LOSE WEIGHT WITH HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING

Black male model Ngo Okafor medicine ball abs

Push your muscles harder: Using heavier weights, in reducing the amount rest between sets,  may help you blast more fat, according to new research in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

In the study, scientists had two groups of trained lifters do different workouts. One group performed four sets of 8 to 12 reps of these 8 exercises: 1. Bench press 2. Machine row 3. Military press 4. Biceps curl 5. Triceps extension 6. Leg press 7. Leg curl 8. Situp

They did the exercises in straight sets—a traditional method—completing all four sets of the first exercise before moving on to the next. They rested for 2 minutes after each set of the compound exercises, but just 1 minute after the biceps curl, triceps extension, leg curl, and situp. They lifted to failure in each set.

The second group of men used used a “rest-pause” technique and did just three exercises: 1. Leg press 2. Bench press 3. Machine row

For each exercise, they chose the heaviest weight they could lift six times. (Their six-rep max.) Then they performed six reps. As soon as they were done, they rested 20 seconds, and using the same weight, immediately did as many reps as they could—usually two to three more. Then they rested another 20 seconds, and did as many reps as they could again. After the third series, they rested for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. That counted as one total set. They did three of these sets of the leg press, and then did two sets of the bench press followed by two sets of the machine row.

This created a workout that used heavy weights to “induce mechanical effects on the muscles,” while the short 20-second recovery periods gave it an effect “comparable to high intensity endurance training,” say the study authors. (Note: The rest-pause technique has been around for years, but hasn’t been studied for its benefits as a potential fat-loss protocol.)

Twenty-two hours later, the rest-pause group had a resting metabolism that was 452 calories higher than it was before their workout; the other group saw an increase of just 98 calories. This is despite the fact that the rest-pause lifters exercised for just half the time as the conventional lifters.

The reason: When your muscles work harder, they have to do more post-workout rebuilding. That burns calories and lifts levels of metabolism-boosting hormones, says study author Antonio Paoli, M.D., of the Università degli Studi di Padova in Italy.

One caveat: The researchers didn’t measure energy expenditure during the workouts. And given that the traditional-lifting group did a significantly higher volume of work, it’s likely they burned a greater number of calories in their actual training session than did the rest-pause group.

Posted by Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

From Menshealth.com

HOTEL GYM AND HOME WORKOUT: THE JET SETTER GUIDE TO FITNESS

If you’re a businessman or woman, on the go or a frequent vacationer, there’s a good  chance that at some point you’re going to end up away from your gym and on the  hunt for a place to work out. While many assume that every hotel comes equipped  with a gym, this is often not the case. Even some pricey boutique hotels do not  include an exercise room, so it’s important to have a workout backup plan.

This is where hotel workouts come into play: you can use items found in your hotel room as props to help you work out and maintain your  physique while out of town. The key to an effective hotel workout is finding  creative ways to challenge the muscles, all while using your own body weight or  props. For the cardioportion of your hotel workout, options include  stepping up and down on a chair or bench, running stairs located in the hotel,  skipping (outside if you’re not on the bottom floor), or simply going for a  run. For strength training, you’re going to need to put a spin on  traditional exercises to create your hotel workout. Here are some  useful ways to get an effective hotel workout.

Props

To complete your hotel workout, you can use the following  props:

  • 2 2-liter bottles of water obtained at a nearby grocery or convenience  store
  • 2 chairs found in your room

The objective of your hotel  workout is to move through the following exercises as quickly as possible.

Body weight squats with wall squats

Start your hotel workout by holding  one of the water bottles directly out in front of you with your feet  shoulder-width apart. Begin to squat down, keeping your toes pointed  forward and going as low as possible. Complete a total of 30-50 reps, depending  on your fitness level. Then, stand with your back against a wall and  move down into the squat position so that your knees are at a 90-degree  angle. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds.

Push-up sequence

To add more difficulty to regular push-ups, place your  feet on top of the bed while keeping your hands on the floor. Your body should  be on a flat decline. From there, perform push-ups as usual.   Once you’re finished doing 15-20 reps, turn your body while lifting one hand off  the floor so that you are sideways with one arm fully supporting your body.  Maintain this position for 20 seconds. After you’re finished, repeat  the push-ups, only this time place your hands in a triangular position.   Repeat once more on the other side, holding the sideways position to complete  this sequence.

