Written by: Chris Reid
co-founder 7minuteworkout
Wading into the world of fitness can be overwhelming. If you spent 6 months studying all of the information and options out there....you will be just as confused as you are now so let me save you some time! The fact is that you can find a study to support or contradict virtually any theory out there. Maybe you have discovered as we have, that the results of studies are greatly affected by variables that are not reported in the results....so greatly affected in fact that the results can be controlled by the variables that are setup. In other words I can setup a study to prove my theory or disprove it based on the way I set it up.
So I take a much simpler approach by asking 2 questions.
1. What sort of change can a person make and then stick with literally forever?
2. What methods helped me and my students most during my 20 year competition career and 15 year coaching career. (BTW, I am a 18 time National Taekwon-Do Champion, 3 time North American Champion, Pan American Champion, 2 time World Bronze Medalist and 2004 World Champion. I have trained 2 world champions and several other International and national champions)
Regarding the 1st question. I met a great guy who told me he had lost 35 lbs a few years ago by cutting out all sugar from his diet. The problem of course was the change was too drastic to stick with so he put the weight right back on. I met another lady who drastically reduced all carbohydrates, she lost weight but the reality was that she lost muscle mass at the same rate as she lost fat.....and again put it all back on.
The method I follow and preach? Balance. Simple balance. Reduce bad foods, enjoy energy foods and make sure you do not feel hungry. This can be achieved by simply adding fibre to your diet in the form of a high quality supplement. I have a tablespoon of fibre mixed with water before lunch and dinner. It controls my powerful sweet-tooth and keeps my metabolism moving. I still enjoy the occasional candy bar and love to sit down with friends sipping wine and eating cheese. My diet is nothing extreme but at the same time, it is something that can be folowed permanently. If extreme results are needed like making weight for a competition or getting extra lean for a beach vacation, then some extra temporary changes are made but in terms of lifestyle, I enjoy a balanced diet that does not completely outlaw the foods I enjoy.
Regarding the 2nd question. This one is the one people have the most difficult time accepting. My core body maintenance routine is just 7 minutes, 3 times per week. Why so short? The better question would be why make it longer? If you want to expand your cardio capacity then yes, you need to work your cardio system for longer periods of time however few people really need to do this unless they are training for a 10k run or something similar. Do not get confused though, cardio training is not weight loss and strength training. It is not the best thing for toning and you will not burn fat by panting and gasping on a treadmill for 20 minutes. You burn fat by redirecting calories. Redirect the calories so that they feed muscle instead of feed fat! The best part is that once this process starts and muscle starts to demand calories, you can burn fat 24/7! Did you know that it takes 100 calories a day to maintain 1 pound of muscle? So if a 200lb woman adds 5lbs of muscle (she will not look muscular, spread over the body 5lbs of muscle will simply have toning effects not the appearance of bulky muscle) she will burn and extra 500 calories a day feeding that muscle. Those calories used to feed fat but now the fat is being starved and the muscle is consuming the energy instead! This is an EXTREMELY cool effect!!
Even if fat loss is not your primary exercise goal, short bursts of resistance training gets you the best gains in terms of improved strength, lean muscle mass and muscular and skeletal health. Ever heard that one before? "Skeletal Health". I refer to this neglected item because it is so incredibly important and even more incredible neglected! Body aches and joint pain are all too often accepted as a part of aging. The reality is that most of these issues are attributed to over developed muscles overwhelming underdeveloped muscle. Look at the physique of a marathon runner. Soft in the mid section, often hunched at the shoulders. They have over developed some muscles while completely neglecting others giving them a skeletal imbalance.
Imagine you were given a skeleton and told you had to make it stand up without hanging it from a hook. You would need a complicated series of support wires. If you pull one too tight it will put strain on another, if one is too loose, it will make the skeleton lean to one side or lurch forward. We have sore backs because our core muscles get weak and we compensate by straining our backs to stay upright. Get the idea? Even active people who like to bike or hike or run as a hobby will have issues with overdeveloped muscles overwhelming underdeveloped muscles. We need a balanced exercise routine where all muscles are strategically worked in order to keep muscular and skeletal health.
Follow our 7 minute workout routines and you will notice how we work all the muscles in the body with equal importance. Muscles are not just there to look strong or impress friends, they serve a function and while you will certainly see some aesthetic improvements, you will feel better than ever!
Additional exerpts found from articles:
1.
http://www.applesforhealth.com/PersonallyYours/dffs8.html
QUOTE From above article:
That's why experts agree exercising to lose a moderate amount of weight can have huge benefits. Studies have shown a 15-pound weight loss, accompanied by 25-minute walks five days a week, could cut a person's risk for diabetes by 58 percent, said Dr. Richard Hellman, president-elect of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
2. By Leah Hoffmann and Lacey Rose
Forbes
updated 4/13/2005 6:34:09 PM ET
....And despite the extra cost, most diets currently on the market are not effective. "Let's face it," says Dr. Stephen Gullo, a New York City doctor and author of The Thin Commandments Diet, "this is the only growth industry in the United States where most of the customers fail."
3.
