I always get a little laugh when I'm asked, "How do I get rid of my flab?" or something like that. Are there really magical gym moves you can do, you know, do this type of arm move and watch the jiggle, jiggle just disappear? (I want to live in that universe.) Unfortunately there are not. But, you can chip away at the gush and increase your overall energy if you're smart about it.
The best way to make changes in your body is to keep your body guessing by not getting stuck in a predictable routine. Grab a pen and a calendar and start to map your "flab away strategy." Don't forget to keep a food journal!
Week one
You can give your body a nice jolt by cutting back on your calories and exercising six days of the week. You don't have to work out for a long time, just do something with intensity for at least 20 minutes every day. Try to get in three days of cardio (walking briskly, running, light jogging with some sprints thrown in, hiking, biking, swimming, spinning, etc.).
On the other three days of the week one, do a mini-circuit that hits all of your muscle groups in each session. Great moves would be:
- dumbbell bicep curl to shoulder press
- walking lunges with your own body weight
- split squats and regular squats with just your body
- tricep kickbacks
- dumbbell chest press while lying on a stability ball
- situps on the stability ball
- push ups on the stability ball with a leg roll in towards your head
I like to do routines that start with working the upper body, then move on to legs and abs, and then back and forth again. You don't need too many machines or pieces of equipment. I believe one of the best ways to tone up is to use your own body weight. Machines can almost assist you too much.
Week 2:
If you are feeling good with your week one workouts, extend the length of your routines. If week one was too much, take off one more day for rest. This week, add intelligent calories (more veggies and lean protein) to increase your energy. It's critical to eat enough of the right calories to really maximize fat burning.
Week 3:
If you took a day off, go back to the six-day-a-week regiment. Feeling good with the longer workouts? Increase the weight your are lifting or the number of reps for the circuit workout. This week is about increasing the intensity where you can. Remember, if you build muscle, your body will burn more calories long after you stop exercising.
Week 4:
Look over your food journal and make this your super-strict food week. This is the best way to see how your eating impacts your fitness and appearance. You will be amazed at how much food alone affects the way you look and feel when you are doing the other important things correctly (exercising, managing stress, getting sleep, and having a good laugh now and then).
If you are able to stick to this plan for one month, then you have just accomplished one of the hardest things you can do: change your lifestyle habits. The natural result of that hard work is that you will see the flab just melt away.
Summer is coming, so isn't it worth giving this a try?
One more tip: As unconnected as this may seem, massage your muscles every evening before bed. Relieving your sore muscles will also help you get to know yourself again. Don't be afraid of your body, but embrace the work you're putting into it and love whatever size and shape you are. This doesn't mean you don't want to make the change. It just makes you appreciate where your body is today. Plus, I'm of the belief that if you want flab to leave, you have to show it where to go. By massaging you can break up the stagnant areas and visualize all of it melting away. Cellulite? Well, that is the million dollar question isn't it? Flab and cellulite are different, so I won't try to help you there!
