Experienced fitness instructor Alex Bowman talks fat burning zones, banishing blisters and calorie counting.

Alex Bowman is a tutor at Lifetime Training. He has over six years experience in the health and fitness industry, including fitness instructing, personal training and studio instructing.

If you have a fitness question you would like answered by Alex, all you have to do is submit your question using the Comment on this Article box below. And remember - sign-up to our monthly health and fitness newsletter to receive your expert answer direct in your in-box.

Colin Asks:

Is the fat burning zone a myth, working at 60-70% MHR to burn more fat than carbs? I have read that it is better to work at high intensity to burn more calories. What’s the truth?

Alex’s Answer:

Colin, the idea of a “fat burning” zone is a misunderstanding of our body’s science. Many people say that you should work at lower intensities to burn more fat and that you should exercise in a “fat burning” heart rate zone. It is true that your body will take more energy from fat when exercising at a lower intensity. However, this does not mean that this lower intensity will result in lower overall body fat.

What really matters it the total amount of calories burnt not what fuel source they come from. If you exercise at a lower intensity, a higher proportion may come from fat but this is a smaller number of calories. To lose fat you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. The extra calories you burn will be taken from body fat. You can reduce your weight by either reducing your calorie intake or increasing your calorie requirement by exercising more.

Alan Asks:

I have been playing table tennis for around 5 years, and have started to get bad pains in my head when serving. This is a big problem because I have been told I have a good chance of taking part in the Olympics. I have also got a blister on my foot which is not helping me training. Can you suggest any ways in which I can keep training? I need to get to the Olympics, please help me.

Alex’s Answer:

Alan, I am afraid that the pain you experience in your head could be down to a number of things out of my league. It sounds like a job for your G.P or possibly an optician due to concentration or focus? With regards to your blister, these are caused by friction between your feet and your trainers. Trying to eliminate this would be the first step to healing your feet. Using Vaseline works for a lot of people but we need to try to get to the route of the problem rather than just treating the symptom.

When buying new trainers always make sure that they have plenty of room in the toe area so that your toe can move comfortably. Make sure the shoe isn’t tight as your feet will expand with exercise. Certain shoes, such as New Balance, are wider so you may not need to increase your overall shoe size. Also, never wear 2 pairs of socks as this will increase friction. Instead, get a pair of running socks that are built to handle these issues. They are more in price but designed to combat friction.

Fflur Asks:

How many calories should you lose each day?

Alex’s Answer:

Ok, this is a really specific question to the individual. If your daily calorie requirement is 2000 calories a day and you lose 2000 per day you will stay at the same weight. This does not mean that you should get on the treadmill and burn 2000 calories! Let me explain how daily calorie expenditure works. Only around 30% of our daily calorie expenditure comes from exercise, whereas around 60% comes from our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Our BMR is the amount of calories burnt just being alive (even when doing nothing!). There is a long formula to calculate your BMR but it is easier to go online and use a free BMR calculator. That result combined with your daily calorie expenditure from exercise will give you a rough guide to how much you are burning a day. However, this still does not answer the question. You need to figure out your daily calorie requirement as well. There are formulas for this too but the best way is to go to your local gym and get a “Body Stat” test. This will take a few minutes and give you your calorie requirement, your BMR, your percentage fat to muscle and even your hydration level. Much more effective than crunching numbers! With these results you can figure out how many calories you need to burn a day to lose or gain weight.

Emma Asks:

Hi, I'm 16 years old and I'm a size 10-12. I'm wanting to be back down to a size 8 by July. How can I achieve this and how can I keep the weight off? I have muscle on my stomach but I have a layer of fat over the top of it. How can I have no fat on my stomach at all and just have it toned?? Many thanks and very very eagerly awaiting your reply.

Alex’s Answer:

Hi Emma, great to see that you have a specific goal that you are motivated towards. The answer to your question is mainly answered in question 1 and 3. So firstly you need to make sure you are burning a higher amount of calories than are going in to your body so try to go for prolonged high intensity exercise. Secondly, it would be worth your while getting a “Body Stat” test to know what your calorie requirement is so that you can make sure your intake is less than you need or you are burning more. Make sure you are also taking part in resistance exercises for your body as they will increase your metabolic rate meaning more calories will be burnt at rest. If you are a member of a gym I would suggest seeking the advice of an instructor and getting a programme tailored to your needs. Get this programme updated every 6 weeks so that your body is continually challenged and you don’t get bored. Good luck!

Alex Bowman, pictured. When taking up any new activities or exercise always consult with your GP first and ensure that you get advice from an appropriately qualified instructor.

For more information on fitness courses & more contact Lifetime Training on 0870 702 7273 or visit www.lifetimehf.co.uk