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Category: Cardio
December 4, 2021

Exercise is now prescribed for cancer patients

💢CANCER & EXERCISE💢, an essential combination. Really you say? Yes, I say, because COSA says so. (Clinical Oncology Society of Australia). – I AM SOOOOOO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!!💯

I received my treatment at Icon Cancer Care in Northlakes. The staff there are incredible. They turn a day of sitting in a chair, having a chemotherapy drug infused into your body all day, into an almost enjoyable experience.


☹️Nearly everyone is affected by cancer one way or another. You either have it or someone you know has been diagnosed with it. Please, if is you, or someone you love, share this information with them, and encourage them to keep active. 🏃


👉Myself, I have been living with Leukaemia for over 9 years now. And I have a beautiful client that is bravely dealing with the effects of her breast cancer every day. 👩‍🦰


🏋️‍♀️I never stopped exercising through my 6 months of chemo. I would train as hard as I could the morning of treatment & the day after. By the 2nd & 3rd day after I felt quite rat shit, so very little exercise, if any. But then back into it after that. And the cycle continued. When I say “as hard as I could”, that was no way near what I could do pre-chemo. I was nauseous a lot, and very short of breath, but I did what I could.


🧑‍🔬COSA’s Position Statement on Cancer Care is that:

🟣All people with cancer should AVOID INACTIVITY and return to normal daily activities as soon as possible following diagnosis (i.e. be as physically active as current abilities and conditions allow)

🟣 All people with cancer should progress towards and, once achieved, maintain participation in:

🟣at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, jogging, cycling, swimming) each week; and

🟣two to three resistance exercise (i.e. lifting weights) sessions each week involving moderate to vigorous-intensity exercises targeting the major muscle groups

🟣Exercise recommendations should be tailored to the individual’s abilities noting that specific exercise programming adaptations may be required for people with cancer based on disease and treatment-related adverse effects, anticipated disease trajectory, and their health status.

Exercise Helps to Treat Cancers


An extensive review of research shows that exercise:


• reduces the side effects of chemotherapy treatments including nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and increases bone strength and muscle mass (Curr Treat Options Oncol, 2008;9:135-46)
• increases the percentage of people who are able to complete full-dose chemotherapy regimens (J Clin Oncol, 2007;25:4396-404)
• can increase tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy (Cancer Prev Res (Phila), 2013;6:925-37)
• reduces heart damage from chemotherapy (Circulation, 2011;124:642-50)
• markedly reduces arm swelling from extensive breast cancer surgery (N Engl J Med, 2009;361:664-73)
• is associated with a 50 percent increased survival rate in patients treated for breast cancer (JAMA, 2005;393:2479-86) and colon cancer (J Clin Oncol, 2006;24:3535-41)
• is associated with a 70 percent risk reduction of high-grade, advanced or fatal prostate cancers (Arch Intern Med, 2005;165:1005-10)

A regular exercise program reduced carcinogenic inflammation, strengthened the immune system, and improved mental processing by increasing apoptosis and by lowering cancer-inducing insulin-like growth factor 1, DNA damage, and gene mutations (Br J Cancer, 2011;105:S52-73). Exercise reduced cancer patients’ anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and exercise specifically can reduce the massive upper arm swelling and fluid retention common in women treated for breast cancer (Med Sci Sports Exerc, Nov 2019). Exercise also helped to prevent cancer patients’ inactivity that increases the risk for heart failure (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2010;42:1409-1426).

Rules for Exercise for Cancer Patients
Cancer patients should check with their doctors prior to starting a new exercise program. If possible, most people with cancer should try to exercise at least three times per week, at a moderate intensity such as brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes, and if possible, they should also try to lift weights twice a week. I can recommend no specific exercise program for cancer patients because the amount of exercise a cancer patient can do is limited by the level of fitness, the extent of disease, treatment regimen, and other variables. In general, all exercisers – healthy or not – should follow these rules:

• Stop exercising when your muscles start to hurt, burn or feel tight. If you keep on exercising, your muscle fibers can start to tear and run out of their stored sugar supply. Your body always talks to you and tells you when this is happening. Failure to listen to your body is the most common cause of exercise injuries.

• Take the day off when your muscles feel tight or hurt after you have warmed up for five minutes or more. It is normal for muscles to feel sore when you first get up in the morning, but they should feel better after you have exercised for five to 10 minutes. Soreness after warming up means that your muscle fibers are damaged and are at increased risk for tearing if you exercise that day. Sometimes you can get away with exercising at reduced intensity on days when your muscles feel sore, but often it is best to just stop for the day.

• Stop exercising immediately if you feel increasing soreness in one spot, which can mean that a muscle is about to tear or go into a spasm. You can prevent many injuries just by stopping exercising when you feel pain in one spot and do not have pain in the same spot on the other side of your body.

