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Female Weight Lifting Routines; 3 Body Shaping Workouts

Nov

3

2014

RichFar
Female-Weight-Lifting-Routines-Flavia

Hello and welcome to http://drcrystalbrown.com/2016/10/11/week-of-101016/ Part 2 of http://tenzinga.com/wp-content/plugins/js_composer/assets/js/components/vc_grid_style_load_more.js?ver=4.5.1 Female Weight Lifting Routines.

In Part 1, we had a look at what a weight lifting routine is and I provided answers to some commonly asked questions.

Now it’s time to ‘get down and get jiggy with it’…

Here I will give you a complete workout routine for each of three goals:

  • Losing Body Fat and Developing Muscle
  • Strength Training
  • Body Sculpting

 Losing Body Fat and Developing Muscle 

Warm-up

Kettle Bell/Dumbbell Swings 2 x 15 – 20

Upper Body Workout

Incline dumbbell press 3 x 12

Flat dumbbell flyes 2 x 12

Pull-downs – wide grip 3 x 12

Seated cable row 2 x 12

Dumbbell overhead press 3 x 12

Dumbbell side lateral raise 2 x 12

Barbell curl 3 x 12

Close grip bench press 3 x 12

Lower Body Workout

Barbell Back Squats 3 x 10

Forward walking lunges 2 x 8 steps each leg

Romanian dead-lift 3 x 10

Hyper Extensions 2 x 10

Standing calf raise 3 x 12

Abdominal Workout

Bicycle crunch 2 x 15 each side

Pelvic floor raise 2 x 15

Plank 2 x 30 seconds

 

Workout Schedule: 

Week 1

Monday:

  • Warm-up
  • Upper Body Workout

Tuesday:

  • Active rest i.e. 40 minute brisk walk

Wednesday:

  • Warm-up
  • Lower Body Workout
  • Abdominal workout

Thursday:

  • Active rest i.e. 40 minute brisk walk

 Friday:

  • Warm-up
  • Upper Body Workout

 Saturday: Active rest i.e. 40 minute brisk walk

 Sunday: Active rest i.e. 40 minute brisk walk

 

Then on week two, begin Monday with Lower Body Workout so it looks like this:

 

Week 2

Monday: Warm-up + Lower Body Workout

Tuesday: Active Rest

Wednesday: Warm-up + Upper Body Workout

Thursday:  Active Rest

Friday: Warm-up + Lower Body Workout

Saturday: Active rest

Sunday: Active rest

 

Cycle week 1 and week 2.

 

Strength Training  

For our strength training routine we will focus on just four compound lifts.

Compound lifts are lifts that incorporate multiple joints and work a larger muscle area along with various smaller muscle groups.

Compound lifts will help you develop over-all strength and conditioning much faster.

For a Strength Training routine, we will be keeping the reps a bit lower – in this case, we will be working with five sets of five reps each.

Strength Training – Compound Lifts:   

Female-Weight-Lifting-Routines-Barbell-Squat

Want a Firm Uplifted Butt?
Do Deep Squats

Barbell Back Squat 5 x 5

Dead-lift 5 x 5

Bent-over Barbell Row 5 x 5

Barbell Bench-press 5 x 5

We will also include some higher repetition additional exercises to ensure a good blood flow and muscle pump to the target areas.

For this workout, we are not isolating smaller muscle areas like arms and shoulders as these muscles will receive enough stimulation during the compound lifts.

Workout Schedule  

Monday:

Barbell Back Squat 5 x 5

Leg Press 2 x 8 – 10

Barbell Bench-press 5 x 5

Incline Dumbbell Press 2 x 8 – 10

Tuesday: Active Rest

Wednesday:

Dead-lift 5 x 5

Bent-over Barbell Row 5 x 5

Pull-downs 2 x 8 -10

Thursday: Active Rest

Friday:

Barbell Back Squat 5 x5

Leg Press 2 x 8 – 10

Barbell Bench-press 5 x 5

Incline Dumbbell Press 2 x 8 – 10

Saturday: Active rest

Sunday: Active rest 

The individual workouts may not look much on paper; however they are very taxing on the body as you will find out.

You need to go heavy on these and increase the weights incrementally the next workout after all reps on each set have been reached on a particular exercise.

Example: if you are doing Barbell Back Squats, with just the Olympic Bar (20 kg), and on your last set get your 5 reps – then when you next do Barbell Back Squats, your starting weight would be, say, 23 kg (Olympic Bar + 1.5 kg each side).

Rest for at least 90 seconds, and up to 2 minutes, between sets to gain adequate strength back to fulfil the following sets.

Important: If you are not familiar with doing the compound lifts required in the Strength Training workout, please seek the advice and assistance of a qualified trainer/gym instructor before commencing.

 

Body Sculpting  

Okay, what we are going to do here is combine several factors from both the above workouts Losing Body Fat and Developing Muscle and Strength Training, whilst also adding in some additional auxiliary exercises along with additional cardio.

Basically, body sculpting is just that – adding detail and shape.

I love how Arnold Schwarzenegger described it in the film ‘Pumping Iron’ when he made reference to a sculptor working on a statue “You don’t really see a muscle as a part of you, in a way. You see it as a thing. You look at it as a thing and you say well this thing has to be built a little longer, the bicep has to be longer; or the triceps has to be thicker here in the elbow area. And you look at it and it doesn’t even seem to belong to you. Like a sculpture. Then after looking at it a sculptor goes in with his thing and works a little bit, and you do maybe then some extra forced reps to get this lower part out. You form it. Just like a sculpture.”

Adding Shape and Definition to Muscles: 

So…you have worked hard at toning your body and increasing your strength, now you’re looking to bring out some definition through a bit of muscle separation – hey, you’re on your way, getting and feeling better and better, and you’re proud of your efforts – so you should be 🙂

This is where auxiliary, or isolation exercises and additional cardio come in.

What are Isolation Exercises  

A bit further back in the article we had a look at compound lifts.  Remember, they are exercises that work larger muscles and a number of other smaller muscle groups, such as the Barbell Back Squat.

Well…for bringing out muscle definition, we will be incorporating isolation or ‘auxiliary’ exercises into our workouts.  These are exercises which primarily put the focus on one particular muscle, usually a smaller muscle such as the biceps or triceps in the upper arm.

Example of Isolation Exercises:  

Female-Weight-Lifting-Routines-Side-Lateral-Raise

Add Definition to the Shoulders with Side Lateral Raises

  

Arms –

  • Concentration curls
  • Hammer curls
  • Reverse curls
  • Triceps Rope Push-downs
  • Dumbbell kick-backs

Shoulders/Delts –

  • Side lateral raises
  • Front raises
  • Rear delt flyes

Legs –

  • Leg extensions
  • Toes pointed leg curls

 

What are Supersets?  

Supersets are when we combine two exercises back to back.

There are several benefits of including supersets in your workout, such as – more work covered in shorter time, increased time under tension for the target muscle, more calories burned.

A superset may be used as two exercises for the one muscle i.e. Leg Press/Leg Extension.  Or, can be very effectively worked with antagonist pairings i.e. Barbell Curls/Close Grip Bench (working biceps and triceps)

How to Perform Supersets  

Quite simply, you perform one exercise then move directly onto the next without a rest break.

