Exercise University

New Blog

2009-08-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank all who have followed our blog. We have moved our blogs (both this and betterbeingsintraining.wordpress.com) to our company hosted website http://betterbodiesintraining.net/index.php/blog . Please continue to read our posts and make comments by following us there. Again Thanks....

Another Link on Exercise and Fitness

2009-08-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

We are always on the look-out for good sources of information on exercise that we can share with you. While researching information on exercise, we discovered Scientifc American's Exercise and Fitness Website. We are not sure of the relevancy of this site, but here it is: http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=exercise-and-fitness.

Has anyone visited this site before? if so, what are your thoughts and/or opinion? Please share...

Muscles Burn More Calories than Fat

2009-08-11T22:13:00.001-07:00

Muscles burn on calories than fat at both exercise and at rest. It is said that muscles elevates your resting metabolic rate from 37-50 calories per day. So, if your normal resting metabolic rate is 1400 calories, adding a pound of muscle will increase that resting metabolic rate to say 1437 calories per day; that is calories burned per day. Thus, in addition to restricting caloric intake and increaseing activity and exercise levels, strength training that increases muscle mass, should be incorporated.

Caloric Consumption vs. Caloric Burn

2009-08-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

Total metabolic rate is the sum total rate of metabolic resting rate, metabolic activity rate and metabolic exercise rate. It is the total amount of calories burned in say a single day. This is also known as total energy expenditure.

Metabolic Resting Rate is said to be the rate at which the body burns calories while the body is at rest. Click on the link to estimate what your metabolic resting rate is (Metabolic Rate Estimator).
Metabolic Activity Rate is the rate at which the body burns calories due to simple daily activities like eating, walking, typing, putting on clothes.
Metabolic Exercise Rate is the rate at which the body burns calories because of exercise. This is where the most potential energy can be burned to aid in weight loss.

Caloric consumption or energy consumption is the total amount of calories consumed say in a single day. This is contrasted by the total metabolic rate (i.e., energy expenditure rate) .

Energy Balance (i.e. caloric balance) refers to the relationship between caloric consumption and caloric expenditure (caloric consumption and metabolic burn rate). Consider the three possible energy or caloric balance equations.

When consumption is equal to expenditure, there is no weight gain.
When consumption is greater than expenditure, there is weight gain.
When consumption is less than expenditure or when expenditure is greater than consumption, there is weight loss.

Thus, the key to any successful, sustained weight loss program is to create a caloric deficit, where more calories are burned than what is consumed.

Losing Fat

2009-08-06T07:20:00.001-07:00

To burn 1 pound of fat, you have to burn 3500 calories.

What does this mean for you?

If you work out 7 days a week, you will need to burn 500 a day to lose 1 pound a fat for that week. If you work out 5 days a week, y0u need to burn 700 calories a day. If you work out 3 days a week, you will need to burn around 1166 calories per day.

Which activities burn the most calories?

Check out this caloric calculator found at Lowfatlifestyle.com.

Bilateral vs. Unilateral Movement

2009-08-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Bilateral movement uses both limb in unison to move a load (i.e., bench press with barbell, bicep curl with barbell, leg press with both legs). Unilateral movement uses one limb in isolation of the other limb to move a load (i.e., alternating dumball shoulder press, alternating dumbell bicep curls).

Bilateral movements are great for maximal strength training as the dominant limb negotiate more of the workload. However, continue use of bilateral movements in one’s training can lead to muscle imbalances and weaknesses. Those, unilateral movements can and should be included as they lead to discovery and correction of muscles weaknesses and imbalances but also can greatly improve bilateral movements.

One should alternate bilateral and unilateral movements with each workout. For example, if you perform a bilateral bench press in one sessions for the chest, the very next session that you work the horizontal push movement (chest) incorporate a unilateral dumbell bench press.

Compound vs. Isolation Exercise

2009-08-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Compound exercises are those that require movement at 2 or more joints (i.e., squats, lunges, bench press and shoulder press). Isolation exercises are those that isolate a muscle or muscle group and where movement occurs at a single joint (i.e., bicep curl, hamstring curls, leg extension, etc..).

There are significantly more benefits to performing compound exercises than isolation ones. Firstly, there is the trememdous amount of calories burned; Secondly, substantially more strength can be developed; Thirdly, optimal muscles size (growth) are more likely with compound exercises than with isolation.

Training Volumes

2009-08-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Training volumes refer to:

1. the amount of the load
2. ther reps per set
3. the total number of sets.

Training volumes depend upon your training objectives; if you are training for size, (hypertrophy training) you want to train with higher volumes and moderate loads; if you are training for maximum strength, you want to train with lower volumes and higher loads.

Overload Principle

2009-08-05T19:38:00.001-07:00

The overload principle in resistant training states that our bodies will adapt to whatever rigors we place on them. That is, the more work we do, the more work we are capable of doing over time. Simply put, you need to push your body harder and harder over time if you want to see significant improvements.
You can accomplish this overload by doing:1. increasing loads (weight)2. increasing volumes (reps and sets)3. decreasing rests periods between sets;

What is hypertrophy training?

2009-08-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hypertrophy training, like maximum strength training, is a resistant based training. Unlike maximum strength training that uses 85% -100% of maximal load, hypertrophy training, uses 65%-85% of submaximal load to increase the size of the muscle. Hypertrophy training is also known as muscular size training or bodybuilding.

What is muscular endurance?

2009-08-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Muscular endurance involves pushing, pulling, pressing or lifting a submaximal load (weight) for multiple repetitions.

An example of muscular endurance would be a 1 minute push up test. That is, seeing how many push-ups one can do in a minute. Another example would be a 1 minute sit up test, or a 1 minute frog squat test.

What is muscular strength?

2009-08-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Muscular strength is defined as pushing, pulling, pressing, or lifting a maximal load (weight) for 1 repetition. Muscular strength is gained by performing resistant training.

Best Way to Lose Weight

2009-08-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. There are tons of information out today about how to lose weight. Some are good and others are not so good. I am sure that you have seen the ads, "how to lose 30 pounds in 10 days" or something to that effect.

The formula for weight loss is simple. "Burn more calories than what you consume"

Now, there a two major ways of losing weight. 1) the healthy way or 2) the unhealthy way. Now, for those who are interested in losing weight the healthy way, you can do so by following one of three approaches:

1) limited your food intake,
2) increase your activity level while maintaining your current food intake or
3) limit your food intake and increase your activity level (source)

The best in terms of effectiveness is method three. In other words, a person should reduce his/her caloric consumption at the same time increase his/her activity level.

All activites burn calories; some activities like exercising burn potential more calories than non-exercising activities.

How Exercise May Boost Your Mood

2009-08-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Can exercising regularly help boost your mood? According to this article (http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20188493_2,00.html), there is significant evidence that says yes….

I know from my own experience and the experiences of the clients I train, exercising is not only a way of relieving the stress of the day, but also a way of boosting attitudes and moods, even if just about how good the body looks and feels.