Detoxify Yourself

You know what i recently learnt... Detoxification is not just for women, or for people with bad hangover, or bad liver, or bad etc etc ... 

I wanna lose some stubborn fat & I don't want to use steroids or supplements for that.. 
Also I want good skin, good hair, good intestine, basically look and feel good... 
Better immune system....

It's simple, just make some modifications and keep away from few things....

Here are some basics - 

To do's 

1. Vit C
2. Veggies raw - Green, leafy 
3. Fresh fruits 
4. Juices
5. Water 
6. Herbal tea 

Don'ts 

1. No dairy 
2. No fried stuff 
3. No coffee or tea 
4. No / V little spices, Sugar & salt 
5. No pre-cooked or frozen food 

These are some basics... For more details, ask me.. 

FAT FLUSH WATER !!!

The Vitamin C turns fat into fuel, the tangerine increases your sensitivity to insulin, and the cucumber makes you feel full. Try it for 10 days and see what you think!

Ingredients per 8 oz serving

Water
1 slice grapefruit
1 tangerine
½ cucumber, sliced
2 peppermint leaves
Ice – as much as you like

Directions
Wash grapefruit, tangerine cucumber and peppermint leaves. Slice cucumber, grapefruit and tangerine (or peel). Combine all ingredients (fruits, vegetables, 8 oz water, and ice) into a large pitcher.

Stir & Enjoy! 

Your Vitamins shot

Been a while now ....

It's been a while since I wrote to I decded today I will write about something which will be useful to everyone. 

Be it a bodybuilder (though they  might know about all this), or a beginner, or an amatuer or even if u dont workout. 

1. Workout , weights training always helps in loosing fat - In fact some of the exercises like sqats, lunges, pull ups etc, burn more fat than running or crunches. 

2. Aerobics, following workout - they way body works to fuel itself is simple. Firstly it used to the energy provded by food you eat, once that's over or less, it uses fats stored, therefore idea to rach that point where you bust all the fuel available and start using body fat as source of energy. 

3. Gradually Cut Back On All Bad Fats, While Strategically Cutting Back On Carbohydrates - Read My Previous Posts  To Know More

4. HIIT - Read My Post On Hiit, Its Most Effective Thing Ever.. 

5. Drink Water - We all know this but few follow it. 

6. Stagger food - This is bit tricky but simply put, eat certain amount of calories for a couple of days, spike up ur metabolism. Next few days eat less calores and the higher metabolism shall burn more fats... Repeat it over and over... 

Super-set it ... Now !!

I bet most of you know about super setting, if you have ever been to a gym or read about fitness. 

Most of the trainer, doctors, fitness enthusiasts believe its one of the best ways to bring change - the changes from regular routine, change in muscle growth pattern and change in fitness level. 

Super sets are nothing else but expediting your workout, doing same rep (or slightly less) with same weights (or slightly less) in less time. And less time means less rest or no rest. 

Idea is to give lesser time for body to rest between sets, this makes ever rep more effective. Keep muscles under continuous pressure / stress, and that's the key. Another big advantage is the time. And one more reason i feel its great because it burns fat faster. 

Now here is how you do it... 

Choose 2 exercises, focusing on same muscle group or different,, Eg, bi & tri or just legs or chest .... 

For Bi & Tri -- super set one bi and one tri exercise without rest, one by one... 

Do you regular exercises, same # of sets and reps etc. No change just don't rest between 2 exercises 

Similar for only chest.. pick to exercises...  and super set them.. then another 2... 

I workout harder and longer, still why no / limited results

2 most common forms of training are - Weights & Cardio 

When someone refers to word gym, it usually means weights & treadmills & cross-trainers & stationary bicycles. Or we go for a run or biking. 

However the concept of under-training & over-training is not clear to most of us, and this is very very important. As important as your diet or rest. 

Some of us have spend hours in gym trying to gain muscles and we work really really hard but no gain. 

And on the contrary, some of us have spent hours trying to lose weight/fat and still no results. 

And then there are those who workout less, and right, and transform their body. 




And then we ask that golden question - I workout harder and longer, still why no results or limited results. 

While Ans # 1 is Everyone's goals're different, body is different, lifestyle is different so it's hard to have one common program which works for all..  

Ans # 2 is, working out more doesn't meant more results. Our body needs time to recover, therefore when we over train, muscles tissues don't grow, they rather are pissed off from you. 

