My Goals Update + New Weights Workout

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness, 

Today I will be posting about how my workouts are going and how I have achieved my goals. 

As I have said, I planned to do Insanity 3 times a week followed by 20 minutes of weight lifting. On the other 3 days, I planned to do weight lifting followed by an abdominal workout. Instead, I have been doing something a little different but still has the same results hopefully. I have also introduced a new weight lifting workout that I will share with you. 

I still follow that basic plan I set, however I have made a few differences to fit in with my schedule. Here is my full week plan:

Monday- 40 mins Insanity followed by 20 mins Weightlifting
Tuesday- 45 mins Weightlifting followed by 15 mins Abdominal workout
Wednesday 25 mins cardio followed by 20 mins Abdominal workout
Thursday- 40 mins Insanity followed by 20 mins Weightlifting  
Friday- 25 mins Abdominal workout 
Saturday- 50 mins Weightlifting  
Sunday- Rest

As you can see, I have 3 core workouts: Cardio, Abdominals and Weightlifting. I do 3 of each every week in order to focus on all the groups. I make sure that I do not have 3 days in a row of weights, as it is important to have a recovery period for your muscles to grow. As I often do not have time for Insanity on Wednesdays like I planned, I do a 25 minute cardio circuit training video which I found on Youtube.
I am still focusing on my Triceps and Biceps and looking to lower my body-fat percentage like I wanted to. This plan Is what I am trying to do every week, however sometimes there are complications and I try my hardest to make up for them. I will post now and again to say if this plan is working and If i am doing too much or too little ( I don't know yet!). I you have any improvements to my plan, I would love some feedback.  

Now onto my new Weightlifting plan. It is called The Ultimate 6-week Home Workout. I am doing it because it only requires dumbbells and a bench, which is what I have. There are 3 parts to it : A legs and shoulders day, a chest and back day and an arms day. I am currently only doing the arms day 3 times a week . I am replacing the other days with arms as I am focusing on that group. 
I do this workout 4 times a week- the full thing on two days and half on the other two ( 3 in total ) . I ma starting straight away on week 2 as week 1 looks a bit to easy. 
Here it is:

Week 1-2       Week 3-4      Week5-6

Standing Biceps Curl                       

2*X 6-8            3 X 8-10       4 X 10-12

Overhead Triceps Extension            

2*X 6-8            3 X 8-10       3 X 10-12

Incline Curl                                      

2 X 6-8            2 X 8-10       3 X 10-12

Weighted Bench Dip                        

2 X 6-8            3 X 8-10       4 X 10-12

One-Arm Incline Preacher Curl                

2 X 6-8            3 X 8-10       3 X 10-12

Lying Triceps Kickback                  

2 X 6-8            3 X 8-10       3 X 10-12

Reverse Curl                                   

3 X 6-8            2 X 8-10       3 X 10-12 

I will keep you updated on this workout. Thank for reading, please subscribe and like (we will like and subscribe back) . Thanks again and peace! 

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Cardio - What To Do? Part 1

Welcome to 5.14 fitness, 


Today I will be posting about Cardio and the different ways in which you could do it.

Almost every sport has cardio implemented, whether it is running in football or swimming in water polo. This cardio is key in order to become a healthier, fitter and thinner person. It is important that Cardio is done ,as without it, a good measure of health can not be achieved. Sport is the perfect way to do Cardio, but there is other ways that can sometimes be more effective ( Jogging for example). The important rule here is: Cardio is key. Aerobically exercising : Getting your heart rate up, sweating and breathing like hell is important for us! 

The NHS states that a 19-64 year old adult should do at least 150 minutes ( 2 hours 30 minutes ) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, or, 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as running or a game of singles tennis every week. You should really aim for this to be deemed healthy and fit. However, I understand it can be difficult. 

All of us live different lives, and therefore we only have space or time for certain things. Because of this, it can be hard to find what exercise we are able to do or what interests us. It can be hard sometimes to find the right sport that keeps us motivated and eager. Whether it is badminton to hockey, there is a sport out there for all of us: you just have to find it. 

Unfortunately, even if we find the right exercise we may still not be able to do it; work or other past times might restrict us from getting to places or doing the things we want to do. I myself would love to do some kind of karate or martial arts, however I do not have the time, the money or the means of transport to get to somewhere which offers that. 

So, compromises have to be made and we have to find some sort of Cardio that we have time to do regularly, have the money to afford, the space to do it, and the motivation to carry on going. Finding this can be hard, and so the main options have to be clear and helpful.  To help myself and also you, I will be researching different sports and cardio methods and posting about them regularly- In order for us to have to have a wider knowledge of exercise and what the most effective methods are. 

