Workout Blog 4: Cool Down Stretches

 
 Chest Cross Arm Swing: When combined with side steps or walking in place, this is a great way to keep the heart rate elevated slightly so it can more effectively push waste products to the kidneys and liver while taxing your body only slightly as to not create any excessive waste itself. You will primarily feel this in your chest and the front of your shoulder when your arms are pulled back behind your ribcage and in the rear of your shoulder and upper back when your arms are crossed over in front of your ribcage. Just be sure to move slowly and alternate which arm is on top when your arms are in front of your body.


Wide Toe Touch: With your feet wider than shoulder width you stretch a slightly different part of your lower back, hamstring (back of the thigh), glute (butt) and calf (only slightly) than you would when doing a regular toe touch (aka straight leg hang) with your feet together. Try modifying this by pointing your toes out or in to target different areas of your legs, back, and hips.


Squatting Glute Stretch: Though this stretch requires a bit of extra balance and control to do without assistance, it is a great way to stretch deep into the glute (butt) muscles and also will hit parts of the lower back. Start with only a shallow squat then build up over time until you have the flexibility and strength to get to a full squat.

Inside Thigh Stretch: This position gives you the same benefits of dropping down to do the side splits (or trying anyway) but without the uncomfortable feeling by focusing on only one leg at a time. With one leg bent you are able to focus on getting the stretch on the inside thigh/groin of the straight leg. To intensify the move, you don’t need to drop further into a side lunge, instead just focus on dropping your hip lower (on the side with the straight leg).

Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch: The hip flexor (front of the hip joint) can be a hard location to stretch properly but this position does a really good job of isolating the hip flexor one side at a time. The key with this position is to keep the back leg straight (this is the side of the body where you will feel it). To intensify the pull, lunge lower and/or lean back slightly. Just be careful to move to the identical position on the opposite side.

Standing Quad Stretch: This is another position that can be a bit challenging for balance without any assistance but it is a great way to target the quadriceps (the front/top of the thigh). Only pull your heel as close to your butt as you can without your knee feeling uncomfortable; don’t pull too hard as it can over compress and damage/loosen your knee joint. Once you have a slight stretch, pull your knee back behind you (using the muscles in your leg) to intensify the feeling in the hip and quadriceps.

Side Bends: This motion targets the obliques as you lean sideways. It can be modified to incorporate the outer thigh as well by bringing your foot across in front of you at the same time. For example if you are leaning to the left then pull your right leg (the same side you will feel it in) across to the left as well. This should intensify the pull on the right oblique as well as adding a pull to the right outside thigh and hip.

Arm Cross Shoulder Stretch: This motion targets the rear of the deltoid (shoulder) and the rhomboid (upper back, over the shoulder blade). Depending on the flexibility of these areas you may not feel much of a pull, but keeping your upper arm close to your chest and pulling with the opposite arm across and away from the shoulder to be stretched should intensify this motion.

Overhead Tricep Stretch: Targeting the tricep (back of the upper arm) can be difficult but this position does a good job of not only targeting the tricep but also various parts of the shoulder complex (muscles that surround the shoulder socket). Be sure to reach back to the same shoulder as arm you are stretching to get the most tricep pull.

Wall Shoulder Stretch: Shoulder range of motion is often an issue that can limit ones ability to perform various upper body exercises properly. This position is a great way to keep from losing that range of motion and when held for longer time periods it can help you to regain lost range of motion, allowing you more freedom of movement with the arm fully extended overhead. Just be sure to keep a flat back rather than letting it arch as this can cause back pain/injuries if hyperextended.

Annalise Dracopoulos.

Motivation - Bruce Lee, Martial Artist legend

Today i will be talking about one of the greatest martial artists of all time, that is of course Mr Bruce Lee. Bruce was 27th of November 1940 and later died making a movie in 1973. Bruce was a man of wisdom and courage and is often referred to one of the most determined and discipline human beens that has ever walked on this earth. He has many very well known quotes, quotes which are exercised effectively by fighters all over the world. His words of courage, life experience thus, reflecting such specialised intelligence is the most invaluable experience we could ever refer to. 

Not only is Bruce Chinese, he made it onto the big screen in Hollywood at the young age of 19. It was his dream, reflecting his history and culture is just a great example of the MOTIVATION we all need to have to reach our fitness goals. We all need motivation as expressed in my most recent blog posts but to have this idols experience interoperated into fitness health and well being will most certainly ignite a fire for the foundation of getting up and getting "Physical."

Some of Bruces most famous quotes are as follows 

- Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, a very pretty often hot and fierce but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep burning and Unquenchable. 

