Sphere Corporate Fitness

Weekly Health Bulletin

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:06:35 +0000

Three key factors for optimal results: Training, Diet and Recovery

I know you have heard this before and I am sure most of you read at least a few article about this kind of subject. To go straight to the core of this article I have to say that these three things must be part of your daily routine. Simply, if one of those three is missing the whole process of achieving results suffers. When you work hard you put your muscles and your body in general under stress. Because you may be exhausted your body needs the right food to start recovering the muscle cells, re-hydrate and balance its normal state. This can only be achieved if you rest enough time to allow the body recovery. When you recover, you can start training again. If you are not fully recovered you cannot train at maximum potential and you are prone to injuries.

Training:

These days, physical fitness is considered a measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypo kinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations. Whatever your training is you have to make sure you work hard enough to put the body under stress this way when the body recovers it will get stronger and fitter. If you are not too sure about your training program, please get in touch with a fitness professional to help you with it.

Diet:

Eat a variety of foods. “Eat a balanced diet.”60% of your calories coming from Carbohydrates,30% from protein and 10% from fat.
Drink plenty of water.
Drink plenty of milk (low fat version), if your stomach can handle it.
You’ll be eating plenty of nature’s perfect food, eggs. Get used to it. Plus, they make cheap and quick meals.
Take a multi-vitamin, multi-mineral.
Buy some protein powder. If you’re trying to gain weight, try a weight gain supplement. If you’re trying to lose weight, a good meal replacement supplement may help.
Try to eat fresh food, not processed food

Rest/Recovery:

Recovery starts in the first minutes after finishing your workout. Tendons and joints need to recover to the same degree as muscle. If not completely restored from previous training the chance of injury is significant. You need at least 8 hours of sleep every night. These hours should be calculated so that it is actually sleeping, not watching tv or other entertainment. When you feel tired to sleeping for 60-90 minutes during the day is helpful. If you can, try to go to bed and wake up at the same hours. A slightly lower (20 degrees Celsius) room temperature is the best option for a night’s sleep. Avoid incentives that contain caffeine (coffee, cola) or alcohol before bed. Therefore, besides the regular sleeping and other techniques is essential for every athlete to take a break at least one week a year in which you do nothing but massage, beach and leisure activities. Bodybuilders and heavy weights lifters can take a week off training every 16 weeks because of the different type of training.