#cancer #cancercouncil #canceraustralia #cancertreatment #cancersuck #leukemiawarrior #leukaemeia #leukaemiafoundationau

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , ,
November 25, 2021

All Exercise is Good, and Vigorous Exercise is Better

 December 4, 2020 – article taken from Dr Mirkin’s website

A new study suggests that the more intensely you exercise, the less likely you are to suffer a heart attack. Researchers followed 403,681 U.S. adults for an average 10 years and found that those who spent a greater proportion of their exercise time exercising intensely had a significantly lower risk of death from heart attacks than those who exercised for the same amount of time but at lower intensity (JAMA Intern Med, Nov 23, 2020). Those who exercised more vigorously also had a lower risk of death from cancer and lower all-cause mortality during the study period.

Other studies show that people who exercise intensely are significantly less likely to die prematurely than casual exercisers (JAMA Intern Med, 2015;175(6):970-977), because vigorous exercise is more effective in:
• preventing weight gain (Prev Med, 2014;60:131-133),
• preventing heart disease (Am J Cardiol, 2006;97(1):141-147),
• preventing diabetes (Int J Epidemiol, 2012;41(4):1132-1140), and
• promoting fitness and the ability to process oxygen (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2002;34(1):152-157).
The HUNT study from Norway found that the more fit people are, the less likely they were to develop a first heart attack (JAMA, April 19, 2019). The SUN study from Spain found lower heart attack rates in those who exercised intensely compared to those who exercised less vigorously (Am J of Cardio, Dec 1, 2018;122(11):1871–1878).

Any Level of Exercise is Healthful
A regular exercise program of any intensity is associated with reduced death rate (Int J Epidemiol, 2011;40(5):1382-1400), because a regular exercise program is associated with reduced rates of:
• cancer (JAMA Intern Med, 2016;176(6):816-825),
• diabetes (Endocrine, 2016;52(2):226-230), and
• heart disease (Br J Sports Med, 2019;53(22):1405-1411).
Spending long periods of time sitting or lying in bed increases risk for heart disease (Prevent Med, May 02, 2019).

Benefits of Intense Exercise
Intensity makes all muscles stronger, including your heart muscle. All people lose heart muscle as they age, which increases risk for frailty and heart failure. Strengthening your heart muscle helps you to live a more vigorous lifestyle and to protect you from heart failure. Intense exercise stabilizes plaques in arteries and widens heart arteries to help protect you from a heart attack. One study showed that men with the highest levels of VO2max (a test of oxygen use that is a measure of fitness) were least likely to have high blood pressure, high HBA1C (a test for diabetes), high fasting blood sugar levels, obesity, an abnormal treadmill exercise test, and a high 10-year risk for heart attacks (American J of Cardiology, March 2012;109(6):839-843).

Starting a New Exercise Program
I think everyone should have a regular exercise program, and it is never too late to start. First check with your doctor. If you are not a regular exerciser, you should spend your first few months exercising in your chosen activity at a very casual pace. Stop when you feel tired, your muscles feel heavy, or you feel any discomfort, even if you have only exercised for a few minutes. When you can exercise every day for about 30 minutes at a casual pace, you are ready to try exercising at a more intense level. See my article on How to Start an Exercise Program.

Increasing the Intensity of Your Current Exercise Program
All exercise training is done by stressing and recovering. To increase the intensity of your exercise program, start by taking a harder workout on one day and expect to feel sore the next morning. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Go slow and easy for as many days as it takes for your muscles to feel fresh again. You should not take your next hard workout until the muscle soreness is gone. You may need to take from one to five or more easy recovery days before you do your next intense workout.
• When you are training properly, your muscles may feel sore every morning. If they don’t feel better after a 10 minute warm-up, take the day off.
• If you feel pain in one spot that does not go away after you slow down, stop that workout immediately for that day. Otherwise you are likely to be headed for an injury.

Your Intense Workout Days
Always warm up your muscles before you exercise more intensely. Start out by going very slowly for the first 10 or more minutes of your workout. To make a muscle stronger, you have to exercise intensely enough to feel a burning or tightness in your muscles. For non-competitive athletes, you should slow down immediately when you feel this discomfort. Most people will start out by picking up the pace for only about 10 seconds. If you are a runner, cyclist or skater, pick up the pace for a few strides or pedal strokes. Then go slow and easy, and when your muscles feel fresh again, pick up the pace and then slow down. Repeat these alternating bursts of intense exercise (called “intervals”) until your muscles just start to feel heavy and tired, then slow down. When your muscles continue to feel heavy and tired after you slow down, you are through for that day. In the beginning, you may be able to do only a few intervals in a workout. However, with practice you will improve until you can do lots of intervals, perhaps 15-20 or more. Then you can extend the time that you stay in each hard interval, gradually going from a few seconds up to about 30 seconds. If you are not a competitive athlete, there is no reason to stay in an intense interval longer than 30 seconds. Most healthy exercisers will be able to work up eventually to 10-20 repeats of 20-30 second intervals. For non-competitive athletes, there is no need to do more than that.

