Winston Salem Fitness

In this section we will cover how to determine the proper number of sets and repetitions to meet your individual goals. For those who want a better understanding of the program you currently follow, or want to design your own workout schedule, these are important variables that can greatly influence the results you see.

First off, let’s be clear on what these two terms mean. A set is defined as an entire strength training exercise lasting from when you begin the movement to when you complete it. Using the simple bench press as an example, the set begins when you take the weight off the rack, continues through all the times you lower and raise the bar, and officially ends when you place the weight back on the rack. Most workout schedules will have you perform exercises for more than one set.

A repetition takes place within each set. They are the individual efforts that you usually repeat more than once before resting again. Using the bench press, one repetition is completed when you completely lower the bar, and then raise it back to the top. Rarely, if ever, will you complete just one repetition in a set.

Varying the number of sets and repetitions can produce drastically different physical changes over time. If you know what you want to accomplish, then you need to know the right amount of sets and reps to match your needs.

Choosing the number of repetitions

As we mentioned in Part 1, it is important that you know how to choose the right weights, regardless of the number of repetitions you perform. We will not get into that again here, but anything we mention here is dependent on picking weights that are not too heavy or too light. Our goal in this section is to give you guidelines on what you can expect to achieve for each repetition range. Strength training can help you build muscle, get a great cardiovascular workout, and of course, make you stronger.

Very high repetitions, like 15 or more per set, works very well as a cardio workout to help burn calories and strengthen your heart. You will need to take very little rest between sets, and should be careful here not to go too heavy, but for this specific goal a 15+ repetition range is very effective. Do not expect to get significantly stronger or muscular, though. If you are really hardcore and do 50-100+ repetitions on each set, though, you will help to strengthen the tendons and ligaments that hold your joints together.

Choosing a 10-15 repetition range starts to work towards gaining some strength and muscle, but not too much. Personally I think it is a good range for beginner athletes to work with, because the weights won’t be overwhelming and they get a lot of practice perfecting their technique. This is also about the range anyone under the age of 15 should use when they are dealing with free weights, although they shouldn’t be spending a lot of time with them at that age.

The 6-10 repetition range is a good transition zone for 15-16 year olds, and for those who want a little more strength and/or muscle development than they’d get from the 10+ range. Most athletic-based programs use repetitions in this range, but I would suggest that it is not the best choice. It is a somewhat safe choice in that you will not go too heavy, but you will see some strength gains. In my opinion, there is a better choice.

I believe that anyone truly interested in building strength, power, or muscle mass should be primarily working in the 4-5 repetition zone. If you are over 16, follow the guidelines given in Part 1, and have good technique, training this heavy is as safe as anything else you’ll do in a workout program. It allows you to consistently train with heavier weights, which in turn will build your strength and maximize your power potential. And, depending on the number of sets you elect to perform, it can quickly build muscle, as well.

Anything done for 3 repetitions or less works pretty close to your limits, and should be done sparingly. It will build strength and power, but won’t do much for gaining muscle unless you do a very high number of sets. Elite power lifters might work in this range fairly regularly, but for 99% of us you can make great progress with the 4-5 rep plan.

No matter which range you feel is best for you, proper technique is always your first priority. And for those choosing weights of 10 repetitions or less, it is always a good idea to have a spotter watching you in case you misjudged what weight you should have used.

Choosing the number of sets

Regardless of the number of repetitions you perform per set, you can choose to do one, two, or any number of sets for a particular exercise. The amount of sets you complete has to do with one critical variable: volume. Volume involves the total amount of weight you lift within a workout. If you multiply the weight used times the number of repetitions per set, and multiply that by the number of sets, it will give you the total volume of weight you lifted.

Why is this so critical? Because the higher your volume, the greater your chance of building muscle. The lower the volume, the less chance you have of adding bulk.

Some athletes need extra mass to perform better for their sport, but others would be adversely affected. Luckily, this critical factor can easily be controlled.

