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If I only had a dollar for every time I’ve heard, “I just want to “tone” my muscles so I’ll do more reps and less weight”. Or my favorite, “I don’t want to look like a body builder so I don’t want to lift anything heavy”. If I had a dollar every time I heard these justifications, I would be sitting on a beach in the Bahama’s counting my money and enjoying the surf.
Here’s the real question? What’s your goal? Weight training principles depend on your goal and the plan will be based on those goals. Here are four goals to think about: Increase strength, increase endurance, improved power, and increased bulk.
Each of these goals address improving the muscular structure of your body in different ways. For example strength training is built off of the principles of actually increasing muscle fibers, improving bone mass, and offering increased metabolism and improved weight loss. A goal of improved power is geared toward exerting body strength to perform tasks and activities and specifically athletic related activities. Increasing endurance has both an aerobic and anaerobic goal that will allow you to improve strength AND improve your stamina. Finally increasing overall bulk is reserved for those who want to dramatically increase muscle mass.
Generally speaking a healthy workout routine should include strength training (as described above) to increase muscle, aerobic activities to improve endurance, and stretching routines to stretch the muscles and improve flexibility. Specific goals related to power, endurance, and building bulk are generally reserved for those who have specific fitness and training goals. General strength training is something that the general population should be engaging in to ensure a healthy mind and body for life.
Let’s take a moment to talk about strength training and define how it should be conducted properly to ensure that general strength is being addressed. “Toning” your muscles is long thought of the way women should strength train. Not sure what your definition of toning is but in order for you to show muscle tone, have the strength to perform everyday tasks, and look great you have to lift heavy weights. By lifting a 5 lbs weight over and over you may feel the burn but it isn’t doing anything to actually build the muscle, it is just making it tired. In order to actually build muscle, burn fat, and have a great “toned” body, you have to lift heavy weights and perform fewer repetitions. High reps just don’t work because they aren’t encouraging the muscle to get larger and you aren’t doing enough cardio in that movement to make the fat burn off either. So toned body = heavy weights.
Here is a chart devised to show the difference in your workout plans to achieve one of the weight training programs to meet your goals and pay particular attention to the Strength column for general fitness goals. Need more convincing? Try it. I guarantee you won’t look like a body building by lifting heavy weights and what do you have to lose other than unwanted fat.
| Variable |
Training goal |
| Strength |
Power |
Bulk |
Endurance |
| Load (% of 1 rep max) |
80-90 |
45-55 |
60-80 |
40-60 |
| Reps per set |
1-5 |
1-5 |
6-12 |
15-60 |
| Sets per exercise |
4-7 |
3-5 |
4-8 |
2-4 |
| Rest between sets (mins) |
2-6 |
2-6 |
2-5 |
1-2 |
| Duration (seconds per set) |
5-10 |
4-8 |
20-60 |
80-150 |
| Speed per rep (% of max) |
60-100 |
90-100 |
60-90 |
60-80 |
| Training sessions per week |
3-6 |
3-6 |
5-7 |
8-14 |
| Table reproduced from Siff, 2003[9] |
First let’s define walking and running. Walking is the act of moving at a pace where one foot is always in contact with the ground. Running actually puts you in flight and for a brief period neither foot is in contact with the ground. Either exercise can provide cardio vascular benefits and burn calories but there are subtle differences that might tip the scale in favor of running depending on your desired outcome.
The debate continues but the short answer is if you want to burn more fat, expending more energy during a moderate to vigorous routine will do the trick. It takes a shorter amount of time to get to that fat store when running than walking. When exercising the first energy burnt is your store of sugar and once that is depleted the old nasty fat store is used to continue allowing your body to function and expend energy. If you’re only interested in burning calories and don’t care what is used to do it, then go for a brisk walk but it will take you longer to do it. If you walk 1 mile vs. run 1 mile, running will increase your calories burnt by 30%, it will take less time, and it will increase muscles as a side benefit. Cardiovascular benefits increase when vigorous exertion is expended as oxygen is delivered throughout the organs and muscles at an improved rate making your body perform more efficiently, not to mention the improvement in your blood pressure and cholesterol readings.
