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What you need to know about Free Weights and Exercise Machines

 

Free Weights

Its finally time for you to get into shape. I am sure you are either new to strength training, or it’s been a while since you’ve been to the gym.

The one thing that we all know about going to the gym is that you have to lift weights. Most in fact go to the gym for weight training ( or what they call pumping iron).

But, in weight training too there is something called free weights and exercise machines. I would here like to clear the concept of free weights vs exercise machines. I will talk of the advantages and the disadvantages of both.

The Benefits of Using Free Weights:

When you use free weights you get more bang for your buck. There are loads of exercises that one can do with free weights. And these can be done at home or at the gym than one can do with the big expensive machines.

While doing free weights there is no range of motion inhibitors like with most exercise machines. You can adjust each exercise according to your body. Another great benefit with free weight is that you can really enhance your motor skills. When using free weights their are more action on your muscles to stabilize and balance your body and its weight thereby giving you a more complete workout.

Ideally if you are serious and you want get strong the you need to train on free weights.

But, there are Negatives of using Free Weights: let’s understand what are these negatives…

Firstly, you will need advice to help you get the right workout program design. Hiring a trainer or researching the best exercises for you must come first. It is also extremely important to use proper form. Thus, hiring a trainer will get you started right.

Secondly, the chances of getting injured is higher while using free weights. If you don’t lift it right and do the exercises in the right manner, free weights can hurt you faster than it will make you fit.

Thirdly, You will need a lifting partner if you plan on pumping heavy iron. Get a partner or a trainer to help check your form. It is very easy to get sloppy, even when you know what your doing. For example, don’t try a heavy weight in the squat or bench press without a “spotter”. Make sure that you can control the weight and do the exercise correctly and in the right position.

The Benefits of Using Exercise Machines:

If you have a time constraint, using machines can be an efficient way to do workouts. Putting a pin into the weight stack is quicker than loading up a barbell. Plus, the arrangement of machines in a gym facilitates changing exercises efficiently.

If you are new to the gym, and without a trainer, machines are a safe way to start your work out regime. Most machines have diagrams to help you lift and do the exercise correctly. If you have injuries, machines will help stabilize your body. With the extra support, you can focus on healthy muscles, and give your injuries time to heal. If you want to lift heavy weights without assistance, machines will help. The security of the machine allows you to lift more, without the fear of dropping the weights.

If you want to train one specific muscle group, machines aid in focus. It is difficult to do certain exercises (like a leg curl) with free weights, and a machine will hone right in on your desired goal.

The Negatives of Using Exercise Machines:

Machines let you cruise through an exercise without bringing in stabilizing muscles. You don’t get true strength that relates to the movement in your daily life.

Another negative with machines is that they don’t always fit your body. If you are very small or very tall, the machines may not fit your size, and the exercise won’t be mechanically efficient, leading to injury. Also most exercise machines don’t give you much flexibility or variation. Most machines create a forced or guided two-dimensional movement pattern, so you are limited in how your muscles develop.

Another problem with using machines is they get occupied quickly in a gym. Your time gets wasted or there is a huge time gap between one exercise and another only because you are awaiting your turn on a machine. In the waiting process you are likely to get irritated and frustrated and this is a big turn-off when you want to get into shape.

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A Perfect Supper

supper

Since time immemorial, we have been hearing this phrase “Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper”. Though this phrase is very true and most of us may or may not agree to it, the question is, how many of us actually follow it?

I have come across people who eat absolutely minimal or may even skip meals during the day and then wonder why they are not shedding any weight even though they are consuming less calories. The answer lies in their ‘very much elaborate dinners’!

In today’s fast paced and busy lives, it’s become very common that people tend to have very less or almost skip their breakfast as they need to rush to work. Lunch is had at the desk more often than not, either alone or with the colleagues, which may be less enjoyable. At times, due to time constraints, lunch gets compromised. All these factors lead to a limited food intake through the day. Result: Body deprived of energy through the day -> Feels excessively hungry in the latter half of the day -> over eating/ bingeing occurs during dinner. At times, we don’t just feel hungry but we might even ‘crave’ for some junk and thereby succumb to binging on junk food items which then results in fat storage.

For majority of us, dinner is the meal which we look forward to as most of the families consider dinner as an opportunity to catch up with the family members, interact with each other, laugh and have a good time, and dinner perfectly serves the purpose! While we relish various delicacies together and get busy talking to each other, there are high chances of us eating more than we actually want to.

Isn’t this scenario exactly opposite to the saying that we discussed at the top? Oh yes! It is! This is where the root cause of weight gain lies.

