Muscle Activation

18 weeks out

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Tue, 5 Jun 2012 01:13:00 +1000

It has been 3 week after my previous post. Many things came up during those weeks one of them would be hiking during the weekend. I enjoy extreme outdoor activities but this could be one of those activities that help me relax and appreciate the nature as well. I'm a great believer in self meditation and the sound of nature help to ease my problem away within me.

My life is all about challenge and taking risk. I define myself as a climber "who will stop for nothing to reach the top" that has put me where I am now. I used to be a camper "who wait for something to happen" and that approach seems to left me wasting 3 years of my life doing things that I don't like. What's life if ;

- the person you are with doesn't appreciate you like how you treasure them?
- you are not appreciated by the community even you are trying to help them?
- it's all about money?
- there's a communication barrier between race/religion?

Those are the things that haunt me away from my own country. Now, I am happy where I am and what I'm doing.

living my life to the edge.

Daily mealy, 200g of Bassa fish, mix vegetable and couple of rice cake

I love eating chicken

Like I mention before, I Love eating chicken almost everyday

I do have something creamy as my healthy food

One of my favorite snack 80-100g of cream cheese, mix vegetable and rice cake

Spinach with chicken supreme

My current weight

I may not drop hell lots of weight but I enjoy the process. I have mention that I will take things slow because living a healthy lifestyle is not about how fast I reach my goal instead how much I enjoy my transition. I understand my body very well and I know I will lose most 1kg every 10 to 15days

Egg white liquid form

Healthy food is easy to get around here in Melbourne because the community understand that living a healthy lifestyle is the key to longevity. One of the approach that the government already applied is removing carbonated drinks in school for the young community. Based on my POV, parents are responsible for their children eating habits and school are trying to educate some parents to not feed their children with junks or sweet. So the next time you see children who are obese or unhealthy, you know that the parents are not well educated on eating healthy.

Still bulky and I need 8 more weeks before those abs will pop out.

slices of chicken breast with mix vegetable

Being superstitious 3 chicken for AU3.33

21 weeks out

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:30:00 +1000

Here we go:-

14 May - 8a.m.

My current weight - first thing in the morning. My strategy is to lose 1kg every two weeks. I choose to take slow and steady pace to lose weight so I won't be so stress on my diet. Stressing to much on cardio and diet will affect my mental alertness.

750 calories in an hour

I have been doing numbers of cardio for the past few days. The minimum amount of time on a Cardio machine would be an hour. I prefer Stair Master and Stepper machine for my cardio because I manage to lose more calories with those machines.

Tuna, mix vegetable, whole egg and 60g/100g of oats

Breakfast - I will consistently consume the menu above for my breakfast every day for 5 week before changing to slightly different menu. I choose oats for my breakfast because it keeps me full longer and fill me up well. I don't get bloated sensation like some. I choose to microwave my breakfast and it only take less than five minutes for me to prepare it. Simply easy & Healthy

Weet bix, mix vegetable, chicken breast or kangaroo or fish

What is weet-bix - Weet-Bix is a high-fiber breakfast biscuit manufactured in Australia and New Zealand by the Sanitarium Health Food Company.

It is best to consume meat with less fat part in our diet and I prefer to consume and easy to cook meat like chicken breast/ fish as my protein source. Currently I'm consuming 160g-200g of carbs per day from weet-bix and oats.

As you can see nothing is visible. I need approximately 5 - 8 week to bring out the visibility of my mid section. I have a well develop shoulder but it is far away from a contest condition. I'm not sure what is my body fat percentage but I'm guessing I should be somewhere 14%-18%

Check out my mid section, its bulging out like a 3 month pregnant man. I'm a very sad man from the front and the side.

The good thing about my back is it's thick and that is my strongest area but I'm hating those love handle. I gain a lot of fat and water on my love handle, my thigh and my glutes. I have just started consuming pre workout as my supplement and my program routine are based on a heavy weight from 8 - 15reps per workout. I consume Brach Chain Amino Acid during my training and also while performing cardio training.

Ten days from now, I'm very sure that I will bring out more definition and tighter physique.

Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything.
Vince Lombardi

Journey to IFBB amateur Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:46:00 +1000

Date is out

IFBB Victorian Championships - Melbourne Victoria October 13th 2012

My first ever show for the year 2012. I've miss out some much due to work and travel. Several months back I have accepted a job as a Personal trainer on a cruise ship and because of that I have stop writing,dieting and also training consistently but now I'm back here in Melbourne to do what I do best - competitive bodybuilding.

I will upload my;

- progress picture every 10 days from 14th of May onwards
- meals and supplementation
- training video

BONUS to my reader, I will share couple of my secret in my training and sports nutrition and do shoot your question as I will answer them honestly.

What/where can I improve in this 22weeks of training to bring a better package

Detoxification part II

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:04:00 +1100

Detoxification & Body Cleansing

Many physical symptoms of the body accumulating too much acid within the system, Stress, aches and pains, lack of energy, bruising easily, cellulite, excess body fat, headaches, tiredness and a few others. Acids in the system breaks down the delicate balance in our biochemistry. It destroy cells, nerve endings, your vital organs; lungs and liver. One of the easiest and most effective ways to relieve these symptoms is thro

ugh re-balancing your body through detoxification, reducing acidity and shifting the body internal PH level back to an Alkaline or Neutral state. Lear to be aware of your body's imbalances is an important step towards gaining optimal health and self regulation over the physical and mental effects of one body.

By following the carefully designed program below to condition your body back to an alkaline balance you'll reduce the risk of debilitating disease and injury. This system overall body health improvement complements other health system and weight loss programs whilst considering both the short and long-term goals. Its effectiveness measured with a newly found awareness of health and vitality.

Detox Objectives:

Diminish the chances of debilitating disease
allow the body organs to be more actively efficient in dealing with existing problems, as well as day to day stress
diminish joint and muscular problems
act as part of a weight loss program
to burn FAT and calories
enhanced nutrient uptake
increase mental alertness
lower cholesterol and other blood related problems
enhance immune system
tone the lymphatic system
How to detox

If you have a health condition, please refer to your doctor before you wish to proceed with the detox program. Remember !! A good detox program will last no less than three month or more than twelve month. Before that reduce or best avoid ;

Process food & fast food
Alcohol
Smoking
Coffee
Regular supplement or non natural supplements

Consume lots of green leafy vegetable in your diet example spinach also have them with 3 main meal consist of Wheat,brown rice,Oats for your breakfast,Lunch and Dinner. Snack your day with healthy fats like Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts and hazelnuts. If your goal is mainly to lose weight you can consume protein source from tofu, broccoli and fish. Animal that have 2 leg or less are the healthier choice because they contain less saturated fat. Consume food rich with Iodine like seaweed. Dairy product like eggs and milk, remember to go organic.

Phase 1 (First month)

Cleansing

Introduce body to detox program by consuming 2 to 3 littler of water per day.

Make time to have 3 solids meal per day and separate them 4 hours apart.

Consume a handful of nuts 2 hours after every Solid meal.

