One Sure Way to Annoy a Scientist

Call him or her the ‘father of ... ’ or ‘mother of ...’ an invention; just ask the mother of the Hubble and the father of cognitive behavioral therapy.

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Bodybuilding in Your 50s: The Diet Puzzle

After fits and starts, a Seattle-area firefighter found a way to get into competitive shape.

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Bills Finish the Draft, Then Fire General Manager Doug Whaley

The Buffalo Bills kept general manger Doug Whaley around to make franchise-altering, long-term decisions in free agency and the draft, then let him go.

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Tottenham Runs Away From Its Past

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has transformed the club by playing a physical, higher-intensity style.

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Florida Deal Would Reverse Key Part of Obama’s Medicaid Expansion

The shift involves funding that the federal government provides to help hospitals defray the cost of caring for low-income people who are uninsured.

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The Simple Way to Upgrade Your Meal Prep and Eat Healthier in Less Time

“What do you want to eat?’”

On the surface, it’s such a simple question. And it has endless possibilities. But the simplicity combined with the variety is the exact reason why this question stops you in your tracks and makes meal prep — and deciding what to eat — feel much harder than it should.

The point of meal prep is not to be perfect. It’s to make it easier for you to be imperfect.

It can keep you standing still in long cereal aisles, staring at a restaurant menu, or sitting for in front of a blank page that’s supposed to be your grocery list.

The time you spend thinking about what you want to eat is considerable. Add it up across your lifetime and it probably feels like a lot of wasted time.

Making matters worse, these choices literally wear you down—and make you more prone to bad decisions. After all, willpower is an exhaustible quantity. Studies show that the same is true of sound decision making. Researchers have found that the more decisions a person made, the less self-control they had. Psychologists call the phenomenon “decision fatigue.”

Don’t think you’re a willpower weakling for falling victim to this. The phenomenon runs true for even the most trained of minds taking on their most common tasks. For proof, look no further than this analysis of parole board decisions. Researchers found that the judges were more likely to rule in favor of a parolee on two occasions: 1) earlier in the day, or 2) nearer to a meal. As the day wore on, judged drifted toward automatically choosing the easier decision: rejecting the application.

You’re not a judge, but each day, three times a day or more, you’re making judgments about what you should eat. And you know what happens when you run out of energy and start looking for easy answers. It’s drive-thru. Or a vending machine. Or a bag of nachos in the cupboard because it’s right there. And hey, pizza is a vegetable, right?

Look, when it comes to healthy eating and upgraded meal prep, less is more.

That doesn’t mean less food. In fact, sometimes the problem that’s holding someone back is that they aren’t eating enough—not enough calories to build muscle, or not enough protein, or not enough healthy fat to feel full. Coaching clients are often surprised to find out that they can eat more and get leaner.

No. What we mean is less thinking.

What if you could make healthy eating or meal prep so simple it was almost reflexive? Then you could give your body exactly what it needs, spend a whole lot less time worrying, and enjoy the results—both at the table (with delicious meals) and at the beach (hey look, abs!).

The good news is you can simplify the meal prep and planning process. Start saving time today by using these tips to declutter your grocery list (and your brain), and make it easier for you to choose the meals that are best for your body (and taste buds).

Break down recipes into simple blocks

When meal prep consists of choosing which recipes you want to eat out of a 500-page cookbook, the process is undeniably overwhelming. Here’s the thing: You don’t have to pick a new recipe for every single meal. Instead, you can follow a formula that hits on all of the macronutrients you need—and does so in a format you like.

Take stir-fry, for example. It really only has four elements:

• vegetables (broccoli, onions, bell peppers, snap peas—whichever ones you like),
• a protein source (chicken, fish, steak, or tempeh tofu for example),
• a carbohydrate (quinoa, rice, or sweet potatoes), and…
• healthy fat (olive oil or coconut oil) to cook it in.

You can pick what you like from each category and eat it the same way every time. Or you can choose different options and mix it up in almost countless ways. However you go about it, instead of having to write down a laundry list of ingredients, you can walk into a store knowing you just need those four things.

You can repeat this process with almost any meal. For example:

• Omelette

1. Eggs
2. Vegetables
3. Cheese (if you like)

• Soup

1. Protein
2. Vegetables
3. Stock (perhaps made by boiling the protein)
4. Carbohydrate

• Salad

1. Leafy Green
2. Protein source
3. Additional veggies (or even fruit! Ever tried blueberries or strawberries on spinach salad? They’re legit.)
4. Dressing (we like olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but go with what works for you)

When you narrow down your list of needs for meal prep, you free up brain space. You can use that extra RAM to get creative and put a new spin on your favorite standby. Or you can just speed through the grocery store for the four (or eight, or whatever) things you need, get in, get out, and get on with your day.

Embrace “last-minute” meals

Look, it’s fashionable nowadays in nutrition circles to say that you should “eat whole foods” and “avoid processing.” And yes, if all things are equal and you have the time, it’d be ideal if you could drive yourself down to a local, organic farmer’s market, pick out the items that look the freshest, then drive back to your house, chop all of them up, and turn them into a delicious meal. But let’s face it, there will always be days when don’t have time for that.

In fact, there are going to be days when you don’t have time for washing and chopping. And that’s fine—if you have a backup plan in place. Let’s go back to the stir-fry example.

If I’m in a hurry, I’ll take that same formula, combine it with a little bit of frozen convenience and make this 10-minute peanut stir-fry. It’s just frozen organic veggies, eggs and whatever carb I have available from meal prep day (more on that in a sec). You can make it more involved if you like, but if you’re in a hurry, that combo will get you a tasty meal in—you guessed it—10 minutes or less.

The takeaway here? Buy and prepare fresh whole foods when you can, but it’s also a good idea to have frozen veggies (or fruits for smoothies) that work in your meals on hand. And bonus points if you’ve got a healthy carb source ready-to-go thanks to…

Master Meal Prep Day (with imperfection in mind)

Instead of thinking, “What will I eat?” every day, draw up a plan one day per week (I prefer Sunday) for meal prep, and then follow your menu. That could mean putting together an entire meal (soups are especially good, since they keep well), or it might just mean preparing the more time-consuming essentials that you’ll know you’ll need during the week, like boiling brown rice or roasting sweet potatoes. The hour-ish cook times on these items is way less daunting when you already did it two days ago.

[Editor’s note: The point of meal prep is not to be perfect. It’s to make it easier for you to be imperfect. Look at it this way, if meal prep feels daunting, just focus on the meals that are most difficult for you. For many people, this means lunch. Try to prep 80% of your lunches for the week. This could mean just 4 meals (for weekdays). When 80% of your meals are covered, the day that you decide to go out for lunch or eat something different won’t derail your plan, and it can fit in perfectly with your goal. When you enable imperfection within any plan, it gives you the freedom to eat what you enjoy and see results. – AB]

Use simple cooking techniques

If you’re relatively new to cooking—or your relationship with the kitchen is less based on love and more based on need (as in: you need to eat)—then the seemingly endless array of ways to cook can feel pretty daunting. Roasting, steaming, blending, pan-searing—there’s a lot to learn. You shouldn’t expect yourself to master all of those techniques overnight. In fact, some of them you probably don’t need to learn at all. (Will you ever really broast something? Probably not unless you work in a restaurant.)

