How to workout BMI

Body Mass Index, or BMI is designed to show you a measure of your bodyfat based on your height and weight. 
It is very easy to work out and gives you a general idea of weather you are overweight, underweight, or average. So here is how it works, take your height in metres and your weight in pounds and then use one of the two formulas given below.

A person’s BMI is their Body Mass Index and it can be worked out in one of two ways. Either you can divide their weight in kilograms by their height in metres twice (1) , or you can use a more complex formula shown below(2).

1.       75kg divided by 1.8 metres = 41.66667 then divided by 1.8m again = a BMI value of 23.14

2.       Height in inches squared, then divide your weight in pounds by this your height squared, multiply by conversion factor of 703.

e.g 70.859 inches squared =5021.02, weight in pounds so 165, divided by 5021.02= 0.03286

 then multiply this by 703 =BMI value of  23.1

Your BMI is ranked on a scale to show weather you are overweight,  underweight or at a healthy weight for your height. The scale is shown below:

Under weight = <18.5

Normal, healthy weight = 18.5 -24.9

Overweight = 25-29.9

Obese = 30+

Clinically obese - 35+

However beware that this calculation is not overly accurate interms of body composition as it does not account for muscle mass at all. Infact when I was at 10% bodyfat and 84kg(see pic below) it told me that my BMI was 26.2 which is overweight.

Instead I prefer to use body fat readings to test my weight ans health but this BMI is a globally used formula that i thought may be of use so feel free to use it.

DOMS effect

Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness. Something everyone who trains should have experienced at some point. But what is it?

Well The DOMS effect is caused by a mix up of lactic acid, deoxygenated blood and of course your damaged muscle fibres. The main cause of these factors is eccentric contractions of the muscle during resistance training with free weights or machines, i.e lengthening the muscle in the negative side of the rep. But it can also be caused by plyometric training or even intense cardio training that you aren’t used to.

So now we know what can cause it but how to get rid of it. Well basically we need to help the muscle recover quickly and at the same time, clear the mix of lactic acid and deoxygenated blood. This requires a mixture good nutrition to help the muscle grow and recover but also we need to increase the blood flow to and from the muscle in order to pump out the bad and bring in the good nutrients and oxygen. So when you finish you workout make sure you get a good meal and do some type of cool down, preferably a mixture of light cardio vascular training and stretching to help the muscle recover.

What I recommend is either finishing your workout with 10-15 minutes of light cardio such as incline treadmill walking, steady pace cross trainer or bike or rowing machine. Then make sure you stretch the muscle group you just worked before you go home and get a good meal, such as a mix of slow digest, whole meal carbs, lean meat and veg. Or a recovery shake.

Alternatively you can leave your recover workout until the next day. This works well with legs training. I know they are stiff the next day but going for a 20-30 minute walk and simple stretching after leg day helps a lot. Not only does the walking act as a cool down of sorts but it is a simple and effective way to get increase blood flow and therefore nutrients to the legs without too much discomfort for you.

Try either of these after your next workout and see if it helps you.

How To Carb Cycle

So a lot of people have asked me what is the best nutritional plan to stay lean and ripped once I get shred off the body fat and build lean muscle. Well the best strategy that I would recommend is carb cycling. This is easy to do and follows a simple pattern that aims to keep energy levels high, maintain strength and muscle mass and keep your fat burning metabolism high enough to keep the fat at bay. 

How it works:
You follow a repetitive cycle of 2 low carb days followed by 1 high carb day. So for example Monday low carb, Tuesday low carb, wednesday high carb and so on. What is does is allows your body 2 days to use fat as the predominant energy source whilst topping up your carbohydrates and glycogen stores every three days to allow continue high performance training and efficient energy cycling in the body. If you combine this diet plan with at least 3 litres of water a day then you should maintain a good shape and level of shreddedness all year long. It also allows you to have a cheat meal each week and enjoy some high carb foods like pasta every few days whilst keeping the fat at bay.
On the low carb days the body will tap into your stored body fat as energy and therefore reduce the amount you put on. and on the high carb days, carbohrdrates are the main energy source and it lets the muscles store extra glycogen to help them perform well when you have 2 low carb days in a row.

