Indian Fitness & bodybuilding

10 Tips For A Better Workout

2012-12-19T19:00:00.000+05:30

There are several types of people working out in the gym. Some come for hard core body building, some for looking good, some come for fat loss/ weight gain and some come just for maintaining their body.In all these categories of people, truly speaking, the meaning of fitness looks lost somewhere.Fitness can't be defined as a lean body or muscular body, but truly speaking fitness is a wider concept than just achieving fat loss or a lean body. Fitness comes from within and is the healthy state of mind & body which can carry on day to day life functions smoothly & can do them in better way than a sedentary person. Now a days fitness is just limited to the physical aspect of it. People think how much ever lean they become, that much closer they get to fitness. And then the plan to get “FIT” starts. Crash dieting, over training, minimal recovery period & so on.Here are some points hamper goal achievement.

THE ALL OR NOTHING APPROACH

Today all who go to the gym, are mostly working people. Life has become so fast that there are too many things to be done and too little time; family, friends, socializing or working hours starting from 9am. Some work till late evening & some till midnight. With this kind of hectic routine, we hardly get time for ourselves & maintaining our health. Not having a full hour to exercise is no reason to skip your workout for that entire day. Research shows that even 10 minutes of exercise can provide important health benefits. So those who give excuses like they don’t get time, can do shortened workouts at regular intervals.

UNBALANCED STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAMS

We all have health objectives.Some come with medical reasons; some come to take precautionary measures or some just for looking and feeling great. Mainly today in this competitive world its necessary to look good & presentable. We know the one who attracts the sight of the opposite one is always the winner, is always preferred. Because of this reason, most people tend to focus on areas like abdominal or arms more than required, maybe because they have a greater impact on the appearance or it is where they feel strongest. But to achieve a great, strong & perfectly balanced body we need to work upon all the muscles equally. Otherwise the body gets disproportionate, which is worst when it comes to functional day to day life activities. An imbalanced muscular structure can lead to risks of injuries or postural imperfections or even some severe medical problems. The best way is to target all the muscles one by one evenly throughout the week.

BAD FORM

This is one of the greats barrier when it comes to getting results. The worst thing to do is to sacrifice your form in any exercise, just for lifting some extra poundage. All the exercises are designed in such a way that they should give optimal results. Also, we know that lifting the maximum capable poundage in last set of any exercise gives you maximum benefits. The workout is said not done without the so called 'MUSCLE FATIGUE' not achieved at the end of a workout session. This muscular fatigue, which can only be achieved with proper intensity in workout session, giving you an after burn (burning calories even after finishing the workout). But does working out intensely means working out with bad form? Does hitting maximum poundage means compromising on the form? The answer is “NO”. The form can never be compromised for anything. Without the correct form the workload you lift is unproductive. People who swing the weights to lift, people who bend their back while doing bicep curls are at higher risk of injuries rather than that of optimal results after such weight training sessions. “The FORM can not be compromised for anything.”

NOT PROGRESSING WISELY

Our body is based on a three legged stool DAMAGE, RECOVERY, REST. Damage means the amount of muscle break-down you put your body through in any workout session. Recovery means the amount of nutrition and rest you give for recovering after an intense workout session & finally rest which means the amount of time you give for that muscle for preparing itself for another workout. Workout itself is a catabolic (i.e. breaking down muscle) activity in nature. It is the recovery phase which makes it anabolic (i.e. building up muscle) in nature & work positively on our body accompanying with rest. So those who exercise too frequently, for longer duration or too hard are in a risk of '’Over training' the muscle. Fitness enthusiasts who make these common mistakes, are more vulnerable to get injuries . Proper workout regimes, not exceeding 45 min a session along with a best working nutrition plan is desirable in achieving one’s fitness goal & enough amount of rest between two workout sessions is the key for perfectly safe & effective exercise program

favoring optimal results.

NOT ENOUGH VARIETY

Our workout regime is always defined in a session wise plan, which gives us detailed idea of the exercises to be done with the reps & sets. Some people who find a program working on their body too soon love to repeat the same plan for more than the suggested period. Quick results can be the outcome of quick changes in your lifestyle or that of beginning response by your body towards your exercises, which varies with person to person. Mistakenly people take this as their exercise plan which after so long worked on their body perfectly because it suited their body type. But as we stated earlier it's the perfect plan of nutritional requirements, exercises & right amount of rest which keeps boosting optimal results in your body steadily but regularly. Our body is such an intelligent machine which always tries to overcome the stress that we try put it through during a working out, with the help of nutrients we consume & rest. Also 'ADAPTABILITY' is one of the unique fundamentals of body, which means body always adapts to the given activity & its intensity after a certain period of time. This is the reason why we need to keep changing & incrementing our exercise routine often. As our body keeps adapting the given exercises, getting accustomed to the same old plan plateaus the response towards it. Additionally overdoing the same every time you step into the gym brings boredom, burnout &/or injury with it. So all you guys as they say “VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE”.

NEGLECTING ADJUSTMENTS OF MACHINES TO ONES BODY SIZE

Now a days in all the commercial gyms we see the equipment are designed as such to accommodate a wide range of body types & sizes, but require you to adjust it to your body size. Not doing so take away the real impact of the machine on your muscle. The targeted muscle does not get the intense damage that you are looking for & so goes partially trained. This may prevent you from utilizing your muscular energy at its peak

level, can lead to sluggish contribution in muscular growth; ultimately leading to poor results & increased risk of injuries.You should always seek the assistance of gym personnel whenever needed rather than neglecting it.

FOCUSING ON ANYTHING BUT YOUR WORKOUT

The importance of being 'mindful' of the task at hand can not be overstated.No matter what exercise you do, you should be focusing on it very seriously. Anything in quality matters than that of quantity. This means 30 minutes of quality workout with impressive intensity counts than a lengthy 60 minute dull workout which involves chit chatting, passing time on floor, roaming around machine with phone. Modernization has really affected today's gyms too. There are televisions & audio equipment in cardio zones. They are to be taken as to keep up your interest & not more than that. But climbing on the machines with the reason of watching your favorite program or just to listen your kind of music is not worth truly. This can adversely affect your quality of workout because of the distraction & actually slow you down. “WORKOUT SMART, THAN WORKING OUT LONG”.

NOT PROPERLY COOLING DOWN AFTER YOUR WORKOUT

I have had people coming to me who workout in the gym but always with a complaint of have limited time. They always want me pack as much possible in a limited amount time. These are people who are either working or have some or the other reasons. I keep mentioning to them is the importance of cooling down as the workout session itself. Doing a fewer sets lesser or to skip one exercise is a better option according to me rather than that of completely skipping the cool down phase. It depends on person's goal again, what kind of cool down is required but spending the last 5 minutes is at least necessary. This may include some medium intense cardiovascular exercise or specific muscle stretches. These will not only help in taking away the lactic acid (a chemical byproduct of reactions happening in muscles for energy expenditure) built up in muscles & dilute it but also help in overcoming the soreness caused by resistance training. Having flexible muscles is always better, than stiff ones from injury point of view & it helps in the workouts too in a kind by allowing to move in full range, optimizing strength & contraction speed by allowing better blood flow & ability to remove toxins in efficient way.

POOR GYM ETIQUETTES

This can range from simply being rude lingering on the machine long after you finished doing set or chatting on the phone loudly without having consideration for others working out around you. People get so busy with their personal calls that sometimes they forget that they're working out in public environment and others might want to do a set on that machine.Others who are working out with partners sometimes tend to gather with regular exercise enthusiasts and end up occupying a machine. This shows a sign of bad etiquette towards our own gym. Always try to be considerable towards others exercising around you. People who sweat a lot should carry a hand towel for hygiene reasons. Wiping off your sweat from the machine after using it ensures hygienic equipment conditions on the gym floor. Your skin becomes sensitive at times of working out as pores get open because of sweating; this is the time when your skin is more prone for infections. It's not healthy for these reasons to get on a dirty wet machine. One should always observe cleaning equipment after use, it helps in maintaining hygiene in the gym area.

NOT SETTING UP REALISTIC GOALS

Setting up goals is completely upto the client’s capabilities & the target set. Everybody goes to the gym with specific goals as to lose fat, grow muscular, & so on. But without knowing one’s capacity or his/her imitations in achieving the same one can't really proceed ahead. It completely depends upon one’s body frame, medical conditions, family health history, lifestyle, fat %, eating habits, etc. knowing this will make goal setting specific and realistic. Again, when it comes to certain populations it seems very difficult for them to go ahead with their goals, because either they seem far from being achievable. Moreover people’s limitations and/or medical conditions become obstacles in their way. In such situations to keep one’s motivation & interest going, short term goals can be set, and can be reviewed monthly. This will also help in a way to monitor their results frequently & to keep one interested it in a smaller time frame gap.

Why do we need variation in exercises

2012-11-10T10:27:00.002+05:30

Most of the times people use to ask me ki Jab gym join kiya tab fatafat strength gain hua, from 10pnd dmbl to 70 pnds, 6-7 mahine me agaya, magar aabb 8 mahine hogaye 70- 75 pnds dmbl pe hi hu...I told them u have hit a plateau, now your body is adapted to exercise, now change the exercise you need variation..

