How to hold dumbbells properly

Post author By Kim
Post date September 25, 2021

Are you making these mistakes with your dumbbell exercises?

A major focus of free weight training should be form and technique, part of this is simply how you hold the dumbbells properly. In this video, I cover a front rack position that can be used for thrusters, dual dumbbell squats and overhead presses. I also go over other exercises where the weight is often held incorrectly, such as goblet squats and tricep extensions.

How to make sure you're holding your dumbbells properly...

Be sure to keep an eye out for more youtube videos appearing on my channel and blog page! I’ll posting lots of fitness videos and exercise demonstrations this year. A big focus of mine is getting people to perform exercises properly. So, I do have pretty long explainations in my videos. But it’s worth learning the correct movement patterns from the get go!

Need help with your fitness?

I’ve got 4 online coaching packages to choose from that will take you from a casual exerciser to a weight training pro!

Your exercise challenge!

Try out the tips in the video above and let me know how you got on! Even better, if this video helped you then tag me @barefacedfitness on Instagram in your story or post.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try to hit a lower depth or increase the weight you’re using!

You can also switch up the intensity by slowing down the tempo, adding in pauses and increasing sets and reps.

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Diet & Nutrition

Do you need to be concerned about inflammation from foods?

Post author By Kim
Post date September 25, 2021

Do you need to be concerned about inflammatory foods?

Inflammation is a comprehensive array of physiological responses to a foreign organism, including human pathogens, dust particles, and viruses.

Recent investigations have clarified that inflammation is a major factor for the progression of various chronic diseases/disorders, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, eye disorders, arthritis, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease (1).

Should I be concerned?

I see a lot of people online talking about inflammation caused by various foods in our diets. This is yet again, one more unnecessary thing that everyone needs to be worried about.

It’s much more beneficial to pay attention to the foods we should be eating as opposed to the foods we should be ‘afraid of’.

If you have a well-balanced diet, it’s unlikely you have to be worried about this.

Why is that?

There are certain foods that act as antioxidants which in turn can potentially help reduce inflammation.

The thing is if you have a healthy balanced diet you’re likely already getting those things and needn’t be concerned about having the foods wrongly labelled as the sole cause of health issues.

They are not the direct cause of inflammation but can provide an associated risk towards certain health conditions and diseases if overconsumed.

Need help with your diet?

I’ve got two online programmes that will help you change the way you think about food and dieting.

Which foods?

Typically, people will say that things like saturated fat, dairy and sugar are inflammatory. So, for instance, hyper-palatable foods.

This is incorrect as food alone does not cause an inflammatory response.

Rather, people who overconsume sugar, carbs and saturated fat WITHOUT having that balance of healthier foods combined with an active, healthy lifestyle are likely to suffer from health conditions and diseases.

Is my diet okay?

You should focus on having a diet primarily focused around whole and single-ingredient foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, high fiber foods plus a good amount of protein.

Saturated fat has a negative connotation but our cholesterol levels can be regulated by adjusting levels of saturated vs. unsaturated fat intake.

A reasonable amount of refined sugar and hyper-palatable foods aren’t going to make you unhealthy.

Key Takeaways

Your overall lifestyle habits should be considered, as being physically fit and active and having a healthy balanced diet.
Things like limiting alcohol and avoiding smoking, also play a key role.
We cannot blame diet alone for health conditions and diseases, it comes from a variety of factors that contribute towards having a healthy lifestyle.

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References

1 – Arulselvan P, Fard MT, Tan WS, Gothai S, Fakurazi S, Norhaizan ME, Kumar SS. Role of Antioxidants and Natural Products in Inflammation. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016;2016:5276130. doi: 10.1155/2016/5276130. Epub 2016 Oct 10. PMID: 27803762; PMCID: PMC5075620.

Diet & Nutrition

Which foods are high in antioxidants?

Post author By Kim
Post date September 25, 2021

Which foods are high in antioxidants?

Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Diets high in vegetables and fruits, which are good sources of antioxidants, have been found to be healthy; however, research has not shown antioxidant supplements to be beneficial in preventing diseases.

Research has shown that people who eat more vegetables and fruits have lower risks of several diseases; however, it is not clear whether these results are related to the amount of antioxidants in vegetables and fruits, to other components of these foods, to other factors in people’s diets, or to other lifestyle choices (1).

Which foods are high in antioxidants?

Beverages

The highest antioxidant values in this category were found among the unprocessed tea leaves, tea powders and coffee beans. Fifty-four different types of prepared coffee variants procured from 16 different manufacturers showed that the variation in coffees are large, ranging from a minimum of 0.89 mmol/100 g for one type of brewed coffee with milk to 16.33 mmol/100 g for one type of double espresso coffee, the highest antioxidant value of all prepared beverages analyzed in the present study.

Other antioxidant-rich beverages are red wine, which has a smaller variation of antioxidant content (1.78 to 3.66 mmol/100 g), pomegranate juice, prepared green tea (0.57 to 2.62 mmol/100 g), grape juice, prune juice and black tea (0.75 to 1.21 mmol/100 g).

Grains and Beans

Among grains and grain products, buckwheat, millet and barley flours are the flours with the highest antioxidant values, while crispbread and wholemeal bread with fiber are the grain products containing the most antioxidants. Beans and lentils have mean antioxidant values ranging from 0.1 to 1.97 mmol/100 g.

