Hi! Matthew Lawrence here! A 26-year-old architect and gamer by heart. I hope you like this new website. I'll be writing mostly about exercising, fitness, and of course, games. I usually update every 2 days during the weekdays so stay tuned!
In a previous post, I mentioned how gym accidents happen from improper use of gym equipment. Aside from performing precautionary steps to avoid them, proper know-how in their purpose and usage is also important. There are different types of exercise equipment. Some are used to train specific parts of the body while some are used to enhance either strength or endurance. Here are the five types of exercise equipment and their purpose.
Cardiovascular Exercise Equipment - This type of equipment focuses on improving your heart and to burn fat. Most modern cardiovascular exercise equipment have a display that would show you important details such as amount of calories burned, how far you have travelled, and walking or running speed. You can customize your workout using the menus on the displays as well. Equipment of this type include Treadmills, Stationary Bikes, and Stair Climbers. It’s a good idea to swap equipments from time to time so you don’t get used to a particular equipment and produce less results.
Free Weights - This type of equipment focuses on how to increase strength. Like the name suggests the weights are free to handle and are not tied to any other equipment (but can be used to augment them). These includes weights for dumbbells, barbells, and other weights training equipment. Of course, dumbbells, barbells, and medicine balls are also included in this category. Free weights are used for lifting and training the muscles on specific areas of the body like biceps, triceps, calves, etc…
Weight Machines - Another strength enhancing equipment but is more user friendly than free weights. Weight machines have a stack of incremental weights attached to a pulley which you can lift by pulling or pushing a certain part of the equipment. You can adjust the weight by either using a pin to set the amount of weights you would use or in some older equipments, put a specific amount of free weights on the machine.
Balance Equipment - This type of equipment is used for enhancing both strength and endurance. Inflatable exercise balls and pads are included in this category. Basically, exercises using this type of equipment involve keeping your balance - like its name suggests - while performing strength-enhancing exercises.
Resistance Equipment - Resistance equipment use elastic bands instead of weights for strength training. A lot of exercises have been devised for training specific parts of the body or muscle groups. The best thing about this type of equipment is that they can easily be carried unlike weights which take up a lot of space and are particularly heavy in comparison.
So which exercise equipment should you use? Choosing the proper equipment is crucial if you want to get results from your training. Including cardiovascular equipment is a good choice since pure strength training without improving endurance and stamina is dangerous. Continuously adding weights to your workout without improving stamina could lead to injury. It is also a good idea to mix strength training equipment to include strengthening of the whole body like the arms, torso, and lower body parts.
I actually had doubts in posting this article as it may be scary and turn off people from going to the gym. However, just so those who will read this (that’s you) will be aware that things like accidents happen even at the gym and even with a lot of precautions.
Gym accidents happen almost every day. From simple cramps to fingers actually being taken off. Although things like that could happen at any time, there are ways on how to lessen the chances of them happening. Here are five of them.
Do not play around - Especially when using gym equipment. A lot of accidents stem from people not being serious inside the gym. The gym is for working out and training. Sure you can have fun, but at least be aware of your surroundings. You might potentially harm other people from your antics, if not yourself.
Don’t hurry - Everything should be taken at it’s own pace. If you’re going to hurry because of an appointment or something, I suggest avoid going to the gym in the first place, or at least cut down on the number of repetitions and sets. Haste makes waste. Not only that, it could cause you harm. You use a lot more energy when you hurry and that could translate into your performance. Imagine your legs giving up on you just because you got so exhausted.
Know how to properly use the gym equipment - Not only because you might break it (which should cost a bit), but also because you might harm yourself and others from doing so. I remember a guy who didn’t know how to use a treadmill so he simply put it on start, did a few jogs, then grew tired of it. Bad thing was, he didn’t know how to stop it so he stopped jogging and prepared to jump off. Bad move, he promptly fell face first as soon as he did it.
