Weightlifting During Pregnancy + After Having Kids

Many women are now weight training seriously in ever-greater numbers. As a result it is inevitable that many will become pregnant and worry about how best to adapt their training to the demands of pregnancy and childcare.

The good news is that active women with normal, low-risk pregnancies do not have to give up their beloved weight training in order to keep themselves and baby healthy.

Years ago there wasn't much clinical research research on this topic, but there has been a lot more research in recent years and we have some good news on the topic.

The 1994 bulletin of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that there is no data to indicate that pregnant women should limit exercise intensity and lower target heart rates because of potential adverse effects.
In 2001 the Canadian guidelines were updated to indicate that regular exercise has a number of benefits and few drawbacks for pregnant women.

Ideally women should be fit and active before getting pregnant, so if you are thinking of conceiving, begin an exercise program now. Better sooner than later!

Here are some tips!

#1. Do not begin a new exercise program during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not the time to make any drastic physical changes.

#2. Stick to your current exercise routine. Don't become sedentary just because you are a few weeks pregnant.

#3. Around the 7th or 8th month you may wish to avoid highly strenuous activities. Switch to lighter weights or easier exercises.

#4. After giving birth you may wish to step up your routine to include more cardio and weightlifting, if you have the time. Ignore the old wives tales that exercise will cause you to sour the milk, your uterus will fall out, etc. Those are just nonsense.

“Muscle conditioning” exercise (i.e. weight trainng) is very low-risk and safe. Just ignore the myths.

Studies have shown no increase in acidity of breast milk after moms exercise. Regular postnatal exercise reduces or eliminates most of the unpleasant postpartum symptoms of physical and mental stress, depression, and so forth, as well as promoting a faster recovery. Postpartum exercise also helps promote insulin sensitivity.

#5. Exercise with your kids. Children of moms who exercised before, during, and after pregnancy were shown to be relatively leaner themselves five years later. Your kids are watching you and pick up your good habits.

#6. Don't Give Up After Having Kids. Many women cease exercising after having children. The two primary reasons for quitting exercise are significant weight gain during the pregnancy (which can be remedied) and the demands of care from children - who will themselves want to run around as they reach the walking age.

#7. Daddies Can Exercise Too! Your kids keep getting bigger... use them as weights! You will get stronger as they get older!

#8. Government Child Care and similar support systems for pregnant women can enable them to continue to exercise during and after pregnancy. You can find time to do these activities thanks to government help.

#9. Later in the pregnancy avoid exercises which involve lying on the back, or pressing against the stomach, or excessive bending forward. You may need to modify or eliminate those exercises.

#10. Avoid excessive head movement, such as stiff-legged deadlifts, if they cause nausea or dizziness. Avoid prolonged periods of standing. Balance will eventually be a concern, so in the second and third trimester, reduce and eventually eliminate Olympic lifts and perform demanding overhead lifts while seated.

#11. Avoid training too much. There is a lot of research into women training too much (or too little) and this resulting in a low birth weight. A higher birth weight means a healthier baby. Women who exercised more than 5 times weekly and fewer than 2 times weekly were both at risk for having lower birth weight babies. Aim for a happy medium of 3.5 times per week.

#12. Keep a Journal! Record eating, training, workout reports, notes on how you feel, heart rate, recovery, etc.

Common Concerns During Pregnancy

Joint Laxity

This is a crucial issue for weight trainers. The body “softens” connective tissue in order to prepare for delivery. Great for pelvic expansion during the crucial moments, not so great for folks trying to keep

their kneecaps stuck to their legs during training. On the plus side, strong muscles help to hold things together and improve overall stability, so strength training will be helpful as long as care is exercised.

Overheating

Another significant issue for weight trainers. Dress to stay cool, drink lots of fluids (even though you’ll feel like you have to pee every ten minutes), get a fan on you if possible, and monitor the situation

during your training sessions. If you need a break to cool down, take one. Oxygen will be less available to you, and you will find that in later months of pregnancy, the baby presses upwards on your diaphragm, making it harder to breathe deeply.

Nutrition

Good nutrition is essential during pregnancy, but hey, you knew that didn’t you? It is often difficult for female athletes to accept the inevitable weight gain that occurs during pregnancy, but this isn’t a time to diet or be nutritionally stingy. You may notice wild fluctuations in blood sugar (and sudden cravings), so try to eat at regular intervals and not go more than a couple of hours without a snack or small meal. In the first trimester you may be limited in what you can tolerate, and formerly appealing things may make you feel sick, but this is usually restricted to the first three or four months. You may experience an increase in appetite, including nearly uncontrollable cravings for carbohydrates (mmmm... donuts). This does not signify weakness or gluttony on your part; let the hormones do their work and get a balanced diet as best you can.

Don't enter pie eating contests however. That is just silliness.

Vitamin Supplementation

There is also a lack of research on the effects of Creatine during pregnancy, so don't use any.

Avoid caffeine, thermogenics and stimulants.

Hormonally-based substances, including prohormones, is a huge no-no at this time.

Fish oil is a highly recommended supplement for pregnant women, but there still needs to be more research on that topic.

NOTES

Medical supervision and ongoing monitoring = Regular checkups and keeping your doctor up to date with any symptoms.

One of the most common problems encountered by pregnant women is back pain. Their center of gravity shifts and extra weight is added over nine months. Women tend to slouch the shoulders and arch the lower back to compensate for these changes, which of course leads to discomfort due to bad posture. A strong abdominal column as well as a strong back gained through weight training before pregnancy can alleviate much of this problem, so resistance work geared to this need is helpful. Bodyweight exercises, such as unweighted squats, present a useful alternative as the pregnancy develops, as do exercises which take some weight off the joints, such as swimming or cycling.

Postpartum urinary incontinence - After giving birth, many women notice problems with mild to moderate urinary incontinence during exertion, such as squatting or deadlifting. Kegel exercises are a must during pregnancy and after delivery. Avoid caffeine, go to the bathroom before your workout, wear a pad, and remember that there are a lot of other women out there experiencing the same thing.

You may also notice hemorrhoids which are aggravated by lifting. Normal and treatable.

Sleep. Naps are good for you and your baby.

The Triceps Kickback

So you want to work on your triceps eh?

Well then there is a fantastic exercise called the Triceps Kickback.

This particular exercise is great for toning the underside of the arm (the triceps) which for some people are notorious for being flabby because fat likes to accumulate there. To reduce the fat you will need to do cardio, but if you're looking to build muscle there then you will want to do exercises which use the triceps a lot.

It's only January right now but it's not too early to prepare for the summer, and last minute vacations to warmer destinations than freezing Toronto.

(I was outside skating yesterday at Ramsden Park near Rosedale and I eventually decided it was too cold even for me and went home.)

