How I Achieved My Best Physical Transformation at 57 1812167585, 9798671630558

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HOW I ACHIEVED MY BEST PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION AT 57

■Frank Cabrera

IMPORTANT NOTE The information in this book reflects the author’s experience and opinion and is not intended to replace medical advice in any way. Before beginning any exercise regimen, consult your doctor to make sure it is right for you.

CONTENT Dedication

8

Who’s Frank Cabrera?

9

Introduction

13

PART I: GUIDELINES AND WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC

17

Your diet plays a key role in losing 20 weight, if that is the case Discipline: the most closely guarded 22 secret in the fitness environment when it comes to seeing changes Consult with your doctor

23

When it comes to setting goals

25

Important support from your circle of 26 friends and family It’s a good idea to keep track of your 27 progress in your daily schedule Losing progress and how to avoid it

27

Combat sedentarism to become more 28 active Stay focused on what’s important

29

What health consequences does obesity 30 bring to people? How do I lose weight in a healthy way?

31

Your motivation as a driving force to 34 achieve your goals in the face of pandemic and exercise 10 ways that will help motivate you even 35

PART II: MUSCULAR ENDURANCE EXERCISES FOR BEST PHYSICAL CONDITION

39

What is the reason for the water retention? 40 Elements that influence the process of 42 defining muscle How to remove excess subcutaneous fat

Metabolism and its functions as a primary 46 entity in the oxygenation of body fat What is better, cardiovascular?

weights

and/or 48

Aerobic exercise as an effective system to 49 oxidize fat Muscle load support as a glycogen burner

49

Neuromuscular adaptations to training 51 with muscle loads Because it is important to raise the body 55 temperature before training What exercises help tone the buttocks and 57 legs? What is the difference between “weight 59 loss” and fat loss? Where does oxidized fat go?

61

PART IV: SUPPLEMENTS; USES AND FUNCTIONS

77

What time do I take the supplements? 78 Which ones do I buy? Whey protein

80

Branched amino acids of greatest benefit 80 when building muscle Frequent use of artificial colours and 81 flavours that can be harmful to health Do the fat burners really work?

84

Part V: Learning a bit about this sport, Bodybuilding

89

Where does it originate and, why is it so popular nowadays?

91

How do you prepare physically for a competition?

92

Pre-competition nutrition

94

Main poses used in bodybuilding today

94

Photo section

96

Thank you

104

DEDICATORY From my bedroom I write for someone who, since I met him, was a very special to me. That friend, brother, opened the doors of his heart to give me his hand, to help me without expecting anything in return, part of my professional growth as a personal trainer I owe to him, my friend, I mean you, who are part of my group of readers, followers, today I dedicate this book to you, I thank God for having met special people, I do not say goodbye but a see you soon, I hope you enjoy this new work, which I have done with much love for you, and that you put what you have learned into practice. Your friend Frank Cabrera

WHO’S FRANK CABRERA? My name is Frank Cabrera. Since my childhood and during my student years I used to do exercises with cement weights in my backyard. Besides practicing karate and boxing. In 1982, I began my university studies at the University of Santo Domingo and at the World University where I graduated as an Industrial Engineer in 1987. In 1988, I began to practice my profession as an Industrial Engineer, in the area of Manatí, PR, I worked for Flour Daniel Construction, Rorer Pharmaceutical, Ortho Biological and Dupont Pharmaceutical. At the age of 27 I decided to go to train due to overweight problems at a gym in the Vega Baja area with Mr. Juan Cartagena. The love for the sport of bodybuilding led me in 1990, to take some workshops and seminars offered by Mr. Javier Pollock, President of the IFBB Latin America and the Caribbean, and through the PR Bodybuilding Federation and from there began my career in the field of Fitness and Bodybuilding, 3 years later, I was elected as Judge Revelation of the Year 1993, for my excellent performances, that same year I was appointed Vice President of the Puerto Rico Bodybuilding Federation, which I practiced for over 15 years. When I was working in the pharmaceutical industry as an Industrial Engineer, I opened my first Gymnasium business in 1994, in the city of Manatí, successfully managing and serving clients over the years. Being one of the first Certified Personal Trainers in Puerto Rico by the Personal Trainers Examination Board granted by the Department of Recreation and Sports of Puerto Rico (DRD). 12 years ago, in 2005, we opened the first fitness concept called “DEFINED PERSONAL BODY TRAINING & WEIGHT LOSS” in San Juan, PR. Due to the success achieved with this unique concept in the market and for the service we offer, customer satisfaction

makes it a franchise. In 2014, the Defined Body concept was chosen by Promoexport, an International business agency to export the DEFINED BODY concept to all of Latin America and the United States. In 2014, I collaborated with MBTI, to help them improve the curriculum of the Personal Training Course. For 15 years I was the coordinator and representative in Puerto Rico of the I.F.P.A. (International Association of Personal Trainers in Tampa, Florida). Through the I.F.P.A. I offered workshops and exams to certify future Personal Trainers in Puerto Rico. I published my first fitness book in 2013, called TRANSFORM YOUR BODY SOUL AND SPIRIT, besides being the editor and founder of the magazine DEFINED BODY FITNESS MAGAZINE. In 2018, the publication of my second book ”” GET IN SHAPE AFTER THE 50’s. Since 2014, I have been working as a lecturer in exercise science and as the Academic Director of the MEDFIT Institute (Medical Fitness And Entrepreneurs Institute), and offering courses in Personal Training, Bodybuilding Coach and Massage Therapist, all accredited by the Council of Higher Education of PR (CESPR), in addition to offering Continuing Education Accredited by the Department of Recreation and Sports of Puerto Rico (DRD) and as a professor of Exercise Science. As a Personal Coach I had the opportunity to train different Major League Baseball players such as CARLOS BELTRAN, TONY VALENTIN, JAVIER VALENTIN, in Basketball I was the coach of JOSE PICULIN ORTIZ, former NBA player, as well as the famous Model and Businesswoman “MARIPILY “. The satisfaction I have is that during these 24 years as a sports entrepreneur, I have been able to help many people improve their quality of life through exercise and nutrition. For the year 2018, I will prepare for the Bodybuilding competition in the Men Physíque Master category, coming in

5th place. That same year I competed again in the NPC Master category 40 years and older, qualifying to compete in the Pittsburgh Nationals in the United States of America. In 2019, I will study in Ohio, where I acquired a new title, Advanced Personal Trainer from the I.F.P.PA Academy. I fulfilled a dream of working as a Personal Trainer at one of the largest gym chains in the United States, L.A. Fitness in Columbus, Ohio.

INTRODUCTION Since I finished writing my first book, I promised myself that I will continue to be active, this is already my third book and I think that the time has come to start this new amendment, it is about maintaining and improving my health, which many of us do not take much care of. At this time in my life that is my priority and should be your priority as well. Part of this topic follows on from Part I of the previous book, called Getting Fit After 50’s, and I’m re-narrating this part at the request and benefit of the new readers of this book. STAGES OF MY TRAINING FOR MY PREPARATION FOR A BODYBUILDING COMPETITION Part of the theme of this book deals with when new changes in my physique are coming. We all know that the years do not pass in vain, and if we do not put our body into physical activity, our health will deteriorate, and even more so when we enter the 50-year straight. It is common knowledge that the body goes into physical deterioration, loss of muscle mass, weakness, health conditions such as high blood pressure, high glucose levels, other health conditions, sedentariness, and hormone levels begin to decline, such as testosterone, lower lipid levels among other things. This training I underwent was 1 year ago before the Coronavirus Pandemic, I decided to continue my physical training from home. It’s kind of like starting over. After several months of not exercising due to different reasons. I started my physical preparation and with it comes the muscle pain, after each exercise routine that is the recent body to start again, you feel like you never trained. But the physical begins its process of adaptation just like the mental state. The food part is extremely important, you have to start your diet with the necessary meals, portions and calories that are required to

start seeing gradual changes in our metabolism, which is a slow and paused process. In addition to the consumption of vitamin supplements that help the regeneration of cells and reconstruction of muscle tissue. During the third week, already adapted to the training regime I suffered a small spasm in the lumbar area, but with relaxing and stretching I was able to walk again and the back pains improved. I’m in my fourth week of physical training, but a new injury arises in my left forearm, specifically in the elbow. Approximately 12 months ago, due to a force applied when lifting a walking machine in the gym, I developed an inflammation of the tendons in my forearm. At this stage of my physical training I have been mastering more weight every day and I understand that I subjected my body to more overload than usual, but it was part of my preparation. Taking into account that I didn’t suffer any serious injuries that could hinder my preparation, although at that time I felt pain in my left elbow, so I had to take a few days off to recover from the injury. This does not mean that I stopped training other muscles, in addition to my cardiovascular system. I was taking anti-inflammatories and

thanks to them I felt a slight improvement. I have learned to tolerate and manage forearm tendon discomfort. In the following weeks, we followed the exercise training from Monday to Friday. Performing the muscle resistance program for approximately one hour and then the next half hour of cardiovascular exercise. Meals should never be omitted, the most important is to follow your nutrition, that is where you acquire the energy and nutrients you will need during the day. In addition to your vitamin supplements that will help you have a good hormonal balance and in general to maintain your health in optimal conditions.

