It's Valentine's Day!
Well actually and more importantly it's Family Day long weekend/
Long weekends get quiet at the gym, so this Monday I will be closed and not taking on any clients.
Go spend time with your families, enjoy that special someone and be grateful for the amazing relationship you have. Life is short, and we move way too fast through it.
Today I don't feel like chatting about training or the science of training, I'd rather take this time to thank my clients for being fantastic, my boys who I love coming home to in the evenings and seeing their little faces light up, and feeling lucky that although they should be in bed sleeping, they're awake and bundles of happiness.
To be honest, if I would've known that this is what Valentine's day is all about, I would've made them years ago!
But the most important thanks, I owe to my beautiful wife.
She is the rock I lean on, she helps me every step of the way. With my business, my emotions, she is the best audience for my comedy, and although she could never be the soup nazi, she makes amazing soups that I enjoy through these cold winters. She is the love of my life, and yes please be jealous because every day is Valentine's... Even when we have disagreements.
We've only been together 6 years, but we've known each other for a lifetime, and may I know you better and better for a 1000 more lifetimes...
So on Valentines Day, I choose to be grateful
Enjoy your day, enjoy your loved ones, enjoy your weekend and stay healthy my friends...
Coach, Franco ... See MoreSee Less
Meet My Good ‘Friend’ MEL…
I hate spending hours upon hours working out everyday! Sounds kind of strange coming from a fitness expert, doesn’t it?
Well, the truth is, I am a fitness expert, but I’m also a regular person who runs his own personal training studio, has a spouse and a dog, and two young boys. I enjoy personal time, and don’t want life to revolve around 2 hour workouts…Make sense?
There is a common misunderstanding regarding exercise – “more is better.” It’s kind of like the old saying,
“No pain.No Gain.”
Both are completely FALSE when it comes to exercise for weight loss, fitness, and even performance.
I’m not saying you can just go through the motions and not put any effort into your workouts, or that you can just workout once or twice a week and say that’s enough to transform your body into a beautiful, tight, toned physique that turns heads and makes your friends think you’ve discovered a secret formula or hired the best plastic surgeon in town.
However, there is a right and wrong way to approach your exercise program…
That’s where MEL comes in.
MEL actually stands for Minimum Effective Load, a term coined by Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus® exercise machines and a very influential figure in the exercise science world. Jones defined the minimum effective load as “the smallest load needed to get the desired outcome.”1 In other words, how much weight do you need to lift to get the result (strength gain, lean muscle development, fat loss) that you desire. He also goes on to show why doing any more is simply wasted effort at best and detrimental to results or even harmful at worst…
This same approach can be applied to how often you exercise and how hard you push yourself. And, it’s not just limited to weight lifting exercises. It applies to all forms of exercise, although then it’s generally referred to as Minimum Effective Dosage (MED).
Let me explain it another way that we can all relate to…
Let’s say you have a headache and you just can’t take it anymore so you decide to take some Tylenol®.The correct dosage is 2 caplets. Taking 20 caplets doesn’t make the headache go away any better or faster. In fact, at that extreme dosage there will probably be some pretty nasty side effects, right?
Minimum effective dosage exists for exercise as well, although the appropriate dosage varies based on your fitness level and goal(s).
Nevertheless, it is important to realize that no matter who you are, over-training will not deliver faster and better results. Instead, it will lead to injury and/or burnout. Trust me, I’ve seen it first hand, and I’ve watched those that have ignored my advice fall completely “off the wagon” and lose all the results they worked so hard to achieve.It’s a real shame…
Your wisest choice is to practice moderation and consistency using the MED and MEL training principles.
“So, How Much Exercise Is Enough?”
No one is going to be surprised to hear that we don’t exercise enough as a population. Oh yeah, and we eat way too many calories based on the fact that our daily movement generally consists of walking to and from the fridge. Ha!
We have all heard the obesity statistics and they’re atrocious, so let’s not beat that dead horse. Let’s just get down to what works to lose weight and get fit, shall we?
First, going from nothing to something is, well, something. Meaning, if you haven’t been exercising for 20 years and you decide to dust off the old workout shoes, just going through the motions and performing corrective exercises 3 times per week is a GREAT start!
You simply don’t need to do insane workout DVDs or go to extreme alpha high performance classes. Getting your butt kicked doesn’t mean you’re getting a good workout. In fact, it WILL ultimately be detrimental in the long run…
Take a look at these fun facts…
While many folks will initially lose weight if they engage in 60 minutes of non-stop daily exercise, any gains will eventually be eroded by factors like burnout, injury, and boredom. This reality is exemplified by conclusions drawn from a 2009 study performed on sedentary, overweight, postmenopausal women that forced a dramatic increase in their amount and intensity of daily exercise: “…we observed no difference in the actual and predicted weight loss with 4 and 8 KKW of exercise (72 and 136 minutes respectively), while the 12 KKW (194 minutes) produced only about half of the predicted weight loss.”2 This study offers us another clear example of how exceeding the minimum effective dosage does NOT deliver greater results -- quite the opposite in fact.
By the way, I’m going to tell you that 72 minutes is too long of a workout for most people, specifically gen pop without a background in sports or training. Studying exercise in a laboratory is much different than analyzing workouts that are crowded in between shuttling kids around, working, making dinners, and having a life.
I generally recommend about 10 - 20 minutes of light bodywork (foam rolling & stretching) and movement prep (mobility & warm-up exercises) followed by about 20-30 minutes of metabolic resistance training for maximum fat loss and body shaping results to start.
Author Tim Ferriss writes in The 4-Hour Body that “More is not better. Indeed, your greatest challenge will be resisting the temptation to do more.”1 If on your exercise journey you blast out of the gate at top speed with an intensity that you can’t possibly sustain, you WILL burn out and likely give up.
