Facing The Giants

My brother and his wife (my sister in law) are following my training advice and have raised a very valuable point. The story goes as follows: They went to the gym the other day and my brother being someone who is familiar with weight training absolutely enjoyed the programme. He was referring to his training journal to ensure that he was training correctly. My sister in law on the other hand found the session quite mundane and boring and she let me know this.

Now this is something that I myself had to overcome when researching and studying which methods bring the best results. I shared with her the benefits of this training and will share it with everyone else who may have experienced this. It is perfectly normal to feel apprehensive about something new. That's what makes this journey so great!

The reason why I advocate weight training instead of many of the other training routines that gyms offer is for the following reasons:
-Weight training provides sufficient resistance to force new muscle growth. Body weight exercises are great but up to a point. Once you get used to lifting your bodyweight in various positions and angles your body will reach homeostasis and stop growing unless you put on more weight to make yourself heavier;-)

-Cardio will cause you to lose weight but you will also lose valuable muscle as well. Your body will start to use muscle as fuel because it needs to tap into the quickest resource available to fuel the long sessions. So while you will lose weight, you will be losing muscle as well. (Think of the body of a long distance runner)

I know that the exercises might also be foreign to many of us but the exercises will and do work. And they will work for you. For any ladies out there who are concerned about building big bulky muscles please read the post that covers this topic.

Embrace the routine and have fun. And remember that wherever you are in the world, if you're following this blog, you're not alone:-)

Why Progress Is Dependant On Progression

So you're following a routine and you've got the training principles under your belt. You've got your best foot forward and your attitude is great. You may even have been to the gym for a few sessions already. If you have been to the gym then you no doubt have probably been asking yourself the question or wondering when and how to lift heavier weights.

This in itself is an entire principle but we'll narrow it down to bite size tidbits so that we can digest it and continue on our journey of training and knowledge in training. The break in routine that I've posted for the first month is an ideal place to start for a number of reasons: one of the main reasons being that it prepares the body for the upcoming routines.

Finding the balance in logical progression is not rocket science but it does take a bit of practice before it becomes second nature. So until we get to that point where it becomes characteristic of our training we will start by being vigilant and documenting each session at the gym. In the first month's programme we are required to complete a specific amount of repetitions of the exercises listed which we will be recording in our training journals.

Once we reach the stage where we are able to complete the full required amount of reps, using strict cadence and following the training principles, we can then add weight to the exercise. For example: I can squat 100kg's for a total of 10 repetitions. The required amount is 15. This means that I will continue to squat 100 kg's until I can do it for the required 15 reps and then I will add more weight.

I have been doing this for some time so I don't expect my fellow journeyers who are just starting out to be lifting really heavy weights at the onset. Make no mistake about it, as you progress on these routines you will get stronger, much stronger than you have been in a long time and that is one of the benefits of this type of training.

Once you begin to reach your required reps,add 5% of the total weight to it and then continue on until you have completed your first month. be sure to use this first month to really iron out any mistakes and misconceptions you may have. When you graduate from the break in routine, you will be feeling and looking much better than you have in a long time.

Let's remember again that this is not a race but a journey. Be patient with yourself and ask questions where you need clarity on something. So to quickly recap: train until you reach the required reps, once you have reached that point, increase your weights until you can reach the required number again and so it will continue. Record your weights and reps every session without fail, this will prove to be a serious motivator.

Here's to your progress.