Training For Life

Fat—it’s one of the most maligned characters in the cast of food. An outcast for decades, fat has become the scapegoat for the fitness woes of all America, public enemy number one on the diet police’s most wanted list. But does fat really deserve this villainous reputation? Or has fat been framed to take the fall for thebig-time criminals in the shady underworld of the diet industry?

We actually cannot live without fat, as I’m sure you know—it serves a variety of crucial purposed like keeping you warm and cushioning your vital organs, and there are several vitamins which your body cannot absorb without the help of fat. But fat is more than just a “necessary evil.” The right kinds of fat in the right amount are an integral part of a healthy diet—and your doctor should be telling you to eat more fat.

Fat as a whole is charged guilty by association because of the transgressions of the “bad fats”—saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats are found in animal products—meat, poultry skin, full-fat dairy—and in a few plant oils like coconut oil. Trans fatty acids—the most nefarious of all the fats—are used as frying oils and in processed snacks, baked goods, and margarine. These two are the real thugs—the ones that spike cholesterol, clog arteries, and make it harder for you to fit into your skinny jeans.

But two other types of fat are working to redeem their reputation—omega-3s and monounsaturated fatty acids (affectionately called MUFAS in the nutrition business.) Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, trout) are rich in omega-3s. You can also get some from walnuts and flaxseeds. Studies have suggested that omega-3s help lower blood pressure, defend against Alzheimer’s disease, boost the immune system, and improve the quality of skin and hair. Omega-3 supplements are popular, but studies have not shown them to be as effective as omega-3s derived from food sources.

Monounsaturated fatty acids, the latest superstars in the world of healthy eating, are posed to undo fat’s ill-deserved rep once and for all. The hallmarks of traditional Mediterranean eating, like olive oil, hazelnuts and almonds, and sesame seeds, are all rich in these fatty acids, are hailed as the reason for the remarkably low incidence of heart disease in Southern Europe. More examples of monounsaturated fatty acid sources are dark chocolate, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil.

Even more interesting—a recent study at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center found that monounsaturated fatty acids actually have the power to target excess abdominal fat—the most dangerous kind of excess body fat that smothers the visceral organs. According to the MRI results of the study, a MUFA-rich diet can slash these deadly fat deposits by over 30%. Plus, these fats make you feel fuller longer, so you ultimately eat less if you incorporate one or more sources of MUFAs into every meal.

One wicked ploy which you should never fall prey to is the deceitful claims of “low-fat” or “fat-free” food products. These products are no healthier for you than their full-fat counterparts—in fact, they could be even more harmful. First of all, fat is what gives most of these foods their flavor and satisfying texture. In order to make up for the lack of fat—without which many of these products would taste downright nasty—manufacturers simply load these products up with extra sugar so they’ll taste good. But guess what your body does to extra sugar? It converts it into body fat!

Even worse, the Journal of Market Research reports that people end up consuming far more calories of these products then they would the original versions—because they get a false sense of security from the “low-fat” and “fat-free” claims. And new research implies that these products may actually even make you hungrier. That’s because fat naturally sends a message to the brain to tell you when you feel full—without fat, these “lite” products can’t send that message, so your body can’t tell when it’s had enough.

So it’s time for us to finally free fat from the depths of notoriety to which it has been banished for far too long. For tighter abs, a healthier heart, and a much tastier dieting experience, start eating more healthy fats.

Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new diet or exercise program.  Please feel free to to e-mail me with questions or comments.

