A Manly Ab Routine

I was advising a young man on how to get his abs to show the other day. Now, before we go any farther, let me clarify something: You can't spot reduce because you don't get to choose where your fat collects, or where you lose it. But there are some things you CAN do to make muscle more visible.

The first thing I advised him to do is cut out all the refined carbs (namely while flour and all forms of sugar) possible. This can really help a person look less "spongy". He is young and has a relatively low level of body fat, so while most people's waistline will respond favorably to this change, the younger and leaner you are the more dramatic the results from reducing refined carbs will generally be.

The next thing I advised him to do was add in weighted ab moves. Reason? With a lower body fat level, one thing he can do to increase the visibility of the ab muscles is actually increase the thickness of them. Now, I know this idea freaks a lot of people out, but the truth is that most people aren't going to increase muscle thickness in their abs enough to make their waist bigger- It's just going to give more definition.

Another benefit, given his male status? Weighted moves tend to look more impressive in the gym. Plus, guys, and some of us girls, like picking up heavy stuff.

I know a plethora of ab moves involving weights (I have been called "The Ab Nazi"), but here is a trio of weighted ab exercises that can be done in the same workout, making you look like a beast AND leave your abs aware that they did something:

First off, start with Barbell Floor Wipers. Here's a Quick Video.

A couple of things I want to point out about this. First of all, the guy in the video, I feel, could use a heavier weight. See how it's swaying around a bit? If the weight were heavier he'd have more stabilization through the upper body and be better able to concentrate on his abs. Trust me, holding the weight up in the air like that isn't the hard part. It's getting it there and back down to the ground that's tricky. I do them with 45's on each end, if that gives you any idea. The amount of weight isn't the important thing here- It's the movement.

This leads me to my second point about this exercise- If you are doing this with free weights, unless you know a means to press the weight up from the ground, as well as lower it back down, without crushing yourself, you are going to need a spotter. If no spotter is available, do them on the Smith machine, making sure to raise the bar out of the hooks and hold it up, not simply hang on. It's not quite as effective as doing it with free weights, but still a great ab move. Do two to three sets of these, resting between sets, and don't be surprised at first if you can't get out more than 5 per side at first. These are NOT easy!

Now that we've worn out your obliques and lower abs, and as long as we are on the ground, lets move on to upper abs. For this, pick up a dumbbell or plate that will allow you to crank out about 15, and do two to three sets of weighted crunches, again resting between sets:  Click here to see a short video.

And now we'll stand up and finish with one of my favorite weighted ab moves; Barbell Rainbows (or "Landmines").  He does a good job of explaining what's going on with them in this video., but keep in mind that you will need a corner of some kind to stabilize the lower end of the barbell.  Keep your abs sucked in really tight the entire time you do them, and start with just the bar.  They are harder than they look and your arms and shoulders might wear out pretty quick, especially following Rainbows and Weighted Crunches.

Lastly, consider adding in two to three sets of a targeted lower back move. The lower back knits in with the ab muscles, making a cinching effect on the ab area. They are, in effect, the other half of your abs. Also, adding low back work in is just generally good for spine stabilization, posture, and overall health. They are, in my opinion, one of the more critical muscles in the body to keep strong. The trick with lower back moves is to keep the weight relatively light. Too much weight too soon on this vulnerable area, particularly if you are already weak there, can make your lower back health worse, not better. So increase very gradually. Some good lower back moves are: Hyperextensions, Good Mornings, Stiff Leg Deadlifts, Supermans, and Machine Back Extensions.

As you can see, these moves involve other muscles besides the abs, which also increases calorie burn. That's a win-win, in my books!

What About Those Days You Just Don't Want to Exercise?

I know you've been there.....
You've scheduled your workout time,
You got your backside out of bed, brushed your teeth and your workout gear on.
You are headed out the door, or plugging the exercise DVD in,
but you just do NOT want to exercise today.

Ugh!  What to do?

Hey!  It happens to all of us. 

Here's what I tell myself "I will just get through the warmup.  If at that point I still don't feel like exercising, I can quit with no guilt."

And you know what happens, don't you?

Yep.

I stay and finish the workout.

