Is Cardio Necessary? Weights only?
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More muscle increases how many calories you burn at rest. , HIIT can be very catabolic and I found after a year of 4 days a week lifting and 3 days a week HIIT I had no benefits in body composition only a BIG loss in muscle mass. Your body will eat muscles if it needs instant energy and glycogen is depleted so HIIT is great for fitness terrible for composition, do not even attempt it unless you have a calorie surplus0
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I was a gluten fee vegan as of 2 weeks ago. I am slowly transitioning to Paleo but allowing myself my normal protein shake in the morning that includes gluten free oats.
I have tried ALL Jillian Michaels DVD's and P90 with absolutely no freaking weight loss.
I have been eating
Breakfast-Protein shake
Lunch- Kale Salad
Dinner-A lean protein with salad. (usually leftover kale salad and spinach salad)
Snacks- Fruit or raw veggies
Yeah, saying that it will be hard to obtain adequate protein as a gluten-free vegan is an understatement. And I wouldn't consider p90/Jillian as lifting weights. And having a couple small dumbbells lying around isn't a great solution either. Is it possible for you to join a gym?First, I would say that you should try eating only half or less of your workout calories back, since what your'e doing now is not working for you. Second, it's WAY past time to switch up your workout. Your body is very, very good at "adjusting" to a specific workout. That's why experts suggest switching your workout every 3-4 weeks, in order to "confuse" your body and keep you losing.I would not suggest doing isolation strength exercises only. If you want to build muscle and burn fat at the same time, try a circuit routine with compound exercises, both bodyweight and more. Write down the exercises you plan to do, with how many sets/reps of each, and have little to no rest between moves so you can keep your heart rate up. Compound exercises are those that work more than one muscle at a time, like pushups, dumbbell lunges, dead lifts and weighted squats. The best thing about designing your own circuit routines is that it is easy to "switch them up" as above. Increase the reps or sets of a certain move, replace moves, go for longer or shorter from week to week, etc.
Dear Sir,
You have offended me with your implication that I'm a blowhard ignorantly talking out of my a** on this issue. I am not.
By saying the body is "confused," I don't mean it's a sentient being wondering what the hell is going on. I'm speaking in layman's terms, but what I was referring to in my post was the phenomenon of "General Adaptation Syndrome," first postulated by Hans Selye in the early 1900s. It applies to any kind of stress to the body and so is applicable to the stress caused by exercise as well.
It has three stages. In the first, the muscle reacts to a new stimulus (e.g. curling a dumbbell) with an alarm reaction, temporarily becoming weaker. Yet over time, repetition of this stimulus results in compensatory mechanisms coming into place, i.e. muscle/strength gains, in order to respond appropriately (the "overcompensation" stage). However, continuous exposure over a longer term results in adaptation, a period in which muscle strength gains may stagnate, or the muscle may even become weaker ("exhaustion" stage).
The phenomenon of GAS is also the reason people on the forums advise against "training too light." A training load insufficient to produce the initial stage of GAS is inadequate to produce the accompanying compensatory response in its second phase, muscle growth.
Thus, General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is the basis of periodization and progressive overload in the training of an athlete (or a regular person trying to become fitter). Here is a chapter out of "NSCA's Performance Training Journal" detailing the aspects of progressive overload. (See http://teachfitnessconcepts.com/PDF files/The Role of Progressive Overload in Sports Conditioning.pdf) Basically, it says you should switch up different variables of your exercise program to achieve new gains: varying the exercise itself, varying the frequency of the exercise, varying the duration of the exercise, and varying the load.
I said in my post that she should switch up her routine every 3-4 weeks. Your response seems to indicate that you think this is too often, and that it, like the majority of my advice, is "likely detrimental." You also seem to think no expert would suggest switching up a routine so "continually." (One wonders how long you've been doing the same routine, if one routine for an entire month isn't long enough.)
Here is a link to the International Association of Athletics Federations "Principles of Trianing Theory". (Please see http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/imported/42038.pdf) I refer you to Section A.1 on "Progressive Loading ('Overload')". I'll even quote it for you:
"Biological systems can adapt to loads that are higher than the demands of normal daily activity. Training loads must be increased gradually, however, to allow the body to adapt and to avoid injury (system failure due to overloading). Varying the type, volume, and intensity of the training load allows the body an opportunity to recover, and to over-compensate. Loading must continue to increase incrementally as adaptation occurs, otherwise the training effect will plateau and further improvement will not occur."
Now scroll down to Section A.5 on "Variation and Recovery." I'll quote that part for you too (capitalization added for emphasis): "Muscle groups adapt to a specific training stimulus IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS and then plateau. Variations in training and periods of recovery are needed to continue progressive overloading, without the risks of injury and/or overtraining. … The content of training programmes must also vary in order to prevent boredom and 'staleness'."0 -
Cardio is pretty important because it helps you burn fat. .
