In the gym, I’m all about simplicity. If an exercise requires hundreds of hours of focused practice in order to perform it effectively, or a specialized piece of equipment that you’re unlikely to find outside of an elite training facility, I will find a different exercise. There is always an alternative approach to whatever it is Read more Simple Kind of Life […]
Straight To Hell
My last post was more than two months ago. For someone who made a solemn, silent vow to blog at least once a week, this is unacceptable. I apologize to whomever it is — aside from my wife — that may be following my “work”. The problem is I’m holding myself accountable to no one. Read more Straight To Hell […]
Give Me Your Powder & Pills/I Want To See If They Cure My Ills.
Like 99.9% of lifters (Note: this is a fake statistic. I made it up for comedic effect), I spent my formative years shopping for and consuming as many supplements as possible. Fitness magazines convinced me that the only way to achieve success and score chicks was to swallow a variety of pills and powders on a Read more Give Me Your Powder & Pills/I Want To See If They Cure My Ills. […]
Six Million Ways to Die — Choose One
I love working Friday nights at the gym. For an enthusiastic people-watcher like myself, it’s the ideal time to observe male human behaviour in all of its unfettered glory. Bros being bros, yeah. Getting their pump on before hittin’ da club, all crazed on a heady mix of testosterone and Axe. Their rituals are fascinating to behold. (A Read more Six Million Ways to Die — Choose One […]
How I Learned My Lessons
Despite being nearly 40 years old, I’m new to the world of professional fitness. In May I celebrated my one-year anniversary as a Health Educator and Personal Trainer at Toronto’s College Street West End YMCA, my first legit gig (read: I get paid) in the industry. I’ve learned a lot during this time. Here’s a Read more How I Learned My Lessons […]
What’s Beef?
It’s been six months since I transitioned to a plant-based diet. This is my second attempt at doing so (the first was in 2006 and lasted for nearly two years). I’m confident this will remain my diet until the day I die, which, if what the books I’ve been reading are to be believed, will Read more What’s Beef? […]
Stressed Out
Back in February, with the onset of spring at the forefront of my brain, I decided to try my hand at one of the most popular training programs ever designed — the Ed Coan Deadlift Routine. The plan was to spend the final weeks of winter bulking up before the annual springtime cut; and as Read more Stressed Out […]
Meet Me In The Morning
Sticking to a consistent routine is the key to making progress in any endeavour. Achieving success in the weight room (however you choose to define that) is no different. Show up every day, put in the work, and you will achieve your goals. This isn’t some 10,000 Hour Rule pop-psych nonsense. It’s about harnessing the Read more Meet Me In The Morning […]
These Are The Rules
There are two rules that govern my work as a trainer. These rules, though closely related, stand alone and are defined by their own set of principles, none of which have anything to do with sets or reps or exercise selection. I was fortunate to have their importance emphasized repeatedly by my mentors, to the Read more These Are The Rules […]
If You Want It Here It Is (Come & Get It)
A funny thing happens when people find out that I’m a trainer. After making a sheepish confession that they’re not working out as often as they’d like (which is almost always related to an injury or work or a work-related injury), they ask me for advice. I need to get back in shape — what Read more If You Want It Here It Is (Come & Get It) […]