Child's Play? Nope: Skipping Rope

Skipping rope isn't child's play anymore.

What is the most travel friendly, inexpensive, and effective exercise equipment? The one, the only, the jump rope. It is so simple yet so effective! Two handles and a rope! Skipping rope (not jumping rope or jump roping) is one the greatest forms of cardio you can get. It works the entire body. Your arms and shoulders to get the rope turning and stabilized, your legs to keep you jumping, your core to keep your body mechanics in line, and your mind to keep in rhythm. What I used to think was a simple toy that girls played with in elementary school has turned into a piece of equipment that has helped transform my body and fitness.

Here are few things about jump ropes if you are thinking about starting. First, you will need to decide on what kind of jump rope you want.

1. Beaded Jump Rope (aka Rhythm Jump Rope) - This is the jump rope most commonly seen for kids, double-dutch (a longer version usually), etc. It is great and perfect for those who jump rope outside or are just starting off. They are a bit heavier and so it makes it easier for the user to get used to the timing.

2. Leather/Cloth Ropes - Usually with a larger handle for comfort and a light weight rope allows for good rhythm and speed. This is good for the recreational skipper and for general cardio. You can start to do more advanced moves with it.

3. Speed Rope - This is the rope of choice for boxers and serious rope skippers. Usually with a nylon rope and thinner handles, these ropes are QUICK. My personal favorite and what I use. There are many different styles, from basic handle and rope to handles with high speed ball bearings and light weight speed ropes. As you get more experienced you will begin to find your likings. Be warned, this rope stings the worst.

Take a look at the infamous Buddy Lee (Prepare to be AMAZED!):

Go out and get a jump rope and give it a try. It might take a little bit of practice, but in the journey to becoming fit, it's about hard work and dedication. Keep at it and don't give up. Besides, if you get anything close to what Buddy Lee can do, you'll be one upping all your friends!

Brain Overload? Try This: Meditation

"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water."  -Bruce Lee

One thing I have been focusing on in terms of my fitness is breathing. I have been trying to increase the functionality of my lungs by practicing diaphragmatic breathing. It helps me relax and bring down my cortisol (stress hormones) levels when I feel anxious or panic coming. But I realized something, I can do all the breathing I want and physically my stress levels may reduce but there is one thing that continues to drive the stress levels back up and makes me go into anxiety mode, my brain.

I was in class last week and we were discussing interview preparation in my interviewing class. One of the topics we were discussing was stress management before going in for the interview. A classmate of mine says that one thing she does is meditates every morning and it keeps her relaxed and focused throughout her work days. That lead to my professor, who is a psycho-therapist, talking about an interesting subject. The idea of boring your brain to stop thinking. I've done some research and developed my own method to meditating. It's kind of a mix between using diaphragmatic breathing, mantra meditation, and my martial arts.

Here are the steps I take to reach my...zen...

1. Find an area where sound is at a minimum.
2. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. I prefer to lie down with my palms facing up.
3. Close your eyes and begin breathing in through your nose slowly and exhaling.
4. Choose a word that will not create an image or thought in your mind. I use the word "Relax". Words like "One" or "Sleep" would work well too.
5. As you inhale (through the nose) focus your thought on filling your abdomen then your lungs with air.
6. As you exhale (through the mouth) softly say your word. 
7. Focus only on breathing and your word.
8. Every time you exhale relax your body and feel your body just release.

After about 5 minutes or so I really felt my body just go heavy and relaxed and my mind was just... empty. This was a great technique to get better quality sleep and to get by day started relaxed and ready to go. My professor described the feeling as you are basically boring your brain to say "Ok, I'm taking a break."

Give it a try! What do you do to lower your stress?

The Name's Bond... James Bond: Visualizing Your Goal

It's been a long time since my last blog post and for that I apologize. I have been so busy with my MBA classes, training for Rugged Maniac, working out with the ROARfit Team.. and... ok.. no more excuses! With that said, here we go.

When I first began my fitness journey, one of the things that my good friend Rick told me to do was to figure out and select a few men that I would like to model myself after. I chose two men. First, Mr. Georges St. Pierre, the professional MMA fighter. He has the body of a great fighter, flexible yet strong. He's also a traditional fighter with Karate background which I absolutely respect. My second choice, a man I have respected and admired to since I was a child, Mr. Bruce Lee. The epitome of a martial artist. I may never reach his level of physique and fitness but to me, he has been what I am sure most every true warrior in the world has wanted to become. Rick advised that throughout my weight loss, to continually go back and visualize myself with the figure I want to have in comparison to the two men I want to figure myself after.

