Losing Visceral Fat - Tips to Flatten your Midsection

Okay, now that summer is in sight, and we can now get out and about, people start the so-called quest for the six pack abs.  However, it appears that more people have opted for grabbing a 6 pack of beer than from trimming down their waistline.

In reality, Six pack abs are overrated and are not healthy.  You need to achieve single digit body fat.  Ideal body fat is 10-15% for men and 16-20% for women.  Lower fat levels than 10% can leave your body over-stressed and have adverse effects on the body. You do need adequate healthy fat to; maintain hormone levels; help body enzyme production; regulate body temperature and cushion vital organs.  Unfortunately most people have too much unhealthy fat.

The main point here is that you can NOT be fat and fit.....Losing Visceral Fat is one of the most important steps you can take to stay healthy for life.  Visceral fat, or “belly fat,” is the white fat that is stored in your abdomen and around all of your major organs, such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, and heart.  People with apple-shaped bodies (High visceral fat levels around the abdomen) have a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, artery disease and some cancers.

More importantly, there IS a direct correlation between body fat and cancer risk.  Excess visceral fat affects processes in your body and how it manages hormones like insulin and estrogen - affecting how and when cells divide and die.  

Too much body fat triggers inflammation.  This causes your pancreas to produce more insulin, which in turn triggers estrogen production.  Too much insulin and estrogen causes cells to divide more than usual.  This added stress and production can create new cells that are cancerous.

Getting firm abdominals is achievable. Even if you have a flabby stomach, you can reverse this “excess baggage” and reveal a more healthy midsection you always hoped for.

Tips to Flatten your midsection

1.  Be active - Move whenever you can.

This means taking the stairs, walking to the store, etc. The more you move your body, the more your muscles work, the more calories you burn, and the flatter your midsection becomes.

2. Perform Core Functional and Resistance Training exercises

Core training strengthens and stretches key muscles of the spine and lower torso and provide a solid foundation for all other movement.  Adequately conditioned abdominal & back musculature represents the key “coupling” link of the body that connects movements between upper & lower body.  Functional exercises involves training your core in a manner that is similar to daily life and sport demands.

Resistance training builds quality lean muscle, which is more metabolically active than fat.  The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn all day long—a key for a flat stomach.

3. Stay Focused. When you exercise your abs, focus on your midsection.  Don’t just “go through the motions”.  Picture your stomach getting smaller, tighter and stronger..

4. Brace your abs - Tense your abs 

Like any muscle you train, squeezing the muscle on contraction results in the best training effect. Your abdominals are no different  for best results do the following;

When working the Rectus Abdominus:   Tighten or Tense your abs and push out your belly button during the concentric action shortening the distance between your ribs and  pelvis.

5. Always engage your stomach muscles. 

Lift your chest and suck in your gut when you walk.  Do tummy tucks.

Perform the Vacuum exercise, as follows;

Take a deep breath in while lifting your chest. Keeping your chest elevated, breathe out while attempting to "suck in " your belly button as the lower part of your stomach flattens. You'll begin to feel some of the muscles in your waist feel tighter. Hold this position for a few seconds, then relax. That counts as one repetition.

The key to this technique is Concentration.  The vacuum is more than just sucking in your stomach. It demands concentration and mental focus to make it work.   With proper concentration, intensity and positive thinking this is will help maintain a tight midsection.

Eventually this will take some time to get used to, but if you do this religiously you will see results in no time.

6. Incorporate Cardio - using Moderate to High intensity workouts.

7. Get Adequate Sleep – lack of rest slows your metabolism

8. Eat the right foods. 

This is a must.  Hundreds of sit-ups won't make much difference to the appearance of your waist and stomach if your abdominal muscles are hidden under a layer of fat.  You have to lose body fat, not weight, in order to “see” your abs and this can only happen when you eat high quality nutrient dense foods.

Focus on Plants and Nutrient Dense foods.  Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Cut out milk, limit (or omit) wheat, dairy and meat. Make sure your drink enough water and limit or abstain from alcohol. This will help you control your blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and energy levels. Insulin management will help you lose fat and prevent you from gaining fat.

Getting rid of that jello belly is doable. Following the steps above will help reduce that flabby midsection.  And, hopefully you are doing it more for your health than for vanity.  Being obese or overweight IS a health risk that YOU can change.  Like anything worthwhile, it takes commitment – it’s all up to YOU!

