The Busy Woman's Fitness Solution

Copyright and Legal Notices “The Busy Woman’s Fitness Solution” COPYRIGHT 2007, 2008 © PERFECT FIT, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this program may be reproduced or transmitted for resale or for use by any party other than the individual purchaser who is the sole authorized user of this information. Purchaser is authorized to use any of the information in this publication and/or accompanying materials for his or her use only. All other reproduction or transmission, of any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage or retrieval system, is prohibited without the express written permission of Perfect Fit, LLC. NOTICE – DISCLAIMER Before starting any exercise program, all individuals should consult with their physician or primary healthcare provider. All information in this manual and in the accompanying materials is of a general nature and is furnished for educational purposes only. No information contained in this manual or in any accompanying materials provided by Perfect Fit, LLC, Back Lot Films, Inc., their agents or distributors, is to be taken as medical or other health advice pertaining to any individual’s specific health or medical condition. The information is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or recommendation for a particular course of action regarding your health and is not intended to provide specific medical advice. You agree that Perfect Fit, LLC is not liable or responsible, in whole or in part, to any person or entity for any injury, damage, or loss of any sort caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the use, practice, teaching, or other dissemination of any of the techniques, information, or ideas presented in this manual or accompanying materials. It remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of all information provided by Perfect Fit, LLC. With Healthy Weight Inner Circle, You Can Finally Lose That Belly Fat, Trim Those Thighs, Tone Those Muscles, Get Healthy, and Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans Again! Join our community and let our exclusive Metabolism Makeover Course finally help lose weight, get fit, and be healthy and happy with the way you look and feel for a lifetime. You know diets don't work. The Metabolism Makeover will show you what does. Healthy Weight Inner Circle is a private, members-only resource exclusively for people like you who are serious about losing weight and getting healthy once and for all. All Inner Circle members gain access to our exclusive Metabolism Makeover Interactive Classroom, a 12week course which will show you how to finally lose fat for a lifetime, without fads, gimmicks, or ridiculous diets. Healthy Weight Inner Circle is NOT about the latest fads, gimmicks, or diets. It's time to face the fact that those snake-oil salesmen who are trying to convince you to try the latest Hollywood fad diet, miracle diet pill or supplement, or instant abs infomercial gimmick are lying to you. We ARE about losing weight and getting fit for a lifetime, and our Metabolism Makeover Interactive Classroom will help you do that by showing you the real way to lose that belly fat, firm up those muscles, and get the body you deserve. You'll do that by NOT starving yourself and by learning how to get the maximum benefit from workouts that can take as little as 30 minutes. When you do that, great things happen. Think about it. Is anything really more important than your health and fitness? Think about what it would be like to be the same dress size you were before you had children. Or what it would be like to be the same size you were in your wedding pictures. How would you like have people comment on how great you look, instead of whisper behind your back how much weight you've gained? How would you like to regain your old golf swing? The swing you used to have before that extra weight threw your game off the cliff. Maybe you'd like to be able to tend to your garden without having to lather yourself in Ben-Gay for a week after? Wouldn't you like to have the strength to carry your child up a flight of stairs without getting winded? How much would it be worth to you to lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk for heart disease and diabetes, and just generally feel better and have more energy? How much would it be worth to you to get a trimmer waist, leaner thighs, and defined arms and shoulders? And how would you like to do all of this WITHOUT diet pills, fad diets, infomercial gimmicks, or crazy supplements? Can you even put a price on it? Well, the average monthly cost for a gym membership is around $40. A single session with a personal trainer will run $50 - $90. A membership and food plan from one of those diet centers can be almost $400/month. And those ridiculous infomercial exercise contraptions can cost hundreds of dollars! People often spend thousands of dollars a year on these things and most of them don't get the results they want! For a fraction of those costs, you can get all of the benefits a Healthy Weight Inner Circle membership including: • Never dieting again. That's right. Your last diet was your LAST diet! Our Metabolism Makeover course will finally teach you what eating right means. • Never again having to wonder if your exercise program is the right one for you. When you participate in the Metabolism Makeover, every week you'll receive a new workout program, with detailed instructions to follow. In addition, there will be a new lesson every week designed to help you create new habits that will speed you on your path to losing fat, getting fit, and achieving the body of your dreams. • You'll be sure you're doing each exercise properly and getting the greatest results possible out of your efforts. With close to 100 exercise video clips (and more being added) you'll learn exactly how to perform each move safely and effectively. Your friends will think you hired a Personal Trainer! • Members will have access to the complete HWIC archives, including all of the Metabolism Makeover lessons, video Tips of the Week, Exercise Video Libraries, and more, so no matter when you join you'll have a full array of training programs designed to help you lose that belly fat, build those arms, define those thighs and glutes, and get fit the right way. • Instead of relying on some company to sell you lousy-tasting, pre-packaged, tiny meals, you'll learn how eating healthy can be easy and tasty. HWIC's Recipe Box has over 100 easy-to-make recipes for appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and more! • Lessons and articles that will uncover all of the misinformation regarding diets and fitness in the marketplace that you are bombarded with daily. You'll never fall for the lies and deceptions of those fad diet marketers again. • The support of a community of people just like you in the HWIC Discussion Forums. • Expert interviews on fitness, nutrition, fat loss, motivation, and more. • Weekly health and fitness video tips. There's no need to struggle on your own any more. We are here to help and to share our experiences with you. And the best part is the price. For a limited time, you can check out all of our extremely valuable information, including the Exclusive Metabolism Makeover course, with our 14-day $1 trial offer. If you decide to stay on, you'll pay only $12.95 per month, or less than $10 per month if you choose our quarterly billing option. Cancel anytime. Considering you'll learn to finally lose weight and never diet again, its a bargain. Put it this way. How would you feel a year from now if you discovered there were tips, techniques and strategies which could have made a tremendous difference in your weight, health, and appearance? What if the only thing stopping you from discovering that advice was an investment of .32 cents a day? How much is your health and fitness worth? Think of how much more than this you've spent on one fad diet book or 'miracle' product, none of which ever lived up to the promises. Still not sure? Go ahead and watch the first 30 minute video lesson from the Metabolism Makeover Course for FREE. Don't worry, it's not a sales pitch. It's an actual lesson from the course, jam-packed with real information. CLICK HERE to check it out. Congratulations........................................................................................................ 