Reasons why you don’t have abs! And how to get a six pack!

imageHello everybody!

Today I want to talk about abs! Lots of you girls (and also guys) have been asking me constantly what’s the best exercise to get abs, what’s the best diet for a six pack abs, what are the tricks of getting abs are?

I’m telling you now, unfortunately there is no secret or magic pill to obtain that toned and muscular six pack look.

There are many things that you could be doing wrong and you don’t even know about it.

Here are the top 5 reasons why you are not seeing your abs!

1. Your body fat percentage

If you have a higher body fat % (over 18% girls, over 10% guys) might be the reason. You can have perfect abdominal muscles under the fat layer, but you will not be able to see it unless you decrease your body fat!

2. You think doing 100-150 ab crunches every day will give you abs

Sorry to spoil your dreams, but you can do as many crunches you can, if your body fat percentage is high, your abs can’t show!

3. Your diet!

If you think going to the gym and working out every day for hours will out balance your diet, you are wrong! Your diet has to be clean, meaning no processed foods, no fried foods, no sugars, no fast food! It’s a big misconception that people who work out every day can eat whatever they want and they maintain their abs!

4. You don’t get enough sleep

Rest is very important! If you don’t sleep enough, your body is in stress and it will not produce enough hormone called leptin (which helps you to feel full). You will feel hungry more often, and not feel full even after a meal.

5. You don’t drink enough water!

Water is essential for a healthy body! If you are not hydrated toxins build up in your system and nothing good will come out from that!

Here is what you should be doing!

1. If you want to get your body fat down, make sure to incorporate a solid dose of high intensity cardio and emphasize a healthy, LEAN diet. I train clients on a daily basis and the most efficient exercise that burns that body fat is HIIT training. You don’t have to do if for hours, a max of 15 minutes is enough, but you really have to push your limits!

2. You cannot lose body fat in specific areas of your body by training that body part more often. So doing crunches even 200 per day will not help you! The only way to strip the fat from your abs is by slowly and gradually burning it off from your entire body through cardio, nutrition, and resistance training.

3. The most effective action toward achieving those sculpted abs is to clean up your diet. When it comes to your abs, training Them every day will not help you. You need a smart meal plan to lower your body fat percentage and uncover your abs. Stay away from fatty, highly processed foods, which may keep you from your goal of a flat stomach. Instead consume good fats from foods such as fish, nuts, seeds and avocados in.

4. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night! Make it easier on yourself by staying away from caffeine late at night and turning off all electronic devices (such a your phone, TV, laptop) a few hours before bed. Drinking a cup of herbal tea, such as chamomile, can also help you to sleep better!

5. Is the best to drink at least 16 ounces of chilled water as soon as you wake up in the morning. German scientists recently found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24 percent for 90 minutes afterward. (A smaller amount of water had no effect.) What’s more, a previous study determined that muscle cells grow faster when they’re well hydrated. Are you convinced?

Remember! Achieving nicely sculpted abs will not happen over night. Trust the journey, keep your diet clean and exercise regularly. 

 

 

 

 

 

About my detox experience featuring JUICEit

IMG_20150305_013308Hello my dears! I wanted to write about a detox diet, or cleanse some time ago, first of all because a lots of my clients are asking me what is my opinion about it, is it ok to try it, is it safe, is it healthy. Second because I wanted to try it first and tell you my own experience. JUICEit made this experience possible.

They are a Company based in Bucharest. Their juices are 100% natural, cold pressed and delicious. All their ingredients are local, fresh and in season. The juices are made daily and sent for their clients all over the country in the next day. More info about the company here.

Firstly let’s see what a detox is.

A juice fast is a type of detox diet or cleanse that involves consuming raw vegetable and fruit juice and water for a short period of time. It is considered one of the more rapid methods of detoxification due to the reduced food intake and absence of solid food.

A typical juice fast lasts one to five days. Consultation with a health care professional is recommended, particularly for fasts lasting longer than three days or for anyone with a health condition.

Why do we need to detox?

The point of detoxing is to get rid of toxins from your body. Detoxes may shift you away from bad habits like too much coffee, alcohol, sugars and fatty foods, and help to adapt to healthier habits after you’re done

Benefits of juicing

A juice cleansing is a great way to give our bodies the break they deserve while also keeping ourselves energized and nutritionally sated. Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables.

A few days of juicing can help you with

  • Concentration
  • It gives a glow to your skin
  • Reduces cellulite
  • help your digestive systems function
  • boosts your energy level
  • helps you with sugar cravings
  • helps people with high blood pressure

IMG_20150305_102752My experience with JUICEit

First rule, before you start a detox diet, pay attention on what you eat 2-3 days before. Try to avoid fast foods, alcohol, sweets and coffee.

Rule nr 2. Consume only juices and water. I received 6 bottle of 500 ml each for the whole day of juicing. These juices are specially created to give your body the nutrients and vitamins for the whole day.

Rule nr. 3. Every morning before you start your day, drink a glass of water with fresh lemon juice. When you feel like snacking, drink a tea.

Rule nr.4. A detox plan can last from 1 day up to 5 days, but for a person who never did this kind of cleanse, they recommend the 3 day detox program. You will receive your 6 bottles, all of them will have a number on it (for you to know which one is next).

Rule nr.5. After you finish your detox plan, the company recommends to not to get back on an unhealthy lifestyle immediately. For the first 2 days after the detox try to eat as clean as possible, mostly salads and fruits.

IMG_20150227_130045_1JUICEit offered me the NEW YOU detox program and I have to tell you it was a great experience. Being a very active person, I work all day with my clients doing personal trainings and also teaching aerobic group classes I really need to nourish my body the best way possible.

My first juice components were: lemon, ginger, goji berries, cayenne pepper, agave syrup and filtered water. It was very spicy and energizing, perfect for the morning.

The next juice components: spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, ginger, lemon and kale. I think this was the less tasty one of all, but I drink it without any problem.

The third juice: grapefruit, pineapple and mint. This one was one of my favorite. I adored this mix of flavors and I felt super fresh after. This was the drink before my aerobic classes.

The forth juice: spinach, pineapple, celery, cucumber, ginger, mint and kale. I had this drink during my classes. I have to tell you after this drink I felt super hungry. Maybe because I had 3 heavy classes, cardio, circuit and functional training. I think it’s normal to feel hungry. I have to admit I ate 2 kiwi fruits after the training.

The fifth juice ingredients: beetroot, carrots, apple and sea-buckthorns. After drinking this juice I still felt hungry, so I opened the 6 bottle. It was only 8 o clock in the night.

The last juice: cashew nuts, agave syrup, dates, vanilla powder, cinnamon, banana and filtered water. This was far the best tasting juice. It was like a banana ice cream shake.

In the night around 10 o clock I ate some baby carrots and green salad. I really tried to focus on and not to cheat on this one day of detox, but training so hard I think it made it almost impossible.

The day after I really felt energized, fresh and my belly was so flat, not that it won’t be flat all the time :)) hahaha

I recommend this program to everybody, who wants to recharge his/her batteries before spring is here. I definitely believe that you can lose weight by doing this program for 3 days, before an important event like a photo shoot or to fit in a nice dress or wedding or vacation.

Hope you liked this little review and you will try it yourself, I tell you it worth it! 🙂