Exercise Advice

"I'm frustrated! I have been going to the gym for two hours three times per week and I still haven't seen the results I desire. I am ready to give up -- exercise doesn't work for me."

This is a very common complaint. Many people are finally committed to getting fit, yet after six months of trying they don't see the results they had hoped for. Is it possible that some people aren't exercising correctly?

Yes and no. Any exercise is better than no exercise. However, if you have certain fitness goals you would like to attain there are some techniques that will make it easier.

More muscle = Faster Metabolism
The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to increase your metabolism. Most people think that the best way to lose weight is to do as much cardiovascular training as possible. While cardiovascular training will help burn calories, it does not provide a long-term metabolic boost. Increasing the amount of muscle in your body is the most effective way to lose those unwanted pounds for good. Here's why:

• It is estimated that just one pound of muscle will burn an extra 35 to 50 calories per day, at rest! That means that it is burning these extra calories while you are relaxing, at work and even sleeping!
• An extra 10 pounds of muscle will therefore burn approximately 350 to 500 extra calories per day, or over 3,500 per week.
• In order to lose one pound of fat you must burn an extra 3,500 calories.
• This means that if you increase the amount of muscle mass in your body by 10 pounds, you will lose a pound of fat every seven to 10 days, without making any other changes!

Let's compare two 150-pound people. Although they weigh exactly the same, person B has 10 more pounds of muscle mass than person A. That means that person B can eat an extra 350 to 500 calories per day without gaining any weight! If they eat exactly the same thing every day, person A will gain weight significantly faster than person B.

Drop the Steady Cardio
However, cardiovascular training should not be forgotten. It is very important for the health of our heart and can be effective in promoting weight loss.

Many people engage in what is called "steady state" cardio. This means that they choose to do one type of cardio machine at one particular level or speed for approximately 30 to 60 minutes.

After a few weeks of doing this, it becomes easier. Unfortunately, the more efficient we become at a particular activity, the fewer calories we burn.

This means that when you first began level three on the elliptical machine you burned more calories in 30 minutes than you will today, now that you are in better shape. I know what you are thinking...that is not fair! The more fit I get, the fewer calories I burn? Do I have to keep increasing my time on the exercise machine in order to burn the same amount of calories? The answer is no -- there are ways around it, and one of the best is interval training.

Interval training is defined as short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of lower intensity exercise. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout. For example:

• Step 1: Warm up 5 minutes
• Step 2: Walk 5 minutes at 3.5 MPH
• Step 3: Walk 1 minute at 4.2 MPH
• Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 four to five times
• Step 5: Cool down 5 minutes

A greater amount of calories can be burned over a shorter period of cardiovascular exercise because interval training does not allow your body to become overly efficient at one particular level. You are now burning more calories in a shorter period of time, allowing time for muscle building as well.

We all want to see results as we work towards our exercise goals. Effective, time-saving techniques provide you with a motivating exercise program that can be continued over a lifetime.