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So I have been getting questions for quite some time about my diet and exercise habits. A few of you have asked me to do a post on the topic and since I am a personal trainer, it makes sense. I tend to focus on fashion and beauty in this blog, but I thought since so many of you have asked I would do one for fun.
What do I do?
I workout 5 days a week. It tends to be Mon-Fri and I take the weekends off. For strength training, I split my body up into sections focusing on a different section every day. (ie. biceps and triceps, legs, chest, back and shoulders, abs)
I also eat pretty clean. If it comes form a box I usually do not eat it. I tell my clients “when in doubt, eat from the earth.” It sounds silly, but most things made in a factory have a ton of chemicals that interfere with your body’s ability to digest things properly. I also limit my starchy carbs to a few times a week. The carbs I eat daily are veggies, fruits and salads (yes those ARE carbs too!) I eat rice based things two or 3 times a week.
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Tip 1:
Strength training is a must! Many women have this fear of bulking up or looking too muscular so they avoid lifting weights. This is not true!! As a woman you don’t have enough testosterone in your body to allow for that kind of muscle mass. The women you see as body builders get that way intentionally.
It is important to build lean muscle because the more you have, the more fat you burn at rest.
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Tip 2:
I do 30 minutes of cardio after I lift weights. This is important. It takes your body about 2o minutes to get into “fat burning mode.” If you do your cardio before hand, you would only get 10 out of 30 minutes of fat burning. If you do it after you lift weights then you will burn fat for the full 30 minutes.
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Tip 3:
Mix things up! Your body will adapt to any routine you are in after a few months. If you do the same routine day after day (ie. eat 1500 calories and burn 500 during your workout) your body will figure this out and conserve the calories it allows you to burn. This is a built in defense mechanism. The way to avoid this is to constantly switch things up!
There are many variations to simple exercises. For example you can lunge while twisting a ball from side to side (see pic 2). This is working both legs and abs. You can also lunge to the side (pic 3), or to the back. You can squat with a overhead press (Below) to work both legs and shoulders.
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Tip 4:
Concentrate on form. If you do an exercise wrong, you are basically wasting your time. If you are unsure of proper form for a particular exercise, then look it up online. Do not do things like swing your arms when doing a bicep curl. You are basically using momentum to lift the weight and not your bicep. Focus on being slow and controlled. Don’t worry about how many reps you do. Listen to your body. Your body does not register 10 reps, it does however register muscle failure.
A simple mistake that’s easily correctable is when you do leg exercises, always push from the heel of your foot. For example when you squat, your tendency will be to push from squat position to standing from your toes. This is because it is easier and your body will always take the path of least resistance. Instead, focus on pushing from your heels. This will force the use of your hamstrings and glutes (the back of your legs and butt!)
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Tip 5:
Keep it interesting and do what you love. If you dread working out everyday, you’re not going to stick with it. You really need to find the things that keep it interesting for you. If you hate the treadmill, then don’t use it! There are so many ways to get cardio other than the treadmill. Also make some music mixes on your ipod that get you going. It’s so much more motivating! Working out with a friend can also be a great motivator.
I hope I answered some questions and given you some worth while tips. If you have questions please don’t hesitate to ask!!
