myfitnesshut

There is a flood of information about weight loss out there in the marketplace. Some of it is just garbage. A general rule for you to follow with regards to weight loss is this: Don’t waste your money if the program offers a quick solution to your weight problem! Why? Because what you need is the permanent solution to your weight problem. A permanent solution takes hard, smart work and sacrifice on your part. Human nature always seeks the path of least resistance. So, you can see why commercial weight loss programs promote things such as “in 2 weeks….” The promotion may be partially true, but what they don’t tell you is the most critical part of the fitness equation: fat loss is the key to permanent weight loss.

So, here is my Top 5 List to get you started on the way to Blasting The Fat and getting the lean and toned body that you want:

1. Make a commitment to a lifetime of fitness. This commitment trumps all other fitness commitments. Without it, you will always fall prey to the inevitable obstacles and pitfalls along the way.

2. Be willing to change your eating habits! Sixty to 70% of your fitness goal success or failure will depend on good nutrition. Since we must eat to survive, get ready to change! Get rid of the fad diets! Start planning your own meals using a mix of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

3. You must change your body composition! You must increase lean muscle mass to become a “fat-burning machine.” You don’t need to be a body builder but you need to replace the fat (to an acceptable level) on your body with muscle mass.

4. You must do more than cardio exercise to change your body composition!

5. Make a commitment to full-body strength training! Among other things, it speeds up your metabolism (the body has to work harder to maintain muscle) and helps improve your bone density. And, you’ll look great!

Traditional lower-intensity, steady-state aerobic exercise on treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, etc. are good for beginners or those who have been inactive. It will also bore you to tears! Aerobic exercise is an activity that is done continuously for more than 2 straight minutes. But, research has proven that the benefits of anaerobic exercise is superior to aerobic exercise. The progression of exercise should be low-intensity aerobics to moderate/high-intensity aerobics to high-intensity anaerobic exercise.

Middle-aged and older adults can definitely benefit from anaerobic exercise. According to research, low-intensity walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, is not adequate enough to delay heart disease and premature death. The research was performed using 2000 men, ages 45 to 59, over a ten year period. The men had no initial signs of heart disease. The men’s exercise was measured using low (walking and bowling), moderate (golf and dancing) and high levels (running and swimming).

The number of deaths that occured during the 10 year period was 252. Of that amount, 75% were linked to heart disease and stroke. and 25% was linked to cancer.

The conclusion of the study was this: low and moderate intensity exercise failed to reduce premature death from heart disease. Only the high-intensity anaerobic exercise lowered death rates.

Older adults may not be able to perform at the same intense exercise levels of 20 or 30 year olds, but they can certainly do high-intensity anaerobic exercise adjusted for their age.

Anaerobic exercise should be eventually added to older adults’ fitness programs. Progressing from low to high intensity will prevent injury and prepare the body for more intense exercise. A doctor’s clearance should be obtained before high-intensity anaerobic exercise begins. You can download a high-intensity anaerobic Fat Blaster circuit weight training exercise program for your iPod!

It is safe to say that the weakest link for most people’s body is the core. And, it is equally safe to say that one of the top neglected training areas for many people are the back muscles (part of the core). So, it is no surprise that 80%-90% of adults have had or do have back problems (especially low back pain or trauma).

As a personal trainer, my number one objective is NOT TO MAKE YOU LOOK “LEAN AND MEAN!” The top two fitness objectives are to improve your health and help you prevent injuries. As a result of these top two objectives, you will also look and feel your best.

The core is your center of gravity and all movement begins with the core. So, it is critical that you stabilize and strengthen your core. Review my article series about the core. Your back muscles are a critical part of your core. So, why do so many people not adequately train their back muscles? One reason is that it is more glamourous to max out on the bench press and do other arm exercises to build up your “pipes.” This leaves major muscle imbalances between your frontside and backside if you don’t train with the same vigor for your back muscles.

When talking about training your back muscles, you can’t leave out your spine. You need to warmup and strengthen your spine while training your back muscles.

There are some great exercises to warm up your spine such as:

1) Foam roll your spine lengthwise to decompress it.

2) Perform camel and cat exercises.

3) Do forward-backward and side-to-side pelvic rocks on the ball.

And, to generally strengthen your back, do these exercises:

1) Side bridges

2) Supine (on your back) bridges

3) Back extensions

4) Opposite arm opposite leg raise

In part 2 of the back muscle series, I will look at the shoulder muscles and shoulder girdle.

About 60%-70% of your exercise goal success or failure will depend on your eating habits. A “workout warrior” with poor nutritional habits will not succeed with health or fitness. So, how do you add volume to your diet? The basics of it is to eat as many foods with high water content/low calories. Foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables are examples. These types of foods help you to feel fuller (satiety) while eating fewer calories. For instance, grapes with the same caloric amount as raisins will provide more satiety and theoretically help you eat less the rest of the day.

