Pinoy Fitness Blog

90-day Training/Cutting Experiment

2011-06-07T22:16:00.003+08:00

Tomorrow is the day, I am setting up for a 90-day training and cutting experiment. It's been a while since I had my last workout and right now I am craving for a more intense and well disciplined training. I plan to undergo a semi South Beach Diet. Goodluck to me.

Current Stats:

- 82 kgs

Plan for the 90-day training

- Cardio

- Workout

- South Beach Diet for 2 weeks

Will update starting tomorrow.

losing weight by avoiding salt?

2010-04-14T19:25:00.001+08:00

The best advice that you can get is to consult a dietician first before you do all types of diet plans.

Consuming a low-salt in diet is a significant way in reducing weight. Lots of women have reduced their weight by doing this. Just like any form of diets, it is very important to be approved first by a medical practitioner. Water retention is a severe cause of being overweight.

The common low-sodium diet calls for liquid restraint. Omitting practically all salt in a diet is a significant part of regulation reduction. Salts are present in many forms of food, and of course especially if you eat in a fast food or restaurant where you cannot regulate your own salt consumption. Be sure to remind the waiters or restaurant’s personnel not to put in too much salt with your food.

Vivian Blaine, the good-looking actress, whose shape is lean and attractive, told me that her successful weight lessening is the result of liquid constraint. She weighed 150 lbs and wasn’t able to put in a show for holy wood When she began dieting, her weight drops to 130lbs..

Four women well-known in civic life have recently lost 20 lbs each by giving up salt—and water— at their meals.

Let’s admit that without salt, we cannot fully enjoy our food. So here’s some tips for you to do in order to at least enjoy the food. There are numerous subustitutes on sale at health shops. One of the know brand is “Diasal” manufactured by E. Forugera and consisting of of potassium chloride. “Fortissimo Brand Seasoning,” made by Isrin-Oliver, “Gustamate,” made by the Arlington Chemical Company, and “Co-Salt,” made by Cassimir Funk Laboratories, are all good, too. These seasonings don’t have sodium chloride and is salt-free.

If you ever heard of Dr. Kempner’s famous rice diet, it is introduced for high blood pressure patients and it has found great success to people that are obese. The Kempner diet is not that by any means. Since it is a salt-free diet, then it has a place in here. The diet has only rice, fruit, fruit juice and or honey. Vegetable juice are not included, Dr. Kempner found that the diet results in a significant reduction in the size of greatly enlarged hearts and that water-logging, sue to kidney disease is eliminated. The main seceret of success mainly rely on the determination and motivation not to include salt in your diet. This may be a small concern for fitness enthusiast but this is a great reminder to all that consuming salt can become a serious problem within your weight.

Losing Track in Fitness Plan

2010-03-12T21:06:00.003+08:00

Its been two months already since the last time I went to the gym for my workout routine. All my workout from bench press to barbell curls and sit ups were gone. A lot of hindrances actually are the reasons why I caught by laziness. Before, I religiously workout almost everyday and I had a high motivation for getting fit. I don't know what happened now, I got out of track. I forgot my supposed hobby. Here I list some possible or the real reasons why I got out of track in fitness plan.

Momentum stopped. Strike while the iron's still hot. I observed that when I cannot go to the gym for about 3 days, my momentum really ruins my plan and my motivation really drops significantly. I feel lazy going back and got tired easily.
Insufficient time. Time management is an important factor in a fitness plan. Without this, you cannot allocate ample amount of time for your plan. Most likely your other activities will also be affected and the overall effect would still be losing track of your fitness plan. Making excuses not to show up in the gym is one of the worst thing I've done.
Lacks motivation. Ask yourself, what is your goal? The answer to this makes you motivate and adds up inspiration of what you do.
No budget. This sounds funny for some people but this is definitely true, Getting into diet and fitness plan needs to invest not just hard work but money as well. Taking supplements for example affects if you have a tight budget. Eating the right food as well affects the show. Seriously saving enough money for the plan helps work this problem out.
Uncontrolled circumstances. Possibly acceptable reason, but if you go deeper with this, it relates to time management. Although some circumstances actually are natural, but some were just sort of alibis. This bad habit really sucks big time.

I lost my previous fit. My weight increases as I really have a big appetite. Its like eating as if there's no tomorrow. Getting out of this is a serious task. Its like I'm starting over again.

