February 2016
Fitness MAGAZINE
Cardio Machines: Which Ones to Choose?
Month III
Extreme Fat Loss Plan
Strength and Endurance: An Ideal Combo
12
Benefits of Yoga
3rd - 5th March 2016
Here’s To The Crazy Ones
Organized By
BikerZoneExpoShow
www.bikerzone-eg.com
Contents February 2016
12
Muscle-Ups… the Most Intense Calisthenics Moves out There!
Nutrition
24 Month III Extreme Fat Loss Plan 27 Myth 1: High Protein Low Carb 28 30 32 34 35
Fitness
12 Muscle-Ups… the Most
13 14 16 18 20 22
Intense Calisthenics Moves out There! Agility for Faster Feet The Rules of Muscle Building Cardio Machines: Which Ones to Choose? Killer Exercises for Stronger Core Gain Muscles and Lose Fat with This High-Load Circuit Training Challenging Bodyweight Exercises to Try Anywhere
2 | February 2016
Diet Eating Proteins for Fat Loss Hidden Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight 10 Simple Ways to Beat Food Cravings Bluff and Good Stuff Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry with Veggies
34
Bluff and Good Stuff
Have it at Your Home
5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek.
For delivery call: 0101-222-8818 or 02-2737-2551
The Fitness Magazine Team
48
Strength and Endurance: An Ideal Combo for YOU
Owner/Founder: Zeyad Sorour Editor-in-Chief: Ahmed El khodary Managing Editor : Christine Kassasseya Sales & PR Director: Naira El lamei Marketing & Project Director: Samar Zaki Art Director: Eman Salama Senior Graphic Designer: Marina raafat Financial Director: Haitham Hamouda Distribution: Ahmed Abou el Ela, Ahmed Fawzy, Mohamed Abd El Nasser & Alaa hussein
23 Emad El Din Kamel St., Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt Tel/Fax: (+202) 22627533 Mobile: 01115683666
STYLEs & FEATURES Body & soul 36 Responsibility vs. Blame 38 The 12 Benefits of Yoga
That Everyone Needs to Survive 40 Massage Can Make It Worse
The game 42 Building Up Endurance:
An Introduction to a New Lifestyle 44 How to Master Endurance? 46 How to Avoid Injuries and Burnout during Endurance Training 48 Strength and Endurance: An Ideal Combo for YOU
4 | February 2016
51 Portable Gadgets You
Want to Have in 2016 52 Shop Endurance Footwear & Apparel
56
It Is Never Too Late to Be Fit, Strong, and Healthy with Victoria Haig
The fitness Magazine Thefitnessmagazine www.thefitnessmagazineeg.com
SUCCESS STORY 56 It Is Never Too Late to Be Fit, Strong, and Healthy with Victoria Haig
In every issue 50 Fit Facts 54 Meet The Experts 58 Upcoming Events
Contributors Samira Khalil
Egyptian Fitness Blogger, Crossfit L1 Trainer, Specialist in Fitness Nutrition and Group Fitness Instructor
After a adapting a new fitness, nutrition, and health lifestyle, Samira decided to share her wonderful journey and experience in her personal blog and The Fitness Magazine. She is guided by the vision of helping readers become more focused on their physical abilities, health, and nutrition. Blog: Bodyshred-eg.com Website: www.bodyshred-eg.com Email: khalilsamira1@gmail.com Facebook: samirakhalilfitness
Dr. Ahmed Mostafa
Healthcare and Nutrition Manager of Gold’s Gym Heliopolis
He holds a BA in Physiotherapy from Cairo University. Upon graduation he specialized in Spinal Injuries in McKenzie Institute UK and Sports Injuries Managements in Cairo University. He earned Specialist in Performance Nutrition from International Sports Science Association (ISSA). He holds certificate in Fitness and Obesity Nutrition from National Institute of Nutrition and Nutrition Certificate from National Research Center. He also has Advanced Life Support Certificate from Nasser Institute Hospital and CPR from American Red Cross. Email: drahmedmostafapt@yahoo.com Tel: (+2) 011 122 864 73
Rowana Badry
BeFit Coach Certified Fitness Trainer, ISSA Certified Fitness Nutritionist, SFN
Earned Masters Degree in Education and currently works as an elementary school teacher, Rowana’s passion for fitness is incomparable. She comes from an extensive athletic background as an exprofessional basketball player. Nutrition is her way of life and being fit is her lifestyle. Email: rowanabadry@live.com Instagram: @rowana_badry Facebook: Rowana Badry
Sandra Shama Kaur
Founder of YallaYoga Center
She is the founder of YallaYoga Center in Heliopolis and a pioneer in repackaging Yogic based solutions for Mind & Health Management. In 2012, she completed Yoga Teacher Training at the Kundalini Research Institute, New Mexico, USA. Upon her return, she founded YallaYoga, the center that seeks to create a community of people who are keen to live life with more awareness, better health, and in service to assist one another. She is a Yoga educator, offering group classes, one on one sessions and public talks across Egypt.
6 | February 2016
Youssef Salem
Fitness Manager at Fight at Fitness Factory
National Academy of sport medicine (NASM CPT), Cross Fit L1 and Cross Fit Weightlifting Certified. He is also Blue Belt Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) under Carlson Gracie London Anubis. Salem was New York Open 2015 Champion, Chicago Open 2015 Champion and participated in World Championship 2015 in California.
5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek. For delivery call: 0101-222-8815 or 02-2737-2552
Dr. Marco Joseph
A Certified Physical Therapist at The Physio
He holds a BA in physiotherapy from MUST University. Upon graduation, he joined the clinics of two of Egypt’s top renowned physiotherapists, one of which works directly with the national football team, which contributed to his experience in sports injuries. Excelling in his work in sports injuries, he opened in his clinic, The Physio, at Gezira Club in 2013. The clinic works with all the club’s team and different level athletes from a multitude of sports including handball, swimming, triathlon, and soccer. Tel: +(2) 012 29 3000 62 Facebook: The Physio E-mail: thephysio.ask@gmail.com
Yasmine Shahine Life Coach
An Associate Certified Life Coach (ACC) by the International Coach Federation (ICF). At the begining of her coaching career, she engaged herself in ONE on ONE coaching and through years she developed her own tailor made coaching programs for people and companies to develop their potentials and awareness. Email: yshahine@whycoachegypt.com Facebook:YasmineShahineLifeCoaching YouTube:YasmineSLifeCoaching
Ali Abu Ghaben
Founder of BodyPal Nutrition Stores
He is Certified Dietitian, Personal Trainer and Health Guru. Moving across the sports spectrum, it was lifting that provoked his deep passion. Ali’s passion for fitness and nutrition led to the launching of his conceptual stores chain. Not only does Ali aim to provide athletes with supplements, but he also shares valuable insights and answers to their questions, as well as linking them to the key holders of fitness, nutrition, and dieting in town. Facebook: Body Pal Nutrition Store EG Instagram: ali_abughaben, body_pal
Riham Masoud
Founder, Managing Director, and Head Coach at Crossfit Monkey Bars
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Master degree in TV and Online Journalism holder, Riham has always been passionate about sports ever since she was a little child. She has participated in several local and International competitions. She also won the “Fittest Woman in Egypt” in Elfit Challenge, last year. In 2005, Riham started working as a Group Fitness Instructor in 2005. She joined HERs instructors team and became certified Level 1 Crossfit coach. Email: riham.masoud@ crossfitmonkeybars.com
8 | February 2016
Dr. Shady Labib
dentist-turned-Nutritionist
He is a Precision Nutrition (Canada) certified Lifestyle and Nutrition cwounselor and a member of the Syndicate for Sports Professions in Egypt with a sportsnutrition specialization. He has a nutrition consultation office. Facebook: shadylabibnutrition Email: info@shadylabib.com Website: www.shadylabib.com
Moheb El Gendy Photographer
Graduated from School of Engineering, Moheb established a photography company, iParty, after discovering his passion in this field. In the course of his work as a commercial photographer, Moheb discovered his ability to capture the extraordinary beauty of a physique that reflects hard work and consistent effort, so eventually his focus became fitness photography. He is highly regarded within the fitness community and has worked with martial arts troops, street workout crews, and fitness models. Whether it's capturing the speed of capoeira or the aesthetics of a fitness model, Moheb has the best eye for the business.
Victoria Haig
BSc and Fitness Nutritionist Specialist from the National Association of Sports Medicine USA
10 years in the Health & Fitness Industry as a Nutritionist in Madrid, Beijing, and now at CrossFit Stars Cairo. Victoria has created Healthy Meal Advisor (a healthy lifestyle ecosystem) to show people how healthy nutrient dense food can be tasty, how their plates should look, and which foods in which proportions they should eat. Victoria practices ‘aware’ eating helping to educate the client: ‘everything we eat is either feeding disease or fighting it’ – encouraging the client to make their healthy eating a lifestyle not a diet. Victoria is also a mother and fitness junkie with several NASM certs. “Shifting your mindset to shift your weight.”
Dr. Omar Mamdouh
Pharmacist, Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist at Gold’s Gym Heliopolis.
Earned Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science and a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacotherapy. Certified Personal Trainer from ACE IFT® (Integrated Fitness Training Model, American Council on Exercise), NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies, U.S.) and U.S. Bureau of labor. Member of USREPS (U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals). Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, Canada (Pn L1). Specialist in Fitness Nutrition from International Sports Sciences Association, U.S.(ISSA). Sports Nutrition from American Sports and Fitness Association (ASFA). CPR/ AED from American Heart Association (AHA). Certified Presenter and Trainer from Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), UK at Logic Training and HR Development, where he held presentations about Goal settings and Self-motivation. It’s never too late to start a new healthy lifestyle. E-mail: omar.mamdouh.nutrition@gmail.com Instagram: omar_mamdouh_
Eman El-Hawary
Photographer & Art Director
Studied photography in Dubai in 2008 and shortly went pro, where her clients quickly recognized that what they get is not a simple “professional shot”, but rather “a moment captured”. Also studied and worked in Cairo as a print-shop expert, a graphics designer, a web designer, and a crafts entrepreneur. Though best known as a portrait photographer, she is also recognized as a competent fashion, outdoor, and corporate photographer. “There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.” -Ernst Haas Email: emozine@gmail.com
10 | February 2016
Noura Hassaballa Nutritional Consultant
Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition holder from Northern Illinois University, USA. With great passion, she decided to pursue her successful career in Egypt as a nutritionist, with the mission of raising awareness on developing a healthy eating lifestyle, in addition to being one of the presenters of Dr. Chef on MBC 4. She is also the founder of Diet Rite Nutrition Center. Email: noura.hassaballa@gmail.com Facebook: Noura Hassaballa
Fitness
Muscle-Ups… the Most Intense Calisthenics Moves out There! By: Samira Khalil
The muscle-up is considered as one of the most demanding exercises, as it requires pulling, pushing, power, and core strength! “The muscle-up is a very unique skill that can single-handedly build serious strength and sculpt a powerful upper body. The only catch is that you already have to be strong in order to do that first one.” Dragon Door Publication, Body Hero. Muscle-ups are composed of three exercises combined together: Pull-ups, Dips, and Hanging Leg Raises. So basically before jumping into muscle up practices, you should primarily practice your Pull-ups, Dips, and Hanging Leg Raises!
Muscle-Ups 101
To practice muscle-ups, you will need a bar with plenty of overhead clearance. When starting out, it can be helpful to practice a modified muscle-up on a bar that is about chest height so you can use your legs to help jump into it. Your goal is to pull then push your entire body up and over the bar. It is quite different from a regular pull up that involves only pulling your chin just past the bar. Some people know how to do a pull up, dip, and leg raises but the missing part here is that they need to practice on the transition between these three moves before being able to execute a proper muscle-up! You will have to generate a lot of explosive force to get high enough over the bar to catch yourself and push through the dip phase to complete the exercise. Be consistent and practice until you get there! 12 | February 2016
Did You Know That?
