Fitness & Yoga: fitness

It is called Olefit and it is presented as a fun, effective and cathartic fitness discipline. What is it about?

There are many fitness disciplines that combine aerobic exercise with dance. It is a very complete form of training, with the added bonus of being fun. Salsa, Hip hop, groove, funk, techno and Caribbean rhythms (salsa and bachata, top the list) are the musical styles that already have a place won in the fitness world. And now we will have to add another one to that list: flamenco.

This is the Olefit and was designed by dancers who have great careers in the National Ballet of Spain. "The origin of Olefit lies in some basic elements of Spanish dance and flamenco. Inspired by them as a form of communication and corporal expression, and some fundamental biomechanical principles in the development of their movements ", defines Paloma Gómez, one of the founders, and adds:" The formal articulation of all this, together with techniques and aspects essential fitness, has led to what we are today: a fun, effective and cathartic fitness discipline, capable not only of improving the physical form of practitioners but also their emotional state, since it encourages and causes a process Positive release of emotions. And what is more important, accessible to all audiences. "

Olefit was born at the end of 2015 in Chicago, United States, despite that "it has in its base and matrix the culture that shaped and inspired most of its creators: the Mediterranean culture," adds Paloma Gómez, and argues that the Olefit integrates "Percussion, palmas and zapateado, as well as certain accessories such as castanets, cape or shawl".

In addition, the program includes "small details that take care of all the environment that surrounds the discipline". Like, for example, maintaining a diet based on the Mediterranean diet, "recognized as the most complete, healthy and balanced, as well as a quiet and relaxed way of life", reports Paloma.

The project arose, according to Paloma, from an idea in a dance studio at Northeastern Illinois University, after an intense flamenco class. Seeing the satisfaction in the face of the students, they thought that it could be fantastic to create a new fitness modality to the rhythm of the music of the most festive flamenco styles, which would take the basis of the physical action of the Spanish dance movements.

The classes are aimed at people of any age without previous knowledge of dance or flamenco, improving muscle tone, cardiopulmonary skills and coordination, as well as burning a large number of calories. "In a one-hour dance class you can burn more than 400 calories," says John Vigdal, Norwegian champion of competition aerobics and with different titles worldwide, who provided the specific fitness methodology to the Olefit, which allows structure learning at different levels.

"Olefit is already perceived as an incipient revolution in the world of fitness, as a disruptive discipline that appears as a breath of fresh air in the field of collective classes," enthused Gómez's husband, Luis Lorente, scriptwriter, writer, director and producer with thirty years of work in the world of literature, television, film and theater.

"At Olefit, we understand everyday life as something interesting, that's why we work daily to get out of routine, developing and training the best possible attitude to face the day to day from leisure without ever leaving to take care of ourselves. Its main objective is to develop a new way of understanding fitness, conceiving it as a liberating channel of energies that will lead us directly to both physical and mental well-being, "the two other co-founders explained. , Raquel Gómez, sister of Paloma, and Christian Lozano.

The discipline is already practiced in many cities in the United States and Canada; and this year he finally arrived in Spain, the first European country to have this program. Our country has not arrived yet.

The five levels of the Olefit

1- Attraction (basic level)

Introduction in the movements, coordination and rhythms on which our work will be based on all levels of Olefit.

2-Confidence (Average level)

The exercises are complicated in relation to their execution and their physical demand.

3- Desire (Advanced level 1)

Use of a new element: the castanets.

4- Exaltation (Advanced level 2)

Combination of steps and movements with the use of castanets, increasing their difficulty and the physical work to be done.

5- Ecstasy (extreme level)

Incorporation of the shawl in the case of women and the layer in men, increasing the level of physical effort due to the volume and weight of this.

With the arrival of heat, we tell you which the most recommended routines for outdoor gymnastics are.

Being fit and healthy is associated with entering a gym, although new trends endorsed by specialists indicate that outdoor activities are not only more beneficial, but increasingly are practiced more frequently.

"People set up groups to go to the parks and hire a personal trainer because of the lack of attention in a gym, it's a complicated environment to relax because of all the noise," says Daniel Tangona, personal trainer of several celebrities.

Tangona, author of the book "Excuses do not fatten", affirms why it is healthier to train in the open air: "The body generates endorphins that work on anguish, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, which are the diseases of The aim is to release cortisol, which is the stress hormone, which is why people run away to the gym and bet on nature."

There are several fitness disciplines that can be developed in a green space. Then, the alternatives for you to take into account and you can choose the one indicated for you.

