Q: hi mike, i am a 16 year old guy and i have recently gotten quite tubby. by recently i mean, i'm an ex-athlete. i was a sprinter last year, but this year i havent really found the time for it. i sorta gave up on running. and now ive gotten fat. i keep saying to myself 'im goin for a run tomrow' but i never do. whats wrong wit me? why is it so hard for me to get back on that cycle that i was in last year? even my girl friend left me cause i got fat!

Q: hello, Mike... I know you are not gonna like this question, but anyway... I wanna ask if by eating very little but throughout the day, not only once, and exercising, cardio and weights, if there will be a fat loss or just temporary weight loss, if it was performed for some time... I also wanna ask if doing weight training every day could change it to cardio, or if it could become less efficient or so... thank you...

Q: what happens to the excess fats? how is it used by the body?

A: Your body uses fat both as an energy source and as a building/repair material for all its billions of cells. But if you overeat fats and there's excess of them they'll simply go into your fat deposits. The same is true of carbs -- carbs are an excellent energy source, but if your body has more of them than it can use, they'll simply make you fatter.

Q: hey mike is there any leg workouts i can do to help me jump higher ....for some reason i got on that im going to dunk a basketball no matter wat lol but i still cant get rim lol im about 6 foot 6 foot1 what can i do i weigh around 180 to 190

Q: I know that fiber keeps you feeling fuller for longer, but I've heard that protein is the best food to stave off hunger because it takes so long for to digest. When fiber keeps you feeling full, is it because it is providing calories for longer than other foods types or is it making your body feel full even though you may be undereating to lose bodyfat.

Q: Hey Mike, first and foremost thanks for your advice. I am a 40 year old I am 5.7ft and about 2 months ago I was 76KG and extremely unfit. I ate whatever I could eat, junk, chocolates absolutely anything. I was very unfit and miserable. So I decided to change my life, I joined a gym and for the past 2 months have been working 5 days a week. 30 min on treadmill, 30 min on cross trainer, then I do 5 different excersises for abs after that I do weights as well. I am happy to say that I have already lost 6 kilos and I am trying to get my weight down to 67kilos, that was my weight 10 years ago.

Q: hi mike im 17 and have them man boobs not big ones but there there was wondering what workouts to do.... we have a pool i think that would help but how long should i swim and any diets im dont think im overweight im in at 6 foot 185 lbs can u tell me what u think thank alot

A: At 6 feet, 185 pounds you're not overweightm but right on the border of it (your BMI is 25 and anything over 25 is considered overweight) so you could potentially lose a little bit of weight and fat and still be OK. Also, at 17 your 'man boobs' may still go away on their own to some degree with time.

Q: Do starchy vegetables, like corn and field peas, have much nutritional value? These are the kinds of vegetables my kids like to eat.

Q: How much and how many meals should i eat a day i am a soccer player.

A: If you are not trying to actively change your body composition (i.e. lose fat or build muscle) then just the traditional three meals per day can be good enough. The key is simply eating enough to keep your weight constant (more if you are a teenager and still growing, of course). How much food that is you probably know already -- if your weight is constant now, then your current diet is fine.

Q: when I started doing push ups I could only manage to do eight.It took me about 10 days to work my way up to 12.But for the last three weeks I've been doing 12 pushups and cant seem to go beyond 12. I do about two sets a day.I am a 39 year old 195 pound male with a 17% body composition.my diet is pretty good. why cant I do more than 12 pushups?

Q: mike i'm 59 yeas old and trying to get back into a weight lifting program using dumbbells. can you recomend a place to get a work out rountine

A: Sure, I have a whole-body routine that you can do with just dumbbells here. If you don't have a pullup bar, you can substitute with bent-over dumbbell rows.

Q: Hi Mike,
Am really desperate for your help. What would be the best exercise schedule would you recommend me to follow if i were to do weights and cardio (would running be ok?) and for how long till i see the results? i'm 28, M, 5'10' and weighs 75kg, i'm having problems with fat deposits in my chest area (giving me a 'man-boobs' look) and flabby abs.

What i'm currently doing for the past five months:-

Q: Whats the deal with energy drinks? Can you run after drinking one? Like Red Bull? I feel energized after it

A: The main ingredients in those drinks are lots of sugar and caffeine or other stimulant which give you a quick hit. You can certainly run or exercise after drinking them, but they are not particularly healthy (or good for your teeth) being so rich in sugar. If possible I would recommend eating a regular meal before workout instead and maybe having a cup of coffee if you need an extra boost.

