Author: Bonnie Pfiester

The Loaded Question

To answer the question “can working out twice a day give you twice the results?” you have to understand that this is only part of the equation. There are at least two factors we have to address to answer this properly.
First, you have to define success. What is your goal? Is weight loss your goal? Is getting more physically fit what you want? Is building more muscle your focus? Are you trying to improve performance? Before you can develop an effective plan, you have to establish a clear goal.
Once you’ve determined your goal, you can decide what you need to do to reach it. Two workouts a day may be two cardios a day, two conditioning workouts a day, two strength routines a day, or a mix of various workouts. Whatever you choose to do, you can’t be successful unless there is a definite plan designed to get you a specific result.
The other crucial factor in this equation is food. Exercise only represents calories going out and muscle breaking down from weight training. Food (calories going in), on the other hand, is a big determining factor in whether you will see your hard work show up on the scale or in muscular hypertrophy (increased lean mass).
It really doesn’t matter if you run an extra three miles a day if you eat an extra 300 calories a day, unless weight loss isn’t your goal. And it doesn’t matter if you do two weight routines a day if you neglect to feed your body the nutrients it needs to rebuild and repair the muscle you are working so hard to break down in the gym.

How It Works

Let’s pretend you promise not to change your diet and stick to the same exact caloric budget you are currently on. Of course, you can’t test this theory accurately if you aren’t absolutely sure how many calories you are currently consuming. In addition, let’s assume your goal is weight loss and toning (since that is the most common fitness goal). Now that we have that covered, I can answer the question.
When I talk about doing “two-a-days,” normally I am talking about cardio. That doesn’t mean you can’t lift weights twice a day, but most people don’t have time to split up their weight training routine like that. So for this topic, we’ll just assume working out twice a day means getting an additional cardio in each day.
The concept behind the method is to burn more calories and fat to boost weight loss results. Again, this only works if you aren’t replacing those calories with food. Two-a-days are supposed to help people reach their goal faster. The bigger the investment, the greater the reward.

Pros And Cons

The pro is obvious. The more you work out, the more fit you will get. However, there is a long list of cons.
The first major con is the effect of extra calories on your metabolism. Unfortunately, the more you work out, the more you want to eat, thanks to your faster metabolism. If you aren’t watching calories carefully, your body will trick you into eating more (by increasing your appetite) to replace those extra calories burned. So, if you work out more, it is even more important to keep a close watch on your food intake.
The other major con is that your perceived effort doesn’t always match your reward. In other words, the extra workout often gives you the feeling you can afford to cheat more on your diet since you work out so much. Unfortunately, you can easily replace the calories burned (and then some!) and actually push back your progress instead of getting ahead.
Another con is that working out a lot can take a toll on your body. If you are running twice a day, your knees and feet will begin to hate you. For this reason, I suggest mixing your cardio up to decrease the chance of injury due to repetitive behavior. Cross training will help your body recover from one type of exercise (like running) while you do a totally different motion (like elliptical).
Lastly, not everyone has the time to invest in two-a-days. While it can be effective, working out twice as much may not be very realistic. You have to weigh the cost. Is reaching your goals important enough to miss family time or affect your work? Maybe you can swing it just for a limited time to help you reach a goal. Either way, it’s not something anyone should do long-term.
Two-a-days are great to do for a short period of time to boost results or to get back on track. However, if you really want to be fit, your maintenance program should have a healthy balance.

Fit Or Flop

If you watch your caloric intake and your workouts are well planned to help you reach your goals, working out twice a day can definitely give you much faster results–maybe not twice the results, but it can definitely help enough to call this method a Fit, not a Flop!

*Fit Tip

American College of Sports Medicine recommends the following exercise program for weight management.
Frequency: 5-7 days a week
Intensity Goal: 50-75 percent of heart rate reserve (resting heart rate minus your maximum heart rate)
Duration: Bouts to 45-60 minutes daily. Multiple daily bouts can be performed for 10 minutes or longer.
Type: Aerobics exercise targeting large muscle groups. Resistance exercise is recommended to supplement aerobics activity.

