My Ramadan 2012: Training and Nutrition

Today I came across THIS article on people being hospitalized from stomach pains after their first meal (iftar) after a fast during Ramadan.

Reading such news saddens me as people more often than not neglect the essence of what Ramadan is. Yes, you've fasted for more than half a day, it doesn't mean when it's feeding time you attack the food in front of you.

To those who don't know, Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic Calendar where Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to dusk. In this holy month, we observe a complete fast from drinking (water, juice..etc.), food, sexual activities (those married), bad acts and talk during the daily fast. We work toward being better Muslims, learn discipline, pray more and last but not least, feel for the poor.

The reason why I am writing this post is because I want to share with you my experience this Ramadan, how I am training, eating, compared to previous years, and hopefully you can pick a thing or two tips which you can follow for the remaining weeks of Ramadan.

Before I move forward, HERE is an article I wrote last year on training in Ramadan, titled "Exercising during Ramadan: Weightlifting and Cardio". And if you wait a few days, I have written article to a local sports paper that will have updated information on training and nutrition in Ramadan. Hopefully it will be published soon.

This is my third year training in Ramadan, so to a degree I had different Ramadan experiences and have learned a lot from each. I can confidently say that this Ramadan, by far, even though we are only one week in, has been the best so far from many aspects.

• Energy levels
• Digestion
• Training sessions
• Weight management

Some may say it is too early to tell. Hm. Maybe so. But I have been tuned with my body and the way it reacts with a lot of things in the past years, and I can assure you the routine that I have been following so far has been quite effective, for me. Also unlike last year, this year, I am an athlete and nutrition matters a tad bit more than it did before.

As a starter, earlier this year I have found out that I am intolerant to gluten and dairy. It has been a tough time to come in terms with the fact I *should* be off foods that contain both. Have I been? Periodically, yes. All the time? Not really.

In 2011 and 2010, majority of how I have been eating was based on the above mentioned food items, so things from pasta, cheese, bread, milk, yoghurt...and the list goes on. They made up I would say 70% of my diet. Comparing the way I felt having eaten those foods last year, with how I am eating this year, I can see a huge difference.

• No dizzy spells
• No irregular heart beats (I faced a lot of that) 
• No indigestion issues 
• No abdominal pain
• No lack of energy during daytime and nighttime. 

So, what have I been eating, you must wonder! Well, for one, I haven't changed my diet to a large degree from how I used to eat during normal days. On average, I would be having either 2 or 3 meals in Ramadan, depending on the time I get the chance to train due to availability and accessibility.

Most of what I eat is high in protein, high in good fats, and good carb sources or those that I am not intolerant to such as, fruits, veggies, rice, potatoes, corn and some legumes. 

• Protein sources: Meat, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs (if you're not intolerant to them)
• Good fat sources: Avocados, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, all kind of nuts
• Carb sources:  Veggies, fruits, rice - brown being better -, sweet potato or potato, oatmeal.

This is NOT SAYING I don't have a few bites of the things I like at Iftar or Sahoor (pre-dawn meal, before the fast begins again). 90% of what I currently eat is what I mentioned above, with 10% being from things like gaimat and harees, traditional Emirati food, as well as few other sweets. However, I preserve majority of the sweet, sugary stuff for post-workout when they can be utilized better as spiking your insulin levels post workout has shown to increase protein absorption, excuse to eat ice-cream, but you didn't hear that here. Nope.

As for my training, I always believed and still strongly believe that training post Iftar is optimal and training pre-Iftar, while you're fasting can be detrimental. Maybe I am biased because I believe strength and muscle mass are far more superior to doing steady cardio. HERE is a great article by a well-known and respected strength and conditioning coach, Charles Poliquin on the negatives on Areobic training. You still want to walk on a treadmill? I hope not.

At the moment I train a few hours after iftar, to allow the food to digest and have time to hydrate. Lack of hydration can cause a lot of health problems. Hence all I think about after breaking my fast, is hydrate the heck out of your body!

