Personal Training - FQA questions on exercise

Ten Frequently Asked Questions at Fitness Club Rochester, NY Regarding Weight Loss and Exercise

How do I lose weight?

Too much food coupled with inactivity will result in weight gain.  However, telling someone to eat right and exercise to lose weight might be an oversimplification of the process, because there are other factors to consider such as gender, food intake, taking certain medications or fitness level. Just remember that small changes can result in greater transformations.

Eat sensibly without starving. Combine this with a well-planned exercise program, 3-4 times a week for about 45 minutes to an hour each time.  This is the only way to lose weight correctly.

Is diet more important than exercise?

 Diet contributes about 75% of your fitness goal.  Insufficient  food and nutrients will produce little or no results when combined with an exercise program. On the other hand, too much fuel will negate any gains from your hard work.

How do I decrease the size of my waistline?

Exercising to reduce a specific part of your body is a myth.  Fat is stored all over your body with the largest concentration of fat around the hip and abdominal area. Unfortunately, we don’t get to select where the fat will be discharged first no matter how much you exercise that part.  A combination of a sensible diet and a balanced exercise program will eventually decrease the size of your gut.

Do I have to exercise every day?

No.  I rarely endorse training more than five days a week. Rest and recuperation is just as important and should be part of a well-planned exercise program.

When is the best time of the day to exercise?

 Whenever it is most convenient.  Your body will adjust to a schedule that you maintain, and become a bit stronger during your usual workout time. However, this may not hold true for athletes who need to push their bodies’ performance level to the limit.

If I stop working out, will my muscle turn to fat?

No. Muscle will never turn to fat, just as fat will never turn into muscle. Fat is the body’s fuel reserve. Muscle needs fuel to contract and relax.  When the fuel from your food intake goes below your muscle’s requirements, it taps into the fuel reserves (your body fat). Because fat is used up by muscle, it’s reasonable to presume that more muscle will result in a reduction in body fat.

Is walking as good as jogging?

Aerobic exercise serves one purpose, and that is to increase heart and breathing rate. The type of exercise that you do, whether it is walking or jogging is irrelevant, provided that the exercise you choose increases both heart and breathing rates.  Don’t make the mistake of working too hard (which can lead to injury and burnout) or not working hard enough.

Am I too old to exercise?

No. Whether you are starting your first exercise program or getting back into fitness after a long break, the first step is to tune in to your body.  Inactive people often are not in touch with how their body feels, what it can and can't do. Start slowly, especially if you have gained weight over the years or developed arthritis in your joints.

If I lift heavy weights, will I get too bulky?

Unless you ingest steroids, you have nothing to worry about. Most women and men won’t add on more than a few pounds of muscle unless they take extreme measures.  You’re more likely to tone up and sculpt your body without bulking up like a body builder.

Is it better to do cardio before or after lifting weights?

 I tell my clients that if they lift after a cardio-vascular workout, they will not have the same power than if they lifted first.  To burn more calories, I recommend lifting first, cardio second.  However, this may not hold true for someone who needs to improve cardio-vascular endurance for say, a triathlon.  To improve endurance, I would recommend cardio first.

Fitness Club Rochester NY is a health and fitness center in Rochester NY offering weight loss, strength and endurance training programs.  We offer group aerobics classes such as Zumba, kickboxing, interval training and step aerobics classes.