The center of power of your body is your abdominal muscles or simply called abs. It provides core strength, balance, help prevent lower back injuries, an promote good posture, When you regularly perform abs workout for an average of 10 to 15 minutes thrice or four times a week reaps benefits when done correctly. This type of exercises not only improves your physical well-being but also makes you feel and look good.
Secrets on sculpting your abs
We spill the beans on how to make the most out of sculpting your mid section. The long lasting secret to achieve the benefits on doing abs exercises is to treat your body as a complete unit. Don’t fall into a belief that hundreds of repetitions of abdominal exercises will guarantee a flat abdominal region. The truth of the matter is that abdominal muscles are not the largest muscles in the body. To put it simply, it means that your body does not burn too many calories from abdominal exercises. It does firm and tone the muscles but does not efficiently burn and target the abdominal muscles. The fact that you perform hundreds of repetitions of sit ups does not mean you will have abs worthy enough to be shown off by wearing a midrib top. Another secret is to lower body fat to show off your toned and sculpted abs. Cardiovascular exercises such as walking, cycling, swimming and jogging are most effective on reducing lower body fat. The suggested cardio exercises targets the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and calves. The largest muscle is known to be the gluteus maximus or buttocks thus it burns a lot of calories. The more calories you burn, the lower the body fat. Strength training of the back and shoulders also improve and boost the rate of metabolism. Whenever the metabolism is boosted, it enables your body to burn stored fat. In short, your tight abdominal muscles can only be recognized and visible when no layer of fat covers them. This is why you need a routine consisting of exercise for lower abdominal muscles to give you that chiseled and “to-envy” look.
A recent study showed that the classic sit-up is not the most recommended exercise for stronger, flatter abdominals. This exercise is only limited to the use of hip muscles instead of the abdominals. In most cases, strains your neck and lower back. That is why the ‘crunch’ is a better option.
The top three best abdominal exercises are bicycle maneuver, captain’s chair, and crunch on exercise ball. Follow these easy steps on how to firm up and tone your abdominal muscles. Make sure to complement these routines with cardio exercises to maximize your fitness program.
Bicycle Maneuver
• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your fingers on the side of your head just behind your ears.
• Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
• Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.
• Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee in a slow and controlled manner and with full extension of each leg on every repetition.
• Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.
• Perform 20-30 repetitions (up to three sets).
Captain’s Chair
The second most effective move that targets the rectus abdominis and obliques is the Captain’s Chair Aim to perform this exercise properly or you can increase your risk of developing injuries.
Instructions:
photo credit to good housekeeping
• Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
• Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
• Don’t arch the back and remember to breathe smoothly.
• Slowly lower back down and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Crunch on exercise ball
Last but not the least is the crunch on exercise ball. The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and works out your rectus abdominis.
Instructions:
• Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
• Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
• Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
• As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn’t roll).
• Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Complement these three abdominal muscle exercises by eating a healthy diet along with regular aerobic exercise thrice a week. Watch what you feed your body and lose that extra body fat. The best abdominal muscles in the world may all be hidden under a stubborn layer of body fat.
Contrary to popular belief that when we perform lots of crunches and other stomach exercises could transform our belly into being toned and firm. Abdominal exercises can do wonders on the part of firming but these exercises alone are not enough.
photo credit to tennis abs
What you eat and how much you eat is significantly linked to how easy or difficult it may be to attain a toned and flat stomach. The frequency and time you often eat is equally important and determines whether your body stores fat or burns it at rest or activity.
You may also find infomercials showcasing exercising machines that promise to give you six pack abs for only 3 minutes of use daily. The fact of the matter is you need to burn that layer of fat at your abdominal area to visibly show the efforts you pour in doing the abdominal exercises.
Correct eating habits
It is important to do stomach exercises to have a flat stomach but it is only one side of the fitness equation. There also lies the impact of correct eating habits. In reality, the main reason why people fail to acquire sexy abs is because they overlook changing their eating habits but do lots of abs exercises. Their results remain hidden under a stubborn layer of fat.
