Exercise Questions and Answers
Updated On Wednesday 9/03/2003

Q. From Courtney sent on 7/9/2003: I am a 23 year old girl and I weigh about 125 lbs. I am currently doing a combination of weights, cardio and diet to lose overall body fat. However, my main goal is to achieve a smaller waistline which I am targeting every other day with an intense ab workout. Unfortunately, I have been noticing that my waist seems to be getting wider or thicker. Is this a result of exercises I am doing or is it because I am predisposed to have a square figure. Is there anything that is known for slimming and toning rather than bulking.

A. An intense ab workout will not help you attain your goal of a smaller waistline. This is again using the mythological belief that you can spot reduce fat, which you cannot. As for slimming and toning vs bulking, you get sliming and toning through a decrease consumption of calories while you get bulking from a increase consumption of calories. Your abs may be getting thicker and wider due to the increased muscle mass in the region from your "targeted" ab training. You are building the muscle under the fat. Drop the ab routine and only work the abs as part of your total routine. My book focuses on this very issue and should be available later this month.

Q. From Jackie sent on 7/9/2003: i want your help bob, my current workout is to cycle fo 50 minutes, how many calories should i eat to lose weight and still help maintain a healty diet.

i have asked this question to you three times but you haven't responded, PLEASE RESPOND THIS TIME PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!

A. Hi jackie, I have answered your question but not directly because I need your current body weight in order to give you a correct answer. E-mail me your body weight and I will give you an estimate.

Q. From Michael sent on 7/9/2003: i'm 14 years old and i can bench press 260 pounds. i want to be able to max out at 280 before football season but i only hav a month. wat do u think would be the best routine. i already take protein shakes and hav been thinkin bout taken creatine again b4 football season

A. Why do you want to bench press 280 by football season? First I would need to see your form. I could easily increase your weight by 20 pounds if your form is incorrect. 

Q. From Katherine sent on 7/6/2003: I have a problem with my knees (they dislocate from time to time, and all I'm ever doing is walking). Because of this, I am afraid of doing excercises that involove bending the knees.  Do you know of any excersices I could do that could maybe help me lose wait and burn up some energy without much leg usage? (I'm about 5'8" and 165 lbs currently). Thanks!

A. Have you had your problem diagnosed by a competent specialist? Many of these problems can be corrected with strength training. I have actually had excellent results with my clients with knee problems. I would suggest seeing a specialist and a competent training to help you correct this problem. 

Q. From William sent on 7/3/2003: I have a problem building my trapezius, would you please recommend some good exercises to resolve my problem.

A. A good exercise for this muscle is the shoulder shrug. 

Q. From Ann sent on 6/30/2003: I have had to stop excercising for about 18 months due to anemia and am now back to the gym. I've been going to the gym 4-5 days a week since Dec. 28 with only a 2 week break due to illness, obtaining NO RESULTS.  I got so desperate, I even signed on with a personal trainer who has me doing a circuit for 30 minutes followed by weight lifting for 30 minutes.  We work multiple body groups during this training and I am exhausted afterwards..still, nothing, I haven't even lost a single pound with all of this.  When I come to the gym I work and push myself hard.  My heart rate during aeorbics is generally around 170-180 and I do 45 mintues on non-weight days (I am 47)  Is this just aging and 162 lbs. (god help me) is the best I can do?  I am getting discouraged.  I realize I am probably gaining muscle but my clothes fit the same and I see NO reduction in body fat (mostly around my stomach area).

A. First of all, get rid of your personal trainer. Circuit training is not a very good method for fat loss. Next, drop the 45 minutes of aerobics.  If you over-train, you will also not see any progress. Stick with 4-5 days a week and relax on your off days. Rest is as important as the exercise! 

Next, how is your diet? What type of anemia did you have? Have you corrected the deficiency? The next place to look is at your diet. Are you eating too many calories? 

