Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

Weight Training and Belly Fat

Posted: September 8, 2014 in Fitness
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Aerobic Cardio Exercises alone will not give you the results you are looking for in the belly region. Sticking to those type of exercises without lifting weights can result in muscle loss as well as the shape I like to call “skinny fat.” Skinny Fat people are those who are really thin but flabby. There is no definition to their body at all. Belly Fat responds better to exercise circuits that are High Intensity (fast paced) and include heavy weights. The reason being is that Visceral Fat is that fat that lines the abdominal cavity. So if you are using your abdominal muscles to lift or push weights, to run, to walk, and to perform abdominal exercises, you will burn more calories. In all actuality, you should be contracting you abdominal muscles in all of your exercises. Proper form requires that your core is engaged which will give you proper posture thus you will have proper form when performing your various exercises.

Don’t be afraid to lift heavy weight. The chances of you becoming bulky is very low but the chances of you looking fit are very high. What I mean by heavy weight? When you are using dumbbells to do squats, arm curls, chest press, shoulder press and tricep extensions you should be using dumbbells that are 10lbs and higher. I would encourage you to challenge yourself by changing the weight of your dumbbell every two weeks until you get to a dumbbell weight of 40 lbs. The heavier you lift the more your muscles have to repair themselves while you are at rest which can burn an additional 50 – 100 calories while you are sleep.

Create a High Intensity Circuit (25 – 40 mins) of 8 – 9 different exercise that includes weight training.
Try not to rest too much in between each exercise and drink water as needed while you’re exercising.
Your diet is important when trying to get in shape. After all, your belly fat is 70% of what you eat! Eat the majority of your carbs while you are most active. Carbs are an energy source and excess amounts of carbs in your body will be stored in your body as fat. If you are really serious about improving your belly fat then you must learn when and how to eat your carbs. Weight training will require that you eat carbs, you can’t get explosive energy from too little carbs. Yes, muscle needs protein but they also need carbs. Both protein and carbs will work together to help your body metabolize fat.
So don’t be afraid to lift those heavy weights and make It Hurt So Good.

© Brandi Anderson

I BLAME PROTEIN

Posted: May 7, 2014 in Fitness, Health
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Arm picPeople often ask me how I get my arms so shapely and besides given the usual answer of genetics I also have a diet that is rich in protein.  Eating protein throughout your day will result in your muscles being fed properly.  Keep in mind that if you aren’t working out regular, weight lifting, the protein will store as fat.  You can’t get the benefits of protein in your muscles if you aren’t tearing them up.   My work schedule is the basic 9 – 5 but within that 9 – 5 I am very busy.  So what I have committed myself to was having a regular sized oatmeal from Tim Horton’s every morning and I snack on that all morning.  It keeps me full for the most part and gives me what I need. Throughout my day, I try to make sure I have a source of protein in each of my meals. Like today, I will have baked chicken with steamed veggies and roasted potatoes for dinner.

For a meat source, my diet mostly consist of chicken.  I eat baked and broiled chicken breast.  I will also bake and broil other parts of the chicken during the week to help me achieve my lean protein meals. I also eat fish.  My favorite being Salmon but for those who don’t like the strong taste, Tuna is a great option to get your lean protein.  Beef is also high in protein but it is high in fat and cholesterol as well.  If you have a family history of high cholesterol and high blood pressure you should keep your beef intake to once a week or once in a while.  Don’t risk your health trying to get healthy.

Now even though I am talking about protein in this article, I can’t forget to tell you about carbs.  You must have Carbohydrates.  They are your primary source for energy, Fats are second and I think of protein as more of a repair and rebuild source than energy.   Your raw fruits are a great source of Carbohydrates. You will also find carbs in just about everything you snack on except for meat and vegetables (low amounts found in veggies) it depends on what types of carbs you are eating.  You want to get more complex carbs than simple carbs.  Simple carbs should be used as treats on your cheat days but if you do happen to indulge in some simple carbs treat during the week, keep them at a minimum and include them in your daily allowed calorie intake.  But you will need carbs to get through your day so don’t neglect them.  I will talk more about Carbs and Fats in another article.

