RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
If you want to start molding a sexy midsection for the remainder of Summer 2011, follow our RIO Fitness TEN AB COMMANDMENTS to help get you there:
1) Strength train your ENTIRE midsection (obliques, lower & upper abdominals), finishing with a lower back exercise to fully complete your core.
2) Do NOT work your abs every day. They're a muscle like any other so they need time to recover & regenerate. Give 48hrs in between, so if you did them on a Wed, next time would be Sat.
3) Do cardio properly so you're burning calories from fat & not energy (glycogen). This means no more than 30mins, and the cardio must be done in intervals (Ex: 60sec run then 60sec walk for 25mins).
4) Track how many calories you consume daily. Consuming more calories than you burn daily will increase body fat production.
5) Limit HIGH GLYCEMIC CARBS (breads/pasta/rice/oats) to ONLY after exercise. These are carbs which digest quickly, so if they are consumed throughout the day and not burned they'll be turned into body fat. LOW GLYCEMIC CARBS (fruits/veggies) are the carbs to be eaten the rest of the day.
6) Limit your sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium increases water levels in the body, making you look & feel bloated. Consume foods high in potassium (i.e. bananas/spinach/apricots/beans) daily to lower sodium levels in the body naturally.
7) Limit/avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol triggers the body fat production hormone cortisol to begin production.
8) Limit your stress. Increased stress levels also increases levels of cortisol.
9) Get your rest. Lack of adequate rest each night increases levels of cortisol.
10) Remember, just focusing on your abs won't give you a nice midsection, you need to strength train from head to toe. Especially do not neglect large muscle groups (back/lower body), because developing those will help you burn more cal/day & increase testosterone production which is the hormone that helps us burn body fat quickly.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
PROPER FORM is essential during exercise! Improper form is putting a lot of pressure on our spine, joints, and ligaments which eventually will lead to injury and chronic daily pain when we're older.
Proper form examples:
When doing squats/lunges, keep your upper body upright & your knees behind your toes. Also, always push off of your heels not your toes, when doing anything (running/walking/jumping/lower body exercises), to not overdevelop your quadriceps; which causes an imbalance in your lower body = eventual injury.
When doing crunches, don't put your arms behind your head = neck/cervical spine pressure. Instead, cross your arms over your chest, and as you come up, look up to the ceiling. This is so you don't come up neck first, but your upper body will come up as one piece.
When holding anything (free weights/machine handle/etc) make sure your thumb is relaxed. Don't wrap it over your other fingers, because then you will be putting more focus in your forearm instead of the muscle you're trying to focus on.
PROPER FORM is essential during exercise! Improper form is putting a lot of pressure on our spine, joints, and ligaments which eventually will lead to injury and chronic daily pain when we're older.
Proper form examples:
When doing squats/lunges, keep your upper body upright & your knees behind your toes. Also, always push off of your heels not your toes, when doing anything (running/walking/jumping/lower body exercises), to not overdevelop your quadriceps; which causes an imbalance in your lower body = eventual injury.
When doing crunches, don't put your arms behind your head = neck/cervical spine pressure. Instead, cross your arms over your chest, and as you come up, look up to the ceiling. This is so you don't come up neck first, but your upper body will come up as one piece.
When holding anything (free weights/machine handle/etc) make sure your thumb is relaxed. Don't wrap it over your other fingers, because then you will be putting more focus in your forearm instead of the muscle you're trying to focus on.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Successful results with exercise = being well prepared. Do you always have water? Sweating dehydrates us, dehydration makes us tired faster. Water prevents that. Exercising after work? Do you bring gym necessities (gym shoes, comfy clothing) before leaving in the AM? Going home first allows for an excuse to not go, because we're "too exhausted" to leave again. Basic prep makes all the difference!
Successful results with exercise = being well prepared. Do you always have water? Sweating dehydrates us, dehydration makes us tired faster. Water prevents that. Exercising after work? Do you bring gym necessities (gym shoes, comfy clothing) before leaving in the AM? Going home first allows for an excuse to not go, because we're "too exhausted" to leave again. Basic prep makes all the difference!
Monday, June 27, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Three quickest ways to GAIN body fat: overconsuming calories, stress, alcohol. Consuming more calories than we burn daily = body fat gain. Alcohol, has calories, raises levels of body fat producing hormone cortisol & lowers levels of the body fat burning hormone testosterone. Being stressed raises cortisol & leads to emotional drinking/eating. Which one is your biggest challenge? Make a step to change it TODAY!
