New Year Resolution: The Exercise Habit

Season's Greetings!

Like most things, training is a habit, so, if you’re in the routine of exercising, it’s far easier to keep at it. “Keeping at it” is often thought as fanatical behavior and in many ways it is, but there are far worse things to be fanatical about.

I have to admit that I am fanatical about my own training and have been active in many sports since youth – wherever I’ve been in the world & whatever I’ve been doing, I’ve always made time to train – and largely enjoyed it! The thing I’ve found most difficult, but been disciplined enough to do, knowing when not to train – avoiding overtraining or trying to train through an injury. We all know this’ll only lead to a steady decline at best – sometimes it’s as difficult to stop yourself doing something as it is to start, but hopefully you’ll let commonsense prevail.

Although I’m in the habit of exercising, I know all too well it’s not the easiest habit for most people – easy to break, but far less easy to make – as I deal day-in-day-out with clients whose experiences have consisted of starting and stopping and starting again. In fact, the same is equally true regarding dieting – a subject that goes hand-in-hand with exercising and that we’ll cover in more detail in forthcoming newsletters.

For me, there are a few common pitfalls why most people have difficulty making exercise a regular habit. The overlapping main problem areas are:

1. Poor knowledge. A lack of understanding of how to structure a suitable training regime means not being able to attain objectives and an inevitable lack of motivation over time.

2. Haste. The over eagerness to look or feel a certain way can lead to an “all or nothing” approach. You want to train every night – running, weight training, team sports etc. – and it’s unsustainable, so you give up.

3. Unrealistic goals. Often you set out to do or achieve too much. The realization that you’re not going to achieve your goal/s leads to a lack of motivation.

4. Lack of motivation. As well as the problem areas mentioned above contributing to a lack of motivation, failure to enjoy your exercise can leave your exercising feeling like a chore, rather than a hobby.

So, how do we address these issues? Keep it simple. Here are the four measures to start the exercise habit (and keep it going!).

1.Seek advice. Consulting knowledgeable people within your exercise field is highly recommended. As the Gym Professor slogan suggests, “Knowledge is Power”. The Gym Professor website offers sensible sample process maps to aid your progression – use them! In addition you may wish to review the ebook Gym Workouts - Maps to Success.

2. Less haste, more speed! Following a gradual and consistent climb toward your goals, such as the process maps mentioned above, will ensure your progression.

3. Set an achievable course of action! Do not set out to do too much! Progress is the key, so take one step at a time and set both short-term and long-term goals that are achievable.

4. Commit to something. Making a start can be the most difficult thing, so creating a reason and a support group for your efforts can help wonders. For example, the reason may be a forthcoming wedding, holiday, charity race & the support network may be family or friends undertaking the same endeavours. It presents a great opportunity to socialize with family and friends whilst achieving your exercise goals at the same time.

For further advice on structuring your training, review Gym Workouts - Maps to Success, which provides easy-to-use process maps with hundreds of gym workout routines for you to follow (whatever your ability, sport or goal).

GP

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Gym Workouts - Maps to Success

Thank you for your continued support in following the Gym Profesor free newsletter and online resource. Since the inception of www.GymProfessor.com, we've received overwhelming support & gratitude from its many readers (thank you!), which has helped spur us on to write more & more. In fact, to date our pages only number in the hundreds, but, in my head, I have thousands of pages still to write.

It's always been my intention to offer unique (& needed) eBooks relating to matters I'm asked about on a daily basis, providing our readers with another useful resource tool to further their own & their clients training, as well as provide a potential revenue stream in order that we can commit greater time towards adding more free content (YouTube videos are next in the offing). The first of these eBooks has just been readied in time for Christmas - Gym Workouts - Maps to Success.

The Gym Workouts - Maps to Success eBook (pdf format) features progression process maps (for various goals/ physique endeavours), periodization plans for 10 sports, articles, advice, & over 170 weight training gym workouts.

Gym Workouts - Maps to Success is now available to purchase at the introductory price of US$19.99.

For further details of the eBook & to read the preface, please CLICK HERE.

Thank you for your support & I hope you enjoy the eBook. Best regards,

GP.

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Gym Workouts - Cool Down

A cool-down should help your body adjust from exercise to rest. Your application of a cool-down will depend somewhat on the type of exercise you’ve undertaken. Some weight training workouts will follow a natural cool-down of sorts, as intensity may lesson depending upon the final exercise/s of your workout. In circumstances where your cardiovascular system has been placed under a greater workload, a cool-down can serve to lower your pulse rate and return blood to your heart, aiding in the dissipation of waste products, such as Lactic Acid.

This page is an extract from the Gym Professor eBook Gym Workouts - Maps to Success.

