The (F)Empower Project Presents: The Champ is Here

Meet Theodora Pistiolis, mother of two, hairdresser by day, Professional Muay Thai fighter by night. One of the nicest and funniest ladies you'll ever encounter, she shares her (F)empower Story and motivation for training in today's post! 

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I’m a mom of two girls ages 8 and 3 and run two full time businesses.  Owner and professional fighter at Hook Up Muay Thai and hairstylist in my personal hair studio.  It’s an odd combination but I love both.

"When I first started training, it was all about weight and size..."

When I first started training it was all about weight and size but after all these years and now raising two girls it’s so much more to me than that, and to be honest “size” seems to be the furthest in my mind.  Feeling healthy and strong is what drives me.  Setting an example for my kids so they stay active is most important to me, and...

hearing my 8 year old tell her friends"My mom is athletic" is priceless.   

I started Muay Thai 18 years ago.  I was out of shape, bored and needed motivation.  I took a class for fun with a girlfriend and was hooked instantly.  I began training for my first fight a few years later and the addiction was apparent.  I haven’t looked back since.

I train 5 days a week which consists of bag and pad work along with specific sports related strength training.    A professional Muay Thai/K1 bout consists of 5x 3min rounds.  My goal and focus during training is to deliver power and speed for more than the required time without “gassing out”.   

"Long term, keeping my body fit and strong through basic strength training, cardiovascular workouts along with healthy eating habits will allow me to keep punching and kicking for at least the next 20 years."

Being as busy as I am, it’s a priority to get my training done as early as possible during the day.  I keep it consistent throughout the year and increase the intensity leading up to a competition.  The strength training is usually heavier weights when I’m not in a competition stage and once we get closer to an event it becomes sports specific with an intense anaerobic component.

When I have a fight scheduled motivation is never a factor.  Bottom line…stepping into the ring to fight is just that.  I stay fit and work hard to be safe and win.  The rest of the time has become a routine.  I exercise because it’s a necessity, like food, and I love to eat.  If there’s a day I’m not motivated I will head into the gym anyways and once I start I’m usually ok.  If I have an off day and I still can’t get going I shut it down and move on.  

I’m convinced that exercise helps me mentally and emotionally especially in my sport.  There’s nothing better that hitting a bag to let off steam or clearing my mind.

Being a female fighter has never been an issue for me.  I do have to prove myself every now and again but I understand that fighting isn’t a typical sport for women.  Finding women to spar with has always been difficult so I spar with men.         

One of the issues I encounter sparring with guys is that at first, they are hesitant to hit me; once I explain that they’re not doing me any favours it usually changes or I’d hit them hard enough to show them that I’m serious.  

My daughter has been kickboxing since she was 4 and she has never backed down.  She wears pink boxing gloves and pink head gear when she spars and she regularly trains with boys. She is equal that that's the empowering message I want her to hear 

 

"She is equal and that’s the empowering message I want her to hear."   

 

" I feel that exercise and strength gives women/girls independence.   Life is full of things you have no control over but you absolutely do have control over your body, what you do with it and what you chose to put in it."

BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU. 

Theodora Pistiolis  

Today's Special - 28/11/15

I've seen a lot of posts regarding people's daily workouts on social media recently, and while these posts can be truly inspiring, we shouldn't necessarily be doing a certain workout just because our #wcw or #mcm does it! 

I'm posting today's training to highlight a training principle called SPECIFICITY! What does this mean? Simply put, if you want to get faster, stronger or more efficient in a given sport or movement, you have to work that movement, or parts of it in your training!

Todays session was based on Accessory Work - movements/exercises that will help strengthen my main lifts, decrease bilateral differences in strength and recruitment, and improve my skating! I finished with a little burner to help with conditioning, with low reps of power-based movements (just like the energy system I use in hockey) to avoid overtaxing my system! The big picture here: #alwaysaskwhy! Train in a way that is safe, efficient, and conducive to your goals, not your friends's goals or those of your social medial idol. If you want specific results, use the principles of exercise science to achieve them!

