Why We Need To Know How To Size Down

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,




So this post is again to be on something that I have not really touched on before: sizing down. We spend all our time trying to get bigger and stronger, but when do we want to get smaller and weaker.


Why do we want to put on size? To make us look more aesthetically appealing or attractive. To get stronger to be able to perform better in sports or activities. It could also be a pass time hobby, some people exercise or try to get bigger simply because they enjoy the challenge.


How do we put on size? We lift heavy weights, doing many sets of  low reps. This works on power as the muscles are being asked repeatedly to explode against a heavy resistance. We also eat lots of high calorie foods to provide us with the energy and fuel that our muscles require to grow and complete the exercises set.


So why am I talking about sizing down? How could this ever be desirable? Have you ever seen an sport star that has retired and has got fat? Examples lots of (real) footballers such as Alan Brasil or Paul Mercer others include a lot of former American footballers or rugby player, boxers etc. It is often sport stars that relied on power and required size to perform to their maximum throughout their career.


It is often the case that if you do not size down efficiently after you have finished with body building you will get fat. And you will have to stop body building at one stage for one reason or another; whether it be old age or injury etc. So to be able to size down properly, you need to have practised. You need to have the knowledge to be able to work down and cut down on size.


In the next posts to follow, I will explain exactly how to size down. Check the pages for some new ones as I am also planning to add some more parts the series I have started. Remember to check out other posts, all following is returned, please plus 1 and add the blog to your reading list. In addition all comments and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for reading please come again- work hard and peace!


Jason

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Smoking part 2 (Effects upon sport)

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,








This post will be the follow up post from one earlier this week, which coincidentally is also on smoking, so if you haven't checked it out yet please do so.




Everyone knows smoking is one way to decrease your performance, however not so many people actually know how- this post will try to change that!




Effects




Tabaco smoke has been proven to rapidly increase the risk of serious health problems in regular smokers as well as those who have been exposed to significant amounts of second-hand smoke. Some of these health conditions include cancer, emphysema and bronchitis. It is for reasons like this, that smoking has such a bad effect on sporting performance.


Lack of Oxygen in the Blood

During exercise, your heart rate increases so that your muscles get enough oxygen to function and move. Normally, the higher the heart rate, the more oxygen is needed by the muscles. Tabaco smoke contains carbon monoxide, which sticks to the haemoglobin (the stuff that carries oxygen) in your blood better than oxygen, this means that your muscles are unable to get the sufficient amount of oxygen that is required during the exercise. This results in your heart working even harder and you not being able to exercise as well of longer periods of time as your muscles are starving of oxygen.


Narrowed Blood Vessels

Smoking narrows your blood vessels, this side affect makes pumping blood across your body a slower and more difficult process while exercising. this is due to the fact that the chemicals inside Tabaco make the vessels smaller and harder to cram the thick, oxygen loaded blood through, similar to when one lane is closed on a duel carriage way- traffic is caused as cars are slowed down.  In addition it also puts added strain on your heart every time it beats, because it has to work harder in order to supply your body with the oxygen it needs to function.


Increased Resting Heart Rate


Your increase your resting heart rate by smoking. Your resting heart rate is amount beats per minute your heart produces when your are not doing any activity. This number is massively increased in smokers due to the extra work your heart must do so that it can meet all the physical demands of your body. This also means that when you are exercising, your heart rate could potentially rise to dangerous levels in order to meet the physical demands your muscles need.


Airway resistance


Airway resistance refers to the rate in which air goes in and out your lungs. Some research shows that one inhalation of a cigarette can increase the resistance by up to three times. Which means you have to breath harder to inhale the amount of oxygen you need as your lungs take longer to inhale. Other factors such as tar build-up, inflamed mucous membranes and reduced air capacity will also increase airway resistance, this makes it more difficult to produce the oxygen your body needs when exercising.


Hope this helps, part 3 to be release soon. Please read again, check out other posts, some comments plus ones etc., would be nice and any following is returned (you can also add the blog to your reading list and follow that way so please do so it is much appreciated)- work hard and peace!








