10 Thoughts On Training And Fitness….
Posted on 17 March 2010
1. If you have time keep active everyday - Although you do not need to train everyday there is nothing wrong with doing something to stay active each day even if it is in the gym. On days I have some free time I enjoy going for a swim or breaking a sweat outdoors with a run or few sets of sprints. If the weather is bad or it is too cold outside heading to the gym is a great option. For me that is what cardio machines are good for. Throw is some stretching and mobility work and you have a great off day stress busting and relaxing workout.
2. Short and Intense workouts always win – After seeing many people try different things the best results always come from short and intense workouts. This does not necessarily mean CrossFit style metcons but rather anything that keeps rest times down and workouts flowing. Many of the people in the best shape will do this instinctively when training and it makes perfect sense, far more sense than taking 2-3 minutes rest between exercises and sets…
3. There is nothing wrong with steady state cardio - Steady state cardio gets a bad name when it can actually be very beneficial. Most of the steady state bashing is based on really long duration cardio that spans over 1hr. If you are going for a 30 minute jog or doing anything between 20-40 minutes on a cardio machine in a gym you are having a great stress busting workout which will help your body clear out stress hormones and flush the muscles with new blood.
4. Always try to maintain or increase strength - If strength is going down then you know you are regressing. Always strive to get that little bit stronger or push out that extra rep, this will keep results coming and your body improving. Something very useful is to throw in some strength days in which you just do a few heavy sets on each main compound exercises, that’s all then get out the gym……..
5. Stretching is important – This is another thing we can get lazy with, what we forget is that stretching has a load of benefits. Simply doing a bit of light stretching in the evening will help you relax and prevent potential injury, most importantly it allows you to de-stress and sleep better. I also recommend finishing workouts with some light 10-30 second stretches of each major body part.
6. Don’t ignore over-training symptoms - Feeling tired, run down, unmotivated and not sleeping well? You are probably just run down from stress, too much training and anything else that takes its toll on your body. Take a week or two away from weights, walk more and do some relaxation exercises. Feel free to go for light exercise just don’t over tax the system, see workouts as relaxation rather than exercise.
7. Stop using the scale - The scale lies. Our body can fluctuate a huge amount in a few days, as well as this weight does not reflect body composition. If you add muscle and lose fat the scale will stay the same or even go up, clothes are a far better representation of your progress. Although this not the be all and end all as clothes will fit differently as your body changes. Enjoy the process and throw out the scale it can be a harsh judge…..
8. Avoid stigmatizing meal times - These days we are told things like “never eat before bed” or “Always eat Breakfast” the sad thing is this stigmatizes meal times making us feel guilty for eating at certain times. The truth is it makes very little difference so if you are hungry before bed or in the middle of the night, go ahead grab a snack.
9. Fitness and Health do not always reflect body composition - Being ripped to shreds and having a bulging six pack is not always a sign of good health. In reality having a consistently ripped body is a result of either; Superb Genetics, Taking something for a little help, or extremely harsh training and diet that is unsustainable in the long term. Not all of us can have this and we need to settle for a good body composition (far better than average) without being stupidly lean. This will come with a good wholesome diet and moderate exercise, Don’t forget some of the healthiest people on this earth carry a little bit of excess body fat…..
10. We are capable of more than we think – This is not to mean we should push ourselves like crazy all the time but it means we have an ability to achieve just about anything we want in the realm of health and fitness. Things like marathons, lifting heavy and excelling at a sport are all achievable NO MATTER your current condition. Our bodies are amazing and with hard work can morph to achieve just about any task, all we need is the knowledge and drive…
17 comments so far
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Comment by Greg
17 March 2010
There was a recent article about the science behind high intensity training that really substantiated that as a very effective way to achieve fitness goals.
Great list!
Comment by Melinda Neely
17 March 2010
Added bonus: intense, short workouts produce lots of endorphins, so you feel great with less time invested.
And those are great points about people who are super-ripped – they might be able to bench press a lot of weight, but may not be able to run around the block without gasping. It’s more beneficial to have a mix of cardio and weight training.
@ Melinda: That is a good one and definitely a hige benefit. Nothing flushes out stress and gets endorphins flowing quite like some HIIT cardio.
Comment by IPBrian
18 March 2010
Great practical advice everyone can benefit from…as always. Thanks!
Comment by Michaelchasetx
18 March 2010
Great list … I would add getting enough sleep and roller therapy … recovery is the yang to HITT exercise ying.
Comment by Fitness Contrarian
19 March 2010
It’s so important to – Always try to maintain or increase strength. When your strong your fit, flexible and functional.
Best – Mike
Comment by Adam | SEE
20 March 2010
*Positively right on!
*I love how this post meshes with what I learned and observed in boxing gyms:
(1) No excuse not to be active, b/c a jump rope can go with you everywhere.
(2) When training, keep moving for your 1m of “rest”.
(3) A nice three-miler (5k) never hurt anyone, go with a buddy and you will be sprinting at the end to see who finishes first.
(4) Always a bad sign to a trainer, when his fighter is weaker than the day before.
(5) Great reminder – even top athletes try to weasel out of stretching sometimes.
(6) Good trainers know when to give their fighters a day off.
(7) Unfortunately, the scale is a necessary evil in a boxing gym.
(8) You want food superstitions eat with a fighter. And, that is what they are superstitions.
(9) This is SO true. The scariest time for a fighter is right before a fight. They are cut no doubt, but susceptible to every little cold, stomach bug, fever, you name it.
(10) HEART – makes all the difference.
Comment by Patrick Kallie
21 March 2010
I just love number 7, most people constantly stay on the scale when they are just getting started in the weight loss process. From personal experience you should way yourself only 1 time a week. If you find a reading that you don’t like then you adjust your workouts and diet plan.
Great overall article, keep them coming!
Comment by Martin Berkhan
22 March 2010
“Always try to maintain or increase strength ”
This is key, yet few people realize the long-term positive impact of tracking strength on a workout-per-workout-basis. Always strive to increase your best set in any given exercise – and make damn sure you have a training log to keep track of this stuff.
Comment by Derrick@traintobefit
22 March 2010
Your health tips are very helpful to me as a fitness enthusiast,especially tip #1 and tip #5. I personally enjoy some type of activity on a daily basis because it keeps the blood flowing and keeps me alert throughout the day. Furthermore, stretching and flexibility are very important in preventing injuries. In addition, a flexible body is stronger than one that is not flexible.
Comment by Jen-JensFitnessTips.com
22 March 2010
Love this post!! All the points were great!! It’s always nice to reflect on what’s important and what’s not. Listening to our bodies is huge. I know I need to do more of that. Thanks for sharing!
Comment by Tom Greenwald
22 March 2010
I totally agree with your second point.
I personally believe that there is no need for strictly designed workout plans (counting reps and seconds). We are still animals. Do animals have a schedule of all activities and preferred intensity for every day? No! So why should we?
Comment by Clinton
24 March 2010
Why is it that stretching seems to be so easily overlooked and underperformed by so many people?
As an osteopath, trying to get patients to start stretching on a regular basis has been quite a challenge.
I often suggest they should think of stretching as being very much like brushing their teeth. Everyone does it (or should), everyday, 2x. Why? Its generally not considered a chore its just something you do to maintain the health of your teeth. If only stretching could thought of in the same way!