The No More Excuses Diet (11 page)

4. THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO CONTRACT YOUR MUSCLES.
There are three ways to contract, and therefore challenge, your muscles: concentric, eccentric, and isometric movement. The
concentric
concentrates on shortening the muscle, which is the phase most lifters focus on. The
eccentric
decelerates the muscle. The
isometric
is static, when the muscle is held in a challenging position. For example, when you raise your body from a squat, you are performing a concentric motion; when you lower your body into a squat, you are performing an eccentric motion; and when you hold your body in a challenging squat, you are performing an isometric motion.

When designing a strength program, you start with the basic body-weight exercises like push-ups, squats, and sit-ups; and you adjust the degree of difficulty as you become stronger. In my earliest training years I performed a whole-body circuit two or three times a week. When my body adjusted to that challenge, I focused on pushing exercises one day (chest/shoulders/triceps) and pulling exercises the next day (back and biceps). As my body continued to adapt, I switched to one major body part a day (this is when I also had more time) or I incorporated other tools to make the exercises more challenging.

You will need to identify which stage you are currently in so as to select a safe but challenging strength-training routine. As you get stronger, you will find that you can make your body work harder by increasing the resistance your body is dealing with. As you become more confident in your workouts, think about challenging yourself by stepping up your resistance using the following:

You don’t need special equipment to challenge your body. Most often, all you need is your own body weight. Think push-ups,
pull-ups, squats, lunges, dips, and sit-ups (see the
Appendix
). These major strength exercises don’t require an exercise machine or a gym membership. Many popular home workout DVDs focus on plyometric body-weight exercises. All you need, though, is good form, an indelible motivation, and a goal.

Cables are freestanding and require you to use more of your core and central nervous system. Free-moti
on machines and Bow-flexes have this cable component. Besides the concentric motion, exercises on these machines specifically challenge the eccentric motion of your body because the cables require you to control your decelerated movement.

Free weights in the form of barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells engage your entire body, including your central nervous system, because they require you to control the weight, to balance your body, and to engage your core. This is the easiest and most affordable strength equipment to incorporate into a home routine as long as the weights are heavy enough to produce good tension.

Remember, strength training is all about control. The less controlled your environment is, the more your body will gain through the adversity. Start creating more imbalances by performing a shoulder press on one leg or a chest press while lying on a stability ball. Stand on a box while performing alternating dumbbell bicep curls or a lunge with your back foot raised. The more unstable you are, the more you’re forced to engage.

It’s intimidating to walk onto the weight room floor with men grunting, iron clinking, and everyone focusing on his or her toned physique
in the mirrors. While difficult, you must do what scares you. I was scared at first—everyone is at one point! The best way to overcome this fear is to educate yourself and then just do it. Start getting comfortable with the movement of your muscles by using the machines, observe the exercises performed by other people, and ask questions! Everyone at the gym is there for the same reason, so don’t be shy. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Using the illustrated list of exercises in the
Appendix
, pick two or three body parts and perform two or three exercises for each
one. Depending on your goal, you can either choose 12 to 15 repetitions for weight loss or 8 to 12 repetitions for strength. You can divide your strength training into days you train just your upper body, then your lower body the following day. If you want to change it up, you can get more technical and perform all pulling exercises like rows, flies, and curls on one day and pushing exercises like presses, squats, and extensions on the next day. Some people pick one body part a day or a full body workout a few times a week. You need to experiment and find what’s best for you.

For those who don’t have a gym membership, invest in some weights or resistance bands at home so you can follow the same exercises utilizing your home equipment, or make your own weights—think discarded milk gallons filled with sand! I’ve used my own children as weights (that was fun) and water bottles for hand weights!

If you want to lose weight, you can’t skrimp on cardio. Cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart, increases your metabolism, promotes happy hormones, and prevents heart disease. As long as your heart is pumping, your blood is flowing and your body is moving, you are engaging in life-extending activity. Many people falsely believe the only way to exercise is by running, taking a Zumba class, using an elliptical, or performing a workout DVD.

No.

Cardio is whatever challenges your body in its
target heart rate (THR) which is 220 minus your age multiplied by 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. For example, as I write this I am 33 years old. My maximum heart rate is 187 bpm (beats per minute) and my target heart rate is 102 to 158 beats per minute.

You can jog in place, perform continuous squats, or dance at
your THR for 20 minutes, and that’s considered cardio! What’s most important is that you focus, stay engaged, and calculate your heart rate every few minutes to ensure you are training hard enough.

There are so many ways to get your cardio in. I sometimes perform jumping jacks, jump rope, or do step-ups at the park while I watch my children play. While waiting between flights at the airport I have walked up and down flights of stairs. In a hotel room without any access to a gym, I have found some workout videos on YouTube. You can always find a way to incorporate cardio exercise if you’re willing to get a little creative and not take no for an answer!

Have you ever seen someone talk on the phone, read a novel, or watch TV while he or she is on a treadmill? This isn’t even breathing hard!
Don’t be that person
. The No More Excuses journey is about efficiency, and you don’t want to waste your time training if you’re not training hard enough. You should be working up a sweat and feeling a little winded, but still be able to talk.

You can monitor your heart rate by using the heart rate sensor on most cardio equipment. You can also wear a heart rate monitor or be old school (like me) and take your pulse on the side of your neck or along the veins of your wrist. Count the beats there for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. That magic number is how many times your heart beats per minute.

Cardio exercise can be simple, fun, accessible, and challenging. And it doesn’t have to be boring! Anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time is considered cardio. In general, your exercise program should reflect both your strengths and your weaknesses. Throughout my training week I perform something physically difficult like running (hard) and taking dance class (easy). I mix up these forms of cardio to prevent boredom and to sustain my motivation. Nontraditional cardio activities include hiking, swimming, skating, climbing, and biking. As long as your
heart is engaged and your body and mind are challenged, you are having a good workout.