Here is what I would recommend for exercise. 4 days a week of light weight training and low intensity interval training. I am assuming you are a beginner to strength training and exercise. Increase the intensity every 6 weeks. So start with 3 sets of 15 for 6 weeks and then increase to 3 sets of 12 for six weeks, then 3 sets of 10 for six weeks then change all your exercises around and do it again. Do this for a year or longer until you have build a good foundation to increase the intensity further. For the interval training, increase the intensity as you are able to. Please check the article archives for information on interval training. 

Q. From Kemi sent on 6-29-2003: could you please tell me which excercises are good to improve/keep firmness of my breasts? No hardcore workout routines please, just easy daily "habbits" :-)

Thank you very much

A. Firmness of your breasts eh, that depends no many variables. Since breasts are mainly fat, it is hard to give you a routine to keep them firm. As gravity takes its toll and your skin begins to stretch, you will have to resort to surgery to keep their firmness. What you may be able to do is build the muscle under the fat which  can have a tightening effect. You could do this by performing some push-ups daily. Is that non-hardcore enough?

Q. From Tekila sent on 6-27-2003: Well I didn't know what category to put my question under so i just put it in exercise. I want bigger boobs and a bigger butt. Are there any exercises that i can do to achieve either one?

A. This category will do fine Tekila. For your butt, you can perform exercises to increase the muscle mass in the area. Since you butt region has a lot of muscle, it would be possible to increase muscle mass in the area and increase the size of your butt. How much will depend on your genetics. As for bigger boobs, boobs are fat, so you will need to increase the amount of fat in the region. You can try to increase your calorie intake, but there is no way to know for sure where your fat will be stored. The only sure way to increase your boob size is through surgery. 

Q. From Shira sent on 6/25/2003: I'm 16 years old, weigh 110 lbs, and I look very muscular. The only problem is my love handles. Now I know it's imposssible to spot reduce fat, but is there an excercize that concentrates on love handles? Maybe some type of sit up or something? Thanx.

A. Love handles are fat so there is no exercise that can concentrate on the love handles. There are some exercises for that region though. Side bends and Russian twists are good exercises for the region.

Q. From Mac on 6/25/2003: if someone is looking to get rid of love handles and is looking to getting a flat stomach..wat r the best workouts to do?,preferably exercises that can b done at home

A. The best exercise would be performing some sprints at your local track.

Q. From Jenny: I am 24 years old, 5'7 I weigh approx. 124 pounds, I had abdominal surgery in april of last year, and never had "belly fat" before that time period, I dont eat alot of junk, the occasional ice cream, but mostly Im a fruit and veggies person. I have about 5 pounds (it feels like) of fat on my stomach area. I am currently doing crunches, 100 per day before bedtime, 20 push ups (for strengthening), and some other abdominally geared excerises, but mostly I do the crunches for the abs. My Q: I feel like there has been a change in my stomach area, but not much of one, ive been at it everyday (not skipped once) for 3 weeks. AM I beating a dead horse? I know the crunches will build my muscle, but will the fat eventually burn off? Thank you. If not is there another excerise I can do? I am commited to this.
Sorry this was so long, I just wanted you to better understand my situation, so you could help me.

A. You must get out of your head that you can spot reduce fat. It is impossible to spot reduce fat. You could increase to a 1000 crunches a day, but you will not spot reduce fat. If you want to lose that fat, than perform some HIIT training 4 days a week, along with some weight training.

Q. From Tiffany: I weigh 280 and I am 17 years old I was on the depo provea every since i was 13 i recently got off about 6 mos ago and i need all i can with your advice to loose 130pounds please help me as soon as you can
Thanks

A. Tiffany, it is not hard to lose the weight, but you must control your diet. You must pay special attention to making sure you eat healthy foods. Try to eat 5 small meals a day. Now, for exercise, you should start performing some weight tanning. For HIIT training, I would suggest three times a week for now. 

Q. From Nadia: how long does it take to lose weight on treadmill, how long do suppose to stay on there like how many minutes. Can you like send me some information on it

A. You can like perform some HIIT training. Check the article archives for information on HIIT an other interval training methods.

Q. From Don: Thanks for all theinteresting information on your site.

Can you tell me the typical body fat percentage I need to see a washboard stomache.

I have dropped about 40# in the last year and the side abs are starting to show but I wonder how much more I need to lose to get the middle abs to show.

