Exercise smarter, not harder for fat-burning. Cardio or weights first for best results? The answer is here!

There is so much confusion out there surrounding exercise advice. Not only is it confusing what you should be doing, but the order in which to do it can be just as perplexing. One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “How should I structure my workout in order to burn the most fat?” Along the same line is the popular question, “If I’m going to do cardio and resistance training in the same exercise session, should I do cardio first or weights?” Here is the answer…

Almost everyone will have the best results by doing cardio after resistance training. There are several reasons for this:

1. Resistance training uses carbs and only carbs for energy. If you deplete your muscles of stored carbs and then try to perform strength training, you will be weaker during the strength training.

2. Cardio can be performed by tapping into the energy in bodyfat.It takes 20-30 minutes of activity for the body to switch from primarily burning carbohydrate to burning fat. If you weight train first, that means you are already burning fat at the start of your cardio session.

3. Your heart rate will be elevated sooner during your cardio session. Weight training elevates heart rate. This means that within a few minutes at most during your cardio session after weight training, you will be in your target heart rate zone that is recommended for weight loss and cardiovascular conditioning. If you had started with cardio, you would need to go for longer just to get into your target heart rate zone.

If you have ever belonged to a gym, you have probably noticed that almost everyone does cardio before weights. Most people do this for one of two reasons:

A. They don’t know any better, or

B. They want to get the “boring” part out of the way first.

Those “in the know” do their weight training first! Of course, your other options are to do them at separate times—-such as weights in the morning, and cardio in the evening, or vice versa. Alternately, you could alternate your cardio and weights workouts, perhaps doing each two or three times per week and taking the rest of the day(s) off.

If you would like to learn a simple but effective weight training workout you can perform at home, go here: cardio or weights first? Definitely weights!

There is one situation where you might answer the question, “cardio or weights first” with “cardio,” and it’s the case where you’re an endurance athlete training for performance in endurance events. If endurance event performance is your priority, go ahead and train cardio first, even though it’s not so good for fat loss. If your goals are fat loss or muscle gain primarily, be sure you answer “weights!” when the question, “cardio or weights first” arises.

What other fitness myths have you been buying into? Subscribe to this newsletter so you can be on top of the truth about fitness!

Gina Paulhus, Certified Personal Trainer, owns and operates Home Bodies in-home fitness training. Home Bodies provides personal training services to men and women who wish to get fit, lose weight, and gain youthfulness and vitality all while enjoying the convenience and privacy of exercising at home.
Click here for more articles by Gina Paulhus

Client Question: How can I get my arms firm and cut? I don’t want bulky muscles but I want them to be toned and I want to be able to see the muscles. At my age is this even possible? (I’m 48).

Gina’s Answer: There are a number of steps required to achieve arms that are firm and cut. Although genetics mean that some people will have a much easier time than others, everyone can improve the appearance of her arms. Here is what you need to do to obtain a firm and toned pair of your own:

1. Perform Weight-Training or Challenging Bodyweight Exercises Using Your Arms.For best results, perform exercises during which you “push” away (for example, push-ups, the shoulder press, and a tricep extension) at least twice per week, and also exercises where you “pull” (for example, chin-ups, bent-over rows, and bicep curls) at least twice per week.

2. Compound movements are king. Spend more time on compound movements that use more than one muscle group in the upper body at a time than you do on isolation movements that only target one muscle group at a time. Compound movements naturally lead to a more aesthetically pleasing look to the average person. Compound movements are also more efficient time-wise, which leaves you more time for…

3. Cardio is essential to reduce bodyfat, which will allow those muscles to actually show. Cardio using your legs (such as running) tends to burn more calories, and you will lose fat from your arms even if you don’t use them for cardio specifically. However, some folks who have a hard time losing fat from their arms will notice they lose more bodyfat from the upper body when they perform cardio with their upper body, such as kayaking, ergonomic rowing, kickboxing, or sports like tennis. But, most people don’t require this arm usage during cardio for fat loss in the arms. In general cardio of any type will be helpful for reducing fat in the upper body.

4. Exercise moderation with a diet that includes protein, some healthy fats, and some ‘good’ carbs (ones that include fiber). If your calorie intake is excessive or you consume too much sugar and fat, you will store those extra calories on your body, including your arms, and those beautiful muscles won’t show through. Also be sure to consume plenty of carbs and protein after your strength-training workout, which will allow your muscles to recover fully. If your muscles do not recover properly because you fail to consume protein and carbohydrate during the crucial post-workout time, you will not build the muscle necessary for firm, toned arms. Your arms will simply become thinner, but will be just as flabby as before.

