Myth: Having a great body only happens in the movies

The Myth and The Madness

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT dispels the myths of fitness and sets us straight on the path to looking (and feeling) good

 

MYTH: HAVING A GREAT BODY ONLY HAPPENS IN THE MOVIES

 

 

 

 

Have you ever looked at an actor/actress and wish you had their physique? Have you ever wondered how they go from being skinny in one role to jacked in another?

It’s no secret. It’s HARD WORK!

Movie stars are people. They have the same physiology and cravings that other people have. As I mentioned in June’s The Myth and The Madness article (“If you want a celebrity body, it’s going to cost you time and money”), celebrities may have more money to get the best help with their training and the best chefs to make them delicious healthy meals, but they still have to do the work. Having money doesn’t equal being fit. If it did, then obesity levels would be even higher around the world.

You don’t need an insanely overpriced personal trainer to the stars to get that movie star body. You just need some education, motivation, and dedication.

Let’s talk about education. There is no secret exercise that is going to give you the physique you want. There are better ways to train than others for the goal that you want. The best way to train is with some intensity and sticking with it for the long haul. Maybe you love running, but hate lifting weights. We know that lifting weights can be good for us. It promotes lean muscle growth, makes us stronger, can help with posture, etc. If you hate doing it though, you probably won’t stick with it. We only do things we don’t like to do if we get paid to do them. If not, we will stop after a short period of time. My advice would be to try lots of things until you find what you like and don’t like. You can get strength benefits from other things like yoga, Pilates, martial arts or even pole dancing to name a few.

Motivation is so important. Movie stars are highly motivated to get or stay in shape because their jobs and fame depend on it. Your biggest motivation should be your health or setting a good example for your children. Find what motivates you to become healthier and reach your goals.

Dedication is essential to being successful. You can have education about what to do, motivation to do it, but if you don’t do it consistently, you will never succeed. People lose weight all the time.  Know how they did it? They worked at it consistently until they reached a goal. A lot of people gain weight back because they became less consistent after the goal was reached. Being active needs to be as much a part of your day as brushing your teeth or taking a shower.

Still don’t think you can get that movie star body? Try some of these tips:

Trade “slow cardio” for interval training. An example of this would be running hard for 20 seconds, then jogging or walking for 40 seconds. Repeat for 10 to 20 minutes instead of jogging your regular 40 to 60 minutes.

Trade machines for free weights. Free weights engage more muscles to help you with strength, co-ordination, and burning more calories.

Increase your range. Try doing the exercise through the full range of motion to activate more muscle fibres and choose multi-joint exercises, like squats, dead lifts or presses.

Lift heavier weight. Try to lift heavier weights. I’m not talking about bench pressing a car, but try to lift a weight that will challenge you. Women usually think that this will result in them bulking up or looking like a man. It’s hard enough for a man to look like a man lifting heavy weights. Just try it – I hear that strong is the new skinny!

Yours in fitness and wellness,

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

For workouts, check out Ryan’s website sparkfitnessnow.com

The Myth and The Madness Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT dispels the myths of fitness and sets us straight on the path to looking (and feeling) good   MYTH: HAVING A GREAT BODY ONLY HAPPENS IN THE MOVIES         Have you ever looked at an actor/actress and wish you had their physique? Have you [...]

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Myth: Guys don’t do dance fitness

The Myth and The Madness

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT dispels the myths of fitness and sets us straight on the path to looking (and feeling) good

 

 

 

MYTH: GUYS DON’T DO DANCE FITNESS

 

 

 
While most of us are still adjusting to the New Year, for a lot of gym users, this time of year means one thing – it’s tourist season. Not in the traditional sense that people are coming to see Anne of Green Gables, but rather lots of new faces are piling into the gym with every intention of making good on their fitness resolutions only to stick around for a couple of weeks never to be seen lifting a weight again…that is, until next January.

It’s great to see people getting active and all, but nothing grinds an avid gym user’s gears more than inexperienced people taking over all of the equipment, slowing down everyone else’s workout. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if you want to be successful in the New Year, you’ve got to set realistic goals, don’t give up early on, and keep trying new things that will keep your fitness interest.

Guys sweating it out at a dance fitness class? Now THAT would be trying something new for sure…or would it?

The truth is, guys are into dance fitness. Well, at least the smart ones are, anyway.

Guys who already like to get down with dance fitness know it’s a great cardiovascular workout that works muscles in a different manner than more traditional workouts. It improves coordination, helps with flexibility, and increases range of motion. Plus, you get to workout with a group of women and pick up a few dances moves along the way. The worse case scenario is you end up having a few laughs and losing a few pounds.

Dance fitness has become really popular in the last few years, and as I mentioned last month, it’s one of the hot fitness trends of 2012. Classes like Zumba, UFIT, belly dancing and pole dancing continue to bring in big attendance numbers. Shows like So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing With The Stars show really strong, muscular men dancing with beautiful women. From personal experience as someone who teaches both group and dance fitness, I can tell you the number of male participants has increased steadily in the last four years. I have seen men lose lots of weight just by attending these types of classes.

