Weight Loss Myths
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
Well , im no expert but ive done my fair share of weightlifting in my days. you say you burn much more calories when squatting .. true.. but what does the calories come from? i can assure you its not from your fat deposits... its pure carbo burning there.. however , big muscles burn fat while sleeping /resting / sitting or whatever. so by lifting weights and putting on muscles , you can burn fat , but its not the actual lifting that burns the fat itself , so counting calories when squatting is just wrong.. (correct me if im wrong.. but im pretty sure fat can only be burnt slowly , and lifting weights need much energy fast..) //Roger
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
It may be that you can get more calorie burning per unit time from weight lifting but the down sides are - it's hard on the joints and you can only do it for so long before you exhaust your muscles. Cardio you can sustain for much longer and therefor burn more calories per day and you are giving a more thorough exercising of the heart and lungs. I don't think there is any myth here - I have heard so much BS concerning weight loss and nutrition I don't believe a word I hear and just go on instinct. Trust yourself and your own judgement I say.
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
you don't really loose weight by doing cardi. You will need to get the muscles in movements, free weights ( and other torture machines ) should be an important part of your routine. musles burn fat, the more you get the more you burn; and not only at the gym, but during the rest of the day. on the other hand, you will gain muscle mass, and loose some fat, you will not loose weigth.
Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad
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Well , im no expert but ive done my fair share of weightlifting in my days. you say you burn much more calories when squatting .. true.. but what does the calories come from? i can assure you its not from your fat deposits... its pure carbo burning there.. however , big muscles burn fat while sleeping /resting / sitting or whatever. so by lifting weights and putting on muscles , you can burn fat , but its not the actual lifting that burns the fat itself , so counting calories when squatting is just wrong.. (correct me if im wrong.. but im pretty sure fat can only be burnt slowly , and lifting weights need much energy fast..) //Roger
You're correct, but the same is true for the treadmill. I'm not talking instant weight loss so it doesn't matter if squats get energy from the fat cells or from elsewhere (a pre-workout meal). The benefit of squatting is that you are tearing your muscle fibers and promoting muscle repair which builds them. Like you said, larger muscles burn calories at rest... and the larger the muscle, the more it burns at rest. The bottom line is this: if you burn more calories than you consume, you WILL lose weight. My question is why would you spend 60 minutes on a treadmill when you can get a much more efficient workout with a squat rack or any other kind of weight lifting (dumbells, barbells, machines, anything!). From my experience, 30-45 minutes of weightlifting benefits a person trying to lose weight far more than 60 minutes on the treadmill, yet I see every treadmill in the gym with an overweight person bored out of their mind and wondering why they aren't seeing results. I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
I agree with you that cardio is 1/3 of the OPTIMAL solution, but some people just do not want to get into weight lifting. I have lifted weights on and off for 20 years now. When I started as a teenager, I did not like running, so all I did was lift weights. I would not say that 'as hard and heavy' is necessary. Moderate weights with high repititions is effective too. It becomes a matter of preference and motivation. My routines have changes over the years from low rep/high weight to high rep/low weight to where I am now with a pyramid plan doing a lot of sets combining high rep/low weight at the start and increasing my weights and dropping my reps at the same time. I like this because I get that good muscle soreness after all of my workouts. Now I also like to run a lot. Typically 5 mile runs. My advice is do all three if you can/if you like. But if you can not do it all, do what you like to do and keep it fun and motivating. If you do not look forward to the workout, you are headed down the road to another failed 'diet'.
