Rich Fit /Fit Tips...eat to lose weight not muscle. Here's how....





You get all of your daily calories from either fats, proteins, or carbs. The body needs all of these to function properly and when one of them is absent you’re going to crave it like there’s no tomorrow! In the ideal diet, you can incorporate all 3 three of the macros while shredding fat and hanging onto muscle mass.

Protein should be the constant. Get about 40 grams (25 for women) every 2- 3 hours that your awake. For fats and carbs, don't mix them in the same meal. You need both but when having them together you increase the chance of storing body fat. Eat all carbs in 3 meals, breakfast, pre workout, and post workout. Guys take about 50 grams in each meal and ladies get 30. In all other meals add good fats. I use flax seed. Take spoonful of flax down with the 40 grams of protein.



The number one reason why people stray from their diet plan is that the good food they know they should be eating isn’t immediately available and when they find themselves starving in the middle of the afternoon they turn to a quick fix and shove down the first thing they can get their hands on. Often you’ll find that you may be craving a cheeseburger and ice cream but once you’ve eaten that healthy, scheduled meal that craving goes away.




You must have meals planned and prepared before leaving the house for the day. Know exactly what you’re going to eat and when you’re going to eat it and stick to the plan. This means making a habit of cooking all food, getting them into individual containers and taking them with you.
Whatever you do, if you screw up and have an unplanned cheat meal or miss meal, get right back on track with the next meal.




Low-Carb Depletion Day:

7 a.m.: 2 scoops whey

10 a.m.: 6 egg whites with lean beef or chicken

12 noon: 8 ounces chicken breast, handful almonds

3 p.m.: (preworkout) 2 scoops whey

4:30 p.m.: 2 scoops whey

5 p.m.: 1 can low-oil tuna, lettuce

8 p.m.: 6 ounces lean steak, 6 stalks asparagus

10 p.m.: 5 hardboiled egg whites



Higher-Carb Day:

7 a.m.: 1 cup oatmeal with 2 scoops whey

10 a.m.: 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 1 piece wheat toast

12 noon: 6 ounces chicken breast, 1 piece fruit

2 p.m.: (preworkout) 1 scoop whey, 1 medium sweet potato

4 p.m.: (postworkout) 2 scoops whey, 12 ounces Gatorade

6 p.m.: 1 can tuna, 2 stalks celery

9 p.m.: 6 ounces lean steak, lettuce, green beans or other green vegetable




AbFitt@mail.com

A New Year, A New You! Preparation & Planning Begins Today....









Weekly training routine to start your next phase of "Your Best Body Ever"

Note: 60-90 seconds rest period in between all sets/exercises

Day 1: Back/Chest/Biceps/Calves

Seated Reverse Close Grip Lat Pulldown 4×13-15
Flat Bench DB Press 4×13-15
Single Arm Cable Curls 4×13-15
Seated Calf Raises 4×13-15

Day 2: Shoulders/Legs/Abs

Smith Machine Shoulder Press 4×13-15
Reverse Single Arm Pulldowns (from across the body) 4×13-15
Single Leg Press 4×13-15
Hanging Straight Leg Lifts 4×13-15

Day 3: Chest/Back/Biceps/Calves

Weighted Pushups (45lb weight on back) 4×10-12
Single Arm Cable Rows 4×10-12
Reverse Grip Bar Curls 4×10-12
Single Leg Standing Calf Raises 4×10-12

Day 4: Legs/Shoulders/Abs/Triceps

Quad Extensions 4×10-12
Arnold Presses 4×10-12
Decline Bench Sit-ups 4×10-12
Cable Tricep Pushdowns 4×10-12

Day 5: Back/Chest/Biceps/Calves

Bent Over Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 4×8-10
Incline Dumbbell Press 4×8-10
Straight Bar Curls 4×8-10
Calf Raises 4×8-10

Day 6: Back/Core/Abs

Deadlifts 4×8-10
Single Arm Cable Raises (from side to in front) 4×8-10
Leaned Over Cable Rope Extensions 4×8-10
Wipers (to failure) 4×8-10

Sample of daily nutrition- Be creative this is just a guideline, see the choices for each macronutrient below. Live Fit, Be Fit, Live Shredded in 2012. Good Luck!



