UM Rec Services Personal Training

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba There's a lot to consider when choosing an exercise. What muscles do you want to work, how much do you want to isolate a muscle, exercise order, etc. And once you've selected a workout, you're faced with the decision of equipment selection. Today I'll explain the differences between barbells, dumbbells, and cables as variations for an exercise. No implement is better for beginners or advanced lifters as each offers benefits regardless of skill level. Let's get started! Barbells Pros: Barbells allow you to lift more weight since it requires less stability than dumbbells. The increased stability of the bar also helps beginners as there is a lower learning curve than a similar exercise done with dumbbells. Barbells are also safer because more stability reduces the risk of technique breakdown that ca...

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba Impact and intensity are often used interchangeably in the fitness industry. While the two terms sound similar, they are quite different. Impact refers to the strain on the body, and intensity refers to overall difficulty. There is also a perceived cause and effect relationship between the two. Many people feel they need to increase the impact to increase the intensity of a workout, but this is not the case! Examples of high impact moves include various jumping movements or running. Adding some of these will boost intensity but will also increase the toll it takes on the body. While high impact exercises can have a negative effect, they do play a valuable role in fitness. They help improve coordination, teach people how to decelerate safely and effectively, and train sport-specific skills. As useful as th...

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba Many people work on their strength with weightlifting. It's a well-known fact lifting heavier weights comes with an increased risk of back injury if your technique fails. This risk has led to increased use of lifting belts. In this post, I want to go over weightlifting belt basics including how the belt works, when you should use one, and how to wear it. How Lifting Belts Work Lifting belts have been known to reduce the risk of orthopedic injury and improve lifting performance. When lifting, it is recommended to hold your breath until the end of the push using the Valsalva maneuver . This maneuver increases thoracic, abdominal pressure to support the spine. Holding the breath and bracing allows lifters to move heavier weight without hurting themselves, and wearing a belt adds even more abdominal press...

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba One underrated piece of fitness attire is the shoe. People often put more focus on price or appearance and tend to overlook performance or how a shoe fits. Some also get very attached to their shoes and wear them much longer than they should. If you're currently looking down at your weathered shoes and thinking "It's time for a new pair", here are a few things to consider before you head to the store. Get the right shoe for the activity. For example. If you run, get a running shoe. If you do fitness classes that require a lot of lateral movement, you will need shoes that have more lateral stability. You need to ensure you have support in the right places to match the repetitive movements in your routine. With that in mind, it's also wise to avoid using the same shoes for various types of activity. C...

by Marieke Breakey, B.Sc HNS, Registered Dietitian, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba Advocates of intermittent fasting tout it as "the answer" to weight loss, chronic disease, and longevity. Claims include increased energy, loss of body fat, decreased inflammation, enhanced "mental clarity," and even reversal of type II diabetes. But can this method of eating (or not eating, in this case), really be of benefit to most people? First – what is fasting? Fasting, just means, “to eat sparingly or abstain from some foods” 1 . Most humans have a daily fasting period that begins before their bedtime, followed by the feeding period, which starts at the first eating opportunity after waking (for many, this is breakfast). Per popular opinion, intermittent fasting refers to a group of several diet plans that involve a period of eating and a period of abstaining from food or fasting. This offers an alternative to many popular weight loss diets involv...

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba There's a lot of fitness information out there, and it's easier than ever to access. Some of it is good and some of it, not so much. So, today I'd like to set the record straight on a handful of fitness topics that are often misunderstood or misrepresented in our first edition of Fitness Myth Busters! Myth #1: Doing crunches gives you a six-pack/burns belly fat As people gain unwanted weight, it usually ends up around the waist which is an area many people fixate on when trying to burn fat. In response to this, many sources promote short core workouts. This is one of the biggest myths in the industry. You cannot target fat loss. Using a specific muscle group does not burn fat from that area. To burn fat around the waist, you need a change in overall body composition. This is achieved through a combinati...

By  Michelle , M.Sc, B.Sc. HNS, Registered Dietitian,   Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba Health Canada recently released the newest version of Canada’s food guide which has not been updated since 2007. The previous edition was heavily scrutinized as it was unclear and hard to follow, while many believed it was strongly influenced by industry. Despite the long wait for a much-needed update, there are many positive changes to the newest edition which will hopefully be a useful resource for Canadian’s to develop, improve, or maintain healthy eating behaviours. Here are a few of the fundamental changes: A simplified take on balancing food with an emphasis on less processed foods The previous food guide had four food groups displayed in a rainbow with a focus on serving sizes and suggested daily intake. We now see a much simpler picture and message: a plate indicating how to balance our food. We no longer see serving size amounts and recommendatio...