Exercise Update » Reader Questions

What Should I Do If I Miss Some Workouts?

Dillon Martin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:32:54 +0000

correcting for missed workouts

It happens to the best of us. You had a rough week at work or your family decides to do the “pop in” for a visit or your old college friends call you up and next thing you know you are in Cancun. Whatever the reason you workout schedule has gotten sidetracked, and you need to figure out how to get back into your regular routine.

Should you try and make up for the missed workouts, or just continue with your training plan in spite of the missed time? This is tough question because of the number of variables involved with each situation.

Consider these guidelines to help get back on course.

Don’t Dwell on It – First of all, accept that you got sidetracked. Curse yourself once and only once because missed workout time is something you can never regain. Now move on. Focus on the future.

How Far Away is Your Goal – If your goal is still far in to the future then it may be best to go back and make up those missed workouts. You can start from the point at which you got sidetracked. This also insures that you won’t start workouts that your body isn’t prepared to handle.

Don’t Risk Injury – This expands on the previous point. Don’t try to workout doubly hard just because you missed workouts. This might cause an increased risk of injury.

How Much Time Did You Miss – If you got sidetracked for an extended period of time then you are probably going to need a few workouts that help build you back up to previous levels.

Opportunity in Disguise – Overtraining can happen to anyone through constant tough workouts, stress, and fatigue without adequate rest. One way to recognize overtraining is a plateau in your progress or constant tiredness. If this is your situation the time off may have done some good and you will actually resume your workouts feeling refreshed and stronger than ever.

Previous Level of Conditioning – If you had a very good level of conditioning prior to getting sidetracked then continuing toward your goal in spite of the missed workouts might be in your best interest. Just make sure to recognize your limits and don’t risk injury. This could take you “out of the game” even longer.

Hope these guidelines help and try not to let it happen again.

About the Author:

Dillon Martin is a fitness professional and certified trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology. He created ExerciseUpdate in 2009 to give people quality information on workouts, nutrition, and motiavtion. He specializes in helping people train for and compete in endurance events such as 5K, 10K, Half-Marathons, Marathons, and Triathlons. You can find out more or contact him at www.dmfitness.com

What Should I Eat After My Workout?

Dillon Martin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:03:52 +0000

Though we aren’t sure of all the factors that may contribute to fatigue after a workout it is evident that muscle glycogen is depleted in the muscle following many types of workouts including both endurance and resistance training. This means that the quicker you can replenish your glycogen supplies the quicker your body can recover to be prepared for the next workout. In order to enhance glycogen synthesis and replenish your muscles after exercise you can take in carbohydrate rich foods as well as protein and possibly amino acid supplements.

Most importantly having a good diet at the outset will insure that your body has the adequate vitamins and minerals present to recover properly between workout sessions. This will enable you to put forth your best effort during each workout session leading to a better performance and better chance of fat loss.

Rehydration

Another thing to keep in mind following your workouts is rehydration. Your fluid intake after exercise should at least exceed the fluids lost during exercise. Also a drink containing the electrolytes sodium and potassium is recommended to help replenish the body. A drink that includes carbohydrates are easy to drink and will help aid in the restoration of muscle glycogen. Make sure you account for the additional Calories in your diet from your post workout drink because for fat loss goals you still want to maintain an overall negative Calorie balance.

Protein, Supplements, and Resistance Training

When it comes to protein I am not suggesting you need to take in huge amounts nor am I endorsing a overly high protein diet. As long as your overall protein intake is adequate then an additional 6-40 gm of high quality protein post workout should do the job. Protein also play a critical role in your post workout recovery, especially after resistance training. It helps in the accumulation of skeletal muscle protein for proper repair and growth of the muscle tissue. You absolutely want to maintain a positive protein balance in your overall diet and especially after workouts. Positive protein balance simply means that you are taking in more protein each day than your body is expending for energy and the rebuilding of muscle tissue. Most proteins are rich in glutamic acid which will enhance post workout glycogen restoration. You can get your proteins preferalby from foods (meat, eggs, and milk) but also from whey, casin, or egg based protein supplements. The one protein supplement to avoid might be collagen. I don’t believe there are many pure collagen protein supplements still available in the market, but some supplement manufactures may use them as a cheap filler in existing protein supplements. Be sure to read your labels to avoid this ingredient. You can add Amino Acid’s (AA) but many protien supplements include extra amino acids anyway.

Avoiding Supplements

milk is a readily available post workout food

It is important to emphasize that what you ingest after a workout does not always require expensive supplements. I personally try to stick by natural foods when possible and some individuals may encounter a situation that does not allow, or frowns upon, certain supplements. One research paper by Ryan Johnson, MEd, CSCS observed that a good post workout meal consisted of something as simple as a box of chocolate milk or a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. Both of these pure food alternatives contained about the right ratio of protein to carbs and are readily available.

Conclusion

Remember that when it comes to post workout nutrition you should have a mix of carbs and protein. More importantly though than what you eat, your post workout drink or meal should be delivered to the body quickly after your workout.

