Have you ever heard of the proverb all roads lead to Rome? Well asking for directions will get you there faster.

Here are a few tips I wish I had before I started bench pressing.

The use of correct form.

It doesn’t matter how heavy you bench press, if you are not using the correct form then you will not see any satisfying result.

Correct form starts with the bench you are using. Make sure your feet is firmly planted on the ground. Avoid lifting your legs off of the ground while working as you will lose the conserved energy to the surrounding.

Make sure your grip is not too wide or too narrow. A wider grip will increase your chances of getting shoulder injury, while a narrower grip may cause wrist injury and will put more emphasis on the triceps rather than the chest. A grip slightly wider than the shoulder width is recommended for starters.

Arching your back is vital to protect the shoulders while doing bench press. Make sure your back is arched to eliminate stresses on the shoulder.

Retraction of the scapula is a huge key to success on the bench press when it comes to moving weight efficiently, protecting the shoulders, and ensuring synonymous reps (aka not having to reset each rep). Before bringing weight over the body, the scapula should be retracted, or “pulled back” on the bench. Think about squeezing a pencil between the scapula without having them hike up to properly achieve this.

At the top of the press if you find that your shoulders are rounding inwards (internally rotating), or even coming off the bench, then chances are you’re protracting your scapula, which can lead to a handful of problems.

Ideally, you want to keep the scapula pulled back throughout the entire bench press. The protraction at the top can disengage your upper back’s point of contact, which will usually result in reps that lack movement quality. Yes, movement quality is a vague description, but in this respect we’re referencing reps that don’t resemble the rep prior to them, or a rep that pulls the upper body out of placement

Finally, do not rush your reps. Start off with a lighter weight as warm up, be comfortable with the correct form then add more weights once you’re comfortable. When lowering the weights do so slowly.

Have you ever wondered why your chest is not growing even though you can hit 50 reps doing push ups?

Here is the thing, too much reps of light weight wont make you grow. Increase the weights you are used too, challenge yourself make sure you progress never stagnate. Your chest will have to adapt to changes and will have no other options but to grow.

Some few tips: Don’t neglect the full range of motion. This will only get you half way there. Try starting with incline bench press to concentrate on the upper chest. Practice controlled breathing, in that you hold your breath in while lowering the weights to you chest and breath out only when returning to the starting position. This will give you core support. Don’t neglect your lats. They contribute a lot during benching.

What Is Belly Fat?

What Causes Belly Fat?

Poor Diet

Sugary food slows metabolism. Low protein, high carb affects weight, in that they get digested faster leaving you hungry therefore you end up eating more.

Protein helps a person feel fuller for longer. Eat carbs with more fibre in them rather than refined carbs. Fibre rich carbs such as fruits & vegetables, whole grains and beans or lentils help slow digestion and absorption of this Carbs.

Lack Of Exercise

Consuming more calories than you burn off will cause weight gain. Excess calories are stored throughout your body as fat. Your body stores this fat within specialised fat cells (adipose tissue) — either by enlarging fat cells, which are always present in the body, or by creating more of them. If you decrease your food intake and consume fewer calories than you burn up, or if you exercise more and burn up more calories, your body will reduce some of your fat stores. When this happens, fat cells shrink, along with your waistline.

Stress

Cortisol, a steroid hormone helps the body control and deal with stress. When someone is stressed, the body releases cortisol and this impacts on metabolism.

People often reach for food for comfort when they are stressed and cortisol causes excess calories to remain around the belly for later us.

Poor Sleep

Insomnia causes unhealthy eating.

How To Lose Belly Fat.

Improve Diet

Abs are made in the kitchen. Avoid junk food. It doesn’t have to be a total restriction as you can create a cheat day once in a week then slowly progress to once a month. Avoid refined carbs and introduce yourself to fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and wholesome carbs.

Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep stops you from eating all the time. It also helps the body to rest , heal and recover.

Exercise

Physical activity helps you control your weight by using excess calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. Most foods you eat contain calories, and everything you do uses calories, including sleeping, breathing, and digesting food. Balancing the calories you eat with the calories you use through physical activity will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Calories in Food > Calories Used = Weight Gain
Calories in Food < Calories Used = Weight Loss
Calories in Food = Calories Used = Weight Control

What is Spot Training? https://harryjeanlouis.fitness.blog/2020/02/04/spot-training/

Work out focusing on your tummy alone will not make your tummy flat. You will only develop stronger abs but they wont be visible because of the fat layer covering your stomach. This is why you need to incorporate full body workout since calories being used to fuel your workout will be sourced from the entire body.

I recommend incorporating exercises such as deadlift and squats as they recruit almost every muscle in the body. Another way is to HIIT your Abs workout.

Stay tuned for my next blog ”The recommended Abs workout”

What is Spot Training?

It is the idea that you can cause weight loss Or muscle definition in one area without affecting other parts of the body.

Spot Reduction Vs Spot Toning…

Spot reduction.

Most of my clients only wanted to work on their belly fat without affecting their other body parts but this is not possible.

Committing yourself to doing enormous amounts of situps will only give you a strong and large Abs muscle, but unless you change your diet and lose the fat that obscures those muscles, the six packs will never be visible.

Studies show that during a specific workout, weight loss occurs evenly around the body including the target area. This is because during sweat sessions, our muscles fuel up with Carbs, proteins and fats – and these sources can come from anywhere in the body, not just the problem area. Bottom line: If you are hoping for a flat tummy or well defined Abs, sit ups alone won’t get you there.

Spot toning

Now that you understand that you can’t control where your body loses fat, you can spot tone on the bright side. Well that’s if your definition of spot toning is strengthening a certain muscle or muscles group. Think Rugby players for example with huge quads. But this also comes with its drawbacks.

