ASDC Northwest | Alberta Sport Development Centre

Hey,

This one will be brief; I’m just going to go over something of interest. I was at a conference the other week and one of the lectures got me thinking. This is a good thing I guess, if a presentation doesn’t get you thinking, they probably did a poor job presenting. But the idea was stated as the difference between learning, and understanding. We can have all of the data, stats, numbers, facts, you name it, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know how to use it and apply it and to think critically of it. How many times have you read a newspaper, or magazine that states something that you really don’t believe?

Ever heard bogus news like these? “Drinking Green Tea and Acai will make you lose 20lbs”, or a other supplement “will let you gain 18lbs of muscle”, or old wives tales like “being awake for 36 hours straight is the same as being legally drunk”, etc. Where does the paper, magazine or wherever get this information anyways? Well that’s the question you should be asking. The information could be true, people don’t usually go around lying in the news, do they? The problem is you are only getting a tiny window. If you go back to the original source, it may give you some answers.

Going back to my original examples: The only source I found on Green Tea and Acai showed that if used in a balanced diet you can lose weight. Meaning, that if you eat healthy, you will lose weight, PERIOD! Both Green Tea and Acai have been showed to be quite healthy foods, with antioxidants and omega fatty acids, but has not shown to have magic fat burning effects as some claim.  As for the supplements causing 18lbs of muscle gained in 8 weeks: When looking into it, this usually turns out to be one person in the study had some crazy abnormal effect, with a combination of reasonable tester error, and maybe some good genes. In the end the study usually shows predictable gains in muscle, rather than some crazy number. I’m not sure about the sleeping one, but I’ll look into later and let you know.

Basically though, this all just comes back to what I’ve said before. Be careful who you take advice from and where the information is coming from. Everyone has an angle and spin; it’s just easier to figure some out. So just always think critically.

Hey,

 So I’ve been slacking a little on my blog, I missed last week so I’ll try to make it up by making this blog phenomenal in every way. I guess you could say I have a severe case of writers block. I keep trying to make each post better and better that I get half way through writing one and delete it because it’s not good enough. But I’ll make it through this one for sure. I just want to talk about some weight room etiquette. Now please don’t take this and read it and think that all of a sudden you don’t want to try to work out in fear that you’re doing something wrong, or people will look negatively at you. If you follow some of my advice, you’ll be fine in every weight room scenario.

First of all, be careful who you take advice from. Trust me, I see the irony that I’m giving you advice on not taking peoples advice. But I’m just saying that there is some great advice, and some really bad advice. Even myself, I have a university degree, some certifications and a lot of practical experience. But I know I’ve probably given out some bad advice before. Even the most well intentioned advice can still be wrong. Just know where it’s coming from, and think about it critically so you can make your own decision.

Secondly, don’t be “That Guy”. You know the one, the loudest grunter in the gym, the guy always dropping the weights really hard, the guy who tries to lift way more than he could possibly lift, the guy always swinging the weights to do those extra reps, etc. It’s fine to stand out, you can be the friendly guy, or the helpful guy, or the good looking guy, or what ever. Just don’t be “That Guy”. And yes this applies to ladies aswell; you have your own special cases too.

Thirdly, don’t take up equipment unnecessarily. If you’re only using one cable, don’t take up the whole cross-over. If you know you spend a lot of time on one piece of equipment, allow people to work in.

This one is VERY IMPORTANT. Put your weights and equipment away. I watched a guy yesterday do 2 sets on every bar, machine, and you name it and never put a single piece away. This could fall under “That Guy” again but is so crucial it needs its own spot. On top of this, put it back properly, I hate when I have to move a few 45lbs plates just to get to a 10lbs plate buried underneath it all. It’s not that hard to put your equipment back.

And my last point. Ask for help when you need it. There are usually people working in the gyms that are there to help you when you. Not all, but most, and either way, other people are usually pretty willing to help out. Whether you need a spot or need to know how to use the equipment properly. Just remember the first point and make sure they know what they are talking about.

Coach of the Year Award

Female Athlete of the Year Award

Male Athlete of the Year Award

Official of the Year Award

Sunrise Rotary Club Team Award

Investors Group Volunteer Sport Administrator Award

Nomination Deadline is October 1st, 2010. Awards will be given out at the Ernies Sports Experts Sport Recognition Banquet October 16th, 2010.