Therefore for Superset 1, in the body sculpting workout I have outlined below, you would first do one set of 8 – 10 repetitions for Incline Dumbbell Press then move directly into position for Flat Dumbbell Flyes and do 10 – 12 repetitions then rest for 40 – 60 seconds and repeat until completing the required number of sets. 

Body Sculpting Workout  

Monday: Chest and Delts

Warm-up – Clean & Press or Kettle Bell Swings 2 x 15

Superset 1

  1. Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 8 – 10
  2. Flat Flyes 3 x 10 – 12

Upright Machine Flyes or

Cable Crossovers 2 x 15

Superset 2

  1. Seated Dumbbell Press 3 x 8 – 10
  2. Dumbbell Upright Row 3 x 8 – 10

Cable Side Lateral Raises 2 x 12 – 15

Abs/Cardio

  1. Jump Rope x 20 skips
  2. Bicycle Crunch x 12 to each side

Alternate between the two, without rest, for a total of three sets

 

Tuesday: Back and Calves

Uni-lateral Pull-ups

(assisted if required) 3 x 8 – 10

Wide-grip Pull-downs 2 x 8 – 10

Seated Cable Rows 2 x 12

Bent-over Cable Laterals 1 x 15

 

Leg Press Calf Raises 3 x 15 – 20

Seated Calf Raises 2 x 12 – 15

Abs/Cardio

  1. Jump Rope x 20 skips
  2. Plank x 30 seconds

Alternate between the two exercises, with no rest, for a total of three sets.

Wednesday: Interval Cardio

Treadmill x 12 minutes

(Medium paced for 2 minutes, as a warm-up.  Then as fast as you can for 30 – 40 seconds then medium paced for 60 – 90 seconds, fast as you can for 30 – 40 seconds then medium paced for 60 – 90 seconds.  Continue that cycle then do an additional five minute medium paced walk to come down)

 

Thursday: Arms 

Superset 1

  1. Barbell Curl 3 x 8 – 10
  2. Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 8 – 10

Superset 2

  1. Dumbbell Preacher Curls 2 x 12
  2. Overhead Dumbbell Extension 2 x 12

Superset 3

  1. Rope Curls 1 x 15
  2. Rope Press-downs 1 x 15 – 20

Abs/Cardio

  1. Jump Rope x 20 skips
  2. Bicycle Crunch x 12 to each side

Alternate between the two for a total of three sets

 

Friday: Legs

Leg Extensions 3 x 12

Barbell Back Squat or Leg Press 3 x 8

Walking Lunges 2 x 20 steps (10 each leg)

Seated or Laying Leg Curls 3 x 12

45 degree Hyper Extension 2 x 10 – 12

Abs/Cardio

  1. Jump Rope x 20 skips
  2. Plank x 30 seconds

Alternate between the two exercises for a total of three sets

 

Saturday: Active Rest

Sunday: Active Rest

 

Conclusion 

Whew!

There you have it, three completely different Female Weight Lifting Routines – each serving a different purpose, though intrinsically linked, and depending upon the over-all objective of the individual.

You can use either of these workouts…

  • Losing Body Fat and Developing Muscle
  • Strength Training
  • Body Sculpting

…depending on where you’re at right now and then move on to another, when your original goal is met.

I hope this article has been helpful for you.

If you have any questions or relevant information you wish to share, please leave a comment in the box below or contact me directly support@superyou4life.com

If you are unfamiliar with any of the exercises I have included in the above workouts, please seek the guidance of a qualified trainer or gym instructor.  Also most, if not all, the exercises should be available to view on http://YouTube.com

I recommend you consult your Doctor or other Health Care professional prior commencing this, or any, exercise program.

As a final note, I would suggest you take a look at This Program: ‘Full-Body-Licious’ -Workouts by Flavia Del Monte.   

Or check out what Flavia has to say on: ‘The Truth About Females and Lifting Heavy Weights‘

Female-Weight-Lifting-Routines-Flavia

Would You like a Body Like This?
Let Flavia Show You How – Click Here.

Flavia Del Monte – is a Registered Nurse, Certified Personal Trainer and Precision Nutritionist.  Flavias goal is helping women say ‘I Love My Body’.

 

*The information and workouts I have presented in this article – Female Weight Lifting Routines – are my own and are not associated with Flavia Del Monte.

 

Blessings Be,

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich Far

Founder of http://superyou4life.com

Contact: support@superyou4life.com

 

Thank you for reading:

Female Weight Lifting Routines; 3 Body Shaping Workouts

Posted in Exercise | Tags: body shaping workouts, female weight lifting routines, Flavia Del Monte, losing body fat | 1 Comment |

Female Weight Lifting Routines; Answers to Common Questions

Nov

1

2014

RichFar

Hi and welcome to my article: Female Weight Lifting Routines.

I am happy you’re here because it means you are either already familiar with weight training and looking for alternate routines, or you are a venturing newcomer intrigued by the whole ‘resistance’ training idea.

Well…this article should serve to assist with both.

Due to the length of the article I am dividing it into Part 1 and Part 2.

In Part 1 we have a look at what weight lifting is and I answer some common questions and concerns.

Part 2 is where we get into the actual workouts. 

What is a Weight Lifting Routine 

Primarily, a weight lifting routine is simply performing a range of exercises with the use of additional weight or ‘resistance’.

This can be in the form of ‘free weights’ which refers to the likes of dumbbells, barbells, kettle-bells or really any other movable weight.  Or, alternatively, machine style platforms such as ‘Hammer-Strength’, Leg-Press, Cables etc.

Will Lifting Weights Cause Me to Bulk-up? 

This is probably the most asked question when it comes to female weight lifting routines.

The answer, in short, is No.   What-Women-Think-Weights-Will-Do

Unless you have quite a hormone imbalance – where your testosterone level is higher than the female average and your estrogen levels are rather low – which you would surely be aware of due to other indications – then this is not a concern.  (If you have any queries on this, please consult your Doctor or other Health Care Professional).

The women you might see with physiques resembling male bodybuilders is a result of steroid use.

The physique you can expect to achieve through incorporating weights is more that of a swimwear or fitness model.

What is the Difference between Male and Female Weight Lifting Routines 

Quite simply – None!

I know, it sounds crazy.

However, when you consider everything is relative to your objective, then the process of the given objective has to have a particular course, and the process is non-gender specific.

Therefore, whether your goal is to gain lean muscle or shed unwanted body fat, or a combination of both (most desirable), then the process of doing so differs only by the variables involved i.e. Nutritional requirements, amount of weight used, etc.

Is Lifting Weights Beneficial for Fat Loss 

Absolutely!

Example of estimated calories burned per 45 minutes for a woman 35 years of age, 160 cm tall and weighing 75 kg:

  • Weight Lifting – light to moderate effort = 141 Calories
  • Weight Lifting – vigorous effort = 282 Calories
  • Circuit Training – general = 376 Calories
  • Running – jog/walk combination = 282 Calories
  • Walking – 5.6 kph = 179 Calories

So you can see that a moderate to vigorous weight lifting workout will burn considerable calories during the workout, in addition your metabolism will be heightened for continued benefit.

