Okay, When it comes to workouts, Just stop chasing a feeling. I have mentioned this many times before to people I talk to and Clients this.. ANYONE can make you extremely sweaty and feel like you want to run outside or to a bin to puke up during a workout…
It really isn’t very Difficult to do that.. Hey I have had New clients almost do this even with just the basic movement patterns..
But when it comes to your given a workout that contains: AMRAP snatches in 8 mins, run 50 sprints, do 100 burpees, do 40/50 Kcal on ski erg, then jump up and down on a box 50 times. (PLEASE DON’T ACTUALLY DO THIS) - You will probably want to die after this or even during…
Please Note: Olympic Lifting in an AMRAP format (As Many Reps As Possible)... May be fun/competitive... But is not an effective training method that results in optimal progression.
Does that mean it was a good workout?? Far Far from it..
This type of training really needs to change (Unfortunately it probably won’t)
But going after an arbitrary "calorie shed" on your heart rate display is truly simply marketing Crap. “Burn or Melt 1000 calories!" sells a lot more compared to “get stronger, feel great, and lean up over the next 6 months to a year".
Initially, the "calories shed" of a workout is really just a function of you age, sex, and also heart rate during a workout-- as produced by whatever HR monitor you use. It can be a good indication of effort put into a workout, but still, it’s not the tell tail proof needed of calling a workout good or bad.
This type of justification is popularised by certain TV shows that did lots of unhealthy things to get people to lose weight super fast… and we all know where most of those people are
now…
This was just recently Televised on Channel 4in the Uk, ’Super Slimmers’
Also,
when now there is a whole physical therapy/rehab industry based on fixing the broken bodies from a certain Brand/system of 'cross' training”……wouldn't that make you second guess your choice to do random, unspecified, cookie cutter (no individualised) workouts of the day?
Just Remember this… Training should NEVER injure you, or break your body down to the point where you have to tape, floss, and make continual visits to a physical therapist to FIX what has become 'broken' from training.
Training is meant to IMPROVE you - fix your movement, get you ready for performance in sport OR make your quality of life BETTER.
How is constantly being INJURED doing that?
Thats subject is for a whole other rant..LOL
Anyway..
What is your goal?
Want to lose inches? Take measurements and track your food. If you lose inches and maintain muscle – chances are you are doing things right.
Want to get stronger? Then monitor your weights used over time and see if you get stronger. Here’s a “secret” – if you are getting stronger, you are likely creating more muscle and muscle burns calories when you are just sitting around better than fat does…so do that.
Instead of chasing the feeling of being completely exhausted and weak after a workout, chase the results over time.
While diet will play a HUGE role in any type of compositional change – your workouts also matter. Train for strength and mange your diet accordingly is really the best way to go about things.
I have been seeing some great results with a lot of my female clients especially who have “bought in” to the idea of strength training, and frankly – training more like bodybuilders – for muscular hypertrophy. They aren’t getting bulky, or manly looking as many will still tell you – but are getting strong and tight in all the right places, and losing body fat at a great rate.
Here’s what should happen, they leave the gym feeling GOOD. Not crawling out like a puddle of a person, and sometimes they hardly break a sweat (there is always some by the end, but not the dripping, puddle forming, holy crap I might puke kind of sweat)
While this may sound like I am anti-high intensity training, Circuits or bootcamp – it is not quite that simple.
I have nothing wrong with these types of workouts, I still mix them in with my workouts with clients BUT this has to be done appropriately and accordingly.
If all you do is plyometrics, jumping, running, and explosive work – your body can become worn down, joints brutalised, and central nervous system fatigued out. Particularly if you are on an some caloric deficit diet.
You have to take some time to STRENGTHEN your muscles, joints and connective tissues to withstand that kind of beating if that is what you are into.
So this gets me to my next point – when you have to be lifting weights for strength – do just that. Strength training is for strength, cardio is for cardio – keep it that way and in that order (most of the time)
Don’t hurry through a set of Deadlifts, squats or bench presses those are meant to create strength and essentially cause a little micro trauma to the muscles. That's how we get stronger. Focus on the AIM of the exercise and FEEL the muscles working. Slow down the tempo, feel each rep, and squeeze the muscle that is being worked.
Yes things like dumbbell combination/complexes, and kettlebell work is a little of both, and that's great. But you will get so much more out of a lift when you FOCUS on the intent within the muscle, rather than trying to fly through your reps.
Okay this got blog post has got a little ranty, but the one thing I want everyone to take from it is this:
Rather than chasing a feeling; chase a result. Have a plan, know what you are going to do when you set foot into the gym, do it right.
Lift your weights with purpose and with some goal in mind, go fast when you are supposed to sprint, and control what you are supposed to control.
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