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.