On a Wednesday in suburban Kanata, the air is fresh, a carryover from a welcome cool night, the mid-morning sun not yet burning hot.

Tell it to the six hockey players inside the Greco training facility, sweat rolling off their faces as they dance along a floor ladder (think about old schoolyard games of hop scotch), music pounding in their ears so loud it’s impossible to think. (That’s generally good, when hockey players aren’t thinking). Ripping through the ladder, dancing in and out of the squares, at three-quarters speed, on the heels of 30 minutes of dynamic weightlifting exercises, would be tough enough.

But Tony Greco and his fellow instructors – one per player at this session – turn the ladder into a gauntlet, literally pushing the players during the footwork drills, calling on their core strength to maintain balance. Now they’re yanking on the players via straps lassoed around the shoulders. Makes sense. Being pushed and pulled while trying to execute a skill is a lot like hockey isn’t it?

“You can always do better than you think you can,” bellows Tony Greco above the blaring music. “Give it! Give it!”

To enhance effort, he talks tough during the sessions, but afterward he sits on the gym apparel and chats easily with these players, who range from an established NHLer like Claude Giroux to others looking to get to another level.

“It sucks while you’re here, but the results are worth it,” says Calvin de Haan, a 20-year-old defenceman from Carp drafted 12th overall by the New York Islanders in 2009. “I really enjoy working with Tony and the other trainers here are great as well.”

Read more of the Ottawa Citizen Story…

Sharlene,

A few months ago I walked into your location and couldn’t make it through a workout. Today I biked 70k in the CN Cycle for CHEO and thanks to you and Luke was able to do it! My next challenge is 100k for the Ottawa Hospital in September.

Thanks again,
Stuntman Stu

“Stuntman Stu & Angie Poirier”  |  Weekday mornings 5:30-8:30  |  www.Majic100fm.com

PA announcer for the Ottawa Senators | www.StuntmanStu.com

I came from an athletic background in kickboxing at which time I sustained a hamstring injury.  I was told that I would never be able to participate in the sport again.  I did not accept this diagnosis and decided to take up cycling to repair and rebuild the damaged muscle.  That summer, I was hit by a car.  This resulted in broken bones in my chest, damage to my wrists as well as my lower back and hip.  All injuries healed over time except for my back and hip.  I endured pain and very limited mobility, which prevented me from any level of activity.  As a result of my lack of physical activity, I had gained weight and lost most muscle mass.  

Upon meeting Tony, he convinced me he would be able to help.  I told him if he would invest in me, I would become his “poster child”.  That was 1.5 years ago.  I had numerous false starts due to the pain in my back and mobility limitations.  We decided that personal training would be the best route for me to start with so that I obtained personalized regimes which were tailored to rebuilding my injured body.   

I am now completely pain free, at a healthy body weight and am in the “excellent” category for my body fat composition.  I have just celebrated my 51^st birthday and am once again living a full balanced life, which includes a strong body which is essential to feed an active work/home life and nurture the spirit.  I am elated to be back to my “old self” and continue to work with my personal trainers who consistently bring me to “the next level”. 

Arlene Dorey

Barbara Mireault, owner of the Fish Market in Downtown Ottawa; shares her Greco Success Story on Grecosize.

Listen Below for her interview with Tony Greco and Steve Warne, February 26th, 2011.

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When I first started Greco I weighed in at 189lbs with 31% Body Fat. Today – I am 20% body fat .. weighing in at 142lbs 24years old, 5″7

Lean + Fit, Personal Training (with Armand) and Six Pack Abs have all contributed to me shedding just over 45lbs.

I have to say  – the six pack abs was the most exciting program for me – The diet was challenging and the results were quick, visible and real. We all have abdomens – the six pack abs program truly helped me burn excess belly fat and now I can see them!

One of the biggest changes in my life Lean + Fit has contributed to is my over all health and my skin. I suffer from excema, and so long as I work out – my skin looks rejuvenated, less irritated and I have minimal flare ups. This goes hand in hand with a clean healthy diet.

