Are you looking for gift ideas for that special health & fitness fan in your life? Or maybe you’re being harassed to provide a wish list of your own? Check out ten great gifts that any of us on staff would give (or love to receive):

1. Trigger Point Therapy Grid Roller - For everyone from athletes to armchair fitness fans, this tool delivers ‘self-myofascial release therapy’ (it massages tight muscles). It takes the traditional foam roller to the next level with a 3D textured surface. Portable, durable and won’t lose its shape. Available at: Precision Athletics for $50 – email Craig@precisionathletics.ca to order.

2. BKR Water Bottle – This 500 ml glass bottle with a silicone sleeve is sure to please the design enthusiast on your list. The cool design comes in fun colours like “pop”, “pool” and “ripe”. BPA and phthalate-free. Available at: online for $28 USD or approximately $30 at YYoga, Moule or Vancouver Art Gallery.

3. Jumbo SIGG Wide-Mouth Water Bottle – Most water bottles only carry a couple cups of fluid, but this one is sure to quench anyone’s thirst. SIGG is known for their high-quality metal bottles made in Switzerland. As always, the bottles are BPA and phthalate-free. Available at: online from approximately $30 USD or at Whole Foods, Revolution (Yaletown), Inform Interiors and many other stores.

4. Libre Tea Glass – A unique gift for tea lovers, so he or she can enjoy loose leaf tea on the go. Available in an attractive thermos (two sizes) or mug with a durable polycarbonate exterior, glass interior and stainless steel tea filter. Available at: from $24 online, Whole Foods, Choices, Murchie’s and numerous yoga studios.

5. Precision Athletics Gift Certificate – We have a great holiday offer: Buy a gift certificate for a fitness assessment and four 30-minute sessions for $149 ($225 value) if you bring in a non-perishable food item for the foodbank. Note: The recipient must be a new client to Precision. Gift certificates are also available in denominations of $25. Available: email info@precisionathletics.ca.

6. Lululemon Running Gloves – It’s going to be a cold winter, so give these to the runner in your life. They feature “touchscreen-friendly finger tips” (for texting and running) and wide cuffs to keep out the cold.  Available at: Lululemon for $28.

7. Specialized Running Shoes – These mimic natural foot mechanics with a thin, flexible sole such as the Reebok RealFlex or Nike Free. Available at: sports and running stores from approximately $90.

8. TRX Suspension Trainer - This is a great gift for someone who travels or can’t get into the gym regularly, but wants a good way to do a range of exercises at home or anywhere for that matter. Comes with comes with a DVD and door anchor. Read more about the benefits in this post on TRX training. Available at: Precision Athletics for $175.

9. New Breed of Technical Jackets – These super-light but warm technical jackets can be tucked into the smallest bag until the weather turns. See: MEC Uplink jacket (available for men and women) or Lululemon’s Take Flight jacket. Available at: the above stores and other sports stores – most good-quality brands seem to make a jacket like this now.

10. i360 Beanie – Stylin’ music-infused hat for outdoor exercisers without the annoying wires. Place an iPod Nano, Shuffle or a thin MP3 player in the i360 beanie and hear stereo-quality tunes with its built-in speakers. Available at: online from around $30 USD, and target.com, amazon.com.

BONUS Stocking Stuffer: The Vega sport line has pre, during and post workout drinks. Their single serving version makes a great stocking stuffer. Available at: Whole Foods, Body Energy Club and better supplement stores.

*All prices are before tax. Note some prices are quoted in US dollars (USD).

Benefits of TRX Training

TRX is the brand name of a suspension trainer that we use at Precision. It’s essentially a rope system that provides a great bodyweight workout. It leverages

Craig demonstrating push-ups with the TRX

gravity and your own bodyweight allowing you to work multiple muscles and joints simultaneously. You can train for a mix of support and mobility, from strength, flexibility and core stability.

TRX suspension training was developed by a US Navy SEAL team member as a way to stay in peak condition while away on missions. It’s now used in all branches of the military as well as by pro athletes, fitness professionals and physical therapists around the world.

