Summer is one of my favorite seasons. Yes, I am crazy, but that should come as no surprise for those of you that know me! Summers in Houston can be brutal, but as they say "It's five o'clock somewhere", meaning, "It's pleasant somewhere" That's why God made California, Colorado and Montana, to name a few.
Those areas have some of the best summer weather I know. Cool mornings and evenings, but days that are warm enough to make you sweat. It is easy to get out and be active during the summer months in those cooler states. Winter...well, that's another topic. That's why God made Houston.
I say all the above only to set the stage for what I'm about to say: don't let summer in Houston slow you down! A lot of people don't like (or can't stand) the summer heat and humidity in Houston...and rightly so. It can be downright miserable, however, don't let that be your excuse for not keeping active.
In the Fall and Spring weeks that are so nice in Houston, it is not uncommon for some of you to replace your indoor activities with outdoor activities. I think that's great and I encourage you to do so. A little change of pace (and terrain) can be a good thing.
However, as the weather starts to get hotter, it gets more difficult to keep up those outdoor activities. Now is a good time to begin transitioning back indoors. Don't forget you have a membership at a health club that needs to be used.
You might be surprised when you return to the club to resume your workouts that you might not be where you left off. How can that be, you say? Very simple. Walking outside in the southeast Texas countryside only allows so much variation. The only hills to speak of are the overpasses. Other than that, it's pretty flat. So variety only comes in the form of walking, walking faster, jogging, running and sprinting. Sprinkle in some intervals and that about covers what you can safely do outdoors.
Don't get me wrong...doing what you have done is better than doing nothing and it is a good change of pace, but unless you were really challenging yourself out there, chances are good you might feel that things are little bit harder than when you left.
Some of you recently have taken a little time off for various reasons and when you come back, even after just a short week off, you say you can feel the difference. It's amazing how quickly the advances you've made can slip away. That's why it's important to do something to maintain what you have or at least slow down the decline.
So now that summer is upon us it's time to get back into the club and pick up where you left off. It only gets harder the longer you wait.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Training from a Position of Weakness
You've heard me say this many times before, but it bears repeating: the body is an amazing machine. You do a multitude of things each day, most of which you give little or no thought. For instance, when was the last time you had to take out a calculator to determine the speed of the oncoming car relative to how far you have to turn so you would know if you can safely make the turn? Your brain makes hundreds of calculations just like that every minute.
Perhaps you've noticed how you may shift from side to side as you sit or stand. This is your body's way of relieving the load so one side can rest, then shift again and let the other side rest. You are barely aware of this happening.
Now my favorite topic: working out. Let's see how this happens when you workout. I've conducted thousands of training sessions which gives me the unique ability to observe hundreds of different bodies at work. One of the most profound observations I've made over the years is how the body does things without our intention, not to mention even our awareness.
Example? Okay...how about the classic dumbbell bicep curl. For this, I mainly pick on the guys, but no one is immune. Watch a guy pick up a pair of dumbbells and start doing some curls. The initial repetitions are good, but very quickly, fatigue sets in (because the weights are too heavy and because he's a guy) and you can start to see him sway back and forth. Worse, you see his range of motion decrease. Pretty soon everything but his biceps are working. His body has made the calculations for him and determines that in order to lift the weights, adjustments need to be made.
Here's my point. Your body will make adjustments to allow you to easily do whatever it is you are attempting to do. Most of the time you are unaware. One of my jobs as a trainer is to observe when your body makes those adjustments and to not allow it.
Try this your next workout. When you are on the Freemotion Chest Machine doing your chest press, notice your hand placement relative to the center or mid-line of your body. Ideally, when you are about to push the handles forward to lift the weight, your hands should be directly in front of your elbows 90 degrees, pushing straight ahead and then together. Usually the first few are okay, but as you get tired, notice how your hands will start to move toward the mid-line of your body and soon your hands will be in front of your shoulders, not your elbows. If it is your 10th of 12 reps, not bad. But if it's your 5th of 12 reps...the weight you are using is probably too heavy for the number of reps you are attempting.
Unless you are a bodybuilder trying to increase size or an athlete increasing power, I believe it is better to use lighter weights and really focus on making the muscles you are working move in the manner that makes them work the most effective. Working in this manner means paying attention to the small details of what your body is doing to help you complete the exercise.
Your body just wants to check that exercise off the list and move to the next. Allow your brain to override the body's natural tendency to over-stabilize or use momentum to accomplish the exercise. Training in a position of weakness will make you stronger in the long run.
