My biggest takeaway from this episode though? That they don't allow their top level athletes to back squat. They have a big discussion about humans training as intended as bipedal beings - and that single leg strength can match 90% of both legs, and that the sheer force on the spine of a back squat makes it not worth the risk.

• Lifting heavy is even more important than we thought especially for women
• Creatine...
• True high intensity is crucial - F45 and anything where you're moving for more than a few minutes at a time is NOT HIIT and is actually bad for you

Regardless of what any trainer tells you, there’s one thing that is the single most important factor of your workouts: that you do them! Especially for kids or those aging, more important than following a perfect workout routine is that you engage every muscle and movement pattern for 30+ reps (minimum) 1-2x / week. For kids, this is what ensures balanced growth and development of muscles, bones and joints – and for the aging population it’s as simple as ‘use it or lose it’ so as long as you continue to pass through full ranges of motion with a bit of external loading, you won’t lose that muscle mass—and that’s the single most important factor for healthy aging!

That’s why I’ve put together a single dumbbell workout that hits every major muscle group so that you’ve got no excuse to get it in whether you’re at home, the gym, or somewhere in between—all you need is a weighted object (dumbbell obviously works best) and you’ve got no excuse to not keep your basics going!

I recommend performing 2-4 sets of each exercise. If short on time do them as a superset with a 30-60 second rest between each movement.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift into Lunge

6-10 reps (depending on weight) of both movements/side
Pattern: Lower Pull & Lunge

Focus on control through the lower leg, keep the hips square to the ground as you raise your back leg and let your torso tilt down. Focus on lifting the back leg rather than bending at the waist, focusing on targeting the hamstring of the supporting leg rather than how far down the dumbbell goes. Once you come back to standing, we’re going right into a step-back lunge so we can target the glute of that same leg all in one movement.

Dumbbell Row to Curl & Press

6-10 reps (depending on weight) of both movements/side
Pattern: Lower Pull & Lunge

Starting in a hinged position with a flat back, perform a single-arm dumbbell row focusing on driving the elbow back and engaging the lat. Then stand up tall, curl the weight to your shoulder and then press it overhead. If you’ve got a heavy dumbbell, you can treat the curl as a bit more of a swing, and then use the legs to perform a push press to get the DB overhead.

Bonus: If you have two dumbbells, you can do both arms at the same time!

1+ ¼ Cyclist Squats

6-10 reps
(depending on weight) with a controlled tempo

The reason we use a cyclist squat (heals elevated) over a conventional squat is we’ve already targeting the hamstrings and glutes – so in this move we’re trying to get into DEEP knee flexion to ensure longevity and healthy knees while also targeting the quadriceps more specifically. Elevate your heels with whatever you’ve got that’s one to two inches tall!

Plank Drag ThroughPlank Drag Through

10-20 reps
Pattern: Core/Obliques (and scapular strength)

Starting in a tall plank position you’re going to drag the weight across the floor by pulling it (not pushing it) while trying to minimize the movement through your torso. If you’ve got a lot of butt movement going on widen your stance, if it’s too easy bring your feet closer together! This movements not only great for targeting the core and obliques but also helps strengthen our upper back and scapula which helps with mobility and posture as well.

Photography: Bob Garlick

The Anywhere Dumbbell Workout | IMPACT MagazineRegardless of what any trainer tells you, there’s one thing that is the single most important factor of your workouts: that you do them! Especially for kids or those aging, more important than following a perfect workout routine is that you engage every muscle and movement pattern for 30+ reps…IMPACT Magazine · Simon Damborg

When you remove the obligation to try to get your athlete to complete a specific movement, you unlock an infinite number of scaling options, gamifications, or other ways to engage with your athlete. Our goal isn't to get them to perform a specific exercise, our goal is to get them to perform a variety of movement patterns.

This is the simplest breakdown of patterns in a way that covers every muscle in the body. The more experienced you get, the more you can begin to break this down into muscle groups and other details - but to start, learn to understand the major patterns of the body rather than trying to memorize specific exercises.

