Home Workout and Diet for Women

Q. Can u tell me how to lose flab using weights at home. How to reduce the flab on arms n belly fat .I think i should be using lower weights with higher number of reps. So could u plan a workout regimen for me.
My lifestyle is very active, overall I am active and eat quite sensibly.
Here is my food habit.

breakfast : rice based preparation
lunch: rice +gravy...(veg or non-veg)
evening i keep nibbling at biscuits etc....nothing in particular
late supper again rice preparation

I do cooking etc, walk around all the day. (since i have little kids.)

So i need a food chart so that i don miss out the nutrients name of diet n don’t be tuff on hair n skin .I am addicted to coffee like hell. So i m looking for a lifestyle change...i have already brought about changes like reducing the oil in cooking etc.

(Before giving a solution to her problem I ensured that her health conditions are normal and that she did not have any thyroid related problems. Moreover she said that she had few weights at home which helped me in planning a workout regime for her)


A. Let me answer your questions part by part.

1. Spot reduction: Spot reduction of fat is impossible. So let us target at a overall body fat reduction and strengthening the muscles.

2. Diet:
The problem with your diet is, your carbohydrate intake is very high and your protein intake is very low. So based on the diet given by you, we will try to plan a better diet to suit your lifestyle.

You are a coffee addict - so i will allow you to take a big glass of coffee first thing in the morning and then no more coffee for the rest of the day, instead we will switch to green tea once or twice during the day and before evening. Because taking any of caffeine filled food in the evening can disturb your sleep.

Have a leisurely walk in the morning and then have your breakfast

Breakfast
- continue your rice based preparation as you need energy for the rest of your day. But add( 2 egg whites and one yolk to your breakfast and reduce the quantity of rice based prep)

Mid time snack
-1 fruit [or] fruit juice with less sugar and 2-4 badam(almonds)

Lunch
- 2 roti(Indian Wheat bread) and (non veg gravy or gravy prepared with soy or any dal) + any green leafy vegetable (never miss the greens)

Afternoon snack
- green tea + 25 grams peanuts

dinner
- NO rice
take in 2 roti(Indian Wheat bread) + 2 egg white + 1 yolk + veggies


3. Workout:

Here is the workout plan that you will be following 7 days a week for the next few months.
warm up - neck rotation, shoulder rotation, hip rotation, walking on the spot

day 1:
warm up
Push ups 2 sets
dumbbell flys - 2 x 15
dumbbell pull avers - 2 x 15
dumbbell rows - 2 x 15
shoulder press - 2 x 12
lateral raises - 2 x 15
triceps extension - 2 x 20
biceps curl- 2 x 12
bamboo twisting - 5 mins

day 2:
Walking for 30 mins

day 3:
warm up
Squats 2 x 15
squats with wide legged stands 2 x 15
stiff legged dead lift 2 x 15
calf raises 1 x 15
floor crunches - 2 x 20
leg raises - 2 x 15
dumbbell side bends 2 sets to failure

Day 4:
Walking for 30 mins

day 5:
Target problem areas - here we target problem areas, but remember spot reduction of fats is not possible but by targeting them we can make the muscles toned and make them appear in a better shape
Here we will be targeting the butt / gluteus

Butt kicking/Donkey kicks -

This butt kickback can be performed as shown by kneeling down with one leg behind your body slightly raised and bent in a 90 degree position. Now raise the leg as high as you can and slowly lower it to the starting position. This exercise can be very good for physical therapy and other recovery type exercises.
Refer Video guide - http://workouttube.blogspot.com/2008/06/donkey-kicks.html
Perform 5 sets of this exercise

Reverse crunches - 2 x 15
Skipping (rope jumping) - 10 mins (this will help you improve the overall shape of the body)

Day 6 :
Walking for 30 mins

Day 7:
rest

For the first two weeks you will follow this program, after that you will be changing the cardio to slow jogging and so on...

Always remember, you have to stay active throughout the day. So play with your kids when ever you get time to play...

As weeks progress you can increase the number of walking sessions that you perform.

All the best for your fitness goals.

Broad shoulders

Q. Hi. I’ve been working out for the past 8 months. I have added considerable amount of muscle in my arms, chest and legs. But my problem is I have a narrow shoulder. Is there any way of making the shoulders broad? I am 22 now and do modeling. So it would be great if you can help me out in this situation. Thanks in advance!!

