It’s the Weekend, Are You Working Out?

I bet that I sure as hell am at the moment 🙂

Many of you are trying to get in shape and I found a few facts and tidbits about exercise and weight loss. It caught my eye because I know a few women that shy away from lifting weights because they are scared of getting bulked up.

FYI – women don’t have enough testosterone in order to “bulk up.” Most of the world’s greatest women bodybuilders are roughly 150lbs (~70kg). Those of you who have “seen” otherwise consider this: you get the muscle before you lose the fat, giving the initial impression that you are bulking. After a few weeks with some cardio mixed in the fat begins to give way and you “look” smaller.

For guys (and gals) some more facts:

• …if you walk or run on a treadmill, the aid of the machine diminishes the number of calories your body uses by about 10 to 15 percent of what the machine says you are burning. But, Mr. La Forge noted, there is a positive side: ?The mechanical advantage of some machines enhances exercise comfort and reduces impact and musculoskeletal stress.?
• When you diet without exercising, you lose both muscle and fat, which is counterproductive because muscle loss significantly lowers your basic metabolic rate, the number of calories your body uses at rest.
• If your workout includes hills (real ones or on exercise equipment), you will use more calories per minute than doing the same activity on level ground. But if you engage in resistance exercises ? working out with weights or on machines that strengthen various muscle groups ? you may gain several pounds of muscle that partly offset the loss of body fat.
• In other words, you may lose fewer pounds than if you expended the same number of calories on an aerobic activity like brisk walking or swimming, but you will be stronger and better toned. With greater muscle mass, your basic metabolic rate will rise and you will burn more calories all day and night. And since muscle holds less water and takes up less room than the equivalent weight of fat, by shedding fat and gaining muscle you can lose inches and sizes without losing actual pounds on the scale.