In part 2, I will be going over the three most well known forms of exercising, Walking, Running and Cycling, and also talking about some well-known sports. 

Thank for reading, please follow and like (we will like and follow back) . Thanks again and peace! 

 

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Article- Balanced Diet

Welcome to 5.14 fitness, 

Today's post is going to be all about food and balanced diets. As I mentioned in my previous Weight Loss Journey post, a balanced diet is essential and it is important to know what to eat and how much.
Therefore, I read up on the NHS website and this is what I found on balanced diet. Remember, it is really important to know this and while it can be boring, it is also beneficial:

Despite what you see in some diet books and TV programmes, healthy eating can be really straightforward.

A diet based on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta; with plenty of fruit and vegetables; some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and lentils; some milk and dairy foods; and not too much fat, salt or sugar, will give you all the nutrients you need.

When it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

Most adults in England are overweight or obese. That means many of us are eating more than we need, and should eat less. And it's not just food: some drinks can also be high in calories. Most adults need to eat and drink fewer calories in order to lose weight, even if they already eat a balanced diet.

Food groups in our diet

The eatwell plate shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to eat:

• plenty of fruit and vegetables
• plenty of starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta
• some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
• some milk and dairy foods
• just a small amount of food and drinks that are high in fat and/or sugar

Try to choose a variety of different foods from the four main food groups.

Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre. Read our page on understanding calories. 

It's important to have some fat in your diet, but you don't need to eat any foods from the "foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar" group as part of a healthy diet.

Fruit and vegetables: are you getting your 5 a day?

Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It's advised that we eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day.

There's evidence that people who eat at least five portions a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

What's more, eating five portions is not as hard as it sounds. Just one apple, banana, pear or similar-sized fruit is one portion. A slice of pineapple or melon is one portion. Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables is another portion.

Having a sliced banana with your morning cereal is a quick way to get one portion. Swap your mid-morning biscuit for a tangerine, and add a side salad to your lunch. Have a portion of vegetables with dinner, and snack on dried fruit in the evening to reach your five a day. 

Read our 5 A DAY page for more tips on how to get your five portions of fruit and veg.

Starchy foods in your diet

Starchy foods should make up around one third of everything we eat. This means we should base our meals on these foods.

Potatoes are an excellent choice and a great source of fibre. Leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, when having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, eat the skin too.

Try to choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta and brown, wholemeal or higher fibre white bread. They contain more fibre (often referred to as "roughage"), and usually more vitamins and minerals than white varieties.

Learn more from our starchy foods page.

Meat, fish, eggs and beans: all good sources of protein

These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself. They are also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.

Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. It is also one of the main sources of vitamin B12. Try to eat lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly. Learn more by reading our page on meat.

Fish is another important source of protein, and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can often be high in salt.

Eggs and pulses (including beans, nuts and seeds) are also great sources of protein. Nuts are high in fibre and a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat, but they do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation. Learn more from our pages on eggs andpulses and beans.

Milk and dairy foods: avoid full fat varieties

Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy.

To enjoy the health benefits of dairy without eating too much fat, use semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower-fat yoghurt.

Learn more by reading our page on milk and dairy foods.

Eat less fat and sugar

Most people in the UK eat too much fat and sugar.

Fats and sugar are both sources of energy for the body, but when we eat too much of them we consume more energy than we burn, and this can mean that we put on weight. This can lead to obesity, which increases our risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

Don't get like this!

But did you know that there are different types of fat?

Saturated fat is found in foods such as cheese, sausages, butter, cakes, biscuits and pies. Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat, which can raise our cholesterol, putting us at increased risk of heart disease.

Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, can help to lower cholesterol and provide us with the essential fatty acids needed to help us stay healthy. Oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oils and vegetable oils are sources of unsaturated fat.

Try to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and have smaller amounts of foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead. For a healthy choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. Read on to find out how to eat less saturated fat.

For more information on fat and how to reduce the amount we consume in our diets, read fat: the facts.

Sugar occurs naturally in foods such as fruit and milk, but we don't need to cut down on these types of foods. Sugar is also added to lots of foods and drinks such as sugary fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, pastries, ice cream and jam. It's also contained in some ready-made savoury foods such as pasta sauces and baked beans.

Most of us need to cut down on foods high in added sugars. Instead of a fizzy drink, for example, try sparkling water. Have a currant bun as a snack instead of a pastry.

