Posts Tagged ‘Physique Changes’

Why Your Gym Sucks!

Monday, March 19th, 2012

There is something seriously wrong with the fitness industry these days. It has become far too commercialized.

What should be an industry targeting the good of the population and be there for help and support where it is sought and inspiration where it it is not, has become far to focused on profit and money making.

Which is not only bad for those looking for the support, but for the industry and population as a whole.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not so naive that I don’t see the business aspect of the industry and that profits are required to allow the facilities and services to survive. But, there is now so much focus on the all-mighty dollar, that it is actually to the severe detriment of the services being provided.

Now, in reading the title to this article, you will no doubt have had one of three thoughts:

  1. How dare you! My gym Rocks! (or words to that effect)
  2. I agree
  3. I’m not a member of a gym, so it can’t suck

If you are in the 1. camp and your gym does indeed ‘rock’, then either you are extremely lucky and have found one of the few quality facilities currently available – yes they do exist, but they are generally small(ish) independent gyms run by people with passion for the subject matter (health, fitness, strength, physique training) whatever their specialism may be, and a deep desire to see the improvements from their clientele. And if you are a member of such a place, then I urge you to shout about it from the rooftops and ensure that place survives and thrives for the benefit of everyone of its members. – or you are deluding yourself.

If however, as is more likely, you fall in the 2. camp, then the big question is, ‘why do you continue to go there?’.

Well, if you are in the majority group – you don’t. Most leisure clubs or large chains operate on the same model. Sell year long (or several year long) membership packages and then hope the member stops showing after a month or two.

If any of these clubs actually had to accommodate their entire client base in a single week, they would be closed down for breaching fire regulations. Especially as most people would want to train during peak times causing clubs to have to deal with around 10 times their capacity levels.

But people do go to these gyms and then complain day after day about how they can’t get using the equipment they want. How they are sick of having to work around the January resolution crowd or the beach body panic groups. They complain how the equipment isn’t up to scratch or there is not enough of it. But most of all, they complain about how their complaints are never listened to.

If that is you, then again, the question is – why?

Often the answer is, because they are all the same and they have to train somewhere. But as the people in group 1 will testify, that is not the case. There are great gyms out there, you just have to look past the usual suspects. Don’t just go for the gym that is the cheapest or the nearest or the one that you’ve heard of because they have the biggest marketing budget. Don’t pick your gym based on the number of treadmills. And if their marketing is based around gimmicks like Vibro Plates, Thigh Isolation Machines or Zumba Classes, don’t just walk away, turn and run and run fast (don’t worry, no one in that place will have the fitness level to catch you).

Where you train should be down to one thing and one thing only – will it help you achieve your desired results?

The sales person will invariably look to convince you that you will. That is, after all, their job. But will they really?

  • Will the staff be on hand to correct your technique?
  • If you don’t know where to begin, will you be offered a programme based on your goals (and I don’t mean a generic workout where a fitness instructor, who considers this a wage packet rather than a calling, shows you how to switch on set up or use the machines and then maybe throws in a couple of sets of bicep curls for good measure)?
  • Do they have all the equipment you need to train well? – And I don’t mean the equipment they tell you you need – a smith machine is NOT the same as a Bench Press, Kettlebells are NOT all you need, A leg press machine does NOT replace a squat rack. It doesn’t have to be complicated though. Solid, practical equipment trumps shiny with lots of buttons and levers every time.
  • Do they have space for you to train? What time will you regularly be training? Go in at those times and see if you would be able to carry out your workout of choice. If not, what’s the point?

These aren’t the only criteria, but you get the idea. A gym is about training for a result. If you can’t train optimally, then why are you paying a membership?

Time was that a gym simply meant a big shed with little more than barbells and weights. If you wanted a CV workout, you went outside and hit the pavement. And you know what? These gyms worked and the people using them got phenomenal results. However, since Nautilus developed their ‘variable resistance’ 12 station circuit machines in the 70s there have been constant developments in the variety of equipment available in modern gyms. So that should mean an even better training experience right?

Unfortunately, these machines did not live up to the theory and did not produce the results they were designed for. But leisure clubs still use them. Why? Because it takes about 30mins to train the entire staff of a club to use every machine in the building, whereas it takes months to train them to be proficient in lifting weights correctly and further months or even years to train them well enough to train another person in how to do it.

So a club that takes the path of least resistance and puts their investments in machines is thinking only about profit and turnover rather than your results.

What about cost?

What about it? You cannot put a price on your health and fitness. If you lose that, you lose everything. Ok there are limits, but you are unlikely to exceed an acceptable budget regardless of the gym membership.

The highest membership I am aware of in the West of Scotland is £140 per month (there may be higher, but I haven’t heard of it). Now that is for a leisure club and to be honest it is more of a status thing than a gym membership. People rarely go there to train well, they go there to meet up after a ‘session’ to sit in the cafe and socialize. If you are serious about your training, you wouldn’t go there anyway.

Almost all other gyms are well below the £100 level and for most people, that is not a problematic amount. It may feel like it is. You may believe it is. And for a few it might be. But most of the people I would hear complain about such a figure have no issues spending over £50 on a night out drinking or a similar amount on Sky Sports or Movies. So where are your priorities? Quick treat fix now or a fit and healthy life?

However, I know that isn’t you as such a person wouldn’t have read this far.

Just remember most gyms are giving you access to many thousands of pounds worth of equipment. And if the staff are experienced and passionate enough (which they should be if you select the right gym) then you are also getting that experience and education along with your membership.

So if you look at it that way, it’s an absolute steal.

Is it worth paying £15 per month for a gym where you don’t feel comfortable, can’t train well, it’s too busy or you never go? Or is it better to pay more for a gym where you get fantastic results, feel like you are appreciated as a member, are given all the help and advice you need and are able to achieve something?

