Doctors Claim Women Just Aren’t Working Out Hard Enough (VIDEO)

By Kelly Turner on December 8th, 2009

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A video from MSNBC.com from November 27, 2009, is currently making its rounds on the Internet, claiming that the reason women don’t lose weight quickly is because they just aren’t working out hard enough.

Endocrinologist Dr. Ken Fujioka says the culprit is the fact that hormones cause women to want to eat more after exercise, and since a woman’s metabolism is nearly one-third slower than a man’s, those extra calories have a significant impact on their weight.

It seems like we’ve had this conversation before. A workout does not entitle you to an extra snack, even if you are legitimately hungry for it. If you must, eat an apple.

Surprisingly though, instead of dogging exercise (or simply telling women to not eat extra calories–why is that not even on the radar?) the experts recommend that women work out harder. To which I shout:AMEN!

I have female clients that actually ask me not to make them sweat so they can go to work afterward without showering. Or not to lift heavy weights because they don’t want to ‘bulk up’. To see results, though, you are going to have to sweat. You are going to have to be uncomfortable, short of breath, stink, and push yourself harder that you are used to — but that’s the fun of exercise:
to see what you can actually accomplish when you put your mind to it.

The video points out that if you are talking to your friends, or able to read a book, you are not working out hard enough. Dr. Fujioka gives clearer advice, saying women should actually work out at 85% of their maximum heart rate (instead of the 60%-80% most sources recommend).

How do you calculate that 85%? Take 220 and subtract your age. The number you are left with is your maximum heart rate–the highest heart rate you can safely achieve. To find 85% of that, simply multiply your max heart rate by .85. That is the number you should aim for. For example, I am 23 years old, so my target heart rate for exercise would be 220-23 = 197 x .85 = 167, so my target heart rate is 167.

Just because you make it into the gym, doesn’t mean you are going to see the results you want. You need to work hard, and you need to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.