If you've read this far...you deserve a training tip. The next time you do a standing biceps curl, position your feet directly underneath your hips. Make sure they are parallel to each other. Most people will take a wide stance, with their feet outside their hips, because this position gives more stability. But doing this reduces the support needed from the abdominals and low back.
Training in a position of weakness (feet closer) will make you stronger than when you are in a position of strength (feet wider). The whole chain is strengthened which goes a long way to improving overall fitness, not just bigger biceps.
There are many more ways that small changes will make a big difference in your training. I've got plenty of them...just ask me...if you dare! :-)
Until next time.
Perhaps you've noticed how you may shift from side to side as you sit or stand. This is your body's way of relieving the load so one side can rest, then shift again and let the other side rest. You are barely aware of this happening.
Now my favorite topic: working out. Let's see how this happens when you workout. I've conducted thousands of training sessions which gives me the unique ability to observe hundreds of different bodies at work. One of the most profound observations I've made over the years is how the body does things without our intention, not to mention even our awareness.
Example? Okay...how about the classic dumbbell bicep curl. For this, I mainly pick on the guys, but no one is immune. Watch a guy pick up a pair of dumbbells and start doing some curls. The initial repetitions are good, but very quickly, fatigue sets in (because the weights are too heavy and because he's a guy) and you can start to see him sway back and forth. Worse, you see his range of motion decrease. Pretty soon everything but his biceps are working. His body has made the calculations for him and determines that in order to lift the weights, adjustments need to be made.
Here's my point. Your body will make adjustments to allow you to easily do whatever it is you are attempting to do. Most of the time you are unaware. One of my jobs as a trainer is to observe when your body makes those adjustments and to not allow it.
Try this your next workout. When you are on the Freemotion Chest Machine doing your chest press, notice your hand placement relative to the center or mid-line of your body. Ideally, when you are about to push the handles forward to lift the weight, your hands should be directly in front of your elbows 90 degrees, pushing straight ahead and then together. Usually the first few are okay, but as you get tired, notice how your hands will start to move toward the mid-line of your body and soon your hands will be in front of your shoulders, not your elbows. If it is your 10th of 12 reps, not bad. But if it's your 5th of 12 reps...the weight you are using is probably too heavy for the number of reps you are attempting.
Unless you are a bodybuilder trying to increase size or an athlete increasing power, I believe it is better to use lighter weights and really focus on making the muscles you are working move in the manner that makes them work the most effective. Working in this manner means paying attention to the small details of what your body is doing to help you complete the exercise.
Your body just wants to check that exercise off the list and move to the next. Allow your brain to override the body's natural tendency to over-stabilize or use momentum to accomplish the exercise. Training in a position of weakness will make you stronger in the long run.
If you've read this far...you deserve a training tip. The next time you do a standing biceps curl, position your feet directly underneath your hips. Make sure they are parallel to each other. Most people will take a wide stance, with their feet outside their hips, because this position gives more stability. But doing this reduces the support needed from the abdominals and low back.
Training in a position of weakness (feet closer) will make you stronger than when you are in a position of strength (feet wider). The whole chain is strengthened which goes a long way to improving overall fitness, not just bigger biceps.
There are many more ways that small changes will make a big difference in your training. I've got plenty of them...just ask me...if you dare! :-)
Until next time.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Exercise is hard because...
Last time I talked about playing with matches. You know you have to have a spark to get a fire going. The spark of the match ignites the match, which in turn lights the kindling, starting its way to a roaring fire. The figurative match ignites our bodies in much the same way.
Now if you've ever started a campfire or even a real log fire in your fireplace (without the aid of a gas starter), you know how challenging it can be to start a cold fire. If the wood is wet, the challenge is even greater.
The easiest way to start a fire is to use an existing fire and add to it. The easiest way to start a fire in your body is to use the existing fire and add to it. Don't let your fire burn out. If you do, you have to start over again. That's the hard part and it's not very fun.
So how do you keep your fire burning? It is actually quite simple: keep moving. Make a commitment to do some form of exercise 5 days a week. That will keep your fire burning in more ways than one.
Your muscles stay active and continue to grow the more you use them. Your metabolism continues to burn faster and longer the more you keep the fire stoked. Your heart, lungs and circulatory system become more efficient the more you use them.
Muscles stay stretched, joints remain pain-free and bones stay strong. Even your brain receives some much needed relief from the stressors of life.
