I’m featured on ExerciseTv’s home page as the new Expert Trainer! I’ve been busy answering a lot of good questions about health and fitness from many of the 6,500+ subscribers and thought I’d share a few below. If you are interested in joining the community (it’s free) click HERE.
Here are a couple actual questions and my answers (click here):
Question #1:
“I have been working out hard and steady for the past 5 months and changed my diet accordingly and so far have lost 30lbs! But I can tell that my weight loss is changing, so my question is how much cardio do I really need to keep my fat loss steady. IÂ walk/jog with my dog in the am 30-45 mins or 25-30 on the stationary bike, then in the afternoons I dedicate at least 30-45 mins doing a cardio aerobic workout. I am really focused on burning the fat, toning and building muscle has not been a problem.”
My Answer:
“Hi!
Congrats on losing 30lbs! Way to go! Well, it depends on how much weight you still have to lose. If you are close to or are at a healthy weight…your body may not need to lose more. But, if you still have more to go you probably just hit a plateau. The best way to fix that is to change things up. If you do the same amount and type of cardio every week your body will get used to it. Mix it up. Try different exercises and also vary the intensities. Interval training at different speeds (also hills are good for walking and biking) is great and will shock your body into more fat loss. Once you stabilize your weight and metabolism…eventually you will be able to back off some of the cardio. But, you will need to do maintenance cardio at least 3-4 days a week.
For now, walking with your dog in the AM is great. I would still do that, especially if you enjoy it. Then, in the evenings…change things up on the bike (different speeds and resistance/hills) and also try some other activities. If you make it challenging enough you can knock it out in 20-30 minutes for sure. Just make sure you break a sweat.
Also, incorporate some weights too. Free weights at home will even do the trick. The more muscle mass you have…the more fat and calories you burn.
-Cari”
Question #2:
“Hello, I am new to this site and i need a video that i can begin with. I’m 5’5″, 187 pounds, very out of shape, shortness of breath (which doctors can not figure out why). I want to get in shape and loose at least 20 pounds. what can i do?”
My Answer:
“Hi!
First of all, I would address the shortness of breath issue. If you are cleared by your doctor (no asthma, heart problems, etc.) then your shortness of breath is probably because you are out of shape. Your heart and lungs are having to work harder to circulate blood and oxygen and as you lose weight this process will be more efficient and it won’t be as tough. Also, with extra weight your heart rate is going to get higher quicker than if you were say 150lbs. So, I would start by monitoring your heart rate and keep your workouts within 60-80% of your max HR (which is 220-your age). So, if you are say 30 years old, your max HR would be 190 and you want to stay between 114-152 beats per minute. You can either take your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 or buy a HR monitor like Polar.
As for videos, I would recommend some of the cardio videos to help you get started with weight loss. Diet is also half the battle and we have a lot of great “Tips” in the mini’s categories from trainers like Cindy Witmarsh, Marco Reed and Kendell Hogan.
-Cari”
