The human body!

This week's post is a reminder for everyone that do not take care of their own BODY. It is common that most of you are busy with everything else that is happening around you such as work, family, school and other responsibilities.

I will admit that I do the same as well, but did you ever think if you are taking care of your body in terms of exercise, nutrition, stress, injuries etc. If you think that your body does not need any attention...here your wrong. Your body should be your only priority and if you do not take care of it, yep you will see the negative consequences later.

Think for a second....when was the last time you trained, do you follow a well-balanced nutrition regime, are you a stressful person, do you have any injuries acute or chronic? These are some valid questions that you should ask yourself and seek for the answers right away.

DO NOT wait for the New Year Resolution. Delaying your actions for the future is not the answer. Your body is your NO.1 priority now and its best if you take care of it.

Balance everything out and remember that there is always TIME for everything. It all depends on YOU AND ONLY YOU.

JUST LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.............I'm out!

The influence of a personal trainer!!!

SELF-SELECTED RESISTANCE TRAINING INTENSITY
IN HEALTHY WOMEN: THE INFLUENCE OF A
PERSONAL TRAINER
NICHOLAS A. RATAMESS, AVERY D. FAIGENBAUM, JAY R. HOFFMAN, AND JIE KANG
Department of Health and Exercise Science, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey

ABSTRACT:
The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the
influence of resistance training with a personal trainer versus
unsupervised resistance training on the self-selected intensities
used by women during resistance exercise. Forty-six resistancetrained
women (age = 26.6 6 6.4 years; body mass = 64.2 6
10.9 kg) who either trained individually (n = 27; No PT) or with
a personal trainer (n = 19; PT) were carefully instructed to
select a weight they used in their own resistance training
workouts that enabled the completion of 10 repetitions for the
chest press (CP), leg press (LP), seated row (SR), and leg
extension (LE) exercises. Each participant was subsequently
tested for one repetition-maximum (1RM) strength on each
exercise, and the self-selected intensity was calculated based
on a percent of each 1RM value. For self-selected relative
intensity, the PT group selected significantly greater intensities
for LP (50% vs. 41%), CP (57.4% vs. 48%), and SR (56% vs.
42%) whereas a trend (p = 0.10) was observed for LE (43% vs.
38%) compared with No PT. Overall, the average self-selected
intensity for all exercises was ~51.4% in PT group and ~42.3%
in the No PT group. 1RM values for LP, LE, and SR were greater
in the PT than No PT group. Ratings of perceived exertion
values were significantly greater in the PT compared with the
No PT group for CP, LE, and SR but not LP. These results
indicate that resistance training under the supervision of a
personal trainer leads to greater initial 1RM strength values,
self-selection of greater workout intensities, and greater ratings
of perceived exertion values during resistance exercise.

from:
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
www.nsca-jscr.org

SUNDAY THOUGHTS!

These are random sunday thoughts about training and nutrition:

• Muscle is the only thing that burns fat in the body. Increase muscle mass = Decrease body fat.
• If you want to loss weight you need to do 2 things: decrease your calorie intake by 20% ( about 300- 500 calories), and resistance train combined with with aerobic workouts.
• If you are doing the same aerobic workout for more than 2 weeks, your body get used to it and yes you are not losing the same calories as before. If you keep performing only aerobic workout, your muscle mass is gone....baby gone.
• If you want to find out if you are healthy, just measure your % body fat and not your weight.
• Make sure you change your resistance training program after 4 weeks.
• If you are training for a long period of time, a period of deloading is a save bet...your body will thank you and your muscle/ligaments/tendons will be ready for the next training face. for example..2 months ON and then 1 week OFF (perform recreational activities).
• If you are an athlete you need to strength train if you want to take your performance to the next level...of course technique and talent are important but if your weak..you lose.
• Perform heavy lifting..it will boost your strength and metabolism.
• Try also speed training for a change...for example perform squats as fast as you can for 3 sets of 20-30 seconds...you do recruite more muscle fibers
• Be specific with your lifts...calculate your 1 Repetition Maximum and train accordingly.
  
• Take a 'power nap' for 20 -30 minutes a day of if you need to...believe it or not it restarts your nervous system.
• Men and women that never train before in their lives and they seem thin....believe it or not their muscle mass = 0 and their body fat is really high, which means that these people are very unhealthy.
  

I'm out......

BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU !!!

Check out this website if you are a true BJJ athlete or what to learn more about this great sport out there http://www.trainingforwarriors.com/

Hey Daki my man this is for you.....and do pass it to the other guys aaayyt. I'm out....

PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM FITNESS!

This is a small educational article that I recently wrote for Dessange Magazine...enjoy!

It is commonly accepted and scientifically proven that a well- designed prenatal/ postpartum exercise program can have positive outcomes towards the mother and her baby. The old myth depicting that exercise can harm the baby does not exist any more, yet qualified advice is highly recommended.

