March 23, 2009
| Health Magazine editor Frances Largeman-Roth highlights calorie-friendly menu choices.. |
See the Fast Food Calorie Guide at FastFood.com
-- the relationship of strength training and fat oxidation
I’m going to tell this story Cathy Style.
Cathy is my wife, and her style is to share information with an abundance of background and build-up while I’m tapping my foot awaiting her to “get to the point,” as I implored once -- and only one painfully memorable time.
This story begins in 1984 and I was at my desk at the Family Motor Coach Association, editing a travel article, RV maintenance tip, coach-rebuilding epic, or something meaningful to owners of luxury motor coaches (none dare call them campers). Ellington Darden, with whom I’d exchanged some recent correspondence, called to ask that I watch his upcoming appearance on The Today Show.
Because he knew I was an editor, Dr. Darden had previously asked my input on his manuscript for The Nautilus Diet, eventually published in 1985. He was on the show to “defend” the use of muscle-building exercise for fat loss. John Palmer conducted the interview, and an antagonist contended that better results could have been achieved with aerobic exercise. This was despite the strong visual evidence Dr. Darden presented in the form of BEFORE and AFTER photos soon to be published in his book.
It’s accepted today, but building muscle to burn fat was revolutionary about the last time the Bengals were in a Super Bowl of the Reds a World Series. Jane Brody, the New York Times fitness columnist chided that “to burn fat you have to exercise aerobically.” She was in the majority of so-called expert opinion.
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| Ellington Darden, Ph.D, my mentor and the writer of more than 50 fitness books. |
We now know that if you diet and do not exercise, about half of any weight dispatched will be from lean-tissue and not fat. If you diet and exercise aerobically, about 37 percent of the shed pounds will be extracted from unchallenged muscle and other dormant lean tissue.
If you want to shed pure fat, you best stimulate the major muscle groups of your body. Anything not being used is subject to cannibalization, since your body fights to preserve fat as famine protection.
Actually, I guess it’s not cannibalized but oxidized.
Think of a corporation that has to slash its budget. A non-productive department is the first to go.
So the point is if you want to lose fat, don’t skip the weights. But many people do and I notice – more than anything else – elliptical trainers are a lot of people’s idea of a full-body all-you-need exercise.
Jordan Rubin Sez to Pump Iron
If you don’t believe in the importance of strengthening, a voice outside the Nautilus cocoon is that of Jordan Rubin, champion of The Maker’s Diet and more recently Perfect Weight. Rubin cites a 1994 Colorado State study claiming that anaerobic exercise burns five times the calories of aerobics. A lot of this has to do with “after burn,” and some appreciation for the complexity of muscle tissue would enhance understanding.
According to this Colorado State study, 60 minutes of aerobic exercise burns 210 calories during its execution, and another 25 within two hours after – total 235. Anaerobic exercise, however, burns 610 calories during the hour and 150 within two hours and another 260 from the third to fifteenth hour following the workout – almost a thousand calories.
Muscle is important in the storing of glycogen, its energy source, and in mitochondria function is key to slowing aging.
Doug McGuff, MD, Body by Science author, points out that high-intensity strength training “restores insulin sensitivity on the muscle cells, which are the greatest glycogen depot in the body.”
“During high-intensity exercise,” Dr. McGuff writes, “one is going to be mobilizing both glucose and fatty acids into one’s bloodstream, where they then can be carried to the liver for beta-oxidation. They are then taken into the mitochondria to produce 96 molecules of ATP.”
While recovering from high-intensity exercise, according to Dr. McGuff, lactate stacks up and the cells process it by converting it back to pyruvate which is the chemical form allowing it to be put into the mitochondria.
We’ll go more in-depth on these topics soon, but Cathy Style has now given me writer’s cramp.
Get your Body by Science, special workout offer
Leave it to Larry. More than two decades ago while living in Central Florida, before I was married and when Larry was divorcing, I took him for a night on the town, bachelor style.
Our first stop was one of those high-energy disco-type night clubs. Figured it was a good place to engage a lively discussion on the theory of relativity. After an initial round prowling the premises, I was eager to hear Larry's reaction to Orlando's singles' bonanza.
"I'm glad I'm an ugly guy," he said, pausing for effect. I thought Larry was going to say something noble, like disdaining such a den of iniquity. But no. His statement in its entirety:
"I'm glad I'm an ugly guy . . . instead of an ugly girl."
That capsulizes it. Physical attractiveness is gender-partial. It's Americana.
It is very easy for a woman to feel inadequate. We are inundated with images -- refined and retouched ones -- of beautiful women.
A famous elite Hollywood couple took up residence at a fly-in community adjacent to my last employment in Florida. Neither of these movie stars made jaw-dropping personal impressions. Nice looking, yes; breath-taking -- no.
Television, movies and advertising have merchandised women to such an extent that your typical soccer mom should head for the nearest Amish community.
Generations ago, we were subject to far less manufactured beauty. Amidst today’s media explosion, it’s drowning us.
Getting into shape has become the new moral imperative -- an alluring substitute for altruism and good work; the desire to look good replacing the desire to do good.
My statistics are out of date but aesthetic surgery has risen faster than our national debt, at least until recently. Surgeons have crafted implanted chests, sucked thighs and buttocks into better shape, and turned back Father Time by means of face lifts and botox injections.
I remember the report years ago -- a Cindy Crawford photo had about 37 retouches, everything from making her lips puffier to taking wrinkles out of her hand.
This video shows what Photoshop can do!
Diligent exercising and disciplined eating are worthwhile pursuits, so long as they don't become obsessive. I market the Florida Fitness 6-week Fat-to-Muscle Makeover based on people's desire to improve appearance. But the process used to attain that improvement is an extremely healthful endeavor; like a food that tastes good and is good for you.
Here's How Phony Photos Can Be
And Show This VideoTo Every Young Girl You Know:
MARCH 16, 2009: Arms survey results - Big Gut, Big Problems - Fabulous Fiber - Skinny Spaghetti - Science in Your Sweat - New Equipment - Advice from Biggest Loser Nutritionist
MARCH 9, 2009: Armed Like Our First Lady (survey) - Looking Sensational Sleeveless - Why Fat Stores are Stubborn - Home Body Fat Test - Layered Vegetable Casserole Recipe - Strength CD Audio
MARCH 2, 2009: Healthy Lunches for Under $5 - Diet Study Says Just Count Something
FEB. 23, 2009: Advice from Dr. Clay - Fitness Stimulus: Maximized Brevity, Intensity, and Infrequency - One-Pot Recipes - Demonstration of High-Intensity Super Slow Workout
Contact: Email -- Ph: 513-288-2235 - Skype: DandyBoy454 (video possible)
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