Burn Body Fat with Weights, NOT Cardio - Getting Rid of the Myth (Part 2)

In Part 1 of her article, Dawn shared her feelings on the myths and stereotypes surrounding women in the weight room. In Part 2, Dawn gets into more detail as to how you can use weights to effectively cut fat, and build a lean, sexy, feminine physique.

The idea behind using weights to burn fat is to raise your resting metabolism. Metabolism is determined by how much muscle you have on your body, incorporated with a few other factors. Researchers have shown that we have the ability, to "trick" our genes into behaving differently, mainly, by lifting weights, and building muscle. By increasing your fat to muscle ratio, you can change your body from flabby and weak, to a lean, strong, fat burning machine! How do you do this? First, you must pay close attention to your diet. In order to build muscle, you need to eat enough protein to build and repair your muscles, and enough carbs, at the right times, to fuel your workouts. You must challenge your muscles to do more than they are normally used to. By this I mean not doing the same old bicep curls, and abdominal work, with a few new things thrown in. I mean keeping a chart, and using a progressive overload technique. Lifting 2-3 times a week, and adding more weight to each set. Using enough weight to get 8-10 reps, with about 1-2 minutes of rest, between sets, to be able to do 1 warm up set, and 3-4 working sets. The ONLY way a muscle will grow, is by being challenged. If all you keep doing is light weights, and lots of reps, you will create muscular endurance, not larger muscles. Now remember, bigger muscles, burn more fat even at rest!

1. It is physiologically impossible for women to bulk up quickly from weight training. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle mass. Women simply do not have enough of it in their systems to build that much muscle. I have lifted weights for 25 plus years, and much heavier than any woman in my gym, and I by no means am huge!

2. By lifting weights correctly, you will take your muscles through their full range of motion. This will create over time lean, flexible muscles. Soon, you will appear leaner, will stand up straighter, and be stronger.

3. Weight and strength training is extremely important as women age. It has been shown that women gain strength at the same rate as men do. By taking charge of your strength, and flexibility, you will reduce your chances of falling, or having back problems later in life. You will learn how to lift objects without assistance. By getting stronger, you will prevent injuries. You will increase your grip strength, which is a marker now used in the anti-aging community that correlates to your mortality. Lifting weights will also strengthen your connective tissues, giving you a better sense of balance, and stability.

4. By strengthening your connective tissue, you increase your mineral density, decreasing your chance of developing osteoporosis.

What will you look and feel like? You will feel strong and energized. You will have less body fat, and your hard work will be "showcased" by your sexy, sculpted muscles. You will be less stressed, because you will have created the body you always wished you had.

Now go into the gym with a plan. Buy a weight lifting guide, or hire a trainer. Plan your new body, like you would plan any other future engagement. Get rid of old thoughts of getting too bulky. The only thing that will be to big are the pants you used to wear!

Like what you read? Check out Dawn's blog, Constant Energy Fitness for more of her awesome advice on health and fitness.

Do You Like What You See?

In his latest video log, Christopher Reed invites us all to take a look at ourselves in the mirror and think about how we react when confronted with controversy. So sit back, have a listen, and let Toronto’s #1 Underground Strength Coach hit you up with some truth:

Burn Body Fat with Weights, NOT Cardio - Getting Rid of the Myth (Part 1)

Dawn Sylvester is a figure competitor, personal trainer and kettlebell competitor who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to living a healthy lifestyle. Inspired by her passion for fitness and helping others, she started Constant Energy Fitness, a fitness blog focused on providing women with cutting edge tips to get them stronger, leaner, and healthier.


In her first contribution to the Cygen Labs blog, Dawn shares with us her feelings on the myths and stereotypes surrounding women in the weight room, and how you can REALLY kick up your fat loss efforts in the gym.

Are you afraid to lift weights because you don’t want to get too big or bulky? Do you think you will lose your flexibility? Will you look like those "women" in bodybuilding magazines? Are you too "old" to begin a weight training program? NO WAY!! Let me get rid of some beliefs that women find hard to shake, and why weight training is something you need to start today.