How To Do A Triceps Kickback

1. This exercise can be performed with one arm at a time, or both. If you have never tried this one before, or have any low back sensitivity, try one arm at a time.

2. Start by placing one knee and one hand (from the same side of the body) down onto a bed, bench, the couch or even a stability ball.

3. Your back should be really straight, parallel with the floor. The leg that is not resting on the bench is on the floor, stretched out of the way behind you. The free hand is holding a dumbbell, with the arm stretched down toward the floor. 

 

Note: Use a dumbbell which is relatively light the first time you do this. You can try it later with heavier weights once you learn proper form.

4. Bring the elbow up as high as it can go but keep it close to your body. It should be able go higher than your back. Throughout the entire exercise the elbow will remain fixed in the position.

5. With the forearm only, bend back from the elbow as far as range of motion will allow, until the arm is straight out behind you. 

 

Do 10 reps, 3 times total, repeat 3 times per week to see results.

Two Arm Triceps Kickback.

For two arms, start with both feet together and bend your knees slightly. Bend forward from the hips until your back is parallel to the floor. With a dumbbell in both hands, raise both elbows up and behind, higher then the level of your back. At the same time, bend the forearm back until both arms are straight out behind you.

What is wrong with the triceps kickback?

Unlike other triceps exercises such as: dips, skull crushers, push downs and overhead extensions, you will be really fighting a resistance to move the weight. With the triceps kickback the most beneficial part of the exercise is at the very end of the movement, when the arm straightens.

At this point squeezing the triceps is how the exercise activates the muscle fibers. Even better, squeeze the muscle, and try to raise the whole arm just a little higher.

 

Bust Firming Exercises

Many female celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe (see Marilyn Monroe's Diet and Exercise Routine) are fans of bust firming exercises.

The bust also goes by the names "breasts", "chest" and a variety of derogatory slang words like "boobies". Regardless of what you choose to call them, they are an area on the body that a majority of women would like to firm up so they look more perky and less saggy. The way to do this is through some exercises that involve a variety of weightlifting and body weight exercises.

Note: Men who want larger pecs (pectoral muscles) can also benefit from these exercises.

Bust Firming Misconceptions and Myths

The breasts themselves cannot be made larger through exercise, because they consist of glands and are 80% fatty tissue - hence why obese women (and sometimes men) have larger breasts. But there are muscles underneath the breasts and above them that can be targeted - the pectorals. Working these muscles might not increase the size of your bust, but they can make your breasts firmer and more perky. Even men can benefit from these exercises by building larger chest muscles - "pecs".

Bust-firming exercises often involve body weight exercises and the weight lifting items like dumbbells, kettlebells and possibly an adjustable bench. The exercises can be done from the comfort of your own home, provided you have the tools and the space, or in the gym. Many of these exercises are very easy to learn.

BUST FIRMING EXERCISES

For best results repeat the exercises below three times a week on alternating days. Do 10 to 15 reps and 5 sets of each exercise. 

#1. Push-ups

Push-ups are a popular body weight exercise that anyone can do - and they are an excellent breast-firming exercise. To do these, lie on your stomach on the floor with your hands directly under your shoulders. Push your body straight up in the air until your arms are locked. Keep your back straight and lower yourself to the floor until your chest is about a fist-width away. Push yourself back up and repeat. If this is too difficult, you can place you knees on the floor.

If bored try doing a variety of other push-up style exercises that target the pectorals.

#2. Incline Press or Bench Press

Doing incline presses or bench presses are two bust-firming exercises that targets the upper chest muscles. It can be accomplished using either dumbbells or barbells.

To do an incline press, adjust your bench to 45 degrees. Hold on to the dumbbells, lie back on the bench and place your hands at chest level with your palms facing forward. Push the weights straight up in the air and bring them toward each other until they are about an inch away. Lower them back down by bending your elbows and repeat.

#3. Chest Flyes

Chest flyes can also be done with the bench, and you can do them at an incline position or flat. Lie on the bench with your arms straight up and your palms facing each other. Slightly bend your elbows and maintain the bend. Lower your arms to your sides until they are about parallel to the floor then bring them back up. To do chest flyes, you will need to use lighter weights.

#4. Chest Squeezes

A Swiss ball is a functional training tool that is often used to work the abs. However you can also use it to do a chest exercise called a "chest squeeze". To do this exercise lift the ball up with your hands or forearms placed right in the center. Squeeze it as hard as you can for 20 to 30 seconds and release. If you don't have a Swiss ball you could also use a football, basketball, etc.

Become a Fat Burning Furnace

Losing weight is actually just math: Burn more calories than you eat.

Of course, it is never as easy as it sounds! To burn those calories you will need a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat and maybe even a few tears.

There are also factors that contribute to not losing weight, whether its a slower metabolism, or having a body that stubbornly will not keep the pounds off due to hormones - But the good news is that it is possible to speed up your metabolism and its also possible to change your hormonal balance. ie. Weight lifting increases your testosterone levels AND boosts your metabolism at the same time.

To help speed results along, here are 5 handy tips to rev weight loss results as safely and quickly as possible.

Five Fast Weight Loss Tips

1. Drink a lot of water

You have probably heard this one before but health experts cannot stress how important it is. Water will: Speed up metabolism, decrease water retention (it sounds backwards, but its true), lubricates joints (less injuries so you can keep exercising!), curbs appetite, and being hydrated keeps energy and attention levels at their peak.

 

For best results drink cold water. Cold water is actually calories negative. (Likewise cold showers burn calories at a rate of 700 to 900 calories per hour, depending on the coldness of the water and your body type.)

2. Eat Soup

Weird suggestion, but you will see why soon. When you are trying to eat light, salads just do not cut it. You can't eat like a bird every day. You will be hungry again in an hour! Soups are hydrating, low calorie, filled with veggies and can even be frozen and saved, to minimize cooking time and trying to figure out your next healthy meal.

3. Cardio = Weight Loss, Weight Lifting = Muscle Gain

Don't confuse cardio with weight lifting. Yes it is good to both, but cardio is more effective at burning fat whereas studies have shown that weight lifting is not effective at burning fat and really only builds muscle.

 

Make sure you are doing both cardio and weights, but try to do 70% cardio and 30% weight lifting if your goal is weight loss. Cardio will boost metabolism short term, quickly burn through stored carbohydrates and fat and its heart healthy. Weights will boost metabolism long term by building muscle. Strength training also prevents injuries and tones the body, so you look good when you do lose weight. 

 

Weight lifting also prevents sagging skin and and adds muscle definition!

4. Lower your Carbs

Cut back on the bread and pasta. Eat smaller portions or eliminate from your diet entirely.

