May 15, 2006
Biceps Not Same Size

Question: Hello, I appreciate you having this website for it has proved as useful on many occasions. I have two questions for you if you don't mind. Question number one: I've been working out religiously for about 2 months. I have a Bowflex and for my bicep curls I put 50lbs. for each arm. My question is this. My bicep muscle is shorter but yet higher than my other friends, but the problem is that my bicep muscles are still soft. I've been working out for 2 months. Am I doing something wrong? Or is it fat? Or do I need to put more weight on each arm when I workout? I feel dumb when my friends' arms are tight and mine are loser but yet higher muscles than theirs. Thank you for your time. The other question is this. My one side of my body is better formed than my other. So in order to try to equalize them would I put more weight on the weaker arm, than the stronger one when I workout, or should I just do more reps with the weaker arm? Once again thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Justin Leonard: Regarding your first question, whether the muscle is hard or soft is not relevant. The muscle is not necessarily supposed to be hard to the touch. You asked if it could be caused by fat: It is possible that a layer of fat could be taking away from the level of hardness you desire. Again, this is not a big deal.

Justin Leonard: The pain is normal. The technical term for this phenomenon is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). During this time, the muscle fibers are trying to repair themselves. The cells also undergo a brief period of hypertrophy or enlargement, which may be accompanied by soreness and aching. It is common for those who are new to working out, as well as experienced athletes. As the muscles begin to adapt to workout stress, bouts of DOMS are considerably shorter. My advice is to be flexible with your workout schedule. Listen to your body. It is more important to ensure that the muscles are fully recovered before training is resumed.

Justin Leonard: Unfortunately, no. This is a classic example of "spot reduction," which was once thought to be possible at one time. However, we now have evidence that proves that fat cannot be lost in target areas. On the other hand, some people may discover that they tend to lose bodyfat more rapidly in the abdomen without losing much in the hip and butt area. If this happens, it is strictly due to genetic endowment.

Justin Leonard: Fiber does nothing to directly help with the abs. However, it could have an indirect effect on the abs. For example, the Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet drink primarily consists of fiber and herbs, which result in frequent visits to the restroom. If you can't keep anything down, then the body has no choice but to begin burning bodyfat and muscle in order to survive. This may sound like an effective way to get abs, but it's actually very dangerous because a lot of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are lost in the process. It can cause a myriad of problems ranging from anemia, muscle fatigue, decreased immune function, and other complications. To be safe, always follow the food pyramid to ensure you are getting the proper amount of fiber in your diet.

Justin Leonard: Thank you for supporting Leonard Fitness. It's quite possible that you have an odd set of abs. If it is the case, then it is perfectly normal. Some people have an even six pack, while some may have an eight pack. Your "five pack" is more than likely the result of genetics, and not improper training. I will say, however, that it is also perfectly normal to have lopsided development on either side of the body. For example, you may notice that your dominant arm (leg, shoulder, etc.) is slightly larger or more developed than the opposing arm. That's because you use one side more. The cool thing is that you are actually getting lean enough to be able to see the abdominal musculature.

Justin Leonard: Thanks for writing in. I checked with a few colleagues from Arizona State University to help with my response. Collectively, this is what we came up with: There are several factors that can contribute to the foggy head feeling you are experiencing. It can be as basic as a sudden or extreme change in nutrition habits, to a more serious condition that may need medical attention. It's hard to make a recommendation on this one because we would need more info as to the specific cause of the foggy head.

Justin Leonard: Definitely. Exercise promotes fat loss. So yes, it is possible to get abs by simply working out. You do not have to train the abs directly to produce visible results. Virtually every type of human movement involves the abdominals in some way. The abs are important for stabilization. Even a simple task such as sitting in a chair requires contraction of the abdominals and obliques. It is also important to point out that some people never workout (fast metabolism), yet they can still maintain an admirable set of abs.

Justin Leonard: I have not seen the 8 Minute Abs video, but it's probably okay. There's really no such thing as an ab workout for football. The only thing that's important is that they are trained (obliques too). Technically, you don't need any additional weight for ab exercises. Abdominals consist of predominantly fast twitch muscle fibers (Type I). This means that they are made for endurance training. Your own bodyweight is plenty, although you could add weight if you wish. It will build a bit of strength/power in the abdominal region. Some experts discourage weighted abdominal training. I personally am not against it, especially for those with better than average fitness levels.

