Why Sticking to an Exercise Routine is so Hard

Hello!

We want to talk about vampires briefly. Yes, they don’t really have much to do with fitness, but in the movies, they are all hot and have washboard abs despite sleeping 14 hours a day. (So fasting does really work?!

But we were recently introduced to the Vampire Problem. A hypothetical that some people use to decide on having kids or make some other rational decision where it’s tough to go back on.

Imagine someone offers, not forces, to turn you into a vampire.

1. Every vampire says it’s amazing once transformed.
   

2. But before transformation, you can’t truly know what being a vampire feels like.
   

3. And once transformed, your values, desires, and identity may completely change. (And drinking blood may distress you!)

For the sake of brevity, we won’t go into much more about it; you can read about it here.

But what’s fascinating is that the person who makes the choice (to be bitten or have kids) isn't the same person who has to deal with the consequences (good and bad).

And that is also why it is so hard to stick to a fitness routine because your new identity lags way behind your new routine.

You have to become a different person, and that takes time.

Also, your body and brain naturally want to remain in homeostasis.

After two weeks of strength classes it screams, “Dude, get me back on the couch. Why you be treating my muscles like this, bruh?”

Unlike the vampire problem, however, you can go back to your old ways. But we don’t want you to do that!

So here are 3 things you can do to stay on track while your new identity catches up.

1) Start putting yourself in rooms with people who already do the thing you want to do

Text that friend who's annoyingly consistent about having the energy to work out in the evening after the workday is finished.

Say yes to the neighbour who keeps inviting you to her running group.

Join a gym where the people in class know your name and actually seem happy to see you because that energy is contagious in the best way (hint hint).

A workout shared is a problem halved, and other people's identities can help carry you while yours is still catching up.

2) Start calling yourself someone who works out but be specific

Before your new routine feels natural, your brain is still running the old story: "I'm not really a gym person." Every skipped workout confirms it.

So flip the script before you feel ready to.

Start saying out loud, to actual humans, "I work out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays." Not "I'm trying to get fit" or "I've been going to the gym lately." Those hedge. They leave the exit door open.

When your neighbour asks what you've been up to, say "I've been strength training." When your kid asks why you're tired, say "Because I had a hard workout."

Identity follows language. The vampire doesn't spend their first week saying, "I'm kind of doing the blood thing right now; we'll see how it goes." They commit to the bit.

You're not waiting to become a gym person. You already are one. You just need to say it and act like it until your brain catches up.

3) Don’t overthink it

We tend to overanalyze new habits, especially at the beginning when working out hasn’t become just something you do on a Tuesday.

Sure, check in with yourself at specific intervals, but for the most part, just commit to the routine, do the workouts, and then chill out.

Go eat a ham sandwich. Cuddle your kids. Bite a neck. And then we’ll see you on Monday for more push-ups.

You’re doing great.

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. We don’t have the teeth to turn you into a vampire, but we can help turn you into a person who works out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Group fitness trials start at just $49, and we also have a group + one-on-one training option too.

Best Running Routes Along the Danforth & East York

If you live near Danforth Avenue or in East York, you’ve got options. Good ones. Here are some of the best local running routes (tested by us!)

1. Taylor Creek Park Trail

This is an East End favourite for a reason.

The Taylor Creek Park trail runs through trees, away from traffic, and gives you that “I’m not in the city anymore” feeling.

Why it works:

• Paved, smooth trail (good for beginners)

• Quiet enough that there are not too many over-the-shoulder checks

• Slight hills to build strength without crushing you

• Perfect if you’re getting back into running and don’t want an audience

2. Don Valley Trails (Lower Don Trail)

If you want something a bit more “choose your own adventure,” head to the Don Valley Trails.

There are multiple entry points, and you can adjust distance without overcommitting.

Why it works:

• Mix of scenery—river, trees, bridges

• Easy to shorten or extend your run

• Run 15 minutes out. Turn around. Done. That’s a win

3. Danforth to Woodbine Loop

No trails, no problem.

Start along Danforth Avenue, head south down Woodbine, loop through quieter residential streets, and come back up.

Why it works:

• Close to home (no travel time = fewer excuses)

• Great for squeezing in a quick run

• Coffee at the end if you time it right

• This is your “I almost didn’t go, but I did” route

4. Stan Wadlow Park Loop

Right in the heart of East York, Stan Wadlow Park is simple, accessible, and underrated.

Why it works:

• Loop format (no thinking required)

• Good for intervals or run/walk

• Family-friendly if you’ve got kids nearby

• You can show up, do a few laps, and leave or extend it by jumping into Taylor Creek Park

Enjoy!

Kevin & Victoria

Decision, Decisions, Decisions

Sometimes exhaustion doesn’t look like exhaustion. Sometimes it looks like standing in front of an open fridge at 5PM, completely unable to decide what's for dinner. You don’t feel tired exactly; it’s just that your planning bandwidth is empty. 🫩

This is decision fatigue. You’ve made 200 micro-decisions that day already, creating a lot of brain friction on the way, and it has quietly run you into the ground. (And quiet problems can be the worst.)

Decision fatigue comes with overthinking, but it’s also just having so many things being thrown at us all at once. Most that we didn’t even ask for.

The email to confirm your appointment. The text to confirm you got the email. The call to confirm you got the text. The birthday card you get from the one orthodontist you had a consult with in 2019—it comes every darn year. 🙃

So here are three ways to avoid death by a thousand decisions and get some of that energy back.

#1 - Figure out what you value most and use it as an instant no

When you're clear on your top priorities, most decisions make themselves. Does this request, commitment, or obligation serve what actually matters to you? No? Then it's not a maybe—it's a no. You don't have to deliberate, as you’ve created a built-in filter where you can automatically say no to everything or just plain delete and ignore it.

