Often we spend a lot of time arguing over the perfect rep and set scheme, or should we use a slightly pronated or semi-supinated grip to optimize effectiveness. While some of these factors definitely prove to be necessary, one cannot discount the benefit of enjoying what training can do for performance. Training will make someone work harder, be more consistent, and as long as the program has rhyme and reason, it will lead to some outstanding gains.

One type of training that sometimes gets forgotten is sandbag training. Sandbags are easy to learn, challenge the whole body, and have more versatility than almost any other form of equipment.

Why Use Sandbags?
The most obvious seems to be the simplicity of their use. One does not need to invest hundreds of dollars into coaching (although I am available for those who are interested) or have to read any complicated books. Grasp, rip, and lift. You definitely want to pay attention to your lifting posture, but outside of that most of the fun is trying to figure out how to lift the bag.

Sandbag lifting shares a lot in common with kettlebells with regard to their ability to challenge not only strength, but endurance as well. A good bag will force the lifter to manoeuvre and adjust to the awkward weight. This definitely causes the body to use more muscles and expend greater energy as it is hard to get into one consistent groove.

Increasing grip strength is another great reason to use sandbags. There is no piece of equipment that frustrates people as much as sandbags. Why? When using sandbags there is no convenient place to grab. You have to constantly search for an open spot and then crush grip. However, unlike most pieces of equipment, I find that not only is your crushing grip challenged, but your pinching grip is as well. For those who are into grip training, you will appreciate the distinct difference between the two.

Versatility is important when choosing any form of equipment. With common concerns about money and time it is often silly to invest a great amount of money into something that has limited use. Not only are sandbags cheap, but they can be used for any movement that you can think of from common gym exercises like squats, clean & jerks, to jogging, climbing, dragging, and throwing. With such variety it is hard to get bored. Along with the various exercises come the many holding positions one can use with sandbags. If squatting is getting too easy with the bag on both shoulders go to one shoulder, hold it overhead, hold it in your arms like a Zercher, bear hug, etc. You are really only limited by your imagination.

Sandbags easily lend themselves to team or group training. Because of their cost and transportability, they are easy to set up for small or large groups. This is great for those who wish to combine strength and field work and are concerned about time issues. Coaches can concentrate on full-body lifts and challenge various motor qualities such as maximal strength, endurance, and power development.

Finally, the immense amount of trunk training that occurs with sandbag training alone is almost a good enough reason to use them. Try to squat, run, lunge, jump, or any other movement while holding the sandbag/s in various positions. Doing so challenges all of the trunk muscles. Many of my clients will comment how sore they are deep in their rib area after initially using sandbags. Don’t believe me? Try a few sets of sandbag Turkish get-ups and then e-mail me how you are feeling!

How to Implement Sandbags
As with any other form of training, sandbags training really comes down to one’s goals. If maximal strength, endurance, or speed are your specific goals, then the program has to be designed according to good training principles. However, one can try to improve several components if the program is designed appropriately.

* Circuits: Since fatigue can be somewhat specific, creating a program that emphasizes strength on a lift such as a squat can be followed with relatively short rest by an exercise like an overhead press, and so on.
* Density Training: Several great coaches like Ethan Reeve and Charles Staley have written extensively about the benefits of density work. There are several variants such as Charles Staley’s EDT program. Using Coach Staley’s program, we can set up a sandbag routine using a squat with the bag over both shoulders and power clean and jerk. Use a weight you can hit ten repetitions with, but you are only going to be performing sets of five. Set a time frame, approximately fifteen minutes, and alternate between these two exercises using only as much rest as needed.

You don’t have to use only sandbags. In fact, I highly encourage that you use a variety of implements in your training hopefully including sandbags. A tool such as a sandbag can be used instead of a standard barbell or dumbbell lift such as squats, deadlifts, clean & jerks, presses, rows, etc. By changing the implement some new neural stimulus can often lead to new gains when you go back to the standard lift.

Another option is to use sandbags as a form of active recovery. You can easily change the load to enhance a motor skill and keep mobility without excessively taxing the body. Using a lighter load for your squat will allow you to enhance the groove of the lift and maintaining flexibility without draining the body from the core routines. Odd lifts such as squatting with the bag on one shoulder can increase core strength that may compliment your squatting routine.

Some lifts are just a great overall new challenge such as the Turkish get-up bear hugging a bag. While as sick as this may sound, it can definitely stimulate the fun factor that may help training once again.

With so many options sandbags are a simple and easy method and tool to implement. It isn’t a miracle technique but will challenge you in new ways and again don’t underestimate the fact fun while training can bring a world of new progress!

