FACTS/MYTHS

Q: Will i get "bulky" lifting heavy weight?
A: No you will not! Common question all women fear.. "Will i be asked for tickets to the gun show??" LOL!. The more muscle you have on your body the leaner you're going to look, muscle is dense; but takes up less space. Muscle requires more energy; it will burn fat off your body like a blowtorch! Add more muscle to your frame it will increase your basal metabolic rate, prevent osteoporosis, raises your energy levels, and decrease your body fat percentage.  “Now Go Pump Some Iron!”

Q: I'm doing 60 minutes of cardio a day and eating 1000 calories a day and I'm not losing weight... what am I doing wrong?
A: Everything! You don't need to bust your butt doing endless amounts of cardio. That should be the last on your weight loss list. Eat.. lift heavy.. and some cardio. Now the eating.. at 1000 calories a day your body is starving and saying "feed me". If there isn’t enough calories (energy) being consumed your body is being forced to store fat! It’s preparing itself for survival.  In the meantime; you’re slowing down your metabolism, storing fat instead of losing fat, not happy because you’re not eating, have no energy, and going to end up binging and adding on more weight than what you started off with wanting to lose. So now you are just setting yourself up for a BIG disaster!


Q: I am working out, eating less, but not losing any weight! My friend can eat and eat and not gain a pound, she workouts out 3 days a week and I but my butt 7 days a week. What am I doing wrong?
A: You could be working out too much and eating too little... Your BMI, which is your basal metabolic rate. There are several factors which determine your BMI. Genes play a big role some people have faster metabolism's than others. Did you ever see a person who can eat anything they desire and not gain a pound? Sound like your friend?

Age, as you age your calories decrease. On a average your BMI drops 2 percent a decade. Crazy isn't it? But you can prevent that…..

Muscle to fat ratio, or lean mass versus body fat. Your muscle cells are about 8 times more metabolically demanding than fat cells. So if you have more lean mass than body fat the metabolism will move at a faster rate.

Your activity level; exercise burns calories even after you stop exercising the effects is continuous. So workout on a regular basis and you will increase your metabolism. Build more muscle and decrease body fat.

And of course and lastly; how you eat. Your metabolism increases during food digestion. Which is also known as the thermal effect on food. So the longer you go without food, 3-4 hours your body thinks there is a food shortage so it's going to start storing fat for fuel. This will slow down your metabolism. So eating every 3-4 from the time you wake until the time you go to bed will increase your metabolism. So if you're not eating consistently, digesting your food properly or not strength training to build muscle. Your metabolism will be slower than your friends. Follow a sensible diet, eat every 3-4 hours, drink lots of water, strength train 3-4 days a week, do some cardio, and you will drop body fat in no time!

Q: I want abs! I'm doing crunches everyday and using every ab machine in the gym and they're still not there. I still have a belly!
A: Don't believe everything you hear and see on infomercials...7 minute abs, Ab roller, Ab lounge, Ab this and Ab that! Yes each of those devises or videos will "help strengthen the muscles around your midsection and improve your posture," but being able to "see" your abdominal muscles has to do with your overall percentage of body fat. If you don't lose the belly fat, you will not see your abdominal muscles. Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym...that's my philosophy. Keep your diet clean, eat small frequent meals, drink plenty of water, weight train, throw in some cardio, and get plenty of rest and you're on your way to 6 pack abs!


Q: When I workout some days I don't even sweat. Does that mean I'm not really working out?
A: NO, even though you're not sweating you're still performing an activity so you're working out. Sweating is not necessarily an indicator of exertion. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself. It’s possible to burn a significant number of calories without breaking a sweat.


Q: I was in a slump and didn't workout for 6 months, I gained 12 lbs and want to lose it fast. Is it OK if I go back to my old routine right from the start?
A: One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make when starting or returning to an exercise program is doing too much too soon. The reason we do that, is because we feel OK while we are working out You don't really feel the overdoing it part until a day or two later. No matter how good you feel when you return to an activity after an absence, you should never try to duplicate how much or how hard you worked in the past. Even if you don't feel it at the moment, you'll feel it in time, and it could take you back out of the game again, by causing an injury. So start back up slow and work your way up.


Q: When it comes to working out, you've got to feel some pain if you're going to gain any benefits.
A: Of all the fitness rumors ever to have surfaced, experts agree that the "no pain-no gain" holds the most potential for harm. While you should expect to have some degree of soreness a day or two after working out, that's very different from feeling pain while you are working out. A fitness activity should not hurt while you are doing it, and if it does, then either you are doing it wrong, or you already have an injury. As for "working through the pain," I don't advise it. If it hurts, stop, rest, and see if the pain goes away. If it doesn't go away, or if it begins again or increases after you start to work out, you should see a doctor.