Winter is here. That means the holidays are coming up soon. It doesn’t take much to get out of shape during this season. But it also doesn’t take much to stay in shape. Follow these 3 rules to stay in shape. Or to lose weight if you need it.
How to Keep Your Abs During Winter
1: Don’t Skip Cardio (1 Hour a WEEK)
CARDIO! A dreaded word. No one really looks forward to doing cardio. Well except for sprinters and triathletes. Well lets face it, no one in the everyday world looks forward to cardio. But as long as you push yourself, it doesn’t have to be long and boring. You don’t have to run or jog for and hour.
In fact, many studies show that doing as little as 20 minutes of interval sprints (30-60 seconds sprint, 30-60 second jog or any other combination of alternatives) burns more fat than if you just jog or do any cardio machine at a steady pace for an hour. If you’re not super tired at the end of each sprint, you’re doing it wrong.
20 minutes at 1 minute sprints and 1 minute jogs should give you 8-10 reps. Aim for 3 times a week. Thats 1 measly hour of cardio a week. But trust me. It’s worth it.
2: Weights
If you really hate working out, hit the weights at least 2 days a week. Hit your upper body on one day (Chest, Shoulders, Arms), and your lower body on another day (Legs, Butt, Glutes).
(If you like working out, do at least 3 weight days (non cardio days). Rest at least one day a week.
- Do at least 2 sets of each exercise. 8-10 reps for strength (higher weight), 12-15 reps for weight (lower weight)
- Keep your rest periods under a minute. Preferably 30 seconds.
- Durning ‘rest periods’, do some body weight exercises. Pushups or burpees are recommendable. Aim for 15 reps or 30 seconds non stop.
3: The Diet (Also read: Lifestyle)
You may have wondered why there’s no “abs” section. Well that’s because 90% of abs workouts, or six pack, consists of what you put in your body, not the exercises. You can have the perfect ab workout, but if you eat like crap, you will never have a six pack.
Mike Dolce of The Dolce Diet says “Don’t Count Calories, Make Calories Count.” This couldn’t be any more true. Maintaining your weight or keeping it off is all about calories in vs. calories out. If you eat a lot (even ‘healthy’ food) but you sit on the couch all day watching TV, no doubt you’re going to get fat. But if you live an active lifestyle, of course you need those calories. Follow these 4 rules and you’ll be fine.
- Eat breakfast. I try to live by the ketogenic lifestyle, after going through the steak and eggs diet (more on that later). So I don’t eat too many carbs. And I usually don’t eat my first meal until about noon or 1 pm. But on the days I need to carb up, I have carbs with my breakfast. It boosts your metabolism and gives you the energy to power through the morning.
- – Geo’s Carb Up Breakfast. An egg or and egg white, with a slice of turkey breast, on a slice of whole wheat.
- – Other recommended breakfasts: Mike Dolce Breakfast Bowl, and Uncle Vic’s Low Carb Breakfast Bowl. (Stay tuned on DTF for comparison and recipes.)
- Eat whatever you want just be smart about it. Key words, portion control. If you find yourself feeling guilty about what your about to eat, control the portion. A good way to do this is to buy single serving tupperware. So some research, find the correct portions for your ‘perfect size’ meal and keep them with you. I recommend six pack bags 20 oz tupperware. Perfect size and durable. Just eat whatever fits. But don’t exaggerate (read: try to pack it overstuff it)
- If you must eat out, keep it on check. Going to subway, grab the six inch instead of the footlong. Burger Joint, eat the burger, not the fries. Pizza place, just have 2 slices, not 4. Restaurant, skip the appetizers; Get a to go box and immediately pack half of your meal. Sound simple? That’s because it is.
- Watch your drinks. I would tell you to “Just drink water!” But we all know in this world, that’s a little tough. But stick to water at least 90% of the time. Aim for a gallon a day. If you must drink something sweet, try a twist of lemon in your gallon or water. Wan’t something even sweeter? (Store bought) STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR. It can go by many names. Always read the label. Get a diet soda. (no more than 1) Stay away from most juices. I recommend Arizona Zero Green Tea. Black Coffee or Bulletproof coffee is also great. It gets me through the day.
- Eat a lot of nuts. If you need a pick me up, grab a handful of nuts. Many studies show that almonds are the best nuts to snack on but lets face it, they can get pretty boring. Here’s a list of different varieties of nuts that you can snack on. They all offer different health benefits. Just remember. Portion control. Limit it to just a handful between meals.
Keep these 3 Rules in mind ( I know, the ‘diet’ rule deserved its own article), and you will have no problem keeping your midsection on check this winter.
See You Next Time
Geo