Bench Press

Bench Press

The Bench Press is the most popular lift in the gym. It's the upper-body exercise that lets you lift the most weight. This exercise focuses on both the chest muscles Pectoralis Major and Minor, hence can be regarded as a complete exercise for chest workout. This exercise is not recommended for females.

Method

1.    Lie on an upright support bench or a bench inside a Power Rack.

2.    Un rack the weight & lower it to your chest. 

3.    Press it back up until your arms are straight upwards.

4.    Lower weight to sides of upper chest until slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder.

5.    Repeat again.

Who can do it

This exercise is recommended only for males and for females there are other versions of bench press which can be executed through dumbbells.

Ideal Weight

The weight that you should lift in this exercise must be as per your efficiency. Do not try to lift very heavy weights forcefully.

Breathing technique

·         Breathe out while lifting weight against the gravity on the upper side

·         Breathe in while coming downwards with weight.

Points to remember

·         Always remember to avoid jerky movements.

·         Don’t bend your wrists. This will give you wrist pain. Put the bar in the palm of your hand. Close to your wrists, not close to your fingers. Squeeze the bar so it doesn't move.

·         Too high is bad for your shoulders. Too low is inefficient. Put your elbows between perpendicular to & parallel with your torso.

·         Don't let your shoulders roll forward. Its bad posture, bad technique & a guaranteed way to get shoulder injuries. Keep your chest up, shoulder-blades back & down and upper-back tight.

·         Make sure that your glutes are on the bench.  It puts pressure on your back, especially when the weight gets heavy. You're more stable when your glutes are on the bench.

·         Your grip should not be too wide. It will give injuries to your shoulders.  It should not be too narrow also as you’ll lose your strength.

·         Use a wide foot stance to increase stability on the bench. Feet flat on the floor, weight on the heels, lower leg perpendicular to the floor. This prevents extreme arching of your lower back.

Advantages of Bench Press

·         It helps in building chest muscles. It also works on your front shoulders and on triceps too.

·         It builds up your strength. The Bench Press is the strength training exercise that lets you lift the most weight using your upper-body muscles.

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Baby Push Ups

Baby Push Ups or Bent Knee Push Ups

Baby Push Ups is a type of compound movement using almost all the muscles of your body. You'll work your chest, shoulders, triceps, back and abs. The push up may just be the perfect total body exercise that builds both upper body and core strength. This type of exercise targets the pectoral muscles, which are in the chest wall and the triceps, which are the muscles in the upper part of your arms.

Method

·         Lie down your knees on the ground and position yourself face down on the floor, balancing on your knees and hands.

·         Your hands should be a little wider than shoulders, body in a straight line from head to toe and arms should stand perpendicular to the ground.

·         Before you begin any movement, contract your abs and tighten your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.

·         Slowly bend your arms and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.

·         Begin pushing back up to the start position. Don't lock out the elbows; keep them slightly bent.

Who can do it

This exercise can be performed by both males and females. Generally it is preferred by females who do not have core strength to perform core push ups.

Breathing technique

·         Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself.

·         Exhale as you begin pushing back up to the start position

Points to remember

·         Always remember to avoid jerky movements.

·         Don't lock out the elbows; keep them slightly bent.

·         Do not keep your hands too wider or too close to avoid risk of injuries.

·         Stop doing your push-ups when your lower back gets tired. Don't sag in the middle as this could lead to injury.

·         Concentrate on engaging your chest muscles, squeezing them at the top of the push-up. This builds muscle much faster.

·         Be sure to keep the knees, hips and shoulders all in a straight line; most people have a tendency to bend at the hips as though you are bowing, but this is incorrect technique.

Advantages of doing a push-up

·         It is a core-strengthening exercise. It largely improves your balance by strengthening and shaping up most important muscle groups in your body - the core.

·         This exercise gives its regular performers almost perfect lean and very healthy look.

