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But staying at a healthy weight during a pregnancy is certainly not an unrealistic goal – especially among women who use their pregnancy as an excuse to eat large amounts of junk food. (more…)
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12 Amazing Facts About Your Body Fat Including Too Much
Here are 12 facts you should know about your body fat.
These facts are particularly important to those with obesity, especially morbid.
No matter how “positive” you may feel about your “today” body, this will not change the effects of excess weight on one’s health and mobility.
1 The Number of Fat Cells in Adulthood Will Never Decrease
On average the human body has 10 to 30 billion fat cells.
The number can rise or lower in childhood, but once we reach adulthood, that number becomes the minimal number you’ll ever have.
2 We Can Get More Fat Cells As Adults
A little weight gain doesn’t always mean more fat cells; only bigger fat cells.
However, if you gain a LOT of weight, you WILL acquire more fat cells!
Obesity can mean up to 100 billion fat cells.
Paulo de Tarso Meneghel, CreativeCommons
Weight loss in these cases results when the amount of fat in the cells is reduced through diet and exercise, shrinking their size.
3 Three Types of Body Fat
The first type is brown fat. It stores calories and burns energy.
The second type is just below the skin, called subcutaneous fat.
It’s harmless in that it has no direct negative impact on cardiovascular health or glucose metabolism.
However, enough subcutaneous fat can literally weigh down on the knees, leading to joint degeneration.
Enough subcutaneous fat will also impair mobility and can lead to shortness of breath and low back pain, not to mention put a 24/7 mechanical strain on the heart.
“Many hearts can’t cope with this, so something has to give.
“The person might develop chest pain or undue breathlessness, or they may be unable to do the exercise.”
The third type is visceral fat, which surrounds organs. Often called “internal fat,” it’s significantly linked to a higher risk of disease including that affecting the heart.
“Changes to walls of the arteries occur with atherosclerosis,” says Dr. Beatty.
“These include deposition of lipids (fats) in the arterial wall, causing narrowing of the arteries.
Shutterstock/Designua
“If the artery is significantly narrowed, less blood gets through to the organ it is supplying.
“If this is a coronary artery, then reduced blood means less oxygen getting to heart muscle.
“Inadequate blood to the heart muscle will cause pain, in this case angina.”
Atherosclerosis in the heart very often causes death. Excess fat in the body — obesity — dramatically increases the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis.
4 We All Need Fat
Fat serves several vital purposes such as keeping the body warm.
But too much fat means danger to the body — no matter how much “fat liberation” content you read on Instagram.
“Blood pressure goes up in proportion to excess body fat,” says Dr. Beatty.
“Weight loss of one kg. — about two lbs. — results in a drop of BP of 1-2 mmhg.
“People with high blood pressure are 2-3 times more likely to have atherosclerosis.” Hypertension can also cause a stroke.
“The risk of diabetes increases with excess body fat. Diabetics are also 2-3 times more likely to have atherosclerosis.
“Cholesterol, especially the bad cholesterol — LDL — goes up with obesity.”
5 Body Fat Percentage vs. BMI
Body fat percentage can be deceivingly high in “skinny fat” people and deceivingly low in “thick” people who train hard and heavy with weights.
Check out the chart below, according to the American Council on Exercise.
A personal trainer can calculate your body fat percentage with skin-fold calipers.
BMI can be deceiving, since bodybuilders and other athletes can have BMIs equal to that of same-height, same-age overweight people. See the depiction below.
However, BMI is used by doctors because the calculation (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) can be done in a second by feeding the information into a computer.
Studies that link a slightly high BMI with a health benefit do NOT take into consideration the body composition of the study subjects.
6 No Choosing, Do BOTH
To burn fat you’ll get best results with both aerobic and strength training workouts.
Shutterstock/New Africa
Hours and hours on cardio machines or walks in the park but still carrying a lot of belly blubber? Start picking up heavy things!
Freepik.com
7 Fat Gain with Age
Though as we age, we have to work harder to keep off excess weight, this doesn’t mean we have to settle for this excess weight.
