Post by Lisa on Sept 23, 2006 17:45:16 GMT 7
Total Training Overhaul - By Karen Asp
If your diet’s a disaster and you keep falling off the workout wagon, here are some helpful hints to get your training back on track.
Fitness makeover: mix it up to stay
1. Arm yourself. While treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes can firm your thighs and lift your butt, they do little for your arms. If you want to work both your upper and lower body and get your heart pumping harder, hop on a rowing machine or cross-country skier. The added bonus? "These machines give you a great core workout," says Joe Decker, fitness trainer and author of The World's Fittest You: Four Weeks To Total Fitness (Dutton, 2004).
2. Do a mini workout. If you're tired of your hour-long workouts, shorten them every so often. One day a week, treat yourself to the following quick cardio and strength workouts from Tamilee Webb, MA, star of the Tighter Assets video series (www.naturaljourneys.com). Use the minutes you've saved slogging away at the gym for something fun you usually don't make time for, like a yoga class or a long walk with your dog.
• Pushups: 10 to 20 reps
• Crunches: 25 to 50 reps
• Tricep dips: 10 to 20 reps
• Jumping jacks: 15 to 25
• Step-ups on bench: 10 to 20 reps, each leg
• Repeat the entire workout two to three times.
3. Divide your cardio workout. Nobody's forcing you to stay on the same piece of cardio equipment for 45 minutes. Instead, do three different machines for 15 minutes each, Decker says.
4. Manipulate your sets and reps. If you're used to resting two to three minutes between sets, do less repetitions (or use less weight) and drop your recovery time between sets to 30 to 60 seconds. Or if you already have short rests between sets, use heavier weight (or more repetitions) and rest longer between sets. "By changing the stimulus," Sandler says, "you'll change your conditioning."
Diet redo: easy ways to eat healthier
1. Eat more often. Fuel your body every three to four hours, says Heidi Reichenberger, MS, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Eating less frequently can make you ravenous and cause you to binge on bad food choices. At the very least, eat three meals a day and one snack. Good snack choices include a mix of nuts and dried fruit or low-fat cheese and wheat crackers.
2. Milk your dairy choices. “Many women eliminate dairy foods from their diet because they’re concerned about calories,” Reichenberger says. Yet most dairy foods come in reduced-fat versions and are excellent sources of calcium, protein, and vitamin D. Besides, dairy products promote weight loss. Aim for three to four daily servings of low-fat dairy like skim milk and yogurt.
3. Belly up to the breakfast bar. Believe it or not, cutting breakfast could tip the scale in the wrong direction. “Skipping breakfast pushes your body into starvation mode which means it holds onto calories instead of burning them,” Reichenberger says. Banning breakfast could also make you overeat later.