Pump iron to burn fat

Simply put, weight training will give you the slim, toned, sculpted physique that cardio alone just cannot do.

The development of muscle leads to an increase in your metabolism, meaning while at rest & doing nothing your body will still be burning calories at a higher rate. Its all about the afterburn, if done properly after a weight session your muscles should ache, this is known as Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS). What this is, is mini micro tears in your muscles from the stress of the exercise that repairs itself back stronger in order to cope with that exercise again. The recuperation period normally takes between 24-72hrs, during this period the body is working hard to repair and therefore burns a lot more calories at rest than cardio. Don't worry about the scales as with weight training it will look deceiving as the weight stays the same but you notice a much more slender and lean physique. Muscle is more dense than fat so even though weighing the same muscle appears a lot more compact.

I tend to assess new-bees at the gym for a little while before offering assistance and what I notice is that a person will go from 1 cardio machine to another for a whole hour, do this for a few weeks, get bored, not see their desired results and then abandon the gym still forking out their monthly fee. Those that I do speak to, the general fitness goal tends to be weight loss or wanting to tone up, the moment I mention weight training as a highly effective tool for both I am met with a unanimous response of "I don't want to bulk up", or "I wanna burn the fat 1st for a few weeks and then do weights". Can I dispel the myth now that doing weights automatically means you will turn into the hulk. Ladies you do not produce the required amount of testosterone to blow up like the hulk, the muscular ladies you see go to extreme lengths to get that way. Guys as long as you are doing the correct repetitions and maintaining a low rest period, you too will not bulk up to great measures.

Cardio will help you lose weight Im not denying that but is your desire really to just be a shapeless drape of skin over bones or would you like a nice defined physique. You only have to look at a marathon runner to see the physique countless cardio will get you in comparison to a athlete who incorporates weight training into their training.

 Hours jogging on the treadmill will not perk up the booty and an hour on the cross trainer wont reduce the moobs either. But what will is weights!!! Ladies get in the free weights room/area, don't be afraid its not just for men. I train a lot of women who all do weights, bodyweight or some form of resistance training and not one of them have hulked up, one even deadlifts and squats her own bodyweight.

Guys blast the MOOBS with the Bench Press and trim that GUT with Pull ups, Ladies shape that BOOTY with weighted Squats and banish the BINGO WINGS with Tricep extensions.


The sooner you push, pull or lift a weight the sooner you'll see results.


Written By

Erron Dussard
STONEiMAGE Management LTD
@Stoneimage

Does size really matter?

Are us men going to proclaim to the world that we work hard in the gym to feel better and look good for ourselves or admit that we like to look good to gain the attentions of a potential suitor?
Do we consider what women look for in the male physique before pumping iron or are we to busy getting massive so we can be the alpha male of the free weights room?
All this leads to the ultimate question, Does size matter???

It has been well documented that the females preferred physique of a male is the athletic build of a swimmer/footballer rather than the muscular hulk like bodybuilder/wrestler. With broad shoulders, toned abs, slim waist and muscular legs the athletic physique is proportionately sculpted.

I see guys daily in the free weights room lifting big weights, with dangerously poor technique, working on the vanity muscles, arms and chest. Im all about quality over quantity, so if that means dropping the weight down and performing the exercise properly then so be it. You'll actually get a better contraction through the muscles doing it slowly and controlled, rather than fast and erratic, therefore leading to better gains.
When did the male fixation with the chest and arms start? The disproportionate Johnny Bravo look is taking over with this new 'get hench or die trying' mentality contagiously spreading through the gym. The Johnny Bravo look has never been cool and I've never known a woman to yearn for a guy whose arms are bigger than his legs. When I posed the question to quite a few women about their favoured bodypart, the male glutes scored highly.
Why do some guys neglect the legs and back to focus all their time on the arms and chest. They are labelled the vanity muscles as purely simple its what can be seen in the mirror. Working on your back muscles will pull your shoulders back, leaving you with good posture and your chest pushed out more. The kite like look of the swimmer can be gained by doing pull ups which also work the large muscles of the back.
Now to the neglected legs, i'll let you guys in on a little secret, working uour legs and glute muscles boost the production of testosterone in the body which is the growth hormone needed for bigger muscles. So working your legs will boost the size of your chest and arms, who would of thought it.

