Category: Fitness Tips

Lift weights to not die (new research)

conorkelLeave a comment

Heya.

Don’t blog on health topics as much lately, I know.

If you want all the latest and greatest from the world of The Conz, I’m publishing weekly updates here:

https://emailmarketingmuscle.com/freetips

Alright, let’s get rolling with the reason for my post today:

Keeping you alive.

Yes, this is LIFE-SAVING content.

Specifically, I want to cover two new studies that give further props to the power of strength training as we age.  Study numero uno is an analysis of the link between strength, muscle, and mortality.  Researchers at Indiana University assessed 4,400 adults (ages 50 and up) for their strength and muscle mass.

Testing them betwixt ’99 and ’02, they revisited the participants in 2011 to find out which of them had kicked the proverbial bucket.

Here’s what they found:

23% met (one definition) of low muscle mass.

19% were rated “low strength”.

Those in the second category were more than twice as likely to have gone on to greener pastures.  And in an interesting twist, being a member of the “swolefully-challenged” low muscle group had little impact.  But, souls who met BOTH criteria we’re 2.66 times more likely to meet their maker.

Now I wouldn’t take that to mean preserving lean muscle doesn’t matter.

For one, strength and muscle generally correlate.  And don’t forget this is not a qualitative reading.  The impact of muscle on both hormonal health and brain health (and the resulting boost to quality of life) are to be ignored at great peril.

So that’s the first one.

#2 is more about the perception of the importance of strength training.

You see, while public health guidelines include strength-promoting exercise, it’s usually in the context of avoiding frailty more so than extending life.  In this study, survey results from 80K adults in England and Scotland in the 90’s were compiled.  Our Brits and Scots who reported doing ANY strength training were 23% less likely to die…and 31% less likely to die of cancer.

Where does that leave us?

The rumors about the benefits of resistance training are true.

(Merely listing them could fill this email.)

But I figured I’d lay down a trail of bread crumbs for any stubborn hold outs.

Truth time: lifting weights is not the only way to do this…it could be e.g. bodyweight exercises like pushups or squats…that said, weights are my recommended method due the stabilization required (this works smaller supporting muscles) and how easy it is to create balance between muscles.  Result: healthier movement patterns.

If you would like help with any of the above…

You can’t hire me to be your trainer right now.

[Tear.]

However I have someone working alongside me now.

And he’s fantastic.

If you’re interested in doing a few sessions with a trainer to create a “Conor approved” program (or to work out long-term, as most clients do), reply to this email or send me a text at (416) 826-4844 and we can arrange a quick chat to talk about your fitness goals and see it it’s a fit.

Lift Long & Prosper,

Conor Kelly

P.S.  Not satisfied with bread crumbs?   Get the whole gluten-free loaf here:

Should you lift heavy weights if you’re older?

 

Weird St. Patrick’s Day

conorkelLeave a comment

This is weird.

As we get set to lather on the green face paint, imbibe all things green, and dance a wee jig in honor of the great Patricius…here are a few strange St. Paddy’s Day facts:

*The original colour worn by Patrick and to mark St. Patrick’s Day…was blue.  It became green the more the party went global – ostensibly due to the Emerald Isle’s greenness, shamrocks, leprechauns, every Irish national sporting uniform ever, and the green in the Irish flag.

*Patrick’s real name was Maewyn.

Very Lord of The Rings.

*Herpetologists – i.e. folks who study reptiles agree that there probably never were snakes in Ireland for Patrick to drive out.  Too cold.  So the snakes of legend are thought to be metaphorical.  At least they weren’t the ironic kind – those smug bastards.

*Once upon a time, in the ol’ U.S. of A. the Irish were considered a migrant crisis.

Good one to remember.

As they poured in to the states on the Eastern seaboard, they were discriminated against harshly.  Now they’re a force in American culture and politics.

#Truth

*The world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place in Hot Springs, Arkansas and is just 98-feet (or 49 leprechauns) long.

Crucially, this allows for more pub time.

