IF YOU GUYS WANT ANY TIPS ON HEALTH, WORKOUT, ETC... REPLY. I AM A FITNESS EXPERT.

FOR INFOSEEKER

1. Everyone has to begin with somewhere. When I first started going to the gym (weight area). I had a pot belly - waist size 36) - 70 pounds over weight. I used to get intimidated by those musculed-up gorillas. My stereotypes on them was very wrong. Infact they were helpful and gave me tons of tips on various exercises and body-part focus. Its natural to feel intimidated - but you will get over with it. The best way to approach them and ask them and treat them like pros. They will feel good the attention they get and the flow of info you need will sure to come. 7 months later, I have lost about 60 pounds, gained 10 pounds of muscle. I started with 70 pounds bench press - now I can easily manage 150 pounds. So don't worry, just make gym friends and you will be fine.

2.Guys do need to warm up before lifting. But few understand how, says Patrick Hagerman, C.S.C.S., an exercise-physiology instructor at Oklahoma State University. Breaking a sweat with 10 minutes on a stationary bike is fine for starters, but it won't prepare your muscles for sudden exertion--the kind you do when lifting weights.
The idea is to stretch your muscles at the most extreme point of their range of motion, where they have to do their hardest work and where they're most vulnerable to injury. So if you're going to start your workout with bench presses, lie on a bench, holding just the bar at arm's length. Lower the bar to your sternum and do three or four quick, controlled repetitions, but lift the bar only a few inches above your sternum each time.
You can also do this with squats, shoulder presses, pullups, or any other heavy-weight exercise you do at the beginning of your workout(source: menshealth.com)

From my experience, warm-up shouldn't take more than 5/7 mins. You can begin with walk/jog about 200 meters, then crunch 2 reps of 10, then stretching back n front with your hand up and then touching your toes and then backwards as much as you can. Push-up 2 reps 10 times. This should be enough to begin with. If you are new to the gym, go with dumbells only the first week. Try dumb bench press, squat, etc. Did you know that push-ups alone is the best exercise for upper body work out - biceps, triceps, chest, deltoids, etc.

The exercise manner should be:
Monday - focus on upper body including mid-area (abs & torso)
Tuesday - on lower body (calves, thighs, etc).
Wednesday - same as Monday
Thursday - same as Tuesday
Friday - same as Monday

Once you do weight training - your body needs 48 hours rest (for the muscles to develop). Right after weight training - drink some protien shake (avail at GNC). The protein helps develop your muscles and helps repair the tissues that were torn during workout. Drink 16 ounce of water during workout, 16 ounce during workout, and 16 ounce with protien shake right after workout. Your workout should not exceed more than an hour.

Drink plenty of water - see my earlier posting on its benefits.

Hope I answered your questions.

You may also wanna check these sites for additional info:
1. www.menshealth.com
2. www.mensfitness.com
3. www.muscleandfitness.com

Dear Major,

I am a diabetics, What kind of exercise do suggest for me. I do jogging everyday for 20 mins. Is that enough for me. I am 165 lb and hight 5'6" and 41 years I do smoke 10 cigarete a day. I do drink 6 litters of water. I do feel some time life is nothing. I am married and has 3 kids.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Anup.

FOR ANUP:

Most (but not all) diabetic folks are overweight. The would recommend the following from my knowledge (please be clear that I am not a diabetes expert):
1. Losing weight helps controlling diabetes. Exercise I recommend: jogging for the first few weeks and then slowly transition to weight training. See my earlier posting for weight-training. Weight training is said to be the most effective strategy for weight loss. However, you smoke - which is a stamina-killer. Therefore try to find a way to stop smoking. I have posted an article below on the affects of smoking. Cut down on carbohydrates, sugar, processed foods. If you drink tea/coffee - enjoy it without sugar. No rice, potatoes, pasta, sweets, etc.
2. Stop smoking - stop alcohol consumption.
3. Change your eating habits - plenty of fruits, vegetables, in your diet. Eat four meals a day. Breakfast should be the heaviest meal: cereal with skim milk, whole apple, and porridge, egg (without yolk). Lunch should be a bit lighter: tons of vegetables, lean meat (no skin, not fried - but grilled, baked, or stir-fired), fruit, if you eat roti (try wheat), a fruit for appetizer. Light snack in late afternoon - a glass of juice with fat-free muffin/buscuit. Dinner should be extremely light - salads, soup, etc. Have your dinner atleast 3 hours prior to your bed-time. Limit your TV-watching habits - it could possibly turn you into a couch-potato.

