K AT E U M B R O ' S
FITNESS MOTIVATION SYSTEM
FROM THE EDITOR I am proud to offer you this very first issue of the ''FITTEST MAGAZINE''. While researching and composing the content we strive to find and create the most inspiring and insightful stories, that can inspire you to become the fittest version of yourself.
For this issue I had pleasure to interview an inspiring man of many talents. Martial artist, movie star, coach, husband and father - SILVIO SIMAC.
You should know him from famous action movies like ''TRANSPORTER'' or ''UNDISPUTED'' where he shows amazing skills during the fight with his opponent ''BOYKA'' acted by SCOTT ATKINS.
Apart from inspiring story of Silvio, in this issue you will find relevant articles that cover following aspects like : effective training at home, secrets of fasting, or the truth about protein in your diet. I hope that inside you will find something that can inspire you and motivate. Enjoy reading.
"DON'T WISH FOR A GOOD BODY. WORK FOR IT"
6
INTERVIEW WITH SILVIO SIMAC. DISVORE HIS SECRETS HOW TO STAY EXTREMELY FIT AT AGE OF 47!
14
BUILD MUSCLES AT HOME: THE PROS AND CONS OF WORKING OUT AT HOME. GET TO KNOW WHAT EXERCISES YOU SHOULD BE DOING TO GET WHAT YOU WANT
20
INTERMITTENT FASTING RULES; LEARN MORE ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING TO CREATE YOUR OWN WAY THAT FITS YOU.
26
GARMIN VIVOSMART 4 REVIEW; THIS FITNESS TRACKER IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE DEVICES ON THE MARKET.
32
5 THINGS FOR MUSCLES RECOVERY AND AVOIDING INJURIES. BECAUSE RECOVERY IS AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING.
CONTENTS
INTERVIEW WITH SILVIO Q: Thank you Silvio for taking your precious time. We really appreciate it. As first, could you share with us your training routine? A: First of all, I would like to mention, I have been training religiously for 32 years, committed and devoted to my health and fitness goals. My journey began parallel to me taking up martial arts at the age of 12. Being inspired by Bruce Lee, his agility, speed, power and physical shape he emerged in the early 1970's planted the seed for my future development. My training methods, principles, and purpose have changed considerably over the years, evolved and changed as my goals altered. When I was competing in martial arts at an international level, my strength and conditioning were. Combining and nurturing all qualities and components of an athlete I early on identified S - Factor Some weekends when I was preparing for international championships, I would train 6 hours a day split between 3 sessions and under the guidance of instructors and coaches so no mercy was spared and I was continuously pushed out of my comfort zone thankfully which facilitated towards my progress. Today and over the last 15 years and since I stopped competing in martial arts, I train 5 days a week, twice a day. My workouts are intense and I only rest 60 seconds between any sets.
Q. What do you eat? Do you follow any principles? I have been following intermittent fasting for just over 15 years. From 8 pm till 2 pm, the next day is fasting, so I only have a window of 6 hours within which I consume food and nourish myself. At 2 pm I break my fast. It's 2.5 hours prior to my 2nd workout. Usually a mix of granola, high in nuts and seeds with a teaspoon of cinnamon and 35 grams of "Stay Lean Complete Protein. Then I will have a slice of grilled meat or fish with green vegetable in the evening around 6 pm. My last meal will be at 8 pm with some Greek yogurt and protein. NO, OR LOW CARBS. NO SUGAR AND WHEAT. I BELIEVE THAT CONVENTIONAL BODYBUILDING EATING HABITS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH LONG TERM. Let's face it humans have been evolving for 300,000 years and our food abundance has only been present for the last 50 years. Take a look at animal species who fast. Lions and Tigers. They get a meal every 4 - 5 days. They are super lean and muscular. Then take a look at elephants and sheep. They graze and they are weak and fat. Yes, elephants are weaker than humans pound for pound. Some of you will say, "But they are animals and different rules apply''. My answer to that is We all came from the same stardust and gravitational pull applies to all species of animals as do physics and biology.
