30 days to stronger, firmer and leaner abs? Challenge yourself by joining Tiger Athletic head trainer Aubrey in our 30-Day Tiger Abs Challenge to build a stronger core and leaner abs.
Localized weight gain solely in your midsection may be the result of specific lifestyle choices. The two S’s, stress and sugar play a significant role in the size of your midsection. Fat around the middle is, in fact, unhealthier than being overweight, can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and even cancer, especially breast cancer.
Our modern lifestyle of sitting all day in traffic and at
work often leaves us feeling (and looking) fat, tired and with backpain.
Achieving a leaner more functional torso goes a long way to easing the back
pain and feeling amazing again. Along with the workout calendar at the end of
this article and as a Tiger Athletic first, every few days we’ll post a no
equipment, 10-minute core and abs workout video you can follow along pretty
much anywhere.
Join our 30 day Tiger Abs Challenge starting Saturday, February 01, 2020, by following the workout calendar at the bottom of this article and engaging with your personal trainer Aubrey and our close-knit fitness community on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group on Facebook. and we’ll get you a leaner, stronger, tighter midsection and to that elusive 2-minute plank benchmark. Even if just getting to a 20 second plank seems an insurmountable obstacle at present, we’ll get you there with a lot of planking practice and targeted core exercises to improve core strength for men and women alike.
We’re starting on Saturday, January 01, 2020, however, you can start the challenge at any time you feel you need professional help to improve your core strength and the aesthetic look of your abs. At the end of this article, we’ve created the 30-day Tiger abs calendar with a training program for you to follow every day of the challenge.
You’ll do four different ab exercises on most days, the plank
(of course), the boat pose, Jack Knives (Aubrey’s personal favourite) and cross
crunches for a set time or number of reps. For example, on the first day,
you’ll do a 20-second plank, 20-second Boat pose, 20 Jack Knives and 20 Cross
Crunches. For the Jack Knives and Cross Crunches, the set number applies on the
left side as it does on the right, i.e. 20 reps mean 20 left hand to right leg
and vice versa.
On some days our head trainer Aubrey will demonstrate a 10
minute ab workout video to add to your training routine and on every seventh
day, you’ll have an active rest day to focus on a low intensity workout like setting
a new personal best on your 10 000 Step A Day Challenge, yoga or swimming.
How To Join The Challenge
Join our Tiger Athletic Challenge Group on Facebook to get daily encouragement and motivation, as well as answers to any questions about the challenge you may have.
Share the challenge calendar below with your friends on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter. You can also print it out and keep it somewhere you’ll see it every day or save it to your phone so it’s always handy.
Follow along with the challenge each day and share your progress in the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group . We’re rooting for you!
30 Day Solid Abs Challenge Calendar
1
20 Sec Plank 20 Sec Boat 20 Jack Knives 20 Cross Crunches (10 Each Way)
2
25 Sec Plank 25 Sec Boat 24 Jack Knives 24 Cross Crunches (12 Each Way)
3
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
4
30 Sec Plank 30 Sec Boat 28 Jack Knives 28 Cross Crunches (14 Each Way)
5
35 Sec Plank 35 Sec Boat 32 Jack Knives 32 Cross Crunches (16 Each Way)
6
40 Sec Plank 40 Sec Boat 36 Jack Knives 36 Cross Crunches (18 Each Way)
7
Rest Day
8
45 Sec Plank 45 Sec Boat 40 Jack Knives 40 Cross Crunches (20 Each Way)
9
50 Sec Plank 50 Sec Boat 44 Jack Knives 44 Cross Crunches (22 Each Way)
10
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
11
50 Sec Plank 50 Sec Boat 48 Jack Knives 48 Cross Crunches (24 Each Way)
12
55 Sec Plank 55 Sec Boat 48 Jack Knives 48 Cross Crunches (28 Each Way)
13
Tiger Athletic 10 Minute Tabata Video
14
Rest Day
15
60 Sec Plank 60 Sec Boat 52 Jack Knives 52 Cross Crunches (26 Each Way)
16
65 Sec Plank 65 Sec Boat 56 Jack Knives 56 Cross Crunches (28 Each Way)
17
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
18
70 Sec Plank 70 Sec Boat 60 Jack Knives 60 Cross Crunches (30 Each Way)
19
80 Sec Plank 80 Sec Boat 64 Jack Knives 64 Cross Crunches (32 Each Way)
20
Tiger Athletic 10 Minute Tabata Video
21
Rest Day
22
90 Sec Plank 90 Sec Boat 68 Jack Knives 68 Cross Crunches (34 Each Way)
23
100 Sec Plank 100 Sec Boat 72 Jack Knives 72 Cross Crunches (36 Each Way)
24
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
25
105 Sec Plank 105 Sec Boat 76 Jack Knives 76 Cross Crunches (38 Each Way)
26
110 Sec Plank 110 Sec Boat 80 Jack Knives 80 Cross Crunches (40 Each Way)
27
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
28
Rest Day
29
115 Sec Plank 115 Sec Boat 84 Jack Knives 84 Cross Crunches (42 Each Way)
30
120 Sec Plank 120 Sec Boat 88 Jack Knives 88 Cross Crunches (44 Each Way)
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym with a personal trainer for each session. Revolutionize your present workout regime or find a new way to sweat with us. Book a trial session, let’s chat about your health.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you want to lose weight yet don’t know where or how to start. Get expert guidance on how to take one step a day towards a leaner, stronger body and jumpstart your weight loss with these expert tips, meal plans and workouts!
Step 1: Booking a consultation
and health appraisal with a qualified personal trainer is the most
important first step to ensure a safe and effective start to any new program of
exercise. The initial interview is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual
sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client-trainer
compatibility, discussing goals, and developing a client-trainer agreement.
Step 2:Organize
your fridge in a way that will help you shed the unwanted weight.
How you organize your refrigerator could be working against you. Make your
fridge an ally with these pros’ tricks to make your fridge a weight
loss ally.
Step 3:Stock up on superfoods.
It’s important to keep a stock of healthy foods that allow you to put together
a healthy meal at a moment’s notice. When eating out it is easy to consume
north of 200 extra calories, making eating at home a no brainer when it comes
to eating healthier and helping you kick the spare tyre.
Step 4: Your personality plays a large
role in your ability to lose weight and keep it off. The attitudinal
assessment is not an assessment of physical condition, it is
a gauge of attitude, outlook and perspective, key drivers of attaining your
goals of a leaner, stronger more functional self.
Step 5:Need
a new personal trainer? Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning
is a modern, private, strictly by appointment gym in Sandton,
Johannesburg. Our personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who
use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients.
We design safe, effective, fun exercise solutions for the individual who is
accustomed to personalised attention and a modern approach.
Step 6: To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, which inevitably means one thing: portion control. But you’re not necessarily doomed to a growling stomach until you reach your goal. Here are a couple of easy ways to cut portions, trim calories, and lose fat without counting the minutes until your next meal.
Step 7: When it comes to working out and getting
healthy, there are many different important components – such as strength and
conditioning. To achieve your fitness goals, you need to have a strong core. Strength
and conditioning is important and a critical addition to any
fitness routine. Over the years experts have highlighted the importance of
strength training in everyone
Step 8: Fat burning
foods. Certain foods have a thermogenic effect, you literally burn
calories as you chew. Other have nutrients and compounds that crank up your
metabolism. Stoke your metabolic fire by eating more of these foods, while
cutting out unhealthy snacks and empty calories.
Step 9: Bad
training habits. Exercise is the most important component of a
healthy weight loss plan, the scale will not move an inch if you take short
cuts. You put in the time and effort, show up at the gym, and pride yourself in
not taking shortcuts. So why is the scale not budging? Chances are, poor
exercise form or bad workout habits are costing you precious calories.
Step 10: Cut out
“low fat,” “fat free,” or “reduced fat,” while these labels are
fine for dairy products like milk, you shouldn’t automatically assume other
types of foods are any better for your diet than the full-fat versions as more
sugar, salt, and additives are added to make them taste good. The result is
foods that are lower in fat, sure, but contain more sugar and more calories.
Step 11: It takes many hours of regular
workouts in the gym to blast the 8 000 calories it takes to burn just 1
kilogram of fat from your body. Championship
Boxing is a fun, challenging 1 000 calorie per session that
will engage you, push you and teach you totally new and practical skills as you
move faster than ever towards your goal weight and aesthetic.
Step 12: Hunger is one of the biggest
obstacles to any weight-loss plan, a protein-packed breakfast slows
digestion and keeps blood sugar steady, meaning you’ll feel more satisfied and
energized for the rest of the day. Eggs are an easy way to get this
belly-flattening nutrient in your morning meal. Eggs and veggies in the
morning are a delicious way to jumpstart your metabolism and fuel your whole
day.
Step 13: Vegetarian day. Having
just one meat-free day a week has been shown to reduce risk for chronic
preventable conditions including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, not to
mention it may also help you lose weight.
Step 14: Calisthenic Bible.The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia as a means to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.
Step 15: Post
exercise overeating. Many people eat rich foods and larger portions
after working out, either because they are truly hungry or just feel like they
earned the reward. They end up eating back all, or more than the calories
they have just worked so hard to burn! There’s nothing wrong with small snack
or a filling dinner after exercising, but before you dig in, you must
understand your body’s true nutrition needs so you don’t end up gaining weight
despite all your hard work.
Step 16: Fight your
cravings. “Cravings”—such a dirty word when you’re trying to lose
weight or keep it off. No matter what your “I-want-it-now” food is, magwinya,
burgers or cupcakes, you probably wrestle with what you want to do (eat it
now!) with what you “should” do (go eat veggies).