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I don't do any structured cardio and am getting in shape just fine However, I don't drive so I'm more active than the average person in that I walk wherever I need to go, cycle to do my grocery shopping and roller blade for fun - I don't class this as exercise though and just "being active"0
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Bikram yoga is good cardio and spinning is easy on the ankles /knees
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I agree that mixing up your workouts is key. I would NEVER eat back exercise calories. I eat between 1200 and 1700 calories a day depending on how I feel, and what is going on. I also exercise for an hour every day. I do not think it matters what you do for exercise as long as you do it daily and mix it up. I love Zumba, kickboxing, weights, spinning, walking, the elliptical. Mixing up your eating and exercise routine confuses your body, and as I have lost 52 pounds this last year, I think it works. Plus it keeps you from being bored! Good luck!0
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Dear Sir,
You have offended me with your implication that I'm a blowhard ignorantly talking out of my a** on this issue. I am not.
Dear Madam, sorry for the offense.By saying the body is "confused," I don't mean it's a sentient being wondering what the hell is going on. I'm speaking in layman's terms, but what I was referring to in my post was the phenomenon of "General Adaptation Syndrome," first postulated by Hans Selye in the early 1900s. It applies to any kind of stress to the body and so is applicable to the stress caused by exercise as well.
It has three stages. In the first, the muscle reacts to a new stimulus (e.g. curling a dumbbell) with an alarm reaction, temporarily becoming weaker. Yet over time, repetition of this stimulus results in compensatory mechanisms coming into place, i.e. muscle/strength gains, in order to respond appropriately (the "overcompensation" stage). However, continuous exposure over a longer term results in adaptation, a period in which muscle strength gains may stagnate, or the muscle may even become weaker ("exhaustion" stage).The phenomenon of GAS is also the reason people on the forums advise against "training too light." A training load insufficient to produce the initial stage of GAS is inadequate to produce the accompanying compensatory response in its second phase, muscle growth.
And to go even further, you recommended HIIT on top of that. You realize the OP is in a caloric deficit correct? This would be the exact opposite of what she wants to do. People have this backwards idea of increasing training volume/frequency in a caloric deficit. It stems from drugged out bodybuilders who actually could get away with that sort of stuff. Generally speaking, you should decrease volume/frequency on a diet, not increase. You maintain intensity (weight on the bar). Oh, and the primary goal of lifting weights should not be to increase your heart rate as you suggest.Thus, General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is the basis of periodization and progressive overload in the training of an athlete (or a regular person trying to become fitter). Here is a chapter out of "NSCA's Performance Training Journal" detailing the aspects of progressive overload. (See http://teachfitnessconcepts.com/PDF%20files/The%20Role%20of%20Progressive%20Overload%20in%20Sports%20Conditioning.pdf) Basically, it says you should switch up different variables of your exercise program to achieve new gains: varying the exercise itself, varying the frequency of the exercise, varying the duration of the exercise, and varying the load.
Yes, hypertrophy mostly occurs as a result of progressive tension overload. This in no way means you have to "switch it up" every few weeks. More of the opposite really. Consider the fact that the primary hypertrophy occurs only after the neural adaptation/motor learning stage. Continually switching exercises is a good way to keep going through this phase and fool yourself into thinking you're making gains.I said in my post that she should switch up her routine every 3-4 weeks. Your response seems to indicate that you think this is too often, and that it, like the majority of my advice, is "likely detrimental." You also seem to think no expert would suggest switching up a routine so "continually." (One wonders how long you've been doing the same routine, if one routine for an entire month isn't long enough.)
And just so I'm being clear, of course there are reasons to switch exercises and that is a part of programming. Psychological reasons (boredom), experimentation for beginners on "what works well for them", working around an injury, fixing weak areas in compound movements, etc. But that's just it. You should have a good reason - not because you feel you have to because of some silly marketing scheme.Here is a link to the International Association of Athletics Federations "Principles of Trianing Theory". (Please see http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/imported/42038.pdf) I refer you to Section A.1 on "Progressive Loading ('Overload')". I'll even quote it for you:
"Biological systems can adapt to loads that are higher than the demands of normal daily activity. Training loads must be increased gradually, however, to allow the body to adapt and to avoid injury (system failure due to overloading). Varying the type, volume, and intensity of the training load allows the body an opportunity to recover, and to over-compensate. Loading must continue to increase incrementally as adaptation occurs, otherwise the training effect will plateau and further improvement will not occur."
Now scroll down to Section A.5 on "Variation and Recovery." I'll quote that part for you too (capitalization added for emphasis): "Muscle groups adapt to a specific training stimulus IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS and then plateau. Variations in training and periods of recovery are needed to continue progressive overloading, without the risks of injury and/or overtraining. … The content of training programmes must also vary in order to prevent boredom and 'staleness'."
Is there a physiological rationale from a growth perspective for switching exercises? Will it create different and/or faster growth compared to keeping things the same?
No. Growth primarily occurs in response to progressive tension overload (and this is optimized within certain volume/frequency parameters).0
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