Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Six Rules for Muscle Building and Maintenance
Sometimes we forget that the muscle we've built and the strength we've gained need to be nurtured. As you age past 35 it becomes even more important to arrest the muscle decline and add more if you can. Here are six rules for looking after that muscle.
- Don't do long weights or cardio sessions on an empty stomach. Eat a little before and perhaps some during a workout if you go beyond 60 minutes or exercise at very high intensity. Your muscle is a nice source of glucose, and to maintain blood glucose your body will break down muscle.
- Eat some protein and carbohydrate after you workout. This helps the anabolic (muscle building) process and prevents the above.
- Sleep well and sufficiently. Growth hormone is activated powerfully while you sleep. Poor sleep means you will not get optimum advantage from this muscle building hormone.
- Eat enough (energy). Even though much is made of protein intake, the critical dietary component is sufficient energy. You won't maintain or build muscle if you undereat.
- Keep emotional stress under control. Stress induces the stress hormone cortisol that is responsible for breaking down muscle (among other things).
- Work out with weights at least twice a week, even more if you can manage it. Three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of around 10 exercises is a good all-round program.
Weight Training Helps Seniors' Brains Work Better
Exercise and weight training will keep us fit and strong, but what how does it help an aging brain?
A new study suggests it improves the sharpness of the brain. 155 women aged 65 to 75 were selected into either a 'resistance training' group or a 'balance and tone' group. The weight trainers trained for either one or two days each week for 12 months and the balance and tone group for two days each week. At the end of 12 months a standard cognitive test (the Stroop test) was used to assess brain function and performance.
Both resistance-trained groups (1 and 2 days) improved their performance by 10-12 percent compared to the balance and tone group. The authors concluded that "twelve months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women."
A new study suggests it improves the sharpness of the brain. 155 women aged 65 to 75 were selected into either a 'resistance training' group or a 'balance and tone' group. The weight trainers trained for either one or two days each week for 12 months and the balance and tone group for two days each week. At the end of 12 months a standard cognitive test (the Stroop test) was used to assess brain function and performance.
Both resistance-trained groups (1 and 2 days) improved their performance by 10-12 percent compared to the balance and tone group. The authors concluded that "twelve months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women."
Weight Training for Volleyball
As far a strength training is concerned, volleyball has similarities with basketball, especially with the jumping and upper-body abilities of the hitters. In beach volleyball leg strength in the sand is important.
All up, the weight training approach should emphasize comprehensive strength and power without compromising speed and agility -- of the defenders in particular.
Here's how to incorporate weight training into your volleyball season.
All up, the weight training approach should emphasize comprehensive strength and power without compromising speed and agility -- of the defenders in particular.
Here's how to incorporate weight training into your volleyball season.
How Weight Training Can Help Diabetics and Pre-Diabetics
One common feature of type 2 diabetics (or type 1) and those with pre-diabetes is that their bodies do not handle glucose in a healthy way. In full-blown diabetes the damage is pretty well done, but for pre-diabetes, and similar conditions like metabolic syndrome, the situation can often be retrieved with lifestyle changes -- weight loss, healthy eating and exercise to be precise.
In either case, the question often arises as to what type of exercise is best. My answer is always that a combination of aerobic exercise (cardio) and weight training is likely to be better than either alone, even allowing for comparable energy expended in either one. The science pretty much supports both forms of physical activity. Here's why.
Cardio builds heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness somewhat better than lifting weights. Fitness is important in keeping diabetes and heart complications under control. Resistance exercises with weights, bands or your own body weight, in sufficient quantity and work load, builds some aerobic fitness but more importantly builds muscle and strength. When you have more muscle you also have more storage depots for glucose.
Using up blood and muscle glucose in physical activity helps lower the high levels of glucose that defines diabetes. In addition, physical activity can get blood glucose across to muscle in the absence of insulin, another plus for exercise in general and weight training in particular. To keep your blood glucose at a healthy level, you want glucose out of the bloodstream and stored in either muscle or liver or used up in exercise. That's the secret of a combination program of weights and cardio for diabetes.
In either case, the question often arises as to what type of exercise is best. My answer is always that a combination of aerobic exercise (cardio) and weight training is likely to be better than either alone, even allowing for comparable energy expended in either one. The science pretty much supports both forms of physical activity. Here's why.
Cardio builds heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness somewhat better than lifting weights. Fitness is important in keeping diabetes and heart complications under control. Resistance exercises with weights, bands or your own body weight, in sufficient quantity and work load, builds some aerobic fitness but more importantly builds muscle and strength. When you have more muscle you also have more storage depots for glucose.
Using up blood and muscle glucose in physical activity helps lower the high levels of glucose that defines diabetes. In addition, physical activity can get blood glucose across to muscle in the absence of insulin, another plus for exercise in general and weight training in particular. To keep your blood glucose at a healthy level, you want glucose out of the bloodstream and stored in either muscle or liver or used up in exercise. That's the secret of a combination program of weights and cardio for diabetes.
A Quick Strength Test for Your Lower Body
his test is more applicable to seniors over 60 and is a good way to test lower body and leg strength as you age. If you are younger, it might just let you know how far out of shape you are if you don't do well. Your aim is to stand and sit from a chair as many times as you can in 30 seconds. Here's how to do it.
- Sit on a an armless chair with feet flat on the floor about shoulder width apart.
- Cross your arms against your chest.
- Stand until legs are straight and sit down again. This is counted as one repetition.
- See how many you can do in 30 seconds with good form. Arms must not be used to help in standing.
- Check out your score here.
Dumbbells or Kettlebells - The Great Debate
I don't think it's much of a debate at all, but trainers with various opinions go hard at it on weight training forums trying to justify one or the other.
They don't have to compete; they can be complementary. Read how I see the differences and the justifications for advantage in this dumbbells versus kettlebells article.
They don't have to compete; they can be complementary. Read how I see the differences and the justifications for advantage in this dumbbells versus kettlebells article.
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