To make the learning process easier, choose one method of cooking (roasting, steaming, blending, etc.) and stick with that. You’ll be amazed at how far learning just one technique will take you.

Do you know what vegetables taste great roasted? Answer: All of them. Roasted brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, asparagus—they’re all seriously delicious. When you work your way up to pro status, then sure, go ahead and roast one thing while steaming another and blending together a sauce. But until then, simple and easy always wins.

Fill your freezer with “in case of emergency” items

Making larger servings for everything can save you those times when you’re in a pinch. Freeze soups, casseroles, homemade breads, protein cookies, veggies, cooked proteins, etc. for grab-and-go meals. Think of these as your backup “911” options. That way, when life happens and you need something to eat right now, you don’t have to wonder what you’re going to do. The decision is made for you, and it’s healthy, homemade, and delicious.

McKel Hill, MS RD, is a registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Founder of Nutrition Stripped. 

Editor’s note: If batch cooking and meal planning for every day of the week sounds dreamy but like something that’s not gonna happen, then check out the NS Society: A Guide to Master Meal Planning can help you learn how to eat well for life with simple tools, a yearly meal plan, 100+ healthy recipes, cooking videos, and support from a global community. Born Fitness has no financial stake in Nutrition Stripped, but we do believe it’s a valuable resource and community. Learn more here.

The post The Simple Way to Upgrade Your Meal Prep and Eat Healthier in Less Time appeared first on Born Fitness.

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The Rockets Shoot From Outer Space

Houston has changed the NBA by finding a way to take more 3-pointers: take longer 3-pointers.

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Joshua Scores Knockout Victory Over Klitschko

British boxer Anthony Joshua breathed life into the sport’s most storied division with a thrilling win over heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko, retaining his IBF title and adding the vacant WBA crown.

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Grading the Most Controversial NFL Draft Picks, According to the Parcells Rule

The Hall of Fame coach says it’s key that certain players get paired with coaches who have enjoyed success with similar athletes in the past

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How Baseball's Arm Whisperer Fixes Broken Pitchers

Ivan Nova’s unexpected resurgence marks yet another successful reclamation project for the Pittsburgh Pirates under the tutelage of pitching coach Ray Searage.

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WATCH: Mosquitoes tested in Florida show no signs of Zika

Hunters under investigation for taking two bear cubs; Woman recovering after a tree fell on her car.

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WATCH: How to get that beach body

Dr. Fred Pescatore, New York Times bestselling author of the Hamptons Diet has a new book called "The A-List Diet," that he says can help readers lose up to 15 pounds in just two weeks.

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Most New York City Schools Had High Lead Levels, Retests Find

In a second round of water testing, 83 percent of school buildings had at least one outlet with levels above the E.P.A.’s threshold for action.

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Injuries owing to encounters with law enforcement hold steady at about 51,000 a year, study finds

The actual number of people injured by police has remained relatively constant over the past seven years, indicating this is a "longer-term phenomenon," a new study finds

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CDC working to keep yellow fever vaccine supply from running out

Officials are concerned about fighting the disease.

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Fears of losing pre-existing conditions protection under GOP

Doctors and patient groups are warning that the latest Republican health care bill would gut hard-won protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions

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Jury reaches verdict in Florida eye doctor's fraud trial

Jurors have reached a verdict in the Medicare fraud trial of a prominent Florida eye doctor who's also accused of bribing a U.S. senator

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Former President George HW Bush released from hospital after treatment for pneumonia

Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital earlier this month.

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The Abs Workout: Best Exercises, Injury Prevention, and How to Transform Your Midsection

You’ve heard the desperate tactics in those late night infomercials. The crazed fitness models who tell you to do endless crunches on useless gizmos to get the abs of your dreams.

You’ve gone to the gym and heard “hardcore” lifters insist that you don’t need an “abs workout” at all, and that a steady diet of compound exercises like squats and deadlifts will do the trick. Still, others say you can simply plank your way to abdominal greatness.

The first goal of any good abs workout must be injury prevention.

With all of the conflicting theories out there, it’s no wonder you are still searching for a clear answer on how to design an abs workout that will actually work for you.

What you want seems simple: a sturdy core that allows you to live the life you want…and it doesn’t hurt if you also look good shirtless on the beach. But it’s hard to know what to do when you spend so much time filtering through misinformation, outdated methods, and marketing hype from a fitness industry that knows everybody loves a six-pack. No one could blame you for feeling overwhelmed, hopping from program to program, or even giving up entirely.

Learning to train correctly will help you perform better, avoid back pain and other injuries, and be stronger in everything that you do—whether you’re squatting seriously heavy weight, shoveling snow, or picking up your child. You can learn how to do all of that and also drop unwanted belly fat, while finally answering the question, “what’s the right abs workout for me?”

What People Mean When They Talk About “Abs”

Your abs are really just one muscle—the rectus abdominis (RA).

The RA is what gives people that six-pack (or eight-pack) look. But functionally speaking, the muscle is just one part of a larger web of tissues often referred to as “the core.” Your RA works along with your obliques (you have both internal and external ones), a bunch of deep internal muscles like the transverse abdominis, quadratus lumborum, and multifidi, and even the lats, which play an important (and underappreciated) role in supporting your back.

Do you need to know all these names? Not unless you’re a fitness pro. But what you should know is that these muscles are like the cables of a suspension bridge keeping that all-important center column—your spine—in alignment. They also make it possible for you to stand upright, swing a golf club or baseball bat, chuck hay bales with a pitchfork, and do so many of the other cool things you can do as a uniquely awesome human.

Maintaining an appropriate balance of strength among these stabilizers is crucial to your health and performance. Every muscle matters, which is why most abs workouts are inherently flawed.

Training your abs directly through a movement like sit-ups or crunches (not the best bang-for-your-buck exercises) won’t accomplish what you want. Creating a great abs workout means progressing through 3 different phases. Follow the steps, and everything will function (and look) the way you want. Take shortcuts, and — well — you probably have a good idea of how the more basic approach falls short of expectations.

The 3-Phase Approach to Abs Workouts

It sounds funny, but you need to make sure that all of your core muscles are awake and not asleep at the switch. That’s why there’s a progressive approach, which puts you in control of your abs. Think of it like math. If you skip to calculus before you learn addition and subtraction, odds are you won’t be very good. But when you build up to the more difficult stuff, that’s when you really see great results.

