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Kids and Sports Drinks

Everywhere you go nowadays you see ads for energy and sports drinks and I often see kids of various ages walking to and from school with one of these types of drinks in their hands. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children should not consume drinks that have stimulants in them to provide energy. Many of these drinks have as much caffeine as 2-3 cups of coffee. These drinks are choc full of sugar and the "sport" drinks are also full of carbs and electrolytes and both contribute cavities, weight gain and obesity. 

Most kids do not need sports drinks unless they are playing high intensity sports and even then the drinks should be diluted with water.

Water is still the king of drinks and should be the drink of choice for our kids.

Source: Pediatrics 127 (2011): 1182–89.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

USDA revamps Food Pyramid and Calls it MyPlate

The USDA has replaced the old Food Pyramid with a new system Called MyPlate. The Food Pyramid is similar to Canada's Food Guide and is very hard to follow. The new concept of the divided plate makes meal portion and planning much easier to follow. It is all about portion control and dividing your plate into sections for each 4 food goups and dairy. Hopefully Canada will follow suit soon.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

High-Fiber, Protein Packed Breakfast Muffins:High-Fiber, Protein Packed Breakfast Muffins:

High-Fiber, Protein Packed Breakfast Muffins:

Ingredients:

Directions:

These packed muffins are great to start your day off with because they combine all three macronutrients for a well balanced breakfast that will provide plenty of ingredients throughout the day.
• • 1 1/4 cups protein powder
  • 1 1/4 cups oats
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup low-fat milk
  • 1/2 cup Splenda or sugar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 1/4 cup walnuts or almonds
  Mix in the dry ingredients until moist and finally add in nuts. Place into muffin tin, filling until 2/3's full and then bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.
  Combine together the protein powder, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and Splenda. In another bowl, whisk together unsweetened applesauce, low fat milk, olive oil, and egg whites.
  
  Courtesy of bodybuilding.com

October 2nd, 2011

Teeny Turkey Meatloaves with Applesauce

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 small sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 green onions/scallions, sliced very thinly
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tbsp applesauce

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 deg F (180 deg C).
Grease 4 mini loaf pans (with a capacity of around 3/4 cup each).
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, sweet potato, onions, ginger and allspice with 1 tbsp of the applesauce and mix well.
Divide the mixture between the four pans and flatten.
Brush the rest of the applesauce on the top of each meatloaf.
Place in the oven and bake for around 20 mins, until cooked through.
Cool, remove from the pans and serve! 

Bounce's exercise of the week Kettlebell Raises

Cereal, the not so healthy breakfast

Good morning,

I want to talk about one of the most popular food groups in your local grocery store as well as in your household pantry. 

Cereal, is probably the most popular breakfast food in the western world. This food product is very easy to eat by adding any kind of milk. 

The marketing behind cereal is pure genius as the cereal companies have us completely fooled into believing that their products are really good for us.

The Skinny on Cereal

Most of the popular cereals out on the market are heavily refined and chock full of sugar. The cereal companies have to "fortify" which means add back in many of the healthy components that they lose in the manufacturing process. But the biggest misconception that I want to talk about is the amount of sugar in these products.

Check out the graphics below on 3 VERY popular cereals that are marketed as healthy breakfast foods:

Post Raisin Bran: 19 grams of sugar based on a recommended serving of 1 cup.

General Mills Wheaties : 4 grams of sugar based on a recommended serving of 1 cup. Now 4 grams doesn't sound so bad but here is the kicker sugar is the second ingredient on the list. Ingredients are listed in the order of the amount in the product. If there is only 4 grams how is it ossible that it is the second highest ingredient on the list? Well it might be because they list the actual sugar content in the panel but the fail to mention there is also CORN SYRUP (SUGAR) in it which is the fourth on the ingredients list.  Sneaky!