Meal 1: Whole Wheat Toast, 6 Eggs 1 whole egg ,5 egg whites with 1 low fat string cheese melted.
Meal 2: Whey protein/casein shake
Meal 3: Chicken Breast, greek Yogurt, Apple or Banana, String Cheese
Meal 4: Protein Shake
Meal 5: Pasta, 10 oz. of Meat (e.g. Chicken, Fish, Turkey, etc.) and Vegetables (Broccoli, Asparagus, etc.)
Meal 6: Protein Bar, Chicken and 4-5 Eggs (scrambled or fried)
Meal 7: Casein Protein Shake

What are the best sources for each nutrient group?

Protein – chicken breast, lean beef, oily fish, egg whites, protein powders.

Complex carbohydrates – wholegrain pasta, wholegrain rice, oats, sweet potato.

Healthy fats – nuts, natural nut butter, egg yolks, sees, flaxseed oil.

From Fat To Fabulous! From Fit to Shredded!



Lets Begin

Most think of altering the metabolism as “boosting it,” but there are things you can do that also change the way the body handles food. For example, simply by taking a fiber supplement, you can alter the way your body handles carbohydrates. Fiber stimulates carbs to bypass fat storing pathways, which in turn means they ultimately head down other pathways for muscle fueling or building. There you go – a simple nutrition step to modify your metabolism. Here are a few steps you can take to cut up and lower your bodyfat. Coupled with controlling your calories, they can transform your metabolism and help you get shredded.

1 Increase Your Protein

If you struggle with bodyfat, you should stress protein–more chicken, eggs, fish, beef, low-fat dairy and protein powders. Why? Not all calories–carbs, protein and fat–are equal in their efficiency to be stored as bodyfat. Protein exerts a greater metabolic-boosting effect than carbs or dietary fat. When calories drop, protein saves muscle, which helps keep the metabolism (calorie burning) elevated. Protein also helps to keep hunger down, which assists you in holding down your calories without losing your mind. Aim for 1 1/2 grams per pound of bodyweight daily spread over five, six or even seven smaller meals.

2 Manipulate Your Carbs

Carbohydrates help retain muscle (and muscle is a metabolic booster), yet they can also stimulate fat storage. Following a modified low-carb diet–three consecutive days of consuming 100-125 g a day, followed by a single day of taking in 300-400 g, offers muscle support minus the fat storage. How so? When you eat fewer carbs and replace those carbs with protein, in general, the body ramps up fat-mobilizing enzymes and hormones resulting in accelerated fat loss. However, a prolonged period of lower carbs can leave your muscle looking flat, since glycogen (the storage form of carbs in muscle) pulls water into the muscle. When you go low carb, the muscles get depleted of their glycogen and lose some water and therefore their fullness. Therefore, load back up on carbs every fourth or fifth day.

3 Stack Carnitine, BCAA’s & Caffeine



Cardio is a good way to trigger fat loss. The ideal time is after workouts, as research shows that you burn more fat when you do cardio after a weight workout. However, another good time, to do cardio is in the morning before eating. Why? That’s when sugar levels in the blood are eat their lowest. If you perform cardio when your blood sugar and insulin are low, fat burning is maximized. One drawback: cardio can burn muscle. Using 5 g of branched chain amino acids, 1-3 g of carnitine and 200-400 milligrams of caffeine 30 minutes prior to cardio helps block muscle breakdown, preserves metabolic-driving muscle tissue and boost hormones that break down bodyfat. The supplement combo can even preserve testosterone, the muscle-building hormone that often declines with cardio activity.

4 Eat More Fish

When calories are controlled, the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, trout and sardines may promote speedier fat loss. One study revealed that dieters who ate fish on a daily basis lost more weight than those who ate fish just once a week. One possible reason–omega-3s are thought to make the receptors on fat cells more sensitive to the fat-liberating effects of norepinephrine (also known as NE), a main fat-burning hormone. In other words, fish fat makes NE work better. The other possible reason is that omega-3s tend to promote the storage of carbohydrates into muscle as muscle glycogen. If carbs are kept busy producing glycogen, they cannot stimulate or participate in the fat-storing process.

