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For those of you following the blog, I did a month experiment with Creatine and HMB from Blonyx. I took the Creatine + HMB product in the morning and at night on training days.  In the morning I took it in my smoothie with Protein egg

Blonyx Creatine + HMB

powder , almond milk, banana and peanut butter. In the evening I took it with coconut water.  Anecdotally , I noticed an effect on recovery being less sore. I did not translate this into extra high intensity workouts as one could if they were so inclined. I stuck with my schedule of M W F heavy lifting and kettle bells and Tuesday and Thursday running and core work. During the one month trial I had 80% success rate in workouts as I missed a couple Fridays due to travel. In total I did 1o heavy lifting sessions (of 12 scheduled) and 6 runs (of 8 scheduled). My first testing session was in the afternoon but my second was in the morning. I think this accounted for the lack of improvement in vertical jump as I tend to be a bit stiffer in the morning and require a  longer warm up (time which I did not have in this case).

Here are the results:

Sept 7 2011               August 7th 2011

Broad Jump                        88″                                 86 1/2″

Vertical Jump                   20 1/2″                          21 ”

Clean 1RM                           175 lbs                          165 lbs

Deadlift 1 RM                      375 lbs                         355 lbs

Bench Press 1 RM              225 lbs                         205 lbs

Squat 1 Rm                           335 lbs                         305 lbs

Weighted Chin Up 3rm        70 lbs                       45 lbs

I definitely saw an improvement in strength and recovery ability. I am doing another month trial, this time adding the creatine and HMB in my post workout shake of egg protein, pumpkin protein and coconut water (which has electrolytes). I did this yesterday for the first time and felt great post workout, which was particularly heavy (DL 370 lbs x 2).

I will post my results again at the end of October.

Vncouver Pesonal Trainer Craig Boyd meets his goal of a 400 lb deadlift @ 170 lb bw =235% of bw

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, CrossFit coaches and boot camp instructors. He enjoys coaching people of all levels who want to see results. His websites are http://www.precisionathletics.ca/ and http://precision-bootcampvancouver.com/

I went by a free running clinic put on by Newton Runners today. The coach was Steve Mackel from SoCalrunning.com .

Steve is in town for the Vancouver Marathon. He is a certified CHI running coach as well as a Newton Natural running clinic teacher. We had a great time. Steve gave us a brief technique talk on natural running. His personal style is influenced by CHI running and he did a great job of incorporating that into the natural running talk. Steve also gave us a bit of shoe knowledge regarding profile (is the heel or toe higher-most shoes have a lift from toe to heel our foot prefers to land flat). Then we got out and did some drills.

Steve Mackel in Vancouver for Newton Natural Running Clinic to discuss forefoot running

I really liked Steve’s approach we started top down (head to foot) and worked on whole body alignment, core engagement and foot placement. We did all of the drills at three speeds so we could work on technique.

The best three things I learned were:

1. Proper alignment with core engaged- Steve had a great test where you could press down on someones shoulders very hard if they were stacked with their core engaged. I found I was not in neutral pelvic tilt, I was anterior tilted and core NOT engaged.
2. Speed increases- He showed us how to increase our speed by picking our heel up higher behind us and the same for arm swing. Great to have these small tips for that last few Km’s when you feel like your are dying you can concentrate on one thing to keep or increase your speed.
3. Foot position- We started with the basics of foot positioning. Sounds obvious, but next race you are at check the varied foot positions you see (internally or externally rotated). Foot position will affect the rest of your posture. So you cannot be getting in proper alignment if your feet are not properly placed. We did some great drills for this.

Steve was really personable and funny. He made the time fly by. I will be following his blog posts and running tips. Thanks to Forerunners and Newton runners for sponsoring this event.

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, CrossFit coaches and boot camp instructors. He is an avid forefoot runner and has taken work shops on POSE, CHI and Natural running. His websites are http://www.precisionathletics.ca/ and http://precision-bootcampvancouver.com/

The chin up is a tough exercise. First of all it directly relates your strength to your body weight. To improve your number of chin ups you need to improve your strength and decrease your body weight or at least not increase it or your strength gains will be lost.

