Everyday at our Markham Boot Camp, I get at least one person who approaches me and is in complete shock with regards to their weight and how none of their clothes fit them the way they used to.

A lot of times, they say things like:

“I don’t know how this happened!  I do cardio 3 times per week.”  (Sorry not good enough.)

“I eat healthy most of the time.”

“I have bad genetics, most of my family is overweight.” (Worst excuse ever!)

The list of excuses goes on and on.  And it only takes me a few questions to find out that it’s not 1 or 2 big things that they’re not doing right.  Most of the time it’s a combination of 5-6 small things that they’re not doing right.  Which over the course of only 1-3 years, can equate to anywhere from 5-30 pounds of fat gain.

The following is a list of things that a lot of people do on a daily basis, that results in weight gain.  Most of the time, this type of weight gain will just creep up on you.  But, if you find that you participate in at least 2 of the following activities, then you shouldn’t be too shocked if your clothes are not fitting as good on you today as they were last year.

The great news is that you’re ready to actually do something about it… right?  It all starts with the decision to take action.  Check out my take on this article originally posted on HealthZone.ca

6 Things That Make You Fat

1. Potatoes – You say “Poh-tay-toe”, I say “Poh-tah-toe”…..  However way you say it, if you’re eating a lot of it (i.e. In the form of fried potatoes, potatoe chips, mashed potatoes, etc.,) you’re more likely to gain a ton of weight.  Stick to more whole grain alternatives instead!

2. Red meat – All meat (regular or processed) makes you gain.  Keep your portions controlled, and always aim for extra lean options.

3. Sugar – This should not surprise any of you.  Stay away from sugary drinks and desserts (and other highly processed carbs, such as white bread).  These will make you bulge and feel bloated.  Eat more fruits! If you want to see how much sugar are in certain products, click here

4. Lifting light – The method of lifting light weights at higher repetitions is old school.  If you REALLY want to burn more calories, you have to lift heavier weights to build lean muscle.  (Especially you ladies!  Don’t be afraid to lift heavy, you WON’T get ‘bulky’.)

5. Sleep Deprivation – This has a HUGE impact on your waistline. When you’re tired or you stay up late, you’re more likely to eat to gain energy.  Unfortunately, most people will reach for the most convenient food options (i.e. junk food).  If you’re training, you need sleep to allow your body to recover as well.  You should all aim for at least 6 hrs of sleep.  But I would encourage you to get 7-8 hrs of sleep.

6. TV – Apparently, research studies suggest that watching 3 hours of television a day adds five pounds every 20 years. Exercise does the opposite.

It is called the FIT WALL, and is probably one of the most unique workouts I have ever tried in my entire life!    When you see it in a video, it really doesn’t do it justice.  It is definitely one of those things that you just have to try for yourself in order to see how it affects your body.

In a nutshell, here are my notes on the Fit Wall:

WHAT IS FITWALL?

• FitWall is Vertical Training - YOU ARE THE MACHINE!!!
• By removing horizontal support & stabilization, the body is forced to fire every muscle
• It was created by DOUG BRENDLE and brought to Canada by:  BONNIE GOLDMACHER
• Done in 30 minute group sessions with a a Certified Trainer
• Great Energy
• 30 minutes because:  it is the only mode of exercise where you get strength, cardio, and flexibility all in one
• Over 9000 documented exercises using the wall, and it’s attachments (bands, straps, bar, step).
• Uses 600 muscles at once, automatically gets the heart rate up fast – leads to high caloric burn
• Decompresses all the joints while stretching you, so it’s amazing for people with joint issues

WHO CAN USE FITWALL?

• Anyone that is able-bodied to go on FitWall, children included
  
• Any busy individual that needs to burn a lot of calories in a minimum amount of time

BENEFITS OF FITWALL?

• Quick and efficient (which is what most people want nowadays).  It only takes seconds to transition from exercise to exercise
• Can be used for rehab
• Beginner to advanced levels can participate.
  
• It’s unique, and most of all, it’s FUN!  It’s just a great change of pace from ‘regular workouts’

Below is my most my most recent segment on Global’s The Morning Show, where I went on site at Fit Wall’s first location on Canada, to train the ‘lady-hosts’ of The Morning Show, Kris Reyes, Liza Fromer and Daru Dhillon.  Check it out:

For more information, you can visit their website:  http://fitwall.ca/

It is officially March 2012.  For those of you that don’t know, this is my birthday month!  This year is especially a special one for me because….

