Thursday, September 30, 2010

GRAHAM FITNESS TIP FOR WOMEN

FACT:  Women naturally store more body fat than men in their hips and thighs.


FACT:  It is harder for women to maintain a slim midsection due to their bodies naturally storing fat in their hips and thighs.


In order for you ladies to achieve toned hip and thighs you have to follow a normal exercise routine and nutritional diet plan consistantly.  It takes more for you to obtain an unnatural physique.  You are working against mother nature.  Consistency with a healthy diet plan and exercise routine over a long period of time will eventually suppress this natural occurence.  Your body adapts and burns energy according to your activities.  BE ACTIVE!



MYTH:  After a hard workout its okay to eat extra or until you get full.

After a workout it is important to replace energy that you burned with energy that will contribute towards your lean mass.  The purpose of normal exercise is to increase your metabolism, the rate at which your body burn calories.  Ladies, you have to remember your natural pre-disposition.  Your bodies efforts to replace calories burned in your midsection are very strong.  The hunger and crave you have after your workout wants you to eat enough inorder to keep you thick in the hips and thighs.  In a sense it is pshycological.  Following a detailed diet plan will help you avoid eating until you feel satisfied.  Plan your meals according to what activities you will perform the next 3 to 4 hours.  Plan your post-workout meals according to the amount of calories you are required to have in a meal.

MYTH:  To burn fat in my hips and thighs you only need to focus and train those muscles.

This is an assumption that alot of females make when formulating a fitness plan, and a big mistake!  Overtraining a muscle group can have a reverse effect to the muscles.  You will begin to burn away the muscle you have.  Your muscles are what contribute to the amount of calories your body burns in a day.  A lack of muscle mass promotes and increase in stored body fat.  Excess energy you consume will be stored in your hips and thighs.  It is important to give your muscles time to recover so that they will be fully energized for the next workout.  A balanced workout routine each day working different muscles, a total body routine, is the answer.  Working out all your muscles throughout a weekly routine will help you avoid overtraining and allow your body to burn more calories overall faster than ever.  Exercising different muscles will increase you metabolism, which has you burning more calories throughout the day.



Monday, September 27, 2010

You Are What You Eat! Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats

In order to get the best results from an exercise routine you must supply your body with a nutritious diet.  You must take in the right amounts and types of nutrients to maximize you physique internally and externally.  We all want to look and feel good but do not understand how to put the pieces to the puzzle together.  Everyone has different fitness goals.  Whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle mass, or increase endurance, what you are eating in your daily diet will determine if your goals are reachable.  You are what you eat!  There are three macronutrients that we consume in our diet each day which are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.  The way we consume these three essential nutrients will determine our overall health. 


Carbohydrates, which are found in mainly fruits, vegetables, grains, and rice are used as energy sources for your body.  Carbohydrates are sugars, the number one source of energy for your body.  The carbohydrates you consume are converted to glycogen and stored for use in your muscles and liver.  Glycogen is the storage form of sugar(glucose).  Carbohydrates, being your body's main source of energy for activity, should be consumed by atleast 3 grams per pound of body weight each day.  Whatever fitness goals you have, you must have energy for your activity.  A lack of carbohydrates in your diet can lead to weakness and fatigue!


Proteins, which are found in mainly meats, dairy products, beans and nuts are essential for muscle growth and reconstruction.  Proteins are made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of life.  If your goals is to increase your muscle mass, it is important that you consume approximately 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day.  Protein is essential for every diet in order to simply maintain the muscle that you already have.  All active, functional tissue in your body can be categorized as your lean mass.  Your lean mass is what burns calories to function and to reconstruct cells.  It is important to maintain a protein rich diet even when trying to burn body fat.  When you are maintaining your muscle mass, which increases the rate at which your body burns calories, there is nothing left over for your body to store as fat!