Reference:  https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/how-does-obesity-cause-cancer.h27Z1591413.html

FITNESS PRINCIPLES TO FOLLOW

Some people that workout just “go through the motions”. It’s easy to take it casual and fool yourself into thinking that you are getting fit.  Don’t get me wrong, something is better than nothing. However, if you are one of the majority that is NOT working hard enough to meet Health Canada’s guidelines for physical activity don’t despair. There really are only a few main principles that you need to follow to get you on the right track.

1. TRAIN HARD
First and foremost – INTENSITY RULES. You must get out of your comfort zone. Ask anyone that has lost significant weight and kept it off – it wasn’t easy. But nothing worth striving for is, - is it? The concept here is Progressive Overload.

If you’re reading a magazine while on the treadmill or watching TV on the cross-trainer – it better be just a warm-up. If it’s cardio you’re after put the book down turn up the mp3 player and pick up the pace – get into the 70 or 80% Max. heart range. Or try High Intensity interval training. If it’s weights, put away the 10 lbs and go for 20. I’d rather see 8 quality reps that require effort than 20 reps that do anything but make you sore.

2. STRIVE FOR STRENGTH
And this isn’t just for the guys. Sorry, most women don’t get it. The ones that do have the body’s that most other woman envy. Male or female you must concentrate on getting strong. The secret is using only a few basic exercises for each major body part. Strive for 5 to 12 reps per exercise. A total of 30 to 100 repetitions for a major body part.

The main exercises MUST include: squats, lunges, deadlifts, bench presses, dumbbell rows, standing shoulder presses, pullups.

Now guys, if you’re not getting stronger, odds are you aren’t getting bigger either – muscle wise. And ladies, you will NOT grow big muscles. That is, unless you are taking illegal steroids it just won’t happen. What will is a nice toned figure.

3. FOCUS
To get results you must have engagement. It comes down to attitude. BELIEVE you can accomplish it. You can do anything you put your mind to. If you are there to exercise – do so. Visualize what you are trying to achieve. Leave the socializing until after you are done. This is where a mp3 player or ipod comes in handy.

At the end of the day it is you and only you that is accountable for your own results. In no time you will see your self-confidence increase as your capabilities improve. This becomes habit forming. You end up fighting the temptation and excuses and as a result, get MORE done, not less.


4. REST
Your body must recover from it’s workouts. You do not get stronger at the gym, but rather when you are at rest. Rest is essential so that you can repair your muscles, rebuild and strengthen.

For athletes and those committed to fitness a key is to avoid overtraining. By realizing that you must limit your workout volume, listen to your body and allow for sufficient recovery time, - you will see fantastic results.

The nice thing about rest is that it helps to maintain a balance between home, play, and work. Besides, if you are following the other three principles listed above you will welcome your rest days.

5. POSITIVE INNER CIRCLE

. This falls right in line with the Blue Zone’s values which emphasizes 9 lessons to longevity (1).  Associate with people that reinforce the right habits and can challenge you mentally building a support group you can truly trust.  Spend time with family.  Join a group that promotes positive habits – a walking club, fitness class or team group or club.

CONCLUSION
The nice thing is if you follow what I’ve suggested, you will spend less time in the gym and see substantial improvements.

As with anything in life, if you aren’t moving forward you end up slipping backwards. There’s no such thing as standing still – you’re body will deteriorate. Everything in the universe either grows or dies. You must continue to grow. And don’t blame AGE. Like I mentioned above about focus, it’s your mental attitude that will help get you there!

Remember – USE IT OR LOSE IT.

Striving for health and wellness requires a holistic approach – including the mind, body and spirit. Your ultimate goal should be to improve your energy levels, be free from illness, full of strength, vigor and above all happiness. Really, isn’t that what living life to the fullest is all about?

(1) THE BLUE ZONES - 9 Lessons for Living Longer, From the people who’ve lived the longest DAN BUETTNER National Geographic Society Copyright 2008 Washington, D.C. ISBN 978-1-4262-0948-2

FITNESS BOOTCAMP SURVEY RESULTS

Recently I had sent out a survey to the Bootcamp participants. Now we all know that regular exercise will make you feel better, stay healthy and live longer, but based on the responses, how did they stack up??

Well, I am going to share with you my input on your answers – which I am sure you will find to be quite useful.

BARRIERS

Most people say they do not have time to spend working out. Being extremely active with a career and family life is enough - you may feel that strenuous exercise would push you over the edge.

