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The Fitness Mistake Moms Are Making (a.k.a., Absolutely The Best Way to Lose Weight)

Monday, April 1st, 2013

This week’s post is a guest article from Drew Stegman, the founder of How2GainMuscleFast.com, a premier fitness site for people who want to build muscle, lose weight, clean up their diets and overall live a healthier and happier life. Despite the name of the website, they also specialize in helping people lose fat and improve their overall health. Drew has TONS of fitness information on the website and updates his Facebook fans daily, so go like his page now.

When Drew and I got in touch, I asked him to dispel the myth that women will “bulk up” too much if they lift weights, and I think he’s come up with just about the best counterpoint possible: not only are women genetically predisposed NOT to bulk up, the muscle they can gain is healthy and promotes fat loss. (Seriously, you wouldn’t believe what female bodybuilders actually have to go through in order to bulk up — if you’re not deliberately and methodically doing those things, you’ve no reason to fear the weights.)

photo, snapguide.com

See what Drew has to say:

Absolutely the Best Way to Lose Weight

When many people think of the best ways to lose weight, what comes to mind more than often are things like ridiculous fad diets, supplements, endless cardio and cutting calories. Although not all of these things are necessarily negative if your goal is to lose weight – the truth remains that there is a great way and easy way to lose weight, one that does not involve any of those things.

Before I get into this however, I want to go ahead and cover the basics of weight loss first.

The Process

Weight loss occurs because of one reason – a calorie deficit. In fact, you could eat as healthy as you want, but if you’re eating too many calories you will actually end up gaining weight – not losing weight. Although this might seem like common knowledge to some of you, many people often make the mistake of feeling that as long as they eat nutritious foods, they can eat as much of them as they want. What these people fail to realize is that weight loss is dictated by a simple matter of calories in vs. calories out. [Jessica's note: This is all true - but it's also useful to remember that truly healthy foods like naked veggies have many fewer calories per gram than processed foods. No wonder it's easy to fall into believing you can eat as many as you want - because you CAN eat a LOT more of the healthy stuff.]

Overview of Metabolism

Your metabolism can be defined as how many calories your body burns on a daily basis, rather you are active or at rest. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate), is the amount of calories you burn at rest. So if you were to sit in bed all day and do absolutely nothing, this is the metabolism that would be at work. Nonetheless, many of us don’t sit around on the couch all day, so the number that we primarily want to figure out is our TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Your TDEE can be defined as how many calories your body burns each day with the addition of daily activities – such as walking, working at your job, taking out the trash, etc.

The faster your BMR and TDEE are, the easier it will be for you to lose weight. This is typically why people with slow metabolisms find it difficult to lose weight and keep it off, since they are not able to consume as many calories without their body storing it as fat. Of course, you can always increase your metabolism to help you lose weight faster.

The Best Way To Lose Weight

Ready to learn the absolute best way to lose weight?

Here it is………

Build muscle mass! That’s right – start hitting the weight room and you’ll lose weight in no time. But I’m sure many of you are wondering why this occurs, so let me explain myself.

Just like fat, muscle is metabolically active tissue. What does this mean? You guessed it – muscle burns calories all day long. So the more muscle you can build, the more calories you’ll burn all day long as well, increasing your BMR and making it much easier to lose weight.

In addition to this, lifting weights in general will increase your TDEE, which means you’ll burn more calories on the days you workout. It’s a win-win situation.

How to Build Muscle Mass Fast

Here are a few tips to help get you steered in the right direction and start building muscle:

1. Lift heavy – Many females don’t like to hear this, since they feel that they’ll get big and muscular if they lift big. But the truth remains that lifting heavy is the ONLY way to build muscle mass. And besides, ladies can’t get big and muscular anyway, due to the fact that they have far less testosterone in their bodies – a crucial muscle-building hormone.

2. Eat Clean – You don’t have to be overly strict with your diet; the most important thing is to get enough protein in your diet on a daily basis. Start eating more chicken, turkey and fish and you’ll be good to go. [Jessica's note: also consider non-animal protein sources such as vegetables, ancient grains, beans, miracle seeds and others.]

