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Archive for category Hints and Tips

Tips to get Killer Abs

Jan 21

Posted by Funkster in Hints and Tips, weight loss tips | No Comments

We all have beautiful killer abs inside us. It is only because fat covers the muscles that we do not see them. It is pretty simple. Lose weight and  improve muscle tone equals weight loss. What many people seem to think is that starvation diets will help them to lose weight or thousands of crunches will burn off fat around the stomach. This is a myth!

In order to shed weight and show off those killer abs, it is important to carry out both aerobic and anaerobic training. Aerobic training may be cycling, walking, rowing, skipping, running etc. Anaerobic training can take advantage of body weight training ie. sit-ups, pressups etc, weighted machines like the leg press and chest press, or free weight training, which involves using the core muscles and specific weights to tone areas of the body. Free weight training is a lot more effective than weighted machines but this kind of training may cause an injury if the exercises are not performed correctly.

Remember that muscle tissue does weigh more than fat so if your weight increases slightly and you have made no changes to the diet, this may be because you have gained muscle tissue. This is good because, over time, it will get rid of fat and shrink the cells. Although your weight may stay the same your body will look leaner because the body is burning many more calories per day and at rest.

If you are serious about getting killer abs, both weight training and aerobic exercise is extremely important. Women need to get their body fat percentage down to around 12-15% for sexy muscle tissue to be visible. Men need to lower it to 8-12%.

Obviously, do it the right way without any silly diets. It is important to eat a lot of protein when you are undertaking weight training to repair the microscopic tears to the muscle tissue. Also have a rest day every two days. Weight training performed regularly will increase the metabolism for up to 48 hours afterward.

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Try out Isometric Training to Tone Body

Jan 8

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Those expensive toning machines that promise to tone muscles by tensing and releasing them are available all over the world. They simply perform isometric exercises on the body, but these can be done easily without a machine. All you need to done is clench and release the muscles.

Obviously, weight training and cardiovascular exercise will get you toned faster but isometric training is still effective. Try to repeat the clench and release of muscle 5-10 times. This may take twenty minutes but it will help to tone the body. Those toning pads that are placed on the body simply clench the muscles through an electronic signal. These pads are usually added to the problem areas, such as buttocks, abdominals, thighs, arms. Isometric training requires work but it is free and effective. Clenching and releasing the muscles repetitively will then cause that body part to tone.

Isometric training can be useful for anyone who wants to lose weight or tone up before joining a gym. The body burns fat on a daily basis through the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The more lean muscle tissue that rests in the body the higher the metabolic rate will be. Isometric training is simple and can be performed anywhere. In the car while driving, queuing at a supermarket, watching TV, cooking, reading a book, anywhere.

Try out various techniques. Squeeze and hold for a couple of seconds before release or time yourself for thirty seconds and see how many reps you can perform.  Isometric training is simple and effective. Results may not be seen overnight but they will definitely be visible in a couple of weeks time.

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Positives vs. Negatives of High Protein Diets

Jan 7

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I am not sure if you have tried the zone or high protein diet. I did once and I was extremely ill. I would never do something stupid as to stress my body out again. I eat regularly with healthy foods and I’ve never had a weight problem.

The media and celebrities promote these silly diets. There are diets for everything. Okay, I believe in the blood group diet because I am sure that some blood groups may struggle with digestion of some foods, and others will be fine. I will focus on blood group diets in my next blog.

So, are there any benefits to a high protein diet besides weight loss?

Positives of High Protein Diets

  • You’ll lose weight…and fast. During high protein diets the body starts to produce ketones, which suppress the appetite, may cause nausea and causes water loss in the body through the lack of carbohydrates, which contain water.
  • Protein rich foods fill you up for longer, supposedly (they didn’t for me, especially not with carbohydrates.
  • May be useful to follow for a day but try not to follow long-term. The negatives of a high protein diet far outweigh the benefits / positives.

Negatives of High Protein Diets

  • The body does not receive carbohydrates so therefore the body will suffer  with fatigue (tiredness).
  • Vitamins and minerals must be consumed to add the nutrients that the body is not receiving.
  • May cause diarrhea in some individuals due to the excess protein.
  • Many protein rich foods like cheese contain a lot of saturated fat. We all know what happens when too much saturated fat is consumed don’t we…high blood pressure, heart disease etc. the list goes on.
  • As well as feeling ill and tired, a high protein diet will cause  halitosis (bad breath).

I will admit to trying this stupid diet just to see if it worked. I was hungry all the time and desperately craved a nice crumpet with loads of butter. I lasted three days then had severe stomach cramps, nausea, and bad shits.

I would not recommend a high protein diet to anyone. Obviously, if you need to build muscle, increase your protein intake but make sure you have carbohydrates too for energy.

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Easy Ways to Lose Weight

Jan 5

Posted by Funkster in Hints and Tips, weight loss tips | No Comments

Here are some easy ways to lose weight. I have never dieted in my life but have always managed to stay slim so I am going to let you in on my secrets.

  • You do not need to calorie count – This can become obsessive. Calories are listed on every single supermarket item except fruits and vegetables, and we all know that they are the lowest calorie foods and also the healthiest.
  • Start weight training – Weight training will NOT build up the muscles in the body, it only aims to make you look leaner overall. Now that is sexy! Adding just one pound of lean muscle tissue will boost your metabolism and burn an extra fifty calories per day. This may not seem like a lot but it accounts for over five pounds of weight loss per year. Build up the weights gradually but if you want best results I would advise doing body weight training, like press-ups, sit-ups, burpees etc, and carry out weight training with free weights. Always tense your stomach muscles throughout any exercise to work the core muscles.
  • Eat regularly – I do not mean large meals but break up your meals from three to six smaller ones throughout the day. Just at least try it for a week. It will not cost more either because you are simply breaking up your normal routine and eating when your body feels hungry. When you start to eat regularly, the body has no option but to increase its thermogenic rate and burn calories. The body burns 10% of calories through thermogenesis, simply when the body has to break down food and digest it. If you eat more you can take advantage and burn more calories. Regular eating will soon keep your metabolic rate that high and you will feel hungry every three or so hours.
  • Eat Butter – Believe it or not and with all the hype out there about these rich omega 3 spreads like Flora Pro-Active, Butter is good for you. It contains a good amount of Essential Fatty Acids and Omega 3, which help heart health. Remember, everything in moderation. I find that Lurpak is the best butter by far. This might put you off margarines and spreads for life. They are actually grey before colorants are added. Look at the natural colour of butter next to flora. When I found out that was enough for me to change to butter forever.
  • Start Power Walking - A little faster than walking but not as fast as a jogger, Power Walking will shift fat stores big style. Expect to burn around 250 calories per mile, depending on your current weight. When the average jogger or walker burns 100-102 calories per mile, power walking can help to shift weight and FAST. How to practice? If you have a treadmill this is ideal or set yourself targets like your normal walking route minus ten minutes etc.

I’ll offer more weight loss tips later in the week but I hope these get you started on the right track.

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