How good is your support system?

Ever since I announced my new Personal Trainers Toronto seminar, “Secrets of Supportive Eating” on Tuesday, I’ve been getting phone calls from people asking, “is this a good thing to bring my spouse/significant other to?”

You know what my answer is?

Heck, yeah!

So much of the recent research on the problem of weight loss has shown that having a good support system (sometimes referred to as “social support”) is a big key to success with your personal trainers Toronto fitness program and nutrition plan.

It can definitely be a challenge to make the lifestyle changes that have to happen if you’re going to see lasting fitness and fat loss results.

That’s why you need to be accountable to someone other than yourself.

“Going it alone” dramatically increases the odds of failing.

It’s just far too easy to rationalize and get away with not doing something (or doing something you shouldn’t) when you’re accountable only to yourself.

In fact, one recent study very capably demonstrated that weekly accountability can improve your chances
of success by up to 4200%!

That’s why I’ve decided to reach out to you and make you an offer you can’t refuse…

…bring a spouse, friend or significant other to our personal trainers Toronto “Secrets of Supportive Eating” and you can both attend the course for just $34!

Get the details and register by going here:

http://hstrial-ckelly4.homestead.com/SSESeminar.html

One day you might look back at this evening as the turning point.  I will be sharing the only personal trainers Toronto system for transforming your body and reclaiming your health, using strategies based in the physical AND mental aspects of weight loss success, discovered through years of helping people just like you achieve
their fitness goals.

There are many ways to get great support.  You can Join a group, use a buddy system, or hire a coach to
keep you accountable.

But having the support of the people closest to you is pretty darn important too.

Join us for “Secrets of Supportive Eating”, and be sure to bring a buddy!  Register here:

http://hstrial-ckelly4.homestead.com/SSESeminar.html

Live Strong and Healthy,

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS – PERSONAL TRAINERS TORONTO
(416) 220-7883

Posted under Announcements, Commentary, Fitness/Nutrition Tips, Inspirational

A new poll this morning showed that 50% of Canadians say they plan to get the H1N1 flu shot. This is up almost 20% from where it was a few weeks ago.

For the past week here in Toronto there have been tremendous lineups at flu clinics for people wanting the shot. Heck, one of my Toronto personal trainer colleagues went to a clinic with his son at 5am and there were already hundreds of people there!

I’ve been debating with myself the last while whether to share my thoughts on the issue, but the topic is pretty hot, and I just decided I wanted to say something.

Frankly, it bothers me.

As a Toronto personal trainer who has dedicated his life to helping people reclaim their health, it bothers me that the medical community is so quick to stick us with something, that so few are questioning it, and no one’s talking about what you can do – that doesn’t require a needle – to protect yourself against H1N1, and other seasonal flus and viruses.

I would never presume to tell you what to do. I would just ask that you to educate yourself about these vaccines and what it is they’re putting in your body.

Make an informed decision.

Let’s put aside for the moment that H1N1 is just a new strain of flu, and not particularly deadly (check the facts).

Let’s also put aside that many studies suggest that flu vaccinations don’t work, and that since the onset of immunization programs more deaths have been attributed to the flu, not less.

Let’s even put aside that little is known about the long-term effects of these types of vaccinations.

Some vaccines contain what’s know as “adjuvants”, like squalene and mercury in the form of thimerosal, which supposedly help the vaccine work better by further weakening your body’s immune system (does that sound healthy?) and can cause life-threatening allergies, fatigue, infertility, brain damage and severe neurological side-effects.

Again, look it up…the information, the research is there, and nobody bothers to look into it.

But the biggest thing that bothers me about this mass immunization is that if we were just to focus on lifestyle factors and what it is we need to do to be an otherwise healthy person, we would be well-equipped to fight back against viruses like these, because we’d have a properly functioning immune system!

Ask yourself what happens next year when the latest strain of flu appears and our immune systems have already been compromised by vaccinations.

Here’s my personal recommendation:

1. Eat well. Give your body what it needs. Try to stick to organic whole foods as much as possible and avoid sugar and processed foods as they compromise immune function.