5 Take Creatine For Cuts

Creatine–the muscle-building supplement–can also aid fat loss. Creatine exerts an increase in metabolism when combined with weight training, to the tune of 100 calories a day. So, make sure you get in 3-5 g with your pre-and postworkout meals.

TO MINIMIZE FAT STORAGE FOLLOW THESE 7 TIPS






1) Eat complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are found in whole foods like brown rice, potatoes, whole grain cereal and oatmeal. Complex carbohydrates should make up the bulk of your daily calorie intake because they form muscle glycogen, the long lasting fuel that your body needs to train hard. Complex carbohydrates are slow burning which means you get longer lasting energy. They also help keep your blood sugar levels constant, this reduces fat storage and fatigue and promotes the release of insulin. Insulin is the body’s natural anabolic hormone and is essential for muscle development.

2) Eat carbohydrates directly after training

When you train hard you reduce your blood sugar level considerably. Eating carbohydrates straight after a training session provides your body with an insulin spike. This insulin spike puts your body into an anabolic (muscle building) state. If you do not get the right nutrients after training it’s possible that your body could enter a catabolic (muscle breakdown) state. This is why post workout nutrition is so important.

3) Eat small amounts of carbohydrates more often

Eating smaller servings of carbohydrates more often helps keep a steady flow of insulin into the body. If you eat large amounts of carbohydrates in one sitting your body is much more likely to store them as fat. Eating to much is one sitting is unnecessary; your body doesn’t need that much nutrients at one time.

4) Eat high fiber carbohydrates

This goes hand-in-hand with point number 1 because most sources of complex carbohydrates are rich sources of fiber. Fiber helps to build muscle by making muscle tissue absorb amino acids faster and more efficiently.

5) Avoid fruits

This may sound insane because we all know that fruit is high in vitamins, low in calories and very good for general health and wellbeing. But, fruit contains fructose which is a very simple sugar. The body converts fructose into glycogen which is used as a building block for fat tissue.

6) Have carbohydrates and protein in the same meal

When you mix protein and carbohydrates together in the same meal you minimize the chance of the carbohydrates being stored as fat. Protein is harder for the body to process, so it increases your metabolism. Also, carbohydrates help transport the nutrients from protein to the muscle cells which aids in muscle growth.

Follow these rules, and you can use carbohydrates to your advantage to build more muscle faster. If you find you’re gaining too much fat then you should cut out carbs after 7pm. Unless you have a fast metabolism, eating carbs late at night is generally not a good idea. Your body does not need the energy while you’re sleeping so it’s likely to store the carbs as fat.

Another point worth mentioning here is meal sizes. Like I stated in point 3, you should eat small meals more often. Have you ever felt really tired after eating? Then you’ve eaten too much. Your body has to use a lot of energy to process the food which leaves you feeling tired and energy-less. This style of eating will also decrease your metabolic rate. To keep your metabolism high you need to constantly stimulate it with small meals every 3 hours or so.

So the main points you need to remember here are; eat good complex carbohydrates, eat small amounts more often, always have a good serving of complex carbohydrates about 1 hour before your workout (for energy) and straight after your meal (for insulin spike) and if you are gaining excess fat stop eating carbohydrates after 7pm.

Delayed Onset Muscle soreness....What you need to know.





Dealing with DOMS

Whether you've changed your program, introduced new moves, or are concentrating on the eccentric muscle contraction, DOMS is going to happen. That's a given! DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is commonly thought to be caused by microscopic tears in the muscles and the swelling associated with those tears. The pain kicks in 1-2 days following a workout (it can be sooner though), and rarely lasts more than 5 days. If it lasts over 7 days, go and see your doc.

The best methods I’ve found to deal with them are as follows:

Warm up:

Make sure you perform a thorough warm up, which will also reduce your chance of injury! Increasing blood flow to muscles makes them more elastic, so they are more resistant to micro-tearing.

Stretching:

Although studies show that stretching does not relieve the pain associated with DOMS, stretching the muscles when sore will help to build more elasticity in the new muscle fibers. Thorough yet gentle stretching of the muscle groups you've worked after each session is always a good idea, and make use of foam rollers if you access to them. Stretching will improve circulation to the given area, bringing nutrients to your cells and removing waste byproducts.

