Book Excerpt: The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko

The following is an excerpt from the book The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to
Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko with Ted
Spiker.



Changing the Way You Exercise

Have you ever seen a gym at rush hour? Everyone hovers around the
treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes. Signs warn you of
20-minute maximums so that the next sweat seeker can have his turn. It seems
like everyone wants a cardiovascular, aerobic workout. The more you sweat,
the more calories you burn, the more weight you lose, right? In a way, yes,
the headphone-and-Lycra set is right. Cardiovascular exercise --
steady-state endurance exercises, like running, biking, and swimming --
burns a lot of calories. In fact, it often burns more than other forms of
exercise like strength training or trendier workouts like yoga or Pilates.
But when it comes to weight control, aerobic exercise is more overrated than
the fall TV lineup. Why? For one reason: Aerobic exercise builds little (if
any) muscle -- and muscle is the key component of a speedy metabolism.
Muscle eats fat; again, add 1 pound of muscle, and your body burns up to an
additional 50 calories a day just to keep that muscle alive. Add 6 pounds of
muscle, and suddenly you're burning up to 300 more calories each day just by
sitting still.

Here's the problem with low-intensity aerobic exercise. Just like a car
can't run without gas or a kite can't fly without wind, a body can't
function without food. It's the fuel that helps you run, lift, and have the
legs to make love all night long. Generally, during exercise, your body
calls upon glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate in muscles and the
liver), fat, and in some cases protein. When you're doing low-intensity
aerobic exercise like jogging, your body primarily uses fat and glycogen
(carbohydrates) for fuel. When it continues at longer periods (20 minutes or
more), your body drifts into depletion: You exhaust your first-tier energy
sources (your glycogen stores), and your body hunts around for the easiest
source of energy it can find -- protein. Your body actually begins to eat up
muscle tissue, converting the protein stored in your muscles into energy you
need to keep going. Once your body reaches that plateau, it burns up 5 to 6
grams of protein for every 30 minutes of ongoing exercise. (That's roughly
the amount of protein you'll find in a hard-boiled egg.) By burning protein,
you're not only missing an opportunity to burn fat but also losing
all-important and powerful muscle. So aerobic exercise actually decreases
muscle mass. Decreased muscle mass ultimately slows down your metabolism,
making it easier for you to gain weight.

Now here's an even more shocking fact: When early studies compared
cardiovascular exercise to weight training, researchers learned that those
who engaged in aerobic activities burned more calories during exercise than
those who tossed around iron. You'd assume, then, that aerobic exercise was
the way to go. But that's not the end of the story.

It turns out that while lifters didn't burn as many calories during their
workouts as the folks who ran or biked, they burned far more calories over
the course of the next several hours. This phenomenon is known as the
afterburn -- the additional calories your body burns off in the hours and
days after a workout. When researchers looked at the metabolic increases
after exercise, they found that the increased metabolic effect of aerobics
lasted only 30 to 60 minutes. The effects of weight training lasted as long
as 48 hours. That's 48 hours during which the body was burning additional
fat. Over the long term, both groups lost weight, but those who practiced
strength training lost only fat, while the runners and bikers lost muscle
mass as well. The message: Aerobic exercise essentially burns only at the
time of the workout. Strength training burns calories long after you leave
the gym, while you sleep, and maybe all the way until your next workout.
Plus, the extra muscle you build through strength training means that in the
long term, your body keeps burning calories at rest just to keep that new
muscle alive.

That raises a question. What aspect of strength training creates the long
afterburn? Most likely, it's the process of muscle repair. Weight lifting
causes your muscle tissues to break down and rebuild themselves at a higher
rate than normal. (Muscles are always breaking down and rebuilding; strength
training simply accelerates the process.) That breakdown and rebuilding
takes a lot of energy and could be what accounts for the long period of
calorie burning. In fact, a 2001 Finnish study found that protein synthesis
(the process that builds bigger muscles) increases 21 percent 3 hours after
a workout.

The good news is that you don't have to lift like a linebacker to see the
results. A recent Ohio University study found that a short but hard workout
had the same effect as longer workouts. Using a circuit of three exercises
in a row for 31 minutes, the subjects were still burning more calories than
normal 38 hours after the workout. (The Abs Diet Workout is designed along
similar principles, to mimic these results.)

As I said earlier, building muscle increases your metabolism so much that
you burn up to 50 calories per day per pound of muscle you have. The more
muscle you have, the easier it is for you to lose fat. That's why one of the
components of the plan includes an exercise program that will help you add
the muscle you need to burn fat and reshape your body. And it also points to
one of the reasons why you should deemphasize cardiovascular, aerobic
exercise if you want to lose fat: because it depletes your body's store of
fat-burning muscle.

