This past Saturday, I competed at the First Annual Agatsu Kettlebell Competition, hosted by Academy of Lions (www.crossfitgyms.ca) in Toronto on July 17, 2010. This was the first, and probably one of many kettlebell competitions to be held in Canada. It’s great to see the sport gain popularity and it was nice not having to travel several miles via bus or plane to get to the venue. Always a big plus!

Calm before the storm

The event was a lot of fun. Everything went very smoothly and efficiently and was extremely well organized by my good friends Boris Terzic, Eric St-Onge, and Shawn Mozen. There were a total of 15 competitors of varying skill levels going head to head, testing their strength and endurance at the event, including a few competitors who came up from the US. The events included Biathlon (jerk, snatch), long cycle (clean, jerk), and heavy jerks.

This was my second time competing in kettlebell sport. I’ve been training in the shadows and working up to doing long cycle with the 16kg kettlebell for the IKFF Nationals in September. Up until 1 week before the meet, I had never done a 10 minute set with the 16kg, as most of my training involved doing several short sets. Regardless, I wanted to challenge myself at this event and just compete for the fun of it. A few days before the comp, I did couple of test sets with the 16kg kettlebell to see where I was at. Both times I had trouble going the full 10 minutes. Yikes! GS is hard work!  Hopefully I perform better the next time.

Eric, Gold medal, Boris, & Shawn

This competition was my 3rd attempt at a 10 minute set…first time really, in terms of actually ‘finishing my time.’

I made sure I had a good nights sleep the night before. I arrived at the gym around 9:30 to weigh in. I came in at about 143.8lbs. Since I was competing in long cycle, I had a good 2 hour buffer zone before my set. I warmed up with a few body weight movements, did some Indian clubs to loosen the shoulders, played with some of the unconventional training toys at the gym, and watched my friends compete while I waited.

By the time my turn came around, I was very relaxed, loose, and ready to go.

And so the countdown began….3, 2, 1. Lift off!

The hardware!

I went at a pace of 10 to 12 reps per minute. The right side (clearly, my dominant side) went very well. I was going a steady pace of 12rpm, getting 60 reps total. After the hand switch, my pace dropped a bit. With 2 minutes left on the clock, the bell began to feel real heavy and beads of sweat were running down my face, but I kept going. It was a real struggle towards the end on the left arm and unfortunately I had a few no counts along the way. With only a few seconds left on the clock, I did my best to fit in more reps, getting a total of 44. After the set, I was sweating, happy to put the bell down, ecstatic about the fact that I went the full 10mins, and pumped that I did better than I expected to. I got a total of 104 reps.

After I was done, I watched fellow competitors compete in the heavy jerk event, where men used a 40kg bell while women used 24kg. That looked like fun, and made me wish I had signed myself up. Next time for sure! As always, it was very impressive to see Eric’s feat of strength of jerking TWO 40kg kettlebells 60 times overhead in 5 minutes!

Next up, was the award presentation. I won FIRST place for 16kg long cycle and to my surprise, was also the TOP female lifter at the meet!! AWESOMENESS!!!! Thank you Boris and Eric for making this whole event such a great experience. I’ll be back for more next time!

One of my all time favourite ways to start the day is with a refreshing fruit and vegetable smoothie. Not only do smoothies give you a burst of energy first thing in the morning, they’re also an excellent way of fueling your body with good nutrients. Depending on what goes in, it can provide you with a daily dose of fiber, anti oxidents, vitamins, calcium, protein, and healthy fats. By blending everything together, it makes it so that nutrients are more easily digested and absorbed into the body – another big plus.

In this article, I will be giving you one of my favourite smoothie recipes as well as 3 ingredients you don’t want to miss out on.

First up, here’s a 100% raw & lactose free smoothie that is packed full of raw, organic, fruits and superfoods! (pictured above) Combining the rich, energy boosting antioxidents of goji berries, natural sweetness of pears, and anti-aging digestive enzymes of papayas, protein/essential fatty acids from hemp seeds, and energy/immune system boosting qualities of coconut oil, this shake is an excellent start to the day and also great as a post workout treat.

Ingredients – makes 1-2 servings:
1 small/medium sized papaya (peeled)
2 tsp goji berries
1 large Asian pear (with skin)
6oz almond milk
1 tsp shelled hemp seeds
2 tsp organic virgin coconut oil
crushed ice (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut the papaya and pear into chunks.
2. Soak the goji berries in hot water for a minute.
3. Add all ingredients into the blender. If you like your smoothies cold, add some crushed ice or freeze/refrigerate your fruits ahead of time
4. Enjoy!

Here are 3 highly beneficial ingredients that I think everyone should add to their smoothies.

