Is jumping rope really better for you than running? I see guys at the gym doing it, but I can’t do it for very long myself. Everyone seems to say it’s great for you, but I don’t see why. Is it? Harrison Elder in Boulder, CO
When it comes down to it, no singular exercise is necessarily better than another. Every exercise has its benefits, and they all require hard work and consistency in order to see improvement or results. However, that being said, the impact of running puts a lot of stress on your knees, hips and back. So if you have an injury or pre-existing condition to any of those areas, jumping rope may be a better option. If you’re having trouble jumping rope for an extended period of time, the only way to get better is to be consistent and practice. Jumping rope requires a lot of total-body coordination and endurance, so the more you do it, the easier it will become. To sum things up, jumping rope does have its benefits—total-body conditioning, increased coordination, low impact—but so do running, cycling, swimming and resistance training. -MD
BURN, BABY, BURN! If I want to lose weight, should I simultaneously be trying to build muscle? I’m about 20 pounds overweight, and I want to get leaner by losing the flab. I’ve started better eating habits and have included protein shakes in the mix because I don’t want to lose muscle. What are the best first steps to a weight-loss, muscle-maintenance program? Darryl via instinctmagazine.com
The answer to your first question is a little more complex than a simple “yes” or “no” and requires further explanation. If you want to lose weight, your primary goal should be to burn more calories than you take in. A well-rounded weight-loss program should include both cardio and resistance/strength training. Cardio will serve to build endurance and burn calories. Resistance training will also burn calories, but its main benefit comes from increased strength and hypertrophy (increase in muscle mass/size). As for losing muscle, it’s extremely unlikely. Lack of activity, an extreme caloric deficit, advanced aging and certain diseases can lead to muscle atrophy (decrease in muscle mass/size), but if you are exercising on a regular basis and eating healthy, the thought of losing muscle shouldn’t even cross your mind. The best first steps to weight loss and muscle maintenance are to move more and eat less. To shed a pound of fat, you will need to burn 3,500 calories. What may seem daunting at first really isn’t. If you create a 600-calorie deficit per day, each week you will lose about one pound of fat. Just cut out 300 calories from your diet and burn at least 300 calories at the gym. Keeping a food journal will help. By writing down everything you eat/drink and how much of it, you will be able to see what you need to cut back on, take out or add in. As long as you clean up your diet and include both cardiovascular conditioning and resistance/strength training in your exercise regimen, you’re already on the way to a leaner, stronger, healthier you. -MD
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VICTOR/VICTORIA Are man boobs my destiny? My dad had them, so I feel like I’m powerless. I may be a few pounds overweight, but I generally eat healthy, and I do chest exercises at the gym. But they just won’t go away. Can you do liposuction or something just in that area? If so, is it expensive and does it leave scars? Andy via instinctmagazine.com
Unfortunately, most men (the models that appear in magazines being the exception that proves the rule) have certain trouble spots that can be resistant to weight loss. For some, it is the love handles, for others the abdomen and for thousands of men, the chest area. This abnormal accumulation of tissue in the male chest has a medical name: gynecomastia. It may be related to excessive fat in the chest, the presence of breast tissue or both. This can be treated surgically with liposuction, although if breast tissue is present, direct excision through a small incision around the nipple may be necessary. Both liposuction and the nipple incision will leave subtle scars. The cost varies depending on the time required for the surgery, the experience of the surgeon and the state of the U.S. economy (man-boob reduction is cheaper during an economic downturn…). Including anesthesia and facility and surgeon fees, it can range in price from $5,000-8,000. A workup may be necessary to rule out medical causes, since certain hormone imbalances or even liver abnormalities can produce gynecomastia. Check with your doctor, but surgery may save your chest from a Victoria’s Secret destiny. -DR
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