The big plus being that following a weight lifting program decreases body fat whilst increasing lean muscle mass, creating the over all toned and terrific body of your dreams 🙂

 

Different Workouts for Different Goals 

Okay, the title of this post – Female Weight Lifting Routines – is plural due to the fact that different routines achieve different outcomes.

So, in part 2 of this article I shall present you with a separate routine for each of three goals:

  • Losing Body Fat and Developing Muscle
  • Strength Training
  • Body Sculpting

 

Ready?  Let’s go!

Click Here to read Part 2 – ‘3 Body Shaping Workouts‘

 

If you have any questions or relevant information you wish to share, please leave a comment in the box below or contact me directly support@superyou4life.com

I recommend you consult your Doctor or other Health Care professional prior commencing this, or any, exercise program.

Click Here to read my three part series ‘How to Plan For Weight Loss’

 

Blessings Be,

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich Far

Founder of http://superyou4life.com

Contact: support@superyou4life.com

 

Thank you for reading:

Female Weight Lifting Routines; Answers to Common Questions

 

Posted in Exercise | Tags: body shaping workouts, exercise, fat loss, female weight lifting routines, fitness, lifting weights, resistance workout | 1 Comment |

How to Plan for Weight Loss; Outdoor Fitness Workout Ideas

Sep

22

2014

RichFar

Hi and welcome to How to Plan for Weight Loss Part 3 –

Outdoor Fitness Workout Ideas

In How to Plan for Weight Loss part 1 we went over the importance of initial goal setting and the motivation behind your decision to lose weight.

Then, in How to Plan for Weight Loss part 2, we looked at the relevance of creating a good nutrition plan and the practicalities of a well balanced Healthy Lifestyle.

Well, now it is time to turn our attention to another very important factor in achieving a long lasting vibrancy, and retaining the energetic youthfulness, of a fit and healthy body.  Outdoor-Fitness-Workout-Ideas

Exercise!

Yes, I know…the word itself fills many a heart with trepidation and uncertainty.

Hey, I understand your concern and I am here to help in, hopefully, the least intrusive way.

A Personal Story

So, let me share a personal story with you to break the ice…

Sometime back I expressed to my wife my desire to lose weight.

Somewhat to my chagrin, she agreed that things had got a bit out of hand, and yeah, it appeared that I could lose a ‘few’ pounds.

My birthday followed soon after and lo and behold, among my gifts, my wife had given me a book containing complete fitness routines including outdoor fitness workout ideas.

The book proved to be a great and invaluable gift and was so compelling I read it through within a week.  Then went back and studied it in more detail as this awesome book contains motivational stories, nutrition plans, workout plans, tips and focus points and…it contains ample illustrations.

Now, to be fair, I will say that I favour weight-lifting and bodybuilding workouts and have a history in that field.  However, I had certainly ‘enjoyed’ a bit of a lay-off period and had some cushioning to show.

So, to ensure I remained motivated with my goals, I signed up for a 12 week body transformation challenge.

Though preferring a resistance style program (using barbells and dumbbells), I was intrigued by the information in the book my wife had brought me and decided to give it a try.

For 30 days I did not touch a weight or use any equipment that was not available in my surroundings, apart from a skipping rope and water bottle.

The result was amazing.

So, here I will share with you a weekly routine that I feel will give you amazing results.

If you can’t follow this routine exactly then use your initiative to incorporate substitute exercises – I will include some exercise variations further on – and you will achieve the same results, guaranteed!

Outdoor Workout 1

 

  • 10 minute walk – fast paced

 Circuit x 3 

  • 10 bodyweight squats
  • 10 push-ups
  • 10 Jumping Jacks (Star-jumps)
  • Plank – 30 seconds
  • Skip rope – 30 seconds
  • Rest no more than 20 seconds and repeat for a total of three times

 

  • 8 minute walk – fast paced then slower paced for 2 minutes

 

Outdoor Workout 2

 

  • 10 minute walk – fast paced

 Circuit x 3

  • Windmills – 10 to each side
  • 10 x Burpees
  • Bicycle Crunch – 10 to each side
  • Plank – 30 seconds
  • Skip Rope – 30 seconds
  • Rest no more than 20 seconds then repeat for a total of three times

 

  • 8 minute walk – fast paced then slower paced for 2 minutes

 

Outdoor Workout 3

 

  • 10 minute walk – fast paced

 Circuit x 3

  • Step-ups x 10 – leading first 5 with left leg then leading 5 with right leg (use park bench seat or a ledge, step etc)
  • Incline Push-ups x 10 (use park bench)
  • Park bench dips x 10
  • Water bottle kneeling side twists x 5 each way
  • Skip Rope – 30 seconds
  • Rest no more than 20 seconds then repeat for a total of three times

 

  • 8 minute walk – fast paced then slower paced for 2 minutes

 

How Your Weekly Workout Plan Will Look:

Monday – Outdoor Workout 1

Tuesday – 40 minute walk (either 1 x 40 min or 2 x 20 minutes)

Wednesday – Outdoor Workout 2

Thursday – 40 minute walk (either 1 x 40 min or 2 x 20 minutes)

Friday – Outdoor Workout 3

Saturday – 40 minute walk (either 1 x 40 min or 2 x 20 minutes)

Sunday – 40 minute walk (either 1 x 40 min or 2 x 20 minutes)

When you look at the above plan you may be questioning where the ‘rest’ day is.  In essence, your work days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The other four days require just a 40 minute walk.

You want results, right?

After four weeks of following the above plan, have a ‘rest’ day if you wish to.  Couple-running   However, by then it will seem wrong and your day will appear unfulfilled without at least a walk.

Plus, the results you achieve will have you feeling awesome.

 

12 Week Exercise Plan 

After four weeks your body and mind will have adjusted to the weekly exercise plan and therefore your results will plateau.

How do you avoid this from happening and continue achieving the great results?

The only way to receive continued results is by increasing the demands.

The reason the first four weeks gave such great results is because you have done something very different.  You shocked your body.

The ‘shock’ does not last and therefore you need to introduce a new ‘shock’.

How?

It is really quite simple…

Increase the intensity.

This can be done a number of ways and these may also be combined for increased efficiency.

Intensity techniques: 

  • Increase working time
  • Decrease resting time
  • Increase circuit repetitions
  • Increase circuit days

     Applying intensity techniques: 

Once you know what the intensity techniques are, applying them to your workout is easy.

Here is an example of applying the intensity techniques to Outdoor Workout 1:

 

Outdoor Workout 1 (Weeks 5 – 8)

  • 15 minute walk – fast paced

Circuit x 4 

  • 15 body-weight squats
  • 15 push-ups
  • 15 Jumping Jacks (Star-jumps)
  • Plank – 40 seconds
  • Skip rope – 40 seconds
  • Rest no more than 20 seconds and repeat for a total of three times
  • 12 minute walk – fast paced then slower paced for 3 minutes

 

Outdoor Workout 1 (Weeks 9 – 12) 

  • 20 minute walk – fast paced

Circuit x 4 

  • 20 bodyweight squats
  • 20 push-ups
  • 20 Jumping Jacks (Star-jumps)
  • Plank – 60 seconds
  • Skip rope – 60seconds
  • Rest no more than 20 seconds and repeat for a total of three times
  • 15 minute walk – fast paced then slower paced for 5 minutes

Apply this example to Outdoor Workouts 2 and 3.  In addition, increase your non-workout day walks by 10 minutes every four weeks.

