Gregarius » Items by Fahad AlYehya

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

I would first like to apologize for my long absence from the world of blogging and greatly appreciate all my supporting readers for being patient and understanding. Moreover, I’d also like to send my sincerest apologies to those of you who have emailed me but haven’t recieved a reply. I’d like to thank you all for putting up with my crap and style of writing, which by-the-way will only get worse. I’ve stated this a million times. If you’re not cool with my writing nature, then don’t read me. I should warn you, though; you’re going to miss out on some epic nutrition advice.

Before I begin preaching, I’d like to clarify how this guide will work:

1) I’ll list down all the basics of Ramadan eating and training to provide a brief understanding for the readers.

2) The reader will then post his/her goal, physical stats (height, weight, bf % if available) and Ramadan lifestyle (exercise timing, family gatherings, favorite/worst foods, etc).

3) I will then reply with a customized optimal plan for that reader’s goal

4) Other readers/haters who are too lazy to comment/hate can read/[go-kill-themselves] the Q&A’s below so that they may personally implement on their own.

The Q&A below will serve as a guide to unanswered questions anyone might have about Ramadan. Please refrain from emailing me since the goal of this post is to publicly educate through the written facts/opinions/experiences and the associated comments.

Credibility and Experience

It took me around 3 Ramadans to fully understand how my body works when it comes to losing fat and maintaining muscle when fasting. From eating small portions of food to indulging in every calorie dense food item, I’ve realized the only way to survive Ramadan is by doing the exact same thing.

1^st Attempt: I dieted in Ramadan, performing 30-60 minutes of cardio 2 hours prior to breaking my fast, and weight lifting 1 hour after a light futoor, followed by a light dinner and a light suhoor.

Result: Managed to lose 10kg in 1 month.

Damage: Managed to lose a lot of my hard earned muscle. Fail.

2^nd Attempt: I gorged on endless calories, weight-lifted with less intensity and did absolutely no cardio.

Result: Gained 5kg.

Damage: 5kg of fat; but I kept my muscle. Epic fail.

3^rd Attempt: Dieted 3 months prior to Ramadan (low calorie intake, 60 minutes of cardio, 30-45 minutes of weight-lifting). Stuck to the same level of calorie intake and workout-intensity in Ramadan, eliminated cardio completely.

Result: Nothing. Kept my muscle, maintained my superb condition.

Damage: Refer to the above. Boo-Yeah.

Brief Highlights of Ramadan and How they may Benefit/Hinder You

- Fasting will start at around (and an average of) 3:30-4:00 am, a period VERY critical for all of us, but significantly to those who want to maintain muscle mass. You may want to get in as much water as possible 15 minutes prior to eating, then indulging in a select amount/content of food depending on your physical goal.

- Do not indulge in any vigorous physical activity from 4:00 am to 2 hours prior to breaking your fast. Severe dehydration is not a laughing matter and should be avoided as much as possible. To further stimulate fat-loss, a 30-60 minute cardio session 1-2 hours prior to breaking your fast will do wonders. For those who want to maintain muscle-mass, refrain from weight-lifting while fasting. I cannot stress how STUPID it is to be weight-lifting when your body is deprived of much needed nutrients. Moreover, low-intensity cardio 30-60 minutes prior to fasting plus a few exercises for your midsection will keep fat storage at bay.

- Content is VERY critical when breaking your fast and will be explained below in detail and in accordance to each individual’s goal.

- If you’re planning on gaining muscle mass while fasting then I’d suggest you stop. The time between breaking your fast and fasting is too short, and stuffing your face with huge amounts of food within that time frame will only widen your waist. Focus on NOT losing the hard-earned muscle you’ve exhaustively built throughout the year.

- Remember how you trained when you built those 5kg of muscle? Train the EXACT same way in Ramadan. Lowering the intensity and poundage would only prove counterproductive.

- Below you’ll find a “go pray and come back” in between breaking your fast and eating a solid meal. This short time period will serve you well by minimizing hunger.

Goal #1: Fat-Loss

1) As stated above, a 30-60 minute session of cardio (abdomen exercises every-other-day are optional) 1-2 hours prior to breaking your fast will help boost your metabolism and burn unwanted stubborn fat stores. Since you’re pretty much on an empty stomach, stored fat is readily burned when performed at this time, ensuring moderate to minimal dehydration depending on cardio intensity.

2) Futoor: Since blood-sugar levels are low and our bodies are dehydrated, opt to drink 1 glass of water followed by 3, 5, or 7 dates. (Odd numbers of dates in accordance to Al-Sunnah).

a. Option 1: Drink 1 glass of water plus 5 dates, go pray, come back and indulge in a green salad plus a moderate portion of lean chicken, red meat or fish (5-6oz)

b. Option 2: Drink 1 glass of water, go pray, come back and indulge in 1-cup of Harees (plus 1 tbsp of Cinnamon sugar, also known as “darseen”) or Yireesh, a green salad and a small portion of lean chicken, red meat or fish. (3-4oz)

c. Option 3 (Optimal): 1 glass of water, 7 dates and a glass (250ml) of Skimmed Laban.

3) Dessert: Since Ramadan season is well-known for releasing creatures devouring ridiculous amounts of sweets, wait 3 hours after breaking your fast and indulge in a moderate sized dessert plus a cup of Green, White or Black Tea OR 3-5 shots of Arabic Coffee. Feel free to ask me which desserts to eat, including the preferred quantities.

4) Dinner – 3 hours after the dessert above, this meal has to be super light since Suhoor (pre-fasting meal) will be somewhat heavy:

a. Option 1: Moderate bowl of vegetable, lentil or any non-creamy soup, plus a small to moderate amount of lean chicken, red meat or fish.

b. Option 2: Large bowl of green salad plus a moderate amount of lean chicken, red meat or fish

c. Option 3 (I personally don’t prefer this): 1 Fruit plus 10 pieces of raw almonds, walnuts or cashews.

5) Suhoor – This meal has to last you at least 6 hours after you’ve consumed it. This does not imply that you ingest copious amounts of food. The foods below are proven to be “time-released”, thus staying in your stomach and satisfying your hunger for a minimum of 6 hours.

a. Option 1: 1 glass (250ml) of low-fat Laban with 3 dates.

b. Option 2: 1-cup of low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup of berries.

c. Option 3: 200g of lean red meat (filet mignon, tenderloin) plus a bowl of green veggies.

6) Water Intake: Drink as much water as humanly POSSIBLE. Be sure to consume water 15 minutes prior and after any meal or snack. Consume 1 liter of water in between meals and snacks to ensure that you’ve fulfilled your H20 quota.

Goal #2: Muscle-Mass Maintenance

1) 30-60 minute session of LOW-INTENSITY cardio plus abdomen exercises 1 hour prior to breaking your fast if and only if you have a few kilos of fat lying around.

2) Futoor:

a. Option 1: 1 glass of water plus 5 dates, go pray, come back and consume 1-cup of Harees (plus 1 tablespoon of Cinnamon sugar) or 1-cup of Yireesh, a bowl of green salad, plus a moderate amount of lean chicken, fish or red meat. (5-6oz)

b. Option 2 (Only choose this option if you have a hard time gaining muscle mass): 1 glass of water, 7 dates, 1 glass of low-fat Laban (I don’t recommend this unless you’re OK with bloating), go pray, come back and consume 1-cup of Harees (plus 1 tablespoon of Cinnamon sugar) or 1-cup of Yireesh, a bowl of green salad, plus a moderate amount of lean chicken, fish or red meat. (5-6oz)

c. Option 3 (this is mine, which means it’s optimal): 1 glass of water, 1-cup of Harees (2 tbsp of Cinnamon sugar), go pray, come back and consume a bowl of green salad, plus a moderate amount of lean chicken, fish or red meat. (5-6oz)

3) Workout: Personally, I want to get my workout out of the way, so I hit the weights 2.5 hours after breaking my fast.

a. Option 1 (this is mine): 1-cup of plain black coffee 2 hours after futoor, followed by 1-2 scoops of Whey protein 15-30 minutes after coffee consumption, then I’d hit the weights.

b. Option 2: 1-cup of plain black coffee or black tea 1-1.5 hours after futoor then you may opt to weight-lift.

c. Option 3: If you’re working out a lot later than 2.5 hours, then get in another meal 2.5 hours after futoor, which I will prescribe to you after we investigate how your daily regimen.

4) Intra-Workout: WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER! Shoot for at least 1.5 liters in a workout.

5) Post-Workout:

a. Option 1 (mine): 2 scoops of Whey protein

b. Option 2: 1-cup of Yireesh or Harees (with 2 tbsp of Cinnamon sugar) plus a moderate amount of lean chicken, fish or red meat.

c. Option 3: Scroll down and suggest your meal plan.

6) Dinner: 2.5-3 hours after the meal above. (1 hour if you consumed a protein shake)

a. Option 1 (mine): Moderate amount of lean chicken, red meat or fish plus a green salad or steamed veggies.

b. Option 2 (hardgainers): Repeat “Option 2″ in the post-workout bullet point above.

c. Option 3: Inquire with me.

7) Suhoor: This is the meal that’ll save your hard-earned muscle. Make sure it’s at least 2 hours after dinner and 30 minutes before you begin fasting.

a. Option 1 (mine): 1-2 scoops of Casein protein powder, 3 boiled eggs and 10g of Psyllium Husk.

b. Option 2: 1-2 cups of low-fat cottage cheese and 1-3 boiled eggs.

c. Option 3: 300g of lean red meat (filet mignon, tenderloin) plus a side order of green veggies.

d. Option 4: Ask this guy! [raises 2 thumbs and points to himself.]

8) Water Intake: Drink as much water as humanly POSSIBLE. Be sure to consume water 15 minutes prior and after any meal or snack. Consume 1 liter of water in between meals and snacks to ensure that you’ve fulfilled your H20 quota.

9) Don’t waste calories by performing cardio post-workout. You need those nutrients to hold on to muscle.

Goal #3: UBER-SUPER-DUPER FAT GAIN!

1) Do absolutely no cardio or any physical activity prior to breaking your fast. Sleep all day and watch those ridiculously dramatic TV shows.

2) Futoor:

a. Option Infinity: Consume every dish available to you until you go into a diabetic coma, causing you to rapidly crash and sleep for 1-2 hours.

3) Dessert – You’ve crashed and you need energy to pick you back up.

a. Option 1: 1-10 cups of coffee or tea with 1-10 tablespoons of sugar and half a cake.

b. Option 2: 1-20 cups of coffee or tea with 1-20 tablespoons of sugar and half a cake, 5-10 pieces of “sab el gafsha” and a small serving of Kanafa.

c. Option 3 (Optimal): 1-a billion cups of coffee or tea with 1-infinity tablespoons of sugar, an entire cake, 20-50 pieces of “sab el gafsha”, a large serving of Kanafa and your 30-50kg nephew or son.

d. Option 4: You’re still sleeping from devouring an entire dish of rice and Harees from Futoor.

4) Dinner:

Option 1: This meal’s pretty much a deal breaker since you’re most probably at a large gathering, serving every exotic and calorie-dense dish known to man. “I’m fasting tomorrow! So what the hey! Bring it on SON!”

Option 2: Hardee’s delivery. Here’s a fun fact: Hardee’s has more than doubled the amount of delivery men in a 3 year span. Coincidently, the rate of obesity in Kuwait has also more than doubled within 3 years. In conclusion, McDonald’s doesn’t deliver and KFC has pathetically the slowest delivery service. The blame must be on Hardee’s.

5) Suhoor: You’re in triple-diabetic coma from the dinner above and you’ve decided to sleep it off and skip Suhoor since, to you, that means “no Suhoor means less calorie intake! SWEET! Fat-loss without actually trying! I think these cool ripples on my stomach are my abs!”

6) 10 am the next morning: You’re 1 hour late to work, but you can’t completely grasp why you’re hungrier than a group of hippies after they’ve hot-boxed themselves smoking endless amounts of marijuana and receiving an awesome dose of the munchies. FML.

Personally, I wouldn’t wish the Uber Super Duper Fat Gain Diet on anyone. I do recommend options one and two, and I think your body (and Allah!) would too. Remember the goal of Ramadan is not to consume copious amounts of food as a reward for not eating from sunrise to sunset, but what the hell. If you want to do it, I won’t stop you.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Did anyone ever notice how almost every aerobic/kick-boxing/gay dancing class has an instructor that’s out of shape and 20 other people that are also of round variety? I mean, how do you expect to get in shape if the instructor looks like he’s/she’s been eating sambosa for the past 20 years? To add insult to injury, the obese members are forced to perform high kicks. It’s like show girls, but with a lot less turn-on and a lot more LOL.

And what about those self-proclaimed gurus roaming around the gyms of Kuwait? I’ve researched on a couple of famous gurus to see what they were up to. One of them refuses to work with drug-free athletes; he won’t even turn to look at you if you approach him with the “I’d like to do this naturally” speech. The last guy that did ended up in the hospital urinating blood; due to 5 anabolic and androgenic compounds that he were recommended to take (this was partly the client’s fault since he didn’t know bodybuilding involves a nutritional plan and intense training). Another guy trains both naturals and chemically enhanced athletes, but fails to inform young amateurs of the consequences associated with early AAS drug use, which they subsequently fall victims too.

Awesome Super Friends
I’m here to discuss health and fitness professionals and practitioners in Kuwait who talk it and walk it. In the pursuit of spreading the influence of a healthier lifestyle, I’ll be providing information about competitors who I am more than glad to lose my business to. They all have the passion, the drive, the experience and the ability to motivate others in attaining a healthier lifestyle.

Consequently, I’m planning on crushing each and every one of them so by the time you read this, they might be dead. They also might end up in my belly. My 7% body fat belly.

As a gym owner, I constantly get asked by many people about what the right exercises are, what the right diet is and about how many freaking Pinkberry yogurts are acceptable. (Depends on what you’re trying to do; again, depends on what you want to do). Sometimes, I find I don’t have the time to answer questions in detail, and that makes me feel, as the self proclaimed Master of the Fitness Universe, like I have failed you. And I do not like to fail.

Here’s a list of people (in no particular order) you can consult about health and fitness in Kuwait, or as I like to call them, my awesome super-friends, who I don’t necessarily know personally. (You can call them people who are not quite as awesome as I am.)

Abdullah Al Askari – Fitness Consultant and Personal Trainer
I know Abdullah for more than 6 years and have yet to witness anyone as dedicated as him. You can find Abdullah ripping through heavy poundage at Oxygen Gym with his younger brother Bader, turning a vigorous workout session into a power-lifting side show.

As a certified professional trainer and nutrition consultant, this dude will get you in shape fast, transforming gym-rat veterans into presentable athletes of the iron game within a short period of time. He’s been at it for 18 years, busting challenges and plateaus like cutting through soft-butter with a chainsaw; experience with this dude is robust and highly evident once you set your eyes on his muscle-dense physique.

Abdullah’s technique (as far as my research is concerned) revolves around high-intensity high-volume training, provided sufficient calorie intake to fuel his client’s workouts, promoting lean muscle growth and fat loss.

If you happen to see him walking around, feel free to approach him (but not when he’s training. That pisses any serious lifter off). He’ll be more than happy to answer any of your questions with great detail.

For personal consultancies, Abdullah provides personal training, customized/personalized diet plans, dietary supplement plans and workout plans for bodybuilders, athletes and overall fitness enthusiasts.
Contact: iBigBlu – Fitness on a higher Level

Sulaiman Qabazard – Founder of Challenge Health Club and Health & Fitness Consultant
Sulaiman started out as a diver, participating in at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, competing in the men’s 3 meter springboard event, placing 27th. 27th isn’t exactly number 1, but 27th in the world pretty much makes you a world-class bad ass. Today, Sulaiman participates in prepping Kuwait’s swimming and diving teams, as an active member in the Olympic Federation in Kuwait.

I met Sulaiman in 2002, where I religiously trained under his indirect patronage in his “then” newly established Challenge Health Club. In 2003, he hired me to be a part-time trainer (whilst attending university in the morning).

Sulaiman’s all about turning negatives into positives, energy, forgiveness, dancing and all that crap. Nonetheless, his methods definitely work. He’s 52 and dares to challenge anyone half his age in both cardiovascular and muscular endurance. This one time I saw him literally own an uber-fit aerobics instructor while adding in an extra 30 minutes to the already intense 60 minute long workout. Back then, I was about getting as big as humanly possible, with absolutely no concern in regards to health, and he managed to slowly tame me by spiritually inquiring “what the fuck are you doing?”

Sulaiman has currently two branches up and running, in Sha’ab (next to Flex for women and Indigo) and Mahboula (next to no idea where that is). Sulaiman can also be found providing training tips and techniques every Saturday morning on Al Watan TV on “Morning Challenge“.
Contact: Challenge Health Club

Jerry Lakandula – Professional Personal Trainer and Fitness Consultant
If sucking had a contest, this guy wouldn’t be in it. Jerry invented the “more you know, the more you get confused” mantra, right after he ingested every bit of experience he had into a successful living in Kuwait. Jerry has greatly contributed in my self-development through his influences, which helped develop the skills I use and cherish today.

A certified and well-experienced personal trainer and bodybuilder (competed at Kuwaiti bodybuilding shows in the mid to late 90’s), Jerry provides bullet proof consulting to gym rats and fitness & health enthusiasts. After he successfully dealt his hands in providing personal training to high-end clients, Jerry decided to take it further by starting up a successful PT business that’s on the verge of growth. The staff he provides are top-notch certified male and female physical therapy graduates, officially licensed in the Philippines.