As a gym owner, I hear a lot of excuses. Most of the time people tell me all the stuff they can’t do before they even try. People say things like, “I’ll never be small” or “I’ll never be able to run again.” The truth is, you really don’t know what your body is capable of until you try.

As a trainer, my job is to convince people that it’s always worth trying. And every day I see people accomplish things they never thought possible. Some people think it is impossible to lose weight. Others may think it’s impossible to do a certain task. Many people think it’s too late to get fit or to tighten up loose skin. No matter what the goal is, it’s always possible to improve.

Try And Try Again

Despite being in their fifties, Brad and Valerie Ward decided it was worth the effort to see if they could reshape their bodies. They always considered themselves pretty healthy. They worked out and didn’t abuse their bodies, but they weren’t happy with the results they were getting in the gym.

Like many people who go to the gym day after day, they weren’t seeing their work in the mirror. Something had to change. “After many years of fads and fitness trends,” Valerie admitted she was ready to try something new. That’s when she decided to do one of our boot camp programs, BCx Bikini Boot Camp.

The program was designed to teach women how to get ready for a National Physique Committee (NPC) Bikini or Figure competition. Even though Valerie wasn’t completely convinced she could get in good enough shape to compete, she wanted to at least try. As Valerie began to lose weight, Brad also started to take things up a notch. He not only supported Valerie’s journey, but he began his own journey too.

He watched her body undergo radical changes. He cheered her on when she competed for the first time and decided to join her the next time she got on stage.

Although both of them had always been self-proclaimed gym rats, they learned they couldn’t get the results they wanted by just being strong in the gym. They needed to be strong in the kitchen too.

“I would convince myself that if I ate fries at lunch, I would just run another few miles when I got home. But that wasn’t working,” recalls Valerie.

The two learned that diet was the key to success. They learned to weigh and measure food and track calories and macronutrients to get the results they wanted. After they combined a proper diet with proper training, the weight started falling off.

Aim High, Hit High

Competing wasn’t really the goal, it was what they felt they needed to help them reach their goal. The goal was to get in the best shape possible–not to win a trophy or even be on stage. Entering the competition was the accountability they needed to follow through. And they far surpassed their expectations.

Not only did they reach their weight goals with a combined loss of over 120 pounds, but they also both took home first place trophies in Masters Over 50 in the NPC Daytona Beach Classic. They did well on stage, but the biggest reward has been their new lease on life.

“For us, this was the way toward the end of middle age obesity and the beginning of our future living the healthiest lifestyle possible,” Valerie explained. They have completely reinvented themselves and are enjoying a great boost in confidence and a host of health benefits too.

Brad doesn’t just look healthy, he is healthy. He no longer needs blood pressure and acid reflux medicine. Both of them are as strong and healthy as people half their age and have become role models at our gym.

I’m sure they never dreamed they could look and feel this great in their fifties, but they would never have known unless they tried. Fortunately they didn’t let their past failures or age prevent them from trying. Their efforts paid off in more ways than they ever could have imagined.

We’ve all seen it. Nearly everyone who has access to television or the web has been a victim of the phallic ads of a guy or girl holding the ridiculous shaking dumbbell. Because of the seemingly sexual suggestive nature of the product, the Shake Weight has been the brunt of many jokes and has even made its way in popular late night variety show skits. It seems like a very bizarre way to sculpt muscle, but could the crazy thing actually work?

I’ll be honest. I thought the Shake Weight would be bankrupt by now. Seriously. How in the world could anyone take this piece of equipment seriously? Yet, to my surprise, I still see the silly thing on store shelves and their outlandish advertisement, which means people are still buying it despite all the jokes. I don’t know about you, but I’d be too embarrassed to even put the thing in my cart, much less check out.

Since the commercial went viral, for obvious reasons, it is nearly impossible to take the Shake Weight seriously. Maybe that is why I never really looked in to it. Even if it had merit, could I really bring myself to use it? Millions of other people aren’t afraid to shake up their workout, so why should I?

