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Women's Fitness – Questions from Women in the Gym
We answer questions from our members and share the best advice with everyone!
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Q: What is the most efficient abdominal exercise for women to strengthen and tone abs?
A: My favorite abs exercise is the plank, which is used in yoga. The plank works the whole body, engaging every muscle. It is great for total core strength, stability and great abs! This abdominal exercise will start by lying flat on the floor. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms. Keep your torso straight; your body is in a straight line from ears to toes, with no sagging or bending. Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor. Hold this position for 15 - 20 seconds to start. Repeat up to five times and build your hold time from there.
Q: In the gym, should women do aerobic activity before weight training to get the best weight loss results or vice versa?
I am a big believer in doing weights first, then cardio. Most people incorporate cardio into their exercise routine for fat burning purposes. When you do weights before cardio, you are burning glycogen, or energy, that has been stored. This helps get your body into fat-burning mode to maximize your ability to maintain and build lean muscle tissue. Doing cardio afterward is much more effective because you are now in a faster fat-burning mode.
Q: As an expert on women's fitness, how long should one stretch before and after exercising? What is the best way to stretch?
Before doing any exercise, I strongly recommend you warm-up for 5 minutes through cardio. For women in the gym, jump on the treadmill, jump rope or do jumping jacks for 5 minutes. Then stretch for 5 minutes.
Depending on the body part you are going to work, take 5 minutes to stretch your back, arms and legs. This works the range of motion.
It is very important to spend at least 10 minutes stretching after your workout. This helps in cooling your body down, lengthening and loosening the muscles back to their pre-exercise level and help reduce or prevent post-exercise muscle stiffness.
Q: I read a lot about incorporating weights for your body shape. My body type is pear-shape. The material I read says: “Light weights are not effective for muscle building or for transforming your shape. Moderate more challenging weight on the other hand, builds muscle, and boosts your metabolism so that you’re burning major calories even while you’re at rest.” What is considered moderate weight? 5 lbs? 10 lbs? What about the weight machines?
Everyone has a number of muscle fibers that respond differently. Some respond better to lighter weight and more reps, while others respond better to heavier weights with less repetition. For maximum results, you should be alternating your workout. For one month use heavier weights and the next month, use lighter weights. With heavier weights, you should perform 2 or 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps. With lighter, 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps. No matter what weight you are doing, the last 3 reps is where you should really feel the burn.
Q: What is the best energy food to eat prior/after my 5K run? How will this nutrition jump-start my energy/metabolism?
Suck it up and go run! Burn those calories and eat a healthy snack or a good meal after the run. A 5K is not that great of a distance, it’s 3 miles. The food you eat prior to running is not going to have a major affect on your performance. Eating beforehand is great when you are doing long-distance running. What should you eat after a 5K? If you are running in the morning, try egg whites and oatmeal. If at night, include good lean protein and vegetables.
Q: What is the best source of calcium besides milk? Is a supplement necessary?
I personally don’t eat dairy, so it’s vital that I get my calcium from a good, healthy diet. Today, a large percentage of food products are fortified with calcium – everything from cereal to juices. But for those of you who do include dairy in your diet, I believe that best source comes from yogurt. The body is better able to absorb most of its calcium. A calcium supplement is necessary when there is a tendency of osteoporosis.
Q: I’m having trouble with the proper runner’s sneakers after running 20 years. Why now and what is the solution? It’s not too much fun in my run.
First, the life of a running sneaker is 6 months, if you are running on a regular basis. After 20 years of running, maybe it’s not the shoes but the wear and tear on your body. Try taking a month off to let your body recover. If you must run, try the treadmill, as it has less impact on your body. But really do let your body recover.
Q: I am hearing very bad things about eating soy and soy products. Is soy good for you or not?
I believe everything in excess is bad for you. Now, what is excess? The Japanese eat an average of 8 to 9 grams of soy per day. The FDA recommends 25 grams, that’s a big difference. Having soy at every meal, every day may be too much. Studies have found that soy may increase the estrogen levels, which can in turn cause weight gain, cancer and other illness. Enjoy soybeans and soy-rich foods like soymilk and tofu, but do so in moderation.
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