Ngo Okafor - Most Downloaded African American Black Male Model Portfolio
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Here are the photos and videos from my shoot today at Peak Performance in New York City. Find some of the cool images at the bottom of the post. More images coming from the photographer shortly. Stay tuned
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Ngo Okafor
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Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush Sex
The link between physical fitness and sex is an interesting one, and one that should not be underestimated. While there are several great reasons to exercise, there is one more significant advantage: a better sex life. Recent research indicates that people who are physically fit get more enjoyment from sex and are more likely to be sexually active. Regardless of age, regular exercise results in greater sexual confidence, desire and ability to attain orgasm. Experts are not sure as to how and why aerobic exercise boosts the libido.
One theory, however, is that exercise leads to endorphin release, creating a sense of well-being that makes people more receptive to sexual activity.Exercise that is performed over a sustained time leads to a so-called “runner’s high,” caused by the release of endorphins. These endorphins are stimulating, and as well as causing us to feel great, they stimulate the release of sex hormones. The added bonus is that exercise causes us to feel better. It elevates our mood and creates a feeling of calmness. The lowering of heart rate, improved digestion, lowered blood pressure and lowered stress hormone levels combine with the feelings of well being caused by the endorphins. Add to that an increase of another hormone, oxytocin, and the result is a relaxed, content, person.
For women, the link between exercise and sex has been explored by Cindy Meston and her colleagues. Their results indicate that working out – albeit vigorously – primes women’s bodies for sexual activity. It is not simply that exercise increases genital blood flow or makes women sexually aroused. Instead, there seems to be something, as of yet unidentified, that prepares women’s bodies. After working out, she found that women’s bodies respond faster and more intensely to sexual content (such as an erotic film). Her findings are exciting because they counter the long held belief that relaxation is necessary for a good sexual experience, and assumption that might be due to the link between anxiety and erectile problems for men. I should mention that so far these effects have been documented immediately after exercise and seem to diminish quickly- indeed, they seem to be the strongest 15 minutes after exercise and fade fast.
As for men, sexual experiences also benefit from exercise. White and colleagues (1990) had two groups of men, whose average age was 48 years, all of whom were sedentary but healthy at the start of the study. One group engaged in walking, while the other in aerobic exercise. The latter group reported higher levels of sexual intimacy, more satisfying orgasms, and more reliable sexual functioning. Thus, men who are physically inactive and then aerobically exercise three or four days a week, regularly, for at least an hour at a time, soon report more sex and better sex. However, all men experienced an improvement, leading the researchers to conclude that enhanced sexuality is directly correlated with their improvement in physical fitness.
Satisfying sex lives isn’t just about the nuts and bolts of biology – it also involves self image. People who exercise often have a positive self body image, which might make them simply enjoy their bodies more, too. Penhollow and Young (2004) found frequency of exercise and physical fitness enhanced attractiveness and increased energy levels. They write that those who exercise are more likely to experience a greater level of satisfaction and a positive perception of self, which may cause them to believe they are more desirable and may perform better sexually
One last thought – sex itself is a physical activity and burns calories and increases fitness. Many factors influence how many calories are spent during sex, but most reports seem to indicate about 85 for a half hour to hour session, which is about the same as bowling. Unlike bowling, though, sex can also increase self-esteem, cardio-vascular health, emotional intimacy, improve sleeping, and increase immunity!
One thing is for certain: the benefits of exercise are endless and can lead to a longer, healthier and happier life. Despite the advantages of an active life, more than 60% of Americans do not exercise regularly, while a mere 18.8% of adults in 2009 met the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity.
The Center for Disease Control recommends three or more sessions per week of “activities that last 20 minutes or more at a time … that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion.” Regardless of your current exercise habits, it is never too late to begin a workout program. You could join a gym, hire a personal trainer and learn how to exercise correctly and safely. Consult a doctor if you are just beginning an exercise regimen to maximize safety.
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Ngo Okafor
The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog
A friend of mine sent me a link to this article and I had to share it with you. Check it out below. When you know better, you do better.
Here now, a new study chronicled in the scientific journal The Daily Mail, which lays bare womankind’s deepest, darkest, shiniest, most volumizing secret: some women are far more concerned about their hair than about their physique. Ladies. Ladies. You have it backwards.
The shocking findings of the new real survey, out of Wake Forest University: “40 per cent admitted to avoiding exercise because they didn’t want to ruin their hair-dos.” That’s almost half! Most of the women got only half the recommended amount of weekly exercise, and a quarter didn’t exercise at all. I for one am shocked, not to mention appalled. Before I totally blow this thing women do out of the water with knowledge bombs, let’s note the ways in which this is a tricky area for fitness and sex analysts:
1. The survey involved only women. High sexism/ misogyny potential.
2. Only black women were surveyed. High racism potential.
3. Devastatingly high potential for one or the other side in this argument to quote stand up comedians including but not limited to Mo’Nique, Wanda Sykes, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, and even, in extreme cases, Dane Cook.
