Let’s get something right off the bat. I LOVE it when I see ladies take charge of their health! Nothing is more empowering than a woman who decides that her health and fitness is not just a summer time thing, but a lifestyle. You make sure that getting daily regular exercise is as natural to you as brushing your teeth, or getting a good nights sleep. You’re wiling to push to get to that next level and you’re not taking no for an answer. Whether its classes, working with a trainer (you’re not training with me? Lol) or running, jogging, dancing or a mixture, you are definitely working out. But the question is… Are you still feeling frustrated? You spend hours running or jogging. You’re taking hip-hop dance, walking on the treadmill, jogging, doing the run-walk program and still your body has merely budged. Mad? Upset? Frustrated? Well before you reach for that third glass of wine or pint of ice cream in defeat, I want you stop and think for a minute. This is especially for the “I’m doing 45-60 mins of cardio, 5-6 days a week, as if my life depended on it crowd.”
You have become a cardio junkie. Cardio or aerobic work are essential in terms of improving and maintaining a healthy functioning cardio-respiratory system. Having a healthy heart and lungs is a major player in terms of preventing heart disease. But you don’t just do it for those benefits do you? All that I mentioned about those benefits -while important- are just the internal effects. I believe you really want to show off how fit and strong you are. I know you do and I absolutely support that. But just doing cardio at the expense of the other factors is where you’re struggling. The myth is ” I need to do cardio to burn off the fat and THEN I can start to tone up.” Sound familiar?
That myth is where the trouble begins. In order for you to start seeing results, you need to reverse your approach. Cardio and I mean excessive cardio is training your body to hold fat more effectively to be used as fuel. If you are doing 5-7 days a week of pure cardio for 60-90 mins in length, you are officially in junkie territory. Running will not tone up your upper body, nor permanently keep the fat in check. For example I’ve got a little study mission for you. Next time you are in the gym, take a look at the people who are doing cardio for hours versus those that are in the weight room. Notice the difference?
The big difference is that those who are on the weight room look strong, toned, shapely and overall more capable than those that are sweating themselves out on the latest piece of aerobic equipment. The answer is simple. Strength training will give you the body you want in less time with more benefits. Strength builds up the muscle hidden underneath the fat and what that muscle does is use that fat as fuel even when you’re not working out. As an example: I only do 30 minutes of pure cardio twice a week. The rest is spent strength training and doing martial arts. Meanwhile, my body fat percentage is very low and my energy level is high. The excessive cardio only stimulates your metabolism for 60 minutes after you are done, whereas, a high intensity strength training session combined with some cardio has a carryover effect for two or more hours. That’s extra hours of your metabolism chewing up body fat because your muscles are working to repair themselves, as well as deal with the breakdown from training. My suggestion is to take two days to start out of your schedule and do a full body strength training routine. Don’t be intimidated by the people in the weight room. Go in there like you want to make a difference and you’ll be surprised at how helpful people are. Determination respects determination. I promise you that when you start feeling and seeing results sooner than expected you’ll ask yourself.” Why didn’t I do this before?” Good luck and remember Sexy Takes Work!
Celebrity Fitness Trainer, trainer of trainers, controversial, out spoken, engaging, athlete; these are just a few words to describe fitness juggernaut: Tarik Tyler. From his articles in Vogue, Allure to numerous TV appearances on VH-1 and Style Network to his most notable work with Shaquille Oneal on ABC Networks ‘Shaq’s Big Challenge’ this powerhouse of fitness has a career that spans over two decades.
From New York to Los Angeles, his work on the health and fitness of adults, children, celebrities and athletes can best be described as game changing. He has worked with celebrity clientele; Tracey Morgan, Kate Hudson, Tiffany Theissen, Lindsay Price and Tomiko Fraser-Hines.
