In case you are unfamiliar with our XFIT program, it is a Prince George based adult fitness program that is kicking some major butt and helping  alot of Prince Georgians get into great shape and meet their goals.

We’ve heard alot of stuff through the grapevine lately about people being too afraid or too out of shape to try XFIT…so I thought I’d take a minute to dispel these myths and fill you in on what our XFITTERS look like…

XFITTERS are men and women, come in all shapes and sizes, all ages (18+) and all fitness levels.  They might be your friend, your colleague, an old schoolmate, a mom, a dad…it can be anyone!  We have people that have never stepped foot into a gym before, people that have been active but never been a big gym-goer in the past, as well as people that are in great shape and looking to get to that next level.  Our oldest XFITTER to date was deep into his 60s, and we have had MULTIPLE clients shed over 100lbs with our program…so keep that in mind when you’re signing up – anyone can do, you just have to…actually do it.

Here is the beauty of XFIT – it’s for everyone.  Our unique class structure allows for all fitness levels to come in and have a great workout – each and every day.  We have some people that played a lot of sports growing up (heck we have even had an ex-Olympian get his butt whipped XFIT styles)…and we also have a lot of people that have never played a single sport in their life…no matter what your fitness level or background, the mission remains the same – partake in a fun, engaging fitness environment and get your butt whipped into shape with great workouts each and every day.

Our XFITTERS are always welcoming new people too, ‘cuz everyone was a newbie at one point  – and our personal trainers are always on hand during class to keep you on track, teach you proper technique, and give you that little nudge when you need it.

One of the best parts about XFIT is that everyone is working together towards the same goal – our group camaraderie coupled with our personal training and fitness expertise is a great recipe for success….still doubting me?  Come and try the first class for free and see for yourself – forget “getting into shape” before you start XFIT…use XFIT to get into the best shape of your life!

Keep calm and lift on,

Jay

Medium Red Skinned Potato(es) – Approximately 5-6 ounces
1/2 Red or Green Pepper
1/8 Medium White or Yellow Onion
1 Clove Garlic
2-3 TBSP Plain Greek Yogurt
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil or PAM
Spices (pepper, oregano, chili flakes)

Directions:

Bake the potatoes whichever method you prefer.  I usually microwave them until they have softened up but aren’t quite done (3-4 mins for 1 medium potato) and then wrap them in tin foil and bake them in the oven or on the BBQ at 450° for an additional 15 minutes or so until the skin is crisp and the potato is soft throughout.

While the potatoes are baking, preheat a sauté pan over medium heat.  Dice up the red/green pepper and onion and mince 1 clove of garlic (adjust ratios to personal taste). . . Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and sauté the pepper, onion, and garlic.  Add pepper, oregano, and chili flakes to taste.  Sauté 5-8 minutes until veggies have softened slightly but are still firm in the middle.

When the baked potatoes are done cut them down the middle and open them up– add the veggies and top with 2-3 tbsp of greek yogurt.

Approximate Calorie Breakdown:

10g Protein
40g Carbohydrates (6g Fiber)
15g Fat
335 Calories

This potato has great flavor, is a great option for your high-carb meals, and is packed with nutrients.

For a fat-free option you can use PAM in the pan instead of olive oil to adjust the calories to 200 (remember that healthy fats are important for normal functioning though so you do not need to get caught up in “low fat” crazes)

Happy Dining!

When you’re working your butt off consistently in a great program like XFIT, you are inevitably going to get PERSONAL BESTS (PB) – these can be in MANY different shapes and forms.  Sometimes its lifting a weight you’ve never lifted before, getting more reps than you’ve ever gotten before. completing a new exercise for the first time, or knocking a few seconds off a timed drill.  Personal bests have many faces, but regardless of what it is, it is still a PERSONAL BEST AND IT IS ALWAYS AN AWESOME FEELING.  Who doesn’t like to do something they’ve never done before!?

Thursday in XFIT we were doing box jump singles (1 rep) and maxing out our height (jumping up as high as possible and landing on a box).  All day our clients pushed each other and themselves to new heights (literally), resulting in many tossed up arms  in victory, fist pumps, and/or high fives.  LOTS of personal bests over the course of the 5 classes of XFIT, and lots of proud owners of new PBs.

