Fitness Pudding - Where The Proof Is

Someone recently asked if running on a flat treadmill (0% grade) was bad. When I questioned a bit further, she confessed to reading an online article that put running on a flat treadmill in  the top 7 list of things fitness experts wish you'd stop doing . Being a fitness expert, I was lumped into this group who supposedly thought running on a flat treadmill was bad, worthless, did not 'burn' as many calories , and...

An editorial was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, claiming that "you cannot outrun a bad diet". This editorial (not a research study) has spawned a media frenzy of posts that presumably confirm that exercise is worthless in weight loss. Study says exercise doesn't help with weight loss Science says exercise isn't actually helping lose weight Going to the gym isn't helping you lose weight Exercise doesn't promote weight loss: Research Secret to weight...

We know that physical activity is a key component to successful weight loss and maintenance, especially when paired with healthy food (energy) intake. However, some research suggests that differences in weight loss might be explained (at least partially) by an increase in energy intake to compensate for the energy expenditure of physical activity. 2 So, does exercise cause us to eat more? To see if this is true or not, recent interest has focused on the...

We have all seen them before, pacing the perimeter of the mall in a tight-laced pair of walking shoes. I have personally been lapped, twice, by a mall walker at Post Oak Mall in College Station, Texas. Mall walking hit a peak of popularity in the 1990s, yet is quickly coming back as a popular choice for physical activity. I am happy to see it's revival, but can mall walking be of any benefit? Mall Walking...

The #1 reported barrier to weight training by women, is the fear of getting big muscles. This fear is very unfortunate, because (1) it is a fallacy, and (2) it prevents women from enjoying all of the wonderful benefits of weight training. So, Why the Fear? There are convincing arguments from both social and innate sides as to why these fears exist, and why they are so common. Nature. Speaking generally, evidence suggests that most women...

Some recent headlines have some reconsidering going for their next jog! "Too much jogging as bad as no exercise at all." "Fast running is as deadly as sitting on couch, scientists find."  "Stop that binge jogging! Three times a week is best for you...and too much is as bad as doing nothing." Could this be true? The media would never sensationalize such a topic, right? Let's clarify. The Study These articles were based on a recent...

Ironically, I am pretty darn sore right now. A leg workout from 2 days ago has made taking the stairs and sitting on the toilet a bit more deliberate! Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) has definitely kicked in – but could I have prevented this soreness if I had stretched after my workout? Soreness To get everyone on the same page, soreness is a general term for the fatigue and discomfort in the muscles that results from...

Tis the season for cardio machines to be full – inspired by new year's resolutions or guilt from holiday splurges. With no time to dissect the motivational or emotional aspects of these efforts, I turn attention to the virtue of honesty. Are cardio machines lying to you when estimating energy expenditure (calories) from a workout? I will focus on treadmills and ellipticals. Prediction Equations: How They Work All cardio machines depend on equations  to 'predict' how...

When I was in graduate school, I stumbled across a picture of a prone bridge abdominal exercise (i.e. "plank"), and the caption said it was a "Core Stabilizing Exercise". The next day I saw another magazine with the same plank exercise, but they called it a "Core Strengthening Exercise." Well, which is it? Strength and stability are two completely different ways of training. As a result — in 2007, I wrote an exhaustive, research review article...

The latest myth to be brought to my attention is one of the top 10 exercise cheats "that blow your calorie burn." — holding onto the handles while doing the elliptical machine. Since this made the top 10 of all exercise cheats, get ready to see a bunch of people in the gym refusing to hold on to the handles while doing their cardio! The Health.com article, which was re-posted by Yahoo! states: " ...hanging on...