Workout Wednesday: More Q&A - Big Arms, Large Heart Rates, and Too Much Disinfectant

Welcome to another Q&A edition of Workout Wednesday!

Today, we're featuring four lovely ladies who were brave enough to voice their questions and concerns here on the old blog.

And, if they're wondering, most likely, we're all wondering, so let's get to them:

First up, we have Mrs. Potts: I have big upper arms...When I look at my arms they're just BIG. I can flex & feel both bicep and tricep muscle,and when I'm working my arms, I see the muscle. However, they still are big... I know you can't spot train...Am I crazy? Can I change this eventually?

First off, I have to say, when she e-mailed me this question, I knew I'd found a sister from another mister.

Because honest to goodness, I have this exact same problem.

My upper arms? They are huge. And I rarely find anyone who can relate to it.

Truth is, a lot of women - even those struggling with weight gain - have petite arms. But Mrs. Potts and I, it seems, are the exact opposite.

So, what do if you're well-armed (and dangerous)?

Honestly, this can be a tough one.

Truth is, Mrs. Potts is right. You can't spot train muscles. You can't make one particular part of your body smaller. Cardio exercise and caloric burning causes a gradual reduction of size all over your physique, not just in one particular area that you deem larger than others. That's the hard truth, and one even I don't always like.

In addition, genetics largely dictates what parts of your body are the largest and where you hold most of your fat deposits, meaning that most of us can only be the best version of ourselves. No matter how much weight you lose and how much muscle you tone, you're not going to look like the woman sitting next to you, even if she's rocking the skinniest arms known to man.

And now that I've depressed you all...

Honestly, there is hope. Toning the muscle is your best bet. You should be doing exercises for the upper body two to three times a week. You should be using enough resistance and repetitions that the last few reps of the exercise are almost impossible to eke out.

Most women aren't lifting enough weight or doing enough reps to see significant toning in their upper body. You all are stronger than you know. Try using more resistance. Because while you cannot change the shape of your body, you can tone your problem areas. And toned arms that are on the larger size are better than flabby large arms.

Ever wondered by that female trainer in the gym is downright ripped, even when she's not flexing her unbelievable biceps? That's because she uses more weight than you. Trust me. You can do it. Pick up some more poundage, and go for it.

Next up, we have a new friend of mine, Keri: In order to actually lose weight while you exercise, I've been told you must work at a certain heart rate specific to your own body. What can you say about that? Is there a way to know if you are working at the rate right, and what you are doing is actually effective?

Thank you, Keri, for asking this question.

Because it is an important one.

I like to call the target-heart rate idea a partial myth.

The reason? Some exercise physiologists coined the phrase "fat-burning zone" and slapped it on treadmills everywhere years ago. Gym-goers everywhere would enter in their weight and age, and the machines would monitor if their heart rate was where it should be for the average person of their weight and age.

The problem is, all the research is based on the average woman who has the same weight and height as you, which means that almost none of us fall exactly into that category. On top of that, the science behind it is complicated, and the results from working in your "fat-burning zone" or target-heart rate zone are so negligible that it's a waste of time for most women to track.

Plus, the machines - treadmills, stationary bikes, Stairmasters - that appear to monitor it for you are grossly inaccurate.

So, what to do?

When doing cardio exercise, you should spend at least 25 minutes of it maintaining a pace and intensity tough enough that you struggle to maintain a conversation with the person next to you. The last five minutes of the workout, especially, should be really hardcore. You want to leave those last five minutes really breathing heavily.

If you do that, you don't have to worry about monitoring your heart rate. That intensity level will help you burn calories, which means you will lose weight.

For more information, check out my post here.

FYI: Some women should monitor their heart rates, such as pregnant women or women with medical conditions. See your doctor if you think you need to wear a personal heart-rate monitor during exercise for other reasons. They can advise you on your options.

Now, we've moving on to the lovely Brittany: Here's a question I have (or more of a complaint?) I have a problem with people who, when finished with their treadmill, get the spray disinfectant bottle and GO TO TOWN squirting their machine. Now, I'm all for killing bacteria. That's all fine and good, except for the fact I'm on the next machine over, and I'm literally inhaling their fumes while I run (okay, jog. okay, walk). What's the etiquette here?

This is annoying. No one likes to inhale through nostrils full of chemicals, especially not when we're already gasping for air on the treadmill.

To solve the problem, I'd complain to your gym. There are plenty of non-scented options when it comes to gym disinfectants, so that even the most liberal of spray-bottle users won't kill your nose sensors next time they take out germs.

There are non-scented sprays, as well as disinfecting gym wipes that have no odor whatsoever. (And also enforce "portion control" for those spray-happy gym-goers.)

FYI: The wipes are actually a better option, as they don't allow for the build-up of staph - a common bacteria found in gyms, especially around damp towels.

Call the gym's manager, and make a request. You're a paying member, and you have a right to be heard.

Last, but not least, my personal friend Christine asked that I blog about foam rolling:

One of my first Workout Wednesday posts was about this form of the poor man's massage. It's an awesome pain-relief technique, as well as an excellent way to experience muscle relief.

So, for those of you interested, head on over to this post here.

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Well, that's it for this week! Please feel free to ask more questions below, and I'll get to them in another edition of Workout Wednesday!

Happy Exercising everyone!