Boxing - David Vs Goliath

In the video below is a boxing match between David Haye and Russian giant Nikolay Valuev (Goliath). Now you might think David Haye doesn't stand a chance before the giant Valuev - and that would show your ignorance of boxing rules.

Many people like to compare boxing to martial arts like kung fu, karate, taekwondo, etc. What they are forgetting is that boxing is not a martial art. It is a competitive sport with a very specific set of rules. Or rather several sets of rules.

Broughton's rules (1743)
London Prize Ring rules (1838)
Revised London Prize Ring rules (1853)
Marquess of Queensberry rules (1867)

Spoiler Alert! In the video David Haye manages to win the bout by scoring slightly more points than Nikolay Valuev. They are both very good boxers, but Haye managed to score a mere 4 extra punches (4 extra points) to win the match. The final scoring from the judges was 114-114, 116-112, 116-112. Hence why knowledge of point scoring in boxing is important. In a street fight Nikolay Valuev probably would have won due to his size and skill, but thanks to the rules of boxing David Haye stood a chance because all he needed to do is score a couple extra points.




If you want to learn more about boxing you can get boxing lessons in Toronto from me (your friendly neighbourhood personal trainer) or I also recommend the ebook below, available on Amazon Kindle.


The Revised London Prize Fight Rules (1853)