BG

To focus on form, just perform this routine once the very first time you do it. Eventually, work up to three times through.
The key to the routine is to maintain constant core tension by performing each repetition in a smooth and controlled
manner. My favorite way to do this is a 3 count up, 3 count down for each rep. Do 10 reps of each exercise (per side for
the single side exercises) before moving on to the next exercise with little to no rest.
1. L-Pullups: perform a pull-up with the body shaped like an “L”, meaning a 90 degree bend at the hip, with the legs
held straight out in front of the body. If you can’t do a pull-up, do 10 lat pulldowns followed by 10 hanging, straight
leg raises (hang from a bar and raise the legs).
2. One Leg Romanian Deadlifts: Hold a weight in one hand and stand tall on one leg. Now hinge forward, keeping
the back completely straight and allowing a very slight bend in the knees. Your leg that is off the ground should
extend behind the body in a “laid out” position. Looking forward and keeping the rib cage pushed out, return to the
starting position. That’s one rep.
3. One Leg, One Arm Rows: Hinge forward at the waist again, but this time stabilize yourself with one hand on a
bench or other supporting object. One leg should still be out behind you, with your body weight supported on the
other leg. Hold a weight in on arm and complete 10 rows, utilizing a “starting the lawnmower” motion.
4. Split Squat – Hold a weight in each hand and get in a lunging position, with one leg out in front of the body and
one leg back behind you. Place the foot of the leg behind you on a bench or other supporting object that is about
3-4 feet off the ground. Keep all your body weight over the front leg, and bend it to 90 degrees, then back to the
starting position.
5. One Arm Overhead Press – Stand tall, suck the bellybutton in towards the spine, and press a weight overhead 10
times, with one arm. Switch the weight to the other hand and repeat.
6. Woodchopper – Stand with the feet shoulder width apart, holding a weight with both hands and outstretched arms
in front of the body. Rotate the entire torso to the right while simultaneously squatting down and bringing the
weight to the outside of your right shoe. Now stand and rotate the entire torso as far as possible to the left,
swinging the weight to the outside of the left shoulder. Remember to keep the arms straight.
If you feel any pain in the low back during this routine, stop and make sure you’re keeping your back completely straight. If
your core is unconditioned, it is likely that low back fatigue will set in very quickly during this workout, so listen to your
body!  Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new exercise routine.  Please feel free to e-mail me with questions or comments.

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Here are a couple more answers about what is best to do for workouts.  I have seen so many people struggle with this.  Make your workouts count.  Here are a few suggestions.  Please feel free to e-mail me with questions or post your comments below.  Remember to always consult your doctor before taking on any exercise program.

Zumba. TRX. P90X. Pump. Spinning. Yogalates. Beach Body Insanity. The list goes on and on! With so many choices, how can you pick an exercise or workout that will burn the most fat, the fastest? In today’s article, you’re going to learn exactly how to make your own fat-burning workout to ensure that you burn fat as fast as possible.

What Are the Different Types of Fat-Burning Workouts?

The majority of workouts that advertise themselves as high calorie-burning events can be broken down into three different categories: cardio, resistance training, and cardio plus resistance training.

Cardio: An example of a cardio class would be spinning, a class in which you ride a stationary bike with varying levels of resistance and pedaling speeds, typically to a choreographed series of songs and movements such as standing, hovering, and jumping. Dance workouts like Zumba or Hip-Hop would also fall into the cardio category.

Resistance training: A resistance training workout would include activities like power yoga, which consists of body weight resistance exercises combined with stretching; Pilates, which is primarily focused on abdominal and lower back resistance training; TRX, which involves pulling and pushing the body with a special type of band; and pump, which uses dumbbells, barbells, and step benches for resistance.

Cardio plus resistance training: As you may have guessed, cardio plus resistance training combines the elements discussed above. P90X and Beach Body Insanity are two popular examples of activities that have you lifting weights one moment, then performing jumping jacks or step-ups just a few moments later. Another term for this type of sequential exercise is “concurrent training.”

Which Workout Burns the Most Fat?

Now that you know the different workout categories, the ultimate question remains: which workout burns the most fat?

A 2008 study at the University of California asked this very question, and had one group do cardio, another group do resistance training, and a final group do a concurrent training workout in which they ran for 30-60 seconds after completing each weight lifting set.

Even though each group did the same amount of work, the combination group experienced the following:

• a 35% greater improvement in lower body strength,

• a 53% greater improvement in lower body endurance,

• a 28% greater improvement in lower body flexibility,

• a 144 % greater improvement in upper body flexibility,

• an 82% greater improvement in muscle gains, and

• a 991 % greater loss in fat mass!

That means the combination group not only burned fat and built muscle at the same time, but the amount of fat they burned was a ten-fold increase over the amount burned by the groups that did cardio or resistance training only.

So without a doubt, combining cardio and resistance training will burn the fastest.

Quick and Dirty Tip: If you decide you simply don’t want to do your cardio and resistance training at the same time, you may be interested to know that additional research shows a greater total amount of calories burned when cardio is done first, followed by weight lifting. For example, you could go to the gym, run for 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then do 30 minutes of weightlifting.