When you stop exercising all the good things you've been working on start to fade. Like a fire that's been left alone, eventually it fades and goes cold. If you can catch it before it goes cold and throw some kindling on it, you can restart it again without too much trouble.
Likewise, before you allow yourself to go totally cold, get out for a walk or come in to the club for a workout. The smallest activity is better than nothing. Even just 10 minutes can help keep the embers glowing until you can get going again.
Exercise becomes hard when we allow ourselves to burn out. Remember this the next time you think you don't have time to get in a little activity. Remember your fire within and keep it burning. It will be so much easier to continue than having to start it all over again.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Finally...you get to play with matches
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. We pass yet another milestone as 2012 comes to a close and we welcome 2013. As much as I don't really like resolutions, it is a good time to start something new.
We seem to like clean breaks and there is something about ending one year and beginning another that provides that psychological starting line. So here we are...are you ready to go?
If you have been following along on my previous blogs you've heard about the need for consistency and doing a little more each time. I believe those are paramount to any successful health and wellness program.
However, Fitness is like a campfire. Everyone enjoys sitting around the fire to tell stories, make s'mores and warm themselves from the chill in the air. Just about everyone who has built or has helped build a fire knows you need kindling and a steady supply of wood to keep it burning. The only thing missing is the match or lighter to start the fire. No matter how much kindling or wood you have, the fire won't start without a spark.
Your fitness is much the same. You can have the best facility, the best workout plans or the best trainer, but if you don't begin...it just sits like a cold pile wood. Taking the first step to begin your workouts is the spark that sets everything else in motion.
The nice thing about campfires is they can be made at any time, even in the rain. Fitness programs can be started at any time as well. Now is a great time to strike the match and get started. It doesn't matter if it is January 9 or June 9...just start! (and don't stop...see The Key Ingredient for Weight Loss)
That's the way you get the fire going, literally and figuratively.
Of course you don't have to do this alone. The staff at Lifestyle Fitness are ready to help you light your fire or fan the flames of your existing fire. It's just what we do. Let us know how we can help!
Ready! Get set! Go!!!!
We seem to like clean breaks and there is something about ending one year and beginning another that provides that psychological starting line. So here we are...are you ready to go?
If you have been following along on my previous blogs you've heard about the need for consistency and doing a little more each time. I believe those are paramount to any successful health and wellness program.
However, Fitness is like a campfire. Everyone enjoys sitting around the fire to tell stories, make s'mores and warm themselves from the chill in the air. Just about everyone who has built or has helped build a fire knows you need kindling and a steady supply of wood to keep it burning. The only thing missing is the match or lighter to start the fire. No matter how much kindling or wood you have, the fire won't start without a spark.
Your fitness is much the same. You can have the best facility, the best workout plans or the best trainer, but if you don't begin...it just sits like a cold pile wood. Taking the first step to begin your workouts is the spark that sets everything else in motion.
The nice thing about campfires is they can be made at any time, even in the rain. Fitness programs can be started at any time as well. Now is a great time to strike the match and get started. It doesn't matter if it is January 9 or June 9...just start! (and don't stop...see The Key Ingredient for Weight Loss)
That's the way you get the fire going, literally and figuratively.
Of course you don't have to do this alone. The staff at Lifestyle Fitness are ready to help you light your fire or fan the flames of your existing fire. It's just what we do. Let us know how we can help!
Ready! Get set! Go!!!!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Necessary but not Sufficient
Last time I let you in on the Key Ingredient to Weight Loss. Remember what it was? No, not the flu bug, although that can be effective on some occasions. Consistency. Just showing up is more than half the battle. Those that show up for their workouts; those that are mindful of their food choices and portion sizes; those that keep a good mental outlook and those that nourish their spiritual self are more successful at keeping their weight under control and living a healthier life.
Consistency is the most important element of overall success. There are a myriad of smaller elements that come together to finish the battle (so to speak). If showing up is winning more than half the battle then what is the other battle and how do you win it?
Good question. The other battle is making sure you are doing something worthwhile when you show up. Showing up is enough in the beginning. Just doing something other than sitting all day is a great start. However, it is necessary but not sufficient. (I haven't heard that phrase since my high school sophomore Physics class. I'm so pleased that I can finally use something I learned in high school!)
I see a lot of people who show up at the club every day to workout. That's good, don't get me wrong. It is important to establish a habit and a routine. However, they have gotten into their routines and don't vary what they do.