Well, everyone once in a while there is some collateral damage to such successes.  And here’s where it gets messy.

One of our XFITTERS Brent was attempting a new PB of a 50″ box jump.  He missed his first attempt but after a little fine tuning from me he tried it again and nailed it.  As he landed atop the 50″ box, he threw his arms up triumphantly and let out a victory cry.  Unfortunately, as he brought his arms up he lost his balance a little and waved his arms in the air trying to regain his balance (we like to call this move “rolling up the windows” because his arms are doing little circles in the air like he is rolling up his car windows).  Well as Brent was trying to roll up his imaginary car windows, he managed to swat the halogen light ballast – it knocked off it’s pins and the bulbs and the skirt came crashing down….on the turf.  With blast radius of 3o feet, the explosion of the lights made a climactic conclusion to Brent’s triumphant PB.

Here are a few shots of the anarchy:

Well 2 hours of cleaning  later things were back to normal for the most part and I was on my way home.  (big thanks to Dan and Brent for sticking around after class to help clean up/repair the lights)

The strange part to the whole thing is that I wasn’t mad or frustrated – I was happy Brent and everyone else got their PBs.  I certainly had better things to do than sweep, vacuum, vacuum, sweep, pull the turf up, vacuum and put it all back together, but hey, people train hard and sometimes sh*t happens.  No regrets.  Being the best isn’t easy.

PBs FO LIFE.

The Difference Makers

Let’s face it – getting to the gym isn’t always easy.  Everybody can make it to the gym when you feel good, you don’t have too much else to do, and you’re looking forward to a great workout…these are what I like to call easy attendance gym days – everything is lined up and there is nothing really in your way of getting to the gym and throwing down a great workout.  But what about those days where you’re tired, work was hectic, it’s snowing and cold, and you have stuff to do at home?  Insert hard attendance days.  On these days you are probably tired, sore, busy, and under motivated – in other words, everything is stacked up against you, and giving yourself the out and saying “forget it I’ll go tomorrow” is easy to do…

But you can’t just say “forget it”!!  These days are what I like to refer to as THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS – it’s these tough days that you drag your feet all the way to the gym to workout – BUT you go and workout – that make the difference.  There are gonna be times when you don’t want to go – trust me, I’ve been a 5-7X per week gym guy for 10+ years, and I own a gym (duh) and LOVE working out, and there are STILL days where I have to drag myself to get a workout in.  Getting yourself to the gym and getting that dreaded workout in can and will make a huge difference in your overall results and training!

Say you have been excusing yourself from 1 workout per week (on average) to the devilish factors listed above (let me just clarify that I’m referring to days you CHOOSE not to go to the gym because of a myriad of factors – I am not referring to legitimate emergencies that should be tended to appropriately)…if you go to the gym 3X per week you will be missing 1/3 of ALL of your workouts – imagine what your paycheques at work would look like if you took 1/3 of your workdays off…sure it would be nice to work less, but that’s not gonna pay the bills…fitness is no different.  Missing 33% of your scheduled workouts is a surefire way to slow your progress.  You could workout an extra 52 hours a year if you manage to ward off the excuse demons and actually get your butt to the gym everytime to plan to.

So the next time you’re tired, or busy, or don’t want to workout for whatever reason, think about the difference makers.  Think about how it is only 60 minutes of your 1440 minute day and how those 60 minutes can not only take pounds off but add years to your life. 

Happy Lifting!

XFITTER PROFILE: Kristi W

Welcome to our first instalment of our Xfitter Profile where we get some goods on one of our Xfit Members…we thought it would be a great way for our members to get to know eachother a little better, and to give some insight into what types of members we have coming through our doors…Our inaugural member is Kristi W – a mother of 2 with a kick-a$$ work ethic and the pipes to show for it!

I emailed Kristi the following set of questions and she filled in the blanks for us…enjoy!

Xfit Age (how long have you been attending XFIT): almost a year now November 2011 I think I started.

How did you originally hear about us? A friend of mine does CrossFit in van and got me looking at the different types of workouts. I googled Cross fit PG and

found you!!! and then bought a Scrip Deal.

