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Article published in Aventura Magazine - April 2010

DAVID SILVA, THE MIAMI BEACH personal trainer behind David Silva Fitness in Miami Beach (dsfitness.com) has been a personal trainer for some of the best bodies in South Florida for more than 12 years. Silva tell us he gets asked thesame questions again and again when it comes to weight loss. Since they are asked so often, he took the time to answer them here for you:

- Will I burn more fat if I exercise longer at a lower intensity?

DS: At lower intensity you burn a higher percentage of calories from body fat, but the most important focus in exercise and fat burning is not the percentage of calories coming from body fat but the total calories burned during the activity. The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are just beginning or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very long at this level. It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your way up gradually.  By monitoring your heart rate you can maintain it in what we call the "fat burning zone".

- If am not going to work out hard and often, is exercise a waste of time?

DS: This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or lifting light weight for as little as 2 hours a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

- If I exercise long and hard enough, will I get the results I want?

DS: Yes. In reality, genetics also plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.

- Is exercise one sure way to lose all the weight I desire?

DS: As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is impacted by many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone can not guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful weight management and health.

- If I want to lose weight, should I stay away from strength training because of bulking up?

DS: Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscles mass and decrease body fat percentage.

- If I am overweight, should I start doing cardiovascular exercises first and then after losing some weight go to a strength program (lifting)?

DS: No. You should start combining both cardiovascular exercise and strength training at the very beginning, for the reasons mentioned before.

- Are overweight people unlikely to benefit much from exercise?

DS: Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs have a lower risk of all-causes of mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity.

For any other question, or anything related to fitness, e-mail to DavidSilva@DSFitness.com or visit DSFitness.com

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