FJ Ready To Take Fitness To Another Level

Ok FJ Lovers.

The time has finally come! Fit Junction’s evolution into a world wide portal is now around the corner. To make sure we live up to your expectations, we are going to be going to be working in over drive. Which means that our future articles will have to wait. But don’t worry. We wont completely disappear from the scene. Im gonna make sure that we keep posting some helpful tips and exercise new through twitter and facebook. So if you aren’t already a Fit Junction fan on facebook, become one. And if you don’t follow us on twitter, be sure to do so.

In the mean time feel free to browse our past articles. And don’t forget to leave us comments on twitter or on face book.

This is the last leg guys. On December 15th, the world starts becoming healthier….through all you – our FJ supporters and future members.

Get ready to share!

Stay excited and stay fit.

Apollo

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The Number 1 Absolute Bogus Reason For Not Working out

Any new gathering I go to, the topic of fitness is bound to come up. Usually its people asking for some tips about what they should do, to start off or take them to the next level. And thats a great sign because it shows those people are looking towards making a lifestyle change.

But this week has just been weird. I've never met so many people in one week, who gave me the one reason that I feel is absolute bogus! Wanna know what it is?

I just dont have time to workout

It was like the universe was trying to connect me with these people so that I can help them out and explain why this reason is bogus.

Here are the main arugments or comments I got, in no particular order:

- I get done from work really late

- I cant leave my kids alone

- My job is really demanding

- Any free time I get, I spend with my girlfriend/wife/kids

- Im working on this one project. As soon as I'm done, I'm gonna hit the gym

Would any of you reply to me in a similar way? I'll tell you what I told these people I met:

Come on guys! You know better than that.

Think about it. Why do you work really late? To make money. Why? So that you can enjoy life. Would you be able to enjoy life with all this money if you dont have the health or time to spend it? NO!

If you work really late, then try getting in your 20-30 min workout early in the day. Thats a great start; especially if you're gonna be sitting behind a desk till late. Trust me you wont lose your job if you go in 30 mins later than you do in the morning. After all, you work their till late dont you. Or just wake up 30 mins earlier to get your workout time.

If you can't leave your kids alone, who says you have to hit the gym. Workout at home. There are so many home workouts out there. The shockwave circuit and some other workouts I've posted are great examples of that.

If your job is really demanding, what about your health and fitness? Can you totally neglect them. What if you get type 2 diabetes or heart trouble? What would be more demanding then. As a matter of fact, would you even be able to be at a demanding job any more?

Same thing applies to spending time with your loved ones. Just because you need to spend time with them doesn't mean you can ignore your health. You are actually doing them a favor by staying healthy and making sure you are there for them for a longer period of time.

And mark my words, after that big project you are working on, there'll be a bigger one, and then another and another and another. You see where I'm going with this right. They will never end. One of the biggest projects of your life (other than being a good person and giving to the world) should be to stay healthy. If you think of that as a project and show it half the amount of committment you show your work projects, you will make a difference.

So what I'm trying to say boys and girls, is this:

Not having the time to workout isnt a valid reason for not working out.You should consider it as important as eating or going to work or spending time with your loved ones. And always remember, if you dont have your health, you will not be able to do any of the above. Thats just the way it goes. 

Take this advice very seriously and commit to making a change now. You will thank yourself fot it.

Stay fit

Apollo

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A Super Cardio Endurance Drill

Greater cardio endurance = healthier heart = less risk of heart disease. Not only that, your heart starts working less harder for the same activities. That means you can take it up a level and move towards a much stronger you!

The FJ Endurance Challenge is aimed in doing just that. This is the kind of stuff footballers, aka soccer players do. Its highly effective and its something that has helped me get my resting heart rate down to 54 beats per minute.

What you need to do is run 10 forty yard dashes (approximately 60 walking steps) at your top speed, with a maximum rest of 15 seconds between each dash.

The Beginner challenge: The best and worst times from your 10 sprints should not be more than 1 second apart.
The Intermediate challenge: The best and worst time from your 10 sprints should not be more than 0.5 seconds apart.
The Advanced challenge: The best and worst time from your 10 sprints should not be more than 0.3 seconds apart.

And guys, whats more important here is to not take more than the allotted 15 second rest. Its ok if in the beginning you cant keep the difference under 1 second. If you keep on doing this, you will improve your endurance enough to get it under that time.

So be strong and get even stronger!

Stay Fit

Apollo

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Can Nintendo's Wii Make You Fitter

Now this is something that has always interested me. The idea of playing a video game and getting fitter at the same time, is something that sounded really absurd to me. I seriously had my doubts about how gaming consoles such as Nintendo’s Wii could play a part in good exercise. I had also read a study that ACE had conducted, trying to measure just that. ACE was of the opinion, that although not as good as the real thing, its not bad. The issue with that study was it only had 16 people as the participants.

So Apollo and I went out and bought ourselves the Wii, complete with the Wii Fit pack. We wanted to see if it really was some kind of a workout.

Our Study
We tried various workouts in the Wii Fit game, the timings of which ranged from 22 minutes up to 55 minutes; depending on the intensity and the type of workout chosen. On top of the body weight exercises, there were a number of fun activities like volley ball, skating, skiing and stationary running; incorporated in the workouts.

The Results
We mostly went for harder intensity options given that our current fitness level is not beginner. I’ve got to tell you that we were pleasantly surprised. While not really focusing on upper body strength, the game had us working our legs pretty hard. With a number of body weight exercises to do, we were sweating quite a bit past the 15 minute mark. On an average, for the 22-30 min workouts, we did end up burning between 110-200 calories. While for the 55 min ones we hit the 350 mark. To top it off, both of us actually got a little muscle soreness in the legs. Given that we are pretty active and burn less calories than an average person during a workout, we were pretty impressed.

We also tried the Wii Sports game, which has tennis, boxing, bowling and baseball. While boxing was the only game which we think would get that calorie burn going, we still burned some modest calories while playing tennis. And we had fun doing that.

Our Conclusion 
Wii Fit is definitely a good starting workout, which will improve your muscular strength and endurance to a certain degree as well. As a matter of fact I would also say that I’d do the workouts in there, on the days where I don’t have time to get to the gym. The game got me motivated, had Apollo and myself being a little competitive with each other and above all we had fun. This is something that we always look for in a workout. If its not fun, you wont do it.
So try the Wii Fit. If you don’t do any workout as yet, this will no doubt challenge you. And if you’re a regular exerciser, don’t rule it out. Like I said, there were some circuits in there that had us working pretty hard. Its definitely a sound investment

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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5 Must Know Things For Beginners

Like I’ve said before, anything grand has a humble beginning. Your body is no different. To get your dream bod, you’ve got to make sure that you start with a path that is safe and prepares you for the next level. That’s why we’ve highlighted the 5 most important things beginners absolutely must consider when they start on their awesome journey to achieve their goals.

Prep your body for what lies ahead. During this time you’ve got to increase your connective tissue strength and just get your muscles familiar with working out. Its all about conditioning your body so that you don’t quit halfway through the workout program. More than anything, prepping the body makes sure you don’t end up seriously injuring yourself when you start going hard. Body weight exercises are a great way to start. Pushups, pull ups, no weight squats, lunges, tricep pushup, leg raises, situps and superman – all are great exercises to get your body started. Take a look at the shockwave circuit. It’s a great no weight workout that will help with this.