3. Allow adequate rest & recovery – Many weightlifters make the mistake of working out every single day, but this can actually be counterintuitive to your results. Just stick to a basic, full-body weightlifting program three days per week and you’ll be golden.

4. Supplementation – You don’t NEED supplements to build muscle, but if you choose the right ones they can certainly help. If you do choose to use supplements, just stick with a basic whey protein, testosterone booster and creatine monohydrate. Just keep in mind that supplements are NOT a substitute for hard work in the gym and good nutrition, so always place those two things as a priority before you consider the use of dietary supplements. [Jessica's note: always check with your healthcare provider, just to be sure, before adding supplements.]

To Sum Things Up

If you’re trying to lose weight and you haven’t already, you should definitely start lifting weights and focusing on building additional muscle mass. It’s estimated that an extra pound of muscle burns about 8-12 additional calories per day, which is pretty significant if you ask me. And lifting weights by itself has many benefits as well, since it increases the amount of calories you burn on the days you workout. With all this in mind, you can’t afford NOT to start lifting weights and building muscle!

What do you think? Have you heard this point of view before?

Have you tried any of Drew’s suggestions — or will you?

Have you been worried about gaining too much bulk if you lift weights?

Drew Stegman’s experience in the health/fitness niche began when he was 15 years old. For more muscle building, fat loss and metabolism boosting tricks, check out his website: http://how2gainmusclefast.com/

Tags: bulk, burn, calories, diet, Drew Stegman, eat right, fat, fitness, gain, health, heavy, How2GainMuscleFast, lift, lose, loss, metabolism, muscle, resistance, shape, strength, training, weight, weightlifting
Posted in Family, Guest Posts, Health and Fitness, Workout Routines | 10 Comments »

Look behind the door with the great big “X” at The Sweatbox

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

If you’re in the Decatur, Georgia area you’ve driven by it a million times – you know that giant garage door marked with a glowing-hot “X”? And, if you’re like me, you’ve wondered exactly what goes on behind it.

I thought I might find something worth of an “X” rating (you know what I mean), and when I figured out this was the home of The Sweatbox Decatur, I was expecting just-another-workout-place.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, y’all.

Instead, what I found was The Sweatbox Decatur. It’s different from the moment you set foot in the (regular-size) door, which reminds you to check your excuses there.

Here are 5 of my favorite ways The Sweatbox is different – breaking barriers and shattering assumptions:

It looks different. Outside and inside, this is obviously a place you come to “do the work.” It has everything you need, and it’s still minimal. (See the first clip below, at 0:07.)
It’s creative. How many ways can you think of to use a milk crate, a two-by-four, or a PVC pipe in your workout? The Sweatbox will show you. (See first clip, at 2:21.)
You’re not in it alone. Sure, you’ll get the space you need when you’re in your “zone,” but the trainers are keeping a close eye on you. And the other clients are part of your team – no one gets left behind here. (See the second clip below, at 3:14.)
It’s for EVERYbody. You don’t have to be an Ironman already to work out here – but you might be one after, and you’ll probably train with a few. The Sweatbox trainers are experts in adapting exercise to work for everyone from beginners to elite athletes. They’re going to push you TO your limit, but never past it into the danger zone. (Second clip, 3:01.)
It’s rowdy. These people laugh a damn lot! Observing a group workout was more like watching a bunch of friends get together where there just happened to be giant tires and iron weights. It was nothing like a typical class at Gym-O-Rama . (See first clip, at 2:14.)

Here’s the first clip: The Sweatbox Workout

Here are 5 things you can learn from these reels – even if you’re outside Atlanta and can’t make it to The Sweatbox:

You don’t need a gym to work out. (See the second clip, at 0:37.)
You can get past your fear – and turn it into confidence instead. (See second clip, at 2:43.)
Exercise does as much to tone up your mental state as it does for your outer body. (See second clip, at 2:19.)
Working out with someone more experienced doesn’t have to make you feel bad. It can be motivating to notice they have to stop and catch their breath sometimes, too! (Second clip, 1:00.) And working out WITH your trainer is a whole new dynamic that can help you get to your own next level. (Second clip, 3:50.)
It should be FUN! You might hate it while you’re doing it, but you should be able to look back and know you enjoyed it. Muhammad Ali once said “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” (See both clips, all.)