Supplementation/nutrition:

Vitamin C and E are well known for their anti-oxidant properties and their ability to reduce the proliferation of free radicals. These are thought to be generated during the inflammatory response, which could potentially cause more damage to the affected muscle. Protein, EAA + BCAA and L-Glutamine will get to work repairing damaged muscle tissue – so consume your post workout shake as soon as your workout is over. It will assist the recovery process, but not necessarily reduce the recovery time.

Massages and Ibuprofen:

If they are really bad, then a gentle massage and ibuprofen can help relieve the pain, but will not speed up your recovery time.

A Tasty Night Time Muscle Treat










OK check this out courtesy of Rob Riches, this pre bedtime muscle meal satisfies that sweet tooth and provides the nutrients needed during sleep to combat catabolism. Enjoy!

Casein Souffle. Many people will ask me what I eat at night before bed, so here it is!

5 egg whites

Grind up 10-12 almonds in a blender into powder

Put the egg whites and almond powder in a mixing bowl together and add 1 scoop of chocolate Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein a long with a teaspoon of Stevia

Mix all of these ingredients with a fork and place in the microwave for 60 seconds

Remove from the microwave and add 1 teaspoon of natural almond butter, stir again with a fork and then place back in the microwave for another 60-90 seconds (depending on the power of your microwave)

Remove from the microwave and slice into small squares, poor into a bowl and place them in the fridge for 10 minutes to set

Nutritional profile – 40g protein, 5g complex carbohydrates, 12g healthy fats

This is the perfect bed time meal and it tastes like chocolate cake! This feeds your muscles for around 7 hours through the night which helps combat catabolism. The healthy fats from the nuts also prolong this effect which is great!

Right Now You Have The Power To Change Your Life.....Live Fit, Be Fit. Live Shredded!





1) One of the single, most imperative principles I can share is to eat the right amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats). By manipulating these foods and staying strict with the guidelines your goals will soon be in range. Diet is so important that without adhering to these principles you will surely never reach your goals.

2) Your body doesn’t ‘see’ foods. It sees amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and fiber and that’s it. Your muscle could care less if it got the amino acids from a chicken breast or a steak so long as it gets them in the proper proportion for maximal anabolism.

3) Eat clean all the time! And schedule your cheat meals.



4) As the main source for building muscle, protein is absolutely necessary for your muscle-building strategy. Take in around 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (this equates to 180-270 grams for a 180 pound individual). This will guarantee that your muscles will be getting the correct dose of amino acids for maintaining and building muscle tissue. Some prime sources are chicken, lean steak, fish, turkey, ground meat, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and protein powders.

5) A sample of a healthy daily meal plan
Meal 1: 10 – 12 egg whites, w/ ½ cup of oats.
Meal 2: 4-6oz chicken or fish, w/ ½ cup oats, 2 – 4 tspn natural peanut butter.
Meal 3: 4-6oz chicken or fish, w/ 1/2-1 cup of brown rice, 2-4 tspn natural peanut butter.
Meal 4: 2 scoops protein, w/ 1–½ cup of oats (pre-wo).
Meal 5: 4-6oz chicken or fish, w/ 10oz yams (post-wo).
Meal 6: 4-6oz chicken, w/ ½ cup of brown rice, 2-4 tspn natural peanut butter.

6) Never count out a healthy fat. Certain fats are essential regarding maintaining hormones such as testosterone, increasing fat burning and aiding energy levels. Healthy fats will be utilized to replace carbohydrate on certain days to keep blood sugar levels steady and help with satiety. Good sources include avocado, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, natural peanut butter, some egg yolks and sunflower seeds.

7) I try to keep things as simple as I can, but there are definitely some outdated ideas that need to die. If I see one more thread where someone’s cutting edge advice is to simply “eat 500 calories less than you need and you’ll cut up”, I’m going to smash my computer –lol. Your body sees nutrients, not calories, and it’s not always a simple matter of numbers to reach your goal, but understanding the hormonal effects that ingesting different macronutrients at different times will have on your body. If I had to sum up the two key concepts that I worry about in regard to my own nutritional approach, as well as those I coach, it would be nutrient timing, and carb cycling.