I AM GETTIN’ DOWN AND DIRTY, AND AM TURNING….. 30!!!!

Yes the big THREE-OH!  I know I know, my ‘older’ boot campers and clients all think that I’m a young pup….and I am!  But, for whatever reason, people have thought that I was 30 years old back when I turned 25!  I don’t know what it was… maybe I am just an old soul.

Anyways, I wanted to make this month a special one for myself AND for all of you.  So throughout the month of March, I will be making some cool announcements and will be giving away tons of cool things.

Starting with the following:

For the month of March, you will receive classes at our Markham Boot Camp for as low as $14 per class! (Taxes not included).

If you are a new boot camper, you can receive $30 OFF a ny of our boot camp memberships.  For more information, shoot us an email at:  investinfitness@gmail.com

That’s it for now.  Stay tuned for more March Specials!

But, before you go, check out the craziness I did last year!  If this is the first time you’ve seen this, you’ll definitely get a kick out of it.  Here’s a little taste

WIN A DATE WITH RAY ORTIZ <— CLICK HERE

Talk to you soon Mutha#FOGRs!

-  Ray

And guess what… statistics show that 88% of Fitness New Year’s Resolutions FAIL by the time March rolls around.

Ask yourself a question:  “Have I been doing everything I can to reach my goals in 2012?”  If the answer is no, then it’s time to reset and start planning a course of action.

My job every week is to try and motivate my clients and Markham Boot Campers.  I write emails, I make telephone calls, Facebook posts, I text, I bbm, I tweet, and then I try to encourage as much as I can in class and during our training sessions.

But, sometimes it’s simply not enough.  So enough talking, I am going to let these pictures doing the talking.

If you need some inspiration, check out these INCREDIBLE Fat Loss Transformations from 2 of our boot campers, who are the 2011 Winners of our Bye Bye Body Fat Challenge.

I announced these winners back in December, but, I wanted to wait a bit to release their Before and After pictures in hopes of inspiring you to do your best and get Focused On Getting Results.

They were able to succeed at reaching their goals, so can you!

Check these out:

BRIAN is the 1st ever back to back winner of the Bye Bye Body Fat Challenge! Here are some of his incredible numbers:

• Decreased ‘scale body weight’ from 244 to 216 pounds!!! (Yowzas!)
• Decreased ‘scale body fat %’ from 25% to 10 %!!! (Holy mama!)
• Decreased ‘body fat pounds’ from 62 to 22 pounds !!! Overall decrease of 64%!!! (Ay caramba!)
• Since joining our boot camp last June 2010, Brian has lost a total of 71.4 pounds, and 45 inches off his entire body, which
• include 13 inches off his waist!!! (SWEET LAWD-A-MERRRRCY!)
• If you come to our Tues/Thur evening classes regularly, you can tell that Brian has been killing it in boot camp. Congrats brotha! Another new watch perhaps??
• Brian has come a long way, and has set even higher goals for himself.  He has decided to compete the first ever Canadian Kettlebell Sport Championships.  He has come a long way, and I cannot wait to see him train and compete for this amazing goal.

DAVE has been on a tear as of late too! His numbers are just as amazing. Check out some of his numbers:

• Decreased ‘scale body weight’ from 163 to 143 pounds!!! (HELLL-OH!)
• Decreased ‘scale body fat %’ from 21 to 14 %!!! (SAY WHHHHAT?!!)
• Decreased ‘body fat pounds’ from 34 to 21 pounds !!! Overall decrease of 38%!!! (BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!)
• Check out the washboard!  Congrats Dave!
  

So, I just wanted to share another segment I did for Global’s The Morning Show, this time we were talking about one of my FAVORITE pieces of fitness equipment ever….

The Lebert Equalizer

The reason why I love these Yellow Bars so much is because of it’s simplicity.  They are so simple, yet so versatile.  You can do so many different exercises, it takes 5-10 minutes to set up, and they are so durable that they could last a lifetime!

These can be found almost everywhere nowadays.  From your fully equipped big box gym to your local rehabilitation clinic.

You can take them anywhere you want too.  In fact, when I first started my in-home personal training business, The ‘EQ’s where my go-to fitness equipment for my clients, because they are so portable that I could just toss them in my trunk and head to my clients house, or even spice things up by training outdoors.

And not to mention that they are home-grown in my home country of Canada, invented by the BOSS, Marc Lebert.  If you are ever in the Toronto-Mississauga area, you should go check out his brand spanking new facility.  I did a Boxing class there, and got my A$$ Whooped…and love every minute of it.