Exercise of the week, Machine pec-dec chest flys

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:56:28 +0000

Adductor cable side leg raise

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:16:20 +0000

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:14:03 +0000

Weekly Health Bulletin

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:56:36 +0000

Glutamine
Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid and is found in large amounts in the muscles of the body, and since it easily pass through the blood-brain barrier, it is also known as a superb brain fuel, and some people refer to it as a “smart-vitamin” – although it is in actual fact no vitamin at all.
In theory, an intense workout that produces a lot of sweat could cause glutamine to fall below a critical point. When this happens, muscle mass may decrease, exercise recovery may be prolonged, and risk of illness may rise. Research shows, however, that regardless of glutamine supplementation, guys who perform regular, moderate to vigorous, physical activity have fewer colds than their coach potato buddies. In other words, guys who exercise regularly tend to have fewer colds regardless of the whole “glutamine debate.” It is a known fact, however, that when guys over train they can weaken their immune system and will tend to catch colds and the flu more easily. It is possible, and you could certainly argue, that this could be caused in part by low glutamine levels.
Glutamine is required for
It is converted to glutamic acid in the brain, which is essential for cerebral functions, and increases the amount of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is required for brain functioning and mental activity. It is used in the muscles for the synthesis of muscle proteins, and is of use for the treatment of wasting muscles after illness or post-operative care. Although the body requires nitrogen, free nitrogen in the body can be harmful since it forms ammonia – especially toxic to the brain. The liver normally converts ammonia to urea, excreted in the urine – but glutamic acid attaches itself to nitrogen and forms glutamic acid, while removing ammonia from the brain. It further is used in the body to balance the acid/alkaline level and is also the basis or building blocks of RNA and DNA. It serves as a source of fuel for cells lining the intestines and it is also used by white blood cells and is important for immune function
Deficiency of glutamine
Deficiency of this nutrient is rare, since it can be manufactured by the body but deficiencies can develop during periods of fasting, starvation, strict dieting, cirrhosis, and weight loss associated with AIDS and cancer.
Dosage
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is at least 5 grams/day but being aware that this dosage is the minimum that you require per day, to ward off serious deficiency of this particular nutrient (especially if you are training regularly). In the therapeutic use of this nutrient, the dosage is usually increased considerably, but the toxicity level must be kept in mind. In the presence of good health, supplementation of glutamine should not be necessary.
Toxicity and symptoms of high intake
No clear toxicity has emerged in glutamine studies, but it should not be taken by people suffering from liver or kidney problems.
When more may be required
People suffering from arthritis, fibrosis, connective tissue disease, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, as well as epilepsy, fatigue, impotence and senility may find benefit from an increase of this nutrient, as well as people busy with alcohol abuse withdrawal and patients living with HIV.
Other interesting points
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a salt of glutamic acid, is sometimes used as a condiment for flavouring foods. It imparts no flavour of its own, but enhances the flavours of meats, fish, and vegetables. Some people have an allergic reaction to MSG, and should be avoided by such individuals. L-glutamine supplements are also referred to as “smart drugs” since it is thought to improve the functioning of the brain. In animal research, glutamine has anti-inflammatory effects. Glutamine also decreases the craving for sweets and sugar, which is beneficial to people wishing to lose weight.
Food sources
Glutamine is found in many high protein foods, such as fish, meat, beans, and dairy as well as in vegetables such as raw parsley and spinach.

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:13:14 +0000

Cable adominal crunch

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:10:29 +0000

Weekly Health Bulletin

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:19:04 +0000

Weekly health bulletin

Water water everywhere and not a drop in sight.

Even your bones are a quarter water. The muscles that drive your performance are three quarters water. the brain that steers your limbs is 76% water. The blood that carries your nutrients is 82% water. And the lungs that provide your oxygen are near 90% water.
These basic facts of biochemistry emphasize the first nutrient in your quest for optimum performance. The most important nutrient in your body is plain water.
The quality of your tissues, their performance, and their resistance to injury, is absolutely dependent on the quality and quantity of water you drink. And you have to drink it constantly.
Light exercise in a temperate climate uses half a gallon of water a day in breath, sweat and urine. Athletes in heavy training use over two gallons a day. A 165lb athlete (75kg) is mainly composed of 50 quarts (2 pints = 1 quart) of water. In heavy training, he has to replace all of it every six days.

You can replace your body water with any beverage. They are all mainly water, including milk, fruit juices, coffee, tea, even the thickest soup, even whole fruits & vegetables. But if you fail to do so, performance suffers immediately.
Dehydrate a muscle by only 3% and you cause about 10% loss of contractile strength, and an 8% loss of speed. Performance literally dries up!

So if you want optimum performance, the unbreakable rule is: Continually top up your water.

Weekly Health Bulletin

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:15:37 +0000

Weekly health bulletin

Water water everywhere and not a drop in sight.

So if you want optimum performance, the unbreakable rule is: Continually top up your water.

Fitness Professional Vacancy - Google Zurich

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:37:30 +0000

Sphere Corporate Fitness are an Irish-Based Company who specialise in providing tailored health and well-being programmes to SME and large Multi-National Companies in Europe.

We are recruiting a Part-Time Fitness Professional for approximately 20 hours per week for our Corporate Gym in Zurich, Switzerland.

Benefits to the Successful Candidate include:

Attractive Package
Monday-Friday Working Hours
Flexible Hours
Opportunity for Additional Hours

The Successful Candidate will possess:

A minimum of two years in the fitness and health industry
Relevant Qualifications including Yoga and or Pilates
Passion and enthusiasm for the Industry
Excellent Communication Skills
Excellent Technical Capacity

CV and covering letters must be emailed for the attention of John Lark at jlark@spherefitness.ie by Friday 29th January 2010 1730 GMT.