BESTSELLER
Q: You are so flexible and at the same time impressively muscular. How do you achieve it? A: As I have said in my previous answer early on in my journey, I identified components and qualities of an Athlete, Skill, Strength, Speed, Stamina, Suppleness and Strategy. Taking one component out of the equation is like removing a component out of a transistor radio. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, the transistor radio will seize to work. I have always taken a holistic approach to my athletic development nurturing all areas that will make me a better fighter and a warrior. I stretch after every workout as well as 30 - 40 minutes in the evening in front of TV. Q: On social media you are known not only for your incredible physique but also for criticizing people how they waste their time at the gym. If You could tell us. What are the most common mistakes which you see people make? A: The face of the fitness industry as well as bodybuilding has changed completely since I started 32 years ago. Most people would take up a sport because they have a passion, a desire, a magnetism towards it. The industry today seems to be driven mainly by ego and egotistical purposes in an ever-increasing narcissistic world. I am not speaking for all but many serious competitors in my gym, and there are quite a few accomplished guys and girls in my gym. The thing with narcissistic ways is most of these guys cannot go gym without informing the whole world and putting posts up on every single social media platform that they are in the gym. They drive to the gym so they can walk for 40 minutes on a treadmill whilst holding onto the bars, and they call it CARDIO.
hen there is a big chunk of time wasted on texting between sets and taking copious amounts of selfies to filter and put up for approval of others. My father is 70 years of age. he had 2 heart attacks and 7 surgeries over the last 10 years. He walks 7 9 miles a day. For him, walking is a form of cardio as it challenges his heart. Walking on a treadmill whilst holding onto the bars with your life for a 20-year-old is NOT cardio nor challenging by any definition.Nor will it make you fit. Then they call themselves ATHLETES. Let me ask you...How many athletes take anabolic steroids... perform the majority of exercises sitting, or laying down, carry a mobile device to their workout and use any opportunity to take a selfie or text someone?
How many athletes do you know who regard walking as cardio? Those people pronounce themselves as Fitness Models, looking fit but being nowhere close to it. I hardly ever see these "fitness models" breaking a sweat or getting out of breath. To be honest, I find it funny. I much prefer classical hardcore bodybuilding. At least it was genuinely raw in every sense. My principle is : JUST DO IT
Q: How do you manage your busy lifestyle, witch acting, and martial arts and other projects which you're involved in? A: With age and experience we become good at managing, don't we? Over time we learn how to control our time efficiently as well as designating others to assist you along the way. I am fortunate to have amazing support around me, an incredibly understanding and supportive wife who makes it possible for me to chase my dreams. I am exceptionally driven and focused so those qualities enable me to get up in the morning with drive and enthusiasm.
Q: What's the secret sauce to maintain such an incredible body at the age of 47? A: Hey, please don't make me older. As we do this interview, I am 46 I am so well researched on nutrition and supplements. My diet is healthy all year round. It's my lifestyle. No season, off-season or show time. I want to be fit, healthy and strong all year round so I live a healthy lifestyle all year round.
Thank to Silvio for this insightful interview. We believe that when it comes to fitness, learning straight from masters can get you further faster. Therefore these simple but yet powerful words of advice can be your guide for a new healthy lifestyle and a blueprint for becoming the fittest version of yourself. We wish to Silvio all the best and invite you to read furher pieces of content in this issue for more inspiration and knowledge.
DON'T SKIP WORKOUTS. SKIP WITH ROPE INSTEAD.
SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR CARDIO AT HOME.
BUILD MUSCLES AT HOME PROS & CONS
Build muscles at home if it's only the place where you can train. In this article, we will talk about how to build muscles at home. You will learn why this is a good option for most people, but also a few downsides it has. It is a popular topic, and you already know a thing or two about it. Still, it is always good to refresh your memory and learn new things as well, that’s why we advise you to read this whole article. Taking care of your body without crossing your doorstep has some obvious advantages: 1. No commuting - to exercise at home, you don’t need to waste time getting to the gym. So no rain, snow, or rush hour excuses. 2. No memberships - working out at home saves you money too, as you don’t have to spend it on gym memberships. Also, a basic set of home equipment is cheap, and weights are long-lasting, making them super costefficient. 3. Flexibility - most gyms have working hours, which forces you to get there on time, which is hard if you have an everchanging working schedule. No such problems when working out at home, as you can do it anytime it suits you, or even split your workouts into shorter bursts, multiple times per day. 4. All about you - play your own music, as loud as you want. You can also scream, grunt, and drop weights as much as you want, it's your house. And no waiting for someone else to finish the set before you can do yours.