Your Recovery Days
Expect your muscles to feel tired and sore when you get up the morning after an interval workout. You can try to exercise that day, but you should do so at a slow pace and stop when your muscles start to feel heavy and fatigued. If your muscles don’t feel better after a five-minute warmup, or if you feel pain in any area that does not go away when you slow down, you should stop your workout for that day. Do not take your next intense workout until your muscles feel fresh after you warm up for 5-10 minutes. Most people who exercise for fitness will follow each hard day with one or two recovery days. Competitive athletes are likely to take such intense workouts on their hard days that they may require up to five recovery days before their next hard day. See Recovery: the Key to Improvement in Your Sport

CAUTION: Intense exercise can cause a heart attack in a person who has blocked arteries or heart damage. Check with your doctor before you start a new exercise program or increase the intensity of your existing program.

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , ,
January 19, 2020

What happens to your body when you exercise?

taken from BBC Science Focus Magazine


Exercise diverts blood from your liver and digestive system to your skeletal muscles. Hormones tell the body to convert fat into glucose, reduce the pain you feel and improve your mood. Muscles generate lactic acid as a by-product of intensive exercise and, as this builds up, the pH of the blood around the muscles drops. This drop in pH eventually prevents the muscles contracting further. At this point, you need to rest to allow the lactic acid to be metabolised.

1. Brain

What happens to my body when I exercise?

© Raja Lockey

The brain makes neurotransmitters, like serotonin, dopamine and GABA. This is part of the reason why the brain consumes more energy during exercise.

2. Heart

What happens to my body when I exercise?

© Raja Lockey

Adrenaline levels rise, which stimulates the heart to beat faster. Capillaries in the muscles open wider, increasing blood flow there by up to 20 times.

3. Lungs

What happens to my body when I exercise?

© Raja Lockey

The muscles of the ribcage assist the diaphragm to pull in up to 15 times more oxygen than at rest. Breathing gets faster but also deeper.

4. Skin

The muscles of the ribcage assist the diaphragm to pull in up to 15 times more oxygen than at rest. Breathing gets faster but also deeper.

© Raja Lockey

Your two million sweat glands can produce 1.4 litres of sweat per hour. Waste heat is carried away by the latent heat of evaporation as it dries.

5. Muscles

What happens to my body when I exercise?

© Getty Images

As you exercise, the large muscles in your arms and legs squeeze the veins running through them, pumping blood back to your heart.

6. Bones

What happens to my body when I exercise?

© Raja Lockey

High-impact and weightlifting exercises stimulate bone formation and reduce the rate of calcium loss as we get older.

Lea Wagner No Comments
woman's muscles
August 9, 2018

What should you eat after a workout?

What should you eat post-workout?

Last reviewed Tue 7 August 2018 By Lana Barhum Reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, RD

The importance of the post-workout snack
Eating a snack post-workout will help the body replenish lost energy.  During exercise, the muscles use up stored glucose, called glycogen, and levels become depleted.

Endurance sports, such as running, use up more glycogen than resistance activities, such as weightlifting. Another effect of exercise is that the muscles develop small tears.  Getting the right nutritional balance after exercise restores energy levels and reduces fatigue, helping the body to build strength for future workouts.

Proteins, carbohydrates, and healthful fats are all essential for the body’s recovery.

Protein
Exercise supports muscle growth, but the body can only build upon existing muscles if they recover after each workout.

Consuming protein after exercise helps the muscles to heal and prevents the loss of lean mass. Lean mass contributes to a muscular and toned appearance.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are micronutrients that help the body to recharge and restore its fuel supply.

Anyone who exercises more than seven times a week should consume plenty of carbohydrates, as they quickly replenish glycogen levels.

What about fat?
Many people believe that consuming fat after exercising slows digestion and the absorption of nutrients. For some types of fat, this may be true.

However, there is little information about the post-workout effects of fat calories. It may be a good idea to limit fat intake after exercise, but low levels of fat are unlikely to inhibit recovery.

The following are examples of foods and compounds that help the body to absorb nutrients quickly and speed recovery.

Dairy protein
According to research published in 2017, as few as 9 grams (g) of milk protein may be enough to stimulate protein synthesis in the muscles, aiding in recovery after exercise.

Other than milk, dairy products rich in protein include:  Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese 

kefir
In fact, a single cup of low-fat kefir contains 9.2 g of complete protein. Complete proteins can repair new cells, especially those in the muscles. Complete proteins also contain all the essential amino acids, which are only available through the diet.

