Category Archives: Muscles

How Fast is Too Fast for Weight Loss

17 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by in Diet, Health and Wellness, Metabolism, Muscles, Nutrition

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week94When The Biggest Loser contestant Rachel Frederickson won Season 15 of the television reality show, the public and the media went on a frenzy – her weight loss gone too far. During the taping of the show and the three months proceeding, the voice-over artist from Los Angeles dropped from 260 to an unrecognizable 105 pounds to claim the season’s crown and $250,000 cash prize. Her astonishing 155-pound weight lost, equivalent to 59.62% of her starting body weight, was achieved from daily six hours workouts and limiting her diet to 1,600 calories a day.

At 5’4” and 105 pounds, 24-year-old Rachel is now the exact same size of me. So of course, I will disagree with the self-claim body critics who will say she’s too thin and that she is anorexic. I like my size. And I think Rachel looks great! I believe it’s perhaps more about the shock of going from an unhealthy, obese body size to where she is today in the rapid speed of time to complete. In just under eight months. Wow! Now that is motivation and discipline. Or is it insanity and starvation?

To be fair, a swift weight loss can occur when a person of obese size stops eating poorly, frequently, and in overly amounts with little or no exercise in their day-to-day life and instead switches to eating wisely and healthy with the right foods in the right amounts and with an exercise program approved by their physician or personal trainer. The pounds can drop off. Easily 10 or more a week initially, depending on your starting size, and less as time passes. And of course, results are even quicker when you are on a national television show and have the constant support and guidance from a personal trainer and dietician.

So for those who aren’t cast on a weight lose show, what is a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to losing weight? How much is too much and how much is too little? How much should you lose versus can lose?

There is no perfect answer to these questions since there are several baseline factors to consider. Starting weight. Goal weight. Metabolism. Genetics. Health conditions. Diet restrictions. Discipline. Exercise regimen. Support system. Lifestyle. Environment. And more.

However, if you want to lose weight and keep it off, your goal should be just one to two pounds a week. That’s all. It may not sound like a lot, but remain patient, dedicated, and consistent and you will see your hard work will pay off over time. Plus losing weight at a slow steady pace reduces the risk of unwanted side effects and increases the likelihood that you will be able to keep the weight off long term, like with The Biggest Loser Season 1 winner Ryan Benson, who started at 330, dropped to 208 and is now at 300 and Season 3 winner Erik Chopin, who began at 407, plummeted to 193 and is back up to 368.

Rapid weight loss is unhealthy and ineffective. It can cause dehydration, fatigue, dry skin and nails, hair loss, bloating, constipation, gallstones, iron and nutrient deficiencies, mineral loss, liver damage, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. And if you are losing more than a couple of pounds a week, your body perceives it’s in starvation and will start burning muscle for needed fuel and energy. With less muscle mass, your metabolism automatically slows down and burns fewer calories.

As with any weight loss plan, consult with your primary physician first and request a complete physical before dieting. He or she can help you select a diet plan that is right for you and the correct amount of calories. Discuss an exercise program that is appropriate for your age, existing, fitness level, and goal. Finally, keep a dairy to help with your own personal weight loss journey. Track your daily food intakes and times along with the triggers that cause you to want to eat outside your meals and snacks. Document your exercise regimen, nightly hours of sleep, and your daily stress levels. Collectively, this will reveal your best recipe for your weight loss.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

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Yes, Women Can Bulk Up through Exercise

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Exercising, Health and Wellness, Muscles, Running, Swimming

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“You won’t bulk up.” How many times have we heard this? For those of us who are convinced we can bulk up with certain exercises, but hear countless times that it’s not possible, well the later are wrong. We can. And I am one of them.

Despite having lower testosterone than men and regardless of watching what we eat, women with certain genetic makeups – especially those with small body frames – can build muscle easily and quickly, particularly in their thighs and buttock where fast twitch muscle is also often found. The muscle build up is often accomplished with resistance training, which is ANY form of exercise that causes a muscle to contract AGAINST an external resistance, creating a burn and a pump then a build in muscle. Not only is this with accomplished weights, but with popular cardio equipment including the treadmill, elliptical, and bicycle.

So what is a girl to do if that is the look she isn’t going for? What if she just wants to be tone and not overly muscular? Train for leanness and endurance.

We all know weight-training tones your muscles and can build muscle size. Increasing the weights used and the speed of reps can result in building muscle. So for muscles responding quickly to resistance, do the opposite. Perform more repetitions (15) with lighter weights completed within 90 seconds. Rest time should only be between 15 to 30 seconds for a cardio burn.

