10 reasons why you should date a Rugby player:
1. We can do it 80 minutes straight in 15 different positions .
2. We’re used to scoring big and taking pain .
3. We love the grass .
4. Getting sweaty and dirty is no problem .
5. Skill and moves are definite .
6. We’ll play anywhere and anytime .
7. We play well with others .
8. We’re always on the top of the game .
9. We know when to take charge .
10. We also know when to play rough .
Have you ever came across people who are say that you can’t mix yoga and pilates or you can’t mix pilates with gym training etc… etc… Have you ever asked these people WHY NOT????
Yes, if you don’t know how to mix the various activities to benefit your body, you should not do it.
Other than that, i can’t think of any other sensible, scientific and logical facts to support the idea of mixing is wrong.
Each unique activity has it’s own set of principals to work on our body and bring it to the next level, so it’s best for us to adopt various principals to help the body improve in all aspects of fitness.
A definitive fusion fitness program involves training at the gym, the pilates studio and outdoor. This is the fastest way to get you in shape and improve all aspect of fitness. To design a definitive fusion fitness program, email me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or call at +65 91110270.
To prevent injuries and reach your fitness goals faster. It’s very important to work on all aspects of fitness during training.
The primary fitness aspects to work on are:-
Flexibility, or suppleness - the ability to stretch muscles so that a joint has a large range of movement.
Remember the next time you embark on an exercise program, make sure you have all the primary fitness aspects covered.
Feel free to contact me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or +65 91110270 should you need any other information.
yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
While most people have weight to lose, there are some who need to gain weight. Being underweight can be just as unhealthy as being overweight. Hence a weight gain diet revolves around consuming 500 additional calories a day, which is optimum for controlled weight gain. If eating an extra 500 calories a day doesn’t seem to be working after a few weeks, you can increase to 700 additional calories.
To gain weight in a healthy fashion requires eating calorie dense yet nutritious food. It’s necessary to include a mix of fruits, nuts, dairy products, meat and vegetables unless you are on a restricted diet. You are allowed snacks mid-way between meals, and must eat a sensible dinner. The key to formulating any meal for weight gain is to concentrate on a sensible blend of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. When attempting to gain weight, it is often beneficial to eat multiple small meals per day, rather than a few large meals. Especially when coupled with exercise, eating multiple small meals encourages your body to use the calories to build lean tissue (muscle).
In order to gain weight some might indulge in fattening fast foods, but this is definitely not going to keep you healthy. The focus should be on eating nutritious foods from a variety of sources. Some programs recommend expensive weight gain powders or vitamins, but these supplements are not necessary so long as you are eating a well-balanced diet that includes more calories per day than you burn. It’s a simple input vs output equation. People usually gain about 1 kg per week when they appropriately follow the weight gain diet.
Feel free to contact me should you need any other information on this topic.
yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
berdytan@singnet.com.sg
+65 91110270
A new golf fitness revolution is the rage on the tour as hundreds of pros and thousands of amateurs have begun to flock to certified fitness trainers to improve the “physical side” of their game.
Strength, power, flexibility, balance, core stability, body awareness and endurance are all physical traits that every golfer must possess.
The golf industry is littered with gadgets and gimmicks for increasing accuracy and shot distance. Yet for all their claims and guarantees most remain independently unproven.
Researches have shown that after 5 weeks of golf fitness training program, golfers increased their clubhead speed by an average of 24%. While it could be argued that clubhead speed is only one small facet of a golfer’s overall game, it is highly correlated with a player’s handicap. In other words, the lower a player’s handicap is, the higher their clubhead speed at impact tends to be. In fact, a 24% increase relates to a reduction of 4 shots off a golfer’s handicap. This is just one of several studies that prove the benefits of conditioning for golf.
And the benefits of golf fitness training are not reserved for the young. Golfers aged 55-75 benefited most from strength and flexibility training - both in terms of general health parameters and their performance on the course.
If you want hit every shot consistently further you need to take a different approach. Not a more complicated approach. Not just any general fitness approach but a golf-specific approach.
