How good is your workout? Whether you reach your fitness goals or not depends up on the type of workout you are doing. If your workout routine is not specific to your final goal then you will never get there. So it’s really important that you choose the right workout for you so you end up where you want to be. For example, if you wish to lose body fat then you need to incorporate a fat burning workout into your weekly routine.
A fat burning workout will focus on higher repetitions but at a lower intensity by reducing the amount of resistance that is used in the exercise. This provides an aerobic element to the workout and increases the use of fat as a fuel for the muscles, hence promotes a reduction in overall body fat.
On the other hand if your goal is to increase muscle size then you need to be including a muscle building workout into your weekly routine. Weight lifting exercises form the basis of most strength and body building workouts, although you can gain increases in strength and muscle size by using your own body weight for example. So it is possible to see a considerable increase in size and strength with basic home workouts.
All types of workouts are made up of a selection of exercises that challenge the different muscles around the body. A good workout routine will target all the major muscle groups within the body. It is possible that the workout may be split into several routines throughout the week. Each routine will target different areas of the body on different days. So for example a 3 day split routine might be broken down in the following way;
Day 1: - leg exercises and core exercises.
Day 2: - chest exercises, shoulder exercises and arm exercises
Day 3: - back exercises, arm exercises and ab exercises
You could also compile all the exercises together in one whole body workout and complete the same routine 2 or 3 times per week.
If you are really serious about improving your fitness and are looking for the best free workouts then visit WorkoutBox. WorkoutBox is a brand new online fitness community where you can find effective workout routines and exercises to suit your level. All the workouts can be rated by the users so you can see what’s working for others before you try it for yourself.
Thursday 13 November 2008
Thursday 4 September 2008
Workout Routines for Toning
The best exercise routines for great muscle tone are a combination of CV and resistance training. For muscles to become visually toned you need to focus on 2 things;
1. The muscle to be in a state of constant tension or readiness to act over a period of time
2. Low overall body fat levels
Both of these states can be achieved by applying the correct training program. Toning of a muscle occurs through regular usage and can be achieved by training a specific muscle group to become responsive and 'ready for action' by applying a low intensity (65% 1 RM), high repetition range (15 - 20 reps), low volume (2 to 3 sets) training program. This is known as muscular endurance training which can be better defined as the ability of a muscle to perform repeated actions for a long period.
Most people confuse muscle tone with muscle size. This is not the case. Muscular size (hypertrophy) is only achieved by applying a moderate intensity training program (67% to 85% 1RM) with an intermediate repetition range (8 to 12 reps), but with a high volume, (3 to 6 sets). Increases in muscular size and strength are also greatly affected by calorie intake as an increase in quality protein is required to help achieve muscle growth.
A low level of body fat will help to expose toned muscles giving the impression of a increase in muscle size. So an optimum diet is also necessary to help reduce overall body fat. Try to make smart food choice by including fresh vegatable, fruit, lean meats and fish in your diet. Cut out junk food and reduce alcohol intake.
Contrary to popular belief, fat can not be spot reduced by just training a particular area, such as the abdomen and arms. Imagine your body is like an ice cube. Turn up the heat and you will melt across your whole surface area and not just in one place.
Here's a interval workout routine I did the other day, which is great for increasing muscle tone and reducing body fat.
20 minute Cardiovascular interval session.
Can be performed any way you like; running, walking, cycling, swimming etc.
1. The muscle to be in a state of constant tension or readiness to act over a period of time
2. Low overall body fat levels
Both of these states can be achieved by applying the correct training program. Toning of a muscle occurs through regular usage and can be achieved by training a specific muscle group to become responsive and 'ready for action' by applying a low intensity (65% 1 RM), high repetition range (15 - 20 reps), low volume (2 to 3 sets) training program. This is known as muscular endurance training which can be better defined as the ability of a muscle to perform repeated actions for a long period.
Most people confuse muscle tone with muscle size. This is not the case. Muscular size (hypertrophy) is only achieved by applying a moderate intensity training program (67% to 85% 1RM) with an intermediate repetition range (8 to 12 reps), but with a high volume, (3 to 6 sets). Increases in muscular size and strength are also greatly affected by calorie intake as an increase in quality protein is required to help achieve muscle growth.
A low level of body fat will help to expose toned muscles giving the impression of a increase in muscle size. So an optimum diet is also necessary to help reduce overall body fat. Try to make smart food choice by including fresh vegatable, fruit, lean meats and fish in your diet. Cut out junk food and reduce alcohol intake.
Contrary to popular belief, fat can not be spot reduced by just training a particular area, such as the abdomen and arms. Imagine your body is like an ice cube. Turn up the heat and you will melt across your whole surface area and not just in one place.
Here's a interval workout routine I did the other day, which is great for increasing muscle tone and reducing body fat.
20 minute Cardiovascular interval session.
Can be performed any way you like; running, walking, cycling, swimming etc.
- 1 to 5 minutes - Warm up - Intensity 3 to 5/10
- 6 minutes - Hard interval - Intensity 8/10
- 7 minutes - Easy interval - Intensity 3/10
- 8 minutes - Hard interval - Intensity 8/10
- 9 minutes - Easy interval - Intensity 3/10
- 10 minutes - Hard interval - Intensity 8/10
- 11 minutes - Easy interval - Intensity 3/10
- 12 minutes - Hard interval - Intensity 8/10
- 13 minutes - Easy interval - Intensity 3/10
- 14 minutes - Hard interval - Intensity 8/10
- 15 minutes - Easy interval - Intensity 3/10
- 16 minutes - Hard interval - Intensity 8/10
- 17 to 20 minutes - Cool down - Intensity 3/10
Resistance Training
For the resistance session try this quick body weight circuit.
Do 15 repetitions of each exercise in a super set. Take 60 seconds rest between each set.
Try to repeat the circuit 3 times. If you can't do 3 sets, just do what you can and work up to it.
Set 1
Squats x 15
Press up x 15
Set 2
Lunge x 15
Tricep press up or tricep dips x 15
Set 3
Squat thrusts x 15
Plank x 30 seconds
Set 4
Side Plank x 30 seconds each side
Wednesday 13 August 2008
Exercise and nutrition for great results
My half marathon training is going well. I have now completed a week and a half and I'm starting to become more comfortable with running again. With any new exercise, it takes your body time to become accustomed to the new stresses and strains that you are placing up on it. After a while your body learns to cope and you will feel much more comfortable when performing the exercises. This is the stage where you will really start to see improvements.
Whilst you are training it's vital that you give your body the right nutrients to help provide energy and to aid recovery. You need to be eating the right number of calories for the activity you are doing and good quality wholesome food.
In my case, if I'm running for 40 minutes continuously, I need to make sure that my calorie intake is sufficient to my calorie needs. Running for 40 minutes burns approximately 670 calories (This figure will vary for everyone. It depends on your weight and the intensity of your run). If you are trying to lose weight, then it's advisable to only create a calorie deficit of no more than 500 calories per day. This 500 calorie deficit should be created as 250 from food intake and 250 from activity.
But be careful though, because if you increase your activity levels, you may not need to adjust your calorie intake too much or even at all. As you can see from my example above, I'm actually creating a deficit of 670 calories just from activity. I may actually need to increase my calorie intake slightly so my body doesn't think I'm depriving it. If this happens you could be losing weight but also losing vital lean muscle mass, which is a no no.
So what can you do to improve your nutrition for exercise, here are some quick tips to help you along;
08:00 - Breakfast - Muesli, natural yogurt, cup of tea
10:30 - Snack - Banana, handful of mixed nuts
13:00 - Lunch - Tinned tuna, wholemeal pasta, sweetcorn and olive oil
16:30 - Pre-exercise snack - Apple, glass of milk
18:00 - Exercise, run or circuit training
19:30 - Bowl of Meat Chilli, vegetables and small baked potato
21:00 - Natural yogurt and fruit
Make sure that you also drink water during the day. I aim for at least 2 liters, that's approximately 8 glasses per day. If you are training hard you may need more.
Whilst you are training it's vital that you give your body the right nutrients to help provide energy and to aid recovery. You need to be eating the right number of calories for the activity you are doing and good quality wholesome food.
In my case, if I'm running for 40 minutes continuously, I need to make sure that my calorie intake is sufficient to my calorie needs. Running for 40 minutes burns approximately 670 calories (This figure will vary for everyone. It depends on your weight and the intensity of your run). If you are trying to lose weight, then it's advisable to only create a calorie deficit of no more than 500 calories per day. This 500 calorie deficit should be created as 250 from food intake and 250 from activity.
But be careful though, because if you increase your activity levels, you may not need to adjust your calorie intake too much or even at all. As you can see from my example above, I'm actually creating a deficit of 670 calories just from activity. I may actually need to increase my calorie intake slightly so my body doesn't think I'm depriving it. If this happens you could be losing weight but also losing vital lean muscle mass, which is a no no.
So what can you do to improve your nutrition for exercise, here are some quick tips to help you along;
- Eat for energy. You will require carbohydrate for energy. Eat some at least 2 hours before your activity. Something like a banana or a bowl of cereal is ideal.
- Improve the quality of your food. Foods that are high in trans fats and sugar are low in nutrition and just succeed in making you fatter. Cut out processed foods and introduce more whole and fresh foods into your diet.
- Create your own electrolyte sports drink by mixing 250ml of pure fruit juice with 250ml of water and a pinch of salt.
- If your exercise session is longer than one hour, then you will most likely need to take in some extra energy. An electrolyte sports drink such as the one above will provide you with replacement fluids and much needed carbohydrate for more energy.
- It's important to have some protein in your diet as well as good quality fats. These can be found in fresh fish and lean meats as well as nuts and seeds.
08:00 - Breakfast - Muesli, natural yogurt, cup of tea
10:30 - Snack - Banana, handful of mixed nuts
13:00 - Lunch - Tinned tuna, wholemeal pasta, sweetcorn and olive oil
16:30 - Pre-exercise snack - Apple, glass of milk
18:00 - Exercise, run or circuit training
19:30 - Bowl of Meat Chilli, vegetables and small baked potato
21:00 - Natural yogurt and fruit
Make sure that you also drink water during the day. I aim for at least 2 liters, that's approximately 8 glasses per day. If you are training hard you may need more.
Friday 1 August 2008
Half Marathon Training Schedule
I decided the other day that I need a new challenge. I haven't done any serious running for some time, so I thought that it was time to start working on that area of my fitness again. What better way to do this than to attempt the half marathon distance. I used to do a lot of running about 10 years ago, but have since changed my regular training towards muscular endurance and anaerobic training. Hence I'm probably about 7 to 8 kilos heavier than I was when I was last running seriously. Running is a great way to lose body fat, but I want a training program that won't compromise my lean body mass too much.
So this is my plan. It's a 6 week training schedule, to get me accustomed to running the 13.1 mile half marathon distance at a reasonable pace. I'm not out to break any records, at this point I would just like to complete the distance in an acceptable time.
This is the training schedule I will be following;
This schedule allows me to fit in my regular circuit training sessions so that so that I will still maintain a balance program by factoring in resistance training. This will also help me to maintain my muscle mass whilst reducing body fat.
If you are complete novice at running and fancy the challenge of running the half marathon distance then click here to take you to a beginners training schedule. This site also has some great tips on training and preparation for the race.
I'm going to be monitoring my progress over the next 6 weeks to see how I'm getting on. My goal is to be able to complete the half marathon distance and to lose some body fat in the process, whilst trying to preserve lean body mass.
Let's see how I get on.