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Protein Review

2010-03-02T23:33:00.006+08:00

Good day everyone, here I am again blogging another supplement review. It is about time to get fit and taking a right supplement helps in achieving your goal into fitness and grab some sexy chicks with your rock hard body. Let get it going here.

Optimum Nutrition (ON) has been around in the world of supplements. They have their top selling and effective Amino 2222 wherein we had a review that I posted few weeks ago. So first, we all need to know what is whey protein. Whey protein is basically a high quality protein made from cow's milk. Milk has two types of protein, the casein and whey. Whey protein has a share of 20% of content found in milk while casein has 80%. Whey is more soluble compared to casein and is also known to have higher quality of protein. Lets not go deeper with how whey protein is created.

ON whey protein won the Supplement of the year and Protein Powder of the year award for the year 2005-2008. Just like its predecessors, this new line of ON's whey protein is significantly have the same characteristics with proprietary blend of

Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolates
Ion-Exchange Whey Protein Isolates
Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Concentrate
HydroWhey Hydrolyzed Whey Peptides

Giving you more than what you want in a supplement(pure whey protein) and with less content with what you don't want(fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, lactose and carb), this supplement has the best combination. ON 100% Whey Gold Standard is better than previous generation of ON's whey protein, here's why

ON 100% Whey Gold Standard provides more whey protein isolates (WPI) content - it is by far the purest and most expensive source of whey protein available.
It has a higher protein content percentage. ON´s 100% Whey Gold Standard has always been committed to give the best whey protein powder. Now with 24 grams of protein in a serving, and it´s nearly 79% protein by weight.
The formula included more HydroWhey strategically hydrolyzed, low molecular weight whey peptides to make this supplement fast acting and fast absorbing source of protein.
ON´s 100% Whey Gold Standard now has lactase and Aminogen digestive enzymes to add up and enhance protein absorption and make this supplement even more friendly to lactose intolerants.
Mixes easily.
Every serving of this supplement supplies more low, moderate, and high molecular weight, biologically active whey protein microfractions including Alpha-lactalbumin, Glycomacropeptides, Beta-lactoglobulin, Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, and various growth factors.
It has 4 grams of glutamine and glutamine precursors as well as 5 grams of BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) in each scoop.

Side Effects of Whey Protein
- There is no evident side effects known in consuming whey protein. All you can get is a lean mass. But of course too much of anything can harmful. As with whey protein, taking too much and beyond prescribe dosage can stress out the liver and kidney. It is advisable also to drink plenty of water if taking this supplement. Recommended dosage would be 1gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you're 150lbs then taking 150grams a day of protein is healthy.

The hard to get six-pack Abs

2010-02-27T11:02:00.010+08:00

Almost everybody loves to have it. We all love those ripped and hard looking abs, but not all of us achieves this. So what should be done? Building a ripped, cut abs can go a long way in terms of self discipline. Building six-pack abs can be more easily done when you're still in younger age, like teenage and 20's however there are still some who achieves even if they're in 30's and 40's.

The Road to 6 pack
- The main factor that should be considered is nutrition, it is absolutely essential in overall physique. It is like a garbage-in and garbage-out theory. If you eat lots of calorie, fats then the result would be a bulging tummy. It is advised to eat at least 6 small meals a day so that metabolism in your body will be maximize. Exercise alone could not get you on six-pack, watching your diet is also essential. For the abdominal muscle to show up, you need to shred the fats that are covering your belly area. A combination of the right diet, exercise and motivation are they key to success.

The abs exercise
Each exercise should be executed until the point of momentary muscular failure, which should happen between 30 and 90 seconds. This is considered one set, which should be no more than 15 to 20 repetitions. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds. Concentrate on performing each exercise slowly with good form. Work up to completing two to three sets of each exercise.

Reverse crunch Lie flat on the floor with a neutral spine, with knees at a 90-degree angle, feet a few inches off the floor and legs together, hands by your sides (behind your ears if you're more experienced). Focus on contracting your abdominals to lift your hips up and in toward your rib case. Exhale as you contract; inhale to return to starting position. Done correctly, this exercise isolates the lower half of the rectus abdominis and the transverus.

Bent-Elbow Plank: This exercise works the whole trunk, particularly the transversus abdominis. Start by lying on your belly and then lift yourself up onto your toes and forearms (elbows in line with shoulders) while contracting your abdominals and keeping your back neutral. Hold that position for five seconds, then rest and repeat. Ultimately, strive to hold the pose for 90 seconds without any rest -- for one set. If you're more experienced, you can also do this exercise on your hands and toes. (As a beginner, start on your hands and knees with a neutral spine and simply contract the abdominals on an exhale without moving your back.)

