Archive for December, 2007

Myth Busted: Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

You have probably heard this time and time again, the old saying that fat weighs less than muscle. But is this true?

In one easy point: a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. No matter how you weigh it a pound is a pound.

But it is true that muscle is more dense than fat. If you have a block of muscle and an equal size block of fat the muscle will weigh more. The great thing, it is much tighter and looks a heck of a lot better than have the same weight in fat.

I guess that easiest way to picture all of this weight issue is that if you take a 6 in. X 6 in. X 6 in. cube of fat and take a same size cube of muscle the muscle will weigh more due to its density and compactness.

I have heard and seen dozens of women who look as if they weigh up to 30 pounds less than they actually do simply because of their muscular build. There is no doubt that if you are planning on packing on the muscle then you will inevitably put on a few pounds.

But the difference in this weight gain compared to weight gain during the holidays is that you are gaining lean muscle. You will look and feel slimmer but the scale will tell a different story.

Screw the scale is what I say! I had one women explain to me that she had only 12% body fat but weighed 190lbs! Let me tell ya 12% body fat is very low. This just goes to show her body is composed mostly of lean muscle.

Obviously for strength training and muscle production it is vital to throw out the scale, that should be your first plan of action. Find a more efficient for figuring out progress. You can buy a body composition scale or even fat calibrators to determine fat %. This is much more efficient than the numbers on the typical scale.

The best method I see is to simply take note of your progress. Keep logs and journals and even take pictures of yourself regularly to compare! I suggest picture taking once a month so you have a time frame for changes to occur.

So to sum it all up, muscle does not weigh more than fat. But is it more dense and size does matter! Also remember that muscle is a heck of a lot more metabolically active then fat, so the more you have the more calories you are going to burn off. Build muscle and shrink the fat!

Taylor Ryan is a personal trainer dedicated to educating women to get the best body they can get. Her company TotalTonedWomensClub stresses the importance of weight training as a method to get the toned and strong body they want. Check out http://www.totaltonedwomensclub.com for more.

The Fastest Way to Lose Weight Using These 7 Tips

Monday, December 24th, 2007

Are you planning to lose weight this winter? Want some tips? Take a look at this.

Then the first thing you need to do is to STOP eating high calorie food. You know what I mean. Yes! Cut all those fat foods like chicken, fried items, pizzas and all those yummy stuffs. Stay on raw diet. But it does not work for everybody because each body reacts differently.

So here are few tips that will help you to lose weight easily.

1.Set your goals. The first step in a weight loss program would be setting goals. Wondering how? Decide on how much weight you need to lose within a month or in a year and then work according to it.

2.No pain no gain. You have to change your lifestyle to lose weight. It means you need to be more physically active or in other words you should exercise regularly. Exercise is important as it burns off calories. To achieve fast weight loss by exercising can be little bit tricky. You may not notice a significant weight loss right away. For instance, it typically takes most individuals at least a week or two to notice an improvement in their appearance by practicing exercises.

3.No Wasting Time – If you spend many weekends or evenings watching movies, then you can utilize that time for some of your own workout. Instead of plopping down in a chair for the duration, take a long walk around the field several times or just small paces back and forth. Any movement is more beneficial than sitting.

4.Do not starve in the name of diet. Slimming through starving is by far the most horrible methods of dieting. Starving is dangerous to health. Therefore, slimming through starvation method should never be considered as a simple, normal and harmless method of dieting.

5.Walking – Walk non-stop one hour each day: This doesn’t have to be brisk walking instead just walk at your own pace. Walking outdoors is best. Or you can use stairs instead of lifts. That is a great exercise.

6.Check on your calorie.Count how much calorie you burn every week and workout according to it.

7.Raw Diet – Despite of your best efforts, it can be hard to get all the nutrients you need every day, so eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Do not forget to warm up before every exercise. Warm ups allows your muscles to awake up and start receiving the blood they require and avoid injury. Include some stretch and flexibility to make exercises more comfortable and enjoy your workouts. Be a lot more specific about what you’re doing right now. What your lifting looks like and what your diet looks like.

Ranju associate editor of http://www.24hr-fitness-workout-guide.com.
There is a wide array of fitness workouts available on this website. You can have immediate access to a multitude of different kind of workouts. For a low monthly fee of $24, it’s all yours. And of course you can cancel any time.


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