In simple terms, muscular endurance is the muscle’s ability to exert force for an extended period of time. Although many people focus only on increasing their physical strength, improving muscular endurance is just as important when it comes to physical fitness. So, here are some things you should remember if you want to start working on your endurance.

Choose the right exercises

Compound exercises are movements that involve more than one muscle or joint like deadlifts, squats, and pull-ups. Compound movements are the right choice when it comes to improving muscular endurance. This is simply because if more (and larger) muscles are engaged, it will be easier to stimulate endurance in those muscles altogether. That is, compared to working a muscle in isolation which only stimulates mass and strength. 

Improve your strength

As said earlier, muscular strength and muscular endurance are different aspects of physical fitness. But that definitely doesn’t mean they can’t work hand in hand. In fact, if you’re already strong in the first place, that will have a significant effect on your muscular endurance as well.

With actual strength, you can carry weights for longer and with less effort. Think of strength as something like a box. If the box is small, of course, you can’t put a lot in it. But if it’s big, you’ll be able to do a lot more! 

Do fast-paced workouts

If you want to improve your muscular endurance, you have to be ready to do more high-intensity, fast-paced workouts. When lifting, usually you would have to use light to moderate weight doing 15-20 reps. When you go for heavy weights, your muscles will fatigue faster and will only target mass and strength. By using lighter weight, you can do the exercises longer which helps the muscle build more stamina instead.

Your rest periods should be on the lower end

Because you’re lifting lighter, it shouldn’t take long for you to rest. Basically, if you’re looking to increase strength and muscle mass, you beat up your muscles by going heavy. But if you want to improve muscular endurance, you beat up your muscles by using it as much as possible. That means you’ll have to limit your rest to just about 30 seconds to a minute between each set, depending on your workout.

Vary your routine

When it comes to endurance, we usually first think about jogging or cycling especially since these are popular in Singapore. If you already do those, that’s perfectly fine but you should also remember to change up your routine from time to time. This not only helps you utilize different methods to train for endurance, but it also keeps your workouts fun.

When you think about it, fragrances are important especially in Singapore where the heat can make you sweaty and smelly. If you’re one of the dudes who already wear perfumes or colognes, you’re already on the right track! But if you don’t do it yet, don’t worry! We got you covered with this basic guide to men’s fragrances.

Why should I wear cologne?

First of all, let’s discuss some reasons why you should wear cologne or at least any type of fragrance. This is because there are still a lot of men who think either think it’s a hassle or just make excuses saying it’s not necessary.

It’s easy to remember someone by their scent

Among the basic human senses, our sense of smell is the most powerful. Because of this, smell can trigger memories significantly better than our other senses. Think about it, how many times do you remember thinking about someone when you catch a whiff of a certain scent.

This is why it can be very advantageous to wear a fragrance. You can establish better connections with people because they can also remember you better. Of course, you wouldn’t want to be remembered as that guy who smells simply like body odor.

You leave a better impression

That being said, if you smell nice, you simply leave a better impression. When a man dresses well, it can be a big confidence booster. In addition to that, people will also see this person as sharp, confident, and put-together.

However, if you wear good cologne, man, that confidence will skyrocket! There’s just something about it that makes you feel better in your own skin. It won’t matter if you’re going on a date or just having a casual meet-up with friends, you’re sure to leave a good impression.

When do I put it on?

Actually, there are different types of fragrances and some will last longer than others. But as a rule of thumb, you can apply cologne immediately after taking your morning shower. Especially if you take a bath with warm water, the heat will help open up your pores and hold the cologne’s scent for longer.

Sometimes it’s also okay to put on a cologne if you’re a bit sweaty, but it’s not generally recommended because the combination of smells won’t be that pleasant.

Where should I apply it?

Around the base of your throat should be the best place, generally speaking. When you do apply the cologne, don’t spray it too near. Basically, just let the mist get on you instead of directly pointing it towards the base of your throat. Your wrists and the area behind your ears are also good spots since this is where our natural odors typically exude from. Remember though, when applying in these spots.