Energy density of food is a key component when trying to add volume to your diet. Energy density (ED) is defined as the amount of calories of a food divided by its weight in grams.

You would basically focus on foods rich in fiber with high water content (or low ED value). Fresh fruits (apples, etc.) and vegetables (such as tomatoes and broccoli) whole grain pastas, rice, whole grain breads and cereals, soups, salads and skinless white chicken/turkey are some examples.

Other dryer foods could be added to your diet on a limited basis. Dryer foods would be starchy fruits and vegetables, pizza, salad dressings, crackers, etc.

The old rule still applies: A caloric surplus (consume more calories than you burn) will cause you to gain weight! Hopefully a diet high in water content will cause you to consume fewer calories while providing all the nutrition you need.

And keep doing the things that always work:

1) High intensity interval cardio 5-6 days a week (20 minutes a day).
2) Full-body circuit weight training 3 days a week.
3) A diet with about 60%-65% carbs, 20% healthy fats and 15%-20% proteins.

And, no matter how you plan your diet, always exclude fried foods, highly processed foods and high-fat fast foods. Limit foods high in sugar. And drink about half an ounce of water for every pound of  your body weight every day.

Go get wet!

Flip through a magazine, scan a newspaper, or channel surf and you see them everywhere: Ads that promise quick and easy weight loss without diet or exercise. Wouldn’t it be nice if — as the ads claim — you could lose weight simply by taking a pill, wearing a patch, or rubbing in a cream? Too bad claims like that are almost always false. Doctors, dieticians, and fitness experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat higher quality calories and increase your physical activity. Here, then, according to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) are the 7 most misleading claims made in Diet Ads:

“LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT DIET OR EXERCISE!”  Achieving a healthy weight takes work. Take a pass on any product that promises miraculous results without the effort. Buy one and the only thing you’ll lose is money.

“LOSE WEIGHT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EAT OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS!”  Beware of any product that claims that you can eat all you want of high-calorie foods and still lose weight. Losing weight requires sensible food choices. Filling up on healthy vegetables and fruits can make it easier to say no to fattening sweets and snacks.

“LOSE WEIGHT PERMANENTLY! NEVER DIET AGAIN!”  Even if you’re successful in taking the weight off, permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes. Don’t trust any product that promises once-and-for-all results without ongoing maintenance.

“BLOCK THE ABSORPTION OF FAT, CARBS, OR CALORIES!”  Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that there is simply no magic non-prescription pill that will allow you to block the absorption of fat, carbs, or calories. The key to curbing your craving for those ” downfall foods” is portion control. Limit yourself to a smaller serving or a slimmer slice.

“LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS!”  Losing weight is really all about losing body-fat and learning how to keep it off.  At best, products promising lightning-fast weight loss are false. At worst, they can ruin your health.

“EVERYBODY WILL LOSE WEIGHT!”  Your habits and health concerns are unique. There is simply no one-size-fits-all product guaranteed to work for everyone. Team up with your fitness professional to design a personalized nutrition and exercise program suited to your lifestyle and metabolism.

“LOSE WEIGHT WITH OUR MIRACLE DIET PATCH OR CREAM!”  You’ve seen the ads for diet patches or creams that claim to melt away the pounds. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing you can wear or apply to your skin that will cause you to lose weight.     

Make fitness a lifetime commitment and you will reap the health benefits!  And, you will look your best!

Core training is a huge buzzword in the fitness industry these days. It’s one thing to talk about it but yet another to really understand what’s going on with the core. Profit making companies tend to promote “building your six pack abs” when discussing the core. You need to know more and do more for your body’s core!

Your body’s core consists of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, thoracic spine and cervical spine. THE CORE is your body’s center of gravity. Some people have sufficient EXTREMITY STRENGTH (limbs), but few display sufficient CORE STRENGTH. A strong and stable core will maximize your EXTREMITY STRENGTH and POWER. A core strengthening program involves using many muscles in a coordinated movement. Rather than isolating specific joints as in most weight lifting exercises, core stability exercises focus on working the deep muscles of the entire torso at once. The core muscles are also very important in preventing low back pain. Stability ball exercises, bridges, planks, low back extensions, medicine ball exercises, etc. are great for strengthening core muscles.

