Diet? Am I eating right or too much???

Nowadays, everyone relates diet to weight loss program. However, how much do U know about dieting? Not many people know whether they are dieting in the right way. Most of the time, instead of losing weight, they are gaining more. How is this possible?

Just because U didn't do it correctly, it doesn't mean that u will never succeed. For everyone who wants to go on a diet and needs ASSURANCE to keep U holding on to the belief, I have attached this article I came across.

Diet, Aja aja FIGHTING!!! So read on...

8 Secrets to Diet Success

If you’ve dropped and regained so many pounds it would take a Harvard PhD to do the math, then here are some diet motivation tips that can help.

Sure, you’ve tried to diet before. You’ve gotten rid of the cookies in the cupboard, and virtuously refused the cake at the office party. And then, a few weeks into it, your motivation begins to flag. Maybe you hit a plateau in your weight loss, or you’re bored with steamed vegetables for dinner night after night. Or tempted by a special dessert, you decide that just this once can’t hurt. A few slipups and you’re totally derailed -- physically and emotionally.

If this isn’t the first time that losing weight was one of your New Year’s resolutions, then you’ve come to the right place. It turns out that the key to losing and keeping weight off isn’t simply a matter of what you eat or how much you exercise -- it’s your attitude.

Lasting weight loss is a slow process and it’s all too easy to give up before you reach your goal. With the right psychological tools your chances of diet success can be greatly improved. WebMD consulted diet experts for tips that will keep you, and your diet, on the winning track to losing.

Set Realistic Goals for Diet Success

The first step to maintaining your mojo should take place before you cut a single calorie. In fact, one of the strongest predictors of long-term diet success lies in setting the right goal at the start.

“If you set unattainable goals, such as losing 30 pounds in just a few months, you’re setting yourself up to fail,” says Ann Kulze, MD, author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet: A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss and Lifelong Vitality.

Instead, you’ll be more likely to stick with a diet if you “focus on your health and create sensible eating strategies,” says Kulze. Setting smaller, attainable benchmarks, like losing 5 pounds or a single dress size, will give you the confidence to continue.

Go Slow

Diet success entails making real lifestyle changes and that doesn’t happen overnight. “You have a better chance at keeping the weight off if you lose it slowly. People who are starving get irritable and have a higher failure rate,” Kulze tells WebMD. “If you cut back 200 calories a day, you won’t even realize it and the weight will come off and stay off.” If you keep in mind that optimal weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week, you’ll get less frustrated.

Expect Setbacks

Everyone is bound to give in to temptation (hello, hot fudge sundae) from time to time. The danger isn’t a single splurge but letting it become an excuse for an all-out binge. Call it the “I’ve already blown it so I might as well eat the entire bag of Oreos” syndrome.

Don’t Be a Perfectionist

So what do you do if you’ve scarfed down a pint of ice cream before noon? “Perfectionist thinking gets in the way of success more than anything I know,” says Vicki Saunders, RD, who oversees the inpatient weight loss and lifestyle program called Transformations at St. Helena Hospital in Napa, Calif. “A 100-calorie indulgence is just that," says Saunders. But if it’s perceived as a failure and a reason to give up, it can turn into a 1,000- calorie indulgence. Bottom line when you slip up: Forget about it. Tomorrow is a new -- and healthier -- day.

Use the Buddy System

“It’s hard to make major lifestyle changes when you’re swimming upstream by yourself,” says Saunders. Finding other people with similar goals can greatly improve yours odds of diet success. When your spirit -- or willpower -- flags, having people to call on can provide the support you need to continue. Saunders recommends looking for people at your local gym or Y, Overeater Anonymous, or an online support group. “Having a support group to turn to, whether it’s your family or people in a weight loss chat room, can make all the difference” for diet success.

Be Patient

One of the biggest diet motivation-busters is the dreaded weight loss plateau. You’ve been doing everything right, exercising and eating well, and the numbers on the scale have been steadily dropping. Then suddenly: Nothing. The scale stays stuck for several days in a row.

According to Ann Kulze, this is perfectly normal. “Turn it around and congratulate yourself on the diet success you’ve had so far,” she urges. “This is a natural part of the weight loss process.”

