Mistakes I did in the gym !

MISTAKE MISTAKES MISTAKESSS....

In this post I will be sharing with you some of the mistakes I committed in and out of the gym as a result of which I lost a lot of time and energy. 90% of them was because of my lack of knowledge. So have a look and save yourself from repeating the same mistakes.

Here goes my confession ;)

• INSECURITY IN GYM

This is not a mistake but more of an attitude problem.This happened to me when I was newbie and just started my training in the gym. During those days, my trainer instructed me to use free weights and told me they are the best tools to build the foundation. But I was so insecure and shy to go that region of the gym. WHY? Because those region was filled with experienced lifters who has well built physiques. Their grinding and arrogant faces while lifting heavy ass weights kept me away from that zone. I was worried what those guys will think of me, a fat little kid. It bothered me a lot.

However with my thrust for building the physique I love I moved to free weights zone. And to my surprise the more I got to know about them, I understood none of them judges you and most of them are even ready to help you. I understood people who looked arrogant while lifting are actually teddy bears by heart and always willing to help the fellow lifters. One of the most important lesson that gym teaches you. 

So friends...especially girls out there.., if you are keeping yourself away from free weight zone just because of the same reason as mine, please don't shy away. I can assure you that those musclemen will only help you out.

• NOT TRAINING LEGS

I started my training during the summer of 2012. During the first two years I hardly had any "Leg Days". My attitude was - 'Nobody is going to see my legs anyway ! So why should I waste time on legs'. During that time I trained my calves once in a blue moon. That was one of my biggest regrets ever. 

And the result was : Chicken Legs :(

I had a decent upper body and loved wearing sleeveless tees to gym which showed off my arms. But I never had the guts to wear shorts. Because I was the perfect example for 'a guy who skipped the leg day'.

Solution: Seeing my imbalance in the mirror, I decided to include leg exercises into  my training plan. I improved the size and definition of the muscle in the next 2 years.

So train your lower body with equal intensity as you train your upper body. Experts proved that heavy weight training (Squats, Deadlift, Bench press) enhances the release of human growth hormones and testosterone. Both of which are crucial for muscle growth and fat loss. 

• NEGLECTING THE BEST AND TOUGH EXERCISES

Like I mentioned, I never trained legs. And I neglected the two best lifts - SQUATS AND DEADLIFT.

Even after I started training legs, I neglected squats. Well, the reason is kindof silly. During that time I believed squats are for girls to develop their butts. And genetically I am blessed with a biggg butt(you know, people call me 'petti' for a reason *wink*) and I didn't want it to get any bigger. But trust me, when I finally started squatting.. BOOM ...my legs started growing !

And as for deadlifts, I was scared I would hurt my lower back and spine. But that was again another misconception I had. Doing a deadlift correctly will not injure the back. It will only increase your strength and muscle mass. Now I am on my way to deadlift double my bodyweight. 

You can see my progress here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ju47bGZRY

Squats and deadlifts are the most important exercises and at the same time they are the one that can gift you serious injuries if done wrong. So always learn these exercises from experienced guys and practice it thoroughly before using heavy weights.

• LIFTED WEIGHTS INSTEAD OF TRAINING MY MUSCLE

I was a big ego lifter. My attitude was 'the bigger you get, more weight you should lift'. I even went ahead and did 100 pounds biceps curl. The next day my traps and shoulders were sour and biceps were all fresh. This attitude costs me a lot of opportunity & time to build muscle. Luckily ,even though it was a bit late, I was smart enough to learn from experienced lifters and I corrected this mistake.

If your aim is to build muscles and loose fat, use weight with which you can perform the exercise that feels the muscle being targeted. Concentrate on the muscle that you are training and visualize its movement as you perform. Mind-muscle connection is very important to build muscle.

• I DIETED INSTEAD OF EATING

I was  dieting and was eating the same pattern clean food day in day out. I never enjoyed my food. And it never lasted very long. In the quest for six pack abs I tortured myself to hunger. As a result on cheat meal days I ate all the wrong food and in huge amounts. This eventually led to a lot of fat gain. And to loose the fat I had to do a ton of cardio. In the end I did get visible ABS but at the cost of my precious hard earned muscle mass. 

•  RELYING ON WHEY PROTEIN TOO MUCH

There was a time I believed whey protein was a magic powder to build muscle. When I started using whey protein I didn't really care about real food. There used to be weeks I had only a single egg a day. Whey Whey Whey Whey... was the only protein source. That was one big mistake. After all protein powders are called supplements for a reason. Real food is the ultimate source of nutrients and proteins. Before using a protein supplements please make sure that you are getting 80% of your protein from whole food. A supplement is a supplement to your whole food. It will only fill the gap.