Now, before you think I'm some sort of anti-aerobics fanatic, let me clarify
a few things: I run almost daily, and I've even completed the New York City
Marathon. Aerobic exercise burns calories, it helps control stress, and it
improves your cardiovascular fitness. It also helps lower blood pressure and
improve your cholesterol profile. If your choice is aerobic exercise or no
exercise, for Pete's sake get out there and run. But when it comes to
long-term weight management, I'll take gym iron over road rubber any day.

Reprinted from: The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and
Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko with Ted Spiker (June 2004;
$24.95US/$34.95CAN; 1-57954-998-5) © 2004 Rodale Inc. Permission granted by
Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or
directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website
at www.rodalestore.com

Authors
David Zinczenko, the editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine, grew up as an
overweight kid in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Since then, he has become one of
America's leading experts on health and fitness, has offered advice to men
during appearances on Good Morning America and The Early Show, and has twice
competed in the New York City Marathon. He lives in New York City and
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Ted Spiker, an assistant professor of journalism at the University of
Florida, is a contributing editor to Men's Health. His work has also been
published in Fortune, O, The Oprah Magazine, InStyle, Sports Illustrated
Women; Writer's Digest, Adventure Sports; and more. He is a graduate of the
University of Delaware and the Columbia University Graduate School of
Journalism.

For more information, please visit www.writtenvoices.com.

Thanks Jane,

Awesome article.

Paul


"Jane Smith" wrote in message
et...
The following is an excerpt from the book The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan
to
Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko with
Ted
Spiker.



Changing the Way You Exercise

Have you ever seen a gym at rush hour? Everyone hovers around the
treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes. Signs warn you of
20-minute maximums so that the next sweat seeker can have his turn. It
seems
like everyone wants a cardiovascular, aerobic workout. The more you sweat,
the more calories you burn, the more weight you lose, right? In a way,
yes,
the headphone-and-Lycra set is right. Cardiovascular exercise --
steady-state endurance exercises, like running, biking, and swimming --
burns a lot of calories. In fact, it often burns more than other forms of
exercise like strength training or trendier workouts like yoga or Pilates.
But when it comes to weight control, aerobic exercise is more overrated
than
the fall TV lineup. Why? For one reason: Aerobic exercise builds little
(if
any) muscle -- and muscle is the key component of a speedy metabolism.
Muscle eats fat; again, add 1 pound of muscle, and your body burns up to
an
additional 50 calories a day just to keep that muscle alive. Add 6 pounds
of
muscle, and suddenly you're burning up to 300 more calories each day just
by
sitting still.

Here's the problem with low-intensity aerobic exercise. Just like a car
can't run without gas or a kite can't fly without wind, a body can't
function without food. It's the fuel that helps you run, lift, and have
the
legs to make love all night long. Generally, during exercise, your body
calls upon glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate in muscles and the
liver), fat, and in some cases protein. When you're doing low-intensity
aerobic exercise like jogging, your body primarily uses fat and glycogen
(carbohydrates) for fuel. When it continues at longer periods (20 minutes
or
more), your body drifts into depletion: You exhaust your first-tier energy
sources (your glycogen stores), and your body hunts around for the easiest
source of energy it can find -- protein. Your body actually begins to eat
up
muscle tissue, converting the protein stored in your muscles into energy
you
need to keep going. Once your body reaches that plateau, it burns up 5 to
6
grams of protein for every 30 minutes of ongoing exercise. (That's roughly
the amount of protein you'll find in a hard-boiled egg.) By burning
protein,
you're not only missing an opportunity to burn fat but also losing
all-important and powerful muscle. So aerobic exercise actually decreases
muscle mass. Decreased muscle mass ultimately slows down your metabolism,
making it easier for you to gain weight.

Now here's an even more shocking fact: When early studies compared
cardiovascular exercise to weight training, researchers learned that those
who engaged in aerobic activities burned more calories during exercise
than
those who tossed around iron. You'd assume, then, that aerobic exercise
was
the way to go. But that's not the end of the story.

It turns out that while lifters didn't burn as many calories during their
workouts as the folks who ran or biked, they burned far more calories over
the course of the next several hours. This phenomenon is known as the
afterburn -- the additional calories your body burns off in the hours and
days after a workout. When researchers looked at the metabolic increases
after exercise, they found that the increased metabolic effect of aerobics
lasted only 30 to 60 minutes. The effects of weight training lasted as
long
as 48 hours. That's 48 hours during which the body was burning additional
fat. Over the long term, both groups lost weight, but those who practiced
strength training lost only fat, while the runners and bikers lost muscle
mass as well. The message: Aerobic exercise essentially burns only at the
time of the workout. Strength training burns calories long after you leave
the gym, while you sleep, and maybe all the way until your next workout.
Plus, the extra muscle you build through strength training means that in
the
long term, your body keeps burning calories at rest just to keep that new
muscle alive.

