Resistance Training trumps Aerobics for most effective F.A.T. B.U.R.N.

Most people have only one thing on their mind when they join a gym or approach a personal trainer…fat-loss. With more than half of the adult population registering as overweight it is no wonder that fat loss is such a hot topic.

It’s simple, really. We used to think that cardiovascular training was the quickest and most effective way to shed unwanted pounds. Aerobics, jogging, swimming and biking were the activities to turn to when we wanted to slim down.

Boy, were we misled.

The idea was that when you perform low level aerobic exercise your body relied on calories from fat. Sounds good, right? Well, there were a couple of major limitations with this method…

First of all you only burn fat calories while the aerobics are performed. If you do twenty minutes, then you only burn for twenty minutes; if you do two hours, then you only burn for two hours.

Secondly, if you are overzealous with aerobics your body actually eats away at lean tissue, leaving you with lowered calorie requirements. Ever wonder why you eat the same amount but still put on pounds? A loss in lean tissue will do that to you every time.

So where does this leave you?

Lucky for us, we live in a time of great scientific discovery with tools and statistics that give us the cutting edge in our quest for a slimmer, sexier body. And science has given us the solution for optimal F.A.T. B.U.R.N.

The Solution: Resistance Training

You have probably heard about the many benefits of resistance training. Here are just a few:

• Increase in muscle strength
• Injury prevention
• Improved bone density

But what about F.A.T. B.U.R.N.? Here are the two reasons that resistance training is the most effective way to B.U.R.N. F.A.T.
1. Oxygen Debt

Now I know debt isn’t usually a word that we enjoy…but in this case I’m sure you will agree that it’s a great thing. Resistance training puts your body into oxygen debt which means you will B.U.R.N. F.A.T. as you recover from your workout. And this effect can last quite awhile – studies have shown an increase in calorie burning for up to three days following a resistance training workout.
2. Lean Tissue Burns More

The other way that F.A.T. B.U.R.N. is accomplished with resistance training is through an increase in your resting metabolism. You see, lean tissue (muscle) requires many more calories each day than fatty tissue. In fact, one pound of muscle burns 30-50 calories each day at rest – compared to a measly 9 calories per pound of fat.

When you perform resistance training exercises your body composition will change to contain more lean tissue, thus resulting in extra calories burned while you sleep. What could be better than that?

Resistance training is truly worth your time – talk about an exercise that keeps on giving.

Wouldn’t you love to reap the rewards of a solid resistance training program by waking up slimmer every morning? I love nothing more than to see my clients achieve awesome results – clients just like you, who decided to change their shape forever by contacting me.

Do something nice for yourself – contact me today – together we will turn you into a F.A.T.B.U.R.N.I.N.G. machine.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

Benefits of Bike Riding for your Body

I loved riding my bike as a kid. We would ride all around town and back and forth to school. Bike riding kept us lean and healthy. As an adult, bike riding offers many benefits for the body, as well. Purchase a bike today and feel like a kid again.

Bicycling is a good cardiovascular exercise. Bike riding increases the health of your heart. Every body needs between thirty minutes of aerobic exercise at least three days a week. Purchasing a bike with several speeds will allow you to increase you fitness level as your cardiovascular function improves. Begin by riding at an easy speed over even ground. If a challenge is what you desire, change your terrain.

Bicycling is kind to the joints. Women often experience joint pain especially in the knees as they get older. Osteoporosis causes joint problems to worsen because of the lack of proper calcium levels in the bones. Bike riding offers exercise without pain. The aerobic benefit is comparable to jogging or running without the strain. Make sure that the seat height on your bike is adjusted to allow your legs full range of motion with each revolution. Full range of motion also promotes better circulation to the lower extremities that do the majority of the work in moving the bicycle.

Bicycling whips those leg muscles into shape. For muscular endurance, stick to a flat terrain, but adjust the speed of the bike as your strength improves. To avoid cramping, stretch thoroughly before and after each bike ride.

If you are looking to increase muscle definition, vary your terrain. Off-road biking on dirt trails helps to flex leg muscles as you keep the bicycle under control even on uneven ground. Steep hills are great for working the quadriceps and hamstrings.

How’s your bicycle seat? I don’t mean the one on the bike. The gluteus muscles also reap rewards from bike riding. For maximum power, raise your body about an inch off of the seat as you pedal. Squeeze your butt to control the pedaling motion. After a mile or so, those glutes should be on fire!

Bicycling increases your balance. Learning to ride a bike is all about staying upright. To do that, you have to find a balance between your body and the bike. Maintaining that balance strengthens the core muscles of the abdominal region. Tightening the core muscles keeps you from falling off of the bike. The lower abdominals pull your legs back towards you body from the bottom of the cycling revolution. The lower back is also kept pain free by a strong balanced core.

Riding a bike is not just for kids. The physical benefits increase as you get older. Besides, bike riding is just plain fun. So, get moving!

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Fit or Fiction: Baby Boomer’s Fitness

Whether you’re old or young, in shape or never picked up a weight in your life, you’ve probably heard a lot of fitness myths. There are all kinds of ideas about weight loss and exercise out there, ranging from credible to downright crazy. Here are just a few of the common myths baby boomers hear about their fitness and the real truth behind them.

Myth #1: You can’t be in great shape.

When you think of healthy, sculpted bodies, your mind generally cuts to people in their mid 20’s. While many people want to be more fit and healthy, they have convinced themselves that they are simply too old to be in great shape. This simply isn’t true. Sure, you lose some of your abilities as you get older. You may not be as fast or lift as much, but that doesn’t have to stop you. Plus, the earlier you get started on your fitness program, the less functioning you’ll lose as you age.

