In the fitness universe, there’s a lot of jargon and technical terminology. Like “VO2max,” a word you may have heard from a personal trainer or exercise guru. In a nutshell, VO2max is the maximum capacity of an exerciser’s body to transport and use oxygen during exercise – and it’s considered one of the best measures of cardiovascular ability. Once the [...]

I know you’ve been there: You’re 5 minutes into a 20 minute treadmill run. You’re already short of breath – and all you can think about is that you still have 15 minutes of running left. In your mind, you’re already defeated and there’s no way you’re going to finish the run. I like to say that running is 75% [...]

Dear Davey, I’m quite skinny but I have a ring of fat around my mid-section – it’s like a pair of stubborn love handles. Obviously, I’d like to burn my stomach fat – but I also want to build muscle. Is it possible to do both? From, Joe Hey Joe, In short: Yes, it’s totally possible to burn fat AND [...]

Whether cardio should be done before or after strength training is one of the more hotly contested fitness debates – and it’s a subject that I touch upon in my Ultimate Guide to Working Out. Though there are pretty good arguments on either side, it often comes down to goals. If your goal is weight loss or cardiovascular endurance, then [...]

Ho, ho, ho – the holidays are here! For most people, the holidays have a negative impact on their efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. For one, it means lots and lots of unhealthy foods, buffets and alcohol. Secondly, it means that all of us have a little less time in our already busy schedules to hit the gym. As [...]

There’s no doubt about it: Treadmill running is convenient. Rain, sleet, snow or shine – treadmill runners are untouched by weather conditions (unless, of course, you lose power). But for people looking to lose weight, how does the calorie burn of treadmills compare to running outside? There have been a number of studies comparing treadmill running to outside running. The [...]

Believe it or not, music and exercise didn’t first combine forces with the advent of the iPod. In fact, you’d have to go all the way back to rowers during Roman times. According to Carl Foster, Ph.D., lead researcher for a recent compilation of studies titled Exploring the Effects of Music on Exercise Intensity: The guy is sitting there beating [...]

Toning shoes make a lot of promises – like burning more calories, improving posture and toning muscles – but do they actually work? Many of toning shoe brands point to studies that allegedly “prove” real results; unfortunately, these studies are commissioned by the various sneaker brands – and are not peer reviewed. To settled the debate, the American Council on [...]

Last weekend, while staying at my aunt and uncle’s vacation house in Jackson, NH, I conquered “The Beast.” My aunt and uncle live at the top of a long, winding mountain pass. The road is a few miles in length, but it climbs some 2,000 feet in elevation. To walk the beast is a challenge; to run the beast is [...]

There’s no question that water consumption is critically important – and obviously necessary for survival. And, in fact, many of us don’t consume the recommended amount of H2O. But a recent study by Loyola University Health Systems found that nearly half of recreational runners might be drinking too much water during races. Consider, for a minute, our early ancestors. When [...]