Three quickest ways to GAIN body fat: overconsuming calories, stress, alcohol. Consuming more calories than we burn daily = body fat gain. Alcohol, has calories, raises levels of body fat producing hormone cortisol & lowers levels of the body fat burning hormone testosterone. Being stressed raises cortisol & leads to emotional drinking/eating. Which one is your biggest challenge? Make a step to change it TODAY!
Friday, June 24, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
What is a calorie? A: amount of heat to raise 1kg of water by 1 degree Celsius. A food/drink's cal count comes from its carb, protein, and fat content; so technically we don't run off of cal. Every 100 carb cal, the body uses 5-10cal in digestion. Fats, slightly less. Every 100 protein cal, 20-30cal for digestion. To lose body fat, have a LEAN protein at every meal/snack; especially before exercise.
LEAN protein meal/snack ideas:
*white meat
*fish (especially oily-skinned fish = healthy fat that we need)
*eggs
*unsalted/raw nuts
*beans
*plain Greek yogurtSee More
What is a calorie? A: amount of heat to raise 1kg of water by 1 degree Celsius. A food/drink's cal count comes from its carb, protein, and fat content; so technically we don't run off of cal. Every 100 carb cal, the body uses 5-10cal in digestion. Fats, slightly less. Every 100 protein cal, 20-30cal for digestion. To lose body fat, have a LEAN protein at every meal/snack; especially before exercise.
LEAN protein meal/snack ideas:
*white meat
*fish (especially oily-skinned fish = healthy fat that we need)
*eggs
*unsalted/raw nuts
*beans
*plain Greek yogurtSee More
Thursday, June 23, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
1lb of fat = 3500cal. If we want to lose 1lb of body fat per week, our goal should be to burn 3500cal within a 7 day period. Each day we should aim to burn 400-500cal with actual exercise, then another 100-200 from daily activities such as always taking the stairs, walking instead of driving whenever possible, and parking further from the entrance of our destination, and walking around while we're on the phone.
1lb of fat = 3500cal. If we want to lose 1lb of body fat per week, our goal should be to burn 3500cal within a 7 day period. Each day we should aim to burn 400-500cal with actual exercise, then another 100-200 from daily activities such as always taking the stairs, walking instead of driving whenever possible, and parking further from the entrance of our destination, and walking around while we're on the phone.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Breakfast = eggs with toast/potatoes or a breakfast sandwich from DD/Starbucks/McDs. Lunch = pasta. Dinner = fish/meat & rice/pasta/bread. Close to how you eat daily? If so, that's high glycemic carbs (quick digesting sugars) all day. Since we can't exercise all day, they're not burned & stored as fat. Eat them ONLY after exercise. No exercise = you DON'T have them. Fruit/veggie are the carbs that are ok to have all day.
Breakfast = eggs with toast/potatoes or a breakfast sandwich from DD/Starbucks/McDs. Lunch = pasta. Dinner = fish/meat & rice/pasta/bread. Close to how you eat daily? If so, that's high glycemic carbs (quick digesting sugars) all day. Since we can't exercise all day, they're not burned & stored as fat. Eat them ONLY after exercise. No exercise = you DON'T have them. Fruit/veggie are the carbs that are ok to have all day.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Six months ago, millions made a resolution to be more active & eat healthier this year. If you did, how's that going? If that went out the window long ago, TODAY is another chance to start again.
Fill in the blank: TODAY I will _____________________________ to be more active. TODAY I will _____________________________ to eat healthier. Now go do it!
Six months ago, millions made a resolution to be more active & eat healthier this year. If you did, how's that going? If that went out the window long ago, TODAY is another chance to start again.
Fill in the blank: TODAY I will _____________________________ to be more active. TODAY I will _____________________________ to eat healthier. Now go do it!
Monday, June 20, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration does NOT regulate nutritional supplements. Therefore, ANYBODY can make a product, and make ridiculous claims, like "you'll lose 20lbs in two weeks!" FDA only steps in when a product is proven harmful (i.e. Hydroxycut May 2009). Choose reputable supplement companies (Nature's Best, Optimum Nutrition, BSN, EAS, San) & avoid bad ones (CellTech, MuscleTech, Cytosport, Gaspari).
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration does NOT regulate nutritional supplements. Therefore, ANYBODY can make a product, and make ridiculous claims, like "you'll lose 20lbs in two weeks!" FDA only steps in when a product is proven harmful (i.e. Hydroxycut May 2009). Choose reputable supplement companies (Nature's Best, Optimum Nutrition, BSN, EAS, San) & avoid bad ones (CellTech, MuscleTech, Cytosport, Gaspari).