Continuing my preparation process on the way to the bodybuilding competition, I kept motivated until I finished the preparation and reached the goal, already in my fifth week, things did not change much related to nutrition, preparation of my meals, the exercise routine, the most difficult thing for me, was to get up in the morning very early, and prepare my breakfast, to take it to work, begin to make the walk in fasting, then sit down to have breakfast, two hours later begin the routine of exercises with weights and at the end to return to make another walk I could do it, that is to say it is a question of one to program itself, after training, to have lunch and to consume the necessary nutrients with content based on carbohydrates and proteins, minerals and the water intake. Take the 1 hour break to digest, to go back to work and to attend to the clients. When I get home, the next meal comes and at the end, before going to bed, the last snack. The next day I would repeat the same steps of the previous day, without avoiding any step, except Saturday and Sunday, you will practice it every day until it becomes a habit, and then a discipline that you will have as long as you want to do it. It should be stressed that it takes a lot of knowledge about nutrition and exercise to achieve your goals, if you have any doubts about your preparation, the best option is to get a trained and experienced Personal Trainer to help you with your goal and keep you focused all the time and not boycott your preparation. Every process and preparation for a transformation involves many sacrifices when it comes to achieving your goals, it is not easy but it can be successful. You will enjoy the process, do not see it as a torture but rather as a challenge with yourself, many people start but very few finish, you will have the support of your partner, family, friends, stay away from people who do is take away or fade your dreams, look for positive people, compatible with your desire to achieve and finally you will see the results.

Remember to take the health measures in front of the Covi-19 and that everyone is well at home.

PART I: GUIDELINES AND WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH IN THE FACE OF A PANDEMIC

In the presence of a pandemic like the coronavirus, the idea is to follow some medical recommendations first, to protect ourselves from the virus, such as washing your hands for 20 seconds, if you are going out wearing a mask and gloves, and the most important thing is to stay indoors. Keeping in mind to protect you and yours. We have an obligation to follow strict health standards to prevent infection, but that’s not enough, we would like everyone to be healthy, because I think the world would be a better place. Besides being surrounded by healthy people and more positive people, we would be happier, live longer and the government would spend less on medical care. To reach truly optimal health, we must follow a balanced diet and continue to exercise. You feed well but exercise little, you will be thin but weak; but if you exercise and eat food of little nutritional value, then you will be seriously deficient in nutrition. The only way to achieve good benefits is by combining both strategies. In the face of the coronavirus, nutrition plays a vital role, because we must strengthen our immune system, the elderly are the most fragile, and so you must take more precautions. Every culture has a different opinion, my recommendation is very simple: eat more healthy foods (fruits, vegetables…) and less sugars or high glycemic carbohydrates (alcohol, refined flours). Exercise

Vital exercise, you have to do regularly three types of exercise: 1. Aerobic (walking, swimming, buzzing, cardio boxing) 2. Flexibility (stretching…) 3. Muscle resistance

Because of my experience as a personal trainer, I see the older adult population doing a lot of aerobic exercise, not endurance exercise, much less flexibility. In relation to flexibility exercises, a great majority of ladies tend to do yoga, pilates, and gentlemen are more inclined to do resistance exercises. The science of exercise shows that to burn calories from body fat, you should include a combined program of nutrition and exercise, both cardiovascular and resistance to achieve greater consumption of calories related to the oxidative system (lose weight in a healthy way). Our basal metabolism, I refer to zero physical activity. I mean, even though we’re sitting in zero motion, we’re wasting calories. This amount depends, environmental factors, genetics and above all your lifestyle if you are a sedentary or active person. also the amount of muscle mass we possess. The more muscle, the more fat you are going to burn. Doing resistance exercises not only eliminates more calories while training, but there will be a greater breakage of muscle fibers that result in increased muscle tissue during the hours of your routine, which translates into greater consumption of body fat at rest. If we increase our resting calorie expenditure, exercise itself will reduce the volume of body fat and excess water. The results will be seen after the first 4 weeks. You can go to the gym regularly from 4 to 5 times a week, combine your resistance exercises with the cardiovascular ones and in a short time you will notice changes in your body composition, strength, flexibility but not yet in your weight. Weight may vary subject to the person’s metabolism.

YOUR DIET PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN LOSING WEIGHT, IF THAT IS THE CASE Before the Coronavirus or Covid-19 as this virus is called, it is one of the factors against the human being at the time of losing but, due to the amount of hour without any or very little physical activity, but there are alternatives and solutions before this situation. You should take a certain amount of time to perform your exercise routine either in your backyard or inside, take into consideration factors such as space that type of exercise to perform, I advise you to look for advice from a qualified personal trainer, who will guide you safely in your exercise routines.

You should always be aware of the calories of each food, it is very important to measure the portions, that way we will have a better control. Remember to read the labels to see the percentages of fat, protein, salt, sugar, magnesium, sodium, and carbohydrates. You should make it a habit to take time to exercise, to create a healthy lifestyle, that’s what I’ve done and it

has given me great results. So far I had explained all this to you and now you understand your behavior patterns, so you can easily avoid the above situations:

If you go to the supermarket, try to go with a list of staple foods, avoid sweets, flours, artificially sweetened juices, don’t get out of focus or get a glimpse of a certain type of food that is not very nutritious because it is cheap or special. Never measure quantity for quality, to save you a few cents, if you do those savings you were will be spent later on a doctor and / or medicine. Subscribe to health and wellness magazines, become a member of groups with the same goal or objective, you will always find negative people in your family and friends, change your circle of friends, surround yourself with people with your same goals. Surround yourself with experts in the field, so that you can nourish yourself with more knowledge. Select a coach, advisor or expert to guide you. The reason for a personal trainer, is because the treatment is more personalized, and will be more attentive to your meals, also that when doing the exercises you do it perfectly, working with the correct positions, the mechanics of movement according to the joint thus avoiding possible injuries

DISCIPLINE: THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE FITNESS ENVIRONMENT WHEN IT COMES TO SEEING CHANGES

Making the commitment to yourself and even more so hiring a personal trainer when it comes to achieving your goals of losing weight, changing your lifestyle and becoming healthier is a big challenge. We make the commitment as the client also commits to follow the instructions to the letter of his coach, the client has the right to ask any questions or suggestions in any activity to perform, also the client can include aspects such as the amount of weight you want to lose, achievable goals, we cannot put unattainable goals that can fall into frustration by the client, the goals will work in stages to bring them in a staggered manner and can be achieved and fulfilled successfully by the client. Another aspect is the changes in the diet that you will make to adopt healthy eating habits and an agenda of different activities for the client so that you can carry them out regularly. It is good to have either an intrinsic or extrinsic motivation to put the reasons why you want to gain muscle or lose body weight. It could be because your family has a lot of obesity or heart disease or because you want to see your grandchildren grow up, or simply because you want to gain health and look great. Put these reasons in front of your bedroom mirror or on your refrigerator door.

CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR Consult with your doctor and tell him or her what you are doing to improve your health, also to assess your weight, and risk factors related to your health. Ask for a blood test to monitor changes in hormones, cholesterol, triglycerides, and other elements that require follow-up.

Make a diary to record your daily intake to help you be more aware of your nutrition and portions of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and minerals. It is recommended if you can improve your lifestyle to one that is healthier than your current one. List the possible obstacles you might encounter in your efforts to reach your goal. Are your schedules for getting to and from work complicated enough or too long, do your trips prevent you from exercising, do you have small children and/or a large family? Another aspect to consider is high glycemic index foods such as biscuits, butters, soft drinks, because that’s what your kids love. Do you take your meals to work or do you buy them there directly?

I recommend that you prepare your own meals with the best natural ingredients, I assure you that it will be more nutritious than the one sold by the coffee shop on the corner near your work, plus you will save hundreds of dollars a year, do the math and you will see what I mean.

WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING TARGETS Set a plan of short term, medium term and long term goals this is the right way that physiologists and different sports medicine academies recommend and I of course recommend it. If your short term goal is to get down 3 inches from your waist, and if you accomplished your goal in the time planned by you and your coach, go for a higher goal, make a greater effort not to stall your progress and not stay in a comfort zone. Achieve only one objective at a time and make them achievable In the short term In the medium term In the long term It is extremely important that, short goals will lead you to longer goals therefore you will see and enjoy your progress and see your efforts bearing fruit, remember that discipline in everything you do, will push you to the top, the sky is the limit. Mistakes occur when we go off plan for any reason, as in the case of a party, there are wines and liquors, junk food, temptation takes hold of us, it is normal, we are human, the important thing is to continue the next day with discipline, our nutrition plan, exercise training as we had planned. Taking the perspective that all people are different: what works for me may or may not work for you too, looking at it from that point of view, usually the metabolism is different in each person. Even if my neighbor has lost a few pounds just by walking or cutting calories from his or her meals, it doesn’t mean that doing the same thing he or she did will have the same results, and there may

be other options that fit his or her lifestyle’s caloric needs. Getting different forms of exercise is part of the key to acquiring optimal health throughout your life. In addition to your exercise plan, choose a sport that you enjoy doing and that will serve as a stimulus to promote your health in the short and long term.

THE SUPPORT OF YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY IS IMPORTANT Mutual support is vital in achieving our goals, from your husband’s or wife’s family, close relatives, friends and even your neighbours. Look for educational programs related to exercise and good nutrition, reading a good book helps a lot, attending activities and health fairs. You may have people you know who are the same age and have the same objective or neighbours with similar goals, know that together you can share your common plans. You can also create or join private groups on social networks in which they share many ideas and scientific information related to the topic or goals, another option is to visit your doctor and a nutritionist to help you improve in the process whatever your purpose.

IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP YOUR PROGRESS ON YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE. Check the goals on your schedule and tell your coach to constantly evaluate your progress. If you plan to walk every afternoon but find it impossible to do so, consider changing your schedule or try to walk at a time that works for you or does not prevent you from doing other tasks or after work. Discuss part by part what your plan is working well and which ones will need to be improved during your process. Then make changes to your goals and plan as needed. If you are not consistently achieving your goals, then continue to add adjustments to stay on track for success. Rewarding yourself is motivating and enjoying your accomplishments is even better, having seen your progress. Use prizes that are not related to candy, butter, or other treats as motivation. Something that is like traveling, incentives will keep you active and enthusiastic.