• Muscle ups are gymnastics workout. • Gymnasts don’t get points for muscleups; however, they must do one in order to get into position! That’s right for a gymnast, a muscle-up isn’t even a REAL MOVE! “He who makes the beast of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man.” Samuel Johnson
Fitness
Agility for Faster Feet
A
gility is the ability to move quickly and change direction easily. This includes mental and physical capacities that we train our bodies to adapt to. There are many exercises and drills one can work on to improve agility. Soccer players, basketball players, squash players, and athletes who play other sports, mainly perform agility drills. But generally, one needs to improve agility in order to maximize fitness capacity and perform better under heavy loads or any given task. Agility drills will make you faster and will improve your running and coordination response. The best training to speed up slow feet is agility training; this is considered one of the best ways one would be able to
By: Rowana Badry
get to faster feet for better skills. Ladder drills are among the most potent agility exercises, as they provide excellent multi dynamic warm-up. They also develop connection between all muscles and brain functions, and they lead to great strength and stability. I, personally, believe that one should include ladder drills/agility drills at least once a week in the workout routine. That will certainly vary from one to another depending on personal goals. For example, a soccer player would practice more than once a week, in comparison to a crossfitter. In addition, agility can provide tremendous lower body strength, giving athletes more force. The more force one applies, the more the power; therefore, the fitter and faster the athlete becomes.
Why Is Agility Important?
• Agility helps keep better body control, provide stability, strength, speed, and the ability to change direction quickly. • Agility will improve one’s coordination and balance. It is known or defined by the grace and facility of movement. • Agility will develop the skills of turning, moving, and redirecting quickly in any elite sport.
Top Agility Drills Include: • • • • • •
Agility Ladder/Single Leg Hop Agility Ladder In and Out Feet Hurdle Drills Cone Drills Medicine Balls Drills Rapid Alternating Opposite Arm/Leg Stepups • The Suicide Drill/Sprints February 2016 | 13
Fitness
The Rules of Muscle Building By: Riham Masoud
14 | February 2016
Muscle building is science but is not science fiction; you just need to follow some rules in order to achieve your fitness goals of building muscle and gaining more strength. But with the many false information available online from unreliable sources, a lot of myths arose. To help put an end to your misery, I have highlighted the main rules that you need to follow in order to achieve your goal of muscle building. Building muscle requires discipline, commitment, consistency and hard work of course. If you follow the simple rules below, you’ll acquire a strong muscular body. Ready, Set, START:
Since you have decided that you want bigger and stronger muscles, then you have to start somewhere. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or you have done it before, you have to: • Take measurements: Measure your body composition not only your body weight to be able to determine your progress along the way. How much lean muscle you’ve gained and how much body fat you’ve lost. • Set realistic timely goals: How much muscle gain do you want to achieve over a certain period of time. • Track your progress: • Numerically: Workout logs; there are a lot of apps for only that purpose. • Visually: check your body shape in the mirror. • Body Composition: Weigh yourself weekly to see if you’re heading towards your goal or not.
Train Hard and CONSISTENT:
I highly recommend progressive overload, which means increasing the amount of work your muscles need to do in order to increase your strength and muscle gain. If you are always performing the same exercises, at the same number of reps, with the same
amount of weight, your muscles will adapt and hit plateau. You must constantly force your muscles to get progressively bigger and stronger. • 6-12 Reps for Muscle Building Train using 60-80 % of your 1RM. Heavier weight and fewer reps aims for building muscle strength. If you have reached a point where you can do 12 reps easily, then you should increase the amount of weight you are lifting. Which also means you are getting stronger. • 12-20 Reps for Muscle Endurance Train using 30-50% of your 1RM. lighter weight and more reps builds muscle endurance. • 1-5 reps Train using about 85% - 95% of your 1 RM. Go heavy. At least once a month, you should measure your 1RM in order to track your progress and re-adjust your program accordingly. Do more sets in the 6-12 rep range, but also include some sets where you train with lighter weights and more reps to help with your endurance goals as well. Go heavy every once in a while.
Variation Is a Key
As I mentioned earlier, your body adapts quickly to routine, so you always have to include variation to your workout as follows: • Time of day where you train • Include negatives • Include supersets • Play around with the number of reps • Train different muscles groups together • Shuffle your routine around (swap the sequence of exercise) • Change the workload
Recovery:
There’s always time for work and play. As much as you want to train hard you also must give your body a break and rest. If you think the more you train, the faster results you’ll get, you might be wrong. Overtraining has a lot of consequences but that is a different big topic that should go in another article. Recovery is critical in order to achieve your goals. Imagine that your body is an engine. If it works continuously 24/7, it will break down. It need its fuel (food) and it need its break (recovery and sleep). Your body needs the following in order to recover fully and function properly during the rest of the week.
• Sleep 8 Hours:
Most of the recovery happens when you sleep. It is recommended that you get into the habit of sleeping early at 10 a.m. and wake up early at 6 a.m. every day.
• Stretching/Mobility:
• Mobility: Right after your warm up and after you cool down. • Dynamic stretching during sets. • About 20-30 min stretching and mobility sessions after the training session. Your muscles need them to relax, elongate the muscles, and increase the range of motion.
• Rest:
You should rest about 48 hours between training each muscle group. So if your leg day is on Friday, schedule it so you don’t go again before Sunday or Monday. You should also rest about 90 seconds between sets.
• Active Recovery:
You could perform a different activity once a week. You could try yoga or hiking with friends. You could also go for an easy paced run, swim, or cycle. Remember variety, do something different every week.
• Protein and Fat:
According to Dr. Robert Wildman, PHD, Nutritional Science, about 20-25gm of protein per day is ideal for muscle building. Food filled with protein contains amino acids, which help reduce muscle protein breakdown and increase muscle protein synthesis. “Small gains in muscle protein overtime lead to big gains in muscle protein and muscle mass size and strength” ~ Dr. Wildman. You can acquire protein from dairy products, such as meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. If you can’t get your daily protein intake from food, you’ll have to take protein powder to compensate. Consuming fat that is rich with EPA and DHA increases muscle synthesis, reduces inflammation, and aids in recovery. Fish, fish oil (Omega-3), and olive oil are filled with is EPA and DHA. Once you start your training program, make sure you follow these rules and along the way you’ll be able to figure out the best intensity, training periods, resting periods, diet plan, etc., that works best for you. Just make sure you track your progress and stay consistent.
February 2016 | 15
Fitness
Cardio Machines:
Which Ones to Choose?
O
ur bodies were made to move, grow to be healthy, and endure throughout the years. While the importance of these goals may vary considerably from one another, there is no doubt that most people strive for a better quality of life. One way to achieve your health goals is through cardio! Cardio is any movement that boosts your heart rate and enhances blood circulation. There are innumerable ways to get cardio workout, such as running, rowing, swimming, cycling, and aerobic workouts. While cardiovascular exercises may sound horrific for some people, its benefits extend far beyond weight loss. The heart is a muscle that can easily weaken over time if you neglect it. By getting the heart pumping at a faster rate on a regular basis, you gradually strengthen it. Also speeding up your heart rate is positively correlated to the rate of metabolism. The more intense the cardio session, the more apparent shift you will witness with regards to your metabolic rate. Individuals who exercise regularly increase their muscle’s ability to utilize glucose and experience better control of their blood sugars. Hence, patients with diabetes should incorporate cardio in their lifestyle. Lastly, cardio lessens tension, enhances sleep, increases bone density, reduces appetite, and strengthens the lungs. Ready? Instead of jumping on random equipments, we’ve selected superlative options for you.
16 | February 2016
Treadmill
A treadmill features some variables, like speed and incline, which can be easily adjusted according to preference. Performing cardio on a treadmill can also be safer on the joints, tendons, and ligaments, due to the shock absorption of the tread on the equipment. Also, sprints on a treadmill tie your upper and lower body through the core, which improves balance and stability. Overall, this easy equipment is available in all gyms and in numbers, so no excuses.
Rowing Machine
Because of the added resistance from the flywheel, your muscles exert tremendous effort, which elevates the rate of calories burnt during and even post to the workout. A rowing machine is a low-impact that places little stress on the body, and at the same time, it reinforces and conditions major muscle groups, such as shoulders, arms, core, back, glutes, and legs. The set-up of the rowing machine also allows you to practice high intensity interval training effectively.
Stair Mill
If you want to challenge your legs and cardiovascular system, the step mill is the right equipment for you. You can walk a never-ending flight of stairs and shed body fat meanwhile. Just make sure not to support your upper body on your handles. Ask a coach on your first trial.
Spin Bike
There are many variables when it comes to spin bike; you can perform long-distance session, high intensity intervals, or adjust the tempo according to your fitness goals. Like running, spinning can be done all year round; whether indoors or outdoors, making it an effective routine. You can track
your mileage, amount of calories burnt, and pulse easily to consistency motivate yourself.
Elliptical Trainers
This machine is a non-impact exercise that allows minimal compressive forces on the bones joints. There are two ways to work out on the elliptical machine; you can use the handles to allow your upper and lower body to a concurrent push-pull movement, or you focus on the leg movements without holding the handles. If you will use the handles, you might set the resistance high so you can exert good effort on both your hands and legs.
Versa Climbers
This underestimated machine unfortunately is among the utmost types of cardio, because it trains the entire body as you are climbing vertically, directly against gravity. You can even add more resistance to give you a tremendous cardio workout. A quick transition with another machine like a stationary bike, can help keep your heart rate elevated.
Cardio Playlist:
My Apocalypse – Metallica Womanizer – Britney Spears Disturbia – Rihanna I Don’t Care – Fall Out Boy Shawty Get Loose – Lil Mama, Chris Brown, T-Pain Feedback – Janet Jackson I Kissed a Girl – Katy Perry It’s Not My Time – 3 Doors Down In The Ayer – Flo Rida Ft. Will.I.AM Time to Pretend - MGMT
February 2016 | 17
Fitness
KillerIsometric
Y
our core muscles are involved in most movements; accordingly building core strength is an imperative part of any training plan. Unlike strength training, isometric exercises aim to make you hold your muscles in one contracted position throughout a given period of time. These moves will not only strengthen your entire core muscles, but will also help prevent injury, banish back pain, develop an upright posture, build mental toughness, and definitely look great in a swimwear. Incorporate the following isometric exercises into your routine and reap the benefits. 18 | February 2016
Glute Bridge
• Lie down on your back. • Bend your knees, so that they look toward the ceiling and your heels are pressing the ground. • Lift your hips up, keep your torso firm, and hold for 30 seconds. • To advance the workout, do a single leg glute bridge.
Side Plank
• With your elbow directly beneath your shoulders, hold your body in a straight line from head to feet. • Hold the position for 30 seconds or more without dropping your hips. • Repeat on the other side.
Warrior III
• Stand in a straight line and then slightly incline forward while stretching your arms forward and your leg back to the rear. • Keep your core tight and back flat. • Hold the position for 30 seconds and then return to the starting position.
L-Sit
• Sit on the ground in an L-sit position and keep your legs straight and extended. • Place your palms on the ground and then lift yourself up, while keeping your legs straight. • Pause for 30 seconds. • If the workout is hard for you, bend your knees until you master it.
Chin-Up Hold with Dynamic L-Sit
• Hold the chin-up position then go into an L-sit position. • Slowly open and close your legs while keeping your legs straight and without swinging. • Keep your torso steady.
Bird Dog
• Kneel on the floor with hands firmly on the ground about shoulder width apart. • Point one arm out straight in front and the opposite leg to the rear. • Let your shoulders and hips parallel. • Hold for 30 seconds then switch to the other side.
Dip Hold with Knee Tucks
• Hold each bar and push yourself up. • Gradually bend your knees and tuck them up to your chest. • Do not shrug your shoulders up. • If the workout is hard for you, adjust it with only one leg at a time.
Banana
• On a gym mat, lie on your back, stretch yourself, and keep your legs together and arms extended. • Slowly raise upper body and legs off the floor simultaneously. • Concentrate on your abs while performing this workout. • Hold for 30 seconds and return to the starting position.
February 2016 | 19
Fitness
Gain Muscles and Lose Fat
with This High-Load Circuit Training
D
o you want to lean out, boost metabolism, sculpt every muscle, and save time? High-load training circuit is the right option. Athletes who want to get lean rather than huge impose circuit training on weekly basis. Basically, it is comprised of a number of exercises performed one after another in a circuit with little
20 | February 2016
or no rest between them. This method of training is prevalent as it enhances conditioning and muscular endurance, works the entire body, does not require gym membership, and very time efficient. High-load circuit training has the potential to integrate the hormonal system, mainly the musclebuilding hormones, as it trains
a large degree of muscle mass while being loaded with heavy weights performed in multiple sets and with short rest intervals of less than 60 seconds. This type of workout increases lactate levels that elevate growth hormone release. The metabolic rate is another factor that is affected by highload circuit training, as increasing
muscle mass also enhances your resting metabolic rate, which is the primary contributor to daily energy expenditure. So to boost your hormonal production and fire up your metabolism during and after exercise, you need to stick to three factors; multiple exercises, high loads, and short intervals.