They do the same exercises with the same weights in the same order on the same day. They also do the same cardio routines at the same settings for the same time on the same day. There might be small variances from those routines, but generally that's the way most people workout.
After a few cycles through that type of workout, their body has reached the maximum amount of fitness it can reach. It will do no more and in fact...it will start doing less! You see, as the body becomes more fit, it can simply do more. If you don't make it do more, it won't. There is no encouragement to become fitter.
Since we are all on the decline curve, the more we do, the more we extend our decline curve. However if you stop making progress on your curve it catches up to you and before you know it, you are, at best, on the decline you would be if you were on the Passive Lifestyle curve. (See below)
You have to keep pushing your body to do more in order to keep yourself ahead of the curve. We talked about this curve earlier this year, so you will remember how important slow steady progress is in meeting your fitness goals.
You have to continually challenge yourself to do just a little more than you did last time. I'm not talking about huge improvements, just small consistent improvement. You are not going to make improvements on every workout, but every workout should prepare you to do better in some way the next time.
Let me define what doing better means: doing better simply means doing something just a little better than you did it last time. You may have cut your time by five seconds; added 2.5 lbs more weight; added a second or third set of exercises; noticing that you did something better the second time than you did the first.
If you haven't mastered consistency yet, please master that before you move on to improvement. I see people who aren't consistent trying to improve and they get frustrated because it just doesn't work that way.
Consistency is the most important element of overall success. There are a myriad of smaller elements that come together to finish the battle (so to speak). If showing up is winning more than half the battle then what is the other battle and how do you win it?
Good question. The other battle is making sure you are doing something worthwhile when you show up. Showing up is enough in the beginning. Just doing something other than sitting all day is a great start. However, it is necessary but not sufficient. (I haven't heard that phrase since my high school sophomore Physics class. I'm so pleased that I can finally use something I learned in high school!)
I see a lot of people who show up at the club every day to workout. That's good, don't get me wrong. It is important to establish a habit and a routine. However, they have gotten into their routines and don't vary what they do.
They do the same exercises with the same weights in the same order on the same day. They also do the same cardio routines at the same settings for the same time on the same day. There might be small variances from those routines, but generally that's the way most people workout.
After a few cycles through that type of workout, their body has reached the maximum amount of fitness it can reach. It will do no more and in fact...it will start doing less! You see, as the body becomes more fit, it can simply do more. If you don't make it do more, it won't. There is no encouragement to become fitter.
Since we are all on the decline curve, the more we do, the more we extend our decline curve. However if you stop making progress on your curve it catches up to you and before you know it, you are, at best, on the decline you would be if you were on the Passive Lifestyle curve. (See below)
You have to keep pushing your body to do more in order to keep yourself ahead of the curve. We talked about this curve earlier this year, so you will remember how important slow steady progress is in meeting your fitness goals.
You have to continually challenge yourself to do just a little more than you did last time. I'm not talking about huge improvements, just small consistent improvement. You are not going to make improvements on every workout, but every workout should prepare you to do better in some way the next time.
Let me define what doing better means: doing better simply means doing something just a little better than you did it last time. You may have cut your time by five seconds; added 2.5 lbs more weight; added a second or third set of exercises; noticing that you did something better the second time than you did the first.
If you haven't mastered consistency yet, please master that before you move on to improvement. I see people who aren't consistent trying to improve and they get frustrated because it just doesn't work that way.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Key Ingredient for Weight Loss
I see a lot of people working on their health and fitness on a daily basis, and if you work out regularly at a health club or gym, you probably have too. Some people will make noticeable progress while others always seem to stay the same. What's up with that?
That is probably the number one question I get asked. "I've been doing this for 5 weeks now and I haven't lost a pound!" My favorite is the person who has been doing it for a while, lost some weight and then plateaus. They literally get stuck for weeks, even months, at the same weight.
The body is a wonderfully created mechanism. Though frequently studied, it remains a mystery in so many ways. Before I continue, let me be clear that I'm not a doctor (although I play one at work sometimes) and I have no formal medical training other than taking some classes in biology, physiology and chemistry. I've always had a fascination with the human body from a very young age and I can't get enough of it. What I'm about to say should in no way be construed as advice based on scientific evidence. It is based solely on my own research, observation and anecdotal evidence. My comments also don't take into consideration accidents or some diseases (beyond our control).
