Dan asked:
How long can I go without lifting weights before my muscles go away?
FitnessDude Answer:
Thanks for that great question Dan. Studies have showed that after 2 weeks of doing no activity, you will usually see a 10% decrease in muscle strength, but as long as you can stay active with other activities such as swimming or sports like tennis, you will probably not see any or very little decrease for about 6 weeks, because those workouts help to retain muscle.
Jerry from New York asked:
Does Degreasing A Pizza With A Napkin Help Cut Calories?
FitnessDude Answer:
It actually does help to cut the calories, but only a little. Sorry, but it will probably only take about 30 calories out of the pizza. I guess if you are eating four slices then you can save around 120 calories, but you probably shoud not be eating 4 slices of pizza if you are trying to lose weight. I have had New York pizza before and it is delicious, so it is kind up to you if it is worth it or not to save around 30 calories.
I was recently asked by Cindy, CA
How do I know when my core is strong enough?
Ask The Fitness Dude’s answer:
In order to find out how strong you are in the core, or if you are strong enough, there is a wonderful test called the trunk-stability push up. This move will allow you to access if you need to be stronger in your core.Here is how you do a trunk-stability push up. Lie face down on the floor like you are about to do a push up, but instead of placing your hands beneath your shoulders move them forward until your thumbs are in line with the top of your forehead. Now try to push yourself up. If your back can stay perfectly straight, your core is solid, you can continue to do you normal core routines and be happy. If you had to contort your torso to get your body up, try again but keep your thumbs in line with your chin. If you can do a perfect 
push up in this position, your core is average, if you can’t do a perfect push up then that means you need to add more core focused routines in your workout sessions. By adding a front bridge to your weekly workouts, you can definitely improve the strength of your core. Assume a push up position but with your forearms resting on the floor. Your elbows should be under your shoulders and bent 90 degrees. Brace your abs and hold for 45 seconds, and repeat.
I hope that answered your question.
What can I do to have a faster first step in sports?
Tommy – NY
In order to become fast from the moment you make your first stride, you will need to train fast, and also work on explosive drills. You will definitely want to do sprinting drills around three times a week, and involve some plyometrics. Plyometrics are great for your central nervous system, and teaching your nervous system to fire all at once will definitely help you to have a quicker first step. Plyometrics will also help you jump higher too. Some quick foot drills will also help you with getting faster out of the blocks. If you want to be fast, then do fast speed workouts.
Are weight belts necessary every time I lift heavy weights?
Samuel, OH
This might come as a shock to some readers, but…no. You do not have to wear a weight belt when you lift heavy weights. The reason being and the reason why professional lifters do not wear weight belts, except with competition weights, is because they need to build core strength. You, also need to build core strength. Before you decide to start lifting heavy weights, make sure that you are strong in your torso, hips and shoulders. You might want to start working on those areas regularly, so that you can start strengthening your core and handle more difficult weights without using a weight belt.
If you want to learn more about your abs and strengthening your core click here—>Get flat abs
Should I do weekly rotations between ChaLean and Insanity? I can’t seem to maintain a straight program of Insanity and thought a rotation would be more helpful rather than no workouts because I’m tired or worn out.
Ask The Fitness Dude’s Answer:
First off, if any of you are not familiar with the ChaLean Extreme Workout or Insanity Workout, they are workout DVDs that can be done in your very own home, for either 60 to 90 days. Both ChaLean Extreme and the Insanity Workout come with nutrition guides and fitness guides. To answer Mr. Hampton’s question…Yes, you can do anything you want with these workout DVDs. If you get bored or if the workouts get repetitious , then it is definitely okay to switch it up.
Just make sure that you are not always working out the same body region. Another disadvantage is that you will not be able to follow the calendars that the workouts plan out for you. You will need to make sure that you stay disciplined and keep really good track of where you are at in the workouts. Both of these workouts are great and different, so they should compliment each other very well.
Than you for your question.
What should I eat after a workout?
Thanks for the question Ben.