1. That the ring shall be made on turf, and shall be four-and-twenty feet square, formed of eight stakes and ropes, the latter extending in double lines, the uppermost line being four feet from the ground, and the lower two feet from the ground. That in the center of the ring a mark be formed, to be termed a scratch; and that at two opposite corners, as may be selected, spaces be enclosed by other marks sufficiently large for the reception of the seconds and bottle-holders, to be entitled “the corners.”
2. That each man shall be attended to the ring by a second and a bottle-holder, the former provided with a sponge and the latter with a bottle of water. That the combatants, on shaking hands, shall retire until the seconds of each have tossed for choice of position, which adjusted, the winner shall choose his corner according to the state of the wind or sun, and conduct his man thereto, the loser taking the opposite corner.
3. That each man shall be provided with a handkerchief of a colour suitable to his own fancy, and that the seconds proceed to entwine these handkerchiefs at the upper end of one of the center stakes. That these handkerchiefs shall be called “the colours;” and that the winner of the battle at its conclusion shall be entitled to their possession, as the trophy of victory.
4. That two umpires shall be chosen by the seconds or backers to watch the progress of the battle, and take exception to any breach of the rules hereafter stated. That a referee shall be chosen by the umpires, unless otherwise agreed on, to whom all disputes shall be referred; and that the decision of this referee, whatever it may be, shall be final and strictly binding on all parties, whether as to the matter in dispute or the issue of the battle. That the umpires shall be provided with a watch, for the purpose of calling time; and that they mutually agree upon which this duty shall devolve, the call of that umpire only to be attended to, and no other person whatever to interfere in calling time. That the referee shall withhold all opinion till appealed to by the umpires, and that the umpires strictly abide by his decision without dispute.
5. That on the men being stripped, it shall be the duty of the seconds to examine their drawers, and if any objection arise as to insertion of improper substances therein, they shall appeal to their umpires, who, with the concurrence of the referee, shall direct what alterations shall be made.
6. That in future no spikes be used in fighting boots except those authorized by the Pugilistic Benevolent Association, which shall not exceed three-eights of an inch from the sole of the boot, and shall not be less than one-eight of an inch broad at the point; and, it shall be in the power of the referee to alter, or file in any way he pleases, spikes which shall not accord with the above dimensions, even to filing them away altogether.
7. That both men being ready, each man shall be conducted to that side of the scratch next his corner previously chosen; and the seconds on the one side and the men on the other, having shaken hands, the former shall immediately return to their corners, and there remain within the prescribed marks till the round be finished, on no pretense whatever approaching their principals during the round, under penalty of 5s. for each offense, at the option of the referee. The penalty, which will be strictly enforced, to go to the funds of the Association. The principal to be responsible for every fine inflicted on his second.
8. That at the conclusion of the round, when one or both of the men shall be down, the seconds and bottle-holders shall step forward and carry or conduct their principal to his corner, there affording him the necessary assistance, and no person whatever be permitted to interfere with this duty.
9. That at the expiration of thirty seconds (unless otherwise agreed upon) the umpire appointed shall cry “Time,” upon which each man shall rise from the knee of his bottle-holder and walk to his own side of the scratch unaided, the seconds and the bottle-holders remaining at their corner; and that either man failing so to be at the scratch within eight seconds, shall be deemed to have lost the battle.
10. That on no consideration whatever shall any person be permitted to enter the ring during the battle, nor till it shall have been concluded; and that in the event of such unfair practice, or the ropes and stakes being disturbed or removed, it shall be in the power of the referee to award the victory to that man who in his honest opinion shall have the best of the contest.
11. That the seconds and bottle-holders shall not interfere, advise, or direct the adversary of their principal, and shall refrain from all offensive and irritating expressions, in all respects conducting themselves with order and decorum, and confine themselves to the diligent and careful discharge of their duties to their principals.
12. That in picking up their men, should the seconds or bottle-holders willfully injure the antagonist of their principal, the latter shall be deemed to have forfeited the battle on the decision of the referee.
13. That it shall be “a fair stand-up fight,” and if either man shall willfully throw himself down without receiving a blow, whether blows shall have previously been exchanged or not, he shall be deemed to have lost the battle; but that this rule shall not apply to a man who in a close slips down from the grasp of his opponent to avoid punishment, or from obvious accident or weakness.
14. That butting with the head shall be deemed foul, and the party resorting to this practice shall be deemed to have lost the battle.
15. That a blow struck when a man is thrown or down, shall be deemed foul. That a man with one knee and one hand on the ground, or with both knees on the ground, shall be deemed down; and a blow given in either of those positions shall be considered foul, providing always, that when in such position, the man so down shall not himself strike or attempt to strike.
16. That a blow struck below the waistband shall be deemed foul, and that, in a close, seizing an antagonist below the waist, by the thigh, or otherwise, shall be deemed foul.
17. That all attempts to inflict injury by gouging, or tearing the flesh with the fingers or nails, and biting, shall be deemed foul.
18. That kicking, or deliberately falling on an antagonist, with the knees or otherwise when down, shall be deemed a foul.
19. That all bets shall be paid as the battle-money, after a fight, is awarded.
20. That no person, on any pretense whatever, shall be permitted to approach nearer the ring than ten feet, with the exception of the umpires and referee, and the persons appointed to take charge of the water or other refreshment for the combatants, who shall take their seats close to the corners selected by the seconds.
21. That due notice shall be given by the stakeholder of the day and place where the battle-money is to be given up, and that he be exonerated from all responsibility upon obeying the direction of the referee; and that all parties be strictly bound by these rules; and that in future all articles of agreement for a contest be entered into with a strict and willing adherence to the letter and spirit of these rules.
22. That in the event of magisterial or other interference, or in case of darkness coming on, the referee shall have the power to name the time and place for the next meeting, if possible, on the same day, or as soon after as may be.
23. That should the fight not be decided on the day, all bets, instead of being drawn, shall be put together and divided, unless the fight shall be resumed the same week, between Sunday and Sunday, in which case the bets shall stand and be decided by the event. That where the day named in the articles for a fight to come off is altered to another day in the same week, the bets shall stand. The battle-money shall remain in the hands of the stakeholder until fairly won or lost by a fight, unless a draw be mutually agreed upon.
24. That any pugilist voluntarily quitting the ring previous to the deliberate judgment of the referee being obtained, shall be deemed to have lost the fight.
25. That on an objection being made by the seconds or umpire, the men shall retire to their corners, and there remain until the decision of the appointed authorities shall be obtained; that if pronounced “foul,” the battle shall be at an end, but if “fair,” “time” shall be called by the party appointed, and the man absent from the scratch in eight seconds after shall be deemed to have lost the fight. The decision in all cases to be given promptly and irrevocably, for which purpose the umpires and the referee should be invariably close together.
26. That if in a rally at the ropes a man steps outside the ring, to avoid his antagonist or escape punishment, he shall forfeit the battle.
27. That the use of hard substances, such as stones, or sticks, or of resin, in the hand during the battle shall be deemed foul, and that on the requisition of the seconds, of either man, the accused shall open his hands for the examination of the referee.
28. That where a man shall have his antagonist across the ropes in such a position as to be helpless, and to endanger his life by strangulation or apoplexy, it shall be in the power of the referee to direct the seconds to take their man away, and thus conclude the round, and that the man or his seconds refusing to obey the direction of the referee, shall be deemed the loser.
29. That all stage fights be as nearly as possible in conformity with the foregoing rules.