Nuts and Seeds

Pecans with pellicle, sunflower seeds and chestnuts with pellicle, have mean antioxidant content in the range of 4.7 to 8.5 mmol/100 g. Walnuts, chestnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds have higher values when analyzed with the pellicle intact compared to without pellicle.

Chocolate

The variation of antioxidant content in chocolate ranged from 0.23 in white chocolate to 14.98 mmol/100 g in one individual dark chocolate sample. Mean antioxidant contents increased with increasing content of cocoa in the chocolate product. Chocolate products with cocoa contents of 24-30%, 40-65% and 70-99% had mean antioxidant contents of 1.8, 7.2 and 10.9 mmol/100 g, respectively.

Fats and Oils

Margarine, butter, canola, corn and soybean oil are the highest-ranking products in the “Fats and Oils” category. Almost half of the fats and oils have antioxidant content between 0.4 and 1.7 mmol/100 g.

Fruits and Vegetables

The average antioxidant content of berries and berry products is relatively high, being 1.90 to 6.31 mmol/100 g, respectively. Other examples of antioxidant-rich berries are black currants, wild strawberries, blackberries, goji berries, and cranberries.

Examples of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables were dried apples, flour made of okra, artichokes, lemon skin, dried plums, dried apricots, curly kale, red and green chili and prunes. Examples of fruit and vegetables in the medium antioxidant range were dried dates, dried mango, black and green olives, red cabbage, red beets, paprika, guava and plums.

Herbs and Spices

Sorted by antioxidant content, clove has the highest mean antioxidant value, followed by peppermint, allspice, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, saffron and estragon, all dried and ground, with mean values ranging from 44 to 277 mmol/100 g. When analyzed in fresh samples compared to dried, oregano, rosemary and thyme have lower values, in the range of 2.2 to 5.6 mmol/100 g. This is also true for basil, chives, dill and parsley.

Need help with your diet?

I’ve got two online programmes that will help you change the way you think about food and dieting.

A note about free radicals

Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that are naturally formed when you exercise and when your body converts food into energy. Your body can also be exposed to free radicals from a variety of environmental sources, such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, and sunlight. Free radicals can cause “oxidative stress,” a process that can trigger cell damage. Oxidative stress is thought to play a role in a variety of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Antioxidant molecules have been shown to counteract oxidative stress in laboratory experiments (for example, in cells or animal studies). However, there is debate as to whether consuming large amounts of antioxidants in supplement form actually benefits health. There is also some concern that consuming antioxidant supplements in excessive doses may be harmful (2).

What are polyphenols?

Polyphenols are secondary metabolites of plants and are generally involved in defense against ultraviolet radiation or aggression by pathogens. In the last decade, there has been much interest in the potential health benefits of dietary plant polyphenols as antioxidants.

Epidemiological studies and associated meta-analyses strongly suggest that long term consumption of diets rich in plant polyphenols offer protection against the development of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative diseases (2).

Which foods and drinks are high in polyphenols?

Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found largely in fruits, vegetables, cereals and beverages.

Fruits like grapes, apples, pears, cherries and berries contain up to 200–300 mg polyphenols per 100 grams fresh weight.

Typically a glass of red wine or a cup of tea or coffee contains about 100 mg polyphenols. Cereals, dry legumes and chocolate also contribute to intake.

Key Takeaways

With a broad diet including lots of fruit, veg, beans, nuts and seeds, you’re likely to get a decent amount of antioxidants.
Make sure to include plenty of herbs and spices in your cooking for extra antioxidants.
Things like dark chocolate, tea powders and red wine also count towards antioxidant intake.

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References

1 – https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth

2 – Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2009 Nov-Dec;2(5):270-8. doi: 10.4161/oxim.2.5.9498. PMID: 20716914; PMCID: PMC2835915.

Fitness Advice & Exercise Ideas

How to Hit Depth with Your Squats

Post author By Kim
Post date September 6, 2021

Benefits of Squat Variations Plus How to Hit Depth

Struggling to hit depth when you squat? You need to watch this video! Try out my suggestions for mobility drills as well as squat variations that you should start with. These variations include dumbbell squats, barbell squats and zercher squats!

How to hit depth with your squats, where to start and how to progress them...

Need help with your fitness?

I’ve got 4 online coaching packages to choose from that will take you from a casual exerciser to a weight training pro!

Your exercise challenge!

Try out the tips in the video above and let me know how you got on! Even better, if this video helped you then tag me @barefacedfitness on Instagram in your story or post.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try to hit a lower depth or increase the weight you’re using!

You can also switch up the intensity by slowing down the tempo, adding in pauses and increasing sets and reps.

Like this blog post?

Share it with your friends on social media or save it for later by using the icons below

Want to talk throuigh your options?

Fitness Advice & Exercise Ideas

How to Get Started With Weight Training

Post author By Kim
Post date September 6, 2021

How to Get Started With Weight Training

People have a lot of questions when it comes to getting started with weight training, so I’ve aimed to answer them all here! In this video, I go over exercise selection, programming and sets and reps. Make sure you watch to the end for bloopers too!

Tips for women to get started with weight training

Need help with your fitness?

I’ve got 4 online coaching packages to choose from that will take you from a casual exerciser to a weight training pro!

Your exercise challenge!

Try out the tips in the video above and let me know how you got on! Even better, if this video helped you then tag me @barefacedfitness on Instagram in your story or post.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try to increase the range of motion or increase the weight you’re using!

You can also switch up the intensity by slowing down the tempo, adding in pauses and increasing sets and reps.

Like this blog post?

Share it with your friends on social media or save it for later by using the icons below