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| Alex Certified Personal Trainer. |
Alex's Frequently Asked Questions:
- ***The advice and suggestions below are based on research, case
studies, and some of my personal experiences. As always, listen to
your body and seek the advice of your doctor when warranted.
Q: How long will it take to reach my goals?
This will depend on a variety of factors, such as your past exercise
history, age, coronary risk factors, time spent training and intensity of
your training program. Usually, significant "results" can be seen in a
matter of weeks when a properly structured program is implemented.
Please remember that results can mean different things to each person.
When a claim is made about quick results, see what is really being said.
Will you feel better? Well, if you have not been exercising, it's nearly
impossible not to feel better with any exercise. Will you lose four inches in
your hips in the first weeks? This will only be the case if you landed a spot
on Survivor or ran a marathon each day of the week. When you see
extremely large amounts of weight loss in a very short period of time, the
likely reason is dehydration. Only when you are lifting weights, doing
cardiovascular exercise three or more times a week, and are on a
balanced, yet reduced caloric diet, should you see results appearing half
this fast. As the old saying goes,
"Anything worth while takes time!"
Q: Why does your program focus so much on the midsection?
Because a strong mid-section will help you support the lower back
(lumbar spine). It also helps transfer strength and power from the upper
body to the lower. In general, the abdominal muscles, lower back, and
pelvic region is called the "core." What I strive for is "core stability."
When the hip flexor muscles are too tight, it causes inflexibility and
forward pelvic tilt. Weak abdominals and a tight lower back will create an
excessive arch in the lower back known as "sway back" or
"hyperlordosis." When an imbalance is present in this area, the result can
be pain, poor energy transfer in sports, and general body discomfort.
Over time, the result can be spinal segments that lip, spur, and even fuse.
Q: Why is massage therapy important after training?
It is "essential". Massage does the following: reduces stress, decreases
recovery time, promotes healing, increases performance, increases
speed, releases toxins and it feels good!
Q: Why do we warm up and stretch before and after the workout?
Prior to any stretching, sport or exercise routine, a general warm-up
should take place. This is to heat the body's core temperature. Once the
core is warm, you can then perform some moderate stretches. Make
certain the entire body is stretched, however, spend a little extra time on
the specific area you intend on training first. After you finish your lifting or
work out routine, your body will be very warm and better able to stretch
more deeply. This is the time to increase the intensity of your stretching.
Q: If I'm very over weight, should I still lift weights?
A: You absolutely should lift weights. It doesn't need to be your focus, but
it needs to be included in your complete program. In most cases, weight
training is not cardiovascular in nature. This means your body will not use
fat as a primary source of energy while lifting weights. However, weight
training does make your body better at consuming calories throughout the
day. Because a muscle requires more energy to maintain its structure as
compared to fat, your body must use (burn) more calories to maintain that
muscles integrity. Aside from all this, if you don't maintain or build muscle
as you lose weight, you will become what is known as a "thin, fat person."
This is a slightly built person who has no muscle mass. Most exercise
experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are
both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps
maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.
Why can’t we focus on toning and burning fat off my target areas?
You cannot "spot-reduce" areas of body fat. The body stores fat
throughout the body as a whole, according to its own genetic pattern. Fat
cannot be "toned up" by weight training or callisthenic exercises.
Increasing calorie expenditure through aerobic exercise and controlling
calorie intake is the way to reduce stored body fat
I am over 40, isn’t it too late for me to start strength training?
"Starting at age 40 in women and at 60 in men, we lose six to eight percent
of our muscle per decade," says Ben Hurley of the University of Maryland.
"However, after only two months of strength-training, women recover a
decade of loss and men recover two decades." That's with three weekly
sessions that take 40 minutes each, including warm-up, rest periods, and
stretching. "The time spent doing the exercises that increase muscle
mass is only about five minutes a session," says Hurley. Not a bad return
on your time.
As you now can see, exercise and fitness are very straightforward and
simple. Here are the keys:
1. Always listen to your body.
2. Build intensity gradually and be consistent.
3. Variety reduces boredom and injury
*Get out there and do it! Remember, you may not realize how badly you
feel now until you exercise right and get the results you deserve.
Look for future Updates.
Send your questions to alex@alextrainingstudio.com
Thank you.