The Get A Grip
Club
THREE ELEMENTS
OF TRAINING
Cardiovascular Exercise
t Resistance Training t Flexibility Training
I can't
count how many times I have heard people say, "I am just not a
runner". From my experience, 90% of the people who say they can't run think so
because they have tried to run too much too soon.
Running
burns more calories than any other cardiovascular exercise. Most elliptical
machines lie! If it the machine tells you that you have burned 800 calories in
one hour, you can bank on it to have really burned 400 calories in that hour. Calorie
burn is almost double when you run as compared to using the elliptical.
I choose
to train my clients to run on trails for many reasons. First, it is easier on
the body than running on pavement or the treadmill. Second, you use more
muscles when running on trails because you are constantly shifting direction to
stabilize your body. Last but certainly not least, allowing yourself to be
surrounded by nature is an incredible stress reliever.
When we
run the trails we do so at a tempo that anyone can follow. Uphill, we do a
walk/run ratio that varies but we usually stick to a tempo that is about 5
minutes of walking with 2 minutes of running. We jog (feels more like cruising)
downhill at a steady pace. I have yet to come across a client that just could
not do the runs. Each morning we leave with more energy than we arrived with and
a strong feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie as a group.
Resistance
training helps build lean muscle mass on our bodies. This benefits us in more
ways than one. As women age, their bodies naturally looses muscle tissue. This
is called sarcopenia. The only way to reverse this process is by doing
resistance training, also known as weight-bearing exercises. Working out with
weights, such as dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands or even using your own
body weight, increases muscle density, providing a strong base to support our
bones and joints. This aids as a preventive measure to decrease our risk of
injury. Having more lean muscle mass on your body also increases your
metabolism which in turn, decreases your body fat.
On
Sunday evenings we gather together to do interval training. Each week is
different from the next. Sometimes we focus primarily on lifting our bums.
Sometimes we concentrate on strengthening our cores. The one thing that is
guaranteed each week is that the workouts are carefully thought out and
meticulously planned with proper mechanics. After each class, I publish our
workout online so that my students can do the workout on their own time during
the week.
It is
important to push yourself out of your comfort zone while you are doing
resistance training. The muscle has to be broken down before it can rebuild
itself bigger and stronger. It is also important to know the difference between
a 'good pain' and a 'bad pain'. The 'good pain' will stop when you stop doing the
exercise. A 'bad pain' with stay with you even after you stop. If you
experience a 'bad pain' immediately stop the exercise and practice R.I.C.E.
(rest, ice, compression, elevation). Once the pain decreases you make slowly
try to stretch the area.
***Please
note that it is necessary to have done the workout in class before trying it at
home, so I can make sure it is being done with proper form.***
Although
cardiovascular exercise and resistance training are essential for obtaining an
optimum level of fitness, it is unsafe to do them without implementing some
sort of flexibility training along side of them.
Flexibility
Training comes in many forms. Some examples are static stretching, dynamic
stretching, yoga and self myofascial release.
Static
stretching is when you hold a stretching position for approximately 30 seconds.
Dynamic stretching is when you move from one stretch to another. An example of
dynamic stretching would be walking lunges.
There
are various styles of yoga. Some are catered toward relaxation (Hatha), some
toward breathing (Kundalini) and some toward a flow through movements (Vinyasa,
Ashtanga & Power Yoga). All styles of yoga are physically and mentally
rewarding. However, for flexibility training I would recommend Hatha for
beginners, Vinyasa for intermediate and Astanga or Power Yoga for more advanced
students. | more info |
And then
there is self-myofascial, what???? Self-myofascial release is a fancy word for
foam-roller. It acts as a deep tissue massage to work out tightness in all
areas of the body. Foam rollers can be purchases online and are good to have
around the house because you can use them while you are watching TV. A couple
of the main website that carry them are Power
Systems and Perform
Better. I recommend getting a high density foam roller because they do not
bow in the middle after a lot of use. Click here for tutorials
on how to use the foam roller.
If you
would like to find out more about the Three Components of Training please
contact Jayme Williams at (562) 236-7460 or jayme_williams @ yahoo.com.