Exercise: Strength Training

Back in those days when I was exercising regularly (which seems a long time ago), I have always included strength training with machine weights, dumbbells and barbells in my exercise routine. Some people don't like lifting weights. Many people have misconceptions about strength training. That's why they avoid doing it. They presume strength training is just for bodybuilders. Here are some of the misconceptions:

• Strength training bulks you up so that women will look masculine if they do it. Unless you are on anabolic steroid, it won't make you bulky.
• No pain, no gain. Strength training hurts. If you experience more than a little soreness after strength training, check your technique.
• Strength training is for spot reduction e.g sit ups for flatter stomach. No such thing! You have to burn the fat surrounding the muscles to get a flat stomach.
• Strength training doesn't help in weight loss. More muscle means higher resting metabolic rate. Muscle is like a furnace which helps you burn more fat and lose weight more easily. 
• Children shouldn't do strength training. Age-appropriate strength training will helps children develop strong muscles and bones.
• Old people can't do strength training. It actually helps maintain muscle strength and bone density. It also  helps to maintain balance.
• You must be fit to do strength training. You can begin strength training even if you are not aerobically fit. Aerobic and strength training are part of a complete fitness program.
• You need special equipment to do strength training. You need some form of  resistance to do strength
  training. You can still do push ups, sit ups, squats or lunges using your body weight as resistance. Free weights, dumbbells and resistance rubber bands are cheap, affordable resistance equipment. 

What's the most effective ways to do strength training?

• Sessions: Experts recommend three training sessions per week for beginners. A session should last 20 minutes to one hour, which include time for warm up and cool down. You should rest a day between workouts to allow for muscle recovery. Each session should target 2 to 3 muscle groups. 
• Warm up & cool down: You should do 5-10 minutes warm up with aerobic exercise before lifting weights. After you finished the session, you should stretch your body to prevent injuries and improve flexibility.
• Number of repetitions: What is your objective? If you want to tone up and increase muscle strength, go for higher number of reps (12-15) with lighter weights. This will also boost your endurance. If you want to build muscle mass, go for lower reps (4-8) with heavier weights.
• Focus on form: Concentrate on perfecting your form. Avoid arching your back and rocking to gain momentum. Use proper breathing technique. Exhale through your mouth when lifting, inhale through your nose when lowering weight. Avoid breath holding. Use the full, natural range of motion when lifting weights. Avoid going past your body's natural limits to prevent injuries.

Everybody should include strength training in the exercise routine. To sum up, the health benefits are:

• Increased muscle strength and tone.
• Better flexibility, posture and balance.
• Increased resting metabolic rate.
• Increased bone density.
• Improved self-confidence, which is the pièce de résistance! 

[LBF 2.0] Day 5: Expandable Recipes

Michel,

Lets chat about those recipes I mentioned two days ago.

When you were a kid did you ever own one of those reversible jackets?

You know the ones which you could wear both ways.

They were cool because variety is the spice of life.

Now what would these have to do with recipes?

Well I would like to introduce you to the idea of the expandable recipe.

It's like the Swiss army knife of recipes.

So what is it?

It's a recipe with a base that stays the same but...

you can change a variety of things with it to make it into a new meal....or ten new meals.

So what does this do?

Firstly it's easy to prepare.

It's also easy to plan for.

It's convenient.

But most importantly, you don't go stir crazy eating the same meal again and again - its always a little different.

I've attached an example of one of my favorite expandable meals.

It's called pesto chicken.

I've had a ton of ladies steal this recipe off me, mainly because they thought that it was an easy way to get their husbands and boyfriends to eat vegetables.

Something about healthy vegetables being a way to a man's heart....no? that can't be right?

At the base of the recipe there are three components:

1. The protein
2. The vegetables
3. The pesto

Now the protein in the recipe is chicken, you can easily swap this out for some tender beef, gammon (slice the fat off) or even fish(try it with some pink Norwegian salmon).

The vegetables you start with are cherry tomatoes, broccoli and asparagus but you don't have to stick with these.

Last night I made it with hand picked red pepper, green beans and broccoli, but it doesn't stop there.

Try sliced zucchini's, fresh carrots, squashes...it really doesn't matter

Lastly is the pesto, the normal pesto I use is basil pesto but there are a ton of different types to pick from, last night we used a sun dried tomato pesto.