Virgin Coconut Oil
This is one of my favourite additions to any smoothie. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Once mistakenly thought to be bad because of its saturated fat content, coconut oil is now known to contain a unique form of saturated fat that has been shown to help strengthen immune system function, improve digestion, prevent heart disease, and even lower cholesterol levels. It is saturated in healthy fats that actually promote weight loss and help speed up the body’s metabolism. Research shows that some saturated fat is necessary for human health and that the medium chain fatty acids help to increase metabolism and are more easily digested than fats found in other oils. These fatty acids do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats, so are processed directly in the liver and immediately converted into energy, just like carbohydrates (not stored as body fat). When you buy coconut oil, make sure the oil, which comes in a solid state is white and comes in a glass jar. When melted, it is clear. Recommended brand: Virgin Coconut Oil by Bali Sun

Organic Shelled Hemp Seeds

Shelled hemp seeds are extremely healthy and have a concentrated source of easily digested protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and enzymes. They will give your smoothie a nice texture and nutty taste. Shelled hemp seeds have been cultivated for thousands of years and hold many benefits. Shelled hemp seeds are high in fiber and protein, and contain amino and fatty (Omega 3 & 6) acids your body needs. They contain Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), a unique and highly beneficial Omega-6 that’s known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties and aids in hormone synthesis and balance, premenstrual health, blood pressure maintenance, weight loss, healthy joint function, strong hair follicles, bright skin and strong nails, and provides continuous energy throughout the day. They can be purchased online or in any health food store. It is best to buy the certified organic ones, as they are grown without any chemical pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Recommended brand: Certified Organic Hempseeds by Nutiva

Goji Berries

Goji berries are known as the fruit of longevity and well-being. This superfood has a 1900 year history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, and has been prized for its anti-aging properties and immune system boosting capabilities. They are among the highest known source of antioxidents and amino acids, carotenoids, iron, and vitamin C. Goji berries will assist with weight loss, normalize your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and promote happiness due to their superior adaptogenic properties. Regular consumption of goji berries will boost the immune system and increases the longevity of a person. Goji berries contain 15 times more iron than spinach and 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are a tasty addition to smoothies, tea, soup and hot cereals.

For more tips, keep reading my blog and watch for my smoothie e-book, which will be coming out this summer.

For all the Lady Spartacus warriors out there, here is a video demo of the workout I will be contributing. It is a high intensity interval training workout designed to burn fat, work your entire body, and get you in shape using the weight of your own body as resistance. Whether you are at home, in the park, or in the backyard, this can be done anywhere.

This workout combines elements of cardio with a variety of simple calisthenic movements to increase body strength and flexibility, and the explosive movements of plyometrics to develop muscular power, speed, agility, and improve athletic performance.

I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback and hope this workout will help kick start your 4 week transformation. Be sure to sign up for FREE at http://fenvsfunk.net/ to benefit from the valuable fitness and nutrition information being offered by Funk, Fen, and our panel of top trainers!

For those who want to follow along, I have also done a full length version of the workout:

The full workout – part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13WoFgdi3Y

The full workout – part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAQUIhPiEt0

____________________________________________________

{Intro by Funk Roberts}

WEEK #1 GUEST TRAINER – ESTELLA “LADY SPARTACUS” HOM

I am so excited to introduce Estella Hom as the Team Funk guest trainer this week. I have worked closely with Estella in the past with my Funk Roberts Boot Camps and workout programs…she is awesome! Estella brings her own body transformation success story to the table, as she lost over 50lbs and has managed to keep it off for over two years by staying active and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Estella’s workouts have become extremely popular as she has contributed to the very popular Spartacus Workout Challenge and her workout is currently being done by over 2000 participants worldwide. She also has a great Kettlebell workout for women and she is a World Champion winning a gold medal at the Arnold Sports Festival Kettlebell Championships in March 2010

Estella’s workout will be on Thursday. Download her workout and read her bio to learn more about this great trainer.

Coming online in June 2010!

Another new side project in the works. I have been asked by my good friend Funk Roberts to be a guest trainer for a new workout program designed to help women transform their bodies, burn fat, get fit, and gain full body strength and conditioning within 4 weeks. It is all happening in the month of June. Anyone who follows this program will get closer to, if not achieve that sought after bikini body by July 4th!

I am really looking forward to this and have just finished filming and editing a Lady Spartacus body weight workout challenge which I’ll be contributing during one of the 4 weeks. No equipment will be necessary, just yourself and some open space. The workout will be comprised of 10 different movements done for 60 seconds each for 3 superset rounds. I’ve incorporated cardio, body weight movements to challenge and work the entire body, along with a few plyometric moves to build explosive power in the core, glutes, and legs.

