Workout with me for 10 mins on YouTube!

Due to the questions I've received on how to start exercise, I thought it made sense to record an exercise video. If you are looking to get started and don't have too much time, try this calorie-burning workout for just 10 minutes. If you are feeling spicy, do it multiple times but you will be sweating buckets at the end of this anyway. Who doesn't have 10 mins? No equipment too!

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Why are Healthy Decisions so Important?

It's crazy how easy it is for our bodies to spiral out of control. This week, I was not really making the best decisions with food, and I realized how quickly my mental function was affected as well. On Sunday afternoon, I ate pretty bad. So on Sunday night, it was easy to repeat the same. On Monday, I was having a stressful day, and so I didn't want to use my brain power on dinner. This led to another bad decision. 

May Fitness Basics: Diet and Exercise

Your diet AND your exercise habits are equally important to lose weight and tone up. Don't exercise endlessly without eating healthy and don't starve yourself and not work out. We all need a healthy balance of both to achieve our goals. And let's not forget the right mindset!

Cheers Eights & Weights

You Can't Out Exercise a Bad Diet? :(

Excerpt from article by Jodi on ChickSwagger

“I just ran for 3 miles, now I can have anything I want to eat!”

Hmm, I think we have all felt at one point that we “deserved” a treat because we workout. But…you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.

Day 2 and 3 of July Challenges!

I apologize for not sharing the July challenge yesterday. I have been having some Internet trouble. So I thought I'd share both today and you can try to do both? Even 1 round of each maybe :)

What Does All This Sweat Mean?

As humans who are so obsessed with perfection, we've somehow created this image in our minds that sweating is horrible. Okay, if you're perspiring profusely and giving off rancid smells in the middle of the office, maybe it is kind of bad. But when you work out, it is actually a super duper thing.

When you exercise more and more, usually you learn to control your breath. The reverse is true for sweating. The more performance-oriented your body becomes, the more you tend to sweat. Why? Two reasons: One, you work out more so your body may produce more heat; and two, your body has become proficient in regulating its temperature. 

If you ever took a science class, you know that the purpose of sweat is to cool the body when it overheats. This is why you sweat more when your body produces more heat, like in the sun or even in the gym. And this is the same reason why it takes longer to produce sweat in freezing weather.

But don't just say "Hooray" if you've got to the point when you sweat a lot during exercise. Remember that what liquid you lose needs to be replenished. Which means you also need to be drinking more water or you could get dehydrated easily.

However, do not take this to mean that you burn more calories simply because you sweat more. There are other factors that determine how much sweat you produce besides how hard you work out, like your sex and your genes.

But if you've noticed that you've been steadily producing more and more sweat during exercise, rather than look for a million ways to reduce it or hide it, celebrate it! You work hard!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Interview with Dami Bakare: "When You Leap, Leap High"

Who is Dami Bakare? Well, if you watched the London 2012 Olympics, you may have seen the 6ft 5in Nigerian-born Brit playing volleyball for Great Britain. Athletes fascinate me with their drive to succeed and how much they put into their bodies to perform. We could all learn from them in our quest for fitness.

I got the chance to interview Dami, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed by his hard work, his background, his patience with me, and his overall attitude. He was on a full-time training schedule in Korea during this interview and coordinating our schedules was not the easiest thing, so patience was really required.

Alright, let me get off of those praises and focus on the actual interview. Enjoy!

Eights & Weights: Can you tell us a little about your history and how you got into volleyball?

Dami: I was born in Kaduna, Nigeria and moved to London while I was still a baby. In Primary school, I took up learning the trumpet. In Secondary school, I gave music up and went into sports. I was involved in  basketball and high jump on and off. In high jump, my highest achievement was representing my borough, Wandsworth at the London games. In basketball, I trained with the England coach and some of the team members for a while, but I had to stop training because due to the travel distance, it interfered with school too much. So I took up volleyball in school over lunch breaks as advised by a teacher. It slowly progressed from there. I played for the school, the borough, London, England and finally, Great Britain. I also progressed to playing for a few teams within the UK leagues as well as professionally in Belgium and now I am currently playing professionally in South Korea.

Eights & Weights: That's quite a random story. We keep seeing that Olympics athletes 'found' the sport they play in. How does it feel to have participated in the Olympics? Tell us about your journey to get there.

Dami: It's pretty funny, but the only time I really remember playing in the Olympics is when I look back at photos or videos taken while I was there. It actually feels like a dream I once had. But I'm so grateful, excited, glad, confused at how I managed to make it to that point. To be honest, when I started in volleyball, I never even thought about getting as far as I have. Then London won the bid for 2012, and suddenly a new door had opened. I think I was already playing for England at that point so I felt I had a chance to make it into the Olympic team. This would come at a price however.

 

 

I turned down the opportunity to be with a bunch of players training as a new team in Holland for a year so I could start my degree in Dentistry in the university of Bristol. The word at the time was that the team would be based in Sheffield upon returning at the end of the season. So I looked into transferring my course over to the university of Sheffield. Luckily, within the 1st year of study it was still possible.

 

What I didn't expect was how fast it hit me. Training full time while being on a full time course where I'm already dealing with my own patients! My schedule was intense: 6am wake up for 7am weights before rushing back for 9am - 3pm clinics and lectures, and then back again for 2-3 hours of training in the evening. Things were worse during the international season which also tied in perfectly with the exam period! 

 

By the end of my 3rd year, my grades had taken a hit, my training progress had become stagnant, and I was told it would be difficult for me to make the team if I continued with the way things were. Maybe it was a good thing the UK sport funding stopped for the program in Sheffield as it meant I had to make a choice:  stay in Sheffield training less but able to study, or focus full time on volleyball. After a lot of talking with the Dental school, they allow me to take a few years out. Just what I needed.

 

After that hurdle, I played in Belgium for 2 years. During the international season, I was back with the Great Britain squad fighting for a position. I was fighting more to be a starter rather than just making the team, and I achieved this. That's how I got to the Olympics pretty much.

 

Eights & Weights: How has the participation in the Olympics affected your everyday life? Have you got any endorsement deals or offers that you may have only hoped for prior to the Olympics?