Step 17: Sugar
addict? Kick the habit Fact: we love our sugar and sugary treats.
Arb fact: Former US President Ronald Reagan had to have jellybeans on his desk
always. Vending machines and even till points almost everywhere feed our
cravings for sweets. With South African sales of sugar filled drinks and other
sweets soaring and the highest percentage of fat children and adolescents on
the planet, we as a nation are addicted to sugar in all its glorious forms.
Step 18: Hidden
sugar in your diet. You’ll quickly realize just how often sugar is
added to foods when you look for it on ingredients lists. Even things that you
don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, condiments, and salad
dressings can be packed with sugar. Ingredients are listed in order of how much
exists in the product. If it’s in the top three ingredients, it’s high.
Step 19: Quinoa is a dieter’s dream food. Each 1-cup cooked serving packs 8 grams of boep reducing protein and 5 grams of fibre. The pseudo cereal (it’s a seed) is also extremely versatile: in addition to swapping it in as a replacement for rice, you can use it to top a salad, mix it into a smoothie, or even eat it as a hot cereal for breakfast.
Step 20: Make
your home a slimmer place. If your cabinets are so stuffed that you
need to put food on your counters, fridge, or exposed shelving, you’re setting
yourself up to trigger a craving. A bag of potato chips or chocolate out in the
open will put the food on your radar when you walk by. The minute you see that
visual cue, you want it.
Step 21: Kick – Lift – Box.
Whether you’re a fitness newbie or long-time gym aficionado Kick – Lift – Box twice
per week will get you to your fitness goals in no time. You can kick, punch and
lift your way to a stress-free zone within minutes of your high-energy Kick –
Lift – Box routine with movements that stimulate every muscle group in a
simple, effective 50 min workout.
Step 22: Crank up your metabolism. How fast your body burns calories is dependent on many things, among them; genetics, your sex, and your age. Resistance training is the best thing you can do to reverse the inevitable age-related slowdown. If you have signed up for a Tiger Athletic Strength & Conditioning Program, then you’re already heading in the right direction!
Step 23: Your
gut can make you slim. Simply put, if you get the microbiome, that
collection of bacteria inside you healthy, you will lose weight. It’s less
about eating a certain percentage of carbohydrates, protein and fat than about
correcting the overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria, which is making you crave the
wrong foods, triggering inflammation.
Step 24: 10 000 Steps a day challenge. Getting healthy and in shape doesn’t have to mean countless hours in the gym. As awesome as your 1 hour with your personal trainer is, it’s what you do during the other 23 hours of the day that ultimately defines the state of your health. Especially if your daily routine involves sitting for prolonged periods or you need some extra motivation to get more active. Why not join the Tiger Athletic team for the 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge?
Step 25: Barre. Want to lose
the jiggle for good? Ballet-inspired workouts blast fat, focusing on your
lower-half resulting in toned abs, bums, and legs. Getting you slim and trim
with a 30-minute routine. Here’s the secret: Most exercises involve
“micro-movements,” in which you move just an inch or two. “They take out the
momentum, forcing you to stay in the contraction, which tires muscles faster,
giving you faster results”.
Step 26:Evaluate, customise, communicate. These three simple steps are at the core of every exercise regime for every Tiger Athletic client. Through a series of proprietary tests, we evaluate your current fitness level, review injuries or restrictions and set short, medium- and long-term training goals. Everybody is unique, so are our workouts. With your goals in mind, we capitalize on your strengths and coach you through your weaknesses. Together we listen to your body.
Step 27: Skipping is an efficient, effective way to burn fat, strengthening your legs, glutes, arms, and shoulders in as little as 5 minutes per day. Jumping rope is a quick, convenient way to get your heart rate up into a fat burning zone wherever you are.
A skipping rope fits into any bag, so you know what that means…no excuses! Here is a quick routine. Try shortening the skipping segments by 20 to 30 seconds from 1 minute to start with until you can repeat the circuit twice or do body weight exercises during your 30-second rest periods, even trying variations of skipping like high knees or jumping jack legs.
Warm up skipping at an easy pace using a two-footed jump.
Skip as quickly as you can for the next 30 seconds.
Rest for 30 seconds
Skip as quickly as you can in a jogging style for 1 minute.
Rest for 30 seconds
Skip as quickly as you can in a two-footed hop with a side-to-side jump for 1 minute.
Rest for 30 seconds.
Step 28: You’re probably familiar with salty,
sweet, bitter, and sour, but did you know there’s a fifth taste? It’s called
umami, and a recent study shows that it has a unique effect on appetite. Umami,
which means, a pleasant savoury taste, has been described as a mouth-watering,
brothy, meaty sensation with a long-lasting aftertaste that balances the total
flavour of a dish. Umami flavour occurs naturally in several healthy foods.
Here are five nutrient-rich umami options that may help you
eat less, along with easy ways to enjoy them!
Mushrooms provide just 20 calories per cup, and they’re the only plant source of vitamin D, a key nutrient linked to lower rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Studies also link low vitamin D intake to more total fat and belly fat, and recent research has found that adequate blood vitamin D levels improve muscle strength and help muscles work more efficiently by boosting energy from within cells. Mushrooms also contain unique antioxidants that fight aging and heart disease, and natural substances in mushrooms have been shown to protect against breast cancer by preventing levels of estrogen in the body from becoming excessive. Shiitake, Japan’s most popular mushroom, is particularly rich in umami flavour. Simply sauté some ‘shrooms in organic, low-sodium vegetable broth with a bit of garlic, and add them to almost anything, including omelettes, salads, soups, or open-faced sandwiches.
Truffles, are one of the world’s greatest delicacies, contain three types of natural umami substances. This fungus, which has been referred to as the diamond in the kitchen, is quite expensive because it’s difficult to cultivate, but a tiny amount goes a long way. Just a thinly sliced or shaved bit of truffle adds robust flavour to any dish, but you can also use truffle oil to make a simple vinaigrette along with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs. Or drizzle truffle oil over cooked veggies, spaghetti squash, or a lean protein like organic eggs or fish.
Green tea – The list of green tea’s benefits is impressive. Regular consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, blood pressure, cancer, and osteoporosis, as well as overall anti-aging benefits. In addition to using green tea as a beverage along with meals, I like to use both brewed tea and loose leaves in cooking. I whip loose tea leaves into smoothies or combine them with pepper and other herbs like thyme as a rub. Brewed tea makes a great base for a marinade or soup or a flavourful liquid for steaming veggies or whole grain rice.
Seaweed, with benefits that range from heart protection to weight loss. One recent research review concluded that some seaweed proteins work just like blood pressure meds, and in animal research, a component in brown seaweed was shown to help rats burn more body fat. In addition, seaweed’s star nutrient iodine helps regulate the thyroid, and its magnesium may help enhance mood and improve sleep. In addition to making a side of seaweed salad a staple in your sushi orders, you can add a dollop to many savoury dishes, including scrambled eggs, stir fry’s, and soups.
Tomatoes, as the levels of the umami provider glutamic acid increase as tomatoes ripen, and research shows that in the inner agoutis of a tomato are tied to a stronger umami aftertaste. To take advantage, add sliced ripe tomatoes to a garden salad, or roast or grill tomatoes to further intensify their flavour. Bonus: cooking tomatoes provide more lycopene (as much as a 164% boost!), an antioxidant linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, and cancer, as well as skin benefits, including preventing wrinkles.
Step 29: Join Aubrey in his 30-Day
Solid Abs Challenge to build a stronger core and leaner abs.
Gaining weight solely in your stomach may be the result of specific lifestyle
choices. The two S’s, stress and sugar play a significant role in the size of
your midsection. Fat around the middle is in fact unhealthier than being
overweight, can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke,
high blood pressure and even cancer, especially breast cancer.
Step 30: You’re not alone if you are struggling
to maintain your motivation. Most exercise beginners start their plans feeling
motivated, then totally lose steam by the one-month mark.
Daily reminders to self on why you’re losing weight, sticking with the habits you’ve adopted through these 30 steps and not missing your personal training sessions will help you continue until you have reached your ideal weight!
Research shows an association between weighing yourself and weight loss. In a study, the more often people stepped on the scale, the more weight they lost. Once a week is enough, don’t just rely on your personal trainer for your weight measurements. Keep the numbers, it is self-motivation and regulation in action!
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym in
Sandton, Johannesburg using a rigorous, results-focused methodology we are
passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can
lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
Together changes everything. Let’s work out.
Reference:
NSCA
Harvard
Health Magazine
Cornell University
Duke University
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition
We all have an image in our hearts and minds of what our best body looks like… If only I could afford the best trainer, gym or nutrition advice. Well, guess what? You can stop dreaming, because you can. Tiger Athletic now offers an authentic workout experience for those who want to learn how to achieve that vision with Street Workout, simply the best boot camp group workout there is. Work with Tiger himself and achieve results from a world class fighter and coach who understands the science and art of fitness.
Join our close-knit fitness community and get the best
fitness instruction, nutritional counselling and motivational training packed
with fun, energizing outdoor workouts in Sandton’s most secure and stunning
office park. No worrying about personal safety or the safety of your car and
belongings while you sweat.
Our mission is to inspire and motivate you to get to your
best fitness, by training for 1-hour Monday to Friday in the morning or evening
or both! Evening sessions run Monday to Friday from 17:20 to 18:20hrs and are
full body workouts that constantly evolve so you keep developing and don’t get
bored. Morning workouts are run on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 am to 7 am with
Tuesdays focusing on core and upper body and Thursday focusing on core and
lower body.
Each bootcamp starts at the beginning of each month and runs
for the duration of that month – you will feel like a champion through our
best-in-class group fitness experience at only R400 per month for as many
morning or evening sessions as you can attend in any given month.