Marquess of Queensberry Rules (1867)

1. To be a fair stand-up boxing match in a 24-foot ring, or as near that size as practicable.
2. No wrestling or hugging (clinching) allowed.
3. The rounds to be of three minutes duration, and one minute's time between rounds.
4. If either man falls through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, 10 seconds to be allowed him to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his corner, and when the fallen man is on his legs the round is to be resumed and continued until the three minutes have expired. If one man fails to come to the scratch in the 10 seconds allowed, it shall be in the power of the referee to give his award in favour of the other man.
5. A man hanging on the ropes in a helpless state, with his toes off the ground, shall be considered down.
6. No seconds or any other person to be allowed in the ring during the rounds.
7. Should the contest be stopped by any unavoidable interference, the referee to name the time and place as soon as possible for finishing the contest; so that the match must be won and lost, unless the backers of both men agree to draw the stakes.
8. The gloves to be fair-sized boxing gloves of the best quality and new.
9. Should a glove burst, or come off, it must be replaced to the referee's satisfaction.
10. A man on one knee is considered down and if struck is entitled to the stakes.
11. That no shoes or boots with spikes or sprigs be allowed.
12. The contest in all other respects to be governed by Revised London Prize Ring Rules.

How Long does it take for Muscles to Grow?

How Long does it take for Muscles to Grow?

Honestly, quite quickly. Within 48 hours after exercising there is muscle growth from a variety of activities - not just weightlifting.

Knowing this is useful for building muscle, but also for boosting endurance too.
 
When you regularly perform resistance exercises such as body weight exercises, yoga, calisthenics or weightlifting, you gradually increase the amount of muscle tissue on your body and produce visible changes in your muscle size. These changes come from the breakdown / ripping of muscle fibers and the formation of new muscle fibers in-between the damaged tissue. How quickly you see results varies depends on how much your ripped, your metabolism, your diet / protein / nutrient intake, age, testosterone levels and other factors.

Generally speaking the changes take place within 48 hours after exercising - which is a relatively short period of time.

Rest periods in-between exercise periods are very important. Most of the muscles growth happens within the first 24 hours after exercising - and most of that growth happens while you are sleeping and your body is rejuvenating.

Understanding Muscle Growth Basics

When you lift weights or perform other types of resistance exercise, you trigger the formation of new muscle tissue by temporarily damaging your existing muscles. This process begins when resistance exercise causes minute injuries in your muscle fibers. It is therefore important to not over exercise and injure yourself. Too much weightlifting can cause more harm than good, because if you rip too many muscles at once it will take a lot longer for those muscles to heal properly - even with proper diet, a high metabolism, etc.

To heal these injuries, your body activates nearby cells called satellite cells. Once activated, some of your satellite cells bind to the damaged portions of your existing muscle tissue. Other satellite cells bind to one another and form new strands of muscle fiber.

How Fast Does It Grow

Resistance exercises trigger muscle-building changes in your muscle tissue within two to four hours after your exercise session, and the process typically lasts for as long as 24 to 48 hours. It often lasts as long as two sleep cycles. However, each resistance training session triggers new minor muscle increases, and you must keep working on two or three non-consecutive days a week to produce noticeable results. If you exercise the same muscles every day you may simply rip the already damaged tissue, thus setting you back 24 hours in terms of your body's "internal repair schedule".

Depending on your metabolism and workout routine, it can take anywhere from several weeks to several months for you to see significant changes in the size of your affected muscles. Especially if you trying to target one part of your body - such as the biceps - and you are overdoing that muscle group when you would be better off with an all over approach. Overdoing one muscle group will only slow down repair time, whereas an all over approach will build multiple muscle groups simultaneously. So if you are looking to build muscles faster start by using a variety of exercises.

Repetitions and Weight Amounts

Most people get sufficient muscle growth when they perform a single set that contains 8 to 12 repetitions of a given resistance exercise. It isn't really necessary to do 20, 30, 50, or 100 reps unless you are also training for endurance.