In 2007, some researchers found that milk-based proteins are more effective than soy-based proteins at promoting the growth of muscle proteins after resistance exercise.

The researchers concluded that while both milk and soy proteins help a person to maintain and build muscle mass, milk proteins were more effective at supporting the quick growth of lean muscle mass.

Eggs
Results of a study from 2017 suggested that consuming whole eggs after resistance exercise resulted in more protein synthesis than consuming egg whites with the same protein content.

The researchers concluded that the nutrients in the yolk helped to stimulate the muscles more effectively.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Research from the Washington University School of Medicine suggests that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids helps to boost the synthesis of muscle proteins and increase the size of muscle cells in healthy young and middle-aged adults.

Fatty fish, including salmon, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Tuna also contains high levels of the fatty acids, and about 6 ounces (oz) of tuna packed in water contains 41.6 g of protein and 5.4 g of fat.

Other evidence shows that oil drawn from fatty fish may help to reduce muscle soreness after resistance training. A study from 2016 found that consuming 6 g of fish oil every day for 1 week before beginning resistance exercise resulted in reduced muscle soreness.

Carbohydrates
young woman drinking water whilst out running
Staying hydrated is essential when exercising.
Consuming carbohydrate-rich foods may be the best way to reduce the decreases in immunity that can occur after exercise.

Consuming carbohydrates as part of a post-workout snack also helps to promote glycogen storage.

Sweet potatoes, grains, and fruits can contain high levels of healthful carbohydrates, as can quinoa.

Quinoa is gluten-free, classified as a pseudocereal, and usually consumed as a grain. It is high in fiber and rich in protein, with 1 cup providing 8.14 g.

Also, quinoa has a low glycemic index, making it an excellent choice for people who regulate their blood sugar.

Herbal tea
The nutrients and chemical compounds in herbal teas, especially yerba mate, may help the body process carbohydrates and protein effectively.

Authors of a study from 2016 compared the effects of yerba mate to water after exercise. The participants who drank yerba mate recovered strength faster in the 24 hours that followed a workout.

In 2012, researchers found that mice administered yerba mate extract were able to metabolize more quickly and expend more energy than those who did not.

Water
It is essential to drink plenty of water before, during, and after a workout. Staying hydrated ensures that the body gets the most benefit from exercise.

The body loses water and electrolytes while sweating, so drinking water during and after a workout promotes performance and recovery.

Everybody varies in the amount of water they need, depending on the type of exercise, how much they sweat, how thirsty they are, as well as other factors.

In summary 
Consuming carbohydrates, proteins, and some fats post-workout helps to encourage muscle protein production, and promote recovery with the best results.   Arrange to eat a snack as soon as possible after a workout. Also, remember to replace fluids and electrolytes by drinking water before, during, and after exercise.

Do you want to find out more?  Or start training with me?  Contact me now

 

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , ,
June 18, 2018

Choose your butt

These butt pictures for sure show the extreme of different categories.  Also, you could be lucky and have great glute genetics, then yeah for you! All you need to do then is stay lean and your butt will look amazing. 

But for the rest of us mear mortals, with some hard work, intelligent training, and consistency, everyone can dramatically improve the size and shape of their butts. I’ve done it for myself and hundreds of clients. 

I am not going to get into diet too much in this post (eliminate refined sugars & bread, increase your water intake, eat heaps of low carb veggies, lean protein etc, etc)  More so, I want to list off various exercises you can do at home with bodyweight or if you have access to weights, add them.  Resistance will increase the intensity of the exercise and induce more muscular tissue damage, thereby producing more hypertrophy (increase in size of skeletal muscle).

There are literally hundreds of exercises and their variations for your butt.  But here are 20, but I could go on and on.  

  1. Hip Thrusts

  2. Glute Bridges 

  3. Donkey Kicks

  4. Pistol Squats

  5. Prisoner Squats

  6. Plie Squat

  7. Goblet Squats

  8. Bulgarian Split Squats

  9. Jumping Squats

  10. Reverse Lunges

  11. Forward Lunges

  12. Side Lunges

  13. Frog Pumps

  14. 45 Degree Back Extensions

  15. Glute Ham Raise

  16. Romanian Deadlift

  17. Stiff Legged Deadlift

  18. Back Squats

  19. Front Squats 

  20. Box Squats

You don’t need to all of these exercises every day.  Just choose 3 or 4.  Every second day perform repetition ranges from 10 – 50,  depending upon whether you are doing a bodyweight exercise or really pushing yourself with a loaded barbell.  

Always use good form.  Concentrate on initiating the movement from your glutes when necessary.  Keep your core tight, bring your belly button into your spine.  If you are unsure of the exercise, don’t do it.  You could quite easily injure yourself.    

