Belly Fat and HIIT

nobody wants to be fat and especially nobody wants belly fat*. as i posted last week, taking a pill that claims to burn only body fat does not work. but what does work?
    it was thought that consistent, low intensity cardio** was the best way to burn body fat. but no. it seems the harder you work out the more total calories are burned including fat calories. recent research has shown that what works best is HIIT-high intensity interval training. i won't go into all the science but HIIT also burns belly fat faster.
    this doesn't mean that you need to go crazy hard especially if you are just starting out***. but if you can do (or work up to) 75-80% of your maximum intensity-this equals just about being able to talk-when doing cardio and do it for 20 minutes or more your body will burn fat.
    HIIT is more involved with weight/strength training, not just cardio. it is what its name describes. basically one does a variety of sets using weights  with little rest in-between. an example would be doing as many loaded squats in a minute as you can and then rest for 15 seconds before going on to your next exercise.
    any exercise is great but if you are serious about becoming leaner, healthier and stronger it takes increasing the intensity of what you close to do. it doesn't have to be HIIT but remember it needs to be intense-at least 75% intense.

*belly fat is especially bad for our health and our posture
**being in the "fat burning zone"
***if you haven't been exercising it is always best to check with your doctor before starting a program

Can You Believe It?

i've been seeing more tv than usual as i had minor skin surgery on my leg and need to elevate it-already miss my 5 mile walks! so the ad for Lipozene caught my attention. for $29.95 this product claims that you will lose pure body fat without any dieting or exercise. wow, that would be amazing! so i was curious-what is this stuff?  many so called diet aids contain a lot of caffeine but Lipozene is made from the root of the konjac plant that grows in asia and is technically "glucomannan". glucomannan is a water soluble fiber that  works by making you feel full faster. in simple terms it slows down digestion and is a laxative.  as such it should be taken with a lot of water. studies  have shown very mixed results. but obviously if you eat less because you feel full you will eventually lose weight. so maybe it does work for some people. but  i do find the claim that you will  lose only body fat questionable.
    to maintain good health and weight  our bodies need a balanced diet that includes lots of fiber and exercise. apples, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils are just a few of the foods that supply us with water soluble fiber and that are a pleasure to eat. an apple a day? sounds good to me. there are no magic pills.

Re: Sugar

ever hear of the non-profit group global energy balance network? sounds like something to do with global warming, oil or getting more electricity to those places that are under served. NO its not. simply put this group is funded by the soda industry to expand on their message  that sugary drinks are not bad for us (might even be considered a snack food) nor do they play a role in the obesity epidemic. a lot of money is also going to politicians, lobbyists and even scientists (who claim to be impartial) so that added taxes and other regulations should not be imposed on this industry. they claim that there is no problem with sugary drinks- the problem is that we don't exercise enough. if we all just did more exercise there would be no obesity epidemic. who cares about calories anyway?
    of course i am all for exercise and many of us, including children  do not get enough. but to lose weight exercise is only part of the equation and not the largest part. being aware of calories, portion control and limiting  those foods that have no nutritional value is whats needed to lose weight in conjunction with an exercise program.
     so if you hear any messages from the global energy balance network just remember where they are really coming from.

'Workout Efficiency"

have you ever considered working with a personal trainer? i recently had a conversation with one of the area's best and busiest trainers and along with some other questions i asked him why people should consider working with a personal trainer. his responses are in blue:

• how long have you been a personal trainer and what inspired you to become one? 15 years. i always enjoyed working out myself and thought that i would like to help others as well.
• what are the main benefits of working with someone like you? the number one benefit is workout efficiency. i will get you to your goals faster than you will on your own. also most people have difficulty working out hard enough and/or know what to do to reach their goals.
• what types of clients do you have? what are their goals? i work with all types of clients from young athletes to corporate CEO's. for most weight loss is their first goal followed by gaining strength. stress relief is also part of what they are looking for.
• how do you encourage them to progress once they have met their goals? i talk with them about how important it is to get in the best shape possible because that gives you a much better chance of maintaining health and fitness going forward as one ages.
• could you describe some of the equipment you use and the type of workouts that your clients do? primarily i use TRX, the rip trainer, bosu ball and kettle bells. the workouts are all about core, core and more core and strength conditioning. if they need corrective exercises such as posture work or rehab we also work on those areas.
• do you also advise them about diets? if they are willing to listen i offer guidelines on calorie monitoring-this is important for clients who often travel for business- and also the best ways to fuel the body for maximum energy.
• what do you find most rewarding about what you do? i see people become healthier and fitter every day.
• any advice about how to find a good personal trainer? get referrals and check their credentials.
• what advice would you give to people who work out on their own? establish a goal, don't get too complicated and if you need advice-get it-just don't stop working out.