Cardio is NOT the answer. It is now being studied that it is much more beneficial for women to lift weights, than to do cardio alone. I know, we have been told for so long, that the way to lose weight is to do endless hours of cardio, and the weight room is for the guys. If I was to tell you that you could cut your workout time in half, and within months, lose bodyfat, and inches, while gaining strength, would I have your attention?

I am 51 years old. I have lifted weights for more than 20 years, and have a bodyfat range of around 19%. It is due to clean eating, and intense weight lifting. I am 5'1", at 108 lbs, and have squatted up to 185 lbs, and done sets of leg presses using 360 lbs. I ask you, do I look bulky or too muscular to you? In my 20's I lived for cardio, was 15 lbs heavier, and chubby! A substitute instructor in my aerobics class one day had a body I would die for, so I stayed after to ask for tips. What she told me, was amazing! She said she NEVER did cardio! I didn't believe her then, but decided that what I had been doing, obviously wasn't working, so I started to lift weights. Within 6 months, I lost a total of 15 lbs of fat, felt great, and had never been leaner! Years later, I went on to become a certified personal trainer. I wanted to spread the word to women….stop doing cardio only, and stop cutting calories! A woman's place is in the weight room! Now when I do cardio, it is in the form of intervals, and only 2 x weekly.

As a 50th birthday present to myself, I entered a figure competition, and received 2 trophies. I was competing with girls 25 years younger than me! I also recently did my first Kettlebell competition, and received a medal. So, open your mind and erase your old misconceptions about women and weights, because the weight room is where we belong!

The most important thing you can do to lose body fat is eat a clean diet, and do anaerobic exercise. What we used to think, based on studies done in the 80's was to do cardio for as long as possible. Right?...Not anymore! Current studies done by exercise physiologists tells us that it is proven that you can burn up to 25% more calories from fat, AFTER an intense session of weight training, than DURING cardio. The afterburn is what is most significant, and can last for up to 36 hours! Since our ultimate goal is to burn calories from fat stores, this is the most efficient way to change the composition of your body. Nothing is more appealing, to men and women alike, than a curvy, lean physique on a woman.

The idea is to raise your resting metabolism. Metabolism is determined by how much muscle you have on your body, incorporated with a few other factors. Researchers have shown that we have the ability, to "trick" our genes into behaving differently, mainly, by lifting weights, and building muscle. By increasing your fat to muscle ratio, you can change your body from flabby and weak, to a lean, strong, fat burning machine!

Stay tuned for part 2 of Dawn’s blog entry where she takes us through a 4 step process of how you too can change your views on the weight room forever, and take your feminine physique to the next level.

Toronto's #1 Underground Strength Coach Gets Philosophical

Hey Cygen Fans,

This week, Christopher Reed has submitted a video log to the Cygen space, and the big fella has gotten a little philosophical on us.

Have a listen, and see how you can apply his advice to your own goals and life.

Not Feelin' the Love

What’s Up Cygen-Cyber Spacers? This posting is going to PI$$ A LOT OF YOU OFF, haters hate, that’s why there is a comment section below; AGREE/DISAGREE – let your opinion be seen. THE FITNESS INDUSTRY IN CANADA IS A JOKE! Can anyone of you reading this article name a top tier Canadian bred Strength and Conditioning Coach? Who is the first person that pops into your head when you think Top level Trainer in Canada – Jonathan Chaimberg, Tom Europe, Paul Plakas, Matt Nichol, Brian Grasso, Craig Ballantyne, Harley Pasternak, Ian Walling, Marc Lebert, Peter Twist, Maureen Hagan, Lyzabeth Lopez, Tosca Reno? Maybe you recognize these names, maybe you don’t – I’m going to side with the likelihood that you might, and I stress might, recognize one possibly two names on that list. Why is that?

