How often should I train? How hard? How long?

Most experts agree that 3-5 times per week is sufficient. Exercise for a duration of 20-60 minutes at 60-90% of age-specific maximal heartrate or 50-85% of VO2max (heart rate reserve).

What factors affect aerobic training?

Frequency, duration and intensity. Frequency refers to how often you perform aerobic activity, duration refers to the time consumed during each session, and intensity refers to the percentage of your maximum heartrate or heartrate reserve at which the activity is performed.

How much should I weigh?

Since muscle weighs more per volume than fat, and you want to have firm muscles throughout your body, you may weigh more than you thought was average for your height and build. There is no ideal bodyweight. While some body fat is essential to sustain life, it is generally thought that a healthy bodyfat percentage for males is 8-20% and for females is 13-25%.

What is aerobic exercise?

The word aerobic literally means "with oxygen" or "in the presence of oxygen." Aerobic exercise is any activity that rhythmically uses large muscle groups. Aerobic activity increases the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system's ability to deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to the body. As the heart muscle becomes stronger and more efficient, a larger amount of blood can be pumped with each stroke thereby decreasing the number of strokes required for oxygen transport. An aerobically fit individual can produce more work for a longer period of time and recover faster.

I have never exercised before. Where do I begin?

Start slow. Walking is the best way to begin a program. Start with a stroll for a mile or so and gradually increase the distance. when you acheived a comfotable distance then increase the speed to a comfortable stride. Eventually, you might want to try another activity such as jogging, running or even aerobic or step classes. The best aerobic program is the one you enjoy the most because that's the one that you'll do the most.

Is it possible to breathe wrong while i'm working out?

Yes! Most people take very shallow breaths without even noticing it, which means they are depriving themselves of workout-fueling oxygen. Done correctly, a complete breath should inflate your stomach and THEN your rib cage. Whenever possible breath through your nose instead of your mouth. It warms and filters the air making it more efficient for your body to process it. While training remember to inhale before lifting and exhale during the exertion phase.

What's the best way to determine Body Fat Percentage?

The Hydrostatic method (weighing in water) is the most accurate. This is not always convenient. The skin-fold calipers is the next best for in-home and gym measurements.

Is it better to break up my exercise sessions?

For aerobic exercise, it would be better to do a single workout and give you body the rest it needs to repair. For weight training, two sessions might be better providing different muscle groups are worked during each session. In either case, the question is whether too many workout sessions are being scheduled. The body doesn't build until after the exercise is over, during the rest periods. No rest periods, no rebuilding.

How long should I wait between sets?

That depends on the intensity of your workout. If you are doing high reps (12-20) for toning, then wait 30-60 seconds between sets. But if you are doing fewer reps with higher weight, then wait 1-3 minutes between sets. This gives your muscles fibers enough time to regain the same level of power they had with the first set. Regardless of how long you wait, you can maximize your downtime by working another muscle group. For example work shoulders while you are resting your biceps, or work calves while resting from squats.

I've heard it's smart to strengthen your core. What is it and how do I do it?

The latest body part buzz-word, core simply refers to the torso- the abs, hips, back, and pelvis. Al of these provide balance and strenght for your entire body. When your torso is strong, it provides the stability you need to do more reps of strenght training exercises like curls and leg lifts. Exercises such as crunches and leg lifts using a stability ball are good for core training. It forces you to use stabilizer muscles to keep your balance while doing your exercises.

What should I eat as my meal before an aerobic workout?

A light carbohydrate snack about an hour before. A banana, fruit or a bagel with low fat cream cheese. A glass of water should not be forgotten. You'll probably lose that and more in perspiration.

How soon and how much should I eat after an aerobic workout?

Eat light after a workout. Remember, the blood supply is concentrated in the muscles at this point and may not be fully available for the digestive system for about an hour.

Should I use a sauna or hot tub right after a workout?

Not recommended since the blood tends to pool in your extremities after a vigorous workout, and steams, saunas, hot tubs and even hot showers tend to dilate your blood vessels making it more difficult for the blood to reach the heart and brain. Wait until your completely cooled down.

