Core News, Trends and Updates

Hayden Korte-Moore's workout experience at the Whistler Core

Sept/10/17

Hayden Korte-Moore

It was about a year and a half ago when I took my first class at The Core. I was unhappy with my strength and endurance which was starting to effect my skiing. As a retired ski racer who spent countless hours in the gym preparing for long physically demanding winters, I was looking for a workout routine that would challenge, motivate, and help me to get stronger on my skis as well as improve me as an all around athlete. Little did I know that a local gym minutes away from my house offered hour long workout classes that could help me reach my fitness goals. These classes are typically made up of 5-15 Whistler locals looking for an extra 60 minutes of physical activity between all the hiking, biking and skiing that goes on in our little town. The trainers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, which creates a positive environment and motivates me to come back day after day. When it comes to my goals, Mountain fit and Cardio circuit are the classes I look forward to most each week.

Mountain fit is an hour long work out that focuses on getting your body ready for ski season. The weighted squats/deadlifts, core work, upper body strength and some form of cardio (most often high resistance spinning) condition your body to work at higher intensities for longer periods of time. This class in particular has had a huge impact on my skiing. All the hours of work I’ve put in has given me an undeniable sense of confidence on and off the mountain. It’s enabled me to ski longer without fatigue, allowing me to spend more time doing what I love.

As for Cardio Circuit, it is an hour long work out that’s made up of three to five, five-fifteen minute micro-circuits concentrated on building stamina and endurance. Consistently showing up to this class has noticeably enhanced my ability to do the things I love around Whistler. Hikes that I used to struggle with have become substantially easier and ones I would have never imagined doing have become possible. Ski touring has grown into an enjoyable pastime rather than a strenuous chore. And for someone who used to despise running, the fundamentals of this class have helped me achieve things I never thought possible.

Becoming a more well rounded athlete and reaching my fitness goals is what initially drew me to The Core, what’s kept me coming back has been the community and the support system it’s given me to focus on my overall health. In a town with so many people passing through it’s nice to spend a few hours a week connecting with the ones who live and work here. I never took my nutrition very seriously in the past. Now with all the hours I put in to strength and conditioning, what I choose to fuel my body with has become a top priority. Eating healthy provides me with the energy I need to enjoy all the things I love around this beautiful little mountain town. Over the past year and a half the Core has given me a sense of community, helped me build self confidence, and given me the strength to live out my passions. It’s difficult to express how important these classes have been for me, I owe the trainers so much for the work they put in with us, and to The Core as whole; thank you for providing me with a little sanctuary right outside my doorstep.

Rescue Dogs Are a Mountaineer’s Best Pals

Rescue Dogs Are a Mountaineer’s Best Pals

Mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing, and hiking are exciting activities that pump up the adrenaline while you enjoy the great outdoors.
They are healthy activities that improve cardiovascular functioning, strengthen muscles, enhance endurance and stamina as well as flexibility and agility. These sports also foster mental health and improve concentration. Above all, they are social and fun but can be dangerous because of the risks involved.  Factors such as falling rocks, avalanches, ice and injury can happen in addition to altitude and weather issues.  

When unfortunate events like these occur, rescue dogs have been instrumental in finding lost or injured victims. They are specifically trained to hunt for survivors, scavenge bodies or track wounded mountaineers in alpine surroundings. These animals are tireless in their efforts to recover victims from the rubble of an avalanche or find missing persons who have fallen off cliffs. From recovery and rescue to therapy and healing, man’s best friend is simply incredible. Amazing stories of the brave and heroic acts of rescue dogs can be read in this article.

Whistler Core Crew Climbing "Yellow Brick Road" Marble Canyon

Bob and Joe's adventure on Yellow Brick Road, above Pavilion Lake in Marble Canyon, BC. The rock is loose and chossy, but the setting is amazing and yes we would do it again!

How to tape your hands for crack climbing.

Taping your hands for crack climbing is a skill that can make or break your crack climbing experience. Recommend planning ahead and taping your hands before you trash them.

For two great methods for taping your hands for crack climbing, check out Beth 
Rodden's video on how to tape your hands for crack climbing.

How to Fit a Mountain Bike by Performance Bicycle

Rock Climbing on Showcase Spire at top of Whistler Blackcomb

Bob and Joe taking advantage of some unusually warm winter weather and getting out for a climb on Finestone Cowboy on the Showcase Spire at the top of the Blackcomb Mountain.

Using modern technology to help manage your training

If You Have A Heart You Need To Read This

By John Blok

If you have a heart and it beats, this is important to you. If you’re an athlete in training mode or someone who lives a stressful life, this is also important to you. Now that all of you are included, please read on.

Your heart beats a certain amount of beats a minute and although it appears that each beat is spaced evenly, similar to a metronome ticking away, this isn’t the case. In fact it shouldn’t be the case, but at times it will be the case. If you got out of bed this morning feeling refreshed, recovered from workouts and no anxiety or stress, the time between each heart beat will vary like an exciting drum solo. On the other hand if you get out of bed tired, stressed, not recovered from the previous days or weeks workouts, your heart will beat with evenly space beats, pounding away with the excitement of listening to a steady water drip.

Here is a little bit of science. Your nervous system functions in two different ways. One is the “Parasympathetic Nervous System”, Sometimes called the rest and digest system, and the other is the “Sympathetic Nervous System”, often known as the flight or fight system. When you’re relaxed, recovered, and unstressed, you’re running on the “Parasympathetic Nervous System”, and when you’re over-training, anxious, stressed, you’re running on the “Sympathetic Nervous System”. When you’re operating in the “Parasympathetic Nervous System”, you have a variable heart rate with varying length of time between beats. This is good, healthy and indicating good recovery between workouts. When you’re operating on the “Sympathetic Nervous System”, you’re likely not recovered from workouts, living in a stressful state and probably not sleeping well.

So much for science and here’s where it gets really interesting. With a high quality Bluetooth heart rate strap and your very smart phone, you can see where you exist between these two nervous system functions. Are you training too much or should you take another day of rest or maybe your job is creating extra stress and you’re wondering why you’re anxious. The app for your phone along with an accurate heart rate strap can read the variations in time between your heartbeats. It rates between 1 and 10. A rating of six or below and you may be overtraining and a rating of seven and above will give you a green light to train. Seven may be a light day and a rating of ten means that your fully recovered and you can go all out. If you’re always in the ten rating, this may show that you’re not training hard enough because some workouts should require a couple of days of recovery to get back to the ten rating.

The free App “Elite HRV” is available for Android and Iphone platforms. If you would like to test the App before investing in a Bluetooth Heart Rate strap you can see John at the Core. The Core has Polar H7 Bluetooth straps you can test or purchase.