by Al Sears, MD (http://www.alsearsmd.com/content/)
Look at any rack of fitness magazines and you'll see dozens of covers telling you that you need "cardio." Go to any gym and the trainer will insist on devoting some of your time to "cardio." You probably don't like doing it, yet you feel compelled to comply. After all, who doesn't want a healthy heart?
Common parlance has even accepted the term "cardio" (short for cardiovascular endurance training) as synonymous with exercise for your heart. But shouldn't exercise make the targeted body part stronger?
When you study the heart's changes as a result of cardiovascular endurance training, you find it getting weaker in some critical capacities that simulate the changes caused by stress and aging.
Routinely forcing your body to perform the same continuous cardiovascular challenge by repeating the same movement, at the same rate, thousands of times - without variation, without rest - is unnatural. By that, I mean our ancestors didn't regularly stress their cardiovascular systems in this manner. They may have put this type of demand on their hearts - but rarely, and not in the context of the daily environment of a native society in balance with its surroundings.
Yet nature designed your body to adapt to whatever environment it encounters. If you ask it to perform an activity repeatedly and routinely, it will gradually change the systems involved to meet the challenge more effectively.
But what adaptive changes does continuous cardiovascular activity cause?
Continuous-duration exercise that taxes your endurance produces some unique challenges your body must overcome. It must not run out of fuel, overheat, or be overwhelmed by metabolic wastes. Its primary adaptation will be to become more efficient at light, long, continuous, low-energy output. One of the ways your body does that is by gradually rebuilding your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles to be as small as possible, while maintaining the minimum "horsepower" required to perform the activity.
You waste fuel and raw material with a Ferrari-sized engine going 20 miles per hour. Forced, continuous-endurance exercise induces your heart and lungs to "downsize," because smaller allows you to go further ... more efficiently ... with less rest ... and less fuel.
The Danger of "Downsizing" Your Heart's Capacity
So what's wrong with increasing durational capacity through downsizing? Instead of building heart strength, it robs your heart of its vital reserve capacity. Your heart's reserve capacity is that portion of its maximal output that you don't use during ordinary activity.
Let's go back to the car analogy. Say you normally drive at a speed of 40 miles per hour, but your car has the ability to reach a top speed of 140 miles per hour. If you think of your heart as the engine, your reserve capacity is the difference between your normal cruising speed and that top speed.
So if you downsize your heart and lungs, you have traded reserve capacity for efficiency at continuous duration. That forces those organs to operate dangerously close to their maximal output when circumstances challenge them. This is a problem you don't need ... especially for your heart.
Heart attacks don't occur because of a lack of endurance. They occur when there is a sudden increase in cardiac demand that exceeds the heart's capacity. Giving up your heart's reserve capacity to adapt to unnatural bouts of continuous prolonged-duration output only increases your risk of sudden cardiac death.
A ground-breaking study of long-distance runners showed that, after a workout, their blood levels and the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides increased. (High triglycerides dramatically increase your risk of heart disease.) The researchers also found thatprolonged running disrupted the balance of blood thinners and thickeners, elevating inflammatory factors and clotting levels - both signs of heart distress.
These changes do not indicate a heart that's becoming stronger with long-duration exercise.
Exercising for long periods makes your heart adept at handling a 60-minute jog, but it accomplishes this feat by trading in its ability to provide you with big bursts when circumstances might demand. The real key to preventing heart disease and protecting and strengthening your heart is to induce the opposite adaptive response produced by continuous cardio and increase your heart's reserve capacity. Bigger, fastercardiac output that's readily available is what you really need.
Recent clinical studies show us the benefit of avoiding long-duration routines and exercising in shorter bursts. Researchers from the University of Missouri found that short bouts of exercise were more effective for lowering fat and triglyceride levels in the blood. Another study revealed that the duration of exercise routines predicts the risk of heart disease in men. They found that several shorter sessions of physical activity were more effective for lowering the risk of coronary heart disease.
