Late-Night Snacking

Whether you’re dieting or just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, late-night hunger affects us all. By ‘late-night’ I’m referring to the last 1-3 hours before going to sleep. You’ve heard it a million times before, “don’t eat right before bed.” And for the most part, I believe this is good advice. Yet, I do believe that you should listen to your body and if you’re really hungry, you should eat something before sleeping.

The real question is: “what should I eat before bed?” rather than “should I eat before bed?” Listen to your stomach, being hungry when sleeping will keep you from having a good night sleep and that’s not good for your health.

So what should you eat during those last few hours before hitting the hay? Here are some good choices and bad choices and overall dos and don’ts:

Good Snacking Options:

1. Protein shake: This is a good option because shakes are low in calories, sugar and carbs. The high amount of protein will help keep you fuller, longer.

2. Nuts: This is a good option because nuts are packed full of protein and healthy fats. They lack carbs and sugar so your body doesn’t need much time to ‘burn off’ the calories. Nuts like almonds will keep you satisfied for a long time and will help you overcome cravings. Just grab a palm-full of nuts and kill those cravings.

3. Piece of cheese: Cheese is full of protein and calcium. Plus, cheese is very filling and doesn’t contain carbs or sugar. Cottage cheese and plain yogurt are good choices. Avoid sugary yogurts and just keep ‘cheese eating’ in moderation and you’ll be fine and full.

4. Vegetables: Green vegetables are a good choice because of their high-fibre content. Fibre keeps you full for a long time and is good for you. You can’t get fat by eating vegetables. So eat a salad, spinach or some broccoli and you’ll ensure healthy late-night snacking.

5. Egg white omelette: Egg whites are full of protein and are low in calories. Ounce for ounce egg whites are the most satisfying and healthy snacking option. Don’t eat the yolks because they contain high levels of fat and cholesterol, which you don’t need before bed. A large egg has 70 calories; 53 are found in the yolk and only 17 are in the white. Egg whites are tasty and healthy – the perfect option.

Bad Snacking Options:

1. Baked goods: Muffins, croissants, danishes and/or donuts are the worst late-night snacks. They are full of fat, sugar and carbs. The carbs and sugar won’t be burned off fast enough before bed and thus, you’ll be sleeping with a stomach full of sugar and carbs. And when you don’t burn these carbs or sugars off, you gain weight. It’s simple and it’s bad. So avoid any baked treat.

2. Bread or toast: Again, just like baked goods, bread is full of carbs. It doesn’t contain much fibre or protein (even if it’s whole wheat) so your hunger probably won’t go away. In fact, bread will just rev-up your appetite and you’ll need to eat a lot in order to fill the void.

3. Pasta or cereal: Same principle as bread or baked goods; all carbs, no health benefits. Unless you’re carbo-loading before a marathon in the morning, avoid all these options because you won’t properly burn off the calories consumed during your late-night feeding.

4. Chocolate milk: Even though milk can be a good late-night snacking option, chocolate milk contains too much sugar for it to be a good choice. When sugar isn’t burned off, it sits in your stomach and turns into fat. So avoid chocolate milk at all costs.

5. Fruit: This is a controversial topic. Many people believe fruit is a good choice, any time of the day. But fruit contains a lot of sugar and even though it’s natural sugar, you still won’t be able to burn it off before sleeping. It will then turn to fat as you sleep. The fibre in fruit is good, but the high amount of sugar makes this a poor snacking option.

There you have it – some good and bad late-night snacking options. Just remember to eat foods with protein and fibre and lack sugar or carbs and you’ll be fine.

Healthy snacking!

Build a better back

Every guy wants a strong, wide, v-shaped back. However, strong traps and bulging lats aren’t built by performing ‘rowing exercises’ only. To build a better back, you need to target all the muscles in your back, not just the big ones.

Far too many gym rats focus solely on rowing exercises; seated rows, bent-over rows, single arm rows and cable rows. But real results come from varying your back exercises. You should perform 1 rowing exercise, 1 pulling exercise, 1 fly exercise and 1 push exercise in every back workout. By doing these 4 movements, you will target your traps, lats and deltoids.

Here are 4 great exercises that will help maximize your back workout routine:
(click on each title to see how each exercise is performed)

1. Bent-over row (the row)

Stand over a weighted barbell, bend down and grip the bar at shoulder width with either a hockey grip, overhand grip or underhand grip. Bend your knees, keep your back straight and row the bar towards your midsection. Make sure you follow your thigh line and keep the row slow and controlled. Perform 3 sets of 10 – 12 reps.

