You probably see and hear it all the time. The key to six pack abs is doing crunches. I've read and heard on several occasions that crunches are a waste of time. When trying to achieve a flat stomach, some say that doing other forms of exercise is much more effective. Many of the workouts I follow still have crunches as part of the program. I don't mind doing them but maybe those who dislike doing them feel they are a waste of time.
Below are some reasons for why crunches may be a waste of time:
- You can't spot reduce
- Crunches do not burn belly fat
- Crunches build endurance, not muscle
- Crunches strain your neck and back
I am just after more opinions about the topic. If you feel they are a waste of time, please share your thoughts in the comments.
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I like when I find new workouts online, particularly ones that work the midsection without having to do any crunches. I came across this cool workout below that contains some exercises that I've never tried before but they look very effective. All that is required is a some kind of timer or stopwatch as each move is done for about 30 seconds a piece. After the first run through of all 6 exercises, they can be repeated two or three more times.
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It can happen to all of us - you're starving, running late, and need food now and the only options are fast food restaurants. We know that almost all fast food restaurants don't offer the healthiest of meals but if you go in prepared, you can probably save yourself some fat and calories by knowing what to order.
I discovered this helpful web site called Fatburgr. It lists several popular fast food restaurants and the calories, fat, carbs, and fiber of their menu items. The cool thing is if you are an iPhone user, you can download their app and if you find yourself in a fast food place, you can pull up the data instantly.
This is good to know considering some menu items that sound healthy like a grilled chicken salad can still have over 1,000 calories in some restaurants.
Check out the site below:
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I've read before that if you are trying to burn more fat and build a more muscular physique then it's wise not to overdo it on your cardio sessions. I enjoy cardio workouts very much but at the same time, I still want to keep and build the muscle that I do have. When I belonged to the gym, I would run on the treadmill and then sometimes lift weights right after. I've read that this isn't a good idea. It's more effective to separate your workouts so that you do cardio one day and weight training another.
Better Cardio for Less Muscle Wasting
When you spend long sessions doing a cardio workout, you do burn a lot of calories. However, you are also probably burning through muscle. The thing with long cardio routines is that you can burn a lot of calories during that session but when you lift weights, you will burn more calories during rest. More muscle means a faster metabolism which burns more bodyfat.
Having a Good Balance
In order to have a good balance of cardio and weights, it's probably better to skip the long cardio sessions and replace them with interval training. I used to do that a lot on the treadmill by warming up with a light jog for 5 minutes then running as fast as I could for about 1 minute. I'd repeat that about five times. It made the time on the treadmill a lot less boring. If I got bored with the treadmill, I would do the same on an elliptical machine.
I would then do some weight lifting on the next day and alternate days between cardio and weights. This is probably a better balance if you are trying to maintain muscle and burn more fat.
What is your routine like? Are you doing too much cardio or not enough?
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I no longer belong to a gym but I still think gyms are great because being a member of one is what got me off my butt. My entire attitude changed once I began going. I work out at home now, but looking back, I realize some mistakes that I made and maybe you are experiencing the same things:
Doing the same workouts
This was a huge mistake for me because I wasted a lot of my time and money by not utilizing the gym. My routine was running on the treadmill for 2 miles or more and leaving. Every now and then I'd change it up and do 10 minutes on three different cardio machines, however, I would barely use any of the weight machines.
Feeling like I had to workout ever day
I enjoyed going to the gym but because I made myself go every day, I would feel guilty when I didn't go. Since I went every day, I didn't push myself as hard when I did workout and I wouldn't try new exercises. I was stuck in a rut.
Exercising with a cold
Yes, this is a very bad idea. I used to believe that exercising with a cold would make it go away faster but in reality, you are making things worse. Your immune system isn't running at 100% when you exercise. It's working to repair muscles. It is much better to rest and get over a cold before hitting the gym again.
Those are the main things that I can remember and would do differently if I were still a gym member.
Have you made some gym mistakes in the past?
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One of my favorite things about running this blog is being able to interview fitness professionals and learning about their tips for staying fit. When I conduct these interviews, I always ask the question, "Is there a fitness myth you would like to debunk?" Their replies are really interesting and I thought I'd highlight all of the fitness myths from past interviews below:
Taimak (Martial Artist): Yes, don’t workout every day is a myth. If you’re getting your rest and you feel great, that’s your measure right there!
Stew Smith (Former Navy SEAL): SWEATING WATER IN SAUNA, SWEAT SUITS IS GOING TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT. WRONG – IF YOU ARE RETAINING WATER THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF IT IS TO DRINK MORE WATER SO YOUR BODY WILL NATURALLY EXCRETE IT THROUGH THE KIDNEYS. I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE LOSE 20 LBS OF WEIGHT IN ONE WEEK BY ONLY ADDING WATER TO THEIR DIET. NOW THEY WERE EXTREMELY DEHYDRATED / BLOATED FROM NOT DRINKING WATER / HIGH SODIUM DIET. JUST ADD WATER IS THE ANSWER.