Perhaps consider a few Personal Training sessions, from a reputable trainer,  to ensure you are getting the best bang for your buck.  The right exercises, for the right body part, executed in the right way.  No injury and maximum growth.   

Time is precious, don’t waste yours with bad form, and the wrong exercise.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lea4000@gmail.com No Comments , , , , ,
January 5, 2018

Does living next to a gym lower obesity risk?

According to new research, living near a physical activity facility — such as a gym, swimming pool, or football field — might make it a lot easier to keep that New Year’s resolution.
The new study was led by Kate Mason, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom, and the findings were published in The Lancet Public Health.
Overall, the analysis revealed that living close to an exercise facility did, as expected, lower obesity risk.

Individuals living in close proximity to at least six exercise facilities had a waistline that was 1.22 centimeters smaller, a BMI that was 0.57 points lower, and a body fat percentage that was 0.81 percent lower, on average.

This link was stronger for women and higher-income groups of people, note the researchers.

Additionally, the study found that the farther people lived from a fast food outlet, the smaller were their BMI, waistline, and body fat percentage. This association was the strongest among women.

Taken from an article Published Sunday 31 December 2017 written by Ana Sandoiu
Source: Does living next to a gym lower obesity risk?

Lea Wagner No Comments
February 14, 2017

Can you gain muscle while losing body fat?

Can You Gain Muscle While Losing Body Fat? 

You can, but you’ll have to follow these six science-backed strategies.

Unfortunately, a lot of the time, when people lose weight, they wind up with a lot less muscle than they started out with. Some even find their body fat percentages increasing.
Muscles cells naturally shed proteins every day, ready for your body to replace them with new healthy ones. So when the new ones don’t show up, you lose muscle – sometimes drastically.
Since muscle is the single greatest determiner of your metabolic rate – how many calories you burn each and every day – this muscle loss largely explains why so many people struggle to keep weight off once they lose it. Their metabolism drops. For instance, that’s why research found that people who had lost weight on The Biggest Loser had to eat as many as 800 fewer calories a day to maintain their weight loss compared to people of similar weights. Their metabolisms had slowed that much.
On the flip side, though, building muscle while you lose weight does the exact opposite – stoking your metabolism and making it easier to hit your fat-loss goals and maintain them. Plus, muscle increases your strength, reduces the risk of injury and can improve your overall health.
So, how can you build muscle while still losing fat – when biology is working completely against you? By following these six expert-approved strategies.
1. Eat More Protein at Every Meal
In one 2016 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, of men following a program that consisted of both diet and exercise, men who followed a low-calorie diet that was high in protein for four weeks lost 10.56 pounds of fat while gaining 2.64 pounds of lean muscle. Those who followed a diet with the same amount of calories, but less protein, only lost 7.7 pounds of fat and gained less than a quarter pound of muscle.
To gain muscle while losing fat, a review published in Sports Medicine recommends consuming between 2.3 to 3.1 grams of protein per kilogram of your bodyweight. “In addition, this protein intake should be spaced out evenly throughout the day,” Spano says. As a general rule, aim to include at least 25 to 30 grams of protein in every meal – and even slightly more if you are vegetarian or vegan.
2. Lose Weight Slowly
While it can be tempting to try to lose as much weight as quickly as possible, drastic drops in weight tend to be the result of losing not just fat, but also muscle, says registered dietitian Jim White, spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios in Virginia. For instance, in one Obesity study, when people followed an extremely low-calorie diet, 18 percent of their weight lost was from muscle. When people stuck to a more moderate approach, that percentage dropped to 7.7.
Your goal? Lose no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week, according to White. While every person will need to cut calories and/or increase their activity levels slightly differently to lose weight at this rate, reducing caloric intake by 500 calories per day is a good place to start.
3. Strength Train at Least Three Times Per Week
“A lot of people who try to lose weight ramp up their cardiovascular activity. This can be beneficial but not if it replaces weight training,” White says. Case in point: In one 2015 Harvard School of Public Health study of 10,500 adults, those who performed strength training gained less abdominal fat (while building more muscle) over a period of 12 years compared to those who spent the same amount of time dedicated to cardio.
“We need to include at least two days of weight training a week to maintain existing muscle mass and three or more times a week to build muscle,” White says. Focus on fitting in these workouts first and then you can start to think about adding the right cardio workouts to your routine.
4. Keep Your Cardio Workouts Short and Sweet
When it comes to getting the most fat loss and muscle gain out of your cardiovascular workouts, it’s best to focus on high-intensity interval exercises such as repeated sprints on the treadmill, elliptical or bike. These workouts will burn fat while building muscle, whereas low- to moderate-intensity steady-state cardio burns both muscle and fat, White says.
5. Give Your Muscles a Break
“Most people think more is better. When it comes to building muscle this is not necessarily true,” White says. “Muscles need rest to grow.” How much time? Although the exact time will differ slightly from person to person and workout to workout (which is why you need to listen to your body!), one Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise meta-analysis determined that for optimal strength development, it’s best to rest a given muscle group for one to two days before working it again through strength training. So, if you perform an intense lower-body strength routine on Monday, wait until at least Wednesday to target your lower body again. You can always perform upper-body lifts on Tuesday. Then, every week, schedule at least one to two days of full rest from structured exercise.
5. Be Patient
This might be the hardest tip of all, but it’s important to keep in mind, especially as you progress through your “burn fat and build muscle” plan. That’s because, while you may notice yourself making great gains to start with, they will naturally slow over time. “It becomes progressively more difficult to increase muscle while losing fat as you become more trained and get leaner,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Brad Schoenfeld, a board member for the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
It’s just how the human body works: The more excess fat we have to lose, the easier it is to lose 5 pounds of fat. The more muscle we need to gain, the easier it is to gain 5 pounds of muscle. As you get closer to your goal, expect to see more subtle changes in your fat and muscle levels, and don’t get discouraged.

