There are many reasons why people start working out, they may include physical changes (such as getting more muscular or leaner), because of health conditions, or even for the feeling of doing something good for yourself.

What that in mind, I’ll talk to you about how to design your workout program to meet your goals and needs.  First you must determine what your goal is, it could be to get better at a certain sport, or to lose weight.  This will dictate the amount of cardio, repetition range, and exercises to perform.  Not only does it stop there, but you’ll also have to make changes to your diet to help you achieve the desired effect.

I’ll give you three difference scenarios and how to best approach them.

1.  You want to play hockey and become a faster and stronger player.

The best way to approach the goal here is to start with core strength.  There is really not need on trying to develop individual body parts, but rather the idea is to build up the core strength, which includes doing compound exercises and abdominal workouts paired with high intensity interval training with cardio.  This will allow you to build enough strength to be able to overpower your opponents without having to bulk up too much and get heavy.  At the same time your cardio will be done with explosive intensity to prepare you for the similar cardio requirements of a hockey game.  Your diet will consist of your normal protein intake as well as a moderate amount of carbohydrates to fuel you, particularly before working out and hockey games.

2.  The second scenario is one where you want to lose weight.

In this scenario you need to be concentrating on cardio with some time in the weight room as well.  I’m assuming that you are 20 lbs. overweight and haven’t gone to a gym before.  In this case you begin on the cardio machines slowly, trying to find a balance between challenge and entertainment.  You don’t want to push too hard the first few months in the gym anyways.  You could be prone to injuries when you are new, and that could prove to be a huge setback to your goals.  Weights should be done in the form of circuit training, in other words you are working out all of your body parts rather than focusing on one body part such as chest, legs, or back during each training session.  Cardio should be around 45 minutes and your circuit training should be about 15.  Carbohydrates should be closely watched and consumed in a restrained fashion.  No cheat meals here, folks.

3.  In our third scenario, the individual wants to get bigger, muscular, and gain weight.

Our program here won’t have too much cardio involved, we’ll need those calories.  In this case, we’re going for power and muscle building sets in the gym which means that the rep range for these workouts are in the 4-8 range.  Particularly when going as low as four reps per set, you know that it’s going to be heavy weight that you’re lifting.  It’s a good idea to have a spotter with you for most workouts since there is a danger of dropping weights on yourself.  Your diet should consist of good complex carbohydrates as well as the standard intake of protein.

While these examples are simple, what you can take from this is that all facets of a workout and nutritional program change depending on your needs, and for the most part those workout routines that you find on the back of magazines aren’t tailored enough to be any more useful that just as a guideline.  There are endless possibilities on what would work depending on goals, metabolic rates, workout styles, body types, etc. to be able to give a certain program for a certain condition.  You or your personal trainer is going to have to adapt each program with those requirements in mind.

F. Martinez

The beauty of working out and fitness is that you can do it virtually anywhere anytime.  The problem comes though when it’s time to choose what approach you are actually going to take. Should you the plunge and create your own gym at your home or should you should join the gym? The answer comes down to two simple things: use and budget.

The use of the gym is reflected on your level of fitness.  If you are an advanced athlete you will probably be using almost all of the machines in a well equipped gym.  Hence, you would need a wide array of machines and weights in order to accommodate your training style.  If you are just starting off you could probably get away with just a basic set-up.  To simplify things, the newer you are to fitness, the less specialized equipment you will need.

This leads me to the second point, which is budget.  Your needs and budget are closely intertwined when equipping your gym.  If your budget doesn’t allow you to purchase enough equipment to allow you to meet your fitness requirements then you obviously should simply purchase a gym membership.  In the best case scenario, your budget is unlimited to you have the ability to purchase all of the machines that you require.

There are other factors that weight in as well when making the choice.  Some people prefer the environments that gym offer.  It may help you boost your competitiveness in your training regimens.  On the other hand others may hate it.  Many enjoy the convenience that home gyms offer.  A good balance would be a gym pass, some basic weights, and treadmill for cardio work.  That way you can go to the gym most of the time, and hop into your home gym when you don’t have time or will to hit the gym.