Shutterstock/Mladen Zivkovic
Just because you were able to “eat everything in sight” in your 20s and now are on the hefty side doesn’t mean you can’t reverse this situation with the right approach to diet, aerobic exercise and strength training.
8 Fatty Foods
Eating a lot of nuts and fatty fish has never made a person obese.
Some foods contain “good” fats including olive oil, almonds and seeds.
Though certain diets can expedite weight loss, you will still lose weight by reducing the size of your typical portions.
Good fats are mono-, poly- and unsaturated, and bad fats are saturated and trans- types.
9 Cellulite
Leaner women can get this, which is subcutaneous fat that doesn’t deposit in the most aesthetically pleasing way.
Shutterstock/Sorn340 Images
If you hate your cellulite, you may want to take up intense lower body strength training and see what happens after six months.
10 Crunches and Sit-ups
Oh give it up already if the only reason you do these is to reduce the fat in your middle.
The muscles these target are not big enough to yield a fat-scorching effect throughout the entire body OR locally.
To shear off fat in the belly and legs you must combine proper diet with an overall strength training regimen that focuses on large muscle groups.
Freepik.com/pressfoto
Intense workouts (don’t forget aerobics) will cause energy deficits, leading to the mobilization of fat cells to burn energy for recovery from the workouts! In short: faster resting metabolism.
11 Those Larger-than-Life Instagram Influencers
Don’t let the bombardment of very big Instagram influencers in seductive poses trick you into believing that your heart and blood vessels won’t mind a lot of excess body fat.
Roberto Hund, Pexels
They can come up with all the most philosophical statements in the world, but FACTS ARE FACTS.
Some morbidly obese women have reeled in so many gullible, disenchanted followers under their spell that companies have generously paid them to advertise their products in their postings: the monetization of morbid obesity!
Just because some women have made money off of their obesity doesn’t make it any less hazardous to their health.
12 Youth Is an Amazing Protector
Some women and men who are at least 100 pounds overweight seem to move around quite well.
It’s no coincidence that usually they’re in their 20s and 30s.
One cannot age gracefully with obesity.
Dr. Beatty has worked in primary medicine, surgery, accident and emergency, OBGYN, pediatrics and chronic disease management. He is the Doctor of Medicine for Strong Home Gym.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
Body Weight Exercises for High Intensity Circuit Training to Save Time
Here’s a time-saving routine of body weight exercises for high intensity circuit training that combines aerobic and strength training in a very brief workout session.
One round will last about seven minutes, but if you have another 15 minutes, then go for two more rounds to get in a fiery circuit that mixes aerobic with resistance training.
This regimen will burn up fat yet also build muscle and strength, and also improve core strength. Not to mention save a bundle of time.
All you need is your body as the resistance machine.
How many reps per exercise?
Reps should be 15 to 20. This rep range should be VERY challenging. If it isn’t, then modifications are necessary, such as increasing at least one metric of the exercise, such as speed, height or depth.
How long should a single exercise set last?
About 30 seconds. This is appropriate to fit in 15 to 20 intense reps. The end of each set should make you feel worked over.
How long should rest be in between sets?
NO MORE than 30 seconds. Longer will defeat the purpose of the high intensity element of this workout session.
If you feel completely recovered after 30 or fewer seconds…then the preceding set was NOT intense enough.
By the time 30 seconds pass and you begin the next exercise, you should feel incompletely recovered. This is what high intensity is all about.
