Weight Training and Weight Loss

Spot Reduction Myth

Contrary to what the infomercials suggest there is no such thing as spot reduction. Fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex (hormones), and age. Overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area. Although fat is lost or gained throughout the body it seems the first area to get fat, or the last area to become lean, is the midsection (in men and some women, especially after menopause) and hips and thighs (in women and few men). Sit-ups, crunches, leg-hip raises, leg raises, hip adduction, hip abduction, etc. will only exercise the muscles under the fat.

Lower Abdominal Myth

It is widely believed the lower abs are exercised during the leg raise or other hip flexor exercises. However, it can be misleading to judge the mechanics of an exercise based on localized muscular fatigue. The primary muscle used in hip flexion is actually theIliopsoas one of many hip flexors. The Iliopsoas, particularly the Psoas portion, happens to lie deep below the lower portion of theRectus Abdominous. During the leg raise, the entire abdominal musculature isometrically contracts (contracts with no significant movement) to: Posture the spine and pelvis Supports the weight of the lower body so the lumbar spine does not hyperextend excessively Maintains optimal biomechanics of the Iliopsoas Hips are kept from prematurely flexing if the lumbar spine and pelvis does not hyperextend excessively Iliopsoas can contract more forcefully in a relatively slight stretched position Bent knee (and hip) sit-ups actually place Iliopsoas at a mechanical disadvantage

Counteracts Iliopsoas's pull on spine Many people with weak abdominal muscles are not able to perform hip flexor exercises without acute lower back pain or discomfort

The combination of the local muscular fatigue, or a burning sensation from the isometrically contracted abdominal muscles, and from the working hip flexors produces fatigue in the pelvis area which we mistakenly interpret as the lower portion of the Rectus Abdominous being exercised. In movements where the Rectus Abdominous does Isotonically contract (contracts with movement), itflexes the spine by contracting the entire muscle from origin to insertion. The spine is not significantly flexed during the leg raise. Incidentally, both the spine and hip flexes during the full range op motion Sit Up and Leg Hip Raise. See Spot Reduction Myth above.

High Repetitions Burn More Fat Myth

Performing lighter weight with more repetitions (15-20 reps, 20-30 reps, or 20-50 reps) does not burn more fat or tone (simultaneous decrease of fat and increase muscle) better than a heaver weight with moderate repetitions (8-12 reps). Weight training utilizes carbohydrates after the initial ATP and CP stores have been exhausted after the first few seconds of intense muscular contraction. Typically a set's duration is 20 to 30 seconds. For the average fit person, it requires 20 to 30 minutes of continuous aerobic activity with large muscle groups (e.g. Gluteus Maximus and Quadriceps) to burn even 50% fat; fat requires oxygen to burn. Performing a few extra repetitions on a weight training exercise is not significant enough to burn extra fat and may in effect burn less fat. If intensity is compromised, less fat may be burned when light weight is used with high repetitions. The burning sensation associated with high repetition training seems to be the primary deterrent for achieving higher intensities. Higher volume weight training (i.e. 3 sets versus 1 set of each exercise) with short rest periods of approximately 1 minutes can stimulate a greater acute growth hormone release (Kraemer 1991, 1993; 1