Walk in rollers: You only need a companion or a teacher, a smooth surface and protection (knee and helmet). Roller oxygenates you, puts you in a good mood and, in addition, is an activity that tones the muscles of the legs and buttocks. The contact with nature and the burning of calories are assured.

Work with weights: The main objective of this training is focused on burning fat, through high intensity exercises. "It modifies and stabilizes the metabolic values of cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and triglycerides," says Tangona.

Dance classes: It is an activity that increasingly attracts many followers, because it combines fitness and dance, relaxes and entertains, and represents a quality aerobic activity. One of the dances that sets the trend with the beginning of spring is the zumba, which has Latin American rhythms and combines easy to learn choreography.

Boot Camp: If you like the demand, military training, intensity and being exhausted, this activity is for you. It is not a discipline for anyone; it takes motivation and perseverance to get results. These are military-type outdoor exercises, which include sit-ups, squats, push-ups and aerobic endurance.

Rowing: It is an excellent alternative if you have a lake or river nearby. Although it is a time-consuming activity, it is usually done on weekends. Rowing is one of the most complete sports, since it works arms, legs, chest, back, abs and even the mind, through a coordinated movement. To make matters worse, the harmony of exercise has benefits to relieve stress and generate general well-being.

Finally, the personal trainer says that "people also have the option to swim, walk and ride a bike, the important thing is that they choose an activity that they like, you have to work from the inside out."

Stimulate More Muscle Activity With the Right Grip

Here's what you need to know...

Change your grip to build more muscle. Changes in grip can stimulate more muscle activity, leading to strength boosts and new muscle growth.

Use an offset grip when doing curls and rear-delt flyes. Hold the dumbbell handle close to the thumb side for curls and close to the pinky side for rear-delt flyes.

For pulldowns, a wide grip doesn't necessary build wide lats. All grip widths will hit the lats. A medium-width grip targets the biceps a little more.

A close-grip bench press hits the triceps better. However, it also reduces pec involvement. A reverse-grip bench press targets the biceps more.

Ditch the close-grip V-handle on seated rows. Use a bar that positions the hands about shoulder-width apart for greater range of motion.

Use a wider hand spacing on upright rows. Elevate the bar to just under 90 degrees to make it safer.

The right grip stimulates the most muscle activity. Here are the best grips to use on six popular exercises.

1 – Do Offset Dumbbell Biceps Curls

Instead of gripping the dumbbell from the middle in the traditional manner, grip it all the way over on the thumb side.

Here's Why: The biceps are not only elbow flexors, but they're also wrist and forearm supinators. So if we want to achieve maximal biceps recruitment when doing dumbbell curls, we must involve both elbow flexion and forearm supination. You can do this by holding the handle all the way over on the thumb side. This small change makes a huge difference because this grip forces you to resist forearm pronation because the biceps are forced to act as supinators while also serving as elbow flexors.

2 – Use a Medium or Wide Grip on Pulldowns

Despite common belief, all grip widths on the pulldown bar will hit your lats, but you can use a medium-width grip to target the biceps more. So just find a width that feels most comfortable to you.

Here's Why: It's generally believed that a wider grip on the pulldown bar activates the lats more than a narrow one. This belief originates in bodybuilding dogma, but it also appears to be evidence-based. One study found that the wide-grip pulldown produced greater muscle activity than pulldowns using a closer, underhand grip. The problem is that this study didn't compare different overhand grip widths.

Luckily, another study compared a 6RM load and EMG activity using three different pronated grip widths. Lifters performed 6RM in the lat pulldown with narrow, medium, and wide grips – 1, 1.5, and 2 times the biacromial distance, a measure of shoulder width. This study found that, aside from a bit more biceps involvement in the medium-grip width, all three grips produced similar lat activation. This challenges the notion that wide grip is "best" for targeting the lats when doing pulldowns.

If your objective is to add in some extra biceps work while doing lat pulldowns, a medium-grip width is just what the muscle doctor ordered. You can mix up grip widths to add subtle variety to your lat pulldowns without feeling as if you're missing out on the "special" lat building benefit of using a wide grip.

3 – Use a Neutral, Offset Grip on the Rear-Delt Fly

Use a neutral grip, not a thumbs-down grip, on rear-delt flyes. Hold the dumbbell using an offset grip, all the way to the pinky side.

Here's Why: Using a neutral grip when doing rear-delt flyes will deliver increased activity of the posterior delts compared to using a thumbs-down grip. This also makes sense from an anatomy perspective because the neutral hand position is more externally rotated than the pronated position, as both the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus muscles are also external rotators of the shoulder. Gripping the dumbbell all the way to the pinky finger side forces you to resist shoulder internal rotation (by using more of your posterior delts as external rotators) while performing the rear-delt fly.