Monday 21 July 2008
Sleep and exercise
Sleep is one of the most important factors affecting a persons health and fitness. The National Sleep Foundation states that sleep is a basic human need and is just as important for good health as diet and exercise.
You need to make sure that you are getting at least 8 hours uninterrupted sleep per night.
Having too little sleep increases what is known as 'sleep debt' and eventually your body will demand the debt to be paid back. Having too little sleep can cause your physical functions to become impaired, affecting reaction times and judgement.
Exercise can be used to promote a good nights sleep. Increasing physical activity tires you out so that your body requires more sleep. On the other hand sleep deprivation can also lead to weight gain simply because you are too tired to do any exercise.
If you're not getting a good nights sleep here are some other factors that can be affecting it;
You need to make sure that you are getting at least 8 hours uninterrupted sleep per night.
Having too little sleep increases what is known as 'sleep debt' and eventually your body will demand the debt to be paid back. Having too little sleep can cause your physical functions to become impaired, affecting reaction times and judgement.
Exercise can be used to promote a good nights sleep. Increasing physical activity tires you out so that your body requires more sleep. On the other hand sleep deprivation can also lead to weight gain simply because you are too tired to do any exercise.
If you're not getting a good nights sleep here are some other factors that can be affecting it;
- Caffeine - tea, coffee and some soft drinks all contain caffeine
- Alcohol - affects your sleeping patterns
- High stress levels
- Drugs - diet pills, decongestants and antidepressants
Sunday 20 July 2008
5 minutes is all it takes
That's right, can you commit just 5 minutes a day to getting fit? Of course you can, everyone can spare 5 minutes with no excuses.
If you can spare more time then even better.
Here's what I want you to do and I can guarantee that if you stickto this plan, in 6 weeks time your fitness levels will have improved 10 fold. I want you to put aside just 5 minutes every day this week dedicated to nothing else but exercise. That's right, just 5 whole uninterrupted minutes. I don't care what time of day or night it is, whatever suites you.
I want you to get dressed in to your exercise kit and shut the door and tell everyone else around you, not to disturb you for the next 5 minutes. Then do something, I don't care what it is, it can be jumping on the spot, skipping, walking, running, dancing, cycling, anything as long as it gets you out of breath and a little hot and sweaty. Continue for 5 minutes. If you are out of breath, stop and have a rest then start again when you get your breath back, but keep going until the 5 minutes is up.
Do this everyday for a whole week, don't miss a day.
Now; the next part of the plan is, I want you to add an extra 5 minutes every week for the next 6 weeks. So week 2 you will be doing 10 minutes per day, week 3 will be 15 minutes and so on until week 6 you when you will be doing 30 minutes uninterrrupted exercise.
So what is the point of this I hear you ask? Well, one of the biggest excuses I hear from my clients is 'I just don't have the time to exercise around my busy schedule'.
What you need to do is make time for exercise and this is a great way of introducing exercise into your life. It doesn't matter at the moment what you do, you can customize your workouts later once you become more accustomed to exercise and have achieved a basic fitness level. The idea is that you do something to increase your heart rate, get your joints and muscles working. If you don't do any exercise at the moment then this is an ideal way to get started.
This system is specifically aimed at people who don't know what to do and can't get started. The beauty of this system is that it introduces a gradual progression so if you stick with it you can't help but get fit.
So get started now and make this your time for exercise. You will be amazed at how much fitter you are in 6 weeks time.
If you can spare more time then even better.
Here's what I want you to do and I can guarantee that if you stickto this plan, in 6 weeks time your fitness levels will have improved 10 fold. I want you to put aside just 5 minutes every day this week dedicated to nothing else but exercise. That's right, just 5 whole uninterrupted minutes. I don't care what time of day or night it is, whatever suites you.
I want you to get dressed in to your exercise kit and shut the door and tell everyone else around you, not to disturb you for the next 5 minutes. Then do something, I don't care what it is, it can be jumping on the spot, skipping, walking, running, dancing, cycling, anything as long as it gets you out of breath and a little hot and sweaty. Continue for 5 minutes. If you are out of breath, stop and have a rest then start again when you get your breath back, but keep going until the 5 minutes is up.
Do this everyday for a whole week, don't miss a day.
Now; the next part of the plan is, I want you to add an extra 5 minutes every week for the next 6 weeks. So week 2 you will be doing 10 minutes per day, week 3 will be 15 minutes and so on until week 6 you when you will be doing 30 minutes uninterrrupted exercise.
So what is the point of this I hear you ask? Well, one of the biggest excuses I hear from my clients is 'I just don't have the time to exercise around my busy schedule'.
What you need to do is make time for exercise and this is a great way of introducing exercise into your life. It doesn't matter at the moment what you do, you can customize your workouts later once you become more accustomed to exercise and have achieved a basic fitness level. The idea is that you do something to increase your heart rate, get your joints and muscles working. If you don't do any exercise at the moment then this is an ideal way to get started.
This system is specifically aimed at people who don't know what to do and can't get started. The beauty of this system is that it introduces a gradual progression so if you stick with it you can't help but get fit.
So get started now and make this your time for exercise. You will be amazed at how much fitter you are in 6 weeks time.
Monday 14 July 2008
How To Get Fit Fast
Before we start, let me set the record straight and tell you that there is no magic formula that will transform you from being unfit and overweight to looking like a super fit athlete over night. I'm sorry for dropping that bombshell on you like that. But the sooner you realise that then quicker you will reach your dream. So forget the fitness gadgets and fad diets that promise you a fit toned physique in 14 days or less and get real.
If you truly want to get fit fast then listen up, because I'm about to tell you what you need to do to achieve just that. If you follow the simple free advice in this article you will be well on your way to reaching your goal faster than any miracle exercise gadget or latest fad diet. This is the only way to achieve true balanced fitness and get in the best shape of your life.
Do this and get fit fast now!
1. Assess where you're at;
Ask you’re self why you want to get fit. Most people decide to get fit for one of 3 reasons;
a) Improve physical appearance
b) Health reasons or quality of life
c) For a particular sport or challenge
Which category to you fall into?
2. Set yourself a goal;
When will you know you have reached your goal? What do you need to do to get there? If your goal is weight loss, then what is your ideal weight. If you are training for a specific event, such as a running race, what time or distance do you need to achieve. If it's for health reasons, you may wish to reduce your blood pressure or cholesterol.
3. Eat healthy;
Your diet must be specific to your goal and your exercise plan. Make sure you are eating the right food and at the right times to get the most out of your exercise programme. A poor diet equals low energy and poor performance, ask any successful sports person.
My advice is don't go on a strict diet. You'll just end up hungry, de-motivated and give up. Eliminate processed foods from your diet. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, then bin it. Cook yourself fresh healthy food that you know the contents of. Just making these changes is far better for you than any fad diet or so called miracle supplement.
If weight loss is your goal, then start by making one small but significant change to your diet every week. For example if you were to cut out 1 tsp of sugar from your 2 cups of tea or coffee per day, then that's a saving of 14,500 calories in one year. That amounts to a loss of over 4lbs of body fat. Do you see where I'm coming from? Small changes can make a big difference when you add them all together.
4. Exercise;
If you are new to exercise and think you don't have the time, then make a commitment to start exercising for 5 minutes per day. Do you think you can handle that? Next week, increase it to 10 minutes and so on until you are doing 30 minutes per day. You'll be amazed how much fitter you are just in that short time.
Choose an exercise activity appropriate to your goal, but make sure it's a balanced programme that covers all the major components of fitness. A balanced exercise programme should include; CV training, for aerobic & anaerobic fitness. Resistance training, for muscular endurance, strength and power. Flexibility for range of movement and posture. Balance and coordination.
If you are not sure where to start then consider these;
1. Enjoy what you do
2. Balance your exercise to include CV, Resistance and Flexibility
3. Make your exercise specific to your goal
4. Make it a lifestyle change not a chore
5. Make it challenging, but not impossible
For the best results and to get fitter faster, then consult an exercise professional to design a programme specifically for you.
5. Monitor and motivate;
Monitor your progress, it will help to motivate you to stop you losing interest. Once you see that you are making steady progress towards your goal it will keep you focused. Try training with a friend or join a club to help keep you interested.
6. Fitness for life;
Don't just make a commitment to get fit for new year or holiday, make it a lifestyle change. Decide that you are going to make changes for life.
If you can get to the point where fitness and healthy living becomes second nature and a natural routine then it's the unhealthy things that start to become a chore! Remember if you practice anything enough you will do it without thinking about it and this is the state you need
to aim for. One day you will come to realise, 'this fitness stuff isn't so bad after all'.
If you truly want to get fit fast then listen up, because I'm about to tell you what you need to do to achieve just that. If you follow the simple free advice in this article you will be well on your way to reaching your goal faster than any miracle exercise gadget or latest fad diet. This is the only way to achieve true balanced fitness and get in the best shape of your life.
Do this and get fit fast now!
1. Assess where you're at;
Ask you’re self why you want to get fit. Most people decide to get fit for one of 3 reasons;
a) Improve physical appearance
b) Health reasons or quality of life
c) For a particular sport or challenge
Which category to you fall into?
2. Set yourself a goal;
When will you know you have reached your goal? What do you need to do to get there? If your goal is weight loss, then what is your ideal weight. If you are training for a specific event, such as a running race, what time or distance do you need to achieve. If it's for health reasons, you may wish to reduce your blood pressure or cholesterol.
3. Eat healthy;
Your diet must be specific to your goal and your exercise plan. Make sure you are eating the right food and at the right times to get the most out of your exercise programme. A poor diet equals low energy and poor performance, ask any successful sports person.
My advice is don't go on a strict diet. You'll just end up hungry, de-motivated and give up. Eliminate processed foods from your diet. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, then bin it. Cook yourself fresh healthy food that you know the contents of. Just making these changes is far better for you than any fad diet or so called miracle supplement.
If weight loss is your goal, then start by making one small but significant change to your diet every week. For example if you were to cut out 1 tsp of sugar from your 2 cups of tea or coffee per day, then that's a saving of 14,500 calories in one year. That amounts to a loss of over 4lbs of body fat. Do you see where I'm coming from? Small changes can make a big difference when you add them all together.
4. Exercise;
If you are new to exercise and think you don't have the time, then make a commitment to start exercising for 5 minutes per day. Do you think you can handle that? Next week, increase it to 10 minutes and so on until you are doing 30 minutes per day. You'll be amazed how much fitter you are just in that short time.
Choose an exercise activity appropriate to your goal, but make sure it's a balanced programme that covers all the major components of fitness. A balanced exercise programme should include; CV training, for aerobic & anaerobic fitness. Resistance training, for muscular endurance, strength and power. Flexibility for range of movement and posture. Balance and coordination.
If you are not sure where to start then consider these;
1. Enjoy what you do
2. Balance your exercise to include CV, Resistance and Flexibility
3. Make your exercise specific to your goal
4. Make it a lifestyle change not a chore
5. Make it challenging, but not impossible
For the best results and to get fitter faster, then consult an exercise professional to design a programme specifically for you.
5. Monitor and motivate;
Monitor your progress, it will help to motivate you to stop you losing interest. Once you see that you are making steady progress towards your goal it will keep you focused. Try training with a friend or join a club to help keep you interested.
6. Fitness for life;
Don't just make a commitment to get fit for new year or holiday, make it a lifestyle change. Decide that you are going to make changes for life.
If you can get to the point where fitness and healthy living becomes second nature and a natural routine then it's the unhealthy things that start to become a chore! Remember if you practice anything enough you will do it without thinking about it and this is the state you need
to aim for. One day you will come to realise, 'this fitness stuff isn't so bad after all'.