Example diet for each day:

Low Carb Day:
Breakfast - porridge and 50 grams of almonds
Lunch- tuna salad with some greek yoghurt
Snack- protein shake post workout with a cinamon dusted apple (boost metabolism)
Dinner- Chicken breast and mixed vegetables
Snack- cottage cheese and whey(

Macros= Protein - 160 grams Carbs -110 grams Fats - 45 grams

High Carb day:
Breakfast - porridge and 50 grams of almonds and sliced banana
Lunch- chicken and salad wraps and greek yoghurt
Snack- protein shake post workout and 1 round of peanut butter toast
Dinner- Chicken breast and rice with broccoli
Snack- cottage cheese and whey with 50g oats

Macros= Protein - 175 grams Carbs - 205 grams Fats - 55 grams

Try this out and see if it works for you!

Joint Mobility

This video post shows you a great range of moves that I use pre-workout to help mobilise my joints and prepare my body for intense activity. Basically if you imagine a hinge joint (E.g your elbow) such as that on a door, if the hinge isn't oiled up it is very stiff and more likely to be hard to move or get damaged. Its the same in the joint, the joint itself is surrounded by synovial fluid, but when it is cold or not warmed up properly it is more like a paste than fluid so by doing these moves you held warm up the fluid and get better healthier motion when you train. It helps a lot with big lifts such as squats or bench press and also helps if you are going to perform intense cardio such as long distance running or interval training.

check out the other youtube videos at my channel - www.youtube.com/user/kurtyweir1 and like us on facebook at eitherwww.facebook.com/pages/Fitness-Teen-blog or www.facebook.com/kurtfitness

Training while Travelling

Recently I received a great article form Mike Manning. It discusses a serious problem many people experience at some time, especially this time of year when many of you will be travelling abroad on holiday. Training while travelling a lot is hard, you are not used to the new equipment and chopping and changing time zones can play havoc on your hormones and energy levels, but there are ways to still accommodate your fitness needs while on the move.
Mike says:
‘Travel can create barriers to a healthy lifestyle. Frequent travelers tend to experience overall poorer health than those who travel only occasionally, and those who are away from home 20 days a month experience a much higher risk of obesity than those who travel less than one week each month. Although these are grim statistics, you don’t have to kiss fitness goodbye when you hit the road.
Advance preparation and some basic self-awareness can turn stressful, unhealthy travel time into an opportunity for fitness. Begin planning for healthy options before you leave home, and you’ll be surprised what a difference these plans make.’
Here are some of Mike’s tips:

1.      Research the place where you plan to travel before you leave home. Learn if your health club allows you access to a gym there. Find out about local fitness amenities such as running trails or tracks that are open to the public. Also make sure to do some research before booking a hotel. On a recent trip to Maui I booked a hotel with a 24-hour gym, which allowed me to continue my workout routine seamlessly. I did this by searching through a travel site that listed all the Maui hotels and from here could click through amenities associated with each hotel.

2.      Be sure to pack for success. Include workout clothes and a good pair of trainers as well as a refillable water bottle to help you stay hydrated wherever you go. You might also want to pack portable workout equipment such as a simple exercise band to help you get a powerful workout despite limited time and space.

3.      On your flight, take the opportunity to stretch and perform a few in-flight fitness activities. On long flights, working through a series of these exercises once an hour will help you avoid stiffness, cramping and swelling frequently associated with extended travel.

4.      When you arrive at your destination, take time to orient yourself to your surroundings before rushing to meetings or other events. Find the fitness facilities and other amenities. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with your room and stretch or do a few yoga moves to get started.

Finally make sure that throughout your stay, take advantage of every opportunity to move and be active. You probably won’t have an entire hour to spend working out in the fitness centre, but you can make short work out sessions effective. If you have a particularly rigorous schedule, squeeze in a quick routine with a chair and your exercise band between afternoon meetings. Ten minutes is long enough to get your heart pumping by doing some jumping jacks, lunges and other on-the-spot activities in the restroom or other secluded spot.

Check out my holiday workout routine that I designed last year, no kit, not cost and almost a full body workout in approximately 30-45 minutes. Check it out by following this link: http://www.fitness-teen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/holiday-workout.html

References for Mikes article:
NY Times - "Adding Fitness to Your Itinerary" - http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/travel/adding-fitness-to-your-business-travel-itinerary.html?_r=1&

Gogobot - Travel reviews site for research  - http://www.gogobot.com/

Ace Fitness - "Top Ten IN-Flight Exercises to Reduce Jet Lag" - http://www.acefitness.org/updateable/update_display.aspx?pageID=494