In my previous blog post Different Training for Different Results, I mentioned that altering training variables can alter the results that you will achieve. In this post, I will go into further depth about how to properly alter certain training variables to help increase your muscular strength. First off, what exactly is muscular strength? Muscular strength is the force that a muscle can produce in a single maximal effort. Both the size of your muscle, and the ability to activate the muscle via your nervous system, play a role in muscular strength. You must train your CNS (central nervous system) to be able to create an action potential that will activate all the muscle fibers in a specific muscle to be able to move a large load. If you have massive muscles but don’t have the muscle innervation to properly use them, then those giant muscles are basically useless.   Enough science, let’s get to the good stuff! I keep mentioning that specific training variables need to be altered, but which training variables are these? The specific training variables that we will be talking about are sets, reps, load/ weight, and rest. These 4 components are like the recipe for training. Different quantities of each of these give different results when used in conjunction with one another.   For strength training, it’s all about moving a heavy load. Your muscles need to be trained to move as much weight as possible by incorporating all muscle fibers. So for strength training, you want to make sure you’re lifting close to your 1RM (one rep maximum). If you aren’t aware of what your 1RM is, there’s a simple little formula that you can use to get a rough estimate. For every rep you are away from 1, add 2.5% to the load you are using. Say you’re doing bench press and you are pushing 135 lbs for 6 reps. 6 x 2.5 = 15%. If you add 15% to 135, you get 155 lbs. So your estimated 1RM would be ~155 lbs.   Since you’re moving such a heavy weight for your strength training, you aren’t going to be able to do that many times in a row. Rep counts for each set are going to be quite low, like in the 1-4 rep count range. However, you want to get your body used to pushing this load regularly, so you will want to be doing a lot of sets. Aim for anywehere from 4-8 sets.   Moving such a heavy load is extremely tiring; it literally uses all your muscle fibers to do it. So you will need ample rest to recover after each set so that you can perform to your best ability each and every time. When you see guys at the gym sitting around on a bench with a finger up their nose, they may not just be wasting time. They may be performing a strength training workout and taking long rests between sets. Aim for anywhere from 2-5 min rest between sets.   So a typical strength exercise will look like this: 6 x 4 reps @ 90% 1RM weight, rest: 3 min.   These principles are the same for whatever muscle you’re training, whether it be big muscles like your pecs, lats, and quads, or smaller muscles like your biceps or calves.   As mentioned above, strength training is quite exhausting on your body, from your muscle fibers to your CNS. It’s always good to start your workout with some good strength exercises, but finish your training day with some lighter loads and higher reps to give your CNS a break.

We’ve all been there: getting in some exercise is on all of our lists, but then something else comes up – work, school, kids, laundry, etc – and the workout gets put on the backburner. I’ll do it tomorrow.

 

There is always going to be other stuff on your agenda that has to get done… so when do you find the time to work out that fits into your busy schedule?

 

One word: prioritization! You need to sit down and think about your list, and what is of the utmost importance to you. Where does your workout fit into that list? Are your fitness and health goals important to you, or are they set behind other aspects of your life? If it is important to you, why does it always get put on the backburner? If it isn’t important to you, why do you fret and feel bad when you don’t get it in?

 

For most people, it helps to have a location to exercise that is not your home. I know that for myself, I always plan on getting a little workout in at home, but there is literally an endless list of excuses for me to push that workout back (everything from mowing the lawn to washing the dishes to playing a video game). However, if I actually go to the gym, then I might as well work out because that’s all there is to do there. It doesn’t have to be a gym either – find a park that you can set up a little space to do a quick workout in; meet up with a friend so that you can both be each other’s push to work out; put your runners on and just start moving.

Once you’ve found a location that you can exercise at, schedule a time to go there, and stick to it! Whether you set out 15 min, 30 min, or an hour, set a distinct time of day for you to get a workout in, and then actually do it! You’ve put it into your schedule, it has its own time slot allotted where it is the only task to get done in that time slot, so go get it done!

 

Don’t treat exercising as a hindrance on your life; if it is something that you feel you have to do but it’s just pushing everything else on your list back, then of course you’re not going to get it done. Make sure it is just as important as the other things on your list. Or be real with yourself – is your laundry really that important? Is it absolutely crucial that you get that load in right this second, or can you spare half an hour to get your workout in?

 

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes that always helps me put things in perspective:

“If it is important to you, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”
– Ryan Blair

Working out is hard. You’re going to have to exert yourself, you’re going to sweat, and you’re going to be tired after. But does it have to be “work”?

 

There are a lot of people who don’t enjoy working out. It is something they have to do, not something they want to do. And this tends to lead people to doing it in the easiest, quickest fashion, or just skipping it altogether. Why do something you don’t enjoy doing?

 

During my first sessions with new clients, I always ask them if there are any exercises they really enjoy doing, and any that they really hate doing. As a fitness professional, it is my job to get you to work out, but how am I going to do that if you never actually want to work out? If there’s something you actually don’t mind doing, I’m going to include that more. On the flip side, if you really despise doing, say, burpees, then I am going to omit them from the majority of the workouts. There’s nothing saying you have to do any exercise to get fit and healthy; find exercises that you enjoy to do, and do them more! Sometimes it’s easier to eliminate exercises that you don’t like more than emphasis exercises that you do like. If you have a plan in your head to go for a run after work but you really hate running, do you think you’re actually going to get that run done? Probably not. But if you hate running, why are you making that your main exercise goal? No one says running is the key to a fit body! Ditch that run and find something else that you don’t mind doing, like a little body weight circuit, a bike ride, or even a brisk walk.