ABS OF STEEL
WITH ONE WHEEL
Disadvantages Of Exercising At Home But, working out at home is not perfect, here’s why: 1. Initial costs - yes, exercising at home saves you money, but only in the long run. Working out with just your bodyweight will only get you so far; for a proper workout, you need to buy equipment, at least the most basic stuff, like a pull-up bar and a set of dumbbells. The good news is that you can buy equipment gradually when you save up money. 2. Motivation factor - if you forced yourself to go to the gym, you will definitely do a workout when you get there. First, there’s nothing else you can do there. Second, you have so many people around you giving their best, and if you don’t do the same, you will feel awkward. It’s a different story when you workout at home. The fact that you can do your workout at any time makes you likely to postpone and procrastinate on it indefinitely. And home is full of temptations. Your PC, TV, bed, and even fridge will lure you off the schedule, and it’s so easy to slip. 3. Lacking intensity - unless you have a full gym (which costs a lot to make) you will “outgrow” working out at home, at least at some point. Because you will most likely have limited equipment, you won’t be able to add weights to your exercises. To make them still work, increase volume—more pushups, burpees, pull-ups, rope skips, longer stair climbing. When you go past the beginner and intermediate phase, your home workouts will last much longer than. That will negate one of the biggest benefits of home workouts, and that is timesaving. But, there are techniques you can use to make them more challenging, and we will discuss that in the next section.
PERFECT TREADMILL for your dream home gym
What are the best exercises to build muscles at home and why you should do them ? 1. Push-ups You knew the list had to start with pushups. This oldschool exercise will work your chest and triceps, but also delts, and even your core. Try different variations to make things interesting. Judo, diamond, Spiderman, T-pushups are only some of the variations you can use. Also, try elevating your feet, it will make your workouts much harder. 2. Pull-ups and chin-ups are one of the best exercises for growing your back muscles, especially lats. Although it is home-friendly, pull-ups are an essential bodybuilding movement and 100% hardcore. If you can’t do a single pushup, use a chair to get yourself over the bar, and try negative pushups where you only do the lowering part, until you get stronger. And if you are on the other side of the spectrum, and you can perform 10+ good form pull-ups, it’s time to add weight. Just put some books into a backpack and you are good. 3 .Squats, another staple exercise, this time for building lower body strength and size. Squats will hit your quads and glutes, but also other leg muscles, depending on the variation. Because leg muscles are the biggest and strongest in our body, doing squats is difficult, and it burns a lot of calories. If you do variations like jump squats combined with burpees, you will get both strength and cardio workout in a single package. 4. Sit-ups & Planks. The core is one area of your body you can effectively train forever, without introducing weight. There are so many variations of situps, crunches, and planks to keep things interesting.
Just remember, you need to train all sections of your abs—upper, lower, and obliques. Situps will work the upper abs, but you need to include some (hanging) leg raises, and leg lowering drills for the lower portion. As for the obliques, you can perform side crunches and planks, and rotational and stabilization exercises. 5. Various dumbbell & bands exercises. You will hardly find a more versatile piece of equipment than a pair of dumbbells. With them, you can do anything, from basic biceps curls and overhead presses, to the front, lateral and rear lateral raises. With a heavier pair, you can also do rows, deadlifts, squats, lunges, even lying chest presses. But, you can do a lot even if you have a pair of ultra-light weights if you use circuit techniques we listed above. Resistance bands are also a terrific option because they stimulate your muscles both in the concentric, and the eccentric (lowering) phase, as well “at the top” and “bottom” of the movement, something free weights never do. Also, resistance bands are lightweight and easy to pack, making them a perfect travel companion. 6. TRX allows you to supercharge your bodyweight exercises. With them, you can do movements like inverted rows, which are hard to pull off at home. TRX pushups, chest presses, glute bridges, squats, even curls are only a fraction of exercises you can perform with TRX, and work every muscle in your body. 7. For doing home cardio, the best approach is HIIT. As for the equipment, all you need is a jump rope and some stairs. Exercises like burpees, jumping jacks will get your heart pumping really fast. So will stairclimbing. But skipping rope is probably the best of all. It is low impact, interesting, promotes balance and coordination, and you can do it almost anywhere. Also, you can get a (jumping) rope for next to nothing, contrary to most other pieces of cardio machines that cost hundreds of dollars.