Use machines instead of free weights. Although I hardly use machines now, in the beginning they really helped me in getting used to lifting the weight. They really help in preventing serious injuries to those who are just starting out. If you don’t have a spotter, then definitely go with the machines till you build your strength to go the distance alone.

Strengthen your core. Your lower back, your butt and your abs. They are really the power house of your body. I’ve seen so many people struggle with injuries because they don’t have the core to support their upper body strength. The core as a whole needs to be kept at par with the rest of your bod. So don’t neglect it.

Do not over do it. This is also very important and something I struggled with personally. Know that results do not come over night. Working out 7 days a week can actually affect your muscles’ ability to recover and get results. Your body needs rest. So make sure you give it just that. If you are just starting out, consider working out 3 days in a week. That’s a great beginning.

Less intensity and longer duration. This goes hand in hand with not overdoing it. Us humans can so easily get caught up in the moment. Generally I think that’s a good thing. But when it comes to starting a workout program, you to know your limits. Starting out with a 5k run when you haven’t run in since high school is a great example. You’ll end up with some insane soreness and you might even over stress you heart; which is obviously something you don’t want to do. Consider going for longer less intensity workouts rather than harder demanding workouts, in the beginning.

Remember what I said in the beginning folks. Theres nothing wrong with starting out small. A strong foundation goes a long way in building the best bodies.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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7 Golden Rules To Get The Best Workout Every Time

And a good day to you. Today we bring you the 7 most amazing tips that you must use in each one of your workouts to get the  body you're after. So without wasting time, lets get started
  
Warm up properly. You’ve got to warm up before you hit the weights. Theres no other way around it. Not warming up can cause some pretty serious injuries. It also leads you to having a lousy first couple of sets. To get the best out of your session, spend 5-10 minutes warming up. Spend even more time if you are a little older. The older you are the more time you need to warm up. This will go a long way in keeping you injury free.

Make the mind to muscle connection. Before you start out on a muscle, really focus on it. Close your eyes for a quick 5-10 seconds. Focus on that muscle and make that connection. Keep the concentration going while you’re working the muscle. You’ll feel yourself working harder and also be able to lift more weight

Focus more on technique. Piling up on the weight can come later. You’ve got to make sure that you’re doing it right to remain injury free and truly get the benefits of the exercise. I’ve had a lot of people complain about an exercise not working the target muscle group hard enough, even when they’re lifting quite heavy. Its because they aren’t doing it right in the first place. And When I show them how its meant to be done, they painfully end up lowering their weight by quite a bit. So make sure you know how to do it properly. It is only then that you’ll see the results.

Get a spotter. Its those last few reps, the ones you cant do alone, that can really bring you the results you are looking for. Rather than quitting half way though them, don’t be afraid to ask an attendant or any other person for help. You’ll be surprised as to how friendly these people can be. They’ll even motivate you through those reps.

Stay hydrated. By the time you realize you’re thirsty its already too late. Keep having sips through out to keep yourself hydrated and avoid your workout coming to painful halt.

Stretch after a good workout. Not stretching can cause insane muscle soreness which can really put you off the quality workout you just did. It can also lead to you feeling miserable the next few days. Stretch after a workout to loosen up your muscles and maintain the flexibility. Stretch for at least 30 seconds for every muscle that you’ve worked.

Look Good. Get some really cool gym outfits. Its all about you being the super star when you’re at the gym. So wear something that makes you feel sexy. It may sound pretentious to you but Trust Me! It makes a difference when you feel like its all about you. You will work harder and be “in the zone” more than you would have been if you were there looking like a slob.

Now that we know em, for all your future workout sessions at the gym, keep these rules in mind. You are going to love what they will do for you.

Stay Fit
Apollo

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Arms Like Jessica Biel

Hi Ladies

There’s no denying the fact that Jessica Biel has one of the most athletic bodies in Hollywood. I also know that I won’t get any objections from Apollo on this fact. He would do anything to get a chance to workout with her :)

Heres an article about her arm workout that we found for you posted at the Fit Sugar site. It lists 7 types of pushup variations that can help you get the arms and even the upper body you want.

There are some tough push up variations in there as well. And for those of you who wont be able to do them just yet, I suggest you stick to the ones shown in images 1, 2 , 4, 6 and 7. If those prove too hard, then do them on your knees. The goal is to at least start doing them.

How many should you do?

You should do at least 10 pushups per exercise with no more than 30-45 seconds rest in between. This rest time is for beginners only. For every one else, limit your rest to 10-15 seconds max.

FJ Challenge: Rest no more than 5-10 seconds between each exercise.

Do the push up variations as part of one circuit.

How many circuits should you do?

Do at least 2 circuits to really challenge your arms. Shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 mins

Ready to get started? Click here to get to the workout

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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FJ Picks Of The Week

Hello healthy readers. Here are our picks of the week

Exercise

3 Workouts to Improve Your Run

Source: Active.com

The name of the article says it all. From aerobic training to building strength and speed, its got it all. Note: a couple of workouts mentioned, ask you to do some hill running. If you don’t have any uphill streets in your area, put up a 3-4% incline on the tread mill do get the desired effect.

Top 9 Fitness Myths -- Busted!
Source: WebMD
Some things all beginners should know when they hit the gym.

Do Guys Need To Work On Their Butts?
Source: World Fitness Network
Gents, something that you should know on why you should build your butt muscles

Health
Knowing cholesterol numbers could ward off heart disease
Source: CNN
Ladies, its especially something that you will want to read. This is exactly why we say you should keep your cholesterol in check.

The Obesity-Alcohol-Depression link
Source: Self Magazine

Another great read for the ladies. Its gives a great reason for why its so easy to over do it on sugar and other fatty foods when one is a bit tipsy.

Nutrition
Spicy Hungarian Goulash

Source: Canadian Diabetes Association

Low in fat, no sugar and good amount of protein. Something to try out.

Motivation
Mind Over Matter. And Feet.
Source: Diary of A Reluctant Athlete
We thought this story was great for motivation and determination because its real. Its not based on some gigantic realization. Its plain and simple – you want something, you go for it and you achieve it!

Enjoy the great info people.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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Taking A Break From A Healthy Diet. How Soon Is Too Soon?

So you’ve been good the whole week. You’ve eaten healthy meals and have managed to stay away from all those things that can slow down your progress. Now you wanna reward yourself with a few big macs and some sugar filled treats. You’re thinking “How much harm can they do to my one week of healthy eating” right? Well, loads actually.

Although its amazing that you’ve stayed healthy for one week (especially if you just got into healthy eating), its not ok to take a weekly break from a regular healthy diet.

Here are my top 3 reasons for not taking a break so soon

Your body just started burning up those excess calories. You spending a day or two, tanking up on alcohol and junk food treats, can easily add 3000-4000 extra calories to your diet. This may sound impossible but given that just a double whopper has around1400 calories, you can easily pile on the excess without even realizing and end up right back at square 1. Not somewhere you wanna be when you are trying hard to get fit

Your cravings will never stop. When you are regularly eating junk food, even if it is on a weekly or a fortnightly basis, you’ll keep on wanting more of it. Which means that it will be harder for you stay true to your cause.

