Ask Joanna – Common Fitness & Nutrition Questions

By Joanna 08/08/2014 In
Knowledge
Fitness Tips

I would love to personally answer all of you, however due to the sheer amount of questions, it is not always possible. So I thought this video will not only help you, but others with similar questions too.

I have previously filmed a video on “Common Fitness Questions”, so if this is one of your questions, please click on the link and watch the video:

1) How long will I see result?
2) How many sets / reps should I do in my workouts?
3) I want to lose weight, where do I start?
4) When is the best time to workout?
5) Should I do the same workout everyday?
6) My muscles are in pain the next day, what's happening?
7) I do not want to bulk up. Will this exercise make me bigger?
8) Will this particular workout make me lose fat on specific area?
9) How important is my food intake in regards to losing weight?
10) I'm de-motivated because I'm not seeing results. =( what can I do?

Right let’s start with the 1st question:

1) If you skip a workout one day, does doubling your time the next time you work out make up for that skipped day? Is it safe? Is it just as effective? Thanks! (from Jessica Perez)

Missing a workout session is absolutely normal and nothing to get stressed out about. You haven’t ruin your fitness routine. Maybe you really needed that day off, or perhaps you are just too busy.

If you missed a workout day, I wouldn’t recommend you to double up your workout time the next day.

It wouldn’t make much difference, it is not a healthy habit you want to get into and in fact, you may burn out and over train for working twice as hard.

What I would suggest is to just get straight back into your normal workout routine. Or you may readjust your workout schedule slightly for that week. For instance, you can replace an active rest day with a workout session, which you’ve missed.

It is not the end of the world. Don’t feel too guilty about it, remember fitness is a lifestyle, so take a lighter and fun approach.

2) I was wondering.... Is necessary to bring changes in your workout routine once in a while? some say that u need to increase the intensity... I am always confused about it...BTW Thanks for everything.. I love your videos n wanna become a fitness blogger too.Sachchi Chitrakar

The answer is yes. It is important to progress with your workout routine as you get stronger. At the end of the day, a workout should feel like a workout. It shouldn’t be easy. It should be at least moderately intense or intense. So on a scale of 10, moderately intense is between 5 to 6 or intense between 7 to 8.

Once you are comfortable with what used to be uncomfortable, it’s time to progress or increase the intensity. These are 5 ways to progress with your workout:

1) Increase the repetitions – do more reps and just remember that you should slightly struggling through the last few reps.
2) Increase the weights used
3) Increase the number of sets
4) So if you have been doing 3 sets per exercise, increase it to 4 sets.
5) Decrease the rest time
6) The shorter rest you take in between exercises, the harder it’s going to work your muscles and the more calories you’ll be burning.
7) Increase the difficulty of the workout.
8) So for instance if you have been doing regular squats, you can choose a more challenging version such as jump squats.

Changing your workout is also another way to progress. Although you may be very good at running, that doesn’t mean cycling or swimming will be as easy.

Trying and changing different workouts will not only re-challenge your muscles, it will keep your workout routine fun and fresh too.

So when should you progress? If you are unsure, I would suggest that you review your workout plan every 4 – 6 weeks and ask yourself, am I getting the best out of my workout? How can I challenge myself more in order to see results? How can I keep it fun to stay motivated?

3) These days I go to sleep late and wake up late how do I go about the meals than? since I can't squeeze in 5 little meals how does it work with 3 meals, I fear I eat too little and therefore don't lose the weight.Barr Kovesh

In regards to meal time, there isn’t a set meal time that you must follow because we all have different schedule. So for instance, if you work a late night shift, your dinner time will be different from others, that doesn’t mean it will affect your weight loss goal.

At the end of the day, it is the total daily calories you consume which matters. If you eat more that what your body needs, you put on weight, if you eat within your calorie needs and don’t under eat, you will start to lose the weight.

This also means that eating 3 meals or 5 meals isn’t a big issue. I’ve been encouraging you to consume 5 to 6 smaller meals because it can help to keep your blood sugar level stable and to avoid overeating. But if your schedule only permits you to eat 3 meals a day, increase the size of your meals, so that they will keep you satisfied for longer.

For instance if your total daily calorie need is about 1700 Cals, and if you plan to have 5 – 6 meals a day, you can consume between 300 – 350 cals per meal. If you intend to have 3 larger meals, then each meals can be between 550 – 600 Cals.

So make your meals work according to your personal schedule, they shouldn’t be something we get stressed out about.

4) I have a question about slimming down the thighs. Currently, I am doing thigh gap workout and high intensity thigh workout but which one is more suitable?Ayano Yuka

To answer your question, they are both equally effective. I will only post workouts, which are effective for you. When it comes to selecting workouts from my videos, firstly, start by evaluating your own personal goal, fitness level and also physical condition. Everybody is different.

So for instance, if you had previous knee injuries, then perhaps you need to avoid high impact exercises. If that’s the case, choose workouts which do not involve running or jumping, or you can adapt some of the exercises to fit your fitness level.

If you are a beginner, then you can pick and try my beginner workouts here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84vOfiU9zWs&t=8s ). If you find them tough, don’t worry, that’s absolutely normal. You are not weak,, your body is still adjusting to a new form of activity. It takes between 4 – 6 weeks for your body to adapt.

Keep doing the same workout at your own pace, and every week, try to push yourself a little further, eventually you will be able to complete the entire workout and do even more.

If you are unsure on how to structure your workout, I would suggest this,
in a week, have 2 intense session, 2 moderately intense session and 1 light session.

Performing only intense workout constantly can cause your body to over train, which may result in feeling fatigue, sluggish, unable to sleep, or seeing no progress. These signs are completely the opposite of what an effective workout routine should be.

On the other hand, doing only very light workouts may not give you the result you want or as quickly as you want it to be.

Therefor it is very important to alternate your workout intensity. This will allow your muscles to fully rest and recover and to see results. So if today is intense, alternate it with a moderately intense workout the next day.

Here’s an example:

Monday: Intense
Tuesday: Moderately Intense
Wednesday: Active Rest
Thursday: Intense
Friday: Light
Saturday: Moderately Intense
Sunday: Rest Day

5) Is it possible for you to gain 1kg in a day? How much weight do we change in a day (Jo an)

Yes! Our weight fluctuates between 1 – 2kgs or more every days. This tends to be water weight. So if you weigh yourself in the morning, that’s when you are at your lightest, however when you weigh yourself again at night, you will tend to weigh more. That’s because your body has more water and food at night, and it’s all gone again the next morning.

Hence that is why I never advise you to weigh yourself every day especially multiple times in a day. Try to only weigh yourself once a week, at the same time of the day. For accuracy, aim to weigh yourself in the morning.

So these are just 5 common questions, which most of you tend to ask. I hope this has helped you out. I’ll aim to answer more of your questions in the next “Ask Joanna” video. So do leave your questions in the comments below. All the best! xx

#jsohactive
Subscribe for FREE