Tuesday, March 15, 2011
by Alex Chaple
At least 50% of the people I train are female and the problems they always present me with when asking for my help are very similar. First of all they want to essentially look good naked and second they wish to focus on 4 key areas; the arms, stomach, thighs and of course the butt! Unfortunately, in my experience, it is also females that find they struggle the most with fat loss (as opposed to men who usually tell me they are not sure what they are doing or have just gotten lazy). I am often told by female trainees how their partners lose weight so fast compared to them or how they have never managed to lose weight below the waist no matter what they do. It can be frustrating and disheartening for the female exerciser who hasn't got the right guidance.
Below is a short list of simple things you (as a female) can do to help you shed body fat and look and feel much better! Now the list is not all encompassing, there are many other factors which should be addressed but these are the basics. Enjoy ;)
Be confident in the gym!
So many females I train are (at first) scared of certain areas of the gym - namely any section with men in vests or younger and leaner females. The fear of people watching you is a very common thing and must be over come quickly as often the areas of the gym you NEED to be in area those which pose a problem.
Learn to love pumping iron!
Ok, so maybe that's a bad way of putting it but so many females do not lift weights in case they "get too muscley". I promise you, no one ever gets big and muscular by accident. You have to put a lot of effort in to building large amounts of muscle, training and eating in a specific way. Lifting weights will only help you strip fat faster and build curves that most females would kill for. You want Jessica Biel's butt?- Meet me by the squat rack!
Go easy on the make-up!
Whilst make-up may have its advantages in some cases, it contains so many toxins that clog up hormonal receptors and cause fat storage, particularly below the waist (and once its there it isn't coming off easily). The more natural you go the better. Either leave the make-up alone or find some that is all natural and contains none of the harmful chemicals that can be found in so many products causing weight gain and not to mention disease!
Not eating enough to lose fat!
Even though there is plenty of research available now to back it up, eating MORE to lose fat is still foreign to most. So many females I have worked with really struggled to lose fat until they started eating more and more often. Toast for breakfast and some Special K bars throughout the day isn't going to cut it ladies.
Losing fat on the legs doesn't happen with ‘Legs Bums and Tums'!
Losing fat from the legs is notoriously hard. The majority of women that come to see me for BioSignature consults do so because they have NEVER been able to lose fat from their lower body and have heard I can help. I can, but not with those kinds of exercise classes! Losing fat from the lower body takes specific focus on your nutrition. It is the only way you will EVER get lean legs. Site specific fat reduction is only possible when very specific nutrition is combined with very demanding training. However, it can be done!