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10 Signs You Might Need Magnesium Supplements
Steph Hofer, 7 August 2019
Magnesium deficiency (or hypomagnesemia) is a common, yet often overlooked health issue. And if left unchecked it can lead to serious health problems. While there aren't sufficient statistics here in New Zealand, in the United States around 2% of the population are magnesium deficient, while other studies suggest 75% are not meeting their recommended daily magnesium intake. Magnesium deficiency can also be hard to detect, as the obvious signs typically don’t appear until your levels are unhealthily low. Serious health problems that can develop as a result of low magnesium include: diabetes, celiac disease, hungry bone syndrome and more. To help you avoid running into these health problems in future, here are 10 signs you might need a magnesium pick me up this winter: 1. You Experience Muscle Twitching And Cramping Do you experience constant twitches, tremors, or muscle cramps? According to scientists, these symptoms are caused by an increased flow of calcium into your nerve cells. This causes your muscle nerves to become over-stimulated. Supplementing with magnesium is a great way to help calm your over-excited nerves and relieve twitching or cramping. 2. Mental Health Issues Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety can also be enhanced by a magnesium deficiency. Recent studies found that low magnesium levels came with an increased risk of depression. Scientists have also theorised that low magnesium may promote anxiety - although more research is required on the subject. 3. You Constantly Feel Fatigued Or Weak Feeling fatigued or tired is another common symptom of magnesium deficiency. Fatigue can be defined as experiencing physical or mental exhaustion. We all feel fatigued from time to time, so you’re likely to have to experience additional symptoms before being diagnosed with a magnesium deficiency. 4. You Have High Blood Pressure A variety of observational studies have shown that low magnesium levels along with a poor diet, can lead to a rise in blood pressure. Other reviews also found that magnesium supplements had positive effects in lowering blood pressure, which also reduces the risk of heart disease. 5. You’re Asthmatic Interestingly enough, magnesium deficiency is often found in those with severe asthma. This is due to the fact that a lack of magnesium can lead to a buildup of calcium in the lungs - which constricts your airways and makes breathing more difficult. In some cases asthmatics are given an inhaler with magnesium sulfate to help relax and expand the airways. 6. You Have An Irregular Heartbeat One of the more serious symptoms of magnesium deficiency is an irregular heartbeat (or heart arrhythmia). Patients who suffered from heart failure were shown to have lower levels of magnesium compared to healthy people. Treating heart patients with magnesium is also proven to help improve the health and function of the heart. 7. You Suffer From Migraines Or Migraine-Like Headaches Multiple studies have shown that low magnesium levels in the brain can be related to migraines. This is because magnesium is needed for optimal nerve function in the brain. Taking magnesium supplements helps improve your nerve function and can lessen the likelihood of migraine attacks. Just remember to speak to your doctor if your migraines / headaches still continue. 8. You’re Having Trouble Sleeping Magnesium can help relax the body and the mind, which helps you get a better sleep. It also helps the “GABA” receptors in the brain function properly. GABA is the neurotransmitter which allows the brain to reach a restful state. 9. You Have Weak Bones (Or Osteoporosis) Osteoporosis is a disorder where your bones become weaker and are more likely to damage or fracture. Factors such as old age and lack of vitamin D and K are commonly associated with this disorder, however magnesium deficiency can also increase the risk of osteoporosis. As well as weakening bones, low magnesium levels can reduce the blood levels of calcium, which is also crucial for bone health. 10. You’re Pregnant Often the higher the estrogen or progesterone levels in a woman’s body, the lower the magnesium levels. This commonly occurs during pregnancy. This is part of the reason why pregnant women experience more cramps and other muscular problems in the second half of their cycles - as during this time their magnesium levels usually drop. How Much Magnesium Should You Be Taking? According to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, adult men should consume between 400g and 420mg of magnesium per day. Women on the other hand should be consuming between 310mg and 320mg daily. It’s also recommended that pregnant women consume a higher dose than those who are not pregnant (as touched on above). Need high-quality Magnesium? Check out Sportfuel’s range of magnesium supplements today.
Read More
5 Tricks to Staying Motivated to Work Out
Sportsfuel, 6 April 2016