Some exercise benefits for the pregnant woman through a well-design training plan are: Feeling stronger and more able to handle the demands of pregnancy and birth, potentially shorter active labors and fewer cesarean births, improved sense of well-being and faster recovery. As for the baby some benefits are: possible benefit of less distress in labor and birth, probable advantage of better nourishment in utero resulting from bigger placenta. In addition, some benefits for the postpartum women are: quicker return to normal weight and more energy/ stamina.

At all times if any of the contraindications mentioned below should excluded any pregnant woman from exercise. These are: pregnancy- induced hyperextension, premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor in current or prior pregnancy, cervix early contractions, persistent bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester, and intrauterine growth restriction. Furthermore, consolidation from a doctor is needed if any danger warning signs are present: pain, vaginal bleeding, dizziness, increase shortness of breath, or rapid heartbeat.

It should be noted that the exercise regime is broken down for the pregnant woman to first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, yet for the postpartum woman to 6 weeks recovery period and 6 weeks to 6 months after period. The exercise program targets the main components of fitness such as cardiovascular capacity, strength, flexibility, core development and relaxation. The woman fitness state is another factor that an exercise professional should take into consideration.

Reference: The quick series guide to prenatal and postpartum fitness by the Cooper Institute, Dallas Texas.

DO NOT FORGET TO TRAIN THE 'NON IMPORTANT MUSCLES' ???

HEY EVERYONE,

I HAVE BEEN BUSY LATELY, SO THATS WHY I COULD NOT WRITE ANYTHING. I KNOW THAT I PROMISE A TRAINING VIDEO, BUT IT SEEMS THAT ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO AT THE MOMENT. I PORMISE I WILL HAVE IT IN MIND.

INDIVIDUALS THAT RESISTANCE TRAIN FOR ANY REASON TEND TO FORGET TO TRAIN THE 'NON IMPORTANT MUSCLES'. NEGLECTING THESE EQUALLY IMPORTANT MUSCLES; YET IMBALANCES CAN BE CREATED ACCOMPANIED WITH SOME PAIN ISSUES.

THESE 'NON IMPORTANT MUSCLES ARE THE:

• THE PSOAS AND ILLIACUS THAT TEND TO LIFT THE THIGH AT 90 DEGREES AND ABOVE. WEAK PSOAS CAN CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS ON THE KNEE AND KNEE JOINT. YOU CAN SIMPLY ACTIVATE THESE MUCLES BY PERFORMING THE BRACING TECHNIQUE, AND YOU CAN ACTIVATE THESE MUSCLE FURTHER WITH THE FLOOR BICYCLE EXERCISE WERE YOU ALTERNATELY CYCLE YOUR THIGHS OFF THE FLOOR.

• THE ADDUCTOR GROUP MUSCLES ARE THE INNER THIGH MUSCLES. WEAK ADDUCTORS CAN ALSO CREATE PROBLEMS AT THE KNEE AND HIP JOINT. YOU CAN EASILY TRAIN THESE MUSCLES BY PERFORMING THE ADDUCTOR MACHINE OR SQUEEZE A MEDICINE BALL ISOMETRICALLY BETWEEN THE KNEES.

• SHOULDER MUSCLES SPECIFICALLY INFRASPINATUS, SUPSCAPULARIS AND SCAPULA MUSCLES WHICH SIMPLY THE MUSCLES/ TENDONS AROUND THE SHOULDER AND MID- THORACIC AREA. WEAK SHOULDER MUSCLES/ TENDONS CAN INTERFERE WITH SHOULDER HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY THE SCAPULA MUSCLES IF NOT TRAINED FOR A LONG PERIOD AND SITTED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME CAN CREATE A KYPHOTIC POSTURE. YOU CAN EASILY TRAIN THESE MUSCLES WITH CHIN- UP AND PULL-UP EXERCISES.

IT IS VITAL TO STRETCH THESE MUSCLES ALSO AFTER YOU WORKED THEM OUT.

THIS IS THE TRAINING TIP FOR THIS WEEK FOR A HEALTHIER RESISTANCE TRAINING BODY. MAKE SURE YOU GIVE EMPHASIS IN THESE SPECIFIC MUSCLES TO AVOID ANY IMBALANCE/ PAIN ISSUES. I'M OUT.......

NUTRITIONAL TIP FOR WATER!

AS YOU ALL KNOW KEEPING HYRATED DURING THE DAY IS VITAL. OUR BODY IS 70 % WATER. WATER IS THE MOST ERGOGENIC AID FOR ANY ATHLETE. TOO LITTLE OR TOO MUCH WATER IS HARMFUL FOR YOUR BODY, SO MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THAT IN MIND.

AS A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION UNTRAIN INDIVIDUALS IS GOOD TO DRINK 2 LITERS OF WATER, 3 LITTERS FOR ATHLETES AND MAYBE 4 LITERS OR MORE TO THOSE WHO EXERCISE IN HEAT. MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU CONSUME ANY DEHYDRATING PRODUCTS SUCH AS COFFEE, SOFT DRINKS OR TEA YOUR WATER CONSUMPTION NEEDS TO INCREASE. FURTHERMORE, IT IS WISE TO DRINK WATER IN SMALL INCREMENTS.