You are more likely to give up healthy eating. A break from healthy eating can easily turn into a permanent vacation. People tend not to even realize how this happens. One day they’re just thinking they’ll indulge themselves for one more day. Then 5 months and 10 pounds later, they’re still indulging. These people aren’t weak, its just human nature - The deeper you get into something, the harder it is to come out.

So when should you take a break? I say once a month is good. If you spend 29 days eating healthy and exercising, chances are that one day of heavy eating wont change a lot of things. But even then, be careful. Its really easy to extend your break.

At the end of the day you totally should take a break. Like I’ve said before, you’re doing all of this health stuff to enjoy life. And part of the enjoyment comes from indulging these things once in a while. But that’s what it should be once in a while.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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The Any Where Toning Circuit For Intermediates

Hi Guys,

As soon as we posted the beginner circuit yesterday, we got a lot of messages on twitter asking us to post something that would be suitable for those who've graduated from beginners to being regular exercisers. These are the people who aren't advanced, but also cannot be considered as beginners. If you fall in this category, below is a circuit that we have tailored just for you.

-Shadow boxing warm up 5 mins

-30 Squats

-30 Pushups (on the knees for ladies only)

-40 Situps

-30 Tricep Dips

-Rowing Machine, or Running 10 mins. You can use the cycle option if you have knee or back problems. MINIMUM PACE: 60% of your top speed

Thats your circuit. It should take you about 25 mins max.And this time includes warm up. Do not do it any slower than this. The whole idea of a circuit is for it to be demanding. Only then will you see the results on your body. 

FJ Challenge: Do the circuit under 21 minutes

To speed up your sexy toning process do the circuit at least twice to make it a great 40-45 min workout.

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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A Beginner Workout Circuit For Anywhere You Go

At Home, in a hotel or at the gym; below is a no nonsense quick workout that you can do anywhere to get closer to your goals of looking and feeling great.

-Shadow boxing 3 mins. Move around like Rocky and throw a few punches to get you warmed up.

-10 squats

-10 pushups (you can do them on the knees as well)

-15 sit ups

-10 tricep dips

-Rowing machine, cycling, Light running or stationary running 5 mins

And thats your beginner circuit. It shouldn't take you more than 15 mins to complete.

FJ CHALLENGE: To become a real FJ Super Star, do this circuit one more time and feel really good about challenging yourself.

You can combine this circuit with your current beginner exercise plan or do it on its own 3 times a week. After a few weeks you will be stronger and ready to move on to the next stage.

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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Apollo's Daily Diet, Part 2 - Your Questions Answered

Ok. As expected we’ve already got some questions about my meal plan. Trust me its extremely easy to follow because it doesn’t require the ingredients you can only find on Mount Olympus. Nor does it require years of discipline and ninja focus. Its all about timing and eating healthy. Lets point out some things about this plan so that you understand the whole thing better.

You don’t have to eat 8 meals a day. You can make do with 5 or 6. The whole point is not to over eat in a single sitting and keep on eating through out the day. This keeps you active, speeds up your metabolism and also makes sure you use whatever you eat. Each meal or snack should just be enough to satisfy your hunger. If you can achieve that with 5 or 6 meals/snacks, then good for you. If you are active though, your body will automatically demand more.

No, my meals timings are not absolute. It all depends on when you wake up and when you go to bed. Just because I have my first meal at 9am doesn’t mean that you need to wake up at 9. Make it easier for yourself. Adjust the meal intake to your own daily timings.

No, protein shakes are not only for body builders. Proteins are required for muscle repair and muscle building. If for any reason you cant get enough protein from your food, then protein shakes are an ideal way to provide you with it. Just one scoop can provide you with 23 gms of the stuff. You don’t have to drink the shakes if you are getting enough proteins from your other meals/food. But if you aren’t then drinking this wont make you look like a muscle maniac. Note: Protein shakes should be used as a snack in between your other meals. You should not replace your solid meals these things on a regular basis

Yes, my diet is low in fat. Actually its low in saturated fat. That’s the fat that we don’t need. It’s the kind that hides our true sexy selves behind a layer of flab and also causes heart trouble. That doesn’t mean that you have to go completely fat free though. Use low fat options and restrict your saturated fat intake (always mentioned on the food label) to less than 16gms a day for women and 20 gms a day for men. Of course if you’re trying to tone up, then for optimal results I would go even lower. But the above should give you a good measure to see if you’re over doing it on the fat.

No I don’t eat processed carbs and sugar on a regular basis. I stay the whole grain course. This has done wonders for my digestive system and helped in reducing my cholesterol and triglyceride count. I also have amazing energy that lasts me the whole day. Most importantly, whole grain carbs don’t mess around with my sugar levels. For those of you who are not regular exercisers, you should definitely stay away from processed sugar. Because chances are you aren’t going to use that sugar which will cause it to become fat and lead to other health problems.

Yes, I do have an occasional junk food fiesta. But that’s what it is – occasional. We are all human and sometimes we just feel like having stuff. You all should too. But keep it as an occasional thing. You will even enjoy it more.
 

Yes, I keep my meals light in the evening. I don’t like going to bed with a stomach full of carbs. I’m not going to be doing any activity for the next 8 hours so I choose not to eat food that is meant to provide me with energy. I do eat fruit immediately after my workout to replenish my internal energy source though. The natural sugar in the fruit does that for me.

 

Now that you have a better understanding of things, give the meal plan a go and see how much it works for you. Im sure it will keep you happy. And I would love to hear about that. So leave me your comments. 

 

Stay Fit

Apollo 

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Apollo's Daily Diet

Lets get straight to it. What do I eat and how do I make sure I eat to stay healthy and fit? I get asked this Q all the time. So today I thought I’d share my meal plan with you.

Its got 3 proper meals, and then a lot of little snacks that I keep having through out the day. Before you read on, I need you to understand one thing. I do not slave away all day preparing these snacks. It literally takes me seconds. So do not think that I am a freak of nature who spends days preparing these meals. It’s just not possible and not at all practical to do that. All my snacks are off the shelf. Now that we’ve cleared that up, lets read on…..

9 am breakfast - Protein shake
I’m not one of those people who can eat early in the morning. Plus like the most of you, I don’t really have time to make an elaborate breakfast. But at the same time I know I need my nutrition. What better way to do that than starting out with a protein shake. Its on the go, it doesn’t take me ages to prepare and above all its what my muscles use to build and repair themselves.

11am mid morning snack – Oatmeal
This is when my eyes really open up and I am fully awake. By this time my body usually signals me to get some energy for the day. Oatmeal is the clear choice. Its got fiber, its low in sugar, has very little fat and has quality carbohydrates. Plus it’s a natural way to reduce cholesterol.

1:30 pm lunch – A mix of everything
I don’t really stick to one kind of set meal. No one should. I usually choose a combination of the below foods for my lunch

Chicken - grilled, cooked or roasted
Fish - cooked, steamed, roasted or grilled
Vegetables - cooked or roasted
Lentils – cooked
Lean minced meat – cooked
Whole grain pasta or wild rice (helping size about the size of my fist or hand if I’m really hungry)
Whole grain bread (a couple of slices)

4:00pm post lunch snack – Wheat Crackers, nuts or fruit
By this time I start getting the munchies. Wheat crackers are something that I’ve really started to like. But some days I go nuts with nuts :) While I usually have fruits post my workout, on some days I go with a banana, apple or some plums

6:00 pm pre workout snack – small sandwich
This is really a mini sandwich since I don’t want to throw up during my workout. I usually have a slice of bread with some turkey. Or if I’m short on time I just go with what I eat as my post lunch snack.