As for distance, again, priorities!

You are better going to a gym once or twice per week where you can train well and train right than to go with your local gym and achieve nothing.

We have just opened a facility that covers every criteria that I felt was lacking in the gyms I’d experienced. Everything listed above and more is checked off. And there are members and clients who travel almost 40 miles several times per week because of this.

If you want to check it out Click Here.

There are no queues for equipment, everything is robust and of high quality (Barbells tested to 1500lbs, Bumper Plates etc), there are no gimmicky pieces of equipment taking up training space (no abductor machines, wave machines or Vibroplates) just the equipment needed to get quality results.

And we ensure that we listen to the members. A few weeks back a couple of members mentioned a punch bag (which we didn’t have at the time) another couple mentioned suspension training. Both are now part of the set up.

I’m not saying this to sell our gym though. For most of you we are not a practical choice given we have subscribers from all around the world. But it is simply an example of what is available. There are gyms out there that will get you the results or training experience you are looking for. Go seek them out and stop whining about how much your gym sucks when you have been a member there for the last 4 years!

Demand better!

You are the customer! It’s your Gym! Make sure it meets your needs! And if it doesn’t, find one that does!

If however, you are in category 3 and don’t have a gym membership. Perhaps that is because you thought all gyms sucked. Well now you know different. So widen your search and you will find that gem you are looking for.

Or maybe you don’t want to join a gym.

That seems a bit alien to me these days, but I remember a time when I felt the same. You don’t have to join a gym to be fit and healthy. You can play sports, work out at home or do some other kind of physical activity and that’s all good with me. In which case, this all doesn’t apply to you, but if that’s the case, why did you read this far?

Whatever the reason, thank you and I hope you have enjoyed doing so.

So over to you guys.

Am I wrong?

Does your gym ‘Rock’? And if so, list it below and let others know about it.

Or does your gym actually suck hard? And what is your reason for sticking with it?

Comment Below and Let me know.

Until next time – go find a great gym and train for success!

 

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Why Count Reps? – Every Rep Counts!

Monday, September 19th, 2011

If you have ever spent any time in a gym, lifted weights or even if you have only read the odd magazine or internet article, you will invariably have seen some kind of rep prescription. 3 sets of 10 reps; 5 sets of 5 reps; 2 sets of 12 reps…

But what does it mean? Why would you want to stick to those reps? Why do you need to count reps at all?

There are a couple of reasons why a set number of reps are commonly used in the creation of training programmes.

The first is to develop progression and give a target.

If you were able to lift a set weight for 10 reps last time round, perhaps you want to force out 12 this time. That’s progression, you have lifted more, so you have improved and you will force your muscles to develop. By having the number in your head you know what you have to achieve. There is a finish line in sight. So when you get to 8 reps and it starts to burn, you can tell yourself you haven’t made your target yet and force through to find the additional 4 reps.

The other reason has a more academic foundation.

There have been a number of studies carried out on the effects of different rep ranges on muscular development. Although each study used differing parameters, the general conclusions were that, lifting in the lower rep ranges (below 6 reps) is optimal for strength increase and mid range reps (8-12) were best for hypertrophy.

The higher rep ranges (12+) resulted in differing conclusions depending on the study. Strengthening of tendons; lengthening the muscle fibres; endurance within the movement etc. All these have been shown as optimal reasons for using this rep range.

So when someone is devising a programme they will generally use these rep ranges as a guide depending on their primary focus.

Both reasons are perfectly valid and can happily be used as a tool within your training regime. The problem comes when these reasons become gospel. They are the rules and there is no deviating from them.

There is no doubt that progression is important for development when training and that utilizing reps as a method of tracking your progression is a useful tool. Having that target in mind is certainly a way of ensuring you push far enough to promote progression.

What you should remember though is development is never linear. You can’t force a one or two rep progression with every workout. You may be able to for a few weeks, but eventually that progression will stop. That doesn’t mean, as is often claimed, that you have hit a plateau. More likely you have just spent the first few weeks becoming anatomically adapted to the movement, which made it look more like muscular progression. But it is often at this point that the real development starts.

In other words, constantly changing your routine whenever you appear to plateau is not as good an idea as it may appear.

Also, just because you can’t do more or even as much as you did previously, doesn’t necessarily mean you have gotten weaker. You could be just as strong, or perhaps stronger, but if you’ve had a long, stressful day or a poor night’s sleep, you can’t expect your body to perform optimally.

[intlink id=”979″ type=”post”]See this article for more on this.[/intlink]

Not only that, but what if you are particularly invigorated on a particular day? Setting yourself a target could be very limiting.

Say you managed 10 reps last time, so today you are going to push out 12. What if you actually had enough in the tank for 15 or 16? You start to struggle at 11 so stop at 12, after all you made your target, you have just lost the opportunity for an additional 3 or 4 reps.

So, you can see, using reps as a target is generally not the optimal way to train.

Not all reps are equal.

How you lift is crucial to the return you get. As I covered in [intlink id=”1047″ type=”post”]This Article[/intlink] you should be looking to give your all in every rep. Either you should be lifting explosively with full contraction and constant tension on the muscle or carrying out controlled negatives enforcing your mind muscle connection etc.

Regardless of the technique you are employing, every rep requires you to give it your full, undivided attention.

If you are busy counting reps, that is just another distraction you don’t need and most likely you will start to think about how many you have left rather than making the most of the rep you are on.

It is for that reason that I generally prefer to work in the lower rep ranges.

Which brings us to reason number 2 – Different rep ranges should be used for different results.

It is issues like this that show the difference between pure science and real world application.

In a like for like situation it may well be mildly optimal for each result to be in the rep range described earlier. But regardless of your target, all rep ranges will show some kind of improvement. Low reps will cause hypertrophy and high reps will increase strength (assuming you are nutritionally set).  However, working in the low rep range will allow you to maintain focus on each and every rep.

