Meal Prep Made Easy With Training Day Cafe

With everything, a well thought out and planned meal prep will ensure that you are successful when it comes to dieting. Today we have many options that will allow us to be successful as long as we dedicate a small amount of time towards making the right choices when it comes to the food that we eat. If you are one of the people that simply don't have time to cook and often make excuses as to why you can't eat healthy, a meal prep company could be right for you. My personal meal prep company of choice is Training Day Cafe. They are located in Surrey.BC and serve the lower mainland in BC with outlets in Maple Ridge as well as Abbotsford. With a wide range of option to choose from, Am and the staff will custom make your meals to fit your goals. Here is how the process will look.

Step 1: Log on to the Training Day Cafe website

Under the menu tab located at the top of the page you'll find the meal prep section. Once you click on that link, you'll see all the featured meals as well as options to customize each meal. Simply select the meals and the portion sizes that you'd like and write them in an email.

At this current time, you must email the team your email and they will confirm with you the price and let you know about pick up times.





Step 2: Pick up meals from one of their pickup locations 

Picking up your meals are easy and fun! Your meals will be ready for pick up on arrival and waiting in the fridge with your name on it. This is going to make it super easy for a quick in and quick out trip that will safe you time.

Step 3: Take out of the fridge and enjoy a well balanced diet

Custom meals comes in a microwavable safe container and it's as simple as taking it out of the fridge, heating it up in the microwave if you desire, and enjoying. Simply recycle the container once you are finished without having any dishes to clean.

Constant Never Ending Improvement

Everyday i strive for constant never ending improvement! It's a mindset that separates me from a lot of others in this industry because i look at it as a lifestyle and way of life for the next 20-30 years. Too many people go crazy always looking at the short term and often burnout or get down on themselves because they don't see the desired results instantly. Nothing worse than stopping before you give yourself a chance to receive the fruit of your labour. In health, fitness, business, or life in general, each day that you can take baby steps to move closer to your goals will allow you to get going. This will also allow you to compound those small daily actions into big steps over the course or a month, 3 months, and a year.

I was told years ago that it takes 10,000 hours of practise at something to become an expert at it. This is truly buying your time and learning each step of the way. As you amount the hours, you'll find that you become more aware and understanding of the big picture. It's really about a lifestyle as i go back to it, those things daily that keep you mentally focused and allow you to make positive changes in your life! No matter what it is that you want to do, keep that direction with razor focus. Constant never ending improvement is the mind frame you must have!

X2X Hardcore X Skull T-shirt!

The new X2X Training Gear T-shirt is my favourite t-shirt made to date by X2X Training gear. Get muscle and look good doing it is a motto that i like to live by when training in the gym. Take a look at the entire clothing line of X2X Training Gear at the Canadian Exclusive site.

Barbell Shrugs For Mass

Do you train traps with your back or shoulders? The answer to that question is BOTH! Most people think that you have 2 types of shrugs (front & back) but they fail to realize that you can do shrugs in 2 completely different ways to target the muscle and build mass. The standard front barbell shrug is a great exercise for building mass because it allows you to take on a fairly heavy weight load and get a good contraction. The motion is an easy one for most because it's straight up and down and you are simply trying to touch your ears with your shoulders. Adding this style of shrug to your shoulder workout is best and will give you that burning feeling that you desire to round out your shoulder routine. Hitting out 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps will have the traps full of blood and feeling great.

The other version that i'm talking about is achieved by laying on an inclined bench facing downwards. You'll be pulling up high to the ceiling which will open up your traps to the back giving you more mass. When laying with your chest against inclined bench, let the dumbbells hang towards the ground, contracting your traps back and up to the ceiling will allow you to activate them properly. This is a very short range of motion and should be completed controlled so that you are feeling the muscle work throughout the entire range. Hitting this style is best coupled with back day and will help you width & mass to your traps!

Back To Basics For A Bigger Back

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make during back exercises is that they aren't activating their back muscles at all. With improper form you'll be able to get a great biceps and traps workout but unfortunately that isn't the point of the workout. First of all think of your arms simply as hanger or hooks used to simply hold onto the weight. All of the tension and focus (mind-to-muscle-connection) should be placed on the particular part of the back that you are trying to target. Exercises such as chin up, lat pull downs, and rows, are great exercises to target your traps and the more tension you can place on them the more they will grow. For any muscle group to be activated and grow, you'll need need to place as much targeted tension on that particular muscle group to stretch and breakdown the muscle fibres.

