A: There are many ways to measure your body fat percentage. This test from Health Central is a good place to start: enter your stats and a few measurements and it will calculate your percent body fat with a very narrow margin of error.

Health Central says 18% body fat is in the healthy normal range for Asian men, 15% for Caucasian men, and 12% for African-American men. And for the ladies: 25% is healthy for Asian women, 22% for Caucasian women, and 19% for African-American women. According to this site, Asians tend to have a slightly higher percent body fat than African-Americans and Caucasians, because their bones are less dense. So, Jon, if this test gives you 15%, you’re definitely in the healthy range.

If you’re worried about the rolls, keep in mind that a little bit of extra flesh is normal when you bend forward or sit down. There’s gotta be a little give!

Furthermore, if your abdomen is flat when standing, then the folds and lingering lines could have more to do with the elasticity of your skin than with fat. When your skin loses elasticity, it doesn’t contract as much when you sit or bend, and it doesn’t bounce right back when you stand back up—the fold lines stick around for a while. This happens with age, certain skin types, and dehydration. Drinking plenty of water and using moisturizer can improve skin elasticity.

And, of course, keep working on that taut stomach with nutrition and exercise. A few recommendations:

AB-FRIENDLY FOODS

For starters, go easy on starchy carbs, carbonated beverages, and sodium. Instead, drink lots of water and look into the fat-blasting benefits of green tea, which you can easily get in supplement form.

To lose a few extra pounds, Core Performance’s Joe Kita swears by incorporating fiber into your diet. “Fiber’s bulk naturally fills you up, so you eat less,” he explains. Another great way to scale back the munchies—while shedding excess fat and increasing abdominal muscle—is a weight loss protein shake. IdealShape has a great one; be sure to read up on its nutritious ingredients.

You can also check out MSN Health’s flat ab food fixes. And finally, remember that your eating habits are just as important as what you eat. This post will tell you when and how much to eat to keep your stomach slim.

EXERCISE FOR A TONED TUMMY

If you’re trying to lose excess fat, you should absolutely be doing interval cardio and metabolic circuit training. Find out why they’re better than steady state cardio for whittling down stubborn fat.

Next, check out these solid tips for driving away that last bit of belly fat, and putting a six pack in its place.

And finally, don’t forget to track your results!

Easy Ways to Score a Six-Pack

Is Sugar the Enemy of Your Slim Figure?

The Real Reason Your Belly Fat Won’t Budge

Am I calculating my body fat percent right? Jon is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

When it comes to our bodies, we are notoriously hard on ourselves. We see only what’s left to be done, rarely stopping to offer a pat on the back for what we’ve accomplished so far. That’s why it is critical to track the results of your fitness program. If you don’t, how will you know whether you’re stuck in a dead-end gig, or whether you’ve finally nailed the perfect fitness plan?

Now, by “track your results,” I don’t mean consult the mirror, or ask yourself whether you’re pinching more or less love handle than you did last month. We have unreliable memories when it comes to what we used to look like. The only way to accurately measure your results is to literally take measurements and keep a written record. It requires very little math, I promise.

Here’s What to Start With:

1. Take a “before picture.” Whether you want to pose in snug-fitting clothes or strip right down to your birthday suit is up to you. Snap a new picture monthly, or wait every few months to compare.
2. Take your measurements. This you’ll want to do at least once a month.
3. Hop on the scale. This comes last because weight is only one factor, yet it’s commonly mistaken for the end goal. Muscle weighs more than fat, remember. If you’re on the right program, you’ll be gaining muscle mass while you burn fat, so you might gain weight as you get fit!

Taking Your Measurements:

Simply monitoring your inches can be a good way to determine progress. You’ll need a measuring tape (fabric or pliable plastic) to do it. You can measure some or all of the following, depending on your goals:

• Arm (middle of upper arm)
• Shoulders (span)
• Chest (middle of chest)
• Stomach (right above belly button)
• Hips (middle of glutes)
• Thigh (six inches up from top of the knee)
• Calves (middle)

When you measure yourself, be sure to wrap the tape around tightly enough that it lays flat against your skin, without pressing into your skin. Get a feel for your method so it stays constant each time.

What About Body Fat Percentage?

There are several different methods to figure body fat. This website can help you easily calculate it, and the margin of error is only a few percentage points. You’ll need to take your measurements to use it. You can also use this calculator to get your BMI, or body mass index. BMI gauges body fatness based on weight, sex and height.

It’s Not Just About the Numbers

The real measurement of your program’s success will tally more than fat lost and muscle gained. You’ll want to consider how it has improved your strength, endurance, energy level, metabolism, mood, and many other things. But don’t buy into the stigma that people have given to weighing and measuring.