For all you lazy bums, you literally have no excuse, since Jerry’s trainers are willing to offer their services at your very own homes. Escorting services not included.
Contact: easternguru@hotmail.com or 55232299

Noelle Cespedes – Professional Personal Trainer and Fitness Consultant
Out of all the people on this list, I don’t plan on crushing this half-Mexican-half-Costa-Rican-who-happens-to-look-like-a-Kuwaiti friend of mine. My current partner in crime, Noelle’s going to be general managing Core Fitness’s bitch sister.

She was raised organically (huh?), taught to accept life at its utmost simplicity and guided to love, accept, enjoy and cherish. Watching her work is like looking at bright sunrise while admiring clear blue waters of the ocean, wind breezing through green fluffy grass, bird’s chirping in harmony and pink dolphins swimming in flowingly superb motion, while coming up with solutions to world peace. In short, I felt gay writing this sentence and dolphins are just gay sharks.

On a serious note, Noelle’s everything that we are not. She’s SOOOPAR KHUUL (silent H) and provides her clients with excitement, energy and an uplifting perspective of health and fitness. Conclusively, no female personal trainer will push you harder than she will. Noelle provides a lifestyle filled with results that are targeted towards positive longevity, including heavy outdoor cardiovascular work, yoga, Pilates and amongst other girly things. She’ll also tackle problems female fitness enthusiasts are currently suffering from including cellulite, skin/hair/nail problems and loose skin. She’s basically Richard Simmons if Richard Simmons wasn’t so faggy and fat.
Contact: noelle.cespedes@vidakw.com

Ahmad Al Majed – Ironman Contender, Managing Director of Extreme Sports Company and Co-Founder of The 3 Club
I met Ahmad 2 months back and my first impression was “Holy shit! This dude’s potential easily trumps mine!” Dedication to the bone would be an understatement once you hear Ahmad talk; his passion to what he does is so intense that it could set everyone around him on fire.

A man of minimal words and tremendous action, Ahmad sets his objectives by inspiring Kuwait to get up and MOVE. Make no mistake, “The 3 Club” is not targeted for financial purposes, but to provide a new change in a society where watching TV shows, endlessly munching on food and irresponsibly roaming the streets like kamikaze sheep in pursuit of women (who start playing the “I’m-going-to-pretend-like-I’m-not-a-whore-by-driving-like-I-got-20kgs-of-cocaine-in-my-car-chased-by-police-till-I-get-to-the-supermarket’s-parking-lot” game) is the norm. The dude is an expert at kicking ass and taking names.

If you’re an outdoor person or gyming is not your thing, then head down to The 3 Club and test your skills in what has to be the most exhilarating fitness experience you’ll ever endure. Under the guidance of certified health and fitness professionals, The 3 Club provides customized plans for every member (general fat-loss, endurance and maintenance) and slowly builds your cardiovascular abilities to above par levels. Moreover, you’ll encounter Ahmad or his partner Rab’a Al Hajri at almost every session to further assist you in much needed mental and physical motivation.

Similar to Ahmad, Rab’a Al Hajri is also not too shabby (she’s actually a female version of the guy). As motivated (if not more) as he is, Rab’a took it upon herself to take the challenge and participate in an exhausting triathlon. Luckily, she survived it with flying colors. Through experience and guidance, Rab’a spends her days motivating clients and changing lives; apart from buying organic 98% fat free popcorn at The Baking Tray.
Contact: Ahmad@the3club.com and Rabaa@the3club.com

Abdulmohsen Al Babtain – MMA Athlete and Founder of The Sidekick Academy
There’s a 98% chance this guy can kick your ass because 1) he’s a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, which is extremely difficult to accomplish, 2) he’s a black belt (4th Dan) in Tae Kwon Do, 3) he lived and trained under the patronage of Royce Gracie and 4) if Chuck Norris-based jokes were real, Abdulmohsen would make Chuck Norris look like Paris Hilton on chronic.

Abdulmohsen is currently running his newly established business full-time, adding in all the experience he gathered from training with legendary MMA fighters. Moreover, what more can you say about a person who has been graced to live beside legendary fighters such as Royce Gracie? Similar to Ahmad Al Majed, Abdulmohsen succeeded to take his passion and drive to another level. He hobbied, practiced, taught and experienced, up until he turned what he loves most into a successful business plan. By all means, this dude does not lack any motivation.

In hopes of spreading the teachings of MMA fighting, Abdulmohsen has dedicated his life to providing the Kuwaiti society with alternatives to health and fitness. If weight-lifting or improving your cardiovascular endurance is not of interest to you, then why not dig into something that’ll provide you with a sense of challenge and accomplishment? You’ll kick ass and look good doing it.
Contact: Sidekick Academy

Mohammed Al Fahad – Bodybuilding Guru
Guilty until proven innocent, Mohammed has been accused of using anabolic androgenic steroids due to his proportioned, dense and lean physique. I’m here to vouch for this dude that he’s been hitting the weights for the longest time possible without even a single thought of chemically enhancing his all-natural Greek god structure.

A family man and a close friend of mine, Mohammed lives the life of a professional bodybuilder. Similar to any hobby out there, he lives and breathes bodybuilding to the point where he embarrasses my personal abilities and skills, which as you know are awesome. His strict and precise attention to detail have drove many of his clients crazy (often scaring them away), but the end result always prove to be most beneficial and satisfying.

Mohammed focuses on achieving maximum potential of a specific physique without sacrificing health and longevity. He’ll take his time to understand how a client’s body internally works in order to produce optimal external results. His services include personal training and nutritional consultancy, provided with an exaggerated level of detail. Lastly, if you are a serious lifter and wouldn’t mind getting your ass handed to you, Mohammed is the man you want to get in touch with.
Contact: 97200880 or his Facebook Profile

I’m almost done. I promise.
Don’t make the mistake of relying on less than qualified professionals. I’ve done the research for you and will gladly guide you to whatever preferences you choose to take. I’m sure there are a lot more qualified professionals and experts who I missed. Feel free to throw in names of people you can vouch for when it comes to turning any dream into a reality.

As always, these are dudes who are awesome, and again I wouldn’t mind losing business to them, but, like I said in the beginning, they might be in my belly by the time you read this.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

The Question

Fahad,

I have a question. This may sound really stupid. But, other than weight concerns. What other reasons are there for eating healthy?
What I mean by that is lets say someone does not have any weight issues. What benefits does eating healthy offer them? Apart from like getting all the required nutrients perhaps.

Like if someone is not fat and dont get fat, why shouldn’t they eat sugar? Or why shouldn’t they eat lots of fat? Or white bread? Or cookies? Cakes? Big Macs? Fries? Sodas?

I mean we always look at this from a caloric and weight loss/muscle gain perspective. But, beyond that, what are the long term impact on health of eating well beyond just getting all the required nutrients?

Can you talk a bit about that.

- Ed

The Answer

Well Ed, I am cleared to tell you how much wood a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

“Ed: I often wondered about this phenomenon. Do tell.”

A woodchuck could chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could, but really, who gives a damn about a woodchuck?

On a serious note, I found this question too significant to include in the comments below my last post. I will be answering Ed’s questions in the order I see fit.

“1″

“I mean we always look at this from a caloric and weight loss/muscle gain perspective. But, beyond that, what are the long term impact on health of eating well beyond just getting all the required nutrients?” – Ed

Throughout my years in health and fitness, I’ve noticed that the only way I could pull people in to seek health is by sugar-coating reality. How could I approach a person who ignored his doctor’s instructions to eat properly in order to live? How could I convince anyone between the age of 20-30 to eat better and train frequently if their only concern is to enjoy artery-clogging fats and insulin-spiking carbs?

Like this:

Me: “Ryan Reynolds. YOU LIKE!?”

Male Client: “ahh..yeah…I mean YES!”

Me: “NO WORRY!  I take VERY NICE care of you!”

Male Client thinks to himself: “Damn it, if I were a Hollywood celebrity, I would have so much time on my hands. You bet your ass I’d look like Ryan Reynolds. But I don’t have the time so you know what, John Goodman will have to do.“

and like this:

Me: “Angelina Jolie! VERY HOT, yes?!”

Female Client: “..no, I’m looking for something closer to Jennifer Lopez.”

Me: “NO WORRY! Who you like?! Demi Moore!? Salma Hayek!? SPICY GIRLS?!”

Female Client: “Ahh..no, Jennifer Lopez would do.”

Me: “OKKKKAIH! Very nice! NO BROBLEM! You no want to look like FAT lesbian! Ummm, you know! What her name!? Rambo O’Donahue?”

Female Client: “Rosie O’Donnell.”

Me: “YES! Very NICE! You look like Rambo O’Rosie right now!”

Female Client thinks to herself: “Of course, Angelina Jolie looks the way she does. What does she do? She doesn’t do anything but prep for movie roles. If I had her schedule, I would look even better than she does. All I need is more time, guuuurl!”

Yes, we all know that all celebrities do is hop around the world trying to look good. It’s not like Angelina Jolie has to juggle her time between taking care of her kids, adopting new ones, and trying to stop a global genocide. All she does is work out. PFFFT! Angelina looks the way she does because she makes time for the gym (and has the number of the best plastic surgeon). 

Oh and Ryan Reynolds? That Canadian doesn’t have to do anything but look good for his wife. It’s not like he has to make time for reading scripts, auditioning, and all that stuff borderline funny comedians do.

Unfortunately, a lot of individuals could care less about their health and more about their appearance. If I can’t convince a person to seek professional help in order to save his/her heart, then I’ll convince them to do it for presentation. It’s shallow and materialistic, but gets the job done.

So, here’s my advice to all you John Goodmans and Rosie O’Donnells out there is to quit nagging about the levees of New Orleans and Bill O’Rielly and harness that energy running on a treadmill. You might hate it in the beginning, but trust me, your body will love you.  

 “2″

“What I mean by that is lets say someone does not have any weight issues. What benefits does eating healthy offer them? Apart from like getting all the required nutrients perhaps.” – Ed

Skinny does not mean healthy; it means that you have a fast metabolism that will eventually slow down because you’ve been neglecting eating healthy.  By the time we reach 25, our internal processes and functions start to decline, resulting in less energy expenditure and more storage.

Imagine your body as a tree, and every time you treat it badly a lumberjack comes and chops it. The tree’s still up, so no problem right? You treat it badly again and good old Paul Bunyan comes right back and chop chop. Once that final chop comes into play, I’d suggest you prepare yourself because it is going to SUCK.

Stage One: You’re told by family and friends that you’re too thin, so you eat every nutritionally retarded food source you see in front of you. You maintain your activity level through 2-4 games of 60 minute soccer per week, but consume a huge fast-food meal right after in order to satisfy your hunger. Within a few months, you realize a small pot belly and your once-ripped structure starts to look smooth.

Stage Two: Your appetite is flourishing. You’re devouring everything in front of you while thinking “Hey! I need to gain weight right!?” Mommy and daddy still think you need to gain a few kilos, so eat up little piggy.

Stage Three: Your friends call you up and want to go munch at the Slider Station and you’re thinking “Hey! I needs tah dress up purrdy geeewd!” Oh, but wait; little piggy just realized something, “SNAP! My Diesel’s don’t seem to fit!”

Stage Four: You look bloated, and your face turns red every time you talk. Momma’s worried about her little piggy, so they visit the doctor and get some blood work done. “This little piggy had too much sugar and salt!” said the doctor. “He’s border lining diabetes and his blood pressure is too high!” Momma’s worried about little piggy and listens to what the doctor has to say.

Stage Five: You’re young and could care less about health issues. Plus, you’ve been consuming processed crap for the past few years; little piggy ain’t going to cut this anytime soon. More and more you eat, your weight climbs up 20kg within 6 months. Little piggy is officially big piggy.

Stage Six: Your friends think you’ve been tanning every weekend since your face’s red from the HBP. While playing soccer, your lower back starts to give in. “AWH! I must’ve kicked that ball not so geeewd!” Whoa there big piggy; you’re belly’s putting a lot of stress on your lower back. You go for another soccer game, but your endurance is suffering pretty badly. You breathe heavily and your knees start to wobble around. “Hey! I must’ve played too much soccer this week!” No big piggy; that was only 1 game, and you lasted 10 minutes. Your knees are wobbling due to the excess weight.

Stage Seven: Your soccer buddies don’t call you anymore because you’re starting to suck. “Hey! I don’t need soccer! I’ll just plug in FIFA on my Playstation 3, ERRRIGHT!” You spend less time on the field and more time chilling and eating at the duwaniya. By the time you graduate, you’ll be well on your way to obesity.

So yes Ed, everyone needs to be aware of their health. Obesity is a gateway to a lot of diseases that build up overtime. As we all know, nothing happens overnight; the diseases gradually build up until our bodies cannot take anymore punishment.

“3″

“Like if someone is not fat and dont get fat, why shouldn’t they eat sugar? Or why shouldn’t they eat lots of fat? Or white bread? Or cookies? Cakes? Big Macs? Fries? Sodas?” – Ed

What’s common in regards to the foods you listed above? They are all processed, refined, manhandled or whatever we humans do to make food tastier and longer lasting. Processed foods were designed to preserve, texturize, soften, sweeten, and pretty much denaturize food. Most nutritional value is lost and replaced by other chemicals and ingredients that have little or no nutritional value, which can be damaging to your health.

How bad are processed products?

Allergies, bad breath, body odor, diarrhea, constipation, gas, flatulence, abdominal bloating, frequent urination, edema, swelling, water retention, heart burn, acid reflux, stress, insomnia, sleeplessness, gastritis, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, high (LDL) cholesterol, kidney stones, migraines, headaches, arthritis, gout pain, acne, yeast infection, memory impairment, tooth decay, tooth staining, nausea, photo sensitivity, tears, thirst, weight gain, hormonal imbalance.

Thin and healthy people do not have super powers that make them immune to the side effects above. They are more in danger of obtaining those side effects since they don’t see (keyword: SEE) any abnormalities on their bodies (i.e. belly, man boobs, ghetto booty, love handles, etc).

Please, I urge everyone to listen to my advice: stick to less processed foods! The farther you are from Mother Nature, the worse your health gets. The amount of sodium, preservatives, food coloring, phosphates and whatever crap they use to CREATE PLASTIC is on every possible processed product out there! You don’t need to cut junk food completely, just limit your processed food intake to half of its original amount and see how better you feel.

Don’t forget that junk food is called junk food for a reason. Don’t take my word for it; read this: EARLY DEATH.

“4″

“What other reasons are there for eating healthy?” – Ed

How am I able to work 8 hours in the morning, weight-train for 30-45 minutes, attend my businesses for 4-6 hours, write this long ass post and enjoy my time with friends and family? Without the help of Allah and my ability to control energy and stress through nutrition, I can never accomplish my days without negatively effecting my health.

1. Healthy eating will protect you from any diseases that are commonly prevalent when we grow older, including heart disease and diabetes. By eating healthy you are boosting your energy levels, improving your bodily functions, helping to improve your immune and generally end up leading a longer and more vibrant life. 

2. Meeting your nutritional needs. By attaining a healthy lifestyle, you’re consuming every possible nutrient that is essential for living; you are literally insuring the longevity of your future. The vitamins and minerals in healthy foods can boost your immune system and shield you from many common illnesses. You will and can reduce the risks that are linked to serious diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. 

3.  Healthy eating can reduce your stress levels. You will enjoy life more and have more energy to face the challenges before you.

4. You will sleep better and feel a lot more rested when you wake up.

5. The ability to lose fat quickly and maintain it long term. Most people who lose the fat with fad diets gain it right back (sometimes double) when they go back to their normal eating habits. With a healthy diet that you can maintain for life, you will lose that fat once and maintain it long term.

6. Healthy eating will keep you active and energized. Your body will tell you to seek exercise! I’ve personally seen obese individuals who’ve lost copious amounts of fat and started eating healthy. In the process, some of them took up diving and swimming as hobbies, while others strived to become triathlon athletes. Lastly, you will be able to run faster and longer, lift stronger and jump higher.

The One With All The Cliches

“You only live once.” This is the kind of crap you hear from people who could care less about their health, and its not even true. In fact, judging this truth from the show Lost, you pretty much suck if you don’t come back to life. Oh, and James Bond lived twice and cats live nine times. Whoever came up with that excuse is a fat dude who thought life wasn’t worth living because he was fat. Fat people don’t like to live because the more time they live, the more fat jokes are made at their expense. (And yes I’m joking, so take it easy)

“Who wants to live until 70?” Who wouldn’t wanna live until 70? People picking up after you and taking care of all your needs while you berate the living crap out of them? Seriously though, bracing yourself to fart is not cool. Stallone’s hitting 66 years of age and he looks better than 74% of the Kuwaiti population.

“I don’t need to watch what I eat. I’m skinny.” Your metabolism will eventually slow down. If you think you’re skinny and your abdomen isn’t noticeable, think again. Your overall structure is thin, but layered in fat.

“I’m still researching and looking for an optimal method in dieting and exercise while enjoying my box full of donuts and Oreo shake.” I bet you’re the guy who tells his friends all about the newest fad diets and about the latest exercises. You love to talk the talk, but when you try walking the walk, you end up gasping for air after 10 minutes. If you can’t make up your mind, ask a professional.