Exercises I do that impact my arms are:

Arm Curls

Push Ups

Lat Pull Downs

Delt Rows

Tricep Dips

Dumbbell Squats (I have modified them to include an arm and back workout)

 

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me at:

Brandi.Anderson182@gmail.com

http://www.wemafit.org

 

Until next time.  Be More, Love More, Encourage More, and Aspire to Be More

 

©Brandi Anderson

Want to lose weight? Lift weights!

Posted: July 7, 2013 in Fitness
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Cardio exercises are important. You will burn calories consistently whether you walk or run. However, if you want to tone you should add resistance training to that cardio workout. Exercises such as lunges, squats, leg lifts and 90 degree leg curls with just your body weight alone can increase the way your body burns fat. When you add dumbbells to your workout routine some people can burn up to 50% more calories in their workout. It is also important to tone as you lose weight. Weight training will build stronger muscles, stronger connective tissues and improves the stabilization of your joints. You don’t have to go hard and heavy to reap the benefits of weight training but you must push yourself. If you don’t challenge your body you won’t see the change you want to see. The next time you are at the gym try this. Try a HIIT run on the elliptical or the treadmill for 10 – 15 mins. Get that heart rate up. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) you see these workouts used in the videos P90x and Insanity. For 10 – 15 mins, you go as hard as you can on these machines. Of course walk it out or jog it out slowly if it becomes too much for you but you don’t stop. You keep going until your 10 – 15 mins are up. You should be hot and sweaty, if you aren’t a sweater than you most certainly should be hot. Get you some water and head straight to the weights. I do a total body weight training session each time I go to the gym. I start with my arms since I just got off a machine that used my legs. On each arm machine I will do 8 – 10 reps and 4 sets. Breathing and your form is important in these exercises. Breathing will help you push it out when your arms get tired and form will help you isolate your biceps, triceps, shoulders and avoid injury. Then I will go to my legs, I do the leg press, both curls, again 8 – 10 reps with 4 sets. I will do the crunches with the weights after the legs. I do as many crunches as my body will allow me to. I don’t count those. Then last weight machines will be for my back. I do 8 – 10 reps with 4 sets. If I still have energy after all of that (which I usually do) I had over to the floor exercise area and do squats, lunges and an abdominal workout that usually kills my body for the rest of the day. The amount of calories I burn during this type of workout is estimated at 1100 – 1400 cals ( I am usually in the gym for 2.5hrs)

Cardio and Weight Training

Posted: April 2, 2013 in Fitness
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We all want to be healthy, look good in our clothing and just be comfortable. There is a healthy weight for us all and I encourage all of you to be the best you that you possibly can. So with that said I will post some fitness tips as well as health tips from time to time. Today I want to talk about Cardio and Weight Training.
Now before any type of exercise it is good to warm up. Stretching, jogging in place, breathing exercises are all ways to warm up before your workout.
When I go to the gym, the first exercise I will do will usually be some sort of cardio, whether it is the Arc Trainer, the Elliptical or the Treadmill, I am getting my heart rate up and burning those calories. For experienced people, doing a high intensity exercise on one of these machines for up to 20 mins (about 300 calories burned) can put your heart rate at the ultimate rate and allow for you to get the most out of a 20 – 30min weight circuit train and then finishing with a 10 min cardio jog or walk for your cool down. A weight train circuit can work both for those who want to tone or want to bulk, that depends on the weight and reps you do…that will come in a later post. So this is what a typical workout for me at the gym looks like:

Sometimes I stretch before, it depends on how active my day at work has been
10 -20 mins on the Arc Trainer.
45 – 55 mins Weight Training which includes the total body, abs, glutes, chest, arms, back and legs.
10 mins Arc Trainer or Elliptical.
Stretching to conclude the workout.

If you are a beginner, I will encourage that you start out with at least 3 days a week working out.  We all have busy schedules so if you can’t make it to the gym, set aside at least 30mins for a good sweat. The gym isn’t required for a lot of this activity and I can help you with that as well. You will be surprised what you can do with a pair 10 – 35lb dumbbells.  Until the next tip, live the WEMA Lifstyle!!! Dumb Bells