Fitness Tip Tuesday: I know youll like this! (inside joke) Working out is an exciting new world founded on complex science—that takes time to fully understand, and longer to master. It’s packed with complicated little nuances and intricacies, the smallest of which can derail a routine or empower it to completely reinvent a physique. Everything from squat depth and foot positioning, to cardio type and intensity, to the types of exercises you’re doing on a regular basis all severely impact results. So if you’re thinking, “It sounds so complicated and hard,” never fear! That’s what I’m here for, and other trainers like me who have spent their lives living and learning, through education and experience, the best and most effective ways for you to achieve the results you’re after. There’s so much noise about what you should be doing, that sometimes the most simple but impactful tactics are lost in all the hoopla. The internet doesn’t always seem to help either. Misinformation—especially in a fitness context—is epidemic. Any Tom, Dick, or Sally, can post a picture of their rockin’ bikini body and call themselves an expert these days. So I’m all for simplifying. Hopefully some of the tips below will help you to not only enjoy your workouts more but more importantly get better results, or “more bang for your buck!” Powerful and effective training usually boils down to two basic factors: • Effectiveness. Is your training working over time? Are your workouts focusing on the right things to make it work? Too many exercise options can be confusing and a waste of time. • Efficiency. Are your workouts pumping out an optimal yield from the time you’re putting in? In other words, are you maximizing your time? Most people can barely squeeze in 30 minutes/day to exercise intensely — maximizing muscular breakdown, hormone levels, calorie burn, and metabolic shifts in that time are all critical. The best advice I can give is: Stop wasting your time doing the wrong things! OPTIMIZE by using these fitness tips to workout smarter, maximize your results, and avoid the inevitable frustration that comes with (perceived) hard work, and less than stellar results. INTENSITY: Infuse a little intensity into EVERY workout. It’s mandatory. Whether it’s vigorous lifting, HIIT, spinning, or interval training, uber-intense activities elicit a response known as EPOC, or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (aka afterburn). We talk about this a lot in my training groups, and frankly, if you do nothing else to change up your workouts but this, you’ll begin to see changes in no time! Your body needs oxygen to produce ATP and creatine phosphate, two cellular forms of energy that power everything from cell function to muscle contractions. It also uses oxygen to replenish the energy stores in muscle cells, known as glycogen. All of that stored energy is burned (to varying degrees) when you lift weights, sprint, jump, or run for distance. You can’t perform without it. After a ridiculously intense workout, the body needs extra oxygen to recover and return to a pre-exercise resting state. To catch up, it increases the rate at which it consumes oxygen (VO2) — that process increases metabolism, calorie burn, and fat-burning ability for up to 48 hours post-workout. It also gradually increases VO2Max, or the max amount of oxygen that your body can use during exercise, which improves cardiovascular fitness and exercise performance. Translation: You’ll burn significantly more calories during your workout AND you’ll burn more calories when you’re at work, watching TV, sleeping, or out for drinks. Oh yeah! Spike your heart rate during every workout. Lift HEAVY. Do compound, multi-muscle exercises. Use kettlebells, (or dumbbells like we do). Big bodyweight moves are perfect for this! Think BURPEES!!! Fun! Time is our most valuable asset. Increasing the efficiency of your workouts and maximizing the impact of each and every set is absolutely crucial. Consolidate. Compound exercises should be the foundation of every workout. They burn significantly more fat and rev up your metabolism; stimulate the production of muscle-building hormones, including hGH and testosterone; activate the core; and blast multiple different muscle groups at once. Most compound exercises are also the single best way to build those highly sought after washboard abs. Examples of compound lifts include: • Legs — Squats, Lunges • Back — Deadlifts, Rows • Chest — Bench Press, Dips, Burpees, Push-Up Variations • Shoulders — Clean & Press, Kettlebell Swings ALWAYS prioritize form and function more than weight lifted. Your ego can be a very dangerous thing. I’m all for pushing yourself and lifting heavy, but if you’re only quarter-squatting with heavy weights, realize that you’re getting so little benefit by not using the full range of motion required to execute a full squat. Not only are you minimizing muscle involvement and therefore development, to those around you who are working their literal you know what’s off, you also look pretty silly. Remember, if a weight causes a form breakdown towards the beginning of a set, or if you can’t move through the full RoM (range of motion), it’s way too heavy. I prefer my clients and students to perform full, deep squats with no weight, than to add weight to a poorly executed squat. Hate to waste time! Not only is there a massive injury risk to this type of training—smaller stabilizer muscles can’t handle overly heavy loads—but you’re getting very little muscle activation and breakdown; especially in deeper tissues. It’s also a quick way to develop imbalances, as stronger muscles help overcompensate for anything that’s lagging. Muscle imbalances = pain and injury. No thanks! So from now on, in order to get the most from every exercise you perform emphasize a full range of motion and proper form. You’ll see better results, build a well-developed physique, prevent any long-term injuries, and develop the foundational strength needed once you start picking up big boy, heavier weights. You will also increase strength, power, and function which are all necessary when performing bodyweight exercise. And whatever you do, have fun! Keep it simple. Better to do a few high-quality, super effective moves than waste your time with all that other fancy looking but very inefficient stuff! Stay Strong! Your Trainer
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 20:53:50 +0000
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