 Fats, which are normally found in dairy products, processed foods and meats are used as sources of energy in your body, unlike carbohydrates though.  Fats are like a secondary energy source but also contribute to hormones and other internal processes.  It is important to keep your fat intake to a minimum.  It is recommended that less than 20% of your daily diet should consist of fats.  Eating alot of processed foods and fatty meats, like beef and pork, can cause you to store more fat in your midsection and sabotage your fitness goals.  Too much fat in your diet can lead to heart related health risks and obesity.  Do not avoid all fats!  Fats from fish oils and peanuts are actually healthy and good for the heart.  It is best to avoid saturated and trans fats completely while indulging in healthy fat sources.



Depending on the levels and how often you consume these three macronutrients in your diet will determine your health and fitness.  If you want bulging muscles then eat more protein, take a protein supplements if you have to.  If you want more energy for endurance make sure you consume enough carbohydrates.  You will usually get the necessary amount of fats you need from your protein and carbohydrate sources.  If not make sure you keep your fats to a minimum to avoid failing at reaching your fitness goals and shortening your life.





Want a personalized plan put together showing you how to consume theses three macronutrients to best benefit you reaching your goals?

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

It's Killing You Slowly!

Obesity is an epidemic that takes the lives of more and more people each year in the United States.  It is becoming normal to most people to be overweight.  In todays society, especially the southern regions of the country, being hefty is being healthy.  Someone who is slim and fit is looked at as sickly, unhealthy, and to some people unattractive.  The myths that people believe in about bodyweight and how an obese look is favorable has caused us not to care about our health and fitness.



MYTH:  "My excess fat mass is a symbol of health and wealth."

MYTH:  "People who workout have nothing better to do with their life."

MYTH:  "If I lift weights I will get a bulky look."

MYTH:  "When I am hungry, quantity supersedes quality"

MYTH:  "I cannot afford to workout and eat healthy."

MYTH:  "I cannot eat things that do not taste good."




The truth is extra body fat is increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and death.  The more we conform to the myths and the direction that the economy is heading towards, the more likely we will be at risk.  Obesity is a national concern but does not have to be a concern to you.  In order to overcome a problem it is best to understand it.  Obesity is caused by eating more than enough without exercise for a long period of time.  Eventually the overload on the body will cause it to store more and more body fat.  Body fat is a silent killer!



You do need some body fat as an energy source and to surround and protect organs.  Too much of anything can lead to discomfort.  When there is excess body fat surrounding organs and muscles, "abuse leads to restriction!"  Our body fat, which is subcutaneous (fat tissue right underneath the skin) and visceral (fat tissue underneath muscle and in direct contact with internal organs), is metabolized as a source of energy allowing it to release unhealthy chemicals into our blood.  The unhealthy chemicals that come from mainly visceral fat cause numerous health risk which include a host for cancerous cellular growth.  "Yes!"  in fat cancer, diseases, and infections can grow and spread.  Fat is not a functional organ but it is an energy source for the body.  It is easy for the body to extract energy from fat, but it is difficult and almost impossible for blood cells to travel to fat tissue to promote healing.  When obesity sets in and there is an infection located in fat tissue, the infection will have to be cured externally (meaning surgically).  Even disease fighting antibiotics have a hard time getting to the site of infection in fat tissue.








Conforming to the myths will shorten your life drastically.  Our myths and the "Get and eat more for less!" economy that we have adapted to is what will lead to our downfall.  Just because a restaurant wants to build their customer base by selling double portions for less does not mean you have to eat the double portion as one meal.  The restaurant is attracting more customers, not insisting that its customers eat oversized meals!  To avoid obesity we have to take action and responsibility for our individual health.  Normal exercise and a balanced nutritional diet each week will reverse the process of obesity.  Normal exercise followed by eating healthy will result in less visits to the doctor and a healthy fit lifestyle.  Do not listen to all the myths and stereotypes. 




Face the truth!  The benefits from following a normal fitness routine are:
  • Live Longer
  • Decreased the risk of health problems
  • You have more energy thoughout the day
  • External/ Internal organs work more efficiently
  • Increased self confidence
  • Slow the aging process
  • Less stress
  • You will look and feel better than everybody else
  • You can pass the gift of fitness on to someone else, help extend or save a life!


Saturday, September 4, 2010

I Want To Lose This Fat And Look Good Now!

"WHAT CAN GET ME LOOKING GOOD FAST?"

