3 H2O

Water

We all know keeping ourselves hydrated is good for us. But do you know why?

Here's some facts to tell you why you should.

Water...

-Helps carry nutrients and oxygen to blood cells.
-Cushions joints.
-Moistens oxygen for easier breathing followed by organs.
-Assists in food to energy conversion process.
-Composes 22% of our bones.
-Protects and cushions vital organs (not only body fats).
-Helps body absorb nutrients.
-Composes 75% of our brain.
-Regulates bodily temperatures.
-Makes up 75% of our muscles.
-83% of our blood is made up of water.
-Our bodies are 2/3 liquid!

...Oh and um, water helps us to remove waste.


So why aren't you drinking water?


Keep up the hard work!
Keep the fluids up.


That Potato

Kwongie

0 To be lean or not to be.

Spring, spring spring. Beaches and sun. Beach bodies and Potatoes...

In my last post I talked about a the many active facilities situated around Melbourne open to the community free of charge.
This week I'd like to talk about losing body fat and building muscle definition.

Many of my friends believe it is extremely easy to lose weight and build muscle at the same time. After a light discussion with the Physiologist at the local clinic over the weekend. I'd conclude with, NO.

It isn't, it really isn't, due to current study commitments and various time restraints, I maintain a equal fat burning and muscle developing routine. Simply because it is my time to relax and keep my energy levels and health in balance. But if you wish to shred that Potato bod of yours. Cut the body fat first.

Why? Because muscle requires fat to build mass and definition, it requires the body to be in a anabolic state (fat gaining) whereas to lose body fat requires the body to be in a catabolic state (lose fat).

It is possible in the short term to see positive effects, but in the long run. You'd see those potato gems swelling. Seriously. It isn't worth the hard work.

My advice, lose the excess fat first, then begin your journey later on into building definition.

It's even easier for the ladies. Simply drop 'that' craving excuse every month. That 'cycle' has diuretic effects and burns a lot of fat for fuel due to a 'loss' of nutrients. Next time your buddy hits, have a look at your waists, hips, lower abs, gluteals and thighs. See the difference?

I hope it helped!
Kwongie.

3 Too easy

Yesterday I fell to the temptation of having two Hungry Jacks meals with some uni-friends after our lecture. It felt amazing. But at the same time I was terribly guilty and wished I had resisted. 
As I went home after my guilty meal I decided to take my bike out for a ride back into the city to soak up the beautiful spring weather and burn off the burgers...

A lot has changed on the trails and routes since my last ride out to the city in Autumn. There were a few more picnic areas erected around the Yarra Bend and some more benches and facilities for families. But this isn't what I want to talk about today.

What I really want to talk about is this new climbing wall under Monash Freeway, near Burnley Tunnel. Open to public and built in space that is normally left empty.

It's far too easy for many places like under a bridge or behind a parking lot to build a few walls to climb for the public. It's even easier for us Potatoes to be active and engage in active activities with our friends and family with the many facilities readily available in the community.

Many cities like Melbourne are full of nature trails and tracks shared between pedestrians, furry little family members and cyclists. These trails are great for having a walk, run or cycle with family or friends. Not to mention the musculoskeletal developing facilities located along some of these tracks and trails.

Various community events catered for young children to seniors hold various yoga, tai-chi, and other exercise classes in parks, community centers and other open areas free of charge to the community. There are also cycling groups where you can join free of charge with no commitment on set dates of the month or week.

Isn't it easy to be engaged in active activity?

Too easy.

Kwongie

0 Stay focused. Take your time.

I went home early today after a assignment submission.
On the way home I decided to pay my friend a visit, like myself, my buddy here also works out in the garage. I went in from the side door and sat on the bench waiting for him to finish his sets. He was doing power cleans on a free bar at the time. I noticed he was forcing his lower back a lot, not to mention he was rushing his set. In the past he had complained about back pain and lack of muscle development no matter how much he works out.

In this post I'd like to briefly talk about staying focused and taking your time.

