The Road to Progress

Many times, when we start working out and putting hours in the gym, we start to wonder how long is it going to take to actually start seeing and feeling progress in our endurance and strength.

It is true that exercise makes you feel better right away and that is why so many of us, including myself, right after couple of days going to the gym, we are already looking at our body in the mirror expecting to see a difference in our muscle mass or silhouette. ‘When you implement a regular exercise regime, you can see a difference in the numbers on the scale in as little as a week’.1

Obviously, the kind of results you want to achieve are going to be influenced by the type of exercises that you are going to start doing on your workout routine. On average, men can add around 1.5 to 2.5 pounds of muscles every month, which is around half of a pound of muscle every week. In the other hand, women unfortunately put mass on at a lower rate, around half a pound every two weeks which is one pound per month.

Because of these factors, people tend to be impatient. ‘Too many times people do not give their exercise plans enough time to reap the benefits they are looking for’2. Going to the gym and doing your workout routine is not the only thing that is going to affect your progress; diet, genes, gender, age and training methods are going to affect this progress as well.

Another big factor that we cannot forget about, that is going to be the key to a successful progress, is consistency. ‘You can have the best trainer in the world, and the best diet to follow, but if you do not stick with it consistently, you will wind up spinning your wheels.’2

Now that you have some more information about progress towards your goals at the weight room I hope you put it into practice, but remember, not only in fitness but in life in general, if you want to excel in what you do, consistency is the key!

References

1FitnessBlender.com (N.D). How long after working out do you see the results? A breakdown by goal. Retrieved from: https://www.fitnessblender.com/blog/how-long-after-working-out-do-you-see-results-a-breakdown-by-goal

2Zaino, C. (2013, September 23). Consistency: The Key To Progress In Your Fitness Program. Retrieved from: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/zaino16.htm

Workout Scheduling

How many times have you said or heard “I don’t work out because I don’t have enough time?” This is one of the main excuses I have and I keep hearing from friends, family, or even myself to actually not go to the gym. In this week’s blog I am going to discuss how to find the right time to workout, either at the gym or at home, and also how to challenge your clients to find some spare time during the day to spend it exercising.

‘It is always easy to find 4 hours out of 168 to work out in’1. One week has 168 hours and if you breakdown everything you do in a week, I am sure you can find about 4 hours to spare. Sacrificing time spent lying down or binge watching your favorite television show is a great way to supplement time for exercise or working out. There is the challenge, find the time you are not spending properly out of those 168 hours and invest it in yourself going to the gym, going for a walk, or just doing some exercise at home.

Another good strategy to manage your time, is by creating an event in your calendar (phone calendar, Google Calendar, etc.) and writing down the time of the day that is only for your workout. “Treat it like any other plans on your Google Calendar (like dinner with your best friend) so you're less likely to cancel.”2. It is easier to schedule time and make a proper routine when you exactly know the time of the day that you have to spare. I know it is hard to make these decisions, but if you want it, you can do it. The choice it’s in your hands.

Another thing that keeps popping up lately on social media is the ’30 Day Challenges’. This are usually easy exercises, that do not take much of your time to complete and usually can be done in your living room. There are many different kinds such as ’30 Day Abs Challenge’, ’30 Day Cardio Challenge’, etc. that are actually beneficial for you. Find the right one, start it today, and set a goal and a prize for completion. If this motivates you, get your peers involved and , it will be easier and more fun!

I hope you liked today’s entry blog, come back next week for more fitness tips!

References

1Gluhareff, D. (2004, November 2). No Time to Workout?

Retrieved from: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/gluhareff6.htm

2Narins, E. (2014, July 23). 17 Genius Ways to Exercise When You Have No Time to Work Out. Retrieved from: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a29375/17-genius-ways-to-exercise-when-you-have-no-time-to-work-out/

Right workout, right benefits!

As with everything in life, whatever that you are trying to achieve, has a path or steps that need to be followed in order to get you to your ultimate goal.

Today I am going to discuss a few different examples of exercises that will give you different outcomes in the weight room.

Different exercises and techniques are required to achieve the fitness goals you have set. Some of this examples are made up to build up muscles and some are made up to tonificate your muscles.

