Train for yourself.Don't train to lose weight. Don't train for a 6 pack. Don't train for a big booty. Don't train for a pumped chest.Train to play with your kids when you're older. Train to pick up your groceries comfortably. Train to walk up the stairs by yourself. Train for good posture. Train to prevent injuries. Train to manage your anxiety. Train to walk without a cane when you're older. Train to sit and stand up without anyone's help. Train to be independent for as long as possible.Train for the bigger picture. The real goal.And if you do, aesthetics will follow.

Train for the bigger picture. The real goal. 

Train for yourself.
.
Don&#39;t train to lose weight!
Don&#39;t train for a 6 pack!
Don&#39;t train for a big booty!
Don&#39;t train for a pumped chest!
Train to play with…

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Mohamed Safwat on Training: Train For Yourself

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Begin seated with your knees bent, and as slowly as you can, roll down through the spine. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">When you are ready, roll back up nice and slowly. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">At the top, twist your torso to the right and roll down again and then come back up. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Repeat on the left. </li></ul>

2. Rolling Sit Up

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Begin seated with your legs straddled, or you can have 1 leg bent to make it easier. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Lift one leg in towards your chest and release back down. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Even if you can't get the lift, you can still engage the muscles and the lift will come with time. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">To take it 1 step further, you can place a block by your leg and lift your leg over the block and back again. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Try to keep your spine straight and core engaged. </li></ul>

5. Single Leg Straddle

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Get a killer core with these simple and effective home workout exercises that build strength and endurance in your upper and lower abdominals. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">As an aerialist, your core strength is a vital part of your performance in the air, making inversions, climbs and hangs easier than ever! </li></ul>

Build Killer Core Strength At Home 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Rock the boat, also known as dishing is a good challenge for both your upper and lower abs. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Start in a high boat pose with knees parallel to the floor or just seated with your back slightly rounded. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Then begin to lift your legs and lean back even more. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">For an added challenge, start to rock forwards and backwards keeping all of your body engaged. </li></ul>

1. Rock the Boat

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">A block makes this one a little easier!</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Sit with a block on each side of your hips.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Press into the block and lift your hips off the ground while engaging your core, and try to bring your legs with you!</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Another options is, to start on your knees and lif your knees and feet off the floor. </li></ul>

3. L-Sit Lifts

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Begin seated on your sit bones and lift up your legs. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Start by tucking your knees into your chest, then extend your legs and lie down taking your arms overhead. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">As you sit up, straddle your legs and bring your arms through the centre. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Repeat! </li></ul>

4. Tuck, Straddle, Pike

Building a strong abs / having core strength is extremely important not just for aerialist 

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The Best Ab Exercises for Aerialists

For individuals who follow a plant-based lifestyle, it is recommended to costume a variety of plant proteins, including plant-based protein powders, such as pea-based products, that are typically high in leucine. Plant sources of high-quality protein include:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Legumes, such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and soybeans</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Nuts</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Seeds</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Tofu</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Tempeh</li></ul>Speak with a health care provider before increasing protein intake. Excessive protein consumption or a macronutrient imbalance in a person’s diet may worsen symptoms of certain conditions, such as kidney disease and diabetes.

Plant Based 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Weight loss of 0.5% to 1% (or about 1 to 3 pounds) of body weight per week is [generally considered] safe,” notes Chavez.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Body fat loss beyond that amount can have negative health implications, such as a slower metabolism, bone density loss and menstrual irregularities and can lead to increased food cravings and disordered eating , he cautions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Most scales only gauge total body weight and don’t show how much of that weight is fat versus muscle.</li></ul>

Recommended Weight Loss 

There are 4 helpful ways to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/body-fat-calculator/">measure body fat</a>:<ul><li>Skinfold measurements, measure with calipers and plugged into an equation that calculates body fat.</li><li>Bioelectrical impedance scales, measure body fat, muscle mass and water percentage through the use of painless electrical currents.</li><li>Hydrostatic weighing, measure body fat through how much water is displaced when you’re submerged in water.</li><li>Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (or DEXA) scan, x-ray that captures images and determines body fat and muscle mass.</li></ul>Taking pictures every 4 to 6 weeks to visually catalog progress is also recommended.