Although regular exercise and close monitoring of diet and nutrients from your food are the best methods to losing weight, you should also be aware that there are food that can sabotage your diet. Here are the food and drinks you need to avoid if you are trying to lose weight.

Granola

You can usually find this in commercial breakfast food and energy bars, but you should stay away from them because it has added sugars and can make you crave for sweets even more. Simple sugars can ruin your diet because you will feel hungry even more.

Flavored Yogurt

Plain yogurt is good for you, but you should avoid flavored yogurt sold at stores in Singapore is you want to avoid the extra carbs. Th excess sugar from the extra ingredients pack more sugar than regular ice cream. If you want to enjoy flavored yogurt, fitness experts suggest making your own recipes instead of buying commercial flavored packs.

White Rice

If possible, avoid white rice if you want to enjoy a healthy, guilt-free diet. White rice does not have the same nutrients are brown rice does and can cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

Smoothies and Green Juices

Sure, they’re yummy and packed with nutrients, but smoothies can be loaded with carbs and calories without you even knowing it. So, try to avoid using too much milk, peanut butter, and ice cream when creating your own smoothing.

It’s also easy to make that same mistake when it comes to green juices just because they’re labeled healthy, but you need to read the ingredients carefully.

Pasta

You can still eat pasta, but make sure you pick whole-wheat varieties instead of refined ingredients. Whole grain pasta can make you feel full for a long time and will not add the extra carbs you will get in fast food pasta.

Diet Soda

Don’t let the word “diet” fool you, because diet soda is till packed with sugar. Plus, it does not have any nutritional value that your body needs, so just avoid it altogether.

Sugary Drinks

If you like fruit juices, you should create one at home instead of buying commercial fruit juices at shops. Most of these drinks contain sweeteners full of calories.

Energy Bars

Having mentioned granola already, you should also avoid any type of energy bar altogether because they are packed with lots of calories. They are energy bars for a reason.

Cheese

Yes, they’re yummy and healthy but they are also packed with calories like milk. If you don’t want to give up cheese altogether, you can still eat a few slices per day.

Caesar Salad

Modify your usual salad by avoiding dressings, cheese, and croutons because these are high in fat and calories which can sabotage your diet.

Life gets busier with every passing day: appointments need to be set, paperwork needs to be filed and finished on time, and there are more tasks piled on top of one another with varying levels of priority.

But while you won’t always be able to do away with all these priorities that come with being a responsible adult, there are tools that make it easier for you to handle them.

Here are five of these things that you should absolutely have (if you don’t already):

Planner/Diary/Calendar

There’s nothing quite as terrible as remembering an important task only too late, which is why it’s important to make sure you have a way to jot down everything you need to do within a set time. Writing down on paper rather than jotting it down on your phone also makes you more likely to remember important details.

Hard-copy calendars can also give you more benefits than the digital one in your phone. You can write down important events, like birthdays or anniversaries, and make it easier for you to remember without having to check your screen every time.

Organizers

An organized mind and an organized life starts with an organized space, and investing in extra bins to store your extra stuff is a great way to start. These containers will be especially crucial for holding things that don’t seem to belong anywhere in your home.

Be sure to label these storage containers well to keep different items in the right places and prevent them from mixing and jumbling together.

Mail/Junk container         

No matter how frequently you de-clutter, having a busy schedule always means the junk will eventually start piling again, whether it’s in the form of mail (i.e. bills payments, etc.) or actual junk, like used bottles or tin cans.

Just like having separate organizers for your closet or kitchen, having these dedicated containers for all kinds of things at home keeps the clutter in one place and makes it much easier to dispose of them when you need to do some general cleaning.

Your own personal space

Perhaps the best thing you can do for your own good is practicing self-care, and that means having both the time and space not just to rest, but simply to be in. Whether it’s your entire HDB flat or simply your own room, it must be a place where you can be calm and think without any distractions.

Once you have this particular space, make it truly yours by adding things that help you stay calm especially during tense or stressful times. This can be a few scented candles, a bookshelf, or even a throw pillow.