Fitness Friday + Giveaway!! | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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Remember a few weeks ago when we asked you to dig deep and leave some questions for TJ, the personal trainer and co-founder of For U Mothers? Today, I am going to share all of the questions and answers with you… I have to say I learned a lot!

Q:  Is it more beneficial to exercise in the morning or in the evening, or does it matter?

A:  Aahh…..the ongoing debate of when to exercise. There has been a lot of discussion on this topic (especially between me and my husband).

Some have said that it is better to exercise later in the day after your body has been moving around all day. (But that’s no excuse for a proper warm up).

Others have said it’s better in the morning when you have more energy.

The truth is – it doesn’t really matter as far as caloric expenditure when you exercise. What matters is what time of day works in your schedule. The consistency of an exercise is what is going to get you the best results.

I can tell you right now – that if I waited until 5 o’clock to get a run in – most days it wouldn’t happen. I am a 6am”er”. For my husband – that’s the only time he can do it.

Q:  I’ve heard that it’s good to get 30 minutes of cardio a day. And I’ve also heard that it doesn’t matter if you break it up into 3-10 minute increments. Is that true? Do you really get the same benefits if it’s broken up?

When you mention warming up, what constitutes a sufficient warm up before working out?

A:  I say – YES (at least to some extent):

For weight loss purposes, calories out should exceed calories in. Simple math – don’t eat more calories in a day than you burn off. Therefore, moving through out the day in 10 minute intervals would be beneficial. I always tell clients to just move as much as possible and keep burning those calories.

For cardiovascular fitness, a beginner will benefit from short increments for a while. Once that person’s fitness level increases, she (or he) will need to push a little longer and a little harder to benefit.

I believe that every walk I give the dog counts!

Q:  My biggest problem area is my thighs…what can I do to slim them down? I’ve heard that the treadmill is a great place to just keep going to slim them down, is that true?

A:  I know you’ve heard this before – but you cannot pick a part of your body to loose fat. You just need to burn off those calories and eventually you should see results.

What’s great about the treadmill is that you can increase the speed for a while, then slow it down and increase the incline. Walking on an incline is great for those glutes!!!!

You can also add some simple squats and lunges to your routine to firm up the leg muscles. Keep the weight low and the reps high.

(Just make sure to check with your doctor if you have concerns about starting an exercise program!)

Q:  I, for one, would like some weightlifting advice! What are the best exercises/machines, in your opinion?

What’s more important, number of reps or increased weight?

What’s your favorite ab exercise?

A:  I am a cardio junkie and my new favorite machine is the rowing machine. I run a lot so I welcome the upper body work of the rower.

For weight machines, I really like the assisted pull up machine. It really gets those back muscles. I also like the cable machines to do lower body work.

As far as reps vs. weights – they are equally important. I alternate clients between high reps/light weights and low reps/heavy weights. I think it’s important to keep your muscles “confused” so that they cannot adapt to your routine.

I have to say my favorite ab exercise is the Plank. Center and side ones! It’s what keeps everthing sucked in. I am aim to get clients to hold it for 1 minute.

My second favorite one is the medicine ball twist. What you do it sit back (about half way down to the floor) hold a 4lb. medicine ball or light weight. Keeping your knees as still a possible – rotate your trunk right to left. Keep your abs tight, exhale and twist. This is a good core exercise.

If you have lower back problems, do the plan on your knees and do the twists with no weights.

Q:  I’d like your opinion on a couple of things:

1.  Walking -how much does the pace matter? somedays I walk w/the child care kids & we go pretty slow but usually go for an hour. do I get the same benefit w/that as a fast paced 10 minutes? or anything from the slow one?

2.  Wii-fit- do you have any opinion/recommendations on it?

A:  cientific research may disagree with me but I believe that the pace matters. I tell my mother all the time that shopping isn’t exercise! No matter how blocks you walk while going in an out stores.

To get the cardiovascular benefit you need raise your heart rate – ya know – sweat a little. The quicker you go – the further you’ll go – the more calories you’ll burn.

I think the wii fit is a great tool to get started. However, long term you will need to step it up a bit. It still a great way to rev up and burn some calories.

Q:  I’m looking for a beginner treadmill workout, about 30 min. long. Any suggestions. I used to have this great one out of a shape magazine then I lost it when I moved across the country!

A:  I can’t really publish a program for you but I can give you some pointers.

(I also need to stress that if new to exercise, please concsult with your doctor before starting an exercise program)

What you want to do is start off with at least a 5 warm up, then do one of two things:

Increase your speed for 1 minute (then recover at a slower pace for 2 mins) Or

Increase your incline for 1 minute (then recover at a lower incline for 2 mins)