Busy Bodies: Welcome to Beach Body 101

(Prerequisites: Determination, enthusiasm for health and fitness improvements, clearance to participate in physical activity from your doctor.)

This is a three-month course split up into three modules: April, May and June. Each module will consist of fitness foundations, nutrition principles and developmental practices. All components are equally important and essential to your success in this course.

I'm your instructor, Kelly Gonzalez, CEO of Kelly Gonzalez Fitness LLC, certified personal trainer and fitness advocate for life. My goal is to inspire, educate and motivate you to improve your health whether you remain in this course or withdraw early.

Motivation and support is unlimited. My office hours can be found on my Web site at www.kellygonzalez.com. Private instruction and tutoring in this course is available. Please contact me for more information.

Grading Rubric:

Weekly Workout and Nutrition Log: 25 percent

Monthly measurements: 10 percent

Weekly weight: 15 percent

Effort and Participation: 50 percent

The final exam will be held July 4 weekend, when you are required to proudly display your final project, your beach body.

Chapter 1: Back to the basics: Keep it simple ... students

Introduction

Do you ever wonder why it's difficult for many people to diet and exercise? There are so many options out there - sports, yoga, weight training, dance - and countless different diets - low carb, low fat, low calorie, even the cookie diet! Where do you begin? I have this theory that people like to make exercise and eating healthy extremely complicated, because then it's as if it's OK to not do it. When you can't do the things you love, when you feel lethargic and your body aches, or when your self-confidence is wavering, is it ever OK?

I have great news. It doesn't have to be mind-boggling. This isn't organic chemistry, thank goodness. So let's keep it simple. Forget about the latest fads, what you heard your neighbor did to lose 10 pounds in a week, or those late-night infomercials. Let's focus on how easy it can be instead of developing any excuses.

Please note that negativity of any sort will result in a deduction of points in this course.

Fitness Foundations: Cardio and the body-weight workout

To keep the weight-loss phenomenon short and sweet, it's the law of thermodynamics. In order to lose weight, one must expend more energy (calories) than the amount taken in.

What makes it difficult?

How much time, what intensity, what form of activity, is this going to hurt? Am I going to have to run?!

Let's break it down into two parts. In this course, we will focus on cardio and strength training.

Cardio: Cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and lungs and can help decrease levels of body fat. Forms of cardio include walking, running, swimming, biking, sports, and the use of machines such as the elliptical trainer and stair mill. Even daily chores such as yard work and cleaning the house are a form of cardiovascular activity.

You may be saying, "Well, I do all those things already!"

Great, but in order to shed the pounds you must challenge the body to work harder than it's accustomed to working. You must increase your heart rate and keep it elevated for a prolonged period of time in order to promote fitness gains.

Walking around the block leisurely for 30 minutes is excellent for your health, but if you want to get the most out of your time and shape up for summer, get your heart rate up and keep it there for at least 20-30 minutes. In order to do this, work with a heart-rate monitor or take your pulse.

To determine your maximum heart rate (MHR):

MHR=220-age

MHR x training intensity percentage = target training zone

Example: 30 years old

220-30 = 190 BPM = Maximum heart rate

190 x 60% = 114 BPM

190 x 85% = 161.5 BPM

For cardiovascular gains, work at 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Start at the low end; even 50 percent of your max heart rate can improve endurance, thus allowing you to work harder and longer, and burn more calories in the long run.

What form of cardio? The best form of exercise is one you enjoy. For cardiovascular training, stick with a form of activity that you can maintain for at least 15 minutes at 60 percent of your maximum heart rate and progress from there. Gradually build up to 30-45 minutes at 60-70 percent MHR. Unless you are training for an endurance event, there is no need to perform cardio for more than an hour. This may negatively affect your energy levels as glucose becomes depleted and you risk your body using lean muscle mass as an energy source.

Body-weight workout: Strength training is essential to maintain and build lean muscle mass, maintain strength, and perform everyday tasks with more ease. You don't need state-of-the-art equipment or even weights to get started. You can burn calories and build muscle just using your own body weight. Even bodybuilding extraordinaire Arnold Schwarzenegger is an advocate for body-weight exercises when you're first starting out since it "will give you the feeling for the first time of having a 'pump' in your muscles."

To acquire the basic form and technique for exercises, learn to use your own body weight before even touching a barbell. Not only will it emphasize the proper form safely, but you can also receive the positive mental aspects of training by realizing that you can do it. In no time, these exercises will become easy and more reps and more weight will be required to get results.

The exercises below are compound body-weight exercises, meaning they work many muscles at once thus burn more calories in the process. Start with one set of 10-15 repetitions and increase volume as muscle endurance improves to two to four sets of 20-50 repetitions. No one is timing you here, so remember to keep each movement slow and controlled for a 2-1-2 count. Don't forget to breathe! Inhale as you lower the weight - aka yourself - and exhale when you come up (on the difficult part of the movement.). There's no magical number of reps - do as many as you can and push yourself for more each time, but above all else maintain proper form.

Push-up (works chest/shoulders/triceps): On the ground in the prone position (face down) place hands shoulder-width apart. Come up onto your toes (or knees), tighten your abdominal muscles, and squeeze your glutes. Bending at the elbows, lower your chest to 1-2 inches from the ground and push back up into the starting position.

