About John Paul

John Paul Catanzaro, BSc Kin, CSEP-CEP, CSEP-HPS, is a CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist and a CSEP High Performance Specialist with a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a private training facility in Richmond Hill, Ontario. In 1996, John Paul opened a personal training studio at his home in Toronto, Ontario. With vision and passion, the business quickly grew and the word got out: “If you want to get in shape, go see this guy!” Now located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, the business boasts a state-of-the-art training facility and a waiting list of clients. John Paul founded The Catanzaro Group in 2004 with divisions in fitness, nutrition, supplements, lifestyle, seminars, and publishing. In 2010, Catanzaro Supplements was introduced, a new line of nutritional supplements with the objective of providing high quality supplements in a convenient form at an affordable rate. Over the years, John Paul has appeared on television and has written articles for several publications, including American Academy of Health and Fitness (AAHF) Gamut eJournal, Bodybuilding.com, Bodybuilding Italia, canfitpro Magazine, Coaching One-On-One, Dolfzine, FitCommerce, Fitness Business Canada, Fitness Professional Online, Fitness Trainer, Flare, grrlAthlete.com, Intense Fitness, Men’s Health, Mercola.com, MuscleMag International, Olympian’s News, Personal Trainer Development Center, Personal Training on the Net, Planet Muscle, Quest For Advanced Condition, SelfGrowth.com, SpotMeBro.com, Testosterone (aka T-Mag.com and T-Nation.com), TheGymLifestyle.com and Wannabebig.com. His newsletters are informative and entertaining, and he has provided reviews for numerous publications, including the inaugural edition of Sport First Aid in Canada. John Paul has authored six books, The Elite Trainer (2011), Mass Explosion (2013), The Business of Personal Training (2014), The Warm-Up (2016), Lean and Mean (2017), and Invincible (2022), and has released two DVDs, Stretching for Strengthening (2003) and Warm-Up to Strength Training (2005), which have sold copies worldwide, featured in several magazines, and been endorsed by industry-leading experts. John Paul has also released four webinars, Strength Training Parameters and Program Design (2013), Body Composition Strategies (2013), The Business of Personal Training (2014), and Injury Prevention Strategies for Aging Athletes (2016), providing the latest cutting-edge information to fitness professionals. Throughout his career, John Paul has consulted for various corporations. He’s worked with law enforcement personnel and has contributed to the Toronto Police Service health and wellness program. John Paul has worked with bodybuilders, fitness models, athletes, and coaches ranging from amateur ranks to national-level caliber. John Paul is one of the premier trainers in Canada. Building a reputation for getting his clients in top shape quickly, his expertise has not gone unnoticed by other health practitioners who attend his private studio regularly for instruction. John Paul has attracted the attention of various fitness-related organizations seeking lectures and workshops. The list includes canfitpro, Certified Professional Trainers Network, Granite Club, Masters Swimming Canada, Ontario Kinesiology Association, Ontario Society for Health and Fitness, Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, and more. Those who experience his presentations have dubbed him “the man with an encyclopedic mind.”

Last week, my son suffered a buckle fracture during karate and now has to wear a splint for a month. We’re going to try to speed up the healing process with vibrational therapy and low-level laser therapy. In addition to using a vibrational platform, he also uses an electric toothbrush twice a day, and occasionally…

I worked hard for every ounce of muscle I’ve built over the years, and I’m not keen on losing any of it. That’s why I’m not a fan of intermittent fasting (IF) — at least not for my purposes. Sure, IF can offer great health benefits like weight loss, cellular cleanup and repair, cognitive enhancement,…

Nutrition Tip: In the winter, stick with white rice to help put on size and strength. As summer approaches, transition to wild rice or cauliflower rice to support fat loss. Think of it like following the Vertical Diet in the winter and shifting toward a Paleo Diet in the summer. Your training should change, too….

On an episode of the Live Life Aggressively podcast, guest Jerry Brainum discusses the dangers of hip thrusts. He references a report where a 36-year-old male experienced leg paralysis after performing hip thrusts with a 225-pound barbell. The conversation starts around the five-minute mark of the episode—check it out! https://tinyurl.com/y9xpsnzq Reports of nerve damage from…

Horizontal adduction and internal rotation of the humerus are two primary functions of the pectoralis major muscle. To stretch this muscle, you would perform the opposite actions and hold the end range as demonstrated in the video below. This particular stretch, done in a power rack, is far more effective than the typical corner or…

I regularly read research papers and always highlight sections that stand out. Here are some examples from recent readings, along with my interpretation of the data: Vegetarian Diet Our study has shown that Austrian adults who consume a vegetarian diet are less healthy (in terms of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), have a lower…

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to look back at the most popular and impactful content we shared in 2018. From personal stories to powerful training strategies, here are the top 10 articles that readers kept coming back to: 1. How I Saved My Mother’s LifeI lost one parent to cancer. I…

Normally, I do yoga on Thursday afternoons. But on October 26, I decided to try it in the evening around 7:30 p.m.—and then went to bed shortly after. The sleep I had that night was incredible! Check out the results: I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept that long. It was the longest…

Not long ago, Dr. Peter Osborne, author of No Grain, No Pain, gave a fascinating talk on vitamin D. Here are some key insights from that discussion: Take-Home Message Shower every other day, or if you must shower daily, use soap only on the “stinky” parts—let the oils on your skin (and the vitamin D…

There’s a big difference between book smarts and gym smarts—and if you want long-term success as a personal trainer, you need both. Just because something hasn’t been validated by research yet doesn’t mean it’s not effective. In many cases, science takes time to catch up with what seasoned coaches and trainers already know through experience….