Mulligan 1996). Growth hormone is lipolytic in adults. It is hypothesized that maximal effort is necessary for optimizing exercise induced secretion of growth hormone. Growth hormone release is related to the magnitude of exertion (Pyka 1992) and is attenuated with greater lactic acidosis (Gordon 1994). Intense weight training utilizing multiple large muscles with longer rest between sets may also accentuate body lipid deficit by increasing post training epinephrine. Intramuscular triacylgycerol is thought to be an important energy substrate following repeated 30 second maximal exercise with 4 minute recovery intervals (McCartney 1996, Tremblay 1994). Rest periods lasting approximately 4 minutes between maximal exercise exercise of very short duration is required for almost complete creatine phosphate recovery required for repeated maximal bouts (McCartney 1986). Insufficient recovery may compromise the intensity of the exercise and in turn, possibly decrease intramuscular triacylgycerol utilization following anaerobic exercise with significantly shorter rest periods. For individuals attempting to achieve fat loss for aesthetics, the intensity of weight training can be a double edge sword. When beginning an exercise program, muscle mass increases may out pace fat losses, resulting in a small initial weight gain. Significant fat loss requires a certain intensity, duration, and frequency that novice exercisers may not be able to achieve until they develop greater tolerance to exercise. If an exercise and nutrition program is not adequate for significant fat loss, a lighter weight with higher repetitions may be recommended to minimize any bulking effects, although less fat may be utilized hours later. If an aerobic exercise and nutrition program is sufficient enough to lose fat, a moderate repetition range with a progressively heavier weight will accelerate fat loss with a toning effect. If a muscle group ever outpaces fat loss, the slight bulking effect is only temporary. For a toning effect, fat can be lost later when aerobic exercise can be significantly increased or the weight training exercise(s) for that particular muscle can be ceased altogether. The muscle will atrophy to a preexercise girth within months. Higher repetitions training may be later implemented and assessed. It still may be recommended to perform high repetitions (e.g. 20-30) for abdominal and oblique training. It has been theorized muscular endurance may be more beneficial for lower back health than for muscular strength. Furthermore, moderate repetitions with a greater resistance can increase muscular girth under the subcutaneous fat, particularly in men, who have greater potential for muscular hypertrophy. Increasing the thickness around the waist with existing abdominal fat may further increase bulk, particularly in men who typically have greater intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat in this area. The abdominal musculature is composed of relatively small muscle mass as compared to the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, and upper back. Performing high reps with a lighter resistance should not compromise metabolism or muscle increases, as would performing high reps with light resistance on other, larger muscle groups. See Spot Reduction Myth above. It is plausible that the high repetition myth was originated and later propagated by bodybuilders that used calorie restrictive diets to shed fat before a contest. Because of their weakened state from dieting, they were unable to use their usual heavier weights. When asked about their use of lighter weights, they explained they were "cutting up" for a contest. This is merely a theory, but it is easy to see how it may have been misunderstood that the lighter weight was used to reduce fat instead of actually being a result of their dietary regime. Typically with weight training alone, the fat loss is equal to the muscle gain, give or take a few pounds. Certain dietary modification can have much greater impact on fat loss than with weight training alone. The ideal program for fat loss would include the combination of proper diet, weight training, and cardio exercise. Also see study summaries: Weight Training and Diet and Endurance and Weight Training. PONDER THIS SCENARIO: YOU'VE JUST received a treasured job offera dream situation for your career, in factbut it comes with a few unusual requirements. You have to go shirtless on the job, millions of people will watch you work that way, and oh yeah, you need to achieve and maintain 10 percent body fat or they'll fire your ass. However, because you're so busy doing this job, you have only 45 minutes, 3 days a week to exercise. Assuming you take the position, what would you do with that time? Go for a run? Hit the elliptical machine? Search the job boards? Hire a body double? This is precisely the predicament faced by Andy Whitfield, who plays the lead in the new Starz television drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand (think Gladiator meets 300), which premieres January 22. "I'm filmed virtually naked in my Roman skivvies all day long," says the 37-year-old actor. "So when I look in the mirror I'm driven by both vanity and fear." You can probably relate.

It's natural to assume that an actor has far more time for exercise than the average guy does. But Whitfield's schedule probably isn't much different from your own. After all, he has a wife and two young children and spends most days on set from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. "For Spartacus, we've committed 100 percent of our production time to creating great scenes," says Whitfield. "So all the training I do is on my own time. And that's pretty limited." Sound familiar? Now consider that job offer again. If you were Andy Whitfield, what kind of exercises would you do to stay lean on the job? Warning: Most people have the answer all wrong.

