Top 3 Different Types of People You’ll Meet at the Gym

by: Stefan Simonovic

Source: Flickr

Going to the gym can be a rather fun experience, in spite of all the hard work one has to put into it in order to get results. The most interesting part, however, comes from the variety of people that you can find there, which isn’t unlike trying to find as many different dating sites, such as cowboy, transgender and cougar dating sites.

That’s why we’ve decided to take a look at the 3 most specific individuals today, which can both make your experience in the gym that much interesting – or that can pretty much halt all of your progress.

1. The CrossFit Zealots

CrossFit isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure, but those who do practice it tend to take their workouts to a level where only they can actually fit and everyone else is a loser and doesn’t know how to properly work out.

These total fanatics rarely go alone and can be found in groups of zealots that celebrate every rep with over-the-top cheering and have a personal goal of becoming absolute rulers of every single machine, tool and piece of equipment in the gym.

Being in the presence of these people can do one of three things to you: their show of dominance will demotivate you, they will cause resentment and you’ll become more motivated to work out or, in the worst scenario, they will pull you into their cult.

2. The Gym Legend

The gym is full of people who work hard and put a lot of time and effort into losing weight and building muscle. However, none of them will ever compare to that one guy who knows exactly how to do each exercise and who doesn’t seem to strain about any move.

This legendary superhero of the gym is quiet, friendly and strong as a mountain. You can load pretty much any weight and ask him to show you any exercise, and he’ll know how to do it. He’s been around for quite a while and is most likely working out just to stay in shape, which is where he’s different from those CrossFit freaks we’ve mentioned before.

3. The Chatter

Now that we have two types of gym-goers that can be recognized by how they work out, it’s high time to mention that one specific person that doesn’t actually do anything physical at all in the gym – instead, he or she likes to chat with others.

The Chatter is the person that you can hear talking as soon as you enter the gym. They’re usually standing next to someone who is working out and talking their ear off about gym-related things, as well as anything else that comes to their mind. For these people, a gym is a place for socializing, not for working out.

Try to stay away from the Chatter as much as you can because this person can be as dangerous to your workout progress as any CrossFit maniac.


About the author:

Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.

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Top 3 Foods that Work Against Your Muscles

by: Stefan Simonovic

http://blvcccvrd.com

The internet has taught us many things – from how many different BBW dating sites there are to exactly how much we can eat and still not gain weight. And while that’s all fine and dandy, nobody really bothers to think about the dishes that actually do the opposite of helping us gain muscle mass.

It goes without saying that building muscle is a difficult thing to do, especially if you’re starting from a body type that includes very little muscle mass. However, you don’t have to make it harder for yourself by consuming these 3 foods that actually work against your muscle growth.

1. Corn

Corn isn’t something you should be eating if your goal is to build your muscles – and there are a couple of good reasons why.

First off, corn and any other starchy food are packed with complex carbohydrates, which our body doesn’t know what to do with except to transform it into sugar. We can’t properly digest this stuff, we can’t turn it into energy, we can only let it become sugar and therefore hamper our muscle growth.

Secondly, our body never really digests corn all the way – it’s biologically impossible for some reason, which also explains why you shouldn’t consume soda drinks since these are actually corn-based syrups and thus packed with empty calories and sugars that can only hurt our muscle growing efforts.

2. Red Meat

It’s a common misconception that one cannot gain any muscle if he or she is not eating any red meat. While this food is probably the best source of protein on the planet (and protein is the building block for muscles), there's something in it that makes it the wrong choice for a muscle-growing food.

Namely, most people don’t know or just ignore the fact that pure fat can be found in extremely high amounts of red meat. All that protein in there is worth nothing if you’re going to clog up your organs with all that fat, right?

There’s an alternative to red meat – lean protein. Foods like chicken breasts and salmon contain nearly as much protein as red meat without that immense side effect of fat that will only help stop your muscle building process.

3. Margarine

Despite the fact that margarine can be found in so many dishes nowadays, it’s actually the food you want to avoid if you’re planning on gaining some real and healthy muscles.