This question plagues many people in our society as we speak, when it comes to fitness goals.  We tend to have a now or never attitude about everthing we do.  Everyone want to see and expects rapid results due to the modernized and fast paced world we live in.  Being fit for life takes time and commitment takes time, which is not what we are used to.  It is what we do to our body over time which will determine the type of body we will have.  Just because our materials and the type of economy we live in is so rapid and advanced does not mean our bodies, that are natural, should be the same way.  The human body is an organism that adapts to change over time.  Eating a cheese burger and fries today will not lead to high blood pressure today.  Eating it everyday over a long period of time will lead to high blood pressure.  What activities we participate in or what we consume will determine the return we get from our body, internally and externally.  Instead we should say...



"I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET TO WHERE I WANT TO BE!"

Whatever your fitness goal is, the best way to accomplish it is to incorporate a fitness lifestyle.  A fitness lifestyle means planning to exercise and eat healthy for the rest of your life.  When you make this commitment to fitness all your goals will be met.  You set a goal and then reach it.  Are you supposed to stop?  No!  What's the point of losing all that weight and then gaining it back?  Reaching you ultimate physique will happen over time when you are mentally ready to put forth the effort. 






"IT HAS TO BE IMPORTANT TO YOU!" 

Exercise and eating healthy has to happen in your life like maintaining your hygiene.  When you want to exercise and get pleasure (feel fresh) after a workout and healthy meal, then all your goals will be met.  Never again will you expect the best look to come from a calorie cutting diet plan or an intense workout.  Workout after workout while eating a balanced diet will get you where you want to be.  The constant tension that you are applying to your internal and external organs will give you the best return or,"bang for your bucks!"  "Slow and steady wins the race!"  Eventually your body will adapt to what you are doing most of the time.  Your body will stop storing fat and you will look better than most people, who are on the endless search for the fastest way to look good.  You will not have to work as hard, as those who are mislead, to get the results you want.  You will solve all your fitness and health problems once you begin your new fitness lifestyle.

"WHAT CAN A PERSONAL TRAINER DO FOR ME?"

The benefits of having a trainer are to help you begin your fitness lifestyle.  A trainer will introduce new methods of fitness and add variety to your once dull or monotonous routine.  Eventually overtime the knowledge of your trainer will brush off on you and you will be able to create routines and nutrtional plans on your own.  A trainer is also for motivation and support.  He or she will give you that extra boost of energy to do one more repetition or also tell you when to stop to prevent injury or fatigue.  Basically a trainer is a teacher, coach, friend, counselor, and more.  Whatever advice or encouragement you need to continue on the path towards your fitness goals can be achieved through a personal trainer.














Monday, August 23, 2010

How You Can Have More Muscle Definition!


Why can't  I see my six pack?


How can I look like the person on the fitness magazine cover?


These two questions cause you to search everywhere for the answers.  You listen to friends, infomercials and gain answers from the wrong sources which leave you lost in the end.  Finally you come to the conclusion that...




"I do not have good genetics for muscle definition and I could never look that good!"



This is all wrong and you should never think this way.  Do not get discouraged by the myths people and your resources put in your head which make a possibility impossible.  The answer is here!  With the right fitness routine, motivation, and nutritional plan you can achieve whatever fitness goals you have!  As long as you are consistent with following a balanced fitness routine you can look better than the person on all the magazine covers.  Being on a magazine cover is a long term goal for most people.  Consistency comes with setting short-term goals, accomplishing them, and setting more after you have reached them.  Your body will get used to what you are doing most of the time.  Eventually through your constant physical activities and what you are eating, your appearance will resemble the two.








In order to distinguish one muscle from the next on your body you must work each muscle group on a consistent basis.  This would allow your muscles to have more separation and also keep you consistant mentally and physically within your weekly workout schedule.  Workout each muscle group one day out of the week.  This will not only give you muscle definition, but it will also give you a more proportionate look and improve overall strength and stability.






