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MADISON CHASE FITNESS: LA Summer ABS
*Summer is officially here and the Los Angeles heat will welcome swimsuits, shorts, t-shirts and sandals. Now is the perfect time to get in shape. So, where do you begin? Let’s start by getting rid of 10 bad habits that prevent us from doing our best.
For starters:
1. STOP doubting yourself and your abilities.
2. DON’T focus on what you can’t do, FOCUS on WHAT YOU CAN DO
3. RESIST eating at local restaurant after 10pm
4. LIMIT excessive alcohol/liquor consumption
5. DON’T compare your physique to your friends
6. USE low-calorie dressing with salads
7. DON’T try the latest and greatest diet fad
8. Cutting ALL your carbohydrates
9. BE CONSISTENT with exercise and good eating habits
10. DISCIPLINE YOURSELF IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.
Eliminate those bad habits and take charge of your new healthy life style by establishing goals. For additional motivation, find a picture of someone that is in great shape. For example, if you are working on your abdominals, find a picture of a person who has great abs to keep you motivated. When you reach your goal, replace that picture with your own. Keep the picture next to your goals and in the middle write the word DISCIPLINE. The word discipline will help reinforce the attitude needed to reach the goal. The picture will be a constant reminder of what you are also trying to accomplish.
If your goal is to lose weight, you must concentrate on your eating habits. Please don’t confuse diet with eating habits. Diets are here today, gone tomorrow and may be a temporary fix for a old time problem. Good eating habits will last for a lifetime. Evaluate what you are eating. If you are like most people, your diet will consist mainly of the same kind of foods. Fried foods, fatty meats, and any item with a high saturated fat content should be cut out of your diet. Baked fish, salmon, chicken, and steamed vegetables or rice are great substitutes for fried foods. Enjoy a snack or treat one day out of the week. My favorite treat is chocolate. If you love chocolate as much as I do, try cookies with carob chips, hot chocolate or snackwell cookies. I don’t believe that you should give up everything you love. Remember, moderation is the key and anything in excess is bad. If your goal is to tone, remember foods that are high in protein will help to build muscle. Fish, egg whites, and dried nuts without a lot of sugar are foods that are high in protein.
Have you ever noticed a person that work out consistently, but their physique hadn’t changed. In order to improve one’s physique, healthy eating is imperative. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, baked potatoes without the butter and sour cream. Stay away from mayonnaise, and salad dressing that are loaded with fat. People think that drinking lots of juice is good. However, most juices have lots of sugar that eventually turns into fat. If you love juice try to drink freshly squeezed juice.
Regardless of what your goals may be, good eating habits and cardiovascular activity is a must. Spring is a perfect time to vary your workouts by performing cardiovascular activities outdoors. Rollerblading, jumping rope, jogging, swimming, water aerobics are great outdoor exercises. Each activity should be performed consistently at 30-45 minute intervals. Calculate your heart rate at the peak of your exercise when you are breathing heavy. Find your pulse rate on the inside of your wrist or on your neck directly under your jaw bone. Count the number of heart beats in 30 seconds. For women a good aerobic heart rate is between 50-100 beats. For men a good aerobic heart rate is between 80-160. Each aerobic activity can be interchanged between power yoga, kick-boxing, stepmaster, stair mill, aerobics, power-walking and jogging. For beginners, start with power walking, jumping rope, and or jogging. Power walking is an aerobic activity only if you are walking briskly, while your arms are pumping. Your total aerobic activity should be 30 –45 minutes. Begin power walking at a moderate speed. Warm up for 5 minutes and then increase your speed for at least 10 minutes. When you are exhausted and can not continue at this speed, return to a moderate speed. With any aerobic activity begin with a proper warm-up between 5-10 minutes and try to increase your speed for as long as you possibly can. Then return to a moderate speed and end with a cool down, which should last for no more than 5 minutes.
For toned legs you may use ankle straps and cables at your gym. The same exercise may also be done at home. Select a moderate weight and begin with your
OUTER THIGHS
1. Start with the ankle strap on your right ankle. Your feet should be parallel. 2. Raise your right ankle to your side just below your left knee. 3.Repeat this movement at a moderate speed making sure you exhale on the upward movement. Concentrate on holding your abs in with every movement. 4. Begin with 3-4 sets of moderate weight between 30-40 pounds for women and 50-60 pounds for men. This exercise can also be performed for your inner thighs, quadraceps, and hamstrings. If you are trying to build your legs use heavier weights.
GREAT ABS
1. Start with a medicine ball. 2. Your ankles should be in the middle of the ball and your hands are in the push up position. 3. Bring your knees in to your chest. 4. Tuck your head in so that your knees almost touch your head. 5. Perform 3-4 sets of 20-25 reps.
If you are working out at home:
1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Remember to keep your elbows back. 2. Legs parallel and in the air. 3. Bring your knees to your chest , 4 sets of 20-25 will be great for intermediate to advance. For beginners 3 sets of 10-15 reps will be excellent. Rest no longer than 30 seconds between each set.
To see lasting results, remember that good eating habits and a regular cardiovascular program will be the key to your success.
Madison Chase is a certified personal lifee fitness and health coach. Her background in fitness began with classical ballet at Julliard, School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Fort Worth Ballet. She has a marketing degree from the University of Oklahoma and many personal training certifications, and is currently working on her Masters in Kinesiology with a focus on Sports Psychology. This former NBC Fitness Expert and 3- Time ESPN fitness champion has worked with some of the best in the business. Her clients include celebrities from Jada and Will Smith hit show “All of US,” and professional athletes with many NFL teams including the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. She currently resides in Los Angeles and believes that everyday you should strive to be your best. For additional information on Madison, you may visit:
If you have any questions regarding an exercise and its effect email your questions or comment to www.madisonchasefitness.com
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