Fitness Book Reviews-Abs Diet For Women

It's no surprise that there are so many diets, products and workouts geared toward abs. We all want our stomachs to look good. I really love reading fitness books and this is another one I picked up.

This book is written by David Zinczeno the Editor in Chief of Men's Health. He originally wrote the abs diet and then later came out with this women's edition.

We all know that too much fat on our bodies is bad but just in recent years is when we have discovered that belly fat is more dangerous than the fat in other areas of our bodies. In this book the author goes into detail about the dangers of being overweight--diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased risk for heart attacks, etc.

The Abs diet focuses on some simple principles

1- Eat six small meals daily- Every time you eat, your body has to work to burn those calories off. Also, keeping your energy levels constant with small frequent meals keeps you from getting too hungry and keeps your energy level more balanced.

2-Make the Abs diet Power Foods the staples of your diet-

Almonds

Beans and legumes

Spinach and other green vegetables

Diary (fat free and low fat)

Instant oatmeal (unsweetened & unflavored)

Eggs

Turkey and other lean meats

Peanut butter

Olive Oil

Whole grain breads and cereals

Extra-protein (whey) powder

Raspberries and other berries

3. Incorporate Smoothies into your diet- They keep you full longer and are low in calories and high in nutrients.

4. Stop counting calories- The nice thing about this diet is that the calories are already counted for you. This eliminated a lot of time and energy devoted to figuring out calories which can get very tiring.

5-Avoid or seriously limit empty calories from beer, soda, wine and all those other high sugar drinks that add empty calories and don't feel you up.

He goes into detail about the benefits of each of the power foods and what they can do for your body.

Included is a meal plan section with 5-6 recipes in each category and a list of snacks to choose from. He goes over how to include the diet in your everyday life. On this diet you are allowed one cheat meal (not day).

The last part of the book focuses on exercise and toning up your abs. The abs diet workouts focus on circuit training- performing different exercises one right after another and compound exercises- exercises that use multiple muscle groups instead of just one.

Here's a sample of a weeks workout:

Monday- total body strength training workout with ab emphasis

Tuesday-(optional) light cardio exercise such as walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes

Wednesday- Total body strength training workout with ab emphasis

Thursday- (optional) light cardio for 30-45 minutes

Friday- Total body strength training workout with leg emphasis

Saturday(optional) abs workout plus interval workout

There are photos and explanations of each exercise and also home versions in case you don't have a gym. The workouts aren't super long, great for busy people.

I like that this book focuses on healthy eating and not counting calories. I also like the stressed importance of strength training. The more research I do, the more I believe you have GOT to strength train.

I also like the cheat meal. After eating really healthy all week, it's nice to get a little break.

I would recommend this book to anyone trying to clean up their diet and incorporate some good exercise into their life. If not, at least take a look at the power foods above and make a commitment to eat them on a daily basis.

Sincerely,

The Fit Mamas

Fitness Book Review- Run Less Run Faster

A couple of years ago when my husband took up running and decided to run the St. George Marathon, he wanted a training program to help him. Some friends were talking about a new book from Runner's World called Run Less, Run faster The First Training Program so we decided to give it a shot. I also used this program when I ran a half marathon last year. The theory is, running less means more energy when you do run, and less chance of injury. Also, running with a purpose. Specifically designed runs to promote speed.

What I liked about the book: First off, they have a chapter explaining their philosophy and why this training program is so effective. A quote directly from the book "The FIRST program makes running easier and more accessible, limits over training and burnout, and substantially cuts the risk of injury while producing faster race times." Sounds good to me. The plan? Three quality runs each week plus two cross training workouts. The three runs are divided into track repeats, a tempo run and the long run. They are designed to work together to improve endurance, lactate-threshold running pace and leg speed. Let me tell you, the track workouts are brutal and some of the tempo runs are tough too, but it works.

Included in the book is everything from novice training plans to How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon. Everything is individualized. Based on a 5k time you can calculate exactly what pace you should be doing all of your runs. Also, they have a brief chapter on nutrition and chapters on runner specific strength training, form and flexibility, injury and performance factors.