INTERMITTENT FASTING RULES SCIENCE BEHIND STARVING
Fasting, by definition, is abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined time. There is so much research supporting facts that intermittent fasting improves physical and mental health. In this post, you’ll read about the benefits and rules. Also, how it can be helpful for weight loss. Little Bit Of Science Behind Fasting Several studies showed that IF resulted in : - reduced levels of insulin and leptin which parallel increases in insulin and leptin sensitivity - reduced body fat - elevated ketone levels - reduced resting heart rate and blood pressure - reduced inflammation - increased resistance of the brain and heart to stress - resistance to diabetes. IF can also delay the onset and slow the progression of neuronal dysfunction and degeneration in animal models of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Small trials of IF in patients with cancer or multiple sclerosis have generated promising results that provide a strong rationale for moving forward with larger clinical trials in patients with a range of chronic age- and obesity-related disorders. -
How To Do Intermittent Fasting Properly? There are few solutions to put your body into a fasting mode. The most popular ones are: - fasting daily for from 12 to 20 hours - eating once a day - eating only every second day fasting for 24 hours for two days a week How To Do It? For me, the most sustainable and most convenient method is fasting every day for a particular time. Some people suggest 16 hours of fasting, followed by 8 hours of consuming calories. Based on my experience, the optimum ratio is 14/10 or 15/9. Anything more than that affects my performance in the long term. Fasting for 16 hours might be useful when you have enough fat to lose. If you are relatively lean, consider a shorter time as extensive fasting can damage your muscle mass too. Sources inform that 12 hours of fasting are already beneďŹ cial. During the ďŹ rst 12 hours of fasting, your body burns glycogen. After 12 hours, it starts to burn fat stores. So if you want to put your body into intermittent fasting mode then fast for at least 12 hours.
Many people fail with fasting because they don’t follow the rules. Therefore I want to repeat the most important principles. Later in this section, you will also find an infographic with products that are allowed and restricted. Mandatory Intermittent Fasting Rules Don’t consume any calories for at least 12 hours during fasting drink liquids which contain 0 calories eat 3 to 4 meals during your feeding window make sure that you deliver a sufficient amount of protein eat enough of carbohydrates and fat to provide energy do not eat large portions and do not indulge in unhealthy options What To Eat While Fasting? Anything that converts to glucose is restricted. Sugar does spike an insulin level which presence in bloodstream brakes fast. Whatever food is not allowed, but what about drinks? Here I want to stop for a moment and list preferred and restricted drinks. What To Choose Allowed drinks:
Restricted drinks:
- water - black tea and green tea - drinks that contain 0 calories - black coffee
- water with lemon or cucumber - apple cider vinegar - flavored tea with fruits - bulletproof coffee and latte
Wrapping It Up Intermittent fasting has many followers due to its sustainability as it’s easy to ďŹ t your meals during the feeding window and control daily calorie intake. Studies showed and proofed that intermittent fasting is an effective way for weight loss as also lean muscle mass development. There are still ongoing studies about the correlation between intermittent fasting and performance or longevity. Nonetheless, results are promising and position IF as a part of a healthy lifestyle and foundation for longevity.
