The 10 Commandments of Fitness Training

The Ten Omnifarious Commandments for getting fit
Laaleen Khan
http://tribune.com.pk/story/220779/10-commandments-for-getting-fit/
 In a world fixated on size zero women and broad shouldered men, it’s hardly surprising that body-conscious, metropolitan Pakistan feels the effect of the multibillion-dollar industry of celebrity diets, gargantuan protein shakes and expensive exercise machines.


Whether motivated by vanity (the dream of abs of steel) or health warnings (to lower one’s cholesterol), the fitness lifestyle industry consists of jogging tracks, health club memberships, country club gyms, workout classes, personal trainers in private gyms and personalized diet plans. Getting fit has never been so competitive.

Men’s trends:
Actors may gain 30 lbs of muscle to fulfill on-screen requirements for leaner physiques than the typical steroid-enhanced look. This year’s superheroes include Chris ‘Captain America’ Evans, Chris ‘Thor’ Helmsworth and Shahrukh ‘Ra-One’ Khan.


Women’s trends:
While there will always be extreme dieters vying to get Victoria Beckham-thin, strength training is definitely on-trend this season. Jason Walsh, trainer for actress Jessica Biel (action star of The A Team), said in an interview, “Before Jessica came to me, she very much did ‘old school’ training with machines. It tended to lead to disproportioning in her shape.” (source: Starlounge).

Moez Aryan, of Islamabad’s Omnifarious Gym, suggests that the best way to lose weight is to “forget about gimmicks” like fad diets and elliptical machines. Engaging in fast-paced, high intensity circuit training with medium-to-heavy weights ought to provide optimum results. Women who fear weights will make them bulky are astonished when they see trainer Samira Jalali, a slender 50kg, dead lift 100 kg.
Aryan, who hails from an Iranian family of professional boxers, trained as a swimmer before specializing in fitness training. He is an advocate for challenging the “biased opinions of the (multibillion dollar) food and fitness industry” and offers the following guidelines for people seeking to lose body fat:


1. Thou shalt not engage in traditional aerobics
“Ditch the treadmill and lift some weights for an effective cardio workout. All aerobic activity is cardio but all cardio isn’t aerobic.”


2. Thou shalt not focus on spot reduction
“Spot reduction is so Eighties,” he says. 25,000 crunches will burn a paltry 1 lb. of fat, give you a bad back “and a thick midsection like Britney’s” (Ms. Spears did 1,000 daily crunches for several years). “It’s all about proportions; do some squats instead. Where you lose fat first or last depends on your diet, lifestyle and your hormonal levels.”


3. Thou shalt not indulge in breakfast cereal
Cereals with skim milk or an English breakfast of toast, jam and orange juice are to be avoided. Instead, he recommends a diet rich in veggies and lean proteins.


4. Thou shalt limit thy intake of sugars and grains
Your calories should come from good fats (“nuts and fish oil”), fibre (veggies) and protein (“fish, beef, mutton, prawns and eggs”).


5. Thou shalt not neglect thy backside
Despite being a major muscle group, the glutes tend to be overlooked because we tend to sit for long periods of time. Aryan advises clients with long office hours to “try using computers on a raised counter while standing,” or “sit on a stability ball instead of a chair. If possible, do a few hip raises every few hours.”


6. Fasting is good for thy soul as well as thine body
Fasting intermittently (even when it isn’t Ramadan) once or twice a week, with non-caloric beverages for 15 to 20 hours is recommended. “The 6-meals-per-day hype by the food and supplement industry has no scientific basis because your metabolism won’t slow down if you miss a meal,” he explains. “Frequent meal intake raises insulin levels, stores energy and leads to obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.”


7. Thou shalt avoid the evil temptation of processed foods
“Avoid processed foods altogether and detoxify that poor liver. If you can’t pronounce a name on a food label don’t eat it.”


8. Thou shalt get a good night’s sleep
“7 to 9 hours of quality sleep is ideal, by 10 pm and in complete darkness. Adrenal fatigue is known as ‘the 21st century disease;’ try de-stressing for 20 minutes daily.”


9. Thou shalt not commit gluttony
“Reduce your portion sizes,” he advises. It’s better to treat yourself now and then to your favourite foods than go on a food binge. “Fat-loss is a function of caloric balance.”


10. Sloth is a sin
Putting things off until the next day never works when you can start today. “There is no perfect time to wait for an exercise program.”


Celebrity fitness plans

GWYNETH PALTROW; 38, 5’9”
The Tracy Anderson Method + Macrobiotic Diet
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow credits her muscular legs and lean form to celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson’s workouts (she co-hosted Anderson’s DVD) that incorporate pilates bands and height bars into strength training and dance cardio. Paltrow (author of ‘My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrtaing Family & Togetherness’) and her two children follows a strict macrobiotic diet of low fat, high fibre meals including veggies, tofu and fish. Anderson has also trained singers Madonna and Shakira.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE; 29, 5’10”
Athletics + Low GI Diet/Dukan Diet
Kate Middleton owes her toned physique and waspy waist to a lifetime of high intensity sports including schoolgirl lacrosse, competitive rowing and tennis, while consuming low glycemic index meals. The future Queen is rumoured to have reduced to her pre-wedding weight via a juice diet and by following French physician Dr. Pierre Dukan’s four-phase diet that includes oat bran, protein and veggies. Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman are also fans of the Dukan diet.

KATIE HOLMES; 32, 5’9”
Running + KH Vegetable Diet/Purification Rundown
Actress Katie Holmes lean form is the result of two hours’ daily running (she ran the New York Marathon two years after giving birth to Suri), in addition to weights, cardio and Pilates. She reportedly follows a KH diet of veggies and tofu and undertook an extreme Scientology Purification Rundown including liquid meals, extensive sauna and vitamin B3 injections to achieve her current narrowness. Holmes’ husband Tom Cruise has endorsed the Purification Rundown in the past.

KAREENA KAPOOR; 31, 5’5”
Surya Namaskar Yoga + Rujuta Diwekar’s Diet Plan
Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor performs 2 hours of Surya Namaskar movements daily with yoga trainer Payal Gidwani in 105 degree temperature. She also credits her reported 20 kg weight loss to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar (author of ‘Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha’ and ‘Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight’), who suggests eating fresh produce in digestible quantities and focusing on well being, exercise, sleep and relationships. Kapoor’s boyfriend Saif Ali Khan and fellow actress Preity Zinta are also Diwekar’s followers.