Bodybuilding

The exercises suggested here are more like warm-up exercises rather than military fitness or bodybuilding exercises. Military fitness requires approximately double the number of repetitions indicated here, plus running two miles in about 16 minutes. Bodybuilders normally exercise to exhaustion with heavy weights and then allow the muscles to rest one or more days. The muscle exhaustion stimulates muscle growth during the periods of rest if the intake of protein and essential fatty acids is regular, frequent, and sufficient. Bodybuilders may set schedules to exercise specific muscles, e.g., Monday: chest and shoulders, Tuesday: legs, Wednesday: back, Thursday: arms, Friday: abdomen, calves, and forearms, Saturday and Sunday: rest. The curls to build the biceps, for example, are done with dumbbells heavy enough to be able to do a maximum of ten repetitions per set, and the sets are repeated three or four times with short rests in between. The workouts may last from one to two hours. Strenuous exercise or mishandling heavy weights may cause permanent injuries or injuries that take a long time to heal. Bodybuilding should be done only with the help of a qualified personal trainer and a nutritionist.

Bodybuilding and fitness magazines are filled with advertisements of performance enhancement supplements. Besides the beneficial protein and essential fatty acid products, there is a wide array of fat burners, energy boosters, anabolic/androgenic steroid "poppers", and combinations of drugs or herbal products called "stacks". The advertisements usually show pictures of bodybuilders with outstanding musculature or endorsements by famous people to convince you to buy these products. However, for natural bodybuilding and optimal health, avoid the steroids and stimulants. Use only the protein and fatty acid supplements, but read the list of ingredients carefully because some bodybuilding protein powders include steroids (chemical names with "...androst..." or "...estran...", although trade names may be used). Newspapers frequently carry stories about athletes who were disqualified for using banned substances which they unknowingly consumed through nutritional supplements. Read the labels!

Muscular bodybuilders generally have a Waist-to-Height ratio (waist size divided by height) of less than 0.5, and their Body Mass Index is in the "overweight" category even though their total body fat is 10% or less.

Avoiding injuries. It is a law of nature that anything with moving parts, including our bodies, will eventually wear out or break down. The most common types of injuries related to exercise are sprains, muscle strains, torn ligaments, and fractures in the limbs. These injuries are frequently caused by poor technique, fatigue, structural weaknesses, or repetitive stress. Any exercise that increases the pressure of the abdominal cavity, like crunches or heavy lifting, may contribute to the formation of a hernia if there is a weakness in the abdominal walls. Overuse is the most common cause of muscle or joint injury. Exercising when something hurts just makes the injury worse. Injuries can be reduced by warming up the muscles by exercising them at a relaxed pace for a few minutes before a workout, and by allowing the body to recover for at least 48 hours after intense workouts. People who exercise vigorously on a daily basis, should stress different parts of the body. For serious injuries, seek medical attention and avoid the activity that injured you until healing occurs. During your recovery, you may want to do alternative exercises that do not stress the injured part or cause pain. Think twice before resuming an activity that injured you. Remember that the purpose of exercise is to be healthy, not to get sick. Do not exceed your limits.

Measuring the results.

One of the motivations for making exercise a part of your daily life is that you can feel and actually measure the results. Once per week, as part of your exercise program, you should weigh yourself and measure your waist. If you are physically fit, your waist size divided by your height should be less than 0.5 (Waist-to-Height ratio < 0.5). Your weight should be taken in the morning without clothes after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. Measure your waist at the navel so that the tape fits snugly but does not compress the skin. Your weight in the evening can be up to three pounds (1-1/2 Kg) heavier than your morning weight. Most of this overnight weight change is due to perspiration and excretion of bodily wastes. One cup of water weighs 1/2 pound (1/4 Kg).

Your physical measurements, the number of repetitions of your exercise program, and the ease with which you can accomplish the exercises can help you to keep track of your progress. Pictures are also useful. Take a picture once a year in a pose that highlights your muscles. In this way you will be motivated to continue your daily exercises.

If you have been sedentary, do not be surprised if you gain weight when you start exercising regularly. Muscle is heavier than fat. It is natural to gain weight when the fat is replaced with muscle. As long as your Waist-to-Height ratio does not change or gets smaller, your weight gain is probably due to increased muscle mass, rather than to fat buildup. Keeping track of your morning weight is also a good criterion for determining whether you need to adjust your diet to increase or decrease the number of Calories that you consume per day.

**Calories Burned in 10 Minutes of Activity**
Activity	Body Weight
Activity	125 - 174 pounds	175 - 250 pounds
Sleeping or sitting passively	10	14
Standing	12	16
Walking Downstairs	56	78
Walking Upstairs	146	202
Walking at 2 miles per hour	29	40
Walking at 4 miles per hour	52	72
Running at 5.5 miles per hour	90	125
Running at 7 miles per hour	118	164
Running at 12 miles per hour	164	228
Cycling at 5.5 miles per hour	42	58
Cycling at 13 miles per hour	89	124
Light Gardening	30	42
Mowing Grass	34	47
Light Office Work	25	34
Typing	19	27
Chopping Wood	60	84
Baseball	39	54
Basketball	58	82
Dancing	35	48
Football	69	96
Golfing	33	48
Swimming	40	56
Tennis	56	80
Volleyball	43	65

When evaluating diet advertisements, keep in mind that the Federal Trade Commission has determined that any product claims are false if they state that you can lose more than two pounds per week for more than four weeks without diet and exercise.