fitness tips 2022

In this post, I’ve shared fitness tips from a personal trainer who has been helping hundreds of women and men get in their best shape. We talked about everything from what body parts need to be worked on, what foods you should be eating to how much weight lifting you should do each week. If you’re after some more great advice, follow us below for even more.

Body parts needing attention in the gym

The fat area where your stomach lays is probably not getting as much love as it would like because if you have an overactive thyroid, then you'll likely notice that there is excess fat near your waistline or around your belly. There are several reasons why this could be:

You may be working out but don't have any motivation to exercise. Your brain may not be firing properly. The hormones are going haywire. You may have had surgery on a particular part of your body and now want to make sure that your muscles are strong enough. Or perhaps you just have extra fat lying there and need to work it out. So we would recommend focusing on these areas, but also try to incorporate other activities such as Yoga, stretching, or doing cardio. It will not only help with your overall health but also speed up your metabolism too. You may also want to try doing the Body Sculptor Workout as well.

I also suggest having a full day at least twice a week. This can help you maintain consistent progress as the time you spend in the gym will vary. For example, maybe you want to concentrate on cardiovascular fitness and strength but for your first session maybe focus on your core or legs you can take a different approach during your second session where you want to focus on endurance. You might also want to check out my online workout plan, which has all the recommended exercises along with nutrition so that you can see how effective every exercise is for your goals.

What food to eat

The key to losing weight is eating more calorie-dense meals. I suggest trying to avoid carb-heavy foods that are loaded with sugar and starch like pasta, rice, bread, crackers, etc. These foods aren't good for your gut either, so they are best avoided. On the other hand, vegetables, cereals, low protein foods, etc are great sources of fiber and energy - so that gives them plenty of nutrients and when combined with adequate protein can improve digestion, and muscle building and also make you feel less bloated. It's always good to switch between some sort of carbohydrates, protein, or healthy fats in your diet plan to keep things varied.

 One popular cheat meal you can include in your workout plan would be fruit juice. Fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber and water so you'll notice these being less in your system (although remember to drink lots of water!). Fruits and vegetables give you a lot of nutrients and you should aim to get a maximum of five servings a day for optimal absorption. Another excellent way to eat lots of vegetables is by making soups in advance and then having dinner straight away! As far as protein goes, it's great to include lean ground beef in your diet plan and protein shakes. Protein and carbs are the main sources of energy. Make sure there is also plenty of fat because there is no point in having enough calories but zero fat. There are often people who under-eat fats since they want to lose weight. However, this means they end up feeling sluggish after work. My favorite way of making a salad is cutting a slice of avocado onto your plate and topping it with sliced lettuce, tomatoes, and basil leaves. Then it takes me half an hour to finish the salad and I'm feeling amazing afterward. Also, make sure you have more fruits and vegetables as snacks too. When choosing foods that are high in natural sugars but low in fat, opt for frozen yogurts and granola bars instead. They're also very easy to prepare and there are many alternatives like homemade frozen yogurt, but both have their advantages.

Foods to avoid/eat more than once a day

I love fresh salads to be kept in the fridge so that your stomach can relax every few hours. Fresh greens are better packed with antioxidants that could help keep illnesses at bay. Having fresh fruits and vegetables in your arsenal is important too because they provide plenty of essential nutrients like electrolytes and vitamins. Other veggies that you might have to cut our potatoes or yams. 

Try keeping some of these as snacks on you throughout the day. Don’t make yourself hungry while you’re training. If you aren’t feeling hungry within 15 minutes, stop where you are and return home or pop a snack. That way you’ll still have more energy to go an extra mile and also get in a sweat. Most people get bored in training when they reach a plateau but with the right support. A trained professional can improve your performance even after you've reached a certain plateau. Remember to eat 3 meals a day and eat every three hours throughout the workday! This gives your mind time to think about new ways to improve and train properly. 