When you hit the plateau, you may want to try something slightly different to jump-start your diet. “Commit yourself to expending an extra 100 calories a day with walking, for instance,” Kulze advises. “And look honestly to see if you’re backsliding in little ways with your eating.” A few minor adjustments and you’ll soon be back on course.

Reward Yourself

Dieting is hard work -- and it’s not always a whole lot of fun. Small rewards can provide an incentive to keep going. But make sure your rewards are not food-related. (Translation: Rewarding yourself for losing 5 pounds with a box of chocolates is not what we’re talking about.)

Set mini goals along the way and reward yourself when you reach them. Your reward could be a massage, a round of golf, a new pair of jeans, or a hot bubble bath. “Celebrating your diet success will fortify your resolve to continue,” says Kulze.

Have a maintenance plan

For many people, losing weight is far easier than keeping it off. It’s important to remember that healthy eating is a lifelong goal, not a one-time project. If this has been a problem for you in the past, devise a maintenance strategy ahead of time. Saunders says you may want to consult an expert to help create a diet or exercise plan that works for you. “Plan an appointment with a professional, whether it’s a nutritionist, a counselor, or a trainer for an added boost,” she recommends. An expert can help you get off on the right foot -- and maintain your healthy habits even after you’ve reached your ideal weight.

After reading this, the aim is still to stay healthy and not mess up ur stomach! =]

By Elaine Young - Feb 21, 2007
The Straits Times

After a strenuous workout, what do you reach for? Water? Or a more satisfying isotonic sports drink?

Isotonic drinks contain 4 to 6 per cent carbohydrate to replenish the body's glycogen (or energy) stores which become depleted during exercise.

They also contain small amounts of sodium, which enhances fluid absorption in the gut.

But are these better than plain old water?

That all depends on what you are doing and why you are doing it, says Dr Jason Chia, an associate consultant at Changi General Hospital's Sports Medical Centre.

'If you are running a marathon or other endurance event, then isotonic drinks are an advantage over plain water,' he says.

You lose sodium from your body in long events, he explains, because you are out in the sun and sweating bucket-loads. This can't be replenished with water alone, and an isotonic drink would be needed.

However, if you are in an air-conditioned gym, whether on the treadmill or lifting weights for an hour, then water is hydration enough.

Dr Chia adds: 'If you are in the gym to burn calories, then you don't want to undo all that hard work with a sugary sports drink.'

If you aren't overly concerned with weight loss, then it is up to you whether you use sports drinks or water to re-hydrate yourself.

The rule of thumb, he says, is that if you are exercising for up to 60 minutes, water is all you need.

If you are exercising and performance is your aim - as in, you are exercising hard and regularly for 60 to 90 minutes each time - then you should be glugging Gatorade to keep your energy up with carbohydrates and fluid.

One final word about sugary sports drinks, though. They can cause as much damage to your teeth as any carbonated drink.

Use a straw and do not swirl it around your mouth.

- Feb 14, 2007
Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who think they're getting a good workout obtain more benefits than those who perform the exact same activities, but don't think what they are doing is exercise, according to the findings of a study by Harvard researchers. These results support the idea that the benefits of exercise may involve a placebo effect.

Hotel cleaners who were told that their work of cleaning roughly 15 rooms each day was enough physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle were more trim and fit four weeks later than their peers who weren't given this message, Dr. Ellen Langer and her student Alia J. Crum report in the February issue of Psychological Science.

While the placebo effect of fake pills is widely accepted, Crum and Langer note, no one has yet studied whether the belief that exercise is maintaining fitness might exert a kind of placebo effect as well.

To investigate, the researchers recruited at 84 female housekeepers working at seven different hotels. Workers in four of the hotels were told that the exercise they got on the job met or exceeded the Surgeon General's activity recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, while those in the three other hotels were not told anything. Several measures of participants' fitness and health were taken at the beginning of the study and four weeks later.

