WORKING OUT DURING RAMADHAN

During Ramadhan SH doesn't stop his gym activities. The only difference is he reduced the routine by almost half. Normally, he'd spend 30 mins on treadmill/ X training machine. However, during Ramadhan he'd just do 15 minutes. For the sit-up, instead of doing 3 sets of 15 reps, he'd just do 2 sets, so on and so forth.

SH doesn't believe in taking a break from work out activities during Ramadhan. Somehow, he believes it's the right time to lose more of those belly fat. It's a lot easier to lose weight as he was no longer taking 3 meals a day. The only problem is whatever that he lost during Ramadhan he'd gain it back by the 3rd Syawal! Anyway, SH doesn't have that much of weight problem.


Which gym that he goes to? SH doesn't subscribe to commercial gym outlets outside there. He only goes to his in-house gym in the office. It's very convenient as after bath he could just take the lift up to his office. It's very cheap and it has all the basic facilities that he needs. He likes it a lot as most of the time, he's alone in the gym. SH is normally there at the gym at 6am, not many people can have the discipline of waking up early in the morning, so there you go, SH has the gym to himself. He'd just blast off his favourite fast songs from his mp3 player and kick off!

Want to know how to do simple calculation on your ideal weight? Very easy, just subtract 100 from your height (in centimeter) and that's your ideal weight in kg. For example, my height is 172cm, subtracting 100, it becomes 72. That means, my ideal weight should be 72 kg. Simple right? I use that guide to watch over my weight. The only problem is SH's scale at home is broken and so is the one in the gym!

Until a few months ago, SH jogs a lot and it's a must routine to do treadmill at least 30 mins. These days, he doesn't do treadmill anymore. His knees have started to ache due to the high impact of jogging or the production of glucosamine that is necessary for joint cartilage has reduced! Anyway, instead of treadmill, he does X training. Instead of jogging he does brisk walking! I find that X training is low impact and it's suitable for people who are into hiking activity as the movement is like going up steps. It's just as strenuous as treadmill and by the 10th. minutes, he'd start sweating!

SH also does a lot of weight training in the gym. When he started going to the gym, his intention was to do cardio on treadmill and not much of weight training. However, he read that weight training is very effective in burning belly fat. Studies have found that weight training increased the amount of belly fat burned, not only during exercise, but also 40 minutes after working out! It builds lean muscle tissue that burns belly fat even when you're not working out! After all, since he's going to the gym why not have that muscles as proof!

How to lose weight effectively? No myth about it. However, he doesn't believe exercise alone will help much for working people! How much can we exercise? Two hours a day? That's how long it takes to burn 600-800 calories. The answer lies in the combination of low calorie intake and exercise. When he notices that his weight has increased, he'd diet and reduce calorie intake. Instead of having full serving of rice, he'd ask for half. And he'd take light dinner too! Anyway, dinner is the least important meal of the day!

SH sees some over weight people going to the gym. They have the discipline, but for a short while only, for about 3 weeks. Then he doesn't see them at the gym anymore, like chipsmore biscuits, now you see, now you don't! So another rule to lose weight is to exercise regularly. Make it a habit!

When SH first started taking up exercise seriously, he did his exercise in the evening. Then he found out that he could not form the habit as there were always excuses for not doing it, very tired lah, so many things to do lah, got to join friends for dinner lah, the list goes on. That's why he changed the timing to morning. He's an early riser, always waking up around 4am (he never misses his sahur, Insyaallah) so it makes sense to do his exercise in the morning. So, every Mon, Wed and Fri, he'd leave his house at 5.30am to head to the gym straight way. After his subuh prayer at the gym, he'd put on his gym gear and put on his favourite fast songs of the month and start the exercise!

And by 8.00am, he is ready for breakfast before clocking in to the office at 8.30am!