How to Make Your Own Fat-Burning Workout

So if you’re ready to do a fat-burning workout, but don’t feel like going to the gym and signing up for a class, there is a way you can do combined cardio and resistance training at home. Try this workout:

• Do 10 push-ups or knee push-ups,

• Then stand and do 15-20 jumping jacks.

• Next to 10 squats or lunges,

• Then do 15-20 more jumping jacks.

• Next, move on to 10 crunches, again followed by 15-20 jumping jacks.

• Finally, pick a set of dumbbells off the floor and lift them overhead up and down a total of ten times, and

• Then finish with a final series of 15-20 jumping jacks.

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I found this article to be very  entertaining.  Take it for what it is worth. Hope it helps you with your balance between Exercise & Life Happy Training!

Do you struggle to find a balance between exercise and “life”? Eating healthy and “life”? This guest post from pro triathlete Angela Naeth may put things into a different perspective for you. Do you agree? Disagree? Leave your comments at the bottom of this post…

From Angela Naeth:

“In the past couple of weeks I have had a number of comments from people I know about balance. Some feel that I’m not living a “balanced” life and need to step out of the ‘triathlon scene’ and enjoy life. Hmmm…..

Enjoy life? I am enjoying life…more than ever! Waking up in the morning and moving my body is exactly what I enjoy doing. I don’t think being an athlete is a job and maybe that is what these others are thinking. It makes me assume that these people feel I am not “balanced” may not like their jobs and feel that I’m working 24/7 at a job I don’t necessary enjoy. This is NOT the case.

For me, being a full-time athlete (meaning, I don’t do much else) is a gift. I love it! I enjoy having the days slip away while I’m out riding my bike, running, swimming or some other form of training. I enjoy going to bed early, waking up early, and staying away from all the hoopla that nightlife provides. I enjoy reading and talking about the sport. What is the harm in doing something you love day in and day out? Is there any harm in it?

Of course there are days that I’m tired and want to get away from the routine of training but these have been few and far between. If I’m tired, I listen to my body and rest. If I’m bored or sick of something I’m doing, I (we: Chuckie and I) are sure to change it up. The beauty of triathlon is that you have three distinctly different disciplines in which to challenge yourself. If you get bored of swimming, you run; if you get bored of running, you bike; and so on.

The best thing about all of this is that triathlon is a game. “Like life,” Chuckie says. This is precisely where the balance resides. I take it seriously but I also know that in the end, racing is a game. And who doesn’t love games? Triathlon provides me the ability to challenge myself that I don’t believe I would otherwise. I want to do my best and that means living my best each day – sleeping well, eating well, training well…and, well, enjoying it.

The problem I see when people say I need “balance” in my life is that they either:

1. Don’t understand what it really means to love what they do 100%.
2. Hate their jobs and want to follow their dreams but are too scared to try…they have a fear of success.
3. Have a fear of failure.
4. Worry too much about what others think—family members, friends, etc.
5. Might be jealous or envious. I would be too!
6. Cut themselves short in everything they do in life—family, work, etc

I do believe it is important to enjoy other things in life and I do. But what is “balance”? What does having “balance” in your life really mean? Is it not balance in your life when you do the very things that give you happiness? Pleasure is one thing. I could watch movies all days, eat candy and chocolate, hang out with friends at bars…but to me this is NOT happiness. Not even close. I feel like crap the next day or two and that’s supposed to give me balance in life?

Attempting to be the best you can be offers the ultimate in happiness. I love triathlon, the challenge, the way I feel after training, during training, and even on those tired days when all I want to do is sleep and not move a muscle. That is life to me….that is why I have the body, mind and spirit that I do. So, the next time someone asks me about so-called “balance”, I’ll counter: “Balance to what? Balance in trying and finding the time to enjoy life?”

I’ve already got that down.

Sadly, it seems some people may just never understand….”

What is your passion, what is your drive, what would you make you happy.  Find it and do it.  Life is too short.

Here are some great suggestions for travel or just staying at home.  Those of you that I have talked nutrition with will find this helpful and find it is in line with what I do.  If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me.  Be sure to consult your doctor as well before taking on any new health or fitness regimens.  Happy Training!