Key benefits to TRX Training:

• Multifunctional – can be performed anywhere, anytime, by any fitness level.
• Lightweight and portable – use it when travelling or for outdoor workouts. You can hang the rope from trees, monkey bars, etc.
• Reduce fitness boredom – hundreds of exercises are possible that can hit every part of your body.
• Smooth – Makes for easy transitions from one exercise to the next.
• No excuses – When you can’t get to the gym, use the TRX at home with the TRX door anchor.

If you’re interested in TRX training, ask your trainer for a demonstration. TRX suspension trainers can be purchased through Precision Athletics – see our Gift List for more details or contact Craig – craig@precisionathletics.ca.

Personal trainer Kayla McDougall recently completed the Holistic Lifestyle Coaching Level 1 certification: “ I learnt things that changed my life forever. I’m very happy that I can now help others realize how important their health is – not when it just comes to what they eat, but also how they treat their body.” Next up: working towards her C.H.E.K. exercise coach certification. Learn more about Kayla or contact her at kayla@precisionathletics.ca.

A few people have asked questions regarding the 21 Day challenge Nutrition. We thought we would post the answers here for everyone to see. If you have a question, just send it to us.

Some people seem reluctant to try a different approach to eating. Our plan has you eating mostly protein, healthy fats and fruits and

Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and fibre

vegetables which are high in nutrients and natural fiber. Comparatively grains are low in nutrients and high in calories (when comparing calories and nutrients between the two).  This eating plan has produced amazing results for any of our clients who have stuck with it. Now on to the questions.

Q: Can I have the 0% fat Greek style yogurt on this challenge or is no dairy allowed?

A: For this challenge its no dairy. Allot of people have dairy sensitivity, and eliminating it is the only way to find out. Sensitivity is not always allergy. Sensitivity can just cause digestive stress which leads to bloating and water retention and adds to your overall stress profile. When the 21 day challenge is over you can add eliminated items such as dairy and grain back in but do it only one on each day so you can see how you feel. many people notice a lack of energy when having wheat or other foods they may have a minor intolerance for.

When having dairy you actually should eat the full fat as weird as that sounds. Otherwise on a % basis the % of sugar goes up and it spikes your insulin. The fat prevents the blood sugar spike. When having dairy always organic (too many weird hormones otherwise, cows do not produce milk all year without drugs….) and always full fat for dairy.

Q: If I do not have a gluten sensitivity, why must I cut it out? I thought whole grains are part of a well balanced diet.

A: Most people have some level of sensitivity but may not be aware of it. We recommend to remove it and see how your body reacts  when the challenge is over and you re-introduce it.This will give you a better idea of your sensitivity level. If you have a  minor sensitivity you are unaware of,  it  may add to your overall stress profile , causes water retention and bloating, low energy and ties up valuable fat burning resources. Grain products are also relatively low in nutrients compared with fresh fruits and vegetables. The idea is to substitute fruits and vegetables instead of grain. You will experience better digestion and have more energy.

Q:  I am naturally a grazer. Should I no longer be snacking?

A:Snacking is great, make sure snacks are balanced: protein, carbs and healthy fats.  See nutrition pamphlet for food lists.

Q: Is standard grocery store milk and yogurt considered “processed?” I have a very high calcium diet (especially when in combination with gluten), and I don’t know how to replace those calories to keep a healthy intake. Are there meal plan suggestions?

A: Non-organic milk is “processed” . There are meal plan suggestions in the 21 day challenge manual. Green vegetables are high in calcium. There are many other ways to get quality calories besides dairy and gluten such as: nuts, seeds, avacados, vegetable oils etc.

Q: Must I submit the plan for every meal I eat (63-105 meals)?

A: The food log is not mandatory, however to be eligible for prizes you must submit a food log at the end. Many people find the writing down of what they eat really adds focus and accountability.

Q: Why is Dairy not allowed but goat milk allowed?

A: Goat products do not contain lactose which 85% of the population has some form of intolerance to. Goat products are more digestible and there fore you get more nutrients.