Dami: I wish that the volleyball team as a whole would have had more exposure to these things but being indoor volleyball, it isn't well known in the UK and was the first time it got aired on a main channel during the games. So unfortunately, no.

Eights & Weights: I don't think people realize how much training athletes go through to perform at their sports. How much training did you have to do to prepare for the Olympics? What was your typical training week like with both exercise and nutrition?

Dami: Training with the national team was completely different to my time in Belgium and it is completely different now I'm in South Korea. When I first started with the development squad, weight sessions were early in the morning and it contained a lot of power exercises aka Olympic lifts! A lot happened in the morning! Then a large break for people to go to work or school/college/uni etc before a court session in the evening.

 

During international season, weights would be a little later and training a little earlier. Weeks were planned with 3 weight sessions, 2 bike spinning sessions (roughly 1 hour long) and 5 court sessions (2-3 hours long). Weekends were normally free but there could be a morning court or weight session randomly. With the national team, we were always left to our own devices when it came to nutrition. This is probably a fair bit different from other sports, but never proved a problem for a lot of us. We had all gone through the same process of getting nutrition talks when younger so we ate what we thought we needed, which could be different for everyone. 

 

I ate a lot of rice and pasta; basic things really. I always had chicken handy to make something quick, and then a couple times a week, throw in some fish, sweet potatoes and beef into the mix. Breakfast was simple: porridge/oats and a protein shake. Protein shakes were used as a diet supplement for repair rather than muscle growth. Most meals were cooked at home otherwise it was an odd Subway meal when rushed for time or a stone-baked thin crust pizza once every couple of weeks with the team.

 

Eights & Weights: And now? What does your typical training day look like since the Olympics is over?

Dami: Training has varied since then to being a little less work in the gym in Belgium with no weekend training and now every so often 3 training sessions in a day! While in Belgium, my meals were taken care of, so a lot of fruit and veggies and a mix of meats with every meal. That's probably the best I've eaten. Plus, desserts were amazing though not always required!

 

South Korea is a lot different in diet. They eat pork a lot here and I've had a few words to say about that. I also don't think they have the same idea about sports nutrition as we do in the UK, so I have been surprised at meals we've had before games and even more so directly after games. To me it always seems to be to fatty/fried or just not enough.

However, in Korea, we train everyday for the most part. We play matches almost twice a week too. A typical day so far has been: breakfast at 8am, weights at 10am, a court session till about 12 - 1pm, lunch, and then usually another training session within 2 hours. The length of the post-lunch training session can vary, but on average, I'd say it usually lasts 2-2.5 hours. We may have a training session later after dinner and there will be no food provided after this session if it happens.

 

Eights & Weights: What muscle groups are usually important for volleyball?

Dami: Things that need to be looked after well in volleyball are the ankles, knees and shoulders, I'd say. Prevention is a big part of training. You do things to prevent injury as well as do preventative exercises. But every volleyballer will and should do squats, leg extensions, and dead lifts. I'd say a good strong back/shoulder is better than a good looking chest. It is the small muscles that can cause a lot of functional problems if they are injured or not used in the right way. 

 

Most exercises we try to do are with free weights rather than a machine as it requires more muscle stability and therefore incorporates more muscle control. (yay!) Also, free weights are better for working those smaller muscles groups, especially around the shoulder. TRX rows are a good work out, with or without weights. We work on strengthening the rotator cuff around the shoulders for endurance purposes, not necessarily to make them larger.

 

Depending on the phase of workout you may be required to help speed things up a little, so squat jumps, box jumps, rebound box jumps or another type of rebound jump.

Eights & Weights: We focus a lot on exercise and nutrition for our readers. For those who want to build bodies like volleyballers, what are some exercise and nutrition tips you can suggest?

Dami: When I think of a volleyballers I typically think NBA player but on a slightly slimmer side. That is not to say you won't find some incredible beasts out there. But with volleyball you want to be lean but explosive, having some weight is nice but you need to be able to move it quickly. A typical volleyballer will be an the taller side of the population and very often have a long arm span. (At 6ft 5in, he isn't playing when he says 'tall')

 

Exercises which are key in my opinion are the following:

• Squats, as in full 90 degree squats, 
• Power cleans with perfect format and speed, 
• An abs circuit for helping with stability in the air, 
• Bench press (a good weight, no need to go crazy), 
• Bent over row with dumbbells or barbells/TRX rows, 
• Either lat pull down or body weight chin ups (you should never feel serious tightness the next day on this otherwise you've over done it in my eyes) 
• Brazilian rotator cuffs (not sure if it's the proper name but it involves using a dumbbell). From straight arm, bicep curl across your stomach to your chest up to the shoulder of the same arm. Then raise the elbow above your head while the dumbbell passes round the side of your head/neck to behind your head. Then straighten the arm raising the dumbbell above your head, then elbow. Keeping the arm straight, bring the dumbbell back down to your side via the side of your body. If you did this with 2 arms you would make a T shape with your body. It works the bicep, triceps and shoulders. (Ouch! Sounds painful. I must try it.)

In reference to nutrition, I would say it doesn't need to be protein heavy at all. Eat a lot of fast burning carbs, and where possible, meals that are light on the stomach before the training day is over. Fish is good, really good. Milk is also something to have during the day at least once other than at breakfast. High sugar content such as sweets or fizzy drinks are sometimes acceptable after a tough training session if a recovery drink is not available but it's not meant to be your recovery drink ALL THE TIME. Try for a cereal bar and a banana if you can't carry things for a quick protein shake. Also try and make all your food from fresh ingredients rather than pre-made things in the shop. You have more control over what exactly is in it! (What have we always said about natural foods? I'm glad he agrees.)

Eights & Weights: Now that the Olympics are over, what is the next step for you?

Dami: Right now, I'm still playing in South Korea. So I guess this was my next step. Why here? I wanted a bit of an experience, and it was one of very few options still available to me.

Eights & Weights: Would you continue training and try to qualify for the 2016 Olympics?

Dami: My situation is a little difficult with university still holding my place, change in student fees, how much we have in terms of funding for 2016, and the legacy of volleyball in Great Britain, while working with the different volleyball federations we have. It's a question I will only be able to answer once a few more things have been finalized next year.