Some believe they’ll get caught up in number-crunching and will stop seeing the overall health picture. But measuring your body regularly is a good, healthy way to gauge the results of your program, as well as celebrate your progress. That regular check-in also helps you stay focused and accountable in your plan.

How are others measuring their fitness programs? Stop by the No More Bacon “Results Show,” where Ryan—who has lost over 100 pounds—weighs in for the week and pinpoints a few bad habits that could mar your progress.

One great reason to stay focused on fitness

IdealShape reveals how improving your body image helps you lose weight

Fitness’s mind/body connection

Does Your Fitness Program Measure Up? is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

To keep getting optimal results, you need to continually make your metabolic circuits more challenging.

Is It Time for a Change?

People often ask how often to adjust their circuit routine. Well, there’s no general rule: it’s going to be different for everyone. Your level of conditioning depends on how often you work out, how hard, and lots of other factors. While many advise that you should vary your exercise routine every month, you can usually just feel when you’re ready to progress. The routine becomes less challenging… You’re hungry for more… You’re just plain bored.

There are several ways to mix up your metabolic workout. Incorporate one progression at a time:

1. Reduce rest time
2. Increase intensity
3. Change/add exercises
4. Increase reps or time spent on each exercise

Switch It Up By Splitting It Up

Split circuit routines let you alternate working opposite muscle groups. One circuit focuses on lower body, one focuses on upper. Do the lower body workout, wait two days and do the upper, and in another two days, do lower again or do a full body workout. Instead of alternating upper and lower body workouts, some people switch off between pushing movements (squats, lunges) and strengthening movements (pushups, chest presses, deadlifts, leg curls).

There are lots of benefits of doing split routines. By focusing on a few muscle groups, you can max them out for a powerful workout. And with split routines, DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) will be less likely to interfere with your workout. If you often find that your legs wobble or your arms feel like putty just when it’s time to train again, you probably need more recharge time. By doing split circuits, the most you’ll work a muscle group is twice in a week, allowing four days to recover instead of one or two.

Alternate Muscle Groups During a Single Workout

If you need to make the most of your gym time, you can do non-competing circuits to work your whole body without straining your muscles. “Non-competing exercises simply refer to putting a series of exercises together that allow one muscle group to rest while another muscle group is trained,” explains Ballantyne. An example would be alternating upper and lower body movements (called a superset). Not only does this give you a full body workout, but it lets you power through your lifting without shifting to cardio to rest.

Pointers for Your Circuit Lineup:

• By doing upper, lower, core and cardio—in that order—you can demand the most of each muscle group. You need the most strength for your upper body movements, so get your kettlebell presses and bent-over flys in early. Abs can come later, and when your muscles are maxed out, finish with cardio.
• You shouldn’t be able to do more than 6-8 reps with free weights—buck up and lift heavy.
• You can mix cardio into your routine as long as you don’t wipe yourself out too early in the game. Stationary bikes, treadmills and ellipticals can all be incorporated in your circuit. Just remember to go hard!
• Protect and improve your muscle quality by starting with active stretching and foam rolling. End with a cool-down stretch and roll your muscles out again. You’ll notice a huge difference in the way your muscles feel the next day (and you’ll be able to walk up and down stairs).

Finally, it’s important not to up the ante too quickly: increase intensity or duration too fast and you’ll probably hurt yourself. Listen to your body for cues about when and how much to progress.

Stay tuned for fresh metabolic circuit routines with YouTube videos, coming soon!

How to Progress in Your Metabolic Circuits is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

A: It sure can be frustrating to work hard and see zero results. Like Sisyphus pushing the same boulder uphill day after day, when we’re stuck in a weight loss rut, our commitment to fitness feels eternally pointless.

And normally you should be seeing fat loss with metabolic circuits, or any other type of training that involves high-intensity interval cardio and resistance exercises. But there are still a lot of reasons why your squeaky-clean fitness routine may not be working. Take a look at these five possible causes:

#1: Repeating the Same Routine.

Your body will always adapt to exercise, so you’ve got to switch it up—and ramp it up—to keep from plateauing. If you want to keep doing metabolic circuits, you need to periodically increase intensity, add reps, add weight, go longer, rest shorter… you get the gist. Spice it up every few weeks or sooner if you feel ready. Or, throw your body off balance by changing your game every month: try spinning, join a fat loss boot camp, do combat workouts, then come back to circuit training.

By the way, there’s no harm in bulking up while you burn fat, is there? If you’ve been doing metabolic circuits, which incorporate resistance exercises, you are probably already well on your way to more developed muscles. And why not do both at the same time? After all, more lean muscle mass means stronger workouts and increased fat burn!

#2: Working Out Too Much.

Yes, it’s possible to overdo it, and people commit this exercise error often. “You only need three hard workouts per week,” says Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS. That’s welcome news for those of us who can’t spare more than a couple days a week at the gym. And, in fact, if you put in more than a handful of hard, full-body workouts per week, you could be hindering fat loss.

