Health and Fitness Guide

More and more people join the gym nowadays for their health and fitness needs.  In this blog you will find some great tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and get fit.  This will include tips on what to eat and how to exercise.   I try and maintain my body strength and eat the foods that keep it fueled for training. I will tell you how I do it.

It is fortunate for me that I live in the Philippines and have access to all kinds of food.  I want talk about some fantastic vegetables and fruit that are abundant in the Philippines.  There will be tips given here also on how to do specific exercises with maximum results.

It is important to note that with every workout you must take time to rest your body.  Building muscles and endurance are both require rest to rebuild muscle tissue.  That is why you need to concentrate on different areas of your body.  Most body builders who come to my gym rotate from legs, shoulders, chest and arms for example.  

It is also important to vary the exercise.  For example, use loose weights one week and weights on machines the other week.  This tactic will help your muscles grow faster as they are targeted differently with this rotation.  You can also vary your specific exercise when targeting a specif muscle group. 

Below are some pictures of my gym in Dumaguete City, Philippines

  Elliptical Machines

These kinds of machines are very popular nowadays are very popular and really help you build up endurance and cardio.   It has been reported that Dr. Edward R. Laskowski of The Mayo Clinic highly recommends the elliptical machine over the treadmill.  The reason for this has to do with avoiding stress on the hips, knees and back that are associated with the exercise of running.   Note that many elliptical machines also provide an additional facet to the workout with poles that you manipulate and strengthen the upper body.   In addition, these machines can  be peddled in a backward motion to target different groups of muscles.

 Treadmills

Treadmills provide both benefits of running and/or walking from the comfort of the indoors.  These are really useful for people living in Dumaguete City because there is an enormous amount of trikes and motorbikes.  The streets are not safe for running or walking and the pollution adds to the problem.

It should be noted that treadmills are adaptable regarding many levels for the walker, runner, and many contain incline settings that mimic the feel of traveling uphill.   The treadmills at Dumaguete Health and Fitness have all these setting including including built in fans.

It has been reported that running on a treadmill places extra stress on joints that the other fitness machines avoid.  However, there are numerous benefits to this kind of exercise.  The Mayo Clinic states that these kinds of machines increase endorphin levels, improves your heart health and also decreases the signs of depression.

Dumbells

Free weights such as dumbbells activate smaller stabilizing muscle groups to control the exercise. Resistance machines on the other hand, tend to work muscle groups in very strict planes of movement. The downside of this very strict movement is that while some muscle groups will become significantly stronger, other, smaller muscles are neglected.

 

The other advantage dumbbell exercises have over machines is that they "fit around" your body so the movement can be performed correctly

 

The downside of this very strict movement is that while some muscle groups will become significantly stronger, other, smaller muscles are neglected.

Although resistance machines can be adjusted, such as the seat height for example, the movement pattern is still largely governed by how the machine is built.

Athletes typically favor dumbbell exercises over machines as they can replicate sport-specific movements more accurately. They also know that they will develop a more balanced physique and structure if most of their routine employs free weight exercises.

 

  

Today's fitness trainer is more than a designer of programs, he or she is an educator, providing instruction in many facets of fitness, from correct exercise technique to equipment and apparel selection. Learn what it takes to become a personal trainer!

 

 

 

 

This week I want to talk about basic training and how you can maximize building strength and muscles.  And, this includes endurance which should be incorporated into any regime or workout.

The key components to building muscles is exercise and fuel.  Let me explain further.  First building muscle is based on two concepts.  Exercise and rest.  When you exercise your muscles you are actually tearing them.  They need time to recuperate.  That is why it is so important to rotate your exercises and let them rest.

Rotation is basically exercising different parts of your body each day you visit the gym.  For example one day you may work on your arms and the next day your legs or chest.  To maximize your workout try and use different weights or machine to target your specific muscles.  For example, use loose weights like dumbbells on your biceps one week and barbells the next.   Maybe try just machines in the 3rd week.    This way you have attacked your biceps from all different angles.  This is so important for muscle growth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZOBiLjxyQw&feature=colike

 

Dumaguete Health and Fitness Guide

 Health and Fitness Guide

More and more people join the gym nowadays for their health and fitness needs.  In this blog you will find some great tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and get fit.  This will include tips on what to eat and how to exercise.   I try and maintain my body strength and eat the foods that keep it fueled for training. I will tell you how I do it.