Of that list, several have moved to the United States and become recognizable names in the fitness industry south of the border. Is it due to a bigger population? Are there greater opportunities for recognition? Better pay? What drives professionals such as these to pursue their passion in the United States – why not stay here in Canada?


Why is Strength and Conditioning a topic that is rarely discussed if discussed at all here? It’s no secret that in order to improve performance you need to get stronger. If that is the case why are trainers/coaches such a scarcity to come across in this country? The problem exists because we allow it to – we have allowed ourselves to be modest, tamed and demure; we’ve become domesticated kittens when we were born to be LIONS!

Sport and fitness have by extension become options when the hard fact is they should be woven into the tapestry of our society as should strength training for sport. So many positive lessons are to be gained from sport and in the weight room that the values learned and reinforced through these avenues last a lifetime!


Now I know that our pastime is hockey (our national game is actually lacrosse – by the way) and that a lot more attention is being garnered toward the value of “dry-land” training at grassroots levels but what about other sports? Women’s under – 18 soccer is one of the fastest growing sport populations in Canada – yet how much attention does this sport get from local cable stations? Why are there not strength and conditioning coaches associated with more grassroots teams, regardless of what sport, across the country – and by extension why is there not funding to pay for these positions?


There are not enough recognized professionals in the field of strength and conditioning in Canada and what professionals we do manage to produce leave for the United States or elsewhere. Let me qualify what a professional is; a professional is more than an individual that spent a weekend getting their accreditation; a professional is the perfect blend of academia (theory), experience (practical) and teaching (technical) skill. This breadth of knowledge and fusion of competency is not something that one can accrue in a weekend and to think so is what makes a mockery of the profession in Canada.

Governing bodies that fail to have a gatekeeper at the door are the source of the problem – these bodies are nothing more than a quick cash grab and place members of the general public at risk. There is no standard to be upheld – or held accountable to for that matter. More publicity, better salaried positions from the grassroots levels up (for all sports) and higher required qualifications for entry into the field are only the start of solving the problem and keeping our most skilled coaches on Canadian soil.


I encourage a full out revolution at the source – amidst the people; bring fitness back into the grade schools, playgrounds and parks! Make “fitness” play and use any means at your disposal to get in shape and stay in shape – for LIFE! WAKE UP PEEPS and demand more of yourself and the profession that you are so passionate about; continue learning, continue growing, and continue to challenge those individuals who would seek to conform you and cage you in their mold. Be the LION you were breed to be!

Tests of Athleticism Part 2

What’s up Cygen Cyber-Spacers!? This posting is going to be an answer to the post from 2 weeks ago about Football Combine Testing and which tests in particular are the best measures of overall athleticism and best predictors for success on the field – where it counts most. Our comments section below lists the box jump and 40 yard dash as the best overall predictors for athleticism and these two comments aren’t that far off the mark.

As testing relates specifically to football I am going to say that the Vertical Jump Test and 20 yard Shuttle Run are the best overall indicators for performance – through this post I will explain why and in the comments section below you can give your feedback and say whether you agree or disagree with my view.


At first glance The Vertical Jump Test may not seem as relevant to football as it would be for our beach volleyball playing friend to the right here but; the reality is, that it is a great test for football because it does an outstanding job of measuring power through triple extension – that is extension around the joints of the ankle, knee and hip.

Extension around these joints is important to a sport like football because football is dominantly a game of speed (acceleration) and power (mass x acceleration); it is through extension around these joints and recruitment of the musculature of the ‘posterior chain’ (calves, hamstrings, glutes and low back extensors) that we create the force required for acceleration.

When you are crouched at the starting line of the 40 yard dash you are in a flexed position around the ankle, knee and hip. This flexion or bend creates “power angles” which allow your body to store ‘kinetic energy’. Kinetic energy is the tension you feel when you stretch a rubber band to its limit – on the one hand; if you were to stretch the band too far it snaps, on the other hand if you do not stretch it far enough there is absolutely no elastic tension what-so-ever. There is a sweet spot in this force curve that will optimize the distance traveled by the band if you were to let it fly.

