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Negotiating Your Fitness Obstacles
by
Joe Senate, MSS
Almost everyone has been on a diet or belonged to a health club at one
time or another. So, why is it, according to
Frederick C. Hatfield Ph.D., that people are
failing to realize their fitness goals at a
rate of 80%?
Deciding to get in shape is definitely the
first step; however, the road to fitness is
fraught with potholes and detours. Enthusiasm
is great, but it will only get you to the gym.
From this point, knowledge or professional guidance
will be necessary to transcend the 80% who take
the wrong road.
First of all, let?s establish why we are starting
a fitness regimen. Longevity? ...Usually not.
Greater ease moving furniture?... Doubtful.
When asked why they want to start exercising,
my clients have invariably and euphemistically
answered "I want to feel better," which is a
roundabout way of saying they want to look better.
Although there are many factors that determine
feelings of self worth, without a doubt, looking
good is synonymous with feeling good. Most people?s
fitness training goals are cosmetic, and that?s
O.K.! This psychosocial phenomenon may seem
primal and antiquated but it is however, real.
It?s not politically correct to suggest that
looking "hot" is the best reason to exercise,
but the benefits of exercise are irrefutable
and the drawbacks of dubious exercise motivations
are innocuous.
There are four basic excuses I come across
that can sabotage an intent to get fit. In a
world where time is money, it has become en
vogue to say "I don?t have the time." Time is
budgeted by priority. We find time to perform
tasks that we see a consequence of not performing.
People find time to shower, brush their teeth,
blow dry their hair and put on their make-up
because the consequence of avoiding these daily
activities outweighs the convenience of not
doing them. Out of 168 hours in a week, I find
it hard to believe someone cannot budget 3 hours
to his or her health. The second excuse which
I also give little credence to is: "Well, I?ll
see how I like it." If you are walking into
a gym with this attitude you will have no problem
finding a reason that good health is not for
you. These people can usually be spotted by
their skepticism regarding the contract that
the gym requires for membership. With them I
wonder "When you?re getting into the best shape
you?ve ever been in, how long did you plan on
maintaining it...just a few months?" Fitness
is a lifestyle, and not accepting that, or thinking
it?s just something you are trying on for size
is a recipe for failure. Money can present minor
challenges, however, there is always some way
to exercise. For twenty to forty dollars a month,
you can train in most commercial gyms. If a
monthly gym payment is not realistic, you can
purchase enough weights to do the trick for
about a hundred dollars. As well, for about
thirty dollars you can purchase a Swiss ball,
which opens the door to scores of exercises
. Finally, the excuse that doesn?t have a simple
answer "I have to think this over with my husband/wife."
I?m no suggesting that you disregard the conditions
of your relationship; however, it is terribly
unfortunate to contend with someone who has
a justifiable interest in the rest of your life
and does not have the foresight to value and
invest in your health.
Many new fitness enthusiasts climb over all
the psychological obstacles only to be discouraged
by minimal results stemming from physiological
and biomechanical intricacies never introduced
to them. The best approach for a beginner is
to hire a competent personal trainer. Deciding
to implement a personal trainer for superior
and lasting results is the first step; now,
what criteria will you base your selection of
a particular trainer on? You are hiring the
trainer. Ask of him or her the same you would
of any employee of yours. Have them provide
a resume. Evaluate their education, experience,
and certifications. Make sure they provide references
and contact them. See if they have testimonials
from previous clients. Interview them: do they
have philosophies or a scientific explanation
for the services they can provide you? Don?t
assume your trainer is supposed to be a Marine
drill instructor, tasked with making your life
a living hell. If you don?t genuinely like your
trainer, things probably won?t work out. Don?t
use these guidelines as a yea or nay? checklist
but as a system to take in the big picture and
make an informed decision. Experienced trainer
have observed exercises performed more times
in a few years than most people could ever see
in a lifetime. Without a personal trainer laying
the Biomechanical foundation? you are likely
to make a variety of mistakes ranging from spending
ten sets on an abduction machine trying to slim
the outer thigh,? in reality, working the gluteus
medius (an unnoticeable muscle in the butt,
about the size of a biscuit!) to performing
a set of bench presses, lowering the bar to
a different point on the chest with each repetition
exhausting few muscles sufficiently. Not only
will a stronger foundation be laid by learning
proper exercise function, but a good trainer
can sense when minor or major changes in frequency,
intensity, duration, and selection of exercise
need to be instituted.
