"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare: it is because we do not dare that things are difficult " Seneca

BOOTCAMP PG SCHEDULE 1st - 7th OCT 2012

Mon	AM 0830-0930HRS	Lembah Permai Tanjung Bungah
	PM 1830-1930 HRS	Crystal Point – Bayan Lepas
Tues	PM  1830-9130 HRS	Youth Park
Wed	AM 0830-0930HRS	Lembah Permai Tanjung Bungah
	PM 1830-1930HRS	Crystal Point – Bayan Lepas
Thurs	PM 1830-1930HRS	Botanical Gardens
Fri	AM 0830-0930HRS	Lembah Permai Tanjung Bungah
Sat	AM 0730-0900HRS	Bukit Dumbar

Guide to Healthy Eating

http://www.cutandjacked.com/Healthy-On-A-Budget

WHAT IT TAKES TO BURN OFF A MAGNUM ICE CREAM

Malaysian Food - Calorie Count

The ultimate back training exercise

The-ultimate-back-strength-workout

Exercise needed to Burn off a Serving of French Fries

source : http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com

Dieters be warned: 'low-fat' foods may be just as bad

'LOW-FAT' foods can contain a similar number of calories as the standard versions and might have more sugar.

A new study found three-in-five consumers eat low-fat and light foods several times a week thinking they are a healthier option.

But a "snapshot sample" of 12 products labelled as low-fat, reduced and light found some minimal differences in calorie content.

A standard McVitie's chocolate digestive contained 85 calories and a light one had 77 -- the lighter one contains less fat but more sugar.

And a Tesco low-fat yoghurt had more calories per pot at 130 than a standard Activia version at 123, while the Tesco option contained more sugar at 20.2g -- more than four teaspoons -- than the 16.9g in the Activia pot.

And while Kelloggs Special K is marketed as a diet food, it contains more calories than Bran Flakes -- which also has a higher fibre content that would help you feel fuller for longer.

UK consumer watchdog 'Which?' found misconceptions among consumers about the meaning of the terms 'reduced fat' and 'light'.

Identical rules on nutritional labelling apply in both Ireland and the UK under EU rules.

These require 'low fat' foods to contain less than 3pc fat, while 'reduced' 'light' or 'lite' products must have 30pc less fat or saturated fat than the standard product.

United Biscuits, which makes the McVitie's chocolate digestive, said the report was misleading as it focused on calories and "ignored the fact that the light version had 30pc less fat".

A Tesco spokeswoman said: "We take seriously our responsibility to help our customers make healthy choices. Our products display clear nutritional information on the front of the packaging."

http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/dieters-be-warned-lowfat-foods-may-be-just-as-bad-3235053.html

So what body type are you ?

Ectomorph 

An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.

Typical traits of an ectomorph:

• Small “delicate” frame and bone structure
• Classic “hardgainer”
• Flat chest
• Small shoulders
• Thin
• Lean muscle mass
• Finds it hard to gain weight
• Fast metabolism

Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Supplements are definitely recommended. Ectomorphs should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night. Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easier for them.

Mesomorph

A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle.

Typical traits on a Mesomorph:

• Athletic
• Generally hard body
• Well defined muscles
• Rectangular shaped body
• Strong
• Gains muscle easily
• Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs

The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs.

Endomorph

The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat.

Typical traits of an Endomorph:

• Soft and round body
• Gains muscle and fat very easily
• Is generally short
• "Stocky" build
• Round physique
• Finds it hard to lose fat
• Slow metabolism
• Muscles not so well defined

When it comes to training endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, endomorphs must always train cardio as well as weights. Usually supplements may not be needed as long as the person has a high protein intake in their diet.

A Combination of Body Types

These body types aren’t set in stone. In fact, most people have a combination of two body types. These combinations are either ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph. It is not uncommon to find a pure mesomorph that gains weight like an endomorph for example.

So which body type are you?

Given the information above you should be able to identify your body type. You may also want to optimize your diet and training to suit your body type.