Bicycle: This exercise works your obliques as well as your rectus abdominis. Lie on your back, hips and knees bent at 90-degrees, chest curled over ribs, hands behind your head. Extend the left leg out while bringing the right knee in towards the chest and rotating the left shoulder toward the right knee. Keep the arm from crossing the face. Rotate from the trunk through the center to the other side without dropping your chest. Move in slow, controlled movements without shifting your hips

Cardio
Doing crunches alone could not get you to easy abs, you must also do cardiovascular exercises such as jogging, sprinting, running, aerobics. Doing cardio boosts metabolism and burns fat in no time. You can do 30 minute hi intesnity interval training or just a regular jog.

Truth about Hydroxycut Fatburner

2010-02-26T09:11:00.000+08:00

Last year the BFAD orders recall to all products associated with Hydroxycut. This is due to related incidents about liver damage and some health concerns from the consumer. The following products have been recalled.

• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Capsules
• Hydroxycut Max Liquid Capsules
• Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
• Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
• Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
• Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
• Hydroxycut 24
• Hydroxycut Carb Control

Hydroxycut Side Effects

Hydroxycut have some adverse side effects, this is because of the caffeine content of the supplement. Below are the common side effects that you should know.

Blood pressure increases
Increase in Heart Rate
increased sweating
headaches and dizziness
loss of appetite
jittery and restless

Hydroxycut Benefits
There should have been benefits, if there's not then no one would indulge in taking this supplement. The following are the benefits;

Fat Loss
Weight Loss
increased energy and stamina
increased metabolism
loss of appetite

Whey Protein Side Effects

2010-02-19T07:15:00.000+08:00

Whey protein, a very common supplement a bodybuilder knows since it is a lean mass builder. Common brands of this supplement have almost the same characteristics and content. Bodybuilders and athletes look for the serving size and for the protein content in each serving. Usually the protein content ranges from 20-40 grams. It is a fact that most bodybuilders look for more protein per serving, the more the merrier and the more your body absorbs protein. Research shows that physical activity as well as muscular mass size are two main factors of protein requirements. According to the US/Canadian Dietary Reference Intake guidelines, women from 19-70 years old need to consume 46g of protein a day. Men on the other hand from 19-70 years old needs to consume 56g of protein a day to avoid deficiency. The recommened requirement is 0.8g/kg, which means you need to consume 0.8g per kilogram of weight of your body. However most active athletes consume 2-2.5 g/kg a day.

Excess in Consumption
The body cannot store the excess protein you take. It is digested into amino acids which enter through the bloodstream. These excess amino acids are processed by the liver. These makes the liver and the kidney being stressed.

Possible Protein Side Effects
Though most experts still have debates about the adverse effects to whey, the possible side effects are likely related to over consumption of protein. The following are the top possible side effects:

Allergy caused by lactose intolerance - Since whey protein are made from dairy products, the most common side effects of whey protein is this. It is likely caused by the difficulty pf digesting lactose; a form of sugar found in dairy products like milk.

Blood Acidity increased - Excessive protein in the blood will give kidney a hard time to metabolize, which will makes the blood acidic.

Joint Problems - When the blood turns acidic, the body's response is to turn back to basic. The calcium in the bones will be released to turn blood back to basic resulting to insufficient calcium deposits on the bones leading to osteoporosis that will cause a probable joint problems.

Kidney stones - When your body uses calcium to neutralize the effect of acidity in the bloodstream, the unused calcium will be deposited in the kidneys causing a stone formation.

Liver Damage - High protein consumption could be a cause of ketosis - characterized by elevated ketones in the blood. Ketosis is a dangerous state since it causes too much stress on the liver and might lead to liver failure and damage.

As a word of advice, take supplements in moderation. There is no known shortcut for success. You need to lift more, endure more cardio to make your body fit. Consume what is recommended and always talk to your doctor about what supplements you are taking.

Hot Summer Workout Tips

2010-02-16T10:56:00.000+08:00

Its almost summer here in the Philippines, the weather slowly becomes hotter. Then here comes the El Nino, which brings unusual heat. As this conditions are coming, we still can do workout but with extra precautions. Here I post some tips in doing an exercise for summer.