To design a high-load circuit, you need to do the following: 1. Choose a simple version of a movement that includes multi-joint mass movement, and complete it at a speedy pace, such as goblet squats and trap bar deadlifts. 2. Begin with 3-5 movements and work your way up to 8. 3. Select movements that train the entire body or split them into upper and lower body movements. 4. Since movements are done in a circuit, you will be unable to perform the same number of reps as a traditional lifting session. Doing 4-6 reps is sufficient for this sort of training, and you can always increase the load. 5. Similar to reps, 4-6 sets is very suitable for this training, with 30-60 seconds rest between each set. 6. Overdoing circuit training can yield problems more than benefits, as it can decrease the immune function. Opt for 2 circuit trainings per week with other traditional lifting days and low-intensity training days.
A Sample of Weight Circuit
Perform the following six exercises with kettlebells or dumbbells ‘if possible’, with weights about 75% of your max weight; for five reps, five circuits, and 30 seconds rest between each exercise.
Goblet Squat
• Stand with legs about shoulder width apart and hold a kettlebell close to your chest. • Squat down until your hamstrings are on your calves, while keeping your chest and head up straight. Pause. • Using your elbows, push your knees to return back to the starting position.
Chin-up
• With a grip about shoulder width apart, grab the pull-up bar. Keep torso straight. • Breath out while pulling your torso up until your head is above the bar. Keep elbows close to the body and biceps squeezed in a contracted position. • Lower your body gradually as you breathe in and while keeping your torso straight.
Trap Bar Deadlift
• Load a hex bar, stand in the middle of the apparatus, and hold both handles. • Keep your head forward, chest up, and hips low. • Start the exercise by driving through the heels. Extend your hips and knees without rounding your back. • Lower the weight back to the ground as the starting position.
Loaded Push-ups
• Lie on the floor; face down and hands straight at about shoulder-width apart. • Place a plate on your back. • Lower yourself downward as you inhale, and then push your body back as you exhale.
Romanian Deadlift
• Stand with legs about shoulder width apart in front of a barbell. Grab the barbell with palms facing down. • Bend the knees slightly, and keep your hips back and back straight. • Use your hips to lift the bar as your exhale and stand up. Then lower the bar by pushing your hips back. • Inhale as you lower and exhale as you complete the rep.
Suspended Row
• As the name implies, suspend the straps to chest height, hold each handle tightly, and lean back so that your arms are fully extended. • Flex your elbow and protract your shoulder blades as you lift yourself. • Pause, and then lean back slowly. February 2016 | 21
Fitness
Challenging
Bodyweight Exercises to Try Anywhere
W
22 | February 2016
Waiting an eternity for the roads to clear and then the bench to free up among other factors can obstruct our motivation and dampen our ardour. Such cases are not indicators of surrender, as a matter of fact, you can easily melt off fat and pop some muscles using two arsenals‌ your body and an empty space! Bodyweight exercises are the ideal choice for individuals who want to maintain muscle and fitness goals, with bare access to equipment or gym membership. It is a great training
program for beginners particularly for countless reasons. It builds full-body strength, enhances brain health, helps defeat burnout, and lessens the risk of injuries. More experienced athletes may then have the tendency to depend on machines to challenge themselves. So, here are some equipment-free ways to tone body, build muscles, and shed off stubborn fats.
Dolphin Push-Up
• Muscle group worked: Abs, core, upper back, and shoulders. • Rest on the ground, and support your body using your elbows and toes. • Then, buck your buttocks high to look like a V-shape. Keep your face looking at the mat. • Lower your body again slowly to the starting position.
Leaping Frog
• Muscle group worked: Shoulders. • Put your hands on the ground about shoulder width apart and take a kneeling position, so as your knees are at a 45-degree angle. • Push your body off the ground so that your arms are holding all the weight. • Try to pause few seconds in the air before returning to the starting position.
Helicopter Exercise • Muscle group worked: Obliques and shoulders. • Start with a push up position and extend your arms fully. • Place your right arm behind your neck, so that the body is being supported on one arm.
• Rotate your body and move your right arm from up in the air to the left elbow, and so on. • Repeat the same exercise on the other side.
Hip Dip
• Muscle group worked: Obliques. • Take a side plank position. • Place one hand on the ground and the other on your waist. • Lower your obliques until they almost touch the ground and then raise them up high.
Walking Lunge
• Muscle group worked: Quadriceps. • Stand up straight with your legs less than shoulder width apart. • Take a step forward with your right knee and squat down through your hips. • Torso should be straight and head pointing toward a fixed point. • Continue moving forward in the movement using both legs.
One Legged Bird Squat
• Muscle group worked: Lower body.
• Stand in a straight line then bend your upper body forward while pushing one leg back and arms pointing towards opposite walls. • Squat down as low as possible. Try to hold this position for few seconds then return back to the starting position.
Falling Tower
• Muscle group worked: Lower body. • Place a chair in the room, and then kneel on your knees 2 feet away from the front of the chair. • Gradually lean back to the chair, while keeping your back straight, until your head touches the chair. • Lift yourself back slowly to the starting position. • Your knees should be hinging, not your hips.
Boat
• Muscle group worked: Full body. • On a mat, lie on your stomach with your legs together and face down on the mat. • Bend your knees and then grab your ankles. • Raise your upper body as much as possible, then repeat.
February 2016 | 23
Nutrition
Month III Extreme Fat Loss Plan
W By: Victoria Haig
Welcome back for the third final installment of our 3-month fat loss plan. Each month we change the plan to alleviate boredom and gradually shift toward a more long-term sustainable way of eating.
However please note: that doesn’t mean you’re too late to start, on the contrary, each plan stands alone, so simply head down to your local supermarket and using the shopping list provided as a guide, fill your fridge and get ready to burn some fat and be the best version of you ever.
The Science:
At any given moment, even at rest, your body is breaking down muscle and building up protein. Now substitute the word ‘protein’ for ‘muscle’ and you quickly understand how dynamic your body is and how it can change in just a few weeks due to diet alone. Eating protein triggers muscle growth, moreover every time you eat 10 to 15 grams of protein you trigger protein syntheses.
The Fix: Eat your way to a leaner, healthier body with the Fitness Magazines Plan that limits your carbs to 20-25 percent of your total calories. The rest of your diet will consist of 35 to 40 percent fat and 35-40 proteins. To add or reduce your calories based on your personal goal use the formula below:
Rules for fat loss
Inactive Day Calorie Goal
II Weights over Cardio It’s easier to assess which changes elicit what responses. Keep a note of your program to monitor this.
A. Your weight, in pounds B. A x 15 = C. B - 500 =
Active Day Calorie Goal A. Your weight, in pounds B. A x 18 = C. B - 500 =
Please try these eating principles and in a few months you’ll be lighter, energized, and educated. Load up on fibrous vegetables and fat burning nutrients and watch the weight drop off. So here is the challenge if you follow this well constructed scientific approach to your food we guarantee you and your friends will be astonished.
I Diet First Especially if you are obese. Set aside a few months to get in a calorie deficit to get a healthy, gym ready state. Sometimes trying to implement too many changes at once can be overwhelming.
III Crush Cravings To alleviate hunger pangs, drink plenty of water and herbal tea, if necessary you can take a glutamine supplement to settle a growling stomach. To keep hunger hormones in check never skip a meal or snack and enjoy one cheat meal per week. IV Eat Fat Healthy fats actually burn fat.
Please note – macros given are approximate, as we cannot account for the exact quantities/ weight of the foods given. Try to follow the plan as closely as possible and you don’t have access to the foods listed use the principles of the plan. Replace proteins with another protein and carbs with another carb and so on. When eating out follow the principle of the plan and eat a similar meal to the one allocated.
GOOD LUCK – LET’S GET STARTED
Shopping list Proteins
Whey - Optional Eggs Chicken Breast Lean Beef Steak Tuna in Water Turkey Cold Cuts White Fish Salmon
Healthy Fats
Olive Oil Hard Yellow Cheese Nuts Seeds Spreads and Dips • Tahina • Hummus • Nut Butters
Carbohydrates Brown Toast Baladi Bread Brown Rice Sweet Potato
Leafy Greens and Other Vegetables
Apples and Other Fruits
Red Bell Pepper Peas Mushrooms Salad items Fresh or Frozen: • Spinach • Broccoli
Strawberries Apples Bananas Kiwi Oranges
Seasonings
Fresh Herbs Lemon Black Pepper Garlic Ginger Mint Parsley Paprika Vinegar Cinnamon
FOR MEN: DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
1 bowl of branflakes cereal with strawberries, raisins, and skimmed milk
Porridge with skimmed milk and 1 chopped banana
1 bowl of branflakes cereal with strawberries and skimmed milk
4-egg omlete with mixed veggies
Porridge with skimmed milk and 1 chopped banana
A handful of mixed nuts and raisins
2 boiled eggs
Meal 2
1 apple with 1 tablespoon of nut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon
1 apple with 1 tablspoon of nut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Meal 3
Baladi bread stuffed sandwich with tuna and boiled egg plus 1 kiwi
Baladi bread stuffed sandwich with chicken breast plus 1 apple
Baladi bread stuffed sandwich with smoked salmon plus 1 orange
Meal 4
3 pieces of cold cuts with carrot sticks
2 boiled eggs
1 closed fist of mixed nuts and seeds
Meal 5
2 chicken legs roasted and half a fist sized sweet potato with salad or green veggies
2 salmon fillets with half a cup boiled brown rice and mixed vegetables
Chicken and cashew nut stir fry
TOTAL KCAL
2,300
2,000
PROTEIN
200g
CARBS
BENEFIT
Meal 1
1 banana with 1 tablspoon of nut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon
DAY 6
DAY 7
3-egg whites with 1/2 cup foul, 1 brown toast with peppers, spinach, and mushrooms
4-egg omlete with mixed veggies
1 banana
2 boiled eggs
Baladi bread stuffed sandwich with smoked salmon plus 1 orange
Baladi bread stuffed sandwich with turkey, cold cuts, and salsa plus 1 apple
FREE MEAL
1 closed fist of mixed nuts and seeds
2 boiled eggs
1 chicken breast
Creamy cod (or any white fish) with baked garlic mushrooms and a green salad
Peppered steak with stir fried vegetables
150g prawns stir fry
Creamy cod (or any white fish) with baked garlic mushrooms and a green salad
2,150
2,000
2,200
200g
179g
190g
150g
190g
180g
180g
160g
210g
The spice in cinnamon helps rein in blood sugar spikes making you less likely to crash before lunch.
Healthy fats like salmon and avocado ensure your muscle won’t waste away.
Fresh Baladi bread is 100% wholewheat making it a nutrionists favourite.
Turkey and other lean meats are the key of dramatic body transforamtion and overall health.
Eating nuts and seeds has proven to aid weight loss but beware portion is the key.
Baladi bread stuffed sandwich with tuna and boiled egg plus 1 kiwi
1 chicken breast
1,746 FREE MEAL
159g 140g
Cheat meals are a very useful tools when you’re following a plan.
The first day after your cheat meal is a little tougher but hang in there the week gets easier. February 2016 | 25
FOR WOMEN: DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
Meal 1
Oatmeal with skimmed milk and cinnamon
3 egg whites with your choice of veggies
1/2 cup of foul with 2 whole eggs
Oatmeal with skimmed milk
3 quick scrambled eggs
Oatmeal with skimmed milk and cinnamon
3 quick scrambled eggs
Meal 2
1 apple with peanut butter and cinnamon
A handful of mixed nuts and raisins
1 apple with peanut butter and cinnamon
Mixed nuts and raisins a handful
1 apple with peanut butter and cinnamon
Mixed nuts and raisins a handful
1 glass of milk or cappuccino
1/2 baladi bread stuffed sandwich with tuna and boiled egg
1/2 baladi bread stuffed sandwich with chicken breast
1/2 baladi bread stuffed sandwich with smoked salmon
Meal 4
1 finger piece of cheese with 6 walnuts
15 strawberries
250ml carton of milk (chocolate is ok)
Meal 5
2 chicken legs roasted and half a fist sized sweet potaoe with salad or green veggies
1 salmon fillets with half a cup boiled rice and mixed vegetables
Chicken and cashew nut stir fry
TOTAL KCAL
1,500
1,450
PROTEIN
100g
CARBS
Meal 3
BENEFIT
DAY 6
DAY 7
1/2 baladi bread stuffed sandwich with turkey, cold cuts and salsa
FREE MEAL
1/2 baladi bread stuffed sandwich with smoked salmon
15 strawberries
1 finger piece of cheese with 6 walnuts
15 strawberries
Creamy cod (or any white fish) with baked garlic mushrooms and a green salad.