Check out his website for more details: http://www.gofitnessnation.com/

In the mean time, if you want to see my segment on the Morning Show, just click the video link below:

It’s called FRESH FUSION – www.MyFreshFusion.com

There is definitely not a lot of restaurants like this one anywhere!  And there really should be.  Unfortunately, people’s versions of ‘Fast Food’ usually come in the form of having to drive up to a window.  Here’s a general rule of thumb that you should all follow from “Food Rules” author, Michael Pollen:

IF IT COMES OUT OF A WINDOW IT IS NOT REAL FOOD

Here is a little Video Blog I made with the owner of Fresh Fusion, Nav Ghotra.  We have a really cool project that we’re working on together too.  STAY TUNED!

ENJOY!

Valentine’s day is usually a great excuse to hook up with your significant other and over-indulge in foods that are not good for you. For example, CHOCOLATE! Don’t get me wrong, I love doing that every now and then too. But how about this year, you use Valentine’s Day to mix things up and get into shape with your significant other in the comfort of your own home?

Here’s a great way to make sure that chocolate from your lover does not go straight to the “love handles” (*Har di har har)

Partner training – This concept of training is essentially a workout that involves performing joint exercises with at least one other person or more. This is a huge component of my MARKHAM BOOT CAMPS. There are a ton of benefits to partner training, including:

1. No equipment is needed
2. Social support and accountability
3. Provides a lot of variety
4. Naturally promotes competition, thus better results
5. It’s FUN!

Partner training definitely spices things up in our boot camps from time to time. The inner workout animal seem to come out whenever people workout with someone else. The fact is, you are simply pushed to the limit and there is no better way to make your body change and break out of a frustrating training rut. My clients and I always joke that we hear the funniest grunts and animal sounds during partner workouts. LOL=)

So grab that special someone and try out this get fat-loss workout together:

The Lover’s Workout for Valentine’s Day (Tabata Style Partner Training)

This 20-minute total body partner workout will consist of all body weight-based exercises. For each exercise at each outlined station below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest and transition before moving on to the next station listed:

Station 1 – Partner Resisted Squats and Push ups
Station 2 – Partner Resisted Stationary Lunges and Rows
Station 3 – Plank Circuit (i.e. Front and Side Planks)
Station 4 – Mountain Climbers and Reverse Crunches

Now go grab your special someone and be each other’s “Fit-Valentine!!!”

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY EVERYONE =)

p.s. Today’s workout was inspired by the greatest fit couple of all time Hal & Joanne =)  If you’re from Canada, you’d recognize them from those Body Break commercial encouraging all of us to “Keep Fit And Have Fun”.

How about “Keep FOGR and Have Fun”?  Does it have the same ring to it?  hahaha… Probably not!

Just STAY FOGR then! (Focused On Getting Results)

This past weekend was the NFL Super Bowl, between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.  Even though, this event is a lot bigger in the States than it is here in Canada, it’s still one of those weekends where people tend to over-indulge in a bunch of ‘not-so-healthy’ foods.

I don’t even really follow football myself.  In fact, I didn’t even watch it this year.  Apparently New York won?  Whoopty-Doo! (Can you feel my excitement? haha).

If you’re like me, you probably got a few invites to Super Bowl parties.  I actually received an email from a friend highlighting the exact menu being offered at his annual “Super Bowl Eat-Fest.”

Just to give you an idea of what was on the menu, here’s a list of just some of the foods provided:

• Chips and Dip
• Pizza
• Mac N Cheese
• Chilli
• Pop
• Beer

If you ended up at a Super Bowl party, I’m sure you had your share of ‘cheat foods’ as well.  I’ll be honest, in the past, I have been guilty of over-indulging.  But, I always made sure that I got in some full body circuit training to off-set the influx of calories.

At our Markham Boot Camp, we have this little mantra that we’re trying to live by on a daily basis.  It’s called FOGR and stands for:  Focused On Getting Results.  But, what you don’t know is that you can also use FOGR to help you live a healthy lifestyle on a daily basis.

Here are some tips on How To Recover From The Super Bowl:

F – FAR Away from Fat, Fast Foods, and Fried Foods.  STAY FAR AWAY FROM THEM!

O – Switch the letter ‘O’ with the number ‘zero’, and focus on 0 Calorie beverages.  High sugar drinks will totally sabotage your fat loss goals.  I highly suggest drinking more water and green teas.