Visualization is a powerful tool when it comes to weight loss, it keeps you motivated to know where you want to go and it maps you to where you need to go in terms of your workouts. As a martial artist myself, my key goals have been to increase my muscle mass for figure and shape all while maintaining flexibility. Remember, when you build a lot of muscle you risk losing flexibility. So you look at someone like Bruce Lee or even one of my other favorites, Van Damme, and what you get is amazing muscular definition and you still keep your flexibility. I love my ability to kick to the head and I want to keep it. My trainer Jobi has been doing a great job at helping me keep to my goals. In fact, when I first started he asked me to send him a few names of who I would like to look like.

Here's an exercise for you. Spend some time thinking about who you would like to model yourself after, preferably someone who also portrays a healthy and fit lifestyle. And every once in a while as you are going through your weight loss path go back to it. Use it as a reminder to know where you want to be headed.

Lately, I've added a third person, and he's not even real! The names...Bond...James Bond... I've been watching from the Connery days up to Mr. D. Craig. The class, the walk, the look, the charm of Mr. James Bond. Can't beat it! Daniel Craig doesn't look to shabby himself in Casino Royale.

To keep up with what's going on, "Like" me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter! Till next time!

Comment below: Who do you want to model yourself after?

Product Review: PRO7EIN Synthesis

A few weeks ago I ran out of protein powder. I thought the world was going to end. So I went out to get my usual protein powder and I get a phone call from my brother, "Hey! I bought some protein!" I responded, "What kind......" He says, "This PRO7EIN stuff. The guy in the store said it was good." My eyes roll because I love my current protein brand, Intek. But in life, we should always look at the positives. I didn't have to pay for this protein powder and it gave me an opportunity to do a product review! So here we go.

PRO7EIN is a protein powder by Vitasport. According to their website this protein powder consists of 7 different kinds of protein, basically a combination of different types of whey and casein. Which I actually like. I like protein powders that offer a combination of whey and casein, I never really found the need to take two different kinds separately even though they do server slightly different purposes. The powder itself is super-fine which was great when it came to mixing because you don't get as much clumping and it dissolves a bit easier. Ok, here's the big one. Taste. My brother purchased vanilla since I always blend with natural peanut butter. Compared to my regular brand I didn't like the flavor much. It wasn't... bad... but it really wasn't.... good either. But taste is preference. Some people like it; some people don't.

As far as performance of the product, I honestly couldn't tell any significant difference in my body's reaction to it. I mean it's just protein after all, your body absorbs it and uses it.

Would love to hear what protein powders you have been using! Comment below!

Survival Guide: Fast Food

Recently I have gone back to school to get my MBA and time has become a very limited resource. Between working, schooling, exercising, and who knows what else, my time slots to eat have become slim. Now ideally, the best way to stick to your diet or eating plans is to plan ahead, prepare meals, and stay on track; however, there are those times where you’ve got maybe 20 minutes to grab something, eat it, and go. And unfortunately, the first place we usually end up at is the local drive-thru. It’s fast and easy. Dangerously fast and easy. And this is when survival mode must kick in. When you are hungry and you need to eat, you have to do what you have to do... eat! Here are a few tips on keeping things better in-line with your weight-loss plan while at a fast food joint.

1. Grab a burger and ask for it lettuce wrapped - Cut the carbs by requesting it wrapped in lettuce, if they can’t, then throw away the buns and eat it with a fork and knife. If you need the protein go with a burger that has a double patty.

2. Cut out the condiments - Ask for no mayo, no ketchup, no bbq, etc. Sauces can be sneaky sources of sugars. Mustard is usually fine as it has very little to no sugar. Avocados are a great substitute for mayo and has the good fats!

3. Skip the fries - I know, this is a hard one. I personally LOVE my fries, but do you really need to add all those sticky starches and carbohydrates?! Ask to substitute it with a small side salad (Don’t drench your salad in dressing either) or just skip it completely.

4. Drink water or iced tea - C’mon... skip the soda... you don’t need it. The small amount of caffeine in the iced tea can help you burn a few calories from your meal! (Don’t rely on it though) Also, use lots of ice. One, it fills up your cup with less liquid so you keep having to get up (who knew you can get so much exercise in at the fast food joint? Haha). Two, colder beverages shrink your stomach so you will feel full sooner. If you’re in the car, then don’t worry about the ice issue.

