Weight Management - Step 2

Sorry for missing for awhile.  I was off preparing for my triathlon competition. I have 2 races back to back, Aug and Sept.  The Aug race went well and I am happy with my performance, being the oldest competitor in the open category (Open cat: age between 18-44) and yet come in within a decent position.  My next race is in Beijing.  All the best to myself!

Before I go any further, lets have a recap.  If by now you have started step 1 - congratulations to you.  Kindly be reminded that oats contains more calories than rice, that is why I recommended oats porridge for dinner whereby you use less oats to prepare for your carbo portion of your dinner, but adding a lot more Greens. Some of you might have completed the detox process and now you are ready for Step 2 - Setting your ideal Weight and Fitness target.

World Health Organization (WHO) recommends using BMI as an indicator for your healthy weight range. I would like to add 2 more items to it.  The first being your body type.  There are 3 different body types - Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph.  You might be in one or a mixed of 2.

So, how do you know which body type you belong to?  Here are some traits that can help you find out your body type.

Typical traits of an ectomorph:

- small frame and bone structure (wrist is the best to determine your body type)

- narrow shoulder

- generally thin

- long and lean muscle mass

- fast metabolism

Typical traits of an mesomorph:

- athletic build

- rectangular muscle 

- generally strong

- gain muscle easier

- gain fat more easily than ectomorph

Typical traits of an Endomorph:

- Round and thick bone structure

- broad shoulder

- stocky build

- gain muscle and fat easily

- slower metabolism 

If you are ectomorph or meso/ectomorph, than using BMI to determine your healthy weight range is a good enough indicator. But if you are a Meso or Endo, than you have to look at one more thing - your Muscle Mass.  So how do you measure muscle and fat?  There are devices that do just that.  Among so many devices in the market, I prefer Omron's weighting scale which also calculates your muscle and fat percentages.  If your muscle mass is higher than the average and fat lower than average, than even if your BMI is over 24 or 25, you are still considered in a healthy weight range.  Typically, this group of people's BMI ranges between 23-26.  

Now that you have your target healthy weight range, its time to set your fitness goal.  I tend to use Singapore National Physical Fitness Assessment (NAPFA) to monitor my fitness level.  I find this assessment easy to do and can be done almost anywhere.  The NAPFA test consists of 6 stations and the tests assess a person's cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and muscular power.  It is quite a complete test without the high cost involvement.  Please refer to the chart attached below for the test score.  

The cost of doing the assessment is almost close to nothing.  Let me tell you how......

running - you can run anywhere.  All you need to find is a 400m stadium or any track with distance markings. Do a 2.4km run and time yourself.

Pull ups and inclined pull ups.  Go find "monkey bars in children's playground and "wola"...thats your Pull up bars right there!  For the ladies, inclined pull up bars can be improvised.  Use a strong wooden stick and secure the sticks over 2 wooden chairs using carpet tapes (make sure that the chairs are about 90cm in height) - that's your inclined pull up bars.

You need a measuring tape for shuttle run and standing broad jump and a soft surface for sit ups. 

The following is the Assessment details:

What is NAPFA?

The National Physical Fitness Assessment (NAPFA) involves a series of 6 test stations. It is a measure of both health and performance related fitness.  NAPFA has been identified by the Singapore Sports Council to be safe, reliable and representative measures of the different important components of overall fitness.

6 Test stations are:

• Pull ups (for males) & inclined pull ups (for females) - test for muscular strength of upper body

• Sit ups - test for muscular endurance of core muscles

• Sit and Reach - test for flexibility of core muscles

• 4x 10m Shuttle Run - test for speed and agility

• Standing Broad Jump - test for muscular power of lower body

• 2.4km run - test for cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance of lower body

EVENTS DO'S AND DON'T'S

1-minute Sit-ups

Do:

Hands to cup ears

Back flat on mat

Knees bent slightly > 90degrees

1 count when elbows touch knees & back flat on mat after

Partner to count out loud

Don't:

Hands clutching neck or away from ears

Elbows not touching knees and back not flat on mat after

Sit and Reach Forward

Do:

Back flat against board (sit straight up) with arms stretched out

Legs straight and strapped down or locked straighten

Don't:

Arms stretched out with back not flat against board or slouching

Knees bent

NB : No difference with or without shoes

Standing Broad Jump

Do:

Both feet together behind start line

Bend forward swinging arms and rocking motion to gain momentum

Jump off and land with both feet together; do not move till reading taken

Don't:

Double jump when taking off

Step over start line on starting

Jump with feet one after the other

Land and shift feet

Sit on mat after jump - no count

4 x 10 meters Shuttle Run

Do:

Start behind start line

Put block down on marked spot (10 meters away)

Don't:

Throw block on marked spot

Step over start line

30 seconds Pull-up for men

Do:

Feet off the support step, body and arms straight (hanging)

Palm of hands facing outwards

Body still

One count when chin is above bar & arms straight after pull up (recovery for next pull)

Don't:

Pull up while body is swinging

Horse-kick to pull up (legs in cycle motion)

Palm of hands face inwards

Chin touches or is not over bar - no count

Arms slightly bent after pull up - no count (recovery for next pull)

Inclined Pull-up for ladies

(30sec)

Do:

Hand bar to be at least 2inches away from stretched out arms

Bar directly above upper chest

Arms straight & holding bar; butt off the mat, body straight at < 45degree angle – start position

Chin to cross rod; arms straight after pull up (recovery for next pull) - one count

Don't:

During 30 secs, butt lands on mat - redo

Chin does not cross rod

Arms slightly bent after pull up (recovery for next pull)

2.4 km Run-Walk

Do:

Run 6x 400m on the running track around the stadium

Don’t:

Do not run under hot weather

Who should take NAPFA test?

Anyone, unless proven medically unfit.  

How often should you do NAPFA Test?

NAPFA test should be done annually or twice a year. 

A good way to maintain your fitness besides training for them is to engage in a regular sporting activities, which adds fun to the whole process; my sport is Triathlon.