Well, there are a couple ways you can go about this. It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish physically with your workout. If you are trying to build lean muscle and lose weight, I would say to have a mixture between protein and complex carbs. If you are trying to pack on more muscle, I would say to eat more protein foods than carb foods. You should have something to eat at least 30 minutes after your workout, your body will absorb the nutrients better. Although I would not really find something to eat, but more something to drink. You have a small window of opportunity to replenish your body with protein and complex carbs, and sometimes food just takes to long to break down. But liquid forms are great. I would get a whey protein powder to drink right after a workout if I was you. Whey protein will help promote either a toned looking body or a muscular looking body.
I hope that answers your question.
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I heard if I were to sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair I will lose weight. Is that true?
Ask The Fitness Dude’s Answer:
This is actually a pretty common question, and there is always someone saying, “My cousin lost 20 lbs. by sitting on a ball!” It is those statements that give life to this rumor. Although it would be nice if we could lose weight by sitting on a ball, that is just not the case. Sitting on an exercise ball will help strengthen your core, but it will not allow you to burn off enough calories to shed off fat. People might experience some weight loss if they have not worked out in years, but for the most part people will see very little weight loss. Exercise balls are great though! There are tons of workouts you can do with an Exercise ball that can strengthen your whole body, but unfortunately sitting on an exercise ball is not one of those exercises.
Thank you for the question Katie, sorry if it was not the answer you were hoping for.
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Does it matter what order I do my workouts in? What should I do first…Cardio or Weight Lifting?
Ask The Fitness Dude’s Answer:
That is a great question Carlos! It actually depends. It depends if you are working out the same muscle group. Let’s say you were doing some weight lifting for your legs or lower body and running for your cardio. You would actually want to do the weight lifting first, because lifting weights help you retain your muscles, especially if you are dieting. Cardio does not retain your muscles.
On the other hand…Let’s say you were lifting weights for your upper body and running for cardio. The order simply does not matter. Begin with whatever you feel like.
Thank you for the question Carlos, I hope that helps.
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What is the best way to workout and tone your thighs for women?
Well, that is a great question, because one of the main concerns for women is their thigh region. Women are always asking this question, and fortunately there are some very simple exercises that women can do to slim and tone their thighs.
First of all, get rid of the fear that you are going to bulk up your thighs. You WILL build muscle mass, but do not worry and do not fret…because you are going to build “lean” muscle mass. Building muscle is the fastest way to burn fat, but these exercises will focus on building lean and toned muscles, instead of thunder thigh bulky muscles. You will get even faster results if you combine your thigh workouts with a healthy and balanced diet and some aerobics and some anaerobic exercises (like sprinting or cycling).
If you have a membership at a gym, there are a lot of machines that you can use to help tone your thighs. Any leg extension machines are great, where you are either in a sitting position or on your stomach. Look around there are plenty of exercise machines that target your thighs. When you are lifting weights to tone, do lighter weight and more repetitions. Do not speed through the workout; make sure you stay slow and steady. Also, many gyms have classes; try to get in the cycling class if you feel fit enough.
If you do not have a gym membership, then do not worry; you can get great thighs in your own home. Some of the best workouts do not involve weights at all, and these workouts will definitely challenge you and burn your thighs.
If you have a wall at your house (which you should!), do wall squats. Remember when you did wall squats in P.E. in elementary and high school, and how much you hated them. Well learn to love them! Hold out the wall squats for 30 seconds and then have a 10 second break, do this 3 times to start off. Make sure you are near a 90-degree angle and try to improve your time.
Lunges, this is a great exercise for your thighs, and usually you do not need any weight to perform this exercise. You can do this exercise in your living room, by stepping back into a lunge, or up and down your hallway. As time progresses then start adding weight, if you do not have any dumbbells then improvise, get two cans of soup, or something a little heavier.
Squats and Squat Jacks, regular squats can be done any where in your house. My sister did squats as she was brushing her teeth, you can also do squats while you watch TV. Just make sure that you keep you knees behind your toes for proper form. You can also do Squat Jacks, which is like a jumping jack, but you jump into a squat instead.
It is important to be creative and have fun, match these workouts with a healthy diet and you should see fast results. Plus it is also important to know that you need to build lean muscle mass around your whole body, by light weight lifting or interval training. No matter what infomercials or exercise companies say, you cannot target weight loss in one area. That goes for any region of the body, whether it is your thighs or your abs.