2. Exercise. Get some good blood-flow going throughout the body so you spread some of that “anti-body” love which is contained in the blood. Be realistic with yourself though, and check your stress levels. If you’re already burned-out, stressed-out, or sleep-deprived, intense exercise will actually weaken your immune system. If that’s the case, do exercise, but keep it moderate – especially in a germ infested gym.

3. Get plenty of sleep. You should be doing this anyway, but not getting enough sleep is really leaving the door open to viruses and getting sick.

4. Take your vitamins. A multi-vitamin should keep your bases covered, I personally use Shaklee’s Vitalizer(TM), and have not been sick since I started using it a year ago. Also, it’s important to get plenty of C and D, especially D because many of us here in Toronto are deficient, and that makes a big difference when it comes to your ability to fight off the flu.

5. Eat garlic. While this may not make you popular, garlic is a very potent anti-viral, and can help your body fight off infection (I prefer oregano oil, but it more or less does the same thing).

6. Wash your hands often and don’t touch your face. You get germs that way. : )

7. My personal recommendation for the supplement component of your holistic approach to a strong immune system is Vitalizer, Nutriferon with Defend and Resist Complex in your medicine cabinet for when you first sense that you are “catching” something. Call me (416) 220-7883 for any questions about this.

Look, I may not be a doctor, but I do read research, and perhaps most importantly, I can read between the lines. I strongly urge you to do the same.

Education is the enemy of misinformation.

Live Strong and Healthy,

Conor Kelly – Toronto Personal Trainer
EVOLUTION FITNESS
(416) 220-7883

P.S. For help with #’s 1, 2, and 4 especially, make sure you get a spot at my seminar at The Whole Foods Market, next Wednesday at 7pm. I’ll be laying it all on the line to bring you the latest, greatest information on how to reclaim your body and your health once and for all!

You can register for by calling (416) 944-0500 or going here:

Whole Foods Market Class Schedule

P.P.S. Agree or disagree? Leave your comments below!

Posted under Commentary, Fitness/Nutrition Tips

“Kids cannot learn, grow, and excel without having their basic hunger met.”

The line above is taken from my “victory speech” after successfully pulling a 28,000 lb. school bus approximately 50 ft. on a uphill grade in Yonge-Dundas Square this past Saturday.

“Nutrition is the foundation of all health and fitness. Nutrition is the foundation for success.” I continued.

My school bus pull was intended to raise money and awareness for The Toronto Foundation For Student Success, an organization which helps provide healthy breakfasts to over 90,000 Toronto students each school day.

In Toronto, 1 in 3 kids live in poverty, which means that almost half go to school on an empty stomach. In some areas, that number is more than half, and fully another third do not eat lunch either! In Toronto! This is not a third world country. The problem of student hunger is widespread in our city and threatens our communities.

Check out video of Conor’s bus pull on The SUN website!

“You can overcome. You can be and do more than what people expect. You don’t have to fall into anyone else’s plan for your life. Whatever you can conceive in your mind, and believe in your heart, you can achieve. I just proved it! Don’t let anyone tell you different!”

It’s amazing how well people listen to you when you’ve just finished pulling a bus!

What the Toronto Foundation For Student Success does is just help us to help less fortunate young members of our community to have the same basic opportunity to learn, grow, and excel, which many of us take for granted.

Thanks very much to all of you for your generous support! We don’t have all the numbers confirmed as of yet, but early reports suggest we exceeded our $15,000 goal!

Thanks to our sponsors: Evolution Fitness, Red Juice Media, Telehop, Quiznos, Flip Video, Zip Car, the [clinic], Top Form Fitness, Florida Jack’s, The Whole Foods Market, and more!

Thanks to all the great entertainment acts, Magician Dan Trommater, and musical acts The Times, Najuah, and Shalli. Also, can’t forget our guests, our provincial strongman competitors and the lovely Talia Russo.

And a special thank you to our amazing co-hosts CP24’s Amber Payie and ET Canada’s Rick Campanelli!