LOSING THEIR PROGRESS AND HOW TO AVOID IT Follow their healthy nutrition method and guidelines realistically. You’ve noticed the changes in your figure and health, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, now the challenge is to preserve the different eating habits you’ve adopted all along your journey. It has been shown that in people who lost weight and did not rebound for at least 6 months to a year, a large proportion of them maintained a low-calorie diet compared to what they ate before - fewer calories to diet. The idea is to maintain your guidance and nutrition habits. Follow a healthy eating pattern regardless of your exercise workouts and the changes they entail. When you go on vacation, don’t change your eating patterns. Keep healthy foods on hand when you need them and it’s time for your meals to be available. Do not eat breakfast every day, fast intermittently at least once or twice a week, preferably on Saturday or Sunday. Not eating breakfast has almost become a common habit for people who have lost weight and have not regained it. Fasting can help you avoid accumulating hunger and eating more hours later.

FIGHTING SEDENTARISM TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE Exercise at least 5 times a week. People who have succeeded in reducing body fat and have not regained it usually spend 30 to 60 minutes in moderate intensity physical activity 5 days a week, and do not consume more calories than they need. It may also be that with only 30 minutes of physical activity three times a day. For example, walking or cycling at a brisk pace, but maintaining a constant and steady pace that you can

maintain for as long as your physical condition allows, the important thing is not to exceed the limits your body allows you to reach without abusing your physique in order to avoid injury. Everyone will need to consult a doctor before engaging in physical activity.

STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT MATTERS Keeping your diet on track is an important part of this process and your activity. Use a diary as indicated above to keep track of your day-to-day habits of physical activity, this can help you track your goals and their different phases, it will also help you identify your trends, you may notice that your weight increases for a few days, but that is sometimes due to fluid retention. Recognizing this trend may indicate that you should understand that it is part of the process, mainly happens in ladies when they are in their periods, in men when this happens you may have problems with sodium retention related to heart problems, in that sense we advise you to visit your cardiologist. Keep your fat percentage in the normal range between 15% and 25%. To monitor the percentage of fat lost, it is a good idea to keep a record of body measurements in order to consistently evaluate your exercise and eating plan as agreed upon. If you have gained a few pounds, you should return to the guidelines quickly. Important support from your circle of friends. People who have successfully lost weight and have not regained it, have implemented their consistency and perseverance and overcome the setbacks. Almost always friends or acquaintances who are also losing weight or trying to maintain their new weight can help you achieve your goals.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY ON PEOPLE? Research has shown that as weight increases to levels of overweight and obesity*, they carry many risks for the following conditions: *High blood pressure *Diabetes *Cancer (in different parts of the body) *Arthritis *Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol or high triglyceride levels) *Stroke *Hepatitis *Sleep apnea (occurs frequently) *Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis (the degeneration of the cartilage and bone underlying a joint and in the bones)*

Overweight is interpreted in exercise science books as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 and obesity as a BMI greater than 30.

HOW DO I LOSE WEIGHT IN A HEALTHY WAY? It is normal that anyone who wants to lose weight wants to see quick results. Scientific evidence shows that people should lose weight gradually and steadily (between 1 and 2 pounds per week), which is what the body system burns or oxidizes calories per week from body fat, not water or muscle. Losing weight in a healthy way, I mean body fat, is not about following a diet guide, it also involves burning a certain amount of calories without sacrificing fluid loss and lean tissue. It involves a totally different lifestyle that you had before proceeding, with these internal and external changes. To reduce your weight in percent of body fat, you must spend more calories than you consume. We call this lowcalorie nutrition, starting from the premise that to lose a pound of weight you must burn 3,500 calories, it takes between 500 - 1000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week combined with a minimum physical activity of 30 to 50 minutes per day approximately 5 days a week (recommendations by A.C.S.M.) American College of Sports Medicine, in their book Guide for the Personal Trainer. Once you reach your goals with noticeable, healthy changes, you will be more likely to maintain your figure for much longer, if you eat a healthy diet and are physically active most days of the week (60-90 minutes of moderate intensity). Achieving goals is not easy, and it requires commitment. But if you’re ready to get started, don’t put it off until later or for the future which may be more difficult when it

comes to making your decision to start, there are many methods and step-by-step guides to help you get on the road to your goals of looking better and staying healthier. There are many benefits that you will acquire, at the hormonal level, self-esteem, energy, concentration, agility, size reduction, sleep quality among others. The good news is that no matter what your weight loss goal is, exercising, even if you do a modest amount, like 5 to 30 minutes a day, will have results and many benefits to your health, like those mentioned above and also in your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose. If you weigh 225 pounds, a 5% weight loss equals 12.5 pounds, so your weight would drop to 112.5 pounds. My recommendation is not only to focus on the weight, but on the loss of body fat, converted into fewer sizes of clothes, how you are feeling, with the mood you wake up in the morning, how do you see life, you want to do more things that you did not do before, as your energy flows, you have more enthusiasm, you live your life more fully, you share more with your friends, you invite them to do the same as you do, to take care of you more than before, you enjoy your goals more, you achieve more spiritual connection, you live the day to day without worrying, you release the stress, you dedicate more time to yourself, in short if we keep mentioning all the benefits, we will not finish this book. To Try, to attempt and to fail, is part of the process of learning and adapting to their new lifestyle, which will involve many sacrifices on your part, at the same time your metabolism will try to adapt to their new lifestyle, because you had it in a comfort zone, equally you should avoid any negativity when starting on your new feeding program, exercise and lifestyle many people will invite them to delicious meals, alcoholic beverages but you must stand firm and say no for various reasons that we already know, risk factors to go back after a long road of progress and return to their unhealthy habits. Not always you win although it seems easy to do, many attempts few results, you will always see the way uphill,

but it is not impossible, this is only the first step, the goal you will see it far away, but in itself it is not, simply a way to continue breaking barriers whatever it costs because you already visualized it in your mind and you are imagining that you are achieving it. You will be able to acquire new friends, new orders for yourself, which will turn around in your environment that will lead you to achieve incredible results. Don’t stop at any challenge or adversity that you may encounter, enjoy the process that will take you to your new way of life, your experience, if others have achieved it because you haven’t. Improving your health, does not mean wasted time it will probably improve your life in different ways, what better wealth than feeling and looking good in health, if we do not have health there is no wealth, if we have good health we can enjoy the rest of the riches that God gave us, family, share with your loved ones, even if the coronavirus keeps us at 6 feet, but it is no excuse to enjoy a good wine, A good reading, sharing with your children and grandchildren, watching a good football program or your favourite sport, a good Netflix movie, great sacrifices are synonymous with great successes, I know that if you are going to be one of them, don’t lose faith and believe in yourself, and it all depends on you and nobody else, so let’s get to work, I wish you lots of luck, sweat a lot and achieve your goals in fitness and above all, do it for your health.

YOUR MOTIVATION AS A DRIVING FORCE TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC AND

EXERCISE

One of the main drawbacks that people face is related to their motivation in exercise, at the very moment you are about to start, there is no motivation, so you decide to postpone your exercise program, first mistake, you must be firm with yourself, you look for elements that contribute to your enthusiasm, if you are going to use the stationary bicycle and you get bored, then put it near a TV so you can watch your movie or your favourite program and so you have fun and finish your cardiovascular routine.

Keep in mind that exercise is not miraculous. You will not see results immediately overnight, so many people stop exercising when they do not notice progress.

10 WAYS THAT WILL HELP MOTIVATE YOU EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL UNWILLING TO DO YOUR EXERCISES How do you find a way to avoid sitting on the couch or armchair in your house for hours on end and go do your exercises?

I show you several ways to motivate yourself to perform your exercises. Imagine how you will feel after doing your exercise of the day, you managed to do your routine, and you feel fantastic, all this has a physical and psychological explanation:

1) Endorphins are generated by your brain while performing your physical, aerobic and/or muscular endurance workouts, they are known as happiness hormones. 2) You feel euphoric and happy with yourself because you know you are giving more years to your life by doing the right thing. Take advantage of the opportunity, you have to take care of yourself. 3) Calories ARE OXIDIZED by your metabolism in the form of glycogen and from accumulated fats in our body. If you add up the calories you will realize that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn but that doesn’t mean that you will overdo it and abuse your body with an exercise routine of more than an hour, you have to be very careful not to get into a catabolism process and this is NOT one of the most effective ways to lose weight. 4) Enjoy the exercise, make sure you do it in a safe manner, to avoid injury. Exercise should be fun, if not, try to find a variation of exercise that you find effective and enjoyable. You can change the technique, the mechanics of the movement, there I recommend that you seek help from a certified Personal Trainer. 5) See yourself in better condition or with less fat. Visualization is one of the most effective tools for motivation. “Imagine how you want to look”, has a positive effect on our mind. 6) Reading books, blogs and watching videos on the exercise channels and anything else that gets you in touch with the world of fitness will help you feel more committed to taking care of your body. 7) If you have the desire and the discipline, the motivation and the habit of exercising you are already assured of success in making your body the best it can be. This does not mean that if you neglect the processes

and habits you have acquired, you will lose everything you have gained. 8) You’ll feel attractive, if you put your mind to it. Exercising improves many things, including your appearance, makes you more energized, much stronger, and clothes will fit you better. In short, in every sense of the word you are and will feel much better than before. 9) After all the benefits have been mentioned, it remains to be said that already at this stage of reading this book, and you will feel that you have all the tools necessary to achieve your goals with your figure. 10) Stay healthy, active, happy, fun, keep climbing and improving your marks, keep creating higher goals so that you don’t give your physique a rest, let alone reach a plateau, and in the worst case scenario, boredom.