8pm post workout snack - fruit 
Now that I’ve used up my energy working out, I have some quality sugar in the form of berries or a pomegranate to bring back my glycogen levels. Don’t worry about what glycogen is. I’ll be explaining that in a later post. For now just know that after your workout its good to have some fruit.

8:30 pm dinner – Chicken, turkey or fish
At night, I like to keep things simple. I don’t like going to bed with a stuffed feeling. So a simple cooked or grilled meal does the trick for me.

10:30 pm post dinner snack – Protein shake
I finish the day with what I started - my nutritious shake. A lot of us don’t realize that protein is what feeds our muscles. And they sometimes don’t have enough of it. Well they should. After all its what works its magic on the muscles.

So there you go. That’s my meal plan. Sure there will be some obvious questions like why protein shakes, why so many meals. Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to address all those Qs and more.

If you do have other Qs however, be sure to ask them through your comments and I'll be sure to answer them

Stay tuned and Stay Fit

Apollo

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5 Sure Shot Strategies To Get You Exercising

Now a days you hear so many excuses from people about why they cant exercise. From the regular ones to the most elaborately thought out ones; believe me I’ve pretty much heard em all.

But there is hope for these people. After all they’re making the excuses because deep down, they do care about becoming healthier. They just need that last bit of motivation to get going. And we're here for them. Below are some very simple strategies for people to start making their transformation into the healthier and sexier version of themselves.

Start with 10 minutes

Just 10 minutes a day can start making a difference. Pick up those dumbbells and do a few reps. Get on the treadmill or go for a walk. It doesn’t matter what you start off with. Just start doing it. Once you start with the 10 minutes, you will feel so good, that you will wanna do 15. Eventually you will have the will, stamina and motivation to work out to an hour. Just 10 minutes – not the Super Fit workout, but a giant leap in the right direction.

Workout at home

Who says you have to hit the gym to get results. Yes the gym gives a lot of options but that doesn’t mean you can’t do stuff at home that will help you in getting fit. The Shockwave and the Sexy Jeans workouts are examples of some great home workouts. There are so many other things you can do to workout at home. Push ups (on the knees if you’re new to them), squats, stationary running, skipping, shadow boxing, jumping jacks and burpees are all examples of some great exercises you can start off with. So all of you out there who feel they cant leave their kids at home alone, or have just too much to take care of at su casa, try doing some of the above exercises.

Find something that gets you going

If you find the above exercises boring, then spice up your workout with whatever kind of activity you like to do. Pick a sport. Go walk on the beach. Go to a water park and ride the wave pool. You can even put on your favorite tunes and just dance to them for 10 minutes. Anything that gets your body going is a good start. Remember workout isn’t meant to be boring. So get out there and have fun

Don’t go hard from day one

Sometimes when you start after a while or just start off, you can tend to overdo it. This just leads to insane muscle soreness. Now if you can’t move your body for a week, then for sure you are never going to go to the gym again. It gave you nothing but pain! A lot of people quit working out because of this reason. So keep your fitness level in mind when you start and challenge yourself accordingly.

Remind yourself of who you really are

You are not that unfit person behind a layer of fat, who just watches other people enjoy the simple pleasures of life. You’re a healthy, sexy individual who can be the change you want to be. Keep telling yourself that. Use the same strategies to motivate you that keep you motivated in your love, family and work life. It’s the same concept. Here's something that will help too.

Pretty much all the excuses I’ve ever heard can be blown to bits by the strategies I’ve mentioned above. I want you to try them out and just watch yourself change. Yes! Its that simple. Exercise always is.

Do you feel motivated yet? Are there more questions you feel you need answers to. Ask us. We would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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Increasing Lean Muscle In Your Upper Body – 4 Super Sets To Perfection

Bonjour,
Today we talk about how we can increase our upper body strength with 4 effective super sets. Ladies, don’t think this article is only for the men. Increasing lean muscle doesn’t mean that you will bulk up like the hulk. We don’t have enough testosterone for that to happen. Infact, increasing lean muscle leads to burning more calories, which means less fat and more muscle tone. Besides, most of us dont even have enough muscle to begin with. With this workout, we’ll have you develop muscle for that strength and tone in no time.

Instructions
Your weight selection should only allow you to do 10-12 reps for each exercise
You will do each super set 3 times , with a 60-90 second rest in between
There will be no rest between the exercises of each super set.

Super Set 1
- Incline chest press with dumbbells or barbell
- Wide grip pull up. Ladies if this is tough for you then try it on an assisted pull up machine as shown here
 

Super Set 2
- Bench press

- Wide grip row. You can even do this on a cable row machine with a wide grip bar as is shown here 

Super Set 3
- Dumbell military press
- Close grip pull downs

Super Set4
- Bicep Curls
- Lying Tricep curls

Do this super set work out at least twice a week for a month to see noticable improvements. They will also land you come great compliments for sure.

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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A Toned Core - The FJ 3 Kick Move

Ok so we have been a little quiet for the past week. But that was only because we were out making some quality routines and researching on some top notch moves that are sure to leave you looking awesome! One of the moves that we came up with was the FJ 3 Kick move. Its designed to tone and strengthen your core; your lower abs, your butt and even your quads. It’s a fairly simple result delivering move. And since we like to make it fun, lets imagine something really empowering and action packed while we do it.

So imagine you are surrounded by the evil “Flab Ninjas”. They’re in your way, stopping you from releasing your sexy toned core. Well they ain't gonna stop you are they. For you will kick the living daylights out of those Flab Ninjas, to get that core they’ve been hiding from you. Here’s how you will make us proud...

You will perform a combination of front, side and back leg raises, or the FJ Ninja Kicks as we like to call them :) . Also, use one hand to hold on to a chair or something stable, so that you can maintain your balance.

The routine
- Stand up straight and proud, with your feet close together.
- With your left foot on the floor, raise your right leg from the waist and kick to the front, raising your leg to your waist level. Hold for a second and then bring it back down with control. That’s one kick.
- Now raise your leg from the hip level to your side and bring it as high as your hip level if possible. Hold for a second and bring it back down again. That’s the second kick.
- Finally kick back behind you by raising your leg from the hip and go as high as you can while staying upright. Hold for a second and then come back to the center. That’s the third kick that will KO the Flab Ninja standing behind you.

You must perform these kicks a 100 times with roughly the equal amount of front, back and side kicks.

Once you are done, repeat the above routine with the other leg. Although I found just one set of 100 reps each, effective enough in a core workout, do this move at least 2 times for maximal results.

Tips
- Stay upright and don’t bend your upper body
- In between your kicks, when you bring your leg back down, make sure that you don’ rest your kicking foot on the ground. That will make you work a little harder
- While kicking, keep a slight bend in your knee. That will help if you aren’t very flexible
- Do not fling your legs recklessly while kicking. That won’t be effective and can cause an injury as well. Make sure you kick with super ninja like control
- If you aren’t flexible enough, then go as high up with your kicks as you can without over stretching your muscles.