NOW IS THIS TRUE ??????????? WHY WAS OUR STRENGTH GAIN SO FAST IN INITIAL MONTHS OF JOINING????????????

There are something called as MOTOR NEURONS, these are neurons in our CNS, the axons of these comes out of CNS and control our muscles.
Now this motor neuron connect muscle fiber and that connection is called neuro muscular junction.
Now One Motor neuron and to how many muscles fibers it is connected is called ONE MOTOR UNIT. according to ALL OR NONE PRINCIPLE (BOWDITCH LAW) - when motor unit innervates all muscle fibers in that motor unit has to contract. eg: one motor unit of thigh will control 1000 muscle fibers, while one motor unit of eye will control 10 muscle fibers (muscle needing very minute movements need less muscles fibers for 1 motor unit)

A muscle (eg. gastrocnemius) can have multiple motor units controlling various groups of muscle fibers in it.

HOPE YOU UNDERSTOOD TILL HERE.......... ;-)
NOW HOW DOES STRENGTH GAIN HAPPENS..

THESE ARE THE TWO MAIN POINTS..

1. MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT- Increasing the number of active motor units
2. RATE CODING- Increasing the firing rate (firing frequency) at which individual motor units fire.
eg: Now lets imagine my pectoralis major has 50 motor units,

1.in chest workout, when i newly joined gym first time then i was used to using only 10 motor units so less muscle fibers were contracting and gradually the number of motor units involved increased and more muscle fibers started contributing thus more strength gains

2. When nearly all motor units are recruited, increase in firing frequency becomes the predominating mechanism to increase motor strength.
thus when all these 50 motor units are firing the speed of firing will increase, as while contracting small small same amount of signals are sent with small gaps between each signal and these gap or in between time of relaxation reduces, and it keeps on continuously firing and further increasing strength...

AND ONCE WE REACH ABOUT THE MAXIMAL OF THESE ADAPTATION (our weight lifting capacity hits plateau), HYPERTROPHY IS THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN STRENGTH FURTHER.

Ask me

2012-10-30T13:49:00.001+05:30

Hi friends, Lots of people have lots n lots of queries related to their exercises, diet, schedules, and specially about getting quick results. But i must say that the very first thing they should maintain is patience and dedication towards their goal, weather its about loosing or getting the bulks. firstly as i always say the results may vary from person to person as u cant have the same kind of medicine for the same kind of symptoms for everybody, so for this you need to analyse your body type first and then check if you have any kind of medical problem which need an attention, then set your goal and plan an exercise schedule for that. follow your schedule with dedication and keep faith in yourself with patience. I am daily writing some tips about post and pre workout diets, exercises, about some myths related to fitness in my facebook page.
You can connect with me here and follow the tips, indianbodybuilding.in

Motivational Quotes

2012-08-09T11:40:00.001+05:30

Some of the best home workouts for women

2012-06-11T16:15:00.001+05:30

Basic Diet for every kind of body type..

2012-01-18T18:50:00.001+05:30

A lot has been written about the diet plans and what to eat and what not to eat. Everybody is having somebody to guide or most of the indians try the internet concepts which is not much fruitful as different body types with different metabolism need different kind of diets. The bodybuilding diet plan requires taking in more protein than the average person in order to add muscle. However, balance here is important, because you don’t want to take in too much unhealthy fat with all that protein. Here are seven bodybuilding foods that are perfectly balanced with the bodybuilding diet plan.

1. Egg whites. Eggs are a wonderful source of protein, so it is one of the best bodybuilding foods. However, egg yolks contain a lot of unwanted cholesterol. So, separating and eating the whites is the optimal choice. You get all of the necessary protein, but none of the unhealthy cholesterol.

2. Protein shakes. The bodybuilder’s diet consists of 3 meals a day, plus several snacks in between the meals. Protein shakes are the best option for those snacks. Usually a protein shake consists of protein powder, skim milk, and flavoring of fresh or frozen fruit. If a protein shake is prepared correctly, it is a great high-protein, low-fat bodybuilding food.

3. Black beans. Bodybuilders need a lot of energy throughout the day. Black beans are great for this, because they release their energy slower, which makes it last longer. Black beans are also a wonderful source of protein and carbohydrates.

4. Oatmeal (non-instant). Apart from protein, the bodybuilding diet plan also requires carbohydrates, which provide energy for workouts. Oatmeal is a great choice for this, as long as you stay away from the instant kinds that are full of sugar and preservatives.

5. Brussels sprouts. These are high in Vitamin C and fiber, and contain very few calories. So, you can eat a lot of them without getting any fat. Kale, cabbage, or other leafy greens are also suitable if you are not a fan of Brussels sprouts.

6. Flaxseeds. You can’t have a bodybuilder’s diet without flaxseeds. They are rich in omega-3 fats and have high levels of fiber, both of which are extremely healthy. Flaxseeds can be ground up in a coffee grinder and sprinkled on salads. You can also bake muffins with them.

7. Clams. Apart from being a wonderful source of protein, clams are rich in iron, which is very easily absorbed by the body. This bodybuilder’s food is also a good source of Vitamin B12, which ensures the health of your body and mind.

Another important thing to mention is water. It is very important to drink as much water as you can handle, because all those toxins generated at the gym need to be flushed out. If you drink liters a day, that’s good. But if you can drink 3 liters, that’s probably even better. It’s important for bodybuilders to stay hydrated all the time. A good indication of whether you are drinking enough water is the color of your urine. If it is yellow, then that’s a sign that you’re not drinking enough. It should be practically clear, which means your body is getting enough liquids.

Bodybuilding Exercises : Bodybuilding: Standing Zottman Dumbbell Curls

2011-12-02T10:42:00.000+05:30

Best fruits for weight loss...

2011-11-24T10:47:00.001+05:30

The best fruits for weight loss are usually a staple in your kitchen and can easily be found in your local market.

With more than half of the world’s population battling with obesity or excess weight, effective weight loss techniques are one of the most discussed topics all over the world. Although there are many diets that will help one lose weight, people generally shy away from the idea of dieting because they immediately assume that this feat entails a certain amount of starvation and food deprivation. Thankfully, there are certain types of food that will not only satiate a person’s cravings, but will also help them lose excess weight.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it will help build up the energy that your body needs to function effectively throughout the day. Also, breakfast helps boost your metabolism therefore; enabling your body to burn off the calories that you consume during the day. If you are following a low carbohydrate diet, it is advised that you integrate the best fruits for weight loss in your first meal of the day. These are bananas, mangos, pineapples, kiwi, pineapples and pears. You can create a morning fruit platter for yourself or you may have these fruits along side your favorite low fat cereal.

Including the best fruits for weight loss in highly recommended because fruits are rich in natural detoxification agents that will help you achieve beautiful skin as well as help you lose weight. Best fruits for weight loss are high in fiber that facilitates effective bowel movement which is essential to eliminating toxins stored in the body. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and lime are highly beneficial for those who have high cholesterol levels in their blood because it helps cleanse the blood thereby promoting proper circulation of oxygen through out the body. Oxygen is important to burning off stored fat as well as providing the oxygen that your muscle needs in order to avoid cramping.

The best fruits for weight loss are also beneficial for the total functionality of one’s body. They are a great source of essential vitamins and nutrients that the body needs in order to function effectively throughout the day. Dieting does not necessarily mean that you need to starve yourself or deprive yourself of the kind of food that you love eating. When you integrate fruits into your diet, your body will be able to burn off excess weight naturally without needing to resort to drastic measures such as starvation. You can still eat the sweets that you love but in moderation. Always remember that too much is never good for the body and it makes the eating experience less enjoyable when you consume large amounts.

Quotes by Arnold Schwarzenegger

2011-11-19T10:31:00.001+05:30

The Arnold Quotes

Arnold Schwarzenegger is perhaps the greatest body builder of all time, and definitely the most famous. Over the years the Austrian oak has had many interesting things to say on such subjects as body building, motivation, and power and authority. What follows are some of Arnold’s most famous quotes.

Arnold on drive and determination (motivation)

“I was always dreaming about very powerful people. Dictators and things like that. I was always impressed by people who could be remembered for hundreds of years. Even like Jesus, being remembered for thousands of years.”

“When I was ten years old I got this thing that I wanted to be the best in something, so I started swimming. I won championships, but I felt I couldn’t be the best. I tried skiing, but there I felt I didn’t have potential. I played soccer, but I didn’t like that to well because there I didn’t get the credit alone if I did something special. I just avoided team sports from then on. Then I started lifting through the other sports and I enjoyed it the most. I won the Austrian championship in 1964 but found out I was too tall. So I quit that and went into body building. Two years later I found out that that’s it-that’s what I can be the best in.”

“I admire America because it is a powerful country. I admire its economic system, its freedom and its money. It is a rich country. Its people are open-minded. But I didn’t understand all of this when I was ten years old. There was something else. A subconscious drive to come here. When I came here, I had come from Munich where I had been training. I gave myself no choice. I almost made myself thrown out. I got in trouble with the police. Little troubles. I created a situation that forced me to leave. Somebody told me-“Split. Now you have to go to America.”

Arnold on posing

“Number one, it runs through my mind it is very obvious that I am the king. Then I thought to the audience, just keep screaming now because you’re going to see the poses for just a few minutes here, so eat your hearts out.”

