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Christmas Fitness Series

Week 7

The way to a Flat Stomach

This is the week in the Christmas Fitness Series that you have all been waiting for. We are going to look at the Top 5 exercises that you can do at home to help you tone and tighten up that soft and flabby mid-section. There are hundreds of variations of stomach exercises and some equipment can offer quite an intense workout but because this whole series is based on things you can easily do at home we are going to look at the best ones you can perform without needing any equipment.

Before we get stuck in let’s understand the different areas of the midsection and what it really takes to get a super lean and toned physique. When people say they want a flat stomach or a “6-pack” they are talking about the group of muscles that run from the naval area to the chest at the very front of the stomach. While these are the muscles that people see and want the most they are also the most superficial which means their size is very small compared to its neighbour muscles. The muscles beside your “Abs” like your internal and external obliques are much larger, stronger and deeper muscles.

Trainer’s Secret; Work on your obliques and your abs will develop with them. The reason for this is too many people isolate the “abs” and neglect the bigger muscles. If you work on the bigger muscles it is now more time efficient and you kill two birds with one stone.

Even though we are concentrating on stomach exercises today, it is important to remember that these exercises alone are not enough to burn the fat that covers your stomach. If you have been following this exclusive Christmas Fitness Series then you will see you need to be doing whole body workouts to burn lots of calories and lots of that stubborn fat. If you missed any of the articles in this series then head onto ozonegym.com and go to the MyZone+ section. Click on fitness articles and you will find the whole series on there for you to download.

Let’s go for it….

 Top 5 AB Exercises

• Basic Crunch; Lie down face-up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your head and shoulder blades off the ground so your stomach is in tension. This is your start point. From here, suck your stomach in as flat as you can, cross your hands across your chest and crunch up to the point where you meet a physical “block” without going all the way to your knees. Pause for a split second at the top and let yourself down under control. Repeat 12-15 reps. When done right this classic is one of the best.
• Reverse Crunch; Lie down flat on your back. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor. Your knees should be just above your hips with your back flat and feet hanging. Keep your head down on the floor at all times. This is your start point. You can either have your hands by your side or overhead and lie near a sofa to tuck your hands underneath. Lift your knees towards your head, trying to get your hips as high off the floor as possible. Remember to keep your stomach pulled in. Breathe out as your knees travel towards your head. Keep the movement controlled. 12-15 Reps
• Bicycle Crunch: Another classic, this one is for the more slightly advanced exerciser as it requires control and some strength in the stomach. Start by lying on the floor with your fingers at the side of your head and elbows out wide to the side. Lift your upper body off the floor so it is at roughly 30⁰ and suspend it there. At the same time your feet are also off the floor, bring one knee in towards your chest and leave the other one straight. As one knee comes in, rotate the opposite elbow to meet this knee. Under control swap knees and rotate the other elbow in to meet it. 12-15 Reps
• Oblique Crunch; Lie on the floor, bend your knees keeping the feet flat on the ground. Keep one hand out to the side and the other with its fingers on the side of the head. If you have your left hand on your head then cross your right ankle on to your left knee. From here crunch up and over so that your left elbow comes to meet your right knee. Repeat this on one side and do the same on the other side. Remember to keep the stomach pulled in and breathe out as you crunch up.
• V-situp; Sit onto the floor. Lean your upper body back at about 45⁰ and use your hands for support but keep tension in the stomach. Bend your knees and lift the feet off the ground. This is your start position. From here extend your legs out as far as you are able and crunch them back in towards your chest. Make it harder by letting the feet out further or by letting your whole upper body down towards the floor as your feet extend straight (take your hands away). This way your whole body is straight but not resting on the floor, pull yourself back in and repeat. Be careful. This is tough!

Christmas Fitness Series

Week 6

As the countdown continues, we come closer to a season of overeating and a small bit of drinking! Every year it’s the same; try a few weeks of fitness coming up to Christmas, start getting fit and feeling good. Then you turn around and cheat on your body by pumping it full of food, drink and chocolate. Where is the sense in that?

First of all, to start exercising 2 or 3 weeks before Christmas and expect it to get you into that Christmas dress you have been keeping is only kidding yourself. Instead, you should use this new found fitness enthusiasm as a stepping stone for some serious long-term results that continue long after the holiday season is over. Secondly, you need to watch not only what you eat, but how much you eat, over the festive period.

Did you know that the average person takes in about 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone?!

No one wants to spoil the fun around Christmas but it is worth keeping a couple of things in mind to fight off the Christmas Bulge this season. The tendency to really relax over the Christmas leads a lot of people to inactivity. And those extra nights out lead to more temptation and less inclination to be active the following day. Experts estimate that most people gain an extra pound of fat over the holiday period. That’s a surplus of 3,500 calories between over eating and under exercising. The trick to combating this is trying to reduce the amount of food you normally eat over Christmas, or by taking the opportunity to be more active during your free time. It’s a familiar story going on a night out and being too tired, lazy or hung over to make good food and lifestyle choices the following day.

Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the food eaten over Christmas is actually good quality food. Turkey, sprouts, potatoes, lean ham, the veggies etc all have their own nutrients going for them. But it is the amount of this food we take on that will send that belly bulge storming your way. Regardless of the type of food, taking in more calories than you are burning off is going to lead to fat gain. Then we have the high fat, high sugar foods, which is a recipe for fat gain – mainly around the mid-section.

Let’s take a look at what you can do to reduce the amount of calories you take in this holiday season without leaving the tasty treats out completely.

• Have mashed potato instead of the roasties. You can save up to 375 calories by having a scoop of mash instead of 3 medium roasted potatoes.
• Take a smaller portion of turkey. After all, there are always leftovers that you will surely be eating later on.
• Eat two chocolates instead of 4 and save over 90 calories.
• Don’t munch on bowls of crisps and nuts at parties or if they are just lying around the house. 30g of crisps contains around 150Kcal and a handful of nuts give you 256 Kcal.
• Slow down with the amount of drink being consumed. 1 pint of Guinness contains 210 Kcal. If you slow down you will take in less drinks per night and reduce the overall calorie consumption.
• Where possible try and switch to clear liquids instead of beer. A measure of vodka is 56 calories. Keep in mind, vodka is a lot stronger than beer, so water it down and sip on it slowly.
• Keep your own pace on nights out. Drink water in between drinks. At the very least take time to drink some water before bed. The reason people get hangovers is because alcohol dehydrates your brain and by the time you wake up on the morning you have a headache. Taking on water will help keep your brain and body hydrated.

Top Tips

1. Watch the portion sizes. Remember, little and often. There is no need to eat so much that you have to open a button on the trousers.
2. Pace yourself. Take your time eating food. Chew it fully; give yourself time to taste it. Push it to the back of your teeth and really taste the flavours.
3. Smart Choices. Remember to choose less calorie alternatives where possible. Vodka over beer etc.
4. Exercise. The holiday season can be long. Take half an hour every so often, go for a walk, clear your head. You will feel better and not so sluggish!

We have a great little download for you on the website. It shows you correct portion sizes when cooking or eating food by using your hand as a guide i.e. palm full equals 1 portion etc

Head to www.ozonegym.com and click on the orange MyZone+ tab. From here go to Fitness articles and you can download this portion control sheet for yourself.