 

What if it’s not the exercises? What if it’s the amount of time that it takes to get a workout in that is causing you extra stress and abhorrence towards exercise? It can be hard to find an hour every day to get a workout in. But wait… who said you have to work out for an hour every day? There are great workouts that you can do that can get you from start to finish in as little as 15 min! HIIT workouts (High intensity interval training) are fantastic for getting a quick workout in that makes you sweat. Bodyweight circuits can be done around the house as well, so you could have your workout started and finished in a mere 20 min, and then just pick up where you left off with your household duties. Also, if there are certain exercises that you want to do, such as walking, but you feel like you don’t get a good enough workout in unless you go for a long time, try switching up the parameters a bit! Walk a little faster, or try walking in a different terrain with hills and valleys. If you walk on a treadmill, add in a little incline to make it a bit more challenging.

 

The easiest way to enjoy your workouts is to change your mindset. Don’t say “I have to work out today”, say “I get to work out today!”. Don’t look at it as a chore that has to get done; exercise can be fun, and can be an escape from the other stresses in your life. Use it as stress release – the gym is your place to release any built-up tension that you have acquired from work/ school/ kids/ family/ you name it! If you enjoy some time to yourself, then just throw in some headphones, zone out, and crush a good workout. If you like working out with friends, use exercise as an excuse to get together with a friend and hang out for a bit.

Find exercises you enjoy, set time aside for you to get these exercises done, and go into it with the mindset that this is your time to do what you want with no other interruptions from life! The hardest part is getting started, so if you can make it easier to start your workout, then it’s smooth sailing after that.

From the outside, exercises looks like exercise. You either go to the gym, or you don’t. When guys exercise, they get a big chest, bulging biceps, and a six pack that you could grate cheese on. When girls exercise, they get a tight and toned tummy, perfect peach booty, and legs for days. Right? Well, not exactly.

 

In its most bare essence, doing exercise will cause your body to change when its compared to your body doing no exercise. If you keep your calorie intake the same, but the exercise you are doing is burning more calories than what you were burning when you weren’t doing exercise, then you will lose weight. But there’s more of a science involved when you are trying to transform your current body into your dream body.

 

Different input elicits different results. If you’re baking a cake, you need to make sure to put in the right ingredients with the proper amounts to get the desired outcome. Well, it’s the same for exercise. Losing body fat and getting super lean requires a different recipe than putting muscle on. Training for the Tour de France is vastly different than training for Olympic gymnastics.

There are a lot of components to manipulate when it comes to training for your goals. The amount of sets and reps that you perform can greatly change what outcome you get; changing the load (weight used) will alter the muscle fibers being activated; taking more or less rest between sets changes how much recovery time muscles get between sets and reps. And switching these up in conjunction with one another will also affect the outcome!

 

Here’s a general guideline to follow when aiming for specific results:
For improvement in strength: More sets (4+), less reps (1-6), lots of rest (1-3 min), and heavy loads (85-100% 1RM)
For increasing muscle size: Normal amount of sets (3-5), medium level of reps (8-12), shorter rests (45-90 sec), and decently heavy loads (805 1RM)
For improvement in muscular endurance: Less sets (3), more reps (12-20), shorter rests (30-60 sec), and lighter loads (<80% 1RM)
For improving cardiovascular base: Perform cardio activities below your lactic threshold; medium to long duration (30 min – 4 hrs, depending on the activity)
For improving lactic power: High intensity exercises, medium training volume, short rests – must be hitting lactic threshold and pushing past

 

So many different ways to train that give different results!

I love summer – sunny skies, green grass, and warm weather! I also love that it opens up the great outdoors for exercise and activity, instead of having to be trapped in a gym. A gym may have all the equipment needed to get a good workout in, but the outdoors can be just as good if you know how to use it!

The easiest way to get some extra exercise in during the summer is to ditch the car. It’s nice out, try walking or biking to your destination! Or if you are driving, park a little farther away from the doors and enjoy a nice summertime stroll in the sun. Another great way to get some easy summer exercise in is to use yardwork as an excuse to spend more time outdoors – it gets you moving, and you get a nice looking yard out of it!

These are all great ways to stay active in the summer, but what if you want a real workout?

There are many ways to get a good workout when outside, and it does not just have to be cardio (although nothing beats a run in the sun!). There are many other activities you can do to work on strength, power, speed, agility, and flexibility, all while soaking up those rays.

My favorite thing to do outside is some circuit training; this allows you to perform a multitude of different exercises for different body parts, usually with a mix of strength, power, and endurance. Circuits with body weight exercises also make it easy to manipulate the intensity – you can go as easy or as hard as you want. You can also change the style of the workouts by using either a rep count or a timed program to justify completeness. I usually do a timed workout consisting of 3 sets of 10 exercises, spending 1 min per exercise. You can manipulate intensity by performing 30 sec of an exercise and taking 30 sec rest, 45 sec of exercise to 15 sec rest, or 1 min of exercise with 0 sec rest! It is a quick and easy way to get a good sweat going.

Speed and agility programs were made for the outdoors. It’s easy to find a field, set up some cones or pylons (or really anything else that can be used as a marker), and run some sprints or agility drills. It doesn’t take much space, and can be done wherever there is flat ground.

I always like to end with some flexibility exercises. Static stretches, foam rolling, and yoga are all viable options that can be done literally anywhere – just lay a mat down in the grass and your station is set

If you are looking for fun and simple ways to get moving this summer, feel free to leave a comment below, or to message me directly!