Watch out for heat exhaustion. When the body becomes overheated, its internal thermostat shuts down which can result to heat stroke. The symptoms of heat exhaustion include muscle cramps, headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting or fainting. The skin can still be cool which means that the cooling mechanism of the body is still functioning. Pulse rate is fast and weak and breathing is rapid and shallow. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, which is fatal. It is characterized by hi-body temperature, red, hot and dry skin, rapid strong pulse, headache, dizziness, confusion and unconsciousness. If these symptoms are present, you should get out from the heat and seek for immediate first aid.
How to avoid heat exhaustion? When exercising outdoors, you can do it at early morning. Preferably before 7am or after 6pm in the evening. If you still want to do exercise beyond this time, you can do it at the gym.
Do not put yourself into direct sunlight, look for a shade from trees and wear a sunglasses or a sunblock.
Drink plenty of water as this is the common way of cooling the body.
Wear loose fit clothes and preferably light colored.

All of there tips are mainly common sense, we just have to put in mind the danger of heat exhaustion.

Promatrix 7 Whey Protein Review

2010-02-16T01:05:00.000+08:00

I bought a 5lb pack of Promatrix 7 choco flavor for 1800Php, around 39$. This product claims to be a multiple source of protein. Unlike from any other whey, this is a combination of whey protein concentrate and isolate, soy protein and casein. The later two mentioned is a special protein in which it sustained slow release of amino acid to the body lasting for several hours. This provides better nitrogen retention of the body. As the research shows, whey protein could not last long in the body, unlike casein and soy. Some bodybuilders that are consuming whey are also consuming casein protein separately. Long lasting protein is also important since it may benefit the consumer of anti-catabolic property in which muscular breakdown minimizes.

One pack of this have 65 servings, so it is sufficient for a month if you consume 2 servings a day. Protein content is quite good which has 23g per serving. Recommended serving is 3 times a day. As the label says, it came from VSNutrition, a company based in India. At first I don't know if I'm going to get this because of a doubt if this is effective, but then since this is quite cheaper than Optimum Nutrition and other US based supplements then I give a try. The taste is just like an ordinary chocolate drink though I could taste and smell the presence of an egg albumin. It is good to shake this in a electric blender together with a tablespoon of nonfat milk.

Side Effects:

Whey proteins are usually safe as long as you do not abuse the amount of protein intake per day because it could stress out your liver.

Verdict:

This is by far the cheapest protein powder that I consumed, It's worth a try. The downfall could be the mixing problem as it needs to mix it thoroughly. The taste is mediocre but it tastes good if mixed with milk. You could save as much as 50% because you do not need to buy another casein or soy protein for a long lasting anti-catabolic formula. Overall I give a 4 out of 5 review for this product.

About Steroids

2010-02-14T21:57:00.000+08:00

Here I am again blogging my insights about using anabolic steroids. This drug is a synthetic compound that is closely related to the male sex hormone. It gives a competitive advantage to the one using specially in sports. It gives them the boost in stamina and endurance, lean muscle mass, strength and ability to train longer and harder. A lot of bodybuilders that I know use this drug, for them enhancing your body's physique can only take a week. Sounds interesting, well that is true, changes in your body can occur only in weeks. Users take this in cycle, meaning there's a period of time in taking the drug, after that period the user ceases in using then another period comes.

Adverse Effect

Though I don't know someone yet who have been suffering from its side effects, researchers found out that some effects includes liver tumors, jaundice, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Some related effects also are shrinking of testicles, reduced sperm fertility, baldness and development of breast. Most bodybuilders are already aware that a lot of were unluckily died because of steroids.

I know a workout gym that sells anabolic steroid, they have posters hanging and promoting their business. People who don't have any knowledge yet, specially for those who have just started in working out must be cautious. There are gym goers that I know boasting their body in no time. They must be lucky if they know what they were taking, but if they don't then it could harm them. I still believe that your fitness goal be achieved in hardwork not just by taking a drug enhancer.

Creating A Training Journal

2010-02-13T20:01:00.000+08:00

Good day everyone, right now I'm blogging about the benefits and how to create a personal training journal. A training journal can be beneficial to athletes because it can track their progress and failures. Doing so can create some newer techniques and how to improve more. When you are injured now, a training log is useful in going back to the past and look at your performance. From this, you can adjust your training accordingly. Keeping a training log can also boost your motivation to improve more and train more. You can see how much you exert your effort before and you don't want to lose the track of being fit. It also serves as a guide, study and make a simple graph of success and failures.

