July 2001

Welcome to all the new subscribers to the HotBod newsletter as well as those who have been with us from the beginning.  Each month we'll explore issues relating to the three major areas of fitness: exercise, nutrition and supplementation. Don't hesitate to write if you have any comments or suggestions.

Well, they're finally here! I'm happy to announce that my Look Great Naked Video Series is now available for purchase. To everyone who has emailed me about them, thanks for your patience. It takes time to put out a quality product and I'm sure that you'll be pleased with the end result and agree it was worth the wait. There are three videos in the series: one of the abs, butt and thighs. All the routines are home-based workouts that are designed to be time-efficient but promote maximal results. Check them out at the link below:
Look Great Naked Video Series

TRAINING CORNER: Firming the Inner Thigh Of the thousands of emails that I receive, toning the inner thighs has to be one of the most common subjects. Without question, the inner thighs are a trouble spot for a legion of women and getting the area into shape is often a challenge.

Fortunately, though, the appearance of you inner thighs can be improved with dedicated exercise. The primary movement that targets the region is adduction (coincidentally, the inner thigh muscles are called "adductors"). Adduction involves starting with the leg in a position where it is out to the side and then bringing it across the midline of the body.

If you've ever been to a health club, you've probably seen (if not used) "inner thigh machines" that employ the adduction movement. Certainly, these are effective for working the inner thigh muscles and can be used as a regular component in your routine. But the good news (for those who don't have gym access) is that you don't need fancy equipment to firm up the inner thighs. There are numerous different of adduction exercises that can be performed in the comfort of your own home.  You can do lying adductions, seated adductions and many other home-based variations. The only equipment that you'll ultimately need are ankle weights, which will be necessary to increase resistance once you've been training for any length of time. This will help to realize continued results and avoid a training plateau. Remember, if you're not struggling on the last few reps, you're not training hard enough!

An often-overlooked exercise for the inner thigh is the side lunge. This variation of the standard lunge places the inner thigh in a position to directly oppose gravity, thereby making the adductor muscles extremely active in the movement. For those not familiar with the exercise, it should be performed as follows: Begin by assuming a stance slightly wider than shoulder-width.  Grasp two dumbbells and hold one in front and one in back of your body.  Keeping your left leg straight, slowly bend your right knee out to the side until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Then, slowly rise back up to the start position. After performing the desired number repetitions, repeat the process on your alternate side.

A final word: It is important to realize that the aforementioned exercises will only serve to firm up the underlying muscle -- not strip away fat. If you have excess adipose on your inner thighs, you're not going to see the desired results. Thus, make sure that your exercise program includes both total body weight training to increase metabolic rate (and perhaps some aerobics, too) as well as adhering to a proper nutritional regimen that balances caloric intake with expenditure.

For feature length fitness articles, check out our articles page at: Articles, Tips & Did You Know

NUTRITION CORNER: Food Allergies and Abdominal Bloating Women sometimes complain to me that they have distention of the abdominal region. Now, more often than not, this is simply a function of having excess bodyfat.  However, in certain cases, a physiologic condition such as a food allergy can be the culprit, the most common of which are allergies to milk and wheat.

A food allergy is caused by an inability to adequately digest a specific nutrient. It is most often due to an absence or malfunction of an enzyme responsible for breaking down "complex" carbohydrate into simple sugars (only simple sugars can be absorbed into the intestinal cells - complex carbs are too bulky to be transported across the intestinal brush border). Hence, nutrients pass down to the colon in an undigested state where they ferment into short chain fatty acids.

While moderate amounts of short chain fatty acids can provide a good source of bodily energy, a large accumulation can cause problems to the gastrointestinal system. Namely, there is a build up of fluids in the abdomen as well as the production of excessive bowel gas. These effects promote abdominal bloating and cramping, in addition to flatulence and diarrhea.

So what do you do if you are symptomatic? Well, assuming the problem is not related to excess bodyfat, the best advice is to analyze your diet and cut out possible offenders. The most likely source is lactose, which is found primarily in dairy products. It is estimated that up to 20 percent of the population is lactose intolerant, so cutting out dairy is a natural first option. Although less likely, some people are allergic to wheat and will see benefits by restricting starch-based products. If symptoms don't diminish within several weeks of restricting these nutrients, it is advisable to check with your physician to rule out other potential causes.

For great healthy recipes, visit our healthy eating page at: Healthy Eating  

SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Beta-carotene What it is: Beta-carotene is a carotenoid that is a quasi-essential micronutrient in the diet.

What it does: Beta-carotene converts into Vitamin A in the body and acts as an antioxidant to help fight free radical production.

The verdict: Certainly, beta-carotene is an important micronutrient. It has been shown to have a variety of health related benefits, both as a precursor to Vitamin A as well as being a potent anti-oxidant. However, the majority of research on beta carotene supplementation has not been very promising. While other antioxidants (such as C and E) have proven to be effective in helping to reduce cancer, heart disease and other anomalies, supplementation with beta-carotene has generally failed to produce similar results. It appears that the main benefits of beta-carotene are as a complement to other antioxidants, rather than helping to directly offset disease. It also appears that that it might be better when consumed as a part of foods instead of in pill form (although the reasons for this are not yet clear). On the plus side, beta-carotene is relatively non-toxic so, at physiologic doses, side-effects will be virtually non-existent.

Supplement Grade: C

Remember to check out the High-Energy Fitness website at: High-Energy Fitness

Until next month, stay fit!

Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, CPT