Kelloggs Special K (Red Berries): 9 grams of sugar based on a recommended serving of 1 cup.
9 grams of sugar based on a recommended serving of 1 cup. Again, they list the actual sugar content in the panel but the fail to mention there is also CORN SYRUP (SUGAR) in it which is fifth on the ingredients list. 

So when you are buying your breakfast cereal make sure to take a look at the facts panel and make sure you know what you are getting. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Cheers,

Bouncelife

Feedback from Pam K

Feedback from Pam K

On Wednesday August 31, 2011

This summer was one of the best ever- thanks to Bounce!!  With a new fitness level, I was happy to enjoy many active, outdoor adventures that I avoided in the past because they were too hard.

I always thought I should lose 20lbs before I hired a trainer but I have been trying to lose that same 20lbs for years!!  As a runner, I am familiar with exercise, training and nutrition plans but I was having trouble figuring out how to make sense of all the information and improve my fitness.  Despite all my effort, my run times were getting slower so I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for a few sessions with Derek.  I chose Bounce Life Systems because of the convenient location and Derek’s specialties in women’s fitness and holistic nutrition.

I did not know what to expect from that first workout.  I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it – and most of the workouts that followed!  Derek is able to create workouts that are very hard but are educating and empowering at the same time. 

I was definitely not looking for another diet and I am very happy with Derek’s approach to nutrition and meal planning.  He worked with me to find the right program – and it works! I don’t feel deprived – I just feel motivated to see more results and I know I am able to carry this plan forward on my own.

No more ‘muffin top’!!  After 24 sessions in 3months at Bounce, I have lost almost 20lbs and gone from clothes that were a tight size 14 to a comfortable size 10.  This summer, I was at ease wearing tanks, shorts and even a bathing suit!!  The best part is that I now know I have the exercise and nutrition knowledge I need to create lasting lifestyle changes. 

My next half-marathon is in October I am certainly looking forward to setting a new personal best time!

Feedback from Jamie R

On Tuesday August 20, 2011

I made an appointment with Bounce after almost a year of struggling with a sluggish thyroid, tiredness, and weight gain.  Once it was balanced I decided I needed to get back on track, lose the weight, and begin eating and exercising properly. In comes Bounce. I showed up feeling very unmotivated, out of shape, and wanting results but dreading  the what I thought would be torturous work to get there. Much to my surprise, I found a reborn love for proper nutrition and training.  Derek got me right back on track with an excellent eating plan, tweaked specifically to my needs. I actually look forward to working out because it's never the same thing twice! Derek's positivity and encouraging words always help to me stay on track and try harder. I am thrilled with the results I have seen since my first session: a significant body fat percentage drop, clothes that fit better, more energy and motivation, as well as huge improvements in my fitness level! My original intention when I started with Bounce was to sign on for 24 sessions to get back into my "fitness groove," and then branch out and workout on my own. That changed very quickly after encountering what Bounce has to offer! I have now signed up for a year of training because of all the positive gains I have made, and the overall out standing experience it has been. I am so excited to continue on and see where I will go from here.
Thank you so much Derek!
:) Jamie R

USDA revamps Food Pyramid and Calls it MyPlate

The USDA has replaced the old Food Pyramid with a new system Called MyPlate. The Food Pyramid is similar to Canada's Food Guide and is very hard to follow. The new concept of the divided plate makes meal portion and planning much easier to follow. It is all about portion control and dividing your plate into sections for each 4 food goups and dairy. Hopefully Canada will follow suit soon.

 

North Calgary Boot Camp Aug 30- Oct 6

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Exercise of the Week: Pull Ups

Pullups Bodybuilding.com

The Mystery of Muscle Fibre Types

We often hear about fast and slow twitch muscle fibres. They are often whispered about in the gyms or talked about by the know it all bodybuilder in the locker room. Well, what the heck are they and do I really care?

Lets go through both types and how they impact your training.

