Lat Pulldown

Ask any trainer working in any fitness club around the world, and they will tell you that the lat pulldown exercise is the most abused exercise. To correct this gross trend, I will try to shed some light on the do's and don't of performing this movement.

Exercise: Lat Pulldown

Primary Muscle Mover: Latissimus Dorsi
Isolated Function
· Concentrically accelerates shoulder extension, adduction and internal rotation
· Bilaterally creates spinal rotation

Spotlight

· When the lat pulldown excise is performed correctly, it is a very safe and effective way to develop the strength and muscularity of the Latissumus Dorsi, the v-shaped muscles of the back. However, it is most advisable not to perform lat pulldowns behind the head – pulldowns should stay in front of the face. There is an inherent risk of shoulder injury as a result of performing behind the head lat pulldowns for prolonged periods

· Other potential risks occuring during the return phase of the exercise (eccentric movement) include muscle tear injuries or overstretching of the muscles, tendons and ligaments caused by excessive momentum and lack of control.

· Lastly, many practitioners of this exercise excessively internally rotate their shoulders (slap down on the bar) at the bottom phase (concentric movement) of the exercise. Once again this can cause possible shoulder injuries.

How To Perform This Exercise Correctly

1. Grab the bar overhead, placing your hands slightly beyond your shoulder’s width.

2. Then sit at the machine with the lap pads firmly keeping you in place. Pull the bar down being sure to keep your elbows pointing downward throughout the entire movement of the exercise.

3. Squeeze your shoulder blades, push your chest out and pause at the bottom portion of the execise.

4. Then with control, slowly return the bar to the upward position while making sure not to overextend the shoulders at the very top of the movement.

Trash Talk 101

We all like to toot our own horns from time to time, but none do it with more infatuation than sports fanatics and athletes. They routinely shoot off at the mouth, boasting about their athletic prowess or that of their favorite athlete or team. Brash barrages of words are used like battering rams to smash the egos and self worth of opposing fans and foes. It's the art of rude commentary, commonly known as "trash talk."

One of the greatest "stone cold poets" of all time was boxing legend Muhammad Ali. He made a career out of unleashing verbal assaults of humility and intimidation. Before the famous "Rumble In The Jungle" with then heavyweight champion George Foreman, one of his numerous quotes included "when I get to Africa we're gonna get it on, because we don't get a long; I'm gonna eat 'em up!" Even more scorching was the comment he made of Joe Frazier heading into "The Thriller In Manila", when he proclaimed that Frazier was too ugly to be champion. Some might have thought that was true, but it was just plain rude to say so. Incidentally, Ali won both of those fights, which leads me to my next point. If you talk the talk; you better walk the walk. Muhammad Ali did both; rare exception. The list of athletes whose mouths far exceed their abilities is a lot longer.

Trash talkers may not be Shakespeareans, but many are quick with the wit. I always though "Float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee" was a clever descriptor. Others have a skillful knack for poking fun of the most obscure and mundane details of their rivals, and turning them into a hilarious 15-minute monologue while barely stopping to take a breath. Some use their stage time to announce ominous preludes of pain and destruction, or to erect verbal monuments in their honor . The less witty attack you with references about your mother, father, sister, wife, etc. This type of approach is the lowest form of trash talking, because it's the most ill-reasoned and ignorant of all the tactics.

But barring grossly degrading comments about race, religion or sex, much of the off-colored humor surrounding sports is just slapstick ball busting. You might even call it good PR. Polite angelic football players don't make for good viewing or reading, and they damn sure don't sell tickets at the gate. Civilization has only progressed half as much as it thinks. We enjoy ESPN (The Entertainment Sports Network) highlights of arrogant loud-talking coaches, players and fans at each other's throat padding their overinflated egos. It's good entertainment. But more importantly it raises the anticipation of seeing gladiators collide, which is always good for the bottom-line (mo' $, mo' $$, mo' $$$).

Any time two or more people (mainly men) are on opposing sides words start to fly with the intent to defame and defile. Hell, even a seemingly harmless game of checkers can turn into an ugly discussion. What makes most of these jabbering matches all the more funny is that half the time these word-slingers have no real knowledge of the sport they're yapping about. But you have to admire the passionate conviction they put into trying to give their baseless thoughts a shred of credibility.

The reason for all this self-glorification is simple; it's the fear of failure and disappointment. The egos of fans and athletes live and die thousands of times with every fleeing second of a contest, and every opportunity realized or squandered. Whole countries have been known to go into mourning when one of their national favorites loses. But when the dice roll their way, trash talkers want everyone to know that they are bad to the bone. However, there is a fine line between pride and arrogance. Like spitting into the wind, cocky words come back at you when you find yourself on the end of a ass whopping after you swore otherwise. Then who's laughing ?
Now I am not much of a trash talker. I believe good performance speaks for itself and shows confidence without having to be coaxed. The old folks say "if you don't talk, people can only wonder about how smart or dumb you are, but when you speak everyone knows for sure."

