Shaivy Choubey

Hello Ziddis! We often focus so much on our gains that miss out on a golden aspect of fitness. Flexibility! Making sure you are flexible enough can reduce your chances of getting injured and also help you build yourself sustainably. Know more about the flexibility exercises.

Why Is Stretching and Flexibility Important?

Stretching and Flexibility are the ability of your muscles and joints to move through their full range of motion. Stretching improves this range, helps maintain a good posture and reduces muscle tension. If you are working towards your fitness goals do not skip the stretching and flexibility warm up because that is going to keep you safe from injuries and help you recover faster after the workouts.

How Do Flexibility Exercises Help?

Why should you invest time in flexibility exercises? Here are 4 reasons for that:

• It reduces the stiffness and soreness.
• It strengthens the joints.
• It allows a greater range of motion.
• Flexibility exercises improve balance and coordination.
• It helps boost circulation which leads to better endurance.

Flexibility Stretches as Warm-Up

How can you incorporate flexibility stretches into your workout routine? The best way to do so is by doing flexibility stretches as a part of your warm-up. Try some of these flexibility stretches and see the difference in your productivity at the gym yourself:

• Leg swings to improve lower body movement.
• Arm circles to warm up shoulders and avoid any lock-ups in the workout
• Torso twists to help stretch your spine and core

Stretching Exercises for Flexibility

You can also use stretching exercises for flexibility. These could be a small part of your entire routine. A lot of these can be covered if you do yoga regularly. Holding each of these poses for about 30 seconds can give you a visible difference in the way you feel during and after your workout.

• Hamstring stretch
• Butterfly stretch
• Chest opener
• Cat and cow pose
• Lord of the Fish pose

These stretch exercises for flexibility are more complex than your workout. The best stretch exercise of all is Suryanamaskar. The benefits of Suryanamaskar are unmatched.

Beginner Flexibility Exercises

If you are just starting your fitness journey, you can start with the easier beginner flexibility exercises to level up eventually.

Seated side straddle stretch: You need to sit on the ground with your legs wide apart and touch each of your hands to your toes by bending sideways.

• Child’s Pose: You sit with your legs tucked backwards and bend forward till your face touches the ground. Use your hands as a cradle for your face. This resonates with how a baby sleeps.
• Bhujangasana or the Cobra pose: This is an effective stretch for your spine where you lie flat on your stomach and lift yourself only through the strength of your back and supported by your arms. You will look like a cobra with its hood up so it is called a cobra pose.
• Forward Lunge: This is just like lunges but you hold the position for 30 seconds.
• Inchworm: If you are standing on your yoga mat. Bend forward and reach the opposite end of the mat just by letting your fingers crawl up to there and let your body go along. Now get back to your feet the same way.

All these exercises can be done during your rest day to help you get a good stretch which is ignored if it is a part of only the warm-up.

How to Improve Flexibility Routine

It is not a cakewalk to improve flexibility routine but it is also not as difficult or time-consuming.

• Make sure you do not skip warm-ups and cool-down sessions of a workout 
• Dedicate at least 10 minutes each day to improve flexibility routine.
• Focus on different muscle groups
• Hold the stretches.
• Enroll for a yoga or pilates class.

Exercises to Improve Flexibility During Workouts

If you are seasoned in your fitness routine, these few exercises to improve flexibility could help get maximum benefits.

• Deep squats
• Lunges with a twist
• Dead hangs

When all three are done together, gives your body a good stretch and also works on your core strength as exercises to improve flexibility and strength.

Mobility and Flexibility Exercises to Add to Your Workout Routine

Mobility is the by-product of flexibility. This allows for better control and coordination of the movement. By using these mobility and flexibility exercises in your workout routine you could achieve a full range of motion.

• World’s greatest stretch: Just like the name it helps stretch your entire body in one go.
• Hip flexor stretch: Any exercise that helps mobility and flexibility in your hip region can work. 
• T-spine rotation: When you use your spin strength to stretch like in cobra pose or cat and cow those are for your spine mobility and flexibility exercises it needs.