Sunday 29 June 2008
12 Week Plan to Get A Flat Stomach
It's not often I post articles written by other people, but this article by Abi Shaan contains some good sensible advice on how to go about achieving a flat stomach. What I like about the article is that it dosen't make any false promises. It makes you realise that success depends upon an individuals circumstances. Achieveing a flat stomach will take longer for some people than others.
It also promotes weight training as the best form of fat loss exercise over long slow CV routines. More muscle = more energy consumption = less body fat.
As you know 'Get Fit' does not support the 'one size fits all' approach to diet and exercise. You are an individual and your success depends upon finding out what works for you. But applying the techniques in this article will help you to hit the ground running.
12 Week Plan to Get A Flat Stomach
By: Abi Shaan
It doesn't matter what others do and don't do to get a flat stomach because I am only going to show you what YOU should do if you really want to get flat sexy abs in a span of 12 weeks.
Before you get over excited with the fact that you could get flat abs in just 12 weeks, I should warn you that results very depending on the individual. An overweight person with a 38 inch waist can lose 4-5 inches within 12 weeks which doesn't mean that person got a flat stomach. Instead he/she lose 4-5 inches, and if the person continues following the system, he/she will get super lean in a very short period of time.
Let me take you through a brief journey to the world of quick and effective fat loss where the dirtiest yet most popular myths of fat loss with be finally revealed.
-- Doing 1000s of Ab crunches every day will never get you a flat stomach.
You can cry and break yourself doing thousands of Ab crunches every single day, but you will never see those strong muscular abs if you don't get rid of the fat hanging around your belly. In order to remove this fat, you need to lose fat from all over your body. As you continue to lose body fat, your abdominals will start to reveal itself in the form of a six pack for men or really sexy abdominals for women.
-- Spending hours on the Cardio machine is a waste of time for fat loss.
If you were already aware of the fact that you need to lose total body fat to get a flat stomach, then you probably would have started spending too much time on the cardio machines hoping to burn more calories as displayed in the digital meter of the treadmill or stationary bike.
Well, let me tell you right now that slow boring cardio is really boring and a real waste of time. Have you noticed that the overweight people in the gym always hang around near the cardio machines while the lean and ripped individuals spend their time in the free weights section?
If you want to get a flat stomach, you need to build muscle. The more muscle you build in your body, the harder your body works to maintain that muscle while repairing damaged muscle tissue from the most recent workout. This causes your body to burn a lot of calories for energy and fuel.
And here's where the original golden rule applies.
Calories Out Greater Than Calories In = Fat Loss.
If you build muscle in the right way by performing compound muscle building exercises like the Chest Press, Rows, Squats, Deadlifts, Chinups and Pullups by performing 3 to 4 Sets of each exercises to muscular failure, you will be very well on your way to get a flat stomach in a very short period of time.
-- Eating Too Little to Lose More Weight is A BIG FAT MISTAKE!
This is by far the most popular and legendary myth of all times. Eating too little so that you lose weight only works in the short term, and leads to get double fat in the long run. This is really big mistake and I am going to shatter this truth and claim (with thousands of backup experts) that the best way to get a flat stomach is by eating 5-6 short meals a day with two portions of high fiber carbs, a handful of healthy fats like almonds and one portion of lean protein in every meal.
In order to lose weight, you need to eat anywhere from 1500 calories to 2000 calories a day depending on your weight and gender. In short, you need to consume 500 calories short of your maintenance level every day until you reduce your total body fat to the level you want. If you want to get a flat stomach and see your six pack abs, you need to be at least at 9% body fat for men and 14% for women.
Keep following this plan and you will be well on your way to get a flat stomach in just weeks!
Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net
It also promotes weight training as the best form of fat loss exercise over long slow CV routines. More muscle = more energy consumption = less body fat.
As you know 'Get Fit' does not support the 'one size fits all' approach to diet and exercise. You are an individual and your success depends upon finding out what works for you. But applying the techniques in this article will help you to hit the ground running.
12 Week Plan to Get A Flat Stomach
By: Abi Shaan
It doesn't matter what others do and don't do to get a flat stomach because I am only going to show you what YOU should do if you really want to get flat sexy abs in a span of 12 weeks.
Before you get over excited with the fact that you could get flat abs in just 12 weeks, I should warn you that results very depending on the individual. An overweight person with a 38 inch waist can lose 4-5 inches within 12 weeks which doesn't mean that person got a flat stomach. Instead he/she lose 4-5 inches, and if the person continues following the system, he/she will get super lean in a very short period of time.
Let me take you through a brief journey to the world of quick and effective fat loss where the dirtiest yet most popular myths of fat loss with be finally revealed.
-- Doing 1000s of Ab crunches every day will never get you a flat stomach.
You can cry and break yourself doing thousands of Ab crunches every single day, but you will never see those strong muscular abs if you don't get rid of the fat hanging around your belly. In order to remove this fat, you need to lose fat from all over your body. As you continue to lose body fat, your abdominals will start to reveal itself in the form of a six pack for men or really sexy abdominals for women.
-- Spending hours on the Cardio machine is a waste of time for fat loss.
If you were already aware of the fact that you need to lose total body fat to get a flat stomach, then you probably would have started spending too much time on the cardio machines hoping to burn more calories as displayed in the digital meter of the treadmill or stationary bike.
Well, let me tell you right now that slow boring cardio is really boring and a real waste of time. Have you noticed that the overweight people in the gym always hang around near the cardio machines while the lean and ripped individuals spend their time in the free weights section?
If you want to get a flat stomach, you need to build muscle. The more muscle you build in your body, the harder your body works to maintain that muscle while repairing damaged muscle tissue from the most recent workout. This causes your body to burn a lot of calories for energy and fuel.
And here's where the original golden rule applies.
Calories Out Greater Than Calories In = Fat Loss.
If you build muscle in the right way by performing compound muscle building exercises like the Chest Press, Rows, Squats, Deadlifts, Chinups and Pullups by performing 3 to 4 Sets of each exercises to muscular failure, you will be very well on your way to get a flat stomach in a very short period of time.
-- Eating Too Little to Lose More Weight is A BIG FAT MISTAKE!
This is by far the most popular and legendary myth of all times. Eating too little so that you lose weight only works in the short term, and leads to get double fat in the long run. This is really big mistake and I am going to shatter this truth and claim (with thousands of backup experts) that the best way to get a flat stomach is by eating 5-6 short meals a day with two portions of high fiber carbs, a handful of healthy fats like almonds and one portion of lean protein in every meal.
In order to lose weight, you need to eat anywhere from 1500 calories to 2000 calories a day depending on your weight and gender. In short, you need to consume 500 calories short of your maintenance level every day until you reduce your total body fat to the level you want. If you want to get a flat stomach and see your six pack abs, you need to be at least at 9% body fat for men and 14% for women.
Keep following this plan and you will be well on your way to get a flat stomach in just weeks!
Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net
Monday 16 June 2008
Home workout
You don't need to join a gym, have any specialist equipment or even leave the house to have a great workout that will improve your overall fitness.
Check out this video of a very simple Home Based Body Weight Circuit that you can do anytime, anywhere without any equipment.
This circuit will improve your cardiovascular fitness, tone muscle and burn body fat.
Do this circuit at least 3 times per week. Start with 1 set of 15 repetitions
The exercises should be performed in a circuit format one after the other. You should aim to perform at least 15 repetitions of each exercise.
If you are new to exercise then start slowly and only do what you can. You can rest for up to 60 seconds between each set of exercises. As you progress and get fitter, reduce the resting time between each exercise set.
Once your form begins to fail then you should stop and rest. You should aim to progress each time you do the circuit, for example, if you can only manage to do 5 push ups, then the next week, aim for 6. This is how you will eventually get fitter and stronger by continually moving the marker posts and challenging your body.
If you find any of the exercises too difficult to perform even 1 rep, then replace it with one you can do. For example; Push Ups, you can do them on your knees. If you can't do declined push ups (feet on the bench) then try inclined push ups (hands on the bench, knees or feet on the floor)
Here's the exercise order again;
Check out this video of a very simple Home Based Body Weight Circuit that you can do anytime, anywhere without any equipment.
This circuit will improve your cardiovascular fitness, tone muscle and burn body fat.
Do this circuit at least 3 times per week. Start with 1 set of 15 repetitions
The exercises should be performed in a circuit format one after the other. You should aim to perform at least 15 repetitions of each exercise.
If you are new to exercise then start slowly and only do what you can. You can rest for up to 60 seconds between each set of exercises. As you progress and get fitter, reduce the resting time between each exercise set.
Once your form begins to fail then you should stop and rest. You should aim to progress each time you do the circuit, for example, if you can only manage to do 5 push ups, then the next week, aim for 6. This is how you will eventually get fitter and stronger by continually moving the marker posts and challenging your body.
If you find any of the exercises too difficult to perform even 1 rep, then replace it with one you can do. For example; Push Ups, you can do them on your knees. If you can't do declined push ups (feet on the bench) then try inclined push ups (hands on the bench, knees or feet on the floor)
Here's the exercise order again;
- 15 x Y Squats
- 15 x Push Ups
- 15 x Lunge
- 15 x Declined Push Up
- 60 x Star Jumps
- 15 x Runner Squat Thrust
Tuesday 3 June 2008
Is the fat gene an excuse for being overweight?
I was watching a TV programme last night, in fact I'm sure many of you also saw it. Basically, they took DNA samples from a group of people to see how many of them had copies of the fat gene. The results were analysed and the group was then split into 3. Those who had no copies of the fat gene,those that had one single copy and those that had two copies. As genetic sequences come in pairs, the effect is greatest in those with two flawed copies. So you would have expected those in the group with 2 copies of the gene to have all been very overweight right? Wrong. In fact the 3 people in the group that had both copies of the gene, weren't actually overweight. What it did show is that the group with the two copies of the gene had a slightly higher than average body fat percentage than the other two groups. What that means is they have a slightly higher body fat to lean body mass ratio, but that does not necessarily make someone overweight. You can still have a relatively high body fat percentage and be well within your healthy weight range.
Now their were some people in the other two groups who were convinced that they had the worst case scenario, that is 2 copies of the fat gene, when in fact they had none or only one copy. They were really suprised to find that they could no longer blame being overweight on genetics. So are we as a nation using the excuse of the 'fat Gene' for being overweight?
Certainly, your genetic make up can play a big part in you being overweight and if this is the case then you can't do much about that, but it's only one part of the equation. Their are several other factors all related to poor lifestyle that can be addressed in the war against obesity. These are things that you can influence and make a difference even if your genetics are against you;
1. Dietry habits - Nutritional imbalance. You are eating more calories than you need
2. Physical inactivity - Sedentary lifestyle. Not eneough exercise
3. Smoking and alcohol - Both have a significant influence on the body in relation to storing body fat
So before you start blaming the fat gene for you being overweight, make sure that you have addressed the other three parts of the equation. Being overweight can be addressed with a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise regardless as to whether you hold the 'fat gene'.
Now their were some people in the other two groups who were convinced that they had the worst case scenario, that is 2 copies of the fat gene, when in fact they had none or only one copy. They were really suprised to find that they could no longer blame being overweight on genetics. So are we as a nation using the excuse of the 'fat Gene' for being overweight?