PART II MUSCLE RESISTANCE EXERCISES FOR BETTER PHYSICAL CONDITION

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE FLUID RETENTION? One of our main goals when training in a gym is to get into good muscle condition. Sometimes, when exercising, following diets and continuing a balanced diet and sometimes we find it difficult to achieve, this is due to different factors, such as poor diet, excessive intake of sodium, this causes fluid retention. Fluid retention is a condition that requires medical attention, because if you are overweight it makes you look more swollen and heavier, worsening your physical appearance and above all making the muscles you work much less apparent. But water retention is largely determined by health factors that we have already mentioned, so we must change them to achieve maximum definition. First we must avoid high-sodium foods that make us look bloated. Pure salt is one of them, because in excess it makes the tissues tend to fill the cells with water, which gives us a swollen and unsightly appearance. It is recommended to reduce the levels of sodium in food, using it moderately, is the best option, even though sodium is one of the best minerals that help the heart to keep it healthy and well. Many of the vegetables like asparagus, are another of the nutrients that we must take into account to get rid of liquids. One of the best known is the papaya. Taking infusions of roots from different medicinal plants will help us eliminate excess fluids. The pineapple is another powerful diuretic as well as the high consumption of liquids that will help us to maintain a perfect drainage of the organism. There are other diuretics that should always be supervised by a doctor, because if we use them without due precaution, they can cause us harmful

health effects, including dehydration, dizziness and even vomiting. Some types of massage such as lymphatic massage located in certain areas of the body is also a good way to eliminate fluid retention. It is advisable to attend a massage once every two weeks, or at least once a month to correct and drain the excess water retention. As soon as we realize we have to go to the doctor to attack the problem, otherwise the situation can get worse and reach the lungs or other organs. Some people resort to medicinal plants and other curative means to address the problem of fluid retention (oedema). It is recommended to avoid eating too many carbohydrates for a long period of time. Carbohydrates provide glycogen, each part of which is accompanied by a portion of water, so fluid storage will increase. We understand that energy is needed to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in training, which is why it is advisable to follow a low-carbohydrate diet. If we allow ourselves to be guided by these tips and to exercise consistently and follow proper nutrition, we will manage to eliminate the fluid retention that prevents our body from looking better and above all in better health.

ELEMENTS THAT INFLUENCE THE PROCESS OF DEFINING MUSCLE Defining the muscle is not a simple task to achieve, when we treat the first phase of volume where we increase the size of the muscle, then we would move on to the second phase which is muscle definition. Assuming that it was the case to follow the steps to compete in a physical attitude or bodybuilding event, there are many factors to take into account to perform a good muscle definition.

HOW TO REMOVE EXCESS SUBCUTANEOUS FAT The factor of nutrition plays a very important role, but before making decisions that involve changes in nutrition, we must take into account the body measurements, I mean the % of subcutaneous fat in different parts of the body to get an idea of what will be the strategy to start attacking the problem, since the layer that is under the skin in the muscle and must be reduced following some precautions. Aerobic work is one of the best options for training to oxidize fat, we must do aerobic certain amounts of hours a week, can be done before or after the muscle resistance routine. We have several alternatives and strategies to execute cardiovascular exercise, from cycling to swimming in a pool, so we avoid aerobics becoming a bore. You can alternate different machines: like the elliptical, walking machines. With 30 minutes in each activity every day, we would have accomplished to help the muscle to define itself better.

Walking is one of the best options when you want to activate the oxidative metabolism of body fat, this

activity used moderately, is the key to losing fat without touching the muscle tissue, it means that it will not have any adverse effect on muscle loss, according to the science of exercise, more I proved it by doing the test, and I got great benefits, also walking produces little impact to your joints, ankles, knee ligaments and little impact to your lower back (lumbar area) also the effect of fat depletion is effective. Group classes such as spinning or zumba are also excellent options. In fact, our main objective is to eliminate the subcutaneous fat, we must take into account the diet, which is a very important factor in this process of burning body fat, eliminating high cholesterol (trans fat) and high glycemic foods. As you cook food also counts, baked, grilled, steamed, are much healthier alternatives, in terms of food quality and nutrition, poultry, fish, red meat are cooked and cooked with the same liquids by putting them at high temperatures when cooked, many times the cook gives them their culinary touch knowing the right temperature according to the type of meat, in short, to seek muscle definition you will always need well cooked foods, different vegetables, salads, fruits (some) sources of minerals and your good dose of low intensity cardiovascular and resistance exercises so that your muscles help and contribute to seek your muscle definition helping your body to burn additional calories, toning your joints, tendons and ligaments making them stronger.

H OW

TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE ACQUIRED MUSCLE

It is very difficult and complex to maintain a certain amount of muscle mass, in this phase of definition it is necessary to take into account that for a caloric deficit to work it is necessary to follow an effective muscular resistance training, it is necessary to maintain an adequate consumption of proteins, the portions go according to your body weight and according to the sport that you practice, an excess of cardiovascular exercises can affect the one that you lose part of your gained muscular weave, we are speaking of more than 90 minutes run without stop, you can divide them in two halves, your fibers will not be affected. You can avoid muscular catabolism, as long as you control stress, rest a minimum of 6 to 8 hours, hydrate yourself as best as possible, consume the necessary nutrients every day and continue to focus on your goals until you reach them. The weight training phase is one of maintenance, rather than gain at this point, and should not be overlooked, as the muscle needs that stimulus, that load support or muscle resistance, to maintain its volume. Your neuromuscular system is intelligent and if it notices that there is no extra loa, it knows that it will decrease its fibers since it will not need them to preserve a certain amount of muscle. Nutrition has to be as adapted to your metabolism as possible, depending on your weight in muscle mass, your percentage of body fat and other factors such as the environment and your work routine, because if you do not follow a method or a guide, it will end up affecting your muscle constitution. A nutrition that carries all the elements, required starting with the micro and macro, when I speak in these terms I mean the proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, probiotics, we make sure that the muscle has the essential and non-essential

amino acids so that your muscles look bright and well formed. If you were to compete in a bodybuilding event you would require maximum muscle definition taking into account not to exceed the permitted limits that does not involve risking your health, which is often affected, taking the body to unhealthy extremes, which could lead to a state of coma, or even death, as has happened in many cases. We are not talking about these extremes here, but it is always good to mention them so that something does not happen to your health. IT IS IMPORTANT BEFORE STARTING AN EXERCISE PROGRAM TO VISIT YOUR DOCTOR AND HAVE THE PERTINENT TESTS DONE TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE FIT AND IN GOOD HEALTH TO START YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM.

METABOLISM AND ITS FUNCTIONS AS A PRIMARY ENTITY IN THE OXIDATION OF BODY FAT An active metabolism due to the result of your new lifestyle creates a higher fat burn from the calories stored in your body and therefore a higher use of glycogen reserves. Aerobic exercise, the muscle resistance exercise we have discussed above, is important because it contributes to your accelerated metabolism, which not only speeds up your metabolism while you are doing aerobics, but also continues until your body manages to metabolize each session, which means that several pounds of weight are oxidized into (body fat). We had already mentioned that weight training sessions favour the oxidation of fat through the metabolism. The definition is acquired in part by your training sessions adjusted to your body according to your needs, almost

always with the same loads, leading to muscle failure, more repetitions and making use of the famous circuits. Muscle tissue is the perfect machine for oxidizing fat, hence the importance of including load training in your routine.

And the combination of systematized nutrition also contributes to the activation of the metabolism. If we make a very low calorie diet or make few meals during the day, the metabolism will not be accelerated to the maximum, if we do the opposite, if we have enough balanced nutrition and distribute it in 4 to 6 meals a day, the metabolism will act differently, it will behave according to your discipline that you take with respect to your feeding, the time dedicated to your exercises and your new life style, evidently there is a correlation between them. There are people who turn to other methods and alternatives to activate their metabolism, many resort to caffeine, it has been scientifically proven to be a natural fat burner, having a cup of coffee can help you in the process, I tell you about my experience in my physical preparations, moderate coffee (black and no sugar) has helped me a lot in achieving my results.

WHAT’S BETTER? WEIGHT AND/OR CARDIOVASCULAR? There has always been controversy and debate as to which is the best, it turns out that there are many myths and beliefs that are not in line with reality, much has been said, people in gyms, in fitness centers, there are many opinions on the subject.

Losing a few pounds is supposed to be a challenge that is accepted by many people and put as a goal. However, in many cases I would say that in most cases there is a lot of misinformation, which often creates confusion in the general population, the truth is that there are studies in the exercise sciences and highly renowned entities such as (ACSM) American College & Sport Medicine, which indicate that neither of the two methods go hand in hand to achieve your goals, no matter which one, it

means that the two systems, cardiovascular and anaerobic must work together and at the same time, according to what I have studied and analyzed in my academic preparation as a Personal Trainer. Sometimes we have doubts about which training option is better for muscle definition, whether cardiovascular or resistance training. To find out the right answer we need to look more closely at both workouts and see how they help us in the process of burning body fat.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AS AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM TO OXIDIZE FAT When you do cardiovascular exercise, and calculate and measure the amount of calories burned in a session, you will have seen the burning of calories that serve as an incentive to return the next day, and without taking into consideration muscle endurance exercise. What the body actually expends when it exercises is when it does cardiovascular exercise, this means that it is exhaling more carbon dioxide, especially during the duration of the workout and after your workout when it is done at a moderate intensity, because it oxidizes more fat and not glycogen, not glucose through glycolysis.

LOAD SUPPORT TO THE MUSCLE AS A GLYCOGEN BURNER In a lifting workout, it is possible that glycogen depletion, being an anaerobic exercise, is the main source of energy used to move your muscles when exercising. From each exercise routine, the process known as COPD begins in a widely used concept in which the metabolic rate increases in proportion to the rest time, until our body returns to its resting state. COPD, which means excess oxygen consumed after training, is a state in which oxygen consumption increases, and therefore energy expenditure (taking fat and glucose consumed as fuel). Both systems are designed to burn calories, which means that they will burn more calories, because by performing both systems, more energy is used during exercise.