Peppered steak with Stir-Fried vegetables
150g prawns stir fry
Creamy cod (or any white fish) with baked garlic mushrooms and a green salad.
1,400
1,400
1,400
80g
110g
90g
120g
95g
100g
90g
80g
90g
Oatmeal is full of soluble fiber making it a great alternative to eggs as a breakfast fat loss tool.
Salmon is a rich source of omega 3 essential fatty acids, this provides a direct supply turning on fat burning and blocking fat storage.
Eating nuts and seeds has proven to aid weight loss but beware portion is the key.
Strawberries promote the production of the hormone adiponectin and leptin, both of which are fat burning hormones.
Research shows calcium through dairy products may reduce fat absorption from other foods.
1/2 baladi bread stuffed sandwich with tuna and boiled egg
1 finger piece of cheese with 6 walnuts
1,400 FREE MEAL
90g Cheat meals are a very useful tools when you’re following a plan.
Accept the Challenge Once you’ve accepted the challenge, get your office workers, friends, partner, or family to try The Fitness Magazine Fat Loss Plan and change their life too. At the Fitness Magazine, we want to support you and know how you’re doing. Hashtag your meals, yourself training, or your transformation journey for a chance to be featured in the magazine and a prize.
fitmagfatloss2016 For any questions or support please do not hesitate to contact @healthymealadvisoregypt by direct message. 26 | February 2016
90g
The first day after your cheat meal is a little tougher but hang in there the week gets easier.
Nutrition
MYTH 1: HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB DIET By: Youssef Salem
Before starting anything, there is one rule: Calories in Vs. Calories Out. If there is a calorie deficit (out more than in) there will be weight loss, on the other hand if there is calorie surplus (in more than out) you will gain weight. To elaborate more, if you burn say 1500 calories per day and you only eat 1000 calories only consumed from junk food such as Macdonald’s you will lose weight. And if you eat more than 1500 only consumed out of meat, fruits, and vegetables you will gain weight. Gaining muscle instead of fat or losing fat instead of muscle depends on how you eat and how you train. Getting back to our topic that might be the most debatable topic today. Eating lots of protein such as, meat and chicken, while restricting carbs such as, pasta, rice, and bread is the best way to lose weight. The term “low – carb diet” is often thought as synonymous with the Atkins diet, named after cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins. Dr. Atkins book “New Diet Revolution” sold more than 45 million copies in the past 40 years. In 1990s and early 2000s, these types of diet such as, The Zone Diet, South Beach Diet, and Go Lower Diet became so popular till today.
2.7gm of water. 2. The self-selection from foods will lead to decrease in caloric intake. 3. High protein diet and low carbohydrates increase satiety, therefore reducing food and calorie intake. According to NASM in a review article of 107 published found out that weight loss while using low carbohydrate diets was linked to the negative caloric intake and it had nothing to do with the macronutrient.
So what is the correct formula?
It is vital to understand the importance of each macronutrient. Protein is very important because the amino acids are essential for the recovery and rebuilding of damaged tissues, while carbohydrates are the fastest way to provide energy. And you can think of healthy fats as the vehicle that transports minerals and vitamins to the organs. Therefore, any discrepancy in any of these macronutrients is wrong. According to the acceptable macronutrients distribution range (AMDR) carbohydrates should be 45% to 65%, protein 35% to 45%, and healthy fats 10% to 20% of your caloric intake. I, personally, go for 45% carbs, 35% protein, and 20% healthy fats.
A lot of research has examined the manipulation of macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) to increase metabolic advantage and the result is that it does not produce significant weight loss compared to low fat diets. On the other hand, The American Heart Association warns people that the high protein and saturated fat content of the Atkins diet can be harmful to the heart and kidneys.
What are the possible mechanisms of why high protein diets produce a greater amount of weight loss? 1. The restriction of carbohydrates depletes the amount of glycogen (stored carbohydrate in muscles) leading to loss of water. Each 1gm of glycogen contains
February 2016 | 27
Nutrition
Eating Proteins for Fat Loss By: Shady Labib
If you are one of those people who believe that by eating more proteins you will add up more bulk and turn into a hulk, get ready to change your mind. Increasing your intake of proteins can actually help you shed off some extra fat in addition to boosting your metabolism. 28 | February 2016
This may sound very weird since adding more food, especially proteins, should result in more weight. The thing is, our bodies don’t function like machines. The more you eat, doesn’t mean the more weight you add. Each food we eat impacts our bodies with a cascade of hormonal changes that
end up with either weight gain or weight loss. It all depends on which types of food you eat. Think of food as drugs that impact the body with a lot of changes.
“Why can’t they just sell us glucagon injections?” one of my clients once told me, after explaining to her how this hormone works. Well, glucagon indeed is the most efficient when it comes to burning fat. This hormone is released during fasting, working out, and with a higher protein intake. It breaks down the stored fat and shuttles it to the blood stream to be used as energy. At the same time, its release blocks the release of another fat building hormone known as insulin. Now let’s check the science backing up this theory.
1. Proteins will increase your metabolism by 30%. By consuming more proteins, your body burns more fat. This is what scientists call “The thermic effect of food”. It simply means that in order for our bodies to breakdown, digest, absorb, and transport food it requires energy. This process causes your metabolism and your fat burning ability to increase. This effect is highest in proteins consumption, lower in fat and then carbohydrates. 2. Proteins will release fat burning glucagon.
3. Proteins will keep you satiated for longer periods of times. Recent studies have shown that by increasing dietary proteins, people are more likely to feel satiated for longer periods of time. This is due to a cascade of hormonal reaction that seems to be triggered by proteins, which results in signals of satiation.
How to benefit from the fat burning effect of proteins?
Today make sure to consume a portion of healthy protein every 3-4 hours. A person should consume from 0.8 gm to 1.2 gm of proteins per kilogram of body weight a day. However, instead of running everywhere with
a kitchen scale in hand, here is an easy way by precision nutrition to make sure you are having the right amounts without stressing yourself out: Men should aim for 2 palm-sized portions of proteins at each meal of the day, while women should aim for only 1.
Healthy sources of proteins include: Animal proteins: •Beef •Chicken •Fish •Turkey (real turkey and not smoked) •Duck •Egg whites Dairy proteins: •Halloumi cheese •Buffalo mozzarella •Labneh •Cottage cheese •Greek feta cheese •Whey protein Plant based proteins: •Lentils •Hummus •Beans (all sorts of beans) •Green peas February 2016 | 29
Nutrition
Hidden reasons you are not
losing weight By: Noura Hassaballa
30 | February 2016
A Are you one of those folks who spends hours at the gym, yet doesn’t see any results? Feeling sluggish, fatigued, depressed, unable to stay focused at work, or having mental confusion while you are following a strict regimen. The following are some factors which play a role in hindering your weight loss process that you never pay attention to.
Vitamin/Mineral Deficiency:
It’s all about the “sunshine vitamin”. Vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin” because the skin produces vitamin D from the sun’s UVB. Your skin makes enough vitamin D in 30 minutes with just the face, hands, and feet exposed. Keep in mind that it takes 15 minutes for fair-skin and a little over half an hour for darker-skin to get enough vitamin D. Studies show that weight gain is linked to vitamin D deficiency. People with low vitamin D levels have higher body fat percentage than people with adequate levels, which means that a deficiency in this vitamin is believed to interrupt the communication of hormones that signal the brain when you are full, possibly leading to overeating. Let me explain more; when we have adequate amounts of vitamin D, fat cells don’t make or store fat as fast. Your body releases more leptin; the hormone that conveys the “Stop Eating” message to your brain. However, since repetitive exposure to the sun light can result in skin cancer, professionals have advised that getting this vitamin from a combination of food and supplements is your best option. You can start incorporating food like fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout, eel, sardines, and mackerel), mushrooms, egg yolk, beef liver, cod liver oil, as well as, fortified milk, cereals, and orange juice. Same goes for calcium; now you know why low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese are so popular. Calcium stored in fat cells plays a vital role in regulating how fat is processed and stored by the body. The more calcium there is in a fat cell the more fat the cell will burn. Now let’s talk a bit about the “magnesium miracle”. Magnesium is a mineral that is involved with over 300 metabolic processes in our bodies. It activates the enzymes needed for digestion, absorption, and the utilization of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The list goes on; it helps prevent obesity genes from expressing themselves, and it’s necessary for insulin to help glucose enter the cells. Not only that, but magnesium is necessary for the proper transportation of calcium across cell membranes. And if you pay close attention, you will see that vitamins and minerals act as a team to facilitate the work for each other.
Thyroid:
your metabolism. If you have an underactive thyroid, you don’t produce enough thyroid hormones, therefore your body process will slow down making you low on energy and decreasing your metabolism leading to weight gain. Stress, pollution, medication, and autoimmune disorders are oftentimes the cause of hypothyroidism. The symptoms may be vague and can often mimic other conditions. Symptoms include: change in menstrual cycle, constipation, depression, dry hair, hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, greater sensitivity to cold, slow heart rate, unexplained weight gain, and difficulty losing weight. Add one more thing to your to-do list and go get your thyroid hormones checked to be on the safe side. Selenium is a great trace mineral found in water and food which you can add to your diet for an efficient working thyroid. Try Brazilian nuts, beef, mushrooms, and whole grains.
Water Retention:
Many people like to step on the scale daily and see disappointments when they see their weight fluctuating daily, but what they don’t know is that weight variations happen because of fluid retention. Most foods and drinks we consume daily tend to have high amounts of sodium, that’s why you may feel bloated at times. A misconception that has been going around is that drinking water will make your body retain it, while in fact drinking enough water daily will help you lose the flab. In fact, water is essential for blood circulation, metabolism, regulation of body temperature, and detoxification. When you don’t drink your daily recommended amounts of water your body holds on to what’s available to reuse it since there is not much available to keep your body functioning normally.
PCOS:
Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common hormonal disorder in women of childbearing age. PCOS is a condition in which a woman’s levels of the sex hormones, oestrogen, and progesterone are out of balance, which leads to the growth of ovarian cysts and causes insulin resistance. When your cells become resistant to insulin you end up with high levels of insulin and glucose in the blood stream thus leading to weight gain, body hair growth, acne, and irregular periods. Women with PCOS may want to follow a strict PCOS diet to increase insulin sensitivity. So, don’t forget to pay your doctor a visit and get your ovaries checked.
Hypothyroidism is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions today but not many doctors pay attention to the relationship between the nutritional status and thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland is what controls
February 2016 | 31
10
Nutrition
Simple Ways to Beat
Food Cravings
F
By: Omar Mamdouh
Food craving is an intense desire to consume a specific food, and is different from normal hunger. Chocolate is almost always on top of foods people say they crave; this craving is referred to as Chocoholism.
What’s behind craving?
Chocolate If you crave chocolate, it doesn’t mean your body has a chocolate deficiency. Chocolate is high in magnesium, so cravings for it often indicate that your body is deficient in magnesium, which is a common deficiency. If you’re going to eat chocolate, choose organic cocoa and mix it into a healthy smoothie, or eat a small amount of dark chocolate. Because that is unlikely enough to deal with a magnesium deficiency, it’s also important to eat other foods high in magnesium, such as nuts, seeds, fish, and leafy greens. 32 | February 2016
Cheese Cravings for cheese or pizza often indicate a fatty acid deficiency, which is common in most people. Two to three servings of fish such as wild salmon, a small handful of raw walnuts, or 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds in a smoothie will often cut out cheese cravings altogether.
How to avoid food cravings?
Sweets If you crave sweets you may be experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. It is important to choose the right type of food to bring your body back into balance such as a piece of fruit. Add more highfiber foods like beans and legumes, and complex carbohydrates like whole grains to give you the fuel you need without the blood sugar spikes.
2. Drink Water. Figure out if you’re really hungry by having a glass of water before you indulge in a snack. Often, we mistake thirst for hunger.
