RE-PROGRAMMING YOUR MINDSET: EXERCISE MYTHS DEBUNKED
YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE
YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE
YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE
WHILE EXERCISE IS BENEFICIAL FOR IMPROVING OVERALL HEALTH AND INCREASING MUSCLE MASS, IT CAN HINDER WEIGHT LOSS IF NOT APPLIED APPROPRIATELY. EXERCISING AMPLIFIES HUNGER SIGNALS. IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED, YOU'LL OVEREAT AND YOUR WEIGHT LOSS WILL STALL.
EXERCISE PROGRAMS ARE TOO HARD
YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE
YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE
EXERCISE PROGRAMS SHOULD CHALLENGE YOU, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE UNSUSTAINABLY HARD. THIS IS WHY HAVING THE ABILITY TO DESIGN YOUR OWN PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT. FOLLOWING ATHLETE'S PROGRAMS AND PICKING UP RANDOM PROGRAMS ONLINE WILL NOT BE TAILORED TO FIT YOUR LEVEL OF FITNESS.
EXERCISE PROGRAMS ARE TIME CONSUMING
YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE
EXERCISE PROGRAMS ARE TIME CONSUMING
MANY PEOPLE THINK YOU HAVE TO SPEND 8-10 HOURS A WEEK IN THE GYM TO "SEE RESULTS". THIS SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE. YOU CAN GAIN BENEFITS FROM EXERCISE IN AS FEW AS 15 MINUTES A DAY. IF YOU LEAD A HECTIC LIFESTYLE AND YOU CAN'T FIND TIME TO HIT THE GYM, INVEST IN A FEW PIECES OF HOME WORKOUT EQUIPMENT AND TRY HIGHER INTENSITY SHORTER DURATION BOUTS OF EXERCISE.
YOU HAVE TO HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER
YOU'LL GET INJURED AND FEEL SORE ALL THE TIME
EXERCISE PROGRAMS ARE TIME CONSUMING
HAVING A PERSONAL TRAINER MIGHT APPEAR TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER, BUT IN REALITY IT MIGHT NOT. PERSONAL TRAINERS ARE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL, SOME TRAINERS EXPEND VAST AMOUNTS OF ENERGY PERFORMING ASSESSMENTS AND CREATING PROGRAMS FOR YOU, OTHERS THROW TOGETHER AN INCOHERENT STRING OF EXERCISES THAT DON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE BUT SORE. IF YOUR GOAL IS LIFELONG FITNESS, YOU'D BE BETTER SUITED TO LEARN HOW TO PROGRAM FOR YOURSELF.
YOU'LL GET INJURED AND FEEL SORE ALL THE TIME
YOU'LL GET INJURED AND FEEL SORE ALL THE TIME
YOU'LL GET INJURED AND FEEL SORE ALL THE TIME
MINIMIZING THE RISK OF INJURY AND WORKING WITHIN YOUR CAPABILITY IS CRITICAL TO CREATING A SUSTAINABLE AND SUCCESSFUL WORKOUT PROGRAM.
THE EMINENT CHARLES POLIQUIN ALWAYS SAID, "YOUR FIRST REP SHOULD LOOK LIKE YOUR LAST". KEEPING THIS MANTRA IN MIND THROUGHOUT YOUR WORKOUTS IS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF EXCESSIVE SORENESS AND INJURY. IF YOUR WORKOUTS LEAVE YOU INCAPACITATED AND CHRONICALLY INJURED, ADDRESS YOUR APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE. IT'S NOT HEALTHY, OR NORMAL.
IT'S TOO HARD TO STAY ACCOUNTABLE
YOU'LL GET INJURED AND FEEL SORE ALL THE TIME
YOU'LL GET INJURED AND FEEL SORE ALL THE TIME
THE NUMBER ONE REASON I'M HIRED AS A PERSONAL TRAINER IS SURPRISINGLY, NOT A LACK OF INFORMATION, BUT A LACK OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY. MANY CLIENTS FEEL LIKE THEY JUST CAN'T BRING THEMSELVES TO WORKOUT WITH ANY VIGOR ON THEIR OWN. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORKOUT TO BE HEALTHY. TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF! IF YOU LEAD AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND AREN'T SEDENTARY YOU CAN STAY HEALTHY. THAT ISN'T TO SAY THAT AGE-RELATED DECLINE WON'T SET IN EVENTUALLY, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT DAILY CONVENTIONAL WORKOUTS AREN'T AS NECCESSARY AS THE FITNESS INDUSTRY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE.
IS A TRADITIONAL FITNESS PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOU?
THE TYPICAL RESPONSE YOU'D EXPECT FROM A PERSONAL TRAINER WOULD PROBABLY BE A RESOUNDING "YES!" DON'T BE SO HASTY.