It is fortunate for me that I live in the Philippines and have access to all kinds of food.  I want talk about some fantastic vegetables and fruit that are abundant in the Philippines.  There will be tips given here also on how to do specific exercises with maximum results.

It is important to note that with every workout you must take time to rest your body.  Building muscles and endurance are both require rest to rebuild muscle tissue.  That is why you need to concentrate on different areas of your body.  Most body builders who come to my gym rotate from legs, shoulders, chest and arms for example.  

It is also important to vary the exercise.  For example, use loose weights one week and weights on machines the other week.  This tactic will help your muscles grow faster as they are targeted differently with this rotation.  You can also vary your specific exercise when targeting a specif muscle group. 

Below are some pictures of my gym in Dumaguete City, Philippines

  Elliptical Machines

These kinds of machines are very popular nowadays are very popular and really help you build up endurance and cardio.   It has been reported that Dr. Edward R. Laskowski of The Mayo Clinic highly recommends the elliptical machine over the treadmill.  The reason for this has to do with avoiding stress on the hips, knees and back that are associated with the exercise of running.   Note that many elliptical machines also provide an additional facet to the workout with poles that you manipulate and strengthen the upper body.   In addition, these machines can  be peddled in a backward motion to target different groups of muscles.

 Treadmills

Treadmills provide both benefits of running and/or walking from the comfort of the indoors.  These are really useful for people living in Dumaguete City because there is an enormous amount of trikes and motorbikes.  The streets are not safe for running or walking and the pollution adds to the problem.

It should be noted that treadmills are adaptable regarding many levels for the walker, runner, and many contain incline settings that mimic the feel of traveling uphill.   The treadmills at Dumaguete Health and Fitness have all these setting including including built in fans.

It has been reported that running on a treadmill places extra stress on joints that the other fitness machines avoid.  However, there are numerous benefits to this kind of exercise.  The Mayo Clinic states that these kinds of machines increase endorphin levels, improves your heart health and also decreases the signs of depression.

Dumbells

Free weights such as dumbbells activate smaller stabilizing muscle groups to control the exercise. Resistance machines on the other hand, tend to work muscle groups in very strict planes of movement. The downside of this very strict movement is that while some muscle groups will become significantly stronger, other, smaller muscles are neglected.

 

The other advantage dumbbell exercises have over machines is that they "fit around" your body so the movement can be performed correctly

 

The downside of this very strict movement is that while some muscle groups will become significantly stronger, other, smaller muscles are neglected.

Although resistance machines can be adjusted, such as the seat height for example, the movement pattern is still largely governed by how the machine is built.

Athletes typically favor dumbbell exercises over machines as they can replicate sport-specific movements more accurately. They also know that they will develop a more balanced physique and structure if most of their routine employs free weight exercises.

 

  

Today's fitness trainer is more than a designer of programs, he or she is an educator, providing instruction in many facets of fitness, from correct exercise technique to equipment and apparel selection. Learn what it takes to become a personal trainer!

 

 

 

 

This week I want to talk about basic training and how you can maximize building strength and muscles.  And, this includes endurance which should be incorporated into any regime or workout.

The key components to building muscles is exercise and fuel.  Let me explain further.  First building muscle is based on two concepts.  Exercise and rest.  When you exercise your muscles you are actually tearing them.  They need time to recuperate.  That is why it is so important to rotate your exercises and let them rest.

Rotation is basically exercising different parts of your body each day you visit the gym.  For example one day you may work on your arms and the next day your legs or chest.  To maximize your workout try and use different weights or machine to target your specific muscles.  For example, use loose weights like dumbbells on your biceps one week and barbells the next.   Maybe try just machines in the 3rd week.    This way you have attacked your biceps from all different angles.  This is so important for muscle growth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZOBiLjxyQw&feature=colike