Should I go on a Boot Camp?

I need to get fit.
I need to lose weight.
Is a one week Boot Camp the answer?

I could go on a one hour, one day BootCamp, say on a Saturday. In the company of strangers, sweating the weight off...

Dropping those extra pounds and toning up can be a daunting task on even the best of days but with our boot camps you get the support and results you are looking for. Here's why our fitness boot camps are proving to be so successful:

* Great camaraderie and motivation when training as a group
* We have fun so what's usually a tedious ordeal becomes enjoyable
* Only the latest cutting edge exercises and equipment are used to speed up your results
* Personal Training instruction at a fraction of the cost

For more information or to express your interest visit This si in London but there must be similar versions throughout the UK.

Not quite the one week version like wot I saw on TV...

Well, there's the Geordie Bootcamp. Usual story, 'fat guy becomes thin and then seeks to pass on his knowledge...'

(Not too hot on spelling either)

"Hour upon hour of low intensity workouts such as jogging, various aerobic classes and spin cycling is nothing short of POINTLESS when it comes to fat loss! SERIOUSLEY."

But these are only 'sessions':

"Here’s More of what you’ll achieve in only 3, 45 minute sessions a week over 4 weeks"

I want a one week Bootcamp with unlimitedpain/exercise...

Maybe Ultimate Boot Camp...

Why them?

"UBC is a new breed of boot camp. Designed by women for women, UBC offers more than
just a short-term fix.
During your stay with UBC we'll help you kick-start the campaign to a new you with an intense week of exercise, plus nutritional, health and wellbeing advice. We've teamed up with the best in the business to offer you first-class support throughout.

First up are our Marine Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) who are working EXCLUSIVELY with UBC in the UK. At the peak of physical fitness themselves, our boys won't shout or humiliate you, but encourage and inspire you to work hard to achieve your goals.

Secondly we're working with a team of coaching experts to offer you the chance to invigorate your mind and soul as well as your body at UBC. Respected mentor Jeremy Milnes is on hand to offer confidence, communication and assertiveness training, so you can start your new life with a positive outlook - which will make all the difference to your ability to keep achieving the results you want. Yoga and meditation will also be made available to our recruits.

And thirdly we have our own in house nutritionist who has devised delicious healthy and nutritious menus exclusively for UBC to ensure your body gets the fuel it needs to train to its full potential for the entirety of your stay. Your food is prepared and sourced locally and organically as much as possible."

Ahh - by women for women. That excludes me then! The motivators are all hunky men too...will they help you lose an extra 300 calories?

Fit Start is a new venture by Nicki Waterman. In theory this has everything - high profile, excellently designed site - go look... Horrible font but beautiful venue. But...this is for very rich people:

"The price of the week's retreat, which includes all food, accommodation and all of the exercise, nutrition and cookery classes as well as your personal lifestyle consultation, is usually £2,000but for all of February and March we are offering all this for only £1,750 for a private room or £1,500 if you are happy to share."

Maybe a back-to-basics bootcamp?

They guarantee the results (but put in an asterisk so there must be a disclaimer) and offer a slightly different approach:

"We have found that by combining military style workouts with modern mind techniques such as Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Change Energy Routines, Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching - significant and long lasting changes can be made to people’s lifestyle habits and choices."

It's about £600 but look at this statement:

"We guarantee our results* If you have over 2 stone to lose and fail to lose a minimum of 4 lbs we will give you your money back!!! "

4lbs can be lost by reducing your portions and walking 30 minutes a day!

There's the New You Boot Camp - a Daily Mail article said:

"There is significant risk on a low-calorie diet and heavy exercise regime like this that, as well as burning off fat, you lose muscle mass. As you go back to a normal calorie consumption the weight will go back on and more quickly than before because your body's engine is now smaller."

Why are they different?

"Not only do we consistently get proven weight loss and amazing fitness results time after time, but you will see from our testimonials and success stories that this is only half of the New You Boot Camp journey.

There is a reason we are called ‘New You’ Boot Camp. A week with us is your first step to the path to discover a New You, develop a New sense of self worth, unbreakable self-esteem and confidence as well as a New found psychological strength that you can transfer into all you do once you leave boot camp.

At New You Boot Camp we pride ourselves on making the difference in You that makes a difference in YOUR life. Our Promise to YOU is that you will leave New You Boot Camp knowing that you can do and achieve anything if you put your mind to it!"

Much the same then!

What about the Apples and Pears Retreat?

It's about £780 a week - and they have this video:

Others, like the aggressive-looking DNA Bootcamp also have their own video...

Their upcoming events page is seriously out of date, though...

Then there's the Total Boot Camp - its unique selling point is:

"During your stay you will have exclusive exposure to Marisa Peer's life changing method, specialising in eating disorders and weight related problems including nutritional information, which will be conducted by either Marisa Peer or Kate Fitzpatrick. Additional workshops may include style and colour consultant Mary Errington (7 Day Camps only) or body language and confidence expert Lianne Young, who has carried out work for television, radio and magazines."