If you want to gain muscle, do more sets of each exercise. Three to five sets is usually about right, but occasionally you can go even higher. Anything more than 6 sets of a heavy weight exercise (using the 4-5 rep range we recommend) and you may not be able to sustain that volume for long without getting hurt. Tendonitis is the most likely problem you will face.

Unfortunately, there is a definite downside to performing more sets, especially when using heavier weights. The added volume can be incredibly taxing on your body over the long term, and will make it difficult to work on other aspects of your training. I would recommend setting aside a specific time of year to focus almost solely on mass training, if it is even necessary for you, and save other goals for another time.

If you need to get stronger and more powerful, but want to avoid getting bigger or need your energy for other goals, then go with one or two sets per exercise. Two schedules that work well here are to do one set per exercise five days per week, or two sets per exercise three days a week. Both keep the volume relatively low, but the heavy weights will help you adapt to what you need. Keeping the number of sets down will allow you to put more of your energy towards other goals, allowing you to build two or more skills at the same time.

That is our general guide for how to determine the correct number of sets and repetitions you need to meet your goals. This is obviously a more detailed topic than we covered here, but hopefully it is a good starting point for you. In our final article in this series we will cover how to determine the right rest times in between sets, and give you some important reasons why you should always use proper technique in your training.

We live in a time that obesity is on the increase and coronary heart disease is one of the biggest killers in England and Wales. There are constant streams of new fad diets being released yet people are still struggling to lose weight. Regular exercise offers huge benefits to people and can assist in solving the above problems and more.

It is recommended that before starting a new exercise program you consult your Doctor. This is especially important if you haven’t been active at all in recent years.

A reasonable target is to undertake around 30 minutes of exercise 4 or 5 times a week.

It is especially important to start slowly and work up to a more involved routine. This will reduce potential for injury but will also help to maintain long term interest. Start by taking some longer walks. Walk to the shops instead of driving or cancel your newspaper delivery and walk to collect them. Set longer term goals and gradually increase the amount that you do on a weekly basis.

There are many benefits to taking regular exercise including;

Higher levels of energy – People who take regular exercise find that they have generally more energy.
Reduced risk of disease – It has been shown that regular exercise can reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and coronary heart disease.
weight loss – Along with a calorie controlled diet, exercise can help people lose weight.

It is important that a regular exercise program in maintained to realise the long term benefits.

Some tips to maintain your program include;

Find a friend – If you exercise with a partner you will be able to help motivate each other.
Take it easy at first – You are more likely to give it up if you try to take on too much initially and burn out.
Find something you enjoy – You should do a form of exercise that you enjoy and interests you.

There’s a lot of emphasis that is placed on exercise whenever it comes to maintaining proper health as a man. To be certain, exercise is one of the main points of making sure that your health is kept at an optimum level. That doesn’t mean, however, that you need to be exercising for hours every day. As a matter of fact, if you are exercising too much, you may be hurting your health more than you are helping it. Here are some general guidelines for you to go by and you might be surprised to find out that you are able to increase your health by decreasing your exercise.

One of the most popular forms of exercise that most men do for their health is weightlifting. This surely can help you to increase your fitness level and having extra muscle in your body is going to help you to look better and feel better, overall. Not only that, it will give you a metabolism boost which will have you burning calories on a consistent basis. Many men who enjoy lifting weights will spend a lot of their extra time in the gym in order to pack on the muscle. You might be surprised to learn that you can actually increase your muscle by decreasing the amount of time that you spend in the gym.

This is done by a type of exercise that is known as high intensity training. One or two times per week, you would need to lift weights using multi-joint exercises and you would lift until you were at complete failure. Typically, you would try and use the amount of weight that is necessary in order for you to achieve failure in 8 to 10 reps. You also need to time in your lifts so that you are working on the positive and the negative for about five seconds each. This can make a huge difference in how quickly your body will put on the muscle.