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You're correct, but the same is true for the treadmill. I'm not talking instant weight loss so it doesn't matter if squats get energy from the fat cells or from elsewhere (a pre-workout meal). The benefit of squatting is that you are tearing your muscle fibers and promoting muscle repair which builds them. Like you said, larger muscles burn calories at rest... and the larger the muscle, the more it burns at rest. The bottom line is this: if you burn more calories than you consume, you WILL lose weight. My question is why would you spend 60 minutes on a treadmill when you can get a much more efficient workout with a squat rack or any other kind of weight lifting (dumbells, barbells, machines, anything!). From my experience, 30-45 minutes of weightlifting benefits a person trying to lose weight far more than 60 minutes on the treadmill, yet I see every treadmill in the gym with an overweight person bored out of their mind and wondering why they aren't seeing results. I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
well if you burn more calories than you eat you body must obviouslty take energy from somewhere , but its not always from fat, if the body needs energy fast and you dont have any carbos left in your system , your body will start munching muscles since protein burns faster than fat. so im not that sure buring more than you eat is a very good idea (unless know exactly how much you need to eat to be able to workout and function w/o burning muscles)... if you burn muscles faster than you burn your fat deposits , you will actually end up with a body fat % higher than before since you have more fat compared to muscles. //Roger
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I agree with you that cardio is 1/3 of the OPTIMAL solution, but some people just do not want to get into weight lifting. I have lifted weights on and off for 20 years now. When I started as a teenager, I did not like running, so all I did was lift weights. I would not say that 'as hard and heavy' is necessary. Moderate weights with high repititions is effective too. It becomes a matter of preference and motivation. My routines have changes over the years from low rep/high weight to high rep/low weight to where I am now with a pyramid plan doing a lot of sets combining high rep/low weight at the start and increasing my weights and dropping my reps at the same time. I like this because I get that good muscle soreness after all of my workouts. Now I also like to run a lot. Typically 5 mile runs. My advice is do all three if you can/if you like. But if you can not do it all, do what you like to do and keep it fun and motivating. If you do not look forward to the workout, you are headed down the road to another failed 'diet'.
Bob, Great reply. I agree. Keep it fun. I too, am at the end of a high rep, low weight (50% max) cycle. In two weeks I will begin lifting low rep, high weight again. But keeping it fun is most of the battle. Like I said, I don't really fault anyone for being on the treadmill because at least they are IN the gym. I can only assume that they diet as well. But there are 3 keys to health: 1. Diet 2. Exercise 3. Sleep So many people only work on #1 and fail over and over again. People who get #1 and #2 down sometimes forget how important sleep is. I don't do cardio in the gym, but I am active with wakeboarding and water skiing. I'm assuming that takes care of my cardio duties. I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
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well if you burn more calories than you eat you body must obviouslty take energy from somewhere , but its not always from fat, if the body needs energy fast and you dont have any carbos left in your system , your body will start munching muscles since protein burns faster than fat. so im not that sure buring more than you eat is a very good idea (unless know exactly how much you need to eat to be able to workout and function w/o burning muscles)... if you burn muscles faster than you burn your fat deposits , you will actually end up with a body fat % higher than before since you have more fat compared to muscles. //Roger
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
GISnet wrote: Hardly worth the effort. I agree, but I can understand it in some circumstances. I prefer to go for a brisk walk, but in one case I know of that's not an option. A lady I know who lives alone in a bad neighborhood is absolutely gorgeous, and afraid to walk at night. For her, the treadmill is a sensible, safer alternative. But lifting weights is boring! Any strenuous activity is better than lifting chunks of iron over and over again, and for women the idea of building large muscles may be esthetically undesirable. Two activities I know of that people have used successfully for weight loss and dance and martial arts. I haven't ever done the dance thing, but I know that the warmup exercises alone in karate class are enough to make a reasonably healthy man fear for his heart at first. My first instructor in karate lost 130 lbs in his first two years, gradually and safely, and at the same time built tremendous endurance. Friends who participate in dance classes report similar results. The key to the exercise component of weight loss is to select an activity that is fun enough that you will stick to it, and not find excuses to skip it "just this once," as the excuses will grow easier than the committment to work out. Lifting weights is so excruciatingly dull that it's always much easier to find something more 'important' to do, and so good intentions go by the wayside. A vigorous excercise program, especially one done in a group, is very effective, and also provides a mildly competitive factor that makes you try a little harder each time. When the instructor in my class demands 40 pushups, I do 50; 100 situps, I do 200; jog 5 laps around the gym, I sprint. It ticks off the younger men who can't, and helps to motivate them to try harder.:) For those who do enjoy it, lifting weights is a great activity and definitely a good tool for losing excess pounds. But weight training is not a universal answer; there are alternatives far more appropriate for the great majority who don't find it fun. "My kid was Inmate of the Month at Adobe Mountain Juvenile Corrections Center" - Bumper Sticker in Bullhead City
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
I have been exercising quite regularly this year since joining a gym in February. I have split my exercise about 20% strenght and 80% cardio as I was getting out of breath just walking a flight of stairs. I gathered that I needed to build up my stamina mainly, I am by no means a thin person, though I wouldn't say I am overly fat either. I just don't wish to bulk up any more than I already am. So far this year I have lost 20.1 lbs (1 st 6.1lbs) or approx 9 Kgs. OK I know it isn't coming down that quickly but I feel so much better for it. :-D I plan to try and loose another 6Kgs and then keep at that. Ant. I'm hard, yet soft.