Cost is about £700 for 5 days and you can also get...

  • Spray Tanning (£15)
    (Using Fantasy Tan, lasting 7 days. Natural
    colour, no streaking)
  • Indian Head Massage (£15)
  • Full Body Massage (£35)
  • Back Massage (£20)
  • Eyelash Tint (£5)
  • Eyelash Perm (£25)
  • Eyebrow Tint (£5)
  • Teeth Whitening (£150)
Another business, nubeginnings, offer:

"Our unique approach combines a programme of nutrition, exercise and hypnotherapy - we will help you to change your relationship with food and yourself. Our weight loss program is designed to really get results during your stay and when you return home."

Again, same as...

Fees are about £1700 a week though!

There's FitFarms but it's women only (must be a big market there!) and it's about £1400 a week.

As one would expect, the Tesco retreat is cheap(ish) and looks good...and the sample week is not too strenuous...

Week-end Residential Bootcamps are held here by yet another organisation...

There are personal trainers in Oxford (couldn't find the fee structure though...)

To return to weekly sessions etc BMF do seem to be the best...if you haven't got the discipline.

"We are the UK's leading outdoor fitness provider. Operating in parks across the UK, we offer the best way to get fit and lose weight, whilst having great fun with other people.

Our military fitness classes are run by serving or former members of the armed forces with recognised fitness training qualifications. They will help motivate and encourage you back into fitness!"

Of course at the other extreme to all this is this!

If we take 1lb = 3500 calories then to lose say 5 lbs in a week there must be a calorie deficit of 17,500 calories. That means if we consumner 1200 calories a day on a camp then we must 'use' 25,900 calories. That's about 3,500 calories a day.

Unit of Weight Approximate Calories Approximate Kilojoules
Pound 3,500 14,644
Kilogram 7,716 32,284

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week:

500 x 7 = 3,500

It's easy to see that a calorie deficit of 1000 calories would mean that you'd lose approximately two pounds per week. And that's a good number to remember, because two pounds a week is commonly accepted as the maximum rate of weight loss that is healthy. Losing weight too quickly has other disadvantages, too, and we'll be discussing this in the next topic.

Technical Notes

Body Fat vs. Nutritional Fat

As you will learn in the topic Calories in Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates, it is commonly said that a gram of fat contains 9 calories. But there are 454 grams in a pound, and 9 x 454 = 4086 calories, not 3500.

The reason for the discrepancy is that body fat, or adipose tissue, contains not only fat, but also other substances including protein, connective tissue, and water. The dietary fat referred to in the nutritional analysis of food is pure.

Looking at it another way, 3,500 / 454 = 7.7 calories. Thus a gram of body fat contains only 7.7 calories versus the 9 calories found in pure fat. It's easy to see that there should be a difference when you consider that body fat contains water, which has no calories.

Because of the differences in the two types of fat, it is appropriate to use the 3500 calories per pound figure when discussing fat "burned" by activity, and the 9 calories per gram figure when discussing the nutritional content of food.

Calculate a full 24 hours' worth of activities using your current weight. If you weigh 180 pounds, your results might look like this:
Totals: 3,130 calories in 24 hr

Sleeping:588 calories in 8 hr
Office Work - general:980 calories in 8 hr
Driving - light vehicle (e.g., car, pick-up): 163 calories in 1 hr
Food - preparing, at home:204 calories in 1 hr
Eating - sitting:122 calories in 1 hr
Taking a Shower:82 calories in 30 min
Cleaning - house or cabin, general:122 calories in 30 min
Shopping - groceries, with cart:94 calories in 30 min
Walking - with dog:122 calories in 30 min
Running - 6 mph:408 calories in 30 min
Dressing and Undressing:82 calories in 30 min
Watching - TV or movie:163 calories in 2 hr
These will also be useful:

Calculator Status:
Help: Click on Help for instructions and information on the calculators.
Next: Select a calculator, below.
Calculators:BMI Calculator: Calculate your Body Mass Index. Are you normal weight, overweight, or obese?

BMR & RMR Calculator: Estimate your Basal and Resting Metabolic Rates, and how many calories you burn in a day based on a general activity level.

Activity Calculator: Choose from hundreds of activities to see how many calories they burn, or calculate how many calories you burn in 24 hours.

We also feature advanced calculators for five activities:
Walking Calculator
Running Calculator
In-Line Skating Calculator
Bicycling Calculator
Precor EFX 546 Elliptical Calculator

Questions? Problems? Click on Help, above. And here are just a few of our related Tutorial topics:
Calculating BMI
Calculating BMR and RMR
Calculating Calories Burned
Calories and Kilojoules
What It Takes to Lose a Pound
Calculating Daily Calorie Needs

You may also like this...

