If It Doesn't Serve You - Let It Go!

September 26, 2014 UPDATE: It's been over a month now and it's going great. Down a size in my jeans and getting all my workouts in. Drinking way more water, haven't been taking naps and not ONE SINGLE Starbucks. Yes, I'm still going strong on the local coffee shops (faves include Picnic, Sitka Cafe and Parsonage). My wedding dress isn't quite fitting the way I want it to yet, but I have two months to the day today til I get hitched. Lots of time to lean down, but so soon til I'm married. Crazy.
Lovisa :) 

I've been in a bit of a health rut lately. We've all been there, but might seem ironic to some considering I work at a gym. I commonly work 7 days a week (not full 8hr days always and my own fault. Love what I do, what can I say.), busy planning my upcoming wedding and summer BBQ's and events have taken it's toll on me.  It's time to get real; time to get serious.  I'm putting it out there so people can see it happens to the best of us.  I'm putting it out there so you can help me be accountable.  I'm putting it out there to publicly practice what I preach and to hopefully help others.

I was recently inspired by a chic I follow on Instagram (@yoga_girl) who put out a challenge to her followers. "Break A Bad Habit" it said. "Pick one thing you do on a regular basis that you'd like to quit or cut down. It could be drinking coffee, soda, alcohol, consuming sweets, constantly on your phone, procrastinating, arriving late to work....anything you'd like to stop. If it's not serving you - let it go!

Make it something big. If the thought of quitting this habit makes you nervous, it means it's a good one. We tend to attach habits, routines and addictions as a way to comfort us and distract us from the work that needs to be done. Whenever we get stressed, sad or anxious, we turn to this habit (glass of wine, pint of ice cream, a smoke, whatever...) and it gives us a false sense of security that only last briefly. Truth is, these emotions arise because there is something you need to look at, resolve or work on. Do the work! Feel what you need to feel. Release the weight of your bad habit. Tell the world your bad habit, why you want to quit it." 

Saying it out loud is the first step to doing it, right? For those of you that know me, I drink 2-3 lattes from Starbucks a day. Going to get it gets me out of the studio for a few minutes, but it's just a habit. It's financially wasteful, not supporting local which I do with everything else I spend my $$ on, and it's silly empty calories. I commit to one latte a day from a local coffee shop (baby steps) and water the rest of the day. Had my last SB latte yesterday (see pic), and got one at Sitka today. All good so far. I also eat out a lot. I'm a professional at modifying a menu to make it healthy, but it's still wasteful. I commit to making and packing my post-workout brekky everyday. Also on day 2 of doing this (see pic: 2 hard boiled eggs, salsa, chopped green peppers). So far so good.

I put everyone else's workouts above my own. I commonly procrastinate my workouts to get work done, train clients, sleep in, etc. I need to get up earlier and do it, just like I tell everyone else to every bloody day. So I made a workout tracking sheet which is posted at the studio for all to see (also in pic). Got my workout in yesterday and this morning. Done. Feeling awesome.

On the countdown to my wedding this November, in Mexico on the beach (bikini time) I will only consume alcohol once a week (I love my red wine) and I can only have it if I've worked out that day. To clarify, I'm by no means a booze hound, but summer BBQ's, birthdays and concerts seem to make alcohol a far more common item being tossed down my gullet lately. No more. I need to feel good in the morning if I'm gettin up early to workout. By late November when I leave for Mexico, most of these positive habits will be just that again. 

I have a few friends that have jumped on the bandwagon with me (thank god, I need all the accountability and help I can get). Who else is with me? Who else is feeling like it's time to stop doing something that isn't serving them positively? Tell me your bad habit and I will help you stay accountable. We can do it together. Let's do this!

#badhabitsbegone  

Lovisa                  

WCKC at Orange Kettlebell Club Comp

West Coast Kettlebell Club (WCKC) has been working hard since their San Fran comp in February. They just came back from an incredible performance in the OKC Vancouver Open Kettlebell Competition. With ten WCKC team members competing, five of them for their very first time on the platform, they could not have trained harder or made us more proud.  

Video below show team members Jenny Chan, Christine Broadhead, Kate Kuss and Risa Kennedy killin it (the ones in the Canadian maple leaf logo-ed s.

WCKC placings at the comp:

Rod MacMillan - 1st place 20kg Long Cycle, 1st place 24kg Biathlon
Patty Marshall - 1st place and Master of Sport (MS) designation 20kg Long Cycle
Jenny Chan - 1st place Biathlon 16kg and Candidate Master of Sport (CMS), 1st place Long Cycle 16kg and CMS
Geoff Haines - 1st place 20kg Biathlon

Mike Strangeway - 1st place 5 min Snatch 24kg

Kate Kuss - 1st place Long Cycle 16kg, 1st place Biathlon 12kg
Risa Kennedy - 2nd place 16kg Long Cycle
Christine Broadhead - 2nd place 5 min 16kg Long Cycle, 1st place 16kg Biathlon
Claire Kaufman - 1st place 12 kg Long Cycle, 1st place 5 min Snatch 12kg
Lisa Regenwetter - 1st place 5 min Snatch 12kg, 1st place 5 min Long Cycle 12kg

I know it's 10 minutes, but you can forward to the end to watch Patty's grueling finish to earning her Master of Sport designation.