The great aerobic hoax

For decades, we've been told that the best activity for burning calories and fat is aerobic exercise. In fact, you can practically pinpoint the year this idea started to take hold: 1977. That's when Jim Fixx's The Complete Book of Running was published. This bestseller popularized the notion of running to improve health and lose weight, and it's widely credited with kicking off the jogging boom of the 1980s. Hundreds of studies since then have reported that aerobic exercise offers many benefits, from improving markers of heart-disease risk to coping with mental stress to enhancing cognitive function. That's all good. But if you're looking to shed fat, the newest weight-loss research will tell you to look elsewhere for your exercise routine. "It's sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy," says Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., an exercise and nutrition scientist at the University of Connecticut. "Any type of exercise burns calories. So if you're told that running is ideal and you start dropping pounds once you take it up, then you have no reason to believe otherwise." But Volek's research gives him good reason to doubt the conventional wisdom about the superiority of aerobic exercise for fat loss. In one study, Volek and his team put overweight people on a reducedcalorie diet and divided them into three groups. One group didn't exercise, another performed aerobic exercise 3 days a week, and a third did both aerobic exercise and weight training 3 days a week. The results: Each group lost nearly the same amount of weightabout 21 pounds per person in 12 weeks. But the lifters shed 5 more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. The weight they lost was almost pure fat, while the other two groups shed 15 pounds of lard, but also gave up 5-plus pounds of muscle. "Think about that," says Volek. "For the same amount of exercise time, with diets being equal, the participants who lifted lost almost 40 percent more fat." This isn't a one-time finding, either. Research on low-calorie dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat and 25 percent of it is muscle. That 25 percent may reduce your scale weight, but it doesn't do a lot for your reflection in the mirror. (Can you say "skinnyfat"?) However, if you weight-train as you diet, you protect your hard-earned muscle and burn extra fat instead. Picture it in terms of liposuction: The whole point is simply to remove unattractive flab, right? That's exactly what you should demand from your workouts.

Weight Lifting for Weight Loss, Fitness and Health

In addition to cardiovascular exercise activities, research reveals that weight lifting will also provide individuals with added weight loss and health benefits. According to research, weight lifting exercises not only boost the bodys muscle tone and strength, but they are also shown to increase the bodys

metabolism, fat burning abilities, and energy levels. Benefits of Weight Lifting

Metabolism
One of the key benefits of weight lifting comes from the fact that weight lifting increases the bodys metabolism. The metabolism is essentially the bodys ability to burn calories; therefore, the faster your metabolism is, the faster you can burn food and ultimately avoid weight gain. Essentially, your metabolism is boosted when lifting weights since the increased muscle fibers burn off calories more efficiently and effectively. Therefore, by lifting weights regularly, individuals are able to teach their bodies and metabolisms to process food more efficiently.

Lean Muscle Tissue

Weight lifting provides benefits for both men and women, although the bodys ability to increase muscle mass varies between the two sexes. Essentially, womens weight lifting activities will increase the bodys appearance of tone, while also boosting the bodys strength and abilities. On the other hand, mens weight lifting activities will actually increase the size of various muscle groups; therefore, both men and women benefit, yet only men are able to significantly bulk up from weight lifting activities. Also, lean muscle tissue is where the bulk of calories are burned when being processed, so individuals who begin a weight lifting regimen early on in life often lose about to of a pound more than non-weight lifters each year.

Improved Aging Abilities

As humans age, the body naturally slows down, as the metabolic rate also slows its processes. As a result, it is common and normal for humans to gain relatively small amounts of weight each year as they gain. By lifting weights, however, dieters are able to prevent this weight gain, as the muscle tissues and fibers promote weight loss at every age throughout ones lifetime.