G – Greens and fruits.  Eat more ‘real’ foods from the earth, and stay away from processed foods.

R – Resistance training.  This is your best bet towards burning a lot of calories and shedding unwanted fat.  The more you can apply full body, resistance training into your regular exercise routine, the more fat loss results you’ll be able to accomplish.

If you can apply these simple rules, every day this week, you will be well on your way to burning off the excess calories gained during Super Bowl weekend.  Not only that, you will be in a great rhythm to start off next week!

Stay #FOGR folks!

-  Ray

p.s.  Congratulations to the New York Giants on becoming 2012′s Super Bowl Champions!

The reason is because EVERYONE makes New Years Resolutions at the beginning of the year.  Unfortunately, most people give up by the time February comes along.

For whatever reason, people just lose that fire that they had on January 1st to make sure that they finally make this year THE year to reach their goals.  Being in the fitness industry for the last 10 years, I see people fall off year after year.  Heck, I’ve been guilty of this myself on numerous occasions.

But, I am constantly in search of ways to get my butt going in a positive direction.  And I know a lot of you out there can relate to this.

In my opinion, the first step to reaching your goals is to take a moment to be grateful for what you have.  When I do this, it puts me in the right frame of mind to focus on the next goal.

I’ve said this before, my blueprint for success is simple:  Be Better Than I Was Yesterday.

This can be anything.  Maybe I will do a selfless thing for someone today.  Maybe I will try to do 1 repetition more during my workout.  Maybe it will be to try something I never thought I would do.

So before I send you my goals for 2012, I am going to share with you something very personal.  Just so you know, by no means is this list in any sort of ranking order.  They are all equally important to me.

Things I am grateful for in 2011:

AUTHENTIC TAEKWONDO:

In November of 2010, I had to make a big decision regarding my boot camp program.  At the time I had 3 locations in Richmond Hill, North York, and Markham.  It was an opportunity for me to really expand my business.  However, sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.  To make a long story short, things just did not work out at those locations, which lead to me literally scrambling to find a new location that would be able to support my program and boot campers.
Low and behold, I came across Authentic Taekwondo and it’s owner, Master Akmal Farah.  We set a meeting, had a great conversation, and he said “let’s give it a shot!”.  Just a little over a year later, we have found a home for our boot camp at Authentic Taekwondo.  Our little boot camp has grown exponentially over the last 14 months, and I am excited to see how we grow together over the next several years.

Check out all of the amazing programs we offer here:  AUTHENTIC TAEKWONDO

CHRIS LOPEZ

What can I say about his guy… Mr. Chris “Fit And Busy Dad” Lopez.  “Fit And Busy” is an understatement.  If you don’t know him, or have never come across his blogs, Chris is a loving husband and father of 5 kids!!!  Yup that’s right…FIVE!!!  Not only that, he is a very successful personal trainer, has developed a killer online Kettlebell program, and in his spare time coaches his daughter’s volleyball team.  How he does it, I still have NO IDEA!
I can’t thank him enough for everything he has helped me with this past year.  On top of his busy schedule, he finds the time to meet me over double shots of expresso, while he helps me with my business, training and keeps me accountable for my actions.  He has been a great coach and mentor, and I can’t thank him enough for his time and energy.

If you want to learn how to use Kettlebells for fat loss, you might as well learn from one of the best in the biz:  KETTLEBELL WORKOUTS by Chris Lopez

SARAH MARIANO
In June of 2011, I was looking for a trainer to help me with my boot camps.  Things were picking up, and I was simply having difficulty doing it on my own.  As luck may have it, I ran into one of my friends at my office (aka Starbucks), and he asked me how my classes were going.  I told him I was looking for help, and he said:  “I know the PERFECT person for you!”
A week or so later, I met up with who is kind of like my mini-me!   Except for the long hair, make-up, sports bra and insane ‘yogi-flexibility’! haha!

SARAH MARIANO.  She is the newest addition to our boot camp staff and is AMAZING! It is not a stretch to say that Sarah has helped take our boot camp to the next level with her knowledge and enthusiasm as a trainer.  She has come a long way in such a short time.  You better watch out, because I know she’s going to be a heavy hitter in the fitness industry!

To find out more about Sarah, check her out here:  SARAH MARIANO

TURBULENCE TRAINING CERTIFICATION

Last year, I set a personal goal to try and help 1000 people with my boot camp program.  It was a huge goal, and to tell you the truth, I did not come even close to reaching this many people last year (BUT, we did reach an all-time high of people last year).
For those of you that follow me regularly, you know that I am a huge fan of Craig Ballantyne.  Craig is a fat loss GENIUS with his Turbulence Training programs.