To gain the benefits of a lower number of repetitions (10), you must use enough weight or resisting force to cause temporary muscle fatigue. You lift the heaviest weight you can 10 times and when you can perform more than 15 repetitions at a given weight, you will typically want to slightly increase the weight you use to keep fatiguing your muscles and triggering the process that leads to new muscle growth. The idea is so that every time you lift weights you are challenging yourself - and ripping new muscle tissue.

To gain the benefits of a higher number of repetitions (20 or more), you want to use a lower amount of weight that you can more comfortably lift that many times. This lower number, but increased number will send different signals to the muscles being ripped, and the existing muscles, to build muscles which are higher quality and in the future will be able to withstand more ripping / pain. (Note: Women often do very well in this category as estrogen boosts muscle quality, whereas the opposite is more difficult because women are less likely to rip muscles due to the higher quality of their muscle tissue - and because their lower testosterone levels decreases how quickly they build muscle mass. This doesn't mean that women cannot be strong however, it simply means they have to work twice as hard in order to build muscle mass, and likewise men need to work their endurance harder if that is what they are looking to build.)

Regardless of whether you are training for size or endurance, you will be slightly stronger within 48 hours or less. The problem however is that slight increase is so small it is barely noticeable, which is why it is necessary to workout 3 or 4 times per week in order to see visually noticeable results.

Diet

Eating lots of nutrients and protein are very important to building muscles. It is not all protein. You also need vegetables, which includes lots of minerals and vitamins that your body needs to quickly build muscle tissue. You also need an adequate supply of carbs so your body feels energized. A variety of natural supplements exist (eg. Creatine) which boost the speed at which you grow new muscle tissue.

Conclusions

People new to resistance training typically see relatively rapid increases in muscle size due to building muscles that haven't really been challenged before, as can people who "used to exercise very often" and are getting back into things due to muscle memory.

As your body becomes accustomed to the effects of your new activity, your rate of muscle growth will taper off. While you can try to jump-start your muscle growth by increasing the number of sets you perform for a given exercise, you will usually see only modest size increases - muscle gain is a matter of patience.

Being impatient means you might simultaneously raise your risks for a workout-related injury. To enhance the effects of your workout routine and safely maximize your potential muscle size, I recommend using a combination of body weight exercises (which are safer to do), yoga, free weights and weight machines.

If you need more help consult your friendly neighbourhood personal trainer in Downtown Toronto.

Training with Hand Grips Every Day

Q

"Hello!

I want to ask if it is okay to train with hand grippers everyday [for training grip strength and forearms] ? I find that the hand gripper is not very stressful so I was wondering if i can train with it every day without injuring myself?

Thanks!

Pete"

A

Yes, I would say a person can train with hand grips every day - if you are using a lighter weight hand grip.

I would not advise overdoing it on repetitions with the heavier hand grips, just as a precaution. If you start to feel pain in the forearm muscles it is a sign to take a break for a day and let your muscles recuperate. Most grip exercise enthusiasts only do grip exercises 3 times per week, giving themselves ample time in-between to grow new muscle tissue.

Muscle growth only happens when the body has ample time to repair. If you overdo it by exercising a specific muscle every day you actually hamper growth by damaging muscle tissue which is still under construction.

To use an analogy it is like driving a bulldozer through a group of gazebos before they are even half way constructed. This isn't such a big deal if you are using light weight hand grips, but when using heavier hand grips there will be a lot more damage.

I also have to caution you against overdoing the repetitions. 50 to 100 repetitions on three days per week is ENOUGH to promote serious muscle growth. Going over 100 by a ridiculous number and doing the exercises every day will result in muscle fatigue and cause more damage than you intended.

There are a number of companies that sell heavy duty hand grips for people who are really into "grip training". The companies include:

• IronMind Captains of Crush
• Mash Monsters
• Atomgripz
• Fat Bastard Barbell Company
• Warren Tetting

On Amazon.com the one with the highest (and the most) reviews is the "Captains of Crush Hand Gripper" which sells for roughly $26.

The "Captain" brand offers 11 different types of hand grips for people looking to challenge themselves at different levels.