2. Lat pulldown (the pull)

Sit at a pull-down station, reach up and grab the overhead bar. Place your hands at no closer than shoulder width apart. Try keeping your hands as far apart as possible without straining your back or shoulders. Keep your back straight, your butt flat on the seat and pull the bar down to your chest. Don’t rock back when you pull the bar. Make sure you’re using your back to pull the weight down, not your momentum. Perform 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps.

3. Rear deltoid fly (the fly)

This exercise is similar to a chest fly except you’re doing it in reverse to target your back. Sit on the edge of a bench and place your feet on the ground on a 45 degree angle so that you have room under your thighs to move the weights. Grip 2 dumbbells under your thighs, rest your chest on the tops of your thighs, look forward and raise the dumbbells sideways without moving your chest. Pretend you are ripping a shirt apart like Hulk Hogan and raise the weights at your sides. Raise the bells as far as you can without straining your back. Essentially, you are bringing your arms to a winged position (like a fly). Perform 3 sets of 10 – 15 reps. ***note - you can perform rear delt flies either in a seated, laying down or bent-over position. I prefer the seated rear delt fly, but all positions are effective.

4. Dips (the push)

Stand over a dip rack and grip each arm of the machine. Raise yourself up and bring your legs off the ground, holding them behind you. Then, lower yourself as low as you can without hurting your shoulders. You should try to get your biceps parallel with the floor. Hold for a second and then push yourself back up to the top. If you can’t perform free motion dips, then you can use the aided dip station; using machine weight to help dip your body weight. Perform 3 sets of as many dips as you can. ***note - this exercise also targets your chest and can be used in your chest workout as well.

You can vary your back exercises from week to week but always try to perform a pull, push, fly and row exercise.

As always, let me know if you have any questions!

Get fit!

Sculpting your legs

The Fifa 2010 World Cup is underway and even though some players are better than others, there is one thing every player has in common – strong legs! Have you seen how powerful and sculpted the players’ legs are?! They all have immaculate bottom halves. But you too can have soccer legs. It’s simple, just perform these 5 leg exercises (3 sets per exercise for 10 – 15 reps) once a week and you’ll attain Cannavaro-like legs.

1. Squats: Before you sculpt your quads, calves and butt, you need to pack on some muscle. And the best way to pack on leg muscle is to perform squats. Rest a weighted barbell on your shoulders and back of your neck, look forward, keep your back straight and slowly squat the bar. Lower the bar down so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle and then stand back up. Hold the position for 1 second at the bottom of the squat and then 1 second at the top.

2. Dead-lifts: To get strong legs, you need to have a strong lower back. The dead-lift is the perfect exercise to strengthen your lower back and legs. Stand over a weighted barbell, bend down, grip the bar with an over-handed or hockey style grip at shoulder width apart, keep your back straight and bring the bar up to your waist as you stand back up. Hold for 2 seconds and then slowly lower the bar back down to the ground. When you lower the bar, keep it as close to your legs as possible – follow your leg line. Rest for a second and then lift the bar again.

3. Weighted lunges: This exercise targets every part of your legs. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, step forward with one leg and then lower your other leg down to the ground. Once your knee touches the ground, pull your front leg back to the initial position and stand. Then, step forward with the other leg and continue the movement. Continue rotating legs until you get at least 10 steps per leg.

4. Weighted stand-ups: This exercise not only targets every part of your legs, but it also targets your core as you need to engage your abs for balance. Stand in front of a bench or 24 inch platform with a dumbbell in each hand. Put one foot on the platform or bench and then stand up, bringing your other leg up to the platform. Stand on top of the platform for a second then jump back down. Rotate legs and continue the movement until you reach 10 reps per leg.

5. Interval sprints: This exercise works your legs and gives you a great cardio workout. It’s a simple exercise and it can be done anywhere. Go to a park, field, or even your backyard (if it’s big enough) and just sprint! Sprint hard for 10-15 seconds, then walk or lightly jog back to your starting point. Wait a few seconds and then sprint again. Sprinting is an explosive movement that targets all those little muscles in your legs that are hard to engage in the gym. Soccer players do sprints at all their practices and it’s the reason why they are all so fit.