THROWING AWAY EGG YOLKS

I was scared of yolks ! There I said it. 

I believed the common myth that yolks are high in cholesterol and is very unhealthy. But I later learned I was actually throwing away something very high in proteins and vitamins. And now I consider each egg yolk as a mini multivitamin power house. But don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean you can eat 5-10 egg yolks a day. 2 or 3 whole eggs (white+yolk) a day is well and enough. You can increase the number as long as it is well within your daily fat intake limit.

FOCUSING ON GETTING TIRED

I was focusing on getting tired rather than exhausting the targeted muscle. Yeah... To me training in the gym was getting tired..getting sweaty..But as I learned more about bodybuilding I understood that Gym is not for burning away your calories. Its not the place to torture yourself for eating that extra scoop of ice cream. 

Gym is the place where you tear down the muscle using weights...GYM is a temple where you will understand that you are lot more stronger than what you think you are physically and mentally..Its the place where you build your character.

I hope this post helped you. Tell me about the mistakes you made at gym. I would love to hear about it and correct myself if I am also making those. 

Commit Fitness

Recipe : MASS GAINER

What is mass gainer?

Mass gainer is a supplement to add those extra calories into your diet. It generally comes in a powder form when you buy. It can be mixed with water / juice / milk to consume. 

Who needs a mass gainer?

Well, any gym rat who is struggling to build quality lean muscle because he/she is not able to meet daily required calories by clean eating can benefit from a mass gainer.

I prefer making a mass gainer at home than buying one from the market. You never know what the processed mass gainers contain...Personally I am skeptical when it comes to buying ready made products and I always minimize it whenever possible.  

Here is a simple recipe to make homemade mass gainer.

Ingredients Required

1) 2 Scoops whey protein powder (50gms of protein, but that depends on the brand you are using)

2) 100gms oats (69gms of carbs)

3)1 large frozen banana

4) 500ml cold whole milk(approx. 15gms of protein and 15gms of fat)

5) 15 almonds (9 gms of fat)

6) 2 table spoon peanut butter(15gms of fat)

7) Couple of ice cubes

8) All natural honey (recommended only if you have a sweet tooth)

9)Cinnamon powder

10)Chia seeds

11)Thulasi (Holy basil) 

12)Spinach (Sometimes I skip spinach. Adds it depending upon my mood)

Now blend all the ingredients in a mixer blender for 2-3mins. You can always alter the amount of each ingredient to meet your daily macros.

Thats it. Enjoy your healthy mass gainer.

Commit Fitness

Short cut to get 6 packs ABS

Busted !!!

If you came here looking for a shortcut for getting 6 packs shredded ABS, I will have to break the bad news to you. There is no shortcut ! Except  Photoshop ;) .

Ok. Let's talk serious stuff. By this time you would have accepted the fact that without well-defined abs your physique is incomplete. So I am here to help you take your physique to the next level with the following simple yet effective steps.

I assume that you have a below 15% body fat and you have a decent training history. 

SECRET 1: You should have an ABS day in your working plan.

 Many of my friends have leg day,chest day, arms day...but very few have an abs day. They say "I do my crunches at the end of my workout". Now guys THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. You should have a dedicated abs day. Period.

SECRET 2: Train your abs on empty stomach.

This is something that I felt worked out for me quite well. I was really able to squeeze my abs much better than when my tummy was with food. I prefer to train early in the morning. And I do drink a whey protein shake 30 minutes before of my abs training with minimum amount of water.

SECRET 3: Squeeze and full contraction for every damn repetition.

 
I am a strong believer of squeeze and contraction for all my training and not just for abs training alone. Obviously you won't be able to do high repetitions with this technique. But who wants to know how many reps you are doing. We are not here to do marathon training but to build some blocky ABS.


SECRET 4: Train your ABS.

My abs training won't cross a maximum of 30 minutes even in a busy gym. Trust me the very next day I always got the pleasure of sore abs. Train your abs with equal amount of intensity as you train your favorite body parts.

If you find the above "secrets" does make sense to you...you are welcome to try my "secret" ABS ROUTINE....

• Machine Crunches : 

For each rep at the bottom squeeze your abs with the weight. Hold it for 2 seconds. Repeat it 20 more times. You do have to arch your spine a little.  But remember not to use too much weight or arch your spine too much. It could hurt your lower back. 

•  Seated Twist :

Twist is very important for the development of your mid section. This exercise is to target your obliques. It helps to develop those feathers and helps to reduce those love handles too. This exercise is a great move to increase the blood flow in your mid section. To do the exercise, keep a light barbell at the back of your neck. Keep your back and head straight. Now twist as far as possible. 