Years working out: Since forever. I think I started going to the gym in grade 10ish???

Xfit Training Frequency: 3 x / week for sure and try to get in on sat too! But have kids so they dictate my schedule usually.

Do you do any exercise outside of XFIT Classes? Running, skate skiing, spin classes at UNBC Sport center when I can. My goal this winter is to start swimming again!

What would you say is the biggest key to your fitness successes? Time. If I have the time I have no other excuse not to do it. I am lucky to only have to work a

couple days a week right now while kids are young. I make an hour out of my days off a priority for me!

Ultimate Fitness Goal: With the injuries that I have had lately my ultimate goal is

to just be strong and pain free. A hot body would be nice, but really!?!

Give us a bare bones snapshot of your daily life:

AM: kids and I get up and ready for school – mon/wed/fri I drop them off and

head to gym, usually grocery shopping, volunteer at school, house cleaning,

Mom stuff!! After school we have a snack, do some homework and then kids are

off to swim until 7pm, we come home and get ready for bed! – tues/thurs I drop

them off and go to work until 4:30pm. Pick kids up from Grama’s, make dinner,

hang out, do homework and bedtime.

Do you follow a detailed eating plan?  Why or why not? Detailed no, but balanced

I’d like to think.

How do you find time to eat properly? Mornings are my worst running around

getting us all out the door so I have to say I usually grab a shake in the am just to

get me going. My fridge always has lots of veggies, yogurt, & fruit that are easy

to grab if I am on the go. I am not good at preparing things ahead of time so it

has to be easy! We always eat our dinner meal together!

Most of us have seen your two adorable girls at the front of the class during

the summer eating a good healthy breakfast…do you have any friendly fitness

advice for other Parents?

I just really feel like TIME when you are a parent plays a huge factor in how well

you can stick to a fitness routine! But if you can find the time I say there is no

reason not to do it. It keeps me happier and you know what they say: a happy

mom & wife = a happy life!!!

Do you prefer Cardio or Weight Training? Why? I need both!!! Running keeps me

sane and I love lifting weights! It’s a good day when I can add a plate or push a

couple more reps!!!

Current Gym Shoes: Would you recommend them to others? Saucony!!! So far

so good!

Favorite Workout Song: Crazy Bitch, Buckcherry if I need some help climbing a

hill during a run!! But I like almost anything!

Favorite Workout Apparel: Comfy not clingy!!! Usually Lulu crops, shorts with a

tank.

Favorite Post Workout Meal: Spinach & eggs with balsamic vinegar drizzled on

top!!

Favorite Exercise: Not favorite cause I am good at it, but I want to be – Pull ups

of course!

Least Favorite Exercise: pushing the prowler…. oh wait and throwing the ropes

or however you call it.

Your Favorite Body Part: the one that doesn’t hurt!!

Favorite Xfit Workout: Love them all! Love the variety!

What is your favorite thing about Xconditioning?

I love that you can just show up and know you are going to have a kick ass

workout with some kick ass people!

Any final notes/thoughts for us? Ever thought about adding some spin classes

into schedule??? Running group?

If you are an avid fan of running, you may want to avert your eyes as this is not a pro-running article

A lot of people like to go for a run – which usually entails running for a set distance or a set period of time.  Personally, I don’t believe in long-distance running for anyone other than those people that are running competitively.  Now I’m not saying don’t run at all – running is a great way to stay in shape, burn calories and keep your heart healthy, among other health benefits.  The problem I tend to have is with HOW people are running…

Again, unless you are planning to run competitively (triathlon, marathon), I feel sprinting is a MUCH more time and energy effective way to lose fat, keep your heart healthy, and give you a kickass physique.

Sprint workouts can be less than 30 minutes in length and are incredibly efficient – the calories burned during 30 minutes of sprints versus 30 minutes of jogging/distance running is much higher in favor of sprinting due to your body working much harder to move you at top speeds.  Further, with heavy sprinting programs, the body also elevates the metabolism for several hours following the workout, giving your body that calorie “after burn”.

