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The week of January 12th went smoothly. I could feel my strength and endurance improve day by day.Though the weather was cold, it was awesome to train.
In a nutshell, I did chest, back, shoulders, legs, biceps and triceps.

My chest seems to get stronger but at a slow pace. My back and triceps are my best muscle group. Triceps pull downs were at 60 pounds.
Dead lifts were unbelievable – I did 100 pounds. My hamstrings were slightly sore. It was a good sore. Pull-ups were fun as I can do 4 reps on my own on narrow grip.

I’m getting stronger at dips on my own though George has to spot me for full range of motion.
My biceps have really become stronger. Barbell curls at 50 pounds and 20 pounds for dumbbell preacher curls.

I have to say, to start a workout, you ought to always have a good breakfast.
I usually have 3 or 4 egg whites with a multigrain toast and peanut butter.
On my way to work, I have a handful of almonds & walnuts. Every single day I have to drink my freshly grated ginger tea. Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory root. After my workout I have my protein shake.

Please feel free to comment on my status or if you have any questions on Health & Fitness.

Mayuri

January 5, Monday was a tough day as I was not feeling too well. I was coming down with a cold.

Nonetheless I carried through the workout. First I worked on my Hamstrings. I did them at 80 and 90 pounds.
The last set George made me do 100 pounds for the first time. I did three reps.
Single leg was at 70 pounds which I feel good about.

Leg press is always an amazement for me as I can now press over 300 pounds. Today it was about 350 pounds.

I was fatigued out when I had to squat. I only did 2 sets. My maximum weight was 140 pounds which was a real pain for my back. I stopped at rep 5 for set 2. That was it for squat!

Lastly, it was time for my calves which I love to do but I really need to build these babies. My max on this is 120 pounds, 20 reps.

I was not too sore the next day. My muscles felt tired though.

January 6 and 7 I could not work out as I had no energy due to the common cold. I rested and trained a few clients.

Tomorrow is back day! Yay!!! I hope to be stronger…

By Hassan Wicker.

New Year’s day…it never fails to evoke feelings of hope and renewal, but is it really a trap?

You’ve been handed a proverbial clean slate - another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams.

In an attempt to bottle that New Year’s vigor, you’ll make a few New Year’s Resolutions. But before you put pen to paper, you ought to know this:

It has been reported that 92 % of all New Year’s Resolutions end in failure.

That means that less than 1 out of every 10 people will successful accomplish their resolutions in 2009.

Ouch - those statistics are brutal. Who in their right mind would take the time to make resolutions when failure is that imminent?

As your trusted source for fitness advice, I’d like to coach you though this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92% do wrong and teach you what the 8% who succeed do right.

First up, the 92% who failed. These well meaning folks shared a common mistake that put the nail in their coffin before they’d even begun.

They bit off more than they could chew.

In all the excitement of becoming a better person and changing their life in the New Year they made the crucial mistake of committing to do too much. But reality set in, a few weeks or even days into their reformed life, and they gave up.

The 92% gave themselves an easy way out. They approached their resolution with an ‘all or nothing’ attitude. Once the ‘all’ became too tough they opted for ‘nothing’. And just like that another resolution ended in failure - end of story.

Now let’s examine the 8% who succeed with their resolutions year after year. The key to their success is quite simple (you may have even guessed it by now).

They set realistic goals.

I’ll repeat that… they set REALISTIC goals.
•    Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, they commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
•    Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, they commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
•    Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, they commit to losing 1 pound each week until they reach their desired size.
•    Instead of resolving to never eat out again, they commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding themselves with one meal out on the weekends.
Did you see the difference?

If you want your resolution to stick then think of something simple and realistic. Sure, it certainly won’t sound as cool as the resolutions that the 92% make - but they aren’t going to keep theirs anyway.

Remember that the whole point of making a New Year’s Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.

If your New Year’s Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn’t?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can show you the ropes and guide you to success.

I’d love to team up with you - together we will transform your body in 2009!

Call or email to get started today.

Hassan

Wicked Training

Disciplined, Determined & Dynamic

 in

 Body, Mind & Spirit  

It was a bit of a strain to start the New Year 2009 off with working the chest muscles as this is my weakness of all muscle groups.

George Champion is currently my “trainer” assisting me in reaching many of my goals. The first goal at the moment is gaining strength and endurance. My mission for dumbbell press is lifting 40 pounds by the time I turn 40 in April.

