Let’s Get Real…

A recent TV commercial for a calcium supplement produced by a large pharmaceutical company really got me going. The ad begins by asserting that “1 in 4 women will develop osteoporosis.” It goes on to tell you to take their calcium pill and they make it sound like your worries will be over! They don’t, however, tell you the truth at all…

The pharmaceutical and dairy industries have been telling us for decades that we need lots of calcium and we can get it in supplements and dairy. In fact the dairy industry is so good at promoting itself that it is difficult NOT to automatically associate a glass of milk with a healthy choice for bones, right?

Americans (I’ll use Americans because the data is readily available and we all know that Canadians are on the same path as our neighbors) have been consuming lots of dairy products. In fact the U.S. is among the top three countries in the world for dairy consumption. It would be logical then to expect that we have very healthy bones, but the opposite is true! The United States is also among the top three countries in the world for rates of hip fractures (an indicator of bone health) and osteoporosis. So what gives?

Our society turns to pills and dairy for healthy bones, but NONE of the research or statistics back that up. One study compared a group of women taking supplements, one group exercising, a group doing both, and a control group doing neither. Which group had the best bone density at the end of the trial? The group that exercised! Only weight-bearing exercise made a difference on bone health! The supplements had no effect at all!

The main problem with dairy foods is that they have an acidic effect in our bodies, so a diet high in dairy and other acid producing foods like coffee, alcohol and all processed foods results in an acidic body. The body naturally works to balance this by trying to neutralize the acid… with what? Calcium. From where? Right out of your bones – Calcium is leached out of your bones! — Clearly not what you want to happen.

I have heard from a surprising number of people who tell me they have consumed dairy their whole lives and yet they have been diagnosed with pre-osteoporosis. Their doctor’s answer? Supplements! Well, we know that doesn’t work very well, so what can we do?

1. EXERCISE! Ok this part is easy. Regular weight-bearing movements like walking, running, and everything we do at Monkey Bar Gym will improve your bone health.
2. EAT PLANTS! This is easy too! Sweet! Plants have an alkaline effect in the body, an environment that has been proven to fight disease, reduce tumor growth, and strengthen the immune system, etc. It will also help you absorb and keep the calcium you consume.

Some examples of Calcium-strong plants are: kale, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, butternut squash, spinach, dates, oranges, pomegranates, almonds and nuts in general, quinoa, and cornmeal. It should be noted that molasses pack a calcium super-punch too!

The TV ads are very convincing, but don’t be fooled by the lobby groups. Regular exercise and eating a plant-strong diet are big factors leading to bone health! (and health in general) The statistic that the TV ad quotes (1 in 4 women will get osteoporosis) is only true if you continue to follow their advice. The problem is that neither the pharmaceutical industry nor the dairy industry will make money telling you the truth!

The New Year – New You 20/20 Offer:

Be among the first 20 new members of 2012 and get $20 OFF a 3-month Unlimited Membership or a 3-month 24-Class Pass!

• Gain Lean Muscle!
• Lose fat!
• Increase Energy!
• Work Together!
• Have Fun!

Monkey Bar Gym turns the ho-hum fitness routine UPSIDE DOWN! You will feel stronger, lighter, and move better after just 3 months with us… and you will HAVE FUN – we promise!

Want to try a running race this year? An obstacle race? Want to get fit once and for all? Lower your cholesterol levels for real?

Then stop jogging on a treadmill and get your butt to Monkey Bar NOW!

CONTACT LOUISE QUICKLY – louise@MonkeyBarGymMontreal.com
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The new schedule begins January 8th – so Sunday class Jan. 8, Tuesday noon class starting Jan. 10 and Wednesday 8:00 p.m. class begins Jan. 11.

Classes in yoga are 60 to 75 minutes long, bring a yoga mat and water. We have blocks and straps. Please make sure you are there 5 minutes before class to set up your mat and prepare to start on time! Thank you.

Yoga plays a big role in the MBG3: that’s skill-based training, yoga for restoration, and plant-strong nutrition. Our yoga classes are designed to help you make your body feel better. They are for ALL levels – absolute beginners and seasoned yoginis welcome

MBG Program gets results and will help you reach your goals!

Can you do a chin-up? Think it would be cool if you could? If you are already working the pull-ups, would you like to do more? Think it would be awesome? We do too! Join our Chin-Up Challenge Program and you can improve your chin-up ability by 70% in just 8 weeks! Whether your goal is zero to one or two to ten, you will get there with Monkey Bar Gym! Come and see us or contact us for more information.

Men’s Fitness Magazine and Muscle & Fitness Magazine

The buzz is spreading fast as people everywhere are realizing that Monkey Bar Gym GETS RESULTS! For real! MBG’s training methods are featured in recent issues of Men’s Fitness and in Muscle & Fitness magazines. Check it out!