Slow Twitch Muscle Fibres. (Type 1 Muscle Fibres)
These muscle fibres are better at using oxygen when you train therefore are better at continuous, extended muscle contractions. Slow twitch are given this name because they do exactly that... fire slowly, enabling then to last longer before they fatigue.
So if you are a long distance runner then you are realying heavily on this type of muscle fibre.

Slow Twitch Muscle Fibre Features:

• smaller in diameter
• red in color
• depend on oxidative phosphorylation for their ATP supply
• are highly vascularized (more veins for better blood supply)
• have more mitochondria
• more myoglobin

Fast Twitch Muscle Fibres. (Type 2 Muscle Fibres)
These muscle fibres are actually anaerobic in function and are responsible for the speed at which a muscle fires. The fast twitch response is the mechanism that rapidly contracts the muscle fibre over a sort distance or period of time.
These muscle fibres are great for explosive movements such as sprinting.


Fast Twitch Muscle Fibre Features:

• larger
• white
• glycolysis is the source of ATP
• less vascularized
• less mitochondria
• less myoglobin

Everyone has a mix of these muscle fibres in varying amounts. This is why some people are born better at different types of sports such as distance running compared with sprinting. Some of us a build for speed and power and others for distance and stamina.

Cheers,
Bouncelife.

Exercise of the week: Hanging Leg Raise

Hanging Leg Raise Bodybuilding.com

Exercise of the week: Alternating Kettlebell Press

Alternating Kettlebell Press Bodybuilding.com

7 Steps to Busting Through Plateaus

Good day,

Today I want to talk about plateaus and how to bust through them and continue to make gains in your training.
At one time or another we have all hit a wall or plateau in our training. Whether it was with losing weight, gaining muscle or some marker for improvement for your specific sport.

Here are 7 Steps to help you bust through any plateaus that you encounter in your training.

1. Use different training techniques for increasing training intensity. 

• Drop Sets, FST-7, GVT, Negatives, 21's and supersets. 

2. Head to the gym with a specific plan in mind. 

• This means that you won't be standing around scratching your head trying to figure out what exercises to do. It also means you can visualize your workout throughout the day.

 3. Set a time limit for your training session.

• Make sure to set a limited time to spend in the gym so that you hammer each exercise with short breaks and keep the socializing to a minimum.

4.  Have your favourite training music on hand.

• Put your headphones in and crank up the tunes that you like to train to. This will help you keep in the groove and push through the mental barriers that face you each workout.

5. Keep a training log.

• You should be tracking all of your workouts so that you can improve your performance on every single outing. If you lift a certain amount last week you should be aiming to increase it this week.

6. Change sets, reps, rest periods and exercises frequently to keep the body guessing.

•  We all get into a rut at times. Make sure to always keep the body guessing so that things are fresh. If you were resting 60 seconds between sets the last few weeks, change it to 30 or throw in a superset or drop set to really shock the muscles.

7. Use proper supplementation to really get the most out of your workouts.

• Be sure to use a pre-workout protein shake (preferably isolate), and creatine.
• Drink the pre-workout formula that gives you crazy energy for your workout.
• Get a good post workout protein shake (preferably  isolate) right after, add your glutamine and whatever recovery supplements you use.

Plateaus are just short annoyances that tell you that you need to change things up!

Cheers,

Bouncelife

Exercise of the week: Barbell Squats

Barbell Full Squat Bodybuilding.com

Turn Up the Intensity with 4 Key Training Methods

Good day,
The key to effective training is not how much time you spend in the gym but how intense you are during your workout. You ever see the people at the gym who seem to ALWAYS be there and are there for 2-4 hours at a time? These are the same people that if given the chance will talk your ear off! You will also notice that these are the people who's bodies have not changed in years. This is because even though they are at the gym all of the time and for long periods, they are not training with purpose or INTENSITY!

Here are 4 training methods that are sure to light the fire in the gym:

1) Super Sets 

• This where you take 2 different exercises and do them one after another without a break in between.
• You can do the same muscle groups or opposing (push/pull) muscles.

