Ask the MisFits

He's a veteran reporter, digging up the latest fitness news. She's an irreverent columnist with a knack for getting people off the couch and into the gym. Together, they're here to handle your worst work-out dilemmas and exercise questions.

Vicky Hallett and Howard Schneider are the MisFits, The Post's new fitness writers. They were online Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. to take your questions.

A transcript follows.

Discussion Archive.

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Vicky Hallett: Before we kick off our hour of fitness fun, I have to tell you about the mission I went on last night:
Okay, so it was GQ's Most Powerful People in Washington party at Cafe Milano. And I, as a fitness dork, wanted to know who among these luminaries actually had the most physical power. So I show up prepared to interview all of them about what they could bench...and I only found two of the people on the list. (I guess powerful people are busy. But aren't they usually at Cafe Milano anyway??)
So I first saw Tom Toles, the Post political cartoonist, who boasted that he could handle 4,000 pounds. Perhaps in his drawings...Anyway, he was chatting with Franklin Foer (the editor of the New Republic) and I think I came close to convincing them to arm wrestle, but it was decided that since Foer wasn't on the list, he clearly couldn't win.
Then I elbowed into a conversation with Kevin Martin, chairman of the FCC (and number 28 on the list). He said these days he's really only lifting his 2-year-old son, so he bets the winner is Barack Obama. Apparently, they were in law school together and Obama ruled the basketball court.
Jim Nelson, the editor of GQ, also gives the power prize to Obama. "He has that attractive physicality that suggests vitality. That's why we put him on the cover," he told me. I think he was hinting at the fact that he looks good with his shirt off, but we didn't go there. Sadly.
Anyway, we all know the most powerful person in Washington is actually Howard. But he wasn't at the party because he was asleep. Isn't that right?

Howard Schneider: Long asleep, but proud to say that, like Kevin Martin, I can still lift my son, even though he weights 178 pounds...

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Arlington, Va.: I've been having problems with my sciatic nerve on the right side -- usually waking up uncomfortable or taking a few minutes to be comfortable walking after sitting for long times.

Are there any stretches I can do to loosen up the area before working out?

Howard Schneider: I feel for you. I have had two people very close to me suffer from this recently. One dealt with it through acupuncture, while the other is still exploring surgical options. Keep in mind sciatica is a condition that can have a lot of different causes, as this site points out...There are different recommended stretches depending on what's wrong, but you may need some professional advice to figure out what is causing the pain in the first place. Also, my sister swears by John Sarno's books on the topic...Good luck...

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Silver Spring, Md.: Proper and focused breathing during weight training is actually very important and the question and answer in your column point out common errors. Learning to maintain a proper abdominal brace (read Stuart McGill, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance) while breathing will stabilize the spine and improve your exercise technique. Learning proper breathing while holding your breath (only on maximal weight lifting attempts) will prevent dizziness, as the breath must be forced into the abdomen. Talking or singing while you are lifting a weight is a big NO, NO! Many injuries are caused by this common lack of focus.

Vicky Hallett: I'm not familiar with Stuart McGill, but thanks for the suggestion. And yes, it's critical to be focused when lifting! That's why meaningless chit chat is best -- Lynda likes to ask clients yes or no questions just to make sure they're not holding their breath. But these aren't deep philosophical debates by any stretch...

Always watch your form carefully and make sure you're not doing something stupid.

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Bum builders: One suggestion for the flat-bottomed girl who wrote in to today's column: I love leg curls for building a shapely rear. I can do them standing, at home, with no actual weights, or in a gym on the machine where you lie on your belly, and curl a weighted, padded bar up to your tush. At home, I stand against a wall for support and curl one foot at a time up to my butt, going slowly and with control. My old-school, chunky-heeled platform loafers that I got in high school add plenty of weight (or I guess you could wear ankle weights).

I'm not Beyonce by any stretch, but I have a nice little curve back there when I go dancing in a tight skirt. Good luck!

Vicky Hallett: Are you out there Tiffani??
Also, love your creativity. Who needs ankle weights when you already have outdated shoes just sitting in your closet?