8) Whether it’s growth, fat loss, a competition or health, define what your goals are. Set dates and backwards plan to that date. Map out your strategy to get there and refer back to it often. Write it down with all of your reasons to achieve your goal so you can remember why it’s important to you. Keep moving towards that goal. We all have roadblocks, set backs and hardships, you can't let those define you. Let what you do to overcome them define you. I have to say, whenever I have something standing in my way, it makes me fight that much harder to beat the odds, even though the easiest thing to do would be to quit.

9) You are the only one who can reach your goals.... sure support is great... But don't rely on it... It may not always be there. Don't rely on a gym partner they might get sick.... Hold yourself accountable to getting it done; you need to be your own support in the gym and at home with your nutrition. This is your responsibility and no one else's, don’t expect others to conform.

10) I believe nutrition is responsible for 80% of the health and look a person wants to acquire.

11) Your food is your fuel. Always consume excellent quality foods to be at your best, both mentally and physically.

12) Nutrition and Training need to be planned and prepared. When you walk into the gym KNOW what you are doing and execute the plan. Know what you are doing for the week, How many cardio sessions your doing, body parts trained Etc... Knowing ahead what must be done will eliminate procrastination.
Prepare your meals in advance... I cook in bulk and reheat... I make 10 lbs of chicken and 5 lbs of lean ground turkey and store those in containers, I make brown Rice ahead of time... and keep those in separate containers, and the only thing I do not prepare ahead of time is my spinach salad and egg white omelets its sooooo simple and keeps me on track!



13) Forget about training light. Switching to high rep sets and a lighter weight when trying to get shredded is a recipe for disaster. Heavy weight encourages your body to maintain its existing muscle mass. On the other hand, if you stop pushing yourself when trying to shed fat, you send a signal to your body that the extra muscle mass you've built isn't needed any longer.

14) Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow the cardio. It's a fact that few realize, but diet is far more important than cardio when it comes to getting ripped. Dial in your diet first. When you have reached a consistent rate of fat loss, slowly add in cardio. Slowly. Remember that your body is under stress from being in a caloric deficit. Adding in endless hours of cardio right out of the gate could result in the loss of hard-earned muscle mass.

Hot Tip! Break away from the treadmill and try HIIT instead - high intensity interval training.

15) This seems like an obvious tip, but for many it's not. A good percentage of athletes, even hardcore lifters, don't drink enough water. Some studies have indicated that proper water consumption alone could boost your metabolism by as much as 30% (this study involved drinking cold water). It goes without saying that under drinking water while trying to get shredded will slow the process. Stop guessing about how much water you are drinking!

16) This is when your body does magic! Make Sure Your Resting up!! This is not torture... If you feel like it is.... Find a new hobby!!

Absolute Abs!! What You Need To Know To Show.





The old adage of “abs are made in the kitchen” truly needs to be stressed! What you eat and how you eat are fundamental to the aesthetic results of your midsection; if your diet is not dialed in, shredded abs are not going to be visable. Even the fittest of people will noticeably bloat and soften when they consume something full of sugar, fat or sodium – and this shows most in the midsection.

It must be emphasized that a diet full of processed, sugary foods will be a serious detriment to the fat burning process that will uncover your strong, toned abs. If you want to have a great six-pack, your focus needs to be on eating clean, eating at proper intervals, and most importantly, eating enough! If you’re not getting enough calories to support your caloric burn and exercise activity, your body will begin to cling to fat as a survival instinct.

Eating smaller, more frequent meals that comprise of lean proteins, whole wheat or whole grain complex carbohydrates and bountiful portions of veggies are the best way to ensure that you are left feeling satisfied and energized with every meal, while still shedding fat from your midsection to reveal your abdominal foundation. So never forget to think about what you are eating, and how that one thing will reflect on your body, especially when you want to see firm, taut abs.



Overall, this one single component your diet is so crucial for developing a shredded mid section. For men your body fat needs to be in the single digits and for woman around 14%.

Carbohydrates Role In Muscle Building



Carbohydrates play two key roles in muscle building. The first is energy. Your body needs maximum energy to perform at maximum level. If you don't get enough energy from complex carbohydrates you will not be working as hard as you can and this will limit your muscle building potential. Simple carbohydrates will not cut it either, you may get 10 min of energy from a chocolate bar but after that you're left feeling tired and run down.

