Diabetes and Prevention

Many of the signs of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are similar. In both, there is too much glucose in the blood and not enough in the cells of your body. High glucose levels in Type I are due to a lack of insulin because the insulin producing cells have been destroyed. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body's cells become resistant to insulin that is being produced. Either way, your cells aren't getting the glucose that they need, and your body lets you know by giving you these signs and symptoms.

Frequent trips to the bathroom:

Are you visiting the bathroom much more lately? Does it seem like you urinate all day long? Urination becomes more frequent when there is too much glucose in the blood.

Unquenchable Thirst:

If it feels like you can't get enough water and you're drinking much more than usual, it could be a sign of diabetes, especially if it seems to go hand in hand with frequent urination.

Losing Weight Without Trying:

This symptom is more noticeable with Type 1 diabetes. In Type 1, the pancreas stops making insulin, possibly due to a viral attack on pancreas cells or because an autoimmune response makes the body attack the insulin producing cells. The body desperately looks for an energy source because the cells aren't getting glucose. It starts to break down muscle tissue and fat for energy. Type 2 happens gradually with increasing insulin resistance so weight loss is not as noticeable.

Weakness and Fatigue:

 It's that bad boy glucose again. Glucose from the food we eat travels into the bloodstream where insulin is supposed to help it transition into the cells of our body. The cells use it to produce the energy we need to live. When the insulin isn't there or if the cells don't react to it anymore, then the glucose stays outside the cells in the bloodstream. The cells become energy starved and you feel tired and run down.

Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands, Legs or Feet:

 

 This symptom is called neuropathy. It occurs gradually over time as consistently high glucose in the blood damages the nervous system, 

 

Since we cannot do anything to prevent getting Type 1 diabetes( You're generally born with it), We can do more to prevent getting Type 2 diabetes. They are :

 

By losing just 5 to 7 percent of their body weight and exercising regularly, according to a clinical study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

People who are obese have five times the risk of diabetes than those who are a normal weight. Other risk factors include a sedentary lifestyle, family history and ethnicity.

 

So just by keeping ourselves on a relatively good and balanced diet plus regular exercising, we are able to delay or prevent ourselves from being a victim of Diabetes. 

Remember, No matter how rich you are but if you are sick and down with chronic disease, your wealth will all be in vain..

Healthy and Strong Body.

Hi Guys!



It's been a month since I post something in my blog. Due to personal reasons, I could not find time to write anything. Anyway, today I will be writing about those people with lean body walking around in our television (I mean during the advertisement). Is it possible for us to get that type of body with our hectic busy schedules ?

What if  i say that it is possible?


Let me tell you my version of story:


I used to be very skinny weighing only 54kg and height at 1.68 m. That is a skinny frame human being!
The only muscle that i am proud of at that time is my wonderful crafted 8-packs. Other than that, the rest is skin and bones. After decided to build some mass in my frame, the first supplement i consumed was the "Weight Gainer". I regretted taking that up till now. Well i was a newbie with no one to guide me so its all trial and error. The result : Body began to buff up. BUT! My 8-packs is nearly gone and left with only 2!

It wasn't so critical back then as I only concentrate being huge and like the tightness at my arms and chest when I'm wearing those tight shirts.

Years went on and my body began to grow at my expected rate. SO did my stomach. I began to grow a tummy also. One day after my bath, i went to stand infront of my half-length mirror and look myself in my mirror. I really look like a 6 month old pregnant man!~

I started to run almost everyday and do strength training consist of push up,dips,crunches and pull ups right after my run. I started to skip gym training and only visit once or twice to gain strength. Results?

My tummy began to become smaller and my body look much more define. I became stronger and feel much better mentally especially after a run. My appearance especially my skin is becoming more healthier than before! No wonder they say when you clear all the toxin in your body, your skin will turn out fresher than before!

Now i look more lean and on my way to my goal body. Big and Muscular body isn't my taste for now. It's time to change to Healthy and strong body!



Cheers,
Fidi Firdaus

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic: What is The Difference?

Strictly speaking, the terms "aerobic" and "anaerobic" refer to the presence and absence of oxygen, respectively.  Most of our cells prefer to get their energy by using oxygen to fuel metabolism.  During exercise with adequate fuel and oxygen (i.e., aerobic), muscle cells can contract repeatedly without fatigue.  During anaerobic or non-oxygen conditions (i.e., higher intensity exercise), muscle cells must rely on other reactions that do not require oxygen to fuel muscle contraction.  This anaerobic metabolism in the cells produces waste molecules that can impair muscle contractions.  We call this deterioration in performance fatigue.

