When should I exercise? Morning, noon or night?

There's no actual better time to exercise, you can exercise at anytime of the day that you prefer. Exercising in the morning can be a great way of starting the day as you get the heart pumping and blood circulating through your body after having spent a few hours asleep with no activity. And it also gets exercising of your to-do list for the day. It takes away the chance for you to "put it off for later". Exercising in the afternoon could be very hot and you have to make sure you're even more properly hydrated because of the heat. My favorite time to exercise is at night as it's not so hot. But anytime of the day is a great time to exercise.

How do I have a healthy lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is something that definitely can't be forced. You can be successful at it for awhile if you force it, but in a lot of cases, you'll end up back where you started. You can start by taking walks and gradually build it up to a regular exercise routine, after you stick to your exercise routine for awhile, you'll realize some pretty big changes in yourself. You'll naturally have less of an urge to eat stuff like chips and even soft drinks, instead your body will crave healthy stuff like vegetables and water. A diet plan in that sense is not even necessary as you'll be more in tune with your body and you'll naturally be consuming healthier food. But if having a diet plan is a must for you then add the diet in after having stuck to your exercise routine for at least two weeks. Never do it all together or it might be too tough to maintain. A healthier you is a process that should be gradual so that it can be maintained.

How to get started with Tabata Protocol

Before I started doing the Tabata Protocol for hindu squats, I did 200 hindu squats daily. And even then I am always breathless by the time I'm done with it. I think this protocol is great because no matter how fit you are, you'll always finish the exercise breathless. This is because tabata is not about a certain weight or a certain number of sets or reps. As you get better, you end up doing more reps for each set and its an exercise that really grows with you. No matter how fit you get, you'll find that the 4 minutes of tabata has been as intense as the first time you ever did it. However, the intensity of this workout might be scary at times and cause you to shy from doing it, so start out slow with one session of tabata a week and slowly build it up. However, before you start this, do consult your doctor regarding your current physical condition and the intensity of this workout.

Update on Maltese pushups

I've realized that these pushups are really great, have been able to stop doing bicep curls yet my biceps have grown a bit. Still working towards the full planche pushup so check back for more updates!

Gain lean muscle mass

Before we go into "how" to build lean muscles we should first look at which groups of people have lean muscles and which have bulky muscles so we can have an understanding of what we should do to achieve lean muscle growth. When I say lean muscles which group of athletes springs to mind? Gymnasts for one have great looking lean muscles. And when I say bulky muscles, bodybuilders pops straight into my head. Very simply, if you want to have bulky muscles, do what the body builders do. And if you want lean muscles do what the gymnasts do. I don't mean you have to do what the gymnasts do exactly, but basically using body weight training is enough if you want to build lean muscles. Weights are more effective if you're into the big muscle thing. But if you want lean muscles, you don't even need weights to do it. I'm not saying that weights won't help, but they aren't necessary.

Gain muscle mass

Gaining muscle mass in theory is pretty simple. You need to provide your body with a reason to build more muscle mass, simply said it means that you have to use heavier weights to tell your body,"hey, I need to lift heavier stuff so I need more muscle to do so." For example, when I first started doing 50 pushups in a day I realised that my muscles were growing bigger, but when I progressed to doing 200 pushups daily, I realised that my muscles weren't growing any bigger! Why? Because there's a big difference between muscle strength and muscle endurance. Regardless if its 10 pushups or 200 pushups, obviously my muscles have the strength to lift my body, so it doesn't increase in mass, it just increases the muscles ability to endure that weight for longer. And lets face it, although it might be a personal achievement to do loads of pushups in a day, how does that help you in your daily life? So if you're trying to gain muscle mass, you have to continuously increase the load to tell your body to give you more power (strength training). And of course, sufficient rest and nutrition is important as well. For me I give my muscles 36 to 72 hours to rest before doing strength training again. Regular pushups getting too easy for you? Checkout my home workouts section here.

