MAd SCiEnTIsT (jUne-JuLY)
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Your Questions Answered...
QUESTION: I have just started getting into lifting weights again, but my job is very physical. I work 50-60 hours per week as a plasterer. My question is, what kind of results can I expect from lifting weights if I am killing myself working so many hours?
ANSWER: You may be surprised to find out that this sort of situation can actually be an ADVANTAGE. Let me explain.
When anyone lifts weights trying to get stronger, get leaner, get in shape, etc., one the most important things to consider is "how can I recover more quickly from my workouts?". Most everyone's attention shifts to the obvious answers of nutrition (diet) and supplementation. However, there are other "treatments" to apply to the body besides an appropriate post workout meal.
In the professional sporting world, massage is a commonly used technique to help athletes recover from intense training sessions more quickly. Other examples might be contrast baths, cold or hot compresses, aromatherapy, or even acupuncture. There are others, but the common theme here is increasing blood flow to the affected area(s). Increasing blood flow facilitates recovery by speeding up the healing and restoration processes of the body. The blood carries away the waste elements produced by the damage incurred from strenuous exercise and replenishes the area with the elements necessary for healing.
Staying with the same vein of thought, one could use additional training sessions to increase blood flow and facilitate recovery. These "mini" exericise sessions should be of low-intensity, but higher relative duration, in the interest of promoting blood flow, but not causing more "damage". EXAMPLE 1: you train your quadriceps really hard on Monday, the following morning you do 15 minutes on the bike to promote blood flow. EXAMPLE 2: you train arms on Tuesday, the next morning you train arms for 10 minutes by doing any curl exercise x 5 sets x 1 minute duration and any tricep exercise x 5 sets x 1 minute duration. Adding mini-sessions to a training program will allow you to train the same bodypart MORE frequently.
Making an intuitive leap we can see that someone with physical job does not need additional mini-sessions; his physical job replaces the need for mini-sessions. Increased blood flow is a natural side effect of his job. In addition, the physicality of the job lends this trainee a general physical preparedness (GPP) that when coupled with the right nutrition (crucial in this case) will allow him to achieve superior results in less time.
So, in effect, a physical job can be an advantage to someone trying to get results from weight training.
For more info on the ideas of active recovery, mini-sessions, and general physical preparedness, consult the works of Charles Poliquin and Louie Simmons.
QUESTION: I have a wedding to go to in about 2 weeks and I need to drop 10 pounds so I can get into my wedding dress. Is there anyway to do this?
SHORT ANSWER: Yes.
LONGER ANSWER: Here is one possible solution to your question.
First, let's discuss the idea of losing scale weight. WHO CARES WHAT YOU WEIGH AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE BODY YOU WANT?
Scale weight is a poor representation of what is going on in the body. You could lose all 10 pounds from muscle and still not fit in your dress. You want to be smaller, tighter, leaner in order to "fit" into your wedding dress. What if I said you could GAIN 10 pounds of scale weight and still accomplish this goal? You would be scared because that answer is not what you want to hear, but it is true, nonetheless. With those thoughts in place let's tackle this body problem with something satisfying to both parties (advisee and advisor).
GENERAL STEPS
Step 1: DIET; Drop your carbohydrates. Drink 1 gallon of water per day.
Step 2: TRAINING; Use a weight training and cardio format designed to maximize bodyfat loss and muscle mass gain.
Step 3: RECOVERY; Sleep and/or rest 8 hours each day.
Explanation: Eliminating most of the carbohydrates (sugars!) from your diet accomplishes two short term goals; immediate scale weight loss (mostly water) and a general metabolic shift towards using fat rather than sugar as fuel.
The real key here will be the training programs. For those of you who read this and say, "I KNOW how to train", trust me, you don't. I can visit any of the local gyms on any given day and, usually, I can't find ONE person who really knows what they are doing. How do you construct a training program that maximizes fat loss? I am not going to provide that answer in the context of this Q&A, but let me give you these hints; it has NOTHING to do with CARDIO or weight training MACHINES. For an example of this type of program, I recommend for you to try the EXTREME Body Fat Loss Program.
Lastly, let's address the "recovery" facet of the training program. ONE of the body's responses to stress is an INCREASE in bodyfat. Lack of sleep, rest, and relaxation is a stress.
Question answered.
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