#2 - Make recurring decisions once

Stop re-deciding things that don't need to be re-decided. Lunch is always leftovers from the night before. Create a standing grocery order. Have a set bedtime routine that doesn't get negotiated. Every time you automate a small decision, you protect your energy for the ones that actually matter.

Rotating or reassessing recurring decisions seasonally works really well here. Hearty bowls and soups in winter, salads and grilling in summer. Run outside in spring and fall; exercise indoors during peak summer and winter.

#3 - Give yourself permission to decide later

Your phone has trained you to believe everything is urgent. It isn't. Most things that land in your inbox, your group chat, or your mental to-do list at 11pm can wait. It just doesn't feel like they can.

When something non-urgent hits you, park it deliberately. "I'll think about that Friday" is a complete answer. Protecting your right-now energy from problems that belong to future you is a skill. And in a world that's specifically designed to demand your attention every thirty seconds, it might be the most important one you develop.

Kevin & Victoria

4 Fitness Truths to Live By

Most fitness advice has an expiry date on how cool it sounds. These four things are evergreen, and so we figured someone should just say them out loud on repeat. 🙂

#1 - Showing up beats going hard

Every expert, every decade of research, says the same thing: consistency is the only thing that actually works. The person who does a modified version of every exercise but comes four times a week will outlast the person who goes all-out once a week. The best number to track, in all of fitness land, is your attendance.

#2 - Train for what your body needs to do

Your back surviving the first week of yard cleanup. Having enough left in you at the end of the day so that your kids actually get you, not the version of you that's just waiting for bedtime. That's what strength and conditioning is actually for. Your body doesn't care what it looks like in a mirror—it cares whether it can function. Train for function and aesthetics will follow.

#3 - Rest is part of the work

The workout is the stimulus, but rest and recovery is where the adaptation happens. Cold plunges are the cool thing of the day but may actually hamper the adaptation process. You need to get sore and then sleep, stretch and eat to recover over a period of time.

#4 - It takes a village

Environment is more important than you think. Working out with like-minded people isn't just a nice bonus—it's a performance-enhancing drug that costs nothing. People who exercise with others are more consistent, more motivated, and less likely to quit. The same applies at home. It’s very hard for just one member of the family to change their health habits and stick to it. Everyone needs to chip in.

Kevin & Victoria

The Best Health & Fitness Stuff of 2025

Hello!

We hope you're enjoying the festive break. Here are three of the best health-focused things that we found useful this year...

Book: From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks

The core concept of the book claims that a fulfilling second half of life depends on deliberately shifting from success based on personal achievement to success based on wisdom and service. More plainly: what makes you successful early in life will not make you happy later—and that’s okay if you adapt.

This can be directly linked to your gym goals too. You may be happier in your journey if you move from trying to hit personal bests, or from trying to feel like 25, into something more consistent and sustainable. Moving from "How do I dominate?" to "How do I last?" Moving from proving something to taking care of something.

Brooks would call it shifting from fluid strength (performance, ego, intensity) to crystallized strength (consistency, wise judgment, sustainability).

Anyway, it's a great book with a ton of takeaways that are too many for this small write-up.

💥 From Strength to Strength

Short Video (4m 34s): How to Fix Your Attention Span by Dan Pink

Dan Pink explains that our attention spans are being steadily eroded by constant digital distraction, but they’re not broken beyond repair. He argues that focus is a skill we can rebuild by deliberately shaping our environment and habits—reducing interruptions, working in defined blocks, taking real breaks, and tying what we do to a clear sense of purpose.

The key takeaway is that sustained attention doesn’t come from willpower alone; it comes from designing your day so focus is the default, not the exception.

💥 How to Fix Your Attention Span (Before It's Too Late)

Article: Thinking About the 5 to 9, Not the 9 to 5 by Amanda Goetz

There are lots of productivity tips out there (and a whole bunch of grifting!) when it comes to claiming back your time. What we like about this article by Amanda Goetz is the conscious choice of what you do in the hours after work by switching into a different character. Monday you become an "Athlete", Tuesday the "Friend/Socialite", Friday the "Explorer" and so on.

💥 The Method I Used to Reclaim 72 Hours a Week

Happy New Year when it comes!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. This is the most wholesome thing we read over the holidays

P.P.S. A quick reminder that we've extended the Boxing Day deals to Tuesday. Sale ends at midnight.

Woman Faints When Asked To Introduce Herself To Her Workout Partner

DANFORTH EAST, ON — Sources confirm that a woman fainted Thursday morning when her coach cheerfully asked everyone to “turn to your partner and introduce yourself.”

“I wasn’t ready for eye contact before 7 a.m.,” said local member Lisa M, strangling her water bottle and scanning for the nearest exit.

Witnesses report that the request caused a brief ripple of chaos across the class, as several participants froze mid-warmup, pretending to stretch in hopes of avoiding human interaction.

“Honestly, at the end of class it was pandemonium,” said one witness. “Everyone crawled out of the studio to avoid the high five, fighting to get out the door like it was the last crouton at a Caesar salad party.”

Gym officials say the woman returned to normal after a post-class coffee and that she has since agreed to participate in light partner work—so long as nobody says “icebreaker.”

“I actually thought it went really well,” said BOMB Fitness coach Sparkle Sarah, twirling her hair, unaware of the social carnage she had just caused. “I may introduce Rose Bud Thorn next.”

Top Tips for a Healthy Summer

Hello!

Let's talk about the elephant in the backyard: barbecue season anxiety.