“I find out which poses they really like. That’s why I don’t have a specific posing routine, because you never know what they like and what they don’t. Sometimes you think a routine is good but the applause is going down. Like Franco explained, he did one shot coming up for triceps from the side and the sound went down, so he cut the shot. You have to be very flexible in these things. You have to listen. When you hit the most muscular and they start screaming, you know they like the more freaky poses, so you keep hitting it again and maybe hold it longer to get the cuts out more. You know then they like drama shots and you can forget the symmetrical stuff.”

“A lot of things go through my mind while I am posing. When I pose, a very good pose let’s ay the most muscular pose. The audience starts screaming. In my mind I say to them, kind of like “Well, here it is here is the best body look at it and just freak out because your only going to see one of them. That’s it. I let them know that what they get is mind-blowing. They are not going to get it tomorrow, not the next day. Maybe never again. It’s a once in a life time experience. Especially since my career as a bodybuilder is almost over. I just hope they appreciate my body. Obviously they do. I hear the applause.”

“Onstage I’m always different than offstage. I can be very friendly offstage, but onstage I will pull one trick after another on my competition to wipe him out, you know-because it’s my living and I have to win. Franco is my best friend, but I will do as much as I can to make him look bad and make me look good.”

Arnold on becoming a champion

“The only way to be a champion is by going through these forced reps and the torture and pain. That’s why I call it the torture routine. Because it’s like forced torture. Torturing my body. What helps me is to think of this pain as pleasure. Pain make me grow. Growing is what I want. Therefore, for me pain is pleasure. And so when I am experiencing pain I’m in heaven. It’s great. People suggest this is masochistic. But they’re wrong. I like pain for a particular reason. I don’t like needle’s stuck in my arm. But I do like the pain that is necessary to be a champion.”

“A beginner does eight repetitions of a certain exercise with his maximum weight on the barbell. As soon as it hurts, he thinks about stopping. I work beyond this point, which means I tell my mind that as soon as it starts aching it is growing. Growing is something unusual for the body when you are over eighteen. The body isn’t used to ten, eleven, or twelve reps with a maximum weight. Then I do ten or fifteen sets of this in a row. No human body was ever prepared for this and suddenly it is making itself grow to handle this new challenge, growing through this pain area. Experiencing this pain in my muscles and aching and going on is my challenge. The last three or four reps is what makes the muscles grow. This area of pain divides a champion from someone who is not a champion. That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens. I have no fear of fainting. I do squats until I fall over and pass out. So what? It’s not going to kill me. I wake up five minutes later and I’m OK. A lot of other athletes are afraid of this. So they don’t pass out. They don’t go on.”

Arnold on emotions (self discipline)

“If you want to be a champion you can’t have any kind of outside negative coming in to affect you. So I trained myself for that. To be totally cold and not have things going through my mind.
And it was a sad story when my father died. Because me mother called me on the phone and she said, “You know, your dad died.” And this was exactly two months before a contest. “Are you coming home for the funeral?” She said. I said: “No. It’s too late. He’s dead and nothing can be done. I’m sorry I can’t come.” And I didn’t explain the reasons why, because how do you explain to a mother whose husband died, you just can’t be bothered now because of a contest?”

“I can hide my feelings under my muscles. Definitely. I can hide them as long as necessary. And when I feel they can come out, I let them out. I think this is fantastic. It’s great to have control over my mind. Other people get mixed up. They can’t control themselves. They can’t go to work for a week or they can’t talk on the phone because they’re crying. I can switch myself back and forth. When I’m training for a competition, I can be what some people call inhuman, but really I think it’s more like being superhuman. Then after the competition, I can switch off again be human and very emotional and so on.”

Arnold on his upbringing and goal setting

“My upbringing contributed a lot to my success. My father was a police officer and wanted his family to be the perfect example to the town. We couldn’t do anything bad. He was very strict, checking out everything…….if we were clean, if our shoes were brushed. I was brought up under great discipline, which meant that when I made up my mind I had to follow it through. I had a master plan from the moment I arrived in America. That’s still in me. Every year I set a goal: to win the Mr. Olympia or to get so many units in business school, to make a certain amount of money, to travel to five or six different countries. Every year I make a plan. I do it. It will be done.”

Arnold on the pump

“Not many people understand what a pump is. It must be experienced to be understood. It is the greatest feeling that I get. I search for this pump because it means that that my muscles will grow when I get it. I get a pump when the blood is running into my muscles. They become really tight with blood. Like the skin is going to explode any minute. It’s like someone putting air in my muscles. It blows up. It feels fantastic.”

“Body building should be fun because you get a feeling of satisfaction which is very hard to explain. A body builder knows when he pumps up his muscles it means growth. The muscles grow. So therefore he knows when he pumps up well, that is progress. And that satisfies him because he feels the progress in his body. Therefore the pump feels good. It’s actually the best feeling a body builder can have. It’s a difficult thing to explain. Like sometimes we joke around and we get a good pump and we say you have to admit that a good pump is better than coming. Somebody off the street wouldn’t understand that, but sometimes a pump is the best feeling you can have.”

Arnold on power and authority

“My relationship to power and authority is that I’m all for it. People need somebody to watch over them and tell them what to do. Ninety-five percent of the people in the world need to be told what to do and how to behave.”

“I wish I could experience the feeling President Kennedy had speaking to 50,000 people at one time and having them cheer and scream and be in agreement with whatever he said.”

Arnold on being a Leo

“I am a Leo. If you believe this kind of thing, then you find out Leos are more aggressive people than any other people and they are more physical than any others. I believe in this a little bit. Not everything, but a little bit. Because when I read what the lion is supposed to be and I check what I am, it’s exactly the same thing. So that’s why I believe in it.”

Arnold on bodybuilding

“My definition of a sport is that it’s a physical activity that involves competition. Since bodybuilders train and then compete, we are certainly a sport. The unique thing about bodybuilding is that when I compete, it is just me on a stage alone. There is no field, no bat, no ball, no skis, no skates. All other athletes have to use equipment, like a football. As soon as the football if thrown, where does the eye go? To the football. But I don’t use anything in competition except myself. It’s just me up there. Me alone. No coach. No nothing.”

“I think the public thinks I am narcissistic because I look in the mirror. What they don’t understand is that is the only way I can check my progress. How do I know that my muscles grow the way that I want? By flexing them and checking them in the mirror, by measuring them with a tape or possibly by stepping on a scale. The mirror is by far the best because I can see each muscle’s definition. That is very subtle. Sometimes even another bodybuilder cannot see what I can. A swimmer uses a stopwatch like a mirror. A jumper’s tape is his mirror. But the public is weirdly afraid of themselves. They are guilty about the mirror. They think by looking in it there’s something wrong. How many mirrors are there in America?”

“You don’t really see a muscle as a part of you, in a way. You see it as a thing. You look at it as a thing and you say well this thing has to be built a little longer, the bicep has to be longer; or the tricep has to be thicker here in the elbow area. And you look at it and it doesn’t even seem to belong to you. Like a sculpture. Then after looking at it a sculptor goes in with his thing and works a little bit, and you do maybe then some extra forced reps to get this lower part out. You form it. Just like a sculpture.”

“What I’m doing is the thing I want to do. I don’t care what other people think. If the rest of disagrees and says I shouldn’t waste my time, I still will be a bodybuilder. I love it. I love the feeling in my muscles, I love the competition, and I love the things it gives me. I have never really had to work in my whole life. I’ve never had an eight to six job. I’ve always made good money. I’ve traveled all over the world competing and giving exhibitions. I‘ve made a profession out of a pastime, which perhaps only five percent of the population can do. The other ninety-five percent are frustrated office workers, working for someone else. I’m totally independent. So, I…..feel…if I would live again or if I would be born again, I would do exactly the same thing.”

“The better you get, the less you run around showing off as a muscle guy. You know, you wear regular shirts, loose shirts-not always trying to show what you have. You talk less about it. It’s like you have a little BMW-you want to race the hell out of this car, because you know it’s going 110. But if you see a guy in a Ferrari or Lamborghini, they slide around at 60 on the freeway because they know if they press on that accelerator they are going to go 170. These things are the same in every field.”

“There are some girls that are turned on by my body, and some others who are turned off. But for the majority I just use it as a conversation piece. Like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd street would have a natural conversation piece. Then when they get to talking to me they see I am not mean but gentle to them and that’s all they want to know.”

“I have a good sense of my body in a bathing suit around people who appreciate what I’m doing, like a contest. Then I’m proud. On television I am proud. But on a beach most people are not experts. The general public doesn’t know how to look. How proud can you be when they don’t even know what they’re looking at?”

Results of Supplements...

2011-11-07T14:17:00.000+05:30

At the recent event of Mr Universe2011 held at Mumbai, a Syrian bodybuilder Mahmoud Ibrahim Alhdidi died of the suspect cardiac arrest in his room at the hotel. He was participating in the Mr Universe World Championship in Mumbai. Its an international bodybuilding competition. According to the post mortom report he died due to the sudden heart faliure.

