First Step Health and Fitness

Had our last spring training sessions with our four @_c_b_a_ squads this week. The girls put in serious work and made major progress over the last three months. Thanks for trusting us with your development, we dont take it lightly! #trainingday #basketball #hustlehard #yyc

Weve been sharing a lot of our junior programs lately, but the variety Cougars are quietly putting in work too. #trainingday #volleyball #basketball

The @_c_b_a_ girls have been putting in work for a number of weeks and the results are showing. The girls have made huge leaps in their lifting and agility technique and are moving quickly and explosively. Peyton even stayed late for some extra lifting practice #basketball #trainingday #yyc

Great to have our guy Rashaun back training with us and mentoring the young fellas. We love seeing him set the example of what it takes to have a #pro career when hes out here hustling harder than some dudes who are literally half his age! #trainingday #basketball #yyc

My @_c_b_a_ girls gooooing in on the #vertimax getting those s. in 8 weeks with us, our girls will perfect technique for starting in all directions, stopping quickly and under control, Olympic lifts and various strength lifts. We also spend major time on injury prevention to make these girls durable. Step away from all of the training randomness and come train with the man with the plan at @firststep_calgary. #trainingday #power #basketball #yyc

@_c_b_a_ squads putting in a serious #power session tonight. We love working with these girls. Sure, they giggle I controllably sometimes, but they listen well and go hard. #trainingday #basketball #yyc

These girls made major progress in eight weeks. We cant wait to have them back next season. #volleyball #trainingday #yyc

Good luck to the babies if the program this weekend at #nationals #trainingday #volleyball

Saturday afternoon session with some of my @mrucougars and @lindsayocreative at one of my favorite places. #trainingday #basketball #conditioning

#FYB back at it and making major improvements. Their technique is getting better and better, so we have been able to progress to some dynamic and "interesting" patterns. #trainingday #basketball #yyc

@_c_b_a_ babies putting in work. Theyve spent a few weeks hammering the fundamentals and are now getting into some more fun and dynamic speed and agility work. #trainingday #basketball #yyc

U16 and U17 @_c_b_a_ squads getting it poppin in my favorite facility in Calgary @mrurecreation #trainingday #power #basketball #yyc

#FYB boys going hard on the speed and agility. Theyve worked hard to get the basics down and are getting into some more dynamic agility work. Well be able to turn in up week by week for the rest of the spring season. #trainingday #basketball #yyc

#FYB club putting in some technique reps to work on first step quickness and stopping under control and on balance. Were not too fancy, we know our kids will see major gains by killing the fundamentals. #basketball #trainingday #yyc

We had our last sessions of the winter season with our U17 and U18 #jrcougar #volleyball squads this week. They made amazing progress over the the last few months and are leaving us as much more durable and dynamic athletes.

Some cutthroat tag to end our session today with our grade 9s. #speedandagility #basketball

Session 1 of spring training with our U16 and U17 @_c_b_a_ squads. A lot of these girls have been putting in work year and year and were excited to see what we can help them do over the next few months. #basketball #yyc #trainingday

A peek into a session with our U18 Jr Cougar #volleyball squad. These girls are going to make a number of strength coaches happy next year when they hit the ground running at whatever program they end up at. Hopefully Ill get a few

Jr Cougars U17 squad showing a lot of progress with their #olympiclifting skills. Were confident that our kids get some of the best strength training in the city and are definitely the best prepared for their university careers after spending a few years with us. #volleyball #power #injuryprevention #skills

First couple weeks of our #newyearschallenge have been great. The filled up quickly with 20 awesome participants and theyre all hustling to win a few hundred bucks at the end of three months. We still have a few people who havent missed a class in 2017. Nice work First Step family!

