Cardio Training

Robin has left a new comment on your post "Burn More Fat When You
Workout" Mark's original post was on July 12, 2007:

Okay -- I'm way frustrated and a little confused. Help! I'm 45 and
started at the gym (5 days a week) about four weeks ago. I've been
eating way healthier for about 6 weeks now, and have lost about 23
pounds.

BUT here's my dilemma. When I go to the gym and really work out
(1 hour+ on weights, really pushing myself, and often an hour of cardio
via intense raquetball) I DO NOT lose a pound and often gain a little.
So -- I stay home and don't exercise and I lose about a half pound a
day or I go to the gym, work my butt off and gain a half pound a day.

What gives? My diet is totally under control (that's easy for me), and
the mysterious factor here seems to be hitting the gym so hard and
gaining weight. Can you help enlighten me?? Anyone???

Posted by Robin to My Fitness Hut Blog at August 23, 2007 8:33 AM

Mark's Response To Robin:

Robin there could be several reasons for your slower decrease in weight loss:

1) Your body might have reached a plateau. Weight often comes off easily at the beginning of a workout program. But then your body adapts to your workouts. When this happens, you need to vary your workout routines and intensity. Do different lifts for the different body parts, such as substituting bench presses with stability ball dumbbell presses or doing step-ups and lunges instead of leg presses and squats.

A shorter, more intense 30 minute full-body circuit weight workout will work better than a 1 hour weight workout when you are trying to lose body fat and weight. A circuit workout is one in which you do one exercise after the other with little or no rest between exercises. Also, change up your cardio routines such as rotating treadmill, bike, elliptical, stair-stepper and swimming.

2) It is more important to lose body fat and lose inches than it is to lose weight. Have your body fat percentage checked and your circumference measurements done by a trainer to see how much fat and inches you have lost. Muscle weighs more than fat, so your body could be shrinking. Don't worry, the weight loss will take care of itself.

3) Longer workouts are not always better. You could be over-training. Actually, shorter more intense workouts burn more fat. An intense 20 minute cardio session at 75%-85% maximum heartrate will give you more health and cardio benefits than a 1 hour cardio session at 65% maximum heartrate.

4) You need to know your basal metabolic rate-BMR (how many calories your body would burn each day if you did nothing). Base your daily caloric intake on your BMR and activity level. You will gain weight even on the days you work out really hard if you take in more calories than you burn.

The important thing here is that it appears you have made a lifestyle change----which means you have committed to exercise and eat nutritiously for the rest of your life. When you do that, you will win the fitness war even if you lose a few battles along the way. Keep exercising and eating healthy and your heart, mind and body will thank you!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

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