Some Data for your Training Journal

You can put such information in your journal like: walking pulse, weight, number of hours slept, willingness in training, intensity of training, duration, place of training, number of sets and repetition and the type of training you did. Record your thoughts and feeling each session. Make it seriously so that you can adjust in the future what are your training's motivation weakness. You can put factors that influenced your training output. Put also in your journal the diet you undergo, including what you eat, drink and some supplements you take. Take your training journal with you in your training so that you can write down immediately what you did. Doing this can make your future training successful and fun when you read back your efforts and trainings.

Sample Training Journal:

Review: Ultimate Nutrition Protein Isolate

2010-02-12T20:51:00.000+08:00

Good day to all workout enthusiast, right now I'm writing my comment on UN's Protein Isolate. This is a wheat protein supplement, bought the 3lb tub at Php1400 or approximately 30 bucks at Wisechoice store(see my review for this gym supplements store). It has 57 servings per container. I opt to choose this one because of the serving size, so it means that I can save more compared to whey protein. Of course I am still in doubt at first if it is effective, but since it came from a reputable brand so I bought it. The highlights of this product follows:

57 servings
20g Protein per serving
zero lactose/zero cholesterol
only 1g of sugar
best for vegans

Wheat proteins have the benefits of a dairy based protein but without lactose and cholesterol. Plus the high glutamine content is very beneficial to athletes since during physical stress the glutamine content in the body depletes and need to replenish from supplementation. Glutamine is an anti-catabolic, preventing muscle wasting and lessens the degree of muscle soreness.

Verdict: Great value supplement, effective, tastes great with your favorite juice mix!

Reinventing South Beach Diet: The Pinoy Way

2010-02-11T21:17:00.000+08:00

South Beach Diet, most people who indulge in fitness probably know about this kind of diet. Its not actually a difficult diet to follow. And it is not about starving yourself, it is all about eating the right food. Avoid the unnecessary food and take the essential one. Here is my own or a pinoy interpretation of the popular South Beach Diet.

In this diet, it involves three phases. We call it phase 1,2 and 3

Phase 1: As a Filipino we mostly crave for rice in every meal, we love rice and that's a fact. So in this phase we will omit this from our diet. Generally, eating carbohydrates in this phase is prohibited. The food in this phase will be consisting of protein. So what do we have here? Chicken Adobo and Tinola are just two from the many choices of favorite pinoy food. In this phase you can eat any amount of protein. Chicken breast is the best source for me. When preparing adobo or tinola, remove the skin and some fats. I recommend to use pure chicken breast, lean meat of pork or beef without the fat and skin. Then cook it with minimal salt and seasoning. In this phase, vegetables are also part of the diet. Eat boiled okra, eggplant or the "laswa" or boiled vegetables. It is rich in vitamins specially if malunggay leaves are present. Restrict your diet do not eat sweet, salty, starchy, fatty food in this phase and also drinking beer or some alcoholic drinks is prohibited. Keep in mind to eat only protein, vegetables, fruits. Eat 6 small meals a day. Do this for 14 days.

The malunggay leaves.

Phase 2: Once you achieved phase 1, now you're in this phase in which you can take some of the restricted foods from phase 1. As expected in this phase, you already lose as much as 15 pounds depending on your body's metabolism. Eating carbs, sweets, fatty is OK in this phase, but eat it sparingly. If you crave for a cake or a burger for this evening then no more for this tomorrow. You can eat rice and bread but not that much. Learn that brown rice has less calorie and sugar than white. As a Filipino, try to look for a substitute like camote, banana or corn. You can eat this source of carb but not that much. Stay focus and keep in mind that you're still on your diet. Eat 6 small meals a day, focus on protein, vegetables and fruits. Do this phase until you achieve your wanted weight.

Phase 3: In this phase, it is expected that you already achieved your goal. Eat what you didn't eat in the last two phases. Just keep on recording your weight and if you feel that you're again gaining, control again your diet from what you've learn from the last phase. This is a way of maintaining your achieved body.

Running Shoe Guide

2010-02-10T22:11:00.001+08:00

Whats your running/ jogging shoe? We have different types of foot. There are flat, hi -arched and normal feet. Good to know that I have a normal feet, and I can usually use any kind of running shoe.
If you have a flat foot then you are overpronator which means that your feet roll inwards while you run, so you need a shoe that maintains your feet stability. Just look for a shoe that has motion control and stability. If you have a hard time looking for it try to ask advice from the expert.
If you have a high-arched foot then you will notice a high and definite arch on your foot, this means that if you run, your feet rolls outwards. Pick a shoe that has soft mid-sole that absorbs shock.