Phase 2 (Second month)

Repairing

Consume large amount of vegetable like seaweed,parsley, broccoli, spinach with every meal and season them with iodized salt.

Phase 3 (Third month)

Revitalizing

Supplement your food with spirulina and gingseng

On the fourth month repeat your diet without the supplement and start your program again on the fifth month. Practice them, by performing it regularly it will become a habit. A habit that will be very beneficial towards your health for a healthier lifestyle.

Action Plan

Choose Organic

Consult your doctor before you begin the program

Enjoy the transformation for a healthier you

Sources & Images courtesy of :

Detox

Objectives

Credentials

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:29:00 +1100

MASCULINE MAGAZINE

Berita Harian 24/11/2011

Detoxification

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +1100

Its been a while from my last update. Have been busy with activities and was preparing myself to get here "London". Awhile back during my studies I was offer with job to work as a Personal Trainer on a luxury cruise. In order to work with on the cruise I have still need to be train in this special institute. In here, where all the greatest trainer from all over the world comes from different race, age and sports is being train and I am one of them. Even tho I am a qualified trainer, I am still being train so we could provide and share with more updated knowledge with every client we'll meet in future. Now, this would be one of those knowledge that will absolutely change you LIFE.

Awhile back I have share with you, to be healthy you need to exercise. It is also beneficial for your cardiovascular(heart). With the combination of a proper nutrition you will also be healthy and able to lose fat at the same time. What more can you do to be in a greater health? Here are the trilogy of success.

1. Exercise

2. Nutrition/Eating

3. Detoxification/ Cleansing on the inside from toxin

Currently one in four WILL die due to overuse of Medication, one in three WILL die of Cancer and one in two of Heart Disease.

Imagine you haven't been brushing your teeth for a week or a month? Now imagine if we have the ability to turn ourselves inside out. Would your internal system look good? Where these toxins come from?

FOOD (ASPARTAME, PRESERVATIVE, ALCOHOL)
HORMONES
SKINS (LOTION,SHAMPOO,DEODORANT)
AIR (AIR CONDITION, CIGARETTE, CO2)
WATER (CHLORINE, FLUORIDE)
STRESS
MEDICATION (VITAMINS, DRUGS)

If your body being acidic from toxins your health is being compromised and our liver release hormone that is responsible for breaking down FAT. Now do you understand how toxin are affecting your health and also your ability to lose weight/fat.

"If you have disease it's because you ate it"

L.T Jordan - Author, Detox for Life

Action Plan Choose organic food

Start a detox diet

Next week topic Detoxification part II

How to detox

Detox program

You Are What You Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:37:00 +1000

Let us try an experiment. Have a look in you fridge and investigate what food you have in there, fresh fruits and veggies, or does it contain cheeses and dairy? How about your pantry – is it full of simple carbs and treats, or raw nuts, whole grains? Whether you see healthy food or not the old saying is true You Are What You Eat.

Mental health can be significantly improved by simple change in diet - according to mental health charity Mind. Improving mood means eating less of the foods that work against you. Comfort foods are not really your friends by limiting how much you eat of these foods will go a long way toward improving mood.

Sugary and starchy foods cause the highest peaks and the deepest blood sugar crashes of all. In addition these high density carbs cause you to eat even more of them. Sugar is addictive, causes bad mood, weight gain and diabetes. If you are serious about improving mood then try mango, berries, pineapple, yogurt or a smoothie as an alternative dessert.Replace white rice, flour and pasta products with the whole grain variety. Brown rice, whole grain breads and pasta contain more fibre and less high density carbs. That means more energy and better mood.

Many foods and drinks cause sudden spikes in the blood sugar level. The body compensates and the blood sugar level plummets lower than before you ate. Your mood sinks and you feel the need to eat another comfort food or take a big cup of coffee. This helps in the short term but soon you'll feel jittery and need another fix.

Improving mood means eating less of the foods that work against you. Comfort foods are not really your friends. Limiting how much you eat of these foods will go a long way toward improving mood.

Action Plan

Eating healthfully is a lifetime habit, so remaining aware will serve you in your weight loss or maintenance

Sources & Images courtesy of:
YouRwhatUeat
muffins
drinks

Healthy Lifestyle A Way of LIFE

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 1 Aug 2011 10:55:00 +1000

For the past few weeks how do you live a healthy lifestyle?

What's your opinion of the idea that a healthy lifestyle is following certain rules? What's really a healthy lifestyle for you? What things do you do that help you achieve that?

Living a healthy lifestyle takes discipline. You must make up your mind and choose things that are good for you and your loved ones. It comes down to being committed to do what is good for your body, mind and spirit. Living a healthy lifestyle involves taking care of your physical, mental and spiritual health. You need to arm yourself with appropriate knowledge that will ensure that you get the result you want.

Healthy eating food that are nutritional and good for the body. It includes avoiding food that is bad for you like refined carbohydrates, fatty foods, alcohol, etc. Eating in moderation is the essential component of healthy eating.

Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Aerobic exercise is good for your heart and your body. Yoga has a therapeutic affect and also helps to reduce your stress level.

Managing stress Failure to manage stress can harm your body and affect your relationship with others. If left unattended, stress can also lead to alcohol or drug addiction.

Sleeping right having a positive outlook about life and having a balanced life are also the necessary components of a healthy lifestyle.

The physical, mental and spiritual aspects of your life are intertwine. For you to be happy and healthy, you need to keep all these aspects of your life balanced. You should monitor what you do on a regular basis, to ensure that you are doing the right thing. If something is not right, you can make any necessary changes to help move you in the direction of your goal. With this in mind, working toward living a healthy lifestyle is achievable.

Action Plan

Make them as a habit, eventually it turns into a lifestyle

Sources & Images courtesy of:

exercise
stress
sleeping

Gaspari Myofusion

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:05:00 +1000

Gaspari Nutrition by far one of the greatest brand that create product that works for everyone. Nutrition are the key ingredient to achieve a great physique. As I'm getting closer to a contest I will invest most of my time in the gym and of course on my supplements.

Currently I'm consuming Gaspari Myofusion

Why Myofusion ?

- Protein blend is a great supplement to gain and still keep that lean look.
- It contain CLA increase metabolic rate & promote burning fats.
- Only 5g of carbs
- contains Whey Hydrolysate (rapid absorption & easy on digestive system)

My Protocol

Since I'm on ketogenic diet I have to keep my sugar level very-very low for 6 consecutive days and keeping my carbs intake below 40g for those days before having one high carb day. The ingredient in Myofusion doesn't affect my sugar level and it can be consume at anytime. I consume them twice a day, two scoop per serving. One serving after my morning cardio and another serving before bed. This method will keep my body in Anabolic state

Directions for Gaspari Nutrition MyoFusion Hydro:

Depending on your individual protein needs, mix 1 to 3 scoops of MyoFusion with 6 to 18oz. of cold water or milk (6oz. per scoop) in a shaker or blender, or simply stir into solution with a spoon. For maximum results, drink MyoFusion™ 2 to 4 times a day.