Don’t get confused and mix margarine with butter. These are two completely different things, as they are created in different places and have nutritional values that cannot be compared in any way.

Now, back to margarine. Unlike butter which contains milk, this cheaper knock-off doesn’t have anything healthy or beneficial for our muscles and can only serve as a source of an excessive amount of fat, cholesterol, and calories. We don’t really have to explain why this isn’t something you want in your muscle growth diet, do we?


About the author:

Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.

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Personalize Your Fitness and Wellness Journey Through DNA Profiling

PRESS RELEASE

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts strictly follow rigorous workout routines and nutrition plans to maintain a fit and well body. But with technological developments such as advanced medical screenings and gadgets like wearable and mobile monitoring devices, even the non-health buffs can have a healthier lifestyle.

Coryn Rivera shares her fitness journey in Pru Life UK’s latest myDNA Pro video

Pru Life UK recently took its life insurance product innovation a notch higher with the introduction of the myDNA Pro Bundle. The exclusive product combines insuravest, or investment-linked life insurance with genetic profiling through myDNA Pro Program to help improve one’s fitness and well-being.

The myDNA Pro Program provides tailored diet and fitness recommendations on reducing health risks and even identifies one’s metabolic and inflammatory responses, obesity risk, and appetite control. Furthermore, it analyzes users’ injury risk, oxygen efficiency, recovery, and power and endurance levels.

To show how the myDNA Pro Program helps one achieve an optimum performance, Pru Life UK tapped the internationally acclaimed race cyclist Coryn Rivera, the first Filipino-American to win the Tour of Flanders. In an online video that you can watch HERE, Coryn says she refers to her myDNA Pro report when it comes to taking care of her physique. “As a professional cyclist, it’s my number one job to know my body,” she says.

Despite achieving hard-earned championships around the world, she continues to look for ways to be her best in every race. Since her myDNA Pro report shows her injury risk, she has made improvements in her routine especially when it comes to her warm up and cool down, hydration, and extra time for rest to avoid possible damages to her body.

“The myDNA Pro Program offers customers a more accessible, scientific, and effective solution to achieve their fitness and wellness goals, whether they are professional athletes like Coryn or just starting out in any fitness endeavor,” says Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga. “This health management program, combined with Pru Life UK’s insuravest solutions in myDNA Pro Bundle, customers can have a life, wealth, and health protection in one innovative product.”

Visit Pru Life UK to find out more about myDNA Pro Bundle.

ABOUT PRU LIFE UK

Established in 1996, Pru Life UK is a subsidiary of British financial services giant Prudential plc. Pru Life UK is the pioneer and current market leader of unit-linked or investment-linked life insurance products, and is one of the first life insurance companies approved to market US dollar-denominated unit-linked policies in the country. Pru Life UK is a life insurance company and is not engaged in the business of selling pre-need plans.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Prudential plc has an extensive network of life insurance and mutual funds operations around the world covering Europe, the United States (US), Africa, and 14 markets in Asia. Its regional office, Prudential Corporation Asia, is based in Hong Kong. Prudential plc has around 26 million insurance customers worldwide and manages £669 billion of assets as of 31 December 2017.

Pru Life UK and Prudential plc are not affiliated with Prudential Financial, Inc. (a US-registered company), Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Company, Prudentialife Plans, Inc. or Prudential Guarantee and Assurance, Inc. (all Philippine-registered companies).

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Exercising During Pregnancy: The Beginner’s Guide

by: Stefan Simonovic

Source: MsFitMag

Exercise during pregnancy is important to keep your entire body healthy, much like when you’re not pregnant. The main difference is that you exercise to build your stamina for labor and for recovering from it. Exercise is highly recommended as long as it’s done in moderation and you don’t overdo it. Having someone to take care of you when pregnant can help you a great deal when it comes to you taking care of yourself, and hopefully, you don’t need to go and find love online or offline at this point in your life.

Your sole focus should be on building your physical and emotional strength, and hopefully, you can reduce any other distractions to a minimum. Below we discuss how you can increase your stamina to get through this period as easily as possible, and enjoy every second of it.

