I’m still taking it easy this week to recover from surgery. While I’m away, some of my fellow bloggers are helping me keep things going over here. (Thank you!)

Today’s post comes from Lisa from Workout Mommy. Check out her blog when you get a chance — she’ll keep you motivated and inspire you to keep going with your workouts.

Almost all of my female training clients used to tell me they didn’t want to lift weights because they were worried they would get too big and “bulk” up like a man. This is not possible!

Here are some of the common myths about women and strength training and the reality behind them.

Myth #1: Strength Training using weights is bulking me up!
Reality: This is the most common misconception that women have when it comes to strength training. Bulking up your muscle requires high levels of testosterone and, therefore, women are not hormonally able to build as much muscle as men. The reality is that muscle takes up less space than fat, so you may not notice a huge weight loss, but you will lose inches when keeping a consistent strength training routine.

Myth #2: Women need different strength training exercises than men
Reality: Men and women have the same muscles and therefore need to do the same exercises. You might see men at the gym doing different variations of exercises, but this doesn’t mean you can’t do them either! There is no exercise that is gender specific, so get out there and start lifting!

Myth #3: All exercises serve the same purpose.
Reality: There are different types of exercises which use different techniques, such as sport specific exercises, rehabilitative, strength training, power lifting, and athletic training exercises. Each type of exercise will have a different program design and use a different technique.

Myth #4: To tone my muscles I should use lighter weights and do more reps.
Reality: Using lighter weights for higher reps will help you increase muscular endurance but that lean, defined look comes from losing body fat. You need to choose a weight that will challenge you and allow you to do no more than 15 reps. Ideally, you should only be able to complete 8-10 reps with good form. If that is too easy, try a heavier weight and start from there.

Myth #5: Strength training will get rid of the cellulite on my legs and give me 6 pack abs in only 8 weeks!
Reality: Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction. Only aerobic exercise can burn fat. Combine regular cardio activity with consistent strength training and you will burn fat while increasing your lean muscle mass. This will turn your body into a calorie burning machine all day long. Eventually those 6 pack abs will shine through, but there is no quick fix!

Myth #6: I’m too old or too overweight to start strength training.
Reality: No one is too old to strength train! In fact, research has shown that even seniors in their nineties can and do make strength gains. Researchers have discovered that we start to lose about 3-5% of our muscle mass after the age of 40, so it is crucial that everyone, especially seniors, have some kind of safe strength training routine.

Myth #7: My muscle will turn to fat when I stop exercising!
Reality: Muscle and fat are two different metabolic tissues meaning it is not possible for one to turn into the other. With the loss of muscle comes a commensurate drop in metabolism. The body then begins to store more excess calories which will result in an increase in fat.

So, now that you know the reality, it is time to start pumping some iron! No more excuses.

Need some help getting started? Check out this FatFighterTV video about how to add weights to your workout.

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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Want to feel better as you get older? Maybe even younger? A new report from the Mayo Clinic Health Letter says a regular dose of five areas of fitness can help ward off the stiffness, aches, and pains of aging.

The study says it’s a good idea to include these five types of activity in your exercise routine to offset the effects of aging:

• Aerobic exercise – any type of movement that gets your heart rate up and gets you breathing harder. The reports says a good start is to workout for 30 to 60 minutes three times a week, then work up to five days a week.

• Strengthening exercises - things like lifting weights or doing push-ups are important to keeping your muscle mass and strength. The report suggests strength training two or three times a week for about 20 minutes a session.

• Stretching – fit it in to help you become more flexible.

• Balance exercises – these will help you become better coordinated and lower your risk of injury.

• Core training – exercises that focus on the muscles of your trunk and torso will help stabilize the rest of your body. Remember, a strong core is an important foundation to have for all activities.

Do you do all 5 types of fitness?

I definitely need to do more balance exercises. I’m naturally klutzy – it’s part of my charm

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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Obesity rates are staggering in this country. About 30 years ago, eight-percent of young adults (aged 18-29) in the U.S. were obese. Now it’s three times as high – 24-percent. That’s the latest from a new report just out from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Rates up in school-age kids, too

The report also shows the prevalence of overweight went up in school-age children between 1988–1994 and 2005–2006:

• Among 6–11 year-olds, from 11 percent to 15 percent

• Among 12–19 years-olds, from 11 percent to 18 percent

Glimmer of hope?

Obesity rates do not seem to be increasing as quickly as they did in past decades. But they are still high – over one-third of adults age 20 and over were considered obese in 2005–2006.

What about exercise?

In 2005-2006, one-third of adults age 18 years and over exercised regularly. About one-fifth did strength training.

What to do?

Talking to your kids about their weight can be a touchy subject, but with stats like these, it’s critical to do so to help keep them from serious illnesses that can come with obesity like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. I talked to two experts about what to say… and what not to say. I learned a lot from these interviews and hope they help you, too.

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Meet: Ali Vincent (Winner of The Biggest Loser, Season 5)

Age: 33

Occupation: Weight Loss Spokesperson

Location: Arizona

Pounds Lost: 112

Ali’s energy is contagious! She had me ready to hit the gym right after we talked. Don’t miss FFTV’s interview with Ali. Find out what she has to say about how those pounds kept piling on, how tough it was to shed 112 pounds on The Biggest Loser, and what it’s like keeping that weight off in the real world. Here’s your Weight Loss WooHoo! Ali – Just FatFighterTV’s fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

How long she has kept off the weight: 6 months

Weekly workouts:
“I try to workout a minimum of five days a week, but I will usually do something active on that 6th day like dancing or swimming or go on a hike, whatever. I try to do at least an hour of cardio and an hour of some type of strength training. I try to. But sometimes life happens.”