Source: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy” Norman Vincent Peale

BOOTCAMP PENANG SCHEDULE: 24th- 30th Sep 2012

Mon	AM 0830-0930HRS	Lembah Permai Tanjung Bungah
	PM 1830-1930 HRS	Crystal Point – Bayan Lepas
Tues	PM  1830-9130 HRS	Youth Park
Wed	AM 0830-0930HRS	Lembah Permai Tanjung Bungah
	PM 1830-1930HRS	Crystal Point – Bayan Lepas
Thurs	PM 1830-1930HRS	Botanical Gardens
Fri	AM 0830-0930HRS	Lembah Permai Tanjung Bungah
Sat	AM 0730-0900HRS	Botanical Gardens

7 hours sleep a night is as important as exercise in losing weight

Getting a good night's sleep is just as important as diet and exercise when trying to lose weight, Canadian scientists have claimed.

A variety of studies suggest that getting at least seven hours' sleep every night can significantly improve the chance of losing weight while on a diet.

There is a growing body of evidence that a lack of sleep enhances hunger signals in the brain and increases levels of hormones which affect our appetite, causing us to eat more.

Writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers said sleeping habits ought to be addressed along with diet and physical exercise in programmes designed to help obese people lose weight.

In one recent experiment, they found that people who shifted their sleeping pattern from less than six hours to between seven and eight hours a night put on 2.4kg less weight over a six-year period.

A shorter 17-week study of 123 overweight and obese people showed that people who slept for longer and had a higher quality of sleep were more likely to become slimmer while on a diet.

In another recent study by a separate team, participants were allowed to sleep for either five and a half or eight and a half hours each night for two weeks, while eating a low-fat diet.

The experiment showed that the lower amount of sleep resulted in stress which caused participants to burn off muscle while storing their body fat.

Compared with those who slept for eight and a half hours each night, the sleep-deprived group lost 55 per cent less body fat and 60 per cent more muscle over the two week period.

The researchers, from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute and Laval University in Quebec, wrote: "An accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity.

"Sleep should be included as part of the lifestyle package that traditionally has focused on diet and physical activity."

Further research should identify the causes which prevent us getting a full night's rest, such as watching television in the evening, they added.

Source: www.Telegraph.co.uk

6 Ways to Burn Your Belly Fat Fast

One of the most common questions I get is how to lose belly fat. Belly fat is actually the most dangerous type of fat – besides aesthetics, large waist lines are indicators of –disease-disease-disease.

It takes more than just crunches! We start to gain weight in our midsection when our cortisol levels spike. Stress is one of the primary culprits for high levels of cortisol secretion. When this happens cortisol breaks downs lean muscle (the type of tissue that burns calories most efficiently) and also holds on to fat storage in the abdominal region. That stress can even get WORSE with bad dieting; studies show that the stress caused by dieting can increase cortisol levels, making no change in belly fat even with calorie restriction. So how do you shape up? Incorporate these 6 things below and you will be on your way to a flatter belly in no time flat!

1. Sleep

If you want to work late at night, think again. When your biorhythms are off, you end up eating more. When you’re tired you produce more ghrelin, which triggers cravings for sugar and other fat-building foods. Losing sleep can also alter your hormone production, affecting your cortisol levels that cause insulin sensitivity, prime reasons for belly fat! Getting about 7 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can do for your body shaping goals.

2. Short bursts of exercises

1000 crunches a night may get you strong abdominal muscles, but with a full layer of fat on top, you will not get the results you really want. Instead of all those crunches, do exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and work your cardiovascular system. Try planking, where you hold yourself in a push-up position, resting your forearms on the ground. Try 3 or 4 sets of holding for 30 seconds each. Getting up and moving throughout the day by going for walks will also help.

3. Sugar is your Enemy

Fighting belly fat is 80% healthy diet. Reduce calories by filling yourself up with protein, vegetables, whole grains, and replacing bad habit snacks with good ones. For example, if you have a sugar craving, replace your calorie laden latte with a Muscle Milk lite, one of my favorites, because it has zero sugar and a ton of protein that will satiate while also torching my sugar craving! Another great trick is a sprinkle of cinnamon in your morning coffee or oatmeal- the spice has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar. It also slows the rate at which food exits the stomach, which helps you feel fuller longer.