*In the town of O’Neill, Nebraska (named for its Irish founder) residents wear green not only on St. Patrick’s, but on the 17th of every month.  That’s dedication.

*On the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, St. Paddy’s Day is a national holiday.  Montserrat boasts a rich Irish and African heritage.

Like me.

(The Conz began in The Ivory Coast.)

*Finally, here’s a clip of one of my fave Conor Kelly productions.  It’s a workout routine I shot while vacationing in Ireland, with just about the most scenic backdrops of any workout video I ever done seen:

Olivia was so inspired she insisted I film her very first Yoga instructional video…

Well that’s all for the weird and the wonderful of the day.

In the words of my ‘bredren’…

May love and laughter light your days

And warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours

Wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

With joy that long endures

May all life’s passing seasons

Bring the best to you and yours

Happy St. Patrick’s Day,

Conor Kelly

ENCORE: 5 Anti-Tips For Your Best Summer Body

conorkel1 Comment

Just 12 weeks ’til summer.

Perfect time to start thinking about your plan “swimsuit readiness” plan.

I’ll be real, the following tips aren’t likely to help you with any of that.

BUT…I found this in the archives and it made me chuckle.

Should be worth at least a smile to you.

Enjoy!

-Conor

***

I used to write a lot of lists.

‘6 tips for x…’

‘4 ways to do y…’

It was the format for several of my most popular emails.

Problem is I’m easily bored.  Lists are overdone.

Anyway, the notion of anti-tips jolted my cerebral cortex into bringing forth what follows.

Here’s how it doth work:  do the exact opposite of what I recommend here, and you’ll b-line it straight for a lean summer body with a coke and a smile.  Minus the coke.

I think you get the idea.

Let’s begin…

1. Eat as much of it as you want as long as it’s healthy.  Healthy food is high in nutrients when compared with fast-food, for example.  Ever noticed how you can railroad empty calories at a mighty clip? That’s because they don’t contain any real nutrition, so you’re body barely registers any satiety.

Non-processed, organic, high-fiber foods are so nutrient-dense that your body thrives on much lower intake levels.  This mirrors how sparse food was when we evolved the ability to derive energy from plants and animal flesh.

But if some is good, more is better…right?

Besides, the plump lady behind the lunch counter says I can eat as much quinoa salad as I want because it’s healthy – so it MUST be true.

2. Try a RE-tox diet.  You want to enjoy the fine weather and the fresh air.  The last thing you need is a bunch of washroom breaks slowing you down.  Keep your water consumption to a minimum, and avoid anything high in fiber.  Also, you might like the binding properties of copious amounts of cheese.

Keep that colon on lockdown until the fall.

3. Use a pro-inflammatory approach.  One thing you’d really hate is if your joint pain lessened to the point of inspiring you to be more active.  Really cuts into your investment of sunbathing time.  Just remember the four food groups: pizza, ice cream, beer, and cigarettes.  In fact, eat as much sugar as possible – raw, off a spoon, if need be.

The average Canadian eats 68 kilos of sugar per year.

Ask yourself, are you getting behind?

4. Avoid heavy weights.  God forbid you should build any muscle that might turn your metabolism into a blast-furnace for burning calories.  Then you’d lose your excuse for all that healthy food in #1.  Plus everyone knows that heaps of long, slow walking is how you lose weight.

5. Sleep less, and ‘freak out’ more.  Stress is good for you.  Ever heard of ‘fight or flight’?  Burns fat.  Burns muscle too, and runs your organs on overdrive, but heck, nobody’s perfect.  To really accentuate the effect, fly into a rage at every opportunity (I mean really lose your s**t) and load your system with as much caffeine as possible.

Sleep only when desperate.

Healthy sleeping patterns of seven or more hours per night render #’s 1, 3, and 4 less effective.

Now if your brain hurts from twisting my hints to figure out what I really mean, you’re either taking #5 literally, or you’ll benefit from the un-reversed truths in my 16-Week Transformation Program. 

