There are three components of fitness each playing an essential role to your success. We will discuss the diet first. Most people can lose weight by reducing calories without exercising. However nobody ever keeps the weight off through dieting alone. Let's say you lose 10lbs. by restricting the amount of food you eat. Of that 10lbs. you would have sacrificed approximately two pounds of muscle. So What ? Doesn't sound like a big deal. The problem begins when you return to your normal eating habits because let's face it nobody can starve them self forever. When you regain those 10lbs. the two pounds of muscle is now replaced with fat. Repeat this cycle a few times and you now have lost your shape and lowered your metabolic rate. This practice is commonly referred to as Yo Yo dieting and is a major contributor to the obesity crisis today. A calorie restricted diet should only be used in conjunction with a muscle preserving/building program in order to maintain an even increase your metabolism. A healthy diet consists of frequent (every 2-3 hrs.) meals/snacks utilizing a wide variety of foods. The average person needs about 1500 calories per day to function properly. Taking into consideration that 3,500 calories is equal to one pound you would have to create a 500 calorie per day deficit in order to lose one pound of body weight per week. This should be done through a combination of reducing calories consumed and by burning additional calories with exercise. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart but can also be used as a valuable tool in body fat reduction. Exercising at a slow or moderate pace is great for a warm-up but not a very effective calorie burner. The calories burned during moderate paced exercise are minimal, hardly worth your time and effort. Intensity is the key factor for increasing your metabolic rate. Intensity is defined as 75--85% of your maximum heart rate, by using a measure of perceived exertion, you shouldn't be able to carry on a conversation once you are in the target zone. By increasing your metabolic rate you not only burn more calories during exercise but you continue to burn calories at a faster rate after the exercise is over. If you train intensely you also increase your use of fats during recovery. Weight training is the foundation of your successful program. Muscles are calorie burners. The more muscle you have , the higher your metabolism will be. It is important to note that muscle is more dense than fat therefore it takes up less space on your body. During the first 8 weeks of intense weight training you will gain lean muscle mass at a fast rate. This is why most people will lose inches before there is a reduction in body weight. A weight training program should effectively work each muscle of the body at least once per week. Proper form and technique are imperative and should never be compromised. The body is constantly adapting to new stresses which is why your weight training and cardio programs should be changed frequently to avoid reaching a plateau. TIME LINE : Months 1--3
Core stabilization, Foundation is established, Form & Technique are learned. Months 4--9
Lean muscle mass gained, Fat loss = RESULTS Months 10--12
Visible imbalances addressed, Concentrate on sculpting the perfect you. |