Phase 1: Injury prevention
Here’s where you reinvigorate tissues that are often deactivated by your lifestyle. This is a way bigger deal than you think.

To understand why, look no further than your typical workday.

Your commute begins with you sitting in your car for 15 to 30 minutes (or waaaay longer if you’re one of 3.6 million “megacommuters” out there doing an hour and a half or more each way).

From 9 to 5 the routine is more of the same: You’re in a seat. You shoulders are rounded forward. Your back and spine hunch toward your screen. When all of the TPS reports are filed, it’s time for the drive back home.

Rinse and repeat this for eight to 12 hours per day, 260 or so workdays per year.

When you spend this much time sitting, deep core muscles like your transverse abdominis weaken from inactivity. Even very big, very visible muscles like your glutes can essentially shut off and stop working as they should (a condition the world’s leading spine health researcher, Dr. Stu McGill, calls “gluteal amnesia”). The result is bad posture, worse gym performance, and far greater risk of back pain. Let’s prevent that, shall we?

With the help of exercises that train the core functionally, you’ll re-engage those underused muscles and build a better balance of baseline strength. You’ll find these exercises in the section “Core Training for Injury Prevention,” below. You can include these movements as part of your warmup before a workout, or it can be a targeted program for 4-8 weeks if you find that these exercises are very difficult (because your small stabilizers and glutes are “turned off”).

Phase 2: Training for performance

Once you know you’ve brought all your core muscles back online and protected your body from the demands of the daily grind, you’ll kick things up a notch. Here you’ll work on exercises that will help you be stronger in the gym, play better

Once you know you’ve brought all your core muscles back online and protected your body from the demands of the daily grind, you’ll kick things up a notch. Here you’ll work on exercises that will help you be stronger in the gym, play better in any sport, and more able to carry heaping piles of grocery bags in a single trip. You’ll find these movements in “Core Training for Performance,” below. Follow this phase for another 4-8 weeks.

Phase 3: Training for aesthetics.

As we’ve discussed, building a shrediculous set of chiseled abs is the icing on the cake. (And yes, you can still eat cake and have abs.)

Here’s where you’ll re-integrate some of the ab-specific work that most people overdo. Rather than endless sit-ups or crunches, you’ll perform far more potent (and safer) moves. You’ll also learn some techniques for getting a leaner look that will help those abs really pop.

Note that element here builds off the previous one. You can’t just skip down to the third section of this article, do those moves and voila! 8-pack.

Be patient. Trust the process. You will wind up with a core that feels, performs, and yes, looks way better.

Core Training for Injury Prevention

Back injuries can be debilitating. A hurt back can make it difficult to stand up from a chair, much less train with the proper intensity to change your body. So the first goal of any good abs workout must be injury prevention.

Your dose of prevention takes place at the front of your workouts. Before you lift, you’re going to do what’s called core activation work. Core activation is essentially a series of core exercises that “wakes up” all of the muscles in your trunk by asking them to perform the type of tasks they actually do.

Your abs workout injury prevention focuses on the three “anti-’s”:

Anti-Rotation: One of your core’s main jobs is to prevent you from toppling over when you move in one direction, or an outside force acts on you. Think about how often someone accidentally bumps into you, and the next thing you know your back is in tremendous pain. Or when you rotate and something feels “off.” You can prevent these aches and pains. Anti-rotational exercises help you develop stability from the ground all the way up your trunk. Some of the moves we like here are pallof presses, half-kneeling iso-holds, and half-kneeling chops. Compound exercises like a single-arm dumbbell row also fit the bill.

Anti-Extension: When it comes to your spine, the term “extension” refers to a rounded back (think: the “cat” position of cat-cow). Anti-extension exercises train your core to resist this extension —something that will come in handy when you do an exercise like a deadlift, where “don’t round your lower back!” is a commonly heard cue. Try front planks, ab wheel rollouts, and stability ball rollouts.

Anti-Lateral Flexion: That’s the scientific way of saying “resisting sideways bending.” The quadratus lumborum and obliques are the key muscles responsible for this action. To train it, perform side plank variations, single-arm farmer’s carries, and carrying your groceries all in one hand.

There’s one other crucial factor here: Glute engagement. Your glutes are the biggest muscle in your body. They’re responsible for driving hip extension—the main muscle action for moves like sprints, jumps, deadlifts, and squats. Don’t do those exercises? It’s still important because you need hip extension for the simple act of standing up straight.

The only problem, as we mentioned earlier, is that most of us sit on our glutes all day, which leads them to effectively “forget” how to work (hence McGill’s term “gluteal amnesia”). When this occurs, your body can still manage to achieve hip extension, but it does so by compensating with your lower back. Improving glute activation is far and away one of the best things you can do to reducing back pain, improving performance, and building a strong, resilient body.

To activate your glutes, try quadruped hip extensions, frog pumps, clamshells, lateral band walks and x-band monster walks. For strengthening your glutes, go with compound exercises like squats, hips thrusts, deadlifts, and lunges with a focus on full hip extension and a glute squeeze at the top of a movement.

The above list should give you plenty of options for compiling a core and glute workout or warmup. But we’ve taken things a step further for you and built a couple of examples you can use before an upper-body or lower body workout. Try these before your next strength session:

Sample Abs Workout (Before Upper Body Workout)

1a. TRX Fallout, 2×10, rest 30 seconds
1b. Side Plank, 2×45 seconds/side, rest 30 seconds
1c. Supine Hip Thrust, 2×10, rest 30 seconds

Sample Abs Workout Before Lower Body Workout

1a. Half Kneeling Pallof Press, 2×10/side, rest 30 seconds
1b. Lateral Band Walk, 2×10/side, rest 30 seconds

Core Training For Performance

Dr. McGill will tell you that “proximal stiffness enhances distal mobility and athleticism.” Translation: When your core is strong and you can make it as stiff as a board, you can move your arms and legs faster and more powerfully. That means a stronger push off the ground when you sprint, a harder throw when you hurl a baseball, and a better ability to leap from the ground to snag rebounds at your local YMCA.

Why? Think about the difference between walking across concrete and walking across a row of pillows. The hard surface allows you to push off forcefully, while the soft one causes that force to be deflected in a bunch of competing directions. That lost force is known as an “energy leak” in biomechanic terms, and it will occur at any point in your body that lacks sufficient strength and stiffness. A weak core is a big energy leak. (But with the help of this article, you won’t have that problem.)

There are three components of training your core for better performance.

First, activate deep muscles with the “anti-movements” we discussed above. They’ll help you resist unwanted movements, button up any energy leaks, and prepare your body to perform.

Second, integrate total body compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, overhead presses, lunges, and weighted carries. Upper body pressing exercises like push-ups and pulling exercises like rowing are also your friends. They develop power and strength and help you develop core stiffness that won’t buckle under load. Your core should remain braced as you move, providing a rock-solid foundation that holds your spine’s position and doesn’t buckle during exercise. In other words: a great abs workout means doing more than just abs exercises.