“I have no time for a healthy lifestyle.” No matter what your limits are and how bad they may be, there is no such thing as no time. You and only you is in control of your life. What’s the use of obtaining success if you can’t live a long healthy life enjoying it?

“The level of stress and pressure in my life is overwhelming!” I have a full time job from 8 am to 4 pm, spend 4-6 hours a day attending my businesses and still manage to eat 6-7 healthy meals, get in a decent workout and spend time with family. Sleep early, get in 30-60 minutes of exercise per day and spend more time with the people you love the most and less time at the duwaniya.

One of my relatives (Allah rest his soul and may he rest in peace) died at the young age of 45. I kept on nagging him a few years back to eat healthier, cut smoking and exercise; yet he couldn’t resist the temptations of food. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high (LDL) cholesterol and diabetes by the age of 35. His doctor urged him to pursue a healthy lifestyle if he wants to live longer (married with 4 kids), but he still did not listen.

He ate as much as his heart desired, smoked endless packets of cigarettes a day and neglected any source of activity. He kept on ignoring every possible side effect until one day his body decided to give in.

Take a look at this video and tell me if 70 isn’t young

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Your world rocked in 3, 2, 1….

And we’re back with part 2 of my original post (Herro Prease!) that seemed to cause more racial and homophobic controversy than health and fitness orientation and guidance.

Taste Buds
I’m often criticized for my diminishing taste buds. When on a strict diet, the food consumed tends to taste awful and total caloric intake is extremely low. I’m eating 6-8 small portions per day of gooky old-fashioned oatmeal, funky-smelling boiled eggs, cold and barely chewable chicken breasts, tasteless and dry brown rice, and a lightly sweetened protein shake that tries its best to taste like a Johnny Rockets milkshake, but is actually one notch above dirt, and dirt can taste like ice cream when dieting.

So Masta of da Universe, if taste bud BAD, how can we trust you, haaaa!?
Have you ever sat next to a person who has been dieting more than 3 weeks? He/she will stare at you eating that burger and those fries. Moreover, they’ll tell you how to lightly dip your food in ketchup. What’s even more annoying, they’ll screw you over for not eating your entire meal; I should know, since I’m that annoying person. Lastly, I base the meals I eat on the ingredients used and how I feel after consumption. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered how long it takes my body to clean itself out if I just ate a fatty and carby meal.

Breakfass!
I am not a morning person at all. I hate the sun and anything associated with looking at the sun. I’ll even wear sun-glasses indoors in the morning, and I could care less if it made me look douchey. (If anyone has any job offerings somewhere cold and dark, please let me know.) In the meantime, I can’t deny the sensation of breakfast food. Once in a while, I’d wake up early on weekends and just have this strong urge to ditch my gooky oatmeal and boiled eggs for some tasty restaurant-served breakfast food. Before I begin, you need to take these points into consideration:

• Upon waking from 8-10 hours of sleep, our bodies are deprived of nutrients and water.
• Our inner functions tend to work optimally in the A.M., providing a challenge to any calorie intake; you can actually get away with a large thick pizza for breakfast and it’ll have a hard time storing itself as fat (assuming your healthy and fit).
• Eating breakfast at a maximum of 1 hour after waking up will provide your metabolism with a boost from heaven. The earlier you eat breakfast, the better.
• Eating breakfast more than 90 minutes after waking up will skyrocket your chances of obesity by 150%!

The Early Bird
The Good: I wasn’t planning on eating healthy that day, so I ordered whatever carby and fatty entrees & appetizers they had, which included “The WORKS Omelet” (abundant amount of veggies, cheese and ham), waffles with strawberry and butter on top, country fried potatoes, French toast, orange juice, pancakes and egg whites to increase protein intake. Upon completion, I barely felt full. Keep in mind that I’m constantly dieting, and the only changes between gaining muscle and losing fat is the total calorie intake. This meal was LIGHT! If you skim down the menu, you’ll see the “Healthy Start” options that include many tasty varieties of breakfast food. Ditch the yogurt; that stuff’s kuchikuchigaykuchikuchi.

The Bad: The waffles were amazing, and although they had it covered in fresh strawberry and butter, I had to pile on the maple syrup in order to sweeten the deal and the French toast was not as sweet and oily as I expected it to be. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it was my cheat meal and it most certainly didn’t feel like one.

The Verdict: Even the unhealthy menu is light! 3 hours later, my diet-induced and nutrient-deprived body was full and tight! (That’s what she said) If that happens after a cheat meal, then there must be something right.

Recommendations: If you plan on sticking to your diet (which I hope you do), their “Healthy Start” menu is even lighter. “Bianca’s Breakfast Omelet” is killer, but you’ll need two of those plus 2 slices of whole wheat bread just to fill you up. Lastly, if you’re low-carbing it, order the “Denver Omelet” (no cheese) and an “Egg white Omelet”; obviously no bread, juice or fruits. If not, order any omelet, 1 starchy carb entree (French toast, waffles OR pancakes) and some fresh OJ.

Prime and Toast
The Good: MUCH tastier than The Early Bird (I’m sorry Bianca) and a large variety of food, mostly because it isn’t strictly a breakfast joint.

The Bad: Tasty doesn’t necessarily mean good. Keep some tissue on hand to wipe the drool off your mouth when you read the menu. However, what they offer in variety and taste comes with a consequence: more fat and a lot more carbs. Eggs Benedict on a Bagel will have your arteries screaming “Holy poop on a stick!” The waffles are F*CKING incredible, but are not considered light at all. Their French toast was as oily and as carby as I expected it to be. Moreover, they don’t have a health-oriented menu. You can low-carb your meal, but passing off their delicious appetizers and entrees will only seem stupid.

The Verdict: If you feel the need to cheat, then by all means indulge yourself here. If not, then stick to The Early Bird to decrease the amount of guilt you’ll endure later. 3 hours after consumption of my meal at Prime and Toast (I ordered less than The Early Bird), I felt bloated and my body retained a lot of water. Nonetheless, I was fine within a day.

Recommendations: Only go there to cheat if you want to feel more like a normal human being. If not, then you can’t go wrong with a low-carb meal. The Poached Egg with Smoked Salmon (sans the sour cream) will boost fat-burning pretty good; essentially, any omelet would do. You can also eat healthy by controlling the amount of portions you consume, such as 1 plain omelet and 1 order of a starchy carb or an omlette and fresh orange juice.

The Baking Tray
A close friend of mine kept annoying me about it. She couldn’t stop telling me how great this place is and I chose to dismiss the idea and continue on with my life. Coincidently, one of my meetings was scheduled at the Baking Tray. Atmosphere aside (which was amazing to say the least), the food produced major mouthgasms. I ordered the Garlic Chicken Avocado on Rye bread plus an omelet with 3 whole eggs, extra turkey and some spinach. UH-MAH-GAWD! The Baking Tray’s chef came out and looked my face while I was eating. Chef Hanafi, a Malaysian dude that looks like a real chef, asked me how the food was. I turned at him and said with a mouth full of food “AWEOOTHUM!”

The Good: Choices, choices and more choices. If the menu wasn’t enough to satisfy your cravings, you can customize and nag all you want, and the staff wouldn’t even blink an eye! As long as the ingredients you’re asking for are available, this cafe will be more than happy to prepare it for you. I pride myself of my waiter-nagging skills, and they are completely tolerant to my constant bickering.

The Bad: You. Everything they serve is in its appropriate portion; enough to satisfy your cravings, yet still leaving you wanting a bit more. The only way you can go wrong here is if you choose to eat everything on the menu. KEEP-IT-TIGHT and close the lid after a sandwich and a salad. If you must consume white bread, ditch the normal version for the sour dough option; since the ingredients used to make it sour (lactic acid, acetic acid, enzymes, L. cysteine, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide) slow down carbohydrate release into the blood stream.

The Verdict: I’ve been whoring myself for The Baking Tray for the past 2 weeks. The ingredients they use make me confident of my choices, including the surprisingly delicious garlic sauce, which by the way turned out to be Labnah w/ roasted garlic (how the hell didn’t I think of that!). Garlic sauces are very fatty, and using Labnah as a base minimizes the fat calories and boosts protein and calcium intake. Plus, you don’t get that nasty garlic-breath after effect with BKT’s version.

Recommendations: If you’re feeling really hungry, order the Philly Cheese Steak on rye bread with nothing else. It’ll shut your appetite for 2-3 hours EASY. You may also try my favorite, the Garlic Chicken Avocado sandwich with rye bread. Low-carb your meal by ordering an omlete with extra turkey, spinach and mushrooms. Lastly, if the idea of challenging your metabolism in the morning thrills you, two EBT’s (eggs, bacon and tomatoes, ordered on rye bread) will send you running to Chef Hanafi for some good old smooching; which by the way is not gay because I said so.

Johnny Rockets
If pouring syrup on some french toast and wrapping it around a burger patty, an egg and some bacon turns you on, then you need to go to there; and to go to there real fast too. After placing my order(s), the waiter just stared at me and asked if I was serious. I said yes, and he asked if more people were joining me. I replied with a no. “Sir, I’m not sure if you can eat it all,” little old skeptical waiter said. “I’ll eat it all and pour some ketchup on top too.” This dude loves a challenge.

The Good: Extremely oily and carby, the food is heavenly if you plan on cheating. Hell, everything was cooked to perfection! Healthier options are not visible at first sight, but once you read between the lines carefully, us health freaks can feast guilt-free.

The Bad: NO WAFFLES! If it wasn’t for the awesome french toast, I would’ve thrown a bitch fit larger than life!

The Verdict: Eating healthy, light or dirty is a breeze. However, this place is the heaviest amongst all the restaurants above; you can literally feel the oil and butter in between your teeth.

Recommendations: For the low-carbateers, order an omelet with the works, excluding the fatty cheese. You may also order the (as an OR, not an AND) the burger patty with two eggs, sans the sausage, bacon, english muffin and country fried potatoes. For the normal dieters, choose the omelet (no cheese) with 2-3 slices of brown toast OR a burger patty, 2 eggs and some orange juice. Save the bacon, country fried potatoes and french toast for a cheat day; the oil and butter on those literally told me “yeah bitch, open your mouth! This triglyceride just booked a ticket to your ass!” Awkward.

Hey mang! You miss TWO mo’ breakfass rocayshuns!
I can’t dissect what I haven’t tasted, so I apologize for not providing you with 2 great breakfast places: Dean and Deluca and Au Bon Pain.

Rebanese and Middre Eastern Dericacies!
Nothing screams “stick to your diet” more than the Levant region’s food, mostly because they provide adequate amounts of muscle-building and fat-burning nutrients without all the extra “I’ll stick to your butt and thighs” calories. For those of you who don’t know where or what the Levant region is (I most certainly didn’t, up until my Lebanese friend Wassim told me), it’s the pile of countries bordering the Mediterranean from the east, which include Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. If you ask any bodybuilder/gym rat, they’ll tell you that “mashawi” (grilled food) tops their A-list in the things to eat when dieting or bulking. Let’s begin by dissecting these Levantine suckers and see how they stack up to one another:

Mais Al Ghanim
I call this place the mother of all that is grilled. Lean cuts of every and any piece of red meat or poultry you can find. They stick to the equation by adding nothing extra to the already awesome ingredients and presentation. Moreover, portions are more than satisfying; I will nag you to the gates of hell and burn your house down if you don’t supply me with enough protein portions.

The Good: Pretty much everything is awesome if you plan on sticking to your diet. They’ve got a large variety of food to choose from, and you can’t go wrong with any protein source. This is no place to cheat, because..

The Bad: …sometimes the food’s tasteless. I have to shake that salt-shaker till it dries.

The Verdict: This is where I order from if I don’t feel like eating homefood, but wish to stick to my diet plan. The shish tawook is made from purely grilled skinless chicken breasts and the tikka meat is UBER lean. Moreover, I love their “Tabla Neya”, a dish composed of the leanest RAW red meat you can find, mushed with spices and served with two halves of onions on top to satisfy my carnivorous sensations. Avoid the two onions since they serve as bacteria gatherers.

Recommendations: If you’re on a low-carb plan, then order a plate or two of your favorite grilled (or raw) protein source, plus a side order of salad (avoid the croutons from the fattoush and the burghul from the tabboulah). If carbs are included, order a tabboulah, hummus with some meat (ask them to exclude the olive oil on top of the hummus) and a plate of lean grilled protein. Use one moderate-sized piece of white bread if necessary.

Burj El Hamam
This restaurant is a copy of the former, but with TASTE! Very similar in their menus, with only slight alterations in presentation.

The Good: Awesome place to eat healthy, and juicier than the above.

The Bad: They don’t deliver! Or at least I think they don’t. Another reason why I choose Mais over Burj Al Hamam, but if I’m eating out, then this is the place I’d definitely pick.

The Verdict: Not a lot differs from Mais Al Ghanim, so it’s a matter of individual preferance. Their “Tablah Neya” is most certainly tastier.

Recommendations: Same rules apply as Mais Al Ghanim.

Kababji
I went to eat there with a friend an hour after my workout, so hunger was definitely a concern. I wasn’t dieting, which makes my calorie intake much higher. I ordered 1 plate of shish tawook, 1 plate of tikka meat, 1 tabboulah and some hummus without oil. It arrived and I was extremely disappointed because: 1) the portions were really, really, really tiny (yes, I used 3 really’s; that’s how tiny their portions are!), 2) 1 or 2 pieces are bound to be animal lard, which makes the available portion smaller than it already is and 3) they taste so damn good!

The Good: Taste. That’s it.

The Bad: Everything else. They marinate their grilled protein in some sort of oily mix which I can’t seem to figure out. However, I’m more than willing to bet it’s fatty; and after tasting it a few times, I’m thinking butter…

The Verdict: Would you want to pay a lot for a few small portions that will throw your diet off? Even a gay dude would say “that shit’s GAY!”

Recommendations: I don’t sink so.

Sarai
Morrocan awesomeness. I avoid this place if I’m planning on sticking to a clean diet regimen. Make no mistake, every ingredient they use is healthy, but in deliciously-stuff-your-face portions.

The Good: You get exactly what you pay for, delicious and nutritious food that is beyond appetizing.

The Bad: Sticking to your diet can be a very hard task when you’re presented with oily appetizers that scream EAT ME!

The Verdict: Save this place for a cheat meal or limit your portions. The problem lies in the appetizers and not the main entrees. You can make or break a diet plan just by choosing the right and wrong appetizers. Going with a group might decrease your chances of overconsumption as long as you don’t become the douche who ends up eating more than anyone else.

Recommendations: Low-carb dieters, this place is a haven if you avoid the bread, hummus and other grains that might hinder your goals. The grilled food is huge and cooked to perfection with no worries or regrets when consumed. Watch out for the molasses and the pomegranate syrup, since they lurk in almost every Moroccan dish and contain a considerably high amount of sugar. Also watch out for their fatty appetizers, including the crushed walnuts and olives and mixed with some molasses; incredibly tasty but will have your love handles begging for mercy. Their tablah neya is the best in town, a few notches above the Lebanese version.

Qurtoba CO-OP Light Snack Food Shack
This small restaurant beats the pants off of what Kababji has to offer. They serve Syrian food that is far from crappy, yet lacks proper presentation. In comparison to how other high-end grills look like, this place doesn’t pull you in. Nonetheless, what else would you expect from a small CO-OP supported grill?

The Good: Killer shish tawook, presented in an ugly cheap plastic plate, covered in aluminum foil. Once you take a bite out of that chicken, you’ll feel your muscles indulging in the protein synthesis it provides. The tikka meat is surprisingly lean and chewable, served with a few pieces of lard; yet not enough to shittisize the available protein portion.

The Bad: The chicken and mutton shawarma. Even if you decide to ditch the bread and eat it on the plate, it’s still very high in evil fat.

The Verdict: Why would I bring up a Syrian snack shack amongst other high-end choices? This place deserves the attention and the credit, and they won’t punk you with small portions and servings.

Recommendations: 1 plate of Shish tawook or tikka meat with a small serving of tabboulah and hummus (yup, without the oil).

Turkish Grill
This place does right where Kababji does wrong. They pride themselves of providing traditional turkish food without the hassle of waiting 15 minutes for an order. This is grilled fast-food at its best.

The Good: Delicious thick servings, and a major emphasis on delicious. I have no idea how they marinate their protein sources, but I’m willing to bet they add in a few drops of oil to soften the meat up. Nonetheless, they properly grill their meats without drying them out too much.

The Bad: Anything associated with kabab, which I will be talking about in a few. Their hummus is too oily and the Patlican Yogurtlu (eggplant mixed with yogurt and seasoning) is a fatty sensation that will have you playing with your belly longer than you think.

The Verdict: This is the place you want to order from if you want to stick to the health route while satisfying your taste buds and appetite.

Recommendations: Move away from the kabab, even if you’re on a low-carb plan. Order the “Tavuk Shish” to increase protein and minimize fat intake. Sides include tabboulah and oil-free hummus.

Kabab El Hija
In my opinion, the best kabab you can find in Kuwait. Thick and rich texture that tastes great all the time. No matter how many times I order, the mouthwatering taste never changes. Nonetheless, save this restaurant for a cheat meal.

The Good: Everything if you plan on screwing up your diet plan.

The Bad: Everything if you plan on screwing up your diet plan. Even the shish tawook is fatty due to the burned chicken skin attached to the meat. “Awwwh! I thought Kabab was OK!” Kabab’s composed of minced fatty meat, herbs and spices. You can’t achieve the kabab’s shape using a lean piece of meat unless you add fat into the equation, or else the piece of kabab will crumble while grilled. Other ways to hold the meat together include bread crumbs and/or potatoes, which aren’t sufficient for low-carb dieting.