Better to have fewer higher-intensity workouts than more ineffective ones. Remember, it’s during rest that your body builds muscle and recharges for your next high-energy workout. Without adequate rest, you won’t allow muscle recovery, you’ll wear your body down, and you could become overly fatigued and injure yourself during your workout. Check here for signs of over-exercise.

Try to avoid working the same muscle groups on consecutive days. If you want to work out every day, mix in some steady state cardio or light activity on the in-between days.

#3: Being Sedentary Outside the Gym.

Here’s an ugly truth: working out for an hour a day, but being desk-bound (or couch-bound) for eight, will leave you in worse shape than someone who doesn’t exercise at the gym but stays active in their daily life.

Joe Kita of CorePerformance was surprised to discover that a fitness buff can be “sedentary.” “Like many people, I’ve put my exercise in a box,” he says. “But outside of that box, am I really any different from all those grandmothers in housecoats watching QVC from their couch?”

If you really want to be in good shape, you’ll need to make fitness your lifestyle. Squeeze action into every minute of my day? Sounds hard! But actually, it isn’t. And CorePerformance says picking up a pedometer will help you become more aware of your activeness. We’re guessing this’ll put a halt to indulgent elevator rides and shortcuts through the grass (which No More Bacon’s Ryan Sullivan pinpoints as the real reason we’re fat).

Of course, if you’re a student or work a desk job (that covers most of us), it’s tough to be active all day. But you need to keep yourself moving. How about a 10-minute stroll/bounce/cartwheel to the water cooler and back, once an hour?

#4: Diet Missteps.

It sounds like you’re eating healthy—consuming balanced meals and keeping your caloric intake under wraps. Make sure, though, that your calorie count doesn’t fall too low: calculate your caloric need here and don’t go less than 300-500 below that to lose excess fat. If your caloric need is 2,200, for example, then you can eat between 1,700-1,900 calories. Go lower, and you’ll kill your metabolism by sending a message to your body that it needs to hold onto fat in preparation for the “famine” it expects.

Two more ways to rev up your metabolism: take a metabolism-boosting weight loss supplement and eat 5-6 small, nutritious meals a day (starting with breakfast). While you’re at it, why not try this innovative approach to eating for weight loss?

#5: Not Seeing the Bigger Picture.

If there’s a chance you might have mood imbalances, dietary imbalances or a health condition, set up an appointment with your doctor. A lot of emotional and physiological factors can cause a person to gain weight, from stress and depression to endocrine system issues. If your body is trying to send you this kind of alert, not all the dieting and exercising in the world will make a difference.

If there are no health concerns, perhaps you could simply benefit from hiring a personal trainer or weight loss coach. Many people find it’s a great investment because they learn fitness and nutrition principles that last a lifetime. A trainer can also help you pinpoint what you’re doing wrong in your routine, and arm you with simple tips to maximize fat burn. Best of all, weight loss professionals will help you create exercise and diet plans based on your body, your needs and what you have time for.

Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged! You may have to try several things before you find out what works for you. In the meantime, take a look at more ways to push past the plateau, and spend a few minutes scrolling through Cranky Fitness’s fun tips for freshening your workout plan.

If you can look at health and fitness as a lifelong journey, you’ll be more patient with your body, more committed, and better able to appreciate your successes. Believe it or not, these are three ways to get quicker weight loss results!

What surprising roadblocks have you uncovered in your fitness plan?

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After months of metabolic circuits, I’m not losing fat! Ollie is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

My details:

Gender: M

Age: 23

Height: 5′11″

Weight: 200 lbs.

I started working out a few days back, burning 500 calories every day. My daily intake is around 1,500 calories. I’m doing weights also.

A: Unfortunately, the midsection is where most guys tend to put on the pounds. But there are lots of ways to send that fat packing!

Here are some of our favorite middle-fat-blasters:

Skip the Steady State Cardio – When it comes to trimming your midsection, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a better use of your gym time. So bypass the stationary machines and triple your fat burn with routines like metabolic circuits.

Add Green Tea to Your Diet – The evidence supporting green tea’s fat-blasting properties is irrefutable. The only question is, should you sip a cup or take green tea extract?

Work That Core – Find out how to blast stomach fat and put a six-pack in its place!

Eat More Protein – Protein shakes are an efficient, easy way to get your protein, which boosts fat loss by helping you build lean muscle mass. Be sure to have a protein shake within 60 minutes of your resistance training workout for maximum muscle recovery.

Suppress Your Sweet Tooth – We all know sugar makes us gain weight, but the reasons may surprise you!

