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Will I lose weight faster if I do more cardio?

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This is one of the most frequently asked questions in the gym, and like most questions the answer here cannot be reduced to a simple YES or NO. To go smoothly into this otherwise very long and voluminous subject, we must first say that, of course, cardio workouts have a place in your workout routine. They have positive contribution to the achievement of desired physics.

Indeed, during a cardio session your body is burning a high percentage of body fat, but that does not mean that you will achieve more refined physics by practicing more of this activity at the expense of less weight training.
The reason for this lies in your resting metabolic rate. The first 1-2 hours after a steady pace cardio session, it works faster. In workouts with more weights that period is increased to 1-2 days after the end of the session. Why is that? To answer this question, we need to look at what happens to your body and how it responses after those two difrent types of workouts.

By doing multy-joint exercises with free weights and barbells you apply higher physical stress on the muscles of the whole body, resulting in micro-damage to muscle tissue. In steady pace cardio performance, on the other hand, are involved much less muscle groups and the intensity of the load on them is many times lower, and hence the damage is less.

In the hours and days after the workout, the body must repair the damaged muscle tissue. Throughout this recovery process, your metabolism works intensively to succeed with “repairs”. Simple calculations show that the longer and harder it had to work, the more calories you will burn at resting period.

Another fact that people aiming to lose weight often overlook is that weight training increases the volume of lean muscle mass, which also contributes to the speeding up of metabolism. Excessively long cardio workouts, however, can lead to loss of lean muscle mass and lower metabolic rate. The slower it becomes, the more difficult it is to reduce body fat. Moreover, lower down your resting metabolic rate can lead to storing body fat easier if you find yourself in a situation of calorie surplus.

For fast and most effective results we at CityFitness Team recommend to combine your weight training workouts with high intensity interval type of cardio and/ or sprints. We guarantee that a 10-15 minute interval cardio, rotaiting between fast and slow pace at the end of your workout, is much more effective for fat loss than a 40-50 minute steady pace cardio session.

How Fat Burning supplements helps us lose weight.

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to join the gym is one of the first things, that comes in to our minds when we decide to get rid of the accumulated extra body fat. With a well-combined training program that includes both strength and cardio exercises, we can significantly increase our caloric consumption during the day. it is no secret to anyone that, burning more calories, than those we have intake is the key to reducing body weight.

In addition to the workouts and balanced nutrition, we can also take nutritional supplements to get faster results and more lean physique. The most common ones that helps to lose weight faster are so – called Fat Burners.

According to what processes in the body they trigger , we can divide them in to two types – termogenics and lipotropics. The thermogenics increase body temperature, which helps burning fat faster. The lipotropics, in turn, accelerate the transport of fatty acids and ketones from fat tissues to muscle cells, where they are metabolized, and by so is reduced the volume of fatty аccumulations. One of the main differences in the two types is that the theromogenics affect the central nervous system and, in lipotropic, this is not observed.

Nutritional Supplements named Fat Burners are usually blend of several lipotropic substances.Most commonly they include L-carnitine, chromium-picolinate, alpha-lipoic acid, lecithin, etc. In addition to that, in the recipe also can be found various types of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Often, both the lipotropic and the thermogenic agents are mixed toghether in the fat burners formula and synephrine, yohimbine, L-tyrosine may be present in addition to the substances listed above.

There are no side effects when taking lipotropic based Fat Burners. Whit thermogenic substances this is not exactly the case. Systematic overdosing may result in minor headache, nausea, irritability, insomnia.Their use by children, pregnant women, and people with problems in the cardiovascular system is not recommended.

For best effect, take one scoop 30 to 60 min before your physical activity.

If you want to speed up the process of losing weight you can certainly really on fat burning supplements. We at CityFitness team recommend that you bet on the combined type, including both lipotropic and thermogenic agents.

CityFitness ™

Which type of cardio workout should we choose?

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With today`s article it’s time to look at another side of the training at the gym. So far, we’ve focused our efforts on writing about the proper methods and techniques for workouts with free weights and fitness machines, with whom you can develop different muscle groups, but this time we will like to stop your attention on the most important muscle in the body – the heart.

