THE BHEALTHY GYM

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
on
HEALTH AND FITNESS

If you have any questions us here. If we answer any of your questions regularly, we may add your question into this FAQ page if it seems a popular question.
The questions are in the order that the last ones asked are the first ones you see.



Do these sit up machines work
Yes they do. The idea is that they isolate the tummy muscles so they do all the work. While this happens the headrest supports the head and stops it aching while you workout. The problem with this is that when you do a normal sit up the neck is strengthened as well, with the sit up machine the neck muscles will not get a workout. This is not a drastic problem but one you might want to think about. Every other session, you could do normal, machine free sit ups.

I am losing muscle while running
When you do endurance work such as running your body will use the glycogen with in the body to use as energy. Once these stores are used up, it will turn to your muscle as a last resort. You need to make sure that your blood glycogen is kept up high enough to make sure the muscle is left alone. Glucose in your water bottle will help with this. A couple of scoops per litre of water should suffice.

How long until I lose weight
You will start losing fat as soon as you start working out and watch your diet. When you SEE a difference will take a bit longer. You live with your body all the time so it will be hard to gauge when you are getting thinner. A good guide is to get a piece of clothing that you literally cannot do up. Then once the buttons can be done up, you will know all is working well. If you have not got anything that you cannot do up, go and buy something.

Why can`t I do weight lifting every day
First, you would soon get fed up with training if you came all the time. The main reason is that when you work out with weights you break the muscle fibres up. These fibres rebuild themselves bigger and stronger but need 48 hours to do so. If you break them up half way through the rebuilding process they will be back to where they started without the chance of getting stronger.

What is Matrix training
This is a training technique where your reps are split into three parts. The lower half, the upper half and the full range of movement. First you do the lower half of the move x1 then do the upper half x1 then a full movement x1. We next do the same again but x2, then the same a gain but x3 and so on until we can do x7. Once you get to this amount then it is time to add a weight. You need to be quite strong before you start this kind of workout.

Can I do Plyometric training
Not a good idea unless you have a fully qualified instructor with you. Plyometrics are very quick movements such as jumping over things as fast as possible, running while doing knee lifts as fast as possible, etc. There is a good chance you might do yourself an injury if your body is not strong enough to take the strain.

Should I do my reps fast or slow
The speed that you do each repetition should be quite slow. Depending on what you are doing does make a slight difference, but as a general rule each rep should take about 4 seconds to complete, that is up and down within 4 secs. Explosive moves do not help you gain strengths, all you are doing is using momentum to help perform the lift.

How many reps are too high
Depends on what your goals are. If you are after strength then the reps should be low but with heavy resistance (weight). Twelve reps is about the maximum amount of reps you should be performing. The lower the reps, the stronger you will develop. One rep is the best you can do, that is to say, the most you can possibly lift in one go, but, can be very dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. It is very hard to get big muscles, but if you want to be totally safe you will not develop muscle then between 15 to 20 reps should suffice. Over 25 reps is worthless, your muscle is quite capable of coping with that range so the it will not be taxed enough to get a good gain.

Is it safe to exercise with low blood pressure
First of all check with your doctor that they are happy that you are about to take part in exercise. Once you have the OK, then yes it is safe, as long as you take it nice and easy to start. The problem is not usually while you exercise, it is when you stop exercising and your blood pressure comes down slightly and can make you feel light headed, sick, or even make you become unconscious.

Can situps help the back
Yes, if you have a good strong stomach, that would take away some of the effort from the back while it is trying to keep a good posture. This relief would give the back a rest and a chance to strengthen itself.

How come if i work at 65 percent I burn more fat
What you actually burn is a higher PERCENTAGE of fat. Instructors used to believe that it was most beneficial to work at 65 percent of the maximum heart rate but it has been shown that it is a lot better to work out at the rate your body allows as long as it is below 85 percent. The 65 percent guide is used for people who have never exercised and a guide is needed on how much effort to put in for a start.

Is a NO fat diet good for me.
No, your body needs fat to survive, and although we have plenty of fat stored in our fat cells the body still needs to gain various fats from our diet. If you do want to go on a diet just cut down on your fats, do not cut them out completely.

Is it true that running helps prevent osteoporosis
Yes it can, but then again so can any exercise that involves jumping of the ground. Jumping 2 or 3 inches of the floor 20 to 30 times a day will help the bones build themselves stronger. These exercises are not advised until you check with your doctor to make sure they are happy that your joints can take the stress.

I do not want to get muscles I want to lose weight
More muscle density (tone) will take up your BMR or Basic Metabolism Rate which is the amount of calories your body uses to live ie when you are asleep , sitting watching tv , digesting food etc. So it makes sense to gain a bit more muscle just to help you lose a few more calories.

Running hurts my back
Walking will do you a lot of good, you may get from A to B a lot slower but you will feel good in yourself and burn those calories your dying to lose.

I do not want big muscles
If you work out with weights it does not mean you will gain larger muscles, it all depends on how many repetitions you can do. You need to be lifting a weight where you can do the exercise 15 times but with the last one being very hard to do. If you can only lift say 10 because the weight is too heavy then you will gain muscle size, if you can do the 15 then you will only tone up the muscle.

