Acronyms are often used in fitness and nutrition to create a memorable phrase. Here are the acronyms that you need to be aware of to get the best weight loss results from your nutrition and exercise program.
H.I.I.T. High Intensity Interval Training has been scientifically proven to burn the most amount of body fat. If your goal is to lose weight, it would be silly to exclude H.I.I.T from your workout routines. A typical H.I.I.T routine can be cardio based (run 1 minute, walk 30 seconds repeat 10 times) or cardio and resistance based (jump rope x50, pushups x10 repeat 3 times).
ROM. Range of motion is important during exercise to get maximum benefit. Oftentimes, I will need to correct my clients on how to elongate and contract the muscle to get the most muscle recruitment. This can be applied to any exercise including squats, pushups, bicep curls and crunches. Fully contract the muscle then open it up completely before going into the next repetition. If you need help learning the proper form, consider working with a fitness professional.
BMR. Base metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis. A variety of factors go into figuring out this number including your age, height, weight, gender and activity level. Woman average between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day while men typically need between 1,500 and 2,000 calories per day. You can figure out your BMR at www.bmi-calculator.net/bmrcalculator
EGN. Earth grown nutrients are foods that have been eaten for hundreds of years. Fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, grains and lean meats are examples of EGN’s. The first step is to pick EGN’s over convenience foods. The second step is to find these foods in their most natural form but buying the organic version rather than conventionally grown or foods containing GMO’s.
GMO. Genetically modified organisms are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from viruses, bacteria or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes do not occur in nature. The FDA has approved consuming GMO’s but many nutritionists and health experts agree that the body doesn’t know how to breakdown these foods and they are the cause of many diseases. How do you know if your produce is GMO or Organic? GMO produce begins with the number 4 on the sticker while organic foods begin with the number 9.
PC. The posterior chain is an anatomical term used to describe the muscles on the backside of the body. The posterior chain begins at the upper back and includes the lower back, glutes, hamstrings and calves. This is typically the tightest, least flexible and undertrained area of the body. Strengthening the posterior chain can be accomplished by performing exercises that use those muscles including squats, rows and deadlifts.
PR. Personal record is a number you track so that you can train to beat it. It’s a wonderful motivational tool and great way to see progress. A personal record can be set in the form of weight lifted, repetitions performed in a given time or speed of distance covered. Personal record numbers should be tracked in addition to weight, body fat and body measurements to see the most change.