Know your limits - This is very important. Also, make sure to have a spotter with you at all times. A lot of accidents happen during benchpresses and because they tried to push theirselves too hard that their arms give up. I’ve heard stories of muscles getting detached or ribs getting broken because of the weights falling on or somewhere near their chest. Do your best but if you’re going to try and push yourself to your limit, make sure to tell your spotter so he’s ready.
Focus - Yeah, so you’re doing some leg curls when someone hot just passed by you. You didn’t notice you lifted your legs too high and the weight from the equipment suddenly fell on your back. Ouch. That could also happen when your phone suddenly rings and you try to answer it without stopping from what you are doing. Avoid bringing stuff that could distract you while performing your exercises. Those things could cause gym accidents, more than you think it will.
I wrote about reflexes a while back but what is it really? Basically, reflexes are movements that the body make automatically based on a certain cue. They are mostly involuntary so you’ll be surprised you suddenly moved before you even thought of what you were doing. Here are 5 facts about our reflexes.
- When reacting to pain, the part of our body that’s directly affected would send a signal immediately to the body part that would safely move it out of harm’s way, bypassing the brain. This reaction makes it quick, almost in an instant.
- Coughing when we feel something weird in our throats is considered a reflex action.
- The pupils in our eyes widen and close just allowing enough light into our eyes to see clearly. The darker the environment, the wider the pupils would grow. It is also considered a reflex action.
- The popular reflex test which includes hitting just above the knee caps resulting with the legs suddenly kicking up (like in cartoons) is actually done medicine. And it works, seriously.
- We can train our reflexes to react to particular situations. This can be seen especially when playing games where you quickly react to particular situations. So yeah, constant practice makes us better at it.
Alright, so is it just me or are game peripherals being designed to at least give us players some exercise - that, aside from making games a bit more interactive. Although the concept have been thought of during the earlier days of gaming, some accessories - like the SEGA Activator - were rather, as most people say, ill-conceived. These days with the newer generation of consoles, big companies like Nintendo and Sony had designed such accessories and have so far been successful.
Wii Remote - A good concept implemented by Nintendo on their latest console, the Wii. What’s good about it is that with the remote’s design and the variety of games that utilize it, even non-gamers and older people were attracted and are now casually playing games on their TVs. Good games I would suggest that would force you to stand and move would be golf games, like Tiger Woods ‘08 along with other golf or baseball titles, and also Wii Fit.
Eye Toy - Designed by Logitech for the PS2, the technology uses computer vision to process images taken by the camera, which allows players to interact with games using motion, color detection and also sound (through a built-in microphone). Unlike the Wii Remote, the Eye Toy has not made commercial success and only a few games have been made for it. A shame, though, as it was one peripheral that could at least bring your image into the game.
Bemani Peripherals - If you don’t know what Bemani is, you must have been living under a rock for the past decade. Anyway, Bemani is Konami’s music video game division that was made popular by titles such as Beatmania (their first title) and Dance Dance Revolution, among many others. Although popular in arcades, there have been ports to consoles as well with the peripherals such as dance pads for DDR sold seperately (yeah, you can use the controllers but it wouldn’t be as much fun). Similarly, games such as Rockband and Guitar Hero have their own peripherals as well which are required to play the game - like the drums, microphone and of course the guitars).
Warning: Mature. Well, don’t make your sex life become a routine activity. It’ll become boring. Trust me, I know. Most importantly, never miss foreplay! Why? A couple of reasons: Most women need prolonged stimulation to reach the point of complete arousal and also to become properly lubricated; for men, an erection. Of course, if you do the same thing over and over, it becomes routine and boring. Solution? How about some foreplay games to spice some things up? Here are a few examples.
Betting games - Classic. Whether it’s a game of strip poker or strip pool the same thing is common, both of you will slowly get undressed, prolonging the excitement. Of course, if you are winning a lot, try to lose once in a while. On the other hand, if you keep losing a lot, try harder. Fun is what we’re aiming for during foreplay and there’s no fun in having someone win all the time.