Special thanks to my sponsor fitnutritions.com

Boost Your weight loss

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +1000

"I have been working out for the past few months and eating clean every 6 days in a week and yet it takes ages for my weight to drop". Sound familiar? Good morning reader and how are you today? Obviously everyone is good and we're in the 9th week of Healthy Lifestyle Program. From today onwards it will get much more interesting and fun to do.

So how do you lose that extra weight?

Build muscle by performing resistance training.
- Muscle burn calorie at rest
- More muscle means more calorie burn

Cardiovascular/ aerobic exercise
-Keep your self chill/hydrate by drinking lots of water

Snack attack or snacking between meals help increasing your metabolic rate.
- Thermogenesis (Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also takes calories)

Consume more protein in your diet

Protein contains 4 calories per gram
Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram
Fat contains 9 calories per gram

A high carbohydrates in the diet cause an insulin (a "storage" hormone) output in the pancreas. It is used to store glycogen, amino acids into muscles, while causing excess calories to be stored as fat.

Coffee

- caffeine helps in increasing the level of circulating fatty acids, this does mean that it helps in enhancing fat oxidation.

- Drink 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day and your body will start burning calories faster

Get Active

- Lets get moving, look for ways to walk and move around an extra few minutes in your daily basis.
- Increase your general physical activity throughout the day by walking instead of driving.

Keep in mind that how you look is important than the scale.

Action Plan
Practice the program daily and you'll see changes within a week
Snack on fruits and vegetable
Have coffee without sugar

Next week topic
Healthy Lifestyle A Way of Life

Sources & Images courtesy of:
figure
cardio
snack
coffee
family

L- Lucine

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:50:00 +1000

L-Lucine a naturally occurring amino acid, one of the essential amino acids the body don't produce:

necessary for growth and for nitrogen balance
help burn fat without burning muscle
may improve protein synthesis in muscle tissue in people with insulin resistance
may lower blood sugar levels and normalise and control insulin release and insulin function
may increase Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

You’ll find these ingredient in many diet pills and lifting supplements. It is, of course, important to get the right amount of the stuff into the product so L-Leucine can maximize its potential.

Study by Journal of Nutrition.

They performed a 10-week study involving two groups of women. One group followed a high protein diet (which included a high dosage of L-Leucine) verses a low protein, high carb diet.

The results were interesting. Each of the women consumed about 1,700 calories per day. By the end of the 10 weeks they found that both groups of women lost an average of 16 pounds. But those that stayed on the protein rich diet (consuming a plentiful amount of L-Leucine) lost more body fat and retained more lean muscle mass then those in the high-carb group.

This supports the claims about L-Leucine and its ability to aid in weight loss while not burning muscle mass.

Foods High In Leucine

Cottage cheese
seafood, meats
poultry
peanuts
sesame seeds

Take Note !!

You must have enough L-Leucine in proportion to other amino acids in order for your body to make use of what you eat. Lack of the amino acids your body will not be able to make use of the protein that you put in no matter how much protein you consume.

How to consume

Leucine stimulates insulin "storage hormone" secretion when consumed with glucose. By itself, leucine showed little effect on glucose or insulin levels. Combined with glucose, leucine significantly increased insulin secretion in a synergistic effect that was greater than the insulin response to glucose alone.

Sources & Images courtesy of:
metabolism
glucose

Injuries

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Good morning readers. Have you taken your breakfast yet? You should because it is the most important nutritional meal of the day. A healthy diet plan promote weight loss, reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, reduce risk for stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, aid your body from the training and prevent them from injuries

In our previous session we focused on resistance training, by combining them with your favorite outdoor activities it can be fun, but they can also be dangerous if you are not careful. You can help prevent injuries by

* Be active to make sure you are healthy before you start playing your sport
* Wearing/ choosing the right shoes, gear and equipment
* Drinking lots of water
* Warming up and stretching
* Adequate recovery
* Nutrition

Injury to the body is painful and often debilitation experience. It affect psychology as well as physiology, impacting significantly on our work and lifestyle. An injury can range from a simple acute haematoma to a chronic, constant pain like associated with tennis elbow.

Common Injuries

Their cause in common injuries and their treatment, you can increase the progress towards your fitness goals by avoiding injuries that will be the obstacle in your training regime. Exercise should provide a moderate and gradual increase of stress to the skeletal muscle system. Overuse can lead to a variety of common injuries because you are not allowing time for our bodies to heal.

Muscle Soreness
Sprains
Fracture
Tendonitis
Lower back pain

Managing Injuries

If you get hurt, stop exercise. Continuing to exercise can cause more harm. Treatment often begins with the RICER (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Referral) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling and speed healing. Other possible treatments include pain relievers, keeping the injured area from moving, rehabilitation and sometimes surgery.

If you have already hurt yourself from training/playing a sport a while back, make sure you recover completely before you start up again. If possible, protect the injured part of your body with padding, a brace or special equipment. When you do start training again, start slowly.

Prevention of Injuries

Be in proper physical condition to play a sport.
Wear appropriate protective gear and equipment.
Avoid playing when very tired or in pain.
Always warm up before playing.
Rest.

Action Plan

Pay attention to your body. Take small steps to get to your fitness goal
Play/Train smart

Next week topic
Boost your weight loss

Sources & Images courtesy of:
Prevention
injuries
m-injuries

Resistance Training

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Good Day everyone and how was your weekend? I hope most of my readers did not forget about your fitness goal - keeping a Healthy Lifestyle. Before we proceed to this week topic you must already felt the difference on your body after performing stretching in your training/ daily routine, Stretching also may reduce the soreness after performing a resistance or cardiovascular workout.

Why Resistance Training

Resistance training targeted to improve low fitness levels, poor trunk strength, and deficits in movement mechanics can offer observable health and fitness benefits to every one. Even if you don’t intend to develop a better body shape, you still have to take these exercises to improve your health. "Health is wealth"

Benefits of Resistance Training

Increase Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Increase Strength
Improve body composition
Increase bone mineral density
Increase cardio-respiratory fitness
Increase resistance to injury
Enhance mental health and well-being

Resistance or strength training uses many methods to increase ability to exert or resist force. Free weights, own body weight, machines, or other devices provide resistance.

When and Where

What usually comes in people mind is training in a gym would be the best place to do a resistance training. If you can stand, sit, squat, and lay flat on the floor that means you have enough space to do it. If you take health and fitness seriously, resistance training can be done even in the office. The most common way of doing this is with weights or involve resistance. But there are many other ways. It all depends on your creativity. For start, you should have the right training equipment or tools. Don’t worry, you can get them from almost anywhere and its coast effective.

Tools

Resistance bands

Dumbbells

Medicine ball

Towel

Mat

Interval Timer

Program card

The most import aspect for start is resistance exercise techniques. At the beginning of the training program, correct technique of the exercises involved and proper postural alignment should be emphasized, and the resistance and number of sets should be kept low. A single set per exercise may be suitable for you. The best method to improve your form/technique is to practice and perform more repetitions on the exercise. Your training program should consist of the 7 Primal Movement as it is very beneficial to your daily lifestyle.

Conclusion

Resistance training alone measured quality of life. In conclusion, resistance exercise was shown to be effective in the prevention or reversal in many kind of disease. It can be done anywhere and mostly anytime.