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''SERCETS OF FASTING WRITTEN IN A SIMPLE MANNER, SO EVERYONE WILL UNDERSTAND'' GRAB YOUR COPY
GARMIN VIVOSMART 4 REVIEW
e you looking for a fitness tracker that is affordable, durable, stylish, and practical? A fitness tracker that you can wear while showering, swimming, running, or weightlifting? If you are looking for one that has it all – Garmin Vivosmart 4 is the answer.
DESIGN he first impression you have after seeing Garmin Vivosmart 4 is “It’s slim”, which makes it a perfect choice for people looking for a device that will fit with every outfit. Vivosmart 4 is available in multiple colors like berry, grey, azure blue, and black. The display is small, but it’s intended to be. There is enough space to see your current heart rate or notifications. The rest of the data is accessible from the phone. The display also has the auto-adjustment ability to the level of light so that you will see everything even under strong sunlight
TRACKING PARAMETERS part from tracking heart rate, daily steps, and calorie expenditure – Vivosmart 4 has extra features that will help you even control your stress levels or plan the intensity of your fitness routine. Let’s have a closer look at it.
Blood’s oxygen level measurement The Pulse Ox sensor on Vivosmart 4 can estimate your body’s blood oxygen saturation level. Those measurements depend on a few factors, including the lungs’ capacity and abilities of your metabolism. With Vivoactive 4, you can track how much oxygen is in your body while sleeping or during the training. Sleeping tracker We all know how sleep is essential to your well-being. Vivoactive 4 can offer quite a complete package when it comes down to tracking your sleeping hours. Apart from checking up on your SEM & REM stages, Garmin also tracks how well you breath and how much oxygen is delivered to your body overnight. It can be super helpful to see whether the quality of your sleep is good or bad. Activity Optimization Vivosmart 4 can combine all data like stress levels, heart rate, activity, oxygen saturation, and sleep into one algorithm to optimize your energy. In simple words, this tracker can advise you whether you should exercise or not because your body is tired. It makes sense when it comes down to planning the intensity of your workout throughout the week. Wise choices can help you not only avoid overtraining or chronic fatigue but increase your performance over time. It’s not about training HARD. It’s about training SMART.
PROS + Sleep tracking + PulseOx (SpO2), especially while sleeping + Remarkably small form factor, comfortable to wear while awake + Good iOS app
CONS - Limited activities to record and no winter sports at all.
YOUR NEW PORTABLE TOOL TO SPEED-UP RECOVERY QUIET FOR ANY SETTING ULTRA-PORTABLE 150-MIN. BATTERY LIFE ERGONOMIC GRIP
HOW TO SPEED UP RECOVERY FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE
Recovery is one of the fundamentals of athletic progress, alongside training and nutrition. However, recovery is the most neglected part, at least for most people. Gym time and training usually get the most attention, followed by trying your best to eat clean and intake enough protein (of course). Unfortunately, not many people pay attention to recovery, certainly not the amount of attention it deserves. There’s one simple reason why —recovery is boring! You will never brag to your gym bros “Dude, I slept 9 hours without interruptions last night!”. Let’s face it, it is not as exciting as hitting your new bench PR. Still, without adequate recovery, you will never break your lifting plateaus. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to make recovery less dull than it has to be, so stay tuned.
ICE BATH We start our list strong, with the most exciting way to recover your drained body—ice baths. It probably doesn’t sound like much fun, but taking ice baths is one of the best ways to speed up recovery while doing something challenging, that is good for building mental toughness. And trust us, it takes some resilience to enter a freezing cold tub when you are already banged up from your workouts . The idea behind taking ice baths is to constrict blood vessels, which reduces swelling and slows down tissue breakdown, which often follows extremely draining workouts. It is also helpful in clearing toxins that remain in your body. But, once you get warm, your vessels relax, releasing blood flow into your muscles again, improving circulation, so more nutrients get into the muscles quicker, speeding up their recovery. Because the body first constricts blood vessels of your extremities, trying to keep the organs in the torso and your head warm, ice baths are especially useful after strenuous activities such as running marathons and similar, where your legs do most of the work. Tennis players also love them, as their matches often last for hours. If diving straight into ice is too extreme for you, start with cold showers. Too much? Then shower as normal, but turn it to cold in the last minute, increasing the time with every shower. Also, try to decrease the “warm” part temperature from a shower to a shower. In a month, you will be able to completely shower in cold. Living, walking proof is WIM HOF, a founder of the ” Wimhof Method ”. Check it out necessarily as it might change your point of view on cold water forever.