Although it's been just a week of Ramadan, I have already got two new personal records, one of them being the first day of Ramadan with a 91.5kgsx6 deadlift and one yesterday with a 48.5kgsx3 front squat. Some say you lose strength in Ramadan, I beg to differ.

So what is it that is working for me? Below is one example of how I have eaten and trained in the past week of this Ramadan. 


Sahoor: Salmon, rocket salad with avocado, corn, and olives with 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (YES, I have that many!) and balsamic vinegar. 

This meal helps keep my hunger at bay during daytime as eating high fat and high protein food are slow digesting and keep you feeling full longer as opposed to simple carbohydrates. 

Iftar: 500ml of water + chicken skewers, avocado, potatoes, few gaimat nibbles. 

After Iftar I immediately take my "super supplements", which are: 5000IU of Vitamin D, Omega-3 (either 1 or 2g), and Green Superfood (sometimes I drink it after water, rather post-meal). Don't do this unless you consult a doctor.

Snack: Before training I drink coffee (with coconut milk, no sugar) and a fruit.

  

Train at 10pm 

  

Post workout meal is not always consistent, sometimes I'd eat tuna mixed with olives or have an actual meal rice with chicken, based on time + magnesium.  I have stopped drinking whey or protein shakes since last year.

Sahoor: Cycle starts again with where I consume again another meat and veggies/salad source.

Water:  I drink at least 2.5-3L during the feeding window.

So yup, there is no secret to making the best gains or losing fat in Ramadan. Following a simple nutrition diet and training regime, and you're good to go. Neither will have an effect on your worship during the holy month with proper planning and dedication. There is a saying, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 

Ramadan is not yet over, so I hope you picked a tip or two from my experience that will benefit you in your either nutrition or training. 

Feel free to leave comments ;) 

Yours truly,

   

Competing in my first crossfit event

I have been training for almost two years, but I got tired of just going to the gym for a typical gym workout, and not be able to use the physical strength I know I was developing. Waking up on a Saturday morning, my knees were hurting me as I injured it more than 3 months ago and it had a deep bruise. For some reason it resurfaced, but I still decided to compete at an event hosted by CrossFit LifeSpark Dubai.

In Crossfit, there is something called a WOD, which translates to Workout of the Day. On Saturday, the WOD was titled 31 Heros , and anyone could have been part of it. There is a story behind the WOD name so please click on the link above to know more.

Basically the workout required teamwork and it was 31 minutes long (very long for crossfit standards, but yesterday was a special case.) The team of two needed to finish as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of the following:

8 thursters (me and my partner did 15kgs)
50 pull ups (I can physically do only 10 at one go MAXIMUM, so I had to rest before going onto the other reps, which got me looking like THIS! And yes, you are not supposed to look pretty while training ;).
11 box jumps (I did 24inches)

Photo credit: Tanya Gannon

While one person is the doing the above and going through each exercise, the other person is walking/running with 12kgs (females) 24kg (males) on their shoulders for a distance of 400m

So say I have finished 11 thursters, and 15 pull ups, when my partner would come in and finish the rest (35 pull ups and box jumps and I pick up the rest again after I have done the 400m walk. Going through the 3 exercises, with all reps, that's one round. My partner and I have finished 3 rounds + 5 box jumps.

Being part of the community and engaging in this competition was one of the most amazing and exciting things I have done regarding my fitness. It really makes me want to push harder and pursue a career in fitness and become an athlete. I met a lot of inspiring people, and everyone was rooting for everyone to keep pushing hard.

Hopefully, I will be part of another event on September the 24th, for this cause.

Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

Work and Working out

So it's 6 p.m. You had a long day at work. Gym seems like miles and miles away - and you just want to take the easy option. Go home.

Most people like to find excuses when it comes to taking a time of their day to work out, because of their work. They find it hard to stay motivated and "drag" themsevles to the gym.

