You pay out your weight in gym fees, but still can’t drop those kilos. Sydney trainer Rebecca Rule tells why.
A heart-rate monitor eliminates guesswork. “It links the body and the mind and indicates whether you can work harder or need to pull in the reins,” Rebecca says. “The flip side is working out for too long, so aim for an hour a day.”
“Think about it as good energy in, good energy out,” Rebecca says. “Forget low-carb diets when you’re training. The best source [of energy] is carbohydrate — and go for low-GI. Prior to training, porridge and grainy breads are digested more slowly and are great fuel.”
After training, it’s important to replenish your energy, but don’t get into the habit of eating junk food just because you have had a good workout.
“And a note on alcohol,” Rebecca adds. “It’s empty kilojoules and will be used first, before anything else you have ingested. So a big night out before training will make it harder to lose weight.”
“It’s really important to change movement patterns, the intensity and composition on a regular basis,” Rebecca says. “For example, you might do an interval session that has high and low intensity, but for a shorter period of time. Chop and change to give your body a nudge, and you will see results quicker.”
“Our lives are so sedentary that it’s important to increase the incidental exercise, as well as doing the hard yards in the gym,” Rebecca says. “Those hours you spend in the gym each week, at different intensities and doing different exercises, should supplement the outdoor exercise we should do on a daily basis.”
While working out, you are contracting your muscles, so stretching at the end is one of the ingredients that can help you achieve an elongated, lean look.
“Before you hit the gym, say to yourself, ‘Today, I’m doing a cross-training session. I want to get my heart rate to 80 percent for 15 minutes on the treadmill, then 15 minutes on the StairMaster, then flat out on the bike for 20,'” she says.
Have a plan, stick to it and you’ll be less likely to take the easy way out.
“When it comes to setting fitness or weight-loss goals, you must follow the SMART formula — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time,” Rebecca says. “For example, say your goal is to lose 10kg. You’ve specified your goal, measured it, figured out it’s attainable for you and it’s realistic — not too big a number.
“You then need to think about how long it will take you and then break down the goal into short-term goals, like losing a kilogram a week.”
Follow the SMART form
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time
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