When I was asked to write a little something about looking good naked for The Gay UK, I have to admit I did get rather excited by it. But not for the reasons you might think. It gives me a chance to get an important aspect of training out into the world that a lot of people take for granted, or don’t realise comes as one of the results of hard work.
by Elektra Pavlou | 16th August 2013
Naturally, many of you will jump to thoughts of what abdominal exercise you can do to get rid of those ‘muffin tops’ or what arm exercises you can do for those ‘bingo wings’… the list of derogatory terms to describe our bodies is endless these days, and we have so many more of us hating what we see in the mirror than we have people that love and appreciate their bodies.
Admittedly, I don’t think you would like my answer very much, perhaps some of you may think it is a cop out. I know many of you DO want to hear just what will remove that excess fat you have in those places that you can normally hide away when your clothes are on.
I’m sure many of you have read about different ‘tummy toning exercices’ that are abdominal exercise variations like plank and side planks, crunches or hip extensions? Yes? And they are supposed to give you that amazing flat stomach that you have always dreamed of?
Now… how many of you really believe that a few sit-ups and crunches will help eradicate years of poor diet and little exercise? When does life give us such easygoing answers? Think about it, if it was that easy to get a toned stomach why aren’t there lots of flat stomachs running around? Or bingo-wingless arms?
The truth, and nothing but the truth is that you need to being getting in some really challenging and dedicated work.
Don’t believe me? Try doing 100 sit up variations for 30 days* and tell me if you see a reduction in belly fat? The most likely outcome will be that you have no change in waist circumference, you will have no weight loss and you are more likely to suffer back ache because sit ups are one of the worst widely used exercises for our backs, which actually increase the likelihood of suffering a slipped disk.
Somewhere along the line information about our bodies got mixed up. We started believing that fat and muscle were one in the same thing, and I think that this is where the spot reduction myth, above, came from. People believe by building the muscle in an area, that the fat will disappear and neatly present us with a ripped or toned body. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Building muscle is a relatively easy thing to do, as compared to burning body fat. The holding on of body fat is a survival mechanism, and our bodies naturally want to cling on to it for dear life (from our hunter gather days where we moved more and ate less frequently). And so, if you are trying to get rid of unwanted fat then you should know… it cannot simply, just happen by doing a low intensity level exercise like the sit up. I know it’s everywhere! But if you don’t believe me, as I said you just need to look around you at the reality of things. How many people who say they do sit ups and plank genuinely have a flat stomach or ripped abs?
So… try your very best to not get sucked in by misinformation. And I’m afraid, if you want to start, “looking good naked’ start working out like you mean it.
And do you know what will happen? My personal experience and experiences with working with my clients has shown me that most people will hire a personal trainer or join the gym because they want to look better. After only just a few weeks of going hard in the gym, that number 1 goal quietly disappears and suddenly I have clients who are practically over flowing with self-confidence! Although I have not specifically spoken to any of my clients about how they look without any clothes on, I can assume from the way that they start to carry themselves, that the endorphins, weight loss, muscle building effects, and so on, of working out all help us to love ourselves NO MATTER OUR SHAPE OR SIZE.
And so there you have it!
How can you look good naked you ask?
You need to get your beautiful self off to your local gym and you need to train like you mean it. Go hard, push yourself to your own limits (not Dick or Lucy’s), and continuously progress. If you treat your body right, give it the exercise, rest and nutrition that it needs it will treat your mind right and you will surely love yourself, no matter your size or shape. Be Body Beautiful!
As a starting point, think about weighted, compound movements like:
Back Squats
Front Squats
Lunges
Deadlifts
Romanion Deadlifts
Good Mornings
Shoulder Press/Military Press
Squat To Press
Renegade Rows
Bench Press
Arnold Press
Kettle Bells
Body weight:
Pull ups
Chin ups
Dips
And yes, even if you are a woman or consider yourself a weakling, you can do any of the above exercises. We are human, and we generally get better at things we practice, but we all have to start somewhere.
Happy Nakedness Everyone ☺
If you would like more information about this article or any other fitness and health topics please feel free to find me on Facebook www.facebook.com/eFITT.eu or follow me on Twitter @ElektraPT .
I offer Online Fitness and Health Coaching, please be in touch if you would like to know more about this.
*You have been warned that attempting such a workout will not provide you with the desired results and neither I, nor Gay UK are responsible for any injuries incurred while doing so. Please consult your doctor or physician before beginning a new exercise program.
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