In my opinion, this is the first problem. People feel they "must" go to the gym, instead of doing it out of love or the right reasons. It has been a while since I updated my blog, in fact I stopped updating when I started working just 8 weeks ago, but not once since I started working - I stopped exercising. Why? I love it. I honestly look forward to train every day after work. It keeps me focused and disciplined. I, like most people, work 8 hours a day - odd hours at times - being a journalist.

However, I never allowed my job to compromise my health. Without my health, I have nothing. So I made it very clear that once the day is over, I am heading out to the gym. Of course, from time-to-time I compromise, but compromising all the time is going only to be a lose-situation-for-me, or you.

What I tend do is "prepare" my gym bag late at night - so all I have to do in the morning is put it in my car. Working out after work, works for me. Some people may enjoy to train early in the morning, do what suits you best. But my advice is - if it's available & suits your needs - pick a gym that's on your way to work/home. That way, you have no excuse to say "I don't have time to go to the gym," You do, you just passed by it!

We, in general, give so much of our time to our jobs, families, friends - all of which is important - but is giving yourself one hour a day to exercise really a burden on you? Heck, not even one hour, make that 30 minutes. It is not.

A person who cannot take care of him or herself - may never truly be able to take care of someone else.

I understand some people may not be able to go to a gym - fair enough. Therefore, use your surroundings to your advantage. All you need to do is get creative. One thing I personally do, is take "short breaks," as short as 5 minutes to sneak in some stretching and light exercises to keep the blood flowing every hour or two. We, humans are not meant to sit behind a desk for as long as we do.

Choose a place of your liking and make the time to exercise. Here are some few exercise combos that you can do in the workplace or at home that will keep your blood flowing. You can do some of the following in a stairwell or restroom (yes! I do that, too!): 

1) 10 jumping jacks + 10 push ups + 10 body weights squats. Repeat each set for as many times as you can up until 10 minutes are over. NO REST!

2) Walk up one floor + 10 decline push ups (use the stairs) + walk one floor down the stairs. Same as above.

3) 15 Toilet squats (yes put the cover down, no one is watching!) + 15 wall push ups. Same as above.

4) 6 stair jumps (jump up) + 10 push ups + 5 burpees. Same as above.

As you can see, I have given you four different combos, pick and choose or create your own! But trust me, those 10 minutes will get you worked up in ways you can't imagine. Give it a shot and don't think because you're working, working out is not possible.

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @ 999Fitness

Are you really squatting?

While I was spending sometime researching on squats, proper techniques and different stances, I have come across this poem from this website

Down the road, in a gym far away
A young man was heard to say,
"No matter what I do, my legs won't grow!"
He tried leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses too.
Trying to cheat, these sissy workouts he'd do!
From the corner of the gym where the big guys train,
Through a cloud of chalk and the midst of pain,
Where the big iron rides high, and threatin' lives,
Where the noise is made with big forty-fives,
A deep voice bellowed as he wrapped his knees,
A very big man with legs like trees,
Laughing as he snatched another plate from the stack,
Chalked his hands and monstrous back,
Said, "Boy, stop lying and don't say you've forgotten!
Trouble with you is you aint been SQUATIN'!!"

- Jeff MADDOG, the ISSA strength coach for the university of North Carolina.

There are a lot of interesting "facts vs. myths" when it comes to exercising, fitness, and health in general. Sometimes it's really hard to distinguish what's true & what's not. When it comes to squatting, you'll hear a lot of different things. 

You gotta go parallel to the floor

Your knees shouldn't go over your toes

                          You should go lower than parallel to the floor

      It's okay if your knees goes over your toes, in fact it's safer. 

So one might wonder which one really is it? In my personal opinion from what I have seen and experimented. As long as I go parallel to the floor, as if I am sitting on a chair like this....

...I think it has been effective enough for me, at least. I also engage in deep squats (lower than parallel to the floor) when I do front squats as it feels like a natural movement for me, while if the weight is on my back - I just go parallel. 

