Your Health and Fitness Questions Answered
Q. Hi, I’m a 45 year old female trying to lose around 5 kilo’s. I have been running regularly for the past 5 years but seem to have hit a wall, I actually seem to be putting on weight. I am not currently following any diet and find it difficult as I usually just eat on the go.
A. You’ve hit a plateau in your training because you’ve only been using one training method(aerobic training).And because you’ve been running for a long time your body has become efficient at this form of training and does not force your body to respond as it used to.
Any fat loss program needs to include weight training, cardiovascular training and a nutrition plan.
I’d suggest starting with three full body weight training day’s a week, also mix up your cardiovascular training with 2 interval training sessions a week and 1 aerobic session a week.
You’ll need to change your eating habits, starting with the basics. Eat 5-6 meals a day, consisting plenty of protein and vegetables and you should start to see results in a couple of months.
Q. Hi Dan, I don't have much time to train as my work keeps me very busy and I like to spend as much time with my family as possible, what can I do to keep myself in good shape without spending all my spare time in the gym?
A. I often train clients that are in a similar position to you. The trick is to do exercises that will give you the biggest return in the shortest amount of time.
Q. I am a lean 22 year old male trying to bulk up, how do I eat to add extra weight.
A. Increase the amount of complex carbs in your diet, especially starchy carbs like wholegrain breads, potatoes , brown rice and pasta, these should not replace the carbs you consume from fruit’s and vegetables.
Look to increase your weekly calorie intake by 2500 calories per week.
Q. I have very fair skin, is there anything I can do to help prevent sun damage when I go to the beach?
A. Apart from the usual slip,slop,slap,. If your spending time in the sun you need a diet that is high in anti-oxidants, which are found in fruits and vegetables!
Anti-oxidants neutralise free radicals which are caused by the sun's radiation and other factors, too many free radicals lead to premature ageing, cancer and over 60 other degenerative diseases.
The highest food sources of anti-oxidants in order are; prunes, raisins, blueberries , blackberries , kale , spinach , broccolini , plums.
Include a selection of each in your diet.
A recent study showed that eating spinach 3 times a week is shown to reduce re-occurring skin cancer by %55.
Q. How often should I change my workouts?
A. You typically get around 6 exposures to each workout. So if your using the same exercise twice a week you will need to change the program in 3 weeks.
Q. What is tempo?
A. Tempo is the speed you lift the weight,you generally lower the weight for 3 seconds, pause at the bottom, then lift the weight for 1 second.
Q. Hi I’m a 42 year old woman trying to lose weight, my problem is I find it hard to stay motivated. Do you have any tips?
A. Often people who usually fail to reach their goals are unsuccessful because they do not outline their expectations, establish appropriate timeframes and evaluate the results of past programs.
Try using the 4 step V.P.I.C training model;
Q. How can I make my inner thighs and butt smaller, what do I have to do?
A. You can tone the muscle but there's no way you can spot reduce a specific area.
To reduce the thigh/butt area you will need to create a calorie defecit using 3 tools.
1. Diet
2. Increase lean muscle density of your total body (this does'nt mean bulking up)
3. High intensity interval training
Then the body will burn extra fuel storage i.e body-fat from where ever it is deposited- in your case butt and thighs.
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