Sweat (ing)

we all do it and especially in the summer as we walk or exercise outdoors. there are many benefits in sweating that you might not be aware of so think of it as a good thing. look how many people are doing bikram yoga these days. and the availability of dry fit clothing to avoid that dripping,
clinging feeling also helps when temps are high.
    but first of all what is sweat? sweat is just  water, sodium, chloride and potassium. the average person sweats about 4 cups worth a day although we are all different and it depends on how hydrated one is. of course the reason we sweat is to cool down our body's core temperature. usually the more fit we are the less we sweat but how much or little we sweat does not indicate how many calories we are burning.
    some of the added benefits include: pain is eased as endorphins are increased, toxins such as alcohol are removed from our bodies, blood circulation is increased and the risk of kidney stones may be lowered.
    all good things and that is just the start. but remember to drink enough water throughout out the day whether or not you are sweating. although i hope you are-by choice!

More Core

after posting about balance and how important the core is to balance here are a few more exercise ideas that target the core. remember the core does not refer only to the ab muscles but to the back, glute and upper leg muscles. besides balance a strong core will help to stabilize your spine, hips and help with your posture. these exercises need no additional equipment and work the entire core. if you are not familiar with how to do any of them there are many how to videos on "you tube".

• glute bridge-make sure your glutes are working and not just your quads and hip flexors
• basic plank-on elbows and toes. correct form is important
• plank with drawing one knee at a time up and down. 
• side plank
• side plank with rotation

other great exercises that require some equipment:

• doing the plank on a bosu while bringing one leg at a time up, then down
• medicine ball wood chop-on one foot if you can otherwise start on both feet

not very many of us  want to do these types of exercises but they are so important for improving many aspects of daily life. most of us need more core.

Balance

as we age it is critical that we pay attention to our balance. just like many other body related issues our ability to balance begins decreasing in our 20's. there are many issues affecting our ability to balance but most of us could also use more time spent on balance during our workouts.
    so how good is your balance? here are 2 simple tests to let you know. if possible do them with a friend so one of you can watch the time (a stopwatch is handy but a clock with a second hand will do) and be there as support-if needed.

1. with bare feet and your eyes open stand with one foot directly in front of the other foot. fold your arms across your chest placing your hands on your shoulders. practice this position a few times and then with timing ready close your eyes. keep timing until your eyes open or you move out of position. do twice on each side. if you are unable to do this for 30 seconds you need to work on your balance and posture control.
2. if you can do the above for 60 seconds try this second test that is more challenging. again bare feet. place your hands on your hips and raise up one foot and lightly place it just below the knee on the inside of the straight leg. raise up onto the ball of your foot, eyes open. again practice a few times before timing and take the best time out of several tries on each leg. timing stops when any movement happens. these numbers will give  you a guide to where you stand. for men-excellent 50 or more seconds, average 31-40 and poor 20 or less. for women 30 or more is excellent, average is 16-24 and poor is less than 10.

next week i will give some examples of simple exercises you can do to improve balance.

   

Time Line

     it happens to almost everyone-over time we tend to gain weight and that is not good. this is just a partial list but these 4 items are considered to be the most common causes of that sly weight gain that happens as we age. if any apply to you please think about where you can make improvements....