Warning: for the vocally self-absorbed, be careful that your mouth doesn't write a check that your behind can't cash.

20 Trash Talk Phrases (that weren't too raunchy to print):

1. I box like heaven, that's why you look like hell.
2. There's gonna be two hits; me hitting you, and you hitting the ground.
3. When this is over, I have the name and number of a good doctor you can see tomorrow.
4. That's what you get for talking hard, but not being hard.
5. When I'm done there will be nothing left of you except a shadow.
6. I don't see anthing between me and you, except space and opportunity.
7. I'm going to eat you up, and spit out the pieces I don't like.
8. The surgeon is in; time to slice and dice.
9. The only way you will wear me out is to stitch your name on my pants.
10. Get your grandmother to play, maybe she'll be better competition.
11. After a hard fowl: Come through the middle and you pay the the price. No free rides.
12. After stopping a shot: Get that crap out of here.
13. Say good-night, the Sandman is here.
14. Stick to losing; you're good at it.
15. I'm giving out lollipops and butt whoppings, and right now I am all out of lollipops.
16. I could tell you that you played well, but than I would be lying.
17. Don't try to defend me, unless you want to get burned.
18. I'm going to spank you like your daddy.
19. Stop trying to catch me, before you have a heart attack.
20. I'm going to have to get medical attention for my fists, if I keep hitting you like this.

2007/10/12

Klang Valley Streets: Good as gold
By : Karina Foo

POWER ON: Weight machines at the gym.

Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur is a no-frills, no-nonsense kind of gym, offering the usual fitness programmes with regular monitoring from instructors. But it also advocates the use of non-weight equipment and therein lies its edge. KARINA FOO drops by.

EMANATING from a quiet corner of Plaza Ampang shopping centre is an energetic vibrance.

It’s the sound of music pulsating from the entrance of Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur (GGKL).

Even from the main road, you’ll see a giant signboard of the gym looming over the peeled and sun-damaged paint of the shopping centre.

If it’s not the sleepy hollow outlets visitors are going for, it’s probably the GGKL for some serious workout sessions.

Incidentally, the reception isn’t lined with posters of air-brushed model endorsements. Nor are there stupendous ornaments or banners advertising some club “offers”.

Instead, what the gym has is a semi-circle table, a few couches, three workout studios, two weight rooms, a very spacious second level dedicated to cardio on machines and two indoor rock climbing walls. It’s obviously a no-frills, no nonsense kind of gym.

How about that for an unpretentious health centre?

The music played is a mix of modern top 70s and R&B with beats that make you want to sweat. Thankfully, there’s no awful falsetto techno vocals!

GGKL boasts 1,160 square metres of facilities. The main exercise studio is for group exercise classes (including freestyle) and those under the Les Mills programme (including the popular Body Combat, Body Pump and Body Jam).

There’s also a Switching circuit and a martial arts studio (with various types of punching bags).

Even on a weekday afternoon during Ramadan, the weight training floor was a hive of activity.

Comprising mainly men who were pumping iron, one could feel the saturation of testosterone in the air.

“Actually, the mornings and evenings are filled with a fair share of both sexes,” explains GGKL CEO Tom Curtis.

The gym is part of Gold’s Gym back in 1965 which was originally Muscle Beach in Venice Beach, California.

When it was moved indoors, it was named Gold’s Gym and aptly known as “The Gym of the Stars”, training sportsmen and celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Kobe Bryant, The Rock, Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, Michael Jordan, Jean Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster.

It has become the world’s largest co-ed fitness company with over 3,000,000 members worldwide.

Even with one Gold’s Gym outlet in Malaysia, it is continuing the legacy.

As Tom explains: “We ensure that members get good and reliable monitoring in terms of safety and education. They are evaluated and then assisted in a specific programme with constant guidance from our fitness instructors.

“There are a few personal training options, either with an instructor certified from the American Council on Exercise and National Academy of Sports Medicine or with trained local instructors,” he said.

Yes, but several gyms already do that so what’s new?

The answer comes in the form of a really tall athletic guy who walks into the room and introduces himself as Brett Crosby from Washington D.C., United States.

A certified amateur boxing champion, he is now the gym’s senior fitness consultant. He resembles martial arts champion and Taebo founder Billy Blanks.

“I’m here to show Malaysians how simple fitness really is with functional training,” he said, whipping out some tools that look like something children play with in elementary school.

“This equipment is part of our functional training system. They include speed ladders, bands, fitness ball, TRX (suspension training straps) and half fitness ball. Basically, these are all you need.”

Crosby starts to do lateral runs over the grids of a four-metre-long speed ladder that is laid across the floor. He then proceeded to elevated push-ups with the band which is attached to the multi-purpose pull-up machine.

