Spotlight: Saturday Morning Circuits

FIT FOR FESTIVUS: SATURDAY MORNING CIRCUIT CLASS

If you've been following us on social media, you've probably read all about our new FIT FOR FESTIVUS series: 5, 10, and unlimited class pass offerings that are valid across all of our programs (including our new class offerings beginning in December) to help you stay fit, healthy, and on-track to your goals through the holiday season!

Why? Because...

Community = Commitment

Consistency = Key to Success 

Cross-Training = Injury Prevention

One of our new classes that we're super excited to offer is SATURDAY MORNING CIRCUITS - a C0-ED 55-minute circuit-based conditioning class including calisthenics, plyometrics and free-weight exercises! Looking to get your sweat on, build some endorphins and then get your brunch and weekend-ing on? Then this is the perfect class for you!

 

So what should you expect in a SATURDAY MORNING CIRCUIT class?

• A 5-10 minute warm-up including joint mobility specific to each class workout
• 30-40 minutes of circuit-based conditioning.  
  • Formats we'll explore include
    • TABATA intervals
    • Fight-Gone-Bad Style Circuits
    • Partner work and 'You-Go-I-Go' Drills
    • And more!
• 5-10 minute cool-down, mobility and recovery work
• Modifications for all levels of fitness!
• A supportive, encouraging and fun community and atmosphere!

The Details:

WHERE: Artscape Youngplace Sketch Studio (180 Shaw Street, Toronto)

WHEN: Saturday 9:00-9:55 am beginning December 3rd, 2016! (Classes will not run Dec 31)

WHO: Lead by Jennifer Thomson and OPEN to MEN & WOMEN of ALL LEVELS! (*Note* December 10th class will feature a substitute teacher).

Get Your Spot!

Visit our FIT FOR FESTIVUS page to explore all of our class offerings and class passes and get your spot today!

Introducing The BUILD & BURN Program with Small but Mighty!

Beginning this July, Small But Mighty Fitness is offering the new Build and Burn program that will change the way you train.

Running Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 6-7 am at The Underground Dance Centre in Toronto, this women's bodyweight class is designed to help you build bodyweight strength and movement literacy while also helping you to burn fat and increase your capacity. Most importantly, this program is designed not only to empower you physically, but also to help you understand how to organize your body and why to engage in certain movements to reach certain goals. 

Here’s the skinny:

 

Monday: Heavy on the build, easy on the burn

Monday’s session will include mobility, a dynamic warm up, and bodyweight strength work including core stability and balance drills (#absofsteel) followed by a short (8-12 minute) burner to provide your daily dose of endorphins and to rev up your metabolism. 

 

 

Wednesday: Burn Baby Burn

Wednesday’s session will include mobility and a dynamic warm-up, followed by a longer, interval style conditioning workout (30-45 min) designed to get your heart pumping and sweat building. Expect plenty of planks, squats, lunges, pushes, pulls and plyos (broad jumps, burpees, tuck jumps etc) and of course, AWESOME music! Don't worry, the Underground has Showers! #itsgonnabegreat!

 

 

Friday: Build, Burn, Restore

On Fridays we’ll start off with mobility, dynamic warm-up, and work on a challenging, strict bodyweight skill such as L-sits, headstands, pistols, or inversions. We’ll follow this up with a medium length burner (10-18 min) and finish off with restorative mobility to ease you into your weekend on a cloud of ‘aw’.

What can you expect? 

BUILD

• body awareness
• fundamental movement patterns
• mobility
• bodyweight strength
• core stability
• understanding of guiding principles for safe and efficient movement

BURN

• Increase your aerobic and anaerobic capacity
• Metabolic Conditioning and H.I.I.T workouts will get you sweating and burning in a manner that is designed to help you increase your capacity and improve your body composition WITHOUT over-taxing you system.

Skills We'll Practice

• PERFECT push-ups 
• Pistol Squats
• L-Sits
• Inversions 
• …and this is just the beginning.

2 OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:

• 2 days per week — $100 + HST per month ($12.50 per class)
• 3 days per week (Mon/Wed/Fri) — $120 per month ($10 per class)

BESTIE BONUS:

Refer a friend - if they sign up, you’ll receive 10% off of your registration fee! 

Ready to Change the Way You Train?

Click here to sign-up for the July Session beginning Monday July 4th.

Contact me here to get more information! 

NOTE: This program will be capped at 12 participants and requires at least 6 participants to run.

The (F)Empower Project Presents: Ljiljana!

#ThompsonxThomson

I still remember her first NTC class...it was a cold and wet night during the very first NTC Winterfit series in Toronto. Ljiljana came to the class with her daughter Nika, and (as I have now learned is her usual pattern) certainly made her presence known! I remember running back to the gym with her after the workout -- she was tired, but she never gave up! And she never has since. Ljiljana has been coming to my classes for years - she is a dedicated, fun, positive, energetic and uber-supportive lady who serves as an amazing example for her community. I'm thrilled to present her (F)Empower Training Story to you today! 

