The Truth About Your Health and Fitness

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Today I will speak about the proper format, structure, or intensity for your workouts.

It amazes me how many people I see in the gym.  Not breaking a sweat.  Not breathing hard.  In the gym for hours at a time.  And wonder why you are not seeing results.

If this is your first time reading my blog, I suggest reading over past blogs to review the 4 prior steps (i.e. 1.) Get Over The Fear 2.) Improve Flexibility 3.) Take Your Time 4.) Feel The Burn, Enjoy The Burn) to starting and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.

#5  Intensity + Time = Results.  A 30 minute workout with a maximum of 1 minute rest will make you very strong in the long run.  Pun intended.

Daily I look throughout the gym.  What do I see?  People working out taking 3, 4, 5 minute breaks, literally, during their workouts.  Pardon my laughing out loud.  As a trainer, researcher, and scientist, I frequently ask myself.  What are they thinking?  What have they been reading?  Who have they been talking to?

If I say, and sometimes I do.  “Next set please, you are taking up one machine for 15 minutes” or “Its your turn, and I got next.”  Am I being rude or offensive?  Am I speaking for what’s best for the person training?

Intensity + Time.  “A workout, with intensity, is going to see results more quickly, and more often.  An intense workout engages your body and mind, a body part, or multiple parts of your body.  To live a healthy, active lifestyle, an intense workout lasts for 30 minutes up to a maximum of 50 minutes per workout.  Rest periods during this workout period should last 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute maximum.”

An intense workout will make you breathe deeply.  Using proper breathing technique will create more endurance during your workout.  Watch this video to learn more about proper breathing techniques during your workout.

Try it NOW.  Inhale oxygen in through the nose.  Fill the brain with oxygen.  Release the oxygen out your nose or mouth.  Breath deeply all day.  Do it all night.  Do it for no reason.  If you are not breathing deeply during your workout, your workout is not as intense as I would like.  Sorry.

Time.  If you are an everyday working person, not in an athletic competition,  you should workout intensely for 1 – 3 days per week maximum.  Why?  This is a lifestyle.  If you do more, you risk burn out.  Burn out because of your everyday activities.  Burn out because you did not allow yourself the proper time for your muscles to rest and recover.  The point is to remain active over time, lifestyle.  Working out five days or more will cause burn out, especially in the beginning stages.

#6 Get Quality Rest.  Your body needs rest to recover.  Quality rest time will prevent injuries.  Your body needs time to heal itself.  Quality rest time will prevent the over usage of your muscles.  Your body will endure because of quality rest time and quality deep breathes, simply.

Current research suggests, for an athlete, for every second you work, you rest one second, that is intense.  If you do not recognize by now, I want to turn you all into athletes.  I do not care what your age is.  I need a willing participant.  I do not care how athletic you were as a child.  Thank you.  I need a willing participant.  Second, I am going to re-write some of the current research.

Aaron Johnson Fit Club definition of an athlete is a person whose muscles and movements are strong and flexible all day long, as well as, during physical activity and exercise.  Wikipedia’s definition of an athlete is a person who is involved in athletics (sport), which involves track and field events, long distance, cross-country and road running, and racewalking.

If you stay tuned to my blog long enough, I will turn you into an athlete using both definitions.  You will be in the best shape physically and mentally.  You will feel the burn.  You will enjoy the burn.  It is a mentality.  You will make this a lifestyle, by choice.  Your body and the function of its parts will help you to start your mission, get through your mission, and complete your mission.

Stay tuned… #GetFitStayFit