Diet and Exercise Expectations

So I’ve heard some discussion lately about leg size in relation to working out in Bill’s class. This made me think that it would be very helpful for all of the participants to know what they can expect to achieve by attending Bill’s class. The following is an explanation of some of the key topics surrounding diet and exercise:

Weight loss is the main focus of the majority of the people that begin a workout routine. Weight loss occurs when you use more calories during your daily activities than you consume during the day by eating and drinking. A quick example: a woman’s Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR, is 2200 calories per day and she participates in Bill’s class in the morning and burns 500 calories which means she uses 2700calories during the day. This same woman eats 2000 calories worth of food this same day. This adds up to her burning 700 more calories during this day than she consumed. This is called a caloric deficit. The energy needed to burn these extra calories came from what was already in the woman’s body at the beginning of the day. Once this woman has experienced a caloric deficit that adds up to 3500 calories over consecutive days, she will have lost about a pound of excess body weight. This seems like a very simple relationship, you eat fewer calories than you burn during a day and you will lose weight. It is true that you will lose weight but depending on the types of food you consume, the weight you lose will be a combination of muscle and fat—not just fat. Consuming a sufficient amount of protein during the day will ward off the loss of muscle while dieting.

While you are experiencing a caloric deficit and losing weight, you will not be able to make your muscles grow and your main goal in addition to losing fat is to hold on to all muscle that you have. The amount of muscle that you have on your body is the determining factor in how many calories you burn each day while at rest, your BMR. So if you lose muscle and fat at the same time, it makes it harder to keep that weight off because your BMR will have decreased and you will have to eat less food to maintain your weight.

After reading the information in the last paragraph we can now explain the initial comments about leg size and participating in Bill’s classes. If you are eating fewer calories than your body uses your muscles will not be growing, but hopefully you will hold on to the muscle you have and shed the fat that is on top of the muscle resulting in an overall smaller/leaner leg. This same concept of shedding fat and preserving muscle applies to the rest of your body as well. The fat that you lose will start at your extremities and work its way to your thighs and stomach.

A quick side note about muscle size and working out in Bill's class: during the first few weeks of participating in the class, your muscles will become firmer and slightly larger because they will be filled with more blood and nutrients while attempting to repair themselves due to the increased stimulation. This size increase will not continue as long as you are keeping your diet in check. Also, an immediate result of participating in Bill’s class is that the muscles worked during the class will be swollen for a few hours after the class is over. The term for this is ‘muscle pump’. The pump occurs because your body is delivering needed nutrients and blood to the recently stimulated muscles. Because the muscles you worked in class will be swollen for a few hours after class, this is not the time to try to fit into tight clothing. In fact I have mistakenly overlooked this fact in the hours following a leg workout and actually torn a pair of my favorite jeans.

Keep up the hard work and be sure you take both exercise and diet into account when working to achieve your fitness goals!

Robert

Lean and Sexy...Great! But there's more to it than that...

I tell you guys all the time how great you look--because you do! But you know there’s more to it than that, right? Yeah, it’s great that you guys are all lean and sexy, but there are so many other benefits...I’m just going to jot down a few that come to mind...

You probably feel more relaxed. You probably don’t get sick as much as you used to. You probably feel better overall--and why wouldn’t you? Regular exercise can help manage or prevent high blood pressure. Exercise also boosts the “good” cholesterol while decreasing the bad! And the Mayo Clinic also says regular physical activity can help prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer!

Obviously you’re leaner, which makes you look better, but you got to admit, you feel better having shed body fat. And I guarantee you carry yourself differently at work and other social situations as a result. Being fit gives you more confidence. There’s nothing better than feeling good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself, it shows!

And I bet all of you have more energy now! Think about it...we work not only your muscles, but your cardiovascular system too. We’ve made your body more efficient circulating blood and delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. You probably have energy now like you did when you were much younger.

Surely you sleep better overall too. Putting your body through the amount of physical activity I put you through should directly translate into you sleeping like a brick at night. You should be falling asleep faster and sleeping deeper...especially exercising early in the AM like you do. I bet some of you have never slept so well.

I’ll just write the following two words: sex life. Remember the confidence and endurance things above? How you feel about yourself? How you feel about your body I wouldn’t be surprised if your significant other hasn’t said something like the following in the last couple of months, “You know honey, I was thinking I might start working out again.” I’ll leave it at that.

And how about FUN! I try and keep it entertaining with my singing, dancing, dorkiness, and inappropriate jokes. I switch the training up a lot to stop you from getting bored. And I’ve seen friendships build in class...hell, many of you have become good friends to me. I get sad when you sleep in and don’t come to class. Seriously. That’s how I feel about you guys.

So yes, all of you look amazing...and I mean AMAZING!, but the results from this class go more than skin deep. One of the best comments I ever received from one of you was as follows: “You know Bill, you’re not only changing the way we look, you’re changing our lives.”