When it comes to weighted carries, there are almost limitless options. Heavy dumbbells, a trap bar, or (if your gym is really cool) farmer’s walk handles are some the best tools for building a strong, high-performance core.

Whatever type of carry you use, brace your abs for the entire set. You want to stand tall and pretend like you’re about to take a punch to the gut. Hold this position, stay tall, and breathe into your stomach for the set. The carry will force your deep intrinsic core muscles to stabilize your hip and spine with every step. The muscles of your back lower back and abs tighten to prevent unnecessary movement in your spine.

Third, add sport-specific core strength movements. If you’re an athlete who trains for a specific sport, you need to train movements that are similar to those that you’ll perform in the sport that you play. For example, if you play golf, tennis, or baseball, you’ll want to work on your rotational strength, since that’s what powers your swing.

Athleticism requires muscles, joints, ligaments, and nervous system must work together as a complete unit to be strong and powerful. One of the best ways to develop this power is with a medicine ball. It allows you to train the movement patterns specific to your sport at full speed, which helps you achieve the best-possible training response. Here are four rotational strength-building exercises that use a medicine ball:

Rotational Scoop Throw, 3 sets x 5 reps per side
Stand perpendicular to an open area or a solid wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. From this position, while holding the ball to your back hip, shift your weight to the back leg before explosively shifting your weight to the front leg and throwing the ball as hard as possible. Repeat for three sets of five reps per side.

Medicine Rainbow Slam, 3 sets x 5 reps per side
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a medicine ball overhead with your arms extended. Rotate and slam the ball outside your opposite foot. Catch the ball and reverse the range of motion for three sets of five reps per side.

Overhead Medicine Ball Slams, 3 sets x 5 reps per side
The overhead medicine ball slam builds incredible power through your shoulders and lats while preventing flexion through your spine. Stand up tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the medicine ball in both hands. Raise the ball overhead, then slam it as hard as you can on the ground. Catch the ball on the bounce and repeat. Try the overhead medicine ball slam before doing upper body lifts like shoulder presses or chin-ups.

Medicine Ball Back Tosses, 3 sets x 5 reps per side
The medicine ball back toss builds explosive hip extension power, such as exercises like jumps and cleans but with less joint stress. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball overhead with your arms straight. Start the rep by squatting down and lowering the ball between your legs. Then explode upward to jump out of the squat while you raise your arms overhead to throw the ball behind you. This explosive movement works best to build explosive hip extension power and works well before lower body training lifts like a squat or deadlift.

Designing a Better Abs Workout

Now that you’ve earned your way to phase 3, it’s time for an abs workout that will prepare your core for the display case. To do so, you need a combination of two things:

You need to be lean. Men will start to see the outline of their abs around 12% body fat, while women will notice definition when around 17-18% body fat. For reference: magazine cover model types are often at 5-7% for men and 14-15% for women.

You need well-developed, muscular abs. Without a certain level of lean muscle, your abs won’t push through remaining body fat and give you the dense, toned look you’d like. So here’s where some of those “icing on the cake” exercises that emphasize the rectus abdominis come in handy (although, as you’ll see below, you’ll still be using safer and more functional moves than sit-ups or crunches).

Losing Fat to Reveal Your Abs

At the most basic level, creating a caloric deficit is the only thing that matters for fat loss. Despite what supplement companies or sketchy infomercials might tell you, research shows you can’t “spot reduce” and tell your body to only lose fat on that annoying spot just below your belly button. But what you can do is “spot enhance,” or build a muscle up in specific area while you lose fat throughout your entire body.

There are a lot of ways one can create that needed caloric deficit. The by-the-numbers approach is to determine the daily caloric intake required to maintain your body weight, then eat a few hundred calories fewer. (You can do this on your own using a body weight calculator, or under the guidance of a coach who can help you specific targets based on your wants and needs.) Assuming you’re moderately active and working out three or four times per week, a reasonable ballpark figure is a reduction of about 500 calories per day for men and 300 calories per day for women.

Don’t get carried away here. While most of us want to ditch fat in a hurry, those “lose weight fast” plans are deceptive. Despite what the latest diet fad will tell you, research shows the maximum rate of “healthy” fat loss is about 1-2% body weight each week. (That said, the more weight you have to lose, the quicker you can lose it.)

Another tricky factor here: The leaner you are, the slower your rate of fat loss will be. Using the percentages above, you can see how someone who weighs 250 pounds may be able to drop up to 5 pounds per week, while someone who’s 180 pounds may struggle to drop one.

For almost everyone, fat loss feels like it’s taking place at a rate that’s slower than you would like. But it’s better to go slow and sustainable than try and do it fast and then crash. (Some studies show that the average person spends 6 weeks sticking to a strict diet—then spends 14 weeks off of it.) So if you have a vacation 12 weeks from now and want to lose 20 pounds so that you look hot in your new bikini or when you’re standing shirtless at the beach, the time to start is now.

The Ultimate Abs Workout (AKA looking good without a shirt)

Your abs are like any other muscle—they need time under tension, metabolic stress (that nauseating yet delightful burn you’ve felt during sets of crunches), and muscular damage (something that sounds bad, but actually just refers to the process of creating microtears in muscle tissue so that they come back stronger) in order to grow.

Here’s how to make all of that happen:

First, you’ll continue to lift weights three to four times per week with compound movements. These big movements like squats, rows, and deadlifts build strength from head to toe, stimulate your abs, and provide the training response necessary to transform your body.

Second, keep doing “anti-movements” in your training to build a strong, stable and injury-resistant core.

Third, you’ll add in exercises that specifically target your abs to create the deep muscular separations needed for visible abs.

But as you’ve read over and over again in this article now, sit-ups and crunches aren’t your best options for achieving point #3. Why? Because those movements wind up bending your spinal discs over and over again, which McGill describes as a “potent injury mechanism.” So instead, here are five better exercises that focus on your abs without putting you at risk, which will help you build lean muscle for beach season:

1. Hollow Body Hold

A gymnastics move by nature, the hollow body hold teaches you to brace and hold neutral spine while contracting your entire rectus abdominis muscle.

Lie flat on the ground, looking up. Flatten your lower back and flex your knees, pointing your toes away from you. Straighten your legs while you lift your arms so that they’re perpendicular to your torso. Keep your back flat on the floor and lift your head and shoulders off the ground. Aim to do these twice a week.

2. Hanging Leg Raise

The hanging leg raise is a popular exercise for targeting your lower abs. By keeping your elbows slightly bent and shoulders retracted (i.e. held down and in, rather than creeping up toward your ears), you’ll also stretch the lats, build a stronger grip, and develop more muscular forearms.

Grab a pull-up bar with a double overhand grip, squeezing the bar as tight as possible and keeping the elbows slightly bent. Retract your shoulders, as if tucking them into your back pocket and holding them there.