I was recently in a car accident (beginning of December) and currently participating in physiotherapy to realign my hips, lower and upper back. I hit an 8 point Buck with my car and endured an intense impact. My car has been written off however, I am forever grateful I still have my precious life. Because I am in such good shape – my recovery is progressing quickly and the whiplash was not as bad as it could have been had I had been in poor shape. I hope to be fully recovered within six weeks and cannot wait to get back to lean + fit.

I am not a professional athlete training for a championship – I am just a girl who prides on her body’s strengths and physical capabilities. I love challenging my body and have an addiction to working out.  Nothing taste as good as lean + fit feels… nothing.

Kelly Lee

Peter has a new photo and success story:

I just thought I’d give you an update on my success with the Greco style of living. I’ve adapted very well and easily with my new lifestyle and I believe my update photo will prove that! Since the last photos in May 2009, I have taken three strength classes as well as another 6-pack abs program.

My weight loss to date is 60 lbs and my body fat is now at 10% (down from 30%). I still have goals I want to achieve and I know that I will get there with the help of the program and Brent and Dan. Speaking of which, I cannot talk about my success without mentionning that an important part of it has to be attributed to the great support and encouragement I continue to get from these two guys! Thanks Brent and Dan!

Peter

To view Peter’s previous post and photos, click here!

I have always considered myself to be an active & fit person. As a child I was in dance, track & field & loved being outdoors. As an adult, I maintained an active lifestyle. I continued to run, hike, cycle, ski cross country & became a dance teacher/choreographer. Over the years, my fitness level remained the same but my energy was down to an all time low. Due to overwork, stress & low energy, it was getting harder & harder for me to fit my exercise regimen into my busy schedule. I became frustrated as well as disappointed with myself. The vicious cycle of not eating right, exercising sporadically & sticking to running or walking as my work outs just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore. My clothes were tight fitting, I lost muscle definition & I wasn’t sleeping well.

I joined Greco Lean & Fit in March of 2009 and thanks to Tony’s Kanata team (and now the Beech street team) I finally feel like myself again. I will always consider myself a work in progress as I strive to become leaner & fitter, I still haven‘t reached my goal. 6 months into this program I lost 20lbs & 7% body fat but the benefits of feeling & looking better far outweighed the numbers on the scale. When I first heard about the Lean & Fit program I must admit that I was sceptical. I thought that the food plan would be impossible for me to follow & that attending class 3 times a week really wouldn’t make that much difference with my current exercise regimen. Although I realized that I had to make lifestyle changes in order to achieve my goals, I had this fear of trying something that was so different for me & contemplate the possibility of failing. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We monitor what we eat carefully with the help & suggestions from the folks at Greco. Our fitness classes complement whatever else we choose to do on our ‘off days’ so I was able to continue running. Whether we run, power walk, cycle, swim or even play hockey, the Lean & Fit exercises strengthens our bodies overall & promote a strong core. This in turn can help prevent injuries while participating in other activities. At Greco schools, we are surrounded by people who motivate us to work hard. Their enthusiasm reinforces ours and nobody drags anybody else down with negativity. When it comes to food & fitness the staff at Greco can only guide & teach us, as knowledge is power.

In the end though, it’s left up to us to follow through as we reap the rewards of consistent hard work. I not only feel better, I sleep better, I manage my time better & have more confidence to tackle the many challenges of running my Bark & Fitz franchises. When Tony says “Hey Lynne you look great!” I reply with “Oh no Tony–I look fabulous!” And I say that with utmost confidence.

When I joined Greco in February 2009, I was 266 pounds (32.0% Body Fat and 37.1 BMI) with a size 46 waist.  I decided to try Greco Lean and Fit because Eric the Intern from Chez 106 was going to try, and we weighed about the same.  More importantly my daughter had just turned one, and I knew that I had to set a better example for her going forward.

From the beginning, I was very impressed with the format of the Lean and Fit classes, and more importantly with the atmosphere at the Manotick location.  All the staff were very encouraging, as were my fellow Lean and Fit members.  I could tell that Sean really believed that he could help me make the changes in my life that I needed to succeed, and it was very easy for me to buy in to the Greco way. 

The trainers at the Manotick location are phenomenal and second to none.  They really motivate me to put forth my best in each class.  And if and when I do I get a little lazy, they push ever so gently to get me back on track.  And, for some inexplicable reason, I want to try harder and do better for them! 