Lower extremity toning:                    Upper extremity toning:            Exercise                            Exercise

4 sets of barbell squats(8rps)            4 sets of dumbell shoulder press(8rps)

3 sets of dumbell lunges(8rps)            3 sets of one arm cable curls(8rps)

3 sets of leg extensions(8rps)            3 sets of dumbell triceps kickbacks(8rps)   

3 sets of dumbell deadlift(8rps)            3 sets of barbell curls(8rps)

3 sets of standing calf raise(8rps)            2 sets of reverse push downs(8rps)

3 sets of lying leg curls(8rps)            3 sets of cable upright row(8rps)

3 sets of cable abductor raise(8rps)        3 sets of dumbell deltoid raise(8rps)

2Lower extremity build up muscle:                1Upper extremity build up muscle:

    Exercise                            Exercise

4 sets of barbell squats (5rps)                3 sets of chest press(15rps)

4 sets of dumbell lunges(5rps)                3 sets of bicep curls(15rps)

3 sets of leg press(12rps)                    3 sets of plank row(15rps)

3 sets of lying leg curls(12rps)                3 sets of pushups(15rps)

3 sets of leg extension(20rps)                3 sets of bench dips(15rps)

 Many people believe that in order to get a toned body, you need to do a lot of repetitions with lower resistance. WRONG! If you want to tone your body you are going to need to lose the extra fat layers that are in top of your muscles in order for them to start showing. Other techniques to do it, it’s engaging in cardio vascular exercises that keep up your heart rate and allows you to burn fat faster.

If you like my tips come back next week to learn about exercise routine scheduling! :)

References:

1Sumbal, M. (2016, March 2). 6 Exercises to Strengthen Your Upper Body. Retrieved from:

http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2014/10/cross-training/6-exercises-strengthen-upper-body_30865/2#XipQiBfOeyyiapuB.97

2BodyBuilding.com (N.D.). 5 Leg Workouts For Mass - A Beginner’s Guide! Retrieved from:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/content/5-leg-workouts-for-mass-a-beginners-guide.html

Stay Hydrated

‘Whether you’re a serious athlete or a recreational exerciser, it’s important to make sure you get the right amount of water before, during, and after exercise.’1 In today’s blog we are going to talk about how important is to stay hydrated before, during and after your exercise routine, and also what kind of drinks are going to help you to maintain your body hydrated.

Sports drinks or water? This is a question that a lot of people have been asking over the years. Sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade contain high amounts of sugar, potassium and sodium that help you replenish the electrolytes that you lose during heavy exercise routines. Also, another plus about these sports drinks is the flavor added to it which helps you keep on drinking.

‘Today, Gatorade has plenty of competition, but do you really need any of them to enhance your workout? Yes, if you're exercising longer than 60 minutes — or less than that but very intensely.’2 If you are going to have a tough workout, do not hesitate on having one of these flavored sports drinks, but if you are just going for a little jog or walk to the part my recommendation would be to stick to a bottle of water.To maintain hydration during the whole day you can also eat foods that contains water, like fruit, vegetables, and yogurts. ‘According to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations we should eat 20 percent of our daily water intake.’3

Another thing that you have to think about to maintain your hydration, is your sweat rate, how much do you sweat? Do you need to take water sips more often? Also, how hot it is in the room you are working out at? Do you work out in a humid area? Is it dryer? All this factors are going to affect how much water you need to be drinking on a daily basis. Nowadays a lot of doctors and specialists are saying that a person should be drinking around 2L of water every day on an average, but don’t forget about these other factors because sometimes, 2 liters are not enough!

Hopefully these little tips will help you towards your workout routines and also towards having a healthier way of life!

See you next week!

References

1FamilyDoctor.org. (2016, January 10). Athletes: The Importance of Good Hydration

Retrieved from: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/exercise-basics/athletes-the-importance-of-good-hydration.html

2Levin-Epstein, A. (N.D.). Sports Drinks vs. Water.

Retrieved from: http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-drink/sports-drinks-vs-water

3Faherty, E. (August 6, 2015). 10 Ways to Stay Hydrated (That Aren’t Water).

Retrieved from: http://dailyburn.com/life/health/healthy-foods-stay-hydrated-without-water/