By Josh Henkin

Josh Henkin is a graduate of Arizona State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Physical Education and was a member of the Men’s Basketball Team. Coach Henkin is the owner of Innovative Fitness Solutions, a premier strength and conditioning company in Scottsdale, Arizona.  He is a prominent member of the fitness and sports performance arena.

Coach Henkin often makes guest appearances on television and radio programs where he presents cutting edge fitness concepts. In 2005 Coach Henkin released Sandbag Fundamentals. The book was a smash hit and created a high demand for additional products. Coach Henkin has answered the call with the creation of The Ultimate Sandbag and High Octane Sandbag Training and the Meltdown Kettlebell Fat Loss Training DVD.

As promised, I interviewed Joey Atlas owner, author and creator of The Cellulite Reduction Report, The Ultimate Leg, Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover and Fat Loss 4 Busy Women.  Joey agreed to answer SEVEN lucky VFT blog commenter’s butt and thigh exercises questions.

With Joey being so “in demand” as an internationally renowned fitness guru – especially in the field of helping women transform their lower bodies, I was fortunate enough to be able to catch up with him last week.

Enjoy…

Mandy

VFT – Virtual Fitness Trainer

—————–

Hi Joey

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today.

For those of you who don’t know Joey, he walks the talk. I’ve enclosed a photo here of Joey… get my drift… Calm down, ladies.

Joey’s explosive presence on the internet with his easy-to-implement home, office and travel fitness dvds, online fitness programs selling in every country around the world, his book, Fatness to Fitness, which hit # 1 on Amazon.com on release day, and being hired as an ‘undercover fitness mind’– has taken the fitness industry by storm .

Joey’s kick butt – excuse the pun – ultimate makeover workouts helping whip troublesome legs, buttocks, hips and inner thighs  into shape, plus his cellulite report, are creating some jaw dropping, head turning lower bodies world wide. And women, especially, have aptly named him their hip, butt and thigh exercises fitness guru.

VFT’s blog posts and emails are running “hot” on the topic of butt and thigh exercises, from reduction through to wanting to gain more curves.

And for seven lucky blog commenter’s Joey has been kind enough to answer their most burning questions in our interview today.

Ok, let’s get started…

1. Hi, I am looking to reduce the size of butt drastically. Is there anymore I can do besides lunges? Is there an exercise that really targets the butt that it makes the fat melt like butter on a hot skillet? I am so sick of looking things up to find the answer, so I am really hoping you can give me a really good answer thats extremely affective.

Thank you,

Samantha (question from VFT Blog)

For drastic butt size reduction – You need these key elements:

1 – an idea of how many daily calories you are consuming – so you can reduce them if necessary

2 – some cardio sessions throughout the course of a week

3 – a lower body exercise routine which targets all the muscles of the butt and thigh area – You can’t get any results with only one exercise. There has to be a synergistic combo sequence of mostly body-weight exercises.

Joey Atlas

2. Whats the best exercise to build more muscle on my upper butt?and increase the definition/crease from hamstring to glute…?

Julz (question from VFT Blog)

There is a 2 exercise combo which really targets this zone. Exercise 1 is the one-hand touch down with the working leg in a static position. Exercise 2 is the one-leg hip extension. You can try 12 reps of each – and if you feel one time through was too easy then go through both moves again.

Joey Atlas

3. I am 20, athletic, 5′2? and weigh anywhere between 120-125 lbs. I want to tone up my thighs because my sports season is over and my legs are losing their definition. I have strong thighs and calves but my inner thighs are flabby. How can I work to burn that fat as well as some belly fat?

Megan (question from VFT Blog)

When one form of consistent exercise is stopped (sports) – you need to replace it with another form so you get back the definition and the positive results in your trouble spots (inner thighs & belly) – So, your new form of exercise should target these areas, inside of a well rounded program.

Joey Atlas

4. Hi

I have gained a lot of weight around my thighs and hips post pregnancy , and since my kid is small , i cannot go out for gym or yoga , could you please guide me some simple tips that can help me reducing this extra weight

Simran (question from VFT Blog)

There is plenty you can do in your home and get great results too. If you have stairs in your home you can start a stair stepping cardio/toning/reduction program. If not – you can get a pantry/utility step and start with a program which focusus on different step up and step down moves for cardio, toning and weight reduction. Be sure to get your doctors approval for post-preg exercise first.

Joey Atlas

5. I am going on a spring break trip in mid-march. I REALLY need to lose weight off my hips and thighs and reduce cellulite FAST. Is there any advice you can give me for certain exercises and/or diet that will give me quicker results than others?

