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FIT FACTS
Fit facts is a compilation of facts you need to know in order to progress through your journey towards a more fit and healthy lifestyle. Exercise is important to reach your goals, but about 75% of the total program results will be your ability to master the nutritional needs that your body requires to make the changes you wish. These facts will be here in this section permanently, so you can refer back to them as you move forward with your program. You need to gain the knowledge concerning exercise and nutrition in order to be successful with your program and this section will provide that knowledge for you.
OVERALL FITNESS
When you exercise, your body needs fuel for energy and recovery. Not supplying your body with the necessary nutrients can sabotage your fitness goals. Your initial goal should be to maintain a healthy weight, tone your muscles and feel better overall on a daily basis. Regardless of what you have read in popular literature, there is no magic weight loss formula. In simple terms, to lose weight, you must expend more energy (calories) than you consume. Much data confirms that the safest and most effective way to accomplish weight control is to combine sensible eating habits with a program of sound exercise that includes aerobic (cardio) and weight training.
COMMON MYTHS
The relationship between weight control and exercise is often mired in a vast amount of misinformation. Finding out how and why exercise may impact weight control efforts can involve working through many layers of myths, misconceptions and just plain untruths. If you are not careful, this misinformation can lead you to some unhealthy practices and unrealistic expectations. Lets look at some common myths being bantered around these days.
- MYTHS...Aerobic exercise is the only type of exercise you need to effectively control your weight.
FACT...Taking a look at available data strongly suggest that, in general, combining a conventional aerobic exercise program with a calorie restricted diet does little (if anything) to help you preserve lean body mass
during your weight reduction efforts. It is important to understand that the lower your lean body mass is, the lower your resting metabolic rate (the calories expended by the body to maintain life and normal bodily functions such as respiration and circulation) will be. As a result, it is more likely that you will regain some or all of the weight you lost. In contrast, if you engage in an exercise program that is designed to improve your level of muscular fitness and weight essence, the optimal exercise program for sound weight management is one that combines aerobic conditioning and strength training. Such a program will allow you to expend relatively large amounts of calories, while simultaneously preserving or increasing your level of lean body mass.
- MYTH...Aerobic exercise causes your resting metabolic rate to stay elevated for an extended period of time after a workout.
FACT...In general, the available scientific data suggests that the amount of energy expended after an aerobic workout tends to be very small. The number of calories burned during your recovery depends on the intensity and duration of your workout. After exercise of unusual intensity and duration, your metabolic rate may remain elevated for as long as 24 hours...but at a point that is just barely above your resting metabolic baseline level. In general, approximately 15 extra calories are burned during recovery for every 100 calories during your exercise routine.
- MYTH....You can burn fat from specific areas of the body by exercising those areas.
FACT...Contrary to what someone may want you to believe, the phenomenon of "spot reduction" has no factual basis. When you exercise, you utilize energy produced by metabolizing fat from all the regions of your body, not just the specific muscles involved in the exercise. Doing sit-ups for example, will not trim the fat off of your abdominal areas any more rapidly than off your buttocks or thighs. The exercise may firm up the area but not make it disappear.
- MYTH...Losing weight is extremely difficult.
FACT...Statistics indicate that in any given time period, approximately one-quarter of all men and one-half of all women in the United States are dieting to lose weight. For most of these people, losing weight is not the problem. Losing weight, for most people, is relatively easy...keeping it off is the ever present challenge. Estimates indicate that 75% to 90% of all dieters who lose weight can expect to regain all of the weight they lost within one to three years of completing the diet. This tendency to regain the weight among dieters is not only demoralizing, but it can also be very hazardous to their health (weight cycling has been associated with increased risk of heart and gallbladder disease). Thus, your weight control efforts should not only include a sensible plan for getting those pounds off, but for keeping them off.
EXERCISE FUNDAMENTALS
GRIP...There are three basic types of grips:
1) Supinated grip...palms up
2) Pronated grip.. palms down
3) Neutral grip... which is midway between the other two and looks like you are shaking hands.
There ae several less common grips, but these are the primary ones.
BREATHING
Breathing plays an important role not only in exercise, but also in relaxation. When your respiratory muscles are strong, you are capable of taking in and processing more air per breath...as a result you can get greater amounts of oxygen, which the body needs not only for the production of energy, but to help i yur recovery.
Generally, when you perform an exercise in strength training you should exhale as you contract the muscle ( concentric movement) and inhale during the eccentric movement (easy part of the motion).
WARM UP
In our exercise section, I have a good article on warm ups that you should read. Basically, recent studies have shown that static stretches before your workout routine just "dumb-downs" your central nervous and neuro-muscular systems. Static stretches are just standing there and stretching your muscles. These reports show that what is needed for a pre- workout is a dynamic warm up. Witha dynamic warm up, you get the blood flowingto the muscles and the heart rate elevated. These dynamic moves can be light aerobic activity and movement that gets the heart pumping blood more quickly... example: swinging of the arms and legs, jumps, body weight squats, etc.