A. Don, this depends on a certain extent on where your body stores fat. But if you get to around 8 % body fat, I will guarantee you will have visible abs. You should also be working the Abs hard to increase their mass.

Q. From Elijha: Hi I´m Elijah am 17 and 5'4' I,ve been been doing weight lifting for a year and since i started i've only gown about 2cm, can weight lifting stunt my growth?? I lift wieght i can endure 10 reps, is this too much weigth for my age? what exercises should I not do? is there any excercises that will help me reach my maximum growth?

A. No, weight lifting will not stunt your growth. Please read my article "common fitness myths exposed". 

Q. From Nicole: I am a 15y/o female in high school i am about 5'6 and weigh about 125 and i have cellulite on my thighs and butt is there anyway for me to get rid of it and fast. but i dont want to use creams only excercises. i am very active in sports and i just dont know why i have this.

A. The only way to get rid of cellulite is the same way to get rid of any fat. You must lose fat overall. The fastest way would be through HIIT training or sprinting at your local track. Don't waste you money on snake oils like cellulite creams, they are a waste of money.

Q. From Jeff: I want to start exercise and put on some muscle. However, i cannot afford for a membership. So, can u suggest any ways that i can exercise myself at home? Thx~

A. Pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and other body resistance exercises are good exercises when you do not have access to a gym. Also try sprinting, sprinting up stairs, etc.

Q. From Bob: When replacing weight with muscle through weight training and exercise, will that cause you weight to increase if everything else remains the same?  I guess another way of putting it is:  Does fat weight more than muscle or vice versus?   Thanks for your response.

A. Muscle is denser than fat, and therefore it one pound of fat takes up more room than one pound of muscle. I hope that answers your question.

Q. From Alice: In response to you, I live in San Francisco Bay Area-specifically, Berkeley, CA. I need someone to show me the correct form for performing squats.  Yes, I am willing to pay a trainer.
Thanks for your input!

A. Alice, I have a few clients in the Oakland Hills. If you are interested in a personal trainer, e-mail me and we can discuss it further.

Q. From Danielle: what streches could i do for lower and upper back problems and any execiseS that would be useful. thank you.

A. There are a ton of stretches you can do for the lower and upper back. Any type of toe touching will stretch the lower back. For the upper back, hanging from your hands and holding a stable bar while leaning back will stretch the upper back. As for exercises, good mornings, romanian deadlifts, deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, back extensions, etc will strengthen your back.

Q. From Michelle: I have been doing walking tape excersises for 30 minutes a day which is 2miles for about 6 months now, I have toned and firmed up my body, but I don't like the bulky look I havenow.  If I quit doing the walking tapes, will I gain weitht?  Thank you for your time!!

A. Hi Michelle, the short answer is yes, if you cut back on your energy expenditure, you will gain weight. Is it possible for you to send me your picture so I can see what you mean by bulky? I would like to conduct a poll and see how many people also think you are bulky. You can cut the walking and start some slow long endurance jogging. 

Q. From Royce: what is the main purpose of the STANDING CLOSE GRIP EZ BAR CURL for biceps plz tell me in detail

A. What kind of stupid question is this. Any type of bicep curl is to work the biceps. What kind detail are you looking for? If this is a serious questions than I apologize, but I cannot see how this could be a serious question. The part that really gets me is the detail part. lol, what kind of detail are you looking for lol.

Q. From Kathy: I am a petite female I weigh about 130 pds. I workout on a regular basis by running and pilates. Recently I purchased a weight lifting set. Iwouold like to know what is the fastest way to tone the back of my arms?

A. OK Ill hold my fingers back about the pilates, but the best way to hit the triceps is with any number of tricep exercises such as close grip bench press, dumbbell kick backs, etc.

Q. From John: I see the terms 'superset' and 'triset' used very often in workout routines. What are the definitions of these terms?

A. Hello John, A superset is the alternating of two exercises back to back. For example, you would perform 1 set of 10 reps of bicep curls, and then without resting you would perform 1 set of 10 reps of tricep pushdowns. Tri-sets are the same thing but with three exercises back to back. 