Double Up with Compound Exercises – We’re glad to hear you’re doing strength training on top of your cardio. Lifting weights is a good way to tone your chest, abs and back—not just your arms and shoulders. But in order to make the most of your lifting, you need to focus on getting full-body results.

A Note About Your Diet

Are you eating enough of the right foods? Nutrition is key to losing weight and staying healthy, and it’s about more than caloric intake. To begin with, try to cover all your bases: the government offers helpful dietary guidelines, and they’ll also tell you how much of each food group to eat based on your age, sex, height and activity level.

Next, calculate your caloric need. Remember, you only need to consume 300-500 less than your caloric need in order to lose excess fat. As a tall, young male, you probably need more than 1,500 calories a day, especially if you’re burning 500 of them! Eat too few calories and you’re just as likely to gain/keep weight because you’ll send your body into starvation mode. Your metabolism will slow down and your body will hoard fat.

What you want to do is keep your metabolism high. To do that, meet your caloric need, stay active throughout the day on top of exercise, and eat 5-6 small, healthy meals. One of those meals can be a nutritious protein shake. And whatever you do, don’t skip breakfast!

Sticking to Your New Fitness Routine

Since it sounds like you’ve just kicked your exercise regimen up a notch, we thought we’d give mindset a mention. Frame of mind is often overlooked in fitness, and yet it’s the most important aspect: staying on track is the only way to achieve and keep your results. Once you’ve geared your mind for weight loss, you’re ready to apply these tips from other experts about starting a new regimen and staying on track.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress! We want to hear what works for you and what doesn’t.

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How do I get rid of fat around my chest and stomach? Raj is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

Actually, this exercise multi-tasking could be the one thing holding you back from reaching your fitness goals.

Researchers say that multi-tasking is killing our productivity at work. Guess what? It’s doing the same thing at the gym! “It’s like playing tennis with three balls,” says Edward M. Hallowell, an expert on both multi-tasking and ADD (no coincidence, we’re sure). “It gives the illusion that we’re simultaneously tasking, but we’re really not.”

Plan on getting back into that swimsuit by June? Better focus on the task at hand.

READ ’EM AND WEEP

Personally, I don’t understand how anyone can exercise and read at the same time. I tried it once and the results were catastrophic, not to mention embarrassing. But people do it.

The problem is that when you’re not paying attention to your workout, it’s easy to lose steam. Especially when you’re performing a repetitive activity on a stationary machine. As soon as that People celeb story gets juicy, you might not realize your legs have stopped moving altogether.

We tote a book to the gym thinking we’re killing two birds with one stone, but as Hallowell reveals, we’re doing the opposite: throwing two stones, and missing both times.

So, not only are you spending an hour “spinning your wheels” on the stationary bike; you’re probably not soaking up much of what you’re reading. That means tomorrow you’ll have to work out again and reread that novel. Not so time-efficient after all, is it?

HITTING A WALL

Even if you don’t misstep on the treadmill and literally hit a wall, you can be sure your weight loss results will. Zoning out allows you to get comfortable with your routine and stop thinking of ways to switch it up. The body will always adjust to exercise. You need to vary your workouts regularly to continue seeing results.

That’s why interval training is so effective. Not only does it keep the body off balance, but it demands total engagement. Just try to read while pounding out 50 jumping jacks, or crab-walking at full speed!

And reading isn’t the only diversion: watching TV, talking, texting—all are plateau-promoting distractions. Music can add pep to your step, as long as you’re listening to something upbeat. But ultimately, ditching all the distractions—we know it’s hard, but just try—will give you the fullest fitness rewards.

BENEFITS OF A FOCUSED WORKOUT

To make your workouts more efficient, it’s time to start tuning in (to the workout, not the TV). When you focus on your breathing, you will have more oxygen and energy for your workout. And when you zero in on your posture and form, you’ll have maximum strength to perform each movement. You’ll also remember to engage all your muscles for those compounded results you’re really after. Take this example:

Deadlifts while watching TV = stronger arms and improved balance

Deadlifts while focusing on deadlifts = stronger arms, improved balance, solid core, stronger legs, tighter glutes

Now, doesn’t the latter seem like a smarter kind of multi-tasking? And by performing each movement with deliberation, you’re also much less likely to over-train or injure yourself.

BUT EXERCISE IS BORING…

So make it fun! Get creative with your routine. Put together a high-energy playlist. Buy a new pair of shoes, or work out in your “energy” color. Giving your exercise plan a little extra attention is the first step to changing your attitude about it. Found out why mindset is key to getting in shape.

If you have exercise ennui, we highly recommend doing interval training and metabolic circuits. Do you get claustrophobic at the gym? Then take a fitness/dance class or do martial arts in the park. Can’t stay focused without an end goal? Train for a bike race or triathlon, or join a sports team.

If you’re one of those people who really hates to work out, then you’re only hurting yourself by tuning out: you’ll just have to spend twice as long at the gym in the end! Which sounds better: dragging yourself through an hour on the elliptical while watching Oprah reruns, or cranking out a metabolic circuit (and tripling your fitness results) in 20 minutes?

That’s what we thought.

If you’ve found that your slim figure is fading fast, bring some Zen to your exercise approach. Focus. When you stop using  distractions to get through your workout routine, you might discover that you really enjoy exercise! Another sweeping step toward getting the body you want.

We want to know: have you ever made a gaffe while multi-tasking at the gym?

Love food? IdealShape says that can actually help you lose weight!

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Make the Most of Your Core Workout

Fizzled Fitness Routine? It’s Time to Focus! is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

Want to burn fat faster, especially in those trouble spots? Then stop zoning out to the wheeze of the treadmill—it’s time to switch up your routine with metabolic circuits!

“Metabolic circuits are a lot of fun and can really benefit your health and fitness,” says Lori Incledon in her book Strength Training for Women. The fitness world is abuzz over metabolic training because it delivers a super-effective workout for muscle gain AND fat loss. Did we mention you can do a circuit in 30 minutes or less?

“Metabolic conditioning” or “metabolic training” refers to exercise designed to replicate the types of exertion used in sports—high energy, high engagement, total body movements. The “circuit” is simply the cycle of exercises you set up in your routine.

So why does metabolic training lead to increased muscle mass and fat burn?

Reason #1 – Metabolic Circuits Use Resistance Training

“Study after study show health benefits from resistance training,” reports Craig Ballantyne on The Nate Green Experience. “After all, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that a good superset lifting session works your muscles and cardio-vascular system a lot better than a 30-minute walk in the park.”

As in sports, you’ll be doing some serious muscle multitasking in your circuit. By using compound instead of isolated movements, you work multiple muscle groups for a balanced, full-body workout.

And with brief rest periods, active rest, or simply resting one muscle group while you work the other, you’re able to do even more strength training in a short amount of time.

Increasing your lean muscle mass will accelerate your calorie burn, but to get the full effects, “you need to lift heavy,” says Jade Teta, ND, CSCS. “Your muscles should be burning.” The idea of a metabolic circuit is to get close to muscle exhaustion fairly quickly, so you shouldn’t be able to do 12+ reps in a set. If you can only lift 2-3 reps of a heavy weight while maintaining control and flawless form, that’s fine.

Reason #2 – Metabolic Circuits Get Your Heart Rate High

By incorporating intense bursts of exertion at intervals—2 minutes of jumping jacks, say, or spinning on a bike as fast as you can—you’re getting your heart rate up for great cardiovascular benefits. Alternating between high intensity and low intensity (active rest) keeps your heart rate up, while allowing your body to rest between exercises.

As with the resistance component of your circuit, the goal is to emulate sports training, so focus on intensity over quantity. It’s not as important how long you jump rope, but that you do it as hard as you can. “You shouldn’t be able to talk,” Teta explains. So if you’re chatting with a pal or humming a tune, you aren’t making the most of your circuit.

Reason #3 – Metabolic Circuits Generate Afterburn

Varied, high intensity exercise is proven to create EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), also known as “afterburn.” For one, you’re exerting energy at full capacity, which creates an oxygen debt. And two, the varied movements prevent your body from adjusting to your level of exertion and conserving oxygen (as it would in steady state exercise). So, metabolic circuits increase your energy expenditure during and after training, burning up calories to do so.

Are You Getting Full Metabolic Effects?

“There are four reliable ways to stimulate the maximum caloric burn both during and after the exercise session,” says Teta. “We call these the ‘Bs’ and the ‘Hs’, breathless, burning, heavy and heat. Each workout should work to generate all four of these components.”

In layman’s terms: when you finish your circuit, you should be wobbly, sweating, striving to catch your breath, and clawing for your water bottle. Your muscles should be fatigued, and if you’re just starting out, you can probably expect a few days of soreness.

You should not be: dizzy, faint, precariously wheezing, or on the verge of pulling a muscle. It’s especially important when doing metabolic training to eat right and stay hydrated. You should also prevent soreness with stretching and foam rolling, both before and after your circuit. (You can find a foam roller here.)

Keep Your Circuits Short and Sweet

In your eagerness to get started, be careful not to over-train. If you’re a beginner, ease your way in slowly. Diving into an intense workout could easily cause injury, which is NOT going to get you any closer to your fitness goals. Nor are extended soreness, pain, or an inability to walk for two weeks.

The beauty of metabolic circuits is that they’re designed to be short and sweet, so you don’t need to overdo it. The goal of lifting in your circuit is to expend maximum strength with control and correct form. You’re not going to be able to do that for very long.

