Ask Ade Rai: 300 sit-ups and stomach still bulging!

Ade Rai is Indonesia’s most famous bodybuilder and a passionate advocate of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. As a big man with a lot to say, he enjoys going against stereotypes. Every second week, he will be offering professional advice through his column.

Hello Ade,
Greetings from Bali. I am a 40 year-old female with one child, and have been training almost every day for one year. Here’s what I would like to ask:
I always start my workout with 10 minutes on the  treadmill (speed 8.5 – 9). Then I continue with 300 crunches for abs, and squat jump 100 times, as well as a few basic warm-up movements before I move on to the core exercises for the whole body. Is the program enough of a workout for me? And why after all the strenuous activities and an ideal diet, do I still have a bulging stomach?
I am 1.65-meter-tall and currently weigh 50 kilograms. I think I have hit the ideal weight, and just need to tone up a bit. Will 20 repetitions of all my weight-training exercise be enough?
Is it safe for women to consume amino acids supplements? I consume a brand that comes in a tablet.
Thank you for taking time to answer this question, Ade Rai. Really hope to be surprised by reading it in your column!
Suksma
Bali

Dear Suksma,
Thank you for writing in. I like your question because you have provided me with a lot of information. So it really helps me to analyze and understand your situation.
I commend you for your consistency, and can see plenty of room for improvement for you. As far as your workout program is concerned, here’s what I have come to conclude and recommend:
Your warm-up phase is a little too lengthy and strenuous, hence taking away energy and focus for your core exercises. Limiting your warm-up to 10 minutes of cardio activity (you can do it on a treadmill or on any other apparatus to keep it fun and exciting) and a brief overall body stretching, should be good to start your core phase.
After doing the same routine for the past year, you have actually outgrown it! Meaning you have adapted to it and become so efficient in doing all these exercises that you are getting fewer benefits from them.
So what I need you to do is to increase the intensity of your workout. The first step of increasing the intensity is by cutting down on the volume (repetitions and sets of the workout) but increasing the amount of weights you can handle with good form.
In doing so, you may not be able to do as many exercises. Hence, you will be required to split your routine into a focusing on different parts of the body in one session rather than exercising the whole body every time you come to the gym.
For example:
Day 1: shoulder, chest, & abdominals*
Day 2: front thighs, hamstrings, calves, & abdominals*
Day 3: back, biceps, triceps, & abdominals
You can do this every other day or two days in a row followed by a day’s rest before going for the third workout day of the program, rest for one or two days before repeating the cycle.
*Two exercises each part x three sets x 10 – 15 repetitions, end it with 30 minutes of cardio at 100 – 125 heart beats per minute
You do not need to do 300 crunches at every workout because over the long run it may be too much for your lower back to handle. If you follow the amount I recommend in the program, you only need to do a total of 90 repetitions, essentially one third of your current routine and only done three times a week as opposed to doing it 5-6 days per week. As long as you do it with good form, you will achieve optimum results with it.
I don’t think a squat jump is a recommended exercise for anybody.
Research as early as the 1990s have already suggested the potential danger of hurting your patella (the kneecap) and knee joints as the results of doing squat jumps. Squats, lunges, or leg presses would be much safer and more effective.
For your nutritional plan, you did not explain what constitutes an “ideal diet”.
However, I would hope it to be rich in vegetables, sufficient in lean proteins, with some healthy fats, as well as a low to moderate amount of wholegrain carbohydrates, fruits consumed over three meals and some snacks in between.
Oh, and yes, it is safe for women
to consume amino-acids supplements.
You may want to add a good multivitamin supplement into the mix as a nutritional buffer for your diet.
Thank you for all the emails. I really appreciate your kind support and encouragement.
Please keep them coming in at ask_aderai@yahoo.com. I will be more than happy to answer them for you.



Note: This article is for fitness information presentation purpose only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases. Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise or nutritional program. Views and suggestions provided are strictly individual and may not be suitable for individuals with similar conditions or profiles. Ade Rai and The Jakarta Post have exercised good faith in presenting the safest measures known at the time of writing. The writer and/or the Post will not be responsible for any injury or loss from applying the information presented in the column.