Nevertheless, this issue is too important too ignore. It calls, indeed, for some real talk. So where more intellectually timid and/ or wiser (white, male) pundits would bow out of this discussion, citing “a thing” that they “forgot” they have to do, I shall forge ahead. Now. Here is the problem with the common attitude among ladies that they must not mess up their hair by exercising: your hair is less important than your body, when it comes to “looking good.” If you object that “looking good” is a purely subjective measure that cannot be quantified at all across cultures or even across individuals, I will say yes, you are correct. But everyone is, deep down, secretly, interested in whether someone else thinks they look good, and I am someone else, so let’s proceed. If you object that you may care if someone thinks you look good but not if I think you look good, I will say, “Do you see anyone else here? No, it’s just us for now, sorry.” If you object that this issue is “not just about looking good,” I will say that you are lying. If it is not about looking good then hey, fuck your hair, start exercising—at least exercise is good for your health.
In order to determine whether great hair or a great body is more important to looking good, simply try the following thought experiment: Imagine one woman who is bald, with a great body, and another woman who has great hair, and no body. Who is more likely to get a date, or be able to accomplish simple physical tasks requiring at least a basic sort of locomotion? The answer is clear. (The same answer applies for men, by the way.) The good news is that, here in “the real world,” the choice need not always be so drastic. Ladies, you can exercise, have a great body, and men (I do not propose to speak for lesbians, unless the lesbian community would like for me to speak for them, in which case I have many interesting theories) probably won’t even notice your hair, even if it is busted, because they are focused on your body. Or you can neglect exercise, spend a lot of time and money and effort on your hair to make it look great, and men still will not pay attention to your hair, because I just don’t think we really care that much about it, one way or the other.
The choice is clear.
Yes, I understand that hair care for black women is often an expensive and time-consuming proposition, and that its inherent cost and effort make the protection of a hair do a very seductive priority. I am simply proposing here that, if you are the type of person given to seeing hair care and exercise as an either/ or proposition in which one or the other must be chosen, exercise is clearly the proper choice. Of course, a woman might very well say, “Who the hell are you and why the fuck should I care about your opinion, since you appear to be just some random asshole spouting your opinions on the internet, and I’m not sleeping with you or trying to sleep with you or trying to ‘attract’ you in any way whatsoever?” Well, that last part’s not what I heard, but otherwise, that is a justified response. Sure. Fine. That makes sense. You can convince your friends of that. You may even be able to convince yourself. But you will never be able to convince me that hair care should be prioritized over exercise, because I have too much love for womankind in my soul to allow such a myth to flourish. Yes, perhaps I love too much, as did Jesus (and look what happened to him). But I must assert that there is a very strong chance that some of you, ladies, are using your hair as an excuse not to exercise. And in the hardcore heart, there is no room for excuses. (All the room is taken up by love.)
So jump up, run out, and sweat until your hair looks like a god damn mess. It is the right thing you do. If you need me, I will be on the couch. My hair is really short. I’m a man, so it really doesn’t matter.
From Gawker.com
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Ngo Okafor
The most downloaded black male model photo gallery and blog
While I was sweating my butt off in a spin class at Fly Wheel Sports in NYC on Saturday, I looked up at the screen and saw that a girl in the class was pushing her power output dangerously close to my max power output. I couldn’t allow that to happen because men have more muscle and are generally heavier and stronger than women, so men should produce more power….right??……WRONG!!!
I was chatting with a male trainer at Peak Performance and he believes that group fitness classes should utilize heart-rate monitors in order to make sure that participants in the classes are working hard. I told him that each bike at Flywheel has a digital display which measures the total power output acheived by each participant in the class. The digital meter pushes everyone in the class to work hard to improve their final power output number. The male trainer countered this point by saying that men and heavier people are supposed to generate more power.
I contemplated this conversation for a quite a while. I later attended the Peak Performance Trainers’ and family party at a Bowling alley in NYC, where the trainer’s point was put to the test. At the Bowling party, I created a different kind of competition. Once I discovered that the speed of the bowling ball could be measured, it was on!!! The competition shifted from hitting pins, making strikes and spares, to who could throw the bowling ball the fastest. It was so much fun!!!
But, back to the point at hand. The trainer, with whom I had the power conversation, got in on the competition and so did the biggest trainer at the gym (Peak Performance NYC). The trainer in question weighed about 175 lbs and the biggest trainer weighed about 245lbs. At the end of the competition, the 175lb trainer was able to throw the bowling ball faster than the 245lb trainer. Even though there was an astounding 70lb difference between the two guys, the lighter trainer was able to generate more power becasue he had better technique.
I believe that technique will destroy size any day. What are thoughts on this conversation? Feel free to share your ideas and thoughts here or on Facebook.
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Ngo Okafor
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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
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To all the active fathers out there, thank you for keeping the values of true manhood strong. I hope you noticed that I said “Active” fathers, not just fathers. Any idiot can have an orgasm and become a dad, but it takes a man to be an active father. This your weekend. Live it up. Continue to stay strong by taking better care of yourself. Nutrition is key!!
Read more…
What if the entire world critiqued your diet? Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing—recent reports have suggested that more than one-third of Americans are overweight. That’s where the new app “The Eatery” comes in: Snap a photo of your food, label it, rate it on a “fit-to-fat” scale, then wait for others around the world to rate it, too.
The new app has brought to light some surprising stats: New Yorkers are big-time coffee drinkers, while the Japanese are big on fish. What else can you learn from diets around the world? Here are five secrets.