According to the fellow participants he had not eaten anything for more then even before his weight check for the category and he dint even have the water from the last two days resulting the dehydration. he took some weight loosing pills also to reduce further to compete in a lower weight category. He was set to participate in the 75 kg weight category but he was trying to go for the 65+ category and trying to reduce 3-4 kg for that.

He was one of the 300 participants competing from 90 countries around the world and was just 28 years old. The police and the organizers are waiting for the chemical analysis and the autopsy report to find out the supplements he had taken before his death.

Now the point is about the supplements taken during the weight loss program. do they have proper guidelines about the food supplements and the steroids they were taking during the competition? These food supplements, most of the times have been proved fatal for many other bodybuilders and most of them end up having problems with their organs at the later stage of life. Cant this sport be health and clean? why do we need to push our hormones and our organs to perform beyond their limits? We can even compete with the natural form of the body and that to within the limits and with out having pressure physically or mentely.

Friends my suggestion to all of you is that dont blindly follow anybody who is recommending you to the short cuts of having a blast in your muscles, Eat healthy and do your exercises, this will help you a lot, other wise what you earn now as a professional and having all this stuff you will end up spending all your earnings at the later stage of life on your medical bills..

Jay Cutler 2011 Sheru Classic 2011 Mumbai India bodybuilding

2011-10-29T11:24:00.000+05:30

17 Common Training and Nutrition Questions

2011-10-22T13:57:00.002+05:30

1) You don’t wear a belt during heavy lifting?
There are two sides to this coin. “If you don’t use a belt when lifting heavy, you could possibly injure yourself because belts support the abdominal and lower back muscles—the stabilizers of the trunk region, when people start out training with a belt, they don’t build those stabilizer muscles, so the risk of injury increases as the strength of other muscles increases.” In other words, use a belt only to help prevent possible injury on your heavier sets, not to take the place of supporting muscles.
2) You eat too much or too little protein?
We all know that protein builds and maintains muscle . So we do our best to get the right amount of protein to reach our personal fitness goals. But what happens on those days your meal schedule gets derailed?If you eat too much protein, the excess is sent to the liver, changed to a sugar and used as fuel, stored as glycogen or stored as body fat. Many people don’t realize that protein can be stored as fat. Conversely, if you eat too little protein, you fall into a negative nitrogen balance, meaning there aren’t enough amino acids to make your muscles grow. All the more reason to keep a log of your daily nutrient intake. Try to stick to 1-1.5 grams of protein per Kg of bodyweight daily.
3) You get less than eight hours of sleep?
While eight hours of work, eight hours of play and eight hours of sleep used to represent the magic triangle of balance in a person’s day, our current version is an isosceles, with the sleep side getting ever shorter. What does this mean to you, the dedicated trainer?Sleep need is an individual thing, But research supports the fact that most people require between seven and nine hours. You should strive for at least seven; otherwise you risk perturbations in your hormone levels, like growth hormone, which seven hours tend to gain more body fat.

4) You don’t stretch on a regular basis?
Between work, Sunday afternoon with the kids and your Internet addiction, you’ve got maybe an hour a day, four days a week, to hit the gym—and you’re not about to waste one minute of it stretching. So what’s the worst that could happen?

You’ll lose flexibility and range of motion in each muscle, Consequently, you won’t be able to overload the muscle through its entire range, and you’ll limit your growth potential.” Stretching is best done after working out to maximize flexibility and range of motion. It’s never a good idea to stretch cold muscles, because it could lead to muscle pulls and tears.
5) You eat a meal (or meals) after 9:00 p.m.?
”Diet experts” often advise not to eat after 9:00 p.m. But what if you do?
If your goal is to build muscle, you should consume a slow-digesting protein like meat or a casein product within an hour before sleeping to provide amino acids throughout the night .Without them, muscle breakdown occurs while you sleep. As far as carbs go, some controversy exists. Many bodybuilders get good results by not eating carbs within four hours of bedtime. Others say it doesn’t matter, as carbs won’t make you fat if you don’t take in excessive calories throughout the day.”
A good rule of thumb: Try to grab a protein-rich (30 grams or so), low- to moderate-complex-carbohydrate meal about an hour before bedtime. Your muscles will thank you in the morning.

6) You try to train while you’re sick?
Studies show that exercise will generally cause an acute suppression of the immune system, But with things like upper respiratory tract infections [colds], it’s not going to do much damage and can even be beneficial if the exercise isn’t too intense.
But what about the feverish? If you’re experiencing any flu like symptoms, you don’t want to take the chance of compromising yourself and making things worse. Plus, it’s not polite to sneeze on your gym partner while he’s benching.

7) You train a body part two days in a row?
This idea is all but taboo in gym circles; the common belief is that it will surely lead to overtraining. We’ve trained people on consecutive days and have had success with it. But the key is, the rest period following needs to compensate for the intensity of the workouts. This means between workouts, don’t do any other type of activity—just go home, eat and relax. It’s also important that you vary the load on the muscles and the angle of the exercises. For example, if you were to train chest on consecutive days, you’d want to do flat benches on day one and inclines on the following day, or vice versa.
While this shouldn’t be the basis of a long-term approach to your training, you could certainly incorporate it as a short-term way to shock your muscles into new growth. And make sure you consume sufficient carbs, protein and total calories.

8) You have sex before working out?
Women weaken legs! It depends on who it’s with. The idea that having sex drains you of your strength is an old wives’ tale. I think it’s probably a positive thing because it can help you to relax, men-tally and through the release of chemicals. When you’re relaxed, you tend to perform better.” Just don’t make it a marathon session.

9) You lift too soon after eating?
what really happens if you lift on a full stomach?
For most people, nothing. Some people have to eat earlier, as their stomachs may be more sensitive; when you work out, blood flow is diverted away from the GI system and to the muscle, and digestion and absorption of nutrients slows. But it’s more of an individual thing.” Regardless of your pre workout eating habits, you need to consume some sort of protein and carbohydrate within an hour after your workout.

10) You slack off and miss a workout?
So now the job, the fianc´e and the rest of your busy life has squeezed that chest/back workout right out of your schedule. Or worse yet, all of your body parts took a backseat this week. Is it time to start repenting?
Missed workouts provide you with an opportunity to rest, A lot of guys become obsessed with getting to the gym anyway, so it can be a positive thing. The body is not going to untrain that quickly.” Just how much time are we talking here? “In high-level athletes it can take two weeks. Recreational athletes won’t see the effects for up to six weeks. Moreover, we’ve found that the longer an athlete has been training, the longer a rest period he or she should take to re-energize.

11) You get too busy and skip a meal?
Sooner or later, it happens to everyone: You’re running late and you’re fresh out of meal replacement bars. Major dilemma?
”If you skip a meal here or there, it’s not going to suddenly put you into a catabolic state. “We do have amino-acid pools that we store for just these instances. We also have glycogen reserves. But if you’re trying to put on mass, you obviously don’t want to make a habit of it.”

12) You drink a glass of raw eggs?
Credit Rocky with propagating yet another sports-related myth. Who can forget watching the Italian Stallion in the ultimate act of athletic dedication, downing a glass full of freshly cracked eggs? And who didn’t try, at least once, to emulate his gut-churning heroics? But to what end—increased strength, energy and stamina, or food poisoning?

Although it’s uncommon, you could suffer bacterial contamination. You need to be careful with raw foods because they could contain food-borne pathogens,. In fact, cooked eggs are better digested and utilized than raw.

13) You don’t consume whey protein and simple carbs post-workout?
I have repeatedly heralded the importance of grabbing a quick-absorbing protein and simple-carb meal after working out. But why is this so important, and what happens if you miss it?
We’ve found, as have other labs, that the initial 30 minutes to an hour after a workout is the optimal time for protein synthesis to occur. The mantra “the sooner the better” clearly applies in this instance. We actually try to get to that post-workout meal within 10 minutes after training. But sometimes people have a tough time getting a meal down that soon after working out, in which case a half-hour or even an hour is fine.”
If you can’t find whey or casein after your workout, go for any kind of protein. It may not be digested as efficiently.

14) You sit in a sauna and try to “sweat off” pounds?
It’s hard to envision an image more synonymous with weight loss than that of a towel-clad health enthusiast sweating it out in a sauna. But what’s really going on in there? Is some mystical metabolic process transpiring that will ultimately render the user thinner?
No, you just lose water due to sweating for cooling the body. Don’t sauna before a workout, as the majority of the water comes from the blood, so you may compromise blood flow and the pump to your muscles. A recent study did find, however, that sweating can be beneficial for your health.”

15) You take a month . . . or a year . . . off from training?
A lot of the more serious trainees out there can’t stomach the thought of missing one workout, let alone a month’s—or a year’s—worth. What’s the worst that could happen, other than gym-withdrawal side effects?
After a month, you’ll definitely lose some muscle mass and strength, but probably not as much as you might think. A recent study found that lifters lost little muscle and strength and gained minimal fat after six weeks off.
And what if you decide to call it quits for good—will your muscle turn into fat? “The myth that muscle cells turn into fat derives from the fact that most guys who were bodybuilders at one time continue to eat as if they still were—as if they still have the same metabolic requirements as someone with big muscles. But with smaller muscles comes a slower metabolism, and less training means less opportunity to burn calories. Hence fat begins to accumulate.