2) Drop Sets

• Also called running the rack.
• Start with a weight that fits your rep range profile and then drop a small amount each set and keep lifting without any breaks in between.
• Do this until you can only get out a few reps

3) German Volume Training (GVT)

• This is a 10 sets of 10 option that really fries whatever body part you are working.
• Choose your weight carefully as it will feel really light in the beginning but by the time you get to the 5th set you will really be feeling it. Interestingly enough your strength will go up again usually in the last few sets.

4) 21's

• This is an awesome option for any bodypart but is very popular for biceps curls.
• Take the movement of any body part exercise and break it into 2 sections - bottom, and top.
• Complete 7 reps in bottom section of the movement, 7 in the top section and then 7 full range reps for 21.
• You will get an awesome burn from this once you have done a couple of sets.

A couple of ways I keep the intensity up is to make sure I know what I am training any given day and which exercises I am going to do. Next, Keep the workouts short, about 40 minutes works great for me. Lastly, I use a pre-workout supplement like BPI's 1MR which not only helps me keep the workout intense but also gives me an awesome PUMP!

Cheers,

Bouncelife

Exercise of the week: Deadlifts

Barbell Deadlift Bodybuilding.com

7 Key Points on Beginning Training

Good morning,

Today, this post is for those of you who have thought for a long time about starting a workout routine and either joining a gym or hiring a personal trainer.
Here are 7 key points to make sure you are familiar with before beginning your fitness journey.

1. Make sure you check with your physician before joining a gym or hiring a trainer. This is to make sure that you don't have an challenges that may prevent you from training. Also, any trainer worth their salt will do whats called a PAR-Q questionnaire in Canada to make sure that you are healthy enough to train.
2. When joining a gym or hiring a trainer it is a great idea to make sure that it is either close to your home or on the way to or from your work. This means it is convenient for you to go and doesn't become one of the many excuses to skip training sessions.
3. Take advantage of any offers that the trainer or gym is offering such as 1 free week or FREE sessions and make sure that the gym atmosphere or trainer's personality works for you.
4. Always remember that we all started out as rookies so do not let the "buff" people at the gym scare you. At one time they were rookies as well and you will find that most of these people are very approachable and more than willing to give you tips and advice. (sometimes unwanted and unsolicited ;)
5. Don't do the "I will wait until I look a certain way (20lbs lighter) before I join a gym or hire a trainer." I am not sure how this makes sense but it happens all of the time and people end up letting weeks, months and sometimes years go by with little or no change. In this time you could have hit your goal 2 or 3 times over.
6. Get into a routine of days and times that you train try not to let anything get in the way of this "YOU" time. One of the ways I found I could really keep my workouts on schedule was going over my lunch break when I was in a corporate office. This broke up the day and really, what were you going to do over your lunch hour anyway? Probably work through right?
7. Set specific, achievable goals and if they are lofty then break them into smaller bite sized chunks. For example if you want to lose 100lbs, you may look at this and feel a little overwhelmed but what if you break it into 10lbs per month over 10 months? This doesn't sound so bad does it?

At the end of the day just get out and take a step in the right direction and get some momentum towards your fitness goal. Even if you have to disconnect your cable and sell your lazy-boy, do it and get out there and get active.

You only get one body might as well take care of it!


Cheers,

Bouncelife

Guide to Omega Oils

Good morning,

Today I want to talk about the Omega oils and what they are, where to get them and what they do for us.

Okay so here we go again with some more health and fitness buzz words "Omega Oils"! Great, so what are they? How the heck do I get them? What do they do for me?

So lets tackle each of these questions one at a time:

1. What are omega oils or omega fatty acids?

There are 2 main types omegas 3 and 6. I could give you a tonne of technical info on these two essential fatty acids but the bottom line is they are awesome for your diet. Really, who cares about the technical jargon! Here's the skinny (literally because they are also awesome at helping you lose fat).