You may continue with your indoor cardio – running on a treadmill, pumping on an elliptical, and spinning a bike – but lower your tension on the equipment and limit your time to no more than 30 minutes a day.

If you can run outside versus on a treadmill, then do so. A treadmill forces your run through it’s push and pull resistance while a run outside is powered by 100% of you. You can also increase your cardio to longer than 30 minutes with the mechanical resistance now gone and up your days to five week since the movement of outdoor running will only make you leaner with amount of calories burned.

Also, incorporate exercises into your daily routine that helps to elongate your muscles, such as stretching, yoga, Pilates, swimming, walking, hiking, skating, and cross-country skiing. Sign up for a recreational soccer or basketball league. Join a running club. Play tennis, racquetball, or pickleball. Walk the course when playing golf.

Undoubtedly, you will need to do trial and error with your muscle-strengthening exercises before determining which workouts work best for you and your personal genetic makeup. Once discovered, set your limits and stick within those boundaries. Your goal is within reach.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Exercising with Fast Twitch Muscle

05 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by in Exercising, Muscles

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week81Don’t all women want firm fit bodies? Beautiful curves that show you’re tight and tone. And with one, no fitness model has anything over you! Right?! But wait … at what price when you have been blessed genetically delightfully, or perhaps cursed dreadfully, with fast twitch muscle fiber?

I am one if these females; fast on the bottom, slow up top. As a teen, I always noticed my lower half was slightly more muscular than my skinny upper, quickly reacting to exercises that incorporated resistance and weights. But what is cardio girl suppose to do? Not ride her bike? Skip the weight training? Forget exercising all together?

At first, I just let it be. But then I became more conscious of it. I obviously had the natural statuesque of a gymnast, one I didn’t want or desire. To me, I looked dis-proportioned, but I’m certain no one else ever noticed or sensed my dissatisfaction for my muscular legs and rump. I was my own elephant in the room. So I began paying closer attention to what I did do exercise-way that increased my muscle mass, and what I did that didn’t. Soon, I noted what worked and what I needed to stay away from to achieve the results I was seeking.

Fast twitch muscle fibers are fast reacting. There is just no way around it. They are larger than slow twitch, becoming activated and responding quicker when used during the concentric phase of a repetition. These fibers are excellent at generating quick explosiveness powerful bursts of speed, power, and strength and are ideal for leading, sprinting and high-intensity training, such as gymnastics, bodybuilding, or power-lifting.

So what is a female with fast twitch muscle fibers to do when she wants to be tight and tone but just not overly muscular? While you cannot change your muscle fiber type, you can change your exercise workout regime to get a different result. For weight training, go for high repetitions with low weights (versus low reps and high weights) or use your body weight, such as calisthenics or plyometrics. Run long distance over short, aiming for three to five miles a day or longer OUTSIDE, five days a week as long distance running will help to change the size and structure of your leg muscles, developing leaner leg muscles over time. Running inside on a treadmill provides resistance and can cause you to bulk up. Also remember to stretch, stretch and stretch again as stretching will lengthen your muscles and prevent you from exercising on shortened muscles, which can also cause bulk up. Finally, try power yoga or Pilates, both excellent for elongated the muscles plus toning and strengthening.

With regular, committed, and consistent workouts, your fast twitch muscle fibers can develop to size you desire. Achieving the results you want for your own physique and determining how to best achieve is everyone’s own fitness journey. Along your way of trial, error, reward, and success, remember to keep a journal and document your rite of passage and included your diet, hydration, and sleep as all are just as important to your recipe of self wealth of health and fitness.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

High Intensity Training (HIT) – Not for the Meek and Mild

19 Tuesday Jul 2011

Posted by in Exercising, Muscles, Weight Training

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Since my son Michael has come home for the summer from college, he has been especially dedicated to his workouts and diet. He hits the gym faithfully, follows a healthy muscle building diet and even frequents GNC for supplements. His dedication reminds me of when I was his age. But now the tables have turned slightly as Michael has introduced me to something, HIT; a workout regimen that became widespread in the 1970’s, decades before he was even born.

High Intensity Training (HIT) is a method of strength training first made popular by inventor Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus and MedX. Everyone who has ever worked out is knows of Nautilus equipment. The latter company manufactures both spinal rehabilitation and premium exercise equipment. I was first made aware of Jones and his commitment to the fitness world with his creation of the portable Bowflex. My oldest brother, also named Michael, took that apparatus with him everywhere, including family vacations. Yes, you can see that discipline and a dedication to fitness runs in the family.