16) You lift on an empty stomach?
Once again, life gets in the way of lifting, and you miss your pre workout meal. What can you expect from your hungry body during the workout? As far as fatigue goes, it depends on your reps and total sets. “The higher your reps, the more muscle-glycogen you’ll depend on to complete those reps. Without some form of dietary carbohydrate, you may fatigue earlier.”
As far as hormonal responses go, lifting without taking in carbs before the workout will lead to higher cortisol levels during and after the workout. Cortisol inhibits testosterone’s anabolic effects and leads to muscle breakdown.
Not having any protein before the workout is a double whammy as even higher cortisol levels lead to further muscle depletion. Eating protein helps to inhibit some of this breakdown, so having nothing to eat before a workout is bad for muscle gains.”

17) You work out when you’re still sore?
Another old wives’ tale is to stay out of the gym if your muscles still ache from your last workout. A recent study found that when muscles were trained when still sore, no added damage occurred to those fibers,. “One study found that when a workout was repeated just two days later and muscles were still sore, subjects had lower cortisol levels than normal. Since low cortisol means more testosterone is available, it may actually be beneficial from time to time to train the same body part two days in a row—but only rarely.”

Mr. Olympia 2011 Finals

2011-09-19T10:20:00.000+05:30

TOP TEN BACK-T0-BASICS FITNESS TIPS

2011-08-09T16:57:00.001+05:30

There has always been so much written about the fitness and bodybuilding tips and the diet to be taken. People are always confused while reading all this stuff what to eat and what not to eat, or what to do and what not to do, which is better margarine is better than butter? no, butter is better than margarine. Coffee is bad for you, no, coffee can help you, wine can help prevent heart disease, no, wine can promote breast cancer. And so on… So the next time you pick up a newspaper, magazine, book, or whatever and you get thrown into health information overload, refer to this back-to-basics list. These tips, if followed consistently, will add years to your life, keep you fit, strong, and energized, plus offer a boost in confidence.

1. Move it or lose it. 30 minutes of exercise daily. I'm not talking about a walk in the park, although you can do that on the side. I mean at least 30 minutes (up to 60) of pushing your body beyond what it's used to doing. I always say that push your body beyond your limits.Slash your odds for a number of killer diseases and rev up your metabolism with aerobic conditioning and strength training and slow down the aging process.

2. Stop putting up with stuff that's holding you back from being healthy, fit, and energized. Why waste your happiness, health, time, and energy when you don't need to in the first place? putting up with things is good for no one. Make a list of ten things you're tolerating at home. eliminate these items. Be sure to eliminate the SOURCE of the toleration. Do this same exercise for your workplace. Be willing and committed to being toleration-free. STOP COMPLAINING and get to work on this.

3. Fruits and veggies. Get five to seven servings of fruits and veggies a day. Not only do they reduce your risk of getting some forms of cancer, they are heart healthy, and give you more nutrition Plus with the added fiber, you feel fuller even when you're eating less. So fruits and veggies are waistline friendly.

4. Simplify your life, immediately. Our lives are too jam-packed with projects, goals, ideas, coulds, shoulds, have-to's, commitments, concerns, obligations and so on…Ask yourself Why is my life so busy? Why have I chosen to do so much? What am I building with my current lifestyle? Is there a future to it? Is that future costing me my present? What am I missing out on about myself because of my current lifestyle? Start by cutting out 3 projects, tasks, responsibilities, shoulds, coulds, wants, goals, etc. that are not necessary. Eliminate, delegate, or make a system for 12 tasks that are sucking your energy stores dry. When you think of something you "have to do," stop and ask yourself why you have to do it. You probably don't.

5. Take a multi-vitamin. Your insurance policy to get the nutrition your body craves. Anti-oxidants. Calcium. Folic acid. The whole gamut of vitamins and minerals to build stronger bones, maximize your metabolism, boost energy, feed muscles, etc.

6. Create and use 10 Daily Habits. There is a daily routine which will keep you focused, clear, motivated, and moving forward - your 10 Daily Habits. These are the things you do each day which make your life better. Choose habits that you WANT to do. There is no place for shoulds or coulds in your 10 daily habits. Instead select or design daily habits which you look forward to and give you pleasure. Choose habits that GIVE YOU ENERGY. Most of the 10 daily habits that actually work for people are the ones that add to the person's well-being or energy flow. It might mean that you do something like have 6 veggies a day, no TV after dinner, 20 minutes of vigorous exercise,Modify your 10 daily habits as needed. It takes some fine-tuning to have the 10 habits that work best for you. If you find yourself not doing one or two of your habits, change or replace them with ones which come naturally.

7. Depriving yourself of sleep not only makes you grumpy and less productive but may also age you prematurely and promote serious illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. Shoot for a steady 7-8 hours each night.

8. Come from a better place - improve your attitude. Stop trying to change your behavior. Instead, start shifting on the inside. Saying things like, "I will stop eating sugar," "No eating after 9 PM," "I will only eat foods that nourish me," or "I am going to work out daily, starting Monday," the focus is on what you want/need to change. Contrast that with, "I am someone who takes care of my body," "I am someone who associates with healthy people," "My day orients around my well-being and exercise," "I have better things to do than eat junk food," "I need my energy to accomplish my goals." See the difference? The second set of statements focuses on WHO YOU ARE and what you want in your life, not just the change you want to make. This shift is more than just paying lip service to the first set of statements. It calls for action to show your commitment. When you shift who you are, things naturally look different, and the results are obvious.

9. Feed your body well, and feed it often. If you want plenty of energy in addition to boosting your metabolism, 2 or 3 meals a day just won't do it. Spread your meals throughout the day (4-6), balance them with protein, fruits and veggies, and a little bit of good fats such as walnuts or almonds, or oils like olive or sunflower, and your body will be a well-oiled, leaner, energized, peak-performing machine.

10.Drink at least eight glasses of water a day - even a slight dehydration can make you feel lethargic. Maximize your liver's fat-metabolizing ability by drinking more water so that it's not working overtime to detoxify your body. Control your weight and appetite. And girls you may even lower your risk of colon cancer.

Raise your standards. How many of you would like to feel very, very good about yourself, and others, too? Be irresistibly attractive to high quality people? Have "high-as-a-kite" self-esteem and self-worth? Find a role model whose qualities and behavior you admire. Don't try to reinvent the wheel, what standards could you raise so you can be more like them, and still fit you? Stop gossiping, good or bad, about anyone. remember, no coulds or shoulds. These standards must be YOU, you must be ready for them. Remember, too, that these standards are a choice. Put people and relationships ahead of results. And always have a reserve of time, money, love, and well-being.

Body Types - Which One are You?

2011-08-06T11:06:00.001+05:30

The Ectomorph, The Mesomorph, The Endomorph, or a Combination?

The body types are a scientific classification of a person's body shape determined by physical characteristics. Genetics determine our body types and hence the body shape we develop from birth through to adulthood. We cannot change our body type we can only make the most of what mother nature gave us. Getting the most out of our body types depends on our diet and exercise regimen. We have known for quite some time now in bodybuilding that different body types respond differently to both training and nutrition. As a result, it is incredibly important to be aware of what your body type is so that you can design a training and workout program accordingly. In this article, the history of body types and some interesting pieces of information to help you identify them will be mentioned.

THE ECTOMORPH

· Definitive "Hard Gainer"

· Delicate Built Body

· Flat Chest

· Fragile

· Lean

· Lightly Muscled

· Small Shouldered

· Takes Longer to Gain Muscle

· Thin

The extreme ectomorph physique is a fragile and delicate one. The bones are light, joints are small and muscles are slight. The limbs are relatively long in proportion and the shoulders droop. The ectomorph is a linear physique. Straight up and straight down, and may appear longer than he or she really is, due to the length of limbs coupled with lack of muscle mass developed on those limbs. The ectomorph is not naturally powerful and will have to work hard for every ounce of muscle and every bit of strength he or she can gain.

Other Ectomorph TraitsThe extreme ectomorph may have long fingers, toes and neck are long. A pencil neck you could say. The features of the face are sharp, and the shape of the face is triangular. The lower jaw is somewhat receding. The skin tends to burn easily. Extreme ectomorphs may suffer from extremes of temperature. Due to the great body area in relation to muscle mass, the ectomorph may suffer from great heat, and due to low body fat, the ectomorph may suffer from great cold. The hair is fine and grows quickly and is sometimes difficult to keep in place.

THE MESOMORPH

· Athletic

· Hard Body

· Hourglass Shaped (Female)

· Rectangular Shaped (Male)

· Mature Muscle Mass

· Muscular Body

· Excellent Posture

· Gains Muscle Easily

· Gains Fat More Easily Than Ectomorphs

· Thick Skin

The Mesomorph BodyThe mesomorph has well-defined muscles and large bones. The torso tapers to a relatively narrow and low waist. The bones and muscles of the head are prominent. Features of the face are clearly defined, such as cheek bones and a square, heavy jaw. The face is long and broad, and is cubicle in shape. Arms and legs are developed and even the digits of the hand are muscled.

Other Traits of the MesomorphThe skin of the mesomorph is thick and the mesomorph tans well. The hair is heavy in texture.

