Romeo4real: Hey Dominique, I've been good! Just been busy dealing with life's travails, plus i had a baby too! Hope you good too!

Wow that's good news. Congrats on the new addition to your family. Hope you're back for good?

@Romeo,
Thank you very much. I don't eat a lot of vegetables when I am in school but I take plenty fruits. No, the 1000 jumps are not done in a go. sometimes, splits of 200 or 500. It Depends.
Okay, another thing is I don't eat 3 times a day. Usually once or twice. If there must be a third then cucumbers and carrots will do.

@Dominique - Thanks. Yes, i'm back for good! LOL

@gazelleh -

Do the 1000 skips in one go; no matter how long it takes. When you exercise, you get the maximum benefit if the exercise is prolonged - 45mins to 1hr. You can take short rests in between - NOT more than 1min, then continue till finished. Makes sure there is some structure to it. E.g 200 - 1min rest - 200 - 1min rest - 2000 - 1min rest........until you are done. Keep to this routine until you do not need the rest period,or you can do more skips. Whatever you do, make sure you are CONSISTENT. I really cannot emphasise this enough. There is nothing more time wasting than a disorganised inconsitent exercise program.

Again, regarding your meals, i'm afraid there is no other way of saying this - if you are serious about your weight loss/fitness, then you need to get your eating in order. You MUST have regular meals every day. 3 medium sized meals is the minimum. There is no excuse. Period! This CANNOT change. If you do not eat properly, you will not have enough energy to do the exercises, and you will lose weight via starving yourself. This weight WILL come back on eventually. There is a right way to lose weight. It must be organised, structured and consitent. Do it the right way.

hi romeo thanks for stopping by mine and so awesome to know that there is someone out there who believes you dont have to belong in a gym to get work out done! i do body weights mostly pull ups, pushup..( the one i hold chair of cos! been trying to do a complete push up since God knows when) squats, burpees, i skipp some times, jumping jacks sometimes and walking and dancing depending on the day of the week.
so thanks again and anytime am stuck (in a plateau) will pop by

Pls I need ur advice. Am a very tall guy and am very slim, wat supplements or food can I take, wanna put on ssome weight n gain muscles. Pls email me ur reply timolegend@yahoo.com because I am not alway on nairaland.

Dear Romeo,
I recently started working out to build my body and was told that right diets and supplements wud help get a faster result.pls can you recommend Diets and supplements for me cos am totally new in all of this

@metamorphus11 -

You certainly do not need to go to a gym to achieve your weight loss goals, though i may be easier going to a gym due to the breath of machine avaiilable.

Doing it at home is much harder as you focus mostly on Plyometrics/ Calisthenics - which are much much harder, but better as they build core strength.
Do try to do your push ups on the floor, rather than on a chair. Kneel down and push your torso off the floor. When you increase your upper body strength, then you can also raise your feet off the floor as well (knees still on the floor). Kneel on a folded towel if it helps.

Use variations in the exercises so you continue to challenge yourself and do not stagnate. E.g, you can do jump squats - jumping/sqautting on one continuous movement, on the same point. Or a jump onto a different height, etc. Or close grip/wide grip push ups, etc.

Remember, whatever you do, do it consistently. This is the key. All the best!

@Chaircover -

Loooool! Im good! Thanks for asking. Incidentally, ihave been spending quite a lot of time in Nig over the years, and funny, when i'm there, it' so crazy i practically have no time to do the NL stuff! It is good to be back and great to see all the usual suspects still on the grind!


Re the breathing issue, I have spent considerable time and effort studying it and it is not straightforward as it seems, nor as is advised. This is because the correct way of breathing depends on the exercise being done and the intensity. All breathing guideline have their limitations. generally, most people do not breathe properly, and I have seen professional athletes and boxers who are yet to get their breathing right.

Guideline 1 - Inhale through the nose, and exhale through the nose. This is for light exercise, and is the fundamental of proper breathing.

Guideline 2 - Inhale through your nose, and exhale through the mouth. Once exercise becomes moderate or intense, this is the way to go. NOTE - This only works if the exercise is not too intense. As intensity develops, it will become impossible to get enough air in through the narrow nasal passages. At this stage, it is ok to supplement with inhaling/exhaling via the mouth as well.