Remember, what you do every day is more important than what you do every once in a while. Those everyday activities may not be terribly exciting while you are doing them, they may not feel like you are making progress, but give the compound effect time to work. Your effort will pay off. You will become leaner, stronger, more fit, and others will begin to notice.
Please remember the room that I'm speaking to. I know that if there was one caveat, my high performance rugby player who's 19 years old and getting ready for recruitment in the states will continue to push for the desired adaptation we want from him.
Most of my clients are gen pop, so understanding this write up is more catered to you, and for those that train with me know that I'm strict on my training variables such as sets, reps, tempo and recoveries between sets for a reason. We'll leave training variables for another day though.
Take care of your body and your mind by practicing the minimum effective dosage strategy and you will achieve your goals…for life!
And in the meantime; Stay healthy my friends...
Coach, Franco
P.S. Don't forget that this is the month for friends, family and yes, lovers! Bring a friend, and you each Train for $14 for 14 Days! Just write '14' in the subject line, and I'll get you started on the next phase of your health and wellness...
References:
Ferriss, Timothy. The 4-Hour Body. New York: Crown Publishers, 2010. p. 18-19.
Church, T.S., Martin, C.K., Thompson, A.M., Earnest, C. P. Catherine, R. M., Blair, S. N. Changes in weight, waist circumference and compensatory responses with different doses of exercise among sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women. PLoS ONE 4(2): e4515. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.004515. ... See MoreSee Less
Everyone's milestones are different. Some people want a certain look, others have a performance goal that is important to their success in their sport.
Others, like myself, want to build a business that is successful but also gives them the ability to spend more time with their family or even do the things they enjoy, like in my case my hobby; Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
There's this misconception that business owners build businesses only to become rich and successful. Well, success can be defined in many different ways to many very different individuals. For me success is to someday have more time with my family and practicing my hobby.
And yes that will mean I will have built a business that has one or two employees building their own careers within my gym. This in turn means more clientele, and yes more money, and more responsibilities.
So do I measure my milestones by money or time? Which one of these is more valuable?
To me, time is much more valuable...
My journey in training people has taken me to different professionals to mentor under, more courses, more reading, I've met hundreds of clients, and made just as many relationships. My milestones are quite simple; increase clientele, continue to better my services, by continuing my education, and this will give me back the time with my family as well as my hobbies.
If someone's ever come through my doors in the past 6 months there's a lifestyle questionnaire and two questions I always look at. "what are your short term goals?" and, "what are your long term goals?"
These are two very different and yet very specific questions that require you to think about what it is you want to work at and work for.
These are ways for you to build milestones to reach for. You can use the SMART principles, you can use any method you like, but use something that works for you.
My goal is to continue building relationships. I don't mind giving my training away for free if it means that there is a decision to be made at the end of our short courtship. In my case, I'm confident that I'm reading you right and by the end of said courtship, I'm positive you'll stay.
That's one more membership that gets me closer to giving a young individual a career in this business and gets me closer to the quality time I'll want with my family and my sport.
I won't bore you with the nuances of my particular business but there is one detail you need to understand. I ask my clients to look at their progress every 4 weeks, and ask themselves what improvements are needed?
Remember that their improvements can be aesthetic or performance, so they need to be specific in regards to that short 4 - 6 weeks ahead. Their milestones will be different but they need to be specific. A powerlifter may need to add 2 more kilograms to their deadlift. A young lady wants a bit more butt, the sprinter might need to add to his clean for more power in his start. You would like to drop just one more dress size...etc. etc.
Measure the time, distance, speed, weight, or size. These are many ways to measure your success, but all are how we build milestones. And even though we fall sometimes, even though we fail, our character is measured by what we do in the face of this failure. These small steps we take daily are part of everyone's journey to their own success.
The keyword is small steps. When you've built up so much success in your journey the gains become smaller and smaller, but it is your drive that keeps you moving forward regardless of how small the gain is.
Set your milestones, this takes pre-planning, more importantly, it takes maybe 5 minutes of reflection daily, or maybe 15 minutes, either way, it is the only way you will continue building on your milestones. If you fail, if you fall, just get up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward. And never forget why you started.
Me, I do this so that my kids can be inspired someday and see that you can build from nothing, and with hard work, you can have something. I want to teach them that it's ok to fall, and it's ok to fail, you just have to keep getting up, and continue learning.
Keep building those milestones and in the meantime;
Stay healthy my friends...
Coach, Franco
P.S. It's February, and the season for lovers, friends and family so I'm extending my offer of training with a partner, Train for14 Days for $14! ... See MoreSee Less
Metabolic Resistance Training
“Who Else Wants To BURN MORE FAT Than Ever Before Without Wasting Countless Hours Of Their Life Away On Unbelievably Boring Cardio Machines?”
Discover the Fat Loss Secrets of MRT…
Have you been wasting your time with traditional exercise routines that produce little to no results? What if everything you’ve been told about exercise and fat loss were wrong?
I’m not really sure how the trend started, but somewhere along the way we’ve been steered in the completely wrong direction for fat loss training. The fact is long steady-state cardiovascular exercise (running, biking, elliptical trainers, etc.) is NOT an effective method for long-lasting FAT loss. It is actually a great baseline increaser when it pertains to your energy systems.
Long duration cardio has been exposed as ineffective at best and dangerous at worst. In fact, the Journal of Obesity notes,
“Most aerobic exercise interventions have consisted of moderate-intensity steady-state exercise, for about 30 to 40 min for 3 to 4 days per week, over a four- to six-month period. Disappointingly, these kinds of exercise programs have resulted in minimal fat loss."
Another study in Obesity (15:1496-1512, 2007) reports that after logging 300 hours of cardiovascular exercise (one hour each day, 6 days per week) over the course of one year, women only lost 4 pounds and men lost 6. That means that for every 50 hours of cardio, you lose only one pound of weight! Sounds insane, right?