We have no joining or cancellation fees and you can train on a month to month basis with pay as you go. Sessions are always motivational, safe, different and fun! Whether you are a beginner, an enthusiastic weekend warrior or a competitive professional, we will make you look and feel like the best version of yourself.
All you need to bring is a mat, small weights (2 or 3kg), a water bottle and wear comfortable, layered clothing. If you don’t have these, you can always order these and bottled water from Tiger Athletic when you register to work out.
Register by the 28th of each month and you and your partner
or your bestie can come along for the first month’s camp!
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym
with personal trainers for every session. Revolutionize your present workout
regime or find a new way to sweat with us. We have you and your pocket covered
to tone and shape your body to new levels of excellence.
Working out with a personal trainer in a modern, private,
appointment only gym is the gold standard method of reaching your weight loss
and wellness goals, we all know this, however the reality for most people
is that as great as having a Personal Trainer is, it’s simply too expensive for
some in our present economic climate…..or is it?
We all have an image in our hearts and minds of what the best
version of ourselves looks like. Tiger Athletic offers an authentic workout
experience for those who want to learn how to achieve that vision with our
strength and conditioning program, while getting in the best shape of your life
in a high-intensity small group fitness setting.
Join our close-knit fitness community with morning, mid-day and early evening classes to suit every diary. Build the strength, confidence and passion needed to realise your dream body with great people and industry leading personal training.
Developed as a result of a rigorous education in Coaching Science, over two decades of boxing, martial arts and high-performance strength and conditioning training as an athlete, Tiger Fit provides the most effective group fitness and conditioning workout in the market with each class capped at 8 people to retain the personal training attention that is at the centre of our workout philosophy.
Each session is run like a championship boxing match, consisting of a 3-minute dynamic warm-up followed by 12 x 3 minute ’rounds’ comprising of 12 strength and conditioning exercises, for a total body workout. Each round is 3 minutes of all out action with 1 minute of active rest and hydration between rounds for the best in class workout experience.
Burn upwards of 1,000 calories per class whether you are a working professional, a home executive or looking for a new challenge to get you to your dream body, for 50 minutes a day you can train like a professional athlete in a modern, private, appointment only gym with a world class trainer and not break the bank at R 400 per month!
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym with a personal trainer for every session. Revolutionise your present workout regime or find a new way to sweat with us. We have you and your pocket covered to tone and shape your body to new levels of excellence.
Everyone wants fast results when they start a weightloss exercise program, however faster isn’t always sustainable or better for your body type. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Intitute of America, your ideal aim should be to lose between half and one kilogram of fat each week.
Walking at a pace of 5.6 kilometers per hour for 30 minutes, a 70 kilogram person can burn about 149 calories, or 298 calories in one hour. Over the course of 60 days this is 17,880 calories, or just over 2.2 kilograms. You are going to have to increase that intensity, and make dietary changes, to lose 9 kilograms in two months.
Step 1
Protect your feet and joints from discouraging discomfort that will literally stop you from staying commited to your walks by wearing shoes that are comfortable to walk in. Also, keep your body in the game by wearing workout clothes made of fabric that allows air to move around your body so your sweat can keep you cool as it evaporates from your body.
Step 2
Starting with a moderate pace for the first 5 minutes allows your body to warm up and get ready for more intense activity. This ‘moderate’ pace is based on your individual ability and fitness level and isn’t the same for everybody, so listen to YOUR body, don’t compete with anybody.
Step 3
Using your arms for momentum, bend the elbows and swing back and forth so that you can take longer, faster strides. Whether you are walking outside or on a treadmill, push yourself until you are walking at a brisk pace.
Step 4
Keep up your brisk, challenging pace for 50 minutes after your initial 5 minute warm up, then slow down. The last five minutes of your workout is a cool-down, your body is like an engine it is designed to perform but can also overheat. As the word itself says, the cooldown gradually cools, or calms down the cardiovascular system and allows your body to return to its regular state after a training session. This involves bringing the heart and respiratory rate, body temperature and metabolism back to their normal levels.
This is a very important part of your workout because, by not allowing the body to properly cool down and return to it’s normal state after a workout, we risk damaging the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system. This not only increases the likelihood of stiffness in the days that follow, but blood pooling can also occur. If you suddenly stop moving after vigorous exercise, the blood that was being pumped throughout your body during training can pool in your legs and feet, which can lead to dizziness and potentially fainting.
Step 5
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, keep all walks a minimum of 60 minutes. Perform them five to seven days per week for weight loss. Stretch after you’re done walking to maintain flexibility and help prevent muscle soreness.
Let’s Get Moving!
Keep challenging your body by changing your route or adding more rigorous settings to your treadmill workouts. Try adding steep roads or more challenging incline settings on your treadmill to burn more calories during your walks. You can walk your dog or push kids in a pram outside to help burn more calories during your walk too.
Try adding high-intensity interval training during your walk by alternating one minute of brisk walking with 30 to 60 seconds of speed walking, just below a jogging pace to burn more calories. To reduce your weight-loss goal, reduce your caloric intake by 10 to 20 percent, and focus on whole grains, lean proteins and fresh fruits and veggies.
Try to be more active throughout the day with cleaning after yourself, using the stairs whenever possible, parking farther from your office or destination or even playing outside with your kids, a pet or a friend.
Keeping it real…
Having unrealistic expectations is a sure way to demotivate yourself and self sabotage. It is possible to lose 9 kilograms in two months, but it may take longer. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise program.
Don’t put undue strain on your shoulder or hip joints by holding hand weights, dumbbells or strapping on ankle weights to increase intensity. Also don’t get overzealous and abruptly start exercising all day everyday, in all likelihood your next stop will be the emergency room at your local hospital or even death!
Share your progress, achievements, challenges and questions on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group We want to hear about how far you walked, where you went and what you felt like. Did you discover an ability or inner strength you thought you had lost or didn’t have? or simply reconnect with or inspire a friend or loved one to take some time and just take a walk with you? Tell us!
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only gym. Whether you’re looking to diversify your workout regime or find a new way to sweat, we have you covered to tone, shape, or maintain your already enviable frame in Sandton’s most progressive and exclusive gym.
Start your journey to a healthier, stronger you today by claiming your complimentary fitness, nutrition and lifestyle evaluation.
Getting healthy and in shape doesn’t have to mean countless hours in the gym. As awesome as your in person or online workout with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer is, it’s what you do during the other 23 hours of the day that ultimately defines the state of your health. Especially if your daily routine involves sitting for prolonged periods or you need some extra motivation to get more active. Why not join the Tiger Athletic team for the 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge? We’re kicking things off tomorrow and going for 4 weeks.
How to Join the Challenge
Measure your daily steps, using a fitness tracker, a smartwatch or your smartphone.
Join the challenge on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group. We’ll be posting lots of helpful info and tips, answering all your questions and connecting you to other members of the community who are joining you for the challenge.
Post your progress to the group. Keep the rest of the community updated with your daily walking by posting screenshots of your step-counting app or photos of your fitness tracker or what you saw on your daily walk. Maybe you walked through the park at lunch or took a hike over the weekend. We want to see it!
Why 10,000 Steps a Day?
There’s no abracadabra regarding the number 10,000, it’s about what it represents, getting off your bum and walking around.
Originally, according to UC Davies Integrative Medicine, the number 10,000 came from a Japanese pedometer first marketed in the 1960s, called “manpo-kei,” which translates to 10 000-step meter. Since that time, however, research has confirmed the health benefits of us walking more. A 2000 study from the journal Hypertension Research showed that people who took 10,000 steps a day had lower blood pressure and a 2003 study published in Preventative Medicine found that it improved glucose tolerance.
Conversely, a 2009 study in an issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that people who only walked 5,000 steps were more likely to have poor cardiometabolic health, which can heighten the risk of diabetes, heart disease and/or stroke. This was further backed by a 2017 study from the International Journal of Obesity that found a link between more time spent sedentary and larger waist circumferences and increased risk for coronary heart disease.
How Does The Challenge Work?
The purpose simply stated is to get you moving! Every day is about being as active as possible, with a goal of walking at least 10,000 steps a day! You can track this with your wrist fitness tracker or through your smartphone. Then check out the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group for details on weekly challenges, fitness tips, products and news.
Week 1: Try Walking A Little Bit More
Welcome, you’ve made the commitment to getting and staying active through making tiny adjustments to your daily activity level, and I’m elated to help you change your life. For week 1 of the 10,000 steps challenge, get a baseline for how much you walk a day, and then challenge yourself to walk just a little bit more. 10 000 steps may seem unreachable or may seem like ‘easy work’, whatever your lifestyle you can benefit from this challenge.
If you’re leading a largely sedentary lifestyle, that’s okay, there is no time like now, focus on walking a little more each day and work your way up to 10,000. If you’re ahead of the curve, maintain your effort and try to add something new like some squats or situps to the routine to keep yourself challenged and engaged.
Get the Most From the 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge
Establish a baseline. Check how many steps you’re currently taking a day on average. Save that number for the end of the challenge to track your progress.
Every couple of hours through the day, take a look at the number of steps you’ve already logged. Are you on track? If not, get moving! Set a reminder on your phone or be mindful to walk to the water station, around your office or building.
If you’re going to commit to the challenge, make sure you keep your tracker or phone charged and with you at all times.
Set smaller goals for yourself. Regardless of what your baseline number is, think about where you want to be at the end of this challenge. Do you want to finally hit 10,000, or do you want to be able to climb up the stairs without getting winded or finish that park run?