Not everyone can squat, but almost everyone can perform SOME type of 'Lower push' exercise. If you can walk up stairs, sit on the toilette, or even just bend your knees through any range of motion - then you're able to perform the lower push pattern.

The goal isn't exercise for the sake of exercise, the goal is to accomplish a broad variety of movements and to work just 10% harder than they want to or have before. With this approach, there is an infinite number of ways to engage your athlete in a way that is fun rather than a chore.

The best workout for your athlete is the one that they do. Don't overcomplicate it or set the bar unattainably high. 30 minutes once a week is 1,000x better than nothing, and 30 minutes 2x / week consistently over an extended period is enough to make some major life changes for athletes of any age or ability.

Exposing our body to stress in a controlled environment, whether physical or emotional, is how we adapt and grow as human beings. Teaching regulation to athletes through their physical body is MUCH easier then trying to get inside their heads, but as they learn physical regulation, the emotion regulation follows right behind.

If you're working with an athlete who spends a lot of time already doing a specific sport (or movement pattern) then if you remember our goal of ensuring athletes complete a broad range of patterns - then our most effective use of time to ensure a balanced and health athlete is to train the ones they're not already doing.

The goal is long term progression, not short term goals. Don't scare them off by making it too hard. As long as you can get your athlete to do 10% more than they wanted to, or have before - then the workout was a win. Maintain this approach over extended periods of time, and the results will speak for themselves.

My SCHOOLS.FIT web-app of Resources

Check-out the full list of resources, with on demand workout videos, movement demos, workout builders and more coming soon on my web app I'm building specifically for educators, parents, and anyone who works with youth.

SCHOOLS.FITA resource from coach Thor for parents, educators, and anyone who works with youth.Raincity School Resources

These ones were filmed with Y@HOME as we practiced and refined our process. The goal is to start filming ~10 minute follow along videos that parents or teachers can pop on and complete with their kids or students. These on demand workouts are a bit more advanced than that, but offer a great starting point to check out!

At Home Strength On Demand Workout #1

PUSH: Upper & Lower

A1) Pushup Variation 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps
1️⃣Pushup with hands elevated (on bench, to wall, etc) 
2️⃣ Pushup negative only (lowering)
3️⃣ Full Pushup

A2) Squat Variation 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps
1️⃣ Assisted deep squat 
2️⃣ Air Squat 
3️⃣Tempo air squat 

PULL: Upper & Lower

B1) Curl or pull variation 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps
1️⃣Bicep curl 
2️⃣: Single arm supported row 
3️⃣ Bent over row (banded or single arm loaded)

B2) Hinge or bend variation 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps
1️⃣ Prisoner good morning   
2️⃣Stagger stance good morning 
3️⃣Banded or goblet good morning

CORE: Planks & Balance

C1) Center plank variation 2-4 sets x :20-:60 seconds
1️⃣Hands & knees 
2️⃣Hands & toes 
3️⃣ Elbows & toes

C2) Single leg balance 2-4 sets x :20-:30 seconds
1️⃣Single leg balance 
2️⃣With knee touches 
3️⃣ with toe touches 

Check-out the full breakdown and video links here;

Workout DetailsFull breakdown including movement demos and more of your Raincity workout.RAINCITY PROGRAMMING App

Going forward, @raincityathls will be completing this workout annually on Labour Day weekend to remind ourselves of Jonah and the constant smile on his face no matter what challenges life (or the gym) threw at him.

The three levels of this workout not only ensure that people of any fitness level can join in, but they represent Jonah’s fitness journey at Raincity (after already having to regain his ability to walk with @kidsphysio). From struggling with ring-supported split squat or lifting a kettlebell, to deadlifting 150 lbs and doing weighted walking lunges. Every year, this workout will remind me of his inspirational work ethic and his commitment to fitness despite adversities I can't even begin to imagine facing.