Action Plan

Purchase and perform the exercise with your favorite exercise tools
Record every workout session in a program card
Enjoy the workout and your transformation
Always stay positive and consistence

Next week topic
Prevention of Injuries
Common Injuries
Managing Injuries

Sources & Images courtesy of:
home
bands
dumbbell
ball
towel mat
timer

Water

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Sat, 9 Jul 2011 13:47:00 +1000

Water is important to the mechanics of human body. Water makes up more than two thirds of human body weight. Water also plays a key role in the prevention of disease. The body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all the organs. Water also transports oxygen to our cells, removes waste and protects our joints and organs.

Water serves as a lubricant

Water forms the base for saliva

Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.

Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.

Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste - the best detox agent.

Water helps to regulate metabolism

On average, eight-ounce glasses per day will be sufficient. However, that might not be enough. The amounts really need to be tailored to meet the needs of every individual. There are factors that influence water needs. You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, health status and if you're pregnant of breast-feeding.

Tips: To ensure you are drinking enough fill up a bottle of water and keep it on your desk at work or at home. As you drink down the water, you know that you are on the right path. The best indicator that one is drinking enough water is when urine comes out pale yellow to clear. A dark yellow color however is a sign your body is dehydrated and is concentrating the urine in an effort to conserve water.

Images&Video courtesy of :
water
vid

Posture & Stretching

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Why have a good posture?

Good posture promoted with a balance of workload of muscles, limbs and joints. Poor posture may cause fatigue, muscle strain, compression of blood vessels and pain. It also can effect the function of major organs. Your posture present your lifestyle. How you stand, how you sit, how you sleep all affecting your posture.

What is a good posture?

Shoulders pulled back, head held high, chin up and back flat is how soldier stand. A good posture is about keeping the natural curves of the your spine when standing, sitting or lying. When these curves are in their resting or neutral state, they experience the least strain.

Primary causes of Imbalance and postural problem mainly due to Sedentary Lifestyle

Ideally from a back view the spine should have no lateral curvature and the legs should be symmetrical without undue angulation at the knees or ankles. From a side view the spine should form a smooth S-shaped curve, bisected by an imaginary plumb line dropped from the apex(tip) of the head through the center of gravity of the body. This same plumb line should pass through the tip of the shoulder, the center of the hip joint and ankle joint and slightly behind the knee joint. With this ideal alignment the body weight is balanced over the spine and lower extremity joints requiring minimum muscular effort. This alignment also evenly distributes pressure on the intervertebral discs ( lie between the spine) and avoids excessive stress on the ligaments.

The sitting position is where most people get into trouble with poor postural habits. This is especially when driving or doing a desk job. As we focus on the activity in front of us we tend to protrude the head and neck forward. Because the body follows the head, the twelve segment compose the middle of the vertebral column(thoracic) and largest segments of the movable part of the vertebral column(lumbar spine) tends to round forward as well. When this occurs, the weight of the head and upper body is no longer balanced over the spinal column but instead must be supported by increased muscular energy and placing spinal ligaments on stretch.

Over time this leads to fatigue and eventually even pain in the neck and upper back. Shoulders rounded forward which occurs for example when your car seat is too far away from the steering wheel further contributes to this pattern of imbalance. Ideally then, the S-shaped curvature of the spine that is characteristic of good standing posture should be maintained in sitting as well.

This is best accomplished by sitting all the way back in a straight-backed chair and placing a folded towel or small pillow in the arch of the low back. Fortunately, many new office chairs and car seats come with built-in lumbar supports and other adjustable features. Sitting and standing with proper postural alignment will allow one to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on your body's ligaments and muscles. Being aware of good posture is the first step to breaking old poor postural habits and reducing stress and strain on your spine.

Common posture problem

When a muscle is shorten for a prolonged period of time, it will become tight which really means it will become shorter than it is supposed to be. When a muscle is shorter than the optimal length, it not only effects the opposing muscle but can have influence on the entire bone structure (musculoskeletal system). Some common muscles which cause the most posture problems.Tight hip flexors are major cause of many posture problems. When it is subjected to long hours of being seated the hip flexors become shortened. When the hip flexors are shortened they cause the pelvis to rotate anterior (forward).

You can see the influence of anterior (front) pelvic tilt on skeletal alignment. The spine becomes excessively arched and the thoracic spine develops a kyphotic (rounded/hunch back) alignment. Forward head posture can result because of this as well. Tight hip flexors can begin to do the abdominals work, and make it almost impossible to get benefit out of some abs workout. Tight hip flexors causes the primary hip extensors the gluteus maximus (largest part of the bum) to become lengthened and weak. This is because of the agonist-antagonist relationship which means the glutes and hip flexors are opposing muscles. When the primary hip extensors become weak the synergist (helper) muscle takes over causing further problems.

Tight Hamstring the difference is the length of the hamstrings when you sitting down and standing. When you stand, the muscles are lengthened. Even sitting in a good posture shortens the hamstrings. Sitting for long periods of time, will be prone to chronic hamstring tightness.

There are a few posture problems associated with tight hamstrings. If the hip flexors are tight, the hamstrings will become your primary hip extensor (extend). The hamstrings are supposed to be the synergist (assist) but become the prime mover. This is called synergistic dominance which increases the chances of injury. It is easy to see why synergistic dominance increases the chances of injury. The gluteus maximus (largest part of the bum) the largest muscle in the body. If the gluteus maximus cannot extend the hip, the hamstrings which are not as powerful as the glutes are forced to do more work than they are designed for. Having a tight hamstrings will make it difficult to work and get results with your leg and glutes. Hamstrings tightness can make you prone to pulled hamstrings, and sciatica.

Another muscle imbalance which causes posture problems which are repercussions of the sedentary lifestyle is forward shoulder or also called the upper cross syndrome. Poor exercise selection also can develop forward shoulders. If you suffer from this muscle imbalance and are not able to retract (draw back) your shoulders, which is common in many people, you should start a corrective flexibility program.

If you have any of the posture problem it is best to see a specialist such as a chiropractor or exercise physiologist. There are a few tests in a which a professional can use to diagnose specific posture problems.

How to improve posture?

Strengthen the Core
Fix Rounded Shoulders
Corrective Flexibility
Stretching

Type of Stretching

Static stretching is the most common type of stretching. You gently assume a stretch position and hold it for 30 to 60 seconds. There is no bouncing or rapid movement. You should feel a mild pulling sensation, but no pain. You should feel the stretch in the belly of the muscle, not in the joints. A simple static stretch provide a large benefits towards your body and posture.