Chelsie (question from VFT Blog)

For quick results you need to focus on a very clean diet – but not too extreme – you really just want to cut out any excess calories – So focus on veggies, salads, fruits, various nuts, and fish. In terms of exercise – you’ll want to focus mostly on lower body workouts sessions you can do 3 or 4 times per week. And if you need weight loss, as you say – you’ll want to add some kind of simple cardio several times per week – maybe 4 to 5, such as jumping rope – outdoor hill or stair climbing, etc.

Joey Atlas

6. I would like to lose weight in my hips and thighs but I am having a hard time losing them. I am only eighteen and I want to lose weight before graduation. I have tried lungs but it seems to be increasing them. PLEASE HELP!

KeAndrea (question from VFT Blog)

One exercise will not reduce your hips and thighs. If your main need is reduction – you want to focus on a combination of exercises. The combination should aim to tone (not build) the muscles of your lower body – and it should aim to burn excess body fat – which will reduce your hips and thighs. A well rounded combo of body-weight exercises and cardio will do this for you – as long as your nutrition is halfway decent and you are not careless with your daily caloric intake.

Joey Atlas

7. I have sprained my ankle recently which has decreased my lower body workouts. Which can I do that will tone my lower body (legs and glutes) without putting pressure on my ankle? That definitely leaves out any kind of lunge or squats sadly.

Andrea (question from VFT Blog)

This is more common than you think. In cases like this – you’ll want to focus on floor/mat exercises where there is minimal or no weight bearing on the ankle. There are at least a dozen leg and glute exercises you can do – in addition to a bunch of ab and core moves – to get some great stimulation in the lower body without stressing the ankles – which will allow them to heal.

Joey Atlas

That about wraps it up, folks…

Thanks again, Joey, for taking the time speak with us today.

Q: Is kettlebell training the ultimate way to train?

A: No one system is the ultimate way to train. Do not kid yourself as training is not a black and white world. Is kettlebell training effective for fat loss, strength training, and building muscle? Yes and it is a super fun way to train. In order to keep training interesting, you have to keep it fun and kettlebells are a great fit. You can benefit from kettlebell focused programs or you can incorporate kettlebell training into your current regimen. There is something for everyone.

Q: Are kettlebell exercises dangerous?

A: Only when done with poor form. However, any exercise is dangerous even pushups and lame machine exercises when poor form is used. People die every year from bench pressing. Thus far, there have been no deaths related to KB training yet. Of course, I am sure some idiot will change that statistic some day. Bottom line is most people will require in person instruction to maximize the benefits of kettlebell training safely. Kettlebell DVD’s while useful are not a replacement for in person instruction. That said, top strength trainer Bud Jeffries stated if you cannot learn how to use kettlbells from Mike Mahler’s Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD then you are in big trouble and should not bother weight training period!

Q: Is kettlebell training effective for fat loss?

A: Yes however pushing yourself away from the table more often and cutting krispy creme out of your diet is even more effective. Fat loss is 70% diet and 30% training. Unless you are a professional athlete where training is your job. Do not kid yourself into thinking that you train like a professional athlete unless you are one. Kettlebell training can be a very effective way to ramp up your metabolism. However, anyone that tells you that you can lose fat with kettlebell training and a crappy diet is doing you a disservice. For a kettlebell Fat Loss System

Q: Is Kettlebell training effective for building muscle?

A: What do barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells all have in common? All three are forms of weight training. Thus, just as barbells and dumbbells are effective for building muscle, kettlebells are effective as well. That said, nothing takes the place of progressive weight training with barbells. Barbell squats, barbell deadlifts, Barbell Military Presses, and weighted dips are among the kings of muscle building. If your main goal is to build muscle then you are better off with barbells. If your have been training with barbells and dumbbells for a while and want a new stimulus then kettlebell training is a great fit. Also, kettlebells are great for building the shoulders, hamstrings, and arms. Kettlebells are not the best fit for quad development and of course calf development. A combination approach utilizing kettlebells and barbells is a very effective way to go. For a more info on KB Training for size and strength, go to: Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD. Finally if your testosterone and growth hormone levels are low then forget about putting on muscle. It is just not going to happen. Get some blood work done with your Doctor and see where you are at.

Q: I want to get stronger without getting bigger. Is kettlebell training for me?

A: Yes, this is one of the most popular benefits of kettlebell training. Women for example love kettlebell training as it helps them tone up and lose fat without over developing muscles. Truth be told, building muscle is not easy for men and especially women so that should be the least of your worries. Worrying about getting too big is like worrying about making too much money. That said, kettlebell training is very popular with members of the armed services, secret service, law enforcement community, and anyone else that wants functional strength that carries over to real world activities such as sitting on the coach and using the remote control Just kidding.

Q: Do women use kettlebells?

