You Can Do It- But Do you want to?

Allow me to preface this post by saying that you should never let someone tell you that a fitness goal is unachievable -

But I'll really begin this entry with the idea that you shouldn't let anybody tell you that you can achieve any goal.

Now I know you're reading this and thinking, What the hell, Kaleena?

Here's a personal anecdote:

A couple of years after I achieved my weight loss goal, I was certified as a personal trainer. I worked as a receptionist in a gym for a couple of years to gain observational experience. These were the days before Facebook popularity and when I was all alone, with no one to watch and no tanning package to sell, I looked online for new ways to accelerate my goals and reach new heights of fitness.

I looked at pictures of body builders and read the BodyBuilding.com forums and became absolutely smitten with the idea of becoming a fitness model. I immediately revamped my nutrition program, hit the weights harder than ever before and began research on how to achieve this ultimate goal.

I mean, sure I lost some weight but is it not the fitness models that gain the respect and admiration of clients and other professionals in the industry? I wanted that.

So here I am tanning, (which has never looked good on me and I was always worried about my health) eating protein bars with ingredients that are just as bad as any other processed food and getting yelled at by my trainer because I can't do a 25lb bicep curl. Hey, I know they say blood, sweat and tears on the gym floor but do they really mean sobbing into your gym towel?

As I'm wiping my tears, and eating from a duffel bag containing many small meals, I'm reading about where to have those little custom triangle bras fitted and how to register for workshops to teach me how to do the splits in 6-inch, clear plastic stilettos. After realizing that I've just spent twenty minutes contemplating the injustice of women having to worry about balancing in heels in addition to the hard work, while the guys get the comfort of barefoot-balance on stage I realized, this is not me. This is not what I really want to do.

Second story:

I ran a 10k. I trained for a half marathon. I ran the half and finished 30 minutes faster than I had expected. I was pumped, man. I wanted to do the full marathon. Then I started thinking, do I really want to wake up early on Sunday morning, strap on a fanny pack and commit to a 40k with a running group while consuming liquid gel? (I'm convinced those things are liquidated gummi bears) Well, not really. I like running for fun. I'm still pleased with myself for being able to jog without throwing up. The half marathon WAS my ultimate goal!

I'm not saying that you shouldn't go for it if you want it bad. I would never tell anyone that but here is what I have realized:

1. Body building and endurance sports are SPORTS. They are competitive and they don't just train hard; training becomes a lifestyle. Look, I'm a cream puff at heart. I feel accomplished if I can avoid jelly beans for a week. I don't need to bust my ass and change my life when all I want is to look good in tight pants.

2. Many athletes are genetically awesome. They come from extensive backgrounds of gymnastics, track and field and other demanding sports. I came from the couch. They have abs that should be considered lethal weapons. I'm just happy that I took my body fat out of the health risk zone.

3. The industry is a pissing contest. Hey, if you want to balance two, four-bedroom homes on the tip of your index finger and strap a fire engine to your body and run across the country with it, all the power to you. If I want to stretch for an hour, run because it makes me feel good and lift weights so that I can change a light bulb without having to take breaks to rest my shoulder (seriously this was a problem for me) then all the power to me! I won't be made to feel inferior because I eat pasta or because I don't have the strength of an ant. (they're the power lifters of the insect community, you know)

The point of this post is to say that we all want to keep achieving goals but keep your body, your happiness and a sense of your true self in prospective. Don't let some meat head in the gym make you feel like you're not really training if you aren't going for a trophy and don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't go from flab to fab in the next fitness competition if that's where your heart truly wants to be.

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Will Cardio Make Me Fat?

NO!

However, I don't believe in absolutes. I question overconfident trainers who think that only one form of exercise is right for every person, especially with the industry's habit of changing its mind. Fitness isn't black or white and if there is one thing I have learned throughout seven years of industry experience, it's that every answer comes with a big fat "but."

So allow me to offer a more detailed explanation. There has been a lot of talk in the industry over the idea that cardio will make you fat. I know, it seems REALLY counter intuitive. This has been said for three main reasons:

1. It raises cortisol (a stress hormone)

2. It makes you hungrier

3. It causes you to lose muscle

Let's Tackle these Points

Cardio raises cortisol in the body because physical stress releases this hormone from the adrenal gland. However, every exercise does this. Should you stop exercising? Heck no! BUT (there's the keyword) you have to know how to manage exercise and balance your nutrition to control the release of cortisol. Many fitness professionals now believe that strength training will achieve every result that you could ever want and while it certainly is a staple in any regimen, it's not the be all and end all of fitness. It's just not...