Neck stretch
Wall stretch
Chest stretch
Trapezius stretch
Rotator cuff stretch
Hip Flexor stretch
Full Body stretch

Benefits of stretching

Increase flexibility
Better posture
Decrease pain in muscle joint
Enhance coordination
Reduce stress

Action Plan
Practice good posture
Do stretches total of 20min on a daily basis
Attend Pilates classes (Optional)

Whats on next week
Resistance Training

Sources & Images are courtesy of :
Posture
Posture1
Posture2
Image
hip
sitting
neck

Performance in Extreme Environtments

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Sat, 2 Jul 2011 09:53:00 +1000

Measuring Core Body Temperature

Basic mercury thermometer
Ear thermometer
Rectal thermometer
Esophageal thermometer
Gastrointestinal radio pill

Hot Environment
37 degree Celsius (normal core temperature)

Heat related:

Dehydration
Heat exhaustion
Heat stroke

As we become more dehydrate less fluid will be absorb. Approximately 2% decrease in body fluid will result in decrease of performance. Sign of dehydration include headache, tiredness, dry skin, decrease urine production, nausea and dizziness.

Heat exhaustion is when the body temperature increase to about 37 - 40 degrees. At this stage a person can experience a decrease in coordination, minor mental dysfunction, rapid pulse and breathing.

For Heat stroke to occur the body core temperature must reach 40 degrees. At this point a person could experience confusion, seizures, balance problem and irrational behavior.

Cold Environment

Hypothermia is the major concern when training or being exposed to cold or prolonged period of time. Hypothermia can be expose to snow, cold weather, inadequate clothing. Training in cold environment cause the blood to shift away from the skin due to vasoconstriction -rise in blood pressure which increase in hearth workload. Heart rate also falls which reduce the amount of blood therefor oxygen being delivered to the working muscles.

Training in cold environment particular in cold water result in a fall of power output and decrease in muscle efficiency. An extended warm up is advise to minimise these effects or you could wear extra clothing.

Target Heart Rate

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +1000

What a wonderful day today right? I believe most of you already enjoying this new lifestyle. Feeling so fresh every time you wake up in the morning, not feeling sloppy and full of energy and its the fourth week of a healthier you. I hope many of you have already start working out in a gym or at home and for those who doesn't have time to invest for a gym membership please do apply the healthy daily routine that I suggest previous week.

This week I wish to talk about what you can do at home or at the park. If you are able to go out for a walk or cycling why not add some kind of training that may provide an extra benefit to your training. Our body uses glycogen from carbohydrate before it uses fats. So the best way to tap in and use those fats as energy is by increasing your heart. Before doing so you need to know what is your maximum heart rate.

With this approach it is easier and safer for you to workout and lose those unwanted fats. The optimum heart rate zone for burning fat is 60% - 70% of your maximum heart rate. Exercising in the fat burning heart rate zone will promote the burning of fat because the body draws on fat stores and combines them with oxygen to produce fuel for your muscles. If your heart rate falls below the optimum heart rate, the body is not working hard enough to be of any benefit. If your exercise is too intense, the body draws on glycogen (carbohydrates) instead of fat, because glycogen is stored in the muscles and is easier to access and burn. Therefore, you lose the benefit of burning fat.

If you're willing to invest to make things easier just purchase the most basic polar heart rate that record and show your heart rate. They come with a strap that you need to strap on your body, very easy to use and the watch is user friendly. I myself owned one.

Now you've already know what would your heart rate be in utilizing fats as energy apply them in your training. Mix up you daily walk or jog with some short run to increase your heart rate. This is also known as Interval Training. With this approach you don't need to spend to long on those activities, highly benefits in utilizing fat fast and save time.

By now you should have a clear picture on types of food to choose and portion size. This way of eating habit will increase your metabolic rate, increases energy levels, and avoid binge eating among other things.

ACTION PLAN

Once you have found your maximum and target heart rate apply them in your training
Adding some sprint in your training will add some challenge and very beneficial in losing fat fast..
Always keep a positive mind set no matter what are the challenges
Keep it fun to keep you interested and motivated
Most important - Have a active lifestyle

Conclusion

By understanding and also applying the target heart into you training it will help you losing weight and body fat faster without stressing your body. Burning fat zone occur at 60% - 70% of your maximum heart rate. The best cardio training that help you burn fat are the training that you can perform it consistently. Mix up your cardio training with some short sprint so you may elevate the heart rate faster.

What's on next week
Posture
Stretching

Sources & Images are courtesy of :
http://www.fitbiz.com.au/FITBIZ/client/ProductCatalogue/c_products_popup.jsp?catID=68&elementID=248
http://www.fitness-lifestyle-solution.com/target-heart-rate.html
http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/heart-rate-monitor-training.html

Benefits of Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Good day to everyone and we're in the fourth week of a Healthy Lifestyle. I'm so excited because we have reach this far and I hope all my readers out there will continue your journey as I will help you reach your goal.

"If you have achieve your goal, means I have achieve mine".

Today I'm going to share some tips regarding on exercise. Any kind of exercise may feel hard in the beginning but with some practice and consistency, your body gets stronger and you may even start to enjoy. Choose something that fits your personality and lifestyle. Everyone has a different level of fitness, and exercising at a pace that is right for you is important. Any kind of exercise that you're performing shouldn't cause you pain, it can be fun and doesn't have to be organised or even cost money.

Why you need to participate in exercise

Exercising and being active helps you to stay fit and healthy. Activity also helps you avoid depression, stress and boredom. You'll be more alert mentally. Exercise provides you with a set of concrete attainable goals mirroring the striving, pain and gain of everyday life. Then there’s the well-known endorphin factor. It’s hard to over-estimate the positive fallout of a good exercise program. Exercise fights against anxiety and depression. It improves sleep, burns calories, raises “good” HDL cholesterol, decreases the effects of aging and chronic disease such as atherosclerosis and diabetes.

Why you need to exercise?

Getting fit
Cardiovascular
Strength training
Flexibility
Losing weight
Recovering from Injury

We know being active promotes a healthier life. By performing a regular exercise with a moderate amount of activity performed three to five days per week can improve your heart health, improve your heart disease risk factors, improve your strength and feeling of well-being. What it all comes down to is that exercise is very good for you, and a little daily exercise is better than none at all. It really is important enough for you to make time for it.

Recommendations

There are four main types of exercise.

Resistance exercise - Resistance exercises uses weights, springs or bands. They increase muscle power and ability to help large muscles burn fat and larger muscles are enablers for aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise - requires the consumption more oxygen than at rest. It involves repeated movements of the large muscles of your body. Examples include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling.
Stretches - The risk of injury seems to be about equal for those who stretch and those who do not stretch before exercise. Stretching seems to offer more long term benefit such as maintaining functional flexibility and correcting particular muscular imbalance.
Agility and speed - This kind of exercise used at competitive level but performing it in a training regime can be very beneficial for daily lifestyle.

Getting Started

To be safe and give you the most benefit, your program should be:

Aerobic: this type of activity increases the rate and depth of your breathing, raises your heart rate and uses the large muscle groups. Examples include walking, cycling or swimming.
Regular: moderate intensity activity performed on most days of the week (starting with small amounts of activity and building up to 30 to 40 minutes of continuous activity, or if you prefer, 10 minutes increments throughout the day to equal 30 to 40 minutes
Safe: adults with health problems (such as heart disease, diabetes or obesity) or those at high risk, men over age 40 and women over age 50 should talk with their doctor before starting an exercise program.