Q. From Jordan: Whats the difference between lifting 75% of your max like 3 reps of 10 and then lifting 90% of your max as many times as you can the do it it 3 more times and the last one whick is lifting 50% 3 reps of 50 or 100 time

A. Jordan, do you mean 3 sets of 10 reps? The first difference is in the intensity. By training with lower reps and higher intensity, you are training for maximal strength. At 10 reps or 75%, you are training for more hypertrophy and strength endurance. At 50 or more reps you are training for endurance. 

Now, when you take specificity into account, each rep range will have a specific adaptation response on the body. The lower reps, higher intensity training will increase maximal strength. In addition you will affect the nervous system differently with each rep range. Since the body only adapts to the stress placed upon it, it will adapt according to how it is loaded. To demonstrate this, look at marathon runners and powerlifters. Can a marathon runner lift as much weight as a powerlifter? Can a powerlifter run as far as a marathon runner? Who would win each event and why? The answer lies in the specificity of training. 

Q. From Vicki vickimcfarlane707@hotmail.com: what is exercise?
what can people get out of exercise?

A. This is one of those questions where I really doubt the sincerity of the author, but being the nice guy, I will take time from others questions and answer it. According to Fitness: The complete guide "Exercise is the physical exertion of sufficient intensity, duration, and frequency to achieve or maintain fitness, or other health or athletic objectives." What people get out of exercise depends on their exercise goals. If they exercise for health reasons they get lower a incidence of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease to name a few. In addition, exercise increases bone density, blood flow, joint stability, mobility, balance, and heart function. There are too many benefits of exercise to list. Please check out the fit-bit section of this website to see all of the health benefits of exercise.

Q. From Sarah: I am 12 weeks pregnant and would like to excersice throughout my pregnancy ... what would you recommend me doing for my legs and arms ... and of course ... my behind.  Do you recommend swimming?  I need to stay health to ensure myself of a easier labor.  

A. Hi Sarah, congratulations on your pregnancy. Since you are in your second trimester, you should avoid laying flat on your back while exercising, holding your breath, and high intensity lifting. Try to keep your body temperature around normal. You can perform curls, squats (light), and leg extensions, etc. There are a ton of exercises you can perform depending on the equipment at your gym. Swimming is also a good way to get exercise. 

Q. From Jennifer: Hi,  I have been working out for about 15 years and I slipped a disc in my back.  Every time I feel like I am making progress my back goes out.  I am trying to build some muscle.  I know I am doing the exercises right and I am stretching constantly.  My hamstrings get so tight that they pull on my back. Do you have any advise for me about how to concur this problem?

Thank you for your time,

A. I would concentrate on strengthening your back with some light good mornings, straight leg deadlifts, extensions, etc. Start out light and progress to lower reps and heavy weight over time. In addition, keep your hamstrings limber by stretching a few times a week.

Q. From Tiffany: what exercises helps remove love handles?
also, unlike most people i have huge calves but my waist isnt that big, what can i do to make my leg size smaller?

A. In order to remove your love handles, you will need to lose more fat overall. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SPOT REDUCE FAT, SO NO MATTER WHAT EXERCISES YOU PERFORM IN THE AREA, YOU WILL NOT LOSE THE FAT IN THAT AREA! To make your calves smaller, perform some long endurance type of training, like long distance, low intensity bike riding.

Q. From Robert: Hi there. I'm a 19 year old male. I would like to know the proper way to do push-ups. When we go down, we breathe in and when we push up, we exhale right? Do we need to be specific, for example, whether we need to use our mouth or nose to exhale or inhale? And do our stomach needs to tight all the time when we do push up? Are there difference between the way a male do push-ups compared to female? When we stretch, do our stomach needs to be tight? thanks a lot.

A. You can just breath naturally if you like, or you can perform the inhale during the yielding portion exhale during the contraction portion. Breathing also depends on how may reps and how heavy you are going. You should remain tight both in the stomach as well as in the glutes, lets, etc. Male and females and perform the push-up the same way. Keep your stomach and all your other muscles tight when you are doing your push ups.