Today's Special - 28/11/15

Warm-Up

• Joint Mobility & Dynamic Movement

Accessory Work 

A1. Goblet Squats

A2. Bent-over Single KB Rows

B1. Single rack KB Lunges

B2. Floor Press

C1. Single leg Glute bridges

C2. Prone Hollow Body Hold  

C3. Hollow back rocks

Finisher

5 Rounds of:

• 5 pistols to box/side
• 5 KB Swings
• 5 toes to Dumbbells

Keeping an open mind - By: Paluna

When I was asked to contribute to this series I didn't think it would be hard to come up with something that I'd consider useful to readers. 

“Talk about the benefits of the yoga practice during pregnancy” was the topic requested.

I thought to myself, I'll get it done in no time. I mean,  I've been teaching for close to 10 years, done a variety of pre/post natal trainings, attended births and work with pre/post natal clients on a regular basis. Piece of cake right? 

Well it turns out, it has taken me days to complete this piece, mainly because I can't find the words to describe how rewarding this work is and how fortunate I feel to be able to share this journey with so many women. 

After hours of frustration in front of the screen I decided to let it go. I decided to stop comparing what I was writing to the other pieces I've read. I decided to stop worrying about whether the information I wanted to share was useful or not, or whether I was covering all the health and safety precautions I thought everyone would want to know about. 

On day three of me trying to finish this piece, I put the computer down, went for a walk, grabbed a green smoothie and the words “keep an open mind” came to me.  Voila!!

In my experience in the past few years, women during this period are full of excitement but also fear. When it comes to physical activity, phrases such as: “you shouldn't do this or that, be careful with this or are you sure that's ok?”  are thrown around more often than not by well intentioned loved ones. However, most times without realizing the effect those words can have on a person. 

This is a period of immense physical and mental shifts. 

I strongly believe that we always know what is best for us but we sometimes get sidetracked or blinded by the “noise” outside of us. 

This is where the practice of yoga comes in.
If you decide to attend a class or hire a private teacher, hopefully you will find someone who will create an environment where you can be yourself. 

You should be allowed to share your thoughts and feelings without any judgement. 

Some women have really tough pregnancies. They should be allowed to say “I hate being pregnant” the same way other women should be allowed to express the complete opposite, because guess what, both types of pregnancy experience exist and both are valid. 

The yoga room should be a place were we connect with ourselves in any way that works for us.

My job as a teacher is not to tell women what's best for them. Information is power and by information I don't only mean what the doctor, the chiropractor or the midwife says. By information I also mean what you are feeling, what you are thinking, what you want, etc.

If I can pick one useful thing about the yoga practice is that it teaches us that the one thing we can control is our attitude. 

So once we have all the information we can possibly accumulate to take care of our body and our  health, our job is to choose our attitude. 

In pregnancy, as in life, things don't always go exactly as expected; as a yoga teacher I’m only here to help women find what they already have within them.

We work together to make this journey as meaningful and enjoyable as possible, and the only way to achieve this, is by keeping an open mind. :)

Photo by Laura Polischuik  

Pilates and Pregnancy: Michelle J

I would highly recommend Pilates to anyone, but it’s particularly important leading up to, during, and after pregnancy for the following reasons:

1) Less pain and discomfort because skeletal imbalances. Pilates emphasizes working your body in the correct align meant, or working towards bringing you into alignment. This definitely helps prevent common pregnancy aches and pains. I was constantly conscious of trying to work against the lordosis that usually occurs in the lower back during my pregnancy and engage my core to bring myself back to a more neutral alignment.

2) Less chance of diastasis recti because of the focus on strengthening transversus abdominis. This is a common side effect of pregnancy when the two halves of the rectus abdominis separate as a result of over stretching. When this deepest layer of your core (like an internal corset)  is strong and you are mentally connected to how it works, you are better protected from having diastasis recti because you know how to move and use these muscles properly.

3) Pelvic floor, pelvic floor, pelvic floor!  These muscles are SO important during pregnancy, labour, and recovery.  Pilates teaches you how to use these muscles, and they are important in two ways during this time. You need strong pelvic floor muscles to support the growing weight of your baby during pregnancy. Equally important is the ability to relax these muscles during delivery ….trust me! Pilates teaches you an awareness of the pelvic floor that is invaluable.

