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.”

Not long ago, a couple I train was planning to start a family. Their doctor prescribed a multivitamin, and they asked for my opinion. The product came in a 30-day blister pack with 30 pink (a.m.) tablets and 30 blue (p.m.) tablets. Before we even talk about the medicinal ingredients, let’s take a closer look…

On Wednesday evening, my 16-year-old client Amanda came limping into the gym. She had rolled her ankle earlier that morning during a field hockey game. The coach’s advice? Rest it and ice it right away. Later that afternoon, Amanda visited a chiropractor who applied ultrasound and electronic muscle stimulation. He told her it might take…

Push-ups are a great way to assess upper body and core muscular endurance. Both the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommend that men perform push-up tests from the toes and women from the knees. What usually happens when a woman transitions from a modified (bent-knee) push-up…

In an interview with Stan “The Rhino” Efferding, the importance of active rehab is emphasized. Passive methods—such as massage, ultrasound, electronic muscle stimulation, Active Release Techniques (ART), and others—definitely have their place. But they aren’t a substitute for active rehab… they’re a way to facilitate it. Active methods will always trump passive ones. If you…

Here’s part of an interview I did many years ago on the topic of cholesterol. A word of warning: the message goes against the grain. Enjoy the rant! Are you concerned about the effects of eating eggs at breakfast on your cholesterol levels? What about the risks of consuming red meat? The truth is, these…

We all know by now that active recovery is better than passive recovery. It’s better to keep moving between sets than to sit on your butt. Physically, it helps flush out waste products, prevent blood pooling and lightheadedness, and keep you warm. Mentally, it helps you stay focused and motivated. Moving between sets is one…

Back in the old days, if something was ailing you, they’d tell you to eat the specific part of an animal that corresponded to the issue. Heart, liver, eyes, testicles—you name it. Whatever the case, just eat that animal part and you’d be cured! Of course, that tradition has been abandoned in our “wise” and…

Transitioning from bent-knee to straight-leg push-ups can be a daunting task—especially for many female clients. But with the right approach, it’s absolutely achievable. Watch one of my clients in action and learn the smart, progressive way to build upper-body strength and confidence on the floor. ➡️ Check out Push-Ups: 21 and Counting for the full…

Even with a strong Paleo movement in place, many North Americans are still convinced that fat is evil. Low-fat diets continue to be in vogue, and people will go out of their way to remove as much fat as possible from their foods. Eggs are a classic example. Egg-white omelets are still popular. You could…

The modern approach of “rest it and ice it” is not the best way to heal an injury. We’ve known for ages that movement, along with heat, increases circulation and promotes healing. Check out this excerpt from The Wonderful World Within You by Dr. Roger J. Williams, originally published in 1977: We human beings are…