After just 12 sessions
involving an array of core, mobility, muscle endurance, and general
conditioning exercises, I am proud to say that my goal was met
(actually, exceeded), with a very impressive performance at the 2011
GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon (3:04:20; qualifying for the 2012 Boston Marathon).
Thank you so very much, Bryan Smith, for
embracing this challenge, and conditioning me to tolerate the stresses
and strains of the marathon.
-Ryan Saunders
Physician/ Marathon Runner
Hi Ernie.... this e-mail is to thank you and Adam for helping me achieve my goal. I'm glad to tell you, after 2 kids, I fit in my old jeans even better than when I was 21... And especially because you showed me how passion pays off. I loved working out with you guys.
Thanks for showing me the value of self respect. Cheers and keep up the great work.
-Julia
Shelley Thorsen came to All Canadian Fitness with a goal of losing over 100lbs.! Not an easy thing to do. But... Shelley is not your everyday fitness client! She is one indredibly tough customer. She has the ability to be absolutely single minded in her pursuit of a goal and during her time with us, she has overcome carpal tunnel syndrome and knee surgery and she has never, ever wavered in her determination to succeed.
In December of 2010, Shelley weighed in at The Studio and finally had gone over the 100lb weight loss barrier! This has brought all of us an immense sense of pride as we were able to witness every step that she has taken.
In her way, Shelley does not see this as the "end", but, rather as a new beginning as she continues to achieve great things and overcome new challenges! Congratulations to Shelley and to Adam for a fantastic job!
She did it! On October 24th, one of our clients realized a dream and accomplished her training goal with us! A.H. started training with in July 2010 for her Ontario Police Fitness Testing (PREP) Test. She had tried and failed in the past and looked to us for help. Her first workout was quite a shock to her and set the stage for 12 weeks of really, tough, progressive workouts. Our specialty is in desigining training programs that move clients through training "phases" and A's included core strengthening, powerlifting and metabolic sprint training. We also worked on creating the optimal emotional and psychological environment and on a Sunday in October she did an amazing job breezing through both an obstacle course and a shuttle run test! ....one step closer to becoming a Police Officer.
"Thank you again for everything!!! Words can't express how grateful I am." -A :)
"So guys... just wanted to share with you that this morning I was cleaning out some old clothes and tried on an old pair of jeans that were my FAVOURITE, but, kinda tight so I stopped wearing them .... Well I still can't wear them but that's because now they're TOO BIG!!!! Woo Hoo!
Thank you so much for being a part of making that happen! You know I hate your guts for the hour we're together, LOL, but the rest of the time I think you're awesome!"
Skinny Jeans Update... below!!!
Ok, so I’ve already shared my happiness with you once about trying on old jeans that were too big, but I really need to share another one with you. I pulled on another pair of old jeans that were in the bottom of my drawer and they were beyond too big, they were like the ones you see in an ad where you can pull the waist out and fit a small child in the leg! LOL. sooo …. just for shits n’ giggles, I decided to try on ‘the dress’ that I truly didn’t believe I’d ever fit into again – the reality of ever losing enough inches seem impossible - well, reality check – I’m SOOO close!! I’ll definitely be wearing it this spring (one in blue, one in pink J )
So, I just want you to know that it’s because of your constant positive attitude, encouragement and motivation, taking a personal interest, sharing of success stories and examples of how it’s possible, and your ‘you CAN do it!’ mind-set that N-E-V-E-R fades that has kept me going. While the workouts will NEVER get easier, what does get easier is getting through them and knowing that I can do it.
I can feel myself pushing through, trying harder and not giving up.
-My sincerest thanks. Your support has made all the difference ....J.K.
All Canadian Fitness Trainer- Bryan Smith has done a phenomenal, jaw-dropping job in TRANSFORMING a local doctor from a "fit guy" into Fitness Magazine Cover Material! Ivan Cacic approached us initially to help him develop "toned" abs. Bryan developed a training plan for him that included a variety of training and eating "phases" that made him progressively stronger, fitter, more muscular and..... ultimately more RIPPED! Check out this picture from his "After" photo shoot! (If a Doctor doing rounds and being on-call can do it..... ANYONE can do it!).
Way to go Ivan!
One of our latest "success stories" is a GOOD one! In about 10 weeks ago, Diane Ledonne completely changed her life. She had been chosen as one of 5 Hamilton Spectator readers to receive a 10 Week- Fitness Makeover with an area Personal Trainer. Ernie and Dianne put a plan in place that would make her healthier, leaner, more athletic and even................younger!
When they started, Diane weighed 160lbs, her body fat percentage was 38%, her blood pressure was 140/100 and her waist was 38 1/4". At the end of her 10 week makover, her blood pressure was 120/80, her weight was down 10lbs. to 150, her body fat percentage was down to 29.9% and she had lost an unbelievable 5 1/4" from her waist which measured 33"!