DID YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THE FOODS THAT YOU DAILY CONSUME CONSIST OF WATER. SOME FOODS THAT CONSIST HIGH PERCENTAGE WATER IN THEM ARE:

• APPLES
• BEAN SPROUTS
• CABBAGE
• CELERY
• CHERRIES
• CUCUMBER
• LETTUCE
• SPAGETTI
• OKRA
• GREEN PEPPERS
• TOMATOES
• BROILED CHICKEN
• SPINACH

THESE FOODS CAN ADD UP TO YOUR HYDRATION STATUS.

EAT FOODS THAT HAVE HIGH WATER CONTENT SUCH AS SALADS BEFORE MEAL, CAN MAKE YOU FULL, SO LESS CALORIES ARE CONSUMED. MAKE SURE YOU START YOUR DAY BY DRINKING A GLASS OR 2 OF WATER TO GET YOUR HYDRATION STATUS GOING AND IT HELPS DECREASE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS ALSO.

HMMM...MAYBE NEXT TIME I WILL POST ONE OF ME FAVORITE WORKOUTS IN VIDEO!

I'M OUT...

Nutrition tip for you...Heme Iron or Non- heme Iron???

This is a great nutrition question for training or non-training individuals. Iron is nessecary for a healthier immune system, especially building red blood cells and avoiding the fatique related with anemia.

The heme iron is much better absorbed and you can find it in:

• Liver
• Meat such as pork, beef, lamb, veal
• Poultry
• Fish
• Oysters
• Whole egg

The non-heme iron is tpoorly absorbed and you can find it in:

• Breakfast cereal
• lentils
• cooked beans
• baked potato with skin
• whole grain products
• green leafy veggies
• dried fruit
• tofu

To improve absorpt iron of the non-heme iron you can:

• eat vitamin C foods
• eat food containing heme- iron
• avoid blocking absorption foods and drinks such as coffee, tea, and excessive fiber.

straight from 'Essentials of Sport Nutrition and Supplements' a great great book.

I'm out.........

Karnoven Method: calculating accurately your training Heart Rate

Karnoven Mentod is the most accurate method out there today that it can help you calcutate your training heart rate.

The formula is:

Age- predicted maximum heart rate (APMHR)= 220- age

Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)= APMHR- resting heart rate (RHR)

Target Heart Rate (THR)= (HRR x exercise intensity)+ RHR

Do this calculation twice to find THRR

for example

30 year old guy, RHR of 60 bpm with exercise intensity 60-70%

APMHR= 220-30= 190bpm

RHR= 60 bpm

HRR= 190-60= 130 bpm

Lowest THRR= (130x0.60) + 60 = 138 bpm

Highest THRR= (130x0.70) + 60 = 151 bpm

straight from 'Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning'.

For the RHR is best to measure it first thing in the morning when you just wake up.

You can measure your THRR while training with a heart rate monitor or divide THRR by 6, the number you are going to get is for 10 seconds interval. Measuring areas either on the wrist or neck.

I choose my clients THHR depending on their goals always.

DO CALCULATE YOUR THHR; yet be more accurate with your training. Don't be one of those people that train for fun...BE SPECIFIC.

I'm out..........

Spinal Column Article

This is the article that I wrote for the Dessange Magazine for this month...enjoy.

Spinal Column

In everyday life, the spinal column is vulnerable for any kind of injury. Our goal as human beings is to fully protect the spinal column, mainly through exercise, and be aware of basic actions that can prevent any form of injury. Some of the most important actions are:
· In particular, for a healthier spinal column someone should introduce additional exercises to their exercise regime. The exercises should train the abdominal region, glutes, and legs (hamstrings, quadriceps); yet not specifically train the back musculature.
· One hour after rising from bed is recommended for anyone who prefers to start a workout or any kind of activity due the fluid level of the intervertebral discs (discs are more hydrated upon waking up).
· It is a common phenomenon that pain felt anywhere at the back area is fully related with continuous bending patterns of the spine, yet not activating the legs or the hip muscles.
· Any kind of bending, twisting or prolonged sitting of the spine should be avoided to prevent any kind of injury to the intervertebral discs. The spinal column must be kept in a straight horizontal line at all times and if prolonged sitting lasts more than 2 hours is advisable to walk or stretch to prevent tightness or pain.
· Avoid particular abdominal and back exercises. It is known that there are exercises which can interfere with back health, exclusively the intervertebral discs. Furthermore, the time spend exercising these areas should not be long whereas scientific studies depicted that negative results can lead from excessive exercise period.
· The method of BRASING is recommended while exercise or not for a more stable spinal column instead of HOLLOWING method. The BRASING technique activates mainly transverse abdominal (the inner/deeper abdominal muscle) and lower back musculature, but on the other hand the HOLLOWING technique is weakening the abdominal muscles and someone can get injured only with just minimum weight usage.
Negligence upon the field of strength and conditioning related to the spinal column can end result in unwanted and serious injuries. Always train with the right exercise guidelines reducing the number of spine pathological conditions.