Call (416) 826-4844 to request your complimentary personal training consultation, and discover the path to your best body – in all seasons.

Happy Freaking Out,

Conor Kelly

Fitness Oscar Winners (Best Food, Best Exercise…)

conorkelLeave a comment

Well I’m no Lady Gaga…

And I don’t have a Green Book.

But I do have many books.

In one of them I read you might like an email I wrote six years ago with my votes for the best of the best in fitness.

This has yet to be proven though, so let’s test my hypothesis…

*****************************

The Oscars are today, and even though I’m allergic to award shows, I do love to dish out recognition…

…When it’s deserved.

So I’ll start with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Have you heard of this guy?

Fauja Sing, the world’s oldest marathoner, is retiring at the age of, get this, 101!

He’s completed eight marathons since 2000.  I’d say that pretty much eliminates any excuse from anyone aged less than, say, a hundred?

Best Exercise goes to ‘the king of exercises’, the barbell squat. There’s not an inch of your body that’s not fully engaged in a properly executed squat.  And because you’re moving your body through space, it invokes a fear factor that juices up the neuro-muscular activation, leading to faster results.

Dr. Fat Loss says ‘chain yourself to the squat rack and call me in the morning’.

Best Supporting Exercise goes to the plank, a lifesaver for me since I injured a disc in my low back while training for my school bus pull in Dundas Square, back in ’09.

It’ll turn your core into a solid brick wall, ensuring you have the support you need to let a Jeep drive over you (should that be how you choose to utilize your new found powers).

Nevertheless, a pillar-like core is useful in any type of motion or lifting.

Best Food goes to…

…Well, anything that has one ingredient only.

An apple is its own ingredient, a tomato is its own ingredient, organic, free-run eggs are their own ingredients.

See what I’m getting at?

Generally speaking, the longer the list of ingredients, the more likely it’s hurting your health, and making you fat. Whole foods, on the hand, are not trying to be anything, they’re just being themselves. And I respect that.

Best Supporting Food goes to my Cinch shakes and bars.

They fill the gaps between meals, taste delicious, fuel my energy, and they’re almost impossibly low glycemic index, which keeps my body in the fat-burning zone.

I’m quite happy about that.

Hit ‘reply’ if you’d like me to send you a sample.

Best Cheat Food…Cheesecake.

Just ’cause.

Damn I love cheesecake.

Best Kids Song…’The Animal Sounds Song’. Granted this has nothing to do with fitness, it’s just cute how, at 3.5 months, Olivia’s face lights up whenever we play it. How often is that? Let’s just say we’ve contributed our quota of the 62 million views it’s got YouTube.

Finally, what awards show would complete without red carpet fashions?

In theory, Jeff and I are shoe-ins for Best Dressed, ’cause that’s just how we roll. But in reality, we can’t hold a candle to Raya on her best day.

(Note to self: make sure Raya reads this.)

Plug these winners into your day to day routine.

Who knows, by next year you could be nominated for Best Transformation.

To Your Success,

Conor Kelly

ConorKelly.com

Mission 2045: Immortality

conorkelLeave a comment

“I’ll tell you a secret…something they don’t teach you in your temple.  The Gods envy us.  They envy us because we’re mortal.  Because any moment might be our last, everything’s more beautiful.” –Achilles, to a captive Briseis in Troy

Author Ray Kurzweil, in his best-selling 2006 book The Singularity Is Near, predicted that thanks to advances in genetics, nanotechnology (such as tiny robots that will repair our cells from the inside), and artificial intelligence, anyone who makes it to 2045 will basically live forever.

The race is on.

There is of course the issue of whether or not we should want to live forever.

Hence my lovely, thought-provoking quote today.

Questions, questions…

***

In other longevity news, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency a 90-year-old American cyclist was stripped of his medal for testing positive for a banned substance.

That’s not a typo.

The man is 90 years old.

Not only is he able to get on a bike at his age…he’s still racing.

I don’t care what he’s on, unless his name is Robocop, let the guy keep his medal.

