Chalk Up

Jason, your neighbourhood meathead & coach.
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12/18/2025

It’s been 𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 opening Chalk Up’s doors at Krosno Blvd!

Big thanks for all the support from the 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 team, clients and friends we could ask for.

From training in the 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲, to shut downs during Covid, it’s been an absolute ride and we’re 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱!

Can’t wait for what the 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 holds.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year from the team!

11/21/2025

𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘃𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁

Hiring staff can always be a tough process as every hire is different. Strengths / weaknesses will vary greatly. Chris chats about the 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 balance between Skill vs Trust in the restaurant business

Trust bleeds right into 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 which is the backbone of almost any customer service industry.

11/19/2025

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗨𝗽

Sometimes the 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 is the right time. During Covid I went absolutely 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 the grain and opened Chalk Up. 5 years later - it was the 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 decision I’ve ever made.

From budgeting, calculating the break-even and speaking to Crystal who wanted to go independant - I knew we could make it happen, even with lock downs.

As a bonus, if we could survive Covid and even grow during those times - it would be an 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 experience in business. For us, it was the right time. We were able to grow our businesses and weather the storm.

𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸, 𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱!

11/17/2025

First clip from our podcast with Chris from Chuuk! Super fun time with our buddy talking 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, life after his first 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 and a ton of 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘀

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝘂𝗸

Pivoting from an established family restaurant, catering to any and everybody; to a Mexican restaurant and bar, Chris shows honing in on your niche market as an independent business is vital these days.

Chris shares some of his dad’s business strategies for Massey’s, the beginnings of Chuuk and stories of working in the family business Massey’s as a youth... By working, shooting hockey pucks and annoying the neighbours is included

11/12/2025

INTENT

One of our original 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀; entails 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 and 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Originally relating to exercise selection, 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 flashy/senseless exercises; it dives deeper into 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲

Do you have a 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻? What are you doing 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 to get where you want to be?
Are you 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 about it or executing?

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 meaningful happens by accident, let alone luck.

If you don’t pick a 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 to head, you’ll 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁 everywhere else.

10/23/2025

The dumbbell lateral raise can be problematic for some to 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 the shoulders and perform properly. Feeling the movement in your upper traps, neck or having rotator cuff pain are among some of the issues.

Try these 3 tips for a 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, more 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘁-𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 lateral raise.

𝟭. 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆’𝘀 𝘂𝗽 / 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗷𝘂𝗴

Slightly 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 rotating your arms can help put more of the focus on the shoulders. Think about 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 the movement with your 𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘄𝘀 or 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆’𝘀.

𝟮. 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁

It’s not ideal to have the wrist extended bearing weight with lateral raises. Ideally, your shoulders will be able to handle 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 than your wrist/forearm.

Try letting your wrists 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅 or 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽, taking your forearms 𝗼𝘂𝘁 of the equation and focusing the load more 𝗼𝗻 your shoulders

𝟯. 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲

Lifting dumbbells 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 of you while perfectly 𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 could put unnecessary stress on the rotator cuff.

Lifting in the 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 with a slightly 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 allows for movement within the 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 of the shoulder joint.

Let us know how these worked out for you! Shoulders can be tricky and need some individual tweaks to train properly.

10/20/2025

Every 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 you 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 to yourself

Effects how or 𝗶𝗳 you’ll show up for others

Your 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 with yourself is the most important

Losing it, keeps you fighting a losing battle

Keep promises to yourself to keep your 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

10/09/2025

Bench press and other pressing movements get a 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗽 in the gym for being “bad for you”

Ideally, when there’s 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽 or 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 work beforehand, you may run into issues. Usually, there’s 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 wrong with the movement, it’s the person’s 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Having a decent posture (thoracic extension) and upper back strength grants us with a solid 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲. Shoulder 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, allows us to get 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 in presses ie push ups, bench presses, shoulder presses, etc.

In addition to your upper body mobility, 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 on internal rotation with these “Banded Chicken Wings” before your next upper body day to hit better range of motion

10/07/2025

You’re designed to combat 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 with forward movement.

The more you sit, progress stands 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹.

No magic pills, special exercises; just plain old 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁. No substitutions.

09/15/2025

Your individual boundaries with yourself are a 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅. If you do 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 to nothing to improve, you’ll be stuck and 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 in regression.

Your:
self-talk
actions
reform

Are all 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 to 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 forward and redefine your 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀. Don’t 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 them.

09/02/2025

When the going gets 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵, the tough get 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 - doesn’t always mean intensity is everything. Rather, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.

It might mean:
doing the minimum, in order to check off all your 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀
waking up 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 early to fit in your training
staying the course for 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 to achieve your goal

Your chase of results, successes or accomplishments won’t likely be accompanied by 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀.

Instead, keeping your head down quietly and doing the work 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

📸

06/04/2025

You’re invited!

Address

713 Krosno Boulevard Unit 3
Pickering, ON
L1W1G4

Telephone

+19058315484

Website

http://www.chalkup.ca/

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