By Chris Tybor
Being a personal trainer and dealing with many different individuals on daily/weekly and monthly basis, it has become very clear that many of them want one thing: overall health and wellness. Sure, some want to step on stage and compete in physique shows, which is great, but 90% of the population just wants to feel better, move without (or less) pain and look better.
Some common goals are: (in order of request) lose weight, gain lean muscle mass (sometimes expressed using the dreaded word "tone") and prevent disease(s). This is where a solid approach can yield results in less time than most would expect. The problem most people experience is that everyone they know professes to be an expert - their friend that lost 20 lbs by starving herself and consuming enough stimulants to keep her going until the next Olympics, the buff guy at the gym that has great genetics and some pharmaceutical "help", or the salesman/trainer at the local gym that only sees the $$$$ from the commission he gets from signing you up.
This article will give you some tips and insight about how to achieve the health and vitality that has eluded most Americans for the past 20 years or so.
Here are some downright scary stats:
Latest Obesity Statistics
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
Take a minute to read the above.
Good, now read it again, those numbers should terrify you. We are all paying for this in terms of our insurance premiums increasing, lower gas mileage, increased airfares and we are on pace for this generation to be the first in history to not outlive our parents! With all the advances in medicine, healthcare, the emphasis placed on nutrition/fitness and improved working conditions; this means that as a whole, our society has gotten LAZY.
Blueprint for success:
That is correct, before you purchase a gym membership, or buy anything on late night TV such as the gazelle, or even join a gym, there are steps you can do at home that will not cost you anything other than your normal grocery bill. Eat smaller portions, eat more frequently. You have heard this a million times----this time, listen and implement the advice. Eat natural foods. Organic is great, but let's be realistic and start off small, buy stuff that won't taste good if you leave it in your cupboard until WWIII. Minimize sugar consumption. This means pop, chips, pies, bread etc. Notice how none of the above foods are "natural", avoid as many processed food as possible. This means the weight watcher bars/meals, lean cuisine dinners and whatever else the marketing gurus' come up with. Drink more water. Pop, coffee and "mocha-I cant fit into my chinos" do not count. Take a gender specific multi vitamin to ensure you are covering your nutritional bases. Most people are amazed at how much "clean', nutrient dense food they can actually eat compared to the minimal amount of processed food that provides the same amount of calories.
This is listed second in your blueprint, because it is the 2nd most important weapon in your get healthy arsenal. Stick to basic movements, train the body as a whole unit versus individual body parts, keep rest periods short and get stronger. Sound simple? It is. Here is a sample workout that you can do in the convenience of your own home, without spending money on a gym membership. For the cost of less than a 6-month membership at most commercial gyms, you can outfit your home with a few kettlebells/dumbbells and a jump rope and get amazing results. If you do have access to a fitness facility, hire a qualified, certified and insured trainer to show you how to design and execute a weight training routine.
This includes, but is not limited to; spinning, kickboxing, running,
jumping rope, sprints, interval training (Click
on the following link for further information) and ANY group fitness class that doesn't use progressive resistance. If you
have been doing squats with the little pink dumbbells for over a year, you
need to challenge yourself more. Still rowing the same weight? Still the same
size? This shouldn't be a surprise to you.
For cardiovascular training, assuming you want a healthy heart and to burn
some additional calories, do 30-45 minutes of cardio 3-4x per week. For the
progressions of cardio training, do some interval training, increase the
resistance of the machine or increase the rpm's/speed of the movement.
Train in your target heart rate range. Here is how to figure out your training
range:
Subtract your age from 220 (max heart rate at birth)
Ex: 20-year-old individual
220-20(age)=200 maximum heart rate
Train at 65-80% of max heart rate, in this case it would be 130-160 beats per
minute. Individuals will vary, especially if they are taking certain
medications; beta-blockers etc..
This is a general formula for figuring out your training zone.
The above simple steps will help you begin a basic comprehensive fitness
program.
As with anything, please consult your physician prior to starting or returning
to a training program.
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