On 5/16/05, Marlon Moyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Okay, while we're on the subject....What kind of workout show a say 35 > year old man do who needs to lose about 30 lbs. High reps w/low > weight or Low reps w/high weight?
If you look at caloric intake and output, you make the biggest impact by simply reducing caloric intake. Most exercise, while fantastic for the body, doesn't burn enough calories to put the body into enough deficit to help much. For instance, light to moderate weight lifting for an hour burns something like 300 calories*. An average base metabolism burns about 2000 calories a day. A recommended daily diet is about 2000 calories, but in the US we tend to eat about 3000 (and for many closer to 4000) calories a day. So that gives: Input: 3000 Output: 2300 (base metabolism + moderate weightlifting) Calorie difference: +700 calories/day 1 pound of fat = 3500 calories. So by taking in an extra 700 calories a day, in 5 days you'll put on a pound. That's right, you'll gain weight. That 300 calories of lifting weights, curiously enough is about the same amount of calories as a small order of french fries with ketchup. Even if you took up a high-calorie burning exercise like cross-country skiing (1000 calories/hour), you'd still only come out even. And x-c is work! Input: 3000 Output: 3000 (base 2000 + skiing 1000) Now if you drop your caloric intake to the recommended 2000 calories and do nothing else, you'll break even: Input: 2000 Output: 2000 Calorie difference: 0. Now add moderate exercise (something that burns 200 calories*), and you'll be at a 200 calorie/day deficit. At that rate you will lose 30 pounds in 18 months. October 24, 2006 if you start now. Of course as I said before, exercise is good for you. I'm sure MT or Sam or somebody will chime in here and mention something about how muscle burns calories faster than fat, so raising your fitness raises your base metabolism. Absolutely. But it takes a long time to get there. And muscle also weighs more than fat, so if your goal is just to lose weight then building muscle can make it seem like you're not making headway. I do completely agree with Sam's recommendation for low weight, high rep. It does burn fat faster. It also defines instead of putting on bulk, so if you get sleeker instead of bigger. * Calories burned during exercise: http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm (Yes, I know that people are going to nitpick details about calories for each exercise and base metabolism for different people, etc. But I stand by the premise that lowering calories consumed is the easiest and fastest way to move to a deficit. I'm down 60 pounds.) -Kevin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Get Instant Hacker Protection, Virus Detection, Antispam & Personal Firewall. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=62 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:157838 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