Bottomline: reducing your weight can help you control your diabetic problems. I would recommend ideal weight of 150 lbs for your height & age. From my experience, the more you exercise, the more health concious you become, and then healthy eating becomes easier.

LET ME KNOW IF I CAN BE OF FURTHER HELP.

The following article is from http://www.multilingualdiabetes.org

Diabetes and Smoking
Tobacco smoking is an important factor in the development of complications of the eyes, kidneys and blood vessels. It is extremely unusual for a person with diabetes to have a leg amputated due to blocked blood vessels unless they smoke.

While quitting may not be easy, it could be the best thing you can do to prevent the complications of diabetes.

Your blood sugar level

Research has found that smoking raises your blood sugar level, making it harder to control your diabetes. This is probably because nicotine and other products of smoking make it more difficult for insulin to work properly. It also raises high blood sugar levels.

Your heart

If you smoke and have diabetes, you are more likely to have a heart attack and three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

Uncontrolled blood glucose levels cause blood vessels to narrow. Smoking makes blood cells stick together and blood vessel walls more sticky, so that fat attaches to the vessel walls even faster. Fat deposits can block blood vessels, which leads to heart attack and stroke.

The nicotine in cigarettes increases your heart rate, and the carbon monoxide in cigarettes reduces oxygen in the blood. This means your heart has to work harder.

Your circulation

Smoking slows the circulation in the smaller blood vessels. People with diabetes are more likely to suffer from poor circulation in their feet and legs.

Smoking can also aggravate foot ulcers, foot infections and blood vessel disease in the legs.

Your eyes

Diabetes can block the tiny blood vessels in the eyes, a condition called retinopathy. If you smoke, it is likely you will experience even more trouble with your sight.

Your kidneys

Smoking increases the risk of life-threatening kidney disease in those with diabetes. It may be due to a temporary increase in blood pressure and the effects of cigarette smoke on chemicals in the body that control kidney function.

Your sex life

If you are a man who smokes and has diabetes, you are more likely to experience problems having an erection.

Smoking slows down blood flow and blocks blood vessels in the penis, and nerve damage may reduce sensation.

Your joints

If you smoke and have diabetes, you increase the likelihood of reducing movement and flexibility in your joints.

Your nerves

If you have diabetes, smoking will increase the risk of nerve damage in all parts of your body, a condition which leads to numbness and sometimes pain. It may be that smoking damages the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves.

Your teeth

If you smoke and have diabetes, you will have a greater chance of developing gum disease and losing your teeth.

Dear Major!

I am 6' tall,abt 158 lb weight and 31 waist...i am in real shape but i like to have some muscles in my body too. I play all kinds of sports.

how can i get some around 20lb weight without losing quickness of body?

Advnace Thanks

Dear Major,

Thanks a lot for nice suggestion. I will quite smoking by this week and let you know. Thanks again for your help.

Best Regards,
Anup

FOR AJAY:

You seem to be a tall slim guy - an ideal weight for a guy of your height would be around 170/180 (depending on how much muscle mass you like to gain). To gain muscle, you need to do the following:
1. Change in your daily diet : eat lots more carbohydrate (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc). Since you are slim, you can afford to have extra fat percentage in your food. The fat/carbo/protein ratio for you: 40/30/30 the first month. The second month the ratio (in order above): 30/40/30. Third onwards: 30/30/40. When I mean fat, try to avoid animal fat as much as you can - go for healthier fat source such as walnuts, cashewnuts, peanuts, olive oil, etc. Carbohydrates provide you with energy when you work-out. Protein helps develop the muscle mass. Drink plenty of water - 80 ounce a day.
2. Exercise: the best way to gain lean muscle mass is weight training. Join a local gym, if you can afford hire a trainer for an hour, if not you can ask the guys there on various tips. Begin with dumbell work-out the first couple of weeks - dumbell benchpress, dumbell squat, push-ups, etc. Before weight training, a warm-up & stretch is higly recommend (see my earlier postings). After a month or so, your work-out sequence will be: warmup/stretch - dumbells - barbells - machine - cool-out. For cool-out you can walk for couple of hundred meters.
3. Nutrition Supplements: Right after you are done with work-out dash home and make yourself a protien-shake. Protien shake powders are available at GNC. According to a research, protein shake right after work-out helps repair the torn muscle tissue, and helps develop & grow muscle mass. Since you are slim, you may also wanna try some weight gainer supplements (which will help you gain muscle - but not fat). Some good protien shakes are: MetRx, ProComplex, Myoplex, and any Whey protien powders. Regarding weight gainers: check with GNC.