What does it take to achieve one's fitness goals? Of course, it takes the right fitness regimen and the correct blend of nutrients to support muscle growth and keep the metabolism functioning optimally. But is that really all? Of course not! If all that was needed was a workout plan and the right diet, everyone would be walking around looking fit and trim, but that's simply not how it is. There is a third component to success at the gym - personal motivation. What separates a person who is successful at the gym from someone who is not, usually comes down to motivation. If you want to see results, you have to be motivated to fight for them. That doesn't just mean being motivated to go to the gym and to follow your diet. It also means working out as hard as possible, not just phoning it in or dialling back when it gets difficult. Unfortunately, our brains often become fatigued long before our bodies. Motivation is almost always responsible when we fail to follow through with our fitness goals. The good news is that there are ways to stay motivated and on track. Here are five secrets shared by highly successful fitness enthusiasts that anyone can use to get on the path to workout success: Set Realistic, Tangible Goals. The best way to stay motivated is to constantly be working toward something tangible. Just saying, "I want to get stronger" isn't a clear enough picture of what you want to achieve for you to be able to celebrate success and stay driven along the way. Instead, set a long-term goal for yourself and then break it into smaller goals. For example, instead of just "get stronger," you can say "I want to ultimately be able to bench press 315 pounds." Then, you can set a short term goal like, "I want to be able to bench press 280 pounds within the next 6 weeks." Once you reach that goal, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. Then, you're ready to set a new one and keep progressing forward. If you're completely new to exercise, consult a trainer for assistance with goal setting to ensure that you're placing realistic expectations on yourself. Revisit Your Goals Regularly Make time at least once per week to think about how you're progressing to your goals. In the above example, if you're 2 weeks in and haven't been able to increase the amount of your bench presses at all, you may need to reevaluate what you're doing. Do you need to work out more? Change your diet? What can you do to put yourself on the path for success? Also spend time thinking about why you want to accomplish your goal. What will improve when you're able to lift more or when you lose weight? How will it change your life? Staying focused on the benefits of achieving will help keep you engaged and motivated. Recognize When It's Time for a Change If you're revisiting your goals regularly, you'll be able to see when you've reached a point where you're just not progressing, or where you're struggling to stay motivated. In those situations, take the time to carefully evaluate what's wrong. Are you forcing yourself to do workouts that you're always going to hate or are you continuing to go to a gym where you don't feel welcome and relaxed? When the problem is what you're doing or where you're doing it, don't be afraid to change things up. Find a new gym. Experiment with a new workout. Discover what works for you. You'll be better motivated when you're working out in a way that you enjoy in a place that you look forward to going to. Look at the Big Picture Let's face it - it can be hard to do things for ourselves. It's much easier to fall into the trap of thinking that you could be doing more work at the office or getting more done around the house and start seeing time at the gym as "wasted." Don't fall into that mental trap, though! Reset your perspective by focusing on the big picture and how working out has a positive impact on your life. For example, regular exercise can improve your mental focus, so you're able to work harder and be more creative when you're at the office. It can also give you more energy so that you're better able to go home and cross the items off of your to-do list productively. When you focus on the overall benefits of exercise, you'll find that your level of motivation soars. Take Full Ownership This is the hardest and most important one! If you want to be motivated to achieve your workout goals, you have to understand that ultimately it's up to you whether or not you succeed. When you're fatigued, bored or stressed, your mind will begin to play games with you. You'll tell yourself a million excuses for why you can or should skip a workout or why it's okay if you don't finish your full workout. These excuses will often place blame elsewhere. Your boss stressed you out, so you deserve a break. With all those activities your kids have, you're just too tired to go to the gym. Be ready for these tricks that your mind plays--and put a stop to them fast. Don't shift the blame for skipping your workout on anything or anyone else. You're the one who decides what you do or don't do on any given day. That's not meant to make you feel guilty; it's meant to empower you. Whether or not you succeed is entirely in your hands. You just have to put your mind to it and follow through. Now that you know the secrets to stay motivated for success, you're ready to get on the path to accomplishing your fitness goals.
Read More
3 Ways to Strengthen Your Mind for Workout Success
Sportsfuel, 27 January 2016
To be truly successful in getting leaner and more muscular, you need to train more than just your body.
Read More
5 Weight Loss Lies You Need to Stop Telling Yourself
Sportsfuel, 13 October 2015
This time, you're committed to finally getting down to a healthy weight and staying there. You're proving it every time that you head to the gym and powering through your workouts. All of that training is hard work, but you know it will be worth it when you step on the scale and see the results...Or will you?
Read More