That raises a question. What aspect of strength training creates the long
afterburn? Most likely, it's the process of muscle repair. Weight lifting
causes your muscle tissues to break down and rebuild themselves at a
higher
rate than normal. (Muscles are always breaking down and rebuilding;
strength
training simply accelerates the process.) That breakdown and rebuilding
takes a lot of energy and could be what accounts for the long period of
calorie burning. In fact, a 2001 Finnish study found that protein
synthesis
(the process that builds bigger muscles) increases 21 percent 3 hours
after
a workout.

The good news is that you don't have to lift like a linebacker to see the
results. A recent Ohio University study found that a short but hard
workout
had the same effect as longer workouts. Using a circuit of three exercises
in a row for 31 minutes, the subjects were still burning more calories
than
normal 38 hours after the workout. (The Abs Diet Workout is designed along
similar principles, to mimic these results.)

As I said earlier, building muscle increases your metabolism so much that
you burn up to 50 calories per day per pound of muscle you have. The more
muscle you have, the easier it is for you to lose fat. That's why one of
the
components of the plan includes an exercise program that will help you add
the muscle you need to burn fat and reshape your body. And it also points
to
one of the reasons why you should deemphasize cardiovascular, aerobic
exercise if you want to lose fat: because it depletes your body's store of
fat-burning muscle.

Now, before you think I'm some sort of anti-aerobics fanatic, let me
clarify
a few things: I run almost daily, and I've even completed the New York
City
Marathon. Aerobic exercise burns calories, it helps control stress, and it
improves your cardiovascular fitness. It also helps lower blood pressure
and
improve your cholesterol profile. If your choice is aerobic exercise or no
exercise, for Pete's sake get out there and run. But when it comes to
long-term weight management, I'll take gym iron over road rubber any day.

Reprinted from: The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach
and
Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko with Ted Spiker (June 2004;
$24.95US/$34.95CAN; 1-57954-998-5) © 2004 Rodale Inc. Permission granted
by
Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or
directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their
website
at www.rodalestore.com

Authors
David Zinczenko, the editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine, grew up as
an
overweight kid in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Since then, he has become one
of
America's leading experts on health and fitness, has offered advice to men
during appearances on Good Morning America and The Early Show, and has
twice
competed in the New York City Marathon. He lives in New York City and
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Ted Spiker, an assistant professor of journalism at the University of
Florida, is a contributing editor to Men's Health. His work has also been
published in Fortune, O, The Oprah Magazine, InStyle, Sports Illustrated
Women; Writer's Digest, Adventure Sports; and more. He is a graduate of
the
University of Delaware and the Columbia University Graduate School of
Journalism.

For more information, please visit www.writtenvoices.com.

"Paul" wrote in message
...
Thanks Jane,

Awesome article.

Paul


I have the book (ok I'm a book junkie) and I've enjoyed reading it. It has
some awesome recipes for smoothies. It's a pretty straight forward book and
easy to read. I did like the suggestions for putting together quick and
easy meals that are healthy. It doesn't contain any earth shattering news
and I find that most of the information has been discussed in this group.
Maybe we should do an ASD book

Beverly

"Jane Smith" wrote in message
et...
The following is an excerpt from the book The Abs Diet: The Six-Week
Plan
to
Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko with
Ted
Spiker.



Changing the Way You Exercise

Have you ever seen a gym at rush hour? Everyone hovers around the
treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes. Signs warn you of
20-minute maximums so that the next sweat seeker can have his turn. It
seems
like everyone wants a cardiovascular, aerobic workout. The more you
sweat,
the more calories you burn, the more weight you lose, right? In a way,
yes,
the headphone-and-Lycra set is right. Cardiovascular exercise --
steady-state endurance exercises, like running, biking, and swimming --
burns a lot of calories. In fact, it often burns more than other forms
of
exercise like strength training or trendier workouts like yoga or
Pilates.
But when it comes to weight control, aerobic exercise is more overrated
than
the fall TV lineup. Why? For one reason: Aerobic exercise builds little
(if
any) muscle -- and muscle is the key component of a speedy metabolism.
Muscle eats fat; again, add 1 pound of muscle, and your body burns up to
an
additional 50 calories a day just to keep that muscle alive. Add 6
pounds
of
muscle, and suddenly you're burning up to 300 more calories each day
just
by
sitting still.