Insulin spike post workout

Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the human body and drives nutrients from the bloodstream into muscle cells. When you finish your workout your muscles are desperately trying to repair and rebuild and are crying out for energy and nutrients. This is the only time when simple carbohydrates will benefit you for muscle building.

A quick dose of simple carbohydrates post workout will raise depleted insulin levels which speeds up the process of protein synthesis (rebuilding of muscle tissue). Complex carbohydrates will not do the job here because they take longer to be absorbed into the body. An excellent source of simple carbohydrates post workout is a banana. Eating a banana will give you 25-30 grams of fast acting simple

carbohydrates.


When you need carbohydrates:

As mentioned earlier on this page, you need simple carbohydrates straight after your workout to increase insulin levels. But what about your energy levels throughout the day? You should kick off the day with a good serve of protein and carbohydrates.

When you wake up your body has just had eight hours without any nutritional intake and is crying out for food. Another time when complex carbohydrates are very important is pre-workout for energy. Try and have a good meal filled with complex carbohydrates and protein about 1 hours to 45 mins before your workout.

The thing you must remember with carbohydrates is that your body only uses what it needs and stores the rest as fat. This is why you need to spread your carbohydrate intake out over the day for optimum energy levels and minimal fat storage. Most bodybuilders eat between 5-8 meals per day consisting of a high amount of protein and moderate complex carbohydrates. The "3 meal a day" trend is starting to shift as people realize it's much better to eat less, more often, for both weight loss and weight gains.


Types of carbohydrate supplements:

Carbohydrate supplements come in powdered form. There are two basic types that are used by bodybuilders; blends and pure. Blends are your typical "weight gainers". They consist of mostly pure carbohydrates with proteins, fats and sometimes other supplements added. Pure carbohydrate supplements are exactly that, pure. 100% pure carbohydrates. Bodybuilder often mix these supplements in with post-workout shakes for insulin spike. Pure carbohydrate supplements are much better because the bodybuilder can control the amounts he/she wishes to consume at any one time.


Supplements vs real carbohydrates:

At the end of the day, nothing beats real food. Because good complex carbohydrates are readily available, cheap and easy to consume in large amounts, carbohydrate supplements are not as common as protein and creatine which are much harder to consume in high amounts. The best (and only) time you can really benefit from carbohydrate supplements are post-workout. Pure carbohydrate supplements are formulated to give you a maximum insulin spike.

Basically, carbohydrates come in two forms; simple and complex.








Simple carbs are found in natural and processed sugars and are quickly absorbed into the body for use as energy. This energy is not long lasting and can often be followed by a dip in energy levels resulting in the person feeling tired and lethargic. Simple carbohydrates are generally not recommended for muscle building or keeping healthy.

Complex carbohydrates make up the bulk of the bodies energy source. Complex carbohydrates come in foods such as wheat, brown rice, potatoes, bread and oatmeal. Complex carbohydrates take much longer for the body to turn into energy but this energy is long lasting. Regular servings of food high in complex carbohydrates is recommended for all athletes. Complex carbohydrates are known as "good carbs" because they give you long lasting energy to work harder and feel better throughout the day.

Womans Fit Facts...Every Woman needs To Know These 7 Rules.

Female Bodybuilding And Fitness Motivation | http://vimeo.com/user8201282">Gym Motivation on Vimeo.


Women's Weight Training Myth's

#1 -Weight training makes you bulky and masculine.
Due to the fact that women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely touching some weights. Unfortunately, the image that may come to your mind is that of professional female bodybuilders. Most of these women, unfortunately, use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve that lean muscular look. In addition, most also have good genetics coupled with an unbelievable work ethic that enable them to gain muscle quickly when they spend hours in the gym lifting very heavy weights. Believe me when I say that they do not look like that by accident. Women who conduct weight training without the use of steroids get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness/figure shows these days.