Foreplay Fun Dice - How about rolling some dice during foreplay? One die has the words “Kiss” and “Carress” among other stuff, while the second has the area where you are supposed to do the thing from the first die. Simple, but it keeps things from being too repetitive. Unless you roll the same thing over and over again… Costs 10 bucks.
Roleplaying - Ever imagined one of you being Tarzan and the other is Jayne? Well, you should have a lot of imagination for this one and, of course, a bit of acting skills. Try to get into the role and act out. Once everything starts getting naughty, you’ll find it a lot different from your possible routine and it opens up a lot of possibilities. Best of all, there’s no cost (unless you opt for the costume, which could make the whole thing better). It’s a free foreplay game, yeah?
I used to work in an office environment and have experienced the boredom of just sitting there without anything to do. You can’t even watch videos simply because the IT guys blocked each and every video streaming site in existence. Proxies aren’t really a solution since even if you do manage to bypass the block, they’ll come to check up on you because you’re taking up all the bandwidth. So what we usually did was play some of those browser games like Archmage (Magewar), Travian, and Techwarrior among others. But the real ones I enjoyed were the many flash games I found over the Internet (no, not those adult flash games *snicker*). Here are my top 3 favorites as of current.
Caravaneer - The setting reminds me of Fallout. This free flash game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where food is scarce and the area is populated by robbers and bandits. You start out with 50 rounds ofammo and $1000. It’s up to you how you survive. Very nice game.
MechQuest - If you’ve played AdventureQuest or Dragon Fable, you’ll find this a very similar RPG flash game …only with mechs. You gain experience and credits through quests and battles which you get by talking to NPCs. You can use the credits to upgrade your mech so you can fight higher level mechs. So yeah, you know the drill.
Feudalism - So yeah, you get to play as a conqueror for a change. Sounds cool huh? You can bring an army which is AI controlled. You can build structures to get more troops, bonuses, etc…just like your standard strategy game… made as a flash game. Cool.
When someone mentions yoga, an image of the character Dhalsim from Street Fighter almost always comes to mind. The character was also the reason why I became interested in the Indian practice. Anyway, Yoga is a spiritual practice that has been in existence for more than 3000 years in India. The word comes from the Sanskrit word yuj which means “to control” or “to yoke”. A common definition today would be “to bring together in mind and spirit”. Although yoga includes exercise as a part of the practice, it is just a part of it. The main goal of yoga is the discipline of the mind and body, enhancing strength and endurance, and connecting it with the spirit.
When one mentions yoga, they are most probably referring to “Hatha Yoga”, which is the physical part of Yoga. It was introduced by a 15th century sage, Yogi Swatmarama, who says that hatha yoga “is the stairway to the heights of raja yoga”, which is the mind component of yoga. Here are six of the many styles of hatha yoga:
Ashtanga Yoga - Ashtanga yoga helps build flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, as well as concentration. It is fast-paced and the practitioner moves between sets of predetermined poses without staying in a particular pose for more than five breaths. The steps were designed with young, flexible bodies in mind as some include jumps and push-ups.
Power Yoga - I’m still having doubts whether this particular type is really ashtanga yoga itself or just similar. Anyway, this type of yoga is the one that is most popular in the United States. Similar to asthanga yoga, power yoga involves moving through a set of poses thus improving strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Gentle Yoga - Unlike the previous two types, gentle yoga focuses more on flexibility and breathing and less on strength and endurance. This type is meant to attract people of all ages (not just the younger ones) so the steps involve a lot of stretching and poses. Gentle yoga helps in reducing stress and a bit of weight reduction.
Kundalini Yoga - Kundalini means “spiritual power” so by that word, you have guessed that this type would involve meditation. Kundalini yoga like the other types involve body postures and deep breathing, then throws chanting and meditation in the mix. The practice focuses on “chakras” (”wheels” or “circles” in Sanskrit, could be referring to the centers of energy in the body) to generate spiritual power.
