We have been busy! Lose Weight & Inches Fast!

We did 2 seasons of 90 days body challenge where we gathered a few people who wished to shed down their weight. Lose weight and be healthy and fit at the same time. And to achieve that, we introduced 2 amazing products to help them achieve their goals. For those who wish to try the product, do contact me at 013-287 6122.

Fitness Tip: Don’t be Fooled with Diets

Most people are completely confused when the word diet or nutrition is used. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplementation. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As an adult, eating balanced healthy meals from these four food groups still applies. It is extremely important to remove the “junk food” from your meal plan, and stick with healthy balanced foods. If you do not like certain things such as fruits and vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients you definitely need.

– i received tips on daily basis.. and i will share them with you here 🙂

source myhomepersonaltrainer

Women’s Fitness Tips

There has been people asking on fitness tips. Below are some that I have helped to gather for you. Hope it helps.

1. Keep a training log.  Know your routine before you start, so that you can track your progress and make weight changes when your body stops responding to your program.
2. Always work to intensity.  If you are lifting weights and can perform more than 15 reps in any set, you need to increase weights.
3. Don’t let your body plateau.  It takes 4-6 weeks for your body to adjust to your cardio or weightlifting program.  You must increase your weights, intensity and variations to continue to tone and lose fat.
4. Get more burn for your buck.  Chose circuit training.  Circuit training format utilizes a group of 6-10 exercises completed one after the other with very little rest.  Because many muscles are engaged, more toning occurs and calories are burned.  It is the best way to burn calories in the fastest time.  Weightlifting burns 200-250 calories per hour while circuit training uses weights and body resistance burns 350-550 per hour.
5. Build a routine around multi-joint exercises like presses, rows and squats, to recruit the big muscles that burn the most calories.
6. Plyo-magic:  try adding plyometrics (explosive movements) at the end of each set.  If you just performed 15 leg presses then follow it with 10 squat jumps.  If you perform a chest press then follow it with clapping push-ups.
7. The secret of the 6-pack.  Your body fat levels, not your crunches, dictate your ability  to see your abs.  A low-carb diet, not a low fat diet is the way to go. Cut back on the white breads, pasta and rice, to see your abs.
8. Get a great personal trainer!  Find, interview and hire the personal trainer that will change your life.
9. Eat the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in that order on your plate.  Classify foods on the plate in one of those categories and fill up in that order.  Before eating the ugly, drink a full glass of water and wait a few minutes to allow the body to signal that it’s full.
10. To cut cravings, you have to balance insulin levels.  Fruit is your best defense against insulin highs and lows.
11. Ignore deceptive labeling.  “All natural, healthy, no sugar added” means nothing, but is thrown around a lot to encourage sales. Pay attention to sugar grams and calories per serving.  Anything under 5 grams doesn’t spike your insulin which causes fat storing.
12. Eat five meals a day: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner.  Typically keep each meal around 450 calories and each snack around 150 calories.  If you are an athlete or on an intense workout plan, increase calories 300 per day.
13. Always buy whole grains (the crunchy nuts and seeds kind).  The grains make it harder for the body to break down, so it’s slower-metabolized as sugar than as fat.
14. Avoid high fructose corn syrup; it’s in processed foods like soda, sweetened cereal, yogurt, cookies, breads, spreads, dressings and ketchup.  It is quickly metabolized as fat and prevents your body from knowing it’s full.
15. Avoid artificial sweeteners.  Pink, blue and yellow packs.  They stimulate cravings.  Stevia, Truvia and Agave are acceptable sweeteners.
16. Crash diets make you fat.  Never eat under 1,200 calories a day-it slows metabolism by 20% and you will gain the weight back.  Starving yourself or skipping meals causes your body to lose 1 pound of muscle to every 3 pounds of fat.  Muscle speeds up metabolism; you never want to lose it.
17. Eat more lean meats instead of bread.  It builds fat-burning muscle, curbs appetite and stimulates fat-burning hormones.

source: http://www.findmyfitnesstrainer.com

The Simplest Weight Loss Tips No One Follows

No one says that it is easy to lose weight especially when everybody loves to eat! I see it in every culture. Now that I am in Malaysia, I guess it can be more challenging to most people to watch their food intake. At the end of the day, life is about options. You choose how YOU want to live your life. It wasn’t easy for me too way back 20 years ago. It was tough when you are surrounded with people who eats a lot of stuff and you choose to eat the healthy way – that makes a person stronger, from the inside 🙂

So, some of the easy tips would be the following… which I made it as a simple rules at home for my own family.