My friend and Charlottetown Zumba fitness instructor, Julie Whitlock, weighed in on this myth with her own observations:

“My classes have attracted more females than males, but Zumba Fitness worldwide has so many guys that participate and teach. In fact, the creator of Zumba is a male. It can be intimidating for men to walk into a class that is mostly made up of female participants. The guys that do participate quite enjoy it. You don’t have to be coordinated or even know how to dance; you just have to follow the instructor’s lead. It’s a very welcoming environment and the music is infectious. I would enjoy having more males attend the class because it’s fun, easy, and a great workout for everyone.”

Fitness, like life, is usually more interesting and successful when you step outside your comfort zone, so if you’ve found that your resolutions have been unsuccessful for too many New Year’s in a row, try something new. Dance fitness is affordable, but if it’s not for you, check your local gym or community centre for other new classes to try. But don’t knock it till you try it. You might actually like it!

Yours in fitness and health,

Ryan Cairns
CSEP-CPT

Catch Ryan Cairns each month in G! and online at www.sparkfitnessnow.com.

 
How to spot a “Gym Tourist”

1. Pays for a year membership and comes for less than a month.
2. Wears the nicest designer fitness clothes, but has no clue how to use any of the equipment.
3. Talks on their cell phone.
4. Never works out their legs.

The Myth and The Madness Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT dispels the myths of fitness and sets us straight on the path to looking (and feeling) good       MYTH: GUYS DON’T DO DANCE FITNESS       While most of us are still adjusting to the New Year, for a lot of gym users, this [...]

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Island Briefly: Get Rec’d!

Recreational sports with a sociable twist? The Charlottetown Sport & Social Club is on it

Photography by Alanna Jankov
Text by Meredith Morrison

Competitive sports not your thing? You’re not the only one.

Considering most of us hit our athletic peak somewhere around sixth grade, the thought of joining a sports team where people actually know what they’re doing can seem pretty intimidating. What if all you really want to do is get out of the house once in awhile and just have fun?

Luckily, people like Darcy and Ashley Murnaghan get that not everyone is into competitive sports, which is why they started the Charlottetown Sport & Social Club as a way for adults to be active, have fun, and network with one another.

Think of it as recess for adults. The CSSC organizes co-ed recreational sports leagues where anyone 19 and older can resister for a full eight week season playing basketball, floor hockey, dodgeball, or indoor soccer once a week. After the games, instead of juice boxes and cookies, club members get together for a post-game social hour at a local bar. Even if you’ve never been a part of a rec league before or this is the first time in a long time you’ve played on a team, the CSSC is a great way to stay active and social during the winter months.

The idea of a Sport & Social club isn’t new, but it is new to PEI. “We had never heard of it until a friend in Halifax told us about the Halifax Sport & Social Club,” says the couple. “She was playing in a co-ed dodgeball league, which we thought was pretty cool. She told us about all the new people she was meeting and how easy it was to get involved. We thought it would be great if there was a club in Charlottetown.”

They contacted the HSSC who got them in touch with Nicki Bridgland, who founded the Ottawa Sport & Social Club in 2003 and has since expanded to cities such as Halifax, Moncton, Kingston, London, Victoria, and Boulder, CO. Bridgland encouraged the couple’s effort to start their own Sport & Social Club in Charlottetown and within six months, they had a home for the CSSC at the Murphy Community Centre and were ready to get the word out.

Through pamphlets, social media and good old fashioned word of mouth, the couple started generating buzz around the city about the sporty social concept. They approached local businesses and groups to gauge their interest in putting together corporate teams, stressing the importance of happy, active employees and the impact that has on productivity. “Playing sports is a great way to meet new people in a positive environment,” says Darcy. “Employers are now trying to encourage their employees to maintain a balanced lifestyle outside of the office. Playing sports builds teamwork skills and camaraderie among staff.”

Whether it’s a team, a few friends, or individuals, everyone is encouraged to get involved in the CSSC. “We realize that not everyone wants to play in a competitive league,” says Ashley. “We hope the CSSC will fill this gap and provide a fun league where males and females can play together and have fun. All skill levels are welcome. The main thing is that everyone has fun.”

As CSSC membership grows, Darcy and Ashley hope to develop the social aspect of the club to include special events on off-game nights, such as cross-country skiing. But for now, getting together with the players for post-game drinks is a great way to kick things off and make connections within the community.

“If we can get a few more people to be active and connect socially, we will consider it a success,” says Darcy. “We tried out Ultimate Frisbee for the first time this summer and had a blast. You don’t realize how much fun it is until you give it a try.”

The first season of the CSSC kicks off January 30 and runs until April 7. If you missed out registering for the winter season, the next season picks up again in the spring with sports such as soccer, slow pitch softball, flag football, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Want to learn more about the Charlottetown Sport & Social Club and how to register so you’re not missing out on the fun? Check them out on Facebook at Charlottetown REC, or email charlottetownsport@gmail.com.

Recreational sports with a sociable twist? The Charlottetown Sport & Social Club is on it Photography by Alanna Jankov Text by Meredith Morrison Competitive sports not your thing? You’re not the only one. Considering most of us hit our athletic peak somewhere around sixth grade, the thought of joining a sports team where people actually [...]

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