There you have it, 5 leg exercises that will help you sculpt perfect legs. Skip the leg machines (leg press, quad extensions, etc.) and just focus on these compound movements. You’ll be sore for a few days but you’ve heard it before, “no pain, no gain.”

Leave a comment if you have any questions.

Post-workout nutrition

Whether you’re trying to add muscle or just trying to ‘lean up,' you need to eat right after a workout. Besides breakfast, your post-workout meal is your most important meal of the day. Why is that you ask? Well, it’s simple; during a workout you literally tear and break down muscle. They are put under strain, regardless if you train heavy or you light. Your now torn muscles need fuel to rebuild and grow. You can’t expect to gain muscle if you aren’t refuelling your body properly. Everyone knows that protein builds muscle, but it’s not that easy. Protein needs some help from two types of carbs in order to properly rebuild muscle.

After a workout you need to take in a good amount of simple carbs, protein and complex carbs (and in this order). Below are the 3 most important types of foods/drinks your body needs after a workout:

1. Simple carbs

These sources are also referred to as simple sugar foods or drinks. Fruits and juices are the best sources of simple carbs and when consumed with a protein shake, can lead to positive muscle growth. Eat a banana or drink a glass of orange juice, along with a scoop of protein powder, right after a workout to get nutrients to your muscles quickly. And don’t worry about taking in these natural sugars after a workout. Your body has just been shocked and craves new sources of energy and nutrients. Simple sugars ingested right after a workout will be used immediately by your body to help restore lost energy. They cause an insulin spike that will help move nutrients to your muscles quickly.

2. Protein

Consume anywhere from 20 to 50 grams of protein right after your workout, depending on your body size. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle growth. But protein alone won’t help build muscle. Simply put, you need ‘cement’ (carbs) for the ‘bricks’ (protein) to help build the ‘house’ (body). The simple carbs should be consumed at the same time as the protein. Because simple carbs are easily and quickly digested, they allow the protein to rapidly become digested and absorbed by your body. They help carry the protein to your damaged muscles so that they can regenerate as quickly as possible. The quickest dissolving protein is found in any protein powder shake. A scoop of whey protein (concentrate or isolate) is the best form of protein you should consume immediately after a workout.


3. Complex carbs

You should consume anywhere from 30 – 60 grams of complex carbs an hour or two after your workout. Complex carbs will enable the protein to reach your muscles and continually rebuild what was damaged during the workout. These carbs will enable your body to restore lost muscle glycogen. If you don’t eat carbs after a workout your body will actually use muscle tissue to repair itself; counter-productive to say the least. These carbs should make up the bulk of your post-workout meal. You can schedule your workout right before lunch or dinner so that you optimize your regular meal timing. Although this meal calls for complex carbs, you should still add some lean protein to the mix.

Here are a few good examples of complex carbs:

- Baked potato
- Sweet potato
- Yams
- Whole wheat bread and cereals
- Oatmeal
- Whole wheat pasta
- Beans and legumes

Your post-workout meal doesn’t just help restore lost energy sources and repair muscle, it also helps your body get ready for your next workout. Simply put, it’s crucial to eat right after a good workout.

Again, message me if you have any questions!

The key to 6-pack abs

Everyone wants 6-pack abs and if you’re like most people, attaining a washboard stomach seems impossible. You do all the crunches and perform multiple sets of sit-ups, yet your abs are still nowhere in sight. So what do you do?! Well, it may be easier than you think.

Here are 5 tips to help you get that flat stomach you’ve always wanted:

1. Nutrition

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but it’s true; abs are made in the kitchen. You need to ‘fuel up’ properly before and after hitting the gym. You need quality protein (chicken breast, egg whites, beans, nuts and protein powder) and fibre rich carbs (oatmeal, yams, fruit and whole wheat grains) to keep your body in top form. Doing 500 crunches is great, but if you’re eating a pound of pasta and pizza every day, forget about seeing that flat mid-section. Make sure you’re eating 6 small meals a day, full of quality protein and fibre rich foods. Nutrition is vital to exposing your abs.

2. Exercise variation

Vary your ab exercises. Crunches and sit-ups are thought to be the best ab exercises, but these 2 alone, won’t get you abs. You need to vary your routines and keep your mid-section guessing. If you perform the same exercises each time, your body gets used to the exercises and your results will plateau. You need to change it up and make sure your taxing all parts of your core. Click here for some great ab exercises to get you on your way.