How It Works

The Shake Weight is a dumbbell with two weights at either end, which are connected by a spring at the handle. The idea behind the Shake Weight is that it works by the method called “dynamic inertia”. The user is supposed to manually shake the weight while basically holding an isometric (static) contraction.

I looked up “dynamic inertia” to learn more but all I could find were a bunch of hilarious posts about the Shake Weight which I cannot even repeat because of sexual undertones. It seems this terminology is only used in Shake Weight commercials – and in the bedroom.

The Shake Weight comes with a 6-minute DVD on how to use it. The original shake weight is offered in two different weights, a 2.5lb weight for women and a 5lb weight for men. But as they say in infomercial land, “But wait, there’s more”.

Not only is the Shake Weight not out of business, they are coming out with a new Shake Weight called the Shake Weight Roll. The weighted circular ends now spin so you can use it as an ab roller, among other things evidently. In addition to changing up their design, they’ve also doubled the workout. For $29.95 (plus shipping and handling of course), you will get the Shake Weight Roll and a 12-minute DVD workout featuring 12 exercises for the full body instead of just the arms.

Pros and Cons

I have to tell you, I really hoped the Shake Weight would surprise me and prove to be more than just a joke, but the one real pro I could come up with is also a con. It is lightweight so it’s pretty portable but it’s so lightweight it is also limiting. While it might be a good weight for a beginner, there is no way to increase resistance – and the Shake Weight’s suggested exercises are limited.

The list of cons, on the other hand, is quite long so I’ll narrow it down to just a couple of important points. One, while the company says their product is backed by scientific studies, they do not have that research available on their website and I have not been able to find any university studies or scientific journals that support the product. However, I did find a reliable study by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, which compared the shake weight to a regular dumbbell and the dumbbell won on every level.

The other issue is the Shake Weight’s action is unnatural and some experts say it could even cause muscle spasms that could lead to injury. This is where I draw the line on questionable methods. If there is a safer way to get better results, it’s not worth the money or the risk.

Fit or Flop:

While I really did dive into this project with an open mind, my initial instincts were correct. The Shake Weight is a Flop and not worth the money – unless you plan on giving it to a friend as a gag gift. Then, all the laughter, endless jokes and priceless photographs are definitely worth every penny.

A few years ago, I heard of a new state-of-the art vibrating machine that was supposed to work miracles just by standing on it. One of my members had tried the machine and was trying to convince me I should get one for our gym, but he lost me at “vibrate”.

To be honest, I didn’t even investigate it. I always stick to the school of thought, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”. While this machine claimed to solve all your problems, and it supposedly had scientific studies to prove its effectiveness, I preferred to stick to old-school fitness – the kind that takes work and promises no shortcuts. But, could I have been wrong?

To my surprise, this crazy vibrating machinery is still making its way into gyms and being sold in stores. So, as part of my Fit or Flop challenge, I decided to do some investigating to learn more.

How It Works

The machine has a vibrating plate you stand, sit or even lie on. As the machine vibrates, the theory is your body reacts to the vibration, contracting and relaxing muscles multiple times per second. Apparently, you are suppose to actually feel as if you are exerting yourself, but I’m not too clear on what that looks like. I know when I exert myself in the gym, I’m out of breath and sweating like a pig. I can’t image standing on a vibrating plate would wear me out like a standard workout, but that’s their claim anyway.

There are several brands and variations of vibrating plate machines, but each profess their machine tones and sculpt muscles faster. Advocates say it is supposed to cut training time in half and work muscles you can’t “reach” during conventional training. Supposedly, just 15 minutes a day three times a week, may aid in weight loss, as well as provide many other benefits including increased flexibility, increased range of motion, increased joint mobility, decreased stress, increased recovery, increased healing from injuries and increased circulation.

Outside of the traditional world of fitness, some supporters say it helps increase strength, reduce back pain, improve balance and reduce bone loss, especially in rehabilitation cases. However, the FDA has not approved the device for medical use.