When i mentioned that my buddy had rushed his workout and complained of a lack of muscle development and body aches. It was simply because he doesn't focus in his workout and has a tendency to rush things. To fix these two issues we sat down and redefined two little things that can make every workout count.

Focus. When we focus and think about what we are doing and concentrate on defining our technique our gains will be more eminent and our body will be under less pressure. Chances of injuring yourself is also lower as you will be focussing in correcting your workout and technique.

Whilst you're focused and concentrating on implementing the perfect technique and workout. Taking your time is just as vital. When you slow down and refocus and refresh, your next set or rep will benefit. Gains and reduced chances of injury will be more eminent too. Not to mention a more effective workout as you will be pacing yourself and not rushing through each workout. 

Quality over quantity.

Remember to FOCUS and TAKE YOUR TIME

I hope this helped you Potatoes!

Kwongie

2 Take a leap.

In the past few weeks I have discussed various ways to identify what type of body you have, who you are and little tricks on how to start your journey to a healthier you. This week I'd like to share a bit about my routine in the past and present and how I changed my routine to better build my health. 


During my final year as a year 12 VCE student. I wanted to maintain my health to have a stronger immune system, with higher levels of energy and better concentration in my studies. I took my first step In February, I began to get back onto my bike and have 20km rides everyday, recording each statistic with the free application, mapmyride.com seen in my previous post "I need it!". A month after cycling on a daily basis, I incorporated weight training into my routine after each cycling session. I used a full body workout each time instead of a muscle group specific workout, this was an attempt for me to increase my metabolism and muscle v fat ratio equality. I continued this routine until May when I realised I don't have a solid direction and I wasn't eating right to maintain energy levels and nutrients for muscle development.

During mid May I happened to mention my routine and diet with a patient at the chiropractic medical clinic I was employed in. Having discussed my situation to him, he provided me with his expert advice as personal trainer and dietitian. I started off by addressing my diet and snacking on nuts and berries to maintain a stable metabolism and appetite, later on addressing my somatotype in the process I defined what my goal was.

All that said, he helped me devise a workout on his next visit which consisted of morning cardio, optional cardio after school and one muscle group specific training in the evening. This was followed by a six meal diet to cater for my Mesomporph x Endomporph somatotype to have a higher muscle v fat ratio.

This six meal diet was a protein based diet with minimal carbohydrates to help me have a higher muscle v fat ratio.

This consisted of:

Morning
Morning Sprint
Two Eggs and/or Muesli and Yoghurt and/or Fresh Fruit (with flaxseed and chia seed)
Followed with a glass of minimal process fresh milk.

Morning Tea/Recess
Nuts and Berries and/or Fresh Fruit and/or One Can of Tuna

During Class / Study (Snack)
Nuts and Berries or Fresh Fruit

Lunch
A wrap or wholemeal sandwich with a variety of filling
Regularly consists of plain roast turkey, avocado, tomato, onions and greens
No spread was used except for cottage cheese, which is high in casein; a slow burning protein that is low in fat, great for muscle recovery.

After school
A salad with tuna or chicken (steamed)

After evening cardio or pre-workout
Nuts and Berries and/or fresh fruits
Followed by a glass of fresh milk

Dinner
Dinner meals normally consist of red rice or black rice with fresh steamed asian greens and some fresh meat. Occasional stir fry with minimal to no oil used.

Followed by sufficient amounts of water and fluids to keep me hydrated.


The result? From 55 kilograms at 5'1 with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 22.3 I cut my weight down to 52 kilograms and a BMI of 21.1. Was I happy? Yes! OF COURSE I WAS. Higher levels of energy and concentration not to mention a more defined stomach. It was a large difference.

I still follow this workout very closely, largely focussing on muscle gains, sadly due to studies and other commitments my muscle v ratio is just hanging in there.

Are you willing to take the leap?

0 Tough Mudder

You all might be wondering, what on earth is "Tough Mudder".