For all of you who are starving yourselves just to lose weight or at least that is what you think, you are wrong. It is surprising to hear that the one of the ways to lose weight is to eat more often. The following advice might come as a surprise to some of you. You can lose weight when you eat 5-6 smaller meals a day or add healthy snacks between your existing meals.
Here is how this advice works. We go back to the primitive days of our dwelling ancestors. It was a time when food was scarce unless food was obtained from hunting. The human body is designed to store fat in times of food scarcity. When you subject your body to starve, it will do everything to store fat after every meal thus slowing down metabolism. On the contrary, when your body is feed more than it can handle then your metabolism increases thus decreases the storage of fats.
Thus, diet starvation wherein you eat less than 1500 calories a day will never help you lose weight. It could actually help you gain weight. Your metabolism will slow down. When you decide to stop the “crash diet” when you would go back to eating like you did will make you gain more fat than you lost. Aim to increase your metabolism by increasing the frequency of your meals and the amount of healthy food you eat to burn more calories after each meal and to store less fat.
Once you change your eating habits to frequent eating in a day, your body digests food and burn calories. It basically means eating more often will lead to more calories burned. You will also feel fuller for longer periods and prevent you from feeling easily hungry during the day.
Start your day right.
Eat breakfast as soon as possible when you wake up. It will start your metabolism that naturally slowed during the night. If you skip breakfast, it will slow your metabolism even further as your body reacts to the hunger. Make it a point to refrain from eating at least two hours before you go to bed. It will allow your food to digest properly and help your body rest and recover better from the previous day.
What you should and shouldn’t eat
The food you may eat or are forbidden to eat is pretty simple. Don’t completely change your diet all at once. Start out slowly by eating the same foods you are used to only the healthier versions of your regular diet.
Substitute process foods to natural and whole grain foods. Eat whole meal and wholegrain bread instead of regular white bread, when possible. Eat whole meal pasta and brown rice, low fat milk products, egg whites as well as lean meat and tuna.
Stop counting calories as you usually do. It is a tiring habit as well as psychologically draining effort. You can simply avoid foods you know are bad for you such as cut down on sweets, cakes, and pastries along with high sugar sodas. Eat lesser saturated animal fats. Feed your body the nutrients it needs form fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, and lean protein. Hydrate your body with water rather from sodas and high sugar sodas.
When you think of doing those abdominal muscle exercises, take the initiative to eat healthy and right. The best combination to lose belly fat is to change your eating habits as well as integrating fitness regimen. It will make your body store less fat and those cardio exercises will burn your stored fat. Watch out for the best abdominal exercises you can do to achieve toned and flatter abs.
Get to work out your lower body with a fusion of dance and martial arts by this instructional video. Try these booty moves at the privacy of your home. Booty exercise are creatively named as flying eagle, rainbow rise. triangle trimmer, sky reach, butterfly bend, winged feet, and sideswipe. Do two sets of the indicated reps of each move three times a week on nonconsecutive days. Good luck on toning your tight and toned butt and legs. ( video credit to self.com)
Whether you are the type of person who eats to live or lives to eat, the basic knowledge of nutrition will go a long way to improve your quality of living. No matter how intense and regular your work outs could be, it wouldn’t be complete without regarding nutrition.
Muscles, by nature, repair themselves during resting periods. Thus, it is necessary to feed your muscles the much needed nutrients especially protein that it needs to give rise to a reshaped and toner muscles in your body.
The human body consumes energy 24/7 even at resting state like when we are asleep. Energy is provided from the foods we eat and the process of “burn-out” of muscles. When the body is in the breakdown mode, it is considered to be in catabolic (break down) state. The only phase to gain healthy muscle mass after work out is during the anabolic or built up state. The anabolic phase is a critical period to have a scheduled intake of balanced meals.
Post work out drink
After exercising, it is the first nutritional priority to replace any fluid lost during exercise. The best way to determine how much to drink (either plain water or sports drink) is to weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace lost fluids by drinking 20 to 24 fluid ounces for every pound lost.