5. Age does matter, but not as much as you think. An older person who works out can develop more muscle tone than a younger person who does not work out. Many people have the best body of their lives in their 40s, 50s or 60s if they begin a workout regimen during those years. Building muscle is particularly good for older people because muscle helps fill out skin that may have become looser with age, whereas simply losing weight without including muscle-building exercise can make wrinkles appear even worse.

Gina Paulhus, Certified Personal Trainer, owns and operates Home Bodies in-home fitness training. Home Bodies provides personal training services to men and women who wish to get fit, lose weight, and gain youthfulness and vitality all while enjoying the convenience and privacy of exercising at home.
Click here for more articles by Gina Paulhus

Why stretch?

Stretching keeps muscles flexible and strong, helping to increase the range of motion for the body. At your next appointment, your chiropractor may recommend certain stretches, based on your treatment needs, to help aid your body in increasing circulation and preventing future injury or pain. Without actively and frequently stretching, muscles can become tight and actually shorten. This significantly limits their ability to move as they should. A patient with tight, shortened muscles is more likely to experience joint pain or muscles strains and pain.

In addition, our muscles support our body’s joints. If the muscles around a joint are stiff and weak, they can provide inadequate support which can also lead to knee or hip pain. Regular stretching activates the muscles to increase blood flow throughout the body and lengthen the body’s muscles. Muscles that are regularly stretched can better move and respond to new physical activity; they are simply less likely to experience injury, pain, or fatigue.

Stretching 101

Start a stretching routine by aiming to stretch at least three times a week. Even a quick 5-minute routine will help you reap so many stretching benefits. If you are physically active and jog, walk, cycle, or swim, stretch after your workout; this is the best time to lengthen and engage muscles because they are warm and loose from exertion, stretching more easily — and with less chance of injury. If you are less physically active, be sure to do something active to warm up your muscles before a stretch; take a quick walk around the block, do some jumping jacks, or simply stretch after gardening or light housework. Here’s a few other tips to keep in mind when stretching:

• Use care: only stretch until you feel a slight pull in the muscle; you don’t want to be in pain when holding a stretch, since injuring your muscle is counterintuitive to the stretching exercise! If you feel pain lingering after a stretch, get it checked out soon by your chiropractor.

• Hold tight: Hold each stretch position for about 30 seconds. Maintain a static stretch, and don’t wiggle or bounce when in position.

• Stay strong: Stretching should become a natural part of your physical activity. Maintaining your stretching routine can be difficult at first, but once it becomes a habit, it can make a huge difference in how you feel — not to mention prevent torn or sore muscles, and help your body rebound after physical exertion.

(Hint: It’s got absolutely nothing to do with calories).

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It was cold. It was Ohio. It was 2005. I had just arrived at a graduate student senate meeting. These meetings consisted of, well, grad student issues. Oh yeah, and they always served lunch.

As the meeting began and lunch was served, hungry grad students swarmed the food table. I observed what appeared to be a lean, healthy and fit female grad student approaching the table. She selected a good sized veggie sandwich and two pieces of fruit.

Her friend, who followed behind her in line, appeared to be overweight, unhealthy and un-fit. Her friend moved through the food line and selected a lunch that consisted of diet Coke and a cookie.

Who cares, you say? Shouldn’t people be allowed to pick whatever they want for lunch?

The dietary displacement gods care and you probably should too. These daily choices can help explain why humans might be getting fatter and more unfit.

What is dietary displacement?

Negative dietary displacement

Have you ever known someone who skips out on a salad with greens, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, beans, sunflower seeds and flax vinaigrette in order to budget their calories for the scone and Frappucino splurge at Starbucks later that evening?

Welcome to the land of negative dietary displacement. It’s when someone skips out on healthy eats and displaces them with non-nutritious foods.

But even with this displacement, who really cares? I mean, as long as calories are balanced we’ll be just fine, right?

Not necessarily. Negative dietary displacement generally leads to:

• rebound overeating
• lack of satiety
• atrocious nutrient intake
• loss of muscle mass
• low energy levels
• increased body fat

In other words, you feel crummy, you don’t look your best, and on top of that — you’re still hungry! Bummer.

Positive dietary displacement

On the flip side, have you ever known someone who skips out on the massive dessert brownie, or only has a small piece, because they are satisfied from a nutritious meal of whole, real foods?

