abs

The Myth of Holiday Weight Gain

in Diet, Fitness, Health, Uncategorized by

santa-abs

Ahhh…the holidays. Seems like just yesterday us fitness professionals were posting things like “get your abs ready for summer!” and now look at us, advising you on how to navigate the holidays without gaining the “usual 7-10 pounds”.

First, let me clear up one point. The average person does NOT gain 7-10 pounds over the holidays. That’s just fitness industry malarky. Malarky I tell ya! The average person MAY put on 1-2 extra pounds that they will probably lose once they resume their normal eating pattern. Our bodies love to maintain status quo. Just like I’ve warned, a drastic low-calorie diet will cause your body to crave fatty foods and make you put some weight back on. On the other hand,  a diet that includes a little Piecaken will cause your body to adjust in a similar way, preventing you from gaining too much weight.

 

piecaken-3

It’s a cake with pies baked in it. It both frightens and fascinates me.

 

And if you regularly work out, you most likely won’t even have to worry about the one extra pound. When you weight train, there’s a chance the extra calories from your holiday indulgences will go towards muscle growth. Biceps for Christmas, anyone?

Work out for 20 minutes, feel good all day

What can be annoying during the holidays is the utter lack of time to get any exercise done. This is why I’ve created a quick little 20 minute workout that you can do anywhere, any time and feel like a champion. And I mean anywhere. I only picked exercises that  fit on a yoga mat, which is about all the space I have in my apartment to workout.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-d-snowman-lifting-weights-render-image42752678

 

 

 

 

 

20 Minute Holiday Workout

1:00-3:00 Warm up with with a circuit of jumping jacks, inch worms, and butt-kicks. Do at least 5 warm up push-ups.

3:00-4:00 Forward lunges in place

4:00-4:30 Push-ups

4:30-5:00 Plank

5:00-6:00 Alternating side lunges

6:00-6:30 Side plank with hip drops-right side

6:30-7:00 Side plank with hip drops-left side

7:00-8:00 Lunge jumps (see video below)

8:00-8:30 V-Ups

The V-Up. My eyes are closed but you get the point

A V-Up. I like to do them with my eyes closed, as you can see here

 

8:30-9:00 Mountain climbers

9:00-10:00 In and Out Squat jumps (see video)

10:00-17:00 Repeat minutes 3-10

17:00-18:00 Leg raises

18:00-19:00 Superman

19:00-20:00 Stretch

 

Here’s a quick video just to show you the jumping exercises. For lunge jumps, take the time to sink down low, then spring up and change feet quickly. Both squat jumps and lunge jumps should end in a soft landing.


Let me know if you try this workout at facebook.com/blitzyourbody

Instagram @blitzyourbody

Twitter @AmyBlitz1

You can also always email me with questions @[email protected]!

 

Secret to a Flat Belly-Fast! (Did that get your attention?)

in Fitness, Uncategorized by

Now that I have your attention, I just want to complain one more time: it’s still cold. But I think that pretty soon we’re going to be complaining about how hot it is, right? In the spirit of wishful thinking, I’ve been working on my core a lot lately. I didn’t want to wait much longer to start working on my lean, mean summer body, and you shouldn’t either.

A quick note before we talk about getting a ripped six pack. Despite what the supplement companies state there is no magic pill to help you lose stomach fat. There is also no magic food that you can eat that will help in that department either. The only way to melt fat from your midsection is to eat a clean diet of lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. You should also be diligent in your cardio, (AT LEAST three days a week), and strength train your total body at least twice a week for overall tone and balance.

Try these exercises to start sculpting a tight midsection. Start now and you’ll be thanking me in June.

Crossover Crunch

photo (12)

Works abdominals, internal and external obliques, the “waist” muscles.

Lay on your back with your knees bent and hands behind your head. Place you left ankle on your right knee. Crunch up and moving diagonally, bring your right elbow towards your left knee. Contract your abs at the top of the motion. Lower to start and repeat on that side for 12-20 reps, depending on your fitness level. Switch sides and repeat.

Hanging Leg Raises

photo (11)

Works abdominals and hip flexors

This move is a advanced. Fortunately for beginners, most gyms have a captain’s chair which you can use to do this same movement. If you’ve been working out for a while, hang from a chin-up bar with your hands in either a wide or narrow grip. Before you start, pull your shoulders away from your ears. Raise your knees up to a 90 degree angle from your torso, then lower down with control. Each rep should be slow and deliberate, don’t swing through the movement.  If you are  having difficulty hanging from the bar, look around for ab straps, which you can place under your armpits. Try this one for anywhere between 3- 8 reps, unless you are super awesome and can perform double digit reps.

Dead Bug

photo (13)

Works the deep core muscles and stabilizes the lower spine.

Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor and tighten up your core muscles. Extend your arms above your shoulders and your legs over your hips. Beginners should keeps their knees bent, while more advanced exercisers can straighten out their legs. Inhale, and lower your left leg and your right arm until they are about an inch away from the floor. Exhale and return your limbs to the original position. Switch to the right leg and left arm. Perform this move for 8-10 reps per side. Maintain the position of your spine throughout the exercise.  If you feel this in the lower back, keep your knees bent throughout the movement or keep your arms at your sides.

Try each exercise for 3 sets. Let me know how it goes!

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