THE ENDOMORPH

· Soft Body

· Underdeveloped Muscles

· Round Physique

· Weight Loss is Difficult

Gains Muscle Easily Like the Mesomorph.

The Endomorph bodyThe body of the extreme endomorph is round and soft. The physique presents the illusion that much of the mass has been concentrated in the abdominal area. This may or may not be true. The arms and legs of the extreme endomorph are short in length and taper. This may give the appearance of stalkiness. The hands and feet of the endomorph are comparatively small, and the upper arms and thighs are often more developed than the lower parts of the arms or legs. The body has a high waist.
Other Traits of the EndomoprhThe skin is soft and smooth, and the hair is fine. The head of the endomorph is spherical. The head is large and the face broad.

Combinations of Body Types

Very often, people cannot be easily classed as one of the three main body types. Although there are some people who are purely ectomorphs, endomorphs, or mesomorphs with little or no characteristics of the other body types, very frequently, people fall into mixed categories, such as ecto mesomorphs, or endo mesomorphs, where largely, they are like the mesomoph, but with traits of the ectomorph (such as small joints or a trim waist), or traits of the endomorph (such as a tendency to gain fat easily).

BASIC STUFF YOU KNEED TO KNOW TO START BODYBUILDING

2011-08-04T13:01:00.000+05:30

BASIC STUFF YOU KNEED TO KNOW:

1. 1 kCal = 4.2kJ (1 kilocalorie = 4.2 kilojoules)

2. Every kg of muscle on your body metabolises (burns up) about 100kCal per day,

while at rest...and more if you exercise.

3. The Fat on our bodies only burns about 4kCal per kg per day.....its therefore quite obvious that if we want to control our weight, we should aim at increasing our muscle mass.

4. If you gain 5kg of muscle- your body gains the ability to burn and extra 500 kCal per day, just by you sitting around doing nothing.

5. Energy content of the basic food groups:

1g of protein = 4kCal

1g of carbohydrate = 4kCal

1g Fat = 9kCal

1g Alcohol (part of our basic food groups) = 7kCal

There are 3 kinds of Carbohydrates

a) sugar

b) Starch

c) Cellulose (no calorie value)= roughage

Complex carbohydrates are those that are a combination of sugar, starch and cellulose, and they release more slowly into the bloodstream (have a lower glycaemic index)…and therefore do not create the insulin “spikes” that result when simple sugars pour into the bloodstream..

“sugary foods” that create a surge in blood-sugar levels, because they are so easily taken up by the bloodstream, result in this “insulin spike”….this spike, in turn, causes a rapid drop in blood-sugar levels, and the accompanying feelings of TIREDNESS, HUNGER, and irritibility. High sugar intake makes us HUNGRY. Cool drinks and Fruit juices fall DIRECTLY into this category.

Rather drink water and eat a few pieces of fruit each day, than drink fruit juices…..they are EXTREMELY HIGH in calories.

One glass of orange juice contains the juice of about 5 oranges….and I bet you would not often sit down and eat 5 oranges.

6. 1kg of fat on your body = about 9000 kCal of energy

So if you want to lose a kg of fat, you need to create an energy deficit of 9000kCal.

So….how do we do this??

DIET and EXERCISE.

The Diet:

A few basic rules:

1. Read the food content labels on the stuff you buy.

2..Always look for Grams of fat per serving…don’t bother with percentages…that’s a scam.

2. You should keep your total fat intake to less than 30g per day, and you will lose fat quickly.

3. You should have between 1.5g – 1.8g of protein per kg of your total body weight per day…more than that is unnecessary.

4. Drink AT LEAST 2 litres of pure WATER per day (in addition to your teas and coffees)

5. Spread your food intake out over the day…preferably about 6 small meals per day….

6. Remember…a “small meal” could be an apple and a glass of SKIM MILK.

7. If you are not lactose intolerant, then Skim milk and skim milk powder, is one of the cheapest, quickest and easiest ways to get enough protein into your body, at the right times.

8. Egg whites are another great source of protein…..throw away the yolks…that’s where all the fats are stored…..the white is all albumin……..protein.

9. Always eat your easily digestible protein based meal (skim-milk with a banana, and some extra skim milk powder) within 45 minutes of exercise.

10.Tuna is a great easy protein meal.
If you eat more often (ie 6X per day as opposed to 3X, with larger meals), your basal metabolic rate will increase….and this is very important, because our basal metabolic rate is responsible for about 75 % of our energy expenditure…in “normal folk” When you are an “elite athlete” this might decrease to about 50%, because of the amount of calories burnt daily by exercise.

11.Don’t ever try a protein deficient diet…you will lose LOTS of WEIGHT, but most of that will be MUSCLE and WATER….

12.And then you will rapidly GAIN weight thereafter, because you have lost the ability to burn calories, in proportion to the amount of muscle you lost….ie you have “lowered your own metabolism”, by losing muscle….this is what underlies the so called yo-yo dieting and gain/lose/gain more problem that so many overweight people encounter.

EXERCISE:

To keep the old “ticker” healthy, you should do huffy-puffy stuff (cardio-vascular training) At least 3 to 5 X per week.

This does NOT have to be at high intensities….and ESPECIALLY NOT when you first start training again.

To lose weight…the more you do(time) (not necessarily at high intensities)…the better.To prevent injury, follow these rules:

Start with about 20 minutes per day, (140 mins the first week) but DO NOT INCREASE YOUR VOLUME BY MORE THAN 10% per week. Buy a heart rate monitor, and use it. BUILD A LONG SLOW BASE…before you start setting speed records.

Do not, under any circumstances, let your testosterone get the better of you, and result in you entering a half marathon in 2 months time… where you compete with some mates who have been running consistently for the last 10 years.

Weights:

Basic Rules

1. Get someone who knows what they are talking about, to show you correct technique.

2. Go to your local gym, and ask the best looking athlete there to recommend some reading for you….or just buy a few muscle mags…you’ll learn a lot, quickly.

3. Steer clear of anyone who looks like they might be taking steroids…they will inundate you with reading matter on this and that supplement etc etc…all bound to cost you a fortune…remember what I said about skim milk powder….it contains the complete amino acid spectrum….and is the cheapest source of great protein.

4. That…plus a few good multivitamins, (go for the “executive” ones…they have high B vits which are great “brain” food…help with stress etc.)..also some Cal-Mag (calcium and Magnesium)

5. Start off by doing a number of ‘compound exercises”….using light weights and focusing on correct technique.

6. Do about 16 -20 repetitions per “set” , and 1 to 2 sets of each exercise.

7. This will be for about the first Month…just to get your muscles used to the exercises.

8. Do the weights no more than 3x per week with at least a day in-between for recovery

Remember to warm up by cycling/jogging slowly for a few mins,before you start and then remember to finish off your weights session by stretching

9.If you stick to an easy routine, that involves compound exercises and takes, say only 20-30 mins each time, then you are far more likely to stick to it.

10.After the first month, start on your “building program”

11.To build muscle, the rules are;

No more than 12 repetitions in a set, Use as heavy a weight as you can manage 8-12 repetitions. You do not need to do more than 2 sets of each exercise. When you can manage 2 sets of 12 , next time increase your weights on one, or both sets…..you will be amazed at how quickly you can increase the weights.Yes, you will be very sore the 2nd and 3rd day thereafter.

Its ok to have 3-4 days rest in-between weight training sessions….muscle repairs and builds while you rest it.

Eat your protein meal within 45 mins of your workout.

Abs Sculpting Exercises

2011-07-30T18:32:00.000+05:30

Abs Sculpting Exercise

The abdominal muscles are really one big muscle called the Rectus Abdominus. You do not have upper, mid and lower abs unless you have some genetic anomaly. This is really critical to understand because the long muscle fibers in the abdominal muscles start at ribcage and ends at the pubic region.
So, when you contract your muscles during a curl-up or crunch, the two ends of the muscle fibers move toward each other. It is impossible for the lower portion of the Rectus Abdominus (abs) to function without equally "firing off" all the other muscle fibers in the abs.
That means the key to creating great-developed abs is to use exercises that fully contract the abdominal muscle until it is fatigued and that will take the muscle through its full range-of-motion, just like any other muscle you build in your body.
Remember though, you will not see your abs if they are hidden under a layer of fat and you cannot spot reduce the fat from waistline by training your abs for hours on end. Simply doing hours of abdominal exercises may develop your abs but you will still carry that layer of fat around your body if you aren't burning the appropriate amount of calories. If you are trying to lose body fat, there are much bigger and better exercises than abdominal exercises for burning calories and body fat.
Reintroducing, The Sit Up.
It's really, really important for you to know how to properly perform a Sit Up. If you perform the Sit Up like you did in Gym Class, you are reducing the Sit Up's effectiveness by almost 50% and you could cause some serious low back pain for yourself. Remember, when the abdominal muscle is working, "Two ends of the muscle fibers must move toward each other and be able to fully contract".
The old style Sit Ups you performed incorrectly in gym class put too much stress on the lower back and hip flexors. But, do you know what is really crazy about that logic? If more muscles than one are involved, it is called a compound or multi-joint movement.
Description of Exercise
Here is the appropriate way to perform an effective Sit Up.
Lay flat on your back with a rolled up towel under your lower back. Bend your knees about 45° with heels on the floor and keep your toes pointing up. Do not anchor your feet.
Spread the knees apart approximately 6-8 inches to prevent the hip flexors from contributing too much to the exercise.
Next, extend your arms between your legs and keep your hands between your legs throughout the movement because it will help keep you in the proper position.
Now, exhale and lift your shoulders off the ground, keeping your neck in a neutral position. Concentrate on trying to force the lower portion of your ribcage into your knees by curling the spine upward into the sit up position. (DO NOT CURL YOUR NECK). Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position by uncurling your spine and you are finished with the repetition when you feel the rolled up towel supporting your lower back again.
Notice how both ends of the abdominal muscle fully contract together and are stretched through its full range of motion. When you perform a Sit Up with proper biomechanics, your next crunch exercise will pale by comparison.

