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SHORTCUT TO SLIMDOWN
Michael Stefano
I answer many e-mails from confused, albeit enthusiastic
readers, on how to trim or firm a specific part of the body.
Everybody wants those flat abs, tight thighs, and sexy shoulders,
but unfortunately, most are terribly misinformed on how to go
about getting them.
Spot reduction doesn't work. The notion of doing more situps to
burn off the spare tire you've been lugging around for the last
couple of years has become obsolete. The most productive fat
burning is accomplished through calculated aerobic exericse
(walking, jogging, cycling). Gauging intensity with heart rate
(or breathing rate) enables you to burn fat as your primary fuel.
Resistance training (weight lifting, working with resistance bands
or body-weight, sprinting) builds strength, endurance, and muscle
-- muscle that requires fuel (calories) to function. When you
increase lean muscle mass through resistance exercises, you also
raise your basil metabolic rate, or the amount of fuel you require
just to exist. This is the second best way to keep body fat levels
under control.
But what about those specific body parts and the endless list of
improvements? Is it necessary to perform an individual exercise
for each "trouble spot" or area of concern?
Absolutely not! The human body functions as a unit. Very rarely will
any muscle flex all by itself. Via an extremely sophisticated
system of electronic signals, and mechanical contractions,
movement is generated using many muscles, and even muscle
groups at once. So when you perform the simple action of going
from a standing to a sitting position (also known as a squat), it's
more than just the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings working.
The muscles of the inner and outer thighs, low-back, abdominals,
and obliques are all engaged indirectly as stabilizer muscles.
This can translate into a lot of exercise with only a small investment
in time, and without the need for sophisticated or expensive equipment.
Squats or lunges done with just body weight or hand weights are
extremely effective at working the entire lower body, thus eliminating
the need for possibly three or four additional movements.
The same affect can be seen with the upper body. Movements that
act at more than one joint, and involve more than one muscle get big
results. One such exercise, the push-up, virtually works the entire
upper body in one capacity or another. The shoulders, triceps, and pecs
are directly involved in pushing the body away from the floor, as the back,
hips, and abs stablize, holding the body straight. That's mega-muscle
usage in a compact, easy-to-do exercise. The push-up can be modified
to be more or less intense, thereby opening it up to almost anyone
who wants to add it to their program.
So slim down, while you trim down -- not only your body, but your
routine. Rid your program of unnecessary exercises that eat up time
and energy. Get more bang for your buck. Pack your program full of
multi-muscle movements like the squat and push-up, and get fit in less
time.
About the Author
Michael Stefano: New York City firefighter and author of
The Firefighter's Workout Book, The 30 Minute-a-day
Train-for-life Program for Men and Women
Special Offer: Lose weight and get in shape with the
FREE Train For Life Newsletter
Subscribe at: http://www.firefightersworkout.com
Email:bravesst@...
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