Certainly, your genetic make up can play a big part in you being overweight and if this is the case then you can't do much about that, but it's only one part of the equation. Their are several other factors all related to poor lifestyle that can be addressed in the war against obesity. These are things that you can influence and make a difference even if your genetics are against you;
1. Dietry habits - Nutritional imbalance. You are eating more calories than you need
2. Physical inactivity - Sedentary lifestyle. Not eneough exercise
3. Smoking and alcohol - Both have a significant influence on the body in relation to storing body fat
So before you start blaming the fat gene for you being overweight, make sure that you have addressed the other three parts of the equation. Being overweight can be addressed with a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise regardless as to whether you hold the 'fat gene'.
Monday 26 May 2008
Fitness Terminology
One of the problems about starting a health and fitness regime is all the different acronyms, phrases and terminology used. For the newbie it can be a nightmare and often fitness professionals take it for granted that you know what they are talking about. So for your benefit I have put together a quick reference guide for the most commonly used phrases, terms and acronyms used in the health and fitness world.
Cardiovascular (CV) – Your bodies system for pumping blood around it. CV exercise will train your heart to become stronger and more efficient helping to prevent cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular exercise is also known as aerobic or cardio for short.
RPE - Rate of Perceived Exertion.
How you rate the intensity of an activity usually between 6 and 20. 6 being easy and 20 being very hard.
Metabolism – Is the rate at which your body cells burn energy.
LBM – Lean Body Mass (muscle, skeleton and vital organs). Also known as Fat Free Mass
VLCD - Very Low Carbohydrate Diet
GDA – Guideline Daily Allowance
RDA – Recommended Daily Allowance
REP – Or repetition is used to describe the number repeats performed of one complete movement of a particular exercise. (For example 10 REPS of press ups is equivalent to 10 complete press ups)
SET - A set is a fixed number of repetitions of one exercise. (For example 3 sets of 10 reps is equal to a total of 30 repetitions. But you will only perform 10 reps at each time with a short rest between the next 10 reps)
Body Composition - Is defined as the percentage or ratio of body fat to lean body mass
Aerobic – Exercise performed at a pace that requires sufficient oxygen to enable you to continue (Example; running at a brisk pace). Usually 60 to 90% of MHR
Anaerobic – Exercise performed at a pace that does not require sufficient oxygen to continue (Example; Power Lifting) 90 to 100% of MHR
Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) – Maximum number of time per minute the heart is capable of beating
Resting Heart Rate (RHR) – The number of times per minute the heart beats when at rest
Resistance Training – Training using weights, bands or body weight to provide sufficient resistance to work the muscles, to increase, endurance, strength, power and size
Cardiovascular (CV) – Your bodies system for pumping blood around it. CV exercise will train your heart to become stronger and more efficient helping to prevent cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular exercise is also known as aerobic or cardio for short.
RPE - Rate of Perceived Exertion.
How you rate the intensity of an activity usually between 6 and 20. 6 being easy and 20 being very hard.
Metabolism – Is the rate at which your body cells burn energy.
LBM – Lean Body Mass (muscle, skeleton and vital organs). Also known as Fat Free Mass
VLCD - Very Low Carbohydrate Diet
GDA – Guideline Daily Allowance
RDA – Recommended Daily Allowance
REP – Or repetition is used to describe the number repeats performed of one complete movement of a particular exercise. (For example 10 REPS of press ups is equivalent to 10 complete press ups)
SET - A set is a fixed number of repetitions of one exercise. (For example 3 sets of 10 reps is equal to a total of 30 repetitions. But you will only perform 10 reps at each time with a short rest between the next 10 reps)
Body Composition - Is defined as the percentage or ratio of body fat to lean body mass
Aerobic – Exercise performed at a pace that requires sufficient oxygen to enable you to continue (Example; running at a brisk pace). Usually 60 to 90% of MHR
Anaerobic – Exercise performed at a pace that does not require sufficient oxygen to continue (Example; Power Lifting) 90 to 100% of MHR
Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) – Maximum number of time per minute the heart is capable of beating
Resting Heart Rate (RHR) – The number of times per minute the heart beats when at rest
Resistance Training – Training using weights, bands or body weight to provide sufficient resistance to work the muscles, to increase, endurance, strength, power and size
Thursday 15 May 2008
Are diet drinks making you fat?
Recent research has revealed that diet drinks, in fact any food carrying a 'diet' label could actually be making you fatter.
The reason for this is that diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose to name but two. These artificial sweeteners are much more intense than real sugar and are known by experts as 'excitotoxins' because they stimulate the sensory areas of the brain and trick your body into expecting a huge calorie hit. Because your body is expecting more it releases a large amount of insulin to counteract the sugar. These sweeteners contain no calories so their is nothing for the insulin to work on. What happens when you have excess insulin floating around in your blood stream? You get hungry and what happens when you get hungry? You eat. More often than not you will eat junk because when you have an insulin spike you often reach for the most sugary and fatty food to counteract the insulin and beat the craving.
It's much better and healthier to eat or drink food with natural sugar, like fruit juice rather than the diet options which contain chemical alternatives. Just make sure you are aware of the calories that you are consuming.
The reason for this is that diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose to name but two. These artificial sweeteners are much more intense than real sugar and are known by experts as 'excitotoxins' because they stimulate the sensory areas of the brain and trick your body into expecting a huge calorie hit. Because your body is expecting more it releases a large amount of insulin to counteract the sugar. These sweeteners contain no calories so their is nothing for the insulin to work on. What happens when you have excess insulin floating around in your blood stream? You get hungry and what happens when you get hungry? You eat. More often than not you will eat junk because when you have an insulin spike you often reach for the most sugary and fatty food to counteract the insulin and beat the craving.
It's much better and healthier to eat or drink food with natural sugar, like fruit juice rather than the diet options which contain chemical alternatives. Just make sure you are aware of the calories that you are consuming.
Tuesday 13 May 2008
How to get rid of love handles
One of the most popular questions that I get asked is; "how can I get rid of my love handles".
Everyone is genetically different. Some people have a tendency towards storing body fat, others are naturally lean and the lucky few are lean and muscular. If you have 'love Handles' then it's likely that you fall into the type of person that has a genetic tendency to store body fat easily (Endomorph). However, this should not be an excuse to have them.
The 2 main body shapes that fall into the endomorphic somatotype are 'Apple'. Where fat is mainly stored around the chest and mid section. 'Pear where fat generally accumulatesaround the hips, bottom and thighs.
If you have 'Love Handles' then you are more likely to be 'Apple' shaped rather than 'Pear' shaped. This can be a problem, because people with 'apple' shaped bodies are more prone to developing diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. So it is very important that you start to take action to do something about it.
If you are serious about getting rid of your love handles you can, with a little effort and dedication on your part.
As already established, 'love Handles' are caused by excess body fat. Reducing excess body fat basically boils down to a combination of 2 things;
1. Increase in physical activity - so you burn more energy
2. Healthy balanced diet - to control your food intake to compliment your activity levels.
Increasing your activity levels
Cardio Vascular (CV) exercise is very important in fat burning. Increasing the amount CV exercise you do in a week will increase your metabolism burning more calories and fat for energy.
Try doing this; High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This is the best way to burn fat.
HIIT can be done with any CV activity such as running, walking, swimming, cycling as long as it get your heart and breathing rates up to a high level, then it's effective.
WARNING: High Intensity Interval Training is not recommended for beginners to exercise. Check with your Doctor before trying this as it raises your heart rate close to it's maximum which is not wise for people who are not used to it. As an alternative to HIIT, perform long slow distance training by increasing the overall time, but keeping the intensity constant around 5-6 for the duration.
1. Warm up for 5 minutes at a steady relaxed pace. On a scale of 1 to 10 your perceived intensity rating should be around 4-5/10. You should be able to keep going and hold a conversation comfortably
2. After 5 minutes alternate with periods of rest and work.
Work Interval
- Increase your pace so that your intensity rating is a 9.
- Hold this pace for 8 seconds.
Rest Interval
- Reduce your pace back down to around 5-6 for 12 seconds.
Repeat this cycle for 10 minutes or for as long as you can keep it up.
3. For the last 5 minutes reduce the pace back down to 5.
For more information on this type of training check this website; Turbulencetraining.com
Core Abdominal Exercise, helps to increase muscle tone and strength around the mid-section (core). This will sculpt your stomach and the surrounding muscles to give a more toned physique by making the muscles more prominent around that area. Increased muscle mass also helps to burn more calories hence helping to reduce body fat.
Do these core abdominal exercises;
Start with as many as you can do. Work up to 3 sets of 20 reps per exercise.
1. Abdominal Crunch - Lie down on the floor on your back and bend your knees, placing your hands behind your head or across your chest. Pull your belly button towards your spine, and flatten your lower back against the floor. Slowly contract your abdominal, bringing your shoulder blades about one or two inches off the floor.
2. Obliques Twist - Start by lying down with your back flat on the floor and your left knee up. Place your right ankle on your left knee. Put your right arm straight out and your left hand behind your head. Curl your left shoulder up towards your hip. (Don't try to bring your elbow to your knee.) Once your shoulders are off the floor twist and feel a squeeze in the opposite side of the waist. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor. Slowly return to the start position. Once you finish your set switch sides and repeat.
3. Plank - Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.
4. Back Extension - Lie face down with your arms by your sides, palms facing up and legs extended and relaxed. Hold your head up slightly or rest your forehead on the floor. Relax your shoulders into the floor, but keep your abdominal tight. Tense your bum muscles and use your lower back muscles to slowly lift your shoulders and chest off the floor. Lower and repeat.
As well as doing these exercises based around increasing core strength it's recommended that you also follow a balanced weight training routine to improve muscle tone and endurance around the whole body. This will promote good posture and help to increase your metabolism to burn more fat.
Sensible healthy eating:
The second core ingredient to losing those love handles is a good healthy balanced diet. Restricting calories too much is not recommended and can actually cause you to get fatter. Concentrate on the quality of your food rather than the quantity.
Here's 5 points to consider about your diet
1. Think quality - Eat the best possible food whenever you can. Fresh is best.
2. Portion sizes - Get your portions right. Divide your meal into 3 portions, protein & fats (meat/fish etc.), Starchy Carbohydrates (Rice/Past potato etc.), Fibrous carbohydrates (Root veg, green veg, fruits etc.) Each portion size should be roughly the size of your fist for a full grown adult.
3. Eat little and often - This prevents hunger and regulates your metabolism. 5 to 6 small meals per day is recommended.
4. Always, always, always eat breakfast - Skipping breakfast makes you fat. Your metabolism is rock bottom in the morning. Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism and starts you burning fat
5. Options - Always look for a healthier whole option. Here's some examples, wholemeal bread over white bread, wholemeal pasta over white pasta. Lean meat & fish cuts over sausages or fish fingers. Jacket potatoes over chips. Fruit over biscuits. Whatever you like to eat there is always a healthier more natural alternative.
Take one thing that you think you can improve on within your diet per day and change it. Example; Reduce your sugar in tea from 2 to 1 teaspoon. Switch to wholemeal bread. Cut your alcohol intake to the recommended daily units.
Follow the advice in this post and you will surprised at how quickly you'll see your love handles disappearing.
Everyone is genetically different. Some people have a tendency towards storing body fat, others are naturally lean and the lucky few are lean and muscular. If you have 'love Handles' then it's likely that you fall into the type of person that has a genetic tendency to store body fat easily (Endomorph). However, this should not be an excuse to have them.
The 2 main body shapes that fall into the endomorphic somatotype are 'Apple'. Where fat is mainly stored around the chest and mid section. 'Pear where fat generally accumulatesaround the hips, bottom and thighs.