From this position, lift your legs up just past 90 degrees, forming an L shape with your body. Pause at the top for two seconds, then lower with control. Too tough? Then try them with your knees bent, lifting and holding for 5-10 seconds if possible.

If you struggle to hold on to the bar, feel free to use the Roman chair version in which you’re supported by your elbows and upper body.

3. Stability Ball Rollout

Stability ball rollouts are a great way to build strong abs while preparing your body for a greater challenge: the ab wheel rollout.

To start, kneel on the floor (it may be helpful to place an Airex pad or yoga mat beneath your knees) and face a stability ball with your arms extended in front of your body. Your hands should sit atop the ball. Brace your abs to prevent your back from arching, lean forward, and roll your arms over the ball as far as possible, so that your entire torso lowers toward the floor. Then reverse the motion and pull your arms and torso back until you return to the starting position.

4. Ab Wheel Rollout
Ab wheel rollouts are an absolute killer for building strong, dense abs. Beyond building muscle, they force you to resist unwanted extension in the lower back.

Kneel down and hold the handles of the wheel with your arms locked out beneath your shoulders. Brace your abs and roll the wheel as far forward as possible without shifting your hips or arching your lower back, then roll back.

5. Cable Crunch
Remember the day when crunches and situps were all the rage? There are still effective ways to perform the crunch (see McGill curlup), but this is another variation that puts you in a position where you are less likely to hurt your back and you can add some load to increase the difficulty. Just like any exercise, progressive overload (adding weight) can help you build stronger abs — that pop.

Kneel facing the pulley and hold the ends of a rope attached to the high cable along the sides of your face. Bend forward, aiming your chest at your pelvis. Return to the starting position, then repeat the movement.

Here’s how it looks when you put all of those exercises together into a single workout.

Sample Abs Workout Routine

Perform this sample routine 2-3 times per week for 4-6 weeks.

1. Ab wheel rollout OR stability ball rollout, 2 sets x 8-12 reps, rest 90 seconds
2. Hollow Body Hold 3 sets x 45 seconds, rest 45 seconds.
3. Hanging Leg Raise 3 sets x 12-15 reps, rest 45 seconds.
4. Cable Crunch 3 sets x 15 reps, rest 45 seconds

The Takeaways

Think “core” before you think “abs.” Focus on anti-extension, anti-lateral flexion, anti-rotation, and glute activation exercises first. This helps prevent injury.

Next, comes performance. You’ll develop core strength along with full-body strength by performing compound lifts with your core properly engaged. Train rotation and other movements as needed for the sport of your choice.

Finally, build show-worthy abs by adding in some level of direct ab training while also continuing to develop the core’s ability to prevent movement. Follow a gradual approach to fat loss that helps you reveal your hard work to the world with a lean, defined midsection.

Above all else, you need a well-balanced training approach to build your best looking and best performing body.

Eric Bach is a personal trainer who works directly with clients in Denver, Colorado and around the world online. Eric specializes in helping busy men eliminate nagging injuries, get stronger, leaner and more athletic without living in the gym. To access his FREE five-day fat loss challenge, join by clicking here.

Resources

1. Alpert, Seymour S. “A limit on the energy transfer rate from the human fat store in hypophagia.” Journal of Theoretical Biology 233.1 (2005): 1-13. Web. 2017.
2. Spaniol, Frank J., EdU. “Developing Power to Turn.” NSCA Strength & Conditioning Journal 34.6 (2012): n. pag. Web. 5 Mar. 2017.
3. McGill, Stuart, PhD. 5th ed. Waterloo: Backfitpro Inc, 2014. Print.
4. Ramírez-Campillo, Rodrigo, David C. Andrade, Christian Campos-Jara, Carlos Henríquez-Olguín, Cristian Alvarez-Lepín, and Mikel Izquierdo. “Regional Fat Changes Induced by Localized Muscle Endurance Resistance Training.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27.8 (2013): 2219-224. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

The post The Abs Workout: Best Exercises, Injury Prevention, and How to Transform Your Midsection appeared first on Born Fitness.

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Taping for the Back

Why use tape?

Even when we know what we SHOULD be doing with our back, sometimes this is easier said than done! Muscles often fire too much, and we need them to calm down, or they are lacking the endurance to do what we want them to do. Both of these situations can be helped with the correct application of different types of tape. All tapes have different purposes. Knowing how to correctly apply tape for your condition can really accelerate your training. However, using the wrong method may hinder your progress, so where possible please check with your dance teacher or therapist before trying it. Please note that you should never experience pain or increased tension from any tape application.

Also, some individuals have a sensitivity to some of the components in the adhesive on tape. To test if you are sensitive to any type of tape, cut off a small square and apply to the soft skin on the inner forearm or stomach for at least 2 hours. If there is any redness or irritation it is not advisable to use this tape on your skin. There are various preparations on the market that may help to reduce sensitivity, so feel free to trial several to see which works for you.

Dynamic Tape – Used to offload areas of strain and to support muscles.

Dynamic Tape is a great tool for anyone who is trying to retrain certain muscles but finds that the muscles fatigue quickly. Often you can notice this by how long you can accurately hold your posture. People with weak deep core activation often have bad posture and sit in a flexed position when sitting at a desk or at a table, or find it challenging to stand for long periods. Even when you know WHAT to do, it may be hard to sustain a good position for an extended period of time, or you may simply forget when focussed on an additional task. The effects of this habitually bad posturing can not only have long term effects on your core muscles but can also negatively impact on your digestion, mood and breath.

With this Dynamic Taping technique, you can help to subconsciously train your brain into forgetting your old habits and adopting new, better habits. This is done by a process of constant feedback from the tape. When your back wants to tend into the slumped position, the tape will pull on the muscles and remind you to readjust your position to the better position. The tape has elastic properties and a recoil ability that means that when it is put on stretch, it will want to move back into its original position. Think of a bow when an arrow is fired. This taping technique also helps take the load off the bigger muscles helping you to improve your endurance over time.

Watch the video below to see Lisa’s technique and see the tape in action. You will have to get a friend to help you with this one as positioning is key!

 

K-Tape to reduce tone in muscles

Sometimes you may need to try and reduce the activation of some muscles as they may fire too much, in a response to an underlying weakness, which can lead to sore back muscles and general overall tension. Often if the smaller stabilisers are not firing when they should, the body attempts to stabilise by chronically contracting the long Erector Spinae muscles. It’s not exactly accurate to say that the big muscles need to be “switched off” as they should be working in cooperation with the other muscles in your back, but it’s a good image to help reduce excessive tension. Using K-Tape is a good way to lessen the effort exerted by the big global back muscles to allow you to specifically train your other, deeper muscles that are the true stabilisers of your back. Improved control of these deeper back muscles ultimately leads to a more flexible and dynamically stable spine.

