By Walter Crockett
It is that time of year we wish to shed those unwanted pounds. Often people tell me that their goal is to lose weight, but what exactly do we mean by lose weight? Do you want to lose valuable lean muscle along with fat? I would hope not, but if you follow a crash course diet that is exactly what will happen. Your goal should be to lose body fat and increase you lean muscle. This formula will be the blue print for creating your body of change. The key lies in igniting your metabolism.
This article will give you excellent understanding of exercises that do just that!
Throughout evolution human DNA has not changed much. Yet the stress of activity to survive has changed dramatically. We no longer have to travel by foot, build homes, chop fire wood, or farm lands in most of our cases. All of those forms of survival use to be our natural or functional forms of metabolic training. We must mimic these energy expenditures through exercises in modern society.
There lies the secret to any optimal exercise program. It covers everything from aerobic exercise (steady state over time), anaerobic exercise(short burst of high intensity), and finally strength training(build muscle, increase bone density). I am going to organize the workout program our ancestors had laid out for us thousandths of years before the onset of obesity, diabetes, or heart disease plagued our nation. To ignite your metabolism you must have a program that cross trains you in multiple areas of fitness. Often I meet people that per take in one form of training. They may only run, cycle, weight train, swim, or perform yoga. These are all quality forms of exercise and definitely better than being a couch potato. In 2013 we are striving to become our best. We want optimal health, wealth and happiness. Taking care of our health gets the ball rolling on the other two.
So these are great tips for your 2013 version of a colonist workout. A couple days per week train your aerobic system by jogging, cycling, swimming, or using an elliptical machine.
Start with a 30 minute goal of moderate intensity. This is exercise for your heart and a great way to focus on using fat as the primary energy system. Next, 2-4 days a week strength train with moderate to heavy weight. Remember to initially start with only moderate weight loads. A moderate load challenges you, but you can lift it under control 10-12 reps. Next progress to heavier loads that you can lift under control for only 6-10 reps. Your strength training routine should cover all major muscle groups. Squats and lunges for quads, hamstrings, and gluts.
Dumbbell Press and Cable Fly for chest, deltoids, and triceps. Seated Rows and Assisted Pull Ups for mid and upper back. Front Planks, Leg Lifts, and Torso Rotations for core. Bicep Curls and Dips for arms.
Finally we have many options on how to train the anaerobic system. This is the short burst high intensity system that has been proven to ignite your metabolism the most. We can simply perform our strength training exercises with what I call active recovery sets. Simply if we are finishing a set involving one muscle group, instead of resting before continuing perform an exercise using a totally different group of muscles. Also you can take classes that involve circuit training or total body conditioning. I teach a boot camp and a boxing kick box conditioning class that does wonders in this area of fitness. I recommend training your anaerobic system 2-4 days per week for 20 minutes.
With this program you have mimicked the settler’s everyday survival workout for optimal fitness. Soon you will be in good enough shape to travel long distances by foot (aerobic training), chop wood (anaerobic training), lift building material and plow fields ( strength training) should you choose. Just imagine the confidence and accomplishment you will feel!
Remember to invest in yourself because you are truly worth it. Your health is your greatest asset!
Walter Crockett, Jr. is a Certified Personal Trainer at the Sparrow Michigan Athletic Club. Walter has experience in general fitness, sports performance and rehabilitation. He can be contacted at 517-364-8888 or emailed at wcrockett@themac.org.
This was printed in the January 13, 2013 – January 26, 2013
