Building on a solid foundation
Heidi Martell VOLUME 1, ISSUE NO 2 So here we are again! Congratulations to everyone participating in the 30/30 Cardio Challenge. This is a challenge that you make to yourself that for thirty minutes daily you will participate in some form of cardio. This issue starts our series of the major muscle groups and exercise that you can perform for each one.
Today we’ll start with the abdominal muscles, the foundation of our body. We’ll also talk about self doubt and how it keeps us from reaching our goals. We’ll discuss some of the solutions to resolving these issues and positive reinforcement. Finally, I think you’ll like the recipe I choose this week and find it fun to prepare.
The abdominal muscles, like a house should be structurally firm, cracks and faults in a foundation can cause structural damage to a house. Likewise, the weakness or imbalances of our muscles can cause structural damage to other parts of our bodies. Letting small problems go usually turns into doctor visits or worse… hospital visits. Building a firm foundation on solid ground is common sense it would seem but in our “instant gratification” society, we skip the basic work and build high rises on sinking sand. In other words, people want to jump on weights, build muscle, get lean and neglect the underlying issues that aren’t stable enough to sustain the changes to the body.
Abdominals, the foundation of our bodies is made up of four key muscles but the one everyone is concerned with is one long muscle that runs up and down the front of our anatomy. Females tend to carry more adipose fat in the lower abdominals and thighs than do males. I know, It stinks! The reason however is because of child bearing. When we work abdominals, remember we are working all of the abdominal muscle. We can isolate the lower abdominals but every part of the muscle should be exercised for a solid foundation. Each muscle group that is being worked should consist of at least four different exercises for that particular muscle. Your sets and reps can vary according to what your wanting to gain from your training. A good place to start would be four sets of ten to twelve reps per exercise. An example would be to preform the exercise twelve times, rest, perform the exercise twelve more times, rest, repeat this for two more sets. That’s four sets of twelve reps each. Four good exercises that would have low impact on your joints are, crunches on the ball, planks, decline crunches and six inches with hand pumps. When performing these exercises be sure to never use your neck muscles. This is one of the biggest mistakes people tend to make. Always be aware of which muscles you’re working and concentrate on those muscles to insure maximum benefit. All of the exercise I’ve mentioned will be demonstrated on the Facebook page, @itsamatteroftheheart. Always discuss with your doctor before beginning a workout plan.
Going into an unfamiliar place can be very intimidating to many people. The gym is no exception. Each one of us struggles in some form with self doubt on a daily basis. You go into a gym and not only are you worried that your neighbor might see how uncoordinated you are but you may feel you can’t work a simple piece of equipment. These thoughts can keep you from reaching your goals. You may be going into the gym because you’re building up weak muscles. You get on the equipment and determined that you aren’t as strong as you thought you should be and get frustrated. We each can struggle with self doubt. I think that’s a part of life and it’s ok as long as self doubt doesn’t keep us from accomplishing our goals. As Rev. Ron Sweatt said on Sunday, “ God sees you not just as you are but what you could be.” We see ourselves as the sin not the sinner. God doesn’t condemn you but the sin. He loves the sinner. That is why Christ came, to save the sinner. Dear friend see yourself accomplishing your goals, being enough. So what can we do to resolve our fear and self doubt?
Determine the goals that you’re planning on accomplishing. Write out your goals and set a date. If you’re going into a gym, ask the staff if they would walk you through the equipment. You should go to the gym to enhance your life so that you can complete your daily task, not to kill yourself. Remember the negative thoughts you have are only thoughts. They can keep you from reaching your goals if you give those thoughts power. When you go to the gym and become discouraged with something you can’t do, regroup and do something you can do. If you get on a piece of equipment and can’t lift the weight then get hand weights that are lighter and copy the movement. Always give yourself credit for attempting new things and reward yourself when you’ve accomplished your goals.
After you finish a workout, refuel your body with protein or a good BCCA. Our recipe this week calls for ground turkey meat. It makes a great meal or can be used as a recovery snack after your workout. This week’s recipe is one of my boys favorite dishes. I’m sure you’ll love it as well. The video and pictures will be uploaded to the Facebook page, @itsabouttheheart. Also there will be some tutorial videos on workouts for the abdominals. If you’ve missed an article you can hit the contact button on the @itsamatteroftheheart page, to go directly to my wordpress site to find the articles.
Recipe
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
1 bag sweet peppers
¾ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
¾ cups chopped mushrooms
¼ cup scallions
1 lbs. ground turkey
Salt & Pepper to taste
I start out by searing my sweet peppers but this step is not necessary. I like details and I enjoy serving my guys meals that look appealing. People will tend to try things outside their comfort zone if something looks appealing. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, stuff peppers and place on a lightly greased baking dish. Cook for 20-25 minutes. I added brown rice, seared cherry tomatoes and stir fry squash for a complete meal.
Be Better Fitness 