Try this taping method if you find that you have lots of tension in your lower back or if you feel very sore in your big long back muscles after a full day. However, we do not recommend that you use this taping technique during class. Often the range of motion achieved is great, however, until you have the strength to control this new range of motion, the back may be unstable and vulnerable to injury. Use this taping technique to reduce firing in your big back muscles while you practice all of the deep core exercises in our New Approach to Core Stability program.

 

 

 

The post Taping for the Back appeared first on The Ballet Blog.

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The Smart Guy's Guide to Wearing Pastels, Menswear's Springiest Trend

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Justices hear dispute over lower-cost biotech drugs sales

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Hope for preemies as artificial womb helps tiny lambs grow

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Azerbaijan former minister sentenced to 3 more years

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The New York Violin Makers Bringing the Art Form Into the Future

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Mindy Kaling Reveals What's On Her Phone

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More Homeowners Pay for Repairs With Credit Cards

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Should You Tell Your Teen You Tried Alcohol or Drugs?

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Does Sex Sell? Properties For Sale That Bare It All

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WATCH: Dr. Ian Smith shares tips on how to drop 20 pounds in 5 weeks

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WATCH: Can emotional feeding lead to obesity?

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Correction: Africa-Malaria Vaccine story

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Meditation for Real Life: How to Be Mindful While Gardening

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Marlins Haven't Brought Economic Boost to Miami's Little Havana

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Liberal Arts Colleges, in Fight for Survival, Focus on Job Skills

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Co-Living Appeals to Renters Willing to Swap Space For Convenience

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Foster mom convicted in child's high chair death is released

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Bone marrow transplant patients gets 1920s-themed prom at hospital

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WATCH: Researchers find caterpillars that can chew and breakdown plastic

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Medical student's death highlights high rates of physician suicides

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WATCH: Researchers find caterpillars that can chew and breakdown plastic

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'Superbug' fungus new menace in US hospitals, mostly NY, NJ

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7 Insider Wine Bars That Sommeliers Belly Up To

Lettie Teague asked seven sommeliers in seven cities where they like to drink wine on their days off. Follow their lead to the best under-the-radar wine bars, deepest cellars, most daring lists and savviest crowds to drink with across the country.

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Environmentalists sue government for Lake Erie's toxic algae

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WATCH: Despite vaccination success, US still faces outbreaks

Health officials are fighting measles and mumps outbreaks in U.S.

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WATCH: Despite vaccination success, US still faces outbreaks

Health officials are fighting measles and mumps outbreaks in U.S.

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Why Patrick Mahomes Could Be the Next Jay Cutler

History shows college quarterbacks with losing records usually struggle in the NFL

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Insurer Centene commits to shaky ACA exchanges for 2018

Health insurer Centene says enrollment from the Affordable Care Act's troubled insurance exchanges has swelled, and it's ready to return next year, even as competitors waver and President Donald Trump warns of the law's demise

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Despite vaccination success, US still faces outbreaks

Mumps and measles outbreaks have been reported in recent months.

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Learning to Talk Like a Woman (or Man)

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FDA: Avoid fake 'miracle' cancer treatments sold on internet

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At Churchill Downs, Immigration Crackdown Causes Unease on the Backstretch

The Trump Administration’s toughened enforcement is rattling horse trainers and their workers, an industry that quietly depends on an immigrant workforce

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Simulating mom's womb in research to help earliest preemies

Researchers are creating an artificial womb to improve care for extremely premature babies _ and remarkable animal testing suggests the first-of-its-kind watery incubation so closely mimics mom that it just might work

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Former President George HW Bush remains hospitalized after pneumonia

This is the former president's third hospitalization this year.

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Cruising in Vietnam Without the Crowds: A Savvy Traveler's Guide

Exalted as one of Vietnam’s unmissable sights, Ha Long Bay swarms with tourists boats. But the nearby Bai Tu Long National Park offers the same indelible scenery without the scene.

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Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. on his Early Expertise in Precision Landscaping

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Surf Style for All Ages on the Beaches of Costa Rica

Sand and sun offer the perfect playground—where the vibe is officially laid-back.

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Neighborhood Watch: Uptown

A formerly sleepy district is now central to Charleston’s food and art scene.

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Splash: Manhattan Townhome With Pool Asks $28 Million

The Greek Revival home in Greenwich Village is owned by Gilad Hayeem, co-founder of U.K.-based investment fund Marble Bar Asset Management.

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Closings expected in Florida doctor's Medicare fraud trial

Closing arguments are expected in the Medicare fraud trial of a prominent Florida eye doctor who authorities say bribed a U.S. senator

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Study: Trump's hardball tactic on health care may backfire

A hardball tactic to force congressional Democrats to negotiate on President Donald Trump's health care priorities might end up backfiring

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Overcoming Opioids: Special schools help teens stay clean

For teenagers in treatment for addiction, returning to school means resisting offers to get high with old friends

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Prepare for a Bad Summer for Ticks

Mild winters and expanding deer and mice populations point to a big year for ticks and Lyme disease diagnoses. Experts report rising numbers of infected ticks thus far this spring, writes Sumathi Reddy in ‘Your Health’.

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Let's Think About Sex

The way to better communication in your relationship may not be to just be nicer. Researchers found that sexual thoughts lead people to chat more about their personal lives and feelings, writes Elizabeth Bernstein in “Bonds: On Relationships.”

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A Paris Museum is a Muse to a Diptyque Executive

Paris’s Musée des Arts décoratifs is a source of inspiration and ideas for Myriam Badault, the creative director of Diptyque, a French maker of perfumes, home fragrances and other items.

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The Draft Prospect Out of Central Casting

Former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey has the versatility, speed and star power that the NFL craves, but is that raising expectations to impossible heights?

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Take a Number: Common Nursery Products Send Thousands of Children to Hospitals

Baby carriers, mattresses, strollers and other fixtures lead to injuries and emergency room visits for some 66,000 young children a year, a study finds.

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Malaria patients number more than 1,000 in US hospitals each year

Most of the patients treated contracted the disease abroad.

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Sugary Drinks Tied to Accelerated Brain Aging

Drinking sugary beverages is associated with markers of accelerated aging and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study reports.

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Gordon Hayward: The Basketball Star Who Was Better at Tennis

Utah Jazz star Gordon Hayward says tennis allowed him to help control his nerves and patience.

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Serena Williams Back to No. 1, After Pregnancy News

Serena Williams is pregnant and hasn’t played a match since January, but she’s still a champion: She moved up to the No. 1 ranking in the world this week.

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Video Games Help Model Brain’s Neurons

A video game is being used to help understand the structure of neurons, which could aid in treatment of diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

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Heart Attack Survivors Often Fail to Take Statins

Most patients in a large study either took less of the lifesaving medicines than needed or stopped taking the drugs entirely within two years.

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Q&A: A Dry Side Effect

Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, is a frequent side effect of many commonly prescribed drugs.

