Your Top Fitness Questions and Their Answers

As a trainer and coach part of my commitment to clients is consulting with them. This includes answering their many fitness and diet questions. Needless to say, I get asked a lot of questions. And, there are several questions that seem to be on almost everyone’s minds.

The answers to these top inquiries can help most anyone get a jump start on reaching their weight loss and fitness goals. So, here are some of the top fitness questions and their answers.

 

  • I want to tone and tighten my legs (or stomach, or arms, etc). What exercises can I do to lose fat there and get them toned?  

    Answer:
    You can't spot reduce. It is necessary for you to reduce the fat in your trouble area before you will see big results from your strength training exercises. You must burn calories and fat through cardiovascular activities. This includes such things as walking, jogging, step aerobics, jumping rope, swimming etc. While cardio is critical you should also include strength training exercises to help build muscles and tone your trouble area simultaneously.

 

  • I really want to workout and get in-shape, but I just don’t have the time. What should I do?  

    Answ
    er: You are not alone. One of the top reasons people give for not working out is lack of time. The first step is to realize that it’s not that you don’t have the time, but that you are not making it a priority in your schedule.  What people don't realize is that it doesn't take a huge time commitment to reap the many rewards of regular exercise. Many people think that if they can't workout several hours a week, then they might as well not workout at all. But, exercising even just a couple of days a week is far better than not exercising at all. The key is finding a truly effective and efficient workout plan. I have created some dynamic exercise routines over the years that take as little as 15 minutes or less. In this these types of workouts the main focus is on intensity.  This is one of the main considerations in the Get Fit Challenges. We will focus on increased frequency while decreasing time per session. 

 

  • What is the best fitness program for losing weight?  

    Answer:
    The key to a successful program is that it is comprehensive and includes the necessary pieces. There are three major components of a good weight loss program: nutrition, cardio and strength training. It's equally important to include all three components. When it comes to cardio, there are more effective methods than what is traditionally used. By incorporating training methods such as Interval and Fartlek training you will get far better results in cardiovascular conditioning, increased metabolism, and decreased time per workout.  These are the primary cardio methods used in the Get Fit Challenges and one of the reasons they are so successful. 

 

  • I have hit a plateau and can’t seem to get the scale to budge (or can’t get any stronger). Can you help me?  

    Answer:
    The key to breaking through a plateau is change. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt. This is known as adaptation. By skillfully applying the principles of F.I.T.T. (Frequency Intensity Time Type) to your program designs you will never hit a plateau. This occurs because your body never has time to adapt to the stimulus or stress it is being exposed to and yes fitness training is considered a stress. 

 

  • What size weights should I train with and how many reps should I complete? 

    Answer:
    There's no one size fits all weight size that is best. The size of weight you use depends on your goals, skills, past fitness experience, etc. A good rule of thumb is to start with about 70% maximum resistance with 8-12 reps and 1-3 sets. I use reps here simply because it is more universally known, however the real key is time.  By this I mean in order to build muscle mass for example the muscle group being worked needs to be under load for a time period of 45 to 60 seconds. Reps are easier for people to track. If using the standard two seconds contraction (lifting) followed by four seconds eccentric movement (lowering) for 8 reps would equate to 48 seconds under a load.  To determine your specific 70% maximum size, you must first determine the maximum amount of weight you can lift. However, it's typically not recommended that beginners attempt to lift their maximum amount of weight, for safety reasons. So, another simpler option is to choose a weight size that provides fatigue after the 8th - 12th rep is completed. 

 

  • Is it bad for your body to workout some of the same muscle groups daily?  

    Answer:
    Typically you should allow your muscle to rest about 48 hours before working it again. This is the safest approach and also the most efficient approach for improving strength. It will help you increase hypertrophy more effectively.  This is my standard answer for the general public. In many of my programs you workout daily. In order to do this however you must be able to balance workload and ability. 

 

  • How often should I stretch and should I stretch before or after working out?  

    Answer:
    There are different schools of thought on this. Based on my experience and years in the martial arts I recommended performing a good warm-up and
    NOT static stretching before a workout. The reason is when you static stretch you make the muscle more prone to injury by elongating it and causing it to relax. There are different methods of stretching and the method that I generally recommend performing before a workout would be dynamic stretching. Static stretching is good after the completion of your workout. As far as frequency, even if you don't workout every day it is very beneficial to include a stretching routine daily. Perform a light warm-up and be sure to hold the stretch at least 30 seconds. You should NOT feel any pain however a slight discomfort is ok. If holding it for less than 30 seconds you run the risk of causing the muscle to become tighter. You must overcome the natural response of the muscle spindle. A method I have used for many years as part of my training is to incorporate proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching.  This is an extremely effective method. However do NOT attempt this method unless supervised by a QUALIFIED professional. I also want to make a note that although I see this very often I do not recommend ballistic stretching. It does have it's place however generally speaking the risk of injury is simply to high. 

 

  • How can I workout at home because I don’t belong to a gym? 

    Answer:
    There are many, many options for strength training and cardio workouts that don't require a trip to the gym. If you have dumbbells, a resistance band, or an exercise stability ball, there are literally hundreds of exercises that you can do at home. With these exercises you can increase your muscular strength, muscular endurance plus of course get a more defined look in your physical appearance. For cardio workouts you can simply walk outside or at an indoor location, stair climb, jumping jacks, jump rope (my favorite), etc. Most people have plenty of things around the house that can be used that cost nothing. In addition you can simply use body weight exercises. 

 

If you have a fitness question you would like answered feel free to send a message to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .