Facts to consider when choosing a gym

When it comes to choosing a gym, how do you know where to begin? There are so many factors that play into it. Do you want a gym that is close to your work, so you can get a workout in before you hit the office? 

Would you rather there be one close to home? Distance is a huge factor. How far are you willing to drive? Do you want an all unisex or all men's or woman's gym? Do you prefer a small select group that is tiny and intimate, or a huge chain that has tons of energy and people? 

First you have to figure out what type of gym is right for me? Once you answer this, make sure that the gym you choose is convenient enough to where you live or work. No matter how much you love your gym, if it is a huge pain to get there every day, you won't be going as often as you should. Keep that in mind when making your decision. 

 

 Secondly, it is essential that the location of your gym is convenient or you are going to fall off the bandwagon before you know it.

After a long day of work you are not going to want to spend a good hour fighting traffic, another hour working out and then another half an hour driving home. You wouldn't get back until 10 at night! Instead, choose a gym that is on your way home. You will be much less likely to skip it and will feel guilty if you just drive by. 

Looking at the type and quality of the equipment offered in the gym is another thing to consider. If you find yourself doing a lot of cardio training as part of your workouts you will want to be sure there are ample machines available. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the gym after work to find out that there is not a single machine in sight available for you to use.

Ask if they offer a sign-up list where you can write your name and time down to reserve a machine. This is a great solution that many gyms have now come up with to make sure their members can get their workouts in.

 Similarly with weight training, if you do more free weights than machines check out how many dumbbells they have of each weight. If you are looking for a pair of 20 pounders and they only have one set, you could be waiting a while since this is a common weight that people will use. 

I will discuss more factors in my next post

Why You have that Stomach Fat

Before you begin burning belly fat and toning your abs, you need to understand a bit more about how your body works and discover why you are battling the bulge.

A lot of people believe that it stems from improper eating or lack of exercise. While this may be the most common case, there can also be other reasons:

Menopause

After menopause occurs in women, fat begins storing itself in different places and often times focuses around the tummy.

Genetics

There are two common body types: apple and pear.

If you gain and store fat in lower parts of your body then you would be considered pear-shaped.

If you’re the kind of person that stores more fat in your stomach and middle section than anywhere else then you would be considered apple-shaped.  

Think about your relatives…especially those that are overweight.

If a lot of them are heavier around the middle area then it’s quite possible that you have the genes that make you genetically apple-shaped when you put on excess weight. Meaning your body is more likely to store its fat in your stomach than anywhere else.

Stress

This is a big one. And of course, stress doesn’t just make your stomach bigger, it can make everything bigger if you’re not careful.

When you are under stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol. In turn, this hormone causes your liver to make excess sugar that your body doesn’t really need. As a result, you begin to feel hungrier and begin to eat more.

And guess what…a lot of those calories go straight to your stomach!

Improper Digestion

This can also be caused by stress. Improper digestion due to stress may cause several kinds of gastrointestinal problems leaving you gassy and bloated.

Many people who complain about persistent belly fat often times have gas which causes the bloating effect.

Slow Metabolism

As we get older, our metabolism tends to slow down. That means you don’t burn calories as fast or as easily as you did when you were younger. A slower metabolism can also result in extra storage of fat…particularly around the middle.

Poor Posture

Bet you never thought about this one! If you have poor posture, it can give you that "pot belly" appearance. Stand in the mirror hunched over and look at your abdominals. Now stand erect. Look at the difference in how your belly protrudes when you are hunched.

Don't get me wrong, there is probably some unwanted fat there too, but your posture can make a huge difference in how your stomach looks.

Eating Late at Night

If you want to control your stomach fat, you should never eat within three hours of your bedtime. You want your food to have a chance to fully digest before you retire for the evening.

Going to bed with a full stomach puts you at greater risk for fat storage around the middle area. If you are going to munch late at night, eat something healthy like a banana or a small handful of almonds.

Determine Your Cause

As I said earlier, the number one cause of excess stomach fat is improper diet and lack of exercise. We all need to be mindful of that no matter what size we are.

However, as you’ve just seen, there are other factors that contribute to tummy fat as well so it’s important to learn more about why you may have this problem. Particularly if you tend to gain more fat in your stomach than any other part of your body.

Is that a Diet or Starvation !!!!!

So many people think the key to an effective weight loss plan is to skip meals.

While eating smaller portions and cutting your caloric intake is usually a good idea, it's NOT a good idea, however, if you're starving yourself and only eating one or two meals per day.

People don't realize that hunger actually slows your metabolism. So for all of you who think you're doing your body a service by skipping breakfast, you're actually hurting it in the long run.

Eating within one hour of getting up kick starts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories through the day.

When you wait until noon or 1pm to have your first meal, your metabolism is already sluggish, you have a tendancy to eat more and your body may not burn it off as well.

Eating smaller, frequent meals is the way to go. Digestion actually burns calories so if your body is doing this 5-6 times per day this is a good thing. Eating frequently also keeps you from getting hungry.

Work with Music!!!!!!!!!!!