Check out our photo album here.

Get a full event wrap up at www.pullingforthehungry.com and you can still pledge online if haven’t had a chance to yet! It’s not too late!

Thanks very much everyone for your support. I’m so happy with the way everything turned out!

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS – PERSONAL TRAINERS TORONTO
(416) 220-7883

Posted under Commentary, Inspirational

Less than two weeks left until Pulling For The Hungry, and we here at Personal Trainers Toronto could not be more excited.

On October 10, in Yonge-Dundas Square, I’ll have an opportunity to do something pretty special, which is pull a school bus in front of thousands of spectators and a throng of media, to raise money for a very worthy cause – hungry children in Toronto schools.

Almost half of Toronto kids go to school hungry, a fact which I find completely unacceptable!

In a recent TV interview I talked about the double whammy of how, before this all got started, I was nowhere near the kind of shape I would need to be in to be able to do this, and I would really only have about 15 weeks altogether to get ready for pulling a bus.

I’ve always thought that 190 lbs. of bodyweight vs. 28,000 lbs. of school bus is a really cool metaphor for the fight we face with eliminating child hunger in our city. But what’s even more cool is how the process of getting ready to pull the bus has helped me further underline the importance of this issue.

My point is this: the foundation of my being able to transform my body once again and prepare for this event is proper nutrition, and that’s exactly what these kids need – if they’re gonna have a shot.

Without proper nutrition, not only would I not have the energy I need to train, but I would not have been able to gain the muscular bodyweight and strength that I have over the past twelve weeks.

It’s putting nutrition first that enables our Personal Trainers Toronto students to consistently and dramatically transform their bodies, lose weight, and transform themselves, their ability to do, to act, and their outlook on life.

Nutrition is numero uno, number one, the big cahuna when it comes to changing your body, reclaiming your health, boosting your energy – and yes, maximizing academic performance!

We must address nutrition first, before all else, as this is where your body gains the basic fuel it needs to function. How far would you get if you drove your car without gas? How much would you remember if forced to learn while starving?

The same energy and ability to focus that we require as adults to perform better at our jobs and enjoy a better quality of life is exactly what kids need to get the most out of their education.

Without this there is no foundation for success.

Without the right nutrition there is no foundation for success. This is equally true for your weight loss program, your overall health, and a child’s ability to grow and develop.

Put first where it belongs, make nutrition a priority – in your life, in your child’s life, in our community. Please give generously to those who need it, because when you do, you’re giving hope to kids who face hunger, poverty, and violence at school everyday.

Pledge online:

www.PullingForTheHungry.com

Yours In Great Health,

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS – PERSONAL TRAINERS TORONTO
(416) 220-7883

Posted under Commentary, Inspirational

Hi Everyone,

There was a story on CNN yesterday about how Oprah’s has “publicly admitted” her recent weight gain. She did an interview for O magazine, saying “how did I let this happen again?”

My first thought was, is it really news when Oprah gains weight? After that I had a chuckle at the title of the piece, “Oprah’s War on Weight.” So we’ve gone from the ‘War On Terror’, to ‘War in the Middle East’ to a war on fat? I think CNN’s editorial people might be running out of ideas…their next piece will be something like ‘War on Unemployment’, or ‘War on the Economy’, just watch.

On a more serious note, that got me thinking, I mean, how incredibly brave she is. We’re talking about one of the most visible women in the world, and all she wants to do is disappear. Think you’ve got problems?

This whole process of losing weight and getting healthy is often characterized as a fight (e.g. “battle of the bulge”). I just think it’s time for a new paradigm, as MOST people are not exactly running toward a fight.

I’m sure many can relate to Oprah’s struggles with her weight, and there are good reasons for that. Misinformation is one of the biggest ones, in my opinion. But it’s also about having the right mindset. Instead of always fighting yourself, let’s talk about working with yourself, or living in your higher self, which simply means you care about yourself and help yourself by creating the conditions for you to feel, look, and perform at your best.

That’s what eating right and exercising are all about.