The Secret to a "100-Year Heart" Is Millions of Years Old
Our ancestors lived in a world where their food fought back. Predators attacked without notice. Humans had to run or fight - fast and hard. These short bursts of high-output activity fine-tuned their bodies and kept them fit.
We still have the same physiology.
How do you recreate that kind of physical challenge? The key is to create an "oxygen debt." Simply exercise at a pace you can't sustain for more than a short period. Ask your lungs for more oxygen than they can provide. The difference between the oxygen you need and the oxygen you get is your oxygen debt. This will cause you to pant and continue to breathe hard even after you've stopped the exertion. (Until you replace the oxygen you're lacking.)
Here's an example: Pedal a bike as fast as you can for 15 seconds. When you stop, you'll continue to pant. This is the kind of high-output challenge you can't sustain for very long. You will have reached a supra-aerobic zone. This is very different from doing an aerobic workout for 45 minutes.
Another example: Do one-minute intervals - either running or riding a bike. Work yourself up to a speed that you cannot sustain for very long. After one minute, rest. You can rest by slowing down to a very slow speed or (if you need to) you can stop altogether. Do this 3 or 4 times.
With these types of interval exercises, you'll quickly start to build up reserve capacity in your heart. This is exactly what you need to prevent heart attacks and heart disease.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Mirror Muscle Mystery
by Craig Ballantaine
If you only train your mirror muscles, you lose out on a lot of fat burning power.
By mirror muscles I mean the chest, arms, abs, and quadriceps. Sure that's a lot of muscle, but it's not enough for best results...and only training these muscles could lead to injury.
It's likely the real fat burning power is in the back of the body. In your upper back, your lats, your glutes, and your hamstrings. That is probably more than 50% of your muscle mass back there...and you must take advantage of the metabolic boost it can offer.
Yet those muscles are trained by the exercises we often dislike. So we skip the dumbbell rows, the split squats, the romanian deadlifts, the inverted rows, etc., etc.
If that sounds like you, then change your ways.
You need to build the back of the body to build a healthier, better body. If you play sports, even at a recreational level, you'll play better when the back of your body is strong.
And those mystery muscles on the back of your body are almost always the ones that make the greatest impression on the opposite sex. And hey, tell me that isn't just a little-bitty, teeny-weeny reason you exercise?
So make these exercises your friend again - rows, lunges, db squats, back extensions on the ball, inverted rows, and even single-leg RDL's - all of these train the back of the body...so give your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend something to look at as you walk away...and leave them with something to remember you by, even after you make a dazzling first impression with your abs.
Here's an example "Back of Your Body" workout routine that can be done at home with a bench, a ball, and dumbbells. Do 1-3 sets per exercise.
1A) DB Row (8 reps per set)
1B) Back Extension on Ball (15 reps)
2A) DB RDL (8 reps)
2B) DB Rear-Delt Raise (12 reps)
3A) DB Step-up (10 reps)
3B) Waiter's Bow (15 reps)
Make a good second impression
If you only train your mirror muscles, you lose out on a lot of fat burning power.
By mirror muscles I mean the chest, arms, abs, and quadriceps. Sure that's a lot of muscle, but it's not enough for best results...and only training these muscles could lead to injury.
It's likely the real fat burning power is in the back of the body. In your upper back, your lats, your glutes, and your hamstrings. That is probably more than 50% of your muscle mass back there...and you must take advantage of the metabolic boost it can offer.
Yet those muscles are trained by the exercises we often dislike. So we skip the dumbbell rows, the split squats, the romanian deadlifts, the inverted rows, etc., etc.
If that sounds like you, then change your ways.
You need to build the back of the body to build a healthier, better body. If you play sports, even at a recreational level, you'll play better when the back of your body is strong.
And those mystery muscles on the back of your body are almost always the ones that make the greatest impression on the opposite sex. And hey, tell me that isn't just a little-bitty, teeny-weeny reason you exercise?