 

When you are trying to lose weight, go lighter on carbohydrates, and try eating most of them earlier in the day. Protein keeps you full, does not store as fat, and helps to repair damaged muscle tissue, which is perfect after weight training. Carbohydrates give you energy and is absolutely essential, you just don't want to eat more than you burn. A great breakfast is a low fat protein like cottage cheese or yogurt with a healthy carb like fruit or oats. At lunch have a sandwich and for dinner have a protein with vegetables. Snack on 100 calories of something healthy 2-3 times in between those meals, and you're set with a perfect weight loss diet plan.

5. Schedule your workouts

This one is really important!

 

If you "book yourself" in for a workout, you are more likely going to do it. Many people will forget or pass it up for something that seems more pressing. Put it on your to-do list and then DO IT!

Escalating Density Training

 Escalating Density Training (also known as "Escalating Intensity Training") is a solid concept that many personal trainers have been using for years because it is based on time based performance instead of focusing on quitting due to muscle fatigue - thus the focus is on muscle performance during a set time period. In the past personal trainers have been using this concept to train clients, without putting a cool name to the technique. The term Escalating Density Training was coined by personal trainer Charles Stanley and used it as a term in his fitness programs.

British commandos used the same technique during WWII while doing their speed-marches. Their goal was to see how far they could get on foot within a set period of time, all while carrying a 60 lb pack of gear on the backs. So while Charles Stanley may have coined the term, he certainly didn't invent the technique as a training method.

The method is actually pretty straightforward. The exerciser moves heavy weights, or the weight of their own body, in a quick period of time to boost overall power output.

Example #1.

Performing alternating squat and push up sets for 15 minutes and keeping a record of the number of reps performed. Then a week or two later the sequence is repeated and the goal is to increase the number of squats and push ups within that 15 minute time frame.

Example #2.

Doing Bicep Curls with 20 lb dumbbells for 1 minute. Count the number of times you did it. Then a week later attempt the same thing, but using 25 lb dumbbells and try to do the same number or even more in 1 minute.

Example #3.

Do as many jumping jacks as you can while listening to the Rocky theme-song "Eye of the Tiger". Count how many you did and track it for next time.

Example #4.

Go jogging and turn on your pedometer. After 15 or 30 minutes (you figure it out ahead of time) check the amount of steps you've taken on your pedometer. Try to beat that next time.

Example #5.

Flip a giant tractor tire end over end across a football field and count the number of times you managed to do it in a 5 minute period.

After completing a set of these exercises you then you take a break and do it again once you feel you are ready. Sometimes you don't do as well during the 1st set because you haven't warmed up your muscles yet and your metabolism is reacting more slowly, so the 2nd or 3rd set may actually produce your best results.

So it is basically Interval Training, with rest periods in-between intervals, and it is designed to build both endurance and muscle strength at the same time. You may only end up doing 2 - 5 intervals, so its not as long term as normal interval training, but your goal isn't to keep going until you are too exhausted to continue, your goal is to lift or do exercises for a specific amount of time and then each week you should be progressively stronger, faster and have a greater endurance.

This method offers the person the challenge of a numeric goal, and it's easy to plan workouts and track progress because you are aiming to increase both the number of reps, the amount of weight, or both simultaneously. Okay, only doing squats or push ups for 15 minutes seems quite ambitious, and BORING, and it is, but it will also be an intense workout if you do that 3 times in a single hour with 7.5 minute breaks between each set. 150-200 squats and push ups even without weights will cause plenty of soreness, at least at first. However, eventually your body adapts, weights are added and the muscle performance increases SIGNIFICANTLY!

Some key points of this system:

• Form is of utmost importance. If one workout you are performing bench press with perfect form, and the next with lazy technique, the purpose of this method is defeated. Not to mention that with so many reps proper form will prevent injury.
• Keep the exercises simple so you can use proper form without making things complicated.
• Active recovery in between workouts with cardio and stretching is highly recommended. 
• Drink and stay hydrated! Preferably Powerade or Gatorade or even a whey protein drink.
• Keep track of everything, including lower numbers during each cycle of exercises.
• Lift light at first with a weight that would fatigue at 10 reps. Do half if fatigued (5 reps) and alternate your exercises. Keep repeating this cycle for the 15 minutes.
• The next workout the only goal is to do more reps!

Doing Escalating Density Training is tough and takes discipline to complete the full fifteen minutes if that is your goal but once you get the hang of it, you will look forward to these workouts and tracking your progress!

Strength Training After 40

The Benefits of Strength Training

• Builds Bone Density
• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
• Reduces risk of diabetes
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Prevents Injuries

Strength training for people over the age of 40 also reduces the aging process by toning the muscles, improving posture and balance, gaining energy, stamina and achieves an overall revitalization in appearance - resulting in a more youthful looking you.

Some people also falsely believe that strength training will not help them to lose weight, or will make them muscle-bound - confusing weight lifting for bodybuilding. The truth is, strength training burns a lot of calories so it can be just as effective as cardio, but as you get older strength training becomes more important because some cardio exercises like hard running can be hard on the joints, including the knees and ankles. Thus for mature people strength training is a safer alternative as it is less likely to result in injuries.

It also makes your body look good after weight loss through training and a good diet has been achieved! Adding muscle promotes a healthier (and faster) metabolism, which will effectively de-age you as a higher metabolism increases the amount of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in your system.

Even if you don't have any history in strength training, anyone can start, at any age! Just start small with a pair of 5 or 10 lb dumbbells. If you are not sure how to strength train, hire a personal trainer. Having a personal trainer, even for a few sessions to demonstrate exercises and create a program to follow on your own, will be very helpful to get started.

Once you're seeing progress then you will see all the benefits strength training can do for you.

Two Alternative Models for Predicting Muscle Growth

See my older post How Fast Can You Grow Muscle for more on this topic.

There is a lot of different theories in the bodybuilding industry as to how quickly someone can build muscle. Below are two different theories of how quickly muscle can be built.

The McDonald Theory

This theory was created by fitness writer and author Lyle McDonald who also coaches bodybuilders on nutrition. He came up with the following equation for how fast you can build muscle:

His theory is based on the concept that the longer and harder you train the more difficult it becomes to build additional muscle mass. In theory your body can only support so much muscle depending on your height and bone structure, however his theory emphasizes years of training instead. It amounts to roughly the same thing as after 4 years of training you've probably reached a point where its very difficult to add extra muscle mass - and frankly, unless you are a professional bodybuilder, why would you want to?

Note how in the chart above the estimated 2 pounds per month is only roughly 0.5 lb per week, which is not a very fast pace. Over a year that 2 lbs per month adds up to a solid 24lb of muscle. Certainly other factors may also affect the pace of muscle gain, but the concept is sound.

Also the values in the preceding chart apply to male weightlifters. Lyle estimates that females gain muscle weight at roughly half of these values (e.g. 10-12 pounds in the first year of proper training).