There you go my ninja warrior. Kick the Flab Ninjas’ butts! Teach them a lesson and release your sexy toned core. You’re worth it

Stay Fit
Apollo

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The FJ Picks Of The Week

Hello there you lovely devils you!
Heres our  2nd installment of the FJ Picks of the week; in our effort to share the pearls of wisdom on the net. You can also refer to it as our weekly round up. From how swimming can be a good exercise for women, to new research being conducted to combat aging; this round up has some good reads for exercise, health and nutrition. Enjoy

Exercise
Swimming Can Boost Every Woman's Fitness
A good read that explains the benefits of swimming as an exercise for women. It lists 9 benefits including hearth health, exercising during pregnancy and strengthening your core.
FJ TIP: If you don’t swim that often then be sure to include swimming in your workout regime. It will be a nice break from the regular routine and will work your whole body.

Team Up to Get Fit!
A Self.com blog entry that shares a fun move you can do with your workout buddy. The move itself is a pretty good one actually. It will work on strength as well as endurance.

Understanding and Enhancing Your Core Strength
Since we have also been focusing the last week on giving some core strengthening exercises, we thought this article posted at the About.com exercise section, would also be a fitting pick. It explains what is meant by core muscles and gives you some good exercises for your core

Health
Yoga For Sex
Men you are going to wanna see this Mens Health video. It’s a minute explanation of a study that found yoga improved sexual endurance in men.

Quest for a Long Life Gains Scientific Respect
This article on the New York Times website, is a bit “Sciency”, but its fascinating. It highlights the work and research being done on anti aging. Makes you think if we will soon have an Elixir for youthful life

Nutrition
Don't Over Analyze Your Results
A very good short post at the Nutrition Data blog. Discusses some very simple and effective methods to monitor your weight while making sure that you dont become obessesive about monitoring it all the time.

There you have it folks. Our picks for the week. Read them. See if they are relevant to your fitness goals. If so then practice whats mentioned in them and get closer to acheiving what you have set out to do..

Stay Fit
Apollo
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Either Breathe or Faint - A True Story

Guys its time to relate to a personal experience, and talk to you about a very important lesson – you can literally faint if you don’t breathe while exercising.

Just last Sunday I was out running my 6 miles of the day, syncing my steps with the beats of David Guetta’s new song, When Love Takes Over - A brilliant running tune. So there I was, on my last bend when I saw my arch running nemesis, Crazy Legs, through the corner of my eye. Crazy Legs! He’s a heck of a runner and we often run into each other at the track around the park. And when we do… its Game On!

It started as an innocent crossing that ended in two guys acting like kids, trying to show each other off. That was 7 months ago. Now after all this time, nothing has changed. We still try to kick each other’s butt. We never meet after covering the same amount of distance; but if I were to be honest, then I must tell you that Crazy Legs is somewhat of a professional runner and beats me 7 out of the 10 times we run into each other....

But last Sunday I had decided, that there was no way ol’ Crazy is going to get the best of me. So as soon as I saw him, I started accelerating. That sneaky little running maniac saw me gain speed and the next thing I know, he’s right behind me. Since I was on my last leg, I kicked myself into high gear. The thing about Crazy though, is that he doesn’t give up easily. He started matching my speed step by step. Determined to kick his butt, I went into an all out sprint. I did realize at that point, that I was holding my breath, something I used to do a lot when I was younger; but I thought what the hell – I’m almost there. I knew the consequences of not breathing, all too well. But I still thought I could pull it off for a couple of 100 meters. Turns out I was wrong.

I did beat Crazy that day buts it’s a very hazy memory that I didn’t even get to gloat about; because as soon as I stopped, I got light headed and extremely dizzy and almost fell down flat on my face. Lucky for me Crazy Legs was trying to catch up, because he kind of held me upright till I regained my strength. And that’s something he got to gloat about. Curse him!

But there’s a very important lesson here guys: No matter how “into it” you get, you gotta breathe while exercising. For those of you who are wondering, holding your breath creates pressure in your chest that slows down the blood flow back to your heart; which means less blood pumped out. Try it. Hold your breath and feel your pulse. You’ll feel it slowing down. This happened to me while running but its more probable at the gym, where you tend to hold your breath more, with the weight lifting and all.

Although breathing properly consists of finding your own breathing rhythm, you can find some great material online to help you get there. Here’s one article we came across, for breathing while running, on the Runner’s World site, while this is another one we came across on a site called essortment

For weight training, according to an article in the 2005 March/April issue of the Health and Fitness journal publication of the American College of Sports and Medicine(ACSM), breathe in while bringing the weight towards you or while lowering the resistance, and breath out while moving the resistance away from you. Here are a few other sources that are helpful:
http://www.bigmusclesbuilding.com/breathingweightliftingexercises.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/breathing-during-weight-training.html

So again, repeat after me:

I will not hold my breath while exercising

As for you Crazy Legs, it ain’t over yet. I’m gonna even up the score soon, so be ready for it. Btw thanks for saving me from denting my face :)


Stay Fit
Apollo

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The Supra Abs Workout

Lets face it. Man or woman, no matter how good the rest of your body looks, it’s just not the same if you don’t have a toned mid section. And hey, I will be the first one to admit that tightening up my tummy was not the easiest of things to do. It requires a good diet, 2-3 times of quality cardio and a regular challenging abs workout. Today we cover the challenging workout bit.

We call it the Supra Abs, because if you do it regularly in combination with a healthy diet and cardio, your mid section will become Super Sexy.

The Routine

You will perform 3 mini circuits. Each circuit will have exercises that target your lower abs, upper abs and obliques. Rest a max of 5-10 seconds between each exercise and rest a max of 10-15 seconds between each circuit. 

Heres what to do…. 

Circuit  1

Leg pulls 15 – 20 reps

Lying Windshield wipers.10 – 12 reps per side. Bend your knees as an easier option

Toe Touch Crunch 20 – 25 reps

Circuit 2

Combo move: Leg raises + V – Ups. Do 2 leg raises and immediately go into a V-up. That’s 1 rep.

Do 5 -7 reps.  

FJ TIP: While doing leg raises don’t raise your legs over 45 degrees to keep your abs engaged through out

Side crunches with leg lifts 15-20 reps per side

Reverse Crunches 15-20 reps

Circuit 3

Combo move: Flutter kicks + Bicycle. Do 40 flutter kicks (20 each side), and immediately go into 40 bicycle reps (20 each side)

Side planks 12-15 reps each side

Sit Ups 20-25 reps. Make sure your feet are not pinned down by anything. They must rest freely on the floor.

End of routine. Now rest 1-2 minutes and repeat 1-2 times.

And that’s your workout. It is designed to challenge you, so don’t take more rest than recommended unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you are a beginner then take 20-30 seconds of rest between exercises. But remember if it becomes too easy, then you aren't going to see the results you are looking for. So give it all you've got to get the abs everyone yearns for.

And don't forget to let us know how it goes.

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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The "Shock and Awe" Ab Exercise

Today is the day we “shock and awe” our abs with an exercise that demands respect.

The Hanging Windshield Wiper.

You can keep a grip shown in the above video or go with a harder variation such as this one

Its definitely not an easy move. So Beginners, don’t try this exercise just yet. Build your core strength and flexibility with other exercises before you take on this monster. Try this one instead. Keep  your legs straight if you want to go harder.

