January Exercise - HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

[Suzzzie. 3]

Hey all checking in!

Suzzie- What an awesome job on your weight loss...I need to pay more attention to that stuff. I just realized what an awesome job you are doing ,so I thought I would tell you!

THanks! You're doing pretty darn good yourself!

[Jess30 1]

Okay has anyone had a really bad day, lately...I have had just a really bad day today, and just felt the need to tell everyone...I went to the gym and exercised...Everyone was on the machine I needed...I felt like I was in everyones way....My thoughts were speeding through my head and I couldn't focus to save my life...Then after that workout today, which I did the elliptical and worked legs and abs...it just got worse...Okay well if anyone prays I may need a miracle to get out of bed tomorrow!!!! I definitely need to have a better day...

Stefanie: I am behind on my totals this week...I will catch up and send them to you...

Take care everyone...

[kareyquilts 1]

Huge snow storm in Utah today. We got about 10 inches and it's suppose to snow tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. Getting pretty tired of it! Did I mention it's cold, too? 20 degrees tonight. Well, didn't do as good on the cardio this week, but here are my totals:

C- 200 min.

R- 180

W- 167 (Still!)

Does anyone here do interval training? I've been reading a lot about it and it sounds like a good way to go? Opinions?

[Ceradad 10]

Totals from last week:

C-650

S-0 (week off after 6 strt wks of lifting)

W-291

Hope everyone is having a good wk.

[TexasFire 84]

Karey - Here is an article I just happened across today about interval training. Makes a lot of sense, and makes me think I have conditioned my body to go into "save mode". I going to give this a shot! Me and my lab are going for a walk/run this evening! He will love it!

Your Body Can Burn Fat on Its Own

Posted Mon, Jan 28, 2008, 2:43 am PST

92% of users found this article helpful.

Post a Comment View All 1203 Comments

Wouldn’t you just love it if your body decided to burn fat and calories on its own?

It can:

1. Exercise in short, intense bursts (interval training) for effective fat burning after exercise.

2. Increase the amount of resistance/strength/weight training you do, to build more lean muscle. Muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving.

And of course, for best results:

3. Chill on the amount of food you are eating.

Technically:

1. Our bodies are built to survive, so when you exercise for long periods of time (often and consistently) your body thinks it needs to hold on to fat for energy. Doing short (12-15 minute), intense exercise sessions builds strength and burns calories, but not fat, so it “feels safe” using fat stores for energy after exercise.

2. Resistance training (using extra weight) helps build lean muscle mass (and strong bones), and muscle burns more calories than fat.

3. If you are obsessing over things like fat grams and not eating a nutritious diet, your body will reserve energy (store fat) to survive.

Realistically:

1. Varying your exercise is the most effective and efficient way to stay lean and healthy. You must do some longer exercise to build cardiovascular endurance, burn lots of calories, and yes, even burn fat during exercise - your body will not click in to “save” mode unless you exercise for long periods of time, regularly and often.

2. You must do resistance training in order to build muscle and strong bones.

3. Nobody wants to exercise more - and we don’t want to train our bodies to need more exercise to stay fit. So exercise efficiently – two short, very intense (relative to your level of fitness) training sessions weekly, like a 15-minute fast run/walk or fast cycling sprint intervals, and two moderately long, moderately intense sessions (30-45 minutes) of strong walking, cycling, or yoga, with one long day (60-90 minutes) of a moderately paced walk/hike. That’s a great five-day/week training schedule.

4. Instead of adding more days to your workout schedule, add a weighted vest to your training. I have said this before, but this is the most efficient way that I know of to build muscle while burning calories. For more information, go to http://www.walkvest.com/.

5. Eat moderately - stop counting fat grams and calories and look at how much food is on your plate! And eat more nutritiously by eating foods that are natural and unprocessed.

[whosyadaddy 0]

Okay has anyone had a really bad day, lately...I have had just a really bad day today, and just felt the need to tell everyone...I went to the gym and exercised...Everyone was on the machine I needed...I felt like I was in everyones way....My thoughts were speeding through my head and I couldn't focus to save my life...Then after that workout today, which I did the elliptical and worked legs and abs...it just got worse...Okay well if anyone prays I may need a miracle to get out of bed tomorrow!!!! I definitely need to have a better day...

Stefanie: I am behind on my totals this week...I will catch up and send them to you...

Take care everyone...

Jess! I hear you! I have bad days like that in the gym sometimes...it happens...just get back on it tomorrow. sorry you had a bad day!

[kareyquilts 1]

Stef: I have been reading very similar things about interval training and talked to my trainer about it. He agrees with the articles that I have read. When you train aerobically your body gets more efficient, when you do short spurts of intense exercise your body has to stretch and that is what makes your heart stronger. Plus, as your article points out, interval training is the most effective for burning fat. If you burn fat while your exercising, than your body thinks that you need your fat and so it tries to hold on to it. If you have some anerobic exercise (which is what happens during intervals) than your body burns carbohydrates. It's after the workout that your body will let go of the fat, because it thinks you don't need it. It is an interesting theory. I've been doing intervals this week (that's why my aerobic minutes are down), along with my weight training. I do believe that I get more of the exercise "high" from doing intervals. I don't know if I'll lose weight any faster. I guess it will be an experiment. My trainer did say that "Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame." We will see. Thanks for the article. Hope all are well!

