Friday, 1st April 2016
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results (Albert Einstein) and this rings true for your approach to training also. The body is in constant need of fresh stimulus in order to achieve its full potential and therefore to achieve your fitness goals you may want to look at mixing up your training sessions.
The repetition of any given movement pattern or exercise will result in being very good at that one movement, however if you turn it on its head and try to do it at a slightly different angle, or with a bigger range of movement, or play around with the pace then suddenly the body has to respond differently. As a training tool this is hugely beneficial as you begin to create a body that has the potential to be agile, strong, flexible and powerful rather than just one of those things.
If you think about the training pattern you currently undertake, can you identify all methods of training within it? Do you train power or just strength? Do you train your cardiovascular system and if so, are you agile and light on your feet with it? Do you stretch in order to not just alleviate muscle tightness, but also to gain additional flexibility?
If you have done the same workout every time you have trained for the past month, you may be reducing the potential fitness gains available to you. So how could you train differently in order to grab some of those potential gains?
Classes are a great way to mix up your training as they are constantly evolving and changing to provide you with new focus and movements. The range of movement used is often greater than that used in the gym and being instructor led can keep you motivated for longer. Change the order you do your gym workout in, if you always train cardio then strength why not train the opposite way round and feel the different effect it has on your body’s response. Try personal training and let our trainers give you fresh challenges, or get a new gym program from one of the team in order to explore new training methods. If you only do cardio training then implement some strength work for a more muscular defined look OR if you only do strength training then implement some cardio training too. I often say that if you look great but can’t run for the bus should you need to then that is not the definition if fit!
The 5 components of fitness are published as being: Flexibility, Power, Muscular Strength, Cardiovascular ability and Body Composition (body fat %). Why not make a change in your training to ensure that you are achieving improvements in all areas of your physical fitness because if you DO the same… you will STAY the same!
Written By: Anthony Slater (Health and Fitness Manager)
Find out more about maintaining and enjoying a healthy lifestyle here.