I'm coloured, yet clear.
I'm fruity and sweet.
I'm jelly, what am I? Muse on it further, I shall return! - David Williams (Little Britain) -
Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
That isn't a myth. Brisk exercise for 30 minutes or mre means that the metabolism continues to run a bit fastre for a long while afterwards so you do benfit. Elaine :rose: The tigress is here :-D
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
I agree that weights is a great way to lose fat but cardio-vascular exercise has far more benefits than just the calories it burns. The improvements in stamina and general health plus the reduction in chances for things like heart attacks make CV exercise very important, particularly as so many people lead sedantry lives sat at a desk all day. That is why I do both (even though I hate the treadmill).
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
I agree. I'll mention something that you have been the only one to talk about. That's sleep. If you're not getting enough sleep, you will have a hard time losing weight (and other things as well). There have been several recent (within the last 4-5 years) that pretty peg the amount of sleep that EVERYONE needs to be right around 8.25 hours, with very few exceptions. There are all sorts of interesting things that go on if you don't get that amount of sleep overall. For me, if I get less than 7 hours of sleep a night, I'll start adding a pound or two, up to about 5 pounds, for some reason. I'm not changing my eating habits or amount much to account for the change. When I start getting 7+ hours of sleep, it slowly goes away (in about the same amount of time). I've just recently noticed this effect. Also, mental clarity and attention and several other attributes will suffer some without the correct amount of sleep. So, as I seem to remember that in a fairly recent poll, that most CPians don't get the recommended amounts, it makes me wonder how many of us are trying to lose weight and are hindered by this? Comments? Mike
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
I know that I need to excercise more especially since I now live my days at a desk rather than walking all over campus from class to class. But the motivivation is just not there after I lost 50lbs in 6 months just by cutting my calorie intake down to 2000. And no, I'm not kidding. ;) Of course, over the last 6 months I have gained back 10% of that becuse I have stopped watching what I eat so closely. :sigh::doh: -J
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
GISnet wrote: Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. That would be me. GISnet wrote: So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. I have a 55 minute Cardio routine. GISnet wrote: However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? I burn between 400 and 500 Kcalories in a 55 minute routine, however that is not just the treadmill. If it was treadmill alone my current 5.0kph 10 minutes extrapolated over an hour would burn 600 Kcalories. GISnet wrote: Any comments? Yes. I have read through all of the advice and opinions given in this thread and while some interesting points have been made I will stick to my current routine. As some people here may already know I have a congential heart disease - this particular birth defect is called Transposition of the Great Vessels[^] (a friend of mine who shared a flat with medical students showed me one of the medical texts and the first words in the description of this condition was "Incompatible with life."). The linked text describes the modern treatments for it, not the treatment I received almost 30 years ago when the treatments were only just coming out of the experimental stages. So, when it comes to my routine I will take only the advice of someone who has and can prove suitable medical training. The proper advice that I have is that I can modify the programme slowly and don't push too hard. If I am to increase the effort levels I should use small increments only. And that is what I do. I asked one of the people at the gym to modify my programme earlier this week and was told that it would be updated by my next visit. When I arrived the guy (who obviously hadn't read the medical section on my initial review) said he'd incrememted the effort levels a little more than I'd asked for because he said that I was still doing walking pace on the treadmill, etc. I had to point out that it was not appropriate for me and for him to lower it back to the level I specified (which was a very small increment and for the most part I
