"So You Think You Can Dance Canada" Has Got Nuthin' On Us!

Happy Holidays from everyone at Vitality Fitness.

Video Dance Party Saturday November 30 at the Ranch click here

Guelph Fittest Kid II

The winners of our annual "Guelph's Fittest Kid" contest for kids who take fitness to a whole new level here in Guelph are...(drum roll please)



























Adam Clayton - Senior Boys - Mitchell Woods
Martino Raso - Junior Boys - St. Paul's
Valentina Ghizzardi - Senior Girls - St. Paul's
Jessica Burke - Junior Girls - St. Paul's

A special thank-you goes out to all the competitors and to everyone who helped make this year better than the last.

Fasted Cardio In The Morning

One of the most controversial fat loss techniques is performing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

This method is widely embraced by bodybuilders and recommended by many trainers and nutritionists.

Other experts claim that the risk of muscle loss is too high and they argue whether workout timing makes any difference in the overall scheme of 24 hour energy expenditure.

With low blood sugar and low glycogen levels on awakening, it appears that the body is in a perfect state to burn fat preferentially, but combined with high a.m. cortisol levels, it may also be a perfect state to burn muscle.

Therefore, the benefit is high, but so is the risk. Body composition must be carefully monitored when using this technique. If your main goal is to lose fat and you have a lot of it to lose then I would lean on this technique especially if your results have stagnated for a week or two. If you have not started any routine yet then save the cardio for a time that works best with your schedule and implement this when you need to.

Most Steps In November!!! And the Winner Is...

For that inforamtion you will have to wait and see as the contest isn't over until Dec 1 at 12:01am.

Right now we have a close race with the boys beating the girls by an average of only 6780 steps per user! If the girls have even one big day that will swing the balance.

The most steps by a male is currently Kevin O. with 166,744 steps followed closely by our very own Ryan F. with 126,183!

The most steps by a female is currently Theresa J. with 184,205 steps with Claudia H. and her 151,938 steps nipping at her heels!

Who will win the title of most active for the month of November and the $25?

Guelph's Fittest Kid

This Friday, November 21st we are hosting the second annual "Guelph's Fittest Kid" contest at the Guelph Soccer Dome.

To combat all the negative press today surrounding childhood obesity I thought a good idea would be to shed some light on the positive side and highlight some kids that actually do eat well and take care of themselves.

I think if a kid hears nothing more than "kids are fat today" they fall into that as the norm and don't feel any pressure or have any guidance to make a change.

As we all know kids don't listen to adults but they do want to be and act like other kids. Our hope is that even if one kid hears about this contest and decides to make a change for the better than it is all worth it.

If you want to come out and watch the absolute fittest kids in Guelph compete for the top prize feel free to join us from 9-12.

If you miss it you can always read about it in the paper on Saturday.

No Time, No Problem, Just Squat

So, it's a lazy day and you don't feel like hitting the gym.

I completely understand.

You know everyone thinks I'm not human and I'm some sort of cyborg that works out like clock work everyday with 100% intensity. While I may be a cyborg;) I have my days too where going to the gym is the last thing I have time for.

It is in these moments of decision that will define the results you get. Anyone can work out when they want to. It is those of us that go to the gym, a run, walk whatever when we really don't want to that end up getting to the "finish line".

The next time this happens to you the best advice I can give you is "Squat". I don't mean "nothing" I mean go to the gym or workout at home and perform 3-5 sets of squats and call it a day.

A squat works about 90% of your total body musculature giving you maximum caloric expenditure in a short amount of time and will give you the energy and motivation to have a good day on your diet. It also maintains the habit of routine, which is so extremely important. Once you develop some momentum in your training you should do whatever it takes to keep it.

"A large boulder is hard to get moving but once you do, keep it going and never stop the momentum. Always remember how hard it was to get it rolling in the first place."

Want Fit Kids? Eat Better Yourself First!