8 16 Benefits of Healthy Weight Inner Circle.............................................................. 9 The Starting Line: Goal Setting .............................................................................. 13 Exercise is Only Half the Battle.............................................................................. 15 So What Does All of This Mean?........................................................................ 15 The Cardio Myth .................................................................................................... 16 Cardio Girl.......................................................................................................... 16 Smaller Muscles Burn Less Fat.......................................................................... 17 Efficient Muscles Are Good, But... ...................................................................... 18 Why Cardio Girl is Wrong................................................................................... 18 More Calories, Less Time................................................................................... 19 But What About The Fat-Burning Zone?............................................................. 19 Okay, So What are Cardio Intervals? ................................................................. 20 Two Important Points First ..................................................................................... 21 Remember The Belly Button .............................................................................. 21 A Note on Exercise Intensity and Certain Medications ....................................... 21 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere....................................................... 22 The Plank........................................................................................................... 22 Side Bridges....................................................................................................... 23 Stability Ball Wall Squats.................................................................................... 24 Split Squats........................................................................................................ 25 Hip Extensions ................................................................................................... 26 Mountain Climbers ............................................................................................. 27 Push Ups ........................................................................................................... 28 Bench Dips......................................................................................................... 31 Crunches............................................................................................................ 32 Resistance Tubing Exercises You Can Do Anywhere............................................ 33 Standing Core Twists ......................................................................................... 33 Squat Rows........................................................................................................ 34 Squat Press ....................................................................................................... 35 Shoulder Extensions .......................................................................................... 36 Chest Press ....................................................................................................... 37 Bicep Curls......................................................................................................... 38 Three Stretches ..................................................................................................... 39 Hamstring Stretch .............................................................................................. 41 Hip Flexor Stretch .............................................................................................. 42 Chest Stretch ..................................................................................................... 43 Sample Routines ................................................................................................... 44 A Word About Soreness..................................................................................... 44 Definitions .......................................................................................................... 44 Beginning Routine.............................................................................................. 45 Intermediate Routine .......................................................................................... 46 Advanced Routine.............................................................................................. 48 About the Author.................................................................................................... 50 Congratulations Hello, my name is Dave Soucy, owner of Perfect Fit Fitness Bootcamps and founder of Healthy Weight Inner Circle. If you’re like most of my clients, you’re reading this because you want to make a change in your life, and let me first congratulate you for taking this step. By taking the time to read this program, you are making a commitment to seek positive change in your health, fitness, and life. It is an investment that will pay off immensely for the rest of your life. This manual will provide you instruction for safe, simple, and effective exercises that you can do at home, most with little or no equipment. Make no mistake, fitness and weight loss takes effort, but with my instruction, if you are consistent with your fitness efforts, I know you can reach your fitness and weight loss goals. I don’t believe in those ‘lose 30 lbs in 30 days’ or ‘lose weight with no effort’ or ‘get six pack abs in six minutes’ rip offs that you often see advertised. Long term fitness and permanent weight loss does take effort, and you will need to challenge yourself with this program to see results. But, the effort you put in will pay off like no other. If you have tried diet after diet and always gained the weight back, or tried the latest fat burner and didn’t see results, you hopefully now understand that diets and magic pills will not provide long term weight loss and fitness. The truth is, you have to eat right and exercise. Forever. This is not a debate, and if you were hoping to find some magic secret in here that would give you instant weight loss without any effort, well, sorry about that. You’ve got the wrong book. But, if you are finally ready to commit to a healthy lifestyle that includes effective, simple exercises that you can do in the privacy of your own home, then you’ve taken your first step. If you’d like even more info on exercising, fitness, healthy nutrition, and weight loss, please visit our online fitness community at Healthy Weight Inner Circle. Dave Soucy © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 8 16 Benefits of Healthy Weight Inner Circle Everyone has their own reasons for making a decision to improve their life through a fitness program. And