ASK LINDA:
Triple Certified Elite Personal Trainer & Triple Pro Fitness Competitor and Pro Figure Competitor Linda Cusmano answers your fitness questions.

Here are some recent questions which have come into my inbox, some have been edited. These are great questions so I chose them to post first!

Q. I came across your web site while looking for info regarding my problem. Here it is -- if you have any advice I would love to hear from you!

I am a 32-year-old woman that has been working out faithfully most of my life. However, as I have gotten older I am struggling to keep body fat down. I have shied away from weights because genetically I have a tendency to get bulky. [Note from Linda: Not if you use the correct variables!]

All of the advice online suggests that women do not have enough testosterone to get big with weight lifting and I have some fatty areas that do not seem to benefit from running, yoga or Tae-Bo, so I hit the weights again. I am lifting 3 sets of 20 reps on each muscle group, focusing hard on my lower body because I would love to have lean, cut legs. I am lifting enough weight that by the end of 20 reps I could lift it again if I had to, but not easily.

A. The variables are good but need change weekly so I would have done 25 reps for a week or two then up again to 30, 35, 40. Then you would change the exercises. I would also suggest you do circuit type training and intervals with jax or skipping or stepping.

Next, I suggest you concentrate on leg exercises like walking lunges, single leg squats, inner and outer thigh, hamstrings and calves. Do these with reps suggested above with very light weight, you may even go bodyweight for the first week of your new rep increase.

Q. I am a personal trainer.  We have a contest at my gym where people take before pics, then eat healthy, exercise and get into shape in 12 weeks. 
 
The after pictures are coming up.  I want to give my clients good, safe advice and help for finishing strong.  What exercises should I put them through during the last two weeks?  What foods should they eat during the last two weeks?  And finally, what should they do on picture day?

A. Exercise and diet during the last 2 weeks really depends on the prior diet and exercise coupled with their status at the final 2 week point.

I would personally use compound exercises, circuits, intervals, plyometry and combo exercises with agility.  

Normally, I would then suggest a general idea of eating every 2-3 hours, high proteins that are clean and white like poultry, fish and alternatives which are truly high in protein, yet low in salt or sugar – some vegetarian replacements are just salty carbs which is unfortunate since I prefer a vegetarian diet myself.  

Always include green fibrous veggies as a main carb -- some other veggies too, but watch carrots, peas, corn and squash as they are starchy carbs.  Good carbs to include are non-fat yogurt, greens, beans, oats, tubers, and brown rice. Go easy on grains and exclude breads or pasta during the time they are working on fat loss, unless they are endurance athletes who are slim already.

For the pictures, I usually suggest front, back and side shots not posed -- but I do the same for before shots for closer comparison. Then a nice after shot, which can be in a bikini or evening wear -- whatever they would like! 

Overall, I would suggest educating them to get the feel for doing this as lifestyle, plus encouraging them to learn more about their food choices and health though research and reading.

I hope that helps! Good luck both to you and the participants!

 

Q. I am very interested in competing in fitness, but have no idea where to begin! I am 5'0, 100 pounds, and about 18% body fat at the moment. I seem to be halted in any further muscular development, though I am sure that is due to my diet, which I am slowly improving.

I am wondering what it is like to compete at the novice level. I have watched fitness competitions on TV, and know that it would take me at least a year to be able to achieve that strength and agility to compete, though I have been told that at the novice level, not as much is expected.

Would you let me know what to expect? Also, how much body fat should I aim to lose, and what should be in my routine?

A. Even at the novice level, I still suggest you do your best and go in better than the rest. It helps to go whole-hearted, especially if you have to qualify to the next level where the competition can get exponentially harder.

It is is so hard to say who else will enter and stand beside you, but you do have to be ready and well-prepared. Expect lots of wait times. Sometimes things go fast, but you just have to be attentive and ready for anything.

As far as the amount of body fat you should lose, I say go to about 9% or so, but it is difficult to say without seeing you -- 9% can appear very differently on you than it does on me or the next gal.

As for your routine, it depends on who you compete against as to what to concentrate on. Some competitions look at more gymnastics, others look at physique with less emphasis on routine and these federations usually like lots of strength. What gymnastics can you do? If none, then at least work on handstands, cartwheels, splits, and holds. If you can, add one arm push-ups, hinge push-ups, pike and straddle holds for sure.

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