Page 11 - Top Cover Issue 8

TOP COVER ISSUE 8 11

and in some cases money, on routine
construction? Tweaking this, changing
that and getting focused solely on
training, training and more training?
Even the poorest and ad-hoc of
training routines will deliver some results,
at least in the short term anyway. How
else would you account for beginner’s
initial metamorphosis? Teenagers that
just walk into a gym one day and start
lifting weights or decide to go out for a
run, without any real thought for what
they are doing, in just a few weeks have
started to notice a difference in their 20%
physique or fitness.
Now, I am not suggesting you just fitness
‘wing-it’ and make it up as you go along,
however if you are like the majority of
gym-goers, you probably need to spend a
lot less time and preoccupation with your
routine and a lot more on what you are
providing your body to repair and grow
following it. 80%

“It should come as nutriton
no surprise that the

remaining 80% of your

potential success is all
wrapped up in your

nutrition!”

The food you provide your body with, “Abs are made in the than the body needs to work
measured in calories and proportioned normally) is an extremely expensive
into macro nutrients (protein, carbs and kitchen, not the gym” investment for the body – basically
fats) are what will make or break your it doesn’t want it!
training routine and goals. We have evolved very little over
As an example, the never ending “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the the thousands of years we have been
search for most gym-goers is, of course, gym.” around and our body’s primary focus
Food is of course the only resource
the elusive six pack! Building and, dare I the body has to recover and repair its has remained the same throughout
say, toning those abdominal muscles and – that is to survive. The body doesn’t
burning off enough of the layer of fat damaged muscles caused by training and need huge amounts of muscle to do
to fuel itself with the energy it needs.
covering them so they can be seen. this! Large muscle mass is relatively
There are countless thousands of The only other place it can get this useless for just surviving, but burns
routines and pieces of equipment that from, if you are not providing enough, calories even at rest, so almost threatens
train your ‘abs’ for that all important six is in the form cannibalising its own fat our own survival when energy (food) is
storage and then muscle tissue. This is
pack look, however, as I have already in short supply!
alluded to, you will never see those obviously counter productive if you are Body fat on the other hand is stored
looking to build muscle, strength, speed
abdominal muscles if you have a layer and retained easily, as the body can
of body fat covering them! This will and endurance and will only last a very use this in times of famine and it costs
short period before you burn out and no
be predominantly down to fat loss nothing to keep hold of. This is generally
as opposed to training and fat loss is longer have the energy to train effectively. why it is easier to put on fat than put
To build and maintain muscle it is
predominantly down to what and how on muscle. You need to give your body
much you are eating! As the saying goes: imperative that you eat more calories a ‘reason’ to build and hold onto that
than you need for basic functions
and survival. Muscle tissue (any more muscle. Eating a consistently high