Friday, June 17, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Exercising with a partner is great if both have the same goal. For example, most males bodybuild (8-12reps, then rest). If a female does that with a male, it's the least effective way to get lean & tone, because it's low intensity & more suited for a male body frame. For cardio too, your partner may want endurance, but you want to get lean. For both weight & cardio training, to get lean & tone = HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING.
Exercising with a partner is great if both have the same goal. For example, most males bodybuild (8-12reps, then rest). If a female does that with a male, it's the least effective way to get lean & tone, because it's low intensity & more suited for a male body frame. For cardio too, your partner may want endurance, but you want to get lean. For both weight & cardio training, to get lean & tone = HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
When we're trying to get back into shape, we can sometimes do too much too soon with exercise, because we're in a rush to see results. We lift more than we should & break proper form, which puts pressure on our spine/joints/ligaments. We go faster on machines than we should which makes us hunch over it & hold on for dear life. 3 P's! PROGRESSION, PROPER FORM, and PATIENCE are essential to avoiding injury & seeing healthy, long lasting results.
When we're trying to get back into shape, we can sometimes do too much too soon with exercise, because we're in a rush to see results. We lift more than we should & break proper form, which puts pressure on our spine/joints/ligaments. We go faster on machines than we should which makes us hunch over it & hold on for dear life. 3 P's! PROGRESSION, PROPER FORM, and PATIENCE are essential to avoiding injury & seeing healthy, long lasting results.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
After a huge meal, our instinct is to not eat again for the day. Worst thing we can do. Overconsuming calories was bad enough because the body can only take in approx 500cal before it starts storing the rest as body fat. If we don't eat again we slow down our metabolism (how fast we burn calories), which means we burn calories at a slower rate = storing more calories as body fat. Every three hours after that huge meal, have a SMALL snack (100-200cal) to keep your metabolism fast.
Small snack ideas:
One large banana 120cal
Yogurt 80-120cal
One apple with 1tbsp of peanut butter 190cal
2tbsp hummus with 1cup baby carrots 124cal
After a huge meal, our instinct is to not eat again for the day. Worst thing we can do. Overconsuming calories was bad enough because the body can only take in approx 500cal before it starts storing the rest as body fat. If we don't eat again we slow down our metabolism (how fast we burn calories), which means we burn calories at a slower rate = storing more calories as body fat. Every three hours after that huge meal, have a SMALL snack (100-200cal) to keep your metabolism fast.
Small snack ideas:
One large banana 120cal
Yogurt 80-120cal
One apple with 1tbsp of peanut butter 190cal
2tbsp hummus with 1cup baby carrots 124cal
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Summer 2011 is here! With that comes swimsuits, Summer dresses, and more revealing clothing that if you're feeling/looking bloated, can make you feel really self conscious. Here's FIVE ways to avoid the bloat & keep you confident while having fun in the sun!
1) Sodium retains water in the body, making you look & feel bloated. To combat that limit your sodium intake to 1200mg/day. Start reading the nutrition facts on what you eat/drink; because you'll be surprised how quickly 1200 adds up. Also, start eating high potassium foods (dried apricots, spinach, beans, prunes, carrots) which help lower sodium levels in the body. For a list of more high potassium foods:
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/potassium-foods.htm
2) Avoid soda/diet soda. The carbon dioxide that supplies soda's fizz will continue to burble and expand in your stomach, priming you for serious bloat. That's the short-term effect. The long-term is even worse: The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas are not properly metabolized by the body, which means they're stored as fat.
3) Broccoli, like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, are very good for you, just not before the beach. Cruciferous vegetables like these contain a sugar called raffinose—the same sugar that gives beans their heavy-winded reputation. In your gut, raffinose is fermented by gas-producing bacteria, which can make you feel bloated and gassy.
4) Beware of "healthy" Summer drinks. For example, some smoothies pack as much sugar as 91 Nilla Wafers and more fat than a McDonald's Big Mac. If you drink something like this with any regularity, you might unknowingly be sabotaging your beach body all Summer long.
5) Skip the gum. All that chewing brings more air & gas into your stomach, making it expand and giving you balloon belly.
Summer 2011 is here! With that comes swimsuits, Summer dresses, and more revealing clothing that if you're feeling/looking bloated, can make you feel really self conscious. Here's FIVE ways to avoid the bloat & keep you confident while having fun in the sun!