Vancouver Personal Trainer Taunya Loeppky does a chin up

So how do I improve my total number of chin ups? Practice , practice , practice. Also, chin ups is one of those exercises where avoiding failure will help you improve your total numbers.

First start with a test. do as many dead hang chin ups as you can in a row. Your chest should touch the bar and your elbows come behind you. No kipping for these pull ups (using your body to generate extra momentum making the chin up easier).

Now divide that number in 1/2 and do that number of reps 6 times throughout the day, 3 x a week  for two weeks. I suggest getting a doorway chin up bar. They have them at winners for $25.  At the end of the day attempt a set of 75% of your max. Its OK if you do not make 75% on the first couple times.

Week 3 you will preform60% of your max 7 times and  one set 90% at the end of the day, do this 2 x per week.

After week 3 , rest a couple days and retest your max.  Then repeat the 3 week program again.

I would remove vertical pulling (pulling from overhead)from your other workouts. Low volume (one or two sets)  horizontal pulling is ok.

Example: Keith can do 12 chin ups with good form. He will do six sets of six reps 3 x a week. He will also try to do one set of 9 at the end of the day. After two weeks he will do 7 sets of 7 reps and one set of 10, 2 days per week.

If you post your max in the next week and your results at the end of February and  March and you will be eligible to win a prize – A precision athletics Dry -fit training shirt. Post a picture and I will throw in a pair of training sessions with me or a month of classes 2 x a week, your choice.

This program was originally posted on John Roman’s fitness blog http://romanfitnesssystems.com/blog/how-to-double-your-pullups-in-6-weeks

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp instructors, CrossFit coaches and Nutrition coaches. Craig enjoys coaching people of all levels of fitness that want to improve. His company websites are www.precisionathletics.ca and www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com .  Feel free to email him your questions at Craig@precisionathletics.ca

This is the first in a series of posts on forefoot running. Basically, forefoot running is landing on the mid foot instead of having your heel strike first.

Our feet are not designed to land heel first. Our ancestors ran barefoot. Try it. Run with no shoes on and you will naturally land on the mid part of your foot. Watch children they run on the balls and mid foot. Modern running shoes are of heel support. This encourages a heel first landing. Running barefoot is a great way to strengthen the muscles in the foot and ankle. However, most people run in areas where foot wear is required for safety purposes.

What is wrong with landing heel fist? Landing heel first usually occurs with the knee straight. This leads to force transfer from the ground into your leg. Because your knee is straight the force is transferred up into your knees hips and back. Many runners complain of knee pain.

A heel first landing usually results in slowing the runner down as they roll from heel to toe to take the next step. The

Heel first landing- causes force transfer to the shins and knees

more time a runner  is spending on the ground the less they are spending in the air. Essentially more ground time equals less air time and a less efficient running pattern. Efficient running has less ground time than time in the air (when neither foot is contacting the ground). Logically the less time on the round the less time  force is being absorbed by the body.

In this photo you can see the runner is leading with the heel and it is out front of their body. This will lead to the heel striking first and a long period spent rolling form heel to toe.

Mid-Foot strike note calf is loaded, knee is bent and foot is not reaching out front.

In this picture the athlete is landing with a mid-foot strike. When landing on the mid-foot you will note the knee is slightly bent and the calf (gastroc and soleus muscles) is loaded. The calf is now absorbing the shock instead of the knees and hips. Also note, the foot is no longer out front of the athlete. This will result in a shorter ground time as there is less contact area with the ground. No longer does the foot need to roll form heel to toe, for the next step to begin.

Look at all the money you can save with these free health and fitness tips

I did a presentation on this, recently and thought I would share it with my loyal reader(s).

How to get the most results from your fitness budget.

5) Healthy Eating at work- Most people make poor food choices at lunch and say” nothing healthy was available near my work”. If you are going to be eating 5 meals a week or 20 per month at one location you need those meals to be as healthy as possible. Pack your own lunch, ideally a balanced meal of protein, whole food carbohydrates, and essential fats. Better yet, form a lunch bunch with other healthy eaters at work. Then you would have to prepare a healthy meal for five one-time per week (or once per two weeks in a group of 10), instead of for yourself daily. We all know it’s much more reasonable to buy in bulk.  Simply place a sign-up sheet with strict rules for what the foods can be in your office reception or lunch room. A daily organic salad with grilled chicken, fish or meat prepared fresh that morning, and at low cost because you are buying in bulk is a great way to help eliminate food court cheat meal mistakes.