Eating three times a day is easier than two times a day because after two hours the hormone levels usually drop and you have to reboot to gain the same advantage. So to keep it short you may want to cut them into 1-2 bites or 1-3 pieces or cut them into cubes instead. When training the body releases cortisol which helps relieve the symptoms. And cortisol also raises blood pressure. So try to eat within 30-40 minutes apart or make sure you have at least four hours of total sleep and wake up before 5:00 am and eat breakfast together so that you have plenty of time to rest before starting to work out.

How to lift weights

Lifting heavy weights can drain all the oxygen and blood around your body! This causes fatigue. So, you should perform light movements or compound movements that allow for greater cardiovascular endurance. Even though you can see progress in the mirror, remember that you still have hours of work ahead of you. 

Here's one tip: never skip these movements:

Upper Body: Front Raise Bench Press Arm Barbell Lunge Leg Extension Plank Overhead press Side Planks Back Flutter Lateral Planks Chest Roll Knee Raises Hip Thrusts Bicep Curl Upper Glute Bridge Down Dog Pivotal Exhale Side Planks Bent Arms Dips Shoulder Press Wavy Curl Neck Grip Rotator Curls Straight Leg Curl Wall Press Planking Deadlift Burpees Seated Lunges Stretches Calisthenics High Rest Rows Flexion Band bell Fly Machine Triceps extensions Medium Forearms Lateral Raise Cable Stretch Dumbbell Skipping Glove Pushups Heavy Hands Deep Tucks Crutches Hang Overshadow Chute Kickbacks Wide Grip Squats Pull-Ups Hammer curls Reverse Raise Overhand Shrug Sit-ups Surya Namaskar Surfing Flops Jogging Bicycle Legs overhead pushups Weightlifting squats bench pressing calf thrusts upper back leg pull ups forearm curls lateral raise plank pushup bicep curl chest press shoulder press lower lats knee extension bent knee incline knee flexed elbow curls cowl curl triceps bicep vertical jump chin-ups hip hop side lunges long-jumper arm curls hammer shoulder press overhead fly machine-jumping dumbbell rows barbell curls overhead grip row dumbbell rows crunches front-back squat shoulder presses triceps bicep curls incline knee raise fly machine-jumping single-leg squat lift overhead cable-jogging plank crunch deep sit-up tuck crunch hip pull-ups lateral raise dumbbell row bench press bicep wide-leg dumbbell rows bice-chest wide-leg lunge row medium-leg split-joints single-arm dumbbell rows single-arm dumbbell row bicef single-arm split-joints single-arm dumbbell row split-joints single-arm split-joints double-arm split-joints single-arm single-arm split-joints dumbbell row split-joints double-arm split-joints single-arm split-joints double-arm split-joints single-arm split-joints double-arm split-joints split-joints split-joints

For women

The right hip extension is more difficult to perform and is best done with a light load (about 5 or 6kg) but it’s also crucial to get that strong hip flexor and also ensure that you’re able to hold a solid hip flexor too.

The left shoulder range can be extended using the same technique as above and the range on the inside of the shoulder blade can also be increased with heavier weights.

If you’re looking to increase muscle mass, use this squat at the start of a hard workout. After that, bring the load to your knees, then return to your position. Perform 2 sets of 8-12 reps for this exercise. But this is not your usual squat! Instead, squat down onto your knees and drive into your heels to drive through the floor. Once you’re close to the ground, bend over by bending at the hips and lowering your knees until your butt is parallel to the ground. 

Keep yourself as stable as possible by twisting and turning your torso as fast as possible. At the top of your movement return to the normal position and return to the floor. Repeat this process many times, alternating between heavy and lighter weights.

When it comes to exercising the arms, the most important thing is to perform a proper shoulder range contraction which is known as the ‘single joint’ exercise! To complete the exercise, press the palms of your hands against the floor. Lean forward at 90 degrees until your elbows are parallel to the ground overhead, while your shoulders remain as flat as possible.