Exercise

[TaraEire]

I KNOW I would not have lost all this weight and KEPT IF OFF if it weren't for working out. I think it's the most important part of losing weight and becoming healthy. Now I'm NO expert but I have learned a lot and I believe there are 3 things pertaining to exercise you need to do when you're trying to lose weight and get fit.

1. CARDIO. You need to do cardio to burn off excess fat and it's really important that you keep your heart-rate in the fat-burning zone while you're doing it. Most of what I've learned about exercise came from "Michael Thurmond's 6 Week Body Makeover". I don't follow his program exactly because I didn't find it to be something I could stick to for the rest of my life 100%, but it has some GREAT info in it. I could try to paraphrase what he says about cardio but there's so much info and he says it so well so here it is (hope I don't get in trouble for posting it but I just want to help ppl). It gets a little in depth, but it's really good stuff to know!

Maintaining the proper heart rate is crucial; it determines whether or not your body is burning fat. If the rate at which your heart is beating is too slow as you do your routine, your efforts will have little fat-burning effect. If your heart rate is too fast, you end up burning sugar that is present in the bloodstream (glycogen) instead of fat.

Most aerobics classes will have you workout at a Target Heart Rate of 75% to 80% of your maximum heart rate, but this is way too vigorous a workout to burn fat efficiently. At that rate, you will be out of breath and exhausting yourself, burning sugar, NOT fat. In fact, such high intensity aerobic activity not only burns sugar, it can also burn precious muscle tissue! Do not exceed a Target Heart Rate of 65% to 70% of maximum in order to keep your lean muscle mass intact and to keep your fat-burning furnace running on high!

The Science of Burning Fat 

In order to lose fat, tone and reshape your body to the best of your ability, you should have a basic understanding of muscle fiber. Some types of muscle fiber will burn fat, some will not. Once you understand the science behind how your body burns fat you'll be able to makeover your body the way you want to and keep it that way for life.

Using the Right Muscles to Burn Fat!

When you do any kind of exercise you are using "voluntary" muscle. Voluntary muscle tissue is the skeletal muscle that moves your body when stimulated by your intention or reaction. Your heart, for instance, does not require you to think or react to make it work. In contrast, the muscles in your legs require stimulus from you to work and move. There are, of course, muscles that you don't consciously think about using but which help you to walk, stand, erect, sit, etc. However, unlike your heart, they may relax and not contract while you sleep, and you can voluntarily control them. There are three types of fibers present in voluntary muscle tissue: fast-twitch fiber, medium/middle-twitch fiber and slow-twitch fiber. Remember that you have all three types of muscle fiber in your body,though you may have more of one kind than another, depending on your body type.

Fast-Twitch Fiber — The Power Muscle

Fast-twitch fiber is the muscle tissue responsible for explosive movement. It responds in demand to high-intensity activity such as lifting weights. These are the fibers that make up the musculature of weight lifters, football players, sprinters or body builders. The primary source of energy for these fast-twitch fibers is blood-sugar stored in the muscle cells themselves, as well as in the blood and liver. This type of muscle fiber does NOT burn fat as it's primary source of fuel. Fast-twitch fiber is the strength fiber, but its energy is of short duration. That's why a sprinter is good for 50 to 100 yards, and then he must rest. In addition, a body builder must rest between each set of exercises.

To recap, the fast-twitch muscle fiber is utilized in high intensity activity that requires strength, but its duration is short and it quickly requires a rest period. Fast-twitch fiber is dense and hard, giving the body a muscular look.

Medium or Middle-Twitch Fiber — The "Everyday" Muscle

Medium or middle-twitch fiber is very similar to fast-twitch fiber. It also responds to a demand for explosive "high-intensity" activity. However, it is capable of longer periods of activity and does not have quite the strength capacity of the fast-twitch fiber. A boxer, for instance, or a middle distance runner doing a 400 meter dash or a basketball player would use middle-twitch fiber. These are movements requiring explosive high-intensity activity but not of the quick, forceful nature of lifting a heavy weight repeatedly for 30 seconds. Like fast-twitch fiber, middle-twitch fiber is also fueled by readily available sugars, NOT by fat.

If you use many of the cardio machines found in the gym or take aerobics classes, you often slip into using middle-twitch fiber and you lose the fat-burning effect of aerobic activity. Middle-twitch fiber also needs recuperation to be fixed and used again.

Slow-Twitch Fiber - The Muscle That Burns Fat!

Slow-twitch muscle fiber utilizes fat (in conjunction with oxygen intake) for its fuel. Slow-twitch fiber can work for very long periods of time. Athletes who rely on slow-twitch fiber are long distance runners, long distance cyclists or those whose physical activity requires long periods of rhythmic aerobic activity. Note how thin these athletes are. They are utilizing their body fat as fuel, burning it during a process known as the Krebs cycle.

Through the Krebs cycle, the body metabolizes fat into energy. The Krebs cycle doesn't come into effect until you have done at least five minutes of rhythmic, low-intensity aerobic activity. This creates a slow but steady demand for more energy. The body then calls on its fat stores and turns that fat into fuel to satisfy the demand. Basically, the goal is to use as much slow-twitch muscle fiber as possible, for as long as possible, so that you can dramatically accelerate the rate at which your body burns fat.