#2 - Exercise increases your chest size.
Sorry girls. Women’s breasts are composed mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to increase breast size through weight training. As a matter of fact, if you go below 12 percent body fat, your breast size will decrease. Weight training does increase the size of the back, so this misconception probably comes from confusing an increase in back size with an increase in cup size. The only way to increase your breast size is by gaining fat or getting breast implants.

#3 - Weight training makes you stiff and musclebound.
If you perform all exercises through their full range of motion, flexibility will increase. Exercises like flyes, stiff-legged deadlifts, dumbbell presses, and chin-ups stretch the muscle in the bottom range of the movement. Therefore, by performing these exercises correctly, your stretching capabilities will increase.

Myth #4 - If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat.
This is like saying that gold can turn into brass. Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the clean eating habit as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower amounts of muscle mass, give the impression that the subject’s muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated.

Myth #5 - Weight training turns fat into muscle.
More alchemy. This is the equivalent of saying that you can turn any metal into gold; don't we wish! The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through aerobics and diet simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.

Women's Weight Training Myth #6 - As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want.
How I wish this were true also! However, this could not be further from the truth. Our individual metabolism determines how many calories we burn at rest and while we exercise. If we eat more calories than we burn on a consistent basis, our bodies will accumulate these extra calories as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do. This myth may have been created by people with such high metabolic rates (hardgainers) that no matter how much they eat or what they eat, they rarely meet or exceed the amount of calories that they burn in one day unless they put their mind to doing so. Therefore, their weight either remains stable or goes down. If you are confused about nutrition, please read Nutrition Basics.

Myth #7 - Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light.
First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

Women Should Train Hard
If you want to look great, don't be afraid to pick up the weights and lift heavy, fast & train hard ladies!!

Rich Fit / Tip Of The Day... Almond Milk









Here are 6 benefits of almond milk:


Benefit #1: Weight Management

Plain almond milk without added sugars or flavoring contains 60 calories per each 8 oz serving size. This option works well for people looking to lose or maintain weight.

The low caloric content of almond milk causes less of an impact on our totally daily consumption of food calories. Some milk varieties contain more sugars than the cereal that they get combined with.


Benefit #2: Heart Health

Almond milk contains no cholesterol and only 5 mg of sodium per serving. Consuming foods low in sodium and cholesterol help us to maintain better heart health and normal blood pressure.

Without cholesterol, almond milk also decreases our chances of gaining bad cholesterol levels, all while increasing the good cholesterol levels. Almond milk also contains 150 mg of potassium in every serving. This mineral works to promote healthy blood pressure.


Benefit #3: Blood Sugar Friendly

Unlike other milk alternatives, the plain almond option contains only 8 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The 7 grams of sugars that make up the carbohydrate content have a limited affect on our blood sugar levels. When we consume simple sugars, our metabolic functions tend to miss the nutrients, storing much of the carbs as fat.

Instead, the low amount of sugars in almond milk have a low glycemic nature, meaning our bodies fully digest them and use them as energy. Diabetics benefit from this characteristic as well.


Benefit #4: Bone Health

Almond milk contains 30% of our recommended daily value of calcium and 25% of Vitamin D. These nutrients work together to build strong bones in men, women, children and infants.

Vitamin D also helps improve immunity and cell function. Some studies have shown that Vitamin D helps decrease osteoporosis and even Alzheimer’s disease. The magnesium in found in almond milk helps absorb more of the calcium provided by the nutritious beverage.


Benefit #5: Skin Care

Every serving of pure almond milk contains 50% of our recommended daily value of Vitamin E. This powerful nutrient has antioxidant abilities in that it helps regulate Vitamin A use and availability.

More importantly, Vitamin E acts the primary regulatory nutrient that improves skin health.


Benefit #5: Eye Health

The moderate levels of Vitamin A found in almond milk helps keep our eyes functioning properly. Vitamin A directly influences the eye’s ability to adjust to differences in light.

Benefit #6: More Muscle Power

Even though almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it does contain B Vitamins in the form of riboflavin, plus other muscle regulating nutrients like iron. Each serving of almond milk contains about 4% of our recommended daily intake of iron, which helps muscles absorb and use protein for energy, growth and repair.

Iron also regulates certain cell functions like oxygen absorption.

Slice And Dice Abdominal Training. Today's Ab Routine.


