AGAVA FITNESS

Inconsistency in fitness happens when you go on a hiatus from your journey every once in a while (weeks/months) which eventually inhibits the effects of those isolated efforts you have made. Due to  muscle memory   there's always hope even when you've been on hiatus for years. It is based on that hope that I bring you a few ideas on how to deal with inconsistency so you can have a smooth ride all the way.  Firstly, there are about four reasons why anyone might be inconsistent: No Motivation/Interest : You don't derive pleasure or value from working out, You find it hard to dedicate time for the activity.  No Ideas: You’ve done the same exercises over and over again and now they are boring. You don't know what to do at home or at the gym anymore.  No Results/Patience: You are not seeing the results you want. Mostly, you try again when you find a new routine that might work. No Money: You can't consistently pay for gym services or renew your supplement supply....

We eat to live is something mum would say anytime we (me and my siblings) try to cheat. Of late, I helped her chop chicken for a pot of stew when she insisted I peel off  the overlying skin. I was interested in this recent development so I had to ask, apparently ‘there's fat deposits in the skin’, that's something I have to verify. Our parents in their advance ages are doing the things we should do now as millenials, one of which is; eating to live. You might find that the taste of mum’s stew have changed over the years, with less pepper and salt, she's got a whole pot of natural medicine. Mum’s take would be “don't be all out about pleasing the tongue and belly, you have to think of the long term effects”. Nutrition is about everything edible and what they do for the body.  We need some in large quantity (macronutrients) and others in small quantity (micronutrients), Carbohydrates fall under macronutrients and are needed in large quantity. Carbohydrate is one word that...

Following my last post on couples workout, I decided to do an outdoor version which would give couples an idea on how they can have an exciting workout together even without the equipments found in the gym.  I have divided the exercises described into four parts which are cardio, lower body workout, abdominals and upper body workout.  The routine should take approximately 45 minutes to be completed. Try this routine at the cool of the evening with your spouse following these descriptive guidelines: CARDIO: The cardio exercises suggested may require cones, stones or markings on the ground. Cone Drills: Cone drills are mostly used by athletes, especially soccer players. We know you are not an athlete hence we have only suggested some mild drills which can in fact be done even without cones. The idea here is basically activation for workout which can be achieved with the following exercises: The One Leg Hop:For a soccer player, the one leg hop is used to build endurance and impro...

It's a long routine I put together with Victoria which is made up of exercises that can be done individually or among workout partners who may or may not be involved with each other. I have divided this routine into three major parts which are Cardio, Compound Workout and Abdominals. As expected with every couple, one partner is always stronger than the other, this was taken into account while setting up this routine. It is expected that the stronger partner takes the lead on this routine supporting and encouraging the weaker one.  CARDIO Set Up: Couple Step Workout.  Start your workout session together  with this invigorating cardio routine using a pair of steps.  Lateral Step Ups: Place steps in parallel formation with ample gap in between. Do 3 sets of 30 repetitions of lateral step ups taking short breaks in between, as low as 30 seconds or less.  Step Modified Mountain Climber: Close Gap between steps and face each other while you do a step modified mountai...

Your workout routine is not complete without a lower body workout and it doesn't get any better than my explosive lower body workout.  This routine targets your thighs,hamstrings , butt and calves. It is ideal for all body types including males and females.   It starts with a rigorous cardio that burns a minimum of 100 calories and over 200 calories in 20 minutes. It also incorporates cable workout as well as free weight oriented exercises that have been improvised for maximum results. Some of the exercises demonstrated have been borrowed from the lower body routine of top fitness model  Joshua Cummings   who happens to be my role model in fitness. Let's Begin: Start With A Stationary Bike: Set the bike for the hill program and use heavier weights. I usually go for 265 lbs but you can go for lower weights. Also go for higher levels like that of 5 or upward. Use the HIIT program for this exercise; cycling as fast as you can and resting at intervals by cycling at moder...

You might think I'd be mentioning abdominal exercises here but not a single one has been mentioned except for the mountain climber. Since most people think of crunches when they pull out a mat, abdominals have been deliberately excluded to accommodate some of the other exercises you are probably unaware of, that should work on all other body parts including the abdomen. There's no excuse anymore, you can always do these exercises at home to stay fit: The Push Up Variations: You can do the push up and it's many variations with just a mat. The pull up will build your chest, triceps and shoulders. Some of the variations include the basic push up, the diamond push up and half push up. You can do the incline or decline push up but that would require a step or box. You can learn to do the one arm push up by using a box/step too. The basic push up has been demonstrated in a tutorial video attached to this post. Please keep your abdominal locked in while at this.  Mount...