Before buying a shoe try to ask assistance from the salesperson, then ask what type of foot that u have. The salesperson can assess whats the perfect running shoe for you. Choosing the right shoe is critical because it could cause an injury and discomfort while running. Some basic qualities of shoe that you should consider is the cushioning, weight, and the type of material used. If you're living in the Philippines, I will recommend Athlete's Foot, Planet Sports and Runnr sport shop. Here in Cebu it is located at Ayala Center. Some good brands of running shoe are Asics(i prefer this for cushioning and comfort), New Balance, Nike, Adidas and Avia

Workout Music

2010-02-09T20:54:00.001+08:00

What's your workout music? If you experienced getting bored while in the middle of a PRT or cardio exercise then why don't you get some energy from music? I already experienced like getting tired at the middle of each set so what I did is to listen to a heart pumping music that will add to your energy. Go get a good mp3 player, I got the Philips Go Gear Spark 4GB. With at least 100 songs in line that would be enough for at most of 2 hours in the gym. My personal preference would be a modern rock tune with a good bass and rhythm, that would be a kick ass. Other preference would be techno, pop, and r&b tunes. Here I list some music in my mp3 player that's good in sweating.

Enter Sandman - Metallica
The Fixer - Pearl Jam
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Remember the name - Fort Minor
Shake Break Bounce - Chemical Brothers
Psychosocial - Slipknot
If you only knew - Shinedown
Uprising - Muse

and a lot more... Keep exercising together with your music..

10 minute Hi-Intensity Interval Training

2010-02-08T21:18:00.001+08:00

If you're busy with your work and have a small or no enough time to go out for an hour of cardio then you should try this 10 minute workout. All you need is a ball and a stopwatch or preferably a companion that can assist you in timing your interval exercise. I already tried this workout and its defeinitely nice, you will sweat in no time, lol. Just prepare your lungs for you will undergo a fast pace exercise that will burn your hiding calorie in your body. So lets get started, this workout consist of 8 rounds of ball burpees using the Tabata protocol (20 sec of work, 10 seconds of rest per round) After that, there is a 60 second rest period. Begin another set of exercise using pushups and explosive jumps. Countdowns are simply intervals workout that starts with 10 reps for each movement have a 10 seconds rest period between sets. Each successive set starts with one less rep. Once you reach 5 reps eliminate the rest period between sets.
Heres' a videolink from hitmantraining.com. I love this exercise!

Pilates and its fitness benefits for women

2010-02-07T22:31:00.000+08:00

Liposuction is all the rage these days but for the less-inclined, Pilates can offer women a surgery-free alternative.
Pilates, developed by Joseph Pilates during the World War I, is an exercise that focuses on core strength and flexibility. Marilen Concepcion, a certified Pilates instructor, said Pilates can produce better abdominal muscle tone resulting to a “streamlines and taller” appearance.
Best of all, Pilates can be done at home using a half-inch thick mat, said Concepcion.
“In Pilates, we really make you focus on engaging your core muscles that comprise of your abdominals and your inner deep back muscles especially in the lower and mid-back so that helps in improving your posture, helps keep your back strong, makes you feel taller because you have a better posture,” she explained.
She added: “It is advisable to still do some cardiovascular exercises in order to lose the pounds, which will make you also lose the flabs in your stomach.”
Concepcion also noted that Pilates is an exercise for all ages and for both men and women.
“The reason why it benefits a lot of people is because in Pilates when you move, you’re only going through the range of motion that your body can take. We don’t force you to go further,” she said during a discussion on Pilates held at R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street.
Not only does it tone abdominal muscles, it also reduces back pains
, decreasing the chance of osteoporosis. “Pilates is considered a mind and body exercise because of some resistance in the movements,” said Concepcion.
She also recommends Pilates for dancers and athletes engaged in different sports because it helps stretch muscles. “By doing so, it also helps them decrease the risk of injury because it strengthens the muscles surrounding the joints,” she said.