The Verdict: A kabab isn’t that bad when your other choice is a double whopper with large fries. As long as you practice self-control, you may approve this for your diet plan.

Recommendations: Low-carbers, 4 pieces of kabab plus veggies on the side will do. Use lemon and hot sauce to add a little flavor. Normal dieters stick to 3 pieces of kabab, veggies and 1/2 Iranian bread. The shish tawook isn’t worth the hassle; you might as well order that from the Turkish Grill and avoid people using your love handles as a steering wheel.

Holy Nutritional Value Batman! Dis’ Dair Looks Maaighty Scrumptious!
I urge everyone not to plunge into extremes. In order to continue living a healthy lifestyle, seeking balance proves worthwhile in attaining continuity and longevity. Don’t sacrifice taste for results (unless you need to), and don’t overindulge too much. A cheat meal once every 7 days will help you realistically stick to your goal without falling off the wagon; and the only way you can indulge in these cheat meals like I do is by implementing your plan 120%.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Photo by mattsinopoli

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Consistency in dieting can be a challenge, especially when living in a country that endorses food more than anything else. Most of our days start out with food, some coffee and dessert, a little strolling around and shopping, and some more food. And at night, a small gathering of friends that involves barbecuing and a lot of muffins.

Some clients, relatives and friends call me every weekend, with inquiries such as “I’m at Gaucho. What do you recommend?” or “Pinkberry! Yay or nay?” and “Dude, why isn’t my girlfriend returning my calls?” For starters, you can’t really go wrong with Gaucho if you stick to Filet De Lomo; Pinkberry’s loaded with 20g of sugar per serving; and you should try being less douchey.

I’m not saying you should eat out everyday, but when you’re cornered into a meal, the right recommendations will prove useful. Moreover, dieting puts you in a state of hunger similar to that of a heroin addict; aching and scratching for that next meal. One last advice before I start dissecting each and every restaurant: if it tastes too good, then it’s probably not what you’re looking for.

Oh, Fahad-san! Ret us begin with hearthy restaurants!

What I hate more than carb and fat-infested fast food chains are eateries that preach about health, but are everything but healthy; which is why I’ll be poking at them first:

Subway:
A study was published a while back, comparing both Subway and McDonald’s consumers. The research concluded that McDonald’s consumers were more careful at calculating calories than Subway, since they were well aware of their sins. Moreover, since Subway did a phenomenal job at advertising how healthy they are, their consumers ended up eating 56% more calories than the individuals who went to McDonald’s.

The Good: Turkey breast, roast beef, tons of fibrous veggies, some sauces and dressing (yellow mustard, ketchup, olive oil, vinegar, hot sauce), honey oat or whole wheat bread.

The Bad: Tuna with supposedly light mayo (I asked them what kind of light mayo and they said “not light mayo, we put little mayo”), imitation crab, imitation chicken breast, and essentially everything else not listed above.

The Verdict: Has anyone tasted Subway’s chicken breast? It’s like eating sugary rubber or plastic, mostly because it is. Subway is actually my LAST option if I’m surrounded by nothing but endless fast food restaurants for several miles. Their breads are very low in quality and extremely carby if you opt for the 12 inch.

Recommendations: 6 inch whole wheat or honey oat, 2 piece of cheese, turkey breast and/or roast beef (double meat if you want to “high protein” the meal), veggies of course and 2 lines of ketchup, hot sauce, yellow mustard or a combination of all three. If you’re on a low carbohydrate plan, a salad would do; just make sure you use turkey and/or roast beef and ditch the fatty dressings (Caesar, Ranch, and Thousand Islands) for a few squirts of olive oil, lemon and some salt & pepper.

Health Stop:
This is my first option if I’m sticking to a strict bodybuilding diet, since their food is high in essential muscle building nutrients and very low in taste. You’ll need taste-buds of steel to get through their meals without sauce or dressing.

The Good: HUGE chicken breasts, roasted potatoes, brown rice, broccoli, steak tips and sirloin burgers.

The Bad: The broccoli (al bight good) smells funky, steak tips are cooked with copious amounts of barbecue sauce (VERY sugary in comparison to ketchup), they use white flour wraps and salad dressings are as fatty as can be and not a lot of healthy options for sauces.

The Verdict: A large South Beach Platter, which includes two steroid-induced chicken breasts and a side order of plain broccoli and brown rice or roasted potatoes. If you’re on a low-carb plan, ditch the rice and potatoes or opt for a salad. You may also go with a large Steak Tip Platter; just be an inconsiderate fag and ask them “PLEASE DON’T MARINATE THE MEAT IN BARBECUE SAUCE!”

LoFat:
What I like about this chain is its ability to do everything in-house, including breads, wraps and pizza dough. Moreover, their menu has more options than you can imagine.

The Good: Whole wheat tortilla (pronounced “TOR-TIYA”, not “TOR-TILLA”) wraps are satisfying and surprisingly low in carbs, lettuce wraps are extremely fibrous and also satiating, they use olive oil as a base for their fatty dressings and they go light on the sugary options.

The Bad: Their pizza’s can be DISASTEROUS if you end up eating it alone. Very high in protein (100g!?) and extremely high in fats (130g! Holy SHARKS!) and carbs (100g+, but fibrous). If you’re going to order some, share it with at least another person.

The Verdict: This is what I order most of the time if I can’t stomach Health Stop’s funky smelling broccoli. You can’t go wrong with the carby options since they use whole wheat for everything; just make sure you stay below 50g per meal. If you’re low-carbing it, 1-2 orders of lettuce wraps will do wonders to shut your appetite for 2-3 hours.

Salad Creations:
This is by far the best salad place in Kuwait. If you’re careful, you can reap the benefits by accomplishing both your fitness goals and taste-buds. However, since they specialize in salads, they pretty much rape every other option.

The Good: Everything associated with making a salad! Grilled chicken, turkey slices, shrimp, tuna, copious and numerous amounts and options for veggies, alfalfa sprouts (yes, I’m an alfalfa sprout whore), chick peas and CARB FREE DRESSING!

The Bad: They use white flour wraps and are extremely fatty, they don’t add in a lot of protein unless you annoy them about it, and their new paninis are wonderful but contain more overall calories than a Burger King Whopper!

The Verdict: Eating a salad and feeling satiated can only be achieved here. Stick to Salad Creations only for your low-carb options, advising them to add in more protein and to chop instead of toss.

What about Ord McDonard?
A lot of you would be surprised if you knew how healthy you can go at fast food chains. You can’t be liberal (you probably said “riberer” didn’t you) with your options, but if there isn’t anything worthwhile around you or you simply want to blend in with your fatty buddies at the duwaniya when you’re ordering derivery, then this is what you do:

1) Kentucky Fried Chicken: Order a lunch box with 2-3 chicken breasts, thighs or drums (no fatty wings) and peel off the breaded skin, since it’s too carby and it pretty much sucked all the oil while it received the fry treatment. Order a salad (for your vitamin/mineral quota, sans the dressing) and 1 white bun for your carb source. Limit your ketchup intake to 2 packets (8g of sugar) and absolutely NO coleslaw or dessert. Low-carb the meal by saying bye-bye to the bun. The majority of you probably said “F*ck it” right after I said “peel off the skin.”

2) Hardee’s (with an S at the end, not a Z for the love of God): Grilled chicken sandwich (order an extra patty) with 1 slice of cheese, but no mayo. Ditch the fries for a salad with no dressing. If you’re on a low-carb meal plan, go with 2 Low Carb Grilled chicken sandwiches (a slice of cheese, but no mayo), and a salad to fill you up pretty good.

3) Burger King: Grilled Chicken Whopper (add an extra patty), 1 slice of cheese, no mayo, no fries and a side order of salad.

4) McDonald’s: Premium Grilled Chicken (again, extra patty), 1 slice of cheese, NO SAUCE (only ketchup) and a side order of salad. Yes, no dressing.

5) Domino’s Pizza: Small, thin crust, tomato sauce, veggies, grilled chicken and/or minced beef. Notice that I didn’t include cheese and pepperoni into that equation. You can either tell them to go light on the fatty cheese or ditch it altogether to bring the fat calories way down. Personally, I’d add in some pineapple pieces for that sweet and salty sensation (that’s what she said).

No Bairgair!?
If you’re aching to lose those last kilos of fat, then no burgers for you. However, some individuals have a hard time gaining muscle due to their miraculous metabolisms, so adding in mass-boosting burgers prove beneficial. If you’re in this category, then here’s what you do:

McDonald’s: Yes, this is your only option since I trust their quality protocol in avoiding contaminated meat. Depending on the person’s physical assessment, this meal might range from a double burger (no cheese, since the fatty content is already high due to the burgers), a triple burger or 2 double burgers, with a side order of salad.

What if I Eat Onry Rean Steak and Carifornia Rorr?

We spend a lot of time at the Avenues, Mall 360 or Marina Mall on weekends, and restaurants/cafes are a dime a dozen to say the least. I’ll try my best to cover all bases with this category:

Steak Houses

1) Gaucho Grill: I’m there a minimum of once a week; that’s how diet/bodybuilding friendly this restaurant is. Since Gaucho is well known for its Argentinean red meat, you’ll pretty much have to order this every time you’re there. A marinated Filet is the best cut you can get anywhere, with enough protein to tickle your muscle cells and the exact amount of fat to provide nothing but exhilarating juicy taste. If your diet includes carbs, compliment your steak with a side order of Gaucho’s Sweet Potato and a small salad. Sprinkle your steak with salt & pepper, but no dipping sauce.

2) The Meat Company: Their steaks are just as good (sometimes better if Gaucho’s chef isn’t too faggy that day, which coincidently he is whenever I’m there), but cooked in South African style. A pepper-crusted Filet Mignon with a side order of a salad and the absolutely BEST baked potato in Kuwait.

3) The Butcher Shop: I used to love this place up until they screwed up every order I made for the past 10 times. Personally, I’m very picky with my steaks since I prefer the “medium rare” (bloody) way of cooking. If I’m paying over KD 10 for a steak, then it better arrive perfect. The Butcher Shop makes it pretty clear that in order for them to cook in perfection, they need time. After 30 minutes of wait, my steak arrives extremely well done with a sweet potato the size of a peanut and a yellow hue instead of its usual orange.

Oriental

1) Maki: Pure quality is only served at Maki, but in incredibly small portions. I always order extra when I’m there, but I’d also pay extra for perfection. You never can go wrong with sushi in Japan, but for some reason, Kuwait took the formula and kicked it right in the nuts. As long as you avoid all that crunchy, mayo/spicy sauce shenanigans, then you’re good. These options were introduced to pull in customers that hated classic sushi which involved RAW cuts of fish. Nonetheless, options are still available. If you’re into eating sushi the way it’s supposed to be served, then limit yourself to 12 pieces of maki, 2 orders of sashimi and a seaweed salad with the apple sauce. You may also low-carb the option by going with 2 orders of sashimi, a seafood salad and 1 order of edamame without any salt. Soy sauce is OK as long as you only “tap” the maki instead of “dip”. Avoid the imitation crab since it’s nothing but sugar and white fish. For your cooked options, go with the Teppanyaki (salty) instead of the Teriyaki (sugary).

2) Wasabi: Larger servings than Maki. Both are more or less the same; Maki’s seaweed salad beats Wasabi’s hands down. Wasabi’s salmon is a lot juicer and thicker than Maki’s. Wasabi’s edamame sucks, but their salmon avocado salad (without the dressing) is the best.

3) Sakura: HUMONGOUS servings! You get more bang for your dinar here, and they have much more sashimi options which never run out (are you listening Maki?). If I’m feeling cheap, and the urge to feed my muscles with style increases (which is 3-4 times a week), then I’ll definitely choose this.

4) Edo: A few days back my cousin and a few friends invited me to Edo and surprised me with a dish called “Suriyaki”. My curious self kept on chipping and asking away “What’s Suriyaki?” and everyone was in the know, except for yours truly. When it comes to restaurant food I’m known for being a very picky bitch, so I waited since I wasn’t entirely acquinted with everyone to bitch away even more. We ate away at the high quality sushi and sashimi, served in not-so-surprisingly homosexually small portions, up until the Suriyaki arrived. The waiters came with this mini stove, and placed a big bowl of broth. Then they brought in a pile of lean raw meat (nom nom nom!), delicious veggies and raman noodles. ”Oh, for the love of God” was exactly what my heart said right after my cousin dropped in the raman noodles, which instantaneously high-carbed my already low-carb meal. 10 minutes later, we ate away at the most deliciously served dish I have tasted for a long time! Too bad I had to ruin the experience by picking out the noodles. 

5) Meli Melo: The biggest menu amongst all Japanese restaurants (I’m assuming in the world). They specialize in new-age sushi, and their only sashimi options are salmon and tuna. I’d go there for a cheat meal or if I’m in the mood for some really good salmon sashimi.

6) Wagamama: Delicious carby fatty mess. Eat here when you feel depressed or borderline suicidal. Whoever said this was Japanese food needs to be executed. Delicious nevertheless.

7) P.F. Changs: Chinese food can be an extremely mixed bag of hmm’s and aaah’s. They do have great options, just as long as you abide by their appropriate portions, which I’ve clearly seen no one do. Their appetizers are mostly fried (including the orgasmic dumplings), but you can get away with 1-2 pieces. If you’re going with a group, then order 1-2 appetizers and share. For your entrees, avoid fried, breaded and sauteed protein options and try to look for steamed, grilled or boiled sources. To fill you up carbodasciously, opt for a cup of steamed rice and a salad.

8) Kei: One of the first Japanese restaurants in Kuwait, serves classical high quality sushi, served in their appropiately originated portions. Kei is as close as you can get to true Japanese food.

Other

1) Nino: I love this place because I can customize whatever I want. Nino’s famous for its Chicken Livers order, lightly sautéed in butter (the bastards won’t use Olive Oil) and served with a side order of Rocca leaves. However, do not dip that sucker into the spicy mayo sauce unless you want to add 300 useless calories to your meal; the liver is fatty as it is. Use lemon, hot sauce and Dijon mustard. Before ordering, you need to be extra careful when looking at the menu, since they go way too liberal on the sauces. Opt for anything that isn’t fried, breaded or smothered in fatty white sauce. For your carb source, shy away from the fried potatoes and the yeasty bread, and go with whole wheat pasta with a side order of tomato sauce.

2) Rice: They might as well call it “GET FAT HERE”.

3) Crimson Gardens: Best Persian restaurant ever. I haven’t tried every option available, but my first order was exhilarating: lentil soup, a green salad and shrimp kabab with saafran oil lightly simmered on top. F*ck Yeah!

4) Asha’s: I’d like to apologize to our Indian readers, but I’m about to drop a nuclear bomb on your crown jewel. It’s high in carbohydrates and fats, and annoyingly low in protein. I tried my best to shy away from anything breaded and fried, and came up with their delicious Chicken Tandoori served with a bowl of the least fatty rice and a salad. I kept on asking for more protein portions, which can be very annoying for both the waiter and I. I’m pretty sure I heard him call me gandu.

Oh, Masta of the Fitness Universe! You have bressed us yet again! What is your concrusion!?

I wasn’t obviously able to cover all the restaurants in Kuwait, but feel free to ask me all the whats and hows of restaurant eating, and I’ll be sure to dissect accordingly. For those of you who are wondering “why the f*ck is this douchebag talking in Japanese?” is because I was eating Sushi and watching Tokyo Drift while writing this.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

“Man’s proper stature is not one of mediocrity, failure, frustration, or defeat, but one of achievement, strength, and nobility. In short, man can and ought to be a hero.” – Mike Mentzer, the father of High Intensity Training.

If you’re eating a snicker’s bar, drinking a Red Bull and smoking a cigarette, then put your weapons down, step back slowly and carefully, and take a good gander (wow, GANDER, where did that come from?) at yourself. What you’ll probably see is regression; the convergent evolution of man, but in a very bad way.

Devolution, or the opposite of evolution, is what we are currently witnessing with the entire world. In a recent study that took over 10 years to accomplish concluded that males 10 years ago were manlier than males today. The study also concluded that the farther you go back, the larger “bowling balls” males had.

My grandfather had 4 wives, with a total of 13 kids. I’m willing to bet that your fathers, grandfathers, and the fathers of your grandfathers went through the exact same trend. I’m also willing to bet that no one in present time has a pair (biologically speaking) to do the same.

High Rate of Impotence & Erectile Dysfunction

On the 23rd of March 2010, Al Watan Newspaper published an article on it’s first page stating that Kuwait’s fertility rate is at risk. Moreover, it also stressed the high rate of impotence and sexual dysfunction. I’d like to add in my own theoretical opinion by saying that a lot of men are at the lower end of normal testosterone production, which is OK, but puts you just a few notches above a female. Yes you concerned female, you might be as manly if not manlier than your husband, boyfriend or whatever relationship you decided to pursue.

Seriously though, low-testosterone is also a contributer to the increase of divorce rates in Kuwait; females are not getting their fair share of manhood.

“Yeah..but how is that of benefit to us, Oh Master of the Fitness Universe?”

Maintaining moderately high testosterone levels in  men has been shown to improve many parameters which are thought to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, such as increased lean body mass, decreased visceral fat mass, decreased total cholesterol, and glycemic control.