The same is also true for cardiovascular exercise. If you’re spending all of your time doing long-term cardiovascular exercises, you may actually be doing something that is counterproductive. The reason why this is the case is because you are only boosting your metabolism for the time that you are exercising and you may actually be burning muscle along with the fat. Similar to the way that you do high-intensity training with lifting weights, you would want to do some high-intensity interval training for your cardiovascular workout. Work at 100 of your maximum. Repeat this process until 20 to 30 minutes have elapsed and you will be done with your exercise for the day. It doesn’t seem like much but you would be surprised with how quickly this will help you to burn the fat. Not only will it help you with fat burning but you will not be burning your muscle in the process.

Finding time to exercise is about as difficult as cutting a penny with plastic scissors for most people. The truth is: it’s easy after you get started. Exercise time management requires blocking off exercise as part of your daily routine. People that try to exercise when they can “fit it in” normally end up with the least results. Exercise time management involves scheduling, workout development, and program variety.

Organization with scheduling is half the battle. It’s important that you organize your exercise schedule while you are rested, as this will have a direct impact on your motivation to be in the gym. Planning to exercise based upon how you feel at that given moment can be problematic. However, by choosing a specific time on each day that you plan on exercising, writing this time onto a calendar for an entire month, and following your calendar just as you would a doctor’s appointment, you will be leap years in front of everyone else.

Exercise time management also involves pre-scheduling of your workout routine. Clients of mine who are most successful exercising independently develop their workouts ahead of time. In fact, the most successful plan their workouts for at least an entire week in advance. If you think about it, your choice of exercises for today should be based upon your choice of exercises yesterday and tomorrow.

Choosing which body parts to exercise on a given day can be a perplexing decision, although this is beyond the scope of this article. As a general recommendation, be sure to leave at least 48 hours between exercise sessions that involve a pure strengthening protocol. On the other hand, endurance workouts can have more frequent repetition, as well as decreased isolation of muscle groups.

Finally, in order to manage your time effectively with exercise, you’ll need to consider having a variety of exercises in your routine. The typical exercise program repeats once or twice a week, indefinitely. This allows your body to acclimate to the exercise demands placed upon it, thereby decreasing your results over time and leading to plateau. By selecting a larger variety of exercise, as can be done with proper workout development skills, you will be constantly stimulating your body to react to new demands, and thereby increasing fat loss and fitness results. For this reason, marathon runners are able to look relaxed while running at insane speeds. After awhile, the human body accommodates this ‘abnormal’ demand, and learns to burn fewer calories and conserve more energy. The same thing is true with your exercise program. Be careful not to make this mistake.

The beauty of abdominal exercise routines is that they don’t necessarily require any exercise equipment for their successful workout flow. The most that an exerciser would want to have would be an exercise mat, which is geared for an exerciser’s safety, as well as comfort.

Most of abdominal exercise routines involve muscle work overload, as well as a progressing workout intensity scheme, and should be done on regular intervals, divided between “rest periods” for abdominal muscles to recover.

Running: Running is an excellent form of exercise for losing weight because it requires a lot of energy. Your body burns a large number of calories while running. The number of calories burned during a run is significantly more than with other types of exercise.

Bike Riding: Bike riding is good for those who are looking for an exercise that is gentle on the body. Riding to a friend’s house or shop is a great way to incorporate regular exercise into your busy schedule.

When stress hits us and we are not prepared for it, or it comes from all areas and we need to find comfort, many times we reach for the wrong things to make us feel better. One is what we call comfort food, and when we do that there goes the good eating habits. The other is that stress tends to make us feel tired and worn out, and you just don’t feel like going to the gym; and there goes the exercise program.

Right now the economic picture seems be a challenge what with home foreclosures, higher gasoline and food prices, unemployment and along with that job security disappearing; these are all conditions that create definite stress in our life.

Women gain fat in their thighs, butt, and hips areas… generally speaking. This of course has to do with the biological factor of giving birth to children.

Men tend to gain fat in their bellies and waist areas. This is a good place to store fat in case of starvation. Easy access to your digestive system for quick energy. This has to do with starvation being a problem going back thousands of years ago. So knowing this, how can women build an effective exercise routine for themselves.

