Warm ups and Cool downs

In most training or workout programs the warm up and cool down phases are very important. The issues I have noticed is that people just jump in right away into hard exercise and just end with hard exercise. This is not healthy especially for someone who has not been training regularly. The warm-up and cool down phase takes about 10 minutes each on a maximum. These don't have to be long but it should be done right.

The Warm-up phase:

Depending on the workout or training a warm-up should be done. A good warm-up should will be from about to 5- 10 minutes. It is important to just get the heart rate up to take the demand of the strength training but not to be over done. I remember once I made the mistake of working at full intensity in 10 minutes and that burned me out that my energy level reduced considerably and I wasn't able to lift effectively at the main workout. Warm-ups are usually aimed at

1) Raising heart rate
2) Preventing injury
3) Getting the muscles and connective tissue warm and ready for lifting.
4) Increased blood flow and thus oxygen.

A good warm-up should have you breaking into a sweat in 5 minutes. The best ones you can do are rope jumping, jumping jacks, split jumps, squat thrusts, shadow boxing. The remaining 5 minutes you spend on a combination of mobility and stretching exercises.

The Cool- down phase

The Cool down helps the heart rate reduce steadily after an intense strength training routine. This can be light back off sets with weights, low impact cardio followed by stretching. This also helps get rid of lactic acid and starts the recovery process. Also it prevents blood pooling in the muscles and starts a proper circulation going again.

Once again 5 - 10 minutes is all it takes to cool down. The focus should be on bringing down the heart rate and returning the body to a more relaxed state.

Introduce these into your training regime as they are important to your heart and blood circulation. Also it prevents injury and enhances recovery.

Train hard, Train smart.

Massage

Hi Everyone,

Today I've got a topic that I'm sure everyone enjoys experiencing - that is the wonderful experience of getting a good massage. Getting those aches and pains rubbed away or just for the fact that it is so relaxing a massage is on most peoples lists and quite often they don't want it to end too early either!

A massage is manipulation of the skin, tissues and muscles by rubbing and pressing techniques. It could range from light strokes to deep pressure techniques.

Besides the feel good factor and relaxing technique a massage is more important for various other reasons towards the healthy functioning of the body. Like every other discipline in health and fitness it is an investment in yourself.

Here are some benefits of a massage

1) Relax
2) Soothe aching and sore body parts
3) Increases blood circulation
4) Sleep better
5) Immunity increases because the lymphatic system is rejuvenated and back in a proper flow.
6) Relieves tightness in muscles and connective tissue.
7) Vital nutrients start to circulate better.
8) Improves sleep
9) Increases flexibility
10) Improved body function
11) Alleviates back pain
12) Helps in relieving sinus
13) Alleviates body parts
14) Relieves cramping

Although a massage is a good thing to get done, there are risks. Massages are not for everyone and some types of massages are not suited to everyone. Mayo clinic suggests consulting a doctor if you are pregnant or have certain conditions like cancer, blood clots, fractures, open wounds or rheumatoid arthritis because these may increase the risks.

It is good to get a massage once every 3 to 6 months from a professional therapist. However it is important to check the background of the therapist or spa before you actually book an appointment. Investing in a foam roller can actually bring the benefits of a massage more frequently. I have written a post about foam rollers here.

Go ahead, pamper yourself and remember it is not a luxury but also an investment in your health.

Healthy Recipe: Chicken Breast and vegetables

Hey Everyone!

Here is another healthy recipe that I cooked up yesterday.

Ingredients

2 pieces of Chicken Breast
5 Garlic pods
3 medium sized mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 tomato
1 Capsicum
7 Cauliflower florets

Method

Chop up all the veges.

Use a bit of olive oil on a pan and let the chicken breasts roast on it. Turn them over till they get a little roasted. Add half a cup of water and keep the pan covered so the chicken can get cooked on the inside as well. The chicken should be slightly roasted on the surface. After its done keep it aside to let it cool and then slice the chicken into cubes.

Once that is done fry the onions in a bit of oil. We are looking for the onions to have a translucent white color. One by one lightly fry the veges. Once again you are looking for the veges to be slightly roasted.

