I got an interesting message from a lady recently that read, “Do you have any exercise tricks to slim my calves?” After reading this, I chuckled because that is not the area that most people pick when they think of spot toning. Then, I thought, “What would it take to just slim the calves?” I honestly couldn’t think of anything that would work on just them.
Oh sure, you could do lots of calf raises to tone the muscles, but if there is a layer of fat over the muscle then it wouldn’t look thinner. If you were going to get slimmer calves, it would probably imply that you need to do something to lose weight. Doing more walking, jogging or cardiovascular activity would be involved, so to answer her question – “No, there are no tricks to spot toning.”
This fact angers many people and goes against every fitness gadget marketed on TV. There is no secret short-cut to getting in shape and there really is no way to spot tone, especially areas that most people desire to tone up. Most people’s problem areas are thighs, hips, and belly. Out of desperation and in hopes of an easy solution to the problem, people often fall for fit and trim models demonstrating a new home workout routine or new fitness gimmick that promises results for the low price of ……
You know what I am talking about. The fact of the matter is you can’t get something for nothing. If you need to get in shape or tone up, you need to go do something active. If you need to start slow, that is fine. Just make the effort. Go for a walk, start doing a few squats or push-ups, lift some weights, dance in the kitchen while you are making dinner – anything, just get moving! If you are limited because of age or health, then do what you can to get activity and diet will be even more important.
People who are sedentary by choice, because of employment, or because of other limitations have to rely more heavily on diet to make changes in body shape. For these people, the Metabolic Effect 3-2-2 protocol would be a great place to start. This is 3 meals a day, two of which are whey protein shakes. The third meal is a plate which consists of ½ the plate of non-starchy vegetables, almost ½ the plate of a lean protein source and 5-10 bites of a starchy food. This plan also includes plenty of water and other non-caloric beverages.
The 3-2-2 plan assumes that you can walk and should walk everyday as much as possible. The other part is a 2 day a week weight lifting routine. There are specifics on the plan, but if you are starting out, body weight, isometric contractions or other “weight lifting” would be fine at the beginning. The diet and walking is what you will really focus on at first.
There are no quick fix promises with what I am sharing with you. Just remember, your body didn’t get out of shape in a short period of time, so why would you expect it to get back into shape in a short time? Get over the fantasy that there is some magic pill, secret drink, new diet or one exercise that is going to do the trick in a few short days or weeks. Getting in shape takes dedication, commitment, diligence, perseverance, consistency and time. No infomercial marketers ever told you that, did they?
If you are tired of wasting money on more gimmicks that promise results but don’t deliver then you need to see me. Using the Metabolic Effect plan teaches you how to listen to your body and eat to keep your metabolism up and your results happening. If you would like the “Lose Weight Here” book, or help implementing the 3:2:2 plan, feel free to stop in or call the Canton Fitness Center at 570-673-5813.