AW-
I spend a lot of time (perhaps too much?) outside this summer running in place of time I would otherwise spend lifting weights at the gym. Now that the weather is changing and I’m starting to hit the weights again, I’ve noticed that well, I somehow have more fat than I did prior to running. I haven’t changed my eating habits one bit, no had any increased stress from work, etc. How did this happen, and moreover, how do I get back to the more toned physique I held just a few months ago?!
Any advice helps as this whole thing has really turned me off from running.
Thank you!
Logan T.
Anchorage, AK

First, don’t think twice about the running! I too try and run more during the summer along the lakefront here in Chicago, but also find that my body has changed a bit come the fall season…and indeed it has!

So here’s the straightforward answer you’re looking for: The increased cardio you’ve done has consumed some of the muscle mass you previously had (in the springtime or whenever you last were in the depths of your weightlifting). Muscle itself is a calorie-burning powerhouse. It’s one of the reasons body builders can consume 5,000+ calories per day and still keep trim. The reason you’re seeing some undesired weight gain is simply because your diet stayed the same while there was less muscle to burn what you were taking in.

The solution is simple: If you’re looking to keep the same diet, build a greater muscle mass to enhance your calorie-burning potential. If you’re more content with your new-found running regimen and choose to continue that at the gym, then trim down your calorie intake so there’s more balanced calorie intake to muscle mass ratio.

Hope that clears things up and makes for a clear goal one way or another!

Stay lean,
AW

Dear Alexander William,
I was doing well on my workout routine until a couple days ago I became sick. I was well enough to get through a Thursday and Friday at school on cold medicine but definitely stayed away from the gym. How do you recommend handling being sick? Should I eat differently? When should I get back in the gym? Hopefully I will be well by the time you respond, but it would be greatly appreciated to know what to do next time this happens.
Thanks,
Joey D
Denver, Colorado


Well Joey, I hope by the time you read this, you’re indeed healthy and hitting the gym once again. However, for everybody else out there, you’re question couldn’t be better timed as we’re now approaching cold season.

As far as how to handle being sick, you’re doing the right thing by avoiding the gym! Most gyms are ideal breading grounds for illness-inducing bacteria and viruses. Keeping away until you’re better will not only keep other gym members healthy, but also reduce the likelihood of worsening your condition should you contract additional bacteria or viruses while your immune system is already in a weakened state.

However, on to the solution…
First and above all – sleep. I know it may be difficult to find time for a full 8+ hours of sleep while you’re a student or working long hours, but it’s the number one step towards recovery. Second, concerning your diet - you may need to make some adjustments. If you’re training hard and working on a modified diet, (such as low carbohydrate diet or using diuretics, for example) you’re going to have to abandon it temporarily to deliver what your body needs. There indeed is some truth to mom’s good old chicken noodle soup: it’s filled with veggies, protein and broth which will help to keep you hydrated. Additionally, you want to infuse your diet with plenty of veggies (raw or steamed) and fruit. These will deliver a handful of nutrients your body is craving. And lastly, drink fluids! Your body consumes a lot of resources when battling any ailment. If you’re running a fever, there’s a high probability you’re sweating out more than usual and more than you’re even aware of. Try and drink plenty of water. If water is just not doing if for you, find a healthy, acceptable alternative that you don’t mind downing – orange juice, Gatorade, etc.

While there is no cure for the common cold, you’ll gradually find out what works best for your body. Some people swear by vitamin C supplements during cold season while others try the sweat-it-out method through eating spicy food (good for clearing the airways, but can be hard on the stomach if that’s not 100%, though).

As for hitting the gym again, remember these three things:
1) The incubation period for a cold is typically between 3 to 5 days. Try and wait this out so you’re not a risk to other gym member’s health.
2) Go when you’re ready. You know your body best; nobody else can gauge for you when your body aches have subsided enough to work out once more.
3) Lastly, take it easy. Even after the cold has passed and you feel normal again, your body is still recovering. While exercise is of course healthy, a hard workout will place the body into a recovery process, of sorts. The last thing you need is to have pushed yourself too hard, only to end up relapsing into the cold you thought you had just beat.

I hope this helps, Joey! Moreover, I hope by the time you read this, you’re fully recovered and it is only a bookmarked post you hopefully don’t have to check back to later this winter!

Keep healthy,
Alexander

Alexander-
I just relocated to the New York area and am looking to begin working out again. Unfortunately, I while leaving my last home (Jacksonville, FL), I also left behind my high school best friend and numero uno workout partner. What should I be looking for in a new workout partner now that I’m starting over?
spbarnes@(removed for privacy purposes)

Thanks,
Steve
New York, NY

Steve, I’m sorry to hear you have to move on from your long-time friend and workout partner, especially because these bonds often run deep and lend to complimenting each other nicely at the gym! I’ve found there are two key qualities in finding a great workout companion:

1) Physically, seek out someone who challenges, not competes. Friendly competition is usually healthy and can lead to reaching new goals. However, it also often leads to an emotional component of a relationship which can readily exceed the boundaries of a healthy workout. You need someone who will safely push you to beak through your plateau, supports you when you need it most and positively encourages you 24/7 to be the best you can be.
2) Emotionally your workout companion should maintain many of the same qualities your husband/wife/partner does. He/she should know your strengths and weaknesses and work towards a constant improvement of one another. You don’t necessarily have to be equally matched in every aspect, but you do have to be able to support the other person in whatever they are working towards accomplishing. Furthermore, whoever you are working out with should also be giving it their all, not just going through the motions.

I hope this helps narrow down some essentials in your quest for the (new) perfect workout companion!