Craig Boyd- Precision Athletics Vancouver

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp instructors, CrossFit coaches and Nutrition coaches. Craig enjoys coaching people of all levels of fitness that want to improve. His company provides one on one personal training , partner and small group training as well as group classes such as boot camp, crosstraining and fitness and complete soccer conditioning.

Check his websites are http://www.precisionathletics.ca/and http://www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com/ .  Feel free to email him your questions at Craig@precisionathletics.ca

Challenged to Pass the POPAT

With her regular workouts and active participation on a hockey team, Danna considered herself to be in pretty good shape. She enjoyed Crosstraining & Fitness classes, as well as personal training sessions over the past four years.

A really fit Danna with Pepe.

One of her first fitness goals was to lose weight (she lost 15 lbs) and to improve her overall level of fitness. Then she decided she wanted to pursue a career in the Vancouver Police Department—and part of the applicant screening process for admission involves a physical abilities test called the POPAT (Police Officer Physical Abilities Test).

Danna gave herself a year to prep for the test, which includes:

• 1.5 mile mobility and agility circuit run
• controlling 80 lbs of resistance
• doing a squat-thrust-and-stand with a three-foot vault rail
• carrying a torso bag over 25 feet

In order to pass, participants had to perform all activities as per protocol and complete the timed portion in 4:15.  Two months before her test, Danna felt confident enough to run through the practise POPAT at a facility. She was shocked with the results: “I could barely breathe and was just scraping by!” She turned to Pepe, her personal trainer, to significantly change her training program. And, more importantly, to push her to succeed: “I thought I could achieve it on my own, but I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough.”

They worked on specific techniques such as pushing pulling, vaulting and stairs, as well as metabolic conditioning and interval running. In August, Danna passed the POPAT and was really happy with her results. With that hurdle out of the way, she is now going through the other steps required to gain admittance to the training program. Pepe notes, “Danna was very motivated…with each goal attained, her confidence in her abilities grew. We’re at the point now that there’s no question whether she can repeat her performance – but by how much would she beat her personal bests.”

No matter what law enforcement training program you are after, each one has a physical abilities test: municipal police have POPAT, RCMP have PARE (Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation) and sheriffs have SOPAT (Sheriff’s Officer Physical Abilities Test). Firefighters have CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test). Most of the tests appear to be easy…but don’t be fooled. Give yourself time to prepare—on your own, with a personal trainer or through a specific program. Then practise the test, as many times as you need to, through an organization such as LEPAT who has all the testing equipment and certified assessors.

Three questions for Danna:

What motivates you? “Once I saw the results, I wanted to work harder…And now I really want to keep this level (of fitness) that I worked so hard to get. If I miss my workout, it doesn’t feel right.”

What do you like about working out with a trainer? “A trainer pushes me way harder than I’d push myself…he gets me to do things I wouldn’t do on my own.”

Your advice? “Accept help (to achieve your goal)—even if you don’t think you need it. Sometimes another person can inspire you to go farther than you ever imagined you could go.”

Bang-for-Your-Buck Cardio

One of the quickest ways to get in fit, lose fat and supercharge for sports performance is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It’s also ideal for people with tight schedules and not much time to exercise.

What is HIIT?

HIIT involves mixing high intensity bursts of exercise with moderate intensity recovery periods. HIIT is all about speed—intense speed during exercise. It’s brutal but has incredible advantages and results. A HIIT workout will lose up to 9 times more fat than a similar cardio workout. It’s a technique mainly used for individuals trying to lose weight but the rate at which it can make you fitter makes it beneficial for all types of exercise.

How Does HIIT Work?

The workouts usually last 20 minutes, more or less depending on your level of fitness. The 30-second workout is the ideal place to start with HIIT. The idea is to do 30 seconds of intense cardio followed by a rest period of a set amount of time. Beginners rest for 90 seconds. If you are more fit, you can rest for 60 or 30 seconds.

Start with six intervals of intense cardio alternating with rest, and gradually work up to 12 intervals. As you become more fit, rest periods will decrease from 90 seconds to 60 and then 30 seconds.