Here’s the second clip: The Sweatbox Client Reflections

So, what’s stopping you? Get over to The Sweatbox now, while they’re offering a free one-month membership to ClickAClass.com readers.

And if you’re outside Atlanta, take a little bit of the Sweatbox attitude with you wherever you work out: ALL SWEAT, NO REGRET.

What have you learned from these videos — something you can use in your own workouts?

What did you think of what you saw?

Tags: beast, cardio, crossfit, Decatur, exercise, fit, fitness, Georgia, health, interval, lift, lose, loss, Micah Hayes, resistance, rope, run, shape, Sweatbox, training, weight, weights, workout
Posted in Health and Fitness, Reviews, Workout Routines | 12 Comments »

New Year, New Goals

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

It’s no secret that I’m big on goals. I’m a superhuge fangirl of GOALS. I truly believe that if you don’t create them, set them out in some tangible fashion, and then work them — they’re not going to happen.

(This post will be short and sweet because I’m working hard on several of these and other goals right now!)

To practice what I preach, I’m setting out my training goals here for you all to see. I’m hoping for some encouragement and friendly accountability….but I won’t be shocked to get some resistance, some disbelief, and some indifference. That’s ok. They’re still mine, and they’re still going to happen.

First off, I believe in creating goals that are a stretch — but still attainable. Do-able, but challenging, you know?

I also believe in looking at different ways to measure success.

So, here they are. Follow along on my 2013 journey — I’ll update you occasionally and you can become the trainer, keeping me on track.

1. I’ll run a 10k by June this year.

2. Participate in a Dirty Girl mud event – maybe even with a team!

3. Drop 5% body fat, and pick up 3% lean muscle mass.

That’s it! I also believe in keeping no more than 3 goals top-of-mind.

Your turn now: share yours and feel the accountability love coming your way!

Tags: aerobic, cardio, diet, exercise, fat, fitness, food, goal, health, loss, physical, resistance, resolutions, routine, strength, training, weight, wellness, workout
Posted in Admin/Misc, Health and Fitness | 7 Comments »

Hit the “reset” button on your workout

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

I’ve missed you!

I haven’t posted here in a couple of weeks. It’s partly intentional (trying to step back, take a break and enjoy Thanksgiving with the family) and partly not-so-much (running out of time when higher-priority work got in the way). I saw a wonderful quote the other day that said, basically, “Every moment is another chance to start again.”

So! Here I am, starting again. See — practicing what I preach! That’s a good thing, right?

Naturally, all this got me thinking of the various times and ways we all start over after a lapse in anything — and also naturally, my mind went straight to exercise.

It is painfully, dangerously easy to make excuses to ourselves when we’ve been out of the workout routine for a few — a few days or weeks or months or even years (yeah, mommies, I’m looking at you!). We say to ourselves or anyone who will listen, “I haven’t worked out in X number of days/weeks/whatever — I can’t go back now.”

How crazy is that? Imagine talking to a young child this way.

“Oh, sorry kiddo — you made an extra line on that capital ‘E’. Better stop learning to write now because you just can’t go back after that.”

“Nope, don’t do it. Don’t you dare sit down at that piano again after not practicing for a whole week. Just quit now — there’s no use in trying again.”

Absurd, right?

Same for you. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been out of it. JUST. GET. BACK. IN. IT.

(Of course I’m going to show you how — no worries!)

You CAN go back, and you must — for your sake, for the kids’ sake, for Pete’s sake. I know Pete, and he’d do the same for you.

The key to going back is patience. It’s not my strong suit and I don’t expect it to be yours, but it’s critical. Start small and amaze yourself with the great big gains you will make in only a short time. Here’s a sample, designed for an average exerciser who had been doing pretty typical cardio and weight workouts.* You’ll need a stopwatch (check your phone for a timer — mine has one in the clock function) and a set of light or medium handweights.