1. Slow Down
Ever seen a Spanish restaurant packed with people enjoying dinner at 2 a.m.? Sure, Spaniards eat later, but they also eat slower, says Samantha Heller, M.S., registered dietitian. And they’re on to something: Guys who ate fast packed on 4.2 pounds in eight years compared to 1.5 pounds from slower eaters, according to a Japanese study.
2. Make Your Meal Social
Eating together is a daily social occasion in many European countries, says Heller. Read: No chowing down by yourself. Studies have shown that families who eat together are healthier, and a recent review of 68 reports on the subject found that frequent family meals meant a lower body mass index in children.
3. Go Sweet
When it comes to potatoes, that is. The people of the small Okinawa Island are thought to have the longest lives of anyone in the world. Why? Partly because of their diet, says Heller. While they eat plenty of fish and vegetables, a key ingredient seems to be sweet potatoes. They’re packed with the antioxidant glutathione, which is shown to boost the health of your immune system and protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart attacks.
The southern Italian Mediterranean diet is famed, but reaping the most benefits starts with choosing the right ingredients. When it comes to fish, go small: sardines and Atlantic mackerel both tend to be richer in omega-3 fatty acids, and lower in contaminants, says Tim Fitzgerald, M.S., marine scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund. And not all olive oil is healthy. Stick with oils packaged in dark bottles, since light and heat are olive oil’s enemies. (
5. Add Turmeric
It’s the magic ingredient in most Indian food, says Heller. “Curcumin—a compound in turmeric—is packed with anti-inflammatory and possible anti-carcinogenic properties,” she adds. Your move: Sprinkle half a tablespoon on a fish or chicken dish to add plenty of flavor and big health benefits.
From MensHealth.com
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Nigerian American black male model photo gallery and blog
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I had written about this topic last week, but had not seen these pictures. These are crazy. I give Drew Manning a lot of credit for deciding to do this and then following through with it. It must have taken a lot of discipline to complete the task.
Read more….
When Drew Manning stepped out from behind the cardboard cutout of his former fat self on Monday, the audience of “Good Morning America” was appropriately shocked.
The fitness trainer’s journey had come to an end after successfully losing more than 70 pounds — six months after he purposely gained the same amount. “Like it never happened,” host George Stephanopoulos said.
“Kind of,” Manning said. Both Manning and his wife, Lynn, can attest that a lot actually has changed in the past year. While Manning’s body may have returned to its six-pack heydays, his mind, in many ways, has not.
Always a fitness junkie, staying in shape comes naturally for Manning. He’s that guy at the gym the rest of us love to hate, the one who likes to use his biceps for pumping iron instead of changing channels, and who prefers sucking down a spinach shake to indulging in a brownie sundae.
Because of that, Manning was a “judgmental” trainer, his wife says. “He would look at someone who was overweight and say, ‘They must really be lazy.’
“I was convinced people used genetics or similar excuses as a crutch,” Manning writes in his new book, “Fit2Fat2Fit.” “You either wanted to be healthy or you didn’t.”
That point of view wasn’t helping Manning help his clients. When he failed yet again to push someone over to the light side, he knew something was wrong. In order to better understand the struggles his clients were facing, he had to face them himself.
He gave up the gym and started consuming junk food, fast food and soda. In just six months, he went from 193 pounds with a 34-inch waist to 265 pounds with a 48-inch waist.
Lynn saw the difference in her husband in less time than that. He became lethargic, stopped helping around the house and was less than eager to play with their 2-year-old daughter.
“He was so insecure — saying ‘I’m so fat. I look so horrible,’ constantly complaining about how he looks,” she said.
Manning says he didn’t realize the effects of his weight gain would be more than physical. It altered his relationships and his self-confidence. Returning to the gym after the Fit2Fat portion of his journey made him nervous. The fact that he had to do push-ups on his knees was almost humiliating.
“The biggest thing [I learned] is that it’s not just about the physical. It’s not just about the meal plan and the workouts and those things. The key is the mental and the emotional issues. I realized those issues are real.”
Of course, Manning had his critics. Experts said that his stunt was dangerous. His blood pressure and cholesterol shot up with such dramatic weight gain. But Manning has no regrets. The followers on his website have encouraged him with their own tales of weight loss.
“We see the success stories of people losing all this weight, but it’s more common now,” he says. “To see someone do it in reverse on purpose — it’s mind blowing. A balance of craziness and inspiration.”
Manning suffered through soda deprivation headaches and food cravings on his way back to fit. The journey was easier for him than for most, he’ll admit, but he’s eager now to provide tips for others to follow in his footsteps.
Lynn is just glad to have her husband back, maybe a bit better than he was before. Before Fit2Fat2Fit, the self-described foodie wife would make treats, and Manning wouldn’t even look at them.
“Now he craves them,” she says with a laugh. “It might be cruel, but I like that. I like that he’s humanized.”
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Ngo Okafor
The most downloaded black male model
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Go on with your bad self A-Rod!! Many people think that working out is the only requirement for fitness. That is far from the truth. Exercise in combination with a strong nutrition plan is the key to fitness success. A-Rod of the New Yankees is no exception to this rule. He is on a very strict diet and will not allow eating or travel get in his way of acheiving his fitness goals.