It’s a complicated topic but don’t kid yourself, if you’re taking the dog for a walk, unless he is a brute and doesn’t 
stop at every tree and fire hydrant to sniff where the last dog has been, you aren’t burning the calories you think you might be and forget about any cardiovascular benefits. For walking OR running to provide the overall health benefits for your heart, a consistent moderate or high intensity workout should be expended for a minimum of 20 – 60 minutes. The longer your stride during a walk or run will increase the intensity and prove to give you the most benefit and moving your entire body during the walk with increase that blood flow and oxygen delivery opportunities. So in summary, walking will burn calories and if the walk is brisk enough will provide cardiovascular fitness. Running will burn calories in a shorter time, provide cardiovascular fitness, improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase muscle mass, and dip into the fat stores faster once the initial sugar is burnt off.
Owning a health or fitness business creates a dilemma that becomes a daily struggle. One the one hand, we’re in business to hopefully earn a living, but on the other hand, most of us in the business of health and fitness do it because we believe in the message we’re trying to send. We’re so devoted to the good health and fitness of our community, sacrifices are made, extra time is spent spreading the word, and love and devotion is placed into the caring instructions provided those who will listen. The dilemma comes into place when those who are in industries other than health and fitness try to create material and information around health and fitness for purposes of selling advertising. As a business, we need to advertise, as a health and fitness professional, how can we in good conscience place an ad in a publication that has the facade of promoting health and fitness and no professional governance on the materials. I know I sound like a broken record but I can’t succumb to the media makeovers to sell ads and then on top of it, be asked to participate.
For you the public, you have to wade through tons of fitness advice and hype from those who’s motivation is to get a portion of your spending dollar and sell you short on what the goods might do for you. Those who are in it for the long haul, who have real professional advice to give but might not be what you want to hear, have to stay the course. Keep your moral compass in check, work with local organizations who truly want to change the face of health in the community and you will be rewarded. The reward might be a person who’s life you changed for the better, a community’s attitude toward being healthy, or a smile you put on a face when those endorphins kick in while on the treadmill.
If you call to sell me an advertising opportunity for a health and fitness publication than you better be prepared to answer these questions:
- Why did you put the publication together?
- Do you have a health and fitness professional on staff overseeing the content of the material, articles, and ad’s being placed into the publication?
- Do you have the readers best health and fitness in mind?
As a reader of a health and fitness publication, you too should be asking these questions. There are many great publications out there with the mission to spread news and information. There are tons of organizations with the best intent in mind. Seek out those organizations and publications for your best professional advice.
Here’s a list of those organizations or web sites that truly provide great information or resources for the community:
Don’t short change yourself. Find out the business or organization’s mission, be willing to listen to the experts advice and process what makes sense for you! Don’t short change the advisers worth either. They are professionals in the health and fitness field and have researched, studied, and experienced what works best under the circumstances provided. You wouldn’t think of paying a lawyer a dollar for his expert advice nor should you consider a fitness professionals worth is so little. You get what you pay for in some cases so ensure you place value on your health and fitness and seek out an appropriate professional advice for you.
Learn well, live well, and be well!
- Balance in life should include: Personal/family time, work, sleep in equal proportions.
- Personal time should include intentional exercise for optimal energy and productivity.
- Stress management. Stress actually produces cortisol which contributes to extra storage of belly fat. Use stretching as part of stress management.
Nutritional ingredients:
- No refined sugar (limited should be less than 5% added sugar per serving)
- Limited bread
- Limited processed foods
- Veggies/fruit (see list of carbohydrates below) should cover 1/2 of plate or 2 fistsfuls, protein (see list of proteins below) should be 1/3 of plate or one fistful, healthy fat or low fat dairy (see healthy fat below) should be 1/6 of plate or ½ of a palm
- Legumes can substitute for veggies and protein.
- Eat a minimum of 3 meals a day and no more than 3 small snacks in addition to a meal.
- Eat whole foods (came from the ground or had a mother)
- If sensitive to sugars, reach for fruits that have a low glycemic index.
- If using a sweetener, use the natural sweeteners listed below in extreme moderation.
- Before or after strength training session, take in extra protein supplement like a protein shake.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.