Q. From Jolynn: what are the benefits of a seated leg press at 45 degree andle, as opposed to using the flat  bench leg press while lying flat on back?

A. I am not quite sure which flat bench leg press you are talking about. Do you have a link to a picture of the flat bench leg press you are talking about? I have seen many different styles, but since I do not know exactly which one you are talking about, I cannot give you a good answer. 

Q. From Jen: I am 16 year old 5'2 and I weigh about 130 pounds. am I considered over weight. also waht would be a good daily excersise routine for a girl my age that does not envole weigh lifting. thanks

A. Why are you avoiding lifting weights? You can perform some HIIT training if you want to lose some fat. You also have to make sure you are eating sensibly and avoiding the simple carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats.

Q. From Grace: I'm the opposite of everyone.  I'm 5'7" and weigh 160. I know I'm big boned but the thing that really bothers me is that I have a lot of  muscle mass. I want to excercise but yet I don't need to bulk up any muscles.  Especially my calves.  Is there anyway I can decrease my muscles without effecting my health?

A. First of all, you will not bulk up unless you are taking in a lot of extra calories. You can burn the muscle by performing a lot of cardio while on a low calorie diet.

Q. From Falak: hello bob, my name is falk and i am 5.2 feet tall and 14 years old and i weigh 100 lbs. i want to increase my muscle mass significantly over the summer could u hlp me? and I also want to get taller can you help me with that too?

A. I can help you with the muscle mass, but with getting taller...well, that is predetermined by your genetics. The one thing you can do is make sure you eat enough good food to make sure you do not stunt your growth. 

For the muscle mass, you will need to eat a lot of calories and engage in a strength training routine. You will need to find someone to teach you how to perform the exercises correctly. It would be wise to hire a good personal trainer to take you through the exercises, but good trainers are hard to come by.

Q. From Sarah: Hi Bob. I'm 19, 175 lbs, 5'7'' I just started summer vacation so ive had time to pick up on my workouts again- i started out walking, and then jogging and now i jog about 30 min. to an hour everday and I do about 200 crunches a day. Ive also been eating pretty well- I dont eat out nearly as much, I've cut down on carbs, i stopped drinking soda and sugary drinks, and I've started to eat ONLY when I'm hungry. If I keep this up, approxamately how much weight do u think i could lose in the next 3 and a half months? I'd like to go down to 140-145 lbs. Is there anything I'm missing in my daily workout? Also, I'm a double D cup size and i'd REALLY like to decrease my cupsize. Can you give me SPECIFIC excercises that will do this- ive been told that bench press and other exercises will just increase their size. And is going down to a C cup (not particularily in a short time period like 3 months) a stretch? Thanx a lot! :)

A. Your weight loss will be specific to your body, there is no way I can tell you how much you will lose. I would suggest HIIT training over cardio, and I would also suggest some strength training. You will burn more calories overall by strength training, so you should be weight lifting. 

You may be able to decrease your breast size by losing overall body fat. Breasts are fat, so if you lose more fat you will lose some in the breast area. As for bench presses increasing your bust size, I would never ask those people for exercise advice again. You can build muscle under the fat, but that would most likely have a tightening effect on your breasts. Breast reduction surgery is the most effective way to decrease your breast size, but I bet they will get smaller as you lose more fat. Why do you want to decrease your breast size? There are women out there who would love to have bigger breasts.

Q. From Randi: I am currently rehabing my left knee after ACL reconstruction surgery. Have been an athlete my whole life and after years of lifting, playing sports and going to the gym, I would like to decrease my muscle mass in the thigh area. Due to surgery, my left quad as atrophied and I'm wondering what kind of excercises I can do to decrease the bulk in my right leg. Am 5-10, 160lbs.
I appreciate any advice you can provide.
Thank you.

A. Why would you want to decrease the muscle mass in the right leg? What about building up the muscle again in the left leg? This surgery doesn't mean you cannot partake in lifting again in the near future. Squats are actually one of the rehab methods after ACL reconstruction surgery. You aren't planning on becoming sedentary are you?

