Vacation workout...made simple

Hi All,

I know the topic might raise some eyebrows...working out while I am on vacation..hell NO! but I say WHY NOT!...we eat more...drink more and are less active so why not deserve those things while burning out some calories. I know that I am much more relaxed while I am on vacation...I take my time in doing things cause I am always on the clock otherwise....so its a good change for me but I don't feel good after 1 or 2 days if I don't burn some of those calories that I am eating...so for me its a necessity to workout a little on those relaxed days. I bet you will also feel much better if you do the same...

I am in Maui (Hawaii) right now and I will outline a workout routine that I did this morning which is simple to use and you can do it anywhere and will burn max. calories......

One thing I will suggest is that get it done early (first thing whenever you get up - get it out of the way). It's so much easy cause then you can carry on with your day.

Here is the workout....

1. Start with walking easy (let those muscles get ready) 2-3 minutes
2. Jog at a very mild pace for 5-10 minutes
3. Stop and stretch your hamstrings, Lower back, quads etc
4. Jump rope (of course without a rope) for 30 sec.
5. Continue jogging for another 5 min.
6. Spot a raise platform and do some push-ups and turn around and do some dips (triceps)
7. Do some step-up at the same raise platform (I just picked a step and did all these things on step)
8. Continue jogging and for another 5 minutes...(turn around otherwise you will go too far)
9. Stop and do another set of jump rope and this time go for 150 jumps
10. Stretch and do some vacuum (suck all the air into your stomach and hold as long as you can. Very good yoga and ab exercise..repeat 2 -3 times)
11. Continue walking fast to your destination....

That's it ...this 30 minute workout will burn anywhere 200-300 calories.....I did a little to running on the rocks at the beach so I was sweating a little hard at the end...

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Try it next time when you are traveling...you will love it...

KEEP WORKING

Achal

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www.achaldua.com
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Phases of losing weight!

I have a first hand experience in going through these phases. I am sure those who have gone through this knows what i am talking about. There are days when you feel everything is working out for you and you are in the right track and you feel great about yourself but then there are times where you just can't motivate yourself to workout and stay on track. Trust me everyone goes through the phases and that's the time where your brain muscle needs to be the strongest because that's whats going to push your through....

I will go just a little bit out of track and tell you about my client who started with me in 2003 weighing 230 lbs! at 23 yrs of age....now she weighs..120 lbs...and its been 2 yrs since she stayed at this weight...so 3 yrs of brutal training and strict diet lead to an amazing drop of 110 lbs...it was not easy and sure enough she also went through phases where I had to pick it up from ZERO again and motivate her to stay on the wagon but one thing she did is never gave up and look what it got to her..a 360 deg. turn around in her life....from 230 lbs to 120 lbs! is not a joke and for sure was not easy..phases of being totally into it then the phase of total rejection and then the phase of its not working but 3 yrs later it was all worth it....

Coming back to phases....being a trainer and understanding the concept of how mind plays the game when it comes to getting and staying in shape I experienced it even at a advanced stage...I started to lean down in January 08' for my photo shoot for the DVD and I weighed 178 lbs (80 kg) with a body fat of 12%. In march I had my first photo shoot where I weighed 155 lbs (70 kg) with a body fat of 8% but I was not too happy with my body cause I knew I could look better regardless of what people were telling me....

Then started the real struggle...staying on track and keep motivating myself to get better and better and better..I was eating clean..doing cardio and lifting weights 6 days a week....In Sept. 08' I had another photo shoot and I weighed 134 lbs (60 kg) with a body fat between 4-6 % (controversial number cause my machine told me 3.5% but its kinda hard to believe). Being a person from Indian origin the food we eat are so delicious and its so hard to stay away from those amazing desserts and yummy snacks but once you set your mind towards a goal its not that hard..I always believe out sight out of mind ..so basically I stopped looking at those things....












So 44 lbs and 8 months...& I knew I was at my best shape ever and I never felt that way ever before....but getting there was a struggle lots of sacrifices...self motivation and a desire to be my best helped me a lot to reach my goal....I am at 140 lbs now and feeling good but one thing have changed for good in me and that is to set goals in order to achieve something....I have to set deadlines but that's me personally...you might not have to do it....find your own way to stimulate your brain..it could be going down in dress size or fitting in your high school jeans or going down in belt buckle..whatever it is but pick a starting point and keep measuring...every week or month to see if you are staying on track...