How to Measure Fat Loss

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Optimal <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/how-much-protein-do-you-need/">protein intake</a> and resistance training are critical components of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/how-to-build-muscle/">gaining muscle</a>. </li><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/best-protein-powders/">Protein</a> is a vital macronutrient found in many parts of the body, including the bones and muscles, and it’s involved in numerous chemical reactions in the body, such as digestion and energy production. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Resistance or strength training is equally important - research shows it’s effective not only for increasing muscle mass but also for decreasing body fat and recharging a person’s <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/bmr-calculator/">resting metabolic rate</a>.</li></ul>

How to Gain Muscle

Muscle is essential for functionality, and building and maintaining muscle mass throughout life is associated with longevity. In fact, progressive <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/healthy-aging/muscle-strength/">muscle loss in older adults</a>, or sarcopenia, is linked to an increased risk of falls, disability and death.A 2021 study in Nutrients cites the following potential benefits of muscle gain:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Increased strength</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Increased ability to perform daily tasks and activities</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Increased metabolic rate</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Decreased injury and fall risk</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Improved blood sugar metabolism</li></ul>

Health Benefits of Building Muscle

Research suggests most adults should consume 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day and pair that dietary lifestyle with resistance training to build muscle efficiently. However, this amount may vary based on an individual’s age, calorie intake and body weight.It’s necessary to include high-quality protein sources in the diet - leucine, an amino acid typically found in higher amounts in animal-based proteins, can help stimulate muscle gain. Protein sources high in leucine include:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Chicken</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Fish</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Eggs</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Milk</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese</li></ul>

Optimal Protein for Losing Fat and Gaining Muscle

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Muscle recovery and adequate sleep are instrumental for body composition improvements. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is recommended taking periods of rest to recover from exercise and getting seven to nine hours of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/expert-sleep-advice/">sleep</a> daily. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Rest days prevent overtraining and injury. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">A rest day can be a complete day off from any exercise or a day where resistance training is replaced by low-impact cardiovascular exercise.</li></ul>

Lifestyle Factors - Adequate Rest And Sleep 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/what-is-intermittent-fasting/">Intermittent fasting</a> with eating restricted to a 6 to 8-hour window daily may also help, but further high-quality clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of this method. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">By fasting, you’re going into repair mode where damaged muscle fibers are recycled into fresh new muscle fibers. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Fasting can also increase insulin sensitivity, which can promote fat burning. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">You also often create a calorie deficit when combining intermittent fasting with exercise. </li></ul>

Lifestyle Factors - Intermittent Fasting 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Additionally, patience is key when targeting fat loss and muscle gain. Tackling both at the same time, as opposed to focusing solely on building muscle or reducing fat, takes longer.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It’s best to speak with a health care provider before beginning a program to lose fat and gain muscle - or any new diet and exercise regimen. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It may also be helpful to enlist the support of a professional knowledgeable in body recomposition who can tailor a plan to fit your lifestyle and goals, such as a certified personal trainer with a nutrition degree or a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition.</li></ul>

Patience Is Key & Talk To A Professional 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Gaining muscle while losing fat, also known as body recomposition, is possible. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Resistance training and protein intake are key to successful body recomposition. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Eating a maintenance number of calories or at a slight calorie deficit is also key.</li></ul>

Is It Possible to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">To lose fat safely, a person must first set a reasonable weight loss goal, says Daniel Chavez, a Texas-based registered dietitian and certified strength and conditioning specialist.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Safe weight loss involves nutritionally balanced meals, physical activity, healthy lifestyle habits and a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/calorie-calculator/">calorie deficit</a> that primarily targets fat tissue without compromising muscle mass and bone health. </li></ul>

How to Lose Fat Safely

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Muscle is composed of around 75% water and proper hydration increases circulation of blood volume, which then allows for enhanced delivery of water and nutrients to working and recovering muscles.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Water helps remove waste products from exercise and prevents overheating through sweating. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends women drink 2.7 liters (about 11 cups) and men drink 3.7 liters (about 15 cups) of water per day. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is recommended drinking 16-ounces of water before workout and another 16-ounces after workout, on top of your regular fluid intake in a day.</li></ul>

Lifestyle Factors - Adequate Hydration

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/resistance-training-without-weights/">Resistance training</a>, which increases muscular strength and endurance by exercising those muscles against external resistance, is vital for both fat loss and muscle gain. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Resistance training can be performed by using elastic fitness bands, which are rubber elastic bands that you stretch by exerting force, strength training machines and weights like barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The key is to take reps to muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue is the point at which another repetition is not possible. </li></ul>

The Best Type of Workout to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When doing a chest press on a machine, if you’re pushing out the handles on your eighth repetition, but you make it a third of the way out, you’ve reached muscle fatigue and completed seven reps. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">By practicing reps, you engage the maximum amount of muscle fibers. </li></ul>This engagement stimulates both muscle growth and insulin sensitivity, which promotes fat loss.