An exercise session should start with a gradual warm-up period. It should take about 5 to 10 minutes before your exercise program. You should slowly stretch your muscles and then gradually increase the level of activity. If walking/ jogging is your activity begin with slow tempo and then pick up the pace. After you have finished exercising take about 5 to 10minutes to cool down. Again, stretch and cool down your muscles and let your heart rate slow down gradually. You can use the same stretches as in the warm-up period.

Benefits of Warm-up

Elevation of body temperature
Reduce muscular injuries
Supply blood flow to the heart

Benefits of Cooling down

aid in the dissipation of waste products - including lactic acid
reduce the potential for Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of venous blood at the extremities
reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood, allows the heart rate to return to it's resting rate

Exercise Program

Action Plan

Choose your favorite activity
Record your activity in the exercise program
Start your activity today

What on next week
Target Heart Rate

Sources & Images are courtesy of :
group
pic1
aerobic
walking

Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 22:00:00 +1000

After a week - off from training, I have gain approximately 6kg. As I step back into the gym for some weight training, I felt so weak and tired. Nevertheless I still have to train as I'm preparing my self for something big in October. I have another month to train here in Melbourne before heading back to Malaysia to visit my family in July. A while back I was consuming large amount of food every 5days contain a large amount of carbs before reducing them slowly or cycling them.

15 weeks out - Nutrition

Meal 1 - 100 to 200grm of Oats with 2 whole egg
Meal 2 - 100g of Kangaroo/ Turkey
Meal 3 - 100g of Kangaroo/ Turkey and 100g of mix nuts

Pre.Work - Shakes/Nitrix Oxide with Waxy maize starch
Post.Work- Shake with Waxy maize starch

Meal 4 - 150g of Kangaroo/ Turkey/ Beef and 100g of mix nuts
Meal 5&6 - 100g of Kangaroo/ Turkey
Meal 7 - 200g of Kangaroo/ Turkey

My training program will start to change every 4 week when I'm 15weeks out from a show. As for now my training program consist of high volume also I'm experimenting a few training program and techniques to see if it suitable for me.

Justin Firgaira

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +1000

Q. Tell our readers how you got started in bodybuilding?

I originally started training in the gym to improve my overall strength, and paddling endurance for my surfing. Over time I noticed that I was able, and lucky enough to build muscle quite easily. After a few years training there were a few guys in the gym that gave me a little nudge and persuaded me to get on stage.

Q. Does your training change depending on if you are getting ready for a contest or if it is the off-season? Describe to them.

No my weight training stays the same in and out of contest prep. I figure why change anything. Off season I’m trying to put on muscle and leading into a show I’m still trying to put on muscle or at least keep everything I’ve got. So why change? The only difference is that I do cardio during my comp prep.

Q Do you sit down and put together a plan for your next competition or are you methodical when it comes to tracking your progress?

Come 12-14 weeks out of a show I’ll register for the show and book flights and accommodation needed. Once this is done I feel committed and locked in and go through the contest prep. I’ve been competing for 8 years now and have an intuitive approach to my prep.

Q. You have a Personal Training business. In your view, what credentials does a successful trainer need? How does one maintain a steady client base?

Firstly a successful trainer needs to have a sporting or fitness back ground. Someone who already trains and lives the lifestyle. Then appropriate qualifications are needed for insurance and registration purposes- Certificate IV fitness/ P.T. I strongly believe that most of the P.T training fitness academies, do not teach you enough to be a successful trainer. A University degree in Human movement or sports science is highly recommended, especially if you don’t have a sporting fitness background.

Once you have a full steady client base I find you get busier and it’s easy to maintain because your current client base recommend and refer, friend’s family etc. If you are busy training clients as well, you are also seen on the gym floor a lot and are recognised as a successful trainer. So naturally people will want to train with you.

To build up the client base is hard

Spend as much time on the gym floor as possible so you are recognised

Don’t be afraid to offer introductory or complimentary P.T sessions to get people started.

Group sessions are great as you get more exposure and can tap into more friend and family referrals.

Look the part. Stay fit and healthy

Win something so your clients have bragging rights. I train with Mr Melbourne or my trainer is an ex Carlton player, boxing champ, Ironman triathlete etc.

Q. Besides working as a personal trainer, what do you do in your spare time?

I enjoy going fishing, surfing and do as much snowboarding as I can in our short winter months here in Australia. I enjoy spending quality time with my wife Lauran and son Ollie. I like to catch up with friends and family around a good meal and I don’t mind a bit of X-box 360.

Q. How long have you been married and does bodybuilding affect your Marriage, in what way?

I’ve been married for 17 months, but Lauran and I have been together for over 8 years so she well and truly knew what she was getting into haha! No it doesn’t affect our marriage or relationship. It’s just something I do and the majority of the time it doesn’t get in the way of our day to day lives.

Q. How do you feel about the future of natural bodybuilding? What are your thoughts on the current state of bodybuilding as a whole, and its future?

Natural bodybuilding has definitely grown in the years I have been competing. Natural bodybuilding is on the way up in Australia. Bodybuilding as a whole unfortunately is on a steady decline. It just isn’t really accepted by the general community and will always carry a negative stigma with its association with anabolic androgenic steroids.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the contest that gave you the pro-card?

I was awarded a PNBA Pro card when I won the overall INBA Natural Olympia over in Reno Nevada U.S.A. This show is known as the pinnacle of Natural Bodybuilding. The show ran smoothly and the accommodation and contest venue were in the same hotel/casino entertainment complex, which was world class. It made things so much easier. The show was run over three days and had other fitness components/show attached to it. There were strong man comps; arm wrestling comps, mini fitness expo etc. The quality and line ups were great. Especially the Masters competitors.

Q. What is your ultimate goal in the sport of bodybuilding?

My goal has always been to just improve from year to year.

Q. If you had to give just one of your secrets to bodybuilding success, what is your best piece of advice/information for everyone?

Be consistent and patient with everything you do. Train, eat, sleep consistently and be patient because it won’t happen overnight. That’s two secrets for you J

Q. Is there anyone, or anything, you would like to credit with helping you succeed in your bodybuilding career?

My wife Lauran for supporting me in everything I do

My sponsors - Activewear online who stock and supply me with Gasp and Better Bodies lifestyle clothing range. All there gear is so comfortable, hardwearing and look awesome. www.activewearonline.com.au

Neogenix performance nutrition and PSI distribution who supply and provide me with world leading supplement range

www.neogenix.net

www.psidistribution.com.au

Food Pyramid

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +1000

How was the first week of your healthy lifestyle, it must be good yea. I bet you're already felt good about yourself with this kind of lifestyle. How did your meal plan go, did you separate them to 4 - 6 meals a day? What kind of diet are you applying?

These kind of question are usually ask by fitness coach, nutritionist or GP. There is so many kind of diet and which to follow. Are you confuse? You shouldn't because the best and the healthiest diet is the one that provide balance in your daily meal. Food is the answer to your healthy lifestyle. Even if you're able to run 10km but still consuming high fatty food, the chances of you to get coronary hearth disease is still high.

You must change those unhealthy and process food that you consume. Instead of white or butter scotch bread purchase a whole meal or multi-grain bread. Instead of drinking those process fruit juice its better to eat actual fruits. Home prepare salad provide high in good nutrition than those being pack and left for days.