First, let's look at what has happened over the course of your life. Well, let's not spend that much time, but suffice to say that you probably haven't been so kind to your body as you should have been. Getting married, starting jobs and moving up the ladder, having and raising kids...it all takes a toll on the body. When we were young, we were active, had lots of muscle and didn't spend all day sitting around.
As we moved through life, we got slower, weaker and fatter. Most people say that's the natural aging process. I really don't agree with that. It's what happens during the course of an 80 year life, but most people start showing signs of "aging" way before they should. There is really no reason that someone in their 50's and 60's can't be as active and fit as they were in their 30's and 40's.
Somewhere along the way we just stopped keeping up the maintenance on our bodies. As life became more complex, we had much more to maintain and take care of and that usually meant we neglected ourselves. It's a shame, but I've seen it way too often and there is really no one to blame except the person looking back at you in the mirror.
So after all the years of little or no maintenance we find ourselves looking back on our slow descent and wonder how we get out. Most of us will turn to exercise and start making better food choices. Some will go straight for the pills, while others will head to the plastic surgeon. Of course I recommend the first option.
What I believe we don't fully understand and appreciate is the resiliency of the human body. This is what allows us to "abuse" it and it just keeps working...until one day it doesn't. That can be several years to several decades. It takes time for the body to break down. That is a very key concept to understand because it impacts the recovery process.
It is fortunate that the body can take decades to decline. It is also very unfortunate that it can take just as long to properly recover. That's the hard part for most people to understand. They are grateful for the slow decline, but have no patience for the just as slow improvement.
So that brings us to the key ingredient for weight loss and performance improvement: consistency. It is exactly why we need consistency because it does take a long time to reverse the years of decline. Oh sure, you can do some radical things that will result in the weight loss or performance you seek, but when you stop doing those things, it is most common for you to revert right back to where you were. Again, I've seen it so many times...if the changes you are making aren't permanent, when you stop doing them, your body continues it's decline.
It's not a pretty picture but the earlier you start, the less time it takes to reverse. As I've said numerous times before: maintenance is easier than reconstruction. If you haven't started on an exercise program, start. If you are currently exercising, don't stop.
Next topic: Faster, higher and heavier.
That is probably the number one question I get asked. "I've been doing this for 5 weeks now and I haven't lost a pound!" My favorite is the person who has been doing it for a while, lost some weight and then plateaus. They literally get stuck for weeks, even months, at the same weight.
The body is a wonderfully created mechanism. Though frequently studied, it remains a mystery in so many ways. Before I continue, let me be clear that I'm not a doctor (although I play one at work sometimes) and I have no formal medical training other than taking some classes in biology, physiology and chemistry. I've always had a fascination with the human body from a very young age and I can't get enough of it. What I'm about to say should in no way be construed as advice based on scientific evidence. It is based solely on my own research, observation and anecdotal evidence. My comments also don't take into consideration accidents or some diseases (beyond our control).
First, let's look at what has happened over the course of your life. Well, let's not spend that much time, but suffice to say that you probably haven't been so kind to your body as you should have been. Getting married, starting jobs and moving up the ladder, having and raising kids...it all takes a toll on the body. When we were young, we were active, had lots of muscle and didn't spend all day sitting around.
As we moved through life, we got slower, weaker and fatter. Most people say that's the natural aging process. I really don't agree with that. It's what happens during the course of an 80 year life, but most people start showing signs of "aging" way before they should. There is really no reason that someone in their 50's and 60's can't be as active and fit as they were in their 30's and 40's.
Somewhere along the way we just stopped keeping up the maintenance on our bodies. As life became more complex, we had much more to maintain and take care of and that usually meant we neglected ourselves. It's a shame, but I've seen it way too often and there is really no one to blame except the person looking back at you in the mirror.
So after all the years of little or no maintenance we find ourselves looking back on our slow descent and wonder how we get out. Most of us will turn to exercise and start making better food choices. Some will go straight for the pills, while others will head to the plastic surgeon. Of course I recommend the first option.
What I believe we don't fully understand and appreciate is the resiliency of the human body. This is what allows us to "abuse" it and it just keeps working...until one day it doesn't. That can be several years to several decades. It takes time for the body to break down. That is a very key concept to understand because it impacts the recovery process.
It is fortunate that the body can take decades to decline. It is also very unfortunate that it can take just as long to properly recover. That's the hard part for most people to understand. They are grateful for the slow decline, but have no patience for the just as slow improvement.
