PERSONAL TRAINING Q&A

Q#14: Hi, I'm 16, and want to know how many sets and reps should I do to become very muscular and strong ? Zach, Cleveland	A#14: The rule of thumb for building muscles is to do many sets (3 to 5) per body part with low repetitions (3-5). The idea is that when you're lifting this heavy, you'll build muscle. The weight you'd be lifting is heavy enough that your 5th repetition is the absolute last rep. in you. The DANGER with this kind of lifting is that it's dangerous to do alone or unsupervised. It's easy to pull a muscle or worse lifting heavy. At your age, you're still growing. You run the additional RISK of permanently damaging your bones. There are growth plates on the end of your bones that are not sealed until you've reached your full height. For men it can take until you're in your early 20's before you've reached full height. If you lift too heavy and hurt yourself, you could end up losing out on your full height. My suggestion is buying a good book on weight lifting (to learn correct technique) and lifting 2 to 3 sets of 8-10 reps. GOOD LUCK! Michiko
Q#13: My husband and I have finally decided to commit to a better and healthier life style. Making better choices in eating habits, and exercise etc. But we don't know where to begin as for as exercise equipment. We have been thinking of a home gym. Due to our working schedule we need convenience and still be affective. I'm 47 he's 50, both of us are obese, totally out of shape. There are so many options available in equipment and price. We looked at the Nordictrack multi gym and the Weider Pro. But not really knowing what exercises we need to do for total body workout for toning and reshaping, we are lost. Need your advice. Thank goodness I found your site.	A#13: A home gym is a wonderful idea! I strongly suggest that you get a decent treadmill at Exercare Fitness first. A treadmill is better for beginning exercisers because you don't have to learn how to walk. Don't make the mistake of buying at department store where maintenance is not included. Exercare will deliver and set up your equipment and service it if need be. Depending on your budget, I would recommend a Vectra home gym (on the high end) and a set of dumbbells, ankle weights, and a certified personal trainer (on the lower end) for your resistance workout. You can contact the American Council on Exercise for a certified trainer in your zip code (800) 825-3636. The Weider Pro and Nordic trac home gyms often require many adjustments to get a full workout and this eats up valuable time. Finally, don't kid yourself about your eating. I strongly recommend you join Weight Watchers or see a nutritionist to learn how to eat a balanced diet and to control portions. The combination of appropriate eating, weight work to build muscle, and aerobic work to work the heart and lungs is the key to weight/fat loss. Michiko
Q#12: Hello, I am currently 30 pounds overweight. Two years ago I was a size 6. That is my goal. Here is the problem. I have had 2 heel spur surgery's and I'm in need for another. I have arthritis in my upper back. Can you please help me exercise again? What will it take ? Cost? etc...?	A#12: First of all you need to work around your current problem. A stationary bicycle (Exercare Fitness has a wide range of models and prices) will allow you to do your cardiovascular exercise. You should start out with 20 minutes 4 to 5 days a week and work up to 40 to 50 minutes most days. Secondly, you should be doing resistance (weight) work to build lean muscle and increase your resting metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even at rest. Again, you can purchase dumbbells in a variety of sizes and ankle weights. (Talk to the guys at Exercare.) Third, invest in a licensed nutritionist for a complete evaluation of your current eating behaviors. You might think you're eating well, but probably have some weak spots. Fourth, to find a certified trainer in your area, call The American Council on Exercise at 1 800 825-3636 and ask for the names of personal trainers in your zip code. A good trainer can help set the wheels in motion. Finally, be sure to have the permission of your doctor before you begin to exercise. Let him know that you plan to ride a bike or perhaps do a water aerobics class to prevent aggravating your heel spurs. A good orthopedic doctor should be able to refer you to a specialist who can create orthotics (shoe inserts) designed to help alleviate pain and speed healing. Good luck! Michiko
Q#11: I know I need to go on a diet, but there are so many ways to go and lots of fads to be wary about.... any suggestions ?	A#11: Read "Volumetrics" by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. and Robert A. Barnett. It isn't a fad diet, and really helps in practical ways. First of all it's based on the volume of food eaten in a day - if you eat low density foods (like veggies) you'll be satisfied with a lower caloric intake. Second, there are menu plans and recipes in the back with normal grocery store foods.
Q#10: I would love to work with Cleveland's Best Trainer, but my budget says otherwise	A#10: Suggestions. Go to www.acefitness.org. Ace is one of the leading certifying bodies for Personal Trainers in the world today. They can help you find a trainer to fit your budget.
Q#9: I started working out about 6 months ago and lost 8 pounds in the first 6 weeks. Since then it doesn't seem like anything has changed. What's up?	A#9: The human body is very efficient. When you first began to exercise you lost weight because you were making new demands on your body. However, your body adjusts to new demands and settles into a comfort zone or "plateau". To break out of the plateau you have to tweak variables: more cardio work, less food, better food choices, more rest days, etc. Talking to a professional trainer or doing even 5 sessions should point you in the right direction. Good luck.
Q#8: My girlfriend has been on the Atkin's diet for 6 weeks and has lost a lot of weight. I've noticed she seems tired and moody. Do you know of any negative side effects of this diet?	A#8: Yes. The Atkin's diet works because a protein only diet suppresses appetite. The dieter eats a low volume of calories (900 - 1200) per day and weight loss is inevitable. The problems are many: a high protein diet puts incredible strain on the kidneys once you reach a state called kytosis. The vitamins and minerals you'd usually get in a balanced diet are missing so it's important to work with a physician if you truly qualify for this type of diet. Most doctor's will only work with people who are clinically and often morbidly obese.
