CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 90

The key to a sound and successful fitness and
nutrition program is one that becomes part of
your daily routine and a committed fitness
lifestyle. As the first Canadian to become an
IFBB fitness pro in 1996 and competing for
over twelve years, I've gained a vast amount of
my knowledge through trial and error as I
traveled through the many components of the
fitness world.
What I have witnessed over the years is that a
high percentage of people tend to over train
and don't eat enough. Quite opposite of the
regime you would think necessary for staying
lean and fit. It took me my whole fitness career
to realize I didn't need as much cardio as I did
over the years to reach the goals I had set.
Becoming a mother and the new time
constraints I faced forced me to reduce my
training hours and the new higher ratio of
weight training actually helped me stay leaner
without nearly as much cardio.
That being said, I fully understand the need for
establishing a core base for your
cardiovascular fitness. But I believe that
people tend to over emphasize this component
in their training. I have begun telling women to
cut back on the cardio and focus more on high
intense super set weight training. Women tend
to be skeptical at this suggestion, as it is the
same response I get when I tell them to
increase their protein intake. I commonly hear,
"Oh no, won't that make me bulk up? Bulk up
yes, but with lean body mass, less body fat
and a much higher metabolism.
I actually love cardio more than weights but
when faced with time restrictions weight
training is always the answer, as I know the
results are more beneficial to keeping lean
body mass, especially as you get older.