Don't forget its a lifestyle change and trust me you will that you have conquer the world!

KEEP WORKING

Achal

----------------
www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/achaldua/ - my photo gallery
http://twitter.com/achaldua - read what I am doing

Breakfast..why is it so important!

We all know that the most important meal of the day is breakfast and it should be cause you are actually breaking the FAST from last night...but I had no idea what one should be eating for breakfast before I started into my fitness profession... and now......... MAN I can't go without breakfast for 2 hrs...this is the meal that I enjoy the most ..seriously.... I look forward for my breakfast every day...


I will try to explain you the concept of breakfast in its most simple way.

WHY WE DON'T WANT TO EAT BREAKFAST:

1. No Time
2. Not Hungry
3. Might gain weight
4. I don't like breakfast food
5. I am not a breakfast person


EASY WAY'S TO ADD BREAKFAST

1. Start one step at a time (start small)
2. Eat a fruit for breakfast (cause they are easy and less time consuming)
3. Choose whole grain cereal (will last longer and give you more energy)
4. Choose high fiber cereal (high fiber make you feel full and helps you loose weight--at least 4 gms or more per serving)
5. Choose low sugar (less than 4 gms of sugar) cereal...
6. Plan ahead (give 10 extra minutes to your day)

Breakfast gives a kick start to your metabolism at the early morning so you burn more calories through out the day.....

This is why I like my breakfast as the most appealing meal of the day....

It takes me 10 min. to cook everything and be out of the house....

1. Oatmeal (Old Fashioned) w/Almonds,Walnuts,Raisins and Skim Milk in microwave for 2 minutes
2. 5-6 Egg white omelet (I use the carton for egg whites) with some Egg beaters mixed with it
3. Bottle of water W/1 Lemon

This is it folks ...my most interesting meal of the day...trust me I enjoy every bit of it and I am eating the same exact thing from last 5 years....I eat the breakfast in 3 parts cause I get up at 4 am every morning so my days are very long....

Some of the cereals in the market are nothing put a piece of S**T. They add so much sugar that you are better of eating a candy in its place.

I know from my personal experience that breakfast really makes a difference when it comes to controlling some health problems...my father's diabetes is under control without any medication since he added oats in his breakfast...he eats his oatmeal same way as I do and he has seen a big improvement in his health....diabetes,high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease are few disease that can be avoided or can controlled by adding breakfast to your diet...but remember one thing "BE CONSISTENCE"

I bet you if you try eating small breakfast you will loose weight the right way and that is by speeding your metabolism....so there you go yet another reason to grab that banana before you leave the house..

KEEP WORKING

Achal

----------------
www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/achaldua/ - my photo gallery
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Water Water Water ...everywhere!

You have heard it all...but I will say it anyways!!!

An average human body is 80% water
Muscles are 75% water thus it cushions and supports your muscles
Water increases your Metabolism and results in burning more Fat
Water helps you look younger by keeping your skin hydrated
Drinking water can reduce hunger
Helps fight against diseases and strengthens your immune system

The fact is that muscles loose elasticity with diminishing water content. They get tight and if nothing is done, spasms might develop. So it's very important to keep yourself hydrated while your are working out or otherwise.

Here are some very common symptoms of dehydration.

Fatigue
Digestive discomfort
Headaches
Constipation
Anger
Etc.

As a matter of fact, some experts related dehydration to more serious conditions, such as:
Ulcers
Obesity
Asthma
Allergies

Our body retain water for different reasons..one of the most unknown causes are sore muscles. You know the feeling when your muscles are sore after the workout...that time you retain more water in your body and the best way to neutralize is to drink more water...

So how much water do you actually needs according to the different studies.. ½ oz. of water per pound of body weight. So for example, if you weigh 120 lbs., you would be drinking 60 oz. of water, or 7.5 cups of water per day. A 200 lb. person would require 12.5 cups daily. But I believe that it all depends upon your lifestyle...if you are out there and working hard like most of us you need more water so the best thing is to get the min. which is 8 glasses of water in a day but also get few extras just for the HECK! of it.....it wort hurt you at all....