A: Only the smart ones Yes I work with women all of the time at my workshops and they love kettlebell training. Especially exercises such as swings, one-legged deadlifts, and The Windmill. Swings and One-legged deadlifts tighten up the glutes and hamstrings and the Windmill is great for the midsection. Women tend to believe the illusion that they will turn into “Arnold” just be looking at weights. Fortunately, top kettlebell instructors such as Lisa Shaffer of www.nofearfitness.com and Lauren Brooks of www.socaltrainer.com are perfect examples of the benefits of kettlebell training for women. Check out their sites today and get over the irrational fear once and for all that you will turn into “The Hulk” with weight training.

Q: Are kettlebells popular with athletes?

A: Many athletes are enjoying the benefits of kettlebell training. Some examples are MMA fighters Frank Shamrock, Frank Trigg, Bob Sapp, and Tait Fletcher. Many celebrities such as Chris Pontius (Movie Jackass) the band “Korn” and Harley Flannagen of “The Cro-mags” are also enjoying the benefits of kettebell training. Kettlebells are a natural fit for athletes and this trend will continue. For a great KB DVD for athletes, go to: Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength

Q: Is kettlebell training a fit for martial artists?

A: It sure is and two of the top martial arts strength coaches Steve Cotter and Steve Maxwell are big fans of kettlebell training. No doubt their stamps of approval carry a lot of weight as both are highly respected members of the martial arts community. Make sure you check out Steve Cotter’s website at fullkontact.com for more info.

Q: Is kettlebell training great for lazy people?

A: Nope but watching TV and eating junk food is. When you are ready to take charge of your health think about getting some kettlebells and actually using them.

Q: If kettlebell training is so great how come they are not in every gym in the country?

A: Having worked for a major fitness club chain in the past, I can tell you first hand that the main goal of a fitness club is to make money and keep liability costs low. Thus the trend in most clubs is to have more machines and less free weights. While machines are not as effective as free weights, they are much easier to use and require minimal instruction. Thus, less of a need for highly skilled trainers. If a gym adds kettlebells they also have to pay to have their trainers educated in proper kettlebell instruction. They much rather spend money on their sales staff as most of the income health clubs generate are from membership sales. The potential client that has not signed up yet is often more important than the client that has already joined. Thus many gyms spend the majority of their income on attracting new members not getting results for existing members. Now there is nothing wrong with making money as that is an important goal for every business. Regardless, few gyms realize that they could make more money by providing exceptional offerings to their clients. Unfortunately, the clients that gyms prefer are the ones that sign up for a year and never show up. The ones that actually use the gym regularly are costly. No doubt a more progressive gyms could make a lot of money with kettlebell classes. Especially kettlebell classes targeted towards women. Finally, the last think a fitness club wants you to know is that you can get in great shape at home with a few kettlebells. You only need one or two kettlebells to get in great shape. Just about anyone can afford this and has room for a few bells that can easily go in a closet. However, very few people could afford to have expensive machines at home. Thus it s better to convince the client that he she needs expensive equipment to achieve his or her goals. Personally, you are better off in smaller gyms which focus more time on their clients.

Mike Mahler
mikemahler.com
Mike is well known as one of the leading experts on effective kettlebell training for size, strength, fat loss and conditioning. In addition to his highly in-demand workshops, Mike is the author of three best-selling kettlebell training DVD’s: The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness, The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength and Kettlebell Solutions For Speed And Explosive Strength, as well as two best-selling kettlebell training e-books: The Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Training Manual, The Aggressive Strength Solution for Incredible Kettlebell Training and The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength.

The following article is courtesy of Mike Mahler and gives you the low down on kettlebell weight training.

Kettlebell Training: Concepts And Benefits

Are you interested in burning fat, building muscle, or increasing strength and stamina? Then kettlebell training is a fit for you. If not, then stay on the couch and keep watching four hours of TV everyday while life passes you by.

“Stuck in a rut? Bust out of it in a big way with a kettlebell workout. This old-school piece of equipment is a throwback to the dawn of strength training; many of you may not be familiar with it. After a brief introduction to its physique -building values, we feel confident you’ll soon give kettlebells-style training a try.”
- Joe Weider, Editor of Muscle & Fitness Magazine

It is time to train like a man again (especially if you are a woman) and get back in touch with visceral impulse that has been locked away for years. No need to purchase a gym membership or spend $1000s on expensive equipment.  Two kettlebells are all that you need to increase muscular endurance, lose fat, and build size and strength. Kettlebells do not take up much space so you can train in your apartment, backyard, garage, or go outside and get some fresh air. Kettlebell training is a form of training that will not only improve the appearance of your physique, it will give you strength and mental toughness that you did not know was even possible. Is kettlebell training the be all end all of working out? No, it is simply a very effective way to train and enhance whatever program you are on.