Diane is a breast cancer survivor and she had been mostly inactive for 10 years. She used to be an athlete and was considering returning to skiing and hockey and even thought of joining a Dragonboat racing team! In 10 weeks, she went back in time and became as fit as she had ever been.
In the end, she did return to skiing, skating and ..........even Dragonboating!
At our Studio, we call her "Superstar". Well she really is a.......SUPERSTAR!!!
Jim Barton is a client that we are extremely proud of! Take a look at his pictures and you really need very few words. Jim started his training to simply "get in shape". In time, his fitness level improved so much that he actually competed in the Paris to Ancaster 60km off-road cycling race! As a successful private business owner with limited training time, competing in this race was an incredible achievement. Jim is now contemplating other challenges like duathlon or triathlon events.
At a certain point, however, Jim realized that although his fitness level was great, he was not seeing big changes in his physique........ until he started applying the concepts of Supportive Eating! By focusing on the right combination of muscle building, aerobic exercise AND the RIGHT nutrition Jim lost several inches from his waist and saw his body fat percentage change drastically as well.
Lori after 3 months of training and eating "Supportively".
"It's been 2 1/2 years and I just wanted to thank you for helping me to look and feel better. I know I have said thank you in the past but, as a skeptic, I really thought that the weight losses I experienced would all be gained back in no time. But, I'm still a size 3 after all this time. We have all seen the yo-yo effect right? Well, I admit that I have gained 5-8 pounds back from time to time over the past few years butI simply apply the principles of supportive eating and exercising for a month or so and voila !....it melts back off EVERYTIME! (I think I look better now than I did when I was 25...and I am more confident).
I remember sitting in your "orientation" and not even paying attention.....it all seemed too good to be true. "Yeah right" I thought. I didn't believe it at the time but what you said was that you give us the tools to take the weight off, get healthier and to keep it off. You said you would teach us for life and it is so very true! For that I am grateful and blessed!"
Lori Cameron
"In 2007, at the age of 58, I weighed 260 pounds on my 5-foot-10 frame. Looking around I saw very few men in their late 60s and 70s who looked like me.
It was increasingly clear to me that heart attacks and other diseases were catching up with many overweight and out-of-shape men. I realized that I'd have to get myself into shape if I had any hope of living to a ripe old age."
In June, I began training twice weekly at All Canadian Fitness... By the late fall 2008 I was down to close to my high-school weight — 185.
In addition I play badminton 4 or 5 times a week. I played badminton competitively in high school and went back to it as I started to get back in better shape. Playing competitively has been a spur to keep my fitness level high.
Simon Constam
In 2008, Ernie was once again privileged to help business man/ explorer Peter Turkstra conquer the elements! In 2006, Peter was part of a team of Hamilton-area business leaders that skiied to the North Pole to raise awareness and funds for local children's charities. They made the trip successfully and in the process raised $500 000!
Two years later, the team re-grouped and chose to ski to the South Pole to raise even more funds. Once again, Ernie had the honour (and pleasure) of working with Peter in the gym to help him with his strength and conditioning. For 7 weeks, he put him through a series of physical challenges. He was preparing to ski 10 hours per day for 16 days straight in temperatures reaching -50 degrees, so the training was sometimes pretty hellish! Peter met every challenge Ernie threw at him and the team was once again successful and, raising $500 000 for local children's charities.
"We couldn't have done it without the training!"......Thank you, Peter Turkstra- Explorer/ President- Turkstra Lumber
"I thought that I should bring you up to date on some great news that I received this week....
...as you know, i am a letter carrier with Canada Post, who was injured in November '08. Both of my knees had torn and strained ligaments and tendons that led to Osteoarthritis. I was in a huge amount of pain for the better part of '09 and was not able to walk, work or do any of my normal, daily activities.
In January 2010, I started at All Canadian Fitness with RICH MENNA (the! best! personal! trainer! EVER!!!). We have been working on conditioning and strength building. Rich developed a program for me to build all of my muscle groups and to especially support my knees. I am now able to get in and out of a car easily, walk my dogs, navigate stairs and get up from a sitting position. (these may seem like trivial things, but to me they are major accomplishments!).
This week... my surgeon told me that he was incredibely impressed with my improvements and has now given me the okay to return to a work- hardening program... and back to work!
Thank you! Rich keeps me motivated and keeps me challenged and I look forward to many more improvements!"
-Sharon Weibe- Canada Post Letter Carrier
“For the last 5 years I have suffered with urticaria that flares up while I sleep. I was lucky to get 4 hours uninterrupted sleep.