In addition, the constant repetitive motion and potential pounding your body goes through with continuous cardiovascular exercise places a tremendous amount of stress on your joints and connective tissue. Excessive cardio can also impair the production of the thyroid hormone – the preeminent regulator of metabolism. Finally, too much cardio can cause muscle loss, thus slowing your metabolism, decreasing your bone density, and lowering your overall level of health.
One caveat of course; if you were to jump off the couch and jump on a treadmill 6 days a week for an hour a day, that could be detrimental to anyone. That is why as a training professional it is important to understand the balance between strength training and resilience training.
When you put all that together, I’d suggest thinking twice about making cardio your primary source of training for fat loss… I’m not saying some cardio isn’t good for you. In moderation, cardio can be a wonderful ADD to your fitness program. Just don’t make it the main feature of your program if sculpting a lean, fit & trim body is your goal.
“So, What’s the Right Way to Exercise For Long-Lasting Weight Loss?
If you’re serious about losing weight and even burning fat while you sleep, then metabolic resistance training is one of many ways to go.
Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) is a form of Interval Training that involves the total body, resistance-based exercises done in quick succession with little or no rest between. Typical workouts last 10 – 30 minutes (not including warm-up and cool-down).
What really makes this kind of training perfect for fat burning are the work/rest intervals and alternating between non-competing exercises of strength.
Alternating sets allow you to work on different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight-set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is more work accomplished in less time - one of the cornerstones of any sound fat loss program.
There are a number of different ways to perform alternating sets:
Supersets: Alternate between 2 different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as pushups and lunges)
Tri sets: Alternate between 3 different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as pushups, rows, and lunges)
Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises
The result is a metabolism that is supercharged so that it keeps burning fat even after you have stopped exercising. Plus, you get a built-in heart-healthy cardiovascular workout!
“It Really, Really Works!”
Steven Boutcher, a scientist at the University of South Wales, did a study on intense interval training and found that more fat is lost during shorter, maximum intensity intervals than during slower and longer workout periods.
Two groups of obese women were divided into two groups with identical diets but different exercise protocols for fifteen weeks.
The first group exercised three times each week for twenty minutes. Their high-intensity workouts consisted of intervals with eight seconds of max-effort and twelve seconds of recovery.
The second group also exercised three times each week, but for forty minutes, and the intensity was steadier.
The results? In spite of the second group’s longer exercise periods, the first group saw a higher loss of body fat, especially in the belly, thighs, and hips.
We now know through both empirical and scientific evidence that you can get even better body shaping results when you perform interval training using multi-joint strength training exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, etc. It’s also a lot more fun!
Sample MRT Workout:
Alternate between 60 - 90 seconds of work, 5 - 10 reps/exercise (dependent on the exercise) and 2-3 minute recovery after all 5 exercises in the following circuit.
Perform this circuit 4 times; a total body fat burning workout. One of the important factors to consider is to use a weight that is challenging and competitive to what you're used to so that your muscles are working just as hard as your heart.
Exercise 1: Deadlift Variation
Exercise 2: Push-up Variation
Exercise 3: Lunge Variation
Exercise 4: Row Variation
Exercise 5: Plank Variation
Train hard and TRAIN HEAVY!
Now you know the facts. You have the proof. Metabolic Resistance Training is the key to your fat loss success.
Let’s get started, and stay healthy my friends,
Coach, Franco
P.S. I only have one AWESOME offer for you!
Train in February, 14 days, for $14! Get your assessment free, and experience our Wolfpack Training System, and understand why training in a group environment with your very own program will bring you the success you want out of your goals. Just say you're in, and write '14' in the subject line! ... See MoreSee Less
Too often we get caught up in the “should” and “have to” in life and lose sight of the things we enjoy doing and support our physical, emotional, and mental well being.
What better time to do that then on/around your birthday?
I have found over the course of the last few years that the more actions I take to positively feed my mind, body, and soul the happier I am, the more productive I am, and the better person, coach, friend, and family member I am.
It doesn’t need to be your birthday to celebrate YOU!
Why It’s Important to Celebrate Yourself
Let’s face it; if you don’t take control of your own happiness, health, and well being, no one else is going to do it for you.It’s time that we realize that catering to everyone else’s needs before our own doesn’t lead us to being the best versions of ourselves that we can be. Often times it leads us to fatigue, unhappiness, a sense of not being fulfilled, health problems, burn out, and the inability to sleep. We are left tired, stressed out, and emotionally, mentally, and physically drained.
Most of us probably don’t listen to the flight attendant go over the safety instructions when we fly but we could take away a BIG LESSON in life if we did…”Make sure to put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others.”
In that tired, stressed out, drained state we aren’t much good to anyone including ourselves. We aren’t living each day to it’s full potential and sharing the gift that each one of us has to offer.
Life is too short to not live it to the fullest!
Is Self-Care Selfish
Taking time for us is often associated with being selfish. We feel guilty if we set boundaries with our friends and family to meet our own needs. We use the excuse that we “don’t have time” to exercise, or simply relax doing something we enjoy. What you will find when you practice self-care on a regular basis is that you are more productive and don’t need as much time to get the things done that you need to. You will waste less energy mentally and physically because you will be fully engaged in what you are doing at any given time. It is proven that regular exercise, clean nutrition (avoiding gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, etc.), quality sleep, and meditation all increase productivity.
I can’t quite understand how taking care of ourselves by carving out time to meditate, exercise, do yoga, take a walk, relax in the bath, read a good book, make a nutritious meal at home, or time to just simply be alone is selfish.
