Lose the fat around the…

If you live in the Atlanta area and are looking to lose fat and inches around the midsection, belly, hips, thighs, or any other body pat I can help.

Through bodyweight exercises, weight lifting , and some hard work I can help you get the body you want and have imagined.

Send you contact info to weightworkout@yahoo.ca to get the help you deserve.

Atlanta Personal Training For Fat Loss of the THIGHS, HIPS, and STOMACH

Nutrition tip of the Week

Mood Eating

Most people eat based on their mood and/or some subjective feelings of hunger. They don't eat based on what their bodies need. Think of it this way: you're about to take a long drive on a stretch of highway with no gas station. Do you fail to stop for gas before you hit the road because you're 'not in the mood?' Of course not. Think of eating in the same way. Eating fuels your metabolic engine. So it's time to start feeling like eating so that you can stop feeling like you're scrawny. by Dr. John Berardi

SEE ALSO: This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

What You Should Know About Tea

by Ryan Andrews
Nowadays, pretty much everyone has accepted that tea (especially the green kind) confers some tremendous health benefits.

Indeed, as recent as two years ago, you could hardly find green tea in most grocery stories, convenience stores, or restaurants.

Now, the stuff is ubiquitous. Anywhere you turn, if you want a green tea, you can find it. You can even find it in some fast food restaurants.

So in this newsletter, we'd like to talk about tea - what it is, why it's good for you, and what benefits it offers.

What is tea?
Tea is a beverage made by steeping leaves, twigs, or buds of Camellia sinensis, the common tea plant, in hot water for 1 to 5 minutes.


The fermentation of a tea determines its color. White tea is the least fermented form. Black tea is the most fermented form.

Interestingly, when the tea is fully dried, fermentation stops, and that's how tea leaves retain their color (white, green, black) once dried.

So how does a tea leaf go from its natural state to your tea cup? Well, the leaves undergo fermentation, and are then heated and dried. During this process, flavor enhancers such as herbs, spices, fruits and flowers can also be added.
Note: when the label describes the tea as “herbal tea,” it’s referring to a beverage that contains only fruits and/or herbs with no actual tea leaves. So don't get duped. Most "herbal teas" contain no actual tea.
Tea contains no calories and is a rich source of phytochemicals as well as a specific group of chemicals called methylxanthines (e.g., theophylline, caffeine, etc - although the methylxanthine content is much lower than in coffee and other caffeinated beverages).

How tea works in the body
Tea offers a host of health benefits, which will be outlined shortly. Many of the beneficial effects of tea are due to the flavonoids it contains.

Flavonoids belong to a grouping of chemicals that have strong antioxidant properties and can reduce free radical damage (free radicals produce what we call "oxidative stress" and can contribute to chronic disease).

When thinking flavonoids, think of catechins, specifically EGCG. The catechins are one type of powerful flavoniods that occur naturally in tea. And many believe it's these flavonoids that contribute most of the benefits associated with tea.

In addition to the flavonoids, as mentioned above, tea contains methylxanthines (caffeine is a methylxanthine). The caffeine content in tea is lower than that of coffee and does not have an abrupt effect. Prospective jitters and withdrawal symptoms are unlikely.

How Milk May Ruin Tea
Interestingly, milk has long been added to tea to neutralize tannins (which are the most bitter components of tea) and reduce their acidity - leading to a smoother taste.

However, research has indicated that casein in milk will negate many of the beneficial components of tea. So don't ruin your tea by adding milk. Order it straight up. And if you don't like the flavor, mix your regular tea with a mint or herbal tea.




JB's favorite is a mixture of loose green tea leaves and a bag of mint or pear flavored green tea.

Loose Tea vs. Bags
Tea is commonly packaged in “tea bags” for convenience. Among tea experts, this tea is known as “dust,” due to its poor quality.

The tea in bags is considered a waste product left over from sorting the higher quality loose leaf teas. Furthermore, tea in bags may be prone to oxidation and not steep as well due to the restricted form of the bag.

Now, if you enjoy tea that comes in bags – don’t stress – it can still offer similar benefits. However, we encourage you to try loose tea (or some combination of loose and bagged) to see how you like it.

If you're new to loose tea, check out these infusers below or even a tea press. They'll help you avoid picking leaves out of your teeth!


