It's another wonderful day at Mary Baldwin, home of the fighting squirrels. Yesterday, I gave you the first 5 principles of conditioning. Today let's look at the next 5.
6. Intensity. Pick up your intensity. Sometimes it is easy to mistake time spent in the gym with the intensity of the workout. If you go to the gym for 1 hour and spend most of that time laughing and talking with your friends your not working out. It is better to work hard for 20 - 30 minutes. Don't be afraid to sweat, don't be afraid to grunt, and don't be afraid to strain a little.
7. Specificity. This principle is designed for athletes. It means that the athlete should be doing exercises that relate to her specific sport. For the every day squirrel not interested in a specific sport, try to keep in mind what you want to do. If weight loss is your main concern, stress cardio. If you want to be a strong squirrel, stress weight training. Try to do a little of each.
8. Individuality. Many young ladies come to me and want a "cookie cutter" workout plan. There is no such thing. You have to try different exercises and find out what works for you. Maybe you hate to run; try riding a bike. If you don't like lifting weights; try body weight exercises.
9. Minimize stress. Again this is geared toward the athlete. Many athletes will push themselves to the limit and, along with other stresses, will over-train. This is generally not a problem at MBC. For you everyday workout squirrels, exercise can actually reduce stress and help to keep a little balance in your life.
10. Safety. Please be safe. If you are not sure how to use the equipment, ask. I am in my office most of the day, please see me if you have questions. Put your weights away after you are finished. Weights left around the room can cause accidents. Wipe down the machines to keep germs in check. Remember principle 1. warm-up.
If you suggestions as to what you would like me to discuss, drop me a line and I will try and address your issue.
I've read through your blog and it's very informative! Great advice! I especially like that you dispelled the myth about fat turning to muscle and vice versa. I see and hear too many people trying to burn fat on specific parts of their body.
ReplyDeleteSome suggestions for future updates:
Treadmill vs. elliptical - I hear the elliptical is more beneficial, yet I seem to work harder on the treadmill. Which provides an optimum cardio work out?
Cardio before weights? - I've heard of people doing their cardio after hitting the weights, but when I do weights first, it's difficult to do my typical 30-minute cardio work out after. I've also heard of people framing their weight work out with fifteen minutes of cardio. Supposedly, this causes your metabolism to skyrocket, which is useful for weight loss. Thoughts?
To eat or not to eat before a work out - I do my work outs first thing in the morning because I fear I won't want to work out after classes. A friend was surprised when she heard that I don't eat before I work out and told me that I run the risk of fainting from low blood sugar. Although I've experienced some nausea from dehydration and some trembling, I've never felt faint or dizzy as she suggests. Is it really bad to work out on an empty stomach?
Marcy,
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is a lot of difference between the elliptical and the treadmill. The elliptical is easier on the joints, so if you have knee or ankle problems this may be the way to go. However, the elliptical has a little inertia built in so that you are not working as hard. This is probably why you feel you are working harder on the treadmill. My question is why use either. We live in a great part of the country. There is a park close by; go outside and run.
Cardio/Weights There are a lot of different ideas on this. I would say do what works best for you. If your primary concern is cardio fitness, run first. It you want to train harder with the weights, lift first. An idea might be do cardio 3 or 4 times a week and on the days you don't run lift weights. Be sure you get a rest day in there.
If you are training for a marathon and are going to go out early to get a 10 mile run in, get some carbs first. If you are only going to run for about 30 minutes, you can run on an empty stomach. If you have felt a little nausea and trembling, that may indicate low sugar. Try eating half a whole wheat bagel with a little peanut butter. I usually have coffee and a bagel about a half hour before I run and I am fine.
There are no cookie cutter answers. I think too many "experts" tell people this is how you have to do things. Try some different things and see what works best for you.
When I was in the Marine Corps in Okinawa I ran with some great runners. The fastest guy in our group would come out to warm up eating a big ham and cheese sandwich and drinking a glass of milk. We would go out and run 6 miles at a blistering pace and he was fine. If I did that I would be sick 10 minutes into the run. Trust your body, you can tell a lot about what is working by how you feel.