Fatigue causes you to experience added discomfort and weakening muscles.  Eventually you will need to slow down and lower your exercise intensity.  Slowing down allows the muscles to once again rely solely on aerobic metabolism and support the removal or chemical conversion of waste molecules.

The problem with the terms "aerobic" and "anaerobic" when applied to exercise is that we actually never switch from total aerobic to total anaerobic metabolic conditions.  In reality, the more intensely we exercise, the greater the need for anaerobic energy production.  Consequently, it is best to view the terms aerobic and anaerobic as transitions in metabolism, where the proportion between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism changes depending on exercise intensity.

For example, while at rest, we rely on aerobic metabolism to fuel almost all our body's needs for energy.  As we start to exercise, such as progressing from sitting to a slow walk, the increased energy needs of muscle contraction require that we increase our breathing and oxygen intake.  So long as we increase our exercise intensity slowly, we can maintain our muscles' dependence on aerobic metabolism, and we don't experience symptoms of fatigue.

However, as exercise intensity increases, the need for energy release eventually exceeds that which can be supplied by aerobic metabolism.  Our muscles simply need more reactions to support the energy demand. Therefore, anaerobic contribution to metabolism increases.  When this happens, we refer to this change in metabolism as a metabolic threshold.  This metabolic threshold represents the exercise intensity where we start to produce those waste products of anaerobic metabolism that can eventually lead to fatigue.  You see this all the time when watching endurance Olympic events, such as a long distance running race.  The athletes run at a pace that hovers around their metabolic threshold, and they can only afford to run faster than this pace near the end of the race.  If they increase their pace too early in the race, then they fatigue too early and need to slow down to below their metabolic threshold to recover from the fatigue inducing waste products.  This would result in poor performance.

So how do these terms relate to you? Well, it depends on your circumstance and goals.  Most of us are non-competitive or non-elite active individuals, who just want to exercise to gain health benefits, feel good and possibly lose weight.  Aerobic exercise conditions enable you to exercise for long periods of time, potentially benefiting from the sustained energy expenditure (i.e., calories burned).  Aerobic exercise tends to be less stressful to muscles, joints, and your heart, which may be important for individuals with arthritis, heart disease, or high blood pressure.  However, to more rapidly improve your exercise capacities, tolerance, and performance, some anaerobic exercise training is a necessity.  Therefore, performing anaerobic exercise is typically more important for competitive athletes.

When starting a training program, most trainers like to have their clients/athletes start with lower intensity exercise (i.e., aerobic exercise).  However, a high reliance on anaerobic metabolism is unavoidable for some types of exercise or activities.  For instance, lifting weights is anaerobic.  That is why muscles fatigue so rapidly with this type of training.  Other types of activities, such as walking up stairs, can also be anaerobic - especially if you are unfit or climb too fast.

Fortunately, we do not need sophisticated equipment to detect when we transition from aerobic to anaerobic exercise.  As we approach and pass our metabolic threshold intensity, we start to breath harder, we are forced to really concentration on the exercise/activity, and exercise simply becomes uncomfortable.  However, if you simply love gadgets, you can use a heart rate monitor to record the heart rate at which you sense these symptoms of developing over-exertion.  You then know that heart rates below this value occur when you're in your aerobic zone, and heart rates above this value reflect an increasing anaerobic contribution to your exercise bout.

How to achieve Total Fitness ?

Experts will agree that the best way to achieve total fitness is to combine many different methods of exercise in the cardiovascular, strength (core)-training, and stretching schools of fitness. Total fitness begins with movement, but you don't want to repeat the same movement for too long. Many people will experience sports injuries or stress-related injuries on certain ligaments or joints. The best way to prevent those injuries from happening is to incorporate lots of different activities to your work-out regimen. Total fitness should be about having a healthy heart, good lung capacity, and strong, lean muscles with an ideal BMI (body mass index).

What Should I Do to Achieve Total Fitness?

Total Fitness incorporates all of the different methods of exercise. The best way to do this is to work on one aspect of exercise a day. For instance, one day could be your cardio day, and then the next day can be your strength training day, followed by your stretching and toning on the third day. This way you are able to give your muscles and tendons time to heal and recover before the next workout.

Cardio

There are many different types of cardiovascular workouts. The idea here is to get your heart pumping, your intake of air increasing, and your blood moving. Jogging, brisk walking, cycling, aerobics, Stairmasters, ski machines, and sports (basketball, tennis, soccer, etc...) are all different types of cardiovascular workouts.

Strength Training

The big myth about strength training is that if you lift weights, you will get bigger, and that is simply not true. There is no way to get bigger than your muscles are designed to be by lifting weights. Actually, lifting weights will help you to burn more fat, increase bone density, give your body shape, and increase your confidence. Strengthening your muscles is imperative to reach total fitness.