 

Awaken-the-abs-within

 

Become aware of ‘recreational’ activities which will further support your fitness goals such as bike riding, ball games, water sports, hiking etc.

Also, keep open to opportunities in your surroundings.  Use your imagination.  For example:

  • Tree limbs can substitute nicely for pull-up/chin-up bars
  • Swings provide for great core stabilizer workouts
  • Park benches are awesome for many different exercises including dips, push-ups, step-ups.
  • Stairs – for running up/down, doing step-ups and jumps, lunges, incline push-ups

If, for reasons beyond your control such as heavy rain, you are unable to perform your workout or walk on a given day, don’t let it slide.  Have a substitute back-up plan you can do indoors.

Example Indoor Workout Plan: 

  • Knees high march on the spot – 60 seconds
  • Body-weight Squats x 10
  • Push-ups x 10
  • Mountain Climbers x 10 each side
  • Plank x 30 seconds
  • Rest no more than 20 seconds and repeat circuit for a total of three times

If you have an exercise bike or treadmill at home, or other exercise equipment, certainly utilize those as well.

After 12 weeks you will be amazed and proud of the super fit and strong new you – and so will all those around you.

To further shock your body, and increase your lean muscle mass, it’s now time to introduce yourself to resistance workouts.

OldSchool-NewBody

 

Well, this concludes my three part series –

– How to Plan for Weight Loss.

If you have any questions or relevant information you would like to share, please do so in the comments box below.  Alternatively, you may contact me directly support@superyou4life.com

I wish you all the best with your weight loss and fitness goals.

 

Blessings Be,

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich Far

Founder http://superyou4life.com

Contact support@superyou4life.com

 

Thank you for reading How to Plan for Weight Loss Part 3 –

Outdoor Fitness Workout Ideas

 

Posted in Exercise | Tags: 12 week exercise plan, circuit training, example indoor workout plan, how to plan for weight loss, outdoor fitness workout ideas, weekly workout plan | Leave a comment |

How to Plan for Weight Loss; Make Your Own Nutrition Plan

Aug

3

2014

RichFar

How to Plan for weight Loss – Part Two

Hi and welcome to Part Two of How to Plan for Weight Loss.  In Part One  we looked at how to develop your initial goal plan, in part two it is time to learn how to ‘Make Your Own Nutrition Plan.’

Macro-Nutrients:

Calories, Carbohydrates, Fats and Protein 

Before proceeding too much further, I will give a brief overview of the macro-nutrients.

First though, you should understand the meaning of the term Calories…

What is a Calorie?

Putting it simply, calories refer to the ‘measure’ of energy contained within the foods and drinks we consume.

A lot of foods are now recognized by their level, or value rating, on the Glycemic Index (GI), which is an indicator of the metabolic rate of the energy in that particular food.

A high GI signifies a fast burning fuel i.e. 80+ and a GI of -55 relates to foods containing a longer lasting source of energy.  GI-Images

Most food labels now use the term kilo-joules (kj) instead of calories (cal).

To find out how many calories you are consuming, divide total kilo-joules by 4.184

4.184 kj = 1 cal

The equation can be simplified by rounding up to 4.2 which works well for most, depends upon personal requirements around precision.

An example of the relative difference –

1000 kj

1000/4.184 = 239 cal

1000/4.2     = 238 cal

With the surging interest in health and fitness over the last decade, many magazines and other forms of media have flooded our minds with ‘information’ on the now infamous Macro’s.

So, looking at each in turn…

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel choice and are broken down by the body into sugars or ‘glucose’.

High GI foods;

such as white bread, pastries, biscuits and processed cereals are broken down faster and provide a short term spike in our body’s blood sugar and energy needs. Pastries

Low GI foods;

such as legumes, brown rice, oats and natural bran’s are broken down over a longer period and provide a longer lasting fuel source for our bodies and help keep blood sugar levels stable.  Low-GI-Foods

Fats:

 The three most notable types of fat are:

  • Polyunsaturated
  • Monounsaturated
  • Saturated

Each of these fats are broken down and utilized differently by the body.

Polyunsaturated Fats;

are notably the most beneficial for our bodies and are more readily used up during physical exercise.  These include the Omega-3 oils found in fish and Flax-seed.

Monounsaturated Fats;

are also among the ‘good fats’ – in moderation – and are found in foods such as avocados, seeds/grains and nuts like almonds, cashews and peanuts.

Saturated Fats;

on the other hand, are the ones that are more likely to go into and remain in the fat cells of the body.  This isn’t to say, however, that some saturated fats don’t play an important part in our total health plan.

Protein;

Proteins are the main building blocks for our body tissue and lean muscle mass.

Each gram of protein we consume provides approximately 4 calories of fuel.

Protein sources are found in animal products i.e. meat, eggs, milk, seafood.

Plant proteins are also an excellent source i.e. legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, pulses, fruits, soy.

Vegetarians and vegans are able to get their required essential amino acids on a plant based diet.

Our bodies are reliant on protein for all areas of growth and development.

Along with water, protein is the major molecular structure of every cell in our body.  Muscle development, healthy immune system and healthy blood cells along with hair, nails and skin condition are all reliant on protein.

Makes you want to get some, hey?

 

==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++

 

Make Your Own Nutrition Plan 

Okay, now that we know a bit more about the elements that will go into selecting the foods to have in a good nutrition plan, it’s time to start putting it all together.

 

Eating for Weightloss:

It helps a lot by putting together a list of the healthy lifestyle foods and, for this purpose, especially those that are beneficial in reaching your weight loss goals.

I’ll help you out by listing some here, though it is not an exhaustive list – rather, a good starting point:

 

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

Meats:

  • Skinless Chicken Breast     Eggs-Meat-Cheese
  • Lean Beef Mince (5% fat)
  • Trimmed Bacon
  • Trimmed Steak

Fish:  

  • Salmon
  • Mackerel
  • Water-packed Tuna

 Beans: 

  • Black Beans
  • Kidney Beans
  • White Beans
  • Chick-Peas

 Fruits and Vegetables: 

  • Avocado
  • Broccoli
  • Sweet Potato
  • Cabbage
  • Basically any Green Leafy Vegetable i.e. Kale, Spinach, Sylva Beet, Lettuces etc
  • Colorful vegetables such as – Carrots, Capsicum,
  • Blue Berries
  • Grape-Fruit
  • Pears
  • Oranges
  • Bananas  Vegies-Fruit-Nuts

Nuts, Seeds, Grains and Legumes:

  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Walnuts
  • Pine-Nuts
  • Natural Peanut Butter
  • Brown Rice
  • Lentils
  • Pearl Barley
  • Fenugreek
  • Oats
  • Quinoa
  • Chia
  • Wholemeal Bread
  • Wholemeal Pasta

 Dairy:

  • Cheese – especially Goat Cheese, Feta, Cottage
  • Low-Fat Milk (be wary though as often low-fat dairy products contain sweeteners and ‘bulking’ agents)
  • Whole Milk – in moderation
  • Natural Greek Yogurt  (Avoid ‘Greek style yogurts’)
  • Eggs

Other Great Products: 

  • Honey
  • Hot Peppers (chilli, cayenne)
  • Green Tea
  • Dark Chocolate (75%+ Cacao)
  • Red Wine
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Organic tofu
  • Tempeh

Foods to Keep Away from: 

  • So called ‘Diet’ foods  Less-Crap-More-Food
  • Snack Bars
  • Most processed and refined foods
  • White flour
  • Sugar
  • All Soda’s including ‘Diet’ or ‘Zero’
  • Empty ‘Fast Carb’ Foods

That provides quite a list to get you going, though as I said, certainly not a complete one.