4. Vitamin C

When you’re under extreme stress, you secret more cortisol hormone. Vitamin C helps balance the cortisol spikes that happen to you under this stress. Besides being a good way to counteract a cold, Vitamin C is also essential for making carnitine, a compound used by the body to turn fat into fuel, making this vitamin your fat burning friend.

If you’re going through an emotional crisis, stress from work, or a bad eating splurge, increase your vitamin C – it’ll help counteract the negative side effects. Try bell peppers, kale or kiwi fruits. These have even more Vitamin C than the famous Orange!

5. Eat Fat

Yup, you heard me! It takes fat to burn fat. Like I said above, it’s sugar that gets you fat, not fat. Good fats include foods rich in Omega 3′s, like salmon, avocados & walnuts. These foods are full of nutrients that help keep you satiated throughout the day.

6. Slowing down your breath

This is a very simple method that you can use even when you’re in the midst of doing something else. Whenever you notice you’re feeling tense and uptight check and see how you’re breathing. Most people under stress either alternate holding their breath with short breaths, or take rapid shallow breaths. After you become aware of your own breathing, consciously relax your belly and slow down the breathing. This works best if you focus on slowing down the exhalation rather than your inhalation. With each exhalation you can say to yourself “slow down”. That is all there is to it- Simple but surprisingly effective!!!

Source: www.forbes.com

Aerobic Exercise Lowers Perceived Appetite

If you're exercising to lose weight, you're more likely to feel full if your workout routine features aerobic exercise over resistance training, according to a study published in the journal Metabolism.

In the study, Australian researchers divided overweight, sedentary men into three groups. One group did aerobic workouts three times a week for 12 weeks, one did resistance training three times a week for 12 weeks and one, well, did nothing beyond continuing their sedentary ways.

Before and after the 12-week period, the researchers measured the subjects' perceived hunger and fullness, as well as appetite-related hormones, both when the subjects hadn't eaten for a while and immediately after a liquid carbohydrate meal of about 300 calories.

Over the course of the study, perceived hunger didn't change for any of the groups. Put another way, they all reported having similar appetites. But the ones who had gotten in the habit of regular aerobic exercise reported that they felt fuller sooner than they had at the beginning of the study. In contrast, the ones who had done 12 weeks of resistance training reported no change in how quickly they felt full after a meal.

This was true even though most of the appetite-related hormone levels didn't change in either of the exercise groups during the study. The one hormone level that did change, leptin, changed in both the aerobic and resistance-training groups, so its change is unlikely to explain the difference between the groups' feelings of fullness.As a result of their findings, the researchers concluded:

Aerobic exercise training is associated with an increase in satiety, while an equivalent period of resistance training is not.

http://www.pulse.me/s/detgY#/news.runnersworld.com/2012/09/12/aerobic-exercise-lowers-perceived-appetite/ 

Stressful job 'raises heart attack risk, even in healthy'

Having a stressful job increases the chance of a heart attack, even among those who take good care of their health, a UK-led study has found.

Having a stressful job with little autonomy raises the risk of a heart attack by almost a quarter, compared to having a job that is less demanding, according to the pan-European research.

Stressful high paid jobs appear to raise the risk of a heart attack more than those that are similarly taxing but are lower paid.

The study, published online in The Lancet today, found those in higher paid stressful jobs were more than 50 per cent more likely to have a heart attack than those in less stressful, but equally well remunerated, positions.

Critically, researchers at University College London and other institutions took into account differences in age, sex and health lifestyle before calculating their estimates of risk.

That means among a group of people living healthy lives - eating well, exercising regularly and not smoking - those who had stressful jobs would still be at a relatively higher risk of heart attack.

Mika Kivimäki, from UCL, who led the research, said: “Our findings indicate that job strain is associated with a small, but consistent, increased risk of experiencing a first coronary heart disease event such as a heart attack.”

His team looked at results from 13 studies in seven countries including Britain, which tracked the health of nearly 200,000 people in total.