From social golfers to professionals, many have benefited from the personalized golf specific fitness programs conducted by Albert.
Contact Albert at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or +65 91110270 to start your very own golf-specific fitness program.
There are many characteristics that may identify a style. There may be different step patterns, different timing of steps, particular movement on the dance floor (ex: slot, circular), dancer preference of turns and moves, attitude, dress code, and others. The presence of one or more of particular elements does not necessarily define a particular style. For example, many styles can be danced “On One” or one style may be danced “On One” or “On Two”. The following are brief descriptions of major “recognizable” styles.
Cuban-style sal sa (“Casino”) can be danced either on the down beat (“a tiempo”) or the upbeat (“a contratiempo”). Beats 1,3,5 and 7 are downbeats and 2,4,6 and 8 are upbeats.
An essential element is the “Cuba step” (also known as Guapea), where the leader does a backward basic on 1-2-3 and a forward basic on 5-6-7. The follower does the same, thereby mirroring the leader’s movement. Another characteristic of this style is that in many patterns the leader and follower circle around each other.
The cross body lead is an essential step in this style too and is referred to as Salida Cubana or as Dile que no in Rueda de Casino Dancing. This move becomes essential in the more complex derivative of Cuban Casino leading to the many moves of Rueda, or wheel dance. Here multiple couples exchange partners and carry out moves synchronized by a caller.
L.A. style is danced on 1, in a slot. It is highly influenced by Hollywood and by the swing & mambo dances. L.A. style emphasizes sensuousness, theatricality, and acrobatics.
The two essential elements of this dance are the forward/backward basic as described above, and the cross-body lead. In this pattern, the leader steps forward on 1, steps to the right on 2-3 while turning 90 degrees counter-clockwise (facing to the left). The follower then steps forward on 5-6, and turns on 7-8, while the leader makes another 90 degrees counter-clockwise. After these 8 counts, the leader and follower have exchanged their positions.
Francisco Vazquez, along with his two brothers, Luis and Johnny, are often credited with developing the LA style of sal sa. Francisco taught both of his brothers how to dance and all of them went on to become famous worldwide through their unique style of dancing. Francisco Vazquez, along with his brother Johnny, founded “Los Rumberos” Dance Company at the start of their career, which is still the leading dance company in Los Angeles . Luis Vazquez, along with then Joby Vazquez (now Joby Martinez) founded Salsa Brava Dance Company, which was another leading dance company in Los Angeles for many years.
Other people who also helped create L.A. Style as we know it are, Rog eli o Moreno, Alex Da Silva, Joby Martinez, Josie Neglia, Cristian Oviedo, Luis ‘Zonik’ Aguilar and many others. Tony Cordero and Robert Menache helped spread the influence of the LA style to Long Beach and Orange County .
The reasons why L.A. Style of sal sa is so well-known around the world are widely disputed. One major factor has been the broadcast of competition video clips from the Mayan World Salsa Championships on the Club Mayan website. Every year, competitors from many parts of the United States and the world come together to challenge each other in this competition. Before moving to Europe , Johnny Vazquez was the reigning king of the Mayan competitions; he was practically unbeatable as he surpassed all other competitors with his skilled dancing and precise spins. Since then, however, the results of the competition have not been endorsed by many and the competition has lost validity, but it remains, nonetheless, one of the biggest competitions in the world.
New York style emphasises efficiency of movement, elegance, and body isolations. By focusing on control, timing, and precision of technique, dancers aim for smooth execution of tightly woven complex patterns. In New York City this style is danced strictly On 2, although dancers around the world often integrate elements and repertoire from New York into their dancing On 1.
On 2 timing emphasises the conga drum’s tumbao pattern, and encourages the dancer to listen to percussive elements of the music. Advocate of New York Style consider this to more accurately reflect the Afro-Caribbean ancestry of the music.
Many also refer to this style as “Mambo” since it breaks on beat 2 of the measure, though there are other dance forms with a more legitimate claim to that name.
In a social setting, New York style is danced more compactly than LA style. The etiquette of New York style is strict about remaining in the “slot” and avoiding travelling.
New York style tends to place a greater emphasis on performing “shines” where dancers separate and dance solo for a time.
New York style dancers are typically very serious about the musicality and timing of their dancing. To satisfy their tastes, “socials” are often held that cater to almost exclusively playing ” sal sa dura” (lit. “Hard Salsa”. This is mid-to-up-tempo sal sa with an emphasis on percussion and band orchestration rather than the vocals.
The longest-running social in New York is the Jimmy Anton social, which is held every first, third and fifth (if there is a fifth) Sunday of the month.
New York Style’s first and most famous champion is popularly held to be Eddie Torres. Eddie Torres has been dancing since 1962 and has been teaching since 1970. Countless figures in the sal sa scene have performed with the Eddie Torres dancers, such as Seaon Bristol (a.k.a. Seaon Stylist), Amanda Estilo, Eric Baez, April Genovese de la Rosa, Jai Catalano and many more.
Other important figures in the On2 style are Frankie Martinez, Ismael Otero, Tomas Guererro, Osmar Perrones, Griselle Ponce, Milo , Ana and Joel Masacote, and many others.
While the New York style is the predominant style found in the eastern United States , the style finds favor with professional sal sa dancers and sal sa teachers the world over. Thus, it can be seen at sal sa congresses all around the world.at the moment thereis no othr counry like ids
Venezolana Style Salsa is the style danced in Venezuela and Dominicana.
In this style are characteristic with the follow things:
Colombian Style Salsa is the style danced in South and Central America . In the Colombian style basic-step, partners dance side-to-side and mirror each other’s movements. In Colombian style, the break is on the three and the “spare beat” is always used for a tap or other embellishment.
Colombian Style can be danced not only to Salsa music, but also to Cumbia music which is frequently played in Latin nightclubs.
In advanced Colombian style, danced for example in Cali , the upper body is kept still, poised, and relaxed while executing endless intricacies in the feet.
This style is especially appropriate on packed nightclub dance floors where space is limited. Most of the steps danced during the Merengue, another Latin dance which is popular in Salsa clubs, have been carried over from Colombian style Salsa.
It is said that Colombian sal sa evolved during the big band swing era, when swing dance steps were danced to Cumbia music. Cumbia was traditionally danced in folkloric ensembles without holding one’s partner.
This style is similar to Los-Angeles style, but it instead begins on the second beat of the measure, rather than the first. The basic step timing is 2-3-4,6-7-8 with the breaks on 2 and 6. This style is taught by Razz M’Tazz dance company of New York , whose director, Angel Rodriguez, coined the term “Power 2.”
It is important to note that although this style is also known as dancing “En Clave”, the name is not implying that the step timing should follow the rhythm of the Clave as in 2-3 or 3-2. It only means that you take the first step (and break) on the second beat of the measure, where a clave beat in 2-3 starts.
Cuban Pete, a pioneer of Mambo in New York , advocates dropping the formalism of the count, and instead dancing “on clave”. This involves breaking on 2 on the 2-side of the clave and breaking on the second clave beat, i.e. on the and-of 2 on the 3-side of the clave.
This style can be danced as “On One” or “On Two”. When danced “On Two”, the leader steps forward with the left foot on count 2. The basic continues like the New York basic with the timing rotated 4 beats.
There is a Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico where sal sa groups all around the world attend and perform. The first Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico was in 1997.
In the 1950s Salsa Rueda (Rueda de Casino) was developed in Havana, Cuba . Pairs of dancers form a circle (Rueda in Spanish), with dance moves called out by one person. Many of the moves involve rapidly swapping partners. In the Philippines 2005, a growing interest among young Filipinos led to a fusion of sal sa and community dance, later called Ronda de Salsa, a dance similar to Rueda but with sal sa dance moves that were choreographed locally and in Filipino names. Among the popular calls in Ronda were: Gising, Pule, Patria, Dolorosa, Lakambini and La Antonio.
There two main types of Rueda de Casino:
1. Cuban-style - “Rueda de Cuba” (Original type of Rueda, not so formal)
2. Miami-style - “Rueda de Miami” (Formal style, many rules, based on a mix, hybridization of Rueda de Cuba and Salsa Los Angeles-style )
It is a version sal sa which actually is discothec-version of social dance. Its difference from other kinds consists that it is, as they say, “a rattling mix “. In Salsa Disco there are moves from Salsa Los Angeles-style, Puerto-Rico style, Casino etc. Here can be present the expressed tap which is characteristic for the Venezuela style, also tricks and elements of an acrobatic rock-and-roll which are inadmissible in original Salsa Cubana.
It is that kind of Salsa which you can see in discos of cities 80-90 % under the name sal sa. And only 10-20 % really dance pure sal sa styles which is quiet passionate, strongly pronounced and unforgettable. The positive party of Salsa Disco consists that speed of training to this dance style up to a level of nice dance much more above. Therefore to learn pure Cuban style or Los Angeles style with the same level of beauty of dance it is required much more efforts.
To join a Salsa class contact me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or +6591110270
yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
Alcohol is a compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which is produced when glucose is fermented by yeast. The alcohol content of a particular drink is controlled by the amount of yeast and the duration of fermentation.
Fruits are used to make wines and ciders, while cereals such as barley and rye form the basis of beers and spirits.
Alcohol is a drug that has the immediate effect of altering mood. Because drinking makes people feel relaxed, happy and even euphoric, you may find it surprising to learn that alcohol is in fact a depressant. It switches off the part of the brain that controls judgement, leading to loss of inhibitions.
As most people are aware, alcohol also affects physical coordination.
The more alcohol consumed, the greater the effect - speech becomes slurred, vision blurred, balance is lost and movements are clumsy. Apart from cases of extreme intoxication, however, these effects are short-term. The liver breaks down and eli minates alcohol from the body, taking about an hour to deal with one unit.
Alcohol consumed in moderation is thought to be beneficial in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Indeed, alcohol consumption in conjunction with high intakes of fruit and vegetables, may well explain the so-called ‘French paradox’. The French diet is considered to be very high in fat, especially saturated fat, yet the death rate from coronary heart disease remains relatively low. It is thought this is at least partly due to people’s consumption of red wine.
The key word, though, is moderation. In 1997, the World Health Organisation concluded that the reduced risk from coronary heart disease was found at the level of one drink consumed every second day.
Alcohol has been linked to a wide range of illnesses, such as the increased risk of mouth, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancers (this risk being greatly increased if combined with smoking). Furthermore, alcohol probably increases the risk of colorectal and breast cancer.
And the list doesn’t stop there: high blood pressure, gastrointestinal complications, such as gastritis, ulcers, and liver disease, and the depletion of certain vitamins and minerals can all be caused by alcohol consumption.
Excessive alcohol consumption can also have detrimental social and psychological consequences.
Often these problems arise when intake is considered to be really quite high. Moderation and balance is the key. British recommendations are two to three units of alcohol a day for women and three to four units for men. It’s a good idea to have two or to three alcohol-free days each week.
One unit is considered to be 8g of alcohol. Often units are quoted as being one small glass of wine, half a pint of beer or one pub measure of spirits.
However, the alcohol content of different products does vary. Some stronger beers and lagers may contain as many as 2.5 units of alcohol per half pint. The size of some drinks may also vary; home measures of spirits are usually more generous than pub measures, and many bars now serve large glasses of wine (175ml, around 2 units) as standard.
Cans of beer and lager often contain about three-quarters of a pint, rather than half, and so will contain 1.5 units - more if the product is high strength.
To calculate the number of units you need to know the strength of the drink (% ABV) and amount of liquid in millimetres (one pint is 568ml; a small glass of wine 125ml). You multiply the amount of drink in millilitres by the percentage ABV, and then divide by 1,000. To make matters easier many manufacturers are now stating how many units of alcohol each can or bottle contains.