Here's the problem with low-intensity aerobic exercise. Just like a car
can't run without gas or a kite can't fly without wind, a body can't
function without food. It's the fuel that helps you run, lift, and have
the
legs to make love all night long. Generally, during exercise, your body
calls upon glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate in muscles and the
liver), fat, and in some cases protein. When you're doing low-intensity
aerobic exercise like jogging, your body primarily uses fat and glycogen
(carbohydrates) for fuel. When it continues at longer periods (20
minutes
or
more), your body drifts into depletion: You exhaust your first-tier
energy
sources (your glycogen stores), and your body hunts around for the
easiest
source of energy it can find -- protein. Your body actually begins to
eat
up
muscle tissue, converting the protein stored in your muscles into energy
you
need to keep going. Once your body reaches that plateau, it burns up 5
to
6
grams of protein for every 30 minutes of ongoing exercise. (That's
roughly
the amount of protein you'll find in a hard-boiled egg.) By burning
protein,
you're not only missing an opportunity to burn fat but also losing
all-important and powerful muscle. So aerobic exercise actually
decreases
muscle mass. Decreased muscle mass ultimately slows down your
metabolism,
making it easier for you to gain weight.

Now here's an even more shocking fact: When early studies compared
cardiovascular exercise to weight training, researchers learned that
those
who engaged in aerobic activities burned more calories during exercise
than
those who tossed around iron. You'd assume, then, that aerobic exercise
was
the way to go. But that's not the end of the story.

It turns out that while lifters didn't burn as many calories during
their
workouts as the folks who ran or biked, they burned far more calories
over
the course of the next several hours. This phenomenon is known as the
afterburn -- the additional calories your body burns off in the hours
and
days after a workout. When researchers looked at the metabolic increases
after exercise, they found that the increased metabolic effect of
aerobics
lasted only 30 to 60 minutes. The effects of weight training lasted as
long
as 48 hours. That's 48 hours during which the body was burning
additional
fat. Over the long term, both groups lost weight, but those who
practiced
strength training lost only fat, while the runners and bikers lost
muscle
mass as well. The message: Aerobic exercise essentially burns only at
the
time of the workout. Strength training burns calories long after you
leave
the gym, while you sleep, and maybe all the way until your next workout.
Plus, the extra muscle you build through strength training means that in
the
long term, your body keeps burning calories at rest just to keep that
new
muscle alive.

That raises a question. What aspect of strength training creates the
long
afterburn? Most likely, it's the process of muscle repair. Weight
lifting
causes your muscle tissues to break down and rebuild themselves at a
higher
rate than normal. (Muscles are always breaking down and rebuilding;
strength
training simply accelerates the process.) That breakdown and rebuilding
takes a lot of energy and could be what accounts for the long period of
calorie burning. In fact, a 2001 Finnish study found that protein
synthesis
(the process that builds bigger muscles) increases 21 percent 3 hours
after
a workout.

The good news is that you don't have to lift like a linebacker to see
the
results. A recent Ohio University study found that a short but hard
workout
had the same effect as longer workouts. Using a circuit of three
exercises
in a row for 31 minutes, the subjects were still burning more calories
than
normal 38 hours after the workout. (The Abs Diet Workout is designed
along
similar principles, to mimic these results.)

As I said earlier, building muscle increases your metabolism so much
that
you burn up to 50 calories per day per pound of muscle you have. The
more
muscle you have, the easier it is for you to lose fat. That's why one of
the
components of the plan includes an exercise program that will help you
add
the muscle you need to burn fat and reshape your body. And it also
points
to
one of the reasons why you should deemphasize cardiovascular, aerobic
exercise if you want to lose fat: because it depletes your body's store
of
fat-burning muscle.

Now, before you think I'm some sort of anti-aerobics fanatic, let me
clarify
a few things: I run almost daily, and I've even completed the New York
City
Marathon. Aerobic exercise burns calories, it helps control stress, and
it
improves your cardiovascular fitness. It also helps lower blood pressure
and
improve your cholesterol profile. If your choice is aerobic exercise or
no
exercise, for Pete's sake get out there and run. But when it comes to
long-term weight management, I'll take gym iron over road rubber any
day.

Reprinted from: The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach
and
Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko with Ted Spiker (June 2004;
$24.95US/$34.95CAN; 1-57954-998-5) © 2004 Rodale Inc. Permission granted
by
Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or
directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their
website
at www.rodalestore.com

Authors
David Zinczenko, the editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine, grew up
as
an
overweight kid in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Since then, he has become one
of
America's leading experts on health and fitness, has offered advice to
men
during appearances on Good Morning America and The Early Show, and has
twice
competed in the New York City Marathon. He lives in New York City and
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Ted Spiker, an assistant professor of journalism at the University of
Florida, is a contributing editor to Men's Health. His work has also
been
published in Fortune, O, The Oprah Magazine, InStyle, Sports Illustrated
Women; Writer's Digest, Adventure Sports; and more. He is a graduate of
the
University of Delaware and the Columbia University Graduate School of
Journalism.

For more information, please visit www.writtenvoices.com.