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APNewsBreak: 4 inmates overdose in 2 days at Ohio prison

Records show four inmates overdosed in two days in February at the same Ohio prison, requiring the use of CPR and an anti-overdose drug to revive the men

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Justices weigh defendants' right to own mental health expert

The Supreme Court seems closely divided about whether an Alabama death row inmate should get a new sentencing hearing because he did not have a mental health expert on his side when he was tried and sentenced to death more than 30 years ago

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In Mexico, fears a new plant will kill wastewater farming

Farmers are up in arms over a new treatment plant north of Mexico City that is meant to clean up raw sewage from the capital that has long fouled rivers and reservoirs in the rural Mezquital Valley _ tainted waters they have used as fertilizer for decades

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Global Health: Fatal Malaria in the U.S. More Common Than Previously Known

Hospital data suggests that some immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, thinking they are still immune, do not take precautions on home visits.

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Behind the Scenes at Gucci's New Hub

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Lauren Santo Domingo on Day-to-Evening Chic and the Best New Designers

The maven behind luxury e-commerce site Moda Operandi talks low-impact workouts, low-maintenance beauty and the chicest, under-the-radar brands you need to know.

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The Checkup: Fending Off Math Anxiety

Parents can help by starting to talk to children at an early age about numbers in everyday life.

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Personal Health: After Knee or Hip Replacement, No Place Like Home

Patients recover equally well and may experience fewer complications with outpatient rehabilitation, studies show.

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The New Health Care: Spend a Dollar on Drug Treatment, and Save More on Crime Reduction

Research shows treatment for substance abuse disorders is a great value for society, but many programs have long waiting lists.

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3 African countries chosen to test 1st malaria vaccine

3 African countries chosen to test world's 1st malaria vaccine

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A Business Professor's Fitness Secret: Qigong

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Where to Find Great Volunteer Vacations

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How We Ended Up Retiring in a Small Italian City

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When Having 'Enough' Really Is Plenty

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This Vermont High School Is Having a Very Vermont Problem

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The Houston Rockets' Foul Strategy: Hack-a-Roberson

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Baseball's Fastest Home-Run Trot

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Are Toned Arms Genetic? (And Why Arm Workouts for Women Are Flawed)

Every woman has her own set of upper-body goals. Some want toned arms and shoulders, while others desire Instagram-worthy biceps. Others just want to look great in a cold shoulder dress. And every mom just needs the arm strength to lift kids into and out of car seats over and over again.

No matter whether your goal is to add size and strength to your arms, or to shed some fat to show off the muscle that’s already there, chances are that you’ve found your arms to be, well, pretty stubborn.

Say goodbye to days when you only did lighter weights with higher reps. That alone won't get the job done.

You’ve tried Michelle Obama’s favorite exercises for toned arms. You even went so far as to add an “arm day”—an entire workout dedicated solely to building your bi’s and tri’s—to your weekly training rotation. But after countless sets of biceps curls and triceps kickbacks, you haven’t seen the results you expected.

So where are your toned arms and definition? Or better yet, are certain people simply incapable of having more defined arms?

The short answer: no — “toned arms” are not reserved for winners of the genetic lottery. (Although, some will find their desired look easier to achieve.)It’s suffering from a lack of TLC.

The real problem is that your workouts — the constant focus on biceps and triceps exercises in one rep range — are suffering from a lack of TLC.

“Toning up” is a magazine favorite, but it’s misunderstood. Achieving “tone” (a concept of what you desire, more than a scientific reality) results from a combination of adding muscle and losing fat. So if you want to truly have a set of arms that reflect the work you’re putting in, you need to shift your mindset and your workouts. Say goodbye to days when you only did lighter weights with higher reps. That alone won’t get the job done. [Eds. note: keep reading, and we’ll provide two different workouts programs that you can download for free.]

The solution starts with one simple idea: Volume. What does that mean? In the simplest sense, you need to do more reps and sets of certain exercises and not fear that those movements will make you bulky. Because they won’t. Instead, it will shape your body in a way you desire. [Note: Bulk does not come from any particular exercise, which is why you shouldn’t worry.]

“Women can handle a lot more upper-body volume than they tend to lift,” explains Colorado-based online personal trainer Kourtney Thomas, C.S.C.S. “A couple of push-pull and isolation movements once per week isn’t going to be enough to trigger significant change.”

“Volume” is exercise-speak for the number of reps you perform, multiplied by the weight lifted during each of those reps. While it might sound surprising, you can steal a few tricks from the guys in the gym with muscular upper bodies. (Again, don’t worry, you won’t end up looking like this men). This strategy can help turn up the volume on your workouts, and make sure you finally see the results from your time with the weights.

Here are four strategies that will help you reveal the “toned arms” (or muscular, stronger, more capable) you want.

Arms Workout Upgrade #1: Increase Your Intensity

“In general, the biggest thing that I see keeping women from their arm goal is using pink dumbbells for 20 reps,” says Minnesota-based exercise physiologist Mike T. Nelson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.

It’s not that higher reps are bad. And it’s not that women are afraid to use heavier weights, it’s that they are selective with the body parts they target and don’t train their upper body — particularly their arms — with both high and low reps.

“Women seem to be more comfortable lifting heavy weights for their lower body than for their upper body,” adds Nelson.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, 2016 research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology shows that lifting light can trigger muscle size increases similar to those from lifting heavier weights. But here’s the thing: That’s true only if you are willing to perform enough reps so that your arms reach a point of fatigue on every set.

So yes, lifting the pink dumbbells will get you there—but it’s going to take a looooong time to do it. Bumping up the resistance will save you time and get you more results a lot faster.

(If you need extra convincing why heavier weights do not make you bulky, this is a myth that has been debunked over and over again. And if you need even more proof, here’s Kate Upton squatting some serious weight and looking decidedly not-bulky while doing it.)

If you want to build muscle — the type that gives you the definition you desire — shoot for sets of six to 12 reps on movements that require more overall muscle (think rows, press, pushups, pulldowns), and then sets of 8-20 reps (oftentimes in the higher range) for the more focus movements, like curls and triceps pressdowns. The most important part: you do both types of movements (more on this). If you only do direct arm exercises, then you will limit your ability to go heavier, as rows and presses are the best (and safest) way to accomplish this goal.

The weight you use should be heavy enough that you can just barely squeeze out the very last rep of your last set—but also manageable enough that you’re able to perform every rep with perfect form. Put another way, if you’re sneaking in extra reps after your form has completely broken down, you should either stop or lower the weight slightly.

Arms Workout Upgrade #2: Do More “Arm Days”

OK, so now that we’ve covered the sets and reps part of the equation, the other half involves how regularly you perform those exercises.

“If you arms are a major training goal for you, you need to put more attention there and start skewing the percentage of your total training that targets your arms,” Thomas says. “For example right now, upper-body work is literally like 75 percent of what I’m doing. I lift four days per week, and three of those days are upper-body days.”