The same is true of your muscles in regard to producing the power necessary for explosive acceleration – you gotta find the sweet spot where the muscles around your hips, knees and ankles are primed to explode into extension. Joe DeFranco and Zach Even-Esh both discuss the principles of risk versus reward when training athletes in their Lost Secrets of Strength Training DVD and how to incorporate jump training (plyometrics) in combination with deadlifts to maximize the cross over to performance in 10 yard acceleration and vertical jump testing as opposed to the convention of using Olympic Lifts that require more time to teach and expose the athlete to great degree of risk and incidence for an injury due to training. Essentially the theory boils down to being able to practice and strengthen the muscles involved in triple extension by jumping rather than an exercise that is weight loaded such as power cleans.


The second test that I believe translates very well onto the football field is the 20 yard shuttle run – and its contemporary the L-test. Both of these tests gauge the ability of an athlete to change direction and accelerate out of those changes of direction – kind like this guy to our left.

Power and speed are great abilities to possess however if neither can be applied in a game situation then they are both useless. The above tests measure one of the most important abilities to football which is the ability to react, change direction, accelerate and make a play by being in the best possible position.


You can see it all over the field regardless of position – even offensive linemen have to be able to change direction and accelerate; think of a toss play and the pulling guard (one of my personal favorites). The element that varies from one position to the next however is the distance over which these changes of direction must occur and the speed at which acceleration and deceleration happen. This is why football is called a collision sport – the change of direction when coupled with the mass of the players and their ability to accelerate leads to some pretty big hits when combined with technique that has been practiced and practiced again from the age of 6 in some cases.

Now it’s your turn to weigh in, do you agree or disagree with the above tests being the best measures of performance and athleticism for football. Drop your comments below and let your voice be heard!

Combine Preparation and Other Tests of Athleticism

Happy New Year Cygen Cyber-spacers! This truly is the most wonderful time of the year; that is if you are a serious football fan! For college (NCAA Div I - III) it’s Bowl Season. For the Pro’s (NFL) its playoff’s – speaking of which, did anyone see that Colt’s game!? Who could have predicted the J-E-T-S winning with a field goal!? That’s some pretty awesome action – which brings us to our topic for this posting – COMBINE PREPARATION. The Combine is where these teams are built; those teams whose respective recruiting staff does their homework the best will tip the scales in favor of a Superbowl Trophy at the end of the 2012 season.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the NFL combine, it is a little under 4 months away and facilities like Joe Defranco’s in Wycoff, New Jersey and Athlete’s Performance in Tempe, Arizona are already buzzing with bodies getting prepped to be at their physical best come April. April is the month when the top college athlete’s of today become the potential Pro Bowler’s of tomorrow and face the biggest job interview of their athletic lives at the Draft which is held each year in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Here in Canada, that deadline is even closer with the CFL Evaluation Camp taking place in March. The Evaluation Camp is an opportunity for top level Canadian born talent to showcase their skills in much a similar stage as the NFL Combine. Facilities like Twist Conditioning Centers in British Columbia (home base), Sport Specific Training Centers (S.S.T.) and Dynamic Conditioning Centers both in Ontario are hubs where athletes will flock to prepare for the challenge that will face them North of the border come March.


Regardless of whether you are North or South come Combine time (March / April) one thing remains consistent and that is the barrage of athletic tests that these hopeful potential Professional Athletes will face. Here is your opportunity my Cygen Cyber-spacers - rather than go on a tirade about the tests: Vertical Jump, Bench Press, 40 yard dash, T-test, Standing broad jump, Body composition testing, the Wonderlic test and positional specific testing that participant’s face I pose these 2 questions to you:

“What one test do you feel is the best measure of athleticism?”
&
“Which test would you like to improve your performance in?”

Yours in Health & Strength,
~ Christopher