If you have 'Love Handles' then you are more likely to be 'Apple' shaped rather than 'Pear' shaped. This can be a problem, because people with 'apple' shaped bodies are more prone to developing diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. So it is very important that you start to take action to do something about it.
If you are serious about getting rid of your love handles you can, with a little effort and dedication on your part.
As already established, 'love Handles' are caused by excess body fat. Reducing excess body fat basically boils down to a combination of 2 things;
1. Increase in physical activity - so you burn more energy
2. Healthy balanced diet - to control your food intake to compliment your activity levels.
Increasing your activity levels
Cardio Vascular (CV) exercise is very important in fat burning. Increasing the amount CV exercise you do in a week will increase your metabolism burning more calories and fat for energy.
Try doing this; High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This is the best way to burn fat.
HIIT can be done with any CV activity such as running, walking, swimming, cycling as long as it get your heart and breathing rates up to a high level, then it's effective.
WARNING: High Intensity Interval Training is not recommended for beginners to exercise. Check with your Doctor before trying this as it raises your heart rate close to it's maximum which is not wise for people who are not used to it. As an alternative to HIIT, perform long slow distance training by increasing the overall time, but keeping the intensity constant around 5-6 for the duration.
1. Warm up for 5 minutes at a steady relaxed pace. On a scale of 1 to 10 your perceived intensity rating should be around 4-5/10. You should be able to keep going and hold a conversation comfortably
2. After 5 minutes alternate with periods of rest and work.
Work Interval
- Increase your pace so that your intensity rating is a 9.
- Hold this pace for 8 seconds.
Rest Interval
- Reduce your pace back down to around 5-6 for 12 seconds.
Repeat this cycle for 10 minutes or for as long as you can keep it up.
3. For the last 5 minutes reduce the pace back down to 5.
For more information on this type of training check this website; Turbulencetraining.com
Core Abdominal Exercise, helps to increase muscle tone and strength around the mid-section (core). This will sculpt your stomach and the surrounding muscles to give a more toned physique by making the muscles more prominent around that area. Increased muscle mass also helps to burn more calories hence helping to reduce body fat.
Do these core abdominal exercises;
Start with as many as you can do. Work up to 3 sets of 20 reps per exercise.
1. Abdominal Crunch - Lie down on the floor on your back and bend your knees, placing your hands behind your head or across your chest. Pull your belly button towards your spine, and flatten your lower back against the floor. Slowly contract your abdominal, bringing your shoulder blades about one or two inches off the floor.
2. Obliques Twist - Start by lying down with your back flat on the floor and your left knee up. Place your right ankle on your left knee. Put your right arm straight out and your left hand behind your head. Curl your left shoulder up towards your hip. (Don't try to bring your elbow to your knee.) Once your shoulders are off the floor twist and feel a squeeze in the opposite side of the waist. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor. Slowly return to the start position. Once you finish your set switch sides and repeat.
3. Plank - Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.
4. Back Extension - Lie face down with your arms by your sides, palms facing up and legs extended and relaxed. Hold your head up slightly or rest your forehead on the floor. Relax your shoulders into the floor, but keep your abdominal tight. Tense your bum muscles and use your lower back muscles to slowly lift your shoulders and chest off the floor. Lower and repeat.
As well as doing these exercises based around increasing core strength it's recommended that you also follow a balanced weight training routine to improve muscle tone and endurance around the whole body. This will promote good posture and help to increase your metabolism to burn more fat.
Sensible healthy eating:
The second core ingredient to losing those love handles is a good healthy balanced diet. Restricting calories too much is not recommended and can actually cause you to get fatter. Concentrate on the quality of your food rather than the quantity.
Here's 5 points to consider about your diet
1. Think quality - Eat the best possible food whenever you can. Fresh is best.
2. Portion sizes - Get your portions right. Divide your meal into 3 portions, protein & fats (meat/fish etc.), Starchy Carbohydrates (Rice/Past potato etc.), Fibrous carbohydrates (Root veg, green veg, fruits etc.) Each portion size should be roughly the size of your fist for a full grown adult.
3. Eat little and often - This prevents hunger and regulates your metabolism. 5 to 6 small meals per day is recommended.
4. Always, always, always eat breakfast - Skipping breakfast makes you fat. Your metabolism is rock bottom in the morning. Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism and starts you burning fat
5. Options - Always look for a healthier whole option. Here's some examples, wholemeal bread over white bread, wholemeal pasta over white pasta. Lean meat & fish cuts over sausages or fish fingers. Jacket potatoes over chips. Fruit over biscuits. Whatever you like to eat there is always a healthier more natural alternative.
Take one thing that you think you can improve on within your diet per day and change it. Example; Reduce your sugar in tea from 2 to 1 teaspoon. Switch to wholemeal bread. Cut your alcohol intake to the recommended daily units.
Follow the advice in this post and you will surprised at how quickly you'll see your love handles disappearing.
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Fitness Tip - Vary your exercise
Getting fit doesn't have to be about endlessly pounding the
streets or lifting weights in a sweaty gym. Improving your
fitness will be much more successful if you vary your activities
and do things you enjoy doing.
For example last weekend, I went Sea Kayaking. It was something
I have never done before and I thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. It was such a good workout I really recommend that
you give it a try. It was a great CV workout for my heart and
lungs and also a good resistance workout for my arms, shoulders
and back. The surprising thing is that it really worked my core
muscles and upper legs hard as well.
You have to use your core abdominals and upper legs to help
steer the kayak and to make sure that it stays upright.
Apart from all that, it was a very relaxing few hours, just
gently paddling around the coast line taking in the beautiful
scenery and coming face to face with the wildlife that live
around the coast. Normally you would not get to see all these
sites, so it was a really amazing experience.
Why not take advantage of the summer weather and get out and do
something different. Their are plenty of outdoor activities that
will add a new dimension to your fitness and give you enjoyment
at the same time.
Some examples would be;
Hill walking
Pony trekking
Mountain biking
Cycling
Fell Running
Rock Climbing
River Kayaking
White water rafting
streets or lifting weights in a sweaty gym. Improving your
fitness will be much more successful if you vary your activities
and do things you enjoy doing.
For example last weekend, I went Sea Kayaking. It was something
I have never done before and I thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. It was such a good workout I really recommend that
you give it a try. It was a great CV workout for my heart and
lungs and also a good resistance workout for my arms, shoulders
and back. The surprising thing is that it really worked my core
muscles and upper legs hard as well.
You have to use your core abdominals and upper legs to help
steer the kayak and to make sure that it stays upright.
Apart from all that, it was a very relaxing few hours, just
gently paddling around the coast line taking in the beautiful
scenery and coming face to face with the wildlife that live
around the coast. Normally you would not get to see all these
sites, so it was a really amazing experience.
Why not take advantage of the summer weather and get out and do
something different. Their are plenty of outdoor activities that
will add a new dimension to your fitness and give you enjoyment
at the same time.
Some examples would be;
Hill walking
Pony trekking
Mountain biking
Cycling
Fell Running
Rock Climbing
River Kayaking
White water rafting
Thursday 24 April 2008
Fitness Tip - Overcoming the Weightloss plateau
Everyone reaches this stage at some point, usually within 2 to 3 months of first starting a new fitness and weight loss regime.
It can be quite demotivating when you first experience this. But it is a natural part of the process. Basically it means that your body has become accustomed to the exercise and eating patterns that you have been using for the last few months and it needs a new challenge in order to progress. You just need to deal with it and move on. Here's how to do that;
Firstly, unless you are considerably overweight, then weight itself is not a good way to measure progress. A true plateau should apply to several areas rather than just weight alone, for example, your physical appearance (Inch loss, BMI, Body Fat, etc.). Your personal best (Strength, speed, stamina, power etc.)
When you first started your original campaign, you made changes to the ways in which you have been eating and exercising. This initially shocks your body into action, by teaching it to become stronger and utilise your food energy more efficiently, hence increasing the efficiency of your metabolism. But your body is a quick learner and rapidly adapts to these changes, so they are no longer challenging.
The phase at which your body is learning to adapt to these new challenges is known by professional athletes and sports people as GAS or General Adaptation Syndrome. Once your body has adapted to the changes, you then reach the plateau phase and this is the point at which you begin to see a slow down in weight loss and fitness gains. This is the point where you have to make changes and introduce a new stimulus to further challenge your body.
So many people make the same mistake, when a starting a new fitness and weight loss regime. They continue doing the same routine week in week out without ever changing it. Then they wonder why they never reach their goals. Well now you know and here's what to do about it when you reach that point.
Continually test;
Make variations to your diet and exercise routine, by incorporating small changes and then monitor the results. Here are some examples as to how you can do that;
1. Awareness - Know your daily calorie allowance;
Being aware of how many calories you can eat in a day will allow you plan your meals effectively. This will ensure that you are eating sufficient calories to prevent the starvation response, but it will also make you aware of the point at which you could be overeating.
Once you know your daily calorie allowance, this will enable to apply other techniques such as Zig-Zagging, meal frequency and Tapering. See below.
To find out your daily calorie allowance check out the Calorie Counter Demo videos
2. Zig-Zagging
You will need to know your daily calorie allowance to do this effectively. But basically it means, restricting your calorie intake for a number of days and then increasing it again to above your calorie limit for one day. You might do this for several weeks. Generally you would zig-zag +/- 250 calories around your daily allowance for example, if your daily allowance is 2200 calories you would eat 1950 calories for 3 days, then 1 day at 2450. This method allows you to use calorie restriction, without the risk of going into starvation response, hence preserving muscle and maintaining metabolism. Body builders use this technique all the time.
3. Resistance Training - Workout with weights
Muscle is calorie hungry. The more muscle you have the more calories you will use. Many people make the mistake when starting fitness to just do CV training such as running, cycling, swimming etc. Whilst these activities will aid muscle development (tone) and preservation to a degree, they will not increase muscle size or mass. This can only effectively be done by training with weights at the correct intensity and volume. Increasing muscle size (hypertrophy) will raise your metabolism, helping you burn more fat.
4. Progression - Change or vary your CV workout
Make variations to your exercise routine by changing the distance, time, intensity, terrain etc. Even change the type of CV workout you are doing. If you are running, try, cycling or swimming. Include high intensity intervals or fartlek training to boost fat burning. Try anything that challenges your body.
5. Change the ratio of Carbs, Protein and Fats
Try experimenting with the ratio of macronutrients for each meal. This can make all the difference in getting over the weight loss plateau. Try eating less carbohydrate and more protein. Even try increasing your fat intake slightly, but remember to adjust your carbohydrate and protein intake to take in to account the increase in calories.
6. Change Meal Frequency
If you are eating three square meals a day - start adding snacks in between. Try to divide your total daily calorie allowance between 5 and 6 meals per day. This helps to keep your blood sugar levels constant and boosts your metabolic rate. For example, if your daily calorie allowance works out at 2000, divide that up as 6 meals at 333 calories each.
7. Calorie Tapering
As above you would divide your daily calories into 5 or 6 meals. But in this case, the idea is to eat more calories in the morning when you are more likely to use them and taper down the quantity gradually in the day by eating less at each meal serve. So you are eating less in the evening when you are more likely to store excess fat.
Adopting any one of the above is a good way of getting over a plateau. But the important thing to remember is test, test, test. Keep tweaking until you find what works for you, don't just stick to what you have always done. There's and old saying, 'If you always do what you've always done, then you will always have what you've got'.
