Cardio Workouts - Considerations & Options

As highlighted in other chapters, there's many cardio options out there - both cardio equipment and cardio workouts - and it can be a bit of a minefield choosing the right path. The right option for you is one that suits your ability, goals, and current period of training. I (GP) have listed sample gym workouts and fitness workouts on the Gym Professor website to provide you with some ideas.

To help further, I've categorised several cardio equipment options and program types to easily identify their typical associated level of difficulty when conjoined in a cardio workout program (NOTE: They're not always the case though!).

Basic

Cardio Equipment Options:	Cardio Program Type
Stationary Exercise Bike Treadmill Walking Arm Ergometer	Base Training/ Steady State

Progressive

Cardio Equipment Options:	Cardio Program Type
Cross Trainer/ Elliptical Trainer Treadmill Running Rowing Machine Stepper	Interval Training (Difficulty rising respectively from High Rest:Little Work to Little Rest:High Work + Fartleks)

Advanced

Cardio Equipment Options:	Cardio Program Type
Stairclimber Versa Climber The Wall (Climbing Wall)	Interval Training (Little Rest:High Work) Fartlek (Random Intervals)

If you're new to training, it's advised that you seek medical advice prior to undertaking a new exercise regime. If the workouts are for a new client, you should also take the rudimentary
precautions of a PAR-Q and health/ fitness tests.

Please direct me to:
Treadmill Workouts  

Cross-Trainer Workouts 

Rowing Workouts

Exercise Bike Workouts
Stepper Workouts
Versa Climber Workouts
Equipment Combination Workouts
Steady State Workouts (Base Training)
Interval Training
Fartlek Training
Fat Burning Training
Heart Rate Training
Marathon Training
Training for Sport 

Gym Workouts

How to Perform the Flat Bench Press Correctly

Probably the most familiar of chest exercises and the primary compound exercise for chest workouts - the Flat Bench Press. Below are a list of the key steps you should follow to mimic correct exercise technique and what muscles are at work.

If you're confused about what gym exercises to perform and when? You should consider reviewing the Gym Professor's sample Gym Workouts and Gym Routines.

Key Steps to performing the Flat Bench Press correctly:

For this exercise, you require a spotter.

1) Ensure that gym equipment is set up correctly - bench, bar, weights etc. The bar should be empty (free of weight) at this stage.

2) Lie down flat on the bench, sliding underneath the barbell. The bar should be resting on the lift-offs directly above your eyes. The bar should be empty (free from weight) at this stage.

3) Grip the bar with your hands roughly shoulder-width plus one hand-width on either side. Remember this grip point in correlation with the bar's knurling.

4) Inhale as you lower the bar downward to touch your mid chest - a weight will typically be drawn or lowered to the area/ muscles being worked!. At this point your arms should form a right angle (ask your spotter to check). If your arms do not, you will need to adjust your grip width accordingly. Exhale, and the press the bar up.

5) Repeat the exercise for the given number of repetitions Do not lock your elbows out at the top of the movement and do not bounce the bar off your chest.

6) Warm Up. Warm up with little or no weight, performing 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps or more, in order to lubricate joints and raise local muscle temperature.

7) For your working sets, select an appropriate weight that allows you to achieve your target repetition range in a safe and controlled manner.

Muscle worked during the Flat Bench Press:

Primary Muscles: Pectoralis Major - Mid Sternal Fibres.

Secondary Muscles: Anterior Deltoids, Triceps, Serratus Anterior, Anconeus.

Stabilizing Muscles: Lateral Deltoids, Rectus Addominis, Transversus Abdominis, Forearm Flexors...

For further chest exercises, visit the Gym Professor exercise diagram library.

GP
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Fitness Tests

Many fitness tests have been created as a unit of measure of various fitness categories, such as general fitness, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. 

Fitness tests are only as accurate as you make them, so reading instructions carefully, and performing them often, should bring more accurate results. 