I thought I'd like to talk about something that popped up over a coffee with some mates, I was talking to one of them about an event I really wanted to participate in, known as the Tough Mudder.

A 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by the British military with 25 obstacles involved. Something that's about finishing together, perseverance and working with everyone around you. It is not about finishing first, but about the experience with your team and others that have participated in the event. You might be thinking, it's a male dominated sporting event. Yes, there are quite a number of male participants, but there are also an increasing number of female participants wishing to challenge themselves and show people who they are and what they're capable of.

Unfortunately I am not able to make it in time for 2013 Melbourne Tough Mudder event, but seeing my friends are highly interested and have already formed a team, why don't my fellow potatoes have a go?

Game enough?

2 "I need it!"

We've all heard it before. Every so now and then a friend or family will skip their workout simply because they forgot to bring their gear or don't have the latest supplements, gear or fitness accessory. Is it really that important?

This topic isn't so much about helping you all to learn something, but rather to address a common excuse we all may have come across. After some discussion over the weekend with a Social sciences and psychology graduate; Jenny Hsieh about the popular belief that one needs something to do a certain activity, I have noticed myself and many others struggling with skipping daily routines or sessions by simply forgetting or not owning the little things. 

"I need it!", a popular phrase used by many to skip a workout or training session. I have been guilty of this phrase, personally using it as an excuse to skip a session or two... 

Psychology addresses this with identifying what is a need and what is a want. Jenny mentioned that people frequently link materialistic goods as a source of security to appear higher in the social hierarchy or simply feel a sense of belonging, this ties into self-esteem as one may perceive themselves to be alike their peers. In the end, the gear, accessories and brands aren’t really a need but a want of being socially accepted; or feeling secure about ones different body by wearing gear that have a sporty stigma attached.

"…people normally use materialistic goods as a form of security tool, to feel good about themselves in a trendy piece of fitness gear or accessory, supplements are consumed with a a similar approach in many individuals, to feel good and believe they are 'healthy'."-Jenny Hsieh

During the discussion about psychological ties with goods and certain activities, I personally tend to purchase sporting gear and accessories based on brands, visual appeal, and trends. I've had the tendency to skip routines and workout sessions because I simply forgot something that was not actually necessary for the workout session. Such as forgetting to bring hand wraps to a boxing session and I simply left after ten minutes, forgot my trainers at the tracks but later on I discovered my love for barefoot and minimalistic training, lost a glove and forgot supplements during a workout session and continued anyway. Guilty, I really am. I had left and skipped a number of workouts in fear of looking 'silly' without my gear. In fact, you won't. The gear doesn't always mean you are a pro or that you know your stuff, but it's just a piece of equipment to help you excel and enhance your performance, with some added risk prevention.

I believe there is too much for me to tell you all. The reason for this post is for all of you to reconsider your options the next time you forget something or don't have. Do you REALLY need it? Yes, not having some gear and equipment may have you open to injury or reduce your performance. At times it really isn't necessary and wouldn't make much of a difference. A slight change in your routine won't hurt, at least you have been productive and done something to help you be closer to your goal.  

Some ideas...
Cycling or going for a run? There are countless free, yes I mean FREE, online programs that help you record and calculate your workouts, with maps and stats provided. Such as mapmyrun.com or mapmyride.com. Both programs are available on Android and ios. Record, map, plan, challenge friends, even without a smartphone. It’s all too easy. There are many more free resources at your disposal.

No runners? Try going for a run at the local cricket field, make sure you scour the ground for hazardous sharps and items before you dash about. Same can be applied for swimming, you can always use different strokes to avoid being submerged into the water when you forget your goggles.

There are many more other examples that also work when one does not have the latest gear or simply just left it somewhere.

Forgot your clothes? Yeah... go back home. 


So how do you approach a workout when you don't have the gear?