4 – Use the Right Grip When Bench Pressing

Use a narrow grip on the bar to hit the triceps better. If you're interested in finding new ways to work the biceps, both wide grip and reverse grip bench presses are great options.

Here's Why: A 2005 study looked at the influence of grip width (narrow, mid, and wide) and forearm pronation/supination on upper-body muscle activity during the flat bench press. A reverse grip resulted in increased activity for the biceps brachii and the clavicular head of the pectoralis major compared to a standard grip. Also, there was no difference in the activity of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major between a standard and a reverse grip.

A narrower (overhand) grip increased triceps activity and decreased the activity of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major over other grip options. A wide (overhand) grip produced more biceps brachii activity than standard and reverse grip widths. The reverse-grip bench press is especially effective as it increases the involvement of the biceps brachii without reducing activity to other muscle groups.

According to the researchers, "Considering the small changes that occur during changes in grip width, the choice of grip position should be determined by the positions athletes adopt during their sport. Sport specificity should supersede attempts to train specific muscle groups. "So it's all about the principle of specificity, which tells us that the adaptations to training will be specific to the demands the training puts on the body.

5 – Do Shoulder-Width Seated Rows

Use a shoulder-width grip on a bar instead of using the narrow, V-shaped handle.

Here's Why: The choice of grip handle you use when performing the seated row can significantly affect your ability to maximize the range of motion, and that in turn affects muscle recruitment.

When you use the close-grip handles, the position your hands are stuck in forces you to cut off the final 2 to 3 inches of the range of motion. You don't get complete muscle contraction. Using a handle attachment that positions the hands at about shoulder-width apart will allow for a greater range of motion and more bang for your buck.

This isn't to say that using the close-grip handle is a waste of time or that no one should do them. It's simply to help you understand that each exercise has its benefits and limitations. And one of the limitations of using the close-grip handle when doing seated rows is that you're unable to reach the level of contraction that you can get when using a handle that positions your arms farther apart.

If you like close-grip rows for whatever reason, keep doing them. The type of handles you use for neutral-grip seated rows isn't a "do it this way or you're wasting your time" type of thing. You can mix up using the close-grip handle with the shoulder-width handle.

6 – Use a Wide Grip on Upright Rows

Use a wider grip and avoid pulling the elbows above shoulder height.

Here's Why: A wider grip has been shown in studies to increase deltoid and trapezius activity, and correspondingly, less biceps brachii activity. In addition to maximizing recruitment of the muscle we're trying to develop, we need to also consider exercise safety. Avoid pulling the elbows above shoulder height.

Studies indicate that impingement typically peaks between 70° and 120° of glenohumeral elevation. Authors of a 2011 paper recommend that asymptomatic individuals elevate their arms during the upright row to just below 90° (shoulder height). Other authors have made similar recommendations, so at least in this case, turn a deaf ear to the full-ROM gods.

These are the exercises that cannot be missed in your routine

When looking to lose weight and above all, burn fat to achieve a fit body, exercise is of great importance, as it not only increases the expenditure of calories but also helps us look better and also benefits our diet . But depending on the training your practice can benefit us more or less at the time of losing weight, so, we tell you the exercises that cannot be missing in your routine to successfully reach the goal of removing weights from our body.

Beyond the routine: what kind of exercises do you perform?

Exercises that involve different muscle groups and not just a muscle or a specific part of the body, demand more effort to our body to require the mobilization of greater mass and body weight. These are the so-called multi-joint exercises or compound exercises.

But in addition, the exercises with weights or that develop strength and increase the muscular mass stimulating the creation of new muscular fibers can be an incentive for our metabolism and increase the caloric expenditure, even at rest, in up to 15% according to scientists of Boston. Likewise, it can collaborate in the reduction of fats in the body and in the maintenance or loss of weight in the long term.

Thus, the aerobic exercise that we have always prioritized at the time of weight loss, could be useful but not the most important to achieve an effective reduction of kilos through the consumption of fats in our body. On the contrary, weights and exercises that stimulate muscle gain but mobilize large muscle groups would be the most appropriate.

Of course, the type of routines that we use can also help, being the best full-body routines that work the whole body or HIIT type trainings whose high intensity with few resting times favor the burning of fats and give a great push to metabolism or daily caloric expenditure.