======================

Here’s more info about the event:

Two of Canada’s top Fitness Trainers and Professionals, Fenley Fearon (Getmyassinshape.com) and Funk Roberts (Fitfirmandfab.com) have combined to bring you the greatest online fitness bootcamp ever!!! For 4 weeks, join Fen, Funk and Guest Trainers as they put you through weekly body changing workouts and take you on a journey to a body and lifestyle transformation.

For years Fen and Funk have help hundreds of women transform their bodies and habits to maintain a healthy lifestyle. NOW it’s your turn!!!

You ready for this?

Fen and Funk have put together a 4 week online bootcamp program to do at home, gym or outside that will help jump start you in your quest to achieve a bikini body for the summer.

Being overweight can cause many health issues and with obesity being the number one health issue in North America the time is now to make that change to a healthier lifestyle for you, your family and your kids. Fen and Funk have put together a professional team of trainers and a nutritionist to help you make that change.

FEN vs. FUNK 4 WEEK BOOTCAMP PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Fen vs. Funk Bootcamp Program consist of 4 weekly workouts brought to you from Fenley, Funk and one guest trainer and you get to choose one of the workouts each week. The workouts will be accessible online at the Fen vs. Funk Official Website, Facebook and through a weekly email.

The Fen vs. Funk program will have everything you need to change your body, increase your energy, gain muscle tone and accelerate fat loss, all while acquiring the tools to make this a permanent lifestyle change.

• 4 Week Transformation E-book with Home Fitness Workouts, Nutrition Guide, Supplementation Information, Motivational and Wellness Tips
• Weekly Home Workouts with Video sent to your inbox and on the website
• Nutrition and Meal Plan with Grocery List sent to your inbox and on the website
• Warm up and Stretch Video
• Weekly Fitness and Wellness Tips
• Supplement Tips

FEN vs. FUNK 4 WEEK BOOTCAMP PROGRAM OVERVIEW

FITNESS BOOTCAMP WEEKLY WORKOUTS VIDEOS

What you will get with the 4 Week Program

Full Body Weekly Online Workouts from Fen, Funk and Guest Trainers which include:

• Strength and Conditioning
• Plyometrics
• Butt and Leg Workout
• Killer Core and Abs Routine
• Stretch and Warm-Up Program
• Cardio

FEN WORKOUTS
Fenley (GETMYASSINSHAPE.COM) will take you through a weekly full body workout that will challenge your strength and endurance

FUNK WORKOUTS
Join Funk Roberts (FITFIRMANDFAB.COM) for weekly bootcamp style workouts that include bodyweight workouts, cardio, plyometrics, core and butt exercises and military calisthenics

GUEST TRAINER WORKOUTS
Each week, one guest trainer will give you their best online workout as part of the Fen vs Funk Team of Fitness Professionals

FEN vs. FUNK FREE FITNESS GUIDE AND E-BOOK
Download the official Fen vs. Funk Fitness Guide with Program Overview, Fitness Tips, Workouts with descriptions and so much more!!!

FIT, FIRM AND FLAT ABS WORKOUT VIDEO -Funk Roberts and 17 women for this workout which was made famous by the Fit, Firm and Fab Weekend Getaway for Women. It’s only 15 minutes, but it’s the most effective ab workout, that will strengthen and help flatten your tummy.

WARM UP AND STRETCH VIDEO – Have access to warm up and cool down stretches to increase your range of motion, flexibility and tone the muscles.

NUTRITION PLAN AND GUIDE
Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner, Laura Discepola provides a nutrition guide, meal plan and grocery list to ensure that you have all the tools needed to achieve that bikini body and begin the trek on your healthy lifestyle transformation.

SUPPLEMENT PACKAGE
Supplementsource.ca and Fit Firm ‘n Fab have teamed up to bring you the supplements you should be using to help you with your goals of achieving a healthy lifestyle. The team at Fit Firm N Fab truly endorses these products as supplements that each woman should be taking on a regular basis on your quest to overall better health.

GUEST TRAINERS INCLUDE:
ANDREA PAGE – FITMOM- HTTP://WWW.FITMOMFITNESS.COM/
MARC LEBERT – LEBERT FITNESS – HTTP://WWW.LEBERTFITNESS.COM/
ESTELLA HOM – LADY SPARTACUS – HTTP://BLOG.ESTELLAHOM.COM/
ANDREW BALODIS – TILT FITNESS – HTTP://WWW.TILTFITNESS.NET/
LAURA DISCEPELO – REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST

GET YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS INVOLVED AND GET YOUR BIKINI BODY BY JULY 4TH

To sign yourself up, go to www.fenvsfunk.net

Boris, Eric, & myself at the Excel Your Kettlebell workshop

I tend to spend a lot of my time working out, not because I have to, but because I genuinely enjoy staying active, and the past weekend was no exception. I had an incredible time attending a couple of 4 hour workshops on GS training and beach volleyball.