So you can save time and burn more calories?  Correctomundo.  But wait! There’s more! Sprinting also harbors fast twitch muscles in the body, which use more calories day in and day out – so your metabolism is permanently boosted.  AND fast twitch muscles are lean and full bellied – which means you’ll look great in jeans and at the beach.

The repetitive stride in long-distance running wears out your ankles, shins, knees, and hips.  It also flattens out your muscles and reduces your leg power and strength.  Sprinting gives you all the health benefits of distance training, and it also strengthens tendons and fills out muscle bellies.

Don’t get me wrong, distance running has created amazing results for a lot of people – I’m not saying that running doesn’t work – clearly it does.  What I’m saying is that Sprinting can cut your training time down (who doesn’t want shorter, more effective workouts!??), post big benefits to your metabolism, and give you a lean, mean, kickass muscular physique.  I personally feel that “going for a run” is outdated and time consuming.  Go do sprint intervals, run hills, drag or push sleds at maximum speeds and reap many rewards.

Check out the difference between a sprinter and a runner – now these people are at either end of the spectrum, but you get the idea.

Sprinting done properly is AWESOME and incredibly hard work.  If you want to make a big improvement to your results and your physique, mix in some sprinting every week.

Stay Classy

Anyone who has spent time in our gym knows that we are all – and myself in particular – sticklers for gym safety.  My nickname is often the “Safety Bear” and it’s usually with good reason – clips on bars, safety pins at the correct height, proper spotting and good client focus are always at the top of our list at Xconditioning.  If there is a safety violation, I’ll let you know about it right away.  And why not?  Simple safety preparation can save you big time in the event of a mishap. 

Our Power Team had another one of those eye-openers on Sunday.  It had been awhile since we had a good safety scare and a glaring reminder of how important gym safety can be.

Mike, Tara, and Tony are all preparing for the WPC World Powerlifting Championships in Las Vegas next month.  Being a month away from the meet, they are all pushing the limits of their strength right now.

Well, Big Mike was benching on Sunday afternoon – we had a clean 700lbs on the bar when we handed it out to him and this happened:

Mike’s Bench Mishap

We took all precautions prior to this lift – we had 3 spotters working on this lift (me at the head of the bench and Tara and Tony on either end of the bar).   As Mikes poundages climbed I remember he moved the safety pins up a hole so they were as high as they could be without being in the way.  Had the pins been lower, it would surely have ended in major injury.  Had there only been 1 spotter, there is no way I would have been able to get the bar off him alone.  The combination of proper spotting and good rack setup ended with Mike getting the lift 5 minutes later and walking away injury free.

Now I’m not saying you should have 3 spotters and go crazy unless it is called for – but you can prevent a lot of injuries if you take the possibility of injury seriously.  Here are some simple ways to keep yourself and your partners and those around you in the gym safe:

-       Always load and unload the bar evenly (don’t let one side of a 7’ bar have more than 45lbs on one side than the other)

-       Always use safety collars on barbells when they are loaded with weight.

-       Always use safety pins in the power rack and set them up so they can be as high as possible without being in the way of your lift.

-       Always use spotters when a barbell or dumbbells are above your body in any direction (standing, lying, etc.). 

-       Communicate with your spotters so they know where to spot you, how many reps you are doing, and when to offer help if needed.

-       Stay focused during your sets – everyone likes to chat between sets, but when you (or your partner) has weight in your hands – focusing on the set needs to be the #1 priority.

Some simple precautions that we wholeheartedly believe in and feel is a necessity in all weight rooms.

Safe and Happy Lifting!

Welcome to the first installment of our Athlete Series!!  We are going to start featuring clients on a regular basis – just something cool to see where they started, where they are now, and where they plan to go!
Our first athlete interview is with Cortez Chappell.  When Cortez first came to us he was 14 – he was a baseball player in PGYBA and wanted to play university baseball one day.  Cortez’ work ethic was evident immediately, and we worked hard with him to add size and strength to his growing body.  Cortez packed up life in PG and earned himself a spot on the Langley Blaze of the Premier Baseball League – after a successful 3 seasons in Langley he’s made his way across the border into California…where he is currently in his first semester of college baseball.  I asked Cortez a few questions, and here’s what he got back to me with:

