Ask Gilad

THIS WEEK’S “ASK GILAD” BLOG

Question: How would you describe the way you eat?  Do you have to be obsessive to maintain a healthy life style?

Answer: Like anything else, it is all the way you look at it. I do not consider my eating habits obsessive in any way. I consider myself a 'natural eater'. 'Natural eaters' eat to supply their bodies with the fuel they need to live each day. They concern themselves with what foods will energize and sustain them. They eat only until they are satisfied, never any more or any less. 'Natural eaters' are aware of what foods are good for them, but they are not obsessive about calorie counting or eating exact amounts or types of food. 

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

THIS WEEK’S “ASK GILAD” BLOG

Question: I started an exercise program last week and I can't see any improvement.  How will I know when it is working? 

Answer: There are several things to look for to see if your fitness level is improving. Often when you are in the middle of something it is difficult to see the small changes that are occurring. That's why record-keeping can really help you. It gives you written proof of the improvements that are happening. Keep a notebook documenting your exercise sessions. Include facts like when you exercised, for how long, what you did, how far you went, how fast, how you felt, how much weight you lifted and how many times, what stretching exercises you did, etc.

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

THIS WEEK’S “ASK GILAD” BLOG

Question: What types of exercise require a warm-up and can you explain what a warm-up consists of?

Answer: No matter what physical activity you are about to perform it is always important to start with a general warm-up. A general warm-up should start with some short easy aerobics to raise your heart rate and get your blood circulating. These aerobics should consist of 3 to 5 minutes of light aerobic activity like marching or jogging in place, fast walking, low impact knee lifts, side stepping or any easy aerobics.
Then move on to more specific stretching exercises targeting the muscles you will be using in the sport or workout you are about to engage in.
A general warm-up will help you prevent injury and allow you to get a better overall workout. So, before you do any exercise, warm up!

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

Cholesterol: Good or Bad?

Question: What is cholesterol and why is it so bad for us?

Answer: Cholesterol is the waxy substance in body tissues that is associated with hardening of the arteries and heart disease. Cholesterol is also an essential substance in our systems though, one which we need to survive. It forms cell membranes, lines our nerves and makes up much of our brain tissue. Too much cholesterol is not good. More specifically, too much of the wrong type of cholesterol is not good.
The body has 2 different types of cholesterol. HDL - High Density Lipoprotein (or 'good cholesterol') and LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein (or 'bad cholesterol').
It is the balance between these two types of cholesterol that is so essential for good health.

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

THIS WEEK’S “ASK GILAD” BLOG

Question: What is the difference between my aerobic and anaerobic Systems?

Answer: One of the main goals of my fitness programs is to improve the efficiency of the aerobic and anaerobic systems. The aerobic system can provide a steady supply of energy with minimal fatigue for an extended period of time such as in long distance running.  In this case the goal is to increase the rate at which oxygen can be supplied to the muscles through what we call aerobic/cardio workouts.

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

THIS WEEK’S “ASK GILAD” BLOG

Question: I have had your tapes for 20 years and your sisters as well, my question is What type of exercises should I do to avoid getting problems with sciatic nerve pain . Thank you for teaching me to stay motivated.  Laura

Answer: 

Laura, Sciatic nerve pain is a complicated one. As a general rule I would try to avoid any exercise that put pressure on the lower back and try to focus on easy stretching.

Any exercise you can do that helps 'open' the lower back area could be helpful such as laying on your back with your legs against a wall at a 90 degree angle for 10-15 minutes could be helpful.

Also, Childs pose with a pillow tucked between your upper thighs and lower abs to create space for the lower back can help. Another good stretch would be to do standing gentle waist twists from side to side.

I would avoid doing exercises that require deep forward flexion or extension and exercise that put pressure on the lower back such as squats with weights.

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

THIS WEEK’S “ASK GILAD” BLOG

Question: If I stop exercising are my muscles going to turn to fat?

Answer: After age twenty, if we don't exercise and keep our muscles active, we begin gradually losing our muscle mass. Since most people who are inactive weigh more in their later years the conclusion is simple...they have replaced a lot of their muscle mass with fat.

Notice that I didn't say that their muscle has turned to fat, because muscle can never turn to fat, and fat can't turn to muscle. But muscle can be maintained and rebuilt and fat can be burned off at any age.

Muscular strength exercises are the quickest way to reshape, build, strengthen and tighten all the major muscle groups of the body helping you get that fit/lean look.

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.

Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.

This Week's ASK GILAD blog

Question: I need to lose a considerable amount of weight and am suffering from information overload. Should I be focusing more on cardio than strength at this time since I have nearly 100 pounds to lose?

Thanks!

Kelly

Answer:
Ideally I would go 50% cardio and 50% toning/strength for the following reasons.

When it comes to burning calories cardio exercise has a slight advantage. You'll burn 8 to 10 calories a minute doing toning/strength exercises with weights compared with 10 to 12 calories a minute doing cardio exercises.

On the other hand, strength training gives you a metabolic boost that lasts several hours after your workout because your body will work overtime helping your muscles recover. That means you'll continue burning calories for hours after the workout is done! With cardio workouts the 'after workout effect' is much less.

To give you the best results I would split my workouts between both as In my opinion both are equally important for your overall fitness level and in helping you lose the extra weight. Remember, Cardio exercise is essential in maintaining a strong heart, lungs and blood flow. Toning/strength exercise is an excellent metabolism booster.

Have a question for Gilad? Click HERE and send it in! Gilad will choose one question each week to answer.
Find out more information about Gilad and his Fitness DVD's HERE.