Delicious.

So one meal becomes an unlimited variety of meals.

I'll try to add a few more recipes over the next few days.

Enjoy

Greg Mac

[LBF 2.0] Day 4: Fat Loss Fast Food

Michel,

Today's a short mail, but basically a primer for everything we are going to do next week.

Yesterday I mentioned that I thought bland food was not the biggest problem with diets.

I mean, how could it be?

A lot of the healthiest meals on the planet are delicious.

But they take a bit of planning and effort.

The stars need to align in order for us to get the right ingredients, enough time and enough motivation to cook the right meal.

I usually make to Wednesday or Thursday, at that point it all falls down.

A bad day at work, a motorway jammed like sardines with cars, an urgent unplanned crisis of some sort, a double booking....it doesn't matter...

Something will destroy my frail plans.

================
Fast food works.
================

But its not because it tastes good, sometimes it doesn't.

Macdonalds? Think about those golden arches...

Is that Big mac the best burger you have EVER eaten?

It works because it's easy.

There's no admin.

There's no planning needed.

It's spontaneous and easy and deep down this appeals to us.

I ran a survey to try to figure out where most people fell down with their fat loss.

Out and out everyone complained about the food being boring.

But when I dug deeper I found that the biggest failing point for everyone was their execution of their diet.

Everybody planned to eat properly.

Most tried to but it took too much work.

And when they stopped taking time to prepare, the tasty healthy food options dried up.

Skip this bit and of course your diet is boring, there's nothing to eat.

Next week we will go through 'The Food Factory'.

'The Food Factory' is going to be what pulls you out from all your previous diet failures and makes you a winner.

It's work upfront but as soon as its done, it makes preparing food easy as pie.

If you do the whole system right it puts the hardest part of fat loss on automatic.

Fat loss fast food....

And the right food is 80% of the whole fat loss equation.

Get it right and your chances of success are great.

Can't wait

Almost one week done!

Tomorrow you'll have a one day reprieve from me.

You'll discover how to use expandable recipes the day after tomorrow.

Chat later

Greg Mac

Eat Healthy: Nuts

I have been reading a lot about nuts lately to find a good alternative snacks. I almost go NUTS!

There are good nuts and there are bad nuts. Good nuts can be bad as well if consumed in excess because nuts are calorie-rich food. And sometimes the so-called bad nuts can be good nuts. Are you nuts already? One thing for sure different varieties of nuts provide numerous health benefits. In addition to being good source of protein and fiber, they contain healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, mono- or polyunsaturated fat), plant sterols, vitamins (vitamin E, folate), minerals (calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium, phosphorus) and antioxidants. However, some nuts are better than others. Not all nuts are created equally.

Whether you are aiming for weight loss or want to improve your health, eating nuts can be part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation and as a substitute for junk food snacks. For maximum nutritional impact, choose nuts that are free of added salt, oils and sugars. You should also keep to a healthy serving size of 1 oz (1/4 cup about 160-200 cal) on most days a week. Healthy serving is dependent on the unique size and shape of the individual nut: almonds - 20 to 24; Brazil nuts - six to eight; cashews - 16 to 18; hazelnuts - 18 to 20; macadamias - 10 to 12; peanuts - 28; pecans - 18 to 20 halves; pine nuts - 150 to 157; pistachios - 45 to 47; walnuts - 14 halves. Say who's gonna count their nuts? 


So what types of nuts to eat? Each nut has its own advantages and disadvantages. I am not going to go through each and every different varieties of nuts here but from my observation through reading health and diet websites, 3 types stand out; almond, walnut and pecan. The other variety of nuts like pistachio, macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts, chestnuts and legume like peanuts also have their own 
Almonds
Almonds, a healthy nut, offer a wealth of nutrients. A 1/4-cup serving of almonds contains 45 percent of the daily recommended intake of manganese and vitamin E and serves as a good source of magnesium, copper, vitamin B2, selenium and phosphorus. Almonds also contain more calcium than cows milk. Almonds may help lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against diabetes and colon cancer, help with weight loss, produce energy in the body and help prevent gallstones. Almonds are best eaten raw. 
Walnuts
Walnuts pack a nutrient punch and offer many health benefits. Just 1/4 cup of walnuts provides 94.6 percent of the daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat the body needs to protect cardiovascular function and promote improved brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids also offer anti-inflammatory benefits that may help with asthma, arthritis, eczema and psoriasis. Walnuts also serve as a source of copper and manganese. Walnuts may prevent and control high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, decreases the risk of weight gain, promotes bone health, help prevent gallstones and help promote better sleep due to their melatonin content.

