FitSugar

What's the Deal With: Losing Weight on an Exercise Hiatus

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

So you've taken a little hiatus from your fitness routine. Whether the reason is too much work, or being ill; it happens for a variety of reasons. No matter the reason, it is a little confusing to step on the scale and see that your weight has actually gone down and not up like you expected.

Unfortunately, the slight decrease in pounds isn't the kind of weight loss you want. You've lost muscle. Depending on how long you've taken off from working out, after a month or two, you could end up losing a few pounds of muscle. And this is something you really want to avoid. Each pound of muscle burns about five to ten calories a day. Fat only burns about two, so that means if you drop three pounds of muscle, that's about 50 fewer calories burned per day. Burning less calories will eventually cause you to gain weight.

Fit's Tips: There's nothing wrong with taking a day or even a couple weeks off when it comes to working out, but don't make a habit of it. Try to make a schedule each week and stick to it. Your overall health will benefit in the long run.

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Fit Tip: Superset Your Workout

FitSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:30:00 -0800

I'm sure you've heard the term "supersets" being used at the gym, but what does it mean and should you be adding supersets into your workout?

Basically, supersetting is just another way to pair up different exercises in order to save time, add intensity, and help build muscle. When supersetting, you do the two exercises of your choice one right after the other, with no rest in between.

I love to superset not only because it really cuts my workout time down, but also because there's less time to think about the next exercise. For more about supersetting and some examples just read more.

Supersetting can be used on opposing muscle groups or same muscle groups, depending on your goal. When you superset opposing muscle groups you're really able to save on rest time since one muscle gets to rest while the opposite muscle works - examples of opposing muscles groups are back and chest, biceps and triceps, hamstrings and quadriceps, etc. When you superset the same muscle groups you're really able to pump up intensity since you're working the same muscle, but with different exercises. Here are ideas to try:

Opposing muscle group superset idea: Biceps curls followed by triceps kickbacks.
Same muscle group superset idea: Wall sits followed by squats.

So try adding a few supersets to your workout and let me know what you think.

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Dieting: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:45:00 -0700

It is summer time and while the warm weather and sunshine may bring smiles to our faces, some folks may be fretting about how they look in a swimsuit. Often out of desperation, people try crazy fad diets to quickly shed a few pounds prior to hitting the beach. Well, I am here to caution you about dropping the pounds too quickly, and here's why: Rapid weight loss is often followed shortly by rapid weight gain.

The slower you lose the weight the better your chances for keeping the pounds off. You should aim to lose no more than two pounds a week. If you are losing more than that, the pounds lost most likely come from loss of water weight and lean muscle tissue - not fat. You don't want to lose muscle tissue since one pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day, while a pound of fat only burns 2 calories a day. Muscle mass is a friend to your metabolism.

Fit's Tip: If you are looking to lose weight, try to change your lifestyle with a healthy Mediterranean style diet and adding a daily dose of exercise into your plan. Make a lifestyle change and you will lose the weight and you have a much better chance of keeping the weight off.

Strength Training IS Important for Weight Loss

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Losing weight (and keeping it off) is more complicated than the calories you eat being less than the calories you burn. Without strength training while dieting you risk losing lean muscle mass which is really important to keep your metabolism going.

Your muscles need energy to work, so the more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn over the course of a day. It works like this, for every pound of muscle you gain you will burn 35 to 50 more calories a day. Now that has got to be great incentive to add strength training into your routine if you are trying to lose weight.

Here is another inspirational fact for strength training to build lean muscle: we lose 5% of our muscle mass every ten years after age 35. If you do not intentionally build muscle through exercise you will need to eat 120 to 420 less calories a day to maintain your current weight if you are over 35. I just want to say it is never to early to start building lean muscle - no need to wait until you are 35. So why not start today?

There are so many advantages to strength training, including: benefits to your bones and cardiovascular health, reducing risk of Type 2 diabetes, and protecting your joints.

If you are looking to start a strength training program check out this 4 Minute Starter Arms video. It will get you pumping in no time.

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Another Reason to Hit the Gym: Your Bones

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:00:00 -0800

I am always amazed how we are constantly given reasons to exercise - to build muscle and lose fat. Its not always about appearances, it's about your health.

Once upon a time it was speculated that excess fat, which places more weight on the bones, could help build strong bones. Not the case any longer as researchers have found a strong (and positive) association between lean body mass and bone size and density. Contrary to prior belief, the findings found that fat either had no relationship or a negative one, meaning the more fat mass, the weaker the bones. What's more? Fat may also secrete substances that affect bone metabolism negatively.

So, we may as well exercise for our bones, especially since we're stuck with them for life.

The Pill vs. Building Muscle

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0700

If you're looking to build lean muscle mass, taking oral contraceptives might be interfering with all your hard work. A recent study from Texas A&M University, involving 73 generally healthy women between 18 and 31, found that women not taking birth control pills gained 60 percent more muscle mass than women on the pill during a 10-week time period.