12 Station Body Weight High Intensity Circuit Workout
Switch Foot Jumps
Jump or hop forward and back alternating feet. Freepik.com, jcomp
Pushup
Push up with any variety including modifications such as elevated feet or on your knees. Dreamstime.com Tomasz Borucki
Static Squat
Hold in place for half a minute. Keep thighs parallel to the floor. Freepik.com freepic.diller
V Crunch
Extend in and out to hit the core. Shutterstock, fizkes
Stair Switch Jumps
With alternating feet jump back and forth in the same spot. Freepik.com
Supported Dips
Use any sturdy piece of furniture or obstacle. Increase the challenge by straightening the legs or propping the feet on a second piece of furniture or block. Freepik
Dynamic Squats
Squat up and down up to 20 times. Shutterstock/Mihai Blanaru
Plank
Make more difficult by lifting a foot off the floor. Freepik.com
Stationary High-Knee Running
Freepik.com, halayalex
Pushup to Side Rotations
After completing a pushup when you’re in the top position, rotate to the side. That’s one rep. Freepik.com, yanalya
Stationary Lunges
Switching legs is a single rep.
Burpees
Taco Fleur CC
This body weight, high intensity circuit training routine will save you a bundle of time.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t also do traditional aerobics and strength training on separate days.
However, your leg day and shoulder day should be done at least one day apart from the high intensity circuit workout, since the circuit targets the legs, chest, shoulders and triceps.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/sdecoret
Interval Walking vs. 10,000 Steps a Day for Older Health
Which is better for middle age and elderly people’s health: interval walking or 10,000 casual steps a day?
What is interval walking?
This involves alternating brief periods of intense or challenging walking with periods of slower paced or recovery walking.
What is the 10,000 steps a day approach?
No matter where or why a person takes steps throughout their waking hours, they are tallied from the time they get out of bed by a pedometer that’s worn at the waist to track hip movement.
The goal is to achieve 10,000 steps by bedtime.
A study pitted interval walking against the 10,000 steps a day approach and found that interval walking is more effective for middle age and elderly people as far as reducing cardiovascular disease.
In other words, you should not place much stock in what 10,000 mere pitter-patters a day can do for your health.
Intensity over a short time beats out a ton of steps over an entire day.
Shutterstock/Interpass
Exactly how is interval walking done?
Even older people who already have heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes will benefit.
The study, headed by Dr. Shizue Masuki of Shinshu University, explains that walking at 70% of one’s maximum capacity for THREE MINUTES, alternating with a pace at 40% their capacity for three minutes, will get the job done.
This is repeated at least four more times. Now before you wonder how in the world can one know what percent capacity they’re at, I recommend the “rating of perceived exertion” scale.
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 means how you’d feel when soaking in a bathtub. And 10 would be how you’d feel trying to outrun a Doberman trying to bite at your legs.
A level 7 would relate to 70% capacity: You’d feel quite challenged and would not want to carry on a conversation during this time.
A level 4, or 40%, would feel like a recovery from level 7, and you’d be able to converse, yet at the same time, you’d feel as though your body was in the exercise range of walking.
How was the study done?
With Internet technology, Dr. Masuki tracked 679 adults with an average age of 65 over five months.
The participants wore a triaxial accelerometer that beeped when they reached at least 70% aerobic capacity.
It then beeped at the three minute mark to switch to recovery walking.
How much time per week should older people interval walk?
The study showed that 50 minutes per week was sufficient for cardiovascular benefits and improvement in the ability to utilize oxygen during activity.
Where to Do Interval Walking
Do it outdoors on a sidewalk, trail or school track, or, do it on a treadmill.
If you use a treadmill do not hold on other than to momentarily steady yourself. Outside of that, your arms should be swinging naturally in synch with your lower body.
Should you abandon 10,000 daily steps altogether?
If you want to do both interval walking and accumulating 10,000 steps, that’s fine.
In fact, doing 50 minutes a week of interval walking does not excuse you from spending excessive amounts of time in a chair.
If both approaches work for you, then do them. If you want to choose only one, then choose interval walking.
However, again, getting in many steps a day strongly helps opposes the “sitting disease.”
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: depositphotos.com
Source: sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191101093903.htm
Why It’s OK to Worry About Weight Gain During Lockdown
It’s perfectly okay to worry about gaining weight while staying at home during a pandemic.
Some body image influencers want you to believe that you shouldn’t worry about gaining weight while cooped up in your home during a pandemic.
