Tabata Training

Tabata was founded in Japan by Izumi Tabata. He conducted tests on two groups of athletes; comparing moderate high intensity training with high intensity interval training.

Training in high intensity interval training improves your aerobic systems as well as your anaerobic system. Moderate high intensity training only improves your aerobic system and had little to no increase in their anaerobic system.

During demanding exercises, you put stress on your body. This increases your heart rate and you breathe much faster. Besides, your muscles burn leading to fat loss. After the workout, the body uses energy to repair the stress to get your body back to its original state. This may last for as long as 48 hours, hence effective in burning calories.  

Burn fat for up to 48 HOURS after my work out? Sign me up!  


Sample Tabata: 20 sec/10 sec rest

20 sec push ups
10 sec rest

20 sec body weight squats
10 sec rest

20 sec burpees
10 sec rest

repeat 3-5 times 

No weights? No problem!

Don't want to pay gym membership fees? Don't have dumbbells, barbells, or gym equipment available to you? Well here is a routine you could do anywhere; so no excuses!

• Run/sprint for 20 minutes 
• Squats
• Lunges
• Pushups
• Pull ups
• Burpees
• Split Jumps
• Quick Step Ups or Box Jumps

* 3 sets of 20 reps for each exercise

A playground/park is an ideal place to train outside as you have benches, bars, blocks, etc available to perform these exercises. You can also get creative and use what is available to you. Box jump on your brother! Just kidding!

7 Dangerous acts after a meal

I read an interesting health tips post on Amazing Things In The World's Facebook page.  I don't know if it is all true, but I thought I would share it:

 

7 Dangerous acts after a meal~

1. Don’t smoke : Experiments from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).

2. Don’t eat fruits immediately: Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruits 1 -2 hours after meal or 1 hour before meal.

3. Don’t drink tea: Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hundred thus difficult to digest.

4. Don’t loosen your belt: Loosening the belt after meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted and blocked.

5. Don’t bathe: Bathing after meal will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs and body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease, this will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6. Don’t walk about: People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

7. Don’t sleep immediately: The food we intake will not be to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric and infection in our intestine.

Sports Injury Help

I read Sarah Callard's book: The Little Green Book Of Health - 250 Tips For An Eco Lifestyle.  There are many great tips but one stood out to me as I am prone to sports injuries.  The book states: 

One of the best anti-inflammatory painkillers for the joints and for sports injuries is bromelain, which is actually enzyme from fresh pineapple juice.  Bromelain reduces inflammation by first breaking down fibrin, a substance that would otherwise work in the body to cause local swelling.  It has also been shown to be as effective as antibiotics in treating a variety of infectious and painful conditions, from bronchitis to pneumonia. 

Quit smoking now!

If you are a smoker, the statistics below should convince you to quit. This is what happens when you quit:

*In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate will drop back down to normal.

*In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.

*In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have deceased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.

*In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.

*In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.

*In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.

*In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.

*In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

*In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

*In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

So you have more immediate things to look forward to if you quit now besides just freaking out about not being able to smoke. Quit now!

Training Partner

“Your training partners are key to your success, and friendships based on your runs together are strong.”

Bill Rodgers quotes (American marathon Runner, b.1947)

Working out with a partner is great. Partners can help motivate each other by pushing each other to work even harder with each exercise performed. Having a partner at your workout can also allow you to lift heavier weights, as you have someone to spot you (Remember, safety first!)  Just hearing an encouraging voice when you train gives you that little extra push. 

 

Unfortunately, my experience with working out with a partner was not so ideal. I partnered up in my strength and conditioning class today with an individual who was so unmotivated, didn't take the training seriously, and wanted to keep talking throughout the entire exercises. I couldn't believe it! I take my training very seriously and did not appreciate the lack of effort on his end. So I kept myself composed and continued to work out even through all his chatter, and completed the class much slower than usual, and was less effective in the number of sets that I completed. 

 

This really taught me a valuable lesson to not just partner up with anyone! Keep an eye out during warm ups and pay attention to the focused people in your class who want to push themselves beyond their limits to have a great and effective work out.  Alternatively, you can also look for these types of people to be your training buddy when you go to the gym. Because in all honesty, if you are going to train with a slacker, you might as well train alone or not at all, that way the only person who could slow you down is you.

 

Work smarter not harder. Be picky when choosing a training partner!

Group Fitness

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. 
-Lou Holtz

I finished last week's training off with a satisfied feeling of accomplishment. I had targeted each body part/muscle group twice in 1 week (5 days trained). I had trained abs and cardio 3 times as well. I took Saturday off to rest my body and recharge for the rest of this week week. Sometimes it is great to do nothing all day and watch movies, but it always makes me feel so tired and lethargic afterwards.

 

 It was like I had ran a marathon! I woke up Sunday feeling sluggish and drained, but I couldn't let this feeling dictate my weekend so I decided to exercise first thing in the morning and get it out of the way. I decided to change things up and joined a total body conditioning class. The class was great! Working out with a group offered motivation andaccountability. The people around me were doing the exercises, so I knew that I could do it too. I felt that little extra pushfrom the music, energy in the room and the people around me to work harder. Another benefit was that the exercise routine moved on pace. There was little time to complain or to have a defeating attitude. I left the class feeling so enthused and good about myself from what I had just achieved. It had uplifted my spirits and set a positive tone for the rest of my day. I walked with a pep in my step and felt so alive!  If you ever feel like you need that extra boost or that extra push, joining a Group Fitness class is a great way to stay motivated, and to keep it EXCITING!