Tag: results

Less may be more…with reps!

Less may be more…with reps!

I was finishing up my workout last night and began thinking about how many people choose to focus on the number of reps they do rather than the form of their rep.  Proper form is very important, and I would go as far to say it is vital to a successful workout regime.  I will use crunches as an example, but push-ups, squats, and lunges are other exercises that are also great examples of how using improper or incorrect form can hurt you rather than aid you in your fitness goals.  So, let’s consider 100 crunches as your goal.  You decide that 100 is a great, solid number and after several years of pushing yourself hard in the cardio room you feel it is time to work on your strength and core by doing crunches.  You begin doing bicycle crunches where you rotate your legs inward and outward as you do your crunch (see the picture below if you are having a hard time visualizing what a bicycle crunch is).  You get to 40 crunches easily, but after 40 you start getting tired yet you continue struggling and forcing yourself through the reps to get to 100.  After pushing yourself through the reps you feel accomplished, but you also recognize that your muscles weren’t actually working at the end like they were at the beginning because you weren’t able to push your arms as close to your knees as you should have due to exhaustion.  This is where bad form is actually hurting you because it is no longer working your muscles in the way that they should be working if you do the exercise in the correct form.  My suggestion and advice is to remember not to do 100 crunches unless you can actually do 100 proper form crunches.  If you cannot do 100 proper form crunches then it is better to do the number that you can do maintaining the correct form.  If you can only do 40 proper form crunches then do 40 proper form crunches rather than 100 crunches with 60 crunches being in poor form.  It is better to build yourself up over time by starting with the number of crunches you can do using proper form and adding increments of 10 reps over time.

My point is if you aren’t where you want to be yet, you soon will be and using the proper form to get there will be much better and will get you there faster than doing improper form because you are playing a “numbers game” in your head.  Remember quality OVER quantity in your workout will help you see your results faster and maintain them over time.

Why is that?  This is because you are using your muscles properly and efficiently, which allows them to be stretched and strengthened in ways that help condition them over time.  In other words, the proper form is ensuring that you maximize your results.  Thus, without the proper form, the muscles you are seeking to improve don’t get worked properly, the muscles become overly tired and lose the correct form, and you don’t make a lasting effect on the body muscles you are working.

So, with that, consider your FORM every single time you are doing crunches, squats, lunges, and push-ups so that you are doing the proper form and thus maximizing your results when you exercise.  After all, if you aren’t using the correct form, the only person you are cheating is yourself because your results won’t be the results you want to see and feel.

~jj

Breathing fuels your muscles, so practice breathing!

Breathing fuels your muscles, so practice breathing!

Last week when I was working out, I was thinking about how important and helpful it is to know what breathing pattern works best for your body, which highly depends on the person and the exercise. If you understand the importance of your breathing during exercise, you will be more likely to succeed and get through your workout.  It’s something that I have practiced before (as odd as that may sound) because without proper breathing you cannot fully conquer a workout.  Working out is as much about breathing as it is getting your heart rate up and moving your body because breathing fuels your muscles and keeps your body going during your workout.

Here are a few tips on breathing that will help you get through your workout more efficiently.  See the chart below for a visual that will help explain the process of how and why breathing matters during your workout.

1. Remember that breathing gives your muscles the energy they need to keep up with the pace, speed, and challenge of your workout.  Think of it like this: similar to consuming food to keep your body going and nourished, breathing keeps your muscles going when active.  Putting junk food such as chips, cookies, sugary drinks, etc into your body makes your body feel lethargic, energy deprived, and lazy while breathing poorly such as taking shallow or short breaths, holding your breath, or not breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth when you exercise does the same thing to your muscles that poor eating does to your body.  It makes it harder for your muscles to get through the workout just like junk food makes it harder for your body to function properly and can create problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, and other health related problems.  If you do not practice breathing properly you can face shortness of breath during exercise, asthmatic symptoms, fainting, dizziness, or even headaches.

Breathing (Deep, steady breaths)  Energy to fuel muscles  Assists YOU with keeping steady, consistent pace Helps challenge and push you farther See better results over time

2. Deep breathing. Find your breathing pattern and what will work best for you during your workout.  The best way to do this is to practice breathing at your normal, resting heart rate to recognize how fast, slow, deep, or shallow your breaths are.  Then, consider taking deep breaths which help get more oxygen to your muscles.  It is important to be aware of how you breath because this will help you feel more at ease when you exercise as well as ensure you have enough energy to continue through your workout without experiencing dizziness, headaches, or even fainting.  Realize that it can often times be a learning curve to change your breathing pattern so be patient.  Lastly, as a quick tip, if you ever get to a point where you feel you have reached the peak of your workout or need a quick dose of energy, sometimes taking one big deep breath will help you regain momentum to push forward.

3. Breathing patterns can change based on the type and intensity of the exercise and workout you are performing.  For example, cardio workouts will require a more rigorous breathing pattern to keep up with the movement, speed, and intensity of your workout.  In yoga, you can practice breathing that is similar to mediation and slow breathing techniques that will have a calming effect on your mind and body.  Keep this in mind while working out so that you are getting the maximum benefits during your workout (i.e. burning max calories during cardio workouts and gaining ease and relaxation during yoga workouts).  These are just examples, there are many other types of workouts that you can adjust your breathing for based on the speed, length, intensity, and movement.

It may seem hard to believe that something as involuntary and regular to us as breathing can impact our workout so much, but proper breathing is key to help you maximize your results and maintain a safe workout.  Shall I say, happy breath-ercising?

~jj

Small progress should make you happy!

Small progress should make you happy!

Small progress may be frustrating, but small progress is better than no progress, moving backwards, or having setbacks.  While you may wish to see more progress in terms of weight loss, muscle tone and definition, or in your energy level, remember that progress takes time, especially when it comes to changing your habits and body.  It is safest to see slow, steady results that are consistent and maintained over time.

Changing your habits and making changes to your body through exercise and nutrition can take time (and should take time).  Quick weight loss and sudden food changes such as eliminating caffeine, sugar, or carbohydrates may not only be dangerous, but also may present side effects including mood changes, increased anxiety and stress levels, or even could be harmful if you have rapid weight loss in a short period of time.

It is important to be happy with small milestones as those add up and help you achieve your overarching fitness and nutrition goals.  So as you workout and make fitness and nutrition goals (see Fitness and nutrition goals to the rescue!) remember that your small progress should be motivation to keep you going and further your desire to see your end result.  My boyfriend likes to sign up for 5ks as a goal to work toward for himself and is now signed up for a half marathon in October.  It is a great goal and is something that he can slowly train for.  He signed up for the half marathon in April to give himself plenty of time to train and work up to the 13.1 miles he will be running.  Setting large goals for yourself that are 3-6 months or more out is great because it allows you to slowly make progress over time.  For example, my boyfriend can set a goal of running 3.5 miles for 3-4 weeks (he can already do that because that’s about the distance of 5ks) followed by increasing his distance to half of the marathon of about 6.5 miles and do that for about 2-3 weeks and then do three fourths of the race by increasing to about 9.75 miles for 2-3 weeks and then do the full 13.1 miles for at least one week.  This is just an example, so do what you feel the most comfortable with and works best for you based on your fitness level and experience.

Just remember that building yourself up by slowly making progress over time is much healthier than pushing yourself too hard in a short period, losing weight rapidly, or cutting out food or food groups too quickly.  Small progress is not only great progress, but will make life less stressful over time and is proven to make it easier to maintain and sustain.

~jj

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