So ya wanna know how to figure out how to find your target heart rate? Here's that info from the 6 Week Body Makeover:

Before you can find your Target Heart Rate, or Fat Burning Zone, you need to establish your maximum heart rate which is determined by your age. This is easy; you simply subtract your age from 220. As an example, if you are 38 years of age you subtract 38 from 220. 220 - 38 = 182. Therefore 182 heartbeats per minute is your maximum heart rate. In order to exercise safely and to effectively burn fat, you must keep your heart rate within a specified Target Heart Rate, which is a percentage of your maximum heart rate. To burn fat most effectively try staying within a Target Heart Rate zone of between 55% and 65% of your maximum heart rate (Ideally, the closer you are to 65% of maximum heart rate, the better.) To determine what your Target Heart Rate is, simply multiply your maximum heart rate by the percentage desired.

Staying In Your Fat Burning Zone

So... how can you tell when you're in your ideal fat-burning zone when you're working out? It's simply a matter of taking your pulse! And it's easy. In order to check your heart rate, all you need is a watch with a second hand or a stopwatch (If you want to invest in a bit of technology, a heart rate monitor). *You can get a good heart-rate monitor at walmart in the sporting section for around $25. Using one is SO MUCH easier than stopping to check your pulse all the time. If you don't have the funds to get a monitor then do the following: 

Here's how it works: Stop and take your pulse by placing your middle and index fingers on the inside of your wrist or on your neck just under the back edge of your jaw. Hold it there until you feel the beating of your heart - that is your pulse. Once you've got it, simply count the number of times you heart beats in 10 seconds. If you multiply that number by six - that's your current heart rate.

When you first start doing your fat burning routine you should stop and check your heart rate every 5-6 minutes to make sure you are burning fat. Wear a watch with a second hand or use a stopwatch and measure your working heart rate as described above. Make sure it is within your fat burning zone, between 55% and 65% of your maximum heart rate. At this rate, you should be able to comfortably carry on a conversation without feeling out of breath. If you are below the 55% Target Heart Rate for your age, pick up your pace. If you are above the 65% rate, slow down! After a while you'll get a sense of the proper pace for your body and you won't have to check so often. But you should still check periodically so you can make sure you are burning the maximum amount of fat possible.

And Although working out is essential, too much isn't good for you. Here's what Michael Thurmond says about it:

Cardiovascular work should not be done more than five to six days a week. Your joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. need to recuperate or you can get symptoms of Repetitive Trauma Syndrome. You need at least a day or two of rest each week from your cardio workout. When you are working to change your body, rest is essential. Your body restores itself during periods of rest. If you let yourself get overtired, or if you push your body too hard in your cardio or resistance training, you can tear muscle tissue and put your body into a state of stress. Obviously, this can be counterproductive to your goal of getting fit.

 

2. Strength Training. I promise this one won't be NEAR as long but it's very important!! The more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn, even while at rest. It's new muscle you build that will help to keep the weight you are losing off and to help your body look fit and tone, not thin and flabby while you are losing all that extra fat. There are several ways to do strength training. Believe it or not, since I started losing all this weight I haven't set foot in a gym or used any sort of weight machine. You don't have to lift massive amounts of weight to build muscle! My favorite thing to use to build muscle are those resistance bands I'm sure you've seen before and any sort of DVD that does cardio w/ weights. The FIRM series are my favorites!!! You can check them out at www.firmdirect.com. The workouts definitely AREN'T easy and I could barely make it through any of them when I started (and all I had to use for weights then were cans of food) but they REALLY work at changing your body and building muscle!!!

It's also important to not over-do your strength training too! I never do strength training two days in a row to make sure I give my body the rest it needs to re-build itself.

3. Stretching. The last but not least aspect of exercise is stretching and flexibility. It's important to take time to stretch properly after each workout and also to do some sort of longer stretching routine (like yoga) throughout the week to keep your body supple and to avoid injury. I like doing yoga since it gives me time to really think about my body while I'm doing it and focus on my breathing to get the most out of my stretches. There are several Fat Burning Yoga DVDs available out there that are good. By doing those you get to burn some fat while you're doing your stretching. *BONUS* :)

 

Well, there you have it. I hope all this info didn't leave you feeling overwhelmed!!! It might seem like a lot to take in, but all you have to do is work out a routine for yourself and then stick to it and DO IT!!! After a while you really will enjoy doing your workouts. Well, not so much doing them, but you'll reallly like what they do for your body and that will be enough for you to keep it up and do it every day!!

I'll give you an example of my work out schedule to give you something to go off. Just like your healthy eating though, your work out schedule has to be something you adapt to your abilities and your schedule. Not everyone will be able to work out as much as I do but you can still change your body as long as you're doing SOMETHING!! 

Day 1- I do a 45 min sculpting/strength training DVD (usually from The Firm series) and then 30-60 mins on the treadmill.                                                                                                          Day 2- 30-60 mins on the treadmill and then 30-60 mins of yoga.
Day 3- I do another sculpting DVD (but not the same one I did on day 1) and then the treadmilll again for 30-60 mins.
Day 4- Another 30-60 mins on the treadmill and then more yoga, but not the same routine as day 2.
Day 5- Is usually a rest day.
Day 6- Is whatever I want to do for 60-90 mins. If I'm feeling really good I'll do another strength training DVD but I usually do a fun cardio video like belly dancing or some other kind of dance routine, or I just do my deep house cleaning that day and call it good.
Day 7- Is another rest day. 

PLEASE don't look at that and get discouraged that you don't have that much time or that you don't think you can keep up with a schedule like that. Like I said before, just do what works for you just as long as you're doing something and then move up from there.

You've GOT TO MOVE if you want to lose weight and keep it off!!!

 

[LILTIGERS]

Jan. 29, 2008 at 9:59 AM

WOW! THANKS FOR THAT INFORMATION TOO!!! IT WAS GREAT!