Read more…
Alex Rodriguez, A-Rod, is considered one of the best all-around baseball players of all time. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, and the youngest to hit 600, besting Babe Ruth’s record by over a year. Rodriguez has fourteen 100-RBI seasons in his career, more than any other player in history. On September 24, 2010, Rodriguez hit two home runs, surpassing Sammy Sosa’s mark of 609 HRs, and became the all-time leader in home runs by a player of Hispanic descent. In December 2007, Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a 10-year, $275 million contract. This contract was the richest contract in baseball history (breaking his previous record of $252 million).
The Yankee’s Alex Rodriguez was reportedly seen bringing his own meal to lunch with girlfriend Torrie Wilson at the Mondrian Hotel in Florida.
The NY Post reports that the slugger is following a high-protein diet for spring training in Florida, so he packs a cooler of food to bring out. He asked the waitress to heat his homemade meal in the kitchen. It pays to be A-Rod. Most other patrons wil be shown the door for making such a demand.
Wilson, in the meantime, had chips and guacamole. I don’t think that guacamole was on A-rod’s diet, so more for the girl!
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Ngo Okafor
The Most Downloaded black male model
Nigerian American Black model photo gallery and blog
It’s so easy to overeat in the summer. We fire up the grill at every opportunity and cook countless steaks, hot dogs and burgers; we prepare mounds of potato salad and macaroni salad; and we offer big plates of decadent fudgy brownies and ice cream for dessert. Yet it is possible to have low fat cookouts and picnics without compromising on flavor. So get ready to grill, or spread your picnic blanket, and enjoy some healthier, low fat summer foods.
Lets start with low fat ideas for summer cookouts:
Preferably neither—unless the hot dog is a lower fat, lower sodium, nitrite-free turkey dog, or the burger is made from lean ground beef or lean ground turkey. Here’s how to make low fat burgers. Or why not try vegetarian burgers?
Top your low-fat burgers with reduced-fat cheeses or a small amount of strong-flavored cheese. Have plenty of dark, leafy lettuce leaves, tomatoes, onions, avocado and salsa toppings available. For condiments, have light or fat-free mayo on hand, as well as mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, hot sauce, pickles and relish. Use whole-grain buns.
Marinated chicken breast, halibut, scallops or shrimp are delicious low-fat grilling fare. Salmon is another great option. While fattier than other fish, it has heart-healthy fats that can easily fit in with our low-fat eating plans. Just monitor portion sizes, and eat lowe-fat side dishes and condiments. If you’re eating chicken, cook it with the skin on, but remove it before eating.
Opt for lean cuts of beef. Flank steak, filet mignon, top loin or round are good choices. Use marinades to add flavor and also to tenderize the meat. Lean cuts of pork and lamb are fine, too. For lean, read “loin.” Trim all visible fat before cooking.
As important as it is not to undercook your food, be careful not to char your meat either, as two cancer-causing agents, Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PCAs), can form in the presence of fat and extreme heat. This is another good reason to use marinades, as the marinade forms a barrier between the meat and the heat.
The key to succulent, flavorful meat is the marinade or rub. Use heart-healthy monounsaturated oils in your marinades or for brushing food. Olive oil and canola oil are excellent choices.
Make your own marinades where possible. This helps control the fat and sodium content. It needn’t be complicated—a basic blend of oil, lemon or lime juice and herbs is all you need as a base. For an Asian accent, use some reduced-sodium soy sauce, grated ginger and garlic. For a Southwestern flavor, use cumin, chiles, and cilantro. Honey with mustard is another simple yet flavorful option. If you’ve got ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and molasses, make your own barbecue sauce, too. Give it some heat with some hot sauce.
One caveat, however: be sure to remove excess marinade from the meat, as too much can cause flare-ups on the grill and burn the meat, which negates the protective benefit of the marinade. Marinades with a high sugar content—yep, that Barbecue sauce, for instance, should be used only in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Not only are kebabs delicious, they are also a great way to eat vegetables and balance your meat consumption. You can eat your steak, but perhaps less of it when it’s competing for space with some delicious chunks of vegetables. Thread pre-soaked wooden skewers with your choice of meat or firm fish, alternating with vegetables such as zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, red onion and mushrooms. Brush with a low fat marinade of your choice and grill away. Grill vegetables by themselves, either on skewers or in a basket. Brush with a little balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavor.
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Ngo Okafor
The most downloaded black male model
Nigerian American black male model and blog
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
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Christmas fell on a sunday this year. That’s two reasons for people to go to church today. I haven’t been in church in quite a while now. I feel that at this stage in my life, I have built a relationship with God that no religious institution can define. I grew up heavily Catholic. I was actually an alter boy when I was growing up in Nigeria. I loved being a part of the church and serving at mass. It was a performance. I guess I never realized that performing was in my blood.
I think back to Nigeria today and I remember all the people who did not have the means that many of us take for granted today. I think back to the kids I visited at the boxing gyms in the neighborhoods that nobody wanted to go in to (my camera crew was nervous about going to Mushin, in Lagos, where one of the boxing gyms was). There is a parallel with this situation here in the US. There are poor kids everywhere. There are poor kids in bad neighborhoods here in America and I just hope that they all have something nice happen for them today, to let them know that its’s Christmas today. It’s supposed to be a happy day for all, but somehow , I think that it isn’t for many. While we are busy obsessing over what gifts we got or didn’t get for christmas, there are others who may not even have a meal. As the saying goes, “Without bread, all is misery”.