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #1: Wraps – Wraps are perfect for preparing a quick snack from your hotel room, apartment, or condo, and are usually found near the bread section of the grocery store. The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing what you want to use as a wrap. I prefer gluten-free, sprouted wraps when I can get them. Spinach wraps or whole grain wraps are other popular variety that I use. If you are gluten intolerant, watching your waistline, or limiting carbohydrate, then get very large pieces of romaine lettuce or cabbage that you can use as a wrap.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #2: Spinach / Mixed Greens – During a week of travel, I use spinach and mixed greens for two primary recipes: salads and wraps. The darker greens are richer in iron, although some varieties like bok choy or kale can be a bit chewy and not good in a wrap. This is one ingredient of which I always buy more than I think I might need, because if it’s around, I’ll eat it quite often as a wrap-filler or salad-base, and thus be less likely to overeat on more calorie-dense foods.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #3: Tomatoes – Chopped tomatoes can be thrown over a salad, and sliced tomatoes are perfect in a wrap. Because I often find myself on foot or bicycle when visiting the grocery store, I typically choose the small Romaine tomatoes, which travel better and bruise less than the juicy, plump variety.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #4: Avocado -  Full of appetite satiating fats and wrapped in a natural protective layer, avocados, like tomatoes, can be chopped and used as salad-topping, or sliced and placed into a wrap. Do not choose overly-soft avocadoes, which also do not travel well, and more quickly rot.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #5: Cucumbers – “Cukes” round out the “Big Three” for salads and wraps. When included with tomatoes and avocadoes, along with a base of spinach and mixed greens, they add a perfect crunch and texture to the meal.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #6: Cheese – If you are lactose intolerant, you may want to skip cheese, or double up on nuts, which can often be used in the same way as cheese. During a week of travel, I use cheese in wraps, melt cheese over an avocado for a quick snack, and top tomatoes with a slice of cheese and splash of olive oil or salad dressing. My favorite varieties are feta, swiss and mozzerella.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #7: Yogurt – Follow the same rules as cheese: if you are lactose intolerant, substitute soy milk, rice milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Fat-freee, plain yogurt is useful as a low-calorie topping for a wrap, good with fruit and nuts for breakfast, and versatile enough to be used with almond butter and dark chocolate for dessert.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #8: Almond Butter – Compared to peanut butter, almond butter is higher in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and lower in potentially inflammatory omega 6’s. For this ingredient, I typically buy less than I think I need, because it is easy to eat too many calories from almond butter. Use with breakfasts and desserts, as mentioned earlier.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #9: Cashews / Walnuts / Almonds – I typically mix these with fruit and yogurt for breakfast, toss into a wrap for extra calories and crunch, or grab a handful to satiate the appetite in the afternoon. Go for the unsalted, raw, unroasted option.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #10: Salad Dressing – Perfect for salads and wraps, a salad dressing is a smart choice only if you can find a variety with A) an olive oil base; and B) no high fructose corn syrup and added sugars. Look along the top of the salad dressing shelf for the smaller designer varieties, which will more often fit these criteria. In a pinch, just grab a small container of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette instead.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #11: Sweet Potatoes / Yams – If my travel involves physical activity, such as cycling, large amounts of walking, or a triathlon, then these tubers form the crux of my carbohydrate intake, since they “burn clean” and also have high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and beta-carotene. In a pinch, they can be microwaved for 5 minutes, but it is better to boil them for 20 minutes or bake for 40 minutes. Usually, I will salt and eat them plain or serve them with almond butter and honey.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #12: Fruit – If I am traveling to a new or unique region, I usually experiment with varieties of fruit that are hard to get at home, in Washington state. For example, in Florida, I might stock up on juicy oranges and grapefruit; in Hawaii, stock up on fresh papaya or pineapple; and in Thailand, grab a handful of dragonfruit. Fruit is perfect for a mid-morning snack, salad topping, or breakfast addition.

Healthy Grocery Store Travel Food #13: Dark Chocolate – Chock full of antioxidants and lower in sugars and dairy than milk chocolate, a 70%+ dark chocolate bar is a good nightcap snack after a long day of travel, and is also useful for sweetening oatmeal, breaking chunks into yogurt, or dipping in almond butter.