Basics of bodybuilding

2010-12-25T16:26:00.003+05:30

Many people ask me about the food or diet suppliments, but as always i use to say this hundreds of times that first all of you need to concentrate on the basics of fitness rather looking for the shortcuts to get huge. many of them dont even have their goals set for them, n they dont even know what they are doing and where they are heading. so please consider bodybuilding as a regular subject where you have to study as well do the practicals to achieve and not the shortcuts or copying will work for you. eat good, eat healthy, eat fresh, eat more, eat quality, and push yourself beyond the limits, thats my formula to achieve your goals..

6 Best Foods You're Not Eating

2010-09-28T13:23:00.000+05:30

Some foods are so healthy they star on every nutrition expert’s super food list. But often missing on those lists are some nutritional gems or underrated foods that don’t get the attention they deserve.
Sorting out the best foods to eat is not always easy because the choices can be daunting. Adding to the confusion are overrated foods like salads that are perceived to be good for you but can be health horrors.
Here are six foods not typically thought of as nutritional powerhouses that can definitely upgrade your diet . Getting to know them -- and understanding more about the nutritional goodness of foods in general -- will help you to make more informed choices that can impact your health, weight , and wallet.
Criteria for the Best Foods
In order to make our best list, foods had to be whole foods that are familiar, widely available, affordable, nutrient-rich -- and most importantly, taste great. After all, what good is a super food if it isn’t a culinary delight?
Beyond the obvious ‘health halo’ super foods like blueberries, nuts, and salmon, WebMD asked nutrition experts for their opinion of the best underrated foods that belong on your menus. Here are their top six picks:
1. Beans and Lentils
Make no beans about it, beans and lentils are among the most overlooked items in the grocery store. Beans really are nutrition superstars rich in protein , fiber, complex carbs, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
New York-based nutrition consultant and author of Read It Before You Eat It, Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD says healthy foods like beans and lentils defy the recommendation to only shop the perimeter of the grocery store. “There are hundreds of essential foods like beans and lentils lining the shelves in the center aisles that should not be overlooked.”
Versatile and easy on your wallet, Taub-Dix suggests lowering the sodium in canned beans by approximately 40% by thoroughly rinsing the beans in water.
Elisa Zied, MS, RD, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips, says we don’t come close to eating the three cups a week recommended by the U.S. government's 2005 Dietary Guidelines. “Eating a diet rich in legumes can help promote weight loss and has been shown to lower LDL [low-density "bad" cholesterol ] and raise HDL [high-density "good" cholesterol],” she says.
Toss these nuggets into soups, stews, salads, grain medleys, or greens or create a veggie dip by pureeing beans and adding your favorite seasoning, like hummus made from chickpeas.
2. Watermelon
Watermelon is everyone’s favorite summertime fruit. But because it is so naturally sweet, some people avoid it because they think it is high in sugar.
Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD and author of Expect the Best, says watermelon should be a staple in everyone’s diet. “It is fun to eat, sweet, juicy, low in calories, and chock full of vitamins C, A, potassium, and lycopene. Because it is so high in water, it helps meet fluid needs.”
A bonus is that the thick peel keeps pesticides far from the flesh, earning it a spot on the Environmental Working Groups ‘clean 15’ produce with least pesticide residue.
3. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are often thought of as high in calories and carbs because they are so naturally sweet. But don’t let that fool you.
American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Heather Mangieri, MS, RD says “sweet potatoes are nutritional all-stars and one of the best vegetables you can eat. Not only are they a great source of beta carotene, vitamin C , fiber, and potassium, but this highly underrated vegetable is so versatile it can be enjoyed with very few extra calories or embellishment.”
She suggests topping a slow-baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon, applesauce, and crushed pineapple -- or black beans and salsa. Other options: Mash it or slice into fries and oven bake until golden brown.
4. Red Cabbage
Sarasota, Fla. physician and registered dietitian Christine Gerbstadt MD, RD, votes for the cruciferous vegetable, red cabbage.
“A great source of fiber, vitamins A, D, and K; folate; and lots of trace minerals with only 22 calories in one cup chopped," Gerbstadt says. " Rich in antioxidants, this veggie can boost cancer-fighting enzymes. You can eat it raw, cooked, sweet, savory, stand-alone in a dish like coleslaw, or add it to almost anything from soups, salads, casseroles, sandwiches, burgers, and more.”
She suggests keeping a head of red cabbage in your crisper to inspire creative ways to add more color and nutrition to your meals.
5. Canned Tomatoes
Fire-roasted petite diced tomatoes are a staple in the pantry of Georgia State University professor emeritus Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD. “Everyone thinks fresh is best but cooking tomatoes helps release some of the disease-fighting lycopene so it is better absorbed," Rosenbloom says.
A study in the 2009 Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that a diet rich in tomatoes may help prevent prostate cancer and that lycopene, a strong antioxidant, may also help prevent other types of cancer. Of course, many other lifestyle and genetic factors also affect cancer risk.
Stock your pantry with canned tomatoes for pizza, spaghetti sauce, and home-made salsa or toss a can into soups, stews, casseroles, greens, or pasta dishes. And if your power goes out, "canned foods are a lifesaver," Rosenbloom says.
If canned tomatoes are not your favorite, how about low-sodium vegetable juice? Miami registered dietitian Sheah Rarback, MS, RD, nominates the vegetable juice that has been around for a long time with only 140 mg sodium and an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.
6. Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
There are many yogurts on the market, and plain, nonfat Greek yogurt is a standout.
All yogurts are excellent sources of calcium , potassium, protein, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. What distinguishes Greek yogurt is its thicker, creamier texture because the liquid whey is strained out. Also, it contains probiotic cultures and is lower in lactose and has twice the protein content of regular yogurts.
“Skip the extra sugar calories found in most yogurts and pump up the protein by choosing Greek yogurt that contains twice as much protein, which is great for weight control because it keeps you feeling full longer,” says Judith Rodriguez, PhD, RD, president of the American Dietetic Association and nutrition professor at University of North Florida.
Rodriguez suggests pairing the tart yogurt with the natural sweetness of fresh fruit or your favorite whole grain cereal.

2007-09-08T11:22:00.001+05:30

The Facts About Cardio

Cardio Basics

Before we talk about how much cardio you should do, you should at least know why it's so important. Cardiovascular exercise simply means that you're involved in an activity that raises your heart rate to a level where you're working, but you can still talk .

Here's why cardio is so important:

It's one way to burn calories and help you lose weight
It makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood
It increases your lung capacity
It helps reduce risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
It makes you feel good
It helps you sleep better
It helps reduce stress
I could go on all day, but you get the point
Bottom line: you need cardio if you want to get your weight under control and get your stress to a tolerable level.

Pick Your Poison

The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of activities you'd like to do. These days, there are so many choices, there's no reason you can't find something you enjoy. If you like to go outdoors, running, cycling, hiking or walking are all good choices. If you like the gym, you'll have access to stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, treadmills, rowing machines, stair masters and more.
Just about anything is acceptable as long as it involves a movement that gets your heart rate into your Target Heart Rate Zone.

Remember:

There is no 'best' cardio exercise. Anything that gets your heart rate up fits the bill
It's not what you do, but how hard you work. Any exercise can be challenging if you make it that way.
Do something you enjoy. If you hate gym workouts, don't force yourself onto a treadmill. If you like socializing, consider team sports or a walking club.
Do something you can see yourself doing at least 3 days a week.
Be flexible. You don't have to do the same thing all the time--it's boring and will lead to weight loss plateaus as well. Feel free to turn on the radio and dance around the house like a fool.
Do something...anything. Please. We really need to take care of this obesity problem

How often should you exercise?

The frequency of your workouts will depend on your fitness level and your schedule. Beginners should start with about 3 non-consecutive days of cardio and work their way up to more frequent sessions. The general guidelines are:
To maintain current fitness level: 2-4 days a week (at least 20 minutes)
To lose weight: 4 or more days a week (at least 30 minutes)
To train for a triathlon: You don't want to know.
But, what if you can't follow the guidelines? Then do it for however many days you DO have. If you only have two days to workout (and you'd have to work really really hard to convince me you can't find another day to exercise, but whatever), then that's what you do. It's certainly better than nothing.
Keep in mind that if you can't follow the guidelines, you may have trouble reaching your goals.
If you can't do the work required to reach your goals, you have two choices:
Change your schedule/lifestyle/whatever to accommodate your goal, or
Change your goal
It's totally up to you. There's no super glue binding you to your goals and if you know you can't (or won't) do what it takes, then why lie to yourself? Because, you enjoy living in denial, don't you? Admit what you'll really do and move forward instead of setting yourself up for failure with goals you know you aren't going to work for. And don't end your sentences with prepositions! End of lecture.

