Mikolette / Getty Images When you think about the best type of workouts for weight loss, your mind might not immediately jump to strength training, but it should. While it’s definitely true that cardio workouts get your heart working harder and as a result, help your body burn calories, strength training is what’s really going to give your weight-loss goals that extra…
Cardio workouts play a crucial part in any fitness program. They help to lower blood pressure, boost your mood, and reduce your risk of heart disease, among plenty of other benefits. But, if your main goal is losing weight, you may be wondering exactly what type of cardio is best and how it works at targeting fat. Maybe you’ve heard that high-intensity interval training…
What Is Muscle + Types of Muscle Everyone has two different types of muscle: type 1 (slow-twitch) fibers and type 2 (fast-twitch) fibers. Slow- twitch fibers control endurance. They re what you use for activities like running long distances and low-impact aerobic workouts like Zumba,says Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery…
I’ve been writing about diet and fitness since 2001. I’ve written countless articles about how to gain muscle, and countless articles about how to lose fat. But, if there is one question I still get asked more than anything else, it’s definitely this… How do I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? I must get this question emailed to me at least once per day by…
Related: RIPTENSITY: Fast Bodyweight Workouts From Men’s Health That Are So Intense, They Rip Away Body Fat! Half of the subjects lifted heavy weights—75 to 90 percent of their one-rep maximums for each exercise, lifting to failure, which usually meant they performed 8 to 12 reps per set. The other half, however, lifted only 30 to 50 percent of their one-rep maxes…
It s never too late to start a bone-healthy exercise program, even if you already have osteoporosis. You may worry that being active means you re more likely to fall and break a bone. But the opposite is true. A regular, properly designed exercise program may actually help prevent falls and fractures. That s because exercise strengthens bones and muscles and improves…
Here s your fix: Follow these 10 principles to pack on as much as a pound of size. Maximize Muscle Building The more protein your body stores—in a process called protein synthesis—the larger your muscles grow. But your body is constantly draining its protein reserves for other uses—making hormones, for instance. The result is less protein available for muscle building…
Researchers at McMaster University have uncovered significant new evidence in the quest for the elusive goal of gaining muscle and losing fat, an oft-debated problem for those trying to manage their weight, control their calories and balance their protein consumption. Scientists have found that it is possible to achieve both, and quickly, but it isn t easy. For the…
It doesn t take a gym membership or even a set of dumbbells to work your abdominal and chest muscles. In fact, it doesn t even take separate exercises. A number of movements work both the abs and the pecs at the same time without requiring anything more than your body weight. A smart fitness move is one that requires more than one muscle group, such as the plank…
Fat loss does not always mean weight loss. If you want to build muscle to lose weight, you may notice the number on your scale staying the same, or even increasing slightly, even though your measurements decrease. Lifestyle changes to your diet and exercise program can improve your chances of losing weight while gaining muscle. Body Fat Decrease If you have gained…
When people performed exercises that were less than 60 percent of their one-rep maximum to fatigue, they saw gains equivalent to their heavy-lifting counterparts over 6 weeks, explains study author Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S. The findings are surprising, since fitness experts will tell you that lifting light weights for a high number of reps targets your slow-twitch…
When you start working out, you typically expect to lose weight, not gain it. But don t worry if you re not dropping pounds on the scale - chances are, your workout routine is making you gain lean mass, not fat. If you re trying to lose weight, you ll still see positive changes in your body even if you re gaining instead. And if you re trying to gain, putting on muscle…
Photo Credit Getty Images Gretchen Reynolds on the science of fitness. Upending conventions about how best to strength train, a new study finds that people who lift relatively light weights can build just as much strength and muscle size as those who grunt through sessions using much heftier weights — if they plan their workouts correctly. In traditional weight training…
Losing weight and gaining muscle can seem at odds with each other. You’ve heard the classic advice: If you want to shed pounds, you have to eat fewer calories while burning more of them. If you want to gain muscle, you have to do just the opposite — eat more calories while working your muscles hard. So is it possible to attack these two goals at the same time? The…
