I do cardio about 4 times a week. Depending on whether I have a competition coming up and how I want to alter my shape on a specific moment I could do more cardio. I usually do them in the morning on the days I don't train with weights or right after training.
I really recommend you do your cardio sessions first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. No, I didn't say you can't have breakfast. You'll just be doing 45 minutes of cardio before eating. This is because your stomach is empty, you have been sleeping for the past 8 hours (hopefully), and your body will be in its body fat-burning zone sooner on this time.
If you have to have something, have a cup of coffee or tea. You can have your coffee with fat-free sugar-free Coffee mate and Splenda if you like. If you prefer tea, go for green tea and sweeten with Splenda if you like.
I agree with that philosophy 100% and I venture to say that most pros do as well. As long as the nutrition is right, muscle is spared. Any type of cardio that you prefer and at what intensity?
My favorite is the elliptical machine but you can also do the treadmill, the bike or the Stairmaster or stepper. I recommend the Stairmaster or stepper for those who want to put the accent on tightening their glutes (bottom) and hamstring and thigh area.
Always choose for 'Manual' and go with how it feels. Choose a level that is high enough for you to feel like you're having a good cardio session, but just so that you are still able to speak. We want you to stay in your fat burning zone, so don't go too fast or too high with intensity. When you have shortness of breath, you are going too fast / intense.
I love the fact that you’re an example of the fact that one does not need to live in the gym to look great. A lot of people think I train for 5 hours or so. Thank you for sharing so much information regarding your training program.
Now that we have talked about training, can you tell our readers what does your diet consist off?
My diet consists of proteins such as lean red meat, chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese and whey protein. I eat both starchy carbohydrates, such as rice and oatmeal, and fibrous carbohydrates, such as green vegetables. Regarding fat I use some fat from egg yolks, low-fat cottage cheese and from fish. As you see I like to keep most of my food intake from natural sources. Only when I am on a pre-contest diet I add a little MCT oil for energy. When there is a competition coming up I play a little with the junk days, but usually on Sundays I have one cheat meal. With this meal I can eat anything I want. I could also have one cheat day or two halve cheat days where I eat whatever I want, this all depends on how I feel and whether or not there is a competition coming up.
As I'm competing my diet changes frequently, depending on my progressions. However, I never eat diets high in carbs, I prefer to keep them under control. I'd rather up the healthy fat intake a little than to up the carb intake. That is what works best for me and what makes me feel good after each meal.
Same here. Your diet is very similar to mine. Any sort of supplements that you feel are important, especially for female competitors?
I found that the following supplements really helped me in losing fat, and gaining muscle for that toned fit body at the same time. Besides that, I feel energetic during the day. I want you to feel the same, so here it is:
- One 1000 mg vitamin C in the morning and one after training
- A good multi vitamin
- One 400 mg vitamin E after training
- 5 gram L-Glutamine after training and 5 gram before bedtime (for great recovery)
- 5 gram BCAA before training and 5 gram after training (for energy and great recovery)
- 2 servings of fish oil a day (to help you lose fat)
- 2 to 3 servings of HMB a day, depending on the brand (to help you lose fat and gain muscle)
- 2 servings CLA a day (to help you lose fat)
These are the best supplements to give you all the energy and give you all the help you need to lose body fat and gain muscle for a beautifully toned body. They aren't expensive either and they will provide you with what you need for a long time.
I’ll try the HMB then..it is the only supplement you mentioned that I am not taking. I tried it a while back when it was super expensive and discontinued its use because I did not see any results; however it has a lot of scientific data behind it so I’ll try it again.
Yes I highly recommend it. Good stuff.