The exercises that cannot be missed in your routine

If you want to lose weight prioritizing fat burning, some exercises that cannot be missed in your routine to encourage caloric expenditure and at the same time, promote muscle gain are:

Mountain climbers or climbers:

In ironing position this exercise works arms, shoulders, middle and lower body muscles while burning calories and gaining strength. Once we take a good technique in its implementation, we can include a number of variants of it to not get bored or fall into monotony with their practice.

Burpees:

They are a great compound exercise, that combines jumps with work of arms, legs, abdomen and more muscles of the body. The burpees require a good execution technique and we can include them in the framework of a more complete routine. In addition, it supports many variants to challenge our muscles with constant innovation.

Arm flexes:

Like the previous movements require a good technique and accept many variations to work the entire body, but by themselves are a great movement to include in your routine if you are looking to lose weight.

Battle ropes:

Mobilize large and heavy ropes with both arms while we contract muscles of the lower train and the middle zone to stabilize the body can be a very good alternative to burn calories and gain strength. In addition, it also admits many variations and we can focus the training on an area of the body if we want it, for example: for the stomach.

Squats:

They are a classic and basic in the workouts to gain muscle and strength, therefore, they can ot miss a routine to burn calories and fat. In addition, many of its variants include jumps or combine with other movements being of greater help even at the time of weight loss.

Turkish get up or Turkish rising:

Its execution is complex but it is a very complete exercise that requires strength, balance, coordination and agility, so included in the middle of a routine HIIT or full body can be a great option to stimulate the caloric expenditure and the use of fats as an energy source.

Kettlebell swing or swing with kettlebells:

Knowing your technique of execution we can achieve a very effective movement to work large muscle groups, burn calories and encourage the burning of fats. In addition, it also admits many variants that we can put into practice..

Although these are highly recommended exercises when losing weight, we must never forget that the important thing is to move and do it constantly, so choosing an activity that we like and that we can continue over time is key.

In addition, many other activities can help you lose weight without increasing caloric expenditure or producing muscle gain, either because they relax and reduce stress or simply because they help us to feel better and thus favor the care of diet and continuity in the exercise.

Then, when you lose weight do not forget to exercise and if you can include any of the above mentioned movements, you will undoubtedly boost the results.

These are some of the training techniques that you should include in your routine to vary it a bit and keep seeing results.

Superseries

In the superseries, two exercises are trained, one after the other, without recovery pause. This technique offers a possibility to increase the training intensity by shortening the breaks between series, and also allows to maximize time, accelerate metabolism and burn calories. There are two types of supersets:

a) Superseries for a single muscle group, also known as the pre-stretch principle, where maximum muscle stimulation presumes the maximum possible contraction of muscle fibers. An example would be doing 15 repetitions of triceps kick with dumbbell, followed by at least 15 repetitions of the cup.

b) Superseries for two different muscle groups, where two antagonist muscles can be trained without pause. In this way the intensity of the exercise is increased, since the pause is not made until the second exercise of the superset. An example would be the typical biceps and triceps or quadriceps and femoral training. If we work with this method, we do a muscle exercise and then we work the other muscle, then we rest between 30 and 60 seconds and repeat. This type of exercise is recommended for those who want to increase muscle mass, because they can lift more weight and muscles do not fatigue much.

Inverted pyramid

In this type of training the weight decreases as the repetitions increase. For example, suppose you are doing biceps curls with dumbbells, you start with a weight that only allows you to complete 10 repetitions, you do 10 repetitions, you wait 30 or 60 seconds and then you take a lighter weight (30% less), and you do 12 or 15 repetitions. In the next series you lower the weight again but you do 20 repetitions and so on. This method improves muscle strength and capacity, and helps deepen muscle cuts.

Sending series or drop sets

This method is especially suitable to increase the intensity of training, help burn more calories and improve the definition and cardiovascular system. Suppose you are in the leg extension machine and you start with two or three sets of 20 repetitions, in the last two series you make a descending start with a weight with which you can complete 5 or 8 repetitions, and then lower that weight by 30 %, you make another 5 or 8 more, and you lower the weight again.

Pliometrics

They are a type of training designed to create fast, powerful and explosive movements. They consist of rapid stretching of the muscle in the eccentric phase, which is immediately followed by a concentric phase (shrinkage). This type of training fatigue the muscles and is excellent to define and burn many calories. Some exercises of this type are: jumps with squats, jumping box (box jump), jumps with slings, mountain climbers (mountain climbers), etc. The ideal is to practice them after training.

Whatever the training technique you choose, do not forget to supplement it with a good diet, and always make sure you are healthy before starting any training or feeding regimen. Health above all!

