Exercise


Exercise & Longevity

1) Walk fast for an hour every day.
2) Take the stairs instead of escalators and elevators.
3) On the weekend, walk everywhere, even faraway places (avoid polluted areas as much as possible).
4) Do moderate exercise for 2.5 to 5 hours a week, with some of it in the vigorous range. Most of the beneficial effects appear to be caused by the first 2.5 hours of exercise, making the additional exercise optional.
5) Use weight training or weight-free exercises to strengthen all muscles.
6) To maximize muscle growth, consume at least 30 grams of protein in a single low-carb meal 1-2 hours after a relatively intense weight-training session.



Sports Nutrition: Macronutrients timing.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) provides an objective and critical review regarding the timing of macronutrients in reference to healthy, exercising adults and in particular highly trained individuals on exercise performance and body composition. The following points summarize the position of the ISSN:Nutrient timing incorporates the use of methodical planning and eating of whole foods, fortified foods and dietary supplements. The timing of energy intake and the ratio of certain ingested macronutrients may enhance recovery and tissue repair, augment muscle protein synthesis (MPS), and improve mood states following high-volume or intense exercise.Endogenous glycogen stores are maximized by following a high-carbohydrate diet (8-12 g of carbohydrate/kg/day [g/kg/day]); moreover, these stores are depleted most by high volume exercise.If rapid restoration of glycogen is required (< 4 h of recovery time) then the following strategies should be considered:aggressive carbohydrate refeeding (1.2 g/kg/h) with a preference towards carbohydrate sources that have a high (> 70) glycemic indexthe addition of caffeine (3-8 mg/kg)combining carbohydrates (0.8 g/kg/h) with protein (0.2-0.4 g/kg/h) Extended (> 60 min) bouts of high intensity (> 70% VO2max) exercise challenge fuel supply and fluid regulation, thus carbohydrate should be consumed at a rate of ~30-60 g of carbohydrate/h in a 6-8% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (6-12 fluid ounces) every 10-15 min throughout the entire exercise bout, particularly in those exercise bouts that span beyond 70 min. When carbohydrate delivery is inadequate, adding protein may help increase performance, ameliorate muscle damage, promote euglycemia and facilitate glycogen re-synthesis.Carbohydrate ingestion throughout resistance exercise (e.g., 3-6 sets of 8-12 repetition maximum [RM] using multiple exercises targeting all major muscle groups) has been shown to promote euglycemia and higher glycogen stores. Consuming carbohydrate solely or in combination with protein during resistance exercise increases muscle glycogen stores, ameliorates muscle damage, and facilitates greater acute and chronic training adaptations.Meeting the total daily intake of protein, preferably with evenly spaced protein feedings (approximately every 3 h during the day), should be viewed as a primary area of emphasis for exercising individuals.Ingestion of essential amino acids (EAA; approximately 10 g)either in free form or as part of a protein bolus of approximately 20-40 g has been shown to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS).Pre- and/or post-exercise nutritional interventions (carbohydrate + protein or protein alone) may operate as an effective strategy to support increases in strength and improvements in body composition. However, the size and timing of a pre-exercise meal may impact the extent to which post-exercise protein feeding is required.Post-exercise ingestion (immediately to 2-h post) of high-quality protein sources stimulates robust increases in MPS.In non-exercising scenarios, changing the frequency of meals has shown limited impact on weight loss and body composition, with stronger evidence to indicate meal frequency can favorably improve appetite and satiety. More research is needed to determine the influence of combining an exercise program with altered meal frequencies on weight loss and body composition with preliminary research indicating a potential benefit.Ingesting a 20-40 g protein dose (0.25-0.40 g/kg body mass/dose) of a high-quality source every three to 4 h appears to most favorably affect MPS rates when compared to other dietary patterns and is associated with improved body composition and performance outcomes.Consuming casein protein (~ 30-40 g) prior to sleep can acutely increase MPS and metabolic rate throughout the night without influencing lipolysis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28919842


