UPDATE - Issue 26 - Summer 2006
What Exercise is best for men?
Aerobic training is low intensity and high duration. Strength training is high intensity and low duration.
The biggest mistake men make when trying to combine aerobic exercises with strength exercises is that they employ a progressive overload methodology to their aerobic training. For example, they start out by walking a few days per week, then they increase the intensity to jogging, then they mix intervals of jogging with running. Then run up hills, and so on.
That method increases intensity to the point where the body needs extended recovery time, which means more days off without training. In turn, fewer calories are burned and less fat is lost. The key to effective aerobic training is long-term consistency.
Whether you run, walk or jog a mile, it all burns the same amount of calories. If you go for a walk seven days a week, you will burn more calories than going for a run six days a week.
Muscle is doubly valuable because it requires energy to maintain itself. Every pound of new muscle you add to your body will burn about 60 extra calories per day - year after year. That means that when you've lost the fat, you can eat a bit more and not gain back the fat. Also, with less fat and more muscle, your body will have the lean, toned, fit look that every man aspires to.
So by combining aerobics with strength training, you can transform your body, and keep it lean and muscular all year round without starving yourself on a low-calorie diet.
For an example of a good workout visit www.askmen.com.