The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (123 page)

Anaerobic Exercise:
Exercise in which oxygen is used more quickly than the body is able to replenish it inside the working muscle. Weight training is an example of such an activity. It is highly anabolic in nature but also highly catabolic if done in excess.

Anabolic State:
Favorable state in the body created by a combination of good training, nutrition and rest that leads to favorable changes in body composition.

Anabolic Steroids:
Synthetic (man-made) hormones that simulate the effects of the male hormone testosterone.

Anti-catabolic Properties:
Properties provided by certain nutrients that protect the muscle mass in the body from being broken down.

Anti-lypolitic Properties:
Properties provided by certain nutrients that prevent the body from turning calories into fat.

Antioxidant Properties:
Properties provided by certain nutrients that protect the body from disease.

Basic Exercises:
Exercise movement that involves a large number of muscles in the body. They are generally multi-joint movements that target the larger muscles of the body (such as chest, back and thighs) but also involve the smaller muscles as well (such as shoulders, arms, calves and abs) as auxiliary muscles. Examples of such movements are chin-ups, pull-ups, dips, bench presses, squats, and lunges.

Bulk Minerals:
Minerals which the body needs in great quantities (in the order of grams) such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus.

Carbohydrates:
Macronutrient used by the body as its main source of energy. Carbohydrates are divided into complex carbs and simple carbs. The complex carbs give you sustained energy (“timed release”) while the simple carbs give you immediate energy. This macronutrient can be found in rice (complex, starchy), pasta (complex, starchy), breads (complex, starchy), fruits (simple), sugars (simple), fruit juices (simple), dairy products (simple), and vegetables (complex, fibrous).

Catabolic State:
Unfavorable state in the body created by a combination of too much training, lack of good nutrition and lack of rest that leads to muscle loss and fat accumulation.

Cortisol:
Catabolic hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in situations of stress (both physical and mental), lack of calories/nutrients and lack of sleep. This hormone is associated with loss of muscle mass, loss of strength, and fat accumulation. An excess of it over long periods of time may also contribute to hardening of the arteries; leading to heart disease.

Diuretics:
Drugs used to remove excess water from the body. There are two versions: the drug version (can only be prescribed by a physician), and the herbal version. Excessive use of the drug version has as side effects muscle cramps and harsh arrhythmia. The herbal version, while safer than the drug version, can lead to potassium loss and excessive use puts stress on the kidneys.

Dumbbell:
A short-handled barbell 10-12 inches long that can be carried in one hand. Dumbbells allow flexibility in the execution of a movement and full range of motion.

Endorphins:
Hormones that make us feel good and happy. The production of these hormones is stimulated by exercise.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs):
Fats that have anti-catabolic, anti-lypolitic and antioxidant properties. These fats affect good cholesterol in a positive way. In addition, these fats aid in the muscle-building, fat-loss process. The Omega 3 Fatty Acids found in fats such as fish oils and flaxseed oil are a good source of EFAs.

Estrogen:
Female hormone that regulates and sustains female sexual development and reproductive function. An excess of this hormone appears to be related to heart disease and cancer. In addition, when this hormone is in excess, it causes fat gain and water retention. Estrogen deficits, on the other hand, cause memory problems, trouble finding words, inability to pay attention, mood swings and irritability. Exercise helps reduce the risk of these diseases and conditions by helping to balance the levels of this hormone.

Exercise Volume:
The amount of work performed in an exercise session defined by the product resulting from the amount of weight lifted, multiplied by the number of sets and multiplied by the number of repetitions. For example, if you had a workout that consisted of 10 sets of dumbbell curls, and for each set you used 30 pounds and performed 10 repetitions, then your biceps routine volume equals 10 × 10 × 30 = 3000 pounds. Too much volume leads to overtraining.

Fats:
Macronutrient needed by the body in order to manufacture hormones and sustain cell metabolism. All the cells in the body have some fat in them. Hormones are manufactured from fats. Also, fats lubricate your joints. If you eliminate the fat from your diet, your hormonal production will go down and a whole array of chemical reactions will be interrupted. There are three types of fats: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Fat Soluble Vitamins:
Vitamins stored in fat that if taken in excessive amounts will become toxic. They include vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Giant Set:
Giant Sets are four exercises done one after the other with no rest in between sets. Again, there are two ways to implement this. You can either use four exercises for the same muscle group or perform 2 pairs of opposing muscle group exercises. For the purposes of this manual, whenever we do Giant Sets, we will perform two pairs of opposing muscle group exercises with no rest. The exception is when we do abs in which we will alternate between lower abs and upper abs.

Growth Hormone:
Hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that aids in fat loss and muscle building.

Hormones:
Fats similar to, and usually synthesized from, cholesterol, starting with Acetyl-CoA, moving through squalene, lanosterol, cholesterol, and, in the gonads and adrenal cortex, a number of steroid hormones. Because they stimulate cell growth, either by changing the internal structure or increasing the rate of proliferation, they are often called anabolic steroids.

Hypertrophy:
Scientific term for describing an increase in muscle mass and strength caused by the stimulation of the muscles.