How does this strategy stack up against your current lunch regime?

4) Eat Organic where possible and naturally raised and non-medicated for meats where possible. These foods can seem more expensive when at the grocery counter compared side by side based solely on price. However, organic food has been found to be up to 20 x more nutrients dense.  Your body craves nutrients not calories. Therefore if you eat low nutrient high calorie food your body will still send hunger signals at it will be lacking nutrients. So, when you eat low nutrient food it costs more than the sticker as you are left low on nutrients and you eat again. Also, commercially farmed meats have a lot of hormones which help fatten up the animal. This ends up in your body working against your efforts in the gym.

Where can you eliminate low nutrient foods from your diet and replace them with organic whole food choices?

3) Take advantage of metabolic effects of training and diet. Weight training, including body weight exercise and sprinting for cardio instead of steady state cardio, have a greater metabolic effect after your session ends. Weight training and sprinting increase your metabolism for hours after you workout. This is like getting an extra workout in for frees (no trainer fees, gym fees or even time required). To maximize this effect, its best to train in the morning so your metabolism is working at a higher level all day (burning more calories at rest). For food, digesting protein has a positive metabolic effect (almost 10 calories). By having a small amount of protein with each meal and snack you can basically create the effect of an extra workout (400 -500 calories based on 4-5 small meals each with 2-4 oz protein).

What can you do to maximize your calories burned from metabolic effects?

2) Find a workout partner or join a group class. The extra motivation of working out with someone will push you harder. Additionally, you will have someone holding you accountable (your partner or the group). This accountability will lead to more consistency and consistency is the key to results. As a bonus having a workout partner is cheaper (60% the cost of a one on one session) and group fitness classes are much cheaper than having a one on one trainer.

Who do you know that wants to get fit and will hold you accountable?

1)Eliminating is free. Eliminate grains, sugar and alcohol for as many consecutive days as you can. All of these items cause inflammation. To fight the inflammation your body holds onto water. Eliminating the alcohol will also allow your liver to breakdown fat. Many people workout hard but their body is unable to process fat as a fuel source as it is busy processing fat. Sugar causes your body to release insulin. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. Your body will not be burning fat while you exercise if you are eating sugar or high fructose corn syrup (found in soft drinks). The more days in a row you can go without having these items will increase your chances of burning fat while working out.

Where are you consuming these items that can be eliminated?

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp, and CrossFit  instructors. Check out his websites www.precisionathletics.ca and www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com.

November has come and gone. With it some of us set some goals and met them. Some set goals but  fell short. The question is, even if you fell short of your goal did you accomplish more than you would have with no goal at all? I know I did. I fell short on my no drinking goal by 3 days so got 27/30 on that one.

As far as the cardio goal I did well on the first half of the month 15/15 , second half of the month I got injured playing soccer and we had our baby so was a bit of a write off (total 20/30).

Definitely worth missing some workouts for

I will be testing to see how I did on the physical challenge goals and posting that here later this week.

Please post in the comments how you did on your goals so we can choose winners. Everyone loves prizes……

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp, and CrossFit  instructors. Check out his websites http://www.precisionathletics.ca/ and http://www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com

As a person o full time in the fitness industry, I get to see some strange stuff in the gym. I cannot post it all. However, a recent phenomenon has swept the gym I train out of. This applies to people who use the gym not my Vancouver personal training clients. I have been noticing an alarming increase in the number of workouts that center around the bicep curl.

You can summarize that most guys who workout want to have athletic looking arms. However, the amount of time and focus these guys are putting into bicep curls is pretty sad (for the results they will see). Not that the bicep curl is necessarily a bad exercise. However, basing an entire workout on an isolation movement is counter productive.

The bicep is a small muscle group and cannot move allot of weight relatively speaking. So if you are trying to increase the size of your arm by doing multiple sets of  an isolation movement (such as any of a variety of types of curls) you are not going to build allot of muscle.

What should I do to increase the size of my arms? Start with exercises that move allot of weight squats dead lifts, heavy pressing, chin ups (and weighted chin ups) and finish with isolation movements such as curls (if you have energy left). Skipping the movements where you can move heavy weight will produce very little muscle gains.