However I will note that at ALL of the Captains of Crush Hand Grippers are in the moderate to heavy resistance brackets. Ranging from 60 lbs of resistance up to 365 lbs of resistance (which is just ridiculous).

If you are just getting into gripping exercises to build your forearm strength I recommend starting lower - buy something closer to 30 lbs of resistance.

Or, if you think you really up to the challenge of 60+ lbs, then I recommend trying them in a store before buying - to see if you can even squeeze it for 10 consecutive times.

After all it would be a complete waste of your money if your purchased hand grips so hard to squeeze that you can't even do more than 1 repetition of a full squeeze.

Another type of hand grip on the market I recommend trying is Grip Pro Strength Trainer hand grips...

Unlike normal hand grips, the Grip Pro are round donut shaped pieces of rubber, which is more comfortable for your hands.

They're also good for beginners. The advantage of the Grip Pro is that they are relatively inexpensive, only $10 - and they give you three different levels, 30 lbs, 40 lbs, and 50 lbs in one set. This way even beginners can challenge themselves over time.

If the person really gets into grip exercises they will no doubt eventually want to try something more heavy duty, in which case they can go buy one of the "Captains of Crush Hand Gripper" hand grips and challenge themselves more, but otherwise I recommend the Grip Pro for beginners.

A person, even a strong person, might think their grip is already strong enough to challenge themselves with heavier resistance hand grips, but unless you have forearms like Pop-Eye I don't recommend it.

The Benefits of Marching or Speed Walking

The Benefits of Marching or Speed Walking

#1. Burn more calories in less time.

#2. Activate muscles you use less often.

#3. Easy to do and build endurance.

#4. Builds speed and endurance significantly faster than walking.

#5. You can take your dog with you during your march / speed-walk.

#6. Hiking trips and hill climbs will feel a lot easier than they used to.

#7. Your endurance during other activities will be boosted.

#8. You don't need to dress up as much for a march or speed-walk. Just grab your shoes and go.
Comfortable walking shoes are best. You don't need special running shoes or hiking boots.

#9. You won't feel out of breathe - and you can carry on a conversation while walking.

#10. For extra fun try singing military marching songs.

I don't know what I've been told.
Marching in the winter isn't that cold.

July Exercise Motivation Quotes

"If you don't control your life then life will control you. Grab life by the horns and never let go."
-Charles Moffat

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
-Bruce Lee

"Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them."
-Bruce Lee

"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of."
-Bruce Lee

"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."
-Bruce Lee

"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at."
-Bruce Lee

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done."
-Bruce Lee

"Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick."
-Bruce Lee

"It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential."
-Bruce Lee

"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra."
-Jimmy Johnson
 
"Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped."
-African Proverb
 
"Practical life teaches us that people may differ and that both may be wrong: it also teaches us that people may differ and both be right. Anchor yourself fast in the latter faith, or the former will sweep your heart away."
-Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827
 
"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time."
-Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 

"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted."
-John Lennon
 
"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts."
-Charles Dickens
 
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."
-Robert Louis Stevenson
 
"It's better to fight for something than against something."
-Author Unknown
 

"Promise only what you can deliver. Then deliver more than you promise."
-Author Unknown 

"Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving."
-Albert Einstein
 
"Sandwich every bit of criticism between two thick layers of praise."
-Mary Kay Ash 

Save $$$ on your gym membership

With summer officially here, many people want to step up their fitness level by joining a gym. But gym memberships are expensive and many gyms abuse your credit card / bank info and keep charging you after you cancel your membership. So how do you save money but still get access to a gym?

Here are some good ways to get a gym membership without burning a hole in your pocket.

Campus Gyms

University and college fitness centres are often much cheaper than a regular gym and they won't rip you off by overcharging your credit card like a big box gym will. If you're an university or college student, you probably already have access to a gym on campus that you might not have realized is available. Admission might already be included in your student tuition, or you might qualify for a hefty discount. If you are a former student then graduates can also qualify for an alumni discount, so don't be afraid to ask.

Ask your Employer

Some companies offer fitness benefits - such as discounts on gym memberships or fitness equipment, exercise classes, or they might even have facilities in your office building. Take advantage of these employee discounts and freebies.

