Submitted by Fit and Female Blog
Have you ever heard someone tell you they know of a workout that makes you “longer and leaner”? Did you believe them? If so, I have some prime real estate in Florida that you might be interested in. Yeah, sure there’s a few gators scrambling around amidst the reeds…and a bit of a stench, but its really not that bad once you get used to it.
Seriously though, the truth is exercise can make bodies “leaner”, but it can’t make them”longer”. “Lean” means that you have proportionately more muscle tissue and less fat tissue. That is certainly a realistic goal to have with any consistent workout routine. But “length” is another matter all together. Muscle length is a function of your limb length. Folks with longer bones (such as the femur in the leg and the humerus in the arm) have longer muscles strung across them to make them move properly.
No matter what you may read on the cover of a magazine — no exercise program will make you “longer”…although there was that medieval torture “the rack”…hmmm…maybe they were on to something… could be the next Thigh Master…but I digress. The truth is if you are an adult then your limb length is set. So unless your limbs happen to be made of salt water taffy — they won’t get LONGER from exercise.
I am particularly sensitive to this subject because I think a lot of exercise professionals deliberately distort the science to get people to sign on to a particular program. Let me say here that I am a big fan of both yoga and Pilates. Moreover, I think they each have their own significant contributions to make as part of a well-rounded fitness program. But I think that many times women gravitate towards these types of workouts (in lieu of weight training) because they are afraid of developing “big, bulky muscles” from weight training. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When many women think of “lifting weights” they call to mind mental images of enormous female body builders who make Lou Ferrigno look like Gwyneth Paltrow. But these women are not the norm — not even in gyms. Look around you. It is very unusual for a woman’s body to look that way. Women bodybuilders are doing this as a full-time job, doing far more volume and intensity then “normal” women would working out 3 times per week for an hour. These women are trying to look that way for a certain look needed for competition in their “sport” — and they train for hours and hours every day. And sadly, many of them use anabolic steroids on top of that to achieve the results they’re after. Because it’s still hard for a woman to develop “big, bulky muscles” — even when want to!!
Women simply lack the testosterone levels that men have that allow them to experience significant “hypertrophy” or an increase in muscle size. Study after study has shown that women experience significant increases in strength (similar in relative terms to that of men) without significant increases in muscle size. And weight training has benefits beyond creating “lean” sexy muscles.
- It promotes bone strength and can reduce the chance of developing osteoporosis
- It strengthens joints and connective tissues It helps prepare the body for the physical challenges of everyday life
- It increases metabolism helping the body burn more calories per day
- It can improve posture and correct imbalances
- It increases self-esteem and self-confidence
If you think you might be ready to start a weight training program, I strongly suggest that you get some guidance from a Certified Personal Trainer. There is a lot to know in getting started and developing a safe and effective plan. Just a few sessions in the beginning will set you up so that you use your time wisely, efficiently and get the results you want.
Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women
Submitted by Fit and Female Blog
There’s been a lot in the media lately about the contribution of exercise “afterburn” (aka EPOC - excess post oxygen consumption). EPOC is the period after a workout session during which your metabolism remains elevated as your body works to return to it’s normal resting state (homeostasis). This period can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 48 hours.
Two main things have the biggest impact on how many calories are burned after exercise. The first one is “intensity”. The harder you work during the session, the higher the EPOC afterwards. The second is “duration” — or how long you workout for. The longer the session the greater the effect of EPOC.
Here are some other interesting facts about EPOC…
- “Intermittent” exercise tends to cause a greater “afterburn” than continuous exercise. For example, in one study the EPOC was higher when folks worked out in two separate 25 minutes bouts than in one continous 50 minute bout.
- Resistance training produces a higher EPOC than cardiovascular exercise
- Circuit training workouts produce higher EPOC than continuous resistance training programs
- In appears you need to be working at >70% of your VO2 Max (or an intensity you’d describe as “somewhat hard to hard” for 30 min or more to maximize EPOC
- You don’t actually burn that many calories from EPOC from one session (typically 50-130), but the cumulative effect of those calories over the course of continued workouts adds up and is thought to significantly contribute to weight loss and control
So while “afterburn” isn‘t a weight loss panacea — it is certainly one of the many benefits of working out. So if you’d like to take maximal advantage of EPOC be sure your program:
- Includes interval cardiovascular training (2x a week is a good goal, then 2-3 days of steady intensity cardio)
- Includes resistance training (2-3x week working the entire body)
- Circuit training when you do resistance training, going from exercise to exercise without resting
- Working at intensities 2-3 times per week that you would describe as “challenging”
Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, a certified personal trainer, author of Fit + Female: The Perfect Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan For Your Unique Body Type and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss, toning and wellness system designed especially for women.
Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog
While I was at Lifetime Fitness Center tonight in the sauna, a person asked me the question, “what are the benefits of using a sauna?” I said, “there are many, but it mostly benefits and gives your immune system a workout.”
Some commonly known sauna health benefits include improved blood circulation, enhanced detoxification processes, deep skin cleansing, and stress relief. For me, if I have the time, I like to spend around 5 - 10 minutes before my workout to help relax myself and also raise my body temperature. I believe you can have better workouts (especially if they are intense) when your muscles are warm and you will burn more calories/fat when your body temperature is slightly up.
I also like to use the sauna at the conclusion of my workouts. It really helps me relax and “think” about things going on in my life (kids, work, projects, etc.). Additionally, it’s a great time to socialize, network and meet people.
But, is it really a workout for your immune system? Yes it is!
The sauna can enhance your immune system by raising the temperature of your body by giving you an “artificial” fever. A fever is actually a sign that your immune system is working by helping to fight infection or eliminate viruses.
Raising your body’s temperature (by using the sauna) helps kill bacteria and viruses by increasing white blood cells, antibodies, and other disease fighting agents. As your body works to lower its temperature, your immune system is “exercising,” and therefore being strengthened. This enhanced immune system, combined with improved elimination of toxins and wastes as a result of increased perspiration, will increase your immune system and reduce the stress put on your body’s health.
Since many virus do not survive well in environments which the temperature is higher than normal body temperature, constant use of a sauna can help kill them before they are allowed to grow. At the very least, the sauna can help to reduce their growth rate, which will also make the healing process faster and prevent future infection.
Of course, using a sauna does not mean you will never become sick, but repeated use can enhance your immune system.
Give it a try.
Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog
I came across an interesting article on the Internet about a man who lived to age 114 died recently on a small Mediterranean island. It said he rode a bicycle every day to the age of 102 and tended to his family’s orchards. His 101-year-old brother, his two daughters aged 81 and 77, and a nephew aged 85 all still live in a small town on the Spanish island of Minorca.
Some people wonder of he had great genes, lived the perfect lifestyle or was simply lucky. I think it’s a little of all three, but mostly about lifestyle.
Why spend time worrying about your genes? Spend time on things you can control, such as being active and exercising, eating a healthy diet, resting and recreating. These are the huge investments that really pay off in the long run because there is nothing more important than your health and wellbeing.
By the way, the article stated the man followed the Mediterranean Diet, which is the way of eating I advocate in my Build A Better Body Program.
Read more:
Submitted by Fit and Female Blog
I love my java!
I could honestly drink the stuff all day…I love the way it tastes — and the extra zip it adds to my often sleep-deprived step. Although I do try to limit it to two cups per day…okay… so they’re REALLY BIG cups.
All of which got me thinking… just how bad is coffee for you anyway?
So as a public service (and in the hopes of assuaging my own guilt) …here is the upside (and down) of being a slave to the grind.
Some of the Benefits:
- Coffee is high in antioxidants, compounds which can help protect your body from heart disease and cancer…hmmm so is chocolate…so is red wine… oh, how I LOVE those antioxidants!!!!
- Some studies show that drinking coffee can reduce your risk of colon cancer by up to 25% by helping speed up “transit time” — ’nuff said.
- Some research indicates that coffee may reduce the chance of developing kidney stones.
- Asthmatics who drink coffee may have a 25% reduction in their symptoms, because one of the compounds in coffee (theophylline) actually helps open breathing passages.
- Research indicates that coffee may be helpful in preventing: Parkinson’s Disease (one study showed coffee drinkers were 80% less likely to get PD), gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver, skin cancer and Type II Diabetes.
Some of the Risks:
- Coffee drinking does increase the amount of calcium you urinate out which could be problematic for those at risk for osteoporosis. Experts recommend off-setting this by drinking a glass of milk for each cup of coffee…hmmm…where are those damn calcium supplements anyway?!
- The caffeine in coffee causes a temporary rise in heart rate and blood pressure which may be undesirable for folks with hypertension and heart disease
- Coffee can irritate ulcers and cause indigestion.
- Coffee can result in sleep disturbances.
So although there are some individuals who probably shouldn’t be drinking coffee most of the current research suggests that coffee is either harmless or potentially healthy in the long run. So bye, bye guilt — hello, Starbucks!!
Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog
Water fitness classes at the Alief YMCA will start next week on May 19th. I will teach the Monday night 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. class and the Saturday morning 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. class.
This class is an athletic approach to water fitness training with sports-specific drills, intense cardiovascular work, intervals, and plyometrics. A great way to improve your cardiovascular conditioning and muscular strength and endurance with minimal stress on your joints. Also recommended as a great form of cross training.
Come out and have some fun!
Submitted by Fit and Female Blog
Beauty is not in the face;
beauty is a light in the heart ~ Khalil Gibran
Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical ~ Sophia Loren
How many of us have asked someone (usually our “significant other”) something along the lines of “Do these pants make my butt look big?” or “Do I look fat in this dress?”.
