BODIES BY HOFFMAN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q.	What's the best way to lose fat?
A.	Losing fat is simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in. You need to either decrease your daily caloric intake, or increase energy expenditure, or both. Realize this: 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories. So to lose a pound of fat, you need to expend an extra 3500 calories somehow. The point I want to make is that 3500 calories is a lot. It cannot happen in a couple of days healthfully. If weight loss is happening faster than 1 to 2 pounds a week, than precious muscle is being converted for energy.
Q.	To burn fat, I need to do aerobic training, right?
A.	Not necessarily. It is true that when you do aerobic training in the recommended target heart rate, more calories come from fat. However, between 200-350 calories are burned during a typical aerobic workout. Roughly equal to a candy bar. So even though calories are from fat during aerobic exercise, it is easy to replace the calories without realizing it. I believe strength training is actually a better form of exercise for permanent fat loss.
Q.	Why strength training?
A.	Strength training has a much higher impact on the energy in/energy out equation. By strength training and adding muscle, you raise your basal metabolic rate (how many calories are burned daily at rest). Research shows that for every pound of muscle you have, you burn an extra 30 to 60 calories a day. This is regardless you exercise or not! As an example, if you did a strength training program and gained an extra three pounds of muscle, you can burn an extra 90 to 180 calories a day. Over a week that can mean an extra 630 to 1260 calories burned. Here is the kicker: the average person will lose about ½ pound a year of muscle starting in the early 20’s throughout the rest of his or her life. By age 30, that means 5 pounds of muscle, and the metabolic rate drops accordingly, making it harder to lose body-fat. Strength training is the only way to reverse it.
Q.	What about my heart?         Don’t I need aerobic training to keep my heart and lungs fit?
A.	It is true that aerobic training works the heart and lungs, but the same benefit can be done with strength training. Moving quickly between sets elevate the heart rate for a sustained period of time. Many people take several minutes between sets when doing strength training. This is inefficient and a waste of time.
Q.	So you are saying that aerobic training is unnecessary?
A.	Yes. You do not need to do aerobic to attain a high level of fitness. But if you enjoy aerobic exercise, go ahead and do it. There is an order of importance, though. Strength training should be the first priority, and aerobic training is secondary.
Q.	I don’t want to get big and bulky.         How do I train for tone instead of bulk?
A.	To set the record straight, women cannot get big and bulky. First of all, women do not have as much cross-sectional muscle mass as men, and women do not have as much testosterone as men. This needs to be clear, because to achieve tone and definition, one must train the same way as one who wants to get bulky. In other words, be willing to train intensely. What’s interesting about strength training is that if women do it right, it brings out the more feminine characteristics, whereas with men it brings out more of the masculine characteristics.
Q.	You seem to strongly favor strength training. Why?
A.	Of all the forms of exercise available, I find strength training to be the fountain of youth. It increases energy and vitality, increases the basal metabolic rate, increases strength so daily tasks are easier, goes a long way toward injury prevention, and keeps the body functioning at a high level for a long time. What’s more, you never have to increase volume or frequency to see improvements, just the intensity. You can actually have a life and be highly fit with strength training.
Q.	What about the elderly? Can they benefit from strength training?
A.	Emphatically yes! It is a great weapon in the fight against osteoporosis, and research shows that the elderly can improve their strength and muscle mass as easily as someone who is younger. I’ve also noticed better posture and mobility with the elderly we work with.
Q.	What’s the deal with the fitball and balance board?         Why do you use them?
A.	Two main reasons. First, it improves proprioception. Proprioception is simply your body sensing where it is in relation to space. In other words, how coordinated are you? As kids we develop propioception by playing on unstable surfaces such as jungle gyms, rocks and trees, etc. When we get older, we stop doing that. We lose some of that proprioception. I believe it is important for better sports performance, and to make daily tasks easier. An example is if you need to stand on a ladder and change a light bulb. Secondly, it creates a stable body. It is important for the body to maintain proper alignment while doing activities under load. If it isn’t, then the joints are misaligned leading to potential injury. A good example is someone doing a leg press. If the knees dip in during the set, it is due to the muscles on the outside of the thighs being weak. The knees are misaligned, and if the trainee continues for a period of time, the knees will start to wear down. Working on the balance board and fitball challenges and strengthens the stabilizer muscles, so they perform better. In short, it creates a more functional body.
Q.	Does the low-carb diet work?
A.	Atkins did an amazing job marketing this concept over the last 20 years. It finally came to full fruition about three years ago. The answer is yes and no. It does work for weight loss, but not for the reasons people think. Three things happen when someone does the low-carb diet. First, there is a large amount of water lost. For every molecule of carbohydrate stored in the body, the body stores two molecules of water. So when the carbohydrates are gone, so goes the water, and weight loss. Another thing that happens that when someone cuts out carbohydrates, they cut out about 60% of the daily calories, and they don’t eat enough protein to make up for it. In other words, it is a calorie reduction diet in disguise. Finally, and most important to exercisers, is that by cutting carbs, the body has no energy to do critically important intense exercise that brings about meaningful body change. I experimented with the diet on some of my clients and I was not impressed. It was hard to stick to, and their changes did not happen any faster or better than clients doing a moderate diet. To sum it up, there are better, more enjoyable nutrition programs to use.
Q.	What about supplements? Do they really work?
A.	That’s a tough question. The majority of people rely on anecdotal evidence much more so than empirical evidence when it comes to supplements. The only one that is research proven to my knowledge is creatine. I also think a good meal replacement powder after a workout works well too. It is easy to make, and is easy to drink after a workout. Other than that, it is my opinion that you are throwing away money if you buy anything else.
Q.	What is “mindful personal training”?
A.	Mindful personal is simply about being present, both you and the trainer. Most trainers don’t realize this, but when they work with a client, they project what they think the client needs and wants instead of really listening to the client and being responsive. Most clients also do not know what they really want and need from a training program as well. For example, a client may start working out because she wants to reshape her body, but she may be unaware that she just wants to feel better and have more energy. To reshape her body, she would train very hard, maybe harder than she really wants to train. Both of these scenarios can create an internal conflict and a dread for exercise. I think being aware of your true motivation as well as the trainer being present is important to know because that is the only way to integrate exercise, health and well being into your life. At Bodies by Hoffman, that is our driving mission.