Men are also somewhat less flexible than women as a result of natural differences in their joints and also a difference in attitude. This difference in attitude often results in men tending to skimp on their warm-up routines, including essential stretching exercises.

Of course to some extent these differences are very much a matter of degree and some convergence is possible and both men and women can benefit by adapting some aspects of the routines of the opposite sex.

Follow the tips given below to make the most out of your trampoline:

Remember to always wear comfortable, non-slip shoes when using the trampoline

Test out your trampoline, get your body used to it before you start exercising properly

Start with a warm-up routine for about five minutes at a slow-to-moderate pace, if you are a beginner. Your muscles need to get used to rebounding.

The Barbell front raises – This upper body exercise is meant for you to feel the front delts and also serve to reach the definitions of your delts. You would need an upper body-width grip barbell for this routine and the first thing you need to do is to keep your body in a still position. Then you start to move slowly the bar but focus must be on the delts to the front. The routine is suggested to be performed in two sets of twelve to fifteen repetitions per set.

weight loss is a goal that everyone sets but very few actually reach. The reason why so many people fail when it comes to weight loss is because of their plan or in this case a lack thereof.

Exercise is a key contributor to losing weight and when combined with a healthy nutrition plan will help accelerate your weight loss that much more. If you plan correctly, and when I say plan, map out your exercise routine, you will greatly increase your chances of losing weight.

When putting together your exercise and fitness plan first you must take into account the amount of time you have available to get through your entire workout. For example, if all you have is 45 minutes on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays then it will be those days and in that amount of time you will exercise.

Now that you know how much time you have to work with and the days you will be working out, then develop the actual exercise routine. I recommend that you hit every muscle part in a single session performing one exercise for each muscle group. Your muscle groups are chest, triceps, back, biceps, legs, shoulders and abs. So now that you know the groups then you already know that you will be performing only 7 exercises. That’s it! You can fit 7 exercises within your 45 minutes right? Of course you can.

You should start with only 1 set of about 8 to 12 reps for each muscle group with the exercises that you have chosen. For example I like to do dumbbell bicep curls for my biceps. I curl 35 pounds in each arm and do 1 set of 12 reps. I will slowly add on another set and lower the reps as my strength increases. In other words I will do 2 sets of 8 reps to help increase my strength in this exercise. I will follow this plan for all of my exercises in my routine slowly making increments to my reps, sets or weight as I become more strengthened.

Once you have all of your exercises picked out, write it down in a journal so you can track your progress. Studies have shown that those individuals who write down their routines and what they have completed have a greater chance at success then those who do not. Write it down and follow what you are doing so you can monitor your progress.

Exercising is a great way to lose weight and putting the right plan in motion will make it easier. Just remember to get a complete physical from your family physician prior to starting any type of exercise program.

Motivation is the first step in successful weight loss. losing weight can sometimes be discouraging and lengthy, that is why it is important to keep yourself on track. There are numerous ways to maintain your fitness routine, ranging anywhere from exercising with a friend to prioritizing. So if you feel like you suffer from exercise burnout, here are a few ideas how to keep yourself from quitting.

One way to stay motivated is to emphasize the positive. Think about all of the good things regarding weight loss. Imagine that you will have more energy and you will be healthier. And if you happen to have a minor setback, don’t dwell on it. Things come up in life and you may miss a session or two, but this does not mean that you have failed and you should quit altogether. Simply pick up where you left of on the next possible day. This scenario brings me to my next point, prioritizing. Don’t let daily concerns disturb your fitness regimen. Make sure that you set time aside just for fitness. And the third way to remain motivated is to seek support. Don’t feel like you have to undergo this process on your own. Ask a family member, a friend, or even a neighbor to join you in mission. It is easier to maintain focus when you have the responsibility of meeting someone else at the gym.

