Ask ISP                      

Our team of fitness professionals answer questions from you, the reader!

Carlos Rivera from Perth Amboy, NJ asks: I work my biceps at least 3 times per week and do around 7 exercises each time but they still won't grow.  I don't understand why my arms won't get bigger.  Please help!

ISP Answers:  Wow, I love your dedication but you are definitely overtraining.  Biceps are a relatively small muscle group so training them so hard and that often will never give them a chance to rest and grow.  Instead of 3 times per week, you should cut back to 2 times at most, allowing for 2 days rest in between training days for that particular muscle group.  In this case, less is more.  Perform only 2-3 exercises for your biceps each time that you train them and be sure to not to the same routine every single time.  Also be sure not to neglect training the rest of your body so that you'll remain proportioned.  You should also take note that your triceps account for two-thirds of your total arm size so while biceps get all the glory, your triceps are the key to sleeve busting arms. 

Jim from Red Bank, NJ asks:  My gym teacher says to do lat pull-downs behind my neck but my brother says to do them in front.  Can you please settle this debate for me once and for all?  Thanks - I love your site by the way, you have a lot of great information on here.

ISP Answers:  Thanks for the compliment Jim.  As for your question, it's best to do lat pull-downs by pulling the bar to the top of your chest - so it looks like your brother is right.  I'm not sure the age of your gym teacher, however in the past many people used to do them behind the neck.  Due to the unnatural position this puts your shoulders in however, many people ended up injuring themselves as a result.  With that said, there are some small benefits to doing it behind the neck as an advanced movement for extra definition but you should lower the weight substantially and go slower than you would in the more natural position.  We wouldn't recommend that you do these very often, if ever though since you can get pretty much the same results and handle more weight when pulling in a position that's more natural for your body to be placed in (the front).

Scott Thompson from Newark, DE asks:  When I take my blood pressure lately, I've noticed that it's often higher on the left side of my body that the right side.  Is that normal?

ISP Answers:  Simply put - "No" however it ultimately depends on how drastic of a difference the numbers are from one side of your body to the other.  If the numbers are relatively close, it may not be of concern, however if it's a significant difference, there may be a blockage of some sort that is preventing your blood flow from being evenly circulated around your entire body.  In that case, I would seek out a physician to diagnose what is going on.  Regardless of the situation, make sure to continue to monitor this situation, especially if you work out, which we suspect you might since you're on this website.

Rebecca Howard of Tempe, AZ asks:  I've recently decided to go vegetarian thinking that it would not only make me feel healthier but would also help me lose some weight.  Instead I feel sluggish and have actually gained 10 pounds!  What gives?

ISP Answers: This is actually not as uncommon as you might think.  The sluggish feeling that you have may be due to your body still adjusting to your new diet.  You may not be eating enough either so your body is running without an energy source.  As for the weight gain, when you're not eating enough, your metabolism tends to slow down and your body goes into "emergency mode" and stops burning through the limited amount of calories that you're consuming as quickly as it once did.  Many new vegetarians also make the mistake of just overloading with cheese, pasta and breads since they're unsure of what other meatless dishes they can prepare.  Our suggestion is to seek out a dietician specializing in vegetarian meals.  If someone else you know is also a vegetarian and has been for quite some time, perhaps they can help you come up with a new meal plan that works for you.  We're currently working on compiling a database of fitness professionals including dieticians around the globe so that we can soon recommend people in your area.

Reprinted Letters from the Ask ISP Archives

"Eric from New Jersey" asks: I'm around 5'8" but only weigh 140 lbs or so.  I just started working out a few weeks ago to change that but with the summer coming up I'd like to get big fast!.  Can you suggest any supplements that I can take to make that happen?  Thanks!

ISP answers:  Thanks for writing Eric.  While we know various supplements that can help you pack on size down the road, at this point we wouldn't recommend that you take any of them.  In your letter you stated that you've only been working out for a few weeks so for now, your focus should be on figuring out the proper technique for each exercise and coming up with an effective workout routine.  If you were to take a supplement at this stage, it would be extremely difficult to know whether it was working or if your body was just developing from the new routine.  You also wouldn't want to become solely dependent on supplements before your body has a chance to produce muscle building hormones on its own.  In general, if you consume more calories than you burn each day and continue to workout, you will gain size.  Your best bet is to come up with an intense workout program that incorporates all of your muscle groups and to eat more, especially foods that are higher in muscle building proteins.  Once you are in a groove with your workout program or have reached a plateau, THEN you might consider supplementation and at that point we would be happy to recommend some possibilities for you to consider (after consulting with your physician).  Until then however, focus on learning all of the basics so that you have a strong foundation to build upon.  Unfortunately there is no magic pill that will allow you to skip learning the basics first but you'll be better off in the long run as a result.  Good luck!

Meredith Delilo from Eugene, OR writes:  I'm in my mid thirties and for the most part, I'm pretty happy with my physique, I'd just like to shed 15 or so pounds.  Is it better to do cardio before or after weight training?

ISP answers: We actually get this question a lot.  Plain and simple, it depends on your main objective.  Your primary goal is to lose weight, so for that reason, we'd recommend doing cardio first so that your initial burst of energy can be utilized for that activity.  The added benefit is that your heart rate will remain up for the duration of your workout so you'll continue to burn more calories during your strength training routine.  For someone like Eric (above) however, his main objective is to gain muscle.  For that reason, we'd recommend that he would do cardio AFTER he did weights so that he won't be fatigued during his strength training sets and can in turn bring more intensity to his muscle building routine.  At the end of the day though, your goal should be to do cardio, strength training and eat right so as long as you do all three of those things the order is somewhat subjective.

Denise Miller of Mesa, AZ asks:  My ankles always hurt after running for some reason.  My trainer suggested that I  replace my running shoes with basketball shoes since they tend to have extra ankle padding.  Those always seem pretty heavy though and would probably slow me down.  What do you think?

ISP answers:    I think you should consider hiring a new trainer.  Basketball shoes are best for just that:  basketball.  If you do a lot of running, you should definitely stick with your running shoes because they help to support your back and absorb shock each time that your feet strike the ground.  Unfortunately running shoes are not made to support the ankles so you might want to consider buying an ankle brace or wrapping your ankles for extra support.  You may also want to consider increasing the amount of calcium that you take in each day since that is crucial for maintaining healthy bones as you get older.  Unless you're a competitive runner you might also consider doing a cardio exercise that will eliminate the need for you to support your own body weight such as swimming, biking and elliptical trainers.   And as always, it is recommended that you see a doctor if the situation gets worse.

Rob Banks of Cleveland, OH asks:  Sometimes after working out I feel sore for a few days, especially in my legs.  For the most part it’s okay I guess but sometimes it’s pretty painful.  Is there anything I can do to ease the pain?  Why does this happen?  Thanks-your site is great by the way!

ISP answers:  Thanks Rob!  That soreness that you feel is the result of lactic acid and blood buildup in your muscle tissue (don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds!).  Because your muscles need oxygen and nutrients to perform, extra blood and acids are rushed into the areas of the body that you're using to do the exercise.  To keep everything flowing through your system properly, make sure that you stretch before, during and after your work out.  Heat will also prevent clotting and ease soreness so soaking in some warm water  for about 20 minutes or using a heat pad (not at the same time!) can also ease the pain.  Finally, you can try massaging or applying a sports-cream to the affected areas, however be cautious when using these products.  Overuse may numb the muscle and cause you not to feel your bodies warning signals that you may be overdoing it which could result in a serious injury.

If you would like to submit a question to be answered by an ISP professional, email us at:  askisp@isperformance.com