NJLtraining

Fitness and Lifestyle coach, Author, Martial Artist and all round cool dude

[njltraining]

#mondayrunday turned into a 2 - a - day. #inspired by the energy and output displayed by my clients today I had to get a taste for myself. Here's to you ladies and gentlemen for kicking serious ass today. #keepthefaith #dontquit #inspire and #beinspired #fitness #exercise #njltraining #nevergivein #fightthegoodfight #behealthy #beactive #yyc #calgary #kensington #coreofcalgary (at NJLtraining)

[njltraining]

#mondayrunday tip for all you #runners out there. If your like me and constantly change your pace then you have to check out the new #soundtrack to #johnwick. It has a variety of tempos that seemed to fit right into my running style. That is all. #stayactive #behealthy #loveyourself #loveanother #fuckisis #personaltraining #fitnessolutions #njltraining #coreofcalgary #yyc #calgary #blessthesoldiers #running (at NJLtraining)

[njltraining]

Variety is not only key to staying motivated, it is key for results. Find what is fun for you and give it hell. #havefun #getactive #stayactive #personaltraining #fitnesssolutions #njltraining #yyc #calgaryfit #calgary #exercise. Check out my post this coming #redfriday I will be going over the common mistakes people make when doing a deadlift.

[njltraining]

#mondayfunday always leaves me smiling. #workhard #dontquit #getactive #yyc #calgary #fitnesssolutions #njltraining #personaltraining what are you doing today to be active? (at njltraining fitness solutions)

[njltraining]

Today's #redfriday #workout is all about #mobility. Getting the body to move through its natural range of motion is so crucial in today's sit for everything lifestyle. Just remember never to add weight until your body can move properly. #instafit #trainsmart #buildingactivelifestyles #yyc #calgary #kensington #coreofcalgary #njltraining #fitnesscoach 1) depth deadlifts- my personal favorite. It takes a long time to build to the depth I'm at. Never compromise your spine position to go deeper. A set spine is a safe spine. Any rounding and you are not mobile enough. Stay in your lane. 2) hip drive- I prefer to use bands but some use a barbell. No difference. Again do not compromise spine position. This exercise is great for glute development and psoas opening. 3) roll outs- today I chose to do them with a barbell. You can use a about wheel. The height of the barbell forces you to keep spine position. Always start this exercise with the arms and once you are flat like a table then the hips move. If not, your lower back will hate you. This is one of the best exercises for core strength, when done right. 4) clean and press complex- my favorite full body mover. Never try this unless you can properly perform a deadlifts, power shrug, front squat (the only squat) and the push press. It is all about core and sequence. Hope your#redfriday goes well and don't forget to #hugasoldier. (at njltraining fitness solutions)

[njltraining]

What is Success?

I got asked a very interesting question today and I thought I would share it with you. A dude who liked one of my instagram posts which you can view at @njltraining asked me "How did you become so successful?". Initially i thought to myself well im not that successful yet, I have such a long way to go till I consider myself successful and then as I pondered the question with more attention and I came to this realization. 

WHAT IS SUCCESS? I mean the term itself is to describe pursuing something and attaining that pursuit. So success to one person could mean attaining a certain amount of income, having a boat or some other material object or maybe its just the simple notion that if you wanted to buy a boat you could. 

For me personally I set a path for myself about 5 years ago that I would one day run my own gym, have no one to answer to (well other then my favorite lady) have the freedom to teach and learn what I want when I want. To be able to wake up every morning with the knowledge that I am doing exactly what I set out to do. And by the grace and support of family and friends I attained that very path. So is that success? I like to think so. Of course I do have a long way to go because as that 5 year path has been paved I have set new paths that need construction. And as I complete those paths I am sure there will be other paths that I want to pave along the way. 

I do feel as if our society has put a bit of a stigma on that word Success. As if success is soley judged on what you accumulate. The bigger better philosophy and I suppose for some that is what matters. I think thats ok to. I just know for me that money without purpose seems irrelevant to my own success. Though money plays an important role in running a business attaining above and beyond what is neccessary is a goal. And like all goals that we make some get accomplished and some don't. thats ok to. 

So to the guy who sent me that awesome question I can say this. I hope that what ever you feel is success you work hard for it and get everything you want. GOOD LUCK.