Negotiate with a Local Gym

Some gyms are willing to negotiate a better rate if you can prove that there's a cheaper, comparable gym elsewhere. Do your research by checking out your local gyms to compare membership fees, contract length, early termination penalties, hours of operation, types of equipment and classes available, as well as the little things like locker and towel fees.

Always Pay Cash

Never give a big box gym like Extreme Fitness, GoodLife Fitness, etc your credit card or bank information. No matter what discount offer they might give tempt you with. Just tell them you prefer to pay with cash and if they insist on getting your credit card or bank info then start walking for the door.

Ask for a discount

If you are a student, a senior, a family of 2 or more, or a foreign visitor then ask for a discount rate. eg. If you are just visiting Toronto for 6 months, ask for truncated rate on the regular 12 month contract. A shorter term contract will save you money in the long run and you won't be locked into a contract - and remember, pay cash even on a contract.

Don't pay for what you don't use

Gyms often offer a wide range of amenities, such as dance classes, martial arts, pools, saunas, hot tubs, massages, towel service, personal trainers, and more. The more that a gym offers the more expensive the membership will be. However if you don't need all that go to a gym that has only what you need and see the huge price difference.

Try the gym before you buy

Get the free membership for 1 day, 3 days or 7 days - whatever the gym is offering. If after the trial period you don't like the gym and / or feel it is overcharging then you can always buy fitness equipment for yourself and train at home.

Use the gym as an add-on to your routine

Your gym should not be your only means of exercise. It should compliment your jogging, cycling, rollerblading, home exercises / weightlifting, yoga, sports and whatever else you do. Thus if you only go to the gym once every two weeks you can save a bundle by only getting one-day passes at your local gym - and only paying for the days you use. If you start to go there more often - like every day or 3 times per week, then get the monthly membership.

Splitting an Arrow Down the Middle

Splitting an arrow down the middle is something usually only seen in movies. It is very for archers to do it. Usually it is by accident, not on purpose.

What is more likely to happen, especially with modern arrows, is for an arrow to damage the nock of another arrow and then keep going. Or the arrow might strike another arrow on the shaft, possibly denting or breaking the shaft.

Or, like in the photo below, it might hit the nock and drive in far enough that it stays there.

In order to actually split an arrow lengthways - down the whole shaft - it would need to be following:

#1. The arrow would need to be made of wood.

#2. The arrowhead would need to be razor sharp (typically made for hunting).

#3. The shot would have to go not only at the right spot, but also drive inwards at the right angle. A degree or two up or down and the arrow which just damage the arrow it is hitting without driving its way down the shaft.

Fixing a Crooked Nose using Nose Exercises

Q

"Hi!

I found your nose exercise page this morning. Cannot wait to try them. Are there exercises for my crooked nose? Picture attached. 

Thank you.

Steff"

SEE NOSE EXERCISES TO SEE THE PAGE SHE IS TALKING ABOUT.

PHOTO OMITTED FOR PRIVACY'S SAKE

A

Hey Steff!

Is it the bone or cartilage that is crooked or just the muscles that are imbalanced? Usually it is just the muscles that are imbalanced (one set of muscles on one side is stronger than the other). However if you've suffered and injury to your nose (such as being punched there really hard) it could be the bone or cartilage that is the problem.

If you feel the bone with your fingers in the top of your nose and anything feels off centre, you will know which it is.

With crooked noses its usually the nose tip area which is crooked, which means it is the muscles that are too strong on one side and too weak on the other. So what you need to do is "equalization exercises" to correct those muscles. It is a bit like weightlifting / resistance training for your nose.

The exercises I recommend you do are:

#1. Squinting the Nose <-- This is the really important one for fixing a crooked nose, although the others help too to keep things "balanced".

#3. The Nose Shaper

#4. Nose Narrowing

And nose wiggling wouldn't hurt either.

Do #1 twice per day, #3 and #4 once per day, nose wiggling will help too, although that is easier to do with a mirror. Keep doing all of them every day for a month and you should start to see results. Keep doing that for several months and the nose muscles on each side should balance themselves out.

Note: If you underwent nose surgery very recently I would wait 2 weeks before starting the exercises. Your nose will need time to heal first.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Want to learn more on this topic? Visit the NOSE EXERCISES post.