Based on the survey, the main barriers encountered when trying to participate in a fitness program were; Lack of internal motivation (31%), Busy home/family schedule (27%) and Busy work schedule (19%)

No matter what the barrier, adopting healthy lifestyle practices should be the first thing on your lifestyle design agenda!

Your body will adapt to whatever you give it. Most muscle loss occurs because we stop doing active things that require muscle power, not because we age! Take a 15 minute break at work and go for a walk or stretch. Incorporate PA into your social life. Instead of video games and movie night, try pick-up soccer, volleyball or baseball. Make sure you get enough sleep.

CURRENT EXERCISE ROUTINE

The majority of bootcampers (60%) participated in moderate activity or sport 3 to 5 times per week. The balance were light exercisers - once or twice per week.

Of those that workout, the majority stated that their intensity level was moderate (53%).
It's interesting to point out that 27% of those that workout felt that they were working in the vigorous range. Most people overstate their physical activity level and this is solidifies the statistics that 52% say they are physically active enough while only 4.8% are! Honestly, vigorous exercise relates to overloading the muscles, hard to breath (and converse), focused and for many, sweating and out of breath.

20% specified they were working light to moderate. In reality, this is only acceptable if you have just began exercising. As explained earlier, your body will adapt to whatever you give it. If you do not increase the intensity, your fitness gains will fall short and eventually stall.

ACTIVITY LEVEL

60% of individuals want to increase their activity level in the next 6 months - that's great!
However, only 40% of you are willing to take amount of time needed.

The American College of Sports Medicine released a lengthy report recommending that as part of a routine regimen to maintain cardiovascular health and ideal body weight and composition you should engage in 60 minutes of daily VIGOROUS physical activity. According to Health Canada, we only do one-third of that requirement!

You have to be ready to commit in order to achieve something. If you plan to lose weight, build muscle and tone up You have to realize it is hard work. The more active the exercise the better. One bootcamp a week will help but you have to make physical activity a priority for both you and your family. Creating an exercise habit starts with you!

KEEP IT FRESH & CHALLENGING

The response to participant's favorite part of my fitness bootcamp varied as much as my classes! Not one area stood out more than others. The most favorable responses came from the push on increased intensity and the variety.

A big advantage of my bootcamps is that you don't do the same exercises over and over again. Your body is very good at adapting to workouts. This way it is highly unlikely that you will plateau. If you do the same type of workout all the time, you're going to get the body you've always gotten. By adding variety, you keep things fresh and challenging, you shock your muscles into improving and you never get bored. Because of this, the chances are that you will continue to exercise.

By now you should know that my favorite saying is "Use it or Lose It". The human body was meant to move and physical activity MUST be part of your life.

Remember, there are no magic formulas for achieving improved health, permanent reductions in body fat or an increase in muscle mass. The best results come from a long-term strategy involving a permanent change in both eating and activity habits. Not from a pill, potion or some celebrity fad you have cut out of the latest magazine. It is very easy to get caught up in the 'quick results' or 'fast acting' diet scams around today, but it is important to look at the long-term effects of such actions. Your ultimate goal should be to improve your energy levels, be free from illness, and achieve your personally desired body weight.

It is your determination and perseverance, which will result in your success. Most importantly, no matter what type of activity you participate in, you must enjoy it. Exercise should be fun. You don't have to spend long hours to improve your health - time needed depends on effort. If you have fun and enjoy yourself you can easily incorporate fitness into your life forever.

BOOTCAMP WINNER

As promised, in appreciation to filling out the survey I offered a free “workout with Doug” session for one lucky bootcamper. The winner was Lori A. from Thursday’s class. Congratulations Lori!

I’ll leave you with words of wisdom from the great Jack Lalanne

"Your health account is like your bank account: the more you put in, the more you can take out"

DYNABODY FITNESS HOLIDAY CHALLENGE

With the Holiday season coming up quick, exercise is the first thing to go when people are busy. People overindulge at holiday parties and have added pounds to deal with. Did you know that obesity is now considered more dangerous than smoking?

To keep you committed to exercise during the Holiday season I’m putting on a Fitness Holiday Challenge to all my current and former fitness bootcamp participants.

The Fitness Holiday Challenge will work on a point system. You accumulate points based on the time spent exercising.

up to 30 min. of Exercise - 1 point

up to 60 min. of Exercise - 2 points

over 60 min. of Exercise - 3 points

A Maximum of 3 points per day.

