Alright fitness lovers. We just thought that since a lot of people are visiting this blog, we should inform you that our blog has evolved into a full blown portal. A portal that shares information on workouts and fitness information.
So be it about learning how to lose weight or finding out about the best toning exercises, you can go to http://www.fitjunction.com
Remember.....Stay Fit and Enjoy life
Apollo
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Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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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Friday, November 20, 2009
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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Saturday, November 14, 2009
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!
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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Thursday, November 12, 2009
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 :)
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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Sunday, November 8, 2009
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.
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.
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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Monday, November 2, 2009
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.
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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