So make these exercises your friend again - rows, lunges, db squats, back extensions on the ball, inverted rows, and even single-leg RDL's - all of these train the back of the body...so give your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend something to look at as you walk away...and leave them with something to remember you by, even after you make a dazzling first impression with your abs.
Here's an example "Back of Your Body" workout routine that can be done at home with a bench, a ball, and dumbbells. Do 1-3 sets per exercise.
1A) DB Row (8 reps per set)
1B) Back Extension on Ball (15 reps)
2A) DB RDL (8 reps)
2B) DB Rear-Delt Raise (12 reps)
3A) DB Step-up (10 reps)
3B) Waiter's Bow (15 reps)
Make a good second impression
Monday, September 18, 2006
Top 5 Ways to GAIN Body Fat
by Rachel Cosgrove
Are you looking to put on a little extra pudge to keep warm? Maybe your boyfriend or husband wants to see "more" of you? How can you put on that extra layer of fat you've always wanted to fill out your jeans?
Follow these five recommendations and you'll be on your way!
1. Do long, slow aerobic exercise every day.
The more aerobics you do, the more your metabolism can slow down, the more efficient your body will be at storing fat, especially if you're looking to gain some size on your thighs!
Recommendation: Go to the gym every single day and find a treadmill or Stairmaster where you can watch TV while you're working out. After all, you're going to be there for a while. Do at least an hour per day, seven days per week at a very steady state (you should be able to carry on a conversation easily the entire workout).
Why it works to store fat: Your body will actually use fat as fuel during this workout (you should be in the "fat burning zone") which will create the perfect effect we want for the other 23 hours of the day - fat storing mode. Yes, your body will adapt to become efficient at storing fat.
This workout will do nothing to increase your metabolism either. You'll burn off muscle, decreasing your lean muscle mass, and actually slow down your metabolism. So get to the gym and start spending countless hours doing aerobics, burning off muscle, and turning your body into a fat storing machine! This is a perfect way to gain some body fat!
2. Follow a low fat, low calorie diet... and don't drink any water.
The less you eat, the lower your metabolism will go, which is optimal for storing body fat.
Recommendation: Keep your calories very low and deprive your body. Keep your calories around 1000-1200 per day (which is starving) and don't eat more than 15 to 20 grams of fat per day. You want your body to think it's starving so it'll hold on to body fat at all costs. Also, don't drink any water. Drink juice instead; it'll work wonders for expanding your waistline.
Why it works to store body fat: Every time you eat, your metabolism goes up. This isn't good when you're trying to store fat. Eating enough food will fuel fat burning, the opposite of what we want. You want your body to be in fat storing mode, which is best accomplished by depriving it.
Also, count your fat grams and keep your dietary fat levels low. This will teach your body to hold on to fat, another excellent method for putting on that extra adipose tissue (body fat)! And drinking water will only cause you to drop any excess water you're holding, therefore keep the water consumption low to keep you fat and bloated!
3. Avoid weight training at all costs!
Increasing your lean body mass is the best way to increase your metabolism to burn fat. So stay away from any weight training!
Recommendation: Don't touch the weights in the gym. Or, if you do, only lift ones that are small enough not to build any muscle (you know the ones - the little pink dumbbells in the ladies-only room).
Why it works to store fat: The goal is to keep your metabolism as low as possible to turn your body into a fat storing machine. Any lean muscle would be bad news when you're trying to gain fat because it would increase your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories! Also, weight training will raise your metabolism for the next 24 to 48 hours, which will never work to get that body fat up!
4. Eat only 1-2 meals a day!
Eating meals less frequently is a great way to keep your metabolism in the gutter all day long and will be ideal for storing fat.
Recommendation: The less often you eat, the better. If you can distract yourself all day and skip a couple of meals, you'll set yourself up perfectly to store fat. And never eat breakfast to assure that you start your day off in a fat storing mode. For best results, don't eat anything until dinner and then just eat the one meal before you fast again overnight.
