|
E-mail
to a friend
Print this
Page
5
Tips to Get That Beach Body FAST!
by
Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS,
CSPN
Spring
is here and summer is right around the corner and I know that if you are
like most people, you are thinking about what you can do to get in shape
quickly for that beach weather.
Are
you going to be beach ready? You will after you read this article...
Tip
# 1 - STOP storing new body
fat!
It amazes me how many
people start an exercise program to lose weight yet end up just packing
on some more new fat later that day or the next. So the number one goal
should be to first stop storing new body fat. You can do this very
easily by eating small, balanced meals or snacks every two to three
hours. There are multiple reasons why frequent feedings not only boost
metabolism but also prevent storing new fat. Here are just a few:
Frequent eating
conditions the body to use fat for energy because the body used to
getting fuel and doesn't need to or tend to store is much fat. Part of
it is because it doesn't worry about when the next feeding will be.
I’m sure you’ve probably heard of the starvation mechanism and know
what it is - basically the longer you go between feedings to worse it is
as your body slows down the rate at which it is burning fuel to conserve
energy. The body is then
more likely to hold onto the food as body fat just in case it has to go
another long extended period of time without food.
By eating smaller and
more frequent meals/snacks you lessen the likely hood of providing too
many calories at one time and therefore make it much less likely that
you’ll store any new fat.
Tip
# 2 – short mini-workouts
I know you’re busy
as most people are and you don’t have time for marathon-style workout
sessions 3 to five times a week. Most
people don't need to exercise that much or that often and nor do you.
Short bouts of
exercise are as effective and sometimes even more effective if done
progressively than traditional exercise routines. The reason is that
these short mini-workouts can be done daily (even multiple times per
day) and this gives your metabolism a boost more frequently.
Just 10 to 15 minutes
of moderate to high-intensity cardiovascular or aerobic exercise every
day will increase blood flow and circulation, burn some extra calories,
and most importantly give you that little boost.
Another reason is
short mini-workouts are more convenient and practical for most people.
Even if you have no equipment at home you can still get that all so
important boost in metabolism. Here are just a few ideas:
1. run upstairs and
walk back down run – repeat that for five or so minutes and you'll be
exhausted. Plus, you'll totally elevate your metabolism and increase
blood flow and circulation and have you feeling great!
2. perform 10 minutes
of calisthenics (jumping jacks, kick butts, high knees, jog in place,
mountain climbers, etc)
3. take a quick 10
minute power walk. Walk nearly as fast as you can and over time try to
increase your distance and/or speed
Mini-workouts can
work extremely well so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Tip
# 3 – Stay hydrated!
Fat metabolism IS
affected by how well hydrated your body is. People totally underestimate
the effective that water has when it comes a fat loss and also on
overall health. Over 70 percent of the processes that the place your
body take place in water and things like organs can’t function
optimally without enough water.
There’s still a
debate on how much you need and I don’t think anyone will ever know
for sure but to play it safe I would recommend you strive to drink at
least 4 cups or more each day – and NO, tea and juice don’t count.
Yes, they have water but they also often have sugar and other
ingredients that actually limit the amount that is absorbed and used.
Tip
# 4 – Exercise MUST be Progressive!
Training
progressively with strength training is probably one of the most
important forms of exercise you can do. Plus, this principle applies to
all forms of exercise and fitness. So when you're talking about
reshaping the body, boosting metabolism, and burning off that excess
body fat, you have to ensure that nearly all of your workouts are
progressive in nature.
Give the body a
reason to change! Just because you go to the gym and do strength
training a few times a week doesn’t mean anything – you have to
provide a stimulus or reason for the body to make improvements.
The number of sets
and reps doesn't matter, what matters is that the muscles and systems
are subjected to a greater than stress than what the muscles are used
to. Here are some general guidelines: one to three sets per exercise, as
many reps as possible in good form on each set, perform slow controlled
reps to maximize muscle involvement, change exercises frequently, etc.
If
you need more info on strength training and
additional techniques to make continues progress please check out
one of my other websites
http://www.seriousstrengthtraining.com |