Q#7: There are so many supplements available - what do I really need?	A#7: For most people a standard multivitamin, a 400 iu of Vitamin E, and for women and men over 30 a calcium supplement. If you think you may have special needs, talk to your doctor and visit a licensed nutritionist.
Q#6: I've read that a heart rate monitor is a good way to get a better workout. The problem is, I can't afford one. Any suggestions?	A#6: When it comes to measuring exercise intensity, heart rate is often the easiest way to go. Check them out at your nearest Exercare Store, you'd be surprised how inexpensive they are. For years the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), a 15-20 point scale that uses descriptive words to judge exertion levels. Researchers at the Laboratoire de Physiologie du Travail et du Sport in La Pitie Salpetriere, France, have come up with a new scale. This measures "Estimated Time Limit" or ETL, how long the exerciser thinks s/he can continue to exercise at that intensity before exhaustion. ETL Time Until Exhaustion 20 less than 2 minutes 19 2 minutes 17 4 minutes 15 8 minutes 13 15 minutes 11 30 minutes 9 1 hour 7 2 hours 5 4 hours 3 8 hours 1 more than 16 hours For weight loss you should be in the ETL 11 to 7 range.
Q#5: What's a BMI?	A#5: The body-mass index (BMI) is thought to be a better way to determine body fat than height weight tables. To find your BMI: 1) Multiply your weight in pounds by .45. For example if you weigh 175: 175 X .45 = 78.75 2) Multiply your height in inches by .025. For example if you are 5'10" (70 inches): 70 X .025 = 1.75 3) Square the answer from step 2 (1.75 X 1.75) = 3.0625 4) Divide the answer from step 1 by the answer from step 3 (78.75 ./. 3.0625 = 25.71) Experts say you're overweight if you have a BMI of 25 to 29.9. You're considered obese if you have a BMI of 30 and above.
Q#4:I've been doing 200 sit-ups per day for the last month and my jeans are getting tighter - why?	A#4: The idea of spot reducing refuses to die. When you work any group of muscles there will be hypertrophy (growth of muscle tissue). If you don't simultaneously reduce your caloric intake and/or increase your cardiovascular work to burn calories, you simply add a layer of muscle below your existing belly fat.
Q#3:"I've always heard that you should monitor your heart rate to make sure you're getting a good cardio workout, but please explain the different measures." Tom, Bay Village.	A#3: By DIFFERENT MEASURES, you probably mean different Target Heart-Rate Zones. Depending upon your fitness level, current health and fitness goals, you want to find your Target Heart-Rate Zone (or the beats / minute you need to work your heart to achieve your goals). As with every exercise program you should first consult your doctor, but the basics are as follows: You want to work at 60% to 65% of your maximum heart rate to maximize fat burning. Anything greater than 65% will still burn fat, but no more effectively than working at 65%. To maximize cardiovascular benefits, you want to get to 80% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age. So for a 35 year old, the maximum rate is 220-35=185 and 80% of 185 is 157 beats / minute. We carry a great book by Dr. Kenneth Cooper on the subject and a number of heart rate monitors. Come into one of our locations and check them out !
Q#2: "So exactly how do I determine how much I need to work out to burn off those two slices of pizza I had at lunch ?" Bob,Canton.	A#2: Hope you enjoyed the pizza Bob, now here’s the bad news: To burn off two slices of pizza (about 450 calories), you need to walk for about 1 hour and 15 minutes on a treadmill at 3.5 mph at a 5% grade. You can figure it yourself by using a burn rate of 6 calories per minute (assuming average metabolism for 150 lb. person). If you weigh more or walk/run faster than you’ll burn even more. Most fitness books and now many pieces of equipment provide the complete calculation for you. The good news is that having done your workout you will raise your metabolism. That means you’ll burn off even more calories, even if you are sleeping.
Q#1: "One HP peak, 2 HP continuous, 1.5 HP treadmill duty, I have even seen 3.5HP... What’s the real story on treadmill motors ?" Tim, Akron.	A#1: It’s hard to find out what you are really buying sometimes, Tim. I spoke with my friend Dan Madercic, who has been servicing treadmills for the last 15 plus years. He told me that the motor work output, measured in horse power (HP) is perhaps one of the most abused specifications for comparing/contrasting treadmills. Horse power (1 HP = 33,000 foot pounds per minute) is a measure of how many pounds can be moved over a distance. Unfortunately when it comes to treadmill motors, a bigger number is not always better and since horse-power can be quoted using one of three different measures, it can be difficult to compare. One HP "continuous duty" is really better that one HP "peak duty" and one HP "treadmill duty" falls somewhere in between. A 200 pound person will use 0.5 HP running at 5 miles per hour or 1 HP at 10 miles per hour. The motor needs to be rated at least 1.5 times the use to provide a smooth motion and be able to last over time. Accordingly, better units offer 1.5 HP continuous duty or 2 HP treadmill duty. Unfortunately it is often hard to get the real facts for a particular model. Another test is to look at the size of the motor and fly wheel and compare that to other models. If you can reach around the motor casing and touch your fingers together, it’s not a 2HP continuous duty motor and probably not even a 1.5HP continuous duty motor.