If you are one of those who have joined "the era of the runners" or want to start practicing endurance sports, surely you will have considered how you should feed yourself to perform more or be able to overcome those kilometers that you put in front of you.

One of the main characteristics of endurance sports, that is to say those in which it goes to a moderate intensity but that can last more than an hour and a half, is that the main fuel that is going to be used to obtain the energy are the carbohydrates In the beginning you will use what you have available in the blood, that is, those that you have eaten at your last meal, about 2 hours before. After a while you will start to use the carbohydrates that you have accumulated in the form of glycogen (as a result of your daily diet) along with those that you are contributing during the race (supplementation), which will help you not to spend all your reserves, and This way you can prolong the exercise for longer or perform more.

THUS, THE INGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES DURING THE EXERCISE CAN DELAY THE APPEARANCE OF FATIGUE AND IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN RESISTANCE SPORTS.

Then, you will be wondering what is the most appropriate amount and type of carbohydrate.

You can see benefits from small amounts of carbohydrates (16 g per hour), but it seems that higher amounts would have a superior effect on performance. What is clear is that the real beneficial effect of taking carbohydrates lies in the oxidation of these, ie the ability to use their energy.

Several factors influence the capacity of carbohydrate oxidation, one of which is the type of carbohydrate that is ingested. For example, glucose, sucrose or maltodextrins can be oxidized at a rate of 60 g / h, and fructose or isomaltulose at 30 g / h.

IN PRACTICE, THE IDEAL AMOUNT OF CARBOHYDRATES THAT WE SHOULD INGER, WOULD BE THE ONE THAT LEADS US TO THE MAXIMUM RATE OF OXIDATION WITHOUT CAUSING GASTROINTESTINAL DISCOMFORT.

When carbohydrates are ingested from a single source, there comes a time when the channels used to absorb them at the intestinal level become saturated, which limits their absorption, so that unused carbohydrates will cause digestive discomfort. In this line, it has been seen that the dreaded discomfort can be reduced if different sources of carbohydrates are ingested by being absorbed by different channels, which also allows greater oxidation.

So we are interested in a supplement that provides us with enough carbohydrates and that also come from different sources. The 32GI brand has sent us a new range of supplements called 32Gi that have this characteristic, are formulated based on glucose, fructose, isomaltulose and maltodextrin.

Another outstanding feature is that as a source of protein, they use pea. So their products are suitable for vegans and for intolerant to gluten or lactose.

THE PRODUCT RANGE 32GI IS SUITABLE FOR VEGAN, INTOLERANT TO GLUTEN AND LACTOSE.

Types of supplements

They have the ideal ENDURE range for moderate exercise because it contains a remarkable amount of isomaltulose. Isomaltulose is a carbohydrate that has (as the brand of the product indicates) a glycemic index of 32, that is, it releases glucose in a more gradual way. In a long-term endurance sport, for example more than 2 hours, the intensity is usually lower but we need glucose availability for a longer time, so combine carbohydrate sources into one of faster release, such as glucose, and another slower release can be very beneficial, both for the oxidation of carbohydrates and for the reduction of digestive discomfort.

Its RACE range is aimed at higher intensity exercises, and in this case its proportion of fast-release carbohydrates is higher.

In any of the cases you have several options available, drinks for athletes that meets the established parameters or bars, jellybeans or gels to complement.

From Alimmenta we believe that they are a range of useful products for the athlete so we encourage you to try them.

I will never get tired of warning between the difference between training for health and doing it for aesthetics. With the first option we intend to acquire greater vitality and energy, prolong youth, adding life to the years and also years to life, and suffer less illnesses and discomforts. Perfect, it is something that we all like and that is also practical, simple and cheap! (The research has shown that people who exercise, regardless of other care, live longer and are less sick, rates of work absenteeism grow among sedentary, something that companies should observe, adding incentives to exercise, because it would be more economical to reduce the losses due to morbidity).

Training for aesthetics involves transforming the body we have to obtain a better one, according to our wishes. However, this second option is more limited than the first, since genetic influences more here. The combination of exercise and nutrition produces a very appreciable change, always according to the intensity and duration of what we do to achieve it, although often it does not bring us closer to that ideal prototype that we have dreamed of. It is impossible to modify the bone, joint, muscle and tendinous structure. The disproportionate limbs, the "short" or too "long" muscles remain that way for life. The sensations of coarseness or weakness never disappear although they are attenuated (We can all see large unattractive bodybuilders or even strange or "ugly" forms, everything is inherited less beauty, as the saying wisely states).

In any case, it is improved, and much, enough to increase self-esteem and let others know. It is positive as a value, and also - it may be that many ignore it, but should not do so - as an enhancer of the immune system, which increases appreciably when we feel satisfied with the possessed image. Some say that the possession of a well-worked body is equivalent to the mastery of physical yoga or another relaxation technique. I believe it and I share it.

Gym and a smart diet

You already know, the best thing is to combine the training for aesthetics -being "more beautiful" within our genetic possibilities- with exercise for health -improving the capacity cardiopulmonary, reduce the percentage of fat and control stress. It is achieved without exceeding, setting reasonable objectives, in the short, medium and long term, fulfilling these and without leaving after that career. And there are no excuses. Twelve thousand gyms in Spain makes us now have one very close to our house, or if we live in a tiny population entity, we have it in the next town. And if we do not want to move, there are some home equipment that can be coupled anywhere, even in a corner of a room. There is also the issue of food, maybe the most important part of that binomial. There are no problems to carry it out correctly. It suffices to consume the correct proportion of the macronutrients, and if necessary add the appropriate supplements for the moments of scarcity, weakness or special achievements within a sport or activity or in the matter of the modification of our body, either to develop it more or to endow it with the chosen slenderness.

Good food is everywhere -we can also afford some excesses one or two days a week-, the best supplements in specialized stores. The desire to improve, we must have it inside. Because health and aesthetics must always be united.

In physical form inside and out. It's worth it and... it just depends on you!

Probably, one of the objectives that you most pursue by working out is to define well-marked abs. However, you will know that it is not an easy task. It does not matter how many repetitions you make of your favorite exercise if you do not consider a series of basic principles in your diet and training. In this article we expose the main reasons why you cannot mark your "chocolate tablet" and how to solve it.

1. You have too much abdominal fat (Belly)

This is, without doubt, one of the main reasons why you do not see your six-pack despite training intensely. The fat that accumulates between the skin and the abdominal muscles prevents that you can appreciate the relief of your abdominals, even though the muscles are worked.

As you know, we cannot eliminate this subcutaneous fat in a focused way, with specific exercises for that area. What is effective is to carry out a complete program that combines diet, exercise and lifestyle to reduce your percentage of fat and thus achieve highlight abdominals in a lasting way.

2. Your diet is not adequate

Having good eating habits and being consistent with your diet is a decisive factor in getting good abs. These four tips can help you:

Avoid excess sugar: This is one of the great enemies of a healthy diet and can encourage the accumulation of fat in your abdomen. Especially avoid juices and other sugary drinks. Eating fruit gives you the right amount of sugar and all the fiber that juices do not give you.

Constancy is essential. You do not need to follow a radical or super-restrictive diet, but you must have healthy habits in your daily diet and not leave them aside every so often. Miracle diets do not usually work, but patience does.

Quantity and variety. You must consume the amount of calories you need according to your metabolism and your level of physical activity. Also, remember to design a varied diet, with all kinds of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Do not forget to include whole grains, nuts and a good portion of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Five meals a day. Distributing the number of calories in five or six meals will make you feel less hungry and anxious. In addition, it will help you maintain your blood sugar levels and you will be able to concentrate better.

3. Your training is not varied

The abdominal musculature is a group formed by different types of muscles (rectum, oblique, transverse) that we must work with different exercises. It is not enough to make the typical crunches, however many repetitions we make. Design a varied routine and soon you will begin to notice the results. In this way you will be able to activate the different muscles and get a better toning and definition. Also keep in mind that you should not concentrate only on the abdominal area. It is essential that you strengthen the lower back, especially to avoid back problems. And, of course, it includes other cardio and strength exercises that help you reduce your body fat percentage and improve your overall fitness. You will feel better and your body will thank you. 4. You do not rest enough Rest is essential for the recovery of muscles and to stimulate their growth. Over-training does not do you any favors when it comes to defining abs. Remember to get enough sleep (seven or eight hours is usually recommended) and good sleep quality. It is essential that you avoid noisy environments or changes in temperature at bedtime.

Also, try to have a fixed schedule to go to bed and to get up; A good sleep routine can work wonders with your physical shape. 5. Do not forget the hydration Your body needs to be well hydrated to be able to perform in training. Both muscle development and fat loss need your body to have enough water. Stay hydrated throughout the day but, especially, before, during and after each training session. The most important thing is that you listen to your own body, providing the water you need at all times, and that you do not fall into the error of over-hydrating yourself. Of course, water is the best option for hydration, compared to juices or other beverages that provide an excess of sugars. 6. Forget about tricks and shortcuts Achieving a good physical shape and defining abs is a task that requires perseverance and effort. It is not complicated but you need patience. The best thing is that you do not try to copy miraculous diets or programs that make impossible promises. The most probable thing is that they end up disappointing you and taking away the desire to train. Focus on performing intense and varied workouts, watch your diet, sleep well and be constant. The results will come sooner than you think and, finally, you will be able to see how they begin to mark those abs you were looking for.