How do I know when I'm burning fat?

The most fat is burned when your body is exercising in its aerobic range. A good rule of thumb is that after 20 minutes in your aerobic zone, you will be burning more fat than carbs. Your muscles will continue to burn fat after both aerobic and anaerobic (muscle training) exercise.

Based on recent studies, in terms of absolute fat burning, a moderate intensity workout burns the most fat. At a heart rate equal to about 75% of max, fat burning will be between 0.5 grams - 1.0 grams of fat per minute for a 100 to 200 pound person respectively. Fat buring increases by roughly another 10% after one hour of continuous exercise.This is true for aerobic fit people. Less fit people will burn more sugar and less fat.

How many calories should I burn to loose weight?

For every pound you want to lose, you need to burn 3500 calories. A good goal is 1 pound per week. A realistic way is to chip away at that number every day. If you burn 500 more calories than you consume, you will drop 1 pound per week. A good plan is to make it to the gym as often as possible. On the days you work out, aim to burn 300-400 calories, and eat 100-200 calories less per day. On the days you can't make it to the gym, cut the 500 calories straight out of your diet.

How good are those gadgets advertised on TV?

Many of those gadgets wind up in the closet and in some cases, that's where they belong. There is no subsitute for weight training and aerobic exercise. In some cases these gadgets may target a specific muscle completely ignoring the supporting muscles leading to increased incidence of supporting muscle injury.

How do I determine my target heartrate?

The general formula for the average person is 220 - Age times the percentage intensity level. For example, a 20-year old would calculate their target zone using the above formula: 220-20=200. 200 x .60 = 120 and 200 x .80 = 160. Therefore, this person would keep their heartrate between 120 (low end) and 160 (high end) beats per minute.

What other methods are used for judging workout intensity?

The talk test is another measure of intensity. You should be able to talk without gasping for air while working at optimal intensity. If you cannot, you should reduce your intensity.

Do Crunches and Bun work slim those areas down?

There is no such thing as "spot reducing". Fat generally is used up in pretty much the reverse order it was first put on, (LIFO - Last In First Out). Aerobic exercise reduces body fat deposits as they are used for energy. Weight training increases the overall resting metabolism by 50 calories for each 1 pound of muscle added.

I've been doing sit-ups daily for months but still don't have a flat tummy. Whats up?

First, your form could be off. When doing crunches, tighten your abs lifting your shoulder approx one foot off the floor. Hold for two seconds then release. While doing the crunch try to imagine a string pulling your belly button to the floor and feel the contraction deep in your abdominal wall. Besides doing regular crunches, do oblique(twisting) crunches and reverse crunches to tighten the lower abs. But remember, no matter how many crunches you do, you will never SEE that 6-pack unless you have minimal fat all over which includes your abdomen. Try bumping up your cardio work for extra fat burning.

How can I increase intensity?

There are several ways to increase intensity. Increase your step height, use longer lever arms or add power moves (where both feet are in the air at the same time). If you are going to add power, don't exceed one minute at a time. All power moves should be done up onto the platform never down off the step. Power moves are considered advanced, and should not be attempted by beginners.

What is the best time of day to exercise?

The best time to work out is when you want to, so pick a time of day that feels comfortable. The morning (before you eat breakfast) is the best time for cardio work because your glycogen stores within the muscles and liver are at their lowest. This causes the body to look for other sources of energy, i.e., fat stores.

Why is warm-up an important part of aerobic activity?

A warm-up helps your body prepare itself for exercise and reduces the chance of injury. The warm-up should be a combination of rhythmic exercise to raise the heartrate, core body and muscle temperature, and static stretching through a full range of motion. The stretches in the warm-up should be non-ballistic and include all of the major muscle groups. A lower back stretch should be performed before doing any lateral movement of the upper torso such as side bends.

Why is cool-down an important part of aerobic activity?