Posted by Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

From Askmen.com

 

A MIDNIGHT WINTER’S RUN: HOW TO GET LEAN FOR A PHOTO SHOOT OR EVENT

Black male model Ngo Okafor 2013

I have a video and photo shoot today for a new exercise product, which will hit the market soon. We are negotiating terms for me to become the face of the product on TV and other media. I’ve been preparing for the shoot for a few days. I’ve stepped up my ab and cardio regimens for the past few days in order to guarantee that I’m at my leanest at the time of the shoot. I have also cut back on my carbohydrate intake. I feel ready. I will post pictures from the shoot once I get to the set. Stay tuned.

Many male and female models do severe water restriction in order to achieve maximum leanness. Many even take ‘water pills’ or diuretics. I don’t like severe water restriction , because being extremely dehydrated causes me to cramp up. I have never used ‘water pills’ or diuretics either. I choose to train harder. This is why I went out for a 4 mile run last night, a little after midnight.

Weight loss is a highly controversial use of water pills. Water is heavy and can contribute to a puffy or overweight appearance, so removing excess water is one way to shed pounds and look a little trimmer. Celebrities often use techniques to shed water weight before photo shoots and other events for this reason.

Using diuretics in this way is problematic for multiple reasons. They can create electrolyte imbalances because of how they affect sodium and potassium levels, which can cause problems such as muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat. Problems such as dizziness and fainting can happen if dehydration and a drop in blood pressure are too extreme. Lastly, the body naturally will try to replenish its supply of water once diuretic use ends, so weight loss under this method is not sustainable.

Psychologists and psychiatrists are especially concerned about the use of both water pills and laxatives in cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Even though these medications are not meant to be taken for an extremely long time even in cases of medical necessity, individuals suffering from these conditions use them over extended periods to keep weight as low as possible. Stopping the use often means working through intense mental and behavioral issues such as distorted body image.

Stay safe and continue to work hard!!

By

Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

 

HOW TO GET SEXY MALE MODEL ABS

Ngo okafor Black male model abs

If you treat your abs like an after thought, they will look like an after thought.

Good morning all!! It’s Sunday morning, which means that another week has come to an end and another week is set begin in a few hours. Sunday is a great day to reflect on the week past and plan/get ready for the new week. My Sundays are usually spent researching ideas and articles on varying subject matters and then write about them. Today I’m going to write about how to get sexy male model abs. I don’t have to research this topic because I live it….everyday.

Abs are the key to being successful as a model. It is especially important for someone who has a desire to become a fitness model. Abs are the ultimate measure of fitness. Ripped abs shows that you have put in the work in the gym and you have discipline to eat healthy in order to get lean. In order words, it means that you are in beast mode!!

When you walk to into a modeling agency, seeking to become a fitness model, the first thing the agent will ask is for you to take off your shirt. This request is not personal. They are not trying to put you down. The truth is that if you do not have ripped, sexy abs, you cannot work as fitness model. PERIOD!!!

In this blog post today, I will share how I got my abs to become more muscular and ripped. Contrary to what many people may say, you have to treat your abs just as you would treat any other muscle in your body. You have treat your ab muscles just as you would your chest, biceps or triceps. You have to work them hard. Many people do not train their abs until the end of their workouts and then they wonder why their abs do not grow and get ripped. If you treat your abs like an after thought, they will look like an after thought.

I will share one example of my workouts in this blog today. This way, you will get a chance to try this routine without getting overwhelmed by information. When you have tried it, please write back and let me know how you fared with it. I will share more workouts shortly, so stay tuned.

No matter what movement or body part(s) that I’m working on for each day, I begin every workout by doing 20-30 minutes of cardiovascular activity on a treadmill, bike or jumping rope. I then move on to abs, before lifting any weights. To start, I do side planks for 45 seconds on each side and then I do 60 seconds in a regular plank position. After this, I move over and do the weighted rope crunches-leg raises combination. This means that I will do a set of weighted rope crunches and then go over and do a set of leg raises, without resting. The rope crunches work the muscles in the mid to upper region of the abs and leg raises work the lower region of the abs. See the pictures of the exercises below. My goal for working my abs in this routine is to get my ab muscles stronger and make them more dense by using heavy weight on the rope crunches. I would not suggest using heavy weights on leg raises because the lower ab region is weak on most people and may cause abdominal or lower back injury.

The workout is as follows:

Weighted Cable Crunches:

1 Warm up set followed by 4 Sets of 8-10 reps

Leg raises on an incline bench:

1 warm set followed by 4 sets of 10-15 reps

Stretch out your abs and then move on to your movement/body part lift for the day. ENJOY!!!

