Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Wearables, more than just a trend

 Garry Y. Itkin explains that fitness wearables are more than just a trend. Below are some of the wonderful benefits of having these nifty pieces of technology.

Image source: blog.vitrainer.com

One of the main benefits is that they can help you stay motivated. If your goals are to get as fit as you can and lose weight, wearable technology can help keep you on track. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, your wearable device can track your calories burned and consumed. This can help you stay accountable and on track to reach your goals.

Another benefit of fitness wearables is that they can help you improve your overall fitness. Wearable technology can track heart rate, steps taken, and distance traveled. This information can help you see where you need to make improvements and help you better track your progress.

Image source: scmp.com

Wearables can also connect to other apps and trackers. For example, you can use your fitness tracker with a food or calorie manager app. Trackers allow you to keep better track of the foods you eat and how many calories they have in them. Connecting to apps like these can help you stay on top of nutrition information such as saturated fat, potassium, and sodium.

It also helps that most fitness wearables are very comfortable to wear. Some are even so light you might forget you have it on. Garry Y. Itkin also adds that many are made of sleek metals or silicone, so they don't seem bulky when wearing them. You can also find some that fit in different styles, such as bracelets, necklaces, or watches.

Monday, December 13, 2021

The most effective exercises known to man

 

Garry Y. Itkin says that not all exercises are created equally. Some have different effects on the body. For today, Garry Y. Itkin shares his take on the most-effective exercises known to man.

1. Squats are an excellent exercise to increase bulk, tone up muscles, and burn fat. They are also the most effective exercise ever discovered. Squats are an excellent way of building muscles in the legs as well as strengthening the core nature of your body.

Image source: planetfitness.com


2. Deadlifts are another excellent exercise. This exercise helps to strengthen the lower back, core, and rhomboids. It also builds muscle in the arms and legs while increasing bone density and reinforcing muscles around the spine, giving you a strong core for life.

3. Battling ropes are an excellent way to get cardiovascular training while building endurance and strengthening your arms, back, shoulders, and chest. It is a very interesting exercise that looks cool when done well.

4. Pull-ups are an excellent way to build arm, back, and core strength. They help to develop the body's muscles by supporting your entire body weight with just your arms.

5. Push-ups are also a great exercise. This simple way of strengthening the chest and core muscles will give you a leaner body with a healthier, firmer midsection. nPush-ups can also be modified to suit your specific goals, Garry Y. Itkin adds.

Friday, November 12, 2021

Some handy exercise equipment you can use in your dorm

 

To maintain a balanced life as a college student, Garry Y. Itkin always thinks of ways to keep himself fit and healthy without having to spend too much. If you're a student, joining a gym club might be an added expense that you might not be ready for. In this blog post, he shares some handy exercise equipment that you can use in the dorm.

Image source: bodypusher.com

1. Jump rope

The jump rope is literally a very small object, and yet it can give you an exhilarating cardio workout. All you need is a space that's wide enough so that the rope doesn't hit anyone or anything in your dorm while you're using it. Garry Y. Itkin believes that this is best done outdoors so that you can breathe in all that fresh air and oxygen you will need as you exercise. Otherwise, your dorm room should be ample enough as a venue.



Image source: fab-ent.com

2. Resistance bands

Resistance bands are very light and easy to install. You only have to find a wall or a stable point to hook this up in, and you're ready to go. Resistance bands can provide you with ample resistance that helps you build those muscles and add definition to your body. One of its biggest benefits for a regular dorm-based student is that you don't have to worry about tripping on it or dropping it and injuring your feet, compared to using metal dumbbells, notes Garry Y. Itkin.

3. Gym ball

The gym ball is the perfect tool to modify all the other exercises you are used to doing. For example, you can make pushups lighter or heavier by using the gym ball to lean on as you do your reps. You can stretch your body in places that are hard to target with the help of a gym ball. If it still takes up too much space in your dorm room, you easily deflate it and stow it away in a small place.

Friday, October 29, 2021

How to improve your free throw shooting

 

Being a freshman biology student, Garry Y. Itkin constantly finds ways to keep himself fit without having to spend at all, which is a real concern among students like him. He plays basketball to keep fit, but he also works hard to become better at it. In this blog post, he shares some tips on how to improve free throw shooting.

Image source: nbcsports.com


You first need to establish the proper hand positioning on the ball as you take your shot. To get this right and burn it into your muscle memory, you might want to try shooting the ball with one hand first, so you get to feel how the ball is supposed to rest on your hand, along with the amount of force you need to launch the shot, shares Garry Y. Itkin. From there, use your other hand only as a guide and take practice shots until you get comfortable with your form.