Heres an article that came out last week touching on a study that shows neuromuscular training in warm up helps prevent injuries. Weve been using these types of exercises in warm up for a while and have seen a reduction in injuries with our youth and university athletes as well as our recreational athletes. It will be great to see how this information and warm up methods are going to be shared with people involved with youth sports. http://calgary.ctvnews.ca//study-evaluates-effectiveness-o

If youre an athlete, theres a good chance you need to move side to side....and fast! Heres a video with a few of my favorite exercises to improve lateral explosiveness. Share this post for your chance to win one free month of fitness classes with First Step. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p064S3cCcdM

During your warm up or in a superset with a bigger exercise are great times to incorporate incorporate some core stability work. We love to use kettlebell carry exercises in both of those situations. There are a ton of core stability exercises, but these carries are different, because they force you to stay strong and stable in your core and upper back while youre walking and your hips and legs have to move. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wD_XJfml0U

The Pallof press is an exercise we love to use to improve core strength, specifically the strength to resist rotation in your hips, core and upper body. In this video you will see a few variations of the press that are a little more dynamic and force you to not only resist against rotation, but flexion and extension as well. The final version of the press in this video is used to build stability in the core while your lower body is moving. We use these with our elite athletes and general population clients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeEoZYdSVwg

Check out our latest blog post by Hidesh Bhardwaj. This one is for the athletes out there and shares Hideshs favorite three exercises to increase lateral explosiveness. We always encourage everyone to see a fitness professional to make sure you are ready to perform these exercises and are performing them correctly. Safety first peeps! http://www.firststepfitness.ca/blog/

Heres another guest post by Todd Fano. In this weeks post, Setting Goals That Work, Todd discusses the process of setting focussed goals that help you move in the direction you want instead of getting frustrated while spinning your wheels. http://www.firststepfitness.ca/blog/

This is a great piece about why we cant afford to not exercise during tough economic times. In fact, its even more important to exercise at times like this, thats why were offering unlimited group fitness classes this month for only $50. Not only will you get great coaching and a quality workout, but youll get to do it with an amazing group of people. http://globalnews.ca//why-you-cant-afford-not-to-exercise/

In a guest post on our site, Todd Fano breaks down the importance of quality over quantity and how to make sure youre getting the most out of your workouts. We live in a society of excess. If one is good, two must be better and three must be the ultimate! This belief is rampant in the world of exercise. Just go to any gym, boot camp or practice field and youre bound to hear the battle cry of just one more! While Im all for people pushing their limits it has to be done in a logical and thoughtful manner. Read more: http://www.firststepfitness.ca/blog/

A good read while youre thinking of the best ways to stick to your Nee Years resolution of exercising more and being healthier.

If youre trying to get back in shape this January, skip the overcrowded gyms and try our group classes for only $10 a week. Our small class sizes allow you to have fun exercising in a small group setting where our coaches can give you the valuable feedback you need. Classes start tomorrow. Visit our website for class schedule and locations.

Join us this January and have fun getting results.

Try our Group Fitness classes for $10 a week! You dont need to go overboard with exercise to meet your New Years resolution this year. Going too hard too early leads to burnout and and exercise routine thats hard to maintain. This year, try less exercise and see bigger results. Strength training three times each week, following a nutrition plan that fits you and getting up and moving during the rest of your life outside of exercise will get you changes you want to see. ... Visit our site to learn about our New Years special and how our group strength training classes and nutritional coaching can help you see the results you want. www.firststepfitness.ca

Good read and a view I agree with on the American KB swing vs Russian (and I agree, superior) style. http://tonygentilcore.com//why-i-dislike-the-american-ket/

Its September 1 and time to get back to working on our health and fitness goals. Come try one of our group classes for free this month. Monday and Wednesday at 6:30pm Friday at 5pm

Working out outdoors has its benefits. http://www.huffingtonpost.com//work-out-outside-exercise_n

Why group exercises is a great choice: http://www.livestrong.com//512900-the-advantages-of-grou/

The way we talk to our kids shapes their experiences. Read about how to talk to your little athletes to help them have the best experience possible and allow them to truly enjoy the games they play. http://m.thepostgame.com//what-makes-nightmare-sports-pare