DOES THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM HELP TO DISINTEGRATE THE BODY’S FAT AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS PROCESS? It is affirmative to say that the cardiovascular trainings are vital to reduce the body fat, taking into account doing the exercise in a moderate way with approximately 30 minutes time, there are other factors like a good hydration helps to reduce your body weight with the benefit of staying hydrated (a). We know that lean mass acts as a “natural fat burner”, because the more muscle in your body, the more calories will be absorbed by your metabolism at rest. A person who weighs 160 pounds and has 10 percent body fat may be burning more calories per hour than someone who weighs the same, but has 30 percent body fat.

CONCLUSION You may have noticed that there is a science behind these processes and some knowledge that you have been learning in the course of this book, and is that the body will be adapting to the situation, the neuromuscular system is doing its job with the physical and neurological adaptation to the aerobic and anaerobic loads that the body is submitting, but as time goes by will continue to adapt to this lifestyle which you will enjoy every day, feeling the positive effects releasing more endorphins in which you will feel the physical and mental welfare. Losing weight does not mean that you have to sacrifice your muscles, on the contrary, you will continue to stimulate it so that you look and feel your body healthy, gain muscle mass and burn more body fat. Food is what contributes around 65% to this transformation process, so you put more emphasis on your routines, but you don’t pay attention to your nutrition, you will have half results and you will not be optimizing your health.

NEUROMUSCULAR ADAPTATIONS TO TRAINING WITH MUSCLE LOADS Exercise with loads at any intensity is related to variations in neurophysiological and psychological behaviour, as well as various systems such as the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Due to the changes that occur in our body, having the ability to develop and have the peculiarity of developing adaptations in the different systems such as the cardiovascular, immune and neuromuscular. These systems help and can vary according to your muscle genetics of the person according to age, height, sex, and other factors, it is dangerous to take the body to an extreme and overwhelming factor and is extremely, risky, this factor leads to breaks in joints, tendons. This adaptation involves a process of adaptation, a continuous change that will take time for the body to recover and continue to readapt to the new stress factors (in most cases training with programmed loads). All these changes are produced with the objective of acquiring new goals that benefit our body’s conditioned exercise routine. Amounts of high-risk adaptations that are established with trained athletes, stable changes in the body that revert more or less quickly with catabolic training. Some of these are mentioned in this book. 1. Among the adaptations to high-risk training, cardiovascular activity is taken into consideration, which include the decrease of heart rate (HR). HR, lower also observed that trained people, recovery of HR, after a maximum effort there is a reduction in a trained individual; it will be noticed an increase in the volume of heartbeats and improves its heart rate (by 75 %)

2. At the level of blood cells (hematological) many adaptations originate at the cellular level, also, one of the most striking is known as “pseudo” anemia of the athlete: strenuous exercise, long duration, and high intensity exercises, incur changes in blood cells. Prolonged endurance exercise leads to catastrophic catabolism at the muscle fiber level. In athletes who train for endurance sports, there are certain discomforts due to increased plasma volume. The increase in plasma volume is due to major changes and also in the immediate adaptive response that exercise brings. This increase has the beneficial effect of increasing cardiac performance, decreasing the effect on blood viscosity which is less viscous and optimizing microcirculation and its circulatory fluidity. Thus, pseudo anemia in the athlete is an automatic response to the hemoconcentration that occurs during high-intensity and long-duration training. This process is key and has many advantages, but cannot be diagnosed as with an anemia, which is often difficult to identify at the medical level in high performance athletes, trained as many of them only feel fatigued by different efforts submitted. 3. The muscular system has the capacity to experience great changes in its structure according to the biomechanics which it will undergo during its training period. The adaptations when training different muscles, duration and intensity of the muscle can affect its size; the characteristics of the fibers that integrate it or even the characteristics of the proteins that help its repair that help in its activity. The effect of physical exercise on your adaptation process depends on the intensity. Intense training influences the inflammatory responses in the muscles that are most worked. But the repetition of these inflammatory reactions could lead to muscle pain and decreased athletic performance. Overloading, which can lead to skeletal muscle damage, can also raise the

intensity of the inflammatory reaction to a certain degree where the athlete’s body would be affected in every sense of the word. When this condition becomes a sustained and intense acute phase response over many months, the athlete’s immune capacity may be impaired and could trigger other situations that affect the immune system, thus increasing susceptibility to infection. Clinical tests carried out on marathon runners, show a direct relationship in the respiratory infection and thus increasing in some way the training volume, and reaching and affecting their competition periods. Training performed at maximum capacity, and exceeding the limits of the muscle, up to the point of muscle failure, can significantly increase the resistance that the body can; due, that extreme exercise at the time of an infection reduces equally the resistance to infection. This shows us that it is more evident to the viral processes, we understand that the mechanisms of cortisol release are involved in this activity. Viral infections such as Coronavirus in athletes have been shown to affect training; an illness that arises in the athlete requires changes in the new training strategy, even though exercise is maintained in a viral illness will always bring adverse health and performance effects in such athletes, tiredness, weakness, decreased appetite, fever, body aches and are not necessarily symptoms of the coronavirus, that said, it will lead to the reproductive form in the evolution of the virus process (it is logical that you will see a decrease in strength and resistance in the athlete). The response of the immune system and other systems in the recovery is compromised, so the doctor will suggest the athlete rest and water intake for several days.

BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT TO RAISE THE BODY TEMPERATURE BEFORE TRAINING By recommendations of experts, personal trainers, exercise physiologists, physiatrists, ACSM (American College & Sports Medicine) recommend this practice, not only before exercise but also after exercise because of multiple beneficial factors to health and avoid injuries when performing exercise, also before the practice of any physical activity, a previous warm-up to be prepared for the training routine is vital. Warming up before exercise prevents injuries. The warm-up consists of increasing blood flow, in joints, ligaments and even tendons, in conclusion reaching the tiny fiber of muscle tissue to prepare it to start the training routine. Being this the main objective which involves preparing the neuromuscular system to a super strength training and muscle load and / or to avoid injury at the time of practicing any physical activity. At the moment we induce the body to do a physical activity, the body will warm up, if we haven’t done a warm up we could hurt some ligament or joint and we will feel discomfort and pain, if we are not prepared to do it correctly. As much or as little as it takes to perform an exercise, all mechanical movements that are tied to the joints of the human body will be activated.

For any sport or physical activity, any type of warm-up and stretching can be used and will be adapted to each individual person. That said, it will help you reach the optimal level when training. There are several types of warm-ups ranging from a simple jump to a full speed jump. Hot showers and saunas are widely used as alternatives to warm up the body and prepare it for a workout, where the first one is dedicated to working several muscles at the same time, so it is the best to do regardless of the physical activity to be performed. While the specific warm-up is more focused on the activity to be performed, depending on it, the respective movements will be derived. It is necessary to take into account the different types of warm-ups, there is the warm-up, starting, with the slightest intensity up to the moderate level, increasing until reaching the highest level, and in this way you will make sure that you have worked well each muscle, joint, tendon and ligament.

WHAT EXERCISES HELP TONE THE BUTTOCKS AND LEGS? Regarding the most used and effective exercises, there are many variations in this field. Food will play an important role. Exercises must be performed for different parts of the legs and buttocks to increase and tone them. In the legs we find a large number of muscle groups from the hamstring to the gluteus maximus without forgetting the calf. All the parts that comprise this muscle group should be worked on, in order to obtain good long-term results. I always suggest the client to study a little bit of the gluteal muscle anatomy in order to better understand the shape and structure of the muscle and its correct biomechanical movements. They are made up of 3 independent muscles: *Hips trust: from a lying position on the floor, we hold our legs on the floor. We lift the torso up and squeeze the buttocks in the form of a pelvic contraction. This is an excellent exercise, it helps to keep the abdomen rigid for better results. *Walking: this can be a very common exercise. It usually works on burning body fat. *Bicycling: an activity that can be beneficial for the legs and also helps a lot to tone the calves. *The gluteus medius: the movement of the exercise allows for precise movements in which the leg can be raised laterally, through lateral abduction. To achieve very good results, perform several sets between 15 and 20 repetitions. *The squatting exercise by positioning the knees in the direction parallel to the shoulders.

Indicating that the position being performed is in a bent position on the floor. Then, we raise the leg to one side, making sure that it is bent. So that we lower it later and delicately to avoid any setback. *It’s important to keep the balance. Rest the outside of your leg closest to the wall on the wall with your knees bent, on your hips and knees. Take your right foot off the ground and take a wide step to the right without opening your feet to the outside. *The gluteus minimus: Located under the gluteus maximus, this is the smallest muscle but it is very important. It is the one that has the purpose of helping to keep the buttocks raised, well above. The most recommendable thing is that you carry out this exercise. *Squats: the best way to work the mentioned area, is through this famous well known exercise.

*This is another modification of the Hip trust: to perform it we will lie down on the floor, with our feet flat. They should be executed at hip level, while standing with your feet firmly on the floor, place a step or a bench between them. Contract them, it is recommended that you maintain the position and contraction for 30 seconds.

