I've lost over 50 pounds and have defined a body that I am proud of today. I've read most of the comments and i think the best piece of advice is that obtaining abs requires you to workout or engage your whole body rather then targeting a specific area (spot reduction), in my opinion is a waste of time. Make sure to read and absorb all the info from all your different sources. Don't rely on one persons input, tweak it to your needs because your body reacts differently to everybody else. I'm going to break it down very simple for you.
Nutrition:
Nutrients are broken up into two main groups which are macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are the ones that you need in large quantities: fats, carbohydrates and protein. You get your daily energy needs from macronutrients. While macronutrients are the substances you need large quantities of, micronutrients are the ones you need small amounts of. They include vitamins and minerals. These nutrients don't give you energy but instead help assist functions within the body. Without micronutrients, you wouldn't be able to utilize the calories you take in or function properly. This is why it's vital that you eat a wide variety of foods to include whole wheat, fruits and vegetables. These foods are very high in nutrients. Taking a multivitamin can also help plug any holes in your diet. BASE YOUR DIET AROUND NATURAL, WHOLE FOOD SOURCES!! You must EAT AN AMPLE AMOUNT OF CARBOHYDRATES!!!!
A simple plan is to just cut back on what your eating. So, find out how many calories you consume on a regular day and see where improvements can be made (improvements of cutting back around 15% - 35%, or whatever you are comfortable with). Create a simple meal plan were you consume 4-5 smaller meals through the day based on your macro and micro needs. I don't preach eating x amount of carbs or x amount of protein. It should be noted that there should be a balance between the two depending on your goals, current body fat percentage ect... I recommend making your own little plan where you consume lets say 100 grams of protien, 35 grams carbs ect... basically experiment and see what works.
Things you should be aware of is drinking lots of water and always be hydrated. I would say consumer zero kind of sugar from candys or juice, which can be obtained from fruits. I would stay away even from organic juices because they are highly concentrated with every glass. I wouldn't consume much salt because salt retains water and creates a bloated effect.
Exercise
Like I said before, workout your whole body including those fatty body parts. I would recommend thinking about your workouts as a 70% - 30% ratio (70% lifting or working out and 30% cardio). I look at exercises as compound movements and isolation movements. Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that rely on the work of several muscle groups to move two or more joints through a range of motion. For example, the squat involves the work of both ankles, knees and hips and puts major stress on the quads, hamstrings, glutes, back and core, calves. With just 2-4 compound exercises, you can get a full-body workout that will build muscle fast while strengthening the whole body while also improving your overall fitness level. Isolation exercises are those which move a single joint through a range of motion. Examples of isolation type exercises include bicep curls or the triceps kickback which both involve the elbow.
There is nothing wrong with isolation exercises, I love doing a preacher bar curl. STAY AWAY FROM MACHINES. If you're in a gym you should aim to do exercises with either dumbbell weights or bars. Some machines are great and i personally love to do them. You have to be conscious which machines take away from stress and have a small range of motion ie: a flat dumbbell press for chest vs a machine dumbbell press. The machine cannot offer the same amount of resistance or range of motion.
Where to start
Remember to never over train but give it your all in every workout and never give up. After doing a bit of research and asking around, you should have found a proper little diet you can easily follow that consists of this many meals and so on. I am going to give you a simple routine as an example. When you start off you want to ease into it and not go everyday 7 days a week, you will quit. I would say starting off with 3 days and working up to 5 days not including your 20-30 minute runs you should consider every sat and sunday. Monday is Chest, Triceps, Shoulders. Wednesday is Quads, Hamstrings, Calves. Friday is Back & Biceps. Each day of working out you should do a fair amount of crunches as well. So, lets say its Monday. Do 1 chest exercise like a bench press from light to heavy weights for 3 different reps. Go from a lighter weight and more repetitions to a heavier weight and less repetitions. It would look like 15pounds at 12 reps, 25pounds at 8-7 reps, 45pounds at 5-6 reps. After your last rep do a superset, which is WITHOUT RESTING you drop the weight from 45 pounds to 25 pounds and do 20 repetitions or go to failure. After chest we would do one triceps exercise, following the same formulas as chest, light to heavy weight ect...
I RECOMMENDING DOING A STAIR MASTER OR STAIR CLIMBING MACHINE AFTER YOU FINISH ABS AND EVERY WORKOUT. Do about 10 minutes of intense non stop stair master and this will greatly target that stubborn midsection.
When doing abs i would say doing it for about only 20 minutes after every workout. So, your weight lifting takes up 30 minutes, abs for 20 minutes, and finish it with blasting the stair master for 10 INTENSE minutes. I would say you should find whatever ab exercises and crunches target your abs the best and do them back to back without resting to much. This may be hard at first but try your best to minimize rest periods. Create an ab routine for yourself that includes some leg raises, obliques, core strength like planks, crunches ect... Make sure to do a higher repetition when targeting abs. For example we can do a regular flat ground sit up for 3 sets of 15 reps. The higher reps will make your abs more washboard rather then trying to do less reps with heavier weights that promote more muscular growth. I highly recommend the weight training in combination with abs and running/cardio, becasue you will form a much fuller, sexier, complete body rather then just running all day. Which will make you look tall and thin.
Find a workout plan or create your own that best suits your needs. never listen to one persons advice, always take away with a grain of salt.
I know its a lot to read but I tried to summarize it as best as possible.
I hope you are more informed and on to a healthier and richer lifestyle. Work hard and hope you gain your results.
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