3. Proper form

A million reps of one exercise done incorrectly won’t get you six-pack abs. Pay close attention to your form and make sure you’re doing each rep properly. Don’t forget to breathe during each exercise and flex your abs at the top of each movement. Don’t get caught up on total reps, instead, focus on proper reps. 20 properly performed reps are much more effective than 200 incorrectly performed reps.

4. Don’t over-train

You shouldn’t train one muscle group more than 3 times a week and the same goes for your abs. Target your abs 3 times a week, no more. If you train your core more than 3 times a week, you won’t be able to properly rest and grow your ab muscles. And don’t forget, abs are muscles. They need rest and time to heal and grow. I like working my abs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But feel free to work your core on any combination of days; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is also a good routine. Try not to work your abs on consecutive days.

5. Full-body exercises

Compound exercises like pull-ups, dips, push-ups, squats and dead-lifts do much more for your core than concentrated crunches. These exercises target your entire core and help build your obliques and smaller stabilizer core muscles. Building these muscles will help build those bigger 6-pack muscles. Why? Because they help with your form and keep your entire core strong. Check out my older post on the benefits of compound exercises.

There you have it, 5 tips to get you that rock-hard mid-section.

The 3 best exercises you should do be doing

You can waste time and effort with machine exercises. Or, you can do 3 exercises that target most of your muscles and get out of the gym quickly. The choice is yours.

Obviously, you don’t want to be in the gym for 2 hours a day, but you want 2 hour a day workout results. So what exercises can you do to get you in and out of the gym in less than an hour and maximize results?

Well, it’s simple actually. Perform these 3 compound exercises and you’ll be more than happy with your results: deadlift, bench press, squats.

A compound exercise targets several muscles and strengthens your entire body. Compound exercises burn a lot of calories, give you a full body workout, keep your heart-rate up and build muscle.

1. Deadlift

Stand over a weighted barbell, reach down, grab the bar with an open or closed grip, keep your back straight, push your chest out and lift the bar up to your waist. At the top of the movement, stand straight and pinch your shoulder blades together. Then lower the bar back down to the ground and start again. Perform 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps.

This exercise targets all the muscles in your forearms, core, back, shoulders and legs. Can it get any better? The deadlift blasts calories and works hundreds of muscles all over your body. It’s a demanding exercise but it’s extremely rewarding.

2. Bench press



Lay down on a bench, pinch your shoulder blades together, reach up and grab the bar at shoulder width. Lower the barbell down to your chest and then push it back up to the top. Don’t forget to breath and always firmly grip the bar. Perform 3-5 sets of 6-15 reps.

This exercise works your entire upper-body; chest, forearms, biceps, shoulders, back and core. Again, this exercise will build strength and shred fat because you’re taxing your muscles and burning a tonne of calories.

3. Squats



Stand in front of a barbell, rest it against the top of your back, grip the bar with both hands, keep your back straight, press your chest out and squat down, bringing your knees to a 90 degree angle. Then, stand back up, keeping a straight back and pressed out chest. Perform 3-5 sets of 8-16 reps.

This exercise taxes your entire lower body and core; glutes, quads, shins, calves, heels, abs and obliques. Squats target the largest muscles in your body, your legs, which use a lot of energy. When you tax a large muscle group, you burn a lot of calories. It’s simple and helps you shred fat and tone your bottom end.

There you have it, do these exercises at least once a week and get ready for some amazing results.

Healthy snacking on the go

You haven’t eaten in a few hours, you’re hungry and you’re in a rush. So, should you eat something? If so, what do you eat? Or should you just ignore your hunger and wait till your next meal?

It’s simple - YES, you should eat something if you’re hungry! Healthy snacking is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Even if you’re trying to shed a few pounds, you should NEVER avoid eating when you’re hungry. You keep your metabolism firing by consuming low calorie, high fibre and protein snacks. If you wait too long between meals, your metabolism slows down and thus, makes it difficult to burn calories.

Your body needs food for energy, so give it what it wants! If you deprive yourself of food/snacks, then your metabolism slows down and starts to store fat. This storing of fat makes it hard to burn calories because your body is basically saying: “because you haven’t fed me in a while, I will store food as fat because I need future energy and I don’t know when I’ll be fed again.” Get it?

Simply put, eat something every 3 hours so that your metabolism doesn’t fall asleep. NEVER avoid snacking between meals.