After any aerobic activity, the blood is pooled in the extremities, and the heartrate is elevated. The purpose of the cool-down is to bring the heartrate down to near-resting level and to facilitate blood circulation back to the heart. Stopping abruptly could result in fainting or place undue stress on the heart. The cool-down should also include stretching to help relax the muscles and increase flexibility.

How fast can I safely lose weight?

Weight loss averages about 1 to 2 pounds a week. Initially, you may experience a weight loss during the first 1 to 3 weeks of more than 1 to 2 pounds per week due to a loss of water weight. Weight loss after the first 1 to 3 weeks will occur slower as fat is burned. After three months, less energy is required to do the same actions because the body becomes efficient at the task. The trick is to switch to something you're not accustomed or efficient at. A reasonable amount of weight that you can expect to lose would be:

First month:  5 - 10 pounds
Second month: 5 -  7 pounds
Third month:  5 -  8 pounds

Should I take a vitamin supplement even if I eat well?

Taking a multivitamin is a good idea no matter how healthy you think you are eating. A supplement can cover gaps in your nutrient intake that you may not even be aware of. For example, women on the pill are often low of vitamin B-12 which is used up as your body metabolizes the pill. Go for a standard multi-vitamin with minerals and check the label for "UPS" which means it will be absorbed during digestion.

Does your body burn off soups and shakes faster than solid food?

Nope. A calorie is a calorie is a calore. Because liquids take p more room in your stomach you may feel full faster. But they also have a low-saiety value which means you will also feel hungry again faster. When you go on a liquid diet plan, you take in more calories overall which is the only way to loose weight, but whatever weight you loose you will probably put back on when you start eating normally again.

I've heard that eating in the A.M. can keep cravings down all day. Is this true?

Absolutley! You may think that by skipping breakfast you are cutting out calories, but you are also more likely to binge eat later in the day on whatever food is available and you will end up taking in more calories than you would have if you just would of had a healthy breakfast. You also need to eat a little bit every couple hours to keep your body metabolisim up.

Are herbal weight loss teas safe for me to drink?

Diet teas often contain senna or cascara, which are herbal laxatives. This causes minor weight loss, but is mostly water weight. They can also cause abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea and nausea, how fun!

No matter how much water I drink, I'm still thirsty. Why?

Eating salty foods can increse thirst and drinking an excessive amount of caffienated beverages can cause dehydration. So cut down on these or drink more water. But if your downing the required 8, 8oz. glasses and still feel thirsty there may be cause for some concern. Unquenchable thirst are one of the symptoms of diabetes and some thyroid problems, so check with your doctor to rule this out.

Is it O.K. to work out if i'm sick?

If your symptoms are from the neck up (runny nose, sneezing), exercise probably won't make you sicker. But if your symptoms are from the neck down(muscle aches, fever) then give it a rest. Common colds which have the neck up symptoms are not dangerous, but since exercising can reduce your body's ability to fight back against certain viruses with below neck symptoms, it's best to give it a rest until you are symptom-free.

I Want to work out at home, but I don't have any equipment. Will I be able to accomplish anything?

Yes! Of course, it is always better to have access to quality cardio and resistance equipment. However, it depends upon your conditiong and goals. A lot can be done with no equipment, by using your own body weight as resistance or using househld items for weight (a gallon jug of water weight 7 lbs.!). Also there is excellent equipment available thru mail order or over the internet for a reasonable price. For personal traing sessions I will bring any necessary equipment for our workouts together.

I have done everything but still can't loose weight. Is there anything you can do for me?

Losing bodyfat is a result of a combination of diet and aerobic activity done on a consistent basis. When you think you are doing everything, one or more of the elements is not being carried out correctly or mabey not even at all! Together we will review your current regiment and refine and rework it to maximize weight loss and muscle gain.

I have been working out on my own for a long time but have stopped making any progress. How can you help me?

Most people who have been working out for a long period of time on their own eventually hit a plateau and stop making gains in muscle mass or losing body fat. You body has become accustomed to your workout. I will help you push yourself to greater heights in your workout and/or find new types of exercises to jumpstart your muscle gain/body fat loss goals.