Aerobic sessions in the gym put the focus on training and improving the cardiovascular system. This type of workouts are beneficial for our health in many ways. Most important is that, they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and helps to slow down our heart rhythm. If we regularly perform this type of activity we can strive for better health and long life.

Cardio workout sessions can be different types and each type has its own advantages and benefits. From a training point of view, some types of cardio are more effective than others for burning fat. We will look at several types of workouts, so that you can choose and combine them, according to what best fits your expectant goals.

Treadmill – Running is probably the most natural movement of the human body. When you practice this activity it is important to learn the right technique, otherwise the risk of injuries increases. When running you have to  pay attention to the way how you step on your feet. Landing on your heels is the worst choice,  as well as lifting your legs very high from the knee. Middle of the foot should meets the ground first, not the heel or the fingers. Breathing in and exhale should be deep, but fast. It is important that the pulse does not exceed 130. Otherwise, the heart and lungs become overloaded, and this is not advisable in the long term. Beginners should not run long distances. When you master the technique and adjust your breathing and pulse properly, the results will come.

Spinning on exercise bike – also very effective cardio training method. According to your physical preparation, speed and pulse should also interact in such a way, that the pulse does not exceed 130. it’ is almost impossible to make a mistake in the technique of performing this movement. The time spent on the exercise bike can be much longer that the time spent on the treadmill, because this exercise does not generate so much pressure on the leg joints. It is appropriate to combine it with running. The seat of the bike should be positioned, so that your legs have a small angle in the knees.

Jump rope – an exercise that is used in many different sports. Improves coordination and endurance. Due to its nature, it can not be performed over a large interval of time. The jumps have to be done only with your toes and have to be low. When you are feeling confident with rope jumping, you can try various combinations with the jumping steps. For example,  switching left and right leg or double loop with the rope while jumping higher. Due to the fact, that this exercise overloads the heart quickly, it’s advisable to divide it into few sets. Each set with interval equal to about 1 minute. It is possible to feel pain in the calves at the beginning so approach the exercise with caution.

We hope that the information provided will unviel what you need to know for your personal goals and help you achieve them more quickly.

CityFitness ™

Training methods, technique and approach to the exercises for beginners – part 2 –

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Today, we are returning to the topic related to the newbies at the gym, but this time we will try to focus on the practical part, or in other words, what exercises are suitable for the beginners and how to perform them the right way. In the following lines, we will try to introduce to you the most appropriate of them, that we think everyone who just started visiting the gym, should know and practice to gain progress.

And so, you are already at the gym and trying to figure out how to perform the different exercises. Of course, as a beginner, it is quite likely to experience difficulties to do them the right way, but that should not batter you. Over time these moments will become more and more rare.

Lat pulldown: This exercises aims to develop your back muscles. Тhere are three key moments you have to have in mind here. The first one is the upright position of the body and keeping your lower back solid, during the working set. In second place – the pulling have to be towards upper part of the chest and have to finish below the chin. The movement must be vertical to the body with slightly tilting backwards. The third key point is the ability to partially isolate the biceps, otherwise the exercise would put more stress on them rather than on the desired muscle group.

Bench press: Basic and most familiar exercise for the chest muscles. Also, one of the most underestimated. To be executed correctly, it is fundamental to keep and pressure your feet on to the floor. This will give you the necessary stability and you will be able to apply more power to the movement. It is important, that the elbows point slightly forward, this will allow you to use more additional muscle groups to support the main one.

Triceps cable pushdown: Start the exercise in upright position, with elbows pressured tight to the torso. Push down towards the knees as you do the movement only from the elbow joint. Do not lock the joint. When releasing back towards the shoulders, the angle formed between the forearms and the biceps should not exceed 90 degrees. Be careful with how much weight you are trying to execute the exercise, because putting to much load will instantly lead to bad form.

Barbell curls: Take a standing position with a bar in your hands. Raise it up towards the chin, the movement have to be done from the biceps by moving the elbows slightly forward. Keep the back muscles tighten and try to isolate this muscle group as much as possible while performing the exercise. The hands have to be kept close to the torso.

Squats: The most important exercise for legs. Basic and extremely effective. Place the bar on your shoulders and the upper part of your trapezius muscles. When you start tо  perform the exercise your focus have to be on managing to keep the back in a upright position until the gluteus is in the same parallel line with the knees. Knees go forward and slightly to the side. Be reasonable how much weight you put on the bar.