4.You do not rest enough

Rest is essential for the recovery of muscles and to stimulate their growth. Over-training does not do you any favors when it comes to defining abs. Remember to get enough sleep (seven or eight hours is usually recommended) and good sleep quality. It is essential that you avoid noisy environments or changes in temperature at bedtime. Also, try to have a fixed schedule to go to bed and to get up; A good sleep routine can work wonders with your physical shape.

5. Do not forget the hydration

Your body needs to be well hydrated to be able to perform in training. Both muscle development and fat loss need your body to have enough water. Stay hydrated throughout the day but, especially, before, during and after each training session. The most important thing is that you listen to your own body, providing the water you need at all times, and that you do not fall into the error of over-hydrating yourself.

Of course, water is the best option for hydration, compared to juices or other beverages that provide an excess of sugars.

6. Forget tricks and shortcuts

Achieving a good physical shape and defining abs is a task that requires perseverance and effort. It is not complicated but you need patience. The best thing is that you do not try to copy miraculous diets or programs that make impossible promises. The most probable thing is that they end up disappointing you and taking away the desire to train.

Focus on performing intense and varied workouts, watch your diet, sleep well and be constant. The results will come sooner than you think and, finally, you will be able to see how they begin to mark that abs that you were looking for.

Surely many times you have heard that if you consume carbohydrates (HC) while you train you will burn less fat and most of the positive effects of training will go to waste.

It is not so simple... The reason for consuming carbohydrates during training is to produce muscle and liver glycogen savings, while preserving both, we will have the capacity to perform more during a longer time. It is clear that resistance or "endurance" is essential since energy consumption and duration is much greater, but, and in training with loads?

The efforts that are made during training with loads are much shorter and more intense, with energy substrates being different to produce ATP. Phosphocreatine is able to supply energy for muscle contraction for 2-4 seconds, so if we work in maximum strength ranges, this will be the predominant system along with glycogen, since this is necessary to resynthesize phosphocreatine.

Training with weights with a moderate volume, for example, a fullbody workout (3-5 exercises) produces a depletion of 24-40% in muscle glycogen levels. Obviously this will depend on the total volume and intensity of the training. In a study conducted by Tesch et al. in 1986 measurements were made by biopsy of glycogen levels before and after a lower train training, glycogen decreased by 30%.

More are not always better

Reduced glycogen levels can decrease isokinetic strength as well as isoinercial force. In addition, in this last study, greater strength differences were found in multi-joint exercises such as the squat, with no differences in other monoarticular exercises such as leg extension. According to these works, starting strength training with muscle glycogen low minimums may not be a good idea.

However, in other studies such as that of Sawyer JC et al. in 2013 no differences were found in the 1RM bench press and rear squat with high or reduced levels of glycogen

In this last study, the diet contained more than 30% protein and the adaptation period was longer than in other studies. Together with a less aggressive depletion protocol, this may be the reason why such disparate results were found.

Will the HC improve our strength before training?

It depends, some research shows improvements in performance. However, others like Kulik et al. (2008) did not find differences. In the latter, the subjects consumed 0.3 g / kg of carbohydrates immediately before the test, in which the total work and the number of repetitions were measured, as well as the load used in series of 5 repetitions with the 85 % of the 1RM in a squat.

Haff GG et al. (2000) examined how isokinetic strength in leg exercises affected the consumption of 1 g / kg (85.7 +/- 3.5 kg) before training and 0.5 g / kg every ten minutes during training.

Both tests (carbohydrates vs. placebo) lasting 39 minutes and consisting of 3 leg exercises were performed by the same subjects separated by seven days. No significant differences were found in isokinetic strength, only a glycogen saving was produced in the group that consumed carbohydrates.

It is difficult to find a determining result that can be applied universally throughout the world, since the results will depend on the following factors:

· Previous glycogen levels.
· Composition of the diet.
· Training level.
· Gender (oxidative metabolism).
· Women consume more fatty acids during exercise.
· Training volume.

What if we consume them during training?

The purpose of ingesting carbohydrates during training is the same as ingesting them before, preventing glycogen levels from depleting, thus decreasing performance.