Reference: ‘Ultimate Back Performance, 3rd edition, Stuart McGill.

Exercise Vs Diet?

Check out the research behind this topic by Dr. Benardi at http://www.precisionnutrition.com/members/showthread.php?t=14001

Let me know what you think......I'm out

The BASE of all sports?

Alohaaaaaaaaa everyone,

Well, have you ever though what is really the base of all athletics? Why elite athletes different from not elite ones? Why the sports here in cyprus are not that great in terms of quality of play?

The answer is only one, we usually skip the BASE of all the sports. The Base consists of power, strength, speed, endurance, flexibility nutrition, mental toughness, balance, coordination, injury prevention as stated by Rooney in his book 'Training for Warriors. All these important aspects need to be addressed and more emphasis should be given to the ones that are related with each sport.

In most sports, especially in Cyprus, this initial step is ignored. To be the best in any sport or to train for health related reasons this step is the most important of all. Furthermore, technique is the leading element. How can a fighter for example be good if he or she lacks of explosive power, strength and speed. If you do not train these elements, literally you can not be the best.

In addition, other important elements of any sports are: Technique , Strategy, and Mental Training as mentioned by Rooney.

The take home message is that the BASE is the missing link of all the sports here in Cyprus. If you want your performance to increase in big numbers, the BASE is most fundamental element and YES DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.......I'm out.

Screening...is that important???

I have a new question for you.........hmmmmmm is Screening that important after all? Screening refers to check several movement patterns of the major joints like the ankle, knee, hip, spine, and shoulder to make sure that there is No limitation on movement or pain appearance.

It is vital to perform some sort of screening because it can verify that you are ready to exercise safely. This concept came up from Gray Cook a know PT that is the 'Master' of detecting faulty movement patterns and of course fix them.

It is simple perform basic screening movement patterns and focus on those that you personally not good at. Do perform all the screening pattern to make sure that you are ready to PUMP IT UP!

Visit the functional movement website to find more about the Screening movement or ask a competent trainer.

Hmmmm...if simply you avoid the screening movement pattern and you DO have a limitation or pain.....YES IT WILL CATCH UP ON YOU IN THE FUTURE, as Gray Cook depicts.

I'm out..............

Fixed Vs Free Form Resistance Equipment?

This is a valid question that you should definetely know the answer if you are currently working out and want to increase your strength in big numbers.

Below I attached an article that reveals the answer for you.

STRENGTH OUTCOMES IN FIXED VERSUS FREE-FORM
RESISTANCE EQUIPMENT
KEITH C. SPENNEWYN
Health and Exercise Science Department, Minnesota School of Business/Globe University, Shakopee, Minnesota

from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,
VOLUME 22 NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2008

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to compare measures of strength
and balance between subjects using fixed form or free-form
resistance training equipment to determine whether there is a
difference in strength or balance outcomes. Thirty previously
untrained subjects, mean age = 49 (63.7 years), were randomly
placed in either a free-form strength group (FF n = 10)
utilizing a commercially available free-form plate loaded resistance
device, a fixed form strength group (FX n = 10) utilizing a
commercially available fixed range selectorized resistance
device or a control group (C; n = 10) who did not exercise. All
groups were assessed during a pretest (T1) and a posttest
(T2). The exercise groups were asked to exercise over a 16-
week period, increasing resistance based on a standardized 8–
12 repetition protocol. The same muscles were targeted in both
exercise groups, all groups were instructed not to change their
dietary habits. A one-way ANOVA was used to detect differences
among the groups using baseline and end results
data. FX group increased strength 57% from baseline while the
FF group increased strength 115% from baseline. A statistically
significant difference (P = 0.000001) was detected for
strength production in the FF over the FX group and (P =
0.0000144) over the training and control groups. Balance
improved 49% in the FX versus 245% in the FF groups. Testing
revealed a statistically significant difference (P # 0.003). The
control (C) group did not show significant improvement in either
strength or balance. Results of this study indicate a greater
improvement in FF over FX in strength (58%), and balance
(196%). Additionally, the FX reported increased pain levels
while the FF group reported lowered overall pain levels.

Free Form Resistance Equipment (FFRE) surely kick ass. I definetly experience it on my own and with my personal training clients, yet the results are unbelievable. The FFRE exercises are more fun, challenging with more that one muscle group surely firing compare with the Fixed equipment.

I'm out.........

2 Preferred Back Exercises Vs 2 Bad Back Exercises!

The 2 preferred back exercises as Dr. Mc Gill suggests in his book 'Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance' are:

Bird Dog

Cable back extensions

Trying these above exercises you will realize that your back muscles are firing without any spine compression forces. The 2 things to have in mind while performing these exercises are straight back and bracing(tighting up your core).

The exercises shown below (Roman Chair Extension and Superman) are 2 exercises that you DO NOT WANT TO PERRFORM. These specific exercises target the main 4 extensor back muscles (Lumbar ES, thoracic ES, Lats, External Obliques), but unfortunately as Dr. Mc Gill depicts the Roman chair exercise impose over 4000 N (1000lbs) of compression on the spine and the superman exercise imposes 6000N (1400lbs) and can stress your neck extensors as well.