This is positive dietary displacement: when someone eats enough nutritious food each day, leaving little or no room for the non-nutritious foods.

When people eat this way, it generally leads to:

• consuming the right amount of food for your energy needs
• satiation after meals
• a stellar nutrient intake
• lean muscle development
• high energy levels
• lower levels of body fat

Unlike the negative dietary displacement, you feel good, you look good, and your tummy is happy. Sign me up.

Why is dietary displacement so important?

When individuals are trying to eat healthier, they tend to focus their efforts on what they should be cutting out and restricting.

But what does that really accomplish? Shouldn’t they worry about how in the heck they’re going to eat enough healthy food over the next 24 hours? That’s usually difficult enough.

Humans usually eat about 3-4 pounds of food per day. If we add in enough healthy foods, we won’t have much room left for unhealthy foods. We can use this to our advantage.

Similarly, if you fill your day with activities related to a rewarding career, enriching relationships with family and friends, and personal wellbeing, there isn’t much of an opportunity left to engage in cigar smoking, strip clubbing, and Internet flame wars.

All calories are not created equal

We all know by now that industrialized populations are getting fatter. This can make us fixate on meeting a daily calorie quota. We worry about daily numerical goals instead of food’s quality — about how much we eat, rather than what we eat or how our food contributes to keeping us healthy.

If someone saves their goal number of calories to dine on Hot Pockets, mochaccinos and candy, that’s poor nutrition. But people do this because they realize they only have a limited number of eating opportunities each day. They might not want to “waste” these eating opportunities on foods that don’t taste as good as the Hot Pockets, mochaccinos, and candy they crave.

However, a candy calorie is much different than a kale calorie. “Non-food” calories are more likely to be stored as fat, degrade health, lead to further hunger, lead to further food preoccupation, and low energy levels.

Can you spot the difference? Your brain and body sure as heck can.

What you should know about dietary displacement

A rigorous calorie tally can backfire in more ways than one.

Most people generally know that eating too much each day will cause body fat gains and health problems. When people get too wrapped up in the numbers, they feel like they must save up for the tasty (read: over-stimulating) edible food-like substances. And this is where most dietary displacement originates from. You know, the land of counting points, calories and grams.

Awareness of calories = probably good. Detailed calorie counting = probably not so good.

Appetite

It’s interesting to note that one of the most important factors related to dietary displacement (and nutrition success) lies just beyond our direct dietary control. This factor is appetite.

Most people feel as if they have no control over their appetite. So they either ignore it (which never works in the long run, even for veterans of the physique world) or they try to find a magic supplement that helps control it (yes, people still do that).

But we all have some control over our appetite. You see, appetite isn’t primarily controlled by the number of calories we eat. Rather, it’s controlled by the volume of food that we eat.

Simply put, our appetite is based on how much total food volume passes through our digestive tract.

If a lot of food volume passes through, we’re satisfied.

If very little passes through, we’re hungry (note: this is in regard to true physiological hunger, not “head hunger.” “Head hunger” is when someone eats for reasons other than physiological hunger; you can’t satisfy “head hunger” with food and drink).

Therefore, the volume/weight of foods seems to be more important than the calorie content in terms of keeping us fuller for longer during the day.

So, if you consume 3-4 lbs of scones, candy and Frappucinos each day, you could easily rack up a lot of extra calories that’ll need to be stored somewhere. On the other hand, you could eat 3-4 lbs of nutritious, whole food that easily keeps you full but promotes health and fat loss at the same time.

“But I’m never full!”

Maybe you’re eating the wrong foods.

Here is an example of how the volumes of healthy vs. unhealthy foods can differ.

Each pair below has the same amount of calories, but provides much different volumes and nutrients.

Less volume, fewer nutrients	vs	More volume, more nutrients
2 oz chocolate bar	vs	~40 cups of spinach
2 tbsp butter	vs	2.5 cups blueberries
1 bagel	vs	1.5 cups of quinoa
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese	vs	4 cups of vegetable soup
6 donut holes	vs	4 medium apples

Summary and recommendations

Are you eating 90 percent nutritious, unprocessed food and 10 percent treats — or vice versa? Are you displacing healthy foods with unhealthy alternatives?

How’s that working for you?

If we focus on first eating the nutritious foods that our bodies need to feel energized, fight disease, be lean and be healthy, followed by simply enjoying a treat here and there, we’d be much better off.

However, many people don’t eat any of the nutritious stuff. They go right for the treat foods.

