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Guide
"Don't lie to yourself and say you don't have
time to exercise because you obviously had time to read this"
- Adrian Bryant, fitness expert at
NowLoss.com |
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STEP
ONE: Your
new girlynation fitness expert Adrian recommends that your first goal should
be getting your body fat percentage down to 14-20% (assuming you're
a woman over 18). Never (NEVER!) get down to 13% or lower, as this is the
level of essential fat that your body needs to survive. 20% should be your
goal! For losing weight, Adrian recommends either: diet & exercise
(cardio), or ONLY exercise
(cardio). Dieting alone will not help you
attain your dream body - the exercise is a necessary
component!
STEP
TWO: Once
you've reached 20% body fat (or maybe you're already there), your new workout
goal should be strength training, to work
on perfecting individual body parts.
If your goal is toning, you want to do
MORE reps with LOWER intensity or weight. Try 2-4 sets, 10-15 reps, with
lighter weight. You want to use the muscles but not so much that you
damage them and are too sore - you don't want them to rebuild and get
bigger. You will not require much recovery time, so work out often during
the week.
If your goal is building bigger or stronger muscles, you want to do
FEWER reps with HIGHER intensity or weight. Try 1-3 sets, 6-10 reps each,
with heavier weight. You want the weight to be heavy enough so
that your last rep is a struggle. You want to damage the muscle and be sore,
and you will require more recovery time. Make sure your muscles heal and
rebuild before you work them out again. Also remember to increase weight
as you get stronger, so your muscles can continue to grow.
Before you get started, here are a few
thoughts...
Fat vs muscle: Understand that muscle and fat are two completely different
tissues. Strength exercises do not turn fat into muscle. Likewise, if you
stop working out, muscle does not "turn into" fat. Also, remember that any
muscle you build will be UNDER fat. So, if you want to lose weight and/or
look more firm and toned, you need to lose weight AND gain muscle tissue
if you want those firm muscles underneath to show through. Also - when you
are working out, realize that there is no way to lose fat in only ONE area
("spot-reducing"). If you want to lose fat, you need to lose it all over
(by losing weight), then you can do strength training on the specific area(s)
you wanted to work on.
It's impossible to bulk up like a man: It's also important to realize
that, as a woman, working out a lot will never make you "look like a guy."
Testosterone is what enables men to get "big and bulky," and women
have MUCH less testosterone than men. The only reason that you sometimes
see female bodybuilders with that look is because they are unnaturally increasing
the testosterone in their body (via steroids, for instance). Never be scared
of bulking up too much and getting a manly body, because it's just not going
to happen.
The female body: As you consider your fitness goals, keep in mind
that women are typically just more rounded in certain areas. Not only is
this natural, it's also DESIRABLE as it is what separates a woman's soft
figure from that of a masculine, muscular man. It is also what separates
a developed woman's body from a that of a pre-adolescent. Body fat distribution
on the female body tends to be on the thighs, butt, hips, and upper arms.
Do not get frustrated if you can't get rid of a slight roundness - this
means you are a woman! ABOVE ALL - don't get so caught up in weight loss
(or your pursuit of a flatter tummy or smaller anything) that you lose
your curves! Having a figure is sexy!
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