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• 1. Baseline Measurements
No training program should be designed without first determining proper training zones and intensities. The more specific
the better. Raise your eyebrow when a training program simply instructs you to go at “race pace”, or “long easy effort”.
Instead, each recommended intensity needs to include quantitative values. This means that your cycling hill interval
workout should not just be “6-8 long hill repeats”, but should also prescribe power or heart rate training zones; such as “6-
8 hill intervals of 4 minutes at an average of 300 watts”, or “6-8 hill intervals of 4 minutes at a heart rate of 154-165″. In
order for a training program to prescribe such intensities, it is necessary for you to take baseline measurements. The most
common baseline measurement is a series of time trials that allow you to determine your approximate anaerobic or lactate
threshold, or what is sometimes called the “maximum lactate steady state” effort. Basically, this just means that before
designing your training program, you must spend 20-30 minutes in each of your sports (i.e. swimming, cycling, and
running) determining what your maximum *sustainable* pace is. Generally, this corresponds well with the point at which
your body is removing lactate as fast as it is accumulating, and you are beginning to breath rapidly to “blow off” carbon
dioxide in the bloodstream. Your training program’s intensities, or zones, are then based off the heart rate or wattage at
which this state occurs. If there are no baseline measurements, the success of your training program will be sub-optimal,
at best. During the first two to three weeks of taking on a new athlete, I run them through a battery of tests that help
determine these training zones, so that I can write their workouts to be biologically specific.
• 2. Periodization
Periodization is the process of breaking a training program year into smaller periods, or units of time duirng which the
training occurs at specific volumes and intensities. By arranging these periods in the correct sequence leading up to your
races, peak performance can be achieved without overtraining or injury. A training program that has you at the identical
training intensities and volumes, week in and week out, is not a periodized training program. A very basic example of
periodization would be “base training”, during which you build your aerobic system and teach the body the work more
efficiently in the presence of lactic acid; followed by a “build” in training intensity and volume as you become fitter and
stronger; then a “taper” as you approach race season, where your body absorbs the benefits of the “build” cycle; and
finally a “recovery” period after racing season, in which you joints heal and your body recovers from the season. There is
no perfect periodization scheme, but any good training program needs to lay the groundwork for training in a structured
and periodized format, as opposed to training the same way the entire year, then “laying off” for a week or so before the
race. Periodizing a training program is difficult and time consuming. During the first week that I take on a new athlete and
design their annual training plan, I’ll spend 4-5 hours ensuring that just the basic periodization is “perfect” – and it usually
still needs changes as the season progresses!
• 3. Training Specificity
Your training must be race specific. If you’re preparing for a marathon with 3 weekly tempo sessions, 1 weekly speed-
work track session, and 1 long weekend run, you’re spending way too much time in an anaerobic, carbohydrate burning
zone, and your body is not learning how to work in an efficient aerobic manner. This means you’re going to be full of lactic
acid and high blood acid during your marathon and have a very uncomfortable race, if you even finish. Beware of any
training program that doesn’t have you “training like you race”. This means lots of practice with race specific fueling, race
specific intensities, and race specific courses or topography. If you have a flat, fast race approaching in three weeks, you
shouldn’t be wasting much time with hill intervals, and vice versa. All my athletes must provide me with a complete list of
their planned and desired races, so that I can ensure their training actually is race specific.
• 4. Holistic Philosophy
Your training program can’t just prescribe workouts and nutrition. It must take into consideration stress levels, amount of
sleep, resting heart rate, weight, fatigue levels, etc. Your training program must listen to your body. If you try to “push”
through a prescribed workout, just to follow the rules, this may not be the best idea. It’s also nice to be able to look back
and see how the resting heart rate was leading up to a bad race, versus a good race, or how the weight fluctuates before
signs and symptoms of overtraining occur. All the athletes I train are recommended to keep track of these variables on
their daily training log.
• 5. R&R

Rest and recovery must occur! While for those of us with busy lives, this may mean that your rest week takes place during
the visit to the in-laws at the end of one month, and happens during your long week of deskwork in the middle of another
month, your must decrease training intensity and volume at regular periods throughout the training year. Some training
programs might include every 4 weeks and some every 3 weeks, but all programs must allow your body to stop, then soak
up like a sponge all the benefits of your hard work. Otherwise, you’re just chipping away at yourself until sickness or
overtraining forces you to stop.

Always Consult Your doctor before taking on a fitness routine.