Now to the rest of you...

Strap in because this will really challenge you to the limit. It will also turn a few heads while you do the exercise.

As always, it’s a good idea to consult your physician or a specialist before you try something new. This exercise will require a certain degree of flexibility and core strength. So you will want to make sure that your back and shoulders can handle the pressure and you won't pull a muscle while doing it.

How many times should you do it

Do 3 sets of 15-20 reps. Or if you have trouble remembering the number of reps, then do as many repetitions as you can in 30-45 seconds. Take about 2 seconds per rep

Tips:

- Dont swing your entire body from side to side. you should only be moving below the waist. The rest needs to stay absolutely still

- While hanging, make sure your back should be totally parallel to the floor

- To go harder, try to take your legs parallel to the floor when you take them to one side. If you aren’t flexible enough to do so, then go as far as you can without the risk of injuring yourself

- If you feel less challenged, then increase the number of reps or really slow down each rep to 3-4 seconds

FJ Note: You must do this exercise with focused control and make sure that you aren’t just flinging your legs from side to side. This will work your core to the bone and also make sure you don’t end up hurting yourself.

There you go Fitness Lovers. It different, its challenging and its one heck of an exercise for results. So give it a shot.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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The FJ Weekly Roundup

And a good day to you my fellow wellness lovers. Today starts the beginning of a new weekly post that is about sharing the knowledge. There are so many great sources out there and it would be unfair to deprive you of them, just so that we can keep you on our blog. That’s why we at Fit Junction have decided to bring you a weekly round up of interesting news items and posts that we come across each week. 

So lets get to it....

Exercise

What's It Like for a Heavy Person to Run a Mile?
An article posted by Thats Fit. Discusses interesting points for how over weight people should start their running program.

5 Secrets from an NFL Trainer
Posted at Mens Health. A great article that shares great tips to incorporate in your workout routine

Get a Tight Butt and Legs
A Womens Health post that shares some good exercises for toning your butt and your legs.

50 Legs
Posted at theworkout.com blog, this is a challenging and intensive leg workout with many squat variations. Be sure not to rest for more than the mentioned time. 

FJ Challenge: If you really want to push the limits and feel you have some energy left, then do five 12-15 seconds sprints immediately after the last exercise of this workout. Rest a maximum of 45 seconds in between each sprint. This will be great for improving your endurance and will have your metabolism revving for the next few hours.Please note that this challenge is NOT a part of the 50 Legs workout article. It is just an FJ recommendation

Nutrition

Healthy Recipe: Szechuan Chicken
A Womens Health post that shares a good healthy recipe. Only 0.3 gms of saturated fat, 1.1gms of sugar and 27.6 gms of protein. Something to try out

Health 

Flaxseed Helps Lowers Cholesterol

Posted at the diet blog, an interesting take on Flaxseed and how only whole flax seed is beneficial. 

Motivation 

Top 6 Exercise Excuses and How to Beat Them
A post by WebMD  that addresses the most common excuses for not exercising including, “Exercise is boring” and “Cant exercise because of the kids.”

Why do You need to exercise?

A post at Girl Get Strong that encourages you to discover what motivates you.

This rounds up the interesting news we have come across this week. Stay tuned to these posts guys... because its only going to get better.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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Gluten Intolerance And Symptoms That Sound Too Familar

Gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease. Ever heard of it? Well up till recently I didn’t either. Yet its symptoms are among those that are common enough for us to dismiss them, without us giving them much thought. Indeed fatigue and an upset tummy are symptoms that we tend to relate to something we ate or didn’t eat. While skin manifestations could be something that we relate to dust, some brand of soap that didn’t agree with our skin or just some annoying allergy. We never even think of it being something like Gluten Intolerance. Just for your info, Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grass related grains like barley and rye. And when your body is intolerant of Gluten is when these symptoms kick in. But enough of my explanations. You need to hear this from the Pros. Here is post titled Diagnosis of Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance by Kimberly Bouldin that you will find most helpful.

Trust me people, you may think that you have irritable bowel syndrome or you’re just one of those people who have a constant upset tummy. But it could very well be this. No matter how small the chances, its better to be safe than sorry. You may just improve your quality of life by one simple read.

Stay Fit
Apollo

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Cameron’s Arms, Heidi's Abs and Marissa’s Legs

One of my favorite past times other than exercising of course, is constructing the perfect woman in my head. Ok I’m lying. Not just “a woman”, I construct a whole army of perfect women :) What can I say other than the fact that I think women are angels.

Anyways, as I was doing this the other day, I thought to myself, how fit would a woman look, if she had the arms of Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum’s abs and Marissa Miller’s legs. She would look amazing! Every woman deserves to look like that. So I did a little research for all you gals out there and found out what workouts these ladies do to keep their respective bodies in that heavenly condition. And here’s what I found….

Cameron’s Arms
According to an article posted at Fit Sugar, Cameron’s trainer Teddy Baker suggests three moves for the arms
- Reverse flies for the upper back and shoulders
- Tricep kickbacks for the triceps
- Bicep curls for the biceps

All three are great moves which you can do with free weights. I recommend doing at least three sets of each exercise. Keep your reps between 15-20 for that toning action. Reduce the number of reps if you are going heavy.
A great alternative to try out instead of the tricep kickbacks would be the tricep dips,while a good one to try instead of the normal bicep curls would be the Dumbbell 21s

You can read the article about Cameron’s arms at the Fit Sugar site

Heidis Abs
Ah Heidi Klum. A goddess in her own right. Her abs are just the perfect amount of toned. And according to an article in Fitness Magazine, her exercise of choice is the ball pass. This is an effective exercise but make sure you take care of your back doing this one. Also if you don’t have an exercise ball available:
- you can tie two ends of a towel, or a belt to your feet
- take your legs wide until the towel or belt is taut
- and then do the exercise

Marissa’s Legs
And then there's Marissa. Her legs…to die for. And according to some Cosmopolitan magazines pictures posted at thehollywoodgossip.com, her exercises of choice are:
- The single leg squat step 1 and step 2
- Resistance band kicks step 1 and step 2

If you don’t have a resistance band then you can do the abductor and the adductor machine exercises at the gym. Those will do as well.

So there you go ladies – your workout to getting a super hot bod. But remember, workout is only part of the deal. Eating healthy(click here to access a post on healthy eating tips) and getting some cardio in there, preferably 2-3 times a week, is essential as well. But I have no doubt in my mind that you can achieve all of this. After all, you are as special as these women.

Stay Fit
Apollo

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Food Advertisers. What They Tell You, What They Dont

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Pretty much everyone knows what they are now. More and more people are asking about calories and looking at food labels, trying to make sense of the ingredients. This of course, poses a problem for our favorite fast food chains and the other food advertisers out there. If we wisen up, how are these guys going to shove that 1100 calorie burger down our throats? Or worse…whose going to drink that 1400 calorie sugar-filled slurpy? After all that’s where their "moolah" comes from. Because of this, they’ve become really selective of what is put out there, and only market the hell out of those few things that are fit enough to communicate. Well they aren’t going to get us that easily! Because today I’m going to talk about what what they don’t tell you about their Sugar & Grease combo.