But with that being said, what should you eat? Eating sugary, greasy, fatty snacks is not the answer as you will end up storing these foods as fat because your body can’t break them down efficiently. Choose high fibre, high protein snacks that will satisfy your hunger and keep your metabolism firing. And when you’re on the go, you should always have a few snacks on-hand to satisfy between-meal hunger.

Here are 5 healthy snacks:

Trail Mix – Any combination of dried fruit and nuts constitutes a healthy trail mix snack. This snack is perfect because it’s packed full of fibre (dried fruit) and protein (nuts). Also, the healthy fat in nuts will keep you satisfied for a long time. But, don’t be fooled by trail mixes that contain chocolate chips or smarties as these are not healthy snack options. Chocolate has no place in a trail mix.

Energy bar – Any granola or protein bar makes for a perfect snack. They have a good amount of fibre, protein and healthy fats. For females, choose a bar that has apx. 150 calories. For men, 200 calorie bars are the best.

Fresh fruit – Simple, fast and healthy. Fruit is a perfect snack option as it contains natural sugars and a high amount of fibre. Fruit contains enzymes that allow for easy digestive breakdown, making it a healthy go-to snack when you’re in a rush.

Vegetables – A bag full of carrots, celery, broccoli or any other vegetable is a perfect snack choice. Packed full of vitamins and fibre, these little packages of natural goodness make choosing a healthy snack easy.

Peanut butter and whole wheat crackers – healthy, easy, and portable. The protein and healthy fats in peanut butter make for a perfect ‘any time’ snack option. Whole wheat crackers also contain protein and fibre. The combination is as healthy as it is delicious.

There you have it - 5 simple snacks that can be consumed when you’re on the run.

Need more healthy snack options or clarification on anything? just let me know!

The 400 Workout

The “400 Workout” is my favourite go-to workout when time’s not on my side. The whole workout takes about 20 – 35 minutes, depending on your fitness level. It’s a good workout because it involves timing yourself and trying to get better, stronger and faster. The whole point of the “400 workout” is to complete the workout in the quickest amount of time; beat your best time next time to maximize results.

So what is the “400 workout”? Well, it’s simple. It’s a circuit workout that combines 4 muscle building, fat incinerating exercises. It involves: 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100sit-ups and 100 body squats. A body squat doesn't require dumb-bells or bar-bells to complete; you're only squating your body weight. All the exercises are done in succession and force you to complete 100 reps per exercise before moving on.

Here’s the order:

50 pull-ups

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

100 body squats (minus the weights, just place your hands behind your head, squat and raise.)

50 pull-ups

You must complete 50 pull-ups before moving on to push-ups, then 100 push-ups before moving on to 100 situps and so-on.

Obviously you won’t be able to complete 50 pull-ups or 100 push-ups, sit-ups or body squats in one set. So pace yourself. I usually try to complete a quick 20 pull-ups, rest for 25 seconds, then continue to finish the 50 reps before moving on. Just remember to do everything in succession before moving on to the next exercise.

The whole point is to completely tax your system. You’ll sweat, you’ll gasp for air, you’ll crave water and most importantly, you’ll burn fat and build muscle.

Now the “400 workout” is extremely difficult and requires you to be in good shape before attempting. But if you aren’t at the level of fitness required for completing it properly, then you can substitute some exercises for easier ones.

For example, if you can’t do pull-ups, then try chin-ups. Or for even easier exercise, reach up to grip the bar and jump-up to help you get elevated. This way, you can use your legs to help you complete the 100 pull-ups/chin-ups.

If you can’t do proper push-ups, then rest your knees on the floor to help you complete 100 push-ups.

The important thing here is to try to complete the reps any way you can, as fast as you can.

Challenge yourself. Work hard and you’ll get results, fast.

Let me know if you have any questions!

The importance of a healthy breakfast

You’ve heard it a hundred times before; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And there’s a reason why you’ve heard it so many times, because it’s true!

Breakfast literally means ‘breaking the fast.’ It’s been several hours since your last meal, which means your metabolism has been at a standstill. To fire up your metabolism and start burning calories for fuel, you need to take in a full, healthy breakfast every day. There is no excuse to miss this meal.

