Women's Nutrition Plan To Get Toned And Lose Fat

The food you eat provide you the energy necessary to perform your workout properly. But good nutrition plays also a big role in muscle toning and recovery after a workout. 
This nutrition plan will contain all the meals necessary to get your dream body!

Calories Are What Matters The Most In A Nutrition Plan
Whether you want to get toned, lose fat or maintain your weight, nutrition will play a big role during this process! Your nutrition is what fuels your body with food, which is measured in calories. 
You caloric consumption will determine what kind of body you will obtain:

Get Toned: Toning your muscles means; building lean muscle mass progressively without getting too much fat. In order to do so, you will have to eat more calories than you burn, often called: caloric surplus. If you increase your calories too quickly, your body will store fat. This why it's important to do it progressively, so you can track your progress and avoid looking bulky.
Maintain Weight: This is when you burn as many calories as you consume, often called: calorie maintenance. Knowing the caloric intake you need in order to maintain your weight is the starting point. From there, you can determine how you would have to eat in order to tone your body or lose fat. Use this calorie calculator!
Lose Fat: If you want to lose fat, you will have to burn more calories than you consume, often called: caloric deficit. It's when your body uses fat stores for energy, which leads to weight loss. Be aware, the body can also use muscle tissue; which is bad. This is why you must lose fat progressively, if you're doing it too quickly you will kill your health and most certainly give up.
Explanations Of Macronutrients Ratio
Macronutrients are nutrients that our body needs in large amount: Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat. It's important to define the right macronutrient ratio according to your fitness goal; whether you want to tone your body or lose fat. 
In short words, this ratio will depend on:

Your Fitness Goal: If you want to burn fat, you won't have the same macronutrient ratio that someone who wants to tone up.
Your Body Type: Some people tend to gain more weight than other. They should consume less carbohydrates and fats than the ones having a hard time toning up.
Your Gender: Women are generally more efficient at burning fat and would often consume less carbohydrates than men.
Macronutrients Ratio According To Your Fitness Goals
During this women's nutrition plan we will define a general macronutrient ratio for each fitness goal: toning, burning fat and maintaining weight. Like said earlier, we all have different body types, so it will be your job to slightly change this ratio if your body doesn't respond to it.
The macronutrient ratios are:

Muscle Toning: Carbohydrate 40% - Protein 40% - Fat 20%
Maintain Weight: Carbohydrate 35% - Protein 35% - Fat 30%
Burn Fat: Carbohydrate 30% - Protein 40% - Fat 30%

There Is Good Fat In This Nutrition Plan
"I want to lose fat, shouldn't I avoid eating fat?". This is good question, in fact there is several type of fats. Some are bad and others are required by your body. I recommend you to read this article: good fat versus bad fat.

Eating Healthy Is Not The Key Factor To Good Nutrition
"Eat fruits, vegetables and drink water and everything will be all right". This is what you read in magazines or on the internet. However, that sentence is not completely true. These days, eating healthy means consuming foods low in fat and high in micronutrients; vitamins and minerals. 
Indeed foods with vitamins make you have a better health. However, you can eat all the healthy food of the world, but if you don't hit your daily macronutrient; you won't get the results you want. Does it make sense? 
In short words; calories are calories. If you want to achieve your fitness goals you will have to first worry about your macronutrients, whether it's with "healthy food" or not. It's pure science!

The More Often You Eat, The Better You Will Feel
We all know that person that tried every diet that exists on earth and always give up because it's too hard. Nowadays, diets are all about food restrictions so you feel guilty if you eat one more rice grain than indicated. But again, what is really important there is your ability to hit your daily macronutrient. 
Whether you want to lose some weight or tone your body, we will aim for 3 main meals and 1-2 snacks. However, if you can attain your calories in less meals, feel free to do it.
Why? Because eating every 3-4 hours will allow you to never feel hungry, which will help you to stop craving junk food.
This women's nutrition plan will be an example, so you can organize it according to your schedule. It's very important to eat something between your main meals and once again hit your macronutrients!

