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Can You Really Get Incredible Abs By The End Of The Summer?

Can You Really Get Incredible Abs By The End Of The Summer?

Chris Powell's Last-Minute Summer Fitness Tips by Chris Hunt

The final weeks of summer are approaching and that means that guys are looking shed those last few pounds and get lean and, of course, get a six-pack for all those tank tops they bought just for summer. Even fitness expert and host of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss is cutting a pounds. The celebrity trainer is six weeks away from competing in a weightlifting competition and has already knocked off six pounds from his already-lean frame.
The secret, he says, is that he switched his nutrition plan to focus on carb cycling, a method that includes alternating your diet between high and low-to-no carb days. The high carb days are partnered with low fat intake designed to boost metabolism and build or maintain muscle. The low carb/high fat days are meant to maximize fat loss.

“You’re basically turning your body into a fat-burning furnace,” Powell said.
Whether you chose to take on carb-cycling as a nutrition plan or not, Powell agreed that there are countless ways to trim fat, lose weight and build muscle. But he also claims that the simple answers for discovering the body you want have been staring you in the face for years. Whether he’s working with an extremely obese client on his show or giving advice to a frequent gym-goer looking to knock off the last few pounds, he provided us with the basic rules that work for everyone.

Live By The Rules of Integrity

Simply put, do what you say you’re going to do. If you promise yourself you’re going to workout tomorrow morning, do it. When you break commitments to yourself, the disappointment can snowball. Also, you’re the best person to hold yourself accountable. So if you don’t hold yourself to your word, no one else will.

Don’t Make Dumbass Promises

How often have your heard someone say they’re going to go from sitting on the couch watching television to working out everyday, seven days a week and twice on Sunday? Powell reminded that it makes little sense to make promises to yourself that you can’t keep and small failures ultimately result in bigger ones. Start with small goals. “Instead of saying I’m going to drink a gallon and a half of water every day, start by drinking an extra quart of water a day,” Powell said. After you’ve done that for a week or two, try drinking two extra quarts. Make your goals manageable.”
Instead of planning on eating six small meals per day, as many trainers might suggest, Powell advises to simply start by eating within the first 30 minutes after you wake up to start the process of getting your metabolism firing throughout the day.

Eat Protein With Every Meal

Our bodies crave things that are sweet and salty or crunchy which leads many of us to chomp into foods loaded with sugar and heavy on carbs. Powell recommends eating lean protein with every meal. But don’t just add protein to your plate, eat the protein first. Protein is immediately satiating, making you feel fuller faster and less likely to overeat.

Chris Powell's Low-Carb Chocolate Almond Smoothie
Ingredients

• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 cup ice

Directions Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour and enjoy.

Chris Powell's Guilt-Free Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients

• 1 banana, sliced and frozen
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tablespoon almond butter (chocolate almond butter is a good option also)

Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender and puree, turning off the motor and stirring the mixture two or three times until smooth and creamy.

Tips to Conquer and Crunch the End of Summer Fitness Funk

Spans of oppressive heat and biting bugs can sometimes make spending summer outdoors an unpleasant undertaking. In June and July, many of us were compelled to remain indoors, grateful to find any place equipped with air-conditioning.
Now, suddenly it’s August, and hopefully we’ll be getting some relief from the worst of summer’s wrath – with plenty of time still left to still enjoy the outdoors.

The Best Post Summer Funk Fitness Tips

There is no shortage of healthy activities that can be packed into the last few weeks of summer to help make up for lost time, so do not get stuck in the post-summer fitness funk instead utilize some of these ideas to get the most out of it:
1. Up the intensity. Don’t just go for a leisurely jog on your usual neighborhood circuit; quicken your pace and feel the burn. If faster doesn’t seem possible, then add 10 minutes to your usual workout. Walking, jogging, hiking, inline skating and cycling are all great activities in which you can up the intensity at the end of summer.
2. Get out and explore. Discover park trails and open roads and take in some new scenery.
3. Hit up the water. If you live near the beach, get out and play volleyball, throw the Frisbee or football around, beachcomb, or play an energetic game of fetch with your dog. If you’re near a lake, try rowing for an unrivaled total-body workout and a change of pace. Late summer is a great time to do beach and water activities because these areas tend to be less crowded.
4. Think outside the box. Always wanted to stand-up paddleboard, take a whirl on a skateboard or ballroom dance? Ask any schoolchild – the beginning of the school year is a great time to try something new. Plus, you’ll likely discover muscles you didn’t you know had and you’ll see a new level of tone in your body.
5. Integrate exercise into your life. In addition to the obvious suggestions – like parking your car farther away from your destination and taking the stairs instead of elevators – here are a few that are less obvious: While at the kids’ soccer practice, instead of reading a book or visiting with another parent, why not walk around the outside of the field while they practice, or even warm up and cool down with the team? Schedule a ‘walking meeting’ instead of an in-office discussion. Swap the cart for your legs when golfing. You can also transform your commute by walking or biking to work, or taking a bus and hopping off a few stops early.
6. Playgrounds aren’t just for kids. Adults can rekindle their inner child and enjoy these outdoor play spaces, too – and get a great, affordable workout at the same time. Slides can be used for challenging push-ups or sit-ups, monkey bars can be used for pull-ups, and holding yourself stationary on a swing in plank position can provide an incredible core workout.
7. Plant a late-summer garden. If you’re looking to spice up your lawn or garden, August is a perfect time to plan a fall harvest. You can also keep your garden ablaze with color through the end of summer with a mix of fall-blooming annuals and perennials. The simple fact is that gardening is exercise, and done properly, can burn as many calories as more traditional exercises.
8. Farm your way fit. Find a local farm and volunteer to spend a day or more learning about farming, harvesting, picking and general farming chores. In return, you usually get fed locally produced, healthy meals!
9. Schedule breaks. I personally believe that an hour of sitting is too long, so make time to get up and stretch. Take a lap around the office or outside parking lot after each hour of sitting and stand while talking to a coworker. Use part of your lunch break to go for a stroll or pick up lunch at a place within walking distance. Just can’t get away? Take a call on your mobile phone and head outdoors – they’re called mobile phones for a reason!
10.  Practice yoga, Pilates or meditation outdoors. Put the tree back in tree pose and swap the mat for grass. The only thing more peaceful than a mind-body session is spending time in the beauty of nature.
As summer fades, we tend to return to a more sedentary routine. Challenge yourself to not let your fitness level fall with the end of summer.

This entry was posted in mitzinvines.com