Guideline 3 - Exhale on the effort. This is to help expel air (CO2) out of the lungs, so you can take a fresh breath. If you do not do this properly, then (1) there will not be enough space for a fresh intake of air, and (2) you will have more CO2 in your system making thereby decreasing cardiovascular efficiency. NOTE - This guideline doe NOT work in all cases; especially if the time difference between the effort and relaxation is small - like when using light weight/fast reps, high intensity or in boxing. Using this method in these cases will result in you breathing too fast and shallow - as there is simply no time to fill your lungs properly. The solution is to get your breathing into a cycle of inhalation/ exhalation by developing a rhythm. E.g. - inhale for 3 reps, exhale for 3 reps, etc. Or time it counting seconds - inhale continuously for 3 secs, exhale doing the same. Boxers exhale continuously on the effort - no matter how long this takes (a seven punch attack may take 5secs), and exhale when the effort is done. You are also encourage to make a sound upon exhalation to help drive the air out. This may be a silent blowing of the air out, a grunt (like some tennis players), or "Saaaaaa" sound like boxers.

NOTE - This method does not work for heavy squats. Because the heavy weight compresses the torso, it is extremely difficult to inhale; because inhalation means the chest cavity and shoulders have to rise. Also, the downward movement compresses the whole body, so inhaling on the way down seems incredibly unnatural and difficult. It is actually easier to exhale on the way down, taking advantage of the downward motion and compression of the weight to expel air from the lungs. You then inhale on the way up taking advantage of the upward motion to put air into the lungs.

If your reps are not fast, the exercise not intense, and the weight not heavy, then stick to the basics -

- In through the nose, out through the nose; until the exercise is moderate, or you getting tired, then out through the mouth.
- ALWAYS exhale on the effort - it takes time to cycle your breathing to do this. Once you get it right, you will see the benefits
- MOST people breathe quite shallow, and too fast. To mitigate this, breathe in for a couple of secs, and breathe out for the same amount of secs. This will be in a continuous rhythm. Once you get this right, again, you will see the benefits immediately (more energy)
- When you inhale, try to fill the bottom of your lungs, as opposed to the top - so focus on filling your abdomen with air; not your chest. Best way to do this is to breathe into your abdomen (trying to fill the abdomen). When you do this, your abdomen should rise slightly, with no rise or a slight rise of your chest. Exhale through the nose. This is quite difficult to get right during exercise, but as with everything, it takes time and training.

Hope this helps!

@timolegend -

If you need the advice, then i'm afraid you will have to come here.
First things first, get your diet in order, and formulate a weight training plan. The idea is to eat more, using the energy to work out and the extra calories to facilitate muscle growth. This means you will have to consume more protein and carbs. I suggest you eat 3 meals (complex carbs) a day + 2 protein supplement shakes. This makes 5 meals (anything you ingest counts as a meal). There are many protein shakes available,and they do differ in quality and price. If money is no object then the best brands are Met-Rx and EAS Myoplex. You can also try weightgainer supplements, but these contain too much sugar or simple carbs that i would not necessarily reccomend them. Basically, to gain weight, you will have to eat more; but ttay off any simple carbs, cakes, sweets, sugars, soft drinks, etc.

Increase your protein intake by eating more fish/chicken/egs - Note, this has to be done regulary on a daily basis, and using Amino acid tablet/powders will also help, as will supplements such as Glutamine - Any brand will do. Also increase your Vitamin C and Zinc intake.

Also, you will need to formulate an exercise plan that works out each muscle group at least once a week. A 3 day routine is the minimum. Focus on compound exercises - Squats (legs), Barbell press (chest), Military press (shoulders), Bent over rows/ Chin-ups (Lats/Back), Bicep curl (biceps), Tricep press downs (triceps), etc

Hope this helps.

@abbet=y 37 -

Eat a minimum of 5 meals a day - 3 meals + 2 protein supplement shakes (anything you ingest counts as a meal). The meals should be complex carbs with protein - Rice, Yam, Potatoes, etc, with Chicken/ Fish/ Tuurkey, etc.
There are too many protein supplments for me to recommend one, but if money is no object, then the best brands are Met-Rx and EAS Myoplex. You can also increase your protein intake by eating more fish/chicken/egs - Note, this has to be done regulary on a daily basis.

