Are Your Workouts Designed to Make You Fail?


by Matt Elder - Date: 2006-12-02 - Word Count: 414 Share This!

It amazes me when I look at the way people work out. Or the way "professionals" tell people to work out. The more I look at how the public tries to lose fat, the more I realize a huge reason we are obese. We aren't working out right.

True story: I was talking to a potential client who wanted to lose weight. She showed me her workout routine that a trainer made for her and I was shocked and appalled. Shocked she kept lifting like that and appalled that a personal trainer actually TOLD her to life like that.

She was leg pressing 455 pounds! She was bench pressing 100 pounds!

She was doing many workouts that a powerlifter would do. These workouts certainly weren't meant for a 31-year-old math teacher looking to lose a few pounds and tone up.

Shortly after changing her workout, she saw great results. I won't bother giving away the numbers (I think people are too concerned with weight loss by numbers instead of the mirror but I'll give you her exact quote to me.

"I can see my abs for the first time since I was a junior in college"

Do the math. She is 31, and she was 20 when she was a junior in college. So altering her workouts made her look better than she has in 11 years.

OK, so what did she do?

She stopped lifting like a powerlifter! No more "legs day" and "shoulder day". She just worked out with me. We focused on full body workouts specifically designed to challenge her balance, agility, strength and stamina.

Body builders lift one muscle group at a time. And they gain strength, size and power. Myla? She lost weight, gained strength and saw definition in her abs for the first time in over a decade.

Concentrate on basic movements first that are actual functional. Use free weights if you can, never machines. By standing and doing an exercise you are utilizing many more muscles than if you are sitting at a machine.

Rest less and workout more. Those powerlifters need to rest two minutes in between sets. You don't! Do circuit training (a handful of exercises back to back to back with little or no rest between). This will speed up your workout and help you burn more calories.

So when you are making your workout, think about your goals. Many people just go by what they read in Glamour or Men's Health. Are you lifting like a powerlifter, or someone looking to lose a few pounds?


Related Tags: fitness, health, weight loss, workout tips, abs

Matt Elder is a personal trainer and fitness expert in the Boston area. All his clients receive exceptional results, and he uses amazing circuit workouts to get his clients these results. Visit http://www.elderspersonaltraining.com today to get more information.

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