1-1-11 .....How to get rid of those Holiday LBS....

So here we are 1-1-11 all the 1's and yes the weight scale has also climbed up 1 by 1....simple math 1+1 = 2 and you know that you had too many Christmas sweets this past holiday season and you step on the scale to see that Santa also gave you a few extra pounds for Christmas. Now WhAt???

As a famous movie dialog says...Be Positive!

Here is what you need to do in order to get back on track and actually get in a healthier and better body in 2011!

1. Get rid of all the left overs (candy's, sweets, pre-packaged/processed snacks etc etc):

You need realize that once its out of site its out of mind....I went to party this holiday season and I saw a SAMOSA and boom all of a sudden I had the urge of eating that samosa and trust me I don't even remember when was the last time I thought about eating a samosa!

So you see get those unhealthy, tasty looking snack out of your house cause they are nothing but a layer between you and your TONED body!

2. Start drinking that CLEAR liquid:

You are what you eat and you look what you drink!

Drink lassi everyday and sure in a very short period of time you will start looking like thick lassi or a mango shake and same if you drink water soon you will start looking clear and thin like water....I drink almost 1.5 gallons a day (some would say that's too much but don't forget I live a very active lifestyle). So get rid of that soda can, that lattes and stick to plain old water cause there is nothing like water in this world.....damn just writing this made me thirsty!!!

3. Move, mOvE, MoVe:

You know what I mean when I say move...exercise guys...Start a short-term relationship with a personal trainer!

A full-time trainer may not be in everyone’s budget, but don’t let that stop you from seeking professional advice. “Even if you only do two or three sessions, it can kick-start critical lifestyle changes. Plus you get a program that’s tailored to you,” I get lot of people those who come to me or email me for a workout program and if they are motivated enough they get great results...look at Aminder he is Toronto and emailed me about my advice and I helped him in last 2 months and look what he has achieved. Lost almost 30 lbs.

Aminder followed my online program (phone/email) on his own and lost almost 20lbs in 2-3 months. True dedication is all you need to order to change your body!

4. Eat more!

YES..I am telling you to eat more at least 5-6 times a day...but what should you eat?

Here is what you need to include in your every day's diet in order to get a chiseled you!

1. Oatmeal

2. Eggs

3. Chicken/Fish/Steak/Lentils/Soy

4. Broccoli

5. Almonds

6. Walnuts

7. Salad

8. Sweet Potato/Brown rice/whole wheat pasta

Now you know what you need to do in order start burning those SANTA lbs.....

GOOD LUCK and keep me posted...

Cheers...

KEEP WORKING

-Achal

http://www.bollywoodabs.com

4 Fitness Habits You Never Knew Were Bad!

4 Fitness Habits You Never Knew Were Bad!

People say that you learn from your mistakes. I say how can you if you keep repeating them. Below are top 4 fitness habits you never knew were bad for you.




1. Not eating breakfast:

Guys by the time you wake up, at least 8 hrs has been past since you had your last meal - on top you are dehydrated as well. Your body is still functioning and burning calories. You are basically running a car without engine oil and risk damaging the engine any time! Your muscles are engine and by not eating breakfast you are basically burning up your own muscles which we work so hard to store and make. BREAKFAST is by far the most important meal of the day! Never skip your breakfast if you are rushed and have no time to make a healthy bowl of oatmeal then grab some yogurt or an apple or some dry fruits!

If you’re not a breakfast person, become one. Start small and prepare oatmeal, eggs in advance (get up 10 min. early..literally that's all it takes)


2. Not drinking water during workouts:

Our muscles need constant hydration during intense physical exercise to maintain mobility and flexibility. Without proper hydration during exercise, your muscles will contract and could cause cramps. Proper hydration also promotes blood circulation, which regulates the rate at which your heart must pump blood — critical during exercise. And, perspiration is primarily water. I keep a water bottle with me and try to finish it at the end of the workout sipping after every other set!


3. I can eat that big meal cause I just finished my workout:

If you don’t know what to eat after working out, plan your meal before working out. Please and say please again don't waste all that hard work over some crappy, non-nutritious meal! I pick one meal (usually Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon) where I go and eat anything I want, rest of the week I am very strict with my food.


