Tip of the Week: Some say that when it comes to altering your body composition (as in losing fat and adding muscle), diet is 75 percent of the battle. Some put it at 60 percent, and still others put it at over 80 percent. Whatever the number, following a sound nutritional regimen is absolutely key when you're trying to improve your body, both inside and out.

There are a number of diets out there that will help you lose fat and gain muscle, assuming you pair them with an exercise routine. But what's even more important than the type of diet you choose to follow is that you remain consistent with that diet. Far too many people manage to lose a few pounds while on a diet, only to gain them back, and more, as they decide that, with their goals met, they can return to eating the way they used to.

A diet is a nutritional lifestyle that is followed consistently, for years on end or even for a lifetime.

Q: I'm a 51-year-old man who got back into skiing last winter and really enjoyed it. My main problem was that I didn't have enough muscle endurance in my legs to stay on the mountain as long as I would have liked. What exercises can I do to help with this?

A: Sounds like you need to add some strength to your thighs and glutes. You've got a few months until winter, so this shouldn't be a problem.

First off, let me say that I would like you to adopt a whole-body training program, one that targets every major muscle group — chest, back, shoulders, arms, thighs, calves and abdominal region. Training your legs for improved skiing is fine, but it shouldn't come at the expense of the rest of your body. Balance is paramount to good health and good development, in my book.

So, consider a split routine that looks like this:

Day 1 — legs, shoulders, abs

Day 2 — Off

Day 3 — back, biceps, calves

Day 4 — Off

Day 5 — chest, triceps, abs

Days 6 and 7 — Off

For thighs specifically, I want you to follow the workout I've outlined below. Where you see a rep range of "20, 15, 10" it means to do 20 reps for the first set, 15 for the second and 10 for the third, while increasing the weight used for each set. This routine should build both strength and stamina into your thighs — more than enough for the steepest slopes!

Ski-Ready Leg Routine

Exercise —— Sets —— Reps

Squats — 3 —— 20-15-10

Walking lunges — 3 —— 10-10 steps/leg

Stiff-legged deadlifts —— 2 —— 15

Wall sits —— 2 *

* "Sit" with your back flat against a wall and your legs at a 45-degree angle. Hold the position for as long as you can.

Q: How do you feel about taking supplements? I'm 17 and looking to get big as quickly as possible. I see a lot of things at the health food store that are supposed to put on muscle fast. Is it possible to live on these for a few months to put on the size, then go back to eating regular food?

A: No! Absolutely not! In no case should you ever substitute supplements for whole foods. Supplements are so named because they are meant to be just that: supplementary to your actual diet.

I know that there are many, many products out there proclaiming their ability to pack on the pounds, and many of them will deliver — IF they're added to a sound nutritional plan. Whether it's the professional bodybuilder or the rank amateur makes no difference. I give the same advice to all: get your nutritional ducks in a row, and then you can consider how to supplement your diet.

As you may know, I actually have my own line of nutritional supplements with worldwide distribution, so if I'm telling you that supplements are not the answer you seek, but only part of the bigger picture, then you know I'm serious. Of course I do believe that supplements should hold a place in the nutritional regime of the hard-working athlete. Training depletes our bodies of certain nutrients more quickly than in the sedentary person, and sometimes it's hard to get enough food, or food at the right times, to efficiently restock them. This is where supplements become useful.

But there is nothing you can buy in a health food store that's more anabolic or healthier for you than food.

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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