Daily Calorie Intake For Women
You calorie intake depends on your age, height, gender and how often you exercise weekly. I recommend you to try a calorie calculator.
For a healthy woman with a balanced diet, who is moderately active it's recommended to eat between 1800 and 2200 calories. We will start with these numbers.

Converting Percentage To Grams
It's very easy to calcule how many grams you should have for each macronutrient. 
First you need to know how many calories contain each macronutrient :

Carbohydrate: 4 Calories per gram
Protein: 4 Calories per gram
Fats: 9 Calories per gram
Then, let's take 2200 calories as an example and our macronutrient ratio for maintaining weight:

35% Carbohydrate -> 2200 x 0.35 / 4 = 192.5g
35% Protein -> 2200 x 0.35 / 4 = 192.5g
30% Fat -> 2200 x 0.3 / 9 = 73.3g

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/gwedgk4

Protein Powder for Weight Loss in Women

Protein powder was once marketed only to people who wanted to build muscle and recover from hard workouts. Now, protein powder is considered as a possible supplement to help you lose weight. Protein helps keep you full and may give your metabolism a boost, but consuming protein powder isn't a guaranteed way for women to slim down. Use protein powder as an occasional dietary supplement, not as the crux of your weight-loss plan. Exercising along with eating a balanced, whole foods diet will help you reach a healthy weight.

What Is Protein Powder

Protein powder, sold in tubs or packets at health food stores, gyms and some large grocery chains, comes from animal and plant sources. Whey, derived from milk, is one of the most commonly found, but you can also find brown rice, soy, egg white, hemp and casein. Blends that usually combine vegetarian sources, such as cranberry, brown rice and pea, are also available. 

When you don't have time or access to a whole protein, such as meat, cottage cheese or fish, protein powder is a quick and convenient alternative. Mix a scoop into water, milk or juice and shake to incorporate; alternatively, blend protein powder into a smoothie, add to oatmeal or stir into yogurt. Most brands contain between 15 and 25 grams of protein per scoop, equivalent to 3 to 4 ounces of lean flank steak or a cup of cubed, soft tofu.

Protein in Weight Loss

Getting enough protein protein is essential to weight loss. It helps keep you feeling full and prevents spikes in your blood sugar, which often induce cravings. Protein also takes slightly more energy for your body to digest than fat and carbohydrates. As you cut calories and exercise, an adequate protein intake supports the maintenance of lean muscle mass. Weight loss happens when you create a calorie deficit, or burn more calories than you consume. If you do this without exercise, your body often uses your valuable lean tissue for fuel and much of the weight you lose is muscle mass. Consuming enough protein as part of your daily meals helps discourage this effect. 

A 2012 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition published a study showing that consuming a higher-than-recommended 0.55 grams per pound of protein per day helps in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms including excessive belly fat, high blood pressure and excessive blood lipids. For a 180-pound woman, that's about 99 grams of protein per day. Protein powder could help you reach that higher intake level when you can't get enough from whole foods.

Using Protein Powder for Weight Loss

Protein powder can stand in for whole foods when you're in a hurry or need a portable protein option, but meat, tempeh, fish, chicken, beans and eggs are best when it comes to fulfilling your calorie needs. Whole protein sources have other nutrients and usually aren't as highly processed as powders. 

You can use protein powder as a pre- or post-workout snack to promote muscle growth and repair. It's a convenient option because you want to consume the protein as close as possible to the end of your exercise session to garner the most benefits; carrying a whole chicken breast in your gym bag isn't always practical. Protein powder in a fruit smoothie with berries and almond milk stands in as a quick breakfast when your alternative is skipping the meal altogether or reaching for a white bagel or doughnut, which can spike your blood sugar and make you feel hungry soon after.

