Greco BLOG - Live lean. Live fit. Live well. » Tony Greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog Live lean. Live fit. Live well. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:13:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Listen to Today’s (February 1st, 2012) GymBag Segment on Team1200 http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/02/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-february-1st-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/02/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-february-1st-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:00:30 +0000 Adrian http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3492 Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on February 1st, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

  • Greco Gives Back Gala on Feb 2!!
  • How to gain more muscle, burn more fat, less chances to injure yourself and look better!!

Download audio file (Gym-Bag-Feb.-1-2012.mp3)

]]> http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/02/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-february-1st-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/feed/ 0 Greco Health and Fitness Tips of the Week! http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-29/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-29/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:00:24 +0000 Adrian http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3488
  • Use dumbbells, barbells, and machines—in that order. “The smaller, stabilizer muscles you use with dumbbells fatigue before your larger muscle groups”.  So progress to machines, which require less help from your smaller muscles, as you grow tired.
  • Don’t be afraid of situps. We’ve changed our tune on these, and here’s why: Situps increase your range of motion, which makes your abdominals work harder and longer. (Doing crunches on a Swiss ball or with a rolled-up towel under your lower back has a similar effect.) Just avoid situps with anchored feet, which can hurt your lower back.
  • Press your thumb into the bench before lifting. “If you can feel the wood, find another bench”. Hard benches can cause T4 syndrome—a misalignment of your thoracic spine that affects the nerve function of your arm, weakening it.
  • To build speed in swimming, develop your ankle flexibility. Flexible feet will act like flippers and propel you faster through the water. To increase your flipper flex, do this: Sit on the floor with your shoes off. Extend your legs in front of you, heels on the floor. Point your toes straight out as far as possible, then flex them toward your shins as far as you can. Repeat for 1 minute.
  • Shop for workout shoes late in the day. That’s when your feet are the largest. Make sure there’s a half inch of space in front of your longest toe, and that you can easily wiggle your toes. Then slip off the shoes and compare them with your bare feet. If each shoe isn’t obviously wider and longer than your foot, go half a size bigger.
  • Exercise one arm at time. Do a set of shoulder presses with your left arm, then do a set with your right. “You’ll get higher-quality sets than if you work both arms at the same time”.
  • Throw all your dirty workout clothes into one mesh laundry bag. At the end of the week, tie a knot in the bag and throw it in the washer. You’ll always know where your favorite workout shirts are, and you won’t have to touch your sweat socks when they’re fully ripe.
  • Do squats and deadlifts . . . to build your abs. Research shows that these two exercises force your abdominal muscles to do a significant amount of work to maintain your posture.
  • When doing standing arm curls, completely straighten your arms by flexing your triceps at the end of each repetition. This ensures that you work the muscle through its entire range of motion.
  • When you run, breathe so that your belly rises as you inhale. This ensures that your lungs are inflating fully with oxygen, so you’ll be able to go longer. Practice by lying on your back and placing a book on your stomach. The book should rise when you breathe in.
  • Use mustard instead of mayo.
  • Eat more soup. But choose non-creamy soups, which are filling and lower in calories.
  • Cut back on or eliminate high calorie drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. If you drink a 20-oz of soft drink every day, switch to the diet version or eliminate them completely and from just this one change you could lose up to25 lbin a year.
  • Take your lunch to work.
  • Sit when you eat and be relaxed.
    • ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-29/feed/ 0     Listen to Today’s (January 25th, 2012) GymBag Segment on Team1200 http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-25th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-25th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:37 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3473 Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on January 25th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

    • Tony’s tips to extending your life

    Download audio file (Gym-Bag-Jan.-25-2012.mp3)