Many ladies suffer from sagging buttocks due to the force of gravity and other factors such as flaccidity, so it is important to keep in mind working out exercise and eating routines to combat and reduce cellulite in those areas and others as well as in the back of the arm, either by not having it firm. One thing is to strengthen the big part of the buttock and another thing is to strengthen the mid-buttock. The gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus are important as the major gluteus. Because it stabilizes the pelvis, exercise must be done well so as not to cause injury that will cause you to miss your target. By helping the gluteus maximus move the hip joint, it is connected to the hip joint by nerves and connective tissues.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “WEIGHT LOSS” AND FAT LOSS? “I need to lose weight”; “will I lose weight if I exercise? In theory it looks easy, but when you go to reality, you will go through different processes that are difficult to do and many times frustrating. Fat loss does not happen overnight, it takes time, you have to take a method a plan to attack the fat and see it go, on the contrary weight loss usually happens, due to loss of body fluids, dehydration.

MUSCLE VS. FAT A person who has lost weight does not necessarily lose body fat, as such loss may have been caused by loss of muscle mass, elimination of accumulated fluids through sweating, or dehydration from exposure to heat and other environmental factors. Nor does a person who has

gained weight mean that he or she is obese, because the weight gained may have been from fluid retention or increased muscle mass.

WHAT IS FIRST LOST IN BODY FAT OR FLUIDS? The loss of fat is related to the physical activity or sport that the person is doing. Most of them believe that cardiovascular exercise (running, swimming, walking, rowing, etc.) is the most important method to activate calorie burning. This is not true but from a specific point of view and that is that muscle is a metabolically active tissue, that the more muscle a person has, the more calories he or she will burn even at rest. Having said this, it is difficult for us to conclude that training to gain muscle mass, whether by bodybuilding or Olympic weightlifting, is not the most recommended way to eliminate accumulated fat, but if you do an aerobic workout, it is recommended that you do it no matter whether before or after each weight training routine, at least 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes, to gain more endurance and activate the oxidative metabolism of body fat.

WHERE IS THE OXIDIZED FAT GOING? Many people comment that the body’s burned fat is converted into energy, or muscle. Find out where the burned fat goes…

Many believe that oxidized body fat is converted into energy, or at least that is what many people claim without the proper knowledge of exercise science; others even go so far as to say that body fat eventually becomes muscle; but the truth is that nothing could be further from the truth. Fat is a source of energy, it is neither created nor destroyed, it is only transformed, which is basically what the Law of Conservation of Energy says, THE ADIPOSE FABRIC CANNOT BE CREATED, NOR DESTROYED, IF IT CAN BE TRANSFORMED.

AFTER THE FAT’S BURNED WHERE IT’S GOING? A study published in the Medical Journal highlights that fat actually burns after going through a complex chemical process. From the formula used to describe what happens when a triglyceride molecule is burned, several conclusions were reached. A triglyceride molecule is transformed into carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O). The result achieved by these two scientists, called Meerman and Brown, shows the proportion of fat that ended up being transformed into carbon dioxide, compared to that which was converted into water: “For every pound of fat that is oxidized, 84% is transformed into carbon dioxide (CO2) and the remaining 16% is transformed into water (O2), we can mention that the burned fat is extracted as carbon dioxide. And as this is one of the most abundant gases in the atmosphere, we can take that losing weight helps plants to perform their photosynthesis process (although it also contributes to global warming). The remaining percentage, i.e. water, is eliminated through urine, sweat and other body fluids. Simply put, fat is converted into carbon dioxide and water, when you exhale or (vote) CO2 and water mixes in your circulation until it is eliminated by sweat, urine, in general almost all the weight we lose is exhaled from our lungs. Fatty acids are composed of molecules formed by carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. When they come into contact with the oxygen we inhale, they oxidize. These so-called components exhale the oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide in the air, the rest is expelled in the form of liquids such as sweat.

Many of us, or people who go to the gym to train, tend to believe that body fat is burned. Although the chemical process is called oxidation, the body extracts the fat cells by separating the triglycerides into two components: glycerol and fatty acids, and the unused one is discarded through urine, breathing or sweat. As we mentioned before, to oxidize fat, the body needs oxygen. Remember the more intense the exercise is to your body, the less time it takes for the body to convert the fat into sugar for use as fuel.

PART III FOOD IS EVERYTHING TO ACQUIRE YOUR GOALS

IT’S NOT DIETING, IT’S NUTRITION. There are an infinite number of diets on the market that all promise a certain and lasting change when it comes to meeting your goals of how to lose or gain weight. However, not all of them work for you or for everyone, including one of the most popular diets today, the socalled ”Keto” diet. REFERRING TO THIS DIET YOU KNOW What is ketosis?

The name “ketogenic diet” has its origin in the production of small energy molecules called “ketones” or “ketone bodies”. It is a type of fuel or energy source for the body that is used when there is a shortage of (glucose) or carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in the blood. Ketones are produced when you eat too few carbohydrates (which break down too quickly into blood sugar) and only moderate amounts of protein (excess protein can also be converted to blood sugar). Ketone bodies are produced in the liver from fat. They are then used as energy throughout the body, including the brain. The brain is a very energy-consuming organ, and it cannot feed directly on fat. It will only work with glucose… or ketones. On a ketogenic diet, your whole body changes its energy supply to run almost exclusively on fat. Insulin levels are reduced and fat burning increases dramatically. It becomes easy to access your body fat stores to burn them. For fat loss this is wonderful if you are trying to lose weight, but there are also other less obvious benefits, one of the benefits will be, being less hungry and having a stable energy. When the body produces ketones it is said to be in ketosis. The fastest way to achieve this is by fasting, that is, by not eating anything.

A ketogenic diet, on the other hand, can be consumed indefinitely, but care must be taken with people with medical conditions such as hypoglycemia and in some other cases as well. In short, intermittent fasting brings many of the benefits to the person when losing weight.

HOW TO FEED YOURSELF TO ACHIEVE KETOSIS? To achieve ketosis, the most important thing is to avoid eating most high glycemic carbohydrates. You will probably need to keep your carbohydrate intake below 45 grams per day or no less than 15 grams. The fewer carbohydrates you eat, the more efficient your body fat intake is.

In short, fewer calories from carbohydrates will help you in this process of ketosis.

WHAT TYPES OF PROTEIN SHOULD BE EATEN TO REPAIR MUSCLE TISSUE? IN THE MARKET THERE ARE VARIETIES OF PROTEINS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES, MANY OF THEM COME FROM VEGETABLES, SUCH AS AVOCADO, PEANUTS, ALMONDS (FOUND IN NUTS), OTHER SOURCES OF PROTEIN ARE FOUND IN FISH AND OTHERS IN RED MEAT, POULTRY AND SUPPLEMENTS.

In studies on exercise science, the American College & Sport Medicine, says that those who are ectomorphic and wish to grow in muscle size should consume a higher percentage of protein accompanied by carbohydrates, in addition to a weight-bearing exercise routine. For this specialty to increase muscle mass it is advisable, in the case of men, to increase their caloric intake in protein and for women less protein than men. With this scientifically proven strategy, we must increase the weights progressively in the gym to avoid an injury, we must take care of the intake of carbohydrates, which is not too high, if it is surely increase the percentage of fat in the body, is not what we are looking for, controlling the calories should be an important factor in increasing your muscle tissue. Regarding the type of protein to consume, all are very good and effective, make your best choice to the taste of your palate.

DOES CARDIOVASCULAR PRODUCE PHYSICAL CHANGES?

EXERCISE

The group of ectomorphs that have difficulty in increasing their muscle mass and that their % fat is around 15%. This type of person should take in more calories and at the same time reduce their aerobic

workload in order not to lose so much weight. It is suggested to do a routine of between thirty and forty minutes during three times a week of muscular resistance from 2 to 3 days a week, with sessions of 10 minutes of cardiovascular routine. It is important to keep the food portions constant. The primary goal is to get the strength to stay the same and/or increase it to lift more weight in each exercise session, reducing fat and increasing muscle mass.

IT’S ABOUT TIME WE MENTIONED CARBS In the case of carbohydrates are the primary sources of energy that are supplied to all vital organs such as muscle tissue, brain, heart, lungs, are stored in limited form in the liver and muscle in the form of glycogen. It is recommended that high glycemic index foods be eaten in the morning because of their rapid metabolism can generate a negative caloric balance. If you have or accumulate a higher percentage of fat, then I recommend that you reduce the carbohydrates to make way for fat burning during the day and night. It is important to know that carbohydrates are divided into: low, medium and high glycemic. High glycemic index carbohydrates act slowly in the calorie-burning process because of the amount of sugar the pancreas has to absorb in order to process them, such as sugar, honey, white bread, cookies, and there are low glycemic index carbohydrates that act faster, such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal, yogurt, and there are medium glycemic index carbohydrates, such as fruits. The important thing is that the person gains weight slowly, but that you follow their goals focused on increasing their muscle and losing fat could eat a meal consisting of medium index carbohydrates. For example, oatmeal combined with protein supplements can be an

immediate source of fuel by saving the liver’s glycogen stores. Saturation of glycogen reserves is associated with increased fat and triglycerides and if depleted can mean a metabolic change converting adipose tissue into fuel. There are people who increase their mass with difficulty. They have to work with more weight until they reach muscle failure, I recommend leaving a day in between to rest and help the recovery and repair of the muscle microfiber, giving time to recover energy to be ready for the next exercise session. In addition to having the need to eat more protein, as your muscles have a greater capacity to separate glucose from blood. Those who have difficulty in increasing their muscle mass if they consume more extra calories per day will have greater glycogen reserves available and therefore be able to train for longer and with greater stagnation.

Without protein, the muscle system cannot survive They have a vital role in increasing muscle, we must pay close attention to the caloric intake, because if the necessary carbohydrates are not consumed the proteins will be used by the metabolism as an alternative source of energy. Many thin people who wish to increase their muscles take protein supplements, without measuring the grams they need according to their body weight.

The importance of carbohydrate control. These foods are full of sugar and starch, including starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. These foods are harmful to your health as long as you exaggerate the portions and amounts. A rough recommendation is that less than 10% of energy comes from carbohydrates (less carbs), 20- 45% from protein (a lower amount is more effective), and 35% or more from fat from vegetables, nuts, or fish.