Q: Hey, I'm 14, Female, and I weigh about 115 lbs which isn't neccessarily overweight, but I have a short torso, so I have a lot of fat on my stomach that I would love to get rid of, so I tried dieting, and exercising, and I've lost almost no weight. I've been doing this since the beginning of April. I gain weight so easily, but if I try to lose weight it's nearly impossible. Is there something I can do to lose weight because it's really starting to bug me, I really don't like being fat. (P.S. Does your sleep effect your weight loss because I'm an insomniac?)

Q: hi mike

Q: my daughter is 12yrs old nearly 13 and 5'4" she is very tall and she thinks she needs to lose weight.her best friend is the same height as her but skinnier and that is because of her fast Metabolism she weighs 55 kg and she looks like a normal kid to me.she is doing exercise in her bed room every few nights but she does exercise at school too . what is the normal weight for a 12 nearly 13 yr old is she normal weight?

Q: HOW CAN I GET A V-CUT??

Q: i mike what you think i my weight now is 235 i can lose 30 pounds in 3 months and what is the best supplement for make muscle and loss weight?

A: 30 pounds in 3 months is pretty aggressive, but doable. I usually recommend losing weight a little slower -- about 15 pounds in 3 months, but if you really want to lose faster 30 pounds should be doable. Make sure to read my fat loss article if you haven't already -- it will tell you and point you to everything you need to know to lose fat successfully.

Q: I am 62 years of age and weigh about 148lbs. I lost a significant amount of weight when I left the United States abot 30 days ago for Japan. Some weight loss has to do with stress of being here and away from my fiance. I would like to put the weight back on. I am athletic and have lifted weights on and off for years. I do have Type II diabetes but it is under control.. How do I gain weight and not fat.
Thanks

Q: Mike on non training days is it ok to eat 300 calories less? I want to obtain only muscle if possible and little too no fat. Is it ok?

A: In my experience changing calories between training and non-training days did not produce better results than simply keeping them even throughout. It's much more important to make sure your average calorie level is just right to keep gaining weight but as slowly as possible. So I recommend focusing on that as the main goal and not worrying too much about changing calorie level on non-training days.

Q: hi mike, how long will it take an average person to add an inch to their deltoids?

A: The most traditional and probably most relevant way to measure shoulders is to place two rulers in parallel, one against each shoulder, and measure the distance between them. If you simply use tape measure against the skin to measure shoulder-to-shoulder, the result will heavily depend on upper back and traps muscles which are bigger than deltoids and will not reflect the shoulder size well.

Q: how much more than fat does muscle weigh on a female age 40, 5'6' and 160 lbs?

A: Unfortunately there is no way to know that exactly without knowing your body fat percentage. At your height, weight and age your body fat is probably around 30%. Average muscle content in a person is about 35%, so you have 5% more of your bodyweight (or 8 pounds) in muscle than fat.

Q: I weigh 130 pounds but i am young. I am 5 feet 7inches but my stomach is has a lot of curves. How do i get rid of the curves.

A: I am not sure exactly what you mean, but your weight is perfectly normal for your height. If you are a teenager, then especially you should not be thinking of losing weight. Instead, focus on being more physically active (doesn't matter how -- sports, walking, jogging, running, biking, swimming, mowing lawns, or anything else really) and eating healthy foods -- especially whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Q: hello, i have been working out for about 2 months and i have seen results in the way my body has changed, but i am going on a vacation in july and i was wondering what exercises i could do and what to eat to look the absolute best i can for july. Anything would be extremly helpful....I'm 6 foot 6 and about 190 pounds and 22 years old...thanks SO much

Q: Hi mike, after following your advice for the all over weight training and diet program I lost over 25 pounds and about 10 inches off my waist. So thank you. I am now at my desired weight and size but still have my lower stomach problem, I wanted to try Yoga to help me the rest of the way with toning. So my question is will Yoga help with toning as well as my lower stomach?

Q: mike, i'm not very good at push-ups/press ups, do you have any suggestions to how I could go about getting better? I can only do 4-5 properly.

Q: Hi was wondering how many calories I would burn walking 8km?

A: Around 600 calories.

Q: What's your view on running in the morning?

A: If you prefer to run in the morning then you should certainly do so. Exercising at any time of the day is far better than not exercising at all. But I do advise that you have at least a light breakfast before running in the mornings, as I discuss in http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/trainer-advises-cardio-empty-stomach

Q: mike my weight is 240 and i have 18 years. is it good for me to take muscle milk? I do exercise every day or tell me what i have to do for fast weight loss?

A: Check out my answer to http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/muscle-milk-to-lose-weight -- while Muscle Milk is a perfectly good supplement, by itself it will do next to nothing for you. Please read my Fat loss article for a comprehensive approach to losing extra fat and making sure it never comes back.