“I’m trying to show that you don’t have to spend all your weight-training time with weights. You can use these to condition your muscles in ways you never even thought of,” he said.

Yes, one can do so many things with the ladder — train one’s coordination, speed and stamina by running in different directions, skipping and jumping.

One’s reflexes will also improve with these exercises.

“These tools are lightweight and foldable so you can carry them in your gym bag,” he added.

Apparently, this training method is used by American Navy Seals and in hard-core sports like American football.

“Hopefully, people will realise that there are other options to getting fit,” he added.

How does GGKL cope with the immense competition?

Curtis believes that as long as the gym stays true to its mission statement, it will survive.

“New gyms are becoming like 24-hour kiosks and are taking the opportunity to open up in the most convenient and accessible places.

“But we’ve been here even before all that started. We retain members and don’t believe in a high turnover. I believe that’s what keeps us going.”

2007/10/01

STAYING FIT AND FABULOUS: Secrets to a youthful look
By : KARINA FOO

Tom always works out no matter where and when!

Name: Tom Curtis
Occupation: CEO of Golds Gym Kuala Lumpur (GGKL) and businessman
Age: 52 (No way!!)

HAVE you ever felt that you are bursting with energy?
That feeling is probably rather rare for quite a few over 50 but with regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, most can experience it too.
Tom Curtis, CEO of Golds Gym Kuala Lumpur (GGKL) is the epitome of one who defies his age and is fitter than many younger to him. When he talks, his eyes light up; he speaks with vibrancy and his actions are sprightly.
“Nah, age doesn’t matter, I’m geared for anything,” says the Englishman who has been living in Malaysia for over 20 years and has travelled extensively.
He recently scaled Mount Everest and will probably do it again. He tells us what keeps him on his feet and how you, too, can be fit and fabulous.

How do you maintain your physique and fitness?
I work out in Gold’s Gym every day when I’m in Kuala Lumpur, which is about three-four days a week, and I try to take a few minutes to exercise in the evenings when I’m travelling.
What’s your exercise regime like and how do you squeeze it into your hectic schedule?
I tend to focus on strength training, though more recently while preparing for an expedition to Mt Everest, I added some stepping and treadmill exercises a couple of times a week. I tend to limit my workouts to three or four muscle groups per day, working each major muscle group twice a week at least.
Throw in some use of functional training equipment such as the BOSU and TRX system, popularised by the US Navy Seals, and that just about completes my training regimen.
I’m fortunate that I’m able to work out of an office I’ve set up in GGKL. I handle all my business interests from there, so when things go quiet, which will generally be around 6.30 to 7pm, I just duck into the gym. No fighting with traffic, no time-wasting journey to antagonise me and no excuses to miss my daily workout!

Many people hate the idea of exercising, so tell them what’s the best thing about it?
Breaking out! Unless you’re truly and seriously stretched in your daily life, you wouldn’t understand that, but after a mentally challenging day, there’s nothing like some serious physical action.
The best thing about working out is the direct contrast it provides to the rest of the day. Throwing pieces of iron around is hugely therapeutic after the minutiae of contracts and calculators for the working day!

But are there any obstacles that deter you from working out?
None. I will not be kept from the gym. Once regular exercise becomes an integral part of your daily life, it remains so. That is the key to the successful adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

Aren’t there times when you can’t follow schedule?
Travel can keep me from the gym for three to five days at a time. After three days of not working out, your muscles start to lose their strength. I solve that problem by getting back into the gym as fast as possible after trips, at least for a short workout.

Is there any pressure to keep up or maintain your image in front of others?
Frankly, no. I’m not really an image-conscious person, though obviously, as the public face of the Malaysian franchise of one of the global fitness colossuses, it is important that I make some effort at keeping up a healthy lifestyle and work out regularly.
I do try to make a point of maintaining a strong body and avoid all-night beer binges.

I see you love your food though?
Oh yes, here’s the entire list — nasi lemak... and beef or chicken rendang, nasi dagang, laksa of all varieties, nasi lemak, endless kuih, sotong, goreng pisang, murtabak pisang, fried kuey teow, nasi kandar, nasi campur, nasi padang, nasi kerabu, ayam percik, banana leaf curry, sambal... frankly anything from Malaysia and Thailand. And, oh, did I mention nasi lemak? (Yes, you did, Tom)

How very healthy indeed! But have you always maintained the healthy part of your lifestyle?
Assuming you still want to associate me with a healthy lifestyle after my repetitive references to nasi lemak, I think my healthy lifestyle goes all the way back to my public school days in England.
During those formative years, one was rarely 30 minutes away from some form of exercise. Sports and competition, we were taught relentlessly, was a ‘good thing’, to be maintained throughout one’s life and it has been a cornerstone of my lifestyle since then.
Today, if I’m not working or exercising, I’m watching sports on TV at any and every opportunity.

