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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Now that you’ve made your New Year’s resolution
to get in shape and live a healthier lifestyle, I thought
it might be useful to dispel a number of common myths about
fitness, and exercise, and diet to enable you to start out
on the right track.
Many women are afraid that if they do strength training or
use heavy weights they will bulk up.
The truth is that women need not fear bulking up since gaining
muscle mass is related to testosterone levels in the blood
which are lower in women. Strength training has many benefits
for women as well as men including maintaining existing muscle
mass which declined with age in both men and women and building
strong bones and warding off osteoporosis.
Crunches are the best ab exercise I have noticed that the
ab machines are the most popular pieces of equipment at SFF.
Research has shown that the “bicycle” done in a
supine position on the floor is the most effective ab AND
2nd most effective oblique exercise (ask me or another trainer
how to do this). Among the top ab exercises, few are done
on dedicated gym equipment. Also, recent research has shown
that Pilates exercises like those taught at SFF are superior
to crunches.
The vast majority of people concentrate on the rectus abdominis
which responsible for the six pack look some people strive
for. The transverse abdominis muscle acts like a natural corset
and is the deepest of the abdominal muscles. Some argue that
it is the most important muscle in the body. There is no machine
to strengthen this muscle yet it is critical in preventing
lower back pain and injury. When exercising, always pull the
navel toward the spine to engage the muscle. An SFF Personal
trainer can show you exercises for the transverse abdominis.
A strong transverse abdominis is more effective than the use
of weight or back belts whose benefits remain unproven (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/backbelt.html)
Specific exercises will turn flab to muscle This is a commonly
held belief. I often see people trying to get rid of a beer
belly or love handles by doing large numbers of reps during
a particular exercise. It is not possible to spot reduce.
Aerobic activity will burn calories during exercise and for
a period after exercising. Resistance training will build
muscle which burns more calories than other tissues on an
ongoing basis and will also shape and tone the muscles that
will appear once fat is burned off all over the body. It is
possible to have strong abs underneath a layer of fat but
they won’t be visible without overall weight reduction.
Working in the fat burning zone on cardio machines will result
in more fat being lost than working in the aerobic training
zone (70-85% of maximum heart rate).
This is a bit tricky. It is true that more fat will be burned
in the so called fat burning zone AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL
CALORIES BURNED but more calories will be burned in the aerobic
zone overall which is what you want to lose weight and more
fat will be burned.
Eating mostly certain foods, e.g., protein or totally avoiding
other foods e.g., fat, will result in weight loss and long
term weight maintenance. This is a controversial one. See
the following link http://nutrition.tufts.edu/research/jhcpan/consumers/diet_vs_exercise.html
There is no magical formula for weight loss. Eating fewer
calories and/or exercising more (balancing calories and exercise)
is the only proven way to lose weight and maintain weight.
Many, many people go on diet after diet and don’t keep
weight off permanently. People need to think in terms of lifestyle
changes incorporating the Laws of Thermodynamics (http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=4&art_id=20781&sc=801).
Exercise needs to be incorporated into your lifestyle (See
the previous Trainers Edge Tips). SFF can help with classes,
cardio and strength training equipment plus the motivation
of being in a group environment.
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