Before the study started, about two thirds of all participants said they didn't exercise regularly, while one third said they didn't exercise at all. After four weeks, 79.7 percent of the women in the informed group said they exercised regularly. They also lost two pounds, on average; lowered their blood pressure by 10 percent; and showed reductions in percentage of body fat, body mass index, and the size of their waists in relation to their hips.

All of these changes were significantly greater than those seen in the group who weren't told that their work was good exercise.

One possible explanation could have been that women in the informed group became more active and ate more healthily, the researchers note, but they found that this was not the case, making it unlikely that the fitness improvements were due to changes in behavior.

"These results support the hypothesis that exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect," Crum and Langer write. "Whether the change in physiological health was brought about directly or indirectly, it is clear that health is significantly affected by mind-set."

By Shelagh Mahbubani - Mar 9, 2007
The Straits Times fiction. Shelagh Mahbubani talks to trainer Laila White to weigh the truth of 10 fitness myths .

MYTH NO. 1: In order to get fit, you have to RUN like you have never run before.
REALITY: In order to get fit, you have to find exercise that you enjoy. You tend to stick with activities you like instead of find excuses for why you should give up. Getting fit is a process that takes time and patience, with tremendous rewards along the way, both physically and mentally. If you are looking for instant success, like losing 5kg in five days, you will be inviting trouble, disappointment and frustration.

MYTH NO. 2: He has a nice body, so he must know what he is talking about.
REALITY: As tempting as it may be to believe everything that the guy in the gym with the amazing body tells you, you still need to think through the information. Everyone is different, so what works for one person may not produce the same results in another. The truth is, some people are just blessed with good genes and will look great no matter what they do. Determining what works for your body is the way to go. No one knows it better than you.

MYTH NO. 3: If I stop exercising, my muscles will turn into fat.
REALITY: Muscle cannot turn into fat! Muscle is muscle, fat is fat. One cannot become the other. In order to gain muscle, you have to consume calories, in order to lose body fat, you need to burn calories. Developing muscle and losing body fat are two completely different processes. When you exercise, you increase your muscle mass and reduce your fat mass. When you stop exercising, muscle mass shrinks and you are inviting fat back into your life.

MYTH NO. 4: I have to have work out with the best equipment and join the best gym to get the maximum results.
REALITY: You can work out anywhere with absolutely anything. All you need is to take away the excuses. A functional BODY is the best gym and the best equipment. Tons of exercises can be done with just body weight, or things around you. But if you want to join a gym, and if joining the best gym with the best equipment gets you motivated, I am all for it!

MYTH NO. 5: I am too old to start exercising.
REALITY: No one is too old, too young, too fat, too skinny and so on. Maybe the real problem is too lazy. How can something so good for you be so hard to do? (Hint: Look at the first myth.) Picking up an exercise, at any age, has more benefits than not. If you are just starting, the rule of thumb is to start slowly and build up gradually, no matter if you are nine or 90!

MYTH NO. 6: Women who lift weights will develop big, bulky muscles.
REALITY: Strength training is a wonderful way to tone up, firm up and shape muscles beautifully. Those big, bulky muscles you see on bodybuilders are most often gained with the assistance of the male hormone testosterone. Women do not make enough testosterone to produce the same results. I mean no disrespect to any bodybuilder, male or female, but it takes displine and near-starvation to lower body fat, and steroids to bulk up beyond normal ranges, especially for female bodybuilders. For those of us who are doing it for health, let’s incorporate discipline into our lives. Ladies, fret no more about doing strength training.

MYTH NO. 7: Spending hours in gyms will get you better results.
REALITY: Please, please do not make the gym your second home. Why go to the gym? It is a place to get fit so you can enjoy your life more. Not a life spent all day at the gym! If you take more than an hour to finish your workout, chances are you are resting too long between sets, or wasting too much time. Give your 100 per cent when you’re at the gym, whether that is one hour or half an hour. Leave it when you’re finished and spend the rest of the day doing other things. Besides, after they have been pumped for an hour, muscles need to rest. Only by giving them adequate rest, alongside exercise, will they grow bigger and stronger.