To keep it simple, 

• One must do weights 3-4 days in a week, it could be 5 days also but never train same muscle twice in a week except abs & calves. 
• Try giving gaps between weight training days and use those days for cardio (Check out my HIIT article). 
• Do cardio, ideally, 2 times a week on rest days, can be after workout sometimes.  
• Place your meals right. Read my other articles on diet. 
• Listen to your body, very important. Don't always be bound by routine, if some day in a month your body tells u i'm not up for it. Leave it. 
• Rest at the right time and in right amount. 

The above fundas are applicable to all of us.  

7 Foods

I decided instead of writing a long article I will share something simple & easier.. 

I often feel some of us do everything right - Workout, rest, eat well but we often don't eat right .. And when we don't eat right we cant provide our body with enough nutrition needed for anything. 

Below, I have listed 7 foods, with a very very short benefit statement. Try it.. 

Eggs: The Perfect Protein
Almonds: Muscle Medicine
Salmon: The Growth Regulator - Wild samon 
Yogurt: The Golden Ratio
Beef: Carvable Creatine
Olive Oil: Liquid Energy
Water: The Muscle Bath
Broccoli: Daily Fiber 

Do you Read what you Eat

As abnormal as it may sound, but this is one of the most important thing to do, if you at all care for your health. 


Fitness is very much to do with what you put inside your body and what does inside your body is not only defined by name of dish like paratha, juice, beer, pizza, pasta etc. It is defined by what's in it. And no what in it doesn't mean recipe here but it means the nutrition value of food. 


We go to super market and buy grocery and we also go to a restaurant and order cooked food. 


First of all you need to know what you need at any given time of the day (Refer to articles - http://musculartechies.blogspot.in/2012/07/my-most-important-meal.html, http://musculartechies.blogspot.in/2012/07/whats-in-your-lunch-box.html) and once you know what you need, you need to know how to get it. 


It is important you can read nutrition labels on canned food or grocery you buy. 


This will help you keep a check on what you eat .. 


And also important to know what you're eating when you're dinning out. It's easier when you have the details on menu 

Other wise you should be able to read it from the ingredients of the food you order. 

HIIT hard on body fat

Some of you, I hope, are already familiar with HIIT training, and if you're not, you must be. 


HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. And if pretty much, most important form of workout for almost everyone. 


One of the common goal is, fat loss. Whether you'e bulking up, loosing weight, toning your body, or just want to stay fit. 


Irrespective of your size, shape, gender, age -- We all love those 6 packs or 8 packs or flat stomachs. 


When you wear a tight or regular t-shirt you don't want people to notice the bulge on your stomach. 





HIIT is combination of high intensity cardio workout for a short duration, followed by low intensity cardio workout. It could be something like running at slow pace for 45 sec and running really you ass off for 15 - 30 seconds, repeat this 8 - 10 times with proper warming up and cooling off period. It can also be cardio focused on abs like doing crunches or mix of exercises. 


Why it's the best? 
1) Saves time - If you run for 60 -90 mins everyday or cycle for that long to lose fat, I would say you're wasting time and precious calories you can use for muscle building. 


20 mins of HIIT training is as good as 60-90 mins run and HIIT can be far more targeted based on your problem areas. 


2) Faster results - HIIT is easy way to burn 9 times more fat and burn less energy. 


3) Muscle growth - While performing HIIT, our body produces testosterone which also aid in muscle building, and more muscles means higher metabolism too. 


To look for specific HIIT programs, go to youtube. My favorite one is 

My most important meal

Most important meal of the day is "The Breakfast" 


This is what at least 95% people will say, and it's not wrong but it's an incomplete answer. 


But did you ever try to reason, why? 


When we wake up after 7-9 hours of sleep, our body had been fasting for that long. It's starving. The blood sugar level is low, there is no carbs or proteins in your both to produce energy and your body is in a catabolic state, which means your body is breaking down your muscles to produce energy .. which is a BAD thing .. 


Considering this reason -- how many times does your body goes into catabolic state? or near catabolic state? 



Therefore it's important to identify all those windows and kill them. 


When you wake up, of course! 
3-6 hrs time gap between your breakfast and lunch and dinner. 
Right after workout - gym or running or aerobics etc. 
Also, before you go to sleep, not because you're fasting but you're going to, so make sure you have enough supplies ... 


It's best to ensure you get good mix of carbs & proteins in all these meals. Towards end of the day, don't focus on carbs but focus on P and Fats. 


Healthy mind exists in healthy body. 