Melissa Allen (BS, CPT): Yes–more is better. More is not always better. Progression is the key to a safe and effective workout program. If you overdo it & you’re out for 3 months with a hamstring injury, then what have you accomplished?
Rick Seedman (PT): Yes, everybody is capable of being in great shape. No excuses. Stop finding reasons not to do it. Look up Kyle Maynard for inspiration and motivation if you think you have a good reason.
Mehdi of Stronglifts.com: There are too many myths to list. But those I hear the most are probably:
- trength training is dangerous & unhealthy.
- Squatting deep is bad for the knees.
- Muscles will become fat when you stop.
- Lifting fast is cheating & dangerous.
- Strength training makes women bulky.
Justin Seedman (CPT): Don’t wait until everything in your life is perfect to start a workout routine because that day will never come. Today is the day! Remember at the end of the day your health should be your number one priority.
Son Trinh (Doctor of Physical Therapy): “Jocks are dumb.” While I can’t speak for everyone, I do know this: IF jocks are dumb, they would be even dumber if they stopped exercising. Physical activity doesn’t just help your muscles. It makes your bones stronger, your heart healthier and your brain better at processing information. Braun and brain can definitely go together.
Aaron Harris (CPT): The myth that conventional strength training shortens muscles and that Pilates lengthens muscles. First of all, exercise itself is the best thing to counter “muscle binding.” Individuals become “muscle bound”, inflexible through inactivity, not exercise. I have nothing against Pilates, just its proponents that try to hype it by making it sound superior to other forms of exercise such as resistance training or weight lifting by making false claims. It is impossible to lengthen your muscles through exercise.
They are attached at their origins and insertions, and you should want them to always stay there! They can experience hypertrophy or atrophy, their tone can improve or decline, but to say you can change the length is just false.
HIT of Calisthenics Kingz: Yes. the fact that calisthenics doesn’t build muscle. There are an abundance of calisthenics exercises, and there are enough for a complete body workout. For example Push ups can be performed in different ways to hit different muscles. For instance, a wide hand placement would hit the chest more, whereas a narrow hand placement would hit the triceps more. Just because you are doing calisthenics, it doesn’t mean you can’t add some weight into the mix in the form of something. If you want to continue gaining size, I recommend using a weight vest for added resistance and you can increase the number of repetitions and sets, and decreasing your rest period in between sets with each exercise and it’s have the muscle building effect that free weights have.
What are some myths you want to debunk?
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I recently conducted an interview with HIT from Calisthenics Kingz. HIT is a personal fitness trainer and takes calisthenics to a whole other level. Check out his web site and videos on YouTube to see for yourself.
1. Could you provide a brief background about yourself and how you got into fitness?
My real name is George, but I prefer HIT, my nickname which stands for Hardcore Intense Trainer. I'm a certified personal fitness trainer holding 14 international certification in fitness. I've been certified and training clients for 10 years. I'm from and currently reside in the bronx n.y. I was always athletic growing up, playing sports such as basketball baseball & football, so it was inevitable that i would get into fitness, because i love being in great shape and feeling great.
2. How is your training style different from other personal trainers?
My style is different from other trainers because I'm continuously challenging my clients with different forms of fitness, mainly with natural bodyweight exercises. every session is a different obsticles, you never know what I'm going to do next.
3. What type of equipment is required for calisthenics?
Due to the fact that calisthenics requires mainly the resistance of your own natural bodyweight, limited equipment is needed. a pull-up/chin-up bar, a dip bar, but with me, I like to very creative, so I improvise and this is what makes it so challenging for my clients when I train them, and for myself as well.
4. Can anyone at any age benefit from calisthenics?
Yes. I believe anyone at any age can benefit from calisthenics, absolutely !!!
5. What are some of the benefits of performing calisthenics?
Some of the benefits from performing calisthenics are: muscular development, muscular endurance, increased energy, increased functional strength, increased flexibility, overall performance enhancement, better balance, coordination, proper posture, not to mention an extremely ripped/tone physique, lol, strengthen bones, weight loss, reduce body fat, helps a stronger vascular system etc.
6. What type of nutrition plan do you recommend for your clients?
It depends on the client, it differs depending on the individual. Ultimately, I educate them in proper nutrition as well as the dietary modifications that are necessary for you to achieve permanent weight loss.