Who’s with me?

***

Our high-test nonagenarian ain’t got nothing on this guy:

French cyclist Robert Marchand announced he’s hanging up his bicycle shorts at a seasoned 106 years of age.

(That’s a lot of seasons.)

Last year, he broke the world record in the 105+ age category (a category that had to be created for him) by riding over 22KM in one hour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UHw6MTbY3U

He’s retiring from record attempts, but says he’ll keep peddling his stationary bike at home.

Well, there you have it.

Thought I’d lay down a little inspiration for the Drive To 2045.

Effective, n’est ce pas?

Live Long & Prosper,

Conor Kelly

P.S.  Are you on LinkedIN?  If we’re not already contacts, please send me an invitation to connect here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorkelly/

My new year’s resolution (sort of)

conorkelLeave a comment

Ok, so The Conz don’t make resolutions.

But one thing I’d like to start doing more of again is going for long walks.

I walk a lot in general.

I mean the ones of the forty-minutes-or-longer variety.

I’ve got so much to do it’s easy to talk myself out of it.  And with it being winter…well, that just whips up the rationalization hamster wheel even more.  I admit I was shamed into lacing up my walking boots at least once last winter when I heard my 83-year-old clients were still getting their daily 90-minute ‘constitutional’ despite the very-sub-zero temperatures.

All that aside, I’ve found few things better for my wellbeing.

I don’t count steps.  There’s no target mileage.  I just walk.  And I watch.  I stare at things off in the distance.  I let my body tell me if I should keep going or make for home.  Another point: no treadmills allowed on this particular journey.  You see, we Homo sapiens have a primal need to be outside…and most of us city-dwelling folk don’t do it nearly enough.

By the way, I’ve found this to be a great way to come up with content – little creativity tip for ya.

Some of my best emails have been ‘direct downloads’ I channeled during a walk, and that I couldn’t type out fast enough once I sat back down at my keyboard.  I also get ideas for what to do.  Solutions to problems or puzzles I’ve been struggling with often occur to me in the same fashion.

Many great thinkers knew this little secret.  Einstein’s daily walk was sacred to him.  Darwin did three 45-minute walks per day.

What’s the point of such ramblings?

I invite you to join me in boosting the step count, if you’re not already.

It doesn’t have to be every day.

We can aim for two or three days a week.

Just do this consistently and you’ll be amazed at what happens.

Then, write me back and share your story.

I’ll be genuinely curious.

See you out there,

Conor Kelly

P.S. In my next email marketing tip (Tuesday) I reveal the #1 thing you must do in every email if you want to make sales.  Get this one thing right, and you can do pretty much do everything else wrong and still get business.

Not too late to subscribe:

Go here to subscribe to my email marketing tips.

 

…

…

A better brain when you bite this bitter bean

conorkelLeave a comment

Say my title six times in a row, fast.

I had fun with that one.

Why stop there?

That is not all.

I shall go full nerd, and to Dr. Seuss call…

As for the brain benefits, they’re a result of THIS bitter bean.

Click to allow images and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Chocolate

This bitter bean is chocolate.  My favorite (pictured) much too dark.

At 100% cacao its taste is more like chewing to chew bark.

Its benefits are many, a food fit for kings and queens.

We now turn our tale to the brain and amyloid precursor proteins.

(Ol’ Seuss never had to rime that one.)

“Explain,” you say?

I will not delay:

Amyloid precursor proteins are agents of cell repair, abundant in the brain.  After the age of 25, bits of these proteins break away and form plaque buildup in nerve axons and the synapses between cells, impeding the flow of neurochemicals much like plaque in the arteries impedes blood flow.

Over time, as this plaque accumulates, it gunks up the machinery and leads to a loss in cognition and memory – even Alzheimer’s.

Polyphenols, found in chocolate (black tea is another source) have been shown to prevent this plaque from forming.  The best chocolate is organic, of course.  It doesn’t have to be 100% cacao like my Gratitude above, but the higher the better.