MYTH NO. 8: If I do thousands of sit-ups, I will have a flat tummy and get a six pack.
REALITY: There is no such thing as spot reduction! Doing abdominal exercises makes the abdominal muscles stronger. But there are two things you have to do to bring out the muscles hidden behind the dreaded layer of belly fat. The first is to have a good cardiovascular programme and the second is take in proper nutrition. And this applies to all muscles.

MYTH NO. 9: Dieting without exercise will let me lose weight faster.
REALITY: Dieting will help lose weight but not fat mass. Your body is a very intelligent instrument. When it doesn’t get enough food, it goes into starvation mode. In starvation mode, the body stores everything it can as fat so it can survive. You do not want this to happen as this slows your metabolism, and if you start eating again your body stores that food as fat. The worst thing is that you will gain more weight when you start eating again. Proper nutrition + cardio + strength training = healthy body, mind, soul.

MYTH NO. 10: You can eat as much protein and carbohydrates as you like without putting on weight, if you do not eat fat.
REALITY: Eating too much fat is not the only thing that gains you kilos. Excessive amounts of alcohol, protein and carbohydrates can all be broken down and converted into fat. The bottom line is that too much of anything will make you put on weight if you do not not burn the calories you are tucking in.

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, on Feb 28, 2007.

I was out for two days, so I sincerely apologize to everyone who's been coming to the blog for the past two days. I know u want more!!! So I m here to make sure U GET MORE!!! =]

Let's have a quick summary of wat happened for the past two days.

SAT
Morning - went for local revision class (econs) and guess wat. For the first time, Manfred was super duper late. At first, we like waited for him till 9.30am and yet there were students strolling in. In the end, my fren called him to check. Here's the climax, manfred said: "huh? today got class meh?", "ok, i will come in 15 mins." He reached at 10 am, really looking like he just woke up. Yet he still can say that he overlooked the timetable, but wat to do? He's the King of Intro to Econs!!! We cant possibly offend the KING. But wat's funny is that he said: "So sorry, but i will repay u ur one hour, do u mind?" How can we mind??? He's the KING leh. ahaha. so we carried on with class.

Suddenly, his phone started to buzz and beep. He said: "u all know this alarm is supposed to call me wake up at 11?" That was quite ultimate. From the first lesson i had with him, I always think his jokes are damn ultimate kind. hahaha.

Afternoon - yeah! i managed to convince kannan, jacinta n winnie to go queensway before getting sally's bdae pressie. And i got my adidas court shoes at last. hahahaha... during the excursion to buy shoes, we "somehow" became a family. hahaha. =x shall not disclose any family matters here!! =]

next stop, we went to orchard to get sally's pressie. oh my gosh, it was really hard to find a suitable pressie for sally. we went ard DFS without getting anything suitable for sally, but "someone" went there to set her eyes on suitable items for herself. Luckily, we got her a nike bag n a $100 Zara voucher.

Then we headed down to sally's place.

Night - Sally's bdae party. I guess not much to say here as almost the whole team was there happily eating steamboat. Lines change after lines. Playing with milkshake, the most adorable dog out of the 3 she has. But one thing's for sure, the response was better than normal trainings. =]


SUN
Sports day - I must say that we FINALLY had a basketball session since the QING DYNASTY (i was just exaggerating.. hahaha). My hands are itching for basketball game and we shall all play again.

After that, we headed down to Val hal for floorball training. I guess after a whole day of sports, everyone slept well last night. hahaha... overly exhausted... But well done guys. Let's do it every week ok? hahaha

End of field report!!! =]

today i was out studying in the afternoon with bao, ziwan n danny. although for that mere two hrs? But wat's more interesting was when we were heading to suntec adidas store to see the new season products, i overheard a conversation between two man on the bus.


Background knowledge from my judgment:
M1 - 41 years old, office job
M2 - about 45, office job

Convo...

M1: How have u been? How's ur kids?
M2: I m fine. My daughter is entering the uni.

M1: Oh? wat does she intend to study??
M2: Law.

M1: That's good. What about ur younger one?
M2: *(Embarrassed) He's in ITE, studying media design.

(I was looking at them when they were talking... hahaha... dun doubt as i was sitting right in front of them =P)

M1: Well, at least they are all grown up already.
M2: What about u??? "做人"了吗?

