Two questions can you help?

Hey Kate!

I know a lot of people put a lot of stock in their HRM's... I had one once that told me I burned like 450 calories doing a 2 mile run/mostly walk, which is really way too high, so I've kind of given up on them. It wasn't a cheap one either. So I pretty much just take what the treadmill says and call it an "estimate", since it does seem like a more reasonable number (250-300 for a 30 minute run/walk depending on how fast I go and how much of it I actually run).

As for strength training, I would definitely suggest trading two 30 minute sessions a week for it. Do upper body and abs one day, and lower body and abs the next time. I usually do just two types of ab exercises each time, and the rest is upper or lower. The great thing about strength training is that it increases your lean muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does (it also takes up less space, so you look thinner). I read an article once that said strength training can increase your metabolism for up to 36 hours after you finish. 36 hours!!! Cardio, on the other hand, only increases it for a short while after you finish.

If you really want to see results, give yourself the one-two punch of burning fat (cardio) and building muscle too. You'll start to feel trimmer, and, you'll also be able to push yourself harder with your cardio, which means more calories burned there too!

I must say, I didn't start any strength training until I reached a healthy BMI about 10 lbs ago. I just chose to focus on my cardio. Maybe this was a mistake, but I havn't seen any downsides... I do strength training now and it is really helping my overall appearance.

You know Kerri, I was thinking on this and I think age has something to do with it too! I am 47 so my muscles were deteriorated quite a bit when I went from sedentary to doign cardio 4 x week. In your early 20s you still have a lot of strength already.

I think it is a good idea to get into the habit, even if only light weights, to keep good bone density and ward off osteoporosis.

You always give great advise! Just my 2 cents.

Well, about the strength training . . . I would work in a couple days a week of that, personally.

About the HRM . . . how cheap are we talking? If it's one of those that you have to push a button in order to get a reading, I would say no. If it comes with a chest band and it seems to be giving you an accurate heart rate, and it asks height/weight/gender, I would say go with the HRM. I have a Polar that I love and I find that machines aren't very accurate - I've seen a lot of other people complain about the same problem on here before.

Just my two cents! :flowerforyou:

Congratulations on your progress, Kate.

The most important exercise for losing weight is walking or running. Weight training is next. Weight training helps to firm and shape all of the parts of your body, and
builds strength for every day activities. It even helps with the cardio. If you use weight training for your lower body you will find that your walking or running becomes easier. The upper and mid body exercises will build muscle that takes the place of fat and help maintain skin tone.

If you can, visit your local gym or Y and have a trained staff member suggest a program. A trainer will be able to set you up on a program that can work within your time limitations. I hope that this helps.

Carl

Kate... First off, congratulations on being committed to a fitness lifestye. That decision alone wil reap benefits, as I'm sure you know.

My recommendation for you would be to adjust your workouts to include resistance training, and that can be in the form of weights, resistance bands, bodyweight - it's all good. I have a 3-2-1 week, three resistance-focus days, two cardio-focus days, and one yoga- or stretch-focus day.

Since you asked if it would help you lose more weight, I'm going to assume for the moment that weight loss is one of your fitness goals. That being the case, resistance training is really invaluable for striving toward that goal. What's so great about it?

1. Losing weight without attendant gains in muscle tissue will tend to make a person look emaciated and gaunt, and the rate of fat loss will be lesser in the same period of time as compared to a person who combines cardio and resistance activities. Think about the last marathaon runner you saw - skin and bones and thin as a toothpick, right? Now, think about the last Olympic-class sprinter you saw - very little body fat and plenty of long, lean muscle to give a good, healthy shape to the body. You can think of a marathon runner as a cardio-only person because that's all they're ever doing. On the other hand, a sprinter has good cardiovascular capacity but also has well-developed skeletal muscle to provide the shorter, more intense bursts of greater power that s/he needs.

2. Talking about the energy balance equation, weight loss results from using more energy than we consume on a consistent basis over time. Unlike adipose (fat) tissue, which has very little metabolic activity, muscle tissue is almost constantly metabolically active. By that, I mean skeletal muscle tissue will burn calories during work periods and continue to do so afterward as it repairs, grows, and is used in other daily activities. By increasing the quantity of lean muscle tissue in your overall body composition, your body will expend more calories, even when not working out - even during sleep periods.

3. There are of course all the practical benefits of resistance training and increased muscle mass and definition such as having a better overall look to your body, being able to perform better in daily tasks involving lifting, pulling, and the like (moving furniture around, lifting a heavy sack of groceries, etc.), fitting better into clothing, liking how you look in the mirror and the self-confidence that goes along with that - the list goes on.

So, there's my advice for you. Either way, just keep fitness a part of your daily lifestyle; that's the most important thing. As to the HRM, it's definitely a must so you can know (not guess) when you're really pushing your body hard in a good way and when you might need to scale back a little before wearing out.

Best of luck to you in your fitness journey..!