To get the most from your metabolic circuits, don’t push yourself beyond your capacity, and always allow adequate rest between heavy workout days. 30 minutes, 2-3 (non-consecutive) days a week should be plenty. And, to start out, 10-20 minutes is just fine.

It only takes a short period of high energy, high effort, total-focus activity to get exceptional fitness results. So set up your metabolic circuit and start reaping the rewards!

Have you tried metabolic circuits? Can they replace cardio in your workout regimen, or do you do both?

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3 Reasons Metabolic Circuits Burn More Fat is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

Q: Truth be told, I don’t visit the gym often. Now when I do, I guess I’m not sure what sort of ‘unspoken rules’ there are once I’m hip-deep into my routine… Like, what’s with the bottles of cleaning solution and paper towels? Should I clean the equipment before I ‘mount’ or after? Is there a Gym Etiquette I’m unaware of?

A: Glad you asked! There is a gym protocol, and because the rules are often unspoken, it can be hard to know the ropes.

Cleaning equipment when you’re done is rule number one. Using the sanitizer provided, be sure to wipe down machine seats and handles, as well as equipment—mats, barbells, etc. “If your gym does not offer wipes, put in a request with the manager that they do so,” suggests FitSugar. And if you’re going to work up a good sweat, bring a towel!

OTHER COMMON GYM COURTESIES:

Share the equipment. 30 minutes is the general time slot for cardio machines, especially if others are waiting or it’s a busy time of day. On the other hand, if you’re waiting for equipment, try not to rush people through their workout. Itching to start the next station in your circuit? Instead of hovering, pacing and clearing your throat, find something else to do and come back when they’ve finished their reps.

Let people work out in peace. Should you give that cute guy in spin class your number? Hmm… In general, it’s best not to chat, flirt or offer advice at the gym unless clearly invited. Most people are just there to exercise. But you think they’re interested? Here are some guidelines.

Show up for class on time. It’s pretty close to impossible to make a stealthy entrance… and put down your keys… remove your shoes… pick up equipment… negotiate a spot on the floor… and smuggle your way gracefully into the middle of a workout. Let others get the full benefits of the class free of disruption. If you’re running more than 5 minutes behind schedule, wait ’til the next class.

Shhh… The gym isn’t the library, of course, but most people enjoy keeping the noise level low. If you want to raise eyebrows (or, at some gyms, get thrown out): gab loudly on your cell phone, drop dumbbells on the rack, and sing along to your iPod Shuffle. Need to add a little gusto to your bench presses? Explains James on That’s Fit, “A little grunting is OK, but it shouldn’t sound like a Lamaze class.”

Don’t over-expose. There’s nothing wrong with a quick in-the-buff moment while you’re changing in the locker room. But strut your stuff too long and you’ll make others uncomfortable. The same goes for what you’re wearing (or not wearing) outside the locker room.

Be considerate of the treaders and spinners behind you: avoid revealing fitness wear, stinky gear, and clothing that doesn’t offer proper support. And if you’ll be bending over, lifting, or taking a yoga class, please choose clothes that will keep you covered in every pose.

It’s easy to get lost in a workout trance, but try to be aware and courteous at the gym. It’ll make your time there more enjoyable and keep you off fellow fitness-seekers’ hit lists.

Have a gym pet peeve to add? Tell us about it!

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Is there a Gym Etiquette I’m unaware of? Allen is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

Q: What does it mean if I am getting charley horses all the time in my legs and feet… especially at night when I am in bed? What can I do to help not get them as much? Or as bad?

A: There’s a lot of debate about what causes “charley horses,” or muscle cramps. According to an ABC News report, the medical world can’t pinpoint exactly why they strike out of the blue, why some people get them more than others, and why these sudden spasms usually occur in the legs and feet.

Though muscle cramping isn’t believed to be a serious condition, it is painful and inconvenient, especially when it wakes you up mid-slumber!

Most experts have chalked muscle cramping up to these factors:

• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
• Muscle overexertion
• Cramp-inducing blood pressure and diabetes medications
• Sitting in one position too long

There’s no instant cure for charley horses, but stretching and massaging the muscle usually helps to relieve the pain. When massaging, it’s best to rub in the direction of the muscle fibers. So, if you get a charley horse in your calf, rub from your knee down to your heel, not sideways across the calf. Moving around and soaking in a warm bath are other ways to increase circulation and help relax the contracted muscle. You may want to warm the muscle up this way before attempting to stretch it out.

Can Muscle Cramps Be Prevented?

Based on the suspected charley horse culprits, there are many things you can do to reduce your chances of muscle cramping.

STAY HYDRATED—You should be drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, and staying hydrated through your workouts. Having a glass of water before bed may help, too. Here are some good hydration rules.

TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN—Incorporating supplements into your diet will help with certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which are a suspected factor in muscle cramping. Some experts have pointed to a lack of potassium specifically, and bananas can take care of that.

EXERCISE SMARTLY—It’s important to be patient and sensible with your body: if you over-exercise, skip your warm-ups or overload your muscles, you could be at greater risk for muscle cramping. More on muscle care below!

Show Your Muscles Some Love

Working out at a level of fitness that is too advanced, or progressing in your regimen too quickly, could be one cause of your muscle contractions. In addition to overexertion in exercise, not properly warming up and cooling down could be contributors. If you’re getting muscle cramping, it may be a sign that you’re not overloading your muscles.

People often neglect to think about their muscle health, but it’s really important. We tend to get bored/impatient/short on time, and skimp on our warm up and cool down times. This leads to decreased muscle quality, pain, and a high risk of injury. So make sure you’re warming up your muscles before a workout, especially if you’ll be doing strength training, sports or rigorous exercise. Light cardio or active stretching should do the trick.

Post-workout stretching will help release your muscles so they don’t stay tight. Try holding each stretch for at least a minute: breathe deeply, relax and, after 30 seconds, go deeper into the stretch for another 30 seconds. Think of proper muscle care as an integral part of your workout and allow plenty of time for it. The more time you spend, the more you’ll increase flexibility and range of motion, improving your overall fitness results.

Foam Rolling is a wonderful way to release muscles before and after a workout (it’s kind of like a mini massage). The foam roller is especially good for your glutes, quads and calves—common charley horse spots. Watch a demonstration of how to use a foam roller for each muscle area here.

Most gyms have foam rollers that you can use, and you can also purchase an inexpensive, high-quality Myofascial Release Roller from IdealShape. Spend 5-10 minutes massaging your muscles with a foam roller and you will be able to recover more quickly from your workouts, as well as prevent soreness and injuries.

Has anyone else found a way to deal with charley horses, or identified what causes them for you?

Tone Your Muscles without Bulking Up

Which supplement should you be taking? Find out at IdealShape

Speed Up Muscle Recovery with a Protein Shake

What does it mean if I am getting charley horses all the time? Samantha is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape

Q: OK so I have been running 4-6 miles on the stair-master, cross-trainer or treadmill 4-5 times a week. And taking one hour classes (weight training, cycling,  kickboxing, or machines) about 4 times a week. I eat my normal diet, that hasn’t changed much, but I am a vegetarian and it is semi healthy…  with a little oil, sufficient carbs and lots of greens.

I have been doing this for the last 5 months. Initially, I lost some weight, but lately the scale says that I gained weight. I assume that could be muscle, however, my inches are no longer going down, nor does it seem like my body is losing anything anywhere anymore…

I just finished medical school (I know, I should be able to answer my own question then =) ). So my life outside of the gym consists of stress and sitting in front of the books for 14 hours studying for the boards… Obviously I was initially doing something right so my diet cannot be the sole reason. So what am I doing wrong and what should I do differently?

A: Kudos for finding the time to work out so diligently and for being determined in your goals. Don’t get discouraged! There are many factors involved in fitness. That means we’re required to try lots of things as we get to know our bodies and discover what will create optimal results for us.

Weight loss plateaus are common, too: the body is so smart that it adapts quickly in order to conserve energy. But to lose excess fat, we want it to burn energy. The key is to keep the body off balance. So while you may not be doing anything wrong, it’s probably time to switch up your routine.

Let’s first look at what you’re eating, and then we’ll point you to some great resources on this site for maximizing fitness results.

WHAT TO EAT (AND WHAT NOT TO!)

Essentially, you should be eating plentiful fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich low-fat dairy, whole grains, and—in your case, as a vegetarian—ample non-meat sources of protein. Make sure to incorporate a variety of foods in your diet. Here are some basic guidelines for the three major dietary nutrients:

Protein

Protein is fundamental for keeping—and building—lean muscle mass. It will increase your metabolism as well as make your workouts more effective, so you’ll burn more fat. (By the way, you are right to ask whether your increased weight could be muscle gain. Don’t put too much emphasis on what the scale says.) While trying to gain muscle, you should eat more than the average RDI. Whey protein and soy protein (which can be found in powder form) are great sources of protein, as are nuts and eggs. You can also time your protein and carb intake to maximize workout results.

Carbohydrates

By reducing your carbohydrate intake, your body will turn to fat for fuel and start burning it up. But don’t cut carbs completely; it’s still needed for extra energy, and you don’t want your body to go after your muscle instead. So, on the days that you do high-intensity workouts, include more carbohydrates in your diet. On your steady state cardio days, have a low carb intake. And on your days off—those all-important recovery days—skip carbs completely.