Generally I have found that, above 6 reps, most people lose their intensity and focus and start looking to get through to the end.

You should always aim to do is as much work as you can.

Your muscle fibres will always fire in order (smallest to largest) and the way to get to the larger fibres is to apply as much force from the muscle as possible.

The most common route for doing that is to add weight. But if you remember your high school physics, weight (or mass) is only part of the equation.

Force = Mass x Acceleration

So the other factor is acceleration. If you accelerate a lighter weight faster than you would a heavy weight, you are potentially generating the same amount of force. To that end, the optimal movement would obviously be to accelerate a heavy weight fast.

If your target is hypertrophy, the convention might be to do 3 sets of 10, but what if you did 10 sets of 3? What if you just kept the rest periods short and gave your full focus to every one of the 3 reps? You would be able to use a heavier weight, but you’d still do the same number of reps. The volume would be greater and you would have lifted with greater intensity. And if you are lifting at that low rep range, you don’t need to count. 3 is easy to track. And if you only do 2 or you do 4, so what?

Just keep your focus on the individual reps, not the number.

If, on the other hand, your training requires you to be working in the higher rep ranges (8-12), you still don’t need to count. If you end up doing 15 or more, you will be very aware that the set has gone on too long and you need a heavier weight. If you only managed 5, you will know it wasn’t enough without counting the reps out and that your weight is too heavy.

Just focus on each individual rep, make every rep count and continue to push until you have truly failed (assuming maximum reps were the purpose of the exercise).

That way, you are more likely to be focused on your form, your technique, your contractions, your range of motion and you will be getting much more in return from your workout. If you have given up time out of your day to go and make improvements, then why waste reps?

Stop getting hung up on numbers. Yes it’s good to see progression, but if you are giving your all at all times, the progression will come. Feel free to test yourself every few months, but don’t get caught up on bean counting.

Numbers are meaningless for most people. You want your body to look good, you want to feel good, you want to improve, so make the most of every element and don’t get distracted by reps, weight or time. They are simply distractions and you have enough to focus on.

Make the most of your workouts. Stop counting reps and make EVERY rep count!

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Too Tired to Workout?

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Over the last few articles I’ve covered some of the often quoted excuses for not fulfilling your potential in your search for a new physique.

We’ve covered using your [intlink id=”901″ type=”post”]work as an excuse[/intlink]  and we’ve looked at reasons why not doing thing because you [intlink id=”943″ type=”post”]don’t like it[/intlink] could be hindering your progress.

Today I want to explore the scenario of being “too tired to workout”

This isn’t an ‘excuse’ per say. This is something to be very mindful of. If you haven’t slept well or stress of the day has gotten the better of you and you are lethargic when you hit the gym, often pushing through regardless is the worst thing you can do.

I’m not saying you should do nothing, but just because you did 5 sets of 8 with 100kg on the bar last time, doesn’t mean you should be looking to match or beat that this time.

As a Personal Trainer, it is generally accepted that one of my responsibilities would be to push clients to their limit each time. However, that is not the case and trainers who follow that mantra for every session could be forcing their clients beyond their means.

Remember, your body reacts, grows or develops when you recover not when working out. So you are always looking to do the most work that you can optimally recover from. If you are in a depleted or fatigued state, your ability to recover is compromised, so you cannot put as much stress on your system and expect to develop. Not only that, but your form is likely to suffer making you more susceptible to injuries.

So if I’m training a client, often times my role is to rein them in and protect them from their own enthusiasm.

If their fatigue levels are particularly bad, I’ll look to change the workout entirely and do more of an activation workout to try and stimulate their CNS. Often this is enough to spark their intensity to a level allowing a phenomenal training session. Other times it will energize them enough to get through the rest of the day and promote a good night’s sleep. This, in turn, generates a much better intensity for the next session.

However, being too tired is never an excuse to do nothing. You can always do some kind of workout and as I said above, it can often lead to a great training session or, at the very least, stimulate a better workout next time.

You should remember that improvement is not about individual workouts. As I stated in the article [intlink id=”627″ type=”post”]playing the long game [/intlink] you should be looking for the cumulative effect of everything you do. So even if a day is not optimal, it is still a point on your development and should be considered as part of your overall progress rather than a day off.

So next time you think you are too tired to train, just remember, you made a commitment, you made an appointment with yourself (you should have this appointment in your diary, it is as important as any other meeting). Remember that goal you set yourself, remember why you set it, re-connect with the emotion then go get started.

Listen to your body as you go. Use your emotional connection with your result to push you to work as hard as you can, but if your focus is poor or you form is suffering, change up what you are doing. Look to use some plyometric training, some explosive work or, at the very least, go for a jog and get some oxygen flowing through your lungs. Then re-assess.

Do you feel more focused now?

If so, ramp up the level again. If not, then you can go home, prep something healthy and nutritious to eat and ensure a good night’s sleep ready to give your all the next day.

If, however, you have the same issue several days in a row, then you have a deeper issue that needs to be addressed.

Start keeping a training log along with your food diary. See if there is any correlation between eating habits and fatigue. Make a note of how much sleep you are getting each night. Make a note of how often you are working late (this goes back to the [intlink id=”901″ type=”post”]too much work excuse[/intlink] and in particular, note each time you have a ‘too tired’ day.

Remember, your health is everything. Without it, your work will suffer, your home life will suffer, your mental health will deteriorate, your relationships will suffer and you increase your risk of permanent issues.

I’ll say it again, you cannot buy your health back. Your health and wellbeing should be your priority not a luxury.

So if you need to put a stop to overtime for a few weeks, stop agreeing to nights out or maybe even stop yourself sitting up too late with the TV, Xbox or Online Poker, make a concerted effort to do so. Spend your time ensuring you are preparing healthy meals, training well and winding down for a good night’s sleep.