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Someone wrote in a Friday thread that they are trying to lose weight. So often I see people trying to lose weight at my gym and invariably they spend 30-60 minutes (and sometimes longer!) on the treadmill and eliptical machines. Now I want to first say that they should be commended for doing something in addition to dieting. So many simply "diet" and think that is enough. And while diet helps, it is 1/3 of the equation (the other two parts being exercise, and SLEEP). However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Why don't more people hit free weights (as hard and heavy as possible). You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. Any comments? I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
GISnet wrote: However, has anyone read the calorie count that is burned on a treadmill after 60 minutes? Hardly worth the effort. Eh? Try running on it. At 80kg, 12-13 km/h for 60 minutes is just little over 1000 kcal. That's a shitloat of energy - it'll give the same 80kg man an energy set back of 40%. GISnet wrote: You burn so many more calories in the squat rack than on the treadmill. I convinced my friend to COMPLETELY give up cardio and replace his (then) boring time at the gym with weights. He has since lost 30lbs and is doing quite well. The thing is that combined cardio training and weight lifting is the key. Cardio training, weight lifting, proper food (not less, just proper) and sleep, helped me lose 85 lbs in less than a year. Had I not done the cardio stuff, I would not have lost as much weight. -- Denn du bist, was du isst! Und ihr wisst, was es ist! Es ist mein Teil...?
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you don't really loose weight by doing cardi. You will need to get the muscles in movements, free weights ( and other torture machines ) should be an important part of your routine. musles burn fat, the more you get the more you burn; and not only at the gym, but during the rest of the day. on the other hand, you will gain muscle mass, and loose some fat, you will not loose weigth.
Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad
Maximilien wrote: you don't really loose weight by doing cardi. Yes you do. It's so simple! If you lose energy, you will lose weight. (assuming you don't compensate the lost energy with extra food :)) Maximilien wrote: musles burn fat, the more you get the more you burn; and not only at the gym, but during the rest of the day. Uh huh. That's why it's almost always a good idea to combine the two types of training if weight loss is the goal. -- Denn du bist, was du isst! Und ihr wisst, was es ist! Es ist mein Teil...?
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GISnet wrote: Hardly worth the effort. I agree, but I can understand it in some circumstances. I prefer to go for a brisk walk, but in one case I know of that's not an option. A lady I know who lives alone in a bad neighborhood is absolutely gorgeous, and afraid to walk at night. For her, the treadmill is a sensible, safer alternative. But lifting weights is boring! Any strenuous activity is better than lifting chunks of iron over and over again, and for women the idea of building large muscles may be esthetically undesirable. Two activities I know of that people have used successfully for weight loss and dance and martial arts. I haven't ever done the dance thing, but I know that the warmup exercises alone in karate class are enough to make a reasonably healthy man fear for his heart at first. My first instructor in karate lost 130 lbs in his first two years, gradually and safely, and at the same time built tremendous endurance. Friends who participate in dance classes report similar results. The key to the exercise component of weight loss is to select an activity that is fun enough that you will stick to it, and not find excuses to skip it "just this once," as the excuses will grow easier than the committment to work out. Lifting weights is so excruciatingly dull that it's always much easier to find something more 'important' to do, and so good intentions go by the wayside. A vigorous excercise program, especially one done in a group, is very effective, and also provides a mildly competitive factor that makes you try a little harder each time. When the instructor in my class demands 40 pushups, I do 50; 100 situps, I do 200; jog 5 laps around the gym, I sprint. It ticks off the younger men who can't, and helps to motivate them to try harder.:) For those who do enjoy it, lifting weights is a great activity and definitely a good tool for losing excess pounds. But weight training is not a universal answer; there are alternatives far more appropriate for the great majority who don't find it fun. "My kid was Inmate of the Month at Adobe Mountain Juvenile Corrections Center" - Bumper Sticker in Bullhead City