Many of your non-meat (plant) protein sources also have extra carbohydrate content (lentils, beans), which is something to be aware of. Still, these are a better source of carbs than starchy carbohydrates without any protein, such as pasta, bread and rice.

Fats

Believe it or not, you won’t want to cut fat completely out of your diet. It, too, supplies your body with needed energy. You will of course want to stick to the healthy, fat-containing foods: low-fat milk products, legumes, and oils (canola, corn, soy bean and olive). Some good sources of unsaturated fat: avocados, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans) and seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin).

Weight Loss Villains

Avoid these ingredients in your diet:

• Sodium
• Caloric sweeteners (added sugar and artificial sweeteners)
• Saturated fat (whole milk, cheese, ice cream)
• Trans fat (cookies, crackers, chips and other commercial baked goods)

WHEN TO EAT

This is almost as important as what you eat! We recommend eating 5-6 small nutritious meals throughout the day, as opposed to 2-3 large meals. This will do three things:

1. Speed up your metabolism
2. Supply your body with ample energy throughout the day
3. Keep you from overeating. Many people only have one big meal, often at the end of the day. Starving, they overeat, and then plop down on the couch or head for bed. This is a recipe for sluggish metabolism and fat gain!

HOW MUCH TO EAT

In order to lose excess body fat, you also need to lower your caloric intake (while still meeting your body’s nutrient needs). Find a calculator that can tell you what your caloric needs are, and then subtract 300-500. Your body will turn to fat stores for energy, allowing you to burn up that excess fat throughout your body.

Remember that it’s going to be about more than eating, say, 1700 calories, if this is your target. It’s even more important to focus on eating a lower-carb diet than on lowering your caloric intake. After all, more calories in a healthier diet will always be better for you than having fewer calories, but less healthy foods. The most effective approach to losing weight would be a low calorie, low carb diet.

WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?

Poring over the books for extended periods of time can cause lead us to caffeinated beverages and not enough water. If you’re propping your eyelids open with soda, red bull, and vanilla lattes, don’t! Caffeine is fine in moderation, and can even give your metabolism a little boost while suppressing your appetite (that’s why many weight loss supplements include a small amount). But skip the sugar, creamer and flavoring. And after your first cup or two, switch to green tea, which has caffeine plus incredible weight loss and health benefits. Or, have an apple or a protein shake for energy. And we’ll say it again: drink more water!

ARE YOU SUPPLEMENTING?

Taking a supplement is important for everyone, but critical for those trying to lose weight. Dietary supplements are an easy way to give your body the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs that you can’t get from food alone. Go for a multivitamin for overall health. A metabolism booster like Green Tea Extract is good, too. Weight loss support supplements like ResveraShape can be a boon when you’re trying to lose excess fat. The right ones will combine essential nutrients with metabolism-boosting (green tea, kelp, grapefruit extract) and appetite-suppressing ingredients (resveratrol, caffeine).

KEEP A HEALTH LOG

We bet we don’t need to tell a medical school graduate this, but just in case: it’s really important to keep a daily exercise and nutrition log. Not only will this give you a clear picture of your habits and patterns, so you can see what works and what doesn’t; but it will also keep your goals in focus. Without a visible record, it’s easy to miscount how many “just this once” indulgences we give in to!

Keep a note, too, of your weight and measurements. Don’t compare them from day to day, or you won’t notice much difference, and you may get discouraged. Compare every other week, or at the end of the month, however, and you’ll see the difference.

Getting others involved in your journal is even more effective, and fun, too. Don’t believe us? Just ask weight loss bloggers Cara and Ryan, who have tracked their way to incredible results.

MASTERING THE MIND

Finally, don’t discount the role your mental state plays in weight loss. Are you getting enough sleep? Not only is adequate rest necessary for overall health and performance, but it’s also necessary if you want to get anything out of your exercise routine. It’s during sleep that your body recovers from your workouts and builds muscle. It’s also important to keep stress and depression at bay, as they can make weight management hard. Many people find that achieving balance and focus is ultimately the most important step in their weight loss journey.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR GYM TIME

Your weight training and resistance exercises (like stair-climbing), along with high intensity cardio (kick boxing), are great! Just make sure to progressively add resistance and repetitions, and switch up the activity type every so often. You can skip the machines, which only deliver isolated exercises, unless you are honing in on one specific area. Otherwise, compound movements that work multiple muscle groups are best. Make sure you aren’t working the same muscle group every day, or your body won’t have time to recover and progress. Steady state cardio on the bike or treadmill will allow your muscles a rest between intense training days.

For the full scoop, check out these posts:

Interval Training vs. Steady State Cardio

Which first: cardio or strength training?

So you want to build muscle, but not bulk up?

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

I stopped losing weight. What should I do? Megha is a post from: Ask A Fitness Coach. For a free thirty minute training session with one of our trainers, please contact us at IdealShape