So, what can be concluded?

To lose 5 lbs in a week (cost about £1000) you need to burn about 2000 EXTRA calories a day. You can do this through extra exercise (remember to subtract the calories you would have lost anyway). Choose your exercise from here.

But also remember the 'afterburn' from the exrcise eg from Tabata etc.

Also £1,000 would buy you a year of gym membership where all the Boot Camp activities are available - free.

The Static Contraction Challenge

STEP ONE: Download the pdf of exercise instructions by clicking here

What: Static Contraction Training is the ultra-efficient, ultra-intense strength training method that is revolutionizing strength training! Anyone, male or female from 9 to 90 can use it to increase muscle strength and size and add garner the proven health benefits of having more lean mass.

How: Try these three simple exercises just three times to experience the amazing muscle stimulation of this proven method of strength training.

Bench Press:
This exercise is performed inside a Power Rack, as pictured. Position the bar within 4 inches of your extended reach. Place 30-100% more weight on the bar than you normally use. Press the bar up one inch (do not lock-out) and hold for a about of 5 seconds while exhaling. Do not lock out. Experiment to find the most weight you can hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 days later with 10-30% more weight and again 5 days after that with another 10-30% more weight. Always use a weight that is so heavy you can only hold it 5 seconds. If you can hold it longer, it is too light. This applies to all three exercises in the SC Challenge.

Shrug:
This exercise is performed inside a Power Rack, as pictured. Position the bar within one inch of your grasp while standing. Place 30-100% more weight on the bar than you normally use. Lift the bar off the support and use your trapezius muscles to raise the weight just slightly. Hold for a count of 5 seconds while exhaling. Experiment to find the most weight you can hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 days later with 10-30% more weight and again 5 days after that with another 10-30% more weight.

Leg Press:
This exercise is performed with safety stops engaged at ALL TIMES. Position the seat so the sled is within 4 inches of your full extension. Place 100-200% more weight on the press than you normally use. Press the sled up one inch off the safety stops. Hold for a count of 5 seconds while exhaling. Do not lock out. Experiment to find the most weight you can hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 days later with 20-50% more weight and again 5 days after that with another 20-50% more weight.

Enter your results at: www.StaticContraction.com/Challenge.html


This is all from Pete Sisco's site - well worth a visit!


Rapid Muscle Gain: Many methods build muscle, but what does it "best"? Read

Shocking Data Reveals How to Get Stronger Much Faster: A big lie revealed. Read

How Young Can You Train?: When can kids start lifting weights. Read

Bad Economy?: Why YOU Really Need to Get Strong Right Now! Read

Scheduling Aerobics and Static Contraction Workouts: How to mix low intensity with ultra-high intensity. Read

An Honest Look at "Light" vs "Heavy" Training: You can’t train heavy all the time, but you can train heavy every time. Read

Discover Your Optimum Training Frequency and Unleash Huge New Growth: Workouts are worthless if you aren’t training with the right frequency Read

Get Maximum Gains Using a “Minimum Dosage”: Results of a Static Contraction study of performing 2.1 workouts per week for 10 weeks. Read

Are You Building Muscle? Or Just Lifting Weights?: A true muscle-building workout is an event! Not something done by rote. Read

Three Best Exercises for Adding Muscle Fast: These exercises let you hoist the big iron and make fast gains. Read

A Triple-exercise You've Never Heard Of: Try this ultra-intense exercise and see if you feel the 'rush' others report. Read

Brief and Intense Exercise Offers Superior Results: Three fascinating studies that show the value of higher intensity. Read

Build a Bigger Upper Body in 3 Workouts: Use these four exercises in any gym today and get bigger. Read

Your Barbaric Yawp = 12.2% More Strength: A clinical study showed yelling boosted static contraction power. Read

How to Get a 62% Increase in Intensity: This will give you an immediate boost on three big exercises. Read

Intensity vs. Failure: Once you realize the critical relationship of these elements you'll never view your training the same way. Read

Overheard at the Gym: Here's how a typical demonstration goes of just one Static Contraction exercise in a busy gym. Read

What is the Best Order of Exercises?: Many people wonder if the order they perform exercises makes a difference. Read

Rational Abdominal Training: Get results and avoid the plethora of misinformation and dumb gadgets. Read

Men With Muscles Live Longer: An astonishing study links muscles to mortality risks. Read.

All from Pete Sisco's site - visit it!

12 ways to improve your workout...



A superb post about fraud!

Meet Nicholle, Kathy and Jenny!

Notice the photos of Nicholle Stevenson, Kathy Thompson and Jenny Conrad? They look quite similar, wouldn't you say? Also notice that they lost 35, 23 and 25 pounds respectively.

I copied these images (took screen shots, to be exact) from three different websites designed to look like personal blogs of women who are telling the world about their diets and weight loss success.