After making the switch from two to three upper-body days, she notes that it took less than four weeks to see results in the mirror.

Here’s why: while it differs for everyone, women tend to carry less fat in their arms compared to their thighs, butt, and pelvic area. From what we understand, this is merely an evolutionary trait and should not be viewed as a bad thing. The fat stored in those areas are a byproduct of two things: 1) your higher levels of estrogen and 2) the fat levels appear to act as a storage center for the demands of your body should you become pregnant.

Let’s be clear: the fact that women carry a little more fat around their lower body is a physiological advantage that prepares you for the unique responsibilities of being a woman.

Lactation requires a lot of energy, so your body has adapted to store more fat to be prepared for that need (think from an evolutionary standpoint of undernourished females needing to provide for their babies; the energy needs to come from somewhere, so the body has created reserve storage — just in case.)  

Comparatively, men store much more fat in their stomach, and it’s a much worse situation. While you might not like the way fat loss around your legs or butt, it should be embraced because it doesn’t create any health threat, per se. [We realize you might not like the way it looks, but it’s completely natural.]

On the other hand, fat storage in your gut — as men experience — is dangerous. If your waist dimensions are bigger than your hips, it can be strongly correlated with a host of medical problems including risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, elevated triglycerides, hypertension, cancer and general overall mortality.

So while you can’t “spot reduce,” knowing that certain body parts are naturally leaner means that a target focus can make it easier for results to come faster — if you provide them with a little extra attention.

At a minimum, Thomas recommends that you have at least two upper-body training days per week if your goal is to improve your arms. Two ways you can break down those training sessions are:

One “push” day, one “pull” day

On a push day, you’d perform exercises like the bench press, shoulder press, and tricep pushdowns, while on a pull day it’d be movements like pull-ups or chin-ups, rows, and bicep curls.  

One full body day, and one “accessory” day

Here, you’re spending one day on the bigger lifts that involve more musculature (such as the standing shoulder press or pull-ups), and day two on smaller, more targeted lifts like biceps curls, triceps push-downs, and shoulder raises.

However you divide those lifts across training days, Nelson recommends that you perform compound exercises in sets of six to eight reps. For the accessory, isolation-focused exercises, go with sets of eight to 15 reps.

Bonus tip: You can actually use higher reps with triceps exercises, such as 20-25 reps. This is because they involve such a small range of motion that you might need more reps fatigue your muscles to the point you need them to show, Thomas says.

Arms Workout Upgrade #3. Work Your Legs

While it’s totally true that you’ll need to do more training specifically targeted toward your upper body, you can’t dismiss the importance of big lifts such as deadlifts and squats—especially if you arm goal involves developing more muscle tone, which requires you to also lose some fat, Nelson says. Remember, if you’re going for a “toned” look, it’s a two-part equation of gaining some muscle and losing fat.

As we already mentioned, spot reduction of fat does not exist. For example, in one Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise study, when 104 people worked one arm crazy over the course of 12 weeks, and MRI scans showed that the trained arm didn’t lose any more fat than the untrained one. So if you want to ditch the fat that hangs onto your arms, you have to work to lose fat, and build muscle in the specific areas you want to improve (a process some call spot-enhancement).

From an exercise standpoint, the best way to achieve a fat-burning effect is through performing large, compound lifts that involve the most musculature possible, Nelson says. While upper-body compound moves such as rows, pull-ups, and bench presses use a lot of musculature for a sizeable caloric burn, lower body exercises like deadlifts and squats will take that caloric burn to the next level, Nelson says.

So if your upper-body physique goals require you to reduce body fat, it’s best to incorporate lower-body compound lifts in your routine at least twice a week.

Before you start to panic about the number of days adding up in the gym, it’s not as time-intensive as it sounds.

Let’s use the examples above for how you could structure your workout.

Option 1: One “push” day, one “pull” day

On your push day, you could do exercises like shoulder presses, chest presses, squats, lunges, and then triceps pushdowns and extentions.

On your pull day, you’d combine rows, pull-ups (or lat pulldowns), deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and biceps curls variations.

Option 2: One “compound” push-pull day, one “accessory” day

This variation will require at least 2 push-pull days, and then, at least, one accessory day. So day 1 of the push-pull days could include squats (push), row (pull), shoulder presses (push), and step-ups (push). Day 2 (accessory) would then focus on biceps curls, triceps pushdowns and extensions, and shoulder raises. Day 3 could include deadlifts (pull), chest presses (push), and pulldowns/pull-ups (pull), and lunges (push).

THE LAB: Want to try one of a workout we’re testing with our Born Fitness coaching clients? Join “The Born Fitness Lab” to receive your free full-body workout with an arms emphasis.

Arms Workout Upgrade #4. Adjust Your Nutrition to Meet Your Goals

The right nutrition will fuel your workouts, support your recovery, and help you build and maintain the muscle you want. But what—and how much—is “right” for you depends on your goals.

For instance, it is totally possible to build some muscle while losing fat if you increase your training volume (using the tips we provided) while keeping your caloric intake relatively consistent. This is where we recommend you start. It’s impossible to know what you need until you consistently apply the right techniques and see the results you get. Try an approach consistently for 8-12 weeks before making any decisions on how you need to adjust.

If you find that you are not moving in the right direction, you might need to making some additions to your diet. To build the most muscle, you need to be in a caloric surplus (a.k.a. you consume more calories than you burn per day). Simply put, you have to eat to see results.

Meanwhile, if your goal is to lean up and lose fat, you must achieve a caloric deficit (a.k.a. you burn more calories than you consume per day).

No matter your caloric approach, both building strength and muscle as well as losing weight from fat (rather than from muscle) requires consuming adequate levels of protein, of which women are notorious for not getting enough.

According to the American Council on Exercise, to build muscle mass, you should eat 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight per day (if you weigh 150 pounds, that works out to 75 to 120 grams of protein per day). Nelson recommends that women eat 30 grams of protein at least three to four times per day to promote healthy muscle levels. Reach for complete sources such as eggs, meat, fish, dairy, soy, and quinoa.

Whether you choose to eat more or less, your right to bare your arms is about you determining what goals are most important to you, and how you want to look and feel. If you’re seeing results in the gym, are stronger in your day-to-day life, and loving how you feel, don’t feel as if you have to adjust to meet an image perception that isn’t your own.

Great results start with the understanding that appearance is not the end goal. The process, the enjoyment, and the fulfillment of how you feel are what will keep you working hard and seeing results. Whether you are adding calories or subtracting them, both can feel difficult. So it’s important to gravitate towards the path that feels both sustainable and like it’s the right fit for what you’re trying to achieve. When that happens, success is almost an inevitability now that you’re not wasting time with your training.

The post Are Toned Arms Genetic? (And Why Arm Workouts for Women Are Flawed) appeared first on Born Fitness.

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