A. If you are in your teens, then there are possibilities of modifying your bone structure by workouts and you might develop a broad shoulder.

But in your case you are already 22. So let me tell you a trick. Have you watched bodybuilders standing on stage in a contest? Let us consider one bodybuilder in particular - “Jay Cutler”. Actually Ronnie Coleman’s shoulders are wider than jay’s shoulders, but still jay creates an illusion of bigger shoulders on the stage.

How is this possible?
If you watch Jay closely, he would have full development in all the muscles, but in particular watch his upper pectoral muscles (chest), his upper lats and his lateral deltoids. These three muscles would be extraordinarily developed. This would give an illusion that Jay’s shoulders are indeed as big as Ron’s.

So in your case we will follow the same strategy. We can add extra focus on the following muscles,
Lateral deltoids
Upper pecks and outer pecks
Upper lats

The game plan:

Do all your workouts religiously and with full dedication.

Pecks:
From now on you would concentrate on two exercises with priority in your chest workouts. The inclined bench presses (drop the bar near your upper peck) and wide bar dips.
A complete upper peck development would create an illusion of a broad frame and development of the outer lining in the peck will endorse the illusion. That’s the reason why we have added inclined presses for upper peck and wide bar dips in the program. Add one more exercise of your choice to your chest workout

Delts:
Do your presses and rear lateral raises in your workout, but the main focus would be to develop an extraordinary lateral delts to give you the rounded appearance of the shoulders to add extra width to the illusion. Adding half inch on both sides would result in one inch increase in shoulder width.

Back:
If we train the pecks and delts properly then we create an illusion of broad shoulders from the front side. But Modeling and Bodybuilding are no puppet shot to view from one side only. People watch you from the front as well as from the back. So never miss your wide grip chins/wide grip pull downs in your back workout. Because the upper lat adds the extra width which looks evident from the back.


All the best…

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ's

How to reduce hip size

Broad shoulders

Home Workout and Diet for Women

Weight training - Safe or not?

The Bodybuilding Diet

From fat to fit

Important bodybuilding lesson - Training prioritization

Soy Protein - Good or Bad?

Heavy weight or light weight

How much water should I drink in a day?

Healthy eating

Dumbbells or Barbells

My shoulder hurts when I bench press

Morning Exercise or Evening Exercise for Fat loss

Walking speed

Why i am not responding to the same workout routine

How to reduce hip size

Q. I have been working out for about 2 years and have few problems and I hope that you can help me with that.

As you suggest in most of your articles I stick to basics and lift heavy. I have tries a lot of exercises to reduce the hip size but nothing works.

My trainer tells me that the problem is because of my heavy squats. But it is one of my favorite exercises and I love squatting.

What do you think?

A. There is no exercise that specifically targets the subcutaneous fat.

Exercises build muscle and it does not reduce it. If you cut down exercises, it will cause muscle tissue loss and make the muscle shrink.

To reduce your hips you must first cut down the exercises that place your hips under stress. So you might have to cut down squats and deadlifts that throw excess stress on your hips. Instead try squatting on smith machine rather than free weight squats. As smith machine eliminates the excess stress on your hips it will suit you better. Hack squats, Sissy squats are very good alternatives to Squats.

Also, reduce your carbohydrate consumption to get rid of fats to make your hips appear tapered.

PS: For this reason Mr.Olympia contestant Dexter Jackson does not squat free weights and uses hack squats and smith machine squats instead.

Ephedrine and Ephedrine based stacks

Author: Krishna
Location: USA

First off - Ephedrine or any alpha/beta agonist are dangerous compounds that should not be abused. They should NOT be used if proper research is not done. They have side effects and can potentially lead to a cardiac arrest if pre-existent conditions prevail.

I am not a doctor- so please dont take my advice - these are just opinions.