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-25th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/feed/ 0     Greco Health and Fitness Tips of the Week! http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-28/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-28/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:18 +0000 Adrian http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3447
  • Do this simple jumping exercise to improve your vertical leap: Stand on the edge of a step that’s about 8 inches high. Step off backward with both feet. When your toes hit the ground, immediately jump back onto the step. Concentrate on pushing off the ground as quickly as possible, rather than on the height of your jump. “The speed of the jump is more important than the height”. Do three to five sets of 10 to 20 repetitions twice a week.
  • To catch a football, focus on the tip of the ball. You’ll watch the ball into your hands, instead of just tracking the blur. Plus, by concentrating on that specific spot, you’ll block out oncoming defenders.
  • To avoid injuries, write an “expiration date” on your shoes as soon as you buy them. Shoes last about 500 miles, so simply divide 500 by your average weekly mileage to determine how many weeks your shoes are likely to last.
  • If you want to exercise before work but aren’t a morning person, try this trick: For a set period—say, 4 weeks—force yourself to get up 15 minutes earlier than normal and do any type of physical activity (walking, for instance). “Make it so easy that you don’t even have to change into your workout clothes”. As you are near the end of the 4 weeks, you’ll have a new habit and will then be able to progress to greater amounts of exercises.
  • Push from your toes when you do leg presses. Your quadriceps will work harder.
  • Don’t use machine weights exclusively. A study found that older adults using exercise machines improved their strength on the machines an average of 34 percent in 2 years. But their strength measures for everyday activities actually declined 3.5 percent.
  • Break cable rows into two parts. Hold the bar with your arms outstretched and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Then pull the bar to your body.
  • Satisfy your sugar cravings immediately after your workout. Eat at least20 gramsalong with some protein. The sugar will help carry protein to the muscles you’ve just worked. So have a soda with your tuna sandwich, but limit your sugar intake the rest of the day.
  • For every set of abdominal exercises you perform, do a set of lower-back exercises. Focusing only on your abs can lead to poor posture and lower-back pain.
  • Don’t try to lose your gut by working your abs. Researchers found that it takes 250,000 crunches to burn1 poundof fat—that’s 100 crunches a day for 7 years.
  • Eat the low-cal items on your plate first. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you’ll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.
  •  Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day .
  • Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.
  • Keep a food journal. It really works.
  • Eat until you are 80% full.
    • ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-28/feed/ 0     This Saturday (January 21st, 2012) on Grecosize and Greco Lean & Fit for Life http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/this-saturday-january-21st-2012-on-grecosize-and-greco-lean-fit-for-life/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/this-saturday-january-21st-2012-on-grecosize-and-greco-lean-fit-for-life/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3438

    • Ian Laperriere on life after the NHL; training for the L.A Marathon and dabbling in Hollywood
    • 5 superfoods you need to stay healthy
    • Tony shares his secrets to looking and feeling young

    Team1200 Grecosize Promo:  Download audio file (GRECO_TEAM-Promo-Jan21-SHOW.mp3)

    CFRA Greco Lean & Fit for Life Promo: Download audio file (GRECO_CFRA-Promo-Jan21-SHOW.mp3)

    Tune in this Saturday at 7AM on CFRA, or 9AM on Team 1200 to listen live or by podcast on the Team 1200 website.

    To listen to full previous shows, click here.

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/this-saturday-january-21st-2012-on-grecosize-and-greco-lean-fit-for-life/feed/ 0     Listen to Today’s (January 18th, 2012) GymBag Segment on Team1200 http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-18th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-18th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:00:34 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3427 Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on January 18th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

    • The secret to the staying young
    • Keeping healthy this winter

    Download audio file (Gym-Bag-Jan.-18-2012.mp3)

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-18th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/feed/ 0     Tony Greco’s Release The Warrior Within You; Hot Power Yoga Seminar http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/tony-grecos-release-the-warrior-within-you-hot-power-yoga-seminar/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/tony-grecos-release-the-warrior-within-you-hot-power-yoga-seminar/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:07 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3431 90 Minute Hot Power Yoga Lean Seminar

    January 25th, 2012 @ 7:00pm-8:30pm  –   34 Beech Street

    Come and experience this dynamic 90 minute class of Hot Power Yoga Lean, lead by Tony Greco.

    This is a vigorous style Yoga combining yoga poses, martial arts techniques with athletic movements, all performed in a Hot room.

    This will take you through a challenging experience that will increase your flexibility, lubricate your joints, ligaments and tendons, massage the organs of the body, detoxify, tone, reduce stress and increase mental calmness….are you ready to release the warrior within?

    Seminar cost is only $20.00 per person.
    This seminar includes the 90 minute class, a limited edition Greco Yoga Method T-shirt, and a
    complimentary hydrating juice.

    Space is limited; call now to pre-register

    613.565.6060
    info@GrecoYoga.com | www.GrecoYoga.com

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/tony-grecos-release-the-warrior-within-you-hot-power-yoga-seminar/feed/ 0     Faces Magazine Article – Success of Building the Greco Franchise! http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/faces-magazine-article-success-of-building-the-greco-franchise/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/faces-magazine-article-success-of-building-the-greco-franchise/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:00:22 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3420 If you haven’t heard or seen already, Tony was on the Cover of the January issue of Faces Magazine.