On Saturday, I went out to support my good friends and fellow GS competitors Boris Terzic and Eric St-Onge at their very first GS workshop – Excel Your Kettlebell down at the Academy of Lions. It served as an introductory crash course in kettlebell sport training with an emphasis on teaching the attendees the proper form and technique involved in kettlebell sport lifting. There were about 6 of us in attendance and everyone but me was relatively new to kettlebells. I’ve personally been using kettlebells since 2005 and it was just within the last couple of years that I really began dabbling into the world of kettlebell sport. I found this course to be useful and a great refresher on technique, as there are always finer points and nuances to be learned in this sport. All the basics were covered. We began with the swing – the foundation of all movements, progressed onto doing cleans, push presses, jerks, long cycle, then the snatch. A nice touch was the video portion of the workshop which helped break down the moves in slow motion. The guys did a good job instructing and presenting the info, I had a great time, picked up a few good tips on efficiency and got a good workout in. Then afterwards, I bought myself a 20kg kettlebell to complement my training and add to my growing collection of KBs. Not a bad way to spend the day

Hanging with Mark Heese & wearing is Olympic bronze medal!

Sunday, I took a 4 hour beach volleyball 2′s clinic with Canadian Olympic Bronze medalist, Mark Heese at North Beach. Now, this was an intense workout! …and I can’t believe I did it all on practically an empty stomach, aside from the few sips I had of a kale, frozen berry, pear, almond milk smoothie I made in the morning. It was an incredible experience to meet and actually be learning first hand from an Olympic athlete! We started the training with some drills that included running (fwd/bkwds) in the sand and plyometrics as a warm up then progressed onto several drills on improving bumps, sets, spikes, and defense & offense strategies. On the surface, it’s all basic stuff, but Mark pointed out various tweaks that can be made in terms of form/technique to improve on efficiency of game play, which makes a huge difference in points won and lost. For the last quarter of the clinic, we all got to put those skills to work with a few games of 2 on 2. I was diving all over the court and probably among the few who got entirely covered in sand & sweat. What a great time it was, enjoyed every minute of it and was really tired by the end. I’ve definitely got some homework to do and can’t wait to put these new skills to use next time I hit the beach!

All that kettlebell lifting, running, and diving in the sand made for some really sore arms and legs over the next 2 days. Needless to say, I had such a good time that I had to take some time off from training.

That’s the bike I want! The 2010 Cervélo S1 Ultera aero road bike.

A few days ago I paid a visit to my friends at Duke’s Cycle to drop my Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike off for a tune up, as it’s been long overdue for maintenance and I didn’t quite trust my quickie tune up job. I’ve been riding this bike hard and love pushing a heavy gear. Actually, I’m always on the highest gear possible, and I’m usually left wanting to go faster but without a gear to shift to. Although this may be a mountain bike, I’ve made several adjustments to emulate the qualities of a road bike. Things like raising and moving the seat back, lowering and flipping the handle bar, and swapping in Armadillo slicks in place of the knobbies that came with the bike. It’s not the lightest of frames and has a front suspension fork, but I can easily manage speeds anywhere between 28 – 35km/h on it. It’s been at the back of my mind for a while and I’m thinking the next step would be to actually get a road bike and start wearing cycling shoes.

As I looked around the store, this Cervélo S1 road bike caught my eye. It’s a very streamline, sleek, light weight, full aero road bike. Absolutely stunning! Although a bit pricey, it’s actually a great price, and not to mention, value for a Cervélo. Instead of dishing out 3.5 grand or more for Cervélo’s higher end models (maybe I’d consider those if cost were no object, or if I was a serious competitor, but i’m not….yet?), this one retails for $2500, possibly $2000 if you get the 2009 model. The fact that the frame is constructed with aluminum as opposed to carbon, also helps brings the price down by at least $1000. As mentioned on the website:

Nowadays people are sometimes so blinded by “carbon” that they prefer a mediocre carbon frame over the best aluminum frame that is lighter, stronger, stiffer, more responsive and even more comfortable.