During a moderate to intense session of work out, the body depletes its glycogen stores requiring a post work out drink to promote protein synthesis and decrease the rate of protein breakdown. By the time you are done working out, your body would have now lost lots of water and essential electrolytes.
Proteins
Protein comes in a variety of types and levels. Out of the 20 amino acids, 9 are considered “essential” since these proteins cannot be synthesized therefore need to be consumed regularly. The biological value of a source of protein is known by the amount and proportion of the essential amino acids. If one or more of these amino acids is not present or is present in disproportionate amounts, the efficiency of protein synthesis goes down.
Animal sources are the best source of protein including meat, fish, dairy and poultry which are more “complete” than plant sources as they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant sources, on the other hand, when eaten in right combinations can also measure up to protein requirements. Soya protein ranks as the highest among plant sources. It is comparable to animal sources of protein. Vegetarian can select whey protein and soy as protein supplementation.
Eating after Exercise
Most athletes are aware of the importance of eating before exercise which is equally important to what and when you eat after exercise. Exercising before a meal can ensure sufficient glycogen stores available for optimal performance. Glycogen is the source of energy primarily used for exercise thus a meal after exercise is critical to recovery and improves your ability to train consistently.
It is recommended to consume carbohydrate such as juice or fruit within 15 minutes after work out to help restore glycogen. In fact, research has shown that eating 100 to 200 grams of carbohydrates within a couple of hours of endurance exercise is vital to building sufficient glycogen stores for continued training. Refraining from any carbohydrate consumption results to 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle. The reason for this is that carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, in turn aids the production of muscle glycogen. However, the effect of carbohydrate on glycogen storage possibly can reach a plateau.
Carbs and protein speeds recovery
Studies have concluded that the combination of protein and carbohydrate consumed in the two hours following exercises nearly doubles the insulin response leading to more stored glycogen. The right ratio to achieve this effect is 4:1 translating to four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein. Be mindful that eating more protein has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.
Protein needs post exercise
Muscles after exercise requires intake of protein to supply the amino acids necessary to rebuild damaged muscle tissue resulting from intense, prolonged exercise. It can also increase the absorption of water from the intestines and improve muscle hydration. The amino acids in protein can also stimulate the immune system, enabling you to become more resistant to colds and other infections.
If you are looking for the best way to refuel your body after long, strenuous endurance exercise, a 4:1 combo of carbohydrate and protein seems to be your best choice. While solid foods can work just as well as a sports drink, a drink may be easier to digest make it easier to get the right ratio and meet the 2-hour window.
Time for protein intake
Post work out is the best time for protein intake as absorption and possibly assimilation levels are the highest. It is not a good idea to fast after a work out which can undo all the work you have exerted. The key is to schedule your meals into smaller but frequent portions.
You don’t need to work out every single day believing that it will speed the muscle building process of your body. Resting at intervals is equally important to allow muscle gain to take place. When the body is continuously involved in activity coupled with inadequate rest then catabolic state results. In the catabolic state, substantial gains in muscle mass is next to impossible. Studies have also proven that erratic sleep patterns and eating habits result to unhealthy weight gain. If you compromise diet and nutrition but manage to work out regularly, all of your efforts are useless and wasted.
The first hour after work out is the body’s golden hour when stored glycogen are used up and enzyme responsible of converting glucose into glycogen are in a phase when sugar or glucose can be consumed and rushed directly to the muscles to immediately replace lost glycogen stores.
You should have a post work out meal or drink to help your body recover quickly form the result of physical activity. You might think of resisting carbohydrates in your meal after working out to avoid weight gain. Carbs part of your post work out meal won’t add fat as calories are continuously burn even after work out. A simple balanced work out along with 10 to 15% of energy coming from protein should do the trick. Be smart and feed your body the nutrition it needs. Starving or restricting food intake after work out will do your body more harm than good.
In a country where 66 percent of adults are now obese or overweight, some people are determined to stay at a healthy weight. Help is on the way as we present a compilation of healthy foods you can apply to integrate in your daily diet or reach your weight goal. Best of all, you get to eat more to weigh less!