Never Do Groceries Shopping (or any shopping :P) With Empty Stomach

When you are hungry, you cannot think straight 😛 Try this and you will have your cart full of nonsense. Things that you don’t need, but you want. And most of the time, they are unhealthy.

Never Keep Snacks At Home

This was a simple rule that I made my wife follows. And so far, ermm 95% works :p This is an extension of the above point. Most of you might say that they are for your kids… or guests… who comes over. The question would be, if it is unhealthy for you to take, would you do that to your kids? You will need to work together to support each other in the family to live a healthier life.

Diet Plan Sample

Met someone who requested for a diet plan. Her target is to lose weight fast – in 3 months! Other than exercising, I recommended the diet plan for her.

Sample Diet Plan

8 Simple Nutrition Rules to Build Muscle, Lose Fat & Get Stronger

How you look is largely influenced by what you eat. Lack of muscle mass, high body fat, lack of energy at work or at the gym, bad skin, digestive problems, … All of that can be caused by unhealthy nutrition.

Since there’s a lot of confusion about what to eat and why, here are 8 simple nutrition rules that will help you build muscle, lose fat & get stronger.

1. Eat Breakfast. You get energy from the first hour and you’ll be less hungry the rest of the day. It also sets the trend: you’ll tend to eat healthier if your day starts with a strong & healthy breakfast.

Your best bet: omelets, smoothies & cottage cheese. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast and try these breakfast recipes.

2. Eat Every 3 Hours. The easiest way: breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, pre bed and 2 snacks in between. Benefits:

• Less Hunger. Eating more smaller meals vs. few big meals will decrease your stomach size. You’ll feel full faster and your waist will trim.
• Less Cravings. Not eating for long periods usually causes overeating at the next meal or ending at the candy machine.

Eat at fixed times every day and your body will get hungry at those fixed times. Example: 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6pm, 7pm & 10pm.

3. Eat Protein with Each Meal. You need protein to build and maintain muscle. Proteins also help fat loss since they have the highest thermic effect. And they satiate: proteins make you full longer than carbs.

How much protein should you eat daily? At least 1g per pound of body-weight. That’s 200g/day if you weigh 200lbs. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat a whole protein source with each meal. Some include:

• Red Meat. Beef, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.
• Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.
• Eggs. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths. Eat the yolk.
• Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.
• Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.

Check also these protein sources for vegetarians & vegans.

4. Eat Fruits & Veggies with Each Meal. Most of them are low calorie: you can eat your stomach full without gaining fat or weight. Fruits & veggies are also full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber which helps digestion.

Some of my favorite fruits & veggies are: apples, berries, pineapple, oranges, bananas, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, roman lettuce, chicory, peas, etc

5. Eat Carbs Post Workout Only. 70% of population is carb intolerant: they get fat eating excess carbs. While you need carbs for energy, most people eat more than they need. Limit your carb intake to post workout only.

• Eat Fruits & Veggies with all Meals. These contain little carbs compared to whole grains. Exception: corn, carrots, raisins.
  
• Other Carbs Post Workout Only. This is rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, quinoa, oats, etc. Avoid white carbs and eat whole grain.
• Exception. If you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight: eat carbs post workout and post post workout. More if needed.

6. Eat Healthy Fats. Healthy fats improve fat loss and health. They also satiate, digest slowly and are cheap. Eat healthy fats with every meal and avoid artificial trans -fats & margarine. Balance your fat intake.

• Saturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol is not bound to blood cholesterol. Real butter, whole eggs, red meat.
• Monounsaturated Fats. Protect against heart diseases and cancers. Extra virgin olive oil, olives, mixed nuts.
• Polyunsaturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels, promote fat loss, decrease inflammation, … Fish oil, ground flax seeds, mixed nuts.