Howard Schneider: I'd like to invite all the people with this problem to a barbecue with my brother-in-law, who is a pork salesman down in South Carolina...You won't have the problem long...

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supplements: I workout about six days a week. What is your take on supplements? Right now I only drink whey protein on days that I cannot eat something right after working out. I have heard that BCAAs are good, as are glutamine and creatine. Also, as a gluten-intolerant person, is glutamine harmful or helpful? Thanks!

Vicky Hallett: I'm not such a big fan of supplements. I think tweaking your diet is a much more effective way of getting the results you want.
That said, I just did a little research on glutamine and it seems that there are specific benefits for celiacs (folks with gluten intolerance). If you're worried about levels of glutamine in your body, I'd talk to your doctor about it.

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Bethesda, Md.: Good morning,

I am underweight and I am trying to add on a few more pounds in a good way. What exercises best help to put on mass? I have tried the usual machine weights in the usual gyms and dumbbells but they don't appear to do much for me. What exercises do you recommend? Thanks much.

Howard Schneider: My bet is that the problem -- if there is one -- is not in the exercises per se, but in A)whether you are pushing yourself in the right way and B)eating enough to support that work...
To gain weight, you need to eat more calories than you use...Whether that weight is added as fat or muscle depends on exercise...So first take a look at what your body is burning just to sustain itself. There are plenty of online calculators to estimate your resting metabolic rate, based on age, gender, weight, etc. Once you have that, bump it up to account for the amount of exercise you are getting...There are online calculators that will tell you what you burn, say, in an hour of running or biking...
With that information in hand, you need to make sure you are eating more than that.
As to the weight lifting, if your aim is to build muscle, you'll need to lift in a certain way - i.e. to the point where you reach momentary failure in the targeted muscle. If you are comfortable with a two or three set routine of eight to 12 repetitions, you need to be sure to use enough weight so that you are struggling to complete the last repetition (and ideally can't complete it because the muscle has, for the moment, failed).
Try that, be patient, and see if it works...And remember: Genetics can also play a role. Your metabolism and DNA will limit what happens...

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Apple Grove, Md.: I lost the ten pounds fairly quickly, but the next 5-7 pounds I'm trying to shed are more difficult. What tips do you have for lose those last few pounds. Do I need to work out even more? I currently lift weights three days a week and ride a bike another three days.

Vicky Hallett: Hey there Apple Grove, sounds like you've hit a plateau. And the only way to bust through one of those is to do more (or do something else). One suggestion: Try shifting your bike ride routes so you're tackling more hills. That'll burn through more calories, too.
Congrats on the first 10!

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Dupont Circle: I was confused about something in the column this morning. I do squats to make my butt smaller, not bigger! Should I stop lest my rear end take over the entire city?

Vicky Hallett: Hey there Dupont! What you have to remember is that you probably want the same tush Tiffani wants. (Unless you're a dude. But it's the same idea regardless of gender, so stay with me here.)
Building muscles burns more calories. So by doing squats and strengthening your glutes, you're gonna be burning calories all day long. If your problem with your rear end is that it's too flabby, then the squats will help that.

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Falls Church: I've been running several times a week for the last four months, and mostly watching what I eat. I can't seem to lose my gut, though.I do admit that I drink a lot of microbrews (not to the point of problem or anything). How can I lose weight without giving up my friend Sam Adams?

Howard Schneider: We should form a club where you have to work out 8 hours a week but then get to drink all you want on the weekend...My problem is that whenever I decide to get more disciplined about the beer, my wife will have some great idea like gin and tonics on the deck...Who could resist?

Anyway, to get a sense of what's going on with your gut, take a look at beer.com, which provides the very unfortunate news that Sam Adams Boston Lager -- and Sam Adams generally -- has about the highest carb count of any beer out there...They dump in hops like crazy and it adds up.

You got three choices: Stop eating (not recommended). Drink light beer (yech). Up the running intensity (YEA!). If you are doing the same routes for the same distances at the same times of day, start either lengthening the runs, trying to up the pace, or substituting some interval workouts (run as fast as you can for a minute, jog for a minute, run hard for two, slow down for two, etc.) Intervals are real calorie burners -- which is what you are after in order to support the beer habit...

