Fitness 1 by Coach KK

Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for the human body and can at times lead to confusion among fitness enthusiasts. Having too much or too less of carbohydrates can greatly impact not only a fitness goal but an individual training session too. In comparison with protein and fat which may not change much during a fitness program, carbohydrate requirements can vary on a daily/weekly basis. Broadly classified as simple and complex carbohydrates, they provide us with 4 calories for every gram consumed. Glucose, Fructose, Galactose, Lactose, Maltose and Sucrose are types of simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates include starch, glycogen and fiber. Some functions of carbohydrates are serving as an energy source, getting stored in the liver and muscles for use, aiding in satiety, etc. Fibers in addition may regulate blood glucose, may promote normal blood cholesterol, may maintain healthy bowel function, etc. There is no fixed answer to the amount of carbohydrates need

Vegetarians often struggle with meeting their daily protein needs on a fitness program. Most vegetarian foods have an abundance of carbohydrates and moderate to low fats, along with low ranges of either incomplete or complete protein sources. Simply putting it, incomplete proteins do not contain all the essential amino-acids while complete proteins do. Grains, Beans, Lentils, etc. are some sources of incomplete proteins while milk, cheese, cottage cheese, soy, etc. are examples of complete protein sources. If, for example, someone is aiming for roughly 100 grams of protein per day that would account for either drinking close to 29 liters of milk (skimmed) or eating close to 1 kg of cottage cheese (fat-free), considering the intake comes from only one source i.e. either milk or cottage cheese. Not to forget the extra calories from carbohydrates that come along with these sources. Incomplete proteins although individually not as effective as complete proteins, do possess a special c

Calculating the amount of macro nutrients i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and fat may or may not be the best strategy for everyone. In addition these calculations are not 100% accurate and at times they may overestimate or underestimate the result. Although it does help to know how much an individual is currently eating and how much they may need to eat to reach their goal. In any case, keeping the goal (weather fat loss or weight gain) in mind the first thing that paves the way for future decisions is to access what your current macro nutrient and calorie intake is. This can be done by observing the food you are eating for a few days (to check for variance), noting it down and assigning the food eaten to specific macro nutrients i.e protein, carbohydrates and fats. It is best to note the foods by weight (like grams, etc). Once you have a day's food intake measured and written down, simply add the weights of carbohydrates, proteins and fats individually. Repeat this for few days

Anyone starting a fitness lifestyle desires to be transformed to a certain specific image or fitness level. Many a times we find people following a stereotype plan (which may have worked for a few) with extreme faith and dedication, without analyzing all the trade-offs. Skipping meals, liquid diets, complete avoidance of sugar, over exertion with exercise, etc. are some methods which are blindly followed. Fitness advise may it be for some simpler or even more complex goals, needs to be tailored to not only fit with an individuals current lifestyle but also make sure that future health is not compromised to observe immediate results. It is not a hidden fact that people differ genetically, which to a large extend impacts the neurological adaptations thus influencing the time it would take to observe significant bodily changes. Most generic approaches may not work for all and thus following them without reasoning may lead to frustration and demotivation overtime. Although there are s

Fitness Training is one of the means by which one can achieve their fitness goals. Goals vary between individuals, with all following a fitness based lifestyle. Some common goals include fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, weight gain, etc. Apart from these common goals there are some more focused goals like increasing strength in a particular movement, increasing power, qualifying for a specific weight class, etc. Different goals require respective specific approaches to be followed. It is very helpful if you know before starting a fitness program what your goals are. This helps in effectively planning a specific program along with an increased and focused motivation in a particular direction. There can most certainly be the possibility that a brilliantly designed program may fail (due to various reasons) and leave you demotivated. Some people respond better to certain individualized programs than other. Sometimes it may even take longer than anticipated to achieve the results you

Many believe that fat can be reduced from their body in just few days. While this may be the case with some who are already in shape and need to lose only a few pounds, for someone with a higher body fat and body weight it may take a little longer. Body fat and body weight although related are two different parameters of body composition. An individual with a higher body fat percentage may not necessarily have a higher body weight. Although this rarely happens, but there are some who weigh 65 kg (143 lbs) and have body fat well above 18%. Contrarily, there are some who weigh 80 kg (176 lbs) at a body fat of 11% or lower. Men and women have different body fat levels, the above examples are of  men. Where men may have healthy body fat ranges from 11% - 20%, women may have a higher healthy body fat range from 21% - 28%, with age and height being some factors that impact it. Body fat generally tends to increase with age, the values mentioned above are for people below the age of 30