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Sugar is as bad for you as cigarettes: 

Although sugar does not have the same stigma attached to it as smoking, the truth is indulging on sweet treats or dessert could be as bad for you as lighting up a cigarette. According to research by a University of California team, sugar is as damaging as both alcohol and cigarettes and, according to the researchers, should therefore be regulated to control consumption

An hour’s sleep could make you happier than $60,000:  

What would it take to make you happier? A better job? A larger salary? Well, according to a US study by psychologist Daniel Kahneman and his colleagues, an increase in household income actually has little effect on your daily mood. In fact, the study suggests that getting one extra hour of sleep each night does more for your daily happiness than a $60,000

Exercise won’t make you thin:  

Although many people use exercise as their sole method of weight management, many studies have shown that exercise, when not combined with dietary changes, does very little in respect to losing weight. A study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that when a group of obese people completed 12 weeks of supervised cardio workouts without dieting, most did not experience any significant weight loss results. However, it is important to remember that, while it may not lead to weight loss by itself, exercise still has plenty of other health benefits.

Chewing gum boosts your brain power:

Don’t have time for your morning coffee? Try a piece of chewing gum instead to feel more alert. Researchers at Coventry University have discovered that chewing mint-flavored gum could dramatically decrease feelings of tiredness. Meanwhile, separate research studies have suggested that chewing gum can improve test scores and improve memory by 35%.

Coffee can help ward off depression: 

We often hear about how caffeine is bad for us; however, a study from the Harvard School of Public Health has found that, for women, drinking four or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day could reduce risk of depression by 20 per cent. An earlier study of over 80,000 women also revealed that women who drink more than two cups of coffee a day are less likely to commit suicide.

Being optimistic can save your life:

We all know that thinking positively can have a great impact on your happiness, however research has also revealed that being an optimist can help you live longer. Research findings published in the European Heart Journal reveal that optimistic people are less likely to suffer from heart disease, 

Cash machines are as dirty as public toilets: 

Few of us would wash our hands after getting money out from an ATM machine; however, cleanliness tests in Britain have revealed that cash machines are just as dirty as public toilets. Experts assessed swabs from the key pads on cash machines and also from nearby public toilets and found that they both contained the same types of bacteria known to cause sickness.

Less than one per cent of bacteria cause disease: 

In day to day to day life, we are surrounded by bacteria – in fact, healthy human skin is covered in around 1000 different species of bacteria. However, contrary to popular belief, most bacteria are not harmful and, in fact, less than one per cent cause disease. Furthermore, many forms of bacteria are actually good for you, including many of those that live on your skin and in your gut.

Stretching before running may lower your endurance: 

Many of us have been taught to warm up before exercise, however recent studies suggest that stretching before a run may not be beneficial to your workout. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that stretching before going for a run made a runner’s body less efficient so that they did not perform as well and were unable to run as far.

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Fitness habits

Simple fitness habits that you’ll never regret

·         Exercise everyday even if it is for 15 minutes

·         If fat loss is the motive, then keep on varying the intensity of your workouts for better and faster results.

·         Take a shower before exercising – this helps you work out 16% harder

·         Always opt for group workouts to keep you motivated

·         Drop three kilos a year just by walking 15% faster

·         Pair your diet with weight training to help you lose fat and build muscle

·         Slow down ageing by up to 10 years with regular exercising

·         Go dancing, most form of dancing burn more than 300 calories per hour

·         Hydrate well before, during and after your exercise

·         Always warm up before and cool down after your exercise

·         Swim a few laps for an hour to burn about 680 calories

·         Do not starve to lose weight as your body will learn to store fat for energy

·         Jog for a while in morning to add years to your life

·         Beat knee pain and get fitter with tai-chi

·         Sprint when you can – speed is a brain booster

·         Don’t sit for too long- stretch yourself and take a walk for 4-5 minutes after sitting on your office desk for an hour.

·         Jump-start your day by skipping in order to lose up to 700 calories in an hour.