I did a little more research and found a few studies, but none that really impressed me. One interesting study had a test group perform various exercises using a vibration plate machine. The results were very positive across the board, but it was unclear if the results were positive because they were doing exercises or using the machine?

The study didn’t have a comparison group of people doing the same exercises without the machine so it was incomplete data in my opinion. Of course people are going to get great results exercising, but would they get the same results exercising on the floor?

As I sought out reliable sources like WebMD and science journals, it seemed I wasn’t the only one coming up empty-handed. Aside from increasing bone density, there seems to be no real solid evidence it is worth the $3,000 to $10,000 price tag.

Pros and Cons

So, when I still have questions about a fitness gadget, the next thing I do is look at the pros and cons. Not only has the FDA not given their stamp of approval, OSHA (Occupational & Safety Hazard Association) says vibration exposure can have harmful effects. Long-term exposure to vibration can also cause impaired vision, hyperventilation, nausea and some disorders such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Experts also say it can be harmful if you are pregnant or have health issues.

Fit or Flop?

While I do believe there are people out there that really love their vibrating machines, I have to simply compare the vibrating system to traditional exercise – and when you put them side by side, traditional exercise has been proven to do all the things the vibrating systems claim.

Traditional exercise has been proven to accelerate weight loss, increase bone density, improve balance, increase circulation, increase range of motion, increase muscle strength, tone muscle, decrease stress and countless other physical benefits. So, why would anyone pay so much money fo something that still isn’t a sure thing? They’re lazy. Oops! Did I write that out loud?

The truth is, as long as we have people who aren’t willing to commit to regular exercise, there will always be people who will fork out serious dough on machines like the vibration plate in hopes of an effective shortcut. But, as far as I’m concerned, I give the vibrating plate a big fat shaky flop.

I was at Disney recently on a day they were having a big marathon. I couldn’t get over all the people with Kinesio Tape all over their bodies. People walked around all day long with stripes of vibrant colors on their legs, back, shoulders and arms. Was this crazy colored tape a real treatment or more of a fashion statement I wondered?

Since any type of sport or fitness activity is admired, fitness trends and styles have always been well received. People enjoy identifying with sports. Whether it’s wearing workout clothes or the newest fitness accessory, I really can’t imagine Kinesio Tape being any different.

While Kinesio Tape is supposed to help people with injuries, would it be as popular if it were clear and no one could see you wearing it? Or is it a fun way to show off your fit lifestyle and show everyone just how tough you really are. In a sense, it’s like saying, “I have pain but I’m not letting it stop me”. But, does it really have a purpose besides its Beastmode label appeal?

How It Works

Kinesio tape is basically an elastic tape that is applied to the skin using the Kenesio Taping Method. This therapeutic taping method is supposed to alleviate pain and facilitate lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin.

Though athletic trainers have been taping people for years to protect joints and prevent injury, this tape is thinner and more elastic than conventional tape. The application, from what I understand, is also different, allowing for greater mobility and skin traction. The skin traction is believed to promote elevation of the epidermis and reduce pressure on the affected area.

You aren’t supposed to just stick the tape wherever you want, however. There is a method to the taping madness. An experienced taper would decide what level of tension would generate an appropriate level of traction on the skin. They would need to know exactly where to place the tape to get the greatest effect.

When I started researching the topic, I called my friend, Dr. Jennifer Stepanek, (who is also my Chiropractor) to ask for her professional opinion. She explained it best saying, “when applied correctly, (key word “correctly”) Kinesio Tape allows for proper movement and provides support in the right direction to prevent injuries in athletes or to lift the skin away from the fascia, allowing for increased circulation.” She also mentioned it could possibly create increased sensory input in injured tissue which can expedite healing. It totally made sense to me and sounded like a pretty reasonable modality.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any real solid scientific evidence Kinesio Tape actually worked. All of the clinical studies I found came up with insufficient evidence to back the theory. Out of the 10 research papers that were published in the journal of Sports Medicine, there wasn’t enough evidence to support the tape’s use for pain relief and there were inconsistent results for range of motion too.