Those who like to focus on gaining size are rarely found doing effective compound exercises. Don't waist time doing isolation exercises on the smaller muscles like bicep curls but focus more on the larger group muscles. Compound moves like Squats, Deadlifts, Pull Ups and Bench Press will lead you to getting the gains you desire.

While we leave the Johnny Bravo's to focus on the vanity muscles the rest of us who like a proportionate look Circuit Training is highly effective. Circuit Training can be every & anything as long as the method of doing numerous amounts of exercises one after the other without rest is followed. Ive introduced doing short sprint intervals in between each circuit set which will help me to keep lean while building muscle. Example: after i've done a circuit set I will jump straight on the treadmill, jog for 1min and sprint as fast as I can for 30secs, repeating this 3 times before returning back to my next circuit of exercises. Doing that workout I burn between 800-900 calories in 60mins.

One thing that deters me from the Johnny Bravo look is the mobility factor, I've seen buses turn and look more agile than some of these guys. With the constant lifting and curling your muscles get shorter leaving you very tight and immobile after a while. Over the last year i've introduced Bikram Yoga (yoga in 40degrees heat) which has helped to keep me flexible. With more flexible muscles your range of movement is improved leading to better quality performance during exercise. So its a good idea to dedicate some time to having a good stretch to loosen those tight muscles.

This are just my opinions that i'm sharing for an educational purpose, if the Johnny Bravo look is what you want then good on you. But having an serious body imbalance now could lead to issues later in life, so for that purpose I ask:

Does size really matter?

Written by

Erron Dussard
STONEiMAGE Management Ltd
www.stone-img.com
www.twitter.com/Stoneimage

To carb or not to carb?

This debate will continue to go on while people remain dieting in order to lose weight, carbohydrates (carbs) have been highly publicised by some diets as being a prime nutrient of weight gain. Low-carb diets are food plans that restrict carbohydrate consumption for weight loss. Foods high in carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta are restricted and replaced with protein rich foods (e.g. meat), high fat foods (e.g. dairy and fried food) and foods low in carbs (e.g. green leafy vegetables). This forces the body to use fat & protein from food also stored body fat as its main source of energy and weight loss can take place rapidly. Some well known diets like the Atkins, Stillman or Hollywood use these methods, they have become famous for their fast results and are regularly used by celebrities on a short term basis before a film or award show. Other benefits such as blood sugar levels being reduced and lower blood pressure have been documented, but these diets have not gone without their criticism. Overlooking the superficial benefits there are severe underlying health risks which dieticians and researchers are keen to point out. Risks such as kidney damage from the high levels of proteins, heart disease and a risk of cancer are just a few of the listed risks. The brain is also fuelled by carbs so with these diets you can suffer from a lack of concentration too. Carbohydrates are the bodies’ main and optimum energy source so without carbs in your diet it can lead to a real lack of energy so strenuous exercise is not recommended and this is not a diet taken by sports people, it is like the lazy persons option to losing weight.  

It is true that huge amounts of weight can be lost really quickly so that’s why I say that if you wish to follow the diet then it should be a short term option. With it comes the consequences of yo-yo dieting, as the body now craves carbs, once you again introduce it into your diet you can quickly put the weight back on. I would never be an advocate of such dieting methods and believe that everything should be consumed in moderation making sure that your calorie intake does not exceed your calorie expenditure, so simply put exercise and eat a balanced diet is my tip to losing weight.       

Written by

Erron Dussard

STONEiMAGE Management LTD

Legs, Bums and Tums

It’s true, it’s a common problem and you most definitely aren’t the only one. If I was to ask you what parts of your body would you want to tone up right now? What would you say??? 

Before you all scream the answers at your computers, let me hazard a guess, “Legs, Bum and Tum”. Now I’m not a female mind reading genius (I wish), just a Personal Trainer who has heard these body parts mentioned time and time again.

Why?

Its simple women’s bodies have been purposely created for carrying and giving birth to children so their hips are a little wider, bum shapelier and tum a little softer than men and that is the beauty of women. Whether it’s having a more perk derriere, flatter stomach or a toned set of pins exercise will have a positive effect on your physique.