You may know the feeling. You're getting ready for a summer gathering, and suddenly your brain starts spiraling:

"There's going to be potato salad. And burgers. And someone always brings those muffins from Tori's Bakeshop. Should I eat beforehand? Should I bring a sad desk salad? Should I just say I don't drink?"

The whole "I'll be good at the barbecue" approach can usually backfire, spectacularly. You either show up hungry and eat everything in sight, or you spend the entire party calculating calories instead of actually enjoying the chef's dad jokes.

But... you're not a food criminal! Barbecues aren't nutrition tests. And your worth as a human being isn't determined by whether you had seconds on the mac 'n' cheese salad.

So, here are some strategies you can take into the summer season to ensure you don't spend more energy thinking about the food and drink than actually hanging out with people you care about.

The Contribution Strategy: Instead of showing up empty-handed and feeling guilty about the food choices, bring something you actually want to eat. Not punishment food, like a sad office salad, but something genuinely tasty that happens to make you feel good. Victoria loves a killer caprese salad with bocconcini, peaches, pumpkin seeds, grape tomatoes, arugula, basil, and a pesto balsamic vinaigrette.

The Plate Archaeology Method: Before diving in, take a quick lap around the food table like you're conducting research. What looks absolutely amazing? What looks meh? What can you just get anywhere? Then build the plate strategically. Go heavy on the stuff that's special, light on the stuff that's filler.

The Pacing Game: It's easy to just stand around the food table making small talk. Consider loading your plate, then go sit somewhere else to eat. If you want more, then you have to make a conscious decision to grab seconds.

The Hydration Hack: Alternate every alcoholic drink with water or soda. Not because you're a party pooper, but because being properly hydrated will make you feel way better the next day and also help you actually taste the food instead of mindlessly eating.

The Next Day Reset: Instead of the typical "I blew it, might as well keep going" spiral, try to get back to your normal routine the next day. No punishment workouts, no skipping meals, just back to business as usual.

The Permission Slip: Give yourself permission to enjoy yourself. Revolutionary concept, right? But when you stop treating it like forbidden fruit, when you stop stressing about it, you might find it loses power over you and you naturally start to make choices that make you feel better.

We're not saying you should never think about what you eat. But summer gatherings happen maybe 5-10 times per year. In the grand scheme of your health, they're not make-or-break moments. It's just... life.

Your mission this summer: If you have a barbecue or patio gathering coming up, try 1-2 of these strategies. Go in with a plan that includes enjoyment and just a little bit of mindfulness.

Because here's the thing: the people who seem effortlessly healthy at summer parties? They're not following secret rules. They're just not at war with the potato salad.

Cheers to that 🥂

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. The BOMB summer special launches next week, where we help you navigate a healthier summer while still having fun. We give you workouts when you're in town and online ones when you're gone, plus weekly summer recipes and cocktails/mocktails that are delicious and health-conscious.

👉 Sign up at the early bird rate (before June 30th)
🌴 https://www.bombfitness.ca/summer
👇 Share with a training buddy!

The Best Health & Fitness Stuff of 2024

Hello!

We hope you're enjoying the festive break. If you're already fed up listening to your family, retreat to the washroom, settle in on your butt cheeks, and read about some of the best health and fitness content that Team BOMB has enjoyed this year.

Book - Fiber Fueled (Karen)

The author is a gastroenterologist and gets into the science of gut health and it's massive role in all health aspects. If you can get past the nitty-gritty of the first half of the book, the second half features week-by-week meal plans (including grocery lists and the extension of meals over several days) and recipes that I find easy to follow, tasty, and satisfying—some are SO good I've been making them weekly for the past year!

💥 Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz

Follow - MoveU on IG (Corinne)

A lot of really good information on the cause, treatment, and prevention of common injuries. It’s also entertaining! -

💥 Follow MoveU on Instagram

Movie - Love Lies Bleeding (Kevin)

There are not many movies that feature gyms, and if they do, it usually stinks. But this one is great! Set in 1989, Kristen Stewart stars as a gym manager who strikes up a relationship with a female bodybuilder. Horniness and murder ensue. Features quirky visuals and fantastic wigs. Available on Amazon Prime.

💥 Love Lies Bleeding Trailer

Podcast - Ozempic: Silver Bullet or Devil’s Bargain? (Sally)

A balanced and nuanced look at the benefits and pitfalls of weight loss drugs

💥 Apple ~ Spotify

Detergent 😆: Rockin’ Green Active Wear (Victoria)

I love this detergent as it’s gentle on the skin while keeping workout clothes really fresh and durable. It works in any temperature, and a bonus is that it’s pretty eco-friendly.

Enjoy the rest of your festive break!

Kevin & Victoria

Are Goals Overrated?

So goals. They are a tricky thing. We're always encouraged to have them since, without them, we remain aimless with no sense of direction. How can anything get done if there's no North Star to pursue?

On the flip side, goals can promote tunnel vision, and we can forget to enjoy the process or we can overlook new opportunities. If the goal is tacos, burritos will get upset.

So here are 3 quick points that you may wish to consider when thinking about setting some fitness goals.

Create Goals That Drive The Process

When evaluating the role of goals in fitness, you may wish to focus on choosing goals that prioritize a process rather than fixating solely on outcomes.

For example, rather than aiming for deadlifting twice your bodyweight, a process-oriented goal could be to exercise 4 times per week. By shifting the focus to just working out, you may not be bothered by what you deadlift in 6 months if you've cultivated a routine of working out 3–4 times per week (because you'll feel really good... and jacked!).

Goals are binary; you win or lose. But progress goals emphasize creating sustainable habits so you get to win every time.

Consider Value-Based Goals

Usually, this loses a few people. I don't really have time for this kooky feelings nonsense!? But in reality, everyone lives by some type of code. Everyone has an opinion on how one should live and how the world should work. So why not explore what you really value instead of letting external, societal factors determine it for you?