Example Of Muscle Fatigue

Modest weight loss can lead to health benefits and lower a person’s risk of chronic diseases like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/type-1-diabetes-vs-type-2-diabetes/">diabetes</a> and heart disease. A 2017 review in Current Obesity Reports that suggests weight loss totaling 2% to 10% in people living with obesity can also result in:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Menstrual irregularity improvement</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Better <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/normal-blood-sugar-levels/">blood sugar</a> regulation</li><li class="ql-align-justify">High <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/healthy-aging/normal-blood-pressure-chart-by-age/">blood pressure</a> reduction</li><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/healthy-aging/cholesterol-levels/">Triglyceride</a> reduction</li><li class="ql-align-justify">An increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Improved knee function in cases of osteoarthritis</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Lower risk of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/common-depression-symptoms/">depression</a></li><li class="ql-align-justify">Improvement in urinary incontinence</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Improvement in sexual function </li></ul>

Potential Health Benefits of Fat Loss

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When setting weight loss goals, it’s important to focus not only on losing fat, but also on retaining muscle mass. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Skeletal muscle supports the body’s structure and generates essential movements, such as walking, personal grooming and eating.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Unintentional muscle loss can affect other aspects of health as well, including bone health, heart health and longevity.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Alternatively, gaining muscle not only minimizes these risks, but also contributes to calorie burning (even at rest) since muscle is denser and more metabolically active than fat.</li></ul>

Retaining Muscle Mass as Part of Weight Goals 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">In addition to resistance training, any form of activity can aid in fat loss by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/calories-burned-calculator/">burning calories</a>. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">However, choose an activity that doesn’t hamper recovery as the body needs time to adequately repair itself between resistance training sessions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Physical activity in addition to resistance training and a low-calorie diet diminishes the recovery reservoir, meaning it may take muscles five days to repair instead of the typical 72 hours.</li></ul>

Any Form of Activity Can Aid In Fat Loss 

To achieve the optimum benefits from our workouts, it is important to be aware that it is possible to lose fat while gaining muscles at the same time too. This article explains how best to achieve that. 

Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, also known as body recomposition, is possible. Read more about the process here.

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How To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time

When your body has adapted to an activity, it won't produce enough stress to stimulate new muscle growth.  <ul><li>Hypertrophy, an increase in muscular size through exercise, is possible by exposing your cells to higher workloads than they are used to. </li><li>If you don't continuously expose your muscles to some resistance, they will shrink, known as muscular atrophy.</li><li>Exposing the muscle to a high degree of tension while the muscle is lengthening is called an eccentric contraction.</li></ul>

Hypertrophy, muscular atrophy and eccentric contraction

When you expose your body to stress, such as pushing something heavy, your muscles experience microscopic damage. In response, the injured cells release inflammatory molecules called cytokines that activate the immune system to repair the injury. This is when muscle-building happens. The greater the damage to the muscle tissue, the more your body needs to repair itself. The cycle of damage and repair makes muscles bigger and stronger to adapt to greater demands.

Muscles stress

Without proper nutrition, hormones, and rest, your body will not be able to repair damaged muscle fibres.<ul><li>Protein in our diet preserves muscle mass. It provides the building blocks for new tissue in the form of amino acids.</li><li>Hormones such as insulin-like growth factors and testosterone shift the body into repair and growth.</li><li>However, this repair mainly happens when we're sleeping.</li></ul>

Muscles need proper nutrition and sleep

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How To Build Muscle

View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-muscles-grow-jeffrey-siegel We have over 600 muscles in our bodies that help bind us together, hold us up, and help us move. Your muscles also need your constant attention, because the way you treat them on a daily basis determines whether they will wither or grow. Jeffrey Siegel illustrates how a good mix of sleep, nutrition and exercise keep your muscles as big and strong as possible. Lesson by Jeffrey Siegel, animation by Brett Underhill.

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Science & Nature

View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-muscles-grow-jeffrey-siegel

We have over 600 muscles in our bodies that help bind us together, hold us up, and help us move. Your muscles also need your constant attention, because the way you treat them on a daily basis determines whether they will wither or grow. Jeffrey Siegel illustrates how a good mix of sleep, nutrition and exercise keep your muscles as big and strong as possible. 

Lesson by Jeffrey Siegel, animation by Brett Underhill.