Roger Wright wrote: But lifting weights is boring! And the treadmill isn't?! You lost me... :) Roger Wright wrote: ...and for women the idea of building large muscles may be esthetically undesirable It's very, VERY hard for women to bulk up, even on purpose. This doesn't even wash as an excuse any more. IMHO too much emphasis is put on "losing weight" and not enough on either "losing fat" or "getting fit". (And I am NOT saying that just because I've been gaining and losing the same 4 pounds since March!) Loads of cardio WILL make you lose weight, but a lot of that is often muscle - if your body decides it's meant to be running around everywhere, it makes sense to be as light as possible. So too much cardio can backfire by just making you light and squishy... -- Diane C "I think it would be a good idea." (Mahatma Gandhi, when asked what he thought of western civilisation)
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Bob, Great reply. I agree. Keep it fun. I too, am at the end of a high rep, low weight (50% max) cycle. In two weeks I will begin lifting low rep, high weight again. But keeping it fun is most of the battle. Like I said, I don't really fault anyone for being on the treadmill because at least they are IN the gym. I can only assume that they diet as well. But there are 3 keys to health: 1. Diet 2. Exercise 3. Sleep So many people only work on #1 and fail over and over again. People who get #1 and #2 down sometimes forget how important sleep is. I don't do cardio in the gym, but I am active with wakeboarding and water skiing. I'm assuming that takes care of my cardio duties. I bought a Dell XPS gaming system, started a fan site, and never looked back.
I have found that since starting to control (1) Diet and (2) Exercise that (3) Sleep falls into place more naturally. I have found that I am sleeping better and I get up in the morning feeling more refreshed than before.
"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him, for an investment in knowledge pays the best interest." -- Joseph E. O'Donnell Can't manage to P/Invoke that Win32 API in .NET? Why not do interop the wiki way!
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Roger Wright wrote: But lifting weights is boring! And the treadmill isn't?! You lost me... :) Roger Wright wrote: ...and for women the idea of building large muscles may be esthetically undesirable It's very, VERY hard for women to bulk up, even on purpose. This doesn't even wash as an excuse any more. IMHO too much emphasis is put on "losing weight" and not enough on either "losing fat" or "getting fit". (And I am NOT saying that just because I've been gaining and losing the same 4 pounds since March!) Loads of cardio WILL make you lose weight, but a lot of that is often muscle - if your body decides it's meant to be running around everywhere, it makes sense to be as light as possible. So too much cardio can backfire by just making you light and squishy... -- Diane C "I think it would be a good idea." (Mahatma Gandhi, when asked what he thought of western civilisation)
You're right, a treadmill is boring - that's why I mentioned that I don't do it. Nor does it seem to be of any value, other than the benefit that any activity provides over no activity. And being fit is far more important than being light. But the question/statement was about weight loss. Proper diet, proper sleep, and strenuous activity make for a healthy combination. My point was that weight lifting is not a solution for any but those few who actually enjoy it. Diane Capewell wrote: It's very, VERY hard for women to bulk up, even on purpose That's nice to hear, though hard to believe considering the appearance of the very few fit women I've seen around here. There seems to be two types of woman in the area - the vast majority who could each single-handedly save a whale by volunteering for liposuction and donating the products thereof, and the hyperachievers in weight training class. Those who fall between the extremnes we call "tourists." "My kid was Inmate of the Month at Adobe Mountain Juvenile Corrections Center" - Bumper Sticker in Bullhead City