More WCKC team members at the comp...

Next up for the team is the Victoria Kettlebell Sport Classic on Saturday, May 24 at Commonwealth Place. Come out and cheer on the team with us!

Why do we lift kettlebells?

By Rod MacMillan
WCKC Team Member

Why do you lift kettlebells? Who would want to do that for 10 minutes? I am often asked questions like that from people who are unfamiliar with the sport. And for good reason. It is a rather odd sport that is shockingly hard. Now that a couple of days have passed since the San Francisco competition where more than 100 (including professional) lifters from around the world competed I have had a chance to think about it and take it all in.

So why do we do this? There are a lot of common reasons that are generally fitness based, but when the context of our little intrepid team comes in, the reasons are more clear. San Francisco represented one moment in a long journey we have all been on. It was a date on the calendar that gave us all a reason to show up to each and every class (and make up the training when we had to miss a class). Knowing that you will be standing up on a platform in front of an audience, not to mention your team and coach, is the motivation that gets you through the pain and frustration that comes with the training.  While the competition was just one day, I can assure you it was a thrill to watch teammates do so well and validate the effort they had invested.

The day started watching Christine Broadhead (above left) and Jenny Chan (above right) side by side on the platform and leaving nothing behind. Both achieved personal bests and won their categories, which is a great accomplishment given it was only Christine's first competition and Jenny's second. I did not get a chance to watch Mike Strangeway's sets as I was warming up at the time but the numbers he put up are clearly shown in the photos and they say it all (well his gold medal does too!). What they don't say is that his training was frustrated by a car accident (like Christine) and surgery.

Then there is Patty (above) who achieved the Candidate Master of Sport rank in her first competition in Long Cycle. For those that don't know what that is, think of it as an Undergraduate Degree. Oh, and she was standing on the platform beside a woman who had competed in Russia and came third, not to mention holding North American records. Wow! On a funny note, it was a good laugh to watch James get coached (yelled at) by a large Russian pro during the jerk relay at the end of the competition. Apparently that was motivating. I will post the video when I can (pic below).

Another key point worth mentioning is that the sport is full of very friendly and supportive people that you can easily learn from. We have each taken away a great deal from that and of course the formal clinic with Russian pros in San Fran was great too. If you have read this far into this ramble then you are likely interested in taking part in the sport. All that I can advise you to do is jump in and start. Our team is continuing to grow and our training program will be advancing as we put the knowledge we have learned into practice. You will be surprised how soon you will get addicted to this demented activity.

Anton Anasenko, Russian honored Master of Sport, attempting to lift Mike Strangeway

In closing, I would like to congratulate and thank my teammates and coach. It has been an honour to train with you all. I can't wait for the next competition at the end of May in Victoria, when we will all, including our new teammates. be crushing it again!

L-R: Coach James Beckerley, Mike Strangeway, Jenny Chan, Christine Broadhead, Patty Marshall, Rod MacMillan

Introducing...2014 BDHQ / BDHQ2 Ambassadors!!

L-R: Joanne Macdonald, Raeleen Siu, Leah Mack

This fall we put a call out for our 2014 BDHQ Ambassadors. It was fun to hear from many dedicated BDHQ’ers about their fitness goals and to see such great progress by so many! We’re proud to say that we have selected three amazingly self motivated, social superstars as our 2014 Ambassadors.

These three are stellar examples of goal-oriented, driven BDHQ’ers who work their butts off (literally) to make their workouts happen.  They're social, they spread BDHQ love around the community and each of them have great stories to share about why they do what they do…

Leah Mack is a hard working professional who (sometimes) rises with the birds to get her workouts in before her work day calls. If the morning is too much, she will make it happen at lunch and Saturday mornings.

More about Leah...

·         Home town: Victoria, BC

·         How long you been w/ BDHQ? 3 + years, started in outdoor bootcamps and then found my way downtown.

·         What's your fave class: Don’t ask me to pick a favorite, I love them all.  But if I have too……. Probably Cardio Burnout – you are guaranteed a well rounded workout of cardio and resistance, with a team mate cheering you on.  

·         Favourite exercise? Box jumps.  There’s always a bit of risk you’re going to fall on your face, so a real sense of accomplishment when you don’t. So far, I have not!

·         Least favourite exercise? Push-ups with your feet in the TRX. So far, I just swing.  I’ll keep you posted on any progress.