Tea Infuser B



Tea Infuser C

Tea Press


The shelf life of tea varies based on the degree of processing. Black tea has a longer shelf life than green tea. The shelf life of herbal tea is usually the shortest.
To prevent oxidation, tea should be stored in an air-tight container and placed in a dry, cool and dark location.

Tea Temperature
Recommended water temperatures for steeping tea are as follows:
White tea: 140-165 degrees
Green tea: 170-180 degrees
Oolong tea: 190-205 degrees
Black tea: Above 200 degrees
Don’t get stressed if you don’t feel like breaking out the thermometer every morning. Bring water just short of boiling. That will usually do the trick.
Note: The more fermented teas require higher water temperatures. When water temperatures are too low, the leaves can be devoid of oxygen and the taste can be bland and flat.
Supplements and Extracts
While we're not against using green tea supplements, we want to make sure you don't go getting too happy with green tea extract consumption.
Case reports have been published indicating that a very high consumption of these extracts can induce liver damage. This has yet to be validated in well-controlled studies but it's worth thinking about.
Here's some additional info on this:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/me...ead.php?t=6771
The Benefits of Regular Tea Consumption

Now, let’s outline some of the benefits attributed to regular tea consumption.
Note: These benefits were outlined at the 2007 "Tea and Health" symposium, a conference in which tea researchers world-wide got together and provided some definitive answers on what tea does and what it doesn't do - at least, according to what we know today.
We'll list these benefits by category...
Tea and body composition
  • Green tea increased 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation
  • 3-months of tea consumption decreased waist circumference by 4.5%
Tea and cardiovascular health
  • Tea increased lipid oxidation
  • Tea improved blood vessel function
  • Those who consumed 3 or more cups of black tea per day had a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
  • Drinking 6 or more cups of black tea per day was associated with decreased serum cholesterol and triglycerides
  • Those who drank a cup or more of black tea daily had a 44% reduction in the risk of heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers
  • Those who consumed tea during the year prior to a heart attack were up to 44% more likely to survive following the cardiac event
  • Japanese men and women who consumed just over 2 cups of green tea per day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 22 - 33%
  • 5 cups of black tea per day reduced LDL cholesterol by 11% and total cholesterol by 6.5% compared to placebo beverages
  • Those who consumed 4 cups of tea per day had a 69% lower risk of atherosclerosis
  • Tea restored blood vessel function in those with coronary artery disease
  • Tea helped to prevent atherosclerosis
  • Tea enhanced dilation of blood vessels
  • Regular tea drinkers had a 65% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure
Tea and cancer
  • Tea inhibited oxidative damage
  • Tea decreased the growth of abnormal cells and inhibited uncontrolled cell growth
  • Drinking tea combated free radical damage
  • Tea boosted the immune system
  • Tea helped prevent prostate cancer
  • Those who drank tea had a reduced risk of skin cancer
  • Tea assisted in the regression of oral cancer
  • Tea drinkers had decreased ovarian cancer risk
Tea and immune function
  • Tea boosted natural resistance to microbial infection
Tea and oral health
  • Tea inhibited the plaque forming ability of oral bacteria
Tea and bone health
  • Although caffeine intake has been suggested to be a risk factor for reduced bone mineral density, research indicated that drinking tea does not negatively affect bone mineral density
  • Older women who drank tea had a higher bone mineral density than those who did not drink tea
Tea and kidney stones
  • Those who drank tea had a lower risk of developing kidney stones
Tea and neurological decline
  • Drinking tea resulted in a reduced risk of Parkinsons disease
Tea and spouse selection
  • Those who drank 5 cups of green tea each day had a more attractive spouse (are you still paying attention to my article? This one has yet to be confirmed by research - but you never know).
Tea Recipes
When talking to folks who don't consume enough tea, their excuse is usually that they don't like the taste. However, this excuse is fairly lame.


