Starting out
Once it has been established that you are in proper condition for physical activity you must find an exercise regiment that is safe and effective. Many of you might be entirely new to fitness, in this case I will generally recommend body weight exercises. If you find these too difficult to preform you can begin with resistance bands, or a combination of body weight exercises and resistance bands. In some cases I will use machines with clients who are new to fitness. I seldom prescribe free weight exercises until I can determine if the individual has an adequate amount of flexibility.
Don't over complicate things!
Often I have clients who ask about complicated training regiments or exercises, in my experience these are generally not needed for someone relatively new to fitness. The best route is to focus on basic movements to develop a certain amount of muscular endurance and strength, in addition to improving flexibility. Balancing these different facets of fitness will ensure the continued health and safety of the trainee.
Train with ITENSITY!
Often I have clients who become self conscious or uncomfortable when they start sweating, when in reality this is a sign that you're working hard enough! Don't be afraid to work hard and sweat a little bit, you're on the right track. You will only improve by pushing yourself. To train with intensity is not a reason to train foolishly; you must always train within your limits by using an appropriate resistance and exercises that you are capable of doing.
Become an educated consumer.
To be blunt, there's a lot of garbage being touted as health foods these days. I even saw in the news recently a diet of strictly twinkies that was being promoted for weight loss – Don't believe the hype! If you eat less calories than you consume, you will loose weight, regardless of whether you are eating candy or healthy foods. However, if you choose the former, can you imagine how deprived of nutrients you would become? In order for your body to thrive you must have a health balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. I don't neglect any of these macronutrients because they all have an important role.
Don't do it to yourself, it's just not worth it!
Firstly, let's take a look at protein. Protein's reputation is such that only muscle bound athletes need to consume it. This is not true! Protein has a number of benefits, including increasing your metabolism. Yes, simply eating foods high in protein will naturally raise you metabolism and help you burn more calories! Also, it is very satiating which helps you stay full longer between meals – this is because it takes the body longer to break down compared to carbs or fats. You don't have to eat a ridiculous amount of meat in order to get an adequate amount of protein either. With the convenience of whey protein achieving a satisfactory amount of protein is a lot easier, whey protein is a powder that you can easily mix with water, yogurt, oatmeal, and a number of other combinations to create a quick and easy snack!
Next let's take a look at carbohydrates – there's a lot of confusing information about carbohydrates out there currently. If you grew up in the 80s I'm sure you remember that carbs were considered the staples of any diet; bread and grains were even at the bottom of the food pyramid, with a suggested 6-8 servings a day! Now I'm not saying bread and grains are bad for you, but these need to be consumed in moderation in my opinion. Other sources of carbohydrates like whole grains, beans and legumes are also very good alternatives because they don't spike your insulin levels. Heavy spikes in insulin will make your body more prone to store fat, and if you're looking to improve your body composition we don't want that!
Lastly, let's discuss fats. There's a lot of fat free foods laced with sugar that are considered a healthy alternative to sweets, or that they are okay to eat regularly, because they don't have fat. This is not the case! Here is something many of my readers and clients have found ground breaking, or at least very surprising -- fat is actually not always the cause of gaining weight or becoming fat! This truth might be especially surprising to those who grew up during the 80s when fat was considered evil.
Well, here's the raw deal, sugar is the cause of diabetes and obesity. I encourage clients to create a diet that consists of lean meats, plenty of vegetables, and complex carbohydrates in moderation, ie sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, ect. Also, ingredients such as cheese, guacamole, nuts, olive oil aren't bad at all, these sources of fat are generally heart healthy and have a decent amount of protein. This isn't a free pass to smother your food with cheese. Like most things in life, moderation is key.
That's it for now stay tuned for more tips and thoughts on fitness!
Yours truly,
Andrew Bora