Regular exercise is much more important than the location. If time permits, gym is one great place to get a workout in, mainly due to the availability of a range of equipment's which may not be possible to purchase and keep at home. On the other hand, home workouts help save both time and money. Following are some points distinguishing between Home and Gym workouts. Gym: 1. Most gyms have a vast range of exercise equipment.  2. Training in presence of people can inspire and motivate some. 3. In case of injury or any issue the gym staff or other gym members can help. 4. You are never alone. There is almost always someone available (to spot during heavy lifts, discuss about exercise/diet or just casually chat). 5. Learning a new exercise is easy by watching others perform live in front of you. Home: 1. Saves plenty of time spent travelling to the gym and/or waiting for an equipment to be available. 2. Exercise time can be adjusted on a daily basis. 3. Sa

Following are my top 4 protein sources: 1. Egg Whites: Eggs especially egg whites are one the leanest sources of protein available. It usually takes anywhere between 5 - 10 minutes to cook them up. I prefer boiling the eggs, if I ever get bored of eating boiled eggs I either make an omelet or simply fry them. 2. Cottage Cheese: A slow digesting protein, it blends in well with vegetables, grains, etc. Composed of casein protein, it can be either purchased or made at home. Amount of fat in cottage cheese depends on the type of milk used to prepare it, which ranges from full cream (full fat) to low fat to skimmed/fat free. 3. Chicken: Readily available almost anytime and anywhere, chicken has more protein and less fat for each serving. It goes well with vegetables, in sandwiches, can be added to pasta and rice. Boiling, grilling and steaming are some of the easy ways to prepare it. 4. Whey Protein: Although prepared from a natural source (milk), it still is processed and canno

For people on a fat loss mission "calorie" is the one word that probably gathers more attention than the fat loss itself. Weather one should calculate their daily calorie intake is a highly individualistic decision. Not all benefit from this and in some cases it may lead one in the opposite direction of their goal, if done wrongly. Some factors which influence the calorie calculations are goals of the individual, their body composition (height,weight,body fat, etc.), exercise type and intensity, metabolism, etc. For example, if an individual wants to gain weight they should eat a little more than their current intake and not less. If an individual thinks she/he is eating enough to feed their body and not getting any results, then they may most likely benefit from calculating their daily calorie requirement. Conversely, if an individual is getting results along with improved health from eating in a specific way, then they may have no need to calculate their calorie intake

Rising body temperature during rigorous exercise is quiet common. Humans have an inbuilt capability to increase their body temperatures at will, such as during periods of intense exercise. Some factor which also add to this are the environmental factors (climate, etc), time of the day, current diet and hydration status, etc. In countries where the climate is more humid or if there is a heat wave going on thereby increasing the day temperature to over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), exercising can become more exhausting. While it may come as a surprise to some but given the so many functions that the human body is capable of performing, one thing that it just cannot do is cool itself down intentionally. Of course there is temperature regulation taking place from evaporation (from sweat), radiation, convection, etc. but these are mere process of heat loss (heat dissipation) which as a result cool the body down. Some strategies for working out in extremely hot condit

Losing body fat is unarguably an intriguing topic for discussion. In this post I'm sharing one of the two strategies that I've found to work. First and foremost, it is always helps to know the reason for fat loss as in "Why do I want to lose body fat"?  An elite athlete may want to lose fat and hence body weight to qualify for a sporting event, while an overweight teenager may want to lead a more healthy life by increasing her/his fitness levels, losing body fat/weight and thereby increasing their self-confidence. There can be various reasons and these reasons guide the path for our motivation for starting and eventually succeeding on a fat loss program. Following is the first strategy: Increasing Energy Expenditure: This simply means to do more physical activity (than currently doing) in the form of a structured exercise program. If, for example, I currently workout 2 days in a week by doing strength exercises and 2 days of cardiovascular exercise amounting to a

Stepping foot on a weighing scale can be motivating at times although it is not always so. The scale reading that appears on the weighing device usually shows the total weight comprising of but not limited to the lean body weight, the fat weight, weight of the bones, etc. So the next time you step on your scale keep in mind that all of it is not fat. If you're a fitness enthusiast who regularly does strength training, cardio, etc or any other activity and monitor your weight either every day or every week, the increment or decrement you may see on the scale can also refer to your gaining or losing for both lean body weight and fat weight, depending on your individual calorie intake and training goal. Calculating the Lean Body Weight For calculating the Lean Body Weight we would need the total weight i.e. what we see on the scale by stepping on it, and the fat weight which is calculated from the fat percentage. Body Fat percentage can be calculated easily using an electronic bo