M1: I am still trying.
M2: 那你要更努力才行. 不然, 有孩子的时后, 你都没力气追他们了.

(I dunno y he suddenly speak in chinese)

M1: At the age of 41, I am still trying and will not give up. (Speaking confidently)
M2: But u must also put in effort. Try to create that atmosphere. Bring her to some seductive places.

(I just almost died inside the bus when i hear them saying all these.)

M1: Yes, I agree. I will try to do so.

Before M2 can reply, more passengers came in and they had to move to the back of the bus.

I started giggling after they went to the back because they are saying all these in the bus. But after a while, I realized the problem the society is facing. Giving birth too late... Or not giving birth at all...

No wonder the government is asking the citizens to give birth more by introducing all the birth policies.

But actually it's good to encourage more birth. With birth rate increasing every year, sooner or later, the NS liability will cut down further.

Take the Dragon babies for example, thanks to them, all guys get to enjoy the full 2 years NS now while poor guys like me serve the normal scheme back then. =(

But that's not the thing. I think giving birth late is not very good for the couple since as they get older, their ability to give birth may decrease and it may be too taxing on the mother during pregnancy.

Also, I totally agree with M2 that by the time M1 has a kid, he will be retiring soon and his kid may have grown up by then. It may pose as a problem too.

Although I encourage ppl to give birth not too late, I dun mean "shotgun". Please make this clear if not anyone who "shotgun" will claim that i taught them this theory. hahahaha...

Anyway, it's quite a good lesson learn from M1 n M2. I wish M1 all the best in his project to "做人". =]

This post is for all athletes. Everything you do happen for a reason. This time round I am posting this article on the importance of doing warm up and cool down before and after workout respectively. Many people feedback that everyone's not doing proper stretching or simply ignored doing it.

Before u start reading the article, let me briefly explain in my OWN words. =]

Put it this way, imagine ur muscles are like rubber bands (if u have no imagination, go and get one rubber band =P ). Try stretching the rubber band once, how do u feel? Tight? Not easy to stretch to its maximum?

Try stretching the rubber band to its maximum and hold it for a few seconds before stretching it again. After which, feel the elasticity of the rubber band now. Is it more stretchable now?More flexible? Longer?

Yes, ur muscles are like rubber bands. Stretching will not make ur muscles tight before you start doing ur workout and cause injuries. Muscles will also be lengthen when u stretch them so that u can contract and stretch ur muscles fully.

However, when u are doing stretching, u have to be caution too. WHY? Because you will snap ur muscles if u over-stretch them. Optimum stretching will be appropriate. Always remember that enough is really GOOD enough. Being GREEDY or STINGY will do u NO GOOD. There is a fine line between them (GOOD|NO GOOD). Get it???

So let's read on...

Injury Prevention: Why Stretch?

Overcoming and preventing sports injury

If you are involved in the health & fitness industry, whether it be participating in your favorite sport, coaching, training or just keeping fit, you will know how annoying and debilitating a sports injury can be. In reality, when you have a sports injury you are actually losing on two fronts. Firstly, you are losing simply because your body has been hurt and now needs time and care to repair itself. And on top of this, you are also losing the time you could have been putting into training and improving your sporting ability.

The cold, hard facts

Over 27,000 American's sprain their ankle everyday! On top of this, Sports Medicine Australia estimates that 1 in every 17 participants of sport and exercises are injured playing their favorite sport. This figure is even higher for contact sports like Football and Gridiron. However, the truly disturbing fact is that up to 50% of these injuries may have been prevented.

The professional’s secret weapon

While there are a number of basic preventative measures that will assist in the prevention of sports injury, there is one technique that has slowly been gaining in popularity. It is still not used as often as it should be by the average sports participant, but with the professionals using it more and more, it is only a matter of time before it starts to catch on. Before we dive into this little used technique for minimizing your likelihood of sports injury, let us take a quick look at some other techniques to help you prevent sports injury.

So, where should you start?

Most people are coming to understand both the importance and the benefits of a good warm-up. A correct warm-up will help to raise body temperature, increase blood flow and promote oxygen supply to the muscles. It will also help to prepare the mind, body, muscles and joints for the physical activity to come.

