Are Abs Made In The Kitchen? Focus On This First

07/16/24 • 26 min

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In this episode, Rod and Kate explain why you should stop worrying about your abs.
Rod answers the question, "Are abs made in the kitchen?"
Important reminder: You cannot spot burn fat!
We gain and lose fat systemically. Whatever fat you lose in your belly, you're losing or gaining fat at the same rate in your face, arms, all the way down to your toes.
Pay attention to your waist line to measure your progress and success. If you're trying to lose body fat, you will lose inches and dress sizes.
Rod suggests putting aside an outfit that doesn't stretch.
As Rod says, "Lululemon lies!" Those stretchy pants will not help you discover the truth about your weight loss or gain.
A body with more muscle burns more calories at rest.
Don't forget that girth comes from fat, not muscle. Pound per pound, fat is the weight as muscle but it's bigger than muscle. If you're worried about getting bulky legs from strength training, you need to lose fat first. Your upper body is about 30% of your metabolism.
What is metabolism? MUSCLE.
Muscle is metabolism. If you feel your metabolism is slowing down, that simply equates to muscle loss.
As a woman, female specific training is important. You want to lift in a way that will develop muscles in a feminine way. You don't way a thicker neck, thicker traps, bigger arms. You want curvy, feminine muscles with nice lats, tapering down to a smaller waist. There's a whole science behind muscle development for women.
If you're doing a lot of work on your core, it will not help you develop an hourglass shape. If you're working abdominal muscles, you're asking them to grow, which will make your midsection thicker and wider.
In most cases, your girth is not coming from too much muscle, it's coming from fat.
Anyone can get a flat stomach, but not everyone can develop visible abdominal muscles. It depends on your genetics. The Rock is a perfect example of this.
Abs are being worked as supporters in exercises like back squats. You don't need to lay on the ground and do situps.
Why Rod suggests moving more/ increasing activity before tackling nutrition/ diet/ changing your food? It's healthier! The blood flow and the mental health benefits can help you when it comes time to improve the other part.
"If you are sitting, you're getting fat."
You need a higher volume of food, which works as an appetite suppressant.
Abs CAN BE made in the kitchen, but that's not what Rod suggests for you to focus on first.
Stop worrying about your abs, because there's so many other things you could focus on first, like fat loss, muscle development, and moving more. Moving more is healthier for your brain and heart. The more you sit around, the more depression sets in. Mental and physical health go hand in hand.

Previous Episode

6 Things We Wish All Women Knew About Fitness

In today's episode, we shared several things we wish more women knew in their quest for better health and fitness.

Here are some of the points we covered:

A workout that mixes cardio and strength training together will yield limited results in terms of toning, metabolism and muscle development.
Random workouts are better than nothing, but for best results, you should follow a strategic program designed for women
Lifting weights in a group setting can actually be dangerous, because the trainer cannot provide adequate supervision and corrections to your form. This is how people get hurt.
Pilates, yoga and cycling will not give you the muscle-centric workout you need to tone your physique, stop sarcopenia and rebuild your metabolism.
An inexpensive trainer is inexpensive for a reason (usually lack of experience, strategy and expertise), so proceed with caution.
A high intensity workout that leaves you feeling sore and depleted might give the impression that you’re “getting a good workout” but this type of beatdown can create a hormonal rollercoaster and produce slower results over time.

Rod said, "99% of the population that works out more than 3 days a week are fluffernutters." 🤣

Find out what he meant by listening to this episode!

Why all women should focus on muscle development instead of cutting carbs
Why you should see a podiatrist for a foot issue instead of a general practitioner, in the same way you can find a trainer focused on muscle instead of a full body workout that mixes in cardio
Why you should follow a strategic program designed to combat the muscle loss that comes naturally with aging
The difference between moving weight around vs. safely focusing on muscle contraction
How most fitness professionals ignore the fact that resistance training should focus on resisting gravity
The type of weight training that leads to injury, and how to avoid it!
Why lifting weights should be "borderline meditative"
Why pilates, yoga, and cycling will not give you the muscle-centric workout you need to stop sarcopenia, rebuild metabolism and change your body composition

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Next Episode

Muscle and Mental Health

Mental and physical health go hand in hand, but new research on myokines, also known as hope molecules, show that training for MUSCLE GROWTH specifically comes with another layer of benefits.
When your muscles contract during weight lifting, they secrete chemicals into the bloodstream. One of these chemicals is myokines, which are small proteins that travel to the brain and act as antidepressants.

Myokines, also referred to as HOPE MOLECULES, cross the blood-brain barrier, and improve your overall health by...

Improving your mood
Reducing symptoms of depression or trauma
Increasing your resilience to stress
Improving your ability to learn, and...
PROTECTING THE BRAIN FROM THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF AGING!

According to this study available on PubMed,

"Endocrine functions attributed to myokines are involved in body weight regulation, low-grade inflammation, insulin sensitivity, suppression of tumor growth, and improvement of cognitive function."

The benefits are massive!

Hope molecules are not to be confused with some of the other chemicals released during exercise including endorphins, serotonin, noradrenaline or dopamine.

Hope molecules (myokines) are specifically associated with MUSCLE, and it's important to note that the very best way to develop muscle isn't running, yoga, cycling, or pilates...

The best way to develop muscle, thereby increasing your ability to produce hope molecules, is by LIFTING WEIGHTS.

This is your reminder that mental and physical health go hand in hand, and...

All women of all ages need to prioritize weight lifting.

Here at Rodsquad, we are happily dishing out hope molecules every day!