I tried everything. My doctor, an allergist/immunologist, found that I have a thyroid issue that may or not be part of the problem. I even spent good money on a naturopathic doctor that made my situation far worse with no reversal in sight...
I lived on 2 to 3 over the counter allergy pills - Aerius everyday.
With the sleep deprivation, it was very hard to stay focused let alone have the energy to keep fit. Since starting Adventure Boot Camp and changing my eating habits..... I have not had any major outbreaks, no out breaks since week two of first camp and best of all I can sleep! I have more energy and can handle life's stresses much better.
For good measure I now only take one allergy pill every other day.
Feeling fitter and healthier is my goal and, of course, it’s a huge bonus to be down the inches and lbs too. (Carina has lost 50lbs in one year attending Adventure Boot Camp for Women!). In August, we measured Carina's waist and she had lost 10" from the previous year. Wow.
Carina Fato
Legendary Equestrian athlete Cindy Ishoy has worked with All Canadian Fitness since 2002. She initially came to us to help move beyond rehabilitation following a traumatic car accident that threatened to end her career. Tentative workouts soon gave way to intense circuit training sessions, balance and coordination drills and even boxing training and soon Cindy's strength and endurance returned, allowing her to once again compete at an international level. She is a fierce, driven competitor that gives all to her sport and to her training.
In 2004 she was chosen to represent Canada at the Athens Olympics, making her a five time Olympian!
"I am happy to say that tomorrow, I will be signing my offer of employment with Police Services as a Police Constable!!!!!!!! WOO HOOO!!!!!!!! (Can you tell that I am excited?).
I really wanted to say a big THANK YOU to you all!!! Mostly to you Ernie... without your "talks"none of this would have happened. THANK YOU! All your help pushing and giving advice made the difference and made it possible to get to this point.
You are sincerely THE BEST. I can't believe that after 12 years of wanting this, tomorrow it becomes reality!"
A.D. finally reached her goal! She came to us in late 2007 for help in passing her physical testing requirements for the Ontario Police. She had tried in the past, but, came up short. A.D. committed to doing "whatever it takes" and came in to work with us 3 times per week. Not being a "natural runner", she had to completely re-learn the mechanics of running and we set out to improve her stride and her technique. Working with her was an absolute blast! She never quit and even trusted me enough to work on the mental aspects of testing in a high pressure situation. In the end, she did it!
Thank you, A.D.,Police Constable
Dr. JC Cutz of St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton has become one of our favourite people to work with! JC took it upon himself to completely re-make his body after gaining weight and losing control of his fitness. When we started his workouts in 2005, he was easily fatigued and dizzy doing extremely mild training sessions. Rather than give up, he persevered and scheduled regular workouts along with the development of a more suportive eating plan. Like many doctors that are overworked, his eating habits needed to be completely overhauled. Once again, JC was up to the task and although, like everyone, he is not perfect, he continues to make better choices more of the time. JC's journey to fitness has been a tremendous thing to watch. The intensity of the work he can now do is sometimes mind boggling. He never, ever quits and has reaped the benefits of this approach. As evidenced by his photos above ( melaniegillis.com ), he has competely changed his body and at this point has lost 7 inches from his waist. Very nice!
JC- 2005 Waist- 44" Hips- 47"
JC- 2007Waist- 37" Hips- 39"
“Before All Canadian Fitness,I thought my Musical Career was over.Normal tasks such as performing, practicing and teaching were all becoming impossible because of the physical pain they would cause.For a while I thought I might have to consider a different career.But now I can perform, practice and teach with ease!I feel 10 times stronger, and am hooked for life at staying fit.
"Thank you so much for giving me a second chance at what I’ve always wanted to do!”
Kevin Matthews A.R.C.T., Saxophones, Flute and Clarinet (Member of Andre and the J- Tones)
"After breaking my leg last year, I was worried about skiing this season. I can't believe that I was able to ski for 5 hours on saturday and 3 hours on sunday without any pain and without falling once! I could not have done it without you guys. The work we have put in at The Studio has really paid off. I can't wait for my next ski trip.
Thank you.
Ute Repple, skiier
Stefanie Thomas is a 40 year old mother of three young children (all under 6). She has also been a life long athlete. In the summer of 2007, however, she found herself overweight, tired and frustrated for the first time in her life. She remembers thinking "Maybe this is what I am SUPPOSED to be like at 40 as a mom." She told us that she felt like a very old, tired 50 year old and wanted to get her life and her body back. Not an easy thing to do with 3 super-active kids screaming for your attention as well as a house to look after and a couple of other kids that you are providing daycare for. Stef tells us that there was a moment where she thought to herself that enough is enough!She remembers having a leftover pogo and a chocolate chip cookie for lunch and then telling herself....lt's time to take back control.