Age: 18
Hometown: Prince George, BC
Current Town/City: Quincy, California
Sport: Baseball
Position: Pitcher
Favorite Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Favorite Player: Brandon Morrow
Your Current Team: Feather River Golden Eagles
Your Previous Team(s): Prince George Knights, Langley Blaze
Age started at Xconditioning: 14
Years training at X: 3
Favorite part of Xconditioning: Trainers and Overall Gym Layout
Favorite Exercise: Box Jumps
Least Favorite Exercise: Lunges
Favorite Post Workout or Game Meal: P.B. & J. on a Bagel with protein shake
Athletic Achievements: Provincial Team Member 3 years Consecutive, 2011 PBL Provincial Champion
Athletic Goals: NCAA Division 1 College Baseball
What is your most embarrassing athletic moment? Tripping over the [ball] bucket in batting practice hahahaha
What does  a typical day in the life of Cortez look like right now? Class from 9-10, personal workout 11-12;30, practice 1:15-5:00, team workout 7:30-9 haha 
Biggest takeaway lesson from training at Xconditioning: Getting to the Gym is Only Half the Work. You get out of it what you put in to it
Any final notes/thoughts for us?
Keep it up, favorite gym to train at. See you all soon!  

Well there it is, folks! An inside look into the life of Mr Cortez Chappell! Stay tuned for our next series! 

If you want to make progress and meet your goals, you first need goals to meet.  Once you have goals, then you need to keep track of everything so you can actually gauge it – progress is positive change over time – record it so it is tangible.

Your goals should include many of the following:

-       Personal Body Image – how you physically look to yourself. 

-       Mood – how you feel. 

-       Physical Attributes – body fat, bodyweight, clothing sizes, body composition, muscle size, etc.

-       Once you have goals identified, you need to take steps to meet them.  Here is another blog I wrote about goal setting: http://www.xconditioning.com/5-tips-for-goal-setting-success/ .

Choose your goals wisely so you can take the appropriate steps to meet them.  What EXACTLY are your goals?  Lose weight?  Increase muscle mass? Both? Whatever your goals are, identify them clearly.  As many people are discovering, crosstraining (in other words, doing many different types of fitness) is arguably the most effective form of fitness to build a strong, lean, functional physique, and tends to produce the best overall results (Our fitness program Xfit is a great adult crosstraining program).  Once you have your goals identified.  Figure out the best path to meet them.  If you are unsure I would recommend talking to a qualified Fitness Professional on the best steps to take to meet your goals.

Once you have your goals identified clearly, then you need to create tangible ways to gauge your progress.  What are the best ways to gauge progress?  I know most of you are probably thinking “weigh yourself”…well the first thing I want you to do is GET OFF AND STAY OFF THE SCALE…I have conversations with clients about their progress all the time and it frequently revolves around the scale.  Scales are really good at measuring how much gravitational pull the earth has on you, but other than that they don’t really address fitness goals properly.   WHO CARES what the scale says if you look how you want to? 

Gauging progress will be best measured with a multidimensional approach – using several tools for your records.  Of course honesty with yourself is critical here.

Here, in my opinion and in chronological order, are the best ways to gauge progress:

1. Effort and Commitment Journal

I personally feel that effort and commitment need to be the #1 priority in your fitness goals  – you need to feel GOOD about your goals, and your workouts, and you need to put in good effort every single day.  A good set of goals is NOTHING without some elbow grease and consistency.  Remember that goals that create a lot of stress or self-doubt should be re-evaluated and restructured.  Keep a training journal and rank how you feel about your commitment to fitness and your workout every day.  Make it a 0-10 or whatever you want, but make it consistent.  If you consistently have “10” workouts and “10” rankings for your efforts and commitment towards your goals, chances are you are going in the right direction.  If you haven’t seen enough change, look back through your journal and see how many workouts were missed, how many were lackluster, and how many days your eating was off track.  Tangible measures of your commitment to yourself.

2. Keep a Food Journal

The surest way to keep track of your calories and your food (which is WAY more than half the battle) and to keep you accountable.  Write down ALL foods (good and bad) every day in a journal (there are apps that can calculate everything for you now).  Easy way to see what your food ACTUALLY looks like, not what you think it does.

