Fitness First Cebu Zumba Marathon

Fitness First Cebu has been my gym for 6 years.  Unfortunately, the gym will close on January 31, 2015. I am quite disappointed that it is closing but i realized that I just had to make the most out of the last few days of the gym.

One of my favourite workouts there are the gym is Zumba.  Even if I am just the only guy in class, I persist to enjoy at least 2 hours of dance workout every week. Recently, the Zumba instructors of the gym decided to organise a Zumba event at the Ayala Terraces. It was supposed to be held last December 6 but due to Typhoon Ruby, it was postponed to December 8.

Many members attended the Zumba Blast.  The Fitness First Instructors who were handling the event were Emilie Lao, Marvz Allison, Zalde Berdon, Cire Isidro, and Cai Durano.  The crowd was entertained with a 3 hour energetic Zumba class.  There were also guest instructors from other gyms who performed challenging and enjoyable Zumba routines.

Me and Rupert, Siam Reap's soon to be Zumba master

Laziness is the ENEMY

According to the late Helena Rubinstein, "there are no ugly women, only lazy ones." The same goes to men I guess, especially young men. A lot of us give excuses not workout or look good.  Some say there are busy with work, children, and other responsibilities. I realized that it is not really that hard to find time to exercise and look.  Sure, it will take some effort but it is not hard as it seems.

I have been lazy for the past couple of weeks.  I have not been able to set a proper sleeping and work out time.  I am even afraid to look at the weighing scale fearing the worst. I have been lazy and laziness is not a fair excuse in anything.

Laziness is the big enemy when it comes to fitness and health.  You have to fear and conquer laziness in life to get the amazing results that you have been dreaming of. Laziness makes you damn UGLY, FAT, SLOW, and UNPRODUCTIVE.  It is fastest route to Loserville.

I want to be a WINNER and the first battle to win is against LAZINESS.  I will never allow myself to laze around. I will never give myself the even slight opportunity to be lazy.

How about you? Have you been lazy lately? Let's fight the war against laziness together and see how our lives change after a year. #365daywaragainstlaziness :)

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Buying Supplements

Supplementation is a major element in a weight loss or bodybuilding program. Supplements can aid people in their quest to have a better body and a much improved lifestyle.  Many people rely on protein shakes because their protein requirement cannot be achieved by food intake alone. Some take weight loss pills while others get vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial to the body through over the counter drugs. Indeed, there are a lot of pros of supplements.

While there are many pros, there are also cons. First they cost money. Some supplements actually costs more than a monthly gym membership. Second, most supplements are marked "No therapeutic claims" which means results are not really guaranteed. Third, there are so many fake products out there. Fourth, most Filipinos do not consult doctors before buying these stuff which could be dangerous since some supplements could have adverse side effects.

Supplements take a big chunk in the multi-billion dollar wellness industry and many companies claim to have that new medical breakthrough that will make you stronger, healthier, and younger. There are so many bold statements and it is up to you to do a thorough research on what you should take.

In Cebu, there are so many places that sell supplements.  One of the best places to buy food and exercise supplements is Wise Choice in Lahug.  Wise Choice has a wide range of selection when it comes to supplements, proteins, pre and post workout drinks, and fat burners. They have the popular brands there and it is priced cheaper than most stores in Cebu. 

Recently, I went there to buy something for my wife because she said to me that she wants something that will give her energy to study. I actually bought her GU Chumps to give her energy at night.  These gummy candy-like chews are used by triathletes during training and competition to help them have the energy to finish the super rigorous event. My wife told me that it is working for her. I also brought Gingko Biloba pill. Gingko Biloba is said to help brain function which will in a way aid someone who is studying.

For me, I bought a pre-workout mix.  I just want to try if indeed it makes a difference in my performance specially now that I stopped eating rice most of the day and I only have oatmeal for breakfast.  I will try it this week if it can really boost my performance and improve my energy levels throughout the day.

Supplementation could be useful but you should not over rely on these things. I know some people who took fat burners and did nothing in the gym which was really counter-productive. It is important that you know why will you take supplements and what effects does it promise.  You also need to know if it has any adverse side effects because some pills could be a health hazard to certain types of people. Always do your research and let me know about your new discoveries. ;)

posted from Bloggeroid

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#30dayfitnesschallenge July 3 Exercise Log

I started doing my Leg Program.  I am planning to do it for 15 days instead of just for a week.  I also realized that I need to set the weights properly for each exercise. I lifted heavy that day and boy, I was sore.

Here is what I did:
Squats + Alternating Deltoid Raise - 5 Reps Each 3 sets
1st Set : 130 kg squats + 20kg Raises
2nd Set: 150 kg squats + 20
3rd set 160 kg + 20 kg

160 kg is like double my ideal body weight but it is just around 1.75 times my current weight.  It is a good start but I felt that my body was really challenged when I added the Alternating Deltoid Raises. I do not usually do a superset with my squats.