·         Can’t say no to: TEAM SPORTS, name it, I have probably played it, or am currently on a team (softball, ortho, fastball, soccer, lawn bowling, flag football, volleyball, dodgeball). 

·         2014 goals: A faster, stronger, leaner, energized me!  Me 2.0.  And maybe a half marathon, but I am such a scaredy cat. 

·         What I love about BDHQ:  I fell in love with the efficiency of BDHQ: you will get the best workout, at any class, on any day, with any instructor.  I love the other members - it's like a (non-)secret club. Nothing is more fun than running into a fellow member in the "real world", dressed in real clothes.  Like Superheros.  And I love the music.  

Joanne Macdonald is a long time BDHQ’er and busy working mom. We’ve enjoyed seeing more of Joanne this year at classes at both locations as well as at outdoor bootcamp as part of her quest to rebuild from “multi-tasking mom burnout”.  In the past months Joanne has shifted priorities and instead of working 60 hour work weeks she’s now rocking the workouts including 30 workouts in 30 days in November. 

More about Joanne...

·         Home town: Born & raised on the Island, been in Victoria since 1987

·         How long you been with BDHQ? Started with BDHQ Outdoor Bootcamp after my first daughter was born in 2003, before BDHQ had studios, kettlebells, baby bootcamps and such. I’ve been in and around BDHQ ever since.

·         What's your fave class: I like different classes for different reasons.  Kettlebells for the strength, spin for the sweat, Bootcamp for the outdoor fun and the Drill for the awesome live tunes!

·         Favorite exercise? All ab work, especially sit-ups with the ball overhead cause I’m keen to improve my core strength.

·         Least favorite exercise? Rings and hamstring curls with your feet in the TRX. I’m sure they are both very helpful exercises, but there’s nothing fun about those ones for me.

·         Memorable 2013 goal achieved? Left my demanding job in July and spent the latter half of the year recovering from burnout and appreciating having time to workout, re-invent my career and catch back up on life. Ran the October half marathon within one minute of my personal best time, plus ran the 1.5km kids run with my two girls as a cool down.

·         2014 goals: Continue to wage the battle on work-life balance, putting fitness and family first as I launch a new business. Run a half marathon in June, continue to build strength by hitting BDHQ classes and refine my food & drink choices for a leaner body in 2014 (hoping that less work stress = less need for wine!).

·         Why I love BDHQ? I love the great workouts, people and positive energy. I appreciate the varying classes that keep my workouts interesting and I love the music as it keeps me moving. I love the fact that BDHQ’ers represent such a wide range of people and body types - there truly is something for everyone at BDHQ! No matter how many reasons I might have for not getting to a workout, I always leave happy. All you have to do is get there and you know you’ll work hard and feel better for it. I love that. Check out my blog for more on how BDHQ has helped me achieve my goals: http://themomcape.com/2014tools/ 

 

Raeleen Siu walked off the street and into BDHQ in the summer of 2011 and said to trainer Lovisa, “I need to change,” and has been married to the gym ever since. She went from zero workouts to six classes a week through BDHQ’s Biggest Winner program, losing 35 pounds in 9 months. Since then, she’s had another baby and kept the weight off, thanks to BDHQ’s Baby Bootcamp. Raeleen’s two hyperactive boys, aged 1 and 4, keep her accountable to staying fit so she can keep up with them!

More about Raeleen...

·         Home town: Born in Vancouver, spent my 20’s in Edmonton, and have been in Victoria 6 years

·         How long have you been a BDHQ’er: 2.5 years

·         What’s your fave class: Cardio Burnout—there is nothing I’d rather be doing during my lunch hour than having James calmly request ridiculously hard exercises with a car tire, and keeping up with Dawn’s crazy spin bike routines. And, last year I religiously attended Baby Bootcamp with Trish which was the best use of maternity leave, EVER.

·         Favorite exercise? Planking! I can go for 5 minutes and it’s helped get my core back into shape after having 2 babies.

·         Least favorite exercise? Rings! They make me feel like a large sea lion out of water trying to do upside down push-ups. Awkward!

·         Memorable 2013 goal achieved? OMG. So many…I was on maternity leave and spent it staying in shape, losing 30 pounds of baby weight, and training for and running 2 half marathons (finished the Goodlife Half in October in 1:57, my PB)

·         2014 goals: This is the year I hit my final weight goal/dress size and start maintaining. Run at least 2 more half marathons and do it faster. The scariest goal for me is I promised myself if I am chosen as a BDHQ Ambassador I will sign up for courses to become a personal trainer. And, figure out those rings.

·         Why I love BDHQ? I love how it makes me feel—uplifted, less stressed, inspired, and appreciated. It’s partly because the classes are challenging and I sweat a lot, but I keep coming back because of the people. Michele has it dialed when it comes to amazing service. They knew my name the second day I walked into the gym and called me out when I missed classes.  There is seriously good energy at BDHQ and I need to be a part of that.