While plenty of people reported positive affects, it seemed unclear if they were founded. Experts have suggested there may be a placebo effect using the tape and they even say we shouldn’t discount that. I mean, if you feel like you have less pain, isn’t that a good thing?

While studies may not have given me the evidence I wanted, my friend did say she got mostly good results in her patients, but like any modality, some feel no benefit. She also said she had personally uses the tape and has experienced pain relief herself.

Pros and Cons

I have to admit, I got some Kinesio tape after I sprained my ankle earlier this year. I had it for about two or three months before I actually used it, simply because I had no clue how to tape an injury.

I had to Google how-to videos to learn how to use the stuff and, even then, I wasn’t really sure if I was doing it right. The guy in the video was clearly very proficient with the tape and moved so fast I really couldn’t follow him.

He also used terminology I wasn’t familiar with. Instead of saying “start by sticking the tape here”, he used clinical KT talk like “place your anchor using no tension at the (insert fancy long anatomical name here)” and continued swiftly through the application. I had to back up the video about 100 times to see if my application looked like his.

I’m sure the point of the short video was to show how fast and easily it could be applied, but I needed a slow-mo version and more clear normal definitions of what the heck he was doing. As a result, I was never really sure if the tension I was using was the “right” tension, or if my placement was accurate as well.

So, for me, the main con is that it takes a certain level of skill and understanding of how to correctly apply the tape to get the most benefit out of it. The pro is, even if you apply it incorrectly, I don’t think it can hurt you. Unlike some fitness trends that may be harmful, there really is no risk with Kinesio Tape that I know of.

Fit or Flop?

This was a hard one for me. I like solid evidence, but after doing my research I came up pretty empty handed. I would be inclined to say the jury is still out on this one, however, some experts made a very valid point that changed my mind saying an effective placebo could make all the difference between success and failure.

Athletes wear it when they aren’t even injured, hoping it may have a preventive or enhancing effect. The fact that athletes think it’s beneficial, could help in a psychological way. Since every one of us feel we need all the help we can get, maybe we are just a little sticky tape away from gaining the confidence we need to keep on keeping on.

There’s always a new fitness trend that is the talk of the office. In the’70s, it was Jazzercise. In the’80s, everyone was putting on their Reebok pumps and taking aerobics classes—dressed like someone out of Flashdance.
Step aerobics started sweeping the nation in the’90s. Even my husband took step—and eventually started teaching it. He was no dummy. Taking a step class was a great way to meet girls when he was single (and his crush on the instructor kept him coming back for more).
The trends seem to change about every 10 years. TaeBo was the next in line in the’90s, which got bumped out of the top spot in the 2000s for street dancing hip-hop classes. Finally, in 2010, Zumba took the world by storm (but since I have two left feet, I couldn’t tell you why because I never could follow the routines).
What is the trend today? What fitness fads should we expect to see this year? None! The trend in the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) top fitness trends of 2015 seems to not include any fads at all. For the first time in the fitness business, there is no trending fitness gimmick, fitness class or new workout in the top list of fitness trends. On the contrary, the list only includes tried and true traditional fitness training.
Here is a recap of what’s trending in fitness according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

1. Bodyweight Training

Top on the list was bodyweight training. I was stoked to see this since I personally use bodyweight training as a foundational principle with my clients. Bodyweight exercises include pushups, situps, pull-ups, burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, planks, bridges, squats, and lunges. Bodyweight exercise is all about going back to the basics. Plus, they can be done anywhere, and are incredibly effective in both strengthening and burning calories.

2. HIIT

Next on the list, in the number two spot, was high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Basically, HIIT is a method of training that uses a sequence of short bursts of intense activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery (try our at-home HIIT videos here!)
Like bodyweight exercises, HIIT is nothing new either. Even if it’s relatively new to most of the world, this style of training has been around for many years. Athletic coaches started using this training method for sprint drills in the ’70s.
Another popular form of HIIT you may have heard of is Tabata. Professor Izumi Tabata introduced this version of HIIT in 1996, which uses 20 seconds of intense training followed by 10 seconds of rest. Since you can do more work in less time with high-intensity training, no wonder this style of training made it to the top. No one has time for those lengthy 2-hour workouts of the ’90s.