 Putting it Together 

So…you really want your daily nutrition plan to involve a range of whole-foods and vegetables.

Ideally, each meal should contain a good amount of Protein along with controlled amounts of quality fats and complex (low GI) carbohydrates.

How Many Calories for Weight Loss?

In order to lose weight, we need to consume fewer calories each day than we ‘burn’.  You have probably heard the term ‘Calories in verses Calories out’.

The basic consensus for weight loss is:

Women – 1200 Cal per day (3 meals at 300 cal and snacks combining to 300 cal)

Men – 1800 Cal per day (3 meals at 450 cal and snacks combining to 450 cal)

With this said, of course everyone is different and so we need to work out a few things first in order to personalize things.

First, you will need to establish how much weight you want to lose.

If you have been through How to Plan for Weight Loss – Part 1 , you will already have a clearly set out plan incorporating your current weight, goal weight and strategies to get there.

Then, you’ll want to workout your current Body Mass Index (BMI).  This gives an indication where your current weight puts you in relation to what is considered the ‘healthy weight range’.

BMI = Weight (kg) divided by (Height (m) x Height (m))

BMI = Weight (lbs)/(Height (in) x Height (in)) x 703

Therefore, if you weigh 75kg and your height is 1.68 m you would calculate your BMI as follows:

BMI = 75 / (1.68 x 1.68)

BMI = 26.8

Basically, a BMI of 18.5 – 25 is considered a healthy weight range.  A number above 25 may suggest overweight, while above 30 indicates possible obesity.

5-Foods-Never-to-Eat

*CLICK IMAGE*

The BMI calculation does not take into consideration lean muscle mass and bone density.  Therefore, someone who has a good amount of muscle mass may register as obese even though they may not be carrying too much excess body fat.

 

 

*Example of a 1200 Calorie/Day Meal Plan* 

 

Breakfast – 

Smoothie: 100g mixed berries, 1 small egg, ½ med banana, 75g natural Greek yogurt, ½ tbsp honey  (278.5 cal)

Morning Tea –

1 tbsp natural peanut butter on celery sticks (124 cal)

Lunch –

Salad: 1 cup baby spinach, 2 x cubes feta cheese, 3 x cherry tomatoes, 4 x stuffed green olives, 2 x rings raw red onion, water-packed Tuna 100g drained, (253 cal)

Afternoon Tea –

½ pink grapefruit, 10 raw almonds (107 cal)

Dinner –

1 cup steamed kale, 1 cup steamed broccoli, ½ cup steamed carrot, 1/3 cup cooked brown rice,  4oz skinless chicken breast (310 cal)

Supper –

100g low-fat cottage cheese with celery sticks (72 cal)

Before Bed –

Drink: 1 tbsp honey, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp lemon juice, hot water (55.5 cal)

As you can see by the above meal plan, you can incorporate quite a variety of foods and flavors with consistent meals and still bring it in at 1200 calories.

 

=>Become a Calorie Counter <=

It may appear daunting, and a lot of hassle at first, however almost all foods contain nutrition labels which clearly identify:

 

  • kj/cal per serving
  • Carbohydrates
  • Protein
  • Fats

For other foods like fruits and vegetables, there are tools you can use to calculate calories and nutrients.

Calorie-Counter-Pocket

Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter *CLICK IMAGE*

 

Tips: 

  •  Make a list of Healthy Lifestyle foods you like, as well as foods you would like to try.
  • Make a list of meals you can create with these foods – use your imagination.
  • Plan your meals for the week
  • Before shopping – make your list of Healthy Lifestyle foods and Stick to it.
  • Avoid the isles you do not need to venture down i.e. chips, soft-drinks, snacks, packaged frozen foods etc.
  • Never shop on an empty tummy
  • Be proud of yourself when you leave the shops ‘mission completed’
  • Have your meals for the day pre-made for convenience

 

Conclusion:

Well…there you go.

It is not hard to make your own nutrition plan.  All that is required is the desire to learn and succeed.

Really, it is a process of becoming accountable – to you.

In this article, I have given you a good foundation for understanding the elements of healthy eating.  Living a Healthy Lifestyle is all about learning and applying what we learn in order to enjoy a better and longer quality of life.

Please, if you have any questions or relevant information you would like to share, leave a comment in the box below.  Alternatively, you may contact me info@superyou4life.com

Remember to ‘Bookmark’ this site or add to ‘Favorites’.

To move straight on to the next post, Click Here => How to Plan for Weight Loss – Part 3 <= where the fun really starts…this is where we get into creating your own exercise program.

Here’s to a Healthy You!

 

Blessings Be,

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Rich Far

Founder: http://superyou4life.com

Contact : info@superyou4life.com

 

Thank you for reading How to Plan for Weight Loss  – Part 2

– Make Your Own Nutrition Plan

 

Posted in Body | Tags: calories, eating for weight loss, how to plan for weight loss, macro nutrients, make your own nutrition plan, meal plan, weight loss | 4 Comments |

How to Plan for Weight Loss; Simple Steps to Ensure Success

Jul

18

2014

RichFar

– Part 1

Developing a Personal weight Loss Plan:

I get so many people asking me about how to lose weight, that I realized developing a How to Plan for Weight Loss series of articles would be a great guide for those seeking direction.

Losing weight appears to have become the number one objective of many, many people over the last decade and rightly so.  Overweight-Man-Measuring-Waist

With the increasing availability, and convenience, of ‘fast foods’ and processed foods, the population of the world over, though especially the Western world, has reached an evident condition of concern. 

So…

How to Plan for Weight Loss: 

Well…first, you have to want to.

Yes, I know, you are probably thinking ‘Well, duh, that’s like a no brainer…I wouldn’t be reading this if I didn’t want to lose weight!’

However, what you must identify is where your ‘want’ comes from.

What do I mean by this?

Well…

Why do You Want to Lose Weight? (H3)

Is it primarily because you want to – have you come to the point where you realize that your overall health and prospects of a long and active life are being jeopardized?

Are you finding it increasingly difficult to perform what should be effortless tasks like tying your shoelaces, getting in and out of a car, walking up or down a flight of stairs or even just getting up from the lounge?

Or, on the other hand, is your decision being driven by another, external factor, such as other peoples opinions?

How-You-See-It

How do You see Yourself?