Lets start with the 3's.

What are they?

• Omega 3's are essential fatty acids (EFA's).
• Cannot be made by the body and need to be brought in through food.

What do they do for me?

• Essential for brain and growth development. Including cognitive and behavioral function.
• Reduce inflammation.
• Reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.
• Proper fetal development.

Where do I get it?

• Fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines.
• Plants: Flax, hemp, nuts, algae.

Now the with the 6's.
 
What are they?

• Omega 6's are essential fatty acids (EFA's).
• Cannot be made by the body and need to be brought in through food.

What do they do for me?

• Essential for brain and growth development. Including cognitive and behavioral function.
  
• Stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain reproductive system.

Where do I get it?

• Vegetable oils.
• Some meats like turkey and pork.
• Evening primrose oil, black current oil, Spirulina

It is important to have a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. The typical North American diet tends to contain 14 - 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. 


One last note you can get all of your omega's from whole foods but if you struggle to get what you need you can supplement with capsules and oils.
Also while we were in Toronto at the Food Network festival I ran into this company's product which I now use daily and think it is awesome!

Check them out: Omega Crunch

Cheers,

Bounce Life. 

Burn More Fat with Less Cardio the HIIT Way

Good morning,

Today I want to talk about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and why it is is so frickin effective! What if I told you that you could burn more fat in less time by incorporating HIIT training into your training program?

In the past you have probably been told that in order to burn the greatest amount of fat you need to do cardio for 30 to 60 minutes at a moderate intensity. While this does work and also preserves muscle tissue it may be hard to fit an hour of cardio in 4 -5 times per week with our busy schedules. Also, if you are like me and HATE cardio, just thinking about doing 60 minutes of cardio makes me want to hurl!

HIIT is a more efficient and athlete-friendly way to train and burn fat at the same time.

With HIIT, you will be working harder than you normally work but for about a quarter to a half of the time that you would normally spend on the cardio machine of your choice. HIIT is so intense and effective that you only need 15 to 25 minutes, tops!

 

Here's What You Do:

• Pick the cardio machine of your choice (treadmill, elliptical, spin bike, swimming, sprints, stairs, skipping) and perform a 5 minute warm-up.
  
• Then take time to stretch properly and you are ready to begin.
  
• Start at a moderate pace for 1 minute, then crank up the pace to 90 or 95% of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) from 15-30 seconds.

• Now bring the speed back down to a moderate pace for the same time period as the sprint.

Do this from the five minute warm up until you have five minutes left in your 15-25 minute workout so that you can use this time to cool down.

A study at Laval University in Quebec, Canada found that HIIT cardio helped trainees lose nine (yes, 9!) times more fat than those who trained the traditional way (moderate speed for 20-60 minutes). Combine HIIT with your weight program and you boost your metabolism through the roof!

The Reason HIIT Is So Successful Is This:

1. When you work at a high intensity, you burn more total calories per pound of body weight.
2. High Intensity workouts such as weight training and HIIT boost growth hormone levels.
3. Elevates the body's metabolism throughout the entire day!

The more calories that you burn in a day, the more weight you are able to lose. Even if weight loss is not your goal, HIIT is for you. Athletes will see better gains from doing HIIT cardio as opposed to traditional cardio.
Unless you are training for a marathon, you do not keep a constant pace during your sport. All sports whether it be soccer or football, even baseball or basketball have a point where you need to change gears and hit a full sprint.

When working with my clients as a personal trainer I want to get to best results in the shortest amount of time so I use this method of training almost exclusively.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

3 Fat Burner Facts

Good day,

Everyone has heard something about fat burners, these are usually in a pill format and most and are toted to "melt" the fat off of you in no time and with little or no work needed by you. This isn't exactly how they work.
Fat burners are all of the rage on the supplement market with literally 100's to choose from. While most are composed of ingredients that can give your metabolism a kick in the butt and assist you in shedding the spare tire, they can't replace a sound diet and exercise program.

