Thursday, September 17, 2015

Frequently Asked Fitness Questions

FAQ

If I stop working out will my muscle turn to fat?
Muscle does not turn to fat. They are two very different types of cells. When you see your favorite athletes after retirement and they’ve put on a lot of weight it’s because their metabolism has slowed as they age and because their muscle mass has declined. They burn fewer calories in their daily activity. And they keep eating like they did their entire career but the training has stopped.
By the way, fat does not turn to muscle either. As a matter of fact, if you are overweight and lose weight you don’t lose fat cells. You still have roughly the same number of fat cells. The cells just shrink as you burn the fat stored there. That’s one reason it’s so easy to gain it back if you go back to old eating habits. The cells are already there just waiting for you to fall off the wagon.




Should I take a pain reliever (such as Nsaids) for DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)?

As a rule, No. Scientifically speaking, studies have shown that Nsaids and aspirin interfere with rate of recovery from training by masking some of the signals that initiate the construction and repair process including protein synthesis.
I do use Nsaids on occasion for tendonitis or minor joint pain but I wouldn’t use it just for simple DOMS soreness. If DOMS is severe enough to affect your workout I would increase my warm up and/or add some stretching to affected muscles. That will usually eliminate much of the discomfort.



Aren’t squats bad for my knees? (This one is important!)

NO. Squats can be absolutely brutal and they will challenge you every set, but there's another one of those myths floating around -- that they're bad for knees. Squats are not bad for the knees; improper squats are bad for the knees. Squatting with good form has been actually shown to be beneficial for the knees and make the move one of the biggest and best compound movements  you can perform. Every routine should include some form of squats. Squats will build a big foundation of strength.
On the flip side, squatting halfway or incorrectly can lead to problems, including knee pain. When you perform squats make sure your toes stay in line with your knees. Try not to make your knees buckle out or in.(Especially in) If you can’t get down to parallel on a conventional squat you need find an alternative and/or work on you hip and ankle  flexibility before attempting heavy lifts. Some people simply don’t have the hip flexibility to do conventional squats.

Alternatives include: Front squats, hack squats, box squats, split squats, Zelcher squats, Jefferson squats and others. There is almost always some form of squat that will work. You may have to work your way up to conventional back squats but the results are worth the effort regardless of your goal. You can see videos of all the squat variations at




SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO alphaedgefitness@gmail.com  If I don’t have an answer I’ll find someone who does. 

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