Fitness Flash - Small Changes, Big Muscles
By Kathy Ostrander, MS Ed, ATC, BJC WellAware Center lead exercise physiologist and group exercise coordinator
BJC • Many gym-goers have found programs and exercises they enjoy doing and try to build a workout around those exercises. Unfortunately, when you stick with a program for too long - the same exercises, sets, reps, type or mode - your results will suffer.
If you've spoken with a personal trainer recently, he or she most likely offered ways to change your workout, regardless of how productive you think it is. It's the job of an exercise specialist to help you progress in regard to your overall health. That means the same program shouldn't be used for everyone, and the same program shouldn't be used for too long by anyone. Most workout programs are formed using general guidelines, but sometimes radical changes must be made to provide additional results and keep the mind and body fresh.
The human body is capable of adapting to a workout program in as little as four weeks, and some studies have shown strength improves when programs are changed daily. It may be a little extreme to try a new workout regimen every day, but it's not hard to change a few simple factors in your workout to produce better results. Try these tips to boost your results:
- Develop a plan of attack. Before you start your workout, write down everything that you plan to do. Arrange exercises so you can quickly move from one to the next if your goal is to promote muscle tone and burn fat. Arrange exercises so that you can get some extra rest (try supersets or tri-sets) if your goal is to build muscle and increase strength.
- Stick with a program for four to eight weeks. Most people - if they're properly stressing their muscles - will start to plateau (see only small gains) within six to eight weeks of using the same program.
- Schedule rest. It's often forgotten that results aren't achieved in the gym; they're achieved by rest and repair after your workout. Take a week off every six to eight weeks to allow for recovery of muscle, tendon, ligaments and other components of the joints. If you're just starting your exercise program, you can wait 12 weeks to rest - so you don't take a week off and quit completely. Recent research has shown that men who halved their training for one week each month boosted their strength by 29 percent.Schedule rest. It's often forgotten that results aren't achieved in the gym; they're achieved by rest and repair after your workout. Take a week off every six to eight weeks to allow for recovery of muscle, tendon, ligaments and other components of the joints. If you're just starting your exercise program, you can wait 12 weeks to rest - so you don't take a week off and quit completely. Recent research has shown that men who halved their training for one week each month boosted their strength by 29 percent.
- Get a personal trainer. Trainers like all of us at the BJC WellAware Center are able to figure out quickly what's best for you regarding your training program, or what changes or tweaks may help garner better results. We're used to working with many different types of people and can easily tailor a program to fit you. If you've never worked with a trainer, find someone in the gym who has and ask about how they invested in their health. At the BJC WellAware Center, an exercise specialist can review your current exercise program and evaluate it for free whenever you'd like.
- Find a workout partner. This is the next best thing to having a personal trainer. If you have someone to count on - who's also counting on you - you'll be more inclined to consistently exercise.