A simple tip that i've learned for training back is to focus on opening and closing your scapula. The scapula is a floating bones that is attached by muscle tissue. Focusing on opening and closing it will allow you to work through the entire range of motion at any angle of a row or pull that you do.

Another great tip is to slow down.. it's not a race but rather a marathon to put as much tension on the working muscle. Slow down reps and focus on the contraction by squeezing as hard as you can in the shortened portion of the lift. By doing so you'll activate more muscle fibres which will lead to more growth.

Sample Back Workout That I Do.

Warmup: Wide grip Lat Pulldowns x 20 superset with x20 close grip Lat Pull downs (Repeat 3 Times)

Workload:
Wide Grip Chin ups 3x10-12 reps
Closer Grip Chin Ups 2 x failure
Wide Grip Cable Row 3x 12-15 reps
High Elbow Rope Pull to Face (Same machine as cable row with a cable attachment) 3x12
Hammer Strength Row 3x10 reps
Upright Rows 3x8-10 reps
Deadlifts 1x15 3x8-10 reps
Body weight back extension 3 x failure

For more information and exciting tips please check out my personal website and get jacked!

X2X Army Stringer Now In Canada

From the very moment that I seen this X2X Army Stringer I instantly wanted it! By far the best stringer tank i've seen to date and can't wait for each time it comes out of the wash to wear it again. Printed on the front and back, you'll be looking flashing from all sides as you show off your hard earned gains in the gym. Check out the X2X Canada site for more details about this awesome stringer tank.

Training Tip Wednesday: Time Under Tension

Check your ego at the door and grow! Your muscles can't tell how much weight you are holding in your arms and you shouldn't care also. Heavy weights only fuel the mind and often the mind lives in a different place than reality. Have you ever  questioned someone like Kai Green doing dumbbell curls with 35 pound weights or Shawn Rhoden squatting 225? Whats up with that, are these guys lazy or are they smart!? In reality they are utilizing something called time under tension and they are taking the muscle as close to failure as possible. They will hit out 15-20-25 reps with perfect form and concentrate on the squeeze with each rep. The amount of time it takes to complete such a high number of reps is where the stimulation and muscle growth will come from during the lifts. They are also activating a number of different types of muscle fibres that will grow bigger during recovery. It you take this simple tip and put it into motion you'll see better results quicker.

ISweat The Left Coast

Having trained for over 6 year now it's taken me from a small town community gym to becoming a Pro fitness model. I've been featured in international magazines and competed in a handful of fitness model competitions. Many things have changed over the years but the one thing that's always remained consistent is my love for bodybuilding. My training has always remained the main focus as I strive to become better every single day.  What can I do with this body that i've created over the year from lifting iron and eating chicken breast?

Now it's time to find out! Over the next 6 weeks i'll be doing a video and photograph series featuring different physical activities that you can find on the West coast of Canada. The series title "#ISweat The Left Coast" will take you on an adventure into beautiful British Columbia  and all that this stunning province can offer. I'll be taking part in activities with amateurs and professionals in their given sport to see if I have what it takes stand with them in their own sport. Let the adventure begin!

2013 Can Be The Year You've Been Waiting For

Whenever a new year rolls around people flock to the local gyms to make good on their new years resolutions. It's great to see people wanting to take action towards living a healthy life but it's sad t think that 80% if new gym members will not continue into February. Why is this? How can the rate be so high of people that stop going after their goals within one month? I'll try to explain it the way i see it every year. It's not easy, people think that they can make huge changes in short periods of time and when they don't see the results they give up because it seems unattainable. First i think you have to look at how long it took you to get to your current situation? After that set the expectation that it'll just as long to get out of that condition and into one that you are happy with.

Setting a realistic expectation will certainly improve your moral and have you in good spirits as you workout day in and day out. If you are doing it for all the right reasons and you believe in yourself, you'll have no problems getting to the gym on a daily basis and eating properly. Another important part that goes along with that is the mental aspect of achieving your fitness goal. Always remember it's a 3 pillar approach that will keep you up [Physical, Diet, Mental]

For myself this year is one of transition as i've recently moved to the west coast of Canada and have planted the seeds of exciting things to come. I've got a number of big plans and goals to go after including breaking the 200 pound stage weight come show time. This would be a 15 pound muscle gain this year and it's a goal i'm actively going after. On the marketing front i also want to get back to writing more, giving back, and utilizing video.