One way to make it a happy day for all is to make sure to give to the needy this holiday season. It will make you feel better and make a difference in the life of the needy person.
By
Ngoli Okafor
The Most Downloaded black male model
African American Black male model
www.getingo.com
I woke up a few hours ago from such a deep sleep. I passed out last night, shortly after I came home. I think I passed out at about 11pm. I tried to stay up for as long as could, so that I wouldn’t suffer the effects of jet lag. It worked. I don’t like being slowed down by jet lag, so I make sure that once I arrive in a city, I sychronize my sleep to match that city in order to make the sleep transition easy. It was so cold last night. I can’t believe that within 24 hours, I went from warm and tropic to frigid amd miserable. It’s all good though. Nobody said that life in the trenches would be easy.
I have to get back into my routine of eating three meals a day. While in Nigeria, I would eat breakfast and most of the time, skip lunch because we had so much running around to do. Later in the evening, we would sit down for a big dinner and drinks. This routine is not ideal for building muscle. If you are working out, you have to take in enough calories in order to support muscle building. In order to keep my metabolism firing, I have to eat at least 3-4 meals per day. You never want your body to go into starvation mode because that it causes it to store fat. I definitely was not doing that and that is why I lost 4 pounds. I’m happy that I lost weight instead of gaining weight though. I can always put muscle on by eating more food. Besides, a slimmer me is a leaner, more defined me. I’m happy either way. I don’t stress my weight, although I have to say that if I have a shoot, I work to stay leaner. I do like to keep my weight at about 201 pounds for boxing. I don’t want these young guys thinking that they can push me around.
That said, I’m going to eat breakfast and then head to the gym. Today will be my first full workout in NYC. I’m dreading it a little bit because I know that it will be tough. No pain…No gain!! That’s what they say. I will try to remember that when I’m kicking my own ass. I will also train with my boxing trainer at some point today. No rest for the weary!! What’s on your agenda for today?
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Ngo Okafor
The Most Downloaded Black Male Model actor
African American Black Male Model Actor
It’s thursday and you know what that means! It means that friday is just a day away and the weekend is here. It also means that thanksgiving is only a week away. Time for turkey and gravy. I’ve never been a turkey person, but I have to do it because it brings families together and makes for a time to catch up on all that’s been going on. We all need that.
I went to a different gym last night and they were nice enough to give me a free one week membership. The gym is New York Health And Racquet Club on 23rd Street in Mahattan. It’s a great gym. It has a boxing ring which I love, a pool, a spin studio and of course all the weights that a guy could need. I was like a kid in a candy store because it was new. It always good to mix up your workouts in all kinds of different ways. Sometimes you do it by changing up your workouts or by trying a different gym. Sort of like sleeping on a bed. Studies have shown you can a better night’s rest by changing sleeping positions on the bed.
Now that it’s thanksgiving time, it’s a great time to mix things up. You can go to the local gym in your hometown where your parents live or where your significant other lives. Chances are you haven’t been to the gym in quite a while and it’ll be good to go in and get a different workout. It’ll also be fun to see people you haven’t seen in a while.
By
Ngo Okafor
Black Male Model Actor
African American Black Male Model Actor
It’s been a stressfull couple of days. Sometimes I feel like I’m doing all this preparation for the trip to Nigeria all by myself. I understand that no one can take on such a project without the help of others, but DAMN!! No one understands what it takes to make a project of this magnitude run smoothly. There are so many little peices that have to move for it to work.
People see the finished product and think that it’s easy. They don’t see the hundreds of phone calls, walking, running and lifting that go into it. Thank God for giving me the strength to carry it all.
I just have to focus and run my 6 miles three days a week and doing my strength and conditioning. That helps keep me sane. Yesterday, I did 8 sprints. I did the sprints on the Woodway Force. I ran 100 yards in 22 seconds, 8 times, with a rest of 60 seconds in between. It was brutal, but that is the way to be a champion. NO PAIN…NO GAIN. I won’t be able to write everything that happened with my workout because I have to run to my rehearsal. I’m going to be in an Opera. Yeah I said it…AN OPERA. I’ll tell you more about that in my next post.
The weekend is over…already…DAMN!!! This was such a short weekend. Even though I had many events to attend, I made sure to stay away from the halloween craziness. People always use Halloween as an excuse to act crazy! I must say that I got plenty of rest though, which was a huge goal of mine for the weekend. All the running and workouts I did last week, takes a toll on the body and without rest, would have been wasted. I feel very strong. No tightness and no soreness.
This week, I intend to run 6 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and thursday, I will do a series of sprints in addition to jumping a lot rope. Immediately following each cardio session, I will do boxing technique work and then lift some weights (time permitting of course).