Barbell overhead press: The movement is performed from standing up position. Make sure to spread your feet as wide as the length of your shoulders. Hold the bar more inward than the usual bench press hold. Lower the bar below the chin and at the same time tilt the torso little bit backwards. When pushing upward, finish the movement in fully upright position of the body.

Thank you for your attention. We hope we have been useful to you.

CityFitness ™

All you need to know about pre-workout supplements.

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How often we will go to the gym, how long our training sessions will be, how intense we going to do our workouts, depends on how motivated we are to achieve the goals set in advance. Personal motivation is the most important factor that makes us persistent in what we do and moves us forward. Inevitably, however, after some time comes the moment when it decreases and the tiredness from the work days starts to take over. This makes us inefficient in the workouts and very often is even the main reason for giving up initial plans to improve our health and body shape. Nutritional supplements know as pre-workout boosters are very appropriate for the days when the desire to go to the gym is greatly reduced and we feel that if we go to do workout, we will do something that is against ourselves.  They give extra energy, rejuvenate and help increase your tonus in general.

What are pre-workout supplements?

First we need to say, that pre-workout formulas are nutritional supplements. They are blend of ingredients each of which helps for optimizing your performance during workout sessions. Mandatory, in each pre-workout you can find the presence of L-arginine. Its primary role is to increase the quantity of nitric oxide in the blood, which in turns expands the blood vessels and improves blood flow in to them. The concentration of more blood in the muscle tissues means they have more strength and you get more pumped during workouts. Another common find ingredient in almost every pre-workout formula is caffeine. It’s a stimulant of the nervous system, that refreshes and lifts up your tonus. The amino acid Beta-alanine can also be find in the content of this nutritional supplements. It increases endurance and strength. In most blends, there are also creatine, citrulline, taurine and others. There also rich in vitamins, mainly those form group B.

How they help us in the workouts?

As already mentioned in the previous paragraph the pre-workout formulas improve endurance, give us more energy and increase strength. They speed up the recovery processes in the body after workout. Stimulate muscle growth and development. Enhance focus and concentration. The so important for all fitness enthusiasts pumping lasts and feels hours after the training session is over.

Do pre-workout formulas have unwanted side effects?

First few times when intake this type of supplements, it is advisable to start with half of the recommended dose. This is important, because it helps define how tolerant you are to these kind of products. Taking more than tolerated can lead to rapid breathing and increased heart rhythm. This is mainly due to L-arginine and caffeine in the composition of the pre-workout formula. The intake of L-arginine cause blood vessels in the muscle tissues to expand their volume and most of the blood flow starts to concentrate in them. Тo deliver enough blood for the rest of the body, the heart needs to work more intensely then normal. Caffeine increases levels of Dopamine, Adrenaline and Serotonin, which also accelerates the heartbeat.

In moderate amounts, pre-training formulas can only improve your exercise performance. Rely on them, but do it with measure and caution to get only the positive effect from their intake.

CityFitness ™

Training methods, technique and approach for beginners at the gym. -Part1 –

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The body as a complex machine needs a different type of care to function properly and to develop wright. In addition to well know factors, like proper and healthy eating, enough rest, we also need to know how we should properly structure our workouts in order to achieve the desired change. Today we will like to pay attention to some of the foundations that everyone who is training at the gym has to keep in mind , regardless of his level of progress. They are – the workout methods, workout techniques and the workout approach.

Workout for beginners – The beginners are those who are going to made their firsts steps in the gym workouts. They are yet to learn, construct and perfect the various techniques and methodologies of their workout sessions. The commercialization of fitness and bodybuilding as an industry brought an elements of underestimation of the process in which our workouts are made, which in turn brought two serious risks for every beginner. The first is the risk of injuries due to lack of enough knowledge about the training process, the second is the risk of so-called workout plateau. In this article we will look at how to make the first steps in this yet unknown environment.