What is a kettlebell? Glad that you asked. Imagine a black bowling ball with a suitcase handle on it and you have an idea of what a kettlebell looks like. A kettlebell is a big hunk of iron that comes in several sizes: 8lbs, 12lbs, 18lbs, 26lbs, 35lbs,44lbs, 53lbs, 70lbs, 80lbs, 88lbs, 97lbs and for super strong men and women 105lbs! You can do standard weight training exercises with kettlebells such as: bench presses, curls, and rows. However, the unique value of kettlebells is derived from ballistic (fast exercise) work such as: snatches, swings, cleans, and jerks. In addition, to giving your incredible muscular endurance when done in high repetitions, with a proper nutrition plan any excess fat that you have will melt off rapidly. Ballistic exercises are not the only exercises that you can benefit from, kettlebell exercises such as: the Turkish get-up, Bent Press, and Windmill will develop a rock-hard midsection and increase shoulder flexibility and stability. As a result many chiropractors are using kettlebells with their patients for rehab. If you are a man that wants to increase size and strength, try doing some of my favorite kettlebell exercises: Double Clean and Press, Double Front Squat, Renegade Row, Double Swing, and the Double Clean (Scroll down for more info). If you are a woman that wants to lose weight and tighten up your glutes, quads, abs, and arms, apply a steady diet of kettlebell training ballistic work with some low rep kettlebell training strength work and you are all set.

You may be thinking that you could do all of the above exercises with dumbbells. While this is true, anyone that has used both will tell you that kettlebells are much harder to handle and yes in this case, harder is much better. Kettlebell handles are much thicker than dumbbells and will give you a vice grip in no time. Also, the off centered weight of a kettlebell will force you to use more stabilizer muscles and work the targeted muscles through a longer range of motion. For combat athletes and anyone else that likes it tough, the ballistic shock of kettlebells teaches you how to absorb shock efficiently which is critical for combat sports such as: wrestling, MMA, football, and Hockey. The above reasons are why MMA fighters such as Frank Shamrock, BJ Penn, and Fedor enhance their workouts with kettlebells. Also, it is why top strength coaches such as Ethan Reeve and Louie Simmons recommend kettlebell training to their athletes. Athletes are not the only ones that are hooked on kettlebell training. Members of the entertainment world such as Chris Pontius of MTV’s JackAss and WildBoyz and Harley Flannagan, founder of the legendary NYC hardcore band “The Cro-Mags” have attended my kettlebell workshops and are ecstatic about Kettlebell training. Both Chris and Harley talk to everyone they know about the benefits of kettlebell training and you will as well after you attend one of my seminars.

Still skeptical? try the following experiment with a dumbbell. Take a dumbbell and try doing three sets of twenty one-arm swings (see description on next page). After you have done twenty swings with one arm, switch hands and do another twenty reps. Continue to go back and forth until you have done three sets of twenty reps. Now if you thought that was hard, imagine making that exercise several times harder with a kettlebell. Imagine how much fat your will burn and how your muscular endurance will go through the roof. No doubt about it, high rep kettlebell training is an aerobic workout and great alternative to stepping classes, spinning classes, and anything else that strips you of our manhood and makes you feel like a jack ass. If you feel like a jack ass when you do something, then it is probably something that you should avoid unless you are getting paid well Personally, I actually like to get results from my training and I am sure you do to. A balanced kettlebell training program combined with a solid worth ethic and healthy nutrition plan is a sure-fire recipe for success.

I have been training with kettlebells for over four years and I have never been in better shape. In addition to being lean and strong, my body has learned how to work as one unit. My muscular endurance and mental toughness have improved tremendously. Best of all, I do not have to go to the gym to get an incredible workout. Give kettlebells a shot for three months and I sincerely doubt that you will ever want to go back to barbell curls and leg raises. Once you have been infected with the power of kettlebell weight training, there is no going back. Take a look at the exercises below for more information.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler
mikemahler.com
Mike is well known as one of the leading experts on effective kettlebell training for size, strength, fat loss and conditioning. In addition to his highly in-demand workshops, Mike is the author of three best-selling kettlebell training DVD’s: The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness, The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength and Kettlebell Solutions For Speed And Explosive Strength, as well as two best-selling kettlebell training e-books: The Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Training Manual, The Aggressive Strength Solution for Incredible Kettlebell Training and The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength.

I’m sure most folk, who have tried to lose fat through diet and exercise can vouch that it’s a heck of LOT harder to lose the last 10 pounds than it is to lose the first 10. Not to mention being harder to lose the last 5 than it is to lose the first 50.