If you do have a health condition it is best to refer to the specialist before starting any kind of diet. Those who are free from any health condition feel free to try the vegan diet because this diet will make you lose weight but it is not suitable for those who wish to gain weight due to lack of calories consumption.

Here are some type of daily routine that you can practice and even tho if you do have a health condition that doesn't mean you can't do them as a daily routine. Stop giving excuse and make your lifestyle a healthy lifestyle.

Resistance training - health benefits - Better Health Channel

Pilates and yoga - health benefits - Better Health Channel

Dance - health benefits - Better Health Channel

Epilepsy and exercise - Better Health Channel

Dog walking - the health benefits - Better Health Channel

Canoeing and kayaking - health benefits - Better Health Channel
Cycling - health benefits - Better Health Channel

ACTION PLAN

Have a log and record each meal that you eat daily and this might shock some because it will show you how much and what you eat regularly.
Find the food that you can consume regularly and cost effective.
Never ever drastically change you meal into a very strict diet.
Always keep a positive mind set no matter what are the challenges

Conclusion

Plan you meal properly and follow a proper nutrition plan. Stick with whole food because it is healthier and cheaper source. No matter how busy your day is apply the activity in your daily lifestyle. On the 3rd week of Healthy Lifestyle I will explain the type of training you're choose to be more intense and beneficial. Also understanding target heart rate.

What's on next week
Benefits of exercise

Sources & Images are courtesy of :
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-living-pyramid
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
food pyramid
bill clinton

VPX N.O SHOTGUN

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +1000

The purpose of consuming a Nitric Oxide before a training session is to boost strength and concentration. It's either I have a moderate amount of carbs and protein before a session or consuming a single serving of a Nitric Oxide supplement. I have tried many pre-workout supplement from all different range of brands. Honestly, most of them provide the same result and some provide different effect before, during and after training.

This week I'm on VPX N.O Shotgun.

First of - lets look at the ingredient, N.O shotgun has 7 type of creatine and I'm not sure how many gram each of those creatine contain in them but what I can say is the energy and concentration it provide last up to my post workout meal. Instead of feeling tired after a training session, I felt so energetic and I was planning to hit the gym for the second time.

Taste wise - Surprisingly the taste was so delicious. Most pre-workout that contain several type of creatine usually taste very chalky and the artificial flavour are noticeable especially for grape. As for this N.O shotgun I was enjoying every sip of it before and during my training.

Customer Vote - Even it contains advance formula and taste delicious it doesn't mean it should be the best. It was nominated in Bodybuilding.com for best pre-workout, best muscle builder and best nitric oxide award for 2010. Unfortunately none of the award was given to VPX N.O Shotgun. As a consumer I would prefer a simple and affordable Pre-workout that can keeps me feeling pump, energetic and constant focus throughout my training session.

Recommended Use:

Do not use NO-SHOTGUN® MHF-1™ with REDLINE® or Meltdown® or any other products containing caffeine or other stimulants. Mix one scoop of NO-SHOTGUN® MHF-1™ with 8 to 10 ounces of water or your favorite beverage. Drink NO- SHOTGUN® MHF-1™ prior to any type of athletic event or resistance training. For enhanced results consume NO-SYNTHESIZE® MHF-1™ during and after training. Unlike other N.O. (Nitric Oxide) Supplements which may require several scoops, NO-SHOTGUN® MHF-1™ is extremely powerful and requires only one scoop. The NO-SHOTGUN® MHF-1™ and NO-SYNTHESIZE® MHF-1™ supplement strategy represents the most advanced and latest research on muscle growth and athletic performance.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sources & Images courtesy :

VPX

Primal Movement

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +1000

The concept of the “Primal Movement Patterns” was developed by Paul Chek, who while developing his exercise philosophy, identified 7 specific groups of movements. These movements mimic the actions done in daily life. Primal movement training makes you stronger at just about any movement you'll tackle in life

Here are the movements:

Squat : squat to sit and to get in and out of a car. Many of us squat and lift at work, home or at the gym.

Example: overhead squat

Stand, with a chair behind you and your feet shoulder width apart. Hold you’re a light pair of dumbbells at full arm length overhead. While maintaining good posture, bend at the knees and lightly touch your backside to the chair, keeping a steady rhythm with no pause on both the up and down phase. Focus your weight through your heels and keep your vision fixed on a point directly ahead of you.

Bend : examples are construction workers, parents picking up kids and golfers addressing the ball.

Example: deadlift

Hold a weight on both hands. Look forward and stand with feet hip width apart. Brace your abs and bend forward at the hips, lowering the weight down your thighs to about an inch off the ground. The key here is to keep your back straight. Pause for a second at the lowest point and then raise back to the start. When you get to the top of the movement thrust your hips forward and contract your glutes. Keep the weight close to your thighs the entire time and stop if you feel any sharp lower back pain.

Lunge : throwing, sports, bushwalking, to prevent falling and in the workplace.

Example: walking lunge

Stand facing forward with your feet a shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight with your head and chin up. Place your hands on your hips while you do your walking lunges. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Lift your right foot up in a 90-degree angle and have your leg form an upside-down "L." Keep your knee and hip aligned, as well as your knee and ankle. Inhale as you step forward several feet in front of you with your heel landing first. Roll your foot down to have your toe touch the floor. Lower your back knee so it almost touches the floor. Your knees face forward at all time and remain aligned while doing walking lunges. Exhale as you use your weight and push up off your back toes and push your body forward to land your back foot in front to do another walking lunge. Keep your knee and hips aligned and your knee and ankle aligned. Remember to keep your abdominal muscles tightened. Move forward with each lunge you perform.

Push : on farms and pushing the shopping trolley, stroller, wheelie bin.

Example: push-up

Lie chest-down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, your feet together and parallel to each other. Look forward rather than down at the floor. The first contact you make with the floor with any part of the face should be your chin, not your nose. Keep your legs straight and your toes tucked under your feet. Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Keep your palms fixed at the same position and keep your body straight. Try not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up. Exhale as your arms straighten out.Pause for a moment t.Lower your body slowly towards the floor. Bend your arms and keep your palms in fixed position. Keep body straight and feet together. Lower body until chest touches the floor. Try not to bend your back. Keep your knees off the floor, and inhale as you bend your arms. Pause for a moment. Begin straightening your arms for a second push-up. Exhale as you raise your body.

Pull : sport, construction, housework.

Example: band pull

Band should be at chest height on a pole. Hold each end of the band and face the pole. With arms outstretched in front, stand upright and brace your abs in readiness. Pull the band with your right arm, as if starting a lawn mower, turning your chest to the side as you pull your elbow behind your body. Squeeze through the back of your shoulder to get full range of movement. Alternate arms and speed up the pace as you go.

Twist : nearly all functional movements incorporate twisting.