Body composition and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR‹
the amount of calories we burn hourly at rest)
is greatly dependent on the amount of muscle
we possess. Whether you desire bulk, mass, or
just tone you seek the same thing larger muscles.
The qualities of muscle, i.e. shape and density,
are predetermined by your parents. Your only
option is size. An inspiring trainer can convey
the message to those who lack the desire to
become competitive bodybuilders, that they will
not become mass monsters? like Mr. Olympia,
Ronnie Coleman, by accident. Increasing muscle
mass will however raise their basil metabolic
rate, facilitating decreased body-fat levels.
Training for an increase in muscle is not exactly
simple; it integrates a variety of laws, principals,
and general truths too detailed for many people,
who often have lives too busy to commit to learning
all of them. A trainer can be implemented to
assess a client and develop programs respecting
philosophies such as The Weider Principles?
as outlined by Joe Weider, founder of Muscle
& Fitness magazine, or the four Laws of Strength?
popularized by Dr. Tudor Bompa. The Weider Principles?
state generalizations such as The Overload Principle?
which states that in order to gain in strength
, size, or endurance from training, you must
exercise against resistance greater than that
normally encountered. Dr. Bompa devised a training
chronology starting with law #1? simply stating,
before you develop muscle, develop joint flexibility.
Without an experienced trainer one can easily
skip phases in Bompa?s or Weiders?s progressions
leading to likely injuries, or limited progress.
In accordance with the myth that cardiovascular
training has the greatest impact on body composition
or more specifically fat loss, new fitness enthusiasts
imitate a diet most appropriate for distance
runners. A trainer, certified by a credible
organization will possess the knowledge to personalize
a diet for a client, unlikely to be as high
in processed carbohydrates or low in fat as
we have grown to accept as healthy. A good trainer
can clarify the difference between dietary fat
and fattening. Often dieters replace calories
from fat, dispensing with oils, peanut butter,
and their favorite meats, only to exchange those
calories for high glycemic index carbohydrates
which raise blood sugar levels quickly; therefore
raising insulin levels which are culpable for
fat storage. It would not be unusual for an
attentive trainer to suggest replacing a fat-free
pasta, and French bread dinner, with a baked
chicken and broccoli dinner for a client emphasizing
fat loss, after evaluating and consulting with
their client.
The approach you take to challenges compromising
your program is vital. If you haven?t learned
to prioritize your training and nutrition, do
so. This doesn?t mean that training is number
one and that you have to drink protein shakes
three times a day, seven days a week. It means
you know just when to schedule training and
how many days a week you eat right. For example,
if your son just broke his finger playing basketball,
you will obviously be passing on this workout
and picking it back up tomorrow. If the neighbors
invite you over for dinner, tell them "I have
to go to the gym, maybe another night" (this
is also a great excuse if you didn?t feel like
visiting them anyway). When you?re dining out,
make sure they prepare your food so you can
stay within the confines of your diet. If your
friends call you a health nut, so what!, you
are.
Finally, arm yourself with all the knowledge
you can, and integrate a support team, including
your trainer, health care professionals, training
partner, and significant other. This will get
you off on the right foot.
About the author: Joe Senate, MSS is the
Director of Education & Technical Support for
the International Sports Sciences Association.
He is currently a nationally ranked athlete
and has authored several published articles
on the topics of strength and fitness. Joe Senate
is available for consultation and can be reached
at (800) 892-4772
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