“Why You’ve STOPPED Losing Fat…And How to Fix It”

Here’s an Example:
If  someone is trying to lose the last 10 pounds to reach a goal of 5% body fat, but they only have 18 pounds of fat on their body, then it not only becomes a purpose of  losing 10 pounds, they’ll actually be aiming to lose 55% of the total fat on their body.

50% body fat reduction of yours, or whoever’s, when it comes down to it, is going to be hard yakka!

And I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say that it sux!

But here’s something very cool…

John Romaniello - Final Phase Fat Loss

A method that hasn’t been covered to it’s full potential is how to manipulate hormones to a degree using specific training effects, allowing for greater fat loss. Something that John Romaniello is really “on top of”.

For which he says: “The reason you’re holding fat in those areas is largely hormonal. As an example, if you store fat primarily in the love handles and lower back, then chances are you’re highly insulin resistant. A lot of belly fat is indicative of high cortisol. Men storing fat in the lower body or chest generally have higher estrogen levels.”

Luckily for YOU, and anyone else fed up with plateauing, John has a FR*E 27-page report:

“Why You’ve STOPPED Losing Fat…And How to Fix It” which he has made available and it’s FR*E!

Go grab it!

When you’ve read it, make sure you come back here, click on the comment button and give us your first hand feedback from John’s report.

Kind regards
Mandy
Virtual Fitness Trainer

As we’ve discussed in part 1 of this article, in your efforts to reduce tummy fat, you can’t just rely on any old workouts for abs to magically turn your midsection into a jaw dropping six pack.

For part 1 of this article go to Abdominal Workouts – The Truth On How To Achieve Toned Abs!

In Step 2 we’re going to discuss  some hints to help kick start your new training regime.

2. Abs Workout Diet Tips

* Reduce the bad fats content in your meals.

* Trying using a low fat cooking spray instead.
* Get your fats from healthy foods instead. Eg… Nuts, avocado
* Cut right back your fried foods
* Reduce your margarine and butter usage to only a small amount or none at all
* Increase lean protein (to help feed your muscles and support repair and growth)
* Eat fresh salads and veggies
* Towards the end of the day reduce your intake of carbs like potato, rice, pasta, cereals and bread. Still include them in your meals towards the beginning of the day but don’t pig out on them – and consume the brown ones rather than the white ones… oh… and aim for low GI fruit as well.
* Don’t use fatty gravies on your meals or meat
* Don’t use oily salad dressings, go for low oil or no oil with them as well.
* Check the fat, calorie and sodium content on the labels of tins and cans
* Cut the fat off your meat and grill it.
* Eat five to six meals smaller regular meals per day rather than having one or two large meals per day.
* Always have breakfast!
* Use egg whites rather than eggs with yolks. You can actually purchase egg whites in cartons, they can normally be found in the freezer section of your supermarket. Two egg whites = 1 whole egg, if you want to use egg whites in your recipes.
* Have one day off your eating program per week. That doesn’t mean you’ve got the green pass to go to “all you can eat” breakfasts, lunch and dinners all day either. It just means go and treat yourself to a meal or brunch etc. Within reason of course. Keeping with smaller portions.
* If you have trouble keeping up with your protein intake use low-fat, low carbohydrate, high protein drinks and powders. There are some great flavours ranging from vanilla, chocolate, banana, strawberry etc. Purchase a shake that is easy to mix and has quality protein content. You can use these as a morning or afternoon snack.

3.  Cardio Program

To reduce your midsection, and the rest of your body, of that extra body fat, you will need to increase your cardiovascular exercise.

* Vary your cardio times for each session
* Vary the intensity
* Increase the amount of sessions you perform each week – don’t over do it though. Over training eg. cardio twice per day 7 days per week is classified as over training and can deplete your muscle. For a faster metabolism 3-4 times per week is suitable when starting out (beginners). For a slow metabolism, or for those times when you really need to nip that body fat in the bud, 5-6 times per week will give a good kick-start to losing body fat.
* Alternate between your cardio activities to help prevent plateauing. Make a list of 3-4 that you find work the most effectively and swap between them.
* Use cardio machines and activities that include you using your upper and lower body.
* Perform your cardio in the morning, afternoon or evening to encourage your body to burn away at your stored body fats. Some people find that they train more efficiently later in the day (because they’re not morning people or are too rushed in the mornings) this is fine – you’ll need a good 1.5 hours time span, previous to your cardio, from your last meal. Not just for the benefit of burning fat but because you’ll probably feel sick if your exercising on a tummy full of food. Perform your cardio on an empty stomach.
* Don’t perform cardio for any longer than 45 – 50 mins each session maximum!