Romanian Chair Extension

Superman

Always make sure that you are choosing exercises that keep you away from injury. I'm out........

Performing weighted leg curls= Dysfunction

It should be noted that training the hamstring muscles which are the muscles at the back of your thigh with weight curling in lying, seated, or standing position is not the answer for you. These actions can create major dysfunctions as as Evan Osar depicts in his book 'Complete Hip and Lower Extremity Conditioning'.

Some of the reasons for this are:

1. Literally, the body is in an upright position in all activities of daily living and athletic training. Enabling the body to be upright and move into the 3 planes of motion can decrease proprioception in all the muscles, especially pelvis, hips, knees, and ankles.
2. Performing leg curls on machines, the eccentric strength (lowering the weight towards the ground) is minimal, which can create an injury because an assymetry exists because the concetric strength (lifting the weight up) is extremely big compare with the eccentric strength.
3. The lying hamstring curl machine can be used only for teaching neutral spine while lengthening the quad muscle. Loading the machine with a lot of weigh can create your back to arch resulting an injury.
4. Gluteus maximus, 'the major ass muscle', stops firing proberly causing an increase in the hamstrings resting tone. This action can surely cause an injury because before any dynanic movement the neuromuscular system first controls posture before any movement.
5. Alterations of pelvic alignment can cause length and tension ratio changes of the hamstrings again resulting in an injury.

THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE.....DO NOT WEIGHT CURL YOUR HAMSTRINGS IN A LYING, SEATED, OR UPRIGHT POSITION.

I'm out............

Television Appearance!!!

Hey ladies and gents,

Well, I have an announcement to make, I will be on the TV channel RIK 1 on Friday the 11th of July at 7am. If you have time tune in people.....

It's a short video related to personal training. I wanted to say more about the subject, but did not have much time.

Check it out if you can, it sucks though because it is too early in the morning. I'm out........

Sport Dimension Seminar Review!!!

Hey everyone,


Last Saturday, I was lucky to join the Sport Dimension Seminar given by Mike Antoniades, one of the cypriots leaders in the field of strength and conditioning (specilist in speed and rehabilitation)that currently lives in the UK. Check out Sport Dimension website http://www.sportdimensions.com/ and see what they really do.

It was a great seminar that took place at Cyprus College, yet did not believe that such a seminar will take place in Cyprus. The seminar was about 'The importance of the Core related to performance and rehabilitation.'

Here are some facts that you need to be aware of either as a trainer or someone who exercises regularly:

• Watford Academy is the only one institute in Europe that give emphasis on sport and academia at the same time for kids for all the ages.
• Firing up the nervous system will improve your speed and your rehabilitate state.
• The core consists 29 muscles of the lumbar/pelvic complex.
• 90% of all injuries affect the kinetic chain.
• Postural Analysis can detect 90 % of the pain related issues.
• ' To be ignorant of motion is to be ignorant of nature' by Aristotelis.
• 1 cup of alcochol can slow down the rehabilitation phase by 40%.
• Mike Johnson, the US top sprinter, has the best stride frequency seen by Mike Antoniades.
• Between the ages of 8 to 16, the nervous system is the most plastic so make sure your kids are active between those ages.
• Close and open kinetic chain rehabilitation exercices are the best for injuries.
• There is not a specific Core test out there that works out for everybody.
• Functional Core tests are prefered.
• 50 % of any rehabilitation success is related with the client's mental image.
• Mike recommends that Power is accomplished with how fast you can move with of course body biomechanics in perfect shape.
• Static Stretching is use only for recovery or at the end of your workout.

The 2 take home messages were:

1. ALWAYS TRAIN THE MOVEMENT, NOT THE MUSCLE.
2. THE GLUTEUS IS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT MUSCLE AFTER THE HEART.

Mike Antoniades was and is the man!

I'm out.................

Women Training Issues/ Facts

I will personally mention some issues/ facts that exist upon training women.

The training issues are:

1. Performing a lot of cardiovascular fitness and fitness classes especially yoga and pilates.
2. Resistance trainining is not for them because they think they will get bulky, and if they resistance train they always train for endurance (high repetitions).
3. Not eating enough food especially protein in their meals.
4. Train only their abdominal area thinking that they are going to develop 'sexy abs', and
5. Lack or training while pregnant or after pregnancy, not knowing the benefits of exercise for mother and her baby.