 

 

Eights & Weights: How is the Dentistry line looking like for you?

Dami: While studying Dentistry, I loved it. I'm still very much interested in completing the course. However, I haven't done anything 'dentisty' for the last 2-3 years. And so I'm way too rusty to be allowed in anyone's mouth right now. But given a month or so, I'm sure I will get the skills back again. There are some things that need to be resolved with the university on how best to incorporate me back into the course, since it has been a while and many things have changed in the guidelines and the curriculum itself. Talks are still happening, so we'll see.

 

Eights & Weights: Well, we have our fingers crossed for you. I for one, believe you can do whatever you set your mind to. Before we let you go, what is one thing our readers would be surprised to learn about you?

Dami: I developed lactose intolerance when I was 19-20 had to change my diet a little but luckily nowadays there are a lot more lactose free products on the market. However as silly as it sounds, I don't suffer from it anymore! I have no idea why though. (Black folks and lactose intolerance. I'm not sure what the origin is.)

 

Well, there you have it! Hopefully, you fell in love with him too. Keep looking out for Dami in the volleyball circuit in the future. Follow Dami on Twitter @donlybakare to learn more about future games and activities he is involved in.

 

Cheers Eights & Weights!

 

Photo credit: britishvolleyball.org, volleyballengland.org, teamgb.com

 

Why Sitting on Your Ass Could Kill You

 

Spending all day sitting on your ass could literally expand the size of your ass. No, I'm not just talking about folks who don't exercise, but you who exercises and then sits for 3 hours in front of the TV. Yes, you.

People don’t need the experts to tell them that sitting around too much could give them a sore back or a spare tire. The conventional wisdom, though, is that if you watch your diet and get exercise at least a few times a week, you’ll effectively offset your sedentary time. A growing body of inactivity research, however, suggests that this advice makes scarcely more sense than the notion that you could counter a pack-a-day smoking habit by jogging. Exercise is not a perfect antidote for sitting. 

 

The posture of sitting itself probably isn’t worse than any other type of daytime physical inactivity, like lying on the couch watching “Wheel of Fortune.” But for most of us, when we’re awake and not moving, we’re sitting. This is your body on chairs: Electrical activity in the muscles drops, and the muscles go as silent as those of a dead horse, leading to a cascade of harmful metabolic effects. Your calorie-burning rate immediately plunges to about one per minute, a third of what it would be if you got up and walked. The risk of being obese shoots up within a single day, and the risk of developing  Type 2 Diabetes rises. The enzymes responsible for vacuuming up fat out of the bloodstream plunge.

Over a lifetime, the unhealthful effects of sitting add up. Alpa Patel, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006. The men in the study who spent six hours or more per day of their leisure time sitting had an overall death rate that was about 20 percent higher than the men who sat for three hours or less. The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours a day was about 40 percent higher. Patel estimates that on average, people who sit too much shave a few years off of their lives.

Sitting, it would seem, is an independent pathology. Being sedentary for nine hours a day at the office is bad for your health whether you go home and watch television afterward or hit the gym. It is bad whether you are morbidly obese or marathon-runner thin. Excessive sitting is a lethal activity.

The good news is that inactivity’s peril can be countered. Even the littlest stuff matters, like bending down to tie your shoes or walking down the hall to get a cup of tea. Every movement matters. The best advice anyone ever gave me about exercise was to get up at least every hour. It doesn't matter whether you are getting up to go to the bathroom or to get your mail. Get up off your ass so you can save your ass!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Excerpts from the New York Times article "Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?" by James Vlahos.

Photo credit: theflycandypost.com

Hotel Rooms with In-Room Exercise?

Do you never hit the gym when you are traveling because you prefer to work out in your own room? Well, some hotels have the answer for you!

A few hotels have started offering in-room exercise options. Yes, there have been "Fit channels" for a while, but these are more intense physical options. If you are thinking about a trip, and are not sure what hotel options to choose, maybe this list can help you out:

Westin Hotels: A few Westin hotels offer an in-room option as part of their WestinWorkout program. Per their website, for those who prefer to work out in privacy or at their own convenience, Westin offers the special option of booking a guest room equipped with a treadmill, a stationary bike, dumbbells, fitness DVDs, resistance bands and stability balls. These rooms are limited so you have to ask specifically for one when you make your booking. They are also not at every location.

Kimpton Hotels: The Kimpton boutique hotels offer a yoga kit (includes mat, blocks, strap, and a towel) for you to practice yoga on your own. Technically, you can use the equipment for all other sorts of exercises too. Per their website, they'll send up a tote bag, with the props and straps you'll need for doing on-demand yoga classes, Pilates or meditation practice, right in your room. All you need to do is call the front desk.

Omni Hotels: Just like the Kimpton hotels, Omni hotels also offer a kit. Per their website,

Guest services will supply you with a handy canvas bag, a floor mat, two dumbbells and an elastic exercise band. You can create your own routine, or bring some DVDs!

There are several other hotels that may offer these amenities so these are just a few. Make sure you do your research when you are booking or ask at the front desk. You never know.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Hotelchatter.com

 

You Can't Out-Train a Bad Diet

So we talk about exercise. A LOT. And the fittest folks are usually looked at as the folks who exercise all the time. But to get your body healthy, burning the right amount of calories and losing weight or staying toned, diet plays such a huge role. And that is where most people face problems. People don't seem to understand that exercise is not magic; it does not erase a bad diet.

It sometimes seems like because eating right takes willpower, we slack off big time. Exercise takes willpower too. But slacking off on exercise does not feel good. Whereas eating bad food? Well, I don't need to say more. Plus as you sweat and hurt all over from exercise, you literally feel the calories going away.

But let me ask you this? Do you realize that you would achieve more eating healthier than exercising? Think about it. For example, you slave for an hour and burn 500 calories (depending on your body weight and what you do), and so if you eat a 1,000 calorie meal, that would be about 2 hours worth of exercise to burn off. How many times a day would you be able to keep it up?