Workouts For Abs Exercises

1. a. Floor Crunches – Lie flat on your back on the floor, legs bent, feet flat, pushing your lower back into the floor. Clasp your hands behind your neck, keeping your elbows back, in line with your head. Crunch up slightly, raising your head and shoulders, breathing out as you crunch. As you crunch up push your lower back into the floor and squeeze your tummy as tight as possible. Lower your head and shoulders back down to the floor and repeat. You should feel a burning sensation in your upper tummy area and midsection.

or

1. b. Fitball Abdominal Crunch – Lie on a fitball with your hips, lower and middle back all supported. With your feet on the floor, have your knees / legs bent at a right angle (90 degrees). Clasp your hands lightly behind your neck. Raise your shoulders and chest to crunch up lifting your mid back off the ball. (You can also have your arms crossed at your chest, hands resting on opposite shoulders). Keep your lower back and hips on the ball. NOTE: Make sure that when you position your legs at a right angle that your knees stay in line with your ankles.

2. a. Lower Ab Crunches – Lie flat on your back on the floor, legs raised, knees bent and lower legs folded. Push your lower back into the floor. Place your hands by your sides, palms facing the floor. Raise your backside and hips slightly, breathing out at the same time. As you crunch up push your lower back into the floor and squeeze the lower section of your tummy (pelvis region) as tight as possible. Lower your hips and backside back down to the floor and repeat. You should feel a burning sensation in your lower tummy area and upper pelvis.

or

2. b. Fitball Pull-ins – Lie face down on a ball now roll forward so that your feet and shins are on the ball. Place your arms in a push-up position with your hands inline with your shoulders. (It looks a little like an advanced push-up on the fitball) Keeping your back straight pull your knees towards you, rolling the ball forward, (like you’re going to tuck your bent legs under you) – your thighs / knees (depending on your fitness) should be fairly close to your chest. Contract your abs while pulling the ball in towards you then release and roll the ball back out behind you to starting position.

3. a. Side Crunches
Lie flat on your back on the floor, have your knees bent and legs pointed to one side. Your lower body should be pointing to the side but your upper body should remain straight and flat on the floor. Have your hands by the sides of your head and your elbows back. Crunch up slightly pushing your lower back into the floor, raising your head and shoulders, squeezing the side of your waist. Lower your head and shoulders back down to the floor. Repeat the exercise until you have finished your reps. Then change to the other side.

or

3. b. Fitball Oblique Crunch – Lie on a fitball with your hips, lower and middle back all supported. With feet on the floor, have your knees / legs bent at a right angle (90 degrees). Clasp your hands lightly behind your neck – keep your elbows back. Raise your shoulder towards your opposite hip crunching diagonally (contracting your abs) lifting your mid back off the ball. Keep your lower back and hips on the ball. Then lower yourself to starting position. Now swap sides.

Setting Yourself Some Goals

Achieving your goals to reduce tummy fat is possible if you are prepared to make changes to your lifestyle. You will be surprised at the results you receive if you dedicate yourself for a solid 12 – 16 weeks to your workouts for abs program. The hardest part is getting started, but once you are on your way you won’t regret it. Set yourself monthly realistic goals that are possible to reach. Use goal clothing or a tape measure to monitor your changing waistline – and don’t forget about your abs workout diet tips. Re-measure every 4-6 weeks. If possible, use body fat callipers too so that you can keep more accurate tabs on your progress.

Happy abs training!

Yours in fun, health and fitness

© Mandy Gibbons
Virtual Fitness Trainer

Persons who are of good health, suspect of their health or are aware of any conditions, physical deficiencies or diseases should always consult a physician before undertaking any eating or exercise program. Mandy Gibbons, Virtual Fitness Trainer, www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com.au and www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the above program or advice given in this article.

Bodyweight exercises are not only very effective, providing you with a kick-butt fat burning muscle pumping workout, but they also hold the benefits of requiring little or no equipment.

Here’s a very cool free bodyweight workout for you courtesy of Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training:

To download the PDF ‘Right click’ the link below and select ’save target as’ or ’save link as’ – depending on your browser:

The Original 4-Week Bodyweight Turbulence Training Workout

Don’t forget when you’ve read it and made use of the workout to add your comments – using the “leave a comment” link at the top of this blog post.

Enjoy!

Kind regards
Mandy
VFT

Whether it be  ‘yo-yo-dieting’ – One week trying this – and then 2 weeks, trying another weight-loss fad…

Or

Giving the ‘workout lifestyle’ a solid, whole-hearted try – but just not able to get the body-fat to come off – then giving up and quitting out of frustration…

I’m sure most folk know at least a handful of women who struggle… feeling like they’re smacking their head against a brick wall when it comes to achieving the goals that feel so close and within their reach one moment and then hopeless the next.

