I can vouch for the 60 minutes of cardio...I do 20 minutes of cardio anywhere between 3-5 times a week depending on my schedule and, except for that rut I was in when I wasn't exercising, I'm averaging a weight loss of about 2-3 pounds per week. That's all I do. I have kids, I have a job, I have housework, I have, I have, I have....20 - 30 minutes a day is all I can offer cuz I don't want the rest of my life to suffer and that 20 - 30 minutes is working for me, so I'm gonna keep doing it.
As for the machines...wow....what an eye opener. So, what do we do then, for those muscle groups??? Just lunges and squats? That's what I've been doing for the last week and a half and man, can I feel those muscles days later!!!
Your body has a natural cycle.. it burns Carbs first ( always), fat second, and protein ( muscle) third.
Basically, after you burn off carbs, your body goes to fat for energy and then to protein.
Yikes does this mean if I eat a high carb. meal then exercise for less than an hour or so I don’t burn fat Is this why some people recommend exercising on an empty stomach? Sorry for all these question but I’m trying to learn as much as I can to do it right.
Liya - you don't need to be concerned about what your body is burning for fuel. What's important is that when you're exercising, you're burning CALORIES and it all boils down to calories in vs calories out. If you create a calorie deficit by eating less and moving more, your body is forced to tap into its supply of stored fat for energy. In a nutshell, that's how we lose fat.
Last night at the gym, there was a personal trainer who was doing upright rows with one of his clients. I think he even did two different types with her because I noticed it when I got on a machine, then when I got off the machine, he was showing her what looked like another version where her hands were at a 45 degree angle.
Abductor/Adductor machines I love At one point I was able to max out the weight on both. I am going to try to do some other inner/outer thigh workouts though. My inner thighs were recently sore for 3 days due to hiking/bouldering/what not. I was surprised but basically figured out that it was probably due to me trying to balance and hug the rocks/boulders with my feet.
As for cardio, I couldn't imagine doing an intense workout for more than an hour. I know endurance athletes have a high percentage of body fat but I always thought it was because too much muscle was a waste and they really needed fat to "go the distance" but I wasn't aware that it was because after an hour they are actually burning their muscle for fuel. For me, I do long hikes but it is really only intense for short bursts and I take breaks.
Liya - you don't need to be concerned about what your body is burning for fuel. What's important is that when you're exercising, you're burning CALORIES and it all boils down to calories in vs calories out. If you create a calorie deficit by eating less and moving more, your body is forced to tap into its supply of stored fat for energy. In a nutshell, that's how we lose fat.
Thanks Meg. BTW I’ve noticed that this is not the first time you help me with my questions (your picture is not easily forgotten) you are definitely a wealth of information
I personally got good results with the adductor (that's the thighmaster type on, right) machine. Maybe I just had zero muscle there before or something but after doing that machine for a month or so, I REALLY noticed a big increase of muscle. Of course, my thighs aren't SMALLER, so if that's what they mean by not getting results, I guess I'd have to agree, but that machine certainly helped build up my inner thigh muscle (technical, huh? LOL).
The only thing I think is weird about the article is talking about the exercises not "slimming the area." Strength training is meant for strengthening and building muscle, not slimming down. I'm assuming this article was meant for women only? I've actually started reading men's weightlifting magazines because of this issue. Call me crazy, but I actually WANT some big muscles
Meg, I have a question for you!
The latest workout I've been doing (from Muscle & Fitness) includes upright rows. The workout is made up compound exercies including squats, presses, rows, etc. Anyway I was wndering if you could suggest an exercise to replace the upright rows? Thanks
Last edited by stacylambert; 05-04-2006 at 12:43 PM.
SweetChubbyChick60 .... you bet there are! Anything you do that is more than you did before is incredibly valuable activity. Anything that gets your heart rate up and I love love love the effect weightlifting is having on my body.
Stacy - Exrx.net calls upright rows a lateral delt exercise, using front delts secondarily. Odd because I've always thought of them as a front delt exercise? In any event, you can replace upright rows with any other exercise that works the same muscles. Check out the Exrx.net shoulder page for the most complete list of exercises (with nifty little videos ).
Wow! IS it true that you can only lose 2 pounds per week of fat before you start losing muscle? I've heard that that's the safe range to aim for, but I never heard that reason before. If there's still fat there, why doesn't the body keep on using it after two pounds? **puzzled**
I'm gonna second the confusion of "Two pounds per week". Does that mean the weeks I have zero loss then the following week see a 5lb loss, its muscle? My loss is a total roller coaster ride. There is no consistentcy week to week.
Meg, i would like to know why the sidebends are ineffective or even dangerous. i just started working out recently and have been doing this exercise with and without dumbells.
thanks.
I don't think the author of the article is saying that side bends are dangerous. He's saying that they may be ineffective because people do them in order to reduce their waist circumference, but they can actually have the opposite effect. Side bends done with weights can make your waist thicker, not smaller. The goal of any weighted exercise is to build muscle and adding muscle to your waist will - yep - add inches and make it bigger, not smaller.
It's exactly the same problem with the abductor and adductor machines, also named in the article. When you isolate and build the muscles in your inner and outer thighs, you're going to make them bigger. Bigger muscles underlying fat will push the fat out and make thighs look bulkier, not slimmer. Some people think that they can hop on the machines and get rid of the fat off their thighs, but we all know that you can't spot reduce away fat.
I personally don't ever do weighted ab exercises - I only use my bodyweight. Here's a good article (with illustrations) about the most effective ab exercises from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) that you might find interesting. In a nutshell, they found:
For strengthening the rectus abdominus, the 13 exercise were ranked most to least effective:
1. Bicycle maneuver
2. Captain’s chair
3. Crunches on exercise ball
4. Vertical leg crunch
5. Torso Track
6. Long arm crunch
7. Reverse crunch
8. Crunch with heel push
9. Ab Roller
10. Hover
11. Traditional crunch
12. Exercise tubing pull
13. Ab Rocker
For strengthening the obliques, the 13 exercise were ranked most to least effective:
1. Captain’s chair
2. Bicycle maneuver
3. Reverse crunch
4. Hover
5. Vertical leg crunch
6. Crunch on exercise ball
7. Torso Track
8. Crunch with heel push
9. Long arm crunch
10. Ab Roller
11. Traditional crunch
12. Exercise tubing pull
13. Ab Rocker
Is this why some people recommend exercising on an empty stomach? Sorry for all these question but I’m trying to learn as much as I can to do it right.
At one point I was able to max out the weight on both. I am going to try to do some other inner/outer thigh workouts though. My inner thighs were recently sore for 3 days due to hiking/bouldering/what not. I was surprised but basically figured out that it was probably due to me trying to balance and hug the rocks/boulders with my feet.
but after doing that machine for a month or so, I REALLY noticed a big increase of muscle. Of course, my thighs aren't SMALLER, so if that's what they mean by not getting results, I guess I'd have to agree, but that machine certainly helped build up my inner thigh muscle (technical, huh? LOL). 