The workout is also written to mimic a typical 45 minute training session for Jonah (make sure to warmup). He loved lifting heavy, so we always started with some variation of deadlifts, bench, or squats. So take your time and move well in those first 10 minutes, and adjust the weights to be challenging but doable. Then, even though he never stopped talking about how much he hated #crossfit style workouts (like during the #RaincityOPEN), he'd still ask for them and always agree to tackle them with a smile on his face, so remember that as you chip away at part two.

We recommend doing this as a pair: alternate with your partner for part one, and then in part 2 alternate the sets of snatch + burpees, thruster + burpees, and lunges until you've completed 6 full rounds. Modify the workout as needed to challenge yourself appropriately or based on what equipment you have available.

He never made excuses for not being able to do something and never doubted that eventually he'd be able to do it, be more like Jonah ❤️

Read more and donate to the Jonah Berger Memorial Fund: www.rncty.ca/jonah

#jonahbergermemorial #RaincityJonah

According to Yale Medicine, the average injury rate of runners is 65% This is largely because running is so accessible and easy to do; it is also due to the lack of focus on technique, as well as muscle imbalances. If coaches were to take the same approach to teaching a deadlift as many do to teaching running, then any rep that lifts the bar off the ground would be considered a good rep, regardless of form (like how rounded the athlete’s back was). After a good rep? Add more weight of course! No good coach or athlete would ever take this approach to lifting, yet it is the exact approach taken to running – “if I can get from A to B then I am a good runner and I should run farther!” And this is why we end up with a 65% injury rate. Here are a few quick, easy exercises you can add to your running routine to help remove muscle imbalances as well as refine your form to minimize injury and increase your pace without increasing your effort (yes, magic, I know).

read the full article on page 20 on issuu

In no particular order:

Raincity Athletics

- Owner, Program Director, Head Coach, Lead Administrator - I have rebuilt our staff and business model to focus on revenue splits allowing my coaches here to grow and flourish their own businesses while myself and my administrative team focus on taking care of the back end headaches

- Allows my team more flexibility in growing their own business, without all the headaches - Allows me to be more hands off in day to day operations, and focus on growing my other projects as well

WWW.RAINCITYATHLETICS.CA

Functional Fitness League

- Owner, and everything else... - Currently working on expanding into new regions including Kelowna, Victoria, Toronto and Calgary - Exploring potential options for everything from franchising growth to continuing in house management and assessing the pros and cons of each as we expand

WWW.FUNCTIONALFITNESSLEAGUE.CA APP.LEAGUE.FIT FAQ.LEAGUE.FIT

Raincity Fit Club

- Head Coach & Facility Host - Working alongside 'Skills 2 Play' as a registered service provider for kids with special needs - Brining the benefits of fitness to kids of all mental and physical abilities

- Having done a lot of work with Special Olympics Canada and others I was reminded of all the benefits of exercise both physically and mentally (and loved watching the kids at special O reap these benefits) - So I worked with a client (owner of Skills 2 Play who works with these kids and commonly brought them in for our special olympics events) in house to begin discussing the idea of small private group classes to bring this benefit to special needs kids

WWW.RAINCITYFITCLUB.COM @RAINCITYFITCLUB

The Canadian Functional Fitness Federation

- On the board of domestic development to help legitimize the sport of 'Functional Fitness' - working towards legitimizing & standardizing everything to do with the sport from competitions, to movements, and everything in between with the goal of one day having it eligible to be in the olympics

WWW.FUNCTIONALFITNESSFEDERATION.CA

CF24 // Motionball // Special Olympics Canada

- Assist in organization & management of CF24 fundraiser each year to help raise funds for Special Olympics Canada - Having taken part and helped behind the scenes for over 4 years with this event, I will be moving into a more prominent position to help organize & manage the event across Canada

WWW.CF24.CA

Small Business Consultation Work

- Working with multiple other small businesses to help them with anything from getting setup (website, email, etc setup) to streamlining their systems and processes - Available on monthly retainers or hourly wage depending on the companies goals

Brands I Work With

RYU Ambassador - www.ryu.com

Endur Apparel - www.endurapparel.com