They concluded: “Our findings suggest that prevention of workplace stress might decrease disease incidence; however, this strategy would have a much smaller effect than would tackling of standard risk factors, such as smoking.”

Prof Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), reiterated that advice, saying: “Though stresses at work may be unavoidable, how you deal with these pressures is important, and lighting up a cigarette is bad news for your heart.

“Eating a balanced diet, taking regular exercise and quitting smoking will more than offset any risk associated with your job.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9541190/Stressful-job-raises-heart-attack-risk-even-in-healthy.html

BOOTCAMP PG SCHEDULE : 16th to 22nd Sep 2012

Mon:  0830-0930hrs - Lembah Permai & 1830-1930hrs - Crystal Point 

Tues : 1830-1930hrs Youth Park

Wed: 0830-0930hrs - Lembah Permai  & 1830-1930hrs - Crystal Point 

Thurs: 1830-1930hrs Botanical Gardens ( Meet at the main gate)

Fri : 0830 - 0930hrs - Lembah Permai 

Saturday: 0730 - 0830 hrs Botanical Gardens  (Running)

People can be fat AND fit as study finds obesity doesn't automatically lead to ill-health

Nearly half of fat people are just as healthy as slim people - and at no more risk of developing heart problems or cancer, researchers claim. 

Doing exercise can offset the dangers of being obese, the researchers found.The study - which is the largest of its kind - abolishes the notion that obesity automatically leads to ill-health.It shows that some fat people manage to remain ‘metabolically healthy’ even though their body mass index would suggest they are not.

They have less risk of dying prematurely than unhealthy obese people and up to half the risk of developing or dying from heart disease or cancer.

Other research suggests that, among those with heart problems, those who are underweight or even normal weight are actually worse off than those who are fat.Overweight and obese people should not fight the flab after having a heart attack because they are more likely to outlive their leaner counterparts, the new data says.

The controversial findings come as Britain grapples with an obesity epidemic, with almost a quarter of Britons classified as obese and around half overweight.But an international study of 43,265 people shows people can be obese but metabolically healthy and fit, with as much chance of keeping cardiovascular disease and cancer at bay as normal weight people.Obese people who are metabolically healthy don’t suffer from conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes and high cholesterol or blood pressure and are fitter, as measured by how well the heart and lungs perform, than other obese people.

The new study, which recruited Americans between 1979 and 2003 who underwent fitness tests, found 46 per cent of the obese recruits were metabolically healthy.

They had a 38 per cent lower risk of death from any cause than their metabolically unhealthy obese peers, and the same risk as healthy, normal weight participants.The risk of developing or dying from heart disease or cancer was reduced by between 30-50 per cent for metabolically healthy, obese people, compared with fat unhealthy people, and was similar to those of normal weight.Study leader Dr Francisco Ortega said ‘It is well known that obesity is linked to a large number of chronic disease such as cardiovascular problems and cancer.

‘However, there appears to be a sub-set of obese people who seem to be protected from obesity-related metabolic complications.‘Our study suggests that metabolically healthy but obese people have a better fitness level than the rest of obese individuals.

‘We believe that getting more exercise broadly and positively influences major body systems and organs and consequently contributes to make someone metabolically healthier, including obese people.

Dr Ortega said ‘Physicians should take into consideration that not all obese people have the same prognosis. Physician could assess fitness, fatness and metabolic markers to do a better estimation of the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer of obese patients.

Dr Ortega is a research associate at the Department of Physical Activity and Sport, University of Granada, Spain), and at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, but the investigation took place at the University of South Carolina, USA.

‘Our data support the idea that interventions might be more urgently needed in metabolically unhealthy and unfit obese people, since they are at a higher risk. This research highlights once again the important role of physical fitness as a health marker.’ 

The findings are published online today in the European Heart Journal.A second study which analysed data from 64,000 heart patients in Sweden provides new evidence supporting the ‘obesity paradox’, which means fat patients with heart disease have ‘paradoxically’ better outcomes and survival than thinner patients.

The greatest risk of dying was among the underweight and morbidly obese, who have the very highest levels of obesity.