    Two Articles were featured inside:

    (click on titles/links to read)

     

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/faces-magazine-article-success-of-building-the-greco-franchise/feed/ 0     Greco Health and Fitness Tips of the Week! http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-27/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-27/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:46 +0000 Adrian http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3413
  • If you think you’re too busy to exercise, try this experiment: For one day, schedule a time to work out, and then stick to it—even if you can exercise for only 10 minutes. “At the end of the day, ask yourself if you were any less productive than usual,” says John Jakicic, Ph.D., an exercise psychologist at the Brown University school of medicine. The answer will probably be no—and your favorite excuse will be gone.
  • To build forearm strength for tennis and racquetball, crumple newspaper: Lay a newspaper sheet on a flat surface. Start at one corner and crumple it into a ball with your dominant hand for 30 seconds. Repeat with your other hand.
  • When doing lat pulldowns, don’t wrap your thumb around the bar. Instead, place it on top, alongside your index finger. This decreases the involvement of your arm muscles, so you’ll work your back harder. Works for pullups, too.
  • If you’re a beginner, train to failure—the point at which you absolutely can’t do another repetition—then throw back a pint. In a new study, beginners who trained to failure with three sets of six exercises per day then drank a supplement immediately afterward gained over5 poundsof muscle in just 8 weeks. A pint of 1 percent chocolate milk will provide all the nutrients you need to achieve the same result.
  • If you don’t like an exercise, start doing it. “You’re probably avoiding it because you’re weak at it,” says Mejia.
  • If you’re not exercising at all, just try to fit in two 20-minute aerobic or weight-training sessions a week. Researchers at Oklahoma State University examined absentee records of 79,000 workers at 250 sites and found that those who did this minimal amount of exercise had fewer sick days than those who didn’t exercise at all.
  • To make a steal in basketball, swipe up, not down. Refs and whiny opponents are just waiting for you to hack down on the ball. Flicking up is more subtle and surprising—and if you do poke the ball away, it’ll be higher and easier to grab.
  • To sprint faster, work your hamstrings. They help you push off and develop speed. Try this variation of the leg curl: Pull the weight toward you with your ankles flexed (as you normally would) so that your toes are pointing toward your shins. But when you lower the weight, extend your ankles so that your toes are pointing away from your shins. Your hamstrings will work harder than with the traditional version of the exercise.
  • To mountain-bike uphill faster, edge forward in the saddle to distribute your weight more evenly between the front and rear wheels. If you slip back too far, you’ll cause the front wheel to skitter off the ground. If you lean too far forward, you’ll lose traction on the back tire.
  • When doing squats, rest the bar so that as much of it as possible is touching your shoulders. Holding it only on your lower neck causes the entire weight to compress your spine, which can lead to spinal and muscle injuries.
  • Skip the treadmill warmup before lifting weights. Instead, do a warmup that targets the muscles you’ll be using. For a full-body warmup, grab a bar and do two sets of 10 repetitions each of the squat, deadlift, bench press, and bent-over row.
  • To strengthen your grip, wrap a towel around the bar when you do arm curls. It makes the bar thicker, which forces your forearm muscles to work harder.
  • Before you try a maximal lift, load the bar with a weight that’s 20 to 30 percent heavier than what you think you can handle. Then simply lift it off the rack, hold for 1 to 2 seconds, and put it back. Wait 3 to 4 minutes, then try your true max—the weight will feel noticeably lighter. Never attempt this without a spotter.
  • To see if you’re overtraining, check your pulse first thing in the morning the day after a workout. If it’s 10 beats per minute or more above normal, your body is still recovering.
  • Use a shoulder-width grip when doing upright rows. Unlike the traditional narrow grip, it’ll help you avoid shoulder-impingement syndrome—an injury that causes tendinitis and bursitis.
    • ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-27/feed/ 0     Presenting the Third Edition of TotalFit Magazine with Super Model Carol Alt! http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/presenting-the-third-edition-of-totalfit-magazine-with-super-model-carol-alt/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/presenting-the-third-edition-of-totalfit-magazine-with-super-model-carol-alt/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:00:53 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3404 The Third Edition of TotalFit Magazine is on sale at all Chapters across Canada the week of January 16th! Please note that the magazine is complimentary at all Greco location for Greco members only.

    Click on the images below to see a preview…

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/presenting-the-third-edition-of-totalfit-magazine-with-super-model-carol-alt/feed/ 0     Playgrounds Build Healthier & Safer Communities http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/playgrounds-build-healthier-and-safer-communities/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/playgrounds-build-healthier-and-safer-communities/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:00:22 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3400 Foundation To Fight Obesity in Children TonyGreco Donation Ottawa Community HousingTony Greco meets with Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) and Overbrook Forbes Community Resource Centre staff to pledge $25,000.00 for a new playground in 2012.

