Series of Myths: You Have to Run to Lose Weight

So this is an interesting myth for me because I really enjoy running, and I will always promote it. However, there are lots of myths associated with running, and this may be the biggest. It is NOT true that if you are serious about losing weight and reducing your fat mass you should to start running.

The jogging phenomenon can be traced back to Arthur Lydiard, an athlete from New Zealand who modernized fitness and conditioning in the 1950s by developing a systematic approach to aerobic conditioning. Prior to this time, "fitness" consisted of a quiet, sedentary life that avoided stress on the heart. (Picture calisthenics in the 1920s.) With his conditioning systems (which are still used today) he propelled New Zealand to the top of the world in middle and long distance running. His methods produced astounding results that were easy and accessible for every man and woman, not just athletes. Thus, jogging was born. It really wasn't until the 70s that the sport caught on with a fever. Everybody was jogging and it was the go-to activity for those wanting to improve their health and body composition.

True, distance running (running sustained for several miles at a time) produces amazing results. It does burn lots of calories and one can definitely lose serious weight by burning calories in this manner. For example, a 160 pound person running at 6 mph on level ground can burn up to 13.0 calories per minute, theoretically. So if he ran for 45 minutes, or 4.5 miles, he would burn ~585 calories. Do this every day, and he could lose about 1 pound a week, which is very good. A smaller person would be burning less at the same speed (120-125lb. person could burn ~10 calories per minute at 6mph) mostly due to the simple fact that it requires less energy to transport a smaller body at the same distance and speed.

So what's the problem? It's not the only option. And, in fact, it's not the best option. To run for a couple miles straight, one cannot maintain a very high intensity otherwise they will fatigue quickly and burnout. It takes a lot of conditioning to be able to maintain a high intensity for long periods of time. So, the average person must maintain a fairly moderate intensity to cover the desired distance. Lower intenstiy = less calorie output. Furthermore, it may appear that you are burning a considerable amount of calories (585 cal in the above example is a lot!), BUT because the majority of the workout was performed at a moderate intensity your body will quickly return to resting levels, including your metabolism. When the majority of the workout is performed at high intensities, you will have greater calorie output AND your metabolism will remain elevated for a period of time after the workout.

Therefore, the good news is that if you're looking to drop some pounds you do not have to pick up running to do it. The best option for losing weight is performing about 5 hours per week of mostly high intensity activity - higher intensity than even jogging. This would include hard strength training performed in a circuit fashion that clearly elevates your heart rate and respiratory rate. You can also perform interval training, which is a series of sprints (can be done running, biking, swimming, etc.) coupled with rest periods. Check out my Intensive Cardio program for some specific guidance. Another fun and productive option is to perform what I like to call "cardio circuits" - performing an intense exercise, like lunge jumps, for a short period like 15 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds, do a different exercise for 15, then rest for 15, et cetera. It's very intense, but very effective. You get a crazy hard workout done in about 20 minutes.

So, throw out all of your prior notions about losing weight and try what current research says works. Spend time distance running if you are training for a run or just really like it. But, if you just want to get in shape and lose weight, YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!

Series of Myths: New Fangled "Health Foods"

I'm devoting several blog posts to dispelling some popular myths floating around in the fitness world, and in this case the nutrition world. For this post I'm deferring to the great Joe Friel from www.trainingbible.com. He is a reknowned endurance coach and I enjoy his training insight and wisdom. I just finished reading his post on Real Food & Performance and thought it would be very fitting to send you to his blog. He does a great job discussing the very prevalent idea that fancy packaging and great "beneficial to your health & performance" claims is not always the best way to go.

Unfortunately, along with great advancements in exercise and nutritional sciences, the nutrition industry, in conjunction with the fitness industry, has recently profited substantially off of performance enhancing, metabolism boosting, recovery inducing products. Joe does a good job of explaining why these are completely unnecessary and how to avoid them when possible.

As always, eat clean, eat fresh, and develop an aversion to packaged products, even if it touts numerous health benefits.

Series of Myths: Spot Training

This is the beginning of my blog series of popular training myths dispelled. I am constantly aware of the need to set people straight on what they think is fact in the training world. You may be the victim of several of these training myths, so stay tuned to find out. Don't continue doing the wrong thing if it's not working!!

At the top of my list is the particular issue of spot training. Have you heard any of these phrases before: "the ultimate belly fat melting plan", "how to sculpt sexy curves", "top 10 butt exercises", "flat abs fast". (I actually got these exact titles from two of the most popular fitness and exercise magazines - no joke!). Sorry, but this is a myth! These magazines (and some trainers) continue to make money off of you promising that if you just do this specific workout or series of exercises you will have the greatest glutes* in town. (*Or insert the body part of choice, it doesn't matter).

Before we go on, let's visualize something for a minute: Have you ever seen someone walking around with killer abs, but a flabby back and butt? Or smokin' quads but fatty calves? Maybe every so often, but only perhaps because of genetic predisposition. You cannot hone in on an area while completely avoiding other areas. The models that are on display for these articles have great bodies all over. I guarantee they didn't come to look like that from doing "the ultimate belly fat melting plan". I can just hear them being interviewed, "yeah, I just did the Flat Abs Fast plan and in 6 weeks I got this incredible body! Isn't it great?!". Hmmm....

So let's stop dancing around the issue. You cannot spot train a problem body part! Your body simply does not function like this. If you have a flabby buttocks, just doing the top 10 butt exercises will not give you a model's rear end. Or, this is a popular one, if you tend to carry extra fat in your lower abdomen, performing "low ab exercises" will not get rid of it. You will have a stronger rectus abdominis muscle (which actually extends all the way from your rib cage to your pubis. It's all one muscle - you don't even have "lower abs"!), but this slightly stronger muscle will still be lying underneath your fat. Unfortunately, for the most part genetics determine where the majority of your fat will distribute itself.

So what do you do? Give up? NO! Abandon strength training altogether? NO! Do lots of high intensity training for your entire body, which burns a significant amount of calories overall, increases your metabolism for the rest of the day, and develops muscle mass which has a higher potential for burning calories. Also, watch your eating habits very closely. Properly fueling yourself throughout the day will encourage muscle development and fat loss. By efficiently burning lots of calories and eating well you will see an overall reduction in fat mass. Unfortunately, it may be your "problem area" that loses it last.

So stay away from "fix that problem spot quick" plans, and get on a plan that intensely works your entire body.

More to come from the Series of Myths: Weight machines vs. free weights vs. body weight; If I'm not sore, it's not working anymore; If you need to lose weight, start running; 3 weeks to swimsuit season; Light weights & high reps creates lovely muscles; Plus others (believe me, there are many!).