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TED-Ed

What makes muscles grow? - Jeffrey Siegel

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Everyone’s body is different. Some people are more genetically predisposed to have a higher body fat percentage and less muscle than others.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Other factors like exercise and nutrition habits, age, and hormone levels can also contribute to body size.</li></ul>

What Contributes To "Skinny Fat" Body? 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When you exercise, your body releases <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/catabolism-vs-anabolism">anabolic hormones</a> that stimulate muscle building.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Exercise also <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/insulin-resistance.html">increases your sensitivity to insulin</a>, which can lower your risk of developing diabetes.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Exercising regularly can help you avoid hormonal changes that negligencetively impact your body composition and make you more prone to storing fat.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Eating a diet high in refined sugar can also negatively impact your body composition.</li></ul>

Exercise and dietary habits

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Anyone can be considered “skinny fat.”</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Since the term is subjective, it’s hard to measure whether it’s more common in certain sexes / gender.</li></ul>

Sex / Gender 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Older adults may be at the highest risk of muscle loss and an increase in body fat, due to hormonal changes that make it more difficult to maintain muscle.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Age-related muscle loss is called <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sarcopenia">sarcopenia</a>, which is often accompanied by an increase in body fat.</li></ul>

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Hormonal imbalances may contribute to increased body fat and changes in body fat storage.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The medical term for someone who’s lean, BUT has a metabolic profile that puts them at risk of developing metabolic disease is a “metabolically obese, normal weight” individual.</li></ul>

Hormone Imbalances 

<ul><li>Minimize simple carbohydrates and focus on getting most of your carbohydrates from whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.</li><li>Include plenty of protein in your diet.</li><li>Minimize sugary or high-calorie beverages like sodas, alcohol, and juices.</li><li>Minimize your consumption of added sugars.</li><li>Minimize your intake of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/ultra-processed-foods#So,-whats-the-difference-between-regular-processed-foods-and-ultra-processed-foods?-And-what-does-that-mean-for-your-health?">ultra processed foods </a>like pastries, sweetened breakfast cereal, and candy bars.</li><li>Eat <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-after-workout">high-protein foods</a> after you exercise.</li></ul>

Recommended Dietary Measures 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Along with diet and exercise habits, poor sleep and too much stress can also contribute to increased body fat.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Here are some do’s and don’ts that might help improve your body composition.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your lifestyle habits play a big role in determining your body composition and your overall health.</li></ul>

Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Look for ways to minimize stress in your life and make time for <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety">stress-relieving activities </a>.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Get at a minimum of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/how-to-figure-out-how-much-sleep-is-right-for-you">7 hours </a>of sleep per night.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make exercise part of your weekly routine.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Eat a balanced diet and minimize refined sugar intake.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Break up long periods of sitting with movement breaks.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Follow a crash diet in an attempt to lose weight. </li><li>Sleep fewer than 7 hours per night. </li><li>Consume alcohol in large amounts, either at once or over a long period of time. </li><li>Consume caffeine close to bedtime. </li><li>Rely mostly on fast food for nutrition. </li> </ul>

Don’t

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">There is no specific workout or exercise that is known to reduce “skinny fat” body composition.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Instead, look for a type of exercise you enjoy and make it a part of your weekly routine.</li></ul>The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Do strength training for all major muscles at least twice per week</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Brisk walking</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Biking</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Jogging</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Tennis</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Dancing</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Hiking</li></ol>

Recommended Exercise to Reduce Skinny Fat

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">“Skinny fat” doesn’t have a standardized definition and isn’t a medical term, so different people use the term in various ways.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It’s usually used to refer to less muscle tone and strength as well as a relatively high body fat percentage, despite having a “normal” BMI.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Somebody who is considered “skinny fat” may have a large amount of visceral fat and may not have much muscle definition.</li></ul>

What Does "Skinny Fat" Mean

The five major risk factors for this condition are:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Metabolically obese</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Death from cardiovascular disease</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Research has also found that having a high mass of fat and a combination of low muscle mass and strength may be associated with cognitive decline</li><li>When you eat food high in sugar, your blood sugar rises and your body produces insulin to shuttle the sugar into fat and muscle cells for storage</li><li>Chronically elevated insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, which happens when your body stops responding to insulin. Insulin resistance is linked to increased body fat, especially around the belly</li></ul>

5 Major Risk Factors 

More info to understand visceral fat (skinny fat) and eliminate them totally if this condition applies to you. 

Learn what the term "skinny fat" means, what causes it, what its health consequences are, and the risks it may introduce.

Mohamed Safwat on Training: Train For Yourself

The Best Ab Exercises for Aerialists

How To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time

It's time to Read like a Pro.

What makes muscles grow? - Jeffrey Siegel

It's time to
Read like a Pro.