    The expansion of the Carson Road Community by 26 additional homes is part of a $5.5 Million Dollar social housing development project led by City of Ottawa and OCH. Mr. Greco and the Lean & Fit centres across the capital have made this commitment through their charity The Foundation to Fight Obesity in Children.

    Read More…

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/playgrounds-build-healthier-and-safer-communities/feed/ 0     Listen to Today’s (January 11th, 2012) GymBag Segment on Team1200 http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-11th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-11th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:00:40 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3376 Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on January 11th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

    • Tony talks about the benefits of Yoga and his signature program Yoga Lean

    Download audio file (Gym-Bag-Jan.-11-2012.mp3)

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-11th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/feed/ 0     This Saturday (January 7th, 2012) on Grecosize and Greco Lean & Fit for Life http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/this-saturday-january-7th-2012-on-grecosize-and-greco-lean-fit-for-life/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/this-saturday-january-7th-2012-on-grecosize-and-greco-lean-fit-for-life/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:00:01 +0000 greco http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3357 This Saturday on Grecosize and Greco Lean & Fit for Life:

    • Tonys tips on reaching your fitness goals for 2012
    • Nutritional habits you need to ditch this year
    • Tony will also take your health and fitness questions

    Team1200 Grecosize Promo: Download audio file (Grecosize-Jan-4.mp3)

    CFRA Greco Lean & Fit for Life Promo: Download audio file (Greco-Promo-CFRA-Jan-4.mp3)

    Tune in this Saturday at 7AM on CFRA, or 9AM on Team 1200 to listen live or by podcast on the Team 1200 website.

    To listen to full previous shows, click here.

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/this-saturday-january-7th-2012-on-grecosize-and-greco-lean-fit-for-life/feed/ 0     Listen to Today’s (January 4th, 2012) GymBag Segment on Team1200 http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-4th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-4th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:20:23 +0000 Adrian http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3342 Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on January 4th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

    • How to make great sex!

     Download audio file (Gym-Bag-Jan-4-2012.mp3)

    ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/listen-to-today%e2%80%99s-january-4th-2012-gymbag-segment-on-team1200/feed/ 0     Greco Health and Fitness Tips of the Week! http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-25/ http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-25/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:00:43 +0000 Adrian http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/?p=3331
  • Don’t work your abdominal muscles every day. “Physiologically, your abs are like any other muscle in your body,” says David Pearson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an exercise scientist at Ball State University. Train them only 2 or 3 days a week.
  • Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth when you do crunches. “It will help align your head properly, which helps reduce neck strain,” says Michael Mejia, C.S.C.S., Men’s Health exercise advisor.
  • If you’re under 40, hold your stretches for 30 seconds. If you’re over 40, hold them for 60 seconds. As you reach your 40s, your muscles become less pliable, so they need to be stretched longer.
  • To catch a pop fly in the sun, use your glove to shade your eyes. It’s bigger than your free hand and puts the leather in perfect position to snag the ball.
  • Keep your weight workouts under an hour. After 60 minutes, your body starts producing more of the stress hormone cortisol, which can have a testosterone-blocking, muscle-wasting effect.
  • Roll a golf ball across the carpet to improve your putting. The distance doesn’t matter. Just toss it by hand and try to make it stop at a specific target. You’ll hone your ability to judge speed and line without even picking up a club.
  • Exhale forcefully at the top of the movement when you do abdominal crunches. It forces your abs to work harder.
  • Don’t worry about specific rest periods between sets. Instead, rest as you need it—less in your early sets when your muscles are fresh, and more as they become fatigued. “You’ll cut your workout time between 15 and 20 percent,” says Staley.
  • To hit more home runs, swing with a slight uppercut at high pitches. The high swing utilizes your powerful hip and midsection muscles instead of just your hands and arms.
  • To come open for a pass in football, run near enough to your defender that you can shake his hand. The closer you get, the easier it’ll be to blow past him. As you close in on him, shorten your strides without slowing down—it’ll help you cut faster.
  • When you cycle, keep your pace between 80 and 110 rpm. You’ll ride farther and faster with less fatigue and knee strain. To gauge your pace, count how many times your right leg comes to the top of the pedal stroke in 10 seconds, then multiply that number by 6. The result is your pedal rpms.
  • Between sets, take 20 to 30 seconds to stretch the muscle you just worked. Boston researchers found that men who did this increased their strength by 20 percent.
    • ]]>     http://grecoleanandfit.com/blog/2012/01/greco-health-and-fitness-tips-of-the-week-25/feed/ 0