If you want, you can visit the websites at these links: Nicholle Kathy Jenny

Read the rest of the article here

Posts elsewhere that I like

I have been reading the forums elsewhere.

Here are some posts I like.

1. Is your exercise keeping you fat? Well, my lack of exercise made me fat, but really the 6-pack is made in the kitchen, not the gym. Going to the gym 4 times a week might lose me 1kg a week, tops. More likely 1kg a month. It's the after-effect of the gym plus how the rest of my lifestyle changes, that is important.

2. The perfect fitness programme if you're overweight. If you're overweight then it is improtant not to overdo things otherwise a) you'll pull loads of muscles and b) never keep up with it. Start slowly but be consistent in your inconsistency i.e. mix your training up, but make sure you train 3-4 times a week.

3. Exercising with little time. We need an excuse not to exercise - and 'I don't have much time' is ideal. In reality we do have time. Simply get up 30 minutes early. Should I exercise on an empty stomach? Well, that means I have less energy to exercise and therefore put less into it. Build less muscle etc BUT I do save time as I don't have to save time for breakfast and then wait before I exercise. I can exercise and then eat straight away afterwards. Saving time means I am more likely to exercise.

4. A free bodyweight manual. I like anything that is free. Over the years I have trained myself to ignore the advertisements so I can get a free e-book and still not buy the product. I have sent off for the manual.

5. A fifteen minute bodyweight workout. Only fifteen minutes so no excuse not to do it. Also no equipment needed - much better for the early morning exerciser!

6. Is the burpess the most intense bodyweight exercise? If you do the burpee with a push-up, then surely, yes - which is a good reason to make it your tabata exercise. Try doing four minutes of this! The most I have managed is 45 seconds.

7. It's a good idea to have a variety of work-outs so you do not become too good at something. You can do this with a deck of cards and each card represents and exercise or frequency. Here's how to design 6 bodyweight workouts.

Which workout?

Best for Your Chest: Pushups target your chest, arms, abs, and back, and the bench press is the classic strength test. But for pure chest-building power, the one-armed dumbbell press can help you stay balanced and heave more weight, fast.

The Best for Your Back: Most back exercises are great—they're multi-joint movements that fire up big muscle groups. They improve your grip, engage your abs, and help you sculpt an enviable V. But this classic reigns supreme ... and it may be the best arms exercise, too.

The Best for Your Legs: Squats are one of the best exercises in the gym—period—but which variation is best? Front squats challenge the body differently than back squats. Goblet squats incorporate balance.Braced squats may be the ultimate exercise for your abs. But this grueling move is tops for your legs.

The Best for Your Abs: Crunches are the most ubiquitous, but they're not the best. Planks—and these variations—will train your core stability and rip your abs from the inside out. But if you want the ultimate core-training challenge, grab a bar for this exercise.

The Best for Your Heart: You gotta have heart ... which means, yes, you've got to do cardio. If you're going to hop on a machine, the rower is your best bet—use this guide to get your form right. You can do great things with intervals, but this cardio workout beats 'em all.



Relaxation

Of course with all this new stuff, heavyweights visiting this blog might be confused. After all, you have been reading about Tabata exercises, weight-loss, diabetes...and noodles.

Obviously you need time to relax...

  • Loosen your clothing and get comfortable.

  • Tighten the muscles in your toes. Hold for a count of 10. Relax and enjoy the sensation of release from tension.

  • Flex the muscles in your feet. Hold for a count of 10. Relax.

  • Move slowly up through your body- legs, abdomen, back, neck, face- contracting and relaxing muscles as you go.

  • Breathe deeply and slowly.


Long-Term Relaxation

  • Get in a comfortable position. Minimally tighten your right fist so that you feel only the smallest amount of tension. Hold it at this level. Be sure you continue to breathe... Now let go and relax... Observe the difference in feelings between the right and left arm and fist.

  • Now minimally tighten your left fist. Hold at this level so that you just feel the tightening... Let go and relax. Let the relaxation spread through the arms and the rest of the body.

  • Now tighten ever so slightly the following parts of your body.

    (Each time tighten only to the point at which you can observe tension, where you can observe tension, where you become conscious of or can "feel" the tension. Hold the tensions at that level, and be sure you tighten only the intended muscle while the rest of the body stays quiet and relaxed. Be sure you continue to breathe. Each time you let go, let those parts relax further and further.) Tighten ever so slightly your scalp... let go and relax... Let the face become smooth and soft... Let the eyes sink into their sockets... Now slightly tighten the throat and neck. Hold it... Let go and relax.

  • While continuing to breathe, minimally tighten the triceps. Be sure the neck eyes and tongue are relaxed... Let go.