While progress may not always be linear or easily quantifiable, you can measure success based on how well your fitness journey aligns with your core values and priorities versus what everyone else tells you to do.

Not sure how to create value based goals? This excellent, step-by-step worksheet from Girls Gone Strong will help.

Help Others Reach Their Goals

When you set goals, do any of them directly help others? Sure, your kid might feature, but what about your partner, friend, or community group? 

Not every goal should exist to pamper ourselves and make sure that we are constantly grinding to be the best we can be. Sometimes we have to get off the hamster wheel and help other people.

Does a friend need help training for their first 5K? Does your school or local community group need help at the spring fair?

Fostering community and collaboration deepens connections. And, as the big homie Tom Peters once said, “The most selfish act of all is service, because its reward is so much greater than the investment.” 

Okay, he actually said "kindness," but same cheese.

So are goals overrated? Probably not, but the type of goal to chase definitely is.

Have a great rest of the week!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. Looking to switch up your lifestyle to include some fitness? You can check us out with a no-commitment, 14-day group fitness trial. It's just $49+HST, and if you don't like it, we'll give 100% of your money back.

You Can't Screw This Up

This month we've been devouring You Can't Screw This Up, the latest health book by Adam Bornstein, a former editor of Men's Health, fitness advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ladder, and a bunch of other things. He's one of the more sane and progressive writer's in the space, and so here are 3 quick things from the book that we found insightful, and you might too!

Keep One Foot in Your Comfort Zone

When making significant changes to your food or exercise routine, you cannot sustain lasting change by jumping entirely out of your comfort zone.

You cannot get rid of all the regular food that you enjoy to go on an extremely different food plan. If you love burgers, keep them in your new meal plan. One day you have the works, and other days you have them without the bun or ditch the fries and replace them with vegetables that you like.

It's the same with fitness. You likely cannot train for a lengthy period at a place with a bunch of people who are not like you, personality-wise. (Just go to BOMB wink, wink).

And it's the same with relationships. If you are a social butterfly, it's going to be really hard to just suddenly show up and tell everyone you're on club soda for the night. It's tough to have an opposite, individual habit when you're part of a tribe that doesn't adopt the same habit. Maybe you just have one drink or choose some low-to-no-alcohol beers.

Discomfort does not require you to chase extremes. The goal is to leave one foot in your comfort zone and use the other foot to expand it.

Choose 80% Good, 80% of the Time

Embrace an "80% good, 80% of the time" mentality to reduce stress, enjoy treats, and stay on track.

It's the same for working out. The goal is not to have 100% perfect workouts; the goal is not to have zero workouts.

It's a dial, not a switch.

A Great Reminder About Muscles & Protein

The best metabolism booster is muscle. The more muscle you have and the less fat you carry, the higher your metabolic rate. Muscle is high maintenance. It requires more energy, even at rest. When you use that muscle during exercise, it helps burn more calories too. Fat is low maintenance. It just sits there, so it's easy to accumulate more of it.

When we mention muscle, we're not talking about being bulky; we're talking about the amount of muscle on your body, at any size, compared to the amount of fat. Muscle simply makes you more efficient and helps you process food more effectively.

Obviously, the best way to gain muscle is to exercise (Dynamite Strength anyone?) but consuming more protein will help maintain muscle. Eating more protein also satiates you, so the lure of snacking won't loom as much.

Have a great week!

Kevin & Victoria

The Best Health & Fitness Stuff of 2023

Hello!

We hope you're enjoying the festive break. If you're already fed up listening to your family, retreat to the washroom, settle in on your butt cheeks, and read about some of the best health and fitness content that Team BOMB has enjoyed this year.

💥 Kevin recommends Outlive by Peter Attia, MD (Book). The author places a great emphasis on prevention of disease and earlier detection than treatment and considers the patient as a unique individual (a concept he calls Medicine 3.0).

The starting point, he says, is the honest assessment and acceptance of risk, including the risk of doing nothing at all. He pays far more attention to maintaining health and quality of life—why live a long time if you're in no condition to do so? (The dude does not coddle!)

He bases most of his theory on trying to fix metabolic dysfunction rather than thinking about obesity itself and concentrates on how to better prevent, detect, and treat The Four Horseman - heart disease, cancer, neurological disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Choice find: “Studies of 500,000 patients found that grip strength, an excellent proxy for overall strength, was strongly and inversely associated with the incidence of dementia. And what's fascinating is that there seemed to be no upper limit or "plateau" to this relationship; the greater someone's grip strength, the lower their risk of dementia.”

Look out for an in-depth write up in future emails.

💥 Claire B recommends the book Next Level by Dr. Stacy Sims (Book). It’s all about training through perimenopause and menopause.

💥 Sally recommends On the Future of Medicine from The Armchair Expert (Podcast). It’s a great interview on taking medicine from treatment to prevention. They’re currently developing a home test for gut bacteria.

FIND IT HERE

💥 Amber recommends The Secret to a Long Life (Podcast) - There is a really interesting episode about how to make time feel longer. (Sorry, if you’re stuck with the in-laws; we couldn’t find an episode on how to make time feel shorter 😊)

FIND IT HERE

💥 Alex recommends Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (Book) - it’s an entertaining read about why you can’t pay attention and has many tips on what to do about it. Now where were we?

💥 Julie recommends Let’s Not Be Kidding by Gavin Crawford (CBC Podcast). It’s personally relevant to me, as my mom is living with dementia. However, I know that I am not alone.

FIND IT HERE

Enjoy the rest of your festive break!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. January is almost here! Did you know you can check us out with a no-commitment 14 day trial for just $49+HST? Or if you need a bit more accountability and hand-holding, check out our New Year Reboot Challenge beginning on January 15th! Smash a button below for more details.