By K. Aleisha Fetters | Contributor

Lea Wagner No Comments , , ,
March 17, 2016

The 4 Causes of Skinny Fat

Edited by me.  Original post By: Charles R Poliquin December 4, 2015 skinny fat me sm
Skinny usually is associated with underweight, while fat is associated with overweight.  The medical term for this is “MONW,” or metabolically obese normal weight.  It means you are under lean but over fat — not enough muscle and too much fat (especially belly fat). 

Skinny fat refers to someone with unappreciable levels of muscle mass, associated to a high percentage of body fat. 

Here are four reasons why people achieve the skinny fat look

1   Doing too much cardio

Research is fairly clear on this. If strength and muscle hypertrophy is your goal, aerobic work will interfere with that goal. Aerobic exercise will cannibalize muscle mass.

2  Eating far too less

Of course, the natural thing to do when attempting to shed body fat is to restrict caloric intake. Skinny fat people take this axiom way too far. If you want to hold onto your muscle mass while restricting your calories, upping your protein intake is key.

To understand the mechanisms, read these research papers

3  Being afraid of consuming fats

Skinny fat people share dietary fat phobia as one of their pitfalls. For example, they are the ones that post on Facebook comments such as “Won’t eating nuts make you fat?”

However the research points to quite the opposite, see below references 8 to 34.

It makes me laugh when I see dietitians recommend “low fat snacks” such as pretzels over nuts like pistachios to obese, while the research shows them to be completely wrong:

If anything, regular nut consumption helps achieve optimal body composition.

4 Abstaining for strength training

Strength training has more benefits for body composition positive changes than the general population thinks.  

General Health – increase good cholesterol, & decrease bad cholesterol, reduces risk of diabetes, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, lower high blood pressure, lowers risk of breast cancer, decreases risk of osteoporosis, reduces symptoms of PMS, reduces stress & anxiety, decreases colds & illness.  

Strength – increased muscle strength power, endurance & size.   This is help you with everyday tasks like lifting, carrying, walking etc.

Flexibility –  working your muscles through their full range of motion, weight training can improve your body’s overall flexibility. 

Body Composition – Weight training will boost your metabolism.  You will burn more calories at rest.  Reduce your body fat.  Your overall body weight may not change, but you will gain muscle and lose fat.   Your measurements will decrease. 

Muscle Tone – firmer & better defined muscles. 

State of Mind – Weight training allows you to sleep better.  Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the 3 best tools for effective stress management.  

Simply put, if you want to achieve a physique that spells respect, avoid the four given pitfalls.

This is what the research has to say, here are some key references:

1. Jones TW, Howatson G, Russell M, French DN, Performance and neuromuscular adaptations following differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training, J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Mar 21.

2. Nader GA, Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1965-70.

3. Hawley JA Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Jun;34(3):355-61. doi: 10.1139/H09-023

4. Phillips SM, Zemel MB., Effect of protein, dairy components and energy balance in optimizing body composition, Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2011;69:97-108; discussion 108-13. doi: 10.1159/000329288

5. Labayen I, Díez N, González A, Parra D, Martínez JA, Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss, Forum Nutr. 2003;56:168-70.

6. Phillips SM, Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54

7. Kreider RB, Rasmussen C, Kerksick CM, Wilborn C, Taylor L, Campbell B, Magrans-Courtney T, Fogt D, Ferreira M, Li R, Galbreath M, Iosia M, Cooke M, Serra M, Gutierrez J, Byrd M, Kresta JY, Simbo S, Oliver J, Greenwood M, A carbohydrate-restricted diet during resistance training promotes more favorable changes in body composition and markers of health in obese women with and without insulin resistance, Phys Sportsmed. 2011 May;39(2):27-40. doi: 10.3810/psm.2011.05.1893.

