adminFor school kids, it’s joy time, some are excited to graduate to the next grade, for some it’s the end of school life.
For Christians we can’t wait to celebrate the birth of our Almighty king, Jesus Christ.
But again, for some good reasons, this month drags our memories back to the beginning of the year. Most of us are scratching our heads, the big question is, have you managed to accomplish your
2011 resolutions. We all had resolutions at the beginning of the year; some had one or two, but the more ambitious had 10 or more. And the most common resolutions among us being, I want to stop smoking, I want to stop drinking and the most famous one, I want to lose weight, look good and fit in my clothes. But the truth is, many years will come and pass by, but mostly nothing will be accomplished.
My advice guys is, sit down now and analyse and check where you might have got it wrong. You will repeat the same error until you know where you missed it. If you wanted to lose weight, just check if your eating or drinking was right. If it was, ok. maybe you didn’t give yourself enough time to exercise. Never go for another resolution before you get the first one right. You will definitely meet challenges, but be strong and be prepared to adjust and move forward.
I felt so touched last week when some young soccer boys contacted me from Kezi and Plumtree after reading the article. I could feel the eagerness of the boys to achieve and to do well in their carriers. This has prompted me to come up with this strength and endurance workout for these boys and girls out there. Hope this will be of great benefit.
The world of sport has become so competitive now that if one wants to emulate the Rooneys and the Ronaldos you have to take sport exercises seriously. Some of the highly paid persons are sportspeople, so take it seriously, don’t lose your focus.
If you haven’t done exercises before, you may find the going a little tough at first, but it won’t be long before you start enjoying and feeling the difference. Persevere — results don’t come within a day. Aim to lose excess fat and improving your masculinity. Don’t be too bulky, this will affect your flexibility and your reflex action.
This programme will focus on your upper body, core and your legs. Do a total body warm up for about 10-15 minutes. Warm up and stretch is extremely important to prevent injuries. Also good to help you focus your mind on what you are going to do.
Exercise
1. Push-ups
This will work your chest, shoulders, back and triceps. Place your arms on the floor, shoulder width apart, feet together maintaining a straight back. With your elbows facing back, lower down your body until chest touches the floor. Breathe out deeply as you push up. Pause and slowly lower down your body back to starting position. Do it sets of 10 to 20 reps. Don’t rest for longer than one minute between sets.
2. Body weight squats
This works your glutes (butt) and thighs. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, feet facing forward, hands behind head. Maintaining a straight back, bend knees like you want to sit. Stop at a 90 degree angle, pause and push back up to starting position. Exhale going up and inhale going down. Do four sets of 15 to 20 reps, resting for 45 to 90 seconds between sets.
3. Push-ups
This works your core, shoulders and arms. If you are not in a gym set-up, hook a strong bar which can carry your body weight on an overhead position, or use your goal post crossbar. Grip bar with an overhand position, hands wider than shoulder width position. Push up your body, chin up to the bar, and slowly control your body down without feet touching the ground and repeat. Do as many as you can, if you battle to do one rep at the first time, get someone to tip you up. Exhale as you push and inhale as you go down.
4. Shoulder press
Will work with your debts and trapezius. If you don’t have a shoulder press bench, use a straight chair. Sit with your back flash against the back rest. Hold a bar or any weight with both hands above chest level. Lift the weight up without straightening your elbows and slowly bring it down and repeat. Avoid elbows coming lower than shoulder level. Do it sets of 10 to 15 reps.
5. Press-up and jump
This targets your chest, shoulder, back, triceps, legs, calves and core muscles. From a standing position, bend over to place arms on the floor. Hold firmly on the floor and kick back your legs down to a press-up position. Raise your arms up and jump as high as you can. Land softly and go back to starting position and repeat. Do four sets of 15 to 20 jumps. The faster the better, control movement to avoid pressure on lower back.
6. Leg raises
For strengthening your core and lower back. Lie on your back, arms under back, your head slightly off the ground. Lift your legs up, and once your legs are vertical, thrust them up as if you want to kick up the ceiling. Don’t lift your back too high; control your body down to starting position. Remember to exhale as you lift and inhale as you come down. Do 4 sets of 10 to 20 reps.
7. AB crunches
This concentrates on your mid-section. Lying on your back, knees up, feet on the floor, arms behind head, lift up your shoulder blades without pushing your neck, and come down to starting position. Exhale as you crunch and inhale coming down.
NB: To improve your cardio-endurance include some bike spin, treadmills and skipping into your work-out. If it’s during the season, avoid burning out by giving your body enough time to recover between workout days. Don’t workout for more than 5 days in a row. Fuel your body by eating quality carbs an hour before your workout. Do 3 to 4 weeks of this programme depends on the progress. Will give you some advanced exercise in the next edition to challenge your body.
Thank you all. Looking forward to a good Christmas. All the best.
For views and comments, write to [email protected] or sms 0773 724 788. You can also call Shingi at Muscles and Curves on 09-79397.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter