Welcome to Volume 13 of the Fitness Destinations Journal!
This week we have 2 brand new 100% original fitness articles for you to enjoy and learn from: 'Spoiled Rotten: The Big 3 Reasons for Fitness Failure' and 'Bridging the Gap: The Top 5 Fitness Secrets for Housewives and Athletes'. Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Fitness Article - Spoiled Rotten: The Big 3 Reasons for Fitness Failure
"I want it now, now, now!"
Does this sound like the mind-numbing rant of a spoiled 7-year old in a toy store? Sure it does, and if you've ever heard a similar dialogue from a child, then you understand instinctively that the child in question is all too accustomed to getting their way.
However, it may come as a surprise to you that adults of all ages and from all walks of life exhibit very similar behavior on a regular basis - especially when it comes to physical fitness!
It today's age of medicines, technologies, supplements, and highly advanced exercise techniques, people have - quite mistakenly - been lead to believe that they can have their most highly desired fitness results RIGHT NOW.
Read below to learn how this mistaken philosophy is applied on a frequent basis when people practice the 3 basic tools of fitness: Cardiovascular Training, Resistance Training, and Nutrition
CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING
You either don't watch TV or you don't read magazines if you've never seen an advertisement that shows some buff young girl or guy pounding out miles while running on a beach, or happily sweating profusely while cruising on an elliptical or enduring an intense Spinning class.
These young models always look extremely satisfied to be working their bodies so hard, and they also share one other common characteristic: they are already in shape! Have you ever seen a commercial for a gym or exercise device that showed a 5-foot, 300 lb person grinning from ear to ear?
This is a common example of how the media and fitness industry retailers promote the mass-confusion over cardio. The ads scream messages like, "Buy our pill, put on some sexy clothes while running on the beach, and you'll look just as good as our models do!"
Gym owners do it, too. "Join our gym now and we'll give you one month free! Just by joining and then attending our Award-Winning Spinning Class, you will look just like Cindy, the Supermodel we hired to do our commercial!"
It's ridiculous how the "powers that be" portray cardiovascular exercise as some effortless activity that you can easily use to gain the body of your dreams just by purchasing their product or joining their facility.
The truth of the matter is that cardiovascular training works. The additional truth of the matter is that it can range from moderately to intensely difficult, and that it will take you weeks, months, or maybe even years of combining cardio with resistance training and proper nutrition to attain the body of your dreams.
Is that what you wanted to hear about cardio? Probably not, but it's the truth. If you think there is some shortcut to being buff, young, tan, and in complete control of your life, then you should go turn on the TV. There is a commercial on right now that is just waiting for you to call in your credit card number!
RESISTANCE TRAINING
The hype surrounding resistance training isn't quite as appalling as the myths about cardiovascular training, but it still exists. Regardless of what you have seen, heard, or been taught, the truth is this: everyone needs resistance training.
It doesn't matter if your goal is to be a bodybuilder or a 90-year old who can tie your own shoelaces, you need resistance training. Listing the many reasons for engaging in a consistent resistance training routine is beyond the scope of this article, but there are some myths about weight training that need to be brought to light.
1. Weight Training makes you big and bulky. Actually, the size of your muscles is determined primarily by your gender, the type and intensity of your training program, and your nutrition. If you think you will just "magically" turn into a muscle-bound athlete because you picked up a couple of dumbbells, just ask any bodybuilder how much time, energy, and raw will power goes into building his or her incredible physique. It does NOT happen by accident.
2. Using any given device or exercise will "sculpt" your abs, biceps, butt, or any other muscle. There is one thing and exactly one thing that determines the shape of your muscles, and that is your DNA. It is quite impossible to "sculpt" any part of your body - that job belongs to your chosen deity. You can control the size of your muscles, but you cannot control the shape. Anyone who says otherwise is straight up lying.
3. Resistance training is just for men. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be healthy, strong, and have a great metabolism and energy level? Then weight training is for you. Period.
PROPER NUTRITION
You need to learn one word and one word only if you want to maximize your nutrition program. That word is Cumulative. Cumulative means the combined effect over the course of time.
You will not put on 5 lbs by eating a hamburger. You will likewise not lose 5 lbs by eating celery for dinner. You will not reap the lifetime benefits of vitamin, mineral, and fiber intake by eating fruits and vegetables for 1 week. You will likewise not destroy your body's balance of vitamins and minerals by straying from your nutrition program once in awhile.
Do you see where all of this is going? If you want to reap the health and weight loss benefits of a proper nutrition program, you cannot practice proper nutrition "once in awhile". You must consistently stick to your nutrition program over the long term to realize the cumulative effects. You are just kidding yourself if you think otherwise.
As you can see, Cardiovascular Training, Resistance Training, and Proper Nutrition all play a vital role in your health and fitness program. In addition, they work together as a team in order to keep you healthy and on track with your fitness goals. Just practicing one or two will not be good enough.
At this time you can make a choice. You can either choose to believe a bunch of bald-faced lies and misleading truths about physical fitness, or you can choose to embrace the real truth of the matter. The real truth is that weight loss and physical fitness require time, effort, and dedication.