[TexasFire 84]

Just one peon's opinion, but I would count interval training as cardio. (I'm going to!) To my mind, the goal is identical...just more efficient! If you have a problem with being "by the book" like I do, I will be posting mine as "R" for resistance and "C/I" for cardio/interval. So feel free to book your interval minutes the same way if you are comfortable with that.

[Jess30 1]

Thanks Whosyadaddy!

Yeah I hit the gym today...It was hard but I did it... I will say that the fish oil I am taking must be helping because, I was able to think a little clearer at the gym today...Life keeps me so busy...I know that it's a good thing but sheeewwww! Anyways. Trying to keep up on my data for my exercise a little more this week.. Have a good week everyone...

[TexasFire 84]

Boy, oh boy...I'm so behind again. Homeschooling is really taking a lot of my time. But I am really enjoying doing it, I must say. I am not missing my workouts, though. Monday was biceps/triceps again, Tuesday was chest and today was legs. I've been in the gym about six hours so far, so doing well there. Tomorrow is back day, and will be there a full two hours again, so I'm logging ahead of time and will post if something changes, but I doubt it will. Friday will be shoulders. I'm looking forward to both workouts...they are "pet" parts for me right now. I've also ridden my bike about four hours so far this week, and done interval training with the dog by running a block, power walking two and doing that ten times before dragging the dog back home. I've done that twice so far....really liking it! It's fun! At first, I was trying to make things all hard, trying to figure out how to time everything perfectly with my chronograph, but to heck with that! I just do it by blocks! I've got enough on my plate lately to be sweating exact timing for interval training! LOL :tt1:

I hope everyone is doing AWESOME this week!

[TexasFire 84]

Okay, there was a change after all. I rode my trainer for about 45 minutes this morning. Then this afternoon I was bored, so I went to the gym early and did crunches and calf raises until my partner got there. So I was at the gym for two hours and forty five minutes. I am so wiped out! I did 300 crunches on the roman chair holding a 25 pound weight plate to my chest and six sets of 15 calf raises with 200 pounds. Then when my partner got there, we started our back workout, and it really kicked my butt. I'm going so much heavier, the lifting hooks are coming out of my bag a lot more often. I'm utterly exhausted, going to get a shower and be in bed before eight. That NEVER happens!

[kareyquilts 1]

Stef: I really hope you aren't over doing it. Seems like a lot to put your body through. Is your goal to become a weight lifter? Not trying to be critical, just wondering.

[TexasFire 84]

I hear you and appreciate it...I really do! In a manner of speaking, yes. While I haven't fully formed my goals yet, I strive to become a bodybuilder. Not the freakish, manly types on steroids...I have too many natural feminine curves for that, thank goodness. More towards the fitness model look. I don't have the legs to actually work it that way, but that is the goal versus the stereotypical female gorillas so often associated with bodybuilding.

I need to update my pics. I have tremendously transformed my shape since the latest pics from November. 14" biceps aint bad for a chica just starting out! :party: Now if I could figure out how to strip the fat so you could really see that muscle well, I'd be a happy girl!

Yes, I'm addicted. (NEWSFLASH! :thumbup:)

Yes, I try to constantly monitor myself physically to avoid overtraining.

Yes, I'm probably more than a little nuts. (Again, NEWSFLASH! LOL :thumbup:)

P.S. Though I did read your post tonight because I woke up stiff and sore. Hmmm. It's a "good" sore, though.

[kareyquilts 1]

Stef: I would love it if you updated your pics! Love to see your muscles! Sometimes, I think that I spend too much time exercising. I think this only because I, like you, have so much to do. Plus, I got the bill today for my trainer and it makes me feel a little guilty about how I'm spending the family budget. After my TT, I'm going to have to re-evaluate how I am spending my time and money. I've been so fixated on getting in shape and to goal. When I reach goal, what next? Not sure what it will take to maintain and stay in shape. Guess I'll play it by ear. Meanwhile, I still have 13 pounds to go! I need to update my ticker, too!

[TexasFire 84]

I will try to get updated pics by the end of next week. I think my partner would be good at taking pics and showing off my progress, so I will have him take them in the gym. Mind you that I am no where near looking like a body builder yet. I just started and don't expect to see any real results untill at least the end of summer. My body fat % is too high right now to do my muscles any justice. Right now I have a loose, two-fold goal: train harder and harder, and eat a clean as possible to strip the fat off the muscle tissue. My cycling will help this aspect tremendously and can't wait for the wind to die down some. I don't mind riding in the cold, but the wind with the cold is completely different and that relegates me to the trainer.