You will need to make corrections on your range. Many players do this the wrong way by extending the force of their shot horizontally, which is not the correct way. You should be more conscious about making the arc of your ball higher for it to reach the basket.

Image source: youtube.com

Make it a habit to bend your knees as you take the shot. This allows the potential energy that comes from the ground to go all the way up to your shooting arm and hand as you release the ball. This also allows you to concentrate more on the way that you release your shot.

Lastly, train yourself to dribble the ball a few times before you take the free throw. This allows your senses to have a good feel for the ball before you take the shot.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Guns out: Exercises to blow up those triceps

According to Garry Y. Itkin, triceps are important muscles when it comes to how the body functions since people often push in their daily activities.

Image source: fitmw.com

Aesthetically, tighter and more defined triceps stand out whenever a person wears a tank top. This is especially true among women, who, as they age, are prone to batwings, or when the skin covering the back of the arms sags.

To develop triceps, Garry Y. Itkin shares two of the simple yet effective moves that hit all heads and give the muscle greater form and strength.

Tricep kickbacks

To do tricep kickbacks, grab the dumbbells and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend the upper body at a 45-degree angle. Be sure always to keep the back straight. Lift the elbows, so they form a 45-degree angle with the back. The arms should be at a 90-degree angle with the hands and dumbbells at the bottom.

Image source: openfit.com

Start the exercise by lifting the forearm back up until the arm is straight. Hold for a second before slowly lowering the arm. Repeat the move. Start with light weights with 10 reps per set. Do three sets.

Garry Y. Itkin mentions that people should pause at the top of the movement and squeeze their triceps for an added pump.

Tricep extensions

Take a dumbbell with both hands and lift it over the head. Keep the elbows as close as possible to each other. Don't let them flair out.

Bend the arms backward and slowly lower the dumbbell to the back before raising it back up. Repeat the move. Start with light dumbbells with 10 reps per set. Do three sets.

As an added note, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that people don't need heavy weights for this particular exercise.

Friday, August 20, 2021

Restarting your fitness program after a hiatus.

Garry Y. Itkin has said before that returning to an exercise program after a long break can be quite a challenge. The motivation people felt when physical activity was a habit needs to be found once more, especially when they feel they’ve lost strength and endurance.

Image source: well-beingsecrets.com

Fortunately, fitness enthusiasts have listed several ways to make the retraining easier. Garry Y. Itkin shares these ways below.

1. Baby steps

It can be tempting to jump right back into the thick of things and lift heavy and push yourself to the limit right away. This is not recommended. Your muscles are no longer used to it. The key is not to become totally overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed can lead to frustration and cause you to quit even before you’ve restarted your journey.

Many coaches and trainers recommend going out for a brisk walk or a light jog first— anything to get moving. Once the body gets used to moving again with intensity, it’s time to move to more difficult routines.
Image source: bustle.com

2. (Re)Commitment

For many people, starting again is surprisingly harder than when they first began. They find the recommitting themselves is more challenging. Nevertheless, this can be overcome with a simple promise. Try committing to working out for 5 to 15 minutes every day. This seems less scary than a long routine. Eventually, this will increase as you start to get more used to working out.

Garry Y. Itkin also mentions that it is important to remember that being healthy is a lifelong process. It is something that must be done daily and with much consistency and patience.

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Use these everyday objects to exercise without having to leave the dorm.

As a biology student who's living on a budget, Garry Y. Itkin spends a lot of his time doing his fitness exercises in his dorm. You might be surprised that you have mostly everything you need at home to help you through your fitness plans so you can spare yourself from investing in gym equipment.

Image source: crossfit.com

Here are some examples:

1. Stool

A stool is quite versatile as an exercise aid. You can certainly do box jumps with it. You can also do some inclined pushups with your stool, which can both give you less or more resistance, depending on where you place your feet. You can practice lateral high jumps with a high enough stool, which is awesome for cardio, says Garry Y. Itkin. Once you realize how many things you can do with a stool, you'll be so amazed.

Image source: bestofhislife.com



2. Books

When you're in school, it's all about hitting the books. Since you have them around at the dorm anyway, why not use them for exercise, too? Books are great for adding resistance to your normal stationary exercises. For example, a thick enough book can act as a dumbbell that can target your biceps and triceps. You may even lay a book flat on your chest as you do crunches for that extra bit of challenge.

3. Detergent bottles

Detergent bottles are also great to have, simply because whatever you can do in kettlebell exercises, you can do with it, too. As Garry Y. Itkin suggests, deadlifts can even be more amazing when you use a detergent bottle or even two. As you hold a detergent bottle in each hand, you can climb up your building's stairs and work up your upper body for that added strength that you can surely use.