In order to be successful with your goal of losing weight, you first must evaluate where your motivation will be coming from.  In conjunction with this article, please read my post Do it For Yourself – Motivation  which discusses this a little further.

Where to Start: 

Okay, now that you’ve considered where your motivation is coming from, the next thing you’ll want to do is create a plan.  Now, this in itself seems to scare a lot of people off.  However, it need not be that daunting.

I am not talking about a plan in articulate detail, rather, just a simple draft to give you some purpose and direction.

Sir Winston Churchill stated – ‘He who fails to plan is planning to fail’.

How to Develop a Personal Plan:  

Basically, the steps to any decent plan remain the same whether it’s for a large business model or personal development.  Here are the five common steps to writing a plan –

  1. Getting ready/preparation
  2. Articulating Mission and Vision
  3. Assessing the current situation
  4. Developing Strategies, Goals and Objectives
  5. Completing the written Plan

Now, again, this may appear somewhat daunting to you and I understand.  So, I haven’t forgotten…we’re here to ‘Keep it Simple’.

Keeping it Simple:  

Let’s break the steps down as follows –

Write down:

  • What you want
  • Why you want it
  • How you plan to get there

There you go, that doesn’t look so bad does it?

One other thing – it is a definite plus to include a ‘Time Frame’ of when you expect your goal to be reached.  This may include several sub time frames within the whole.

 

5-Veg-to-Kill-Fat
*CLICK IMAGE*

 

Example of a Personal Weight-loss Plan: 

 

  <>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==

 My Personal Weight Loss Plan 

 

Name: _______________

 

What Do I Want? 

  •  To Lose Weight

– My Current Weight – 231lbs (105kg)

– My Goal Weight – 187lbs (85kg)

  • Time Frame – 12 weeks

 

Why Do I Want It?  

  • To be, feel and look healthier and fitter
  • To feel and look more attractive
  • To gain self confidence
  • So I am able to do more things without feeling tired and uncomfortable
  • To be a good example for my children
  • Because I HATE being overweight!

 

How I Plan To Get There:  

  • Become educated –

– Learn about Healthy Eating (develop a Nutrition Plan)

– Learn about Exercises for Weight Loss – write-up a weekly training schedule

 

  • Get a 3 month gym membership
  • Keep positive – read and listen to motivational material
  • Keep a record of my progress
  • Set myself an appropriate reward for each 11lbs (5kg) loss.

 

 Signed: ________________          Date: ________________

 

<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==<>==

 

So, you see it is not that complex and if you use the above example as a template, you will be amazed how quick the process is once you begin.

 

The Benefits of Having a Plan: 

 Having a plan, like the above example, will help you clarify what it is you want, why you want it and how you will achieve it.

Along with that, it also provides you with:

  •  A self written motivational document
  • A source for reflection
  • A concrete starting point
  • A basis on which to mark your achievements
  • An encouragement for times of self doubt

 

Venus-F
*CLICK IMAGE*

Conclusion – Part 1:  

So, the first important step in achieving your weight loss goal is to write up your own personal How To plan for weight loss.

Please remember to ‘Bookmark’ this site so you can visit again.

Or, you can read Part 2 Make Your Own Nutrition Plan now.

If you have any questions or relevant information you wish to share, please leave a comment below or message me at info@superyou4life.com I would love to hear from you.

 

Blessings Be,

 

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Rich Far

Founder: http://superyou4life.com

Email: info@superyou4life.com

 

Thank you for reading this article; How to Plan for Weight Loss.

 

Posted in Body | Tags: benefits of having a plan, creating a plan, how to develop a personal plan, how to lose weight, how to plan for weight loss, motivation, weight loss | 4 Comments |

Quick Easy Home Workouts; 6 Minutes and Done!

Jun

29

2014

RichFar

You want to exercise, don’t you?

You know it’s right, you know it’s good.  The thing is…finding the time.

Running-On-Time

I offer you a great solution with quick easy home workouts.

For these exercises you do not require any equipment, or special apparel for that matter – you can happily exercise in your PJ’s 🙂

The idea for this came to me while I was poaching a couple eggs for breakfast.  I was standing in the kitchen, waiting for the water in the pan to heat and I decided to do some body-weight squats.  After doing twenty, the water still had not reached the right temperature so I did ten more.

Now, you may be thinking ‘Yeah, right! Try doing this with kids running about and a timeline to boot’.

Oh yeah!  I hear you.  My wife and I have five children at home and definitely a timeline.

Waiting-For-Kettle  The thing is, and think about this, how much time do you spend idly waiting for the toast to ‘pop’ or the jug to boil?

 

Well…in this time you can complete a full           exercise routine.

Hard to believe isn’t it?  Here, I’ll show you how…

Simple Kitchen Exercise Routine: 

  • Body weight squats x 10
  • Push-ups x 10
  • Laying leg raises x 10

Going through cycles –

Go through this as a cycle (moving from one to the other without resting), then  rest for 15 – 20 seconds and repeat.  If you find 10 reps too challenging at first, do 5 reps of each and build up to it.

Keep repeating the cycle until the ‘other’ task has completed i.e. toaster or jug, eggs frying etc.

This ‘cycle’ takes approximately 1 minute 45 seconds to complete.  Therefore, factoring in a 15 second rest between cycles will give you three complete cycles in only 6 minutes.

You will be surprised at how much exercise you accomplish and your metabolism will be pumped.

I have included a video here of the above three exercises, in respect of keeping the video short I am keeping it to five reps of each exercise.

 

http://superyou4life.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Quick-Easy-Home-Workouts1.mp4

Some Other Routines to Consider:  

1)

  • Kitchen bench/table incline push-ups x 10
  • Kitchen bench/table triceps press/dips x 10
  • Plank x 20 secs

2)

  • Bicycle crunch x 10 per side
  • Pelvic floor raise x 10
  • Side Plank x 20 secs per side

So…you get the idea.

You can accomplish quite a bit in a short time and don’t feel limited to the above exercises.  Use them as examples and have fun developing your own quick easy home workouts.

Putting it all Together: 

Now, considering there are usually several times throughout your day that you could utilize one of these routines, the next step would be to put it all together.

So, using the above routines as an example –

Pre-breakfast Exercise Routine – 

  • Body weight squats x 10
  • Push-ups x 10
  • Laying leg raises x 10

Lunch time Exercise Routine –

  • Bicycle crunch x 10 per side
  • Pelvic floor raise x 10
  • Side Plank x 20 secs per side

Pre-dinner Exercise Routine – 

  • Kitchen bench incline push-up x 10
  • Kitchen bench triceps press/dips x 10
  • Plank x 20 secs

Amazing isn’t it?

In just eighteen minutes, divided throughout the day, you can now accomplish a full exercise program with no additional equipment required.

Now that you have the idea, I wish you lots of fun and success as you develop your own quick easy home workouts.

Thrive90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, or relevant information you would like to share, please leave a comment below – maybe you’d like to share one of your own quick easy home workouts.

 

Blessings Be,

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

– Rich Far

Founder: http://superyou4life.com

Email: info@superyou4life.com

 

Click Here to read my article on How to plan for Weight Loss.