Now, if you eat a 500 calorie meal instead of 1,000 by controlling your portions and picking better options, that would save a lot of time, and would melt off weight faster. So when you do work out for an hour, you're reaching your goal much quicker.

Additionally, food affects your mood and could be the difference between being sluggish or energized. Eating loads of burgers and high-fat foods usually slows you down and makes you less likely to work out. Or if you do work out, you're pushing yourself too hard for too long because you are determined to burn it off. And then you could hurt yourself.

Usually, people tend to overestimate how much they burn, and underestimate how much they eat. It's human nature.  I have read a few studies where Americans were polled and the result was that most Americans think they eat healthy. Yet, Americans are among the most obese in the world. This shows that people really do underestimate how much they eat. Thus, if you are eating wrong, and then you think you're burning more than you actually are, you see how that can be a problem for your weight loss goals? This is probably one of the reasons why people don't see results.

So what should you do? Starve yourself? Heck no. But you should be putting just as much effort into your nutrition as you are putting into your exercise regimen. Inform yourself about better food choices, and know what you are actually putting into your body. And you should start to see the results you my not have been seeing.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Forbes.com

Exercise and Your Skin

It is no secret that exercise has many benefits, but is healthy skin one of them? When we refer to our skin, we talk of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing (I hear the guys go 'huh?'), and even what foods you should or should not eat. But folks often skip the benefits exercise has on the skin.

Exercise increases blood flow to all the organs including the skin. Organs perform better when there is better oxygen flow. However, I think the other end of exercise concerns most people: sweat.

You've probably heard that sweat is bad for your skin. Well, that is not entirely true. Sweat in itself actually clears out your pores. The problem is the bacteria that gets attracted to the salt in sweat. This is why it is very important to let the sweat do its job while you exercise, and then give your face a mild wash right after. So sweat is good, but leaving it on your skin is bad.

Well, for the ladies, because we wear makeup on your faces, we tend to wash our faces more than we should, which removes the nutrients from our skin. And when you exercise in the middle of the day or the evening, it probably means you wash your face both before and after exercise. If you absolutely have to wash your face multiple times a day, use a very mild wash so it doesn't strip your skin of the good oils it needs.

Now, although we've established that exercise is great for your skin and your circulation, there are things we do that may hurt our skin when we exercise. For one, constantly touching, rubbing, and scratching can have negative effects on the skin, especially sensitive areas like the face. If you are in a bacteria-infested environment like the gym, it is even worse. Try to stay away for constant contact between your fingers and your face, make sure you wear clothing that doesn't cause uncomfortable friction, and try not to let your skin come in direct contact with shared items without washing them or wiping them down (e.g. equipment, towels, headphones, mats).

At the end of it all, one of the most important things to remember is to hydrate. Water is great for your skin, and if you lose a lot of water when you exercise, you need to replenish the body's supply.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: MadameNoire.com

Plyometrics: Split Squat Jumps

So yesterday, I was doing a plyometric circuit workout (you're probably like huh?), and the Eights & Weights readers were on my mind. I totally wanted to share my whole workout with you.

Plyometrics is a type of workout that introduces very quick and powerful movements like jumping. Athletes use these movements a lot to improve their power and their speed. And we all need power and speed in our workouts sometimes.

I will write a bit more about plyomterics later in the week, but for now, here is a video basically showing one of my favorite plyometric moves.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

You’re On the Go? No Problemo!

As an avid traveler, I have come to learn a few things about staying fit while you travel. What’s the biggest thing I’ve learned? That it is not easy! Therefore, I think those who have just started working out and those who have had trouble working out while on the road will definitely benefit from this. Whether you’re staying at a hotel or squatting with friends/family, there is always an option for you. But wherever you’re travelling to, and wherever you are staying when you travel, one thing is always clear: Plan your fitness regimen BEFORE you travel. Don’t assume that you’ll figure it out when you get there because, let’s be honest, when you daily routine changes, so does your inclination to work out and eat right.

Hoteling it

Exercise: Living in hotels is hard enough when you can’t wake up in the dark and figure out what part of the room everything is in (or is that just my OCD talking?). But it is important to choose a good hotel before you travel. While you are making a choice, try to ask yourself the following questions:

• Is there a gym at the hotel? If there is a gym, your life just became a lot easier.
• If there is a gym at the hotel, is it included in the room charges?
• If there is no gym, is there a gym near the hotel? How much does it cost?
• If the hotel can’t satisfy the two options above, where is it located? Is it near a park that you can run at? Is it in a major city? Is it in a safe neighborhood where you can feel comfortable running outside?
• If you decide to work out outside, what’s the weather going to be like? 
• What kind of workout clothes would you need to pack?

Yes, it is actually a little more complicated than it seems when you do think about it. One major thing I have learned while travelling is that sometimes a ‘Marriott’ or a ‘Holiday Inn’ is better than a ‘Hilton’ because they all have good rooms, but the Hilton would usually charge you to use the gym, while the others would not.

Food: There are usually good restaurant options in or around hotels, so at least you don’t usually have to drive miles and miles to find a good place to eat. But there are also questions you can ask yourself:

• Are the restaurants within walking distance? Can I just take a quick walk?
• What kinds of restaurants are around the hotel? Fast food, generic, or fancy?
• Would I be eating alone or with friends/co-workers?

When most of your meals are determined by other people like friends and co-workers, it’s difficult to be picky about where you eat. But at least if you know what is around the hotel, you can prepare yourself to present some options. If you’re eating at Burger King every day, it is going to be extremely difficult to be strict about what you eat. But at the same time, Burger King is a chain, so you can figure out what your healthy options are and rotate what you eat based on those limited choices.

Now, if most of the restaurant options are smaller restaurants, not chains, and you have no idea what kind of food they serve, you can still make sure you ask the waiter about what is healthy. Waiters know everything on the menu so they’ll be quick to point out their healthy side or what compromises the chef can make for you.