Lower testosterone levels are associated with cardiovascular disease (ehem), decrease in lean body mass (anyone here has no muscle hmm?), increased visceral fat mass (jello-jiggles? Egyptian belly dancer?), increase in total cholesterol (those cinnabons were good!), and glycemic sensitivity (and so was that large serving of rice!). If you haven’t realized this already, all the illnesses above are very popular in Kuwait.

Let me put things into a more comprehensible perspective:

200 B.C.: Caveman lived wildly in the wilderness with total animosity. Their fight-or-flight response was to fight 120% of the time, and they supposedly got their women by hitting them on the head with a club, and dragged them back to their caves tugging them from their hairs.

400 B.C.: “WE ARE SPARTA!” yelled King Leonidas, right after he kicked the Persians in the proverbial balls. Every man on earth decided to join a gym 3 seconds after watching “300″, or got into a fight with 50 other guys.

1000 A.D.: Vikings ruled the seas and the lands by killing, pillaging and raping every source of existence on earth. They were huge, intimidating and carried weapons that weighed well over 50kg. The site of blood made them hungrier for more blood, and upon their arrival of land, they drank massive amounts of booze (enough to kill a population of average men today) and hours of midnight orgies. Legend has it, they tamed dragons. In the words of Liz Lemon, I need to go to there; and release my Kraken while I’m at it.

1942: In “Casablanca” and almost every Humphrey Bogart movie, men perfected the art of forced seduction by literally slapping or back-handing woman left and right. It isn’t as ballsy as the dudes above, but testosterone levels were still intact. The slapping is pretty awesome too. *sigh*

2010: “Baby, I’ll be hitting the gym in a few, get a bite to eat, then stay a few hours at the diwaniya,” said the husband. “F*ck no,” replied the wife. “Ok…” responded the husband.

So Mr. Scientist, how are we evolving again?

Oh Master of the Fitness Universe! Why is this happening to us?

In reference to that gay fat dude on episode 19 of Modern Family, “it’s go time”:

1) Radiation: Laptops, cellular phones, computers and any radiation wave producing tool, all have an effect in lowering a male’s sperm count and increasing the risk of cancer. Stop putting your cell phones so close to your nads! Put them as far away as you possibly can, and don’t place any laptops on your laps; use a small table or a dog if you have to.

2) Processed & Junk Food:  Has anyone seen “Supersize Me”? It’s a documentary about a guy who eats nothing but McDonald’s for a straight month. As a result, the 32-year-old Morgan Spurlock gained 11.1 kg, a 13% body fat increase, a cholesterol level of 230, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation to his liver. It took him fourteen months to recover. That belly your playing with is blocking the blood flow to your down-under; get rid of it or suffer the consequences.

3) Smoking: An Australian survey of more than 8,300 men aged 16-59 shows that erectile dysfunction was 40% more likely to occur among men who smoked more than 20 daily cigarettes, compared with nonsmokers. Also, erectile dysfunction was 24% more likely to occur among men who smoked up to 20 cigarettes per day, compared with nonsmokers. Smoking can also have adverse effects on infertility in both males and females. Try to consume less cigs per day, preferably 10. If 20 cigs cause 24% erectile dysfunction, then mathematically, smoking 10 would decrease the risk by half.

4) Excessive Masturbation: Get married or hold it together. If anything, do it once a week so that you won’t go on a raping spree. The “use it or lose it” mantra is total crap, you’ll only sexually desensitize yourself. Excessive masturbation will also screw up your married life by killing your sexual drive! Lastly, don’t expect to be producing sperm for a long time, especially if you’re suffering from malnutrition.

5) Malnutrition: Deficiency in proper nutrition, which leads to a deficiency in nutrients. The majority of people who have problems associated with low-test are suffering from malnutrition. Their diets consist of junk food once a day and a lot of coffee/tea/red bull and cigarettes, all contributing to a low sperm count, erectile dysfunction and mood swings that would make premenstrual syndrome look like a cake walk.

6) Drugs: Specifically, anabolic steroids. Any drug can be used or abused, but anabolic steroids have been abused to their fullest extent to the point of mediocrity. I’ve seen perfectly healthy individuals ruined by taking massive amounts of steroids without maintaining proper protocol. In their pursuit of fitness and a healthier lifestyle, they’ve managed to screw it all up by depending on performance enhancers to excel their bodybuilding goals. Personally, I’m not with it or against it. There are proper ways to use anabolic steroids and certain protocols to take into consideration. The majority if users in Kuwait are using them based on street knowledge and a “more is better” mentality.

Other drugs may also contribute to sexual dysfunction, including cholesterol lowering agents, high blood pressure medication and painkillers. Drugs are only a means to stop the illness/disease, not cure it. It’ll keep it at bay, but at the expense of other functions in your body. Unfortunately, medical practitioners do so little to point that out; I truly believe that they need to preach the importance of proper nutrition to cure the illness/disease and slowly exclude the medication in the process of positive results. Drug dependence is not a joke. Your balls, however, appear to be.

7) Inactivity: Transportation in the past wasn’t as apparent as it is today, so they had to walk/climb/swim to their destinations.  Both males and females had to stay active in order to drink water, eat food and live; things we take for granted when we say “Bushba! Bleez brring dinner!”

Moreover, our ancestors didn’t have any sources of entertainment indoors, so they spent their days running around, constantly burning calories and staying active doing whatever they were doing. My dad had an athletic build when he was 18, low in body fat, sporting a nice set of abdomens without even crunching once, since all he did was play basketball at night, and runs errands for my grandfather in the morning.

As opposed to today, we’ve got 18-year olds, butts glued to their chairs with awesome man-boob development, sipping on a Red Bull, smoking their cigarettes and chowing down on an endless supply of chocolate bars and potato chips, downloading the next episode of Lost while raiding the Cave of Mordorf on World of Warcraft, screaming at some douchebag on the other side of the screen “OH YEAAAH! I PWN YOU! Who’s my internet b*tch now!”

Yup. The internet. Serious business right there.

Solutions Solutions Solutions

Do EXACTLY the opposite of what’s on top. Avoid radiation, move away from processed junk food, cut your smoking to 10 cigs a day, stop spanking that monkey, get on a testosterone-boosting diet plan, avoid excessive use of drugs/pain killers/ antibiotics/steroids, and stay active. JUST BE HEALTHY!

For anyone currently suffering from the symptoms I’ve just talked out, supplement with the vitamins and minerals below AFTER getting on a good nutritional program and light-moderate exercise:

1) 60mg of Zinc: 30 mg after breakfast and 30 mg after dinner.
2) Vitamin E: 1,000 iu’s, spread in 2-3 doses after meals.
3) B-Complex: One large time-released dose after breakfast.
4) Folic Acid: 800 mcg, once or twice a day.
5) Liv-52: 4 tablets, divided in two doses, 2 after breakfast and 2 after dinner.
6) Saw Palmetto: 360mg total, divided into two doses, 180 mg with breakfast and 180 mg with dinner.
7) Cod Liver Oil: 2 softgels 3 times a day, after breakfast, lunch and dinner.
8) Multi-vitamin/mineral: once a day after breakfast.

You don’t need to be deficient to supplement with the vitamins/herbs/minerals above. Feel free to ask me any questions in the implementation of proper supplementation and our usual Q&A.

In conclusion, Kuwait (expats included) is slowly deteriorating one generation at a time. From diabetes to heart disease, cholesterol to high blood pressure and organ failure to sexual dysfunction; I think it’s about time everyone started paying attention to their health and stopped using “You Live Only Once” as a crappy excuse.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

“Dude, I’m really skinny up top, but down below I’m a MESS!”

“I’ve been doing ab work for ages! I literally spend hours in the gym everyday crunching and leg raising my butt off! Why do I still have this belly!? Where’s my six pack!?”

“I might as well paste that muffin I just ate on my thighs, because eventually that’s where it’s going to end up.”

“I’m a 27 year old guy that has better breast development than Pamela Anderson!”

“I’ve been on Lipo-6 for 3 months! Nothing happened!” Me: what’s your diet like? “I pretty much eat whatever I want.”

These pretty much sum up what I am about to tackle today (and obviously the title). Before I do, I’d like to point the finger of blame:

1) Training is 20-30%; it only refines a physique.
Nutrition is the other 70-80%.
2) Abs are made in the kitchen.
3) Why are you crunching with no weights when you clearly don’t have any abdominal muscles?
4) The abdominals are a muscle. If you work a muscle everyday it’ll shrink and never grow.
5) If you eat like a pig and train like a horse, you’ll lose overall weight; except for those stubborn fat stores you want to get rid off.

Too many of you quit too early to see any significant results. You tend to give it all up once results start to slow down. It took you years to gain all that fat, so why do you expect to lose it in such a short time?

It’s hard to make your first million, but once you do, you’ll know exactly what kind of work ethic you’d have to give in order to get it. Same thing goes with a set of abs or shapely thighs; you’re pretty vague about how long or hard your journey will be, but once you give into the commitment then it’ll be all worth it.

I’m here to serve as a guide to that journey, where simple bouts of information may prove useful for that much needed push you’ve been looking for.

(1) Problem: You’re Fat.

By fat I mean overly obese or anyone that’s beyond their optimal weight by at least 20 kg.

Solution:

Drastic solutions are not the answer. Don’t go out and buy fat-burners and enroll in diet centers. Count your current calories and cut 200 calories every week until you reach half of your total calorie intake that got you fat in the first place. Refer to my previous posts for further guidance.

(2) Problem: You’re not fat, but your butt’s too big.

Solution: Males: Lower body fat is a female characteristic and most probably hereditary. The problem with it is that it tends to trap fatty acids, making it hard for you to slim down. However, a new study has just been published recently claiming that people with lower body fat are less likely to get heart, liver and kidney diseases. Personally, this is all jack pooh when I’m out buying jeans; heart disease, feh. I want to look good fir shirrrr!

Guys, if you got junk in your trunk it means you need to lay off testosterone lowering fast food and sweets. That’s estrogen-induced fat buildup in your butts. Estrogen is a female hormone that we do need, but in minimal/moderate amounts. Too much of it may blunt testosterone (the male hormone) causing your body to soften up, much similar to that of a female. Methods to tackle this:

1) Limit fastfood to once a week (I said once a week, not one day a week).

2) If you’re not a weight-lifter, then I’d suggest you’d start. 3 days a week for 30 minutes is more than enough to boost testosterone levels. And don’t skimp on lower body work; train it as hard as any other bodypart and none of that high repetitions low weights crap. The more muscle you have in that area, the less fat stores.

3) Do your cardio on the 3 alternate days. You may jog or do intervals. Move away from anything that resembles a bicycle; that’ll only push more blood to your lower body. Keep your sessions at 60 minutes MAX! Too much cardio will cause cortisol (a muscle wasting hormone) to rise. Cortisol up, Testosterone down.

4) Eat a testosterone boosting diet, which includes lean red meat (Filet Mignon or any lean cut), monounsaturated fats (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Nuts, Salmon, Avocados), healthy cholesterol (Whole eggs, specifically egg yolks, 3 per day) and veggies (broccoli and cauliflower, which help stimulate the burning of extra estrogen). Higher test means lower estrogen.

5) Supplement with testosterone boosting vitamins & minerals such as ZMA. ZMA stands for Zinc Magnesium Aspartate. Take it on an empty stomach before bedtime. Zinc in general boosts testosterone.

6) Don’t drink alcohol because (for the Muslims) it’s haram and it significantly inhibits the clearance of estrogen from the bloodstream and decreases zinc levels. Don’t drink alcohol or (for the Muslims) you’ll go to hell looking like a girl.

7) Be patient. Lower body fat is stubborn and needs time to burn off.

Females: Having worked with female clients, I can attest to the difficulty of getting their lower body as lean as their upper body. I have tried many different strategies, but one thing I have learned is that patience and commitment make all the difference.

Details aside, what ultimately must happen is that the upper body fat stores must be depleted before the lower body really becomes active. It’s as simple as that. Refer to number 7 in the Male section above.

(3) Problem: You’re not fat, but your belly’s too big.

Solution: If you’re skinny all over and starting to gain that spare tire around your waist then lay off the high-glycemic carbohydrates, because that’s a clear sign of insulin resistance. Clean up your act by spreading out your meals in 3 hour periods. Early breakfast, a 200 calorie snack, a moderate carb lunch, a 200 calorie low-carb snack, and a low carb dinner. Refer to my previous posts or feel free to ask away.

(4) Problem: You’re crunching your butt off, but nothing’s happening.

Solution: Abs are made in the kitchen. No matter what you do, if you don’t diet right then nothing is going to happen.

How do you attain abs? Millions of books have been written and numerous seminars and products have been sold on the subject, building a six pack is really quite simple; train your abs to failure with multiple sets of increasing resistance and diet off the fat. Unfortunately, similar to earning your first million, unveiling your abs for the first time isn’t an easy process.

Your first set of abs are the toughest because you’re learning and accepting what it takes to do it.

Begin with weighted machine crunches for 3 sets of 10-12 in order to build abdominal muscles. Follow that exercise with 3 sets (25-50 reps) of weightless crunches to pump more blood into that area. End your ab routine with seated leg raises for that lower abdominal finisher with 3 sets of 25-50 reps. Personally, I would add in oblique twists in between ab exercises of 50 reps each. Do your abdominal work after a weight-lifting session.

(5) Problem: You’ve lost 30kg, but your weight won’t budge.

Solution: It’s pretty self-explanatory to lose a lot of weight IF you happen to carry a large amount of it. Once you do, the diet you’ve lost all that weight on will stop working since it’ll grow accustomed to it. Specifically, low-calorie dieting for too long can blunt T3, a hormone produced by the thyroid gland primarily responsible for regulation of metabolism.

In order to undo the damage that has been done, you need to CHEAT. By cheating, you’ll give your thyroid hormones a challenge, thus waking them up to metabolize that huge cheat meal you just ate. I recommend 1 Big Mac, 1 large fries and an applie pie from McDonalds, and if you’re still hungry add in another Big Mac. You may stop pinching yourself now, because this isn’t a dream; I actually said that.

(6) Problem: You’ve lost all the weight, but you’ve got a lot of loose skin.

Solution: Personally, due to my once gargantuan love handles, I have no chance of tightening that area up to what I want it to be. However, I’ve built enough muscle all over to to fill up spaces of loose skin (i.e. arms, chest and legs).

Don’t trick yourself into thinking high-rep light weight workouts will tighten up problem areas. Use moderate to heavy weights and try to rep out 6-12 reps (men) and 10-15 reps (women). Try as hard as you can to fail/fatigue at those rep ranges. If you’ve done the specified routine for years, plus adequete dieting and cardio, and you’re still suffering from the problem at hand, then surgery is the only answer.

The same rules apply to males with breast development. Work hard to fill your pectorals up or go under the knife.

Apples and Endless Lunges will Burn my Butt Away

You can’t localize fat-loss. Emphasis on endless crunches and squats won’t get you anywhere near your goals. Unfortunately for us genetically-challenged individuals, our upperbodies are narrow and are lower bodies are wide. We have to diet harder, train harder and simply bust out 110% all the time.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

It’s almost summer time and all the gyms around Kuwait are packed! People have locations to travel too, beaches to swim in and jet skis to ride, but you got to look good doing it. What’s the sure-fire, shortcut approach and rapidly fast solution to all this? A truckload of performance enhancers, dietary supplements and A LOT of chest and bicep exercises! That was the norm back in my university days, but people now demand abs too; but no legs, definitely no legs. They are evil and such a pain in the butt when exercised.

The summertime crowd is a lot more demanding and highly impatient in comparison to other seasonal clients. They expect so much in such little time. Moreover, they tend to quit early if extreme results are not presentable within 72 hours, literally. This is how a typical meeting with an average “I need to look like 50 Cent within a month” client:

Client: “All I’m looking for is definition. I need to tone my arms a bit, expand my chest and work on my abs. As you can see, I’ve got the jello jiggles all around dis area yo.”

Me: “How long do I have in order for to make these changes?”

Client: “Brah! I’ve got a month and I’ll be hittin’ da beaches of Ibiza. If things don’t work out with da visa (that rhymed, dude must be a rapper), I’d might extend it for another month and go to Sharm.”

Me: “What you’re asking for is a shortcut, which is highly unlikely since you’ve got no muscle for me to tone and a spare tire around your waist.”

Client: “NO YO! I’ve heard Core Fitness does wonders. I need to lose all of this and gain poundage’s all ova my upperbody. Wam, bam, do me SON!”

Me: “Uhh, no, we don’t offer doing anyone, we just provide you a diet plan, a workout plan and absolutely no happy endings.”

Client: “And yo, no legs. I’ve got more jiggle than Santa Claus lying around this lower area as you can see, so no leg workouts whatsoever. I don’t want to be looking like an Egyptian belly-dancer yo.”

Me: “I hope you realize you’re whiter than I am. Anyways, cutting out legs isn’t a good idea; it’s literally half your body. If you want those changes, you have to give us a minimum of 2 months. It’s a lifestyle.”

Client: “Dude, I’ll pop pills! I’ll drink dem powders! What’s dat white stuff called? Crac….I mean creatine? Yeah, I’ll give that a try!”

Me: “No. What’s your current diet like?”

Client: “I’m not a breakfis’ person, so screw dat. At around 11 am at work, I pass by a Starbucks and order a triple-shot-venti-half-caf-half-decaf-French-roast-2 caramel pumps-extra-whip-non-fat-mocha-with-extra-foam……Oh, and a low fat muffi’. At home, I eat pretty much what I want and for dinner, strictly fast food.”