- Knowledge will give you power, but character will give you respect

- As you think, so shall you become

- A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough

- If you spend too much time thinking of a thing, youll never get it done

- Its not the daily increase but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential

AND my favourite -----> Don't prey for an easy life, Prey for the Strength to Endure a Hard One

Ladies and Gentleman, this was a man who could throw up a grain of rice in the air and catch it falling with 2 chop sticks. Precision, skill and accuracy was something bruce has effectively mastered. With enough skill, will and determination you can become what ever you want to be. the only Boundary is the one you set yourself. Most importantly Success is a Journey, not a destination.

Workout Blog 3: Intermediate Arms and Legs

Intermediate Leg Workout

Now's the time to introduce squats into your program which are often called the 'king' of lower body exercises.  Be sure to watch that you're always maintaining good form while executing this movement.  Keep the rest periods between the first two exercises to sixty seconds and then after that decrease it down to 30 seconds total.

	Exercise	Sets	Reps
	Squats	3	8-10
	Stiff Leg Deadlifts	2	8-10
	Lunges	2	10-12
	Standing Calf Raises	2	10-12
	Seated Calf Raises	2	10-12

Intermediate Arm Workout

This intermediate arm workout will have you performing a variation of the bench press as a means to target the tricep muscles. This not only works it in a different manner but will also help to fatigue the triceps before really targeting them with your tricep extension. Aim for forty-five minute rest breaks between the first two exercises and thirty second rest breaks between the last two.

	Exercise	Sets	Reps
	Barbell Curls	3	8-10
	Close-Grip Bench Press	2	8-10
	Bent Over Tricep Extension	2	8-10
	Hammer Curls	2	8-10

Annalise Dracopoulos.

Supplements Blog 3: Protein

 Protein is a nutrient that is essential for growth and development. Our muscles are made of protein and some of our most important anabolic hormones are made of protein including insulin and growth hormone. In terms of sport, protein is the primary essential nutrient capable of building new muscle and repairing damaged muscle. Protein is found in both animal and plant sources, with animal sources being the best source of complete protein due to high availability of all amino acids. Consuming our protein through supplements is an easy way to maintain increased protein needs as a result of exercise without consuming bulky and often calorie high foods and meals. There is a huge variety of protein powders and formulas in the market.

The protein supplements can be broken down to either mass-gainers, lean-gainers, or weight loss protein to suit ones particular goal 

Mass-Gainers 
Gaining weight requires that you increase the amount of calories you eat. Specifically you must consume more calories in diet, than you expend in energy. Doing this with regular foods quickly becomes monotonous, expensive, and difficult after a couple of days if not sooner. So a great healthy way to gain weight is to supplement your regular diet with a Mass Gainer. The top 3 weight gainers are: 

                      

Weight Loss Protein
The prime goal for any strength trainer is to gain muscle weight without gaining dreaded body fat. Integrating Protein into your regular diet ensures that you can build muscle, increase strength, & gain lean muscle weight, whilst preventing excess body fat from creeping in. The only problem is that protein alone cannot sustain a healthy body. So, most protein formulas contain Carbohydrates, which can easily convert to fat if not managed correctly. The top 3 Fat loss proteins are: 

                                    


Andrew De Silva

Fitness Motivation - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Hollywood actress, former california Mayor, body building champion and fitness aspiring icon, Arnold Schwarzenegger born July 30 1937 dominates the fitness scene through his fabulously scultped body and controversial character. His success has been the back bone of his sheer determination, will and skill to be the best as he can, and for you readers this is the exact attitude which must be adopted in order to reach that glowing light at the end of that weightless tunnel.

Jiust like Muhummed Ali which was featured last week, Arnold stresses the importance of the energising nature of motivation when it come to getting up and achieving your tasks. Those days when your too tired from going to the gym, shut up. Those days when you claim you don't have enough time, shut up as arnold would put it. There are no excuses the gym releases serotonine, making you feel better after a great work out. Here are some of Arnold's most memorable quotes

- Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

- For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer

- When your partying, drinking, resting there is someone out there that is working hard. There is 24hrs in a day, you sleep 8 of them you work hard for 16 of those hours. 

There you have it, a character a man a successor. A main with a vision, a man who puts 110% into everything he does. Why take up something if your not going to try. You may got to the gym and work hard, but your diet may be ordinary. He can not stress the importance to the approach. You only get out what you put in.

Conquor, strength, motivation, arnold schwarzenegger, fitness, inspiration, character, 

Workout Blog 2: Beginner Abs and Back

The following exercises are basic moves targeting the abs and back. Always avoid any exercises that cause pain and, if you feel lower back strain, modify the move to a comfortable range of motion or place a rolled up towel under your hips to support your lower back.