Full body dumbbell work out - At home!

Written by Isaac Kerr, 19 March 2020

With a lot of businesses, schools and workplaces shutting down, and 'social distancing' becoming something more actual than just a Facebook meme, people are getting wary of going to mass gatherings and public places for work and recreation.

Exercise and going to local gyms are also making people a bit nervy for hygiene reasons and all that shared space and equipment. There are certainly ways to remain healthy and safe while working out, but if you're still not too keen on sweating up a storm with a bunch of other people or are only leaving the house for 'emergencies' like toilet paper stockage, then maybe you should try an at home workout.

Home workouts aren't just handy for during a crisis, they're great for busy people, parents and for saving money in general. For this full body workout, all you need is some dumbbells and a bit of flat space like your lounge room or garage floor.

Stay home and execute a good workout, without having to run into anyone else!

Full body dumbbell workout

Five rounds
Five exercises
Ten reps per exercise

If you only have one pair of dumbbell weights, make sure to watch your form on exercises that would normally require a heavier weight. Go slow, with impeccable posture and really squeeze, so that you can properly feel those muscles working.

1. Goblet Squat

Named after the way we hold the weight - in front of your chest with cupped hands - the Goblet Squat targets quads, calves and glutes. It also helps with grip strength because of how you hold the weight.

Start by holding your dumbbell vertically by one end, hugging it against your chest. Now with your elbows pointing down, lower your body into a squat. Let your elbows brush past your knees as you lower down, your knees will push out a little - this is okay. Return to a standing position, making sure to use your legs, hips and lower back as a unit so that your upper body hardly moves.

2. Shoulder Press

The shoulder press can be done sitting down or standing. If you're a bit of a beginner, sitting will offer you more support, but standing will engage your core more. Choose your preference based on fitness level.

Hold your dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing forward and elbows out to the side, bent at a 90 degree angle. Without leaning back, extend through your elbows to lift the weights above your head. Bring the weights down slowly, returning to the starting position and repeat.

3. Dumbbell Row

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees slightly, and keeping your back straight, bend over slightly at the waist. Let your dumbbells hang straight in front of you with your arms fully extended. Squeeze your back, bend your arms and pull the dumbbells up to your ribcage. Hold for about one second (with your back still contracted) then lower the dumbbells back into the starting position.

4. Stiff Legged Dead Lift

This exercise targets the glutes, hamstrings, lower and upper back. Once again, usually this type of movement would require a heavier weight than the dumbbells you may have at home, so make sure to have great form, contract slowly and really squeeze.

Hold your dumbbells in front of you with an over hand grip, palms facing your body. Hinge forward at your hips, slightly bending the knees, lowering the dumbbells to the ground, making sure your back doesn't round or arch. Squeeze your core and lift weights back to the starting position.

5. Standing Chest Press

Chest presses are usually done on a bench, but most people don't have a decent alternative to a bench at home and doing chest presses on the floor can be difficult and awkward. This standing chest press will target those pecs in a new way and uses only one dumbbell!

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell between your palms with bent arms in front of your chest. Squeeze the dumbbell through your palms to activate your chest, then push the dumbbells away from you until your arms are fully extended before returning to starting position.

As you work through your reps, make sure not to drop your arms, they need to stay in line with your chest when fully extended.