When you eat breakfast, you are essentially telling your body, “eat up, use the calories quickly, and don’t worry, there is more fuel coming your way.” The calories you eat at breakfast will be burned off quickly as you prepare your body for the day ahead. By skipping breakfast, your metabolism slows down and starts conserving fat because simply, it doesn’t know when it will be fed again. Also, if you miss breakfast, you tend to eat more later in the day. And with less time to burn off calories, a late night binge or a heavy dinner will slow your metabolism down because your body is preparing to go to sleep – not to burn calories. You burn more calories earlier in the day, so take in the majority of your calories in the morning.

But just because the calories you consume at breakfast will get burned off throughout the day, you should avoid bad breakfasts. Sugary cereals and white breads are packed with refined sugar, which cause your blood sugar (energy) levels to spike and then crash. These bad breakfasts will cause you to feel sleepy, tired, restless and lethargic later in the day. So avoid these foods at all costs when eating breakfast.

So what makes a good breakfast? It’s simple. Fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and foods rich in protein and fibre all constitute healthy breakfast options. When choosing breakfast foods, stick to these four letters: PFFF.

P – Protein: protein has a good calorie to grams ratio, allowing you to take in a healthy level of calories while still taking in a good amount of food. Protein also keeps your body satisfied for a long time and helps keep your blood sugar levels in check so that you don’t crash 1 – 2 hours after eating.

F – Fruit: Fruit is packed with fibre and natural sugars. The fibre will help keep your digestive system running smoothly and the natural sugars are good for quick energy. Also, these natural sugars are broken down easily, making it impossible for your body to store them as fat.

F – Fat: Healthy fats found in nuts and eggs help keep you satisfied for a long time and make you feel fuller faster. The result is that you won’t need to keep eating in order to feel full. Also, omega 3 and other essential fats keep everything in your body healthy.

F – Fibre is a vital part of a healthy breakfast as it helps regulate your blood sugar levels so that you have enough energy to get through the day. Fibre found in whole grains and fruits keep you satisfied longer and help your digestive system operate properly.

Here’s some good healthy breakfast options:
(choose one food from each section)


Whole Grains: Oats, multigrain cereals, high fibre cereals, whole wheat breads

Protein and Fats: Eggs and egg whites, protein shake, yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter and other nut butters

Fruit: Any piece of fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, dates, currants, raisins, dried apricots

I hope this helps and as always, if you have any questions, just ask!

Stay tuned for the next post on the “400 workout.”

Free weights vs. machines

I get asked this question all the time, “what is better, using free weights or machines?” And the answer is always the same; free weights!

Now, doing any sort of resistance training, with free weights or machines, is good for you; you’ll get results either way. But the difference is that free weights will help you reach your desired results faster.

Why are free weights better? Well, it’s simple. When you use free weights, you work several muscles in one specific movement. Free weights allow you to work your stabilizer muscles, your core muscles and those primary muscles specific to each exercise. For example, barbell chest presses targets your chest but will also work your grip, back, shoulders, core and all the stabilizers in your arms. To hold the barbell straight and in a controlled fashion, all your muscles in your upper body are put to work so that the weight doesn’t come crashing down on you. Now, if you performed the chest press with a smith machine, you would only be targeting your chest, since the stabilization of the weight is being done by the machine.

Smith Machine Chest Press


Free Weight Bench Press



With free weights, you can work the same muscles that a machine works, but in a more complete and efficient way. With a machine, all you have to do is press against the resistance the machine produces; you don’t need to stabilize the weights or control the grip. But with free weights, you have to engage more muscles in order to perform the exercise.

Next time you’re in the gym, look at the fittest people and take note of the exercises they are performing. 9 times out of 10 you will notice that they will strictly be using free weights.

All you need to use is a set of dumbbells and weighted barbells to get fit. Free weights are extremely versatile and require you to engage dozens of muscles in a single movement.

Here’s a good dumbbell exercise that targets several muscles:



Dumbbell chest press works your chest, grip, core, shoulders, back and all the stabilizers in your arms.

So next time you’re in the gym, walk past the machines and focus on using free weights for all your exercises.

Stay tuned for the next post on healthy breakfasts.

Circuit Training - the best way to get fit

Circuit training is the best way to burn fat, turbo-charge your metabolism, build muscle and most importantly, get fit.