By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net

Muscle Pain After Exercise

2010-02-06T21:56:00.000+08:00

Its been barely two weeks since I'm off with my exercise routine, since then I'm really aware that muscle soreness happens after a week of rest from the gym. Muscle soreness or muscle stiffness that is felt 12-48 hours after exercise, most part is at the beginning of a new an exercise program, after a change in sports activities, or after an increase in the duration or intensity of performed exercise. This muscle pain is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as it recovers. This soreness is quite annoying when performing another set of exercise, it will limit your mobility and affects your concentration. All I have to do is to wait for 3 days and the pain just go away with no special treatment. However I take aspirin or ibuprofen at night just to ease my sleep, since it is so painful when you move sideways in your bed. Applying a liniment also helps with its soothing and menthol effect and also by massaging the affected area. Avoid vigorous or very strenuous exercise while the pain is still there, it will just worsen the case. Instead perform a low impact exercise to stretch down the affected muscle. If pain persists for a week then consult your doctor.

Brisk Walking

2010-02-05T22:15:00.000+08:00

Nowadays most people are leading a very unhealthy lifestyle. This includes inadequate sleep, eating disorder, lack of exercise and other health diseases. Almost all of us have got so engrossed in making money, that they have stopped giving attention to their physical and mental fitness. Most of us do not realize that money cannot buy life. There's a saying that health is wealth, so if health is lost then your wealth succumb. So it is time to give importance to our health and makes a constant effort to work in maintaining our fitness. There are a lot of type of exercises but one exercise that is very suitable at any age group classes and that is brisk walking. There are innumerable benefits of brisk walking, especially for obese people, as it helps them a great deal in fastening their wight loss program. The ideal brisk walking speed is the one in which you are still capable of talking with your walking buddy while carrying on with your walking session.

Benefits of brisk walk

Fights stress by providing complete mind relaxation

Protects from certain kind of diseases like osteoporosis, colon cancer constipation etc.

increases the longevity of your life

reduces depression

relieves backache trouble, a great remedy for arthritis

increase flexibility by strengthening your muscles, bones and joints

ensures that you have a proper sleep at night

Wisechoice

2010-02-05T00:48:00.000+08:00

Ive been working out for almost 2 years already although my muscle cannot form very well because of the on and off schedule of working out. But for you out there who plans to get leaner then I suggest you work hard and take supplements. Ive found a store retailing at almost half the price compared to the mall. It is located at annex building of Chings Palace Salinas Drive Cebu City, the establishment 'Wisechoice', with great selection of supplements with a very very cheap price. You check it out.

Link: http://www.istorya.net/forums/health-and-beauty/109378-fs-gym-supplements-and-vitamins-super-low-prices-w-picture.html

GM Diet Plan

2010-02-03T22:50:00.000+08:00

GM Slimming Diet Plans For Higher MetabolismSupported by a grant from the Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture, the GM diet has been tested at the John Hopkins Research Centre. It has also been approved by General Motors Corp and has been designed for the employees of General Motors. The idea behind designing this diet is to improve the overall fitness and wellness of the employees and their families. It is a seven day diet.The GM diet: A seven day plan, the GM diet is supposed to help you lose five to six kgs of weight. You do not need to eat less in this diet but just need to follow a certain food plan. Every day, you will be asked to eat certain food products and adhere to the guidelines. You will eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and drink lots of water through the day. The principle behind this diet is that the food products on the list will help your body burn more calories. You’ll also feel fresh after the detoxification that happens.
7 Day GM Diet Plan Here is the day to day diet plan for GM Diet:

Day one: On the first day, you will be preparing your body for the diet. So that day, you can have fresh fruits through the day. Natural and nutritious, fruits will provide total balance.

Day two: On the second day, you can start your day with a shot of carbohydrates. You can have a boiled potato the first thing in the morning for balance and energy. Through the day, you can have other vegetables for nutrition and fibre. We suggest you have a variety of vegetables and use as less as oil as possible. Boil and bake the vegetables and make yourself interesting salads.

Day three: On the thirds day you can have a mixture of vegetables and fruits. Just avoid bananas and potatoes. You might have cravings on this day, which will diminish by the next day.

Day four: This is the bananas and milk day, and you can have as many bananas and lots of milk on the fourth day. This is for the potassium and sodium that you have missed in the first three
days. On this day, you won’t crave for sweets and the day will pass very easily.

Day five: Tomatoes, beef and rice rule the day. While rice provides you with carbohydrates, tomatoes improve digestion and are rich in fibre. Drink a lot of water for flushing out the toxins.