I recommend two squares a day of the highest percentage you still enjoy.

There you have it.

A simple brain tip – sussed out and Seuss-ed out.

Don’t forget…

When biting a bitter bean has a better brain as a benefit…

That benefit is a boon to any bright, bold believer that bites this bitter bean.

: )

Happy Chocolate Eating,

Conor Kelly

P.S.  Find out how I get my clients 3x-10x their email marketing results using simple, fun emails like this one.  Join the many that have already jumped and subscribe to my NEW newsletter with tips on how to make more sales from email (click the link below and you’ll automatically be added):

=>Click here to get The Conz’ email marketing tips.

Hockey hall-of-famer proves The Conz’ wily ways

conorkelLeave a comment

I’m not gonna say I told you so…

Between clients the other day I decided to grab a quick sesh in the Four Seasons gym.

And who was beside me as I crushed a pec workout?

None other than legendary defenseman Scott Stevens.  If you don’t know, Scott used to be the captain of the New Jersey Devils.  He’s a multiple Stanley Cup winner, and a Conn Smythe Trophy recipient as MVP of the Stanley Cup finals.

He was in town for a Hall of Fame dinner.

Known for his physical style of play, at one time he held the record for both # of games played by a defenseman, and number of penalty minutes by a hall-of-famer.

So I hadz to know…

“Hey Scott, how’s your body these days?  Banged up?”

(I did notice he looks great, by the way.  Ripped.)

He said, “no all good, thankfully.”

Then he went on to explain that he attributes much of this to his #1 supplement: omega 3 fatty acids.  Apparently, he’s been taking them religiously for 20 years and the ‘ol joints are muy bueno.

Hmm.

Sounds familiar.

Where have I heard this before?

Oh right.

May 2007: I create my general nutrition guidelines which I give to every new client.  Item # 6 (of only 6) is ‘supplement with essential fatty acids’.

June 2009: The Conz tells a reporter from The Toronto Sun that essential fatty acids are my most recommended supplement.

October 2015: I write that if I was stranded on a deserted island, and I could have one supplement, it’s me omegas:

Click here to visit the article.

Must I go on?

Full disclosure…

I don’t think this supplement is the ONLY reason Scott’s still feeling good these days (he’s 54).  He’s obviously kept up much of the discipline he had as a pro athlete.

But it’s a factor.

Quash inflammation, release fat, boost immunity, lubricate joints, feed brain cell membranes, improve skin, hair and nails — all potential upsides of this badass nutrient.  Scientists estimate we consumed about 7,000mg of omega 3’s per day in our ancient diet, yet today the average is less than a fifth of that.

Of course it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

Get ye the rest here:

http://www.conorkellypersonaltrainer.com

Find out what other secrets I teach, that the venerable Mr. Stevens also swears by.

Happy Omega 3-ing,

Conor Kelly
Hall Of Fame Personal Trainer

…
…

The Tiger Woods story that inspires cold showers

conorkelLeave a comment

I’m almost 100% certain this post’s content isn’t going to be about what my subject line made you think it is.

Let’s check back later and see if I’m right…

Down to last four holes at the 2001 Masters (which Tiger Woods would go on to win, completing the slam of holding all four major titles at once), some tool snapped a camera shudder at the top of his backswing.

Amazingly, Tiger pulled up mid swing.

But that wasn’t the best part.

After shooting the guy a 2-second death stare, he took a couple of breaths, then stepped up and crushed it 300+ yards straight down the middle.

Those stakes.

That pressure.

What do you want to bet most mere mortals would have taken the bait, and let the whole thing upend their concentration?

In this instance, and many others, Tiger was able to use what Stephen Covey calls “the pause button”.

Most of us are very Pavlovian in our responses (Pavlov was famous for training dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by associating that sound with chow time).

We’re conditioned to react to things in our environment.

Phone rings, we pick it up.

Stephen Covey’s pause button is about using the ‘space’ between stimulus and response to proactively choose our responses rather than merely reacting to things.