#1: Swimming and Walking are your Best Friends

Swimming and brisk walking are the recommended forms of exercise during pregnancy to keep the mind and body healthy, especially if you were not particularly active before. If you were, make sure you decrease the intensity of your workouts and only do what feels good at a given moment. If you jogged before you got pregnant there is no reason why you shouldn’t jog now, but definitely take it down a notch.

If you’re nauseous give yourself a few weeks to adjust and don’t exercise if you have bleeding or spotting, low placenta, prior miscarriages, weak cervix or history of premature labor. Otherwise, you should be perfectly fine with half an hour of moderate exercise every day.

#2: Activities to be Avoided

Any activity that makes you lose your breath is too strenuous for pregnant women, and activities that come with a risk of falling should also be avoided, such as skiing and horseback riding. Restrain from any contact sports such as basketball, football or even volleyball. Stay away from activities that require any kind of jumping, hopping or skipping, and avoid deep bends or quick changes in direction. Forget about lifting weights and certain types of yoga that require your mid-section to twist and turn are off the time for the moment as well. Don’t do any exercises that require you to lie down on your stomach, and skip the sauna afterward.

#3: Around Your Workout

Always begin with a 5-minute warm-up to prepare your joints and muscles for exercise. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothing and a well-fitted sports bra. Choose the shoes to match your activity to prevent injury and ensure you are comfortable during your workout. Feeding your body enough healthy nutrients and calories (300 more than usual) at least an hour before you begin your workout will ensure your body is prepared and you get the best out of your exercise routine without feeling dizzy or too exhausted from it. Drink water before, during and after the workout and never push your body too hard while pregnant. There will be plenty of time to tone those abs or thighs once the baby’s big enough, and for now, all you need to focus on is staying healthy.


About the author:

Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.

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Stepping Your Game Up For Spring in 3 Simple Steps

by: Stefan Simonovic

Spring is the perfect time to reassess your workout routine, goals, gear, and motivation. We don't want to go too deep into the latter because it may come from all sorts of desires, such as cougar dating, pain reduction or seeing the faces of your frenemies turn green when they look at your new body this summer.

[Source: Flickr]

However, we do want to talk about your routine and goals, and what you can do this spring to step your game up and kill it in the fitness department like never before. We promise, no unattainable goals. Just setting the bar a little higher and seeing tremendous difference that makes to your physique and self-esteem.

#1: Upgrade Your Workout

If you spent all winter long doing yoga at home on Saturday morning, it’s high time to upgrade your workout to be in your best shape come summer. If you’ve been taking a beginner’s Pilates class, join the intermediate group or if you’re feeling pretty confident as it is about your shape give CrossFit a try.

It will activate the muscles you never knew you had, take your cardio to a whole new level, and introduce you to a figure you've never seen before in a matter of 2-3 months. Most gyms nowadays have a CrossFit cage, and you should opt for one open 24 hours a day so you don't need to worry about scheduled gym classes and whether they’d fit into your already packed workdays.

#2: Set New Fitness Goals

As you upgrade your workout, you should also set new fitness goals for the season. If your goal is to reach a certain weight, talk to a trainer at your gym about the exercises that you need to modify in your routine to build the muscles that will help you meet that goal.

If you want to drop a few pounds, definitely update your cardio routine and stock up on fresh produce, kissing frozen and processed foods goodbye. If you want a better overall physique, ask the trainers about specific exercises that will target the muscles that matter most in your desired appearance, such as the glutes, quads or biceps. Introducing swimming into your daily workout routine in the coming weeks is one of the healthiest and most effective exercises you can treat your body to.

#3: Change Your Running Shoes

Greet the spring with a pair of new sneakers that will help you meet your new fitness goals. You should change your running shoes every couple of years because they lose the support they once provided, and you risk injuring your ankles, especially if you play sports as a way of exercising.

If you’re an avid runner, you know how important sturdy yet comfy sneakers are, and after a while they all lose their firmness, interfering with your routine to a certain extent and with your fitness results.

Plus, the technological advancements that go into designing running shoes these days are nothing short of mind-blowing, which means every time you get a new pair you also capitalize on those developments.


About the author:

Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.

Read more ...