Just like with other healthy meals and drinks, you've gotta be a little creative. To this end, here are a few recipes that can make including tea in your diet a delicious proposition:
Mint Chocolate Shake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup strongly brewed green tea with mint
1 cup ice
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp flaxseed oil or vanilla flavored fish oil
1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
Instructions:
Prepare green tea by steeping for 5 minutes or using tea press/infuser. Allow to cool.
Pour tea in the blender and add 1 cup of ice.
Add to the blender, protein, yogurt, oil, and chocolate.
Blend on high until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Nutrition Information:
Makes 1 large 593kcal shake (22fat, 36carb, 61 protein) or 2 small 296kcal shakes (11fat, 18carb, 30 protein).
Blueberry Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1/2 cup strongly brewed green tea with berry flavor
1 cup of water
1/2 cup Old fashioned large flake oats
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp pure honey
1/4 cup low fat milk or soy milk
1 scoop vanilla protein
1/4 cup frozen berries
Instructions:
Prepare green tea by steeping for 5 minutes or using tea press/infuser. Allow to cool.
Pour tea and 1 cup water into a pot.
Bring pot to a boil on high heat and add the oats.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed (approx 7-10 mins).
Remove from heat and stir in flax and honey.
Combine milk and protein in a blender and pour over oatmeal.
Add frozen berries.
Nutrition Information:
Makes 1 large 472kcal serving (10fat, 60carb, 35 protein) or 2 small 236kcal servings (5fat, 30carb, 15 protein).
------------------------------------------------------
Note: for 120 delicious, physique-friendly recipes like these, pick up a copy of our new Gourmet Nutrition - The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover.
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Also note that if you purchase a copy of our highly acclaimed Gourmet Nutrition cookbook anytime between
today and the end of this month, 10% of the proceeds will go directly to the Healthy Food Bank.
Now you can eat delicious food yourself while helping feed
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------------------------------------------------------
Final thoughts
Most benefits are seen with around 3 – 4 cups of green or black tea per day. So make sure you start there there.

In the research, regularly steeped tea was used in most trials. To this end, be careful with pre-bottled teas as they may have excessive amounts of added sweeteners and degraded beneficial compounds. Therefore they may not offer the same benefits as regularly stepped tea.

For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, Gourmet Nutrition, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.


Sunday, September 14, 2008

Great fat loss and nutrition recipe

For more Nutrition Tips:
This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

Pan-Seared Salmon with a Citrus Mint Sauce

There are limitless possibilities for cooking and flavoring salmon. Here is an out of the ordinary twist that combines citrus and mint to compliment that ever-gratifying crispiness of seared salmon. For this recipe, prepare the sauce first so that you can serve the salmon when it's hot and crisp. And don't forget to add a nice helping of veggies to this dish. Try some grilled asparagus for an extra special treat. Now on with the show . . .

Part 1: Citrus-Mint Sauce

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice squeezed from ½ fresh pink grapefruit

½ pink grapefruit, cut into sections for serving
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of Splenda (equivalent to 1 tsp sugar)

Make sure to remove all of the membrane from the grapefruit sections. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, shallot, and Splenda in a medium bowl. Mix well, and then gradually stir-in the olive oil, mint, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside while cooking the fish.

Part 2: Pan-Seared Salmon

Two 8-ounce salmon fillets, without skin
1 tbsp Smart Balance butter spread or coconut oil
Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel, and then season both sides of each fillet with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

Heat the butter or oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add fillets to the skillet and cook until edges are opaque and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets. Gently flip the fillets with a spatula and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is firm yet tender and moist, and the flesh has become opaque with a slight translucence.

Before serving, whisk the citrus mint sauce to recombine, and drizzle it over the fish fillets. Serve immediately garnished with grapefruit sections.

Serves two.

Nutritional information


Per Serving
Total Calories 529 k/cal
Protein 46 g
Total Carbohydrates 12 g
Fiber 0.13 g
Sugars 8 g
Total Fat 33 g
Saturated 5.3 g
Monounsaturated 16 g
Polyunsaturated 9 g
Omega-3 4.2 g
Omega-6 3.2 g

Tip: When is salmon cooked just right?

Cooking your salmon until it's 'flaky', as commonly suggested, can result in overcooking. Here's how to cook it just right: use a paring knife to peek inside the middle of the fillet. If the flesh is translucent, it is undercooked. If it is opaque and slightly flaky but still juicy, it is ready to serve. It is overcooked when the flesh falls apart and looks dry.

Food Fact: Are all omega-3's created equal?

Plants provide a form of omega-3's called alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Flax seeds are one of the best sources of ALA. But it's becoming clear that some of the best health benefits come from docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found in fatty marine fish, like salmon and mackerel. DHA is particularly beneficial, and contributes to better body composition, brain health, stress relief, and has even shown potential in preventing dementia. Granted, some ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is low, particularly in men.

What's the lesson? Go ahead and eat your flax, but don't skip the fish!