Stretching

Most people begin their workout regimen by stretching for a few minutes before and/or after their workout. Stretching, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise all go hand-in-hand. A total hour should be dedicated to just stretching, yoga, or Pilates. The main reason for this is to avoid injury by improving balance, strengthening joints and tendons, and relaxing the muscles and organs. Stretching is imperative after any type of movement. The best time to do your stretching is after cardiovascular workouts and not before. Cardio is best done while the muscles are cool.

Total fitness involves many different aspects of exercise. The best way to achieve a great shape and a healthy body is to incorporate cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and stretching. Each area goes together with the other and when in sync, you will have grace. Grace in everything that you do is the ultimate goal. The most amount of movement with the least amount of effort, while perfectly controlled and totally surrendered. Total fitness is as if something or someone else is moving you, yet your completely aware and in total control.

10 simple ways to lead a stress-free life

Stress is something that human need in order to keep us going.But too much stress will lead to depression,feeling awful all the time.

Why am i posting this article today is because stress have got a big impact on our health.Below is some of the thing what stress can do to your health:

1.Migranes Headaches
2.Muscle tension eg. stiff neck,shoulders
3.Heart attack and Heart blood pressure
4.Many types of cancer are stress related
5.Insomnia
6.Ulcers
7. It has been learned that stress and disease can actually change the shape of our blood cells.Normal healthy cells are smooth,round.These happy cells do their job well and can help you to stay healthy.While the stress cells are somewhat distorted in shape and look curled up and don't function near as well as the happy round cells.Picture of healthy and stress cells.

As you can see,the effect of stress is very damaging to ourselves.We only thought that stress is a normal thingy for us to experience.YES it is a normal thing but once it gets to often, better watch out for the effect!

So how can you lead a less stressful life?

Here is how:

1.A regular viewing of relaxation video 3 times per week can reduce the risk up to 35% (American Heart Association)

2.Relaxation and exercise are probably the best immediate stress management techniques available.

3.One thing at a time.

This is the simplest and best way to start reducing your stress, and you can start today. Right now. Focus as much as possible on doing one thing at a time. Clear your desk of distractions. Pick something to work on. Need to write a report? Do only that. Remove distractions such as phones and email notifications while you’re working on that report. If you’re going to do email, do only that. This takes practice, and you’ll get urges to do other things. Just keep practicing and you’ll get better at it.

4.Simplify your schedule.

A hectic schedule is a major cause of high stress. Simplify by reducing the number of commitments in your life to just the essential ones. Learn to say no to the rest — and slowly get out of commitments that aren’t beneficial to you. Schedule only a few important things each day, and put space between them. Get out of meetings when they aren’t absolutely essential. Leave room for down time and fun.

5.Get moving.

Do something each day to be active — walk, hike, play a sport, go for a run, do yoga. It doesn’t have to be grueling to reduce stress. Just move. Have fun doing it.

6.Have a blast!

Have fun each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.I also like to play sports or going to the gym. Board games are fun. Sex, again, can be a fun activity. Whatever you choose, be sure to laugh.

7.Do something calming.

What do you enjoy that calms you down? For many people, it can be the “get moving” activity discussed above. But it could also be taking a nap, or a bath, or reading, or having sex (which can also be considered a “get moving” activity if you do it for longer than 5 minutes). Other people are calmed by housework or yardwork. Some people like to meditate, or take a nature walk. Find your calming activity and try to do it each day.

8.Simplify your finances.

Finances can be a drain on your energy and a major stressor. If that’s true with you, figure out ways to simplify things. Automate savings and bill payments and debt payments. Spend less by going shopping (at malls or online) much less. Find ways to have fun that don’t involve spending money.

9.Get creative.

Throwing yourself into a creative activity is another great way to de-stress and to prevent stress. I like writing, but others like to paint or play music or sketch or make pottery or do interior design or build things.

10.Declutter.

This is a favorite of mine. I like to take 20-30 minutes and just go through a room, getting rid of stuff we don’t use or need anymore. I look around at anything that’s cluttering up a room, and get rid of it or find a better place for it. When I’m done, I have a nice, peaceful enviornment for work, play, and living. Do this a little at a time — it can be one of your “fun activities”.



So,there you go on how to lead a less stressful life. I hope you are able to gain something here which can be applied to your daily lives.Till then..



Cheers,
Fidi Firdaus

Tire Drills - When old workouts works!

Hi guys!


Today is Sunday and also my Lazy day where i spent my time at home lazing around doing nothing.

Today, i have decided to write about tire drills.Sounds alien?haha..Let me feed you with some info on tire drills.

