Start at the Start

It’s important when starting any endeavour for the first time to ‘start at the start’.

What does this mean?

I have witnessed on numerous occasions budding health enthusiasts start a brand new health and fitness program at a level they wish to attain one day as opposed to the level at which they currently are.

In my opinion this isn’t a sensible or realistic choice rather it is the result of one or two factors or a combination of the two;

1. Lack of experience.

2. Desire to make rapid change.

Consider your weekly routine in relation to nutritional choices and exercise commitments. Did you assume this new routine all of sudden or is this something that you have developed over time?

If this new found routine is something that has recently burst into existence please be warned – while what you are doing is often correct on paper and may very well be expediting your desired results there are some considerations to make.

1)      Is this sustainable? Will you be able to maintain this pace and consistency long term? If not what happens when this current program ends?

2)      Is it healthy? Are you training and eating for longevity and good health or are you crash dieting and exercising obsessively? The difference is one gives you the ability to achieve great results and health long term but may take a little longer while the second option delivers rapid results but long-term can cause health issues and bounce back.

3)      Is it informed and specific – is the new routine you have adopted something that was prescribed specifically for you to align with your goals? In many cases we do what our ‘friend/partner/sister/mother’ etc that lost weight told us to do. This can lack the specificity needed to deliver efficient results or the steady implementation needed to be manageable long-term.

Take away.

Be patient and be in it for the long haul. Our health is all we have so why be in a rush to gloss over the education process needed for long term understanding of what it takes to truly gain health and wellness.

Get help. Find a fitness professional that has a track record of helping people and invest in their time and expertise.

Finally trust the process and go to work!!

Timed Rest

To someone like myself who has trained all my life there are particular nuances of training that make all the difference in gaining results, keeping things interesting and continually challenging the body.

You must understand that the body will adapt to new stresses remarkably quickly and while this is good in a survival situation it’s not what we want in the gym/training environment. When we adapt to our particular training methods it means that the body has stopped growing and improving and we are in a state of maintenance.

A key element to protect against adaptation is timed rest.

Any good training program will included recommended rest between sets and exercises. This rest recommendation has been specifically recommended to allow sufficient time for the body to recover while maintaining a desired level of intensity.

While this information is key many choose to overlook it preferring to use rest periods that feel right or allow for adequate conversation between you and your training partner.

What this ‘free form’ rest does is dilute the information that can be gained from the session and also promote adaptation.

Consider this;

Resting for an extended period of time due to conversation or simply not paying attention.

1)      You may lift your normal weight however because of the extended rest period the intensity drops as you are now recovered fully.

2)      You may be able lift more weight due to the extended rest and you consider this a strength increase. This is not a strength increase this is a rest increase.

What I recommend is to use specific rest periods and be strict with them.

Get a stopwatch and hang it around your neck.

As soon as you finish a set hit start; 15sec before the end of your rest get back in position to ensure you are prepared to commence the lift when the rest period is over.

While this might sound like overkill it will allow for the following;

-          Cut training time dramatically making time in the gym shorter and more efficient.

-          Raise training intensity.

-          Allow for true identification of strength increase.

-          Provide a goal for every session eg last week I could do 8 reps on my last set, this week I aim to do 9 etc

If you have never tried specific timed rest try it in your next workout and notice the difference in intensity and strength.

Enjoy!!

Applied Effort

I have been training people for 10 years now and since day one the type of person who I have enjoyed training the most has never changed.

The level of fitness, experience or competency has never really phased me much. I have never had a preference of training men over women or vice versa. I don’t mind training someone for a sport specific goal or a goal of improved general fitness.

What has excited me the most since day one is the person that turns up to every session prepared to work hard.

I come from a sporting background and what I realised early on was that I was not a naturally gifted athlete. There were guys much better than me from the outset however over time I realised I could outwork them.

I believe this is where my passion came from to work with people who are prepared to do the work.

Wherever you are right now, whether you are a beginner just getting the hang of a new exercise program or someone that has been training for years do, yourself a favour and turn up to train.

This means when the time comes, put your head down and apply yourself 100% to the task at hand.

In my experience this helps not only to achieve great results in fitness but there are a number of other benefits.

Mental – when you commit fully to a task like training there is no room for thoughts about the bills, work, kids and life in general. While that sounds a little harsh I believe it’s a crucial break.

Endorphin release – you will feel good after any form of exercise however if you give everything you’ve got the rush of endorphins that follows will have you walking tall all day.

Sleep – wearing yourself out at training is like a natural tranquilliser, train hard and sleep even harder!

Test it for yourself – at your next session apply your best effort and notice the difference. Aim to then apply that same best effort at every training session from then on!!

Building a Physique

When we talk about making a transformation from where you are to where you would like to be, what we are really talking about is building a physique.

Physique is a dirty word for many people, women in particular associate the word with body building. Body building is essentially what you are doing however each time to step into the gym. Although your goal may not be to look like Arnold your goal should be to build a physique.

When it comes to building a physique the key is consistency! If you are truly looking to build the body that you have always wanted you need to become a student of the process. Learn continually and work with consistency long term.

Recently I spoke with a client that is taking a 6 month break from weight training and increasing her cardio to fill the void. Her goal is to lose body fat to expose more muscle mass and ultimately have a more muscular physique. I couldn’t talk her out of it – her mind was made. The idea is crazy!

Think of building your physique like building a wall from mud bricks;  

You build a wall one brick at a time, if you cheat and leave brick out it’s noticeable. There is no cheating and there is no quick fix. There are ways to build a wall more efficiently however it takes as long as it takes!

If ever you decide to stop building your wall the environment goes to work undoing your efforts to date. Wind stress the bonds, rain washes away the mud and the sun creates cracks. Over time the work is lost.

This is your body – this is your physique – are you building it or are you loosing it?