The fewer carbohydrates you eat, the greater the effect on body weight and blood sugar levels. A ketogenic diet is a very effective option in reducing carbohydrates, and therefore, very effective. The most important thing is that you follow the recommendations of your nutritionist (who is up to date) as faithfully as possible. Once you’ve reached your weight and health, you can carefully start enjoying your favorite foods more.

THE BENEFITS OF TEA, COFFEE,

Drinking water is perfect, and so is coffee, tea and mate. It’s preferable not to use any sweeteners. Black coffee is recommended, (it’s an effective body fat burner, also the teas made from medicinal plants, like ginger, with added lemon, I personally recommend it and they have given me good results) A glass of red wine is beneficial and even more because of the powerful antioxidant called Resveratrol (anti-aging).

F ACTORS

INFLUENCING FAT LOSS DURING WEIGHT LOSS

Turning your body into a fat burning machine has good benefits for weight loss. Fat oxidation is dramatically

increased, while the levels of insulin and the fat hormone drop dramatically. This creates the perfect conditions for body fat loss. Many studies show that compared to other diets, lowcarb diets cause weight loss more effectively.

APPETITE CONTROL By following a carbohydrate reduction diet, your appetite is controlled. And even more so when the body burns fat all the time, it has access to fat burning. This dramatically reduces the feeling of hunger. It is an unpleasant experience at first but after several weeks you will go through a process of adaptation and then your body will get used to it, as it continues to use your fat tissue as its primary source of energy. Having to fight against the sensation of hunger is also sometimes difficult, but not impossible, I have experienced it mainly at night before going to bed, many times I solve it with one or two spoonfuls of peanut or almond butter, believe me it will take away your hunger for many hours, these protein based foods calm that voracious appetite and give you a great feeling of fullness. Just by feeling full, you may be able to solve part of the problem. Food can stop being an enemy and become your friend or simply a fuel for your body.

What is ketosis? Why are people talking about the “Keto” diet It is a chemical process that occurs in the human body caused by a deficiency of carbohydrates in the bloodstream, which induces the catabolization of fats in order to have energy, generating some elements called body ketones, (Acetyl-Coenzyme) that is nothing more than the decomposition of triglyceride molecules, breaking these large chains and making them shorter, to use them in your exercise routine.

The advantage of this system called ketosis is that it improves body composition by preserving muscle mass and reducing body fat, often used to acquire better muscle definition, other benefits are that it helps prevent cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, negative effects often occur as dizziness, bad breath, fatigue, nausea, constipation, colic. Among other positive parts it results in a stable flow of energy (ketones) to the brain, thus avoiding large ups and downs in blood sugar. This often causes an improvement in mental focus and an improvement in concentration. Once you adapt to low-carb nutrition, the brain no longer needs it. It feeds on ketones all the time, which are a perfect fuel for mental focus and energy. Ketone nutrition controls blood glucose levels and is excellent for reversing type 2 diabetes. This has been shown in scientific studies of low blood glucose and reduces the negative effect of high insulin levels.

POSITIVE METABOLIC CHANGES IN KETONE PROCESSES Studies show that low-carb diets help important health markers, including cholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride profile), blood glucose, insulin levels and blood pressure.

DIGESTIVE, PHYSICAL AND CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS It calms the stomach, making you experience less gas, less cramping and pain, etc. For many people this is the greatest benefit of eating, and it usually only takes a few days to adjust.

Increase physical endurance enormously, giving you constant access to all the energy in your body fat deposits. The supply of stored carbohydrates in the form of glycogen only lasts for a few hours when performing endurance exercises, or even less. But your fat stores contain enough energy to last easily for several weeks.

HOW THE HORMONAL SYSTEM BENEFITS FROM EXERCISE The physical body movement and Sport are precursors that activate and modify the endocrine activity, in various ways, for a better physical and psychological adaptation and thus access to achieve adequate performance when seeing changes and improvements in our hormones. The endocrine system is made up of glands that release hormones that control physiological functions in the body. Exercise as such largely activates the amount of hormones circulating in the body and greatly strengthens the receptors on the cells of functioning organs. The endocrine response to exercise improves hormone function, your physical appearance and mood. Medium to high intensity exercise, improves endocrine function, fat loss, increases testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, improves pancreatic function, liver, insulin is activated with exercise and reduces blood sugar.

PART IV SUPPLEMENTS, USES AND FUNCTIONS

Supplements have an important role as part of your nutrition, they are a supplement in themselves that will help you to lose weight or gain lean mass, that does not mean that they are indispensable, because if they are not necessary you do not have to use them as long as you have all the macro, micro nutrients, salts, minerals in your nutrition day by day in your food intake.

W HEN

IT COMES TO CONSUMING

SUPPLEMENTS , WHICH ONES DO

I

BUY ?

H ERE ,

THE DETAIL ! From my experience with my clients, and my studies and knowledge in sports nutrition, I have found that most of them have doubts when it comes to shopping at a supplement store, because there is a lot of variety in them, different brands and with similar ingredients, That’s where your nutritionist or nutrition consultant should even accompany you to the store to help you choose the best quality and price, because many times the salespeople in those stores want to sell you obsolete inventory by order of your sales supervisor and not really the product you need according to your needs, you have to be very careful and cautious about this.

Do you know everything about which supplement(s) to use? Would you be able to combine them? The supplements, will not make us the guy on the cover of the magazine very muscular and defined, so I thought when I began to buy the fitness and bodybuilding magazines in which you advertise a product next to the model or fitness model that promised to put you the same, which I realized over time that was a total lie, from that moment I came to the reality that these products are more than supplements to your nutrition. There are a variety of supplements on the market. The reality is that only some of them work, while the others are pure marketing, the placebo effect hovers around the beliefs of people who buy them by faith. It should be kept in mind that nutritional supplement companies profit from these products, making excellent advertising campaigns for us to buy them. Some bodybuilder that you saw once, uses this product and you bought it believing that it would work for you, in each bottle of

supplements, they had pictures of bodybuilders, sending you a message that “if you consume this product, you will be the same as in the picture”. We simply abolished the photos of the athletes on the packaging of these products for the reasons mentioned above and thus avoid possible lack of credibility of the product you are buying or already bought in the store for “not looking like the guy in the picture”. Drawing on my personal experience, American forums, and from other parts of the world, strength athletes from all areas (bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting) studying the science of sports supplementation, the supplements that “work the most” are as follows.

WHEY PROTEIN It is a product consumed by a large majority of athletes in many disciplines, especially by bodybuilders and fitness practitioners. Protein repairs microfibers when performing weight training. If the goal is to develop solid, fat-free muscle, then we must specifically train a special workout. The most common types of protein to consume are red meat, blue fish, as well as eggs. Thus as another option or alternative way of protein is whey, which is key to adding it to your complementary group in the list of your favourite protein sources. The hydrolyzed serum protein is more quickly absorbed, so that in a few minutes we will have it in the bloodstream. It is one of the most important supplements that due to the amount of amino acid, leucine makes it unique in its class, since any deficiency of this amino acid will impact our hormonal system

BRANCHED AMINO ACIDS OF GREATEST BENEFIT WHEN BUILDING MUSCLE Amino acids are generally classified into essential and non-essential, the essential ones in the body are phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, thionine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. They promote the anabolic chain allowing a better digestion, tolerance and assimilation of the proteins ingested in our nutrition.

I MPORTANT

MINERAL MAGNESIUM IN OUR BODY

They play an important role in the synthesis of testosterone, levels increase by a quarter, testosterone with Magnesium demonstrate long term benefits.

COENZYME Q10 AND HEART Coenzyme Q10 is a molecule found in the mitochondria. It plays a critical role in producing energy for the body. Several studies have shown that people who take Q10 supplements have more erections and increased sexual desire. In another scientific study supplementation to increase testosterone with 300 mg of CoQ10 was able to improve the parameters.

FREQUENT USE OF ARTIFICIAL COLOURS AND FLAVOURINGS WHICH CAN BE HARMFUL TO HEALTH

Companies that use food dyes often say that they are safe for the body, so the indications turn out to be just the opposite - artificial colours turn out not to be, for the most part. Allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to the dyes most commonly used by the supplement industry are rare, if not non-existent. There is a high possibility of side effects such as the development of cancer. Most of these dyes come from bottled foods and soda, canned foods so the ingested through the supplements are many less compared to the products that are included in a nutrition based on these dyes. Despite this, consumer concerns remain, so manufacturing companies have shown to make positive changes in using less artificial colours and sugar in their products by withdrawing the inclusion of these additives in their products which are marked on the label as “No artificial dyes or flavours”. The cotton portions that are included in the packaging of vitamin supplements, or even medicines in capsule or tablet form are known as desiccants and their function is to prevent the entry of moisture found inside the package, to allow the pills to remain dry and in good condition for a longer time. The desiccant is only effective until the product is opened for the first time, the most recommended thing to do is to remove the cotton, as it will not be able to continue absorbing moisture for longer. The container should be kept tightly closed and stored in a place where moisture is not absorbed by the product. Other factors that may benefit product shelf life are the exclusion of unnecessary oils, as it is known that oily supplements have a greater tendency to turn a strange colour and oxidise unless they can be stabilised during manufacture.

