Demystifying Fitness

-Ashwin Rao

April 30, 2010

Why are we discussing this ?

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Almost

all of us want to be healthy and fit

But diet and exercise are painful things Is there a magic diet or a workout gizmo well learn about Goal 1: Get empowered with facts, eliminate myths, take control Goal 2: Prioritize within the list of diet/exercise pointers Youll make good progress just by focusing on the top of the list Treat the bottom of the list as good to know luxury items Fitness leads to greater self-confidence and sense of achievement

Some Warnings
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Fitness requires hard work, discipline and sacrifices It gets harder and harder with age It doesnt work if you dont genuinely enjoy it Access to good food/exercise is not so easy in Mumbai There is no quick solution involves a permanent lifestyle change Need to be willing to spend good amount of time as well as thought

But there will be some pleasant surprises

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You dont have to starve yourself

You dont have to eat bland, boring food You dont have to run 20 kms a day Some of you could do the exercises at home You will learn that minor, but targeted changes can make a big impact You will learn a lot about your body and its responses After some seasoning, many people find the healthy lifestyle addictive

Liquidity
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Harsh Truth: Alcohol and Caffeine are more damaging than you think
Problems: Dehydration, indigestion, screws up appetite and sleep A good night of drinking eliminates a week of hard workout Ashwin Law of conservation of height a massive low follows every high

Soda/Juices/Packaged beverages mixture of sugar/salt/caffeine

All you need is WATER, WATER and WATER And consider veggie juices as well Greens, with a bit of carrots/beets Health drinks are a scam, with a few exceptions Remember: your liquid intake is more important than the solids you eat Sense of balance: Indulge yourself occasionally, or youll go crazy

Size and Frequency of Meals

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Ideally,

six small to medium-sized meals a day

Breakfast is a very important meal Before and after workouts Get balanced food in every meal How much protein ? Depends on your exercise levels Dont focus too much on calories

The key is to develop your metabolism

Carbs and Proteins

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Good carbs and bad carbs

Anything refined is bad go with dark color when in doubt Veggie carbs more important than grain carbs Avoid white rice, naan, white bread, pasta, biscuits etc. Replace dessert with fruits (small portions with every meal) Protein: Veg or non-veg ? Non-veg: Focus on fish and organic meats/eggs

Veg: Daals, beans, nuts, saag, paneer, sprouts

At least 1g of protein per kg of body weight Weight-training will require more protein to repair muscles

What are these s ?

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Fats dont make you Fat !

The body needs a balance of -3, -6, -9 unsaturated fats -9s: The body produces this -6s: We mostly get this fat in the foods we normally eat -3s: Hard to get in our regular diet Fish/Cod Oil, Flaxseeds/Flax oil (Alsi),Walnuts (Akhrot) Quality of -3 oils is very important Saturated Fats are bad but unrefined coconut oil is good for you Trans fats are VERY bad mostly in processed/packaged foods

Raw foods
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Heat destroys nutrients

Raw veggies and fruits are VERY powerful Try juicing veggies if you cant eat them raw

Go with veggies/fruits that are not too sweet

Get your daily dose of nuts and sprouts Sashimi: Yummy or Yuck ? Raw milk and raw eggs: VERY dangerous in India Raw food diet has been shown to reverse serious illnesses

Supplements
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Should we take multi-vitamin pills, protein powders etc. ?

Generally not required. Besides, there are quality issues. Useful in certain situations: travel, workouts, dietary restrictions

-3s, Probiotics, some packaged veggie juices/protein powder

Avoid things like fat killers, Creatine/Glutamine etc. Unless you are into serious bodybuilding

Effect on Metabolism and Hormones

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Important to understand that diet controls your metabolism

Eating healthy food several times a day will boost metabolism Eating sparsely, no breakfast, caffeine/sugar etc slow your body

Similarly, good foods will improve your hormonal balance

White carbs and sugary foods/drinks screw up hormones Weight gain is mostly due to poor metabolism and hormones

Diet, sleep, stress, metabolism, hormones all closely linked

Well talk about effect of exercise on metabolism/hormones

Most dangerous foods

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Alcohol and Coffee

Soft drinks, coke, diet coke, even packaged juices French fries and their equivalent Indian fried foods Donuts and their equivalent Indian sugary foods All sorts of white carbs bread, pasta, even morning cereal Low-fat/reduced-fat packaged foods Hot dog, bacon, cured meats etc. namkeen-type evening snacks Having said that, occasional indulgence will keep you sane