Think of your bodies capacity for exercise as a big hole in the ground. You are trying to fill the hole up. You can use big rocks, small rocks and sand. Squats and dead lifts are big rocks, pull ups, heavy pressing and rows are small rocks and bicep curls are sand. You are going to fill the hole better and faster by combining the big and small rocks and adding the sand on top. It is more efficient than trying to pack down all that sand.

Stay tuned next time for  the best bicep exercise (if you do need to do isolation work).

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp, and CrossFit  instructors. Check out his websites http://www.precisionathletics.ca/ and http://www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com/

Every November I do a personal challenge with my Vancouver  personal training and boot camp clients. What we do is choose one thing to give up for the month or add something in for the whole month. For myself I am doing no alcohol for the month and adding  20 minutes of cardio every day. Last month with only cutting alcohol I dropped 7 lbs and felt great.  

Would you like to join? Please add a comment with what you will be adding or dropping for the next 30 days. I am gathering prizes. Everyone who completes the challenge will be entered to win. If you only do cardio 28/30 days  you may still have a chance , let me know your totals. Prizes will be announced here next week.

Print this calendar and put you goal down and mark it off as you go.

My Goals 30 days no drinking, do 20 minutes of cardio 30 days (min 2 rows per week), 1 leg squat increase from10-25, overhead squat body weight x 1 current max 135 lbs, 10 full range handstand push ups current max 2, improve 500m row time from 1:37- 1:30 or below, L-sit 1:30 hold form :45s.

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, CrossFit and boot camp instructors. His company websites are http://www.precisionathletics.ca/  and http://precision-bootcampvancouver.com/

So you signed up for next years Ironman Canada or another Ironman race, what next? here are my top training tips for preparing for an Ironman event. (many of these will apply to other big competitions)

Top 5 tips to prepare for Ironman:

#5 Get to know the course. I started by riding the course on my  compu-trainer in the winter. That way I had an idea how I would feel at each point (how will my legs feel at the first big climb etc). I would recommend attending a training camp where they familiarize you with the course if you can get to one.  For IMC try www.tri.netfor a week long or weekend supported training camp in Penticton, B.C. At the very least research the elevation profiles on-line and find terrain close to home to simulate it. I trained for Richter’s pass on the Canada Ironman course by riding mount Seymour. Mt. Seymour has a much tougher elevation profile. That way when I got to Richter’s I knew I would be fine.

#4 Start training and racing early. After signing up for IMC, I immediately got serious on my swimming and got into some masters programs. As for racing we signed up for the first 1/2 Iron offered close to here Shawnigan lake 1/2 Iron. It is good to get some feedback on how your winter training went early in the season.

#3 Acclimatize. Get used to the racing conditions. I did the Osooyos 1/2 ironman to get used to racing in the heat (was 36+that day). I also stayed in Osoyoos the following week and trained for even more punishment. However, that made the day of the Ironman seem not that hot.

#2 Rest and recovery. As your volumes of training increase so should your recovery and sleep. If you are adding 5 more hours of volume then make sure your recovery (massage, ice baths, etc.) and sleep increase as well.

#1 Nutrition. I know everyone thinks they eat healthy. To complete a race like this you have to know your body what it needs and what it does not like while exercising. I found out that the bars I was eating on the bike were not digesting , so had to switch to liquid calories (I used carbo-pro liquid it has calories and electrolytes). The result was zero cramping at IMC , even though I cramped at all three races previously in year. I would also recommend Brendan Braziers book the thrive diet. he does a good job of explaining nutritional stress. Basically foods that are causing nutritional stress add to your total stress. When you add in stress form job, training, life the last place you need to be adding stress is your diet. He is a vegan, I did not switch to no meat, but I did use allot of his recipes. Especially good was the home-made electrolyte drink (coconut water, lemon,lime and ginger) and recovery pudding (banana, dates, and hemp protein). The meals and snacks in the book are extremely easy to digest and you can feel the effect especially after a hard training session.

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, crossfit and boot camp instructors. His company websites are http://www.precisionathletics.ca/  and http://precision-bootcampvancouver.com/