Ngo okafor male model doing abs @peaknyc

Ngo okafor Black male model doing abs @peaknyc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

THE BEST DIET FOR KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF

You’ve lost weight, but will you keep it off? A low-glycemic-index diet may work better than others at burning calories and helping people ward off those pesky Lbs, reports a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the study, researchers had 21 people who’d lost 10 to 15 percent of their body weight try three different diets, each for 4 weeks. The diets consisted of a low-fat, a low-carbohydrate, and a low-glycemic-index—which endorses carbohydrates that keep blood sugar levels low—eating program.

The result: Even though the participants ate the same amount of calories on each of the plans, they burned an average of 300 fewer calories per day on the low-fat diet compared to the low-carb option.

But the low-carb diet wasn’t a win-win alternative, either. Although it was better at encouraging calorie burn, it also caused the greatest increases in cortisol and C-reactive protein levels—both of which may elevate heart disease risk—among the study participants.

The low-glycemic-index diet, however, seemed to strike the right balance in terms of heart health and resting metabolism, says study authoer Cara Ebbeling, Ph.D., associate director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. And any help you can get torching extra calories is beneficial after a big weight loss. That’s because the more weight you lose, the more your metabolism slows, making it  increasingly difficult to burn calories, explains Ebbeling. (Here’s the truth behind the glycemic index, a notion many experts disagree with entirely.)

So is a low-glycemic-index diet the savior for people who want to keep the excess baggage from creeping back? The problem of “weight maintenance” may not be so easily solved, warns Alan Aragon, M.S., and a Men’s Health nutrition expert. “You can’t tell a whole lot after 4 weeks,” he says. “And looking at the nutritional makeup of the diets used in the study, you’re really comparing two extremes in the low-carb and low-fat diets to a more moderate diet, which will almost always be best in the long run.”

Avoid diets that condemn whole nutrient categories, he suggests. Instead, eat proven weight-managers—whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, as well as proteins like fish and meat. “Your body requires about ten times more energy to process a gram of protein than a gram of fat. So you’ll burn more calories just by eating more protein-packed foods,” Aragon explains. Follow our 6 Grilling Recipes for Weight Loss to cook up some of the leanest, healthiest, and tastiest dishes of the  summer—and effortlessly drop pounds  while you’re doing it.

Exercise will also play a big role in whether you’re able to fend off the old weight, Aragon says. Running or other aerobic exercise is good, but you should mix in weight training at least half of the time. “Resistance exercise boosts lean body mass and metabolism, both of which help your body burn calories even when you’re not working out,” he says. Shoot for a minimum of three 30-to-60-minute workout sessions a week, he advises. Try the 18 cutting-edge workouts found in the Speed Shred program. They’re fast-paced and designed to blast fat and light your muscles on fire.

From Men’s Health Magazine

Posted by Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

NO MORE EXCUSES: TRY THESE HOTEL ROOM AND HOTEL GYM WORKOUTS

It’s Friday once again. TGIF!!! This week went so fast. I remember waking up on monday morning and now it’s Friday. It all good though. It’s Fit Friday!! On to the business at hand. I have to travel a lot due to my work and sometimes it is challenging to keep up with my fiteness routine, when I’m on the road. I know there are many people out there that travel even more than I do and have to go through the same problem on a regular basis. Well, look no further. I have found the article and video that will save us all. It will keep us all in shape especially as the summer is coming. Read more:

PULLED FROM MEN’S HEALTH

Staying in an average hotel with an average gym for a few days. I was still  able to get in a half-decent upper body workout and then followed up with some  bodyweight cardio in the hotel room. On Sunday morning there will be  deadlifting. Looking forward to that back in Toronto.

Quick video for you…Top Abs Exercises: – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI66OJguLSI

Kickbutt Mindset Tips: You are the type of person who takes action,  doesn’t complain, finds a way to get it done, and never gives up, right? The  answer is yes, yes you are.

“Your network is your net worth.” Go to seminars. (I’m at one right now in  Cleveland.) Talk to people. Listen, I know how tough it can be. But you must  invest the time and effort in building relationships and helping others, because  it will make your entire life easier.

Craig Ballantyne, CTT Certified Turbulence Trainer

by

Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model

Nigerian American black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

THE BEST BREAKFAST EVER FOR MEN

Go ahead guys, and scramble those eggs, yolk and all—there’s new evidence that it may lower your risk of heart disease.

Two new studies from the University of Connecticut recently presented at the Experimental Biology conference found that eating eggs actually improved cholesterol levels and reduced disease-producing inflammation in the body.