Warm Up – 5-15 minutes

Arm swings, hamstring curls, jumping jacks, high cross-kicks, torso rotations (go 15+ minutes if you’re really feeling tight, 5-ish if you’re spry)

Alternate Drills – 8-30+ minutes

Do each exercise for 1 minute:

Alternate-Leg Lunges, stepping forward
Imaginary Jump Rope
Switch-Lunges (start small – even go back to Alternate-Leg Lunges if needed)
Push-Ups (try starting in full pushup position – you can always put your knees down when you must)
Jumping Jacks
Dumbbell Rows in Chair Squat
Mountain Climbers
Upright Rows in Plie Position

Cool Down – 5-15 minutes

Wide-leg stretches, #4 stretch (make your legs into a ’4′ shape), standing hamstring stretch, calf stretch, overhead reaches straight up and to each side. Finish with several rounds of inhale-arms-up / exhale-arms-down.

Progression: begin with just one round of the Alternate Drills (that’s 8 minutes — you can do this.). As you begin to feel better, faster, stronger, aim for 2 rounds, then 3. By that point, you’re likely ready to resume whatever workout you had done in the past.

WHEW!

In the immortal words of Jon Bon Jovi, “who says you can’t go home”? You did it! A great workout in just 8 (or more) minutes — not bad.

So here’s my challenge (you knew it was coming):

Go and DO this, then come back and tell me what you thought and how you felt.

OR, if that’s just a little much now, tell me what it is that you’re hitting “reset” on and how you’ll manage that process.

GO!

*Always clear it with your healthcare provider first, before starting or resuming any routine. The lawyers make me say that, but it really is a good rule of thumb, especially if you’ve been out of it for a really long time or if anything has changed (like having a baby) since your last workout.

Tags: baby, cardio, child, drill, exercise, fit, fitness, health, kid, lose, loss, mom, mother, reset, resistance, restart, routine, shape, start, tone, weight, weights, well, wellness, workout
Posted in Health and Fitness, Workout Routines | 6 Comments »

7 Fitness Blogs for the New Year (or anytime!)

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

As the holidays and the end of the year draw closer, I’m in a retrospective mood. I woke up this morning thinking of how much I’ve learned over the past year, including the friends and resources that have taught me so much. So, in the spirit of gratitude and sharing, I’m sharing a few of them with you!

Blogging has been a topic of serious investigation over the year. I’ve done my best to put out good information that you can use readily to get yourself and loved ones healthier (how are you liking it so far?) — and I’ve also been reading a lot of them, learning a ton myself.

This list is NOT comprehensive — there are so many others out there doing good work to kick potatoes off the couch, so many others I admire and could go crazy-fan-girl on. But this is a start, and it’s a good one — if you pick up some information from even one of these smart women, you’ll be on a good track for 2013 and beyond.

And without further ado, here they are, in no particular order:

NicholeKellerman.com Nichole runs Successful Weight Loss School and her blog makes me laugh every time I read it. She often tosses in videos that offer very practical and empowering tips and advice.

Kim F. at Keep It Moving Fitness Kim is excellent at giving video how-tos on her blog. There’s a wealth of good information here, which she delivers in a way that feels like a good friend is talking right to you.

Emmanuelle Lambert Hers is a unique take on business and life, both in the yoga state of mind. Just read it – especially if you run a business. You’ll see what I mean, and you’ll love it.

Cafe Physique Amber O’Neal’s straight-talking, practical advice had me at “hello.” The page has a clean look & feel, like taking a deep, cleansing breath with a nice, gentle stretch.

Restore Healing Pamela LaBelle has compiled an impressive array of partners and resources in holistic health. She’s based in the Twin Cities, but don’t let that fool you — her blog is for YOU, right now, right wherever you are.

Oh Baby! Fitness No list of my favorites would be complete without Oh Baby! Fitness. Sure, I’m partial to them because I was one of the first intructors to work with Clare — and that also gives me the inside scoop on their expertise. That’s why I can tell you without reservation that they’re, hands-down, the best authority on pre- and post-natal exercise. The blog serves up no-nonsense, real-life information for moms.

