19 Sep 2011 From the 501 inbox: Fitness Q&A

by Karl Lenser

The summer period prompted many readers of 501 LIFE to send in a variety of interesting questions about health and fitness. I selected a few that I thought you would enjoy.

Question 1: “I am a bit perplexed with what my scale has been reporting over the past few weeks. Since school ended in early June, I have been watching my calories and have been exercising four to five times per week with a variety of cardio workouts and strength training. My weight dropped over the first few weeks, but now I am several pounds heavier than where I was in early June. The good news is that I have dropped a dress size. Please tell me what is going on!

Answer: Don’t be too alarmed. I suspect that the pounds that you initially lost in June were mostly water weight and perhaps a little fat weight. However, since you have been reducing your caloric intake and exercising consistently with cardio and strength training, you have probably added muscle weight, which is a good thing as it helps your metabolism speed up.

The fact that you dropped a dress size pretty much confirms the “added muscle” theory. This is why getting your body composition tested when beginning a weight loss program is well worth the time and money. Knowing your initial amount of lean mass and fat mass is very helpful as you progress through your program. I suggest you get this assessment completed as soon as possible.

Question 2: “Several of my office buddies are starting to get into a high-intensity workout program that they claim is going to ‘shred’ inches of fat off their bodies in a fairly short period of time. I have seen some clubs offer these programs and also have seen the DVDs. It looks pretty intimidating to a 44-year-old male. Your thoughts?”

Answer: Short duration/high intensity programs have become the latest in a series of exercise programs that are geared for a certain fitness niche. Several of these new programs have taken “boot camps” to the next level. The P90x and Crossfit programs, for example, are attractive because they are short in duration and high in intensity, which helps keep the calorie meter running at high speed during and after the workouts.

Many folks do not have 60-90 minutes to spend in a gym, and that is why some of these workouts appeal to a specific exercise market. You get a lot of work done in a short amount of time, which is attractive to many individuals.

Before you invest in these classes or programs, I suggest you “look before you leap.” Some of the routines and exercises from these programs are not made for all people – especially if you are over 40. Sprints, squats and lunges do not bode well for ligaments and tendons of the “over 40” crowd. I have known quite a few individuals that were drawn to boot camp classes, but ended up on the Injured Reserve list because their knees could not handle excessive squats, mountain climbers, jump squats and wall sits.

You have to assess your physical condition before joining your office buddies. Are your knees healthy? Are you in decent cardiovascular shape? Have you done any strength training over the past four to six weeks? Injuries can set you back a long way in your fitness trek, so please be careful and listen to your body.

Find an activity that you enjoy and be consistent with your workouts.