Ask A Trainer Wednesday

Welcome to the first installment "Ask A Trainer Wednesday". Each week the personal trainers from American Mobile Fitness will be answering your questions related to exercise and nutrition. The trainers at AMF have a diverse collective range of experiences and training and can answer questions related to topics such as:


• Weight Loss
• Pre- and Post-Natal Fitness
• Nutrition
• Preventative and Rehabilitative Training
• Functional Training
• Martial Arts
• Cardiovascular Exercise
• Endurance Training
This Week’s Questions

Answering your questions this week are Gregg Schwartz, personal trainer and owner of American Mobile Fitness and Camessa Pikus, personal trainer.

From Jody at Truth 2 Being Fit

Question: Growing up I heard the rule that you never let your knee go over your toes when squatting or lunging. ACE has some research & studies showing that leaning too far forward to avoid the "knees not over toes rule" actually places too much stress on the hip. They are saying that the knees can be aligned over the second toes. Apparently this rule is a newer 2003 study that showed that with the knees aligned over the 2nd toes, there was 28% more knee stress but with the leaning too far forward to avoid that, it caused 1000% more stress on the hips. Thoughts?

Answer from Gregg: There has been research going both ways. A lot of it depends on how much joint stability you have. If your knee articulates correctly and you have good joint stability and strength the knee going over the toe should not be a big deal during exercise when using body weight or light weight. People that lack the above qualities should avoid stressing the knee and make sure when exercising everything is in the correct alignment.



From Patrick at Responsibility 199

Question: Is it ok to mix into one work out session cardio and weight training? I seem to separate them and am not sure if this is necessary or ideal for results, or am I missing the boat on combining them?

Answer from Gregg: For best results it is necessary to incorporate both cardio and strength training into every workout. This will allow people to stay in the target heart rate zone. By incorporating both cardiovascular and strength into each workout, you are increasing your muscular endurance as well as gaining strength.

Answer from Cameesa: The two best times to do cardio are after weight training or as soon as you wake in the morning. Of course you can mix cardio with weight training either by doing cardio intervals or circuit training to keep the heart rate up. Also, it depends on how much time you have budgeted for working out. If you don't have a great deal of time, definitely combine them to make the most of the time you have.




From Gina at The Candid RD

Question: What is better, less reps and more weight, or less weight, and more reps ? I'm trying to get my arms nice and toned for summer!

Answer from Gregg: Both concepts are good depending on what the goal is. If you want to build bulk or muscle you want to do 3-6 reps and a very heavy weight. This should only be done with supervision. If you want to build endurance you can do 15 to 20 reps at a light weight. I think the best and most efficient thing to do is 8-12 reps at a challenging load and you will get endurance and strength at the same time.

Answer from Cameesa: I personally like to stay around 15 reps, using enough weight so that the last 2 to 3 reps are challenging. Try combining exercises and doing them back to back. For instance, you could try an overhead press followed by shoulder flies then finish with hammer curls. Rest and repeat twice. Keep in mind that we all have muscle. To get that toned look we all desire we need to reduce the amount of superficial fat that lies over the muscle. Exercise alone will only do so much. Concentrate on your nutrition as well!





From John at 2010: Time to Challenge Myself

Question: What's the best swimming routine for being able to swim 1500 meters in 9 weeks.... lap intervals or endurance swimming?

Answer from Gregg: Your best bet is to mix things up. Try separating your workouts into endurance days and interval days. Your priority should be to increase stamina first so that you can go the distance. Your second goal should be to increase speed at that distance. By combining both types of workouts throughout your week, you should be able to meet both of those challenges.




From Susan at Let's Lose Weight This Year

Question: I'm 57, 5'3" and 189. I have tried everything to lose my weight. I watch what I eat, walk the treadmill at least three times a week and limit my treat. After about two weeks on any plan, when I haven't lost any weight, I feel defeated and want to drown myself in Dr. Pepper and eat an entire cake. I took early retirement and don't get as much incidental activity as before and thought the treadmill would make up for it. This is so frustrating. Any ideas???

Answer from Gregg: The key is not only to eat right and do cardio, but to include the missing component, strength training. Strength training will increase your metabolism and turn your body into a furnace that will burn the fat. When you strength train, the muscle becomes more dense and requires more energy to survive. I would suggest scheduling a virtual training session with one of our trainers so you can be assessed and get an individualized program designed to get you the results you are looking for.

I'd like to thank Gregg Schwartz and Cameesa Pikus of American Mobile Fitness for handling the questions for this week's Ask a Trainer Wednesday. Feel free to leave any questions you might have for next week's post in the comments section or e-mail them to me at: karen.evans@bex.net.


*Always ask your physician before starting any fitness program.