Pecans
Incorporating pecans, a healthy nut, into the diet provides at least 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, folic acid and a variety of B vitamins. A 1-oz. serving of pecans offers 10 percent of the daily recommended intake of fiber. Pecans may lower cholesterol, protect the central nervous system, prevent coronary heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Research indicates that eating pecans can help control weight by giving study participants a feeling of fullness and increasing the rate of metabolism.

I hope I have changed your perception about nuts. Whether you eat them as staple food or add them in a salad or even eat them as substitutes for unhealthy snacks, they are nutritious and good addition to a healthy balanced diet. I have gone NUTTY about nuts! I eat them as replacement snacks for my sweet-tooth cravings.

[LBF 2.0] Day 3: Diet, diet, diet.....

Michel,

So I asked you to eat at your resting metabolic rate(RMR)?

Pretty tough to for week 1.

Sorry about that...

It was designed for one thing really, just to show you how many calories of no value we eat.

I like pizza, mmm, let me rephrase that - I LOVE pizza.

The problem is that one large deep dish pizza will blow my RMR out of the water for the whole day.

Now what do I get for that meal?

For me - it tastes great.

For my body - not a great deal except for a boatload of calories I can't use (ever felt tired and ill after junk food?)

By restricting your calorie intake to your RMR you have no choice but to eliminate a ton of food choices.

Tasty food, yes....but not good if you want to lose belly fat.

But now I have given you a headache.....lots of admin.

It's going to take a while to work out the calorie count of every piece of food you plan to eat.

You are not going to be able to eat out.....ever

And you are going to have to carry a scale with your everywhere...

And this course is supposed to be about reducing admin?

So you need a cheat for this week

Something that you can use wherever you are, even eating out

Something that is totally admin free

and you can download it here:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide

Its a cheat sheet for portion sizes

Here's a quick preview,

Your protein source should be about the size of your palm. (Not including fingers!)

The rest of your meal (insert vegetables here) should add up to about the size of your fist.

Some other quick measurements:

Your salad dressing, sauce, butter etc should be about the size of a poker chip (One of these per meal).

I know its not perfect but this will improve your eating in a big way.

==============================
The food tastes like cardboard
==============================

Are you thinking this RMR limit might be a little too restrictive for you?

That the food will be bland and boring?

I'll bet you are!

Its the no.1 thing people always complain about when trying to lose weight.

I don't think it needs to be that way though....

What do you think is the #1 reason people fail with their weight loss efforts?

Think about the answer. You may or may not get it. But give it a shot anyway.

We'll chat about this tomorrow.Greg Mac

p.s

If you have the time to work out your calories, here is a great
free tool you can use.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-food-calorie-counter

[LBF 2.0] Day 2: The Weigh In

Michel,

I hope yesterday's workout was good.

Feeling a little stiff is expected.

If you are a lot stiff then you overdid it a bit.

Did you use the music?

I hope so, it will really make a huge difference to putting your results on autopilot.

If you would like to pick up the whole eight weeks worth you can find it here.
http://lbfurl.com/spo.php

Otherwise in a week or so I'll show you how you can make your own.

Speaking of pilots...

===============
Crashing Planes
===============

A few years ago i was learning to fly a plane.

I was coming in for my first instructions on landing and i was nervous.

So as the small black strip of runway appeared on the horizon. I tried to steer the plane down to it,
at which point my instructor freaked and stopped me.

"When landing you use the throttle for controlling altitude, you use the joystick for direction..."

Huh? It took a while to get it through my skull but it eventually made sense.

Each lever has its specific purpose.

Joystick = Direction
Throttle = Altitude

And it's the same with weight loss.

There is often confusion as to the specific roles diet and exercise have.

And its important to understand the significance of each lever.

Diet controls the amount of weight loss.

