Good Abdominals

Who doesn’t want to have a six-pack of firm abdominal muscles?
A fit body can be best represented by a display of well defined abdominal muscles and part of the reason why this is associated with fitness, apart from the obvious sexy look of good abs is the fact that good abdominals require more than just one specific action to achieve.

It is not possible to have well defined abdominal muscles if you are carrying excess fat around. You can do all the stomach crunches and leg raises in the world, but no one is going to see those strong abdominal muscles if they are covered with a layer of fat.

There is no such thing as spot reduction. It is a myth that is used to help sell products that promise people of ripped abs and a sexy body when in reality a change in diet will do more for the look of your midsection than any amount of exercise.

You can build up the size of your arms, legs and chest and they will look more impressive from the additional size even if you are carrying excess body fat, but the abdominals are the one area that fat reduction is more important than the exercise that you might do.

Don’t get me wrong, abdominal exercises are all important for strengthening your core and assisting with most exercises, along with supporting your back, but for looks alone you need to reduce body fat.

When we reduce the fat content in our body it is reduced throughout the body.
You can’t just target the stomach while all else remains the same.

So the first and most important step in getting a good set of abs that you will be proud to show anyone will be to reduce your fat to the extent that you can actually see them.
You don’t need big abs if they aren’t hidden by fat.

How Resistance Training Works

Resistance training, through the use of weights, machines, or your own body weight, forces the cells of the body to adapt to the extra loads that are being applied.

The cells are broken down during this exercise process and become stronger when they are given time to recover.
Unless there is sufficient time for the body to recover from this resistance, it will become over trained and consequently there will be a stop, or even a reduction in the benefits that one might achieve.

This is one of the reasons why many beginners plateau after training for a short period of time and fail to see the progress that they enjoyed initially.
They are essentially over training by not allowing their cells sufficient time to recover from the exercise.

By constantly breaking down the cells during exercise and not allowing them to recover they become fatigued and don’t have the opportunity to grow.

It is a simple process to solve this problem once you understand what is happening.
Unlike the action most people take by training harder and harder to get the gains they were once getting, they should actually reduce the workload slightly or allow for longer periods of rest or recuperation.

Until the body has adapted to a new regime of resistance training it is better to start off with lighter weights and/or easier exercises using only your body weight.

It is also wise to have longer rest periods between each exercise and also between the days that you are working out.

Once you have trained in this manner for a while you will be able to increase the workout intensity and start making noticeable gains.

Your body will soon become accustomed to the exercise and this in turn will make you less likely to suffer from any injuries.

Machines and Weights

Using a combination of weights and machines for training will give you the best of both worlds, with the ability of machines allowing you to use more weight under a controlled environment, and the free weights helping to stimulate the synergistic muscles for balance and control.

Add to this some cardio work for aerobic fitness and you are getting all that anyone could hope for in a fitness program.

These types of programs can be developed for the gym, and with the abundance of good home gym equipment, they can also be used at home.

Many times you can get a better workout from home as you won’t need to wait on other people to finish their exercises before you can use the equipment.

Machines also allow you to use heavy weights in complete safety where you will need to be a little more cautious with free weights if you don’t have someone to assist with your training.

Age can determine which is the best for you to use, with the safety factor very important for children and elderly people.

There are many types of machines available and they all have their benefits over one another.
There are machines that have weight stacks, which can be quite heavy, and then there are machines that use cables and rods to offer resistance.

Some are portable and able to be moved and folded away whereas some of the big weight stack machines are too heavy to move easily.

These are factors that need to be considered when buying machines whereas free weights can be used almost anywhere, from inside the house to the back yard.

With free weights you will need to consider a weight bench to ensure you can perform sufficient exercises to build most muscles of your body.

There is no real maintenance required with free weights, as they will still perform well even if you were to leave them to rust.

Nutrition Basics

Good nutrition is as important as the exercises we perform.

By eating wisely we are assisting our body to perform better in our chosen fitness program or sport.

The food we choose needs to be of high nutritional value to supply us with the necessary building blocks, in the form of vitamins and minerals to aid in recovery after strenuous workouts and to give us the energy to perform better during our exercise time.

Not only do we need to be supplying our body with the right vitamins and minerals but they also need to be in the correct balance.
When any one of these are out of balance and we are getting more or less than we should be, there will be an imbalance that will affect our progress.
This imbalance can even lead to illness, so buying good quality supplements is essential and knowing how much to take is also vitally important.