Steak
Beef is branded as a diet buster for its cholesterol contents but it can help you lose excess weight. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition employed women in a diet with red meat. They lost more weight than those eating equal calories but having little beef. Steak is high in protein that enables your body to retain muscle mass during weight loss. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism rate would be. Aim to cook the steak in less oil or fats by grilling or broiling,
Eggs
Eggs can actually lower cholesterol levels because they’re high in cholesterol but low in saturated fats. In fact, eggs are full of high-quality proteins, vitamins and minerals needed in a healthy diet. Don’t think of separating the egg yolks. Egg won’t harm your heart but they can help you trim not so good inches. A study from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge placed women on a low-calorie diet. They ate an egg with toast and jelly each morning lost twice as many pounds compared to those who had a bagel breakfast without any eggs but with the same number of calories. It just shows that egg protein is filling thus making you eat less during the rest of the day.
Oats
Oats hold the highest satiety level ranking beating any other food. They contain soluble fiber that are digested more slowly thus proves to be friendly on your blood sugar as it is also great to keep you fuller longer. You can count on the steel-cut and rolled varieties to be the best choice among types of oatmeal having 5 grams of fiber per serving. Instant oats have 3 to 4 grams per serving. You can substitute oats to bread crumbs when making meatballs, cookies among other delicious foods. You’ll be surprised on how healthy you meal turn out to be.
Lentils
photo credit to Ruthieki
Lentils are rich in protein and soluble fiber that stabilize blood sugar levels. It is known to be a belly flattener when eaten will prevent insulin spikes which cause your body to create excess fat especially in the abdominal area. Lentil soups as an appetizer at the start of a meal can take the edge off hunger. Best of all,lentils are low in calories but high in nutrients and protein for that needed satiety against overeating.
Apples
An apple a day can keep weight gain at bay. When we munch an apple before meals, we tend to eat fewer calories than those who had eaten a different snack. These bright red and green fruits are high in fiber (4 to 5 grams) that makes them filling. The antioxidants found in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome and its tendency to make you store fat in the belly.
Buckwheat pasta
Try buckwheat pasta from getting used to the taste of plain noodles. Buckwheat is high in fiber and has protein. The combination of fiber and protein makes it very filling. You can add broccoli, carrots, onions, and mushrooms to buckwheat pasta to make it even more packed with vitamins and minerals.
Wild salmon
Omega-3 in fishes keeps your heart healthy and shrinks your waistline too. The fatty acids found in omega-3 improve insulin sensitivity helping your body to build more muscle and decrease belly fat. The more muscle mass you build then the more calories your body burns. It’s wiser to eat wild salmon as it may contain fewer pollutants.
Blueberries
photo credits to Pabo76
Blue berries are the best among the berries. They offer the highest antioxidant level of all commonly consumed fruit. Plus, each cup of blueberries delivers 3.6 grams of naturally good fiber. Fiber hinders fat absorption in the digestive tract. You can add blueberries to your usual morning cereals and add milk or yogurt.
Almond butter
One way to lower the glycemic index of bread is to spread almond butter on it. The glycemic index is a measure of the effect of a certain food on the blood sugar. A study in Toronto found that people who consumed almonds with white bread didn’t have surges in their blood sugar compared to those who ate bread alone.
When your blood sugar levels rise then suddenly goes low. This dip leads to hunger and causes people to binge and overeat. The changes of the blood sugar cause the body to produce more insulin that in effect increases abdominal fat.
You can add almond butter to your favorite peanut butter in sandwiches. You can mix 1 tablespoon almond butter with 2 tablespoon fat-free plain yogurt as a vegetable dip.
Pomegranates
It’s true that pomegranates juice is popular as a healthy drink. Don’t you know that its seeds are just as healthy as its juice? Pomegranate seeds are packed with folate and disease-fighting antioxidants. These high in fiber and low calorie seeds will satisfy your sweet tooth without worries of high sugar content. Snack on these healthy seeds as snack. Toss them in baby spinach salads as a substitute for nuts. (photo credits to Joe M500)
Chiles
Spice up your meals not only add extra flavor to your dishes but also boost your metabolism. The compound called capsaicin has thermogenic effects causing your body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you had eaten them. Spicy foods are usually eaten slowly thus giving enough time to tell your brain that you’re already full. It will make you avoid over eating.