The basic principles of HIT are that the exercises are brief, infrequent, and intense.  The participant works harder for briefer amounts of time and less frequently than the typical high volume approach that trainers often encourage. It stresses intensity over repetition and focuses on performing quality weightlifting repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure. The training takes into account the number of repetitions, the amount of weight, and the amount of time the muscle is exposed to tension in order to maximize the amount of muscle fiber recruitment. Many bodybuilders used this training technique as it’s an excellent means to build muscle mass which is my son’s goal.

A HIT workout targets one body part at a time with one or two exercises, a single set of 6 to 10 reps for your upper body and either 8 to 15 reps or more commonly 12 to 20 reps for your lower, performed until the exerciser is spent. Dead lifts usually have a rep range of 5 to 8 reps, and calves are sometimes trained with 1 to 2 sets of failure. Be certain to choose a weight that allows you to complete your reps to exhaustion. When you are able to do 10 or more reps, increase the weight for your next workout.

A rule of HIT is, as the exerciser get stronger, the stress is greater and more rest more is needed between workouts. So HIT workouts should be scheduled from 4 days a week to only one workout every 10 days. A sample HITs workout on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Tuesdays and Thursdays would include: barbell squats, leg extensions, leg curls, calf raises, chin ups or lat pull downs, barbell rows, bench presses, dumbbell flies or pec decks, shoulder presses, dumbbell lateral raises, barbell curls, and tricep extensions.

Not every strength training or exercise program is for everyone. I do not do High Intensity Training as I do not want my muscles any larger than they are already. But for those who would like be more well-built, like my son, than I suggest giving HIT a try. It’s been proven to be very effective and accomplishing increased strength and muscle mass.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Slow Versus Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers

13 Friday May 2011

Posted by in Muscles, Setting Goals, Training, Weight Training

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When my 19-year-old son came home from college, he shared with me his attempts to build muscle on his lean body build. Most of us would want the days back again when our metabolism was churning ever so high and we could literally eat whatever was put before us and remain thin. But for my son, he was hoping he would be more muscular through his workouts and diet/nutrition intake. He was surprised through all his efforts, he hadn’t built up and out.

I then began to share with him the differences between fast and slow twitch muscle fiber and how they respond differently to training and physical pursuits. While I have the norm 50-50 combo of the two fibers, my son has mostly slow. I told him recognizing the differences, realizing your own muscle makeup and knowing the ideal training for your type will lead to the best results when trying to build up or slim down. He had never heard of the different muscle fiber types and suggested I write about it to inform others.

I stumbled onto the different types of muscle fiber in my own pursuit to try to understand why my lower half would build up from what seemed to be just looking at a weight while, on the opposite end, I could lift free weights until the cows came home and my upper body would never ever get bulky. With my own trial and error, I found out what exercises are best for muscle definition in my legs and butt, and what works ideal for my core, arms and shoulders. I must admit it gets challenging at times with my lower body; I can’t participate in step classes, cycling activities, and lower weight training on a regular basis without bulking up in what seems to be in a heartbeat to me.

Muscle fiber composition is already built into your genetics. The fibers are divided down into two main types and you can think of them as exact opposites. Type I, slow twitch, is for long endurance activities while Type II, fast twitch, is for short fast bursts.

Type I Fibers – Slow Twitch
The slow twitch muscle fibers are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long period of time. They fire up more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go for a long time before they fatigue. This fiber type is great for paced exercises and endurance activities, such as marathons and triathlons. When weight training, perform sets of high-rep lifts. Aim for 12 to 20 lifts per set at a comfortable weight, which builds strength without forcing your body to exert itself too strenuously.

Type II Fibers – Fast Twitch
The fast twitch muscle fibers do not need oxygen to create fuel and are excellent at generating quick, powerful bursts of speed and strength. These fibers fire up more quickly, but also fatigue easily. They are not effective in longer-term training, but are very useful in brief, high-intensity training, such as gymnastics, bodybuilding or powerlifting. When weight training, perform sets of low-rep lifts. Use heavy weights to make yourself stronger and to build up your fast twitch fibers.

Fast twitch can be further subdivided into Type IIa and Type IIb. Type IIa are known as intermediate fast-twitch fibers. They are a combination of Type I and Type II muscle fibers, using both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism almost equally to create energy. Type IIb are known as the classic fast twitch muscle fibers, using just anaerobic metabolism to create energy.

The distribution of muscle fiber differs in each individual. As mentioned earlier, examine your type and decide on your goals so that you can create an exercising program specific to your needs. Remember a person with more fast-twitch will do best with low reps and high sets and heavier weights. A person who with more slow-twitch will gain from high reps and low sets with sub-maximal weights. Read up and discuss a plan with a trainer at your gym as to what’s best for your own individual success.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana