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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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 

Read more!

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

Read more!

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
Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!

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

Read more!