Whether it’s your first time strength training or you are a seasoned “Veteran of Iron” all of us need to warm up thoroughly before starting to exercise no matter what your age is. Athletes do it, actors & actresses do it, singers do it as well. To perform at your best and to help prevent against injury a warm up is absolutely necessary, especially before you throw down your initial set of Front Squats or you run your first mile. When I speak of warming up I mean so much more than just popping on a treadmill and walking at a speed that would make a turtle look like Usain Bolt. Warm ups should also simulate what you are about to do, whether that may be an athletic event like basketball, a strength training session or a few laps around the local High School track.
MOVEMENT PREP BREAKDOWN
Tissue work
Static Stretching (Can be added here)
Re & Prehab exercises
Activation exercises
Mobility exercises
Dynamic Stretching
WHY EACH ASPECT OF THE WARM UP IS IMPORTANT (more…)
Over the next few day every trainer, gym, magazine and TV advertisement will give you their tips on how to beat “Holiday” weight gain. Some tips will be very useful and some will be as good as me telling you to pay me $100.00 every time you go off the reservation. In the past I have sent out my top ten tips to avoid gaining weight, I have held contests with clients to see who can maintain their weight or reward them with free sessions if they actually lose a pound or two. Sometimes I get the striver/do good-er who will impress me or the person who catches the flu and can’t hold anything down but the majority of people will fail miserably and bring the New Year in with some extra poundage.
This year, my advice is simple. One word actually, and that is; WORKOUT! I know the Holiday season is busy with the end of year responsibilities at work, shopping, dinner parties, change of season etc, but with all my latest blog posts, YouTube videos, Facebook and other social network postings regarding High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and all its benefits in relation to fat loss, YOU have no excuse to not be able to find 30 minutes a day to get YOUR sweat on. (more…)
SUCCESS IS NEVER FINAL and FAILURE IS NEVER FATAL, IT IS COURAGE THAT COUNTS
Preparing for a fitness or bodybuilding competition is never easy, especially when you are doing it alone and your friends and family don’t understand what it takes to step on stage. Competitions involve so much more than just a work ethic in the gym and the ability to stick with your nutrition plans. Don’t get me wrong, training and eating is hard enough to maintain at times but for all of us who have ever competed you know what I mean when I say the stress of the process is sometimes the greatest battle to overcome.
Anyway, before I am guilty of rambling on, I just want to publicly congratulate and share with all of you some of my recent client competitor accomplishments.
Curnel Jones, 1st Place Fitness Model & 1st Place Muscle Model category, FAME
Jaylie Nicoll, 2nd Place Fitness Model category, FitnessStar London
Wash Candidio, 3rd Place Fitness Model category, WBFF
*Part of Team Wash
Chris Cecile, 1st Place Fitness Model category, FitnessStar Montreal
Sara Solomon, 1st Place Fitness Model category, FitnessStar Montreal
“This is a huge honour and privilege for me and I am truly thankful for this opportunity. This was one of my fitness goals for 2009 along with joining the team at Vega, Sequel Naturals. 2 fitness goals down, 2 to go.”
The above statement is what my original posting read back a few short weeks ago. As the latest issue of Maximum Fitness magazine hit the shelves all across North America I was deep into my contest preparation for the WBFF World Championships. I was feeling great about my chances of winning this prestigious title ever since I had decided to make it a top goal of mine heading into 2009. I was in stage shape by the end of February and this is when my hard work as a top fitness model started paying off. I was fortunate enough to be signed by Vega, Sequel Naturals as an Ambassador athlete, shoot the cover of Maximum Fitness along with a few other fitness related engagements. I was creating video blog’s (Vlogs), for everyone who was interested, in my holistic and natural approach to preparing for the WBFF World Championships. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.
For the past ten years my mother has been fighting a battle with cancer. She has had some good years and some really trying years but none as draining and painful as this last. Even this last year was not entirely all bad, as discussed on my website and in Vlog #6.
My mom had been getting mega dose Vitamin C treatments since January, which was shortly after a hospital stay in which many in our family thought may be her final hour. For those of us who knew my mom though, we were not all that surprised to see her miraculously battle back eventually leaving the hospital to head back home. Once she was home she immediately looked into alternative cancer care as she had had enough of the traditional treatments that left her body weak, depleted and engulfed in side effects.
