Fitness Fridays| Myth busting

I don't know about you, but when it comes to health, fitness and diets etc, there is such a wide array of information, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes conflicting. I find it all very confusing, however help was at hand. I read an article in a fitness magazine a few months ago that was very interesting. It basically told the truth on many misconceived fitness and health tips. I have picked my favourite to share with you today. 

Myth 1- Women bulk up if they lift weights.

I have mentioned this a few times, as this is one of the largest misconceptions. You will not bulk up if you lift weights (only if you do it for several hours a day.)There are many benefits to weight training; it sculpts and tones you, and it increases your metabolism. 

Myth 2- You can spot reduce just one area.

Yes you can sculpt and tone one area, but you cannot target fat loss from one area. From your birth your body is predetermined where it will store fat and which fat stores it will draw from first.

Myth 3- Eating Carbs after 5pm will make you put on weight.  

There is no evidence that you metabolise food in a different way at different times of the day. You should eat when it suits you, and concentrate on eating a healthy meal, not at what time you are eating. Many believe this myth comes form peoples tendency to snack on sugary foods in the evening, which would cause you to gain weight.

Myth 4- Eating fat makes you fat.

We need fat, the right kind of fat in small amounts, to make up a balanced diet. Good fats are needed for repair, recovery and regrowth, and can help your brain function. Consume avocados, nuts and oily fish.

Myth 5- Cardio is the best/ only way to burn fat.

Cardio is a great fat burner, while you're doing it. However the number of calories burnt after working out is higher from resistance training, so you will continue to burn calories hours later.

All you should really remember is to achieve a fit and health body, you need to burn more calories than you consume through plenty of exercise and a healthy balanced diet.
I hope these tips have helped some others.

Fitness Fridays| Blast Fat Fast

For those of you who work out, work out and work out some more, but are yet to see the results, this may be because you have hit a plateau with your fitness. This is basically where you reach a point in your exercise routine where your body has become used to the routine, and additional progress cannot be made. This typically happens every 6 to 8 weeks.

The following tips should help you defeat the plateau and find yourself fighting the fat again.

• Factor in Rest- There does exist such a thing as too much of a good thing. If you give yourself a rest week every fourth week, you will actually gain fitness by allowing your body to recover and grow stronger. If you feel very tired or something is niggling, do not be afraid to take an extra few days, or even try a lower impact form of exercise for a week.
• Short and Sweet- If you are aiming for fat loss, then shorter, high-intensity workouts are the most effective. Incorporate interval training into your routine. This consists of a short burst of high-intensity work followed by longer, low-intensity recovery periods. Ideally you want to aim for 45 seconds of high intensity, followed by 90 seconds of low intensity, repeated every 8-12 times. You can do this running, cycling on the stepper... just do it!
• Lift it up- strength workouts are essential for your workout routine. Weight training raises your metabolism, gives you a totally new body shape, sheds fat, and improves your body composition. Incorporating strength training for 20 minutes, 3 times a week will train your body to burn fat while making you lean. 
• Just keep moving- Every little helps! Any extra movement you do throughout the day will burn more calories, all those little thing between your gym sessions can make a difference. Take the stairs, get off the bus a stop early, jumping jacks in ad breaks, just keep moving!
• Nibble away- In order to keep your metabolism up you need to keep eating (obvious the right stuff, not rubbish.) Start the day with a decent breakfast then keep nibbling every two to three hours. Keep snacks near/on you such as nuts, seeds, hard boiled eggs, fruit and veg. 
• Shake it up- As mentioned earlier, your body get used to the exercises you put it through, therefore try and keep things fresh, keep it surprised. Change the frequency, length, and intensity of your workouts, Try a new exercise; yoga, Pilates, dance, swimming, spinning, use weights and kettle balls, just be adventurous. 

I hope this help a few of you get out of a rut, and back to making a difference to yourself. Do you have any other tips?