5 Workouts You May Want to Try For Improved Fitness

The good thing about workout programs is they’re individual and not universal. We all differ in fitness level, personality, lifestyle, and goals. Taking this into consideration, selecting the right workout program is an important part of our fitness journey. 

There’s a wide variety of exercise modalities available to accommodate every individual and lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned athlete or newbie fitness enthusiast, there’s something for everyone. The best and most effective workout is one that you do consistently, enjoy, and works with your lifestyle and goals. 

Selecting the right workout program can be a challenge with all the different options available. A helpful tool in choosing the best exercise plan is writing down your health and fitness goals. Are you an active adult or athlete who wants to increase exercise intensity or a beginner with a desire to lose a few pounds? What about a bodybuilder trying to increase lean mass or an individual struggling with flexibility? Whatever your fitness goal, there are specific workout programs supplying these benefits.

Once your fitness goals are defined, choosing an exercise program becomes simplified. The next step includes understanding the definition, purpose, and benefits of each workout modality. The following popular exercise programs are shown to be effective for health and fitness improvement:

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become one of the most popular training methods. What makes this exercise program so appealing is being able to complete a workout in a short period of time. According to research, HIIT is a time-efficient strategy to improve our health and fitness and cuts our exercise training in half.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is also referred to as high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training (SIT). HIIT is a vigorous form of exercise combining interval training and cardiovascular exercise. As a participant of HIIT, you would be challenging your body with low and high-intensity work. An example would be performing a maximum sprint for 100 yards followed by a few seconds of light jogging or walking to recover. The workout duration is typically 30 minutes or to exercise exhaustion.

Research indicates high-intensity interval training is effective for reducing body fat, improving athletic performance, and flexibility. However, due to the extreme challenge on the body, some studies show it may not be the best fit for inactive individuals beginning a fitness program. In this instance, HIIT could be a progressive program implemented later once fitness and activity levels have increased. It appears to be highly favorable for active adults and athletes taking their workouts to the next level. 

Strength Training

Strength or resistance training is another popular and effective exercise modality. This form of exercise is designed to improve muscular fitness by challenging a muscle or muscle group using external resistance. External resistance can include free weights, resistance bands, or cable machines for example. Strength training can be modified to the fitness level of an individual making it a superior workout option.

Resistance training is the preferred method of exercise for bodybuilders to increase muscle strength and size. It’s also favored among new exercisers and active adults who desire to improve muscle tone and stimulate fat loss. The program is best performed using a progressive style increasing in weight resistance, sets, and repetitions as muscular strength is increased. Beginners may find it easier to start with machines before moving into more complex free-weight exercises. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training at least two non-consecutive days per week for optimal results.

Besides being one of the most versatile and enjoyable ways to exercise among the general population, strength training is indicated to provide numerous health benefits. Chronic research has shown regular resistance training to reduce our risk of heart disease by lowering body fat. It’s also said to increase our metabolism, decrease blood pressure, increase bone density, and improve cholesterol levels.

Bodyweight Training

Bodyweight training or exercises take us back to the basics and a great workout option for individuals without access to gym equipment. This method of training uses body weight as the resistance to build muscular strength, lean mass, endurance, and flexibility. Bodyweight training is considered the ‘no gym, no excuses’ workout program you can perform anywhere.

Bodyweight training is still considered strength training and accomplished without free weights or machines. Another bonus to this program is no gym membership fee and time-efficient because it can be done right at home.

Popular bodyweight training exercises include pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, planks, and squats. Advanced movements incorporate handstands and strength holds. Bodyweight training is very challenging but is easily modified to accommodate any fitness level. It is also shown to have a reduced risk of personal injury compared to weighted exercise.

Group Training

Group training is an excellent workout choice for those who like the push of being in an exercise class environment. This mode of exercise is led by an instructor and performed by a group of individuals. Gyms or boot camps commonly offer modified versions to exercise accommodating all fitness levels. This makes for a fun, active, and social exercise experience.

Group training formats can include muscle conditioning, body pump, yoga, Pilates, step, and kickboxing. The wide variety of class options creates an ever-changing workout atmosphere helpful to avoid burnout. Also, the classes are typically well-structured, effective, and completed within a one-hour duration.

Working out with friends is another way to describe group training. When we exercise with others, it provides an accountability factor not given when we train alone. Group settings are shown to keep us motivated and interested. This is important for continued success and maintaining our fitness.

Yoga

Yoga is considered holistic therapy with the purpose of creating strength, awareness, balance, and harmony within the mind and body. There are many disciplines of this exercise method, one of the most popular being Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga focuses on physical applications to strengthen the body along with exercises to center the mind. This practice also emphasizes proper nutrition to detoxify the body and breathing techniques supporting relaxation.

Yoga includes physical posturing to strengthen the body, increase flexibility, promote relaxation, and enhance our concentration. Research indicates yoga is a safe way to exercise to improve physical function along with mental and social well-being. It’s also indicated to help with stress-relief, improved energy, and vitality. 