MBG Montreal is the first and only Monkey Bar Gym in Canada, the gym where we invite you to train like a gorilla, eat like a gorilla, and chill like a gorilla!

Want to get leaner and healthier? Balance your training? Have fun!

Come try a free class and see what everyone’s talking about! You will get the Monkey Bar Gym expeirence first hand, talk to members, and try a workout. Bring water and lots of energy. We train barefoot so you don’t need shoes. Contact us to schedule your free trial class.

Why did I get involved with Monkey Bar Gym?

The short answer is that Monkey Bar Gym is the most effective, most holistic approach to lifelong fitness and real health – period!

The long answer is this… I have always been active in sports. As a child, I participated in swimming at the neighborhood pool and hiking and bicycle touring with my family.

In my teens I swam competitively and in my twenties I got into competitive triathlon and complemented it with strength training. I went to conventional gyms and used the machines to isolate muscles to build strength. I also got injured. My triathlon training was often interrupted by knee or hip problems despite all the weight work I was doing.

As much as I loved triathlons, being outdoors and moving thru swimming, bicycling and running in one event, I hated the weight training. Whenever I ventured into a gym I got bored in the first few minutes on a treadmill or a weight machine. Working out like a bodybuilder just didn’t make sense to me; my goal wasn’t bench pressing or doing more sit-ups, my goal was functional fitness and strength so I could do all the other activities I did with more strength, speed and power.

In my thirties, I turned to Kyokushin Karate and instantly fell in love with the old-school, hardcore training! I was stronger than ever and loving it. But the training was not balanced or easy on the body and it took its toll.

Years of searching for a more complete approach to fitness led me to Jon Hinds and the Monkey Bar Gymnasium. I started an ongoing conversation with Jon and he invited me to go to L.A. to join a MBG course. Meeting Jon and learning his program was very exciting because it was exactly what I had been searching for!

Here was a training approach that combined skill-based exercises with yoga and nutrition that made sense and worked.

I passed the level 1 Certified Natural Trainer course and returned a year later to complete the level two course.

Starting Monkey Bar Gym Montreal is the result of my years of sports experience, my passion for fitness and REAL health, and learning the hard way what doesn’t work. MBG is a much better way!

Whenever I talk about running I get a very mixed reaction from people. They either hate running and avoid it, want to run but find it miserable and way too difficult, or they run regularly and love it. I happen to have gone thru all 3 of those categories. I used to hate running and avoid it, then I joined a triathlon team in university (as a former competitive swimmer and avid cyclist) and thought I would get used to the running. I didn’t. It was a chore every time. The team would run on Mount Royal twice a week and often, at some point in the run, they would have to stop and run in a circle to let me catch up. Our once a week track workout was easier to manage because I couldn’t get lost running on my own.

Now, I run regularly and love it. What changed? I’d like to think that my stubborn streak and the fact that I just never let how hard it was be a deterrent – were the main reasons. But it goes deeper than that; many factors combined to change my running experience. After years of physio treatments for an injured knee or hip, or both, and not being able to run for more than 40 minutes without having some chronic pain somewhere, I can now run for an hour and more, pain free, …and enjoy it! It took me until my 40’s to begin working on my strength and my alignment in a real, FUNCTIONAL way. When I began training the Monkey Bar Gym way, things got better.

Eischens Yoga is hands down the best thing I have ever done to restore and align my body. It doesn’t feel like you are doing much and it can take only 10 minutes at a time, but with consistent work and partner feedback it gradually teaches your body to correct imbalances and to strengthen weaknesses. I can’t count how many times a physiotherapist told me about my muscle imbalances and weaknesses. And I used to think there wasn’t anything else I could do because I was already training 15+ hours per week and there is only so much time one person has!!

Another factor was strength. Specific strength. I started training with kettlebells and that hit my weaknesses and imbalances with explosive, full range movements. If I had to pick one exercise that made the biggest difference it would be the kettlebell swing, absolutely. It opens up the hips and builds power in the hip extension like no other drill. I feel the difference in my stride and my running posture.

I changed the way I run – from a heel strike to a forefoot strike – following the POSE and MBG running technique. This made a big difference in my knees and hips.

My diet changed (there she goes again!). Really. My whole body responded with so much more energy when I switched to a no-dairy-plant-based diet. I have more energy in a workout; I don’t crash as early or as hard; and I perform at a higher level.

Now I love to run! I go out with my dog and do short runs, long runs, stair repeats, or mountain running and have a blast. It’s my playtime, my time to just “be”. With the rhythm of my footsteps and my breathing as my soundtrack I go out and have fun.

Let me know what has worked or not worked for you! Come by MBG Montreal and I will show you some of the Eischens Yoga and strength training that makes such a big difference.