The facts for the above comments are:

1. Cardiovascular fitness and classes are not the way you do it. Yes, I will admit that there is some fitness going with such routine, but is not good enough. Do you know that cardio workouts are not that beneficial in terms of losing body fat. As for the classes, i will suggest to try other kind of training classes like keetlbell, fit balls, and band workout and see the difference.
2. Resistance training should be the main training regime for women because of its numerous benefits such increase metabolism, decrease body fat, decrease levels of osteoporosis, etc. Emphasis should be given to upper body training, yet not forgeting to train the lower part. Resistance training will not get you look like a bodybuilder because is a fact that women have way less testosterone that men and if you keep the volume of your training low (2 to 3 times a week) you don't have anything to afraid of. Women have to accept that whatever training they perform, they work out the muscles even if its cardiovascular or resistance training. In addition, high repetition workouts are not that beneficial either because the resistance training benefits mentioned before are diminished. Try workouts for strength and power and you will be suprised.
3. Not eating enough is not the way you go, especially if you are training. Food will give you that energy that you are looking for, yes you will see better results no doubt about it. Add some protein to your meals...its good for you and DO NOT train with an empty stomach.
4. As for training only the abdominal area for a six pack, hmmmm.. what can I say keep going and YES you will not see any results. Use exersices that you use your abdominals while firing other muscles. Nutrition is a key here.
5. Prenatal and Postpartum fitness is a MUST. Some of the exercise benefits for the pregnant women are: Feeling stronger and more able to handle the demands of pregnancy, shorter active labors and fewer cesarean births, as for the baby: less distress in labor and birth, better nourishment in utero resulting from bigger placenta....as for the postpartum women: quicker return to normal weight, more energy/ stamina.

Sooooooo....the take home message for women is RESISTANT TRAIN NOW!

I'm out........

2 Core Exercises

Push ups with hands on Medicine Balls

Push ups with feet on the ball

Performing core exercises should be included in your training program. The core should be worked out like any other muscle in the body as for endurance (15- 20 reps) or strength/ power(5-12 reps). The only key element to trimm down the abdominal area is NUTRITION MANAGEMENT.

Actually the above exercices are not just core exercices, they are compounds exercises which means that your entire core is activated, back, chest, front shoulder, and tricep. I usually like these kind of exercises.....if you noticed. I'm not fun of assolated core exercises...and yes I will admit they are boring most of the times.

Before performing the above exercices your core should be strong enough or perform them with modifications, for example feet on the floor or ball rested on the knees.

Try them out and tell me what do you think....I'm out.

Nondairy products

The stories for the contaminated calcium products these days are driving people crazy. Well, it is true that you can get your daily calcium intake not just from milk products. The nondairy sources available are:

Food source
Serving size
Calcium (mg)
Azuki beans
1 cup, boiled
63
Baked beans, canned
1 cup
128
Black beans
1 cup, boiled
47
Black turtle beans
1 cup
103
Butter beans, canned
1 cup
40
Cranberry beans
1 cup, boiled
89
French beans
1 cup, boiled
111
Great Northern beans
1 cup, boiled
121
Kidney beans
1 cup, boiled
50
Lima beans
1 cup, boiled
32
Mung beans
1 cup, boiled
55
Navy beans
1 cup, boiled
128
Pink beans
1 cup, boiled
88
Pinto beans
1 cup, boiled
82
Refried beans, canned
1 cup
188
Soy beans
1 cup, boiled
175
White beans
1 cup, boiled
161
White beans, small
1 cup, boiled
131
Winged beans
1 cup, boiled
244
Yellow beans
1 cup, boiled
110
Grains
Food source
Serving size
Calcium (mg)
Instant oatmeal
One packet
163
Taco shell
One shell
16
White Bread
One slice
16
Whole wheat bread
One slice
18
Nuts and seeds
Food source
Serving size
Calcium (mg)
Almonds
24 (dried)
75
Brazil nuts
8 (dried)
50
Carob flour
1 cup
359
Pistachios
38 (dried)
38
Sesame seeds
1 tablespoon
10
Sunflower seeds
1 ounce (dried)
33
Seafood
Food source
Serving size
Calcium (mg)
Canned salmon
3 ounces
150
Canned sardines (with bones)
6
250
Oysters
1 cup
195
Vegetables and greens
Food source
Serving size
Calcium (mg)
Acorn squash
Half cup, baked
45
Butternut squash
Half cup
42
Beet greens
Half cup
82
Blackeyed peas
1 cup
42
Broccoli, raw
Half cup
21
Cabbage, green, raw
Half cup, boiled
25
Cabbage, red, raw
Half cup, boiled
28
Cardoon
3.5 ounces, boiled
72
Carrots, raw
One medium
19
Carrots
Half cup, boiled
24
Cabbage, Chinese
Half cup, boiled
79
Chickpeas
1 cup, boiled
80
Chickory greens, raw
Half cup
90
Collards
1 cup, boiled
148
Dandelion greens
Half cup, boiled
73
Fuki (butterbur)
3.5 ounces, boiled
79
Garlic, raw
Three cloves
16
Kale
Half cup, boiled
47
Mustard greens
Half cup, boiled
52
Parsley, raw
Half cup
39
Pigeon peas
1 cup
72
Spinach, raw
Half cup, boiled
122
Turnip greens, raw
Half cup
53
Watercress, raw
Half cup
20
Other non-dairy sources
Food source
Serving size
Calcium (mg)
Agar, raw
3.5 ounces
2
Agar, dried
3.5 ounces
625
Amaranth
1 cup, boiled
138
Burdock root
1 cup, boiled
62
Cauliflower, raw
Half cup, boiled
17
Cassava, raw
3.5 ounces
91
Chives, raw
1 tablespoon
2
Figs, raw
One medium
18
Figs, dried
10 figs
269
Hummus
1 cup
124
Irish moss, raw
3.5 ounces
72
Kelp, raw
3.5 ounces
168
Laver (nori), raw
3.5 ounces
70
Lupines
1 cup, boiled
85
Molasses, Barbados
1 tablespoon
49
Molasses, blackstrap
1 tablespoon
137
Molasses, light
1 tablespoon
33
Molasses, medium
1 tablespoon
58
Natto
Half cup
191
Orange juice (fortified)
12 ounces
40
Okra
Half cup
50
Papaya, raw
One medium
72
Rhubarb, frozen, raw
1 cup
266
Tempeh
Half cup
75
Tofu, raw, firm
Half cup
258

