What is your WHY?

Come back to this WHY from time to time. It's easy to get into a routine (which is amazing!) but to narrow your focus, and hone in on your goal it is important to have a clear cut reason for why you do what you do.

For me, it started as an extracurricular activity - school sports. It then became a routine... I would rather be active than not. Now, I know the feeling I get when I push my body, when I reach a goal or when I challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone. It's worth the sacrifice. My why is striving for excellence physically, which I believe then transfers over to ALL aspects of my life.

Thanks!!

Helloooooooo everyone!

Today is a rise and grind kind of day! Sprang out of bed because I'm always excited to have my morning coffee and protein shake, then went to teach 6am and 8am Boot Camp. I fit in a quick circuit training workout afterwards.

I was talking to a former teammate of mine last night about how our training styles have changed so much since playing bball. For me, I no longer lift super heavy. I stick to higher reps and lower weight. Now, lower weight doesn't mean light weight.. it just means an appropriate amount of weight for the 15-20 reps I am doing. I find my body responds much better to this type of training and I perform better in races by doing so.

I left work today just feeling elated! It's mix of the summer weather, all of the fun I have been having with my family and friends, my purposeful workouts and the amazing people I get to train with. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to be be building a career, while I study for another peice that I can add to the fitness business. I want to say THANKS to everyone for working so hard. MERCI beaucoup to those of you who make health and fitness a priority and GRACIOUS for allowing me to be a small part of your life!

I made this video to express with my voice what I cannot with my words haha


I also made this banana bread, let's call it
ACAIN's gluten free banana bread
(because I've always wanted to stick my name on something).




It's made with healthier ingredients, some of which are superfoods on their own!

1 cup extra virgin olive oil - healthier option than butter/marg (monounsaturated fat)
10 drops stevia - plant-based sweetener, 0 cals, antioxidant
2 (1/4cup) egg whites - source of protein
1/4 cup greek yogurt - source of protein, I used a lactose free kind
2 mashed bananas - high potassium, low sodium so is helpful for prevention of high blood pressure
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour - I use Bob's Red Mill and this is good for those with celiac disease, or a sensitivity to gluten
1tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/8 cup salba - source of protein, antioxidants and high fibre
1tbsp cinnamon - helpful for maintaining blood sugar levels
Handful chocolate chips (optional)- because they're delicious and I wanted to.

Mix the wet ingredients together, the dry ingredients together and the add together. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins and enjoy.




It was painful for me to actually measure the ingredients, but I wanted to post this so you could make it too! lol Any banana bread fans out there?

The courage to start

This picture sums up my thoughts.

The courage to start is the hardest thing to do. You can think about it, you can talk about it.... but few people BE about it. Taking the first step in your journey is the hardest thing to do because it is a LEAP outside your comfort zone into the unexpected.

One of the hardest things I face as a trainer, is hearing the people I work with put themselves down. "NO! Shut up!" I want to scream at them. You're here, you're doing this! Consistency and winning everyday is what will get you there. Putting yourself down does NOTHING. You are brave and courageous and doing better than a hell of a lot of other people still in bed, or sitting on the couch.

Seriously, stop it. It's up to you to have the positive mindset, I can't have it for you. I believe in you, but you have to believe in you first.

Take on your challenge. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

UTC workout video

Nothing matters but the weekend from a Tuesday point of view!
But.. make the most of whatever spare time you have today and do something good for yourself! Get to the gym, out for a walk, make a healthy meal or spend some time with friends!

I have to 'pump the tires' of the gym that I train at and work out of UTC. As you can see from my videos, including the one I have posted below, UTC makes a variety of equipment readily available to their members that most other gyms do not even have. In my workout, I lined up a spin bike, kettlebell, stability ball, box and set of weights so that I could complete the pyramid circuit as fast as possible. When I've trained elsewhere, I found that when I try to do this style of workout that someone else interrupts my exercise flow by starting to use "my" equipments. grrrr can't you see my adrenaline is pumping, man! I don't want to wait! (I try to be nice though).

Check out the workout of the week from UTC:



Today I had a 6am boot camp, will fit in a track workout and then head back for the 6pm boot camp. I am also doing a core strength demo and body by vi shake sampling for the Newmarket running room tonight! I like spending my "spare time" still being productive and helping those runners to cross train and focus on nutrition to help their training goals.

P.S. Has anyone done the tough mudder or thinking about doing it? The thought has crossed my mind recently! I need someone to talk me into it.

Happy Monday!

I was feeling inspired this morning by many of my friends who completed half and full marathons this weekend. I think I had a bit of "runner's envy," actually!
Luckily, that envy is fuel for my training, and I got up extra early to put in a workout before school.




My Workout this morning was based on the UTC metabolic boot camp circuit (www.utcnewmarket.com)

Drop set of 20/15/10/5
- Snatches
- Pushups
- KB Deadlift
- Push Press
- Stability Ball In/Outs
- Coreboard steering wheel
- Slideboard lunges
- Pullups
- Bike kcals
- Rope Slams
- 50 double unders
5 hill sprints to finish

Felt good!