How hard do you need to work?

Once you've gotten used to exercise (and are up to 30 minutes of continuous movement) you can start tweaking your intensity. How hard you work is a crucial factor in your workout because:
How hard you work is directly related to how many calories you burn
Raising intensity is the best way to burn more calories when you're short on time.
It's an easy part of your workout to change--all you do is work harder
It's easy to monitor with a heart rate monitor or perceived exertion scale
So how hard should you work? That depends on how long you have to exercise. You want to work at an intensity you can maintain for the length of your workout.
In an hour-long workout, keep intensity low so you won't wear yourself out.
In shorter workouts, raise the intensity since you're working out for a shorter period of time.
You can vary the intensity of some workouts with interval training to burn more calories
Make sure you can carry on a conversation.
If you can't talk, you're working too hard.
NOTE: The target heart rate calculation is just a GUIDELINE--not gospel. If the calculator says your max heart rate is 120 beats per minute and you're not even sweating, please feel free to go faster. Really, I can't believe I have to explain these things but I always, always do. You know your body way better than an internet calculator, right? Right.
Cardiovascular Exercise Principles and Guidelines
For maximum effectiveness and safety, cardiovascular exercise has specific instructions on the frequency, duration, and intensity. These are the three important components of cardiovascular exercise that you really need to understand and implement in your program. In addition, your cardiovascular program should include a warm-up, a cool-down, and stretching of the primary muscles used in the exercise.
Warming Up and Stretching One very common mistake is stretching before muscles are warmed-up. It is important to stretch after your muscles are warm (after blood has circulated through them). Never stretch a cold muscle. First warm up. A warm-up should be done for at least 5-10 minutes at a low intensity. Usually, the warm-up is done by doing the same activity as the cardio vascular workout but at an intensity of 50-60% of maximum heart rate (max HR). After you've warmed-up for 5-10 minutes at a relatively low intensity, your muscles should be warm. To prevent injury and to improve your performance, you should stretch the primary muscles used in the warm up before proceeding to the cardiovascular exercise.
Cooling Down The cool down is similar to the warm-up in that it should last 5-10 minutes and be done at a low intensity (50-60% of max HR). After you have completed your cardiovascular exercise and cooled-down properly, it is now important that you stretch the primary muscles being used. Warming-up, stretching, and cooling-down are very important to every exercise session. They not only help your performance levels and produce better results, they also drastically decrease your risk of injury.
Frequency of Exercise The first component of cardiovascular exercise is frequency of the exercise, which refers to the number of exercise sessions per week. To improve both cardiovascular fitness and to decrease body fat or maintain body fat at optimum levels, you should exercise (cardio vascularly) at least three days a week. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends three to five days a week for most cardiovascular programs. Those of you who are very out of shape and/or who are overweight and doing weight-bearing cardiovascular exercise such as an aerobics class or jogging, might want to have at least 36 to 48 hours of rest between workouts to prevent an injury and to promote adequate bone and joint stress recovery.
Duration of Exercise The second component of cardiovascular exercise is the duration, which refers to the time you've spent exercising. The cardiovascular session, not including the warm-up and cool-down, should vary from 20-60 minutes to gain significant cardio respiratory and fat burning-benefits. Each time you do your cardiovascular exercise, try to do at least 20 minutes or more. Of course, the longer you go, the more calories and fat you'll "burn" and the better you'll condition your cardiovascular system. All beginners, especially those who are out of shape, should take a very conservative approach and train at relatively low intensities (50-70% max HR) for 10-25 minutes. As you get in better shape, you can gradually increase the duration of time you exercise.
It is important that you gradually increase the duration before you increase the intensity. That is, when beginning a walking program for example, be more concerned with increasing the number of minutes of the exercise session before you increase the intensity, by increasing your speed or by walking hilly terrain

Right Way To Do Cardios

2007-05-17T11:41:00.000+05:30

How to make sure your cardio program is right for you?
The four components of a good solid cardio program are frequency, intensity, time and type. Frequency If you're happy with where you are fitness-wise, you should train three times a week for 30 minutes, with no more than two days between sessions. For most of us, we're not very happy with our fitness level so we need to train more. If you want to lose some body fat and increase your endurance, you should be doing cardiovascular exercise at least four or five days a week for 30 to 45 minutes.IntensityThe general rule is to train at 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. Of course, that's a pretty big gap, right? Here are my general guidelines for target heart rate for intermediate to advanced exercisers: one of your workouts should be long (up to an hour or more) at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Two of your workouts should be smack dab in the middle--about 30 to 45 minutes of cardio at around 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. One workout should be short (maybe 20 to 30 minutes) but intense...somewhere around 75 to 80% of your maximum heart rate. When you get up to 90% of your max, you're treading dangerous waters so be careful when you get above 80% of your max, and don't stay there for very long. Allowing some variety into your training intensity will allow you to build endurance without getting too bored or working too hard all the time.
Time
How long should you be working out? Again, general guidelines tell us that, for beginners, you should start with 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. You have to keep in mind that it takes at least 20 minutes of continuous exercise to kick-start your body's fat burning mode. The guidelines I mentioned above are more for advanced exercises than beginners...so what if you fall somewhere in between? You'll have to figure out for yourself exactly how long you can go. I suggest when you start a program, do your chosen cardio exercise for as long as you can. If you keep with it consistently, you can add a few minutes each week. For instance, if you're on the stairclimber at the gym and you can only do 10 minutes at a time, each week add 2 or 3 minutes to each workout. In no time, you'll be stomping away and really burning those nasty little fat cells!
Type
Now comes the hard part. What exercise should you be doing?? Another general rule goes like this; if you want to burn fat and increase endurance you want to do activities that recruit large muscle groups and employ continuous movement. Okay, so that would include anything from walking to jogging to cycling. Those types of activities are generally continuous and it's pretty easy to keep your heart rate at an even keel. When you do things like in-line skating and swimming, its a bit harder to keep your heart rate level, especially if you're a beginner. However, the more you practice, the better you get and the easier it is to get your heart rate up there. Then you've got the team sports, like soccer, volleyball and basketball. These kinds of cardio activities are more of a start-stop kind of thing, which gets into the anaerobic category of exercise.
The Bottom Line
Do any cardio activity you want...just make sure you like it and you can do it continuously for at least 20 minutes, and that you are monitoring your heart rate. May I suggest a heart rate monitor for the chronically lazy. The important thing is consistency. Whatever you do, make sure you do it often enough that your body can get some benefit from it.

Body Sculpting

2007-05-05T18:25:00.000+05:30

Big and Lean Muscle MachineSix sure bets for packing in mass while staying lean.
1 LOAD UP ON LOW-FAT CARBS We all know we need to increase protein and carb intake for muscle growth and recovery to occur. The daily parameters are 1-1.25 grams (g) of complete protein per pound of bodyweight and 2.5-3.5 g of carbs per pound of bodyweight. When pushing the carb envelope into the 3.5 g neighborhood, switch to fat-free sources of protein, such as fish, egg whites, protein powders, skinless chicken breasts, nonfat cheese and nonfat cottage cheese.
2 DUMP CARBS AS FAT INCREASES To build trainloads of muscle, add red meat to your diet. Muscle-building red meat is high in B vitamins and iron. The need for omega-3 fatty acids -- responsible for enhancing glycogen formation, retarding muscle breakdown and promoting hormone production -- mandates eating salmon, steak or flaxseed oil four days per week. During those steak and salmon days, lower carb intake to 2.5 g per pound of bodyweight to prevent an increase in body fat.
3 OPT FOR SLOW-BURNING CARBS IF YOU'RE A HEAVYWEIGHT If you tend to be on the heavy side of the bodyweight equation, stick with natural slow-burning carbs. Yams, oats, rye bread, Cream of Rye cereal, peaches and apples all yield smaller insulin bursts, thereby helping to discourage the accumulation of body fat.
4 CHOOSE ANY CARB IF YOU'RE LEAN If your percentage of body fat tends to be low, you can chow down any type of carb. Leaner athletes release less net insulin than their heavier brothers and sisters. Less insulin means lower body fat. Bagels, rice, pasta, fruit and low-fat cookies are all legit.
5 INCREASE FAT ONCE EVERY 10-14 DAYS Did you ever eat an entire pizza or a greasy hamburger and surprise yourself with an awesome workout a day or two later? The fat may have helped you reap the rewards of your heavy labor. Occasionally bumping up fat intake actually upgrades the body's ability to store muscle glycogen. Take a break from the typical clean bodybuilding diet every 10-14 days and include higher fat foods, such as burgers, cheese, pan-fried steaks, T-bone steaks, whole eggs and bacon.
6 VARIETY EQUALS SUCCESS Alternating high-calorie and low-calorie days offers better results than eating the same quantity of food day in and day out. The same change-it-up-to-keep-things-fresh principle applies to training volume. After five weeks of dieting and training to get big and , bump up the number of sets you perform per bodypart by 50% for one week. Cut back your normal volume by 50% the following week.