When you look at groups of exercisers as a whole (not on an individual basis) different exercises produce different body types:

-People who only run look a little like noodles.

-Weight lifters have muscle but also tend to look stocky and have a hard time losing stomach flab.

-Dancers, Yogis and Martial Artists have very well-balanced body types with strong, long limbs and amazing flexibility and balance BUT they practice highly technique-based art forms, which require professional instruction. However, these activities incorporate all of the components of fitness to achieve these overall results.

***Before giving up cardio and strength training in favor of one of these, take classes and use the fundamental components of fitness (cardio, weights and stretching) to build your strength, endurance and flexibility for these activities. People who train in these disciplines have been instructed on ways to prevent repetitive strain injuries, muscle tears etc. Do not think you can surpass this step.

Next point against cardio: It will make you eat more...

It sure does but again, so does exercise in general. If you think that gives you the freedom to eat whatever you want then okay, cardio will make you fat! Running for an hour burns about 500 calories, which is a good sized meal. Without replenishing these lost nutrients you will feel weak, tired and back to the first point, cortisol will be released. Not to mention that skipping meals will lead to over eating.

It will make you lose muscle

The metabolic process and the science behind hormones is so freakin' complicated that it surprises me that anyone who is not a specialist in these particular sciences can offer a confident response. However to be as basic as possible without venturing into realms beyond my complete understanding I will say this much:

When we exercise we burn through our lunch first (carbohydrates or glycogen) and then we burn through fat, (about 20 minutes after exercise) which is our body's primary fuel source. Then we burn protein, otherwise known as muscle. However, the metabolic and fat burning process is not simple. Nothing is ever simple! We are burning everything at once but more of one or the other, as a source of fuel, depending on the duration and type of exercise. To burn muscle you would have to do cardio for a very long time. It is generally believed that keeping cardio under 1 hour is safe.

Finally, the other Side of the Coin

This point of view is mostly believed by body builders who are afraid of losing the muscle that they have worked hard for. Unfortunately many body builders place so much emphasis on aesthetics that they have terrible cardiovascular health!

I truly believe that no one should ever blindly trust their personal trainer, nutritionist or the guy that looks good in the weight room with their body. Please read, research and experiment with different types of exercise. I will end this post with a few articles that share both viewpoints. I wanted to post articles that were really against cardio but I had a hard time finding reputable sources that I would feel comfortable sharing. So here you go:

A Very Well-rounded article from Askmen.com

This article has a lot of links to studies on long-term runners.

Another well-rounded from Body Building

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What Ever Happened to the Meat and Potatoes of Fitness?

I swear readers, the fitness and nutrition industry is going to cause me to go something something...

I've been reading a lot of articles from other industry professionals and just observing the people around me who are on weird diets (what's new?) and trying out bizarre ways to get fit.

What has sparked this post is the idea of fitness and nutrition not being a simple matter anymore and the confusion that this must be causing to the exerciser that is brand new to fitness.

Case in point: I read an article the other day that proudly asserted that cardio is a health risk and will MAKE YOU FAT! Cardio...will make you fat. I think I repeated this to myself all day like some kind of deranged mantra in between the ol' *facepalm.*

Furthermore, I was recently interviewed for a magazine and when I read the copy, prior to its publication, I was misquoted. I told my interviewer that I had lost weight through running, and had toned up with weights, after the fact. This, apparently didn't suit his objective and quoted me saying that weight lifting will make you lose and maintain weight. Which by the way is not untrue, it's just not how I entered into the fitness industry.

I love to run and my activities are very cardio based. Hell, I love cardio and I'm an example of someone who it worked for...All on its own.

Let's touch base on nutrition here:

It's not hard. It's not complex. It's common sense. Eat sensible, smaller portions. Stop eating when you are full and don't deprive yourself. Eat junk food like there's no tomorrow once in a while but don't make a habit of it. Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins. Avoid fried food.

There's my nutrition advice in about 100 words. However, it's really beginning to irk me that fitness pros are complicating what should really be a simple science. Instead of saying, don't eat junk food they are telling clients to avoid eating bread. Seriously? It just seems to me that instead of telling people to not eat things like bread and then offering detailed explanations about how gluten will make you bloated or fart, despite most people never having these sensitivities, the industry should stick to the real, practical advise for the everyday person.

Look, I'm not a fitness model or a former athlete. I lost 50 pounds eight years ago and my weight hasn't fluctuated more than 5 lbs either way since. I don't live for fitness and nutrition, I use it to help me live a healthy and strong existence.

I'm not going to hang you from cables, I'm not going to put you on an expensive, whacky diet. You'll work out hard, eat normally and see results.

There I said it. I believe in simple fitness.

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