Last year, he created a Turbulence Training Certification for personal trainers.  The business and fitness content that we receive is amazing! But, what attracted me to this certification was his mission:  The 1 Million Mission.  His goal was to transform the lives of 1 Million people world wide through fitness.  In a nutshell, his mission was to get help from 1000 trainers, who would then help 1000 people reach their fitness goals…. which was the EXACT number I set for myself!  (The universe definitely conspires I tell ya!).

Anyways, I jumped on this opportunity, and now I am surrounded by some of the most driven and successful people in the fitness industry.  I can attribute much of our boot camp’s success to being around these like-minded people.  I am truly excited to see what can be accomplished over the next 11 months.  People will be getting results left, right, and center with the training programs we’re going to implement with the help of Turbulence Training.

Craig Ballantyne’s programs are some of the best in the industry. Check them out here:  TURBULENCE TRAINING

MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Saying ‘thank you’ on a blog post cannot do my family and friends justice.  They’ve seen me go through A LOT, and they continue to love and support everything I do.  Thank you for EVERYTHING!!!  Here’s a pic with me and my biggest supporter (Who also keeps me in line on a daily basis.  I’m the business owner, but, she’s the boss.  How’d that happen? haha)

OUR BOOT CAMPERS (aka.  My Mutha#FOGRs)

Last, but certainly not least….

I cannot be more grateful to every single person who has come through our boot camp.  To those that came for a 1 day trial, to those who have been with us for years! You are the life-blood of our program.  You are my measure of success.  Without you, Bye Bye Body Fat Boot Camps would not even exist.
I cannot be more proud of the program we’ve built together.  It is truly unique.  I have been in the fitness industry for 10 years, and I have never been a part of anything so amazing.  Being a part of this “#FOGR-Family” and seeing our boot campers achieve incredible results makes me LOVE my job!

You are all appreciated more than you know, and you motivate me every day to be better!

This list actually could have been much longer.  Being able to look back at my 2011 makes it easier for me to look forward to 2012.

I also want to make it a point for you to know that my 2011 also came with it’s share of frustrations, heartaches, and disappointments.  But, to dwell on anything negative would be a waste of time.  Remember, we all come across difficult times.  Some situations are worse than others, and they’re different for everyone.

As cliche as it sounds, pain is only temporary and it only makes you stronger.  Accept it, make goals to move forward, and take action.

Stay tuned for my personal goals which I will share with you soon.

Stay #FOGR!

Alrighty… the holidays are officially over.  It’s time to get #FOGR (Focused On Getting Results) in 2012.

This is the time of year when my inbox gets flooded with emails from people who want to get into the best shape of their lives.  Unfortunately, 90% of these people will fail at reaching their goals by the end of the 4th week of them trying.

That’s where our Markham Fat Loss Boot Camp comes in.  We will provide you with everything you need to get into amazing shape.

We will provide you with access to our boot camp classes, recipes, nutritional guidance, and unlimited coaching support from any of our personal training specialists, all to keep you motivated so that you are successful at reaching your fitness goals in 2012.

For the month of January, we are going to hook you up with great deals to get you into great shape.

• 15% OFF any of our Month-to-month memberships
• 25% OFF your first month on any of our 12-month memberships
• 1 MONTH FREE if you pay in full on any of our 12-month memberships.

Not only that, we’ve extended our 1-Week FREE trial to 2-WEEKS! So there really is no risk.

Click the following link to see our boot camp schedule –>  CLICK HERE

I’m not done yet.  For the first time ever we are introducing a BRAND NEW YOGA program, lead by one of our very own boot camp instructors, Sarah Mariano:

Who needs to work on their flexibility, stability and core strength?

WE ALL DO!

It’s official, Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach & Yoga Instructor SARAH MARIANO has come out with the YOGA CLASS SCHEDULE.

ENJOY 2 WEEKS FREE IN JANUARY!

Contact:  getfit@sarahmariano.com to book your 2 weeks free.

YOGA Schedule:

Lunchtime classes available!

• Tuesday -  9:30 am, 12:00 pm,  5:30 pm
• Thursday –   9:30am, 12:00 pm, 5:30 pm
• Saturday -  10:00 am (conveniently after BOOT CAMP;) FOLKS, I BETTER SEE YOU THERE!!!

Spread the word and the love.