Want more great tasting recipes designed to get you real results?

If you want to build the body you never thought you could have, start eating the meals you never thought you could eat! Get over 100 recipes and a no-nonsense nutrition plan that will show you how to make it work in the new ebook written by Dr. Berardi and Dr. Williams, Gourmet Nutrition.


Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The 1000 Calorie Diet Tip

Training and Looking for a Personal Fitness Coach In Atlanta

If you eat at restaurants, it's easy to eat over 1500 or 2000 calories per meal.

Yikes! That's a full day's worth of calories in
one dinner...

Pre-dinner bread & butter -> 200 calories
Pre-dinner cocktail -> 150 calories

Appetizer -> This could be a 500-1500 calorie bomb on it's own!

Steak -> 300-500 calories
Potato -> 150-300 calories
Vegetable -> 100 calories
Dinner Drink -> 150 calories

Dessert - 300-750 calories
After Dinner Drink - 150

And that's only if you CONTROL yourself. If you go on a rampage,
you could be looking at 2500 or even 3000 calories in one sitting.
Those numbers are scary.

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid this dietary nightmare while
dining out. Here are 5 rules to cut 1000 calories from your
dining-out diet...

1) Plan ahead and avoid restaurants that offer huge portions.

2) Skip the bread. It won't stop you from eating your full meal
anyways, so just send it back.

3) No booze or liquid calories of any type.

4) No potatoes. Stick to your protein and your vegetables.

5) Reward yourself with only the tiniest bit of dessert, if at all.

It's all about taking responsibility for your choices. And yes,
choosing between the "Pain of discipline or pain of regret". What's
your choice?


Atlanta area personal fitness coach that comes to you.
Weight Loss In the Atlanta area?
Contact me here
jason@inthegym.info

Friday, August 22, 2008

Dumbell Whip-Arounds

For Explosive Core Power

Play any sports? Want to improve your performance on the field or in the gym? This simple rotational
exercise will build TREMENDOUS explosiveness that will add yards to your golf drives,
speed to your throws, and build devastating punching power for combat sports.


So who DOESN'T want a stronger, more explosive core. Show of hands...

I've got a GREAT exercise for you for developing explosive rotational power in the core area. This is EXACTLY what you need for hitting a golf ball further, throwing faster and hitting harder - without rotational power, all you've got is the power in your limbs and that's NOTHING compared to the overall power you can generate with your core.

I call this exercise the "Dumbell Whip Around" because that's basically what you're going to do!

This is a challenging core rotational exercise - you're going to be swinging the dumbell around ALMOST like you're swinging a discus to throw.

The key is this...

You're going to use a lot of power and momentum on one side to get the weight moving but, instead of using muscle action on that same side to stop/slow the movement, you'll use the core muscles on your OTHER side to "catch it," then stop it, then whip the dumbell back around to the original start position for another go.

Sounds confusing, but you'll see what I mean. Basically, the reason this works so well for building explosive core power is that because the muscles that start the explosive movement don't have to work to SLOW the explosive movement, it teaches them to explode that much more effectively. There's no deceleration hesitation in the core and you can sling the dumbell around at MACH speed.

PLEASE NOTE: With this one, be VERY sure you don't go too heavy to start with - this is a rotational exercise and if you haven't done much rotational work, you could strain yourself. We don't want that! So start light and work your way up as you feel comfortable! But once you're ready, don't be afraid to use some weight!

For this exercise, you'll need one dumbell. Pick it up in your right hand and hold it at your side. Your feet should be set apart a bit - you're going to be generating force through your legs up into the core - and they need to be apart for stability.

Swing the dumbell back and around behind your body like you're winding up. Keep your knees bent and midsection tight!

Now whip that dumbell around as explosively and as fast as you can! It's almost like throwing a discus (rotational and explosive movement) like you were trying to sling the dumbell as far away from you as possible. Hold on TIGHT, though, as not everybody has concrete walls in their gym like I do...

Now here's the trick - as you whip the dumbell around, "catch" the dumbell in your other hand and use your OTHER arm/side abs to slow the momentum.

The slowing of momentum should take the dumbell all the way around behind you in the other direction.

Now using BOTH hands, whip that dumbell back around the OTHER way to where you started from. Use a powerful push from the left hand and a powerful pull from the right hand (they'll work together on this whip around back to the start position).