Week 2: Get Creative To Log More Steps
Congratulations on making it through week 1 and welcome to week 2! I hope you are feeling energized and pumped to work just a little bit harder this week. If you haven’t hit the 10 000 steps per day mark yet that’s perfectly fine, there are plenty of people gearing towards the same goal. Keep posting your daily tally on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group and get encouraged by what other people are doing. Now that you have established a baseline and know how much you walk in a day, here are a couple of fun and creative ways to get you moving more.
Pace around your home while you brush your teeth.
Walk around the kitchen while coffee brews or the microwave is on.
Park the car at the other end of the parking lot from work or the store.
If there are two bathrooms at work or wherever you happen to spend the majority of your day, use the one that’s farther away or even one on a different floor so you have to take the stairs.
Take a walk on your lunch break, between meetings or errands.
If you have a phone call or meeting, take a walk while you do it.
Take your pet for a long walk or walk a friend’s dog.
If the shop is close enough, walk there!
Take your afternoon coffee break walking distance from your office.
Play tag or some other game that involves a lot of movement.
If possible take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
Carry shopping bags from your car to the house one at a time.
Pace the room while the commercials are on.
Take the long way to the printer or water fountain.
Pick up litter around your office or neighborhood.
Pace when you’re waiting for an appointment.
Instead of sending an email, walk over to your co-worker’s desk.
Skip the drive-thru and dance around the kitchen while you cook.
Clean your home.
Do some work around the yard like mow the lawn or rake leaves.
Take an extra lap around the supermarket.
Seems silly but every step adds up, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can reach 10 000 steps. Basically, if you can walk somewhere, you should walk somewhere!
Week 3: Involve Friends and Colleagues
Wow! Its week 3 already and you are going from strength to strength. In week 1, you established a baseline, In week 2 you got creative with your steps and upped the ante. Let’s add some excitement and maybe a little friendly competition, this week it’s time to get your friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors – EVERYONE – involved.
Can Friends Help You Reach Your Goals?
The benefits of teaming up as accountability partners to get moving are a no brainer to work out, you’ll be more likely to stick with it until the end if someone you know I doing it as well.
People who have fit and active friends were more likely to be fit and active themselves as published in a study in Nature Communications in 2017. This backs up another study from 2010 in the Journal of Social Sciences that stated that people mimic the exercise habits of those around them and a 2016 study in the journal Obesity, that said obese participants lost more weight if they spent time around their fit friends.
Fit friends help motivate us to get started, they also help us stay the course and complete whatever program we’re on. According to a 1999 study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 95 percent of participants who started a weight-loss program with friends completed the program, while only 76 percent of those who participated alone finished. Additionally, the group with friends was 42 percent more likely to maintain their weight loss at the conclusion.
Healthy friends keep us accountable, motivate us to keep going, model healthy behaviors, provide friendly competition and make us happier throughout the process! This week your mission is to get 1 person to join your journey.
Week 4: Turn It Up!!!
Just how active can you get? Our goal this week is to try and set a new personal best, everyday! We all have responsibilities…,families, work, life to attend to…..TRY!!! It’s absoutely incredible that you are now in week 4 of the 10000 step a day challenge. You probably haven’t thought about this but by now you have walked in the neighborhood of 210 000 steps.
So How Far Have You Walked?
10 000 steps equate to about 7.6 kilometers or an hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed. By now, if you’ve walked 10 000 steps per day you’ve covered about 160km! Whats 160km from you?
How High Have You Climbed?
What about if you turned those walking steps into climbing steps? How do your daily steps compare to some of the world’s tallest staircases and buildings?
The longest staircase in the Guinness World Records can be found going up Niesen Mountain in Switzerland with 11 674 steps.
Burj Khalifa is the current tallest building in the world and has 2 909 steps to get to the 160th floor. Visitors aren’t allowed to use the stairs, so every time you walk 3 000 steps you’ve reached the top!
The annual race up the 1 860 steps to the top of the Empire State seems daunting until you realize that you have been walking 10 000 steps per day!
Realistically though, walking steps and climbing stairs isn’t exactly a one-to-one comparison, but you get the idea. If they were, however, how many times in a day could you climb the Burj Khalifa given your average step count?
How Many Calories Have You Burned?
Too far fetched to imagine? Here are some points a little more applicable to your daily life, calories burned! A lot of variables, of course, come into play, but the American Council on Exercise (ACE) estimates that the average person burns 3,500 calories per week walking 10,000 steps a day, even simpler, 500 calories a day
The brisker you walk or as we like to say, the more you turn up the intensity, the more calories you burn. If instead of focusing on shorter stints around your home or office, start trying to take more brisk walks around the block or up and down your street. Depending on your weight, walking 10,000 steps burns between 250 and 600 calories.
Be The Best You
Dare yourself to add an additional half an hour walking to your daily routine, commit to a weekend hike or simply discover your neighborhood. It’s impossible to walk all day every day so pick one day, maybe the last day of this challenge and go for your all-time best daily step count record.
Then share it on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group We want to hear about how far you walked, where you went and what you felt like. Did you discover another stunning hiking trail in beautiful South Africa? or A fun farmers market to stroll through on the weekend? Tell us!
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only gym in the heart of Sandton. We use an individualized approach to assess, motivate, coach and educate you regards your fitness and health needs.
For most of Sandton’s residents, a trip to the gym means waiting on line for machines and sharing the humid, dank air with dozens of sweaty people. For those who don’t want to stand in line for machines, trainers or parking there is Tiger Athletic, no membership or cancellation fees rather an appointment only policy that entitles clients to buy sessions with an intensely trained trainer.
Our gym is designed for private training only. No distractions. No crowds. Generous space. Workouts are supervised, charted, studied, and supplemented with nutritional advice and referrals to Sandton’s medical elite should it be necessary. Clients enjoy private showers and dressing rooms in spaces reserved only for you before and after your appointment.
Evaluate, customise, communicate. These three simple steps are at the core of every exercise regime for every Tiger Athletic client. Through a series of proprietary tests, we evaluate your current fitness level, review injuries or restrictions and set short, medium- and long-term training goals. Everybody is unique, so are our workouts. With your goals in mind, we capitalize on your strengths and coach you through your weaknesses. Together we listen to your body.
Tiger Athletic is a one of a kind fitness facility. Black rubber floor, white walls, plate loaded machines, boxing bags and no-frills dressing rooms. Membership is capped at between 50 to 60, chiefly Sandton’s tycoons and captains of industry. Aspiring clients who don’t seem motivated are encouraged to train elsewhere. After all, if you’ve made it to Tiger Athletic, you are someone who’s used to reaching your goals, and then some. No one leaves Tiger Athletic without a purple face and a better body.
The gym tends to be sparsely populated, as members are only permitted to turn up for training when they have an appointment; the locker rooms never have more than two people in them, in separate spaces at that. Tiger Athletic’s training philosophy employs exercises that are designed to increase balance and stability, strength and conditioning and several plate loaded Powercore machines are double-sided—one lever for each arm—in order to achieve greater symmetry and strength balance.
Clients here are evaluated by a trainer, and referred if necessary, to a Sports Medical Doctor, Doctor of Chiropractic, Physiotherapist or Registered Dietician, after which individual programs are prescribed by Aubrey Ndisengei, a Coaching Science graduate and Black Belt who founded Tiger Athletic in 2010.
Basic membership is ZAR 3025 for 10 x 1-hour long fitness sessions with no joining or cancellation fees. Enjoy discounted off peak rates up to 50% when you train between 9am and 4pm, with the flexibility of online training or pre designed, custom sessions to go for the frequent traveller. We are committed to your fitness, your comfort and your state of mind
Our trainers are the pulse of Tiger Athletic. They are here to rouse, rally and educate an equally energetic, intelligent, discerning clientele. We hire and retain state of the art trainers, drawn from the most respected exercise science programs. They possess exhaustive practical knowledge and are dedicated to the potential of body and mind
Finding a gym or a great workout in Sandton City can be just as overwhelming as seeking out a new restaurant or bar in the City of Gold, here, you’re seemingly spoiled for choice. Whether you’re looking to diversify your workout regime or find a new way to sweat, we have you covered to tone, shape, or maintain your already enviable frame in Sandton’s most progressive and exclusive gym.
“The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts – it gives you what you demand with your actions.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
How about, 8 weeks, you and your bestie, in a modern, private, appointment only gym with an intensley trained trainer chasing a simple goal, to get you into your favourite outfit again! It’s easy, sign up to lose 5kg with our 8-week Get Fit program, and you can bring your bestie to all your workouts!
If ditching the gym to have brunch with your best friend
makes you feel a tad bit guilty, cut yourself some slack and just bring them
along, on us! It turns out friendships
can impact our health just as much as working out and eating properly do. Research
proves, having an active and fulfilling social life is crucial to maintaining
physical health. Turns out, you can have the health benefit of your friendship
and working out, all at the same time!
In your teens, social isolation is equivalent to the effects
of getting no exercise says Kathleen Mullan Harris, a sociologist at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the lack of social connections
in old age is equivalent to having diabetes, in terms of increasing
hypertension. Working out with your best friend is a sure way of staying active
and healthy for life.
In each of four studies tracking more than 20,000 teens into young adulthood, a survey on midlife and two surveys focusing on retirement and aging adults, the number and quality of an individual’s social life was compared with the four measures of physical health: BMI, inflammation, abdominal weight and blood pressure.
Researchers discovered a positive correlation between the number of social connections an individual had and his or her health. “With each additional social connection that you have, you get an added beneficial effect for your health,” Harris explained. “The more, the better.”This research validates previous research finding that individuals with active and thriving social lives can reduce the risk of mortality by 50 percent!
If you really want to lose the extra weight, eat better, get better quality of sleep, reduce stress and look good in your favourite clothes, try working out with your best friend. After all, working out with a companion has been scientifically proven to improve your exercise game and overall happiness!
