Archive for August, 2009

That is just crazy but when you think about it, he does require that much calories.

When you find yourself really stressed out, try and use some deep breathing to relax yourself.  The great thing is that this will also help you perform better in fitness.  The better you can breathe, the more efficient you are with your energy! Here is a great demo video.

Sleep Well:
How To Relax Using Deep Breathing Techniques

I must confess I was a late comer to the biggest loser series.  I only watched the last few shows of last season. I totally felt in love with Jillian Michaels, but that’s a whole different story.  I don’t always agree with reality shows, but everything has it’s good and bad.  For me, it motivates me to watch others trying so damn hard.

Meet The New Biggest Losers August 25 2009 | Access Hollywood

The Biggest Loser – NBC Site.

I think this is the first time in my adult life that I want to maintain my current weight without much flux.  I can live with a few pounds up and down, but that’s about it.  I am still training, so that helps to keep my eating clean.  The question is how much to eat?

In the beginning, I can have 1500 calories days and still kick ass at the gym.  My body had enough stored energy to facilitate these activities.  Now that I don’t want to take it from my body, sort of speak. I need to eat the calories.  So to maintain my weight, my daily allowance looks like this:

(BMR x Non-exercise Activity Level) + Calories burned in Exercise
* Non-exercise Activity Level
1.1 – Desk Job
1.2 – Jobs you need to stand for at least 50% of your day
1.3 – Your job involves you lifting light to moderate weighted objects often in your day
1.4 – Construction worker / Physical labour

My workout weekday looks like this:
(1902×1.3)+530 = 3002

Caloric Needs – How to Calculate Your Caloric Needs.

Yes. Give your body rest days! Athletes Need Rest, and your body demands it.  10 Ways To Recover Quickly After Exercise.

Let’s face one fact. Eating healthy means cooking yourself. Men out there (Stereotype alert) really need some help. I’ve been cooking pretty consistently now for six months, and the need to “upgrade” is apparent.  I’ve been thinking about what pieces of kitchenware I use the most.

So here is my list:

1.  Knives   Usually a big hacker, Chinese style. Then I have a small one for stuff like mushroom.
2.   A chopping board
3.  Skillet (used to be non-stick!)
4.  Oven cookie sheets/pans (Grilled salmon, vegetable)
5.  Rice-cooker (For my quinoa and brown rice)
6.  Blender (of course for my shakes)
7. Boat load of tupperwear. (I cook about once a week. excluding my breakfast!)
8.  Steamer (for some quick steaming vegetables)

The better prepare you are, the better your diet will be.  That’s half the battle right there!

Kitchenware 101 – Men’s Fitness.

There are tons of different bars out there. Should you eat it?
Truthfully speaking, it’s obviously not as good as having real fruit or whole grain. But with our busy schedule, bar makes a great quick snack. It’s a way better choice than some sugar filled cookies or worse, office donuts/muffins.

So first, let’s understand what the types mean! Different type of bars contains different ratio of macro-nutrition and of course sugar.
Protein bar - Mostly used for post workout snack.  Heavy in protein to help you repair those micro-tears on your muscles.
Energy bar – Usually  higher in Carbohydrate and Fat to give the “energy” to the consumer. A good one should contain more fiber and complex-carbs to have a “longer release”
Meal Replacement bar - Usually the “diet” bars.  They are usually equal part nutrition, lower in calories.

So pick the one that align with your goal.  If you are using it as a post workout Snack, make sure you use a higher protein one.  (Try not to pick the high calories ones for those of you who are not looking to “gain mass”) Watch out for too much sugar! I’ve seen some of those bars contain more sugar than a snicker. This taste really good. (But it’s 400 calories, 30g protein, 18g of fat)  Supreme Protein® Peanut Butter Crunch Bar.

Most of my bars” are energy bars.  I work a long day so energy bar is my favorite.  With this type, I recommend an organic and high fiber bars. Clif Bar is one of my favorite.  And there is LÄRABAR. A good snack when you want something sweet.

Meal Replacement bar never really worked for me. If I want a meal, I want to eat.  I know Jenny Craig, Weight-watchers, and all these diet brands make meal-replacement bars.  If you want to do it for ONE meal a day, that’s cool. But nothing is better than real fruit and vegetable.

Protein bars in AskMen.com

Let me see. Hum. World fastest man! Bolt. You rock!

12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics – Berlin 2009 – Video.

I am laying here with a warm bowl. Yum. I have a cup of brown rice, a small piece of salmon, and some mixed green in there.  And I have a bowl of cherries waiting for me too.  Many believed that eating late somehow make the food more caloric.  Well, the answer is no! Yes, Carbohydrate consumption so close to bed time isn’t ideal, because it inhibit the release of HGH. So if you haven’t had dinner, eat!
The Metabolism Clock – Men’s Fitness.

Fitness - The Trapeze and the Catwalk - Welcome to the Gym - NYTimes.com.

If you find yourself doing the same workout all the time, change it up.  Your body will not work as hard when you repeat your drills too often.  Add something new! Do something you never done before.

If you are in a big and hip city like New York or L.A. definitely look around at your gym and see if they offer any new classes to shake things up. I just read from NYT that they are offering Trapeze style classes to fly around. Some hang you upside down as you do your exercises. I see a great core workout and the puke bucket.

I know classes are not usually a “guy’s thing”.  How about a martial art class?  Now that’s masculine enough, right?  I met a couple who both go to Toronto Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) They offer free classes to see if it works for you.  I think I will do a round of it this winter just to break up my routine a bit.  I am looking forward to it.

Of course, a group of people doing the “same task” evoke the human instinct of competition. It is good for you! Don’t let it scare you away. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You are the only one who know about it.