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Your Q&A

Is cardio bad for me?

Q. I read an article called Two Fitness Disasters That Are Threatening Your Health. The MD who wrote it says that cardiovascular exercise will not protect your heart and that aerobics makes your lungs shrink. Long-distance workouts, especially marathons, are supposed to be bad your heart and mimic the effects of heart disease. Is this true?

A. I think Dr. Sears (the author of the article) makes a good point when he says that long-duration cardiovascular exercise is not the best way to get lean. And is marathon running going to cause health problems for some people? Probably. Too much exercise, just like too much of anything — including a seemingly harmless substance like water — isn't healthy. Read more »

Have you heard of an herb called Tongkat Ali?

Q. Have you heard of an herb called Tongkat Ali? I'm dieting at the moment and my weight loss has started to plateau. Would this supplement increase my metabolic rate? Also, when I want to add muscle, will this stuff help?

A. Eurycoma longifolia Jack, otherwise known as Eurycoma, Tongkat Ali, Longjack, or Malaysian Ginseng, is an herb that's supposed to have aphrodisiac properties and to increase testosterone levels in men. Read more »

Will Anator-p70 help me build muscle?

Q. I've been reading a lot about a supplement called Anator-p70 that's supposed to help you build muscle faster. Does it really work?

A. Please forgive my rather long-winded answer to your question. It was quite an interesting subject to look into and I ended up reading through a bunch of studies on leucine and protein synthesis that I'd been meaning to look at for a while. Read more »

Should I do the overhead press standing or seated?

Q. I do the military press seated, but your exercise video shows it done standing? Is it better to do it standing? Any special precautions when doing it standing, since I no longer have the upright bench for back support? Lastly, I am bringing the weight behind my neck, your video shows them in front of the face - is that better?

A. Technically, the military press is performed by bringing the weight in front of your face - bringing the weight behind your neck is another exercise. Read more »

Will ZMA increase my testosterone levels and help me sleep?

Q. I have a question about the supplement ZMA. Have you used it, and do you think it is effective for increasing testosterone levels in trained adults? I realize there is a bit of controversy surrounding the study done by the inventor of the formula, so I wanted to get your opinion. Even more important (to me) is the question of whether or not it functions as a sleep aid. Is there any reason to suspect that the claims that ZMA promote a more restful sleep are accurate? Have any studies been done to track that?

A. ZMA is short for zinc and magnesium aspartate (the supplement also contains vitamin B6). Read more »

Does a post-exercise supplement slow fat loss?

Q. I’ve been reading a book called Body-for-LIFE and it says that taking a supplement after exercise slows fat burning. But I've also read that taking a supplement after exercise helps with muscular recovery. What should I do?

A. Body-for-LIFE is a decent program and there's some good training and nutrition advice in there. There are also some rather odd ideas... and the one that you shouldn't eat protein and carbohydrate immediately after exercise is one of them. Read more »

Should I add more cardio to FFW II?

Q. I was wondering if there is anything wrong with doing 30 minutes of cardio after lifting on the FFW II 5-day plan?

A. In general, I would caution against doing cardio after lifting every day. Read more »

Should I follow a low GI diet?

Q. I know that you don't recommend using the glycemic index, but I saw a study in the news showing that it's the best way to lose weight. Have you changed your mind about it?

A. The short answer is "no," I haven't changed my mind about it. Read more »

Will Muscle Armor help me build muscle?

Q. What do you know about Muscle Armor? It's a new supplement that's supposed to help muscle growth, and there are studies to show that it works. Is this stuff for real?

A. Muscle Armor isn't anything new. It's based on an old supplement called Juven, which has been around for some time. Read more »

What's wrong with the Russian Twist?

Q. I read your article about some ab exercises being bad for your back, and you say that you don't recommend the Russian Twist. Why is this?

A. For those who don't know it, here's a video demonstration of the Russian Twist. It's often done while holding a medicine ball, and is usually recommended as a way to work the muscles on the side of your waist (obliques). Read more »

Do simple carbohydrates make you fat?

Q. My question is just that people always seem to come to the conclusion that any form of unhealthy food ends up being converted mainly to fat. Whenever I read diets for how to bulk or anything along those lines there seems to be some underlying idea in the background that if you want to keep fat gain to a minimum you should avoid junk food or simple carbohydrates at all costs? I remember I used to read all about how eating simple carbohydrates "signals for your body to start storing fat" and statements all along those kinds of lines, how if you eat fat with simple carbohydrates the insulin just pushes all the fatty acids into fat stores. So are these ideas simply false? I'd like to maintain a well balanced diet of course, but being able to get in a lot of calories at one time through pizza or something along those lines would make things a lot easier every now and again.