And last but certainly not least, remind yourself that you are not looking for a quick fix. weight loss is a slow and steady process. It takes a lot of time and patience, as all great things in life do! Remember that quick weight loss does not exist. And if someone manages to achieve quick weight loss they clearly did not approach the process with health in mind. So if you wish to lose weight, remember to stay motivated and focused!

Today, however, the majority of the tasks we have to do are taken over by machines. The result is that our lives has turned sedentary and with it comes an open invitation to diseases such as overweight, heart problems, blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, back aches, indigestion, heart burn, constipation, joint pains, headaches, sleeplessness, and so on. There is only one solution to all these troubles: exercise.

Getting in the gear – Most people think that exercising means just a walk in the park. While it is true that walking is the best and easiest way to start exercising, it is very important that you do it right. In fact, whatever exercise you choose to do, you should get the right gear for it and do it correctly. For example, if you choose to walk you should understand the difference between brisk walk and leisure walk, walking shoes and regular shoes, drinking water before and after the exercise, how much time and distance you need to walk, the importance to break into a sweat while exercising, and so on. A person using tennis shoes one-time and Under Armor shoes at another would definitely feel the difference. Professional gear such as Under Armour shoes, Reebok or Addidas are a must if you want to exercise the right way.

Equipment you need to get – you do not need any equipment if you do not have the budget for it. As mentioned a little earlier, a walk in the park can benefit you as much as any other exercise, provided you do it right. However, if you have the budget to set up your own private gym you have plenty to choose from.

e.The exercise ball is a hot favorite because it can help you do all types of workouts easily, such as weight and balance training, core training and even double as a chair.

f.Heart rate monitor is another must-have when you exercise. This would help you moderate the exercises intensity so you draw the most benefit from it. The HRT acts like your personal trainer, telling you when you should speed it up and when you should take it easy to get the best out from your exercising routine.

g.Videos – when you start out, the best is to get trained by a specialist in whatever type of exercising you choose. There is no exception in this case. You need to have an initial professional evaluation on the status of your body; then, about what is required for best results. The premise that if it suits my friend it suits me is wrong and often harmful. Once you learnt about the basics, you could use videos to keep you motivated and on the right path. Do not videos as instructors, as you would not know whether your body would be benefited or harmed by the exercises showed therein.

h.Hex weights – like the exercise ball the dumbbells are universal. Everyone can use and draw great benefits from working with dumbbells. Have a few sets of different weights, depending upon your body structure and you are all set for a highly toned body.

Time and duration of exercise – In most cases about 20-30 minutes daily works wonders for your body. Many people however, do not have even this half an hour on daily basis hence, you could consider working out 3-4 times a week. The best time to exercise is in the morning at dawn as the air, sun rays and overall atmosphere is beneficial for the body at the hour. However, if time does not permit, any time is a good time, as long as you do it at the same time on a regular basis.

The importance of warming up – all said and done do not ignore the importance of warming up before starting any type of exercising. Abrupt start would result in muscle pulls and other such problems. This is one more reason why you should start your exercises under the supervision of an expert.

You need to change your workout routine every ten weeks or so, or you’ll hit a plateau and stop making progress.

How many times have you heard this crazy statement? Lots of times, I’ll bet?

Variety is good in fitness programs – but I don’t buy the plateau theory.

It never made sense to me. It actually seemed counterproductive for many people. One of the primary reasons I think this is true is that it complicates matters and confuses people. It gives people one more bad reason to give up on trying to stay on his/her own fitness routine.

This myth was most likely spawned from the old school of personal training with has a heavy influence from the bodybuilding sub-culture. These are just not rules that should be applied to everyone – especially ‘normal people’ with real lives to live with careers and family, etc.

Here is what I do like to teach, when it comes to ‘variety’ (because it works).

It’s called ‘micro-varying’.

You take one exercise and create several variations of it. It could be three variations – or it might be twelve. The key is that you create options without having to overhaul your entire program every 2 or 3 months. Here are 2 examples:

For abs and core – one of my all time favorite exercises is the reverse crunch. Now, most people – if they’ve even ever heard of the reverse crunch – stop there, and then want to know “another exercise for the abs”.