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Washington, D.C.: Since it's staying dark a bit longer in the morning, I've changed my workout schedule to do weights first, and then go for my walk outside. This means I'm not warmed up when I do weights. I live in an apartment with wood floors, so I can't really jump around without disturbing my downstairs neighbors. Can I warm up just with stretching?

Vicky Hallett: It's never, ever, ever a good idea to stretch a cold muscle. That's when they get angry at you.
Maybe you can't hop all over your apartment in the wee hours of the morning, but you can walk around quickly (at least barefoot). Do a few laps around your living room and I'll feel much better about your weight lifting plan.

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Seattle: Hi, I've just started doing crunches on a yoga ball recently. The next day I was sore on my belly area. Should I alternate days when doing crunches?

Thanks?

BTW, Female, 25.

Howard Schneider: That soreness you feel is the sweet pang of success. It is most likely Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and a sign you did yourself some good (it is also not uncommon when you start something new). Fine to take a break - a day off is not a bad idea.
But here is another idea: If you are only doing crunches, you are ignoring a whole bunch of other core muscles...Why not use the day off to research some other things you can do with the ball?
Here are some I like:
Instead of crunches, circle with your torso -- 15 times in each direction -- that keeps the whole front of your body engaged....
With your stomach on the ball and hands on the ground, lift and lower your legs in unison. Works the lower back and glutes.
With your feet on the ball and hands on the ground, hold that plank position for a minute or so. If you feel you have the strength and balance, do pushups from that position.

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Pittsburgh: Pilates and strength training instructors at gyms routinely ask us to do straight leg scissors starting from a 90 degree angle down to the floor during workouts now, and hold our legs straight out a few inches above the floor. I can do it without pain in my lower back, but back in the '80s and '90s gym instructors always warned NEVER to do anything where our lower back wasn't completely pressed against the floor. Are these exercises terrible for the lower back, or not?

Howard Schneider: The issue isn't pain in your lower back, but whether you are starting to arch as your feet go to the floor. These exercises are designed to hit a certain set of muscles. Once those can't do the work anymore, others will compensate. The exercise you describe will move the work across the abdominal muscles. Once it starts to hit below the belt -- a weak point in many people -- you'll compensate with the back. You may not feel pain, but you also may be doing things with your spine that aren't great...When I do this, I only do it as long and as hard as I can with proper form. At that point I bail, take a break and start over...Keep the back flat and the navel tucked to the spine, and once you lose that sense of control, give it a rest...No need to be a hero and try to finish everything. The point is to get better over time...

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Washington: My parents are in their 70s and pretty fit. I'd like to come up with an outing I could plan with them and my kids (8 and 10) in the DC area. Maybe a hike and picnic? Where can I find good information. We live in DC but could drive.

Howard Schneider: I hope this doesn't sound obvious, but the C and O Canal park offers a great opporunity for this sort of activity. You can start from D.C., walk as long as the kids or parents feel up to it, stop and eat and walk back. If you want a day trip, you can drive to meet the trail in West Virginia and walk in that neck of the woods...
You can get the details at http://www.nps.gov/choh/

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Baltimore: I'm going to Paris over Thanksgiving. I want to climb the Eiffel Tower, stroll the Seine, climb Montmatre, and be able to dine in a bistro without a bead of sweat on my brow afterward. I'm 40-year-old male, 5-10 and about 220 (and I'll be taking my new date with me, so you can see why performance is important). Thoughts?

Vicky Hallett: How wonderfully romantic! But if you're a sweater, I think the best bet is deodorant. You're bound to smell better than all of the French guys no matter what, right?
But I guess if you're looking to train at home before visiting the city of lights, you could always practice by climbing up Federal Hill or Mount Washington, strolling around the Inner Harbor and dining at Petit Louis. For an Eiffel substitute though, I'm struggling...

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NW DC: Hi y'all -

My exercise routine centers around running outside, supplemented with a medicine ball and free weights for strength training.