Intensity:
Intensity has two definitions in the weight-training world. (1) Relative term that indicates the level of effort exerted during the performance of an exercise. (2) In strength training circles, intensity refers to the amount of weight used on a specific exercise.

Insulin:
Hormone secreted by the pancreas responsible for carbohydrate metabolism. This hormone determines if carbohydrates are to be used for energy, storage inside the muscle cells as glycogen, or converting and storing the carbohydrates as fats when they are found in excess in the bloodstream.

Isolation Exercises:
Exercise movements that are generally single jointed and serve to isolate a single area of the body. Examples of such are dumbbell flys, concentration curls, triceps kickbacks, leg extensions, and leg curls.

Lactic Acid:
By-product created by a lack of oxygen flow to the working muscles. Lactic acid is created by anaerobic activities such as weight training exercises. It is believed that its presence causes a surge in growth hormone levels.

Macronutrient:
One of the three major nutrients that the body needs for survival. These nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Metabolism:
The rate at which the body utilizes calories and nutrients in order to sustain its daily activities.

Minerals:
Minerals are inorganic compounds (not produced by animals or vegetables) whose main function is to assure that your brain receives the correct signals from the body, as well as to ensure balance of fluids, make muscular contractions possible and allow energy production, as well as building muscle and bones. There are two types of minerals: bulk and trace minerals.

Modified Compound Superset:
In a modified compound set, you pair exercises for opposing muscle groups or for opposing muscle movements (e.g. Push vs. Pull). First you perform one exercise, rest the recommended amount of seconds and then perform the second exercise (for instance, first do biceps, rest, then do triceps). You then rest the prescribed amount of time again and go back to the first exercise. Using this technique of pairing exercises in a modified superset fashion not only saves time and keeps the body warm, but allows for faster recovery of the nervous system between sets. This will allow the person to lift heavier weights than possible if she just stayed idle for 2-3 minutes waiting to recover.

Monounsaturated Fats:
Fats that have a positive effect on good cholesterol levels. These fats are usually high in essential fatty acids and may have antioxidant properties. Sources of these fats are fish oils, virgin olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil.

Muscle Failure:
Point during the exercise at which it becomes impossible to perform another repetition in good form. This point is reached due to the lack of oxygen reaching the working muscles and the increased levels of lactic acid.

Overtraining:
Condition caused by an excess of volume in a training routine that leads to muscle loss, strength loss and fat accumulation. Symptoms include depression, insomnia, lethargy and lack of energy.

Polyunsaturated Fats:
Fats that do not have an effect on cholesterol levels. Most of the fats in vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil are polyunsaturated.

Protein:
Every tissue in your body is made from protein (i.e. muscle, hair, skin, nails). Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. This macronutrient can be found in poultry, meats, and dairy products.

Repetitions:
The amount of times you perform an exercise. For instance, pretend that you are performing a bench press. You pick up the bar, lower it, pause and lift it up. That action of executing the movement for one time counts for one repetition. If you perform that same movement a second time, then that is your second repetition, and so on.

Rest Interval:
The amount of time a person rests between sets. For instance, a rest interval of 60 seconds means that after you finish your first set, you will remain idle for 60 seconds before going on to the next set.

Saturated Fats:
Saturated fats are associated with heart disease and high cholesterol levels. They are found to a large extent in products of animal origin. However, some vegetable fats are altered in a way that increases the amount of saturated fats in them by a chemical process known as hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are generally found in packaged foods. In addition, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, which are also frequently used in packaged foods and non-dairy creamers are also highly saturated.

Sets:
A set is a collection of repetitions that culminates in the muscle reaching muscular failure.

Supersets:
A superset is a combination of exercises performed right after each other with no rest in between. There are two ways to implement a superset. The first way is to do two exercises for the same muscle group at once; for example dumbbell curls immediately followed by concentration curls. The drawback to this technique is that you will not be as strong as you usually are on the second exercise. The second and best way to superset is by pairing exercises of opposing muscle groups or different muscle movements such as back and chest, thighs and hamstrings, biceps and triceps, shoulders and calves, upper abs and lower abs. When pairing antagonistic exercises, there is no drop of strength once your cardiovascular system is well conditioned.

Trace Minerals:
Minerals which are needed by the body in minute amounts, usually in the order of micrograms, such as chromium, copper, cobalt, silicon, selenium, iron and zinc.

Testosterone:
Hormone responsible for increasing muscle size. Even though this hormone is predominantly present in males, it is also present in women to a lesser degree. It is believed that this hormone also aids in fat loss to a lesser degree.

Vitamins:
Vitamins are organic compounds (produced by both animals and vegetables) whose function is to enhance the actions of proteins that cause chemical reactions such as muscle building, fat burning and energy production. There are two types of vitamins: fat - soluble and water-soluble.

Water Soluble Vitamins:
Vitamins that are not stored in the body, such as B-Complex vitamins and vitamin C. Therefore, they need to be taken on a frequent basis.

Appendix B

Table of Food Values

FOOD GROUP TABLES

Nutrition Chart and Glycemic Index