Why this works to store fat: Again, every time you eat, your metabolism increases. If you skip a meal, your metabolism will drop, and if you skip more then one meal you can get that metabolism running very slow - perfect for storing body fat. Having a sluggish metabolism is ideal if you want to put on the chub, and this is a great way to achieve it.
5. Perform the exact same workout over and over without ever increasing the intensity.
Doing the same workout each time will confirm that you haven't become any stronger or more fit, but instead have stayed exactly the same or become worse.
Recommendation: Go to the gym every day and do the exact same thing. Get on the same cardio machine, in front of the same television, and walk the same speed everyday.
Why this works to store fat: This will ensure that you don't gain any lean body mass and that your workout won't limit your fat storing capabilities. You don't ever want to push yourself harder than you're used to.
Follow these guidelines to an all new, plumper you!
Wait just a darn minute...
Hold on. You say you want to lose body fat? Oh, okay, then make sure you aren't making the mistake of following any of the above guidelines! You'd actually want to do the exact opposite of each of the above rules to see a leaner physique in the mirror.
For a leaner, sexier you:
1) Do interval training instead of steady state aerobics to increase your metabolism and get your body revving to burn fat all day long. So, instead of walking on a treadmill at the same pace for 30 minutes, you'd walk two minutes then run for a minute or two, then walk again. Alternate between high and low intensity. You can do the same on an exercise bike or whatever activity you choose. This works extremely well for fat loss!
2) Fuel your body with high quality protein, complex carbohydrates, and good fats. Your calories should not drop below 1400 to 1500 per day and your fat intake should be 30% of your diet. This will keep your metabolism burning hot - perfect for fat loss.
3) Lift weights and don't be afraid to push yourself beyond what you're used to; that's how you get your body to change for the better. Every ounce of muscle you put on will increase your metabolism and keep you in a constant fat burning state! And remember, weight training doesn't make women big; it makes them firm.
4) Eat 5-6 meals a day. Every time you eat, your metabolism goes up, so eat something healthy every couple of hours to keep your body revved up to burn fat.
5) Change your workout every 4-6 weeks. Your body will adapt and you'll need a change to create a new stimulus to continue building muscle and burning fat!
May you reach all your goals and get the body of your dreams! Stay focused!
Are you looking to put on a little extra pudge to keep warm? Maybe your boyfriend or husband wants to see "more" of you? How can you put on that extra layer of fat you've always wanted to fill out your jeans?
Follow these five recommendations and you'll be on your way!
1. Do long, slow aerobic exercise every day.
The more aerobics you do, the more your metabolism can slow down, the more efficient your body will be at storing fat, especially if you're looking to gain some size on your thighs!
Recommendation: Go to the gym every single day and find a treadmill or Stairmaster where you can watch TV while you're working out. After all, you're going to be there for a while. Do at least an hour per day, seven days per week at a very steady state (you should be able to carry on a conversation easily the entire workout).
Why it works to store fat: Your body will actually use fat as fuel during this workout (you should be in the "fat burning zone") which will create the perfect effect we want for the other 23 hours of the day - fat storing mode. Yes, your body will adapt to become efficient at storing fat.
This workout will do nothing to increase your metabolism either. You'll burn off muscle, decreasing your lean muscle mass, and actually slow down your metabolism. So get to the gym and start spending countless hours doing aerobics, burning off muscle, and turning your body into a fat storing machine! This is a perfect way to gain some body fat!
2. Follow a low fat, low calorie diet... and don't drink any water.
The less you eat, the lower your metabolism will go, which is optimal for storing body fat.
Recommendation: Keep your calories very low and deprive your body. Keep your calories around 1000-1200 per day (which is starving) and don't eat more than 15 to 20 grams of fat per day. You want your body to think it's starving so it'll hold on to body fat at all costs. Also, don't drink any water. Drink juice instead; it'll work wonders for expanding your waistline.
