Here, I will answer some of your health and fitness questions.

Please Email ONLY HEALTH AND FITNESS questions to me at: interactive@tanyafitness.com  *(please direct ALL other inquiries, tech questions, appearances and shoot requests, to admin@tanyafitness.com)

Due to the quantity of email received, I can only choose a few questions or topics per week to respond to, but keep checking back here for more tips and information to help improve your physical fitness!

Thanks - Tanya

Dear Tanya,
Hello, I admire that you are all natural I am getting really interested in going to the gym more and more becoming serious. I was wondering how many times per week you train your body parts, and for how long? Thanks Tanya keep up the hard work, you're an inspiration!
-Janet Beasley from Boston, MA (9/3/2010)

Hey Janet,
I am glad to hear that you are interested in turning up your training a notch, you can do it! Living healthy and being dedicated to training 5-6 days per week definitely takes dicipline, intense hard work and patience. I tend to train 6-7 days per week and for about 1 1/2 hours including warm up and cardio. Here is what a typical week looks like...Monday: Back and cardio Tuesday: Chest, tri's and bi's, cardio Wednesday: Legs, abs, cardio Thursday: Shoulders, calves, cardio Friday: Back, tri's and bi's Saturday: Plyometrics, abs, cardio Sunday: Rest
I really love training hard, I typically use the heaviest weight possible concentrating on form and breathing, I go until failure. I do not waste my time counting because my muscles do not know numbers! Good Luck Janet and keep me posted on your progress! -Tanya

Is working out when your muscles are sore good or bad? or does it not make a difference?  Molly McTighe (3/24/2010)

Hey Molly!
Hope that you are doing great, it sounds like that you are training hard...keep it up!!! So bottom line: You want to give your muscles a 48-hour rest before training them again. Stretch your muscles well, after you workout, then later that day and then the following day. Lactic acid builds up and microscopic tears occur from working out, so that is why you will need to stretch - to remove the lactic acid and get adequate rest to heal the muscle that you broke down. Drink tons of water to flush your system and to stay hydrated too. I recommend taking these two natural and ever so beneficial supplements: Branch Chain Amino Acids and Glutamine. Check out either www.bodybuilding.com or www.DPSnutrition.com to read about them and buy them. If you do circuit training, separate your upper and lower body...ex Monday: Upper body circuit + cardio ...... Tuesday: Cardio. Wednesday: Lower Body Leg circuit......Thursday: Cardio....Friday: Whole body circuit + cardio. However I don't know how you usually train. I train like a bodybuilder and separate a few muscles such as Back and biceps, tuesday glutes and hamstrings...anyway..!
So let me know if you have any other questions, I hope that this helped you a bit. Take care!

Hey Tanya I am trying to add size to my calves, I train them once a week doing really high reps with medium weight. I do seated and standing until they burn like crazy, however they aren't budging! Spring is right around the corner, and I want shapely legs to look hot in my shorts! Can you give me a few pointers to gain size and definition.
Julie from Dayton OH  (January 29th, 2010)

Dear Julie,
I recommend to hit calves every other day with a decent amount of weight. We use our calves all day long so they can take a beating, and it sounds like yours need one if they aren't budging! First as much weight as you can handle without sacrificing form. I use the smith machine and a platform to stand on. I place my feet shoulder width apart toes forward with just the balls of my feet, I rise up squeeze for two seconds then come down slowly only to parallel. (So I don't thicken up my ankles!) I will go until failure, then I rest for about 30 seconds then I change my foot position, I turn my toes slightly in, go until failure. Then one more set with my toes pointed out, until failure. Do about 3 heavy sets and alternate your days with seated and standing exercises. Another great way to make those calves of yours burn is to walk on a treadmill at about a 10% incline, only at about 1.5 speed, walk slowly from heel to toe deliberately squeezing your calves as you take your steps! KILLER! Good luck, I am sure that you will see results asap!

I am trying to gain size in my lower body. Every time I workout I lose size and i need to gain size what can I do? Upper body is the opposite - I gain and I am trying to trim up. help please, Kelly (Dec 8, 2009)

Hello Tanya, I travel alot with work constantly in and out of hotels and on the road, do you have any advice on staying on track to maintain my weight? -Jonathon (Austin, TX)

Certainly! Definately pack some snack items, which can save you alot of money as opposed to dining out or snacks at gas stations. Here are some items that I bring with me either on a daily basis and when I am traveling. Packets oftuna in water, bag of raw organic almonds, dried organic fruit (apples, mango, papaya), measured protein powder in small ziplock baggies so I can make a quick shake, beef jerky (chose low fat variety) and protein bars (300 Caloriesor lower preferably). Also alot of hotels have breakfast so grab yourself a few pieces of fruit for later on in the day!!!

When you go out to dinner make healthy choices, first of all tell the server you won't be needing any bread! Start with a small side salad veggies only and a low calorie dressing or a broth based soup. Choose grilled, steamed,poached and roasted proteins. Ask your server politely to please give you a green STEAMED veggie of your choice to go with your protein. Limiting Alcohol and desert is a must!

Hey Tanya,I would love to have more developed quads like yours, any tips to build size? Samantha (Hartford, CT)

Yes, stick with bread and butter exercises but remember you must go as heavy as you can without sacraficing form because if you don't have the correct form you can injure yourself not to mention your wasting your time. Do 4 sets of each exercise, and rather than counting because what does that even do?! Focus on breathing, mind to muscle connection and correct form.

• -Squats (go deep)
• -Leg Press (alternate foot position to hit different muscle angles)
• -Stiff Leg (form is crucial here, one of my favorite hamstring building moves)
• -Leg extensions
• -Lunge around your entire gym, if it is big...lucky you! I do calves on a different day they got worked enough from that workout!
  

Hey I read that you went to Culinary School, since your a chef give me the dirt on how they really prepare foods in restaurants because dining out just tastes so delicious. Can it be that bad to eat out a lot? Josh (Tampa, FL)

Sorry to burst your bubble but Chef's and cooks butter you up! I recommend to limit going out to eat in restaurants because you never know exactly what is in it. Like steak? It comes to your table glistening, fresh from the broiler, well it is heavily brushed with butter just after it comes out of the broiler! Loads of calories added to your steak and you feel good because you ordered your sauce on the side! Honestly in a nutshell almost every dish in most restaurants are calorie bombs. Simply just control your portions, ask your server to ask the Chef to steam veggies, grill proteins with limited fat use (which almost always the staff will accommodate any need). Alcohol is a big no no as well, high in calories and converts to sugar once in your body.I don't think I need to talk about deserts in restaurants!