Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on May 16th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

• The importance Off-Ice Hockey Training and starting early

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The new training studio at our Upper Hunt Club location (Queensdale Avenue) has been getting rave reviews!

Complete with our new graffiti logo on wall and beautiful stone finishings. A soothing atmosphere that motivates you to workout hard!

• To build speed and endurance: 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.
• Decrease the weight by 10 percent when you change your grip. So if you’ve been benchpressing 135 pounds for 10 repetitions with a medium grip, drop to 120 pounds when you switch to a wide grip. “You’ll be stressing your joints and muscles in a different way than they’re used to, which can cause injury”.
• For faster foot speed in sports, try this move: Start with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at your sides. Lift your left foot in front of you, touch it with your right hand, and lower it to the floor. Lift your right foot, touch it with your left hand, and lower it. Then touch your left foot behind you with your right hand, then your right foot behind you with your left hand. Go for 20 seconds at a time, moving as fast as you can, and repeat for a total of three to five sets.
• Recover faster from a hard workout by lightly exercising the same muscles the following day. Use a light weight—about 20 percent of the weight you can lift one time—and do two sets of 25 repetitions. This will deliver more blood and nutrients into your muscles so they repair faster.
• It’s fun to meet while going for a run or a walk.
• Take a break, sometimes you really do need time off.
• When you change up your workouts, it doesn’t feel like work.
• Attend complimentary classes at studios, go for runs, hikes, swims – you name it.
• Because the feeling of fullness in the stomach can take as long as twenty minutes to register to the brain, it is important to regulate how much food is ingested before waiting for a full-feeling.
• Buy only workout clothes that are black, white, or gray. They’ll go with everything, and you’ll never again waste time looking for a T-shirt that matches your gold-and-purple Lakers shorts.
• Eat meat—4 to 8 ounces every day—to grow more muscle. A study compared two groups of older male weight lifters: One group ate meat, the other didn’t. Both groups grew stronger, but only the carnivores gained significant muscle. Chicken, turkey, and fish count, too.
• 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.
• 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”.
• 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.

Stay on top of the latest in Health and Fitness with Grecosize…Learn about getting fit, staying fit and enjoying a healthier leaner lifestyle with Greco Lean and Fit for Life…

• We talk to Carol, a busy mom of 5 who will share her success story
• We’ll be tackling problems with your joints and what to do about it
• The benefits of yoga and details about the Greco Open House on Beech Street

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.

Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on May 9th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

• The importance of nutrition for athletes and in general
• Move it or lose it – being active on the weekends!

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Join us on the “Beech” this Friday and Saturday!

Come join us for this exclusive event at Greco Beech Street - Bring in your family members and friends to Beech St. and take the Greco challenge!

Friday May 11^th and Saturday May 12^th

For more details on the event, click here!

• Moderation involves learning how much food is enough and how much is too much.
• Exercise companions add a social element to any routine. Ask a friend to be your workout partner — you won’t skip a workout if someone is waiting for you.
• When you have a positive self-image, you value and respect your body; you are also more likely to feel good about living a healthy lifestyle.
• Get new tunes, when you´re feeling unmotivated, add some new music to the mix. It keeps things fresh, fun and interesting.
• The friendship and support of others will make it easier for you pass through the sometimes difficult transition from old to new behaviors.
• Use dumbbells, barbells, and machines—in that order. “The smaller, stabilizer muscles you use with dumbbells fatigue before your larger muscle groups,” says Charles Staley, a strength coach in Las Vegas.  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.
• Dilute juice with water.
• Have mostly veggies for lunch.
• Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet soft drink for your afternoon drink.
• If vegetables are boring for you to eat, try dribbling maple syrup over carrots or sprinkling chopped nuts on green beans.
• Mix three different kinds of beans with some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.
• 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”.
• 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 a strength coach.

Stay on top of the latest in Health and Fitness with Grecosize…Learn about getting fit, staying fit and enjoying a healthier leaner lifestyle with Greco Lean and Fit for Life…

• Ashley Gilbank as she prepares to inline skate across Canada for D.I.F.D (Do It For Daron)
• Publisher Cu Van Ha on the new TotalFit Magazine Featuring Georges St-Pierre
• Whyyour failing at fitness and what you need to do about it!

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.

• Press your thumb into the bench before lifting. “If you can feel the wood, find another bench,” says a chiropractor. 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.
• 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.
• Developing a healthy, positive image of yourself is the first critical factor in your fitness success.
• The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
• Start by incorporating bursts of speed into your workouts. After a gentle warm-up, alternate a fast pace with a slower one for recovery.
• Written goals are a tangible sign of a promise that you intend to keep.
• Get into a routine, it’s all about establishing good habits.
• Use a bench to squat with perfect form. That is, stand in front of the bench when you squat. Lower yourself as if you were sitting down. When your butt touches the bench, push yourself back up. Try it with a light bar or a broomstick first.
• Eat immediately after your workout. A 12-week study found that older men who drank a shake with10 grams of protein, 7 grams of carbohydrate, and 3 grams of fat (about the same as in a cup of milk) within 5 minutes after their weight workout gained muscle, but men who consumed the drink 2 hours later did not. For a serious postworkout muscle-building shake, try this formula: Blend a half cup of fat-free frozen chocolate yogurt, a quarter cup of egg substitute, a cup of fat-free milk, a large banana, and a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, and drink. You’ll down 23 grams of protein, 52 grams of carbs, and only 4 grams of fat.
• Do lunges in reverse. This forces your front leg to work throughout the entire exercise. Use the same movement pattern as in a traditional lunge, but step backward instead of forward.
• If you have a finger that is frequently jammed, tape it to a neighboring finger when you play sports. Together the two fingers will be stronger and less likely to bend at an odd angle.
• Lift weights to run faster. A study  found that 8 weeks of resistance training improved experienced runners’ 5-K times by 30 seconds.