Doing targeted strength training alone is limiting to yourself as it does not recruit as many muscles as possible. Working just one muscle or muscles group makes the body itself more inefficient and can also cause muscle imbalances which can mess with your posture and result in high risks of injury.

Therefore i recommend full body exercises which are more beneficial. This is because the more muscle you put to work and the longer you do so, the more you amp up your calorie burn. You can also do a muscle specific workout but as part of a large, total body routine. I also recommend a well planned workout schedule or split to ensure you keep track of the muscle you targeting.

You can also incorporate HIIT workout or circuit workout and minimize rests in between workouts..

Did you know that one of the most effective pre-workout drink is probably sitting in your kitchen cupboard?

Having to workout in the evening after a long day at work will have you looking for alternatives To give you that extra energy boost to get you through considering how expensive pre-workout shakes can be.

I always use coffee before my workouts. Here’s why..

It enhances performance.

Caffeine in coffee stimulates the central nervous system to reduce fatigue and drowsiness. It increases an athletes ability to draw an extra energy boost to enhance performance during weight training.

A finding published in Sports Medicine indicated caffeine enables an athlete to train longer and with greater power output. Caffeine was also shown to improve endurance levels and resistance to fatigue.

How it does this?

Caffeine works by blocking an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine. By doing so, caffeine increases the firing of neurons and release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. This in turn makes you feel more energized and awake.

It Enhances Fat Burning Process

Caffeine in coffee causes fat cells to be used as energy source as opposed to glycogen during workouts.

This happens when caffeine stimulates the nervous system to increase blood levels of the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) which travels through the blood to the fat tissues signaling them to break down.

Remember that releasing fatty acids into your blood does not help you lose fat unless you are burning more calories while working out than you consume through your diet.

Caffeine in Coffee May Ease Post Workout Muscle Pain

The theory is that caffeine eases delayed muscle pain blocking the activity of a chemical adenosine, which is released as part of the inflammatory response to injury.

According to studies of Victor Maridakis pain relief with caffeine was stronger than that from painkillers.

Coffee Helps Fight Diseases

2011 Studies published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition showed that coffee consumption has an inverse correlation with diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and certain forms of cancer.

This is because coffee contains powerful antioxidants that work by cleaning the blood, removing free radicals and help the body fight disease and illnesses.

If you are a morning exerciser. Well caffeine is quickly absorbed from the stomach, but hits its peak effects between 30 and 75 minutes so an hour before workout is optimal.

Which One Works Best Between Black and White Coffee?

I recommend black coffee as it has very low calorie count.

Adding sugar and milk shoots up the calorie count.

Do you know what spot training is…?? Is it possible? Find out on my next blog….

Well it’s your first time at the gym and you don’t know what to carry with you. Here’s a list of the most important and recommended accessories to bring with you.

Gym Attire.

When you go to the gym, it’s advisable to wear clothes that are breathable and flexible. It’s good to look good but remember your safety comes first. Ill fitting clothes can restrict movement and cause you injuries.

1. Take a breathable, flexible shirt.

Pick something that will absorb sweat and won’t restrict your full range of motion. Find the suitable gym wear here. This goes hand in hand with a small towel that you should always have with you to wipe off your sweat that is left after you use that bench or that dumbbell.

2. Choosing your bottoms.

Make sure your bottoms give you a full range of motion.

Try not to wear shorts that are loose around the legs. Also remember that when you decide to wear shorts other people maybe able to see up the leg of your shorts when you are doing leg press.

3. Footwear.

This is highly dependent on the type of exercise you plan to do at that time.

For cardio running shoes are recommended and for weight lifting I recommend a pair of shoe that will offer both ankle and arch support.

3. Gloves

To avoid blisters and wrist strains while working out I recommend using gloves. Find a pair of glove that offers both grip and wrist support while doing weight lifting.

4. Lifting belt

If your workout for the day involves exercises that puts stress on your lower back while you are lifting in an upright position, wear a belt.

The belt also prevents hyperextension during overhead lifts.

It does all this by compressing the contents of the abdominal cavity.

5. Knee Straps

It increases support and helps you bounce back up on the bottom of a deep squat: It helps keep the knee warm during your workout. By adding compression, you increase blood flow to the knee and protect it from future injuries.

I Recommend

1. Workout apk

The gym instructor is not always available, sometimes he might be having his hand filled by clients. The best solution to this is having a Workout App To guide you. I recommend this App Since I’ve been using it for years and I’ve found it to be very helpful when building proper form and keeping track of my gains.

2. Earphones.

Listening to music while exercising not only kills boredom- it can help increase the quality of your workout by increasing your stamina and putting you in a better mood. I always listen to hip hop or rock. Music that is motivational or synchronized with your exercise is shown to have physical and psychological effects.

You can use this App And Find a suitable workout playlist.

3. Water bottle.

Ensure you bring your water bottle with you, this will motivate you to stay hydrated because you will be getting the right amount of water before, during and after exercise. Water regulates your joints. It helps transport nutrients to give you energy and keep you healthy.

If you are not hydrated, your body can’t perform at its highest level.

Stay hydrated Beast 👊

Why a Fitness Blog?

I choose to create a blog about fitness because i have been in the industry for over 4 years and I would like to share my experience.

Check out my achievement On the link Jean-Louis

What Do I Know?

Well, I know about how to look for and find a gym, a gym partner, how to get started, what to wear,.. Etc

What Is The First Thing People Want To Know About Fitness?

What people really want to know is how to get started, how to use the correct form when working out, what to eat and how to split their workouts.

How can I Help People?

I can help in so many different ways, I can help them put an outfit together for a workout, I can help people stay motivated, avoid injuries and recover from them…