A guy who works out but can't show off his abs in the summertime is like a Corvette Z06 that sits in the garage. It doesn't matter how many pounds you added to your bench press in the past year, or how many inches your arms grew - if you can't sport a chiseled midsection by mid-July, people will ask why you bother working out at all (and that's if they can tell you do in the first place).
Sound harsh? You know MF - we're tough, but fair, and it's our job to save you from embarrassment. But if you want to uncover that six-pack before the sun goes down on this season, you'd better get moving. Luckily, we've got just the plan to get you in gear. The following is our highly intense, four-week plan for fast fat loss, guaranteed to unveil the body you've worked hard for-so you can finally take it out for a joyride.
THE LOWDOWN
It doesn't matter what people believed in the '70s-high reps do not get you "cut." Muscle definition is the result of low body-fat levels, which, more than anything, come as a result of cutting calories from your diet. However, studies have shown that lower-rep sets (usually eight or fewer reps) do build more muscle and cause greater calorie expenditure than those that feature 12-15 reps or more. That's because heavy weights tax your system harder, activating more muscle than lighter sets and requiring more calories to be burned in order to fuel them. The workouts featured here follow that model, prioritizing the heavy, low-rep sets you need for frying fat off the belly while keeping strength levels high.
NO PLACE FOR THE WEAK
A big part of our plan to get you leaner entails strengthening the weak points in your physique. Chances are, you've spent years favoring certain exercises over others, failing to train what you don't see in the mirror as hard as what you do see. This can result in underdeveloped muscles that may slow down your progress.
The workouts we prescribe here reprioritize your training, emphasizing muscle groups you've long neglected and helping bring them up to par. Simply put, when you put your muscles in balance with each other (by bringing your rowing strength into proportion with your pressing strength, for example), your whole body grows faster - and burns significantly more calories. With that in mind, our program blitzes the weak points common to most guys - the glutes, upper back, rear shoulders, and various other components of your back view. The snatch-grip row, wide squat, lunge, and Romanian deadlift burn loads of calories, and they'll ensure that you look as good leaving the beach as you did walking onto it. (For a more detailed description of how your weak points will be corrected, see "What They Work and Why" below.)
HARDIER CARDIO
The word has begun to get out that interval cardio - intermittent bouts of intense exercise and more moderate paces - is more effective than long, slow distance running for burning fat. But what no one in the fitness industry can be sure of is what intervals work best for fat loss - and given that you haven't got long to look good for the beach, we don't have time to conduct any further research. That's why we've covered all the bases, prescribing three different interval sessions of varying intensities.
Think of it as you do lifting weights: You couldn't lift heavy all the time or you'd burn out; but by scheduling a heavy day, a moderate day, and even a light day, you keep the stimulus to your muscles fresh and avoid overtraining. Same idea here: You'll rotate very fast-paced interval days with medium - and lighter-intensity sessions, never allowing your body to adapt to any one protocol fully but working it hard each time. Regardless of whether a single "magical" interval routine exists, these three workouts leave nothing to chance - ensuring you'll get lean in no time.
Small amounts of pine nuts and Roquefort cheese make a big impact on taste without upsetting a low-fat lifestyle.
| Preparation Time: 25 minutes |
 1 tablespoon olive oil |
| 4 cloves garlic, minced |
| 1/4 teaspoon dried sage |
| 1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth |
| 1/4 cup dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine |
| ground black pepper |
| 1 pound bow-tie pasta |
| 1 pound salmon fillet |
| juice of half a lemon |
| 1 1/2 ounces Roquefort or blue cheese, crumbled |
| 3 pine nuts, toasted |
Preheat the broiler. Coat a broiler pan with no-stick spray. Coat a small saucepan with no-stick spray. Place over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and sage. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the broth and wine. Season with the pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions. Place the salmon on the prepared pan and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Broil 4" from the heat for 10 minutes per 1" thickness of fish, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Toss with the broth mixture. Flake the salmon into pieces and discard the skin. Place the salmon on top of the pasta. Add cheese and pine nuts.
| | Real Meals Fast If you have 15 minutes, you have time to make a healthy dinner Photographs by: , By:
Not convinced you can cook a meal in 15 minutes, too? Well, you can always invite Mom to move in and help feed you. . . . Didn't think so.
