Get Your Weight Training In

For those of you who keep track of this blog — both of you — I apologize for the long wait for an entry. I got married and went on a honeymoon, then my bride broke her foot and has required assistance. However, I have extracted assistance in return: typing. So, thank you, Chris, for being my hands while I am your feet.

Back to business.

The most effective way to change the shape of your body is to make sure to get in your weight training. After a weight training session, your body continues to burn extra calories for a couple of days afterward. This is due to the repairs that the body makes after the muscles have been traumatized.

If you find you still need to get a little leaner, add in some cardio after your weight training. This will burn extra calories and fat.

Conversely, if you are doing all cardio and your weight loss has stopped, add weight training to gain more muscle mass — because muscle burns more calories throughout the day. So, by adding muscle, your body becomes more efficient, therefore you burn more calories — which allows you to get leaner.

Each pound of muscle burns roughly 35 calories a day. Fat burns none. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in your resting state. (Which would not be Florida.) So, if you find that by dieting and/or doing just cardio that your weight comes right back on, you aren't doing anything to increase your metabolism and burn more fat: add muscle.

Working Through a Plateau

Three months ago, I trained a gentleman for three sessions. When I ran into him recently, he wanted to know why he was not yet seeing a difference in his muscularity.

I asked him what he had been doing since our sessions. He said he was doing the same workout as the one I originally showed him with only one variation: he added a little weight to each exercise.

For him — and for those of you reaching a plateau — here is one way to break through.

After three months, the exercises become easy because of muscle memory, which is ease of movement through practice and repetitions as well as getting new muscle fibers involved in your practice of weight training.

Now we're ready for the second step in bodybuilding: add enough weight where you can reach only six repetitions. Do four sets of each exercise. When you work your way back to 12-15 repetitions, add more weight. The most important factor is that the last couple of repetitions in each set should be very difficult. But be careful — be sure to maintain form and, if the weight feels at all clumsy, drop down a little bit in weight. Safety always comes first.

This should help you work through your lulls. Happy lifting!

General Lifting Rules

Jessie asked good questions about lifting. How do we know how many sets, how many reps per set and how much weight should we use for toning?

Okay, so it's been a few years since you lifted. No biggie. Here are a few pointers:

• Start light. Let your muscles remember the movements.
• For general toning, do three sets for each exercise.
• Do 10-12 reps per set.
• The proper weight is when you struggle to get to the 12th rep. If you can't reach 12, you are using too much weight. If you blow through 12 reps, there is not enough weight.

Machines are good, but don't shy away from free weights, especially dumbbells. They allow you to use muscles independently, thus causing fewer imbalances.

As far as stretching goes, check out Sport Stretch: 311 Stretches for 41 Sports by Michael J. Alter. This great book details how to stretch and explains sets and duration of each stretch.

I hope this helps. Let me know, Jessie!

Do Not! Do Not! Cut Carbs Out Of Your Diet.

Here is a diet tidbit for you from my private Magic Bullet Kit.

If anyone says the words I am going to cut carbs out of my diet in order to lose weight, I will barf. This is the newest diet fad and I can't wait to publish my new book on this topic.

As long as there is no insulin imbalance in the body, carbs do not make you put on weight.
When we think about carbs, we tend to think about white bread, white rice and other processed foods. When these foods break down, they consist of sugars with little other nutritional value.

To choose proper carbs, always check the nutritional labels.

Look for fiber and carbs versus sugars. The higher content of fiber and carbs, the better.

Look to fruits and vegetables as a great source of carbs. As a double benefit, you also get vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

According to Susan Kleiner, author of the book Power Eating, "Bodybuilders practice low carbohydrate dieting because they believe it promotes faster weight loss. The problem with these diets is that they deplete glycogen, the body's storage form of carbohydrate. Once glycogen stores are emptied, the body starts burning protein from tissues. Including muscle tissue, to meet its energy demand . You lose hard earned muscle as a result."

When carbs break down they become ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the fuel your muscles run on.

If you are going to work out and work your muscles to their full potential, give them their preferred fuel source.