All the women in the study participated in the same whole-body resistance exercise training program and worked out three times a week under the supervision of exercise physiologists, but half were using oral contraceptives and the other half were not. All the women performed the same exercises, same number of reps, at the same intensity. The study participants were also encouraged to increase their intake of protein, by about a third more than nutritional guidelines, to ensure they wear eating enough protein to build muscle mass. After the 10-week workout period, the women who were not on the pill had significantly more lean muscle mass.

Information on both groups hormone levels, when you read more.

A comparison of blood samples between the two groups indicated the women using oral contraception had less testosterone in their system, a hormone necessary for making muscle. In addition, women on the pill had more cortisol in their systems, which is a hormone that helps break down muscle tissue.

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Eggs = High Quality Protein

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Protein is the building block of life. You need a healthy dose of the macronutrient daily to build muscle. Plus, protein gives you energy. A new study from the University of Illinois found the humble egg to be a great source of high-quality protein. Egg protein helps preserve muscle mass and provides steady and sustained energy. The study recommends eggs as a protein source for endurance athletes since eggs are high in the amino acid leucine, which helps muscles utilize the fuel glucose. If you were avoiding eggs for health reasons, it is considered safe to eat six eggs a week.

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Celebs Like to Shake It

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:50:58 -0700

At first, the Power Plate seems like another gimmicky weight-loss product, but its website features endorsements from fit celebs like Madonna, Courteney Cox, and Hilary Swank. On top of that, it's used by over 60 college and pro sports teams, and the Police brought one with them on their reunion tour. That's some serious ~~celeb~~ street cred.

The secret behind the Power Plate is its vibrating plates. The manufacturer claims that if you stand on it for 10 minutes a day, three times a week, you'll lose weight, tone your body, and improve bone density. To really maximize the benefits of the machine, it's encouraged that you do the same exercises you would do on the floor - sit-ups, for example - on the Power Plate.

Cougar Town actress Cox says the Power Plate was essential in shaping her up for her new role: "The Power Plate machine has dramatically changed my workout. I know that every muscle in my body is being ignited in ways that you can't do with traditional training."

To see a video of Cox's trainer Michelle Lovett demonstrating the Power Plate, read more.

They call the technology behind the machine Acceleration Training: the vibrations transmit energy waves to the body that are able to contract muscles 25 to 50 times per second. This is suppose to help stimulate blood flow, work the muscles harder than ever before, and increase strength and flexibility.

Vibration training is not a new thing in the fitness world (remember the black rubber belts that used to go around the waist to shake off fat?), but it's been picking up steam especially as it garners more backing from the medical community and health professionals.

Studies done on the effects of vibration training show that if used properly, it's more beneficial at building lean muscle mass, improving weight loss, and increasing strength and speed than exercise regimens without vibration training. Researchers warn that the machines should not be used for more than 30 minutes a day due to health concerns about engaging the body in high-amplitude vibrations like back pain or blurred vision.

I remain a little skeptical, mostly because I can't get the Shake Weights infomercial out of my head, but my curiosity is piqued. My gym doesn't have a Power Plate yet, does yours? I'd love to hear what you think of this new workout.

Swimming For Weight Loss?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:30:25 -0700

Swimming has gotten a bad rap as an exercise for weight loss. Unlike running, which curbs your appetite, swimming seems to increase it.

Studies comparing swimming with walking and cycling weight-loss programs found that swimmers gained five pounds on average, while the other two groups lost between 17 and 19 pounds. The culprit seems to be the increased appetite that follows working out in water, since swimming lowers your body temp and the body crave calories to help heat it back up. Plus the swimmers weight gain could be attributed to an increase in lean muscle mass, which would have changed their body composition without weight loss.

See how I think you can make swimming part of your weight-loss plan, when you read more.
If you are swimming for weight loss, I don't believe you should give up on the pool entirely - swimming is a great full-body exercise. I do think you should add some cardio training on land. I am a firm believer in cross-training, so adding strength training and walking or running will help burn calories as well as build bone density, which is another benefit of weight-bearing exercises that you miss out on when swimming. When you do finish a swim workout, take a sauna, a steam, hot tub, or a hot shower to help heat your body. Also try sipping on some hot herbal tea as a post-workout drink.

5 Foods That Feed Your Muscles

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:40 -0700

Your muscles are constantly working for you, so feed them well. Recent news indicates that muscle mass, especially in the lower of half of the body, is essential for good health. Muscle mass helps keep blood sugar levels even, thus fighting type 2 diabetes. Plus, muscle requires more energy to simply exist than fat, so more muscle means you burn more calories. The added strength is a bonus too. Here are five foods to put on your plate to help you maximize your muscle power.
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