4. Holding on while on the treadmill:

You are not on a space ship or on top of a mountain that you are holding on for your life. Let go. Really. Let go. Free yourself from your fears, whatever they may be. Holding on while on the treadmill can decrease the effect of a workout by as much as 200%. Now imagine doing same number of miles and same time but getting more out of it. Now that's called working smart!


That's all for this time and please make a change if you have any of the above habits and reply me to tell me that you did :)

Keep Working,

Cheers
Achal
http://www.bollywoodabs.com
http://www.achaldua.com

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

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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

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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

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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

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

make those abs SHINE!

South Asians and especially Indians have a recent craze for six pack abs. All the bollywood stars are getting those abs like vegetables. We all want it but we don't exactly know where to start. In this post I would like to outline some basic factors that makes your abs shine. I am telling you this because I have tried and tested this myself. It worked for me and I am sure that it will work for everyone who has the patience..

First and most important factor is PATIENCE..you must be patience when it comes to abs and getting a leaner, harder & better body. There is no quick fix. The second most important factor is be CONSISTENCE..you have to be consistence in your workouts, your diet, your schedule and your sleep.

Below are come of the practical factors that determine if you will get abs or not.

1. your diet should be high protein and low carbs
2. should not eat after 6 pm (4 hrs before you go to bed)
3. say no to those yummy snacks (samosas, chaat, tikki, mithaii)
4. do cardio 3-4 times a week
5. do functional weight training 3 times a week
6. eat more complex carbs
7. drink plenty of water
8. get enough sleep
9. watch your weight

the above mentioned steps will take you on the path of becoming next Salman khan or Shahrukh khan or now I should say Amir Khan. Bollywood actors and actresses are totally into fitness now and why shouldn't they..the feeling of being fit cannot be explained in words....trust me I know how it feels to have a six pack ....PRICELESS!

So go out there and work some....

www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com

Targetting trouble areas....

When we get sick we go to doctor for that particular problem (soar throat, headache, fever) etc etc. Same way when we need to fix our body we need to pay attention to those areas more than other..although there is a exception to that and that is abs..You cannot target abs cause we all have them but its under our fat (next blog on abs)...but other than that you can focus on legs, triceps, biceps, shoulders, calf's etc

Make sure that you train your trouble areas at least 2-3 times a week with lots of super sets or I call it a total burnout stage. You have to use light weight (girls) for getting the lean look and go crazy with the number of reps....20-30-50 reps and then repeat for 4-5 sets....I know sounds a lot but that's how you will change your body....

Guys do drop sets ..after warm up go heavy and at every set reduce weight while increasing the reps....

Try it out..It really works...

I say NEVER to this...

1. Miss breakfast
2. Eat too much at night!
3. Eat late at night
4. Miss a meal
5. Miss a workout
6. Sleep less
7. Drink less water

Are you doing all this ??


www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com

Why some people don't see any result!

This is one of the most asked question!

Q. I have been working out everyday of the week but I am not loosing any weight?

A. The most common mistake you can make in any fitness regimen is to follow a pattern. Always switch things around and you will see your body progressing in the right direction.

For E.x.

1. If you are walking on the treadmill >> start running
2. If you are running on the treadmill >> start doing intervals
3. If you are doing weight training twice a week >> start doing 3 times a week and change the routine
4. If you are using machines >> start using free weights

I can go on and on..but the whole point is to change things around and shock! your body with new and different routines so your body can come out of plateau.

GOOD LUCK and keep sweating!


www.bollywoodabs.com
www.achaldua.com

Do you know?

Hi All,

We all know that working smart is way more important than working hard! right

Indian food, snacks and our habits are pushes for a slow metabolism unless we change that we will not see the results we are looking for. Following 5 points is what I vouch for in desi fitness

1. No Carbs (roti, rice, bread, pasta etc) at night time. (after 6 pm if you sleep at 11)
2. Weight training 3 times a week
3. Cardio on a empty stomach (2-3 times a week)
4. Take 2 days off
5. Eat meaningful breakfast.

for more info check out www.bollywoodabs.com


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