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By: The SmashFit Experts

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I heard I'm not suppose to eat any carbs. Is this true?

Absolutely not. Carbs are energy, your fuel. The protein, that you should be consuming as well, is the building block to muscle growth. Sure, you can survive without the carbs, but if you are looking for muscular gains, then carbs must be part of your diet. The question should be which carbs. Foods made with refined flour and sugar (ie processed) are generally crap. They usually have little, to no, nutritional value other than to fill your gut. Therefore, I recommend staying away from these foods all together while trying to achieve fitness goals. The kind of carbs you should be eating are whole grains, oatmeal, vegetables, and fruits. Once you've reached your goals, then you can incorporate these "cheat carbs" into your diet, but only once in awhile.

How often should I work each body part?
Once a week is fine, as long as you hit them hard. Working the muscles too many times a week can lead to over-doing-it, and over-doing-it leads to over-training which will slow your progress and could cause injury. You may look bigger after a strenuous workout, but that's just the blood flowing to your muscles giving you that hulk-like appearance. The truth is, true muscle growth occurs when they are resting, not when they are pumping. You must have recovery time (usually about 48 hours depending on intensity) since that is when your muscles recalculate how much bigger and stronger they must become in order to compensate for the added stress you've placed upon them. This said, if you can only make it to the gym once or twice a week, then an all-over, hit-every-muscle-group approach is fine.

I don't think I can afford to hire a trainer or join a gym. What can I do to stay in shape?
Plenty! One need not spend a lot of money just to get in shape. It just takes a little ingenuity and some floor space. First of all, there are workout tapes, and lots to choose from. They are perfect for the stay at home parent, or the working parent who has limited time. The best place to start is the library. They may not have all the up-to-date tapes, but if there's a fitness personality, or style you like, you can try it out first before spending. Or you could invest in some at-home equipment. You can spend up to a ton of $, or as little as $50. The all-inclusive gym things can be cool, but you have to have the money and space for them. A good alternative is a weight bench and some weights. Relatively inexpensive and out of the way, hand weights are incredibly versatile and you can hit just about every body part.

I've been following my trainers advice and I'm seeing results, but I'm not losing weight? What's that about?     
It's the old cliche, "muscle weights more than fat". Except the cliche, is true. If you are eating right, lifting weights, and doing cardio, you are probably gaining muscle and losing fat. So you may stay the same size, or even get smaller while the numbers on the scale stay the same (or even goes up a tad). Fat has been replaced by (heavier) muscle and the muscle is being reshaped and streamlined. Now, if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, then I suggest using the scale for awhile...to put you in your target range, but when you get within those 5 -10 pounds, pack the scale away. If you are working out hard, and eating well, then the scale could be your own worst enemy sabotaging your fired-up attitude. Instead, try pulling out your "little pants" (the pants you pushed to the bottom of your drawer because you never, ever thought you'd be able to wear them again, but secretly hoped to, so you saved them) as a gauge.Just move... away... from the scale.

I don't like lifting weights, but I want some definition. How can I do this?    
Well, you don't have to lift weights, but you have to lift something. In order to create definition, you have to build the muscle. In order to build the muscle, you have to make them work. If all we needed to do to build muscle is lift things, then we'd all be HUGE from lifting groceries, our children, the laundry, etc.... But your muscles are used to this weight, they are conditioned for it. In order to make them grow (thereby creating definition), you have to push them, or shock them, by lifting something heavier than they are used to. I personally think that hand weights are the greatest. You can work everything from your shoulders to your glutes with a set of dumbbells in your hands. BUT, if you absolutely can't stand to even look at weights, then try a palates or yoga class (or video). These forms of exercise build strength, and tone at the same time.

Won't I get bulky if I lift weights?
This is a typical question from women, but I hear it from men too. "Bulky" is generally not a desirable way to look. Big, muscular, lean, cut,...seem to be the ideal. So to answer your question, you won't get bulky unless you want to. There is a strategy to getting bulky - you have to lift heavy weights...often. So don't do that. If you are a woman lifting weights for definition, then the basic strategy is to do more reps with less weight along with the right amount of cardio (for fat/calorie burning) to achieve your target weight/body goals.  Lifting lighter sounds easier you say? Here's the catch, your muscles should be burning so bad that by the end of your 20ish rep, you have to get a tissue to dab the tears from eyes. Men, the same principals apply to you except that if you are trying to get bigger, without getting bulky, then do heavier weight, so that you can do about three sets of 10-12 reps. You may need to incorporate cardio to burn the fat around your growing muscles. To get bulky, you would consistently need to do heavy, heavy weight, like 3 or more sets of 4-8 reps, which is ideal for some sports.