How do I get washboard abs? Should I do any specific abdominal exercises?
In order to see your abs, your body fat percentage must be low. Lowering one’s bodyfat percentage comes from proper diet and exercise. You can do all the crunches you want. If your body fat isn’t low enough, you will never see your abs.
I want to tone up my thighs. If I do hip and leg exercises, will my legs get thinner and more toned?
You cannot just lose weight or get toned in a specific area of your body. There is no such thing as spot-reduction. The whole body is affected. For example, if someone loses weight or size in their thighs, they will also lose weight or size in the upper portion of their body.
What type of exercise is best for getting in shape? Should I run, take aerobics classes or workout with weights?
Getting in shape involves many types of exercises. In order for one to achieve total fitness, he or she must address various areas of fitness: cardiovascular (running, walking, stepping, etc.); muscular strength and endurance (training with weights to maintain and increase lean body mass and reduce fat mass); body composition (having body fat percentage measured and monitored), and flexibility (stretching and staying flexible).
Why can’t I look like that person. Why can’t I have the muscles or tone that person has?
Every person is genetically different. For example, an exercise, nutritional regimen and calorie level that works for one person, may not be suitable for another. An exercise routine that may create impressive results in one person may not achieve the same results the another person. So every person has to be assessed individually.
How many sets and reps should I do?
How much weight should I use?
The type of fitness goal you are trying to achieve will determine how many sets and reps and how much weight you should use. For example, If you are trying to achieve a large musculature (body-builder look), you would keep the weight moderate and do more repetitions and sets. If you were looking win a powerlifting contest, you would use heavy weight and lower the repetitions and sets. If you were looking to win a contest of ultimate endurance, you would use very light weights and do a lot of repetitions and sets. Programs should be specific to the type of fitness goal one is trying to achieve.
How many days a week should I work out?
Many factors determine the frequency of one’s workouts: physical status, time availability, proximity to a gym, etc. You should not be so concerned with the number of days you work out but more concerned about the effectiveness of each workout.
What is better free weights or machines?
Each one has its pros and cons. The pros for free weights are that they provide greater range of motion, more closely imitate daily life activities and are less expensive. The cons for free weights are that they require a more advanced type of person, involve spotters and the risk of injury is greater. The pros in machines are that machines can be used more effectively by beginners, are safer to use, and can focus on one specific range of motion. The cons are that they focus on the specific range of motion that they are designed for and cannot be used for anything else and are generally more expensive. Free weights and machines should be both used and the exercises should be changed occasionally to promote growth, stimulate greater gains and minimize staleness.
If I eat fat free foods, will I lose weight and get in the shape that I want to be in?
Fat-free foods are exactly what they state to be, “fat free”, not calorie-free nor are they sugar-free. Just because a food is fat-free, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is OK to eat as much of it as you want. The amount of weight a person loses is dependent on their caloric balance. If you consume more calories than you expend, you will gain weight. Conversely, if one expends more calories than one consumes, he or she will lose weight. Some people get caught up on how many fat grams are in a serving and don’t worry about total calories.