- Limit caffeine intake.
- Limit soft drinks or eliminate then all together.
Proteins:
Eggs, low fat cheese, cottage cheese, meat, cold water fish, salmon, halibut, cod, mackerel, sardines, shellfish, poultry, milk, yogurt, soybeans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Healthy Fat:
Oily fish, nuts (unsalted and unprocessed), cooking oils, seeds, flaxseed oil, freshly ground flaxseed, avocados, leafy greens, whole grains, coconut milk, almond milk, and almond butter. Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The body can more readily use these fats because they do not “solidify” within the digestive or circulatory system as saturated fats do.
Carbohydrates:
Beans, vegetables (see below), fruit (see below), dairy, whole grain, squash, artichokes, leeks, lima beans, okra, pumpkin, sweet potatoes or yams, turnips.
Choose low glycemic fruits: Blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, elderberries, raspberries, strawberries, sour green apples.
Moderate GI: Cherries, pears, apricots, melons, oranges, peaches, plums, grapefruit, pitted prunes, applies, avocados, kiwi, lemons, limes, nectarines, tangerines, passion fruit, persimmons, pomegranates.
High GI: Bananas, pineapples, grapes, watermelon, mango, papaya (avoid during weight loss)
Vegetables: Arugula, asparagus, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, beet greens, bell peppers, broad beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cassava, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chayote fruit, chicory, chives, collard greens, cucumber, jicama, jalepeno peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, radishes, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, ginger, root, green beans, hearts of palm, radicchio, snap beans, snow peas, shallots, spinach, spaghetti squash, summer squash, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress.
Natural sweeteners (in extreme moderation):
Stevia, xylitol, blue agava nectar.
Physical Ingredients:
- 2 hours of stretching per week. Can be done at work or home, before/after workouts.
- Minimum of 2 sessions of strength training per week which include 8-10 different strength and conditioning exercises performed 8-12 repetitions each..
- Total weekly activity should include 2.5 hours of moderate or vigorous cardio activity.
- Moderate/vigorous activity should increase heart rate to a minimum of 65% and a maximum of 85% of your maximum heart rate. ((220 – age) *.65 = target heart rate per minute for minimum and (220 – age) * .85 = target heart rate per minute for maximum.)
Directions:
Blend all ingredients together, taking in daily portions as prescribed and enjoy a lifetime of health and a superior quality of life.
I’ve recently reflected on the difference in the generations attitudes toward fitness and thought I’d share my thoughts on the matter. In the 50’s, the men were the providers and worked hard to provide for their families. Women were held in high regard as the homemaker who provided a healthy meal and ensured the kids were safe. Kids in the 50’s weren’t distracted by electronic devices which encouraged a sedentary lifestyle and they were active after school. They ran and played outside, listened to the radio, danced, and they were creative in their playtime activities. Food supplied in the schools were prepared by loving hands and were home cooked meals prepared in larger quantities.
In the 60’s a change in the social environment started. Women started to break through the barriers of the steriotypical homemaker of the 50’s. The younger generation in the 60’s drove toward a more independent lifestyle, but still food was prepared in the home and children played for entertainment. Women started to learn about exercise as a way to stay fit and trim. Processed foods and convenience foods were becoming more mainstream in the 60’s as women exercised their independence and desire to get out of the kitchen.
The 70’s were a pivotal phase in the evolution of modern day health and fitness. The exercise craze was at it’s peak but so was the insurgence of convenience foods and restaurants. We were exercising more, modern conveniences were becoming more prevalent but we were eating more poorly. The moral dilemma between financial gain and supply of healthy food won in the favor of increasing profit margins.
The 80’s brought in the phrase “obesity epidemic” into our nations focus. Women were at work and naturally gravitated toward making an easy dinner after a long day. Kids fitness programs started diminishing in the schools, and school lunch programs changed for the worse. Less whole foods were prepared and more pre-packaged convenience foods were purchased and served all for the sake of saving a buck.
In the 90’s the true onslaught of the definition of a sedentary lifestyle was in full swing. Modern technology demanded more people to fill jobs which were sedentary in nature. Children’s fitness programs in the schools were diminishing and pizza became a normal lunch time fair. Walking to and from school was not permitted for fear of the child’s safety and once home, the child is left to his/her own devices as both parents worked outside the home. Fast food suppers were normal and the economy was booming while we were getting fatter.