Intuitive Body This one is near and dear to my heart because the founder, Lisa, is so in touch with the ways women beat themselves up over body image, and the damage we can do with food and carelessness toward our own bodies. I’m also completely honored and excited and starstruck to be among the members of her November 2012 Wise Woman Council. (Take a look at each month’s Council — I promise you will find something and someone you connect with in each different set.)

Kristine Rudolph - Exploring Wellness And speaking of smart moms, you’re going to love Kristine. Her blog is a treasure trove of well-thought out, sensible information on being truly well (not just fit or healthy or in good shape, but well). She’s passionate, and her writing could have a broad appeal — but to me, it feels like she really understands the life of a mom as the health and wellness leader of the family.

So, pick one of these really fine blogs — or pick several! Head on over to them, take a little tour, leave a little comment love. Maybe check them out on Facebook and the like. Really, go ahead. I’ll wait.

Now that you’re back, what did you think? What are your favorite health and fitness blogs?

Tags: aerobic, Amber, Atlanta, blog, Briggs, Cafe Physique, cardio, Clare Schexnyder, Claudia, ClickAClass, Emmanuelle, exercise, fitness, Fleming, Georgia, healing, health, Intuitive Body, Keep It Moving, Kellerman, Kimberly, Kristine, LaBelle, Lambert, Lisa, lose, loss, Nichole, O'Neal, Oh Baby Fitness, Pamela, resistance, Restore, Rudolph, strength, train, weight, wellness, Wise Woman Council
Posted in Admin/Misc, Health and Fitness, Small business | 7 Comments »

Happy Birthday – Age Is Just A Number

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012

My birthday is this week, and I am here with a message:

Age is just a number.

Oh, I can see the eyes rolling and hear the “sure it is, but you don’t understand” groans of disbelief. I know you think you’re different and the trite cliches don’t apply to you. But guess what? They don’t become trite cliches by being untrue. Think of the others you know by heart:

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (or Jill a dull girl).”

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

“A stitch in time saves nine.”

“Attitude determines altitude.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

I could go on, but you get the idea. Are any of the above untrue? You can probably think of a million examples that illustrate how they ARE true, and it’s the same with “age is just a number.”

Look, I know my body isn’t exactly the same as it was in my twenties. It’s not even the same as it was yesterday. Some of that is for the better, some not so much.

But it’s still here, it’s still moving, and it’s the only one I have.

Yours is the only one you have — so are you going to let it languish in the easy chair, while you’re busy making up excuses about why you can’t get up and moving? Or would you rather accept what is and maybe even make a change for the better? Every step counts — I promise. Oh, there’s another one of those cliches. But seriously — try and prove me wrong on that!

Sorry, guys — I was really trying to take it easy on the soapbox today. I’ve been preaching at you a lot lately and it stems from my massive gratitude for being here, for being healthy, and for the chance every day (every moment!) to make new and better choices.

Here’s my challenge to you today: be grateful for another chance, and then use it. Pay it forward by getting someone else in on the action with you.

…And just for accountability’s sake, let us know in your comments below how you’re doing!

Tags: aerobic, age, Atlanta, birthday, cardio, cliche, ClickAClass, covington, diet, exercise, family, figure, fitness, health, healthy, jessica, lose, loss, old, resistance, shape, strength, weight, workout
Posted in Health and Fitness | 8 Comments »

A million things that work and only one that won’t.

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Let me break it on down for y’all:

There are a million (or more!) ways to lose weight and gain better health. Every individual in the world can have his or her own personalized way of doing it. There’s no single system or shake or pill or gadget or exercise or diet that will work for everyone — there’s no “magic bullet.”*

But there IS one and only one way to stay at the exact level of fitness you feel today: do nothing.

And by the way, if you’re looking to lower your fitness level a notch or two, doing nothing will work for that, too.

If you’re going to change, you must MAKE a change. You have to do something.

You have to do something.

You have to do something.

You have to do something.

You have to do something.

(Get the point here?)

So start where you are. Shuffle the deck and pick a proverbial card — doesn’t matter which one.