Why Dieting Alone May Not Work

By dieting alone, without exercise, the body begins to burn muscle stores; therefore, while individuals may experience weight loss, nearly 25% of the amount lost may come from muscle tissue and fibers. Exercise and weight lifting boost metabolic levels; therefore, dieting alone can actually hinder the bodys ability to efficiently and effectively burn fat and calories from ones diet. Even cardiovascular activities have been shown to not completely boost ones metabolic rate. Traditionally, cardio exercises include activities such as running, jogging, walking, etc. These activities are effective calorie-burning exercises, but only increased muscle can effectively boost ones metabolic rate. n one of the last mens weight loss posts we covered many of the best ways to ignite your bodys natural fat burning furnace (see: workout plans for weight loss for men). High output metabolic workouts are one of the absolute best ways to lose weight quickly. The following workout routine is a 3 day a week workout that will keep that furnace stoked and it will also keep your bodys muscles strong and defined. As you lose more and more body fat, you will consistently notice your new physique unveiling itself right before your eyes. Remember, the exercise portion of your workout program only represents about 35-40% of the work necessary for rapid weight loss the other 60-65% ingredient that you must include, is a solid diet plan. 4

Keep your meals small and frequent, eating something every 3 hours or so and try to look up the Glycemic Index (GI) and consume foods that are lower on the chart this will help to control hunger and will eliminate the infamous insulin spike that occurs with bad food and binging and its often responsible for excessive weight gain. The following 3 workouts are each full body weight training routines. The first two workouts are what we refer to as straight set routines that is, youll perform each exercise and follow it up with a rest period. The third workout is called a jumbo set, or circuit, where you will perform each exercise in the sequence, back-to-back, with little or no rest. This combination of training protocols represents a very powerful mix for rapid weight loss and peak conditioning. Please review the workouts and you will notice that each of the 3 days worth of training work all of your 6 major muscle groups, but training variables are shuffled around to keep the muscles challenged. Your exercises will change, the number of sets and reps change and your rest between sets is different, between each workout. In workout #3, you will be moving briskly from exercise to exercise to add an additional boost to your weight loss program. To keep the extreme pace of the workout flowing, it is essential that you watch your work and rest times. To help you with this, make use of an interval timer like the Gymboss Timer to keep tabs on those times. This will most effectively maintain this rapid pace and will ultimately enhance your overall workout experience. Use this 3 day workout (ideally done on M, W, F) for 3 weeks and on week four, well take you to Level 2. Now, get ready for results Weight Training For Weight Loss For Men Workout Routine:

Day 1 (Monday): Perform A, rest 30 seconds and then perform B: First Movement: Bodyweight Prisoner Squats 2 Sets 15-20 reps 30 Seconds Rest, then supersets below A: Pull-Downs 2 Sets 15 reps (each arm) 30 Seconds Rest (For home workouts, swap out for Inverted Pull ups) B: Pushups 2 Sets 15-20 reps 30 Seconds Rest A1: Leg Press 2 Sets 15 reps 30 Seconds Rest (For home workouts, swap out for Dumbbell Squats) B1: DB Shoulder Press (Seated) 2 Sets 15 reps 30 Seconds Rest A2: Single Leg Bridge (Palms up) 2 Sets 15 reps (each leg) 30 Seconds Rest

B2: Inverted Chin-ups 2 Sets 12-15 reps 30 Seconds Rest, then core work below A3: Bicycle 2 Sets 15 reps each side 30 seconds rest B3: Plank 2 Sets Hold for 45 Seconds 30 sec Rest Day 2 (Wednesday): Perform A, rest 30 seconds and then perform B: First Movement: Pushups 2 Sets 15-20 reps 30 Seconds Rest, then modified super-sets below A: Narrow Grip Pull-Downs 2 Sets 15 reps (each arm) 30 Seconds Rest (For home workouts, swap out for Inverted Close-Grip Pull ups) B: Incline DB Chest Press 2 Sets 15-20 reps 30 Seconds Rest A1: Close Grip Barbell Bench Press 2 Sets 15 reps 30 Seconds Rest (For home workouts, swap out for Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press) B1: DB Arnold Press 2 Sets 15 reps 30 Seconds Rest A2: Lunge in Place 2 Sets 15 reps (each leg) 1 minute Rest B2: Barbell Biceps Curl 2 Sets 12-15 reps 30 Seconds Rest (For home workouts, where you dont have a BB, swap out for Dumbbell Biceps Curl) A3: Side Crunches 2 Sets 15 reps each side 30 seconds rest B3: Plank 2 Sets Hold for 60 Seconds 30 sec Rest Day 3 (Friday): The following full body workout is called a Burst Bout (designed by yours truly). The objective of this particular higher volume/higher intensity workout, is to keep your skeletal muscles and your heart working optimally. Burst = a sudden flurry of activity, Sudden movement, the act of exploding or bursting. Bout = An instance of something lasting a short period of time. As you will notice, this particular Burst Bout Workout will have you performing a resistance training exercise followed by a cardio movement. This method of training will work on your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. The premise behind it, is that while one system is at work, the other is in a state of active rest.