What is your motivation to working out?
Advancing years and the inability to maintain the same fast and furious pace of yesteryear. It’s heartening that something as simple as regular exercise can help roll back the years and delay significantly the onset of the ageing process.
I want to retain as much freedom and functionality as possible well into my mature years

How do you de-stress?
I don’t suffer from stress. Stress is the result of exposing oneself to various pressures that are beyond your capability and capacity to handle, resulting in under-performance and consequent mental stress.
I like to ensure that I approach life in a light-hearted and relaxed, yet professional manner so as to avoid inducing stress. If I am stressed, I’d relieve it by knocking a speed ball or combination bags around a while and maxing out on some weights.

What would you suggest to someone who wants to get in shape?
Don’t waste another day. Start now and make fitness a part of your lifestyle. If I have a dollar for everyone who told me that they’re too busy to go to a gym three times a week for an hour a time, I’d be a multi-millionaire.
That’s just excuses. Absolutely no-one is too busy to make regular exercise part of their life and the simplest way of making sure you do that is to carve out three dedicated sessions of 90 minutes each at a gym.
Next, don’t give up when it becomes routine or hard! That’s just weakness. Stay with it and make it as much a part of your life routine as Sunday lunch with the family or visits to the supermarket.
It’s a mental hurdle you have to get over, but once you understand just how vital it is to exercise three times a week, then you have a chance of keeping the commitment going.
Fitness doesn’t come in three-month spells, you have to start now and keep going till late into your life. So, if you value your health, life, long-term functionality and love your family, get into the gym.

Then, should we use the media’s portrayal of ‘beautiful bodies’ for inspiration?
I think that the focus on the body beautiful is generally being overdone somewhat, though I’m firmly of the belief that the media focus on a shapely, toned or buffed body is both good for the public and for the fitness industry.
The world is fast-paced, abounding in pollutants, free radicals and pressures of all forms and varieties. Our wellbeing is being attacked from every angle and the most effective single preventive, antidote or solution to those negatives is regular exercise and a healthy, fit and well-prepared body.
The visual element is perhaps somewhat superfluous, but the message conveyed by the media image of the well-kept body serves to influence the public on the need to engage in regular physical exercise for long-term wellbeing.

Don't Eat With Your Hands

Take a look at that. Not my ashy knuckles. I'm referring to the deep puncture wound on the end of my pinky finger. Don't laugh. I got jousted last Sunday after a no culinary full contact eating match with a set of steamed crab legs at an all you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant.

Green With Envy; Green With Health

Subject: 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Now

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide
because of its immensely powerful health benefits. It is
extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health. And if
you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely
NOT doing your health a big favor.


Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

1. Green Tea & Cancer - Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The
antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C
and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting
cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea & Heart Disease - Green tea helps prevent heart disease
and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart
attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart
cells.

3. Green Tea & Anti-Aging - Green tea contains antioxidant known as
polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it
helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea & Weight Loss - Green tea helps with your body weight
loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally.
It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That
translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea & Skin - Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from
the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin
aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea & Arthritis - Green tea can help prevent and reduce the
risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as
it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys
cartilage.

7. Green Tea & Bones - The very key to this is high fluoride content
found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink
green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea & Cholesterol - Green tea can help lower cholesterol
level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad
cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea & Obesity - Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the
movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet,
exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be
obese.

10. Green Tea & Diabetes - Green tea improves lipid and glucose
metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and
balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea & Alzheimer's - Green tea helps boost your memory. And
although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of
reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.


12. Green Tea & Parkinson's - Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent
against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's.
People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with
Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea & Liver Disease - Green tea helps prevent transplant
failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea
destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea & High Blood Pressure - Green tea helps prevent high
blood pressure. Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down
by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea & Food Poisoning - Catechin found in green tea can kill
bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by
those bacteria.

16. Green Tea & Blood Sugar - Blood sugar tends to increase with age,
but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood
sugar level.

17. Green Tea & Immunity - Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green
tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in
fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea & Cold and Flu - Green tea prevents you from getting a
cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the
common cold.


19. Green Tea & Asthma - Theophylline in green tea relaxes the
muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of
asthma.

20. Green Tea & Ear Infection - Green tea helps with ear infection
problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and
clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea & Herpes - Green tea increases the effectiveness of
topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is
applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea & Tooth Decay - Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses
that cause many dental diseases. It also slows the growth of bacteria
which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea & Stress - L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids
in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety


24. Green Tea & Allergies - EGCG found in green tea relieves
allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider
drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea & HIV - Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG
(Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to
healthy immune cells. What this means is that green tea can help stop
the HIV virus from spreading. Now, your health is in your hands. Start
drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea every day for a drug-free and
healthier YOU!