I couldn't help but over hear the cry of a fellow gym enthusiast who has been on the grind for almost a year now but hasn't seen the results he wanted. He particularly desired tricep cuts even though he had decent mass gain. This is not an isolated problem as most guys especially those of the mesomorphic build are unhappy with their muscular definition.  While I plan on putting an article up on general muscular definition, this post is focused on achieving tricep definition (cuts) which should help resolve the problem of my gym mate.  Mesomorphs and endomorphs tend to have the problem of gaining without definition because they also battle fat. Another reason why this happens has to do with the exercising technique. Hence, there are three reasons why you may not be seeing the results you want: You are a mesomorph or endomorph who is also battling fat. You are doing programs that make you gain mass fast but don't give you definition.  You are only using heavy weights. ...

For those of you looking to shed fat from top to bottom, this at home fat burning routine is for you. You can also use this routine at the gym as a warm up alternative to the treadmill. This is recommended for  mesomorphs and endomorphs and should be used seldomly by ectomorphs seeking to gain mass.  In this routine, you would be doing six on the spot fat burning exercises in 30 minutes non-stop. They include butt kickers, jogging on a spot, knee ups,squat jumps, shuffle punches and jumping jacks.  The Routine: Butt Kickers: You might find sprinters doing butt kicks before a race. This is because it strengthens the hamstrings and quads which improves their speed. Start off with your butt kicks, doing this continuously for 5 minutes. Ensure that the hill of each foot touches your butt as you jog. This is why they are called butt kickers.  Jogging On A Spot : According to Wikipedia, jogging has the potential to increase your lifespan by reducing the effects of aging an...

An amazing thing about the pull up is that it could be done anywhere an even bar can be found; at home, work, the gym or playground. What's more amazing is that it is the ultimate body designer. Yes, "It would design your body” , according to a fellow gym enthusiast. Some have called it “my secret”. I do believe it is my secret. It would get the entire back muscles,biceps and triceps in shape depending on how you choose to pull. A lady looking to burn underarm fat can turn to the pull up too.  Unfortunately, you don't find most people (including those who have attained a good level of fitness) pulling up. It's a challenging exercise for beginners and pros get exhausted in no time. By doing this exercise, you are essentially lifting your entire body off the ground against the gravitational pull. Some even go as far as adding disc weights to increase the total weight lifted. The pull up is one of the basic trainings required in strength development for calisthenics.  Chr...

Some would place the deadlift as the number one exercise for back muscle growth but I'd place it at number four. The pull up, barbell row and cross over come before it in my own classification probably because I love light weights and of course the deadlift is a heavy weight program.  The deadlift is a full body program that would also benefit your hamstrings. I am referring to  the conventional deadlifts as there are different types of deadlifts such as the hack, rack, sumo,trap bar, snatch grip and  Romanian deadlift. The barbell row is sometimes called a deadlift too.  The conventional deadlift is similar to the Romanian deadlift and they are wrongly interchanged but each work on different parts of the back. The conventional deadlift works on the mid back while the Romanian deadlift works on the lower back.  Precautions should be taken when doing deadlifts as injury can occur in lower spine if heavy weights are lifted wrongly without the aid of a safety belt....

The pullover is one of the best programs you can do for your back muscle growth following the pull up. People who find pulling up challenging resort to the pullover to build key muscles like the Latissimus Dorsi (Lats).  The pullover can be done with a Barbell or Dumbbell although we can replicate the movement with a cable machine. You can do the pullover using a flat bench or a decline bench as demonstrated (Using a decline bench yields better results).  The decline Dumbbell pullover have been demonstrated here which was done with a bench usually used for the chest press. This was improvised because a decline bench was unavailable. You'd find that the chest press bench cannot be used for the barbell pullover because of its structure, hence the Dumbbell pullover is an alternative when you want to work with a decline bench.  To do the decline dumbbell pullover, you would need a decline bench and a set of  Dumbbells. The following steps should be helpful: Lie flat on t...

The arm raise is an isolation workout for shoulders but they would also burn the fat found in flabby arms or that found under the arm pit which are some of the problem areas women deal with. However, women do not grow muscles the way men do because they do not have high testosterone levels as found in men. Women who have grown “masculine” muscles have high testosterone levels in their body either naturally or induced with drugs.  The arm raise can be done using a barbell, dumbells , weight disc or kettles.  There are two types of arm raises: the frontal arm raises and side arm raises which are both effective.  Today, we are considering the side arm raises which can be done in two ways. You can do this with or without an inclined bench. You can also do this while standing uprightly or by slightly leaning forward as you would when  resting on an inclined bench. You should follow these steps: Start out with a 5kg dumbbell to get the workability of this program before st...