Here's the key - the turnaround point. Don't hesitate AT ALL at the change of direction. When you stop the rotation one way IMMEDIATELY and explosively whip that dumbell back around. We're trying to put rotational torque on the core muscles (safely, of course) and that change of direction and momentum is the most important point.

So do your reps on one side (about 4 to 6 reps - explosive movements shouldn't be done for more than that or you start hitting the wrong fiber types and losing explosiveness), then switch hands and repeat on the other side...same movement, direction reversed.

Perform the same number of reps on this side as you did on the first side. I like to stick to just 2 or 3 sets of this one. Any more than that and your core will get too fatigued and it won't be "quality" work anymore, which is critical for an explosive rotational core exercise.

I HIGHLY recommend checking out the video for this exercise to see exactly how the whip-around is performed. It'll give you an idea of the power and speed you should be using when you do the exercise.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Women, Weights are the Way to go

It’s the staple diet of most weight-conscious women these days - a sensible eating program and a regular exercise routine. It makes them feel good about themselves, it keeps them stress-free, and it helps them sleep well each night. Their energy levels are on the up, and they feel able to go from day to day without worrying about putting on weight. They know well enough to attribute this feeling of wellness to the sweat and toil of their daily workout, but mention the phrase weight training and watch them shrink back like they’ve been burned.

It’s a common misconception that most women carry around with them like excess baggage – that working out with weights is liable to give them bulging biceps and well-rounded thighs like those seen on professional body builders. Au contraire, there are various benefits that accrue to women when they start working with weights, some of which I’ve listed below:

Weight training helps build muscles, not the ones that are clearly visible on a body builder’s façade, but the ones that help boost your metabolism. The higher your metabolic rate, the faster you burn the calories you eat. If you’ve wondered how some people you know are able to eat all they want and not gain a single pound, the answer lies in their metabolism – they simply burn all they pack in, leaving nothing to be stored as fat on their bodies.
When you work with weights, you build your strength. Stronger bones and muscles allow you more stamina during the course of your daily routine and prevent the onset of osteoporosis and arthritis, diseases that women are more prone to than men when they hit menopause.
Your body looks so much better because of the toned muscles, a look that does not come with doing just aerobic exercises.
Weight training allows you to exercise specific parts of your body rather than just the whole as with cardio workouts; you can target those areas which are the biggest, like your thighs or abdomen and work on getting them into shape.
An exercise routine with just cardio workouts burns both fat and muscle, which means you end up slowing your metabolism, and one with only weight training does not make your fat deposits disappear. You need combine the both cardio and weights so that you get the best of both and keep your body looking fit and healthy.

Remember to drink lots of water and eat sensibly, a diet high in protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats, when you work out with weights. Don’t worry about looking like a muscular man, because unless you’re on testosterone supplements or anabolic steroids, there’s no way you’re going to get that body builder’s look.


By-line:

This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of X-Ray Technician programs. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.


Atlanta Personal Trainer to Help With Weight Loss?


Atlanta area personal fitness coach that comes to you. Contact me here jason@inthegym.info

Monday, August 4, 2008

Why Your Glutes Are Small, Flat and Shapeless…

Body position and posture has a HUGE impact on how you look. Get the inside scoop on how
something as simple as how you stand could be why your
glutes are small and flat (and your back hurts!).


If you're one of the MANY men and women who want larger, firmer, rounder glutes but haven't had much luck in building them, THIS is the article for you.

I know it's popular to say "it's not your fault" about almost anything these days...but in this case, it actually COULD be your fault...and you don't even know it!

You see, something as simple as your everyday posture could be responsible for the tough time you're having building up those glutes of your dreams.

Let's set genetics aside for a moment - while it's true that genetics CAN and DO play a big part in how your body develops, blaming a small, flat butt completely on genetics then just giving up is just not an option I'm going to let you get away with... :)

First, a little functional anatomy - we need to know and understand HOW the glutes work. Relax - nothing too technical here - just a little info so you'll be able to take these concepts and put them to work for you right NOW.

Everybody knows WHERE the glutes are, so I won't get into that. If you don't, you're sitting on them right now...heck, they're following you everywhere you go!

The glutes are among the biggest muscles in the body because their main function is movement (technically, it's to extend the hip backwards) and movement is VERY important. This backwards extension of the hip is what moves you forward with every step you take. It's what moves your body up when you take a step up on a stair. It's ALSO what helps keep your body upright and stabilized while standing.

