It’s interesting what you see when you go
to a fitness facitility. Most people just don’t get it. They spend an hour or so “at the gym”. Here’s a brief summary of what I’ve seen;
Walking the track 25 %
Jogging the track 13 %
Running the track 2 %
Treadmill/Cross trainer 20 %
Weight Lifting-Light 15 %
Weight Lifting-Heavy 10 %
Stretching 5 %
Of this, only about 20% of the people are
meeting Health Canada’s guidelines of moderate exercise. That is, working hard
enough to meet the requirements for physical activity. Unless you are just starting out, have an
injury, or cooling down, walking the track is not considered exercise.
It will take over 50 minutes of running at
10 minute mile (6 miles per hour) to burn the same number of calories that’s in a Big Mac or Wendy’s Bacon Classic.
No matter what your level you must get your
heart rate up as you progress. You MUST
sweat and you MUST be out of breath. A
good indication is the talk test. If you
can talk with ease while exercising then you are NOT working hard enough.
Yet most just go through the motions. It’s no wonder that most people give up
after a month or two, or, see little or no progress.
Here are some things I noticed that you
should NOT do if you want to get the best out of your time at the gym:
Women:
-Stop working out on the adductor and
abductor machines. Unless you already
have a great, toned body you are wasting your time.
-Grabbing 5 lb dumbbells and doing
countless bicep curls will not cut it.
- Doing endless situps or using abdominal
or back extension machines for your core.
Men:
- Performing Seated Cable Back Rows and
using momentum to move that heavy weight.
Cut the weight back, stabilize the core and focus on using your back –
you’ll see much better gains.
- Bouncing the Bar off your chest as you do
bench presses, grunting all the way.
Impressive, you take all the weight off the
chest and place it on the shoulders.
Won’t be long before injury sets in….
Parents:
Taking your kids to the gym to
“show” them a thing or two. Most parents
mean well but show improper technique and useless exercises. This in time
result in poor posture and even worse, injury. Leave it to a trainer. Unless they are in their mid-teens, stick to game play.
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, you
need to be AWARE. Are YOU aware of
where you are and what you need to accomplish your fitness goals? As you get older, the more you need to
exercise – not less. Fortunately, most Dynabods get it. And , if you don’t believe me - Ask
a Centurian!