5. Be careful of salads - I personally don’t consider salads … food; however, if you are going to eat a salad, get something with more than just.... lettuce. Make sure it has some protein in it. Be care of having fruit on it whether it’s dried or “fresh”. And use the dressing sparingly, just enough to boost the taste.

Remember, eating at a fast food joint shouldn’t be anyone’s first choice and I’m not saying that all fast food joints are bad. It’s just that when you go in you have to be strategic. Usually the menu will not cater to your weight loss goals and so you’ll have to make a few sacrifices here and there but making these better diet conscious choices are better than having to give in and eat something you’ll regret. Stay strong!


I want to hear from you! What are your "healthier" choices when you're stuck at a fast food joint?

Fat Facts!

5lbs of FAT

How many commercials have you seen targeting “stubborn” areas and the model with a perfect 6-pack comes on? Too many. Let’s get one thing straight, “stubborn” fat areas cannot be targeted through diet and exercise. Yes, there are treatments you can pay for to target these areas; however, that’s not what ROARfit is about. Let’s get into some info about fat:

1. Fat is NOT lost locally - Your body will use fat as fuel (burn fat) based on its availability in your body. Thus your body burns fat systematically and not locally.
2. Which “-genic” are you? - Men are generally androgenic while women are generally estrogenic. That is why men tend to hold fat around the belly and women around the hips and thighs.
3. Building vs. Burning - Because fat is lost systematically, working out specific muscles will help with shape and growth; however, realize that as the muscle grows it will push your fat out making you look... fatter.
4. I want my 6-Pack - Only one way to get there. Burn the fat. You have the muscles there, burn the fat and show it!

NEWS: I have officially started putting together Team ROARfit. We will be training to participate in the Rugged Maniac 5k Obstacle course in October. So follow me on twitter (@edwardkwak) for the latest updates and info about our team training.

Understanding Blood Sugar

CARB OVERLOAD!!

Recently my mom came back from the doctor’s office and brought home a blood sugar level meter. It scared the crap out of me because I wasn’t expecting my mom to have high blood sugar. Fears of diabetes kicked in. Luckily her blood sugar level was creeping up but didn’t hit a diabetic level. I needed to help her lower it, she’s my mom for crying out loud! Haha. I asked her what she’s been eating and what may have been causing her blood sugar levels to rise. Well, it came from carbs and lots of it. Primary source was rice and bread. In a Korean household it’s not hard to recognize that as a strong contributor. Whenever she met with friends or was at church, sweet bread snacks were always provided. And there were many other small sources of sugars and carbs such as coffee creamer, fruit juice, etc.

So what do we need to understand about blood sugar? Sugar or glucose is our body's primary source of energy. It’s delivered around our body via the bloodstream and our body creates insulin in order to use sugar as energy. Insulin is released when the body’s blood sugar levels increase to prevent them from going overboard. So what does weight-loss and blood sugar have to do with each other? Having too many carbs/sugar increases your blood sugar level, causing a spike. In turn, your body starts its normal process of releasing insulin. When your insulin has done its job and the carbs keep coming, we have trouble. Once your body has taken in the amount of sugar it needs for stored energy it stores the rest as... FAT. What happens when your body stores fat? YOU GET FATTER.

So what can be done? Here are a few tips on helping and avoiding blood sugar spikes.

1. Be aware of your eating schedule/cycle - If you haven’t eaten for a few hours or are just waking up from a nap, watch the carb intake. Go for a protein shake instead.

2. Watch the whites - White sugar, white bread, pasta, rice, etc. These are all simple carbs that will just load you up. Look for whole wheat, but be aware of marketing schemes and read the ingredients.

3. Be weary of fruit - Eating fruit first thing in the morning causes blood sugar spikes because of the sugar in the fruit. Fruits are packed full of sugar. Yes, it is “natural sugar”; however, to your body, sugar is sugar. So eat fruit after a protein based meal or within 30 minutes of an intensive workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

4. Condiment caution - Condiments such as salad dressings, ketchup, and bbq sauce can have high amounts of sugar. Stick with things like oils, vinegar, mustard. When ordering or making a salad, have the dressing on the side and dip your bites in them sparingly. You only need enough to taste it not to eat it.