Trying to build chest, biceps, triceps and back?

I've been doing a variation of the maltese pushup as I'm trying to progress to a full planche pushup. It's a killer on the upper back, chest, biceps and triceps. And it works your core pretty well too. Will be continuing with these and will update you guys on how I'm getting along with the planche pushups. Check back for updates. =)

Body not getting hydrated even though you're drinking lots of water?

I drink lots of water everyday and even more when I exercise. But I seem to have a problem absorbing the water. Even if I drink 2 liters of water a day I still feel dehydrated. Did some research and realized it could be caused by having insufficient potassium in my diet. I started taking bananas on a regular basis and I no longer feel so dehydrated. Bananas are great for a quick snack too. Very healthy stuff with high potassium content. I have what we in Singapore call pisang mas, I have about 2 - 3 of them daily. And if you're not in the habit of eating breakfast like me, having a banana after brushing your teeth is a good way to get something in your stomach at the start of the day. I normally drink a glass of water after having a banana as I feel that the fibrous nature Of the banana will cause the banana to absorb that glass of water and you get a sort of slow release of water when the banana reaches your intestines. Better than the water just coursing through your intestines and your body desperately trying to absorb what it can while it rushes past in my opinion.

Getting better

I'm finally recovering, jaw and shoulder is getting better so I'll be starting to exercise in a few days time I hope. Check back for updates soon. =)

Lemon juice and water

I've been having lots of lemon juice with water recently. After some research online, I realized that the swollen gums I have might be because I didn't rinse my mouth after drinking it. And according to my doctor, my shoulder pains stem from my inflamed gums. Will be trying that after my jaw and shoulder get better and I can get back to exercising..

Stopped exercise

Have stopped exercise for awhile cuz been having really bad jaw and shoulder pains. Will be posting more when I feel better..

4th March 2011 rest

No workout today.

Should I eat less?

Really depends on how much you're eating on a daily basis. If you've stayed at the same weight for a period of time, it's really unnecessary to cut your diet to lose body fat. All you have to do is burn more calories than your body absorbs and you're on the right path to weight loss (well actually body fat loss to be accurate). Thats as simple as it is. You might see a gain in weight if you do this, but it's really muscle gain. And more muscle mass means more calories burnt even when you're not doing much. Of course the fastest way to lose body fat is to combine exercise with dieting. But I for one love food too much to do that. However, if you intend to exercise while dieting, do keep some things in mind. When you've just started an exercise routine, give it some time before starting dieting as well. Your body is already under additional stress from working out. You don't want to make it work overtime with lousy wages right from the start. Let your body get used to the additional workload, then slowly ease into it.

3 March 2011 workout

• bicycle crunches: 40
• lower abs: 20
• wide arm pushups: 60
• standard pushups: 40
• staggered pushups: 40
• diamond pushups: 20
• bicep curls: 60
• pullups: 9

decided to start doing some pullups today. Will be trying to add them into my daily routine.

2nd March 2011 light workout

• bicycle crunches: 20

• lower ab exercise: 10

• wide arm pushups: 20

• staggered pushups: 40

• standard pushups: 20

• diamond pushups: 20

• bicep curls: 40

Light exercise today.

Should I Skip Meals to Lose Weight?

No.

"But in your article: Losing weight and losing fat, which one? you said that if I burn more calories a day than what my body absorbs I'll lose body fat. Skipping meals helps me lower the calories my body absorbs so I can lose more fat this way right?"

Burning more calories a day than what your body absorbs will make you lose body fat. However, skipping meals is counter productive and works against losing body fat. Here we'll have to understand how the body works. When you skip meals or leave long gaps between meals, what happens is that our body plans ahead in the event that it won't get food anytime soon. Your body's metabolic rate will drop and it will burn muscle first before fat. Why it burns muscle first? Muscles burn more calories than fat as discussed in my previous article at this link here, when your body takes that into consideration with the thought that it might not get food soon, it cuts its losses in the most logical manner. It makes the decision that other organs in your body need the energy more than the muscles because they're more important to ensure the body's survival (eg. heart, lungs, etc).

So to lose fat effectively, you should have meals at regular times, smaller meals are better and if your schedule permits it perhaps a few small meals a day. Stay realistic! =)

1st March 2011 workout

• bicycle crunches: 40
• lower abs: 20
• wide arm pushups: 40
• standard pushups: 40
• diamond pushups: 20
• staggered pushups: 80
• bicep curls: 40
• lower back: 80
• tabata hindu squats: 8/8

Losing weight and losing fat, which one?

There's a huge difference between losing weight and losing fat. Losing weight is losing weight from muscle mass, fat or from losing water. Losing muscle mass is not necessary unless you're a huge body builder that is trying to have lean muscles. Losing water is bad because our body needs to be hydrated to function well. Losing fat is what we're really after. And theoretically speaking is pretty much easy to do. But first we need to understand what is fat and why do our body's have fat. Body fat is necessary to insulate us from the cold, thats why animals in colder climates have more body fat like polar bears for example. And body fat is also like savings in a bank. In this case, the bank being the body and the fat the savings. Our body stores fat as a safety precaution, in the extreme situation that there is no food, as a last resort your body will burn fat for energy. To be clear, the body actually burns muscles before it burns fat but that's discussed in another topic, this is the link here.

"okay I get it, I get it.. what does this have to do with losing fat!?"

If your body absorbs more calories than you burn in a day, then the extra calories are stored for future emergencies as body fat. To lose body fat all you have to do is burn more calories than your body absorbs! Simple as that. Well at least simple in theory. If your body doesn't have any more calories to burn from the food that you consume, it draws the energy from the body fat which it has stored all over your body. And that causes you to lose body fat, looking more toned all over. And losing body fat means you'll lose belly fat as well so you'll be one step forward in achieving that six pack!

And remember when you're trying to lose body fat, be realistic!

Abdominal exercises?

Abdominal exercises are important to have a strong core that will help you in your daily life, they will of course aid you in losing weight around the belly area and getting that six pack, however, don't overdo ab exercises in the hopes of losing belly fat and getting a six pack. Losing belly fat and getting a six pack are achieved by losing total body fat. Just as we can't choose where we gain weight (unfortunately), we can't choose where to lose fat. Ab exercises will help you lose fat but it's not enough on its own to achieve that, to efficiently lose fat (there's a difference with losing fat and losing weight which is covered here) you have to do exercises that incorporate large groups of muscles, yes, that means the more different types of exercises you'll lose more total body fat, which means losing belly fat as well! Overdoing abdominal workouts could lead to a large strong core which means, a large strong stomach, which would be counter productive if you're trying to get a slimmer waist. Cardiovascular workouts and strength training would help more with losing belly fat. How I see it is that cardio exercises are for the present and strength training is looking into the future. Cardio workouts cause you to lose a lot of calories during the workout. After the workout, calorie burn stops. Strength training causes you to build more muscle mass, and muscles burn more calories that fat does. So even when you're not doing much the extra muscle mass helps you burn calories. To maximise on losing fat you should do both cardio and strength training. And since according to the research done for the tabata protocol that 4 minutes of it is equivalent to 45 minutes of cardio, I would suggest doing tabata in place of cardio to save time. Do see the tabata protocol link here for more information on how to do it.

How do I get rid of muscle aches from exercise?

