Q&A for: 24-Jun-07
2394. Q:
Hey Mike, I'm wondering about how I can incorporate mountain biking into exercising to lose weight. During the summer I really don't have much time to set aside for doing workout programs which I have plenty of time for in the winter - as I don't work as much in the winter. I live in Ontario, Canada, out in the country-side, so there are lots of hills as well. Can I lose weight solely on biking? I now weigh around 207lbs, down from 225, but I still don't see much difference in fat loss. Would I be able to solely used biking to lose - as recommended - about a pound or two a week? If I can, how far and how hard should I go about it? Thanks.
A:
You can certainly incorporate mountain biking into your program. It obviously provides cardio benefits and when climbing hills at high intensity effort it provides some of the same benefit as resistance training for the lower body. I would still recommend doing resistance training for the upper body along with biking (even if you don't have access to freeweights, you can still do pushups and pullups for the upper body).
As far as how fast you should lose weight, the target pace should still remain 1-2 pounds per week and you should adjust the amount of biking accordingly, depending on your intensity level. Moderate speed flat surface biking will burn about 5 calories/minute and mountain biking can burn 10 or even more, depending on intensity. At 5 calories/minute you'd want about 90 minutes/day of biking on flat surface to get about 1 pound/week weight loss solely from biking.
Finally, I am not sure why you are disappointed with your weight loss progress so far with weight training -- you lost at least 18 pounds of fat (probably more since you probably gained a couple pounds of muscle too) and are doing great! At 207 pounds you still have some ways to go before you get in really good shape (not sure what your height is, but if you are 6 feet tall, then you'll need to be at most 185 pounds to not be considered overweight). You can certainly abandon weight training in favor of biking, but it'd be pretty tough to top the results you've seen so far. So I certainly would encourage you to keep weight/resistance training at least as part of your program even if you add in biking.
2395. Q:
does jogging build your calf muscles?
A:
Yes, it can -- just how much can vary from person to person. But overall, yes, extensive running/jogging has the potential to build up calves.
2396. Q:
In Q. 2388, she said she lost weight fast...Im assuming she went on al ow cal diet + cardio. Before I considered a low cal diet to lose weight, I realized, even if you lose weight fast, sure you will gain some back, but not all of it. All in all, im saying, isnt it ok to go on a low cal diet to lose weight? I mean, im 220 lbs, if i go on a low cal diet to get to 185 lbs, wouldnt i then b able to gain my muscle back and start toning?
A:
Couple problems with that... Firstly, there's no guarantee that you'd be able to drop to your desired weight through low-calorie diet alone -- a low calorie diet will shut down your metabolism faster than a good balanced program would, so your weight loss might stop before you reach your goals. Secondly, when you reach your desired weight you'll have more fat and less muscle mass on a low-cal diet, so you won't like the end result as much. Finally, you could very well end up gaining ALL of that weight back (and then some, possibly), depending on what your diet is after the low-cal phase ends.
So while yes, you may be able to accomplish your weight loss goals through low-cal dieting alone, you'll have much better chance of success (and lasting success!) by following a complete program that incorporates weight training to preserve your muscle mass and keep your metabolism high. And you'll gain numerous health benefits along the way that you won't get through dieting alone. Why would you want to choose a program that would give you subpar results?
2397. Q:
Type your question here and click Submit. Hey Mike.I am an Indian(27 yrs,197 pounds,5'8''). I have man boobs and my waist is measuring 38''. I am not inclined towards heavy weight training due to my neck problem.I fear it may worsen due to my improper knowledge/lack of technical skill from the instructor(If I join gym).I hooked on to herbalife diet for a week now and I have lost 2 pounds .I am doing cardio(jogging) for aboutt forty minutes daily.Do you really prescribe this form of weight reduction.My worry -"how will my metabolism be affected once I stop herbalife down the line".I would be definitely sticking to cardio forever.I dont want to put the weight again after stopping herbalife.Suggest me I f Iam on the right track.
A:
I am not very familiar with Herbalife diet, but my understanding is that it's a basic calorie-restriction diet (substituting meals with lower-calorie shakes) along with some 'diet pills'. I am not at all a fan of these weight loss shakes and especially the pills. Following this sort of diet along with cardio will lose you weight and fat but leave you with low metabolism and very susceptible to new weight gains if you ever go back to normal diet.
If weight training is definitely not an option for you, my recommendation would be to drop the Herbalife products but simply continuing your cardio and eating a healthy balanced diet of regular nutritious foods (check out my Nutrition article if you haven't already). You will likely get the same or better results than Herbalife and won't subject yourself to questionable diet pills. Of course, I would still encourage you to see a doctor or physical therapist to check out your neck problem and find out whether and what resistance training exercises may be appropriate for your condition. Good luck!
2403. Q:
Hi Mike. Since the holidays started for me i have not been exercising that regularly as i used to do. Normally when i do not have this 1 month holiday, i would play soccer almost everyday, doing cross-country mountain biking and go to the gym when i have the time. I notice i have lost muscle mass and gained some new fats. I'm 16 and my hight is 1.78 and my weight is 62kg the last time i weighed myself which is before the 1 month holiday. I'm afraid that during this holiday, i would gain lots of fats. And mike, when i do go to the gym, i spend like 30-40 mins only but i do 6 different weight lifts consisting of almost all my body muscles like the calf, chest, etc, 3 sets consisting of 10 reps each. Is this enough?
A:
Don't worry and enjoy your holidays! You are in very good shape and at your age and with your training regimen even if you do gain a little extra fat in this month you'll lose it very quickly when you restart your regular routine. So you have nothing to worry about.