OFTEN, PEOPLE JUMP INTO FITNESS PROGRAMS WHEN THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO ACTUALLY WORKOUT.
WHY? -- BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT EXERCISE IS WHAT'S REQUIRED TO LOSE WEIGHT AND GET HEALTHY.
I WON'T LIE AND SAY THAT EXERCISE ISN'T AN IMPORTANT PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IT ISN'T NECESSARILY A DEALBREAKER TOWARD PROGRESS. IF YOU CURRENTLY LEAD A PREDOMINANTLY SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE WITH LITTLE REGARD TO YOUR DIET,
DO YOU FEEL THAT A RIGID DIET AND AN INTENSE EXERCISE PROGRAM ARE THE BEST PLACE TO START? -- NO.
START MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR LIFESTYLE FROM WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW; NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE!
IF YOU DON'T ALREADY WORK OUT AND AREN'T ALREADY NUTRIENT CONSCIOUS, CONSIDER MAKING SMALLER CHANGES. START BY INCREASING THE QUALITY OF YOUR FOODS AS WE DID IN PHASE I. ONCE YOU'VE DONE THAT, YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR ACTIVITY. AGAIN, MAKE SMALL CHANGES. TRY INCREASING YOUR ACITVITY SLOWLY. USE THE FITNESS PERSONALITY CALCULATOR ABOVE TO START MAKING SMALL CHANGES.
SEDENTARY ---> MILD ---> MODERATE ---> INTENSE
TRADITIONAL WORKOUTS AREN'T ALWAYS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR EVERYONE. BE EMPOWERED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS FOR YOURSELF.
AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES IN THE GYM
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR GYM WORKOUT!
AS A PERSONAL TRAINER, IT'S EASY TO SPOT COMMON MISTAKES MADE IN THE GYM BY NEWBIES AND VETERANS ALIKE. HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES AND HOW THEY CAN BE AVOIDED:
- SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME IN THE GYM - YES, YOU CAN SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN THE GYM. IF YOU'RE NEW TO FITNESS, I WOULD RECOMMEND SPENDING NO MORE THAN 60 MINUTES IN THE GYM. FOR VETERANS, I WOULD SUGGEST NO MORE THAN 90 MINUTES. IF YOU SPEND LESS THAN THAT, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET YOUR WORKOUT FINISHED. IF YOU SPEND MORE THAN THAT, YOU MAY COME TO SEE IT AS TOO TIME CONSUMING, YOU MAY DISRUPT YOUR HOME LIFE (ESPECIALLY PARENTS), OR YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY BE SACRIFICING THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORKOUT BY TAKING TOO MUCH REST. HOW CAN YOU AVOID THIS PITFALL? GO INTO THE GYM WITH A WELL-DEFINED PLAN, KEEP SOCIALIZING AND PHONE USE TO A MINIMUM, AND KEEP AN EYE ON HOW MUCH TIME YOU'VE SPENT WORKING OUT. LEAVE THE GYM FEELING ACCOMPLISHED, AND WANTING TO GO BACK FOR MORE.
- SACRIFICING QUALITY FOR QUANTITY - WHETHER IT'S QUANTITY OF EXERCISE REPETITIONS OVER QUALITY OR QUANTITY OF GYM VISITS OVER QUALITY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR WORKOUTS. MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT AS LONG AS THEY GET INTO THE GYM EVERY DAY AND BANG OUT REPS THAT THEY'LL GET IN GOOD SHAPE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS ISN'T TRUE. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT YOU GET THE MOST FROM YOUR WORKOUTS? PAY ATTENTION TO EACH REPETITION AND DO NOT WORKOUT WHEN YOUR BODY IS COMPROMISED. PERFORM EACH REP OF EVERY EXERCISE IN A CONTROLLED AND COMPETENT MANNER. THIS WILL MINIMIZE THE RISK OF INJURY, AND ENSURE MAXIMAL BENEFIT FROM THE EXERCISE. DON'T GO WORKOUT WHEN YOU'RE "UNDER THE WEATHER". IF YOU AREN'T SLEEPING WELL, YOU'RE SICK, YOU HAD A VERY INTENSE WORKOUT THE DAY BEFORE, YOU'RE INJURED, OR (LADIES) IT'S DAY 1 OF YOUR CYCLE THEN CHANCES ARE GOOD YOU AREN'T RECOVERED AND HAVE NO BUSINESS SLAMMING ANOTHER WORKOUT. BEAR. IN MIND THAT THIS IS A LIFELONG COMMITMENT. YOU HAVE TIME TO TAKE THE REST YOU NEED AND NO ONE IS STANDING BEHIND YOU WITH A WHIP. CHILL.