Here are my top 3 pieces of advise for fat burner use.

1. Healthy, Balanced Eating is at Least 80% of the Battle

Many people get into using fat burners as a quick fix to try to shed fat without actually looking at the root of the cause and like with anything else you actually need to address the root of a problem to fix it. Fat burners cannot a will not help you lose fat if your eating habits are not where they need to be to facilitate fat loss.

Clean eating is not as difficult as it seems, here are some things to work on: portion control, push away from the table before you are full, do not eat late at night, ALWAYS eat breakfast, avoid fast/processed food, eat healthy fats, (omega 3,6), slow digesting carbs, adequate protein and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Once you have this under control then you can look at a fat burner supplement but not until then.

2. Follow Fat Burner Usage Directions

More is not better and that is certainly the case with fat burners, especially the brands that have a lot of stimulants and caffeine in them. These supplements are designed with the right amount of ingredients for fat loss. I would suggest trying the lowest dose on the label and stick to it for a couple of weeks.

3. Hit the Weights and Cardio 4-6 Times per Week

The last piece is to be sure you are hitting the gym regularly to get some intense weight training and cardio sessions in at least 4-6 times per week. The more you go the better but you need to take a day or two off each week or you will over train. If you are not sure where to start it is always smart to hire a personal trainer to start you off on the right foot and collapse some time-frames.

At the end of the day if you haven't got all of the other pieces in place fat burners WILL NOT get you to where you want to be! There are no shortcuts and there are no quick fixes. Only dedication and hard work will get you there.

Cheers,

Bouncelife.

Why is Abdominal Fat So Bad For You?

Good day,


Today I wanted to touch on the subject of abdominal fat. The location of fat on the body is very important and can lead to significant risks in diseases.
Abdominal fat in particular gives you a much higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers. High insulin levels and insulin resistance can accompany high abdominal fat and make these diseases even worse.
Scientists have discovered that high abdominal fat is part of the disease process that they call Metabolic Syndrome which consists of high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, type 2 diabetes, blood vessel inflammation and blood clotting abnormalities. Abdominal fat cells release fatty acids into our bloodstream which triggers insulin resistance. This is where the hormone insulin becomes less effective at lowering blood sugars. High abdominal fat levels inundate the liver with fat, triggering the various events of the Metabolic Syndrome.

Remember there is no easy way or quick fix to lose abdominal fat. Do not listen to all of the BS on the infomercials about a magic pill, piece of equipment or quick fix scheme. It takes working out combined with balanced nutrition to trim down and get into a healthy fat % zone.

If you are not sure how to get there hire a personal trainer or nutritionist to give you the guidance necessary.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

Lactic Acid Friend or Foe?

Good day,

Today I want to talk about lactic acid and how it works in the body. Lactic acid is always getting blamed for many things while working out such as throwing up, muscle cramps, fatigue, distressed breathing, the burning sensation that you get in your last few reps, and muscle soreness coming a day or so after a great workout.
What you probably don't know is that lactic acid actually provides energy, helps use dietary carbs, speeds wound healing processes, and also serves as a fuel for liver production of glucose and glycogen.
Glucose and glycogen are critical in exercise and without lactic acid would not be readily available.
The amount of carbs you burn through in a tough workout dictates the amount of lactic acid produced.
When we use carbs as a fuel source we produce lactate which is used as fuel by our bodies. Lactic acid is actually our friend and is an important fuel during working out but also when resting.
Lactate is the preferred fuel source in tissues such as the heart and slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibres.

So, remember that although we really FEEL the effects of lactic acid during and especially after a tough workout, we need it in our quest for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Cheers,

Bouncelife. 

How Deadly is the Dreaded Spare Tire?