As far as your workout program, it sounds perfectly good too. Again, good job and enjoy the holidays!
2404. Q:
How good is the soy protein?What the difference from whey protein?Is it good for bulk up?Should i use it with amino acids together for better results?I am allergic to both eggs and milk and i wanna know.What do u suggest?
A:
Soy protein is the next best thing to animal-derived protein (like whey or egg). I wouldn't rely solely on soy powder for all of your protein but assuming you have a good balanced diet (even if you are vegetarian) that includes a good amount of protein on its own, then using soy protein to supplement should be fine.
2405. Q:
Definately as i have already seen its all about calories and much food when bulking up.I was 175 high 69 kgs gymmed enough but as many were saying too thin.I started bulk up and now iam 73.I followed the classic.Every time i saw i couldnt get more weight i added 300 calories more.This way i reached 73 kgs eating 3500 calories.I want to go to 74 and i ll eat 3800.My question is.Am i doing anything wrong(i only get muscles and almost no fat all this time).Lets say i wanna go to 80 kgs?That would require huge qualities of calories supposing that every time i need to take one more kilo i need 300 calories more.Is that correct?How much should a person eat if he is 80 kgs for example?
A:
Sounds like your bulk is going great -- congrats! As far as just how long you can keep doing this, it will depend on your age and genetics (which is basically luck). Sooner or later your body will stop growing new muscle and start simply adding new fat, but there's no way to predict exactly when that happens. Whenever that point does come it's probably time to stop the bulk.
As far as how many calories you'll need to consume at 80kgs, there is also no good way of predicting that. If it's at the tail end of your bulk, then you might be at over 4000 calories. But if it's just in the middle of the maintenance period when your metabolism is not so high then it might only take 3000 or even fewer. It really depends on the circumstances and on the training regiment at the time.
2406. Q:
Mike i want your opinion on this.I was told that when i bulk up i should take the same calories every day either i train or not.This way i will get muscles but also some very few fat which i will be able to lose later on then cutting face.I work 5 days a week. As i do bulk up in the summer i try to take as less fat as possible so i ll look better so i only take many colories the days i train only and normal calories the days i dont train.This way i take a kilo in 3 weeks instead of 2.I have been told that this is also correct.This way i take the kilo later than usual but it will be better cause i ll get no fat.I mean the quality of mucles this way will be better.Is what i do wrong?
A:
In my experience there is no noticeable difference in the results whether you change calories from training days to non-training days or not. I usually recommend not changing calories, because it's just simpler.
If you finding that you gain weight slower while changing calories (which is good, in general, on a bulk) it means you can simply pick a midpoint of calories between your training and non-training days and eat that much daily to get the same slow weight gain. But again, both approaches will get you the same
results so if you are comfortable with what you are doing now, there's no reason to change.
2407. Q:
if i drink 250ml of milk how much will i grow
A:
A glass of milk in itself will not determine how much you grow. Your growth depends on your genetics and your overall diet. A glass of milk a day is perfectly fine but it's just a very small part of the larger picture.
2408. Q:
Mike how much gram of protein per kgs should someone use to bulk with good results?I have heard that 3 isnt ok cause only with steroids can the body absorb so much protein.Personallu i use 2 per kgs.What is your opinion?
A:
I would use 2 grams per kilo of bodyweight as the minimal target. Most guys can benefit from more than 2, so I think 3 is a good target to shoot for. However you should still see good results, even with just 2 grams/kilo.
2409. Q:
how long to lose man boobs if doin cardio
A:
Please read this.
2410. Q:
You should update this site more often, just a tip. Its not good waiting about a week for a response...Other than that, GREAT SITE =)
A:
Thanks for the compliment and the suggestion! I update this site in my spare time and get next to no money out of it, so depending on my schedule I can't promise exactly how soon I can get to the next batch of questions. But I have made an effort to update at least once a week and sometimes more often.
2411. Q:
i'm 11yrs old and i am 125lbs. is this bad? and what is the average amount of calories a girl my age should have per day?
A:
Your weight may be perfectly fine, depending on how tall you are. Some people develop and hot their growth spurt at younger age than others.
As far as how many calories you should eat, my answer for teenagers is always to not worry about how many calories they eat but where those calories come from! You should be eating nutritious healthy foods -- vegetable, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, healthy fats like olive oil or dry-roasted nuts, etc. Avoid junk, sweets, fast foods, packaged processed stuff, and sodas. If you eat the right thing, at your age your body will make sure to put it to good use.
2412. Q:
how can a man lose a big butt i have the butt of a thick woman and thats just weird
A:
Please read my fat loss article. Fat is fat, whether it's on your butt or anywhere else and this article will tell you the best way to get rid of it.
2413. Q:
I'm a young lineman that would like to do both, bulk up and get stronger for this season, and loose some body fat.....I'm on whey protein and GNC sports vitamin. Would it be bennificial for me to take a "cut and burn" supplement along with those two to try to loose some body fat? thanks, luke
A:
I don't like fat-burning type of supps at all. They are hugely overhyped, scientifically unproven, and often potentially dangerous. Most people would get much better results by focusing on cleaning up their diet as much as possible and making sure their weights and cardio program is up to par. If you feel that you have those bases covered, then maybe pills are worthwhile to try (though I really still would not recommend them based on potential health risks alone). But if you have not made sure your diet and training are as good as can be I would certainly recommend you focus on them first.
By the way, if you are looking for strength specifically, check out this program -- it's designed specfically to increase squat, deadlift, and bench press strength. Depending on your experience and training level, you could also incorporate cleans into this program (do them first, before the squat, and max them out in weeks 5-6 on separate days) which would provide a very good fundamental weight training program for a lineman.
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