Another thing that needs to be addressed is your calorie intake as this will determine whether you are getting enough fuel to benefit your workouts or whether you are getting too much and adding fat to your body.

Foods high in refined sugar or animal fat should be avoided where possible, as they will be detrimental to your health.

If you are on a bodybuilding or resistance training program then you will need additional protein, as this is the muscle building food.
These foods, such as red meat will also supply you with the necessary B vitamins and Iron that are essential for strength training.
Other quality protein foods such as cheese, eggs, fish, poultry and milk should be included in your diet so you are getting variety in your diet.

These foods contain the essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body.

Vegetables are also another good source of amino acids however they generally have certain aminos missing and that is why the base protein foods listed above need to be included in your diet for complete nutrition.

A mix of foods is required as relying solely on meats for your protein can lead to other problems such as high levels of cholesterol.
Meat also is relatively high in fat, which is linked to the hardening of the arteries and heart disease.

It is all about getting the correct balance with both your food and exercise.

Personalized Fitness Programs

Whether you are using resistance training, yoga, pilates, aerobic fitness training or one of the many methods to get fit and lead a healthier life there is one important ingredient that you must have and that is a personalized fitness program.

No two people have the same requirements to reach their optimum health and this has to be represented in the choice of fitness program and even within that choice of the specific actions that are necessary.
By this I mean that, if for instance you choose resistance training for your fitness program, you will need a personalized program of exercises that will suit your body type, the condition of your health, your time restraints and so forth.

The same will apply to a yoga program. While you might join a yoga class for your preferred form of exercise, you will need to place more emphasis on those exercises that will assist the areas of your body that need help the most.

The reason for this need to have a personalized program is simply because you will want to get the best results in the shortest time to get to a good level of health and fitness without losing motivation.

There is nothing less motivating than a lack of progress and that is precisely what will happen if you don’t have a fitness program that addresses all your needs.

There are programs that will serve as the basis for the majority of people but they will need to be adjusted and modified to personal requirements.

Keeping a fitness diary will help as it will show which areas are progressing well and where changes will need to be made to get more improvement.
The information from the data that you record will be the source of your fast track to health and fitness.

Pilates for Fitness

Like Yoga there has been a vast increase in the number of people who are using Pilates as their preferred form of fitness.

Once again it is the professional sports people who have helped popularize Pilates recently as they strive for a more rounded training regime that will help to reduce injury, add strength and flexibility and assist in their recovery if they are unfortunate enough to get injured.

Pilates focuses on the core postural muscles, which are the abdominals, lower back muscles, the hips and buttocks.
By building a strong core structure this strength can flow out to all the other muscles of the body from this center.

Pilates requires concentration where the muscles are controlled throughout all movements, which helps to build strength.

There have since been some variations on the base method taught in Pilates by the original founder Joseph Pilates, but they are all centered on this same principal of core training.

This is especially useful for athletes in many sports and it is a popular method of fitness training for people of all ages.

By teaching this control with fluid movements Pilates offers a complete body workout and in doing so can help to reduce the incidence of injury that can occur when participating in other sports activities.

There are machines that are used for a lot of the Pilates exercises and these can be quite expensive.
Throughout the country there are dedicated Pilates gyms that have the correct equipment and instructors to ensure that the movements are being performed correctly.

Learning the Pilates techniques correctly is essential as these movements if performed incorrectly could do more harm than good.

There are also various videos and DVD’s available that will teach you the Pilates techniques if you prefer to do your exercises at home.

It is a good alternative for people who like something a little different than yoga.

Setting Goals

We all have the ability to make major improvements to our health and fitness but there is one thing that stops more people than anything else.

It is not our genetics or the access we have to the best fitness equipment or training facilities.

The thing that stops most people from getting a good physique and optimum health is when they don’t set goals.

Setting goals is a fast track to success and it is the only way that you will stick to a plan and follow through to completion.

By having a predetermined plan of action before we start a training program and knowing exactly what we want to get out of the program we will have a goal to aim for.

With this goal in mind we can track our progress and watch as we build towards that goal.

Along the way we will often change our expectations and this is a good thing, as progress gives us a different perspective on what we can achieve as we improve and gain in confidence.