Q: How many calories do you burn doing 15 jumping jacks

Q: I am a vegetarian but also have been diagnoised with High Cholestrol. I would like to build muscle and also gain some weight as my height is 6ft and weight 68Kg. Could you please help, with information on what protein etc I need to take.

Q: If the amount is the same, What difference does it make lifting free weights as opposed to machine weights?

A: Free weights are better than machines because they work all the little stabilizer muscles that don't have to do much with machine work. They also allow for different paths of motion working muscles from different angles and for working through different sticking point in the exercise. Finally they allow for compound exercises like deadlifts, squats, and lunges.

Q: how many calories does jogging on the spot for 10 minute periods burn?

A: Depending on the intensity it would probably burn between 50 and 100 calories.

Q: how to have a strong chest

Q: how to get a 6 pack

A: Getting a six-pack is all about getting overall low bodyfat (10% or lower for most people). The way to low bodyfat is of course, by losing the extra fat as described here.

Q: does bread make you fat

A: I wouldn't say that bread alone makes you fat, but it is more likely to make you gain fat than if you ate the same number of calories from a better source of carbs such as old fashioned oatmeal or brown rice. If you do eat bread, go for whole-wheat or other whole-grain (not just 'multi-grain' -- it has to say 'whole').

Q: do you competitively swim faster in cold or warm water?

A: I haven't heard of any experiments done on this, but my guess is that you'd swim faster in warmer water because the colder the water the more energy the body has to expend on just maintaining its normal temperature and bloodflow to the extremeties is weakened in colder water. In warmer water more energy should be available for the actual swimming.

Q: I need to find a protein supplement that contains no soybean. Any suggestions?

A: Many or even most whey and egg protein supplements contain soy lecithin derived from soybeans, which I assume does not fit your requirement. But as far as I know casein protein supplements don't contain any lecithin, so they may be your best your best bet -- check with wherever you buy supplements. My favorite brand for protein supplements is Optimum Nutrition -- they tend to be cheap and of good taste and quality. Most supp retailers carry them.

Q: Hi Mike. My program is as follows. Could you advise if im doing something in the wrong order? Any help appreciated as always.
Monday - Back, Biceps Wednesday - Chest, Triceps Friday - Shoulders Sunday - Legs

A: That looks like a solid split. Your shoulders may be pretty tired after the chest/triceps workout, so you could potentially swap chest and back days to allow a little more time in between chest and shoulders. But that is a very minor point and is in no way necessary. Your program is good.

Q: How many pounds can you loose in a week if you did 80 sit ups a day?

A: You won't lose weight this way. Even hundreds of situps alone are not going to do anything for you and doing just 80 situps per day will do even less. Please read this for an effective way to lose fat and weight.

Q: if i take no-xplode, will the muscles stay with me? unlike some creatines jus leave after u done taking it?

A: I usually don't comment on individual supps, but given a choice between proven plain old creatine monohydrate and a hyped up new supp like NO-Xplode, I would go with creatine monohydrate. There's no evidence that nitric oxide does anything for your muscles in the long term (it does provide a quick muscle pump but that just temporarily makes you look buff) and it may actually be hazardous to your health. Stick with creatine monohydrate.

Q: i want to gain weight...any suggestions?

A: Sure! Gaining weight is not hard -- you just have to eat A LOT! If you already eat a lot but are still not gaining weight, you have to eat MORE! Anybody can gain weight if they just eat enough. Some good heathy foods that add calories easily are dry-roasted nuts, natural peanut butter and bananas.

Q: Hi, Mike. I'm an 18 year old girl, have 135 lb. I want to lose weight, my really big plan is 118 lb. I'm trying to really exercise daily, total body workout and some belly and shoulders workouts, I bike few minutes everyday, I try to walk a lot and I'm taking karate twice a week. The problem is that I can figure a healthy diet with some cut calories but I don't want my basal metabolism to start burning less calories a day, so I don't have an eating schedule and don't know what food is best to eat... lot of times I end up with some junk food or I just eat a lot...

Q: Ive taken up weight lifting again after quite a long lay-off. Im experiencing pain that seems to be coming from inside my elbows. Am i starting off too heavy after lay-off? The pain seems to be worse when performing bench presses or tricep dips. Will it just go away as i start to aclimatise myself with weights again? Thanks Mike

Q: Can I do bodyweight exercises for two consecutive days or more or do muscles need a one day break? Is it harder to gain muscle if they dont get a day's rest?

A: Most bodyweight exercises are 'light' enough that you can do them daily while still benefitting from muscle growth and strength increases. One possible exception to this is pullups, which is relatively high intensity even if one is in good shape.