Protein Powder Pitfalls for Women

Protein powder on its own doesn't actually cause weight loss; it simply may be a lower calorie alternative to other options. There are far fewer calories in a shake made with protein powder, skim milk and a cup of fruit than the calories in a plate of pancakes and sausage. You may benefit slightly from the hunger-curbing qualities of protein powder, but no more so than you would from eating 3 ounces of chicken or fish. 

If you aren't careful, protein powder can actually increase your daily intake of calories and discourage weight loss. Add nut butter, flax meal, coconut oil, yogurt, honey or sweetened fruit to a protein powder smoothie, and you can easily create a high-calorie meal or snack that makes you exceed your daily needs. When weight loss is your goal, don't consume protein powder in addition to your current diet, or you'll only add calories and gain weight. Count the powder and anything you eat it with in your daily calorie allotment.

Picking a Protein Powder

Protein powders aren't regulated well by the Food and Drug Administration, so read the ingredient label and make sure the brand you choose doesn't contain artificial sweeteners, supplements, preservatives or extra calories from carbohydrates. 

The type of protein powder you choose is largely a matter of personal preference. Taste is an important consideration, as is mixability. If you plan on using the protein powder as a support for your exercise plan, whey and casein are good choices because they digest quickly and support the growth of lean muscle mass. If you have dietary restrictions that require limiting milk products, you might choose soy or another vegetarian version. Animal-derived protein powders can cause digestive issues for some women, such as gas or bloating, and if this is an issue, you might prefer a brown rice or hemp option.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/zut546n

Supplements to Build Chest Muscles

Man with large chest muscles working out in the gym Photo Credit nd3000/iStock/Getty Images

Overview

Having a big, strong chest is a pursuit on which a lot of fitness enthusiasts spend many hours. But developing your pectoral muscles won't happen overnight, even if your training program and diet are spot-on. For this reason, many lifters rely on muscle-building supplements to improve their physiques.

Weight Gainers

Weight gainers are high-calorie powdered supplements that contain a vast array of ingredients to help you gain muscle. Most contain high levels of protein, perhaps 40 to 50 grams, and anywhere from 100 to 200 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Weight gainers typically range in calories from 500 to 1,300 per serving. One important ingredient found in many weight gainers is CLA. Research from the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that CLA can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass.

Creatine

Creatine is a popular supplement because it is both inexpensive and effective. Creatine is sometimes included in caffeinated pre-workout supplements, but is available on its own. In either form, creatine can improve your chest with proper training. A study from the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that creatine can increase lean muscle mass and strength.

Protein Powder

Protein is a very important supplement for gaining muscle because it contains amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle. But that's not all protein can do for you. In addition to providing needed calories, nutrition and conditioning expert Dr. John Berardi points out that protein can increase levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1, or IGF-1. This hormone is related to muscle growth.

Testosterone Booster

Testosterone boosting products are very powerful supplements that encourage your body to produce more testosterone and discourage it from undergoing natural processes that convert testosterone into estrogen. Maintaining high levels of testosterone is important for building a big chest because, as research from the journal Clinical Endocrinology indicates, the hormone helps to increase lean muscle and reduce body fat.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/jnyc4uq

Quickly Build Massive Chest Muscles

One of my favorite all time lines from a television sitcom is "Would you rather have rock hard pecks or saggy man breast?" Well think about it, which would you rather have? Men aren't supposed to have breast so let's figure out how to get rid of those saggy man breast and build some rock hard pecks and massive chest muscles.

Follow these top 6 exercises to build your chest muscles and in no time you will have massive and impressive chest muscles.

Tip 1: Do not lock your elbows when you are at the top of the movement as this can put excessive strain on your joint. Keep elbows slightly bent.

1. Bench Press - This is an exercise that allows you to lift the most weight and is very popular in gyms. Unfortunately many people perform them incorrectly which results in a number of injuries. 

