WHAT FORM OF CARDIO IS BEST FOR ME?

 

 

The cardio machines in your gym or fitness centre can be a persistent source of confusion if you don't understand the different benefits provided by each cardio machine. When it comes to getting results, boosting your fitness and shrinking your waistline, the best cardio machine is the one that burns the most calories. In the course of researching the different benefits derivable from cardio machine training, I came across a Huffington Post article by Bob Greenfield which encapsulated my views on various machines.

 

The Bike

The pedaling motion of the bike incorporates the big and powerful leg muscles and can burn 500-1,000 calories per hour, which ranks it among the highest calorie burners (as long as you use it correctly). But most people don't choose a resistance that is high enough to stimulate all the calorie-burning leg muscles, and instead let the natural movement of a bicycle's pedals do the work for them. To get maximum benefit from a bike, choose a resistance that makes you breathe hard at 90 RPM (revolutions per minute). Most stationary bicycles show RPM on the computer display.

 

The Treadmill

Running on a treadmill can burn 600-1,200 calories per hour, and running up an incline on the treadmill is the best way to boost your metabolism for hours after you've finished your workout. In contrast, walking on the treadmill burns only 150-400 calories per hour, depending on your speed and incline. If you're using a treadmill, then either run or jog (if your joints can handle it) or walk up a steep incline. Avoid the common mistake of constantly holding on to the handrails. These should only be used if you have extreme balance difficulties or must stabilize yourself to change a setting.

 

The Elliptical

You generally burn about 600 calories per hour on the ellipticals that don't include arm movement, and 700-900 calories on the ones that do. Using an elliptical burns fewer calories than running because once you get the parts on an elliptical moving, they use momentum to keep going, and you expend less energy. To get the best results on an elliptical, use the rails as little as possible, and challenge yourself with the resistance settings. You should be breathing hard while aiming for a cadence or stride rate of 120-140+ (this is shown on the display). If you don't feel your muscles contracting during the forward and back stroke of the elliptical, then you probably need to increase resistance.

 

The Stairmaster

Although the stairmaster is popular, it doesn't get great results. It incorporates small, low-calorie burning calf muscles, and just a small part of your upper thighs and butt -- and only burns at most 400-500 calories per hour. In addition, if you have low back pain, then you may find that the pain is aggravated during the up and down motion of the Stairmaster.

 

However, if you are lucky enough to have access to the kind of machine where you walk up a moving belt of stairs (like a stationary staircase), then you can get far better results. It will give you just as much calorie-burning benefit as running up an incline on a treadmill, and do a fantastic job toning your butt and thighs. While using it, try holding dumbbells or switching to a slow pace and taking 3-4 steps at a time.

 

The Rowing machine

The rowing machine can burn over 1,000 calories per hour, and it's an excellent upper and lower body muscular endurance and cardiovascular workout. But it can be boring. To make things more interesting on the rowing machine, try to intersperse short periods of very hard pulling with easy pulling. For instance: row for 250 meters as hard as possible, then row 100 meters easy, and repeat 6-8 times. When rowing, use both your torso and legs -- not just your arms.

 

No matter which form of cardio you choose, be sure to regularly switch things up and incorporate new forms of cardio that are unfamiliar to your body. So if you always walk, then switch to cycling or the elliptical; or if you always run, then try rowing. This will ensure that your body is constantly challenged and burning as many calories as possible.

GYM BELLE: GINA CARANO

 

 

The name Gina Carano may not ring any bells - unless you're an MMA enthusiast, in which case she's a household name. But if you've watched Fast and Furious 6, then you would recognise her as Agent Riley, the really hot female FBI officer who betrayed Agent Hobbs (The Rock).

 

 

Carano, 31, a former stunt professional on the TV game show "American Gladiators," was ranked among the top mixed martial arts fighters in the world before she retired to work in Hollywood. Her breakthrough: a starring role in the Steven Soderbergh-directed 2011 thriller "Haywire."