I will also tighten up my nutrition this week. I will cut back on carbohydrates and junk food this week. In addition to that, I intend to make time to eat breakfast every morning, no matter what. Breakfast is the cornerstone of all healthy living. I always feel great and have superb energy throughout the day as long as I eat a good breakfast. For breakfast, I usually eat 4 eggs with sausage or 4 eggs with oatmeal. When I have a project coming up and need to be leaner, I eat the sausage instead of the oatmeal in order to keep my carb intake low.
On the work front, I have scheduled meetings all week to ensure that my trip to Nigeria is successful. I have also set up production meetings for my film production company as well as creating videos which will market my initiatives and me…of course.
What are your goals for the week?
By
Ngo Okafor
The Most Downloaded Black Male Model and actor
African American American Black Male Model and Actor
Thank God it’s Friday. I’m so ready for the weekend. I was up at 4.30am everyday this week, so my days were extremely long. Since I was up so early, I made sure to get my workout done early. That was one good thing about waking up early. I don’t have the opportunity to procrastinate. When I workout later on in the day, there’s always that possibility that I might defer it to the next day. I would just do more of a workout the next day to make up for the lost day of working out. Not this week though!! I didn’t miss any days.
I was so excited this week because on Wednesday, I finally did it!! I ran 6 miles; I did a 10k. Someone reading this might say that 6 miles is not a big deal, but to me…. HUGE. From hating running when I was fighting to now, I feel that I have grown so much. I wish I had run more when I fought. Even though I won my fights, running would have made them easier. Anyway, back to the 6 miles. I did it in 58 minutes. It was tough, but I knew that I would be extremely happy if I pushed myself to do it. Afterwards, I had some energy left, so I did a step up/plyo-leg press/deadlift combo. I did 4 sets of this routine. I then went over and did a Leg press/Leg curl/Calves raise/Sit-up combo. I did only 3 sets of this routine because I started rto run out of gas. I was so happy. I finally conquered a barrier. My body felt so light. I could float away.
Today, friday, I ran 6 miles on the treadmill. It was a little more difficult than running on the track because I set my speed at a slightly faster pace than I had run on the track on Wednesday. I completed the 6 miles in 52 minutes. Much faster than I did on Wednesday. Now I’m curious to find out how fast I can do it on monday.
I intend to run 6 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I want to this so that 6 miles will eventually feel like a walk in the park. A great fighter once told me that in order to build world-class cardiovascular endurance for boxing, he would run a 10k everyday. I thought that it was crazy, but I’m close to doing it. Look at me, the skinny kid from Nigeria, about to reach world-class cardiovascular endurance. Very cool, for me anyway. That in itself is a major achievement for me. Not to mention how lean all this running is getting me.
Hard work pays off and IF YOU HUSTLED HARD THIS WEEK, SHINE ON!!
by
Ngo Okafor
The Most Downloaded Black Male Model Actor
African American Black Male Model Actor
As the saying goes, if you can make in New York, you can make it anywhere. That holds true for every of business. There are over 8 million in New York City and are all packed in a small area of of land sitting on an island. You have got to be strong to make it here. The best of the best come here to make it. All the local champions from every part of the world comes to NYC to shine. More power to all of them. The most beautiful, the smartest, the toughest…get your shine on!!
At the same time, that toughness of the city has crushed most dreams. I know many guys and girls who were the most beautiful in their town and came here to make it big only to find out that everybody is just as beautiful, sometimes more so. They think that they are going to come and easily conquer the modeling world (my direct experience) or conquer the finance or legal world. Many of them have never shared the spotlight and when they are forced to do so, they crumble, give up, pack up and go home. That is why I respect anyone who has moved to NYC and has stayed because you have to possess that non-stop hustle mentality to make it.
This same hustle should apply to anywhere in the world. The work that it takes to fulfill dreams should be endless. Even in the parts of the world where life is not as difficult, the hustle mentality will get you to your goal.
KEEP SHINNING…WITH THAT NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
By
Ngo Okafor
The Most Downloaded Black Male Model Actor
African American Black Male Model Actor
I was up again late last night editing this video that I have attached to this post. I edited it on Windows Movie Maker. It’s amazing what great videos can be created using this simple program that comes with every PC. I use it to edit all my videos. The best thing about it is that it is free!! I bought a new FlipHD camera to shoot the videos. It’s crazy what this little camera can do. It shoots full HD.
Last week, a friend of mine, Jay Wright, the Owner of The Wright Fit asked me to come over to his office and test out the new Woodway Curve treadmill. The CURVE treadmill burns up to 30% more calories than conventional motorized treadmills because the user is actually powering the running surface, thus engaging more muscle groups and achieving a superior workout. Research studies have proven that users are able to reach similar cardiovascular exercise levels and caloric burn walking on the CURVE treadmill in comparison to running on conventional motorized units. IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A POWER SOURCE. Talk about going green!
I worked up a ridiculous sweat within the first few minutes of running on the treadmill. I ran on it for 20 minutes and felt as though I had run for 30 minutes. I was drenched. My heart rate was up for several minutes after I stopped running which shows that the upward curvature of the machine, which forces you run up hill, builds muscle.
Look at my shirt at the end of my run. It was hard to talk at the end of the run.