What does Success mean to you? Are you pursuing your passion(s)? Have you found that thing that drives you? When you do fight for it. 

Until next time peeps

[njltraining]

FITNESS 'The truth's and Lies'

Hello fellow fitness enthusiasts. I have to apologize for not really keeping up with my blogging. I find it pretty difficult to remember to post on all the different social media platforms these days. with new ones always coming out it baffles this semi old school brain. anyways we are over 3/4 through 2014 and I feel its time to get back on it. better late then never.

todays topic I want to talk about the meaning behind the word FITNESS. Maybe because I have a book coming out late 2015 that hopefully will shed some light for people on how to approach the whole fitness realm with more ease, including nutrition. And maybe part of me is tired of all the garbage that is out there, its no wonder people struggle to find some truth in an industry that feeds lies like a never ending movie reel. I swear that the second they come out with a new product someone else is coming out with something that is new and improved. it is enough to completely fuck with people. I suppose that is the purpose. If you feel confused and lost then you're more likely to buy into the crap their telling you.  

As a professional who has been this business for over 10 years, not to mention training for well over 20 years. I can honestly say that the way it is going has me worried. These extreme fitness workouts that the normal person should never do to these juice cleanses and however many companies that sell "lifestyle supplements" seriously, lifestyle supplements? what happened to just making better food decisions? you think buying healthy food is expensive try buying supplements from one of these companies month after month. not to mention what happens to your body when you stop taking all that crap. And yes you will eventually stop. IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.  It is time to awaken from this superficial approach that we have and begin to unravel the simplicity that is living an active life. 

Dont get me wrong if your a competitive athlete and you put your body thru rigorous training then by all means you need extra macro and micro nutrients not to mention the amount of prehab and rehab and maintenance you require to function. I am talking about the everyday joe and jane who have been convinced by so called health specialists that they should train like an athlete, putting their bodies through trauma that is just so unnecessary. Makes no sense breaking the body so you can just go sit behind a desk for 10+ hours a day. 

I am going to end todays rant with this: KNOWLEDGE is key to living the lifestyle you want. 

Keep these 3 words in mind 

WHAT-is your true want?

WHY-are doing it?

HOW-can you not only attain but sustain?

Till next time peeps. keep active.

[njltraining]

Sign up now for FREE 2week trial at the NEW #fitnessstudio #kensington #njltraining #yyc #calgary #personaltraining #functionalfitness #olympiclifter #powerandspeed #trainsmart #dontquit #instafit

[njltraining]

The chapter has begun. So excited to be opening my own training facility. Coming soon to Kensington. #fitness #personaltraining #functionalfitness #yyc #calgary #strengthanddetermination #thewill #instafit

[njltraining]

2013 was a fun year. 2014 will be even better. I look forward to forging new relationships and continuing the great ones I made last year. #fitness #girlswhotrain #exercise #yyc #calgary #success #ownboss #personaltraining #fitporn #instafit #instatrainer #notcrossfit #strength

[njltraining]

#smallgrouptraining is a great way to get into shape while suffering with others. #teamfitness #yyc #calgary #fitness #exercise #funtimes #personaltraining #peoplewhotrain

[njltraining]

NEW small group classes now available. Take your #fitness to the next level #njltraining #exercise #yyc #personaltraining #fitporn #passion #calgary

[njltraining]

Taking D.O.M.S to a dangerous level

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a common affect of tearing the muscle fibre, most common in bodybuilding style workouts or any other extremely high repetition style training. example is performing 3-5 exercises for one muscle group with a 10-15 rep philosophy. 

As a Fitness Development Coach I prefer to use a low rep system that focuses more on Myofibrilar Hypertrophy which develops strength and athleticism rather than muscle separation. Anyone who has over trained their muscles has definitely experienced D.O.M.S and if you do train a system such as chest and arm day(just a reminder to all you meat heads out there, Train your legs you look stupid walking around on toothpicks) then you have most likely found it difficult to lift your arms the next day, YA I know sounds real appealing. 

