Page 23 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 3

22 sportsenergynews.com

Caveman Strong Encourages an Early Start in Fitness

By: H. Armstrong

At the Caveman Strong Gym
fitness begins with the young. They
believe healthy kids are happier kids,
who get better grades and are better
athletes. The gym at 44 Pitt Street is
the areas only inclusive fitness classes
for children as young as three years
old. The focus is on lifelong fitness
through movement and nutrition.
During workshops the children are
shown how to make healthy food
choices.
Gym owner and strength coach
Tyler Touchette, who opened this gym
five years ago, says children need to
be introduced to fitness at a young
age because it important to childhood
development. “The younger they
start the better,” says Touchette. “It’s
the seed is planted in their brain that
fitness is fun, exciting, and it’s a part
of their life. It’s like reading.” Madison Aitkens (12) works out on the Stall Bars, while trainer Kyle Pichie supervises Johnny Mondoux (9)
and Sonja Marceaux (12) on the dip bars at the Caveman Strong Gym. Photo by H. Armstrong.
Touchette said he has always been
involved in fitness since he was
instead of looking at what is really athletes, ranging in age from the ages “at risk” 12 to 18 year olds, he said,
young. “Fitness became important to
the cause. He further explained that of 12 to 50. Their best lifters are young who generally are uncomfortable in
me when I was in grade 12, for all the
people are taught not to move when girls 12 to 16 years old. He added they most social situations. The program
wrong reasons. I wanted to be big and they are sick or injured. In his opinion are doing really well on the platforms; provides a place for them to get better.
strong and tough.” He explains a lot
medications are prescribed and when and they are having a lot of success. It is individual training; It’s not versus
of young guys, who lack confidence,
they don’t work or the side effects are Touchette has also established a other people like team sports.
and want to be respected, begin
undesirable, they try something else. unique program, called Inside Strong. Inside Strong is promoted as an
working out. They think if they just It becomes a cycle which is very hard Inside Strong is a collaborative effort initiative to encourage these “fringe”
need pump up and get bigger. “This
to stop. He says fighting the human with Caveman Strong, the Boys and students to stay in school. The
is not the answer. The answer is once
condition touches a lot of society’s Girls Club Cornwall/SD&G, the program is definitely working. “Their
you achieve real strength, then you
health. Public and Separate School Boards, attendance goes up on the days they
are naturally confident.”
These principles are used when Cornwall Community Police and work out,” says Touchette, “Three
The gym builds on two principles.
coordinating the movements for each Youth Justice. He explains that Inside years in a row. It’s just a more positive
The first is being “Caveman Strong”,
age group of the Caveman Strong Kids Strong is based on building confidence, vibe for them.” These students prove
which emphases the functional healthy children are happier children.
Programs. The three to five year olds building awareness, teaching kids
movement patterns that we would do activities and games that encourage that fitness can be fun. These kids are
have done to evolve, like throwing,
motor skills and coordination. The six
lunging, bending, dragging, squatting,
to nine year olds start to incorporate
jumping, and anything in between
movements with weight. Technique is
which is movement. “(For a caveman,) emphasized.
something as simple as finding water
It is in the 10 – 14 year old group
might have been a four hour workout.
where the weightlifting begins, using
People don’t move nearly enough
light weights safely. “Wrestling on the
now ‘a days.”
couch with a friend is harder on the
Touchette says we should be moving
body, than weightlifting will ever be,”
all the time. Any movement he said
says Touchette, adding that contrary
helps to keeps the joints healthy and
to popular belief weightlifting is one
allow people to live a normal life.
of the safest sports any child could
The second part of the gym undertake.
philosophy is to help fight the human
Games are a big part of all the kids’
condition, which is built around the
programs. They need to like what
principles of Paleo diet. It involves
they’re doing, Touchette explained,
eating foods that heal the body and put or they won’t come back.
During a Children’s class at the Caveman Strong coach Kylie Jurchuk
out the fires, which create a state of “We have one of the biggest clubs looks on as Millie Cameron-Burelle(7), William O’Shea(8), Eleanor
balance. “We are living in a Band-Aid O’Shea(6), Adam Thompson (6), Xavier Gault (6) Gwen Cameron-
in Ontario for Olympic weightlifting,”
society,” Touchette said. He adds that Burelle (4) and Lukas Gault (4) are shown various exercises by trainer
says Touchette. There are 20 different
we hide from what is really wrong, Josée Quennville