Jason

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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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Daily Dairy: Dairy Increase

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,




Well today is the third day of my new programme and I am yet to see any real physical improvements, however as I said this is only the third day! I will post a big progress review by day 25 to see if I am noticing any real changes and make any adjustments to the new routine.




As you may already know I have been trying to increase my calorie intake in order to provide plenty of fuel for my muscles. Foods I have found particularly useful are proteins such as nuts and beans (which I have lots of everyday) as well as more milk based products.




Here is the thing with dairy, I have consciously been trying to consume more dairy for about a year. As it contains fat and calcium which is good for both muscle and bone (in moderation). I started this due to the fact I read it as a weird tip to put on size was to drink more milk?




Well as someone who didn't even put milk on his cereal for breakfast in the morning, I was thinking that I could do with some more of this, as I wanted to reach the optimum weight for my activities, where bones need to be big and strong. So I started putting it on my cereal as well as having a big glass full of the stuff at least once a day.




Well over the next few months I dipped in and out with milk, some days I would have up to 3 glasses others half a glass, but the important thing was I had it every day. Now about a year onwards I can honestly tell you that I feel more filled out and developed (but this could be due to natural processes), like my bones are fuller and heavier .




Other benefits of milk consumption include:

• Reduced risk of cardiovascular (heart) problems and blood pressure
• Less chance of developing colorectal and breast cancer
• Stronger and healthier teeth
• Reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• Weight loss

I feel like milk is really helping me with my developments so please give it a try, more posts coming soon.


Thanks for reading, hope this helps you guys please do all the normal stuff- peace!

• Jason

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1000 Page Views & New Routine

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,




I want to start this post with a big thank you to all those who have been reading and viewing my blog, with your help I have now reached 1000 page views in well under 3 months. In addition to this I currently have: 20 followers (although many more would be warmly welcomed), almost 400 views in the US and 350 in the UK, as well as over 22,000 views on my Google plus profile. WOW!
I know a lot of people may think: Its just 1000 views what's the big deal ? Well I am fully aware this may not seem like a lot, but for someone who has never done anything like this before, and lets be honest has been fairly in consistent with posts and content, I see this a great achievement and I would like to thank you all.


Moving on to my new plan and routine. I hold my hands up in the air, I have not worked abs in ages and I plan to start exercising my core every night. I am going to have to if I want to see any abs at all, as I am planning to eat LOADS. If I eat loads I provide more energy for my body and more fuel for my muscles to use to grow. The down side is; I am going to have to exercise much more regularly in order to use the excess calories to make sure they do not turn into fat. Moreover, I am now prioritising size and performance over everything, as I need to be stronger for all the sports that I am doing. Therefore legs will become a much more featured routine as well a s greater focus on arms.


Expect more workout posts over the next few days, thanks for reading please continue to follow- over to start- comment, share, eat clean and work hard- thank you all and peace!


Jason

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Kayaked a marathon

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,

I am back at home now and dying to get to sleep! My arms are numb an my buttocks have gone beyond the point of painful. However it was good fun and a great laugh, well done to all those who participated or are trying something new. Get out there and give stuff a go! 

Posts will continue as normal from tomorrow. Please check out the blog again as well as commenting, plus oneing, subscribing, eating clean and training hard- peace! 

Jason 

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Enjoying Fitness

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,








I am posting today on why we should be enjoying sport and exercise. I am a firm believer that everyone has their own sport which they will find interesting and want to play, even if they have not found it yet.






People who think they do not like sport listen in! You have to enjoy exercising, it releases endorphins into your body, which make you feel good.  All you are doing is telling yourself you do not like it as you are too afraid to try it, as you fear you will not be good it.
This is either because you are:

• Too self conscious ( you think people with laugh at you )
• Over weight (you think you will not succeed because of your size)
•  Too lazy (you cannot be bothered to stick at something or to commit)

Well, you cannot be good at everything first time, you need to understand that you have to stick with things and practise to get good at sport- just like any other thing in life! You need to preserver and not give up, in addition do not be scared of doing something outside your comfort-zone. It is okay to fail, as long as you learn, improve and keep going and that is what a commitment is (well in my eyes anyway)!