Me: “I swear to God, if you don’t stop talking like that I’m going to punch you on the face.”

Client: “Ok man, jeez…so I’ll give you two months. Does that work for you?”

Me: “Two months, our workout routine and a strict diet plan should do.”

Client: “Ho-nee FUT! DUDE, DATS INCWEDIBUL! You ma boi!!!”

Me: “Get the f%$k out.”

Health and fitness is a lifestyle. If you want to look good and feel good from this day onwards, you need to understand that it requires a lot of effort at first, and once you get used to it, it’ll be like breathing air and drinking water.

Reality

For every goal you set, commitment must be taken into consideration; the greater you want the end result to be, the harder you have to push yourself to achieve it. For example, in order for me to maintain the current weight and body fat percentage I am on, I’d have to consume a specific amount of calories, weight-lifting poundage’s, and rest and recovery. Since summertime is approaching, my meal plan has to be a lot cleaner, sometimes tasteless and slightly low in calories, with the addition of cardiovascular activity. If I expect a leaner set of abs, I need to put in the effort in order to achieve this.

A lot of you have slowly introduced this lifestyle and are witnessing good results. If you’ve currently stopped producing any significant results (i.e. fat-loss or muscle-gain), your eating and training habits have to be a lot stricter, which may include cleaning out or adding in calories; this is only assuming you’d want more results.

The Diet Plan

Below is a basic diet plan for anyone overweight. I’ve listed 3 options per square meal, ranging from Good to Great. The snacks stay the same.

Upon Waking: 500ml of Water

Breakfast: (15-30 minutes later):

Good: Egg McMuffin + Small McDonald’s Orange Juice

Better: Subway 6′ Wheat, 6 slices of Turkey Breast, Veggies, 2 slices of White Cheese, 2 lines Dressing of Choice + KDD Orange Juice

Great: LOFAT Wholegrain Tortilla Wrap: Egg White Omelet OR Turkey + LOFAT’s Grapefruit Juice

(500 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Snack: (3-4 Hours later):

1 Red Apple OR 2 Kiwi OR 4 slices of Pineapple OR 1-Cup of Strawberries, Blackberries or Raspberries + 1 teabag of Green Tea

(Roughly 150 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Lunch: (3-4 Hours later):

Good: McDonald’s Double Burger (1 packet of ketchup if necessary)

Better: LOFAT’s Beef Burger

Great: Salad Creation: Full Creation, Romaine Lettuce, Alfalfa Sprouts, Olives, Green Bell peppers, Grilled Chicken or Turkey Slices (ask for extra) and Carb Free Asian Sesame Ginger Dressing. Ask them to chop your salad; tossing is gay.

(400 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Pre-Cardio: (3 hours later): 1 teabag of Green or Black Tea

Immediately After: Any cardiovascular activity for a minimum of 30 minutes + 500ml of Water

Post-Cardio: 1 Red Apple OR 2 Kiwi OR 4 slices of Pineapple OR 1-Cup of Strawberries, Blackberries or Raspberries

(Roughly 150 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Dinner: (3-4 hours later, optional if you’re not feeling hungry):

Good: 1 order of Shish Tawook + Fattoush w/out croutons

Better: Nando’s half-chicken (Skinless) + Fresh Green Portuguese Salad (Dressing: Apple Cider Vinegar + Lemon, this is homemade)

Great: LOFAT’s LOCARB Chicken, Turkey or Roast Beef Wrap. Ask for extra meat.

(400 calories)

• The plan above is roughly 1,600 calories. All macronutrient requirements are available, including 3 liters of water.
• You may include 1 serving of diet 7-UP per day, preferably at dinner since sugar cravings tend to be at their highest at that time.
• Red Pepper sauces (Tabasco, Crystal, Red Rooster, etc) may be used liberally throughout all meals.
• The cardiovascular activity has to be vigorous in nature, i.e. fast-paced walking (or HIIT), soccer, basketball, squash.
• DO NOT skip any meal or snack, except for dinner.
• Females: ditch the juice at breakfast and opt for the GREAT option at lunch.
• Males: If results have slowed down, clean your meals by choosing the GREAT options and excluding the juice at breakfast.

The Mass Gaining Plan

The plan below is for gaining lean muscle-mass. I’ll be differentiating between dietary supplement users and non-users.

Upon Waking: 500ml of Water

Breakfast: (15-30 minutes later):

Non-Users: 4 scrambled eggs, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal, 1 banana, 250ml of Skimmed Milk

Users: 3 scrambled eggs, 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal, 1 banana

(600 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Meal 2: (3 hours later)

Both: 8 oz. Grilled Chicken Breast, 1-cup of brown rice OR medium baked potato, green salad w/ 1 tbsp of Olive Oil

OR

Sandwich: 4 slices of Turkey Breast (or Roast Beef), 2 slices of Low-fat Cheese, 2 pieces of wholegrain bread, 1 tbsp of Ketchup for taste

(500 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Lunch: (3 hours later)

Repeat Meal 2 (500 calories)

In Between: sip of 500ml of Water

Pre-Workout Meal (3 hours later)

Non-Users: 3 egg whites, 250ml of Skimmed Milk + 1 tbsp Black Coffee, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal

Users: 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder + 1 tbsp of Black Coffee, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal

(300 calories)

30-45 minutes Later: WORKOUT + 1 liter of Water

Immediately After: (No more than 30 minutes after the workout)

Non-Users: Subway 6′ White Bread, 6 slices of Turkey Breast, 2 slices of white cheese, veggies, 3 lines of dressing (500 calories)

Users: 2 scoops of Whey Protein Powder + 50g (2 1/2 tablespoons) of Glucose-D (ask for it at any supermarket) (400 calories)

In Between: sip of 500ml of Water

60 minutes later (for USERS ONLY):

8 oz. Lean Red Meat, medium baked-potato, veggies (550 calories)

In Between: sip of 500ml of Water

Dinner (3 hours later):

Non-Users: 8 oz. Lean Red Meat, veggies

Users: 2 scoops of Whey Protein Powder + 15 pieces of Raw Cashews

(350 calories)

• The plan above is between 2,700 – 3,300 calories depending on the user. All macronutrient requirements are available, including 3 liters of water.
• You may include 1 serving of diet 7-UP per day, preferably at dinner since sugar cravings tend to be at their highest at that time.
• Red Pepper sauces (Tabasco, Crystal, Red Rooster, etc), and Sea Salt may be used throughout all meals.
• Weight-lifting has to be VERY intense and vigorous, lasting no more than 60 minutes.
• DO NOT skip any meal or snack.

For anyone interested in attaining a healthier lifestyle, try out one of the detailed diet plans above. Once fat-loss or muscle-gain has stopped OR issues of food preference arise, kindly post up a comment on 248am so that I may help, and others may also benefit.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Core Fitness has been in business for close to 2 years. We’ve jumped into the market with very high risk, doubtful but hopeful. We originally started out with a much larger area (1,000mtr2) and slowly trimmed it down to roughly 300mtr2. Our risk was high as it is, so might as well shrink a few things or two.

In order to sell the service being sold, we needed believers, people who can witness results and talk about it to other people.  And so, we brought in 10 clients with different goals, interviewing them one by one before and after our prescribed 7 week cycles. The amount of questions had no answers. With all my knowledge, I could not convince any of them that our 20 minute workouts achieved anything. I even pulled in science to explain that it’s more than possible to benefit from 10 minutes of what we were doing. I don’t blame anybody since common sense tells us that the more time we put in the better results will be.

Finally realizing that no amount of words can explain what we’re trying to sell, I simply gave up and said “Guys, go try it out. If you don’t like it you’ll get your money back.”

“That was intense!” Client #1

“HARDCORE!” Client #2

“…….”Client #3. His blood-sugar level crashed. A diabetic who didn’t eat a single calorie since breakfast.

“Huuuuh, huuuh, huuuuh…man…gi..give me a few minutes to catch my breath!” Client #4. He puked 10 minutes later.

The comments above were what our clients said after their first 20 minute workouts. Thankfully, they’ve all signed up and witnessed great results. However, this proves nothing to the people who have yet to enroll at Core Fitness. After interviewing numerous clients throughout Core’s tenure, I’d like to think that I can finally explain why our 20 minute workouts work.

Short and Sweet

The first obvious question that pops to mind is the 20 minutes. What can we possibly do in such a short time? If you think about it, that’s exactly it. We realize that 20 minutes is a short duration and we also realize that in order for a client to achieve results is by pushing him beyond his physical potential, which involves a lot of boot-camp style training and attitude. Secondly, pushing someone to the brink of insanity in 20 minutes involves some sort of motivation, hence the personal trainers responsible for pushing you towards your limits.

Upping the Ante

In the beginning, we developed the 20 minute workouts to promote health and fitness to the inactive individuals; it was hard, yet you could manage to come the next day and do it all over again. The current crop of clients had such great results that word of mouth started to spread fast, and the active population wanted in. We then implemented a leveling training system that increases workout intensity each time a client levels up; the higher you are, the more uncomfortable and intense workouts got. The active clients had a blast, but the not-so-active had a very hard time coping. The “uncomfortable” zone was designed to push clients beyond their potential, but proved to be a disaster since our non-experienced clients didn’t understand if workout induced pain was good or bad, so they quit.

Our memberships are 7-weeks long. Below is a detailed life cycle of workout expectations:

Week 1: Due to workout intensity, clients (based on activity levels before joining Core) run out of breath, borderline faint/throw-up, and/or faint or throw-up. They usually last 5-10 minutes then beg to stop.

Week 2: The above continues if the client does not abide by Core’s nutritional guidelines and advice. The one’s who do only feel light-headed for a maximum of 30 minutes post-workout. (Clients usually quit here)

Week 3: Client’s grow accustomed to workout intensity and brace themselves prior to their 20 minute engagement. They tend to be happier since they survived it.

Weeks 4 and beyond: A walk in the park, but with visible landmines and bear traps. Clients with optimal diets and recovery enjoy these 4 weeks. Clients who half-ass their diets and recovery struggle from time to time.

The intense side effects witnessed by our new comers are normal. Pushing intensity levels beyond your physical potential will include temporary bouts of dizziness, fainting and puking; your body will get used to it in accordance to the scheduled timeline above. This will not happen to our new members since we toned down our welcoming package.

I Don’t Want to Die

Word finally got out that Core Fitness works, but is too intense. Clients started quitting, thinking that their bodies are bound to break down and get injured. Amongst those clients are close friends of mine who trained, got scared then went back home and haven’t joined a gym since. Does that mean Core Fitness pushes their clients too hard, or are our clients being lazy?

After realizing the above, we concluded it to be very bad for business. We added and leveled down our workouts as many as 3 times. We continue to do so once our current crop of clients grow too-accustomed to the intensity, giving them more physical challenges than originally anticipated.

Caution

Our 20-minute technique taxes the CNS (central nervous system), which causes members to faint, puke, feel dizzy, fatigue, etc. Certain precautions have to be taken in order not to avoid any injuries:

1) We assign personalized nutritional plans to members, so make sure you abide by them. Eating a light snack or meal before and after training is required.

2) No more than 20-minutes of cardio or any vigorous activity before training.

3) Our workouts damage and fatigue the muscles; without essential nutrients, you expose yourself to injuries. Refrain from playing any sport immediately after training. Eat and rest for an hour first, then indulge in other vigorous activities.

Personally, I have overworked my CNS numerous times and it is not an experience anyone wants to endure. It starts by intense exercise for over 3 months. Pushing myself beyond my own physical potential while dieting increases the risk of this; in addition to work-related stress, my sleeping patterns decrease (first sign of CNS taxation), hence delaying physical and mental recovery. Fatigue starts to set in, effecting workout performance (2nd sign of CNS taxation) and in order to compensate I squeeze every last drop of energy to yet again go beyond my potential. This is followed by another day of minimal sleep, which in turn causes my eye lids to twitch (3rd sign of CNS taxation). Lastly, all it takes is a whiff of a cold breeze and a perspired workout-induced body to seal the deal (4th and last sign of CNS taxation). The sickness lasts 1-2 weeks, depending on whether you choose to stay in bed and rest, or continue on your journey for fitness. The latter is counter-productive; unfortunately, my will to a better body always beats any virus.

I would advise anyone who has went through the same experience to take a week off and rest, supplying your body with much needed nutrients and rest for recovery.

Results

Core’s training technique (including a sound diet) greatly depends on maintaining as much muscle as possible, while shedding every ounce of fat. It produces results based on the client’s physical structure, weight and fat stores:

1) Average (Mark): Height to weight ratio is optimal, but fat outweighs muscle. Fat stores tend to be around the waist area. This group of individuals witness great recompositioning; their weight may increase or decrease a few kgs (5kg max). They lose the existing fat in exchange for muscle.

2) Overweight: At least 20kg over their optimal weight, this group loses an average of 10kg of fat and water weight on a 7-week workout plan. A current member enrolled in a 3-day per week membership and included 30-60 minutes of cardio on 2 of his off-days. He lost a staggering 20kg the first 7-weeks and averaged on 10kg of loss every membership. This group tends to lose the most weight due to the existence of large fat stores and inactivity.

3) Chubby: Slightly above their optimal weight, this group is the most problematic since they need more time to witness results. Their fat stores are specific (chest, lower back, hips, lower body) and upper bodies are weak. Core tackles this by increasing the amount of upper body muscle mass, while tightening up the lower area. However, the training will not work if the client does not abide by the nutritional plan. Nutrition plays a much larger (90%) role in this group.

Conclusively, we focus on maintaining as much muscle mass as possible, as opposed to losing as much weight as possible in order to create a more physically fit structure rather than a scrawny one. We highly recommend our current and new clients to depend on the mirror and not the scale.

Core Fitness also caters to those who want to add muscle mass; just not extreme amounts of it. We focus on increasing lean body weight as opposed to overall weight. Nothing differs from this group as the above; both focus on nutrition first and exercise second to reach their goals. The only difference is in order to gain muscle, you need the necessary nutrients for growth which Core Fitness will gladly provide.

Supplementation

I get a lot of questions and concerns in regards to performance supplements, such as protein powders, pre-workout boosters, fat burners, creatine, glutamine, amino acids pills, and so on. Core Fitness promotes supplementation use depending on what stage the client is currently in. Moreover, we only promote researched and proven supplements to excel client results after they have stopped.

Supplementation is not for everyone. You need to start with a solid nutritional foundation for a minimum of 3 months. When extra solid food ingestion cannot be achieved or results have stopped for a prolonged time, supplementation may be taken into consideration. Lastly, we do not advise beginners to depend on them in order to get faster results.

Pfffft! 20 minutes?! Who you trying to kid!?

Core Fitness produces healthy and physically fit individuals; if you abide by your workout specific appointments and nutritional necessities, then you are well on your way to the world of fitness. Core Fitness does not target the bodybuilding community; we focus on overall functionality, health and fitness.

People need to realize that we are not a conventional gym; our clients don’t just come in and train on their own. Moreover, results are not limited to muscle-gains and fat-loss; what’s the use massive amounts of muscle and single-digit body fat percentages if you can’t function properly?

We cater to:

1. Athletes who want to add a good amount of muscle and overall performance while still maintaining flexibility on the field. Even the average person who just wants to improve his performance at his next friendly soccer match at the chalet.
2. Fathers and husbands who have numerous responsibilities and obligations, such as taking care of their family and maintaining a stressful job.
3. Individuals who don’t want to spend the majority of their time at the gym.
4. Beginners who don’t know what to do or where to start.
5. People with sports-induced injuries, such as the knee, shoulder, ankle and lower-back.

Individuals envisioning the Arnold physique need not apply. We don’t build mass monsters; we build athletes.

If anyone has any inquiries in regards to Core Fitness, nutrition, supplementation and an overall healthy lifestyle, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Eating out isn’t necessarily a problem, but can be a fuss to those around me. I start by scanning the restaurant’s menu for a lean source of protein, followed by a good source of carbs and a great source of fat. Usually, I pick a great option, a good option and a decent option; the waiter that’s about to approach me is bound to shut me down with words like fried, breaded and sauteed, so might as well make due with other sources since I’m already at my 3 hour mark and my muscles are aching for some food.

Me: “I’ll have the Cajun Chicken Platter with no Monterey jack cheese, crisps, refried black beans and mashed potatoes.”

Waiter: “You mean you want the Cajun Chicken Platter with absolutely nothing on it?”

Me: “Yes, but I’m not done yet. Do you serve sweet potato?”

Waiter: “No sir, we only serve mashed potatoes.”

Me: “Do you mash it in with butter?”

Waiter: “I’m not sure sir.”

Me: “Would you ask someone that knows please.”

Accompanying Friend: “Dude, are you serious? No he’s not doing that.”

Me: “Ok, may I have a baked potato please.”

Waiter: “I’m sorry sir, we serve only mashed potatoes.”

Me: “Are they mashed before or after they arrived in the kitchen?”

Waiter: “After sir.”

Me: “Ok, so take one unmashed medium sized potato and bake or boil it.”

Waiter: “I’m sorry sir, we cannot do that.”

Annoying Fat Friend: “FHAID! Cut that crap out! I want to order!”

Me: “Ok Ok. I’ll have the Cajun Chicken Platter with nothing on it, and only broccoli on the side. Is the broccoli sauteed or steamed?”

Friend: “F*ck you.”

