MONDAY
Superset 1
1) Pushup
Do as many reps as you can.
2) Pullup
Aim for 10 reps.
Superset 2
1) Dumbbell Snatch
Aim for 5 reps with each arm.
2) Single-Arm Cable RowDo 10 reps with each arm.
TUESDAY
Superset 1
1) Dumbbell Squat
Do eight to 12 reps.
2) Swiss-Ball Hip Raise and Leg Curl
Do 12 reps.
Superset 2
1) Dumbbell Stepup
Do 10 reps with each leg.
2) Single-Leg Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
Do 12 reps with one leg before repeating with the other leg.
THURSDAY
Superset 1
1) Dumbbell Incline-Bench Press
Do 10 reps.
2) Lat Pulldown
Do 10 reps.
Superset 2
1) Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Do six to eight before repeating with the other arm.
2) Single-Arm Neutral Grip Dumbbell Row and Rotation
Do 10 reps on each side.
FRIDAY
Superset 1
1) Single-Leg Squat
Aim for five reps per leg.
2) Single-Leg Swiss-Ball Leg Curl
Aim for 10 reps with each leg.
SUPERSET 2
1) Dumbbell Side Lunge
Do 10 reps in each direction.
2) Unstable Jump Rope
Skip rope for 45 seconds on a cushiony surface, such as a stretching mat. The instability will help strengthen your ankles.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/03/10/government-raises-salary-bar-on-foreign-talent/
Government raises salary bar for foreign talent
By Faris – March 10th, 2011
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400afp_Gankimyong
Mr Gan said that while the government will continue to favour the PMETs, he cautioned against closing the doors to foreigners. (AFP Photo)
Foreign professional and skilled workers will soon have to meet a higher qualifying salary before they can obtain a pass to work here.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said in parliament on Wednesday that the change — which will take effect from July 1 — is prompted by the improving profile of the local workforce and is meant to encourage companies to hire more qualified foreigners.
For professionals, the minimum monthly pay for getting an Employment Pass will be raised by as much as S$1,000. These pass holders, who often are degree holders working in professional, managerial or specialist jobs, are categorised into three groups: P1, P2 and Q1.
The new qualifying salaries are: $8,000 for P1, up from $7,000; $4,000 for P2 from $3,500, and $2,800 for Q1 from $2,500. The revision is the first since 2001, when the qualifying salary was raised from $2,000 to $2,500.
The S-Pass for mid-level skilled workers such as technicians and retail executives was introduced in 2004, and its salary threshold will go up from $1,800 to $2,000.
Mr Gan’s announcement was in response to the concern raised by Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) over Employment Pass holders competing with Singaporeans for jobs.
Acknowledging Mr Hwa’s concern, the minister also noted that the salaries of local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) have risen in recent years, reported The Straits Times.
Mr Gan explained, “We need to raise the qualifying thresholds for Employment Pass and S-Pass applicants accordingly to keep pace with the local PMETs, and encourage companies to be more selective in hiring foreign talent.”
The number of Employment Pass holders has jumped by more than 20 per cent in the past year, from 115,000 in 2009, to 142,000 last year. For S-Pass holders, the number rose from 82,000 to 98,000.
Employers of existing Employment Pass and S-Pass holders will be given a one-time renewal of up to two years before they are required to meet the new criteria.
A new salary threshold was introduced below which local workers would be deemed to be working part-time for the purposes of foreign worker allocation. The threshold was $650; it will be $850 from July 1.
The move is to stop employers from hiring local workers on token salaries to meet the quota requirement for hiring foreign workers.
Recruiters like Ms Axer Goh of Robert Walters agency are convinced the higher cost of hiring foreigners will push more companies to consider local hires.
Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) president Lawrence Leow said it could also lead to the salaries of locals going up, as companies would have to adjust the pay of their existing staff.
“If I have a local worker who has worked with me for two years and he earns $2,000, and I hire a new S-Pass holder at the same salary, it’s only right to increase his pay to reflect his working experience,” he said.
While Mr Gan stressed that the Government has and will continue to “tilt the balance in favour of local PMETs”, he cautioned against closing the door on foreigners.
“Foreign talent continues to be critical for our growth and these talents will help grow the economic pie, so that everyone will have a bigger share. Otherwise we will lose our attractiveness as an investment destination and we will not be able to create good jobs for locals.”
By Faris – March 10th, 2011
Email Facebook Twitter Print
400afp_Gankimyong
Mr Gan said that while the government will continue to favour the PMETs, he cautioned against closing the doors to foreigners. (AFP Photo)
Foreign professional and skilled workers will soon have to meet a higher qualifying salary before they can obtain a pass to work here.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said in parliament on Wednesday that the change — which will take effect from July 1 — is prompted by the improving profile of the local workforce and is meant to encourage companies to hire more qualified foreigners.
For professionals, the minimum monthly pay for getting an Employment Pass will be raised by as much as S$1,000. These pass holders, who often are degree holders working in professional, managerial or specialist jobs, are categorised into three groups: P1, P2 and Q1.
The new qualifying salaries are: $8,000 for P1, up from $7,000; $4,000 for P2 from $3,500, and $2,800 for Q1 from $2,500. The revision is the first since 2001, when the qualifying salary was raised from $2,000 to $2,500.
The S-Pass for mid-level skilled workers such as technicians and retail executives was introduced in 2004, and its salary threshold will go up from $1,800 to $2,000.
Mr Gan’s announcement was in response to the concern raised by Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) over Employment Pass holders competing with Singaporeans for jobs.
Acknowledging Mr Hwa’s concern, the minister also noted that the salaries of local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) have risen in recent years, reported The Straits Times.
Mr Gan explained, “We need to raise the qualifying thresholds for Employment Pass and S-Pass applicants accordingly to keep pace with the local PMETs, and encourage companies to be more selective in hiring foreign talent.”
The number of Employment Pass holders has jumped by more than 20 per cent in the past year, from 115,000 in 2009, to 142,000 last year. For S-Pass holders, the number rose from 82,000 to 98,000.
Employers of existing Employment Pass and S-Pass holders will be given a one-time renewal of up to two years before they are required to meet the new criteria.
A new salary threshold was introduced below which local workers would be deemed to be working part-time for the purposes of foreign worker allocation. The threshold was $650; it will be $850 from July 1.
The move is to stop employers from hiring local workers on token salaries to meet the quota requirement for hiring foreign workers.
Recruiters like Ms Axer Goh of Robert Walters agency are convinced the higher cost of hiring foreigners will push more companies to consider local hires.
Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) president Lawrence Leow said it could also lead to the salaries of locals going up, as companies would have to adjust the pay of their existing staff.
“If I have a local worker who has worked with me for two years and he earns $2,000, and I hire a new S-Pass holder at the same salary, it’s only right to increase his pay to reflect his working experience,” he said.
While Mr Gan stressed that the Government has and will continue to “tilt the balance in favour of local PMETs”, he cautioned against closing the door on foreigners.
“Foreign talent continues to be critical for our growth and these talents will help grow the economic pie, so that everyone will have a bigger share. Otherwise we will lose our attractiveness as an investment destination and we will not be able to create good jobs for locals.”
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
5 reason to drink coffee
1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.
2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.
Must-Read: 4 Diet-Busting Coffee-Shop Drinks (and What to Drink Instead)
3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.
4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.
5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.
Now, that’s not to say that coffee doesn’t have any pitfalls—it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.
But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.
2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.
Must-Read: 4 Diet-Busting Coffee-Shop Drinks (and What to Drink Instead)
3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.
4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.
5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.
Now, that’s not to say that coffee doesn’t have any pitfalls—it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.
But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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