Have you noticed a correlation between your health and the quality of your relationships? Do you make your social life and personal wellbeing a priority? Do you ever exercise with your friends?
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only gym. Whether you’re looking to diversify your workout regime or find a new way to sweat, we have you covered to tone, shape, or maintain your already enviable frame in Sandton’s most progressive and exclusive gym.
Together Changes Everything. Let’s workout.
Book your complimentary workout below, and yes….Bring Your Bestie 🙂
Having a strong, fit and healthy body can really help you in packing everything you need to into your day. This is especially true for mums and mums to be with all the lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling that comes with the job! Whatever your situation, needing to lose a little weight and “tighten” up, new mums, mums with young kids or pregnant we provide modified workouts that maximise conditioning benefits while minimising injury risk.
Our qualified trainer designs safe, fun and innovative aerobic endurance workouts for improved cardiovascular fitness, as well as resistance training for increased musculoskeletal fitness in one on one or small group sessions depending on your need…. train on your own with your trainer, with a workout partner or best friend or in a small group of four!
We recommend that when
embarking on a weight loss exercise program or post-natal exercise
program, you play it safe and get the “all clear” from your health care
provider before hiring our qualified personal trainer. A correctly designed
exercise program with proper coaching that corrects, motivates and assesses you
can help you feel stronger and more energised, lose ‘baby weight’, correct
stress incontinence, improve tummy separation (diastasis) and your belly’s
appearance, and improve your posture.
Perhaps you’re a mum with older children and still feeling
the impact of birth years on or just wanting to shed some weight, look and
feel younger and give yourself a new lease of life, whatever your situation, Tiger
Athletic personal training has the right mixture of qualifications and experience
as an athlete and coach to safely and effectively strengthen your body with a
simple, effective strength and conditioning program.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is as appointment
only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led
fitness solutions in a modern, private facility in the heart of Sandton. Your
preparticipation health screening and goals are the foundation and corner stone
of the efficient, effective 50-minute workouts.
When pregnant, you may seek out exercise programs for several reasons. You may feel self-conscious about your changing body, be concerned about having a healthy baby, want to stay in shape during your pregnancy, want to be able to handle the rigors of labour and delivery, or need additional social interactions and support during this phase of your life.
If you were physically active pre-pregnancy, you may continue, with the appropriate medical advice participating in appropriately adjusted sessions of physical activity to maintain cardiovascular and muscular fitness during pregnancy and post-partum.
If you were previously sedentary, you may also benefit from
regular exercise during pregnancy although a program that is consistent with your
physical capabilities would involve additional support, motivation, and
professional guidance.
In all cases, being pregnant and wanting a personal trainer from Tiger Athletic, you will be required to consult with your health care provider before we can design or initiate you in an exercise program or modify your current exercise program.
Recommendations regards exercise during pregnancy relate to
three key concerns:
Insufficient oxygen or energy substrates to the foetus
Hyperthermia, induced foetal distress or birth
abnormalities
Increased uterine contractions
A well-designed fitness program with correct assessment,
doctor advice, additional support and motivation should pose a low risk for
these problems in uncomplicated pregnancies.
Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy
Most pregnant women who follow their doctor recommendations
can attain maternal health and fitness benefits. The following are some of the
benefits for pregnant women who engage in exercise and follow their health care
providers recommendations in a properly designed prenatal exercise program.
(adapted from ACSM 2000, reference 4):
Improved cardiovascular and muscular fitness
Facilitated recovery from labor
Faster return to prepregnancy weight, strength
and flexibility levels
Reduced post-partum belly
Reduced back pain during pregnancy
Increased energy reserve
Fewer obstetric interventions
Shorter phase of active labor and less pain
Less weight gain
Enhanced maternal psychological wellbeing that
may reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and depression associated with being
pregnant
Increased likelihood of adopting permanent,
healthy lifestyle habits
Participation in an exercise program may also be
beneficial in the primary prevention of gestational diabetes. The effects of
regular exercise training on insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose
metabolism may improve glucose tolerance.
In the absence of either medical or obstetric complications,
exercise during pregnancy appears to be associated with many of the physical
and health benefits typically observed in non-pregnant women.
Exercise Guidelines
The following exercise guidelines from the American College
of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists apply to women who would like personal
training from Tiger Athletic and do not have additional risk factors for
adverse maternal or prenatal outcome. (Adapted from International Federation of
Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2002, reference 3):
30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise up to 6
days per week
Avoid exercise in the supine position after the first
trimester
Exercise should not continue past point of fatigue
or reach exhaustion
Non-weight bearing exercise such as cycling, and
stretching are favoured for reducing injury risk and continuing the program
throughout pregnancy
Exercises that present potential for even mild
abdominal trauma are avoided, as well as activities that present a high risk
for loss of balance or falling are discontinued prior to the third trimester.
Large increases in body temperature are
minimised through adequate hydration, appropriate clothing and optimal
environmental surroundings during exercise.
The many physiologic and morphologic changes of pregnancy
persist 4 to 6 weeks post-partum, exercise programs should be resumed gradually
after giving birth.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. Our custom exercise programs stem from personalised assessments, strength & conditioning, motivation and education.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only gym in Sandton, Johannesburg. We use sport science to assess client’s health, set SMART goals and design custom fitness and lifestyle programs delivered through personal training.
Our programs cater for Sandton’s most influential minds, with many of the precinct’s top executives being part of our clientel. Our pragmatic, scientific approach develops the physical and mental strength of champions that transcends the playing field into the work arena.
Our approach is simple, a full body assessment to start the process and provide the foundation for a custom fitness and lifestyle program, plate loaded strength equipment, boxing gear and your personal trainer Aubrey, whose philosophy is built around coaching science and experience as a black belt, elite level fighter and instructor. Tiger Athletic is more than just another ‘exclusive’ fitness club, we are a portal to a healthy and productive way of life. A VIP pass to lifelong health, fitness and wellbeing.
Monthly membership starts at R5000. A 10 hour investment of your time each month with an intensly trained trainer to live our motto, “We Train The Hardest”.
Our assesment and health appraisal process is our competitive advantage. We screen for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and orthopaedic diseases in order to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation as well as assessing health status and stratifying risk as a basis for referral to our network of health care professionals where necessary.
Assessment data provides a platform to initiate fitness and lifestyle interventions for our clients. Creating a new, pre emptive path where data highlights the possibility of future injury or illness. Through our approach we can go beyond aesthetics, not managing to create beautiful, toned bodies but being able to forge a holistic approach to health.
We design safe, effective exercise programs and provide the guidance to help clients achieve personal fitness and health goals.
There is no time like the present especially when it comes to gaining control over your health and lifestyle after an indulgant festive holiday. We’d like to make your fitness goals a reality in 2019. Become a new client and book 10 fitness sessions for January in December and get up to a 50% cash back to spend as you please!
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer a modern approach to fitness using exercise and nutrition programs based on your health assessment and goals.
We use our personal trainer and modern, state-of-the-art equipment, to provide you with a structured, action-oriented exercise and nutrition solution, improving fitness and appearance, reducing health risks and promoting healthy behavior through extraordinary 50 minute workouts that are simple, efficient and effective.
Our entire approach is designed around you as an individual, your unique physique, capabilities and goals. We assess, motivate, educate and coach you towards your personal goals in a professional and supportive environment.
Our assessment procedure and expert medical network ensure that you are looked after in the best possible way. Ensuring health first and lots of fun while you work towards your dream aesthetic.
Together changes everything. Let’s chat about your health?
If you are searching for a way to make any meal healthier, superfoods are the most concentrated mineral and nutrient dense organic foods on the planet, with nutrients in their natural form. Eating a diet rich in superfoods should help to control weight, curb hunger pangs and cravings, protect from diseases and boost the immune system. But knowing what to eat and how to eat it can be confusing. Here are a few simple options to get you going!
Water is a keeping-weight-off superfood, it’s a great alternative to other, high calorie beverages like sweetened hot drinks or fizzy cold drinks and you are not likely to ‘compensate’ by eating less food. Research suggests that people who drink liquid carbohydrates (such as fizzy cold drinks) are more likely to consume more calories than their bodies need, compared with people who ate the same amount as a solid carbohydrate.
A recent study focused on a group of obese adults who ate three, 180-gram servings of fat-free yogurt a day as part of a diet, reduced their normal daily caloric intake by as much as 500 calories. Further, this group lost 22% more weight and 61% more body fat than another group of participants who ate a reduced-calorie diet that didn’t emphasize calcium-rich foods. Even more impressive? the yogurt eaters also lost 81% more stomach fat!
The acai berry is a relative of the blueberry, cranberry, and other dark purple fruits. This reddish-purplish fruit is touted as one of the elite superfoods with anti-aging and weight-loss properties. The berries come from the acai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to Central America and South America. Research on the acai berry has focused on its possible antioxidant activity. Theoretically, that activity that may help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer.
Lycopene is a beneficial nutrient and the red pigment that gives tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruit, and navel oranges their color. Lycopene is said to have protective effects against prostate cancer, though more quiet research has shown it has tremendous health benefits for women as well, including proof that lycopene may help protect against breast cancer.
Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are often by products of oxygen use by the body. Many experts believe the damage from free radicals plays a part in several chronic diseases, including hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), cancer, and arthritis. Free radicals can also interfere with your immune system, so fighting off damage with antioxidants helps keep your immune system strong, making you better able to ward off colds, flu, and other infections.
Black and green teas both have different types of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. More than a decade’s worth of research about green tea’s health benefits — particularly its potential to fight cancer and heart disease — has been more than intriguing, as have limited studies about green tea’s role in lowering cholesterol, burning fat, preventing diabetes and stroke, and staving off dementia. The detoxifying effect of the antioxidants found in green and black teas protects cells from free radicals, which can cause damage leading to blood clot formation, atherosclerosis, and cancer.
