Exercise and Fat Cells

Exercise and Fat Cells

Exercise may be especially helpful in reducing the size of fat cells around the waistline -- more so than diet alone, a study suggests. That's important, because fat specifically in the abdomen has been linked to the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Among a group of obese women who were placed on a regimen of calorie cutting alone or diet plus exercise, those who exercised showed a reduction in the size of fat cells around the abdomen. Women who only dieted showed no such change.
In contrast, both groups trimmed about the same amount from fat cells in the hip area.
The findings suggest that exercise may "preferentially increase" the body's breakdown of fat cells in the abdomen, said lead study author Dr. Tongjian You. It's possible, for instance, that hormonal factors cause fat cells in the abdomen and hip area to have different metabolic responses to diet and exercise, he told Reuters Health.
The bottom line for people trying to shed pounds is that both exercise and diet are important, and exercise may be particularly key in the ultimate distribution of a person's body fat, You said.
The researcher and his colleagues at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, report the findings in the International Journal of Obesity.
The study included 45 obese middle-aged women who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one that cut calorie intake alone; one that cut calories and walked at a moderate pace three days per week; and a third that dieted and walked at a more intense pace three days a week.
After 20 weeks, all three groups showed improvements in their weight and body fat percentage. But when the researchers took samples of body fat from just below the skin's surface, the differences between exercisers and non-exercisers emerged.
Women in both exercise groups showed about an 18 percent reduction in the size of abdominal fat cells, whereas dieters showed no change.
Losing abdominal fat is more than a matter of fitting into a smaller dress. Research shows that people who are "apple-shaped" are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease than "pear-shaped" individuals, who carry much of their fat below the waist.
So people who include exercise in their weight-loss plan may lower their risk of such diseases to a greater degree, You said. What's more, he noted, even if people fail to lose a significant amount of weight with regular exercise, the changes in abdominal fat cells might still benefit their health

No Machines Just Body Weight

No Machines Just Body Weight

Can you build a strong chest without any machines or weights??

Is it possible?

How about the old fashioned push-up!!

Yes, in some ways pushups are even more effective than a bench press. A pushup is referred to as a closed-chain exercise, meaning you move your body through space, instead of using a bar.
In order to make all that happen, you need to engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso. This means you use about 75% of your own body weight during each rep, while targeting your chest, shoulders, triceps, and your core.
This movement works a lot more muscles than you would by bench press alone.

Pushups also can be done in many creative ways!!

• Vary the distance your hands are apart
o The wider the hand position – outer chest
o The closer the hand position – inner chest

• Do pushups in an incline or decline position
o Use a bench – incline or decline position
o Use a stability ball – more stabilization required

• Vary Technique of Pushup
o Use one arm
o Clap between reps
o Use round dumbbells to force you to stabilize

• Advanced Techniques
o Incline Pushup on using stability ball – full body weight and balance
o Decline Pushup with feet on stability ball
o Decline Pushup with feet on stability ball, hands holding dumbbells

So if you don’t have weights don’t fret….. Your own body weight with a little creativity will develop the chest you have always wanted.. Toned, Tight and Defined..

Determining Calories for Muscle

Determining Calories for Muscle

This formula is based on putting on muscle, not strictly body fat loss.

FORMULA FOR MEN:

A very active male seeking weight (muscle) gain = ideal body weight x 17

A moderately active male seeking weight (muscle) gain = ideal body weight x 16

Inactive male beginning a weight (muscle) gain exercise program = ideal bodyweight x 15

FORMULA FOR WOMEN

A very active female seeking weight (muscle) gain = ideal body weight x 15

A moderately active female seeking weight (muscle) gain = ideal body weight x 13

Inactive female beginning a weight (muscle) gain exercise program = ideal bodyweight x 12

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE:

A moderately active male currently weighing 160 pounds wants to put on muscle. His goal is to add five pounds of muscle to his frame. Here is the formula: 165 (ideal body weight) x 16 (moderately active male) = 2,640 calories. Please keep it realistic! If you're 160 pounds and you place 250 pounds into the formula as your ideal weight, you’ll just get fat!

DETERMINING RATIO OF PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATE AND FATS

Now that we know how to determine calories, let’s take a look at how to calculate ratios of protein, carbohydrate and fats. If you’re looking to put on muscle, a ratio of 55 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent protein and 15 percent fat is an excellent balance.

The 55 percent carbohydrate (keep refined carbohydrates to a minimum) will provide ample energy for intense workouts, and the 30 percent protein will provide the necessary building blocks for muscle. Also, the 15 percent fat will help with strength levels. Most people interested in building muscle will actually lose strength if dietary fat is reduced too low.

Below is an example using our imaginary male, who will be consuming 2,640 calories.

Fifty-five percent of 2,640 calories = 1,452 calories from carbohydrate

Thirty percent of 2,640 calories = 792 calories from protein, 15 percent of 2,640 calories = 396 calories

There are metabolic differences between various individuals, so sometimes these ratios need to be slightly skewed.
Keep in mind that this is about gaining muscle, not having fat loss as your primary goal. Fat loss ratios and calorie calculations are different than the above.