Interview: Beginning to Workout with Aaron

Aaron Jeanes -- Applied Exercise Physiology / Cardiac Diagnostics. Deals with how the body responds to exercise, how it recovers from injuries (athletic, heart attacks, strokes), and specializes in diagnosing problems with the heart via EKG interpretation. 

P: Should everyone meet with a physician in preparation for starting to workout?

A: Before beginning a training regimen, everyone should get medical clearance from a physician. This is especially true for men over the age of 45 and women over 55, as well as anyone having any significant risk factors for health (i.e. diabetes, family history, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol).

P: What kind of exercises should beginners plan to do?

A: A balance between cardiovascular training and resistance training is important for anyone looking to get healthy. Those who are looking to gain muscle mass should concentrate on heavier, lower repetition lifting where as those looking to lose weight should perform higher intensity, longer duration exercising. Diet plays a pivotal role in both.

P: What should beginners avoid in the gym?

A: Beginners should avoid heavy lifting and plyometric exercises, both of which require strong and flexible muscles as well as high bone density that is normally not there for those just beginning a training regime. 

P: How intense should beginners’ workouts be and how long should they workout?

A: ACSM guidelines suggest 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days/week or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise 3 days/week. As for resistance training, at least 2-3 days a week concentrating on all major muscle groups is recommended. Each day should have 12-24 sets of exercises (8-15 repetitions per set). Beginners should continue these guidelines for at least 6 weeks. 

P: What will change about their workout after that first 6 weeks?

A: Intensity, duration, and frequency of exercises and lifts can be gradually increased. 

P: What’s your take on beginners using workout supplements?

A: Supplements should never be consumed unless directed to do so by a doctor. Whey protein after lifting is safe, but others should be avoided. The FDA does not regulate supplements, and so, they are allowed to make any claims they want as to what they say their product does for the user. In addition, our bodies work off of a negative feedback system. By putting hormones and certain substances in our body, our body will shut off the natural production of those same hormones/nutrients because it thinks we already have enough. This can lead to all sorts of physiological problems. 

P: Let’s end the interview with the best tip you can give beginners:

A: Everyone should set goals! With all the different type of training regimens out there, it is important to know exactly what you want to accomplish (i.e. increasing muscle mass, speed, endurance, weight loss) and design your workout accordingly.

Safety

Introduction

Weight training is a safe form of exercise when done correctly. Whether you are new to exercise or are an experienced weight lifter, it is very important to understand and use these four main elements of weight lifting safety.

Form

Form is the most misunderstood element of safety in the gym. Beginners (and even experienced weight lifters) commonly use bad form to “cheat” their way through the last reps of an exercise. Using bad form can shift the strain to smaller muscles that cannot handle the weight. For example, the squat and the deadlift are used to exercise the largest muscles in the body–the leg and buttock muscles–so they require substantial weight. Beginners are tempted to round their back while performing these exercises. Relaxing the back in this way can potentially damage the spinal discs. Using improper form for any exercise may result in injury. Weight lifting should not result in any sharp pain. If sharp pain is felt, immediately stop whatever exercise you are doing, and don’t work that muscle group for awhile. I will go into further detail about form for specific exercises later on in a future entry.

Stretching/Warm-up

Weight trainers commonly spend five to twenty minutes warming up their muscles before starting a workout. Stretching the entire body to increase overall flexibility is common; however, many people stretch just the area being worked that day. I will exclusively discuss stretching in a future entry.

Warm up sets are also very important. For example, a weight trainer working on their chest would be advised to complete at least two warm up sets prior to hitting their “core tonnage.” Core tonnage refers to the heavier lifts that actually strain your muscles. When properly warmed up the weight trainer will then have more strength and stamina since the blood has begun to flow to the appropriate muscle groups.

Breathing

Breathing shallowly or holding one’s breath while working out limits the supply of oxygen to the muscles and the brain, decreasing performance ability and, under extreme stress, risking a black-out or a stoke by aneurysm (DeLee p. 151). Weight trainers are sometimes advised to conscientiously “exhale on effort” and to inhale when lowering the weight. Breathing this way ensures that the weight trainer breathes through the most difficult part of the exercise, when it is most tempting to hold their breath (p. 152).