Staying with a friend

Exercise: If you and the person you are staying with plan to lead independent lives while you are there, go back to the hoteling section because you’ll have to look around you to figure out how you can work out. But if your lives would be intertwined, consider the following:

• Does your friend work out? Staying with someone that works out makes life easier for you. You have a partner to gym with, and you just have to ask them about their exercise schedule. If he/she works out at a gym, find out which gym and research their visitor options. For example, my gym allows members to bring in guests free on Wednesdays and $15 each other time. Ordinarily, a guest would pay $25 if they come alone.
• If your friend does not work out, ask yourself the hoteling questions. What would your schedule be like? Is there a gym around his/her house? How much does it cost? Can you work out outside? What would the weather be like?

Food: Again, if you plan to lead independent lives, all the hoteling questions would apply to you. If not:

• Ask questions! Does your friend usually cook? If he/she cooks, again, you life may be easier (or harder depending on who you are staying with) but your major focus would be portion control.
• If your friend does not cook, find out where he/she usually tends to eat. And research restaurant options so when asked what you are in the mood for, you have an opinion based on what is nearby.

Hope this helped those that travel! I know how hard it can be to stay fit while on the road, but just like with anything else, don’t assume. Recognize that you’ll probably need to plan and make some changes. You can do it!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Swing your Mood

First off, tomorrow is my birthday. Happy birthday to me!

Last week, I was reading a great article in SELF magazine about what makes people happy (This is the second time I’m promoting these people. Where’s my own cut?). I really want to share this because with the 9 to 5 and all the crazy things going on in our lives, sometimes we need to take a minute or two each day to do something that can improve our moods, and our mental/physical strength.

Here are a few of the takeaways from the article that can make us happier people:

• Charity work: When you help someone else, it can drastically change your view of the world, and make you a much happier person. And if you’re doing something physical, you can build your strength as well.
• Calling mum: This requires that you have a good relationship with your mother. But when you’re having a terrible day, a phone call to your mum can give your mood a 180 degree turn. Whether it’s because she gives great advice or because she is the one person that believes in you the most, I’ll never know.
• Take a walk: In the corporate environment, we are beginning to carry our work everywhere with us. It’s literally on our minds 24/7. But if you take a walk without the constant reminder of work around you i.e. the papers, computers, etc., you’ll clear your mind and be more refreshed (and burn some calories too!). Take the walk with your significant other, and you’ll even use the time to both clear your mind and recharge your relationship.
• Wash your hands: Okay, this was new to me too. But apparently washing your hands helps you feel more certain about a decision. Maybe because we feel like we’re wiping the slate clean. Certainty equals less anxiety.

So what are some of the things that make me happy?

• Prayer and meditation: There's nothing like that feeling when you've aired your mind out to God, and you're at peace. 
• Talking to my brothers: My brothers are like my best friends. So when I have had a bad day, I call one of my brothers because they are guaranteed to say something that would cheer me up.
• Dancing: Sometimes, I can just get home, take off my clothes, and start doing some ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ moves. Dancing always clears my head, and hey, it burns some calories too :-)
• Exercise: You didn’t think I’d skip this, right? How long have you known me? There’s nothing like that feeling after a run or a yoga class. It may hurt while I’m doing it, but the rewards are so worth it.
• A hot cuppa: Tea calms me. So if I’ve been running around, and I can’t find my bearing for some reason, I sit down and drink a cup of tea. Twinings Earl Grey with some honey is my favorite. And the aroma is fantastic too.
• My telly: I love TV shows because I can get invested in a character and watch him/her (mostly him) for years. By the way, this excludes reality TV (if I have to hear one more Big Brother tweet!). My favorite funny TV shows on right now are White Collar, How I Met your Mother, Royal Pains, Cougar Town, and since most of the others are on hiatus, I won’t blow up your screen with the list (but can I just say White Collar again?). 
• PBJ without the J: I love peanut butter. And on this lovely wheat bagel I’ve discovered? Yum. My colleague calls it a choke sandwich. It’s just too good.
• Good food: Funnily, I decided to mention this right after peanut butter. But bad food, although good for an instant, actually affects my mood later on. When I eat healthy, I have more energy, and feel more satisfied with myself, which equals a happier me.
• Music: I love music, anything from Eminem to Chrisette Michele to Ingrid Michaelson to Paramore. Someone told me a few days ago that if you hear me speak and then hear me rap along to Drake, you would never ever guess it was the same person. What can I say? I just love music.

What are some of the things that make you happy?

What’s on Your Workout Playlist?

When we get into the gym, we just want to go, go, go. But sometimes, we don’t realize that the music we listen to may be holding us back during our workout routine. Music affects your emotions, which in turn affect your energy level. And so high-intensity workouts are better with high-intensity music. If you’re listening to ‘My Heart will go on’ as you run (ummm…), you’re probably not going to have the energy to run as fast as you probably can. Since it’s actually pretty difficult to put together songs that best match your workout mood, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of my favorite workout songs. For example, if you want to get me going, Ciara ft. Missy’s ‘Work’ will do the trick every time. It does not matter how I’m feeling, I will hop on that treadmill. And Drake just makes me want to do push-ups. I have no idea why. Eminem's music makes me want to punch a bag, but that's relatively understandable. Please share your favorite workout music too!

Tearing up the treadmill
Work – Ciara ft. Missy Elliott
Shawty Get Loose – Lil’ Mama ft. Chris Brown and T-Pain
All I do is Win – DJ Khalid ft. Various artists
Baby – LL Cool J
Bumper to Bumper – Wande Coal
Commander – Kelly Rowland
Crush Crush Crush – Paramore
Na-Nana-Na – Nelly ft. Jazzy Phe
Get Your Money Up – Keri Hilson ft. Keisha Cole and Nicki Minaj
I can transform ya – Chris Brown
I don’t Care – Ricky Martin ft. Fat Joe and Amerie
Misery Business – Paramore
Swagger Like Us – Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, T.I., Kanye West
Proud to be African – 2face and Wyclef
You bad – Wande Coal ft. D’Banj

My Muscles Say Aah! (Strength Training)
Bizzy body – P Square
La Tortura – Shakira
Say Aah – Trey Songz ft. Fabolous
Rock Star – Rihanna
Forever – Drake ft. Kanye, Lil’ Wayne and Eminem
Winner – Jamie Foxx ft. Justin Timberlake
Wait a Minute – Pussy Cat Dolls ft. Timbaland
Over – Drake
Overboard – Ingrid Michaelson
American Boy – Estelle ft. Kanye