Is it our own belief that taking the time to care for our needs is selfish or are we taking on someone else’s belief? The great thing is that we have control over our own mindset. We can change our mindset and self-talk to reflect these actions positively. “I take time daily to care for my body, mind, and spirit.”
Daily Self-Care
Don’t wait for your birthday, or any other special occasion to celebrate YOU! We take the best care of ourselves by establishing daily self-care habits. This can be as small as setting aside 5 minutes to sit quietly and focus on your breathing. Keep in mind that daily self-care to increase our health and well being doesn’t need to take up a lot of time.
Self Care can be…
Taking a detox bath
Going for a short walk in nature
Taking a nap or going to bed early
Preparing a delicious meal that supports your nutrition plan and sitting down to enjoy it
Writing in a gratitude journal
Talking with a friend, spouse, or family member
Exercising
Practicing a few yoga poses or taking a class
Meditation
Reading a good book
Engaging in your favorite hobby
Massage
Writing down and reading positive affirmations
Any behavior or activity that increases your health and well being
Each individual needs to identify what self-care is/means for them.
In the meantime, take care of you, you deserve it;
And stay healthy my friends...
Coach Franco ... See MoreSee Less
That's right folks!
February is 2 weeks away and I was taking note of where I'm at in my businesses, my personal life, and I have to say I'm almost caught up and working to better each aspect of it.
I fell short on my schedule as well as my training, a couple injury setbacks put me in a little slump, but now I'm back to full strength and I have to be responsible on my road back to my own personal programming.
One thing left to bring back to my life and that's my Brazilian Ju-Jitsu practice.
I always have considerations when looking at my own programming, I have to look at all my external stresses first. Family's been sick and out for the count for the last 2 weeks, this means you have to pick up some of the slack. back and injury setbacks in the holidays, sleep deprivation when starting a new gym as well as another business venture at the same time. And, I'm no spring chicken anymore, creeping up to 47.
I'm not a resolution kind of coach, I make one small change at a time, and for me last year was to wake up quite early to be more creative in the morning, and it worked. This new year it's been a struggle but I haven't lost my focus which is the most important factor for me to succeed for my family.
This year I was happy to start with new clients and slow growth but very happy to see new faces, and I have to thank my great clients for that. Word of mouth is always the best way to grow, I have to be grateful that I have a great little community of people that will continue to profess my resume.
On that note I am going to start my new promo for February!
February as you know is the infamous month for Valentines Day! This day in my own personal history has been riddled with great moments, irritable ones, but looking back it was always a bit of an adventure.
That is why I'm going to do the the first PROMO for our little location:
February 14 Days, For $14 For All Couples!
That's right, and by couples I mean all couples, bring anyone you like or love.
This includes, Lovers, husbands and wives, husbands and husbands, wives and wives, a couple of friends, a couple of family members, etc. If you like them or love them, just bring them.
Come as a couple and pay $14 each, from February 1 to February 14.
Quick caveat: If you train only 2-days, it's still $14. So take advantage
What Do I Get For $14 Coach?
You get an assessment which includes a Functional Movement Screen, as well as a Body Composition test. A lifestyle questionnaire and your very own program that you will use in our signature small group personal training, the Wolfpack Training System.
The start of this month will give you the opportunity to test drive our Wolfpack Training System for up to 5 days a week. The proof is in the pudding, there's is NO way you will succeed in training if you don't pin point your specific needs, and build consistency around it.
Be accountable, be consistent, be true to your goals; I promise you results!
If you're interested in starting in February, Just write "14" in the subject line!
In the meantime;
Stay healthy my friends...
Coach, Franco
P.S. GO NINERS!!! ... See MoreSee Less
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February is almost here and yes it’s Valentine’s Day! Well @cogoperformance is giving couples of all walks, friends, husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, brothers and sisters; the first 14 days of training for 14 sweet loonies! That means all Wolfpack Training Systems available, assessment, personal training in a small group environment, programming,likeminded community all yours for less than 4 Starbucks! #cogoperformance #showthelove #valentines #promo #bringthelove #personaltrainer #personaltraining #smallgrouptraining #wolfpack #yyc #yycliving #yycfitness ... See MoreSee Less
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I’m going to be taking a small group of people through a fun 2-week program to start the new year off right.
Comment below if you're interested. ... See MoreSee Less
How to Succeed with your Resolutions
Any time of the year is a good time to address the issue of FAILED New Year’s Resolutions. According to statistics compiled by a “big box” gym, the most drastic drop off in gym attendance occurs 38 days from the New Year (February 7th).
We all begin the year with high hopes and big goals for our health and fitness. But only 30 days into the year, only 6 out of 10 people are still on track with their goal to "lose weight," "exercise more," or "eat healthy."
And by the end of the year, only 1 out of 10 people have sustained their New Year's Resolution to be healthier.
What’s even worse for those who actually do lose weight, 80% of them gain it back again AND 67% of those people gain more weight back than they originally lost!
Without getting into the physiology of a messed up metabolism that extreme dieting, crazy HCG protocols (Human Chronic gonadotropin), and over-training causes let’s look at it from a different angle…
PARADIGMS
Your paradigm is essentially how you see the world.It’s a multitude of beliefs and habits (passed along and picked up) that ultimately control your actions.
Joel Barker said, “To ignore the power of paradigms
Side note to parents – YOU form your children’s paradigms.“What you don’t fix they will inherit.They’re an extension of YOU.” – Bob Proctor
It’s important to note for those of you trying to “get rid of bad habits” and “pick up good habits” that HABITS CANNOT BE ERASED. THEY MUST BE REPLACED.
But, once your old habits are replaced with new ones, what’s the secret to creating LONG-TERM habit change and keeping the weight off?
FAITH
Faith requires believing in the unseen and/or not yet materialized into reality.
Your weight-loss and fitness journey will not be linear.
There will be plateaus
There will be temptations.
There will be obstacles.
