Given the number of gyms and individuals now entering the fitness industry it’s become more about the marketing and the money, than providing a quality personal service. Sure, there are plenty of people calling themselves ‘personal trainers’.
But what are they really doing, besides giving the client a whole variety of mostly ineffective exercises in an effort to try keeping their interest up, and in the process misleading the client into believing their trainer knows what he or she is doing.
It’s a bit of a harmless con really, unless of course, it’s detrimental to their health. But does the client know or care? In their ignorance probably neither. So where does that leave the client in terms of fitness and strength?
The reality is not a lot better off than when they started unless they have been with the same ‘trainer’ for some years in which case surely something must have been achieved.
The answer for people who are really keen to improve their health would be to use a TARGETED PERSONAL TRAINING method which has the benefit of training across the board for FITNESS, HEALTH, STRENGTH, MOBILITY and FLEXIBILTY.
This method is suitable for TARGETED TRAINING FOR ALL AGES AND ANY STATE OF HEALTH. It has very real benefits using an experienced trainer like PERSONALTRAINERNORTHSHOREAUCKLAND.NZ who can guide you through an exercise to increase your strength and, at the same time, focus on an increased range of motion and flexibility for optimum results.
Both METHODFITNESS.CO.NZ and PERSONALTRAINERNORTHSHOREAUCKLAND.NZ are based on AUCKLAND’S NORTH SHORE and are available in all areas from TAKAPUNA TO ALBANY.
Give it a shot. The assessment is free with no obligation to continue. Only good came come from it.
SO… WHAT DID YOU EAT FOR BREAKFAST?
The nutritionists used to get you to make a list of everything you ate, and the time when you ate it, for 7 days. Then they pretended to know what to do with the information. They’d conjure up a studious look on their face and proceed to write up an entirely new diet based on, in actual fact, not much information at all. No questions asked like ‘did any of your diet give you energy’ or ‘did any of your diet produce fatigue, or ‘how much sleep do you get’ or how much water do you drink per day’ or what’s your mental energy like during the day’ or ‘what time of the day do you feel best’ or do any of your blood tests show abnormalities?
The thing is with the people that eat coffee and cigarettes for breakfast, lunch, and God knows what for dinner, part of the solution is obvious to anyone. It may not happen quite like that however you can bet the farm it’s pretty close so it’s a waste of time to pursue the matter in this blog.
However being overweight or underweight can be habit forming especially after a long period of time doing nothing about it. People that have been overweight for a long time, to a degree, will have developed a mind set or eating habit in the way they habitually eat the wrong things or have too much of even the right things.
Relationships and poor interaction with others can play a part in being either overweight or underweight. It may be that your partner has dumped you. So what…. get another one and move on. It’s no reason to eat badly and be unhealthy because you haven’t been appreciated. So look after yourself with good food and good exercise.
Work-related stress and as a consequence not eating properly during the work day can only make stress worse especially if it carries over to your home life.
The bottom line is get the lead out and discipline yourself to do what you instinctively know is to be the right thing to do. And that is don’t eat stuff you already know is wrong for you. Have meals you really do know is right for you and makes you feel better. Eat only when you need to eat and not for the sake of eating. Do not eat takeaways when you know it’s just not the thing to help with any health problems you might have.
Eat to be healthy……Eat to have a good life
Want a full body workout? Then head straight for the rowing machine.
Along with some other exercises that are relevant to improving rowing power and ability, rowing can improve strength in your legs, back, arms, glutes and core. The exercise itself and associated exercises will also help to give you an A1 posture. Plus with a dedicated program, and your dedication, it will improve your health and fitness level out of sight.
However, to achieve all of the above the personal requirement for you is to actually like rowing. You may have to sit on that rower for up to an hour, and possibly longer. Plus you’ll have to spend some time with resistance machines like seated row, leg curl and leg extension.
There are 2 levels that you can consider.
The first is to dedicate your workouts to rowing to encompass all of your fitness needs. A full on program will be 2 days on and 2 days off sessions or if you have the stamina an extended 1 day session with 1 day off
If you can’t handle that then go to plan B
Plan B is to integrate it in to your normal gym workouts. Even a twenty to thirty minute session 3 times a week along with other cardio workouts and, subject to your currant fitness level, run your heart rate at 75 to 90%. It will go a long way to an improved fitness level although it would probably suit most people to have a greater variation of exercises in their workouts. Variation, for some, can be a lot more interesting as opposed to taking the whole thing too seriously.
But rowing is special. It’s an all round fitness and strength workout but it would definitely not turn everybody’s crank as it is seen by some as boring, which apparently overrides the prime objective which is to be fit and strong. So it’s up to the individual to make the choice as to how one goes about getting fit, keeping in mind that to get the best out of anything, it requires that bit extra. Mentally and physically.
But it is special because properly worked with the associated exercises it can be a total gym workout in itself. So, step up and go for gold in the rowing.
The answer to that would seem obvious however, if you take in to consideration age, body weight, purpose of training, sessions per week then your limit will vary according to which combination fits your physical make up, fitness level, and available time. And also assuming only changes to diet will be made, and supplements are restricted to vitamins and minerals.
Weight training limits usually begin with establishing a one rep max. This approach does make much sense as it doesn’t take in to consideration an individual fitness level and or endurance. It only demonstrates the degree of strength for 1 rep and so therefore it’s meaningless when it comes to setting a basis for weight training and or using weights to train for fitness as opposed to just strength. You’re not going to do a whole workout using a weight that is too heavy to do more than 1 rep.
It would be more accurate to set a limit by using a combination that includes both strength and fitness level and so instead of 1 rep max use a rep level of 8 rep max.
Begin with selecting a dumbbell of say 10kg. Do an 8 rep bicep curl and see how it goes. If it went without a problem then rest for 3 minutes and select a 12kg and repeat the process adding weight until you can’t quite achieve 8 reps and ensuring the technique is 100% correct right through to the last rep
From this you’ve established your maximum dumbbell weight for a one arm bicep curl. Now run through all the exercises in your program using the same method. Correct technique is essential otherwise the time is wasted and you’ll have to start again.
What you’ve now done is set up a base for your weight training exercises.
From here you can stay at that level or increase the weights and reps as strength and endurance permits. Increasing the reps will increase endurance faster than increasing the weights too quickly. When you have reached a good level of endurance (fitness) drop back to 8 reps and add more weight. Repeat the process until you feel you’ve reached your peak combination weight and endurance level.
From there drop back to your original weight and reps for a 2 week period allowing for an overall rest. Build up the weight again gradually making absolutely sure your technique can’t be faulted, so by the time you are back to where you last reached a peak, your strength will start to increase past that peak.
The ‘rest’ period is essentially a time to really make certain the technique is right because without that you can only go so far.
If it gets boring get on the bike, rowing machine, treadmill or cross trainer and hammer those in between weight sessions, but stick with the rest/technique method for long term results.