The turn of the century brought in a new awareness to what we were doing to our health. The health care industry was booming as a result of “patching” up our failing bodies due to lack of proper attention. It became harder for people to break free from their conveniences of mobile phones, convenience foods, sedintary jobs, and easy entertainment while relaxing at home in the evening. Tired and stressed out American’s were overindulging and getting more obese. And what are we teaching our kids?
The damage is done and it’s time to reverse the effects of decades of overindulgance! The mantra should be to keep it simple. Don’t know how to cook healthy? LEARN. Don’t know how to exercise? LEARN. In this age of modern technology the internet is crawling with great advice on things you can do to change your lives around. Need to lose weight? EAT LESS and MOVE MORE. What to get healthy? EAT RIGHT and MOVE MUCH MORE. Want to feel great and eliminate poor health issues? EAT RIGHT, MOVE MORE, and DO IT EVERY DAY! Don’t get caught up in the next gimic or phase and a 10 week boot camp won’t change your life. Refer to my recipe for a healthy lifestyle and KEEP IT SIMPLE and it doesn’t have to be hard or cost you more money.
Remember, you are one day away from a healthy life. What you do today, impacts tomorrow so don’t put it off…make the necessary changes in your life to feel great and be healthy.
§ May 26th, 2010 § Filed under Fitness Programs § Tagged fitness Comments Off
Are you doing the same thing over and over again at the gym and getting bored or hitting that dreaded platau? Time to change your routine and we can help. This summer we’re bringing a new series called “Change My Routine” geared towards providing general information and helping you learn new techniques to make you perform the most effecient and effective routines for your health and fitness. These will be scheduled all summer long and are free and open to members of the gym or open to the public for a small fee. Classes are limited to 4 people to ensure each participant gets the most out of the instruction and we must have your reservation by Friday at noon prior to the Saturday morning program. Follow the program schedule on the gym calendar on our website or go directly to the calendar from here. Each session will be covering a different topic so follow the schedule closely and give us a shout if you’d like to join in at 933-6031. Looking forward to a fantastic summer!
§ February 25th, 2010 § Filed under Fitness Programs § Tagged fitness Comments Off
Who really wants to be the “Biggest Loser”? Let’s consider the options: Winning is associated to meeting your goals, hitting the jackpot, and generally being successful by working hard. A loser is associated to someone who is doomed to fail. Let’s see…what do you want to be, a winner or a loser? Being a winner is what it’s all about and we want you to join the Biggest Winner’s Club and revel in the success that comes from hard work and dedication toward meeting your goals.
Join the RWG Biggest Winner’s Club today and here’s what you get:
1. Professional advice/help defining clear and realistic goals for your health and fitness.
2. Weekly weigh-in’s
3. Beginning and ending BMI, Body Fat, measurements, pulse, blood pressure.
4. Beginning metrics to live by (includes BMR, min/max individual caloric needs, THR for optimal fat burn)
5. Individual food plan guidelines
6. Beginning and ending fitness test
7. Guidance and support from trained professionals and experience in fitness transformation.
8. Advice and support on eating healthy and making lifestyle changes.
9. Weekly review of food and exercise executed and advice on modifications needed. Food intake must be documented and submitted each week based on a simple documentation process/form.
Program starts on March 1 and ends on April 24. 8 weeks of accountability and results. Just in time for Spring/Summer!
Week 1: First meeting time(s) available: Monday, March 1 at 5:30 p.m. OR Tuesday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m.. First meeting will consist of gathering metrics, fitness tests and program outlines/guidelines.
Weekly weigh-in times for week 2 – week 7 (March 8 through April 17):
• Monday’s at 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday’s at 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday’s at 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday’s at 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday’s at 10:00 a.m.
Week 8: Final fitness test and weigh in: April 24 at 10:00 a.m.
Cost: $5.00 per week/$40.00 for entire program. What are you waiting for? Signup at the gym or call us at 402-933-6031 to join in on the fun!
Prizes for Biggest Winner!