1. Workout techniques for the beginners –  The dice are cast and you are in the gym surrounded by all sorts of different fitness machines and free weights. The first and logical question, of course, is how to use this equipment and which muscle groups is developed by it’s use. This is the moment were we start to enrich our fitness culture. Our first tasks is to learn and develop the proper technique for performing the different exercises. The use of light weights is advisable as well as the presence of certified personal trainer. The different position of the body and the ability to control your moves by your volitional capabilities, without disturbing the proper performance of the exercise is a coordinating skill which you will acquire in time. Most important techniques that everybody have to try learn at the beginning are:

  • acquiring the ability to isolate parallel working muscle group, when working out for desired muscle group (eg. Isolating the biceps when pulling on lat pulldown machine)
  • acquiring the ability to include different muscle group, when working out for desired muscle group (eg. Use of muscles on the back when performing squats).

2. Training methods for beginners. The methodology is the cornerstone not only for workouts at the gym, but also in any kind of activity that has a specific purpose. It is the way how are we going to structure our workout, outlining a clear cause-and- effect chain, between what we are going to do at the gym, how we are going to do it, and how all this reflects on our body. A typical example of a training methodology is your workout plan. For well structured training plan you need to include:

  • First, we need to consider our physical capabilities as a beginner and to what level we can tolerate physical load. Based on that we will determine how many times a week is good for us to visit the gym.
  • On second place, is important to separate properly the training sessions for each muscle group on the different days of the week, or so – called workout split. It is good to determine how many sets and repetitions we are going to do in each workout. And, of course which exercises according to the muscle group and our physical culture we will perform.

Preparing a proper training method is a complex task and, as a beginner, It is advisable to refer to personal trainer.

3. Workout approach for beginners. Many of you will ask the question – are not workout method and workout approach one and the same thing? The answer is – there is a deference. Тhe right approach to the workout is the skill by which you and your trainer will find the appropriate rhythm for you in your new venture. It will help you set realistic goals and form your action plan. Each step of you progress will be well thought out and on the basis of intelligent actions you will find the right methods and techniques. We may say that the three elements we have examined today are in connection between each another and if we apply them carefully our first step and those after will be successful.

In this first part of this article we show you how best to prepare for the first visits at the gym. In the second part you can find more about the practical part of the workout. You can find out which are best suitable exercises for beginners and how to perform them with the right technique.

CityFitness ™

What is the best nutritional strategy according to your body structure?

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The topic we are going to looking up today combines two of the most important components in bodybuilding – nutrition and body structure. In the following lines we will track the casual connection between our genetic capabilities and the nutritional methods we use.

1. What is body structure? Each of us is predetermined genetically to have a certain body structure, which plays major role in the directions and dynamics with which we will progress in our fitness venture. According to the skeleton and bone structure our muscles look a certain way, of course this can not be seen as a “verdict” but rather as a genetically predetermined direction.

1.2 Types of structure according to skeletal – muscle characteristics.

  • Endomorph – People with this body structure are tend to easily increase muscle mass. It is important to note that, the unappropriated nutritional plan can lead to relatively easy gaining unwanted body fat. With this type of body structure muscles gain a large and noticeable volume, but for them to look shredded requires deep approach to the nutritional plan. The skeleton and bone structure are large and can handle the work with heavy weights. The chances of getting a trauma during the workouts are slim.
  • ectomorph – People with this body structure experience difficulties to increase muscle mass and muscle volume. The plus is that they cannot easily accumulate unwanted body fat. The muscles can be made quickly to look shredded, without the need of calorie deficit. The skeleton and bones are thin and for this type of athletes is not recommended to do their workouts with heavy weights. Chances of getting a trauma during workouts is bigger than with the endomorphs.

Mesomorph – we can say that, this type of body structure has from both of the above. Muscle mass is relatively easy to gain. Accumulation of fat is difficult. A balanced diet fits perfectly to these athletes. It is relatively suitable for them to do workouts with heavy weights. Traumas are possible if insufficient attention is paid to the warm up routine.

2. Relation between body structure and nutritional plan.

The nutritional strategy can affect the way body looks, despite the type of skeleton – muscular structure. Knowing our body structure we can choose the right approach to the diet plan and get the maximum potential of what was genetically given to us.

All three body types of listed above reacts best to a different nutritional plan.

