Q&A for: 1-Jul-07
2417. Q:
i am 39 years old and i am very over weight i am fixing to join a gym what is the best equipment to use . for weight loss i dont want to look for a body builder thank you
A:
Ultimately, freeweights (dumbbells and barbells) are the most effective equipment to both burn fat and build muscle. The two things -- burning fat and building muscle -- are actually very connected because muscle is your best fat-burner and exercising all your muscles burns a lot of fat, as I describe in my fat loss article. So please don't avoid freeweights just because you don't want to get too muscular -- as long as you are losing weight you will not get very muscular at all but will simply get all the fat-burning benefits of freeweights.
But if you are a complete begginer to weight training you may well feel uncomfortable with many freeweight exercises (especially complex ones like squat and deadlift) -- in this case machines may be a good starting point for you. They will still give you most of the same benefits but reduce the risk of injury and may be somewhat less intimidating. Take time to build up your comfort level in the gym and learn the proper form of all exercises before starting to lift really heavy. And make sure to read the article I linked above to understand why weight training is so beneficial for fat loss. Good luck!
2418. Q:
I am a female who is 141 pounds.My height is 5'6'' but I would like to know if I am small,Medium, or Large?Thank you.
A:
Your weight corresponds to a medium frame for your height.
2419. Q:
Although my body composition has inproved form 28% to 16% I only lost 4 inches from my waist.Is this unusual?
A:
It may be a little on a low side, but not that unusual. Your waist circumference depends not only on the amount of fat you carry but also on your frame. If you hips are wide, for example, you'll always have relatively large waist measure even if your body fat is low.
Another point to consider is that body fat measurements are notoriously imprecise, especially if you use handheld/bodyweight electronic scales. The best way to get your body fat checked is by a professional at the gym with calipers -- but even that is not guaranteed.
In either case, I would recommend not getting too fixated with numbers, either body fat or inches, but instead onjectively judge your own appearence and well-being now compared to before. Going from 28% to 16% and/or losing 4 inches on the waist are both great accomplishments and should have significantly improved the way you look and feel -- congrats!
2420. Q:
I still cant do more than 12 consecutive push ups after doing pushups for 8 weeks.doesnt this mean thats its not in my genes to get muscular arms? I am a 6 foot male.
A:
Sorry to hear you're stuck on that dozen push-ups. I am not sure, if you are the person from Q&A #2308 -- if you are not, then try following the suggestion I gave in that answer. If you are the same person as in that question and followed my advice but without success, then I would need more info to diagnose exactly what is the problem...
At 198 pounds you are fairly heavy, even for 6 feet tall, so one option is to lose some weight which would make the pushups easier.
Another possibility may be that you've actually overtrained your chest/triceps to the point where you can't make any more progress -- in this case (though it's not likely if all you did was pushups) you can take a week or two off from exercising, and then come back fresh.
Yet another possibility may be that you are eating way too little which can interfere with strength development, even if you are not losing weight (this is the so-called 'starvation' mode).
Also, you could try varying your pushup routine by doing pushups while your feet are elevated -- resting on a chair, for example -- which makes the pushups harder and/or your hands are closer together than usual (this emphasizes the triceps role in the exercise), also making the pushups harder.
So there're a few different options/approaches you could take but I would need to know more about your diet and current exercise program before I can make a recommendation.
Finally, keep in mind that regular pushups with hands far apart is primarily a chest, not triceps, exercise. And even if you are very good at pushups it's no guarantee of having muscular arms, or even particularly muscular chest for that matter. If you are specifically more interested in building muscle size than performing max number of pushups, then you should probably reconsider your training approach. In this case, at the very least, start placing your hands closer together to target the triceps more and chest less.
|