1) Sodium retains water in the body, making you look & feel bloated. To combat that limit your sodium intake to 1200mg/day. Start reading the nutrition facts on what you eat/drink; because you'll be surprised how quickly 1200 adds up. Also, start eating high potassium foods (dried apricots, spinach, beans, prunes, carrots) which help lower sodium levels in the body. For a list of more high potassium foods:
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/potassium-foods.htm
2) Avoid soda/diet soda. The carbon dioxide that supplies soda's fizz will continue to burble and expand in your stomach, priming you for serious bloat. That's the short-term effect. The long-term is even worse: The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas are not properly metabolized by the body, which means they're stored as fat.
3) Broccoli, like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, are very good for you, just not before the beach. Cruciferous vegetables like these contain a sugar called raffinose—the same sugar that gives beans their heavy-winded reputation. In your gut, raffinose is fermented by gas-producing bacteria, which can make you feel bloated and gassy.
4) Beware of "healthy" Summer drinks. For example, some smoothies pack as much sugar as 91 Nilla Wafers and more fat than a McDonald's Big Mac. If you drink something like this with any regularity, you might unknowingly be sabotaging your beach body all Summer long.
5) Skip the gum. All that chewing brings more air & gas into your stomach, making it expand and giving you balloon belly.
Monday, June 13, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Eating healthy is about making smarter choices, and it can be done ANYWHERE! McDonalds breakfast? Egg McMuffin, toss the english muffin & eat the ham/egg (high protein). Chipotle lunch? Burrito bowl, instead of rice have a black bean (high fiber/protein) base, then salsa & meat of choice (protein) and guacamole (healthy fat). Wendys dinner? Spicy chicken, no mayo & toss the bun, with a small chili or fruit cup.
It's the unnecessary extras (breads, cheese, mayo, dressings, sour cream, etc) that make the calories, fat, sodium, carbs add up, which leads to body fat gain. Cut them out, and you can cut the calories/fat/sodium/carbs nearly in half no matter what you order.
Eating healthy is about making smarter choices, and it can be done ANYWHERE! McDonalds breakfast? Egg McMuffin, toss the english muffin & eat the ham/egg (high protein). Chipotle lunch? Burrito bowl, instead of rice have a black bean (high fiber/protein) base, then salsa & meat of choice (protein) and guacamole (healthy fat). Wendys dinner? Spicy chicken, no mayo & toss the bun, with a small chili or fruit cup.
It's the unnecessary extras (breads, cheese, mayo, dressings, sour cream, etc) that make the calories, fat, sodium, carbs add up, which leads to body fat gain. Cut them out, and you can cut the calories/fat/sodium/carbs nearly in half no matter what you order.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
How many diets/cleanses/"magic weight loss pills have you tried? How much "weight" did you lose from them, only to gain it all back and sometimes plus some. The reason is DIETS DON'T WORK! They're quick fixes that do not lower your body fat %. They just help you lose water weight in most cases, and in extreme cases have you lose muscle. Eating healthy is not an eight week program, it's a lifestyle change; which is mostly about making smarter choices. Here's the TEN NUTRITION COMMANDMENTS, that if you follow 100%, you'll see healthy, long lasting results.
1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it.
2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.
3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.
4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.
5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.
6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.
7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.
8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.
9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.
10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.
How many diets/cleanses/"magic weight loss pills have you tried? How much "weight" did you lose from them, only to gain it all back and sometimes plus some. The reason is DIETS DON'T WORK! They're quick fixes that do not lower your body fat %. They just help you lose water weight in most cases, and in extreme cases have you lose muscle. Eating healthy is not an eight week program, it's a lifestyle change; which is mostly about making smarter choices. Here's the TEN NUTRITION COMMANDMENTS, that if you follow 100%, you'll see healthy, long lasting results.
1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it.
2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.
3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.
4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.
5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.
6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.
7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.
8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.
9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.
10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Stop using machines & start exercising how you move in every day life. Machines, keep us in an isolated fixed position. Think about it, in life are you ever seated/laying down and pushing/pulling something? NO. So why exercise like that? That position is also low intensity = seeing results slower. Watch this video, and start using BOSUs/medicine balls/resistance bands/free weights/stability balls to see results faster & avoid injury.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
On scorching hot Summer days like today are you wearing sunscreen? If you're not, it's causing more cellulite to show. It's because UV rays can destroy connective tissue, causing blood vessels to weaken, and making cellulite more visible. Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, and apply it every hour you're out in the sun.
On scorching hot Summer days like today are you wearing sunscreen? If you're not, it's causing more cellulite to show. It's because UV rays can destroy connective tissue, causing blood vessels to weaken, and making cellulite more visible. Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, and apply it every hour you're out in the sun.