Q. From Chelsea: i really need help. im not that fat but need to loose some pounds but most of all i need to get rid of my broad shoulders please help me thanks

A. What do you mean by broad shoulders? If you were born with broad shoulders, sorry, you will be stuck with them. You will lose some pounds by exercising and watching what you eat.

Q. From Alison: Hi Bob...  I am 26 years old and I had a baby 9 months ago.  I have always been able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain wait until recently.  If you looked at me you would think I am in pretty good shape, but I am what you call a "skinny fat".  I am trying to lose some fat and tone up a bit before my trip to Myrtle Beach in 8 weeks...is there still time??  I guess my real question is what's the best diet plan to follow??  Is it stay within or below your recommended caloric intake??  Is it low fat??  Is it low carb??  Is it extra protein??  I am so confused that I just don't know where to start.  Also, is doing five days a week of 40 minutes of cardio enough to burn fat??  And if I weight train how many exercises per body part do you suggest in one session??  Sorry for all the questions, I just need a straight answer.  Please help!!!

A. Hello Alison, I would suggest you don't fall for any quick fix diet plans. Try to eat a well balanced diet. Try to cut out the simple carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats and oils. You can stay at the same calorie intake but you should increase your activity level. I would suggest cutting back on the cardio and instead perform some weight training and HIIT training.

Q. From Liz: I just read your article on HIIT and found it very interesting.  I want to know how well it will work on a treadmill for the beginners training?  What speed should I set it at for walk and jog?  Thank you

A. It will work very well if you are a beginner. The speed depends on the treadmill, start with a slow pace, and increase it slightly as well as the incline on the higher intensity phases.

Q. From Chaaka: I am a very short woman with "soccer legs".  Specifically, my leg muscles bulge above and below my knees, giving my legs the look of an hour-glass.  Although my legs are mostly muscle, I do not prefer the shape of my legs, specifically my thighs.  What can I do to lose mass in these areas for a more feminine look, while still getting a good workout?

A. Perform some low intensity cardio for about 30 - 60 minutes a day 4 -5 times a week. Also, make sure you decrease your calorie intake as well.

Q. From Elvis: I would like to get into shape and i want to know whats the right way to go about it. I'm 6'1 and 230 pounds my upper body is really week and i want to get stronger and develope muscle.I would like to know what exercises and how many sets of them I should do. please let me know what i should do or anyother websites that would be helpfull.

A. See my article titled "Beginners Guide To Building a Workout; The Foundation Building Routine".

Q. From Raechel: Hi Bob, i've been trying to tone my stomache up by doing sit ups and using a ab toner, is there any other method or exercise i should be doing as i feel this is not working.

A. Do you have a layer of fat on your abs? If so, you must lose the fat before you will see any definition. Also, try some decline sit-ups with a weight. If you want to build muscle in the abs, train them as you would other muscles, ie. train them at 15 to 3 reps instead of 50 reps of crunches.

Q. From Phil: IM 14 years old, 5'6", and weigh 118 pounds. I have been doing an exercise routine for about three months now: 4 days a week I walk 2.5 miles at 12 mi/hour along with medium strength training. I have seen very good results in my arms shoulders and chest, but my midsection(with quite alo of fat stored in it :-) seems to be making no progress in terms of toning and loss of inches. What am I doing wrong

A. Instead of walking, try HIIT training 3 times a week as well as cardio 3 times a week at 30 minutes a session.

Q. From Vaughan: how is exercise good for you?

A. In more ways than I can list on this website. Look at the fitbits and scientific research and you will find the answers. First of all it increases your bone density, strength, balance, and overall quality of life. In addition, it conditions your heart, cardio vascular system, an blood flow. Add to this the benefits to your psychological well being and that pretty much sums it up.  Exercise also has many beneficial effects for those with diseases. Look at the fitbits section on this website to learn more. By the way, what type of question is this? Serious?