while most people are concerned with losing weight and looking better, here is a list of many of the other important potential benefits that Healthy Weight Inner Circle can provide: Loss of body fat Do you know that when you attempt to lose weight by dieting alone, you end up losing some fat, but also much lean muscle and water? Also, calorie restriction causes your body to slow down your metabolism, so as soon as you increase calorie intake again, the fat comes back on faster than ever. A strategy built around sound nutrition and exercise can help you maximize fat loss while maintaining or gaining valuable lean muscle. Weight control Unlike diets, a sound nutrition and exercise strategy can lead to a lifetime of stable weight, getting you off of the weight loss - weight gain roller coaster that comes with diets. A fad diet may get you back into those size 4 pants again for a month, but a well thought out fitness lifestyle can keep you in them forever. Look better naked Well, who doesn’t want that? Increased metabolism Contrary to popular perception, a fast or slow metabolism is not a gift or curse you are given at birth. It is easy to blame your metabolism for weight gain, but in reality, we are NOT the victims of our metabolism, rather we are the CREATORS of our metabolism. While calorie restricted diets literally destroy your metabolism, a properly designed exercise and nutrition plan can dramatically fire up your metabolism © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 9 so you burn more calories all day, every day. Increased muscular strength and endurance Whether you participate in competitive sports, or just participate in activities of daily living such as carrying your child up and down the stairs or lifting the groceries out of the car trunk, increased strength will allow you to perform better. And for women, you do not need to worry about developing big, bulky muscles in order to see improvements in muscular strength and endurance. Increased cardiorespiratory efficiency and endurance Do you get winded just going up a flight of stairs? In less time than you think, a properly designed exercise regimen can deliver marked improvement in your endurance. Research has repeatedly shown that a regular exercise routine can improve the performance of the cardiorespiratory system. Do you realize that if you were able to reduce your resting heart rate by only 5 beats per minute, that translates into 7200 fewer times per day your heart needs to beat? That is more than 50,000 fewer beats per week! That is a lot less work that your heart will need to do. Increased bone, ligament, and tendon strength Resistance training and weight bearing exercise not only strengthen the muscles, but strengthen the skeletal system and connective tissues as well. This can greatly reduce your risk of injury. Increased muscle mass Along with an improved physical appearance, increased muscle mass causes you to burn more calories throughout the day. Muscle is metabolically active tissue and is the furnace in your body where fat is actually used for energy. More muscle means a faster metabolism. Reduction in resting blood pressure Did you know that high blood pressure increases the risk for coronary heart disease, and can cause heart attacks or strokes? © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 10 According to the American Heart Association, one in four adult Americans has high blood pressure, and nearly a third of them do not realize it. Of the 50 million sufferers, nearly half are women. While medications are often warranted, lifestyle changes including improvements in nutrition and regular exercise are key elements in the control of blood pressure. Improvements in cholesterol levels Cholesterol, a fatty substance found in cells and blood, is necessary for many normal bodily functions. Unfortunately many people have cholesterol readings that are too high - 200 and above - putting them at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If you are overweight, losing body fat can reduce your LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol, and as little as thirty minutes of exercise on most days can help improve overall cholesterol levels. Decreased risk of diabetes Type 1 Diabetes, where the body makes little or no insulin, is usually diagnosed in childhood. Currently there is no known way to prevent Type 1 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes, where the pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose at normal levels, usually occurs in adulthood and is far more common, making up 90% of all cases of the disease. Maintaining an ideal body weight and an active lifestyle are two of the main factors in preventing the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. Decreased risk of osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and bone fragility, which leads to increased risk of fractures. Men as well as women may suffer from it. Studies have shown that resistance training and weight-bearing exercises are effective in increasing bone mineral density. Improved self-esteem There is truth in the saying "When you look good, you feel good." © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 11 The positive changes brought on by a structured exercise and supportive nutrition program are not only physical. Increased confidence, energy, and vitality are all benefits of a fitness lifestyle. Improved posture Whether it is behind a desk at work, behind the wheel of a car, or on the couch watching TV, we all spend a lot more time than we should on our butts. These positions can lead to lower back problems, weak and rounded shoulders, tight chest muscles, and a hunched over posture. A properly designed exercise program can address these issues, and help undo the damage we unintentionally do to our bodies all day long. Decreased stress Studies have shown that exercise can cause the brain to release endorphins and other neurotransmitters that actually help to improve your mood and leave you relaxed. Overall improved health The health benefits of exercise have been known for thousands of years, as evidenced by this quote: "Speaking generally, all parts of the body which have a function, if used in moderation and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed, become healthy and well developed and age slowly. But, if unused and left idle, they come liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly." Hippocrates 370BC © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 12 The Starting Line: Goal Setting Most people have heard that when it comes to setting goals, you're supposed to set SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-based. I'm in agreement with the first 3 of those. Goals need to be specific, not wishy-washy. "I want to lose weight" is not a goal, it's a daydream. "I will weigh 184 lbs by the end of this fitness bootcamp" is a goal. "I want to be invisible" is neither measurable nor achievable, so we're back into daydreaming again. Obviously you need to be able to measure your progress towards your goal, and your goal must ultimately be achievable if it is going to have any real value. Simple enough. I've got a little bit of an issue with setting Reasonable goals though. Always being reasonable means you never really have to reach out of your comfort zone and push yourself. Unreasonable goals, if still achievable, will force you to push yourself further than you are used to, into the area where real growth and accomplishment occur. Always being reasonable (at least as far as goal setting goes) is for babies. Run with scissors once in a while. Be unreasonable. As far as Time-based goes, that is okay, but could be improved. I prefer to have Event-based goals. The difference is subtle, but important. If you say you want to lose 9 lbs of fat by August 31, and you don't do it, well, so what? Where is the consequence for not meeting your deadline? There is no consequence. With some random date as a deadline, it is too easy to let yourself off of the hook when you really need to push yourself to make your goal. With an Event-based deadline there will be a consequence for not making your goal. Let me explain. Instead of picking an arbitrary date on the calendar, pick an event based in the future: a school reunion, a wedding, a family gathering, a trip, etc. Don't have any of those coming up? No problem. Call your doctor and set an appointment for a physical. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 13 Now, tell someone close to you about your goal to lose 9 lbs by the reunion/wedding/gathering/trip/physical/etc. Now you have a real incentive to stick to your plan because you can picture yourself 9 lbs lighter at your specific event, and if you don't make it, the person you told will know. The other benefit is that when you do reach your goal, not only will you feel great about it, but you'll have that other person to share your success with. That being said, it is important to set both short and long term goals for yourself. If you have goals in mind for an event 16 weeks away, set additional goals for 8 & 12 weeks. Also set goals for 6 & 12 months, and make sure that you write all of them down. Always remember to look at the big picture with your goals and accomplishments. A client may be disappointed that her body fat percentage “only” dropped 4% over 16 weeks. But think about it: At that pace she will be able to go from 30% body fat to 18% in a year! Obese to athletic in 12 months. That is spectacular! "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." Michelangelo © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 14 Exercise is Only Half the Battle While the exercise movements and routines in this program are vital to developing a strong, healthy body, maintaining a healthy weight, and losing weight if necessary, also plays a critical role. The reality is, you can do all of the exercise in the world, and undo your efforts very quickly with poor nutrition. The key to proper nutrition is a commitment to making some lifestyle changes. Remember, fad diets will not work in the long term, and actually do more harm than good. At Healthy Weight Inner Circle, we have something called HWIC’s Ridiculously Simple Rules of Good Nutrition. Take a couple of minutes to click that link and read them now. So What Does All of This Mean? Fat loss is not complicated. Eat right and exercise. Pretty simple stuff. While it may be hard to actually do it, the strategy certainly is no more complicated than that. Hopefully that article has at least helped you to gain a better understanding of what eating right means. Understanding gets you nowhere though. You have to take action and implement what you now understand about nutrition, and couple that with a consistent exercise program. That is the only true way to healthy, long term fat loss. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 15 The Cardio Myth There are probably hundreds of myths surrounding fitness that I could explode here, but an important one for you to understand is The Cardio Myth. When I said that it is important to lose excess weight, how many of you thought you’d need to do hours and hours of cardio every week? I will tell you right now that you will not find any instructions in this book telling you to 45, 60, 75 minutes or more of cardio exercise. Sounds good already, doesn’t it? Cardio Girl Maybe you are one of those people spending 45 minutes a day, six days a week, on the treadmill at the gym. If you aren’t, you have at least seen this woman, Cardio Girl. Cardio Girl wants to lose fat. So she gets on the treadmill and checks out the little chart on the treadmill display that shows her what her heart rate needs to be for her to be working in “The Fat-Burning Zone”. Of course, there is a cute guy on the next treadmill over, so she cranks up the speed to about 8 mph and starts her arms and legs pumping like she is running from a chainsaw murderer. She lasts about 45 seconds at that speed and decides it will be tough to look cool if she has a myocardial infarction, so she slows it down and instead decides that she is going to walk uphill. So, training for her next Everest hike, she cranks the incline up as high as it will go, and grabs onto the handles for dear life. If she lets go, she will be on her butt. Cardio Girl hangs on and keeps climbing Everest for the next 45 minutes. She is confident that, since she is walking, she must be in “The Fat-Burning Zone”, and fat must be melting off of her faster than ice in Phoenix. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 16 She gets off the machine, most likely doesn’t wipe the sweat off of it, does about 50 or so of the most poorly performed crunches ever seen, and declares herself a gym diva. Of course, Cardio Girl has been doing this exact same workout for 6 months now, still has jiggly arms, flabby thighs, wears baggy sweatshirts, and hasn’t lost a pound in 2 months. But she continues to do this day in and day out, steadfastly refusing the temptation to do any resistance training, because she doesn’t want to get ‘bulky’. Smaller Muscles Burn Less Fat This section of the book is not intended to be an in-depth science lesson, but the notion that long duration aerobic exercise (endurance training) is not preferred for fat loss goes against what most people mistakenly believe, so a little depth is beneficial. If you think about it logically, it will begin to make sense. First, muscle is the tissue in the body where fat is burned for energy. Endurance training does not make your muscles bigger, and in fact it can make them smaller. Thus, less muscle mass will result in fewer calories burned throughout the day. Next, endurance training makes your muscles more efficient at energy utilization. What does that mean? Well, if today it takes 100 calories of energy for you to run a mile, and you stay consistent with your endurance training, you will eventually only need to use 70 calories to perform that same task. In other words, to burn that same 100 calories, you will now need to run almost 1.5 miles! So, now not only are your muscles possibly smaller and burning fewer calories during your workout, they burn fewer calories throughout the rest of the day because of the effects of the endurance training. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 17 Now are you beginning to understand why Cardio Girl could not lose those flabby thighs? Efficient Muscles Are Good, But... Don’t misunderstand the point here. Endurance training can make your muscles more efficient, and efficient muscles are a good thing if that is your goal. But, we are talking about losing excess fat, not running a marathon. That’s a different goal, and when fat loss is the goal, relying solely on endurance training is one of the least effective exercise routes to get there. Think about this: picture an Olympic 100 meter sprinter. Body like a Greek statue right? Well, guess what? They don’t do long duration cardio. They sprint, they rest, then they sprint some more. Short duration, high intensity activity. Would you rather look like an Olympic sprinter, or an Olympic marathoner? Have you seen what marathon winners look like? I’m not implying that you can achieve the body of an Olympic sprinter, but that is certainly a better target than a marathoner. Why Cardio Girl is Wrong Let’s be clear on the fact that Cardio Girl’s goal is to lose fat and get her weight down. Obviously there are plenty of health benefits that can come from doing long, steady sessions on the treadmill including stress reduction, lower blood pressure, and improved cholesterol just to name a few. But, as far as a strategy to lose fat and get into her skinny jeans, Cardio Girl is going about it all wrong. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 18 More Calories, Less Time So if long duration, steady-state cardio isn’t the answer, what is? High intensity interval training. The truth is, long duration, low intensity training does very little to keep your metabolism elevated after you finish your training session. What? Yes, you are burning more calories when you are walking on that treadmill, but within 30 minutes or so of finishing, your metabolism is right back down where it was before getting on the treadmill. On the other hand, research has shown that high intensity training routines, even if they are shorter in duration, will keep your metabolism elevated for a much longer duration after the training session is over, possibly for as long as 12 to 24 hours. Sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it? A study published by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition by RW Bryner and others documented this fact. The subjects of the study were split into two groups: a high intensity exercise group and low intensity exercise group. Even with no change in diet, significant fat loss was observed in the high intensity group. That was not the case in the low intensity group. Again, positive changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. could be experienced by both groups, but for a goal of fat loss, the long duration, low intensity group lost out. Starting to make sense now? But What About The Fat-Burning Zone? One of the worst things fitness equipment manufacturers ever did was put those foolish “Cardio Zone” and “Fat-Burning Zone” charts on their © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 19 equipment. This caused people to obsess over the percentage of calories burned coming from fat while they are on that piece of equipment. Who cares!? How about worrying about how much fat you are burning the other 23.5 hours during the day? Doesn’t it make sense that that would be much more important? Cardio Girl is focusing on proportional fat calories burned instead of total fat calories burned. Sure, the percentage of calories burned coming from fat may in fact be higher while she is in the “fat-burning zone” on the treadmill. But, if she performed shorter duration, higher intensity exercise coupled with resistance training, she would burn more total calories all day. That is where your focus should be, not on specific caloric expenditure just during your workout. Think about it this way: would you rather have 40% of $100 or 20% of $1000? Okay, So What are Cardio Intervals? High intensity cardio intervals are a much more efficient means of working out and burning fat. If you’re interested in burning more fat by spending less time on the treadmill (or bike or elliptical or stairclimber or jogging or whatever), then you should really read this article now. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 20 Two Important Points First Remember The Belly Button Throughout the exercise descriptions in this book, you will see the instruction to “Keep the belly button drawn in.” Eventually this will become second nature to you, but before you start, you should practice to get the feel for it. To do this, simply pull your belly button in, away from your shirt and towards your spine. An observer should see no external movement from your midsection, shoulders, head, or spine. You should not be holding your breath and should be able to speak and breathe normally as you do this. Another way of thinking about is to “brace your abs”, like you would do if I was about to punch you in the stomach. Not that I would, but you get the point. The purpose of this is to activate the transversus abdominis and other muscles that act to stabilize your spine. People often ignore these muscles in their exercise programs, but they are a critical component when it comes to overall strength and stabilization during exercise, as well as during all of the movements that occur in daily life. It is also important that you do not hold your breath during the exercises. A good rule of thumb is to exhale on the exertion and inhale on the return to starting position. A Note on Exercise Intensity and Certain Medications If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication, you must check with your health care provider prior to beginning an exercise program to ensure that you are aware of any possible side effects or adverse reactions, and to gain a complete understanding of any limitations imposed on you by your health care provider. This is vitally important and cannot be stressed strongly enough. Now let’s move on to the exercises. If you’d like to see video demonstrations of these, plus about 75 other fat-burning, muscletoning exercises, check out the no-risk trial at www.HealthyWeightInnerCircle.com. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 21 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere The Plank The Plank is an excellent way to target your transverse abdominis and the other core muscles that work to stabilize your spine. Lying on the floor, support yourself on your elbows. They should be directly under your shoulders, so that your upper arms are perpendicular to the floor. Draw the belly button in and lift the hips off the floor so that you are supported by your elbows and toes. Do not let your butt either sag down, or arch up in the air. Your body should be straight from shoulders to feet, like a “Plank”. Be sure to keep the belly button drawn in and do not forget to breathe. Hold in the up position for 8 – 10 seconds, and then slowly lower yourself. With a 5 second rest in between repetitions, perform this movement 5 times. As you get stronger, increase the time held in the up position. As your core strengthens, you will begin to hold the position for 15, 20, 30, and even up to 60 seconds. Don’t increase the number of repetitions as you get stronger. Instead, keep increasing the time held in the up position. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 22 Side Bridges Lie on your side, resting on your elbow, with one foot on top of the other. Keep your body in a straight line from ankles to knees to hips to shoulders. Make sure your elbow is directly under your shoulder, so that your upper arm is perpendicular to the floor. Rest your top hand on your hip as shown in the picture. Draw the belly button in, and lift the hips up off of the floor, so that your body is in a straight line from foot to shoulder. Remember to keep the belly button held in throughout the entire exercise, and do not forget to breathe. Hold in the up position for 8 – 10 seconds, then slowly lower yourself. With a 5 second rest in between repetitions, perform this movement 5 times, then do the same on the opposite side. As you get stronger, increase the time held in the up position. As your core strengthens, you will begin to hold the position for 15, 20, 30, and even up to 60 seconds. Don’t increase the number of repetitions as you get stronger. Instead, keep increasing the time held in the up position. Want more ways to get a trim, flat tummy? Visit our online Fitness Community now. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 23 Stability Ball Wall Squats Stability ball wall squats are a great exercise for the muscles of your legs, hips, and butt. Place the stability ball between your lower back and the wall and place your feet approximately one foot out in front of you, slightly wider than hip width apart. Looking straight ahead and drawing the belly button in, squat down as low as you can with proper form, but not going below the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your feet should be far enough in front of you so that in the squatting position, your lower leg is perpendicular to the floor. Exhale as you push back up to the starting position in a smooth, controlled manner. You should keep your glutes squeezed and do not lock out your knees at the top of the motion. Repeat for the desired repetitions. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 24 Split Squats Another great move for your lower body is the Split Squat. Stand with a bench, chair, or something similar in height behind you. Place one foot on the bench and your other foot approximately two feet out in front of the bench. Bend your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor, and your rear knee is a few inches above the floor. Your front foot should be far enough in front of you so that in the down position your knee does not extend beyond your toes. Pushing through the heel of your front foot, rise back to the starting position. Keep your belly button drawn in and your glutes squeezed throughout the movement. Do equal reps on both legs. Want more exercises to target your legs, hips and butt? Visit our online Fitness Community now. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 25 Hip Extensions Hip extensions focus on the muscles in your butt, but work the low back and hamstrings as well. Begin by placing a stability ball under your hips, with your hands on the floor in front of you. Contract the muscles in your butt and lift your legs until they are in a straight line with your body. Hold in the up position for a count of two seconds, and then slowly lower them back down. You want to keep the movement smooth and controlled. Do not bounce at the bottom. When your toes just touch the floor, bring your legs right back up, remembering to really squeeze your glutes in order to perform the movement. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 26 Mountain Climbers Mountain Climbers are a challenging move that will really get your heart and lungs working. Start by getting on your hands and feet in a prone position. Beginners can make this move easier by placing your hands on a step instead of directly on the floor. Keeping your body parallel to ground, begin a running motion, driving your knees up towards your chest alternating back and forth. With just your toes and the balls of your feet touching the floor, try to stay light on your feet and keep your legs moving as fast as you can for the desired repetitions or time. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 27 Push Ups Push Ups are a great upper body exercise that you can do just about anywhere that you have some floor space, and can be modified to accommodate different strength levels. Assume a Push Up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your belly button drawn in at all times, maintain a flat back, and do not allow your butt to rise higher than the rest of your body. Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then push back up to the starting position. Breathe in on the way down, and exhale as you push back up. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 28 You can increase the challenge of the push up by performing the move with your feet on a stability ball. Another way to make them more difficult is to place one hand on a medicine ball and the other on the floor, switching hands half way through your set. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 29 If you do not yet have the strength to do a standard push up on the floor, you can make them easier by placing your hands on a bench, coffee table, or other object and performing them on an incline. As you gain strength, lower the incline and move your hands closer to the floor. Eventually you will reach the point where you are able to do a set of standard push ups on the floor. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 30 Bench Dips Bench Dips are great for the triceps, or the back of the upper arm. Place the heel of your hands on the top edge of the bench, chair, or coffee table with a grip just wider than your hips, fingers wrapped over the edge, and arms straight up. Move your feet out so that your legs are fully extended. Keeping your belly button drawn in throughout the movement, slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are close to parallel to the floor. Straighten your arms, pressing your body back up to the starting position. Do not lock out your elbows at the top of the movement. If the movement is too difficult at first, bring your feet in slightly and keep a bend in your knees. To make the move more challenging, elevate the feet on a separate bench, platform, or stability ball. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 31 Crunches To perform crunches, lay on the floor with your knees bent and your fingers just behind your ears, with your elbows out to the side. Do not clasp your hands together behind your head. Draw your belly button in and press your lower back to the floor. Contracting your midsection and keeping your neck straight, raise your head and shoulders off of the floor towards the ceiling in a nice, slow and controlled manner. You only need to go high enough to raise your shoulder blades off of the floor. After a slight pause at the top, slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Do not rest at the bottom, contracting your midsection and performing your next repetition as soon as you feel the back of your head touch the floor. If it is too difficult to perform the movement in this manner, start off by placing your arms across your chest until you build up strength, as shown in the pictures above. If that also proves too difficult at first, place your arms by your sides, keeping them up off of the floor throughout the movement. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 32 Resistance Tubing Exercises You Can Do Anywhere Standing Core Twists Attach your tubing to a door, at a little above waist height. Stand so that the tubing attachment is to your side, far enough away so that there is tension in the tubing, and look straight ahead. Grip the handle first with the hand that is farthest away from the tubing, then with the other. Keeping your arms straight and your belly button drawn in, rotate your upper torso away from the door as far as you can while still keeping your hips pointing forward. Without letting your hips rotate, return to the starting position in a controlled manner. Focus on keeping your hips straight and your core tight, and repeat for the desired repetitions. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 33 Squat Rows Squat Rows are great for working both the upper and lower body. Attach your tubing near the bottom of your door, and stand far enough away so that with your arms extended in front of you, there is tension in the tubing. Keeping your upper body straight, and your belly button drawn it, descend into a squatting position. Remember to stick your butt back as you squat. If your knees extend out in front of your toes in the down position, you are not sticking your butt back far enough. You don’t need to go any lower than the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor. As you rise back up to the starting position, perform a rowing motion by drawing your shoulder blades together, and pulling your arms back so that your hands end up just below your chest. Keep your elbows close to your sides, and your palms should be facing each other. Don’t lock your knees at the end of the motion, and immediately begin your next rep. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 34 Squat Press The Squat Press is a great full-body move. Begin by standing on your resistance tubing so that it is under the arches of your feet. Holding the handles so that your hands are at ear level and your palms are facing forward, the tubing should run behind your arms. With your feet shoulder width apart and your belly button drawn in, keep your upper body straight and descend into a three quarter squat while keeping your hands at or just below ear level. Again, remember to stick your butt back so that your knees do not move to a point in front of your toes. In one smooth motion, rise back into a standing position, while at the same time pressing your arms overhead. Do not lock out your elbows at the top of the movement. From this position, slowly move back down into the squatting position, returning your hands to ear level as you go and repeat for the desired repetitions. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 35 Shoulder Extensions Shoulder Extensions are another exercise that work the upper back. The starting position is similar to the High Rows, with the tubing attached to the top of the door and your arms extended in front of you. Make sure you keep your upper body straight, belly button drawn in, and knees slightly bent. Unlike the High Row though, your palms should face down towards the floor. From this position, keep your arms straight and pull your hands down towards the sides of your thighs. Don’t bend your elbows as you perform the move, and make sure you keep your upper body straight and that you remember to squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement. Hate to go to the gym? Learn how you can get a real workout at home. Visit Healthy Weight Inner Circle today © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 36 Chest Press To perform the Chest Press, anchor your resistance tubing at a point just below shoulder level. Grab both handles with palms facing down, and with the attachment point directly behind you, walk forward until there is a fair amount of tension in the tubing. Stagger your feet slightly, keep a slight bend in your knees, and draw in your belly button. Bring your arms up to parallel with the floor, with your elbows back and even with your shoulders. With a smooth motion, press the arms forward until they are extended with your hands in front of your chest. Focus on squeezing the chest muscles, and do not lock out your elbows. With a controlled movement, slowly bring the arms back to the starting position, making sure your elbows do not travel beyond the point of being even with your shoulders, and repeat for the desired repetitions.. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 37 Bicep Curls To perform Bicep Curls, stand on your resistance tubing so that it is under the arches of your feet. Holding the handles at your sides with your palms facing in, keep a slight bend in the knees and your belly button drawn in. Maintaining proper posture and making sure not to arch the back, slowly curl your forearms up towards your shoulders, rotating your hands so that your palms are facing you at the top of the movement. Keep your upper arms beneath the shoulders, not allowing your elbows to swing forward during the movement. Reverse the movement, slowly lowering the arms back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 38 Three Stretches I’ve had hundreds of clients come through my door, and about 98% of them all had a common problem. They all spent way too much time on their butts. We all do. Climb in the car and drive to work. Sit at a desk at work all day working on a computer. Climb back in the car and drive home. Sit down for dinner. After dinner go sit in front of the computer and search for mindless stuff on Google. Then go sit on the couch and watch TV. No need to get into a deep anatomy lesson here, but suffice it to say that all the time we spend sitting really forces some of our important muscle groups to become shortened and tight. This is especially true of our hamstrings (the muscles that run along the back of your thigh from the back of your knee to your pelvis), our hip flexors (the muscles that attach the front of your thigh to your pelvis), and our pectoral (chest) muscles. Tightness in the hamstring and hip flexors can contribute to low back pain, and tight pectoral muscles can lead to rounding forward of the shoulders and poor posture. How, you ask? You need to understand that our bodies are like a chain. Everything is connected in one way or another. So, if the hamstrings or hip flexors are tight, they will naturally pull on your pelvis, giving it a forward tilt (tight hip flexors) or a rearward tilt (tight hamstrings). This then results in your spine getting out of line, potentially causing low back pain. Your pectoral muscles attach to the top of your upper arm. Tightness in these muscles is often accompanied by stretched and weakened muscles in the upper back, rear of the shoulders, and neck. Given how much time we all spend with out hands out in front of us (working on the computer, driving, writing, etc.), this is very common. This can eventually cause your arms to internally rotate, your shoulders to start rounding forward and your head to just forward. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 39 Take this little test. Stand in front of a mirror and let your arms hang naturally by your sides. Now, take a look at which direction your palms are facing. They should be facing in, towards the sides of your thighs. More often than not though, you will see that they face slightly or totally behind you. This is a sign that your chest is tight, pulling on your upper arms and internally rotating them. So, if you have tightness in any of these areas, the following two stretches, done properly and consistently, can work wonders when it comes to relieving low back pain and improving posture. Remember to only take these, or any other stretches, to the point where you are feeling a good stretch and not to a point where you feel pain. If it hurts, ease back slightly. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 40 Hamstring Stretch There are several different ways to stretch your hamstrings, but this is my personal favorite. Standing 1 – 2 feet away from a step or small stool, place the heel of your right foot on the step or stool. Look straight ahead and keep your chest high and facing forward throughout the stretch. Place your hands on your hips and bend at the waist, sticking your butt back, until you feel the stretch in your right hamstring. Make sure you keep your chest high, and do not round your lower back. Concentrate on keeping the natural arch in your lower back and you will feel the stretch much sooner. If you round your lower back, you will take much of the emphasis off of the hamstrings. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 41 Hip Flexor Stretch Kneel down on your right knee, with your left foot well out in front of you. The top of your right foot should be on the floor. With your hands on your left knee, slowly lean forward, stretching your right leg behind you, until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip. To enhance the stretch, raise your right hand over your head. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Have diet and weight loss questions you’d like answered? Visit our online Discussion Forums now. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 42 Chest Stretch Standing in a door frame, bend your right arm 90 degrees, with your hand up and your elbow in line with your shoulder. With your arm directly out to your side, rest your forearm against the door frame. Step forward slightly with your right foot, so that you feel a stretch across your chest and the front of your right shoulder. Do not stretch to the point of pain as you will place unnecessary stress on your shoulder joint capsule. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 43 Sample Routines The following pages contain some sample routines incorporating the exercises you’ve learned. There is also a workout log sheet (Appendix A) that you can print and use to track your progress. Obviously everyone has different ability levels, so given repetitions may or may not be right for you, especially if you are just starting out. Just adjust accordingly. A Word About Soreness It is quite normal to feel muscle soreness in the first few days after your workout. Some people will feel it the next day, some not for 2 days. It varies by individual. With consistency, you should notice the soreness will lessen over time. Definitions The following are some of the terms you should become familiar with: • Circuit – performing a single set of each exercise in a routine, with little or no rest in between, until all exercises have been performed. That is one circuit. Generally, after a short break, multiple circuits are performed in a workout. Repetitions (aka reps) – one complete movement of a particular exercise. For instance, in squats, moving from the standing position to the squatting position and back up to the standing position is one rep. Set – the desired number of reps of a particular exercise. For instance, a set of squats may be made up of ten reps. Superset – a Superset involves performing one set of a pair of exercises with little or no rest in between. In general, the two exercises would stress two opposing muscle groups (i.e. biceps and triceps). If they worked the same muscle group, this would be referred to as a Compound Set. For the purposes of this book, the term Superset will refer to any pair of exercises performed with little or no rest in between, regardless of muscle groups stressed. • • • REMEMBER, if you are new to exercise, have any existing medical condition or injury, or take any medications, you must not perform these exercises or any other fitness program without first consulting your primary health care provider. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 44 Beginning Routine Beginning Routine 1 Planks........................... 5 reps, holding in the up position for 15 seconds with a 10 second rest between reps Stability Ball Wall 12 – 15 reps Squats........................... Push Ups...................... Shoulder Extensions..... Mountain Climbers........ 12 reps 12 reps 30 seconds Perform in a circuit fashion with 30 seconds rest between exercises. Rest 3 minutes at the end of the circuit. Perform 2 – 3 circuits. If you are new to exercising, perform 1 circuit only in your first workout. Perform on 3 non-consecutive days per week. Perform 20 minutes of cardio intervals (including warm up and cool down) on at least 2 days during the week, more if you are up to it. If you perform cardio intervals in the same workout as your resistance training, do the resistance routine first, then cardio. Cardio intervals may be done on consecutive days. Click here if you’d like a new workout routine to follow every month. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 45 Intermediate Routine Intermediate Routine Side Bridges................. 5 reps per side, holding in the up position for 15 seconds, with a 5 second rest in between reps Stability Ball Wall 12 reps. To increase the challenge, you can hold Squats........................... in the down position for 3 seconds per rep. Squat Press.................. Hip Extensions.............. Push Ups...................... Squat Rows.................. Bench Dips................... 12 reps 15 reps 15 reps 12 reps 12 reps Perform your Side Bridges first. Then, perform the other exercises in a superset fashion. Perform the first exercise, then immediately perform the second exercise without a rest in between. That is 1 superset. Rest 45 – 60 seconds between supersets. Superset 1: Stability Ball Wall Squats & Squat Press 3 times Superset 2: Hip Extensions & Push Ups 3 times Superset 3: Squat Rows & Bench Dips 3 times © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 46 © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 47 Advanced Routine Advanced Routine Crunches.................. 25+ reps Split Squats.............. Stability Ball Push Ups. Squat Rows............. Bicep Curls.............. Squat Press............. 12 reps per leg 15 reps 12 reps 12 reps 12 reps Bench Dips............... 10 reps Mountain Climbers... Crunches 1 set Superset 1: Split Squats & Stability Ball Push Ups 3 times Superset 2: Squat Rows & Bicep Curls 3 times Superset 3: Squat Press & Bench Dips 3 times Crunches 1 set Mountain Climbers 3 sets with 45 second rest between sets 30 seconds © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 48 A note on exercise intensity and certain medications Certain medications, such as beta blockers prescribed for hypertension as well as other medications, have a direct effect on an individual’s resting and maximum heart rates. As such, use of either formula above may not be an appropriate method to gauge the intensity of a given exercise or activity. If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication, you must check with your health care provider prior to beginning an exercise program to ensure that you are aware of any possible side effects or adverse reactions, and to gain a complete understanding of any limitations imposed on you by your health care provider. This is vitally important and cannot be stressed strongly enough. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 49 About the Author Dave Soucy is a fitness expert, instructor, author, owner of Perfect Fit Fitness Bootcamps and founder of Healthy Weight Inner Circle. He is certified through both the American Council on Exercise and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, is a member of IDEA Health and Fitness Association, and founded Perfect Fit and HWIC on the belief that optimal health and fitness is achieved through a lifestyle of consistent exercise and nutrition. Like many of his clients, Dave knows what it is like to battle with weight, having spent the majority of his childhood and adult years fighting that battle. Every so often through the years, he would get on the exercise wagon, couple that with the latest extreme or fad diet and would lose weight, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Inevitably though, whatever weight that was lost, and usually a little more, ended up coming back as soon as the diet or exercise regimen became unmanageable. Add in a high pressure job that required significant travel and eating room service and restaurant food far too often, and it was an unhealthy recipe for fitness failure. When an opportunity presented itself to leave the high pressure career behind, Dave jumped at the chance and has never looked back. Throwing all of his efforts into educating himself on health, nutrition, and fitness, he discovered why his exercise programs of the past never produced the results he wanted and why all of those diets actually made him fatter! Whether it is running his high-powered Fitness Bootcamps, speaking to groups, writing articles, or engaging in discussions with members on the forums at Healthy Weight Inner Circle, Dave’s motivation is to help others realize that they too can achieve health and wellness through sound, safe, and effective nutrition and exercise principles, while leaving the diets and infomercial products behind. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, and currently resides in Hooksett, NH with his wife and two daughters. © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 50