By writing these goals down they become a lot more powerful and we can refer back to these written words to enforce our path.

Fitness training requires planning to get the most benefit, and planning can only begin when goals have been determined.

So the first step of any fitness program must be setting goals no matter how small they might be and then challenge yourself on a daily basis to meet and surpass those goals.

One thing that we all need to be careful of when setting our goals is to be realistic and take into account the time we have to devote to the plan and the resources we have available to implement the plan.
To set unrealistic goals will only hinder our performance and result in disappointment.

Simple Fitness Action Steps You Can Take

For many people the hardest part of any fitness program is getting started.
Sometimes we place too much pressure on ourselves and rather than doing something, no matter how small that might be, we end up doing nothing at all.

Here are some steps to help you get started.

The first thing to do is to not place any great expectations on what you want to achieve.
Even simply walking to the local shops will improve your fitness and this might be all that you need to do for a while just to get into the mood to take your fitness to the next level.

Find a friend who also wants to get fitter and ask them to walk with you.
Step up the pace after a while and maybe even record the time it takes to complete your walks.

All these small changes can eventually lead to bigger and better things.

Stretching is something that can be done almost anywhere and at any time and it is good to get into the habit of stretching, particularly before and after exercise.
Stretching increases your flexibility and reduces the chance of injury.
It makes training easier and therefore you will get more benefit from the time that you are training.

Join a gym and encourage your training friends to join with you or get a home gym and invite them to train with you at home.
You can workout at your own pace and having a training partner will be good for both safety with helping to control weights and encouragement to train better.

Get inspirational fitness magazines and videos that will give you something to strive for, and last but certainly not least, eat the right food so you have the energy to perform well at all times.

Some Common Injuries

Some of the most common injuries occur to those parts of the body that are also the hardest to repair.

Take it from my own experience with a back injury!

Many people who are using resistance training as their preferred form of fitness, will injure their shoulders or lower back more often than other parts of the body.

The shoulders are quite susceptible to injury as they are activated with many different exercises and some of these exercises such as the bench press can involve the use of substantial weight.

It is imperative that you do sufficient warm up exercises for your shoulders before you even start to lift the lightest of weights.

Shoulder injuries can take a very long time to mend and as they are used in so many exercises it will stop or hinder you from doing most upper body workouts.

Using weight machines can reduce the incidence of injury as the movement is controlled but you will be missing out in the strengthening the occurs will all the other muscles that are used for balance and control when using free weights such as dumbbells and barbells.

As you age it could be more beneficial to move from free weights to weight machines as we become more susceptible to injury as we age.

The lower back is another area of concern for many people both with resistance training and aerobic training.
Some of the mass building exercises such as squats can place big loads on the lower back and unless you are performing the exercises with the correct movements you will always be exposed to the risk of injury.

This is where a professional fitness trainer can help to ensure you are doing the exercises correctly.

Strengthening the abdominal muscles will help to support your lower back and this will also help to reduce the chance of injury to your back.

Steering Clear Of Injury

It is important to stay injury free as any injury can make you incapacitated for long periods of time and they can reoccur at later times disrupting your training.

Rather than trying to lift too much weight at the gym and risk injury, it would be better to reduce the weight and do more repetitions of the same exercise.

Stretching your muscles before a workout or other form or exercise such as a run or a walk will help to reduce the chance of injury.

It is always wise to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any doubts about any aspect of your health.

If you have had prior injuries to any parts of your body you might need to ‘work around’ these when planning your training program to ensure they aren’t aggravated and cause you to miss valuable training time.

With weight training you can, under some circumstances, still train parts of your body if you have injured other areas, but it is often difficult as resistance training usually involves the whole of the body.
Training with machines might be an option.

With walking and running it is obvious that damage to your legs will quickly put an end to your training so stretching your legs before and after exercise, particularly your hamstrings will help to eliminate problems.

If you do suffer an injury, you will need to determine whether it is wise to continue training, albeit with less intensity, or to rest completely until the injury has recovered completely.

Sometimes light exercise can help with recovery whereas other times it can delay your recovery and often make the problem worse.

It is times like this that professional advice from your doctor or fitness trainer will be invaluable.
You should never be training to the extent that you are susceptible to injury as injuries can reoccur throughout your life once a muscle, tendon or ligament has been damaged.

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