Crunches
Lie on your back with your hands crossed across your chest or with your fingers on the sides of your head. Place your feet on the floor with legs bent. To begin the exercise, lift your torso, lifting shoulder blades off the floor and crunching your rib cage towards your lower belly. Hold for two counts, then lower slowly to the starting position. Repeat.

Reverse Crunches
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet a few inches off the floor. Slowly contract the abdominals, focusing on rotating the pelvis up and bringing your knees towards your rib cage. Concentrate on letting your abs do the work. Hold at the top then slowly lower your knees to the starting position. Repeat.

Oblique Crossover Crunches
Lie on your back with knees bent, hands behind your head. Keeping lower back pressed into the floor, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and then curl your upper body diagonally across your body towards your right knee. Contract your abs and obliques as hard as you can at the top of the movement. Lower back down and repeat on the same side before switching sides.

PlankBegin by placing elbows on the floor and resting body on the knees. Pull the abs tight to hold your body in a straight line from head to knees without sagging in the middle, eyes looking naturally forward. Hold this position for as long as you can, relax and repeat 3 or more times.

Back Extensions
Lie face down with hands either behind the back or lightly cradling the head. Lift upper body off the ground a few inches, keeping head and neck in alignment. For a challenge, then lift feet off the ground keeping legs straight (knees don't have to be together), hold for 2-4 counts and lower.

Superhumans
Begin on hands and knees, hand directly under shoulders, knees under hips and back straight, abs tight. Slowly raise right arm and left leg up until level with the body, holding your balance and keeping torso tight. Lower back down and repeat with the left arm and right leg. Take your time--this exercise will challenge your balance! 

Annalise Dracopoulos.

Workout Blog 1: Tips To Start Up

Over the next few weeks I will be doing weekly posts containing information about fitness workouts. These posts will include exercises, tips and photos. Enjoy!

This blog post will contain basic tips for getting started when exercising.

1. Limit your workouts to 30-40 minutes

Though the tendency of some people who really want to get a lot out of their workouts is to spend a lot of time at the gym, the truth is that after 30 or 40 minutes, the benefit isn’t as great. To go that long, you’d have to lower the intensity of the workout, and that means that you’re spending too much time working out. It’s better to work out at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time.

2.  High-intensity workouts

If you’re just starting out with exercise, it’s best to take it slow. If you’re running or cycling, for example, build up your endurance for at least a month before you get into anything more intense. That means going at a rate where you can easily talk without being out of breath. However, once you have that base of endurance, step up the intensity to step up the effectiveness of the workout.

3.  Protein

Many people don’t pay enough attention to getting the protein their muscles need to rebuild. If you don’t, you are going to get very little out of your workout, as both cardio and strength workouts require protein for building muscles. I recommend either whey or soy protein shakes.

4. Water

Be sure to hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple of hours for your body to absorb the water, so you can’t just drink right before exercise. Make it a habit to drink water regularly throughout the day.

5. Carbs

Although the low-carb craze might say otherwise, carbs are our body’s main source of fuel. If you do intense workouts, you will need carbs, or you won’t have enough energy. If you do a shake, be sure to include carbs — or a banana is a great source of low fiber/high glycemic carbohydrates that you need for exercise.

6. Slow lifting

Many people contract their muscles slowly and then release more quickly. But if you lift slowly in both directions, you are maximizing each move. Lift and lower to a 5-second count in each direction.

7. Heavier weight

When you’re starting out, it’s best to start with lower weights so you can focus on good form. But once you’ve gotten your form down, it’s best to lift the heaviest weights you can lift while still keeping good form. Don’t sacrifice form for heavy weights — that is ineffective. But heavy weights, with good form, can give you better results in a shorter amount of time. Heavy weights are not just for those who want to bulk up — that’s a common misconception.

8. One set, to failure

Instead of doing 2-3 sets, as many people do, maximize your effectiveness by doing just one, with heavy weights, until you can no longer keep the proper form. Lifting to “failure” doesn’t mean that you should lift the last few times with a wobbly or inefficient form.

9.  Mix it up

Don’t stick to the same workout routine for too long, or your body will adjust to the stress level and you won’t be getting an effective workout. For strength training, change your routine every few weeks. For cardio, it’s best to cross train rather than, say, to run every time.

10. Good form

For strength training especially, and swimming, form is very important, but it’s also important for other types of exercise. If you’re strength training, start with lighter weights so you can work on your form. It’s good to have an experienced spotter or trainer who knows good form to help you for the first month or so. Never sacrifice form for heavier weight. For swimming, you’ll need to get a coach to teach you form.

