Fitness Friday: Helpful Flowchart for Scheduling Workouts

Eat First

I am taking a continuing education course on male body sculpting. The test will be based on a book written by a gentleman with an MD after his name.

The author had a recommendation for weight loss: if you work out in the morning, do not eat beforehand so you lose more fat.  He states that the body has to burn fat for energy in order to fuel the workout.

This is not a good idea.

I don't pretend to be more knowledgeable than a doctor. However, after a decade of personal training, I cannot vouch for that recommendation.

I never have to wonder if my early morning clients have eaten before their workout. I have had clients turn gray, get dizzy — one person even vomited. Each time I would say,  "Let me guess: you didn't eat this morning, did you?" In every instance, I got a nod of admission.

My experience has shown me the body cannot properly fuel a workout without nutrition. (There are a few exceptions to the rule, but very few.)

Even if you do manage to get through the workout, your not going to have enough intensity in the workout to get the full benefits you seek.

A study from Britain suggests there is only a difference of one-tenth of a pound between working out before breakfast or eating first. For that little a difference, don't risk illness and low energy.

Eat first: you will feel better. Even if breakfast is only a piece of toast and a banana.

Working Out on the Road

Working out while on vacation can be a challenge. It is not always easy to find a gym or to make extra space in a hotel room.

However, it's an important habit to develop and maintain. Combine extra calorie consumption with non-consistent workouts and you have the potential for weight gain while you are away from home.

My favorite recommendation for travel workout tools are resistance bands with handles. They are relatively inexpensive, they are light and they don't break. This makes them the perfect travel equipment.

A similar tool to the resistance bands is a nylon loop with a knot on the opposite end. The nylon loop, available at fitness stores, is about six inches long and mostly flat. The knot closes firmly on to any doorjamb. The resistance bands then fits into the nylon loop. This allows for the bands to be doubled so there is a handle for each hand. This setup is ideal for chest work, back work and tricep work.

Another good option, since most of us now travel with our laptops, is to bring along your favorite workout video. Flat DVD cases travel well, or download it onto your computer for easy use.

One big advantage to these suggestions is that workouts can be done indoors — which means weather does not interfere with our workout.

Hopefully now you can have your vacation and workout, too.

Fitness Friday: Time is On Your Side

Time will pass, no matter what you do — so why not use it the way you want, the way you know is best for you?

And if you're not sure how to start, ask an expert: make an appointment with a personal trainer. What have you got to lose, except doubt and confusion?

More Muscle Groups, Higher Dividends

Boy, was I glad when I read the article below in the July-August 2012 issue of IDEA Fitness Journal. The article states that using multiple large-muscle groups creates a larger after-burn with your muscles. 

By expending more energy (which translates to calories), your burn more calories. This leads to more effective muscle-sculpting and weight loss.

As I have said repeatedly, keeping the body off-balance gives us better results, and we need to learn — and apply — new techniques and practices in our workouts. It also reinforced the message I bestow on my clients: Don't be afraid to try something new in your workouts. More often than not, it will pay off.

What's your favorite multi-muscle workout? 

Energy Expenditure During 1-Set and 3-Set Training Protocol

by Ryan Halvorson

 IDEA Fitness Journal

Many fitness professionals incorporate strength training routines into clients’ programs in part to incite postworkout elevated energy expenditure. But how many repetitions and sets are enough to generate extended periods of afterburn? Probably many fewer than you think.

A small study of eight young overweight males pitted the traditional 3-set strength training protocol against a 1-set program. Participants completed 1 set of 10 exercises, at 10-repetition maximum (RM), targeting all major muscle groups. During a separate intervention, they completed 3 sets of the same exercises, also at 10-RM. Exercises included leg press, leg curl, calf raise, bench press, lat pull-down, shoulder press, biceps curl, triceps extension, abdominal crunch and back extension. 

Movements were divided into three circuits, with 4 minutes’ rest between them. Energy expenditure was then tested 24, 48 and 72 hours after the exercise session.

The researchers discovered that the 3-set protocol resulted in significantly more energy expenditure during the workout than the 1-set protocol. “However, within protocols, both the one-set and three-set protocols were significantly elevated for resting energy expenditure expressed in absolute amounts at 24 hours post, 48 hours post, and 72 hours post, compared with baseline,” said the authors. “The results of this investigation support the current American College of Sports Medicine recommendation for resistance training, which is one set of eight to 10 exercises focusing on the major muscle groups. 

Although this recommendation is most often cited for overall muscular fitness, the fact that a single set can elevate resting energy expenditure for 72 hours may be an important modality for weight management.”

The study appeared in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (2011; 111 [3], 477–84).

Cross-Training: Take it Outside

Now that spring and summer are here it is much easier to cross-train. Take your workouts outside.

Good cross-training exercises include beach volleyball, swimming, baseball and the like.

Cross training lessens the chance of injury, gives better post workout calorie burn and increases vitamin D intake from being outside.

Make sure to remember that being fit can be fun, too.

Don't Drink the Water

We all know how important it is to stay hydrated while we work out. We rely on water to carry A.T.P. and other nutrients to the working muscles during physical activity.

However, when I go the the water fountain, more times than not, the water is really cold. Although this feels refreshing, it's not necessarily the healthiest way to hydrate.

Cold water takes longer to get absorbed by the body than warm water. So, if you drink from the fountain then feel unwell during your workout, bring water from home that's room temperature. Your workouts will be more comfortable.

Total Body Workout vs. Splits

This is a great topic for debate, and a question I am asked quite often:

What is more effective: total body workout three or four times a week or training different body parts on different days of the week?

I am not sure if one is necessarily better than the other.... but they are different.

I am a huge fan of the overall body workout when I am hard-pressed for time. This also is great for weight loss and is a great way to train for overall fitness. When done at a good pace with no rest between sets, it really elevates the heart rate.

Where this type of workout falls short, however, is when people stick to one set of exercises per muscle group. For muscle hypertrophy (muscle enlargement), lifters need to overload their muscles. I personally feel that true gains in muscle mass come from different types of exercise for any given muscle group.

The more exercises we do, the better the neuromuscular response and the more muscle fibers are activated. Once we do that, we become stronger. When that occurs, we can lift more weight. Lifting more weight makes us bigger.

This being said, I prefer body splits for size because it allows lifters to be more thorough with each body part.

This does not mean you can't get bigger on a whole body workout. However, personally, I find it less effective.

Both workouts have their place. Just be mindful of what you are trying to accomplish so you can get the results you want.