10 Signs You Might Need Magnesium Supplements
Steph Hofer, 7 August 2019
Magnesium deficiency (or hypomagnesemia) is a common, yet often overlooked health issue. And if left unchecked it can lead to serious health problems. While there aren't sufficient statistics here in New Zealand, in the United States around 2% of the population are magnesium deficient, while other studies suggest 75% are not meeting their recommended daily magnesium intake. Magnesium deficiency can also be hard to detect, as the obvious signs typically don’t appear until your levels are unhealthily low. Serious health problems that can develop as a result of low magnesium include: diabetes, celiac disease, hungry bone syndrome and more. To help you avoid running into these health problems in future, here are 10 signs you might need a magnesium pick me up this winter: 1. You Experience Muscle Twitching And Cramping Do you experience constant twitches, tremors, or muscle cramps? According to scientists, these symptoms are caused by an increased flow of calcium into your nerve cells. This causes your muscle nerves to become over-stimulated. Supplementing with magnesium is a great way to help calm your over-excited nerves and relieve twitching or cramping. 2. Mental Health Issues Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety can also be enhanced by a magnesium deficiency. Recent studies found that low magnesium levels came with an increased risk of depression. Scientists have also theorised that low magnesium may promote anxiety - although more research is required on the subject. 3. You Constantly Feel Fatigued Or Weak Feeling fatigued or tired is another common symptom of magnesium deficiency. Fatigue can be defined as experiencing physical or mental exhaustion. We all feel fatigued from time to time, so you’re likely to have to experience additional symptoms before being diagnosed with a magnesium deficiency. 4. You Have High Blood Pressure A variety of observational studies have shown that low magnesium levels along with a poor diet, can lead to a rise in blood pressure. Other reviews also found that magnesium supplements had positive effects in lowering blood pressure, which also reduces the risk of heart disease. 5. You’re Asthmatic Interestingly enough, magnesium deficiency is often found in those with severe asthma. This is due to the fact that a lack of magnesium can lead to a buildup of calcium in the lungs - which constricts your airways and makes breathing more difficult. In some cases asthmatics are given an inhaler with magnesium sulfate to help relax and expand the airways. 6. You Have An Irregular Heartbeat One of the more serious symptoms of magnesium deficiency is an irregular heartbeat (or heart arrhythmia). Patients who suffered from heart failure were shown to have lower levels of magnesium compared to healthy people. Treating heart patients with magnesium is also proven to help improve the health and function of the heart. 7. You Suffer From Migraines Or Migraine-Like Headaches Multiple studies have shown that low magnesium levels in the brain can be related to migraines. This is because magnesium is needed for optimal nerve function in the brain. Taking magnesium supplements helps improve your nerve function and can lessen the likelihood of migraine attacks. Just remember to speak to your doctor if your migraines / headaches still continue. 8. You’re Having Trouble Sleeping Magnesium can help relax the body and the mind, which helps you get a better sleep. It also helps the “GABA” receptors in the brain function properly. GABA is the neurotransmitter which allows the brain to reach a restful state. 9. You Have Weak Bones (Or Osteoporosis) Osteoporosis is a disorder where your bones become weaker and are more likely to damage or fracture. Factors such as old age and lack of vitamin D and K are commonly associated with this disorder, however magnesium deficiency can also increase the risk of osteoporosis. As well as weakening bones, low magnesium levels can reduce the blood levels of calcium, which is also crucial for bone health. 10. You’re Pregnant Often the higher the estrogen or progesterone levels in a woman’s body, the lower the magnesium levels. This commonly occurs during pregnancy. This is part of the reason why pregnant women experience more cramps and other muscular problems in the second half of their cycles - as during this time their magnesium levels usually drop. How Much Magnesium Should You Be Taking? According to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, adult men should consume between 400g and 420mg of magnesium per day. Women on the other hand should be consuming between 310mg and 320mg daily. It’s also recommended that pregnant women consume a higher dose than those who are not pregnant (as touched on above). Need high-quality Magnesium? Check out Sportfuel’s range of magnesium supplements today.
Read More
5 Tricks to Staying Motivated to Work Out
Sportsfuel, 6 April 2016