But, faith in YOURSELF and in the process will overcome these setbacks.
When times get hard, you will unconsciously fall back on your faith…or lack thereof.
So, how do you build up your faith?
REPETITION and COMMUNITY.
Repetition is at the foundation of learning. We must see, hear, read, experience things over and over and over again before they truly become engrained in us.
Community is the reinforcement of behavior through group participation and group approval – THIS is important when it comes to your weight loss and fitness goals!
Think about the most powerful passionate belief systems…
Church, politics, sports, and even AA meeting are held in groups for a reason.
Although not everyone in a community may be your best friend, communities provide support to keep you on track through the “power of loose ties.”
You see; we tend to surround ourselves with people that are similar to us, so our closet friends tend to have the same habits that we do (by the way, this works against ourselves when we’re trying to make a major lifestyle change like being more healthy & fit). There is also no pressure to impress your closest friends and family because you already know that you have their acceptance. If not, that’s a different conversation all together. Just remember, while you might not be able to pick your family, you CAN pick your friends…
On the other hand, “loose ties” or people that you would consider acquaintances can be a powerful factor in habit change. When you join a new community that has habits that you aspire to develop, but might be out of your current comfort zone, the peer pressure of gaining acceptance and wanting to impress your new peers HELPS drive these changes.
Belief is often viewed as something that develops out of our control, but understanding the subconscious psychological power of communities can help you put yourself in a position for long-term success. The power of “loose ties” plus seeing others in the community who have succeeded in situations similar to yours creates belief. As you begin to believe more you build up your faith.
So, if you’re SERIOUS about hitting your goals this year, find a proven system that you can believe in and a community that supports your goals.
Believe in yourself, believe in your journey; it's perfect...
Coach Franco
P.S. January is upon us, and you're probably scrambling to figure out, where's your community; here's a few ways I can help you...
1. Free Assessment: Come in for a free assessment that includes a Functional Movement Screen, and a body composition test, as well as your success coaching session to figure out how we can help you, and start 2020 right! Just say 'Assessment' in your email.
2. You're not in Calgary? No problem! Call me for an in-depth success coaching call so that we can get you started on the right Online Coaching Program. Sign up for 3 months, and receive your fourth month free! Email me with the word 'Online' in the subject line and we'll set up a call.
3. Try it all: For the month of January, try 2 weeks unlimited sessions of our signature small group personal training in our Wolf Pack Training System, as well as our Online Performance coaching for 2 more weeks. 4 weeks of training for $99! Just email us and put '99' on the subject line and we'll get you started on a success coaching session as well as book you in for your free assessment! ... See MoreSee Less
Well, my friends, most of us are all back at work.
We've finished the holidays and realized where did the time go?
For me it was working with clients, moving my gym and settling into the new permanent space for at least this year.
We had really sick babies at home, my wife got really sick with a throat infection, I myself got an ear infection, and threw my back out. In and out of client's homes for the in-home sessions and back to the gym for those taking advantage of the Calgary Food Bank donations promo. Also finally trying to sneak in a workout when I started feeling better.
And let's not forget Christmas shopping; thankfully my babies are too young to be picky, even boxes make them happy.
Wow! That was a mouthful.
The thing is my evenings with my Nathaly, gave us the opportunity to look towards the future. What do we want from 2020?
The better question we realized was, what are we going to do for 2020? How will we improve as a family, how will I improve as a husband and father as well as a business owner?
I'm not a resolution kind of guy, but I will definitely start to take better care of myself, improve my sleep and obviously my eating habits.
My reason is easy, it's how I become better for those I love. These 2 simple things, but you'll notice that they are specific, as well as simple.
Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves and set ourselves up to fail...
These two simple things will improve all facets that are important in my life, family, business, etc.
I'm not going to bore you with details in regards to every step I will take but keeping those things in mind always, will make me more disciplined in my decision making.
That's right, don't forget that in the end we have choices, and it's usually the easy and the hard road and nothing good came from the easy route.
Well, my friends, I'll leave you with this. Stay the course, don't make hard goals for yourself especially if you haven't come close to those goals in the past.
Hard goals are long term goals and they're a daily grind, the question is, what are you doing today to make your journey in life that much better?
Start 2020, right. Make good decisions in regards to your health, and make an effort to do one thing right daily; it's compounded interest towards a healthy mindset, I promise.
Stay healthy my friends, and here's to a year!
Coach Franco
P.S. I'm happy to say I am now permanently in Accurate Fieldhouse 7575 57 St SE, upstairs in the mezzanine and you come in through south doors. Feel free to contact me at 403-837-1023 via text or get on a call if you're looking to make some healthy changes. ... See MoreSee Less
“Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation.”
Wait! Aren't you a Personal and Athletic trainer and praise the benefits of good old fashioned steel in your hands? Grunting, sweating with loud music in the background?
I do, but I dedicate this write up to my lovely wife and her search for the perfect Yoga class...
And by the way, I've done the odd Yoga class and I rocked them! It's due to my superior strength and stability and waning flexibility that still lingers.
Ok, let's get started, The benefits of yoga are very vast. They include but are not limited to.
1. Helping you move better and feel less stiff or tired
Can help you to build strength and endurance especially core strength
2. Helps your body awareness and can therefore also improve your posture
3. Feel less stressed and more relaxed
4. Can help to lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate
5. Has been linked to lower cholesterol, lower triglyceride levels, and better immune system function
Types of Yoga
There are many different types of yoga. It will depend on what you are looking to get out of a yoga practice, as well as your personality as to which type will be most optimal for you. Below are the most common types of yoga to choose from.