4. Patience & committment: It will take you atleast 3 months before you see a sizeable difference in your body structure/tone. So have patience. The results depends on your committment.

From my experience, work-out is most effective when you have a combination of proper-eating/exercise/nutrition supplements.

Gaining muscle won't deprive you of your agility - infact it will add more power to it. A good calf, hamstring, and thigh muscles will make you a powerful sprinter.

Major saab,
Thanks for your tips.
I have two questions:
1. I have been told that the muscle/body building supplements (Mega Mass, etc) are not good for average Nepali metabolism or build. What do you think? Is there another similar products that a fish_te like me could use? I am 160/5-7/age30.

2. My routine has been 30 min on treadmill at 7 mph, and hit the weights, 2 days a week. Another 2 days, I do 4 miles casual jog on trail.. oh I love the streets of Boston. Friday is again Beer and the works.. Besides the beer part, which no one can do anything about, is there any change I could bring to my routine. This has been going on for about 3 yrs now. I have 14 % body fat content...

thanks

major_fan

Dear Major,

thank you alot

Ajay

Major Sahib:

I went through this thread today, and I would like to thank you so much for your
effort for increasing awareness re health and exercise.

I went to school recreation centers couple of times, but never had the sustained
interest to work out. The longest I did was for a month. Lack of work out has
debilitated me, and it is often difficult to pull all-nighter during exam time. Now I
am thinking seriously to go to rec center again!

FOR MAJOR_FAN:

1. Per your height & age, your weight is seems consistent. If you plan to put on muscles, I would recommend protien shakes such as Myoplex (by EAS), or NitroTech (By MuscleTech), or Metrx (metrx.com). From my experience its not true what you heard regarding supplements not good for average Nepalis. There are various supplements, and each has its own remedy. For example: a protein shake or a whey-protien shake right after work-out helps develop muscle mass. You can use mega-mass which helps you bulk up, but not necessarily tone your muscle. You can also use creatine, which provides you instant energy and temporarily bulks up your muscle (by storing water in your muscle tissue). These supplements can be taken depending on each person's weight and goals. For you, I do not recommend weight-gainers like Mega Mass nor Creatine. I would definitely recommend protien shakes (very well balanced nutrition). On the other hand if you are a non-vegetarian, you could get the desired protien from meat, fish, & eggs. However, I still recommend you the protien shake as it should be consumed right after work-out.

2. Body fat between 14 - 19 % is considered very good, anything lower is excellent. Typically atheletes have 8 - 12 % body fat. Based on my experience & knowledge I would recommend the following work-out routine for you:
Mon - upper body & mid-area (abs & torso)
Tue - lower body (calf, thighs, etc) and jogging 3 miles
Wed - same as Monday
Thu - same as Tue
Fri - same as Wed.

Say you work-out upper body (chest, biceps, triceps, deltoids, etc) - you should give it a full 48 hours rest before you work on that area. This strategy allows you to develop your muscle and also gives you enough rest for that part worked. More importantly, weight-training helps boost metabolism, and it usually remains high for 48 hours. This is the key factor for loosing weight, even when your just sitting, walking, or sleeping. Drink atleast 80 ounce of water. Avoid soft-drinks and alcohol if you can. Smoking kills your stamina - so its a no no.

Another thing, do a light warm-up (see my earlier postings). Don't jog before weight-training, save the energy for the dumbells/barbells, etc. After you finish with weights, go for a jog to cool down - then dash home for a good protein shake.