Example: Swiss Ball Russian twist

Lie on your back and rest your head on the ground. Bend your knees and hips to ninety degrees, and rest your calves on the ball. Place your arms out to the sides and have your palms facing upwards. Brace your abdominals and try to keep your shoulders in contact with the ground during the movement. Roll both your legs to the left keeping your calves and hamstrings in contact with the ball the entire time. Pause when you get as far as you can rotate, pain-free. Your aim is to return your legs to the starting position only using your abs to do the movement. To do this you’ll need to hang your legs as a dead weight and avoid using your hips. Once back to the top repeat on the right.

Gait : Walking, jogging and sprinting

Perhaps the most beneficial of all the primal movements is gait. This allows us to cross large distances, either by walking, jogging, or sprinting. Today, many people's walking patterns tell us a story about their past injuries, current working conditions, and even their personalities.

To improve overall vitality and have more energy to complete our daily tasks, it is important to begin re-incorporating these movements into our lifestyles. Over time, our bodies will respond positively, adapting by increasing blood flow to all tissues of our bodies and improving muscle recruitment and engagement. Some of the benefits this will present to us include reduced joint stiffness and pain as well as increased quality of life.

Can't go outdoors for cardio exercises or training? Here's a great workout you can do indoors. This workout is based on the 7 primal pattern movements

Images & sources courtesy of :
Primal movement
squat
bend
push
pull
twist
vid

Your First Step

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Mon, 6 Jun 2011 09:00:00 +1000

Now, lets plan from the beginning of your week for the next seven days.

Find the time that’s suitable for you... It may be early morning... It may be around your lunch time, or later in the afternoon... It could be in the evening too...

We’ve all got reasons why we don’t live healthier lives...

We really hate to exercise.

We've tried to exercise but we keep quitting.

We can't afford a gym membership.

We're not seeing any changes in our bodies.

We don't know how to exercise.

We want to exercise but we have to take care of the kids and family.

We can't seem to stay motivated to continue working out.

Exercise HURTS!

We can't make the commitment to stick to an exercise routine.

We don't have time!

But they’re all just excuses.

How often do we use the words “can't”, or “don't”?

Demotivation is the main reason why most people quit exercise. An that relates to our self talk.

It’s happened to me too, and the best way through is to keep your self motivated or find a friend to enjoy your workout with.

Have you noticed that when you’re enjoying a party that the time passes by so quickly?

Finding a training partner, a personal trainer, or a family member to workout with is a similar approach.

Healthy eating can be difficult.

Last week we talked about calories...

It’s important to carefully observe the nutritional facts on the food we purchase.

So when you buy food from the grocery store, read the labels and learn how to interpret the various components i.e carbohydrate, protein, fats, and fiber.

Take some time to learn how to work out the calories contained in each component and sum them up to get the final calorie value of the meal.

By now you’ve determined how much weight you want to lose or gain and over what period.

Now, when you buy any types of food from the grocery read the labels and learn how to interpret them in relation to the various components i.e carbohydrate, protein, fat and fiber. Learn how to work out the calories contained in each component and sum them up to get the final calorie value of the meal. You should have determined previously how much weight you want to lose or gain and over how long. This is how you work out how much calories you want to cut back each day. The important part here is, you want to have the food quantity with your caloric requirements for each day. If you want to cut back 500 Calories per day, it’s up to you how you want to spread it out. It can be a little confuse trying to get all your calorie figures together, along with a food list plus your exercise activity. This is one reason why people get discouraged from undertaking calorie counting.

Keeping a food log has been shown to motivate and help prevent you from having a cheat meal. Losing, gaining weight or burning fat has two aspects to it the consume calorie intake versus calories expended. The physical activities of your choice will contribute to your calorie burn side of the equation and these activities need to be logged. The difference between calorie intake and output is what determines your degree of weight loss, gaining weight or fat burning in the long run. It is better to know how much calories of exercise activity has expended and this amount of calories will have to be recorded in your log.

Meal Plan

Start by planning the types of food and record them. This will ensure that you are eating smaller and frequently. This will help you understand your eating patter and see how they affect weight loss, maintenance and weight gain.

Healthy lifestyle Tips

Prepare meal in advance
Eat about every three hours
Do not eat until you get full
Avoid process food and drink
Set no more one cheat meal in a week

A strong mind creates a strong body. Always keep a positive thinking and a can do attitude so you can enjoy every step of your transformation towards a healthy lifestyle.

Action Plan

Make copies of the plan and keep them in a folder.
Take before and after picture to document your progress.
Set both short term and long term goals.

What's on next week
Food pyramid

Types of activities

Sources & Images are courtesy of :

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGFMn7P-rlAb36_ERuAG096n0iWN4zk831Cm67qG8EV5qQxf4gaO5RDjAvlBan74zNFV5k2dRZPorM9PzChm7UelupDB1bEqQZcQhl3x4Vb4eoFlRZL9SxiM2vEN90OWMA8mR_n26iY8/s1600/Excuses.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0FrEdsq01Aym4BYAZDMfCeXZhNwZzorUcw0nuMDvdw2wi_TwrIpLzHpa8UAueZAY6fdruwPOad8UajYrZjAhY6RYVCr3U3_X3T8k9TBvc61M7aGnZMXCdoopKobbDJOrCJvgI82bQfc/s1600/HealthyLunches_447x286.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2ThuIieeOBQqmvLzARwAgdvbMOQyv1p5q-iacYOGQQdmX4ANFu-yduFMltivP0F0wZILi_-sU4zfhahIGI70BLd72_Zl0sehxTJSGaBjsku4qw9OEzQYU6S-zpFVmsouc9a1y73nssg/s1600/business-men-drinking-coffee.jpg

http://www.executiveresults.com.au/fitness-articles/group-fitness/a-new-years-resolution-for-health-and-fitness/

Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Kmaru) — Fri, 3 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +1000

Natural Mania Competition Report - by Maria

A week after winning INBA Melbourne I decided to compete in my last contest of the season - ANB Mania Melbourne before preparing my self for the INBA National and INBA Universe. After wining my division and best posing routine at the ANB Melbourne, now I'm preparing and challenge myself for another National title. This is the first time in my life preparing for 6 competitive bodybuilding contest in a year not included the Cross-Fit challenge early of the year.

Head to Head

My journey to the state level was a struggle. It was supposed to be a 12 weeks of hardcore strict diet but because challenges do happen somewhere along the process I struggle in between of those weeks, especially when I was selected for the Men's Fitness Challenge. What keeps me going and motivates me was my friends, family and people that understand what this sport means to me. Thank you all for the support and help and most important believing me.

Overall Comparison

It start with a dream and it can come true. I believe in it and work hard towards it, now my dream have come true. I always dream of standing on the Olympia stage, it is a very big step for a small man like me but I'll take it a step at a time. My goal is to compete at the INBA Natural Olympia stage. Its not impossible and achievable. I just need to work harder and put all my effort in my training and nutrition. What needs to be done :

Mentally focus and positive thinking
Work hard towards my goal as pain are for a moment and pride are for eternity
Train to look good on stage not off stage or in the gym
Keep learning and understand my body
Love and enjoy each step of the process

My plan for the National

Now you've seen my blue print. In future I'll post up some of my training video and progress video. As I will be training with who used to be my mentor back in Malaysia - Wong Hong and his boys - Kumar and Edmund