When your muscles are growing its normal to experience muscle aches, I remember the first time I did hindu squats my legs ached so badly that I had trouble going down the stairs and walking down slopes. When I woke up the next day, my legs ached even more. From experience I knew that I had to continue with my hindu squats today cuz if I stopped, it would take my legs about 5 days to recover to a point where I could exercise them again. So I continued with hindu squats and the muscle ache in my thighs and butt were reduced greatly. Always remember that when you do a new exercise that targets a group of muscles that you seldom work out, it's common to have muscle ache after that, but it's really important to continue the next day no matter how achey that muscle set feels, but do fewer reps/ sets than you did the day before. However if you feel pain it is important to stop that exercise immediately and proceed to cool down. It's also important that you not overdo yourself when trying a new exercise, you want to ease your body into the new exercise. And lastly, while your muscles might ache, you have to watch your form and complete each rep properly or you could end up stressing other muscles and joints due to improper weight distribution. Have fun and remember to be realistic about your exercises. =)

How much exercise is too much?

This depends on each individual, your physical state of health and what you're doing for exercise. But how I gauge whether its too much is by what my body tells me. If my entire body feels fatigued then I'll cut down on my exercise for that day. Typically the most a person is supposed to exercise is 5 to 6 days in a week, and rest for 1 to 2 days. I used to think that rest meant completely no exercise. And I'd take 2 full days off, but then when it came time to start exercising again I realised that my body felt horrible and it was a struggle to complete my usual exercise. So I would recommend that on rest days you do light exercise rather than no exercise. For me, light exercise means doing 20% to 50% of what I would normally do on an exercise day. However, there are times when my body feels really fatigued and I'll just take the whole day off with no exercise at all, this happens once in a few weeks in my case. On a typical day I generally have 2 exercise sessions, one on an empty stomach and one later at night. If your muscles hurt when you exercise, you're definitely doing too much for your current physical state, always remember, muscle ache is okay, but if it hurts, stop the exercise immediately and seek medical attention if necessary.

First 3 weeks

I didn't have an exercise journal for the first 3 weeks I started exercising so I'll leave out the first 3 weeks. But basically I started really really small with my first 20 pushups. And every day I would add 10 more till I did 60 in a day. I would do them in sets like 20, 10, 10, 10.

The second week I added stomach crunches to my workout again starting with 20 and adding 10 each day till I could do 60 in a day.

And the third week, I added squats to my workout. Again starting with 20 and adding 10 each day till i could do 60 in a day.

This was basically me breaking myself into the exercise mindset. And now when I'm writing about this 6 weeks into my exercise I think it works better than maxing yourself out physically on your first workout session. If you're like me and haven't been working out for a long time, imagine how your body would complain at suddenly being made to do so much more work. Then imagine how it translates to your brain when your brain realises,"what!? You're gonna make us go through this 5 days a week for the next few months!?"

So work yourself in slowly, maybe you don't need to go as slowly as me. But do it at your own pace and don't rush it. =)

iPhone4

What would I do without my trusty iPhone4! Well anyway, for exercise, I use a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store called "gymboss interval timer", it's great for me as I've used it for exercises like the tabata protocol and isometric pushups. Some of you might like to listen to music while you workout, so and iPhone would work well for you too. Available in Singapore at M1 shops from $0 onwards.

Spoga Dumbbells

My Spoga Dumbbells, good for weights training as the weight can be adjusted lighter or heavier as you require, however, I do recommend getting dumbbells with rubber covering the weights especially if you have wooden flooring at home like me. However I only got one as I only use my dumbbells for bicep curls.

Zoot ULTRACOMPRESSRX LS TOP

When I was looking at it I thought it'd be really warm but after wearing it, it's surprisingly cool to the skin, the wind just seems to blow right through it. For those of you who are curious, LS is long sleeved. Zoot has the same top available in a SS (short sleeved) version. It is a bit of a struggle to wear initially cuz its way tighter than my normal clothes. The trick to wearing Zoot's LS top is to get your wrist through the sleeves first and adjust the seam that is supposed to run along your arm to the correct position, then its just a matter of putting your head through and you're done! Just so you guys know, going by the measurements on Zoot's website. I'm a size 2 but when I went down to the outlet to try size 2 on, it wasn't tight enough. Size 1 was just nice, but size 0 was way too tight, and I ended up looking like a freaky scarecrow (couldn't get the top past my shoulders). The difference between the active and the recovery set is that the recovery set is way tighter.