You’ll be surprised to know that just getting the dinner correct has helped people get their weight under control. It works like magic! It’s very simple and quite logical. Body has enough time to metabolize the food and shed off the extra calories consumed through the day as our activity levels are at peak during the daytime. As the day ends, our activity levels drop and so does the metabolic rate. Thus, the caloric consumption should ideally taper by the end of the day. However, if we load our body with a huge amount of calories at night, it has higher chances of pushing the calories into fat storage thereby leading to weight gain.

Now how do we tackle this? The very first solution is having a heavy breakfast. If you are running short of time, carry a mid-morning snack with you e.g. A fruit/Nuts/Dry fruits/Yogurt is a good for you. Second most important factor is to have a heavy evening snack by around 5-6 pm. Consuming an evening snack keeps us full, cuts down the junk cravings and thus automatically reduces our intake during dinner. It’s very important to choose the evening snacks wisely. It could be a bowl of sprouts/a whole wheat bread veggie sandwich/boiled corn with chopped veggies and herbs/boiled egg or paneer roll with whole wheat base/a bowl of roasted chanas or nuts. I am sure dishes like these would satiate your hunger and when you would go ahead for your dinner, you wouldn’t be very much hungry.

So your dinner could be – Start with a bowl of mix veggie soup/salad, then move on to a bowl of stir-fried veggies (that covers the carb/fiber component and certain vitamins-minerals) along with a bowl of roasted paneer cubes/sprouts/grilled chicken or fish/boiled eggs (that covers the protein and fat component). In this way, we can ensure a light yet balanced meal covering all the macronutrients along with micros (vitamins-minerals). Ofcourse you can make this meal delicious in your own ways by using various herbs and spices to delight your taste buds.

Remember to keep a gap of 2 to 3 hours between your bed time and this meal to avoid gastric discomfort.

Last but not the least, eat this meal absolutely mindfully, which means, eat slower, take smaller bites, savour every bite and thoroughly enjoy it with your family, making the experience absolutely joyful!

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CAN FOODs HELP PREVENT PREMATURE GREYING OF HAIR??

 

grey-hair

“Grey hair” – I am sure is one of the most distressing night mares for all of us!

Greying of the hair is an ultimate and irreversible reality of life and is often associated with growing old. Black turns into white when our hair lacks the pigment called “melanin”. Melanin is produced by pigment cells of hair follicles which surrounds the root of each hair strand. With the increasing age of the person, there is gradual reduction in melanin pigment of the hairs and this is what causes greying of hair.

A number of medical conditions as well as lifestyle choices have been related to premature greying of hair. Some of them include Thyroid, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Vitiligo, Smoking, Stress, Faulty diet, Excessive use of electric dryers and hair irons. Of all the factors responsible, lack of proper diet and genetic factors are the major contributors.

Diet plays a very important role and if a person’s diet is faulty then he is likely to face premature greying of hair. Though one cannot prevent the natural cycle of whitening of hair, but one can always prevent their hair from premature greying by choosing right kind of foods.

Few hair-friendly foods which help delay whitening of hair include:

  • Curry leaves: Curry leaves are beneficial in not only preventing premature greying of hair but also in providing strength to hair roots. Apart from adding curry leaves to the diet, these leaves can also be boiled in coconut oil. This is a popular home remedy, an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and increase hair pigmentation.

 

  • Amla: Also known as Gooseberries, they are the best remedy for premature greying. Gooseberries are known to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of grey hair. This is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and hair pigmentation.

 

  • Fresh Veggies: Simply incorporate green vegetables into your diet for two or three of your daily meals. They are naturally rich in Vitamins B6 and B12, which keep hair healthy.

 

  • Chocolate: Chocolate is naturally rich in copper, a nutrient which is vital for melanin production. Choose dark chocolate, which contains fewer calories than milk chocolate, and enjoy it in moderation.

 

  • Berries: Berries like strawberries, raspberries and cranberries have abundant amount of Vitamin C. They promote healthy hair as well as prevent premature greying.

 

  • Salmon: Salmon is a great food for fighting grey hair. Salmon is a natural source of selenium, which regulates hormone production that keeps your hair colourful.

 

  • Almonds: Get rid of grey hair and have a healthy flowing hair with almonds
    Almonds are rich in both Vitamin E and copper. Try incorporating almonds into your meals and start loading up on hair-healthy nutrients.

 

  • Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds have high amount of mineral content which helps in producing and retaining the melanin content thus playing an important role in maintaining healthy hair.

Lastly, when you’re eating hair-friendly foods, ensure water intake is optimal because   nutrients need water to flow through your body. Thus, If you’re not well-hydrated, you won’t get the maximum benefits from all those special, grey hair colour-fighting foods!

So all these foods and information will help you prevent grey hair and will make you look much younger even when you grow old..

 

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