Every time.

By then my blood is flowing and I'm in a better place. And, heck!  I might as well, since I've come this far.

And often these wind up being some of my best workouts, full of energy and strength.

Some days it's harder to get going, but that doesn't mean that you are doomed to a rotten workout or a downer day.  Give yourself the opportunity to try, first!

Bariatric Surgery: Not For Cheaters!

You know how people say that getting bariatric surgery is cheating in the weight loss game?  I disagree.

I have a very good friend who underwent bariatric (gastric bypass) surgery several years ago.  And let me tell ya:  It's no walk in the park!

Since she was going to stay with me for several days post surgery, she had me read up on the surgery and it's risks.  Holy healing, Batman!  This stuff was serious!  And scary!  The risks involved were downright frightening, the lifestyle changes seemed to be truly daunting, and the healing process was going to be difficult and painful, to put it mildly.

Furthermore, she couldn't just go trippin' in fur surgery as soon as she made the choice.  No sirree- She had to actually lose weight and follow strict dietary guidelines (the same ones she would be following after the surgery) for many months before her surgeon would qualify her for gastric bypass.

This, of course, naturally leads to the question,- Why go through the surgery at all?  Why not just follow those procedures until the weight is lost?

I asked this same question of my personal trainer at the time.  He seemed very sympathetic of those who chose bariatric surgery as a weight loss tool.  His answer was "Because they just eat and eat and eat and never get full".  At that point a light bulb went on in my head and I got it:  At morbidly obese weights the stomach is distended and the feeling of fullness never happens.

If you are going to stay at a healthy weight, it's very helpful to have some physical type of signal that it's time to stop eating.

I admire people who can go from morbidly obese or even super morbidly obese (which she was) to normal weight without surgery.  But I also support those who elect to have it, since I have seen first hand the sacrifice and self discipline that losing and keeping the weight off with bariatric surgery requires.

I had a front row seat to her healing process and I can tell you, it was terrible.  I felt so bad for her.  Moving was hard.  She dreaded it.  Eating was worse.  I actually had to talk her into it a few times.

As she healed, she developed complications that set her back and worried us all.  It was touch and go there for a while

She'd already lost quite a bit of weight on her own, but after the surgery weight seemed to just fall off.  She got smaller and smaller, to the point where I had a hard time finding her in a crowd.  It used to be easy- Since she was short I just looked for the widest space in the mayhem.  Now, I had to hunt her down like a bloodhound.

To her credit, she also went to the gym regularly.  She lifted weights and did cardio.  She wasn't just smaller; she was fit.

This all then, of course, made yet another problem:  Huge amounts of loose skin.

And so a year after the gastric bypass, when her doctor was convinced that she was set in her new lifestyle, he performed a body lift (removing the skin around her middle).  And again, she stayed with me for the first few days out of the hospital.   I think the healing from that was even worse than from the gastric bypass.  There were little plastic bags hanging off of her for drainage, and with an incision literally clear around her middle she had no comfortable way to sit or lay down.  But thanks to taking proper care of herself, she healed quickly.  Now she is glad she went through the whole process.

She still works to keep her health in check.  She did it right, and so many people do not.  If you are considering bariatric surgery and know you won't be committed to a true and permanent lifestyle change, I'd advise against it.  But for my friend, she was ready to do whatever was necessary to save her own life and ensure her future grandchildren have a grandma.  If that's you, do your research and then make your decision.

And for those of us who have lost weight by more traditional means (or not lost weight at all), we need to not make assumptions and instead be supportive.  Everyone has their own path to wellness.  This may not be yours, but it could be lifesaving for someone else.

Pillows and Purses

So I've griped on here (and just about everywhere else) about my bum shoulder.  I fell many years ago on the ice and severely injured it.  Then I further did it in by bench pressing with too much weight and no spotter.  Enter torn rotator cuff and months of rehab.  It got a lot better, but THEN I had a distance trainer (read: not with me personally) who urged me to do a rear delt flye with heavy weight while carb depleted. That did it.  Like a dummy, I listened to him instead of my own niggling thought that it was a mistake.  This was my fault, not his.