GP

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Stretching

Personally, when weight training, I advocate related static stretching immediately following an exercise (i.e. during rest between sets), such as a Latissimus Dorsi stretch following lat pulldowns.

If performed correctly, the exercise undertaken should allow for near full stretch and contraction of the muscle/s. Following warm-up sets and working sets, your muscles are at their hottest and, therefore, can be elongated (stretched) to a greater degree.

Stretching between and after sets of an exercise should prove advantages to help avoid stiffness and re-establish a normal (or greater) range-of-movement. With this in mind, they should also be included as part of your eventual cool-down.

This page is an extract from the forthcoming Gym Professor eBook Gym Workouts - Maps to Success.

GP
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Warm Up

Warming-up is a sequence of exercise that precedes your workout.

If you are performing a sport or workout that is aerobic, your warm-up should prepare your cardiovascular system for the rigours of this workout or event. The warm-up should be designed to raise the body’s core temperature and be performed at a low intensity – it is not a workout in itself!

Likewise, when lifting weights, your warm-up should be relevant. You should perform warm-up sets of any exercise you are to perform. Typically, I would suggest 2 to 4 warm-up sets (starting with a very light weight) of each exercise before undertaking working sets of that same exercise. Warm-up sets will serve to locally heat the muscles in use and help to lubricate relevant joints in readiness.

For a gym workout that relates to both disciplines, such as an endurance gym workout routine with weights, I would be inclined to suggest an aerobic warm-up followed by warm-up sets, although you may warrant less warm-ups sets.

As per most subjects, warming-up is open to debate on which methods are best. As always, I would suggest adapting things to the individual and their endeavour. It should be remembered that the purpose of warming-up is to help improve performance and avoid injury.

GP

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The Power of Magnesium

Magnesium's normally supplemented (for different reasons, which we'll cover in a moment), in dosages up to 1000mg per day.

One use is to aid restful sleep. Famously, professional bodybuilders of the 70's and 80's performing double-splits (training twice in one day) would take 1000mg of Magnesium after a morning session to help them sleep deeply, in order to aid their recovery. My (GP) favourite bodybuilder of all time - Frank Zane - was an advocate of this. Many sports supplements manufacturers today have a product amongst their range containing a large dosage of Magnesium with instruction of supplementing before bedtime, normally coupled with Zinc and sometimes Boron. The calming effect of Magnesium supplementation means that it's often used to help with anxiety and insomnia, which can be caused through Magnesium deficiency.

Another common supplemental use of Magnesium, although more popular with endurance athletes, is to avoid muscle cramps. Again, Magnesium deficiency (most likely due to excessive sweating in an endurance endeavor) being a likely cause of muscle cramps and muscle twitches/ spasms. Other electrolytes - Calcium, Potassium and Sodium - are also important to replenish, hence the popularity of isotonic drinks for endurance events, but Magnesium can often be depleted first, due to a lesser amount being consumed within many diets. The late Dr. Mildred Seelig (a renowned researcher of Magnesium - you should be able to find her book on Amazon!) believed deficiency was wide spread amongst Western countries. There's many food sources (see some below) that provide good levels of Magnesium though. The reason for me typing this page tonight is that a running friend had mentioned yesterday that they'd started supplementing Magnesium and asked about food sources. My friend’s diet already contained almost all the sources I've listed below.

Two other more unlikely supplemental uses are firstly for a hangover, as alcohol depletes Magnesium levels. Try an isotonic drink after a night out - you'll feel far better! Secondly, in order to ease muscle cramps and sugar cravings. Again, cramps and low sugar levels being an indication of low levels of Magnesium.

Magnesium's functions also include formation of bone and teeth, where, along with calcium and phosphorus, Magnesium provides both structure and strength.

Food sources include: Wholegrain (bread & cereal), Dairy Products, Fish and other Seafood, Meat, Nuts.

For a wealth of information on all things relating to nutrition & exercise - diet, supplements, weight training, fitness programs, gym workout routines, exercise diagrams, kinesiology, steroids, and far more besides - please visit the gymprofessor.com free online resource. Free advice comes with our compliments,

GP

Key Nutrients & Their Functions

I, GP, am always amazed that people do not know the functions that their food items (& nutrients within those items) play. That said, many adults don't even know what nutrients are derived from foods they're eating, despite most being clearly labeled. Below is a list of our key nutrients and the main function that they perform. Click on each for more in-depth information.

Protein – repair & growth of tissue

Carbohydrate – primary energy source

Fat – secondary energy source

Vitamins & Minerals – regulate metabolic processes.

Water – transportation of other nutrients

Best regards,

GP

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