Once that the veges are done mix the veges and the chicken cubes together and toss it around in a pan. Add pepper and salt and stir fry all of them together. To finish it cover the pan and let it cook for about 2 minutes on a low flame.

Enjoy it!

Roll away the pain!

Hey everyone!

Today I'm here to introduce you to a little piece of equipment. It definitely is one of the best investments I made in fitness equipment. Its called a foam roller.

A foam roller is a foam cylinder that comes in different shapes and sizes. It is used mainly for self-myofascial release for overactive or tired muscles. In simple english, a form of massage! Foam rollers come in different densities with the lighter colors being less dense and blue and black being the most dense.

How do you use it?

Get on the floor or a mat and start rolling on those aching muscles! If there is a tender spot just stop right in that position and hold for about 30-60 seconds.

Foam Rolling can be used in

1) Warmups
2) Recovery
3) Massage.
4) Some aspects of core training

In my experience with foam rollers it has really helped me to recover from my aches and pains of tired and sore muscles. Also it relieves the pain in the back of just sitting at a desk all day. It  is certainly very handy to have instead of booking a massage appointment everyday! I have to admit that sometimes the moment you lie on it there is a lot of pain but that just shows the level of stress and pain there is in that particular body part. Just the same as when you get a massage done and the person giving you a massage presses on a tight muscle or pressure point.I assure you if you work through it will be alright.

I leave you with a video from strength coach Eric Cressey showing a few exercises on how to use the roller.

Anywhere but the gym!

Hey Guys,

I wanted to talk about various ways you could stay fit without going to a gym. Even if your goal is bigger, faster, stronger there are options away from the gym. This post is to benefit people who don't want to go to a gym or spend on a gym and don't continue with it - their biggest reason being they get too busy to go and then after a while get demotivated thinking that since they are too busy to go they can't stay fit.

 Let me first start by saying, having been working out in a gym since I was 19 where I did have good results and learnt a lot, I also have learnt a lot putting all the suggestions I am giving you below AFTER I STOPPED WORKING OUT AT THE GYM. Over the last one and half years I have seen each of these fit the bill perfectly when I needed it.

1) Get a Personal Fitness Trainer: Whether in the gym or out a good fitness trainer will know how to work a fitness lifestyle into your schedule provided you make a commitment to it. To have a mentor in this game is vital. Although I am a Certified Fitness Trainer, I always go back to my dad who is my coach till today and am sharing and learning from selected mentors in the fitness industry to reach the goals I want and how to adapt it into my lifestyle. A personal trainer gives you a lot more information suited to your particular goal so you would actually be on a fast track to reaching your goals quicker and safer. To see more on what a fitness trainer does click here.

(Courtesy: Esteem Fitness)

2) You are your best gym: 

The human body is one of the finest creations ever made. Almost every scientific concept can  be found it it. What does this have to do with your fitness goals? A lot actually. I can bet most people would flex their biceps when asked to show their muscles. I can also bet most people would shudder or hesitate if you asked them to do push-ups! Mastering your bodyweight is also a form of weight/ strength training. Most people can lift weights but not handle their own body weight effectively. My point is simple - The only equipment you need to have a good workout to stay fit is your body. Of course you would need the right information to learn how to harness the power of your body. That brings you right back to point 1 - Get a Personal Fitness Trainer. I also recommend reading this book by Mark Lauren - You are Your Own Gym


3) Build up a home gym: If you really want to train, you can build a good fitness center at home. The days of home gyms being expensive are gone. With the advances in training technology you can have a home gym starting from INR 4000 ranging to a lot more. The basics you would need are

• A mat
• A swiss ball 
• Resistance Bands
• Dumbbells
• Barbell

I really suggest getting equipment like the swiss ball and resistance bands as you can handle fitness as well as basic therapy exercises should you need too. To get the equipment you want click on the Healthkart.com link and order your stuff from there. You can also go to my Flipkart Store page and search under the sports and fitness category. I did mine for about INR 3,500. One good thing about this is you can build your gym at home in stages and on a 'what is needed first' basis.

4) Parks or Play areas:  Parks and Play areas have benches or jungle gyms for kids. They are also a good place to train. It is outdoors and the change in scenery is quite effective and refreshing. Most of the time you have parallel bars, monkey or pull up bars and should you have resistance bands or suspension trainers that will be another value add to your workout.