Sometimes we ask a sister or a close gal pal, but usually we ask the men in our lives this kind of stuff. And I really feel badly for the guys on this one, Ladies, because I don’t think there is any good answer to that.
If they say, “Well, they are not the most flattering pants you’ve ever worn”, they are dead meat (even if its true — and even if we KNOW its true). Because true or not, there isn’t a woman on the planet that wants to hear it.
Really smart men side-step that one with a “No, Honey, you know I always think you look beautiful…no matter what.” And even that’s not a safe answer, because often they’re accused of not being honest — or being dismissive. Maybe the safest answer is, “Well, Sweetie, what do YOU think?”.
To my mind that really is the most important one, any way. Why are we asking these kinds of questions in the first place? And what in the name of heaven is the most politically-correct response?
In fact, I would be curious to do a study on exactly what time of the month (and after what behaviors) this question usually asked.
My hallucination is that it is: 1) while we are going through a raging bout of PMS and 2) immediately following a pig-out with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. In fact, that also seems to be the time that most of us decide to try on a bikini (you know the one that we bought on sale a few years ago and that never fit quite right from the get-go).
The better question is — why are we asking other people (even those we care about most) for their opinion of our bodies?
Because the truth is even if they thought we should be gracing the pages of Victoria’s Secret (move over, Ms. Lima, coming through), if we don’t believe it — it doesn’t matter what other folks say or how many times they say it.
I have a girlfriend who was a model for about fifteen years. Drop dead gorgeous. She told me an interesting story. She said that she used to have a few steady clients that would “book” her but whose clothes she really did not enjoy modeling, because she felt that she didn’t look good in that particular line.
On occasion, during a modeling job she would say something in passing about how she didn’t think that she looked very good in these particular outfits — in front of the client. And she told me that every time she did this, she would never get booked by that particular client again. No matter how many times they had used her in the past.
She said that taught her a valuable lesson. After it happened a few times she resolved to keep her mouth shut regardless of how she felt in the clothes.
Clearly, the client thought she looked great! That’s why they had booked her in the past — and that’s why they continued to book her…until she put the notion in their heads to the contrary.
The point is your reality and other people’s reality (particularly when it comes to an analysis of your physical appearance) may have absolutely nothing to do with one another.
I’ll tell you another story along the same lines that really struck me as a teenager. Back in high school, I had these jeans that I really thought of as, well not the most flattering. I wore them, but I didn’t think they looked that great. In fact, I thought they made me look a kinda fat and dumpy — and I always felt a little self-conscious when I wore them.
Long story short, a good guy friend of mine told me on day that he had overheard some of the other guys in the gym lockeroom discussing me — and these particular pants. My stomach dropped…OMG…I was right!!! He was about to tell me something I didn’t want to hear…they were making fun of me?? I just knew it!!
But NO…he told me that the conversation was how HOT the guys thought I looked in those jeans. I damn near hit the floor! How could that be???
Well, naturally I wore those jeans till they went threadbare after that 
— and with a completely different attitude.
But the point is NOTHING in that situation had changed except my attitude. And unfortunately, my attitude changed based on someone else’s opinion and validation. I could have just skipped a step (and saved myself a few months of unnecessary discomfort) by telling myself that I looked great.
I personally haven’t asked my husband (or anyone else) those kinds of questions in years.
One, because I think its a set-up so you can get pissed off at somebody else due to your own insecurities about your body (which ultimately only you can deal with). And two, because until you believe that you are attractive nobody in the world can convince you otherwise.
Again, as with other insecurity issues I think a good way to go with this is to act “as if”. In other words, “fake it ’til you make it”. Pretend you believe it, try to push out any other thoughts, act as if you believe it — and bit by bit you will come closer and close to actually believing it.
Also, I would follow my model friend’s advice and stop asking ridiculous questions. Bottom line, there is only one answer to that question that matters anyway — and that is the one that you give silently to yourself.
Now repeat after me, Girlfriend, “Damn, I’m fine…damn, I’m fine…damn, I’m fine” .
Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women
Submitted by Fit and Female Blog
Noooooooo! Say it ain’t so!!! That was the title of this article on my homepage today. My eyes got wide and I clicked on it.
After all, I’m the girl with at least 5 tubes of lip gloss in her purse at any given time. I’ve loved the stuff ever since I heard the words “Bonnie Bell Lipsmacker” back in the 7th Grade (bubblegum was the bomb!). And I was recently busted going through airport security — the guard laughed and shook her head as she threw 7 different glosses into the trash (I wasn’t quite as amused). So in the interest of protecting all my glossy gal pals…here’s the 411. Definitely off to buy gloss with SPF 15 tomorrow!
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