Reboot Your Fitness Journey

Starting on Monday, May 29th 2023, it's your chance to reboot your fitness journey. It's like hitting the reset button on your body, mind, and soul. And there are many reasons why this challenge might just be perfect for you.

Maybe you're feeling like you've been on a winter-long vacation from fitness, and now you're not sure where to begin. Kind of like being dropped in the middle of a foreign country without a map. But fear not, our experienced trainers have got you covered. They'll guide you every step of the way, like your own personal GPS system.

Or maybe you're looking to create a fitness routine that sticks. You want to master the art of consistency, like a stand-up comedian nailing the perfect punchline every time. Well, this challenge is your chance to practice those skills. We'll provide you with the tools and support to help you build a routine that becomes second nature, like breathing in and out without even thinking about it.

Now, I know some of you might be thinking, "BOMB, I've got a million things on my plate already. How am I supposed to find time for exercise?" It's like juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle. But guess what? This challenge is designed to fit into your busy life. We'll help you prioritize and make room for fitness, so it becomes as essential as your morning cup of coffee. Well, maybe not as essential as coffee, but you get the idea.

So, what do you get with this challenge? Well, buckle up, because it's a wild ride. We're talking up to 16 in-person classes over 28 days at two convenient locations. And if you can't make it to a class, no problem! We've got a recording vault with over 200 class recordings. It's like having your own personal Netflix for fitness. You can sweat it out anytime, anywhere, even in your pajamas if that's your thing.

But wait, there's more! We've got a recipe book packed with healthy bowls, dips, soups, and bars. It's like having a gourmet chef in your kitchen, without the hefty price tag. And if you're craving an extra challenge, we've got your back. We'll keep things fun and engaging with bonus prizes and future discounts. It's like a game show, but instead of answering trivia questions, you're exercising your way to victory.

And here's the best part. You'll have your very own personal coach, like a trusted confidant who knows just how to motivate you. They'll be there for 15-minute coaching calls and regular check-ins to hold you accountable. It's like having a life coach and fitness guru rolled into one.

Now, we could stay here all day and tell you how amazing this challenge is, but I'd rather see you in action. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for the Reboot Challenge, grab your runners, and let's rock this thing.

WHAT YOU GET

💥 Up to 16 in-person classes, over 28 days, with access to both locations - 1502 Danforth Ave @ Coxwell Ave & 862 Kingston Rd @ Beech Ave.

💥 Access to our recording vault with over 200 class recordings. The vault also includes several short workouts for when you lack the time to do a full session.

💥 A recipe book full of healthy bowls, dips, soups and bars.

💥 Additional challenges to keep things fun and engaging, where you can work your way up to bonus prizes and future discounts.

💥 15 minute coaching calls and a dedicated coach that will be checking in regularly and will be with you all the way.

This is open to new and returning members (gone for over 6 months) and we have about 8 spots left. Click on the link below to sign up.

Early bird price ends Friday, May 26th.

Can't wait to see you in the challenge!

Kevin & Victoria

3 Underrated Foods to Eat Before You Exercise

When we talk about pre-workout meals, everyone always mentions the same old things: bananas, peanut butter, and whatever else the internet tells you is good. But today, we want to tell you about three underrated foods that you can eat before you hit the gym.

First up, we have oatmeal. Yeah, we know, you're thinking, "Oh great, thanks for the tip from 1945!" But hear us out. Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate, which means it will give you sustained energy throughout your workout. Plus, it's easy to digest, so you won't feel bloated and sluggish.

Next, we have sweet potatoes. You don't have to eat them only if your mother-in-law makes them. Sweet potatoes are a superfood! They're packed with vitamins and minerals, and they're also a complex carbohydrate. Eat one of these bad boys before your workout, and you'll have all the energy you need to power through your squats.

Finally, we have...wait for it... a boiled egg! It's not just for Rocky and bodybuilders. It's rich in protein and healthy fats which provide a slow-burning energy that can sustain you through a workout. Plus, it's low in calories, so you won't feel weighed down.

However, if a hard-boiled egg causes some interesting sounds to come out during class, don't blame us. Blame the person who hogs the fan.

Have a great week!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. Looking to switch up your lifestyle to include some fitness in it? You can check us out with a no-commitment 14 day group fitness trial. It's just $49+HST and, if you don't like it, we'll give 100% of your money back.

The Best Bits of the Best Diets

It's that usual time of year where you might be thinking of making some healthier food choices. You might be inclined to try out a branded diet, like Keto, or a food lifestyle choice, such as Intermittent Fasting.

Any "diet" that you choose to follow, or pick bits here-and-there from, should be scrutinized. If they don't include any of the following 3 things, then outright quackery might be getting peddled.

Let's dive in!

It Includes Higher Protein Consumption

You might see a low carb or a low fat diet, but you'll hopefully never see a low protein diet. Protein is important for maintaining and repairing body tissues, as well as for producing enzymes and hormones. Consuming an adequate amount of protein can help to build and maintain muscle mass, and can also help with weight loss by making you feel fuller for longer.

And, let's be honest, if you want to be a Beefcake, you've got to eat the beef. If you want to be a Tofu Hunk, you've got to eat the tofu. If you want to be a Tempeh Stud, then you've... okay, we'll stop there.

Quick tip: Try to spread your protein intake throughout the day. Recommendations can vary but it's about 46 grams per day for women and 56 grams for men. Add 10-13g more if you're active.

It Promotes High Fiber

Like protein, fiber can also make you feel fuller for longer. High fiber intake has been linked to a reduced risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. And if you want to give your immune system a boost, just load up on fiber and let it sweep through your body like a "bowel of righteousness."