References:

Ryan Johnson, MEd, CSCS (2008). Post-Workout Nutrition for the High School Athlete. Strength and Conditioning Journal, Volume 30 Number 4

G. Damon Wells, MS (2009). The Post-Workout Protien Puzzle: Which Protien Packs the Most Punch. Strength and Conditioning Journal, Volume 31 Number 1

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Question: Is it better to eat before exercise to give you energy or better to use your stored fat as energy? Does it depend on the workout you are performing? Cardio or Resistance Training

Dillon Martin — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:10:03 +0000

Is it better to eat before exercise to give you energy or better to use your stored fat as energy? Does it depend on the workout you are performing? Cardio or Resistance Training

This question was asked by one of our Facebook Fans and it is a good question that I think deserves some attention.

There seems to be a common line of thinking among fitness enthusiasts that if you exercise on an empty stomach in the morning then your body will burn more fat because you have less food in your body to provide energy. While this might seem logical I can not find much proof or research that this line of thinking is true.

Oh, I wish it were as simple as having a little switch on your body to turn on and off the fat burning mode. The problem is that using the time frame of a single workout to gauge the amount of fat you will burn does not reveal the big picture of what’s happening.

The truth is your body doesn’t burn food, it doesn’t burn fat, protein, or carbs either. Your body burns glycogen through a complex cellular process (I’ll save the details of the process for a future article). This means that in order to provide your body with energy, glycogen has to be immediately available for it to use. This typically comes from glycogen stored in the muscle. If you are excising continuously for an extended period of time then your body has to seek the glycogen it needs from protein in the muscle, liver, or fat in the body.

Unfortunately you can’t choose where it comes from. During resistance training your glycogen gets partially replenished in the muscle between sets. This prepares the body for the next round of physical exertion. Proper nutrition after your workout will also enhance recovery.

The food you eat before exercise isn’t really going to have time to fully digest and be available for the body to use unless you are taking in very simple sugars. What you should consider is how you feel when exercising on empty stomach. If it leaves you feeling depleted or unable to exercise as hard then I would say go ahead and have some food or a small meal before you exercise. Being able to exercise at full strength is going to enable you to get more benefit from each workout by lifting more weight, exercising longer, using a higher resistance level, etc.

One double blind research study concluded that injesting an energy drink before your workout did improve performance specifically during resistance training due to a hormone response by the body. The ingredients in the workout drink contributing to the increased performance consisted of taurine, caffeine, and glucuronolactone. It should be noted that this study consisted of a small sample size of 8 experienced well-trained individuals. (Hoffman et al., 2008)

So how do you get the glycogen to come from stored body fat so you can shed the pounds? It really comes down to the big picture perspective of taking out more energy (Calories) than you are putting in your body. If over the course of a day or week you are burning more than you are taking in then your body will have to start getting that glycogen from somewhere. The answer is of course, fat stores! One of the reasons your body stores fat is so it available to utilize when you are not taking in enough Calories to meet the body’s demands.

This makes resistance training very important because it helps maintain your muscle. After all, your body is smart enough to know that it needs those muscles in the future for resistance training sessions.

References:

Hoffman, J.; Ratamess, N; Ross, R.; Shanklin, M.; Kang, J. & Faigenbaum, A. (2008). Effect of a Pre-Exercise Energy Supplement on the Acute Hormonal Response to Resistance Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(3) 874-882

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Question: Should I Cleanse My Body and Should I Hire A Personal Trainer?

Dillon Martin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:26:03 +0000

Question: I want to loose weight so I can be more active, live longer, look better, enjoy my family, etc. I just don’t know where to start. Do I need to clean my digestive system before I start a diet plan? Do I need a personal trainer to start an exercise plan?

Answer: These are two good questions that many people getting started may have. Without knowing much about your background and eating habits I will give you a couple of thoughts that may help.

Cleaning your digestive system can mean many different things. To some people this means only eating certain foods for a period of time. In other cases it could mean drinking a particular type of detoxification beverage. Some people also try a period of severe calorie restriction in an effort to cleanse their body which may actually lead to weight gain after the cleansing period is over. Without knowing the specifics of your situation it is impossible to recommend any of the suggestions above.

One tip however is to make sure that you are getting plenty of raw vegetables, raw fruits, and other high fiber foods everyday. This combination should help to have a cleansing effect for your body and improve your health. Take a look at this resource page from MyPyramid.gov. It has some good tips for selecting the right fruits and vegetables.

On the need for a personal trainer the answer is, it depends. Being a personal trainer myself I think some trainers perform a great service and having a good coach to help you should get you started on the right path. There are, however, some things that you should take into consideration when selecting a trainer. Remember that a trainer is your coach and is there to hold you accountable. They are not your best friend or pal. He or she should be guiding you and teaching you about fitness and how to improve your body. If you are getting one on one private training your trainer should sit down with you and take your personal goals and needs into consideration and then formulate a plan specific for you. If you feel like that all the trainer wants to do is take you through a standard workout and collect your money then you may be better off going at it on your own. A good trainer however will help you set your goals and hold you accountable to achieving them in a certain period of time. Trainers should help you avoid injuries and overtraining. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the trainer about past results that he or she has had with other people who have goals similar to yours. Some trainers offer conditioning or bootcamp classes at a lower rate for those who want a great workout but need less personal attention. Often times this will fit your needs if your goal is better physical conditioning and weight loss.

Good questions and I hope this helps.