A thick, juicy hamburger, a lightly toasted sesame-seed bun, some dewy garden-fresh tomatoes and a few generous dollops of relish and mustard: what could be better for a casual summer dinner with friends and family? And after all, health-wise, grilling meats sure beats frying them in fattening oils. But unfortunately, a shadow of suspicion lingers on that healthy hamburger: could that grilled hamburger cause cancer?

According to Dr. Ted Gansler, director of medical content at the American Cancer Society, 56% of respondents polled did not believe that regularly eating foods cooked on a charcoal grill can actually cause cancer. The truth: grilled meats can increase your risks of cancer— to a degree.

Simply put, animal meat has muscle proteins in it. When meat is grilled at very high temperatures, those proteins break down into chemicals called heterocyclic amines. Heterocyclic amines are a carcinogen—meaning they’re a substance known to cause cancer. Consumption of heterocyclic amines is linked in particular to cancers of the stomach and colon. In addition, as fats drip from the meat and burn up on the coals beneath, other potentially harmful chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may rise back up in the smoke and permeate the meat.

Does this mean that chowing down on hamburgers is dangerous? Well, you probably don’t need to kick the grill to the curb just yet. Eating grilled foods on occasion isn’t likely to harm you—it’s “regular” consumption that might be more worrisome, although what exactly constitutes “regular” has yet to be clearly agreed upon.

As a mindful grillmaster, you can take a few steps to help lower the amount of carcinogens you end up consuming along with that tasty burger:

·         Don’t over-grill your burgers: there is such a thing as too well-done.

·         Pop meats in the microwave or oven for just a few minutes before transferring them to the grill, to reduce the amount of time they spend grilling.

·         For the same reason, use thinner cuts of meat.

·         Flip the meats frequently, about once per minute.

·         Marinate your meats: studies have suggested that marinating seems to somehow reduce production of heterocyclic amines by over 90%.

·         Raise the grilling surface a bit higher from the heat source, to reduce the formation of highly carcinogenic char on your burger.

·         Don’t eat any blackened or burnt bits of burger.

Many of the potentially dangerous chemicals created by grilling meats are a non-issue when it comes to grilling fruits and vegetables, so add a few of these to your grilling repertoire: you can still enjoy that smoky flavor without worrying about the health effects. Onions, corn, peppers, potatoes, peaches and pineapple all taste fantastic when served freshly grilled.

Whatever you do, avoid grilling processed luncheon meats or hot dogs. These products contain carcinogens called nitrates, and don’t even need the help of a grill to up cancer risks.

Do remember to keep things in perspective, though. The sun is a known cancer-causer— but you don’t hide out in your dark basement, do you? There’s probably as many carcinogens in the air you breathe as in the burger you’re about to bite into. So if you want a nice grilled dinner once and awhile, just follow the tips and don’t worry too much.