There are two views of the body you should be concerned about when working out. Some people usually focus on one view and leave the other view uncatered for.  You have to realize that your muscle groups have three views, the front, side and the back. You have to deliberately cater for the three views to have the perfect aesthetics. If you work towards having a perfect front and back view, you would also have a perfect side view.  You will find in most people that some have well developed back muscles but unfortunately do not have a perfectly built abdomen. Others have well built upper body but the lower body is undeveloped.  How can we achieve the perfect aesthetics? It might require a perfect routine I suppose.  You have at most four days to work at the gym, therefore in these days you should  work on the upper,lower,frontal,and back muscle groups.  To draw a weekly workout plan that carters for all views, please follow the suggestions below.  Note:...

From my personal experience and observation on other body builders, I find that the ancient method for body building which involves lifting weights (basically dumbells, barbells and body weight) is more effective than the more recent cable machine that is now predominant. I find cables to be less effective than barbells or dumbbells although they also have their benefits.  So what are the benefits of weights (I.e Dumbbells and barbells) over cables? Weights get you ripped up faster than cables; which only get you pumped but take longer time to give you the desired ‘cuts’ you want. However, one factor that should be considered is the total weight in kilograms being lifted, as light weights get the body ripped over time before heavier weights which tend to only increase muscle mass.  Secondly, barbells, dumbells and even bars are affordable when compared to cable machines. You can easily build a personal gym out of these.  Weights are portable which means they would fit int...

I had previously discussed the overhead  shoulder press (commonly called military press) for dumbbells and barbells which is the gold standard for shoulder workout.  An alternative way to build your shoulders is the cable face pull which can be done while standing or lying.  Why should you do the cable face pull? The cable program is convenient especially for beginners because it has a smaller margin for error since you are working with a machine. The human error observed when working with dumbells or barbells is reduced. It’s also an easier shoulder program to do when compared with the overhead shoulder press and this can be done when weights (Dumbbells and barbells) are unavailable.  The lying face pull down is more effective than the standing face pull since the succor from the feet is eliminated giving the triceps,shoulders and upper back an opportunity to thrive under those weights. To do a lying face pull, you would need a flat bench, a cable machine and a flex...

The overhead dumbbell press is the solution for the problem associated with the  barbell press.  You will find with the barbell press that your arms don't move uniformly because of unequal strength. Mostly, the right arm is stronger than the left arm for right handed people and vice versa. Fixing this would require a delibrate and conscious effort like the use of a mirror to observe your movement. However, the overhead dumbbell press is an ultimate solution.  With the overhead dumbbell press, you get to build strength in both arms as they both work equally, since equal weights are used.  To create more effect on your shoulders,upper back and triceps,you should resort to the seated overhead dumbell press which eliminates the succor provided by the feets, giving the triceps an opportunity to strive under those weights.  You should do nothing less than three sets with ten repititons each.  The disadvantage of the overhead dumbbell press is that it is less effe...

Today I would be starting a new series that should cover your entire weekly routine for males and females. Starting out with the upper body, I recommend you start your week with the shoulder, back and tricep muscle groups.  The ancient overhead barbell press has been here for ages as the foremost program to build the shoulders and upper back. It also builds your triceps and strengthens your legs. Hence, this is a compound program. I think it is sometimes called the military press because it's been an 'ingredient' for training in regiment camps.   Start your upper body program with overhead barbell press for shoulders. Here's what you should know about lifting the weights: Your knees should be slightly bent as if you are to squat but in this case you only bend halfway through.  Your legs should be spread out so you are well balanced as this routine requires strength even for light weights.  Your head is faced forward as you lift the weight and chest broadened outward....

I know there are applications out there that should help you get fit, but no application can replace human instincts which is something required for training since we all have different needs.  If you are trying to get fit, you would need one of these: a personal fitness trainer or a gym instructor. The purpose of this post is establishing the pros and cons of the either options so you can make a decision on which is best for you.  Whether they are male or female, the subject of sex is irrelevant but you might want to pick a trainer of same sex for various subjective reasons.  The following comparative points should help you decide on an arrangement that is best for you: Personal trainers are usually more expensive than the gym subscriptions that come with instructors. This is because you pay for knowledge,time,mobilization and your comfort with personal trainers.  A gym instructor has you and a whole lot of others to take care of at a go. Hence the onus is on you to...