3. Educated, Certified and Experienced Fitness Professionals

People want to make the most of their time or money. Most people are more educated consumers and they expect their fitness professional to be more educated too. Whether they are following a fitness pro online, hiring a trainer or taking a group fitness class, there is a greater demand for qualified fitness professionals, which has held the top three spot for two years running.
It’s no longer enough to just be a fitness enthusiast who likes to teach aerobics and entertain their clients for an hour. People want an educated fitness professional to get them results that last. This means there will be even more educational programs, classes, certifications and courses available for people who want to make fitness more than just a hobby.

4. Strength Training

Strength training has always been top on the list, and it still is today. Strength training is the foundation of fitness. It will forever be used by all types of people at all different fitness levels – from athletes to patients rehabilitating an injury. Strength training, which typically uses weight machines or free weights, has been proven to not only increase muscle strength, but it strengthens the joints and bones as well.
For this reason, strength training is a great way to reduce the risk of injury and improve quality of life. Of course, strength training sculpts pretty muscle and increases the metabolism too, but the benefits to strength training are really too long to even list here, so I doubt very seriously you’ll ever see this drop out of the top 10 list.

5. Personal Training

The next big trend on ACSM’s list is personal training. Why? Look at the top trends so far. You don’t see Zumba or Spinning up there. You don’t see the elliptical on the list either. All the top trends include an endless list of exercises, which require instruction (at least, at first).
Past trends, like Zumba, came with a leader to guide you through the workout. Today’s trends are not a specific workout regimen or routine, they are traditional exercises. It’s about going back to the basics—going back to what is proven. While most people know how to do a squat or a sit up, they don’t really know how to put exercises together to be most effective. That’s where personal trainers come in.
A personal trainer not only makes sure you are doing the workout correctly. They put the exercises together in the right order, at the right weight and at the correct pace for you to get the most benefit. Getting personal training shouldn’t be just about getting a good workout, you should also be getting a good education.

6. Exercise and Weight Loss

The final trend I want to share is the trend of making sure you are not just workout out correctly, but eat correctly too. As I said before, consumers have gotten smart. They realize they can’t get the best results with exercise alone. People understand they can throw away an entire workout on a high-calorie latte. So, as a result, they are more apt to search for a program that includes both fitness training and diet support. As I always say, “it’s not enough to be strong in the gym. If you really want results, you need to learn to be strong in the kitchen too.”
So what are the rest of ACSM’s top trends?
Yoga made the No. 7 spot, followed by fitness programs for older adults at No. 8. Right behind programs for seniors was functional training, finishing with group personal training.
Can you believe it? I just named off the top 10 trends of 2015 and there was no fad workout like Zumba, which plummeted to the No. 34 spot on the list of ACSM’s 39 choices. Other trends that dropped on the list was unmonitored fitness facilities (24-hour access gyms), Pilates, water workouts, stability ball training, online training, mixed martial arts, Bowka and, sadly, physician referrals.
It seems we’ve gone in full circle. We’ve danced, twisted, kicked, punched, stepped, peddled, bounced, jumped and jived our way through the last 50 years, but we’ve returned to pure unadulterated exercise—no gimmicks, no trademarks, no pricey fitness devices, no frills.
While there will always be a fun new fad popping up in every gym, they will always come and go—but the tried and true (and less gimmicky) fitness basics seems to be a trend that is here to stay.

The hotter the summer gets, the less clothing you want to wear – and the first thing to go are sleeves. But, are your arms ready for their big reveal?

While there are a lot of body parts you can cover – the arms are not one of them if you really want to stay cool. Many women shutter at the thought of wearing a sleeveless top or strapless dress. They immediately think of sagging underarms that jiggle, and continue to wave even after you stop waving.

So how do you combat the flab? Do you do weights or cardio? Is the problem excess fat or loose muscle? Well, in my experience, there are three important factors that play a big role in getting the arms you’ve always wanted.