I also credit my success to date (I am not done yet!) to my fellow Lean and Fit class members.  I am constantly being told how good I am doing, to keep it up, and that I should be proud of myself.  I admittedly love the attention, but more than that, I appreciate the support, and again want to try harder to continue to deserve their support and encouragement.  I always look forward to what familiar faces will be in my class on any given night, and feed off their positivity as best I can.

After 10 months, I now weigh 204 pounds (18.8% Body Fat and 28.5BMI), and I am down to a size 38 waist.  I also officially enjoy jogging, and even completed my first 5K race in September.  My goal was to come in under 30 minutes, and (thanks to all the training on the Hill in the summer!) I ended up finishing in just under 26 minutes.

I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to reach my personal goal of 190 pounds, but I am almost there, and could not get there without the structure the Lean and Fit program provides me.

To Sean and his team, especially Armand, Justin, Richard and Danielle, I say a very hearty thank you.  I will always be grateful for what you’ve helped me achieve.

Jason Ward

Greco Lean and Fit Program:

Warrior Yoga Training:

6 Pack Abs:

I recently completed the Greco Kettlebell program. I wanted to share my positive feedback to that others might take advantage of the many benefits of not only the training technique itself but the very professional, knowledgeable and extremely helpful trainer Kyle. Kyle was a major motivating force and shared much know-how in fitness in general which added to my personal success.

My Kettlebell before and after performance test showed that I had bettered my “cleans” by 20%.  Both my fat percentage and weight showed definite accelerated declines and my abilities and endurance in the Lean & Fit classes increased significantly. Kettlebell workouts achieve many benefits since more core muscle groups are exercised. Kettlebell workouts are shorter, more draining and offer a great feeling of accomplishment after the workout.

After the initial few classes of learning the techniques, the workouts become fun and exhilarating. Kyle kept it interesting and challenging by adding different combinations of moves always explaining what the exercises are targeting and the benefits.

The Greco Kettlebell program helped me accelerate my gains and increased my core strength and endurance. It works, try it!

Scott Ball

Click Here to see a chart of Scotts progress!!!

I started the Lean and Fit program on January 21, 2009 and lost 21 lbs. and 7.6% body fat. I then did the 6 pack abs program and lost another 11 lbs and another 4.8 % body fat. So my totals so far are a loss of 32 lbs. and 12.4% body fat.

I joined the Lean & Fit program initially because I was very much overweight and I got concerned about my health since I was pushing 50 (I’m 48). I was tired of diets because they were always only band-aid solutions and not very good ones at that – I would lose weight but did not get any healthier!

I learnt quickly what Tony means when he says the Lean and Fit program is a change of lifestyle. The lessons learnt about nutrition were an integral part of my success. However, equally important were the types of exercises that are part of the programs (L&F and 6 pack abs). What I like a lot about the program is that the exercises are always different so I never get bored with them. Unlike the diets, I have now lost a lot of weight and I feel a lot healthier!

Thanks a lot to Dan, Brent and Daniella for their support.

I look forward to starting the Strength program on June 8th.

Peter

Click here to read what Glen Cairn Public School had to say about Adam Fata’s (Greco’s Kanata) contribution to Healthy Schools – Healthy Students Conference.

Click here to read what Kirk and Kristine had to say about Greco’s donation to the 2nd annual Maddy’s Gala and Silent Auction in support of Roger’s House.

Listen to what Paul Byron of the Gatineau Olympiques has to say about Greco’s…

Listen below:

Featuring Chris Phillips’ testimonial…

Listen below:

Get to Greco this off season for professional off ice hockey training.

Mike Fisher:
“Alot of the stuff is circuit training and hockey specific; alot of core stuff, speed and power, that will hopefully help me on the ice and I know it will”

Dan Boyle:
“We work alot of muscles that we use during a game but you might not work out with other programs”

Greco’s off ice hockey training is available for groups and individuals and tailored to age, skill level and budget. Courses are on going now; set the tone for next season, to hit the ice in the best hockey shape of your life! Get to Greco.

And it’s not just for hockey players, the greco lean and fit program will change your life too. Live lean, Live fit, Live well.

Listen below: