Weight Management Center

For that perfect body

Are you happy with your body? I know the answer. You aren't. The right cardio exercise and weight training activities can make that difference. Lifting weights is the most effective way to lose fat and change your body. The key to success is adopting life changing habits. First decrease your calories slightly below maintenance level but not too low. Remember to burn more calories than you consume. Everyone wants fast results but it's hard to undo the effects of sedentary living and poor nutrition overnight. Your yardstick of progress should be based on accumulating or increasing muscle weight and dwindling fat weight. Finally nutrition is only half the battle won but exercise is a complete winner by all means. Cardiovascular activity burns fat so it should be performed 4-6 times a week. Weight training is essential to build lean muscle mass. Fat burn is faster and longer when we engage our muscles. The following principles ensure progress in work outs.
Overload
To build muscle we need to use more resistance than they are used to. The body needs to be continually challenged to avoid work out plateaus. It implies lifting enough weight that you can complete by the desired number of reps. You should be able to finish the last rep in good form but with difficulty.

Progression
In order to deal with plateaus, you need to increase intensity regularly. It can be increased by increasing the amount of weight lifted, changing your sets/reps, exercises and type of resistance. People who are thin (ectomorphs) should follow progression of weight i.e. increase the amount of weight lifted over a period of time keeping the repetitions constant (4-6). Bulky people (endomorphs) should follow progression of repetitions i.e. increasing repetitions keeping the amount of weight lifted constant.
Specificity
It refers to training for your goal. If improved strength is your aim then your programme must incorporate training with heavier weights close to your 1 RM (1 rep max). If you decide to lose weight then choose a variety of ranges to target different muscle fibres.
Rest and recovery
It is important to take rest. Rest periods are when your body grows and changes. Never work the same muscle groups two days in a row. Rest periods are crucial to recovery and improvement. Progressive resistance is essential for building muscle and reaching goals. Since our body is capable of adapting to stress, constant challenge is required to grow and change. It is achieved by increasing weight (for ectomorphs or thin), increasing the number of repetitions (for endomorphs or bulky), increasing the number of sets (for mesomorphs or athlectically built), shortening the rest between the sets, and lengthening the time under tension by slowing down the exercise. Go girl! The sky is the limit.

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