 

At the age of 21 Gina began training in Muay Thai, a form of Kickboxing, with Master Toddy at the suggestion of then boyfriend Kevin Ross. In pursuit of a life-changing experience he ended up at a local Las Vegas Muay Thai Gym and she tagged along. A trainer approached her, telling her point blank that she was fat and needed to lose weight. She weighed around 175 lbs. and had no direction at that point in her life. She began training and became addicted. Master Toddy saw potential in the way Gina handled herself. She took naturally to fighting with strong punches, deadly elbows and knees, a impressive overhand right, and rib-cracking hard kicks. Immersing herself completely in the sport, she advanced quickly. Months later she found herself in a "fight club" situation in San Francisco where she took on any female fighter plopped down in front of her. Since then she hasn't looked back.Her Muay Thai career is comprised of an impressive 12 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw and she becomes the first American woman to win a title in Thailand. Classified by the Unified Women's MMA Rankings as the third best 145 lb (66 kg.) female fighter in the world, her current MMA record stands at 7 wins and 1 loss.

 

Gina is engaged to Henry Cavill (Aka Superman) Henry and Gina are the epitome of fitness in the realm of entertainment. Both have physically fit features, stays active and a herald a lifestyle that could apply for fitness models.

 

 

 

Getting In shape for a Naija Beach Party

The flyer

The Western conception of hanging out at the beach usually involves you getting no more physical exertion than lounging on the beach with a case of beers, a coterie of friends and maybe a book.  

The Naija concept of a trip to the beach is far more decadent. For us,  an average beach party involves hot girls, skimpy outfits (for the ladies at least), copious amounts of alcohol, lots of food, a bad a** DeeJay, and vigorous dancing till the sun goes down. 

Damgerous!!!

The Hot Ladies

You need Lots of Energy to do this!!!

Crazy friends

Suya...An Absolute Necessity

End of Discussion

Dance

To prepare yourself for a naija beach party, quickly execute the following workout.

• 25 Jumping Jacks
• 10 Push Ups
• 20 Squats
• 10 Sit Ups
• 10 shoulder push-ups: Bend down like you're picking something up off the ground and support yourself with your hands like a tripod. Do a push-up, trying to touch your nose to the sand. Repeat
• Stretch
• Dance with the hottest dancer in the party
• Make sure you drink lots of water!!! It's easy to get dehydrated during a beach party
  

STAYING RIPPED AT THE OFFICE

From Flab ...to Fab

Getting ripped for the working person is hard, period. It's doubly difficult for a person who has little control over their diet, schedule or equipment. 

 

So, how do you maintain that ripped body you've worked so hard to develop if you are stressed, chained to your desk, and can only access junk snacks? I chewed this question over, and I gathered some tips for keeping those muscles hard and ripped whilst giving your best at work.

 

• Get yourself a mini-fridge or cooler where you can stock healthy food and drinks.

• Eat a hearty breakfast, and Prepare yourself a healthy snack and lunch which you will take to the office. Alternatively, seek out a service which can supply healthy meals to your office.
 
• Whenever you go to the bathroom, try to crank out as many jumping jacks or squats as you can reasonably perform without sweating too much. In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease and weight gain, these exercises will improve blood circulation and lower body strength.
 
• Long term sitting is energy draining!! So, take a 10 to 15 minute power walk around your office if possible. You could use the opportunity to get to chat with your fellow employees, thereby providing you with the added benefit of being sociable.

Step 2: Know Your Body type

DO YOU KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

For most people, one of the first steps towards fashioning a fitness program is to understand the concept of body types, and identifying their body type. In this article I will explain the concept of body types.

There are three basic types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

Characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim, the ectomorphs are typically the "hard-gainers", those who most likely have been slim all their lives and have small frames, little fat and long, lean muscles. Picture those Ethiopian runners competing in track and field events. They epitomize ectomorphs. 

An Ectomorph

A mesomorph is a body that is in most ways "average," not overly large and muscular and not round and fat. The real difference between an ectomorph and a mesomorph is the ability to gain both fat and muscle.

Mesomorph

Ectomorphs have difficulty gaining either fat or muscle; while mesomorphs can grow fat if they are inactive and overeat and likewise can transform into hard bodies with a modicum of effort. Many NFL Quarterbacks are good examples of Mesomorphs.