Save the static stretching for after your workout, when muscles are warmed up and elastic in nature.
COOL DOWN
Agfter the end of each exercise session, it is highly recommended that you cool down for 5-10 minutes. It is especially important after high-intensity exercise of an anaerobic componaent such as very high resistance training. Anaerobic exercise results in lactic acid accumilation in the blood stream and muscles. A cool down period comprosed of light aerobic activity will help remove the lactic acid. Also, subsequent to a cool down period, the muscle soreness that usually follows heavy exercise is minimized or eliminated ( this soreness was once thought to be caused by the lactic acid build up, but has since been caused by micro-trauma athe cellular level)
THE FIVE RULES OF PERFORMANCE NUTRITION
RULE ONE... Always eat at least 5 times per day. Two or three meals are simply not enough. It is OK to regard two of these meals as "snacks", provided they contain sufficient calories to get you to your next meal and they are comprised of the appropriate ratio of macronutrients as described in RULE TWO. Your blood sugar and insulin levels will be controlled ( thus your energy level), you will get protein in small amounts throughout the day to support growth and recovery and ( most important) body fat will not be stored, but instead mobilized as an energy source. By providing your body with a consistent and frequent supply of just the right number of calories, its need to store fat is reduced. Conversely, when you eat INFREQUENTLY, your body recognizes a "famine" situation and your entire endocrine system ( powerful hormones produced inside your body that control how you grow, recover and produce energy ) is thrown for a loop. Then to much of the food you take in is stored as body fat in preperation for the "famine" to come.
RULE TWO... In planning each of your daily meals ( or snacks ), a caloric ratio of 1 part fat, 2 parts protein and 3 parts carbohydrates is a good place to begin. However, as you will see in RULE THREE, this is merely an estimate for average people. Depending on the intensity of your workout and training protocol, you may need more or less carbs for energy. Fat is essential for maintaining good health and it is needed to manufacture many important hormones in your body, so do not attempt to eliminate all fat from your diet. Just try to ensure that saturated fat ( from animal sources) is kept low and that the unsaturated fats ( canola or olive oil ) predominate. Also, you must take in enough protein to support growth and recovery and consume carbs for energy. For the most part, choose low-glycemic carbs, which are converted to blood sugar slowly so you can control your insulin levels ( see glycemic index of popular foods in our nurtition section ).
Remember, carbs are your body's preferred energy fuel source, although fats work well too, particularly during aerobic training ( provided the ratio of fats, protein, carbs is kept within the recommended "zone"). Remember that protein and carbs both have 4 calories per gram , while fat has 9 calories per gram.
RULE THREE... When you sit down to eat, ask yourself, "what am I going to be doing for the next three hours of my life?" If you nap... eat fewer carb foods...if you plan to workout... eat more carbs. In other words, adjust your carbs up or down depending upon anticipated energy output. Remember, your pre-workout carbs should be low- glycemic.
RULE FOUR... You cannot lose fat quickly and efficiently unless you are in a negative caloric balance...taking in fewer calories than you are burning. Neither can you gain muscle tissue quickly and efficiently unless you are in a positive caloric balance...taking in more calories than you need to maintain your current weight. So, how can you gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time? This is easily explained. Clearly, you cannot gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, so you must alternate periods of negative caloric balance with periods of positive caloric balance. It does not matter if you are trying to lose total body weight or gain weight. This alteration will 1) readjust your BMR (basal metabolic rate) upward, making it easier to keep fat off and 2) support recovery and lean tissue building through insulin and glucagon control.
RULE FIVE... It is impossible to get all the nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and active from food alone, particularly if you are on a diet. Therefore, it is important to supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals and other carefully selected substances to ensure maximum progress towards your fitness, health, muscle-building and fat-loss goals.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
* ELIMINATE JUNK FOODS... Most fast foods, along with most pastries and procesed foods, contain high amounts of fat, sodium and sugar ( usually simple sugars ). None of these qualities is beneficial to anyone. Consuming these foods does little for your energy, except promote a rise and then subsequent drop in your blood sugar levels.
* DRINK 8-10 GLASSES OF WATER PER DAY... This will ensure you are replacing fluids lost during exercise. You need not wait until you feel thirsty. By then you are dehydrated. Drink these glasses of water throughout the day.
*DETERMINE YOUR DAILY PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS... As you already know, small amounts of protein should be available to your muscle tissue throughout the day for optimum growth and recovery. Proteins that include the essential amino acids ( those that your body does not manufacture ), are of upmost importance. Protein powder provides a great means of obtaining additional quality protein.
* TAKE IN HIGH-FIBER FOODS... Not only does a fiber- rich diet help reduce cholesterol, it also lowers the glycemic response of your meals and promotes efficient digestion.
* INCREASE YOUR LEAN BODY WEIGHT THROUGH RESISTANCE TRAINING... The more lean weight you have, the more efficient your body moves. Your bones become denser and your muscles, tendons and ligaments strengthen. The great side effect is that it is easier to avoid gaining excess body fat. Remember, larger muscles burn more calories than smaller muscles do. |