Any type of cardio can be utilized – running, biking, stair climbing – the key is obtaining high intensity. By the end of the 30-second speed period, you must feel out of breath and unable to go any longer. You should be begging for that rest!

Do this workout ideally three to four times per week to complement your strength training. If your time is tight, twice a week is better than not at all—consistency is key. Remember to always warm up and cool down properly, along with a stretch.

Suzy Kaitman aims to make fitness fun for her clients. Always encouraging and using positive reinforcement, Suzy is the opposite of a Jillian Michaels-type drill sergeant. If you’d like an upbeat personal trainer to help you enjoy your workouts, Suzy is the one for you.

Canucks Playoffs Aftermath Inspires Corporate Fitness Challenge

The three months of hockey playoffs this year were a blast, but they also put the kibosh on the exercise efforts and diets of many Vancouverites. Rowan Smith, a group fitness and personal training client since 2007 noted, “I gained 10 pounds over the playoffs. It was back-to-back days of beer and chicken wings.” And no exercise.

With summer around the corner, Rowan didn’t want all those chicken wings to affect how he felt with his shirt off at the beach, so he created a Corporate Fitness Challenge at his office. His challenge to his coworkers: “$500 says I’ll lose more body fat than anyone else in 60 days.”

There were nine takers. Before starting, each contender had a body fat analysis completed by Precision to set the

Precision Athletics Vancouver Client of the Month- Rowan Smith

baseline (which Rowan funded), and then on June 23rd the challenge was in full swing. Some people partook in the group fitness classes, while others hooked up with a personal trainer for additional motivation and support, “Everyone was impressed by the team of trainers…they were caring and very knowledgeable.” Others, like Rowan, altered their diets with some coaching.

August 23rd was the weigh-in. Rowan found that he had lost 20% of his available body fat. However, the challenge winner ended up losing 33% of his available body fat. The third place finisher lost 18%. All impressive results for 60 days of hard work!

In the end, Rowan didn’t really lose his $500 because the winner insisted on putting the money towards a guy’s trip to San Francisco. So a happy ending for all.

What’s the next fitness goal for Rowan? “I’m going to lose 10 pounds by December 1^st” through another corporate challenge, this time funded by the owner of Rowan’s company.

Three questions for Rowan:

What motivates you? “With my lifestyle and career, I started working out to avoid being morbidly obese by age 30. Part of my family tends to be on the heavy side…and my bad diet habits don’t help. Exercising helps me maintain (a good shape).”

What do you like about working out with a trainer? “I found I preferred working out with a trainer than going a 6am Bootcamp workout in cold weather. I like that it can fit into a crazy schedule like mine.”

Your advice? “Set a regular time, stick with it and make it a priority—put it in your schedule. Also, the diet component is really big, at least 75% of the issue. Working out is great, but nothing beats the right diet.”

If you are interested in organizing a corporate challenge for your office or organization, contact Craig@precisionathletics.ca for more details.

Already Extremely Fit, But in Search of a Flatter Stomach

Wayne runs 6 days per week, covering off 85-105 kilometers. He also has been working with personal trainer Craig Boyd twice per week since 2004. A former elite cyclist and marathon runner, Wayne is in great shape.

Except, like many of us, he has a weakness for sweet stuff: “Chocolate. And not the good stuff…I’m talking about M&Ms.” His treat of choice is chocolate candy, and quite a bit of it.

Despite the running regime, Wayne still wasn’t happy with his midsection and wanted to get rid of the extra fat around his waist. So he set a new goal to get rid of the fat: “I felt uncomfortable with my stomach…and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. To have all this chocolate around me and not touch it.”

The new Wayne has limited his love affair with chocolate.

He started by reading The Lean Belly Prescription by Travis Stork, MD; and then discussing with Craig how to change his diet, which needed an overhaul: “I don’t like healthy foods.” Two of the key changes were to incorporate a protein at every meal and to choose more healthy food options. Breakfast is now a smoothie and snacks include yogurt or nuts. He still allows himself a little chocolate at dinner, but no longer eats it throughout the day—if he feels like it, he just reminds himself he gets to eat it after dinner.

