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Q: How often should I exercise?

A: The answer depends on several things. An individual should set up goals to establish how much time and effort they are willing to give to this endeavor. Generally, cardio exercise should be incorporated 3-4 days a week for at least 30 or more minutes per day, ultimately to help improve a person’s endurance. However, if significant weight loss is the goal, 4-5 days per week would be more effective in increasing the amount of daily calories burned. Strength training can be done effectively as little as twice per week if the routine is comprehensive and intense enough. A person looking to isolate muscle groups and build his or her strength may find it necessary to exercise 3-5 times per week. Availability is often a factor for many people. Whatever training schedule a person chooses should be effective with a clear purpose during each exercise session to avoid wasting time. An effective trainer needs to be able to recognize each client’s needs, capabilities, limitations and preferences in order to design a total program that will adequately meet the needs of the individual.


Q: Is it true that you should do higher reps with lower weight for tone and lower reps with higher weight for strength?

A: There is no doubt that a person who uses a heavier weight to exercise will become stronger as the muscles adapt to the stress of the weight. In addition, they will also become better toned; in fact, just as toned as the muscles of a person using a light weight with high reps. The notion that doing high reps will lead to increased “cut” or muscle definition is simply not true. For the most part, muscle definition is a function of a person’s level of body fat more than anything else. If doing low weight and increased reps does not make someone more “cut”, what does it do? It limits strength development for one thing and may improve local muscle endurance more than low rep training, but hardly any other benefit will occur. Another important consideration when discussing the number of reps one should do is the exercise intensity. Repetition range guidelines—whether 8-10 or 12-15 reps—works on the assumption that a person is using a weight that will cause them to come to muscular failure during the number of reps they have chosen. For example, when a person completes 15 reps on the lat pull-down using a certain weight—when they could have done 20—the overall reps will not stimulate the muscle significantly. Similarly, when a person is lifting a heavy weight for five reps when they could have done eight they are limiting the strength development simply because the muscles of the body will not adapt in strength unless they are forced to. So, what is best? The average adult involved in general fitness should train to near failure in a set with a range of 10-15 reps. Using heavier weight for less reps will build more strength but also at a higher risk of injury. Finally, one should increase weight when it is evident that reaching 15 reps is no longer in doubt. For safety, always increase weight by the smallest available increment.


Q: Will core strength training help me lose fat around my mid section?

A. In and of itself, no. Core strength work will improve the strength and the tone of the abdominal muscles and help to keep the belly tucked in. An individual cannot lose fat under the skin of any area such as the abdomen, just by working that area intensely. This is called “spot reduction” and unfortunately it does not work. Actually the body tends to store fat in common areas – hips, abdomen, legs, etc. As we know different people tend to carry fat in some areas more than others. One thing seems true; people who lose weight tend to lose it in reverse order of how they gained it. For example, if a person gained 20 pounds over a one year period and noticed that the last place they seemed heavier was in their abdomen, then the abdomen would be the first area to begin to lose the fat once they begin shedding some weight. Conversely, if the abdomen was the first place to gain weight, it may take more time to see fat loss in that area. The point is, a person can become very frustrated if they think they are going to lose weight in a trouble area first, just because they are increasing the amount of abdominal work. One thing for certain is if a person does lose weight in the abdominal region as a result of a complete exercise program and dietary adjustment, the abdominal areas should look fit because the muscle development will be present and visible.


Q. How long will it take before I see some results from my exercise program?

A. Four-to-six weeks is typical for individuals begin to see results from exercise and strength training. Strength increases before muscles enlarge and by six weeks, people can usually begin to notice changes in the muscles. Endurance training works on a similar time table. The body has an amazing ability to increase the amount and level of endurance activities in a relatively short time, especially for beginners. There is however more room for improvement with beginners. The synergy between strength and endurance training combined with dietary changes can be remarkable. It is amazing how increasing muscle and endurance as well as decreasing body fat can transform how a person looks and feels.


Q. Which are better to use, free weights or machines?

A. Both free weights and machines can be effective. Free weights offer a better opportunity to do a variety of movements while machines are often easier to use and much more stable. Cooper Massage & Fitness has yet to know a client who does not use both effectively together.

Q: How often should I exercise?
A: The answer depends on several things. What goals you have and how much time and effort you are willing to give to this endeavor? Generally, cardio exercise should be incorporated 3-4 days per week for at least 30 or more minutes per day which improves a person’s endurance.

Exercise wards off disease.
Exercise has been shown to slow or help prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and loss of muscle... Read More - WebMD