Thank you  for reading this article:

Quick Easy Home Workouts 

 

Posted in Exercise | Tags: body-weight, exercise, exercise routine, laying leg raises, push-ups, Quick Easy Home Workouts, squats | Leave a comment |

Cinnamon for Health

Apr

22

2014

RichFar

Today I want to chat about a spice which may be quite overlooked in your regime of foods for better living. Have you considered cinnamon for health?

I know, at first it sounds a little crazy doesn’t it? ‘Cinnamon for health?’ you repeat with a frown, isn’t that used on doughnuts and pastries? CinnamonDoughnuts

Well…yes it is.

However, there is so much more to this amazing spice.

Did you know the use of cinnamon dates back thousands of years?

In fact, in the Christian Bible it is mentioned numerous times in reference to anointing oils, royal perfumes, consecrating incense, medicinal purposes and other uses.

So, what exactly is cinnamon?

Cinnamon is an aromatic and distinctive spice that is used for cooking in both sweet and savoury recipes. It comes from the inner bark of a tropical tree variety, grown in Sri Lanka, known as Cinnamomum. As the strips of inner bark dry out they naturally roll into what are known as ‘cinnamon sticks’. These sticks may be used as they are or otherwise crumbled or powdered.  CinnamonSticks

Cinnamon for health:

Cinnamon for health purposes is used for its countless benefits ranging from acting as a natural stimulant and energizer, anti-viral agent helping to fight infections from the common cold through to HIV-1, antioxidant, it appears to assist with diabetes support, Alzheimer’s disease, and also…cinnamon can act as a natural thermogenic, which can assist with your weight loss goals by increasing your metabolism.

If you weren’t aware of that last one, I bet I’ve got your attention now – right?

Woman_Measuring_Waist It’s so good, i’ll repeat it…cinnamon can help you to  lose  weight!

Does it get any better than this?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes!

 

Cinnamon has been used traditionally for many hundreds of years, especially throughout Asia, as a very effective tonic to sooth the skin. The spice is also used to treat acne and eliminate pimples.

Want beautiful, youthful looking skin? Use cinnamon.

So, as you can see, using cinnamon for health may certainly provide some amazing benefits.

 

Fat-Loss-Meals

 

Nutritional Value:

10g of ground cinnamon – which is about 2tsp contains:

  • Energy: 103.4 kJ (24.7 kcal)
  • Protein: 0.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.06 g (fibre = 5.31g, sugars = 0.2g)
  • Fat: 0.12 g

Personally, I use cinnamon powder several times every day.

Some of the ways you may incorporate cinnamon into your healthy nutrition plan are:

  • Mix a half teaspoon into a hot beverage. Whether it is green tea, coffee or even just hot water with honey.
  • Sprinkle over your favourite breakfast cereal – it’s delicious over porridge.
  • Add to your smoothies
  • Include in baking and other cooking – it is great added to savoury dishes and curries
  • Mix into yoghurt with a bit of honey

There are many other ways you can make use of this fantastic spice, use your imagination and let me know what you come up with – please leave a comment in the box below or contact me – i’d love to hear from you.

With such an easy addition to your ‘super you’ goals, why wait, start using cinnamon for health benefits today.

You’ll be glad you did 🙂

 

Blessings Be,

SuperYou4Life-self

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Rich Far

Founder: http://superyou4life.com

email: info@superyou4life.com

 

Thank you for reading this article:

Cinnamon for Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Body, Uncategorized | Tags: antioxidant, better living, cinnamomum, cinnamon, cinnamon for health, cinnamon sticks, lose weight, natural stimulant, weight loss, youthful skin | Leave a comment |

Whole Body Stretch

Apr

13

2014

RichFar

How often do you enjoy a good stretch?

Remember when you’d wake in the morning and, without too much thought for the process, have a satisfying stretch?

Young man waking up in bed and stretching his arms at home

Chances are, it’s been a while.

With the increased busyness of our lives, along with the practice of setting an alarm, allowing just enough time to launch out of bed and hurriedly go about getting ready, luxuries like enjoying a pre get-up stretch are quite simply forgot.

So…here is a simple, though most effective, whole body stretch.

This stretch may be performed just about anywhere at anytime and takes only about 2 minutes.  How good is that!

  1. Stand tall and take a few deep breaths.  Inhaling for a full expansion of your lungs, holding for a few seconds, and then releasing the breath fully.
  2. a) Raise both arms above your head and reach to full extension. b) Now rise up onto the balls of your feet and extend the stretch that bit more.  (If you find it difficult to balance, just do 2a). ??????????????????
  3. While your arms are still raised, hold the back of your right hand with your left hand and lean your body over to your left side as far as possible.  Now, using your left hand to gently pull your right arm, increase the stretch a little more.  ??????????????????
  4. After returning to the upright stretch position, repeat the previous step, though to the opposite side.  ??????????????????
  5. After again returning to the upright position, bend forward and reach down toward your toes.  Try keeping your back as straight as possible throughout this stretch in order to maximise the stretch to your hamstrings and back.  Man Stretching
  6. After returning to the upright stretch position, hold your hands together as in step 3, now lean back as far as you can, keeping arms fully extended.  Hold this stretch for a moment then return to your starting position, lower your arms and take a deep breath.  ??????????????????

 

There, you’re done.  Now tell me if that doesn’t make you feel so much better!

The beauty of this fantastic whole body stretch is, as previously mentioned; it can be done basically anywhere you have room to stand.

I often perform this stretch while waiting for the toast to cook or jug to boil.  Even during a short break in a Team meeting at work.  Also, it is a beneficial stretch to do prior, during and after exercise.

So…start doing this great stretch at least once each day and feel the amazing benefits.

 

Blessings Be,

 

Rich Far

Founder of Superyou4life

SuperYou4Life.com

info@superyou4life.com

Posted in Body, Uncategorized | Tags: back, exercise, hamstrings, stretch, stretches, stretching | Leave a comment |

Pranayama: the Exercise of Breathing Part 2

Mar

26

2014

RichFar

Womaninmeditation

In Part 1, we had a look at the basic Principle of the breathing exercises known as Pranayama.

 

As you become familiar with this style of breathing, one of the breathing exercises which is easy enough to become comfortable with, and is of great benefit, is the method known as

1-4-2.

 

Here’s how to perform this exercise:

 

  • Sit in a relaxed position – a yogic crossed legged position is, of course, recommended.  However, if this is uncomfortable for you then by all means adopt a position suitable so long as maintaining an upright upper body.

 

  • Draw a breath in through your nostrils.  Either mentally, or by watching a timer, count the seconds.

 

  • As an example, if your in breath counted for 5 seconds, the next step is to hold the breath for 4 times that count, i.e. in this example, you would hold the breath for a count of 20 seconds.

 

  • Following the 1 – 4 – 2 method, you would now exhale through your mouth for a count of 10 seconds.

 

  • Repeat for duration of exercise.

 

So, to re-cap, that is:

 

  • In breath = 5 seconds

 

  • Hold breath = 20 seconds

 

  • Out breath = 10 seconds

 

Another example would be:

 

  • In breath = 3 seconds

 

  • Hold breath = 12 seconds

 

  • Out breath = 6 seconds

 

Once you become practiced at these breathing exercises, you do not necessarily need to remain limited to one place or position.

