Exercise Tips

Every day I hear quotes such as the following: “I want to lose fat, so I will start doing cardio for the first six months and then I will start the weights AFTER I lose the fat”, or my all time favorite, “I just do cardio to keep the fat off”.  The problem with these statements is that they disregard basic principles of exercise physiology that state that there exists a balance of these two exercise modes.

There is a term in Exercise Science known as Specificity.  This principle is based on the fact that the human body adapts to various exercise stimuli.  In other words if I were to train you to be a bodybuilder I would want to train you using a resistance of about 75-85% of your I repetition maximum.  On the other hand if I wanted to train you to be a marathon runner I would be training in the 40-50% 1 rep max range because the body will respond entirely different to that kind of exercise.  So you may be asking yourself, “Well how does this have anything to do with finding the correct balance of cardio and weights?”  The answer is a resounding EVERYTHING.

Remember that cardiovascular exercise and resistance training exercise have a completely different affect on how your body adapts physiologically.  Take for example the following key differences:

-Cardiovascular exercise is catabolic (meaning that it promotes the breakdown of tissues, both fatty and muscular)

-Resistance training exercise is anabolic (meaning that it promotes the build-up of muscle tissue…BUT it does not encourage the build-up of fatty tissue)

-Aerobic exercise does NOT favor optimal strength development.  So when you hear somebody say “I lift weights for my upper body, but for my lower body I just run”, you will know that they are fooling themselves.

-Aerobic exercise encourages catabolic hormones (breaking down) such as glucocorticoids (cortisol,cortisone, ect).  These hormones prevent muscle growth and promote the storage of FAT…yes you heard me right…the storage of fat.  This is your bodies attempt at turning you into an efficient fat-burning machine.  The problem is that you don’t want to be an efficient fat burning machine.  Think about this for a minute…what do you want your air conditioner to be? Efficient or non-efficient?  Well, you want it to be efficient because then you are using LESS energy and that is a good thing.  But what about your body?  Remember that your goal is to burn fat NOT be efficient with it.

This is where resistance training comes into the picture.  Where cardiovascular exercise is excellent in burning extra calories and getting your weight down, it also has the tendency to keep you in a state of efficiency. 

-Resistance training promotes the secretion of Testosterone and Growth Hormone which ARE FAT BURNING HORMONES!  So what have we now…? We have the best of both worlds: the immediate fat-burning affects of cardiovascular exercise and the long-term fat-burning effects of resistance training (growth hormone, testosterone, and muscle itself which is highly metabolic in nature).

Summary: Cardiovascular exercise and Resistance Training Exercise have different outcomes on the human body.  A proper balance is needed to ensure fat-loss is maximized.  The following is a general starting guide for you to consider:

Beginners (less than 6 months weight training): 3-6 days cardio and 2-3 days of weight training

Intermediate: 50/50 split between the two modes of exercise.  For example weights on Mon/Wed/Fri and Cardio on Tue/Thur/Sat

Advanced: Favor more resistance training to optimize hormonal balance and maintain metabolism. For example weight training 5 days a week and cardio 2 days a week.  This will ensure you stay on the fat burning fast track.

Well there you have it my friends!  I will dive more aggressively into this topic, but this should keep you thinking squarely for now!  Remember that life is good!

Principle #6:  Remember that “one size exercise does NOT fit all”.

 Remember the last time you ordered that Richard Simmons video or more recently that P90X workout and you got great results for around that time frame (60-90 days) and then things seemed to taper off?  The reason for this is the mode of exercise that you are participating in.  To illustrate what I am talking about let me tell you about the nature and characteristics of human skeletal muscle.  Human muscle comes in a variety of fiber types.  Type I Fibers or “red muscle fiber” is a muscle fiber that is characterized by its ability to endure.  It is the muscle fiber that is highly “aerobic” in nature, meaning that it can process oxygen at a faster and more efficient rate than the other Type II fibers that I will describe shortly.  The downside to this type of muscle fiber is that it is not very strong.  Those who possess a high degree of this type of fiber are typically more slender and tend to be weaker in strength.  Type II fibers are generally classified into what is called Type II A, B, or C muscle fibers.  These muscle fibers are much stronger than the type I fibers but lack the endurance capacity of the type I fiber.  Those that posses a high amount of these fibers tend to be very strong people but lack sub maximal muscle endurance.

 So when you finish your workout video, you have predominantly exercised the type I fibers and by and large neglected the type II muscle fibers.  The key is to “Periodize” your workouts so that you hit ALL of the muscle fibers and thereby train the muscle holistically rather than in “fiber isolation” that you will find in about 95% of all commercial/fad workouts.

 Principle #7: Remember to PERIODIZE!

 This is where you plan your workouts yearly…yes yearly.  When one of our clients comes into Lifelong Fitness the first thing that we will do is get them on a year plan that is periodized.  What in the world am I talking about?  This is where you plan workouts around intensity/volume levels.  For example if you are just starting you would want to start in a 10-15 rep range (resistance training) and stay in that range for 4-6 weeks to let the body settle into its newly imposed demands.  After that period (hence the term periodization) you would do well in a rep range of 8-12 to induce what is known as muscle hypertrophy.  You would then proceed to go through 3-5 more cycles to make sure that you are hitting all of the available muscle fibers.  This is where a knowledgeable and formally educated Personal Trainer can make a world of difference for you as they will educate you as to how you can properly design a periodized training program.

