In Fitness and in Health
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Lift weight and look into HIIT for cardio, tabata protocols in particular. And of course cut carbs and add protein and fat to the diet.
Tabata takes about five minutes and is so intense you'll want to (and may) puke. You should only do it 2-3 times per week. A few minutes of HIIT has been clinically shown to be more effective than a half hour of jogging for weight loss due to hormonal issues. Effectively, the ratio of anabolic to catabolic hormones is more favorable with this kind of cardio.
To me this is the holy trinity of health. Weight training, HIIT, and most importantly, diet.
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If you're trying to change your body then diet is the big thing. If you ran pretty intensively for an hour a day, you might lose around a pound or half a kilo per week.
Trying to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously is going to be tricky. For the former you need a calorific deficit, whilst the latter requires a surplus. I think that it's possible if you're out of shape and getting back into things, but it's likely to be for a matter of weeks rather than months.
I'm never convinced that cardio burns muscle. My suspicion is that increasing the workload increases the amount of energy you need, and a lot of running might push you from being in surplus to maintenance.
Interval training is widely acknowledged as being good, and if you're into running you could also look at Fartlek. I'm not convinced that HIIT is vastly superior to (say) jogging, though. I'd be more inclined to do what you like best.
I find that muscle soreness is only a problem for the first few weeks of a programme. After that the body starts to adapt, and you don't suffer so much.
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I don't know shit about shit but, I can tell you the Skogg System/Paleo combo has worked wonders for me. Ask JSJ if you don't believe me He had lost over 20lbs last month using both. Skogg is the perfect balance between cardio/strength training.
"Obstacles are stepping-stones that guide us to our goals"
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The problem with long distance running is how many catabolic hormones like cortisol it releases into your bloodstream. Hence, the whole "compare a marathoner's to a sprinter's physique" thing.
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True dat! I also do DDP Yoga which is an incredibly intense workout that weirdly makes me feel good. Skogg is incredible. I guarantee you won't be sorry if you try it.
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gonna try it, D666 & JSJ. D666, lend me some of your skogg, hahahahahaha.
i'm serious lend me a skogg dvd/vhs/blue-ray/8-track & some light kettle bells, i'm come out by your side to pick it up or whatever. i don't want to spend the money for the stuff as I'm cyncical & a cheap bastard. got to get ready for this thing coming up in another 6 or so months . . . .
oh & what up with those rope systems? been seeing folks doing some crazy stuff with them lately . . .
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Never heard of Skogg, will look into it just cos y'all said so and the name is cool
Yoga is terrific.
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Bags, the most important thing with a trainer is to be comfortable with them and trust that they know what they're doing. Check credentials, ask for references, see how you feel about them after a few workouts. Don't have any hesitation going to someone else. You're paying them for their expertise and ability to help you; if they're not getting it done, go to someone else.
As far as the whole cardio v.strength debate goes, weight loss is really no more complicated than burning more calories than you consume. How you choose to burn them is best determined by what you enjoy. Anything will fail if you don't like it and keep at it. Whether that's cardio oriented or strength oriented is up to you.
Personally, I like Skogg kettlebell workouts and running, which seems to give me a nice balance of both strength and cardio.
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Actually, Chris, this is very difficult to accept, because it's so incredibly counter-intuitive, but the calorie deficit premise is false. I'm reading an amazing book on that right now called Why We Get Fat, HIGHLY recommended.
EDIT: I found an article that summarizes the latest research that Why We Get Fat discussed at length:
http://www.fourhourbodycouple.com/2011/11/01/why-we-get-fat-finally-understanding-the-process/
FASCINATING stuff… It's all about hormonal response, and research seems to be triangulating on a few core dietary premises.
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Bags try the DDP/kettle bells
"Obstacles are stepping-stones that guide us to our goals"
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Oh yeah, I forgot- Tiger Balm is pretty good for muscle soreness. Also helps to stretch some following a workout, and I'm not a big proponent of stretching, generally.
Thanks to Doug for turning me on to both Skogg and Tiger Balm, by the way.
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There are a couple of critiques of Taubes's books here:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/why-we-get-fat/
http://www.weightymatters.ca/2011/01/book-review-gary-taubes-why-we-get-fat.htmlI've heard of studies comparing low fat and low carb diets, and neither seemed to have a particular advantage over the other. Though I did see something suggesting that some people respond much better to one than the other, and that's a genetic thing.
Where a low carb diet has an advantage is that protein leads to satiety faster than carbs, which helps people to eat less.
If I were being properly anal about diet, I'd follow these guidelines:
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Cut back on processed food, sugars, saturated fats.
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Eat less red meat, particularly when processed. It's been associated with a significantly increased risk of bowel cancer. I think that the safe limit is around 340 grams (about 3/4 lb).
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Don't sweat meal timings. Some people lose weight or build muscle on six meals a day. Others achieve the same results on an intermittent fasting programme.
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If you want to slim down, eat less. If you want to bulk up eat more. And track what you're consuming.
The bottom line is that it's what works for you: I've lost weight (about 10 to 15 kg / 20 to 30 lbs) on a mixture of low fat diets and intermittent fasting over a couple of years. Derivative666 has fantastic results from Paleo. Mclaincausey is probably doing OK with low carbs.
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I figured a mixture of both was a good thing. I hate running, so I always choose an eliptical or something along those lines. I might have to try some tabata workouts once this soreness goes away. Right now, it hurts to even jog haha
If you hate running then don't run, and do something you enjoy instead.
And I hope the soreness clears up soon. It's always a bit of a pain.
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I don't agree with low-fat diets or low-cholesterol diets, but I definitely agree with low-carb diets and ketogenic diets.
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No idea. I don't log or count, I just don't drink sodas or juice, I'm careful about fruit, I don't do grains, and I never eat sweets. Mainly veggies, whole, pastured organic milk, pastured, organic meats, wild caught cold water fish.
I find that I don't get very hungry anymore, at least not the way I used to. Even when I intermittently fast.
I guess I don't think in terms of diet. I think d666 put it pretty well when he characterized it as lifestyle choice instead of diet. I choose to abide by a few principles for the rest of my life in terms of what I will eat. Not about weight loss though that's been a happy side effect. About feeling good and being healthy…
One thing in going to try soon is to force my metabolism into ketosis. I have a book on that, will advise how that goes.
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Agreed with above no diet just lifestyle change. This is how I choose to eat.
"Obstacles are stepping-stones that guide us to our goals"