Attack the Fat with Full Body Cardio

If you suffer from arm flab, it’s important to understand the flab is a result of excess body fat. Since you can’t target the fat loss in only one specific area, you will need to lose body fat all over your body if you want to lose the fat on your arms.

While you can burn a lot of calories running or doing other weight bearing cardiovascular exercises, you can tone your arms and burn fat at the same time if you choose the right cardio.

Here are 10 body toning and fat burning exercises to try.

1. Power walking with hand weights

2. Elliptical with handles

3. Ergometer Rowing Machine

4. Swimming Laps (not just playing in the pool)

5. Jump Rope (Try this 10-Minute Jump Rope Workout by FitSugar)

6. Calisthenics (Give this 15-minute full body boot camp workout a whirl)

7. Kickboxing Workout (Like Beach Body’s Turbo Jam)

8. Les Mills Body Pump Class

9. Pound Fit Rocker Workout (a killer new workout using drumsticks)

10. BCx Treadz Full Body Treadmill Training

Firm Up with Resistance Exercise

Next on the list of arm-toning tricks is weight training. Whether you use your own body weight or use free weights, resistance training is the key to beautifully sculpted arms.

Below are a list of arm-shaping upper body exercises in order of hardest (heaviest) to easiest (lightest).

1. Push Ups

2. Pull Ups (or Pull Downs)

3. Shoulder Press

4. Upright Rows

5. Bent Rows

6. Tricep Dips

7. Tricep Extensions

8. Bicep Curls

9. Lateral Raises

10. Rear Delts

Uncover Your Hard Work in the Kitchen

Even if you lift weights in the gym, and burn a ton of calories on the elliptical, you may never see the results if you just replace the calories you burned in the gym with poor food choices. The final secret to defined arms is a clean low-calorie, high-protein diet.

Increasing protein will help rebuild and repair your muscle and a low calorie diet will encourage weight loss. The leaner you are, the more that new tight and tone muscle will show.

Here are 10 diet tips for faster results in the gym.

1. Count calories to learn where all your calories are coming from. Counting calories always proves to be quite an eye opener for most people. Decrease your caloric intake by 500-1000 calories a day if you want to lose weight.

2. Shop healthy. You can’t expect to eat healthy if you don’t shop healthy.

3. Eat 5-6 small snacks and meals a day to keep your metabolism revved and to prevent storing fat.

4. Prepare for success. Prep your food over the weekend so it’s easier to eat healthy during the week. If you fail to plan, you will fail to succeed.

5. Eat your carbs before you hit the weights. If you like carbs, put them to good use. Save your higher carb meals when your body needs fuel the most, like before intense resistance training.

6. Ditch the sugar. Sugar can cause all kinds of inflammatory responses. Reduce body fat and pain by reducing sugar.

7. Limit carbs at night. Carbs are a great fuel source, but you don’t need them to sleep!

8. Eat a high protein meal for dinner. Your body could use the protein as it does most of it’s muscle repair while you sleep.

9. Make treats treats. What do I mean? I mean, a treat should really be a treat, not a daily habit. Sodas, sweets and dinners out should be a special event, not a part of your daily diet regimen.

10. Never give up. Diets can be frustrating, but eating clean is a learning process. Never give up trying to succeed. You will learn something new with every attempt – and get one step closer to a leaner, healthier you with every single try.

Once you are happy with you new lean arms, you can increase your calories to maintain your new weight and keep up with your fitness training – and you’ll never have to worry about going sleeveless again!

I recently heard someone talk about “stomach vacuuming” to help flatten the tummy. The first thing to pop up in my crazy brain was someone getting liposuction, but I was pretty sure they weren’t talking about plastic surgery.

Even though I’ve been in the fitness industry for over twenty years, I had never heard of stomach vacuuming before. As far as I knew, stomach vacuuming was nothing more than attaching a vacuum hose to your belly. I have a very short torso and have always struggled with having somewhat of a pooch, so I was immediately intrigued. Besides, what girl isn’t eager to check out a new ab-flattening trend? The investigation began.