Closing thoughts:

Regular exercise is an important part of achieving and maintaining our health and fitness. The great news is we have options in what works best for us, our bodies, and individual goals. Research indicates strength, aerobic, and flexibility training should be included in a well-balanced exercise program. Providing this variety is something to keep in mind while planning the best workout routine for you. Many individuals opt to include a supplement program along with their exercise routine. Certain supplements, such as whey protein, are shown to benefit workout recovery. This or other supplements can also be beneficial but it’s always a good idea to discuss with your doctor.

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The Biggest Mistake You're Making in the Gym

When you walk into any fitness center, where do you see the most people? Most likely they're all crowded around the treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. The common misconception is that you can achieve the body that you want and get in great shape by spending half an hour to an hour doing "cardio."

Day after day, thousands of people slave away on the cardio machines, many of whom are watching Gossip Girls or reading a book.

Look, as long as you're getting your butt off of the couch, I'm happy for you. Really. My goal, however, is to help you maximize your time in the gym. If you are one of these people who fits the description above, I'm willing to bet you haven't really seen the results you've wanted.

I'm not really a fan of steady-state cardio sessions. If you like to go for a long run every once in a while, that's great, but it shouldn't be the only thing you're doing in the gym.

Don't be like these guys...

If you want a more shredded and resilient physique, though, then you need to do the following: interval training and weight training. That's it. That's the secret sauce. Someone who is "fit" should be ready to take on any task at hand. He should be fast, strong, and powerful. Fitness is reading Game of Thrones on the elliptical for forty five minutes.

Interval training is one of the most effective ways to build lean body mass and improve your overall athleticism. There are countless different types of intervals, but here are some suggestions (you can do these with any activity, whether it be rowing, burpees, running, etc.):

1. 10 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off (work up to decreasing the rest time as you improve)
2. 4 rounds of 1 minute of work, 2 minutes of rest
3. 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest (called a "Tabata" interval)

These are a few of my favorites.

Strength training is important and necessary for...everyone. Yep. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Everyone should get stronger. Besides, being strong is awesome.

Let's say you're moving into a new apartment, and you need to move heavy boxes up the stairs. Strength training will prepare you for damn near everything. I can't really think of one situation in which being stronger isn't helpful.

You're not only strengthening your muscles with weight training, though--you're also strengthening your tendons, your bones and your ligaments, making you more resilient. If you want to avoid broken bones and osteoporosis (which I imagine you would), then you need to lift weights.

I'm certainly not telling you to quit your steady state cardio. I know that some people love a leisurely run. I think a great program is one that makes you well-rounded. If you want to become fitter and more resilient, then strength training and sprints should be a part of your regular routine. Step off of the elliptical and pick up some dumbbells.

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New year - New You! Tips to help you develop your plan to get fit in 2014

New Year New YOU!  - Helping you develop your plan to GET FIT!
So here we again with the start of 2014.  What is going to make this year different from last?  You are.  You are not only going to set goals, you are going to develop a plan to achieve those goals.

Like most people, you are probably making goals to get fit, eat better and improve your overall health.  To make this happen, you need to get specific.  How are you going to more fit?  How are you going to eat better?  How are you going to improve your overall health?

Start with getting fit -
You need to make a plan and stick to it with exercise.  Schedule it and don’t let anything interfere with that appointment.  EXERCISE SHOULD NONNEGOTIABLE – like showering and sleeping ( I am hopeful you do these daily!).  Your body needs regular activity to function at it’s peak.   If you are a person who constantly gets stuck at the office or have other factors keeping you from your scheduled exercise session, then you need to consider becoming a morning exerciser.  Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning are more than 60% more likely to still be exercising a year from now.  Why?  Because it becomes part of their day and nothing that happens later can interfere because you have already gotten it done.   
If you are tight on time, be sure you have a plan that includes time efficient exercise programs like metabolic training  and or / high intensity interval training.  Do not try to train for a half marathon or marathon if you only have 30 minutes a day to get in shape and DON”T BE FOOLED into thinking you have to exercise for an hour or more every day to get fit and improve your health ---research has shown time and time again that short, intense exercise sessions (between 20 and 40 minutes) are just as effective for getting in shape and burning fat as longer duration exercise sessions.
Be sure to take a balanced approach.  You need to include strength and endurance training along with cardio exercise to get the most benefit for your body and your health.

Don’t try to do too much too soon!  If you have not been active for a while and are very busy, a plan that has you exercising 7 days a week is more than likely not going to work.  Be realistic and begin by scheduling 4 days  / week for exercise consisting of 2 days of strength training and 2 days of cardio.  After that becomes routine, then try to add to this with more active days.  Always include at least 1 rest day per week for your body to recover.
 

Not sure where to begin?  There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming and confusing.  Call several trainers and interview them.  Tell them your personal fitness goals and time availability.  Find one that you can connect with (that’s why it’s called PERSONAL training).   Many trainers will design a program for you if you prefer to exercise on your own but need a plan and structure to follow.

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