Vitamin D is important for bones because it assists the body in calcium absorption. Most people know that calcium is needed for strong bones, but it’s also needed to help blood vessels and muscles contract and expand; to send messages through the nervous system, and to secrete hormones and enzymes. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body and makes up 1%-2% of adult human body weight. Over 99% of it is stored in bones and teeth, with the rest stored in blood, muscle, and other tissues.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. Our personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients. We design safe, effective, fun exercise solutions for the individual who is accustomed to personalised attention and a modern approach.
Your initial interview’ or first session, is to assess client – trainer compatibility, discuss goals and a client – trainer agreement. This includes the preparticipation health appraisal, essentially a questioneer to identify known diseases and “red flag” positive risk factors associated with heart disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.
Tiger Athletic’s health first approach helps you reach your goals safely and effectively through health and fitness assessment, personalised coaching, modern resistance and cardio equipment, calisthenics and boxing to provide a pragmatic, extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.
Pre – emptive training (alternately preventive medicine, preventative healthcare/medicine, or prophylaxis) consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Just as health comprises a variety of physical and mental states, so do disease and disability, which are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. Health, disease, and disability are dynamic processes which begin before individuals realize they are affected.
Annually, millions of people die of preventable deaths. About half of all deaths are due to preventable behaviours and exposures. Leading causes included cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and certain infectious diseases. Millions die each year due to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
According to estimates made by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 55 million people died worldwide in 2011, two thirds of this group from non-communicable diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and chronic cardiovascular and lung diseases. This is an increase from the year 2000, during which 60% of deaths were attributed to these diseases.
Pre – emptive fitness assessment and training are especially important given the worldwide rise in prevalence of chronic diseases and deaths from these diseases, thus screening and risk assessment is the spine that supports all Tiger Athletic personal training programs.
There are many methods for prevention of disease. It is recommended that adults and children aim to visit their doctor for regular check-ups, even if they feel healthy, to perform disease screening, identify risk factors for disease, discuss tips for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, stay up to date with immunizations and boosters, and maintain a good relationship with a healthcare provider.
Some common disease screenings include checking for hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar, a risk factor for diabetes mellitus), hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol), screening for colon cancer, depression, HIV and other common types of sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhoea, mammography (to screen for breast cancer), colorectal cancer screening, a Pap test (to check for cervical cancer), and screening for osteoporosis. Genetic testing can also be performed to screen for mutations that cause genetic disorders or predisposition to certain diseases such as breast or ovarian cancer.
The Tiger Athletic scope of practice involves the responsibility of interviewing potential clients to gather pertinent information regarding their personal health, lifestyle and exercise readiness. This is a vital mechanism instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet the participants individual objectives.
We are a health and fitness company whose modern approach is based on an individualised approach to assessments, motivation, education and coaching of clients for maximum health and aesthetic benefit. We use the client consultation and health appraisal process to design safe and effective exercise programs and provide you with the guidance to help you achieve your personal goals. Recognizing our area of expertise as strength and conditioning professionals we refer you to other health care professionals when appropriate.
The primary principle underlying the client consultation and health appraisal process is to screen participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation. Assessing a client’s health status and stratifying risk is our basis for exercise program design and referral to healthcare professionals.
Obesity and being overweight is a major risk factor for a wide variety of conditions including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. To prevent obesity, it is recommended that individuals adhere to a consistent exercise regimen as well as a nutritious and balanced diet.
A healthy individual should aim for acquiring 10% of their energy from proteins, 15-20% from fat, and over 50% from complex carbohydrates, while avoiding alcohol as well as foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Sedentary adults should aim for at least half an hour of moderate-level daily physical activity and eventually increase to include at least 20 minutes of intense exercise, three times a week.
Preventive assessments and fitness training offer the safest most effective avenue to mitigate or side step potentially catastrophic medical events. The medical system in South Africa is geared largely toward curing acute symptoms of disease after the fact that they ‘arrive’ in the emergency room rather than screening for symptoms and initiating preventative measures. An ongoing epidemic within South African culture is the prevalence of obesity. Eating healthier and routinely exercising plays a huge role in reducing an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, appointment only, strength & conditioning gym in Sandton, offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions. Our workouts are based on your health screening and goals. This initial process is instrumental in screening participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety and benefit during exercise testing and participation.
Three and a half million South Africans (about 6% of the population) suffer from diabetes and there are many more who are undiagnosed. It is estimated that another five million South Africans have pre-diabetes, a condition where insulin resistance causes blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be type 2 diabetes.
The highest prevalence of diabetes is among the Indian population in South Africa (11-13%) as this group has a strong genetic predisposition for diabetes. This is followed by 8-10% in the coloured community, 5-8% among blacks and 4% among whites. 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is among the leading cause of kidney failure, limb amputation, and new-onset blindness in adults.
Tiger Athletic Personal Training offers benefits and results that dieting, and supplements alone just can’t give you. The exercise component of our programs boosts your metabolism and turns your body into a fat blasting furnace, while the benefits of our ‘smart nutrition’ go beyond weight management.
Good nutrition can help reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Our programs build muscle in the places you want and improves body shape to give you a firm, toned body, which when coupled with smart nutrition safely speeds up the weight loss and strength gain.
Our programs consist of strength & conditioning, healthy eating and portion control – eating the right food in the right quantities at the right times with a weekly weight loss target of half to one and a half kilograms. We keep track of your progress with monthly body fat percentage and girth measurements to show progress and motivate performance.
Tiger Athletic workout plans are based on your consultation and health appraisal, with a lot of variety and progressively harder sessions. Why? Not just to make you stronger and more fit, but to make sure you keep burning fat and toning muscle. When you do a workout repeatedly, it eventually gets easier, which means your body doesn’t have to work as hard and therefore burns fewer calories.
Our motto is “We train the hardest”, therefore each week the workouts evolve to a higher intensity, keeping your body interested and guessing by never doing the same workout twice.
Together changes everything. Let’s workout.
Hiring a certified personal trainer is a sure way to ensure that you get expert knowledge and attention to guide you to your personal wellness goals, identify and develop hidden strengths, address personal weaknesses and learn from past lifestyle behaviour through individualised assessments and custom fitness programs in a modern, private appointment only gym, Tiger Athletic personal training will help you shed the extra weight.
We offer a variety of exercise programs, customisable to overcome different hurdles that you commonly face that stop you from reaching your desired aesthetic, exercise solutions that help you derive real benefit from hiring a certified personal trainer who is invested in your success.
Personalised and in-depth assessments provide you the client, with information that simplifies SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time based) goal setting and as a foundation for your trainer to design efficient and effective exercise programs by revealing a broader perspective of the client. The process and the data collected also assist in identifying potential areas of injury and reasonable starting points for recommended intensities and volumes of exercise based on desired goals and fitness outcomes.
Individualised assesssments help your Tiger Athletic trainer to bring the best possible tailormade fitness solution to our clients. Some of the key reasons for our indepth assessments:
A baseline for future comparisons of improvement or rate of progress.
Identification of strengths and weaknesses that may affect program emphasis on certain aspects.
Assistance in establishing appropriate intensities and volumes of exercise.
Clarification of short, medium and long-term goals.
Identification of areas of potential injury or contraindications prior to program initiation, which may lead to referral to a physician or other health care professionals; and
A record demonstrating prudent judgement and appropriate scope of practice in program design to further avert the risk of injury and ensure success.
At the very beginning, when tailoring our program for your best possible benefit, we take the most important first step with you, by figuring out what internal challenges you face in trying to lead a healthier more productive life. Our programs are flexible enough to include exercises that will be effective in helping you work through these issues by asking questions that identify the root of past failures.
Are conflicts between work and your lifestyle creating divisions that undermine motivation?
Do you need to get to know yourself better?
Do you focus on the end goal or success instead of being mindful of the process?
Does poor prioritisation of your goals in your everyday life hamper progress?
Can you take instruction and advice and apply it to everyday life?
Are you resistant to change? Does this affect your ability to move forward?
Does your moral require a regular boost?
Self-mastery has a multiplier effect on total life performance. An effective mind – body connection can help you achieve incredible results in all spheres of your life. An individual that fails to gel work, play and personal life into a team can cause unnecessary disruption, failed delivery and strategic failure across the board.
In modern life both business and personal, it is almost impossible to avoid being a member of a team. If you’re not on an official team at work, chances are you function within one in one way or another. So, it’s important for your personal and career development to isolate and develop your working strengths and weaknesses.
Strength & conditioning helps provide you with the physical, mental and emotional strength, stability, power, mobility, endurance and flexibility that you need to thrive as you navigate life. You use basic movement patterns like pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting, rotating, carrying and gait patterns (walking and running) every day. Strength & conditioning utilizes exercises that improve movement and thinking proficiency in these primary patterns to give you an edge and enhance your physical and mental performance, so you can achieve your goals in a team setting in the workplace, playing field and home!
Life is unpredictable and unstable. So why would you develop yourself using stable and predictable diets, workouts and self-help aids. No matter what your personal or business target is, audacious your fitness goals seem or how you perceive your physical ability, we treat variety and practical application as critical components of your training to keep you winning!
Tiger Athletic custom fitness solutions challenge the entire mind and body in every plane of motion to perform exercises that improve movement and cognitive skills on the field and in life. We are an appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions in a modern, private facility in the heart of Sandton. We offer simple, efficient, effective, personal wellness solutions.
