Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weight Training?

I get asked this question a lot. "Should you do your cardio before or after your weight training?"




Well, it depends on your goal(s).

If your goal is to build muscle, it can best be accomplished by lifting weights first when the body’s main source of energy for muscle contraction (glycogen) is high. If you do a hard cardio workout before lifting, you deplete glycogen, which makes the workout ineffective.



If your goal is to build your cardiovascular endurance,

you should perform endurance exercise first, when you have plenty of energy for long-distance exercise. Add resistance exercises 2 to 3 times a week, either after or separate from the endurance work in order to develop muscular strength and reduce your risk of injury. Lifting prior to running is not recommended because you increase your risk of injury due to muscle fatigue.



If you are just trying to get healthier, it really doesn’t matter if you lift weights first or do endurance training first. In fact, you can do both at the same time with interval training (see yesterday’s post) or circuit training routines or you can alternate weight lifting and endurance days if you prefer.



If you are trying to lose fat and burn calories, you should probably do cardio first and lift weights next. The reason is that it is usally easier for most people to burn more calories per exercise session when they do cardio first. However, almost any combination of burning more calories while eating fewer will result in fat loss.



Some people can lose significant weight just though dietary changes; others do it just by lifting. Weight lifting definitely burns calories; in fact, it often burns more calories per minute than performing endurance exercise. The problem is that most people fatigue quickly when lifting weights, and therefore cannot perform the exercise as long as they can walk, bike or use an elliptical machine. The end result is that the total calories burned per exercise session tends to be higher for those who do endurance exercise first, simply because the can exercise longer.



I personally mix up the cardio depending on what body part I’m working and how much time I have. If I need to do serious cardio I try to make a stand-alone activity so that I can focus on it 100%. The same with lifting. But sometimes my time is at a premium and I have to mix, match and combine my cardio and lifting sessions.



So, when do you do your cardio? (Don’t say you don’t do it at all — that’s not allowed!).

The Amazing Vibrating Belt and Other Crazy Fitness Fads

Ever wonder how we got where we are with fitness fads? We’ve come a long way, baby, and I have a feeling we have a way to go. Take a stroll down the fitness fad memory lane with me and see if you remember any of these gems:





1940s=Working Out Not Allowed



Guess what women’s fitness trend swept the nation in the 1940s. Um, nothing. Not a workout in sight. It’s not surprising when you consider that in the 40s, many experts were still telling women that exercise could damage their uteruses, according to Fitness for Dummies. Women spent their days pursuing domestic activities like cooking, baking, sewing, ironing aprons and having Tupperware parties. Who in the world could fit fitness into a busy schedule like that? Would June Cleaver have been able to look so fresh and perky when Ward came through the door each night?



1950s=Jack LaLanne’s Glamour Stretcher



In 1956 (yes, before I was born), the President’s Council on Youth Fitness was formed. Jack LaLanne had his own exercise show–The Jack LaLanne Show. It was one of the longest-running health-and-fitness shows in history, having first aired in 1951. In 1959, (I was one that year!) Jack developed the Glamour Stretcher. It was the first elastic band used for resistance training, though he didn’t market it quite that way. The Glamour Stretcher came with a record called "Glamour Stretcher Time." The new gizmo promised women a lovelier, more flattering figure. Gee, who’d have thought that resistance training could do that? I always knew I liked Jack LaLanne.



1960s=Vibrating Belts



I remember going with my Mom to a Venus De Milo exercise studio (Remember them? Yikes!) and seeing these women getting jiggled by a belt slung around their butts while they gossiped endlessly and smacked Doublemint Gum (not really a pretty picture). These belts were thought to melt fat…huh?? All they did was give these poor women red streaks on their hinnies. The sad but true thing is that I was channel surfing the other day and poof! A new hybrid version is back on the market. If only it could give you tan while melting your fat, I’d be suckered in.