There are also 1/4 and 1/2 of a squat which are used by advanced weight lifters and bodybuilders which hit the quads more than gluts & hams, but definitely not advisable for new lifters/beginners.

There is so much to mention about squats, their benefits, different techniques, the TYPE of squats out there; sumo, front, back, hack...and a lot of more than that - all for another post. 

But the question is, do you REALLY squat? If not, drop the weights & say bye bye to your ego, and squat properly with low weight and then add 'em plates once you've gotten the technique right. That's what I have done. 

Just Remember, squatting is known as "king" & it will definitely load you up with mass if done correctly. 

Yours truly,

GymFreak at 999Fitness.

"Your Body is a Barbell" - Put on muscle mass without the use of weights.

“Your body is a barbell” - Alwyn Cosgrove.

That quote is one of my favorite. Why? Because you cannot imagine how hard it is to train with your own body weight.

So, you want to work out and build your muscles, but think that you really can’t. Time constraints at work or at home are forcing you to pull away from exercise. You would join a gym, but it seems impossible with the time limitation you face every day. No need to worry. Why? Because I have a set of 9 exercises you can do while you’re at home, at work, or even at the park – and best of all, without any gym-related equipment.

Before I move on to the exercises, I want you to know the benefits of body weight exercises.
Other than the fact they are convenient and save money, they not only build endurance, they also build strength. It doesn’t matter if you go to the gym to do a bench press or use your own body to do a push up. Your muscles do not distinguish between the types of resistance you use. Resistance is resistance in any form.

Good news, right?

Even more so, If you look around you, a lot of objects and items can transform your body into a muscle building machine. Instead of using a step to perform step exercises, simply use the stairs! They serve the same purpose. Instead of buying a pull-up bar, go to a playground and hang off a bar by the swing and pull yourself up!

So the exercises are:

Chair Dips:

This is a compound move that targets your triceps in particular. This version is modified for beginners, and to make it harder, straighten your leg out or put your leg up on another chairHow: Sit on the chair with your feet together. Keep your hands next or slightly under the hips. Lift up onto the hands and bring your hips forward. Bend elbows to 90 degrees and lower the hips down close to the chair. And push back up. Do this exercise for 3 sets and 8-12 reps.

Modified push-ups:

 There are different types of pushups, so make sure you pick the one that is at your fitness level. Push-ups work about all muscle groups in the body; it uses muscles in the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, and the core. How: Stand a few feet away from a wall or a rail, and place your hands so they’re just about wider than your shoulders. Pull the abs in and keep the back straight, then lower your body until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Do this for 3 sets and 8-12 reps.

One-legged squat:

There are so many types of squats you could do, from chair squat to wall squats. Squats work your lower body; such as, gluteus, hips, and thighs. The one-legged squats are more challenging and you could do them using stairs. How: Lift your leg in front of you, bend the other leg while bring the hips behind you. Push into the heel to come up. Do this for 3 sets and 10-16 reps.

Lunges:

Lunges are another great exercise for the legs, because you’ll be working your gluteus and hamstrings, quads and calves. To make Lunges harder, try jumping lunges. How: stand with your leg 3 feet apart, both knees should be at a 90 degree angle. To add intensity, hold a bottle with water or sand. Bend your knees and lower the back knee toward the floor, and keep your front heel down. Keep your torso straight and abs tucked in as you push through the front heel. Go back up and repeat for each leg. Do this for 3 sets and 10-16 reps.

One-legged Deadlift:

The deadlift is a primary strength training exercise, even bodybuilders perform. Performing the deadlift on one leg is challenging enough and it primarily works your gluteus, hamstrings and calves. Hold a heavy book to add intensity. How: hold the weight in front of the thighs and place your right leg behind you with the toe lightly touching the floor. Lower the weights and lift your leg up straight. Keep your shoulders back, abs in, and back straight. Bend the knees slightly if your flexibility is not strong. Push into the heel and go back up and repeat for each leg. Do this for 3 sets and 10-16 reps.