The truth is, the basic reverse crunch can be morphed into at least 4 variations. And, yes, crunches are very effective – when done properly.

These are:

1 – Cross leg reverse crunch

2 – Twisting reverse crunch

3 – Incline/Decline reverse crunch

4 – Side to side reverse crunch

The second example features my all time favorite butt and thigh exercise – the one leg hip extension (OLHE). This exercise is done with a simple floor mat and it can easily be morphed into 3 variations. These are:

1 – OLHE with a stability disk or small ball (soccer ball size)

2 – OLHE with 55cm swiss ball

3 – OLHE using the edge of your couch or an ottoman

Make your program fun and realistic by modifying the exercises you already know how to do – without having to do a complete fitness program makeover every 2 or 3 months. It’s easier to stick with and you won’t stress out, thinking you ‘have to change everything around again’ – while still reaping the desired benefit – results.

Yeah – you can can add new exercises here and there – or vary the sets, repetitions and rest periods – but there is no need to do a total program makeover – just when you’re starting to get into a system.

The concept of the ‘fitness plateau’ is more a myth than a solid fitness principle. A lot of people even use it as an lame excuse to validate their lack of success.

If what you are doing is working – stick with it. If your program ‘stops working’ – contemplate why – before you going messing things around and replacing your entire exercise program with no rhyme or reason. Changing your routine for the sake of change or because you’ve been fooled into believing the fitness plateau myth is actually true, may only cause you to do something else that isn’t going to work for you either.

Arthritis is an ailment common to adults over 50, however, there are also cases when it afflicts even the younger generation. There are several forms of arthritis but one thing is common of them, they are diseases which cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons and bones.

Arthritis literally means joint inflammation caused by tissue injury or disease. And while many people use the term to refer to all rheumatic disease, arthritis is a condition on its own. For sufferers of arthritis, attacks will come frequent during cold weather and almost always, when it strikes, the sufferer wails in pain and becomes immobile until a temporary treatment is applied.

However, following an exercise program strictly designed for people with arthritis will lessen the pain and improve the condition of those afflicted with arthritis. Generally, exercise increases flexibility, endurance and muscle strength and reduces joint pain and stiffness. It also aids in weight reduction and contributes to the overall wellbeing of a person.

People with arthritis are required to follow a comprehensive arthritis treatment plan. A treatment plan can include rest and relaxation, change in diet, intake of medication, exercise, information regarding the proper use of joints as well as ways to conserve energy, and the use of temporary pain relief methods.

Because not everyone suffers from the same kind of arthritis, it is best to consult a medical professional for advice on the type of exercises one should do with regards to his condition. This is so because an exercise program may not work with a particular type of arthritis, thus, a diagnosis still has to be made to ensure appropriateness.

How much an individual is required to do and what specific exercises should be done really depends on the joints that are affected. Also considered by medical experts before recommending an exercise program is the amount of inflammation, joint stability and joint history.

There are three major types of exercise that a person with arthritis can be required to do. The first of which is the range-of-motion exercises which maintain normal joint movements. It should be done daily to increase flexibility and relieve stiffness. Examples of this type of exercise is stretching and dancing.

The second type of exercise is called strengthening exercises. These exercises maintain or increase muscle strength. Having strong muscles is vital because it helps support and protects joints affected by arthritis. Ideally, strengthening exercises should be done every other day unless swelling is experienced. Strength training program varies for everyone depending on the type of arthritis involved, personal preference, and presence of inflammation. When doing strength training, correct positioning is critical to avoid further pain, swelling and possible muscle tears.

The third form of exercise is called endurance exercises. These exercises improve cardiovascular fitness, control weight and improve a person’s overall well being. These exercises must be done thrice a week for 20 to 30 minutes unless when one experiences pain.

Indeed, exercise will help people suffering from arthritis to cope with their condition.