Re-opening the gym

The Government of Ontario has announced a plan for businesses and services to start re-opening after being forced to close since mid-March. Gyms are not…

The fitness industry is failing regular people

The fitness industry is failing regular people

Look at any advertising for gyms and personal training and the message is that you need to either have or be working toward ripped abs. This message is usually supported with photos or videos of shirtless young people showing off their six pack abs. This, despite the reality that most people will never have a six pack. And probably never wanted one.

The best abdominal exercise for people who arch their backs a lot

The best abdominal exercise for people who arch their backs a lot

Now here’s the interesting thing about dead bugs: They are incredibly hard for people who tend to arch their backs, and they’re pretty easy for people who don’t. The difference in difficulty that this exercises poses between two people of similar strength and fitness level but differences in their typical back posture is astounding.

Is stretching the answer part 2: Your hamstrings are tight, but are they short?

Is stretching the answer part 2: Your hamstrings are tight, but are they short?

I gave a talk at a local Running Room last week, where I opened by asking if anyone has tight hamstrings. Guess how many raised their hands. If your guess is about 90%, you’re right. I then asked half the attendees to lie on their backs while the other half observed. I instructed those on the floor to place their arms on the floor at their sides with palms facing up, and straighten their legs with toes pointed toward the ceiling. I then asked them to keep both knees straight and lift one leg up as high as they could.

Is it a glute bridge?

Is it a glute bridge?

This all makes sense because the human body is an example of a brilliantly designed system. Any engineer will tell you that good design includes backup options. The human is designed such that more than one muscle (or muscle group) can accomplish a task.

8 Easy-looking exercises that are surprisingly hard

8 Easy-looking exercises that are surprisingly hard

It was the best of exercises; it was the worst of exercises. The bird dog truly is a tale of two exercises. When done properly it’s impressively challenging for most people. Unfortunately it’s often not done well, and when it’s not done well, it’s not that hard.

Does it matter when you drink water?

Does it matter when you drink water?

one study had participants either drank water or drank nothing and imagined their stomachs being full before their meal. Over 12 weeks, those who drank water lost on average 2.9 pounds more than the visualizers.

Open letter to fitness conference organizers about diversity

As a fitness conference organizer, I ask that you implement a speaker application process.

This has the potential for you to showcase new and different people and perspectives to your seminar audience while opening up opportunities to talented presenters who may not be in your network or your network’s network.