BY
NGO OKAFOR
THE MOST DOWNLOADED BLACK MALE MODEL AND ACTOR
AFRICAN AMERICAN BLACK MALE MODEL AND ACTOR
NGO OKAFOR BLACK MALE MODEL ACTOR
On several occasions, I have had some of my best workouts when I’ve been tired as hell. Yesterday was one of them. I was up until 4am the previous night, editing videos and uploading them to my website www.getingo.com in addition to uploading them to www.youtube.com, www.vimeo.com, www.dailymotion, and google+. When I woke up yesterday I was exhausted, but I had so much to do. Phone calls, emails, and more editing. I have to do all this not just because I have to get ready for my trip to Nigeria, but I CAN NEVER STOP IMPROVING! I knew that just showing up at the gym was 80% of the battle, so I dragged myself there. I started running on the track and once I started to wake up and warm up, my energy shot up. I ended up running four miles , boxing for about 45 minutes and lifting some weights for my legs.
I have recently redesigned my webite www.getingo.com. It looks completely different from the previous one. Thanks to Chioma (Yvonne) Mbanefo for doing such an amazing job on the new design. It much easier to navigate and a whole lot sharper. You have to keep the content on websites fresh in order to maintain a high google and search engine ranking. All my blogs are on the home page of the site, my acting reel is immediately accesible on the home page as well. Click on the link to take a look at it.
I have learned over the years that you cannot allow your brand to get stale. You have to continue to add fresh content and come with fresh ideas with which to market your brand. Brand building never stops. It’s a never ending process. As a model and actor, I have to continue to shoot and find innovative ways to create work. I continue to edit and upload new videos every week. I want to flood the web with my images and videos. There are millions of people on the internet seeking to promote themselves and take advantage of the internet to make money, so I know that I can’t slack off. That’s the only way I can keep my Most Downloaded Black Male Model status.
Ngo Okafor Black Male Model
Woohoo!! Finally, the weekend is here! It was a long week. Very busy…busy is very good though. Weekends are great for rest and recovery. At the same time, weekends are great for preparing for the next week. I’m definitely going to enjoy myself, but I will try not to go too crazy. All the hard work that I put in during the week can be hurt by two nights of heavy partying. Four drinks can wipe out an entire workout. As much as that sucks, it’s true. The question that is always asked after the weekend is
‘How many calories are in my drink?’
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As for why it’s not listed – because they aren’t required to by the FDA. They’re regulated by
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, not the FDA.Beer Non-alcoholic beer actually has the same calories as beer with alcohol: 148 calories in 12 ounces. Drinking light beer, you’ll only take in 99 calories per 12 ounces. One six-pack has more than 800 calories (and that’s without the chips and dip).Wine Dry wine contains fewer calories than sweet: 106 calories for 5 ounces of dry wine and a whopping 226 calories for 5 ounces of sweet dessert wine (without the chocolate mousse). If you drink a glass of wine before dinner, another glass with dinner and a sweet wine for dessert, you’ve added more than 400 calories to your meal. You’ll be glad to hear that champagne contains the same amount of The hard stuff * 1 1/2 ounces 80 Calorie content of other Mixed drinks * 5-ounce Blood Mary: 115 calories (and the celery adds less than Hope this
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| Sources: http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitn Black Male Model and Actor African American Black Male Model and Actor |
I woke up this morning tired and sore as hell. I don’t know why, because I got 7 hours of sleep. No matter what I was feeling, I knew that I had to go running. Running at least 3 miles, 4 times a week is the only thing that ensures that my body fat will stay low. Nobody wants a fitness model or any model for that matter without abs! The game is getting extremely competitive and in the words of Muhammad Ali, I CAN’T BE BEAT! With the economy the way it is, only a few of us are working and I intend to keep it that way.
Over the weekend, I decided that the only way to guarantee that I do my running will be to get it over with once I wake up in the morning. Even when I was fighting, I hated running. It is so mundane and repetitive. My boxing trainer, Greg Vicente, would come to my apartment and pick me up to go running. I’m glad he did that because during my fights, I liked throwing a ton of punches and would definitely have run out of gas. I always knew that if I’m throwing punches, my opponent can’t hit me. The more punches I threw, the safer I was.
Back to this morning. I didn’t have Greg there to make me run, but I had Gary, our intimidating, ferocious Yorkie-Poodle. Gary can run for ever without getting tired. He loves running and it helps keep him calm. Running helps keep me calm too. I have so much energy and if don’t get it out, I get ance. Gary was my trainer today. We ran just about 4 miles with some sprints mixed in to the run. I wanted to tire Gary out, but I was the one that got tired. But I did it. I did my run and at a very good pace too. THANK YOU GARY!!!!
Now that my run is done, all I have to focus on is getting my weight training work out done. All that cardio training is useless if I don’t build any strength. Later today, I will do a chest and back workout with some leg strengthening work mixed. I find that if don’t do any strengthening work for my legs after running, my lower back and legs get unnecessarily tight. Lunges, reverse lunges and split squats usually do the trick. I would two exercises for my quads, hamstrings and calves. I then do some heavy core work.
I’m going to start shooting the mini workout videos this weekend, so keep an eye out for them.