The Alan Aragon Theory

The esteemed Alan Aragon is an exercise physiologist who loves constantly staying on top of the latest exercise and nutrition research. Awhile back he addressed the issue of rates of muscle gain in terms of percentage gain for natural lifters.  Here’s the theoretical model he came up with:

Using this theory a 130 lb teenager who never has lifted weights might gain 1.3 - 1.95 pounds of muscle per month (15-23 pounds per year) in a year with a great weightlifting program and a protein focused meal plan.  After a year, he’s now at around 155lb and might be capable of gaining 0.77 - 1.55 lbs per month (9-18 pounds per year) or he might still be a considered a Beginner since he is still a teenager and still growing...

After another year of proper training and smart eating, he’s now at 170lb and is in the Advanced lifter category. Or is he? He might still, depending on his exact age be considered to be in the Beginner or Intermediate category.

The flaw in Alan Aragon's theory is that it supposes a precise 1 year - 2 year - 3 year approach, almost like years of university or college. Which is a very simplistic approach and doesn't factor in age or the fact the person might still be growing in stature.

Nevertheless lets continue to follow his model...

From here on out, the teenager may only gain 0.5-1 lb per month, at which point the closer he approaches his maximum muscle potential, the slower the rate of muscle growth. To be fair that is why most of the really big guys at the gym have been lifting for a good 5 to 10 years and have peaked at a point where its difficult for them to get any further results.

The Moffat Theory

The following theory was created by Charles Moffat and follows the mathematical formula below using a series of acronyms to represent different factors that effect muscle gain.

H X SW X MR X DS X G X TC = RMG
H = Height Modifier, above or below average, wherein 100% = 70 inches tall, the average height for a male. The female average is 65 inches tall, but use the male average height for calculating the percentile. Thus if a male or female is 60 inches tall, the percentile to use is 85.7%. If the person is 74 inches tall the percentile is 105.7%.

SW = Shoulder Width (measured from the outer tips of the shoulder blades) above or below average, wherein 100% = average. Average for males is 15.5 inches, for females it is 14.0 inches. Like above use the male average for determining the percentile.

MR = Metabolic Rate, which is based on your age and other health factors. This rate is measured as a percentile wherein 18 to 24 is 100%. Subtract 2% for each year over 24. Thus a 44 year old person has a base Metabolic Rate of 60%. Various health factors such as a history of obesity and other factors may lower this metabolic rate by an additional 10% or more.

DS = Dietary Sufficiency or Insufficiency, wherein 100% = Sufficient protein/nutrients to support lots of muscle gain and a lesser percentage indicates a shortage. If you are not eating properly follow the assumption that this percentile is 50% or worse. 100% would only be possible if you have the help of a nutritionist and are following a strict high protein structured diet, involving daily consumption of 150 mg of whey protein in addition to a balanced meal plan.

G = Gender Modifier, wherein 100% is an Alpha Male. 80% for Average Male or Alpha Female. 60% for Low Testosterone Male or Average Female. 40% for Low Testosterone Female. If in doubt, assume the average for your gender.

XR = Exercise Rate, wherein 100% indicates you are maximizing your muscle gain via 120 minutes of daily weightlifting on a strength gain program. If doing less than that calculate the percentile based on the total number of minutes done weightlifting. eg. 30 minutes of weightlifting indicates an XR of 25%.

TC = Training Category. The year of your weight training. Year 1 - 36; Year 2 - 24; Year 3 - 16; Year 4 - 11; Years 5 to 10 - 8; Year 11+ - 4 or less. Eventually a person would reach a Hypothetical Maximum Weight of bulk muscle and will be unable to add any more.

RMG = Rate of Muscle Growth, for that year. Remember to adjust the TC for each year.

1st Example

Jake is 6' (72 inches) tall, making his H is 102.9%. His shoulder width is 16 inches, making his SW 103.2%. He is 30 years old and has a past history of weight problems, giving him a MR of 80%. He tries to eat healthy, but is actually pretty average in his eating patterns so his DS is 50%. He is an average male and not terribly high in testosterone so his Gender Modifier is 80%. He only does weightlifting for about 20 minutes per day so his XR is 17%. On the plus side he has only been weightlifting a short period of time, so he is in the Year 1 category.

H (102.9%) x SW (103.2%) x MR (80%) x DS (50%) x G (80%) x XR (17%) x TC (36) = 2.08 lbs of muscle per year.

What this tells us is that Jake may be trying a little, but he is being held back a lot by his poor diet and low level of exercise. Lets run the numbers again, but this time lets say that he is taking whey protein and vitamin supplements to boost his DS to 80% and that he doubles his weightlifting regimen to 40 minutes per day.

H (102.9%) x SW (103.2%) x MR (80%) x DS (80%) x G (80%) x XR (33.3%) x TC (36) = 6.52 lbs of muscle per year.

Obviously he is gaining a lot more muscle by improving his diet and how much weightlifting he is doing, but if he maximized his diet as best he could and did weighlifting 120 minutes per day he could improve his results even more dramatically.

H (102.9%) x SW (103.2%) x MR (80%) x DS (100%) x G (80%) x XR (100%) x TC (36) = 24.47 lbs of muscle per year.

The following year, assuming he kept the same routine as above he could add an additional 16.31 lbs of muscle.

2nd Example

Sara is 5'2" (62 inches) tall, making her H 88.6%. She is petite and has small shoulders, 12 inches, making her SW 77.4%. She 26 years old and has no history of health problems, so her MR is 98%. She is a vegetarian and eats healthy, but she doesn't consume a lot of protein so lets assume her DS is 50%. She is an average female so her Gender Modifier is 60%. She is new to weightlifting and is only doing it 30 minutes per day, so her XR is 25% and her TC is 36.

H (88.6) x SW (77.4%) x MR (98%) x DS (50%) x G (60%) x XR (25%) x TC (36) = 1.81 lbs of muscle per year.

So Sara isn't going to be adding much muscle with her weightlifting routine. For her it is more like cardio. Like the 1st Example above, she could also increase her weightlifting regimen and start eating more protein. If she maximized both she could increase her muscle gain to 14.52 lbs in the first year, but maybe she doesn't really want to because she might have different priorities.

Notes

The average male's Skeletal Muscle Mass is 42% / the average female's is 36%.

The average male who is medium frame and 5'10" tall has 65.94 lbs of Skeletal Muscle Mass, with an overall weight of 157 lbs

The average female who is medium frame and 5'5" tall has 48.24 lbs of Skeletal Muscle Mass, with an overall weight of 134 lbs.

The Importance of Rest Periods

Regardless of whether you are doing Cardio, Endurance training or Weightlifting the importance of having rest periods cannot be ignored.

Your body builds new muscle tissue while you sleep and rest. It is a very common beginners mistake to forget to rest properly.