Incase you don't have time to work-out 5 days a week, then Try this:
Mon - upper body followed by 2/3 mile jog
Wed - lower body & mid-area (abs, torso) followed by 2/3 mile jog.
Fri - same as Mon.
Tues & Thus - do situps, and plenty of push-ups at home.

Hope this helps.

Dear Biswo:

Its my pleasure - am glad that you are thinking to hit back to the gym. I used to have the same problems as you did earlier. In the past 4 years or so, I gained about 70 pounds. I was to eat a lot, was lazy, had a big belly, and looked like a slob. Last year, somehow, I made a firm committment to loose the weight I had gained, tone-up my body, and remain active. So I joined the gym, and remained disciplined (eating proper food, drinking plenty of water, etc etc). 7 months later, I am 60 pounds lighter and much active.

It feels good to be healthy and looking good. Once you hit the gym (jogging, or play bball or soccer or weight training) - you will notice the change in your body and thats very encouraging.

All I can say is that you have made the right decision. Health comes first.

Thank you major for your suggestions.. plus I need to cut down on my junk food intake (chips, cookies, etc). -fan

Major Sahib:

Thanks for your response and encouragement. Let me see how it goes.

Going to gym is like taking an-hour-long demanding class. If you have good
company to work out, it is easy to spend time and is fun. Otherwise, it is pretty
easy to get bored, and give up. But slowly, I have realised that healthy body
is very important for us. As a student, I used to be like "hey, why should I spend
an hour or more every two day? Isn't it better to study at that time?", but now
I increasingly realise that the refreshing experience provided by exercise
actually helps us in memoryzing and studying effectively.

Contrary to belief of some, exercise is not for girl, it is not to show up, it is not to
threaten other boys, it is for the wellbeing and longevity of a person himself.
Our society should encourage people to go to gym!

yo Biswo dude. That's why we are from Nepal. There are hardly roads and most peole don't have access to vehicle. One thing that bothers me is that. People hire some "keta and keti" to work for them . And all they do is eat and watch TV. Why don't they just walk for 15 minutes and tone their body?...I guess, if you are big(mottey) in nepal, you have eaten good food and sign of richness...Well I got two words for them... Fat ass.

Dear Major,

Just wanted say big THANK YOU ( again) for your suggestions. I am in non smoker rank from today.

Best Regards,
Anup.

Yo genX,

I like your casual style of salutation, btw! And I am also genX, dude. Hope you are
also going to gym soon! And dude, I am no fat ass, ok:-)

Major,
Im 15 almost 16 gonna be a sophmore in highschool, im 6ft tall and weigh 157 lbs I work out extremely hard everyday with the football coaches, they have me on a routine of lifting and running that works great, my bench has gone from 135 to 165 in 5 months and my squat from 155 to 225 and my 40 dropped half a second, so my question is, which protein shake or sumpliment would help me get bigger quicker in time for football season which is right around the corner ( 2 months away) I took cell-tech about a month or so ago and it made me crazy so i stopped taking it, now im taking ProComplex (the one with whey and all the other amino acids and proteins) but i just started taking it. If im taking the right stuff (which is what the guy at GNC told me was the right stuff)then how much should i take and when.

I wanna get bigger in time for 2-a-days so the older varsity guys lay me out as easily.

--jason

Hey Major,

I have noticed that you haven't responded to some of the queries here for like 2 months or so. It would be really nice if we could have you back to answer of "jigyasas". I personally have the same problem that you had earlier : a belly measuring 34 which makes me feel so inferior to others. I don't do any exercise neither do i care much for what i eat. I am as lazy as you were before. But if i get a good piece of advice from you as to what exactly and serially did you do for burning the belly away, I 'm sure I can get myself in regular workouts ( like
Biswo :-) and start feeling better. Thanks again for the wonderful work that you have been keeping up.

Hi

which city u r in ? I am overweight by 20 pounds and i want a exercisee plan for myself I do yoga for about half an hour in the morning but not helping too much yoga I m doing since a long time.If u can help me then we can talk

barneyj, The thread dates back to 2002 so I'm not sure if you're going to get any responses but the posts were truly informative and brilliant and goes on to show how a forum such as Sajha could be used as a platform to share key information! Thanks for the tips Major-wherever you are, whoever you are! Loved everybit of it! So much so, I'm gonna copy and paste your advices and enact upon it!