2nd Exercise Pairing:
Romanian Deadlifts + Bent Over Two-Dumbell Row with Palms In 
70Kg Deadlifts + 25 Kg Rows for 5 reps each x 3 Reps

The pairing made me realize that I was ignoring my hamstrings for quite a while. This realization made me extend my routine for another week.  Everytime I will do Leg day, I will make sure that my hamstrings are activated. 

Post Mortem: The next day, my hamstrings were really sore. The pain made me feel good because I discovered something new. I somehow discovered that I have a big muscle at the back side of my thighs that needs exercise. I am modifying my workout to improve my capability in lifting heavier weights in deadlifts, squats, and rows.  

posted from Bloggeroid

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#30dayfitnesschallenge Food Diary: July 2,2014

I have started my #30dayfitnesschallenge.  One of its key elements is the diet.  It is hard to maximize weight loss if you do not make changes in the diet. One of the main source of carbohydrates for Filipinos is the rice. Rice is not bad for your health.  It is actually one of the most excellent of sources of energy.  The problem starts when people overeat and forget to exercise.

It is easy to overeat rice.  It goes so well with any kind of viand. It actually has a positive effect on the appetite of many people that it causes them to overeat. People can only eat as much lechon if eaten without rice but when rice is put in the equation, it is a different story.  I am challenging myself to somehow eliminate or minimize rice in my diet.

It is not that easy.  It is to kick rice from breakfast because you can either just eat oatmeal or wheat bread. It is harder to eat rice for lunch and dinner.  It is quite hard to find a meal in the Philippines that will have no rice while being also easy on the budget.

At the end of first 2 days of the month, I have not eaten any rice yet but I think I ended up eating more fattening food because of budget constraints. I still consider it as a minor achievement. I had taco salad for lunch with pancit palabok. I lifted heavy earlier so I needed something to replenish my energy.

I ate a burger meal for dinner because I was waiting for my wife in her school and there was no else to stay but McDonald's.   I ordered a Cheeseburger de luxe meal with small fries and drinks for 99 pesos.

It is very challenging to find suitable meals that will be budget friendly. That will be part of my #30dayfitnessdaychallenge. One of my secondary objectives for the challenge is to find meals that could fit the lifestyle change without spending more than usual. I need to find meals for people who do not have time or access to prepare their own food.

posted from Bloggeroid

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#30dayfitnesschallenge Day 1: Measurements Day

Today, I measured myself so that I will quantify the results of my 30 day fitness challenge. I weighed myself and I am surprised I am back to over 90 kilos. I am now at 93.1 kilos. My goal for the month is to weight at most 88.5 kilos. It will be a big challenge because I also have responsibilities at work but I accept the challenge.  I also measured my waist, chest, thighs, wrists, neck, etc. so that I can track my progress properly. I already took a picture mod myself which will be posted on a later date.

Meal Summary:

Breakfast: I did not eat rice.  I ate a bowl of oatmeal with a little honey and fat-free milk.  I also had two pieces small pan de sal with 2 slices of luncheon meat.

Lunch: I ate 2 pieces of chicken wings, a serving of spaghetti, 1 rice.

Snacks: 2 pieces of bread (Spanish Bread and Cheese Bread)

Dinner: No Rice, Sotanghon Soup, 1 fried pork chop.

The good thing about today is that I only ate 1 cup of rice.  While I ate other forms of carbs I would say that eating only a cup rice is in a way in achievement for me. I love rice and in some days I can finish 3-4 cups in one meal. It is hard to get rid of fried food but I will try to minimise my intake. Fried food is the "go-to" food for many people because frying is the easiest and fastest way to cook food. I also have to train our helper to have other options in cooking dishes. I might try to teach her how to cook a pasta dish this coming weekend.

Exercise Summary:

For exercise, I only did 2 caloy burpees which is part of my other 30 day challenge. I trained new sales agents today so I was not able to go to the gym. Most of physical activity involved talking and teaching my new sales team. I was able to have a nap early in the evening.

Day 2 Expectations: Tomorrow, I will be going to the gym in the morning. I will start my leg week program.  I also expect to do at least 4 caloy burpees. I will most likely eat breakfast and dinner at home. For lunch, I will try to look for a place will have a lot of veggies and I will try not to eat rice. 

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June 30, 2014: The Eve of my #30dayfitnesschallenge

Today is the last day before I start a very challenging chapter in my life.  It is not going to be easy but somehow tonight is a night to celebrate. It is time to splurge and enjoy the last night of being unhealthy. Today, I ate junk food.  I ate fried food. I a lot of rice.

This is going to be exciting.  Tomorrow is a new month and it will bring in marvelous changes. I will make sure that I will hit the results that I intend to achieve. Here are the important dates for this month:

July 1: Establishing Benchmarks
July 5: First Weekly Test
July 12: 2nd Weekly Test
July 16: The midpoint
July 19: 3rd Weekly Test
July 26: Finals
July 31: Final Results

July 1 will involve measurements and setting of goals. The weekly tests will involve testing myself how many pull-ups I can make and other fitness benchmarks. The midpoint will involve a lot of measurements as well same as the final test.  This blog will have at least one entry everyday about this #30dayfitnesschallenge and I will also post something on Instagram regarding this endeavour as well.

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