So how can your posture and how you STAND possibly impact this big muscle and how it works and grows?

Well, I'll tell you!

First, you'll need to do an easy visual test on yourself in the mirror. This is going to help determine if your posture is causing your glutes to shrink up and not respond well to training.

Go to a long mirror and stand beside it so that your side is towards it (you're not facing it right now). Don't look in the mirror yet. Now stand like you're waiting for a bus or you're in line at the movies - "normally." Make sure you're standing on both feet with your weight evenly distributed (not on one foot or the other). Relax and don't try and do anything differently than you do in everyday life (if you try and fix yourself now, you'll mess up the test).

NOW keeping that exact same body position, turn JUST YOUR HEAD and look in the mirror. We're going to look at where your hips are in relation to where your shoulders are.

Ideally, you want your hips to be in a direct up-and-down line with your shoulders so you're standing up straight.

But what we'll often see (especially in the cases of those who have trouble building their glutes and feeling them working when training glute exercises) is that the hips are FORWARD of the shoulders and the butt is kind of "tucked" under the hips.

So instead of a vertical line like this: |

The body forms a forward angle kind of like this: <

When the hips shift forward like this, the glutes are taken almost completely out of the postural chain - they become relaxed and little work is required of them.

The immediate problem with THIS is that the glutes then get weaker and smaller. But the REAL problem (and the one that affects your glute-building) is the STRUCTURAL change that takes place in your body in the long term.

Over the course of YEARS of this "hips-forward" posture, your body will strengthen OTHER muscles and tendons to take over the loads and functions that the glutes were supposed to be in charge of. It can also lead to back pain and overstretching of the abdominals, which makes your stomach LOOK bigger than it actually is!

Don't have a mirror? Another good way to test yourself on this without a mirror is this: stand up right where you are and stand up straight with posture like you're a soldier standing guard. If this feels EXTREMELY weird to you and it's an effort to hold that position for more than a few moments, chances are your body has undergone the structural changes I talked about.
Eventually, these structural changes in your body will carry over to walking and exercising! Your body will not properly recruit the glute muscles when it comes time to do squatting and lunging movements even if it LOOKS like you're doing them correctly.

The thighs will tend to take over the movement to compensate for the reduction in glute function. The body, quite simply, isn't USED to using the glutes anymore and has a hard time activating them.

This means even when you do direct exercises to work the glutes, your body is unable to properly USE the glutes to perform the exercises!

And when you walk, instead of using the glutes to actively PUSH yourself forward with each step, you'll have a short stride and a more "shuffling" gait (this happens because your leg isn't coming back far enough behind you).

You're using your hip flexors (the muscles on the front of your hips) to bring your leg forward with each step but you're using GRAVITY and momentum (in a way, you're almost falling forward with each step) to keep moving, NOT pushing with your glutes!

SO HOW DO WE FIX IT?

Well, the first BIG step is to be mindful of your posture and how you stand. It's going to be strange at first - you're going to forget yourself and have to constantly be your own "posture police" to keep yourself straight and upright. You might have even to recruit friends and family members to "keep you honest" and remind you when your hips start drifting forward.

We're basically going to be looking to reverse YEARS of "glute-reducing" posture here, so it's something that will take time. The upside is, you will most likely start feeling more confident and looking better almost immediately when you make the effort to stand up straight!

The extra work your glutes are going to get simply by doing what they're supposed to should start helping you increase glute size and firmness rapidly as well.

Abdominal exercises can also help here, by tightening up abs that have gotten overstretched from this "hips-forward" posture. Keeping your abs tight and "in" will help you keep your hips back and in the right position.

Finally, when you're walking, you should focus on actively PUSHING yourself forward with the glutes with each step you take. You'll end up taking longer strides and getting places sooner, which is not a bad thing either.

Bottom line (no pun intended!), we have to RETRAIN your body to use the glutes properly. Now I know it's not a quick fix but it IS an effective fix and can be done with relatively little effort.

Because once your body starts learning how to use the glutes again, you'll have a MUCH easier time developing the glutes that you're looking for!

Changing how you stand won't give you a bigger butt overnight but it WILL set the stage so that the work you ARE doing to improve your glutes will be more effective!

In Atlanta area and Looking for Fitness Results?


Contact me here jason@inthegym.info