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Aerobic Diva Who Can't Beat the Bulge
Dear Tony,
I work out doing 50 minutes of aerobics three times a week. When I first started three years ago, I lost about ten pounds. My weight stayed the same for about a year, then I started gaining it back, and now I weigh two pounds more than when I started. Do I need to do more aerobics?
Wendy C. |
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Dear Wendy:
No, no, no! More of the same isn't the solution. You need variety and more importantly, you need to add resistance training to your workouts.
Aerobic exercise is highly efficient at burning calories while you exercise. But it does little to build lean muscle mass, which is necessary for sustained weight loss.
What happened to you has happened to many people who got caught up in the aerobics craze. Initially, you lost ten pounds. After that, your body had fewer fat cells to burn for energy, and it began to burn off your lean muscle mass. Eventually, your body grew so accustomed to the aerobics that it became very efficient at performing on the least amount of calories. Meanwhile, your lean muscle deteriorated, lowering your metabolism and creating the subsequent rebound weight gain.
Switch from your regular aerobics class to treadmill running, and add in a three-day-per-week weight training program for your chest, back, legs, arms, shoulders and abs. For now, one exercise per body part, performed for three sets of ten, on three non-consecutive days a week is a great place to start. And don't worry, you'll get your weight back under control!
After a month you can go back to your aerobics classes, but always try to mix the forms of aerobic exercise each month. As you progress with the weight training, you'll naturally change exercises and poundage to keep the program progressing.
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Ask Tony articles are reprinted by permission of Ms. Fitness magazine at P.O. Box 2490, White City, OR 97503. Ms. Fitness® is a registered trademark of Wally Boyko Productions, Inc., in the USA, Canada, European Union and other countries. All rights reserved. Wally Boyko Productions, Inc. P.O. Box 2490 White City, OR 97503 USA 1.541.830.0400 |
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