Regular readers of AbFitt know I complete each workout with a fifteen minute ab circuit focusing on either the lower, upper or sides of the abdominal area. I train abs like every other body part-with weight and from many different angles. Here is a detailed break down of your abdominal's. Educating yourself will allow you to develop your own routine.

What Are the Core Muscles?

Different experts include different muscles in this list, but in general the muscles of the core run the length of the trunk and torso. The following list includes the most commonly identified core muscles as well as the lesser known groups.

Rectus Abdominis - located along the front of the abdomen, this is the most well-known abdominal muscle and is often referred to as the "six-pack" due to it's appearance in fit and thin individuals.
Erector Spinae- This group of three muscles runs along your neck to your lower back.
Multifidus - located under the erector spinae along the vertebral column, these muscles extend and rotate the spine.


External Obliques - located on the side and front of the abdomen.
Internal Obliques - located under the external obliques, running in the opposite direction.
Transverse Abdominis (TVA) - located under the obliques, it is the deepest of the abdominal muscles (muscles of your waist) and wraps around your spine for protection and stability.
Hip Flexors - located in front of the pelvis and upper thigh. The muscles that make up the hip flexors include: psoas major, illiacus, rectus femoris, pectineus, sartorius
Gluteus medius and minimus - located at the side of the hip
Gluteus maximus, hamstring group, piriformis - located in the back of the hip and upper thigh leg.
Hip adductors - located at medial thigh.

What makes green tea so special?












The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Other Benefits

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?

To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

New Science Of Preparing Fighters.













Boxing is a sport that is intermittent in nature, characterized by intervals of explosive bursts of power mixed with scaled down survival movements; therefore, training intensity should be similar to a competitive fight sequence. After all, you will not be constantly throwing explosive punches throughout a three-minute round--no human can sustain that intensity level--nor will you be in a survival mode for the duration.


Some Science-

In an Olympic boxing match, boxers must fight for a total of 11 minutes. The fight is structured for three three-minute rounds with a one-minute rest between each round. Therefore, it makes logical sense for a boxing athlete to have a high anaerobic threshold level and aerobic power level to meet the demands of this sport. In 2002, Laura Guidetti conducted a boxing study for the relationship between ranking in boxing competition performance and some physiological factors. The data suggest there were two basic factors related to boxing performance: physical fitness as indicated by individual anaerobic threshold and maximal oxygen consumption and upper-body muscular strength.


Time Frame

According to Tudor Bompa, author of "Theory of Methodology of Training," "32-36 weeks or 200 days of training are needed to reach a peak for advanced athletes." A form of periodization training is needed to peak at the right time for a fight. There are two basic stages of training: general preparation--containing a strength endurance phase and a basic strength phase, and the competition phase--emphasis placed on power and speed.


Getting My fighter stronger-

Early in the training cycle, structural--multijoint--exercises should be integrated into your workout twice a week. Squats, dead-lifts and power/hang cleans utilized to strengthen the hips and legs; after all, your punching power comes from the ground up. T-bar rows and wide/close grip pull-ups included to build back strength--large muscle area that aids in delivering a blow. High incline benches and shoulder presses to develop the deltoids for extending the crisp snap of a jab or straight right/left. Allow two minutes of rest between sets for maximum strength development.


Build Power-

High speed, sport specific power exercises should be performed three times a week, including: heavy bag, speed bag, double-end bag and jump rope with high/moderate interval intensity of 40/20 seconds per minute. These should be sustained throughout three three-minute rounds. As a changeup, similar interval training in shadow boxing with light weights, medicine ball exercise, and hitting mitts with trainer. Light-sparring and two-mile interval sprints performed once every four days. Allow one day off a week to avoid overtraining.


Fight Prep-

Intensity and speed pick up significantly. Combination lifts--clean and jerk, replace strength lifts--squat, dead-lift. Push up variations--clap, medicine ball--replace incline press. Amp up intensity during bag intervals with high/moderate intensity at 45/15 seconds per minute. More boxing specific exercises, including longer and harder sparring sessions. Plyometrics--depth jumps, multiple box jumps, bounding and medicine ball ballistic training--should be done early in this phase once every three days. Interval sprints and agility drills every three days.