7. Drink Water. Strength training causes water loss through sweating which can impair muscle recovery. Drinking water prevents dehydration but also hunger since an empty stomach can make you think you’re hungry.

• 1 US Gallon Water/Day. Drink 1 cup of water first thing on waking up, 2 cups with each meal and sip water during your workout.
• Get a Brita Filter. Cheaper than bottled water and tastes better than straight tap water. Try also green tea & water with squeezed lemon.
• Ignore Water Intoxication. Eating healthy as explained in this post will make sure you replenish your electrolytes. Unless you do crazy stuff like drinking 2 gallons water in 10mins, you’ll be safe.

8. Eat Whole Foods 90% of The Time. Read 10 foods you think are healthy but aren’t and 20 super foods. To really get the results you want, 90% of your food intake should consist of whole foods.

• Whole Foods. Unprocessed and unrefined (or little refined) foods that come as close as possible to their natural state. Examples: fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, veggies, legumes, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa, …
• Processed Foods. Usually contain added sugars, trans-fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium and more chemicals. Examples: bagels, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, frozen meals, supplements, …

Eat whole foods 90% of the time. Difference in result is insignificant compared to eating 100% healthy. So if you eat 6x/day, you can eat 4 junk meals per week guilt-free. Same with alcohol & sweet drinks: 10% of the time is ok.

Example Diet. Forget about portion size and calories. Just eat your stomach full. You won’t get fat eating healthy foods. Especially not if you exercise and with all the veggies. Example diet using the above 8 nutrition rules:

• Breakfast: eggs with veggies, orange, green tea
• Snack: mixed nuts, pear
• Lunch: tuna, roman lettuce, olives, olive oil
• Snack: cottage cheese with apple
• Post workout: ground round, quinoa, spinach, banana
• Dinner: chicken, spinach, baby carrots, peer
• Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil

Nobody has time to cook 6x/day. Prepare your food for the day while making breakfast or dinner. This takes about 1 hour and is key to making this work.

source: http://stronglifts.com/nutrition-101-definite-beginner-guide-healthy-nutrition/

Exercise Can Help Control Stress

People who exercise regularly will tell you they feel better. Some will say it’s because chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are produced in the brain, are stimulated during exercise. Since it’s believed that neurotransmitters mediate people’s moods and emotions, they can make you feel better and less stressed.

While there’s no scientific evidence to conclusively support the neurotransmitter theory, there is plenty to show that exercise provides stress-relieving benefits.

There are four ways in which exercise controls stress:

• Exercise can help you feel less anxious—Exercise is being prescribed in clinical settings to help treat nervous tension. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. People are often less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.
• Exercise can relax you—One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or endorphin response. Many neurotransmitters, not just endorphins, are involved. The important thing, though, is not what they’re called, but what they do: They improve your mood and leave you relaxed.
• Exercise can make you feel better about yourself—Think about those times when you’ve been physically active. Haven’t you felt better about yourself? That feeling of self-worth contributes to stress relief.
• Exercise can make you eat better—People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food. And it’s no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

It’s Time to Get Started

Now that you know exercise can make a big difference in controlling stress, make some time for regular physical activity. We’ll help you get started by listing three activities you can choose from:

• Aerobic activity—All it takes is 20 minutes, six to seven days a week. Twenty minutes won’t carve a big chunk out of your day, but it will significantly improve your ability to control stress.
• Yoga—In yoga or yoga-type activities, your mind relaxes progressively as your body increases its amount of muscular work. Studies have shown that when large muscle groups repeatedly contract and relax, the brain receives a signal to release specific neurotransmitters, which in turn make you feel relaxed and more alert.
• Recreational sports—Play tennis, racquetball, volleyball or squash. These games require the kind of vigorous activity that rids your body of stress-causing adrenaline and other hormones.

Not Just Any Exercise Will Do

Don’t try exercising in your office. Outdoors or away from the office is the best place to find a stress-free environment. Even a corporate fitness center can trigger too many work-related thoughts for some people.

Stay away from overcrowded classes. If you work surrounded by people, a big exercise class may be counterproductive. Solo exercise may be more relaxing for you. If, however, you work alone, you may enjoy the social benefit of exercising in a group. A lot depends on your personality and what causes stress for you.

