Q&A for: 23-Dec-07
2526. Q:
How effective compared to lifting heavy weights is exercise like kickboxing when you are kicking and punching a heavy bag. Surely it is more demanding at least in the short term to be moving fast at the same time as working your muscles with resistance?
A:
It's tough to compare the two directly since they stress the body differently. Heavy whole-body weightlifting is nearly exclusively anaerobic exercise which relies primarily on the phosphate system and to some degree on the glycolysis to create ATP (Adenosine TriPhosphate) which is the basic fuel of our muscles. On the other hand kickboxing will be a mix of anaerobic (mainly from glycolysis) and heavily aerobic (oxidizing carbs and fats to create ATP). So there is no way to make a meaningful comparison. A world-class weightlifter can do things no kickboxer can and vice versa.
Kickboxing will burn more calories while performing the exercise. But weight training probably has greater potential for long-term metabolism boost. Both activities can certainly be part of anyone's fitness program and both can help lose fat, gain muscle, and build strength and endurance.
2527. Q:
How soon should I start noticing weight loss with a good diet and exercise
A:
In nearly all cases I would recommend losing weight quite slowly -- no faster than two pounds per week (and preferably even slower). Such slow steady weight loss is much more likely to succeed in the long run because it preserves metabolism and muscle mass. Crash diets that lead to quick initial weight loss are almost never sustainable -- the weight tends to return sooner or later in the form of new fat.
But with a good program, even slow weight loss will yield visible results within weeks and most people can be dramatically transformed within 6-12 months.
2529. Q:
ok I am pretty young for the most past (freshman in college) and my school doesnt have a rugby team so I am trying to get into shape for the town club. I have heard a lot of stuff that I should do but I am not really sure what exactly I should be doing to be more rugby orientated. I am also unaware of how I should be eating, ( I would like to slim down, but I am more concerned about gaining muscle). I eat pretty well for the most part however some pointers would be greatly appreciated=]
A:
For a rugby-specific program (as for most power sports) you will want to focus on big compound exercises for the legs, core, back, and chest. These include squats, leg presses, hamstring curls, lunges, deadlifts, pullups/pulldowns, rows, chest and shoulder presses, and crunches. You would also benefit from power exercises such as cleans -- for these you probably will want to have a trainer supervise you if you've never done them before.
To maximize strength development you will want to perform each exercise at least twice a week for 3-5 sets each time. You will NOT want to go to muscular failure while performing the exercise. For example you might select a weight that you can lift 12 times but only lift it 6-8 times, focusing on power and precision of execution.
There's also a fairly important but advanced concept of periodization that all athletes can benefit from. It describes how to vary your training program throughout the year to leave you optimally prepared for the sports season. In a nutshell, it prescribes splitting your yearly training in 4-5 parts:
- Part 1 focuses on increasing muscle mass. You will lift heavy, to failure, following a bodybuilding-like routine (you can find several in my Weight Training article). You will also eat accordingly, to gain some weight.
- Part 2 focuses on strength and will look much like what I described above, in the 2nd paragraph: multiple non-failure sets with exercises repeated 2-3 times/week. Here's a good generic strength program -- it's not specific to rugby but a rugby player will benefit from it as well (though it'd be a good idea to add pullups/pulldowns in there for rugby).
- Part 3 focuses on power and would feature exercises like cleans and possibly plyometrics.
- Part 4 would be your rugby season. In-season training should be light to allow your muscles to recover between matches. A scaled-down mix of part 2 and part 3 would be appropriate here.
- Part 5 would be post-season recovery. Depending on the season's intensity and duration it may be skipped. It would also feature light training and cardio.
If you are not in the position to periodize your program like that, then the simple approach would be simply doing what I described in part 2 -- focus on strength with big compound exercises, multiple sets per exercise, multiple workout per week, using heavy weights but nearly never going to failure. Something as simple as the following would be good:
- Lower body day: 4 sets of cleans, 4 sets of back squats, 4 sets of lunges, finish off with crunches.
- Upper body day: 4 sets of back rows, 4 sets of pulldowns, 3 sets of bench press, 3 sets of shoulder presses
Alternate lower body and upper body days to fit two of each per week.
For your cardio training you will want to do something like HIIT (search for 'HIIT' on my site) as well as more traditional steady-pace cardio -- perhaps two of each type per week.
For your diet, please read my Diet article. It'll describe the basic approach to eating healthy to boost metabolism, lose fat, and build muscle. You can then use my Fitness Guide to get a sample diet and an idea of how many calories to eat. I think that covers all the basics -- hope it helps! If you have some more specific questions, please post them and I'll try to address them.
2531. Q:
Hi, Mike I'm 52 years old and work out with weights 3 to 4 times a week and cardio the other days, my quistion is, is there a testostrone supplement you recommend for someone my age?
A:
Sorry, I am not qualified to recommend that -- you will want to talk to your doctor about it.
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