Texas Caviar

This post brought to by our very own Rosanna Barzotti... thanks

1 Can Black Beans - Drained and Rinsed
4 Green Onions - Chopped
3 Plum Tomatoes - Diced
2 Avocados - Diced

In a bowl mix above ingredients with:

1/4 cup oil (olive, vegetable,or sunflower)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Heaping teaspoon garlic salt (or minced garlic cloves)
Fresh squeezed lime juice (optional)
Make ahead at least 2 hours or overnight.

Serve with Tostitos Scoops or Multigrain Rounds

Improve Your Pull-ups

Getting better at pull-ups is something that everyone wants to do but few actually achieve... why?

They're too damn hard that's why!

This is the answer I get time and time again and really I understand.

They are tough as nails especially if you can't even do one... you just up hanging there grunting and popping blood vessels in your eyes.

So how do you get better?

Well if you are overweight that ain't helping. Every pound you are overweight makes a big difference in a Pull-up. By the way, a Pull-up palms face you - this is a supinated grip.... palms away from you is a Chin-up - this is a pronated grip and way tougher so let's start with the Pull-up)

So once you get your weight down and that of course is a whole other ball of wax, we start working on all the muscles that are involved in a Pull-up, which consist of your lats, biceps and entire core.

You can be quite strong in your arms and back but if your core is weak you will not get very many. Those that can pound out 15 or more Pull-ups know what I am talking about if you have ever tried to do some when your abs are sore... it's downright impossible.

Once we strengthen all the muscles individually we need to actually practice the Pull-up. The best way to get better at anything is simply doing it. I remember one of my trainers was an Olympic hurdler and would always be asked how do I run faster. His answer was always the same... "Run fast". Unless you are training the muscles to work in the specific firing pattern that the exercise calls for you will not improve very fast at all.

So if you can;t do any Pull-ups you need to start with Negative training.

Negative training means that you can cheat on the positive by standing on a stool or hopping up and then really taking about 5 seconds to extend your arms. This will train the muscles used in the pull-up and get you on your way.

My recent client we'll call Karen is a mother of 2 and is 44. She could only do 1 Pull-up 2 months ago, which is great, but now can do 12 dead hang Pull-ups using this Negative technique. She did 50 Negatives in one workout trying to complete them as fast as possible, usually over 30 minutes with breaks. I had her do this every week and sure enough she is great at them now and has the results that come with doing Pull-ups. Leaner, stronger and more toned through her entire upper body.

Here is another progression type program that will help you improve your Pull-ups.

Do your regular workout program, but for 10 straight days do an additional 25-50 pull ups. If you are only able to do less than 5 pull-ups: do 25 pull-ups for your daily plan below:

- If you can do more than 5 pull-ups: do 50 pull-ups for your daily plan below:

Odd Days:
Supersets (repeat 10 times):
- Pull-ups - max
- Pushups - 15
- Bench Dips - 15
- Abs of choice - 30

Even Days:
25-50 Pull-ups anyway you can throughout the day or in a single workout. Do small repetition sets until you reach 25- 50 pull-ups.

Rotate for the next ten days from odd day workout options and even day pull-up supplement, then take three-four days off from doing ANY pull-ups. Test on day 14 or 15 and let me know your results.

Good luck with the Pull-up/Push Workout. Push yourself and you can quickly perform better on your Pull-up test.

Fit Momma’s

I hate to break the news ladies but there are not too many excuses NOT to exercise if you are thinking of becoming pregnant or if you just found out you are!

If you are trying to conceive a baby and think that exercising will decrease your chances think again. Exercising can lower your stress level, which makes it easier to become pregnant, boost your energy levels to want to try and get pregnant;), increase your muscle tone to help lose fat easier after birth, become stronger for recovery, and help to maintain a healthy weight before, during and after your pregnancy.

Did I intrigue you thus far? These are facts ladies, these are facts.
I have heard some ladies say, “Once you become pregnant there is no need to exercise you’re going to put on weight regardless”.

While putting on weight is normal (between 25 and 40 pounds depending on your height and healthy weight) this does not mean you get to overindulge and gain 90 pounds!

1. Reduces backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling.
2. Increases energy and stamina.
3. Lifts your spirits and balances your mood.
4. Improves posture.
5. Helps build better muscle tone and strength.
6. Promotes better sleep.
7. Gives you a sense of control and self-confidence.
8. Provides you with time for yourself to do something for yourself.
9. Gives you the opportunity to do some socializing -- a pregnancy exercise class is a great way to befriend other pregnant women.

