As a fitness and nutrition expert for the last 20 years I have seen many people make the same fitness and nutrition mistakes over and over. Many after all these years are still not being properly educated on the things they must do to see the best results in and outside of the gym or workout. Some are receiving the education but not applying it.
Over the next week I will be sharing the “The 5 Mistakes People Make at the Gym” If you take this information and apply it and correct these mistakes you could make some serious leaps with your fitness success. On the other hand if you just read them and think “That won’t work for me” you are probably right……………..because nothing will WORK UNLESS YOU DO.
Mistake #1- Doing only cardio and no resistance training
Ninety –Five percent of the people I work with, who contact me, or I talk to at the gym usually want to do one of 3 things:
1) Lose visible fat (not just weight)
2) Build Lean Muscle (or their words tone up)
3) Look and feel better (about themselves and in the mirror)
No matter your specific goals adding resistance training to your weekly workout is crucial for long term success. A proper resistance training program should be the foundation of any individual who wants to see results and changes in the way their body looks and feels. Resistance training if done properly and is balanced with the right nutrition is great for building and maintaining your lean muscle tissue. Your lean muscle tissue is literally your fat burning engine, without muscle your body can not even burn very much fat if any during your cardio/aerobic sessions. Muscle is an active tissue that can help your body burn calories all day long even at rest.
I am amazed how many people who contact me say they want to lose fat/weight yet they are training to run some 25k race. If your goal is to run that’s great but training for a marathon and losing fat/weight are two separate goals in which you must have two separate strategies and plans in place to be successful and each. One must also realize running long distance is not effective for long term fat loss (not just weight). Studies show excessive cardio can actually breakdown muscle and cause your body to store more fat in the long run. I have never met anyone who lost excessive amounts of fat and kept if off by just doing cardio. Sure you will burn lots of calories by running for 45 minutes then taking a cardio class for another hour afterward, yet it’s a seriously flawed strategy if you’re seeking the best possible results and having a very efficient fat burning workout.
I personally recommend that cardio sessions do not exceed 30-45 minutes if your main goal is fat loss. How much weight training should one do? I personally believe most need 3-4 days of weight/resistance training per week to see the maximum benefits. These benefits include increased lean muscle tissue, increase in metabolism, increased muscle strength and endurance, and increase in bone mass. The 1-2 days of resistance training per weeks is very common and a good start (some is better than none) yet it is not enough. If you go to the gym for an hour 3 times per week then 30 minutes of resistance training and 30 minutes of cardio is using that hour much more efficiently than just do cardio for one hour alone. Lift weight, use body resistance, challenge and protect your lean muscle and your body composition will thank you for it!
MISTAKE #2 Coming Soon!
Your Fitness and Nutrition Coach,
~David Modderman
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