1. eating high calories foods such as potatoes (of course a baked potato is better than chips but it also depends on what is added on top), white rice, anything made with white flour. sweets and desserts too often. processed meats and too much red meat in general. when eating red meat remember portion control and if possible buy grass fed.
2. drinking your calories. soda-not good. either you are getting high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners*. there is a difference in the body's response to carbs in liquids compared to in solid food even with the same number of calories. the carbs in liquid form will add to more weight gain. so this leads to...alcohol. moderation is the key. many people tend to eat more as they drink more.
3. too little or too much sleep. this is primarily due to how our hormones activate during sleep. most research indicates that 7-8 hours a night is best for most people. you should be in a completely dark room.
4. too much screen time means too much sitting and often the snacking that goes with it.
5. not moving enough, i.e. walking. and we need to do more as we age not less in part because our metabolisms go down.

     an extra 100 calories a day without burning them off adds up to a weight gain of 10 pounds per year. if that starts in ones 40's or even 50's just think what that means if like predicted, many of us  reach 100.

*in last week's post are details about what is actually in coke besides what is used for sweetness.

Recently Reported

here are some of items that recently caught my attention in the news. i use the term "news" loosely. the news used to be about important happenings around the world- "all the news that's fit to print"* -such as the terrible tragedy in nepal and not that madonna tripped during a performance. so....

• many pro athletes are going gluten-free for better performance.
• dr. oz-what to make of this? not sure. is it mostly about the non-gmo labeling issues and big business or something else? chipotle mexican grill is big business but they just announced that they are going totally non-gmo.
• coaches giving their college athletes  low fat chocolate milk as the perfect (unless one is lactose intolerant and/or doesn't do dairy) after workout recovery fuel. most of the colleges mentioned own their own milk cows.
• sandra bullock as one of the most beautiful people but some people complained how that could not be possible as she is over 50!
• in regards to the above-not the beautiful part but the age part-jeb bush who is also over 50 and will most likely be running for president against some much younger men is currently on the paleo diet, so far having lost about 30 pounds. good for him-we all know how hard it is to lose weight  although i would remind him to be careful with his favorite snack-almonds-as they have 530 calories in a cupful
• spanx is a $400 million a year product line in the shape wear area but is running into trouble as it seems that trends are shifting to the line of clothing called athleisure that is much less constricting, more about comfort and the diversity of women's bodies. too thin fashion models may be banned from the paris runways. how about healthy bodies being beautiful?
• a harvard neurosurgeon, scientist, neurologist, whatever states that the single, most simple thing we can all do to keep our brains healthy as we age-you guessed it-exercise

to end-i have never worn spanx nor do i think that madonna or sandra has-did you see her in gravity?- they exercise. jeb also knows that besides diet he needs to exercise-he runs up stairs-but there is a line of spanx for men, just in case. i am gluten free and upon the rare occasion that i crave chocolate milk its chocolate almond milk. are those college milk cows non-gmo?

*the new york times tag line

Target Heart Rate

    just like any other muscle the heart needs to work out too-you know-cardio. but to get the most benefit for your heart* you need to work out at a particular heart rate-your target heart rate or THR. this is usually a percentage of your maximum heart rate-MHR- depending on how fit-or not- that you are.
    let's not get too complicated here. the easiest way to figure your MHR is to subtract your age from 220. but this is based on averages so many people fall at either end. a better formula is 208-(.7 x age). for instance a 50 year old would have a MHR of 173.  if that person wants to work at between 50% to 60% of their MHR their THR would be from  86 to 103.
    so here again you have choices on how to know whether are not you are in your THR zone. you can just stop and count your heart beats for one minute with the first beat being zero. or there are all kinds of tech and apps available. the most accurate heart rate monitors are the types that you actually wear around your chest and that transmit the info into another device such as a watch.
    the point is not to get too complex but to understand what your heart needs to get the most benefits. once you figure this out and work out at your THR you will know how it feels and can just judge future workouts by that feeling. but remember, as you get more fit you need to progress and work at a higher percentage of your MHR.

*heart disease is the #1 cause of death in women

Especially for Women

since women are built differently than men-wider hips are an obvious example-there are some specific, important exercises that especially benefit women and that we should be doing if not already. here is a partial list:

• lateral lunges-side movements help stabilize hips, stabile hips help our knees.
• walking lunges-again targets the hips while helping the knees.
• squats-having strong glutes helps everything!
• pull ups-women lose arm, shoulder strength rapidly. we have less muscle to begin with so really need this type of weight bearing exercise.

on a more advanced level:

• TRX rows
• kettlebell squat push press
• ball rollout, plank version

if you would like more detailed info on any of these exercises just contact me, ask at your fitness facility or do a search on google or you tube.