It's really comfortable to wear and I'm writing this post while wearing my Zoot compression top. After exercising while wearing it I have found that its way cooler than wearing my usual tshirt. And that I could do my routine more easily as well. It's definitely not a miracle muscle suit but it did make it a lot easier. Although this isn't meant for recovery, wearing it has made my muscles feel less sore than it normally does with my usual routine. On the whole, although I don't do running or cycling, this top is definitely a worthwhile buy.

Available in Singapore at Running Lab at SGD119.40 (promotional price, originally SGD199.00).

Tabata Protocol

How to do Tabata Protocol:

• 20 seconds all out intensity.

• 10 seconds rest.

• repeat 8 times.

This protocol was initially researched with cycling (cardio) as the exercise used. And its a type of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) but much more of a killer in my opinion. So for me, I use Hindu Squats (cardio) for this workout. Some other people recommend doing a few different exercises in one tabata session, I don't think this is right, why are we all so fascinated with the tabata protocol? Because of the results! It was done with a leg exercise (cycling) and for each of the 8 sets the exercise was the same (still more cycling). So if you want the same results and gains that those in the test had, then quite simply you should follow their test as closely as possible. I substitute cycling for hindu squats which is a whole lower body exercise, but I do hindu squats throughout all 8 sets. Don't listen to people that tell you to do a few exercises for one tabata session. You have to target the exact same muscles in every single one of those 8 sets to get the same results as the test.

The Tabata Protocol is amazing, it takes just 14 minutes of your time if you include the 5 minutes for warm up and 5 minutes to cool down. With the Tabata Protocol I save lots of time while having aerobic and anaerobic gains.

In a nutshell, Tabata Protocol if done for a period of time for the legs, will help you be able to maintain a start stop motion at your maximum speed for a longer period of time. This protocol like all the other exercises mentioned on xRealisticFitness help with real day to day stuff. Imagine dashing through the crowd to catch your bus, you'll need to be able to maintain your speed and endurance while experiencing a lot of starts and stops dodging people.

Do stretch and warm up before trying this and consult a doctor as this exercise will bring you close to your maximum heart rate if done correctly. If you experience any chest pains immediately stop the exercise and proceed to cool down while seeking medical attention, do not sit or lie down.

Thigh-Tap Pushups

How to do Thigh- Tap Pushups:

• Start in standard pushup position.

• Lower yourself till nearly touching the ground.

• Push yourself up till back to starting position and touch your left hand to the outer side of your left thigh, then bring it back to starting position.

• Lower yourself till nearly touching the ground again.

• Push yourself up till back to starting position and touch your right hand to the outer side of your right thigh, then bring it back to starting position. That's 1 rep.

• Inhale when going up, exhale when going down.

These are a good variation of the standard pushup. It even helps you with balance.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Standard Pushups

How to do Standard Pushups:

• Begin with hands on the ground shoulder width apart.

• Get up on the balls of your feet so that you are balanced on your hands and on the balls of your feet. Don't get on the tips of your toes, you might injure your toes.

• Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe. Do not arch or hunch your back. And guys, please, keep your hips aligned with the rest of your body, you don't wanna look like you're humping the floor.

• Exhale while lowering yourself toward the ground, as you lower yourself, keep your core tight so your body stays straight. Do not touch the ground and try not to let your elbows move away from your body.

• Then push yourself upwards and inhale while keeping the body straight and at the top of the push up do not lock your elbows. That's 1 rep.

The standard pushup is a great overall upper body exercise.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Wide Arm Pushups

How to do Wide Arm Pushups:

• Begin in standard pushup position.

• Move hands so that they are further than shoulder width apart.

• Lower yourself to the ground while keeping body straight.