Lies of the Health and Fitness Industry Exposed
Monday, December 10, 2007 by: Craig Pepin-Donat, The Fit Advocate, citizen journalist
Let's start with a simple truth that helps feed the big, fat health and fitness lie. That truth is that the average person would much prefer to go on a diet or take a pill rather than exercise. This is why the fitness industry, at $17.6 billion in annual revenue, pales in comparison with the diet and weight loss industry, which exceeds $40 billion. Even the supplement industry, with more than $20 billion in annual revenue, outperforms the fitness industry. Yet with a success rate of sustained weight loss as low as 5 percent, more than 50 million Americans line up each year to go on a diet. Why? The answer is simple. When people think about exercise, they relate it to work. Even the phrase we use to describe exercise is to "workout." The truth is that the average American spends the majority of waking life working. Who wants more work? We want to play. We want to relax. We want to escape from the reality of work, Exercise is the last thing we want to do. Instead, we want a shortcut, and the desire for a quick fix is an open invitation for health and fitness parasites.
4. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is an independent US Government organisation that is often quoted by news sources like CNN. This is their latest regarding obesity.
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/obesity.htm
The Obesity Epidemic
More than one third of U.S. adults - more than 72 million-people and 17% of U.S. children are obese. From 1980 through 2008, obesity rates for adults have doubled and rates for children have tripled. During the past several decades, obesity rates for all groups in society regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level, or geographic region have increased markedly.
Policy and Environmental Approaches Needed
The causes of obesity in the United States are complex and numerous, and they occur at social, economic, environmental, and individual levels. American society has become characterized by environments that promote physical inactivity and increased consumption of unhealthful food. To address this problem, approaches to public health that affect large numbers of people in multiple settings, such as communities, schools, work sites, and health care facilities, are needed. Policy and environmental approaches that make healthy choices available, affordable, and easy could be most effective in fighting obesity.
5. Facts from World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/
FACTS:
Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese.
Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.
6. Scientific American Magazine
By David H. Freedman January 18, 2011
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-fix-the-obesity-crisis
Modern epidemic: For millennia, not getting enough food was a widespread problem. Nowadays obesity is a global burden that affects one third of Americans. Another third are overweight.
Obesity is complex: Researchers have developed key insights into its metabolic, genetic and neurological causes. But this work has not amounted to a solution to the public health crisis.
Behavior focus: Using techniques that have proved effective in treating autism, stuttering and alc-o-hol-ism may be the most val-uable for either losing weight or preventing weight gain.
Next steps: Behavior studies show that recording calories, exercise and weight; adopting modest goals; and joining a support group increase the chances of success.
co-founder 7minuteworkout
Wading into the world of fitness can be overwhelming. If you spent 6 months studying all of the information and options out there....you will be just as confused as you are now so let me save you some time! The fact is that you can find a study to support or contradict virtually any theory out there. Maybe you have discovered as we have, that the results of studies are greatly affected by variables that are not reported in the results....so greatly affected in fact that the results can be controlled by the variables that are setup. In other words I can setup a study to prove my theory or disprove it based on the way I set it up.
So I take a much simpler approach by asking 2 questions.
1. What sort of change can a person make and then stick with literally forever?
2. What methods helped me and my students most during my 20 year competition career and 15 year coaching career. (BTW, I am a 18 time National Taekwon-Do Champion, 3 time North American Champion, Pan American Champion, 2 time World Bronze Medalist and 2004 World Champion. I have trained 2 world champions and several other International and national champions)
Regarding the 1st question. I met a great guy who told me he had lost 35 lbs a few years ago by cutting out all sugar from his diet. The problem of course was the change was too drastic to stick with so he put the weight right back on. I met another lady who drastically reduced all carbohydrates, she lost weight but the reality was that she lost muscle mass at the same rate as she lost fat.....and again put it all back on.
The method I follow and preach? Balance. Simple balance. Reduce bad foods, enjoy energy foods and make sure you do not feel hungry. This can be achieved by simply adding fibre to your diet in the form of a high quality supplement. I have a tablespoon of fibre mixed with water before lunch and dinner. It controls my powerful sweet-tooth and keeps my metabolism moving. I still enjoy the occasional candy bar and love to sit down with friends sipping wine and eating cheese. My diet is nothing extreme but at the same time, it is something that can be folowed permanently. If extreme results are needed like making weight for a competition or getting extra lean for a beach vacation, then some extra temporary changes are made but in terms of lifestyle, I enjoy a balanced diet that does not completely outlaw the foods I enjoy.
Regarding the 2nd question. This one is the one people have the most difficult time accepting. My core body maintenance routine is just 7 minutes, 3 times per week. Why so short? The better question would be why make it longer? If you want to expand your cardio capacity then yes, you need to work your cardio system for longer periods of time however few people really need to do this unless they are training for a 10k run or something similar. Do not get confused though, cardio training is not weight loss and strength training. It is not the best thing for toning and you will not burn fat by panting and gasping on a treadmill for 20 minutes. You burn fat by redirecting calories. Redirect the calories so that they feed muscle instead of feed fat! The best part is that once this process starts and muscle starts to demand calories, you can burn fat 24/7! Did you know that it takes 100 calories a day to maintain 1 pound of muscle? So if a 200lb woman adds 5lbs of muscle (she will not look muscular, spread over the body 5lbs of muscle will simply have toning effects not the appearance of bulky muscle) she will burn and extra 500 calories a day feeding that muscle. Those calories used to feed fat but now the fat is being starved and the muscle is consuming the energy instead! This is an EXTREMELY cool effect!!