copied from www.bluegrass.net/~jclark/calcium_foods.htm

My personal favorites are any kind of beans, broccoli, sardines, almonds and tofu. It should be noted that some of these sources are fattening, so you should be careful of the quantity that you consume.

Recommended Adequate Intake by the IOM for Calcium

Male and Female Age
Calcium (mg/day)
0 to 6 months
210
7 to 12 months
270
1 to 3 years
500
4 to 8 years
800
9 to 13 years
1300
14 to 18 years
1300
19 to 50 years
1000
51+ years
1200

*mg=milligrams

copied from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp

Milk product is not the only solution out there for your daily calcium intake. Enjoy all the other sources available to you.

I'm out.........

CORE TEST

As you all know by now, the CORE is one of the most important area of your own body. The muscles around your mid-section (abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles) make up the CORE. Let's face it, a stronger mid-section can ease the activities of your daily living and help you maintain a healthy spine. Even the best athletes have a rock solid CORE that can determine their performance.

I will provide you with a simple test that you can evaluate if your CORE is strong enough. You can perform this test at your local gym or even at your house.

CORE TEST:

1. PLANK HOLDS FOR 2 MINUTES
2. SIDE PLANKS (EACH SIDE)FOR 1 MINUTE AND 30 SECONDS, AND
3. HYPER EXTENSION HOLDS FOR ANOTHER 2 MINUTES


Make sure you train your Core muscles for endurance, strength, and power. How do you do that...simple just increase the weight and do less repetitions. The ONE THING THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF IS THE ROTATION MOVEMENTS. I advice you not to train rotation with a lot of weigh because it can cause injuries to your spine. You should choose exercises like the oblique blast showed in a previous post, that you do not perform any rotation patterns, but effectively train your obliques.

Another tips is not to overtrain one area of the CORE muscles more that the other, yet you can create imbalances. Choose wisely 2 or 3 exercises for each section and YES DO REST 1 OR 2 DAYS BEFORE TRAIN YOUR CORE MUSCULATURE AGAIN.

I'm out........

MMA Endurance Training Workout

I personally consider MMA TRAINING really challenging. Your body goes though so much beating and your heart rate pumps like crazy.

The four key components to MMA training as Martin Rooney depicts in his book 'Training for Warriors' are:

1. Lower Body Resistance Training
2. Upper Body Resistance Training
3. Endurance Training and
4. Core Training

All 4 components are equally important to MMA training.

Today I'm going to talk about the Endurance part and give you a sample workout. Personally, my favorite workouts are with Keetlebels, Sled Pushing or Pulling. With these workouts mentioned above, your heart is pumping really hard trying balance everything out. If a fighter does not have Endurance, he or her can be vulnerable to loose the fight. If you are out of breath in fight, then you are history....Game over.

I can understand that the workouts mentioned above are hard to perform due to limited equipment around, so I'm going to give you a sample MMA Endurance workout directly from Martin Rooney's book that you can surely use.


Treadmill Interval Training:

Warm up: 5 minutes (light jog)
then speed up for about 30 second to a minute Full speed
Then 1 minute jog about 70 % heart rate Max
then repeat for another 3-5 times,
at the end you perform additional 5 minutes Cooldown.

This program can be used with any cardio machine.

As your endurance gets better you can progress it by:
1. INCREASE THE CYCLES (FULL SPEED TO 70 % HRM JOG UP TO 25 MINUTES FOR FULL WOKOUT.
2. SUBSTITUTE THE 1 MINUTES 70 % JOG WITH MEDICINE BALL THROWS AND
3. SUBSTITUTE THE 70 % JOG WITH SETS OF CHIN UPS OR PUSH UPS.

I can admit that this workout does not only work for MMA fighters, but also for general population that want to increase their endurance and decrease body fat levels.

Martin Rooney, JC Santana, J. Ferrugia and of course 'The diesel crew' are great sources for MMA TRAINING.

GO OUT THERE AND TAKE YOUR ENDURANCE TO ANOTHER LEVEL. I'm out.........