Make YOU your priority for a while.

Two or Three weeks should be all you need.

You may think you can’t afford the time, but really, you can’t afford not to give yourself the time.

Remember, training is a stress on the body that, through recovery, you respond and improve from. But if you fill your life with other stresses, you never recover and you are simply annihilating your nervous system. So you can train all you like, but your physique will never improve and you will not be able to undo the stresses of the day.

Stop living for other people and take some time for yourself. The world won’t stop just because you have taken a step back and long term, every aspect of your life will benefit.

So with another common excuse out of the window, hopefully you are running out and have taken the time to reflect on how they are affecting your progress. But there are many more extremely common restrictions to cover and we’ll get to a very big one next time around.

In the meantime, find a way to increase your vitality and energy levels, to increase your training focus, which will improve your recovery, health and vitality, which will increase your energy levels. And the spiral continues. Re-affirm that commitment to change and go make some improvements starting today.

And as ever, I encourage you to leave your thoughts or associated problems or excuses below. Or perhaps your own views on how to deal with them.

The more excuses we can leave behind the more we all benefit and I very much appreciate the feedback.

[intlink id=”1018″ type=”post”]Part 5…  The Injury Excuse[/intlink] 

 

 

 

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Work Getting in the way of Training and Results

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

In my last article I touched on the idea that excuses and motivational issues could be the limiting factor in achieving your physique and fitness goals.

If you missed it you can read it [intlink id=”844″ type=”post”]Here…[/intlink]

Let’s have a look at one of these excuses in detail and see if we can’t find a new way of looking at the problem.

“I’ve had too much on at work” – This is probably the most commonly used excuse when it comes to non compliance with a training or eating programme. Now I don’t want to belittle work requirements. Trust me, I’ve been there, where deadlines are just piling up and the work just has to be done. Given the current economic situation, it is understandable that you may want to give your job a little extra priority, if for no other reason than to ensure you remain employed.

But if that additional effort culminates in taking so much of your time that all you are doing is working, it may be time to take a step back and re-assess your priorities.

Ask yourself – what is it you are working for?

If you are in the employ of someone else or a large company the answer is likely a little different than if you are self employed. But as most people fall into the former category, then it may be worth remembering what a job actually is. Your job will have come about as there was a task or role that is required but could not be fulfilled by the current staffing levels. However, it will only be offered if the output that employing you produces is of greater value than your agreed salary.

In other words, your output is generating additional profit for the company you work for. The harder and more efficiently you work, the more it will benefit your employer (not you). Yes you may win favour, a pay rise or a promotion by going the extra mile, but only if you are also increasing the benefits for your employer in the process.

When you are employed it will be for agreed terms – A set number of hours per day or week, within which you will be obliged to carry out specific tasks. Now if you are the type of person who spends all day procrastinating, updating your Facebook Status, Tweeting, watching YouTube videos or any other unproductive activity (obviously reading this blog excepted) and you get to the end of the day having not carried out the work load you should have been able to during the day, then any additional work hours required to catch up are your own doing and that is something you should maybe look at. But if you are working diligently day in, day out, and yet are still find yourself staying behind every night for an extra 3 or 4 hours to ensure the work gets done. That is not your problem – it’s your employer’s. They have failed to staff the workload properly and it is not your job to bail them out. In fact, by doing so, you are potentially preventing someone else being employed and the only person that really benefits is your employer.
So I repeat the question, what is it you are working for?

Most people work at least partially out of necessity.

You work to live, you do not live to work.

If, however, your workload is such that you have no time left to live your life to its fullest, then what is the point?

If you run yourself into the ground, aren’t getting enough sleep  and ruin your health, who is that going to benefit?

In the end if the result is you can’t do your job properly, your employer will just find someone to replace you. And no matter how much extra income you generated, you won’t be able to just buy back your health.

Without your health you have nothing.

And going back to your initial motivation to change – if you don’t achieve your goals or targets, that emotional kick could end up being more encompassing than motivating. You may just end up downbeat and depressed at your lack of progress and end up feeling worse.

Studies have shown that most people can only really dedicate a huge focus to one or two things at a time. That may have to be work on occasion and that is OK. Perhaps your fitness and training have to go on the back burner for a few weeks. But if you can’t find 4 or 5 hrs from a 168hr week to put towards your fitness and wellbeing, then I’d suggest there is something very wrong with your priorities.

If you are working 12hrs+ every day, I’d suggest there is no way you are giving your work 100% focus and dedication 100% of the time anyway and giving yourself and hour or so to hit the gym, go play football or head out for a run may increase your productivity far more than slogging it out for that extra hour possibly could.

Unfortunately the people who really need to be reading this will most likely be the people who have decided to ‘read it later’ and never get around to it as they have ‘too much work on’.

However, if you are currently in this trap, I’d encourage you to take a step back and re-assess your situation. Or perhaps you know someone who needs to take a step back, then please pass this article or its message on to them and do all you can to encourage them to evaluate their priorities.

As I said, I’ve been there, caught up in the work spiral. It took several years of late nights, poor diet and constant exhaustion before I was able to make the decision to change.

And do you know what happened when I did?

Nothing!

The world kept turning and the work still got done. I made a decision that I would never work late more than 1 day in a row and if the deadlines weren’t going to be achieved as a result, I would put the emphasis back on my employer to ensure additional resources were put on the job. Occasionally they wouldn’t appear at first, but I would hold my ground and leave at (or close to) my contracted time and as the deadline approached, suddenly the resources would become available.

So long as you are upfront and ensure that the situation is clear early on and you do all you can within your agreed hours, then a good employer will accommodate you.