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Resistance training exercise, or weightlifting, is crucial to attaining your goals. Research has shown that a combination of
weight training and cardio sheds more pounds and boosts the metabolism higher than cardio alone. This is primarily
because you burn several more calories per day for each droplet of fat that you replace with a fiber of lean muscle. In
addition to the weight loss benefits, resistance training provides you with higher bone density, a more coordinated and
well-functioning collection of muscles and joints, and better agility and balance. Furthermore, athletes can use weightlifting
to improve force potential, decrease injury potential, and cross-train with sport specificity.
Unfortunately, the number of weight training “routines” that exist in magazines and on gym walls can be intimidating and
confusing, and what works best for your lean next door neighbor or marathon-running friend may not be your body’s cup
of tea. So how do you choose what’s best for your personal goals? I’m going to describe four basic and popular methods
of lifting, and then help you decide which one to choose, depending on your individual needs.
1. Body Split Training
This style of training involves splitting the body into several “groups” of muscles, and working those muscles on certain
days of the week – for example, a 5 day split would look like this:
• Monday: Chest/Back/Abs
• Tuesday: Shoulders/Biceps/Triceps
• Wednesday: Quads/Calves
• Thursday: Shoulders/Abs
• Friday: Hamstrings/Low Back
This style of training is very popular among the bodybuilding crowd, because it allows an individual to focus on a specific
muscle group and work that muscle to complete exhaustion. With proper rest, this results in very large and defined
muscles. The sets can be as a high as 10 sets per exercise, and the reps fall anywhere in the range of 8-20. Rest periods
can be as short as 10 seconds and as long as 5 minutes. Strategies include back-to-back sets, pyramiding up or down in
reps and/or weight, pre-fatiguing, bouncing, super-slows, negatives, and a host of other tricks from the realm of
bodybuilding. If you simply want to get “big and cut”, this is a good approach. The problem with this style of lifting is that it
only works well if you can sufficiently exhaust the muscle groups, so you need to plan on spending at least an hour and a
half, and up to three hours every day weightlifting in the gym. Many of the lifts are single joint lifts, meaning that the focus
is not on calorie-burning, strength, or athleticism – but simply muscle isolation and growth. Many of us don’t have that kind
of time: the people who get the most benefit out of a body split routine must have a high amount of dedication and
devotion to their exercise program, and have a single desire: build muscle.
2. Traditional Weightlifting
When most of us think of “resistance training”, we think of a traditional weightlifting program. This typically involves 3-4
sets of 10-12 reps of a specific exercise, with a 45-60 second rest after each set. Once on exercise is completed, you
move on to the next. Usually, a routine is made up of 8-10 exercises that work the entire body. Usually, this kind of routine
is performed 3-4 days of the week. This is a good, straight-forward way to build strength, bone density, and add lean
muscle. Compared to some other types of lifting, traditional weightlifting does not burn a high amount of calories or elicit a
high cardiovascular response, since you spend a significant amount of time sitting down and “resting” between exercises.
If your goal is maximizing weight loss and/or toning and cutting, there are better programs out there for you. The same
can be said for athleticism. If your goal is simply to maintain fitness and keep your body strong, this would be a good
choice.
3. Circuit Style Training
Circuit style training involves choosing a series of exercises – typically multi-joint movements that work a large amount of
muscles and joints at the same time – and performing these series of exercises, one after another, with minimal rest
between exercises. The heart rate and metabolism get screaming high during a circuit training workout, and the density,
or volume, of exercises performed can be very high with this approach. When you are trying to get the most “bang for your
buck” out of your resistance training routine, a circuit style training program can be very effective. Reps are typically in the
range of 10-20, and many of the exercises include a cardio component, such as a 250 meter row, a 2 minute treadmill
sprint, or 25 medicine ball throws against the gym wall. As mentioned, the weightlifting exercises are primarily multi-joint, like a “squat to press”, “lunge to curl” or “deadlift to overhead extension”. Most of the clients that I train who desire weight
loss and toning will have some resemblance of a circuit training routine in their program. Often, a 20-30 minute core
routine performed every day of the week will literally melt away fat. The downside to circuit style training is that since the
rest periods are so short, you typically can’t lift very heavy weights, and strength gains can be minimal when compared to
body split training or traditional weightlifting.
4. Periodization
Periodization simply means that a training year is divided into workout cycles or “periods”. Each cycle of the training year
involves a different type of weightlifting approach. For example, a training year might be divided into 1) the off-season; 2)
muscular endurance building; 3) muscular strength and/or mass building; 4) power and explosive strength development
and 5) strength maintenance or competition season. Obviously, this style of training has the most benefit for an athlete
who is preparing for a competition. Periodization allows an athlete to “peak”, or have maximum physiological preparation,
prior to their event. An example of a periodization weightlifting scheme for, say, an Ironman triathlete training for a June
race, might involve the following, with three full body workouts per week:
• July-September: off-season, cross-training
• October-December: muscular endurance building, 3 sets of 15 reps, 8-10 exercises, 30-45 seconds rest
• January-March: muscular strength building, 4 sets of 12 reps, 6-8 exercises, 60-90 seconds rest
• April-May: power and speed training, 5 sets of 4 reps, 3-4 exercises, 2-3 minutes rest
• June: strength maintenance, 2 sets of 10 reps, 4-6 exercises, 1-2 minutes rest
This scheme might look different for a basketball or football player, but the underlying concepts are the same: take the
body through several different training periods to allow for peak performance when it really matters. No serious athlete
should choose any weightlifting routine that doesn’t include periodization.
Obviously, there are many choices and limitless combinations of workout routines. Not sure which one is right for you.  Always feel free to e-mail me or call for your free consultation today.  Remember you don’t have to do it alone.  Happy Training!!!!