Q. From Kristal: I have heard from a few body builders that it is important to lift weights First, and then do cardio Second ( especially if you are doing long periods of cardio like 45 minutes), but it is ok to warm up for 5 minutes before wieght training. Can you tell me if this is true and the explanation of why?  Personally, I like to get the cardio out of the way first and then lift weights, but if I do not benefit from this then what is the point.  I have been doing cardio first 45 minutes and 30 minutes of weights 2 times a week for 3 an 1/2 months now and I have not seen much muscle definition or loss of inches.

A.   The reason to perform some cardio after you are finished training has to do with pumping blood to the muscles you have just worked in order to bring in nutrients and oxygen while at the same time eliminating metabolic wastes. There is also a theory that if you wait to do you cardio after your training than you will burn more fat. This is based on the premise that you will deplete your glycogen stores while weight training and then when you perform your cardio you will burn more fat. In addition, you will have more energy to perform the real calorie burning weight training if don't waste too much energy performing cardio before training. 

As for your weight training, do you do two full body workouts a week? And if you do, only thirty minutes a weight session? You should be performing more weight training than cardio. I would suggest working each body part at least two times a week. The cardio 4 times a week at 30 minutes a session should be sufficient. Add in some HIIT training and you should begin to see some results.

How are your eating habits. You must also eat good if you want results. 

Q. From Abby: How do I loose weight in my legs and stomach. Also how do I make muscles???

A. You will lose weight in your legs and stomach by losing weight overall. You make muscle by strength training.

Q. From Kelan: I did a number of sports when in high school and gained alot of muscle. Now that I am in college I do not participate in sports and I feel very bulky. Is there anyway I can reduce the appearance of my muscles?

A. Muscles usually atrophy by disuse. If you would like to decrease your muscle mass, you should participate in some long endurance training such as two hours of moderated jogging a day. This will cause muscle catabolism and a decrease in muscle mass. Do not perform and strength training.

Q. From Yasir: iam 25/male. quite normally built. the problem is that i have excessive fat deposition on my tummy and chest which sags like breast.it is very embarassing.suggest some exercices remedial measures.

A. Yasir, you should be performing some chest exercises in order to build some muscle under the fat. This will have a tightening and lifting effect on the fat. Next you need to lose some fat by performing some HIIT training, cardio, and weight training. You also cannot overlook your eating habits. Try to cut back on the simple carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats. Good luck!

Q. From Kelly: Hello Bob!   I'm wondering what is the best way to lose the fat on your inner thighs. That seems to be the hardest, and last spot to lose.  Any tips?  Thanks!

A. You can't spot reduce fat, but what you can do is lose more fat overall or perform some leg exercises which will build a little muscle in the area and have a tightening effect or both.

Q.  From Katie: I eat about 1300-1500 calories per day. I am also still wondering what an appropriate number of carbohydrates (in grams) per day is if you are trying to lose weight. (message was edited)

A. You should get about 600 calories from protein, 450 grams From Carbohydrates and 450 grams from fats. Eat complex carbohydrates and non hydrogenated fats and oils. If you need more info, please don't hesitate to post another question.

Q. From Kim: Yes hello Bob. I have a quick basic question. I have worked out the past 1 1/2 yrs,I have lost 32 lbs. I am 5'5 and 138 lb.Had 3 children (10,8,5)I just want to get rid of the access fat around my thighs and waist area and stomach. I do aerobics, toning, pump classes with barbells, and do lots of cardio,the last 6 weeks i have worked out 4 to 5 times a week. i have lost only 1 to 2 lbs. I understand this could be muscle as to why i am not losing more weight but is there something better I could be doing or doing more of to lose the access body fat. The body fat is my main goal. Still haven't leaned out too much, much better than before but thought you might have some advice for me as to what more i should be focusing on, Is the Cardio my main focus? I have achieved already more than i thought i ever could and i feel great but i am at a platuea now and want to focus on my biggest concern and that is body fat loss. Thanks alot and I appreciate you are there to answer questions. Kim

A. Do you perform any real strength training with weights? Not pump classes with barbells, but real weight training? I would suggest you perform weight training 4 times a week, HIIT training 2 - 3 times a week and cardio for 2 times a week for 30 minutes a session. If I had more information I would be able give you more specific advice. Let me know how it goes and the results.

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