In one study, researchers asked participants following a carbohydrate-restricted diet to eat three whole eggs per day while another group ate an equivalent amount of egg substitute. After 12 weeks, the whole egg group experienced increases in levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, from 50 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL. (Doctors say men should aim for HDL levels over 40 mg/dL.) Their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels didn’t change at all.

How? Lecithin, a substance found in the egg yolk, might increase HDL cholesterol. “Lecithin helps remove cholesterol from tissue and transport it to the liver, so it doesn’t build up in blood vessels,” says study coauthor Maria Luz Fernandez, Ph.D., a nutrition professor at the University of Connecticut.

In a second similar study, people on a carbohydrate-restricted diet with metabolic disease who ate three eggs for 12 weeks showed a decrease in inflammatory markers in the body, suggesting that their risk for heart disease dropped. Lutein, an antioxidant caroteinoid found in the yolk, likely helped reduce this inflammation.

Though both studies were done on people on restricted-carbohydrate diets, you could expect similar benefits by making eggs part of a regular healthy diet. “People are concerned that eating eggs causes heart disease but they really do the opposite.

By

Ngo okafor

The most downloaded black male model

Nigerian American black male model photo gallery and blog

www.getingo.com

MY TOP 10 TIPS TO GET SEXY MALE MODEL ABS

Yesterday was a good day. I had two very good workouts. I did my boxing training and then I did my strength and conditioning workout. Both were very strong workouts. I hope to continue this trend for the rest of the week. Yesterday was particularly a good day because I found a really good film editor. I’ve been looking for an editor for a very long time. It has to be a person that understands you and your project in addition to being talented. An editor is key to the process of making a documentary and indeed, any film.

Enough about yesterday, let’s get to my topic of today’s post. ABS…ABS…ABS… I get so many emails from men and women seeking information on how to make their abs look like that of a sexy male model. The guys want a six pack and women want flatter sexier abs. I decided that the best way to answer every one’s questions would be to write about abs in a blog, that way, everyone can read it and share it. Most of these exercises can be performed in the comfort of your own home.  I will share the 10 best ab exercises to get the washboard stomach you’ve always dreamed of. BE SURE TO CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE STARTING ANY WORKOUT ROUTINE.

If you follow these tips, you’ll see a transformation in your tummy within three weeks. The first step is changing the way you view your ab work. Too many people are under the impression that these exercises are going to reduce their midsection. Abdominal exercises ARE NOT going to reduce the area — they actually develop the muscles. Most people have sexy abs under the belly fat, they just have to burn the fat off to see them!!!

It’s crucial to build strong ab muscles, and not just for aesthetic purposes. The core of the body is the abs and the lower back, which is the “center” on the body. All of the strength of the rest of the body stems from the core. It also helps as far as improving balance and flexibility and reducing injury. Having weak abs and a weak lower back is an invitation for injury.

Another common mistake is that many people make is doing too much, too often. 15 minutes a day and three days a week is enough to get you started. In addition to working the abs with my 10 best ab exercises, I must stress the importance of a healthy diet and regular cardio exercise. Before you can achieve a flat stomach, you need to reduce overall body fat. You have to ruduce the fat covering the ab muscles in order to see them. You can have the strongest abs in the world, but if you don’t reduce the fat over the muscles, you won’t see the sexy abs beneath them.

In reality, abs are like any other group of muscles in the body and needs to recover from any type of workout in order to make progress. Your ab workout shouldn’t take you more than 12 minutes, three days a week.”

Here the 10 most effective abdominal exercises. Raphael suggests that beginners start with the Ab Crunch and Reverse Ab Curl.

1. Bicycle Maneuver(studies actually prove this to be one of the most effective)

Starting Position:

  • Lie on a mat with your lower back in a comfortable position.
  • Put your hands on either side of your head by your ears.
  • Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle.Movement:
  • Slowly go through a bicycle pedaling motion alternating your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.Key Points:
  • This can be a more advanced exercise. Do not perform this activity if it puts any strain on your lower back.
  • Do not pull on your head and neck during this exercise.
  • The lower to the ground your legs bicycle, the harder your abs have to work.2. Ab Crunch

    Starting Position:

    Lie on a mat on your back.