  • Raise your shoulders to your ears minimally. Be sure the neck stays loose. Observe how the shoulders feel different from the rest of the body... Let go and relax. Feel the relaxation sinking through the body... Minimally tighten the stomach. Keep breathing... Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the buttocks... Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the feet, calves, and thighs... Let go and relax. Let yourself reach an even deeper level of relaxation, a calmness and serenity.

  • Now minimally tense every muscle in your body so that you just feel the minimum tension... jaws... eyes... shoulders... arms... chest... back... legs... stomach... Be sure you keep breathing. Feel the minimum tension in every part... Let your whole body relax. Feel a wave of calmness as you stop tensing.

  • Now, with your eyes closed, take a deep breath and hold it. Note all the minimum tensions... Exhale and feel the relaxation and calmness developing... Note the feeling of heaviness.



and



and



and

Waist to Hip Ratio

Your waist to hip ratio is an important tool that helps you determine your overall health risk. People with more weight around their waist are at greater risk of lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes than those with weight around their hips. It is a simple and useful measure of fat distribution.

Use a measuring tape to check the waist and hip measurements.
- Measure your hip circumference at it's widest part.
- Measure your Waist Circumference at the belly button or just above it.

The Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator indicates your probable health risks. People with more weight around the waist, face more health risks than people who carry more weight around their hips.

You can analyse your ratio here...

Free Reports

Avoid bloating...

Weight loss workouts

Workout videos

Animal Kingdom workouts

Tests you can do on yourself


1 LONG FINGERS

PEOPLE with ring fingers the same length or shorter than their index fingers are more at risk of a premature heart attack. This is because they have lower levels of protective hormones in their blood

2 BALANCING ACT

STAND unsupported on your left leg with your right leg bent at 45 degrees and your hands on your hips. Close your eyes. Time how long it takes you to lose your balance and have to put your right leg on the floor. Repeat three times and take the best score.

If you lose your balance in 50 seconds or less, your joints might not be so healthy. This could also be a sign of spinal problems.

3 REACTION TIME

GET a pal to hold a long ruler above your writing hand. When they drop it vertically between your fingers and thumb, try to catch it as quickly as possible. If you catch the ruler near the bottom end, you have a good reaction time which is a sign of good brain and eye health.

4 TEST YOUR SIGHT

PLACE the end of a ruler on your cheekbone below the eye. Hold a video club or bank card on the ruler and slowly move it towards the eye until the writing blurs. Measure the distance at which the card can be easily read. The nearer you can get it without blurring shows healthy vision.

Dr Cooper says: “Your eye health is often a good indication of your general health, although most people over 45 will expect to lose some near vision.”

WALK THIS WAY

STICK about one metre of masking tape to the floor in a straight line. Walk along it heel-to-toe, making sure that with each step the heel of the foot you put down touches the toe of the foot on the ground. If you can walk along the line five times without faltering you’ve got good co-ordination.

Dr Cooper says: “Co-ordination is an important indication of good brain health and that your central nervous system is working.”

BRAIN WORKOUT

COUNT back from 100, in sevens, down to zero, eg. 100, 93, 86 onwards. If you struggle or take longer than a minute, it can indicate brain ageing. Dr Cooper says: “Keeping your mind in good shape, especially as you get older, is often linked to living long

7 CURVES ARE BEST

“APPLE-SHAPED people — with a thick waist and narrow hips — are more likely to get heart disease,” says Dr Annabel Bentley, assistant medical director of private health providers BUPA.

To get your waist-to-hip ratio, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement — the widest part around your buttocks. Men with a ratio above one and women above 0.85 risk health problems.

8 STRETCH OUT

STRETCH out your arms in front of you. Dr Cooper says: “If your hands are noticeably trembling, you could have an overactive thyroid.”

Very shaky hands indicate you could have serious liver problems. See your GP for a check-up.

9 PALM READING

HOLD out your palms in front of you and look closely at the skin. If it is very red and blotchy, you could have a type of liver disease when the bile ducts — tiny tubes in the liver which drain bile — are attacked by the body’s own immune system.

10 NAIL IT

LOOK closely at your nails. A blue tint can suggest a heart defect. Bulging or thick nails can be a symptom of breathing problems or even lung cancer

11 MEMORY CHECK

GET a pal to put ten objects on a tray. Look at them for ten seconds, then shut your eyes and see how many you can remember. Having a good memory means you are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

12 SIGHT SIGNALS

LOOK at one of your eyes in a mirror. A white ring around the edge of the iris — the coloured bit — shows you may have high cholesterol and a higher risk of heart problems. The longer the ring, the higher your cholesterol is likely to be. An unbroken line is normal in someone aged 80.

13 COUNT YOUR BREATHS

IF you breathe less than 15 times a minute — count one every time you inhale — you’ve got healthy lungs. More than 25 and your lungs are in poor shape. The British Lung Foundation says people with lung problems may be unable to provide enough oxygen for their muscles to perform even small amounts of activity, such as walkin

14 LEG STRENGTH

LIE on your back with your legs straight. Raise one leg off the floor. Get someone to press down on your thigh. Leg muscles are stronger than arm muscles so they shouldn’t be able to push your leg down. If they can, you could be suffering from muscle weakness.