The American Cancer Society in Atlanta, led by Eric Jacobs, found that the risk of death each year increased  with waist size. Wow, this is pretty scary!  When you look around at the general population in the USA and now more and more in Canada you start to realize that a huge part of our population carries unwanted fat around the mid section. Researchers also found that an increase in waist size during a 10 year period increased the risk of death buy 25%. This is some news that we all need to take to heart... literally. Not only does this kind of body fat deposit increase risk of death it also increases the risk for many diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. All it takes is getting up off of the couch and getting active for 30 minutes 4 to 5 times per week, watch your portions (only eat until slightly full) and making healthy choices. If you can't figure it all out hire a nutritionist to get you on the right track.
Here is my biggest tip... ready.... wait for it..... GET RID OF CABLE TV!!!!

Cheers,


Bouncelife

Walk Stairs Two at a Time to Burn More Calories

Good day,

One of the golden rules I get my clients to adhere to is to commit to take the stairs not the elevator every day. This adds to your daily calorie expenditure. Even better is to take the stairs two at a time and also don't forget that taking the stairs down is just as important as going up. This is because you get the negative part of the movement which actually targets different muscles than going up. Ladies, if you are looking to tone up the bum then you should take the stairs two at a time and really concentrate on flexing the glutes (bum muscles) on each stair.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

Resistance or Weight Training Promotes Abdominal Fat Loss

Good day,

We all struggle with the the battle of the bulge, some more than others. Many people think that the only way to get rid of abdominal fat and finding our abs is through doing 100's of sit ups, spending days on a cardio machine or starving yourself on ridiculous calorie restricted diets. One of the things that many people don't know is that weight training actually promotes fat loss all over the body including the abs. Now we all know that there is no such thing a "Spot reducing" right? But if you weight train it builds strength, but it also improves metabolic health and promotes fat loss all over.
East Carolina University researchers, led by Robert Hickner, showed that a weight training workout caused marked increases in energy expenditure and fat use in lean and obese men.
Also, as you may already know the more muscle you have on your frame the higher your resting metabolic rate as muscle is highly metabolically active.

So, don't be afraid of the iron at the gym! With weight training, and balanced diet with the right carbohydrate, protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals,  healthy fats ratios and some cardio work you could really say goodbye to your friend the spare tire.


Bouncelife,

www.bouncelife.ca

Creatine Supplementation

Good day,

Today I want to talk about possibly the most legitimate supplement to ever hit the health and fitness market. I am talking about creatine. It comes in many forms and is now extremely easy to take and much more bio-available than in the past. Back in the day to original creatine supplements would often lead to cramping and intestinal distress but with today's formulas much of this is in the past.

So what is the function of creatine in our bodies?  
Creatine is found in our skeletal muscle structure and commonly comes from meat and fish but if our bodies do not have access to this our bodies can manufacture creatine out of other key components.

How does creatine work?
Creatine increases muscle energy availability or Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP). Simply put this means is that when you are working out you may be able to get an extra couple of reps in or add a bit of weight to a lift. You might be able to shave a bit of time off of your 40 yard dash.

This supplement has been tested extensively since the 90's and continues to be one of the best supplements on the market today.

I personally have mad many great gains with this supplement and usually recommend it to clients who are looking to put on more muscle.

Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any kind of supplement regimen.

Cheers,

Bouncelife


Check out Canada's #1 supplement shop: Bounce's House of supplements.