Justin Leonard: This question is not as strightforward as it seems. Let me explain... Technically, there is no such thing as a true "healthy" bodyfat percentage.

It's impossible to gauge. A person can be more than 30% bodyfat and be completely disease free. They could have normal or possibly even better than average blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, etc.

However, it is a fact that we usually see less disease when bodyfat range is about 18 - 29% for women and about 6 - 22% for men.

Conversely, a person who appears to be healthy, and has an ideal bodyfat percentage may actually suffer from high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (plaque on artery walls), or even diabetes. So you can see why there isn't really a straight answer for this question. It really varies depending on the person.

Justin Leonard: Whenever the goal is to lose excess bodyfat, nutrition modification should be the first priority. Exercise should be the second priority. Crunches alone won't really help much with defining the abs.

Although a combination of crunches, total body strength training [in particular], and cardiovascular exercise will assist in burning overall calories, thus leading to a fat reduction.

So to lose the excess of 6 to 7 inches, focus mainly on nutrition changes. But also consider strength and cardiovascular training to enhance the process.

Justin Leonard: Good question. The 55% is accurate for some people. Although it may not be the best option for someone who is not accustomed to working out. The 55% actually means 55% of max predicted heart rate (220 - age).

Someone who does not workout regularly will probably achieve a fairly good cardiovascular workout at a much lower percentage of their max heart rate. Also, the heart is best conditioned by gradually giving it more work to do overtime. Hence, the target heart range or training zone.

The heart rate zone involves starting with a lower percentage of your max heart rate, then slowly working up to a higher percentage of your max over a given period of time.

The 40-minute duration you mentioned is again another magic/arbitrary number pulled out of the sky. This too varies from person to person. For a normal person, the body will begin to burn fat after about 20 minutes into a cardiovascular workout session. Fit people will actually tap into their fat burning zones in less time because their bodies are more efficient.

Your next question was with regard to gaining muscle while trying to lose weight.

In fact it is possible to lose body weight and gain muscle at the same time. For example, if someone is significantly overweight, they will more than likely notice a rapid weight reduction with a simple strength training routine.

Physiologically, the body is actually building muscle in order to adapt to the increased physical demands. This requires more energy usage, which could ultimately result in a weight reduction and a muscle gain (especially for an overweight person).

Justin Leonard: Unfortunately, I don't make supplement recommendations. However, I can say that Hydroxycut is a more popular product. I can also say that there is no need to take two fat burners. Both are caffeine pills, and too much caffeine can be harmful.

In addition, fat burn supplements can sometimes contain added stimulants (e.g. pseudoephedrine under different names) and trace minerals (e.g. chromium) that can also be harmful to your health when taken in excess.

There is no benefit to taking two fat burners. Also, avoid purchasing any fat burn supplement that contains a "proprietary blend" of ingredients. You can find this information on the nutrition label. No one ever knows the specific quantities of each ingredient included in the blend, which can be dangerous.

There is a loophole in the Food and Drug Administration's guidelines for dietary supplements and some manufacturers have caught onto it.

Justin Leonard: Sculpting is simply a fancy term for burning fat throughout the body.

Justin Leonard: First, I would like to welcome you to the Leonard Fitness network. I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Second, I want you to understand that there are many remedial steps that can be taken to lessen the severity of the condition.

I am certain that you are already aware of the various causes of osteoporosis. But for people who may not be familiar with the disease, it is most commonly caused by age, genetics, nutrition habits, and gender. Women are more prone to osteoporosis than men. White and Asian women particularly are at a greater risk for the disease than any other population. Skinny people get it more than fat people (larger bones).

There is evidence which suggests that resistance training can help to prevent or improve the conditions of osteoporosis. For some, a simple daily walk can actually assist in the creation of new bone in the legs, making the overall density of the bones greater.

Even though it's only a walk, it may actually provide enough stress or impact to the bones such that they must adapt to the conditions and become thicker.

Here is an article that contains some helpful facts about osteoporosis.

Justin Leonard: Thirty percent may sound exorbitant, but this number is correct. They are taken from guidelines which come directly from the American Dietetics Association and several other credible sources (like the FDA).

It may sound strange, but protein is actually supposed to be consumed LESS than carbs. The exception is if you're an athlete... particularly an endurance athlete (e.g. marathon runner).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11