Bikram Yoga - Also called Hot Yoga is a style developed by Bikram Choudhury. The practice involves being in a room heated to around 40.5 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) and lasts for around 90 minutes. It involves 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises.
As you may have noticed, yoga involves a lot of postures and doesn’t involve weights training for strength and endurance. In case you are thinking of training both (strength, endurance) you might want to check yoga out. Though honestly, I don’t think it would develop your muscles as well as weights training (if you’re thinking of bodybuilding).
So yeah, our heart is one of the most important parts of our body. If that stops beating, you know what happens next. Well, as much as exercise can help prevent heart diseases from occurring, a healthy diet is equally important. Here are 3 tips that could help you plan your diet accordingly.
Less Fat - Fat is just one of those things that contribute to increasing the risk of heart diseases. They can be found mostly in cheese, meat, milk, butter, and coconut oil. It’s a good idea to lessen the amount of foods you eat that has those. So if you’re going to drink milk, choose those with less than 1% fat. When cooking with oil, check the label and compare which has low fat. Stuff like that.
Less Sodium - Sodium is one of those necessary nutrients in our diet. Although sometimes we tend to get a lot of it, especially in salt. Less sodium intake help in lowering some people’s blood pressure so it’s a good idea to not always put salt on the table.
More Fiber - More fiber lowers the risk of heart diseases from occurring. Fiber can usually be found in fruits and vegetables so eat a lot more of those. Also when choosing bread, go for whole-wheat bread and for cereal, whole-grain cereal.
Well, we all know a motorcycle when we see one, although most of us can’t tell the difference. Depending on the model, only specific motorbikes can be used for a particular terrain or purpose. Here are are the 5 common types of motorcycles.
Naked or Standard Bikes - These are popular for commuting through traffic. The upright seating position gives good visibility on the road. The reason why it’s called naked is because of the lack of bodywork or plastic.
Scooter - This one is very common nowadays and are pretty cheap. It’s rather light and is preferred by new bikers. The engine is mounted near the rear wheel and has a floorboard.
Cruisers - These are heavy and bulky. I believe you see them usually being ridden by a policeman. The seat is rather low and the bike is a bit long. Designed for looks and comfort.
Sport - These are covered with nice plastic and are light and can go at fast speeds. They’re usually used in tourneys and races. My favorite type.
Off-Road - These can be used for any terrain since they are very very light. They are designed for jumping and on dirt, hence the name “dirt bikes”.
Motorcycles or Bicycles are a lot more dangerous to handle than cars. It requires balance and a bit more skill to handle than four-wheelers. Now, the highways can be especially dangerous if you’re going to drive one along. Here are some tips that could help you survive the war zone on the road.
Keep a safe distance on all sides. Trouble can happen at any time so simply assume that other drivers can’t see you. Maintaining distance from other vehicles would give you enough time to react in case something wrong happens. Be alert and watch your surroundings.
Watch your speed. Yes, the feeling of wind on your hair while blowing through high speeds can be very pleasing, especially if you’re a speed freak. Try to maintain a decent speed instead of trying to reach the speed limit or going above it. When you’re going really fast, you’ll have a lot less time to react when something happens (and a heavier injury if you happen to fall off).
A good helmet will save you. My uncle once encountered a drunk driver on the road. The van switched lanes unexpectedly and headed straight for him. Without time to react, the motorcycle and van crashed head-to-head and my poor uncle was thrown onto the other vehicle’s windshield. He survived, but with a lot of bones broken and was paralyzed (recovered through therapy). Had he worn a less sturdy helmet, he would have died the moment his head hit the windshield.
Hi! Matthew Lawrence here! A 26-year-old architect and gamer by heart. I hope you like this new website. I'll be writing mostly about exercising, fitness, and of course, games. I usually update every 2 days during the weekdays so stay tuned!
