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Exercise Does Not Make You Hungry Or Hungrier

Posted by: lionel on Feb 23, 2011

Tagged in: exercise

It's one of the biggest debates of all time - does exercise cause us to get hungry and thus eat more?

Well, looking at the benefits of exercise - chief of them all burning calories, it does make sense. After an intense workout, you perspire like hell and your body would have used up much of the existing fuel. Your blood sugar may also be low.

But despite all our self-reasoning and justification to address our post-gym cravings, the answer is NO. In a recent study by the University of Chile, people who exercised three times a week for 90 days had twice the levels of an appetite-suppressing protein in their blood than non-exercisers and consumed 300 fewer calories a day.

This finding is significant and interesting because now we know that moderate exercise in fact helps us to suppress appetite, while increasing metabolic rates for up to 15 hours post-exercise. I read up a little bit more and learnt that about this gland in our brain called hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is responsible for secreting a hormone, which inhibits hunger. When we exercise, we stimulate the hypothalamus gland to produce more of this hormone. However, the hypothalamus gland would only produce this beneficial effect should we engage in 60 minutes of exercise, three to five times per week.

From human psychology, it's not difficult to understand that people tend to eat after a workout either because they think they deserve it as a reward for a job well done or because they believe they have to refuel. Some even make it a must because they claim they will feel faint.

My advice is for you to just stick to your protein shake after your workout. Don't come up with an excuse to make a beeline for the snack bar after your workout.

Happy exercising :)

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Acing Your IPPT Test

Posted by: lionel on Jan 26, 2011

Tagged in: exercise

Many a times, it's not how hard you train but rather hard smart you have been training that makes the key difference. After all, training is just like studying. For all of us who have been through school or at least some years of education, we would have wondered many a times why some of the kids in class who don't seem to be mugging at their textbooks or memorising chunks of information downloaded by the professors actually score better grades than us!

That's because these folks have long mastered the art of studying smart. Ok, slight digression here. Now if we were to use the same analogy when it comes to training, then it should also hold water.

Let's face the hard truth now. As a guy, you either love the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) or you hate it to the core. If you love it, it's because you know you can look forward to the monetary incentive ranging from $100 to $400 that comes with it after you have cleared the stations. If you hate it, it's simply because you know you are going to fail again...with the possibility of Remedial Training (RT) looming alongside it. Whether you are a student waiting to enlist into National Service or a reservist, there's no escaping the IPPT test that comes along with it.

In all honesty, wanting to pass the IPPT is no mean feat in itself, let along ace it. Let's examine why this is so.
 
 
Test Item     Fitness Component(s)
Sit-Up
    Abdominal muscular strength and endurance 
Standing Broad Jump
    Lower limbs extensor muscular power 
Chin-Up
    Upper limbs muscular strength and endurance 
4 X 10m Shuttle Run
    General speed, agility and co-ordination
2.4km Run
    Cardio-respiratory endurance and lower limbs muscular endurance

Comprising five different stations, each of the components has been designed to test the fitness, strength and agility of certain muscle groups. Just think of it as a mini IronMan.

You don't enter an IronMan run without training for it. Likewise, you don't take your IPPT without training for it. Now put that training smart. But then again, there are ways to ace your IPPT, if you know how to train smart.

Last week, one of my clients informed me that he was going to take his yearly IPPT on Monday. From his record on paper, it looked that he would be in for a tough time again. After all, his past records have been  a consistent fail all these years ever since he finished his National Service. It's not surprising as most of us lead a sedentary lifestyle, with our Facebook, Youtube, I-phone and TV being our best companion. But because we had been training him for it, I was quietly confident he would at least get $100.

And just today, one schoolboy in his PE attire at the public gym approached me to ask how he could train a particular body part. I liked what this boy asked me as he's one of those who are learning to train smart. In particular, he asked me how to train his lats.

When I asked him why he's training his lats, or latissimus dorsi, he replied saying that's because he's working on clearing his chin-up station. Indeed, the chin-up station, contrary to popular belief, relies on the strength of your lats and NOT your biceps. I've seen so many people attempt to pull themselves using their biceps until they are almost going to burst and when they are still about to fail, do some frog kicks at the in one last attempt to get one's chin above the bar.

And to let everyone in on a big secret, the fastest and most effective way to train your lats is to do your chin-up. And conversely, to ace your chin-up station, you need to train your lats. Period.

