Q&A for: 15-Mar-08
2599. Q:
What is a averge weight for a 10 yearold that is 5 feet
A:
It would be around 110 pounds.
2600. Q:
hi mike ive got 3 questions, so bear with me plz, erm 1) one of my mates had aroundi 25% also he had man boobs, he went on a significant cut, howver even though he lost 2 stones and look much skinnier from 13 to11, he still had his man boobs, evn though he looked sknny, i dnt understand hw can u be skinny yet posess such high body fat, so wat is he burning then. 2) the second ? i know there isnt an ideal % but how much percent before you can see that your man boobs have disapperared or minimized i.e is it like 15& or their abouts. 3) the last ? is that can u still increase strength even though u are cutting back, thanxs look forward to hearing from you.
A:
Let me answer your questions in order...
1) Being 'skinny fat' is actually not uncommon, especially for people who were overweight and went on a crash diet to lose a lot of weight quickly. Quick weight loss like that almost always results in losing significant amount of muscle instead of fat and gives subpar results. You can read about healthy weight loss more in my Weight Loss article.
2) It's subjective as to whether one has 'man boobs' or not, so it's a little hard to say. Men will always have some fat deposits on their chests and depending on how picky you are you could always call them 'man boobs'. But I'd say that yes, around 15% they are usually not particularly noticeable at all. Note also that for teenage guys 'man boobs' may be a little more pronounced due to hormonal changes and will lessen in their late teens/early twenties.
3) If you are a beginner, then, yes, usually it's very possible to be losing weight and fat but still get stronger. On the other hand if you are already in pretty good shape and/or have been lifting for awhile you'll find it very difficult to get stronger while losing weight. Your best chance at strength increases is to follow a strength-specific program such as this.
2601. Q:
How can you tell if you are gaining fat or muscle weight?
A:
While you can try keeping track of body fat percentage by using calipers or other devices, they are usually not particularly accurate to give meaningful results. Your best bet is to simply objectively judge your progress by the mirror and by how tight old clothes fit. If your old pants are getting tight but your old shirts fit just as before, then chances are you're gaining mostly fat. On the other hand if old shirts are getting tighter but old pants still fit fine that's a pretty good sign that you're gaining mostly muscle.
2602. Q:
I have watched programmes on TV where you get people who are very slim but eat lots of junk food. The reason given for them being slim is that because their diet lacks the things that their bodies need - the result is there body is effectively starving because of a lack of nutritious food. I have noticed something similar when I eat more junk food I lose weight more than when I eat less food that also happens to be nutritious. What do you think of all this?
A:
I think that's very misleading and I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from this. Unless you track calories in eating healthy vs. eating junk carefully you simply can't conclude that it's easy to lose weight eating junk. For example, it's certainly possible to lose weight by eating 1 cheeseburger and 1 milk shake per day. Together they may total 1000-1200 calories and even though they're total junk you'll still lose some weight. The downside is that this diet is sure to give you health problems in the long run and if you ate the same 1000-1200 calories in healthy balanced meals your weight loss would probably be more successful (more fat and less muscle lost and easier to maintain new lower weight and not worry about the fat coming back).
2603. Q:
hi mike ive got a question 4 u, you know on the strengh building program, for bench press, becuase in the program it says that you should do it 3 times a week, can you add back+legs+arms in the other days, and can u still build stength even though im cutting at the moment, can you stil lose signifacant amount of bodt fat levels, while doing the program.
A:
If you are only doing strength program for bench press, then yes, you can definitely use other days to do legs, back, biceps, etc. The only thing is to avoid stressing your shoulders and triceps because both of those figure heavily in the bench press and you want them fresh for your strength program.
2605. Q:
Lately I have not been comfortable with my skinny legs. I feel they are out of proportion with the rest of my body, so I plan on beginning weight training this week in order to increase their mass. When I get to the desired size, I would want to stop lifting weights. When I stop, will I lose any muscle mass I gained? If so, how much and how fast? (I am 19 years old, 135 lbs., and 5'9" if that helps.)
A:
As long as your weight stays constant you will lose very little if any muscle mass. So you should be able to bring your legs up to whatever level you want and simply maintain your weight at that new level.
2606. Q:
what exercise is best for the reduction of love handles
A:
There is no single exercise that will give meaningful results. You need a complete approach of good diet, weight training, and cardio. Please read my How To Lose Fat article for more.
2607. Q:
Hey Mike, I'm 17 years old I'm 5'11 and weigh around 189 lbs, most of it is muscle apart from my torso (which is what my question is about) I was just wondering what i could do to make my torso in proportion to the rest of my body and more muscular. Also i was hoping this would brind down my weight as well, so i could get back into my wrestling. Thanks Mike
A:
You are carrying a little extra body fat. Extra fat is almost always located mainly on your torso, as opposed to arms or legs, which may make your torso look out of proportion. So, as you said, you simply need to lose a little weight. You can read my Fat Loss article to review the general approach to weight loss and, if you'd like, use Fitness Guide to get a sample starter program.
2608. Q:
Hey Mike , My Name is Lucy , im from Vancouver. I had previously registered at your website. But i can't remember my username. The screen which helps with forgotten passwords / email addresses expects you to remember the username and email address. Im not able to get by just on the basis of email address. How can i login?. Is there some way to reset this ?
A:
Hi, Lucy, haven't heard from you in forever! I believe you registered for my site with username 'Byron' and your email is same email you use for your Lucifer MSN account :)
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