Fact: we love our sugar and sugary treats. Arb fact: Former US President Ronald Reagan had to have jellybeans on his desk always. Vending machines and even till points almost everywhere feed our cravings for sweets. With South African sales of sugar filled drinks and other sweets soaring and the highest percentage of fat children and adolescents on the planet, we as a nation are addicted to sugar in all its glorious forms.
While sugar is not literally addicting, (scientists long ago proved that people are born with a preference for sweets), this innate desire does not disappear as we grow older. Some people find it impossible to leave the dinner table without dessert; others can’t fathom a day without chocolate. Many women blame hormonal surges for the sweets cravings they get around the same time each month.
Sugar and other sweeteners add calories with few other nutrients and have no doubt helped contribute to our current epidemic of obesity. True, sugar is not alone in promoting obesity, a lack of exercise and excessive calories from poor nutrition habits also contribute.
Sugar has been blamed for everything from diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, and heart disease to disruptive behaviour in the classroom. But sugar by itself will not cause any of these conditions, except for cavities.
A comprehensive review of scientific research, published in the journal Nutrition Research in 1997, showed that sugar is not a direct cause of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or hyperactivity. A more recent government report concurs that sugar is not by itself linked to any of those conditions. However, too many calories, in any form, can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Changes in our behaviour are often attributed to changes in our blood sugar levels. When you consume a meal made up of simple, refined carbohydrates – like a doughnut or a soft drink – the result is a spike in blood sugar. Your body responds to this spike by secreting large amounts of insulin to normalize your blood sugar level. In response to the insulin, your blood sugar level drops quickly, leaving you with a feeling of sluggishness and irritability. When your blood sugar gets too low, hunger reappears, and the roller-coaster ride resumes, that is, if your next meal is also mostly simple carbohydrates. These are the carbohydrates that the latest diet books denounce, not the healthy, fibrous carbohydrates that come from whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
At Tiger Athletic, your personal trainer will help you choose these healthy carbohydrates or give you nutritional advice that adds protein or fat to your meal, so your blood sugar will rise and fall more normally without the negative side effects.
When we say we have a sugar addiction, we may mean anything from a mild desire to intense cravings for sweet foods and drinks. Some people go so far as to equate the effects of sugar to a drug, saying it calms them and helps them deal with stress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid recommends we limit added sugars in our diet to 12 teaspoons per day, as far back as 2001, the average American ate and drank the equivalent of 31 teaspoons of sugar daily, however, even with these scary numbers, South African children still managed to overtake American kids as the fattest on the planet! We are failing the next generation!
Sugar finds its way into virtually every kind of processed food, from tomato sauce to soups and, especially, soft drinks. One 330ml can of your favourite soft drink contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. As if that is not bad enough, some data suggest that we consume an average of 155 litres of soft drink per person annually. That’s a lot of sugar – and extra calories!
Sugars have 4 calories per gram, or 15 calories per teaspoon. If you want to shave calories, it’s a good idea to limit added sugar in your diet. Sounds simple enough, but what about those hard-to-ignore cravings? Here’s the trick: Gradually decreasing the amount of sugar you eat, and how often you eat it, will help you reduce your desire for sugars while lowering your caloric intake. Old habits are hard to break but our personal trainer will guide you into making small and gradual changes in your eating style will help you break free from your sugar addiction.
Many people, newly diagnosed with diabetes find that after they start eating fewer sweets, foods like fresh fruit taste sweeter and can satisfy their cravings for sweets. Remember, moderation is the key. If you can control the quantity, you will be able to enjoy sweets on occasion.
Here are some tips to help you break the sugar habit:
Book an assessment with a personal trainer at Tiger Athletic and get professional help.
Read the label on all processed foods. Check the amount of sugars and choose products with the least sugar per serving.
Become familiar with sugar terminology. Recognize that all of these are sweeteners: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, molasses, turbinado, and brown sugar.
Keep up with your journal, and use the notes section to document your mood, setting, and activity whenever you feel the urge to eat sweets. Review your notes and look for patterns or triggers that you can alter to help control your sugar intake.
Select one behaviour to change each week. Try satisfying your sweet tooth with a snack-sized chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one. Next week, trade in a soft drink for sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice.
Satisfy your desire for sweets with the natural sweetness of whole fruits or no-sugar-added juices.
Buy unsweetened food and beverages and add small amounts of sweeteners if you need them. Enjoy whole-grain cereal with one teaspoon of sugar instead of presweetened cereals, which contain much more sugar per serving.
Try using less sugar in your coffee or tea. Gradually decrease the amount you use to let your taste buds adapt.
Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar; this will do little to alter your desire for sweets. Moderate amounts of artificial sweeteners are not unhealthy, but they won’t help you retrain your taste buds.
Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder — and it also intensifies cravings. Allow yourself small portions of sweets on occasion. Try to satisfy your cravings with a piece of sugarless gum. If you totally deny yourself, it will be hard to think about anything else. On the other hand, if you know you are allowed one small treat per day, you will savour every bite.
Quench your thirst with flavoured waters that are calorie-free. Jazz up plain or sparkling water with fresh mint, a slice of lemon, lime, or orange, or a splash of fruit juice.
If you’re a sugar “addict,” kicking the habit will do your body good. Doctors newest nutritional recommendations suggest a balanced diet, low in fat, with a reduced sugar intake, along with regular exercise, as the best way to lose weight and keep it off.
Your Tiger Athletic Weight Loss Program of exercise and good nutritional advice supports these recommendations. It is designed to promote a weight loss of ½ to 1 kilogram per week and to encourage the eating of healthy foods while weaning you from excessive sugar. So, book a trial session, sign up, stick with the plan, follow our tips, and find out just how sweet better health can be!
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, private, appointment only gym in the heart of Sandton. Our personal trainer is a fitness professional who uses a personalised approach to assess, motivate, educate and coach clients regards their health and fitness needs.
Together changes everything. Let’s get you healthy!
SOURCES: Nutrition Research, 1997; vol 17(9). Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Jan. 10, 2002. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, May 1998. Food Review, Winter 2002; vol 25(3). USDA Economic Research Service. USDA Economic Research Service, 1990-1997 Food Consumption Data, April 1999. Clinician Reviews, 2001; vol 13(11). WebMD
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning offers Personal Training Programs endowed with benefits and results that dieting and supplementation alone just can’t deliver, boosting metabolism, toning and sculpting your muscles, turning your body into a fat blasting furnace through hard work and dedication hand in hand with ‘smart nutrition’. We do not sell weight loss, we offer a pragmatic health first approach that screens, identifies and mitigates for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation.
We define our scope of practice in the personal training profession by characterizing our personal trainers as health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. We design safe and effective exercise programs and provide the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals. In addition, they respond appropriately in emergency situations. Recognizing their area of expertise, our personal trainers refer clients to other health care professionals when appropriate.
“We train the hardest”, we adhere to the highest standard of preparticipation health appraisal screening. The value of our initial client interview is the first step in the client consultation, to obtain and share essential information with the program delivery process. The ‘initial interview’, is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information intended outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatibility, discussing goals and discussing a client – trainer agreement.
The purpose of the preparticipation health appraisal process is to identify known diseases and positive risk factors associated with coronary artery disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.
The client consultation and health appraisal process is our competitive advantage and is directly in line with the scope of practice of the certified personal trainer, to assess, motivate, educate and refer when necessary. For us to develop custom programs of exercise that will safely and effectively meet your individual objectives, the personal trainer needs to gather pertinent information and documentation that will be used to assess health status, evaluate potential for risk, and refer for medical clearance when necessary.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is as appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions in a modern, private facility in the heart of Sandton. Your preparticipation health screening and goals are the foundation and corner stone of the efficient, effective 50-minute workouts your personal trainer custom designs for you.
Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the third resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can workout in privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.
Pull body weight exercises use a resistive or static pulling motion to work various muscle groups.
The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.
Human Flag
Start by grabbing a vertical object such as a pole or tree trunk, with both hands palms pronated. The body is then lifted into a horizontal position using the abdominal muscles, with the arms remaining as straight as possible.
Muscle Groups
Abdominals (mainly obliques)
Shoulders
Triceps (this is for the pushing down by the lower arm)
Biceps (this is done by the pulling of the upper arm)
Muscle up
Starts with an aggressive standard Pull Up with an overhand grip to chest level, at which point the wrists are rotated forward to permit the elbows and arms to swing above the bar. The arms then push the body up until the arms are straight and the waist is at the level of the bar. The motion is then reversed so the body can be lowered back to the starting position. The transition between the high pull up and the low dip is the most difficult part and emphasizes the trapezius.
Muscle Groups
Deltoids
Trapezius
Erector spinae
Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Brachialis
Pull Up
The body weight Pull Up is another common indicator of an individual’s general fitness level.
Start by hanging from a bar with the arms extended and the palms facing away from the exerciser. The body is then pulled up using the arms until the elbows are bent and the head is higher than the hands. If the hands are moved closer, more emphasis is placed on the biceps and elbow flexors.
Muscle Groups
Deltoids
Trapezius
Erector spinae
Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Brachialis
Abdominals
Let Me Ins
Start by facing the outer edge of an open door that has a standard doorknob set. The feet are placed on either side of the door and the door pressed between the feet, the heels directly below the doorknob. The individual then leans back until the arms are straight and bends the knees, so a 90-degree angle is formed between the thighs and back. The body is then pulled toward the door until the chest touches the edge of the door. The thighs and back should remain locked into a 90-degree angle throughout the exercise. The body is then lowered to the starting point.
The exercise can be performed with either a side grip or over-handed grip, which places emphasis on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, or an under-handed grip, which shifts the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearms.
The difficulty can be modified by moving the feet; moving them forward increases the difficulty while moving the feet back decreases the difficulty. The exercise can also be performed with unilateral movements (one-handed) to increase the difficulty.