KEEP WORKING

Achal

----------------
www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/achaldua/ - my photo gallery
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looking for a all around body...

I noticed something interesting in the gym...there are 2 kind of workaholics at the gym, One that come to the gym and go straight to the machines or weights and start working out like they live there and other kind are those who come to the gym chit chat..warm up...stretch..and then attack the workout.

There is a noticeable difference between the 2. The first category is likely to have a dominating body part and it is more true in guys..they will have big arms, big chest or big back and they keep repeating the workouts to develop those parts or at least they want to. This category will likely to injure themselves several times in their lifetime and will eventually stop working out. So what do you think is going on..its like you are racing a car the moment you sit in it..how long do you think your engine is going to last!!! They do not have attarctive look atleast for me symmetry is way more important than having a big bicep.

Now lets talk about 2nd kind...They come to the gym and spend some time warming up doing some stretches and getting ready for the torture...and at a very early age I realized that this extra 5-10 min. spend in the beginning and at the end are well worth it and will take you places.

The way you warm up shows that how much you know about training. Being careful is first step towards being successful. Take your time in warming up stretching and let your body temperature rise up before you put it up for acceleration. Lower Back, Shoulders, Knees, Hamstrings they are very complicated joints so you have to take time to let the blood go in there and make them warmer before you start using them for workout.

Below is a sample warm up routine that I follow...

1. Treadmill - 8-10 min.
2. Shoulder Stretches (Rotator cuff)
3. Lower Back and Hamstring Streches
AND
Then I follow whatever I am doing (for e.x. chest,back etc) with a very light and weight and do lot of reps to make sure my primary muscles are ready for training.

For those at home> warm up like this...

10 jump rope (you can do it without the rope)
5 push ups
10 squats
10 lunges

Repeat for 3 times and I bet you will be sweating....


The above explained group are different in their body looks. If you look at the later group (the one who warms up and do stretches) they are more athletic and lean looking than the our first group(who doesn't believe in starching).

So next time make a habit of stretching some before lifting and you will feel much better after the workout. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY!!

KEEP WORKING

Achal

----------------
www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/achaldua/ - my photo gallery
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How to tone your ARMS!

The most popular and frequently asked question that most women have is -- How can I tone my arms? (upper arms specially).

The most common misconception that most of us have is we think we can spot train or spot reduce areas...You cannot have a tone triceps (back of the arms) while having a big stomach. You see it all comes as a package and unless you are not ready to burn some calories and promise me to eat less carbs and less portion don't bother reading any further.

Don't get me wrong...there are exercises to help shape up your arms but if you think you can go from FAT TO FABULOUS (title of my book coming out) ....just by doing those exercises is just not possible.

Following are the few points that will help you get those shapely arms!

1. Regular cardio exercise - 2-3 days a week
2. Strength training- for total body 2-3 days a week
3. Train your mind -- its all about the connection of MIND to MUSCLE. Changes comes when you engage your muscles to your mind and contract when needed. I started to see great results in my body when I learned how to connect my Mind to my Muscles.
4. Keep a low calories and Low carb diet
5. My very old phrase "BE CONSISTENT"
6. Hire a professional - a fitness professional can take you to a totally new path and help you achieve your goal.


Make sure that you keep checking your performance or your body in the mirror or through your clothes or by doing body fat analysis. A target or a goal is very important in order to move forward.

Some of the beneficial exercises for ARMS are:

1. Triceps kickbacks super set with -- over head triceps extensions
2. Triceps dips -- super set with -- close grip push ups
3. Lying dumbbell triceps presses -- super set with -- reverse grip triceps extensions

These 6 triceps exercises will workout all the three heads of triceps engage to full motion and giving a equal blood flow to the muscle. You can do a google on the names of these exercises to get a more info on the exercises and their technique.

Hope this article will help some of your questions...

KEEP WORKING

Achal

----------------
www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/achaldua/ - my photo gallery
http://twitter.com/achaldua - read what I am doing