Monday 4 January 2010

Treadmill, X-Trainers and missed goals

So it is the first monday back after the xmas and new year break. Once again, like every year, the people flock into the gym to try and achieve their goals, usually to lose some weight, which was there before xmas and is even more there now. It is just they feel they should do something about it now after xmas as they probably couldn't be bothered (be honest with yourself) to start before, or sometime last year. Other goals maybe to relieve pain in the shoulder, rehabilitate an injury or prehab for a chosen sport. Mostly though it is for the goal of weight loss.

I walked into the gym around early evening to start my client training and as usual the treadmills, x-trainers, rowers etc were all in use by quite a few fresh new faces or people I recognised, but hadn't been for a while i.e. months. I didn't see any new faces in the weights area though. 1. because weights work and 2. because they work, people tend to stick to the weights year round.

Why is it then that most people shy away from the weights area and tend to hit up the hamster wheel for hours on end. Don't get me wrong, I do use cardiovascular equipment in the training of my clients, it is usually an HIIT at the end of a workout for 9-15 minutes. Having been in the industry for nearly a decade, most people shy away from the weights because they feel intimated by the area, are uninformed in how to perform free weight exercises, women don't want to build up lots of male looking muscle. A note here would be that one of my female clients went from a size 12-14 to a 6-8 from doing weights, corrected her posture and now at a body weight of 55-56kg, squats 60kg and dead lifts 70kg and she doesn't look all hulk like.

It is time to ditch the hamster wheel and time to set foot into the weights area as the best way to help you achieve your fat loss goals. Weight training will help build lean muscle tissue, which will help increase resting metabolic rate, which means you'll be burning more body fat while sitting behind your desk. You will also burn calories during the session, in the hundreds per hour depending on the intensity of the session and the type of exercises. You can also, if done through a full range of motion and with correct technique, improve flexibility, mobility, strength and stability.

So what does one need to do when they step into the weights area? There have been some interesting and effective workouts that have come out lately that work well. Complexes have become very popular recently in the strength and conditioning fraternity. Why? Because they work. Basically, a complex is circuit using a barbell, although weight plates, kettle bells and dumbbells can also be used and you complete a number of exercises for different rep ranges in a row without putting the barbell down.

For more information on complexes click the link below, it goes quite well with this blog.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/
screw_cardio_four_complexes_for_a_shredded_physique

Another routine is a timed circuit with weights, again using a similar concept to complexes.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/
timed_circuits_pace_yourself_for_maximum_fat_loss

You could also do a body part split or upper body/lower body split or full body weights workout. What ever you do though, get in the weights area and you will stay committed to the gym longer than the end of January because you will see results and you will be in the gym year round.

Let me know how you get on.

For help in achieving your health and fitness related goals you can contact me on 07826 846 201 or email me at grove_harry@hotmail.com


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