Exercise controls what percentage of that weight loss is fat.

(OK, there are definitely exceptions, but none that will apply to what we are trying to do here.)

=======================
Weight loss vs Fat loss
=======================

Weight loss is what you measure on a scale.

But this isn't only fat, it contains muscle, water and lots of other stuff.

Fat loss is what makes you look good naked.

If you read the article on measuring fat loss, you know that weight loss doesn't mean fat loss.
http://lbfurl.com/jjz.php

So how do you measure your fat loss?

Well, if you have access to a set of skin fold calipers and know how to use them, perfect.

If not,

I have a little cheat for you.

You will need a scale and a measuring tape.

There's a link below for a body fat calculator.
http://lbfurl.com/bfc.php

You can use this link to work out and estimate body fat percentage and your resting metabolic rate.

Just click on *Main* if the panel doesn't open automatically.

==================
Measuring progress
==================

You need somewhere to measure your progress.

To help you I have managed to get hold of a piece of software that will assist you.

Its called the Body Transformation Tracker.

You can download it here:

http://lbfurl.com/btt.php

Activation Code: FXNTR-RG-46584-E5452

You can log your measurements here.

The ones i would recommend keeping would be your weight, body fat percentage, neck, waist and hips if you are a lady.

Not all of these measurements will go down at the same time because of a little phenomenon (its nicknamed the whoosh effect but more on this later in the week)

But a downward trend on any of them is a good thing.

This will give you a better, more realistic view of what you are trying to achieve.

Now, next week same time, lets measure again.

Give it a try.

Greg Mac

Exercise: H.I.I.T

I used to be able to do 1 hour of aerobic workout. I actually loved STEP aerobic, which was popular at the time. After aerobic, my exercise routine continued for another hour of skipping/rowing/treadmill and weight circuit training. I was as fit as a fiddle back then. That was more than 20 years ago. Now I have aged and have to be realistic with my exercise routine. In addition, I don't have the pleasure of time. I need an exercise routine which is suitable for my age, short in duration and effective way to burn fat.

So what is the type of exercise that could fulfill those criteria? I am not going to join a gym or get a personal trainer to do interval training. As I said, I have no time to go the gym. Let this blog be my motivator. I hope it will also motivate others too. After reading about the current trends in exercise, I decided that interval training is in-trend. Interval training is basically exercise which consists of activity at high intensity for a period of time followed by low intensity exercise for a period of time.

There are many websites and blogs debating about long duration cardio training versus interval training. Cardio training used to be fad. Just like fashion, trend comes and goes. The acronym is H.I.I.T which stands for high intensity interval training. HIIT is shorter in duration than cardio workout but burns 9 times more fat. It's the afterburn effect! You continue to burn calories even after the exercise.

HIIT is all about speed & intensity. Intensity is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 is no effort at all and 10 is maximum effort as if your life depends on it. The whole point is to get out of breath. However, if you are just starting out HIIT after years being a potato-couch, don't go all out. Let your body ease into pace of an interval sprint. There's a difference between pushing hard and pushing over the limit.

The 30-second workout is ideal to start with for a beginner. This is an example of a beginner interval training program.

• 3 min warm up 
• 6 sprint intervals - 30 seconds each 
• 6 rest intervals - 60 seconds each 
• 3 min warm down 
• Do the routine 3 times a week with a rest day in between each workout 
• Make sure that you stretch, warm up and warm down properly for every workout. 

This is just for starter. Once I am comfortable with this routine, I will notch up a gear by increasing to 12 repetitions. Wish me luck!

Lose Belly Fat Workout - Week 1

This is the program I enrolled online. I have modified it to suit my level of fitness, my preferred type of exercise and my leisure time. HIIT is an instant hit for me. It's short burst of exertion gives me a boost in the morning and my body can't get enough. It wants more. So I ended up doing the interval workout for 2 consecutive days already this week. But today I left out the strength training with weights to allow for muscle recovery. Hope I can keep this up! (I wrote this blog while cooling down for a shower after the workout)

Welcome to the program.
Ensure you have signed up and watched the intro video before starting here

The key to this program is to get comfortable with the new changes before you move on. Each week will add more requirements and get progressively harder so it is better to be fairly comfortable with the current weeks goals before you move on.