So there it is- you should now be an expert on balanced diet and how to eat healthy! Thank for reading, please follow and like (we will like and follow back) . Thanks again and peace! 

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General Weight Loss Ideas

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


So some people have been in touch with me saying, that I do not do enough on weight loss, ie information for those that are over weight and trying to do something about it. Well as you know, all your comments and much appreciated and taken to heart. Therefore this post will cover a basic routine that will help you loose the unwanted weight.


Diet


You need to eat a balanced diet, starving yourself does no good, in fact you actually break down muscle as it is easier to get goodness out of than the stored energy in fat. A balanced diet consists of 30% fruit and vegetables, these are foods that are full of healthy vitamins and nutrition, but also fibre which, to be short, helps you shit out all the bad stuff- which would else be stored, not nice! Carbohydrates should be kept to the same amount ( 30%), they are what provide you with the energy to be active all day, and release energy over long periods of time. Protein 20%, this is used to help build/repair muscles, helping you be able to push your self harder in order to burn the calories and ultimately loose weight- be careful protein foods are also high in fat and saturated fat. Dairy is what should make up around 15%, as they are good for bones, however again high in fat and there is also less of a variety in this food group. The final 5% would ideally go to fatty foods, but although we need fats for energy (short release) we could actually go without this food group as we can obtain the nutrition from dairy and protein. Try to eat 3 times a day and if you need a snack a piece of fruit is always a great choice!


Activities


You need to exercise in order to burn off the calories (use up the energy) that we consume during the day. The more you exercise the more energy is used, so the body will be required to use some of the stored energy it has (fat). By using up the stored energy you are decreasing the fat percentage in your body consequently reducing your size and weight. A good tip would be to exercise more than one body at the same time as you burn more calories as you are doing more, for example swimming- arms and legs. 
I suggest completing some form of endurance whole body activity everyday as they burn the most calories, this could include: running (a mile a day is good goal) swimming if it is raining or if you live some where like the uk the seasons affect everything and also cycling.
In addition to this you want to do weight free exercises at home every day as these two will help burn them extra calories and target particular areas. To start with I would recommend:

1. 25 step ups each leg
2. 25 sit ups
3. 25 star jumps
4. 25 squats
5. 10 arm exercises - press ups (if possible) chin ups, tricep dips etc.

It is important to steer away from the weights with if you are trying to reduce your size as all you will end up doing is building fat under muscle making you look even fatter. Despite the fact you are burning calories, your body will put on fat in order to get stronger to light the weights, in addition your mass will increase due to the extra weight from the muscle.


Hope this helps, more posts coming soon, please do all the normal stuff, any following is returned, read again- work hard and peace!


Jason


ps Get in contact if you have any ideas or queries.

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Feeling Hungry? A few things to consider!

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


I am writing about what happens when you get hungry. So what actually happens? You loose fat? Burn calories? Loose muscle?


So lets imagine it is half past twelve, you have not eaten since your Weetabix at breakfast. You have been exercising at a fairly high intensity in little burst (playing basketball on the play ground), followed by working your brain back at the house (doing a crossword puzzle). You are feeling hungry as you have not eaten in a while but also as you have burnt all the calories from breakfast and your body is beginning to burn up its stored energy supplies-fat!


You need to be hungry to burn fat as you need to have used up all the energy from your last meal. This is why more and more intense forms of exercise can help you loose weight, as you are burning up the energy from you last meal quicker and you body is having to go in to its reserves (fat).


What a lot of people are afraid of (especially body builders and those trying to gain muscle) are that if they do not eat as soon as they feel hungry their bodies will go into a catabolic state and then they eat straight away. A catabolic state is where your body, instead of burning fat, breaks down muscle for energy, this is because muscle fibres are less dense than fat so it is easier to get hold of.
When muscles are broken down, it decreases the quality of the muscles performance, the selected area will be smaller and you will have taken a step back away from your goals.

How to avoid a catabolic state? 

Well, the answer is simple do not over eat, eat clean, make sure you are full after every meal (so plently of carbohydrates) and do not let your self go too hungry (5hours without food max)!

If you eat as soon as you feel hungry all that fat that you will have broken down will be put back on and there will have been no point in the exercise. To cut a long story short, you will gain weight or have to exercise so much that you will have no life and your body will still have a tone of fat.

Moral of this post: let yourself get hungry ( work hard to burn calories ) and do not either; eat as soon as you feel hungry but also do not let yourself go starving, as we need food for energy which we use for our workouts

Hope this helps, all the usual stuff, check out other posts/pages, I will post whenever I can- peace!

Jason 

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