Ashtanga
Bikram (Hot)
Hatha
Iyengar
Kundalini
Power
Restorative
Vinyasa
Yin
Restorative Yoga
I want to focus this article on Restorative Yoga because of it’s profound effects on our stress levels and the ability to bring our body back into balance. The guiding principle of this type of yoga is that support creates a release. By using props such as blankets, bolsters, and blocks the body feels supported enough to release and let go of muscular tension. You can virtually take any yoga pose and make it a restorative pose by adding support and lengthening the duration of the pose.
In our fast-paced, never-stop society, Restorative Yoga gives us the opportunity to be still and get back to our true nature.
Restorative Yoga postures help the body release built up tension by gently lengthening and opening the whole body including the muscles and connective tissue. Through this, equilibrium is restored in the body and the body regains lost energy and vitality. In a world where we are always going, going, going, restorative yoga is a remedy for the challenges of stress.
Because poses are held for 3-9 minutes or longer, you are able to deeply “let go. ”This “letting go” allows the body to naturally restore balance and well being. Our bodies want to return to homeostasis - a state of balance. The problem is that many factors including stress pull us away from this balance.
The practice of Restorative Yoga turns off the flight or fight response and engages the process of rest and digest, inducing a physiological state that is the exact opposite of the stress response and allows the body time and means to return to homeostatic balance.
Adding a yoga practice to your current training program can provide you with physical, mental, and emotional benefits. A great place to start is with a class once a week, a workshop, or even a DVD.
On that note, My wife loves to do this particular young lady's yoga videos on YouTube and after working on my laptop while she does a Yoga sequence or two, I started to take note. She's actually really good. So I'll leave you with this link below and you should subscribe to her if you also enjoy it, so let's welcome Yoga With Adrienne.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPK9WNtpBgk
Enjoy, and stay healthy my friends...
P.S. If you're looking to make some lifestyle changes in the new year, here's a couple ways I can help...
1. Try Our Small Group Personal Training For the Month of January for our Bring One Get One!
Achieve your health & fitness goals with the attention, knowledge, and accountability you need through working with my extremely knowledgeable and cohesive training philosophy up close and personal in a like-minded environment; only now, you get to bring a friend and share the experience together!
Just reply back to this email with the word 'BOGO' and we can set up a time to talk about your goals and see if Small Group training is a good fit for you.
2. Train With Me From Anywhere, and For The Month of December, You Can Try My Premium Online Performance Coach for 1 month for $1!
If you can’t make it to my facility in Calgary, you can still train with the best!
I have a ready made for your training platform shared through Google sheets, with your exercises hyperlinked so you can see them anywhere.
You'll also be part of our wonderful private group, Club Atletico where you'll receive weekly coaching, tips, and tricks regarding training as well as diet and lifestyle.
This is exactly like personal training, but it's anywhere you need it to be, and it's even more affordable.
If you are interested in the Premium Online Performance Coaching, anytime & anywhere program, reply with 'Online' and I'll get you all the details. ... See MoreSee Less
Video
Good morning gang!
It's been a hot minute since we chatted about food so I thought with Xmas on its way, why not dabble a little.
8 Rules to staying fit during the Xmas season...
1. Don't drink the tasty coffee when you're out at lunch with your workmates.
2, Drink more water than usual during this festive season since you're probably intaking way more sugar than you're used to.
3. Really try to get to the gym at least twice a week during this season for your weights, and twice a week for your cardio, you'll thank me later.
4. Those tasty cookies at your admin's desk; enjoy one, not one every time you walk by.
5. It's the Xmas party in your office, the buffet is laid out. Enjoy a nice plate of goodies, not 3 plates, and don't finish the evening washing it down with 5 pints or more, you're not 21 anymore and those calories aren't going to sweat away in bed as you sleep!
6. Wait! It's Xmas party time, which means there are more parties; please see rule number 3!
7. It's Xmas dinner with family, you see that turkey or ham? Ya, it's for everyone, not just you. Don't eat and then sit on the couch with your belt and top buttons undone, it's not sexy. PORTION CONTROL!
8. Finally, New Years is upon us, please see all 7 rules prior
Well, my friends, enjoy the holidays and take advantage of this season and train in the gym if you like under my watchful tutelage, better yet, bring a friend.
All you have to do is bring a food donation to the Calgary Food Bank!
Enjoy your day!
Coach, Franco ... See MoreSee Less
I met this young man over 15 years ago, and look who showed up in the new facility inside @accuratefieldhouse ! A large donation to the @calgaryfoodbank and an @functionalmvmt screen in the books and we’re off to races. Another prospect entering into our Wolf Pack Training System where you’re in a small group, with your very own program. I mean isn’t that what personal training is supposed to be? @bjamesminty thanks for having the courage to show up, all tour goals start with that first step old friend., maybe I’ll attract other broken #welders someday! #firststep #respect #motivation #calgaryfoodbank #cogoperformance #yyccares #yycfitness #yyc #yycnow #xmasgiving ... See MoreSee Less
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Are You Interested In Starting A New Training Program In The New Year? read and receive your free training gift!
I know I’ve asked you this already, but what if you could start your NEW training program right now in December?
I know that people are running around during the Xmas holidays getting their shopping done and probably aren’t budgeting for a new fitness class or personal training.
But what if I told you that you could start training in December and all it would cost you is a non-perishable food item that we will donate to the Calgary Food Bank!
That's right! I give, and then you give, people in need receive, and you start getting in shape before all that good food starts hitting the tables.
As of December 1st, COGO Performance Development is officially situated inside the Accurate Fieldhouse on the second-floor Mezzanine at:
7575 57 St SE, Calgary, AB T2C 5M2
And we’re bringing our signature brand of fitness and sports performance training to you.
Here's a sneak peek at what will be offered at the NEW facility.
Classes - Gen-Atletika Training
First off we have our Gen-Atletika Training classes running early mornings, and two lunch hours a week. If the demand is there, we may open them up a couple more hours a night in the evenings. Our classes are results-oriented and specific to Strength and Conditioning, so you’ll have 3 strength and 2 conditioning days per week.