Start by lying on the bench face up with your feet flat floor. Keep your abdominal muscles tightened so that your lower back is flat and protected. Keep your shoulder blades pinched together and focus pushing the barbell towards the ceiling with your chest muscles. Then slowly lower the weights back to the beginning position; do not let your upper arms go past the point where they are parallel to the floor as you can damage the shoulders. 

Tip 2: Lifting the weight should be fast 1-2 seconds and lowering about 3 seconds. Much of the muscle building power of resistance exercises comes from performing this technique. So once you have lifted the weight, don't waste the rest of the exercise and just drop it.

2. Seated Chest Press - Very much like the bench press with the exception that you will be using a weight machine for this exercise. Because of using a machine this exercise is a bit safer than a normal bench press.

Adjust the seat for your height so the handles are level to the middle of your chest muscles. Focus on you chest muscles and squeeze as you push the handles forward. Slowly bring the handles back just to the point where the weights are about to touch weight stack (don't let it touch), then push back out again and repeat. 

3. Dumbbell Flies - This exercise is very similar to the bench press and safer for those that do not have a spotter. It is also an exercise that forces you to use stabilizer muscles to keep the dumbbells under control. 

Lie on the bench and hold the dumbbells out to your sides making sure to keep your elbows slightly bent. Now move the weights up in an arcing motion over your chest, then lower back to starting position and repeat.

Tip 3: Dumbbell flies will build the inner chest giving it a clear separation.

4. Cable Crossovers - This exercise is similar in motion to the dumbbell flies, the difference here is that cable crossovers keep tension on the pectoral muscles throughout the motion.

Stand with the pulleys locked into a position above your head, take a pulley into each hand and pull down so that you are now in a "T" shape. Standing with one foot in front of the other focus on the chest muscles as you bring your arms together in front of you. Hold this position for a second, then slowly release.

Tip 4: You should lower the weights with control so that it takes about 3 seconds to return to the starting position. 

5. Pushups - A great way of working the chest muscles as well as the arms and building core strength. You also don't need any equipment to do this exercise.

Get down on the floor on your hands and knees, place your hands just a further than shoulder width. Now straighten your legs and push your feet up onto your toes, keeping your body straight. Bend your elbows and lower into the pushup position. Push back up to the beginning plank position and repeat.

Tip 5: Make sure to keep your head and neck in alignment with the rest of your body through the movement. Hold your stomach in tight to support your back and if you feel the need for support then you can do a modified pushup by placing your knees on the floor.

6. Straight Arm Pull Overs - This exercise is great for building the pectoral muscles and expanding the rib cage.

Lie on your shoulder crossways on a mat so that your head is hanging. Hold a dumbbell with both hands over your chest and slowly lower in back over your head in an arcing motion, then raise it to the starting position and repeat. 

Always remember to help avoid injury, before doing any exercises you should stretch your muscles and be warmed up. You should also stretch the muscles after working out as resistance training tends to shorten the muscles and you want to avoid this. A good way of stretching these muscles is to hang from a bar to stretch your entire body. The weight of your body will act as weight and you will feel a stretch in your chest muscles.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/zrwxhto

BARBELL PRESS VS DUMBBELL PRESS

Heavy pressing exercises such as the barbell and dumbbell bench press should be at the core of your chest routine. These are essential mass and strength building exercises for this chest.

There are several other effective exercises for hitting the chest: dumbbell, cable or machine flyes for example… all of which are great exercises for stimulating the pectoral muscles. Although these exercises play an important role in an effective chest development program, they’re secondary isolation exercises.

Barbell and dumbbell presses are your primary compound exercises that are always performed at the start of your chest workout, followed by the important secondary isolation exercises.

Starting your workout with these heavy compound presses when you’re fresh allows you to overload your chest with a lot of weight, creating the greatest tension and recruiting the highest number of muscle fibers. They’re the best choice of exercises to progressively add more weight and track your strength progress.

The isolation fly movements are complimentary finishers that will stimulate muscle fibers at different points of the strength curve, and because the contraction is isolated it helps to improve your mind muscle connection.