But it is not something that you do once, and then forget about it. It’s a lifetime commitment. And few things are more rewarding than living healthy and fit, I promise you that.

It’s a new year, and a great time to forgive yourself and start fresh on your fitness goals. To avoid what I call the “bursting resolution bubble”, here are five tips for making your new year’s resolutions stick.

1. Define (or re-define) your fitness goals and why they are important to you. As philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche says, “He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.” Is your goal motivated by a fear of disease, a desire for more confidence and self-esteem, to be a good role model for your children or grandchildren, to be more attractive and desirable to your spouse? Isolate the core emotional reasons why, list them out, tape to your bathroom mirror and refrigerator and read them each day.
2. Find your starting point. Take ‘baseline’ measurements of your weight, blood pressure, body fat percentage, body mass index, resting heart rate and circumference of your waist, hips, arms and thighs. Anything that is measured and watched consistently improves. In order to gauge progress, measurements should be documented once a month. Keep in mind that as you begin to exercise, body weight rarely changes at the rate we hope, but other measurements will. Use them as motivation.
3. Design a comprehensive program. This is where a certified fitness professional is irreplaceable. Books, magazine articles, and other generic guidance will not suffice. A personalized program addressing the specific needs of the individual is highly recommended as everyone is different. Most certified personal trainers offer program design independent of their training services. This can serve as an inexpensive starting point for most people.
4. Get Support. How many people this year will join a gym, just to stop going after a few weeks? How many will buy expensive exercise equipment that sits in the basement and substitutes as a coat rack, or something you hang the laundry on to dry? The point is this, it is far too easy to rationalize and get away with NOT doing something when you are accountable only to yourself. You need a good support system to make the lifestyle changes necessary to reach your goals and maintain them. A good coach is great for that, or joining a support network of people with similar goals can make all the difference as well.
5. Regularly re-assess and reward. Measure your progress on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, depending on your goal. If you’re consistently putting effort toward your goal you will notice incremental changes and you can, and should reward yourself once per week by enjoying a favorite treat (like pizza or chocolate – you know how it goes, just don’t overdo it). Knowing that you have one reward day per week gives you something to look forward to, eliminates feelings of ‘mourning’ over perceived loss, and keeps the resolution bubble from bursting.

Don’t just “let it happen again” as Oprah says, make it your best body ever in 2009.

Live Strong And Healthy,

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS – PERSONAL TRAINERS TORONTO
(416) 220-7883
www.personaltrainerstoronto.com

P.S. Desire is not enough to keep lost pounds from coming back! You need a definite plan, and that plan is synergy. Discover how the synergistic approach to fat loss can work for you by calling (416) 220-7883 or by clicking the image to the left to request your complimentary New Year’s Health and Fitness consultation. You’ve got a goal, now get the plan!

Posted under Commentary, Fitness/Nutrition Tips

For most people, it will never be a goal to lift a car, pull a 40-ton truck with a harness, or lift a giant boulder over your head.

Back in the days when I was training to compete in strongman competitions, that was actually what I thought about most of the time. It’s amazing when I think back now, actually, just how obsessed I was. But that constant focus, that conscious thought brought me from a 120-pound weakling to an elite level strength athlete.

For a while, I consistently ranked in the top ten in Ontario. This is in a sport where there are no weight classes and I was always at least 5 inches shorter, and 40 pounds smaller than the next
smallest competitor.

I was never really satisfied with my achievements in the sport, but nowadays as I look back at where I started, they are remarkable.

I used to write notes to myself with goals for how much I wanted to be lifting in each discipline, by some specific date. Then, I would take those notes and post them somewhere where I could look
at them each day.

This was a strategy I had learned from my personal trainer, Mr. Leo Costa, who taught me that my goals needed to be specific, they needed to have a timeline associated with them, and above all, I
should write them down. Little did I know at the time, how much that one lesson would carry over to other areas of my life later on. I just knew I wanted to be a good student, and I did as I was told.

