Simon Whitfield will forever be revered as one of Canada's greatest Olympic distance triathletes. With two medals in two Olympics (gold in Sydney and silver in Beijing), this athlete has proven his ability to perform at the highest levels. Nobody will forget his gutsy running and determination to medal, beating some of the world's finest. Early on, his focus was to run as effortlessly as the Kenyans and it has paid off. I present you with Specialized: A Day in the Life with S

I was recently sent an article on Time Affluence, by Arianna Huffington, defining the term as a new metric for defining success. Along with our success and wealth, the currency of time needs to be addressed as something that we can earn and spend, not something that constantly works against us. We've heard it before from motivational speakers and coaches, the reminder that everyone is provided the same amount of time each day, that it is up to us to manage our time and set pr

One of the key elements of classical weight loss thinking is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the amount of energy you expend at rest. While not engaged in physical activity, the body still needs calories to carry out metabolic processes. Thus, the BMR has become a standard part of the equation on the balance sheet where calories out must be greater than calories in for net fat loss. However, over the years we've learned that having a net calorie expenditure may not be the most ef

Shinji Takeuchi's "Most Graceful Freestyle" video is one of the most viewed swimming videos of all time. His so-called "Total Immersion Technique" is incredible to watch, as he makes the stroke seem so effortless. The use of a prolonged glide phase, minial kicking and deeper body position in the water goes against traditional swimming technique, but the effectiveness of his technique is not to be questioned. Some of the best long-distance swimmers in the world have a similar

In a previous Friday Challenge article, we explored fermented foods and checked out a TED talk on the microbiome. With the popularity of fermented foods for gut health increasing, health experts have expanded the concept to include "prebiotics" - the food source for the good bacteria you are ingesting. Simply put, "prebiotics" are non-digestible food sources that pass through to the intestines and serve as a food source or substrate for the bacteria to thrive on. Without a su

The Paradox of the Heap is also known as Sorites Paradox (sorites being the Greek word for heap). It's a concept that you'll hear many talk about in wealth generation which can be applied to health and fitness. The thought experiment goes like this: Suppose someone comes along and puts a large pile of sand on a table. They then proceed to move the sand, one grain at a time to another location on the table. There's no way the new collection of sand is a heap. It is simply a co

Today we feature Ilya Ilyin, two time Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting. Kazakhstan's pride and joy, Ilya is able to balance the requirements for mobility and power in his expression of the barbell. Olympic weightlifting is all about speed and strength, a testament to the thousands of hours practicing the same two lifts. Enjoy the slow motion capture of 242kg being lifted from the ground and then violently thrown overhead. #weightlifting #motivation #inspiration

Today's concept will be about buy-in, and its importance on achieving your goals and also staying motivated. I've often run into this issue with clients with good intentions with fairly healthy habits and lifestyles. The problem occurs where people fail to invest enough to get a measurable return. I call this the ante. In poker, you need to pay the ante to get into the game, without knowing what the next cards will be. In health and fitness, you can't really get results unles

The concept of physiological lag is a core principle to how I schedule my training and recovery. Furthermore, it serves as a reminder that the payout for my workouts does not come within days, but rather weeks and months. Simply put, your body’s full adaptation to any given workout will be 10 days. Now this number is by no means precise and will vary for age, training experience and other lifestyle factors, such as nutrition and rest, but in the idea of giving yourself a lon

This video is aptly titled "Lord of the Rings". The gymnastics rings are the ultimate representation of upper body strength, mobility and body awareness. Azaryan discusses his "Slanted Cross", a defiant variation of the already impossible "Iron Cross". Here's a man who elevated himself beyond the rings, inspiring generations to follow. His belief in the system of gymnastics as a foundation for young children who will participate in sports has lives on through his academy and