Q&A for: 29-Oct-05
890. Q:
Hi Mike, I would like to know what would happen to me if I did weight training 4 times a week, and all i eat and drink is water and whey protein shake.
A:
That's a very very bad idea. Healthwise you'd probably start developing all sorts of problems within days. Whey protein shake is far from being a complete meal by itself and your body would not be getting the carbs, the fat, and all the numerous vitamins and minerals it needs to survive. And if you think this approach will help you lose a lot of fat quickly, that's also wrong. You'd lose a lot of weight quickly (almost all of it being just water weight) and then your metabolism would complete shut down due to complete lack of proper nutrition and your body would start burning muscle as much or more than fat. So, again, bad idea all around. Please don't try it.
891. Q:
What is the best way to work my leg muscles, to gain muscle, using only free weights?
A:
Free weights are actually the best way to build muscles in legs or anywhere else in your body. For the legs, the two best exercises are probably the squats and the lunges and there are several varieties of each.
You can see the standard barbell squat and the in-place dumbbell lunge on my Exercises page. In order to do the squat as shown there you must have what is called a 'squat rack' from where you'd pick up the barbell on to your upper back and onto which you'd put the barbell back after you're done.
There's a variation of the squat that can be done with dumbbells and does not require the rack. You simply hold two heavy dumbbells with your hands by your sides. For the lunges, there're variations too. Instead of using dumbbells you can use a barbell, holding it on your traps/upper back like shown in the barbell squat video. You can also do walking lunges instead of in-place lunges -- there instead of returning to your original position after each lunge, you'd be lunging forward as if you were walking with these huge exaggerated steps. You can do walking lunges with dumbbells or with the barbell as well.
One very important note about any of these leg exercises with free weights is that you have to be VERY CAREFUL when performing them and ALWAYS MAINTAIN PERFECT FORM as shown in the videos. Your back has to be perfectly straight, your knees have to be bending along the same plane as your toes point in, not inside of it or outside of it. It is a very good idea to get a trainer or at least somebody who's an experienced weightlifter and have them work with you using very light weights until you get the proper form down 100%. If you are not doing these exercises in good form, you can have a serious injury to your back or possibly knees. Always spend a week or two learning the exercise with very light weights before starting to push yourself with heavy weights.
As far as how many sets to do, I'd recommend anywhere between 4 and 15 leg sets total per week pushing yourself very hard with weights heavy enough that you can only do 12 reps or so of the exercise before needing a break. Do NOT go to muscular failure on freeweight leg exercises or you'll almost certainly injury yourself. But do push yourself hard.
Also remember that having a good diet is just as important as exercise when it comes to building muscle. Read my Nutrition article if you haven't already. Good luck!
896. Q:
how many calories does running a mile burn?
A:
It'll depend on person's weight, but use 120 calories as an average for 1 mile.
897. Q:
My Body is literally malfunctioning. I start breathing hard when I am just sitting quietly or watching TV. I lose my breath going up stairs. I want to lose weight…,but its impossible. I CAN”,T STOP EATING! I’,m a 200 lb. male, 5’,9. I don’,t know what to do.I think I’,m waiting for a heartattack…,Please tell me what I can do or should do. I am willing to do anything!
A:
First thing you should do, of course, is discuss your situation with your doctor and make sure you do not have any other health issues beyond just being overweight. Everything else I say here should only be done if your doctor clears you.
First thing to do is get you back in control over what you eat instead of letting the food control you. At the same time you need to start using the food you eat to start revving up your metabolism and burning extra fat. I describe how to do exactly that in the first section, titled 'Principles', of my Nutrition article. Re-read the section several times until you have it down solid. With that knowledge you can put together your own diet or you can simply use this fat-burning diet -- it should be about right for you. Read the paragraph above the diet to see how you can customize it to your own tastes. Pay careful attention to portion sizes -- even the best diet won't work if your portion sizes are twice what they should be.
Eat a TON of veggies (other than corn or potatoes) -- they will keep you full, rev up your metabolism and fat-burning, and help your body heal itself with all the minerals and vitamins they contain. You will feel hungry while on this diet, but it should not be out of control hunger because you will eating complete balanced meals and eating them relatively often throughout the day.
Second thing, of course, is to start exercising. Right now your goal should be just to get basic conditioning for your body. Walk as much as you can. Stay as active as possible, even just sweeping up around the house. It will take time, but eventually your cardiovascular system will pick up and you'll be able to walk a mile in under 20 minutes. At that point you can start jogging and also start on basic bodyweight exercises at home like squats, lunges, pushups, and others such as in the no-equipment workout program.
But worry about more advanced exercises later. For now, focus on improving your diet and walking a lot. It will not be easy, but you can most definitely do it. Stick with it and don't give up despite any setbacks. Good luck!
898. Q:
How many calories have a burnt of a 5km run?
A:
Around 400 calories.
899. Q:
how to maintain my 160 weight as it is
A:
Maintaining existing weight is usually very simple -- just keep eating the same way you've been eating before! If your old diet maintained it before, then it'll continue maintaining it in the future as well. If you increase your physical activity, increase how much you eat a little too to compensate for extra calories burned. But for the most part, just keep on eating and doing what you have in the past and everything will stay the same.
900. Q:
how many calories do pushups burn
A:
Please see Q&A #632.
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