Stay on top of the latest in Health and Fitness with Grecosize…Learn about  getting fit, staying fit and enjoying a healthier leaner lifestyle with Greco Lean  and Fit for Life…

• How to lose 20lbs in one month
• Secrets to a longer life
• Why are you so tired all the time
• Steve Ducat talks about finding time for fitness while running Rideauview Golf Club

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.

My name is Sharon and I’m 35 years old. I joined Greco Kanata October 28th, 2011. And today I am in the best shape of my life!

I had my kids in 2006 and 2007 … And for the next couple of years it was all about survival!

Between my family, friends, and volunteer roles in Kanata, I found it extremely tough to eat healthy and get back into shape. I tried various ‘quick fix’ and ‘lose weight fast’ programs but nothing worked. I was eating poorly and had almost no energy – hard to raise kids 16 months apart when I was living coffee to coffee

Finally in the summer of 2011 myself and some girlfriends decided to run a half marathon. Training begun. It was tough! But we all did it – ran my first half marathon in September … and my second half marathon in October. The week after I decided enough was enough and it was time to join a gym. Many of my friends were already members at Greco and convinced me to come.  I had no idea what to expect but these friends all looked incredible so I joined. The next day I did my first class.

During my first class, I realized 2 things – 1. I couldn’t even do 1 pushup, and 2. I was in terrible shape. I looked around me and as everyone was giving it their all as I was trying to find the best excuse to leave! Thankfully, Megan (@Greco Kanata) never let me stop. I stayed for the entire class. From then on, I started attending classes about 4 times per week.

It’s been 6 months, I’m in the best shape of my life! I’ve turned flab into FAB ~ 18% body fat! I’ve shaved MINUTES off my runs – ran my best 5K/10K to date – 24:53min./58:44 (previously 28:20/1:01:39) and I can do 100 pushups in a single class. I find I have more confidence, energy, and positivity. My eating habits are great not just from routine, but from knowledge of what I’ve been shown/guided through over the past 6 months.

This summer I’m competing in my first Spartan Race as well as Ottawa Race Weekend 10K. My goals are not to ‘just’ complete this time, but to excel!

I might have taken the first step through the door, but the staff at Greco Kanata have really paved the way for me to succeed.

Its been 7 years since I started lean and fit.  I started in 2005 when Greco only had the one location in Barrhaven – I still remember the days of Kelly and Todd, Josh, and even your advanced classes one night a week!  When I started Lean and Fit, I was 172 lbs (keep in mind I am 5’7), my BMI and Body fat percentage were well over 20% ( I think BMI was 26 and Body Fat was 26.9%). Now, my body fat fluctuates between 13 – 16% and weight is around 145 lbs.  I recently got married and have put on a little weight, but a year ago, in my prime, I reached 13% body fat and 135 lbs.

Lean and fit has changed my life – it has given me self confidence, It has given me positive energy.  I feel amazing and formally wanted to thank you and your team in Barrhaven (I was there from 2005 until Kanata opened) and Kanata (opening until now).

Thanks again, Anik Dattani

From EatingWell.com

Bring out the flavors of salmon with a Japanese-inspired infusion of ginger, sesame oil and wasabi.

• 2 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) wasabi powder (see Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) honey
• 1 pound(s) salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip)
• 2  scallions, finely chopped
• 1  egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoon(s) minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon(s) toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Whisk soy sauce, wasabi powder and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
2. With a large chef’s knife, chop salmon using quick, even, straight-up-and-down motions (do not rock the knife through the fish or it will turn mushy). Continue chopping, rotating the knife, until you have a mass of roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions, egg, ginger and oil; stir to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties. The mixture will be moist and loose, but holds together nicely once the first side is cooked.
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the patties and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until firm and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Spoon the reserved wasabi glaze evenly over the burgers and cook for 15 seconds more. Serve immediately.

Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on April 25th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

• Discussion on Claude Giroux and Tony’s recent visit with him
• Avoiding injury and the importance of stretching

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I was working in the bar seen, I basically drank nightly, came home to sleep all day then ate whatever I wanted and began drinking again.  My life was becoming a blur and my family were becoming worried.  I honestly did not see what they saw, you know what they say ” a few drinks make you see things differently” well with me I never saw myself as big, I didn’t really care about anything.  I went to school, just functioning for the couple of hours but my head wasn’t in it.

When I joined Greco, I couldn’t do one lap, I did the plank from my knees and that was hard.  The trainers (Matt and Cody) pushed me but supported me everyday making returning to the gym not a challenge anymore but a commitment!  Sometimes they even gave my “life coach” advice lol.

NOW, I eat right, I think about the foods I eat that will give my body the nutrients and energy to do the things I love to do.  I love to workout now, challenging myself daily and setting goals that I never thought I would reach.  I care about when and how much I drink, knowing that my body will not be able to function the same the next day if I drink too much.

My relationships with my family and friends have changed too… I guess I had a bad attitude towards them for a long time.  My mom says Greco saved my life and theirs.

I honestly feel 100% different, happy and alive and …most of the time sore!  (from the workouts)