If we skip breakfast, get really hungry, and then pick up candy, chips and soda at the gas station – we’ll have a candy, chip and soda body to show for it. However, if we first ate real, nutritious food and then enjoyed a treat, we’d be able to regulate our appetite and make smart decisions.

It’s time to start displacing the poorer food selections from your menu with better ones — instead of the opposite. Eat enough nutritious stuff first. And if you desire a less-than-nutritious food option, have the nutritious one beforehand, and then see how you feel.

I’m used to pushing it to the outer limits when recording new joints, but losing body fat to shape up isn’t an exercise in extremes; it’s a matter of balance. Do too much or too little of one thing and you may not lose body fat as quickly as you expect. To achieve the best results, practice the discipline of moderation. If you’re not seeing the results you want, consider that the reason may be one of the following, and use my personal quick fix to correct the problem in short order.

1. You’re adding muscle mass faster than you’re losing body fat. This is a best-case scenario — your program is working, but you just aren’t recognizing it. If the scales are giving you bad news, it could be because you’re increasing your muscle mass faster than you’re losing body fat. Muscle mass is heavier than body fat, and when your body starts to make this shift, it adds muscle mass more quickly than it sheds body fat. LL’s quick fix: All you need in this case is an attitude adjustment. Use your mirror, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, and take the compliments you receive to heart. They’re all much better gauges of your success than a number on a scale. If everything seems to be pointing to success except the needle, ignore it.

2. You’re eating too much. If you’re committing this sin, you probably know it without my telling you more about it. If you’re going to lose body fat, you have to be in a calorie deficit. There’s a limit to how many calories you can burn by exercising each day, so you have to limit caloric intake to make sure you’re in a deficit. LL’s quick fix: One thing you may have noticed when you started this program is that your appetite increased. Channel that into opportunity: Emphasize healthy low-calorie foods such as vegetables and lean protein sources so that you can still consume a large volume of food without stuffing yourself full of unwanted calories. Satiety (that satisfied feeling from eating) can be achieved with fewer calories when you eat crunchy, low-calorie foods such as vegetables.

3. You’re not eating enough. “Enough” in this case may mean that you’re not eating enough calories, you’re not eating often enough, or both. If you habitually eat only a large meal or two a day, you may be undereating. Strangely, this can allow calories to be stored as body fat. When you eat a large quantity of food in a sitting and then neglect to eat for hours on end, your body tends to hoard the calories it doesn’t need from these infrequent meals as body fat. LL’s quick fix: To find success, eat fewer calories in a sitting, and eat more frequently. This may mean actually increasing the total number of calories you consume a day, but your body will be more inclined to burn them than to store them as body fat. Strive to take in up to six meals a day, distributing the number of calories you consume fairly equally from one meal to the next.

4. You’re not training enough. If you’re following the program as I’ve laid it out, you’re training enough. The only suggestion I can offer is to train with more intensity. If you’re not keeping up, but you’re doing what you can, then just keep going at your pace. Your results will come. On the other hand, if you’re skipping workouts because you’re busy or because you don’t feel like it, you’re just not going to achieve results that are as impressive as you want. LL’s quick fix: The first thing you have to realize is that you do have time to work out. Get in 15 minutes here and there each day. Make the commitment. That’s when you’ll see real results.

5. You’re training too much. This may be a shocker, but training too much, too hard, or both can undermine progress. Keep in mind that the workouts themselves tear down your body. You make progress and grow after training, during recovery. LL’s quick fix: If you are overtraining (see “Don’t [Over]Train in Vain” on page 190 for more on this), you may need to back off on your training volume or frequency. You should limit weight training to about 4 days a week, and you should include at least 1 — if not 2 — full rest days each week.

6. You’re not performing enough cardio. When you’re weight training, you’re jacking up your metabolic rate by encouraging calorie burning and adding muscle mass. Cardiovascular training (walking, jogging, running, or using any of the gym machines such as treadmills, bicycles, or stairclimbers) is also important for burning calories and ultimately for burning body fat. LL’s quick fix: Make sure that you perform as much cardio as the program prescribes.

7. You’re performing too much cardio. Many people think they can climb onto a treadmill and just keep moving until their body is perfect. That’s not the case. Performing an excess of cardio (either in intensity, frequency, or duration) can take your body over the edge into a state of overtraining, and it can burn muscle mass rather than body fat. Either way, your cardio actually can end up working against your goal of shedding body fat and adding lean muscle mass. LL’s quick fix: If you think this is the case, cut back on your cardio somewhat — either the length of sessions, the frequency, the intensity, or a combination of these variables.