Worst practices
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Skipping breakfast or other meals

Low appetite Frequent snacking on namkeen-type food

Lot of coffee, tea or soft drinks through the day

Irregular meal hours Binging on alcohol and dessert Inconsistent sleep timings Getting very little protein vegetarians need to watch out

Meal/snack tips
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Dark

grains whole wheat, jowar, ragi, bajra rotis

Ragi dosa, Pesarattu, Adai (basically no rice) Brown rice, or even better, try Quinoa Use unrefined coconut oil on Lentil Dosas/Quinoa (Delicious !)

Keep a box of walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts (raw, no salt)

Snack on fruits try to eat less sugary fruits Also, dry fruits (in moderation) Sprouts are one of the major joys of being in India Freshly squeezed Cucumber + Spinach + Carrot juice is divine

Exercise
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Our body needs Strength, Endurance and Flexibility

WeightsStrength, CardioEndurance, YogaFlexibility Bang for the buck: Weights, then Flexibility, then Cardio We will focus on basic strength training The goal is to lose fat and gain lean muscle We are not here to figure out how to look like John Abrahams Basic strength training goes a surprisingly long way Add some yoga and a sport/dance or two to complement

Strength Training Excuses

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I dont want to build big muscles Its not going to help me lose weight, so I do running Im not the weight-lifting type

Im afraid of hurting my back

Lifting weights is so boring Lifting weights is so unnatural

How does strength training work ?

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Lifting weights makes your muscles work hard

This results in tiny tears in your muscles (next day soreness) Protein + Rest between workouts repair and grow muscles Over a period of time, you can lift heavier weights

Better muscle tone leads to faster metabolism

This means faster fat burning even when sedentary Positive effects of testosterone production This accelerates the process of fat loss and muscle gain

Strength Training Basics

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Lift a weight quantity which lets you do 6 reps, but not more
Do 3-4 sets of these 6 reps for each exercise On a given day, focus on only lower body or only upper body Give that body part a break for at least 3-4 days Lifting technique and maintenance of form is VERY important Proper breathing: Exhale when lifting, inhale when lowering Lifting action: power and speed, focusing on the exact muscle Lowering action: very gradual (over 2-4 seconds)

Workout Tips
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Workout in the morning when your testosterone levels are high

Have enough carbs and protein before and after the workout Drink plenty of water during the workout Use a trainer/spotter to watch your form and to rack weights Legs and back are the most important muscles Lots of squats and pull-ups (and variants) can be done at home Warm up with a 5 min jog before the workout Stretch for 10-15 minutes after the workout

Workout Tips (continued)

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Workout duration: 20-50 mins (not incl warmup and stretching)

Dont socialize, keep a tight schedule, focus your mind Keep records of your reps, sets and poundage

Do the most demanding exercises first

Dont workout if you are sick or have slept too little Avoid supplements, unless you want to do serious bodybuilding

Most importantly, feel good and enjoy your workout

Sample Schedule
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Thrice a week
Mondays: Chest, Shoulders and back Mondays: Bench Press, Incline Press, Pull ups, Chin ups Wednesdays: Biceps, Triceps and Abs Wednesdays: Biceps flex, Narrow bench press, Ab crunches Fridays: Legs Fridays: Squats, Deadlifts, Calf raise Do yoga on other days or some light sports or just rest

Yoga
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Deep breathing focus your mind on breath flow

Try to touch your toes without bending your legs (sitting) Dog position, plus upward and downward facing

Learn to stretch your biceps, triceps, chest and shoulders too

Hold stretches for at least 30 seconds Yoga also builds strength and makes you sweat Disclaimer: I am not a yoga expert, so can offer limited help

Final Words
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Diet and Exercise go together cant get away with just one Get your hydration and sleep habits in structure first Incorporate diet and exercise in your life incrementally Important to understand what foods are good and what are bad Dont force yourself to follow a strict diet. Indulge...sometimes Train yourself to enjoy your strength training See improvements in a month even with basic strength training Adequate rest between workouts is extremely important Treat this as a lifetime commitment, not as a Get Fit Quick

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