• Leg Raise : 

Keep a slight bend in the knee throughout your movement. Do this exercise slowly keeping tension in your core throughout the motion. At the top position (90 degrees) hold and squeeze for 2 seconds. If you can't reach the recommended reps, reduce the weight. If done properly it helps to pop out your lower abs. ;)

• Plank :

When I did plank for the first time my whole body was shivering.This exercise is to strengthen your core. One of the most important exercises but sadly neglected by many. Keep your abs as tight as you can. Take small breaths. Now if you can hold the plank for more than 60 seconds, add some resistance by keeping weight plates on your back (Don't keep it on your lower back, it can hurt you).

Do the above exercises 4 times each with a rest period of 30 seconds after completing each set. You can repeat this every 3rd to 4th day of your training.

Cobra stretching

Once you complete 4 rounds of the above moves you can do cobra stretching. Its helps to relax your lower back along with that you will get a nice stretch for your abdominal muscles.

 Remember this routine is not to crunch away your poor eating habits. But this will definitely build your abdominal muscle and also makes sure that your inner core muscles are strong. Once you shed fat, this routine will help you to pop up those sexy blocks in your mid section. All the best. Happy 6-packs to you guys !  

Commit Fitness

9 ways to bust Inactivity !

This post is to all our IT friends... We all are busy with our life right? Hectic work schedules...deadlines....We barely  have time to move from our desks. We are growing daily, so are our tummies too... Yes we are eating a lot daily. But didn't we eat a lot more than that as kids???




 We almost ate double the amount of grandma cookies than what we are eating right now. Then what could be the reason we are developing those pregnant woman stomach?! We are wearing over size tees yet our stomach pops out like a balloon. 

Well... The main villian is : INACTIVITY

What is INACTIVITY?

Let me explain it by taking the daily routine of an IT professional. 

waking up-driving to work-office time-driving back to home-spending time with family-TV/laptop time-sleep

The above cycle repeats day after day...week after weak...year after year...Some however do put an effort to pursue their hobbies in between all these...

Understand that activity and exercise are not same. Activity concerns with what you are doing the 15 HOURS you are awake. 

See the pattern here.... Our work is generally sedentary. Not getting enough physical activity in your daily lifestyle can lead to slow metabolism (i.e body will use less energy throughout the day ).

Now slow metabolism will lead to increased fat gain. Since the energy produced from the food is less, it gets stored in our body as fat. Even if you eat healthy food or eat less amount of food, you will still be a victim of slow metabolism. 


Thus slow metabolism may lead to :

• Fat accumulation and muscle loss
• Insulin resistance i.e. ability to properly use insulin
• Reliance on carbohydrates or glucose for fuel 

So how to escape from such a 'condition' ? 

1)Don't sit for more than 30 minutes. Your fat holding cells will drastically increase. Always take a short walk every half an hour. It has an added benefit of improving the blood circulation. 

2)Use stairs ! I know it is an outdated phrase. I have seen many using stairs instead of the elevator but they climb it leisurely as if taking a stroll in the park. Of course it is better than taking the elevator. But climb the stairs as fast as you can...Compete with the lift baby ! Your heart should beat BOOM BOOM when you reach your floor.

3)If there is a mall near your home you are extremely lucky. Just go to mall and walk. If you think you will spent too much when you go to such places just " forget " your wallet at home. 

4)Get down a few stops before your home when you are using public vehicles. And walk rest of the distance. 

5)Go for a run. Ten minutes everyday at the very least. Get your heart pumping. 

6)Clean your home yourselves. Don't depend on maids. 

7)As the "IDEA" ad says 'walk and talk on phone'.

8)Go for an early morning walk. The freshness will last for the whole day. 

9) Plan active vacations like hiking rather than driving around.  

photo courtesy: gohiking.today 

Along with all that you can try to make small changes in your diet.

• Reduce deep fried foods
• Reduce sugar intake 
• Read the nutrition label before you buy packed food. Trust me, you will be surprised to see the amount of sugar and fat it has.

All these efforts should eventually become daily routines and habits in your life. Remember consistency is the only way to improve your physique. You needn't wait for the perfect moment to start "new" habits. Start now. Now is the right time.

Try to make it your daily routine and let us know how it helped it improve your physique. Feel free to contact me for your doubts and queries. Good Luck ...!

From Fat to Fit

Category B: Thick framed 

I would like to discuss category B with my own experience because I belonged to the very same category. FAT.

Not a pretty picture huh? Love handles, chubby loose stomach..Yea..That was once me.

SELF REALISATION

I realized I was fat. Category B. Even though I don't believe in BMR, I understood my body fat percentage was way more that what I hoped it would be. It was around 16%.

How I reached that fat percentage? 