Takeaway

By improving your flexibility you can change your fitness game to better. These poses can give you benefits to help you strengthen your spine, give you more mobility and reduce the chances of getting injured. What can help you get better at this is wearing comfortable gym wear to give you a full range of motion. Jogger pants and a quick dry t-shirt are the comfiest to wear for your gym routine. It is time to stretch your limits and touch the possibilities of better flexibility and mobility.

Sources:

https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/worlds-greatest-stretch

https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-poses/bhujangasana-cobra-pose

https://greatist.com/fitness/beginner-stretches-for-flexibility#arm-stretches

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/stretching/art-20546848

Hello Ziddis! With the new year coming in, we are already hyped up to start our fitness journey! One of the most struggled issues we face in our fitness goals is how to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. Is it possible with weight loss and muscle gain diets or what diet or workout should you start with? We shall talk about all of it and more.

How to Build Muscle and Burn Fat?

It is possible to get the best of both worlds in which you can build muscle and burn fat at the same time! This process is called body recomposition. Here is what you need to do:

• Understand how your body works
• Plan and discipline yourself
• Make sure your meals are balanced not just loaded
• Choose the healthier option in your day-to-day life like having a banana smoothie instead of sugary cereal.

To build muscle and burn fat simultaneously, make sure you know how your body functions and if it leans towards one thing more than another.

Is There a Weight Loss Muscle Gain Diet?

Yes, there most definitely is! Weight loss and muscle gain diets require you to strike a perfect balance between calorie intake and nutritional value of the food you consume. So what should you consume as a part of your weight loss muscle gain diet?

• Load up on proteins. Depending on your dietary preference make sure your plate has some source of protein.
• Control your calories. Even though it is important for muscle gain, make sure you fulfil your calorie intake through proteins more than carbs.
• Balance your plate, don’t overload it. Make sure there is a little of everything. Even healthy fats found in ghee, nuts and some fruits are important. Your plate needs carbs as well so even though it is limited.
• Timing is the key to a healthy diet. Make sure you space out your meals to perform better and recover more efficiently.

What Is the Diet for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain?

Here are a few suggestions you could take to make your meals of the day. This diet is perfect for weight loss and muscle gain.

• Breakfast: Hog on some scrambled eggs, chila, whole grain toast, avocados, banana smoothie or oats pancakes
• Mid-Morning Snacks: Keep a protein bar handy. Have some nuts and Greek yoghurt to stay fuller for longer.
• Lunch: Have some grilled chicken, dal rice with a share of leafy greens or a quinoa salad.
• Dinner: A fish or chicken platter, paneer roll, steamed veggies with some brown rice and soup sounds like an ultimate meal.
• Pre-Workout Snack: Do not workout on an empty stomach. Have a banana and some peanut butter.
• Post-Workout Snack: Load up with your protein shake and some fruits.

Ensuring you’re meeting your muscle-building needs without overshooting your calorie goals for fat loss is how you can achieve weight loss and muscle gain.

Workout Plan to Lose Fat and Build Muscle

Workouts will play an important part in how you lose fat and build muscle. Having a structured workout plan will help you be strategic with your goal and reach it faster.

Here is a weekly plan to help you get started:

• Day 1: Full body strength training- Include squats, push-ups and deadlifts.
• Day 2: HIIT- Hit up those burpees, sprints and kettlebell swings.
• Day 3: Light cardio like swimming or yoga.
• Day 4: Upper Body- Bench press, chest press, pull-ups and rows can help you pump up your chest and back well.
• Day 5: Cardio and core training- From cycling and running to planks and crunches, tighten your core and get started.
• Day 6: Lower body workout- Add some weights to your squats, lunges, leg presses and calf raises to maximize your gains.
• Day 7: Rest day- Make sure you do not overexert or you may run into an injury.

