My dear friend Anthony Ferkel is an incredible (and very unique) Manhattan personal trainer and also super hot model
wrote me the following message on BBM the other day (blackberry messenger for all you non-crackberry addicts out there): “Hey, I was reading your blog... You should probably change that your pants prevent lactic acid:). Lactic acid is actually a good thing it binds to hydrogen ions and removes them and is reusable. Lactate is a product of the rapid breakdown of glycogen or blood glucose. The fatigue associated w/ lactate accumulation actually comes from an imbalance of ATP use and its resynthesis:). Just looking out. No pants, massage or anything on the outside can prevent lactic acid... Its internal and it has to do w/ molecules and hormones.”
Okay casall running tights do NOT prevent lactic acid!! Thank you Anthony. Below is a guest post from Anthony about his philosophy on training:
Five years ago, I decided to change my workouts because I realized how busy everyone is. In addition to that, I have to take into consideration figuring out what works for each individual’s needs and how everyone's body is different.
The biggest change was reducing the frequency of exercising. I thought I had to do more cardio to get results; I was working out six days per week (sometimes twice a day), five days of boring cardio and split body parts lifting four days per week getting zero results. I weighed about 200 pounds with 16% body fat. It was frustrating! Since, I only train clients one to three times per week, I had to figure out how to get the best results in less time by making my workouts more efficient - a contradiction to what I thought was the correct way to train. Wow, was I wrong!
The inspiration for my newly developed workouts are "The Sculpting Bible For Men" and "The Body Sculpting Bible For Women", which focus on doing super sets and elevating the heart rate. This is also referred to as periodization training, "a training regimen done a specific way for a specific period of time and then modified and done a different way for a specific period of time." Simply put, changing the sets, reps, and weights every two weeks for an evolving 6-week program. It sounded interesting so I tried it.
It worked as far as burning fat, but I became too bulky. I modified the program again; instead of super setting with the same muscle group, I focused on two different muscle groups back-to-back without resting. I started putting more core workouts in and targeting the smaller muscles. I was really starting to see results! I was down from 200 pounds to 187 in one year with about 11% body fat, and stayed at that weight for about two years. I was still spending way too much time doing boring cardio five days per week and lifting three days per week (three sets each with super sets). However, I wanted to get my body in better shape and become a great trainer, giving my clients the results they wanted. I then came across some studies on interval training and the affects of Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).
As a result, I dropped cardio for interval training three days per week. Once every two weeks, I will do a five-mile run instead of one interval day which can take anywhere from 30-50 minutes. Every fourth week, I will do two days of interval training (remember, my work outs really consist of interval training with weights). I started to see immediate results, but noticed I still felt sore and tired.
In 2006, I read an article from "On Fitness" for men and women about the importance of Pilates and yoga. I dropped one more day of super sets and designed my own 30-minute core Pilates workout using light weights. After a few months, I started feeling great and full of energy. At this point, I realized the importance of rest - less really is more! You truly get better results with less time by working out efficiently!
Lastly, I read the book, "Eat to Live", which is what I attribute to my healthy lifestyle. The main things I took away from this book are the importance of consuming high fiber foods and the power of raw, leafy greens (normally referred to as "salads"), the most nutrient-dense of all foods. I now weigh 175 pounds with 7% body fat and am more fit than ever.
The solution on how to reduce belly fat, came about after years of trial-and-error and research. I have broken it down to three rules in conjunction with my workouts:
I. Eat vegetables and other high-fiber carbohydrates with every meal and snacks. Seriously! The goal here is to control your blood sugar. This is the key to fat loss!
II. Start working out four to five days per week and eventually add one extra day:
A. Two days per week of full body work outs with weights and your own body weight, targeting the core in every exercise.
B. Two to three days per week of interval training (total 8-12 minutes of all intervals). Each interval can be broken down according to your preference. Example: First interval for three minutes, resting as long as it takes to repeat the next one with the same amount of exertion. The second interval for two minutes, and repeat until you do 8-12 minutes of total intervals. Ask me the next time you see me to explain this in further. Optional: one long-distance day no more than 50 minutes... My workouts usually consist of lifting days (45 minutes), interval days (30 minutes; and one long cardio day can be up to 50 minutes every once in awhile), and pilates/yoga (up to one hour; see below).
An interval can be anywhere from 45 seconds to 5 minutes... on a scale of one to 10, the entire interval is about an 8-9 exertion level. End the interval with a nice 10-12 minute run or cybex elliptical machine. Exertion on this should be around six to seven.
High-intensity workouts should and will push you beyond your comfort zone, but be sure to take short rests if you need to, and adjust exercises as you see fit. The ultimate goal is to not only generate great fat burning results, but also be left feeling accomplished!
C. One to two days per week of Pilates or yoga. III. Rest and pay attention to your body during the exercise! Sufficient rest is really when you get results. During any workout, you are tearing muscle fibers and breaking down cells. When training too hard or too much without proper rest your body simultaneously is building cells and muscle fibers, as well as repairing your joints/injuries. In essence, you are working against yourself when you over-train.
We should push ourselves as hard as we can, but not harder than our bodies can handle. Example, if you are on a treadmill, and you feel yourself leaning over and can't keep yourself up, your body is telling you that the exercise is faster than the core can support during the movement. If you feel pain or pressure in the knees, lower back or neck during an exercise, something is wrong and your body is trying to tell you something.
Rest plays a key role in determining the effectiveness of working out. This is the vital time when muscles, bones and vessels grow, improve, strengthen and thrive. Not only do rest days improve performance and exercise outcomes, but they protect against over-training and lowering your immune system.
In conclusion, the two most common questions I am asked really go hand-in-hand. I have tailored my workouts and diet to answer both questions. Each workout should be efficient and include enough rest. A diet high in fiber and raw, leafy greens outside of each workout will increase your overall fat-burning effects, as well as help you toward getting a flat stomach.
Articles supporting high-intensity interval training and the importance of rest are available upon request.
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