  • For endomorph diet with less carbohydrates, but high in proteins and fats, will give maximum results and will optimize achieved in the gym hall.
  • Ectomorph have to stick to a diet rich in carbohydrates, high at proteins and moderate at fats.
  • Beast suitable for mesomorphs is a diet high at proteins, moderate at carbohydrates and high at fats.

How our structure is built by genetics is important, but this is not decisive to an aesthetic look. Based on the knowledge of the various types of structure, we can successfully make the most of what was “given” to us by nature, and achieve better results for ourselves and our body.

CityFitness ™

WILL WE LOSE WEIGHT IF WE INTAKE L-CARNITINE SUPPLEMENTS?

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Quite often we make the decision to join the gym provoked by the desire to get rid of the accumulated extra kilograms. We can definitely say that this is the step in the right direction, but it is just one of the elements of the bigger puzzle in which our body begins to lose body fat. Workouts at the gym increase the daily calorie deficit and the negative calorie balance is the most important key if we want to reduce weight. Apart of maintaining  negative calorie balance, in order to have results, we also need to consume foodс whose macro-nutrients are fully utilized by the body for its functions and does not store them as body fat. It is also important to have enough sleep during the night. You can also get a helping hand in the fight against the extra body weight from the nutritional supplements known as fat burners. The most recognizable among them is l-carnitine.

L-carnitine is a essential amino acid, which means that the body can produce it for its needs from another amino acids. It is found in a range of foods, but most richest in carnitine are read meat and fish. Its primary role is to help with the transfer of fatty acids from fatty tissues to the mitochondria of muscle cells, where they are “burned” and release energy. Appropriate diet combined with additional intake of L-carnitine in a form of nutritional supplement, charges the body with extra energy and reduces the body fat index.

Except, that it helps with reducing the body weight the additional intake of l-carnitine also can be beneficial for your health because:

* it improves metabolism

* it reduces side effects of the muscle fever and helps faster muscle recovery

* it helps improve the function of the brain and cardiovascular system

* it acts as an antioxidant

* it improves fertility in males.

L-carnitine is a completely harmless product and has no side effects. Even , when taken in doses bigger than recommended, the body еxcretes the excess through out the digestion system without overloading itself doing it . However, the intake of at least a dose of 2500-3000 mg. of L-carnitine is necessary, so that our body can perform the process know as beta-oxidation of fatty acids in which, also is included another process known as carnitine-shuttle. Exactly by doing this actions our body loses body fat. The intake of less amount of this nutritional supplement will have no effect on your shape what so ever, simply because the body will not have enough to perform this tasks.

In the workout days it is advisable to drink one dose L-carnitine 30 mins, before your training session starts and in the rest days one dose in the morning, before you start your day. Several varieties of L-carnitine are available to bay on the market for nutritional supplements. You can find it in powder form, in the form of tablets and liquid form. The liquid form has its advantage, because it is absorbed a bit faster than the others, but each of them is good and effective option.

The L-carnitine supplements can help you to lose weight faster, but it is not the magic pill. We should not forget that, in this “fight” against extra weight, most important thing is the balance between caloric intake and caloric burn. If you can manage to regulate this balance and combining it with supplemental intake of L-carnitine, this will surely help you get closer faster to your desired aesthetic look.

CityFitness ™

HOW TO STAY IN GOOD SHAPE AROUND CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS

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Last few weeks are passing in expectation of the upcoming holidays. Good mood and excitement accompany our everyday life more and more. Do you have the desire for sports, but your focus is slightly shifted to a different direction? Does your well working nutritional strategies starting to slip away? Do not worry! The problem is not in you! Taking in mind that, right now is the holiday season, the risk of getting out of the good shape right now is fully understood. The purpose of this article is to help you stay fit and healthy during the holidays and in connection with this, we will give you some tips that can help keeping the balance in between what is pleasant and that what is useful for your body.

Tip 1: You can afford to step out of your usual diet plan, but do not overdo it. During the holidays the desire for the „forbidden fruit” is absolutely understandable. Your diet plans can go little off track, but of course it is good in general to stick to your normal nutritional habits. To make sure that this is done in the best way, you can seek the advice of the person who is monitoring your nutritional strategy.