What does it take to achieve one's fitness goals? Of course, it takes the right fitness regimen and the correct blend of nutrients to support muscle growth and keep the metabolism functioning optimally. But is that really all? Of course not! If all that was needed was a workout plan and the right diet, everyone would be walking around looking fit and trim, but that's simply not how it is. There is a third component to success at the gym - personal motivation. What separates a person who is successful at the gym from someone who is not, usually comes down to motivation. If you want to see results, you have to be motivated to fight for them. That doesn't just mean being motivated to go to the gym and to follow your diet. It also means working out as hard as possible, not just phoning it in or dialling back when it gets difficult. Unfortunately, our brains often become fatigued long before our bodies. Motivation is almost always responsible when we fail to follow through with our fitness goals. The good news is that there are ways to stay motivated and on track. Here are five secrets shared by highly successful fitness enthusiasts that anyone can use to get on the path to workout success: Set Realistic, Tangible Goals. The best way to stay motivated is to constantly be working toward something tangible. Just saying, "I want to get stronger" isn't a clear enough picture of what you want to achieve for you to be able to celebrate success and stay driven along the way. Instead, set a long-term goal for yourself and then break it into smaller goals. For example, instead of just "get stronger," you can say "I want to ultimately be able to bench press 315 pounds." Then, you can set a short term goal like, "I want to be able to bench press 280 pounds within the next 6 weeks." Once you reach that goal, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. Then, you're ready to set a new one and keep progressing forward. If you're completely new to exercise, consult a trainer for assistance with goal setting to ensure that you're placing realistic expectations on yourself. Revisit Your Goals Regularly Make time at least once per week to think about how you're progressing to your goals. In the above example, if you're 2 weeks in and haven't been able to increase the amount of your bench presses at all, you may need to reevaluate what you're doing. Do you need to work out more? Change your diet? What can you do to put yourself on the path for success? Also spend time thinking about why you want to accomplish your goal. What will improve when you're able to lift more or when you lose weight? How will it change your life? Staying focused on the benefits of achieving will help keep you engaged and motivated. Recognize When It's Time for a Change If you're revisiting your goals regularly, you'll be able to see when you've reached a point where you're just not progressing, or where you're struggling to stay motivated. In those situations, take the time to carefully evaluate what's wrong. Are you forcing yourself to do workouts that you're always going to hate or are you continuing to go to a gym where you don't feel welcome and relaxed? When the problem is what you're doing or where you're doing it, don't be afraid to change things up. Find a new gym. Experiment with a new workout. Discover what works for you. You'll be better motivated when you're working out in a way that you enjoy in a place that you look forward to going to. Look at the Big Picture Let's face it - it can be hard to do things for ourselves. It's much easier to fall into the trap of thinking that you could be doing more work at the office or getting more done around the house and start seeing time at the gym as "wasted." Don't fall into that mental trap, though! Reset your perspective by focusing on the big picture and how working out has a positive impact on your life. For example, regular exercise can improve your mental focus, so you're able to work harder and be more creative when you're at the office. It can also give you more energy so that you're better able to go home and cross the items off of your to-do list productively. When you focus on the overall benefits of exercise, you'll find that your level of motivation soars. Take Full Ownership This is the hardest and most important one! If you want to be motivated to achieve your workout goals, you have to understand that ultimately it's up to you whether or not you succeed. When you're fatigued, bored or stressed, your mind will begin to play games with you. You'll tell yourself a million excuses for why you can or should skip a workout or why it's okay if you don't finish your full workout. These excuses will often place blame elsewhere. Your boss stressed you out, so you deserve a break. With all those activities your kids have, you're just too tired to go to the gym. Be ready for these tricks that your mind plays--and put a stop to them fast. Don't shift the blame for skipping your workout on anything or anyone else. You're the one who decides what you do or don't do on any given day. That's not meant to make you feel guilty; it's meant to empower you. Whether or not you succeed is entirely in your hands. You just have to put your mind to it and follow through. Now that you know the secrets to stay motivated for success, you're ready to get on the path to accomplishing your fitness goals.
Read More
3 Ways to Strengthen Your Mind for Workout Success
Sportsfuel, 27 January 2016
To be truly successful in getting leaner and more muscular, you need to train more than just your body.
Read More
5 Weight Loss Lies You Need to Stop Telling Yourself
Sportsfuel, 13 October 2015
This time, you're committed to finally getting down to a healthy weight and staying there. You're proving it every time that you head to the gym and powering through your workouts. All of that training is hard work, but you know it will be worth it when you step on the scale and see the results...Or will you?
Read More

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Full body dumbbell work out - At home!

Full body dumbbell workout

1. Goblet Squat

2. Shoulder Press

3. Dumbbell Row

4. Stiff Legged Dead Lift

5. Standing Chest Press

Related articles

10 Signs You Might Need Magnesium Supplements

5 Tricks to Staying Motivated to Work Out

3 Ways to Strengthen Your Mind for Workout Success

5 Weight Loss Lies You Need to Stop Telling Yourself