Wolf Pack Training
This is the pride of CPD, our Wolf Pack Training personal training group. This is groups of 4-6 individuals that are treated as such. We are the only S&C company that offers REAL personal training to that many people within a group. Most “Small Group” training is exactly that; 6 people following a whiteboard fitness program. Not us!
The WPT, is groups of people that want personal training, keep an affordable cost, but still have a personalized experience.
Premium Personal Training
Our Premium Personal Training which as most know has the highest success for yielding results! I’ve been training personal training clients for 9 years and it is where I’ve seen the highest success in fitness and sports performance. This is individualized to your goals but demands the highest dedication since it is also the highest investment. Accountability is paramount.
Premium Online Performance Coach - Club Atletico
Finally, we have our Premium Online Performance Coaching platform up and ready to take on clients anywhere in the world at any time. This is the program most people are looking for that have either time or money constraints. All I need from you is your specific goals, a timeline, and a place that you train at. Leave the programming to me, as I guarantee results, as long as you guarantee to put in the hard work!
I hope this was informative enough for you all. At the moment we are just working on our booking software which will be up by tomorrow. And don't forget, The month a December's cost for training, Donations To Our Calgary Food Bank Box!
Get started and try out this week's Workout Days Of Xmas Gift #15, #16, #18, & #20!
There is a link below for your workout,, please let me know if you have any questions, and remember the weights you choose are based on you but try to challenge yourself every step of the way!
Ok, let's get started!
Disclaimer: Please understand that you are about to embark on a physical journey that may demand cardiovascular as well as physical intensities you are not used to. This is why you should always consult your physician or other healthcare providers before changing your diet or starting an exercise program.
A quick how to do the program for all my NEWBIES wanting to try the workouts:
1. Movement prep - is done first always, this sheet ready's your body for training, all movements have videos
2. Reactive - is done second as a triple-set somewhat as a circuit than you rest for the allotted time
3. Resistance - is done in sections
a - section 1A - is a single set style, you exercise you rest, rest is dependent on your intensity
b - section 2A, 2B - is a superset, back to back exercises than you rest
c. section 3A, 3B, 3C - is a triple-set, more of a circuit style, back to back exercises with rest at the end
3. Recovery - is done at the end of all workouts
4. Double-tap any and all exercises on your smartphone screen to OPEN LINK to see exercise videos
Copy and paste the link below to your URL and get started!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rEiu2ZRV0YEAVNjqT8bFaLvSXqCHz1uxsWnjPT-bKUw/edit?usp=sharing
Enjoy the workouts and reach out if you have any questions
Coach, Franco
P.S.
1. Try Our Small Group Personal Training For the Month of December for A FOOD Donation!
Achieve your health & fitness goals with the attention, knowledge, and accountability you need through working with my extremely knowledgeable and cohesive training philosophy up close and in-person in a like-minded environment.
Just reply back to this email with the word 'Small Group' and we can set up a time to talk about your goals to see if Small Group training is a good fit for you.
2. Train With Me From Anywhere, and For The Month of December, You Can Try My Premium Online Performance Coach Free!
If you can’t make it to my facility in Calgary, you can still train with the best!
I can train you on Skype, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, or almost any video software that you prefer.
This is exactly like personal training, but it's anywhere you need it to be, and it's even more affordable.
If you are interested in my world-class Premium Online Performance Coaching, anytime & anywhere program, reply with 'Online' and I'll get you all the details.
In case you missed it, Copy and paste the link below to your URL and start training!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rEiu2ZRV0YEAVNjqT8bFaLvSXqCHz1uxsWnjPT-bKUw/edit?usp=sharing ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
Well my friends it’s officially the time to give! At COGO Performance Development my little guy’s excited to start the giving! Train the entire month of December for a good donation to our Calgary Food Bank boxes. That’s right, if you give, we give. And together with @calgaryfoodbank we can help #yyc families in need! DM me if you’d like more details, in the meantime, stay healthy and keep giving back to our city. Don’t forget, we are now on the second floor of the very friendly Accurate Fieldhouse #cogoperformance #calgaryfoodbank #yycfitness #giveback #inspiration #yyc #accuratefieldhouse #newlocation ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
Are You Interested In Starting A New Training Program In The New Year? read and receive your free training gift!
I know I’ve asked you this already, but what if you could start your NEW training program right now in December?
I know that people are running around during the Xmas holidays getting their shopping done and probably aren’t budgeting for a new fitness class or personal training.
But what if I told you that you could start training in December and all it would cost you is a non-perishable food item that we will donate to the Calgary Food Bank!
That's right! I give, and then you give, people in need receive, and you start getting in shape before all that good food starts hitting the tables.
As of December 1st, COGO Performance Development is officially situated inside the Accurate Fieldhouse on the second-floor Mezzanine at:
7575 57 St SE, Calgary, AB T2C 5M2
And we’re bringing our signature brand of fitness and sports performance training to you.
Here's a sneak peek at what will be offered at the NEW facility.
Classes - Gen-Atletika Training
First off we have our Gen-Atletika Training classes running early mornings, and two lunch hours a week. If the demand is there, we may open them up a couple more hours a night in the evenings. Our classes are results-oriented and specific to Strength and Conditioning, so you’ll have 3 strength and 2 conditioning days per week.
Wolf Pack Training
This is the pride of CPD, our Wolf Pack Training personal training group. This is groups of 4-6 individuals that are treated as such. We are the only S&C company that offers REAL personal training to that many people within a group. Most “Small Group” training is exactly that; 6 people following a whiteboard fitness program. Not us!
The WPT, is made up of groups of people that want personal training, keep an affordable cost, but still have a personalized experience.