5 Somatotypes

This week I'd like to dive a little deeper in addressing what YOU as an individual wish to achieve.
Last week, we talked about some snacking tips and facts to help kickstart your journey in being a healthier 'you'. This week, lets talk about constitution types, somatotypes or more commonly known as the body type. This post will help you identify and address what type of somatotype you are and thus hopefully will help direct all of you to a routine that is fit for you and your goals.

What is body type?
Definition of natural physique. Based on our natural shape and figure, there are three primary body types. Consisting of Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph types of bodies.

Ectomorph
Ectomorphs are small jointed, light and have little or very lean muscle. Ectomorphs have elongated limbs with thing shoulders and width.
Key attributes of a Ectomorph:
-Very fast metabolism
-Flat chested
-Thin
-Small Shoulders
-Delicate physique
-Little and lean muscle

Mesomorph
Mesomorphs lie between both Ectomorph and Endomorph. Having muscles and bones that are larger in structure. Naturally strong and find it easier then Ectomorphs and Endomorphs to manage weight gain or loss.
Key attributes of a Mesomorph
-Broad shoulders
-Rectangular physique
-Management of muscle v fat ratio is relatively easier then the other two body types
-Greater muscle definition and mass.

Endomorph
Endomorphs are relatively larger in mass and have a lower muscle v fat ratio. Endomorphs appear soft and gain fat very easily, generally appears to be stocky, shorter build with thick arms and legs.
Key attributes of a Endomorph
-Round body with soft muscle definition
-Muscle v fat ratio gained easily together
-Slow metabolism
-Weight management is generally difficult

The three definitions of body types do not completely define ones body type. Some can have a combination of body types. Both men and women should not be ashamed of who they are, but use their natural physique to their advantage.

How?
Previously we talked about speeding up metabolism by substituting processed snacks with nuts and berries. Boosting metabolic rate and daily nutrient intake, snacking on berries and nuts is great for all somatotypes. Along with a balanced diet and fitted exercise plan. Snacking can help Endomorphs lose weight by speeding up the metabolic rate and pumping muscles full of nutrients at the same time satisfying hunger. Ectomorphs can constantly fuel their body full of nutrients to stimulate intake absorption and supply nutrients to their muscles for mass gain. Where as Mesomorphs can undertake the latter depending on their goals.

Ectomorphs are advised to gain muscle mass and definition, as Ectomorphs tend to have a fragile skeletal structure, muscle mass and definition can reduce Ectomorph's musculoskeletal injuries. Endurance weight training should be incorporated for best mass gain. Followed by a high protein and calorie diet that is nutritious and full of vitamins for muscle development. Cardiovascular heavy exercises are recommended to be kept to a minimum excluding HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), an explosive workout, pumping the muscles for effective mass gain.

Mesomorphs are naturally neutral with a fair muscle v fat ratio, Mesomorphs benefit from easy weight management. It is advised as always, junk food are to be kept to a minimum and a balanced diet followed by regular exercise is recommended.

Endomorphs, generally have greater difficulty in weight management and fat loss. Endomorphs are advised to undergo strength training. Endomorphs naturally have strong thighs which are great for squats and deadlifts. Deadlifts and squats are the highest calorie burning techniques, effectively promoting faster metabolism. Moderate weights with fast intervals and minimal rests are suggested. Diet should consist of lowered calorie intake with a split meal system. Junk food should be avoided.
Cardiovascular exercises are recommended, when it is safe to do so.

Body type definitions referred by a student currently studying a Masters of Clinical Pharmacy at Monash. 

Somatotype activity summaries
www.livestrong.com/article/346879-physical-activities-by-somatotype
www.livestrong.com/article/543641-somatotype-meal-plans/

As mentioned, there is no such thing as being of a single somatotype, I am a Endomorph cross Mesomorph. I spent quite some time in addressing what body type I was before I moved onto developing a more sophisticated workout routine. I formed a routine consisting of both cardio and weight training focussed workouts. HIIT workouts were later on incorporated to help me build a better form.

Now that you know what somatotype you are, what's your goal? Have you considered how you might like to achieve your goal?