The lowest risk of death was found among overweight and obese patients, said researcher Dr Oskar Angerås, consultant cardiologist at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

He said it was well known that maintaining a healthy weight could help avoid heart problems.But advice to overweight and obese patients who have already developed heart problems to lose weight was wide of the mark as it might have a ‘negative effect’.

Excess weight may help because patients have more reserves to fight chronic disease than thinner patients.

Amy Thompson, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: 'In the majority of cases, obesity is an undeniable risk factor for developing coronary heart disease. However, these studies remind us that it is not always your weight that’s important, but where you carry fat and also how it affects your health and fitness.

'It is particularly important to be aware of your weight if you are carrying excess fat around your middle. The fat cells here are really active, producing toxic substances that cause damage which can lead to heart disease. Maintaining a healthy diet with lots of physical activity can help to slim you down as well as reduce your risk of heart health problems.’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2198513/People-fat-AND-fit-study-finds-obesity-doesnt-automatically-lead-ill-health.html#ixzz25sHSsxRZ 

BOOTCAMP PG SCHEDULE 10th - 16th September 2012- A year from now you would have wished you started today !!

Mon:  0830-0930hrs - Lembah Permai & 1830-1930hrs - Crystal Point 

Tues : 1830-1930hrs Youth Park

Wed: 0830-0930hrs - Lembah Permai  & 1830-1930hrs - Crystal Point 

Thurs: 1830-1930hrs Botanical Gardens ( Meet at the main gate)

Fri : 0830 - 0930hrs - Lembah Permai 

Saturday: 0730 - 0830 hrs Botanical Gardens  (Running)

Sunday: 1700-1830 hrs Beach Bootcamp

A healthy lifestyle can make you live an extra six years researchers say

LIVING a healthy lifestyle into old age can extend your innings by up to six years, research has shown.

Until now it has not been clear whether factors such as being overweight, smoking and excessive drinking make a difference to people aged 75 or more.

The 18-year Swedish study of almost 2,000 older individuals indicates that it does.

Scientists found that long-term healthy living can add five years to a woman's life and six years to a man's.

Researchers recorded data on age, sex, occupation, education, lifestyle behaviours, social networks and leisure activities.

During the follow-up period, 92% of the participants died and half lived longer than 90 years.

Survivors were more likely to be women and highly educated, and to have healthy lifestyles and better social networks.

Smokers died on average one year earlier than non-smokers. But former smokers lived as long as those who never smoked.

Physical activity was strongly associated with survival, and participants who regularly swam, walked or visited the gym were on average two years older at death than those who did not.

Combining the figures for men and women, people with a "low-risk" lifestyle profile survived 5.4 years longer than people categorised as "high risk".

"Low risk" meant having a healthy lifestyle, participating in at least one leisure activity and having a good circle of friends, said the researchers.

People classified as "high risk" displayed unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, did not participate in leisure activities, and had a limited or poor social network.

Even for people aged 85 or older, or who had chronic conditions, the average age at death was four years higher among "low risk" individuals.

The scientists, led by Debora Rizzuto, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, wrote in the British Medical Journal: "The associations between leisure activity, not smoking, and increased survival still existed in those aged 75 years or more, with women's lives prolonged by five years and men's by six years.

"These associations, although attenuated, were still present among people aged 85 or more and in those with chronic conditions. Our results suggest that encouraging favourable lifestyle behaviours even at advanced ages may enhance life expectancy, probably by reducing morbidity (illness)."

- John von Radowitz

http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/a-healthy-lifestyle-can-make-you-live-an-extra-six-years-researchers-say-3215760.html

BOOTCAMP PG SCHEDULE 3rd to 9th Sep 2012

Mon:  0830-0930hrs - Lembah Permai & 1830-1930hrs - Crystal Point 

Tues : 1830-1930hrs Youth Park

Wed: 0830-0930hrs - Lembah Permai  & 1830-1930hrs - Crystal Point 

Thurs: 1830-1930hrs Botanical Gardens ( Meet at the main gate)

Fri : 0830 - 0930hrs - Lembah Permai 

Saturday: 0730 - 0830 hrs Botanical Gardens  (Running)