I knew I wanted to test ride this bike. To tempt me even more, I was told there was one left in my size that was yet to be built, so when I went to pick up my bike yesterday, I had the joy of taking the Cervélo S1 out for a test ride around the city. It was a slightly different feel from that of a mountain bike and would probably take some getting used to. The main difference I felt was in the lightness and braking. This bike was at least half the weight of my mountain bike and of course very aerodynamic! I started off slowish, just riding it in and around a few small side streets to get used to the feel of the bike, shifting gears, braking, and such. Afterwards, I was zipping down Richmond Street, flying by the shops on Queen Street, and riding alongside the heavy rush hour traffic on Bathurst Street. Before I knew it, it was time to take it back to the shop. Unfortunately, I did not get to put it through a true speed test, as city riding is a little less conducive to that with all the stop lights, people and obstacles. I guess that test will have to wait ’til next time. Nevertheless, this bike is very responsive, cuts through the wind like nobody’s business and is one sweet and fast ride! Now I just really want one!

Afterwards, I had a good, quick 11km ride back home on my newly tuned up Stumpjumer, which I still love very much. They did a great job on the tune up. Got my brakes changed and gears oiled. Everything was tightened up, working much more efficiently and I could’ve sworn I was going faster as I had shaved at least 5 minutes off my commute home. It was great!

My ride - 2005 Specialized Stumpjumper minus the knobbies which I replaced with slicks because I like to go fast.

I love long weekends. You know the weather’s good when you look out the window and all you see is people running, cycling, rollerblading, and walking to the beach with volleyballs and nets in hand. It just makes me want to get outside! On Easter weekend, I stayed in the city and focused on fitting in some good workouts, enjoying the outdoors, and getting together with family. The one thing that’s been missing from my workouts is my bike. I haven’t been on it for at least 1.5 years, which is a realllly long time! The last time I rode it was the day I wiped out and broke my clavicle. Not counting the times I used it on the stationary trainer. Since that event, I’ve been a bit hesitant about cycling again and have this fear of poles, riding over uneven surfaces and falling, but at some point I had to fight this fear head on. I love biking too much. Plus, it can get me places faster than rollerblades and walking. In anticipation, last week I dusted off my bike, pumped up the tires, and tuned it up. My goal this weekend was to get back on the bike.

I needed to restore my confidence in riding again, so on Saturday afternoon I took my bike out for a 20km ride along the beach and to the Leslie Spit. Easy route, no poles, just a few speed bumps in the road. Perfect. And I survived it without any broken bones! If anything, I think that experience has made me a lot more cautious about the surfaces I was riding on and for good measure, I also made sure that any major unevenness in the road was approached at as close to a 90 degree angle as possible. Yes, I’m a bit paranoid…for now anyways. I’ll try not to become too wreckless as confidence goes up. Aside from that, I was riding 27-30km/h, passing people on the path, and feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I’ll definitely be cycling more as the weather warms up.

Among other things, I also played beach volleyball, rollerbladed a total of 40km, took family members through a kettlebell workout, and did a spur of the moment 10 minute long cycle set. It was a great weekend and my legs were fried!

improved pole spacing, baby!

Since then, I have been biking to and from work and just the other day I rollerbladed past the site of the accident and was really happy to see that the bike path was newly paved in several areas and that some poles have been removed so that the spacing is not so tight and claustrophobic. Definitely a selling feature! I know I’ll be biking that route sometime soon and when I do I will race past where I left off!

Working with my good friend and fitness expert Marc ‘Funk’ Roberts, here is our latest fitness venture: The Funk Roberts 4 Week Spartacus Workout Challenge. Inspired by the Spartacus Workout Challenge put on by Men’s Health magazine, this is a 4 week high intensity interval training workout designed to burn the fat, work your entire body and tighten up any trouble spots.  This exercise protocol is comprised of 10 different exercises, done for 3 rounds. Perform each move for 60 seconds, as fast as you can with good form, followed by 15 seconds of rest. After the set, take a 2 minute break and go for 2 more rounds. We have had over 1000 people around the world sign up for the challenge and many of which have seen incredible results.

I designed both the Spartacus and Lady Spartacus logos and contributed a ‘Lady Spartacus’ workout during the 4th and final week of the Funk Robert’s 4 Week Spartacus Workout Challenge. Below is a condensed version of the  workout I created. 10 moves, 60 seconds each, 15 seconds rest, done for 3 rounds. All you need is 1 kettlebell. Believe me, you will feel the effects of this workout in your arms, abs, glutes, and legs the next day. I certainly did! If you try it out, I’d love to hear your feedback.

If you want to follow along with me for a full set of the workout, go here:

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgPZCy1WzVI

PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgeByaKWmMI

Interested? go get your FREE Funk Roberts 4 Week Spartacus Workout & nutrition plan at www.spartacusworkout.com

To see the full results from the competition, click here.