Ephidrine

Here is a quick breakdown of the ingredients and simple directions on how to use. I will also include a few links on where you can purchase these products and a few links to other threads. By no means will this be scientific, however, I will state what has worked for me and I hope others, who have experience with the ECY stack, post their opinions. This could be a simple Q&A

What is an ECY stack?
ECY stands for ephedrine HCL, yohimbine HCL and caffeine

Where can I find the ingredients for the ECY stack
* Ephedrine HCL can be found at the www.supplementkings.com - LoL this is my venture so its a shameless promotion :)
* Caffeine can be found at the www.supplementkings.com
* Yohimbine HCL, though not sold as a seperate ingredient, can be found as yohimbe at the www.supplementkings.com

What are the dosings/servings of the ECY stack?
If you are new to this, you will need to start at a basic level. Ideally, each serving will be:

* Ephedrine HCL: 25mg
* Caffeine: 200mg
* Yohimbine HCL: 5mg

The best (i.e. ideal) time to take it will be 30 minutes prior to a meal (preferably low carb) and/or 30 minutes prior to exercise. It should also be noted that yohimbine really isn't necessary to make this stack AMAZING. Ephedrine HCL and caffeine will do well. Many people will alternate ephedrine HCL and caffeine with yohimbine HCL with caffeine, as there is published material stating that the combination of ephedrine and yohimbine isn't wise. You can read up on it here

You should wait a few days before your increase your servings (assessing tolerance to the ingredients). In most cases, people will take 2-3 servings a day, with a few taking 4 servings a day and some whackos taking more then that :o. Each serving should be taken roughly 4 hours or more apart, and again, 30 minutes prior to a meal (preferably low carb) and/or exercise.


What pre-cautions should I take with the ECY stack?
Some basic pre-cautions include:

* Not surpassing 100mg ephedrine HCL in a 24 hour period
* Not surpassing 0.2mg/kg of bodyweight of yohimbine HCL (20mg for a 220lb person)
* Always watch for side-effects, including: increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, increased body temperature, et cetera.
* As caffeine is a diuretic, please drink plenty of fluids (i.e. water) daily.
This is a very basic thread regarding ECY. There are topics I have not touched, including other supplements to take with the ECY. Honestly, if you are a noobie taking this, stick to the basics.

Finally, please realize that these are supplements, they will NOT replace a proper diet and exercise program. They are used to 'supplement' it. Please use with caution and know ALL the side-effects of each ingredient.

This is intended for those 18 years and older

REASON WHY FAT LOSS STACKS DO NOT WORK!
1. People don't read the label.
"Take half of the dosage for the first week to access your tolerance level." So naturally they take 4 pills at once, and when they feel all messed up, they blame it on the pills. For many cycles, I have used the ECA stack without any side effects, and without even knowing it's there for the most part. Why? Because there's this thing called tolerance. This leads me to the second reason....
2. People are impatient.
I do 4 days on 1 pill, 4 days on 2, 4 days on 3, and the rest on 4. Then, at the end of the cycle, I do the reverse. I barely know it's there, and I'm very sensitive to stimulants. But for immediate satisfaction people will start out with too high of a dose. This will cause anyone to become jittery. Tolerance to the CNS effects build rather rapidly, but many of the fat burning effects remain. All the research has been done on long, consistent use - not popping 4 pills and expecting to lose 10 pounds.
3. People don't do the research.
So why, you ask, don't people KNOW about tolerance? Because they're taking something that they know nothing about. Most people think the only function of the ECA is to increase heart rate. So they think that if they're not speeding it's not working. ECA has many fat burning effects when taken the way I've described. But don't take my word for it; do some research!
4. People want something for nothing.
You hear many people complain that these products don't work. But ephedrine and caffeine are bar none the best legal fat burners, as evidenced by literally hundreds of studies and double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. If there's some mild side effects, so be it. You can't expect to lose fat rapidly without side effects! It's physically impossible. If a fat burner is completely comfortable, it's probably not doing anything. The reason these supps don't work for many? Because they don't do it in combination with a calorie deficit. A pill is not a substitute - you have to be willing to put the work in action.
5. People are stupid.
Heart attacks, palpitations, convulsions. It's right there on the label. It tells you that you shouldn't take it with certain medical conditions, and the dosage parameters. And you know what? Multiple controlled studies show no difference in the amount of these conditions in the normal population versus people who use ephedrine. It is perfectly safe taken within the limits. In this same vein are tons of media reports. Every single one says, "This person who took ephedrine had this problem." That doesn't mean jack shit compared to the controlled studies I describe. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a perfectly safe substance. But I think it's 99.999% safe when you follow the directions on the label.