  • Make sure that your lower back is relaxed against the mat during this exercise.
  • Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45-degree angle.
  • Keep both feet on the floor.
  • Place both hands behind your head.Movement:
  • Contracting the upper abs, raise your head and upper torso off the floor until your shoulders are slightly lifted.
  • Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your head touching the floor.Key Points:
  • Exhale as you contract the abs.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.
  • Keep your eyes focused on the ceiling to avoid pulling with your neck.
  • Your hands should not be used to lift the head or assist in the movement.3. Reverse Ab Curl

    Starting Position:

  • Lie on the floor with your back relaxed and your hands on the floor by your hips.
  • Keep the upper back pressed into the floor throughout the exercise.Movement:
  • Contracting your abs, raise your butt and gently roll your hips off the floor, stopping when you feel a full contraction of the abdominals and can no longer lift your hips.
  • Slowly return to the starting position.Key Points:
  • Exhale while lifting your hips.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.4. Double Crunch

    Starting Position:

  • Lie on the floor face up.
  • Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45-degree angle with both feet on the floor.
  • Your back should be comfortably relaxed on the floor.
  • Place both hands behind your head.Movement:
  • Contracting your abdominals, raise your head and legs off the floor toward one another.
  • Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your shoulders and feet touching the floor.Key Points:
  • Exhale while raising up.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.
  • Keep your eyes on the ceiling to avoid pulling with your neck.
  • Your hands should not be used to lift the head or assist in the movement.5. Cable Kneeling Rope Crunch

    Starting Position:

  • On a mat, kneel in front of the cable machine with your body facing the machine. Hold a rope attached to the upper cable attachment keeping your elbows in toward your ears.Movement:
  • Contracting the oblique muscles, curl your body downward on an angle rotating your right elbow to the left knee, stopping when you have reached a full contraction of your obliques.
  • Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of the weight stack touching.
  • You can either alternate side to side or do 8-12 repetitions on one side and then repeat on the other side.Key Points:
  • Exhale as you lift the weight.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.6. Machine Hanging Knee Raise(should use spotter or have someone watch you)

    Starting Position:

  • Grasp a chinning bar with hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing forward. Keep your upper body motionless throughout the exercise.Movement:
  • Contracting the abdominal muscles, raise your legs with bent knees while gently rolling your hips under, stopping when you feel a full contraction of the abdominals and can no longer lift your hips. You may get your knees to 90 degrees or higher depending on your strength and flexibility.
  • Slowly return to the starting position.Key Points:
  • Exhale while lifting your legs.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.7. Fitball Advanced Reverse Crunch(not for those with back injuries)

    Starting Position:

  • Lie on the ball with your upper back supported by the ball and hands above your head, holding onto a solid support, such as the support for a cable machine in the gym or the footboard of your bed at home.
  • Bring your legs up until your hips and knees are each at a 90-degree angle.Movement:
  • Contracting the abdominals, curl your legs up toward your body.
  • Slowly return to the starting position.Key Points:
  • Exhale while lifting your legs.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.
  • Lower your legs only as far as you can while maintaining control.8. Lying Bent Knee Leg Lift(care needed for those with back injuries)

    Starting Position:

  • Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees slightly bent.
  • Place your hands under your head for comfort, not support.Movement:
  • Contracting your lower abdominal muscles, draw your knees toward your chest until they form a 90-degree angle with the floor.
  • Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of the feet touching the floor.Key Points:
  • Exhale while lifting your legs.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.
  • Your back should remain comfortably against the floor during the entire motion.
  • Avoid this exercise if you have any back conditions.
  • Eliminate this exercise if you experience any discomfort.9. Machine Angled Leg Raise

    Starting Position:

  • Support your body on your elbows in a Roman Chair or by hanging from a chin-up bar.Movement:
  • Contracting the abdominals and obliques, draw your knees up on an angle so that they move toward your right elbow. Stop when you get a full contraction of the obliques and abdominals.
  • Slowly return to the starting position, stopping when the hips are almost fully extended.
  • Alternate side to side to complete the set.Key Points:
  • Exhale while lifting your legs.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.
  • Keep the upper body stationary throughout the exercise.10. Incline Bench Leg Raises (care needed for those with back injuries)

    Starting Position:

  • Lie on an incline bench and stabilize your body by gripping the bench above your head with your legs extended out.Movement:
  • Contracting the lower abs, raise your legs up until your hips form a 90-degree angle.
  • Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your legs touching the bench.Key Points:
  • Exhale while lifting your legs.
  • Inhale while returning to the starting position.
  • Point your chin toward the ceiling to avoid using your upper body.
  • To increase the difficulty, cross your arms over your chest.

By

Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model

African american black male model photo gallery

www.getingo.com