Salty Foods Cravings for salty foods like popcorn or chips often indicate stress hormone fluctuations in the body. Getting on top of the stress in your life is step one. A research at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City showed that people who take a break to breathe deeply or meditate before reaching for salty snacks reduced their stress hormones by 25 percent and cut the bingeing in half. Red Meat Cravings for red meat as burger and steak usually indicates an iron deficiency. Eat more iron-rich beans and legumes, figs, and other dried fruits. Vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron, so take vitamin C alongside your iron-rich foods. Alternatively, eat citrus, red peppers, tomatoes, or berries that are high in vitamin C with your ironrich foods. Snacks If you often feel snacky, sometimes for sweets, sometimes for salty foods, it can mean you’re not eating a well-balanced diet and may be missing a variety of nutrients.
1. Have Breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so be sure not to miss it. Skipping breakfast can turn lunch, snacks, and dinner into a free-for-all. According to obesity studies, those who eat eggs for breakfast consume about 300 fewer calories overall in a day.
3. Deal With Stress. If you’re eating due to stress, then deal with your stress, not your “hunger.” Try deep breathing or meditation. 4. Distraction. When a craving hits, do something else for about 15 or 20 minutes and wait until the feeling goes away. Try going for a walk, surfing the Internet, or reading. 5. Combine Foods. Combine the craving food with a healthful one. As a beneficial bonus, you'll satisfy a craving and get healthy nutrients from those good-for-you foods. 6. Try Chewing Gum. If you want to avoid giving in to a sugar craving completely, try chewing a stick of gum. As research has shown that chewing gum can reduce food cravings. 7. Eat Fruits. Keep fruit handy for when sugar cravings hit. You'll get fiber and nutrients along with some sweetness. And stock up on foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. 8. Increase Number of Meals and Eating Frequency. Waiting too long between meals may set you up to choose sugary, fatty foods that cut your hunger. Instead, eating every three to five hours can help keep blood sugar stable and help you avoid irrational eating behavior. Choose protein, fiber-rich foods like whole grains.
It may take time to get control over your cravings so do not forget to go easy on yourself.
9. Half-and-Half Rule. If most of your sugar comes from drinks like soda and juice, dilute it with a half a cup of water (or carbonated water). This will immediately reduce your sugar intake by half! Continue to reduce the amount of the sugary drinks you consume as you go and, soon, you won’t even miss them.
10. Chromium plays an important role in insulin's regulation of blood glucose, and plays a role in energy production. Chromium prevents the spikes and dips of blood sugar. Take 200 mcg once a day at the start of any meal to prevent the sugar surges that often leave you reaching for more sugar later.
February 2016 | 33
Nutrition
Bluff and Good Stuff By: Ali Abu Ghaben
Supplements Between Myth and Reality:
Fake or fierce, wasteful or effective, harmful or beneficial… are few of the many thoughts that cross our mind when we hear or be told about supplements and supplementation. This time, we aren’t cutting it short and we won’t leave you to be milked by supplements sellers. You’ll only get what you need and you’ll know exactly why you need it. We will correct the misconceptions about most of the disseminating supplements. It’s not a do or die situation, but supplements is the gateway for better performance, safer recovery, and a closer target. In the end, the choice depends on a number of factors that dictate your need of a certain supplement. One of these factors is your intake of whatever your body needs or as an athlete would think that your effort deserves. Searching the topic “supplementation” on the Google engine, you’ll be baffled between two conclusive opinions “good” and “bad”. Let’s break it down and talk some science; what happens right after a paper cut? The wound clots before it heals. This is exactly what happens to your muscle fibers while training. During a workout, blood rushes into your muscles cutting many muscle fibers to heal and become stronger and bigger throughout recovery. And here is when the essential supplements mainly play their role during the anabolic hour (AKA golden hour). The question is: what happens then? Anabolism is the set of metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units. It could be referred to as the types of raw materials, which work in alignment to synthesize a wide variety of end products. The result is an increase in cellular size or complexity—or both. 34 | February 2016
All that must happen within that hour “anabolic hour”. Why? Because the same healing process that occurs during a paper cut happens to the inner muscle tissues, it coagulates, preventing any muscle protein or nutrients to enter the inner tissues for anabolism to take place. If you tried eating right after workout, it’d take 90 to 120 minutes of digestion then another 30 to 60 for food synthesis to benefit from that food. Now we’ll handle these anabolism tools one by one starting with protein powder products. Talking about whey as a product is referring to complex components made up of many smaller protein subfractions such as alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, glycomacropeptides, immunoglobulins (IgGs), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and minor peptides such as lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, and lysozyme. The biological properties of each sub fraction is unique and work out throughout different mechanism. The question is, why do or don’t we use it? Is it natural? YES, it is 100% natural as it is mainly formed and extracted out of dairy and milk products, and it is a high source of protein which supports directly the immune system, in addition to containing most essential amino acids. Also a perfect source of BCAAs branched chained amino acids. Its safety is ensured, as it is naturally present in cow’s milk. In contrast to some opinions and even studies, whey protein powders have proven safe and secure recovery and general wellbeing, and no serious side effects have been observed. So we don’t need to dress it up protein shakes are one of the most effective recovery drinks you can consume either you are on a training program or not as they contribute directly in reducing fat percentage and increase metabolism, add size and strength to your
muscles, reduce hunger, fights cancer, increase immune system, and one of recent weirdest benefits of protein is reducing stress. People who consume more proteins feel less stress, no wonder kings used to be so calm and happy. For original safe protein powder products visit @body_pal ,or Facebook page/bodypal.ns
Nutrition
Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry with Veggies
R
eap the utmost health benefits of coconut oil with this quick and sizzling main dish of super tender shrimps garnished with veggies and topped with heavenly sauce. A pleasant dish indeed! Total Time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: • 500 g large shrimps, peeled • 1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced • ½ cup soy sauce • 2 tbsp. organic virgin coconut oil, divided • 2 tbsp. raw honey • 2 tsp. sesame oil • 1 onion, thinly sliced • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced • 1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced • 2 cups chard, thinly sliced • Salt and pepper to taste Directions: • In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, stir for few minutes or till golden, then place on a plate and set aside.
• Meanwhile, mix sesame oil, soy sauce, and raw honey in a small bowl and leave for later use. • Using the same skillet, add the remaining oil and stir-fry the onion, peppers, and squash for few minutes. Add the garlic and chard, and then cook for a couple of minutes. Pour the sauce and simmer till thickens. Blend the shrimps with the veggies and cook till ready. • Serve with brown rice. February 2016 | 35
Body & soul
36 | February 2016
Responsibility vs. Blame By: Yasmine Shahine
When hearing the word “responsibility,” many people immediately feel a burden or believe that they have to carry extra loads. Ironically, it is exactly the opposite! Responsibility leads to FREEDOM and Blame leads to BURDEN.
Do you know what happens when we start blaming others or things for any issue? First we will have a fake feeling that the burden is off our chest; however, what we are actually doing here is that we are giving away power and we are putting ourselves in the position of being a victim! A victim is always helpless. A victim can never change any situation or any matter cause he believes that he did not create it and it was forced on him, so there is no other choice but to accept whatever the situation is. Blame is only used to divert the attention from ourselves. It simply drives away our focus from what actually went wrong and how to stop it from happening again to “who did that?” Blame is simply a pure act of judgment that leads to only one place; releasing big amounts of negative energy and a sensation of feeling helpless. On the other hand, if we change our perspective to believe that we created the situation, we have the ability to change
or modify it. Only with that sense, we will have a feeling of power and freedom.
Now let me give you four tips on how can you work on changing that perspective… • Know that responsibility is not a way to act; it’s a way to look at our entire lives. It’s always our choice; either to choose to feel empowered and in control or to choose to act as if our hands are bound and we are helpless. The minute you start looking at your life as a complete human being, who has the right to make his/her decisions, this is when you will stop blaming others or fate! • Quit the addictive blame game now! Yes, blaming others can become addictive. If you get used to that perspective, your whole view of your own life will drastically change and whatever happens you will find yourself saying, “what can I do? It’s my work, boss, wife, husband, friends, country, family,”… you name it. Unfortunately, blame always seems as if it is the easiest way to respond. Mostly because we feel that if we took responsibility we can then be blamed if anything went wrong later on whatever decision we took. You will mistakably believe that your life becomes easier! Watch out cause that feeling is very short termed. • Learn to forgive yourself to be able to forgive others. Forgiveness has nothing to do with others; it has everything to do with us. When we forgive, we release ourselves from the burden of blame. When we really believe that we are all human and its OK sometimes to make mistakes, we can then embrace the present and learn to let go. Only then we can say I failed in that but I can try again and change my life because
I’m in control of my decisions. • Change your language now. When we choose power and responsibility, we start using the “I” language. We let others know how we feel WITHOUT blaming them for how we feel and think! Stop giving the keys of your life to others, cause these keys will open their doors not yours. Choose to be in control and powerful. Choose to be responsible! Responsibility is about accepting that you have choices ahead of you in your future and that your past decisions are not worth blaming yourself anymore. Everyone makes mistakes. We are human. It is part of our life journey, learning path, and self-development. Taking responsibility for our actions will save our energy, because we do not waste any time or effort making excuses for what we did. We build character and self-esteem. We build integrity and clarity.
“ You can fail many times, but it doesn’t mean you are a failure! You can only call yourself that when you stop taking control and responsibility of your own life and start to blame somebody else.”
February 2016 | 37
Body & soul
The 12 Benefits of Yoga That Everyone Needs to Survive (Part 1: Physical Benefits) By: Sandra Shama Kaur
Over the years of practicing yoga diligently, I have noticed some pretty obvious benefits of yoga that everyone in today’s modern and urbanized world, certainly needs in order to survive. These benefits fall into 3 main categories, which you probably guessed already: physical, emotional-mental, and spiritual. In this column, I will go over the obvious and not so obvious physical benefits. On a physical level yoga offers 5 main benefits. First and arguably the most important is the reduction of pain. Through the use of the breath, yoga refuels the body, especially the joints in the wrists and ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and neck. For those who work out too little or too much, pain and tension accumulate in the body as a result of blocked energy that needs to move. And in yoga, you’ve guessed it, we breathe through these blockages, which makes more room for energy to flow thereby releasing tension and pain. Secondly is posture and alignment. Certainly living a sedentary life contributes to developing habits in bad posture. Think about the way that you sit while watching TV, typing away at your computer, in your car, or even standing. The slouched back and dropping neck or arched neck are all unhealthy postures that we develop and live with us for life! What yoga does is bring you awareness of your posture so you know how to stand and sit properly as well as which muscles to engage and when so that the body is in proper alignment. Of course what many people do not know is that energy flows more freely when posture is correct and so we become more productive, healthier, and happier when the spine is properly aligned. 38 | February 2016
Thirdly is strength and flexibility. We do a lot of whacky stuff in yoga such as arm balancing poses, planks, warriors, and so forth. These postures can be held as little as 30 seconds or as much as 11 minutes that’s in the case of Kundalini Yoga! So imagine how much strength you gain in addition to stamina and endurance just to keep up despite the challenge. What helps you keep up is always the attention to the breath. The deeper that you breathe the longer you can hold the pose. In the case of flexibility, what you will notice is that the more you exhale deeply and visualize the energy flowing to the parts of the body that are tense and inflexible, then the more you will be able to open up, release tension, and flow into the posture with ease. Fourthly is balance and coordination of movement. If you have ever been to a
yoga class you will be familiar with various balancing poses such as tree pose, the dancer, boat post and so on. Performing such postures are great for improving your coordination and balance. Next time you’re in a balancing pose, it is good to notice which side is easier. It is common to find that an imbalance in the body links to an imbalance in the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which may signify which is more or less dominant? Are you more creative or analytical? Finally is the cardio effect also known as building heat (tapas). Holding certain poses, such as chair pose and twisting postures, for a long time certainly increases the heat in the body thereby boosting the metabolism and detoxification. And let’s not forget the popular jump back also know as ‘vinyassa’, which not only improves coordination but also builds a heat in the
body while linking the pose together with the breath. The benefit here is safety, because if we always move in coordination with the breath, injury is significantly reduced. So there you have it folks, Yoga’s holistic magical treasure. So if you’re wondering why you should take up a yoga class, consider some of these benefits and remember that in Yoga age is measured by the flexibility of your spine, so to stay young and reduce your medical bill, do yoga! Stay tuned for the next issue where I tell you about how yoga relieves stress, clears the mind, brings emotions into balance, and induces a state of relaxation!
