A Friendly Tip or Two....
Want a six pack in a hurry?
Keep looking, it may be under there somewhere. That’s right, if you have been working your abs effectively and doing a few other things we'll go through in our Tips, you will have a six pack...it just lies dormant under all that…well, you know.… fat!
There are a few things you need to do to develop and expose that six pack. You can do hundreds of crunches a day, but unless you combine that with diet, cardio and the correct ab work, your abs will look the same month after month, and year after year.
Cardio Not just any cardio. Intense cardio. Cardio that makes you sweat like you’ve never sweat before, cardio that takes your breath away, cardio that leaves you unable to read a magazine during your workout! Intervals. Try the pyramid: 5 minute warm-up, 30s. hard/30s. easy, 45s.hard/45s.easy, 60s.hard/60s.easy, 90s. hard/90s. easy, then back down again and finish off with a 5 to 10 cool-down. This can be done running, riding an exercise bike, on the treadmill walking, or on a road bike. Just make it something you will do and do it at least two to three days a week. The other days go 45 minutes at a steady pace. Not an easy pace, but steady.
Diet This one should be easy! Eat lots of lean proteins-fish, chicken and lean (95%)ground beef. Fibrous carbs-fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to stay with whole foods as much as possible. It’s very important to eat in moderation and drink lots and lots of water!
Ab Work To strengthen your abs, you have to progressively either increase the time under tension (reps) or add weight to the equation. If you are doing crunches, and only after you have developed significant strength, then add a medicine ball to the crunch. If you do the same thing every week, how can you expect to see any improvement, right? Some of the most effective ab exercises are crunches and the “Core Bridge” also known as the “Plank”.
A six pack is not developed by doing any one thing. It takes a combination of weight training, cardio, diet and abdominal exercises. You have to shed the fat, to show the muscle! No doubt these are significant changes for most of you, but as you probably already know, if it were easy, everyone would have a six pack.
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Nutrients of particular importance for older athletes that should be well supplied in their diets are:
• Vitamin C for collagen formation;
• Omega-3 oils (from nuts, seeds, oily fish and wheat germ) for anti-inflammatory effects;
• Sulphur-containing amino acids (from some vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products) for joint cartilage health;
• Bioflavinoids (from all fruit and vegetables, and buckwheat) for anti-inflammatory effects and improved local circulation;
• Antioxidants (selenium and vitamin E) for protection against the damaging ‘free radicals’ that proliferate in the body with age;
•· Zinc and copper for a range of protective benefits.
Rev up your heart rate! Depending on your age, level of conditioning, and your fitness goals, you should train in a particular heart-rate zone. Beginners should try to elevate their heart rate to 50%-60% of their maximum while intermediates and advanced should shoot for 70%-85% of their max. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you will burn and the more fit you can become. To figure your maximum heart rate, simply subtract your age from 220.
Measure your progress!
An extremely important part of your fitness program is being able to measure your progress. Body fat testing is not painful, nor is it expensive. You can get it done by your personal trainer.
Fact or Fallacy
DO YOU NEED MORE PROTEIN WHEN EXERCISING....FACT OR FALLACY?
Historically, protein powder supplements have been associated with body builders and elite athletes and are now hitting a broader audience in a huge way. Gyms seem to be promoting various protein powders and ready to eat protein bars which are now available at major supermarkets and health food stores. Although many of us don’t fall into the elite athlete category, they do appeal to us. So the question is, can protein product really benefit us or they just a waste of money?
Do you need protein when you’re exercising?
In most cases, there’s no benefit. The following elite athletes may need extra protein on occasion:
-Endurance athletes such as marathon runners take on heavy training programs and competitions and require protein for energy recovery and muscle repair. No more than 1.5 grams of protein per kilo in body weight is required on a daily basis.
-Body builders also take on a heavy training program and require extra protein to increase muscle size and strength for their resistance training. Around 1.7 grams of protein per kilo in body weight is required per day.
Maximum protein need for normally active people is only about 1 gram per kilo body weight per day, or 0.8 gram per kilo body weight per day for people who are sedentary or unable to exert themselves.. The last National Nutrition Survey showed that on average, men where getting 109g and women 74g per day from their diets. This is ample.
Lean meat, fish, eggs and dairy foods are especially good sources of protein and also many plant foods such as soy, breads, cereal, nuts and rice contain significant amounts of protein too.
Can you have too much protein?
Yes. If you have more protein than you need for growth and repair, the excess is used to provide energy. Once energy requirements are met, too much protein, like carbohydrate or fat, tends to be stored as body fat.
As a snack, are protein bars and drinks OK?
If you’re choosing between a protein bar and a choc bar, such as a Mars Bar, a protein bar can be a healthier alternative. On a resent market research, only 24% of the top protein bars had less fat and/or saturated fat than the Mars Bar and only 30% had less sugar.
In Summary
High protein bars and drinks are only useful to some elite athletes and body builders. As for the average person, they’re little more than an expensive snack. Ignore promotions and enticing claims at gyms and health stores. Have a tub of yogurt and a handful of nuts instead.
For more information or to organise a FREE,no obligation consultation, email us at:
info@fittothecore.com.au |