And just for accountability’s sake, drop us a line below to let us know what action you’re taking. We’ll hold you to it (in the friendliest way, of course)!

* (This might sound contradictory to one one of my previous posts, but if you read that one, you’ll see that it isn’t.)

Tags: cardio, change, diet, exercise, fitness, health, interval, lose, loss, pounds, resistance, strength, weight, workout
Posted in Health and Fitness | 8 Comments »

5 “Dare You To Keep A Straight Face” Kids Exercise Challenges

Wednesday, September 12th, 2012

If you’ve been around here before, you know I’m a big fan of getting kids to exercise with you. Here are 5 easy, fun ways to get children moving — and I dare ya not to join in the fun!

1. Old-school hopscotch. You know the drill: get out the sidewalk chalk and mark out your blocks for hopping on one foot or two. Take it up a notch by curving the path or including new symbols and motions. Instead of a square for “hop on foot”, make it a triangle for “balance on one foot and touch here with your hand”. A circle can mean “do a jump-turn!” Have the kids come up with their own hopscotch language. Or draw disconnected shapes and jump from one to the other in a game of Hot Lava — the shapes are “safe spots”, and all other space is molten rock.

2. Dance party. Put on some of your favorite tunes from back in the day (obviously, review the lyrics first) and hang the imaginary disco ball. You might be amazed at some new common musical ground you find. Turn it into a game by making a “freeze dance”: dance while the music is on, freeze when either of you hits the pause button. Challenge your party to dance HIGH to the sky or looooooow to the ground. Dance on one foot! Spin and dance dizzy (in a safe place, of course)!

3. Get your stretch on. Introduce kids to yoga without even mentioning it’s good for them, simply by inviting them to enact different animals. How can you move like a giraffe? Stretch like a dog; arch like a cat. Flip over and do a crab-walk (on all fours with the tummy facing up). Or bear-walk on all fours without the knees touching the ground.

4. Good ol’ field day games. The three-legged race and wheelbarrow come to mind. For the former, strap one of your legs to your child’s (or theirs to each other) and try to get from start to finish without falling down laughing. To play wheelbarrow, one player assumes push-up position and the other takes his/her ankles in hand — player 1 walks the hands along the floor while player 2 follows behind.

5. Walk like an Egyptian. Or a dinosaur. Or a circus performer. Or any other creature that inspires you. Particularly useful is anything GIANT, so that you take long, lunging steps forward. Another goodie is a walk that requires balance, like a circus tightrope walker — lay out a strip of tape or a jump rope and get the kids to balance as they walk along it. Get creative and don’t restrict yourself to two feet — try one, three, or four as well! Then kick it up a notch by turning your funny walks into a game of tag.

What are your best tricks to get the kiddos up and moving –

for getting those adorable sweet potatoes off the couch?

Tags: Atlanta, balance, children, ClickAClass, core, covington, energy, enjoy, exercise, family, field day, fitness, games, health, hopscotch, jessica, kids, mom, mother, move, movement, parent, resistance, screen time, sedentary, strength, strong, wellness, workout, yoga
Posted in Health and Fitness | 10 Comments »

The Great Debate: Weights or Cardio?

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

Today’s post is an exciting guest entry from Amber O’Neal, the founder of Café Physique — a 100% mobile personal training service in Atlanta. They offer in-home training (yoga, Pilates, personal training — you name it!), nutrition counseling, and corporate wellness using certified and experienced instructors. The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. Specializing in yoga instruction, prenatal workouts, online nutrition programs, fitness boot camps, partner personal training, and private Pilates sessions, Café Physique is the perfect solution. To see their schedule and claim your discounted sessions, enter “Café Physique” in the Studio field at www.clickaclass.com.

In addition to the outstanding workout plan below, Café Physique has generously offered ClickAClass readers a FREE meal planner plus a bonus — just click here, and scroll down a bit to the block on the right column.

The Great Debate: Weights or Cardio?

You know there’s no magic exercise that’s going to miraculously transform your body in an instant – at least you should know that. But even if you’re not trying to cut corners and you really do plan to put in the hard work, you’d at least like some solid direction on how to get the biggest bang for your buck, right? So which is better for weight loss – cardio or weights? This is a question we get asked all the time, and our answer never changes.