Variation
Towel Grip Let Me In
One-Handed Let Me In
Muscle Groups
Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Forearms
Deltoids
Let Me Ups
Start by lying on the ground in the supine position, and grasps a bar mounted at arm’s length above the chest. The arms are bent to pull the body up to the bar, while the body remains as straight as possible from the ankles to the shoulders. The body is then lowered until the arms are straight.
The exercise may be made less difficult by moving the feet closer to the bar and bending the knees. The exercise may be increased in difficulty by raising the feet onto a raised surface. Performing the exercise with an overhand grip focuses on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, while an underhand grip changes the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearm.
Muscle Groups
Latissimus dorsi
Biceps
Forearms
Deltoids
Towel Curls
Start in a standing position with the back against a wall. The ends of a bath-sized towel are grasped in each hand, and the towel is looped under the foot of one leg. The towel is pulled upwards with the arms, the elbows locked against the side of the body, while pushing down with the foot to provide resistance. The arms are then lowered slowly as the foot continues to provide resistance until the arms are at the starting position.
The difficulty of the exercise may be modified by providing varying resistance with the foot; the exercise may be made even more difficult by performing it with one hand.
Variation
The Ledge Curl uses a fixed ledge between waist and chest height to provide resistance. The hands are balled into fists and placed under the ledge. Then bend over slowly while pressing up against the bottom of the ledge, then returns slowly to the starting position, maintaining the same level of resistance along the way.
The Isometric Curl uses one hand placed on the wrist of the other hand to provide resistance to the curling motion; the curling arm does not move in this case but instead benefits from the isometric tension of the exercise.
Muscle Groups
Biceps
Forearms
The Claw
Begin by placing the arms in front of the body, open and close the hands and fingers as tightly and as quickly as possible. This exercise is usually performed for many repetitions.
Muscle Groups
Hands
Forearms
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning uses personal training to assess, motivate, educate and train you in a private, modern appointment only strength and conditioning in the heart of Sandton. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your goals. Start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview.
Tiger Athletic is led by a primary mission to teach and develop physical literacy. Calisthenics, is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. Through this series of resources, you can get in touch with your unique physique in the privacy of your home or when travelling you can exercise in the privacy of your accommodation without the aid of equipment, a trainer or expensive supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.
The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.
Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus (body-weight training), intended to increase physical strength, physical fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. When performed dynamically and with variation, calisthenics provide muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.
Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized “call and response” routine) to increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical education in junior and senior schools the world over.
Body weight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require any apparatus; the individual’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are some of the most common body weight exercises.
Advantages
Body weight exercises are the ideal for individuals interested in fitness but do not have access to or interest in using equipment. While some exercises may require some type of equipment, most of body weight exercises require none. For those exercises that do require equipment, common items found in the household are usually sufficient (such as a bath towel for towel curls), or substitutes can usually be improvised (for example, using a horizontal tree branch to perform pull ups). Body weight exercises benefit all age groups.
Most body weight exercises can be progressed or regressed, this progression/regression strategy allows people of all levels of fitness to participate. Some basic methods to increase or decrease the difficulty of a body weight exercise, without adding extra weight, are: changing the amount of leverage in an exercise (such as elevating the feet for a standard push-up, or performing the push-up with knees on the ground), performing the exercise on an unstable platform (such as performing push-ups on a basketball), modifying the range of motion in an exercise (such as squatting to a 45 degree angle rather than a 90 degree angle), incorporating unilateral movements as opposed to bilateral movements (such as performing a one-armed push-up), and adding isometric pauses during the exercise (such as holding for a few seconds at the bottom of a push-up). Gymnasts make extensive use of isometrics by doing much of their training with straight arms (such as iron crosses, levers, and planches). When compared to weight lifting, body weight exercises often require much more flexibility and balance.
Body weight exercises have a far lower risk of injury compared to using free weights and machines due to the absence of an external load that places strain on the muscles and joints. The lower risk of injury is only provided that the athlete/trainee is progressing through the correct progressions and not immediately skipping to strenuous movements that can place undue and possibly harmful stress on ligaments, tendons, and other tissues. Although falling on the head, chest, buttocks, and falling backwards can occur, these are far less harmful injuries than dropping a weight on a body part or having a joint extended beyond its natural range of motion due to a weight being used incorrectly.
Body weight exercises also give the advantage of having minimal bulking and cutting requirements that are normally utilised in free weight and machines training. This is due to bulking bringing extra fat that decreases the performance of body weight exercises, thus body weight exercises not only remove the need for a bulking or cutting phase, but it can help a person retain a low body fat percentage all year round.
Body weight exercises also work several muscle groups at once, due to the lack of isolation and the need of a large majority of muscles to perform a movement properly. For example, in a push up, the body must form a rigid straight line, and the elbow joint must move from a straight angle to the smallest angle possible, and thus the core muscles, chest muscles, triceps, and legs are all involved in ensuring proper, strict form.
Disadvantages
Body weight exercises use the individual’s own weight to provide the resistance for the movement, hence the weight being lifted is never greater than the weight of one’s own body. This can make it difficult to achieve a level of intensity that is near the individual’s one rep maximum, which is desirable for strength training.
Body weight exercises can be increased in intensity by including additional weights (such as wearing a weighted vest or holding a barbell, Kettle Bell, sand bell or plate during a sit up), but this deviates from the general premise that body weight exercises rely solely on the weight of the individual to provide resistance. However, difficulty can be added by changing the leverage, which places more emphasis on specific limbs and muscles, e.g. a one-legged squat works a leg far stronger than a two-legged squat, which not only requires strength but progressing to a one-legged squat builds strength along the way. The same can be seen with one arm pushups, pull ups, and many other exercises. Difficulty can also be added by increasing volume, adding explosiveness to the movements, or slowing down the movement to increase time under tension.
Classes of Exercises
Body weight exercises are generally grouped into four rough classes:
Push, which requires the individual to use pushing movements to direct the body against gravity;
Pull, which requires the practitioner to use pulling to direct the body;
Core, which involves contracting movements of the abdominal and back muscles; and
Legs/Glutes, which involve movements of the legs and glutes to direct the individual’s body against gravity.
Tiger Athletic personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train you. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your goals.
Start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview. This is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatability, discussing goals and developing a a client – trainer agreement.
We stand by the quality of our work. We have no joining or cancellation fees. We let the quality of our assessments, fitness programs, coaching and results be the only reason you keep coming back for more.
Men who are after getting bigger and stronger are no longer the rulers of the free weight section in the gym. Science has shone the light on how women also benefit from lifting weights as resistance training establishes itself as the training type with the greatest long term effect on metabolic rate…number one for burning fat and toning your body!
Weight lifting increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance. Research in motor control of aging humans has been centered around determining how motor performance is influenced by age, and around efforts to unravel the mechanisms that contribute to declines in motor performance. Changes are often characterized by slower and more variable movements, specifically slower initiation of movement, slower movement durations, declines in coordination of movement, reduced force production, coactivation of antagonist muscles during movement, and increased variability of movements (i.e., movements become inconsistent or varied from one use to the next). Specific examples of tasks that are linked to dimensions of motor control include goal-directed movements such as pointing, reaching and grasping, and aiming.
Lifting weights improves your ability to perform activities of daily living by boosting physical work capacity, enabling you to work harder and longer, promoting fat-free body mass while decreasing sarcopenia, that is when the lean muscle mass decreases with age. If we don’t add strength training to our routine, not only will we lose muscle mass with age but also lose strength and gain fat. Having more muscle than fat tones your body and give you the lean, firm physique you have always wanted.
Lifting weights is a low impact activity, so you are at lower risk for injuries. It is less stressful on your knees and joints than running hence is one of the best ways to control loss of bone mass. Just as your muscles adapt to the stress of weightlifting by becoming bigger and stronger, your bones also adapt. When your bones perceive or receive stress on them, their response is to deposit more bone making them stronger.
As your body increases its muscle mass, it will work harder to maintain that muscle over fat ratio, this means that you will burn more calories throughout the day, therefore the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.
Our weightlifting programsstrengthen the muscles of your core, resulting in better posture and balance through strengthening muscles that support your spine, and other little muscles apart from the main muscle groups. This lessens physical discomfort or back pain and reverses some of the damage caused by sitting all day. Also those muscles help keep you upright and take care of everyday tasks such as balancing on one foot when walking, picking up the kids or stopping yourself from falling.
Commiting to a weightlifting program everyday or every other day goes a long way towards improving your discipline, acquiring perseverance that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
Lifting also helps regulate blood sugar lowering the risk of developing lifestyle illnesses born out of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles such as hyperlipidaemia and diabetes. As you lose body fat, lifting weights greatly reduces your chances for becoming obese. The constant loaded movement when you lift weights stimulates rapid blood flow, as heart rate goes up you maintain a healthier heart lowering risks for developing cardiovascular diseases as you get older.
Research shows that not only can weight lifting improve your body composition and give you a toned appearance, but it can also improve your overall health and make you a happier person. Giving you confidence in yourself that will put you in a better mood generally or help you fight depression.
Our strength and conditioning programs are based on your current health and goals, improving fitness, aesthetic appearance, stress levels, cognition and mental toughness. Programs that are pre-emptive because they are based on screening for risk factors associated with cardiovascular, orthopedic, metabolic and pulmonary disorders before they happen rather than waiting for a ‘wake-up call’ to force you improve your health and lifestyle.
We offer simple, efficient and effective 50 minute workouts in a private, appointment only setting, so we can safely and effectively tackle lifestyle risks associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyle, reducing rates of illness and injury, improving personal well being, productivity and quality of life.
Tiger Athletic 
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