Remember: Anything worth having is worth working for!
About the Author
Aaron Potts is a Certified Personal Trainer, and is also a Certified Success Group Leader for the Tahiti Trim Plan 40 program. He also writes Free Fitness Tips and hosts a Free Fitness Podcast for the Fitness Destinations website.
Fitness Article: Bridging the Gap: The Top 5 Fitness Secrets for Housewives and Athletes
Why does the title of this article mention Housewives and Athletes? Brace yourself for the answer: Because the training protocols for both are exactly the same!
"How can that be?" you ask. "Is the author of this article on drugs?" "How can an athlete and a housewife train the same way?"
Here is your answer: Because each of them works diligently towards their respective goals using the same time-proven training techniques that you are about to learn. The goals of an athlete may be different than those of a housewife, but the science behind the training program is exactly the same.
EXERCISES
If your goal was to bench press the heaviest weight in history would it help you to take ballet classes? If your goal was to have a trim, toned body with a low level of bodyfat, would you get a lot out of Power Lifting classes with a squad of 350 lb athletes at 'Bruno's Iron Body Weightlifting Dungeon'?
The point is that you have to train for what you want out of your exercise program! Don't choose exercises out of a magazine just because they worked for the author of a particular article. Don't do the "classic" exercises at the gym just because everyone else is doing them.
Determine what your goal is, decide which exercises and which training programs will get you to your goal, and then just follow your program. This is pretty basic information, but you may be surprised by how many people just follow the crowd, which will get you exactly nowhere.
FORM
Once you have your training program ready to go, you have to do it right! If your program calls for eight 30-second wind sprints in 5 minutes, guess what you have to do?
If your program calls for picture-perfect free weight squats, bench presses, or lunges, how should you do your free weight squats, bench presses, and lunges?
You have to get your training program from a reputable, trustworthy source, such a personal trainer, or a friend or family member who is in very good physical condition. Once you have determined that your source is qualified to tell you how many wind sprints to do, or the proper way to do lunges, then you need to do exactly that.
Too many people get "distracted" during their training sessions and just end up going through the motions. During each and every exercise or activity, your form should be perfect, your concentration should be fierce, and your effort should be maximal.
Safeguard your health as well as your fitness goals by doing things the right way. You'll achieve maximum results, with minimal risk or wasted time.
SETS
How many sets of each exercise should you do? No doubt your favorite fitness magazine has instructed you at some point to do 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. That is good advice in some instances, but not in ALL instances. Who came up with that number, anyway?
The proper number of sets to perform of each activity depends on the activity itself, what your training goals are, and where you are at in your training program. 3 sets may be perfect in the beginning, but later on down the road, you may need more or less than that.
Don't do the "traditional" number of sets, or the traditional number of exercises. Think outside of the box! This will keep your mind and your body from getting bored or over-stressed by any given exercise program.
PROTEIN
Here is a newsflash: You need protein at every meal, regardless of your fitness goals. It doesn't matter if you are a bodybuilder or a glass blower - your body needs protein several times per day, every single day of your life.
Don't think that just because you aren't trying to put on muscle mass that you don't need to consume protein. Your body uses the amino acids in protein to repair damage that happens naturally to your body everyday, even if you don't exercise. If you are involved in an intense exercise program, then your need for protein is amplified by a large percentage.
Do you need the latest protein supplement? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on your present training program and nutritional intake. Decide if you are getting at least 20% of your calories from protein everyday, and as much as 40% for some competitive athletes. If not, then you may need to take a protein supplement, or at least increase the amount of lean protein in your daily diet.
CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING
Cardiovascular training is just good for burning off calories, right? Wrong! Cardio does burn a lot of calories, but let's break down the word "cardiovascular".
Cardio: Having to do with the cardiac muscle - your heart.
Vascular: Having to do with your circulatory system - your veins and arteries.
When put together into the term "cardiovascular", can you determine the primary reason for doing cardio? To improve the strength and efficiency of your heart and circulatory system!
Yes, improving the strength and efficiency of your heart and circulatory system burns a lot of calories. Yes, cardiovascular training is part of any good health and fitness program.
However, if you don't do it right, you won't get much out of it. There are various formulas for determining the intensity of your cardiovascular workouts, and they include the Target Heart Rate Zone and the "Talk Test".
Whichever method you choose, you must always put forth a true moderate to intense effort, and you must also practice different activities, and different amounts of time spent doing cardio. If you always do the treadmill at 3.5 mph for exactly 30 minutes, your body will quickly adapt to that, and your progress will cease.
Change the activity that you engage in, change the intensity, and change the amount of time you spend doing it. Keep your body guessing, and it will reward you by literally "throwing your fat into the fire" to fuel the workout!
About the Author
Aaron Potts is a Certified Personal Trainer, and is also a Certified Success Group Leader for the Tahiti Trim Plan 40 program. He also writes Free Fitness Tips and hosts a Free Fitness Podcast for the Fitness Destinations website.
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