Day six: Rice and vegetables are the order of the day. Eat a lot of cooked or raw vegetables and rice. It is a perfect combination of carbohydrates and vitamins. Your body has started losing weight and you’ll notice the difference in your diet.

Day seven: On this day, you can have brown rice, vegetables and fruit juices.

SOURCE: http://www.diethealthclub.com/types-of-diet/gm-diet-plan.html

Review: Optimum Nutrition Amino 2222 Tab

2010-02-03T22:23:00.000+08:00

The Superior Amino 2222 Tabs provide a full spectrum 2,222 mg array of essential, conditionally essential, and non-essential amino acids derived from a blend of isolated, concentrated, and hydrolyzed protein sources plus L-Ornithine and L-Carnitine. Bottom line: it's one powerful pill.

Been using this pill for quite sometime and it really helps in building muscle, it really enhances the cut and your muscular shape. Take it 4 tabs a day before and after workout.

Side Effect: First, if youre in doubt and have past troubles with kidney and liver then consult a physician first. There is not much notable negative side effect of the amino acid, athletes, bodybuilders and exercise enthusiasts looking to build muscle and strength and improve recovery would benefit from ON's advanced amino acid technology. Just take it with plenty of water because you might get choked on the size of the tab.

Tips for Weight Loss

2010-01-31T21:00:00.000+08:00

Its already February and summer is fast approaching, since most of us want to have that beach body then you should try this tips and start it today!

Cut that fastfoods visits. We all know that fastfood restaurants surround us. They are promoting tempting foods that usually craves most people passing by. Say goodbye to this and hello to home cooking. Some of us do not know how much calorie we intake from burgers, french fries, pizza etc. . All of this are just a crap, though it is quite ok if eaten sparingly. hehe

Cook at home. When eating in a restaurant, you do not know how much calorie intake you did. Though some of us doesnt mind at all about computing the calorie intake, but if you're serious in your management then you should learn everything about what you eat. Dont prepare too much food for yourself. Instead of frying, try grilling, steaming or boiling the food. From this the fats from a cooking oil minimized the calorie of the food you prepared.

Focus on Protein. Dont waste your tiring exercise and all you have to eat is mostly fatty and hi- carb, instead prepare foods that are rich in protein. This includes beef, chicken breast, tuna, salmon, egg, milk and many others. If you have money then try to spend some for whey proteins. Some commercial products have positive results. It is complete in amino acid and protein we need specially if you're active in doing sports. It helps maintain that lean muscles that you have.

Watch your carbs. Filipinos love to eat rice, thats a fact. We love to eat it together with our favorite viand like grilled fish, pork, adobo etc. Certainly, carbohydrates is significant in our diet, it is just not right to consume more than a normal diet can do. Eat more fruits because some of it are low in glycemic carb. Low glycemic carbohydrates will lower your blood sugar slowly.

Cool down with water. Let water be your bestfriend everyday. Stop indulging from sodas and softdrinks and liquor. Replinish yourself from an hour of exercise with water to prevent dehydration.

Workout. From cardio to weight training, It is very needed to burnout our calorie. Weight training also develops our strength, endurance, metabolism, relieves stress, prevents stress etc. Actually there are a lot of benefits from this and the best part of it is you burn fats.

Motivation. All item mentioned above should be done with motivation. What is your goal? answer it and make a commitment everyday. Have fun and enjoy burning your fats.

Practicing a healthy lifestyle.. When to start?

2010-01-30T22:08:00.000+08:00

This is the first question that you will ask to yourself. When to start practicing a healthy lifestyle? Of course if you are fond of oily, sweet foods then probably you would have to be more motivated for yourself. Start it by taking out some higher-calorie items such as softdrinks in your diet. Do it one step at a time so that your body can adjust well with your needs. Limit the carbohydrates intake and focus more on fruits, vegetables and lean meat. Of course dont forget your motivation and sincerety in your diet. Its because if you dont have serious commitment and goal - you will lose interest, so keep motivated. So there now you ask yourself will this plan work for me? We are all unique, we have different physical characteristics, different genes. This is why each of us will have to do slightly different things to beat that fat. Be prepared for a long term commitment, believe you will change into a new you.

Welcome

2010-01-30T21:39:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my new blog, this blog caters all categories of fitness related articles and tips. This includes lot of information of diet and exercise plans. Diet plans includes some tips on how to get that lean, minimal fat body. There will be some reviews on foods, supplements, vitamins that are needed by our body. Exercise plans also be publishing some workout routines and guides in proper executing.