3. Take Pictures

Pictures really are the best way to gauge your physical progress.  DO YOU LOOK HOW YOU WANT YOURSELF TO LOOK? Take a good hard objective look at yourself.  Is that what your goal image was?  If it is, keep doing what you are doing.  Pictures are a great way to keep progress of your personal body image.  Always take the pictures around the same time of day, standing in front of the same wall, and wearing the same or similar clothes.   Keep them in a file or an album and date them.  Then you can see tangible changes in your body.  You see yourself every day so sometimes it is very hard to see changes over time.  Take pictures once a month or so.

4. Take Measurements

Get the soft tape measure out and have a friend measure key areas on you. Always use the same friend for consistency.  This is a tangible way to see how many “inches” you have lost.  Even if the scale stays the same, and you have lost 10 inches off your body, you’re winning, no?  Another easy way to check this is to gauge how your clothes fit.  If your jeans are slipping down your legs and your shirt is baggy around the belly button, you are probably trimming up even if the scale still says the same.

5. Get on the Scale

OK NOW YOU CAN GET ON THE SCALE.  But only after the other measuring tools are in place.  Don’t get me wrong, I still get on the scale to check in on things and I do use it as a measuring tool.  The problem with the scale is that there are SO many variables it can make it very frustrating.  If you have never lifted weights before and begin a weights program, you will inevitably gain a few pounds.  BUT this is NOT bodyfat.  This is your muscles increasing their glycogen (fuel) storage, nutrients, among other biological adaptations.  Didn’t sleep enough?  That can affect your hormone levels and create a difference on the scale.  Didn’t drink enough water yesterday?  That will do it too.  There are countless variables that can affect the scale.  Which is OK – its part of the biological process that is our body – its all part of the magic, so to speak.  So relying solely on the scale is a surefire way to create stress and frustration surrounding your goals. 

Do yourself a favor and use ALL of the above measuring tools to gauge your progress for minimum frustration and maximum results.

And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember this – progress is not, and will not be linear. Even the highest-level athletes and fitness enthusiasts experience setbacks, plateaus, ups and downs, etc.  along with their progress.  Commit.  Work hard.  And learn to enjoy the fitness journey and you will experience a TON of success.

Happy Lifting

I wanna touch on the importance of good training partners…I will start with a story from the gym today…

Today Mike and Tara came into the gym at 1pm – I questioned why they were here as they usually train at 2pm…Mike said they were down to help out cuz Tony was squatting….it wasn’t even their training day.  And when I asked Mike when they were training tomorrow? He responded with 4pm cuz that’s when Steve gets off work….that’s 2 days in a row they went out of their way so others could train hard.  I’m sure Mike and Tara would way rather train at noon and get it out of the way on their day off, or not have come into work 2 hours early on a Friday… but they make time for their training partners, and we are all successful because of it.  I can assure you I have always made some of my best progress training with Mike and others and as a part of a “team”.

My point is…training partners will facilitate your progress – in EITHER direction.  Chose your training partners wisely.  You want to make good progress?  Surround yourself with like-minded people – start hanging out with the people from the gym that have the same goals as you.  You will share ideas, tips, recipes, as well as hold each other accountable.  A good training partner is always there for you, will know when you need an extra push, when you’re actually hurt, or when you’re looking for a way out.  Hang out with like-minded people and you will find yourself eating goal-oriented foods and making time to train and do things to progress together.  Meeting your goals is A LOT easier when your eating and exercise regime are consistently on track  – our strength team continues to improve every year because of the team atmosphere we have and the friendships and accountability that we share.  This is what I call value-added training.  Training and surrounding yourself with people that are serious about their goals and those that make lifestyle choices to meet those goals is the BEST way to accelerate your progress and meet your goals – training and communicating closely with others will maximize your time in the gym and get you on the fast track…i.e., with GOOD training partners there is value added. 

Our members are successful because you are all part of our team – you are in our gym because you want to meet your goals and that is what we do.  Immerse yourself in your goals in all aspects of your life – not just the 180 minutes you spend in a gym in a week – make real lifestyle changes  – and you will be quickly on your way to fitness success.

Jay