Currently I am at 35 pounds where I am being spotted. Triceps dips are going smoothly with a little nudging from George. I’m at 25 pounds for dumbbell flys. Incline bench is at 65 pounds.

I was not too sore the next day but will be when I work the legs on Monday!

Come view my blog daily to see progress.

After the great success in October and November, Starting January 12th 2009 Mayuri will have a new class .

By joining her class you will be burning calories, sculpting, toning and stretching from head to toe!

Be ready to dance and loose weight!

·        This class is a bodyworks class with flair of Indian music.

·        The music will be rhythmic to exercises which will consist of many muscle groups and cardio training.

·        The muscles trained will be: Upper body, lower body, and abs.

·        Dumbbells, bands and other fitness equipment will be used occasionally in class.

·        The class is 45minutes non-stop.

·        There will be some nutrition advice regarding the Indian diet and other eating habits.

·        All ages and populations are welcome.

·        The cost is very reasonable - $12 per class or $100 for 10 classes.

·        Classes are every Monday & Wednesday from 6:00-6:45pm.

·        Enjoy staying fit while meeting new people and having fun at the same time.

·        Every other month we will meet for a fun night out.

Don’t wait & sign up ASAP – Classes begin January 12, 2009

Please contact Mayuri Mulji for more information & questions or email:

mayubfit@bellsouth.net  or (404)428-0344.   

By Paul Coleman, member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the first personal trainer to be entered in the Fortune 500 Fitness and Health Benefit Program.
There are many ways to change your physical appearance for the better. A simple change in diet is one way, another is to increase physical activity. I’ve found, however that the quickest and best way to exact a positive change in physical appearance is through weight training, or put another way , through resistance to weight training.
I’ve been participating in this sport in one form or another for 30 years. During this time I’ve spent time at various gyms, some for a day or two, some for years at a time. I’ve watched many people come and go. Some stay and become successful in attaining their goals while some stay and don’t reach any goal but continue to plod along- doing the same old thing hoping that this will be the time that they achieve forward momentum. Most people leave. They quit working out or sometimes go someplace else. That’s right- health clubs count on about 80% attrition rate. Membership health clubs make their profit on people that sign up for a year or two and come in for one or two months, meanwhile continuing to have their accounts debited.
The simple truth is that if people stopped training with their egos and attitudes that things should change and start paying attention to why things don’t change that they would do much better.
To be successful the exercise you perform should hit the muscle that you are trying to target. The bench press should hit the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It will, but how effectively it hits the muscles depends on using proper form for the exercise. You should find out what the equipment that you’re using is targeting and make sure that you feel in that muscle. . A qualified personal trainer will make all the difference in the world. Most of us don’t try to fix their own cars and the human body is much more complex than any automobile. If you really want to be successful, you should hire somebody that is qualified to teach you how to do the exercise properly to achieve the results that you seek. If you do this, you will see change. It’s as simple as that.

How strong are you? Your answer depends, in part, on the type of strength test you take. Strength is measured with isometric, isokinetic, and isotonic tests.

Isometric strength is measured with instruments such as the grip dynamometer, which measures the force of your grip, or the cable tensiometer, which measures the strength of most muscle groups. In an isometric contraction the muscle does not shorten (isometric means “constant length”) even though the person is exerting maximal force.

Isometric strength varies with the angle of the joint and does not provide a measure of strength throughout the normal range of motion of a joint.
Isokinetic strength is measured with a special machine that controls the speed at which you can move a joint through its range of motion. A limb, such as the lower leg, is attached to a lever arm that controls how fast the limb moves. When a muscle contracts with as much force as possible to move the limb, sensors in the machine monitor force throughout the range of motion. These machines are expensive and can usually be found in physical therapy and athletic training facilities.

Isotonic (dynamic) strength is the most familiar type of strength measure. Strength is simply measured as the heaviest weight lifted through a normal range of motion using either a barbell or a machine.

The greatest weight you can lift in good form through a joint’s range of motion is called the one-repetition maximum, or 1-RM, and is a measure of maximal muscle strength. To measure your 1-RM, you are asked to lift a weight you think you can lift and then lift increasingly heavier weights only once each until you get to a weight you cannot lift. The last weight lifted in good form is your 1-RM. Some fitness facilities measure the 3-RM or 5-RM because it requires a less intense effort.