7. For those who are just starting out, what types of exercises would you suggest?
I design a personalized beginner program for my clients who have never entered a fitness program, that program would consist of light strength training, cardio, & stretching. I would design this program based around the individuals fitness goals.
8. How many calories (on average) does a calisthenic workout burn?
A 45 minute calisthenics workout can burn about 400 calories on average or more, the reason being because when performing calisthenics you're working and using more muscles, then you would use with an average weight training workout.
9. Is there a fitness myth that you would like to debunk?
Yes. the fact that calisthenics doesn't build muscle. There are an abundance of calisthenics exercises, and there are enough for a complete body workout. For example Push ups can be performed in different ways to hit different muscles. For instance, a wide hand placement would hit the chest more, whereas a narrow hand placement would hit the triceps more. Just because you are doing calisthenics, it doesn't mean you can't add some weight into the mix in the form of something. If you want to continue gaining size, I recommend using a weight vest for added resistance and you can increase the number of repetitions and sets, and decreasing your rest period in between sets with each exercise and it's have the muscle building effect that free weights have.
10. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I'd like to thank you for taking the time to interview, and listen to what i have to say. And here's my website: www.calisthenicskingz.net so people can learn more about me and what I do. And performance based training (calisthenics) is DEFINITELY on the rise, and I'm going to see to it that calisthenics becomes not only an extreme sport, but I'm going to make sure it's "The New Age of Fitness"
ChiWalking is a combination of walking and Tai Chi. It was originated from ChiRunning which was invented by ultramarathoner Danny Dreyer which helps runners learn to land on their mid-foot. According to the web site, ChiWalking is:
ChiWalking is an inspirational, mind-body, heath and fitness program that will get you up and out, and moving towards better health.
Walking in this way involves the programs Five Mindful Steps:
1. Get aligned: physically with your posture, mentally with your intentions
2. Engage your core: physically with your lower abdominals, mentally by using your will power
3. Create balance: physically between your upper and lower body and also between the right side and the left side of your body, mentally by creating a balanced fitness program
4. Make a choice: physically to walk in a new way, mentally to create health
5. Move forward: physically with grace and ease, mentally by focusing your mind on the next mindful step
A lot of people choose walking as their main form of exercise. This sounds like a great thing to try if you like walking as it incorporates good posture, engages core muscles, loose joints, and relaxing of the arms and legs.
Resources:
About ChiWalking®
Cool New Fitness Trend: Prevent Injuries With ChiWalking and ChiRunning
I just read an interesting article which talks about the possibility of becoming addicted to the "runner's high" and to exercise in general. I've read before that exercise releases those good feeling chemicals in our brain known as endorphins. This is particularly well known amongst runners because the longer they run, the higher the chance they will experience a runner's high which gives them their second wind.
While the study was not performed on humans (it was conducted on rats), it seemed that the rats which exercised and given Naloxone (a drug used to counteract an opiate overdose and produce immediate withdrawal symptoms), had a much higher level of withdrawal symptoms.
The overall conclusion seemed to be:
"Exercise, like drugs of abuse, leads to the release of neurotransmitters such as endorphins and dopamine, which are involved with a sense of reward," Kanarek said. "As with food intake and other parts of life, moderation seems to be the key. Exercise, as long as it doesn't interfere with other aspects of one's life, is a good thing with respect to both physical and mental health." [Source: msnbc.com]
Is it possible that we can become addicted to exercise as well? I do believe exercise leaves you feeling great but I would hardly compare it to an addiction. However, I am sure there are others out there who have taken exercise to the extreme.
What is your opinion on this?
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Recently, I decided to give up certain habits in my life to help improve my health. Now that I've formed the exercise habit, I wanted to improve other areas of my life as well. Two of the things I've given up altogether are coffee and alcohol.
Giving Up Coffee and Why I Won't Drink Decaf
I gave up coffee because of the caffeine. Switching to decaf was not an option because even decaf brands still contain some caffeine. Here is an old article which states how much caffeine is present in decaf coffee:
Decaffeinated Coffee Is Not Caffeine-free, Experts Say
I used to drink coffee every day, however, it wasn't difficult to give up. Now I drink caffeine-free tea (herbal.) There are coffee substitutes available such as Teeccino Herbal Coffee
Giving Up Alcohol
I used to drink some type of alcohol about once or twice a week. I decided to quit because it was just another one of those things that my body didn't need. The very last time I drank was at a party about 2 months ago. I drank enough to feel lousy the next day and I decided that day to quit for good.
One thing I'm glad about is that I never picked up the smoking habit. I have heard how difficult it is to quit. I am also glad that caffeine and alcohol were not difficult for me to give up.
Have you given up anything in the pursuit of better health? Was it difficult to do?
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