Is it possible to do too much cardio?
Yes, it is possible, but it is different for each person, and there are a lot of factors including, intesity, fitness levels, how much activity you do each day, how much you eat, your goals, etc. It is safe to say anywhere from 30-90 minutes is safe for most people, as long as you are not at 90% of your max the entire time and you are eating enough carbs to replace your fuel you are burning.
It is important to remember your body perceives exercise as a stressor and chemically reacts the same way it does to “bad” stress, therefore too much can have a negative effect on your metabolism and can result in muscle loss, WHICH YOU DO NOT WANT!
Exercise can be addicting so make sure you take at least 1 day off from cardio during the week, just for a mental health day.
Is it good to exercise if you have a cold?
Real good question, our answer is to listen to your body. If the cold is in your head, low intensity exercise may help a little bit with clearing you up, but if it is in your chest we would suggest refraining from activity until it clears up. If you are feeling sluggish and the workout is not going good, STOP, and wait until you are 100% again because this exercising may keep the cold around longer then it should be.
Do lower-intesity “fat burning” workouts really burn more fat?
Don’t get confused by this, the “fat burning zone” can be taken out of context. It is true that higher intesity exercise uses more glucose and glycogen in proportion to fat, but remember that “high intesity” means you can only do it for a couple minutes before becoming exhausted (called anaerobic). It is also true that low intesity exercise uses more fat as fuel, but moderate cardio exercise that you can do for 20+ minutes (called aerobic activity) will burn both fat and glucose, resulting in WAY MORE calories burnt. Just make sure you are always training in your aerobic zone, which is 60-80% of your max heart rate and not only will you burn the most calories and lose the correct type of weight, but your heart, cholesterol levels and blood pressure will benefit as well.
Does exercising on a empty stomach burn more fat?
We never advise anyone to exercise on empty, but each person is different. We suggest getting something in your body around 2 hrs prior to working out, however like we just said, everyone is different.
Now to answer the question about fat, it is true that your body will tap in to fat stores right away on an empty stomach, but if your body is not sufficiently fueled it will not function properly, your workout will struggle, resulting in a less productive workout, and you may leave yourself open to injury. If your body is constantly not properly fueled then it will not burn fat efficiently and sometimes not at all because it holds on to the fat for its own protection. A safe rule of thumb is to remember, you want to get the most out of your workout, which means burning the most calories and performing at your highest level, and without any fuel in your tank this is impossible. Can your car run properly with an empty tank of gas…….(even though with these gas prices, we all may be pushing it sometimes).
Is it true that lifting weights cause women to bulk up?
One of the most common questions, so here is the scientific answer; while on a weight lifting program the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower then men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits, strength training will help women slim down too! Women, in fact, are more likely to tone up from strength training rather than bulk up. Research shows that women can add up to 30% lean muscle and end up looking thinner, feeling stronger and being firmer. Our society seems to associate weight training with oversize muscles but that is just one avenue, which is extremely difficult for most people to achieve (including men). Because of this perception women have unfortunately shied away from the weight training increasing their risk of osteoporosis later in life, as well as a reduction in muscle mass of about 2-5% per year, decreasing their overall metabolisms.
What should I do first, cardio or weight training?
Whichever is more important to your workout that day: aerobic activity or strength training. If your goal that day is to really burn a lot of calories then do the cardio first and weights second, but if you are trying to build more muscle that day then do the strength training first. Whichever you want to focus on more determines the answer, since you will have the most energy in the beginning of your workout then do your primary part first. Something to consider and it is what we like to do is change it up so the body doesn’t get used to doing the same thing over and over again resulting in plateaus.
I want to lose weight in my stomach, what should I do? I have been doing45 minutes of core a couple days a week!
If you can grasp this concept you will save yourself a great deal of time and energy, THERE IS NO WAY TO TARGET WEIGHT LOSS TO A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE BODY BECAUSE YOUR BODY DECIDES WHERE IT WANTS TO PUT ON WEIGHT AND WHERE IT WANTS TO TAKE IT OFF! The midsection is a common “problem” area for many people. The best way to lost fat is through cardiovascular exercise and proper diet. Do not neglect doing your stomach exercises so you maintain a strong core, but to lose the fat around the midsection and start to see the definition there, your best bet is cardiovascular exercise at a challenging level and eating properly.