This weekend I will be running the sporting life 10K with my Mom and Dad (his 90-day challenge goal), so I anticipate my strength training this week to be more body weight based, and my runs to be anywhere between 8-15km, with one track workout, and a hill workout (tonight).

Have you ever thought about your top three exercises? It's hard for me to pick just three, but in terms of the exercises I see popping up most often in my plans, I would say my top three are:

- double unders (I love these, my record for consecutive double unders is 63 and I always am trying to beat it!)
- deadlifts (I love what they do for my glutes and hams, and it's a bit of an ego boost because I can put on lots of weight lol)
- pullups (These do the opposite to my ego as what deadlifts do, I still have yet to do more than 2 pullups without assistance. It's a goal though, and it keeps me coming back to try to improve.)

What are your top three?


Training tip: Get outside! The weather is beautiful, and if you live in the Newmarket area, the Tom Taylor trail is a beautiful place for a run, walk or bike ride.
Nutrition tip: Turkey Muffins are a great protein source. Quick to make, and easy to bring with you.
Chop up peppers, celery, broccoli or whatever veggies you have. Mix it with some ground turkey, and use bbq sauce to keep them together. You can add spices, flaxseed etc. Bake in a muffin pan. Enjoy :)
Song pick: Kid Cudi - Up, Up and Away

Be sure to check out my other websites!
www.acaintraining.com
www.allicain.bodybyvi.com

"Where did his neck go....?"

.... is the question I keep hearing when people see this before and after picture of my Dad!





Wow. WOW!

Dad, you hit your goal! I posted your email a few weeks ago, but a picture is truly worth 1000 words.

I saw my Dad last weekend on Easter - and he looked DAPER, despite his leather jacket draped around him, the collar of his shirt not fitting his neck, and his arms swimming in his sleeves ( hehe- I think it's time to go shopping :)). 30lbs is remarkable, and what is even better is that he is so happy, feels good and isn't going to give up this healthy lifestyle, as he has found it easier week by week to incorporate new, healthier solutions into his everyday routine.

The 90 Day Challenge and the Vi-Shake itself, aren't magic. Are you shocked? The system, just like a signing up for a gym membership, requires proper use in order for results to be seen.

What is different about the Challenge is it's simplicity, the taste and the design of the program whereby you commit to a goal, and are held accountable by whomever you are working with.

The Challenge is simple because: you pick a goal, select a kit, and have it delivered to your home. For my Dad, he made a shake in the morning for breakfast, along with a coffee, and made another shake to take in a thermos to drink at lunchtime. He brought snacks to munch on during the day, and had a snack and dinner once he got home.

It tastes good. Not sure how I can prove that by any other way than you actually tasting it. (If you're interested - send me an email - I can mail out samples.)

He was held accountable, by ME! By assessing someone's current health and fitness status and provide suggestions to compliment their own, personal challenge, they will more likely be set up for success. If you're like my Dad starting off without much knowledge of proper nutrition, we take it slow. Simply replace your two meals, and then you have leeway with what you're eating for your snacks and dinner, so you don't feel deprived, and possibly quit. As we progress throughout the challenge, we start to make small, simple changes, "how about replacing the burger and fries with a turkey burger, whole wheat bun, and homemade sweet potatoes." It's working on the challenge in this manner, that changes it from a 90-Day quest for better health and fitness, to a lifetime of healthy, active living.

In terms of physical activity, my Dad has been a member of the Running Room for a few years now, and along with the 30lb goal, he also will be running the Sporting Life 10K. Let it be known that my Dad does not like exercise, but knows of it's importance, hence, why he continues to run! Our next goal is to get him to start strength training - he has said that he would only do this with a personal trainer, and as he lives in Saskatchewan, we cannot work together on this.

Although I did attempt to make a youtube video for him to do at home!

Oh, and I made him do pushups on the glass floor of the CN tower......


Here is my fam at Easter Dinner at the CN Tower:



Way to Go :):)

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.

I am mo-ti-vated today! I am inspired. If you visited me at home, you would think I was ready to take on the world.
Every fibre in my body is excited!

It might be the huge transformations I've seen this week in Arlene (down 15 inches, 4lbs), my Dad (down 30lbs in just 10 weeks) among many, many others.....

It could be the verbal commitment many people have made to their health and fitness by setting goals of completing their first 5k, 10k or half marathon, a weight loss goal and the like....

Perhaps it's seeing my friend take the first step to entering a fitness competition, after thinking about it for ages!

Or maybe it's a former teammate who just became a teacher and is using her education to help her friends and family get to better health.

You have all inspired and motivated me to make April the most successful month!
I will commit to my school, training and work goals. I will surpass expectations. I will be successful.




 
Make April YOUR month, too.
It's not the blowing of the wind, it's the set of the sail..."
 
If you have been hesitating on beginning a journey - take the first step today.
If you have been dissatifisfied with an aspect of your life - make a change.
If you need help getting there, ask for help.
 
Whatever your ambitions are, you have the ways and means to do it. GO!
 
If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.
 
Thank you all for making this week so great, and I can't wait for my mind to be blown when even more goals are achieved!