Futureshop - Tales of a tech love

The moment the Iphone 4 came out last year, I knew I had to get it. The convincing commercials, the video hd recordings, the slim design of the phone, video chatting, apple apps games, and many many more features was enough to get me to buy it. It took me over a month to get the Iphone4 when it was first released in Canada. People were lining up early in hopes of getting one because it was constantly sold out everywhere. Luckily for me, I knew a friend who worked at wireless waves and she just happened to had one black 32gb iphone4 left. She saved it for me and I was so excited once I got it. I love it because I can use it to browse online, keep updated with news, and many more.

Futureshop - Tales of a tech woe

My first phone was the Samsung D900 I had bought from my friend. I thought it was the best phone because it had a cool sliding feature, decent camera, and looked nice.One day I was listening to music on the phone and decided to go for a run, when suddenly I dropped my earphones which somehow dragged my phone to the ground as well, and I just stepped on top of my phone. It all happened pretty quickly considering I was trying to run across the crosswalk intersection. That was the last of my Samsung D900, I will always remember it as the phone that died horribly by my foot.

You guys know that great feeling you get after an intense workout or cardio session?

Those feelings are apparently caused by endorphins. According to Wikipedia: They are opioid peptides produced by the pituitary glands and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise and intense feelings like excitement or pain. They function as neurotransmitters in your body and have the abilities to produce a feeling of well-being.

I found a good article called "what causes runner`s high?" recently posted by the new york times here. Basically researchers are trying to determine what causes these feelings of well being and satisfaction after strenuous workouts. We assume they are endorphins, but researchers say that endorphins are their molecules are too big to bypass the blood brain barrier. So researchers have looked into other possible causes, such as the involvement of the endocannabinoid system.

I'll post cliffs about the article indicating the main points.

CLIFFS:
- people assume its endorphins that are released in the body after a strenuous workout or running session.
- researchers say that endorphins are too big molecules that aren't able to pass the blood-brain barrier.
- researchers believe the endocannabinoid system is more likely responsible for the feeling instead of endorphins.
- One study found increased blood levels of endocannabinoid molecules in groups of college students after a 50 minute treadmill or stationary bicycle session.
- They say endocannabinoid molecules act like cannabis, the active ingredient in marijuana that group as receptors and bind to the nervous system to produce reactions of reduced pain, anxiety, and increased relaxation and well-being.
- They tested rats by blocking their endocannabinoid receptors, causing no increase in forming new brain cells.
- Another test bred mice with no functioning endocannabinoid receptors, leading to the mices only running half as much as they normally would.

Its definitely an interesting topic to discuss about..learning about what happens naturally in our body and the physiological and psychological aspect behind it. I enjoy reading articles like these discussing the science behind exercise and fitness. I'll try to post more articles relating to the topics of fitness trends, products, and exercise tips. Cheers

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Ways to stay motivated in your workouts.

The new guidelines for physical activity for ages 18-64 is at least150 minutes/week according to the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. That's equivalent to 30 minutes for 5 days a week. However, many people find it hard to stay motivated to exercise or performing physical activity on a daily basis. Scheduling 30 minutes of your day aside to workout shouldn't be a problem for anyone, no excuses. Here's a short list of little things I feel can help those stay motivated to exercise and reaching their fitness goals.

1. Notebook and pen - If you don`t have one, go to your local store and buy one. Bring this with you whenever you go to the gym or exercising and log in your workout routines and progress in it. Its a great way to keep track of your exercises as well as your repetitions and sets. A good way to prepare yourself  is to write down knowing what exercises your going to do that day prior to the workout. This notebook acts as an agenda for your workouts, and is a great little tool to help motivate you to reach your goals faster by jotting it down.

2. Mp3 player/ music gadget - Nothing feels better than listening to music while working out. I'm not talking about slow music, or the lame Justin Bieber crap (unless you like this type of music). I'm talking about hardcore music that help you get in your comfort zone and motivate you to lift more. I use a combination of trance, techno, and rap musics to get myself pumped up for my exercises. Find songs that get you in your groove and gets you focused on yourself and your lifts. Listening to music is also a great way to avoid distractions from others in the gym.

3. Workout partner - Getting a friend to work out with you is great because they can act as a motivator for you. They can help support and spot you on your lifts, provide guidance and fitness tips, and make it more fun and challenging. If you have a friend with the same or similar fitness level as you, a little competition wouldn't hurt as well. Plus, there are also many exercises that you can do in pairs as well.

Motivation

Circuit Training 101

Circuit training is one of the most efficient workout routines for many reasons. First off, it is a great form of cardiovascular exercise to those that aren't a big fan of running. Secondly, it is a great form of training to challenge your muscular strength and endurance as well. You can sweat just as much as HITT running !

For those that aren't aware of what circuit training is, basically it is a high intensity aerobic exercise program ranging from 4-5 different body weight exercises to challenge your body within a time frame. The biggest advantages of circuit training is that it is not only effective, but you also don't need any equipments at all ! What I also love about circuit training is the fact that you can combine or modify your exercises to your desire.

Here are a few of my favorite body weight exercises I enjoyed incorporating in my routines.

The Plank
Jumping Jacks
Rock Climbers
Lunges
Burpees
Pushups
Squats
Air Bicycle crunches, Russian twist.

These are just a few types of body weight exercises to name, but there is a lot more to choose from. Now you can modify these exercises to your own fitness level. For example, there are various types of Push up you can do, such as wide grip, narrow grip, Spiderman pushups, T-pushups, and elevated pushups.

Here is a video to demonstrate push up variations

Okay so each circuit training routine should take around 15-20 minutes , consisting of 4-5 different exercises  where each exercise is performed in either a set time ( ie. 15 seconds ) or by repetitions (10-12 reps). You would continue straight on to the next exercise without any rest until they are all completed. After completing all exercises, you should take a 1 minute rest and repeat the routine again. The challenge is to see how many times you can perform the exercises within the time limit. Track your progress, and always challenge yourself in the future to beat your previous score. 

I love variety, so I like to always change up my circuit training routines by modifying it, and finding continuously ways to challenge my body and making it fun. Remember to perform all your exercises in correct form and technique, adjust the exercises to your fitness level, and stay safe and focused !

For more circuit training routines and body weight exercises, check out "Zuzana" on youtube, she has numerous videos and interesting new routines everyday, so you can give that a try as well. Plus shes a hottie =)

Whats your form of Cardio?

So I have done various forms of cardiovascular exercises ranging from the elliptical, treadmill, jiu jitsu, and standard running across my local park. Throughout all these types of cardio training, is there a particular one that I found to be most fun and intense? Not really. Cardio is never fun is it? For me, I like variety, so I always look for new routines rather than stick to one. However, I do find that you can make any form of cardio more challenging if incorporating high intensity interval training (HITT). If you apply HITT to your training, I'm sure these short blasting intervals will leave you tired in no time. So here's my question of the day, what is your form of cardio ?

New years resolution. Stay fit, stay active, stay focused.

When it comes to new years resolution, it means setting goals that you want to accomplish. Whether its short term goals or long term goals, it should be something worth concentrating on. My goals are to improve my lifts, stay committed to working out, more cardio, and boost up my grades in school. I know these are pretty generic goals, but I've been procrastinating a whole lot lately and its not really helping. Take a multi and lift heavy, and good luck with my goals in 2011 ! Share your goals in the comments below =D