Using Amino acid tablet/powders will also help,as will supplements such as Glutamine - Any brand will do. Also increase your Vitamin C and Zinc intake. It is about ingesting as much protein as possible in order to build the muscle. If supplements are too expensive, then ordinary eggs will do. You will need to eat a minimum of 6/day - egg white ONLY. Discard the yolk. Eat it boiled and not raw,; due to the risk of salmomella.

Romeo4real: @abbet=y 37 -

Eat a minimum of 5 meals a day - 3 meals + 2 protein supplement shakes (anything you ingest counts as a meal). The meals should be complex carbs with protein - Rice, Yam, Potatoes, etc, with Chicken/ Fish/ Tuurkey, etc.
There are too many protein supplments for me to recommend one, but if money is no object, then the best brands are Met-Rx and EAS Myoplex. You can also increase your protein intake by eating more fish/chicken/egs - Note, this has to be done regulary on a daily basis.

Using Amino acid tablet/powders will also help,as will supplements such as Glutamine - Any brand will do. Also increase your Vitamin C and Zinc intake. It is about ingesting as much protein as possible in order to build the muscle. If supplements are too expensive, then ordinary eggs will do. You will need to eat a minimum of 6/day - egg white ONLY. Discard the yolk. Eat it boiled and not raw,; due to the risk of salmomella.

Thanks a lot God bless You

Romeo4real: @timolegend -

If you need the advice, then i'm afraid you will have to come here.
First things first, get your diet in order, and formulate a weight training plan. The idea is to eat more, using the energy to work out and the extra calories to facilitate muscle growth. This means you will have to consume more protein and carbs. I suggest you eat 3 meals (complex carbs) a day + 2 protein supplement shakes. This makes 5 meals (anything you ingest counts as a meal). There are many protein shakes available,and they do differ in quality and price. If money is no object then the best brands are Met-Rx and EAS Myoplex. You can also try weightgainer supplements, but these contain too much sugar or simple carbs that i would not necessarily reccomend them. Basically, to gain weight, you will have to eat more; but ttay off any simple carbs, cakes, sweets, sugars, soft drinks, etc.

Increase your protein intake by eating more fish/chicken/egs - Note, this has to be done regulary on a daily basis, and using Amino acid tablet/powders will also help, as will supplements such as Glutamine - Any brand will do. Also increase your Vitamin C and Zinc intake.

Also, you will need to formulate an exercise plan that works out each muscle group at least once a week. A 3 day routine is the minimum. Focus on compound exercises - Squats (legs), Barbell press (chest), Military press (shoulders), Bent over rows/ Chin-ups (Lats/Back), Bicep curl (biceps), Tricep press downs (triceps), etc

Hope this helps.

thanks alot

Hi, hope am not too late, can you direct me to any certified fitness instructor that is based in kano.

@Agrika -

Unfortunately, I am based in the UK, and when in Nigeria, i live in Lagos. Sorry i could'nt be of help.

@ op thanks all the same

Hey Romeo, I'm trying to lose weight and drop 15kg before October. I've lost 5kg from drastic portion control and carb cutting. I want to intensify my exercise regime as I only walk for an hour 3 times a week. How do you feel about the Insanity workout? Do you recommend it for exercise beginners? Or are there any other DVDs you recommend? I want to make exercise and healthy eating part of my lifestyle as I'm still young and adaptable, lol. Thanks

Hello Romeo. I need to know the kind of food dat would make me grow big and make my muscles toned..am a tall slim guy with little fat.

What kind of food and excercise would make me have a broad shoulder/chest and a full toned chest

@Seymour -
Apologies for the late reply. Yes, you can do it, but ur gonna have to work pretty damn hard. With committment, anything is possible.
Insanity is great, but do be prepared, it is not going to be easy. If possible, try NOT to do it on your own - have someone there to push you, and do the exercises properly - even if it is only one rep you can do. Forget quantity, focus on quality (very important).
You can also try Julian Michaels (JT) workout video. It is very similar (easier) than insanity IMO.
Remember, be focused and be consistent with the eating and exercise plan. It is the only way! Let me know how you are getting on and all the best!


@Akposy -
Ths is a simply one. Eating plan: 4 or 5 medium meals a day at regular intervals and at the same time. Focus or carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes, yam, plantain, beans, etc) & vegetables(raw or steamed). Also increase your protein intake via supplements/powders, etc, or just ingest boiled eggs - eat at least 5 a day (2 with yolk, 3 without)
Exercise plan: Minimum 4 days a week. Work out a specific muscle group at least once a week (45mins - 1hr). Muscle groups are - Chest, Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, and Legs. All the best!