• Push yourself up while keeping body straight back to starting position. That is 1 rep.

• Exhale when going down, inhale when going up.

This is a great chest exercise for those of you who don't have a gym. Its essentially a bench press except that you're lifting yourself. Some might argue that its not as efficient as a bench press for building the chest but its great for working that chest for endurance.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Diamond Pushups

How to do Diamond Pushups:

• Start in standard pushup position.

• Move your hands infront of your chest with the finger tips touching the finger tips of the other hand and your thumbs touching as well. The shape inbetween should resemble a diamond or triangle.

• Lower body till almost touching the ground.

• Push body upwards back to starting position. That's 1 rep.

• Exhale while going down, inhale while going up.

Diamond pushups are great for the triceps, the muscles that are at the back of your upper arm.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Stomach Vacuums

How to do Stomach Vacuums:

• Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart and hands on hips.

• Inhale deeply.

• Exhale while contracting your stomach muscles so that it looks like your navel is trying to touch your spine. Hold this position for 5 seconds while exhaling. That is 1 rep.

I find this exercise is great for making my stomach flatter, and it only takes a few seconds. Some people recommend exhaling completely before holding the position for a few seconds, I advise against it as a lack of oxygen to the brain isn't exactly very healthy. This exercise is great because you can do it anywhere, just make sure you practice in front of a mirror first so you don't look like you're constipated.

Equipment I use for this exercise: None

Lower Abs

How to target your Lower Abs:

• Lie flat on your back face up on the ground.

• Keep your knees and feet together.

• With your arms straight beside your body and your palms flat on the ground, lift your legs so that your thighs are perpendicular to the ground and your calves are 135 degrees from your thighs. Use your arms to support/ stabilise yourself.

• Keep your head on the ground throughout the exercise.

• Begin by lowering your legs toward the ground but do not go past the point where your lower back will arch off the floor.

• Then raise your legs till your thighs are perpendicular to the ground. That is 1 rep.

• Exhale when lifting legs, inhale when lowering legs.

Remember not to straighten your legs as you will end up using your hip flexor muscles instead. This is a great lower ab exercise, but if you're looking at weight loss and therefore calorie burning, this exercise targets a small group of muscles and therefore would not burn many calories.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Hip Lifts

How to do Hip Lifts:

• Lie flat on the ground face up with arms straight beside you palms down and feet flat on the ground and tucked close to your butt.

• Head remains on the ground throughout the exercise. Inhale.

• Exhale and raise your hips in an upwards motion till your chest, abs and thighs are in a straight line.

• Then lift your right leg off the ground and straighten it, both thighs should be at the same height. Hold for 5 seconds.

• Lower right leg so that your right foot is flat on the ground with your hips still up. Then lower your back to starting position while inhaling. That is 1 rep.

• Repeat a few reps with the right leg then start the exercise again with your left leg.

This exercise is great for the glutes. If your have difficulties doing this however then do not lift your feet off the ground. Use your arms to stabilise yourself when necessary by pressing into the ground with your palms. This exercise helps with balance to a limited extent.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Staggered Pushups

How to do Staggered Pushups:

• In standard pushup position, move your left arm directly under the left shoulder. Inhale.

• Exhale while lowering yourself but do not touch the ground.

• Inhale while pushing yourself up back to starting position. That is 1 rep.

• Remember to switch arms after each set to workout both arms equally.

This is a great pushup variation.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

Bicep Curls

How to do Bicep Curls:

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and keep your knees relaxed.

• Hold a dumbbell/barbell with an underhand grip (palms facing upwards).

• Start the exercise with your arm almost fully extended (do not lock your elbows) at thigh level in front of you.

• Bend your arm from the elbows and bring the weight upwards to shoulder level.

• Lower the weight back to starting position. That is 1 rep.

• Exhale when lifting up, inhale when bring weight downwards.

• Remember to keep good posture and lift the correct weight for your strength. Do not arch your body backwards to swing the weight up.