He also has a ‘cheat day’ when he can eat whatever he wants: “My go wild day…pizza, chips, chocolate…” This helps him get through the week of healthier eating. He also gives himself a break when he travels, but is definitely more conscious of what he eats while away.

The results? At the start of this change (the end of July), he weighed 156 lb with 13.9% body fat. At the end of August, he weighed in at 148 lb and 8.7% body fat. All of his measurements with the calipers had been cut in half. Very close to reaching his weight-loss limit, his new challenge will be eating healthfully while keeping his weight up.

Besides achieving a flatter stomach, Wayne says he feels better in general, “I feel like I have more energy, both while running and doing exercises like pull-ups.”

Three questions for Wayne:

What motivates you? Working out in general: “Having a personal trainer. Sometimes you don’t feel like working out, but he’s waiting for me and I’ve paid for the session…it helps to have someone push you to improve, otherwise you don’t push yourself hard enough.”

Motivation for the fat-loss goal: “Seeing the measurement results. Once it started dropping off, I was motivated even more.”

What do you like about working out with Craig? “Craig is a fantastic trainer—he’s hard, makes you work…always pushes you to your limit and there’s no getting out of it.”

Your advice? “Have a good reason for achieving your goal…whatever is really going to motivate you. You have to set measurable short term and long term goals, that are achievable yet challenging.”

Going Beyond ‘Just Going to the Gym’

When he started training with Jade McClure four years ago, Frank Uy had no idea what a drastic change it would make to his lifestyle.

Like many of us, his initial goal was to shape up and lose weight. So he began a three-times per

Frank working on his 30-minute running times.

week partner training program that allowed him to shed 23 lbs. Frank was pleased, but Jade continued to push him to progress, “Jade would keep nagging me to make changes in my life.”

Frank ignored him, until “things got stale” and his body stopped changing. At that point Frank worked with Jade to create new fitness goals around running.

Frank now runs at least 20 minutes every day before his workouts with Jade, and for 30-45 minutes on the weekends. This diligence over the past six months has paid off by an improvement in his running time from 1.5 miles to 2.2 miles in 20 minutes. He also met his goal to complete the Sun Run this year—and was even happy with his time, “I was quite shocked!”

The second big jump-start was diet. Frank and his partner now eat everything organic and focus on fresh foods, “This has made a big change in how we live and feel.” He also finally caved to Jade’s advice to not skip breakfast, “I never used to do this, but it makes a huge difference.”

The proof of commitment to this new lifestyle? “I invested in Spud [fresh grocery delivery service] and now I’m CFO.” In addition, Frank now goes to bed early – not only to get more sleep, but also to make sure he gets to the gym in the morning.

Three questions for Frank:

What motivates you? “My health. I’m doing this for my health, not looks….I’m in my fifties, I have to take care of myself.”

What do you like about working out with Jade? “We get straight to work. We’re not there to socialize, and he pushes you for a good workout.”

Your number one piece of advice? “It’s important to love yourself, take care of yourself. I see my friends getting sick from stress, long work hours and what they eat…just do it, even for one hour per day.”

Vancouver has much to offer in the way of outdoor fitness, from running and rollerblading on seawalls, to hiking and trail riding on the mountains. Another thing that our beautiful city has a lot of is RAIN.

For those fitness enthusiasts that love to train outdoors there are inevitably days when you may not want to go outside to battle the elements. And for some this becomes an excuse not to exercise.

The solution: A good back-up plan to ensure you don’t fall into this bad habit! The easiest one is to get into a gym, but you also may want to consider stair-climbing if you live or work in a high-rise building. Climbing stairs is a great workout. Walk or run up the flight of stairs from the ground floor. Walking down stairs can be hard on the knees so I recommend using the elevator to return back down for your subsequent climbs.

Urgh, my legs!

Between Tanya and Julie’s class my legs and abs have taken a beating.  Just two more months till beach time so I have to get to it.  During Saturday’s CrossFit class with Tanya I had the brilliant idea of mentioning that I had not been doing abs lately.  Well, Tanya made sure we did enough abs in that class to last us for a full week. Read the rest of this entry »