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My name is Ljiljana. I am 64 years old and a mother of two.

Since an early age I was very physically active which was a real nightmare for my parents because they never knew where I was, if I was getting injured, stuck in a tree or lost track of time playing sports and forgot to come home. During my school years I took part in all sorts of sports (handball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming, skating). I was also very good at track and field disciplines and gymnastics. Later on in life, in my free time I would ride a bike, hike, ski or just do exercises at home or the gym. I also danced (ballroom and Latin) for years.

Two years ago, my daughter invited me to try an NTC class – a high intensity interval training workout. I just loved it and I kept coming 3 times a week from North York to Queen and Ossington. The classes are amazing, very versatile and the coaches are extremely knowledgeableand they really make you sweat.

It was very hard in the beginning, it still is, but through time and regular exercise I built my muscles, got stronger and improved my flexibility.

My body has become toned, changed for the better and made me feel good. I have no joint pains and don’t run out of breath when climbing the stairs.

I also started running. In February 2015 I couldn’t run for 1 minute. Through the training and fitness classes I was slowly improving. In April I ran my first 5km, then 10, then 15 and in October I finished a half marathon in San Francisco! I am so very proud of this achievement. 

My best reward is when much younger women tell me that they can see how much I improved and that I am an inspiration to them. 

The conclusion:

I feel physically fit, which makes me physically and mentally strong.

One might say I am an exercise addict. I enjoy doing it, even when it’s hard, but pushing myself to be stronger is a good thing.

The (F)Empower Project Presents: Krysha

My name is Krysha Pereverzoff and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently in my second year of Chiropractic College. While attending school full time I also train and compete in Crossfit. My passion for the sport and for inspiring others to be a better version of themselves is what has inspired me to become a coach. I'm currently completing an apprentice coaching program at my gym, Crossfit Solid Ground.

Growing up I was a very active child, often being involved in almost all sports, with both males and females. When people ask me what my sport was growing up, I would respond with a soccer player and a gymnast. I also played competitive field hockey and basketball. Now as an adult, my sport is Crossfit.

Being fit means that I maintain a healthy lifestyle both with exercise and nutrition but it also means that I could do/play any sport asked of me. I enjoy being an all around athlete, not a specialist. Through sports, I have had the opportunity to be a team player and an individual athlete. There are very different aspects to both styles of sport. Pressure, commitment and purpose are displayed differently depending on the style of sport you are involved in.

During undergraduate studies I made the choice to pursue my education and career over my own health. For 4 years I watched myself lose motivation to exercise, disregard my eating habits and spiral into a depression. As a hockey team trainer during school, I put the players and team before my own health. I look back on that time and realized that the best way to motivate and inspire others is to "practice what you preach."  By being happy and confident, others will gravitate towards you and look up to you.

After completing my degree I had a coworker drag me into a Crossfit gym. I immediately fell in love with the movements and the community. It was my coaches that believed in me and pushed me everyday.  They saw something in me and it made me push myself to not only be better but to prove to them what I was capable of.

Three years later I have made leaps and bounds in the sport of Crossfit. I was a member of a Canada West 2014 Regional team and placed top 100 in Canada East for the 2015 Open.

This year has changed a lot for me with regards to my training and my goals. I've decided to take the route of becoming a coach and health advocate. My training went from 6 days a week, with occasional double days to training 3-4 days a week, coaching and playing soccer with girls from my school. I did a lot of soul searching and I made the choice to focus on my future as a Chiropractor and a coach.

When I have tough days at school I look forward to exercising as a stress reliever. I've been noticing that being at my gym and being in that atmosphere is what keeps me motivated and keeps me wanting more. All the workouts are designed and delivered by the head coach at my gym. This is one thing at keeps me exercising each day. That fact that I don't have to come up with the workout and all I have to do is show up prepared to work hard is what makes exercising much easier.

As a female in the Crossfit community I find that I get treated as an equal in the fitness world. In fact I often have males competing with me and trying to lift more then me. I feel honoured to be able to push both the males and females in the class.  As the only female coach at my gym, I have found myself to be someone that members look up to. I absolutely love helping people learn new skills and I love watching them gain confidence.

Outside of the Crossfit community I often feel as though I stand out.  My family likes to make jokes regarding my body. Society has this image of how a women should look like, and I am far from that image. I have muscles and they are obvious. I struggled my whole life with body image issues and I can honestly say that my new body is everything I have ever wanted and I walk around with my head held high. I still battle with the comments about looking too muscular but I'm working on my mental toughness and learning to respond in a way that displays confidence and not always becoming defensive.