·         Power your exercise routine with regular exercising

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Top 8 low-calories foods

BROCCOLI

Broccoli is now recognized as one of the most beneficial green vegetables, as it contains a number of phytochemicals that help to protect against cancer. It has only 33cal in 100 gm. It only contains 2% carbohydrate but will boost your protein, calcium and magnesium levels. It has a indole-3-carbinol, a substance needed to metabolize sex hormones in the body more efficiently.

SPINACH 

It is a total health food as it has vitamin A , vitamin C,  vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron,  vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein,  phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. It only has 23 calories in 100 gram

LENTILS

Lentils contain high levels of proteins, dietary fiber, folate and Vitamin B1. One 4 ounce serving of lentils have only 70 calories. They also have good amount of iron.

EGG WHITE

It is good source of protein and has a good amount of amino acid which is helpful in muscle development.  1 egg's white has only 17 calories.

ORANGE

If you are looking for vitamin C source than you go with orange as they are rich in vitamin c which help in making skin look beautiful , slow down aging  and it has only 45 calories in 100gm

GRAPES

If someone has sugar craving you can go for this low calories fruit. Red and black grapes contain powerful antioxidants (eg.  Anthocyanin, resveratrol) which has anti-cancer properties. They also have amounts of potassium and trace minerals such as boron, magnesium and copper. Black grapes have long been associated with good health and they only contain 60 calories in 100g

FRUIT SALAD

It has a lot of antioxidants which help in preventing damage to your cells .it also slows aging process and keep you healthy. You can make it and put it in refrigerator and can eat it in 2 -3 days

CARROT

It has around 50% of vitamin A of daily requirement.  One cup of carrot has only 51 calories. it is available year round. it is cheap too

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Eat food to lose weight

Eat food to lose weight

You must be tired of reading the same old tips for weight loss- exercise, low calorie food, yoga and so on. Moreover, whatever way you choose for losing weight, it seems to be for only short term gain. You relax your schedule a little and the weighing machine gears up its needle. If that's the situation, I can give you some tips that are actually unique.
Want to boost your efforts to lose weight? Of course the foundation for successful weight loss is eating well and exercising, but if you want to power up your efforts, check out this diet cheat sheet of foods that do a little of the work for you. Want to boost your efforts to lose weight? Of course the foundation for successful weight loss is eating well and exercising, but if you want to power up your efforts, check out this diet cheat sheet of foods that do a little of the work for you. Research shows that these 8 secret-weapon foods can help you lose weight.

Mushrooms 

Research reports that when people ate mushroom-based entrees, they felt just as satisfied as when they’d eaten those same dishes made with beef—though they’d taken in a fraction of the calories and fat.

Eggs

In one study, dieters who ate eggs for breakfast felt full for longer and lost more than twice as much weight as those who got the same amount of calories from a bagel for breakfast. Think beyond breakfast, too: eggs boost a salad’s staying power and make for a satisfying snack.

Apples

For a mere 95 calories, a medium apple contains 4 grams of fiber. And recent research, suggests that boosting your fiber intake may help you to prevent weight gain—or even encourage weight loss

Oatmeal

Eating a breakfast made with “slow-release” carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or bran cereal, three hours before you exercise may help you burn more fat, suggests a recent study.  Slow-release carbohydrates didn’t spike blood sugar as high as eating refined carbohydrates, such as white toast. In turn, insulin levels didn’t spike as high and because insulin plays a role in signaling your body to save fat, having lower levels may help you burn fat. 

Green Tea 

This natural weight-loss stimulant might not be a food, but green tea is still a great slimming solution, not to mention that it's rich in antioxidants, promotes heart health, aids digestion and regulates blood sugar and body temperature. It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping people lose weight. Drink it daily to boost your metabolism. Some research has shown that five cups a day is the magic number for fat loss.

Almonds

Chew more to curb hunger. That’s what researchers concluded in a recent study in in which they asked participants to chew a 2-ounce serving of almonds 10, 25 or 40 times. Participants got maximum satisfaction—they felt fuller longer—from the nuts when they chewed 40 times. Chewing more may cause a greater release of fat from the almonds, which triggers hormones that curb hunger

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