15 TAKE YOUR PULSE

GENERALLY, the lower your resting pulse the longer you will live. A rate of 70 or below is healthy.

To check your heart rate, place your index and middle fingers lightly on the pulse in your wrist or at the right side of your neck and count the beats for one minute. If your pulse rate is over 100 and you also feel unwell, see your GP.

16 BIRTH WEIGHT

ASK your mum your birth weight.

If you were underweight — under 7lb — you are more likely to have heart disease or high blood pressure as an adult.

17 BRUSH YOUR TEETH

IS there any blood? Bleeding gums don’t just show gum disease but could also indicate heart problems.

Dr Cooper says: “Research suggests the bacteria that cause gums to get infected could also cause inflammation of blood vessels

18 GOING TO THE LOO

DO you need a wee more than once every three hours? Going to the loo a lot is a sign of diabetes.

According to Diabetes UK, sufferers have excess sugar in their blood as the body is unable to break it down for energy. The excess is passed out through urine. Going to the toilet a lot may make you feel thirsty — another symptom

19 ANKLE CHECKS

PRESS your thumb into your ankle, just below the ankle bone. If you can make a pit in the skin with your finger, you’ve probably got fluid retention. This could point to heart failure, kidney or liver disease.

20 SKIN TEST

PINCH the skin on the back of your hand. Hold it for one minute and let go. Note how long it takes for it to regain its normal, flat appearance. If it doesn’t snap back quickly, the skin has lost some of its collagen and elasticity.

Our organs also have collagen and this test can be a useful outward sign of what’s going on inside the body

Body Fat - did you know....

Did you know… That two people can have the same height and weight, but very different percentages of body fat?

Did you know… That as we age, we tend to gain fat around our organs (“visceral fat”) that can’t be detected by measuring “skin folds” or even with a scale?

Did you know… That chances are that if you are losing weight, you will lose muscle as well as fat?

Weight management is a goal on a lot of people’s minds these days. People get on the scales in the morning, and the number they see may determine how they feel about themselves. But the truth is that some people make think they are overweight, when the amount of fat they have on their bodies is just fine, while others may carry hidden fat that the scale won’t tell them about.

What is Body Fat Percentage?

Our bodies are made up of a lot of different kinds of tissues (plus a lot of water). There is muscle, fat, bone, and specialized tissue such as is in our various organs. The body fat percentage is just that –- the percentage of our weight which is made up of fat. Body fat percentage is similar to terms such as body fat ratio and body composition. The part that isn’t fat is called our “lean body mass.” A 160-pound person with a lean body mass of 120 lbs has 25 percent body fat (40 lbs of fat). That may sound like a lot, but our bodies need a certain amount of fat for insulation, energy storage, hormone production, and other functions scientists are just discovering.

How Much Body Fat Should a Person Have?

This depends upon a few variables. Women need more body fat than men. Breasts are almost all fat, and women have more fat around their hips -– that’s just the way it was meant to be. If a woman’s body fat drops too low, she will stop menstruating. Also, men naturally have a greater amount of muscle bulk. Another factor is age. As people get older, their muscles tend to shrink, and they tend to accumulate visceral fat. This is at least partially related to the decline in testosterone and other hormones. You can find your individual body fat recommendation in these charts. It is important not to confuse BMI with body fat. The BMI (body mass index) numbers are NOT percentages of body fat. I often see advice on Web sites where the two are plainly being confused. For example, a BMI of 29 is in the overweight range for women. This has nothing to do with 29 percent body fat, which is considered healthy.

What’s the Difference between Body Fat Percentage and BMI?

BMI (body mass index) is a formula based on height and weight. It was developed because in the general population, it is correlated with body fat. However, there are quite a few groups of people for whom BMI is not as accurate –- short women and muscular people, to name two. BMI also varies according to some ethnic groups. Also, for people who are interested in changing their body composition and not just their weight, knowing body fat percentage is an improvement over BMI. For example, if you are exercising to build muscle (a good goal), knowing your body fat percentage is a good idea. Also, when losing weight, you want to preserve as much lean body mass as possible. (Low-carb diets generally produce better results than high carb ones for this purpose.)

How can I determine my body fat percentage?

