Workout Wednesday: More Questions Answered!

I love when you all send me workout-related questions.

I really, really do.

I don't know if it's the teacher in me, or the fact that I feel some good should come from all the ridiculous fitness-focused reading I do, but I love it.

So I wanted to answer a few more of your Workout Wednesday questions right here on the old blog.

These questions are things we all wonder about; these are things women everywhere concern themselves with when they're hitting the gym or going on a diet.

So a big thank you goes out to the lovely ladies who asked the questions. Because this is stuff we all want to know.

Let's get into it, shall we?

Marcy asked:

I go to a class at the gym each Tuesday and Thursday. Due to the schedule, I go straight from work. Should I be concentrating on fuel for the class (high-intensity cardio) during the day at work (lunch, snack) and what would be good choices?

You're exactly right, Marcy. What you eat for lunch and a snack before you hit the gym will help set you up for success in your cardio class.

There are two major things you want to think about when selecting healthy, fitness-friendly food:

First, you want to avoid refined starches and sweets.

Refined, white flour - used in things like white bread, chips, or the basic pretzel - and refined sugar - used in things like muffins, cookies, candy, and some granola bars - may give you a quick energy boost right after you ingest them.

But just as quickly as they lift you up, they'll plummet you right back down.

These simple carbohydrates just raise - and then rapidly lower - your blood sugar. They don't provide you with enough energy to last through a tough workout.

Instead, when picking a lunch or snack, you want to look for something that contains complex carbohydrates, protein, and a touch of good fats.

For instance, a whole-wheat wrap (your complex carbohydrate), topped with low-fat turkey breast (your protein), and avocado (your good fats) will provide you with enough energy to make it through your day and your workout successfully.

The second thing to keep in mind?

You should have your afternoon snack about 30 minutes before you hit the gym.

It should be something that's simple and easy to absorb into the body. But just like the lunch described above, you want to avoid simple carbs and too much sugar.

A good snack would be a cup of plain yogurt, topped with a small diced apple and some almonds. You're getting the protein and good fats from the nuts. You're getting some good carbs and sugar from the apple, and the yogurt is easily absorbed energy into the body.

However, if you don't digest dairy well, steer clear of eating it before a workout. Get your fats and proteins from things like nut butter on an apple or hummus and carrot sticks.

For more before-your-workout snack ideas, read my Workout Wednesday post here.

Next up, Jules asked:

Why is it so important to work out within your target heart-rate zone? Is it really bad to workout above it and if so, why?

Ahh, yes, the "target heart-rate zone." It's a confusing concept. And one that can be very frustrating for a lot of us.

Normally, when you hope on a treadmill, a Stairmaster, or an elliptical machine, you punch in your age and your weight (surreptitiously, so no one else can see. What? I know I'm not the only one who does that!)

Then, as you're running/gliding/stepping along, you see that little digital line telling you where you are in relation to your "target heart-rate zone."

Here's the thing: That "target heart-rate zone" is the average zone calculated for somebody of your age and weight.

And that alone, my friends, is ridiculous. None of us is average. Furthermore, none of us just wants to be "average," anyways.

Very often, you may find yourself surpassing the target heart-rate zone.

Don't worry about that at all. If you can do that without passing out mid-exercise, then go for it.

While doing cardio, you're supposed to be pushing yourself hard enough so that you're out-of-breath and barely able to speak, if at all.

If that happens to you within your target heart-rate zone? Great. If it happens lower/higher than it? Great, too.

Work at the level where you get fatigued. And don't worry what the machines say.

Related Note: Those machines that tell you about the "fat-burning zone?" Please ignore them. The science behind it is boring and complicated, and to top it off, it's also completely pointless. A calorie burned is a calorie burned. All calories burned will help you lose weight. End of story.

Lesson learned here? Cover that stupid elliptical digital board with your towel and glide it out has hard as you can.

You and your body will know when you're fatigued. Don't let the machine run the workout for you.

Also, when you’re trying to drop weight, is it still really important to do weights along with cardio? I have been, but I’m just wondering if I should be doing more cardio.

Good question, Jules.

And the answer? Yes. Yes, it is very important to do weights along with cardio.

Weight-loss itself is simple math. You want to burn more calories than you take in.

And yes, calorie-wise, cardio does burn more calories-per-minute than strength-training.

But strength-training ups your metabolism, meaning that even as you sit, watch TV, read, blog, and sleep, you are burning more calories at rest than you would be if you didn't have a faster metabolism.

That's why both cardio and weights are both so important. You want to burn those calories, but you also want to sculpt lean muscle that leaves your metabolism high-functioning and burning calories even while you snooze on Saturday mornings.

And word for the wise: Strength-training also burns calories, especially when you work in exercises - like shoulder presses and push-ups - during interval training. You'll also get more cardio benefits, even while strength-training, if you take timed weights classes, like Body Pump. You'll get a decent calorie burn and the benefits of strength training: A win-win in the fitness world.

For more tips on how to incorporate strength and cardio into one interval-training workout, read my Workout Wednesday post here.

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So that's it for this week's Workout Wednesday! If you have a question, please feel free to post below. I'd love to answer them!

Happy Exercising everyone!