EXERCISES THAT COUNT:

Cardio/Aerobic - Running, Step, Skipping, Calisthenics, etc.

Resistance or Training - Weight Lifting, Bodyweight Exercises, Bands, Tubing, etc.

Active Sport - Hockey, Soccer, Racquet sports, Basketball, Volleyball, etc.

Fun/Moderate Activities - Curling, Bowling, Walking, Yoga, etc. * 1 point only.

Now remember - you want to keep your heart rate elevated and should focus on intensity. And don't forget your WarmUp and Cooldown!

For my part, I will include a bodyweight exercise program you can do for the 5 weeks that the bootcamp is off. (We don’t start again until January 17^th and 19^th)

FREE WORKOUT!

As an added incentive, I will be offering a “workout with Doug session” for one lucky individual – one in December and another in January for all of those who participate in the Challenge. We will hit the gym and go through the paces with a full blown workout session – at no cost to you! (Except for spent calories)

This is a great way to stay motivated and be accountable during the Holiday season!

ps: Even if you don't want to participate and would like to try my Bodyweight Exercise program, send me a quick email at dynabody@gmail.com and I will forward the program for you to try.

Fitness Bootcamp starts soon!!!

The Fitness Bootcamps start this February 1st and 3rd in the Winnipeg/St.James area!

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp is a fun and exciting workout for all fitness levels, sizes, and ages (16+)! Each class will help improve your anaerobic/aerobic conditioning, coordination and timing. Have you ever tried kettlebells? an exercise ball? What about a bosu balance trainer? This Bootcamp has many innovative activities that incorporate calisthenics, obstacle courses, functional circuit training, abdominal and core body exercises along with games and martial arts techniques. And the best thing is – it’s fun!

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp has two 10 class evening sessions available from 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Tuesday classes: Bannatyne School, 363 Thompson Drive, starting February 1^st, 2011 (WFT1-11)

Thursday classes: Strathmillan School, 339 Strathmillan Road., starting Feb 3^rd, 2011 (WFT2-11)

Check out the video at: Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp promo

This is just one of the new and exciting classes offered by the St. James-Assiniboia School Division Continuing Education program. To inquire on this and other Continuing Education classes please phone 832-9637 or email coned@sjsd.net . Go Online at: http://www.localcourses.com/sjsd/

If you have any questions or concerns you can also reach me directly via email: dynabody@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

CONTROVERSIAL OR RISKY EXERCISES - the "No, No's"

It’s quite surprising the number of people who do exercises that are considered high risk or “No-No’s” for the average individual. If your doctor gave you wrong or outdated information it would be considered malpractice. In the gym, it seems to be standard operating procedure.

It’s bad enough I see people walk in to the gym ignore the cardio equipment and go right into a cold set of heavy weight bench presses. On any given day I can count the number of people that (1) Use incorrect exercise form (2) use inappropriate exercise selection (3) do ineffective Exercise Programs and (4) Some Stupid things that really don’t make much sense.

Contraindicated Exercises are those that pose a high-risk to joint structure, soft tissue injury, or other risks (heart attack, stroke, etc) and should be considered off-limits. Exercise technique has to do with safety and a results oriented program based on the training goal, the individual, joint mechanics and human anatomy.

There is no such thing as one size fits all. You have to realize that just because someone does an exercise doesn’t make it right. There are a number of exercises that are not appropriate while others can be slightly modified to lower risk of injury.

Here are some Controversial Resistant Training Exercises:

DEEP CHEST PRESS OR FLYE
Performing chest presses or flyes too deep decreases the ability of the pectoralis major to produce muscular force. The muscle cannot generate enough force and is held together by weaker shoulder muscles & ligaments. Hyperextension of the shoulder causes shoulder joint injury. This mechanical disadvantage of going beyond the midpoint of your body contributes to rotator cuff injury & anterior shoulder instability


UPRIGHT ROW
A common exercise, the Upright Row has a high-risk to benefit ratio. Poor alignment of the wrists, elbows, shoulders and upper trapezius muscles are poorly aligned against the force of weight being lifted. Drawing weight to the chin causes the elbow flexors to be extremely inward rotated, plus the weight is too heavy for the shoulder’s external rotators.

Alternative: Shrugs for scapular elevation and Dumbbell Press Overhead for upward scapular rotation.