A. Well, the short answer is that I don't think eating some "junk food" now and again, or eating simple carbohydrates along with fat, will make much of a difference to your body composition at all. Read more »

How do I consume enough calories to gain weight?

Q. Is there an efficient way to consume enough calories to cause weight gain? I enjoy a fairly busy lifestyle, so sometimes it's hard to cook dinner or make lunch. I didn't know if you recommended any weight gain supplements as an easy way to put an extra 1000 calories in your diet. Are there any food "tricks" I can use, also?

A. Look for foods with a high energy density . Energy density refers to the number of calories in a gram of food. If you check the nutrition label on the top of a food label, you should find the standard serving size of the food, and the number of calories in that serving. Read more »

Is it possible to make one part of your biceps grow?

Q. I've always been told that you can't make one part of a muscle grow faster than another part. But I've read about a new study apparently showing that different exercises lead to muscle growth in different areas of the biceps. What do you know about this?

A. Bodybuilders have been claiming that different exercises can affect different parts of a muscle for years. You'll hear that one type of exercise develops, for example, the "peak" of the biceps, while another exercise gives it "width" or "thickness." Read more »

Is vitamin C a new weapon in the fight against fat?

Q. I read in the news about a study that says vitamin C can help you burn fat faster. I'm trying to lose weight so I've started taking 2 grams of vitamin C per day. How long does it take to start working?

A. Personally, I don't think taking 2 grams of vitamin C every day is a great idea. I'll explain why in a moment. First, I just want to quickly review what happened in the study. Read more »

How long should I spend losing fat and building muscle?

Q. I know you can't be both anabolic and catabolic at the same time, so it's really tough to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. What is the body's ability to switch states? Could you spend one week gaining muscle, and then one week losing fat? Since eating more raises testosterone levels, wouldn't your "week on" help keep it raised more frequently? Could it work with less time? Or is there a minimum amount of time to spend in each state? What would be the "sweet spot" to switch back and forth between each, especially for beginners who have a lot of muscle to gain, and a lot of fat to lose?

A. As you say, building a lot of muscle and losing a lot of fat at the same time is very hard to do, unless you're using drugs or (very) genetically gifted, for the reasons I've mentioned here. Read more »

Does pre-exercise protein lower testosterone levels?

Q. I read about a study that says taking protein before exercise reduces your testosterone levels. I've stopped taking whey protein before exercise because I'm worried it will have a negative effect on muscle growth. What do you think?

A. The study that I think you're referring to was done by a research group from the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland [1]. I haven't read the full paper, so I can't make any comments about the way the research was done, but I'll do my best to put the findings in context for you. Read more »

Can yohimbe help me lose stubborn fat?

Q. I've heard that a supplement called yohimbe can help you lose stubborn fat? Have you come across this idea before?

A. There isn't really a universally recognized definition of what constitutes "regular" fat and "stubborn" fat. Read more »

Does Ergomax LMG work for muscle growth?

Q. I found a supplement called Ergomax LMG that's supposed to help you build muscle. Have you heard of it and does it work?

A. From what I can tell, Ergomax LMG isn't a supplement. It's a drug. Read more »

What do you think of GAKIC?

Q. I've heard a lot about a supplement called GAKIC. Apparently, bodybuilders are using it before their workouts to get stronger. Is this for real?

A. GAKIC (pronounced ga-kick) is the latest in a line of "anti-fatigue" supplements designed to be taken prior to your workout. Short for glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid (you can see why they shortened the name), GAKIC is supposed to make your muscles more "resistant" to fatigue during high-intensity exercise, such as weight training or sprinting. Read more »

Should I use The Montignac Method?

Q. I read in a book called Eat Yourself Slim that you shouldn't eat carbohydrate and fat together if you want to lose weight. Are there any studies to show this is true?

A. Eat Yourself Slim was first published in France in the late 1980's by Michael Montignac (you might also see it called The Montignac Method). Read more »

Does The Hibernation Diet work?

Q. The Hibernation Diet says that eating honey before bed will help burn off fat while you sleep. Is this true?

A. According to the press release in the Edinburgh Evening News, The Hibernation Diet advises "eating a couple of teaspoons of honey before bedtime and training with weights instead of grueling aerobic workouts." Read more »