Exercise Q & A
Page 2 of 13 | Q: | I am a 27 year old woman with a four year old son and I have finally lost my pregnancy weight however my stomach is still overly soft almost hanging from the weight gain/loss. I have set my physical goal sights on Jan to have a toned tummy. Is this realistic and how can I get there. I have a well balanced diet and get plenty of cardio in on a daily basis. | | A: | Your goal is certainly attainable, however, as cruel as the truth may be, the fact remains that as women, we are designed to store fat in the abdomen. It's not easy to achieve a perfectly flat abdomen, and in some cases, it's impossible. But you can greatly improve your abdominal area.
When you perform your abdominal exercises, focus on the exact area that is being worked. If you don't really focus on what you're doing, it's very easy to allow other muscles to do some of the work. If you allow your neck or hip flexors to help you out, your abdominal muscles won't get fatigued or toned. Practice proper breathing technique when working your abs. Always exhale on the exertion. This decreases internal air pressure, allowing you to fully involve the abdominal muscles.
Eating habits are just as critical to leaning up your midsection. Replace sodium, sugar and preservative laden foods with fresh whole unprocessed foods. Drink as much water as you can all day long to flush away bloating. Drink ice chilled water and you'll burn a few extra calories as your body works to warm it up.
Also, keep your diet balanced, eating a healthy ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. And, keep in mind, calories do count. Eating too many calories - whether they are fats, carbohydrates or proteins, will keep you well padded in the midsection area. Avoid beer and other alcoholic beverages. They have been associated with a rise in cortisol, a hormone that seems to steer fat toward the tummy. I'm sure you've heard of the ole beer belly. There may just be some truth to that.
When performing abdominal exercises, if your abs are not fatigued with 20 or 30 repetitions, add another 10 or 20 more. Just keep in mind, 10 or 20 well executed crunches or reverse crunches are more beneficial then 50 sloppy ones. An every other day abdominal workout is sufficient, however, if you'd like to be more aggressive, that's great. You won't over-train your abs, unless you're adding heavy weights.
Finally, train your abdominal muscles by simply keeping them contracted when performing all your other exercises, when sitting, standing or driving. Consciously holding them in can reduce back strain and help to flatten your entire mid-section |
| Q: | I recently went from 227 to 155lbs. in 10 months, the problem is my abdominal area is very flabby with skin hanging. What can I do to get rid of the flabby skin? | | A: | After a significant weight loss the skin left in the area that previously contained fat is left resembling a large plastic bag that had been over-filled. The fat that was stored in your trouble spots caused your skin to conform to a certain shape. Since the fat has stretched the skin to a certain size, and remained expanded for a period of time, it may be difficult bring the skin back in to it’s normal shape.
Though it is frustrating to be left with saggy skin, be proud of yourself for what you have accomplished which is a lot. In some cases after being stretched to the limit, a woman’s midsection may not ever go back to its original shape. Genetics will also help to determine the amount of improvement one can gain.
To reduce the appearance of saggy skin work on muscle tone. Perform a variety of abdominal exercises 3 to 4 times a week doing each move to fatigue. Since muscle is firmer than fat tissue, the muscle you gain will help to reduce the appearance of saggy skin.
If you work diligently on exercise for months and maintain a proper food plan and still do not see the desired results you are looking for, this is the once instance I would recommend considering cosmetic surgery to remove the stretched skin. Unfortunately, over-stretched skin is not always correctable with exercise and consulting with a cosmetic surgeon may be a viable option for you.
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| Q: | I have been working out so hard for the past 5 weeks and have really enjoyed your workouts and still feel very motivated but the scale has barely moved since I first started exercising. I eat reasonably. Why is it that the scale does not come down? Can you please tell me the difference between losing inches and losing weight? I have not measured myself yet but I can see that I have lost inches. Thank you for a great workout program. | | A: | The primary reason many women begin exercise programs is to reduce body weight. When translated into its visual equal, they're saying they want to lose inches or dress sizes.
In the past, ideal body weight has been determined without concern for body composition. Now this can get tricky!! It's not uncommon for an exerciser to lose fat weight and gain muscle weight without any change in total body weight on the scale.
So, are you really any closer to your goals if you've lost inches but little or no weight? Absolutely!! Strength training decreases stored body fat and replaces it with lean body weight. Lean body weight is actually smaller in size than an equal amount of fat body weight.
Unless you keep performing strength training exercises, you can lose more then a ½ pound of muscle every year after the age of 25. As a result, metabolism will decrease about 5 % every decade of life.
Since lean muscle mass is also what enhances your physical appearance, committing to a long-term plan of strength training is critical to achieving and maintaining the well toned, yet very feminine look that so many women strive for.
So next time you hop on the scale, remember that you're measuring two things: Body fat and lean body mass. The amount you weigh is not as important as the proportion of your body that is made up of fat - something that a scale can't tell you.
If you really want to measure just how you're body is changing, break out the tape measurer or try slipping into those jeans that you haven't been able to wear.
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| Q: | I need to reduce my upper body. I wear an x-large top and size small in pants. I've lost 20lbs and want to lose 25 more. I weigh 175 and need to be about 150. I have a lot of muscle mass and want to know the right exercises to do to reduce arms, shoulders, and the area on the back that bulges out of my bra. I ride a recumbent bike 30 minutes and do spot exercises 4 to 5 times a week. I'm 48 years old. | | A: | Spot removal only works in the laundry, not on your body. There is simply no such thing as localized fat loss, no matter what type of exercise gadget is used and no matter what type of exercise is prescribed. Fat is lost evenly throughout the body. As you lose more weight, your body will shed the extra fat mass on your arms, shoulder and back as well as anywhere else your body is storing it.
Many ladies believe that by focusing on exercising a particular body part, which is hidden by fatty tissue, that they will "burn away" the localized fat and expose toned muscles. This is merely a vain attempt and won't amount to much more than "your little secret".
If you're struggling with a "trouble spot", here's the deal. To remove the fat from your trouble spot, you need to increase your overall percentage of lean muscle mass and take a good look at your eating habits.
1. Perform a variety of strength training exercises 3 or more days a week. This will increase your body's fat burning ability 24/7 and tone the underlying muscle giving you a better shape and improved muscle tone, which has a slimming effect.
2. Perform aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes 2 times a week.
3. Replace sodium, sugar and preservative laden foods with fresh whole unprocessed foods.
4. Keep your diet balanced, eating a healthy ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. And, keep in mind, calories do count. Eating too many calories - whether they are fats, carbohydrates or proteins, will keep you well padded.
5. Drink water. |
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