Well – truth be told – the typical ‘exercise and clean-diet’ approach isn’t for every type of woman – especially the busy woman who has many responsibilities to tend to every day… But even though this approach isn’t for her – She still wants to be slim, firm and sexy – and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be able to reach that fair and reasonable goal…

If you know someone like this – Maybe one of your friends or family members… Then please take a look at this site and listen to the freebie online audio CD that highlights some eye-opening research from several top universities, which was also publicized by TIME magazine in 2009…

Here’s the link =>
http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/fatlossforbusywomen

Let’s face it, today’s women and men’s lifestyles are getting more hectic. A busy gals fat-loss results and goals shouldn’t have to be thrown out the window due to the hectic nature of a tight schedule and daily responsibilities.

And again…
http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/fatlossforbusywomen
Be sure to listen before that webpage is removed.

Not all women may want to be a fitness pageant competitor – but all deserve to shed their excess body-fat and to feel slender and sexy. There’s nothing unrealistic about that – and it’s a goal within every woman’s reach with just a few simple adjustments to her daily routine.

Kind regards
Yours in fun, health and fitness
Mandy Gibbons

Quickstart Nutrition Guide To Fat Loss

As I’ve said many times, nutrition is more important than exercise. No matter how hard or how often you work out, you simply cannot OUT-TRAIN a bad diet.  This leads to one very simple fat loss formula; calories in must be LESS than calories out.

With that being said, below you’ll find a simple set of guidelines to determining the RIGHT number of calories to help you burn fat fast along with a few suggested ways of cleaning up your diet.

Nutritional Plan:

If your current nutritional plan is preventing you from losing fat, then it’s time for you to start working on building better eating habits.

This can be as simple as committing to one small nutritional improvement per day (such as replacing your lunchtime soda with water) and one large change per week (such as setting aside time on a Sunday to shop and prepare for your weekly meals).

Once you have established good nutrition habits, you’ll find yourself making BETTER CHOICES on a daily basis. But you have to worknutrition for fat loss on consistent improvement, and if you mess up, don’t worry about it, just get right back to eating right.

Even if you start making only one change per day you will start to see improvements.

Make this a GOAL that you will start today: to choose one healthier food option per day that will get you one step closer to your lean body. You need to have a plan to make this work, just like you need a plan for your workouts.

Calorie Calculator:

Let’s start your meal planning by using Coach Alan Aragon’s “Calorie Calculator” to determine how many calories you should eat each day. According to Aragon, to determine the number of calories you should eat each day, you need this equation:calorie calculator Quickstart Nutrition Guide To Fat Loss

Daily calories = Goal weight x (workout hours per week + 9.5)
•    Protein grams = goal weight in pounds
•    Fat grams = half goal weight in pounds
•    Carbohydrate grams = [Daily calories – (protein calories + fat calories)]/4
NOTE:
o    1 gram of protein provides 4 calories
o    1 gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories
o    1 gram of fat provides 9 calories
•    By the way, Aragon said it doesn’t matter if you eat 6 or 3 meals per day

Female Example:

You are a 160 pound woman who wants to weigh 140 pounds, and you exercise for a total of 3 hours per week:

Daily Calories = 140 x (3+9.5)
Daily Calories = 1750
Protein = 140grams (560 calories)
Fat = 70grams (630 calories)
Carbohydrates = [1750 – (560+630)]/4
Carbohydrates = 140grams

Male Example:

You are a 220 pound man who wants to weigh 180 pounds, and you exercise for a total of 3 hours per week:

Daily Calories = 180 x (3+9.5)
Daily Calories = 2250
Protein = 180grams (720 calories)
Fat = 90grams (810 calories)
Carbohydrates = [2250 – (720+810)]/4
Carbohydrates = 180grams

If you follow these calorie guidelines, along with implementing daily healthy changes to your diet, then you will be well on your way to reaching your fat loss goals.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM VFT?

a. Would you like Question and Answer sessions?

b. Would you like video or audio webinars?

c. Do you want more advice on Exercises?

d. What’s the most annoying pain in the butt thing that you find gets in the way of your fitness results?

I want Virtual Fitness Trainer to be to a fun, exciting, informational and HOT place for you to catch up and hang out.  Don’t hold back. Every bit of feedback counts!

Here’s the link to the survey:
http://virtualfitnesstrainer.com/VFT-Launch-Survey.html

You’ll get a SPECIAL GIFT too for completing it!

So far the feedback from the survey has been fantastic so please keep them coming! You may even find your specific fitness question answered in one of our up and coming newsletters or fitness guru interviews.

Kind regards
Mandy,
Virtual Fitness Trainer