Diet Philosophy:
“If I can’t taste it, I’m not going to waste it. What I mean by that is – if the cheese is just one of many things in my sandwich, then I’m not going to have the cheese. I’m not going to waste those 70 calories.”

“I eat whatever I want – I just budget it. I account for it. I do eat really bad things, but when I eat that really bad thing, I know how many calories are in it and I make sure that I burn that in addition to my normal workout.”

Weakness:
“I am a sugar girl. I never was a big candy and ice cream person, but now I am.”

Ali’s Weight Loss Tips:
“Start. Just start. Do something different today than you did yesterday that is in regards to it – if you want to start in your diet realm, then start food journaling. I’m not even telling you to change your diet. But start writing it down and start figuring out how many calories it is so you can just acknowledge how many calories you’re eating. You’ve gotta know where you are. You’ve gotta know where Point A is before you get to Point B.”

Ali’s Weight Loss WooHoo!:
“It feels so good to be healthy. I’m just flat-out excited to be alive!”

Want to see who else got a Weight Loss WooHoo!? Check out the Wall of Fame!

If you know of someone who deserves this honor, just let me know – send me an email at sahar [at] fatfightertv [dot] com

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The Facts:

Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories—even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not “bulk you up.” Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.

Tip:
In addition to doing at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (like walking 2 miles in 30 minutes) on most days of the week, try to do strengthening activities 2 to 3 days a week. You can lift weights, use large rubber bands (resistance bands), do push-ups or sit-ups, or do household or garden tasks that make you lift or dig.

SOURCE: The Weight-control Information Network (WIN)

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When it comes to exercise, I like to try new things and mix it up so I don’t get bored. And as the new year gets underway, it looks like there will be plenty of interesting choices to get us all moving. From Latin dancing to water aerobics, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) predicts 2008 will be filled with fitness that focuses on fun.

Here is ACE’s list of the top 10 fitness trends for 2008:

1. Out of the Box Workouts – Gyms are not for everyone. The popularity of TV shows like Dancing With The Stars has dance studios popping up across the country. Hip hop, ballroom, Latin and country line dancing combine high energy music with unique moves that let you get your groove on as you get fit. Outdoor boot camps are also getting more popular. And local boxing clubs have classes filled with people of all ages. These fun activities can make you forget you are really exercising.

2. Body Weight and Equipment-Free Workouts – Equipment can intimidate some people. Others want to add options and flexibility to their workouts. These full-body exercises focus on movement patterns, repetitions, and Plyometrics to target multiple muscle groups. They are perfect for traveling – you don’t need any equipment so you can do them anywhere.

3. Event or Sports-Specific Programming – Millions of Americans participate in charity runs and walks every year, and even train for months to get ready. For many people it is a great social event and a chance to help their favorite charity. Health clubs are offering training for surfboarding, golf, football, etc. and at the same time helping members build the strength, endurance, and stamina they need for real-life activities and sports.

4. Boomer Fitness Focus – The 50+ age group is redefining our expectations about age, vitality, and the importance of physical activity as we get older. For the aging population, regular exercise is critical in keeping the body limber, injury-free, and more youthful. The nonprofit group, AARP, launched a major fitness initiative in September of 2007 aimed at providing a wide range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members.

5. Focused Express Workouts– These are group classes lasting 30 minutes or less that focus on one element of fitness or training a specific part of the body – for example, core training, upper-body strength, balance and agility, aerobics/fat burning. You can target a specific goal with little time commitment. Many gyms piggy-back these classes so you can go to two in a row.

6. Total Wellness Programming – More and more people will focus on injury and disease prevention and understanding how food, exercise, weight and a healthier mindset must interact for the body to have balance and total wellness. Maintaining a healthy mind and body from the inside with less focus on physical appearance is steadily becoming a new ideal.

7. Hybrid Programming – Fusion of mind-body techniques like breath work and meditation into traditional exercise continues to be popular. Workouts like Spin-Yoga and Pilates Fusion combine strength, flexibility and endurance – an all-in-one exercise experience.

8. Personal Training – 93% of ACE fitness professionals surveyed say personal training will be more accessible in 2008. Consumers are demanding competent personal trainers to offer them expert guidance and motivation. Many clients view it as a wise investment in their long-term health.

9. Technology-Based Workouts – Consumers are downloading exercise programs that feature illustrations and/or video to their iPods, PDAs etc. And advances in technology makes it possible to more precisely measure your performance and keep track of your results. This helps improve weight management.

10. Functional Strength Training – Whether it’s walking, hiking or lifting weights, you need functional strength. More people will be looking for workout programs to help improve their endurance, balance, and coordination. This will in turn help them more safely and effectively perform their daily living activities, work-related tasks, and recreational or sports-specific exercises. Health clubs and trainers offer functional training programs and classes for virtually all levels and types of participants.

I definitely like the focus on fun in the 2008 predictions. Sounds like my kind of workout!

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