Think of it this way – are there people in your place of work who have to leave to collect their kids from school? Would they be expected to stay behind and leave their children stranded to put a few extra hours in on a project? If you had tickets to a concert that you had booked and paid for a year in advance, would you stay behind and miss the concert? Then why should your gym appointment be any different?

Yes it might be ‘just this once’ and if that’s true, then so be it. But all too often, ‘just this once’ becomes, ‘just this week’ which then becomes a couple of weeks, then a month and before you know it all the effort you had previously put in with training and eating well has been completely undone.

Remember, you work to live, you do not live to work. Recall what you wanted to change and more importantly, why. Re-connect with that emotion. Make it stronger. Make it bigger. Make it more important than anything else. If it is really that important to you, then give it the priority it deserves.

Your health and fitness are not a luxury.

Your wellbeing is not of lesser importance than your job.

It may feel like it sometimes, but take a step back and really think about it. What are you working for? Don’t let your job control your life. Don’t let your fear of losing your job or your desire for promotion destroy your personal life, your health or your self-image.

I’m not belittling your work, it may be very important to you, but always remember, you will not be able to carry out any activity, work related or otherwise, if your body doesn’t function properly.

So not eating properly, not getting any form of exercise, lack of sleep or any combination of these things as a result of your job are simply excuses. And they are excuses borne out of fear, stress or implied obligation.

Don’t be weak, don’t be a drone, be what you need to be. Be what you want to be. Be stronger, be better, be your best self and you will reap the benefits.

In the end, the improved energy, vitality and vigour will transfer into all aspects of your life, including your work. That way, everyone benefits.

I’ll leave you with that for now and next time we’ll take a look at some more excuses that could be stopping you making the progress with your fitness and physique transformation.

Until then I encourage you to have a real think about whether you have used the ‘too much work excuse’ or are currently using it and take some time to really assess your priorities.

Hopefully you will begin to put yourself a little higher in the pecking order and you’ll feel better as a result. Stop making excuses and start being the person you want to be, not the one you feel you have to be.

[intlink id=”943″ type=”post”]Part 3…The I Don’t Like It Excuse[/intlink]

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Priorities, Motivation and Excuses – Why do you Work Out and Why do you Work?

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

If you are the type of person who is looking to be Healthier, Fitter or Improve your Physique (the fact that you are on this site means I would hope that you are) then you are likely either working towards it through training – in the gym, at home or outside – or you are, at the very least, watching what you eat and trying to be a little more active. Even if you haven’t started yet, you are likely planning to make some kind of commitment to change.

If you are looking to make a difference, there was likely something that sparked that desire to change.

Change is not something that comes naturally to any of us and any forced change is usually resisted by your internal psyche, which is where the excuses are generated from that give most people licence to fail.

Your body is comfortable as it is. It likes the known, the familiar. Change is considered dangerous and is to be avoided at all costs (regardless of whether it is good for you or not). Willpower alone will never overcome this long term. You can’t just push through indefinitely. Hence why so many people join gyms with great intentions and after 3 or 4 weeks suddenly have something more important to do.

So if you have made the decision to make a change, tone up, get rid of the beer belly, build a huge chest, improve your speed or lung capacity or get a phenomenal six pack, there was likely some kind of emotional reaction that sparked that desire for change. Maybe you just saw yourself in the mirror one morning and the visual made you feel sick and the determination suddenly hit you. Perhaps you had a few people comment on the size of your gut, or some of your clothes no longer fitted. Maybe it was something more severe like a heart attack, either your own or someone close to you, which brought home how important your health actually is.

Whatever the reason – that emotional response is key to your attaining your goal.

If you are a subscriber to my newsletter you will have received 3 articles not available on this blog. One of them goes into this issue of goal setting in great detail, so I’d suggest giving it another read through. And if you haven’t signed up to the newsletter already, it would be worth your while doing so.

Keeping that motivation fresh is critical.

There is a reason why gyms are full of people who train consistently yet look no different week after week. There is also a reason why one of the most common things you’ll hear in the changing rooms of any gym is “I’ve not been in for a few weeks (or months)…” and it is a phrase that you will doubtless hear from those same people several times throughout the year.

Either something else becomes a priority, their training intensity isn’t high enough or their focus is not where it should be.

Over the next few articles I’m going to have a look at some of the most common problems, to make you both aware that they are happening as well as to suggest solutions that will hopefully help you dismiss your tired old excuses and start making some real progress.

And so you don’t reel out the excuse of not having time to read them, I’m going to divide them up into bite sized chunks and post them over the next few weeks rather than all at once. So again, if you are not signed up to my newsletter, do so now to keep informed as to their arrival dates and give yourself 10mins to have a read through.

Regardless of what you have on, if you really want to make progress, you simply don’t have the time not to read them.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this.

Have a think about what you actually want to achieve. What do you want to change about yourself and more importantly, why?

You may think you have already thought about this, but if it has been a while, take the time to review. Are your goals still the same? Is the motivation that got you started just as strong? Are there any new motivational factors you can grab on to?

Really think about this. Get right to the heart of it. Then keep a hold of that thought.

And for now, just look to keep the excuses to a minimum. Stay focused, make the most of your training time and of the nutritional input you do give yourself.

Remember, it’s OK to be yourself, just be your BEST self.

[intlink id=”901″ type=”post”]Part 2…  The Too Much Work Excuse[/intlink]
[intlink id=”943″ type=”post”]Part 3…  The I don’t Like It Excuse[/intlink]
[intlink id=”979″ type=”post”]Part 4…  The Too Tired Excuse[/intlink]
[intlink id=”1018″ type=”post”]Part 5…  The Injury Excuse[/intlink]
[intlink id=”1047″ type=”post”]Part 6…  Are You Giving Your All?[/intlink]

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What is the best way to ‘Tone Up’?

