Presenting our beautiful, zen new Yoga Studio – opening on December 1st at our Beech Street Location! The website and schedule to be updated shortly, please call 613 565 6060 for more information. There will be an Opening Promo in which you wont want to miss! Please call for details.

Our newest location on Sparks Street in Ottawa is creating a lot of buzz in the City!

If you haven’t been fortunate enough to visit our new Sparks Street location for yourself, be sure to come to our Grand Opening event on Friday Dec 9th, 2011! You may win one of our Great Prizes including a free membership (Several to be won)! Also, buy bestselling book “The Looney Spoons Collection” directly from the co-author Janet Podleski or bring in your own copy as Janet will be signing books from 11am-1pm at the event!

Below are some photos of the Greco on Sparks Street:

Yes, our Holiday Promo is still on!

Have you heard about our Holiday Promo? Now’s your chance to save upto $300.oo on the Legendary 10 week Lean and Fit program. Call 613 825 LEAN for details, hurry Offers ends soon!

Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on November 23rd, 2011. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

• Tony talks about how to Burn Fat Fast!

Listen below:

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Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb cleaned squid
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 small red onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (3/4 lb), halved or quartered if large
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions:

• Rinse squid under cold running water, then lightly pat dry between paper towels. Halve tentacles lengthwise and cut bodies (including flaps, if attached) crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide rings.
• Cook squid in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just opaque, 40 to 60 seconds. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. When squid is cool, drain and pat dry.
• Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then stir in onion and let stand 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine squid, olives, tomatoes, celery, and parsley in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

I started training at Greco Kanata in September of 2010 weighing 128 lbs. with a body fat percentage of 24%.  I was unhappy with the way I  looked and had low energy and very little strength.  I had tried a few  other gyms, but lacked the self motivation to get any results from them.  I  started with the Lean and Fit classes and from them, I got down to 116lbs and  15% body fat after a few months.  I then started some personal training  with Matt Sicoli and lost a further 8lbs. and down to 12% body fat, with a lot more  muscle definition.  It’s been a huge change for me as far as energy and  strength…when I started I could not do even one push up from my feet.  On  Halloween at the Kanata Greco there was a push up competition after the class  and I did 73 in a row…huge difference in strength!

Join us Friday December 9th, 2011 in the heart of the City at 132 Sparks Street for our Grand Opening Event!

We will start our event at 6am with the Team 1200 morning show “Three Guys on the Radio” who will be broadcasting on site with JR, Steve and Jungle Jim!

The event will conclude at 6pm with our last class of the day.

More highlights include:

• FREE Lean and Fit Classes open to the public to try! Click here for class schedules
• Live DJ on location!
• Live radio broadcast from 6am-10am!



• Bestselling Author Janet Podleski (The Looney Spoons Collection) at 11:00am for Book Signing!
• Great give aways including Lean and Fit Memberships!
• Healthy snacks and food!
• Popeyes Sports Supplements will be there!
• Surprises & much more!

Come in an experience the Greco Lifestyle for yourself, it will be an event that YOU WONT WANT TO MISS! See you all there.

Contact the Greco Sparks Street location for more details.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• skewers

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear.

• Go faster for shorter distances to improve your running form. You’ll not only perform better, but you’ll also be less susceptible to injuries.
• Lift light weights fast to build strength. Your muscles will generate as much force as if you were lifting a heavier weight more slowly. Try it with the bench press: Use a weight that’s 40 to 60 percent of what you can lift one time, and do eight sets of three repetitions, pushing the weight up as fast as possible. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
• When you do reverse crunches and hanging knee raises, round your back by rolling your hips and pelvis toward your chest, instead of simply raising your legs. Otherwise, you’re mainly working your hip flexors—the muscles at the top of your thighs
• 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,” says Ballantyne.
• 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.
• Do this simple jumping exercise to improve your vertical leap: Stand on the edge of a step that’s about8 incheshigh. 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,” says Brittenham. 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 about500 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,” says John Raglin, Ph.D., an exercise researcher. As you near the end of the 4 weeks, you’ll have a new habit and will then be able to progress to greater amounts of exercise.
• Push from your toes when you do leg presses. Your quadriceps will work harder.
• Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.
• When dining out, eat only half and take the remainder home. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories!! and that’s not even counting the bread, appetizers, beverages and dessert.

Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on November 9th, 2011. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

• Susan Gray was our guest to speak about the Foundation to Fight Obesity in Children and the upcoming “Greco Gives Back” gala

Listen below:

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 Learn more about the Foundation to Fight Obesity in Children here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp mild chili powder
• 1 Tbsp + 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 tilapia fillets (6 oz each)
• 3/4 c Israeli couscous
• 3 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 c chopped scallions
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 c diced avocado
• 2 sliced grilled lemons (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat grill or grill pan and prepare couscous according to package instructions.
2. Combine chili powder and 1 tablespoon olive oil; brush over tilapia. Grill fish for about 2 minutes on each side.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce, scallions, parsley, and avocado. Fold into couscous and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Place each fillet on a bed of couscous; garnish plate with grilled lemon (optional).

I joined Greco towards the end of December 2009/ January 2010. The motive had been to lose all the weight (~ 60 lbs) I had gained the past 2 years and lead a healthier lifestyle; I had been battling severe degenerated herniated discs in my back. Within few weeks I realized that the Lean & Fit Program is effective, but more so when I consciously altered my eating habits and substituted the ‘bad’ snacks with healthier choices. The weight came off noticeably. In the summer of 2011, I took on a new challenge and started ‘Personal Training’ with Jake Wright. We had 1 goal in mind: core strength to protect the herniated discs. Within 2 months I saw unbelievable results: a muscle fort surrounding my core. Now Jake is helping me build upper body strengths and muscle form. While Lean & Fit changed my life, PT with Jake redefined it. This young man knows what he is doing.

End results: lost 14% body fat, have not had back pain in over 1.5 years, leading a happier lifestyle, and through this journey made great friends at Greco Kanata. Now it is my lifestyle- and I chose it smartly and happily.

Some fabulous photos from the Greco Studio located at the OAC! Kudos to the Greco OAC Staff! Wonderful costumes.

The winner of the Costume Contest is Adam Fata with his unique costume “Nona carrying a baby on her back”.

• 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. 
• Set your goals in reverse. That is, pick a date of completion and work backward, writing down short-term goals as you go. “The goals then seem more like deadlines,” says Ballantyne.
• When running uphill, keep your head up and your eyes focused on the top of the hill. This opens your airways, making it easier to breathe than if your upper body were hunched forward.
• Do your ab exercises at the beginning of your workout if you can’t pass this test: Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your legs bent—as if you had just performed a situp. Then place your fingers behind your ears with your elbows pulled back. Lower yourself to the floor as slowly as possible. “If it doesn’t take at least 5 seconds, you need to prioritize your abdominal training,” says the Australian strength coach Ian King.
• To build speed and endurance, train like a Kenyan: Go slowly for the first third of your run, at a normal pace in the middle third, and at a faster-than-normal pace at the end. Gradually increase your starting pace each week, and you’ll increase your normal and fast paces, too.
• To hit a golf ball farther, take some practice swings from the opposite side. It strengthens and balances your muscles, which may help you clear that water hazard. Do a few opposite swings on the first three or four holes, or for a minute at the driving range.
• Don’t forget the sweet potato.
• Use baby spinach as lettuce in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.
• If time is an issue, spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.
• If you really hate vegetables and love fruit, eat plenty of them. They are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes, and melons).
• Enjoy Vegetable soup because it does count as a vegetable.

This Saturday on Grecosize and Greco Lean & Fit for Life:

• Nutritionist Kathleen Turner from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute will talk about cutting back on salt
• Tips about optimum fat burning

Team1200 Grecosize Promo:

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CFRA Greco Lean & Fit for Life Promo:

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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.