So that brings us to the key ingredient for weight loss and performance improvement: consistency. It is exactly why we need consistency because it does take a long time to reverse the years of decline. Oh sure, you can do some radical things that will result in the weight loss or performance you seek, but when you stop doing those things, it is most common for you to revert right back to where you were. Again, I've seen it so many times...if the changes you are making aren't permanent, when you stop doing them, your body continues it's decline.
It's not a pretty picture but the earlier you start, the less time it takes to reverse. As I've said numerous times before: maintenance is easier than reconstruction. If you haven't started on an exercise program, start. If you are currently exercising, don't stop.
Next topic: Faster, higher and heavier.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
You can't exercise enough
A lot of people tell me they exercise because they like to eat. While commendable, that's not advisable. If you happen to be younger (let's say under 35), you can probably get away with that for a time because your body is still in growth and burning calorie mode (for the most part).
But that's not true of everyone under 35 and is not necessarily true if you are over 35. You see, as you age your muscle starts to leave you. Muscle is expensive to maintain and your body would rather get rid of it (to a point) than have to maintain it. Maintenance is hard work and requires the body to do things the mind doesn't always want to do.
Don't get me wrong...the muscle doesn't have to leave, but if there's not reason for it to stay around, your body will jettison the muscle like spoiled milk. If the muscle has a reason to stick around (i.e. working out, doing manual labor, etc.) it will and does require additional nutrients and calories. But here's the kicker: it doesn't require THAT much more!
How much more your body require depends in large part how much muscle it has to maintain and how much additional activity you are doing. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn (even just sitting around). The more activity you do, the more calories you burn. Depending on the activity, you may continue burning calories several hours after the activity has ended.
So how many more calories does working out allow you to burn? Do you know how many calories you burn during your workout? If not, figure it out. That will tell you what your approximate calorie expenditure is in addition to your normal every day activities. Based on my experience at the club most people burn between 500-800 calories during a typical workout. Some more, some less.
That's usually after an hour long workout. So if you don't do anything more than your normal activities for the rest of the day, you might (wrongly) assume you could eat an additional 500-800 calories without gaining weight. That's a nice idea, but I don't believe that holds true for most people.
If that were the case, you'd see more people not gaining weight since they are exercising. That couldn't be further from the truth. There are several reasons why this the case:
The best way to approach this is to keep everything in moderation. Don't lull yourself into believing that you can eat what you want because you exercise. Only people with finely tuned bodies can get away with eating what they want...but it even catches up with them if they try to do it too long. Keep your eating levels constant even though you are exercising. You'll do better in the long run.
But that's not true of everyone under 35 and is not necessarily true if you are over 35. You see, as you age your muscle starts to leave you. Muscle is expensive to maintain and your body would rather get rid of it (to a point) than have to maintain it. Maintenance is hard work and requires the body to do things the mind doesn't always want to do.
Don't get me wrong...the muscle doesn't have to leave, but if there's not reason for it to stay around, your body will jettison the muscle like spoiled milk. If the muscle has a reason to stick around (i.e. working out, doing manual labor, etc.) it will and does require additional nutrients and calories. But here's the kicker: it doesn't require THAT much more!
How much more your body require depends in large part how much muscle it has to maintain and how much additional activity you are doing. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn (even just sitting around). The more activity you do, the more calories you burn. Depending on the activity, you may continue burning calories several hours after the activity has ended.
So how many more calories does working out allow you to burn? Do you know how many calories you burn during your workout? If not, figure it out. That will tell you what your approximate calorie expenditure is in addition to your normal every day activities. Based on my experience at the club most people burn between 500-800 calories during a typical workout. Some more, some less.
That's usually after an hour long workout. So if you don't do anything more than your normal activities for the rest of the day, you might (wrongly) assume you could eat an additional 500-800 calories without gaining weight. That's a nice idea, but I don't believe that holds true for most people.
If that were the case, you'd see more people not gaining weight since they are exercising. That couldn't be further from the truth. There are several reasons why this the case:
- You consume way more than the 500-800 calories you burned.
- You really aren't burning the amount of calories you think you are during exercise.
- Your body isn't as efficient using the calories you ingested and still wants to store the energy.
- It takes one hour to burn 500-800 calories and five minutes to consume 500-800 calories.
The best way to approach this is to keep everything in moderation. Don't lull yourself into believing that you can eat what you want because you exercise. Only people with finely tuned bodies can get away with eating what they want...but it even catches up with them if they try to do it too long. Keep your eating levels constant even though you are exercising. You'll do better in the long run.
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