11.  Hills

If you run or bike or walk for cardio, you’ll want to incorporate hills (after the first month or two of doing it at an easy pace on flat ground). These will make you stronger and make your limited workout time even more effective. Take them easy at first, but once you’re used to hills, you can get a good pace going. Either use a hilly route or do repeats on one hill.

12. Circuits

One mistake that people make is to do multiple sets of the same exercise without rest between the sets. This doesn’t allow your muscles to recover and it’s a waste of your workout. But instead of doing a set, resting, and then doing your second set, it’s more effective to move on to multiple exercises in a circuit, so that you don’t rest between exercises but do rest each muscle group. This will give you a good cardio workout while you do your strength training.

Annalise Dracopoulos.

Supplements Blog 2 - Pre-Workouts

Pre-workout Supplements were introduced into the fitness and bodybuiding world not too long ago. Since then, it has started to gain popularity beneficial to anyone, no matter what their training goals are, propelling each workout

Pre-workout supplementation are designed for several purposes including :

• Improved performance, energy and focus
• Increase strength & endurance

• Increase protein synthesis 

• Increase metabolic rate

• Improve nutrient delivery & assimilation

pre-workout supplementation can help you get the most out of your session at the gym

Due to the inclusion of a number of ingredients including caffeine, guarana, amino acids, & many more, pre workouts have a strong stimulant effect which puts you in the zone when entering the gym, the zone that replaces an average workout to an optimum workout 

The Top Five Pre-workouts Include: 

1.) USPLABS Jack3d

Without a doubt, Jack3d is one of the top pre workout supplements for making 2013 fitness goals become a reality. Though it certainly isn’t the newest offering on the market, it is undoubtedly the most effective. Customers will appreciate the energy formulation of UPSLABS’ Jack3d, as well as the Beta alanine, creatine, and other ingredients that increase endurance, boost pumps, and produce seriously amazing results.

2.) MusclePharm Assault

MusclePharm Assault is not just typical pre-workout supplement, featuring a full dose of creatine, energy derived from caffeine and other natural sources, and Beta-alanine that is designed to increase pumps and endurance in those who use the powder. It is enhanced, however, by the latest scientific research and delivery mechanisms. That makes Assault more effective and results-driven than many competing options.

3.) Cellucor C4 Extreme

When it comes to pre-workout supplementation, few on the market approach the effectiveness of the Cellucor C4 Extreme offering. There is more caffeine per serving in this product than in many others currently sold to consumers, and it offers supplements that can give the brain added focus during workouts. With plenty of energy and proven ingredients, Cellucor C4 Extreme is a solid choice for traditionalists in the gym.

4.) Driven Sports Craze

One of the best ways to promote muscle growth is through the use of creatine as a workout supplement, and Driven Sports Craze offers more creatine per serving than many of its nearest competitors on the market. The pre-workout supplement is also one of the newest leading the charge against the inclusion of Arginine in its formulation, as the creators of the supplement prefer to use other agents when producing big pumps. That end, Driven Sports Craze 45 is notable for using citrulline and ascorbic acid to produce real results in the gym.

5.) BPI 1 M.R: One More Rep

The goal of BPI’s 1 M.R. pre-workout supplement is to increase the pump experienced by its customers through the use of Beta-alanine and NO2. It accomplishes those goals soundly, providing one of the best workout experiences of any product on the list. As an added value, the energy supplements used in 1 M.R. are specifically designed to give a rush of energy at the gym and then let the customer down easy, subjecting them to no “crash” that other products might require. 

Andrew De Silva

Layout

We have decided to create a blog about fitness. We will be posting about 5 different topics; diet, body transformations, motivation, supplements and workouts. We have chosen to do this topic as fitness is imperative in maintaing a healthy physical, psychological and emotional part of our lives. As a group we have discussed our use of colours, backgrounds, logos, tags and the layout.

For colours, we have chosen to base our blog colours on blue, as it a uni sex colour and represents a free, healthy spirit.

Layout and template wise, we have chosen to do something simple and easy to read yet will still attract the readers. We have done this by creating a image of person in a yoga pose with a background of a lake. The colours range from many blues to yellow sunset. This allows the reader to interact with the blog and get in the mood.

The tags we will be using will mainly relate to our post, but everyone will include 'fitness' as this is a fitness blog and our aim is to get a continuous amount readers viewing our blog.

The logo we have chosen is a simple black image of female running and a male lifting a weight with the word 'Fitness' below. This relates to our blog as it a fitness blog and is simple as our layout is.

Below is a image of what we intend out layout to be, thing may be altered through the weekly posts.

Annalise Dracopoulos.