Happy hunting,
AW

Alexander –
I imagine you stay away from all of the BBQ and junk food of the holidays, right? In any case, I can only do so much before I cave (you’ve never had my mom’s desserts!!!)! So before that happens, what are some tips I can keep in mind to help keep my waistline in check?
Allan B.
Washington D.C.


On the contrary Allan, I think our mothers must have learned to cook in the same kitchen together! I love Independence Day and well…pretty much any food-filled holiday!

Concerning your question, though, I’m glad you recognized that you “can only do so much…” See, if we completely deny ourselves what we crave we’re either going to regret the holiday passing all together, or cave and let our health run amuck by eating everything in site. So, having said that, we know there’s good food to be had. However, that doesn’t mean it all has to be bad for you.

One of the best holiday-eating tips I use is to eat the healthy stuff first. Fill up beforehand on the fruits and veggies (watch the ranch dressing, though!). When you do get to the main course, serve up a balanced plate – don’t just do chips and hot dogs. This way you’re more likely to minimize the damage by the end of the day. However, this does not mean you need to sample everything. I know the table will be filled with every variation of pasta salad and grill-able meat; but passing some up for others is a wise choice. Lastly, don’t over-indulge. Avoid doing so by eating slowly and chatting up some relatives you haven’t seen in a while. That way, hopefully enough time has passed where you’re feeling full, and there’s still food left on your plate.

I firmly believe in the adage, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach;” but that doesn’t mean it has to cause a coronary along the way!

Choose wisely this holiday, Allan!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of those who have read, shared and contributed to my blog over the past year. While entry’s date back to February of 2008, the blog you see before you assumed its present form later that year in June. This marks the 1-year anniversary the AWFitness blog…and I couldn’t be happier with all the support – thank you! For this month, I wanted to answer a few questions publicly that I am asked somewhat often but rarely take the time to address:

Where did you get the idea for the blog and why do you do it?
Jason K. Littlerock, AK

Since I was a young teenager I’ve been interested in fitness and maintaining a particular physique. This interest somewhat naturally progressed into a modeling and fitness-modeling career over the past 8+ years. However, as my name and image found their way onto the web, I started receiving questions about what I did to obtain my look as seen in photo shoots. In an effort to maintain my modeling career and appropriately address other fitness enthusiast’s questions, AWFitness blog was born!

I answer questions and write this blog because I’m the same as everyone else! I work every day, go out with friends on the weekends, go on dates (yes, that means I am single and have not found that perfect somebody, yet!) and try and keep a healthy lifestyle. Along the way I have gathered a wealth of knowledge in maintaining my physique. I especially respect very physically fit individuals because unlike many sports where you can take tennis lessons to enhance your game for example, there are no ‘lessons’ for a good physique. Hence, whenever I receive a question, I’m flattered, incredibly humbled and eager to pass along any learned insight or advice I have found to work for myself.

What’s your hope in answering and chronicling reader’s questions?
Kay M.
Hutchinson, KS

Ultimately my hope is to be sponsored in some way by a gym, publication, clothing brand, etc such that I am exposed to a greater audience. Finding information on the web which is both unique and helpful can be extremely difficult. If I can do that and reach an even larger group of readers, it would be all the more rewarding.

…and how long will you continue writing AWFitness blog?
Shayne O.
New Orleans, LA

The easy answer is – as long as the questions keep coming! While there certainly are enough to keep me going (and I try to post or email back on every one of them), sometimes I hope I am indeed making a positive impact. There have been readers who have sent personal support and encouragement – to which I am extremely grateful! Additionally, I can’t help but feel good about the blog reaching nearly 500 readers just one year after its inception!

Thank you again to everyone for making this a success!

Alex-
How should I be building my obliques? I use several rotation/pivot machines at the gym, but am not seeing the results.

-Carey
Vail, CO


Thanks for the question and a common one at that! Simply stated, the obliques are the abdominal muscles which run from the outsides edge of the “6-pack” abdominal area to the same position a quarter of the way towards the back. While that may be a bit of an over-simplification, it is noteworthy that they are interconnected with the back.

Sit-ups with a twist (often called a form of a “Russian Twist”) are indeed effective at building these muscles. However, I would be quick to caution you about the rotational exercises al together. These can artificially and perhaps dangerously torque the spine when under such stress.

Instead, try doing exercises which require core stabilization such as single-leg lunges (planar or with balance ball). Focus on the stability required for a smooth and complete motion. If you’re looking to stack the weights on, try incorporating some compound exercises. These are exercises which multi-joint movements which utilize multiple muscle groups. Some core-building compound lifts are barbell squats, dead lifts or even weighted single-leg lunges. When executed properly, these will force the body to compensate for the stress of the lift, thus building a more stable core and strengthening your obliques.


Stay strong and keep it in line, Carey!

Hey Alexander-

What’s with the crappy techno music that’s playing at every gym I go to?! Last week I almost lost it when my iPod died and I had to listen to that junk for the rest of my workout!

What gives????

Andrei S.
Beverlywood, CA


So I’m guessing you’re more the Metallica or Kanye West, music fan? Well Andrei, regardless your preference, there’s a great link between listening to music and getting the most out of your workout. Gyms typically play satellite radio or Musak compilations to keep the tempo up and the music commercial free…and for good reason. Checkout this great article from Men’s Health Magazine online for an in-depth breakdown of why you should be backing your routine with your favorite tunes.

In short, “listening to your favorite music will help you work harder in your workouts.”

Based upon the few times my iPod has also died while mid-workout, a tip for Andrei and others out there: Throw a handful of mp3’s on your phone (assuming it’s mp3 compatible). When your iPod next runs out of juice, turn on your phone’s Airplane Mode – effectively disabling off any incoming phone or text transmissions to interrupt you – and finish your workout with a bang!

Keep it charged, Andrei!