How to Lose Fat Gain Muscle Progressively?

Achieving your goal is not where your journey ends. It is all about maintaining it. You may lose fat and gain muscle in a few months, if not weeks, and reach your goal, but you need to learn how to avoid straying away and finding yourself back at the starting point, wanting to lose fat and gain muscle again.

• Stay patient
• Track your progress via apps.
• Adapt your fitness plans
• Add some supplements like weight gainers or weight loss supplements to help you in this journey.
• Do not blindly follow
• Increase reps and weight or intensity wisely.
• Be consistent.
• Do not ignore rest days.

Takeaway

Gaining muscle while losing fat is a realistic goal when approached with the right mindset and strategy. Prioritize strength training, follow a high-protein, calorie-controlled diet, and stay consistent. Body recomposition demands effort, but the rewards of a leaner, stronger, and healthier body are worth it. Remember, progress is not linear, so celebrate small wins along the way!

Sources: https://hevycoach.com/glossary/body-recomposition

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/body-recomposition

Hello Ziddis! We have all heard and read enough about how a workout routine is never one-size-fits-all. When it comes to starting the right workout routine, making sure it aligns with more than just your goal is the key. But no one talks about how to build your own workout plans. Let us make it easier for you.

Workout Routine

A workout routine is not just a list of exercises but a plan that fits into your roadmap to fitness. Your goals become milestones and you end up achieving more and more with the right workout plans.

There are ways you can figure out what is the right workout routine for you and it starts with asking yourself the right questions.

• What are your fitness goals?
• What does your body need- gaining or losing to reach this goal?
• What is your lifestyle like?
• Does your gender play a role in the goal you chose?
• What is accessible to you to assist you in this goal?

When you understand the answer to these questions you can start building yourself a workout routine.

Workout Routine for Beginners

If you are just starting out do not panic or get overwhelmed. Simply follow the drill and make sure you know your goals. What you want to achieve through your workout routines. By keeping your eyes on the prize you discipline yourself and keep your focus unwavering. It is easy to get distracted and try 10 different things instead of focusing on your path.

Some tips that will help build a workout routine for beginners are:

• Engage in 3 to 4 sessions per week each for about 45 mins
• Make sure walking is a part of your daily activity. Keep a 7k to 10k steps goal
• Engage more in core exercises. They are great for gaining and losing both.
• Invest in a gym membership and learn how to keep your form correct whenever you exercise.
• A workout routine for a beginner is incomplete without a crucial tip which is do not rush into increasing reps or weight.
• Always stretch and warm up before starting your workout.

Workout Routine for Men

For men, mostly strength training is recommended. But depending on your goals it is wise to choose and build a workout routine for men. Here in this routine, the focus is on building muscles, improving strength, and working on stamina. An all-round routine is much needed to serve these three purposes.

• Day 1 Upper Body: Engage in chest and triceps exercises
• Day 2 Legs: Engage in exercises focusing on legs like a variety of squats by adding weights to them
• Day 3 Back: Work on your back muscles and shoulders this day. Include pull-ups and back extensions.
• Day 4 Core: This is the most important part of any workout routine for men. Train your core for better strength.
• Day 5 Cardio: Whether you are gaining or losing, some cardio is a must. The intensity could vary from running to swimming.

By following this plan, you end up training all your major muscle groups and get adequate time to rest the opposing group before its turn again. A workout routine for men is all about progressive overload by challenging your muscles with heavier weights and increased reps.

Workout Plans for Women

Workout plans for women could focus on either their fitness goals or hormonal requirements. In lots of cases, women suffer from hormonal imbalance so their need for personalised workout plans increases. Here is how women can make the most of their workout plans.

• Boosting metabolism: High-intensity interval training
• Building lean muscle: Resistance training
• Build core strength: Pilates
• Improve mental wellbeing and reduce cortisol levels: Yoga
• Overall fitness: Planks, weights and cardio

For targeted muscle groups, try squats, glute bridges, fire hydrants, donkey kicks, cat and cow pose and more such simple workouts.