F. Martinez

I wrote a few weeks ago that timing your rest periods between sets in the gym is important.  This leads me to today’s topic which is intensity in the gym.  Intensity in the gym means that you are training with focus, proper weight, proper technique, proper program design, and proper rest periods.  I’m going to address each one for you so that you can get the most out of your time in the gym.

Proper weight:  Proper weight means that you are challenged in the gym with the weight that you are lifting.  For example, if your repetition range is to be 8 to 10, then you should be hitting those targets.  You shouldn’t be able to do 25 reps.  This means that you are going way too light.  At the end of each set you should feel the muscles that you worked out.  Alternatively, you should be able to hit the minimum.  If you have the same target but can only bump out 3 reps, then you need to lose the ego and drop the weight to something more realistic.

Focus:  When you’re in the gym, you are there to workout.  Forget talking to your friends and wasting your time.  Focus at the task at hand and save the rest for before and after the gym.

Proper technique:  Proper lifting technical is important to make the most out of your workouts and prevent injuries.  If you lift too much weight you will struggle as your body will look to lift the weight whichever way possible.  This will hamper your improvements in the gym, and may possible cause joint and muscular injury that can set you back weeks or months in the gym.

Proper program design:  This means that you are in the gym with the purpose of attacking several muscle group in a row with a set out plan.  The worst thing besides not showing up is showing up and not knowing what to do.  You would probably be best to ask a professional for help and with proper guidance you will see that your improvements in the gym will be faster.

Proper rest periods:  Depending on the amount of reps that you are doing, typically the lower the number of reps the higher the weight and the higher the time that you need in between sets.  You will want to limit your time in between sets anywhere from 10 seconds up to about 3 minutes, on average.  It is important to respect these rest periods between the sets to keep the intensity up.  You don’t want to do a light set and then sit down for ten minutes in between each set talking to your friend or watching one of the tv’s in the gym.

F. Martinez

There are three types of people in the gym, there are the people that socialize, the people that think they’re training, and the people that are actually training. The first two types of people think they’re having success in the gym but the last type of person is going for failure, but by going to failure they actually achieve success.

Confused yet? Let me explain.

When I’m in the gym, I push every set to the best of my abilities. I concentrate on each repetition, that builds each set, which builds each circuit, which builds each day of exercise. This means that every time you’re in the gym, you need to actually make your body work. It means that you actually have to challenge yourself. Going back to that failure thing: That means that if your target amount of reps is 8 or 12, you should just barely be able to get to that target. If your target is 8 reps but you end up doing 25 reps, you are going too light.

In other words, you goal in the gym is to push yourself to failure (with proper form, of course) and by doing that your body will respond by adjusting to that work load.

Here are some tips to make your workouts harder:
1. Use proper form.
2. Slow your movement speed.
3. Increase your range of motion during each repetition.
4. Increase weight.
5. Increase repetitions.
6. Increase the number of sets.
7. Increase the number of exercise.
8. Decrease rest time between sets.
9. Do two different exercises targeting the same muscle back to back.
10. Train with genuine concentration.

F. Martinez

As I look outside my window,I see nothing but snow and ice.  This vastness of white could easily be mistaken for Alaska, or Antarctica for that matter.  Most mortals would just bundle up, stay at home, and forget the gym; and rightfully so, however, I am not of this breed.  I am of the type that goes to the gym through ice and blistering cold.  You can be like this too, the type that makes no excuses and makes the gym as much a part of the day as taking a shower or brushing your teeth.

Here are some tips to help you get there:

1.  Set out clear goals.

2.  Set out a timeline for your goals.  Make sure that your goals are realistic.

3.  Hire a personal trainer.  Knowing that you are paying someone to get you in shape will motivate you to get in the gym.

4.  Tell people that you’re working out.  That way you put a little pressure on yourself to deliver.  It will also help you avoid people that could otherwise be detrimental to your progress in the gym, such as drinking buddies or other bad influences.

5.  Write an online blog.

6.  Check your progress weekly.  Seeing your weight drop will keep you coming back for more.

7.  Upload your favourite tunes on an mp3 player and bring it to the gym with you, the music will help keep you pumped.

8.  Appreciate yourself.

9.  Get a training partner.  Workout with someone that goes into the gym at the same time as you, with a family member, or with a friend.

10.  Just do it.

F. Martinez