She called us up to enroll in our 12 week Summer Synergy program and even let us take a "before" picture as something that would drive her to achieve something great. As you can see in her middle photo, she made some really impressive changes in her body in 12 short weeks. She also told us that she felt like a 20 year old again and decided to sign up for her first 5k race in years! We just knew that she wasn't through though. After Synergy, she and her trainer, Sheila, got to work on a 12 week personal training Transformation program. She booked a third photo shoot for January 3rd to help her get through the Christmas temptations and then worked like a truly driven woman on a mission. As you can see by her third photo, she has completely changed her body and is an absolutely new person.
"A big part of my motivation was to be a role model for my kids. I didn't want them to have a tired, overweight mom that couldn't keep up to them as they grew up. If I didn't get moving with Sheila and ACF, I hate to think how different my life would be and how I would look and feel."
Stef Thomas
"I'm extremely pleased with my results. I've decided to do another half-marathon! I must be crazy, I know-- but I felt so good doing this one (so much stronger I couldn't believe the difference). When I finished my first 1/2 in June I felt terrible at the end of it. This time I could have jogged back to the hotel.
I know that I absolutely wouldn't have done it without the help of All Canadian Fitness (Adam is awesome -- he knows just how much to push) and there's no way I would have done this on my own! I'm definetely a much stronger runner than I was 8 weeks ago."
Allen Kirby- Running Enthusiast after 8 weeks of training with All Canadian Fitness ran his Personal Best 1/2 Marathon!
Melanie Gillis returned from a Carribean vacation, and after looking at the beach photos, she firmly decided to make some positive changes.
3 months into her training program, Melanie posed for an "after" photo that was pleasantly surprising, not only to her, but to her trainers. Mel has been working out 3 times per week and has revised her eating habits to include more frequent "whole" meals and has gained the knowledge to balance her diet with proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
" Thank you All Canadian Fitness for taking care of me!"
Melanie Gillis
"I had, for several years, been trying to lose weight by "working out" at the local Y. I was losing the battle! On January 1st, I weighed 250lbs. and was 49 years old. I also had high blood pressure, felt sluggish and was tired all the time. I wanted to be a physically fit 50 year old, able to Scuba dive in May without the aid of a paramedic team! Scuba diving last year was not a fun and happy experience for me!
After 12 weeks of training, I went on vacation and can say, withoubt a doubt, that the Scuba diving was incredible! No longer exhausted after a dive, no cramping during a dive....I had met my goals. Going to the local Y, plus the guidance of All Canadian Fitness trainer, Matteo Tino had paid off.
The food/ nutrition education I received also played a large role in my success. The women I work with are in awe at how much I can eat and still lose weight! I have gone from 250lbs. to 228 (at 6'1") and there is a noticeable difference in my body shape."
(In 12 Weeks, Derek lost 4 1/4" from his waist, 1 1/4" from his hips, changed his Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) from "Unhealthy" to "Healthy" and lost a total of 19lbs. of bodyfat while gaining 3lbs. of muscle!)
"High School athlete Matt McCafferty trained with All Canadian Fitness in the summer of 2005 in anticipation of the coming basketball season. His goals of increased stamina, strength and especially improved jumping ability were definetely met. Through a specific power program, he was able to add 5" to his vertical jump!"
Steve says; My strength program at All Canadian Fitness has made the hills of the Around the Bay Road Race absolutely inconsequential. I absolutely cannot believe how much stronger and fitter I feel only 3 months later! I can actually complete my marathon training with relative ease and still play ball hockey with my boys afterwards! This has been a PHENOMENAL program!"
On March 26th, Steve completed his 4th Around the Bay race and took 17 minutes off of his time from last year! His goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon now looks very possible.
-Steve Malboeuf, 39, Owner- Decorvert Interior Plant Maintenance, amateur Marathon runner and Boston Marathon hopeful.
When Sue first decided to come to All Canadian Fitness,her goal was to become more toned than she has ever been and specifically to get more muscular arms since she was going to a wedding in August in Ireland and wanted to wear a sleeveless dress!
After 8 weeks, Sue's arms are looking fantastic and she has lost 2 dress sizes! She is about to enter the last month of the training program which emphasizes Fat Liberation and Fat Loss. We anxiously await her "After" photo which will be a stunner!
"I love the structure of knowing exactly what to do week to week."
Sign up for our Monthly Newsletter! Learn how to speed your metabolism, build muscle, burn fat, improve performance........and stay motivated! PLUS........ receive our FREE Report on how to "Turn Your Body into a Fat Burning Machine!"
All Canadian Fitness
318 Dundurn St. S. Unit 10 Hamilton, Ontario L8P 4L6 905 548-6732 [email protected]