You'll need: 1/2 lb sirloin, sliced diagonally into thin strips 1 c bite-size pieces red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 c of each) 1 c bite-size pieces onion 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce Plus: 1 tsp sugar; 1 1/2 tsp olive oil; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 tsp red-pepper flakes How to make it: 1. Dump all the ingredients into a large ziplock plastic bag. Go James Bond on it--well shaken, not stirred . No, really throttle it. You want the soy sauce and oil to permeate everything in the bag.2. Pour the meat, sauce, and vegetables into a medium-hot cast-iron skillet, stirring frequently until the meat is seared and the vegetables begin to lose their water (about 2 to 3 minutes). Extra credit: For a more authentic Korean-style flavor, use toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil and add 1 Tbsp rice-wine vinegar. Eat with: 1 c Uncle Ben's Ready Rice, Whole Grain Brown (the kind you can microwave in 90 seconds) Makes 2 servings Per serving, including rice: 623 calories, 37 grams (g) protein, 58 g carbohydrates, 27 g fat (9 g saturated), 4 g fiber, 604 milligrams (mg) sodium
TUNA SALAD FOR GROWN-UPS You'll need: 2 fresh yellowfin or ahi tuna fillets, 3–4 oz each 4 c chopped romaine lettuce 1 3/4 c grape tomatoes 1/3 c whole pitted black or kalamata olives Plus: Salt and pepper; 1/4 c chopped roasted red pepper Dressing: 2 Tbsp olive oil; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard; 1/4 tsp dried thyme; 1 clove garlic, crushed How to make it: 1. Sear the tuna in a nonstick skillet on m-edium-high heat (1 minute per side), seasoning each side with a pinch of salt and pepper as the other side cooks. Remove the tuna from the skillet and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and roasted red pepper. 3. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, and garlic until well blended. No whisk? Just use a fork. 4. Cut the tuna into -inch-thick slices. (Yes, it should be raw inside.) Divide the salad onto two plates and top with the tuna and dressing. Eat with: A microwaved potato with 1 Tbsp low-fat sour cream Makes 2 servings Per serving, including potato:
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Anyone who tells you to avoid fast food is missing the point. It's not like you plan to end up at Burger King at 9 p.m. on a weeknight. It's just the inevitable last resort on those days when you're too hungry -- and too busy -- to scrounge up anything better. And when you're stuck in that fast food frenzy, your only option is to go with what's on the menu and hope that your super-fast salad doesn't lead to a super-size wardrobe. Luckily, making one or two small changes to some of your mass-produced favorites can be enough to transform a dieter's disaster into a perfectly decent meal.
1. Manhattan Bagel's Lox and Bagel
1. Plain Bagel 330 calories, 0 grams [g] saturated fat
2. Cream cheese 140 calories, 9 g saturated fat
3. Smoked salmon 105 calories, 1 g saturated fat
4. Red onions 5 calories, 0 g saturated fat
5. Tomato 5 calories, 0 g saturated fat
Total: 585 calories, 10 g saturated fat
The compromise: Sometimes carbs really are evil. The ultra-dense bagel puts the calorie count for this sandwich over the top. And the mound of cream cheese doesn't help either. Unfortunately, light cream cheese -- with only 20 fewer calories than the real thing -- is fairly useless.
The right solution for a lighter nosh: Request your sandwich open-faced with a gentle schmear.
You save: 270 calories, 7 g saturated fat
2. Wendy's Taco Supremo Salad
1. Iceberg and romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions 35 calories, 0 g saturated fat
2. Cheddar cheese 125 calories, 6 g saturated fat
3. Chili 200 calories, 2 g saturated fat
4. Salsa 30 calories, 0 g saturated fat
5. Sour Cream 60 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat
6. Taco Chips 220 calories, 2 g saturated fat
7. Creamy Ranch Dressing 230 calories, 4 g saturated fat
Total: 900 calories, 17.5 g saturated fat
The compromise: To slim down this salad, swap the dressing for the Reduced Fat Creamy Ranch option, then skip the sour cream altogether. For added calorie savings, ask for the chips on the side, crumble half on top for crunch, and toss the rest.