The body’s core is so much more than your “six pack” abs! A strong core will maximize your strength and speed. Since the core is your body’s center of gravity and all movement begins with the core, it is essential to strengthen and stabilize it. A strong core will allow you to handle heavier loads as your training progresses. You will also lessen your chances of injury. About 34 muscles support your core which includes the pelvic floor. Some of the major core muscles include:

transversus abdominis - the deepest of the abdominal muscles, it lies under the obliques and wraps around your spine for protection and stability. Think of the transversus abdominis as “your internal weight belt.” It is recruited when you draw in your navel toward your spine during an exercise.

external obliques - these muscles are on the side and front of the abdomen and wrap around your waist.

internal obliques - these muscles lie under the external obliques and run in the opposite direction.

rectus abdominis - this is the “six pack” part of the abs that runs down the front of the abdomen.

erector spinae - this collection of muscles runs along your neck to your lower back.

These core muscles lie deep within the torso. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the scapula. When these muscles contract, we stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and create a solid base of support. We are then able to generate powerful movements of the extremities. Training the muscles of the core also corrects postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness, that is, fitness that is essential to both daily living and athletic activities. A core conditioning program will decrease the likelihood of back and neck pain, incontinence, ruptured disks, muscle and ligamentous strains, all while improving posture.

Core training may not be glamourous but your body will thank you for years to come when you stabilize and strengthen your core!

By way of review, let’s look again at getting your glutes fired up! Remember, that your glutes are probably not firing properly because of inadequate neural drive from the central nervous system. In other words, it is probably not an issue of strength. First, you need to lengthen tight muscles. The stretches are listed as follows (use self myofascial release with foam roller before doing these stretches):

1. Hip Flexor Stretch
2. Quadriceps Stretch
3. Bodyweight Lateral Lunges (for adductors)

Then, you need to activate (fire up) your glutes with these exercises:

1. Glute Bridge
2. Opposite Leg Opposite Arm Raise
3. Glute Kickbacks

Lastly, exercise the fired up glutes with these exercises:

1. Bodyweight squats
2. Lateral tube walks
3. Walking Lunges

Now you’re ready for your workout! Keep in mind, this is just part of your total workout which includes upper body work. To be effective, glutes (and leg work for that matter) should be trained with cardio and strength training.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) research found that the top cardio exercises for shaping your glutes (and legs) are: lunges, walking uphill, stair climbing, jogging and running. No big surprises here and no gimmicks! Just hard work! And research has proven that high intensity interval cardio is superior to longer duration, slow cardio (interpretation: go hard for 20 minutes instead of slow for 40 minutes)! Do 5-6 days of cardio exercise.

As for strength training? You can’t leave out squats! Do your squats—bodyweight squats, dumbbell squats, barbell squats, split squats, lateral squats, one-legged squats, etc. Mix it up but do them. The benefits of the squat exercise extend beyond your legs. The same can be said for deadlifts (traditional, stiff-legged or other variations). Other top glute exercises are:

1) Step ups (front and lateral)
2) Standing cable or machine hip abductors
3) Standing, prone or floor hip extensions
4) Floor lateral thigh raises
5) Glute bridges and marching glute bridges
6) Pelvic raises and posterior pelvic tilts

If these exercises become easy for you, then increase resistance or weights.

Visit the posts for the first 3 parts of the glute series:

Glutes, Part 1

Glutes, Part 2

Glutes, Part 3

In the final part of this series, I will look at causes and prevention of injuries to the glute area.

If you want to improve your running efficiency or running speed, you must first master the basic mechanics of running. I see many people “fighting themselves” when they run because of terrible running mechanics! Bad running mechanics can also lead to injuries. Running mechanics have three main components: Posture, Arm Action and Leg Action. Listed below are some key checkpoints of proper running mechanics:

Checkpoints for proper running posture:

1. At maximum speed, the head should be held high. Also, the head should never sway from side to side and the jaws should be relaxed.

2. The head should be in line with the torso and the torso should be in line with the legs at all times.

3. There should be a slight body lean when starting and accelerating. At maximum speed, which usually takes about 4-5 seconds, the body is more straight up with tall hips.

4. The feet should be dorsiflexed (pointed up) at all times except when striking the ground. Feet should strike the ground on the balls of the feet.

Checkpoints for proper arm action:

1. Use the shoulders (and not the elbows) to pump the arms as fast as possible if you are trying to increase speed. When you are in the middle of a long distance run, good arm action can make a big difference in your performance. The hands should be relaxed in unballed fists with the front hand rising up to about nose level and the back hand passing the buttocks.

2. Move each arm as one piece with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. Arm action should be straight forward, up and down and never flailing side to side.

Checkpoints for proper leg action:

1. The faster the running speed, the higher the heel on the rear foot should kick up. When the foot leaves the ground, it should follow a path straight up to the buttocks. It should not flail from side to side.

2. The knee raises up to where the thigh is almost parallel to the ground. The foot then drops down below the knee (knee angle is about 90 degrees).

3. At top speed, the drive (pushing) leg should be fully extended to the ground.

It’s a good idea to practice good running mechanics at all times until it becomes second nature to you.