Recently while having a conversation with a good friend, the subject of goal-setting came up. We were remarking on how powerful this strategy can be, when applied correctly. That’s when he said,
“well of course you know about the Harvard study…” to which I replied “what study?”

Well, apparently everybody’s already heard of this, but I hadn’t, and I thought there was a chance you may not have either, so I wanted to share it with you.

In 1979, there was a study conducted on students in the Harvard MBA program. In that year, the students were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish
them?” Only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and 84 percent had no specific goals at all.

Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings were illuminating. The 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent
who had no goals at all. And the three percent who had clear, written goals were earning, on average, TEN TIMES as much as the other 97 percent put together.

Do you think I was surprised? I have seen how goal-setting has impacted my life!

In spite of such proof of success, most people still don’t have clear, measurable, time-bounded goals that they work toward. There simply is no reason imaginable that a sane person, faced with this
evidence, would not sit down, like NOW, and write out his or her goals and a clear, systematic plan for achieving them.

Look, 2009 is right around the corner. What would YOU like to manifest in your life this year?

Live Strong and Healthy,

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS – Personal Trainers Toronto
(416) 220-7883

P.S. Having clear and precise goals with a plan for achieving them is essential to your fitness success. Why not take the guesswork out of it? Goal-setting is one of the cornerstones of our success here at Personal Trainers Toronto! Let us show you how. Request your complimentary Personal Trainers Toronto New Year’s Fitness Consultation right away by calling (416) 220-7883
or by going here:

www.personaltrainerstoronto.com

Posted under Commentary

Dear Friends,

It’s hard to believe but once again that time of year is upon us: the holiday season. Just about three weeks to go until Christmas, and Raya and myself are looking forward to getting some much needed “r & r”. We’ll be heading to Ireland to spend the holidays with my family.

Every year, when December arrives, it also means lots of social gatherings, office parties, and holiday “treats”. Right now, bloggers, news reporters and basically everybody with an email newsletter is lining up to offer you inane and irrelevant “tips” on how to survive the holidays without developing an acute case of “Santa Belly”.

My take on it is slightly different.

Because, if you’re focusing on what you should be, which is improving your metabolism, then none of this other advice really matters. You’ll be sufficiently ‘Holiday-Proof’.

Rather than trying to find tricks, you should be working on your fundamentals. Fundamentals are fundamentals for a reason, because they come first. That means getting 5-6 smaller meals per day, getting a lean protein with each meal, avoiding simple sugars and saturated fats, drinking plenty of water, and exercising with weights to build lean muscle tissue.

If you’re doing all of that to the best of your ability, and trying to get a bit better each week, you’ll be fine. You may find your progress a bit slower this time of year, but you can make progress.

Here are three keys for making your metabolism work for you this holiday season:

1. You need to have a concern for building lean muscle tissue. This is not something that happens overnight, and is more a function of your efforts throughout the year, not just at Christmas. Even a modest 3-lb increase in muscle can represent a 7% boost to your metabolism. You will still need to be conscious of what you eat, but the bigger you can build that fat-burning engine, the less likely you are to suffer from the occasional calorie splurge.

2. Learn to eat slowly. The ideal state for optimal digestion and metabolism is one of relaxation. Ever eat really fast and feel the food sitting like a lump in your stomach? Help your body digest better and burn more calories by eating slowly. Try to savour every bite and be aware while you’re eating, you’ll also end up eating less, which is a good thing!

3. Don’t plan to diet after the holidays. First of all, overly restrictive diets are not effective for fat loss. Secondly, this plan actually encourages you to overeat, since knowing you’re going to restrict yourself later makes you want to enjoy yourself as much as you can now! It’s not much more than a way to rationalize your excesses and you will make things harder on yourself in the long-run. Stay consistent with eating frequent smaller meals, and don’t starve yourself to “make room” for a big dinner. This slows down your metabolism, and causes your body to store a lot more from those big meals.

Remember, start with a strong foundation, and watch your metabolism fight diet crimes like a superhero.