Lets say for example that your goal is Muscle Gain via Weightlifting - Well then you need to be lifting weights 3 days per week - say Monday, Wednesday, Friday - with plenty of rest in-between your weightlifting sessions.

If you don't have rest periods you will end up taxing your muscles too much and you won't be getting the optimal amount of muscle gain.

In theory you could do weightlifting as much as 3.5 times per week, doing a full body routine every 2nd day and resting in-between.

Or another way to do it would be to only exercise your upper body muscles on odd days and only exercise your lower body muscles on even days of the month. So yes, you could exercise every day of the week, but you would be giving different parts of your body a break on alternating days.

When it comes to Cardio or Endurance training you want to aim for 4 days per week. eg. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Friday. And you want to work your way up endurance wise so eventually you are doing a single activity - eg. swimming - for 60 to 80 minutes.

But the end result is that you still need time to relax, recuperate and heal from the physical stress of your ordeal.

If you aren't resting it will result in you developing a number of physical and emotional sideeffects, including insomnia, anti-social behaviour and all the other warning signs of Exercise Addiction / hormone deficiencies.

Exercising burns through hormones in your body like crazy. It eats it up. Those hormones affect other things health wise however and even your personality / behaviour. Your body needs rest periods between periods of strenuous exercise so that you can recharge and rebuild, not just ripped muscle tissue, but also to correct hormonal imbalances.

So if you're still feeling guilty about slacking off during the Christmas / Holiday season, don't worry, it was a well deserved rest period.

Note: Sometimes its also necessary to switch to low strain recuperative periods in your exercise routine. Maintenance / Healing phases. Basically instead of exercising really hard and intense you take 2 weeks and just sort of "chill" while you exercise. You still exercise, but you do it at a less intense level and you avoid anything that is painful such as Power Lifting or marathon running.

Such phases also give your body more time to build up / repair any muscles, and is great for if you are recovering from a minor sports injury.

Lastly SLEEP!

Remember that the best sleeping pattern is a 1 hour nap during the day and 5 hours of sleep every night. Failing that the next best thing is 7 to 8 hours of solid sleep per day.

If you have difficulty sneaking in naps during weekdays, try to have 1 or 2 naps every weekend. Naps and sleeping do wonders for your hormone and energy levels, making you feel more alert and more energetic.

7 Benefits of Isometric Exercises

#1. Isometric Exercises are Frugal because you don't need to buy any equipment to do them because they use pressure resistance or bodyweight to accomplish the goal.

#2. Many trainers argue that Isometric Exercises are better than lifting weights because of the “synapse effect”, wherein one’s body just uses the minimal quantity of muscle fibers it has to at one time. When weightlifting your body only uses the minimum amount of muscle fibers to complete the task in however long it takes to do it, typically only a few seconds... but to build strength you want to use as much as you possibly can and for multiple seconds.

With Isometric Exercises you hold the position for 10 seconds or more, utilizing and maximizing every muscle fibre at the same time, which is a more effective way of building muscle.

#3. Isometric Exercises builds muscle FASTER. With weightlifting you have to do a lot of repetitions to get results. With Isometric Exercises you can get faster results because your goal is to continually challenge your muscles on a constant basis - getting more rippage for your time. The only downside to this is you need to keep challenging yourself.

#4. If you combine Isometric Exercises with freeweights you can achieve even greater results than freehand Isometric Exercises by themselves. Your goal then is to lift or pull something and then hold it for 10 seconds or more.

#5. Isometric Exercises also builds endurance, which is why it is the exercise of choice for government militaries around the world, because they don't just want strong soldiers, they also want soldiers with incredible muscular endurance. This is why a military fitness regimen typically involves 500 pushups per day, 500 situps per day, 500 jumping jacks per day, etc. If you're going to be carrying around 70 lbs of gear all day they need you to be able to do without tiring easily.

#6. Isometric Exercises strengthens bones. Technically all weightlifting and even cardio exercises do this, but basically it all helps to increase bone density.

#7. Reduces chances of Injury. Isometric Exercises are widely known to be the safest way to exercise because you're not using any weights and you don't need any special equipment.

Strength Training Vs Endurance Training

Strength Training and Endurance Training are actually very different disciplines.

Lets take Bicep Curls as an example...

First we determine what your 1RM is. 1RM means "One Repetition Maximum", meaning the maximum amount you can lift and only do 1 rep.

So in the example of Bicep Curls lets say you can lift a maximum of 50 lbs with one arm and then you have to stop and catch your breath.

With Strength Training what you would then do is calculate what is 75% of that and do bicep curls for 5 sets with 5 repetitions each set. Do that three days per week for 3 weeks and then calculate 80% of 1RM and do the same thing for another 3 weeks. Then 85% of your 1RM for 3 weeks and eventually 90% for 1 RM for 3 weeks.

After you're done all 12 weeks then you recalculate your new 1RM, and start back again at 75%, repeating the same cycle every 12 weeks.

Note: To be fair you're not meant to be doing only Bicep Curls. You should be doing sets like this for Squats, Stationary Lunges, Modified Deadlifts, Calf Raises, Upright Rows, Bench Presses, Pullovers, Bent-Over Rows, Military Presses, Preacher Curls and Tricep Curls. The end result is a full body workout.

It also means you will need to determine your 1RM for each machine at the gym, write it all down in a journal and then recalculate your 1RM every 12 weeks of your Strength Training program.

Lets say however that you weren't trying to build strength so much however and you were more worried about endurance...

Here is what you would do instead.

#1. Calculate your 1RM like you would above, but when choosing the amount of weight to be using you instead calculate it to be 50% of your 1RM.

#2. Instead of doing 5 sets of 5 repetitions, you are instead doing 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

#3. You train 4 days per week instead of 3 days.

#4. After 3 weeks of training you don't change the amount of weight you are lifting, instead you increase the number of repetitions to 5 sets of 15. Three weeks later it becomes 5 sets of 20. Then 5 sets of 25.

#5. After the 12 weeks is over you recalculate your new 1RM and start over again with 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

With Endurance Training you are still building strength at the same time, but the focus is on increasing your ability to lift many multiple times without tiring so easily. Endurance training is also safer because it builds up your cardiovascular heart and lung muscles more in a similar way to Cardio training.

Its a bit like comparing Sprinters to Marathon Runners.

When Sprinters train out on the track they might only be running 100 meters at a time, and they stop and rest and when they're ready again they will sprint the 100 meters again. They might do that maybe 20 times on a training day. If they can sprint the 100 in 10 seconds their total exercise time might only be 200 seconds of actual sprinting, but they have spaced it out so they have plenty of time to rest in between sprints.

As such Sprinters typically look strong and quick. Marathon Runners have a strong tendency to look almost anorexic.

In contrast Marathon Runners will be out there running half or full marathons 3 or 4 times per week. Approx. 21.1 to 42.2 km. So for example they might be running 25 km four days per week.