Exercise Really is a Cure-All!

Alright, it's a bit of an exaggeration. But not by much.

According to Marilyn Moffat, a professor of physical therapy at New York University, exercise goes a long way toward healing what ails you ("You Name It, Exercise Helps It," New York Times, 4/29/2008).

If you suffer from an ailment such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, dementia, depression, cancer or erectile disfunction, exercise can help.

Congestive heart failure? Multiple sclerosis? Diverticulitis? Yep, you, too.

It's not a panacea, and you do not leap off the operating table to land at the marathon starting line. Moffatt is much more restrained than I would be. Moderate exercise, as much as one feels comfortable doing, is the key.

A lot of times, would-be athletes are self-conscious about their body shapes — which might make them less inclined to go to the gym, the pool or wherever else exercise might include stretchy pants.

Others may not think themselves athletes, or have not felt strong enough to consider themselves capable of athletic activities. The thing is, they are. Everyone can be an athlete. Remember, you don't have to run a marathon to be a "runner."

There are lots of reasons to not exercise — such as when the physician recommends against it, or when you truly do not feel capable. After my shoulder surgery, Dr. Thal told me I could start running as soon as I felt like it. I took off two weeks, which I would have fought against had the good doctor said that very thing. And it was heck starting again, but I didn't give myself a choice. Not running, for me, was worse than re-starting.

Exercise is not easy, especially when athletes are starting a new regimen. However, even a beginning athlete knows the difference between sore muscles and their illness. They also know the difference between "not feeling like it" and being unwell.

Always consult with a physician before starting an exercise regimen — but start one. Do it for the endorphins, do it for the muscle tone, do it for the confidence it will give you. But do it. Your body will thank you.

- Chris

Summer is Almost Here! Time to Show Off Those Abs!

My entire family from all over the country is meeting in Florida the last week in June. Consequently, my daughter Valerie wants to know how to add definition to her tummy.

So let's start with the basic crunch.

• Lie flat on your back. Keep your hands folded across your chest, and flex your spine so your shoulders come off the floor. (Keep your neck in place and relaxed.) Once your head and shoulders come off the floor, engage your abs and crunch. Make this movement only about eight inches. Try three sets of 15 to see how you do.

Need a little more challenge?

• Sit upright and place your feet under the couch or chair, knees bent. Now, lower your back as slowly as possible down to the floor. (A count of 12 should do it.) Then come back to your starting position. Repeat 12 times.
• For the people who can't get enough punishment, attempt to raise yourself back up from the floor for a count of 12.

Okay -- still too easy?

• Lie flat on your back with your feet in the air. Keep your arms straight in front of you and try to touch you toes. (Yes, Val, I am serious.)

This is for the more hardcore:

• Lie flat on your back. Have someone stand with their feet at your shoulders. Raise both feet with some force and have your partner (not to worry, Jesse, you shall remain nameless) shove your feet back to the ground -- but don't let your feet hit the ground.
• Your parnter also can shove your feet to both sides to work your obliques.

When you get good at these, let me know and we can increase the difficulty.

In the meantime, let's enjoy the summer and show off those abs.

Thank you for the suggestion, Val. This also gave me more ideas for the blog. I can give tips on a specific muscle for each month. What do you think?

Growning Older, Staying Fit With a Personal Trainer

As we grow older, we need to continue exercising on a regular basis for many reasons, including to:

• keep metabolism consistent for weight control


• sustain bone density


• preserve movement functionality


• build muscular strength and endurance

Many insurance companies now provide reduced rates for gym memberships to clients whose employees are members of a gym or fitness center.

This was very well received. Consequently, the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), which provides insurance supplement for seniors, began offering discounted services for personal trainers through the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

I can tell you with authority (as the employee of two gyms) that AARP's rates are less expensive than those found in most fitness centers. ACE is a nationally accredited organization with thousands of accredited personal trainers nationwide, so it's easy to find a trainer nearby who can help you stay fit and reach the fitness goals you set.

Click here to let AARP help you find an ACE-certified personal trainer near you.