Fitness training info

On a more personal level, my wife and I have done some fitness training off and on. Given my sabbatical free time, we're back "on" right now. Here's a summary of my latest reading on the topic by bodybuilder Tom Venuto, probably the most reasonable and insightful advice I've seen so far on these issues (and I've read or skimmed through about a dozen books related to fitness, nutrition, weight lifting, etc.). None of what Mr. Venuto has to say is revolutionary, but it's balanced, well-articulated, and compelling.

Basically, you set goals, you eat right, and you do aerobics and weight lifting, each for 3-7 times a week (6-14 times total depending on your fitness level), each for 30-60 minutes a session, and all of them at high intensity.

His top 8 list (the fundamentals) for nutrition are: eat fewer calories than you burn (count everything), properly balance your macronutrients (50/55-30-15/20 for carbs-proteins-fats), eat 5-6 meals a day (also balanced), eat lean protein with every meal, eat the right type of carbs (avoid refined sugars), eat the right type of fats (essential fatty acids), drink plenty of water, and eat natural foods as much as possible (skip the MREs and supplements).

Your main goal should be to reduce your percentage of body fat (weight loss is only an ancillary byproduct). Last time I checked, my body fat was 17%, and my VO2 was 48. Both are pretty good for a man my age, but my wife's results (17% and 43) put her in the "elite athlete" level for a woman, which would equate to about 9% and 60 for a man. To do that, I'd have to keep my lean mass the same and lose almost 20 pounds of fat while improving my conditioning by more than 20%! So that's my goal, catch up with my wife over the next few months as I try to put some of this into practice. Now that it's in writing for everyone to see, I've got to stay with it, huh?!