The laboratories in charge of producing the supplements can also make use of preservatives with a minimum effect on health, although these are limited by packaging and are not always taken as the first option, so the percentage of products that we can find on the market, in a general sense, is very low. To further increase the shelf life of supplements, companies add additional information to the label, such as “Store in a cool, dry place” indicating the best ways to store products more effectively. Heat and humidity, particularly in tropical countries, is one of the most important factors in the deterioration of supplements, so locations with cool vents are recommended for storage. The ambient temperature plays a crucial role, the products are designed rather at the temperature that are very common in our homes. For that reason it is not suggested to keep medicines or supplements near stoves, microwaves, televisions, conventional ovens, etc. There are other supplements that should be stored under special conditions, such as those made from oil and salmon oil. It is often recommended to keep the product at low temperatures, inside the refrigerator, although to follow the instructions more closely, it is best to read the label. The same is true for supplements that contain live bacteria to prevent them from breaking down beforehand.

THE FAT BURNERS, DO THEY REALLY WORK? This supplement most often does not work, except for the placebo effect with a good low-calorie diet. They speed up the metabolism, because many of them, your main ingredient is guarana, ephedrine and other similar elements. Some fat burners, contain elements like the ones I just mentioned like caffeine, which accelerate us

and produce a somewhat electric effect, motivating us to train harder, a long term fat burning. Others harm you and create insomnia, preventing you from sleeping at night. There are several effects but they all have a common goal, to lower the percentage of body fat.

CREATINE MONOHYDRATE An amino acid found in muscle tissue, the body converts it to phosphocreatine. It is produced by the body for use as an energy source. Usually this product has gotten a bad reputation in athletes and people who consume it because of fluid retention in the body, but certainly very rarely happens in the body because that fluid is almost always absorbed by the cells to do their metabolic functions.

MAJOR VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS For various reasons, we never consume the amount of vitamins and minerals we require to look and feel good, so this supplement supplements this organic need. In addition, during exercise training it is vitally important for our bodies to be healthy.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ASCORBIC ACID? Its use is well known as a protector against colds and viral diseases, however there are other uses such as increasing your defenses. Vitamin C, consumed in a minimal amount per day, produces an effect which reduces the retention of liquids in the body, leaving the muscle drier, ideal for those who seek to define themselves.

NITRIC OXIDE

Essentially, it promotes increased vasodilation (widening of veins and improved blood circulation), as well as satisfactory and longer-lasting muscle contraction during and after exercise. It’s more of an additional blood pressure at the cellular level,” which also promotes faster muscle recovery after training.

GLUTAMINE It is an amino acid which is in charge of inhibiting the catabolic effect (loss of your lean mass). It is mainly used in very strict diet cycles, low in glycogen, where muscle tends to be lost. Glutamine acts by preventing this effect, only allowing the fat molecule to be attacked only, leaving the muscle tissue intact, when injuries occur, however at those times when training is stagnant or for certain periods of rest for a certain time, glutamine is in charge of maintaining the muscle mass gained.

WHAT ARE FAT BURNERS? These supplements do not really perform their function for what they are supposed to do to burn or oxidize body fat. Many of them accelerate the metabolism, others take the adipocytes or fats to the interior of the mitochondria performing a process that could help burn fat more efficiently and effectively than normal, they contain elements such as guarana and caffeine, which accelerate the metabolism through the central nervous system, creating an effect of insomnia in the person, moreover an increase in energy levels motivating us to train more intensively, thus, will bring a greater oxidation of fat tissue. Others help inhibit food anxiety, preventing us from deviating from nutrition. The effects they cause are effective but they all have a common goal: to lose weight.

GLUCOSAMINE REALLY WORKS? AND WHAT IS IT? It is a naturally occurring organic substance found in the human body and animals. The body uses a variety of different molecules that are involved in the formation of tendons, ligaments, and some cartilage. Ayuda a prevenir lesiones musculares o articulares, al entrenar con mucho peso y entrenamientos de alta intensidad.

L-ARGININA Like other amino acids such as glutamine, it also functions as an anti-catabolic. As a precursor to nitric oxide, it aids in vasodilation, forcing a widening of veins and capillaries and creating greater muscle strength and endurance. It works very well in people who are looking for resistance training or muscle definition, without losing strength or muscle mass, use before and after training. Mainly before bedtime for better recovery, building new muscle fibers and greater strength.

PART V LEARNING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS SPORT, BODYBUILDING

WHERE DOES IT ORIGINATE AND WHY IS IT SO POPULAR NOWADAYS? This sport was really started by Eugene Sandow who today is called the father of modern bodybuilding, which in 1901 launched its first competition in 1901 in France called “The Great Competition”. For years to come bodybuilding spread to other countries in Europe, the United States and some Spanish-speaking countries, from there it was gaining many followers around the world and people began to train with such objectives to prepare themselves to compete in this world unknown to many and for others a new stage in their lives. Others also started it because their goal was health and well being. Many of them with hardly any knowledge of diets and even less knowledge of training, acquiring large muscles was quite complex. Sometimes personal disorders coupled with an obsessive view of sport can lead to psychopathological disorders. The principle of bodybuilding is based on the process of increasing muscle size through heavy loads (heavy lifting and rest periods of two to three minutes), increased caloric intake (hypercaloric) and well-deserved rest. Training the muscle with progressive loads causes muscle fibers to hypertrophy. This is known as micro-trauma. This is part of muscle growth (hypertrophy). The bodybuilding athlete regularly uses exercise routines created on the basis of series and repetitions, in every athlete’s training program no matter what the sport, the one we Personal Trainers use (micro, mesoand macro cycles) and bodybuilding is no exception. On a nutritional level, additional protein is required for growth and repair. Approximately 2.0 to 2.4 grams of protein are used for each kilogram of the athlete’s body weight. It is important to know that an athlete needs to consume much more protein per weight than a sedentary person to repair the damage

caused to microfibers by weight training. In addition, other macronutrients such as carbohydrates and fats are very important for energy intake during training. The indications often vary based on the athlete’s metabolism, nutritional deficiencies and physical constitution.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE PHYSICALLY FOR A COMPETITION? The first thing you have to do, to make the decision, to want to do it, and if you have enough time to train, I mean it takes several years, to have a solid muscular base, it is not convenient for you to throw yourself into an event of this nature with only one month or six months of training, it is very difficult to achieve it because this sport is very competitive and most of the athletes have been preparing for many years and have already acquired a certain muscular condition, In addition, many of these athletes are using prohibited substances (anabolic steroids) and perhaps you do not know about the existence and use of them in competitions. There are federations in other countries that do not allow the use of these substances but here, and other countries in Latin America in their great majority allow them. It is important to know which category or categories you would like to compete in and which one fits your physiognomy. Besides other factors you have to take into account in hiring a good coach (assuming you have been training in the gym for several years and decide to experiment in this sport) the coach will guide you through the whole process and take you to the final day of your preparation. Not to mention that you have to separate a budget for expenses from your food, supplementation, clothing and paying your coach or trainer, knowing that

you will be competing and not necessarily winning, you may and may not. Training in preparation for the competition is of utmost importance, because you must maintain your previously achieved muscles, so that you can compete one-on-one with the best athletes in the event. The last weeks of your training will be based on muscle definition and maintenance, so the intensity of the exercise will be decreased without lowering the heavy loads and the depletion of carbohydrates will begin. It is recommended to work each area with different series and repetitions of exercises, with the objective of working the deficiencies in the muscle in a more isolated way. In the case of working your large muscles, these have more fiber allowing you to burn more calories, such as the pectorals, femorals, and buttocks, among others. It is recommended to work with weights to maintain their size and texture. In the case of small muscles such as biceps, deltoids and triceps, they have a smaller surface area and therefore should be performed in a way that does not hurt any joints or tendons.

PRECOMPETITIVE NUTRITION Lean proteins: Chicken or turkey breasts, eggs and whites, preferably blue fish and nuts are ideal, because they help maintain pre-competitive muscle, serve as precursors after a day of intense exercise.

Some types of Cereals and Vegetables Cereals, especially oatmeal, are a great source of energy, helping to reduce food intake and have enough calories for the body. Also, vegetables such as avocado,

asparagus, broccoli, and carrots provide essential nutrients, and a natural source of salts and minerals.

MAIN POSES USED IN BODYBUILDING TODAY In preparation for competition, it is necessary to practice a series of poses that will help evaluate the musculature and symmetry of your figure. They are between them:

Double Biceps Front and Rear It positions you facing the judges and with both legs separated from each other, you raise your elbows to shoulder height, allowing your biceps and forearms to contract. Similarly, this procedure is repeated, but now showing the back. In short, there are many poses that require the judges of the competitions, it would take a long time to explain them one by one, my final advice in this case, that no matter what sport you practice, keep practicing it if you don’t have one, the idea is that you keep taking care of your diet and doing your exercise routines at least 3 to 5 times a week, also motivating your family to stay healthy. We are grateful to you for sharing this knowledge with us again. Don’t forget to visit your doctor frequently, so that you can follow your optimal lifestyle with your family.

THE PICTURES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES Before

Frank Cabrera, weigh 215 pounds and 26% body fat.

After

Frank Cabrera, weigh 170 pounds and 6% body fat.

BODYBUILDING COMPETITION PHOTOS Competition, July 8, 2018: Fitness Body Competition, MasterMenPhysique Over 40

Competition, November 11, 2018:: NPC PUERTO RICO CHAMPIONSHIPS NATIONAL SAN JUAN, PR (TBD) I was chosen among the first 5 places in Men Physíque Master of 40 years old, which is not my master category over 50, among the athletes of 50 I was the favorite, in San Juan Puerto Rico on November 11, 2018 and qualified to compete in the National Masters of the NPC (National Physique Committee Bodybuilding Show Master in Pennsylvania USA).

Some people says remembering is living, here are some vintage pictures.

Thank you All that remains is for me to say thank you. Thank God, for allowing me to finish writing this manuscript, to my family, and to you who were able to get to the final part. Today, I can say that “giving up on excuses, putting them aside, would be the best decision you would make in your life to be healthy no matter what your health condition or age”. Fit Forever !! Frank Cabrera