I would first like to start by saying a huge thank you to all of you that sent in your questions. I am really excited that we are forming this community for #ANewYou. I have tried to answer all of your questions to the best of my knowledge and I really hope it helps!
I work out two times a day, morning and night after dinner, is this good or should I get it in all in one shot?
Chris
This depends on how many days a week you are working out and what you are doing in the morning and night sessions. If you are doing cardio in the morning and strength training in the evening this is fine just be sure to not overdue it. Also if at night say you do biceps and triceps do not do these body parts again the following evening because your body needs time to recover and repair. If say three days a week are the only times you can fit in workouts then I do not see a problem with twice a days. However if you are doing this six times a week I think it would be very stressful on your body and you may be overtraining but this all depends on the length and intensity of your workouts. If you only have time for a workout once a day but would like to get the maximum benefits of strength and cardio, try circuit training and plyometrics.
Is Zumba good for someone who is just starting to workout again?
Kelly
Zumba is great but it is intense! However, the great thing about Zumba is that you can work at your own level. If you ever get too winded feel free to simply march in place until your heart rate comes back down. Also, when there are jumping portions in the songs simply do the moves without the jumps. Especially fo people that do not like traditional cardio, Zumba is amazing. It is so fun and exciting an hour flies by! My biggest tip in these classes is what the instructor says, get over yourself”. No one cares if you look silly or cant get the moves right, people are so focused on themselves and sticking their moves they won’t be watching you at all. Have fun, live it up!
Email condensed to questions:
Should I get rid of all the junk food in my house? How should I get motivated when I get up at 5am and get home at 6pm? Should I do elliptical or strength training?
Linda
To start with the first question, should I get rid of all the junk food in my home my answer would be kind of. You should scrap most of it but keep the one thing you love. For everything else you can get healthy alternatives when you are having a craving such as fat free, sugar free pudding for dessert. Say there is some sort of candy that you absolutely love. There is no need to go cold turkey but there are some things you can do to make sure you do not over eat. If it is a large size of the item toss it and replace it with the mini versions. Next, say for every one mini you will do 25 sit-ups and 25 squats before you eat it and limit yourself to one or two a day. Pick workout moves that you find difficult so you know you are going to have to challenge yourself before eating it, If you throw all junk food away and try to go cold turkey on everything you are more likely to set your self up for failure. Instead try healthy alternatives and the little workouts beforehand.
How can I get motivated? Your schedule seems very long so I would first suggest making full workouts on your off days your priorities. Next, on the days that you do work I would condensed your workouts into quick but effective workouts such as 40 minutes of circuit training or my favorite the tabatta practice which was thoroughly explained in a previous blog on my site. To be extra motivated buy a pair of jeans or a swimsuit in the size that you want to be. Place it somewhere in site everyday and when you are feeling sluggish it may help to pep you up!
As for cardio or strength training, it is key to do both. If you are going to do a really vigorous cardio session such as my sprint pyramid I posted in a previous blog maybe just follow-up that day with some light arms and abs. If you are doing a quick 20 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical do a vigorous total body strength workout after.
Do you believe in the Atkins Diet?
Anonymous
I personally do not know too much about this diet. From the little that I know I do know people have been successful using it but I really do not promote any diet that completely cuts out a food group. It is fine to limit your carb intake and a really good idea to switch to whole grains but from what I understand in this diet carbs which include pastas, breads and even fruits are cut out for awhile. Fruits are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants so I do not recommend this. I believe in eating healthy, portion control and exercise is the best way to shed the pounds.