February 2016 | 39
Body & soul
Massage Can Make It Worse
A
fter a week full of workout or when muscles are sore, we all love to have an hour or more of relaxation to get rid of all this soreness to go with another week of intense workout with a fresh body. This is what actually massage can provide.
You just need to be aware of some things before taking a step of not making it worse. First of all, you need to know what kind of massage you really need at this point. And you need to make sure that you are under a hand of a massage expertise with the needed certificates. I would advise any athlete with a regular routine of workout, whether weight lifting or professional player or even an amateur at the gym, to have a full body massage once per week at least. Cause It doesn’t matter if you’re sore/tense or not. It helps your body, muscles, joints, and mind to recover in a healthy proper way.
40 | February 2016
By: Marco Joseph
The question is, when massage can make it worse?
• There are three kinds of pain when it comes to massage; good pain, bad pain, and ugly pain. The degree of pain during massage is subjective. The point is you do not have to feel a sharp aching pain during your session and the only way to control the amount of pressure is by communicating with your massage therapist. Do not just lie there… close your eyes. Also you do not have to go through long conversations. Just do not feel shy to ask for a little pressure or to focus in a specific area. And stick to the good pain if you are asking for a deep sportive type of massage. • If you have a recent undiagnosed injury, do not ever try to treat any injury for the first time by having a massage. Consult your physiotherapist first, as it may make it worse. • Loosen your body a day before your workout, game, or competition is not a good idea. It makes your body more prone to injuries. Accordingly, you need to take a day off after your massage session. • The idea of getting massage is to make you feel better. If massage causes you any pain immediately after the session or the next day, then you have to check with your physiotherapist.
When massage goes bad, It may cause: • New injuries • Aggravate existing problems • Distract patients from more appropriate care • Mildly stress your body
Don’t forget that pointlessly draining your wallet is another kind of hazard! If someone spends much money on massage therapy that has only a minor therapeutic effect or none at all, is that an injury? It would certainly add insult to one. These are rare but real incidents. Healthy people are unlikely to be injured by massage. Most of dangers are related to undetected vulnerabilities, and they emphasize the importance of alternative health professionals being trained to spot the scary stuff. The measure of a health professional’s competence is not what they do with relatively healthy patients, but whether they have the training and humility to realize when they are on thin ice.
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The Game
Building Up Endurance:
An Introduction to a New Lifestyle
42 | February 2016
E
Endurance is the ability to withstand a particular level of physical ability for long time, which is compulsory for the overall performance of many athletes. An endurance training program aims to improve the duration and intensity of an activity, like running, swimming, or cycling, and necessitates both aerobic and anaerobic energy training. The most prevalent energy source needed for the actual activity is anaerobic; however, the aerobic volume increases the capacity of training that can be accomplished, speeds recovery, and delays the inception of fatigue.
The importance of endurance also goes far beyond the physical gains, as it is proved to lessen high cholesterol levels, increase the blood flow through the lunges, enhance body composition, improve cardiac function and health, and also augment emotional welfare. So you don’t really need to be a football player to integrate this type of activity in your routine, as you can basically aim for a better lifestyle.
Effects of Endurance Training:
According to the Australian Fitness Network, in order to complete a prolonged training session, “you need an improved blood flow through the lungs as well as a high rate at which oxygen diffuses across the lung membrane into the blood. Moreover, some changes take place within the muscle fibers, which help in the extraction of increased amounts of oxygen from the blood, that facilitate the production of anaerobic energy.” All of this is achieved by consistent aerobic endurance training.
Building Endurance:
Endurance training teaches the body to adapt to the ongoing and consistent stress imposed during a workout. Thus, the method of training chosen should primarily depend on the anticipated gains. If you lack a good fitness background, you may need to work your way up gradually. Embark on a 15-minute training session and progressively increase your routine to 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous activity a week and 30 minutes of easy pace a day. Once you successfully achieve a concrete level of endurance, you can reinforce the workout by adding time, distance, or intensity. To make it easier for you, expand the duration of your routine and then add challenges. For instance, you may progress from cycling 10km a session to 11km per session. Later on, you can add extra training sessions or complete a highly intense activity in lower duration to boost heart rate. It is highly advisable to hire a personal trainer to develop a suitable training program according to your age and fitness background.
Furthermore, a varied training routine can help you yield more benefits and tolerate more physical stress. Consistently make an adjustment; change the location, schedule of activities, or tweak the degree of competitiveness. Among the most recognized endurance exercises are walking briskly, running, cycling, jogging, swimming, climbing stairs, dancing, or sports such as tennis, soccer, and basketball. Remember, if you vastly stress your body without allowing appropriate recovery period, you will be overtraining the body, which may result into poor performance, potential injury, chronic injury, or bad sleep.
Training Intensities:
A number of training intensities should be incorporated, if you want to enlarge training sessions. According to the Australian Fitness Network, this can be taken from two things: “The percentage of maximum heart rate or the exercise intensity at which the rate of lactic acid productive by active muscles begins to exceed the rate of lactic acid clearance from the blood, which accumulate eventually forcing the exercise to slow down in order to dissipate the accruing hydrogen ions.” As the IAT increases, so is the intensity of training session. Let us familiarize ourselves with some of the most frequently used phrases. Aerobic Endurance Training is low intensity training, where the heart rate should be around 76-85%. It takes around 1-2 hours to effectively increase aerobic capacity and capillary density around muscle fibers. Intensive Aerobic Training is comfortably tough exercise that aims to reach 86-95% of IAT. It lasts 15-20 minutes with 30 seconds rest. Threshold Training intends to increase pace and delays the inception of fatigue and muscle soreness. This training can be done in intervals of 10-15 minutes
with 3 minutes of recovery. Threshold training is fulfilled at anaerobic threshold at 96-102% of IAT. Lactate Tolerance is done at a pace that surpasses the anaerobic threshold. Repetitions are done at a higher pace for not more than 3 minutes with 1-minute recovery between each repetition. Maximal Oxygen Uptake is performed by an athlete who has completed a well-structured training process composed of the above training programs within several months. This training is comprised of intervals of 2-5 minutes of 3-4 repetitions with adequate recovery, to boost the maximum volume of oxygen, known as VO2 max.
TIPS:
• The ultimate recovery duration is highly correlated to age, maturity, and genetics. • One of the signs of poor recovery is rapid weight loss. • Nourish your body with water, fruits, and protein post to a workout. • Stretches, selfmassage, and warm ups are fundamental for your general well being.
February 2016 | 43
The Game
How to Master Endurance?
B
efore we delve into how to build endurance, it is crucial to fully understand how your body develops endurance in reality and what the prime factors of cardiovascular and endurance performance truly are.
The cardiovascular performance is based on three main variables; heart rate, stroke volume, and heart contractility. An increase in those factors consequently elevates the amount of blood flow and oxygen supply to the body’s muscles. Aerobic training can effectively enhance all variables mentioned… and also your endurance! For instance, when your muscles contract, they impel the motion of blood travelling via your veins to your heart. This process upsurges the heart’s stroke and volume, which result into an ample contraction and strength of your skeletal muscle, which is an imperative factor of your endurance performance. In addition, there are small powerhouses in your cells called mitochondria that breakdown carbohydrates or fat in order to produce high levels of ATP energy. Accordingly, if you increase your mitochondria’s density, you will generate more energy to your working muscles, which will produce higher amounts of force for extended periods of time. That’s why, many nutritionists recommend carbohydrates intake prior to any workout for optimal gains.
44 | February 2016
Furthermore, the maximum amount of oxygen one can deliver to muscles within a specific duration, known as VO2 max, is the outcome of two determinants: 1. The amount of blood your heart can send to your muscles given by the produce of heart rate, stroke volume, and heart contractibility. 2. The amount of the oxygen delivered to your muscles that is obtained from the blood and used by the muscles before the blood returns back to the heart. So to sum up this part, to build endurance, you must increase the assisting contributors mentioned above, such as the density of mitochondria, the VO2 max, and skeletal muscles. Which takes us to the second part of this article, how to master endurance?
High Intensity Interval Training:
To begin with, all of your mitochondria contain enzymes that can enhance the metabolic function of your skeletal muscle as they breakdown carbohydrates and fats, which in return boost energy formation from ATP. In other words, it gives you a capacity to train harder and longer. Also HIIT allows you to become metabolically proficient, fat burning engine in far less time than it usually takes in other types of workouts, such as aerobic sessions. As for the VO2 max, a research done
by a number of researchers from different universities in Norway, called Aerobic HighIntensity Intervals Improve VO2 max More than Moderate Training, have shown that “4 reps of 4-minute runs at 90-95% of maximum heart rate, followed by 3 minutes of active recovery, done for 3 days per week for 8 weeks, have resulted in a 10% greater improvement in stroke volume compared to long, slow distance training 3 days per week for 8 weeks. Therefore, the ability to deliver maximum oxygen to working muscles was higher.” Last, HIIT has the ability to augment force and contractility of skeletal muscle, lower insulin resistance vastly, and improve muscular fat oxidation and glucose tolerance.
The Problem with HIIT:
Even though HIIT can reap tremendous and vital benefits, it has its downside also. There is a measurement of maximal cardiac output, known as Qmax, which basically measures the capacity of blood that your heart can pump within a certain period of time. HIIT, however, works better on the peripheral, muscle fitness, but does not increase this Qmax. Aerobic training, on the other hand, can highly influence your Qmax.
How to Do HIIT?
This workout comprise of high intensity intervals in the form of bodyweight cardio, toning moves, and plyometrics, and it should
be performed 2-3 times a week. Before beginning this routine, make sure to warm up for 10-15 minutes to prepare your muscles for this tough session. Equipment Needed: • Dumbbell • Medicine Ball Structure: • 20 seconds on, 10 off • 4 groups of 3 exercises • 2 rounds in total • 45 seconds rest between each round.
Group 1
High lateral Hops Push Up Jacks Jumping Lunges
Group 2
Plyometric Pushups Turkish Get Ups Single Leg Ventral Hops
Group 3
Jackknife Crunches + Medicine Ball Pass Windshield Wipers Physioball Back Extensions
Group 4
Jump Turns Side Pushups Hanging Leg Raises
February 2016 | 45
The Game How to Avoid Injuries and Burnout during
Endurance Training
E
By: Ahmed Mostafa
Endurance training is the way of exercising designed to increase endurance by training generally the aerobic system as opposed to anaerobic training. Endurance got many definitions; it refers to our ability to remain active over time. It also refers to our ability to tolerate fatigue, stress, or pain.
46 | February 2016
Importance of Endurance Training:
Endurance training helps improve cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular endurance through both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. • Muscular endurance means our muscles’ ability to contract repeatedly over an extended period of time and resist fatigue. • Cardiovascular endurance means our heart, blood vessels, and lungs’ ability to pump oxygen steadily for long periods of movement or work. • Respiratory endurance means our lungs ability to keep our breath steady throughout a long run without needing to stop.
Why is Endurance Training Important?
The importance of endurance training goes beyond running a marathon or completing a triathlon. Endurance not only improves our performance while working out, but also contributes to our overall health, providing us with energy, improved heart function, and increased metabolism. Many sports need endurance as a very important part of the overall performance and achievement, thus it is incorporated in sports like racket sports, football, rugby, martial arts, basketball and other sports. Endurance exercise tends to be popular also among non-athletes for the purpose of increasing general fitness and stamina or burning more calories to increase weight loss potential.
Physiological Effects:
Long-term endurance training reflects many physiological adaptations both centrally and peripherally.
Central Cardiovascular Adaptations include decreased heart rate, increased stroke volume of the heart, and increased blood plasma, without any remarkable changes in red blood cell count, which reduce blood viscosity and increase cardiac output as well as total mitochondrial volume in the muscle fibers used in the training. Mitochondria increase in both number and size and there are similar increases in myoglobin and oxidative enzymes. Peripheral Adaptation include capillarization, which is an increase in the surface area that both the venous and arterial capillaries supply. This also allows for increased heat spreading during exercise. The muscles increase glycogen and fat storing abilities within endurance athletes in order to increase the length in time in which they can perform work. Endurance training primarily works the slow twitch (type 1) fibers and develops such fibers in their efficiency and resistance to fatigue. Catabolism also increases the capacity to use fat and glycogen stores as an energy source.
