If you want a quick easy way to guestimate your body fat percentage then take a look in the mirror and then at these pictures.
Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category
Body Fat Guestimations
March 5, 2011How to calculate my BAI (Body Adiposity Index)
March 5, 2011I like the sound of this new alternative to BMI as a non-invasive measure of body composition.
BAI = Hip circumference (cm)/ (Height (m)x √Height (m)) – 18
Use this Google Spreadsheet to calculate your own BAI.
Here is a description on how to take your hip circumference.
Here is the article in Obesity.
The inconvenient truth…about health & nutrition
September 19, 2010A quote from Going Long that speaks the (often denied) truth:
With a few medical exceptions, the way you look is dictated by a huge number of tiny decisions that you make on a daily basis. In order to change ourselves, we need to take responsibility for ourselves.
We are Fit
April 1, 2010Wii Fit combines the perfect balance of barely moving, and doing mundane things
What the sports supplements companies don’t want you to know
February 16, 2010Whole grain cereal and milk is just as good for your body’s recovery after exercise as a Sports Drink.
note: study ‘supported’ by General Mills Bell Institute
Barefoot running
February 13, 2010Interview with Dr Lieberman on the benefits of barefoot running:
In Defense of Food
January 10, 2010
You may recognize Michael Pollan as the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. He has followed that up with another great book called In Defense of Food.
Summarized in 7 words it is:
Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
In more than 7, some notes and tidbits from the book:
- The health claims surrounding high fat leading to CHD and obesity were unfounded and have been proven incorrect.
- Focusing on individual nutrients (e.g. fiber, cholesterol) when trying to lose fat is based on the false assumptions that these by themselves are good for you.
- “guilt” was the highest ranking word association for Americans shown the words ” chocolate cake”. “celebration” was for French people shown the same word (presumably in French!).
- A whole food is more nutritious than the sum of it’s parts.
- I would add: “enjoy food”.
Do you have lachanophobia?
November 29, 2009There are excuses, and there are reasons. More often than not, regarding exercise and nutrition, what people think is a ‘reason’ is actually an ‘excuse’.
For example: I don’t exercise because I don’t have time….or I don’t eat well because I don’t know how to prepare healthy meals.
But occasionally you come across something that sounds like an excuse that is actually a reason: I don’t eat vegetables because I am afraid of them.
Interesting blogs
November 10, 2009Here are links to some interesting articles I have come across recently:
The Hindu Push Up – a variation on the old classic
Eating quickly is associated with overeating – and overeating associated with…
The human body is built for distance – on a hot day a human can outrun a horse over a marathon
Moderate amounts of protein best for building muscle – over 30g may be a waste of your time
Baseball – head first slide is quicker – and more likely to result in your head hitting baseman’s/catcher’s knees!
How to hold your breath for longer
October 31, 2009Disclaimer: This is for reading entertainment only. Do not try any of this yourself!
I was a little skeptical after reading Tim Ferris’ blog that I would be able to hold my breath for a significantly longer period of time after simply completing a few breathing exercises.
How wrong I was.
Within a period of less than 10mins I went from being able to hold my breath for 1:02 to 3:31. During the purging (see definition below), and after about 1:30 of holding my breath, my fingers were seriously tingling, and then from about 3:00 on I felt like I was going to pass out…but I made it. Beating Harry Houdinis personal best, but falling 2 seconds short of Tim Ferris.
You can read the whole post here (including videos), or just read the protocol (breathing exercises) he used below:
Definitions:
Deep breathing: “Deep breathing” involves taking a big breath in through the mouth, holding for one second, and then exhaling for 10 seconds through your mouth through your almost-closed mouth with tongue pressed against your lower teeth. It should be a hissing exhalation and make a “tsssssss…” sound. All breathing and exercises are performed though the mouth.
Purging: “Purging” involves a strong exhalation as if you were trying to blow a toy sailboat across a pool, followed by a big but faster inhalation. David’s cheeks were puffed out as he demonstrated the exhalation (imagine the big bad wolf blowing the pigs’ homes down). Be careful not to heave or rock back and forth, which wastes oxygen. Keep as still as possible.
Semi-purging: Breathing between the above two. More forceful than deep breathing but less forceful than full purging. Used for recovering after each time trial.
The Steps:
1:30 deep breathing
1:15 purging (if you feel like you’re going to pass out, do it less intensely)Hold breath for target 1:30, no more
After 1:30:
Take 3 semi-purge breaths1:30 deep breathing
1:30 purgingHold breath for target 2:30, no more
After 2:30
Take 3 semi-purge breaths2:00 deep breathing
1:45 purgingHold breath for as long as possible
After exhalation:
Take 3-10 hard semi-purge breaths until your recover
