Personal Lamentations

I know, I know, this is meant to be an informative site. And the last time I've posted something meaningful was in the dark ages. But I'm only human. I'm not a saint, an angel or the Pope. I'm just thinking why life's got to be so hard. Basically, I feel very frustrated with my family, especially my dad. I can't communicate with him. Everytime we "talk", we'll have a fight. I don't know if the problem's with me or him. I really hope that things could be better and I want to make it better and I'm making an effort to make things better. But you know, the moment of time, right at a particular moment, can really make you forget what you've told yourself. Maybe it's the way I talk to them, maybe it's the way they communicate. My closest friends would know that whatever I do & say are a result of past experiences. Isn't that how everyone else works? I just think that I'm so confined, so limited, so supressed. That's probably why I feel so much easier & have much more to share and talk about when I'm out with friends. Dad, if you're reading my site, you'd have found the answer to your question here. Many time, I find myself being accused & slandered by my dad.

We'll be going for a "holiday" soon. To me, it's not really a holiday. It'll be for a month. As I was thinking about it in the shower, I was just thinking that I wasn't even asked if I'd like to go or not. If I'm not wrong, my sister was the one behind this "holiday". It's all just unfair. All my hard-earned savings will be all gone, just like that, because of this "holiday", which I don't really want to go. Do my parents know what my plans are with my savings? No, they don't. They didn't even bother to ask, I don't think they know that I've got my plans with my own money. They just want me to spend it by going to a "holiday" with them. I've actually provided some resistance about going, but dad (yeah, it's my dad again who has lots of negative opinions) said I wouldn't be filial if I don't want to go with them! How absurd! But anyway, I just hope that if I do go, God will make it easier for me. I just hope that it'll be a period for me to state my independence and be reconciled with them on this trip. I hope I'll be able to earn the money back as I need it for my independence and subsequent marriage with this really special girl.

There have been many many, lots of other unhappy things I've experienced at home. I really wish I could move out. A couple of things just kept repeating at the back of my mind. It's sad.

I'm really meant to study. I've got a couple of exams next week. If things get unbearable, I'll keep posting.

Various Ways to Determine Intensity

On my previous post, I've mentioned that intensity is defined as the magnitude of a quantity (as force or energy) per unit (as of surface, charge, mass, or time), in other words, how hard you work. And usually in moderate intensity, it's between 40 - 60% VO2 max. Outlined below are a few ways how that could be achieved.

Target heart rate (THR) - your target heart rate should be kept within 50 - 70% of heart rate max

• Take 220 - age = your max heart rate (E.g. if you're 20, your THR = 200)
• Determine your low range of 50% (Take 200 multiply by 50% = 100)
• Determine your high range of 70% (Take 200 multiply by 70% = 140)

The above is an example of a 20 year old who would want to exercise in a heart rate range of 100 -140 beats/min. One has to keep in mind that this calculation is age related, it doesn't take fitness levels into consideration. Although it's not completely accurate, it is still a good guideline.

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Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

This takes into account what the exerciser is perceiving in terms of exercise fatigue and it correlates well with cardiorespiratory and metabolic factors like heart rate and overall fatigue. The RPE scale starts with 0 and ends with 10. A rating of 0 equates to doing nothing, being at rest. A rating of 10 is equal to maximum effort, working very, very hard. For moderate intensity, an exerciser should strive for reaching somewhere between a 4-6, which the scale defines as a somewhat hard to a hard effort.

A great way to measure intensity (where appropriate), is utilizing both the RPE and Target Heart Rate Zone. The exerciser should identify where they fall on the RPE scale when their heart rate is between 50 – 70% maximum. This will allow them to accurately use only the RPE scale for measuring intensity when it is not feasible to determine their THR.

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Talk Test

The final method for measuring exercise intensity is the Talk Test. Like the RPE, the talk test is subjective. The exerciser simply ensures that he works out at a level where he can carry on a comfortable conversation. He should be able to breathe comfortably during exercise. In simple terms, the exerciser would be working out too hard if he has to take a breath between every word he says. On the flip side, he would be exercising at too easy of an intensity if he could sing several phrases of a song without breathing hard.

Now you know how to define “moderate” and that means you don’t have any more excuses. It’s time to get moving. Keep in mind that the ACSM guidelines are minimum recommendations. For more significant health improvements and/or weight loss or for more advanced exercises, consider increasing any part of the three recommendations found in their guideline.

Exercise Intensity

We may have all heard of the recommended guidelines for participation in physical activity - 30min of moderate intensity physical activity for 3-5 times a week. Or if you're a bodybuilder, you may have heard of fellow iron-pumpers describing how intense their workouts were. The frequency & duration are straight-forward & easily defined, so that leaves us to implement the intensity part. How do we define intensity?

Although the intensity level (how hard you work) is very critical in the guideline, it's also easily identified. The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) defines moderate as an intensity of 40 to 60% VO2 maximum. However, there're other ways to determine our intensity since we don't know what our VO2 max is.

I'll discuss the other definitions that we can utilize to determine our intensity in subsequent posts.

Before I go on, it's important to realize that intensity is different from one individual to another. For example, a well trained athlete running 1.6km in 15min might be exercising at a low intensity level, but for an overweight, obese individual who just started an exercise program, it might be at a high intensity level.