1970s=Roller Skating



Now this one I like. With the advent of polyurethane wheels that made for smoother rolling, roller skating made a huge comeback in the ’70s. Olivia Newton-John appeared in her red and white skates on the cover of a July 1979 issue of People. She was quoted as saying, "Skating keeps my legs in shape." She?did have cute legs, right??Since?I don’t have any roller rinks near my home, so I was wondering if I could roller skate on?my treadmill…hmmm. Note to self: Be sure to?pay the health insurance premium…



1980s=Aerobics



Gotta love the ’80s - just don’t gag thinking back on the big hair, disco music, leisure suits and lest we not forget, Jane Fonda and her painful if not gainful burst onto the aerobic scene. Funny thing is, Fonda looked astonishing and I must say her routines worked. I mean how could they not? Sixty minutes of bopping around, leg warmers and all, sweatband perfectly perched on our heads so as to not muss our giant feathered-back bangs and the novel concept of cardiovascular activity to burn calories and tone muscles. Gee, I need to do some cardio. Has anyone seen my pink lycra leotard?



1990s=Boot-Camp Fitness



The military meets fat camp. The boot-camp fitness classes that sprang up in the ’90s offered intense tough-love motivation, often run by ex-military whistle-blowing instructors. According to The Gym Survival Guide by Gregg Cook and Fatima D. Almeida-Cook, The military aspect of this class stems from the idea of going through a chain of exercises strung together with little to no rest in between, as well as the idea of working in a team and fostering the spirit of camaraderie. Personally, I like the boot camp mindset. It forces you to either get tough or wimp out and get ridiculed by a maniacal camoflauge-clad trainer with a riding crop. Now drop and give me fifty!

2000s=Strip Aerobics



I know. How could this even be considered fitness? Strip aerobics. Pole dancing. Sexercise? (don’t ask). You can thank celebrity trainer Jeff Costa for jump-starting the movement. In 2001, he created Cardio Striptease for Crunch Gym. Then cutie-patootie Carmen Electra jumped on board when she started her own collection of workout DVDs called Aerobic Striptease. This evolved into pole dancing, with the S Factor workout, a combination of yoga, ballet, striptease and, naturally, pole dancing (brainchild of Sheila Kelley). I tried pole dancing once…I did pretty good until the Principal came out and told me I was using the flagpole in an inappropriate manner…



So now were in a new decade…the 2010s (doesn’t sound quite right does it?) Any guesses as to what the new fitness fad might be?



I was thinking maybe Ninja Sleep Training. You know, since that recent study found that getting more sleep could help you lose weight, just think, if you could work-out while you were asleep, you could get fit and lose pounds and rest. And yay me, there’d be no school principals in sight!



Remember — a fad is just a fad, but fitness is forever!!

Yummy Black Bean Chile Dip for Super Bowl Sunday

I’m already planning for Super Bowl Sunday…although I know it will be a cheat day, I want to make sure all the yummy food is as healthy and low fat as possible.

So over the next couple weeks as I choose recipes I’ll post them to share.

Here’s the first one: Black Bean Chile Dip



Black Bean Chile Dip


2 tablespoons chopped green chiles (from 4.5-oz can)

2 small onions, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Dash of kosher salt



1. Place chilies, onions, garlic and beans in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium-high speed until almost smooth.

2. Spoon mixture into small bowl. Stir in yogurt, cumin and salt. If you are like me and like a little heat, add a few drops of Tabasco or Tapatio.Cover and refrigerate until chilled, or heat in 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes and scallions if desired.
This dip is great with pita chips, kale chips or homemade wheat tortilla chips. Also good for dipping carrots, jicama and other veggies into.

Nutrition Information:

2 Tablespoons: Calories 35 (Calories from Fat 0); Total Fat 0g (Saturated Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 145 mg; Total Carbohydrate 8 g (Dietary Fiber 2 g); Protein 2 g



Next time: Yummy Eats for Super Bowl Sunday #2- Mini Buffalo Wing Pizzas



Enjoy!

I Want it and I Want it NOW!!

Seems like everyone is impatient to see results. If things don't happen fast enough, they give up or give in. I hear this from so many people. "I tried to get in shape but I just couldn't so I gave up," or "I lost a couple pounds but then it just stopped so I thought I'd just go back to eating. At least I'm getting some satisfaction from food." Then there's my fave: "I just don't have time now. I'll try to get in shape next summer. Or next year." Or never?



The trouble is, everyone progresses at a different rate. Some people lose weight just by cutting back on calories a wee bit. Some are able to bulk up with tons of rock hard muscle in a matter of months while others struggle to gain a mere half inch.


But no one, and I mean no one attains everything they want as fast as they want. And you can't compare yourself with the perfect physiques you see on this website because you have no idea what it took for them to look like that!