I am literally a waiter’s worst nightmare and I don’t care. I even question a restaurant’s supposedly healthier options, and after a thorough investigation (i.e. annoying the hell out of the restaurant’s staff) it doesn’t seem healthy at all. I persuade any health conscious individual to do the same.

The Awesome Subject at Hand

I was contacted by a 248am subscriber in order to help him out with a diet plan. His routine was simple and average, and could easily relate to anyone who decides to pursue the healthy lifestyle, so I used him as an example in order to explain the ins and outs of nutrition calculation and timing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to simplify things as much as possible.

Hi, my name is Amgad.

Amgad’s a 15 year old middle school student. Details below:

Height: 186cm

Weight: 107kg

Favorite Food: KFC and Italian.

Worst Food: Spinach

1) Before posting up his diet, I’ll need to calculate his BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)referenced from my carb post (Part 1.5: The Letter P, C and F). Amgad is 20kg over his optimal weight, and since he doesn’t lift any weights, I’m willing to assume those 20kg are composed of fat and a little bit of water retention. The calculations below will be based on 87kg of lean body mass.

66 + ( 13.7 x 87 ) + ( 5 x 186 ) – ( 6.8 x 15 ) = 2,085.9 <–BMR

2) Activity Level: Amgad has just started jogging 5 times a week for 30-45 minutes in order to improve his cardiovascular health. In this regard, his body is not yet primed for fat-burning so I’ll be sticking to no activity level.

3) Goal:Fat-loss. Amgad wants to lose significant fat by April, which is realistic but not necessarily healthy. He will lose weight, but 20kg is an impossibility unless he decides to jog for 5 hours a day.

I’ll be deducting 500 calories from his calorie intake above, which will bring the total down to 1,503.08 or 1,500 calories for the sake of simplicity.

4) Ratios:

Protein: 0.5g x 191lbs = 95 of protein (I usually give a larger ratio of protein, but Amgad’s young and his stress levels won’t be taxed too much)

Carbohydrates: 20% of total calorie intake = 400 calories divided by 4 (4 calories per gram of carbs) which equals to 100g of carbs

Fat: As per my recommendations on “The Fatty Truth”, 70g of fat to deal with the stress of dieting should suffice.

Protein Calories: 380

Carb Calories: 400

Fat Calories: 630

Total Calories: 1,410 (actual diet will differ from this amount. This will only serve as a base for me to follow).

Things to consider: Protein & fat will be included in all Amgad’s meals and carbohydrates will be excluded after 3 pm. Water consumption is included. Below is his diet based on his daily timings:

6:30 am: Upon Waking:

500ml of Water to kick start his metabolism and lubricate his digestive tract.

6:45 am: Breakfast

3 scrambled eggs + 1 Glass of Fresh Orange Juice

- 375 calories, 27g of protein, 25g of carbs, 15g of fat

10:00 am: Mid Morning Snack

1 KFC Chicken Sandwich (Zinger or Twister Wrap) + 500ml of water

- 420 calories, 30g of protein, 32g of carbs, 21g of fat

1:00 pm: Mid Day Snack:

15 pieces of Raw Cashews + 500ml

- 168 calories, 8g of protein, 8g of carbs, 13g of fat

3:00 – 500ml of water

3:30 pm: Lunch

Half a chicken (skinless, steamed or grilled), red meat or fish. The protein portions will be equivalent of Amgad’s hand closed + 1/2 Cup of cooked or steamed white rice or white pasta + Salad: every veggie excluding carrots, corn and red beats + 2 tbsp of lemon & 2 tbsp of white, balsamic or apple cider vinegar

- 350 calories, 25g of protein, 30g of carbs, 5g of fat

6:30 – 1 Cup of plain Green Tea

Immediately After: Interval Cardio for 30 – 45 minutes + 500ml of water

Jog for 2 minutes, sprint for 1 minute, repeat.

7:30 – Early Dinner (Last Meal):

Repeat lunch, excluding the carb source. Include 1 tbsp of Olive Oil to the salad.

- 320 calories, 25g of protein, 10g of carbs, 20g of fat

9:30 – 500ml of water

Totals: 1,633 calories, 115g of protein, 105g of carbs, 74g of fat

Feel free to ask any questions in regards to his diet and I’ll be happy to answer. Further explanations would only prolong this post.

What About US!

There are rules and timings for each macro-nutrient. Ultimately, not all calories are equal; you can’t expect to go on 1,500 calories per day without knowing how to properly place your nutrients. I’ve talked to individuals who have lost massive amounts of fat, but plateaued after a few months. In order not to plateau both early and late into the fitness game, you need to maximize your nutrition timing in accordance to these rules:

1) Eat a moderate to high calorie breakfast, high in healthy fats, proteins and moderate in carbohydrates. Research has proven that a breakfast high in both fats and proteins provide the much needed fat-burning boost our bodies need in the morning.

2) Eat every 3 hours. If you have unstoppable sugar cravings that you can’t control, or cannot live with a certain entree’, then feel free to eat it 3 hours after you consume breakfast. By this time, you’ll feel super hungry, which is a clear sign that your metabolism is working on full blast. Do your body a favor and give it another challenge; just don’t over do it.

3) Cancel starchy carbs after lunch. You need carbs in the morning to fuel your body for energy; the carb load from the first 3 meals will last you 8-12 hours after consumption, enough to sustain a fast metabolism and strong insulin sensitivity in the morning. As mentioned in my earlier post, the pancreas secretes insulin to metabolize sugars that are broken down from the consumption of carbs. These insulin spikes block fat-burning momentarily (1-3 hours), but not to the point where you won’t be burning calories. By the inclusion of carbs in the morning and the exclusion of carbs after 3 pm, we create a double-edged sword that provides a metabolic boost (calorie burning) in the morning and a fat-burning boost (self explanatory) in the evening. The end result? YOU’RE BURNING CALORIES AND FAT 24/7!

4) Graze on protein all day. If any of you knew how many calories it takes to burn a few grams of protein you’d be eating an entire cow right now or chasing down a live chicken. Nothing gives your metabolism a kick more than protein. Moreover, fat-burning is not blocked; it’s actually enhanced. This means that you’ll burn more fat consuming a mere 15-30g of protein per meal.

5) Fat burns stubborn fat. Without the inclusion of starchy carbs, the combination of protein and fat is extraordinary. The inclusion of fat to a very low carb meal further enhances fat-burning by the means of “ketosis”. The body has no carbs for energy, so it uses up stubborn fat as an energy source. This can be achieved with the consumption of protein only, but for a very short period of time due to health-related reasons. Including fats into the mix achieves a greater ketogenic response; it’s like sneaking in enemy territory (stubborn fat) with the help of a traitor (extra virgin olive oil).

6) The more meals, the better. Assuming you eat 3 meals a day, adding 2 more meals (1 in between breakfast & lunch, the other in between lunch and dinner) would help minimize your hunger cravings significantly. The longer you wait between meals, the lower your blood sugar levels drop. The lower your blood sugar levels, the greater your hunger and cravings.

7) For all of the above processes to work efficiently, you’ll need a source of transportation: WATER. Nothing will go as planned if water is not included into the equation. I’ve seen individuals diet harder than I do and still struggle to lose a kilogram, simply because they don’t feel like drinking any water.

What About ME! I’m not FAT! I WANT TO GAIN MUSCLE!

The rules below are more or less the same from the ones above, but differ in terms of timing due to a factor called weight-lifting. The rules:

1) Eat a high protein, high carb, moderate fat breakfast. Cortisol is a muscle-wasting hormone that releases in the case of stress or the lack of food. After a 6-8 hour sleep/fast, cortisol is at its highest in the morning and has to be lowered in order to spare muscle and start the reconstruction of new muscle which was achieved by yesterday’s workout.

2) Eat every 3 hours. Why is it so hard to build muscle and so easy to gain fat? Our bodies hate lean muscle mass since it consumes every calorie that gets into our system and saves nothing for the rest; our bodies will try as they can to counteract this by increasing the fat-t0-muscle ratio. In order to avoid this, we need to consume calories every 3 hours to boost our metabolism and feed our muscle. Constant eating will promote a better state of muscle growth, otherwise known as anabolism (the promotion of muscle growth).

3) Carbs are necessary for muscle growth. The consumption of carbohydrates throughout the day will prove beneficial by shuttling nutrients (protein, fat, vitamins and minerals) into the muscle and provide energy to go through an intense workout. However, if not timed and proportioned correctly, carbs can also be the enemy. Assuming your total carb intake is 200g, 30% of that amount is to be consumed after training and 70% throughout the day.

4) Fat is the true muscle builder. Weight-lifting induces inflammations, and the only way to reduce these inflammations is by the consumption of a nutrient that can reduce this output. The inclusion of healthy fats does just that. Moreover, when combined with carbohydrates, fats reduce the amount of insulin secreted to minimize fat-blocking and fat-retention.

5) Nitrogen Balance/Retention. Why do athletes consume a lot of protein? In order to build an adequate amount of muscle, our bodies have to be at an anabolic state 24/7; this can only happen with proper nitrogen retention/balance. Nitrogen is a main body component required for both tissue protein synthesis and the production of several nitrogenous compounds involved in the production of hormones, immune mediators, and antioxidant defense. When nitrogen is at a balance, the body maintains a perfect state of muscle reconstruction and repair. Nitrogen imbalance can occur if there is too little or too much protein consumption.

6) Water, water and MORE WATER. Our muscles are composed of 78% water and 22% protein. Weight-lifting or exercising in general without the consumption of water is similar to running a car without oil; it’ll rust, clank, squeak, smoke and eventually breakdown. More so, anyone and everyone needs a minimum of (get ready for this) 3.7 liters (1 gallon) of water PER DAY!

The above rules are an introductory to a muscle-building post I will be dedicating for next time.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Picutre by Piccolina Photography

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

It takes me 8 hours to write an article, 8 more hours to review it and 60 minutes to press publish; and I still make spelling and grammar mistakes. I shower 3-4 times a day, wash my face with the most expensive fascial cleansers out there and I still get mild acne. I see people train hard, diet hard and recover, but they still lack that muscular maturity. Females go through episodes of anorexia to look like that Cosmo model, yet they lose a lot of hair, the sparkle in their eyes diminish, their nails start to break off, their skin barely shines and their bones are as fragile as a piece of tissue.

The above are all side effects of a lifestyle low in fat. Has anyone seen those Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian and Palestinian documentaries about how their senior citizens live above the age of 90? How do they do it? They have more energy and vigor than Kuwait’s older generation; but how do they do it?

“Ebnakul zaitoon,” or “bin7ib zait el zaytoon kteer.” (English Translation: we eat olives or we love olive oil a lot). Those are literally the two answers available to explain how they managed to live that long.

Or approach a Japanese dude and ask him how they live so long and why heart disease isn’t such an epidemic: “We uuuh, rive very hearthy rong rife because uuuh we eat sushi and aaah hearthy fatty fish high in omega sree! And when Godzirra come again, uuuh we can fight!” (English Translation: I’m not really sure what he said, but it had something to do with karate and sushi).

Fat is a lot more important than any other macronutrient. I’m not saying that fat should be consumed alone; in conjunction with other macronutrients, fat can do wonders. Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way.

When I started weight-lifting, I did what the pros did: ate a diet high in carbs and proteins and low in fat. I wanted to be as big and as ripped as they were. And come on, it’s common sense! Why would I listen to some nerd who majored in medicine and not a freak with veiny arms? Long story short, I paid the price and should’ve listened to the pencil neck. I had terrible acne, my short-term memory was a joke, my hair barely grew to considerable volume, my immune system was a disaster, every joint in my body hurt like hell, I was tired all the time, my muscles looked like soft ballons that only looked decent when training and I suffered constantly from overtraining. Why? Because I went low-fat, thinking that low-fat would get me big and ripped.

Dietary Fat
Fat is actually considered a vital nutrient. It is an important part of your diet. Dietary fats are more essential than beneficial! Simply put, fat supplies essential fatty acids (Omega 3-6-9) for cell growth, healthy skin, vitamin-absorption and regulation of bodily functions. Your body will not absorb a single vitamin or mineral without the inclusion of fat.

Stop dialing for Hardees
Not all fats are created equal. Since I promised not to go too technical, I’ll briefly explain the 3 types of fat you need to know:

Saturated Fat = SOLID FAT. The fat you literally see and feel on a tip of a fatty steak, or the skin from a chicken or turkey.

Unsaturated Fat = LIQUID FAT. That pretty much explains this.

Trans Fat = MAN MADE FAT. Partially Hydrogenated Oils. These are found in any baked goods, sweets, cookies, donuts, etc. A word of advice before eating anything that has trans fats: Take the food product and slap it on your butt, thigh, hips, waist and/or stomach, because eventually that’s where it’ll end up.

Details and Recommendations
Saturated Fats: numerous old school nutritionists shy away from this fat. It comes from meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Too much of it can cause heart disease. However, do not avoid it completely.
Males: we need 5-10g of saturated fat daily for our thunder down under. This is equivelant to 3 whole eggs or a lean steak (filet mignon or rump). A lot of studies have been published in regards to how red meat is very bad for your heart; if it’s a t-bone steak or a fatty rib eye then yes, it’ll kill you. However, as an active person lean red meat will do more good than bad. Moreover, the dietary cholesterol from steak and eggs DO NOT increase bad cholesterol levels; the consumption of sugar does.
Females: 5g of this fatty-acid is enough to stimulate bodily functions, which is equavilent to 2 eggs and you may go up to 3 per day.

Unsaturated Fats: This type of fat is composed of two types of fat, which of course you need to know:

Polyunsaturated Fats: AVOID, turns extremely rancid when in high temperature (frying temp). High in omega-6, it may interfere with the body’s production of prostaglandins (Google it!). This can cause many adverse conditions in the body, including blood clots, sterility, poor immunity, indigestion, and cancer. I’m not saying you should avoid it completely, just make sure you consume more of the fat below and less of this. And if you see any product or restaurant out there that says “We switched to Vegetable Oil”, it’s this crap they’re talking about.

Monounsaturated Fats: I call this type of fat AWESOME, because it is indeed awesome. Let’s all look below and see the list of awesome benefits this fat has to offer:

- Lowers risk of heart disease
- Lowers cholesterol
- Provides essential fatty acids that are great for body cell repair and development, including hair, nails, skin and eyes
- Protects against colon cancer and breast cancer
- High in phyto-chemicals that promote great health and a boost in immunity
- Reduces workout induced muscle inflammations and enhances joint repair, which equals more muscle growth
- When consumed appropriately, the body prefers to burn it as fuel as opposed to storing it
- Increases natural testosterone levels for men
- Protects fat accumulation around organs, including the kidney and liver

Overall LONGEVITY! “Bin7ib zait el zaytoon kteer” remember?

Sources of Monounsaturated Fat (There are more, but the sources below have more mono than poly)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Canola Oil
- Almonds & Walnuts
- Avocados

Macro-Combinations
Insulin is produced to metabolize carbohydrates, however too much spiked insulin leads to the blocking of fat-burning (in reference to my last post). In order to keep insulin levels in check, we’ve established that whole-grain alternatives of carbohydrates are the answer. Moreover, adding healthy fats to a carbohydrate meal also lowers insulin release and slows down carbohydrate absorption, which enables better fat-burning opportunities.

Calculations and All that Crap
Calculating fat intake is easier than both protein and carbohydrates: 0.5g x LBM (Lean body mass in pounds). That’s literally it. I currently weigh 253lbs with 10% body fat, so that’s 227lbs x 0.5 grams = 114 grams of fat per day, divided into the amount of meals you eat. Personally, I don’t like going over 0.5 grams unless my activity and stress levels increase considerably, in which case I’d increase it to 0.8g per LBM.

Males:
Active (Weight-lifters & Athletes): do not go lower than 60g per day of fat consumption. For extreme dieting purposes, you may go down to 0g of fat for a maximum of 2 weeks ONLY. Our bodies take 14 days to flush out all dietary fat, and exceeding that duration will cause your inner functions to crash faster than our current financial state. For bulking purposes, 0.8 x LBM is more than enough.
Non-Active: Don’t go under 30g and never go over 70g. Since your activity levels are low to begin with, you don’t need any extra fat coming in since nothing is being damaged.

Females:
Active & Non-Active: 0.5 x LBM is the maximum. Never go below 0.3g x LBM, and never go down to 0g fat for more than 2 weeks. Females are physically more fragile than males, so they are more susceptible to extreme dietary changes.

I NEED SOME NUTS IN MY LIFE! (That’s what she said)

The take home message here is that a diet low in fat may be low in calories, since 1g of fat is equivalent to 9 calories (carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram), but is actually a lot more damaging than many think. We’ve got one more part to go, where all 3 posts will be put together.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Picutre by aqui-ali

Post by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Gym Rat #1: “Dude, you need to eat carbs with that.”
Gym Rat #2: “Your mother needs to eat carbs with that.”
Gym Rat #1: “Bro, what the hell, you need carbs with that protein shake right after your workout.”
Gym Rat #2: “I think your mother’s calling, and guess what? She wants more carbs.”
Gym Rat #1: “Look I’m serious, carbs fuel the muscle building process. You need a decent amount for energy expenditure.”
Gym Rat #2: “Your mother’s an energy expenditure.”

Gym Rat #2 was me a few years back when I thought carbohydrates were evil. They lurked everywhere. That chicken breast from Subway? Carbs. That protein shake? 3g of carbs per serving. Diet Gatorade? Still has carbs, only less, but carbs nonetheless. Splenda, Sweet & Low, Equal? Ayyyup! Dem artificial sweeteners are bayyud mmmkay?