NOW thanks to this brand called CROSSFIT a new and much more dangerous condition has surfaced. It is called Rhabdomyolysis or Rhabdoe for short. What happens is when you do so much in such a short period of time your muscles actually get sever damage and there is a breakdown of muscle cell that release in to the blood stream, the protein myoglobin is extremely dangerous to the kidney causing failure and potentially death. And if that is not alarming enough the geniuses of CROSSFIT have given this serious condition a cartoon character. I mean I knew the CROSSFIT community were misguided and uneducated but i never thought coaches and so called professionals would put a new person through the same intensity as an experienced athlete. 

I try and stay focused on what i teach and how my clients progress and live but i had to write a BLOG on this because it is truly sad to me, an Ex-Soldier, active athlete in olympic lifting and martial arts and fitness enthusiast. I am deeply troubled that not only can someone take a weekend course and then teach another to do some of the most intense movements, they don't even have to know what progression is or how to safely train someone. 

ATTENTION ALL YOU SO CALLED PROFESSIONAL TRAINERS:

Take the time to study and understand the right way to help someone be fit. Making someone do 100's of reps doesn't make you a good trainer it actually makes you an idiot.

ATTENTION ANYONE LOOKING FOR A TRAINER OR FITESS CLASS:

If the trainer doesn't have in place a progression system to slowly evolve your fitness level. DO NOT HIRE THEM.

[njltraining]

Spartan Race update

Hey everyone,

If I said I have not forgot to write a blog I would be lying. The truth is that keeping up with all the social media is definitely not my strong suit. 

I want to give an update on Chris Berringer's progress as his Spartan season gets closer to the end. First off if you think you can do something, You can. He is proof that hard work and diligence is key for success. In his circumstance success is rated on two platforms. 

The first platform is the fact not only does he work a full time job, he trains full time and travels on the weekends to run in the races. So to keep up with that demanding schedule and still perform is quite the accomplishment in itself. 

The second is his race performance. Last year he was mediocre at best when it came to having anything that resembled an outstanding finish. As each race comes and goes i receive email updates usually right after the race letting me his times and thus far he has recorded 2 top 20's, 3 top 30's and a top 50 in a Beast(the longest and hardest race in the schedule)

Now I could take all the credit for my incredible program that has transformed him into a Spartan machine but to be honest as a Power and Performance Coach I am only responsible for the giving him information, He has implemented everything I have asked and including aggressively changing his nutritional habits to become a much improved athlete.

Those 2 things above for me are something to be proud of. If that wasnt enough of a success he has recently been chosen as a candidate to represent TEAM CANADA in the season championship which is off the charts. 

Watch out the rest of world in Vermont because we Canadians not only have the best women in the world "WE ARE SPARTA"

[njltraining]

Todays topic is:

The Importance of Auxiliary exercises to build up symmetry and balance in your body and in your main lifts.

In the video you will see 2 of my personal favorite Auxiliary exercises. I want to point out the speed in which the first rep is performed on the Clean to Press. By doing the first rep slower it awakens the movement pattern and range of motion. Constantly changing and varying the speed and explosiveness of each movement will pay huge dividends in your main lifts.

The CROSStrength system that NJLtraining uses is heavily rooted in the two big Lifts. Clean & Jerk and The Snatch. The 2 Main Auxiliary Lifts are The Deadlift and the Front Squat.

Always do supporting exercises to help build a strong foundation for the Lifts. Example, If you can only front squat 150# you will only Clean a max of 150#. 

Do the drills, improve the lifts. Get stronger, Get fitter.

[njltraining]

My client learning the second pull. Doing the snatch today, the second pull is crucial for a sound lift. Looking good, coming along nicely

[njltraining]

Executing a smoother and more efficient Deadlift for one of my CROSStrength classes.

The first thing I want to point out is set up position, because I have longer arms it allows me to keep great angles from Shoulders to Hips and from Hips to Knees. This is key to a powerful lift. It allows me to use my Hamstrings and Glutes rather than my Quads to initiate the Movement. Some people have a more parallel angle from Hip to Knees creating a more Quad dominant Lift.

Pay attention to how I start my movement. Once I feel my feet drive downward my Hips fire off, then my knees draw back. This is what unfolding your body is(it starts with proper angles in the set up position). There are many ways to lift weights, THERE IS HOWEVER ONE WAY OUR BODY MOVES WITH EFFICIENCY. When you find that way for your body you will not only increase your strength instantly, every lift will feel easier and more effective.