Hydration

Hydration is an important aspect of weight training, as it is with sports. Weight trainers should avoid dehydration by drinking water, not only during their workout, but throughout the day as well. Athletic trainers say that athletes should drink seven fluid ounces every 15 minutes while training and about 80 throughout the day. Hydration will be different for each individual however. Hydration can be maintained perfectly if your fluid intake is equal to your rate of perspiration, simple right? Weigh yourself accurately before and after a workout if you want to know how much water you sweat off.

Sources:

Name. (n.d.). Weight-Training and Weight-Lifting Safety -- FamilyDoctor.org. Health Education | Illnesses, Diseases & Conditions -- FamilyDoctor.org. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/sports-safety/weight-training-and-weight-lifting-safety.html

Lombardi, V. P. (1989). Beginning weight training: the safe and effective way. Dubuque, IA: W.C. Brown.

Lamberti, I. (1983). Pumping iron without pain: a preventive and self-care guide to weight training. New York: Leisure Press.

Kennedy, R., & Weis, D. B. (1986). Mass!. Chicago: Contemporary Books.

Hatfield, F. C. (1993). Hardcore bodybuilding: a scientific approach. Chicago: Contemporary Books.

DeLee, J. C. (2003). DeLee and Drez's orthopaedic sports medicine: principles and practice. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

Interview: Beginning Tips with Larry

Larry Hall is a certified personal trainer (AMFPT) that works at Texas Family Fitness in Plano. I’ve decided to ask him some questions about working out for beginners.

P: Lets start out with preparation. What are some things that someone with little or no experience in the gym should do to prepare a workout plan?

 L: First meet with a physician to make sure your health is adequate enough to begin exercising. Next set a few goals for yourself, short term and long term. Then build a training routine to achieve your goals. If you don’t know how to build a training routine then hire someone to do it for you (i.e. personal trainer, nutritionist, etc.). Researching fitness information on the inter net is “hit and miss”. By that I mean there is a lot of crap out there and a little bit of truth so you will have to sort through it. Someone with little or no experience in the gym probably doesn’t know what is good information and what is bad so it’s best to ask for help from someone at the gym.

P: Okay, well what kind of essential exercises should beginners include in their workout plan?

L: Beginners should focus on compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and avoid isolation exercises that involve only one muscle group. Examples of compound movements would be squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, chin ups, dips, etc.

P: Are these different for gainers than losers? What about males and females?

L: People wanting to lose weight and people wanting to gain weight should perform the same lifts; only their nutrition will differ. Also, gender makes no difference in exercise selection especially for a beginner. These points are some of the most misunderstood in the fitness industry.

P: What should beginners avoid in the gym?

L: Beginners should start with moderate weights and intensity in their workout program. They should continue progressing slowly as their body adapts to the weight and stress of their program. This will prevent overtraining, injuries, and help develop correct lifting form. Avoid going too heavy too fast unless you don’t want to get results. Never perform an exercise or lift a certain way just because you noticed someone else in the gym doing it. Chances are they don’t know what they’re doing.

P: How many days per week should a beginner workout on average and for how long each day?

L: it depends on the fitness level of the beginner, but usually three days per week is plenty. Try not to workout for more than an hour and get plenty of rest.

P: About how many weeks should the beginner continue the same workout routine?

L: 4-6 weeks is usually about how long it takes for someone to “plateau” and results diminish. However beginners may be able to continue for several more weeks or possibly months without hitting a plateau. It depends on the individual.

P: If a beginner chooses to change up their routine after so many weeks, what kinds of things should they change about it?

L: First they should re-evaluate their goals and rebuild around them. After a few months the beginner is no longer a beginner and can start incorporating new exercises into their routine. Be selective when choosing new lifts and always have a purpose.

P: Would you recommend workout supplements for beginners?

L: Yes but beginners should only take a multivitamin, fish oils, and whey protein, nothing else. Fitness levels of beginners will improve quickly without the need for excess supplementation.

P: Before we are done, what are some common issues or problems that beginners tend to have in the gym and what general tips might you have for avoiding or fixing them?