Quick Tip: Be careful of high fiber cereals as they are usually loaded with sugar. Healthy fiber is found in apples, berries, beans, and peas, oats, quinoa, almonds and chia seeds.

It is Calorie Restrictive

In general, weight loss occurs when you consume fewer calories than you burn. "Eat less" isn't sexy so branded diets will have all kinds of slogans to disguise this, such as "eat all the bacon you want."

Calorie restriction can reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity and decrease the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

It's important to note that this should be done under medical supervision, as there can be risks associated with restrictive dieting. The aim should always be to reach a balanced diet, providing all the necessary nutrients for the body.

Quick Tip: Start off by tracking your food. This can be laborious in the long-term. But the first step of habit change is awareness. Most people are way off when they try to guess. Try it, even for just a week. The results will surprise you.

And Finally...

Good habits beget good habits. Most studies of diets fail to take into account the second order effects of eating better. They reveal the results, weight loss, fat loss etc... but other, intangible measurements that affected those numbers, such as mood, focus, and motivation, are harder to accurately track. 

Eating better usually means you'll sleep deeper, have more energy to exercise, be in a better mood, more focused, etc... and that is a rapid circle that can feed itself.

Quick Tip: When someone says they lost 20lbs on a branded diet, ask deeper questions about other changes that they made. You'll probably find out it was more than just the diet that helped.

Have a great week!

Kevin & Victoria

The Best Health & Fitness Stuff of 2022

Hello!

We hope you're enjoying the festive break. If you're already fed up listening to your family, retreat to the washroom, settle in on your butt cheeks, and read about some of the best health and fitness content that Team BOMB have enjoyed this year.

Book - The Naked Mind by Annie Grace (Christine)

The Naked Mind has been the most impactful book I have read this year, maybe ever.

After struggling with "Dry November", "Dry January, "Dry Anything", I picked up this book and haven't had a drink since. I will be one year sober on January 1st! Even though I never hit "rock bottom", my drinking was negatively impacting my life in many ways. 

I owe MANY thanks to this book but almost one year later, here are two BIG lasting impacts it has had:

1) I no longer miss or crave drinking.

2) I have healthy hobbies now! I was forced to reassess what I actually enjoy doing versus what I enjoy doing while drinking. It turns out drinking had become a part of every part of my life (other than work). Dinners, park hangs, bike rides, concerts, cooking, movie nights, and so on. There was a very depressing moment when I realized, Sober me doesn't have any hobbies or interests. Now I take pottery classes, draw, read, play sports during the warmer months, meditate and more!

Order it at your local east end bookstore.

Podcast - Joy Snacking (Sally)

Joy Snacking is about finding moments of happiness and wonder in the mundane day-to-day, and it can be an antidote to stress and negativity. 

To practice joy snacking, start by being open to experience joy in the everyday. Savour a sip of coffee at the perfect temperature. Notice the way sunlight shimmers on fresh snow. Choose the prettiest route for your walk to work. Slow those moments down and allow yourself to revel in them.

 Listen Here

App - Steps/Pedometer App on Your Phone (Kevin)

Yes, this is not a mind blowing recommendation but I've found it pretty powerful this year. On top of tracking my workouts, I've been setting a daily step goal through the iPhone Pedometer app to see how long I can streak at it (130 days and counting). This includes completing the monthly challenges that are only revealed at the beginning of each month.

Jerry Seinfeld once said to a young comic that he should write one joke per day and then mark a big X on a wall calendar when it's done. Then, the only job is to not break the chain. This is the step version of that for me and it holds me accountable on days when I can't be bothered and it even gets me out in snow storms.

If you need accountability and have a record of being hard on yourself, this is a low-hanging-fruit first step to help you get going again.

Movie - Everything Everywhere All At Once

BOMB attracts a lot of awesome people from the neighbourhood. Our members volunteer at food banks, fundraise for their school, support local businesses, and devote their time and money to local charities. They give a shit and it shows and this is a huge theme of this movie (one character says to another, "My kindness; it's both strategic and necessary"). It's not strictly a health and fitness related movie but, much like our members, it drips with empathy.

The movie is bananas. On one hand, it's about a lady who just wants to get her taxes done, but then there's multiverse travel, talking rocks, hotdog fingers, a fanny pack fight, and inventive ways to dimension travel.

It's like watching a naked Einstein throw sh*t at the wall for a couple of hours; it doesn't appear to make sense but you feel that you're in skillful enough hands that it will eventually get to E = MC² (which it really does).

Released back in March, but finally getting the attention it deserves, you can catch it streaming on Amazon Prime. Bring tissues.

Enjoy the rest of your festive break!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. January is almost here! Did you know you can check us out with a no-commitment 14 day trial for just $49+HST? Or if you need a bit more accountability and hand-holding check out our Reboot Challenge beginning on January 16th! Smash a button below for more details.

A Fitness Fan's Guide to the 2022 World Cup

The soccer World Cup has kicked off and it will take up a lot of the sporting conversation for the next month. But what happens if you want to join in, yet you don't know your Tunisia's from your Morocco's or your Wales's from your Australia's?

Don't worry, just like last year, we've got you covered. Here is BOMB’s tongue-in-cheek team guide to the World Cup... by understanding them through a fitness lens.

Tunisia

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = A Step Class
💥 So glad that people still remember them. Won't garner much interest but happy to still be around.

England

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Kipping Pull-Ups
💥 Obnoxious and arrogant but have to give praise if they can do it.

Germany

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = A Heavy Dumbbell Row
💥 Developed a fantastic back but has unfortunately neglected the front.

Croatia

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = A 40-day-old Big Mac
💥 Ageing. You stand around waiting for them to wither and collapse, but rarely do.