A roll of sushi used to bloat me like the Michelin Man and turn my day into a living hell. I low-carbed my approach and in return found it relatively hard to build muscle. I high-carbed my approach and gained a lot of fat in the process. Don’t forget, I once was fat. I may not look like it, but I do have excess skin that you cannot see, but yours truly can feel. Since I was known for my gargantuan love handles, my lower back carries a fair amount of excess skin (again, you may not notice, but I can feel it). Whenever I consume a lot of carbs, my body begins to fill up nicely with much needed cellular water (water in the muscle). However, since I also carry around excess skin, water retains there easily too, which makes me feel fat. Ukh, the pain, the agony, the suffering; I strive to perfection but those little details stop me faster and harder than a concrete wall idiotically placed on a 120km+ speedway.

Lucky for you, this nutritionist wasn’t born a quitter. I did what I do best, research and experiment, proving time and time again that SCIENCE IS KING.

My last protein-oriented post was (for some) too complex, long, sciency and had a lot of numbers; so I’ll be using a different approach this time around (not really, but please bare with me). If anyone wants more information, feel free to ask.

Carbohydrates
There are only 2 types of carbohydrates you need to know: Slow-releasing (good) and fast-releasing (bad). I believe the devil created fast-releasing carbs to laugh at fat people. On a serious note, slow and fast are all the same, but one’s less refined than the other.

Slow-Releasing: Any carb source that has not been refined (the process of removing protein, fat, fiber, minerals and vitamins). Whole-grain alternatives of rice, bread, oatmeal, noodles, pasta, and etc have a thicker/richer feel to them and are often brown. Slow-releasing essentially means that the carb source takes its time to breakdown into sugar, so that your body can use it for energy. What slows down the process are the healthy fats, protein and fiber in the source. When removed, it releases at a much faster rate. Normally, slow-releasing carbs translate to 6-hours of crash-free energy, since your insulin (the mechanism responsible for pushing carbs for fuel) is working slowly, swiftly and efficiently.

Fast-Releasing: Any carb source that has been refined (not necessarily) and/or has a faster-releasing nature (such as honey). Examples would include table/brown sugar, white bread, white rice, white potatoes and etc. They have a softer, gentler feel to them when eaten, but release energy at a much faster rate, translating into and upto 30 minutes of energy, following by a horrible crash. This is due to the sudden amount of insulin released to burn the sugar, which in turn causes insulin to crash down. Ever wonder why you feel drowsy and sleepy after a large carby meal? That’s you crashing buddy.

Insulin: Carbohydrate Metabolism
When the concentration of blood sugar is too high (caused by eating too much carbs in one sitting or a fast-releasing carb), insulin is secreted by the pancreas, which stimulates the transfer of glucose (the simplest form of sugar) into the cells, especially in the liver and muscles. I apologize for the sciency approach, but I couldn’t resist. What you need to know is that when insulin is secreted, fat-burning is BLOCKED. You cannot burn fat if you keep bingeing on carbohydrate meals all day; which is the number a reason why low-carbohydrate diets work. They also work because the body prefers carbohydrates as an energy source, and when non-existent it chooses fat stores instead. Moreover, when eating large amounts of carbs, insulin cannot shuttle all of it. Everyone has a storage area called the glycogen pool; it’s where our bodies store glucose (simplest form of sugar). When over-consuming carbs, our glycogen pool fills up and insulin has no where to store the glucose, so what does it do? Stores it as FAT. Nasty, stubborn, jiggly and obnoxious fat.

I Promised a Solution
Males (ladies, you need to know this too): If you want to gain lean muscle, then you don’t need anymore than (get ready for this) 20% carbohydrates from your total calorie intake. Simply put, in order to gain lean muscle, you only need 20% carbohydrates. If you can’t flex it don’t carry it. Let me show you how to calculate proper carbohydrate intake; and yes it involves an equation so live with it:

Example:
An experienced 23 year-old, 90kg, 180cm athlete with 15% body fat has 76.5kg of lean mass ((90 x .15) – 90 = 76.5).

Step One: Establishing your BMR : Basal Metabolic Rate (how much your body burns when you’re doing absolutely nothing)
Women: 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) – ( 4.7 x age in years ) = BMR
Men: 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in years ) = BMR

Step Two: Establishing your activity Level
Little to No Exercise = BMR x 1.2
Light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week = BMR x 1.375 (Females)
Moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week = BMR x 1.55 (Male bodybuilders are here, including me)
Vigorous exercise/sports 6-7 days a week= BMR x 1.725
Very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x per day training= BMR x 1.9

Conclusion:
Males: Our 90kg athlete wants to gain lean muscle mass. He calculates his BMR: 66 + (13.7 x 76.5) + (5 x 180) – (6.8 x 23) = 2,170.45 calories.
Our athlete’s activity level (Step Two) is moderate, so we multiply that amount with 1.55, which equates to 3,364.197. He needs to consume that amount of calories in order to maintain his weight.
Gain Lean Muscle: Add 200-500 calories based on your metabolism (the higher calories, the faster your metabolism).
Lose Fat: Subtract 200-500 calories, also based on your metabolism (if you lose muscle real fast, then stick to the low end).
Our athlete seems to be carrying an average body fat percentage for an average person, so he needs to lower it to around 9-10% for optimal growth. His total calories intake to gain lean muscle is 3,564.197 (maintenance + 200 calories).

Since I said that our bodies only need 20% carbohydrates to fuel the process of lean muscle mass growth, our athlete needs 20% of 3,564.197 = 712.839 calories dedicated to carb consumption. That calorie amount is equal to 178 grams of carbs (712.839 divided by 4 calorie per gram of carbs).

HOLY CONFUSING EQUATIONS AND NUMBERS BATMAN! This dude promised us SIMPLE LINGO!
I tried my best to simplify things, but hopefully you’ll be able to connect all my writings together into one big informative post in order to design your very own nutritional plan.

In Part 2, I’ll be discussing fats and nutrition timing.
I promise you it only gets simple after this. Have a great and healthy weekend! :)

Post by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Picutre by QuintanaRoo

I sat with a client a few days back in regards to his nutritional plan. He contacted me prior to the consultation for some advice for lean muscle building. Upon meeting him face to face, I immediately remembered seeing him around a few gyms. This guy stood 180cm, weighed 100kg of good muscle and was incredibly strong. He was genetically gifted of course, with his broad shoulders, tiny waist and large calf muscles (3 characteristics of great genetics). I thought to myself, why would he need my consultation? He definitely looked a lot better than me.

I assumed he would understand my nutrition/training lingo since he looked the part. When I said “protein”, he thought I meant protein powder. When I said “fat”, he got scared and looked at me in disgust. When I said “carbs”, he had no idea what that meant; so I said it in Arabic and still “no hablo nutrición.” He looked up, started thinking and said “Oh, you meant rice?”

The moral of this story is that everyone needs to know their 3 macronutrients before implementation of any nutritional plan. Knowing what to eat and when to eat it is every dietitians secret; and I’m about to ruin it for every nutritional consultant out there and today I’ll be talking about:

Proteins
Weightlifters adore this macronutrient and old school dietitians hate on it like it was the devil. In layman’s terms, proteins are part of every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies. The proteins that exist in our bodies are constantly being broken down through vigorous weight training, athletic and cardiovascular activities, walking around or merely dealing through stressful situations. In order to replace broken down proteins, a good amount of ingestion is needed so that the body can convert it into amino acids and distribute it around our bodies for repair.

Why do I promote proteins more than any other nutrient? Enzymes that are found in proteins are the catalysts of metabolism. It takes our bodies a lot of energy to break down protein, which in turn boosts our metabolism. When the metabolism is at its best, it’s more efficient in the digestion of other nutrients, including fats and carbohydrates.In order for our bodies to benefits from the above, we need to ingest “complete proteins”.

A complete protein contains all the amino acids, and only then can our bodies ingest it properly. Complete proteins (listed from best source to not-necessarily-worst):
1) Whey Protein (found in dairy products or protein powders)
2) Whole Eggs (egg whites are not complete, but complete when combined with yolks)
3) Lean Animal Proteins

The above doesn’t mean you need to ingest a huge amount of protein powder. I’m only trying to show what types of proteins that easily digest.

Recommendations
Beginners/Non-Active Individuals/Cardiovascular Athletes:
Males (ladies need to read this too): Start with 1 gram x each lean pound, and by lean pound I mean fat-free muscle mass. Assuming an individual weighs 200lbs and carries 40% bodyfat. 80lbs are accounted for the fat in his body, which means that his lean body mass is at 120lbs. That individual needs 120 grams of protein. This group consists of people who have just started weightlifting, lightly active athletes (soccer players) and couch potatoes.
Females: Start with 0.8 gram x each lean pound. Same rules apply.

Athletes/Active Individuals:
Males: 1.5 grams x each lean pound. These individuals mostly consist of experienced weight-lifters and athletes who need the added energy in order to cope with vigorous activities.
Females: 1 gram x each lean pound. This consists of females who are athletes and those who want to put on lean muscle on their frames. Don’t worry ladies, you won’t end up like me.

In my opinion, since complete protein is ingested, there is no need to increase protein to higher amounts. Too much protein may also cause problems. You may lose calcium leading to long term bone loss. If you rely on red meats and other high-fat foods as your main source of protein, you are also at risk of high cholesterol and heart conditions related to high saturated fat levels. Moreover, too much protein will stress the kidney and the liver considerably.

Sources of Protein, Digestibility and Ratios
Our experienced weight-lifter who weighs 200lbs and has a bodyfat percentage of 12% needs about 264 grams of protein per day. 50% (132g) is consumed ingesting animal proteins, 30% (80g) is consumed ingesting whey protein and 20% (53g) is consumed ingesting whole eggs. Animal proteins are considered slow-digesting, which means they need to be consumed as a mid-morning snack, lunch, and dinner (132 divided by 3 = 44g of protein at each meal). Whole eggs and egg whites are both slow and fast digesting, so they’re best consumed at breakfast, 3 whole eggs (21g) and 8 egg whites (32g) for a total of 53g of protein. Whey protein is fast-acting, so it needs to be consumed before and after training (40g each for a total of 80g).
Individuals who don’t want to consume protein powder can increase there lean animal protein ratio by 30%. Make sure they’re lean animal proteins and not fatty cuts of red meat.

The same applies to females, but the last time I saw a female drinking a protein shake was never. Since the amount of protein ingested is not a lot to begin with, females may sub in other protein sources to fill in their requirements. The majority of females in Kuwait are more interested in aerobic activities such as jogging, aerobics, dance classes, and amongst other things; so I’ll be applying to them. Assuming a female that weighs 120lbs (55kg) with 20% bodyfat, this puts her at a requirement of 95g of protein per day. 20% (19g) of that amount goes to incomplete proteins such as legumes, nuts and grains, 30% (29g) goes to milk and egg proteins and 50% (48g) goes to animal proteins. Since incomplete proteins cannot digest completely, females need to mix and match, such as a 4 oz. grilled chicken breast with a few grams of beans. 95 total grams in a day need to be spread throughout 5 meals, which equates to 20g of protein per meal. I generally don’t go over 100-120g of protein for my female clients.

Conclusion
I apologize if the above calculations confused you, but this is how every nutritionist thinks or has to think. In addition, since proteins tend to tax our digestive system and organs, water is needed in order to filter out these toxins. Before any high-protein naysayers crucify me, I’d like to point out that diets high in protein are safe only when accompanied by other macronutrients, specifically fibrous greens. Never ever skip fibrous green veggies when eating any source of protein.

In my next post I’ll be discussing carbohydrates and fats. In Part III, I’ll be talking about how we can put all of this information together in order for each one of you to customize your own diet plan. Lastly, I’ll be introducing the “Core Fitness Diet Plan” for individuals 20+kg over their optimal weight limit.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya
Core Fitness – Kuwait

Back in 2001, I went on an amazing trip to Lebanon with the family that lasted 4 weeks. I remember going from one restaurant to the other, eating and splurging on mouthwatering Lebanese food. We ate lunch at a place in the mountains, then went down to Beirut where we were suggested to eat dessert at another; after that we looked for any café that served good fatty carby coffee. Our blood sugar levels would definitely drop after our marathon eating spree, so we translated that crash into “let’s go back to the apartment and rest; we didn’t get enough sleep.” We got more than 10 hours of sleep per night and we traveled in a mini-bus, so exhaustion was definitely not the problem. Whenever we went on long trips, we ate a lot of soft-serve ice cream in between huge meals; and for some reason there was a lot of soft-serve ice cream in Lebanon. Yes, we needed the energy to survive those agonizing trips that were spent seated in a mini-bus.

We went on for an entire month on that exact routine and it was amazing up until I got a welcome home message from my dad: “My God. You’re fat.” He said that when he first saw me arriving to Kuwait from the airport. I wanted to hug my dad after of a month of not seeing him, but all he could emphasize was my increase in size (particularly the lower area). It was bad and my dad annoyed me about it. I was already big to begin with since all I did before my trip to Lebanon was eat whatever was infront of me and spend 2-3 hours lifting the heaviest weights at the gym. I went from 100kg of fat and a bit of muscle to 130kg of fat and absolutely no muscle in a span of a month.

After my dad started emphasizing how fat I got (my love handles…my God), my family and friends noticed the difference and laughed it off. It literally took me a few seconds to do something about it. I had no knowledge of nutrition or training, so I just winged it and took my chances since I knew I could not get any lower than this (my God…the love handles). I ate 3 meals a day, consisting of Nestle Fitness Cereal and skimmed milk for breakfast, a chicken salad with a lot of ketchup for lunch, pineapple juice after a workout and a tuna salad with also a lot of ketchup for dinner. I did a minimum of 2 hours a day of cardio, abs and weight-lifting (in that order) 7 times a week and increased the time spent at the gym when results started to slow down. Obviously, I was a ketchup addict and used copious amounts of it; the training lasted forever too.

12 weeks and 60kg later, my weight went down to an all-time low of exactly 80kg. I stand 190cm, so 80kg is extremely skrawny for a guy my height. After that, I researched, experimented and practiced and lived happily ever after.

What differentiates me from other nutritionist/dietitians/gurus/doctors/professionals? The story above. I know how it feels to be fat and how to overcome that obstacle. I know how it feels to look at that molten chocolate from Chili’s and not the cute girl devouring it. I know how to psychologically deal with stress that might hinder my fitness goals. I also know when my bodies tells me that the current technique is no longer working. A health practitioner has to know all these things before preaching to clients. You can’t expect to take advice from an overweight professional who can’t seem to keep his life in order.

Middle English diete, from Old French, from Latin diaeta, way of living, diet, from Greek diaita, back-formation from diaitsthai, to live one’s life, middle voice of diaitn, to treat.

 

A dietitian provides you with a modified way of living based on your current lifestyle. Dietitians are supposed to:

1) Teach you how to psychologically deal with your life in order to eat, sleep, and exercise correctly.

2) Provide immediate solutions based on their own experiences and education in order to overcome a client’s obstacles and challenges.

3) Be in control of their lifestyles and know how to deal with stress, which clearly projects their presentable appearance.

4) Understand your body and how it reacts to certain factors, including stress, nutrient and exercise (this requires time).

5) Practice what they preach.

If your current dietitian does not have any of these characteristics then I’d suggest you take the time to look for another. The same rule applies to a trainer. You wouldn’t want to hire a person who doesn’t look the part. Moreover, look for a trainer that was born with bad genetics and excelled into something presentable. The genetically gifted ones have it easy since their bodies are prone to muscle growth and fat-loss no matter what they do.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t born with the best genetics at all; I had to work hard for what I achieved. I started out with a plan and a journal, and throughout the years I soon realized that I can’t force my body into a fixed routine. I had to use an instinctive approach and listen to my body; my workouts are literally planned once I set foot in the gym.

The point is, this whole process doesn’t take a few days or months; it takes years to understand. Once you think you’ve got it all together, some study comes out that falsifies the entire method, which makes it even more frustrating, confusing and agonizing. Then you try as hard as you can to muster up the patience to dig into more knowledge, causing more perplexity than an episode of Lost. Pat yourself on the back, because this is when you successfully know too much. 

That was a brief introduction of myself and what you can expect in terms of knowledge and credibility.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya
Core Fitness – Kuwait

Picture by tachikoma

A lot of doctors, nutritionists, specialists, professionals and gurus preach to people on what’s right and what’s wrong. Everyone has an opinion and everyone has their own methods of approach. My approach is to guide as much people as I possibly can to a healthier lifestyle.

The transition into this lifestyle will not be easy, but with practice comes perfection; and perfection in this specific case might take years. I have researched, practiced, experimented (on myself) and experienced all the methods that I will be providing this blog. Whatever I will be providing has taken me 7 years to accomplish. However, the more I know, the more complicated it gets, which is where you differentiate the men from the boys.

My posts will start from scratch in order to welcome all beginners into a healthier lifestyle. Blogs will provide anything and everything that has to do with the world of health and fitness. I’ll also be reviewing restaurants whilst giving recommendations on what to eat and what to avoid. Moreover, I’ll be reviewing nutritional supplements.

Lastly, free free to to ask questions in regards to health and fitness, which will be answered at a separate Q&A post.

Here is to a healthier lifestyle and a new beginning.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya
Core Fitness – Kuwait