Needless to say, that shoulder has not been the same since.  I've been in and out injury (often to the point of being bed-ridden) ever since then.

This past year I found a trainer (in-person, thank you very much!) who has very slowly and gradually helped my shoulder recover.  He's been a blessing.  But I'd still feel that familiar tweak frequently and know it was time to ease off on the weights a bit.

Then, one day he said something to me that clicked:  "Nancy, don't wear that heavy purse on the same shoulder all the time."  A light bulb went off in my head...... Hey!  Maybe a clutch purse would do me some good!

Easy, right?  Not so much:  I am picky about purses, and, because I have a bunch of crap I truly use and need to carry with me, I need a fairly big one.  This started the months-long hunt for a roomy clutch.  It was not easy, but one day I happened across one that would work. (And in my favorite color, burgundy, to boot!)

My shoulder started recovering even more rapidly.  Hallelujah!

And then, another blessed thing happened:  I got a new pillow.

After the rear delt flye debacle, I'd frequently and suddenly wake up from a sound sleep with aching, throbbing pain deep in my shoulder. I'd wait for either the pain to dissipate (sometimes it took hours, or pain meds, or both), or to pass out again from the pain.

I'd had a suspicion for a long time that my regular pillow wasn't helping anything.  The reason I didn't buy an ergonomically correct one?  They stunk.  I mean, they literally smelled really bad.  It was chemicals.  I didn't think sleeping on chemicals was a good thing, but that was actually secondary because I was already sleeping bad enough:  Adding stink into the equation wasn't going to help anything.

After much searching I FINALLY found one with good, non-stinky reviews on Amazon.  I put it on my wish list and my husband gave it to me this last Christmas.  I've been sleeping like an injury-free baby ever since. Here is a link, in case you're curious (or convinced!).

The packaging advised to let it air out for 24 hours, which I did.   There is no stink.  And great comfort.  And sleep.  Blessed, solid, deep sleep. Not once since then have I woke up in the middle of the night with my shoulder throbbing.

I'd urge every woman I know to switch to a clutch purse (or a backpack, if that's your style), and every person to invest in a good-quality pillow designed for your sleep style. Good heavens, can these things save you a lot of physical grief!

So exercise and rehab for injury prevention and healing?  YES!  I am a believer!  But sometimes complete healing comes with small, common sense tweaks to your every day life.

It's Paid For Whether You Eat It Or Not.

It's probably my most-used catch saying: "It's paid for whether you eat it or not". I say this when someone says they feel like they are wasting food by not eating it.

Just a few minutes ago, after cutting off a big chunk off for my skinny teenage daughter, I put half of my husbands triple-layer frosted cake that I made for his birthday down the garbage disposal. Neither he nor I want it sitting around tempting us. But as I did so I was thinking to myself "My mom would think this is such a waste!". (Who can identify?)

However, what is a waste to her is an investment to me.

As my kids were growing up they were never required to finish things like french fries or dessert, even when I was flat broke and a meal in a fast food restaurant was a big treat. There's not much nutritional value in those foods, and the lesson they learned about listening to their bodies was worth the investment of purchasing the food.

And yes, I would say to them "It's paid for whether you eat it or not."

Next time you want to finish something simply because it will be thrown away if you don't, ask yourself "Is the feeling of not 'wasting' this worth it's negative effect on my body?" If the answer is no, save the thing a few steps and just throw it right in the trash.

If you are with someone else who paid for it and thinks it a waste, thank them sincerely, ask for a to-go box, and throw it out on the way home.

Because regardless of whose dime it's on, it's still been paid for whether you eat it or not.

Your Trainer Did WHAT?

Even wonder if what you trainer is doing is acceptable, or even grounds for letting him or her go? Here's my short list of what I feel you should and should not accept from a personal trainer, as well as what you can do to rectify the situation:

- Your personal trainer should make a plan according to your goals, not pull out a workout plan she's used with dozens of clients before you. This doesn't mean the trainer shouldn't have a template: We all do. It means your program doesn't look exactly like every other person your trainer works with.

- A personal trainer should push you. Not to the point of injury, but to the point where you walk away feeling like you accomplished something.

