Several people have been asking my advice on working out, and I was asked to share some of my knowledge with everyone here. A couple things to keep in mind before you read this:
-this is just general information. Every person is different. I’ve never designed 2 workout programs the same. So keep in mind that this info may not be completely applicable to you.
-I’m an experienced personal trainer, but every fitness pro has a different view, so other fitness pros may disagree with me. No one is necessarily wrong or right because each case is so unique.
Cardiovascular exercise: Most people who are trying to lose weight do some form of cardiovascular exercise. This can include walking, running, cardio gym equipment such as ellipticals, and many many other forms of exercise. People often dread doing their cardio, but it doesn’t have to be dreadful. If you don’t enjoy spending hours on the treadmill, don’t! If you don’t like running, don’t! Any activity that elevates your heart rate for an extended period makes a difference. Try new sports! Play tennis, go swimming, take a walk with a friend or family member, find hiking or walking trails, play some basketball or soccer, take a class at the gym, go rollerblading, biking, kayaking or canoeing, trail running, cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
For those who have been exercising for a while alternating the intensity of your cardio provides a good challenge for the body. Doing some long, slow intensity cardio, some medium length, medium speed, and some short distance, fast speed cardio keeps the body guessing.
There’s a lot of fuss about how long a cardio session should be. It’s not necessary to do cardio for more than an hour unless you’re an endurance athlete. However, a nice long hike or bike ride can be very enjoyable. If you’re going to do cardio for over an hour bring a small snack to give yourself proper fuel.
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a popular and effective form of cardio when it’s done correctly. Ideally HIIT should be done on a track. An elliptical is also a good choice. A stationary bike or treadmill are also options, but not as good as a track. To do an effective HIIT workout start with a 5 minute warm up at a slow-moderate pace. Then, for 15-20 minutes depending on your fitness level, alternate sprint and recovery intervals. The sprints should be as fast as you can possibly go and only last for 20-30 seconds. If you can go for longer than that, you are not going as fast as you possibly can. This is the reason why a track works best. It’s much harder to effectively get up to full speed on a treadmill. Recovery intervals can last for 1-1.5 minutes and should be a fast walk. When you’re done cool down for 5 minutes. If you haven’t been working out regularly it is not the best idea to start out with HIIT. Do some lower intensity cardio until you build up your cardiovascular fitness.
Strength training: A well rounded fitness program contains strength training. Far too many women fear muscle growth and shy away from strength training. So you don’t want to look like a huge female bodybuilder? Fear not. Those women have trained vigorously in a specific way to promote muscle growth for many years. They’ve also eaten lots of extra calories so their muscles can grow, and likely taken supplements you’ve never heard of, and that may not even be legal.
Often women begin strength training, feel they have gained muscle within the first few weeks, then quit for fear of getting huge. Most bodies that are not used to strength training will react to this new exercise by gaining a small amount of muscle in the beginning, but the growth will slow and likely stop once the body becomes conditioned, unless the body is trained in a certain way and extra calories are eaten.
The bottom line is that it’s pretty difficult for women to gain much muscle. If you strength train you will not accidentally look like a bodybuilder. It is true that some body types do gain muscle more easily than others, and that should be taken in to account when an exercise program is designed.
Strength training has countless benefits. As we age we naturally lose our muscle mass. Strength training can prevent this. Strength training gives us strong, firm bodies and causes intense caloric burn. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. This means that it takes more calories to maintain a pound of muscle than it does a pound of fat. More muscle equals a higher metabolism. Less muscle equals a lower metabolism. Having just a bit of extra muscle can make fat burning easier over time. Besides, having a little muscle will make you look firm and fit when you lose that fat!
Flexibility training: A fitness program may also include a flexibility aspect. While flexibility training does not have the intense fat burning effect that cardio and strength training do, it does burn calories. It also provides a chance to relax and focus. For flexibility training you can take a class at your gym in yoga, pilates or stretching, or buy a DVD to do on your own.
Rest and nutrition: These 2 elements are critical for a successful fitness program. Overworking and underfeeding our bodies does not produce results. Our bodies all need a day of rest, and sometimes even a full week of rest to fully recover. Adequate sleep is important as well for our bodies to recover from our workouts. Undereating, or not eating the right fuel at the right times commonly causes frustration. Don’t be afraid a nutritious meal with quality carbs and proteins before and after your workouts. Our bodies are like cars, and food is our gas. Without it, we aren’t going very far!
If anyone has any questions feel free to send me a PM or email!
-this is just general information. Every person is different. I’ve never designed 2 workout programs the same. So keep in mind that this info may not be completely applicable to you.
-I’m an experienced personal trainer, but every fitness pro has a different view, so other fitness pros may disagree with me. No one is necessarily wrong or right because each case is so unique.
Cardiovascular exercise: Most people who are trying to lose weight do some form of cardiovascular exercise. This can include walking, running, cardio gym equipment such as ellipticals, and many many other forms of exercise. People often dread doing their cardio, but it doesn’t have to be dreadful. If you don’t enjoy spending hours on the treadmill, don’t! If you don’t like running, don’t! Any activity that elevates your heart rate for an extended period makes a difference. Try new sports! Play tennis, go swimming, take a walk with a friend or family member, find hiking or walking trails, play some basketball or soccer, take a class at the gym, go rollerblading, biking, kayaking or canoeing, trail running, cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
For those who have been exercising for a while alternating the intensity of your cardio provides a good challenge for the body. Doing some long, slow intensity cardio, some medium length, medium speed, and some short distance, fast speed cardio keeps the body guessing.
There’s a lot of fuss about how long a cardio session should be. It’s not necessary to do cardio for more than an hour unless you’re an endurance athlete. However, a nice long hike or bike ride can be very enjoyable. If you’re going to do cardio for over an hour bring a small snack to give yourself proper fuel.
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a popular and effective form of cardio when it’s done correctly. Ideally HIIT should be done on a track. An elliptical is also a good choice. A stationary bike or treadmill are also options, but not as good as a track. To do an effective HIIT workout start with a 5 minute warm up at a slow-moderate pace. Then, for 15-20 minutes depending on your fitness level, alternate sprint and recovery intervals. The sprints should be as fast as you can possibly go and only last for 20-30 seconds. If you can go for longer than that, you are not going as fast as you possibly can. This is the reason why a track works best. It’s much harder to effectively get up to full speed on a treadmill. Recovery intervals can last for 1-1.5 minutes and should be a fast walk. When you’re done cool down for 5 minutes. If you haven’t been working out regularly it is not the best idea to start out with HIIT. Do some lower intensity cardio until you build up your cardiovascular fitness.
Strength training: A well rounded fitness program contains strength training. Far too many women fear muscle growth and shy away from strength training. So you don’t want to look like a huge female bodybuilder? Fear not. Those women have trained vigorously in a specific way to promote muscle growth for many years. They’ve also eaten lots of extra calories so their muscles can grow, and likely taken supplements you’ve never heard of, and that may not even be legal.
Often women begin strength training, feel they have gained muscle within the first few weeks, then quit for fear of getting huge. Most bodies that are not used to strength training will react to this new exercise by gaining a small amount of muscle in the beginning, but the growth will slow and likely stop once the body becomes conditioned, unless the body is trained in a certain way and extra calories are eaten.
The bottom line is that it’s pretty difficult for women to gain much muscle. If you strength train you will not accidentally look like a bodybuilder. It is true that some body types do gain muscle more easily than others, and that should be taken in to account when an exercise program is designed.
Strength training has countless benefits. As we age we naturally lose our muscle mass. Strength training can prevent this. Strength training gives us strong, firm bodies and causes intense caloric burn. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. This means that it takes more calories to maintain a pound of muscle than it does a pound of fat. More muscle equals a higher metabolism. Less muscle equals a lower metabolism. Having just a bit of extra muscle can make fat burning easier over time. Besides, having a little muscle will make you look firm and fit when you lose that fat!
Flexibility training: A fitness program may also include a flexibility aspect. While flexibility training does not have the intense fat burning effect that cardio and strength training do, it does burn calories. It also provides a chance to relax and focus. For flexibility training you can take a class at your gym in yoga, pilates or stretching, or buy a DVD to do on your own.
Rest and nutrition: These 2 elements are critical for a successful fitness program. Overworking and underfeeding our bodies does not produce results. Our bodies all need a day of rest, and sometimes even a full week of rest to fully recover. Adequate sleep is important as well for our bodies to recover from our workouts. Undereating, or not eating the right fuel at the right times commonly causes frustration. Don’t be afraid a nutritious meal with quality carbs and proteins before and after your workouts. Our bodies are like cars, and food is our gas. Without it, we aren’t going very far!
If anyone has any questions feel free to send me a PM or email!