Today I’m going to examine the two king compound exercises for the chest (Barbells and dumbbells) to see which one is better in terms of building size and strength.

Barbells have a simple, one-piece design, just a single metal bar with weights added on at each end. The barbell press has been standard practice in bodybuilding and powerlifting for many years; and is often the first exercise used to gauge someone’s overall strength.

The barbell bench press is a tried-and-true muscle and strength builder for the chest.

But let’s see how well the barbell stacks up against the dumbbell in the chest development department.

RANGE OF MOTION

The pectoral major (chest) is a fan shaped muscle that extends from the sternum and attaches to the humerus bone of the upper arm. In a nutshell, the main role of the pectoral muscles is to make your upper arms move across the front of your torso – a movement referred to as “horizontal adduction”. When this muscle contracts it shortens and pulls the upper arm, moving it towards the middle of your chest.

When you use a barbell, your range of motion is limited. Picture yourself pressing a barbell. Your hands are locked on the bar and end up out and inline with your shoulders at the top of the movement. You upper arms are positioned slightly out to the side of your torso.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/zya4k7n

Are Eggs Good for Bodybuilding?

As any bodybuilder knows, protein is critical in the muscle-building process. Every tissue in the human body, including muscle tissue, consists of proteins that are constantly being broken down and need to be replaced. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein for bodybuilders; they contain all of the amino acids a bodybuilder needs to gain size and strength. In fact, the protein from eggs is even used in some types of protein powders.

Protein

Are Eggs Good for Bodybuilding?
case of brown eggs Photo Credit SeanvanTonder/iStock/Getty Images
There are two main types of proteins, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first is called high-quality proteins, and this is the category eggs fall under. These are the most desirable proteins for bodybuilders, because they contain all 20 essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. The second type of protein is called incomplete proteins, which simply means these proteins don't contain all 20 amino acids. Rice and beans fall within this category.

A single large chicken egg contains many desirable nutrients a bodybuilder needs. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrient database, each egg contains 6.28 grams of protein, 72 calories, 4.75 grams of total fat, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals. The protein helps to increase muscle size and minimize damage to muscle after a workout. It also contains a relatively high level of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are desirable because they help control hormone regulation and cellular growth in the body.

Eggs are a good source of protein, but there is no need to consume too many of them to build up muscle. The Better Health Channel explains that muscle is built up through exercise, not simply through protein intake. To maintain adequate protein stores within the body, BHC recommends eating a high quality protein with a carb soon after exercising.

Safety

Are Eggs Good for Bodybuilding?
skillet with scrambled eggs Photo Credit adrian825/iStock/Getty Images
You must prepare eggs properly to avoid getting sick. If you eat raw eggs, it's possible you could get salmonella poisoning. You can avoid this danger by cooking the eggs, either by scrambling, boiling, frying, baking or steaming. It’s also important to avoid consuming too many eggs each day. The fat and cholesterol content of eggs may be harmful when consumed in excess. Egg whites contain no saturated fat, while the egg yolk does. You can limit your saturated fat and dietary cholesterol intake by consuming more egg whites than egg yolks.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/hnkg6u3

What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?

Push-ups are one of the most basic exercises that are beneficial to build a strong core and upper body using only your body and a flat surface. What muscles do push-ups work?

Push-ups are basic strength-building total body exercises that strengthen the upper body and improve the core strength. Several muscle groups in the chest, arms, shoulder, triceps, back, and neck work simultaneously during a push-up. Push-ups are performed in a prone position, which can help develop a good posture.

Military personnel and athletes do push-ups as part of exercise regimen that helps strengthen the upper back and shoulder while providing stability to the torso, and promote muscle endurance and overall fitness. It is considered the ultimate body-weight exercise because there are different kinds of push-ups you can do depending on your strength and stamina. Push-ups are easy to do and do not require any special exercise equipment, which is very convenient as it can be done without investing a lot of money in fancy gym equipment.