Qatar

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Burpees
💥 Controversial, not well liked, and some wouldn't mind seeing them removed from the program.

USA

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = The Glute Bridge
💥 Women are much more successful at it.

Portugal

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Vin Diesel's Biceps
💥 Great to look at but full of empty calories. Not as good as they think they are.

Brazil

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Your 1-Rep Max
💥 The heavy hitter. The greatest test. But will there be success, or a tragic fail at the death?

Costa Rica

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = A Bodybuilder's Breakfast
💥 About to be absolutely destroyed. Nice tan.

Belgium

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Jumping on the New Trendy Diet
💥 Everyone swears it's a winner but will likely quiver and quit near the end.

France

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Still the Bench Press
💥 Who needs a back when your front looks as good as this. However, too many ego reps might cause an implosion.

Spain

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Pure Chocolate
💥 Looks like a winner. Smells like a winner. May end up tasting bitter and dry.

Argentina

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = The Pressure Cooker
💥 Seems like a one-trick pony (Messi) but if you delve deeper there's a lot of use to be had in it. Multi-talented. Lots of (literal) pressure on the squad to finally win.

Australia & Wales

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = A Late Night Workout at a 24/7 Gym
💥 Probably won't achieve anything but at least showed a fighting spirit to get there. Can get weird after midnight.

Canada

💪🏽 Fitness equivalent = Puppy Yoga
💥 Cute and adorable. Everyone loves them. Hopefully won't poop themselves.

Go Canada!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. If the World Cup still doesn't do it for you, come hide at BOMB! You can check us out with a no-commitment 14 day trial. It's just $49+HST and, if you don't like it, we'll give 100% of your money back.

Pick the Joy Choice

Michelle Segar's latest book, The Joy Choice, tries to answer the question - "What do you do in chaotic situations where it is very hard to apply habit strategies and skills?"

She doesn't mention it by name, but there's a slight dig at Atomic Habits (a current NYT bestseller for over 154 weeks). Those strategies are all well-and-good but what happens when kids aren't listening, the phone rings, social media pings, and you're frustrated at how behind you are on your day. What do you do when this is all happening at once?

Just like most meetings "could have been an email", this book walks the "could have been a blog post" tightrope. There's also a lot of acronyms. Ultimately, there is enough to savour, and Michelle's well-meaning personality eventually shines through; even just the repetition of being told to stop and think worms its way into your head.

The crux of the book, and the answer to the opening question, relies on Michelle's POP acronym. When facing hard decisions she recommends we...

• Pause

• Open up our options and play

• Pick the Joy Choice

With the joy choice being the result of an internal negotiation with ourselves.

Is it that simple though? It is, but it's not easy. A lot of people think that there's some magic strategy or system to keep fit, but it mostly consists of making relatively boring, net healthy choices over a long period of time.

You may ask the friend that gets up at 5:30AM most weekday mornings (to hit the gym) how the heck they do it? They'll likely make a self-deprecating comment, "the kids are bouncing on my stomach at that time anyway so I may as well get up."

But, what they have really done (consciously or not) is make decisions in their head, repetitively, that have become automatic. There's probably a slight pause to observe their options and then a choice is made. The choice might be the snooze button on a particular morning but, over time, they have made a healthier decision.

And that's where the empathy of the book shines through. The above example, where you just go to the gym, is the perfect choice. But we are not all habit people and we have all had different, difficult life events that form how we make decisions. The book posits that in most cases, we should choose the perfect imperfect choice.

A perfect imperfect option, might be to hit snooze for a bit and then go out for a ravine hike with the kids later. It might mean negotiating with yourself to order a delicious Rudy burger but not adding fries to the order. You might even discover that today's choice is the just-f*cking-do-it day.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. What The Joy Choice recommends is that maybe you want to pause and assess before striking back.

Have a great week!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. Need help getting into a regular fitness habit? Check out BOMB with a no-commitment 14 day trial. It's just $49+HST and if you don't like it, we'll cry into our cornflakes and sacrifice a thumb to the fitness gods give 100% of your money back, guaranteed!

Planning For The Worst

When we make major decisions in our life, we apply a mental model to help gain clarity and hopefully make us choose the best option. Nerds like us love to use the inversion model. This involves looking at a problem from the opposite point-of-view. Instead of looking at how successful something can become, we can explore how to avoid that thing from failing.

But what does that have to do with fitness we hear you ask? And why do you sound like Mark Zuckerberg on trial?

Planning for the worst sets you up for reality. Rarely are conditions perfect and so making a fitness plan that assumes no obstacles is short-sighted. When you have a plan for what you'll do when things fall apart, you won't act in a reactive and unconscious manner.

Here are 3 tips on how you can look ahead for obstacles, so that when you do hit them, you'll have strategies to stay on track.

1) Figure Out The Conditions That Will Make You Quit

Usually, we're told to come up with conditions that will make you successful. Advice for this can look like a mix of determining your values, setting up a schedule or routine, and then installing boundaries to keep to that routine. This is great advice that we also champion. But success in fitness can be dreamy, whereas failure can resemble reality. Nothing will ever be perfect.

Explore the conditions that would have to happen to make you quit your fitness routine. Your partner runs late. Kids move slow to get to their activity. Your job gets demanding. A parent gets sick.

This is a great exercise because the conditions are made visible. Kids taking priority, for example, is probably already happening to you, whereas working out in a perfect environment is in your head. Make potential roadblocks visible. It allows you to come up with IF/THEN solutions right now in order to get around them.