L: Good form and light weights are always better than bad form and heavy weights. Don’t try to go too heavy too fast because you will end up with an injury and/or your progress will be less than optimal. Don’t neglect your cardio and nutrition too. These are vital if you want results and should be of high importance.

History of Weight Training

Terminology

Strength training is a term that describes all exercises used to increase physical strength. Strength training that uses weights rather than elastic, eccentric­ (the lowering phase of an exercise), or muscular resistance is called weight training. Weight training is a type of strength training, which is just one type of exercise. Other types include:

-       Endurance training (associated with aerobic exercise)

-       Flexibility training (i.e. yoga or Pilates)

Genealogy

Weight training can be traced back to the beginning of written history where man’s fascination with physical abilities can be found in many ancient writings. Weight training used as progressive resistance training dates back at least to Ancient Greece, when legend has it that wrestler Milo of Croton trained by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown (Dreschler 2011). Strength training exercises using halteres (an early form of Greek dumbbell) date back to the 2^nd century.

Ancient Greek sculptures also depict lifting feats (Todd 1995). The weights were generally stones, but later gave way to dumbbells. Dumbbells were later joined by the barbell in the later half of the 19^th century. Barbells originally had hollow globes that would be filled with sand or lead shot, but by the beginning of the 20^th century these were replaced by the plate-loading barbell commonly used today.

Modern evolution of weight training

Strength training gyms began to pop up in the 1950s, but they were scarce (MSNBC 2012). The still-rare strength training gyms saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines during the 1960s. Weight training became increasingly popular in the 1970s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron, and the later popularity of Arnold Schwarzenegger (Schwarzenegger 1999). Gyms have greatly increased in number over the course of the last few decades, but weight training has not changed very much since then, besides the introduction of new kinds of exercise machines.

Sources:

Delavier, F. (2001). Strength training anatomy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Dreschler., A. (n.d.). The History of Weightlifting | USA Weightlifting. USA Weightlifting. Retrieved March 14, 2012, from http://weightlifting.teamusa.org/about-us/the-history-of-weightlifting

Gaines, J. (n.d.). Milo of Croton | | Black Box StrengthBlack Box Strength. Black Box Strength | Feel the Good. Retrieved March 15, 2012, from http://blackboxstrength.com/2012/02/29/milo-of-croton/

Schwarzenegger, A., & Dobbins, B. (1999). The new encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Sculpted trend spurs women to pump iron - Health - Fitness - msnbc.com. (n.d.). msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13956966/#.T2-kR0qfCPk

Todd, J. (1995). From Milo to Milo: A History of Barbells, Dumbells, and Indian Clubs. Iron Game History, 3(6). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/IGH/IGH0306/IGH0306c.pdf

Introduction

Personal Introduction

My name is Parks Settle; I have worked and taught at three different private gyms within the last three years. Although, I have primarily trained in boxing/kickboxing, and jiu-jitsu, my knowledge of general workouts in a regular gym has become quite versatile and extensive. I’ve learned to quickly cut weight and put on mass in a safe and healthy way.

Personal Interest

My involvement in mixed martial arts and self defense started around four years ago and quickly became accompanied by a need to be physically fit and strong. Once I began boxing and other weight class based sports, I needed to be able to gain and lose weight quickly but healthily; it is impossible to do this without a well-rounded knowledge of how to work out. This knowledge, luckily for me, was gained quickly because I was surrounded by experienced athletes who helped me learn. Now, I want to do the same for you.

Purpose

I am writing a blog in the effort to instruct and educate those who have little or no knowledge on how to make use of their time in a gym. I am doing this in such a way that should be easy to understand and unintimidating. If you have any interest in going to a gym or working out, this blog should be useful for you. If you already have experience in the gym, chances are you will still be able to learn from this blog. This is going to be a basic yet comprehensive approach to educating you on how to use your time in the gym. By the end of this blog, you should be able to walk into the gym and appear to be an intermediated level gym-goer by the way you use your time and the equipment even if you’ve never set foot in a gym. That, in turn, will give you the ability to gain quicker results and reach whatever fitness goals you may have quicker and do so with confidence.