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Whether you are looking for that Toned Female Body, Athletic Male Physique, Beach Body or any other kind of shapely figure involving improved muscle tone, there are a number of cliches that often get tied to them. And some are so common they should really get their own T-shirt.

The one that I hear constantly (especially from female trainers) is

‘I don’t want to get muscular, I just want to tone up’.

It’s a phrase that get’s used so frequently yet it is one that is so badly understood. So I really wanted to write something to try and clarify the issue once and for all.

Not only that, but rather than explain this another thousand times over the coming year, I can now just point people here and save the oxygen for more productive outputs.

The first thing about the phrase above is that it is almost an Oxymoron. To define toning and try to exclude muscle is just plain wrong. The word tone generally refers to colouring or shaping something to give it a different texture or feel. In this case that something is muscle tissue and therefore must, by its very definition, refer to doing some kind of muscular alteration work (i.e. resistance training).

But I think I should back up a little.

The big first question needs to be, ‘what do people mean when they say they want to tone up?’

I think the big problem is that toning means different things to different people, as it probably should. If you were talking about adding some tone to a photo, for example, one person might think that means adding definition and sharpness, another might think that is adding deeper shadows, brightness or colouring. And in essence they would both be right.

With muscle toning though, I feel the most common image is that of sleek, slender, firm and shapely figures.

No bulk, no flab and certainly not an almost skeletal, anorexic look.

The problem is that there is a common misconception that, to achieve that look, the type of training required is low weight, high rep work and it is one that just refuses to go away.

One reason for this might be that the sensation achieved is one where the muscle being worked burns in a way that it feels like it is getting a great workout, the muscle is getting stretched and ‘toned’ but without the bulk generated by heavy lifting.

Now don’t get me wrong, lifting with any weight to a point of lactic build up and muscular fatigue is going to cause some kind of muscle strengthening. But lifting in this way is far from the most efficient or effective way to do it.

I get the feeling that what most people think they are doing here is ‘hardening’ up that area. For example, I will often see girls bicep curling with 2-3kg dumbbells (or less!!!) thinking that it is going to firm up and ‘tone’ their upper arms.

Well I’ve got news for you girls. That wobble in your upper arms is FAT, pure and simple and no amount of bicep curling or tricep extensions are going to burn that fat off. Yes, you might strengthen the muscle behind the flab a little, but until you burn off the fat, through a negative calorie balance, you are never going to see it.

It’s a bit like the quest for a 6 pack. Many people will do constant crunches, sit ups, reverse crunches, oblique crunches etc. in the hope of ‘flattening’ their tummy. Yet it is the layer of fat over the top that is stopping that 6 pack from showing and by doing all those sit ups, at best you are building up a little muscle there, which in turn pushes the fat out further, making you look worse. At worst, you are screwing up your posture by causing an imbalance in your core muscles leading to back pain and even severe injury.

But I digress.

The fact is that to tone, you need to do two things. You have to burn off any fat covering the muscle belly and you have to have a muscle there to show. How you ‘shape’ that muscle is another matter, but the fact is that being ‘toned’ is having defined muscles. Big or small they have to be visible.

In searching for a definition of toning I found this one:

“Tightening or Firming of the muscles”

And I think that is an acceptable definition for most people. But unless you can see that muscle, then it doesn’t matter how tight or firm it is, it will make very little difference.

So what is the right answer?

Well there is no ‘right’ answer. There are simply methods that have been proven to work and then differing opinions on how to apply them. Fortunately, however, there are some key elements that are generally agreed upon.

First there is the use of compound movements.

Any multi joint movement is going to utilize more energy than a single joint movement – therefore it will burn more calories.

It will allow you to move more weight – therefore it will cause a greater stimulus to your muscles.

It will utilize more muscles – therefore you can work various muscles at once, saving time in the gym and getting a greater return.

The list goes on. But the thing to take away from that is that the core part of your workouts should involve multi joint (compound) movements, such as squats, deadlifts, pressing movements (Bench Press etc) and rows. That doesn’t mean go running to your gym and start doing these next time you are there, as there are down sides.

The fact that these movements are multi-joint means there is a greater degree of complexity to the movement and as a result, risk! So before you go loading up the squat bar, make sure you know what you are doing. Speak to someone who REALLY knows what they are talking about (not someone who THINKS they do) and get these movements right.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these movements are very taxing on your nervous system and as such, require more recovery than single joint movements. As such, training with these movements every day should be avoided and even one full day of recovery may not be enough (sometimes 3 or 4 can be required or in extreme cases a full week).

But the fact remains that these are the type of exercises you want to be including in your routine as soon as possible to get the best results.

As for weights and rep ranges, these will vary wildly from person to person. Remember, we are not all designed the same, there are short people, tall people, people with short limbs, long limbs, people who are naturally strong, naturally flexible, can easily burn fat, can easily build muscle, those that struggle to burn fat, people with limitations in their range of movement, people with poor posture or muscular imbalances and then there are other genetic factors that you could be blessed or cursed by.

However, as a general rule, I would consider 15 reps to be extremely high and would advise most people to be working at 12 reps or less for the majority of their training. Personally I prefer keeping below 6 reps for most exercises of this nature as I feel it is easier to stay focused on each rep at that range, whereas going for 8 reps and above can cause a lack of concentration, especially in the middle of the set, which leads to sub-optimal performance and a higher risk of injury.

I can already hear the screams of resistance!

“Below 6 reps is strength training!”

“Lifting that heavy (as would be required for a 6 rep or less maximum lift) will cause bulking!”

Etc. Etc.

Well let me just address this quickly. For the girls worried about adding mass by lifting heavy – get over it! It is simply not going to happen. 90% of women do not have nearly enough testosterone in their system (or put another way, they have too much Estrogen) to cause bulking no matter what weight you are lifting and even if you do have a the rare tendency to bulk, it is not going to happen overnight. If adding muscle size was that easy, body builders (and most male trainers) would be taking things much easier. Adding muscle is extremely hard and happens over a period of months & years, so if things start to go a way you don’t like, then just back off a little and alter what you are doing.