Okay, quick story:
I used to be absolutely shit at football, but to cut a long story short I kept at and practised as much as I could. As I knew exercising would do me good and all my fiends were in a similar situation but we still loved to play anyway. Well, now I am playing, for quite a lowly team admittedly, at county level.


The moral of the story; do things you like, there is no point in doing something if you do not enjoy it. However, in saying that, do not give up something before you have seen it out and remember that to get good always takes practise ( but there are ways to enhance performance check out other posts to see how). Do not be scared of what other people think, you exercise to help yourself not others!


You should enjoy what you do and encourage others to do the same, this forms a positive mind set and helps create a positive image of exercise. Keep this mentality!


Thanks for reading, I will try to post as often as I can, please check out the blog again soon; if you have any ideas/comments/questions feel free to contact me all your opinions are valid and are respected greatly; remember to plus one everything, share the blog with friends, follow, eat clean and work hard- peace!






Jason

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Try to improve yourself (without loosing yourself)

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,



No one is perfect! Something that people have always told one another, but can you imagine what it would be like to be perfect? Lets be honest who has not wanted to be the best at something or improve at something else. Well that is called desire and that is what your goal is based on. A goal is something that you want to reach or achieve, by committing and working hard. it should not have to be too over the top, but  be realistic to where you are at in your life and capable to reach with hard work. It is a good form of motivation to think about your goals whilst you are exercising and this will help increase your intensity and commitment, therefore also your results and how fast you get them -in the long-run!
It is also good to make changes to your lifestyle that do not have to effect your health directly, for example if you have a load of old clothes lying about cluttering up your house, you could donate them to charity. This not only helps out the charity but also creates a more positive feel about your house, and the more positive you feel the more you will be positive on your exercising and sporting commitments.
Another good change could be a change of friends. I know it sounds drastic just hear me out, if all your friends are smokers and drinkers that go to clubs every Friday, they are a negative influence on you. That alone puts you in a negative frame of mind or worse, convinces you to do the same as them, which breaks your commitment to health. Your friends need to support your lifestyle choice and should not put you under peer pressure to join in, if they do this and are unsupportive of something that means a lot to you, are they really your friend?
However, if your friends also share your commitments and hobbies you can discuss your progress, go to the gym together and find out what works for one another- sharing ideas- which is how we all learn and further our knowledge.







Thanks for reading, please check out the blog again soon; if you have any ideas/comments/questions feel free to contact me all your opinions are valid and are respected greatly; remember to plus one everything, share the blog with friends, follow, eat clean and work hard- peace!


Jason

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Kayaking amongst other things

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,






I have just got back from an all day kayaking trip, 8 miles (12.8 km) upstream- so it was hard work to fight against the current! It was preparation for my kayaking expedition which will be 26 miles (equal to a marathon) that I will start not this Saturday but the one after and finish on that Sunday evening, hopefully!




So time for some information on why kayaking is a great form of exercise:

• It works numerous body parts including; back, core, arms and chest. Even though the action of paddling is fairly unchallenging after hundreds of repetitions, this straight forward motion is a great way of  toning these muscles and burning fat. This is because you have to be active all the time so calories are being used up constantly, so it also helps with weight loss.
• Kayaking relieves stress, by being active and outdoors, your body become move relaxed and at home to its self, Any aggression or anger can be taken out on the intensity of the exercise.
• It is simply great fun, why do you think it is one of the worlds most rapidly growing sports? What is not to like?

Okay, so I am going to move on to some other news, and that is that thorough having a word with a couple of mates and some contacts of mine, I have managed to get a free gym pass for a month at a new gym in my area! Perks of being a blogger!  The conditions are that I have to fill in some reviews and questionnaires about how I find it and encourage other young people to do the same. Well to uphold my end of the bargain, I shall post daily on how things our going, what equipment and exercises I have done and found effective but also giving you the lowdown on what things to avoid.


So I will start this as soon as my body has recovered, I will give myself a few days of low intensity training, before pushing at the start of the term and seeing how much progress I make in them 14 weeks.  




Hope this helps, thanks for watching; please comment, plus one, follow, eat clean and train hard- peace!


Jason

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