- Special considerations for the pregnant client:

Again, strengthening and awareness of the pelvic floor muscles and transversus is key. By the time the client reaches the 5th or 6th month, it’s important to avoid exercises that put too much emphasis on flexion or where the torso or specifically abdominals have to work against gravity to prevent diastasis recti. So - traditional ab crunches or roll ups, or rollbacks are out, as are planks and regular push-ups. Push ups can be modified to be done against a wall or slightly elevated. Another concern is the possibility of supine hypotensive syndrome in some pregnant women - where the weight of the baby can compress the inferior vena cava when the mother is lying on her back. This can potentially slow blood flow back to the mother’s heart, which in turn will reduce blood and oxygen flow to the fetus. Because this is potentially dangerous, it is best to avoid working in a supine position by the end of the second trimester. But in both cases, it does depend on the individual.

- Other resources (websites)/best studios in Toronto to train at:

I did my Pilates teacher training at Stott Pilates and also a specialized Prenatal Reformer workshop there - luckily just before I found out I was pregnant.  I find the Instructor Trainers at Stott to be very knowledgeable when it comes to a variety of specialized cases such as pregnancy or injuries. I teach at Misfit Studio on Queen St. West and the owner, Amber Joliat, is a Pilates and yoga instructor who has a great understanding of movement and anatomy, and she is a wonderful teacher.  We also offer Eccentrics at Misfit Studio and I found that to be a great workout during my pregnancy, as much of it is done standing and provides a great amount of stretch and release for muscles and joints that are a little overburdened during that time.

Done by Dawn: Week 2

Another great morning in Toronto! 

I was a little worried when I got up this morning that attendance as my #donebydawn class would be sparse due to the 'cold' and cloudy weather! Boy was I wrong! The #NTC-ers of Toronto never cease to amaze me with their dedication, strength and energy! We ramped things up a little today with a 45 minute NTC class inspired by 3 of my favourite workouts from the N+TC App - The Dynamic Duo, Circuit Breaker and Beach Balance workouts! You can find them all under the 'Get Focused' stream on the app, and the Dynamic Duo Workout is also featured as this week's Workout of the Week; You need a partner for this one so grab your girls and get moving!

I've had a few people tell me that they wanted to come to class this morning, but weren't able to get a spot as class filled within a couple minutes of being posted for registration. (Small side bar here, I feel very honoured and grateful that so many people want to spend the first hours of their day with me!). Never fear! Below you'll find an outline of the drills and timing from today's class! Try the workouts from the N+TC app listed above to get familiar with the drills, then give the workout from today's class a go! You're sure to feel #betterforit! 

Done By Dawn Week 2 Workout: 

Holding Pattern: 2 foot lateral hops

Dynamic Warm-Up - 5 min

• Jumping Jacks -20 sec
• Alternating Knee Hugs - 30 sec
• Alternating Hamstring Stretch 30 sec
• Jumping Jacks -20 sec
• Walkout with chest opener - 30 sec
• Jumping Jacks - 20 sec
• Long Lunge with chest opener 60 sec
• Deep squat with hip opener - 30 sec

Circuit 1 

• Plié Releve Squats - 1 min
• T Push-ups - 1 min
• Star Jumps - 1 min
• Single Leg Swivels - 30 s/side
• Recover 30 sec

Repeat x2  

 Partner Drills 

• Single Leg Squats - 1 min
• Plank Jumps - 30 sec per partner
• Recover 30 sec

Repeat x1

Circuit 2  

• Alternating Curtsy Lunges - 1 min
• Arm & Leg Extensions with Row - 1 min
• Shuffles with Cross Reach - 1 min
• Corkscrews - 1 min
• Recover 30 sec

Repeat x1

Partner Challenge 

1 min Alternating Full Extensions For Reps! 

Cool Down - 5 min

• stretch and recover

This sums up today's class for you! I hope to see you bright and early next Wednesday for another great #donebydawn NTC class! 

J