While warming-up is important, a good cool-down also plays a vital role in helping to prevent sports injury. How? A good cool-down will prevent blood from pooling in your limbs. It will also prevent waste products, such as lactic acid, building up in your muscles. Not only that, a good cool-down will help your muscles and tendons to relax and loosen, stopping them from becoming stiff and tight.

P.S: I hope this will make U realize the importance of injury prevention. =)

After the UWC friendly today, Alvin gave all of us a debrief and we all had a short sharing session on how we felt about team so far. One of the very important factors we talked about is stress management during game play. We all agreed that during game play we will get shaky when we got the ball and most of the time we cannot handle the stress. I came across this story and I hope this story will teach all of us something. =]

Stress Management
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it,
the heavier it becomes. "

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. "

"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

" A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today. . .

I did. =]

Recently, there are alot of people asking questions on their health and I happen to come across this QnA segment. So, I "hope" this is beneficial for those who need it. =]


Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise.

Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster.

Want to live longer? Take a nap.


Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies.

What does a cow eat? Hay and corn.

And what are these? Vegetables.
So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system.

Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).
And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit.

Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way.

Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!


Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.


Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular
exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry.

My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!


Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it.

How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around
the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger.

You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO . Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!!

It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

*The training explanation are using "SPECIAL" analogies to aid understanding. Please bear with them... =]

Interval training:
Stage 1 - 8 x 100m (1:2)
Stage 2 - 6 x 400m (1:2)
Stage 3 - 8 x 100m (1:1)

Interval training basically improves one's speed and recovery rate. In the game, speed is very important as you will be able to reach the ball faster than your opponent. Or put it this way, if u wan to chase a girl/guy, u definitely need speed so that u can chase him/her. Or in another case, if u wan to run away from a guy/girl, u also need speed so that he/she can't chase u. Get the logic??? Next, recovery rate is also important during change of lines. You won't want to go in when you are still trying to recover. Put it this way, if u chase after a girl/guy n got rejected, u must recover fast so that u can go after another one. U see the link??? (1:2) is the sprint time to rest time ratio. Try sprinting your maximum effort in the 100m. Take that timing as a guide. Eg. 12 secs run, rest 24 secs before I start sprinting at 36 secs. Take note that the stopwatch is still running. Do not stop the time.

Cardiovascular training:
Long distance run (3-5km per session)
Swimming (20-30 laps)
Cycling (at least 5km)
Stairs climbing (at least 10 storeys)

Cardiovascular training improves cardio strength and stamina. It also raise one's metabolism. Basically, improves one's heart rate. The most important thing about cardio trainings is the breathing. A good rhythm for breathing will ensure that you last through the exercise or during games. If your breathing becomes inconsistent, you will encounter short of breathe and cannot perform better. Put it this way, if u n ur bf/gf are kissing, you definitely need to have a go rhythm if not before u know it u two could die being out of breathe. With rhythm u two perform better. =] When your heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to your muscles, lactic acid will accumulate and you will experience fatigue. When fatigue comes in, u know what will happen to u during the game. When you are working your heart out, you are also burning FAT. I know what you are thinking... For those who wants a slimmer and lean body. Follow the exercise routine. =)

Agility training:
Forward run
Backward run
Side walk
Side twist walk
Shuttle run
Zig-zag run

Agility training basically improves reaction to turn, twist and run. Secondly, it improves coordination of your body. The reaction time during game is crucial as when you need to react fast to your opponent's moves or recover the defence. Put it this way, if someone is charging towards u like a bull, if u r too slow for his speed, guess who flies? But, if u can react to it fast, guess who crashes?? Focus more on your reaction to turn or twist when you reach the line. Do it slowly for the first few times until you are able to coordinate well with your body's turning and twisting. Then, increase the pace so that you can combine slight interval training with agility training. Please do it slowly n with patience as it may cause injuries especially during the twisting n turning. We wont wan casualties before div2, do we???