What they tell you: Less than 2% fat

What they don’t: More than 50% sugar

What they tell you: Made from natural ingredients

What they don’t: How much they process those natural ingredients to drain every ounce of goodness from them

What they tell you: No trans fats

What they don’t: A lot of saturated fat

What they tell you: No added Sugar

What they don’t: The tons of refined sugar the product already has

What they tell you: Only 350 calories

What they don’t: The processed ingredients making up the calories. It’s not all healthy

What they tell you: Grilled to perfection

What they don’t: Marinated in butter and other sugary sauces before the grilling begins

What they tell you: Same amount of vitamin C as there is in an orange

What they don’t: 10 times the amount of sugar that is there in an entire bucket of oranges

What they tell you: The ultimate sports drink to energize your workouts

What they don’t: Unless you’re doing something extremely strenuous over a long period, you can do just fine with water and a healthy pre-workout meal

What they tell you: High in protein

What they don’t: Also high in sodium, saturated fat and processed carbs

I could go on and on, but I think you smart people get the picture. So the next time you hear or read their marketing pitch, make sure you consider the other aspects as well. It will go a long way to keep you healthy

Keep smiling:)

Layla

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The Simple No BS Workout

Many of you really liked our previous post about keeping your workout simple and have asked us to give a practical example of such a routine. Well I thought since you liked it so much, and I like you so much, I’ll let you in on how I use this workout strategy to make my No BS Workout routine. And BS doesn’t stand for berries and syrup if you know what I mean :)

Below are three separate full body workouts that you can do 3 times a week for 4 weeks, or you can simply choose to do one workout every week as part of your current workout regime.

Either way, you will feel the burn.

Lets get started...

Number of sets: 5. Unless mentioned otherwise.
Number of reps: For muscle gain, 8-10 with a 45-60 second rest in between sets. For toning 15-20, with a 15-30 second rest in between. This will be the  general number of repititions unless mentioned otherwise.

Remember, the weight should be such that you should not be able to do more than the specified number of reps.

Workout 1
Leg Press or Squats. Choose the one that you find harder to do.
Incline Dumbell Press
Incline Dumbell Rows
Dumbbell Military Press
Dumbbell 21s 3 sets with 30-45 second rest max. This is a tough one, so choose the weight that allows you to complete the 21 reps per set.
Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensions
Bridge or Plank. 5 two minute holds. If 2 minutes is too much, then try holding for a minute and half, a minute, or even 45 seconds. Use the option that is right for your level of fitness. The hold should at least be 30 seconds though.
Superman. 15 reps for 5 sets with 5-10 seconds rest in between

Workout number 2
Step ups. Hold dumbbells in both hands to make this harder. I recommend doing it without the weight if you are completely new to step ups.
Bench Press

Wide Grip Row
Lateral raises
Barbell preacher curls
Tricep Push downs
V Ups. 15-20 reps for 5 sets
Hyper Extensions. Hold a weight against your chest to make it harder

Workout number 3 

Leg Curls
Cable Crossovers
Lateral Pull Down or Seated Cable Row 

Rear Lateral Raise 

Barbell Curls
Close Grip Bench Press
Bicycle. 15 reps for 5 sets with 5-10 seconds rest in between . Complete each rep no faster than 2 seconds.
Swimming. 30 reps for 5 sets with 5-10 seconds rest in between. Take a second or so to complete each rep

Although you should be able to finish each workout within the hour, you can spread it over 2 days if the entire workout is too strenuous for you as a single session.

There you go boys and girls. Mix up these workouts in your routine as you please. The key however is to keep it simple and bring your "A Game". And if you do that, the results will follow.

Stay Fit,

Apollo 

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Workouts - It Pays To Keep Them Simple

So many times I’ve seen people at the gym who insist on doing every exercise in the book for the muscle they are training. And that too in one session. While I’m also a fan of mixing up my routines, I don’t let it come between me and my productivity in the gym.

For instance, I will see people rushing through their squats so that they can quickly start on their leg presses, followed by their barbell step ups. I admire their dedication. I really do. But most of the times what they end up doing is a bunch of half completed reps, with incorrect form. Not only that, they end up working half as hard as they could have, if they would have just done 3,4 or even 5 quality sets of squats. And if these people workout during the “crowded hour” at the gym, chances are they’ll just end up wasting time waiting on a station, when they could have been pumping out quality reps on the station they were already on. This can definitely lead to having too much rest between sets, making the routine not as effective.

The point I’m trying to make here, my fellow fitness lovers, is that you can get the results you want by doing a simple workout routine. A routine that doesn’t focus on the number of exercises you shove into your workout, but stresses more on the quality of the ones you do end up doing.

So here’s what I want you to do... 

- Choose one exercise for each muscle group except for your back. Choose one upper and one lower exercise for your back.

- If you’re working for strength and muscle gain then

       o Do 5 sets with 8-10 reps. Your weight selection should be such that you shouldn’t be able to do more than 10 reps

       o Rest 45-60 seconds between sets

      o Spend about two seconds pushing the weight, hold for a second and really contract that muscle. Then come back to the starting position in about three seconds.

- If toning is your goal then

       o Do 5 sets with 15-20 reps. Your weight selection should be such that you shouldn’t be able to do more than 20 reps

       o Rest 15-30 seconds between sets

       o Spend about a second lifting the weight, pause for a quick moment to focus on the contraction and then take a second to come back to the starting position

- With each rep, make that mind to muscle connection and keep your muscle engaged through out the full range of motion

You can choose to do this whole workout in one action packed session, or break it down into two; which is still pretty fast. And that’s the beauty of working out like this: In 2 days you can do your entire body and then choose an entirely different set of exercises for your next routine.

So go ahead give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed. Because,

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo Davinci

Stay Fit

Apollo

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A Killer Chest Move!

A lot of people ask me what my favorite chest exercise is. That’s a tough one because I love all my chest exercises the same :)
I’ll tell you what I do prefer though. Combining two or more exercises as part of one move. It pushes me to the limit, it has me screaming and most of all it gets me results!

The Move
Here’s a great strength training move that is sure to kick your butt while building more muscle. As always, it’s a good idea to consult your physician before trying any new move, if you have any past injuries.

2 exercises
Incline Barbell Chest Press 8-10 reps
Decline Pushup 12 -15 reps

Do them back to back with no rest in between. That’s 1 set. Rest 45-60 and do another 2 sets

Tips:
- Make sure you have enough weight on the chest press so that you can’t do any more than 8-10 reps
- Keep your core strong through out

There you go. You’re done. Don’t forget to stretch after your workout.

Stay Fit
Apollo
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The 5 Commandments Of Motivation

1. Know what you want to achieve. The best way to do this is to take a moment, close your eyes and picture your perfect world. Picture yourself being at your favorite place, during the most amazing time of the year if it helps. What’s important is how you see yourself in that perfect world.

Do you have the perfect beach body or are you as bulked up as the hulk. Do you have a slimmer waistline or legs to die for. Or is there just a vibe of healthier, happier you. Simply know what you want. This will help you take the focused approach that you need. There’s not a lot to gain from crash diets or acting like a headless chicken at the gym.

2. Set realistic goals. More often than not, you are not going to loose 50 pounds in 3 weeks. Nor will you become Hercules overnight. Unless of course you give up everything else and start working out 8 hours a day. Even then, it’d be a long shot.