The bottom line: I could tell after just a few weeks this program was working. Most noticeably on the hills. The track workouts get your heart, lungs and muscles used to working at a higher pace. My recovery after a hill was greatly improved. I also ran a lot faster than I ever had previously and have never been able to repeat again since finishing the program. (I'm sure if I did the program again I would be able to build back up to the same pace.)

I liked the fact that you were only committed to running 3 days a week. I like variety and this program provides it. I felt more motivated and looked forward to my runs much more when I only had 3 runs a week.

The only caution I have through personal experience and experience of friends, not to devote all your energy (above what your body can handle) in too short of a time period for the training runs. This can deplete your body of stored energy and hinder muscle recovery, thus resulting in overtraining. By the time race day comes unfortunately you'll have used up all your body has to give and won't be able to perform your best. If you are going a lot faster than the prescribed times, maybe back off a little and gradually build up speed or better yet, save it for race day!

I would recommend this book to anyone from beginner to experienced runner. Whether you're just looking to mix up your workouts at the gym or want to take on a new fitness goal --like running a 1/2 or full marathon this book is bound to have some helpful information.



Sincerely,

The Fit Mamas

Fitness Book Review- Denise Austin's Tone Your Tummy Type: Flatten Your Belly and Shrink Your Waist in 4 Weeks

Fitness Book Review


Denise Austin's Tone Your Tummy Type

I (Sallie) purchased this book a couple of years ago when it first came out. Having had four children, I'm constantly on the look out for ways to tone and tighten my tummy and seriously, who wouldn't want abs like Denise Austin's?

At the beginning of the book you take a short quiz to find out which tummy type you are: Apple, Metabolically Challenged, Peri/Postmenopause Type, Stressed Slender Type, or After Baby Type. There is also a short chapter dedicated soley to men. She goes through several myths about trimming belly fat and why abdominal fat is more dangerous than other types of fat.

Once you determine what type you are there are specific chapters dedicated to your tummy type. Each chapter gives a small description of your tummy type with special tips for your type, specific moves, and a tummy- slimming snack.

She then moves on to her Core Moves Fitness plan which includes a 10 minute core complete routine, 20 minute core cardio blast and 1 minute easy fidgetsizers. The idea is to do the 10 minute core routine twice a week, 20 minutes of cardio 5 times a week, and 10 1 minute fidgetsizers 7 days a week. She includes detailed pictures and explanations of each move in the routines. The only equipment required is a large exercise ball and some dumbbells.

Once you have completed the two week jump start you progress to phase 2. Similar to phase one except you switch to a new 25 minute cardio workout and an advanced 10 minute Core Complete workout.

Along with the exercise program she includes her special tummy trimming diet plan complete with recipes, calories, menus and shopping lists. This eating plan focuses on the basics. Lean meats, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat free dairy products. Most of the recipes are fairly simple but you'll have a pretty long shopping list to stock your kitchen. You'll start off eating about 1200-1300 calories and move up to 1500 after two weeks.

She concludes with a chapter on how to maintain your results.

The verdict: Right away I knew the diet was out of the question. I usually work out 5-6 days a week for at least an hour and knew that 1300 calories would not be enough food for me. Most people require more than 1300 calories a day. If this is the case, you could incorporate some of the recipes into your daily menu and just add extra (healthy) calories to reach your daily calorie requirement.

The cardio routines are simple and fun, but it's kind of a pain looking at the book for each new move. A dvd would be much more convenient.

I LOVE the 10 minute Core Workouts. In fact, my husband and I did them together nightly for about two years. After having my fourth baby, I noticed my lower back ached pretty much all the time. After about 1 month of this program it went away and as long as I was consistent, my back pain was completely gone. My stomach got noticeably stronger and more toned. Plus, 10 extra minutes a day isn't much to ask. To me, the price of the book was worth it for just the 10 minute routines and I would recommend them to anyone looking to strengthen their core.

You can purchase this book at Amazon.com or a variety of other stores.

Sincerely,
The Fit Mamas