Far too many people go to the gym and focus on single movement exercises. Do you ever notice that the people doing single movement exercises and hang around the ‘machines’ all day are out of shape? Well, they are. Why? Because these types of exercises concentrate on only a few muscles and require extended recovery times between sets. The problem is that when you take extended breaks (over 2 minutes) your heart-rate plummets, making it hard to burn calories. Also, these concentrated exercises (concentrated curls, single leg extensions, triceps pull downs, etc.) only engage a few muscles at a single time. So when you finish 1 set, the few muscles used need a few minutes for recovery. Again, your heart-rate slows down at this point.

Circuit training means performing 3 or more exercises in succession; enabling you to target several muscles within 1 complete circuit set. The result is that your heart-rate skyrockets and you tax several, even dozens, of muscles at once.

Here is a good circuit training routine to get you started:



You can incorporate any 3 or more exercises into your circuit sets. Focus on free-weights and try to target as many muscles as possible. Also, the nicest thing about circuit training is that your core is constantly being engaged. And the best way to strengthen your abs is through multiple full body and multiple movement exercises. Straight sets of crunches are a thing of the past because simply, they don’t work as well as a well executed circuit set.

So to get really fit, make sure you tax your whole body and keep resting times to 1 minute between circuit sets.

Contact me if you have any questions!

And stay tuned for the next post on the benefits of free-weights.

The Cardio Myth

If you’re trying to lose weight, tone-up, or just feel better you will probably ride stationary bike or jog on a treadmill. Why? Because you have been told that ‘cardio’ will get you fit. This is the ‘Cardio Myth.’

First off, traditionally, idea of ‘cardio’ involves running or biking on some stationary piece of equipment.


(ancient technology really)

Fine, but it’s wrong! ‘cardio’ means ANY activity that spikes your body’s usage of oxygen. Your heart beats, your blood pumps, your lungs crave oxygen and effectively, you burn calories.

So ‘cardio’ should stand to mean any exercise that makes your body work hard.

Okay, so how does this new definition get me fit?

It’s simple. When you ride a bike or run (traditional ‘cardio’) you burn calories, which is good. But there’s one problem with these methods; you aren’t re-training your body to function differently. Your body is operating the way it always has except for burning some extra calories.

To really get fit, you need to focus on resistance exercises. Weight training, and especially circuit training, helps you burn a lot of calories. But more than just that, weight-lifting RE-TRAINS your body.

By tearing down and then building up muscle (the process of gaining muscle) you are effectively re-training your body to function in a different way. The calories you consume can now be put to work, repairing broken down muscle, not just sitting there.

Put it this way:

Traditional Cardio -> burn calories -> then you re-consume calories -> calories sit idle = same loose body with a little less fat

Weight training -> burn calories -> tear muscle -> then you re-consume calories -> calories are used to repair muscle = trained, fit body

I’m not saying traditional cardio is bad, but I think it’s over-rated. If you weight training, your body will constantly be using calories for repair – reshaping your body.

Weight training isn’t just for bulky body builders, anyone can do it and by doing it properly you can achieve your fitness goals – big and strong, long and lean, sleek and slender, etc.

I hope this makes sense, but if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line. Let’s discuss.

Stay tuned for the next blog post on Circuit Training!

Fit New You - the beginning

Welcome to Fit New You! Before we get started on getting you fit, I should tell you my story.

I was always over-weight and out of shape. I blamed it on genetics, metabolism and just an overall misunderstanding of what it takes to get fit. But one day, while sitting on a couch eating a family size bag of chips, my best friend and I decided to stop this insanity and start looking and feeling good for a change. So from that point on, we both decided to change our eating habits and start exercising.


(The Before... 4 years ago, out of shape and oblivious... me left, Steve right)

Well, that was 4 years ago and since then we have both dedicated ourselves to fitness and good nutrition. We have found our fit new bodies.

We researched good workouts and nutrition tips. But along the way, I noticed that there was a lot of crap on the internet that simply, wouldn’t work. We took a select few tips to heart and starting compiling workout and meal plans. The rest is history.


(The After...this past summer. Steve left, me right)

We lost a combined 110 pounds and feel great every day.

Now, after helping out a dozen or so friends and family members with their personal fitness and nutrition goals, I’ve decided to bring my findings to you!

Every week I will post some tips on good nutrition, good fitness exercises and overall strategies for getting you fit. I will also debunk several fitness and nutrition myths that are keeping you ‘un-fit’.

Just remember, check back frequently, ask questions and prepare to work hard.

Get ready to discover a Fit New You.

Andrew