With Marathon Runners they need to be careful to avoid going over 100 km per week because if they do they can often develop "Exercise Addiction", a condition runners are frequently prone to because of the batch of hormonal painkillers the brain releases during long runs which are highly addictive. The side effects of Exercise Addiction include insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, anti-social behaviour, decreased libido, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (obsessive cleaning, etc). It can even lead to loss of weight / anorexia as the person can sometimes exercise so much they end up burning away muscle and brain tissue for energy. Like any other addiction it can also ruin relationships as the person will choose running over spending time with family or friends.

Even professional marathon runners avoid going over the 100 km limit due to fear of developing an addiction to "Runner's High".

We should note that Marathon Running with an Exercise Addiction is not going to increase your endurance. If the person is running that much the hormonal imbalance in their body causes them to be unable to sleep properly and regenerate muscle tissue during their sleep. Instead they will burn away muscle tissue in order to fuel their obsessive need to keep exercising.

Some Exercise Addicts are known to run 140 km or more per week and get emotionally upset if they don't go outside and run because they're so obsessed with their "Runner's High".

Thankfully that sort of thing doesn't really happen amongst Strength Training or Endurance Training because the focus is still on building muscle, right?

Wrong! Strength is actually prone to Exercise Addiction too. According to some bodybuilders it can even be more addictive, although it is difficult to measure if that is true or not. A warning sign of someone who addicted is their insistence that they have to go to the gym 6 or 7 days per week to work out for several hours, working out for 15 hours + per week.

What is known is that Exercise Addiction is more commonly found amongst "Power Lifters" who develop a psychological dependence on weightlifting - the heavier the weights the more addicted they can become. The psychological symptoms are the same as other Exercise Addictions. It doesn't matter that it is weightlifting instead of running. It is still addictive and dangerous to their mental health.

Worse, Power Lifters are also more likely to use Steroids. Increasing their psychological addiction with a drug addiction that will damage their internal organs. There is a lot of information out there available on this topic if you want to Google the words powerlifting steroids addiction.

How Fast Can You Grow Muscle?

A commonly asked question by people trying build muscle is how fast can it actually be done.

The short answer is approx. 1 to 2 lbs of muscle per month if you are weightlifting daily, but there are a number of factors that affect how fast you build muscle, listed below, which will make you gain muscle faster or slower.

Training Age

Don't confuse this with your actual age. That is a different factor.

Your training age is how long you’ve been lifting weights and engaging in weight training, either as the result of working out or as part of your daily routine (eg. If you're a construction worker you are probably more used to it). If you’re new to weightlifting you will be able to gain more muscle faster than if you’ve been lifting for many years. I know that seems backwards, but that is the way it works.

Hormone Levels

Depending on the person the amount of testosterone and other muscle building hormones in your body can vary wildly because your lifting regimen does not help elicit a testosterone response (you might not be lifting with your legs, or not lifting heavy enough), or your body simply doesn’t produce as much testosterone (due to genetics / personality). Alpha male personalities tend to make more testosterone (in theory you can even become an alpha male with time if you make active efforts to become more confident and your brain will increase your testosterone levels as the result of rewiring of your system - this is harder to do as you get older as such things become hardwired in your brain while you are a teenager).

For women muscle is still governed by testosterone levels, but since women produce less testosterone other muscle building hormones play a greater role in the female body. Cortisol thus plays a bigger role for women, but too high levels of cortisol hurts bone density. Thus for women its better to use short but intense bursts of weightlifting to get the benefits.

Genetics

Everyone has basically the same genetic coding, but there are minor differences in the coding. Don't read too much into genetics because sometimes people can defy the odds through conditioning. Most people (roughly 68%) by definition are genetically average so the chances are likely you're pretty average.

There is a concept of a genetic bell curve. To summarize what this means, some people are naturally inclined to build a lot of muscle because of genetic factors which effect hormonal balance, or the thickness of their frames (big boned) allows them to add muscle easier. A person with a small frame will have trouble building muscle.

Muscle Memory

If you used to have lots of muscle when you were younger or before an injury, then you can regain that muscle faster when you start training again. So if you are an athlete and get injured and lose 30 lbs of muscle you can regain that muscle at a much faster rate than a normal person because your body remembers the muscle being there and will build it at an accelerated rate. Its possible to gain 20 lbs of muscle back in only a single month if you have the muscle memory, because your body has a mechanism for restoring the previous homeostasis.

Protein Supplements / Steroids

Consuming protein supplements and Creatine (a chemical found in red meat) will help you build muscle faster.

Heavy duty supplements like steroids are harmful and will damage your internal organs. So called performance enhancing substances can help you build muscle much faster, but will cause your internal organs like liver, kidneys, etc to shrink and become more prone to diseases/cancer. It also shrinks your testicles and damages brain matter.

The safest route is to stick to natural supplements like whey protein and Creatine.

Muscle Pain - What is it and what to do about it

Do you get muscle pain after exercising? Its normal, but what is it and what should we do about it?

Muscle soreness is caused by a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. Sometimes the pain is delayed, but usually the soreness tends to show up between 24-48 hours and is commonly called "DOMS" (delayed onset muscle soreness) after exercise.

Everyone gets it too. It's not unique to beginners or bodybuilders. Anyone who strains/rips their muscles is going to experience soreness either soon after or a delayed response. Sometimes the delay is caused by adrenaline and other pain-killing hormones in your system so you simply don't notice the pain until later. This is common for boxers for example who experience pain while fighting in the ring, but the real pain doesn't happen until after the match is over and they can barely stand due to all the pain.

Every time that you exercise and especially when you try new things such as exercises you've never done before, or trying heavier weights or by adding time to the routine, your muscles are simply not used to the demand. What happens is the tiny muscle fibers tear and break, and then they heal and fill in the muscle void with new muscle tissue so that you can handle that same load of work the next time with less effort and less pain. A little muscle soreness is a good thing. Hence the saying NO PAIN, NO GAIN. Muscle pain means that you have challenged your body and that it is now healing and building new muscle tissue.

Example

Lets say you don't normally do situps and your core muscles aren't the greatest. So one day you do 300 situps and that night and the day after your abs hurt. But two days later if you try to do 300 situps again, it will be easier the 2nd time around and you will experience less pain. This is because you've healed and built up more muscle in that region during the healing process. If you kept doing 300 situps every 2 days for a month by the end of the month you would be experiencing almost no pain and your ab muscles would be significantly stronger.

So regardless of whether you are doing weightlifting or ab workouts or even cardio, you are going to experience muscle pain. Even archery causes muscle pain in your arms and back if you aren't used to the poundage of the bow.

So what can you do about it?

#1. Only exercise those same muscles every 2 days so you can rest and heal in-between and build up your strength/endurance.

