One concern is that they are assymetrical. I already have mild scoliosis (lateral assymetry of a spine), and don't want to increase it. Swimming would probably work at least as well as tennis, actually, if I wanted to do it more often and with more intensity, and maybe better form. But I don't.

Really? I'd be a bit surprised, actually. They might work endurance, but strength? Don't forget that I'm a girl, too. It's not as easy for us to grow muscles.

I used to hate gyms. But it helped when I outlined an actual training regiment and started recording progress. The records are inspiring.

I think that is what I did wrong the last time I went to a gym. No goals. No records. No training plan.

My training plan for cycling is working well so far. It is not much of a jump to assume that putting weight training in my training plan should help. Now to find the time.

A couple of nights ago I heard Dr. John Gray on a radio program talking about the differences in the physiologies of men and women. He said that women won't loose weight if they do strenuous exercising OR if they are living a stressful life. When women have either of these (or both) they won't loose weight because their bodies are producing more testosterone. Too much of this hormone tells women's bodies to hold on to weight because of the stressful situation.

In men it does the opposite. It tells the body to burn more fat to get energy and to build muscle.

The ideal way for women to loose weight is for them to get rid of all stress in their lives and to walk for exercise without breaking a sweat. Doing these things allows the female body to have normal low levels of testosterone. With low levels of the hormone and moderate exercise women will loose weight much faster than doing strenuous exercises.

This information is in his latest book in greater detail. I don't remember the name of it, but he is the Doctor who wrote the Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus books.

Some women can't reduce stress in their lives enough because they are deficient in many key nutrients. Just replenishing those nutrients allows women to be able to begin reducing stress. Without those nutrients the testosterone levels won't drop enough to let them de-stress. It's like a catch 22. Stress produces too much testosterone but the testosterone makes the body stay in stress mode. The extra nutrients help to break the cycle.

Rock climbing.

I go to the gym with my girlfriend sometimes since she has a membership and I can go as a guest. So other than running at the gym I do plank poses to keep my core strong and I stretch and do a few pushups here and there so I think keeping up with running and biking to work everyday should shed a few pounds this summer.

For what its worth ... I have a slightly longer commute than you are looking at (8 and half miles) and I hit it pretty hard. I haven't really lost any weight though cause I just eat more. Some people I guess are less gluttonous than me but I need to focus on diet and exercise or else no dice.

That is very sexist. "They" used to beleive women could not run marathons, too. They would died. This was common knowlege into the 70's. I see women racers who trained big hours and are thin. Under that theory they have super high testosterone levels. I do not think so. People (Men and Women) under stress do have elevated cortisol levels which can cause excess weight gain.

Don't argue with me. Argue with the doctor who did the research. Look up his web site and read the science. If it weren't true then why did the women he studied loose weight when they got rid of their physical and mental stress? They stopped their strenuous exercise programs and walked. They lost more weight faster than when they were doing tougher workouts.

Anybody burning more calories than they take in will loose weight no matter how strenuous they exercise. Female athletes doing strenuous exercise all the time will burn fat. For women, having less testosterone makes it much easier and faster to burn fat.

The physiologies of men and women are different. There is nothing sexist about it. It is no slight to women to say that. It has nothing to do with mental ability or capability in life. It is about the different responses chemicals have on women compared to men.

Cortisol is a stress hormone and when women have too much of it their bodies hold on to fat.

I wouldn't believe just one study. However, saying it is sexist when obviously men and women are different is not quite right IMHO.

I didn't lose more than 5 lbs back when I was commuting 25 miles/day. But I was HUNGRY all the time & ate alot to compensate! Big Lunches!! But I'm already 135lbs so I don't really think I need to lose any weight.

No offense, but your claims don't sound very believable. For personal and professional reasons, I try to keep up with the latest research on weight loss, and I've never heard of the "women who exercise with intensity have too much testosterone and need to slow down and walk to lose weight" theory.

Do you have any links to the research behind these claims? (Note: John Gray is not a scientist/researcher, and pointing us to similar claims on his website does not constitute "proof").

FWIW, there are plenty of women who train at high levels of intensity, who don't seem to have much trouble losing weight and/or maintaining a low bodyweight without "slowing down and walking" (e.g., Deena Kastor runs 70-100+ miles per week, and won the women's Olympic marathon trials a few weeks ago).

I think of weight loss this way:

1. Muscles are the engines that keeps weight loss steady and allows you to preform.

2. Cardio is your wheels that moves you forward to burn the fat by keeping your heart rate up over long periods of time.

You need a base of muscle to burn the fat in what you eat, maintain your current weight, and allow you to up your intensity to new levels of cardio.

If you just lift weights and do situps you'll make muscle and not burn fat.
if you just do cardio you'll work your system but not tone up.


Oh yeah, and stop drinking soda and sugar. it's crap and taste like crap.

I was car free for six months. My commute is 40 miles round trip. I dropped 25 pounds in 4 months, while eating like a pig. I mean, come-home-and-eat-a-large-pizza eating, on a regular basis. If I had been more strict with my diet I'd have looked like Tyler Hamilton. :-)