• I ate only "clean" bodybuilding foods. In fact I ate way too much of it. I never tracked how much I ate.

• I indulged in those occasional cheat meals. Slowly those "cheat meals" became more frequent and generally accompanied by a session of overwhelming guilt.

• I went to gym. Worked hard. But rest of the day I was a total couch potato. I barely moved and sat watching marathon sessions of sitcoms...Game of thrones,Spartacus,Breaking Bad... You Name it,I have watched it.

• Turned a blind eye towards cardio. "CARDIO?? Does that even exist??! "

• I never cooked my food myself. Generally ate from outside.

And as a result I became like this. 


"THE SPARK"

After a few months of gap I visited my hometown again and mom asked if I stopped going to gym.What made mom ask that? Did I actually look fat? Weekend over. Back at Mysore... 

 TRACKING

First thing I decided to do was to track what I was eating. I downloaded myfitnesspal app. I also bought a food weighing scale to get correct measurements.

After tracking for a week I realised :

• I was eating way more carbohydrates than what is required especially late at nights.

• I was taking in hell lot of hidden oil from curries I ate from outside and sugar from teas and other beverages. 

• The veggies I was taking was limited to onions, tomatoes and potatoes. 

 FIXING MY DIET

I calculated the amount of carbs, proteins and fats I needed to improve my physique. Then I implemented that on my diet.

• Eating majority of carbohydrates around my training time (morning) and increasing protein and fat as the day progresses. 

• Including more varieties of veggies into my diet.

• I always kept my meals smaller and increased my meal frequency(breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner-snack).So I never felt full and at the same time was never hungry. (That's my little secret ...Shhh !!! *wink* )

The main challenges I faced?

• At the end of the day I generally craved for something sweet even though I wasn't really hungry. The solution I found was to  eat homemade peanut butter. (Thanks to my mom! I will share her recipe with you guys on another post.)

• On low calorie days I was at the verge of my temper. I was always irritable, it has gotten to the point that I actually started fighting with my girlfriend for no apparent reason. I didn't know what was going on for a while with me. Then I figured I was 'HANGRY' - so hungry that I was angry! I started adding more vegetables into my diet which kept my hunger at bay at the same time it was low on calorie. 

•  I work in an IT firm, where parties and weekend get--togethers are very common. Here is how I managed my diet during such events.

1.  I never went to parties with an empty stomach.
2.  I started socializing rather than concentrating on food.
3.  I chose to eat only oil free food.Mainly veggies, oil less chicken, fish and white rice. 
4. Never took alcohol.

WEIGHT LIFTING

Inarguably my most favorite step. I love this. And I can't make mistake in this. 

Photo courtesy: Happy page,facebook 


I always lifted heavy. I made sure the targeted muscle is stressed enough. And gradually my body weight started to reduce and my body got more defined. 

My abs workout and tips : Click here

Then  came the stagnation period. My body simply  stopped responding and started adapting to what I had implemented. It was hell frustrating, as I didn't see any change for weeks. I couldn't even think of reducing food anymore. 

CARDIO

The last weapon...Cardio...the one I hate the most.  My main confusion was which type of cardio should I include. HIIT or steady state and what time of the day should I do it early morning or evening. 

I decided to go with steady state cardio in the morning 4 times a week. I will wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual, have my protein shake and jump on to a cardio machine.

How did I get through 30-45 minutes of boring cardio?

• My biggest motivation was beautiful girls in my gym. And to my blessings those cardio machines were filled with them. So to impress them I did my best in every cardio session.

• Not every time I am lucky to be near them so I started watching bodybuilding motivational videos as I moved myself on the machine. 

These two worked pretty well for me. I was able to get through those lengthy cardio sessions maintaining a steady heart rate of 60-70% of max. I also increased my cardio by 5 minutes every week. And the result...

That's the beginning of my fat loss experience. Again this might not be the best way to loose fat for everyone. My aim was to lose as much fat as possible without losing muscle. So I chose this slow fat loss program. You have to understand your body. You should always be flexible enough to adjust according your body's requirement.

Things I learned :

• Patience...Patience is the key. It takes time to get results. If you are losing 0.5-1 kilo in a week , you are on the right track.

• Even if you are not losing weight but you see improvements in the mirror then you are on the right track.This is because you may be gaining muscle but lose fat alongside. 

•   Your jeans waist is still tight but your t shirt sleeves and shoulder getting loose. This is not a good sign, time to revisit your plan.

• Vegetables plays a big role in hunger suppression

•  200 calories banana milk shake is far better than zero calorie diet soda.

• And last but not the least... even if you eat a lot it is possible to loose fat. Right food and Right training is all it takes.

So that's my story.

Commit Fitness