You will also notice that the workout (just like days one and two) is designed so that you can do it at home. All you need is a set of dumbbells check out the Powerblock adjustable dumbbells that Brad and I use (see: Powerblock dumbbells review), a stop watch like the Gymboss and an adjustable bench.

*Click Chart To Open Full Size Image In New Window*

Beginners should aim for 3 cycles, intermediates should aim for 4 cycles and advanced trainees should shoot for 5 cycles. Go ahead and rest for 1 minute at the end of each cycle Just to summarize quick so nobodys confused: a beginner would do 20 secs of db squats, rest 20 secs, perform 20 secs straight punches, rest 20 secs, and so on all the way through 2 arm db biceps curl then, rest 1 minute (this is 1 cycle) and try to repeat 2 more cycles, totaling 3. So, there you have it, Top Fat Loss Trainer fans a world class weight training for weight loss (formen) workout routine, with purpose to lose the fat, maintain/build some quality muscle and reach a level of elite physical conditioning.

The Best Workouts for Men to Lose Weight

The key to working out is to actually enjoy what you are doing. Sometimes that means playing basketball with the guys in a weekend league, racquetball with a friend twice a week or riding your bike on trails by the lake. The more fun you have, the more likely you are to stick with your workout. And the more you work out, the more weight you will lose, assuming you also are eating a healthy diet. Ultimately the best workout to choose is the one that best suits your personality.

1. Interval Training One excellent workout for you to consider is interval training. This workout alternates high

intensity exercises with lower-intensity ones. Like the start and stop motions of many sports, interval training can be done with a variety of workouts, from walking and running to swimming and cycling. The 7

2. Weight Training

great thing about interval training is that you can choose a variety of intensity levels and can begin with as little as 20 minutes of activity. A typical workout might include a three- to five-minute warm-up of walking, jogging or other low-intensity activity that gradually increases in speed. The warm-up should be followed by a minute of high-intensity activity, such as running or jumping rope, followed by a minute of low-intensity exercise. These oneminute intervals of high and low intensity should be repeated six to eight times. Then add a cool down period of another three to five minutes using lower-intensity exercises. The peak of exertion comes right in the middle of the training. Variations on this workout include using alternating amounts of time for the high- and low-intensity portions of the workout. Another great option to build muscle and burn fat is weight training. The key is to work all the major muscle groups. For building chest muscles, try the bench press or dumbbell flys. Shoulder muscles can be developed through lateral raises and barbell presses. For building back muscles, try dead lifts, chinups or barbell rows. Developing arms can be achieved with barbell or dumbbell curls, triceps extensions or pull downs, and dips or wrist curls. Try squats, calf raises and leg curls to develop muscles in your legs. For building strong abs, crunches and reverse crunches are effective choices. Remember, when weight training, it's important to choose amounts that will allow you to perform three to four sets of seven to 10 reps each. Equally important is to rest for two to three minutes between sets.

Aerobics
Yet another good choice for weight loss is aerobic exercise. No, that doesn't mean you have to wear tights and go to a class where you use a step or jump around. Aerobic exercise is simply any workout you can do that will improve the oxygen consumption in your body. Aerobic exercise can include skiing, roller blading, surfing or any other activity that gets your heart rate up but still allows you to be able to talk while doing it. Along with helping you lose weight, this type of exercise also strengthens you heart, improves energy and increases your stamina.