Ask Joe Weider

Tip of the Week: Your body isn't responding to your workouts anymore? Confuse it!

Years ago, I observed all of the subtle techniques employed by bodybuilders in their training, wrote them down and organized them into something I call the Weider Principles. These include techniques that don't just apply to bodybuilders, but to everyone who aspires to change their bodies for the better.

One such technique is called the Muscle Confusion Principle. The idea behind this is that muscles adapt to stresses placed upon them. In order to shake them out of their torpor, you must confuse them by changing up your workout.

So if you find that you've reached a plateau in your training, my suggestion is that you mix things up — throw your body off balance, and force it to readjust. Change the set-rep scheme, change the exercises, change the time of day in which you train — anything to shake your body out of its complacency. I guarantee you'll see progress once again.

Q: I'm a 48-year-old woman who is trying to lose some extra weight I've put on over the last decade or so. I've tried different diet systems, have taken classes from yoga to Pilates to spin and so on. While I've had some success in the beginning, I've found that after a few weeks of diligence I invariably start to lose steam and within three months I've fallen off the wagon. Any tips for keeping focus, Joe?

Joe: Yours is possibly the most common problem dieters across the spectrum experience. It seems to be human nature to lose interest and focus after a period of time. Relationships are a prime example of this, hence the term "the honeymoon's over."

The secret to overcoming our natural tendency toward apathy is to consistently set new goals and inject variety into our routines on a regular basis. I give one example of variety in the tip above. The same goes for diet — limiting yourself to a small number of food options will make you crave and eventually cheat.

As for goal-setting, be specific and aggressive, but realistic.

Don't say, "I want to lose 40 pounds this year." That's too long-term and too big a chunk of weight to consider. Instead, aim for 3 pounds every four weeks, and have a specific plan of action for achieving this goal. Write things down, and share your goals with a friend who will hold you accountable to them. By strategizing your diet and exercise plan, you can stick with it for as long as you need.

Q: I see so many ads for weight-loss pills and bodybuilding supplements that I have to wonder, just how effective are they really? What percentage do supplements make up compared to diet and exercise?

Joe: That's a tough one because there are so many supplements on the market, ranging from very efficacious to what essentially amounts to snake oil.

I have always made it a point to explain that keeping a sound diet comprised primarily of whole foods and adhering to an exercise plan are the foundations for good health and longevity. Supplements are just that: supplemental to this foundation. Now, things like protein powders, multivitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants are very valuable for maintaining the highest levels of health. I'd rather not ascribe a specific percentage of their worth to a total lifestyle, but I will give you a well-worn auto analogy.

For a car to run properly, you need gas oil, brake fluid, transmission and steering fluids, and some lubricants. This is your food, and driving regularly is exercise. Both will get you where you want to go — no more, no less. But if you invest in gasoline additives, synthetic oil and the like, these "supplements" will give your car better performance and a longer life.

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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