There are several ways to find out your body fat percentage. Unfortunately, the more accurate the method, the more of a hassle and/or expensive it tends to be. This is a short capsule summary. Exercise Guide Paige Waehner has more detail, and here is even more in-depth information.
  • DEXA scan – full body X-ray scan of the same type used for bone density. Very accurate.
  • Hydrostatic Weighing – Weighing under water (completely submerged, with all air blown out of lungs) – Very accurate when done professionally.
  • Skin-fold calipers (“pinch test”) – Simple, but needs to be done by someone who is trained, and you can’t do it on yourself. Wide variations in accuracy for people without training.
  • Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) – These are scales and hand-held devises that run low-level (and painless) electrical current through you. They can be accurate, although the accuracy varies according to the specific device (do your research) and how it is used. Best results are obtained first thing in the morning with no alcohol consumed for 2 days prior, and no exercise the night before.
  • Navy tape measure method - This is a formula based on several body measurements taken with a tape measure. It can be quite accurate (it is used by the military), but it does depend upon your ability to accurately measure. Using centimeters rather than inches is the best, but using inches within ¼ of an inch works. To be sure, measure yourself 3 times and take the average. I have a calculator using this method. It is especially useful for tracking yourself over time.
  • Bodyfat

    If you look around the Internet, you will see a lot of different recommendations for body fat percentages. As far as I can tell, this is the most authoritative, as it is based on World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health recommendations, and takes age into account. Please do not confuse these numbers with the BMI (Body Mass Index) scores, which are not the same thing.

    Age-Adusted Body Fat Percentage Recommendations

    Women

    Age Underfat Healthy Range Overweight Obese
    20-40 yrs Under 21% 21-33% 33-39% Over 39%
    41-60 yrs Under 23% 23-35% 35-40% Over 40%
    61-79 yrs Under 24% 24-36% 36-42% Over 42%

    Men

    Age Underfat Healthy Range Overweight Obese
    20-40 yrs Under 8% 8-19% 19-25% Over 25%
    41-60 yrs Under 11% 11-22% 22-27% Over 27%
    61-79 yrs Under 13% 13-25% 25-30% Over 30%

    Source: Gallagher et al. Am J Clin Nut 2000; 72:694-701


    Mine is 35%

    More bodyweight exercises

    Bear crawls - Find yourself some space. Now get down on all fours and walk around like a bear. Sounds easy, right? Do this for three to five minutes and see what you get out of it. Works the entire body. Good for a warm-up, too. Yes, you'll look like that kid from 'The Jungle Book', but this movement should not be overlooked.

    Crab walk - You're on all fours, but this time you're facing upwards. Very awkward, and much more of a challenge to your coordination than the bear crawls. Builds strength and endurance.

    Crocodile walk - You're face down again. This time the object is to crawl along the floor with your torso as close to the floor as possible without touching. It's hard to describe the leg/foot and arm/hand positioning. Just plop down and figure out what works for you. Helps body control, and develops strength. With all of the crawling movements, just go until you feel fatigued. Track your progress by what distance you can cover. For instance, how many laps can you crawl around the mat or dojang? Set ever-increasing goals.

    Lemon Squeezers - This used to be my favorite ab/torso strengthener, and I need to get back on them myself. Lie flat on your back with legs straight and arms extended above your head. Now, "jack knife" your body by raising your legs straight up, and crunching your stomach until your toes and fingers meet straight above your body. Legs and arms are straight thoughout the movement. Imagine that you're squeezing a giant lemon with your body.

    Neck nods - Here's an old boxer's trick to help build neck strength and endurance. The old-timers swear this will help you take a punch..give it a try. Lie flat on your back with legs straight, and hands at your side. Now "nod" your head until your chin touches your upper chest. Return your head to the mat, and repeat continously. Try to do 50 of these and see how you feel. For a harder challenge, nod for 50 reps, and then hold your head in the "up position" and begin turning your head from left to right at a slow but steady rate. Do these for 50. When you can nod for 100 you're getting some strength.

    Lunges - Stand with feet close together. Now step forward with one leg into a deep lunge, and keep the other leg straight. Push yourself back up and repeat with the other leg. Be careful not to let your knee go farther than your toes on the leg that lunges forward. Lunges and hindu squats comprise my core movements for lower body strength and endurance. Don't overdo the lunges in the beginning unless your significant other doesn't mind helping you get off of the toilet (you think I'm joking...ha ha). Keep it to 10 each leg, and try to work yourself up to 20 to 30. I used to do 30 on each leg (total set of 60) with a 35 pound plate held at my chest. I need to get back there. Dumbbells are also good to add resistance when you start getting used to these.

    Bootstrappers - Get yourself in a standard pushup position. Now walk your hands back until they are about 2 and a half feet in front of your toes (adjust accordingly for your body size). You are now in a "jack knife" position with legs straight. Now bend your knees until your butt touches your heels, arms are still straight. Straighten your legs and repeat continously. This is another good warm-up exercise for the legs, but also really helps strengthen the knees.