#2. Don't overdo it on the weights. Make gradual improvements on how much weight you are lifting. I know its fun to try and lift your maximum amount, but I only recommend doing that once per month and then keeping a record of what your maximum was.

#3. Stretching / Yoga. Stretching and yoga can help prevent / decrease muscle soreness.

#4. Take a cold bath or shower when you experience muscle soreness. Its really cold, but it helps numb the pain.

#5. Eat lots of beans, nuts, etc after a workout. Or a protein shake or protein bar. The extra protein will help build/repair muscle tissue faster. I don't recommend meat because the protein content in meat isn't as high as people like to think it is. eg. Pork chops are only 18% protein.

#6. Do NOT exercise muscles that are already sore. They're trying to heal. Focus your workout on different muscles on days when your muscles are so. eg. Some people like to alternate weightlifting on one day with cardio on the next. Or alternatively upper body on one day and lower body on the next.

#7. As a last resort, pain killers. Pay attention and learn what is actually in them however. A common painkiller you can find in a pharmacy for bodybuilders is actually just Tylenol 650 mg - which is the same thing people take for arthritis pain. So if you do go that way, look at the prices because seniors pay less for arthritis pills than bodybuilders do for muscle relaxers, even though its the same ingredient.

Always remember that pain is temporary. The feeling of achieving your goals lasts forever.

Motivating Yourself to Lift Weights

I am loving these motivational images from motiveweight.blogspot.ca. :)

Body Weight Exercises

THE BENEFITS OF BODY WEIGHT EXERCISES

#1. No Investment Needed. You don't need a gym memberships or expensive equipment - Seriously, you can get started with a fitness program today just by Googling bodyweight exercises and clicking images to search for ideas (examples shown here).

If you do decide to invest in equipment, buying a rope or chin up bar (or rings) is pretty cheap and frugal.

#2. Highly Effective - Our bodies are heavy. That's all the weight you need. Other cardio based body weight exercises such as mountain climbers, step climbing and jumping jacks raise the heart rate fast because you are lifting your own body weight.

#3. Very Easy to Learn - Body weight exercises are a lot less technical than the form for weightlifting free weights. No messing around with machines.

#4. No Need for Spotters - A heavy bench press needs a spotter to keep the workout safe. 50? 100 push ups? It doesn't matter, you'll be okay on your own!

#5. Anytime, Anywhere! - Need I explain more? You can do body weight exercises anywhere, even in bed!

#6. No Need to Hire a Personal Trainer - I admit this website is for my personal training business in Toronto, but I also love to give free advice on how people can exercise on their own in a frugal manner without the need to hire anyone. You don't even need a gym membership to do body weight exercises!

Body weight exercises can be a workout all on their own or used in conjunction with free weights, machines or as intervals in between bursts of cardio.

Does Exercise Stunt your Growth?

A commonly asked question that people have when they see an image like the one on the right here (a boy who clearly does weightlifting) is how does this effect his physical growth?

Does exercising stunt his growth?

This, as it turns out, is actually a myth. Exercising actually does the opposite. It actually INCREASES growth by triggering the brain to release Human Growth Hormone...

Children who exercise and eat healthy grow up to be "big and strong". Its an old concept similar to Popeye's "I'm strong to the finish because I eat my spinach!"

Exercising, any exercising, causes the brain to release more Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which in turns triggers the body to both regenerate existing tissue, but also triggers growth spurts in children, and in adults HGH works to hinder diseases like cancer and keeps the body feeling younger.

It is one of the reasons why people who exercise are typically taller and also appear younger than counterparts in their same age group. (I am frequently told I look to be approx. 25 years old and almost no one ever guesses I am 33. That is the result of exercise and healthy eating.)

For children who are growing regular exercise needs to be part of their regular routine. Lack of exercise and unhealthy eating will result in children growing up to be "short and stout". Exercise, vitamins, calcium and a balanced diet make a big difference in a growing body.

If children excel at a particular sport, for example competitive weightlifting, it isn't going to stunt their growth and will actually make them taller. Look at the weightlifters at the Olympics. A lot of them are hovering around 6 feet tall or over. That is the result of exercise and eating their proverbial spinach.

Now lets pretend you don't believe me or don't believe in the science behind HGH.

Go ahead and ask some pro-weightlifters when they started exercising and how tall they are. The majority of them will say they started weightlifting around 11 or 12 years old and say they are between 5'9" and 6'6" tall. No shortage of tall people amongst weightlifters.

But they will also stress the importance of proper diet. Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to growing both taller and bigger physically.

Understanding Interval Training

Targeting Maximum Fat Loss Through High-Intensity Interval Training

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that is growing in popularity. HIIT combines two of the most effective fat-burning methods.

The first method is high-intensity training, which pushes the body to maximum effort to achieve muscle fatigue and maximum oxygen use in a quick burst. Think sprinting or heavy weight lifting. The harder muscles work, the more oxygen they require. This is measured relative to one’s maximum amount of oxygen their body consumes during exercise. Working your body close to its oxygen max triggers the Afterburn Effect, where the body continues to consume oxygen (and burn calories) up to 48 hours after the workout (it takes approximately five calories to consume one liter of oxygen).

The second method is interval training, which alternates periods of intense effort with periods of moderate-to-low intensity effort. Interval training boosts metabolism significantly longer than a steady workout of equal or even greater length (for example, a 20 minute workout of alternating high/low-intensity periods burns more calories than a 20 minute workout of steady intensity). Interval training also builds lean muscle tissue faster than steady state training.

So instead of jogging for 30 minutes you alternate between sprinting and brisk walking for 30 minutes. Due to the Afterburn Effect it burns even more calories than plain jogging, even though the distance traveled and the time is the same.

By combining the above two exercise methods, exercisers can maximize fat-burning and muscle-building potential through significantly shorter workouts. HIIT also maximizes increased metabolic rate, optimizes muscle building and muscle retention during fat loss, and increases calorie burn during and after workouts.

The Science Behind Interval Training

HIIT taxes and maximizes both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, while light cardio addresses aerobic only. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen to generate energy in the form of ATP, while anaerobic respiration does not. HIIT affects muscle tissue at the cellular level, actually changing mitochondrial activity in the muscles themselves.

University studies indicate as little as 27 minutes of HIIT three times per week produces the same anaerobic and aerobic improvement as 60 minutes of steady state cardio five times per week.

How to Measure Muscle Mass

Some weightlifters like to know what percentage of their total weight is muscle and the lbs / kgs of muscle they have. There are several different methods for measuring or calculating the amount of muscle mass in the human body... And the methods are all highly inaccurate.

The only way to directly measure muscle mass is via cadaver dissection, which is not a good option! The methods described below are estimations, and based on different assumptions, and with varying degrees of accuracy. You've been warned!