Even if fat loss is not your primary exercise goal, short bursts of resistance training gets you the best gains in terms of improved strength, lean muscle mass and muscular and skeletal health. Ever heard that one before? "Skeletal Health". I refer to this neglected item because it is so incredibly important and even more incredible neglected! Body aches and joint pain are all too often accepted as a part of aging. The reality is that most of these issues are attributed to over developed muscles overwhelming underdeveloped muscle. Look at the physique of a marathon runner. Soft in the mid section, often hunched at the shoulders. They have over developed some muscles while completely neglecting others giving them a skeletal imbalance.
Imagine you were given a skeleton and told you had to make it stand up without hanging it from a hook. You would need a complicated series of support wires. If you pull one too tight it will put strain on another, if one is too loose, it will make the skeleton lean to one side or lurch forward. We have sore backs because our core muscles get weak and we compensate by straining our backs to stay upright. Get the idea? Even active people who like to bike or hike or run as a hobby will have issues with overdeveloped muscles overwhelming underdeveloped muscles. We need a balanced exercise routine where all muscles are strategically worked in order to keep muscular and skeletal health.
Follow our 7 minute workout routines and you will notice how we work all the muscles in the body with equal importance. Muscles are not just there to look strong or impress friends, they serve a function and while you will certainly see some aesthetic improvements, you will feel better than ever!
Additional exerpts found from articles:
1.
http://www.applesforhealth.com/PersonallyYours/dffs8.html
QUOTE From above article:
That's why experts agree exercising to lose a moderate amount of weight can have huge benefits. Studies have shown a 15-pound weight loss, accompanied by 25-minute walks five days a week, could cut a person's risk for diabetes by 58 percent, said Dr. Richard Hellman, president-elect of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
2. By Leah Hoffmann and Lacey Rose
Forbes
updated 4/13/2005 6:34:09 PM ET
....And despite the extra cost, most diets currently on the market are not effective. "Let's face it," says Dr. Stephen Gullo, a New York City doctor and author of The Thin Commandments Diet, "this is the only growth industry in the United States where most of the customers fail."
3.
Lies of the Health and Fitness Industry Exposed
Monday, December 10, 2007 by: Craig Pepin-Donat, The Fit Advocate, citizen journalist
Let's start with a simple truth that helps feed the big, fat health and fitness lie. That truth is that the average person would much prefer to go on a diet or take a pill rather than exercise. This is why the fitness industry, at $17.6 billion in annual revenue, pales in comparison with the diet and weight loss industry, which exceeds $40 billion. Even the supplement industry, with more than $20 billion in annual revenue, outperforms the fitness industry. Yet with a success rate of sustained weight loss as low as 5 percent, more than 50 million Americans line up each year to go on a diet. Why? The answer is simple. When people think about exercise, they relate it to work. Even the phrase we use to describe exercise is to "workout." The truth is that the average American spends the majority of waking life working. Who wants more work? We want to play. We want to relax. We want to escape from the reality of work, Exercise is the last thing we want to do. Instead, we want a shortcut, and the desire for a quick fix is an open invitation for health and fitness parasites.
4. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is an independent US Government organisation that is often quoted by news sources like CNN. This is their latest regarding obesity.
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/obesity.htm
The Obesity Epidemic
More than one third of U.S. adults - more than 72 million-people and 17% of U.S. children are obese. From 1980 through 2008, obesity rates for adults have doubled and rates for children have tripled. During the past several decades, obesity rates for all groups in society regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level, or geographic region have increased markedly.
Policy and Environmental Approaches Needed
The causes of obesity in the United States are complex and numerous, and they occur at social, economic, environmental, and individual levels. American society has become characterized by environments that promote physical inactivity and increased consumption of unhealthful food. To address this problem, approaches to public health that affect large numbers of people in multiple settings, such as communities, schools, work sites, and health care facilities, are needed. Policy and environmental approaches that make healthy choices available, affordable, and easy could be most effective in fighting obesity.
5. Facts from World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/
FACTS:
Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese.
Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.
6. Scientific American Magazine
By David H. Freedman January 18, 2011
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-fix-the-obesity-crisis
Modern epidemic: For millennia, not getting enough food was a widespread problem. Nowadays obesity is a global burden that affects one third of Americans. Another third are overweight.
Obesity is complex: Researchers have developed key insights into its metabolic, genetic and neurological causes. But this work has not amounted to a solution to the public health crisis.
Behavior focus: Using techniques that have proved effective in treating autism, stuttering and alc-o-hol-ism may be the most val-uable for either losing weight or preventing weight gain.
Next steps: Behavior studies show that recording calories, exercise and weight; adopting modest goals; and joining a support group increase the chances of success.
