Ask Away Wednesday: How To Get The Most Out Of An Hour At The Gym & More!
By admin
Good morning! I hope your day is off to a good start. Today is going to be super hectic to say the least. I plan on hitting the road around 5am tomorrow morning to make the drive from Charleston to Baltimore so today is all about getting prepped.
That’s why I am up so freaking early, so I can start crossing off my to-dos at the butt crack of dawn.
First things first… answering your awesome questions!
Gosh, I really can’t say enough how much I love Ask Away Wednesday! If your’e new to LR, AAW is all about highlighting some of the best questions I receive each week… no matter if it’s about exercise, food, or just life.
In case you missed last week’s check it out here.
If you have anything on your mind, let me know and I’ll answer your question next week! 
Ask Away Wednesday: Weight Loss, Training, Running And More!
“What’s the watch you wear when you’re running. I see pictures up on instagram and think it looks pretty cool.”
I get this question a lot since I take shots of my watch with Instagram after my long runs. (P.S… I’m Fitnesstaylor on Instagram).
I LOVE my GPS watch. It’s the Nike Plus GPS watch, which runs off TomTom (Instead of Garmin). Basically, it locks on to “the satellite” and tells me how far I have run, the speed at which I am running, and the calories. Though I don’t really pay attention to the calorie part.
It also gives my splits… what I’ve run each mile in. And once the run is uploaded to my computer it tells me the topography… the inclines/declines and a full map of my run.
Having it has really helped me with my half marathon training. I don’t think it’s necessary for short runs, but if you’re a distance runner this thing is awesome… I know just how far I’ve gone and when I can stop (my favorite part!).
“I would love advice on attempting to cut body fat while trying to train for a half-marathon in a couple of months. I feel like I have 2 competing fitness goals going on: After a 1.5-2 hour run, I don’t have the energy or time to strength train, and on days that I strength train, I feel like I only have time for shorter HIIT workouts. I definitely can only squeeze in one workout a day. The running is going great, but I feel like I’ve hit a plateau with the body fat loss. Any suggestions?”
Great question, and I am afraid you’re not going to like my answer.
A lot of people sign up for half and full marathons with the idea of dropping weight. This is a huge mistake and for about 1/2 (if not more) people actually gain weight during training. Your body is being pushed to the max and needs calories to refuel. Sometimes it’s easy to over estimate the calories you burned on runs and over compensate, and sometimes you will become ravenous from all the exercise.
Training for a big race is definitely not the time to try to aim for a lean out, instead focus on your overall training program.
There is no need to workout 2x per day, so you’re golden there.
On strength training days, doing HIIT workouts is awesome, that’s not bad for your training at all and will help your muscles as well as endurance for your runs. HIIT training is very effective for strength and muscles.
Here’s a workout to try out:
If you have just 20 minutes then you’re doing better than most runners, who completely neglect strength during training season.
With my training I am running 2-3 times a week, doing 1 HIIT workout (for Fit Womens Weekly) and 2 weight lifting workouts. Once the race is over I will go back to mixing workouts up more.
“What is the best way to spend an hour in the gym in order to lose weight efficiently? I just have one machine I can face going on but I know that this won’t help me long term.”
This is a great question and I LOVE that you recognize that an hour on cardio machines isn’t going to cut it. You’re absolutely right. The best way to get results is:
- Have a planned workout. Never ever go in with the idea of “winging” it. That’s a waste of an hour.
- Mix it up. You don’t have to workout for an hour, but if you have an hour to workout I would pass the time with something like this. The first 30-40 minutes strength training with circuit style programs. If you’re new to strength training rely on body weight exercises. Choose 6-10 moves, do each exercise for 10-12 reps and without rest move to the next. Repeat for 3-5 rounds. Then spend the last 20 minutes doing intervals on your favorite piece of equipment. Intervals rock, you can read more about them here: Intervals And Fat Burning.
“I know that you shouldn’t focus on the scale when you are building muscle because muscle weighs more than fat, but when does that number on the scale start to go down? I know that what I’m doing is working because my pants are getting looser, so I am not at all discouraged.”
If you see that your pants are fitting you better, then you’re burning body fat. Who cares about the number on the scale when it’s so evident that you’re leaning out? Most female athletes way much more than you would ever imagine simply because of their musculature, even though they are wearing a size 2 or 4 dress.
If you’re able, I would just put the scale away. Instead take your measurements and/or take progress pictures. Take new pictures and measurements every 2 weeks.
If you’re not able to toss out the scale, then most of the time it takes around 3-4 weeks to see the number start to go down after adding in strength training. Don’t let the number discourage you, remember, it’s just a number. How you feel and look is the #1 determining factor to your success.
Keep up the great work!
Great questions! Keep them rolling in, just post them below, at the facebook page or email me at Taylorryan0406@gmail.com
Wish me luck!
- Are you a last minute packer?
- Do you like road trips or would you rather fly?