2) Schedule Your Craving

(From Kevin) Being British, I have a constant craving for deep fried fish and chips. It would be my final meal on death row. Every time I drive through Laird, I want to pull over to Olde Yorke, devour their haddock and chips, burp profusely, lick each finger when I'm done, and then slide home using the grease trail from the bag. However, I know that too much of that brings on heart disease.

So, I throw a visit to Olde Yorke onto my schedule (usually when Victoria is out-of-town). When I do have a craving or find myself driving through Laird, I can remind myself, "Not yet, but soon" and carry on with my day. Planning not to eat unhealthy food is incredibly ineffective, so if you find yourself constantly thinking about the good "bad" stuff, schedule it for a future date.

Another quick tip is to portion out your snacks like you would when prepping meals (like a kid's lunch box). Some people, like Patrick Bateman, will even write on the treat the day and date that they get to eat it.

Note: This should be a short-mid term strategy. You want to build up a routine that becomes automatic. Scheduling, at least to begin with, helps save you when a more vulnerable version of yourself shows up.

Turn it Up, Turn it Down, But Never Let The Dial Hit Zero

The top 3 major changes to your fitness routine occur at the birth of a child, pressure at work, or a death or sickness in the family. For new parents, your routine is built around the newborn so maybe your long run becomes a brisk walk with the baby strapped to you. If you're running late or have excessive meetings, your high intensity weight training class becomes an online bodyweight session. When put under a lot of mental stress, your usual 60 minute Yoga class turns into a 25-minute stretch-n-go routine.

Exercise is one of the few concrete things that will help you have more energy and clarity to get through a hard time. From that perspective, and as hard as it sounds in the moment, dropping to zero doesn't make sense.

It's much easier to keep working out if you're already working out. It's very hard to get going again from scratch.

Gain traction and don't let go.

Kevin & Victoria

Food Attitude & Healthy Habits

Do you remember, back in 2006, when a book called "The Secret" came out? It started the whole "think it and you will attract it" self-help craze and ended up selling over 30 million copies and translated into 50 different languages.

We agree with Mark Manson that it's probably bulls**t. And yet, a piece of interesting news just swooped into our cold, pessimistic palms that might suggest otherwise...

Fascinating new research suggests that having a positive perspective on eating healthy food may have a positive effect on your satiety levels i.e. how hungry you still feel after consumption.

The studies involved telling participants that a 380 calorie milkshake was either a 640-calorie "indulgent" shake or a 140-calorie "sensible" shake. The mindset of indulgence produced a dramatically steeper decline in ghrelin (a hormone linked to hunger) after consuming the shake, whereas the mindset of "sensibility" produced a relatively flat ghrelin response.

Even though the calorie level was the same in both drinks, those who had an "indulgent" mindset did not feel as hungry afterwards. "Participants' satiety was consistent with what they believed they were consuming rather than the actual nutritional value of what they consumed."

All this information comes from a great podcast featuring Alia Crum, a Professor of Psychology at Stanford's Mind & Body Lab. She sums this up by saying, "the total effect of anything is a combined product of what you're doing and what you think about what you're doing."

An example being, "if you approach a diet with a mindset of restraint, it could counteract the benefit or objective benefits of the diet - the brain is telling you to eat more food because you are telling yourself you're being restricted."

She's not saying The Secret is correct, but what's remarkable is that it's a rare study that links mindset directly to physical changes within the body. But it still matters what you eat. It's easy to enjoy a Rudy burger with fries. A green salad with chicken? Not so much.

Here are some simple (but not easy) ways to see healthy food as indulgent and get excited about eating...

💥 Reset your taste buds. Try and cut more sugar out of your diet so the flavours can flourish

💥 Slow down your eating

💥 Nerd out about a food a little more. Research healthy foods that play off each other. Sometimes just adding a nice dressing can make a big difference

💥 Prepare food with people you love

💥 Make the place, setting, or environment you eat in a bit more special or ritualistic

Have a great week!

Kevin & Victoria

3 Morning Rituals to Nourish Your Body

How you start your day will often dictate how the rest of the day turns out. If you had a rough sleep, pulled together a sloppy breakfast, or missed a workout, then it may catch up with you as early as lunch.

While there are no substitutes for sleeping, exercising and eating well, here are 3 simple things you can do every morning to help set your body up for the day.

1) Immediately glug a big glass of water when you get up

You wake up dehydrated and usually the first thing that goes in your mouth is the delicious brown stuff. That makes you even more dehydrated. One of the best things you can do is down some water.

Is that 10 ounce or 16 ounce? Flavoured water or regular? Room temperature? Doesn't matter! Grab the biggest tumbler you can find, turn the tap to cold, fill it up, and chug. Bonus points if you can add in some greens powder or a lemon.

2) Step outside and get 5-10 minutes of sunlight within 30 minutes of waking up

This signals to your body that it’s time to start the day and helps get you accustomed to waking up at the same time. It also boosts cortisol (the body's main stress hormone) and alertness. No sunglasses allowed.

This tip comes from the super smart health expert, Andrew Huberman. He also suggests you should delay consuming coffee for 1.5 to 2 hours of waking up (cue massive eye roll), but we promised these tips would be easy 😀

3) Do some 4-7-8 breathing

You don't even need to rise for this one. Set a timer for 90-120 seconds. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat for 4-6 cycles.

This is a great breathing technique to keep calm and relaxed. Because you'll need it when the little monsters rush in begging to be nourished.

Have a great week!

Kevin & Victoria

P.S. In May, we are releasing a special offer of 2 weeks of group fitness classes for just $49+HST. But you can jump on this offer right now!

If you haven't tried us out yet, or you haven't been a member in over 6 months, then this offer is available to you. To make sure that you get the best experience possible, there will only be 20 available.

So, if you’re interested in checking out BOMB (or are thinking of coming back to us), the time to act is NOW.