Keys to Fitness: Muscles 101

Introduction

Hello Everyone!!

Firstly let's get the excuse of being "too old" to get in shape out of the way.
For me my birthday is just a date on a calender as i have competed for over a decade against competitors half my age. How you might ask? By having the knowledge of how the body functions and just as importantly how to get the most out of your workouts, i will pass on my wisdom & tips to you my fellow bloggers and followers.

The "Key"(s) to exercise is having a variety. First not allowing the task to become boring and/or cumbersome as you must keep the brain guessing thus eliminating the plateau effect. Also when changes are not immediate one tends to become frustrated and feels like quitting, so we are going to change this with the blog to keep the routines far from boring and productive.

Secondly i will pass on knowledge regarding nutrition and water which is critical. You can work out all you want but remember what you do during exercise is tearing down the muscle and if you don't repair and hydrate you are just wasting your time, this aspect is probably 60%+ of the equation to a healthy body

Within the continuation of this blog, I will show you how to improve your health, change your shape and improve your game.... from the serious athlete to the weekend warrior. There will be video's of weight bearing exercises per body part and routines that everyone can fit in to their schedule and lifestyle no matter how hectic it is.

And remember, there is no point in having an empire if you are not around to enjoy it. Your body is a temple!

Yours in Fitness,

Terry Keys
www.terrykeys.ca

Testimonials

"Terry's knowledge of nutrition, proper training techniques and insight into how to maximize our player's energy and strength is second to none........ it has proven invaluable in our team's success."

-Trevor Stienburg, Head Coach

SMU Hockey Huskies

2010 CIS National Champions

"Few athletes have the dedication, let alone the physical ability to stay at the top of their sport the way Terry Keys has."

-Jim Reyno

Halifax Daily News Reporter

"Very few athletes have the ability or knowledge to truly help people in reaching their lifestyle goals. With his proven accomplishments in body sculpting, Terry is able to grasp and provide methods that work........ He is a walking testimonial of his success and abilities in living a healthy and happy lifestyle."

-Richard Glover

Director HBS & ProLab Canada

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Muscles 101

Your body has about 650 muscles but I swear that when I met Arnold Schwarzenegger he had a few more than that (lol). It does not matter that you only care about 4 or 5 of them (vanity is a terrible thing) but you do need everyone in order to perform the normal functions of everyday life; eating, breathing, walking or holding in your stomach at the beach. You could impress your friends at house parties by telling them that the Gluteus Maximus (the butt) is the strongest, Latissimus Dorsi ( middle back) is the largest and the Stapedius (middle ear) is the smallest, but what it comes down to is that we take for granted the brilliance of coordinated muscles in motion or the developed muscles in isolation .

A) Your skeletal muscles ( the ones that you secretly pose in front of the mirror) has two main types of fibers; #1 fiber ( slow twitch) are mainly used for endurance activities and #2 fiber ( fast twitch) which are used for explosive movements that uses more than 25% of your maximum strength. Most people have an equal mix of both fibers with the exception of elite athletes, for example sprinters has more #2 fiber and marathoners have more #1 fiber.

B) Growing muscles need more than just protein as they are 4/5ths water and also we need fuel to power up ( dense carbohydrates; fruit, veggies, rice etc) as this is so you don't use your protein for energy, if not think of it this way.... its like a car using pieces of the engine for gas. How much protein? .08 x your ideal bodyweight per day spaced 2-3hrs apart ( your body can only absorb so much per sitting)
ie160lb man =130g of protein per day and if you have too much? Come on, we are trying to clean up the oceans as the body sends it out as waste

C) Hey guys also if size is your goal avoid the shrinking mans exercise which is long distance running (we will get to some beneficial cardio exercises later) Think about it if that was the case after every marathon the streets would need to be repaved.(lol)

D) You can save your bones by lifting weights as it develops density from the weight bearing effect.