SUPPLEMENTS Every gym bro loves his supplement stack. It usually consists of protein, creatine, and pre-workouts, but, you should think about recovery too. BCAAs or Branch Chain Amino Acids are one of the best supplements you can take if you want to speed up recovery. Their role is to prevent muscle breakdown, also known as catabolism, which follows extended, strenuous activities. Citrulline Malate is another supplement that is awesome for recovery and is getting more and more popular in recent years. Its primary role is in energy production, as it promotes ATP. But, it also stops lactic acid buildup and helps to remove ammonia from the body, which starts piling up during exercise. And of course, it increases workout performance. And if you are not that much into chemistry, and instead want something natural, try fish oil. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, one of the healthiest things you can eat (but nobody does enough). However, it is also good for your muscles, as it reduces inflammations, which will mean less soreness. It’s great for bones, hormones, and overall health, which makes it an excellent option for people of any age. Another natural option is curcumin. Found in turmeric, this yellowish powder will enormously help recovery, as it has one of the best anti-inflammatory properties of all supplements. You can take it in pill form, topically, or you can buy it to add to food. It goes well with fish and meat.
FOAM ROLLING AND STRETCHING Instead of lying around in your bed on your off-days, do something useful for your body. Stretching will improve the flexibility of your muscles, and it feels incredibly good, as it reduces the soreness and pain, at least temporarily. While it is a good idea to stretch every muscle, especially the ones you hit the day before, some areas are tight in most people: pecs, hamstrings, hip flexors, lats. You’ve guessed it, that tightness is a result of all-day sitting. So hit those areas first.
Foam rolling, on the other hand, will loosen up your muscles (stretching will lengthen them, that’s not the same thing), while also breaking down any scar tissue that’s built up over the years of poor form and too much load. Take it slow, working on the tightest muscles first. If an area feels extra tight, spend some more time on it. While you can do stretching and foam rolling right after your workout, it’s best to move that to your recovery days. The reason why is simple—it’s time-consuming, especially foam rolling. If you want to do it properly, you will need concentration and time. And you probably spend too much time at the gym anyway. Buy a foam roller, and do it at home, when convenient.
ing light cardio on your off-days improves circulation, but also releases the tension on the muscles. It also builds endurance and burns fat. After all, it’s cardio, the healthiest form of exercise, and the one you’re not doing enough. It’s essential for your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which are the foundations of the whole health. 150+ minutes of cardio per week is the minimum amount you should include, but if you get 300+, you will get the most health benefits. But keep in mind that the highlight here is “light.” Doing sprints, plyometrics, or HIIT will drain your body even more. What you need is light cycling, jogging, swimming (but not for laps!), or the best of all—walking. Don’t overdo it, the goal is to activate the muscles and get the blood flowing, but that’s it. Learn how to take it slow, you don’t have to burn the candle on both ends with every workout
The Most Trusted Spinning Bike For Home Usage In 2020
SLEEP Well, this one is maybe not that exciting, but sleep is the most critical part of recovery (and even health). If you do all the steps from above, but your sleep is poor, you did all that for nothing. And yes, you already know that you need eight hours per night. If that’s impossible, sleep as much as you can, and take naps during the day. Just make sure not to nap at least 6 hours before bedtime, as you can have trouble falling asleep if you do it too late in the day. To enhance sleep quality, do some preparation. First, make sure your room is dark. If for some reason you can’t completely turn off lights, then blindfolds (eye covers) are your best bet. Also, keep your room quiet. If you have noisy neighbors, it’s a good idea to turn on some white noise or to use earplugs. The idea is to have a non-interrupted sleep, so do as much as possible to make sure nothing wakes you up. Lastly, keep your room cold, as it promotes sounder sleep. If you don’t want to turn the A/C, you can sleep just in your underwear, without sheets.
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