Myth #2: You have to work out very hard to lose weight.

Sure, working out really hard is going to burn more calories than if you have a light workout, but you can still achieve safe results while cutting back a little. If you go into workouts full force, you’re not only putting unnecessary stress on your heart, joints, and the rest of your body, you’re also risking injury and other serious health problems. Don’t try to push yourself beyond what your body can do. A little bit of effort does goes a long way.

Myth #3: Doing cardio several times a week is enough exercise.

While cardio and other endurance exercises are an important part of getting and staying in shape, they’re just one piece of the puzzle if you want to stay healthy. A well-balanced workout should also include strength training to keep muscle mass, definition, and bone density, stretching exercises to maintain and improve flexibility, and balance exercises to help prevent future injury. If you are uncertain about your workout, seek the advice of a personal trainer who can help you get started on the right path.

Myth #4: Cutting out carbohydrates and fats will make you lose weight.

Sure, there have been fad diets around for many, many years, but lately they seem to be much more prevalent and often much more crazy. You may be guilty of jumping on the bandwagon, probably only to ump right back off. These diets tend to cut out things completely that your body needs and craves. Instead of constantly looking for diet products, eat sensible meals with lots of fruits and vegetables for nutrients. The best way to get into shape is to do it slowly through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Ignoring the latest fads of fitness myths will usually keep you on the right track to becoming healthy.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Interval Training – What is it?

When it comes to exercise, the word “intervals” puts fear in many people’s minds. Intervals are sometimes misunderstood but adding them to your exercise program can help you burn fat and get in shape quicker.

Intervals are not for everyone. To begin performing intervals, you should be in good condition and a physical from your doctor is highly recommended.

What are intervals?

The easiest definition would be periods of high intensity exercise followed by recovery periods of low intensity exercise.

Here’s an example. You are following a walking program and have been walking briskly for thirty minutes a day, four days a week. You feel pretty good but would like to lose weight a little quicker.

Intervals might be perfect for you. Begin your regular walking program and, after five minutes, jog for ten, twenty, thirty seconds or more. Your heart rate will begin to increase and your breathing will pick up after this period, return to walking briskly until you have completely recovered. You then begin to jog again.

In the beginning you may only want to perform two or three of these short jogs. That’s fine. Do what’s comfortable for you. Later, as you become more accustomed to this routine, you can add more jogs or increase the length of time you jog or both.

During each period of jogging, your heart rate has increased. When you stop jogging and continue walking, your heart rate will be at an increased rate for a minute or so. This is an added benefit. During aerobic exercise you want your heart rate to increase, which makes it stronger and makes you healthier.

Intervals work great on a treadmill. You can increase the speed for however long you want, or you can increase the height, so you are walking at the same pace only going uphill.

This is interval training at a low level but you still get benefits from it. You can follow a similar routine in your other aerobic exercise as well.

For instance, if you are riding a bike for exercise, every so often pedal faster until you begin breathing heavier, and then return to riding as before.

You can see that interval training is not only for athletes. It’s one of the fastest and most effective means of reaching a top level of fitness and decreasing body fat.

Do these three or four days a week and watch your fitness level go up while your pounds begin to disappear.

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Introduction to Group Cycling Classes

Group indoor cycling classes are one of the best exercise activities that you can participate in. People with all levels of fitness and endurance can benefit from these workouts.

Indoor cycling classes are terrific alternatives to aerobic classes that require you to learn tricky moves, or running on a treadmill, which can cause discomfort for some in the leg muscles and joints.

There are no complicated movements that you must learn to enjoy this exercise program. Cycling is a low-impact exercise that most anyone can do and participation is not reliant on a preset fitness level or ability. It is an activity anyone can join.

Indoor cycling classes are lead by an instructor and incorporate high-energy music for added motivation. The instructor will guide you through the cycling session indicating what resistance and speed you should try to achieve.

For first time participants, the instructor should be able to help set up the cycle properly. As a general guide:

1. Your seat height should be positioned where there is a slight bend in the knee as the pedal is at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

2. The lateral seat position should be positioned so the elbows are at a slight bend and, on rotating the pedals until they are level with the other, your knees should be directly over each pedal.

3. The handlebars should be level or slightly below the seat. Certainly you do not want the handlebars positioned where you might feel discomfort in your lower back.

The cycling resistance is controlled by a knob below the handlebars. If the know is turned to the right, the pedaling resistance increases.Conversely, if it is turned to the left, the resistance decreases.

The cycling session begins with an easy warm-up. As your heart rate and breathing starts to increase, the instructor begins the session of simulating hill climbs and interval work.

For hill climbs, the instructor will have the class increase the resistance of the cycle simulating the effort you would encounter as you pedal up an increasingly steep hill. Interval work will require fast pedal revolutions for a specific amount of time as if you are sprinting. Each of these exercises are incorporated into the session to build leg strength, endurance and overall fitness.

Note that the effort you do should be only as much as your body can endure. Some come to the classes to work out extremely hard and others are just beginning their quest for better fitness and may not be in top condition. You should only work as hard as you can and not try to compete with the person next to you.

Most indoor cycling classes last around 45-minutes. Instructors will generally have you ride at least two hill climbs and perform two interval groups. A cool down of five minutes on the cycle follows the climbing and interval work. A simple and quick stretching routine typically ends the cycling session.

A group indoor cycling class is a fantastic way to exercise in a fun, low-impact and high-energy environment. Strength, endurance and overall fitness can be achieved with regular sessions on the indoor cycle.

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