We have a wide variety of questions to feature this week, from how to best correct strength imbalances between the right and left side of the body to the best way to count calories. It is hard to believe, but this will be our last Q&A Weekly Roundup for 2012. We hope you enjoy it!
- My right side is weaker than my left. How do I fix it?
- Can you lose fat while building muscle on your arms?
- How do I count calories accurately?
- Where are the female testimonials for your program?
- Can fitness be a career? Where should I start?
Question #1 | My right side is weaker than my left. How do I fix it?
Question: “My right side is weaker than my left side. Muscles on the left side are more visible and toned, especially the pecs. I can lift and press more with my right arm. I’ve always been told that by working out consistently the imbalance should disappear, but this does not seem to happen. Is there anything I can do to fix this – do an extra set only for the muscles on the right side?” – Luca
Answer: Right/Left imbalances are quite common and the extent of your imbalance should determine your specific methods. With that said, you might have issues with nerve innervation between your right and left side which is causing the imbalance and seeing a qualified professional to help ensure that’s not the issue should be a priority. From a gym stand-point, you can definitely start doing one and a half times amount of work on your weak side (left in this case) with single arm movements, such as half-off the bench chest press and standing Cable Chest Press. By working your weaker side to this extent, you give yourself some time to equal the imbalance. Make sure though that you’re also strengthening your assistance muscles to about the same ratio, such as your rotator cuff muscles, rhomboids, mid-trap, etc. With that said, as previously stated, make sure it’s not nerve or structural issues causing your strength differences.
- John ( John Leyva, CSCS, CPT)
Question #2 | Can you lose fat while building muscle on your arms?
Question: “Hi Marc, is it possible to lose belly fat while building muscle on other parts of the body at the same time?” – Darren
Answer: Hey Darren, it is possible, but the fastest and most efficient way to lose your belly fat and increase muscle mass would be to focus on losing fat without losing muscle while taking advantage of your anabolic window after a workout. I wrote a couple articles that go into much more depth about whether you can “
build muscle and lose fat at the same time” and also discuss why I believe most guys should focus on “
losing fat before building muscle“.
Best,
- Marc ( Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT)
Question #3 | How do I count calories accurately?
Question: “I understand in order to lose weight I have to eat fewer calories. The problem I’m having is counting calories properly. If I choose grilled chicken and it’s oily, the calorie count will vary. Based on web references, the calorie count for a grilled drumstick is about 150 max, but then I have to account for the oil. How do I best count calories accurately?” – Wan
Answer: It’s important to remember that the numbers you get for calories from a specific food are estimates, therefore the accuracy is not always perfect. You said it yourself, the calorie count for a drumstick is ABOUT 150 calories. We have a couple articles that may be helpful for you: (1)
How to Count Calories and (2)
Free Printable Food Journal. On the third page of the journal, there are several helpful calorie counting tips that discuss portion sizes and how to calculate your calorie % breakdown for the day.
- Kwesi (Kwesi Peters, CPT, Community Manager)
Question #4 | Where are the female testimonials?
Question: “I’ve taken a look and read some of the Success Stories from your Built Lean “Program.” Do you have any success stories / results of women who have gone through the program? I am interested in purchasing the program, but wanted to see some feedback from women (I don’t think I saw any on your website). Thanks and keep up the awesome work! Very informative and motivating.” – Janice
Answer: Hey Janice, I’m really happy you are interested in purchasing the program and I think your request is very reasonable. Unfortunately, we don’t have any female testimonials with the online program at this time. We do have them for our personal training practice in NYC that is based on a similar program, but I’ve since taken those down as my training practice now is almost entirely referrals. I do hope in the next 6 months to add more female testimonials. I can tell you that if your goal is losing fat without losing muscle, the builtlean program will not disappoint and there is a 60 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Best,
- Marc ( Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT)
Question #5 | Can fitness be a career? Where should i start?
Question: “Hey Marc, i’m very keen on going into the fitness industry, your website and a lot of other extensive sources have helped my progress so much and i enjoy researching and reading all these different articles very much.
What should one do to make an income to sustain themselves in this industry, could you give me any tips?
Thanks heaps for any advice in advance!
” –
Brandon
Answer: Hey Brandon,
If you want to become a fitness professional, and more specifically a personal trainer, I would recommend working for a large corporate gym that is well respected where you will be able to train many different types of people and you will receive educational training. Another option is to train under someone who has a lot of experience who will take you under his/her wing. This is one of the best ways to get a lot of experience quickly and figure out if the fitness industry is right for you longer term. You won’t make much money but the experience is worth it.
If you really love it, after a year, or two of learning as much as you can, you can begin training clients privately, or for a smaller and more exclusive studio where you can make more money. Another option could be to open up your own bootcamp where you do group training. This will allow you to make more money per hour, but it comes with more risk because it’s your own business.
I have conversations all the time with people interested in getting involved in the fitness industry and I tell them it’s something you really have to love and see yourself doing long term, because on average you make less money in a fitness career than you would in other industries like finance, which is where I started my career (See: My Journey From Finance To Fitness).
Hope that’s helpful and good luck!
Best,
- Marc ( Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT)
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My Right Side is Weaker Than My Left. How Do I Fix It? , 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating
Hi Builtlean Team!
I would like to ask how to get rid of the trunk tree legs?
I am on diet, trying to loose fat so i am doing mostly leg excersises (squats, deadlift, intervall running)but i am not sure that this doesn’t make my legs even bigger…Is it genetical or is there anything i can and should do? Thanks for the answear!
@Martin – Apologize for the late response, I got backed up with answering comments. I’m assuming with “tree trunk” legs most of your legs is muscle? How much fat do you have on them? If you have a decent amount of fat on them, then focusing on losing fat without losing muscle will help, eventually you will lose the fat off your legs. If you have more muscular legs, then you can consider yourself lucky. Muscle is a good thing, especially as you age. You are going to be glad for every ounce that you have!
@Mark: Can you please advise me on this !
The following are the nutritional values of a 100 g saffola oats.
Energy (Kcal) – 395.
Carbohydrates – 67.5 g of which 0.6 sugar.
Fat – 9 g.
Protein – 11 g.
Dietry fibre – 7.5 g.
Are these healthy to eat daily in the breakfast? BTW each packet of oats is around 42 g.
Thanks !!