Special Note for week 1: This week starts off with a 90 second break, If you need longer, then rest longer. It is not unusual for people to start off with one 15 second sprint interval and 3 minutes of rest - and that is the whole workout.


The concept of weekly workouts is only to give you structure, please move through this whole workout at your own safe pace.

Start at a point where you can manage and slowly improve - you don't need to move to week 2's workout untill you are ready.

Good luck, heres wishing you all the fat loss you deserve.
Week 1 Interval Training Program

• 5 Min Warm up
• 6 Sprint Intervals - 30 Seconds each 
• 6 Rest Intervals - 90 Seconds each 
• 5 Min Warm Down 
• Do the routine 3 times in the week with a rest day in between each workout 

Tips: Use the Interval Workout Music Download.

As this is your first workout just test yourself out, instead of trying to hit 9's or 10's in intensity. There will be plenty of time for that.

NB: You are just trying to get your body used to the intervals, do not go all out, ease into the exercise.

Week 1 - Nutrition Goals
Eat at your Resting Metabolic Rate

Tips: This week its important to bring your energy supplies down to a managable level

Week 1 - Mental Exercise Goals
Define your Goals
Review your Goals daily

[LBF 2.0] Day 1: Welcome

Michel,

Welcome to the Lose Belly Fat workout program(LBF).

Real glad you're here.

To start with I've got a great tool for you to download:

- it's going to make the workouts feel easier,
- it's going to make you exercise more intensely and,
- it's going to get you results faster,

but before we get to that...

I know that LBF will be some of the best training you will ever be exposed to.

This course is going to ROCK YOUR WORLD.

LBF will change the way you approach your fitness and fat loss.

Not only that, but a few of these ideas can help in the rest of your busy life as well.

END RESULT: You get the inside track to the lean body you want.

----

OK lets hit the ground running

*** Week 1 Workout: ***

http://www.losebellyfatworkout.com/week1

========================
IMPLEMENTATION TASK
========================
Certain types of music can turn an average boring workout into a fat busting, passion fueled explosion of activity.

These are the types of workout we are after.

We will talk a lot in the next week about the physiological effects music can have on your body.

There is an mp3 interval music add on to this workout, unfortunately its not free but you are welcome to try the first week on us.
http://lbfurl.com/klz.php

Use it for all three interval training routines this week.

We'll go through the science later.

In the meantime just get the benefits of using it.

Nice and easy

Talk to you tomorrow


Greg Mac

Exercise: No Pain, No Gain

This is by far the hardest part of my get-fit-and-healthy plan to execute but I have got to do it by hook or by crook. No pain, no gain! I have got to get myself out of this unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle. Most of my friends are taking up or are already doing all kinds of sporting activities like cycling, running marathon, swimming, tennis, badminton, bowling, golf and one is even training for triathlon. I don't see myself running a marathon or participating in a triathlon in the foreseeable future. However, I can see myself either getting fit and healthy or getting a heart attack. Nobody wants the latter to happen. God forbids!

So I figured..... to avoid the worst case scenario, I have got to change my lifestyle for the better.
Plan 1: drink more water is going well. I am definitely drinking more water than before. As a result, I also have to go to the toilet more often.
Plan 2: healthy eating is also in progress. I have begun with having regular 3 meals a day, reducing portion size, eating fruits, sandwich & apple lunches, avoiding sweet drink & snack temptation (though I am guilty at times). In fact, I have already ditched my favorite cordial drink i.e. Ribena during meals. That has definitely reduced my calorie intake. But there is a long way to go. Realizing that eating a healthy diet is where healthy living starts is a good beginning.
Plan 3: exercise is just starting. I have some rough idea of how to execute this plan. At first, I am going to take it slow and steady so that my body can get used to the stress and strain of exercise. After all, I am not young anymore. I will start with riding the elliptical rider (which has been our towel hanger!), weight training with dumbells, jumping rope, cycling & visiting the golf driving range/putting green more often.

I am still in the process of reading about the forms of exercise & the kinds of food that could promote fat burning & weight loss. So in the meanwhile, let's just imagine the body you have always dreamed of like the image above. That's the final objective! (so that you could fit in a G2000 shirt) Come on! Be real! I'd be happy just to lose that belly fat.

To be continued