Can I exercise with high blood pressure
Yes you can as long as you tale it easy to start. If you suspect high blood pressure the first thing you need to do is go and see your local doctor. As long as he is happy you can then go along to a gym or exercise class but make sure they know you have high blood pressure. When you exercise your blood pressure rises, so if it is already high, making it even higher is not going to do your body any good. If your Diastolic ( the second reading) is above 95 you need to see your doctor. The main thing is do not worry about it, a lot of people have high blood pressure it is very common, so you are not alone.

What is the best way to lose weight ?
A mixture of watching what you eat and exercise are needed.Eating less fat in your diet and more carbohydrates (pasta,potatoes,fruit etc) will lose weight,but to gain a good overall fitness you need to workout as well with some exercise such as Aerobics,Step,Aqua Aerobics,Walking Badminton, Bowling, Dancing etc.

Why don`to I lose as much weight as I expect ?
When you workout you will actually gain in muscle density,this will make the muscle heavier.You will have lost fat weight but gained muscle weight so the first thing you need to do is get rid of is your scales and just rely on what you see and how you feel.Find yourself a tight piece of clothing and when you can get into it,you`ll feel great.

I am proud to be overweight,its the way I am,why should I exercise ?
Fine,everybody should feel great in the way they feel,if you want to stay overweight then do just that,but you must take a good look at your fitness.You can be overweight and fairly fit,just because your out for a walk does not mean your out to lose weight,it means your out getting fitter which in turn will make you feel even better in yourself.

Aerobics is too hard for me,what can I do ?
Have you actually tried it,some classes can be as hard as you want them, most good instructors will offer an alternative if the moves are too hard for you to do.Aqua Aerobics is not as intense as aerobics on the mind and the intensity can be what you want it to be.Joining a local rambling club is an excellent way of keeping fit for anybody. A nice casual walk is a great easy safe way to gain fitness.

I am overweight and very nervous about people looking at me ?
Most people that are overweight feel a bit nervous the first few times, so you are not alone.Try and get a friend to go along to a class with you, nobody in the hall,gym,studio will be looking at you , they are there to get themselves fit and have a bit of fun,just like you.

Are personal trainers a good idea ?
Yes,but make sure they are qualified and ask to see their qualifications. Some instructors are very expensive and some are a lot cheaper,in some cases the cheaper ones will be better than the expensive ones but not have as many facilities,so shop around.

Will situps help me lose weight around my tummy ?
It was once thought that if you worked a muscle it would use fat from the nearest source,ie situps would use fat from around the tummy,that is not the case.When you work out,fat is used up from around the whole of the body,no matter what the exercise.

Am I to old to exercise at 83
Nobody is to old,working out properly will benefit everybody,ensure you are shown what to do by a qualified person.Even a 10 minute walk every day will benefit you,as you get used to it you can slowly take the duration up.

Can my child do the classes I do ?
Not really a good idea,exercise techniques for children are different to the way an adult would work out.A childs exercise plan must be fun and very safe.When I say safe I mean safe for the childs body.The muscles,bones and the mind need to be worked carefully.Keep your child active with fun games and easy sports such as football,skipping etc.The operatives word with your childs exercise program is safe,fun,fun and more fun.

My fourteen year old boy wants to build muscle size,is it a good idea ?
There are classes around the world where school children can do weight lifting.These are run by qualified instructors and in no circumstances should you let your boy do weight lifting without supervision.If your son is looking to build like Sylvester Stallone,then he must be given the knowledge of how the growing body works,he will then realise that kind of body is out of his reach at the moment.Get him down to a local gym or school who will help achieve his goal ......eventually.DO NOT buy him a set of weights to use at home until he has been to some classes.

If I am weight lifting do I need to take a protein supplement ?
No.As long as you have a good diet your body will be getting enough protein to help rebuild the muscle after a workout.There has been belief that because muscle is protein that you need a lot of extra protein in your body to make it bigger and stronger.

When should I eat for exercise ?
You want to be looking at eating some carbohydrates around two hours before exercise and then straight away afterwards.Carbohydrates are needed for your body to perform the exercise, and then needed afterwards to help with recovery.

Is running the best way to burn fat ?
Weight bearing exercises are the best to do. In other words exercise that has you supporting your body weight like running, stepping, walking, aerobics, etc.Cycling and rowing will burn those calories but not as well as the weight bearing ones because the muscles , mainly the leg muscles have to move the whole body so need to work harder so need more energy so burn more calories.

Why am I not losing any weight while exercising ?
As you workout your muscles they will become more toned so will become more dense which will make them more heavier.Your shape will be changing because you will be losing fat weight but gaining a bit of muscle. You will look slimmer, but you will not register it on scales.Throw those scales away and just use your eyes, or even get yourself a piece of clothing where the buttons or zips cannot be done up and just watch as you get closer to wearing those clothes out.

Is it possible to get good advice on the net
Yes it is, but it is also possible to get poor advice as well.The instructor cannot see what you are doing so if you have any faults with posture etc it will be hard for them to see and sort out.Good advice can given, check out the qualifications first.Newsgroups are a good source of help and advice, try misc.fitness.misc , misc.fitness.aerobic , and misc.fitness.weight.

I have been told to drink lots of water ?
Good advice, you need to drink water before, during and after exercise. If you find that you have a headache after exercise this is probably due to dehydration.You will not keep the water in your body, any excess will be disregarded by the body.



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