November 19, 2007

DID YOU KNOW that it doesn't matter what weight you lift or for how many reps as long as you are completely EXHAUSTING your muscles? That's where the progress comes from. Some people lift very light weights - so light that they could do 20+ reps without feeling exhausted - but stop at 12-15 because those are "the rules" of lifting. Achieving total exhaustion is key to developing more lean muscle. It will increase your metabolism as you build strength and tone your muscles, and give your metabolism a boost for several hours post-workout.

Room for improvement: Changes in fat distribution happen when you are losing fat and building muscle. Typically, the body burns fat all over, and just as typically, fat in the stomach is usually the last to go. There are no exercises you can do to speed up fat burn in any particular area. Cardio activity, utilizing large muscle groups, burns fat all over the body. So, don't waste your time doing lots of crunches to lose the belly fat, or boxing to lose your arm jiggle. You can measure these changes with a simple tape measure, or just by how your clothes look and feel. (SPARKPEOPLE)

BUT exercising at least three days a week helps shrink fat cells around the abdomen faster than diet alone, a new study finds. Published in the International Journal of Obesity, the study by Wake Forest University researchers reaffirms the benefits of a combined diet-exercise strategy. Researchers assigned a population of middle-aged, obese women to one of three study groups: low-calorie diet alone, diet plus moderate-intensity exercise, or diet plus high-intensity exercise. At the conclusion of the 20-week study period, women in both exercise groups were found to have lost significantly more abdominal fat than women in the diet-only group. Carrying excess abdominal fat has been known to raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other ailments. (LifeScript)

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