Premium Personal Training
Our Premium Personal Training which as most know has the highest success for yielding results! I’ve been training personal training clients for 9 years and it is where I’ve seen the highest success in fitness and sports performance. This is individualized to your goals but demands the highest dedication since it is also the highest investment. Accountability is paramount.
Premium Online Performance Coach - Club Atletico
Finally, we have our Premium Online Performance Coaching platform up and ready to take on clients anywhere in the world at any time. This is the program most people are looking for that have either time or money constraints. All I need from you is your specific goals, a timeline, and a place that you train at. Leave the programming to me, as I guarantee results, as long as you guarantee putting in the hard work!
I hope this was informative enough for you all. At the moment we are just working on our booking software which will be up by tomorrow. And don't forget, The month a December's cost for training, Donations To Our Calgary Food Bank Box!
Get started and try out this week's Workout Days Of Xmas Gift #15, #16, #18, & #20!
There is a link below for your workout,, please let me know if you have any questions, and remember the weights you choose are based on you but try to challenge yourself every step of the way!
Ok, let's get started!
Disclaimer: Please understand that you are about to embark on a physical journey that may demand cardiovascular as well as physical intensities you are not used to. This is why you should always consult your physician or another healthcare provider before changing your diet or starting an exercise program.
A quick how to do the program for all my NEWBIES wanting to try the workouts:
1. Movement prep - is done first always, this sheet ready's your body for training, all movements have videos
2. Reactive - is done second as a triple-set somewhat like a circuit than you rest for the allotted time
3. Resistance - is done in sections
a - section 1A - is a single set style, you exercise you rest, rest is dependent on your intensity
b - Section 2A, 2B - is a superset, back to back exercises than you rest
c - Section 3A, 3B, 3C - is a triple-set, more of a circuit style, back to back exercises with rest at the end
4. Recovery - is done at the end of all workouts
5. Double-tap any and all exercises on your smartphone screen to OPEN LINK to see exercise videos
Copy this link below into your search bar and get started!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rEiu2ZRV0YEAVNjqT8bFaLvSXqCHz1uxsWnjPT-bKUw/edit?usp=sharing
Enjoy the workouts and reach out if you have any questions
Coach, Franco
P.S.
1. Try Our Small Group Personal Training For the Month of December for A FOOD Donation!
Achieve your health & fitness goals with the attention, knowledge, and accountability you need through working with my extremely knowledgeable and cohesive training philosophy up close and in-person in a like-minded environment.
Just reply back to this email with the word 'Small Group' and we can set up a time to talk about your goals to see if Small Group training is a good fit for you.
2. Train With Me From Anywhere, and For The Month of December, You Can Try My Premium Online Performance Coach Free!
If you can’t make it to my facility in Calgary, you can still train with the best!
I can train you on Skype, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, or almost any video software that you prefer.
This is exactly like personal training, but it's anywhere you need it to be, and it's even more affordable.
If you are interested in my world-class Premium Online Performance Coaching, anytime & anywhere program, reply with 'Online' and I'll get you all the details.
In case you missed it, copy this link below into your search bar and get started!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rEiu2ZRV0YEAVNjqT8bFaLvSXqCHz1uxsWnjPT-bKUw/edit?usp=sharing ... See MoreSee Less
Good morning friends!
Well, phase one of the move is done and now I'm just waiting on a little bit of equipment!
A couple power racks, pull up bars, benches and soft plyo boxes.
This little waiting period will just give me time to rest my forearms, since they took a beating in the move!
I will keep you updated.
Thanks again for all of your support, I really appreciate the shares and I want to take this time to also appreciate my lovely wife Nathaly Pizarro for helping me with all of this, she was the second man in farmer walking up and downstairs and taking care of our baby!
and I hope to see you guys wandering into my facility soon for a session.
Her's a couple pictures of the first move!
Enjoy your day, and spread the word that the month of December to all of your friends and family is the cost of a Food Bank Donation!
Also, I've got another Workout Days Of Xmas Gift #13 So contact me if this link doesn't work, and get started on another day of strength training!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rEiu2ZRV0YEAVNjqT8bFaLvSXqCHz1uxsWnjPT-bKUw/edit?usp=sharing
Enjoy, and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!
P.S. If you would like some help achieving your goals there are a couple ways I can help you...
1. Try Our Semi-Private Small Group Training For the Month of December for A FOOD Donation!
Tis the season to give so come and achieve your health & fitness goals with the attention, knowledge, and accountability you need through working with my extremely knowledgeable and cohesive training philosophy up close and in person in a like-minded small group environment. This is not a fitness class, this is personal training in a small group environment that is capped at 6 individuals.
Just reply back to this email with the word 'Small Group PT' and we can set up a time to talk about your goals to see if Small Group training is a good fit for you.
2. Train With Me From Anywhere, and For The Month of December You Can Try My Premium Online Performance Coach Free!
If you can’t make it to my facility in Calgary, you can still train with the best!
I can train you on Skype, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, or almost any video software that you prefer.
This is exactly like personal training, but it's anywhere you need it to be, and it's even more affordable.
If you are interested in my world class Premium Online Performance Coaching, anytime & anywhere program, reply with 'online' and I'll get you all the details.
In case you missed the Workout Days of Xmas Gift #13!. Click the Link below and get started!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rEiu2ZRV0YEAVNjqT8bFaLvSXqCHz1uxsWnjPT-bKUw/edit?usp=sharing ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
It's Moving Day!!!
It's going to be a long day, but worthwhile in the end.
I look forward to seeing some new faces as we grow, and I look forward to seeing some of you in the gym this coming month trying a class or two, or maybe some small group personal training.
And now for the uphill battle to get this gym working smoothly...
In the meantime;
Stay healthy my friends! ... See MoreSee Less
