5
Power Crunch gets expert feedback on a different workout routine every week. This week, Defence Minister Peter MacKay shares his exercise regimen.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay is the member of Parliament for Central Nova, a Nova Scotia riding that includes Halifax, New Glasgow, Stellarton, Pictou and Antigonish counties.
My goal
"I'm doing a number of 10K road races this spring and summer, including the Johnny Miles road race in New Glasgow, which I've done for the past decade or so. I'd like to keep at a constant body weight, a certain standard of fitness and health."
Peter MacKay chases a Niagara Thunder player during a Rugby Canada Super League game last month. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Related Articles
My workout
"I get to the gym about two or three times a week, schedule permitting. I spend roughly 30 to 40 minutes on the climber for cardio. I tried spinning - at first I thought it was funny, riding a stationary bicycle, but the instructor really lays into you. It's a very good workout. I usually do some free weights: bench curl with dumbbells; pull-downs on the universal for triceps and back; some sit-ups. I alternate body parts. It's the general pattern of training I've been doing since high school.
"Running I do everywhere, which is why I enjoy it. ... I play hockey in the winter when I can [and] rugby in the summer with the Pictou County Senior Rugby Club. I joined a touch football league in Ottawa for the summer."
My lifestyle
"Eating right and getting rest are the goals, but I keep ridiculous hours. You have to be disciplined about what you eat. There's a lot of food sometimes that you're presented with when going to dinners. I try to be selective. ... I occasionally have trouble sleeping. Travelling into different time zones affects my sleep patterns. ... A lot of times, they schedule me to fly overnight, so with the time change I roll off the plane into a meeting."
My motivation
"You have to dig deep because you know that you will feel better and the exercise will help you get through the day. ... "Being healthy improves endurance and tolerance, puts you in a better frame of mind. My decisions are clearer and I have a better attitude and outlook on life."
My workout anthem
"Years ago I used a Walkman, but I haven't used my iPod for running. I tend to forget it at home. My life anthem is On the Road Again."
My challenges
"I've had cartilage taken out of both knees and a pretty serious separated shoulder. I started my parliamentary career with my arm in a sling after shoulder surgery. Numerous breaks, strains and sprains. I've done lots of physio. After you hit 40, you feel these things in the morning."
The critique
Grow up
Bodies take only eight weeks to adjust to fitness routines, says Darren Beattie, a personal trainer at Studeo 55 in Vancouver. "If you've been doing the same routine since high school, it is probably a great time to mix things up."
Be precise
"If goals are kept vague, the results will be vague and inconsistent," Mr. Beattie says. The trainer doesn't know what specific level of health and fitness Mr. MacKay is seeking. Competing in the Johnny Miles road race is a better goal and helps set a short-term plan for training. The minister might also consider a secondary goal that is specific about the weight or body-fat percentage he will have at year's end.
Go for the win
If successful road races are the goal, give up the stair climber and stationary bike until the off-season. Cardiovascular training should be dedicated to the sport at hand. Gradually increase the cardio, then taper off before each race.
Aim for stability
To compensate for Mr. MacKay's injuries, Mr. Beattie suggests resistance training that focuses on stability. The politician risks reinjuring his knee preparing for his run. Mr. Beattie suggests exercises such as the wall sit, in which he squats down with his back against a wall with knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Bridge exercises would also be a good idea, to work the glutes, he says. Similarly, Mr. MacKay should increase the stability in his previously dislocated shoulder by doing plank exercises.
Don't overlook flexibility
Sitting down at conference tables and on airplanes for long periods could tighten hip flexors and lead to low back pain. Mr. Beattie suggests Mr. MacKay stretch the hip flexors daily, especially after completing a resistance training session or a run. As we age, our connective tissues become less elastic, Mr. Beattie says. Regular stretching helps.