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Lea Wagner No Comments , ,
August 19, 2014

Get Fit with HIIT

Fit with HIIT:

Science Is Dropping The Hammer On Endless Bouts Of Steady-State Cardio.
Less is more … except when it applies to things you really don’t enjoy, that is.

Take cardio, for example. How much cardio does it take to burn through that stubborn layer of fat lingering around your abdomen?
Copious amounts–or at least that’s what it feels like at times, since the most pervasive methodology behind fat-burning involves seemingly interminable sessions of cardiovascular activity done at a sustained rate. Where cardio is concerned, the theory has always been more is more.
But all that’s about to change.

What would you say if we told you that the latest scientific research suggests shorter cardio sessions for crazy fat loss? How would you feel if you could actually end up burning more fat in the long run while holding on to more of your iron-wrought muscle? You can go ahead and smile–because it’s entirely true. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is on the fast track to becoming the standard for steady and sustained fat loss.
With HIIT, the workouts are shorter, yes, but you’ll actually be working harder than the guy on the treadmill next to you. HIIT is what it says high-intensity and the results are undeniable. If you’re used to wearing a heartrate monitor to judge the efficiency of your cardio, shelve it you won’t need it.
By cycling between bouts of all-out effort and short stretches of active recovery, a mirror will be all you need to gauge your progress.

Burning Debate
Bodybuilders and others have long used steady-state cardio, which involves low- to moderate-intensity exercise performed at 60%-70% of one’s maximum heart rate (MHR), to whittle away bodyfat. Trainers and other experts argue that since lower-intensity cardio exercise burns a higher percentage of fat for energy, slow and steady indeed wins the race. HIIT cardio, on the other hand, involves intervals of high-intensity exercise–at a rate near 90% MHR–followed by intervals of slower-paced active recovery. Anecdotal reports and early research on HIIT went against the steady-state establishment, claiming that it was the superior method of cardio for losing fat. And the exercise community, likely looking for a way to collectively limit its time on a conveyor belt, felt it was time for in-depth science to put an end to the developing debate. What they found, time after time, was that HIIT cardio was the best way to lose fat, despite the fact that it required less total time.

Studies
One of the earliest studies, done by researchers at Laval University (Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada), kept it basic, using two groups in a months-long experiment. One group followed a 15-week program using HIIT while the other performed only steady-state cardio for 20 weeks. Proponents of steady-state training were pleased to hear that those subjects burned 15,000 calories more than their HIIT counterparts. Those who followed the HIIT program, however, lost significantly more bodyfat. A 2001 study from East Tennessee State University (Johnson City) demonstrated similar findings with subjects who followed an eight-week HIIT program. Again, HIIT proved to be the better fat-burner–subjects dropped 2% bodyfat over the course of the experiment. Meanwhile, those who plodded through the eight weeks on a steady-state program lost no bodyfat.
The most recent study, out of Australia, reported that a group of females who followed a 20-minute HIIT program consisting of eight-second sprints followed by 12 seconds of rest lost an amazing six times more bodyfat than a group that followed a 40-minute cardio program performed at a constant intensity of 60% MHR.

Turn Up The HIIT
So what is it about HIIT cardio training that sends bodyfat to the great beyond? There are actually several reasons, but the first and perhaps most important involves its effect on your metabolism.
A 1996 study from Baylor College of Medicine (Houston) reported that subjects who performed a HIIT workout on a stationary cycle burned significantly more calories during the 24 hours following the workout than those who cycled at a moderate, steady-state intensity due to a rise in resting metabolism. Why? Since HIIT is tougher on the body, it requires more energy (read: calories) to repair itself afterward. The previously mentioned 2001 East Tennessee State study found that test subjects in the HIIT program also burned nearly 100 more calories per day during the 24 hours after exercise.
More recently, a study presented by Florida State University (Tallahassee) researchers at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reported that subjects who performed HIIT cardio burned almost 10% more calories during the 24 hours following exercise than a steady-state group, despite the fact that the total calories burned during each workout were the same.

What else the research confirms
Research also confirms that HIIT enhances the metabolic machinery in muscle cells that promotes fat-burning and blunts fat production. The Laval University study discovered that the HIIT subjects’ muscle fibers had significantly higher markers for fat oxidation (fat-burning) than those in the steady-state exercise group. And a study published in a 2007 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that young females who performed seven HIIT workouts over a two-week period experienced a 30% increase in both fat oxidation and levels of muscle enzymes that enhance fat oxidation. Moreover, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim) reported that subjects with metabolic syndrome–a combination of medical disorders that increases one’s risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes–who followed a 16-week HIIT program had a 100% greater decrease in the fat-producing enzyme fatty acid synthase compared to subjects who followed a program of continuous moderate-intensity exercise.