Minimal Number of Daily Steps Needed to Increase Longevity?
Keeping track of your daily step count is crucial if you want to reduce the risk of early death and increase your longevity.
Does a Half Pull-up Count As the Real Thing?
If you can knock off 20 halfway pull-ups, is this really the same as 10 reps from a dead-hang?
Or are you sacrificing muscle recruitment with those cheat reps?
You’ve seen it plenty of times – and maybe you’re guilty of it yourself: Doing a bunch of pull-up reps, but going down only half-way (or three-quarters way) instead of all the way down into a dead-hang before pulling yourself back up (chin to bar).
Now don’t get me wrong. Halfway pull-ups do count — in that they work several muscle groups.
Most people, randomly chosen off the street, would not be able to perform five of these half-reps in a row.
But I’ve always wondered why some people will concentrate on working up to many reps with this move, instead of recalibrating to fewer repetitions from a dead-hang (arms straight).
It Depends on Your Goals
Is it to tone the arms? The half approach will contribute, along with other lifting moves, to toning.
But gee, you may as well sit on a seat and just do palms-forward pull-downs with a narrower-grip handle.
This makes me wonder, then, what the goal really is in those who do incomplete reps.
What I typically see, when someone does half pull-ups, is a NON-overweight man, often middle age, who does many reps in this fashion.
And I think, “Cut the reps in half or a third and you’ll be able to do something closer to a complete range of motion for reach of those reps.”
Let’s admit it: Sometimes, the goal is just to look strong to other gym members. The pull-up is a move that very few people – relative to the general population – can actually do. It’s a classic show move.
Though a popular question is, “How much can you bench?” a popular request is, “Let’s see you do pull-ups.”
Some people get it in their heads that it looks impressive to do high reps of half-pulls.
To them, the number of reps is more important than the quality of the move.
Benefits of Dead-Hang Pull-Ups
If you want to impress others, the dead-hang is the way to go. You know this, because they’re way too hard for you to do for five reps if you’ve only been going halfway!
A complete range of motion also means more back muscle recruitment, and a nice bonus: more abdominal recruitment.
The complete range of motion will engage your “six-pack” muscles in a way that’s totally unique.
Complete range of motion also means getting your chin over the bar.
And yet another benefit to a complete range of motion – from the top of the movement to the bottom – is that it might save you in a real-life crisis. You just never know.
Another benefit to consider is that the full ROM engages the entire biceps group.
The Partial Pull-up Is Done By Both Men and Women
Incomplete repetitions will give you a false sense of accomplishment, but again, if all you want is more tone in your arms, then you’re all set (though it’d be a lot easier to achieve this tone by doing seated, middle-grip lat pull-downs).
Something tells me, however, that the men who do high reps of incomplete pull-ups aren’t gunning for more arm tone.
You might be thinking that repeatedly going down and up, down and up halfway is the only way to develop the strength for full range of motion. But actually, this is not true.
But going only halfway does allow you to do more repetitions – which creates the illusion that you’re stronger than you actually are for this type of movement.
How to Break the Partial Pull-Up Habit
- Grab the bar and dead hang all your weight, legs straight and still.
- Count two seconds.
- Pull yourself up without any yanking, without kicking or lifting your legs.
- If you barely got your chin to the bar, and know you cannot do another one without rest, then that’s perfectly fine. Your starting point is one repetition.
- Rest, then complete another full range rep.
- Rest, then repeat the cycle several more times.
- Do this twice a week. Within 30 days you should be able to complete three, full range reps in a row.
And by the way, the dead-hang in between reps does NOT mean a cheat rest.
Hanging is work. This is why very few people, randomly plucked off the street, can dead-hang for 20 seconds!
People who hang two seconds before each repetition are actually creating more workload – which is good.
Hanging is a form of static weightlifting; you are fighting against your own body weight.
If you can go only halfway up from a straight-arm hang, then that’s your new baseline.
Rest, try again. Rinse and repeat. You should be able to complete a full repetition within 30 days.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
