How To Target Areas and See Results

Hi my loves! Hope you all are having a great week and are looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Today I wanted to touch on the topic of actually gaining muscle and getting the body that you are aiming for.

A lot of you ask me questions about how to actually put on muscle and get a bigger butt instead of just losing weight and I want to help you guys with that because I know how hard it can be sometimes. So here are all the things you need to know about gaining muscle and getting the body that you want!

If you truly want to grow certain areas of your body to get the look you want, like a bigger butt, more defined abs, or even some more muscular arms, you have to gain muscle to do this and that’s really the only way to go about forming the body you really want. That’s how I did it. I grew specific muscle areas in order to make them stand out more than others.

 

1. Lift Weights

Girls, you’re not going to end up looking like a man if you lift some weights – I don’t, do I? No! Lifting weights is vital to building muscle because you need to break down your muscle fibers in order to build them up.

Now, it's absolutely fine to use your bodyweight for squats, lunges, pull-ups, planks, and other exercises to build muscle. But there comes a point when you’ve built your muscles strong enough that your own body weight isn’t enough anymore and you need to change up your routine and really challenge yourself by pushing the boundaries of what you’re capable of. That’s where muscle growth happens.

So pick up a set of weights! Your muscles have to work really hard in order to tear your muscle fibers and lifting heavier weights does just that.

 

2. Protein, Protein, Protein!

After a workout of heavy lifting, your body is going to need some supplies to rebuild those muscles and it wants protein! No matter how much you’re lifting and working out, if you’re not getting enough protein in your diet, your body is not going to be able to rebuild your muscles.

You should get at LEAST one gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you’re 125 pounds, you need 125 grams of protein a day in order to build up your muscles. If you expect your body to grow muscle without protein, it’s like expecting a construction worker to build a house without any tools – it just doesn’t work.

 

3. Cardio: STAIR MASTER!

If you’re getting into the gym and lifting weights and downing protein like your life depended on it – that’s AMAZING! You’re doing everything right. The one factor that may be missing is just the fact that you can’t see the muscle you’re building.

Cardio is not only important for keeping your heart healthy, it’s also important in ridding your body of excess fat so those beautiful muscles can peek their way out. You should get at least 3 days of 30-minute cardio sessions in a week and you’ll start seeing those muscles popping out.

I started my fitness journey using the Stair Master, yes the step machine that you climb up until you start sweating so much that you literally can't breathe. I would incorporate weights with my cardio on the Stair Master and found I would sweat more on this machine compared to any others in such a short period of time. Once word spread that the Stair Master helped me get into the best shape of my life, and taught me to love sweating an LA based company called Global Fitness had reached out to customize me a Stair Master for my apartment in NYC!

*Picture above and more coming soon to my Instagram.. A special thank you to the Co-Founder of Global Fitness Roy for designing this piece of art for me :) www.globalfitness.com

4. Rest Days

Some of you have been commenting and telling me that you’re lifting every single day and not seeing any change. Well, that’s because your body actually needs rest days in order to rebuild.

If you’re constantly tearing your muscle fibers over and over again without giving them time to build back up, you’re delaying your progress. This is called over-training. You need at least 2 days of rest for your muscles to really build up and become stronger and bigger.

5. Be Patient

This isn’t something that I can give you and it’s not something that you have lying around. Muscles take time to grow and you have to give your body time before you start seeing some real growth. Have some patience and let your body do what it was made to.

Building muscle isn’t easy for everyone, but it’s just about the same process for everyone. All you need to do is get in the gym, pick up some heavy weights, fuel your body with protein, and let your muscles recover so you can get the body that you want.

I believe all of you have the capability of building muscle in order to sculpt the body you have your sights set on. Work hard, have patience, and BELIEVE in yourself like I believe in all of you.

Add These Exercises to Your Routine for Some Extra Fun and Benefits

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weeked! I wanted to talk about something that I think we can all relate to. Many of you tell me you really want to lose weight and get in shape…but you’re bored with the same routine and you’re just not having fun.

This is completely understandable and a lot of people feel the same way as you. Not every workout is going to be super exciting. In fact, you may even cut your workouts short or skip them altogether because you just want to go do something fun instead.

For all of you who feel this way, I’m here to help! If you’re lacking entertainment in your workouts and you want to step them up to the next level and benefit from them more, your answers are here. These are a few workouts for you and some different tips on making your workout regimen entertaining!

Zumba

If you don’t know what Zumba is, it’s a video or class based workout that has you following an instructor and dancing to a bunch of really fun songs. The best part about this workout is that you burn calories and tone your body all at the same time without even realizing it’s even a workout!

Yoga

For all of you that don’t like the intensity of exercise, try doing yoga instead! Not only is this a really great way to tone your entire body, but you’ll also feel calm and increase your flexibility. The best part about this is that you’ll go away with a really good workout and you’ll feel really relaxed afterwards.

Ultimate Frisbee

For those of you rolling your eyes or even laughing at this one, just remember that playing this can burn you the same as just running on a treadmill or down the street. You’ll burn tons of calories and tone more than just your legs, too.

Dance Class

If none of you have ever taken a hip-hop dance class but you hate exercising, you may want to reconsider. Even if you’re an awful dancer, going to this dance class can help you burn some serious calories all while you’re dancing and hanging out with friends!

Hiking

If you’re the outdoorsy type, you can be guaranteed that this workout will benefit you more than forcing yourself to do a bunch of boring lifts. Not only will this help your cardio, but adding a weighted backpack with even just a picnic lunch and some water will help add some muscle to your legs and core. AND you get to enjoy an amazing view as your reward.

Tips for Making it Fun

Get a Workout Buddy

This is one of the best ways to make working out fun and give you a reason to get up and go every day. How can your workout be boring when you have your best friend right there with you? You can joke about how much it sucks and push each other to do better. You’ll walk away thinking you’ve just hung out with a friend instead of worked your butt off.

Go Somewhere New

Maybe you don’t hate the exercise part, maybe you just hate where you exercise. If you find that you really hate working out in a gym, then try a different form of exercising and take it to the park or the beach! Changing your surroundings can make a huge difference on how much you have fun during your workout.

Change up Your Routine

If you don’t like working out, maybe you’re just too bored with the same old routine. You should always switch up your workouts so you’re never doing the exact same sequence of exercises in a row. Not only will that keep you entertained, but it’s also more beneficial for your body!

Working out is something that a lot of us have to learn to love. But following these tips and trying these workouts you’ll be able to make exercising much more fun. All you have to do is try different things until you find the one that works best for you. Then you’ll be able to accomplish any goals you have!