• My wrists are very weak. Is there anything I can do to strengthen them?
  -- Debbie S.

• Someone told me that I should supplement my diet with flaxseed oil. What exactly does it do?
  -- Barbara B.

• Any suggestions as to how I can increase the muscle tone in my butt?
  -- Teresa C.

• I’ve heard commercials on the radio for a product called Met-Rx that says it helps to reduce bodyfat. Are these claims true?
  --Jessie F.

• What is a good exercise to target the back of my thighs?
  -- Sue R.

• Is creatine a good supplement to help me get lean?
  -- Donna

• How long should I rest between sets?
  --Cari L.

• I've read several of your magazine articles where you advocate high reps for toning. Why won't high reps build bulk?
  --June J.

• I'm interested in competing in a fitness pagaent of some sort but don't know which one would be best. Do you have any suggestions on which ones would best suit a beginner?
  --Lisa

• What was your body fat percentage in your bodybuilding photo on the site?
  -- Jessie

• What protein shake would you recommend I take?
  --Gina Marie

Question:
Someone told me that I should supplement my diet with flaxseed oil. What exactly does it do? -- Barbara B.

Answer:
Dear Barbara:

Flaxseed oil contains a mixture of essential fats. These are fats that cannot be produced by your body and are necessary for basic sustenance. Recent studies have even shown that they can actually help to improve fat metabolism, aiding in weight management. Accordingly, essential fats should comprise the majority of fats that you consume in your diet.

Flaxseed oil is a great way to get essential fats if you don’t eat fish or consume various oils such as olive or canola. The three main sources in flaxseed oil are Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fats. Look for a formula that has an approximately 3:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6.

Brad

Question:
Any suggestions as to how I can increase the muscle tone in my butt? -- Teresa C.

Answer:
Dear Teresa:

Of course, the best way to tone up any part of your body is with dedicated weight training. But assuming you’ve got a good training program in place, a great method to harden up the glute area is a technique called isotension. Basically, this involves squeezing your butt and holding the contraction for 30 seconds. Best of all, you can perform this technique almost anywhere, anytime including when you are watching TV, waiting on line at the supermarket or typing at the office.

Brad

Question:
I’ve heard commercials on the radio for a product called Met-Rx that says it helps to reduce bodyfat. Are these claims true? -- Jessie F.

Answer:
Dear Jessie:

While Met-Rx is an excellent product, it will not directly help to reduce bodyfat. Met-Rx is an engineered food that is high in protein and low in fat and sugar. It contains many vitamins and minerals and utilizes a high-quality complex carb source. There are other brands on the market such as Myoplex, Rx-Fuel, Perfect Rx, etc. that are similar to Met-Rx.

However, Met-Rx is really a meal replacement—it does not act as a fat burner and it doesn’t build up your muscles. In essence, engineered foods allow you to obtain a great source of nutrients in an economical format. If you substitute Met-Rx for your high-fat meals, then, over time, you will lose weight. I highly recommend these type of products as a convenient way to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day. But it is important to understand that simply adding it to your daily diet won’t induce weight loss.

Brad

Question:
What is a good exercise to target the back of my thighs? -- Sue R.

Answer:
Dear Sue:

The area that you are talking about is called your hamstrings. The hamstrings are made up of three different muscles: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. There are two ways to work these muscles: either by bending extending from the hips from a bent position (hip extension) or by raising your heel toward your butt (knee flexion). There are many great exercises that you can incorporate to tone and shape this area including leg curls (lying, seated and standing), good mornings, stiff legged deadlifts, and hyperextensions. I would recommend employing at least one hip extension exercise and one knee flexion exercise into each session. Make sure to constantly vary your routine for best results. Finally, remember that these exercises will not reduce bodyfat from your thighs! You need to incorporate a proper nutritional regimen

Brad

Question:
Is creatine a good supplement to help me get lean? -- Donna

Answer:
Dear Donna:

Creatine is a supplement that will help to increase your "muscular energy". When you perform intense exercise, your muscles use ATP as their primary energy source. When ATP is exhausted, creatine provides a secondary source of energy, allowing you to train longer. Despite the claims, creatine is not a wonder supplement. It can help to produce slight increases in training capacity, but it certainly won't revolutionize your physique. Moreover, creatine actually increases water retention, thus making it a poor choice if your trying to develop a leaner physique.

Brad

Question:
How long should I rest between sets? --Cari L.

Answer:
Dear Cari:

The length of rest between sets (called a rest interval) depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you're looking to reduce bodyfat and tone up, short rest intervals are recommended. By limiting rest, your weight training routine produces an aerobic effect, allowing you to simultaneously burn bodyfat while shaping your muscles. Rest no more than 30 seconds for optimal fat burning.

On the other hand, if you're looking to increase your strength and mass, longer rest intervals are necessary. This will provide enough muscular recuperation to facilitate your ability to consistently lift heavy weights--a requisite for bodybuilding gains. If muscular size is your aim, rest up to two minutes in order to allow adequate recovery.

Brad

Question:
I've read several of your magazine articles where you advocate high reps for endurance and toning. Why won't high reps build bulk? --June J.

Answer:
Dear June:

There are two basic types of muscle fibers in the human body: fast twitch and slow twitch (there is actually a third type called fast-twitch oxidative, but that's a subject for another day). Fast twitch fibers contract rapidly but fatigue very quickly. These are the fibers that have the potential for muscular hypertrophy (increasing in size). Slow twitch fibers, on the other hand, contract slowly but can sustain contractions over prolonged periods of time. They are endurance-oriented fibers with little potential for growing large.

Since high rep training is endurance-oriented in nature, there is substantial activation of your slow-twitch fibers with diminished emphasis on fast-twitch fibers. Ultimately, this improves the 'quality' of your muscles without significantly increasing size.

Brad

Question:
I'm interested in competing in a fitness pagaent of some sort but don't know which one would be best. Do you have any suggestions on which ones would best suit a beginner?
--Lisa

Answer:
Dear Lisa:

There are many fitness organizations that put on quality pageants. Two of the best are Fitness America and Ms. Fitness. Both organizations have a variety of different contest for varying levels of experience. In order to compete in the higher level competitions, you need to "qualify" by winning a regional show. For more info, contact: Fitness America: (626) 292-7700 and Ms. Fitness: (909) 371-0606. Good luck and let me know how you make out!

Brad

Question:
What was your body fat percentage in your bodybuilding photo on the site?
--Jessie

Answer:
Dear Jessie:

I was measured at 4.2% for that contest using the skinfold method. There is a margin of error of several percent with this technique, but I think it was pretty accurate here. Lots of strict dieting for that show :)

Brad

Question:
What protein shake would you recommend I take?
--Gina Marie

Answer:
Dear Gina Marie:

I'd recommend whichever brand you like best. Just make sure you stick with well-respected products. There is little regulation of the industry and some fly-by-night companies have been known to skimp on the ingredients and/or add things that aren't on the label. Other than that, it really comes down to taste as there is little difference between quality brands.

Brad