mushrooms, spinach, peppers, a bit of cheese, sprouts, tomato, thinly sliced meat or mock meat or an egg (or egg whites).

5. Yogurt and/or nuts and veggies

This is a great smaller lunch for a busy day. Especially if you have a convenience store close by that sells fresh cut veggies, if you didn't have time to prepare some before leaving for work in the morning. Eat separately or dip veggies into a single serve container of yogurt. Add in a handful of almonds or cashews to stay fuller longer!

Eat Right!













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March 6, 2010

March Madness! Get Ready for Fitness in the Spring

get ready for spring fitness by kaleena lawlessI may be getting ahead of myself here but March gets me really excited for spring. It's so close! Not to mention this mild winter we have been having in Toronto, the weather makes it feel like we're nearly there.


The spring is similar to New Years in the sense that it feels like a fresh start, a fitness spring cleaning if you will. In addition to winter's comfort food eating it's not surprising that many people (myself included) are motivated and ready to reach new heights with their training goals as the weather warms up and people start to go outside once again.

Here are three ways to get ready for spring

1. Get your bike tuned up

There are plenty of opportunities to ride your bike in March so get it safe and ready to go before the first ride. Remember to be sure that lights, mirrors, pants straps and your helmet are ready to go. Take the bike in to get made spring ready by a professional and once all that is taken care of, get ready for spring riding weather!

2. Sign up for outdoor events and activities

Outdoor boot camps, yoga classes, charity runs, walks and bike rides start in March and April but sign ups have already started. Being involved in one of these activities is a wonderful motivator and in the case of charity, fitness for a good cause. Get friends and family involved and make weekend plans to train together. Fitness is even more fun with great company!

3. Replace running shoes

The spring is a great time to replace old running shoes that may have been worn in the winter on less snowy days. Just like spring cleaning your house, get rid of old sporting apparel like shoes and feel great and new to start the spring. Running shoes should be replaced every six months, and even m ore often if you're an avid runner!

Also make a goal wish list and strive to work on completing your new ambitions. Join forums, research and make notes. And while your at it, look into spring inspired, healthy recipes to eat well while you're training!

Get Fitness Spring Fever!












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March 4, 2010

Reading Nutrition Facts 101 Reminder

toronto personal trainer reading nutrition factsI wrote a series of three posts nearly a few years ago on the importance of reading nutrition facts. Newer readers of Kalisthenix Fitness Blog would benefit from checking out these articles and learning how to read nutrition labels.

Reading Nutrition Facts 101

Reading Nutrition Facts Part 2

Reading Nutrition Facts Part 3


Here are THREE reasons why it is important to read nutrition facts:

1. Learn food composition

It's not enough to just count calories. A food could be 300 calories but is it all in protein, fat or carbohydrates? It's important to learn where your macronutrients are coming from and how much of each you consume.

2. Learn Industry "Tricks"

Something may be healthy but is the sodium content high? Is a lot of sugar added to make a food low fat? Being able to compare labels to identify food industry "tricks" will aid your healthy eating goals and keep you in the "know" regarding grocery store brand choices.

3. Learn to calculate serving size

You may think a snack is really good for you because the label says it's only 100 calories per serving, only to find out that the portion you are eating is 5 servings. It really changes everything! Being able to calculate serving size and compare to the amount consumed can make or break a healthy diet regimen.

If you have any questions regarding food labels, feel free to give me a shout at kaleenatrainer@gmail.com













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