High Intensity workout = High metabolism

Hey everyone,

I read a really interesting article from Ryan Andrews at Precision Nutrition website and wanted to pass on the information. As the title of this blog depicts, if you want to have a high metabolism and burn more calories even 3 to 4 hours after a workout the answer is high intense exercise.

As Ryan Andrews says any of these workouts will boost your metabolism:


-Interval Running, Climbing, Cycling, and Rowing
-Resistance Circuits
-Body Weight Circuits
-Rope Jumping (Skipping)
-Running Hills
-Burpees, Jumping Jacks, and Other Plyometrics
-Medicine Ball Tosses and Rotations
-Kettlebell Exercises
-Tire Flipping, Fireman Carries, Farmers Walking and Other Strongman Activities.

As you can see from these workouts mentioned above the heart rate (HR) is kept high involving a lot of muscles firing, and high oxygen demand. Any kind of activity will increase your metabolism as long as you have the 3 components: high HR, Oxygen consumption, and a compound exercise.

In addition to the 3 components mentioned above, there is a metabolism increase as a result of
Higher body temperature
Increased activity of the heart and respiratory muscles
Elevated levels of hormones that increase metabolic activity
Energy absorbing pathways and the conversion of things like lactate into glucose or amino acids
Recovery of muscle damage.

My personal favorites are: Kettlebells, Boxing/ kicking, interval training, sled pushing and pulling and Brazilian JJ(I have not tried it much, but believe it or not its a killer).

It should be noted that a well planned nutrition plan should be followed for a lean body (decrease body fat percentage)...if is that your main priority. Nutrition and exercise go together if you did not realize it.

Don't be one of those people that exercise hard and then eats like a PIG! This is the worse habit ever.......

Go out there and train hard...I'm out.

Ignorance for injuries???

I'm sick and tired of hearing people saying....'I have knee pain for 3 months, that's why I don't train my legs' or 'I have a terrible back pain for a while, I tried going to a physical therapist and did not see any difference' or 'I have pains and needles travelling down my leg or arm for 2 months, but did not have time to visit the doctor'.

I come across these incidences almost everyday. Ignoring your own injuries is not the way you go. Have an untreated injury for quite some time will cost you major health problem in the future.

If you have any kind of injury or pain, the best thing is to do is to seek medical advice. Unfortunately, I know that only few professionals related to injuries know what they are doing here in Cyprus. In my opinion you shouldn't visit the doctor that everyone else goes. Find out more about the individual that is going to treat you. Is he or her are qualified from a well-establish institute, do they know how to diagnose you injury, can they pinpoint exactly where your pain is coming from, do they explain you everything they are doing, do you feel more comfortable along the treatment...these are the questions that you should ask yourself.

If you are in pain or have an injury that is acute or chronic, I'm happy to recommend you some reliable sources out there today that I personally use.

ACT TODAY AND DO NOT POSTPONE SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE.....I'm out

5 Favorite Exercises!

These are 5 personal favorite exercises that I currently use. Bracing(holding abdominal in) is a MUST while performing these exercises. If you are not familiar with the bracing technique ask a trainer at your local gym. As for the sets and reps start slow and then you progress until you feel comfortable with each exercise.

Lunge with valslide

This exercise works the whole leg muscles(quads, hams, glutes) and balance. If you do not have the valslide, use a towel. The leg that is back slides back and forth while bending the other leg.

Single Arm Chest Press

This exercise looks easy, but try it out and let me know. You are using not only the chest, but of course your abdominal becasue you are off balance, and your hamstrings are firing as well.

Reverse Grip Pull- Up

The band assists you in this exercise. You position the band through your bend knee. Stronger bands can be used for more assistance. Back and Biceps are the primary muscles working, as for the grip...its a good variation.

Abdominal Oblique Blaster

Your obliques can be on fire with this specific exercise. The further you move out the harder.

Single Leg Deadlift holding the cable

Make sure that your back is straight when you lean forward and knee slightly bend. Lean forward until back is parallel to the floor and then move to the upright position.

ENJOY, and let me know how these exercises feel.....I'm out.

Goal setting

Heeeyyyy...everyone I'm really excited for this expireince. Let's get down to business......



In regards to goal setting in the field of fitness, I currently use the SMART methodology. SMART stands for S: Specific, M:Measurable, A:Achievable, R:Realistic , and T:timed. This specific method allows someone to be more accurate in achieving his or her fitness goals.



If you say:"I want to lose weight, or I want to get strong, or I want to get more flexible"...these statements are useless. For example, using the SMART method as described above someone should depict:' I want to loose 3 kgs in body weight and 3-5 % body fat, in 1 month. This Short Term goal has all 4 key elements of the SMART approach.



Goals can be categorized as Short(2 months), Middle(up to 6 months), and Long Term(up to a year). Always have the big picture in your head and visualise it.



Working out just for fun is not a valid reason. Get a piece of paper and write your fitness goals down. This method work out for personal goal setting, too.



I'm waiting for some feedback.....I'm working on the photo alright. I'm out.....