fit tips
EveryBody with Keith Glines
a time and a place for that . The time to work hard is when your body is ready to work hard . It ’ s when you ’ ve prepared yourself to work hard . It ’ s the result of consistently working at a lower “ intensity ” level so that your body can tolerate the stress of the exercise . There ’ s something called a Rating of Perceived Exertion ( RPE ) scale . Typically , you want to stay between a 4-8 on a scale of 1-10 ( 1 = very easy , and 10 = very hard ). When beginning an exercise program , you want to stay at the lower end of the scale . As you gain stamina and your body begins to tolerate the stress of exercise , then you can start to increase the intensity higher and higher . Exceeding an 8 on the RPE scale tends to increase the risk of injury , and most people can ’ t sustain the exercise long enough to gain any benefits ( this has to do with the physiology of our energy systems and what we use as fuel sources ).
That standard holds true with aerobic exercise as well as strength training . There ’ s no need to try to lift as much as you possibly can every time you come to the gym . Muscles respond to stress . Even if you don ’ t hit your maximum lift each time you come , you ’ re still putting in the work , and your muscles , bones , and nervous system will adapt over time . Remember that when you reach your goal , your work isn ’ t done ! Fitness / health isn ’ t a destination . It ’ s a constant journey that has it ’ s ups and downs , challenges and rewards . Stick to it and stay within the current capabilities of your body !
“ AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN ’ T KNOW WHAT THEY ’ RE DOING ?”
Definitely not ! Most people don ’ t know what they ’ re doing when they come to work out . There are people that have read articles and try the exercises , or they ’ ve worked out with a sports team they played on in the past , or they watch other people work out and do what they do . The issue with these methods is that they may not address the specific issues , history , goals , etc . that you have . It doesn ’ t mean these things are inherently bad , but it doesn ’ t mean they ’ re good either . If you ’ re going to spend the time exercising , doesn ’ t it make sense to do the movements and apply stress to your body in the specific way that YOU need ?
There is no such thing as a good exercise and there ’ s no such thing as a bad exercise . There are simply exercises . I would say that there are appropriate exercises for people and there are inappropriate exercises for people . If you hear someone say “ everyone should do exercise A ,” then I would move on and find someone else to listen to . Exercise
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‘ A ’ is not appropriate for everyone ! It might be appropriate for someone , and that someone might be you , but it might not be . I ’ m going to say it again because I believe it ’ s that important . Refer to a personal trainer to find out what you should or shouldn ’ t be doing . Don ’ t waste your time on exercises that aren ’ t going to be the best use of your time !
“ DO I LOOK AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS I FEEL ?”
The honest answer here is . . . probably ! You might even look more uncomfortable than you feel . But my advice is to stop thinking about how you look and think more about what you ’ re doing . There ’ s a really good reason I say that . If you focus on what you ’ re doing ; the muscles that you ’ re supposed to be working ; the tempo that you ’ re moving ; and what you ’ re feeling , you won ’ t have the chance to think about how uncomfortable you feel .
The importance of thinking about these things can ’ t be over-emphasized . First of all , it increases the chances of you using proper form and technique during an exercise . If you ’ re randomly swinging a weight , machine , or handle of some sort around , you ’ re probably not doing it correctly . For example , the chest press is called a chest press for a reason . Do you sit on the machine / bench and just push the bar or handles forward ( away from your body ) or do you think about contracting your chest muscles and using them to pull your arms forward , ultimately exerting enough force on the handles / bar to move it ? Which one of those sounds like a better use of your time ? Which sounds like a better environment for your body to operate under ?
Secondly , focusing on what you ’ re doing increases the amount the muscles are working without having to increase the load on your body . If you continue to increase the amount of resistance ( weight ) and “ just swing the weight around ,” then you are most likely placing a lot of stress on your joints in a way that you ( probably ) don ’ t intend . That might be okay for the short-term , but long-term exposure to excess force and high levels of joint stress can lead to injuries of the muscle ( muscle strains and pulls ), connective tissue ( cartilage damage ), and bone ( arthritis ). By focusing on what you ’ re doing and controlling the motion , contracting the intended muscles , and controlling the weight , you can get more out of an exercise with less weight ( if you ’ re caught up in the numbers and need to lift a certain amount of weight , you can still think about contracting the target muscles . Try it , you won ’ t be disappointed ; you may not be able to lift as much weight , but your joints will thank you !).
Another benefit to having a specific intention with your exercise is mental . I don ’ t mean that it ’ s all in your head ! There are too many things to think about while you exercise ( muscle contraction , tempo , etc .) to be concerned with the problems of everyday life . If you ’ re thinking about the argument you just had with your coworker , then you ’ re not getting everything you can out of your workout . If you ’ re wondering if you paid your credit card bill on time , you ’ re not focused on the muscles that should be working during an exercise . By focusing your efforts in the gym , you ’ re able to leave your other problems behind . It doesn ’ t take those problems away , but it does give you time to think about something else ( not to mention all of the positive health benefits to your brain that come with exercising !).
“ HOW DID THESE PEOPLE GET IN SUCH GOOD SHAPE ?”
Consistency is the key ! There are some people that come to work out every day . Some people can only fit it into their schedule one to two times per week . For other people , a few minutes here and a few minutes there are all they can fit in . It doesn ’ t matter which category you fit into ; doing it consistently is the way you will get to your goal .
Our bodies are great adapters . When we place them under some stress , they will respond and adapt . For example , if you go from one job where you sit all day long to a job that requires standing all day , your body adapts . At first , your legs are going to get sore , your feet will get tired , and you ’ re going to feel exhausted by the end of the day , but after doing this for a few weeks , you finish your day without feeling like you ran a marathon . Your body adapts to the different stress you placed on it . There was a new stress that , at one point , was too much for your body , but now it has become the norm .
The same is true for exercise . That ’ s why I recommend starting with just a little stress more than you ’ re used to . Make adjustments in small increments and let your body adapt a little bit at a time . Your body will adjust a little at a time , and little by little , you ’ ll take steps toward your goal , resolution , etc . After a while , you ’ ll realize that you ’ re able to do more , exercises are feeling easier , activities of daily life are getting easier , and you ’ re having to think about setting new goals !
Remember , we ’ re all different ! Don ’ t think that you should be able to do what the person next to you is doing . Do what you ’ re capable of doing and do it consistently . Increase in small increments and embrace small steps . Ask for help from a trainer ; we love helping people , but we don ’ t know that you need help unless you ask !