It can be quite demotivating when you first experience this. But it is a natural part of the process. Basically it means that your body has become accustomed to the exercise and eating patterns that you have been using for the last few months and it needs a new challenge in order to progress. You just need to deal with it and move on. Here's how to do that;
Firstly, unless you are considerably overweight, then weight itself is not a good way to measure progress. A true plateau should apply to several areas rather than just weight alone, for example, your physical appearance (Inch loss, BMI, Body Fat, etc.). Your personal best (Strength, speed, stamina, power etc.)
When you first started your original campaign, you made changes to the ways in which you have been eating and exercising. This initially shocks your body into action, by teaching it to become stronger and utilise your food energy more efficiently, hence increasing the efficiency of your metabolism. But your body is a quick learner and rapidly adapts to these changes, so they are no longer challenging.
The phase at which your body is learning to adapt to these new challenges is known by professional athletes and sports people as GAS or General Adaptation Syndrome. Once your body has adapted to the changes, you then reach the plateau phase and this is the point at which you begin to see a slow down in weight loss and fitness gains. This is the point where you have to make changes and introduce a new stimulus to further challenge your body.
So many people make the same mistake, when a starting a new fitness and weight loss regime. They continue doing the same routine week in week out without ever changing it. Then they wonder why they never reach their goals. Well now you know and here's what to do about it when you reach that point.
Continually test;
Make variations to your diet and exercise routine, by incorporating small changes and then monitor the results. Here are some examples as to how you can do that;
1. Awareness - Know your daily calorie allowance;
Being aware of how many calories you can eat in a day will allow you plan your meals effectively. This will ensure that you are eating sufficient calories to prevent the starvation response, but it will also make you aware of the point at which you could be overeating.
Once you know your daily calorie allowance, this will enable to apply other techniques such as Zig-Zagging, meal frequency and Tapering. See below.
To find out your daily calorie allowance check out the Calorie Counter Demo videos
2. Zig-Zagging
You will need to know your daily calorie allowance to do this effectively. But basically it means, restricting your calorie intake for a number of days and then increasing it again to above your calorie limit for one day. You might do this for several weeks. Generally you would zig-zag +/- 250 calories around your daily allowance for example, if your daily allowance is 2200 calories you would eat 1950 calories for 3 days, then 1 day at 2450. This method allows you to use calorie restriction, without the risk of going into starvation response, hence preserving muscle and maintaining metabolism. Body builders use this technique all the time.
3. Resistance Training - Workout with weights
Muscle is calorie hungry. The more muscle you have the more calories you will use. Many people make the mistake when starting fitness to just do CV training such as running, cycling, swimming etc. Whilst these activities will aid muscle development (tone) and preservation to a degree, they will not increase muscle size or mass. This can only effectively be done by training with weights at the correct intensity and volume. Increasing muscle size (hypertrophy) will raise your metabolism, helping you burn more fat.
4. Progression - Change or vary your CV workout
Make variations to your exercise routine by changing the distance, time, intensity, terrain etc. Even change the type of CV workout you are doing. If you are running, try, cycling or swimming. Include high intensity intervals or fartlek training to boost fat burning. Try anything that challenges your body.
5. Change the ratio of Carbs, Protein and Fats
Try experimenting with the ratio of macronutrients for each meal. This can make all the difference in getting over the weight loss plateau. Try eating less carbohydrate and more protein. Even try increasing your fat intake slightly, but remember to adjust your carbohydrate and protein intake to take in to account the increase in calories.
6. Change Meal Frequency
If you are eating three square meals a day - start adding snacks in between. Try to divide your total daily calorie allowance between 5 and 6 meals per day. This helps to keep your blood sugar levels constant and boosts your metabolic rate. For example, if your daily calorie allowance works out at 2000, divide that up as 6 meals at 333 calories each.
7. Calorie Tapering
As above you would divide your daily calories into 5 or 6 meals. But in this case, the idea is to eat more calories in the morning when you are more likely to use them and taper down the quantity gradually in the day by eating less at each meal serve. So you are eating less in the evening when you are more likely to store excess fat.
Adopting any one of the above is a good way of getting over a plateau. But the important thing to remember is test, test, test. Keep tweaking until you find what works for you, don't just stick to what you have always done. There's and old saying, 'If you always do what you've always done, then you will always have what you've got'.
Monday 14 April 2008
Fitness Tip - How to burn body fat
Despite popular belief 'Long Slow Distance' training is not necessarily the most effective way to burn fat. This type of training is designed to keep your heart rate at around 60% of it's maximum for the duration of the training. But to burn any serious fat, you need to keep going for a substantial amount of time, usually around 45 to 60 minutes. This can often be detrimental to most peoples fat loss goals, because after a certain amount of time you are also burning muscle for energy, which is not good. As you know muscle, is calorie hungry and is necessary to help maximize fat loss.
Most people find this kind of time frame very hard to stick to, because it can be quite tedious and time consuming. By the time you have included a warm up, cool down and stretching session you are looking at well over an hour just for your CV session before you have even started with your resistance session.
A much more efficient way of burning fat and conserving time is to increase the intensity of your workout by adding interval sessions. This also helps to preserve muscle because the workout sessions are often considerably shorter and you are using a combination of different energy systems for fuel.
Interval training involves structured periods of work and recovery time and is aimed at developing cardiovascular fitness and improving your tolerance of training at higher intensities.
Fartlek training (Fartlek is the Swedish term for 'speed play') is another form of interval training, but instead of the interval being structured, the work and rest periods are random.
Fat burning, is accelerated by increasing the intensity of your workout. By intensity, I mean working harder, this will mean increasing your heart rate to around 80 - 90% of its maximum for a shorter period. This will ensure that you burn more calories in a shorter time period. The other advantage of interval training is that it relieves the boredom of just plodding along at the same old speed, which means your workout becomes more enjoyable and challenging.
You can apply interval training to almost any type of CV exercise, but it's important that you work hard on the work portions of the interval to get your heart rate up so that you are burning more calories and using fat for fuel as well as carbohydrate. You need to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. As you get fitter you can begin to decrease the rest interval and increase the work interval. This will quickly and effectively teach your body to adapt to new training conditions and catapult your fitness levels and fat burning ability into new territories.
Most people find this kind of time frame very hard to stick to, because it can be quite tedious and time consuming. By the time you have included a warm up, cool down and stretching session you are looking at well over an hour just for your CV session before you have even started with your resistance session.
A much more efficient way of burning fat and conserving time is to increase the intensity of your workout by adding interval sessions. This also helps to preserve muscle because the workout sessions are often considerably shorter and you are using a combination of different energy systems for fuel.
Interval training involves structured periods of work and recovery time and is aimed at developing cardiovascular fitness and improving your tolerance of training at higher intensities.
Fartlek training (Fartlek is the Swedish term for 'speed play') is another form of interval training, but instead of the interval being structured, the work and rest periods are random.
Fat burning, is accelerated by increasing the intensity of your workout. By intensity, I mean working harder, this will mean increasing your heart rate to around 80 - 90% of its maximum for a shorter period. This will ensure that you burn more calories in a shorter time period. The other advantage of interval training is that it relieves the boredom of just plodding along at the same old speed, which means your workout becomes more enjoyable and challenging.
You can apply interval training to almost any type of CV exercise, but it's important that you work hard on the work portions of the interval to get your heart rate up so that you are burning more calories and using fat for fuel as well as carbohydrate. You need to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. As you get fitter you can begin to decrease the rest interval and increase the work interval. This will quickly and effectively teach your body to adapt to new training conditions and catapult your fitness levels and fat burning ability into new territories.
Friday 4 April 2008
Fitness Tip - Circuit Training
If you are looking to start fitness but you don't know what activity to do, then how about giving Circuit Training a go?
I have been doing circuit training for over 20 years and its given me great all round fitness, good posture and muscular endurance. I find that it's a great way to keep up my fitness levels now that I have retired from team sports such as rugby and football.
Circuit Training is one of the best all round group activities you can do to improve your overall fitness.
With regards to fitness most people are looking to improve, cardiovascular fitness (CV), muscular endurance and flexibility. A well planned circuit training session will cover all these key elements as well as improving power, strength and balance. Because it's interval based then it's one of the best activities for burning fat.
If you don't know what circuit training is then here's a quick overview.
Read the full article on Circuit Training
I have been doing circuit training for over 20 years and its given me great all round fitness, good posture and muscular endurance. I find that it's a great way to keep up my fitness levels now that I have retired from team sports such as rugby and football.
Circuit Training is one of the best all round group activities you can do to improve your overall fitness.
With regards to fitness most people are looking to improve, cardiovascular fitness (CV), muscular endurance and flexibility. A well planned circuit training session will cover all these key elements as well as improving power, strength and balance. Because it's interval based then it's one of the best activities for burning fat.
If you don't know what circuit training is then here's a quick overview.
Read the full article on Circuit Training
Friday 28 March 2008
Fitness Tip - Preserve your muscles
Preserve your muscle
Here's some facts that you may or may not know about your muscles and why it's important to use and preserve them;
1. Muscles require energy & burn calories even when not in use, so they increase your metabolism and help burn fat.
2. Muscles support your skeleton. Depletion of muscle over time due to old age and inactivity causes poor posture because your body can no longer support it's own weight.
3. Regular resistance training with weights helps to preserve muscle mass.
4. The more you use a muscle, the stronger & more toned it gets.
5. Muscle tone is when the muscle is in a state of readiness.
6. Muscle does not turn to fat if it's not used. Fat and muscle are 2 totally different types of tissue.
7. Yo yo fad dieting causes muscle loss due to the starvation response. Basically your body eats it's self for energy because you are depriving it of the right amount of fuel to function.
8. Women will not develop huge muscles when training with weights, instead they will increase their metabolism, burn more fat and tone up.
9. Muscle helps to improve balance and posture, hence preventing injury and joint related problems in old age
10. You only need to include 2 resistance training sessions per week to get all these benefits. Resistance training should become part of a well balanced training program that includes CV exercise, flexibility and a healthy diet.
Here's some facts that you may or may not know about your muscles and why it's important to use and preserve them;
1. Muscles require energy & burn calories even when not in use, so they increase your metabolism and help burn fat.
2. Muscles support your skeleton. Depletion of muscle over time due to old age and inactivity causes poor posture because your body can no longer support it's own weight.
3. Regular resistance training with weights helps to preserve muscle mass.
4. The more you use a muscle, the stronger & more toned it gets.
5. Muscle tone is when the muscle is in a state of readiness.
6. Muscle does not turn to fat if it's not used. Fat and muscle are 2 totally different types of tissue.
7. Yo yo fad dieting causes muscle loss due to the starvation response. Basically your body eats it's self for energy because you are depriving it of the right amount of fuel to function.
8. Women will not develop huge muscles when training with weights, instead they will increase their metabolism, burn more fat and tone up.
9. Muscle helps to improve balance and posture, hence preventing injury and joint related problems in old age
10. You only need to include 2 resistance training sessions per week to get all these benefits. Resistance training should become part of a well balanced training program that includes CV exercise, flexibility and a healthy diet.
Monday 24 March 2008
Fitness Tip - Core Training
Core Training
One of the most important areas you should work on to improve your overall fitness, is development of your core strength and stability.
Why?
Your core is responsible for supporting and stabilizing your upper body during everyday movements such as twisting, bending and lifting. Having a strong core helps create good posture which in turn helps to promote a strong back.
A lot of back pain is simply caused by poor posture and weak core abdominal muscles.
What is your core?
Your core is made up of several different muscles arranged in layers. It has deep, middle and outer layers. Imagine it like a corset that wraps around your body, underneath your ribs and down to your pelvis.
Fortunately, its very easy to train your core in just a few minutes per day.