Muscular growth happens when we overload the muscles and then feed them and then allow them to rest properly.   The process is very well understood by a few but not widely understood by the public as a whole.  The science of muscular structure, function and development is call kinesiology.
Let’s take two different muscle groups and talk about how they develop, comparing the differences.  We’ll also take two exercises to illustrate how to properly and efficiently strengthen these muscles.   We’ll compare exercises and talk about how to execute the exercises properly to get the best results.
In a chicken, for example the fast twitch muscles make up the white meat, since a wild chicken living on the rain forest floor rarely has to fly far, but instead, it must fly just up into the trees to escape ground predators.  That requires power but not endurance so the chicken breast is made of fast twitch fibers.  The chicken’s legs, made of dark meat, have slow twitch muscle fibers since the chicken runs around on the ground all day and must have endurance for that.  In humans the distinction is not as great, but there are differences between muscle groups.  There are also differences between people.  In some people, the slow twitch muscle fibers are more prevalent, while in others, strength and power is dominant over endurance since these people have more fast twitch muscle fibers.  Let’s look at two muscle groups and compare them.
First we’ll look at the pectorals major, which makes up much of the bulk of the chest.   Having strong pectorals  helps posture, and makes one’s waist look smaller by building a triangular shaped upper body.  We’ll do the basic barbell bench press to build this muscle group.
The pectoralis major and its supporting muscles contain mostly fast twitch muscle fibers, built for power, not for endurance.  Consequently, you can best strengthen these muscle groups (according to many studies) by working to failure in 3 sets of 7 to 10 repetitions.  Of course you will want to switch your program around and change the type, frequency, weight and duration of the exercises later to prevent boredom and to combat the diminishing returns associated with results for any exercise done repetitively without a change in program.  A good personal trainer will know many variations of each exercise and have a good handle on what the client needs to keep seeing results.
A fast twitch muscle group is worked best when the exercise is done to muscular failure.  If not done properly and with good form, this exercise can be dangerous.  A recently retired professional football player died last year while bench pressing alone in his home gym.  Again this is where a good personal trainer comes in.  He or she will teach you proper form and will be there to spot you for safety purposes.   A bench press can be very difficult on the elbow and especially shoulder joints if not executed properly.
For contrast, let’s look at the calf muscles, in the lower leg.  These muscles, especially the soleus and plantaris muscles under the larger gastrocnemius muscle are slow twitch muscle fibers and are worked better with more repetitions and lower weight.  They are postural muscles and are used to working for a long time at lower loads, so they get strengthened better by doing more repetitions.  Try doing 20, 30, or 40 or more repetitions in your calf exercises.  Try taking shorter rest or try doing drop sets.  Again a good personal trainer can show you lots of variations on the theme of toe raises.

Any type of workout can be broken down into one of three categories, resistance training, cardiovascular training and flexibility training. Each has a different goal and fills a different need. Each is needed in some way to maintain optimum health or optimum athletic performance.

A common example of resistance training is weight training. This is the area of emphasis for most personal trainers. Cardiovascular training is aerobic whereas resistance training is generally anaerobic for the specific muscle group or muscle groups being targeted. Common examples of cardiovascular training include running, cycling, swimming and aerobic classes. Common forms of flexibility training include stretching, Pilates, and Yoga.

As is the case with most people that train themselves, people tend to focus on the exercises and the type of exercises that they do well. We’ve all seen body builders with poor flexibility that also have no cardiovascular efficiency. Some can’t come close to touching their toes or couldn’t walk 100 meters fast without their heart rate exceeding the recommendation for maximum heart rate for their age. We’ve also all seen marathon runners that have no muscle tone and don’t look like they could lift a pencil without achieving muscular failure. I’ve also seen many very flexible people that have very little strength or cardiovascular endurance.

The bottom line in our over mechanized society is that we all need to do all three types of exercise. There are many good trainers and many good programs that incorporate all three. I include all three in my training. I do active isolated stretching and occasionally (not often enough) I include Pilates to work on my Achilles heel, which is flexibility. I am on my way back from several hamstring injuries and should soon be again be a nationally competitive middle distance runner. I am involved everyday with weight training as the owner of Real Fitness Trainers (www.realfitnessga.com). I have no shortage of great training partners to weight train with.

I have a goal that I will need to be on all three types of training to reach. When I was 48 years old I could run a mile in under five minutes and I could bench press 300 pounds. I would like to reach those two levels again on the same day now that I will be 52 next week. I might be wrong about this, but if I can claim this, I may be the only man over 50 years old in the world that can do both of these things. To accomplish this goal will require me being strong, flexible and to have excellent cardiovascular fitness. Your fitness goals may not be quite as lofty, but you can achieve them better and sooner if you incorporate all three types of training into your routine.