One of my friends kept talking about this book, "Skinny Bitch", by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I needed something to read on my way back home from San Diego, so I decided to give it a go. It was a quick read and highly informative. It honestly really struck a chord with me and reinforced the importance of eating a clean and healthy diet. After reading the book, I was a little scared to even go in a grocery store... My boyfriend was rolling his eyes while I was inspecting every single food label making our grocery shopping trip last three times longer than it should of! (Another thing for me to get OCD about!) So much of our food is pumped up with crap, you can hardly even consider it food, more like genetically modified garbage. With all the hormones, preservatives, pesticides and chemicals we are consuming, it's no wonder cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes are plaguing us. I'm already on an organic kick, but what I took home from this book was altering some of my choices when it comes to consuming meat and dairy products. It is a little overwhelming trying to eat a "perfect" diet... but the more information you have, the better your chances of making healthy choices. The only thing I can't give up is my coffee.... No way! I don't want to give away too much, but if you are looking for a book that doesn't hold back, and tells you like it is, I'd suggest reading it. Especially if you need some incentive to change up your eating habits and make a lifestyle change, it really does the trick. In the end, it's all up to you... I don't believe in excuses or slackers, and that's why I liked this quick, amusing and worthwhile read.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Abs are Earned
I teach two, thirty minute Ab/Core focused classes a week. Here are a few of my favorite abdominal exercises to strengthen the core at the moment.
Being able to see muscle tone in the abdominal region takes some discipline. Unfortunately we can't "spot reduce" one area of the body. I see people doing hundreds of crunches and sit ups, getting discouraged from not getting the 6-pack they have always dreamed about. To be able to see some definition, you have to lower your body fat. Too much body fat and you won't be able to see your abs. In order for men to start seeing some of their abs they need to be at 10% or below. Women, on the other hands, start to see lines at 13% since women typically store body fat in other areas such as the hips and glutes. There's no quick fix, no miracle diet... you have to earn your Abs! Eating a clean diet (whole foods, and the removal of fast foods and sugar), strength training and including high intensity interval and cardiovascular training are components to losing body fat. Looks aside, what really is important is strengthening your core to avoid injury, prevent back pain and to be able to maintain a healthy quality of life.
Being able to see muscle tone in the abdominal region takes some discipline. Unfortunately we can't "spot reduce" one area of the body. I see people doing hundreds of crunches and sit ups, getting discouraged from not getting the 6-pack they have always dreamed about. To be able to see some definition, you have to lower your body fat. Too much body fat and you won't be able to see your abs. In order for men to start seeing some of their abs they need to be at 10% or below. Women, on the other hands, start to see lines at 13% since women typically store body fat in other areas such as the hips and glutes. There's no quick fix, no miracle diet... you have to earn your Abs! Eating a clean diet (whole foods, and the removal of fast foods and sugar), strength training and including high intensity interval and cardiovascular training are components to losing body fat. Looks aside, what really is important is strengthening your core to avoid injury, prevent back pain and to be able to maintain a healthy quality of life.
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