Yoga-nese (Stretching music)
Blame it on me – Chrissette Michele
How do I Breathe – Mario
Soulmate – Natasha Bedingfield
Halo – Beyonce
Unthinkable – Alicia Keys
This Woman’s Work – Maxwell
Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson
Happy – Leona Lewis
So Sick – Ne-Yo
I’m Yours – The Script

Getting my Mohammed Ali on (Punching bag)
Faint – Linkin Park
Decoy – Paramore
Kolomental – Faze
Walk Away – Kelly Clarkson
Don’t Let Me Stop You – Kelly Clarkson
Blah Blah Blah – Kesha
Wall to Wall – Chris Brown
Not Afraid – Eminem
Make Me Better – Fabolous ft. Ne-Yo
I Caught Myself – Paramore

Do you have any favorite workout music? Share them with us.

Cheers 'Eights' and 'Weights'!

Sporty Spice: Sport as Exercise

With all the sport seasons that go on each year, the best thing we can possibly do is get into the sports ourselves (when we are not watching, that is). I know I love me some athletes, so I thought we’d look at some athletes and how sports have sculpted their bodies.

Basketball

Kobe Bryant

Basketball can be used to replace some of your cardio exercises. Because basketball involves a lot of repetitive motion, like running back and forth on the court, bouncing the ball, and scoring baskets, it serves as an excellent cardio exercise. Also, because basketball involves heavy contact, it increases your competitive spirit and the feeling of satisfaction that comes at the end of your workout. Do not underestimate the power of contact sports. However, do remember that you need to move to reap the benefits. That means running, jumping, shooting, and bouncing. Just being a member of the team standing on the court is not enough to make you break a sweat. Now if you’re in constant motion during the game, a 15 minute game could more than 150 calories. Additionally, the constant jumping could help to tone up those leg muscles, and the constant shots help to tone up the arm muscles. Try simply throwing a ball back and forth, and you’d definitely feel the contraction and relaxation of your biceps and shoulder muscles.

Football 

David Beckham

No, I didn't call it soccer. I called it Football. Deal with it. Football is a sport that involves constant motion so there is no doubt that you could be putting your body through two 45-minute chunks of serious cardio in one game. However, in addition to the cardio exercise, the constant kicking, turning, and tackling of the ball also develops those leg muscles. The beautifully defined muscles of most footballers’ legs prove that it tones up your leg muscles more than any other muscle in your body. A lot of trainers have actually developed football-based circuit training programs that include squats, skipping, running, dips, and a bunch of other exercises. This shows that football itself is simply a combination of many of the popular exercises put together. Pick up football today and tone up those legs! 

Tennis

Maria Sharapova

If you have ever watched a tennis match, you can tell from their grunts that it requires a lot of physical strain. The constant running back and forth serves as cardio and helps burn fat. The power required to serve properly certainly works on those arms and shoulders. The bouncing back and forth serves to work on the butt and thighs. And because it is mostly a one-on-one sport, the competitiveness and concentration put into a game improves mental focus.

American Football

Reggie Bush

Yes, American football also involves a lot of speed and so there is obvious fat burning benefit. But aside from the cardio benefit, a lot of the strength gained from this sport may be gained from the training as opposed to actually playing. American footballers require strength to hold down or resist their opponents, and most of this strength is not gotten from the actual game, but from the training for the game. However, consistently playing the sport builds a little on this strength as well. Other benefits of playing this sport are the brain power and speed you develop from the quick thinking that is required to play well. And of course, as I said about contact sport earlier, the feeling of satisfaction you get at the end relieves a lot of stress as well.

Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya

There is no need to tell you that boxing works on your arms. All that calculated jabbing is sure to give anybody well cut arms. But did you know that all that jumping works out your ENTIRE BODY? Yes, your entire body. And the good thing about boxing is that you don’t really need a second person to play the sport with. Just get a punching bag and jab away.

Ice Hockey

Jarome Iginla

If we focused only on the balance alone required to play this sport, we would already be covering a lot of positives. Ice hockey demands a lot of skills from its players: skating, puck handling, passing, shooting, and even absorbing body checks. If you’ve tried skating, you know that definitely builds aerobic fitness as well as stability and speed. But you’ll also notice a lot of leg development because ice skating at the speed that hockey requires (20 to 30 miles an hour) places significant stress on the upper leg muscles, the lower back muscles, the hamstrings and the groin muscles. And of course, we know they need all those muscles for the endless physical fights that take place on the ice.

Squash 

This is really the only sport I actually play so it has to be in here. Funnily, it is also the one on this list that I have never watched a professional game of. I do not know any famous squash players to use as an example of how squash can benefit your body. However, I can tell you that the pain I have felt the morning after each match when I first started showed me how much I was pushing my body. Not only does squash serve as great cardio the same way tennis does, but it also intensely works on those arm and shoulder muscles. Squash requires more power on the ball than tennis does because the ball has to bounce on the wall and back to the other side of the court, so your arms get an amazing workout.

Okay, so I guess it’s obvious what my favorite sports are. But there are definitely many other sports you can play. Frankly, almost any physical competitive sport serves as cardio and works on some part of your body, but I believe these are the most beneficial out there in terms of physical development.

Do you play any sports as exercise? Has it improved your fitness level?

Cheers 'Eights' and 'Weights'!

Look Better Naked

Yes, you read right; that’s exactly what the title is. I was reading bits of this book ‘Look Better Naked’ by Michele Promaulayko, and I thought it would be fun to share some excerpts. To lay it all out there, I know a few men and women who after a few years of marriage, still feel self-conscious naked around their spouse. One lady actually confessed to me that she sucks her stomach in at all times while she’s naked with her husband. And this includes during sex. If I’ve learned anything about the human mind, it’s that loving your body truly is a process.

So why are we so self conscious? Well, according to the book, it’s because we feel we are not the best version of ourselves. We look around and see people who we believe are a version of what we can be, and we beat ourselves up because we think we’re not society’s definition of 'hot'. I do like how the book emphasized nakedness because when you’re confident at that level, when all your flaws are evident, you’ll definitely be more confident with clothes on.