Risks of Excessive Endurance Training
We need to know negative health effects from long-term, highly volume endurance training such as the effect on the cardiovascular system through structural changes of the heart and the associated arteries, with heartrhythm abnormalities perhaps being the most common resulting symptom. Endurance exercise can also reduce testosterone levels and increase catabolic hormones such as cortisol.
Devices to Assess Endurance Fitness
• Heart rate monitor is one of the easiest methods to evaluate fitness in endurance athletes. By comparing heart rate over time, fitness gains can be observed when the heart rate decreases for running or cycling at a given speed. • Power meter allows the athlete to actually measure power output over a set duration or course and allows direct comparison of fitness progression. • Lactate threshold measurement is still the domain of the professional coach and elite athlete.
How to Avoid Injuries and Burnout from Endurance Training The major side effects result from endurance exercises overtraining are chronic injuries, sickness, and low energy levels.
To protect your body and your health follow these advices: • Include sessions of strength training per week, using challenging weights to improve strength and to keep from getting injured. Keep in mind that many of the injuries come from repetitive stress on joints and muscular imbalance. While we can’t do much about the repetitive stress on our joints, we can certainly take care of the muscular imbalance by strengthening the proper muscles. • Include at least 20-30 minutes a day doing necessary active muscle recovery work and joint mobility work to keep joints healthy. Keep in mind that doing proper active recovery and joint mobility will allow you to maintain healthy muscles and joints, so you can keep training without being worried about aches and pain. • Only include a hard long training session once a week and make sure that you feel good and rested before performing this session. You may want to skip it if you’re still tired or haven’t recovered enough. You also want to make sure that the following day is a rest day so you can recover properly. • Make all endurance training at low intensities, below anaerobic threshold. The effort level should be 55-70% your maximum effort. Set heart rate to low throughout the training duration. • You can perform interval training once or twice per week like making 15 seconds of cardio with 90% of maximum effort followed immediately by 30 seconds of cardio with 30-40 % of maximum effort to boost your lung performance. • Diet is very important to consider during such training programs. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are very important due to its great anti-inflammatory effect. Also adequate amount of carbohydrates is imperative to avoid loss of energy. If you are going on low carb diet, an optimum amount of healthy fat is required as the body in that case is adapted to consume energy from fat, taking enough protein is very important to prevent losing muscles process and help in muscles recovery. • Supplements such as BCAA, whey protein, and omega-3 fatty acids will be very helpful if there is any defect of that food resources intake.
February 2016 | 47
The Game
Generally, when an athlete starts a new strength training plan, he/she is more likely to follow a routine that comprise of anaerobic exercises or heavy lifting for low repetitions and with adequate rest time between repetitions and workouts. The purpose of this act is to increase strength and the ability to exert the utmost amount of force within a short period of time. Endurance, on the contrary, entails more repetitions with lighter weight; hence, develops the ability to sustain multiple muscle contractions over a prolonged period of time without getting exhausted. Although both variables can be trained individually, numerous sports, such as baseball, tennis, and competitive weightlifting, necessitate both to withstand muscular activity while producing power and strength.
Strength and Endurance: An Ideal Combo for YOU 48 | February 2016
So why do we need strength-endurance training?
If you virtually consider any type of activity that requires amplified strength, you will realize that an extended period of time is beneficial for that increased strength to be rewarding. For instance, to complete a long game that includes frequent bursts, you will need to exert as much strength as possible for a long period or till the game lasts. In this way, endurance will help you adapt your body to be strong over an extended period of time. If you apply the same concept to your every day life, you will rely on strength-endurance more than brute strength. Researchers Aagaard and Anderson from the University of Southern Denmark have published a review in the Scandinavian of Medicine and Science in Sports, claiming, “strength training can lead to short-term and long-term endurance capacity within top endurance athletes, particularly when the workout includes both high volume and low intensity.”
So how do we increase strengthendurance?
To train for strength endurance, you will need to work on this formula: Heavy weights + shortened rest periods + volume = Strength-Endurance Heavy Weights: If you want to get strong, you must lift as heavy as possible, period. Short Rest Periods: It is training your body to recover faster by exerting maximum strength while not allowing full recovery. Volume: It is performing an enormous load of work combined with short rest periods, in order to increase strength-endurance.
How can the concurrent training work?
Obviously, we will neither use light sets for many repetitions, nor heavy weights for low repetitions, so? Well, the key is to use heavy weights for many sets of low repetitions, along with shortened rest periods of 20-50 seconds. The result is significant improvement in your endurance, strength, and speed.
How to do it:
• Start with lighter weight and progressively add weight each workout. • Or take longer periods of rest and use heavier weights. Consequently, aim to decrease the rest periods gradually after each workout.
Workout Example:
Clean and Press: 20 sets of 1 rep Barbell Bench Press – medium grip: 8 sets of 2 reps Barbell Curl: 6 sets of 3 reps Chin-Up: 15 sets of 2 reps Barbell Squat: 20 sets of 1 rep Abs Crunch Machine: As much as you can
Can the elements used in CrossFit attain similar results?
CrossFit can yield optimum gains in terms of getting strong and aerobically fit at the same time. According to a recent study by the Human Performance Lab at Arkansas State University, two groups of young athletes of both genders were engaged; the first was CrossFitters and the other traditional strength trainees. Both groups were assigned to run 1.5 mile, do two anaerobic step tests for power, followed by body composition assessments. Results have shown that “the CrossFitters had significantly greater scores in all three stages than the traditional strength trainees. The research concluded that CrossFit training led to greater power and ability, particularly because endurance capacity was also high.” Points to Put into Consideration: Sometimes lack of recovery may be an impediment and can be influenced by the following: Low muscle glycogen that weekens intracellular signaling response to lifting Muscle degradation as a result of low blood amino acid levels Mixing sports that emphasize eccentric, concentric, and isometric muscle action without proper recovery.
February 2016 | 49
F T Facts
Muscles can only pull! During a pressing motion, the muscles contract and pull against a lever that ends up pushing.
Whole grain bread can be highly processed, hence read the ingredients and choose the one with whole food components.
You are never too old to do squats. 50 | February 2016
Do you know that a 15-minute activity that engages the major muscles - such as running, cycling, and swimming – can metabolize stress hormones vastly?
If you can’t afford gym membership to strength train, your body can assist you with all resistance you want.
The word ‘skinny’ does not necessarily suggest low body fat. Body composition is the most important key.
Styles & Features
PORTABLE GADGETS YOU WANT TO HAVE IN 2016 MEET DUMBBELL 2
Dumbbell 2 is the first two-handled dumbbell that is designed to allow you perform a variety of effective and challenging workouts without the need for bulky machines. The new dumbbell offers a more controlled and functional workout, engages most muscle groups to assist with building strength and endurance, and decreases the possibility of injuries. There are three hand positions (dual underhand, overhand, and vertical grip). To watch workouts using the new generation dumbbell 2, check dumbbell2.net. The product is available at amazon.com for EGP 470.
JBL REFLECT MINI BT
If you are a bit skeptical of the sound quality of Bluetooth headphones, you need not to worry anymore! Those complicated headphones are certainly designed for sport uses and they are sweat-proof. The headphones come with small and medium ear wings as well as ergonomic ear tips for a more secure fit. The device has a built in microphone and remote with an excellent delicate touch. The battery lasts up to 8 hours. It is a good investment if you are looking for super comfortable headphones. Available at amazon.com for EGP 785.
THE NECK CURVE RESTORER
People with previous serious head injury or neck discomforts are encouraged to try this rehab tool. Designed to strengthen neck and upper back muscles, The Neck Curve Restorer can relieve pain and provide better posture and head balance. Ten minutes a day is sufficient to strengthen the major muscles in those two areas. According to the website, it is worth mentioning that patients with unstable cervical spines or advanced degenerative changes are advised to use this product under the direction of a doctor. Available at amazon.com for EGP 775.
INTELLISENSE HRV: HEART RATE TRAINER
If you are seeking coherence and harmony between your mind and heart, this gadget will surprise you with optimum outcomes. IntelliSense Coherence Kit will assist you with attaining nervous system balance with heart variability (HRV) training in order to gain control over your stress levels and cognitive performance. The gadget simply monitors your body’s Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) in addition to the Heart Rate Variability (HRV), then sends the data to the IntelliSense HRV app downloaded on your android, to comprehend how the breathing rate affects your HRV. Accordingly, some breathing techniques are provided to help balance your nervous system function and melt away your anxiety. The device can hold smartphones with screen sizes of 4.7-inch to 6-inch, and will be available in February at EGP 1,292.
February 2016 | 51
Styles & features
RONHILL VIZION CONTOUR RUNNING TIGHTS
SHOP ENDURANCE FOOTWEAR & APPAREL NIKE BB RETRO SHORTS
ADIDAS SEQUENCIALS CLIMATE RUNNING JERSEY
H&M SPORTS ARMBAND NIKE AIR MAX TAVAS LEATHER MEN’S SHOE
NIKE PURE MONEY LAS VEGAS MEN’S TSHIRT 52 | February 2016
NIKE MERCURIAL SUPERFLY BLACK SNEAKERS
NIKE TECH FLEECE PANTS
JACOB’S NIKE AW77 FULL ZIP HOODIE
ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY MEDIA PLAYER ARMBAND
NIKE FULL FLEX 2 IN 1 DRI-FIT SHORTS
lucas hugh black lazer striped leggings
NIKE AIR ZOOM 19 SNEAKERS
NIKE PRO HYPERWARM STRETCH LEGGINGS
NIKE DRI-FIT KNIT STRETCH JERSEY TOP
CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR METALLIC STRETCH COTTON-BLEND SPORTS BRA
ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY RUN STRETCH-KNIT GLOVES
THE UPSIDE BLACK POWER PANT PRINTED STRETCH-JERSEY LEGGINGS
ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY NEOPRENE BELT
Meet The Maureen O’Donnell Mayo Clinic Health System Registered Respiratory Therapist
Zack Barangan
Is breathing difficulties NCSF Certified Personal Trainer correlated with aging? What are the major Shortness of breath is not a symptom of getting differences between older. People sometimes blame it on age when it actually is because of a medical condition training with barbells that can be treated. Most cases of shortness of breath are related to heart or lung conditions. Your heart and lungs are involved in transporting vs. dumbbells? oxygen to your tissues and removing carbon dioxide, so problems with either of these organs can affect your breathing. You can do many things to improve your lung heath, including getting regular exercise, not smoking, and getting prescription medication from your health care provider.
Like most fitness-oriented apparatuses, both barbell and dumbbell training have their advantages. What any gym-goer should consider is what they are trying to achieve with their training. Dumbbells are great for beginners for many reasons, chief amongst them being the safety aspect. Benching and squatting with
Sara Stanner Nutritionist
How true is it that certain foods can boost my mood?
Food can affect how we feel, just as the way we feel often influences what we eat. Diet certainly plays an important role in feelings, since some nutrient deficiencies (for example, iron, selenium, B vitamins) can impair mood and are linked with poor mental health. Therefore many foods rich in these micronutrients are hailed as mood-enhancers. They include Brazil nuts for selenium; fish, red meat, pulses, chicken and eggs for iron; bananas and citrus fruits for folate; and dairy products, meat and fish for vitamin B6. If your diet is consistently lacking in these nutrients, these foods should improve your mood, but a healthy diet provides adequate amounts of all vitamins and minerals.
54 | February 2016
a barbell can be risky, accidents and injuries can happen if the athlete isn’t strong enough or has poor form. Dumbbells are also great for single-limb training. Strength imbalances can be worked on with single-limb dumbbell training. However, dumbbell training has its pitfalls as well. Dumbbells only go up to a certain weight, therefore serious strength training should be conducted with barbells as they allow for much more added load to lifts. Squatting, one of the most important exercises is best executed with a barbell because of the even load across the spine. Furthermore, barbells are best used for developing dynamic power lifts like the clean or press, because they require the entire body to move as one coordinated unit. The barbell forces the user to generate and use power.
E PERTS Sean Hyson Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
When should I use supersets versus straight sets?
Julia Zuniga M.S, EMT Certified, and An American Heart Association Training Center Coordinator
Are the calorie counts on exercise machines accurate? Probably not, as the reality is each manufacturer uses their own patented algorithms that take into account the workload and duration of the exercise. Some equipment manufacturers do research to validate these formulas on a number of subjects. The higher-end the machine, the more likely it is to use a validated formula. A newer version of the same machine might even have a different formula in an attempt to improve its accuracy (if you have an older model and want to make sure you’re using the most updated formula, you can call the manufacturer who might be able to walk you through the upgrade over the phone). Some formulas are based on the principle that during exercise, heart rate has a linear relationship with oxygen consumption, which can be easily converted to determine the number of calories burned. However, heart rate is influenced by a number of things such as temperature, body position, food intake, muscle groups exercised, some medications, and whether the exercise is continuous or intermittent… but even if the readings are not exactly accurate, they are reasonable approximations that can be used as a general guideline to estimate your caloric burn.