Weight Gain Prevention During The Holidays

During the holiday season, people typically eat 3 -5 pounds more. Sensible eating habits are forgotten. From X'mas, New Year's to the last drop of the champagne bottle, the additional weight gained place extra strain of the heart & joints. This is especially serious if they have existing heart problems. Weight gained for diabetics makes it much harder for them to maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range.

So how can you prevent weight gain & still enjoy social gatherings with family & friends? It's not as hard as you think according to dieticians. All you need is some planning to make this a happy & healthy holiday season.

• Eat a substantial breakfast that is rich in protein. It helps you to feel full for longer & it takes a longer time to digest. Also, include foods that is low in glycemic index and high in fibre.
• Make it a healthy contribution if you're attending a potluck function. Mixed fruit or a spinach salad is easy to make & carry.
• Let your host or hostess know of any special dietary needs. It'll make dinner a more pleasant experience.
• Save the diet for your New Year's resolution. If you diet now, and feel guilty if you cheat, you'll just end up eating more.
• Include some time for exercise. Don't just go to the mall & shop. Try to park as far as you can and walk.

Most experts agree that 3 x 10 min bouts of exercise done on most days of the week reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and many types of cancer.

Weight Loss Myths II

Eating before bedtime
Some people believe that eating immediately prior to going to bed at night makes one fatter than if the same meal were consumed during the day. This is unfounded rumour. Although eating a late-night meal or snack might not be a good dietary habit, this does not result in a greater weight gain if the same meal had been consumed during the day. Because it is the total daily caloric intake that determines fat gain, not the timing of the meal (1).

Cellulite
It is a common believe that 2 kinds of fats exist - cellulite & regular fat. Cellulite refers to the "lumpy" hard fat that often gives skin a dimpled look. In reality, cellulite is just plain fat, not a special type of fat. The "dimples" you see comes from fat accumulating into small clusters beneath the skin. There's no scientific evidence that massage techniques provided by machines in health spas that boasts an improvement or alteration of your skin exists (2).

Journals:-
(1) Bjorntorp, P., and B. Brodoff, eds. Obesity. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1992.
(2) Corbin, C., and R. Lindsey. Concepts of Physical Fitness. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown, 2000

Spot Reduction

Many people embrace the notion that exercise applied to a specific region of the body will result in fat loss in that region. It is called spot reduction. For example, does performing sit-ups result in a reduction of fats covering the abdominals? The answer is "NO", unfortunately. There's no scientific backup to date to show that exercise promotes fat loss in local regions of the body. Evidence suggests that when caloric deficit exists, fat loss will be greatest in largest sites of fat stores in the body, and not from specific areas.

Journals: -
Gwinup, G., R. Chelvam, and T. Steinberg. Thickness of subcutaneous fat and activity of underlying muscles. Annals of Internal Medicine 74:408-411, 1971

King, M., and F. Katch. Changes in body density, fatfolds, and girths at 2.3kg increments of weight loss. Human Biology 58:709, 1986

Weight Loss Myth

Hello friends! It's great to be back blogging again & I hope you guys are still eating healthy and training wise despite not been able to exercise your minds with new information... YEAH, I know, it's my fault...
If there's anything you've asked, commented or posted before I dwelled into my assignments during the past week & I haven't gotten back to you yet, please drop me an email (lighthouse_pcxj@hotmail.com), tell me on MSN, or gimme a flex to remind me again to check out the stuff for you.

The number of weight loss myths that throw people into confusion are many. The most popular one are DIET PILLS. Many of these products are available over-the-counter on the market & most of them contain caffeine & other mild stimulants. However, scientifically, none of these products have been shown to assist in achieving safe and permanent weight loss.

Fewer than 3% of users lost weight and retained this weight loss for longer than 12 months was reported in a study of individuals using commercially available diet pills.

Journal: - Wadden, T., J. Stenberg, K. Letizia, A. Stunkard, and G. Foster. Treatment for obesity by very low caloric diet, behaviour therapy, and their combination: A five year prospective. International Journal of Obesity 13(Suppl. 2):39-46, 1989.

The Basic Dozen

Muscle Museum

Is the bodybuilder's syndrome familiar to you? They might be at your gym or people you've observed on buses & trains. The basic idea of this post is to not let my readers be a laughing stock, so don't neglect training your lower body too! There're a basic dozen of exercises that one needs to perform in order to avoid the bodybuilder's syndrome & they're listed below. They're not listed any order.

• Squat (front squat, leg press)
• Leg curl
• Leg extension
• Calf raise (knees straight/bent)
• Bench press (chest fly)
• Upright row
• Military press
• Lat pull (pull up)
• Triceps extension
• Biceps curl
• Back extension
• Sit up (abdominal curls)

Here you have it, the basic 12. I'm looking forward to uploading a few pictures with regards to exercise execution in the future. But thus far, you'll have to put up with worded descriptions on how to perform the exercise. If you're unsure of any of the above, leave me a comment, and I'll describe it to the best I can. Otherwise, do an image search on Google, or alternatively, if you have a gym membership, ask one of the trainers to show you.