Although the fitness tests are only likely to highlight what you already suspect - a bodybuilder achieving "excellent" muscular strength test results, or a marathon runner displaying an "excellent" score for their aerobic fitness tests - it can be used for trend analysis, which can identify progression or decline and might, in turn, alter the way you train your client. Also, it'd be ignorant to assume you've taken all factors into account. Although unlikely, sometimes the test results can throw up a surpise, such as a powerlifter with poor grip strength or an outwardly healthy individual with high blood pressure.

If you're performing these fitness tests on a client for the first time, you should have their full approval and a completed PAR-Q (health questionaire) that you're happy with. If you're working with a deconditioned individual, as a matter of course, they should see their Doctor beforehand and, thereafter, it would be prudent to perform the static fitness assessments (measuring general fitness) first.

Please visit the Gym Professor website for more information on the following:
Static Fitness Tests (measuring general fitness - good health & well-being).
Dynamic Fitness Tests (aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility).

Until next time,

GP
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Amino Acid - L-Glutamic Acid

Sorry that I haven't posted for a while - I've been busy doing work that pays the bills :-). 

Having spent a day in front of my P.C. writing spill for a gym equipment manufacturer, I thought I'd have a break of sorts (from the tedium) and update a few pages of my own venture - gymprofessor.com. My food snack during this break - Marmite on toast - gave me the incentive to write about L-Glutamic Acid. Why? Well, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

MSG's a salt of L-Glutamic Acid and is therefore a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods (like yeast extract) & provides the "tangy" taste - "you either love it or hate it!" Another of course (& the origin of its identification) is from seaweed extract - you'll hear many people tucking into their Chinese meal mention how MSG might affect them, whilst, I might add, also necking half-a-dozen beers (also containing MSG!).

Given my supplement slant on most things, I'd best mention hydrolyzed protein (process of breaking down the protein into its component amino acids for greater absorption by acid hydrolysis) being another instance whereby MSG will be present and hence why manufacturers often worn of a "bitter" taste on the supplement product label.

Synthesized from L-Arginine and L-Ornithine, & created in the brain from the Amino Acid L-Glutamime, L-Glutamic Acid's a major fuel that the brain uses to function and transports Potassium across the blood-brain barrier. L-Glutamic Acid's also used in the breakdown of fats and sugars.

Food Sources: Meat, Fish, Eggs, Dairy etc.

We'll tackle the facts and myths of MSG in another blog post - it's natural occurrence and use as an additive etc. Till the next time,

Gym P.
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The Exercise Habit

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!

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 information & ideas on structuring your training, please consider purchasing the forthcoming Gym Professor eBook (most likely titled "The Complete Weight Training Book"), which will provide easy-to-use process maps with hundreds of gym workout routines for you to follow (whatever your ability, sport or goal).

If you have found this information useful, please support the Gym Professor website by visiting our advertisers links.

Gym P.

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Magnesium

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 (Gym P.) 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. 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 this morning is that a running friend had mentioned yesterday that they'd started supplementing Magnesium and asked about food sources, their diet already contained almost all the sources I've listed below.

Two other more unlikely supplemental uses is firstly for a hangover, as alcohol depletes Magnesium levels. Try an isotonic drink after a night out - you'll feel far better! Secondly, 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.



Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Gym P.

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The Science of Human Movement

Kinesiology is the science of human movement. Having a basic understanding of what muscles move what, and in which direction, will help you perform weight training exercises with good form, in turn developing your physique and helping it adapt better to performing that movement within your sport.

I (Gym P.) cannot stress enough the difference a little bit of knowledge in this area (kinesiology) has made to some of the best athletes in the world, helping to improve their performance & avoid injury.

Tell me more about:

A to Z of Muscle Kinesiology

Anatomy - Regional Atlas

Exercise Diagrams (advising muscles worked)

Weight Training for Sport

Until the next time,

Gym P.

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