One thing that I hope as young girls grow up in this fitness craze time is that they learn to walk with confidence and carry out every day life feeling confident and strong. With social media relationships and bullying on the rise, I hope for the future generations of young girls will not get trapped in the negativity that can come with such electronic advances. I've have seen the respect young girls are achieving with becoming strong and fit and I hope they continue to stick together and inspire other girls.

"Strong is the New Sexy"

The (F)Empower Project Presents: Meghan Yuri Young

I first met the lovely Meghan through NTC almost 3 years ago; I remember teaching my first media class, being uber nervous, and Meghan smiling through the whole thing. It made me feel so much more comfortable and confident. It turns out, all of my interactions with Meghan since then have been pretty similar: she is always smiling, super friendly, and seems to just radiate good vibes towards all. I was unbelievably excited when she agreed to be a part of this very special project, and am so thrilled to share her training story on today's edition of the (F)Empower Project!

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My name is Meghan Young and I'm a writer. I've been dabbling in the world of social media of late (@meghanyuriyoung) and recently started my own blog (meghanyoung.ca). When I'm not writing, I'm usually running. When I'm not running, you can often find my either on the couch watching the latest on Netflix or hanging out with friends and family.

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I've always been active, but loved chocolate too much for it to make a big difference on my physique. So at first, I started working out seriously to lose weight and tone up. But that mentality didn't support the change I really wanted. I fluctuated in weight until I fully embraced a healthier lifestyle that focused on being strong rather than skinny.

 I not only feel strong, I feel capable and that's the type of confidence that makes my day. 

It's hard not to be influenced by your parents and mine were always very active. While my dad preferred organized sports such as basketball, beach volleyball and soccer, my mom was the solo workout type. I appreciate both forms. I grew up playing for almost every team in school, but in my early 20s I started to go to the gym and do my own thing. It wasn't until I joined the Nike Run Club and Nike Training Club, however, that my passion for group fitness was reignited. I find it's this fitness family that inspires me to get out there and work as hard as I can day in, day out.

It's also the Nike family that motivated me to make my first set of training goals that moved away from being something to doing something.

By that I mean my perspective shifted and I didn't focus on losing inches and pounds but instead focused on training for my first 15k race. That led to doing my first triathlon (a sprint, or else I might have died) and most recently a half marathon. My next goal is another half marathon, this time for speed. In the meantime, I really want to strengthen my upper body and possibly be able to do one chin up by the end of the year. 

To reach these goals, I'll continue to train predominantly with my Nike family. I run at least five times a week, incorporating one speed interval session and one long run. The other two days I do cross-training to ensure I strengthen the parts of my body that running happens to weaken (i.e. my glutes!). In addition to that, I'm also looking to get back into yoga seriously because I've been very bad at stretching out my body. It's important to find a balance between strengthening and stretching, and I've been pretty neglectful over the last few months.

By keeping up this regimen for nearly a year, I've found that progress is what keeps me motivated. I'm so proud of the lengths I've made in terms of strength and speed that I keep it up to not lose what I've worked so hard for.

Yet what really keeps me motivated is twofold: how good it feels to be fit and healthy and the community that helps me along the way. First of all, I'm much more confident in everything I do -- emotionally and physically. The runner's high is real, guys. Secondly, some of my closest friends are my workout buddies -- and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Running with a pack of amazing (and let's face it, hot) girls makes fitness all the more fun. In a way, it also reinforces my own femininity.

Although there may have once been a stigma around women working out, I find that since strong is the new sexy, there's no need to balance training with being a girl. They go hand-in-hand. 

Yet it's undeniable that some women hit the gym or the pavement with the wrong mentality. Although the world is celebrating all body types with such celebrities as Kim Kardashian helping women like myself appreciate our curves more, the images out there are still incredibly unrealistic (also reference Kim Kardashian, hahaha). 

I think social media is my biggest concern right now, especially Instagram. I see girls confidence drop dangerously the more they compare themselves to these "Insta-models" and that saddens me. Then there are the girls (actual young girls!) that post such inappropriately sexy images to find validation online. This is a tough topic that I can spend 1500 words going into, so I'll just stop there.

Of course, content on social media outlets aren't all bad. Nike is a great example of using such platforms to push fitness as a tool for female empowerment. Fitness itself is a tool for empowerment in that, as I mentioned before, it makes a woman feel capable.

There's no need to rely on anyone else to open that jar if you workout, hahaha.

I read something recently that has stuck with me:

"Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be." 

Whenever I ask someone to join me on a run...especially a run...I almost without fail encounter fear and uncertainty. But it's just the mind playing tricks. Yes, running is tough. But the mind makes it seem tougher than it really is until you actually get out there.

So as Nike says, just do it.

Meghan Yuri Young

Check out Meghan on Instagram: @meghanyuriyoung

For more of her wisdom, motivation, and writings, check out her website:

www.meghanyoung.ca