Lastly is the endomorph. These body types are typically rounded with belly fat, hips (for women) and double chins. They can, however, add muscle fairly easily when it is approached correctly and combined with clean eating and the addition of cardio. 

Sumo Wrestlers... Classic Endomorphs

While there are a few people who are truly one body type or another, most of us are a combination of two, with one type being more dominant than the other.

Knowing your own body type will help you understand both your nutritional and exercise needs for losing fat and gaining muscle, and will also help you to plan a long-term strategy that is reasonable and does not set you up for disappointment.

In other words, if you are an ectomorph, don't expect to have bulging biceps overnight. It is going to take time for you to add that extra lean mass. 

In subsequent articles I will describe sample workouts for the various body parts.

Staircase exercises that blast your hips, butt and thighs

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger....

You can get the same benefits at home as you would in a step aerobics class at the gym. If you have a staircase in your home, you can get a great workout by simply climbing the stairs.

To start, stand at the bottom of the stairs and walk in place for about one minute to get your leg muscles warmed up.

Next, step up onto the first stair, and then back down. Repeat this move on the first stair only ten times. Walk in place for fifteen seconds.

Next, walk up the first two stairs, and then back down, then walk up one stair and back down. Repeat ten times. Then go up three stairs, come down, walk up two stairs, come down, and walk up one stair and come down. Repeat ten times. Continue the pattern up ten stairs. You will definitely feel the burn by the end of this step routine.

I don't recommend going up more than ten stairs because it will get tricky to walk back down after that point. If you feel winded or dizzy, start slow. Stick with the first three stairs, and gradually build up your endurance over the weeks and months to come.

The 6 second Ab workout

Basic Crunch

The 6 Second Abs basic crunch is like performing a regular crunch in a seated position.

·         Sit on a stable surface with your feet flat on the floor. Your torso should be upright.

·         Hold the 6 Second Abs machine on your lap with the padded base against your thighs. Hold the handles with your palms facing up.

·          Crunch forward by rounding out your lower back and pressing down on the ab machine.

·         The unit will click six times telling you that you have completed the crunch.

·         Slowly return to the starting position.

Side Crunch

The side crunch with the 6 Second Abs machine targets the obliques, or side abs.

·         Sit on a stable surface with your feet flat on the floor. Place the device next to your right thigh.

·          The base should be sitting on the surface next to you and your arm should be hanging over the unit with the handles pressed into your armpit. Crunch to the right, bending at your waist.

·          Complete the full crunch through all six clicks before returning to the starting position. Complete all repetitions for one side, and then move to the other side.

Reverse Crunch

The reverse crunch is used to target the lower half of the abdominal wall, often called the lower abs.

·         Start in an upright seated position with your feet flat on the floor. The base of the 6 Second Abs device should be against your thighs.

·         Hold both handles with your palms facing up.

·         Keep your upper body still, pulling your feet off the floor and pressing against the  machine with your legs. Continue pressing up with your legs through three clicks before slowly returning your feet to the floor.

    6 Second Abs is very helpful in developing correct form and building discipline while performing crunches.

Turbulence Training

Tip for ToDAY:

How many carrots and cabbage do you have in your refrigerator every week? If you have not cultivated the habit of storing these vegetables in your fridge, now is a good time to start, so that you can benefit from the life nourishing experience and vitality that these wonderful vegetables supply.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS, is a strength and conditioning coach in Toronto, a Men's Health magazine training expert and a member of the Training Advisory Board for Inside Fitness. He created Turbulence Training as a way to get back into shape while keeping a hectic school/work schedule.

Check Out This Awesome Demonstration Of Turbulence Training. This Is A Revolutionary Way For You to Lose Weight And Gain Muscle From 3 Short Intense Workouts A Week. All you need is a 6x6 area, and very little equipment.

--->>>Click Here for the Free Turbulence Training 4 week Bodyweight Workout<<<-- 

Effective body weight exercises are better than any weight lifting session when it comes to strength training.. It really sets fire to the metabolism and if done intensely enough has a great effect on breathing when it comes to sprints or distance runs!

Never give yourself any excuse to be out of shape, your body is your responsibility.