Bounce Life now has a new supplement store online - Bounce's House of Supplements

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East Meets West , Holistic Medical Systems: Traditional Chinese Medicine

Good day,

Today I want to continue from a couple of posts earlier. We were talking about Ayurvedic medicine and how it worked. We also mentioned how it was similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

TCM dates back about 3000 years. Its founding father was the Yellow Emperor.  In TCM, illness is a sign of imbalance in our system. Healing always means restoring the balance and harmony to the body, allowing it to heal itself. Herbs are central to Chinese medicine along with acupuncture and massage.
There are three categories of of Chinese medicine: superior, middle, and inferior. In western medicine it would be the "inferior" medicines that are considered the most valuable. These are drugs that only address a single complaint, issue or disease. Middle medicines strengthen the broad body systems and functions. Superior medicines are believed to work for anything, strengthening all body systems.
The idea of yin and yang comes from TCM and is the philosophy that everything in the universe is balanced and has an exact opposite. Yin (dark and cold) is female and Yang (light and hot) is its male opposite. Many illnesses can be explained be the the imbalance of yin and yang.

There are five elements in TCM: Fire, earth, metal, water and wood with each one being related to two body organs. TCM practitioners look at the related elements to determine origins of illnesses.
Herbs in the TCM world are considered either heating or cooling and will be used to treat illness in the body.  When Chinese herbs are described they always include taste, temperature, and affected organs.

Qi (pronounced "chee") is the energy that runs through our bodies and is the foundation for all of the TCM healing practices. This energy needs to flow freely through the body. Acupuncture is often used to move this energy through "blocked" meridians. Meridians are pathways in the body that the Qi travels through and if blocked results in various illnesses. 

Unlike the Western medical system which only treats the symptoms of any sickness. TCM uses herbs, acupuncture and massage get to the root cause of any ailment by "re-balancing" the bodies energies.

It would be fantastic if western doctors took a more open minded approach to treating patients and invetigate the posbililty of TCM style of treatments. Currently many western doctors look at Ayurvedic and TCM as an inferior form of medicine but in reality both have been used successfully for 1000's of years and are continued to be used around the world.



Cheers,

Bouncelife

Turning your New Years "Resolution" into a "Decision"

Good day,

Today I want to talk about how our New Years health and fitness resolutions can be turned into New Years decisions for a healthier lifestyle.
We all do it. We make some kind of resolution at 11:59 on New Years Eve. Many times it is a resolution to get in shape and take control of our lives in the coming year. Some of us make these resolutions with no intention of following through on them and some of us really want to try to make a significant change in our lives. This blog is for those of you that are ready to step up and take action!
When we make these resolutions we usually look at the big picture but the trouble is taking these resolutions and turning them into decisions and actionable items.

Lets take a very common goal, losing weight and break it down into an actionable goal. 


Be specific in what your goal or resolution is. 

• Example: Lose 25 lbs

Establish a time frame to get this done. 

• Example 25 lbs loss over 3 months

Break down the time frame into manageable chunks. 

• Example: 2 lbs per week over 12 weeks = 24lbs

Establish a game plan to achieve the goal. 

• Example: Hire a trainer, join a gym, or talk to a nutritionist.

Keep a log book and write a small but concise paragraph on why you want this goal.

• Example: I want to lose weight so that I can be healthy and full of energy for my family. 

The plan, is the plan, is the plan... in your log book write out a workout/nutrition plan and stick to it. 

• Example: I will train 5 times per week. 2 times with weights and 3 time with cardio.

Set goal assessment plan.

• Example: Weigh in weekly every Friday and measure body bi-weekly.

Set action plan if goals are not being met.

• Example: add another day of cardio or cut out more junk food from my diet.

Finally.... and this is the biggest part of the whole process! MAKE THE DECISION TO START TODAY! Not tomorrow, not on Monday, Not Next week ... TODAY!

Remember anyone who is fit or in shape started in the exact same place you are. You are going to be nervous and apprehensive but to get around this think about what you will be like in 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years if you get on track. Now do the same visualization if you were to continue on your current path. Only you can take the steps necessary to make a change in your life.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

Bounce Life Studio Revamp

Happy New Year,

I just wanted to take a moment to give an update on the first expansion of the Bounce studio. We have removed the office that was in the studio to open up more floor space and make it a more functional space. The office is now in a separate space. Check out the videos for details.