Entries from May 2009 ↓

I suffered from lower back pain and sciatica for many years. My GP only prescribed pain killers which didn’t help at all. I stopped popping those pills knowing they were only treating the symptoms and not the causes. The numbness in either of my legs and lower back pain were unbearable at times. I couldn’t sit, stand and lie down comfortably. Running was my favourite sport which I had to give up as it brought on the pain and numbness.

After years of suffering, I saw an osteopath (Virginia) following my friend’s recommendation. Virginia diagnosed disc degeneration caused by muscle imbalances. After several treatment sessions with her and regular stretching (3x a day) on my own, I was back to running within a month. No drug medication, needle and surgery at all!

I’m pain free on most days and the sciatica is gone. Even when I get the occasional niggling back pain, I know what stretching to do and movements to avoid.

If you suffer from back pain, let me say: “you don’t need to live with the pain“.

Here’s a great back pain relief site recommended to me by another friend, who has used “Lose The Back Pain” system to overcome her back pain.  Plenty of information about causes and treatments of back pain, neck pain, sciatica and more.

Time sure flies…  for those living in the northern hemisphere, summer is round the corner. Are you ready to bare your midriff or six pack abs?

Here are some tips on how to pick the best workout program for fat loss…

1. The first question to ask is where do you like to exercise? Gym? Home? Outdoors?

At the gym, you have access to a variety of cardio and weight training equipment. Some fitness clubs conduct group exercise classes. If you don’t like working out alone, why not join these classes?

For those who prefer to work out at home, you can do body weight exercises with or without equipment. You may want to consider buying a stability ball, bench and 1-2 sets of dumbbells for home use.

2. There’s no one fat loss program that suits everyone. So, pick one that you think is best for you and follow it through for 6 weeks. If you enjoy it and are getting the desired results, stick with it. Otherwise, try another one. Remember to change your workout every 4-8 weeks to prevent your body from plateauing.

Some of my favourite fat loss workout programs include Mike Geary’s Truth About Abs, Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training, David Grisaffi’s Firm and Flatten Abs and Vince Del Monte’s No Nonsense Muscle Building and Your Six Pack Quest.

3. The advantage of following an exact fat loss program is that you know what to do on which days. The plan is laid out to guide you to your fat loss goals. Saves you from the playing the guessing game or cracking your head on how to design a good workout. Be sure to follow the program consistently.

It’s only by trial and error that I’ve been able to discover workout programs that suit me. Don’t waste time sitting around and pondering if this or that program would help you lose fat or build muscle. Just pick one and try it out for 6 weeks.

Do you know about the recall of Hydroxycut products?

FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Using Hydroxycut Products

The first time I heard about Hydroxycut was when my brother asked me to buy one of the products for him at the local GNC.

I never believe in fat burners. Why? Most of the ingredients on the label are beyond my comprehension. My guess is these ‘unknown’ ingredients are unnatural, unsafe and most likely to be chemicals. Some fat burner supplement companies have been caught not declaring certain ingredients on the label… what are they trying to hide?

Don’t even rely on the FDA or legislation to protect consumers from unsafe drugs marketed as supplements until it’s too late or someone dies. The law put the burden of responsibility for a supplement’s safety and efficacy in the hands of the manufactures.

There’s no magic pill to losing weight without dangerous side effects. At the end of the day, exercise and nutrition are the key to losing belly fat.

I’m back online after 2 weeks of holiday. While clearing my mail inbox, I came across this email entitled “How to get women into great shape” from Precision Nutrition.

Ladies, this article teaches how to exercise PROPERLY to get into the best shape of your life. It discusses about high intensity exercises being the best for shaping the body, complete with videos to show you how to do the various strength training and conditioning programs. None of the 3 sets x 10 reps weight training style of bicep curl, tricep extension, etc. Check out the videos to see what I mean:

High intensity interval training workout videos

I did strength training workout 3 yesterday. It was my first time doing the DB renegade row, a killer exercise for the core as it requires strong core stabilization. DB T-pushup was challenging, too. An easier option for beginner is T-pushup using bodyweight only. Incorporate DB later when you are stronger. Will be trying out circuit #1 tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

If only there was an old tractor tire in my gym, then I’d be flipping tire too (in circuit #2)!