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Frequently Asked Questions1. Is it safe for children from ages 12 - 22 weight lift? 2. How important is it for women to strength train? 3. How do I loose weight and keep it off? 5. How do I loose my love handles, or flatten my stomach or my saddlebags (hips and thighs)? 6. How do I gain muscle, especially in my arms and chest? 7. How do I relieve my low back pain?
Q. Is it safe for children from ages 12 - 22 to weight lift?A. Weight training by itself does not "stunt" growth. However, if lifting is performed improperly or with poor technique by a person who is still growing, damage to the growth plate at the end of bones could occur. Supervision is essential for young lifters. Without supervision, young weight lifters often become involved in competition to see who can lift the most weight. As a result, their technique often falters, and injuries result. With good technique, proper supervision, and appropriate limits, weight training is safe and beneficial in this age group. Q. How important is it for women to strength train?A. Yes. Women need to strength train because it builds and strengthen bone mass. According to WebMD women loose 20 percent of their pre-menopausal bone mass by age 60 and 30 percent of their muscle mass by age 70. In addition to bone and muscle loss, women usually gain one pound a year after the age of 30. Weight training at 65 to 70 percent of a woman's feasible weight-lifting potential can build muscle mass and bone density and keep off that unwanted weight.
Q. How do I loose weight and keep it off?A. Loosing weight is a desirable and healthy goal. The healthiest way to loose weight is with a healthy diet and an exercise program. There are a lot of weight loss pills and surgeries that guarantee instant results and can be very dangerous to your health. The three most commonly prescribed weight loss pills are Phentermine, Xenical, and Meridia, which can have bad side effects such as jumpiness, a sudden appearance of undigested fat in the form of diarrhea, and a raise in your blood pressure and heart rate. Some diet pills can be very dangerous or fatal with people who have heart conditions. Weight loss surgeries are not for everyone and can have a lot of side effects. First, men who are about 100 pounds over weight and woman who are over 80 pounds are candidates for weight loss surgery. After weight loss surgery one can expect the following side effects: vomiting, weakness, sweating, faintness, and diarrhea after eating, nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, osteoporosis, and metabolic bone disease, complications such as hernias and gallstones. Furthermore, women of childbearing age should avoid pregnancy until their weight becomes stable because rapid weight loss and nutritional deficiencies can harm a developing fetus. With the use of either diet pills or weight loss surgery, you can always regain the weight you loss. The fear is having a “yo-yo” diet in which one looses weight and then regains the weight. Some experts say that this type of dieting can be dangerous and to prevent it one has to establish a healthy diet and a physical fitness program. To maintain the targeted weight, one must be ready to make a life long pledge to eat healthy foods and exercise.
Q. How do I tone and firm?A. Toning and firming your body can be achieved through cardiovascular, aerobic exercise and strength training. Cardiovascular and aerobic exercises help your hips and legs become stronger with better tone besides the fact it helps your heart. Strength training will also help your body become stronger but help tone all the parts of your body. Unless you’re eating a high protein and carbohydrate diet and lifting heavy weights, you will not bulk up.
Q. How do I loose my love handles, or flatten my stomach or my saddlebags (hips and thighs)?A. An overall exercise program and a healthy diet is the only way to get rid of unwanted love handles, flatten that stomach and reduce your hips and thighs. There is no way to “spot” reduce weight. Loosing weight is like letting the air out of a balloon, its gradual and affects the entire balloon.
Q. How do I gain muscle, especially in my arms and chest?A. The best way to gain muscle through out your body, particularly in your arms and chest, is a high resistance training program of free weights and nautiluses equipment, and the consumption of calories and protein. Usually, a high calorie diet of 3000 carbohydrates and 115 grams of protein per day is recommended without missing a meal. In addition, an extensive and supervised resistance workout program is key. Without lifting weights, all you’ll gain is fat and not muscle.
Q. How do I relieve my low back pain?A. Lower back muscle strain, injury or overuse can be very painful. Back pain is common among adults and can be relieved simply by exercise. By strength training and exercising your lower back, your back pain will be relieved and build muscle to reduce re-injury to it. It’s important to consult a professional or doctor before exercising your back. They will show you the proper techniques to exercise your back. Besides the benefits of any exercising program, exercising and strength training your back can avoid unnecessary chiropractor and surgery bills.
Q. What is the ISSA?A. ISSA is now recognized as the World Leader in Fitness Education. The ISSA acts as a teaching institution and certification agency for fitness trainers, athletic trainers, aerobic instructors, and medical professionals in every field of health care. ISSA hosts seminars in most states as well as numerous countries around the world. Our organization has set new standards in exercise assessment, nutritional planning, fitness instruction, sports medicine practice, and post rehabilitation training. Our certification and continuing education programs are universally recognized and our professional credibility is impeccable. ISSA programs are taught in numerous colleges and universities around the world.
Resources: "Ask the Mayo Physician - Is weight training safe for youths?" CNN.com 22 September 2000. <http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/mayo/09/22/weight.training/index.html> "Strength Training Pays Off" WebMD Health <http://my.webmd.com/content/article/10/3232_171.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}> Casey, John. "Beware of Untested Weight-Loss Pills" WebMD Health 7 March 2003. <http://my.webmd.com/content/article/61/71472.htm?z=2731_00000_0000_f1_02> "Exercises to reduce low back pain" WebMD Health <http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/88/21945.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}> Martha McKittrick, RD, CDE. "How Can I Gain Muscle Mass?" WebMD Health 28 October 2002. <http://my.webmd.com/content/article/52/50419.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}>
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