 

Anywhere, at anytime, you may perform these breathing exercises.  Some examples are when standing in a queue or while travelling on public transport, or as a passenger in a vehicle, during your breaks at work, waiting in the car park for someone.  You get the idea.

 

 

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

 

Let’s have a look now at another of the pranayama breathing exercises, a little more advanced.  This is known as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama or Alternate Nostril Breathing (A.N.B).

 

This breathing exercise is not difficult for you to learn, just different to what you are used to.  The benefits of practicing ANB are almost immediate in the way of clearing the mind and invigorating the senses.

 

Alternate nostril breathing is exactly that; breathing through one nostril and then the other, alternating sides.

 

Breathing through the left nostril delivers an overall calming effect to the mind and body, while breathing through the right nostril energises the mind and body.

AlternateNostrilBreathingtechnique

How to do it:

 

  • Sit in a relaxed position – a yogic crossed legged position is preferred, however, if this is uncomfortable for you then by all means adopt a position suitable so long as maintaining an upright upper body.

 

  • I find it good to allow your head to tilt slightly back.

 

  • Press your right hand thumb to your right nostril, holding the remaining fingers pointing up, and draw a deep breath in through only your left nostril.

 

  • Now use your right hand ring finger or pinky, whichever you find most comfortable, to press on your left nostril and release the thumb from the right nostril.  Exhale for as long as comfortable through your right nostril.

 

  • Now, with your ring finger or pinky still pressing closed your left nostril, inhale through the right nostril.  Press your thumb again to the right nostril and release the ring finger or pinky from the left.  Exhale through your left nostril.

 

  • Now repeat this process of alternating the breath through the nostrils.  Always inhaling through the nostril that has just exhaled, and then swapping.

 

  • The mouth remains closed throughout the exercise.

 

  • Continue this breathing exercise for at least 3 – 5 minutes and for as long as comfortable.

 

Among the benefits of ANB are:

 

  • Lowers Anxiety.
  • Calms the mind
  • Balances both hemispheres of the brain
  • Is a very good breathing exercise for those suffering from Asthma and other breathing disorders.
  • This is a great breathing exercise for doing just prior any kind of activity which may bring feelings of anxiety or nervousness and where clarity of thought is optimal i.e. speaking engagements, exams, competitive activities.
  • Renewed vitality, energy and vigour

 

San_Tzu_Ching<_Title_page_divider

Caution:  The practice of pranayama, breathing exercises, has many, many benefits for the whole of your being.  However, if you have ANY health concerns, especially, though not limited to, low blood pressure, circulation, heart or if you are pregnant, please be sure to consult your GP or other Medical Professional before commencing.

Dizziness may occur and is a natural occurrence due to increased blood flow to the brain.  If you are able to relax and sustain this experience it can be most exhilarating and brings about a sensory shift of semi detachment.  Again, caution is advised.

 

Blessings Be,

 

Rich Far

Founder of Superyou4life

superyou4life.com

info@superyou4life.com

 

 

Posted in Spirit, Uncategorized | Tags: 1-4-2, alternate nostril brething, ANB, anxiety, asthma, breathing, breathing exercises, calm, energy, exercise of breathing, nadi shodhana pranayama, pranayama, vitality, yoga | Leave a comment |

Pranayama: the Exercise of Breathing Part 1

Mar

18

2014

RichFar

YogaGuru 

Sure, it is something you do several times every minute of every day.

Breathing…

Have you ever considered the deeper ramifications of each breath that you take?

What if I suggested that it is quite possible you have never truly been breathing in the most efficient way?

Have you ever conducted an exercise of breathing?

No…I’m not referring to the times you’ve seen how long you could hold your breath underwater or the like.  What I am referring to here is the purposeful intent on the  exercise of breathing known as pranayama.

The term pranayama is basically made up from two words, prana, which means Life Force or Vital Energy and ayama, meaning to extend, draw out.

Pranayama is primarily a yogic practice, or exercise of breathing, originating through Hinduism, and unfortunately, in the western world, has undergone mixed interpretation and therefore may be practiced with differing degrees of understanding.

This article is not, in any way, intended as an exhaustive study or complete guideline to pranayama, or the exercise of breathing.  Rather, I would just like to introduce you to the awareness of the exercise of breathing and the potential benefits therein.

Try this…sit upright on a dining style chair, so you are not slouched, and take in a normal breath – breathing in through your nose – and hold it for a few seconds.  Now release the breath, from your mouth, for as long as you can exhale.

Notice anything?

Exactly…you seemed to exhale much more air than you inhaled!

Where did this extra air come from?

Hey…it’s just in there.  With your regular breathing, how often do you consciously fully extend your out breath?

Now, considering the out breath is releasing what the body does not require, along with toxins, what would you think are the implications of having a continual supply of this ‘waste air’ locked within your lungs?

Not Good.

As an introduction to the techniques used in the exercise of breathing, or pranayama, follow the steps outlined below:

 

  • Lay on your back on the floor, comfortably – the use of a yoga mat or similar is beneficial.

 

  • Relax your body, closing your eyes, and take several breaths as you normally would.  Pay attention to your body and notice the rise and fall of you chest and abdomen.

 

  • Now, take a breath – inhaling through your nose – and concentrate on filling your abdomen.  Allow your belly to rise, keeping your chest still.  Hold for a few seconds then release the breath though your mouth and contract your abdomen to expel as much air as you can.

 

  • Repeat this process for, say, 10 breaths.

 

By now you will be becoming much more aware of your breathing.

Remaining relaxed, continue as follows:

 

  • Now, take a breath – inhaling through your nose – and concentrate on filling your chest.  Allow your chest to rise, keeping your abdomen still.  Feel the ribcage expand to its full potential and hold for a few seconds, then release the breath though your mouth and flatten your chest as much as possible to expel as much air as you can.

 

  • Repeat this process for, say, 10 breaths.

 

Now it’s time to piece it together.  Remaining in the same relaxed position:

 

  • Draw breath through your nose allowing first the abdomen to rise to its full extent, now continue your in breath filling the chest until both abdomen and chest are filled.

 

  • Hold this breath for as long as comfortable.

 

  • Now, release the breath through your mouth.  First by concentrating on emptying the chest then allowing the abdomen to fully empty.

 

  • Allow a few seconds before repeating the process, and then continue.

 

You now have a basic understanding of the breathing exercise of pranayama.

In Part 2 we shall have a look at some of the other various forms and techniques of pranayama.

 

Caution:  The practice of pranayama, the exercise of breathing, has many, many benefits for the whole of your being.  However, if you have ANY health concerns, especially, though not limited to, low blood pressure, circulation, heart or if you are pregnant, please be sure to consult your GP or other Medical Professional before commencing.

Dizziness may occur and is a natural occurrence due to increased blood flow to the brain.  If you are able to relax and sustain this experience it can be most exhilarating and brings about a sensory shift of semi detachment.  Again, caution is advised.

 

Blessings Be,

 

RichFar

Founder of Superyou4life

superyou4life.com

info@superyou4life

Posted in Spirit | Tags: breathing, exercise, exercise of breathing, meditation, pranayama, yoga | 1 Comment |
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