Why Are You Training?
By knowing the answer to this question, not only do you set the stage for training correctly, but you set the stage psychologically when you have a real reason for working out.
Ask yourself why you are training physically in the gym or elsewhere? Once you are clear on your reasons for training, then a program can be implemented that makes sense for you.
Since many of my clients train for higher energy,better body tone, and decreased chance of premature aging, I will assume that many of my readers also desire this.
Below are several tips for increasing your daily energy, improving your overall body tone, and decreasing premature aging of the body, specifically through weight training. Science tells us that gaining energy can best be achieved by gaining physical muscular strength. Below are some other key finding for those of you who desire a more robust 2015.
Strength is Life – Get Strong
1. We gain strength best through quality of effort.
Insight – a new person to fitness can exercise with high quality. Your starting weights do not matter. Only effort matters. Solid effort means increased strength.
2. Strength training in the higher weight range( for that person-everyone is different) tones the body.
Insight – Strength training with higher weights and less reps takes less time too letting us go about our day.
3. Strength training in the higher weight and lower rep range keeps us from getting bulky.
Insight – this seems counter intuitive but is true. Body builders bulk up using lighter( although they may not seem lighter to many observers) weights, tons of reps and tons of sets. By the way, they are not as strong as they look, but stronger than most people.
4. It is not necessary to go to absolute fatigue in a muscle to gain the energy benefits.
Insight– we just have to work a little hard. Too many people overdo exercise in their desire for energy. Rest between exercise is important.
5. Increasing your weights is absolutely necessary to gain strength that gives you energy throughout the day.
Insight – be smart in increasing your weight amount. Too soon and you risk injury and not soon enough, you become stagnant, not feeling and seeing the results you desire.
We are better off staying in the game of fitness for a lifetime, so if this means being a little conservative with exercise and progressing less slowly than you would like, then simply deal with it and forget the bravado that we all carry when it comes to sticking to the plan exactly. You are going to reap the benefits this year. Just promise yourself to get started. Yes get started, but be easy on yourself. This means that you are wise to consider you will not be perfect in implementing your plan, but you are even wiser to consider that using a few missed training sessions as an excuse to stop training is not a viable option. Let this year be the beginning of strong!
All My Best,
Kim