Secondly, big gains will generally only occur if your diet allows it. So if you have your diet in check (which I’ll come to in a minute) there should be no question of huge muscle mass occurring as the focus of your diet should generally be to lose fat.

Lastly, this notion that below 6 reps is for strength, 6-8 is for hypertrophy and 8+ is for either endurance or toning is really getting old and far too over used. Yes there are studies showing that the rep ranges described are ‘optimal’ for the results described, but that does not mean there is something magical that happens at those levels to create that change. Again, a lot is down to diet, much is down to genetics and it also matters how those weights are lifted.

If 6-8 is the ONLY way to achieve muscle hypertrophy, then have a look at Olympic lifters. They generally train with only compound movements in the 1-3 rep range. So they should be strong, but not big right? Well show me a small power lifter!

The bottom line is, for most people, lift big and lift powerfully for the most bang for your buck and if you are still set in your ways about lifting in only the ranges described above for each associated result, then off you pop and get on with it and don’t bother me with your short range, limited view of training.

Besides there are also studies showing lifting in the higher rep ranges cause almost as much strength gains as lifting in the lower rep ranges (especially in recreational lifters).

There is much more to it that that and there is a lot of tailoring that should be looked at from person to person, but covering all the bases is far too great a topic to cover in one article. If you need help on this, then I strongly suggest you find a fitness professional, coach, personal trainer, to help you optimize your workouts. It is an investment you will get huge returns from (and if that ‘professional’ starts going on about how you ‘must’ lift in the high rep ranges for toning, find yourself a better coach).

Though, I will be covering more specifics on this topic in future posts, so just keep checking back for more information.

As for the diet – again specifics are beyond the scope of an article like this, but there are two elements that are key for most people.

To burn fat you MUST be in a calorie deficit. How that is best achieved will vary wildly from individual to individual, but this Physics and cannot be worked around. If you are not in a calorie deficit, you are not going to achieve the losses you are looking for to uncover those toned muscles.

Secondly, you must have enough fuel to achieve the workouts. You can’t run your car without petrol and you can’t run your body without fuel. So severe calorie restrictions are out, as you will end up burning more muscle tissue than fat and your workouts will suffer. Also, that restriction in calories requires you to ensure you get the correct nutrients to keep functioning properly. So lots of fibrous veggies, no low carb dieting (so Atkins is a no no) as you need carbs to give you energy. Also, no points based diets. Your diets have to be balanced. So if you are on any kind of points based diet, get off it fast!They don’t work – Period! Yes you might see short term results, but in almost 100% of cases, the weight will come back with interest and while you may get smaller, you will not be getting ‘toned’.

Again there is much more to it than this and I will go into the elements of diet in greater detail in future articles.

But what I really want you to take away from this are the following points:

  • Ladies, don’t be scared to lift heavy – you are NOT going to turn into the hulk as a result and it will help you tone.
  • Get your diet in check – your diet determines the effect that your training will have and your results depend on getting this right for YOU and your body type.
  • Use compound exercises – this doesn’t mean never use isolation exercise, but the foundation of your workouts should always involve multi joint movements.
  • Get informed advice – If you want the most out of any workout, exercise or diet you should be carrying it out correctly and in a way that suits your genetic make-up, body type, hormonal reactions and lifestyle. You can achieve that in one of two ways. Trial and error or get the information from someone who has done the research for you. Either way, make sure you work on what works for you and not what works for someone else. You are an individual, treat yourself as one.
  • And above all, take action. You now have many of the tools to go and get started, so don’t continue to procrastinate. Every day you are not moving forward is a another day you are away from achieving your targets, so go and get started!

I hope this has been of use and has clarified many of the misconceptions on toning. If you have gained anything from it or have any comments or queries on this topic, please post them below.

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So what is a ‘Fat Burning Zone’?

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

I was recently presented with a question on the ‘Fat Burning Zone’ as part of a forum discussion and my response ended up being an article in itself, so I thought I’d post it here in case someone else finds it useful.

The tone is a little rambling and it may not be all that structured, but I was just letting go, because it’s one of those ‘trueisms’ that just keep appearing again and again and one I thought there was more common knowledge about these days.

The original post read:

“I have been fat burning for 2 months now and seem to be wondering sometimes if I am wasting alot of time for nothing. I have lost about 1 st in this time from 18.7 down to 17.7stone, and need to get to 15 stone. I was in a bad accident 1 yr ago and when I came out of hospital with my shoulder and leg in casts I continued on my normal diet of pasta ect and not taking into account the amount of cal’s I am not using compared to what I did before my accident and this made me put on at least 2 1/2 stone over the year. I knew I shouldnt be eating as much but it was so hard not to due to the bordem .

The problem I have is 2 of my friends have gave me conflicting info and both of them are fitness instructors. I am 28 and 1 of my friends says I should be doing 60% of my max H/R for 1 hr a day which is about 115-116 beats per min…… well i now do 1hr 45 a day at this rate and I do feel the difference….. AND…

My other friend says i should be working at around 135-140 for 1hr for the best fat burning

 

I know how the fat burn process works ect, like you only burn sugar for the 1st 20 mins then u burn fat but I dont know what H/R’s to stick to”

My Response read:

“I’m going to try to answer this, but talk of a ‘Fat Burning Zone’ really drives me crazy because it adds confusion where there should be none (as you have clearly found out).