More great news
The bonus to all this research is discovering that shorter exercise sessions will allow you to hold on to more muscle. Pro physique competitors often have to walk a fine line between just enough and too much steady-state cardio because the usual prescription of 45-60 minutes, sometimes done twice a day precontest, can rob muscles of size and fullness. Short, hard bursts of cardio, on the other hand, will help you preserve your hard-earned muscle mass. To illustrate the point, think about the size of a marathon runner’s legs compared to a sprinter’s legs–the sprinter, whose entire training schedule revolves around HIIT, possesses significantly more muscular thighs.
In the event you choose cycling as your primary method of HIIT cardio, you can actually add leg mass because of the increased recruitment of the growth-crazy, fast-twitch fibers in your thighs.

HIIT could be the only way to train for people looking to lose fat while adding and/or preserving muscle mass.
Rev It Up
No one enjoys doing cardio, but it’s a necessary component of reaching your physique goals. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be monotonous to be effective, and we’ve shown you the science to prove it. Turning up the heat on your workouts with HIIT will keep your gym time feeling productive while speeding up your fat oxidation–and in less time than you’d normally spend doing cardio.
If steady-state is the four-door sedan of cardio, HIIT is the Porsche–it’s sexier, and there’s enough under the hood to keep you blowing past the guy next to you.
Tips/Tricks
Time your HIIT sessions
Doing cardio after weights or in the morning on an empty stomach will burn the greatest amount of fat. During both of these times your body is slightly carb-depleted, making fat the primary fuel source for energy.
Preserve muscle
If you do cardio first thing in the morning, have a half-scoop of whey protein (about 10 grams) mixed in water or 6-10 grams of mixed amino acids before your session. This will help ensure that your body draws most of its energy from fat and these fast-digesting supplements instead of your muscle.
Supplement right
A fat-burning stack of caffeine and carnitine will enhance the amount of fat you burn during exercise.
Take 200-400 mg of caffeine along with 1.5-3 grams of carnitine (in the form of L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine or L-carnitine L-tartrate) 30 minutes before your session.
Make it an uphill climb
Consider working hills into your HIIT cardio to add more detail to your hams and glutes. If you don’t have hills available, adjust the incline on a treadmill to simulate it. Be sure to drop the incline to level, or zero, during low-intensity intervals.
Get in and out
Limit HIIT cardio sessions to 20-30 minutes to maximize intensity while actually aiding muscle growth and preventing muscle loss.
Adjust for the lag
During intervals on a treadmill, there will be a slight lag time as the machine adjusts to the change in speed: By the time the treadmill is up to running speed, the fast interval portion is almost over. To keep your intensity high, begin the sprint portion of the interval when the machine has reached your target speed.
You can do this by counting seconds once the target speed is reached, or by straddling the sides of the treadmill as it gets up to speed.

Making HIIT Work For You
Below is a sample HIIT cardio workout. The training modes listed here are merely examples; feel free to substitute other cardio choices. The mode of training isn’t as important as the method you use. Each sprint, whether on foot or a stationary cycle, indicates an all-out effort. The active recovery intervals should be slow enough to get you ready for the next sprint.
Start using this workout to fine-tune your fat-fighting machine.

References
Boutcher, S.H., et al. The effect of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on autonomic response of premenopausal women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl):S165, 2007.
Gorostiaga, E.M., et al. Uniqueness of interval and continuous training at the same maintained exercise intensity. European Journal of Applied Physiology 63(2):101-107, 1991.
King, J.W. A comparison of the effects of interval training vs. continuous training on weight loss and body composition in obese premenopausal women (thesis). East Tennessee State University, 2001.
Meuret, J.R., et al. A comparison of the effects of continuous aerobic, intermittent aerobic, and resistance exercise on resting metabolic rate at 12 and 21 hours post-exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl):S247, 2007.
Talanian, J.L., et al. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. Journal of Applied Physiology 102(4):1,439-1,447, 2007.
Tjonna, A.E., et al. Superior cardiovascular effect of interval training vs. moderate exercise in patients with metabolic syndrome. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl):S112, 2007.
Trapp, E.G., Boutcher, S.H. Fat loss following 15 weeks of high-intensity, intermittent cycle ergometer training. Obesity Reviews 341, 2006.
Treuth, M.S., et al. Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 28(9):1,138-1,143, 1996.
Author: Jimmy Pena, MS, CSCS, and Jim Stoppani, PhD, with Eric Velazquez

Lea Wagner No Comments , , ,