If you’re a personal trainer, you’ve heard this from every female client you’ve ever trained. If you’re a female who has a personal trainer, you’ve definitely said this to them. It is a staple in the fitness industry when it comes to women and their workouts. “I want to TONE my thighs and butt, and I want to SCULPT my arms………..But don’t make me bulky.” When I hear this, I know there is a lot of convincing from my end on the way. Most women who are looking to change their bodies, think that if they pound out 12,234 reps of a 5 lb. hammer curl, their arms are going to be lean and mean. Well ladies, I’m here to tell you, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is, you need to challenge your body with the weight you lift. You need to lift heavy objects off the ground and move them around to get the look you want (combined with fueling your body with the proper foods). And guess what? You won’t turn into an All-Pro linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles!
Unfortunately, in today’s world, our society is very cruel when marketing towards a woman’s needs. Every commercial/topic you see during The View (it’s on at work, I catch it occasionally, what of it?) is geared towards a fad diet, or a bender ball/piece of crap fitness equipment claiming it will make you have a 6 pack in 4 seconds. And THEN, in every woman’s magazine, with each turn of a page, they tell you how you need to lose an inch here, get rid of 500 calories there, oh and by the way, forget working out, just get it cut, tucked, and sewn up. Check out this hot pile of garbage…Unbelievable, that’s all I can say. People are ACTUALLY pushing a 900 calorie a day diet, and are considered GURU’S. It blows my mind. Anywho, let me breath for a second, and we’ll get into the juice of this whole thing….
Okay. Number one, stop listening to every advertisement/gimmick out there, and let’s make it real simple. To be lean, and look cut, you need to do 2 things.
- Get all of your dietary nutrition from REAL food. No more 100 calorie packs, or some bullshit diet that tells you to eat only a carrot stick for the day. That stuff is out. I want you to go to the grocery store and fill up on the following – Lots of fruit, Lots of Vegetables, Brown Rice, Steel Cut Oatmeal, Clean Chicken, Wild Fish, Grass Fed Beef, Greek Yogurt, Nuts, Organic Milk, Whole Grain Bread, Organic Eggs, and Almond Milk. I could go on, but that’s a decent start. To top it, I want you to EAT WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY! No more counting calories and being miserable every time you sit down to eat. Sit down, eat normal portions, and enjoy your meals. This will help kick start your metabolism and get you moving in the right direction…
- Lift heavy objects. I think my favorite piece of crap infomercial fitness product is, by far, the shake weight. I mean, come on, who’s the guy who thought of this one?It’s truly amazing how much crap is out there, and how many people are looking to screw you out of your money to make you believe that products like this are the answer to fitness. The bottom line is, if you want to be lean, and create the look you’ve always dreamed of, it’s going to take hard work, dedication, and the knowledge of how to get to your goal(s), not 6 minutes a day on some gimmick piece of crap. Now, let’s talk about how to get there. You’re going to need to do things that are good for your body, while creating that look you want. Squat variations, Deadlift variations, flipping tires, etc, NEED to be a part of your program. Make sure your trainer is on board (and more importantly, knows what the hell he/she is doing in order to get you there) with your vision, slap it together with a great nutrition plan, and you’ll be to your goals in no time. Halle Berry knows what’s up!
To wrap up, once you take the step to get past all the bull you’ve been force fed over an entire lifetime, you’ll be on your way. Don’t listen to the ads/Hollywood creeps, that tell you, you need to look like a fitness model who indulges on a soap and toothpaste diet, in order to look “healthy.” You are all beautiful human beings, and deserve to be treated as such. Don’t let greedy corporate America land you in the same spot you started. Start today on a new path that will having you looking, and feeling, the way you deserve.
CK Performance 