So what do we do about childhood obesity?

First thing to do is to STOP making such a big deal about it.
It's kind of like how I feel about the stock market right now.

The media just loves stirring up shit and making people feel like the world is coming to an end, which only makes things worse.

If a kid constantly hears that kids today are fat it becomes common place and they do nothing about it. I beleive if a kid under the age of 10 is obese it is 99% the parents fault. They are the ones who buy the food and bring it into the house.

To these parents I say if you can't be in good shape for yourself and buy healthy food and eat in proper portions for the love of god do it for your kids. They will eat what you buy so only bring in good, healthy food.

They don't like it?

TOUGH!!!!

When they get hungry enough they'll eat it.

In a recent study I read the findings showed that...

"School-age children ranging from six years to 10 years have a 42 percent likelihood of experiencing iron deficiency or anemia, when their male heads of household take charge of the decision-making on nutrition. Children coming households with female heads who decide on nutrition, meanwhile, have a 29 percent chance of being anemic."

This just proves that kids not only eat what the parents eat but they'll tend to eat closer to what their same gender parent eats as well.

On Nov 21 we are running the "Guelph's Fittest Kid" contest for the second year in a row. We do this to shine a light on the healthy, fit kids and hopefully turn some of the negative media onto the good that some kids are doing and positively motivate the ones that are doing nothing about it.

The parents that read this and want to help their kids too should first help themselves, lead by example and their kids will naturally follow suit.

Quote for the day:
"The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence."
Robert J. Shiller,

How does this apply to today's post? I don't know, how about focusing attention on what you buy at the grocery store ultimately decides what type of body you will have. This is what is important so wake up to that fact the next time you go shopping for you and your family.

What is Health About Really?

As I have gotten older I care less and less about the size of my arms and how much I can bench. Well, OK I still care but honestly not nearly as much.

Do I care about health?

Sure I do and more and more everyday. I strive for a balanced approach to fitness that I see is lacking in most people today. Too much focus is put on weight loss, or increased cardio, or increased strength rather than a slight improvement in all areas so that they can improve together and in balance.

But what is health really?

Do people really care about health? I say 'NO'.

People don't care about health but what health can bring them. They don't care that there heart is stronger only that they can live a longer more productive life. They don't care that they can bench over 300 pounds only that it will give them ultra confidence when dealing with their peers and the new hot chick in the club.

I think we need to start promoting the 'benefits' of health and fitness and less on the 'features'.
Being fit and healthy means that your personal life will improve because you will have the energy and attraction to find or keep the one your with.

You have the energy and 'Vitality' (no pun intended) to work a full day +1 and still have the energy to pay quality attention to your loved ones.

You have the confidence, work ethic and determination to achieve all of your life goals both personally and financially.

This is really why I train and why I think most people should workout. It is a much better motivator than big biceps and a tight ass.

Studio Promotions

With Christmas just around the corner and everyone looking to save a few bucks in the process we are promoting some in studio specials for you.

Christmas Gift
Give the gift that says "Hey, I really care about you, think you would do amazing with this service and I didn't just stop at Shoppers on the way over."
This drastically reduced promotional offer is valid only to non Vitality clients and is to be used only as a gift.
3 Personal Training Sessions ONLY $97


Stress Reduction
With the economic times being what they are it is best to focus more on being positive and what you can do to better your own situation. Walking around stressed out all day is not going to be good for your health or your business. Take a moment to break up your day with the most relaxing, and efficient 30 minutes of your day.
30 Minute Stretching Session ONLY $45
Forget about your troubles, increase your flexibility, prevent injuries and refocus on solutions, not problems.


21 Minute Training
No matter how busy you are, you can always find the time to squeeze in an intense 21-minute workout . . . only 21 minutes for amazing results with fantastic intensity, motivation and accountability all with a trainer . . . now there are no more excuses!
21 Minute Training
Starting From ONLY $40 per session