Ask Joe Weider

Tip of the Week: Cardio exercise is great for burning fat, of course, but it doesn't do much in the way of building or strengthening muscle. What many people don't realize, though, is that progressive resistance training not only keeps your muscles strong and toned, but also helps burn fat, in two distinct ways.

If resistance training is done the way I recommend — at a fast clip with moderate weights — then you'll be keeping your heart rate elevated for the duration of your workout, thus ensuring fat burning (not to mention a strengthening of your heart).

The other, less obvious, way in which fat loss is accelerated through weight training is by virtue of the fact that muscle mass has a high metabolic requirement. In other words, the upkeep of muscle requires more energy than does fat. So, simply having a little extra muscle on your frame causes your body to burn more calories than if you were not to have it.

With the benefits of added strength, an improved appearance and great fat-burning capacity, there's little reason why you shouldn't make weight training a regular part of your exercise protocol.

Q: I'm a 30-year-old woman who's considering becoming a vegan for ethical reasons, but I understand that it's not always easy to get enough protein in one's diet if you don't eat meat. Can I get by from food sources like soy and nuts?

A: While I normally don't advocate veganism, I salute you for standing up for something you believe in. Never having been vegan myself, I can't speak firsthand about keeping a vegetable-based diet, but I can offer you some practical advice that I think can help you navigate the waters of veganism.

As you understand, protein is a critical nutrient that comes primarily from animal sources. Beef, eggs, tuna, poultry and milk are some common high-protein foods. When you make the decision to cut animal products from your diet, you severely limit your protein choices. Certainly you knock out the ones that are rated highest on the BV (bioavailability) scale. In this case, what you must make sure to do is eat foods that complement one another so that you're getting complete proteins in sufficient quantities.

Fortunately for you, there are more choices than ever at the supermarket, with many companies producing grain products that have a full complement of the essential amino acids.

Nowadays, a peanut butter sandwich can provide you with 15 grams of quality protein as well as lots of fiber — another important element of a healthy diet. Soy has even more protein per gram than grains and nuts, and there are plenty of soy-based options at the supermarket today.

So, yes, you can get sufficient protein without eating animal products. Just be diligent in ensuring that you get about one gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight at a very minimum, and you should be fine.

Q: Now that you're approaching 90, I'm wondering if in looking back there's anything you would have done differently in so far as your own training or nutrition is concerned?

A: Hmmm ... there's a lot of ground to cover with this question, although I'm not quite 90 yet. I'll be 88 this November, thank you very much. That means I've been training nearly three-quarters of a century — longer than most of my readers have been alive, I dare say.

Back to your point: There actually isn't much I would do differently had I the chance to do it all over again. OK, maybe one thing, but not by much. It doesn't have to do with my diet, or with the exercises I performed, or the frequency with which I trained. It has to do with the weight I used. For most of us in the iron game, lifting heavy weights is a badge of honor. Aiming to raise ever-heavier poundages motivates us — adds fuel to our fires.

As a competitive weightlifter when I was younger, out-lifting the next guy was paramount to success. So this mindset of always pushing oneself past his normal limits is ingrained in my system, as it is for so many others. However, I do realize that all of that heavy lifting for years and years has taken a toll on my joints and my back.

So would I lift lighter if I had the chance? I'm not so sure. I gained so much enjoyment for so many years training the way I did that I think the tradeoff was worth it. But that's me. I did, and still do, get a charge out of lifting as heavy as I can. For others, lifting heavy isn't worth the potential risks. For them, I recommend using moderate weights, which will work your muscles just fine and potentially save your joints from undue stress.

Joe Weider is the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders, creator of the Mr. Olympia and Ms. Olympia bodybuilding contests, and publisher of numerous fitness magazines. 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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