Don’t skip a chance to exercise. Take a break every 90 minutes and you’ll be doing yourself a favor. Ninety-minute intervals are a natural work-break period. And four 10-minute exercise breaks will burn about as many calories as a solid 40-minute session. Work-break exercises can be as simple as walking or climbing stairs, stretching or doing calisthenics.

Controlling stress comes down to making the time to exercise. You’re worth it!

Additional Resource

American Psychological Association—Exercise Helps Keep Your Psyche Fit: www.apa.org/releases/exercise.html/

Where Can I Get Trained?

Great news for all of you!!! If you’d like to start your class but you do not have a gym. Check this out!! You can train with me at the gym below:

Suite B-02, Andaman Business Centre, Jalan Andaman Utama, Taman Andaman Ukay, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.

Member:

• One time registration fees: RM 25/-
• Monthly: RM 55/- (unlimited entry)

Non- Member:

• Per entry: RM 10/-



Xtreme Hardcore Gym, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur

Non- Member:

• Per entry: RM 5/- (promotion period)

 

Testimonial Added

Check out a newly page added! Wanna see results? Go the ‘Testimonial’ page 🙂

Step Training for Fitness and Fun

Within the last few years, step training’s popularity has climbed rapidly. An estimated 10 million people have tried step training.

Could 10 million steppers be wrong? On the contrary—vigorous stepping provides the cardiovascular benefits of running but stresses the joints little more than walking. Performed to invigorating music with creative choreography, this low-impact workout is also lots of fun.

The First Step to Stepping

Before beginning a step-training class, be sure that your step—the platform—is secure and at the proper height for your fitness level. If you are new to step training, or just beginning a fitness program, start with a platform height of 4 to 6 inches. (Regardless of fitness level, the platform height should not require bending your knees more than 90 degrees.)

Keep the area around your platform dry and remove objects that could interfere with your workout.

Align Your Body

• Proper body alignment during step training helps prevent injuries. While stepping:
• Relax your neck and keep it straight.
• Always keep your knees soft and don’t lock the knee joints.
• Maintain good posture with the shoulders back, chest lifted and pelvis tucked under.
• Lean from the ankles, not the waist, as you step onto the platform; do not bend from the hips.
• Don’t arch your back.

Proper Stepping Techniques

• Correct stepping technique also prevents injuries and improves your workout:
• Always place your entire foot on the platform; no part of the foot should hang over the edge.
• Step close to the platform, allowing the heels to contact the floor. Note: Only the ball of the foot, not the heel, should touch the floor during lunges or other rapidly repeated movements (called “repeaters”).
• Step quietly. Pounding can unduly stress the ankles and knees.
• Keep an eye on the platform at all times.
• Don’t use hand weights. They may increase the risk of injury and provide no significant benefit.

Stepping Out

If you initially find step training difficult to follow, focus on learning the foot patterns and omit arm movements. You can add arm movements later.

Remember that raising your arms above shoulder level makes your heart work harder and can leave you breathless. So, if you have a hard time keeping up, lower your arms and catch your breath.

To avoid injuries caused by too much stepping, alternate step-training classes with a variety of aerobic workouts like bicycling, walking or other recreational activities.

Step-training workouts may seem difficult at first, but beware—they’re habit-forming! Just remember to maintain proper body alignment and stepping technique to keep you stepping injury-free for years to come.

Additional Resource

American Council on Exercise—Step Training by Sabra Bonelli: www.acefitness.org/acestore/p-587-traditional-aerobics-and-step-training.aspx

This ACE Fit Fact is taken from ACE FitnessMatters^® magazine. Want more information like this delivered directly to your home? ACE FitnessMatters, the bi-monthly magazine from the American Council on Exercise^® (ACE^®), is the source for the most accurate, up-to-date fitness information you need to live a healthy, active life. Subscribe to ACE FitnessMatters Magazine online or call 1-888-825-3636.

The American Council on Exercise does not endorse or promote the companies, products or services that reside on this website. ACE does not receive revenue generated from any organizations that advertise on this Web site. Copyright 2003 American Council on Exercise. All Rights Reserved.