- EGO LIFTING - WHAT IS EGO LIFTING? EGO LIFTING IS PERFORMING AN EXERCISE THAT IS WELL BEYOND YOUR CURRENT CAPABILITIES WITH POOR FORM IN AN EFFORT TO APPEAR STRONGER. IN REALITY; TO THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IT MAKES YOU LOOK INEXPERIENCED AND KIND OF SILLY. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE I SEE MADE IN THE GYM. EGO LIFTING GENERALLY COMES IN THE FORM OF:
- LIFTING WEIGHTS TOO FAST
- LIFTING WEIGHTS IN AN UNCONTROLLED MANNER
- LIFTING WEIGHTS THAT ARE TOO HEAVY AND FORCE YOU TO COMPENSATE WITH THE WRONG MUSCLES (I.E. BENT-OVER ROWS WITH YOUR UPPER TRAPEZIUS OR NECK)
I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T SLIGHTLY OVERREACH YOUR CURRENT CAPABILITY. AFTER ALL, THAT'S HOW YOU PROGRESS. I AM SAYING, HOWEVER, THAT BLATANTLY IGNORING YOUR CAPACITY IS A BAD IDEA AND WILL ONLY LEAD TO INJURY IN THE LONG RUN. HOW CAN YOU AVOID EGO LIFTING? BY ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT CAPABILITIES, NOT COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS, AND LEARNING WHICH MUSCLES ARE BEING UTILIZED IN ANY GIVEN EXERCISE YOU WILL AVOID EGO LIFTING AND DECREASE YOUR RISK FOR INJURY.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE GYM. MY BEST RECOMMENDATION IS:
- WALK IN WITH A PLAN.
- FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORKOUT.
- WORK WITH SPECIFIC INTENT.
- DON'T FAR EXCEED YOUR CURRENT CAPABILITY.
GYM CULTURE AND BRO SCIENCE
EXPOUNDING ON OUR SECTION FROM ABOVE, WE'RE NOW GOING TO DELVE FURTHER INTO COMMONLY ACCEPTED FALLACIES FROM GYM BROS.
GYM CULTURE : THE SET OF VALUES, CONVENTIONS, OR SOCIAL PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH VETERAN EXERCISERS, AND THE TONE SET BY GYM OPERATORS.
1."MORE WORKOUTS, MORE REPS, AND MORE WEIGHT ARE WHAT MAKES YOU BIGGER AND STRONGER."
----- WRONG. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD AND AMPLE REST MAKES YOU BIGGER AND STRONGER.
2. "WARMING UP IS POINTLESS."
----- SUPER WRONG! WARMING UP HELPS LUBRICATE CONNECTIVE TISSUE, GET BLOODM MOVING, AND HELPS REFRESH YOUR BRAIN-BODY CONNECTION WITH THE MUSCLES YOU'RE TRYING TO USE. DON'T FALL PREY TO THIS IDIOCY.
3. WOMEN - "HEAVY WEIGHTS WILL MAKE ME BULKY".
----- UNLESS YOUR TAKING SOME ILLICIT 💉💊 OR YOU'RE A MAN WITH TESTOSTERONE APLENTY, YOU WILL NOT GET BUILKY FROM LIFTING WEIGHTS.
4. TRAINING WITHOUT INTENT.
----- PERFORMING THE SAME ROUTINE OVER AND OVER, OR NOT HAVING A PLAN AT ALL. BOTH EXTREMES ARE JUST AS UNPRODUCTIVE AS ONE ANOTHER. YOU'LL EITHER BUILD A TOLERANCE TO YOUR ROUTINE AND PLATEAU WITH PROGRESS, OR YOU WANDER AIMLESSLY THROUGH YOUR WORKOUTS NOT REALLY MAKING PROGRESS AT ALL. THE SWEET SPOT IS TO CREATE A PROGRAM WITH A DEFINED TIMELINE, KEEP YOUR EXERCISES SHORT AND TO THE POINT, AND AIM TO INCREASE YOUR INTENSITY AT 4-6 WEEK INTERVALS.
5. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MUSCLES YOU'RE WORKING.
THIS IS POSSIBLY MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE. I WROTE AN ENTIRE SEGMENT ON ANATOMY HERE BECAUSE I CONSIDER IT SO IMPORTANT. YOU CAN'T GO INTO A GYM, GRIND AWAY AT A WORKOUT, AND HAVE NO CLUE IF YOU'RE PERFORMING THE MOVEMENTS CORRECTLY. THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES I SEE ARE PEOPLE:
- SHRUGGING THEIR SHOULDERS UP DURING ALL KINDS OF MOVEMENTS LIKE LAT PULLDOWNS, PULL UPS, BENT-OVER ROWS, CHEST PRESSES, SHOULDER PRESSES, BICEPS CURLS, AND OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSIONS. TENSION OFTEN GETS DUMPED INTO THE UPPER TRAP WHEN THERE ISN'T AMPLE STRENGTH OR A STRONG ENOUGH NEURAL CONNECTION TO THE CORRECT MUSCLE GROUPS.