These are 4 ways that I have personally used to get leaner, muscular, healthier and stronger in my one and a half years out of the gym and they ALL worked with EXACTLY the results I wanted to achieve. It is important to remember what Dr. Fred Hatfield (aka Dr. Squat) said:

'The Best workout you can do is the one you will do!'

 If you still have questions please feel free to post up your questions or contact me at:

https://www.issacertifiedtrainer.com/gideonsamuel/contact-me

Reasons and Answers to Why should we Exercise

'You are already in shape and slim. Why do you need to exercise?'

In the last six months, I've had two of my clients tell me that people have asked them this question.

I have also heard the other side of the story, though I thought it was pretty stupid - 'You go to a gym and you are gaining weight?' This was when I was on a weight gain program back in college and some overweight arrogantly guy asked me that.

So, I decided to write a post on why people need to exercise? At the outset let me make this clear that exercise refers to training your body for a specific result whether in the gym or not. There doesn't necessarily have to be a gym. 

So here are some reasons why people workout:

1) Get rid of body fat: This is usually the most obvious reason. In their terms its called 'losing weight.' However as I have explained in previous posts,  it is not how much weight you lose but what kind of weight you lose. Your bones, water content, muscle content and fat all play a huge role in contributing to your overall body weight. Reducing unhealthy fat content is the issue that we are dealing with here.

2) To build muscle: This also is very obvious. However, it is not only restricted to bodybuilders or a few college guys who want to 'pump it up.' Building muscle has advantages of keeping fat off, healthy weight gain, getting stronger, etc.

3) Gain weight: Some people really struggle with putting on weight and they need to increase their weight. The answer doesn't lie only in just eat more. That will result in bloating heavily and accumulation of fat even though it might not be visible.  A proper training program is necessary.

4) Rehabilitation: Some people with previous injuries, recovering from an illness or lifestyle related disease look to exercise as a rehabilitation process.

5) Build Strength: Once again a common misconception is just because a person lifts weights they are strong. This might not be the case. A person can be really small but have a lot of strength. A famous example is Bruce Lee. Lee might not have stood on an Olympia stage but his one inch punch demonstration is enough to tell you that he was strong enough to put away any of those Mr O. winners. Also there are different areas of strength that varies from individual to individual.

6) Conditioning: Conditioning is about developing the body's ability to endure and carry on working. This is especially seen in athletes. However, conditioning is very important to even a normal person. How many times have you heard this, ' I get breathless every time I walk up a staircase?' Conditioning is mostly training the aerobic systems, the heart and lung capacity and muscles for endurance.

7) Fitness: Fitness is definitely a reason people would exercise. Some people just look to stay healthy, free of aches and pains, and have enough strength and energy to handle their life. These are not people looking to win competitions or anything. They just know its good to exercise.

8) Preventive Medicine: Related to the point above but with a different goal in mind. People look to exercise as a medicine and as a preventive medicine. That is they take a proactive approach to warding off lifestyle related diseases. 

9) Look Good: Well this is where you find majority of the younger crowd. People just want to look good and have a good physique or figure as the case may be. The truth is if you are on a good program this will automatically fall into place.   

These are some of the biggest reasons why people workout. So if you were looking for answers to why people train or a reason to exercise....pick one and go ahead!

Get Rid of Stubborn Body Fat and Live Happier and Longer

Hi Everyone!

In this post I bring up a topic of Ori Hofmekler on Stubborn Body Fat. Ori has a great understanding and knowledge of nutrition.

Ori is definitely a person who knows what he is talking about and after enlightening the world to his book 'The Warrior Diet' and its concept, he comes out with strategy of hitting stubborn body fat. In further posts I will be posting more articles of Ori and also videos. For today, this is a video I found on YouTube and used the principles from this video and the book 'The Stubborn Belly Fat solution' to successfully enhance my fat loss. The information on the video and the book will not only help remove stubborn fat but can also save your life.

After implementing the principles, I noticed an increase in fat loss and that I was getting stronger and more energetic. My muscle gains were rapidly improving. To review the book click here