Q&A for: 10-Jul-07
2422. Q:
Hi there Mike, I need help with losing weight off my stomache. I am 28 and I had my first child 4 years ago. I am currently 117 pounds, somewhat fit, but just can't seems to get that layer of fat off my stomache. Previously to having my first child, I had no fat on my stomache and have always had a great body and high matabolism, can you help me out in losing weight in specifically that area if possible????
A:
There's no way to target one specific area for fat loss, but you certainly can reduce overall body fat which will improve the trouble areas like your stomach as well. The fact that you have always slim is a good sign when it comes to fat loss -- you naturally have high metabolism and your body is not predisposed to gaining fat. And at just 117 pounds you cannot have much extra fat at all, even if you are only 5 feet tall. So all those things are working in your favor.
Since as I said before there is simply no way to target stomach fat specifically, please read my fat loss article to learn the most effective way to lose overall body fat, which will get rid of the unwanted stomach fat as part of the larger process. Good luck!
2424. Q:
Hi mike, i'm liking these quirky new improvements on your site! I was just wondering, I've invested in a set of dumbells (2,3,4,6,8,10)kg pairs (on a rack) and would like to know any good legs workouts I could do with them. I'm pretty clued up with the whole shoulders and chest exercises. But I'd like to know how to do legs and possibly back with just dumbells. Adam :) (23yo male, good fitness, 74kg)
A:
Thanks, Adam! Legs and back are two of your largest muscle groups and they can push (or pull) a lot of weight. The dumbbells you have now are probably a bit too light to make for a very effective legs or back workout for somebody already in good shape as you are. But there're still some things you can do...
Core leg exercises I would recommend doing at home are squats and lunges (check out my Exercises page if you are not sure what they are. You can do them both with dumbbells simply holding the dumbbells by your sides, adding extra weight. For squats, almost certainly even 10kg dumbbells will not prove too challenging -- but they are still better than nothing. However lunges with those 10kgs might be just around the right resistance level for you. So I definitely encourage you to do those. A sample leg workout for you might be several sets of lunges with dumbbells, 15-20 reps each, followed by several sets of squats with dumbbells to failure. The lunges will tire out your muscles pretty good, so even squats with relatively light dumbbells may prove challenging. And if you'd like, you can superset squats with highjumps from half-bent knees position (so you perform a set of squats to failure and then immediately do a set of high-jumps from half-bent knee position to failure, and then take a rest before the next set).
The back will be a little tougher to exercise with just those dumbbells. By far the most effective dumbbell back exercise is the dumbbell row, but it is almost certain that even with 10kgs it will simply be far too easy for you. Therefore my recommendation for back would be to either get significantly heavier dumbbells and/or find a place where you can do pullups. Pullups are a terrific back exercise and you can superset rows (even with light dumbbells) at the end of a set of pullups. Hope that gives you some ideas!
2425. Q:
how many calories should a 43 year old man have per day.
A:
There is no one answer to this, since it would depend on your weight and physique, physical activity levels, and whether you are trying to lose weight/fat (or possibly build muscle). It can also vary quite a bit depending on your diet -- it's perfectly possible to gain weight on just 2000 daily calories of junk food and lose weight on 2500 daily calories of healthy nutritious meals. For an average man, simply looking to maintain a healthy weight somewhere around 2500 calories daily is a good target.
If you'd like, check out my Fitness Guide and see what it recommends as the diet and total calories depending on your input.
2426. Q:
Mike i have problem with milk and i want to take another protein that does not contain milk in it.I was told that if i combine high soy protein with aminoacids the result would be the same with that of a whey protein but only more expensive.I dont care for money.I get very low protein from the foods i eat and i wanna get it from this combination.Can i use it and still have good results like before i used the whey?
A:
Yes, that should be fine. Even without the amino acid supp, soy protein by itself will work. Another option may be to get egg protein powder, which provides a somewhat richer amino acid profile than soy. But either one is fine. And of course another option is to simple add more protein-rich foods (lean meat, poultry, fish) to your regular everyday diet.
2428. Q:
hi im 14 and 120 pounds and weight lifting and i was wondering how much protein i should take a day or should i take any protein at all
A:
You don't need to take protein powder to see good results. As long as you get a good amount of protein in your regular everyday meals (aim for 120 grams of protein daily or more), that's all you need. If you just cannot get that much protein from regular foods, then perhaps protein powder makes sense but it is by no means necessary for good gains. I do recommend you read my Nutrition article to see what kinds of foods you should be eating for best results (as well as health!). Good luck!
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