Pls what are the exercises you can recommend for a woman in her 1st trimester of pregnancy?

@Eumaca - There are really no exercises a pregnant woman cannot do - unless there is a history of miscarriages or difficult pregnancies. If so, then you are advised to do ONLY gentle excersises with no jarring movements.
If there is no history of difficult pregnancies, then you can do anything you want and continue as normal; bump permitting, including running, cycling, etc. The fitter you are, the healthier your baby will be, the easier and less stressful labour will be for mother/child.

I would reccomend running/walking, shipping, cycling, or anything that gets your heart rate up and increases circulation for cardio. You can use standard weights for resistance or do bodyweight bearing exercises like squats, press-ups, lunges, etc.
All the best.

Tanx Romeo. How do i work on my thigh n legs? Wat kind of excerise?

Romeo4real: @yinx007 -

Apologies for the late reply. The very very late reply. I took a hiatus from the site for quite a while.
It seems you are doing all the right stuff, and congratulations on the weight loss so far. I take it that you have lost more since your post? (i hope so). Nothing generally wrong with Meat/Chicken pie as there are a lot worse things to eat. However, you cannot consider them as "snacks" as thay contain a decent amount of calories - unless you are expending a significant amount of calories in your exercise regime to balance the consumption out.

Also nothing wrong with Bananas, but hey are quite calorific, so again, unless you are expending significant amounts of calories exercising, you cannot consider them as a "snack".
So in a nutshell, A meat pie counts as a meal. You can have a meat pie + 2 small bananas or 1 large bannana as a meal.
Remember, its not only what you eat, but in what quantities, and how/what time you eat them. Any kind of food is fattening if eaten in large quantities with no exercise regimen.

The key foundation to maximising weight loss is small quantities of food, at consistently regular intervals, with regular exercise on a consistent basis. Stick to thhis simple plan and you can't go wrong.

Thanks for the response Romeo... Well, I lost a bit of weight and piled it back. I registered at a gym some 2 months back and started an exercise regimen but there was no serious improvement other than the fact that I was smarter and lighter, weight remained the same.
Now my question is, after doing a lot of research on the internet on the physiology of foods and weight loss.. I discovered I'm an endomorph(I'm sure u understand), how many minutes of cardio do u think I shld do and how many times a week for me to get maximum results.. What I do now is the treadmill for 30mins alternating btw jogging and fast walking, I sometimes add 500 skips to it.. And its done at least 5 times a week.. But I want something I can do indoors and I'll get results, I also need to know if I'm to increase the workout time frame, is there any fat burner u can advise me to use I also don't know how to do press up for my xtian mother arms....

Congrats on d arrival of your baby.

@Akposy -

There are many exercises for legs, but i would like you to focus on the basics like Squats, Lunges etc. You can also add variations these basic exercises, like one legged squats, jumping squats, jumping lunges, one legged lunges, etc. These can be done with bodyweight, barbells, or dumbells. When doing squats or lunges, it is imperative to use proper form and focus on the quality of the exercise, before you ramp up the quantity. This will also help you avoid injury. There are many videos on youtube that show proper form for squats/lunges.
Hope this helps.

@Yinx007 -

Being an endomorph realy makes no difference to the issue here. What you need to do is to formulate an exercise/eating plan that wil get you the results you want. If what you are currently doing is not getting you what you want, then it means it is simply not good enough and needs to be re-evaluated.

Remember, it took you a lot more than 2mths to put all the weight on, so you should be realistic and understand that you will need to lead your new lifestyle for a whole lot longer before you start seeing consistent results. 2mths is NOT enough!

Here is a plan -
- 30 mins jogging is NOT enough.It should be min 45mins. You need to do ths at least 3 times a week - CONSISTENTLY

- For indoor exercises, have a look at Julian Michaels or Shawn T dvd's, pick 2-3 exercises, and do them indoors. Make sure you have a structure when you do them, rather tha haphazardly. So something like, 30 squats, 1 min rest, then continue the cycke again till finished. Pick 2-3 exercise that will take about 1hr to do, no more.