Now back to the story of my client. When I met him for training again on Wednesday, he brought me good news! Not only did he pass his IPPT, he scored a silver! This meant he's now $200 richer!

From series of fail to a silver, that's a huge accomplishment. And for the record, he did 9 chin-ups :)

To learn more secrets to ace your IPPT, click here!

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No Holiday Excuse

Posted by: lionel on Apr 12, 2010

Tagged in: exercise

One of my clients just returned from a two-week vacation after holidaying in London. As though he knew what I was going to ask him, he proudly proclaimed that he actually found time to exercise during his holiday!

I was impressed, really. After hearing of how he allocated time each morning to run in the hotel gym and his daily achievements of running 5km in 25 minutes, totalling 25km in 5 days, I gave him a pat on the back.

He has completely dispelled the misconception that one cannot exercise while holidaying. This is utter rubbish. If exercise has become part of your lifestyle, then you will find time and energy to exercise. Everything else that you come up with is an excuse created by your creative mind. Instead of finding excuse to explain for your inaction, might as well channel the same energy into some form of exercise and reap the benefits of it!

Kudos! Well done dude!

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Put Your Foot Down And Run

Posted by: lionel on Dec 07, 2009

Tagged in: exercise

One of the cheapest and most effective forms of exercise is running. Yes, I advise all my clients to run. To speak the truth, if done the right way, running is the best form of exercise.

Let’s consider its merits – running is convenient, cheap and most importantly, non-buddy dependent. Adding on, it is also the perfect cardiovascular workout because you can expect to perspire (a lot) after a run which in turn helps you to burn calories and fat. All you need to invest in is a good pair of running shoes.

But before you put your foot down and start running, here’s a few tips to take note of.

Shoes

I cannot emphasise enough the importance of investing in a good pair of running shoes. According to research done by exercise physiologists, a good shoe supports the foot as it absorbs up to three times your body weight during running. There are many brands of running shoes available in the market but do look for a pair which is light-weight, breathable with built-in cushioning. Do note that running shoes should have more shock-absorbent heels than walking shoes as they allow your foot to move with a controlled, rolling motion from heel to toe. Prices of running shoes vary from brand, range down to the very aesthetic features. All these are secondary compared to how well that pair of running shoes fit your feet.

It is best to keep your running shoes only for running so as not to wear out its soles too quickly. Have another pair of shoes for regular gym use instead.

Socks

For hygienic reasons and to allow your feet to breathe, go for polyester-micro-fibre socks as they are designed to draw moisture away from the skin, thus helping to keep your feet blister-free when active.

Surfaces

Of all the available surfaces, I consider the running track the best of them all as it contains a shock absorbent rubber-asphalt mix. Alternatively, choose to run on the treadmill as you can run anytime regardless of weather conditions. For the more experienced runners who are keen to explore other surfaces, try running on the beach, grass, concrete pavement or even a slope to up the intensity of your cardiovascular workout. Just be careful when running on these uneven surfaces as the risk of injury also increases.

Form

Adopt a comfortable posture while running. This translates into leaning forward from the ankles and not the hips or back. If you have just started your running programme, pay extra attention not to overstretch your stride length and this can tighten your hamstrings and stress your knees. |

Intensity

It is futile if you do not find yourself breaking into a sweat even after five minutes. This means your running is not intensive enough. Push yourself harder. Take this test and say two or three sentences while running without gasping for breath. If you are able to do this, then your running intensity is at a comfortable pace. On the other hand, if you are feeling like you can’t breathe, then adjust the intensity downwards.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Regardless of the distance you intend to run, always warm up by walking or jogging lightly for five to ten minutes. Do the same in reverse after exercise to relax and loosen up. Stretch your muscles while they are still warm, for 15 to 30 seconds each, in particular you quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors and calves.

Happy running!

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He Did His Run

Posted by: lionel on Jul 17, 2009

Tagged in: running , run , lose weight , fitness , exercise , cardiovascular , cardio , burn fat

One of my clients texted me this morning. After reading the message, a wide smile appeared on my face. His sms read: "Did my run yesterday. Low: 9.0; High: 12.0 for 20 mins excl warmup n cooldown. Total distance around 4.7km"

This is definitely cause for celebration. I'm happy for him and I'm sure he's happy for himself too. Like what I said, it's always difficult starting something new. But once you get into the groove of things, it becomes second nature. I'm positive he's only going to love his runs even more if he continues to presevere. And of course, watch him lose his kilos effectively. Way to go!

 

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