Why it works to store body fat: Every time you eat, your metabolism goes up. This isn't good when you're trying to store fat. Eating enough food will fuel fat burning, the opposite of what we want. You want your body to be in fat storing mode, which is best accomplished by depriving it.
Also, count your fat grams and keep your dietary fat levels low. This will teach your body to hold on to fat, another excellent method for putting on that extra adipose tissue (body fat)! And drinking water will only cause you to drop any excess water you're holding, therefore keep the water consumption low to keep you fat and bloated!
3. Avoid weight training at all costs!
Increasing your lean body mass is the best way to increase your metabolism to burn fat. So stay away from any weight training!
Recommendation: Don't touch the weights in the gym. Or, if you do, only lift ones that are small enough not to build any muscle (you know the ones - the little pink dumbbells in the ladies-only room).
Why it works to store fat: The goal is to keep your metabolism as low as possible to turn your body into a fat storing machine. Any lean muscle would be bad news when you're trying to gain fat because it would increase your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories! Also, weight training will raise your metabolism for the next 24 to 48 hours, which will never work to get that body fat up!
4. Eat only 1-2 meals a day!
Eating meals less frequently is a great way to keep your metabolism in the gutter all day long and will be ideal for storing fat.
Recommendation: The less often you eat, the better. If you can distract yourself all day and skip a couple of meals, you'll set yourself up perfectly to store fat. And never eat breakfast to assure that you start your day off in a fat storing mode. For best results, don't eat anything until dinner and then just eat the one meal before you fast again overnight.
Why this works to store fat: Again, every time you eat, your metabolism increases. If you skip a meal, your metabolism will drop, and if you skip more then one meal you can get that metabolism running very slow - perfect for storing body fat. Having a sluggish metabolism is ideal if you want to put on the chub, and this is a great way to achieve it.
5. Perform the exact same workout over and over without ever increasing the intensity.
Doing the same workout each time will confirm that you haven't become any stronger or more fit, but instead have stayed exactly the same or become worse.
Recommendation: Go to the gym every day and do the exact same thing. Get on the same cardio machine, in front of the same television, and walk the same speed everyday.
Why this works to store fat: This will ensure that you don't gain any lean body mass and that your workout won't limit your fat storing capabilities. You don't ever want to push yourself harder than you're used to.
Follow these guidelines to an all new, plumper you!
Wait just a darn minute...
Hold on. You say you want to lose body fat? Oh, okay, then make sure you aren't making the mistake of following any of the above guidelines! You'd actually want to do the exact opposite of each of the above rules to see a leaner physique in the mirror.
For a leaner, sexier you:
1) Do interval training instead of steady state aerobics to increase your metabolism and get your body revving to burn fat all day long. So, instead of walking on a treadmill at the same pace for 30 minutes, you'd walk two minutes then run for a minute or two, then walk again. Alternate between high and low intensity. You can do the same on an exercise bike or whatever activity you choose. This works extremely well for fat loss!
2) Fuel your body with high quality protein, complex carbohydrates, and good fats. Your calories should not drop below 1400 to 1500 per day and your fat intake should be 30% of your diet. This will keep your metabolism burning hot - perfect for fat loss.
3) Lift weights and don't be afraid to push yourself beyond what you're used to; that's how you get your body to change for the better. Every ounce of muscle you put on will increase your metabolism and keep you in a constant fat burning state! And remember, weight training doesn't make women big; it makes them firm.
4) Eat 5-6 meals a day. Every time you eat, your metabolism goes up, so eat something healthy every couple of hours to keep your body revved up to burn fat.
5) Change your workout every 4-6 weeks. Your body will adapt and you'll need a change to create a new stimulus to continue building muscle and burning fat!
May you reach all your goals and get the body of your dreams! Stay focused!
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