Let's make this a year to remember!
C

New Pictures From UFE NAC 2012

Photo Credit: Gerald Blanchard

Thank you VBlog

Arming For Battle 'Road To The UFE Pro Show'

Urban Warriors Take It Outdoors This Long Weekend

This is the final weekend of the summer and you'll never find a better time to get outdoors for a workout. Gym hours are reduced during the holiday weekend which is an even better reason to take it outside. You have all fall and winter to train indoor, so make this the time you enjoy the environment around you as you get your sweat on.

Activities you can do in the park

1. Take a Jog -Jogging at a medium pace will get you warm and allow you to see a wide variety settings in a short period of time. 

2. Plyo Drills -Plyo drills can be done in the park with little or no equipment needed. Doing multiple bodyweight exercises back to back will allow you to keep the burn on longer.

3. Sprints -Sprinting is a great way to activate fast twitching muscle fibres and boost fat burning potential through the roof.

4. Yoga -Good stretch and mental training. Being able to connect better with your body will allow you to have better control.

5. Bike Riding -Go for a bike ride and make a morning of it! Nice way to travel a distance with moderate paced exercise.

Reverse Grip Bench Press Explained

The Reverse Grip Bench Press is an exercise that has recently been proven to recruit more muscle fibres compared to the traditional bench press. The reason for this is the elbow placement being closer to the body which focuses more tension on the outer pectoral muscle. It also allows you to give a greater squeeze at the top of the movement to further active more muscle fibres in the chest.  Adding this exercise to your workout could be whats needed to take your chest training to the next level and activate new growth.

Ridiculous Pumps Part 2 'Road To The UFE Pro Show'

Build Bigger Calves Made Easy Workout

Everyone wants to have calves that make them standout from everyone else. In mens physique the calves are important because the upper part of the leg is covered by the long board shorts.

Spark New Growth Workout

Leg Press Calf Raises 3 sets 10 reps
Seated Calf Raises 3 sets 15 reps
Single Legged Calf Raises 3 sets till failure

**Focus on the squeeze at the top and hold for a 2-3 count**

Fat Burner Workout #2

It's time to get shredded with this full body workout!

HIIT Spin Bike
5 Minute warm up with medium tension
1 Minute standing sprint with increased tension
1 Minute seated recovery back at medium tension

Alternate for a total of 8 sprints

Lower Body Plyometric Workout

20 Bodyweight Squats
20 Bodyweight Lungs (each side)
20 Bodyweight Side Lungs
10 Burpees

60 Seconds rest and repeat 5 times

Fat Burner Workout #1

30 Minute Fat Burning Workout that will provide you with a metabolism boost all day long!

Treadmill
5 Minute Walking Warm Up
Followed by 15 minutes of interval sprints
1 Minute Sprint at 8-11 mph
1 Minute Walk at 3.8-4.4 mph
Alternate Back and Forth for the 15 minutes

Body-weight Workout Series
20 Pushups
10-15 Pull Ups
10-15 Hanging Leg Raises
10-15 Sit Up and Knee Tuck
20 Crunches

Rest 60 seconds and repeat 4 times

Mastering the Push Up For More Upper Body Strength

A Push Up is a very popular exercise that can be performed anywhere with no additional equipment required. Most people don't truly understand the benefits on the push up and how it can strengthen your entire upper body. By mastering the push up, you'll be able to lift heavier weights during your workout because you'll have stronger pectoral muscles, triceps, anterior deltoids, and abdominals.

You'll read about a number of different variations of the push up online and they'll all place a great tension on a specific muscle group, but understanding the it all generates from the pectoral muscles is key. Visualizing your pectoral muscles as being the primary driver will allow you to maximize the number of repetitions you can do because it's the largest working muscle. When I do a push up i'm thinking completely about rotating my pecs inwards as if they are 2 gears spinning together. Once I reach the top position of the push up (So fully extended arms like shown in the picture above) those gears (pecs) are as tightly squeezed and rotated as possible. This is also done by applying inward intension or pressure with my arms are I try to rotate my arms up and in without moving my hand position for a better contraction. The downward motion that follows as I lower myself to the floor is control and focused on unwinding the gear to release the tension. Be really focusing in on your pecs you'll engage more tension on the pecs which will stimulate more muscle fibres equating to more muscle growth. More muscle grow over time will allow you to push more weight during your presses. Focus and mentally visualizing the muscle working will yield better results.

'Ridiculous Pumps' Part 2 on The Road To The UFE Pro Show 2012