I see some hot mama’s like my sister who has two kids ages 4 and 6. Her secret is she never stopped exercising before and after she was pregnant.

This Blog brought to you by your very own Sheri Ciaramella

Beta-Alanine: The Facts.

With literally hundreds of different supplements available and so many that are based on bogus claims and ridiculous hype, it’s almost impossible to find even one that delivers results.

If you’ve rummaged through the garbage of the supplement scrap heap, you know that finding any science or real-world proof is a waste of time. Beta-Alanine is the exception.

Finally, a supplement that actually lives up to its claims. Beta-Alanine efficacy is backed by major university, peer-reviewed studies performed on humans, not a cell, rat or goat study upon which other products typically base claims.

The science behind beta-alanine is simple, it makes sense and it works.

Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta-amino acid. Not to be confused with regular alanine, beta- alanine is classified as a non-proteinogenic amino acid, as it is not believed to be used in the building of proteins.

Below is a list of the benefits from beta-alanine, supported by peer-reviewed university research, published in reputable science journals.

Benefits of Beta-Alanine as supported by scientific studies:
Increase Muscular Strength & Power Output.
Increases Muscle Mass
Increase Anaerobic Endurance
Increases Aerobic Endurance
Delay Muscular Fatigue- Train Harder & Longer

What causes our muscles to lose strength,power and endurance during intense exercise?

When we exercise, especially when it’s high intensity exercise, our bodies accumulate a large amount of hydrogen ions (H+), causing our muscles’ pH to drop (become more acidic). This process is occurring whether you feel a burn or not.

The breakdown of ATP and the subsequent rise in H+ concentrations occur in all of our energy systems but H+ buildup is most prevalent in an energy system called glycolysis, which also produces lactic acid.

As our muscles pH quickly drops, so does their ability to contract forcibly and maintain a high level of performance throughout your workout session. Not being able to perform and maintain forceful muscular contractions and push your body to the limit during your workout session, seriously hampers your ability to maximally overload your muscles and force new muscle gains.

In a nutshell, H+ causes your muscles pH to drop, in turn decreasing your strength and causing you to fatigue faster. These limitations stop you from adequately overloading your muscles and forcing NEW muscle gains

So how can beta-alanine help us overcome this drop in pH that limits exercise performance?

To understand how beta-alanine works to fight the drop in pH within our muscle, you must first understand how carnosine works. The reason being is, beta-alanine’s performance benefits are not direct but realized through its ability to boost the synthesis of carnosine.

Background on carnosine:

Carnosine is a naturally occurring di-peptide that is found in both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers, but is in significantly higher concentrations in type 2 fibers. Type 2 muscle fibers are primarily used in high intensity strength workouts and are most responsive to muscular growth.

How does carnosine work?

Carnosine helps stabilize muscular pH by soaking up hydrogen ions (H+) that are released at an accelerated rate during exercise.

Our bodies work to keep our pH in balance by utilizing various buffering systems. Buffers largely work by soaking up H+ to maintain optimal pH balance, which we need to function most effectively. As mentioned above, our muscles function best in a specific pH range. When pH drops below that range, so does muscular performance. By helping to keep us in a more optimal pH range, our muscles can continue to contract forcibly for a longer time.

Aside from carnosine being just where we need it, buffering H+ inside our cells, it has additional, unique attributes that make it really shine. Carnosine is unique; in that, other natural buffering systems our bodies use are also used in many other cellular reactions aside from buffering, watering down much of their buffering abilities. However, what makes carnosine really exciting, is that by supplementing with extra beta-alanine, we can specifically and dramatically increase carnosine levels. How much, you ask?

Researchers have shown that when supplementing with beta-alanine for just 4 weeks, we can increase our carnosine concentration by 42-65%. Longer beta-alanine studies going up to 10-12 weeks, show carnosine concentrations increased up to 80%.

This is a tremendous increase in an already powerful intracellular buffer. It is this large increase in buffering capacity within our muscles that is largely responsible for the strength, lean body mass, power and muscular endurance gains that researchers are seeing from beta-alanine studies.


By boosting carnosine concentrations, with beta-alanine, our type 2 muscle fibers can soak up more H+ and stay in an optimal pH range. By keeping our type 2 muscle fibers in an optimal pH range, they are better able to maintain maximal strength and endurance throughout your workout session and bring on new muscle gains.