Drumroll here, please….

You need to do both. Were you hoping for a different answer? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, but ideally, you want a combo of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise and moderate-intensity strength training. The cardio will burn more calories – 10 to 12 per minute for running or cycling, compared to 8 to 10 calories a minute lifting weights. And even if you’re not running, cardio still usually beats out weights when it comes to calories burned because it’s a steady-state activity while most strength routines incorporate many recovery breaks.

Don’t toss your weights to the side just yet though. It can still hold its own. Strength training will increase muscle mass and help rev your metabolism. For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, you’ll burn an extra 120 calories a day while you’re just relaxing because muscle takes more energy to sustain. In other words, cardio fights today’s battle while weights develop a strategy for winning the war. And don’t worry – fitting both into your routine is not as hard as it may seem.

To combine cardio and strength training, you can either build in dedicated weights days and cardio days, or you can combine weights and cardio on the same day, several days a week. Get a minimum of 2.5 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or a minimum of 1.5 hours per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of the two. That could mean a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week; a high-intensity spinning class one day for 45 minutes, plus a half hour jog another day; or some other combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Doubling the amount of activity (5 hours moderate- or 2-1/2 hours vigorous-intensity aerobic activity) provides even more health benefits. Adults should also aim to do muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week. Here are 2 sample workouts that will get the job done:

Workout #1

Day 1 – Cardio (45 min)
Day 2 – Weights (45 min) – Total body
Day 3 – Cardio (30 min)
Day 4 – Cardio (45 min)
Day 5 – Weights (45 min) – Total body
Day 6 – Cardio (30 min)

Workout #2

Day 1 – Cardio (45 min)
Day 2 – Cardio (25 min), Weights (35 min) – Upper body
Day 3 – Cardio (45 min)
Day 4 – Cardio (25 min), Weights (35 min) – Lower body
Day 5 – Cardio (45 min)
Day 6 – Cardio (25 min), Weights (35 min) – Total body

Keep in mind that these are just examples; the possibilities are endless. It’s not just one workout that matters but the cumulative effect of your total physical activity across the entire week that gets the job done, and working with a personal trainer is a great way to ensure you get a well-rounded workout every time.

Originally published June 18, 2012 at http://cafephysique.com/the-great-debate-weights-or-cardio/ and posted here with gratitude!

Tags: activity, aerobics, Amber O'Neal, Atlanta, body, burn, Cafe Physique, calorie, cardio, corporate, diet, eat, excess, exercise, fat, fitness, food, health, lift, lose, loss, mobile, muscle, nutrition, personal, Pilates, resistance, slim, strength, thin, training, weight, weights, wellness, workout, yoga
Posted in Health and Fitness | 8 Comments »

Let’s Play 5 Questions

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

It occurred to me this morning that my blog, so far, has mainly been about giving information — about trying to give you the tools you need for living healthier and happier, about pushing information your way, about getting you to understand that “fitness” is the journey and not the destination.

And I’m grateful for all the comments you’ve shared with me. I’ve heard you saying that the information is helping; that you see and use the practical “everyday” tips. You’ve said a few posts have helped you think about fitness in a new way. Sometimes, I even hear that you don’t agree with everything I’ve said. I L-O-V-E hearing all of this and more from you!

So, I’m putting you in the hot seat!

Please pick a topic (or two! or more!) below and comment:

**What is your #1 health and fitness challenge right now?

**Think about your family’s health; what is the most important thing you want them to learn or remember about good health?

**What health or fitness accomplishment makes you the most proud?

**Headlines are designed to be scary, even in “good news” areas like health and fitness. Which recent media frenzy has been the scariest to you?

**If the Good Health Fairy could wave her magic wand over your life, what’s the first thing you’d ask her to fix?

Is this the Good Health Fairy?

Tags: aerobic, cardio, diet, ealth, eat, exercise, family, fitness, food, lose, loss, nutrition, recipe, resistance, strength, walk, weight, workout
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