 Principle #8: Remember tempo!

 This is one of the most overlooked principles there is.  The tempo of your lifting has a very specific effect on the adaptation of the muscle fibers.  When first beginning you should favor a moderate tempo for your lifting.  When you have a year or so of training under your belt you should favor a variety of training tempo’s ranging from slow to ballistic and explosive.  This will help to challenge and develop the whole scope of your available muscle fibers (principle #6).  I could write an entire blog on this subject so stay tuned in the future…I just might!

 Principle #9: Intensity and Volume Increases

 Intensity as it pertains to weight training is based on percentage of 1 rep max (the maximum amount of weight that you can lift with any exercise).  So if you are lifting around 12 maximal reps you are lifting approximately 65-70% of your 1RM.  Typically you will want to range around 65%to 95% of your 1RM depending on your physical ability and your training experience.  When increasing the volume (sets x reps x weight lifted for your entire workout) you want to make sure that you never go over a ten % training volume in a two week period unless you are an experienced competive or elite athlete.  So take the time for this simple exercise and reap the rewards…your body will thank you and your results will skyrocket.

  Principle #10:  Rest!

 More is not always better!  I know that this one is hard to believe but please listen up!  Once engaged in resistance training human muscle accumulates what is known as cumulative muscle trauma.  This is part of the “tear it down and build it up” process.  This is healthy under normal conditions because this is how you get stronger, but if you continue to train harder and harder without any rest you are in for overtraining syndrome which calls for a whole host of physical break downs as it pertains to your performance and physical well being.

 So take a week off after about 12 weeks of consistent weight training.  If you haven’t tried this yet go ahead and give it a try and see what happens…you will love it.

Well there you have it my friends…smarter not harder!  Remember life is good!

I always encounter begining exercisers that have many questions about how to get started on a new exercise program, so I decided that I would refer them to my blog!  This article reflects the official position of the American College of Sports Medicine.   The following is intended to give you a basic framework to work under as it pertains to how much exercise you should do when starting and maintaining an exercise program.

Cardiovascular Exercise Guidelines 

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week

Or

Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week

So what does all of this add up to?

ACSM recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity (PA) to prevent significant weight gain and reduce associated chronic disease risk factors. It is recommended that overweight and obese individuals participate in this level of PA to elicit modest reductions in body weight but should participate in approximately 250 to 300 minutes of PA per week for greater weight loss and enhanced prevention of weight regain.

And For Strength Training

Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.

Tips for meeting the guidelines (from ACSM)

With busy work schedules, family obligations, and packed weekends, it can often be difficult to get the recommended amount of physical activity. Try these tips for incorporating exercise into your life:

• Do it in short bouts. Research shows that moderate-intensity physical activity can be accumulated throughout the day in 10-minute bouts, which can be just as effective as exercising for 30 minutes straight. This can be useful when trying to fit physical activity into a busy schedule.
• Mix it up. Combinations of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity can be used to meet the guidelines. For example, you can walk briskly for 30 minutes twice per week and jog at a higher intensity on two other days.
• Set your schedule. Maybe it’s easier for you to walk during your lunch hour, or perhaps hitting the pavement right after dinner is best for you. The key is to set aside specific days and times for exercise, making it just as much a regular part of your schedule as everything else.
• Make it a family affair. Take your spouse, your children, or a friend with you during exercise to add some fun to your routine. This is also a good way to encourage your kids to be physically active and get them committed early to a lifetime of health.

Well, there you have it my friends!  These are basic guidelines that apply to just about everybody accept competitive athletes.  I hope this helps clarify things.  Take care, be well and stay healthy because life truly is good!

“Three sets of ten are all you need to do son!”  More is better.  Go hard or go home!  No pain no gain!  We have all heard these age old clichés, but the problem is deciphering which ones are true and which ones are completely false.  Today I want to give you a primer on weight training basics that will help ensure that your workouts are safe and effective.

 Principle #1:  Realize that your workouts must be tailored to your needs.

 -This is where a competent and qualified Personal Trainer can make all of the difference in the world.  It is their job to ensure that your workout reflects your unique strengths, weakness, and goals.  Anything short of this and you should be looking for a new Personal Trainer.  If you are going it alone then I suggest that you start VERY conservatively if you are just beginning.  Ignore the magazines as they have no idea of your particular needs and/or your abilities.

-Make sure that you progress slowly and steadily.  More is not necessarily better at first.  Remember that your joints and tendons are not used to the increased pressure of resistance training at first, but they will get used to it as you slowly progress in weight, reps, rest time, ect.

 Principle #2:   You must remember the “Law of Superscompensation”.

 The law of Supercompensation states that when a muscle is broken down from exercise it must be built back up through proper nutrition and rest.  As we all know, when we go to the gym we essentially break down our muscle fibers.  The key to making them stronger is to ensure an adequate protein intake afterwards, coupled with a proper rest period before attempting to hit that muscle group again.  In general, you want to make sure that you are not sore or unduly fatigued before attempting to workout again.

