5124 Abbott Ave So
Minneapolis, MN 55410
ph: 6127490321
tom
Why do resistance training?
There are a lot of misconceptions about resistance training and I’ve listed some of them below. But first, here is some background information on why we need to train.
Starting in our mid-30s, we lose 1% of muscle mass every year. In addition, our metabolism changes so muscle is replaced with fat because our bodies no longer burn the amount calories they did when we were young. As the ratio of fat increases our resting metabolic rate declines even further. On average, 85% of the calories we burn occur during a resting state and through the process of digestion. Only 15% or less of calories are burned through movement and exercise. Unless you are an athlete (such as an elite marathon runner), it is very difficult to lose a significant amount of weight through cardio exercise alone. The good news is that when you replace fat with muscle, your metabolism burns more calories in a resting state (when most calories are burned). That is why a combination of cardio, resistance training and dietary considerations are always the prescription for a lean, healthy body.
Misconception No. 1.
Women only need to do modest body-weight training and should focus on cardio.
Body weight strength training is great and I incorporate it into my regimen. But if you want to make the most effective use of your training time and see impressive results, you need to take advantage of a full array of resistance training techniques. In the last ten years, women have begun to include resistance training into their workouts and the trend is continuing because the benefits are real.
Misconception No. 2
You can work specific areas of your body to lose fat in a designated area.
This myth was fostered by late night infomercials that sell ab and bun machines. Your fat will dissipate where it wants to and is determined by genes more than anything else. You need to achieve balance; that requires working all muscle groups. Your muscles compliment and support each other to stabilize your body.
Misconception No. 3
You can achieve excellent results by doing the same number of sets, reps and weight every time you train.
I frequently see this when people train at clubs or latch key gyms. Your body quickly adapts to the routine and will stop responding to your hard work. Results become very hard to come by. The solution is progression. The intensity, number of sets and number of reps need to be adjusted. Variance prevents adaption.
Misconception No. 4
You can’t strength train if you have orthopedic issues.
While I do seek permission from your doctor if there are issues (there may be a some exercises you should not do), strength training is the best thing you can do for your body. A strong core supports your skeletal structure and can help correct posture. If you have a PT routine recommended by your doctor, much of what I do can supplement or sometimes replace parts of it.
Misconception No. 5
No pain, no gain.
You should never experience pain in your workouts! If you are in pain I will immediately stop you. When you train vigorously you will feel tightness in your muscles, but it is the type of discomfort that actually feels good! You’ll achieve a rush of endorphins that will carry you for hours on end. A warm-up and stretching at the end of workouts is always a part of my regimen.
Misconception No. 6
Doing lots of repetitions with light weights will tone your body.
The concept of “toning” is perhaps the biggest misconception of all. What you are actually doing is building muscular endurance (that’s still a good thing). But you are not replacing the muscle you have lost over time. Tone is simply achieving an optimum ratio of muscle and fat. The only way to build muscle is to achieve overload. This is the process of creating micro-tears in muscle by exercising to failure. Failure is the inability to complete a rep in good form. Your body heals the micro-tears in short order and this is what adds muscle. Until you achieve overload, all the repetitions beforehand are building endurance and burning calories only.
Misconception No. 7
Strength training is the same as bodybuilding.
This is simply not bodybuilding and that’s why we call it strength training! We’re not lifting ludicrous amounts of weight on barbells for a couple of reps and then taking supplements to grow massive amounts of muscle. Our purpose is to be strong and healthy. The program is designed to be safe. We only use enough resistance to achieve results that are aligned with our goals. You will become ripped if that is your goal. You will lose weight if that is your goal. We have no idea of how much weight we can bench press and never ask the question.
About Cardio
Your prescription for the time and intensity of cardio workouts will vary a great deal, depending on your goals. There is also flexibility in the type of exercise you do. You should do what you like best because that makes it easier to sustain. As a former runner, I can tell you that running is the most difficult to sustain because it is high impact. Most runners invariably incur injuries that cause them stop running. Over the course of your life, there is a limit to the joint wear your body can absorb before it breaks down. That is why I typically recommend low impact regimens such as brisk walking, indoor/outdoor cycling and swimming. I do understand the desire to run and won’t discourage you from doing so.
The training that I do will fulfill your cardio reqirements for healthy living and lower your resting heart rate (a key indicator of cardio respitory fitness). Most workouts begin with slow resistance training with pauses between sets. There is a progression where the pauses are removed and you move from one excercise to another without stopping. This interval training allows you to work different muscle groups in each set so they are allowed the necessary rest though you do not stop moving and your workout is now areobic. This is a process of burning calories through glycosis (burning blood sugar) to burning fat and accomplish weight loss.
The schedule for your workouts is just as important as the regimen itself. Frequency is dependent on the program. Resistance training generally requires 48 hours of rest to synthesize new proteins, and rebuild muscle fibers. Cardio workouts can occur every day if need be.
There is an opitmum frequency for workouts that is defined as the supercompensation model of training. Once the body reaches the base fitness level, the recovery stage doesn’t simply stop. If left undisturbed, it actually continues past the baseline, lifting the fitness level to an even higher state than before. This period is limited, and the body starts to settle back down to its original baseline.
The timing is critical. Here is a breakdown based on the type of regimen. Resistance training is for the most part, anearobic.
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5124 Abbott Ave So
Minneapolis, MN 55410
ph: 6127490321
tom