How It Works

To my surprise, I did not have to pull out my credit card and order some awkward stomach vacuum device. Not only did stomach vacuuming not include an actual vacuum, there was no shortage of information on the topic. The stomach vacuum was an actual exercise, and the Internet was riddled with websites and instructional videos on how to perform the mysterious stomach vacuum.

When I watched one of the how-to videos online, it found it incredibly difficult not to giggle. I was expecting so much more than someone just breathing out all their air and sucking in their abs. However, that was pretty much the extent of the exercise.

The stomach vacuum exercise requires you inhale as much air as possible and then exhale as much as possible, while sucking your stomach in as much as possible. After you blow out all your air, you hold this position for at least 20 seconds (while, get this, attempting to breathe normally) and repeat for several sets.

The concept behind the stomach vacuum exercise is it targets the deeper abdominal muscles, called the transverse abdominals. These muscles act like a girdle to the waist, which are responsible for holding your stomach in tight.

While the whole stomach vacuuming terminology was new to me, I’ve done this exercise for years. Even though I never realized it was actually a true exercise, it was something I did throughout the day (like while driving my car). I would contract my stomach muscles and hold them tight while sitting at a red light to help train my stomach muscles to stay flat.

After doing more research, I discovered the stomach vacuum exercise had been around for a very long time. Maybe it recently reached fad status after making a few appearances in some popular magazines, like Shape and Men’s Fitness. Who knows what makes something rise to the top of the fad chart, but at least this fad has some validity to it.

Pros and Cons

Could the stomach vacuum be the answer to your poochy problems? No doubt, this exercise does work the transverse abdominals. You can feel the muscles working as you do it. And, if you are not used to working the transverse abdominals, you may even be sore afterwards. However, I wouldn’t count on it fixing all your tummy troubles.

The process of sucking in stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles for a few seconds is called an isometric contraction. During an isometric exercise, the muscles do not noticeably change in length and actually require little to no movement at all. Isometric training (like a wall sit or plank exercise) definitely has its place and can increase strength, but only to a certain point. Your body will adapt to the training and you’ll eventually need something more to continue making improvements.

In addition, stomach vacuuming won’t fix belly fat. Most people who have bulging bellies are fighting two different battles – a battle with weak abdominal muscles along with poor posture and another battle with food. You can do all the stomach vacuuming you want, but don’t expect visible results if you continue to be a food vacuum. If you don’t change your eating habits you will not only keep the fat around your belly, it will be harder to hold your stomach in with a stuffed gut.

Lastly, stomach vacuuming is not the best exercise for everyone. Like all isometric exercises, stomach vacuuming can be dangerous for some people because it increases blood pressure more than other traditional exercises.

The Bottom Line: Fit or Flop?

Working your transverse abdominals is essential to having nice abs, but so is reducing body fat. Used alone, stomach vacuuming would flop. However, combine this exercise with a lean diet, cardio and resistance program, and you will likely find stomach vacuuming to be a good Fit!

Needless to say, I’ll be adding stomach vacuuming back in my daily commute to work again.

Fit Tip: Top 10 Tummy Tightening Exercises

Stomach vacuuming isn’t the only exercise to work your transverse abdominals. Here is a list of my favorite top 10 tummy tightening exercises.

1. Plank 

2. Side Plank

3. Ab Roller

4. Diagonal Knee Plank (Slow Cross Body Mountain Climbers)

5. Swiss Ball Pike

6. Swiss Ball Jackknife

7. Swiss Ball Roll-Out

8. Plank Up Up Down Down

9. Side Plank Pulses

10. T-Plank

POWER PLANK WORKOUT

Try this plank workout demonstrated by my husband, Steve Pfiester.

5 Push Ups

5 2-Point Stance (5 on each side, 10 total)

5 Side Plank with Abduction (Leg Lift) LEFT

5 Crab Leg Lifts on each side (10 total)

5 Side Plank with Abduction (Leg Lift) RIGHT

45 Second Plank Hold

Repeat 3-4 times with little to no rest in between.