Monday, June 6, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
We just had the first weekend of nice weather in Chicago! If you were unhappy with cellulite showing while in that swimsuit/shorts/Summer dress, here's four simple things you can start doing TODAY to begin reducing the appearance of cellulite.
1) Avoiding/limiting saturated/trans fat completely. Cellulite is fat deposits under the skin, so the more "bad" fat you consume the more cellulite is going to collect under the skin.
2) Start consuming more "good" unsaturated fat (poly & mono) with items like unsalted/raw nuts, avocados, oily skin fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, etc.), unsalted/raw seeds, and cooking with olive or sunflower oils.
3) Start strength training three to four days per week. Strength training burns four times more calories than cardio, and keeps your metabolism high twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The most effective way to strength train to get lean & tone quickly is HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING.
HIIT Examples:
Do 60sec of walking lunges while doing dumbbell bicep curls, then with no rest in between do 60sec of side to side pushups. Then rest 60sec and repeat for three sets.
Do 60sec sit/stand on a chair/bench while doing dumbbell shoulder presses, then with no rest in between get in a pushup position and for 60sec do a jumping jack. Then rest 60sec and repeat for three sets.
Google/YouTube High Intensity Interval Training for more.
4) Four to five times per week start doing cardio properly to be burning majority calories from fat, not energy. Doing more than 30 minutes of cardio is going to be majority energy calories; more than an hour is going to burn muscle. To do cardio properly to burn majority fat calories do just 25 minutes of 60 second high then low intensity intervals of cardio.
Cardio example (treadmill):
Warm-up 60sec @ 3.0 speed
Minute 1 - Speed 5.0
Min 3 - Speed 5.0
Min 5 - Speed 5.0
Min 7 - Speed 5.0
Min 9 - Speed 5.0
Min 11 - Speed 7.0
Min 13 - Speed 7.0
Min 15 - Speed 7.0
Min 17 - Speed 7.0
Min 19 - Speed 7.0
Min 21 - Speed 9.0
Min 23 - Speed 9.0
Cool-down 60sec @ Speed 3.0
That's it just 25mins of cardio to burn body fat! All the even numbered mins (2,4,6, etc) you come down to Speed 3.0. This is just an example, adjust it to your fitness level.
We just had the first weekend of nice weather in Chicago! If you were unhappy with cellulite showing while in that swimsuit/shorts/Summer dress, here's four simple things you can start doing TODAY to begin reducing the appearance of cellulite.
1) Avoiding/limiting saturated/trans fat completely. Cellulite is fat deposits under the skin, so the more "bad" fat you consume the more cellulite is going to collect under the skin.
2) Start consuming more "good" unsaturated fat (poly & mono) with items like unsalted/raw nuts, avocados, oily skin fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, etc.), unsalted/raw seeds, and cooking with olive or sunflower oils.
3) Start strength training three to four days per week. Strength training burns four times more calories than cardio, and keeps your metabolism high twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The most effective way to strength train to get lean & tone quickly is HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING.
HIIT Examples:
Do 60sec of walking lunges while doing dumbbell bicep curls, then with no rest in between do 60sec of side to side pushups. Then rest 60sec and repeat for three sets.
Do 60sec sit/stand on a chair/bench while doing dumbbell shoulder presses, then with no rest in between get in a pushup position and for 60sec do a jumping jack. Then rest 60sec and repeat for three sets.
Google/YouTube High Intensity Interval Training for more.
4) Four to five times per week start doing cardio properly to be burning majority calories from fat, not energy. Doing more than 30 minutes of cardio is going to be majority energy calories; more than an hour is going to burn muscle. To do cardio properly to burn majority fat calories do just 25 minutes of 60 second high then low intensity intervals of cardio.
Cardio example (treadmill):
Warm-up 60sec @ 3.0 speed
Minute 1 - Speed 5.0
Min 3 - Speed 5.0
Min 5 - Speed 5.0
Min 7 - Speed 5.0
Min 9 - Speed 5.0
Min 11 - Speed 7.0
Min 13 - Speed 7.0
Min 15 - Speed 7.0
Min 17 - Speed 7.0
Min 19 - Speed 7.0
Min 21 - Speed 9.0
Min 23 - Speed 9.0
Cool-down 60sec @ Speed 3.0
That's it just 25mins of cardio to burn body fat! All the even numbered mins (2,4,6, etc) you come down to Speed 3.0. This is just an example, adjust it to your fitness level.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)