    Exploding Star Jumps - Don't do these until your muscles and joints are warmed up pretty good. I recommend wearing athletic shoes and exercising on a somewhat soft surface (carpet or a mat). Slowly lower yourself into a full squatting position. Now explode upward and forward as high, hard and fast as you can. As your body reaches it's apex...extend your arms and legs into a "star" shape. Cushion your landing by flexing your knees, don't land with stiff legs. Jumping and extending not only develops power, but also challenges your coordination and body control. Go for quality, not quantity on these. Five to ten is plenty



    and

    Bodyweight Exercises

    This post described the following bodyweight exercises:

    • Handstand Pushups
    • One-arm Pushups
    • Door Pull-ups
    • One-Legged Squats
    • Knee Jumps
    • Headstand Leg raises
    • Mahler Body Blaster.
    I have stolen all the below from here

    Lets get into each exercise in more detail:


    Handstand Pushups - View Exercise

    Imagine an upper body exercise that is the equivalent to the squat and you get an idea effectiveness of the handstand pushup. In addition to making your shoulders super strong, "pump" addicts will love how this exercise blows your arms up.

    To execute a handstand pushup, get a few inches away from a wall and kick in to a handstand against the wall. Your legs should be straight up the wall.

    Rather than looking straight down, look forward just as you would when doing a barbell military press. Lower yourself under control to the floor and when your head touches the floor, press yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat for 5-10 reps. If you cannot complete one rep, do a static hold and work in some negatives.


    One-Arm Pushup - View Exercise

    This is a great exercise to build up the pecs. It requires a great deal of stability and will fry the triceps and shoulders as well. Place one arm behind your back and lower yourself to the floor with the other arm. Once your chest touches the floor, press yourself back up.

    If you find the standard one-arm pushup to easy apply a technique from strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline, author of "The Naked Warrior"(www.dragondoor.com) and do one-arm one-leg pushups. Hold one leg up in the air as you do a one-arm pushup.


    Door Pull-up - View Exercise

    Here is a pulling exercise that can be done with just about any door (assuming that the door that you choose is not too flimsy). Open a door halfway and place a towel over the top. Place your hands on the towel and let yourself hang off of the door.

    Pull yourself up against the door until your chin is over the top of the door. Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position.


    One Legged Squat - View Exercise

    Forget about hundreds of bodyweight squats, the one legged squat is the best leg exercise that you can do with your bodyweight. Moreover, it is one of the best leg exercises period. Hold one leg in front of you and hold your arms out straight ahead. Looking forward at all times, lower yourself slowly on one leg.

    As you pass the parallel position, flex your butt and stomach as hard as you can and pull yourself down to the bottom position. Hold the bottom position for a second and rise back up to the starting position. If you cannot complete a rep then check out my article on the stair step approach to the one-legged squat.


    Knee Jump - View Exercise

    Now it is time to work the hamstrings and develop some explosive power. Start the exercise by kneeling on the ground. Make sure that you feet are flat and that you butt is resting on your calves. Look forward at all times. To initiate the exercise, swing your arms back and then forward immediately.

    As you swing your arms forward jump from your knees to your feet in one explosive movement. The finish position will look like the bottom position of a squat. Slowly get yourself back to the starting position and repeat.


    Headstand Leg Raise - View Exercise

    I picked up this exercise from top MMA fighter Frank Shamrock. Fold a towel and place it on the floor. Get on all fours and place the top of your head on the towel. Place your arms out right in front of you and touch the floor with your palms. Now press your palms into the floor and slowly raise your legs off of the floor.

    Keep going until you are in a headstand. From there, lower your feet slowly back to the floor. If you cannot do one rep, then hold the bottom position for time with your feet just a few inches off of the floor.


    Mahler Body Blaster - View Exercise

    Here is an exercise that works just about every muscle in the body and when done in high reps sets of 25-30 will have you huffing and puffing in no time. Start the exercise by standing up and looking straight ahead. Go into a full squat and then do a half roll back.

    Touch your feet to the floor behind your head and quickly reverse the motion. Roll forward into the bottom position of a squat. From there jump into the top position of a pushup. Do a pushup and then return back to the bottom position of the squat. Stand up and repeat. Save this exercise for the end of your workouts on the road as a finisher.

    Try doing a circuit with the above exercises in which you go from one exercise to the next with short breaks. Do five circuits in one workout and keep the rep range between 5-10 on all of the exercises except for the Mahler Body Blaster. Save that for the end and work up to 25-50 repetitions in on set.


    Workout Program

    Try doing a circuit with the below exercises in which you go from one exercise to the next with short breaks. Do five circuits in one workout.

      Handstand Pushups - 5-10 Reps
      One-Arm Pushup - 5-10 Reps
      Door Pull-up - 5-10 Reps
      One Legged Squat - 5-10 Reps
      Knee Jump - 5-10 Reps
      Headstand Leg Raise - 5-10 Reps
      Mahler Body Blaster - Work up to 25-50 Reps

    Click here for a printable log of this workout! If you print it out then maybe you'll keep to it!