that the body is primarily burning carbohydrates (sugar) for the quick energy it needs to complete the exercise. It’ll burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time, but you will not be able to go for very long. [Cardio] is an aerobic exercise, which is designed for longer duration, less strain on the muscles, and primarily burns fat as its fuel source. The body doesn’t have to work very hard to turn fat into fuel and can go for extended periods of time without having to stop.” Weightlifting will also keep your metabolism high post-workout as your body works to replace carbs and repair muscles. Carb lovers, think about adding more lift time at the gym to burn that bread-bowl pasta you had with a side of mashed potatoes. Devote time to lifting if you want to develop muscular strength, endurance, and power, but do take a few steps on the treadmill or knock the rust off your bike. Working out with a high heart rate for an extended period leads to improved cardiovascular health, which decreases your chances of suffering from life-threatening health problems such as diabetes, stroke, and cardiac arrest. MYTH 4: WOMEN WHO LIFT WILL GET BULKY. This one is a myth unless you make it true with steroid supplementation. But if you ladies go that route, you may lose some feminine attributes (more chin hair, anyone?), not to mention roid rage and the whole illegality of dosing. Naturally, women just don’t produce enough testosterone to go full Arnold. “Exercise in general — but especially weightlifting — triggers the release of various hormones, most notably testosterone which helps to repair and rebuild muscle following exercise,” David explains. “Testosterone is what helps muscles become stronger, more defined, more efficient, and in some cases even bigger. It takes a lot of testosterone to really bulk up, more so than the most women can produce.” He does recommend lifting for women to increase muscle tone and definition. Ladies, pumping iron will make your muscles denser — not bulkier — so knock yourselves out with the free weights (ok, not literally, watch your nose on those bicep curls).
“That first step is always the hardest and it’s easy to think other people are judging new members,” David says. “In the end I learned the people who really notice are the ones who want to see others succeed.”
MYTH 5: IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRETCH BEFORE A WORKOUT. Take off that teal leotard and leg warmers and stop abusing those cold muscles. David points out that fitness gurus of the past encouraged pre-workout streeeeetching to loosen muscles and prevent injury. “However, this has been shown to actually increase injuries and decrease overall athletic performance,” he says. “Taking the cold, unused muscle and stretching really hard is like stretching a rubber band to its max. This increases the risk of injury, particularly in pulling a muscle because it isn’t quite able to take the pressure and impact from the load being put on it.” This type of static stretching is better for your muscles post-workout to promote flexibility and blood flow, and David suggests a more dynamic stretching session before you exercise: “A better [pre-workout] alternative is doing low-impact movements and exercises that slowly increase the range of motion while letting the muscles warm up.”
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DAVID SMITH & JACKIE THELEN
he fit life is not the path of least resistance — pun intended. It takes dedication and damn hard work to reach and maintain fitness goals, but the rewards are palpable and easier to enjoy if you know how to go about exercising the right way. “Everybody has those days where they just want to sit inside, eat bonbons, and watch Oprah,” David admits, but his exercise routine was so instantly satisfying that he found himself craving workouts. “I started seeing results within the first week or so. I became so motivated that I really did go all in; the results I saw were more mental at first. My attitude changed. I was happier and more excited about life.” After several weeks of working out, the physical changes came next with loose clothes, a tighter tummy, and more toe visibility in the shower. Besides the personal self-image boost, David experienced social benefits of group exercise as well: “My favorite result was shortly after I started I joined an LGBT swim team called SQUID (Swimming Queers United In Denver). During the first few weeks I swam with them, people were noticing my changes in weight and size and they made sure to tell me. It was such a self-esteem boost and was so great to hear that other people noticed the changes that I was making for myself.” If you’re out of shape or just a fairweather exerciser, you may look at David now as he looked at those world-class athletes on the break room TV. But don’t admire his physique and think you can’t accomplish a similar transformation. David contends that you’re not too lazy or too old (one of his most successful clients is 84) or too ‘anything else’ that would make you incapable of setting and achieving personal fitness goals. When he first started exercising, David took stock of the individuality of fitness: “For the first time in my life I was focused on myself, not trying to impress anybody or prove myself to anyone. I set goals that I wanted to accomplish for my own reasons and started doing what I wanted and needed to do to achieve them.” Exercising is a great social avenue as well with buddy workouts, group classes, and team sports, but the goals and results are all your own. David invites anyone, regardless of fitness level, to join him in a group sesh at 10am every Sunday in Cheesman Park. The group meets by the pavilion (that Greeklookin’ structure) and gets down and dirty every week, rain or shine. Donations aren’t required, but show some love if you’re feelin’ it. Check out pics and hop aboard at facebook.com/stonewallfit. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM
| JUNE 4, 2014 | 17