Live Strong And Healthy,

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS
(416) 220-7883

P.S. If you don’t know where to start, start with the basics. To learn more request your free Personal Trainers Toronto Holiday Season Busting Fitness Consultation! Visit us here:

www.PersonalTrainersToronto.com

P.P.S. Beat the rush! Everyone will be trying to make up for their holiday shortcomings with New Year’s resolutions. We’ll be busy in January! Call us now (416) 220-7883 to reserve your spot!

Posted under Commentary, Fitness/Nutrition Tips, Uncategorized

Hi All,

Hope you enjoyed the weekend. Even though the weather’s gotten a bit cooler, things are just beginning to heat up for President-Elect Barack Obama. He’s about to inherit the government of a country in the midst of a major economic crisis. No small wonder they like to talk about his fitness routine, he’s probably gonna need to stick to that to keep his blood pressure in check!

But that brings up an interesting point. How good is Obama’s fitness routine anyway? From what I’ve read, he makes time almost every day to workout, and watches what he eats, no small feat for the soon-to-be-leader of the free world. If that’s true, why does he still look, well, scrawny and soft around the midsection?

In fact, Obama’s been quoted as saying “I wish I was getting a 90-minute workout”. To which I reply, “think again, Mr. President-Elect.” You see, a good workout does not have to be a long, drawn out affair. Quite the opposite, especially if you know how to get the most out of every minute you spend in the gym.

One observer described Obama’s routine as a “whole body workout”. But he seems to spend his time doing isolation exercises like calf-raises and tricep extensions, that work small muscle groups, and on their own will do nothing for your physique. All this leads me to conclude that Mr. Obama has no idea how to work out effectively.

The Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger said it best when at a John McCain rally he jokingly described then Senator Obama as “too skinny”, insisting that “we’re gonna make him do some squats.” That’s because squats, and other basic compound movements (compound exercise = involving more than one joint) like presses and deadlifts should be the basis of Obama’s routine, if he wants it to be effective AND time-efficient with his workouts. These use a lot more muscles and work your whole body much better, which is what you want, especially if you’re crunched for time.

Today’s lesson is simple: shorter, high-intensity workouts with compound exercises using free weights are key when it comes to transforming your body in record time. It is exactly this type of routine that is the basis of the Evolution Fitness program.

Performing this workout is relatively simple, you’ll pick 2-3 exercises and rotate between them. For example, you could do dumbbell squats, bench press and dumbbell rows, performing each for 8-12 reps with a relatively heavy weight, and very little rest in between.

The key is to chose upper/lower supersets or antagonist muscle groups like chest and back, so that while you are working on one movement, the other muscles can recover, but your heart rate remains high. About five circuits like this should do nicely. Depending on how advanced you are, or how long you need to rest between exercises, this can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to complete. But it is a very complete and effective workout.

If you have a bit more time, add a second superset or mini-circuit with new exercises. Here are some suggestions for great exercise combinations:

1. Dumbbell Bench Press, Step Ups, Pull-ups
2. Pushups, Pull-ups, Lunges
3. Dead lifts, Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Row
4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Squats, Chin ups
5. Step Ups (with dumbbells), Pushups, Barbell Row

There are limitless variations you can do, which also makes the workouts more interesting. Just remember to always challenge yourself, whether it’s by increasing the weight or reducing the rest periods, because this is how you will progress. When properly executed, 30 minutes of this type of workout, even 3 times per week, combined with a program of supportive nutrition, would be enough to blast your fitness to next level!

Obama was also quoted saying, “I wish I had time for a trainer.” He’d probably like to know that we now offer 30-minute sessions as part of our Executive Fitness Program! Find out all the details by requesting a complimentary consultation at:

www.personaltrainerstoronto.com

Live Strong and Healthy,

Conor Kelly
EVOLUTION FITNESS
(416) 220-7883

P.S. Stop wasting your precious time with workouts that don’t work! Find out how our Executive Fitness Program will help you get results without spending countless hours in a sweaty, overcrowded gym. Go here right now,

www.personaltrainerstoronto.com

Posted under Commentary, Workouts