6 pack abs!

Truth about 6 pack abs

The reason why most people cannot see their "6 pack" is because of the subcutaneous fat that lies on top of them. That and good old genetics :) You must strengthen the muscle through exercise but in order to see anything close to a six pack or any kind of tone, you must burn the fat on top of it and hope genetics is on your side. This is done through proper diet, cardio, and weight lifting.

Our genetic makeup determines the number of fat and muscle cells we are born with and where these cells are distributed. As much as we would like to turn fat into muscle, we can’t. It is impossible; they are two completely different tissues. We can only increase or decrease the SIZE of these cells.

Fat:
• Cells can grow or decrease in size or stay as is.
o What they do depends on your caloric expenditure and consumption.
• If we consume any type of food in excess, it will be converted into fat.

Muscle:
• Cells can grow or decrease in size or stay as is
• Changes do not result from dietary consumption
• Muscle cells will grow if they are stimulated (ex: weight lifting)
• They will not grow if they are accustomed to the stimulus
o Ex: Let’s say you did a set of lunges. You were probably sore the next day. After a while a set of lunges is a piece of cake! You are no longer sore (your glutes are accustomed to the exercise, muscle growth will not occur) now you must switch it up by increasing the reps, adding weight, etc.

Again, you can do a million crunches but you aren’t going to see that 6 pack coming through unless you get rid of the fat on top of it. In order to do so you must be decrease the size of fat cells and strengthen the muscle under the fat by properly stimulating muscle cells.
• Cardio: if done properly, burns fat J try HIIT (high interval training)
• Nutrition: eat often, eat smart, drink plenty of water, watch caloric intake
• Weight training:
o Muscle burns more calories at rest than body fat. Work your body as a whole
o your abdominals are like any other muscle. Do not over work them. Focus on quality instead of quantity.
o Engage your core with multi joint moves

As I said earlier, your genetic makeup has a lot to do with the results you see. We also cannot spot reduce. Where we lose fat first (decrease in fat cell size) is also up to genetics. Although you may be working hard, your abs may not come in as nicely as your friend's abs. Instead, you may have been blessed with a lean upper or lower body. Whatever the case may be...

Keep working hard, in time it will all come together! :)

Pre and Post workout meals

Pre-workout:
Purpose: to supply you with enough energy for your workout and to avoid muscle breakdown during workout.
What to eat:
* make sure you are hydrated a few hours prior to a workout
*Carbs: complex carbs, Low GI carbs: will digest slowly and provide you with fuel throughout your workout
>> Ex: apples, bananas, brown rice, oatmeal
*Protein: will keep your body in an anabolic state through your workout (prevent breakdown of muscle tissue)
Avoid:
*High GI carbs: they will digest quickly and give you a short spurt of energy leaving you with an inadequate supply of energy to fuel your workout
*eating too much: this will make you feel nauseous!
*not eating at all: leaves you feeling hungry and tired

Post-workout meals
Purpose: to replenish glycogen stores, and rebuild muscle tissues
*get this meal in as soon as you can, the sooner the better!
* the 90 minute time period after your workout = prime time for cells to absorb post meal nutrients
What to eat:
*carbs: simpls carbs,High GI carbs (create an insulin spike which allows nutrients to be trasnported into muscle cells), liquid form is the best because it is digested faster
*Protein: liquid form is the best because it will digest faster and get into the muscle cells quicker allowing the muscle fibers to begin repairing so you can begin to TONE up! :)
>>Ex: Whey protein shake
What not to eat:
*fat: slows down the digestion of protein and carbs

Intro to Pre and Post Workout Meals

Workout SMART! When it comes to weight training, timing is everything! Today I will discuss pre and post workout meals as they are crucial to achieving the results you want :) First, I would like to define and explain 2 terms that you will see various times in my next blog.

Insulin:
insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar(glucose) levels

* when we eat, insulin is released
* imagine that each cell has a door with a lock
* insulin attaches to glucose (from our food)
* insulin is the key that will open the lock and allow glucose to enter
* glucose is converted and stored as glycogen
* glucose=energy!
* we need insulin to get glucose(energy) in to our cells

Glycemic Index (GI):
used to describe the effects different types of carbs have on our blood glucose levels

* high GI foods: spike insulin levels causing a quick "sugar rush", quick energy and then decrease in energy short after. Ex: white potatoes
* Low GI foods: break down slow, provide a slow and steady release of energy (perfect for a workout!) Ex: apples, bananas, wheat bread

please refer to the following website for a list of foods and their GI:

* http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm

Workout smart! :)

Stop wasting your time!
Although any cardio is better than no cardio at all, if you want results you must workout smart. If you are serious about your goals then please read :)

The best time to perform cardio:
*morning: you wake up on an empty stomach, therefore your blood glucose levels are low. If you perform cardio, your body will tap into its fat stores for energy.
*on your “off days” when you are not lifting-try to do it 3 hours after your last meal and an hour before your next.
*after lifting if you cannot do it on an “off day”

As with weight training, timing is everything!

The worst times to perform cardio are:
*before weight lifting
*right after a meal

The carbs we eat before a workout are converted into energy (glucose). Any glucose that is not used is stored in the muscles and then the liver in the form of glycogen. Any excess is stored as fat. The pre workout meal that I so highly recommend before weight training is what fuels your workout. Glucose (blood sugar) is the preferred source of fuel for weight training. As you continue to lift you slowly use up the glucose from your meal. The body begins to tap into its fat stores for energy… you are in the fat burning zone! Now when you hop on the treadmill, you are set up for some serious fat burning!

If you perform cardio first, your body will use your food to fuel your workout. Once you are done, the fuel from the food is gone and it is then that you are in the fat burning zone. Your body will tap into its fat stores for energy to fuel your weight lifting which is not what you want, as fat is not the optimal energy source for lifting.


The amount of cardio you should be doing also depends on what your goal is. Do you want to get lean, build muscle, or be somewhere in between?

If you want to build muscle:
*3 times a week for 30 minutes
* best options are HIIT (high intensity training)
*interval training

If you want to be a lean mean machine :)
*build up to 4-6 days
*30-60 min…switch it up!

If you are in between:
*number of cardio days= aprox. Weight training days

I hope this helps! If you have any questions, please let me know. If you want a more detailed explanation refer to the following websites:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_10_19/ai_108838859/
http://www.ultimate-u.com/optimalcardio.pdf