From the introduction of aerobic dance in the early 70's, it has generally been regarded that the music accompaniment to exercise provides an important beneficial effect to the exercise experience.

In a recent study, subjects who cycled in time to music found that they required 7 percent less oxygen to do the same work when compared to music playing in the background.

Music can also help block out the little voice in your brain telling you its time to quit. Research shows that this dissociation effect results in a 10 percent reduction in perceived effort during treadmill running at a moderate intensity.

So why don’t you add some music to your workout today and see the difference it will bring to your fitness programme.

Training for your body type: Endomorph

Diet

·         Diet is the most important factor for endomorphs. Endomorphs are usually sensitive to carbohydrates. They hold a lot of water and hold on to muscle glycogen stores well.

·         An endomorph is better off not attempting to carb load due to their sensitivity to carbs. An endomorph can tolerate a much lower carb intake and can go as long as seven days before depleting glycogen stores and can refill them in just one day.

·         Endomorphs respond well to high amounts of dietary fat.

·         A cycled diet is ideal, where a low carbohydrate/high protein diet is adhered to for several days and then followed by a moderate carbohydrate/low fat day.

Training

·         Endomorphs are better suited to short-term high intensity cardio of 15-25 minutes total duration, 5-6 times per week.

·         Endomorphs also respond better to multiple short sessions of hard cardio spread throughout the day. For example, 30 minutes of cardio for an endomorph would be more effective in burning fat by splitting the time into two 15 minute sessions or three 10 minute sessions, rather than one lasting 30 minutes.

 

·         They are also better off cutting rest intervals in training and doing weight training in an aerobic manner. Cutting rest intervals to 20-30 seconds will burn a significant amount of body fat.

·         It is difficult to overtrain an endomorph, so don’t worry about the short rest periods.

Training for Your Body Type : Ectomorph

Ectomorphs

•  Keep cardio activity to a minimum, no more than three times per week
• Good cardio exercises include the elliptical machine, stationary or recumbent bike, the treadmill and walking outdoors
• Keep cardio conditioning at70% of your max heart rate for no more than 20 minutes per session.
•  Cool down for five minutes after your cardio session (walking is perfect)

• Always warm up muscles and stretch lightly before picking up any weights
• Employ split-training, working one or two body parts each workout to target muscle groups
• Train each body part twice a week if possible
• Aim for eight to ten repetitions per set and do two to three sets of each exercise
• Get plenty of rest between workouts; never train if scheduled body part is still sore from previous workout
• Try different routines and exercises for muscle confusion
• Increase training intensity slowly to avoid strain or injury
• If you stay sore for more than three days chances are you are lifting too heavy, scale back on your weight and increase slowly
• If gains in muscle and strength seem stagnant, try adding weight until you are limited to eight reps per set
• Work your abs three times per week, three sets of 25 reps. Try different exercises  (crunches and lying leg lifts for example)
• A clean diet and proper supplementation are extremely important
• Consume six small meals per day
• Make sure your daily protein intake is 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight
• Protein intake should be 30% of daily dietary intake; carbohydrates about 50%; fats 20%
• Drink a protein shake after your workout and one at bedtime
• Increase daily intake of fibrous carbohydrates whilst limiting the intake of simple sugars
• Eat slower burning glycemic index foods such as beans, corn, sweet potatoes, oats, pasta, brown rice, whole grain breads
• Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day (one gallon). Coffee and tea don't count
• Limit or eliminate alcohol; eliminate tobacco

Step 2: Know Your Body type

DO YOU KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

For most people, one of the first steps towards fashioning a fitness program is to understand the concept of body types, and identifying their body type. In this article I will explain the concept of body types.

There are three basic types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

Characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim, the ectomorphs are typically the "hard-gainers", those who most likely have been slim all their lives and have small frames, little fat and long, lean muscles. Picture those Ethiopian runners competing in track and field events. They epitomize ectomorphs. 

An Ectomorph

A mesomorph is a body that is in most ways "average," not overly large and muscular and not round and fat. The real difference between an ectomorph and a mesomorph is the ability to gain both fat and muscle.

Mesomorph

Ectomorphs have difficulty gaining either fat or muscle; while mesomorphs can grow fat if they are inactive and overeat and likewise can transform into hard bodies with a modicum of effort. Many NFL Quarterbacks are good examples of Mesomorphs.

Lastly is the endomorph. These body types are typically rounded with belly fat, hips (for women) and double chins. They can, however, add muscle fairly easily when it is approached correctly and combined with clean eating and the addition of cardio. 

Sumo Wrestlers... Classic Endomorphs

While there are a few people who are truly one body type or another, most of us are a combination of two, with one type being more dominant than the other.

Knowing your own body type will help you understand both your nutritional and exercise needs for losing fat and gaining muscle, and will also help you to plan a long-term strategy that is reasonable and does not set you up for disappointment.

In other words, if you are an ectomorph, don't expect to have bulging biceps overnight. It is going to take time for you to add that extra lean mass. 

In subsequent articles I will describe sample workouts for the various body parts.