Here are some really good examples of Core Stability Exercises that you can start with right away. Click on the link below to access them.
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/corestabex.htm
Start with the simpler exercises and progress as you get stronger.
One of the most important areas you should work on to improve your overall fitness, is development of your core strength and stability.
Why?
Your core is responsible for supporting and stabilizing your upper body during everyday movements such as twisting, bending and lifting. Having a strong core helps create good posture which in turn helps to promote a strong back.
A lot of back pain is simply caused by poor posture and weak core abdominal muscles.
What is your core?
Your core is made up of several different muscles arranged in layers. It has deep, middle and outer layers. Imagine it like a corset that wraps around your body, underneath your ribs and down to your pelvis.
Fortunately, its very easy to train your core in just a few minutes per day.
Here are some really good examples of Core Stability Exercises that you can start with right away. Click on the link below to access them.
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/corestabex.htm
Start with the simpler exercises and progress as you get stronger.
Sunday 23 March 2008
Fitness Tip - What are you fit for?
What are you fit for?
Before embarking on any new fitness programme it's important for you to realise what you want to be fit for.
Fit or fitness are very broad terms and can be applied to a number of different things.
Ask yourself what you are fit for right now.
If all you do is sit around watching TV in the evenings, sit at a desk in front of a PC all day and drive around everywhere in the car, then that is exactly what you are fit for. If you play golf 2 times a week that is what you are fit for. If you run marathons, then that's what you're fit for. Do you understand what I'm saying?
If you want to get fit then be very specific about what you want to get fit for. If it's your dream to run the New York marathon, then that is your ultimate fitness goal and it's vital that you adapt a training programme to compliment your goal.
Setting a definitive and specific goal will help you to achieve your ultimate aim and keep you motivated.
Before embarking on any new fitness programme it's important for you to realise what you want to be fit for.
Fit or fitness are very broad terms and can be applied to a number of different things.
Ask yourself what you are fit for right now.
If all you do is sit around watching TV in the evenings, sit at a desk in front of a PC all day and drive around everywhere in the car, then that is exactly what you are fit for. If you play golf 2 times a week that is what you are fit for. If you run marathons, then that's what you're fit for. Do you understand what I'm saying?
If you want to get fit then be very specific about what you want to get fit for. If it's your dream to run the New York marathon, then that is your ultimate fitness goal and it's vital that you adapt a training programme to compliment your goal.
Setting a definitive and specific goal will help you to achieve your ultimate aim and keep you motivated.
Thursday 20 March 2008
Fitness Tip - Good Fats
Good Fats
Fats have had pretty bad press over the last 20 years or so. They are an essential part of our diet that have definite health benefits and should not be underestimated.
Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These are found, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, vegetables, oils etc. These are also known as Essential Fatty Acids or EFA's because they are essential to our diet. Even saturated fats are not as bad as we seem to think. These fats are mostly found in animal products and some oils such as Palm & Coconut oil. Coconut Oil is currently being hailed as a super food. Click the active link or more info on Coconut Oil.
The main thing about these types of fats is that they are completely natural, so your body can handle them and use them in the correct way.
There are huge debates raging as we speak about fats and whether they are good or bad for us.
However, I can tell you one type of fat that you should avoid like the plague and that is Trans-Fats or AKA Hydrogenated Fats. These are man made fats that are found in processed foods such as, margarines, biscuits, cakes, pastries, ready meals and fast foods. Make no mistake these will cause you harm and have been blamed for the up serge in cases of high cholesterol and other lifestyle related diseases over the past number of years.
In short, your body does not know how to handle these types of fats so they cause all sorts of problems and damage to your cells. You are much better off eating foods with a little butter than using margarine.
Fats have had pretty bad press over the last 20 years or so. They are an essential part of our diet that have definite health benefits and should not be underestimated.
Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These are found, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, vegetables, oils etc. These are also known as Essential Fatty Acids or EFA's because they are essential to our diet. Even saturated fats are not as bad as we seem to think. These fats are mostly found in animal products and some oils such as Palm & Coconut oil. Coconut Oil is currently being hailed as a super food. Click the active link or more info on Coconut Oil.
The main thing about these types of fats is that they are completely natural, so your body can handle them and use them in the correct way.
There are huge debates raging as we speak about fats and whether they are good or bad for us.
However, I can tell you one type of fat that you should avoid like the plague and that is Trans-Fats or AKA Hydrogenated Fats. These are man made fats that are found in processed foods such as, margarines, biscuits, cakes, pastries, ready meals and fast foods. Make no mistake these will cause you harm and have been blamed for the up serge in cases of high cholesterol and other lifestyle related diseases over the past number of years.
In short, your body does not know how to handle these types of fats so they cause all sorts of problems and damage to your cells. You are much better off eating foods with a little butter than using margarine.
Wednesday 19 March 2008
Fitness Tip - Healthy Eating
Ever heard the phrase 'You are what you eat'? That's exactly what we are.
Each time you eat something your body uses the nutrients from that food to replenish and rebuild your body cells.
Eat poor quality food and effectively you are building yourself a poor quality body.
By eating higher quality foods you will build yourself a high quality body.
Take a closer look at what you are eating everyday and look at where you can make small changes.
Some examples of how you can make changes might be;
Healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. Change one thing everyday for the better and before you know it you will have completely changed your eating habits.
Each time you eat something your body uses the nutrients from that food to replenish and rebuild your body cells.
Eat poor quality food and effectively you are building yourself a poor quality body.
By eating higher quality foods you will build yourself a high quality body.
Take a closer look at what you are eating everyday and look at where you can make small changes.
Some examples of how you can make changes might be;
- Reduce the amount of processed foods
- Reduce sugar intake
- Reduce salt intake
- Cut out the intake of trans fats
- Reduce stimulants such as tea and coffee
- Drink more water
- Always eat the freshest food possible
Healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. Change one thing everyday for the better and before you know it you will have completely changed your eating habits.
Tuesday 18 March 2008
Fitness Tip - Exercise advice
Take the opportunity to exercise whenever you can. You don't have to always get your training kit on. Plan your day and think about where you can include some extra activity.
Do you need to take the car to the shops?
Can you use the stairs instead of the elevator?
Does the garden need doing?
Each one of the above activities can easily be included around your daily routine and will help you to maintain and even improve your fitness levels.
Make a conscious effort to include more activity within your daily life.
Do you need to take the car to the shops?
Can you use the stairs instead of the elevator?
Does the garden need doing?
Each one of the above activities can easily be included around your daily routine and will help you to maintain and even improve your fitness levels.
Make a conscious effort to include more activity within your daily life.
Tuesday 11 March 2008
Calorie Counting
Losing weight is all about creating a calorie deficit through diet and an increase in physical activity.
The healthiest weight loss is achieved by reducing your calorie intake by 500 calories per day.
http://www.kickstartfit.co.uk/caloriecounterdemo.html
The healthiest weight loss is achieved by reducing your calorie intake by 500 calories per day.
- 250 from a reduction in dietry intake
- 250 expended by an increase in physical activity
http://www.kickstartfit.co.uk/caloriecounterdemo.html
Monday 10 March 2008
Food Additives
How brown is your bread?
Did you know that brown bread is not wholemeal and actually contains more additives than white bread? Why? Because it's white bread with colouring.
Check on the ingredients label if your not sure.
Wholemeal bread will contain 'Wholemeal flour'. If it just contains wheat flour, then this is refined and not wholemeal. It may contain E numbers. E100 numbers are colourings.
Refined carbohydrates, which includes white bread and brown if it's not wholemeal are poor sources of nutrients and should be avoided.
Don't be fooled by the manufacturers and make sure you become 'Food Smart'. Always check the ingredients labels for additives and preservatives. The simple rule is, if you can't pronounce it then put it back.
Did you know that brown bread is not wholemeal and actually contains more additives than white bread? Why? Because it's white bread with colouring.
Check on the ingredients label if your not sure.
Wholemeal bread will contain 'Wholemeal flour'. If it just contains wheat flour, then this is refined and not wholemeal. It may contain E numbers. E100 numbers are colourings.
Refined carbohydrates, which includes white bread and brown if it's not wholemeal are poor sources of nutrients and should be avoided.
Don't be fooled by the manufacturers and make sure you become 'Food Smart'. Always check the ingredients labels for additives and preservatives. The simple rule is, if you can't pronounce it then put it back.
Monday 25 February 2008
Obesity and Exercise
Obesity and Exercise: This blog will give the basic information required for an obese person to understand the need for increasing physical activity and identify the actions they need to take before getting underway. But first let’s take a look at some pretty scary statistics.
The National Health Survey England carried out between 1994 and 2003 revealed shocking increases in obesity for males and females in the UK.
* 9.5% increase of obesity in males between 1994 & 2003
* 6.1% increase of obesity in females between 1994 & 2003
If this trend continues then by 2010 over a third of all adults in the UK will be classed as obese, putting a huge strain on the already struggling NHS. In fact obesity is rising faster in the UK than in any other European community.
For the full article click this link Obesity & Exercise
The National Health Survey England carried out between 1994 and 2003 revealed shocking increases in obesity for males and females in the UK.
* 9.5% increase of obesity in males between 1994 & 2003
* 6.1% increase of obesity in females between 1994 & 2003
If this trend continues then by 2010 over a third of all adults in the UK will be classed as obese, putting a huge strain on the already struggling NHS. In fact obesity is rising faster in the UK than in any other European community.
For the full article click this link Obesity & Exercise
Wednesday 13 February 2008
Good Sources of Protein
Protein is used to repair tissue cells within the body and is an essential as part of a healthy balanced diet. You should eat some protein at every meal serve.
Protein is made up from Amino Acids. There are 20 amino acids in all, 9 of which are essential to our diet. The remaining 11 are manufactured within our liver, so are non-essential from dietary intake.
A complete protein is food source that includes all 9 essential amino acids. These are mainly from animal products with the exception of Soy.
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Dairy Eggs
Soy
Incomplete proteins are food sources that contain most of the 9 essential amino acids but usually fall short on one or two of them. These are mainly plant sources and include;
Grains
Cereals
Beans
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables
It is possible to get the full compliment of amino acids by pairing up two or more of the incomplete food sources. For example baked beans on wholemeal toast would give the full compliment of essential amino acids. It's not essential to have both food sources at the same meal serve, as long as they are eaten within the same 24 hours.
How much protein do you need.
Daily protein intake depends upon two things. Your activity levels and your body weight. The average sedentary adult should be eating 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example an adult weighing 80Kgs should be consuming 64 grams of protein per day.
This changes depending upon activity levels, so athletes and sports people should be consuming more due to the fact exercise damages body tissue, so additional protein is essential on top of the daily requirements to repair tissue damage.
The maximum amount of protein to be consumed in one day should be no more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Protein is made up from Amino Acids. There are 20 amino acids in all, 9 of which are essential to our diet. The remaining 11 are manufactured within our liver, so are non-essential from dietary intake.
A complete protein is food source that includes all 9 essential amino acids. These are mainly from animal products with the exception of Soy.
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Dairy Eggs
Soy
Incomplete proteins are food sources that contain most of the 9 essential amino acids but usually fall short on one or two of them. These are mainly plant sources and include;
Grains
Cereals
Beans
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables
It is possible to get the full compliment of amino acids by pairing up two or more of the incomplete food sources. For example baked beans on wholemeal toast would give the full compliment of essential amino acids. It's not essential to have both food sources at the same meal serve, as long as they are eaten within the same 24 hours.
How much protein do you need.