What's in your lunch box

Do You know most of the people think if they eat enough proteins they will bulk up, as if it will do some kind of magic.. 


And eating Fats will make them Fat, now that's another magic.. 


And Carbs?! huh, what do they do. Make you fat again or, probably, you eat them just because you're hungry, since you can't only eat P & F.. 


Let's not forget about minerals and vitamins. Dammit, they give us some kind of alphabetical advantages for skin, hair, bones, etc. 


Let's come to the point -- 


Proteins are the needed by your body to build muscles and also used as source or energy. Ever seen that lean, mean, athletic, muscular guy -- Oh yes HIM. He is eating lots of proteins but along with Carbs and Fats. One should ideally have 1 gm to 2 gms or proteins for every lb of body weight, depends on you fitness goal. Most popular are Whey and Casein proteins.. While Whey is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, Casein is slower. 


One should ideally have protein with every meal. 


Dairy products, meat, eggs are most commonly available food items, very rich with protein content. 


Fats are no as bad as it sounds. Our body can produce Saturated and Monounsaturated fats but not unsaturated fats. Fats are needed for multiple purposes from carrying some of the vitamins, building new cells, aid nerves system and brain development, and an important source of energy. 


Some of the best sources of healthy fats are dairy products, olive oil (and others), and pretty much all kind of nuts. 


Carbs are joke, we fail to realize that major portion of anyone's food is carbs based. Simple carbs are easy to digest and complex one's takes longer. 


One should ideally stay away from simple carbs, except when you body's insulin level is low, and enjoy complex carbs though out the day time.  


Most of the energy in our body is produced by carbs, first thing we should have when we wake up. Lifting weight or day to day chores, one must have enough carb to continue the fuel supply, except late evening or night. 


Simple Carbs - White rice, white bread, sugar, fruits 
Complex Carbs - Brown rice, wheat, fruits, oats, veggies 


Vit and Minerals aid the over all functioning of body. Skin, teeth, bones, hair, digestion etc, also they are needed for body to absorb optimum amount of nutrients .. A multi-vitamin is always a good idea. 


Enjoy your food :)

Dieting for perfect body, yes or no?

Since we don't have enough time. Customer calls, internal calls, reviews, escalations, monthly/Quarterly/annual planning cycles, meetings, follow ups, blah blah blah and blah and some more blah.. 


We start our day early in morning because someone, in some corner of the world, in sometime zone wants to talk to us and we stay late in office since someone in a different timezone wants to talk to us too. 


We work F***ing WORKING 12-14 hrs a days, commute 2-4 hrs a day and most of our day, when we're awake, is spent sitting on chair while we look at emails or talk on phone.. We drink 5 cups of tea or coffee and eat fried food.... yeah that's what we most of us do... 


Coming to the point ---- most of us start pursuing dieting to loose extra kilos or shed some fat, we think if we dont eat our body will get back in shape in few months from now we will wake up with 6 or 8 pack on between our chest and belly.. lol 


Dude, are u seriously kidding me.. if it was that easy to get in shape but not eating why the hell people models, pro body builders, actors, fitness enthusiasts workout for hours and hog like animals.. THINKKKKKK but please don't hog unless you have routine to support it. 





My point is eat - Eat as often as you can. But never fill or overfill yourself up. Just eat enough that you dont starve and  you can eat again in2-3 hours. Eat simple food, with enough carbs, proteins and fats (yes you must eat fats).. However depending upon time of the day and you routine, look for right combination of C,P & F in your food. 


If you starve, your metabolism goes down, as it goes down, when you eat next time the food isn't  burning at good speed and you're left with less energy and more body fat ... 


Happy EATING :) 

Why this, weird, title to my blog?

I work with an IT company, yes I do ... I also know that the word Muscular and Techies, doesn't go well in same sentence... 


                                                                           


Don't be surprised because usually WE are associated to those geeks who sit in chair for hours and browse and do all kinda of R&D about computer, phones, ipads, technology and other gadgets... 


Well, yes, we do that ..But don't judge us. We still go to out, party, drink, eat, travel, try new things.. and can most certainly talk about much more than technology.. 


Hence I decided to name my blog "Muscular Techies" ... 


Since, people who work in IT industry are considered among most unhealthy people people walking this earth, I would like to tell you that, unfortunately, it is true.. However I have also met lots of interesting, healthy, fit and active people in my profession.. 


REASON: I want to dedicate this blog to all the techies out there, and others. Every common man who doesn't have 2 hours to spend in gym every day and doesn't have access to nutrition expert..