I'm a Featured Athlete

Click on the link to see my picture on the Bodytech website. Thank you.


http://www.bodytech.com/bt/spotlight/personal_home.jsp?id=566&source=CH0804ARN

When to burn bodyfat throughout the day?

What do most people do to burn bodyfat? Cardio? Weights? Maybe even both? Well here's the deal with burning bodyfat. You need to have your glycogen level storage low enough or burned to get to the fatburning stage . What is glycogen? It's a storage of carbohydrates that are used as fuel for exercise. It is found in the muscles as well as liver. To burn glycogen up, you must lift weights with great intensity for about an hour then immediately follow up with cardio because then the only storage left to burn for energy is your bodyfat. Doing cardio without weights will take up to around 30 minutes to even start burning bodyfat. So it is better to add some weights to build some lean mass first, then follow with cardio to burn the fat and get you on your way to a nicely toned physique you desire. You also won't get bored being same machine for almost an hour. There is however another time to do cardio when your glycogen levels are low. First thing in the morning on an empty stomach. For some people this may be hard to do in which case, you could have a whey protein shake with low carbs and then go onto your morning cardio.

There's many cardio choices out there. Biking, running, walking, boxing, jump roping, etc. When I walk on a treadmill, I increase the incline on it so I work the muscles in my legs as well as get a cardio workout which will lead to burning more calories in the long run. With biking, I increase the tension to give the legs a workout and burn more calories too. But overall I have to say boxing is my favorite because my whole body gets in on the workout not to mention a great stress reliever. Remember we are all different so if any of this doesn't work for you, try some other things to make it work for you.

P.S.
When your workout with the weights and cardio is done, you can refill the glycogen levels with carbs in which case, they go to the muscles. I normally use gatorade but everyone has there own preferance.

Getting RIPPED ABS!

Everyone wants to have a nice sixpack of abs to show off. First thing everyone does to achieve that is a bunch of sit ups everyday. For those that do that and believe it will work, it WON'T. To achieve that desired look of A RIPPED SIXPACK you need to have low bodyfat levels for your abs to appear. To do that, have a clean, healthy diet, and exercise regularly with some cardio added about 30 minutes five times a week with a good pace. It is still good to do abdominal exercises but don't just do one, do many different ones and rotate them every workout. This is a muscle you could work everyday however, I recommend working the different abdominal areas every workout so you can work the other part of the abs aren't isn't sore and perform the exercise without pain.
Example:
1: lower abs-leg raises, laying leg raises, knee ins
2: upper/middle abs-sit ups, decline situps, toe touches
3:obliques-side bends, side to side twists, Russian twists

There are plenty of other exercises for the abdominals, these are just a few good examples. You may also work your abs by just keeping your stomach in and tight while you workout so you burn extra calories and strengthen your abs. You may also do these just by standing in line at the grocery store or sitting in traffic going home. All you have to do is let all your breath out, bring your stomache in, and hold tight for about 15 seconds then breath again. You can do this a few times a day, anytime.

But as said before, this is all useless if you don't have a good diet and don't do any cardio. SO GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND WORK FOR THOSE ABS!

The New Year Is Here, Now What?

Well 2008 has arrived. Made any resolutions? How about getting in shape or going to a gym more? For as long as I have been in this business, I've noticed people every year who come to the gym and tell me they have a resolution to improve their body for multiple reasons but the funny part is, they always quit after a month or two. They buy a gym membership, clothes, some even buy big personal training packages at gyms and it all goes to waste because they didn't have any heart, determination, or patience to achieve their goal. All that money for nothing. People must realize it will take a lot of patience and hard work to get the body they want. And they must realize it's not just going to the gym that will help change their bodies, but healthy eating as well. That is why if you're new and don't have too much knowledge of fitness or nutrition, you should hire a trainer at your gym to guide you along the way. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, the price may be a lot for a trainer, but it is worth every penny for the knowledge you take away and can use for the rest of your life. So for all of you who have made a resolution to change your body, stick with it and if you aren't well knowledged, hire a trainer who will without a doubt guide you to your resolution quicker and safer. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!