You save: 300 calories, 7 g saturated fat
3. Starbucks Tall Caffe Mocha
1. Espresso 10 calories, 0 g saturated fat
2. Steamed milk 180 calories, 5 g saturated fat
3. Mocha syrup 50 calories, 0 g saturated fat
4. Whipped cream 70 calories, 5 g saturated fat
Total: 310 calories, 10 g saturated fat
The compromise: A healthy dose of milk fat transforms ordinary coffee into an all-out indulgence. To make this treat less costly to your waistline, trade whole milk for fat-free and just say no to the whipped topping.
You save: 140 calories, 10 g saturated fat
| | Healthy Fast Food We analyzed the fat and calorie content of 8 popular fast food items, so you can understand exactly what you're eating By:
4. McDonald's Crispy Chicken California Cobb Salad 1. Mixed greens, grape tomatoes, and carrots 33 calories, 0 g saturated fat 2. Fried chicken breast 215 calories, 2 g saturated fat 3. Bleu cheese 49 calories, 3 g saturated fat 4. Bacon 45 calories, 1 g saturated fat 5. Chopped egg 21 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat 6. Croutons 60 calories, 0 g saturated fat 7. Newman's Own Cobb Dressing 120 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat Total: 543 calories, 8 g saturated fat The compromise: Trade fried chicken for grilled and you'll slash calories by half. Then dress your salad with Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, and you won't need to feel guilty about keeping the stuff that makes the salad so good in the first place -- bleu cheese, bacon, and croutons. You save: 180 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat 5. KFC Tender Roast Chicken Sandwich 1. Bun 160 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat 2. Lettuce 0 calories, 0 g saturated fat 3. Tomato 5 calories, 0 g saturated fat 4. Roasted chicken filet 95 calories, 1 g saturated fat 5. Pepper-herb sauce 130 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat Total: 390 calories, 4 g saturated fat The compromise: Trimming down this bird is a no-brainer: Opt for ketchup or mustard instead of the calorie-laden sauce. You save: 120 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat 6. Boston Market Chicken Dinner 1. Sweet garlic rotisserie chicken with skin and wing 280 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat 2. Mashed potatoes 210 calories, 5 g saturated fat 3. Gravy 20 calories, 0 g saturated fat 4. Coleslaw 430 calories, 3 g saturated fat Total: 940 calories, 11.5 g saturated fat The compromise: Clip the wing and trim the skin, and you'll cut the saturated fat to almost nothing. Gravy doesn't do much damage, so keep it. Trade the coleslaw for a simple seasonal fruit salad that clocks in at only 70 calories. You save: 500 calories, 5.5 g saturated fat 7. Chipotle Burrito 1. Tortilla 340 calories, 2 g saturated fat 2. Rice 240 calories, 1 g saturated fat 3. Pinto beans 138 calories, less than 1 g saturated fat 4. Vegetables 100 calories, 1 g saturated fat 5. Steak 230 calories, 4 g saturated fat 6. Cheese 110 calories, 6 g saturated fat 7. Guacamole 170 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat Total: 1,328 calories, 16.5 g saturated fat The compromise: Don't even think about polishing off the entire burrito on your own. Instead, nix the calorie- and fat-heavy steak for chicken. Opt for salsa over guacamole, then split it with a friend or take half of the meal home for later. You save: 851 calories, 11.5 g saturated fat 8. Au Bon Pain Large Strawberry Yogurt with Fruit and Granola 1. Yogurt 365 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat 2. Strawberries 15 calories, 0 g saturated fat 3. Granola 240 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat Total: 620 calories, 4 g saturated fat The compromise: Switch the granola for a small cup of extra fruit. Your yogurt will have the chunkiness you like without the calories you'd like to avoid. You save: 170 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat This article came from the May/June 2005 issue of Women's Health magazine |