Shadowboxing: the new rage

The term 'shadowboxing' comes from a training method that boxers use where they pretend to box their shadow on a wall, although more commonly they use a mirror. Shadowboxing basically has you punching the air and moving around practicing your drills and pretending to defend against an attacker.

Shadowboxing is the most cost effective boxing training method you can use to improve your boxing skills. If you think about it, shadowboxing requires absolutely no equipment, and you can do it anywhere and nearly anytime.  

 You can use shadowboxing a number of different ways to improve your boxing skills.  It is not necessarily just random punching and moving, although it could be.  Here are a few shadowboxing drills for you to incorporate into your workouts:

1.  Movement Shadowboxing.   This is where you develop some agility and light footwork. Your goal here is to concentrate on how you are moving around in your boxing stance.  Move forwards, backwards, side to side, pivot, hop, pendulum step, etc  Once you get comfortable with the movement, add in some punches, but the focus is still on the movement.  Visualize how your feet are turning and moving in relation to the punches you are throwing.

2.  Pivot and T Frame Shadowboxing.  In this round, while you shadowbox, your focus is on maintaining the T Frame, keeping your shoulders above your knees and pivoting correctly while throwing your punches.  You can move around all you want, throw whatever you want, but at all times, your focus is on the pivot and T-Frame.

3.  Shadowboxing Combinations.  For this drill I recommend that you start out doing a round of movement shadowboxing followed by a couple more rounds of specific combinations.  For instance, one entire round, you can do shadowbox jabs alone.  They can be single jabs, double jabs, triple jabs, jabs to body then to head, and so on.  But, the focus is the jab.  The next round, the focus may switch to the 1-2 in which case you will spend the entire round throwing technically correct jabs followed by straight rights (or lefts for the southpaws).    The next round they may do 1-2-3 combinations and so on.  The key is to focus on drilling a specific combination for the entire round.

4.  Shadowboxing for Speed.  This is quite fun and introduces a little bit of competition into the mix.  Shadowboxing for speed means the boxer will throw as many punches as he can in the span of the round.  They should still be throwing technically correct punches, but the real aim is to let their hands fly and count how many punches they can throw in three minutes.  It's best to track this so the boxer can attempt to beat whatever he did last time.  Being able to throw 250-300 punches in three minutes is a good goal to work towards.  One can also introduce constraints into this, for instance, throw as many jabs as you can in three minutes, etc... to mix it up and keep yourself from getting bored.

5.  Shadowboxing an Opponent.  The opponent is yourself and this is where a mirror is really handy.  Having the boxer box himself will show him where his weaknesses are.  He can see when he leaves his head open or if his punches are off target.  He can see if he is bending his knees fully when going down for a body punch or if his slips are crisp, clean, and fast.  It may seem vain to an outsider, but boxing in a mirror will show you what your opponent sees and therefore what you need to fix before getting in the ring.

6.  Shadowboxing Free For Alls.  Anything goes.  Picture an opponent and move, punch, and defend against what he is doing to you.  Takes an imagination, but if you can picture yourself hitting someone and then reacting to whatever they do, you'll engrave it in your head that much quicker.  This is where the real implantation happens from learning a skill to putting it in your arsenal.  When you can visualize a scenario in vivid detail and respond with zero hesitation, you'll have that skill with you in the ring.  It's kind of like learning a second language.  Experts say that once you begin dreaming in that language, you're well on your way to becoming fluent in it.

7.  Slow Motion Shadowboxing.  Do everything deliberately in slow motion concentrating on perfect technique.  This will show you the mechanics behind a certain combination or punch and allow you to correct the little things - foot off center, not enough pivot, weight distributed slightly wrong, etc.

8.  Shadowboxing with Weights.  Start small, holding small dumbells or weights in either hand as you shadowbox.  The added weight will not only aid in simulating a ring situation as you put on 10-16oz gloves, but the increased weight will help strengthen and develop your shoulders and possibly help your speed when you aren't holding the weights.

There are so many ways to enrich your exercise repertoire; don't get stuck in a rut doing stuff that bores you, switch up your workouts from time to time in order to challenge your body and shock it into weight loss.

To schedule a training session with me, send an email to legallymuscledfitness@yahoo.com stating your name, age, sex, location and telephone number.