Low incline pull-up (works back/biceps): If you have a bar, excellent, but if not you can use household appliances such as two chairs/stools and a sturdy bar (like a broom or mop). Situate yourself lying face up with a firm grasp on the bar, and pull yourself up, leading with the chest.

Tricep dip (works triceps): Using a chair or bench, slide your hips off the edge and keep your hands firmly planted on the chair at your sides. Bend the elbows into right angles as you lower your body down and push back up into the starting position as your back stays close to the edge the entire time.

Squat (works legs and glutes): With feet shoulder-width apart, sit back as if you are about to sit in a chair, keep your knees in proper alignment (not extending past your toes), and return to standing position. You can place a book beneath your heels to help compensate for any muscle imbalances and maintain proper form.

Calf raise (works lower legs): On a ledge, keep your heels on the ground as your toes/balls of your feet are elevated. Raise up onto your toes and lower back down.

Abdominal crunch (works abdominal muscles): Lying on the floor with your knees bent, lift your shoulder blades upward off the ground as you contract and exhale, lower back down as you inhale, and repeat.

Nutrition Principles: Structuring a healthy diet

Without proper nutrition, it is unlikely you will see the full results of your exercise endeavors. Nutrition affects your mood, energy levels, performance and brain power. In order to stay sharp in all areas of life, it's essential to learn how to structure your meals and eat a well-balanced diet.

When forming each meal, follow these guidelines: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" ... and add snacks like a scavenger.

Breakfast: Jump-start your metabolism with a hearty meal to fuel your body for the day's activities. When we awake from sleep, our body has been in fasting mode for several hours. Break the fast! Otherwise, your body will go into starvation mode, causing you to crave high energy/calorie/fat foods later in the day.

"Kelly's Kooler" breakfast option: 1/2 cup of rolled oats, 3/4 cup of fresh or frozen berries, 10 raw almonds.

Lunch: Don't skimp on lunch - if you have a lunch break, take advantage of it. Be sure to combine complex carbohydrates with a lean source of protein to sustain energy for the afternoon. You don't want to get home at 6 p.m. and feel the wrath of hunger as you tear through your fridge in search of something to sequester your appetite.

"Kelly's Kooler" lunch option: 4 oz grilled chicken breast wrapped in whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, tomato and onion, and 1 medium-sized orange.

Dinner: Enjoy your dinner and home time, but keep in mind that it's evening - your body is winding down. If you don't plan on being up all night, consume less high-energy foods - minimize starchy carbohydrates and fill your plate with low glycemic foods such as vegetables, moderate portion of whole grains if any, and protein.

"Kelly's Kooler" dinner option: 5 oz grilled tilapia with 1 cup of steamed vegetables and 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice.

Snacks/in between meals: It's better to eat small meals throughout the day to stimulate our bodies to release energy more efficiently. We burn about 10 percent of the calories we eat in a meal just from digesting it. Eating more often can help you burn more calories in the long run, help you to not overeat at meals, and sustain adequate energy levels.

"Kelly's Kooler" snack options:

Medium-sized apple with 1 tbsp of almond butter.

Half a turkey sandwich.

6 oz of low-fat yogurt (cottage cheese and greek yogurt are excellent high-protein options), diced fresh fruit.

Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day and choose unprocessed foods as much as possible.

Developmental practices: Develop a plan of action and stick to it

The only exercise and nutrition program that is going to work for you is one that fits your lifestyle and schedule. In order to determine a plan of action that is realistic and manageable, take a moment to sit down and review your weekly schedule.

Do you have five days a week to exercise for 20-60 minutes? Or 3 days? 2 days? Whatever it is, something is better than nothing. We have to begin somewhere; remember, this course allows no excuses! Determine your exercise schedule and assign tasks to each day. Aim to perform the body-weight strength training exercises at least two days per week on nonconsecutive days and perform 20-30 minutes of cardio at 60-70 percent of your maximum heart rate on as many days as possible.

It's important to treat your workouts like very important appointments. After all, this is a class assignment. Include your workouts in your daily schedule, try setting an alarm on your phone to remind you, or leave your gym bag by your front door. All of these little reminders will help spur you along toward your fitness goals.

When it comes to healthy eating, get organized and be prepared. The worst feeling is being out on the road, starving and having to resort to fast food despite the guilt you feel. Plan out your weekly meals by making a list of all the combinations you would like to have throughout the week - choose two to three breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options and then list the ingredients for each to create your grocery shopping list before you head off to the grocery store. When it comes to success, you must plan accordingly!

Conclusion

This concludes Module 1 of Bikini Body 101. This month's lecture was designed to provide you a launching pad to reach your fitness goals. By taking the mind-numbing confusion out of a healthy lifestyle and getting started with the basics, I hope this will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for you. In next month's module, we will continue to progress upon these fundamental lessons.

Your hard work and effort is always appreciated!

Be fit, be healthy, be happy, because you deserve it!

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Kelly Gonzalez is a certified personal trainer, fitness model and freelance writer. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University and currently is pursuing her master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. Contact her at kelly@kellygonzalez.com in regards to personal training, questions and comments. For more articles, visit Kelly's Web site at http://www.kellygonzalez.com.