Tip2: Reduce the workouts with weights. Do you feel that, the desire for sport is greatly decreasing, but you have to be stronger then this? Are you telling friends, that you are proud of yourself how despite your reduced motivation you still workout tirelessly at the gym? The easiest way to start hating gym sessions is to keep doing something against your inner voice. It would be better to reduce the intensity of training with weights and increase the cardio training sessions. On the one hand this change in your workout routine is a welcomed diversity for your body and on the other hand you maintained the “flame” and the chances for you to perform your own personal “HARA-KIRI” in sports are minimized.

Tip 3: Find а workout partner. One is good, two is better says an old saying. Each time when we workout with someone, this makes things different both in terms of motivation and mutual help in what we do together. In this way, the responsibility drives us to go on forward, because no one would want to ruin his own reputation, especially in front of a friend.

Tip 4: The early bird catches the worm.  At first glance this does not look very important, but if we can workout at mornings this can be beneficial. Around holiday there is a lot of non working days. Waking up early in a day off, a lot of us don’t have what to do. Beginning the day with coffee in one hand and the phone in the other is the surest way to accumulate laziness that will put stop on us for the rest of the day. “Another 10 more minutes and I will go … ” Is that sounds familiar to you? Open your eyes, have breakfast and head straight towards the gym, before the festive laziness catches up with you! It’s easier than it looks!

Tip 5: Be careful with alcohol consummation. One of the “killers” of motivation and physical activity is exactly alcohol. There is hardly to believe that, there is someone who would be happy to go and put much efforts in his workout at the gym , especially when he already have overload his head with alcohol. Alcohol also is high in calories. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to drink. Just do it for pleasure and in moderate quantities.

To sum up, we can say that the principles described above can be applied not only during the holidays, but whenever you feel decreasing in your motivation for exercising.

CityFitness ™

ARE THE PROTEIN POWDERS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH?

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Each of us visiting the gym has seen the heavily overfilled shelves full of all sorts of sports supplements available for the customers to bay. As soon as the workouts become more and more frequent, comes the time for every beginner to make his first “contact’’ with them. At this point inevitably questions arise about, whether they are good for our health and what is the effect of them to the body. Perhaps the most recognizable among them is the protein powder and in the following lines we will try to give enough information about its intake.

  • Is the protein powder harmful to your health? – One of the existing myths is that the protein in the form of dietary supplement is bad for your health. In order for us to bring some light to this question it is necessary to clarify what exactly is the protein powder. It is simply food. It is made from milk. Each one of us gets this important macronutrient for the proper function of the body by the foods we consume every day. Rich in protein foods are: meat, eggs, dietary products.

Most commonly protein supplements available in stores and fitness halls are under the name of WHEY protein, as their produced by processing whey, which is a by-product of making cheese. This process of treatment the whey eliminates the oxidized fats contained in the milk, as well as lactose, which most people cannot fully digest. As a result of that only the pure protein is left , which is not only good , but it is also essential for correct functioning and developing of the body.

  • Are there any side effects of whey protein intake? – This question concerns most of the beginners at the gym halls. As we already mentioned above, this type of food supplement is in fact meal like any other meal that we consume in our everyday life. This fact brings us to the logical answer, that there can be no side effects of intake of whey protein in the recommended doses. On the contrary, every one aiming to improve his physique will benefit from including it in his nutritional plan.
  • Do I need to intake whey protein if I eat enough foods rich in protein? – In order for food to “feed” our body first it has to be processed in the stomach, after this process is finished, thru the blood stream the proteins and other nutrients reach the cells and tissues. The time it takes for our body to breakdown and digest the supplements in a form of protein powder is much shorter. Rapid disintegration and because of that rapid absorption, is extremely useful and effective for those who are training with weights, because it enables fast recovery and on time feeding of the muscles, immediately after workout. The additional intake of this supplement also helps increasing the muscle mass, because the proteins in it, serve as building blocks of the muscles.

This product is classified and is available on the market as a food supplement. Based on this, we can  say that, the intake of protein powder is good to be included as part of a well-balanced diet. Also , if we don’t consume enough foods rich in protein in our everyday life we can also include the intake of protein powder.

In conclusion, we can say that one scoop before and one scoop after your workout at the gym is enough quantity of protein supplements to help you reach your goals faster and get you closer to the desired aesthetic vision.

CityFitness ™