Push-ups help build a stronger core, and increases strength in the chest, arms, and forearms. Different types of push-ups target different muscle groups.

What Muscles Do Push-ups Work?

Various muscles in the upper body work together during a push-up. The main muscles targeted are:

• Pectoralis major
• Deltoids
• Triceps brachii
• Serratus anterior
• Abdominal muscles
• Coracobrachialis

Pectoralis Major. These are the two large chest muscles primarily the pushing muscles of the upper body. It makes up most of the upper body. As you raise and lower your body during a push-up, the pectoralis major is doing most of the work to raise and lower your body.

Deltoids. These are the shoulder muscles helping the pectoralis major to push the body during a push-up. Although they are a weaker muscle group, they are crucial to all movements of the shoulder. The rounded shoulder look is due to a well-defined deltoid.

Triceps Brachii. Triceps are situated at the back of the upper arm and help in extending the arm outward. It makes up about two-thirds of the upper arm mass and is most exerted muscle during push-ups.

Serratus Anterior. The serratus anterior lies under the armpit at the back of the chest. The muscles give the scapula a winged look. These muscles are activated during a push-up and doing regular push-ups strengthens the serratus anterior muscle helping in smooth movements during exercises.

Coracobrachialis. The coracobrachialis runs from the shoulder blade to the upper arms. During a push-up, the coracobrachialis pushes the upper arm against the body, which is essential to perform a push-up. A well-developed coracobrachialis muscle is necessary for building upper body strength.

Abdominal Muscles. The core strength develops as the abdominal muscles are engaged in a push-up. As the body is held in a prone position, the abdominal muscles help the body brace itself.

Variations of Push-ups

There are many different kinds of push-ups and the most common are:

• Wide Grip Push-ups
• Incline Push-ups
• Decline Push-ups
• One Arm Push-ups
• T Push-ups

Wide Grip Push-ups.This classis push-up is more difficult than the standard push-up as it provides less mechanical advantage to push your body upward. The wide grip push-up targets the chest, triceps, and muscles in the front of the shoulder. The shoulders and chest are worked up with the assistance of the triceps.

Incline Push-ups.The incline push-up is the most commonly used push-up targeting different parts of the chest. The triceps, deltoids, and core muscles are activated during incline push-ups, with lesser stress on the elbows reducing the amount of body weight being lifted. Incline push-ups activate the chest muscles and prevent sagging of the spinal column. With a slow motion, the core is engaged and the incline push-up can be used as a pre- or post-exercise stretch.

Decline Push-up.A decline push-up is an advanced upper body exercise targeting the chest, shoulders, arms, and back. By placing the feet higher than the hands, the level of difficulty can be significantly increased because maintaining proper rigid body position requires significant strength and stability in the core, legs, and back.

One-Arm Push-up.A one-arm push-up strengthens the chest and triceps muscles and builds a strong and muscular core. The abdominal muscles and obliques have to work extra hard to keep the body stabilized on one arm and you must have sufficient strength to maintain the position. Building muscle and strength is important for total body control during a one-arm push-up.

T Push-up.The T push-up is a variation of the standard push-up. More muscle groups are involved during a T push-up. The T push-up requires the muscles to work much harder to balance the body during the exercise. It works the core muscles, chest, and shoulder at the same time, which does not happen often.

How to do Push-ups

The push-up is a body building exercise that strengthens the upper body and core while using muscles in the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, and legs. The following steps explain how to do a push-up:

1. Lower your body down on to the floor or a carpeted floor with your palms under your shoulders - slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your feet close together and dig your toes into the floor helping to stabilize the lower part of your body. Maintain your body flat likes a plant by engaging your abdominals.
2. By focusing your eyes about two to three feet in front of you, begin to lower your body keeping your back flat until your chest is nearly touching the floor. It is important that the body remain flat in a straight line throughout the lowering movement. This plank-like position is the beginning and end position during a push-up.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/zudyla8