Be realistic. Phase your goals and set them up so that they are doable, but challenging to achieve. When you see yourself making progress with respect to that phased goal, you’ll be more psyched to finish what you’ve started. If you start comparing your achievements to where you eventually want to be, then even your most noteworthy feats will seem small to you and you’re probably going to be more inclined to give up. Take it one step at a time. You will get there!

3. Wear something that reminds of what you want to achieve. It’s easy to lose sight of what you want in life. The singer, Alainis Morrisette roams around carrying a stone like object in her pocket for exactly this reason. Whenever she’s stressed she uses it to remind her of what really matters in her life. There so much to be learned from this. Having something on you, that reminds you of your goals, helps in avoiding anything that will slow down your progress. Put on a bracelet or a ring. Go with a friendship band if that’s more hip. Anything that works for you is fine. The objective is to have something on you that is in plain sight, when you reach for that sugar glazed doughnut or think about skipping the gym session. One look at the reminder and you’ll be motivated to do the right thing.

4. Stay in positive company. Staying around people who are depressed, who crib all the time and frequently give up, leads you to become one of them. Stay around positive people. Let their positive energy rub off on you. You’ll be happier, energetic and determined to overcome whatever it is you take on.

And above all...

5. Believe in yourself. At the risk of sounding too clichéd, you can do whatever you set your mind to. So many people have made huge transformations. What makes you any different. You are what you think you are. So think of yourself as a true champion.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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The Goliath Fitness Challenge - Conquer The Beast

This one is dedicated to all those who think they’re in spectacular shape. Put yourself to the test and find out what you’re really made of.

Below is an FJ fitness challenge we have made just for you. We call it the Goliath Challenge. Why do we call it that? Lets just say you’ll find out when you take on Goliath.

The Challenge

6 moves - 100 reps each, followed by a 1500 meter run.

The Goal

Completing the below workout in the fastest time possible

The Rules

- All reps must be completed fully. If you do a half rep, it doesn’t count and you need to do it again

- Gents you must finish the workout in no later that 31 minutes. That 1 extra minute is your bonus ;)

- Ladies you must finish the workout in no later than 34 minutes. We took 1 minute from you and gave it to the guys

The Workout

- 100 Pushups. On the knees option available to ladies only
- 100 Squats with arms extended in front. No weight required. Thighs must be parallel to the floor

- 100 2 arm dumbbell rows with 10kg or 20lbs dumbbells for men and 5-7kg or 10-15lbs dumbbell for women. Remember to keep that arch in your back while you do this one.

- 100 Shoulder lateral raises wth 4kg or 8lb dumbbells for men and 2.5kg or 5lb dumbbell for women

- 100 Sit ups. Your feet must be free. Dont use a bar or a friend's help to keep them in place. No weight required.

- 100 Hyperextensions. No weight required

- 1500 meter run. You can do this on the treadmill with a 2 percent incline or you can run outside.

If you defeated Goliath, then well done! its not an easy challenge. Make yourself known and post your times through the comments so that everyone can find out who the "Fittest of them all" is.

If you couldnt finish the challenge in time, dont worry. Goliath is not an easy beast to overcome. Train some more and take him on again. You can do it.

Stay Fit

Apollo

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3 Must Do Back Exercises For Women

Often we tend to overlook working our back. Well I can tell you that’s not the smartest of choices. We need it to be strong so that we don’t hurt ourselves when we lift things. Not to mention the fact that we need to turn a few heads when we wear those backless gowns. Below are my three favorite back exercises that deliver results and make sure your back looks as good as all those other muscles you work.

Lateral Pull downs

Seated Cable Row

Reverse Hyper Extensions

Easier options for the last exercise

Option 1

or

Option 2

Do these exercises to get that strong sexy back to show off.

Remember, the form is more important than the weight. So make sure you do it right before loading on the weight. If you have any back injuries, then it’s a good idea to consult your physician before you try the exercise.

Let me know how it works out for you. I would love to hear your comments.

Keep Smiling :)

Layla

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Run For Fitness, Run For Fun

Burning fat faster than a locomotive
Feeling good, energetic and stress free 
Supreme physical conditioning - including a stronger heart, a greater lung capacity, lower blood pressure and an increase in good cholesterol (HDL).


Such are the benefits of running. It’s true. Although there are a lot of cardio activities out there that you all should try to find out which one is for you, running is one of my favorites that burns the most calories.


If you’re a runner, then you know what I’m talking about. There’s a huge sense of achievement and that feeling of conquering the world when you wrap up with your run.

If you aren’t a runner, then allow me to say this:
Get your butt on the tread mill or outside and do a few laps!

Trust me. Give it a try and watch your excess weight melt away. Ofcourse if you are new to running, you need to build up your run. By that I mean you need to gradually increase the distance and the speed you can run at. There are a number of examples on the net on how you can do that. I personally liked the one mentioned in the September 2009 issue of the Women’s Health magazine.

Gents Hold On. Just because this example came from Women’s Health doesn’t mean you’ll be a “wuss” for trying it out.

Goal: To run 30 minutes at a stretch
Time to achieve the goal: 7 weeks
Intensity: moderate intensity (a pace at which talking isn’t easy). Start out with light intensity if you can’t handle moderate in the beginning
Frequency: 2-3 times a week on alternate days

Week 1: run 2 mins and walk 3 mins. Do this 6 times to total 30 mins
Week 2: run 3 mins and walk 3 mins. Do this 5 times to total 30 mins
Week 3: run 5 mins and walk 2 mins. Do this 4 times to total 28 mins
Week 4: run 7 mins and walk 3 mins. Do this 3 times to total 30 mins
Week 5: run 8 mins and walk 2 mins. Do this 3 times to total 30 mins
Week 6: run 9 mins and walk 1 min. Do this 3 times to total 30 mins
Week 7: run 30 mins. do it once.
And Voila! You’re done. You can now do a straight 30 min run.

If you’re an intermediate/advanced runner, then you can apply the same principle to take your running time up to 60 minutes. Or you can try to do the same distance in less time. The choices are endless.

Tips for effective running:
- Stretch 5 mins before and especially after your run
- Make sure you have comfortable running shoes that are not totally worn out
- If you feel like you cant move on to the next week, then don’t push it. Repeat the week you just did, to get more used to it
- On the other hand if you feel you can kick it up a notch, then see if you can skip a week. But don’t push yourself beyond your limits
- If you’re running on a tread mill, run at 1% incline to get that running outdoor resistance
- Throw in some strength training during the week as well. This will make you a fat burning machine
- Don’t run right after eating. Give yourself 2-3 hours after a major meal

Things to watch out for:
- If you’ve got a history of knee injuries, get yourself ok’d by the doctor before you start
- Don’t ignore any kind of pain. Stop your run, and get yourself checked.
- Don’t alter your natural running style to accommodate for the pain you are feeling. That can lead to injuries because of excessive stress on your joints (ACSM Health and Fitness Journal July/Aug 1997)
- Don’t push yourself beyond your limit. Listen to what your body is telling you

There are also some good running sites out there which you can search for. They will have more advice on running. I’m listing one I found pretty helpful, below.
http://www.active.com/running

Advanced runners, don’t fret, I’ll be putting up an advanced interval training workout especially for you. Lets see if you’re up for the challenge.

Till then, Stay Fit and let me know what you thought about this running strategy. I would love to read your comments and incorporate your suggestions.

Apollo

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