July 13, 2006
by Josh Stone
DM, I have a question. I currently do cardio 3-4X/week using either a treadmill and a cross-trainer (them ski-like things that work the arms and the legs) and I find that the calorie counter shows that I burn more calories using the cross-trainer rather than the treadmill. I hear a lot of people who say that the treadmill is the best calorie burner. My trainer says that the cross-trainer is better as it works the upper and the lower body. In your opinion, who is right? Or could my technique be wrong?
~amirfuadh
Dear amirfuadh,
Good question. In fact, this is an issue I’ve always wanted to address. Honestly, if you ask me - DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE CALORIE COUNTER TELLS YOU. It is not 100% accurate as there is no way that lifeless machine is able to predict your BMI (Body Mass Index), fitness level, body composition (percentage of fat/muscle), metabolism - all key factors that determine how many calories you burn for any given exercise/time period.
Even if the machine allows you to key in your own bodyweight, it will not be able to differentiate you from a similar weighted chimpanzee. In one of the gyms I’ve been to, they have a row of steppers - some are brand new and some are from a previous batch, and though I know I’m getting a killer cardio workout from the newer ones… (I gasp for breath and sweat way more) they STILL always give a much lower ‘calorie consumed’ reading when compared to the older ones, which are so much more ‘confortable’ to use and exercise with. Something’s definitely not wrong here. The machines probably need calibration, etc… but I hope you get my point.
As for which machine burns more calories.. the crosstrainer or the treadmill - well, the answer is not that straightforward. For example, if you’re running at top speed and top intensity on the treadmill.. you’re definitely going to exceed the calories the crosstrainer can ever burn (how fast can you really go on a crosstrainer?). So, exercise INTENSITY plays a role.
Ok, now lets assume that if your intensity level is exactly the same on both machines (which is also difficult to establish since they’re both different), but for the sake of this example, let’s assume the intensity is the same. Then, I too, would certainly say that the crosstrainer would ultimately burn more calories.. why? For the same reason your trainer mentioned - simply because you’re utilising both your upper body and lower body muscles.
Don’t get me wrong - The treadmill is indeed an excellent calorie burner, suitable for people from all fitness levels. You can walk, brisk-walk, run, sprint - the possibilities are endless. But for it to be the ‘best calorie burner’ - you need to bump up your intensity. In fact, I too would like to say that it is INDEED the best calorie burner - BUT, walking and brisk walking on the ‘best calorie burner’ isnt gonna give you what you’re thinking. Provided you’re intense enough on the treadmill, only then will it be the best calorie burner. You reap what you sow, and there’s no easy way out. Hope I’ve cleared your doubts.
Run for your life.
Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author’s personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.
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July 12, 2006
by Jim O’Neill
As everyone knows, exercise is good for you. It helps to keep your weight down, helps to keep you toned up, and helps to make you feel good. So then, if getting a little exercise is good for you, then it must be better to get even more and if getting more indeed is better, then it stands to reason that getting a lot would be even better. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? However, this is not always the case.
When you exercise with fairly high intensity, and you exercise that way often, there will come a time at some point when your body will begin to slowly start to shut down. People will get to this point at different times, depending on their fitness levels and exercise intensity and frequency. If after exercise you tend to feel more wore out than worked out, you may already be a victim of overtraining.
There are some signs that your body will give you both physically and mentally that will let you know that you are overtraining. It is wise to recognize these signs and act accordingly, before the problem gets to the point of causing you possible serious injury. Some of the major signs to be aware of are:
Decreased performance
Lack of motivation
Poor coordination
Loss of appetite
Chronic muscle soreness
Chronic stiffness at the joints
Chronic headaches
Longer recovery times
Loss of concentration
Reduced self esteem
Depression
You need to understand that whatever your exercise goals are, your body needs ample time to recover and adjust to the demanding loads you placed on it. Sometimes people who are newcomers to the world of exercise will try to do too much too soon, and may ignore their body when it’s trying to tell them to take a break.
In the case of some who have been into exercise for a while, they will often view these signs as an obstacle and feel the best way to deal with it is to "work through it" or "tough it out". For some others, the problems causing them to overtrain may be more psychological. Excessive exercise is now recognized as a legitimate problem, much like anorexia nervosa or bulimia.
For most, the solution to the problem is simply to exercise in moderation or cut back on the intensity from time to time. Use periodization in your routines. When you feel the signs of overtraining coming on, reduce the intensity of your workouts for a while. When you are ready to increase the intensity again (your body will let you know), then gradually start to pick it up again.
Know your limitations, and never try to compare yourself to anyone else as this is asking for problems. There are some times when you should even just take a whole week completely off and do no exercise at all. This is like taking a vacation from work, it gives you body and your mind a chance to relax and rejuvenate so you can start again a week later nice and fresh.
Remember, if you exercise to the point of overtraining it is almost as bad as not exercising at all. Overtraining will only impede your progress, not help it and in the long run, if you let yourself overtrain, you may be headed for some very unwanted side effects.
Jim O’Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com/minicourse.php
July 9, 2006
by Chris Chew
Want to know how to reduce weight fast and lose that weight forever? Here are the Ten Commandments you need to do to reduce weight and keep body fat away permanently.
1) Cardio Exercises ñ Do your cardio exercises frequently. These can be any exercises that work up your heart rate to the extent that you are huffing and puffing for at least 20 ñ 30 minutes. Do your cardio exercises 5-6 times a week if you want to reduce weight or 2-3 times a week for weight maintenance.
2) Build Muscles ñ Muscles burn calories even when you are not doing anything but resting. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn a day and in the course of over a period of time, the calories you burnt will add up very substantially. Building muscle mass is one sure way of losing body fat forever.
3) Eat Carbs Early ñ Take your meals with carbs earlier in the day and cut down on carbs on later meals. This is to prevent unused carbs from turning into body fat when you sleep and to regulate insulin level.
4) Donít be too afraid of fats ñ The fats in your diet that are bad for you are saturated and trans fat. So replace these bad fats with unsaturated fat and essential fatty acids (EFAs) and these good fats will keep your body fat and fat related diseases down. But do take your fats in moderation as after all, they are still calorie laden.
5) Complex Carbs ñ Choose your carbs. Avoid starchy and refined carbs such as pasta, pizza, white rice and white bread. Replace them with brown rice, brown bread and high fiber carbs like green leafy vegetables.
6) Food Portion ñ Decide how much you want to eat at each meal and then keep to it and do not eat anymore when that portion is consumed. Eat slowly to let your body signal to your brain that you are full. This usually takes about 20 minutes. Extra food means extra and calories mean extra body fat if the food is not converted to energy.
7) Avoid Canned Or Boxed Food ñ These food are usually high in trans fat, sodium, sugar and simple carbs all of which will help you to gain weight and body fat.
8) Eat Often ñ By eating often, say at every 3 hourly intervals, your body will think that food is abundant and therefore less likely to store body fat for emergency such as a famine. But do bear in mind to keep the portion small so as not to consume more calories than you expand.
9) Get 8 Hours Sleep ñ Research after research has shown that people with less sleep are more prone to being fat.
10) Do Not Skip Meals ñ Skipping meals will slow your metabolism and forcing your body to use your muscles for energy instead of your body fat. This is a vicious cycle, the less muscle you have, the more your metabolism slows down.
There you are. By committing to these 10 commandments, not only will you reduce weight but will lose your body fat forever.
About The Author
Chris Chew is a personal trainer of actors, male pageant winners and top models. Read more of his fitness tips at http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com.
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