First of all, there is no magical heart rate where you suddenly start burning fat. You are always burning fat and carbohydrates (or glycogen) in every activity. What shifts is the balance between the two (or the focus). The slower and more laid back the pace, the more your body uses fat as its primary fuel source. As the intensity of your activity increases your energy source switches from Aerobic to Anaerobic and the fuel source becomes primarily carbohydrates (I’ll stick with that term as it is the macronutrient you consume and so will recognize it more freely – I don’t want to over confuse with the actual internal process).

However, even when carbs become the primary fuel source, your body will still be burning fat, just a much higher percentage of carbs.

The so called ‘fat burning zone’ is the zone that you work at where you are burning the most calories before reaching the point where this change in emphasis occurs (and it’s usually – though not always – around 60-70% of your Max HR).

There are several problems with that though:

1) The max HR calculation of 220-age is a huge generalization. Even the person who came up with it has since been quoted as saying it was just a theory and he didn’t expect people to take it so literally. That calculation can be vastly off. First off, women can usually get the heart rate higher than men during exercise (if at the same level of fitness).

Also, someone who is physically fit can raise their heart rate much higher during exercise (safely) than someone who is new to physical fitness. Therefore, if you are going to aim for this magical zone it would probably be best to use PRE (Perceived Rate of Exertion) as your guide [on a scale of 1-10 (10 being flat out) how hard are you working?] and you would aim for around 6-7/10 which is slightly out of breath but still able to hold a conversation without the sentences getting broken up.

2) Is burning fat during exercise the best solution? – Have a think about this. Your body will react to the demands you place on it. So, for example, if you lift weights, what you are actually doing is breaking down muscle. Your body then reacts by building that muscle back stronger than before in order to cope with that demand.

If you burn fat, therefore, what does your body do?

It tries to cover that demand for the future by trying to store more fat. Now if you keep pushing for longer each time and continue to train, that may not be a problem. But you can’t increase your output indefinitely. There are only so many hours in the day. And when you stop increasing your output level your body’s improved fat storing ability will catch up with you. And if you were to stop altogether, you would probably end up putting on more fat than you had to begin with. Therefore, if fat burning is your goal (as apposed to endurance running) then wouldn’t you be better teaching your body to store the nutrients you want it to and to let it realize the one thing it can do without is fat?

As a comparison – Imagine the physiques of an Olympic 100m sprinter and compare to that of a marathon runner. Which would you prefer to achieve?

Most people go for the sprinter, because they look more ‘toned’. That is because, whilst long distance runners are ‘skinny’ they still generally have quite a high body fat content and what they have lost is actually muscle tissue. The reason is that is what makes them more efficient long distance runners. (muscle weighs more than fat, fat is easier to carry around and is an acceptable fuel source, so that’s what is sticks with).

3) Calorie Balance – When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters when burning fat is the calorie balance. If you are burning more calories than you are consuming you will lose weight (and fat) if you are consuming more than you burn you will not (and may add weight). Therefore, the more calories you burn the better. Now, if you were to go out and go for a nice gentle stroll for half an hour the percentage of fat burned over carbs would be huge. The ratio is greatly in favor of fat burning at that level. If, however, you were to go and bust a gut sprinting for half an hour you would be burning more carbs than fat.

Does that mean you are more likely to burn more fat walking than sprinting for the same period? Absolutely not! In fact, even though you are burning more carbs than fat whilst sprinting, you are still burning more fat than you would be walking, you are just burning WAY more carbs. But over all, what you are doing is burning vastly more calories and that is what will help you achieve that deficit.

My last point is going to be about weight though – you say that you have lost 1stone and NEED to get to 15stone. Why? What is so magical about 15st?

Are you competing in a boxing competition?
Are you a jockey?
Are you doing some kind of activity that has a weight restriction?

If yes, then your comment is perfectly valid. However, if it is because you were 15st in the past when you looked good, that is not a valid reason. If you stuck your arm in a tractor’s wheel and ripped it off you would probably lose the weight you wanted to, but I’m guessing that’s not the look you are going for (But then maybe I’m just out of touch with the ‘in look’ these days).

However, if you were to add a little muscle (say 5lbs) and drop another 15lbs of pure fat, I think you’d find you’d look a lot better than you wanted to. But you will only have lost 10lbs more. The thing is, weight is not the issue – the amount of fat on your body is (remember, muscle weighs more than fat). I refer you back to the 100m sprinter and the marathon runner physiques. The marathon runner will weigh much less than the sprinter, but which physique looks healthier and more ‘toned’?

So in summing this up, my suggestion is to forget about fat burning zones.

When you go to train, with whatever you are doing, do it with an intensity befitting the results you want. If you are looking to burn fat and you have 40mins available, then work at an intensity that is befitting 40mins of HARD WORK. Push yourself and don’t leave anything in the gym (or on the track). If you have 20mins work even harder to squeeze the most out of your session. If, on the other hand, your goal is to run the London marathon, then train for endurance, forget the scales and just work on your technique and progression.

If you train hard and your diet is right you will get the results. At the end of it all, results are all that matters. Find what works for YOU and do that, even if it goes entirely against what the ‘science’ says ‘should’ work.

I hope that is of some use to you.

Rant ends.”

Hopefully that clears up a few issues and maybe clarifies some of the confusion regarding the subject and will allow for a more informed choice when it comes to your training regime.

Thanks, as always, for taking the time out to read my ramblings and I truly hope you are finding them useful.

Mark

Mark Tiffney is a certified Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, Fitness Instructor & Life Coach. (REPS Registered)

If you are interested in having your diet evaluated or having a meal plan prepared for your body type, fat loss or muscle building goal or are looking for general help with your training of fitness goals, please contact Mark by emailing:

 

info@designsonyouself.com

 

Mark is also currently offering one to one Personal Training & Coaching sessions in Glasgow.
To arrange a free consultation, please call 0141 41 60 348 or email info@designsonyourself.com
(c) Dynamic Core Solutions Ltd

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