The human body is made of several things:

Muscle Mass
Fat Mass
Bone Mass
Blood Mass
Waste Mass (Urine, Excrement)
Organ Mass

And so forth. Usually what people want to know is how to measure their Fat Mass and their Muscle Mass, often represented as a percentage of their total weight. Body Fat % X Total Body Weight = Fat Mass; Muscle % X Total Body Weight = Muscle Mass.

There are machines (electronic gadgets) at gyms that can give a rough estimate of fat mass and then using your weight it can be used to calculate the approx. muscle mass. But its based on a percentage and makes a number of assumptions that, including that the fat estimate was accurate and ignores things like above/below average bone and organ weight.

GIRTH MEASUREMENTS

Girth measurements can be used to monitor changes in muscle mass. As the girth measure will also include the fat underlying the skin, any changes in your body fat will affect the results. Therefore, girth measures themselves are only a rough guide to muscle mass changes. The calculation below adjusts the girth measures based on skinfold levels in the calculation of muscle mass.

The Girth Muscle Mass Calculation equation to use is as follows, where: H = height, FG = forearm girth, CG = calf girth, CCG = corrected calf girth, TG = mid-thigh girth, CTG = corrected mid-thigh girth.

CTG = TG - π(mid-thigh skinfold/10)
CCG = CG - π(calf skinfold/10)
Muscle mass (g) = H(0.0553CTG² + 0.0987FG² + 0.0331CCG²) - 2445

24-HOUR URINE CREATININE MEASUREMENTS

Another method for determining muscle mass is through the measurement of the 24-hour urinary excretion of a chemical called creatinine. This method is based on on the correlation between total body creatine and urinary excretion of creatinine, and assumes that nearly all creatine is within muscle tissue, that muscle creatine content remains constant and that creatinine is excreted at a uniform rate.

BODY SCAN

The following methods are not used routinely to measure muscle mass, though it is possible to get estimates of muscle mass from these measurements. Most of these methods require sophisticated and expensive equipment, not usually available for most people.

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) - using this method you can determine body components including non fat soft tissue.
Total Body Potassium (TBK) accurately determines the body's total cell mass (that is, the active growing tissues in the body), which in turn can be used to estimate fat-free or lean body mass. When this measurement is combined with measurements from the Total Body Protein, you can determine total organ and muscle mass.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - with MRI it is possible to get accurate measurements of the composition of body tissue, by identifying muscle, fat and organs etc.
Total Body Electrical Conductivity (TOBEC) - can be used to estimate lean body mass.
Computed Tomography (CT) - the high quality images can be processed to differentiate and measure the amounts of fat and lean body tissue.

WHAT'S THE POINT???

So yes, you can try to measure your total muscle mass. But do you really need a number? What difference will that number make beyond bragging rights?

If you're going to do any kind of measuring the things I recommend measuring is your Personal Best.

How you do that depends on you, but what I like to do when weightlifting is to once a week see what the maximum amount of weight I can lift with a specific group of muscles. And to me it doesn't count as successful unless I can do 10 repetitions of that weight. If I can only do somewhere between 1 and 9 then it doesn't count. If I am going to lift something I don't want to lift it for a few seconds and then drop it and be unable to lift it again because my muscles are too tired. I want to be able to lift it and sustain that weight for a reasonable amount of time.

Once I know I can do that I can say that is my Personal Best and then aim to improve upon that.

Knowing my Muscle Mass percentage is comparatively useless.

Maximum Results + Minimum Time

A lot of people in North America really only exercise for one reason: To Lose Weight.

But they don't want to work hard to do it. Exercise? That sounds too much like work. It is that kind of pessimistic and lazy attitude that causes people to become paralyzed by "I'll do it later."  It is therefore no surprise that America has an obesity epidemic when you considered a combined lifestyle of bad diet and lack of exercise. Also to blame is all the nutritional / exercise misinformation being pushed at them by the food industry and even people in the exercise industry who really just want to sell you something.

Well to be fair, I am selling something too. Personal Training. But I am also a strong believer in giving away free information so that people can go the Do-It-Yourself route.

One of the things people are always looking for is ways to maximize their weight loss... but they want to do it in the minimum amount of time required.

This to me is the typical male approach to getting a task done. If you give a guy three boxes and tell him to carry them upstairs one at a time he will look at you funny, stack all three boxes together and then try to carry them up the stairs all at once. Its not lazy, its male logic. "I can carry all three at once and therefore accomplish the task in one shot."

Part of it might be male ego and testosterone, that is for psychiatrists to decide, but the analogy is good.

So how do we apply this to exercise?

#1. You want to maximize calorie loss per minute.

This means you're going to have to compare exercises and pick one that burns a lot of calories in a hurry. The obvious choice is running because that burns the most calories more than any other exercise, but depending on your goals you might also choose weight lifting, a specific sport, skipping rope, jumping jacks or even yoga.

#2. At the same time you want to be able to keep up the activity for the stated length of time.

So for example if your plan is to only exercise for 15 to 30 minutes per day then you ideally want to be burning a lot of calories during that time period and not stopping to rest. So you want to pick an activity that you're certain you can do. eg. Jogging for 30 minutes.

#3. You want to push your limits in order to maximize results.

One way to do this is via Interval Training. So to take the example of running and jogging you could do the following:

Sprint 1 minute, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 10 times. Total time 30 minutes.

And if you're still not tired after the 30 minutes, sprint for an additional amount of time until you're ready to quit.

The same method can also be used for weight lifting and mixed cardio.

30 lb bicep curls 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Pushups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Chin-ups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
25 lb bicep curls 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Pushups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Chin-ups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
 20 lb bicep curls 3 minutes, jumping jacks for 3 minutes.

Total time 30 minutes.

#4. The Fun Factor.

Running and weightlifting can be pretty boring however. That is why it is important to mix it up with music and other things to make them more interesting. Try and pick music that makes you feel invigorated.  Eye of the Tiger, Super Trouper, Hungry like the Wolf, TV theme songs... whatever gets your heart and mind racing.

If that still isn't enough fun for you my recommendation is to take up a sport every day for 30 minutes (or longer). If its truly fun you will lose track of time and want to do it every day. (This is why I got into archery and boxing in the first place. They're sports I never get bored of.)

If you can find an activity you enjoy that you can do every day for 30 minutes and it doesn't feel like a chore or work, awesome. Then all you have to do is push yourself to your limits in an effort to maximize your results / calorie loss.

Eventually you will hopefully lose track of time and your worries over "minimizing time and effort" will disappear.

#5. Variety.

Always try new things.

If the only things you are doing is running or weightlifting, your body will stagnate. You will reach a plateau where you can't cross an endurance barrier. To get around that you need to try new things and use muscles you aren't used to using. Yoga is good for this, but you can find many other activities which can activate those rarely used muscles. Once you do so you will be able to push your "maximum" to new heights by awakening muscles you never knew you had.