Weigh The FAQS

If you’re making the long journey from out-of-shape couch potato to peak fitness hotshot, then you are very likely well acquainted with that chamber of horrors that is the, erm, gym.

Yes, the gym. Despite the prevalence of the calorie counting and carb obsession, fitness gurus counsel the weight loss community that there really is only one way to guarantee that you reach your ideal weight: a regular exercise routine, reliably executed by dragging your lazy butt to the gym three or four times a week.

Now, just because the gym is the only way to get the results you want doesn’t mean that going to the gym doesn’t suck. Exercise benefits you in so many ways - physically and mentally - so why is the gym such a chore? And, since we’re on the topic, why aren’t you losing any weight despite the fact that you’ve been pacing the treadmill for what seems like ten years?

It’s a question I struggled with myself for a long time. It seemed that no matter how many late nights I spent killing myself on the elliptical, I wasn’t losing as much weight as I should have been, considering how frequent my gym trips were.

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Hi everyone, Greg here. Jane’s too busy to write this week, so she asked me to fill in. Ha, she thought she was asking a huge favor of me; little does she know that I’ve been thinking about writing this since my last post. In fact, I plan on weaseling my way into Weigh the FAQs at least every month from here on out! But onto the article: By prison workout, I don’t mean what can happen if you drop the soap. I refer, of course, to a complete, total body workout that can be performed in your prison cell or even the bedroom you share with a spouse (the same thing for some of you) using easily obtainable household items and your own bodyweight. There is no one definitive prison workout, but there are several extremely effective exercises that should be a part of anyone’s home workout arsenal, man or woman.

The official prison workout - as practiced by actual convicts - is the burpee. A strength-building, endurance-raising powerhouse combo exercise, the burpee targets the entire body and doesn’t let up until you vomit, weep, or lie motionless face down on the floor. The burpee is pretty much my desert island exercise; if I had to pick just one workout to do for the rest of my life, the burpee would be it. I linked to a video above that shows it in action, but the actual workout is quite simple.

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Summer is upon us. Rather than fight the heat, why not join it? That’s why my new favorite way to burn calories this season is to lace up my running shoes and go sprinting! Now, be forewarned, if you haven’t already been on a running regimen for a while, don’t even think about hitting the pavement at full speed: you’ll get cramps and aches, and if you’re not careful, even sprains and tears. There’s a reason why athletes train as much as they do. However, if you’re at least doing a moderate amount of cardio, you can enjoy the benefits of summer sprints without doing damage to your body.

Here’s what I do: Warm up for about 5 minutes. Then, 3 minutes of jogging and 30 seconds of sprinting. Repeat that about 6 or 7 times, so that you have a full 30 minute cardio workout. And don’t forget to cool down for another 5 minutes at the end. (Stretching is good too. Although there is conflicting evidence for the benefits of stretching post-workout, I always do due to a slightly weaker right knee I want to keep loose!)

Remember, unless you’re already a sprinting star, you don’t want to overdo it. 30 second bursts with 3 minutes between them is just enough to keep your heart rate up without risking the strain overkill can put on your body.

And enjoy it! Sprinting is the king of cardio, and the reason should be self-evident: the endurance necessary to complete a sprinting workout makes it one of the best calorie-burners out there. Not only does it burn fat, but it lowers stress and keeps your metabolism up for days.

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Baseball. Tennis. Hiking. Sex.

What do these things all have in common? They are all things people can (and should) train for.

Train for sex? Yep, you read right. It’s no secret that sex can be a physically taxing, albeit highly pleasurable, experience. And like any other fun physical activity, the better shape you are in, the better you can, ahem, perform. Why?

Let’s start with the no brainers—being fit means having a healthier heart and lungs, which directly relates to stamina. The same ability to walk/run three miles at a good pace contributes to marathon sessions in the bedroom.

Second up, flexibility training (stretching regularly) not only reduces risk of injury, but can reduce general muscle fatigue and back pain while increasing blood flow and muscle coordination. Increased blood flow and muscle coordination anyone? Not to mention how the same flexibility you need to get into a complicated yoga pose can be useful in other areas.

And finally, strength training not only makes you stronger and increases metabolism (which reduces overall body fat), it also increases testosterone. Why is that important? Low testosterone levels have been linked to decreased libido in both men and women.

But it’s the side effects of being fit that can help keep sexytime fun. Low sex drive has been linked to stress, fatigue and depression — all conditions that regular exercise helps reduce. Feeling healthy also improves self confidence, and as most people know, nothing is sexier than self confidence.

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