There are four kinds of people / attitudes when it comes to transforming their bodies:


1. Those who's heart was never really in it and they give up before they even start, spending more time making excuses than anything else;


2. Those who give it a halfway try and wind up a tad better than they were, peter out and will likely be back at square one in a few months;


3. Those who plan their strategy and live it, taking each success in stride and moving forward toward their goal, understanding that it takes time; and


4. Those who are so dedicated (usually due to an upcoming competition or transformation challenge) that they put their entire body and soul into it and acheive results quickly.


BUT--and any of you who have been in category 3 know this--it is rare for a person to stay in peak condition year round. It is just too much work! Even the fittest of the fit have off-seasons when they lose all semblance of the ripped god or goddess in the pictures. They just know they'll have to amp the diet and exercise back up to reveal that stunning bod!


So, my point is, don't expect miracles. Don't expect to work out for six months and look like Ava Cowan. Probably ain't gonna happen.


Instead:

-Give yourself and your body time to adjust to what you are trying to achieve.

-Set realistic goals that are achievable, to do otherwise is to set yourself up for failure.

-Keep a log or journal of your progress and note what seems to be working and what is not.

-When you feel like quitting, get some support from people who want to help you achieve your goals.

-Celebrate each milestone (even the small ones) by rewarding yourself. It doesn't have to be huge, maybe a new pair of lifting gloves or work out shorts or even a little cheat treat like a Mocha Latte from Starbuck's.

-And always remember, Rome was not built in a day. Anybody in a fitness magazine that you admire will tell you it takes a heck of a lot of time and dedication to get to the place they are and nearly as much to stay there.

If it's worth having, it's worth waiting for. And your new body is definitely worth having AND waiting for!!

Go for it and never look back! You'll be so glad you did.



Sue

Obesity and Depression Go Hand in Hand

Over the past couple days I have talked to more than a few women who are depressed because they are overweight and can’t seem to do anything (consistently) about it. Often they feel like failures.


Then I happened on an interesting article explaining that middle-aged women are much more likely to be depressed if theyare obese, and vice versa. Rising excess weight goes along with less physical activity, higher calorie intake — and depression — according to the research.

The reason, said lead author Gregory Simon, M.D., is that depression and obesity likely fuel one another. “When people gain weight, they’re more likely to become depressed, and when they get depressed, they have more trouble losing weight,” said Simon, a psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.

For the study, researchers interviewed 4,641 female health-plan enrollees, ages 40 to 65, by phone. The women were asked questions regarding height, weight, exercise levels, dietary habits and body image. They also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, a measure of depression symptoms.

Women withclinical depression were more than twice as likely to be obese, defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more; likewise, obese women were more than twice as likely to be depressed.

Not surprisingly, women with BMIs at or above 30 exercised the least, had the poorest body image and ingested 20 percent more calories than those with lower BMIs. The depression-obesity association held even when the researchers factored in marital status, education, tobacco use and antidepressant use.

The association was stronger in this study than in previous, comparable ones — possibly because the sample was predominantly white and middle-class. “There is some evidence that being overweight is less stigmatized for men, for lower-income people and for women in nonwhite ethnic groups,” Simon said.

The stigma of being overweight could hurt self-esteem, and thus, efforts to lose weight, Simon said. “It’s not that these women are clueless,” he said. “It’s that they’re hopeless. The takeaway for obese women is to focus on rebuilding their spirit, which can help with losing pounds,” he said.

My take on this is that we need to give all the support we can to the women (and men) who wish to make a change to not only their physical size but to their life and well being.  No one wants (or needs) to be overweight, much less depressed. Life is too short...we need to enjoy every minute and be able to enjoy the bodies we live in!!

Sleep Yourself Thin

I just found an interesting study by the Eastern Virginia Medical School…they found that thin people sleep an average of two hours more per week than overweight people.




They think that lack of sleep causes hormonal changes that could make you gain weight.




Interesting, isn’t it? I have always been a good sleeper. Even now I sleep nine hours a night on average. And I’ve always been what would be considered "thin." My sleep isn't always quality sleep; I wake up several times each night but usually can get back to sleep fairly easily. I would say that overall I average eight good hours of sleep most nights.



If you are trying to lose weight, it might be worth a try to get some extra shuteye. It calculates out to 17 extra minutes per day or night. A nice afternoon catnap just might make the difference. I’m not a napper, but if I was I would sure give it a go!

Sleep Good Everyone!