Supersets, where you perform a set of two different exercises back to back with little or no rest, are a great time-saver. Generally, you use them for opposing muscle groups, such as chest and back, so that one area can recover while you train the other one, thereby reducing the time needed to rest. Last May, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that subjects who supersetted leg extensions and leg curls also performed better: They completed more reps on the leg extension when the leg curl was done immediately beforehand than when done alone, despite getting no rest in between lifts. In fact, when the subjects did rest, even up to 30 seconds, they completed significantly fewer reps and were shown to be activating less muscle in their quads. The likely reason? Working an antagonistic muscle group increases the nervous system’s activation of the agonist—in this case, training the hamstrings allowed the quads to work better. Straight sets (do a set of one exercise, rest, and repeat) have their place when you’re going heavy. You simply need extra time to recover from high-intensity sets of exercises like the deadlift or bench press, so you’ll typically do those moves by themselves. To get the best of both worlds, do your main strength lifts as straight sets and superset your assistance exercises.
Lee Boyce Strength Coach and Fitness Writer in Multiple Fitness Magazines
What is the most effective way to get over a workout plateau?
In my opinion, change your training phase. If you’ve been doing the same thing for a lengthy period of time, your workout program may be becoming redundant. The body is an impressive machine based on how adaptable it is. Take this as an example – I’ve been recently doing a lot of Olympic lifting. That’s something I never made an actual “training phase” out of before; I only would arbitrarily pepper them in when I felt like it. This time around, I started training the lifts with a buddy of mine who’s competing in the sport. He told me his coach had worked him up to training the clean and jerk, snatch, and squat patterns six days per week. The amount of volume of the same movements shocked me, but at the same time it showed me how easily the body can adapt to what is imposed upon it. At this point, I work out with him 3 days per week on the lifts, and my body feels better than it did when I only trained them once per week (at the time we started). My point is this: knowing the body is so adaptable can work for us, but it can also work against us. Especially if your goal is cosmetic (to look leaner or lose fat or weight), then it’s important the body doesn’t get the time to fully adapt to a given program. You can still center your training system on the same overall principles, but manipulating things like rest time, rep range, and intensity can go a long way.
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Success story It Is Never Too Late to Be Fit, Strong, and Healthy with
Victoria Haig
Where did your passion for fitness and nutrition originate?
Exercise has always been an integral part of my life, I was a competitive swimmer from 9-15 years old and there is no doubt that the discipline and dedication this instilled in me remains with me today. Despite swimming I was always a chubby child and once I gave up swimming the situation became exacerbated. I struggled with my weight throughout my twenties. Then when I studied nutrition everything fell into place. As soon as I gave my nutrition the same importance as I did to my training my body and health responded remarkably positively. For the first time in my life was able to feel confident about my body and to be optimistic that I could really transform my clients.
Can you describe your philosophy about being fit and healthy?
My philosophy about being fit and healthy can be summed up in a word ‘holistic’. That means sticking to the three healthy fundamentals that make a big impact on our life: exercise, diet, and sleep.
You have previously talked about different types of diets in The Fitness Magazine. Which type do you stick to?
Like many people I have tried many diets only to fail after a couple of days simply because I was either hungry or I really wasn’t enjoying the food. With age I’ve found a degree of balance, I don’t believe in dieting and I don’t count my macros but I do follow certain principles and this helps me to apply them in all situations – eating out or travelling. • I give priority to protein in my diet. When planning a meal or snack I ensure that it contains a sufficient amount of protein. • I eat whole foods 80 percent of the time and squeeze obligatory treats- like chocolate into 56 | February 2016
the other 20 percent. • My diet is always gluten free.
Living lean, fit, and healthy takes work, what is your secret?
I think the key is: there is no secret, no short cuts, no magic diets or pills, only discipline and consistency. I am passionate about training and nutrition, and try to instill this passion in my clients. The recipe for success seems to be results – once you start seeing your body become leaner, stronger and tighter. Astonishingly even the most exercise adverse clients can actually find themselves loving it.
In your opinion, which is better; weight machines or free weights?
Once exercisers become intermediate there seems to be a great deal of what I like to call exercise ‘elitism’ or snobbery whereby training with free weights is considered infinitely superior. However I prefer to address this question as a personal trainer. Every client that steps through our door is different with unique requirements so whilst the training of my clients is underpinned by fundamental philosophies, compound movements, range of motion, manipulation of repetitions, tempos, and rest periods. The best type of equipment is the equipment that best suits the clients needs and comfort level be it: machines, free weights, body weight ,or isometric bands.
What can elders adhere do to battle age related problems? Use it or loose it! You’ve probably heard this phase before and I can’t think of a better way to describe what happens as our body ages. You can slow and possibly reverse many of the symptoms of old age by improving your strength and flexibility.
Many of the symptoms of old age – muscle loss, depleted metabolism and bone weakness are actually predominantly symptoms of inactivity – there is a wealth of research showing that strength training in particular offers a host of benefits and it is as close as we have come to discovering the fountain of youth.
What is the best way to build muscles? (Weights, resistant training, etc.) Growing muscle is an expensive process at least energy wise. Muscle tissue requires calories to grow. A well thought out resistance training program will take you so far but this must be complemented with the nutrition required to fuel muscle growth.
the activity, conditioning of the athlete, and the recovery time. Athletes should secure the right macronutrient distribution and ensure that total energy intake is sufficient or their performance will suffer. There is an overarching principle of nutrition that applies to athletes and non-athletes alike, everyone should be encouraged to make the most nutrient dense choices possible and ensure adequate fluid needs are always met.
Do you take dietary supplements? And would you recommend them in general to anyone?
I love to train. My favorite type of training is a combination of lifting and some intense cardio. I know that lifting weights gives me the best possible shape and provides many health benefits. Cardio on the other hand makes me happy. Building up a sweat and feeling your heart rate rise has a rare addictive quality. I like to mix my cardio up and love fitness modalities like kettle bells, jump ropes, sandbags and battle ropes.
Well if you’ve seen my Instagram account you’ll know that I’m a big advocate of whey protein. There are a number of reasons for this. Primarily there is abundance of scientific research showing that adding whey protein leads to significant decreases in body fat and weight. This is backed up by my experience with clients; there is a clear trend for greater success amongst those who take whey rather than those who don’t. In addition to the well know benefits of satiety, and protein synthesis, it’s convenient, portable, and satisfies my raging sweet tooth.
From your wide experience, do the nutritional needs of athletes differ from non-athletes?
In fact recipes in which whey replaces flour often help people with a tendency to binge manage this by enjoying sweet treats without the guilt.
What is your favorite type of training and why?
The nutritional needs of athletes differ vastly from more sedentary people. It important to note that amongst athletes nutritional needs also vary hugely – factors that influence this include: intensity (anaerobic or aerobic), the duration of
Picture this you are living the most perfect day. What does it look like?
I find comfort in routine and most of my most perfect days are spent executing my daily
activities. I often think we live our life with an expectation of future happiness – when I lose weight, when I go on holiday, when I get married etc. Actually the weight of expectation can lead to disappointment - real joy is usually found in our day-to-day life. My most perfect day would involve waking up from a good sleep and feeling fantastic. I love breakfast so a fabulous breakfast followed by a grueling session of legs at the gym. A lazy sunny afternoon spent by the pool with the people I love before heading off to a great group session in the evening with the clients I love.
What tips would you give those who have lost track of their fitness and health goals?
Get back to regular habits as soon as possible, we all have peaks and troughs, but don’t use unhealthy behavior as an excuse for more unhealthy behavior. Getting back to exercise or healthy eating isn’t always easy but the sooner you get back to healthy eating, sleeping and exercising, the better you’ll feel. The best approach is belief that it can be done coupled with a sensible workable plan: write down your goals and create some accountability by telling colleagues or family of your intentions. Remember it’s a lifestyle not a diet – there will always be holidays, illnesses, or party weekends but think of them as small side steps in the larger picture not a stopping point.
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UPCOMING EVENTS BATCHATA WORLD PROJECT FEB 4
We are bringing in Egypt the biggest bachata project in the world, created by the most famous bachata couple, Ataca and La Alemana from USA. This amazing couple has created a special choreography and now we all have the chance to learn their moves and techniques that the whole world appreciates and loves! The whole project will last 5 months, starting from 4th of February and end on 30th of June 2016, after this period, the best will perform on stages in Egypt and also in other countries! The choreography will be taught by our teachers Cristina and Mihai, the leaders of the Cairo Touch Project, and we will have 2 classes per week at the Latin Love Dance School. For more information and reservation, please contact: 0101 201 1141
WALK ‘N’ YOGA FEB 6
As simple as it sounds, Wild Guanabana is going to Wadi Degla Protectorate for a gentle, refreshing, and inspiring hike amidst nature. During the nature walk, we’ll have a stress-free yoga session suitable for all levels on top of the mountain! We will meet at the Wadi Degla Protectorate gate at 9:30 and we start the hike at 10am SHARP so make sure you’re there on time! Check the event to know more about things to bring. For more information and reservation, please contact: 0106 040 0070
KAYAKING IN FAYOUM FEB 18 – FEB 20 ROCK CLIMBING LEVEL 2 FEB 4 – FEB 6
Kokopelli is getting ready for Level 2, with his harness, rope, and challenging spirit; he’s rock climbing this time. (Episode VII Season III). Rock climbing, snorkeling, and mini safari are among the exquisite activities that will be performed in Dahab. More details concerning the package is posted on The Hiking Club Facebook page. For more information and reservation, please contact: 0100 627 3385 thehikingclubeg@gmail.com 58 | February 2016
We’re excited to share with you Egypt’s truly life changing adventure line designed and led by Galal Zekri Chatila! After touring 7000km across Egypt on his bicycle, Galal decided to share the beauty he found with the adventurers out there! There is much to be done in Egypt and we want to explore all that with you! Wild Guanabana trips are designed for you to see Egypt in a new way, sometimes even see uninhibited places! For more information and reservation, please contact: 0106 040 0070
UPCOMING EVENTS YALLA ATMA KRIYA YOGA COURSE FEB 19 – FEB 20
Atma Kriya Yoga is the most powerful form of Yoga given to the world today. It is the key to realizing the soul. Begin the journey to freedom and realize your true self. This is the journey the Great Yogis have been describing for millennia. A journey to freedom. Atma Kriya Yoga is a combination of yoga techniques to awaken divine love and support your body, mind, and soul. The course costs 1100 EGP on the day (EARLY BIRD 800 EGP) for two days from 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM at Yalla Yoga. For more information and reservation, please contact: 0127 866 3371
PRACTICA SALSA EVERY FRIDAY
Soul Motion Dance Studio is offering an interesting class that teaches salsa while releasing energy in a positive way with fun, along with gaining new friends and having fun. The course takes place every Friday, from 6:309:00 p.m. For more information and reservation, please contact: 0114 436 6046
CHI NEI TSANG ABDOMINAL MASSAGE COURSE FEB 19 – FEB 27
COUNTRY CAMP TRIP FEB 12
For more information and reservation, please contact: Email: we@nuncenter.com
For more information and reservation, please contact: 0122 574 5034
Chi Nei Tsang means ‘internal organs chi transformation’. It is used to detoxify and energize the internal organs through soft and deep manipulation of the abdomen. Don’t miss a unique chance to learn the ancient Taoist technique of Chi Nei Tsang or abdominal massage. Nūn Center will be offering a 24 hr Chi Nei Tsang, abdominal massage course. This ancient therapeutic modality is extremely useful in alleviating many conditions associated with the organs as well as the skeletal structure of the body.
Discover the Egyptian country side, ride bicycles through the farms, have a boat trip in the Nile, and try the country side tasty food. Join our Country Camp Trip on 12 February 2016 with accommodation in Kafr El Sheikh. Price includes bicycle rental, boat trip, accommodation, and food.
Cairo Festival City Mall Second Floor (The village) For reservation call: 01024620733
5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek.
For delivery call: 0101-222-8818 or 02-2737-2551