PERSONALIZED HELP

I am getting a lot of requests from people wanting personalized advice about their nose and what nose exercises they should do, how often they should do them, special circumstances,  etc. My advice is to follow the instructions listed above and on other posts I have made about nose exercises.

If you are contacting me asking me for personalized help - basically asking for my services in aiding you with your nose exercises, then I will need to charge you my personal training rate ($50 per hour) for my services.

I know this is not the answer many of you are looking for. I have already answered many of the frequently asked questions in the comments section of various nose exercise posts, and answered many emails from people asking for help with their nose exercises - but I am a busy person and the emails have reached a point where I need to start charging for this service because I cannot answer all of them.

Best of luck with your nose exercises!

DIY Fusion Workout

Lots of Toronto gyms offer fusion workouts.

But maybe you don't feel comfortable exercising in front of other people.

Maybe you have time constraints.

Maybe you just prefer to workout at home for any number of reasons.

Thus being able to create your own fusion workout at home - instead of going to a Toronto gym - means that you can control which exercises you are doing and the environment you are doing them in.

Fusion workouts are great for trying more than one style of activity at a time, but they are also used to maximize results in one of the most time efficient ways available.

Focusing on a single exercise all the time gets boring and gets very little results because there is only so much muscle tissue your body can grow in one body part during a night's rest - but a variety of exercises allows you to grow muscle tissue in multiple locations by focusing on different muscle groups.

It makes the workout much more enjoyable because you have more variety with what you are doing, it raises your endurance level, and improves the speed of your progress by using exercises which double or triple up on different muscles groups.

Examples of Fusion Style Workouts:
-Strength training and then running every five to ten minutes. for example, work out your chest and back, then run. Go back to strength training and do some squats and lunges, then run. Next, work biceps and triceps, then run again. This will allow a great weight workout, cardiovascular training for great fat burning, and it builds endurance. Do some stretches afterwards to maintain your flexibility.

-Weight Training and Yoga. It's great to stretch after every strength exercise, so use yoga poses to get stretching in, and improve your yoga practice.

-Alternate Skipping or Jumping Jacks with Pushups, Situps, Chin-ups and other body weight exercises. No equipment necessary and you get both cardio and weight training. For fun add in shadow boxing or dancing with the music on your stereo turned up really loud. :)

You can really do almost anything you want with fusion workouts because they're very flexible. Just get out all of your exercise equipment and spend 5 to 10 minutes on each exercise.

Swagger while you Walk

An 150 lb person walking on level ground, at a slow pace of less than 2 mph burns 136 calories per hour.

However if they swagger while they walk (swinging their arms a lot more, moving their sides and shoulders with their arms in a macho swagger) they will burn 150 calories per hour.

The reason is because swaggering engages the obliques side muscles as you twist your body every step you take. It is a small twist, but it shifts the weight of your upper torso on a constant basis - and thus counts in a small way as resistance training, as the obliques are effectively being used to twist the weight of the upper torso.

A person who walks with a swagger 2 hours per day will burn 10,199 extra calories per year compared to a person who doesn't who doesn't swagger.

That is a difference of roughly 2.9 lbs of fat per year.

Over a 10 year period a person who constantly walks with a "confident swagger" in theory, assuming two hours of "swaggering" per day, will be roughly 29 lbs of fat lighter than a person who doesn't swagger at all.

And they would have stronger obliques, and to a lesser extent stronger abs, shoulders and arm muscles.

The big thing really is whether a person can use those oblique muscles while they walk and get used to having a constant swagger. In the beginning it would be difficult to walk like that all the time (because your obliques would get sore), but after a week or two of walking like that regularly your oblique muscles would grow stronger and your body would become more accustomed to it. So yes, with regular practice a person could develop a constant swagger.

I will note however that deliberately swaggering while you walk at first feels a bit silly. (And you might wonder if other people are watching you and thinking if you are doing that on purpose or if you really do walk around like you own the place.)

Honestly, who cares? It is your body! If you want to lose fat, grow stronger obliques over a longer term period, then absolutely go ahead and do this as an exercise. Another side benefit to obliques is that they improve your balance and flexibility. Useful for many activities.

The end result is that you gain a lot of physical benefits from swaggering - and losing weight and becoming stronger, you will likely feel more confident and feel like swaggering anyway.