Daily protein intake depends upon two things. Your activity levels and your body weight. The average sedentary adult should be eating 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example an adult weighing 80Kgs should be consuming 64 grams of protein per day.
This changes depending upon activity levels, so athletes and sports people should be consuming more due to the fact exercise damages body tissue, so additional protein is essential on top of the daily requirements to repair tissue damage.
The maximum amount of protein to be consumed in one day should be no more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Monday 4 February 2008
Resistance Training
A good all round fitness program should incorporate the 3 following elements;
1. Aerobic (CV) training - Running, swimming, walking etc.
2. Resistance Training - Weight training, circuit training, palates etc.
3. Flexibility - Stretching, yoga
Including these 3 main elements will help you to get a good grounding in the 7 core components of fitness which are;
1. Aerobic
2. Anaerobic
3. Power
4. Strength
5. Endurance
6. Flexibility
7. Balance and mobility
For more information on the 7 core components of fitness, read our article 'Get Fit'.
Too many people only focus on one key area and that is generally the one that they feel comfortable with. For example, many people, run and never do weights. Or some people just workout with weights in the gym and never do any aerobic exercise. Very few people actually stretch before and after a workout session. The truth of the matter is all 3 are important for a balanced fitness program. Skipping any one element can end up being detrimental to your overall goals. To become all round fit, you have to incorporate a range of activities that will challenge all 7 of the core components of fitness. Progression of fitness is all about putting yourself outside of your comfort zone so that your body adapts to new challenges.
Resistance training is an essential activity that will help to develop, strength, power, endurance and balance. This in turn will promote good posture and fat loss, by preserving lean muscle mass. Lean muscle burns calories and will help to keep your metabolism on fire, thus preventing weight gain due to an increase in body fat.
If you are not doing so already, get started with a resistance program.
For more information read our article 'Weight Training for Fitness'.
For a great beginners all body resistance program check out 'Toning Exercises'
If you are not sure where to start with resistance training, have a chat with the Fitness Instructor at your local gym or hire a Personal Trainer to design a resistance program specific to you.
1. Aerobic (CV) training - Running, swimming, walking etc.
2. Resistance Training - Weight training, circuit training, palates etc.
3. Flexibility - Stretching, yoga
Including these 3 main elements will help you to get a good grounding in the 7 core components of fitness which are;
1. Aerobic
2. Anaerobic
3. Power
4. Strength
5. Endurance
6. Flexibility
7. Balance and mobility
For more information on the 7 core components of fitness, read our article 'Get Fit'.
Too many people only focus on one key area and that is generally the one that they feel comfortable with. For example, many people, run and never do weights. Or some people just workout with weights in the gym and never do any aerobic exercise. Very few people actually stretch before and after a workout session. The truth of the matter is all 3 are important for a balanced fitness program. Skipping any one element can end up being detrimental to your overall goals. To become all round fit, you have to incorporate a range of activities that will challenge all 7 of the core components of fitness. Progression of fitness is all about putting yourself outside of your comfort zone so that your body adapts to new challenges.
Resistance training is an essential activity that will help to develop, strength, power, endurance and balance. This in turn will promote good posture and fat loss, by preserving lean muscle mass. Lean muscle burns calories and will help to keep your metabolism on fire, thus preventing weight gain due to an increase in body fat.
If you are not doing so already, get started with a resistance program.
For more information read our article 'Weight Training for Fitness'.
For a great beginners all body resistance program check out 'Toning Exercises'
If you are not sure where to start with resistance training, have a chat with the Fitness Instructor at your local gym or hire a Personal Trainer to design a resistance program specific to you.
Wednesday 23 January 2008
Relieving Stress by Exercise
With the fast pace of today’s life stress is becoming more and more of an issue, so it’s vital we know how to control it.
What is stress and how does it affect us?
There are 2 types of stress, physical and emotional. Physical stresses are actual physical conditions placed upon our body during activity or exercise. Emotional stress is caused by feelings and emotions from a certain situation, for example pressure at work or the loss of a loved one.
A certain amount of stress can be good for us, because stress is designed to make us react and take action. It goes back to the time of our ancestors where the response to stress was either fight-or-flight. They may have been in a situation where they were forced to fight or run away from a wild animal. Stress is what happens when we need to mobilize our body to take action. The problems come in today’s society where we don’t have the need to initiate the actions (fight-or-flight) associated with stress, so all the tension and emotion gets built up. Too much stress can eventually have an affect on our mental and physical health.
The affects of stress can be responsible for a number of complaints. These are just a few,
Asthma
Hyperventilation
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity
Colitis
Constipation
Migraine
Heart attack
Colds and flu
Depression
Some people cope with stress much better than others. Learning to cope with stress is something that can be acquired and applied at anytime. It’s important for you to realize when you are suffering from stress and apply the techniques to help control it.
Unfortunately people tend to use alternative methods of coping with stress that are ineffective and detrimental to health, such as;
Smoking
Alcohol
Caffeine
Aggression
There are much better natural ways available to deal with stress. Taking regular exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Exercise helps you to relax and deal with the fight-or flight response that your body has been gearing up for all day at work.
Exercise initiates the release of natural endorphins that make you feel happy and more relaxed. After an exercise session you will feel revitalized and invigorated, which helps to set you up for the day at work or a relaxing evening at home, depending on when you exercise. Of course it’s much more of a benefit if you participate in an activity that you enjoy and motivates you. Getting out, having fun and mixing with like minded people helps you to forget about the stressful things on your mind. Exercise gives you a sense of personal power and control that helps to combat the feelings of depression and anxiety.
However, it’s important to realize that exercise alone is not a complete solution to stress and is way to help relieve stress. You should carry out a lifestyle analysis and build a Stress Management Plan to identify and deal with the areas that are contributing to your stress. Identifying the source and applying a solution will help to nip it in the bud. Exercise should then become a part of a permanent change in lifestyle.
Thursday 17 January 2008
Calories per day
Wow, I was watching a TV program last night about healthy eating and I was astounded by the following, but it makes perfect sense.
Designer continental coffees are very popular these days and they seem to be a regular treat for most people either on the way to or from work or even at lunch time. They seem to have become more of a habit to a lot of people and they are playing havoc with the nations health.
How many designer coffees do you have in a day? Take a look at the following just to make you realize how many calories are in these drinks.
A large (500ml/16floz) Cafe Latte made with full fat milk contains around 330 calories. That's before you have added any sugar. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and you are increasing that to 370 calories and a whopping 20 grams of fat.
If you have one of these 5 days a week, that's a total of 1850 calories extra in a week. That equates to around 85,000 calories in one year. (Based on 46 working weeks a year)
There is approximately 3500 calories in 1lb of body fat. Now do the maths;
85000/3500 = 24lbs of body fat or 1.7 stones in weight.
Just imagine, if you are drinking one of these every day, then potentially you could increase your weight by this much each year. On a positive note, if you are drinking this many designer coffees then this is an ideal area to cut down. So potentially you have the ability to lose this much weight in a year provided you don't replace these calories with something equally as bad.
This just goes to prove that making small changes to the number of calories per day can have a huge impact on your overall body fat levels and ultimately your health.
Designer continental coffees are very popular these days and they seem to be a regular treat for most people either on the way to or from work or even at lunch time. They seem to have become more of a habit to a lot of people and they are playing havoc with the nations health.
How many designer coffees do you have in a day? Take a look at the following just to make you realize how many calories are in these drinks.
A large (500ml/16floz) Cafe Latte made with full fat milk contains around 330 calories. That's before you have added any sugar. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and you are increasing that to 370 calories and a whopping 20 grams of fat.
If you have one of these 5 days a week, that's a total of 1850 calories extra in a week. That equates to around 85,000 calories in one year. (Based on 46 working weeks a year)
There is approximately 3500 calories in 1lb of body fat. Now do the maths;
85000/3500 = 24lbs of body fat or 1.7 stones in weight.
Just imagine, if you are drinking one of these every day, then potentially you could increase your weight by this much each year. On a positive note, if you are drinking this many designer coffees then this is an ideal area to cut down. So potentially you have the ability to lose this much weight in a year provided you don't replace these calories with something equally as bad.
This just goes to prove that making small changes to the number of calories per day can have a huge impact on your overall body fat levels and ultimately your health.
Sunday 13 January 2008
Reasons to Quit Smoking
Another new year starts and another round of new year resolutions are kicked off.
If your New Years resolution is to quit smoking then well done for realising that this one single act will go a long way to improving your health, fitness and overall life span. If you are not yet convinced then here are a few reasons why you might want to reconsider.
Did you know that tobacco is the only legally available consumer product that kills people when used entirely as intended? No wonder wannabe ex-smokers try to kick the habit. But it's not as easy as us non-smokers think. Nicotine encourages changes in your brain structure that are believed to cause addiction. Addiction can come on pretty quickly. A 4 year study in the US of 1200 adults showed that one in ten of those who took part demonstrated signs of addiction within 2 days of starting to smoke. Even smokers who only smoked a few cigarettes a day experienced withdrawal symptoms when deprived of nicotine.
About 50% of all smokers will eventually be killed by their habit. Smoking causes 30% of all cancer deaths (84% of lung cancer deaths are related to smoking) and about 15-16% of all heart disease deaths. Smoking costs the NHS £1.7 billion a year and kills around 114,000 people a year in the UK alone and 438,000 in the US.
Smoking causes a build up of fatty deposits in your arteries which puts a strain on your heart. Also, tar build up in the lungs eventually causes lung cancer. In the mean time smokers can also suffer from a variety of other respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, infections and emphysema. Smoking is also related to a string of other diseases and problems in the intestine, veins, eyes, skin and reproductive organs.
The long term benefits of giving up smoking are; after one year your risk of coronary heart disease is cut by half and after 10 years your risk of developing lung cancer is halved.
The short term benefits are; more money in your pocket, less respiratory related illness. More efficient oxygen distribution within your body, so overall your body will begin to function much better.
So take the plunge in 2008 and quit for your own health.
If your New Years resolution is to quit smoking then well done for realising that this one single act will go a long way to improving your health, fitness and overall life span. If you are not yet convinced then here are a few reasons why you might want to reconsider.
Did you know that tobacco is the only legally available consumer product that kills people when used entirely as intended? No wonder wannabe ex-smokers try to kick the habit. But it's not as easy as us non-smokers think. Nicotine encourages changes in your brain structure that are believed to cause addiction. Addiction can come on pretty quickly. A 4 year study in the US of 1200 adults showed that one in ten of those who took part demonstrated signs of addiction within 2 days of starting to smoke. Even smokers who only smoked a few cigarettes a day experienced withdrawal symptoms when deprived of nicotine.
About 50% of all smokers will eventually be killed by their habit. Smoking causes 30% of all cancer deaths (84% of lung cancer deaths are related to smoking) and about 15-16% of all heart disease deaths. Smoking costs the NHS £1.7 billion a year and kills around 114,000 people a year in the UK alone and 438,000 in the US.
Smoking causes a build up of fatty deposits in your arteries which puts a strain on your heart. Also, tar build up in the lungs eventually causes lung cancer. In the mean time smokers can also suffer from a variety of other respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, infections and emphysema. Smoking is also related to a string of other diseases and problems in the intestine, veins, eyes, skin and reproductive organs.
The long term benefits of giving up smoking are; after one year your risk of coronary heart disease is cut by half and after 10 years your risk of developing lung cancer is halved.
The short term benefits are; more money in your pocket, less respiratory related illness. More efficient oxygen distribution within your body, so overall your body will begin to function much better.
So take the plunge in 2008 and quit for your own health.
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