Now that fall's coming, it's going to start getting darker earlier. The earliest I can get out is around 7 most nights.

Do you have any suggestions for running outside and staying safe? Since I'm in the city the streets are all well-lit -- should I get some reflective gear anyway? What else can I do to ensure I'm safe?

Thanks so much!

Vicky Hallett: Definitely get reflective gear for nighttime exercise! Even being outside in broad daylight some idiot drivers don't notice pedestrians, so it's key to be as visual as possible. I also support wearing absurdly bright colors -- black may look more chic than orange, but better to be alive is my view.
Other tips:
-Try to run with a partner. The buddy system worked on elementary school fieldtrips and it's still pretty darned effective.
-Ditch the iPod. Listening to music means you're not listening to traffic.
-Think about getting one of those wrist bands with emergency contact info printed on it if you're not taking your wallet or other identifying info. It's scary to think about passing out or having something terrible happen to you, but it's nice to know the right people will know what's going on if it does.

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New York City: I am in New York for one month for work. Without my gym membership I am lost about how to stay in shape. I usually go to weightlifting classes or kickboxing and supplement that with walking and yoga.

Right now I have been walking in Central Park for an hour in the mornings and then climbing 14 flights to my sublet.

What else should or can I be doing? As an added challenge, I am eating out a lot and food here is great.

Howard Schneider: Couple of ideas:
1)Take a jump rope on your walk. Set a goal that you'll do a hundred jumps every three minutes or so. You will burn off a lot of that restaurant food in the process...
2)Take up something new. Like to roller blade? Maybe time to invest in some new wheels...?
3)Local Ys or gyms may offer reasonably priced day passes. If you weightlift regularly you won't want to come home and find you've taken a step backwards.
4)Turn up the iPod and devise your own kickboxing workout. In Central Park you'll either be ignored, get arrested or become a cult leader.
5)Check out the Seinfeld episode where Kramer moves his swimming workout to the East River...

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butt size: I know you mentioned how weight lifting and bigger muscles increase calorie burn, but shouldn't you point out to Dupont Circle that if her body fat stays the same, those squats will make her butt bigger? Bigger muscle under the same layer of fat = bigger butt.

Vicky Hallett: Also true. You can't lose your butt doing squats alone. So Dupont, make sure you're doing the other right things to lose that tushie -- cardio, eating better, etc.

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re : sciatica pain: Sorry joined late but wanted to tell sciatica pain person that I sit on floor and stretch leg that radiates the pain straight out and flex toes a few times -- works for me?

Howard Schneider: Thanks for the advice...

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Reston, Va.: Heel pain--what's up with that? I've ramped up my gym and DVD-based workouts lately (treadmill, elliptical, DVDs like The Firm), and have been getting a sharp pain in my right heel that stays for a few days then goes away, but comes back. Strangest feeling, like there's no padding on the bottom of my heel and I can feel bone. I know I can't, but...

First happened a couple of weeks ago hitting tennis balls around, nothing strenuous. I stretch out and massage my foot/ankle/calf muscles regularly, which sometimes help. Any ideas what's causing this?

Howard Schneider: Could be a couple of things -- plantar fasciitis, bone spurs, bad shoes, etc. Take a look through this material and see if anything rings true...

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Philadephia: Vicky, How do you choose the questions that you answer in the paper?

Vicky Hallett: First I consult my psychic to narrow down my selection...
No, I pluck a trio that I think represent a good mix of questions (not all about the same topic, hopefully gender balanced, etc.), and then the Health section editors and I hash it out. I had to fight for the Tiffani butt question, but I think we can all agree that worked out for the best.
And of course, the best way to get considered is to email fitness@washpost.com!

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Howard Schneider: That's it for this week. I must say I am a bit peeved that Vicky gets invited to a swank party and says NOTHING to me about it, then makes fun of the fact that I slept through it...So much for sharing...See you next week...

Vicky Hallett: I'll invite you to the next one that's not on a school night, Howard.
Bye everybody! And remember, you can send us your questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week at fitness@washpost.com.

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