Here are a few thoughts from the book that I thought were spot on:

To get more comfortable with your nakedness, do more stuff naked (apart from showering and sex). e.g.
•    Take a full on bath
•    Eat dinner naked
•    Sleep naked
•    Get a massage completely naked
•    Ladies, get fitted for lingerie
•    Take a nude photo – well, this one is kind of scandalous so be sure to keep the picture locked tight

Aside from exercise, you can make small changes to improve how you look. e.g.
•    Improve your posture
•    Reduce your salt and soda intake to minimize bloating

There’s a lot more in the book that I think everyone should take time out to read. But the essence of it is that how we look is really about how we feel. Below are a few of my own tips on how to look and feel better naked.

Groom: Whether it is your face or down there, a little grooming can go a long way to make you look and feel better au naturel.
Exercise: I don’t really have to stress this point too much. Generally, people who exercise regularly look and feel better about their bodies.
Timing: Don’t just eat a boat load of food and then look at your body in the mirror. Note when you feel the sexiest, and then you can check yourself out. Gentlemen, it may help if you do some push-ups before you look at yourself in the mirror. Pumped up arms and shoulders, and a pumped up back are sure to give you the boost you need ;)
Treat your skin right: Exfoliate. Put some cocoa butter on. Wash your face regularly. Get tuned into the beauty secrets that keep your skin looking great. It’s no secret that great skin makes you look and feel hotter.
Dance around your house in your underwear: Need I say more? Just make sure the curtains are shut.
Relax: Your body needs physical activity, but it also needs alone time. Regularly set aside time to relax and notice the difference in your skin and even your health.
Role models: Are you envying the wrong people? Celebrities spend hundreds of thousands on their bodies, and yet they still need make-up and airbrushing to look the way you see them in the media. Change your ‘body’ role model, and you’d probably realize that your body actually kicks ass.

Do you have a different technique that makes you look and feel better naked? Please share.

Cheers!

What I Want to Know is… 'What Size is a Healthy Size?'

 

Welcome to the new Eights & Weights segment called ‘What I Want to Know is…’ where readers send in their questions, and based on the area of focus of reader’s questions, answers are provided. This time, a major area of focus is on what is determined to be a healthy size.

Now, because we are human, and humans are very visual creatures, we create impressions based on what we see. We all have markers in our heads for what size we think is healthy or not, and if a person goes below or above that, then we believe they are unhealthy. But is our dress size really a good marker for health?

As long as you are comfortable with your body, size is really not that important. Size helps us approximate weight, but it is not an absolute. The factors that are actually medically important are a person’s BMI (an approximation for the body fat ratio) and waist circumference.

BMI: The BMI (or Body Mass Index) is a number generated using the following formula:

So what really is the BMI? It is really just the weight to height ratio of an individual; that is how a person’s weight is distributed around their body. Right now, BMI is one of the reliable indicators of the body fat ratio of an individual. There are other methods that require machines (such as underwater weighing), but a person’s BMI can be calculated using the information at hand: Height and Weight. An unhealthy BMI can put a person at a higher risk for either obesity-related or underweight-related diseases.

Now, what’s a healthy BMI? This is dependent on factors such as gender, age, and race (yep, as I recently learned, even race). But in general, the following standards apply:

To calculate your BMI, use the widget at the bottom of this post.

Waist Size:  I can almost hear you go “What does waist size have to do with anything?” But studies have shown that men who have a waist size of more than 40 inches, and women who have a waist size of more than 35 inches, have a higher risk for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and other heart diseases that may be tied to obesity.

These are some of the medically relevant factors in determining a healthy size. What do you consider a healthy size?

Two final points:

• I couldn’t end this without bringing up the world cup. Ghana, you tried hard, and took us far. But I guess we’re still out. Africa weeps, man.
• Again, thanks to those who nominated Eights and Weights for 11 categories in the Nigerian Blog Awards group B. My readers are the absolute bestest! Before I get all sentimental, I’ll just say that voting starts tomorrow July 5th. Be sure to click here to vote! Let’s bring those awards home :) 

Cheers!

Falling off the Bandwagon

It is a shame that most of the African teams in this World cup always seem to start a match out well, and then let the other team carry the match halfway through. Unlike the African football teams we’ve seen, we don’t have to give up all hope when we fall out of our exercise and nutrition routine and back into our old habits. There’s always the option to dust yourself off and try again.

Most people that are on a strict diet program tend to demonize food, and so when they backslide for a moment and eat that slice of birthday cake, it’s like they’ve sold their soul to the enemy. They get affected psychologically and start to think “I’ve already made a mistake, so I can go ahead and eat the whole cake and it won’t matter.” And then that one mistake leads to binge eating.

My opinion is that in order to stay healthy and fit, we need to change our relationship with food. If we treat cake as a complete no-no when we know we do love cake, do you know what happens? Our minds would constantly remain on cake. Thinking about cake 24/7 will inevitably lead to stuffing our faces with cake at some point because we feel so starved of something we enjoy. I was reading an article in SELF magazine the other day, where the True Blood actress Anna Paquin was interviewed. My love for her immediately grew when she said (and this is paraphrased), “I won’t feed you the lie most actresses do. I have to watch what I eat to stay fit. But I also believe that one dessert a week won’t kill me.” If we can have this type of relationship with food, we’d avoid the yo-yo effect caused by demonizing food and then bingeing on it.

This relationship is not only true of food. We also do the same thing with our exercise program. If we can’t make it to the gym one day, we think “I’ll make up for it tomorrow.” When we are too tired to go the next day, and the next day, we start to feel really guilty. Knowing we cannot make up for a few lost days, we turn our guilt into nonchalance and just stop going. Or as one of my readers felt this week, we may feel intense pain when we start working out, and that could drive us to wait a few days or weeks before going back to the gym. Our exercise routine could get so spaced out that our bodies don’t get used to exercising and we feel pain every time we work out. What happens then? We say “To hell with it!” and just quit.