Inverted rows:

This exercise is a modification to chin up, and is a great compound exercise that works your upper back, lats, traps, and bicep muscles. All you need is a bar you can hang off. How: your palms should face away from your body with a shoulder width grip. Keep your elbow tucked and close to your body about 45 degrees. Pull up with your chest and keep your chin tucked in. The bar should touch your chest.  Keep your back straight and abs in. Do this for 3 sets and 8-12 reps.

Plank:

Planks are one of the best core exercises you might ever stumble upon, because they work and strengthen your entire core and abs. To make Planks harder, lift one leg up between 5-8 inches off the floor. How:
your forearms and toes should on the floor. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your whole body in a straight line. Do not bend, and keep looking at the floor. Hold between 30-60 seconds, and repeat for 3 sets.

Superman:

This exercise is great for the core as well as the lower back. How: Life face down with your arms stretched above your head. Raise your left arm and right leg about 5 inches off the ground. Hold for 3 seconds and relax, then alternate. Repeat for 3 sets with 6-8 reps.

Burpee (no, not burps!):

Burpees are a great full body workout that will get you sweating in no time. It works your cardiovascular system, your upper and your lower body all at once. How: begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back; perform a push up, either on your knees or toes. Return to the squat position with your arm. Jump as high as possible from the squat position. Do this for 3 sets with 8-12 reps. 

To conclude, your body needs 48 hours rest between each strength training session and to get the most out of it, combine it with cardio 3x a week.

Off that couch and into the ground. Chop Chop! 


Yours truly,
GymFreak at 999-Fitness.

Why I love the deadlift

Every Friday, I enter the gym knowing that I will be spending a good 'ol 30 minutes just doing one particular exercise that I know if I didn't do any other exercise for my legs, I would still get a well-rounded workout, both muscle-targeted & a hint of cardio. Why? Because every Friday I perform an exercise called the Deadlift - and yes the deadlift is as deadly as it sounds, but in a very lively way. 

What is the Deadlift?

It's an exercise that is sadly often ignored but highly appreciated and beneficial among bodybuilders and powerlifters. The deadlift is a compound exercise that works more than one muscle at a time which means more calories are burnt. Usually, in my 4 sets of doing the deadlift, which takes me about 20-25 minutes, I lose upto 150 calories - but then again, I am talking about heavy weights & usually use between 70-80% of my Target Heart Rate (THR).

When doing the deadlift, you usually use a barbell bar and stack it up with weights on both side of the bar and lift the weights from the ground. Note: Steps are below in a video.
This is probably one of the exercises that will actually help you with your daily activities. When was the last time you bent down to pick up an item, a heavy box, or a tray? A lot of times you find yourself touching your lower back, eh? Well, this exercise will help in reducing that pain or discomfort.

The muscles usually worked in a Deadlift are: 

From where I'm standing, it seems like the whole body is, eh? But more seriously:

• Hamstrings (back of the leg)
• Quads (front of the leg)
• Glutes
• Calves
• Lower Back
• Abs
• Lats 
• Traps 
• Forearms

Honestly, after every single session of doing a proper Dead, I always feel that I've ran a marathon, which I never really have, so how would I know how that feels like? Nevertheless, you'd usually hear me grunting while performing the exercise, swimming in sweat,panting for air and drinking plenty of water after every single set. So far, I feel that performing this exercise is one reason why I feel my body has the strength. Also there are many variations for the deadlift, them being: Romanian deadlift, Stiff-Legged Deadlift, and Sumo-Deadlift.

More on the author: She weighs about 52kgs and can do a deadlift with 57.5kgs. Her goal is to do a dead twice her bodyweight by sometime mid of next year. 

Yours Truly,
GymFreak at 999-Fitness.

* Here is a video that shows: How to Perform a Deadlift