Examples:

3 day weekly workout

Monday                            Wednesday                            Friday
Chest                                 Back                                         Quadriceps
Biceps                               Triceps                                     Hamstrings
Shoulders                         Abnominals
Calves

4 day weekly workout

Monday             Tuesday                     Thursday                      Friday                   
Chest                 Back                            Quadriceps                    Biceps
Calves               Abdominals                 Hamstrings                    Triceps
                                                                                                        Shoulders





In both weekly routines more emphasis should be placed on the larger muscle groups like chest, back, quadriceps and hamstrings.  All other muscle groups (smaller muscle groups) assist in the contracting of muscles in the larger muscle groups so they need less attention.  You want your muscles to form evenly.  Following this routine will get you the defined look that you have always wanted.  You must remember that a balanced weight training and cardiovascular routine accompanied by a nutritional diet plan will not only give you the body you always wanted, but also prepare you for any fitness magazine cover.





While constant exercise gets you results you must be eating right also.  For that well defined chiseled look a good tip is to lower the amount of carbohydrates you consume.  Carbohydrates which consist of carbon, hydrgoen and oxygen hold alot of water.  Excess carbohydrates allow for your muscles to retain more water.  So if you cannot see your muscles you probably need to lower your carbohydrates.  Do not avoid carbohydrates completely, just eat the right carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates are a good source of energy for your overall body.  You just need to eat less starchy foods which are complex carbohydrates like:

  • White bread, flour, pasta, and rice
  • Potatoes
  • pastries
  • cakes
  • Sugary processed breakfast cereal
  • Pizza






Avoiding these and replacing them with natural simple carbohydrates can keep your muscles from holding alot of water and make your muscles more visible to you in the mirror and to others'.  Eating less complex carbohydrates will also keep you from feeling bloated and trim up your midsection.  The solution to your diet would be to eat more natural fruits and vegetables.




So you see while constantly following the right fitness routine and nutritional plan you can achieve whatever fitness goals you have!


Thursday, August 12, 2010

No Need To Spend Long Hours in the Gym!

When you say that you spend 2 to 3 hours a day in the gym, your fitness lifestyle becomes temporary instead of long-term.  Here are 6 reasons why you should shorten up your training sessions to get the best results.


1.  Overtraining can lead to you needing more time to recover.  You can train 2 to 3 hours a day for a good month or so.  Eventually you will exhaust yourself, your joints will begin to ache and you will need to take 2 to 3 weeks off.  This will become a pattern and you will never reach your goals.





2.  Normal daily exercise should be fun and exciting.  You should look forward to a workout.  Stating you spent 3 hours in the gym sounds similiar to saying you spent 12 hours at work.  Depressing!  Remember working out relieves stress, but if you overtrain it can cause a reverse effect.





3.  People who have long workout sessions may be training excessively.  Excessive training is focusing too long on any particular muscle group or range of motion.  Doing 3 to 4 sets of an exercise is good enough.  Aerobic training (cardio) should last no longer than 45 minutes.  Excessive training can cause prolonged fatigue and injury to joints.


4.  To maintain your lean mass, which is essential for increasing your metabolism, there is no need to spend over 1.5 hours working out a day.  It is essential that you lift weights, but excessive training can cause your body to lose its lean mass rather than gain.  In order to compensate the long hours you are spending in the gym you will have to increase you carbohydrates and protein intake.  Doing so will still lead to overall fatigue and cause unnecessary stress to joints.




5.  Following the same routine may lead you to feeling that you must extend the duration of your workout to get results.  This is true and caused by you reaching a plateau.  A plateau is a period in your workout where your body has adapted and you must increase time and length of workout to get results.  A plateau will lead to longer and longer workouts which will lead to fatigue and prolonged rest.  Extending your length of workout may also cause a loss in lean body mass.  When fatigue sets in and you take a prolonged break your metabolism will have dropped also and your body will begin to store more fat.  This will make your goals less obtainable than when you started.



6.  Working 3 to 4 days a week for 45 minutes to 1 hour each day is recommended.  Following a Non-Linear Periodization routine will keep you from getting fatigued or causing damage to muscles and joints.  Change up your overall workout for each muscle group and your cardio routine eack week.  This will keep you excited about your workouts.  Your body has many different planes of movement and ranges of motion that need to be activated in order to achieve ultimate strength, endurance, and physique.  The most effective way to accomplish your fitness goals is to incorporate a variety of different styles of movements.  In these movements periodically shift resistance and intensity levels to utilize, combine, and breakdown different muscle fibers.  This method will shorten you workout and make your fitness lifestyle long-term! 