In works like David M. Laurenson and Danielle Jane Dubé in 2015, for me some of the best, the effect of consuming carbohydrates during training is evaluated along with protein in a ratio (3: 1), 36 g of carbohydrates and 12 gr of protein.

The training consisted of 3 circuits of squat and press bench with a total of 12 series, decreasing the number of repetitions in each. After finishing the circuits were measured the maximum repetitions that were able to do bench press and squat with 60% of 1RM as well as the maximum power generated.

In addition, the respiratory quotient (RER) was measured on 7 occasions, before, during and after.

There were no significant differences in the RER between the group that consumed carbohydrates and protein and the one that consumed a placebo. The RER is a measure that shows the relationship between the CO2 produced and the O2 consumed and therefore the oxidative capacity of the muscle tissue. When RER decreases, (<1) oxidative activity predominates, whereas when RER increases, (> 1) glycolytic activity predominates.

From all this, it can be inferred that consuming carbohydrates during a load training does not diminish the lipolysis nor the oxidation of fatty acids.

Why does not the oxidation of fatty acids decrease?

In order for muscle contraction to occur, ATP is necessary. Each energy substrate is able to produce a certain capacity of ATP in a certain time, for example, phosphocreatine is able to resynthesize ATP very quickly, however, it is only able to do so for 2-4 seconds. At the other extreme we find β-oxidation, which is able to resynthesize ATP for a long time, but at a very slow rate (50-65% VO2 max).

Between both ends we find other metabolic pathways such as anaerobic glycolytic and oxidative glycolytic. To understand how they contribute to the production of energy, we must be clear that none works at 100% or 0%. All work in unison overlapping to a greater or lesser extent.

Returning to the previous study, you can see how the plasma glucose during exercise is similar or even lower (take into account the insulinogenic capacity of the amino acids + CA2 + dependent transport) in the group that consumed carbohydrates and the one that consumed placebo. Together with similar measurements in the RER, this shows that glucose has been used in equal proportion in both groups for the production of ATP.

For more solidity, recent work has shown that the consumption of carbohydrates during training at relatively low intensities 65% VO2 max does not alter the activity of AMPK [9]. It is true that the increase in insulin during training can decrease the release of epinephrine and myokines, thus reducing lipolysis.

I honestly think that the intensity of the exercise must be very low for this interaction to occur. It should be noted that the mobilization of fatty acids from the adipose tissue is only part of the story, since without the correct mitochondrial function dependent on (PGC1; PPAR-alpha) and in turn dependent on AMPK, the ability of lipolysis does not matter , in fact, it can even be harmful as it happens in the case of diabetics (lipotoxicity).

Regarding performance parameters, there were no significant differences in power between both groups, both in the squat and in the bench press. However, the group that consumed carbohydrates was able to perform more repetitions in the bench press.

Then, before or during?

In conclusion, we see that eating carbohydrates during training does not diminish the oxidation of fatty acids, it does not mean a benefit in strength increase, however if it allows a greater volume of training due to the saving of muscle glycogen and the decrease in glucose production hepatic (muscle protection).

Therefore, both possibilities are valid when the volume of training is very high and the diet is reduced in carbohydrates <2 g / kg of body weight. Although it must be emphasized that intra-tennent supplementation has advantages over pre-tenter supplementation, such as a lower risk of reactive hypoglycaemia and associated symptoms, as reported in the work of Koivisto VA et al. [10] The consumption of carbohydrates of high glycemic index 45 minutes before training produces an insulin secretion, which, in combination with the hypoglycaemic effect of physical exercise produces a very aggressive drop in blood glucose, which we know as reactive hypoglycemia.

All this can be solved by consuming the same type of HC during training obtaining a more stable insulin response and a better use of them due to Ca2 + dependent transport. Or using HC complexes one hour before in liquid form as high molecular weight amylopectins or cyclic dextrins.

So, when will I gain intra-tread HC?

· Level of medium-advanced training.

· In diets with a carbohydrate amount less than 2 gr per kilo of body weight.

· High volume of training. A lot of training frequency with moderate volume.

· Men will get more benefits than women.

Essential to individualize amount and type of carbohydrate depending on the duration of exercise [11]: 60 gr of carbohydrates per hour of training, important to include several types of HC such as glucose / polymers and fructose. This will achieve greater oxidation of exogenous HC and glycogen savings. If you have intestinal problems during exercise when consuming carbohydrates may be due to the limitation of transport of them. And accumulation in the intestinal lumen increasing the concentration of water in it. Dehydration can also negatively affect Na + transport.

Pages

Stats

Google+

recent posts

Blog Archive

Labels

Popular Posts

Most Popular