Sunday, November 22, 2009

Changing your Physique

I want to talk briefly on exercise for physique improvement. There are several reasons why people exercise: to be healthy, to increase energy, to combat disease, to change one's appearance, etc. While all these reasons are good, I know that for most of us, being human, we want to look good!! We may not say it outright, but it's true. Appearance is important in our culture...just look at the money we spend on clothes, cosmetics, supplements, and cosmetic procedures! Supplement companies make BILLIONS of dollars a year! Fat burners, protein drinks, muscle building supplements, etc. are all things that we could do without, but we buy them and use them for the purpose of achieving our perfect physique.

What I want to discuss here is how you can change your body in the gym....WEIGHT TRAINING!! I don't mean lifting 5lbs for bicep curls...you could do that forever and not see a singe change. I mean really pushing yourself to lift heavy, more that you are used to. This is the ONLY WAY that your body will respond and change. And no, you won't get bulky unless your eating way too many calories, then you'll be building muscle and will also have a layer of fat over that muscle.

Women are afraid, I hear it all the time. Believe me ladies...you will not bulk up if you lift heavy!!! The CRAZIEST thing I hear from women is..."my legs are very muscular, so I don't want to work my legs because they will just get bigger" I could scream when I hear this :( Most of the time, these women can't even squat more than the barbell, they just have a layer of fat on their thighs. Guess what? Want to get rid of that fat??? LIFT heavy with your legs!!! There you go. No secret. Just do it. Don't hurt yourself, start off slow. But please, don't be afraid to lift.

Same goes with cardio. Going out for a run, 30 minutes, steady pace, everyday, will do very little for those desiring physique change. Instead, do intervals! For instance, I went out yesterday for a run with all intentions of just going at a steady pace and taking the easy way out. But, after 6 minutes, I decided to turn my session into a rockin' HIIT session! I sprinted for 45 seconds, and walked for 1 minute. I was exhausted after doing 12 intervals! I felt SO GOOD after though. Today, I feel sore in all the right places...Calves, hams, hip flexors, obliques. I know that by doing this, I'm making changes in my legs while burning a ton of calories and fat!!!

In closing, please challenge yourself and hit the weights hard. Don't be afraid, I promise that you'll see beautiful changes!!!

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