- Your personal trainer should be watching you all of the time. They may need to speak with someone quickly, but you are their main focus for the entire session.

- Your personal trainer should treat you with dignity and respect. Period.

- Your personal trainer should change up your program no less often than every 4 weeks. Part of what you are paying them for is to see change. Bodies will eventually stop responding to the same routine after a few weeks. And if you say you are getting bored, they should modify to help keep you interested.

- Your personal trainer should ask questions if you say something hurts. This will help them determine if your pain is from muscle fatigue (which, honestly, you need to accept will often happen in order to have an effective training session), or something more serious. If you know what the trainer is asking you to do is going to hurt you, the trainer should modify or change the exercise.

- Your personal trainer shouldn't be on their phone. I have kept my phone with me to use the timer on it, but as far as texting, calling, checking Facebook, or any other purpose not related directly to YOU, phone usage is not Okay. You are paying your trainer to train you, not communicate with others. (Exception: There is a potential emergency and the trainer truly does need to know right away if it happens. This should be an extremely rare occurrence, and the trainer should ask you if this is Okay with you at the start of the session. To give you an idea of how rarely this should happen, in over 10 years of being a Personal Trainer, I have had a phone with me for this purpose exactly three times.)

- Your Personal Trainer should never, ever, ever flirt with or make an overt pass at you. You might be surprised how often this happens, particularly with male trainers. Many consider getting very personal a job perk. Trust me, if he's trying it with you, it's been successful with others. It's easy, and actually quite normal, to get a "Trainer Crush". But don't be another notch in his belt loop. Even if you don't give in, is it worth other trainers thinking you are one of his conquests? (Because trust me, he's not as discreet as he claims to be.)

In many cases you can speak with your trainer about all but the last of the above issues and see if he or she is willing to fix the situation. If they aren't willing to make some changes, it's time to break up with your trainer. They may even suggest another trainer to you. Don't take this as an insult! Honestly, it just makes it easier for you. In the case that you have prepaid sessions you can ask nicely for a refund, but it's more than likely that you signed a contract. So you may be stuck working with that trainer until the paid sessions are up if you are the one initiating the break up.

If, however, it's the last point (the trainer coming on to you) that you are having an issue with, calmly and firmly offer to talk to their boss if they won't refund you by a specified time (I'd give them 3 days) for the unused sessions. And you may want to talk to their boss, anyhow.

If he or she doesn't have a boss, offer to tell your friends. Chances are you'll see a refund quickly. Even if you don't, whatever you paid him or her is not worth the loss of dignity and, quite possibly, reputation.

Managing Pushy Hostesses

You know how it is- You are at a dinner somewhere, and a well-meaning hostess decides that you just MUST try her special Batter-Dipped and Double Fried Shortening that she ONLY makes for this particular occasion.  You really don't want to derail your healthy eating plan at this particular moment, but this gal is just not giving up.  How to handle it?

The natural inclination is to tell the truth: "No thank you.  I am trying to be careful with my eating right now."  I encourage you to try this tactic first.  But as we all know, so often it does not work and the hostess seems even more dogged in her determination to have you try her fabulous delicacy, even if it means informing you of all of the virtues of her dish.

In this case, I have found two very effective solutions to this delimma, neither of which involves lying:

Solution #1- "That looks so delicious.  It looks like you put a lot of time and effort into making it. But I am simply too full right now to enjoy it.  Can I take a rain check?"  One thing I know, being a bit of a food pusher myself, is that what you most want is to feel appreciated.  This covers that base, as well as leaves hope that the person will still sample your dish.  Besides, what's she going to do?  Say no?  

Solution #2 (I only use this in the event that, for some reason, Solution #1 does not work)- "I am so sorry, but I have an adverse effect to that type of food."  This is true.  It makes me fat. If asked what that adverse effect is, you can simply answer "It's too personal to share".  Of course, the person is going to think that it makes you have massive amounts of horrible intestinal issues, but you aren't lying because, quite frankly, I'd rather not discuss this at a party, anyhow.

As a parting note, keep all of this in mind when YOU host an event.  Be sensitive and don't push when someone tells you "No, thank you."