8. You’re eating too many carbs. If you consume a high percentage of your calories from carbohydrates, you may be impeding your ability to shed body fat — and you may not be encouraging enough muscle growth if you’re simultaneously not eating enough protein. Carbs, especially sugary or starchy carbs, can make you feel sluggish and negatively affect your blood sugar. They can also encourage you to store body fat. LL’s quick fix: To avoid this problem, cut back on carbs in general, relying more on slow-burning sources such as oatmeal, brown rice, and yams, which have a less negative impact on your blood sugar levels. Particularly avoid consuming sugary and starchy carbs by themselves. These include sodas, pasta, white bread, and candy.

9. You’re not eating enough carbs (before and after you work out). Nutrition is complex and specific to each individual. You need to cut back on sugary carbs in general, but you want to include them before and after your workouts, when they will help drive nutrients into your cells. Pre- and post-workout, they deliver nutrients to your muscles, stimulated by your workouts, rather than to your body-fat stores. LL’s quick fix: Consume as many as 50 grams of simple carbs in the half hour both before and after you work out. (Check labels to see how large of a portion this equates to.)

Reprinted from: LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout by LL Cool J and Dave Honig with Jeff O’Connell.

To many, that half-hour a day is the most enjoyable, most therapeutic part of your agenda. To others, it’s as dreadful as taking out the trash and doing the dishes. Yet, like your household chores, you know it’s something you simply must do.

Cardiovascular activity, referred to simply as “cardio,” should be as much a part of your body-sculpting endeavors as pulling and pushing those metal plates. As often as you’re pumping the iron, you should also be pumping your heart.

Unfortunately, Americans today are more glued to the screen, whether it be the television, Nintendo, or yes, even the Internet. It has been concluded that the majority of Americans have insufficient cardiovascular activity in their daily schedules, thus leading to a cartload of various health problems.

The 30 minutes per day that you should reserve for cardio work should always entail exercises that are enjoyable, manageable, and of course, safe.

So if you’re ready to get sweaty, here are a few wise choices:

RUNNING (Outdoors): Believe it or not, this exercise reminds me a lot of Howard Stern. Like the infamous DJ, you either love it or hate it. Beyond question, however, is the simple fact that running is a fantastic way to whip you into shape and provide full cardiovascular fitness. Running is a full-body exercise in which only you channel the motion, resistance, and weight distribution. There are no wheels or cycles doing any of the work for you.

Sometimes, running can actually be too rigorous an exercise and for bodybuilders it’s been known to foil some of that hard-earned muscle mass. Also, running can take a considerable toll on your joints, particularly your knees and ankles as well as your abused feet.

TREADMILL: This may seem like the equivalent to a run through the park or the neighborhood, and in a lot of ways, it is. Running is the same vigorous exercise whether done outdoors or in. Yet, the treadmill, because of its smooth rubbery conveyor belt is a lot more merciful on your joints. It doesn’t wear and tear your body the way running on the tarred street will. There is no pounding-like effect.

However, the treadmill does not offer the natural variations such as hills and curves which provides for a more rigorous workout on the streets. Also, the fresh air that can fill and expand your lungs is not a benefit from an indoor facility.

STAIRMASTER & STEPPERS: Some people refer to these devices simply as “sweat machines.” close by. Stairmasters, whether they’re the rotating kind or the step versions, are both excellent methods of losing weight and shedding body fat.

Yet, many fitness experts have concluded that stairs work may be insufficient in your quest to get in shape. For one, the exercise relies solely on lower body movement and tends to abandon the upper torso. Too often, people rest their arms on the bars at their sides, taking some of the resistance (your body weight) out of your legs.

STATIONARY BIKES: When you ride the stationary bike, it feels like you aren’t going anywhere. That’s because you’re not. But whether or not you’re making strides with your cardiovascular health is another matter. While these bikes are beneficial in raising the heart level, they also provide far less strain on the knees and back than other methods of cardio and are excellent for toning up the quadriceps.

The workout you’ll get from a stationary bike, however, is of the low-impact variety and like the scenery in front of you, it may feel like you’re not going anywhere, especially if you’ve set high fitness goals for yourself.

SWIMMING: Go on and make a splash. This is an excellent cardiovascular activity in that it is a total body exercise and hits the various muscles in the body. The water provides an excellent form of resistance that will get your heart pumping in no time. The benefits for the heart and lungs are endless.

As for the down side? There’s only one.

Not every fitness club has a swimming pool.