Focus on squats, lunges, hack sqauts, mountain climbers, burpees, etc. These are called Plyometric exercises as they use your muscles whilst providing a cardio benefit. They are much better than doing just cardio like a treadmill or running.
- Skippping is good, but try to have a consistent programe for it. "Sometimes" is not good enough. Decide how many times, and stick to it.

- Do kneeling down press-up, till you build up enough strength in your core and arms - Go for at least 20-30/day to begin with.

All these MUST be done consistently. Decide on a programme, and stick to it, no matter what. If you don't, it'll be a case of taking 2 steps forwards, 2 backwards, and you will end up in the same place despite all the effort.

And lastly, do NOT take any fat burners. They are dangerous, don't really work, and only offer a short term benefit. Also you will be wasting your money.

Romeo please what excercise outside the gym and diet do you suggest to get a flat stomach?

Hi romeo4real, i am a student , the last time i checked my weight i weighed 80kg, i dont know what i weigh now, i also have a big stomach, like a baby bump, i am 19yrs and worried about my weight, people around me call me mummy and i dont like it. I need you to help me plan my diet table and portion control, the list of foods i eat are as follows, white rice(how many servings of white rice=how many servings of brown rice), bread(agege bread),full cream milk, indomie, sphagetti, garri, butter, fish, cornflakes, golden morn, egg, yam, groundnut, snacks and food outside which i take in the afternoon, salad with cream, softdrinks. I eat them in large quantities, i am ready to make all the sacrifices needed to control this weight, i hope to lose between 25kg to 30 kg, all i need is for you to use the food above that i eat to help me plan a portion control table, i would appreciate it, please tell me the ones to do away with, how many serving spoons i need to take, how much i can take, the ones i can replace, please help me, i hope to start this plan as soon as possible, latest by september 1 by God's grace, i promise to follow this portion control plan to the later, please help me. I am a student so i dont have access to a gym but i can trek a distance that when i am very fast takes 30 mins, any advice on exercises i can do. And about my big tummy, pls is there any food or exercise i can do to reduce it, do sit ups work and how should i do per day. Thanks so much i really look forward to your reply

@Afunkybaby -

I have read your posts on the other thread, and you seem determined to make a change. I can assure you that if you can keep your motivation and determination, you can do it.
Understand that you will have to make major sacrifices and change your eating habits. This is about having a new lifestyle which you will have to maintain forever.

1.Cut out ALL fizzy/soft drinks, biscuits, cakes, salad cream etc.
2. Cut out ALL sugar from your diest
3. Reduce salt drastically, or cut it out completely
5. Golden Morn is full of sugar. Reduce your portions or cut it out
6. Reduce your intake of evaporated/ full milk, or cut it out completely
7. Reduce butter or cut it out
8. Make sure you regularly (at the same times) every day
9. Make sure to eat 3-4 times a day - Consistently. Apart from these times, nothing else should go into your mouth. No "snacks"
10.Make sure to eat more fruit and vegetables (NOT vegetable stew). This can be one of your meals
11. NEVER eat anything in a large quantity
12. Never eat more than medium portions (fistfull) of food. E.g, 1 packet of Indomie is a medium portion. 2 packets is not.
13 Rice, bread, garri, yam, potatoes, pasta, noodles, groundnut are all ok, as long as you only eat medium portions.
14. If you can, do your treks on a daily basis - please supply information as to how long this trek is.

For your stomach, do bicycle crunches and normal crunches until you are stong enough to do normal sit-ups or plank excercise. Do 100 crunches every day. This does not have to be done at once.
If you can, get a skipping rope. Skip for 30mins at least 3 times a week. This must be done NOT less than 30 mins.

Remember, the key to your success is doing everything in a consistent manner (portion control & exercising). That means you stick to the plan no matter what, day in, day out! This is the part most people do not get. If you don't you will simply be wasting your time.

Hope this helps and feel free to contact me for any help or motivation

@ireneidiva -

You can do sit-ups, crunches, leg raises and plank exercises. There are many variations of these exrcises, so find the one easiest to start with. Also, be consistent.
Best of luck.

Plz my stomach is realy realy big....i have bin exercisin 30 mins almost evryday fr 5months now nd I eat realy small meals no junk hardly any sugar nd lots of water although my clothes feel lose and stuff the scale has hardly moved and my stomach still almost the same size and am 18..seriously aint this the age when am supposed to be able to lose fat easily Wonder what will happen wen am 40