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Smoking and the body

November 7th, 2011 . Posted in health, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: body, gym, health, smoking

Smoking is a common habit that many people have but how does this affect a workout in the gym?

Studies have shown that there are over 4,000 harmful chemicals in a single cigarette with 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) toxins and 400 other chemicals such as carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine (insecticide/addictive drug), formaldehyde (embalming fluid), ammonia (toilet cleaner), hydrogen cyanide (gas chamber poison), and arsenic (rat poison).

So how does this affect your body?

Let’s start from the top of the body and work our way down, looking at the effects smoking has on it.

The head and mouth

When using a cigarette the first point of contact is your mouth and this is where you are at risk of getting cancer of the mouth. Cancer of the mouth in extreme cases is unsightly, painful and rots away your lips and cheeks. Smoking can also cause gum disease, bad breath and tooth decay from all the chemicals entering the mouth; a good way of preventing this is to use a medicated mouthwash which contains Chlorhexidine Digloconate or by using a smokers toothpaste.

The Lungs and Chest

The most obvious chemical in a cigarette is tar and one cigarette can contain 22mg of tar. Tar is a thick, sticky substance which settles on the inner lining of the lungs and is a major cause of lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis and also damages lung cells which prevent tumors from forming and can also damage the cilia in the lungs which protects the inner lining.

As tar is so thick and covers the inside of the lungs, this then affects how much oxygen can reach the blood stream and respiratory system. This has an adverse effect on the length of time a person can do a cardio fitness session in the gym because they will find it a struggle to exercise for a prolonged amount of time compared to that of a non-smoker. Many people who have quit smoking have said they can walk, jog or run for a longer time than they did when smoking.

Another chemical which damages the bronchi (breathing tubes) is hydrogen cyanide. As this chemical passes through the bronchi it inflames the lining and causes the chronic smoker’s cough, because the bronchi become weakened this then makes you more susceptible to chest and bronchial infections. Smokers are also 10 times more likely to suffer from lung cancer than a non-smoker.

The Heart

Carbon monoxide is a chemical often found in car exhaust fumes, but when excreted from a cigarette it can have a negative effect on the heart because it steals the oxygen from the bloodstream which then causes cholesterol to build up in the arteries leading to heart attacks and high blood pressure. This then leads to a higher risk of stroke and loss of circulation in the fingers and toes due to the lack of oxygen carrying the blood around the body. On top of this, Nicotine raises the blood pressure and increases the chance of clotting in the blood.

The Organs

Because smoking lowers the appetite, the digestive system is also affected. This leads to heartburn and ulcers because of the increased levels of acid creation in the stomach. Because a lot of the chemicals from the cigarette is passed through the digestive system they are filtered through the urine and can cause bladder cancer which can cause death.

Keep an eye out for our follow up article to this one ‘Quitting Smoking’.

Paul Megwa

July 24th, 2011 . Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: body, building, megwa, paul, training

Training profile of Paul Megwa frequently asked questions and general stats.

General Information

Name: Paul Megwa
Date of Birth: 28/08/1969
Height: 5′ 8″
Off Season Weight: 17st 7lbs
Competition Weight: 14st 7lbs
Number of years training: Approx. 20 years
Number of years competing: Since 1995
Achievements in competitions: Best year 2004 – 1st in the NABBA North, 1st in the NABBA Britain, 7th in the NABBA Universe Class 2
Strongest Body Parts: Chest
Most Difficult Body Part to Train: None
Favourite Training Routine: Don’t have a specific routine – just a routine of foundation exercises.
Training Goals: To train as long as my body allows me.

Paul Megwa will be competing in the Mr. Universe Competition in October 2011 and already has many achievements to be proud of. Paul is from the North of Egland and trains in Newcastle.

Training Regime:

Off season, 4 days per week 1.5 hours per session. Pre contest – 6 days per week 2 hours per session including cardio.

Diet Off Season:

High carbs & high protein.

Competition Diet:

High protein, high essential fat and low carbs

Supplements Used Off Season:

Cell Tech, Syntha 6 and while training I like to drink Gatorade

Supplements Used For Competition:

Syntha 6, Whey Isolates, Met-Rx Multi Vitamins and while training Gatorade as an energy boost.

Best Training Advice Given:

Just be consistent.

Legs – once per week

1st- Leg Press. 2 sets of 15-20 reps for war ups followed by 3 sets of 6-10 reps increasing the weight each set.
2nd – Smith Machine squats. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set
3rd – Leg Extension. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set
4th – Seated Ham String Machine. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set
5th – Lying Leg Curls. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.

Calf’s – 3 times per week.

1st – Seated Calf Machine. 3 sets of 15-20 reps increasing with each set.
2nd – Standing Calf Raises. 3 sets of 15-20 reps increasing with each set.
3rd – Seated Toe Press. 3 sets of 15-20 reps increasing with each set.

Shoulders – once per week.

1st – Smith Machine Press to the front. 2 warm up sets of 15-20 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
2nd – Machine Press (hitting the back and side heads). 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
3rd – Side Lateral Raises. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
4th – Bent Over Lateral Raises. 2 sets of 12-15 reesp increasing the weight with each set.

Back – once per week.

1st – Front Pull Downs. 2 warm up sets with 15-20 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 -1 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
2nd – Bent Over Rows or T Bar Rows. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
3rd – Seated Low Pulley Machine. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
4th – Barbell Shrugs (for my traps). 6 sets of 6 -10 reps increasing the weight with each set.

Chest – once per week.

1st – Inclines Smith Machine. 2 warm up sets of 15-20 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
2nd – Vertical Chest Press. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing weight with each set
3rd – Pec Deck. 3 sets o f 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set

Triceps – once per week

1st – Tricep Push Down. 2 warm up sets of 15-20 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
2nd – Reverse Single Arm Tricep Pull Downs. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.
3rd – Dips. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps.

Biceps

1st – Standing Low Pulley Bicep Curls. 2 warm up sets of 15 – 20 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing weight with each set.
2nd – Hammer Curls. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set
3rd – Standing Dumbell Curls. 3 sets of 6 – 10 reps increasing the weight with each set.

Abs – 3 times per week.

1st – 4 sets of ab crunches 10 – 15 reps per set
2nd – 4 sets of leg raises between 10 -15 reps per set.

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