Training Tips
The first of the year is traditionally a time when many people recommit to becoming healthier and exercising more. With more people using the Club you will want to make sure your workouts are as effective and efficient as possible. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your workouts:
Train Hard: Most people do not execise at sufficient enough intensity. In order to realize results you must continue to challenge your body. Long slow cardio sessions on a treadmill may burn calories but does little to build muscle, burn fat or improve your cardiovascular conditioning. It is also very time inefficient and boring.
Strength Train: If you could perform only one type of exercise, then it should be resistance training. Training with weights is the most effective way to burn fat, increase your metabolism, strengthen your muscles and shape your body. Not using heavy enough resistance when weight training is a common mistake people make. Females often worry about becoming too muscular so they use light weights with very high repitions. This does very little good. Use a weights that you can perform between 8 – 12 repitions. If you can consistantly perfrom 12 or more repitions with good form, increase the amount of weight by 5-10%. An excellant form of strength training is to utilize circuit training. If you have questions about starting a strength training program one of our personal trainers can assist you in getting started.
Interval Training: This style of training can be done on any of our cardio equipment. It simply consists of a 5 minute warm-up. Then exercise for 30 seconds at a hard pace, followed by a recovery period of 60-90 seconds. Repeat this for a total of four intervals. Finish with 5 minutes of very low intensity exercise for a cool-down.
This thirty minutes of exercise is very time efficient and much more effective then slow steady state cardio training. Research has also shown that high intensity interval training is very effective for fat loss.
Circuit Strength Training: Combines the benefits of both a cardiovascular and strength training workout in one time efficient session. A ‘Circuit’ consists of a number of selected exercises that are performed in rapid succession. An effective circuit would be to perform an upper body exercise followed immediately by a lower body exercise. An example of an effective circuit would be:
Chest Press * Leg Press * Lat Pull Down * Lunge * Shoulder Press * Leg Curl
Repeat the circuit 2-3 times.
You can also combine body weight exercises such as push-ups, squats, pull-ups, jumping jacks and core exercises to make a challenging and effective circuit.