I already had a sense of what this gentleman
was all about, but I said let’s review other
aspects of your life before making a command
decision.

He explained how he took a fledgling home
based computer company to a major
international player; which he intern sold for a
generous sum.

I congratulated him on his successes and asked
him how it felt to just sit back and enjoy the
fruits of his labour.

He looked at me strangely and said,” sit back;
hell no”, I’m on to another start up and hope to
repeat the process all over again.

I blurted out the word, ” Exactly”! So why
should it be any different for your body? You’ve
worked hard to get it into the shape you have
now. Why would you sit back on your laurels
and let the years go by!

There is no maintaining or the overused
word ,’balance” in life. If you have balance your
probably dead.

Your either going up or your going down. There
is “No” in between.

That is why clients come to Ki Fitness. We will
keep you motivated and keep pushing you for
more!

Remember it is good to have dreams in life,
followed by a goal. Keep your eye on the donut
not on the hole.

This place was sanctuary for all that entered; yet feared or questioned by those who would not take that first step within it’s walls.

I am talking about the now fabled “Iron Pit”. A damp musty room, with the scent of linament and sweat filling the air.

No mirrors, and only low light that made the wall posters of Arnold, Lou and Boyer even more majestic.

There would be heavy metal music playing in an old 8-track player that is covered in years of chalk dust. Nestled beside it would be the 40 cup coffee perker that managed to make up the most hideous brew known to man; yet you wouldn’t dare begin any workout without a cup or two of this magic ellixer.

The room is full of home made eqipment,mixed matched plates and dumbells .With buckets full of rusty chains near every bench press.A few kettlebells and medicine balls will be found in a corner,never used but somehow they got there.

Strangely what you did “not” find were bosu balls, fit sits, swiss balls, treadmills,stairmasters or an elyptical trainer.No Starbucks coffee or protein shake juice bars.

Then how can it be that argueably the best bodies of the last century could be created in these dungeons?

The Babyboomers or in this case the active ones better known as the Zoomers with all their marketing savy re-shaped the very existence of the gym.

Their ploy worked by creating large commercial gyms with lifetime memberships. Remember those????

Full of chrome plated machines, with well placed lighting that makes you look amazing in the wall to wall mirrors.Thousands of square feet of pulley style equipment, to make lifting easier for you.

I hope you realize this is an oxymoron.Please re-read if you missed it the first time.

In order for the body to change it must be placed under a load or tension that it can not adapt to. Not by trying to make the weight easier to move.

Calgary gyms have faired no better, the large corporate chrome “spas”, with their country club feel have all but enhillated the essence of what it means to work out.

Its about the feeling of accomplishment you get when it’s you against a weight and you overcome it; not wether you scored the last shower coat in the spa gym after kicking that bosu balls ass!

Oh Yeah, I know the story; just need a kick start to my diet as bikini season approaches. The gluttony over the winter months got the best of you and that colon needs a flush.What bullshit, starving the body with no protein and very little useable carbs and no fat is absolutely ridiculous.

For example the lemon, cayenne, maple syrup cleanse used for up to 10 days, puts the body into a shocked state of metabolic shutdown.

People were fed more in Auschwitz, yet intellectually smart people continue to by off on this crap.

Just incase you were wondering, while your doing the cleanse your breath will smell like a monkey’s ass; stock up on tic tacs please!

Maybe you feel that this wonder flush will free the body of toxic heavy metals, like mercury that are building up within you; sorry shitting like a goose will not remove heavy metals from the body.

As for the other unfriendlies that have enterd the colon, that is the job of our liver and kidneys to deal with waste management.

If you are not on liver dialysis quit “buying” into this quick fix donkee doo and eat more fibre rich foods and drink more water every day.

 Practitioners of Muscle Activation Techniques, or MAT, believe that these symptoms are just the body’s defense mechanisms.The underlying cause  according to MAT developer Greg Roskopf, is that injury can desensitize a muscle’s mechano-receptors. These receptors are designed to recieve and process signals from the brain.

The brain sends the input to tell muscles to contract, but the muscles aren’t getting the proper input, so they can’t do their job to stabilize joints. And when the brain senses instability, it tenses the surrounding area to dicourage use. For example, have you ever run on ice? The brain senses the very unstable enviroment and it reduces the range of motion , making for a very unnatural gate in an attempt to protect the joints in harms way.

After 20 years in the sport of powerlifting I was starting to become concerned for my future in the sport; especially when there should be another 40 years of competing left in me. At  44 years old; hell I haven’t even peaked yet. With my best ever squat (in the gym ) of 980 lbs three years ago at a body weight of 195lbs I was positioning myself to be one of the worlds best 90kg squatters.

 Excitment quickly turned to disappointment as I competed around the World. My strength was there but I just couldn’t go deep enough with my hips to get qualifying lifts. There was no real pain to speak of it was more like  I was sitting on a low wall and no matter what the weight was on my back I could go no lower.

Then I was introduced to  MAT and I knew immediatley I would be back. Again I have been using many methods of rehab,ie. deep muscle massage, Graston, ART, accupuncture with a degree of improvement, but MAT was what my body was looking for!

My MAT specialist explained to me it was a four-step process she would be using to get me back.

 First: is an assessment to find out where the body does not want to go.You are moved into positions to find where you are noticeably tight, then that will be compared to the other side. In my case the right hip (nasty) compared to the left hip.The asymmetry indicates the body is protecting itself in that position.

 Second: A test of all the muscles that might be responsible for that tightness. The practitioner will check each muscle to see if it has trouble contacting; a sign that it isn’t getting the proper input from the brain.

Third: Manual palpation is used directly where the muscles grow into the bones. The pressure applyed is done so in a back and forth X-type motion.This can be a little “special” at times , but necessary in an attempt to resensitize the muscles to the brain’s signals.