Yogurt
Plain yogurt is known to be a perfect food with the right combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. It can ward off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady.
Researches learned that obese adults who had three servings of fat-free yogurt daily lost 22% more weight and 61% more body fat in comparison to those who simply cut calories and didn’t consume dairy products. The study done also showed that yogurt eaters lost 81% more fat in the stomach area than non-yogurt eaters. Adding yogurt to your daily diet can speed weight loss and trim your tummy. Substitute low-fat plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise in salads.
Sardines
Sardines are tiny fishes but are rich in protein and omage-3s to help maintain body muscles. When foods are high in protein, it makes you feel full since protein requires more time to fully digest it. It also helps build bones for its high calcium content and low in mercury. You can soak the sardines in milk for an hour to remove any smell of fishiness.
Parmesan
Pick up the real cheese called parmesan cheese. It is beneficial for women to consume one serving of whole milk or cheese daily. Parmesan cheese helps you to avoid weight gain. Low fat or skim milk may sound less or not fattening to you yet whole milk is a better option. The real deal is to drink whole milk as it has more conjugated linoleic acid that helps your body burn fat. Given its rich and full flavor, you are satisfied having one servings of Parmesan cheese.
Avocado
Most people stay away from avocado for it high fat content of 29 grams but don’t let it frighten you. This fat content is actually the heart-friendly monosaturated fat that increases satiety or feeling of fullness. You can have avocados tossed in salads or sandwiches. A word caution, though, is to watch your portion sizes as it has high calories.
Olive oil
Oil can be fattening but with the right kind of oil such as made from olives, it can be healthy as it can be. Olive oil contains healthy fat that increases satiety and taming your appetite. Apart from its slimming feature, research shows it also has anti-flammatory properties. Chronic inflammation in the body is affects your metabolism. Increase the antioxidant power of you veggies by using olive oil to it. Olive oil tastes best with pasta along with fresh basil and sautéed spices.
The trick is to find the right foods to help you drop pounds by boosting calorie burn and restrain cravings. Enjoy these metabolism-booster foods in your meals and say hello to a healthier and slimmer new you.
• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Eat breakfast as soon as possible when you wake up. It will start your metabolism that naturally slowed during the night. If you skip breakfast, it will slow your metabolism even further as your body reacts to the hunger. Make it a point to refrain from eating at least two hours before you go to bed. It will allow your food to digest properly and help your body rest and recover better from the previous day.
Stop counting calories as you usually do. It is a tiring habit as well as psychologically draining effort. You can simply avoid foods you know are bad for you such as cut down on sweets, cakes, and pastries along with high sugar sodas. Eat lesser saturated animal fats. Feed your body the nutrients it needs form fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, and lean protein. Hydrate your body with water rather from sodas and high sugar sodas.
Beef is branded as a diet buster for its cholesterol contents but it can help you lose excess weight. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition employed women in a diet with red meat. They lost more weight than those eating equal calories but having little beef. Steak is high in protein that enables your body to retain muscle mass during weight loss. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism rate would be. Aim to cook the steak in less oil or fats by grilling or broiling,
It’s true that pomegranates juice is popular as a healthy drink. Don’t you know that its seeds are just as healthy as its juice? Pomegranate seeds are packed with folate and disease-fighting antioxidants. These high in fiber and low calorie seeds will satisfy your sweet tooth without worries of high sugar content. Snack on these healthy seeds as snack. Toss them in baby spinach salads as a substitute for nuts. (photo credits to Joe M500)
Plain yogurt is known to be a perfect food with the right combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. It can ward off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady.
Most people stay away from avocado for it high fat content of 29 grams but don’t let it frighten you. This fat content is actually the heart-friendly monosaturated fat that increases satiety or feeling of fullness. You can have avocados tossed in salads or sandwiches. A word caution, though, is to watch your portion sizes as it has high calories.