Tire drills involve a series of exercises involving tires(YES,old car tires that are not used anymore).The purpose of the tires is to add as a resistance to the exercise you do eg. lunges with tyres. The another part to the tire drills is also it add a whole lot of excitement to the workouts.Imagine yourselves pushing the tyre from one end to the other.Sounds easy ya?Bet that you try it out and give me the feedback!

Tire drills is a normal workout drill in Europe.But not in Asia or shall i specifically say,Singapore.That is why my company,bootcamp virgins are the only one in singapore with tire drills workout implemented in our fitness bootcamp.

You can visit the other bootcamp in Singapore but all you can find is normal bodyweight exercises,TRX,rope exercises etc.Seldom will the organizer have tire drill in their bootcamp due to the hassle needed to set up and bringing over the tire to the site.But Bootcamp Virgins is different from the rest of the bootcamp.We don't mind going through all the hassle as long as our customer's can get the most efficient and effective workouts ever in their whole life!

We can guarentee you that if the tire drills does not do any changes to your body or health,we will refund you your money back! That is how serious we look into the improvement of our customer's health and fitness.


Cheers,
Fidi Firdaus

3 Things You Need To Know about Training Your Abs

Hi Everyone!

How's you Weekend? I hope you got something special plan this 2 days! Can be either a picnic with your loved ones, your cheat day or even your regular run with your running partner!

Whateva it is, I hope you all enjoy your activities that you are doing. Anyway, I will be writing about training your abs. YES! This is the most popular muscle group that everyone wish they have. But wishing only exist in fairy tales! You have to work your way to earn that abs. No shortcuts or whatsoever!

Before you even attempt to train your abs, do keep in mind this 3 things:

1)Air Blocking

First and foremost, the abdominal muscles cannot fully contract with air retained in the lungs. Thus, those that hold their breath while performing crunches for instance, never attain a full muscle contraction.

To correct this error, exhale upon exertion through every rep and remember that once the air in your lungs is gone, the abs are fully contracted. If you watch people perform sit-ups, you will invariably observe them coming up to a full upright position at the end of the movement.

While the abs may have initiated the movement at the outset, at some point the hip flexors took over to pull the torso into a full sitting position.

If you exhale when you initiate the movement and stop when the air in your lungs is gone, then you are relying upon the contraction within the abdominal muscles to begin and complete the movement as opposed to relying on the hip flexors and gravity.

2)Recovery

Second, unlike other muscles in your body that may take a few minutes to fully recover after a set, abdominal muscles recover within seconds. Because the recovery time is so short, abs respond best to continuous movement. Your abdominal routine should therefore entail continuously moving from one exercise to the next until complete exhaustion.

Those people that claim to work out their abs for any more than five minutes are taking too much rest in between sets. Try continuously moving from one exercise to the next without more than a few seconds of rest in between each set to really hit the abdominals.

3)Lower First

Leg LiftsThird, work the lower abdominal region first. I prefer to begin with something like reverse crunches or ">leg lifts because the moment that you tighten the lower abdominals, all of the abdominal muscles immediately tighten to stabilize the rest of your body in preparation to execute the movement.

So, as you are concentrating on the lower abdominal region, you are secondarily working the upper abdominals as well as the obliques. Do a lower abdominal exercise until you literally cannot perform one more rep, then move immediately into a torso twist movement to hit the obliques; work them to exhaustion and then finish up with crunches to target the upper abdominal region.

If you worked your lower abdominal region until exhaustion, then do not be alarmed when you cannot perform too many trunk twists or crunches. Remember that the amount of rest that you take in between sets should be just that amount of time that it takes you to change positions to begin the next exercise. Continuous movement is key to training abs.

Don't fixate on the number of crunches that you can perform. Instead, concentrate on exhaling on exertion and contracting the abdominals to initiate and complete the movement. In fact, don't even count the reps - simply execute the movements in succession until you literally cannot force another rep.

Finally, to really get your abdominals to show, you must diet and include aerobic exercise in your routine. Exercise without maintaining a diet rich in protein to enhance muscle development, is like having a car without an engine; you get absolutely nowhere.

You can work your abdominals every day that you are in the gym. I suggest, however, specifically working them three times per week. Because your abdominal muscles are responsible for stabilizing your torso, they are the secondary muscles involved in many different exercises.

Consequently, even though you do not specifically train your abdominals, they nevertheless work to some degree in every one of your workout sessions anyway.

Conclusion :

1. Exhale upon exertion
2. Continuously move from one exercise to another.
3. Work the lower part of your abdominal region first, the obliques second, and the upper abdominal region last.

I hope this article will help assist you in your quest to Hard Rock Pack ABS !!


Cheers,
Fidi Firdaus