Alcohol is a high source of energy, providing seven calories per gram of alcohol. Therefore, if you’re watching your waistline it might be an idea to cut down the amount you drink or alter the type of drink you choose.
Alcohol is often referred to as a source of ‘empty calories’, meaning it has no nutritive value other than providing energy. This isn’t strictly true: some alcoholic drinks contain sugars and traces of vitamins and minerals, although not usually in amounts that make any significant contribution to the diet.
The energy provided by an alcoholic drink depends on the percentage of alcohol it contains. It is difficult to give the calorie (kcal) content for an alcoholic drink in general, due to the variance in alcohol content, and this must be considered when looking at the following values.
|
Drink |
Typical Kcal content |
|
Beers, lager and cider per half pint (284ml) |
|
|
Bitter, canned and draught |
91 |
|
Bitter, keg |
88 |
|
Mild bitter, draught |
71 |
|
Brown ale |
80 |
|
Pale ale |
91 |
|
Stout, bottled |
105 |
|
Strong ale (barley wine type) |
205 |
|
Lager (ordinary strength) |
85 |
|
Sweet cider |
110 |
|
Dry cider |
95 |
|
Wines, small glass (125ml) |
|
|
Red wine |
85 |
|
Rose wine, medium |
89 |
|
Sweet white wine |
118 |
|
Dry white wine |
83 |
|
Medium white wine |
94 |
|
Sparkling white wine |
95 |
|
Fortified wine (50ml) |
|
|
Port |
79 |
|
Sherry, dry |
58 |
At least now you know what you are putting into your system.
Have a great weekend!
yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
Pilates is an Exercise system that is growing and changing at a rapid rate. As the popularity of Pilates increases, so do the number of teachers adding their own insights and methods to the richness of Joseph Pilates work. Here are brief profiles of some of the Pilates teachers and styles that are among the most influential today.
Moira Merrithew and Stott Pilates:
Moira Merrithew founded Stott Pilates in 1988. She had been a professional dancer when various injuries prompted her to study the Pilates method with Romana Kryzanawska, one of Joseph Pilates original students. After 2 years of working with Kryzanawska, Merrithew began her own intensive study of anatomy, exercise science and spinal rehabilitation. She is one of the leaders in the integration of modern exercise science and Pilates.
Mari Winsor and Winsor Pilates:
Thanks to a very successful info-mercial campaign, Winsor Pilates may be the best known name in Pilates. Mari Winsor has developed a workout style that she calls “dynamic sequencing”, which is meant to be a low intensity body sculpting and calorie burning workout. A dancer, teacher, author and personal trainer, Mari Winsor has two Pilates studios in the L.A. area and is known for her many celebrity clients.
Ron Fletcher and Fletcher Work:
Ron Fletcher was one of Joseph Pilates original students. He was also a dancer in the Martha Graham dance company. He studied extensively with Clara Pilates and went on to evolve his own style of Pilates, Fletcher work. Expanding on the breath work that Joseph Pilates encouraged, Fletcher has developed structured breathing patterns that he calls Percussive Breathing. The Fletcher Towel Work and Fletcher Floor Work are also unique to the Fletcher Work system.
Bob Liekens
Bob Liekens studied many years with Pilates Elder, Romana Kryzanowska. He has devoted his teaching career to traditional teachings of Joseph Pilates. Known as a “teachers teacher”, Liekens is the Director of Education for Power Pilates.
All pilates teachers and styles are a league of their own and champions in their own rights, have their own emphasis on important aspects of the complex human body.
For me, i believe in a balance of all aspects working in varietions combining different styles catering to the different needs of every individual students because at the end of the day it’s not about me, it’s about helping the every student improve and achieve their goals.
Feel free to contact me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or +65 91110270 should you need any other information.
Have a smashing day!
Yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
Remember you’re taking up exercise to improve your health, not to make yourself ill or injured. Bear the following in mind:
Feel free to contact me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or 
+65 91110270
should you need any other information.
Yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
The increasing popularity of Pilates is a wonderful thing, but like the game, Telephone, where the meaning of a phrase gets distorted as it is passed along, as word spreads about Pilates, so have some ideas about it that aren’t serving anybody. Here a few of the myths about Pilates that can send Pilates folks into mild hysteria.
This one is causing a gnashing of teeth for both Pilates and yoga practitioners, especially teachers who have students come in thinking that yoga and Pilates are interchangeable. Pilates is not a derivative of yoga, although Joseph Pilates did study yoga, along with many other fitness and body/mind disciplines. While Pilates and yoga are very complimentary practices, they are very different.
Pilates is well-known for flattening tummys. The reason that Pilates does focus on working from the core, especially the deeper abdominal muscles, is that toning the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles provides stability and freedom of motion throughout the body. This is one of the reasons that Pilates has been so successful for people who have back pain.
However, Pilates does not stop at abdominal work at all. Structural integration, and learning to create a flexible, strong body that can move freely and efficiently are important goals of Pilates fitness. To this end, Pilates works all body parts in a very balanced way, not just the abs..
The Pilates method is also a practice of mind/body fitness. Developing a body that works as a harmonious whole requires much more than a calisthenic or spot reduction approach to fitness.
I think the idea that Pilates is easy comes from a few places. First, Pilates is very adaptable. It can be easy or very hard, depending on the needs of the individual. The ability to modify exercises for different populations is actually one of the greatest strengths of Pilates. Second, the soaring popularity of Pilates has meant that there are many beginner Pilates classes in practically every gym and studio. This is a good thing, but it also means that people are not necessarily exposed to the intermediate and advanced levels of Pilates. Third, Pilates exercises are often done slowly. There is an emphasis on awareness and control that can make an exercise look easy to the casual observer.
I can think of other reasons that Pilates might seem to be easy. It is a popular form of exercise for pregnant women, it is used in rehabilitation, and people of all ages and sizes can do Pilates. Nevertheless, I assure you that the Pilates method presents ongoing challenges for even the fittest athletes. Come try one of my session and give me your thoughts afterwards.
Pilates has never been “just for women” and its benefits are certainly not gender biased. After all, Pilates was developed by a man, Joseph Pilates, who is said to have been a rather macho man at that. Joe was a gymnast, a boxer, and a military trainer in his early years, and pictures of Pilates even into his eighties, reveal a very strong, fit physique. Men have always played an important role in maintaining the Pilates work and shaping its evolution. Teachers like Ron Fletcher, who studied directly with Joseph Pilates, and Rael Isakowitz are among the most visible today.
It is true that Pilates is very popular with women, but there is nothing about Pilates that makes it more for women than for men. The adaptability of the Pilates method to different levels of fitness and body types has made Pilates an accessible and effective fitness choice for women. Also, Pilates has attracted a large number of dancers, especially women, and many of them have chosen Pilates as a next career. More women teachers has made Pilates more attractive to women students. Both of these factors may have contributed to a somewhat feminized perception of Pilates. Fortunately, now that the Pilates method is becoming so well accepted in fitness, more men are showing up in studios and training programs.
There is an unfortunate truth in this. Pilates instruction is not regulated at the moment and anybody who wants to can claim to be teaching Pilates. But that’s as far as it goes. Pilates is a sophisticated method of exercise and a qualified instructor will have had a lot of education and apprentice experience.
The certification to teach Pilates mat exercises is often just a weekend course, but this should be preceded by extensive time spent as a student. Full Pilates certification is much more extensive, requiring the study of anatomy, special populations, teaching skills, and all of the Pilates equipment and mat exercises. Most Pilates instructors have good training, but since the industry is not regulated it is up to the consumer to ask questions and be a discerning student, and the responsibility of prospective instructors to be sure that they have adequate education before teaching a class.
There you have it. The top 5 myths about pilates rigtht in your face. If you are still having doubt about pilates or any other sports and fitness related matters. Feel free to contact me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or call me at +65 91110270.
yours in sports & fitness,
Albert