In our story today, the phone was ringing, but Tiger wasn’t home.

(He was too busy becoming a legend.)

What’s so useful about this particular skill?

Instead of being at the mercy of whatever direction the wind blows, or whipped around on a stormy sea of emotions, you can learn to be poised, clear-headed, and yes happy a high percentage of the time.

What could be better?

This is something I aspire to.

In fact, I deliberately train non-reactivity.

One of the ways you can do this is by means of physical challenges.

Basking in cold water is an example.  The way I see it, if you can allow cold water to rain on your bare skin for up to two minutes while staying relaxed and controlling your breathing (I’ve even started singing when I do this) then you’ve seeded the feeling on non-reactivity into your nervous system.

Give it a whirl.

At the end of your morning shower, turn the water temp as cold as possible.  Stay relaxed.  Try 30 seconds at first and work your way up.

(This has other health benefits, btw.  Improves circulation, reduces inflammation, boosts immunity and promotes hormonal health.)

Ok, one last thing before I go.

The #1 way to foster non-reactivity is by eating well, working out, and cleaning up your sleeping patterns.

If only I had a nickel for every time a client has commented on how all the little things that used to bother them now roll off their back.

(Ok so it wouldn’t be that much…but I’d have enough for an espresso…)

Get your state under control here:

http://www.conorkellypersonaltrainer.com

That does it for today.

All about that sweet, sweet ability to own your own emotional state.

Well?

What kind of story did you think this was gonna be?

😉

Happy Non-Reacting,

Conor Kelly

4 tips for a better memory

conorkelLeave a comment

I like the character of Mike Ross on Suits.

If you don’t know the show, Mike’s talent is his insane photographic memory.  He remembers every line of every conversation he’s ever had.  He remembers every book he’s ever read, word for word.  He can look at a legal document once, then type it out verbatim hours or days later.

I’d kill to be able to do all of that.

Maybe sell my soul?

Track down a reclusive master in a remote Mongolian monastery?

Scratch that…

I’ll settle for these 4 memory tips instead:

1. Meditate.  In a recent study, researchers found that participants in a 9-week meditation retreat markedly improved their ability to focus, and displayed the same boost when measured 7 years later.  What’s interesting is the benefits lasted whether they maintained their level of meditation or not.

More’s not necessarily better.

I do 15-20 minutes a day.

To me this is all about training yourself to be present.

When you’re truly aware in the moment you notice more, and every experience can take deeper root within you.

2. Supplement with R+ALA and Acetyl-l-carnitine.  You lose a quarter of your cholinergic neurons between the ages of 25 to 75.  These are cells that produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is essential to memory.

In combination these nutrients have been shown to reverse cell damage in aged rats.  In some cases, these good ‘ol boys got back the memory and motor skills of their youth.

I recommend an age-dependent dose of 200mg-800mg of R+ALA and 500mg-2,000mg of Acetyl-l-carnitine (in the morning) daily.  The older you are, the more you need.

These are the bread and butter of my personal brain health program.

(It goes without saying, any supplementation you undertake is at your own discretion and risk.)

3.  Learn a new language.  This is probably the least practical suggestion of the four, but the hippocampus (the brain’s center for processing memories) lights up on brain scans of language learners.

Mas cerveza, por favor?

4. Pump iron.  Here’s what we know: estrogen in women, and testosterone in men = intelligence (I know, hard to believe, isn’t it?).  We also know that unless you regularly challenge your muscles with heavy weight (10-12 reps seems to be the sweet spot) you can’t hope to maintain your body’s hormone cascade.

Once those hormones start circling the drain (as they do with regular aging), cognition and memory disappear with them.

I can help with all these in varying degrees, but ‘specially that last one.

Get your IQ boost here:

http://www.conorkellypersonaltrainer.com

I’m excited.

I’m gonna pound out another value-packed email for my small biz marketing list, then it’s time for my Bulgarian lesson.

Maybe the devil can’t have my soul just yet…

Happy Remembering,

Conor Kelly