The shape of things

An article today on Yahoo!News talks about the popularity of circuit workout gyms. These gyms specialize in providing members a quick workout that targets everything (think Curves). But nowadays, there are more choices and for both genders, inclduing boxing-style circuits.

The claim is that American will like these workouts because they can fit them in their busy schedules. Apparently, one third of health clubs in America are express workout facilities.

I remain a skeptic. I was hoping that the article would divulge information about the effectiveness of express circuit workouts, but unfortunately no such information was provided. My sister and a few aunts swear by the Curves workouts, but I'm still a fan of the good old fashion gym workout. I've read in magazines that the express circuit workout is best for people who are new to fitness and exercise and need an easy approach. I agree with this. But most go on to say that it is easy to get bored with this type of workout and eventually people will either stop working out altogether due to boredom or have to switch to another workout.

I'm skeptical about these circuits because the article said one lasted only 20 minutes. So even if you workout every weekday, you're not even getting 2 hours of exercise a week! And, let's say that these circuits make you work out at a very high intensity (which, I doubt) you would only be burning around 180 calories per workout (according to Self.com's calorie calculator based on a 145 pound woman). This does add up to 900 calories if you workout 5 times a week, but it's way below the 3,500 calories that are needed to burn to lose one pound a week.

I also think these workouts lack in cardio activity. I know that the point of circuit training is to keep you moving and keep your heart rate up, but compared to running you're not burning nearly as much calories.

One positive thing about these circuits is that strength training is added to the workout. I feel that many people, especially women, skimp on strength training due to intimidation and lack of knowledge. Although strength training may not burn as much calories as cardio, combining the two (30 min. cardio, 30 min. strength) offers a very well-rounded fitness routine. You'll be burning fat on the cardio, and building muscles that will slowly reveal themselves as the fat melts away. Much better results.

What are your thoughts on express workouts?

It's been a while since I've posted. I do apologize. Hopefully this time around I'll stay more current.

As it's nearing that time of year again that college students start school once again, we're reminded of the dangers of freshman 15. I read this article about the topic. Nothing really new or startling in the information, but just a reminder about how different eating habits and availability of a lot of food can lead to weight gain.

I was reminded of my college weight gain experience. Although I doubt I gained 15 pounds in my first year, I do know that I gained about 25 pounds from the time I started college to the middle of my senior year four years later.

The culprit? Many things affected my weight gain.

1. I think one of the most significant was that I stopped playing soccer 4 times a week like I did in high school. Soccer practice and games every weekend easily totaled more than 5 hours of intense exercise a week. When I got to college, there was no soccer practice or soccer games.
   
2. The cafeteria. Like mentioned in the article, the cafeteria did have some healthy options but more often than not that's not what I put on my plate. Or if I did, the portions were WAY bigger than what I would have normally ate at home. Plus, ending each meal *lunch & dinner* with soft-serve ice cream also contributed.
   
3. Late night. My freshman year I would go out with friends about 3-4 times a week. We'd drink a lot and then usually stop somewhere to get a late-night/early-morning snack (McDonalds, Canes chicken fingers, jack in the box, JUNK!).
   
4. Going out to eat. As I cooled down from the partying scene, I started making more friends with different interests. Since we weren't wasting all of our money on booze, we'd waste it on going out to eat every other night. Not only does that add up in money, but also pounds.
   
5. Lack of care. I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice that I was gaining weight. I noticed it when I had to buy all new pants and when I realized I was wearing a bigger size than my older sister, who previously I had always been smaller than. But despite that, I didn't care. I thought it was just a general slow down in my metabolism...not the fact that I was consuming WAY too many calories and not exercising. By the way, back then the word "calories" was a four-letter word to me. I made fun of my friends who counted them!
   
6. Sodas, frappucinnos, etc. While I was on campus I'd stop and get a soda (or two) to sip on during class. If I had a break I'd make a run for the Starbucks and order a sugary frozen drink *grande size!* and if I was bored in class, I'd buy some junk food from the vending machine to snack on class. Result? I was eating tons of calories when I wasn't even hungry.

Why did I feel the need to post all this? Well I want it to be a warning and a reminder to all who are about to embark on a new chapter in life. Whether you're starting college this fall or maybe you just realized that your health is in bad shape, hopefully some of these things will jump out at you and you'll realize what is causing you to gain weight.

Like I said before, I never really noticed the numbers on the scale (I rarely got on one) but I did notice that every year or so I'd go up a size when I was buying jeans. When you realize you've gone up 3 sizes in 3 years, it's alarming.

I encourage you, if you haven't already done this, to examine your life the way you live it right now and figure out what it is about your day-to-day habits that could be causing you to be unhealthy. And next? Make a change!