You can pick up some Beta-Alanine at BodySystems here in Guelph.
Ask for Aaron and tell him Taylor sent you.

How To Spot Reduce Body Fat?

Psych! The answer is you can't but that title was the test. If you thought it was true you are worng and NEED to read this.

Wherever the fat is on your body, it belongs to your whole body. As you start to lose pounds and head back to a healthy weight, your body - and not you - will decide where on your body the fat disappears from.

Sit-ups will not cause you to lose abdominal fat. Leg raises won't cause you to lose thigh fat. Sorry. Believe me, I wish it were true!

There really isn't much you can do about where your body decides to store excess fat on your body either. This is due to a genetic factor. For example: Women tend to accumulate fat in their hips, buttocks, and thighs. Whereas men tend to collect abdominal fat.

To say you can specifically target and then "spot reduce fat" is another diet myth. So the answer to getting rid of the excess fat in your trouble areas is to get back down to a healthy weight. Accrue a caloric defecit with proper nutrition, trian with weights, and jog or walk.

Overly Simplified?

Well if you are overweight... start there, build momentum and then come see us or just call us now to give you the accountability to follow through.

Vitality Fitness 519-824-2065

And Now Stress and Weight Gain...

Although I know I don't eat when I am stressed. First learned this when I broke up with my girlfriend in 2004ish. I dropped 11 pounds in 1 week and it would have been more if I hadn't choked down a couple protein shakes a day.

But there are in fact several ways in which stress can contribute to weight gain for some. One has to do with cortisol, a stress hormone. When we’re under stress, the fight or flight response is triggered in our bodies, leading to the release of various hormones.

Whether we're stressed because of constant, crazy demands at work or we're really in danger, our bodies respond like we're about to be harmed and need to fight for our lives. To answer this need, we experience a burst of energy, shifts in metabolism and blood flow, and other changes.

If you remain in this state for a prolonged amount of time due to chronic stress, your health becomes at risk. Aside from a host of other dangers, chronic stress can also cause weight gain -- which is why some products like Cortislim are marketed as diet aids.

Chronic stress and cortisol can contribute to weight gain in the following ways:


Metabolism - Do you feel like you're prone to putting on more weight when you're stressed, even if you're eating the same amount of food as you always have? Too much cortisol can slow your metabolism, causing more weight gain than you would normally experience. This also makes dieting more difficult.

Cravings - OK, you're stressed. Do you reach for a nice salad or a pint of Ben & Jerry's? I'll bet on the latter. People experiencing chronic stress tend to crave more fatty, salty and sugary foods. This includes sweets, processed food and other things that aren’t as good for you. These foods are typically less healthy and lead to increased weight gain.

Blood Sugar - Prolonged stress can alter your blood sugar levels, causing mood swings, fatigue, and conditions like hyperglycemia. Too much stress has even been linked to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health concerns that can lead to greater health problems, like heart attacks and diabetes.

Fat Storage - Excessive stress even affects where we tend to store fat. Higher levels of stress are linked to greater levels of abdominal fat. Unfortunately, abdominal fat is not only aesthetically undesirable, it’s linked with greater health risks than fat stored in other areas of the body.

Stress and weight gain are connected in other ways:

Emotional Eating - Increased levels of cortisol can not only make you crave unhealthy food, but excess nervous energy can often cause you to eat more than you normally would. How many times have you found yourself scouring the kitchen for a snack, or absently munching on junk food when you’re stressed, but not really hungry? More on what causes emotional eating.

Fast Food - Experts believe that one of the big reasons we’re seeing more obesity in our society these days is that people are too stressed and busy to make healthy dinners at home, often opting to get fast food a the nearest drive-thru instead.

Too Busy to Exercise - With all the demands on your schedule, exercise may be one of the last things on your to-do list. If so, you’re not alone. Americans live a more sedentary lifestyle than we have in past generations, yet our minds seem to be racing from everything we have to do. Unfortunately, from sitting in traffic, clocking hours at our desks, and plopping in front of the TV in exhaustion at the end of the day, exercise often goes by the wayside.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to reverse the pattern of weight gain and actually reduce your stress level and waistline at the same time.

Contact Vitality Fitness at 519-824-2065 to schedule a free consultation now to learn how exercise will help every area of your life.