 Principle #3:  Large muscle groups take longer to repair than smaller muscle groups.

 -A bicep will always repair faster than a Quadriceps.  Why?  Because the quadriceps covered a much larger cross sectional area of the body and thus it requires more, bodily processes, resources, energy, and nutrients to repair.  In general your larger body parts such as quadriceps, hamstrings, and chest musculature should be given at least two days of repair before you hit them again…but remember this is for basic exercise.  If you are an athlete or bodybuilder it can take up to 4-5 days.

 Principle #4:  Rest Periods dictate your response.

 -I always get a kick out of those people I observe in the gyms that do a set of an exercise and then talk for a straight 5 minutes before their next set.  The problem with this scenario is that your rest period can directly affect the physiological response your body derives from your weight training session.  For example if you are waiting only 3-45 seconds between exercise sets you are deriving more of a muscular endurance training effect, whereas if you are waiting around a minute you are potentiating your Growth Hormone and Testosterone levels (both men and women) that is more conducive to muscular toning and growth.  In general you want to switch things up periodically so that your body does not get used to any given rest period.  You should select between 2 minutes down to thirty seconds for optimal results.

 Principle #5:  Remain Consistent

 -Let me clearly define what consistency means…it means 3 times per week as a minimum.  This can be more if you are more advanced, but for beginners you can even get away with two times per week for the first six weeks before advancing to three.  This number is highly variable depending on your abilities but the overriding point to be made here is that you should be exercising consistently each and every week.  If you get a week of 3 in and then turn around the next week and only do one workout you will NEVER make the kind of progress you are looking for because your body will not be able to become stronger BECAUSE there is not an adequate exercise stimulus to allow it to occur.  You must be consistent…nuff said!

Ok, you are talking to a friend that you have not seen for a while, just shooting the breeze and catching up when all of the sudden you hear him say, “I just started a new exercise program and I am doing my cardio 6 times per week to burn the fat and I lift in the gym 3 times per week to firm up”.  You nod your head in an affirming gesture, end the conversation, and go on with your day.  You return to work after your lunch-break and over hear two ladies in an adjacent cubical saying, “Yea, I just started working out again but I am just focusing on cardio for now to burn the fat and then when I reach my goal I will start with the weights”.

Many of us have heard statements such as these and many more.  Those that make them have the very best of intentions but the very worst of factual information.  Today I want to give you some facts that will change your approach to fitness and ultimately point you in the right direction for whatever your fitness goal may be.

Must Have Natural Metabolism Elixirs:

1- Resistance Training:

For those of you already involved with resistance training congratulations!  For those of you who are either not doing it or putting it off, till “I have lost some initial weight”, please reconsider the following physiological process of fat burning:

-Resistance training is the nuts and bolts to building muscle

-Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, meaning that it is the tissue that is constantly burning         calories and fat.

- Resistance training is the ONLY way to maintain a level of lean muscle tissue that will help you in your fat-burning quest.

2- Proper Cardio/Resistance Training Balance

This goal will vary for everyone depending on fitness levels, goals, age, gender, and so forth.

A few rules of thumb that might help you…

A- If your goal is weight loss: You want to start with 50/50 split between cardio and weights.  For example cardiovascular activities on M/W/F and weights on T/TH/SAT.

B- If your goal is muscle gains: You want to start with the scale swayed towards more weight training days.  So you might go to four days of weights and only two days of cardio.  In reality this particular set-up can burn just as much and in some cases more than the weight loss regime that I just listed under letter A.

C- If your goal is weight maintenance:  typically weight training 3-4 days per week with 2-3 days of cardio injected on your non-weight training days.

3- Muscle Building Nutrition

How many of us go to the gym, do our workout and then lie to ourselves with some of the following excuses…

-“I workout so that I can eat like I want to”

- “I workout so hard that my body can handle some of the junk food that I consume frequently”

- “I am not making progress in the gym so it must be my workout” (completely turning a blind eye to poor nutrition)

The truth is that nutrition is 80% of the fat loss battle whereas the gym is only 20%.  Yes we need to workout and workout hard, but how can we expect our bodies to build muscle and burn fat if we are giving it crap food every day?  The math does not add up and that is why there are so many frustrated, plateau stricken, ever persistent gym going people out there that never get over that last fat hump.

The bottom line:

We all have certain beliefs and perspectives about resistance training that may or may not help us in our fitness goals.  I am speaking to some people in particular.  1-) Those wishing to shed body fat 2-) Those only participating in cardiovascular exercise 3-) Those who have viewed resistance training as a “guy thing” or those who have been turned off by massive bodybuilding men and women thinking that they will look like them if they participate in a sensible resistance training program.  Resistance training consistently beats cardiovascular exercise when it comes to burning fat and maintaining healthy body fat levels.

If you truly want your body to become a Fat Burning Machine please do away with those worn out and tired myths and consider the aforementioned points in this article.  Become a believer as your fat melts away and you maintain the lean muscular and sexy body that you have always wanted.