Ask Joe Weider

Tip of the Week: Drink to your health!

Much is made about the need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day as a way of maintaining an optimal level of hydration, yet there's no irrefutable scientific proof that the average person needs that amount. Some may need more, others less.

I think it's a good bet that you could be one of those who needs more if you exercise daily. Increased physical activity leads to sweating, and in drier climes you won't even notice sweat, just a sense of dehydration. Of course, if you're inactive and the air is cool, your body will retain more water, necessitating less intake.

One thing to remember when figuring out how much you need to drink is this: Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. Thirst indicates a state of dehydration. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

One more thing: Your liquid intake doesn't have to be from water, just liquid, although I'm going to leave alcoholic beverages out of that rather broad category ...

Q: I've been lifting weights religiously for 15 years (I'm 32), and I recently decided to branch out and try something different. So about six months ago, I joined a boxing gym and have been boxing. I really like the cardio workout it gives me, and I feel better prepared to defend myself than ever before, but I'm starting to develop some serious pain in my left shoulder. In fact, I can hardly press a weight up on the left side, while my right is still strong. Do you think I need to quit boxing, or maybe I just need a break from it?

Joe: I think my first response to your question is a predictable one: see a doctor. Seriously, I'm not qualified to diagnose your issue and therefore can't give my opinion as to what is happening inside your shoulder joint. I can, however, make a couple of guesses as to what the problem may be, as well as a suggestion.

You say you've been lifting for 15 years, during which time I assume you've followed a fairly conventional weight-training regimen. As such, you have been putting your joints through a uniform range of movement, albeit with resistance, for 15 years. So, they have adapted to this range and grown into it. There's a good chance there's been a little deterioration of the connective tissues of the shoulder joint due to all of this repetitive movement.

It's inevitable — it happens to us all — but not particularly serious, or noticeable, until you divert from your comfort zone.

Boxing is a radically different form of exercise from weightlifting. Whereas you had conditioned your body to deal with controlled stress, now it's coming in a much more explosive form. Suddenly, joints that have been built up to resist weights are feeling the impact of punches against a heavy bag or body. If you had minor micro tears in your muscles or swelling in your joints from the lifting, they could have been significantly worsened from boxing.

Again, you must seek the advice of a doctor on this. An X-ray or MRI may be in order and then possibly surgery. Whatever the outcome, please keep me informed.

Q: I'm just starting out on my first exercise program. I'm a 15-year-old girl, and my goal is to become stronger and more agile, and to lose 20 pounds, at the advice of my family physician. So my question is, how long will it take before I start to see improvements?

Joe: I'm happy to hear that you're taking steps to improve your health as well as your body composition. Honestly, it's hard to say just when you might start seeing the results you seek for two reasons. One is that everyone responds differently. The other is that each of us has our own set of expectations. What constitutes good change for some might equal stagnation for others.

Generally speaking, though, I would say that you should feel the effects of your training the day after your very first workout, in the form of muscle soreness and a slight elevation in mood, thanks to the endorphins released during exercise. Two weeks later, you should start to see the first signs of body composition change and your energy levels should be higher. Within four to six weeks of that first workout you should be noticing obvious physical changes, including strength and stamina increase, tighter muscles and a reduction of body fat. If you don't see and feel these, you need to evaluate your routine and adjust accordingly.

Best of luck to you!

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages. To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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