Therefore, we also need to change our relationship with exercise. Exercise comes with pain, no doubt. But let’s not rest in the ‘now’, but the future. It will hurt for a few days or weeks, but as our bodies strengthen, we’ll see an increase in our endurance for pain, and a decrease in the pain itself. With these compounded, and as we see the effects of exercise on our bodies, we’ll be driven to do even more.

Now, let’s back up a little. We’ve talked about changing our relationship with food and exercise. But we also need to be a little softer on ourselves sometimes. Recognize that we may backslide just because that’s the way the human mind is wired. If we do backslide, how should we deal with it? We deal with it by realizing that a small mistake does not change our whole lives. So you missed one workout session? Jump back on the horse tomorrow and don’t dwell on today. You ate 5,000 calories in one meal? Oops! There’s always tomorrow. Continue controlling your portions then.

If you have a ‘falling off the bandwagon’ story, or have any questions, please leave a comment.

I’d also like to point out two things:

• The Nigerian Blog Awards group B nominations end today (May 27th). Please go and nominate Eights & Weights today before it’s over! Click on this link to nominate: Group B nominations.
• Starting next month, the Eights and Weights page will have a segment called ‘What I Want to Know Is…’ Please click here to send me a message about a question you have or a topic you’re concerned about, and it may make it to next month’s pool of questions!

Again, thanks for your support! Cheers!

                                 

Summer Series: Abs Like Whoa!

It’s still summer! Yes, we can’t all have packs that you can literally count, but we can work to get some abs to show off our bellies on the beach this summer. Mostly, when we speak about abdominal exercises, we envision the regular crunches or sit-ups. But in my experience, these can get boring pretty fast, and can also put a lot of strain on your lower back and neck. So I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the non-traditional crunches that don’t necessarily involve our fingers entwined at the back of our heads or our elbows taped to the sides of our ears. There are so many abs exercises, so it was pretty hard to narrow it down to a few of the best ones.


Abdominal hip lifts or raises: This exercise is great because it works both the front and sides of your abdominal when done right. It’s pretty easy just as the name implies, but it’s also easy to make some mistakes with the posture here. So how does it go?

• Lie flat with your back on the floor and your eyes looking up to the ceiling. I specify the part about the eyes because when you have your eyes to the ceiling, you probably won’t unconsciously lift your head off the floor.
• Lift your legs up while keeping your butt on the floor. Your legs should be straight up to the ceiling so the bottom of your foot is facing the ceiling.
• Put your palms on the floor on either side of your body for balance.
• While keeping your knees and ankles together, lift your hips off the floor (only your hips; not your head, and not your palms). Make sure you are using your stomach muscles here so don’t bend your legs towards your body because that works your lower back more than your abs. Again, try to lift only your hips off the floor while keeping your legs in their original position.
• Bring your hips back down to the floor and repeat. I found this great picture of how it looks at the Alaska Stars website.

Plank: The plank is also as simple an exercise as any, but here, posture also matters very much. So pay special attention to holding your butt and stomach muscles tight. It does not involve motion so it can be pretty hard to focus and maintain this position for an extended period. Here’s how it works:

• Assume the upper push-up position, with only your palms and toes on the floor.
• Transitioning one arm at a time, move your body to rest on your forearms (part of the arm from your elbows to your wrist). Most people prefer to clench their fists in this position.
• Try to keep your body as parallel to the ground as possible. This is where you need to tighten your stomach and butt muscles to prevent your butt sticking out or an extra curve in your lower back.
• Look down to the ground. This helps to maintain the position because if you look up, you could wreck your posture.
• Just hold this position for as long as you can. I like to do about 20 second holds. Hold for a while, break, and then repeat. Another good picture showing this exercise can be found at the Abs Like Stone website.

Belly Blaster: This is a variation of the plank. Here, rather than maintain the plank position, we turn it into a motion exercise.

• Assume plank position.
• Tighten your stomach muscles, and lift your butt up. As you lift up your butt, don’t let your stomach sag forward.
• Come back down to the plank.
• Repeat as many times as you can. Here is a picture showing a great belly blaster from Fit Yummy Mummy. I know, the name of the website was what got me too.

Side plank: This one is best done in front of a mirror because it’s a little difficult to feel if your body is straight or not.

• Assume the plank position above.
• Using only one of your arms, lift your other arm and your body off the floor, and let your body face the opposite side of the room resting only on one of your forearms, and the side of one of your feet. For example, if you are resting on your right forearm, your body should be facing the left side of the room. Only your right forearm and the right side of your right foot should be on the floor.
• Make sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet.
• You can put your other palm on your waist so it doesn’t get in the way.
• Release the fist of the forearm on the ground so the palms are facing the floor. Turn the forearm on the ground so that the fingertips are facing the same direction as your body (which would be the left side in our example).
• Repeat on the other arm.
• Make sure your body does not sag in this exercise so that you get the most out of it. Your hips should not be heading towards the ground, and your stomach and butt muscles should be tight. Looking forward also helps to maintain this position. Click the website name below for a picture showing a good side plank from the Abs Like Stone website.

V sit: This position is also relatively easy to describe, but it is something you have to build on because most people don’t have the necessary core strength to hold this position for long periods when just beginning an exercise program. However, it is a great strength exercise for the stomach muscles.

• Lie flat on the floor on your back with your arms at your sides.
• Lift up your legs so they are around a 45 degree angle to the floor.
• Slowly lift your shoulders and extend your arms so your body is in a ‘V’ shape with your arms extended forward parallel to the floor.
• If you cannot keep your legs straight in this position, you can bend your knees, but make sure your feet stay off the ground.
• Hold the position and repeat like we did with the plank.
• Here’s an example of the position from Vibra Body, and here’s a variation with bent knees from Hamilton Spectator.

Well, there you go. If you didn’t know you could get abs without crunches, I hope that has helped to provide you with some useful information. But as I always say, remember that you cannot lose fat in your stomach with strength training alone. You need the three steps: cardio, weight training, and stretching. And you also need to maintain a healthy diet.

Disclaimer: I have to mention though that any exercise advice given here is just that: Advice. I am not a personal trainer or trained fitness instructor, and so I simply give suggestions from my experience. If you are uncomfortable with any advice given here, please seek a second opinion.