LATISSIMUS CABLE PULL-DOWN BEHIND THE NECK
Behind the Neck Cable Pull Downs excessively flexes the neck & forces the shoulder into extreme shoulder external rotation & hyper-extension. Not only does this put strain on the rotator cuffs, paving the way for inflammation but can crack the spinous processes (little nubs on tope of the vertebrae).

Both Cable Pull Downs behind the Neck and Barbell Press Overhead behind the Neck
lock your hands behind your head which can torque your cervical vertebrae and result in neck pain.

Alternative: Anterior Lat Cable Pull Downs: Pulling the bar to your chest while maintaining proper posture is easier on your neck and shoulders and flexes the lats through a greater range of motion, accelerating muscle growth.

LEG EXTENSIONS
Leg extensions are an isolated exercise that can cause uneven compression between the kneecap and thighbone, inflaming the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone. In addition, if fully extended this puts heavy load on the ankle.

Alternative: Squats: Done properly this is one of the best exercises not only for your glutes, hips and legs but core as well. To squat safely, place the bar across your shoulders (not your neck) or use a Manta Ray accessory. With your back straight, bending slightly at the hips through the squatting motion, push up with your heels but don’t lock out the knees. Don’t lean forward - focus on keeping your ears in line with your ankles. Knee angle should be between 60 and 90 degrees.

FULL SIT UP
Sit-ups is an in-effective abdominal exercise. It actually strengthens the hip flexors more so than the abdominal muscles. There is a risk of back strain due to sheer force on the spinal discs and possible neck injury. When your feet are fixed, a powerful leverage advantage is created and the use of the hip flexors take over from any abdominal tension. Twisting (right elbow to left knee and vice versa) at the top of the sit-up movement is not only useless but risky. Twisting places tremendous rotational stress on the lower back that can lead to injury.

Alternative: A Crunch or Curl-Up is a safe alternative. If you prefer to do a Sit-up focus on the following cues: Fully flex the spine prior to full sit-up. After curling the spine the hip flexors can take over when the torso moves towards upright full sitting position. Allow your feet to be free so that the trunk can flex and remain neutral. Do not use a straight-leg as this arches the back and creates overextension and strain.

STRAIGHT BAR BARBELL CURLS
Straight Bar Curls are stressful on both the elbow joints and on the wrists.
You will notice that when you let your arms hang loosely by your sides, you'll notice that your palms face inward. When you face your palms forward your hands will vary on the witdth from your side. With a Barbell, the arms will lock into an unnatural palms-up position, which can lead to tendonitis.

Alternative: E-Z Bar Curls or Dumbbells. An E-Z bar is angled so that your thumbs are higher than your pinkies (pronated) and is not only easier on the wrist but puts your elbows in a more natural neutral position. Dumbbells allow your hands to return to their natural position.


SUMMARY

Not all of the exercises I’ve mentioned are necessarily “wrong”. The idea is to train smarter.
The idea is to reduce pain and injury while getting the most out of your exercise session.
Hey, if you want to do dumbbell presses on a Swiss ball go right ahead. Just realize that substituting a ball for a bench will greatly reduce the focus on your chest and shoulders.
If you want to do sit ups or leg raises, just realize that the prime movers are your hip flexors and not your abdominal muscles. Done wrong it’s a waste of time and even harmful. Care must be taken to maintain a neutral lumbar spine and include the modifications explained above.

A good rule to follow is “Keep your hands where you can see them”. If you are using your hands during an exercise and lose sight of them you are at a mechanical disadvantage. At the extreme end of the range of motion your joints are vulnerable to heavy loads and destabilizing forces stretch ligaments, strain muscles and inflame bursa (synovial sac around joints).

With leg exercises it is important to maintain a neutral spine. Any type of standing hip extension exercise strongly challenges the low back muscles as stabilizers. The depth of the exercise is dependent on hamstring flexibility and the ability of the back musculature to stabilize lumbar neutral.

SIMPLE RULES TO FOLLOW:

- Always warm-up before starting a training session
- Don’t lock out the knees or elbows during an exercise. Keep tension on the muscle at all times.
- Keep you heels on the floor to generate power.
- Do not use momentum during your rep cycle.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together to help stabilize your core.
- Train smart – set goals, have a plan and write it down.

After a workout session you should feel refreshed and rejuvenated, not tired and sore. You have your whole life ahead of you so stay positive and have fun !