Remember any thing you want to accomplish is going to take time and patience.  You cannot achieve your fitness goals in one workout.  be consistent and persistent then the work you have done will show from the inside out.  Your goals will not only be met, you will be achieving even greater goals.

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

You cannot get the results you are expecting in the gym if you are not eating right!

Here are 7 nutritional tips that will guarantee you get the results and body you always wanted.

1.  Eat Atleast 5 Meals a Day.

This keeps a constant level of energy in your body at all times.  It allows your body to never have to store fat in preparation for famine or starvation.  Eating once or twice a day enables your body to store fat in your midsection as an energy source between meals since they are so far apart.






2. Drink Water With Your Meals

Carbonated drinks add extra calories to your meal which will most certainly be stored as fat.  carbonated drinks like soda, teas, kool-aid and so on contain alot of sugar that people do not normally count towards their daily calories.  If you do perfer a sweet beverage with your meal, make sure you pay attention to the serving size and subtract those calories from the carbohydrate portion of your meal.




3.  Keep Your Fat Intake to a Minimum

Avoid saturated fats and tran fats completely.  These two types of fat can lead to high cholesterol levels.  Any oil in liquid form that remains solid at room temperature should be avoided.  Prepare your own meals at home.  You must love to cook!  Eating at restaurants or eating processed foods from the frozen food section will expose you to unnecessary fats.







4.  Take Supplements

Supplements compensate for any nutrients you are lacking or also can be used as a meal replacement.  Supplements are not illegal and usually have all natural ingredients.  To get the best results and aid in recovery from your exercise routine, cardio and weight training, supplements are necessary.





5.  Eat Bigger Meals Early On and Lighter Meals in the Evening

This also depends on the amount of calories your body burns in a day.  Eat in preparation for what you will be doing in the next three hours.  Don't eat heavy before you go out to the movies.  Your body will store it as fat since you are inactive.





6.  Feed Your Muscles!

The more muscle you have the more calories you body burns a day at rest.  So the key to burning fat is increasing or exercising our muscles.  Eat alot of carbohydrates so that your muscles will have energy to function efficiently in your workout.  Eat protein so that your muscles will rebuild stronger for the next workout.






7.  Have a cheat day!

One day a week indulge in a meal of food that you have been craving.  This will give you a reward and something to look forward to after all the hard work of the previous week.  Your body adapts to what you are doing most of the time.  One meal won't hurt!


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Non Linear Periodization Is The Best Way To Build Muscle And Gain Strength!

To achieve muscular growth and strength, different amounts and patterns of motor units (muscle fibers) need to be recruited.  This cannot be achieved in one workout routine.  Doing a variety of different lifts for each muscle group and changing routines each week promote growth, recover, consistency, longevity, prevent injuries and give you a more well defined muscular look.  Working all parts of the muscle allows it to have definition.  The solution to achieving muscular growth and strength is to incorporate as many motor units possible in a periodized workout routine which consists of many different lifts for each muscle group.

In simpler terms, do not do the same thing all the time, change your sets, repetitions, and the duration to achieve your fitness goals!

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Should I lower my carbohydrates in my diet?

Carbohydrates do not have to be reduced or lowered because they are the main source of energy in your body.  When glycogen levels are low your energy levels fall also.  Your body will begin to store more fat to substitute the depleted glycogen.  The lowering of carbohydrates would cause you not to have enough energy throughout your day and your body would adapt to that.  This could result in your lean body mass decreasing and your stored body fat to increase.  It's not about the restricting of carbohydrates but rather the type of carbohydrates you are consuming.  Also taking in more carbohydrates that your body needs to perform the activities you do throughout the day can cause it to store excess carbohydrates as fat in your midsection.  If you enjoy eating the you must expend that energy through a balanced consistent fitness routine.  Let's get fit!