The Intravenous Vitamin-C therapy worked wonders and to make a long story short my mom left her oxygen mask & wheel chair behind and boarded a plane to Vegas. Her and my dad along with two of their closest friends went to Las Vegas (where my folks resided for the last 6 years before returning to Ontario, Canada last Spring) where she had a wonderful time in Sin City.
Upon returning from Las Vegas my mothers energy continued to increased and she was able to play a significant role in planning and executing a surprise anniversary party for my Aunt & Uncle. She also started a new jewellery business with her best friend and life was back to normal as we knew it. So we thought or at least had hoped.
There was a complication or a mix up if will with her treatment schedule. I do not want to get further into this nor will I ever second guess anything that happened because I am not qualified to do so, but her cancer started to take over her body again when she was unable to receive Vitamin-C therapy. Just for the record, I am still a HUGE believer of Mega Dose vitamin therapy and strongly suggest anyone who is fighting their own battle with cancer to look into what it can do for them.
My mom was back in the hospital before we knew it fighting yet again to hang on for dear life. After a courageous ten year battle with cancer my mom was unable to bounce back this time and she passed away in the late evening of September 2nd 2009 holding my hand.
I know she was very proud of me and loved me very much. She enjoyed going to go to the book store and informing the cashier that the guy on the Harlequin novel she was buying was her son. She also thought it was so cool to have her son on the cover of Inside Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazine. The current issue of Maximum Fitness magazine (Sep/Oct 2009) was the last achievement she was able to see of mine. She would have wanted me to compete this weekend at the WBFF World Championships and not allow her deteriorating health or even her passing stop me from achieving my goals but just like so many times before when she went in to the Hospital I was never giving up hope that she would return back home.
Valerie J. Jackson 1951-2009
(Best friend & Mother)
I am sorry mom, but I can not step on stage this weekend, not yet anyway. You are such a large part of my life and of whom I am today that I will need a little more time to refocus my energy in order to move forward. I promise I will get back to my routine and continue to strive for everything I want out of life very soon.
I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone in the fitness industry who sent their condolences to me over the past two weeks. Even though there is a competition to win, all of you put that aside and reached out to a “Fitness family” member who was struck with sadness.
Thank you again and I wish all of you the very best this weekend!
Follow WBFF Pro Fitness Model & VEGA sponsored athlete Nathane Jackson as he prepares naturally and holistically for the 2009 WBFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, September 19th in Mississauga Ontario.
Follow WBFF Pro Fitness Model Nathane Jackson as he prepares naturally and holistically for the 2009 WBFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, September 19th in Mississauga Ontario.
It has been a few weeks since the last Vlog but as you will see Nathane has been busy doing what he loves to do best. Educate himself to share his knowledge with others.
In this weeks Vlog Nathane conducts a very special interview with Naturopath, Dr. Richard Dodd. The whole interview can be read at http://www.nathanejackson.com/cancer.htm Nathane continues his quest to build his brand by signing with one of the top Holistic companies in the industry today.
It is with great pleasure that I announce my recent appointment as an Ambassador for Vega and its line of Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer products.
I have worked in the fitness industry for the last 10 years and as each year passes, I become more concerned with the way the industry, and society as a whole, promote the use of products containing harmful chemicals and antibiotics, all the while calling them “healthy.”
To read more about Nathane joining the VEGA team click on the link below.
Follow WBFF Pro Fitness Model Nathane Jackson as he prepares naturally and holistically for the 2009 WBFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, September 19th in Mississauga Ontario.
Each week provides a little something different with regards to how Nathane lives on a daily basis.
There are also sessions in the kitchen, behind the scenes at photo shoots and a very special interview coming up in Vlog #6. Stay tuned!
Stuck (Season II) follows a group of diverse women, ages 23-52, who have decided to get ‘unstuck’ … to get their lives back. For all of them, fitness goals are the immediate symbol of their desire to reclaim their lives.
All of these women share a common goal – to achieve overall fitness and wellness through a commitment to a fitness program, a healthy diet, and to also have some fun along the way.
Nathane has his hands full as he takes the women through an “Introduction to” Kettle bells class.
Follow WBFF Pro Fitness Model Nathane Jackson as he prepares naturally and holistically for the 2009 WBFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, September 19th in Mississauga Ontario. Click on the link below to view video blog #2 and subscribe to Nate’s Videos for continued notifications of his contest prep.
This week Nate goes through what his nutrition looks like 20 weeks out from contest, half a leg workout, recruits a training partner and takes us behind the scenes of a Harlequin photo shoot!
Thanks for your support and have a fit and healthy week!