Stability Training:
Single leg hop
Single leg stand
Single leg exercises

Stability training basically helps to improve ur stability. When u r executing single leg exercises, ur body will tend to balance on that particular leg when ur the other leg is absent. What will happen is that ur major leg muscles will be activated to balance ur body weight n not only that other small leg muscles that are not normally activated will start to be activated to balance ur whole body weight. This training also aids joint stability. After all the training, when u start to run, jump or balance, all the leg muscles will be activated. Thus, giving u better stability during run, jump or watever. Put it this way, u r trying to awaken ur "hidden" powers n when u awaken them, u will become stronger as u have more powers. It cant be that u become weaker after awakening those powers, right??? =] This section is dedicated to players that are injury prone n not "stable".

Strength training:
Callisthenics
Gym training

Strength training increases muscular strength. Callisthenics training basically comprises of many different types of exercises. You can do push ups, sit ups, dips, crunches, flutter kicks, buddha claps, and many more. Try to arrange your exercises in way that you don't do exercises that use the same muscle group consecutively. Eg. From the way I arrange, push ups(upper body), sit ups(abs), dips(triceps), crunches(abs), flutter kicks(quards & abs), buddha claps(shoulder muscles). Do a few sets. Don't rest too much in between sets. Do at least 15 - 20 reps per exercise. Put it this way, if u dig ur nose, let's say everyday dig the right side but not the left, wat will happen? Ur right nostril will become bigger than ur left n will start bleeding from all the digging. But if u alternate, then at least one side gets to rest one day. Both sides will be balanced. See the link???

Gym training is more difficult to conduct. For starters, please start with weights machines. The free weights exercises are of higher level. Gym training can be dangerous if there's no proper caution take care of. Try to get one buddy to train with you and spot your mistakes while you are doing the exercises. Read the instructions on the machines first before executing the exercises. For guys wise, I m more concerned. If u really dunno how to execute the exercise properly, then DUN TRY. When u r doing, always breathe out

Power training: heavier weights + lesser reps + more rest time. (70-75% of 1RM*: 6-8 reps + 2-3 sets) (1:2)

Strength training: moderate weight + more reps + same rest ratio. (60-69% of 1RM + 10-15 reps + 3 sets) (1:1)

Endurance training: least weight + most reps + lesser rest ration. (50-59% of 1RM + 15-20 reps + 3 sets) (1:0.5)

1RM = 1 Repetition Maximum
The maximum amount of weights you can cope with at most 1 repetition when using that particular machine. So try putting the max weight and execute the exercise. If you can do one and a half rep, you are at your 1RM. There's no need for you to measure so accurately until you only manage to do one. Stick to one and a half. Put it this way, if passers-by see that u r doing one rep max, u definitely dun wan to do 1 rep exactly. They will think that u cant cope with that kind of weights but if u can do one n a half, it shows more. I believe u know wat to do. =] Then calculate the amounts of weights for different types of training. Please bear in mind that different machines or exercises have different values of 1RM. You can't assume same for all and have to test for 1RM for all machines.

Stretching:

Proper stretching will mean that when u r doing stretching, u will feel some discomfort in the muscle group u r stretching. Breathe normally, not too fast, not too slow. Stretching has a sequence to follow. Normally, head to toe, or major muscle group to minor muscle group. If there are stretching exercises tt requires u to engage in awkward positions, please do not attempt to do so.

Overall:

For the routine wise, I recommend about 2-3 times you exercise per week. Plan in such a way that you can have one interval, strength and cardio training in a week. Then, the following week you can have agility, gym and cardio training. If you can feel fatigue during the week and you have not done any cardio training, do swimming as swimming helps to relax muscles and you will feel much better without the pain. It's always good to go train in twos at least so that u can push one another. Please do proper warm up and cool down. Stretch your muscles after trainings so that you won't have much soreness after that. Stretching makes you more flexible and will ensure that they are constantly activated everyday. Self-discipline is very important in maintaining fitness. If u have any enquiries or doubts, please call 1800-FREE-CONSULTATION. ( I m just joking... no such hotline) If u REALLY have doubts to clear, mail me at charles_chuacc@yahoo.com.sg

If not, let's all work hard for the up coming division games. =]