I like the bicep curl to work out on my biceps, I use a 10kg weight and lift it with both arms.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat, Spoga Dumbbell

Bicycle Crunches

How to do Bicycle Crunches:

• Lie flat on the floor on your back.

• Place hands with finger tips touching your ears. And arms spread out to the sides.

• Bend your legs at your knees so that your calves are at a 90degree angle to your thighs and your knees are perpendicular to the ground.

• Start the exercise by straightening your left leg while simultaneously lifting and twisting your upper body so your left elbow touches your right knee which stays bent.

• Then pull in your left leg to starting position while straightening your right leg and lifting and twisting your upper body so that your right elbow touches your left knee which stays bent. That is 1 rep.

• Exhale when moving elbow to knee, inhale when moving elbow away from knee.

Remember that even if you do tonnes of ab exercises you won't see a six pack unless you have a low body fat percentage. However, ab exercises are important to have a strong core that will help you in daily activities. Bicycle crunches are an overall good ab workout and include the obliques as well.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

About

A little about myself, I love food and I smoke, a combination that even I would assume would make a person really out of shape. But now with the exercises listed in the Home Workouts section, I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and smoking doesn't affect my stamina as much as it used to.

All the exercises listed in the Home Workouts section are exercises I do myself. And you'll be able to see how many I do daily from my Fitness Log. And similarly, the products I use are listed as well in the Products section.

I started working out so I could look reasonably good and feel good about myself while still maintaining the other aspects of my life. And I started this blog cuz when I was searching for fitness blogs, I noticed lots of exercise blogs out there, yet people don't post their exact routine daily, nor do they post their own photo. I wanted a blog where I could see what the guy looked like based on what he did daily and follow the workout if I wanted to look like that.

Basically, I wanted the blog to be real. Where exercises are achievable in terms of difficulty and time constraints, where diet-ing is about eating like the average person and where equipment is affordable.

I'm still experimenting with the exercises that I do and the frequency of training so do bear with me. =)

Who would this blog be beneficial to? People who are looking to lose fat, generally get in shape or to build lean muscle while losing fat. If you're into body building with big muscles, this blog probably won't work for you.

xRealisticFitness recommends you consult a doctor before you start any workout mentioned on this blog. Neither Nicholas nor anyone associated with xRealisticFitness will be held accountable, responsible or liable for any injury sustained while exercising at your gym, home or elsewhere, nor from following any lifestyle topic mentioned. 

Nike Yoga Mat

My Nike Yoga Mat, great for exercising on as its thin enough for me to feel the ground for stability yet provides a little cushioning for my tailbone when necessary, and plus the anti-slip feature helps a lot for people like me with sweaty palms and feet. Available in Singapore Nike outlets at SGD49.90.

Hindu Squats

How to do Hindu Squats:

• Start by placing your feet shoulder's width apart with your toes on both feet pointing forward. Hands should be pulled in to your chest. Squat by bending from the knee but keep the back straight. As you squat, bring your arms downwards and behind you.

• As you near the bottom of your squat, begin to lift your heels off the ground, balancing on the balls of your feet while maintaining a straight posture for your back.

• Push off at the bottom of the squat with the balls of your feet while swinging your arms forward.

• Continue rising till you are back in the standing position, with your arms moving upwards as well. That is 1 rep.

• Exhale on the way down and inhale on the way up.

Hindu Squats are meant to be done continuously and smoothly, not in sets as its considered a cardiovascular exercise. To get the most gain from hindu squats I do mine with the tabata protocol. I find hindu squats to be a good overall lower body workout and plus it helps you with balance as coming up on your toes at the bottom might not be so easy when you start.

Equipment I use for this exercise: Nike Yoga Mat

New Kid on the Blog

hmm.. my first blog ever.. still trying to figure out how to use this.. guess I would not consider myself to be a tech pro.. will be back with more stuff once I figure out how all this works..