PETER'S PRINCIPLES - NEW IN PRINT
Jim from Canton emails asking for the pluses and minuses of a cardio workout.
Jim, there is no doubt that a good cardio workout is a cornerstone of an effective weight loss program. But, if you are trying to build muscles, don't over do it!
One of the main culprits in muscle loss can be over-dieting. It suppresses hormones like thyroid and testosterone. But overdoing cardio workouts can be even more damaging than over-dieting when it comes to hormone suppression! If you do too much cardio, you are essentially lowering hormone levels that allow you to build muscle and burn fat. That is why too much cardio can be a dead end, causing dramatic loss of muscle mass!
A good rule of thumb is to try to get in four 45-minute cardio sessions a week. If you go over that your muscle building goals might be compromised.
Jill from Warren e-mails and is looking for a new aerobic exercise to improve her workout routine.
Jill, you might want to kickbox your way to better health! A non-contact kickboxing routine is sufficient to improve physical and cardiovascular fitness.
A recent study looked at a group of women weighing an average of 135 pounds. It utilized 4 kickboxing routines: Upper body jabs, lower body kicks, a combination of jabs and kicks, plus a conditioning routine. That routine consisted of jumping jacks and simulated rope jumping.
Participants burned the most calories performing a combination of kicks and jabs. Calories were burned at a rate of 6.5 to 8 calories per minute, totaling 450 calories an hour! That is the equivalent to an hour of jogging.