- NOT BRACING THE CORE PROPERLY, IF AT ALL, DURING EXERCISE. THE CORE MUSCLES PROTECT THE SPINE AND CONNECT OUR UPPER AND LOWER BODIES. WITHOUT APPROPRIATE BRACING WE ARE JUST MOVING ALL NIMBLY BIMBLY AND ASKING FOR INJURY.
BRO-SCIENCE : KNOWLEDGE, OR A SYSTEM OF KNOWLEDGE COVERING GENERAL TRUTHS OR THE OPERATION OF GENERAL LAWS AS OBTAINED FROM VETERAN EXERCISERS; HAS LITTLE TO NO BEARING ON FACT.
1. YOU HAVE TO EAT EVERY 2 HOURS TO STOKE YOUR METABOLISM.
HUMANS DIDN'T EVOLVE EATING TWO HOURS A DAY IN ORDER TO CONTINUE BURNING FAT AND BUILDING MUSCLE. WHY WOULD WE START NOW? EATING EVERY 2-3 HOURS MAY HAVE SOME MINIMAL BENEFIT FOR BUILDING MUSCLE (ASSUMING YOU'RE EATING ENOUGH PROTEIN AND CALORIES), BUT IT DOESN'T DICTATE HOW OUR METABOLISM FUNCTIONS.
2. YOU SHOULD BE DRINKING AT LEAST A GALLON OF WATER A DAY.
THE BODY'S HYDRATION LEVELS VARY BASED ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS LIKE SODIUM INTAKE, SWEAT, KIDNEY HEALTH, CARB INTAKE, ALCOHOL INTAKE, OTHER LIQUIDS CONSUMED, AND SUPPLEMENTS OR MEDICATIONS. A BLANKET STATEMENT LIKE "DRINK AT LEAST A GALLON OF WATER A DAY" IS LUDICROUS. A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS TO DRINK CONSISTENTLY THROUGH THE DAY, MONITOR YOUR INTAKE, AND DRINK EXTRA WHEN YOU'RE THIRSTY. MAKE SURE YOUR URINE STAYS A PASTEL YELLOW, AND DON'T OVERTHINK IT.
3. YOU NEED 'X' NUMBER OF GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER POUND OF BODYWEIGHT TO BUILD MUSCLE.
THE LOGIC BEHIND THIS BAFFLES ME. HOW MUCH PROTEIN YOU'RE EATING HAS LESS IMPORTANCE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. OTHER FACTORS COME INTO PLAY AS WELL LIKE AGE, SEX, AND CALORIE INTAKE. I WON'T ARGUE THAT PROTEIN ISN'T IMPORTANT, BUT ASSIGNING A BLANKET NUMBER TO EVERYONE IS SILLY. MY RULE OF THUMB IS TO PRIORITIZE PROTEIN AT EACH MEAL AND MAKE SURE I'M IN A CALORIC SURPLUS FOR THE DAY IF I WANT TO BUILD MUSCLE OR HAVE A GOOD BODY COMPOSITION. HOWEVER, WE WON'T BE GOING INTO CALORIE OR MACRONUTRIENT SPECIFICS UNTIL PHASE III.
4. YOU HAVE TO EAT CARBS TO BUILD MUSCLE.
AS I DISCUSSED ABOVE, MUSCLE GROWTH HAS MORE TO DO WITH BEING IN A CALORIC SURPLUS. THE LOGIC BEHIND EATING CARBS TO BUILD MUSCLE STEMS FROM OUR INSULIN RESPONSE TO CARBS. INSULIN IS OUR MASTER GROWTH HORMONE. ITS PRESENCE SIGNALS FOR US TO STORE FAT, BUILD MUSCLE, AND GENERALLY HAVE MORE MASS. HOWEVER, PROTEIN ALSO CREATE AN INSULIN RESPONSE. DON'T WORRY ABOUT SLAMMING BACK CARBS TO GROW MUSCLE. JUST EAT IN A MODEST CALORIE SURPLUS, AND STOP OVERCOMPLICATING IT.
5. YOU NEED TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS TO BUILD MUSCLE.
LORD, HAVE MERCY! THIS IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PILE OF HORSE POOP IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY TODAY. NOPE. YOU DON'T NEED A SINGLE SUPPLEMENT TO BUILD MUSCLE OR HAVE GOOD WORKOUTS. YOU NEED FOOD, WATER, AND ACTIVITY. THAT'S ALL. SOME SUPPLEMENTS CAN HELP THE WAR EFFORT, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARY.