I’m going to describe and list my Top3 exercises for each body part that you can do at the gym or at home

Legs

Having a toned set of pins is always a popular one whether it’s preparing for the beach or the summer when the skirts come out and the tights are discarded. Exercise can reduce cellulite which is a common problem as women get older. So here are my top3

3. Leg Curls: You’ll need a stability ball for this exercise which is perfect for toning up the back of the thighs. Lie on your back and place both heels on the ball with legs outstretched, raise hips off of the ground, maintain position and then roll the ball back and forth curling your feet backwards.

2. Split squat: you’ll need to use a bench, chair or aerobic step for this exercise which is great for the thighs and can be performed with or without weights. Place your back foot up on the step with your front foot on the floor 2 footsteps ahead, bend your front leg and lower your back knee down before standing back up straight.

1. Ski Sits: This exercise can be performed practically anywhere and being an isometric exercise (muscle contracting static at same length) will help build strength of the legs and leave it smooth and toned. With your back firmly against a wall, squat down into a seated 90degree position and hold this for as long as you can,

Bums

A lot was made of Miss Pippa Middleton’s bum last year being curvy not that I can understand why (could of done with being curvier) but what is clear is that Pippa has a toned physique. With these exercises your bum will gain a new found shape and firmness to it that will have you side glancing at every mirror or window you walk by.

3. Lunges: Now there are loads and loads of variations to this exercise which works to tone the back of the thigh  and the glutes. epending on your training levels you can try tougher adaptations but I’m going to describe the alternating lunge. Step forward with one leg, bend your back leg, lower your knee towards the ground and then, pushing through the heel of your front foot return to starting position before repeating with the other leg.

2. Deadlift: A weighted compound exercise which is highly regarded as one of the top single exercises as it works the arms, back, core and more importantly your glutes. Get a barbell for this exercise, hold the bar in front of your legs with arms straight, slide the bar down the front of your thigh, lean your upper body forward keeping your back straight and as you go lower slightly bend your knees and then lift the bar back up to standing straight.

1. Squats: Had to be number 1, again another exercise that is debated as the best as it also works multiple muscles when done with a barbell across your back. This exercise will help produce a toned bum, creating more prominent curves and a higher booty. An exercise that is often performed with poor technique often leading to injury. So for the correct technique, place feet shoulder width apart, raise your toes up in your trainers, push your bum out, tilt your hips back and squat down to a 90degree angle and then pushing through the heels of your feet stand back up straight.

Try Kelly Stone's Sexy legs and booty workout at home or in the gym

Tums

Sculpting a flat stomach can be the most difficult task where fat covers the deeply buried internal core muscles. As a woman it is the area that gets manipulated the most over the 9month pregnancy period being stretched and pulled every which way. After given birth especially if surgical cutting is involved the lower abdominals become very weak and the area most problematic. Now is time to banish crunches as an ineffective core strengthening/toning exercise. I say this as the crunch targets only the top of the abdominal muscles and if you’ve seen a toned stomach you’d have noticed that there are 6 or sometimes 8 different parts to the abs and that isn’t including the obliques at the sides. From reading my previous blogs you will know my thoughts on ‘Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym’ so be sure to have a healthy balanced diet but here are exercises to further aid you to tone the abs.

3. Scissor kicks: any stomach exercise involving the lifting or raising of your legs will work the lower region of the tum. Lie on your back with your hands by your sides, push your lower back into the floor and then raise your legs 6inches off of the floor and then criss cross over your feet

2. Barbell roll out: kneel down on the floor with a barbell in front of you, place hands on the bar shoulder width apart, roll the bar forward lowering your whole body down with your arms outstretched and then using your core muscles roll the bar back and kneel back up straight.

1. Plank:  My single best abs exercise as it works the whole core. Again an isometric exercise that will help build the strength of the core so the muscle will soon break through the fat. Balance on your forearms and feet raising your whole body up, keeping your back straight with no arches or dips and hold the position for again as long as you can.

These areas may be a problem now but with these exercises and balanced nutrition they will become problems of the past.

Written by

Erron Dussard

STONEiMAGE Management LTD

@Stoneimage