Ngo Okafor
Black Male Model And Actor
African American Male Model and Actor
Ngo Okafor Schott NYC ad on billboards nationwide
After my rest day, I had showed up yesterday, monday, at the gym ready to train hard. I worked out at Chelsea Piers in New York city. I got a membership at Chelsea Piers because the many exercise options. Chelsea Piers has a full indoor track, a boxing ring, three basketball courts and an olympic sized pool. Even though it’s a major pain in the ass to get all the way over to it (it’s all the way on the west side highway), when I do get there, it’s a lot of fun. So much stuff to get into. You can probably spend the entire day there. There is also a bowling alley, bar and movie theater.
Yesterday, I ran two miles at a fast pace. I then went over to heavy bags and did several rounds of technique work. I’ve been working on a way to make my right hand faster and sharper. Luckily, there was a trainer in the ring that was willing to do pad work with me. I quickly obliged. It is important to do pad work because no matter how much you hit the bag, you cannot work on your timing and distance, by hitting the bag. The person doing the pad work can also spot mistakes in your technique and offer adjustments. He pushed me hard for 4 rounds and I loved it. We worked on several combinations and speed. It had been so long since I worked on the pads, so I was exhausted. The running and boxing took about an hour and a half.
I then grabbed lunch. I ate plate of chicken and rice and a salad. I’ve never been the healthiest eater, but I have to get leaner, so I have to eat my veggies. After lunch, I went to the boxing gym and did some drills and calisthenics for and hour. You don’t have to train as intensely as I do, but you have to train in order to achieve results. I have to say that if you want to be the best, you have train harder and more efficiently than everyone.
By
Ngo Okafor
Black Male Model Actor
African American Black Male Model Actor
NGO OKAFOR FOR CALVIN KLEIN
Yesterday, sunday, was a rest day for me. I worked out everyday last week and was very happy to have a day to rest and recover. Many people that work out neglect the importance of rest. Your muscles do not grow in the gym. They grow when they are given time rest, recover and repair. Most athletes know that getting enough rest after exercise is essential to high-level performance, but many still over train and feel guilty when they take a day off. The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athletes.
Rest days are critical to sports performance for a variety of reasons. Some are physiological and some are psychological. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen. For recreational athletes, building in rest days can help maintain a better balance between home, work and fitness goals. In the worst-case scenario, too few rest and recovery days can lead to overtraining syndrome – a difficult condition to recover from.
Building recovery time into any training program is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. Recovery also allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. Exercise or any other physical work causes changes in the body such as muscle tissue breakdown and the depletion of energy stores (muscle glycogen) as well as fluid loss.
Recovery time allows these stores to be replenished and allows tissue repair to occur. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise. Symptoms of overtraining often occur from a lack of recovery time. Signs of overtraining include a feeling of general malaise, staleness, depression, decreased sports performance and increased risk of injury, among others.
In summary, no matter how guilty you feel about taking rest days, in order to make progress, the body must rest.
By
Ngo Okafor
Black Male Model and Actor
African American Black Male Model
This was a really good weekend. Japan won the Women’s Soccer World Cup. They fought hard and didn’t give up. They were exhausted, but kept on fighting. Mind over matter. That was the only reason why they were able to beat the US Womens Soccer team to win the World Cup. The US team was a better, but Japan wanted it more. It felt good to have my rhythm back. I was happy to finally have a full week of working out as well. The biggest point of excitement for me was that I was finally able to sleep for more than 3-4 hours at a time. For the week-and-a-half that I was sick, I could only sleep for short bursts at a time. It was ok because I was at home for all that time. I could sleep for 3 hours, wake up and go back to sleep a few short hours later. I don’t have that luxury anymore. I have a lot of work to do and more importantly, these bills won’t pay themselves!
I was able to get 8 hours of sleep for the past 5 days. For the two months that I was in London, taking care of Ogbogu’s affairs, I only slept an average of 4 hours each night. The amount of stress that I was under required that I sleep for a lot longer than 4 hours, but we had so much work to do and such a big fight with the system that I couldn’t afford to sleep. We had to stay a step or two ahead and could not acheive that by sleeping. I strongly believe that this is the reason why I got sick.
The human body is resilient and can adjust to an incredible amount of stress, but you cannot get that lost sleep back. The body will eventually break down. Your body will make you stop when it needs that break. That is what happened to me. I can’t mention all the benefits of 8 hours of sleep on this post, but I will share the most important ones. I will share the benefits that impact our health and may help save lives.
Check out the benefits below:
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Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage.
Researchers have also found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. It is thought that the lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important for the regulation of appetite, have been found to be disrupted by lack of sleep. So if you are interested in controlling or losing weight, don’t forget to pay attention to getting a good night’s sleep.
When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress. The body’s functions are put on high alert which causes an increase in blood pressure and a production of stress hormones. Higher blood pressure increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes. The stress hormones also, unfortunately, make it harder for you to sleep. Learn relaxation techniques to counter the effects of stress. There are also stress reduction techniques for sleep.
The increase in stress hormones raises the level of inflammation in your body, also creating more risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes. Inflammation is thought to one of the causes of the deterioration of your body as you age.
Heart attacks and strokes are more common during the early morning hours. This fact may be explained by the way sleep interacts with the blood vessels. Lack of sleep has been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Your heart will be healthier if you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night.
Sources-
About.com
Written by
Ngo Okafor
The Most Downloaded Black Male Model
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