 Fourth:Muscles are retested to see if symmetry in the range of motion and strength has been restored.

If you live in the Calgary area,and you need help give me a call here at Ki Fitness(403) 215-4549 or reach me on our site.

 Brian Johnston: owner Ki Fitness Personal Training

Right Guard Jeff Pilon & Brian Johnston(Ki fitness owner)

The cup was produced by Birks Jewellers in 1909 and donated by Govenor General Earl Grey.

The trophy with Lord Grey’s name is best known as the ” Grey Cup”. More than just an award ; it is a sporting event, that has consistently been the nations highest-rated television program.

The Cup has been an east/west battle for the Canadian Football League (CFL) Championships since 1921.

Ki Fitness has been apart of the last 3 Calgary Stampeder Grey Cup wins. With clients from ‘98, ‘01, and ‘08 still training in our gym.

I’ve said this before: You’re not going to achieve your personal best by being comfortable.

Our facility has put together an amazing client list for which we are very grateful. We are a family entwined in each others lives far beyond the reaches of our gym.

As clients enter our space it may be like an episode of Cheers ; where everyone yells, ‘Norm”.

 Clients and trainers alike ; we enjoy each others time together. Ok, before this gets all mushy and I start playing Zamfir and looking for a cuddle , lets not forget why clients come to see us.

They have goals that must be met and that is where we step in. Our trainers lead by example ; we practice what we preach day in and day out.

With the diversity of our trainers ages from mid 20’s to mid 50’s , we know what your going through and we can shorten the path to success.

 We will praise your efforts when it is a job well done, but never mistake our kindness for weakness. We are not cheerleaders ; our trainers are professional and kicking your ass is what we do !

 The atmosphere in our gym emits a vibe or energy that you feel the moment you enter, even if you’re the only one in the room.

 A few years ago one of my clients, who had recently started teaching Yoga classes needed a space for early mornings on the weekends. I offered her our gym for a small group of 6 ladies. After a couple weeks she came to me and said this may seem strange, but it’s not working out with her clients.While they where attempting to meditate, there just seemed to be this stock pile of high energy in the room that was very distracting.

I love the fact that our clients energy resonates in the very being of a room long after we’ve all gone home.

Hmmm! Maybe I better get the carpets steam cleaned !!

 It was hard to shake the notion of growth or expansion over the last 10 years as we have watched our client list stretch the very seams of our training nook.

When I get the feeling for expansion all I have to do is wander into any other gym or club and that thought is quickly extinguished.

We are who we are because of our confined space !

It may sound odd, but I believe there is something psychological or emotional here. This tiny space creates bonds and competition. At any one time there may be 8-10 people squatting, benching, deadlifting, doing push-ups/chin-ups or sand bag lifts all within arms reach of each other.

They cheer each other with heavy praise at a great effort or a new personal best.

 It sends shivers of an emotional high up your back at how great this all is.

 Napolean Hill stated it best.

That to succeed in all walks of life you must be willing to GO THE EXTRA MILE; which means rendering of more or better service than that for which one is paid, and giving it in a positive mental attitude. That is KI FITNESS !

We will impress you with a training methodology that never grows old, “Back to Basic Ball Busting Workouts”.

Hopefully you’ve noticed when anyone seriously wants to “gitter done”, they go back to grass roots training.

Remember Rocky Balboa always went back to the Dungeon style of training when direction and discipline were lost . Glitz and Glam wear off faster than your Mexican vacation tan in February.

I see this peer pressure propaganda training being marketed to parents across Canada. “My kid’s going to play in the big leagues” mentality runs deep.

With the insurgence of all the multi-plex training studios trying to impress parents with digital analysers, body fat compositions , blood profiles and the always impressive anagrams for all the different athletic development programs their facility offers. Words don’t equal performance (WDEP). If you want the best for little Johnny Wanna Be Quarterback (JWBQ) seek out a trainer that quite likely trains all level clients in a small space where full attention is being paid to the client. Not “herd training”; you can hire a sheep dog for that.

Remember just because a pro athlete puts his face or name to a training facility doesn’t make it sound. They are being paid for their endorsement, or they may have a share in the facility. It does not mean the pro trains there, nor does it facilitate the training style they used to put them where they are today. Watch the angles !

Oh Yeah, fancy track suits, the trainer do not make !!

My time in the Canadian Armed Forces taught me many things, much of which involve pain. I wish to share two examples that I find very helpful through life’s many struggles.

Pain One: is embodied by discipline.

Let’s generalize by using my age of 43 years. Male or female who has a family, with a job requirement of 50hrs/week, a mortgage and all the usual debts. Yet this individual still manages to maintain a regular training protocol, still, in the pursuit of competition at a National or International level. This disciplinarian has the ability to leave a mark for many to follow. That person can enjoy their healthy lifestyle without ever having to look in life’s rear view mirror muttering the words. ‘What if……’ they chose to never give up; holding their head high, always going forward through the act of discipline!

Part Two: the same 43 year old choosing this path which is of least resistance will find themselves squandering all potential.

This person has become one of millions of average Canadians, sitting around the poker table slugging beers with their equals talking about the good ol’ days when they were all so “Fit;’ living in the world of ‘remember whens’. Now with their protruding guts and fallen asses, life begins to go by them and their age old stories. At this point pain will begin to ebb its way in. The type that can gnaw at you until your final days; the pain of Regret!

If you are tired of regret and you crave the life altering course of discipline I invite you to give me a call.

Get off the path of least resistance. Set a new course, one that will allow you to say…’Today is the best I’ve ever felt, the strongest I’ve ever been , with no need to ever look back!’