So you want to get in shape but don’t know where to start?  Lose weight, start running, maybe pump some iron?  Which one first?  All at the same time?  Are machine exercises bad for me?  That’s what all the training gurus out there seem to be saying, right?

Some facts to start with:

1. Losing weight rapidly and/or without exercise, especially strength training, leads to the loss of muscle weight which leads to a slower metabolism and what we call “skinny fat”!
2. Strength training done right will have more of a positive impact on your health and daily activities than any form of exercise.
3. Strength training on machines like Cybex and LifeFitness equipment is still a scientifically valid, PROVEN, and beneficial part of your exercise program.
4. Strength training with ropes, pulleys, tires, sledge hammers, free weights, balance balls, medicine balls, body weight, and a variety of other forms is also a fantastic and fun part of any training program.
5. The  basic fundamentals of strength training apply no matter what type of equipment you are using for your exercise.  These fundamentals are:

Progressive Overload: The difficulty of an exercise must gradually increase or the body will stop adapting and you will see no change.  If you wish to mainain a particular area of fitness this is fine.

There are several factors that work together to determine the outcome of an exercise.  This is where the science of training becomes critical.  Working hard is the easy part of any program design.  Knowing how to make that hard work effective and safe is why trainers go to school, spend years with hands on learning, and take the certifications that they take.

Other factors that require constant planning and smart change are:

The load or resistance or difficulty level of a given exercise

The number of repetitions or length of time that an exercise is performed

The number of sets performed of each exercise

The amount of rest between sets of each exercise

The type of exercise you use.  The popular thing today is to change exercises every workout to create “muscle confusion”.  This is a principle based more on our cultural ADHD than on science.

Bottom Line:

When you are hiring a trainer to work with you, please carefully evaluate their level of education, their years of training experience, their certifications, and most certainly speak with some of their clients and former employers.

If you have any questions about your current program or would like to speak with XcelFit about designing a program for you contact us using the form below.  You will receive no unsolicited email or ads.