Bench Press 101

Grip. Hold the bar in the base of your palm, close to your wrist. Squeeze the bar.
Grip Width. Hands inside the ring marks of the bar. Vertical forearms at the bottom.
Thumbs. Wrap your thumbs around the bar. Don’t Bench Press with a thumbless grip.
Wrists. Straight line bar to wrist to elbow. Don’t Bench with bent wrists or they’ll hurt.
Elbows. About 75° out at the bottom. They shouldn’t touch your torso or flare out 90°.
Forearms. Vertical to the floor from every angle: from the side as well as from the front.
Shoulders. Keep them back, on the bench. Don’t shrug your shoulders forward at the top.
Upper-back. Squeeze your shoulder-blades together to increase stability when you Bench.
Chest. Raise it to the ceiling. Reach to the bar while you lower it. But keep your butt on bench.
Head. Setup with your eyes under the bar. Keep your head neutral. Don’t push it into your bench.
Lower Back. Natural arch. I should be able to slide my flat hand between the bench and your back.
Butt. Keep your butt on your bench when you bench. Don’t cheat by raising your butt off the bench.
Feet. Flat on the floor, not in the air. Feet under knees. Use a shoulder-width stance like on Squats.
Unracking. Unrack the weight by straightening your arms. Move the bar above your shoulder joint.
Way Down. Lower the bar to your mid-chest. Tuck your elbows in 75° while you lower the weight.
Bottom. Straight wrists, vertical forearms. Elbows in but not against your torso. Bar on mid-chest.
Way Up. Don’t pause at the bottom. Press the bar back to above your shoulders. Lock your elbows.
Lockout. Lock the bar over your shoulder joint. Lock your elbows at the top. Don’t bend them back.
Racking. Lockout with straight elbows. Move the bar back against the rack. Lower it in the uprights.
Bar Path. Diagonal line from your mid-chest to shoulders. Not vertical over shoulders, neck or chest.
Breathing. Big breath at the top, hold it on the way down, hold it at the bottom, exhale at the top.
http://stronglifts.com/bench-press/


Mind and Body

You must consider that in the beginning you are training the mind as well as the body. The mind, after all, makes you want to
train; it turns on the body. Because the mind motivates you to train the body, you have to train the mind first. If the mind
doesn’t want to lift weights, the body won’t lift them. 

 Once you’ve gained mastery over it, channeling its powers positively for your purposes, you can do just about anything.

 The secret is to make your mind work for you—not against you. This means constantly being positive,
constantly setting up challenges you can meet—either today, next week, or next month. “I can’t. . .” should be permanently
eliminated from your vocabulary, especially from  your thoughts.


A Reason

You should know why you are going to start training. This is one of the most important steps in initiating a successful training program.
You should not go to the gym because somebody says, “Hey, you’re a slob. You ought to do some weight
training and get in shape.” That isn’t a good reason, because you would be trying to satisfy someone else’s wishes, not your own.
You should have a very good reason why you want to get into weight resistance training. The best thing to do is to sit down
and say to yourself, “What do I want to get out of it? What is my goal?”
Be honest. Honesty is the key to how much you can improve.


Body Types

The Ectomorph: A thin person with a light bone structure and long tenuous muscles. The ectomorph has a tough time gaining
weight and building strength. 
The Endomorph: A stocky person with thick bones and a general
tendency to be round and stout. The endomorph will gain fast and be able to handle heavy training. His body is more likely
to remain blocky and muscular without showing great cuts or definition.
The Mesomorph: Anatomically, the ideal body for weight resistance training. The mesomorph has a large frame and the capacity
for becoming muscular fast. You can improve your body. All that you should look for in
training with weights is that you should achieve 100% of your potential. That potential will varies greatly among three body types
and individuals within each type. Most people are a combination  of characteristics from more than one type.


Advices About Training

1. Give your full concentration to each exercise. Feel what the exercise does to your muscles as you move.
2. Good form is more important than the number of repetitions. Add more resistance as you get stronger, but never at the
expense of good exercise form.
3. After your workout stand in front of a mirror and check your body. Do a few poses. Make an honest assessment of your
progress.
4. Maintain a positive mental attitude at all times.
5. You must eat well and get adequate sleep when you are on a serious bodybuilding program. You need eight to nine hours of
sound, restful sleep every night. Mending and growth take place during these periods of rest. If for some reason you miss your
quota of sleep, take a half-hour to one-hour nap after you get home from work. This will refresh you, help you recuperate
more fully, and speed your progress. If  you want—build a great body, —if you want it badly enough and are willing to work for it with all your heartyou will.


Gym

You’ll be doing at least a one-hour workout in the beginning, and eventually a two-hour workout, so it’s important that you
choose a place where you feel one hundred percent comfortable and where you will be inspired to do hard work.

One consideration in evaluating a gym is who works out there. If you are a bodybuilder it helps if a lot of bodybuilders are training for competition.
That’s the kind of atmosphere you want. You can relate to these people and let them guide you in attaining the proper workout
spirit. I personally choose the places with heavy wheels and cables and machines, heavy-duty stuff that looks like torture equipment.
That kind of gym gives me the incentive to do a serious workout. I’ve found that, generally speaking, home gyms can have a negative effect on concentrated training.

Your kitchen and living room are too close. You find yourself thinking, “Should I do another set or should I …?”
There are too many distractions. But if you make the commitment of traveling to the gym for half an hour, you will most likely decide that you’re
going to put in some work so you won’t have gone there for nothing. The gymnasium you choose should have good ventilation.
Next to your mental attitude, plentiful oxygen is actually the most important thing while you’re training. Without an adequate
oxygen supply you will tire easily and be unable to handle a vigorous one- or two-hour workout. The gym should be cool—it it’s too hot you

will grow languid and feel your strength has been sapped. Preferably you should get fresh air, not air-conditioned air.


Training Partner

I have found that the best way to get great workouts is to have an enthusiastic training partner. You’ll be amazed at how much
harder and faster you can work when you have someone to work out with. A good training partner pushes you to handle more poundage and gives you the incentive to grind out more reps per set with a minimum of rest pauses in between (which is real quality training). Workouts are more fun with a partner as well as more competitive. On those days when you feel lazy, your partner pushes you to keep working hard, and you end up with a good workout instead of an incomplete one.


Muscle Awareness

Before you begin your workouts sit down for a few moments and think about your body. Let your mind get in touch with your
muscles. During the day you probably think about everything  except training your body. You shouldn’t just hurry to the gym
from a business deal and start doing a bench press. Not only will the exercise do you no good, it may actually injure you. The
mind doesn’t work like that. You should allow it a few minutes to adjust to the idea of training. It is especially valuable now to be
aware of your body, mind and muscles, separately and as a single unit. Start with your calves. Feel them, flex them. Work up from
there. 


Abdomen

 Well-sculptured, highly defined abdominals give the physique a more finished appearance than any
other muscle group. In any competition, if your abdominal region has a slight layer of fat on it, you might as well forget about winning that shows.
Sharply defined abdominals are a must for maximum impressiveness.The entire abdominal region needs to be thoroughly exercised to get rid of all the visible surface fat. The following exercise routine can give your midsection sensational cuts. However remember that without a correct diet no amount of exercise will achieve the desired washboard look.

SIT-UPS—KNEES BENT—LEG RAISES—KNEES BENT—DRAGON FLAG (favorite)

Dragon Flag

 HOW TO DO IT: Lie faceup on a bench and grab the bench next to your ears so that your elbows are bent and your upper arms are next to your head. Your hands are there simply for support — don’t pull with them or you’ll wrench your neck. Use your core to roll up onto your shoulders until your body is straight and perpendicular to the ground –basically, you’re stacked on top of your shoulders. From here, slowly lower your body using your core, maintaining a straight body line. Work toward bringing your body down until it’s hovering just above the bench. Then bring it back up to the start and lower slowly again. 


Biceps

To some people the biceps are the symbol of strength. Everybody can relate to arms. Arms are one of the most impressive
parts of the body, the part everybody wants to see. When somebody says, “Show me your muscles,” you don’t show your calves.
You automatically lift up your arm and flex your bicep. A lot of attention should be put into arms so they look good.

Note: One thing about the biceps—you need to relax them completely between repetitions. Stand with your arms limp, and
the outside of your hands turned toward the thighs. This gives the blood a chance to flow freely through the biceps.  While working the muscles remember to turn your wrist, stretch your biceps and flex them when you reach the top position.

BARBELL CURL—STANDING—DUMBBELL CURL—SITTING—RESTRICTED INCLINED DUMBBELL—CONCENTRATION CURLS


The Pump

The BEST WAY you can get a pump is by going through your workout at a fast pace. I don’t mean to do the individual exercises fast, but to
move from one set to the next without undue delay. If you sit around for two minutes after each set and wait until your body relaxes,
you’ll never get the tight, full feeling of the pumped-up muscle. It’s better to handle less weight and move fast than to handle more weight and exhaust yourself.


Mental Attitude

You must approach all of your training with a positive mental attitude and the firm conviction that you will succeed. Visualize the body you
want and then train relentlessly until you get it. Be explicit. See yourself with that body, cut up and toned to an ideal state. Tell
yourself it’s possible. Then work to make it happen. Do not underestimate the part your attitude plays in bodybuilding.
Mental strain and worry can drain the body and adversely affect both your workouts and muscular growth. A good
positive mental attitude ought to go beyond the gym. It should extend to your eating habits, your sleeping habits, and the way
you conduct your life in general. Use the time on the way to the gym to outline some immediate
goals for yourself, to decide what you want to accomplish in this particular workout session. Don’t just go to the gym and say,
“Oh, no, another workout.” Your attitude should be: “Okay, this is another training session, and today instead of a 200-pound
bench press I’ll do 205 pounds. I feel stronger today; I can do it. I can do more chin-ups. I can do more sit-ups.”