A great idea for customizing workout plans for women is focusing on their menstrual cycle. Depending on the phase, the exercises can be modified. This will help all the women stay consistent.

Best Workout Routine

Just as there is no one workout for all, it is difficult to point out the best workout routine. To simply put it this way, the best workout routine is what helps you achieve your fitness goals faster and more sustainably. It should keep you consistent and save you from injuries. A customized workout plan suiting your and your body’s needs is what could be the best workout routine. At the same time, make sure to include, core training, walking and warm-up in every plan you make.

Takeaway

Building your own workout is a fun experience. It is more personalized and helps you feel more invested in the process. So wait no more, grab your gym bags and pack some protein in your protein shaker to get moving. Your perfect workout routine is waiting for you. Make sure to click that mirror selfie in the gym to see your fitness journey manifest.

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20048269

Hello Ziddis! We see the heroes in the movies flex a flat stomach with chiselled abs so much that they look sculpted. We get back to our lives thinking no way happens or it could be computer generated or that they get the best of the best training, which we don’t. There is more possibility of the second option being truer. But we can fix that. To gain six pack abs, let’s fix our mindset from its myth to a reality. Tough to attain reality, but reality nonetheless.

Can We Get Six-Pack Abs in Three Months?

The direct answer to this is it depends. On what you may ask? Your diet, your workout, your indulgences, but more than that, your discipline. Getting six pack abs could be a dream goal for a lot but the timeline could vary depending on how disciplined you are. Sometimes it is also owed to a mix of genetics and body composition. Only doing endless sets of crunches could not work.

So what all factors contribute to whether or not you could achieve six pack abs?

• Your body fat percentage: People with a higher body fat percentage would require losing weight before their abs-gaining journey begins. The ideal body fat percentage is around 10 to 15% for men and 18 to 22% for women.
• Genetics: Having good genetic combinations that influence your body composition and metabolism could help you gain abs more easily than the rest.
• Body Type: Mesomorphs find it easier to build muscle while maintaining lower fat levels. Endomorphs, on the other hand, need shedding fat and building muscle to be required to start their abs journey.
• Consistency: Abs are also proportional to the consistency in your life while you follow a diet or a workout plan.

6 Pack Workout: Training for Defined Abs

Some exercises have a direct impact on your abs. Such ab training is required regularly to make your abs more defined and get those 6 packs. Here are a few you could try even at home with just your yoga mat:

• Core exercises: Upper abs: Crunches Lower abs: Hanging leg raises and reverse crunches.
• Obliques: Russian twists and side planks Overall core, Planks and ab rolls.
• Compound movements for stronger mid-torso: Deadlifts Squats Overhead presses
• Progressive overload: Use weights and resistance bands for leg raises to get more impact on your stomach area.

6 Pack Diet Plan: Abs Are Made in the Kitchen

Whoever said “Abs are made in the kitchen” wasn’t lying. They truly are. Here is how you can eat your way to gaining your 6 packs.

• Caloric Deficit: Burn more calories than you consume. About 10 to 20% of calories could be deficit to gain 6 packs.
• Balance your macros: Have more proteins like eggs, lean meat, paneer or supplements like whey protein powder. Have complex carbs like oats and quinoas as stable. Make sure you have loads of healthy fats to keep yourself fuller like some peanut butter or avocados.
• Stay hydrated: Your body washes out loads of minerals when you are working out, so stay hydrated and mix your drink with electrolytes.

Takeaway

Getting 6 packs is a challenging yet achievable goal. All you need to do is work out every day while focusing on your core, have the right food, and avoid indulgences. The journey does not end at only getting the 6 pack abs but maintaining those. So your discipline needs to be your lifestyle. When you choose a healthier life, the 6 packs will choose you. provided you