As the New Year is quickly approaching, I know that you're eager to make the changes to change your body. I also know that you want to, yet again, make the New Year's Resolutions that hopefully will stick, for 3 weeks, 3 months or perhaps at least 6 months!?
Is something wrong about the New Year's Resolutions you made last year?
Did you make your Resolutions with right attitudes and healthy mindsets?
Were your Resolutions guided by healthy lifestyle and behavior changes?
Did you follow through your Resolutions with a master game plan and course of actions?
Did you adjust and fine-tune your mini goals as you moved along?
Did you find your inner motivation and and external support to keep you on track?
Did you find ways to overcome the challenges or derail quickly as soon as you saw the roadblocks?
Why did your Resolutions fail?
Here are my top 10 tips to beat the New Year's Resolution Syndrome.
1/10
Visit my website and my blog often and sign up for my monthly newsletter to keep you motivated, informed and supported all year around.
2/10
Investment in youself. Sign up with a wellness coach/trainer for at least 12 weeks and better yet commit to 6 months. Health and fitness is a lifelong commitment. Twelve weeks aren't going to make miracles, but are the "minimum" period of time to get into regular exercise routine, healthy lifestyle and eating habits.
Even just a few sessions with a trainer could be worth the investment to get you in the right direction. For those people who like DIY, I also offer on-line personal training and program design. I'll design a training program for you including two to four workout routines for you to rotate on a weekly basis.
3/10
Make multiple resolutions that reinforce each other. When you make a healthy resolution, you'll start to re-think about falling back to those not-so-good habits.
Make multi-week, multi-month and multi-year resolutions. Why makes "annual" resolutions that you can only follow for a month? Have a big picutre. Break it down into smaller, realistic, achievable mini goals. You'll feel better when you accomplish the mini goals. It gives you more confidence and momentum to stay on track towards your bigger goals.
If you're still smoking or eating junk foods regularly, why do all the cardio and strength training? It just doens't make sense. You won't transform to your dream body even if you train 7 days while staying on the unhealthy lifestyle and poor eating habits.
4/10
Know what you want. Do you really know what you want? I doubt. Many people want to lose 10, 20, 50 pounds. These are not the right healthy goals. And most people won't get it!
"Know what you want" is the #1 step to build your dream body. Why 10, 20 or 50 pounds, instead of 5 pounds? Where are these extra pounds distributed? Are these fat, muscle or water weight? What type of body shape do you want to be in? You're not so sure, right!?
5/10
Dream big but start small. Your old-and-never-worked resolution could be like "I resolve to start exercising 5 to 7 times a week, 30 to 60 minutes each time." If you haven't exercised regularly for the last 3 months, this resolution is bound to fail and you're doomed!
Start with small baby steps. You could start with a combination of walking, aerobic exercise, strength training, and other physical activities for 2 to 3 times for a total accumulation of 2 hours of exercise a week. The key is to be able to get into a regular exercise habit. Gradually increase the duration, variety, intensity and frequency. This is one of the reasons why a coach/trainer can be a really good source of professional guidance and accountability.
6/10
Food is your friend, not your foe. Make a good friend with your foods. Every year, or in fact evey day, you'll see new diet books on the market. You lose money but not your weight. Food is the source of energy to fuel your body so that you can function and perform.
In an earlier article, I touched the topic about stress eating, emotional eating, overeating, mindless eating and fat gain. Eating healthy foods is the choice you can make. Replace the poor choices with healthy ones.
Pick two of your weak areas and consciously replace them with healthy choices and stay on them for a month. Similar to exercise, too much too soon is going to backfire. When you can stick to the two healthy choices for a month, then you start to include more healthy choices.
7/10
Plan your exercise and plan your meals around it. If you don't plan, then you plan to fail. This is one of the reasons why many people skip exercise and make poor food choices.
One easy way is to book your appointments with your coach/trainer in advance. Then you'll prepare for your day and anticipate the training session. Pencil in your own workouts as if it's a date with yourself and it's the time for yourself. Prepare the meals and healthy snacks to support your training and fuel your body.
It's a good idea to prepare the meals for several servings at a time. Keep healthy snacks and water at home, in your office and in the car. So when you're hungry, strapped for time or on the go, whatever you reach is all good. It's tough to deny the high-sugar high-fat comfort foods in the vending machine or the drive-thru. You willpower doesn't count!
8/10
Get a good night sleep. Go to bed a half hour earlier. I know many people are eating late, snacking, drinking alcohols, watching TV shows in the evening to unwind their stress from the day. These poor habits disturbance your sleeping quality. They drain your energy and sabotage your resolutions if you want to lose weight and look good.
If you have followed the first three tips, you shouldn't be here. Your body releases growth hormones while you're sleeping that help you build muscle. Deprivation of sleep also makes you crave for sugary and high fat foods and make you wan to eat more to feel satisfied.
9/10
Schedule your downtime. This may be counter intuitive. Aren't we supposed to work out more and longer to lose weight? Yes and no.
Training is like a double-edged sword. Proper, consistent, progressive overloading with balanced nutrition and quality rest and sleep will make you strong, healthy and fit. Overtraining can break you and make you sick, injured with diminishing results. Please re-visit my earlier article on overtraining.
There is a fineline between overloading and overtraining. This is yet another good reason to hire a personal trainer to help you design a customized workout plan and change up your training routine.
It's also a good practice to periodize your training program into microcycle (daily/weekly), mesocycle (2 to 4 months) and macrocycle (6 months, seasonally or annually). The training cycle could coincide with a special event or function. So, you really need to plan the whole picture and break it down into mid-range, near-range and immediate actions.
10/10
Watch your enviroment. When you want to lose weight and stay fit and healthy, you need to watch out who you're associated with. You are the product of five of your closest friends.
In my earlier article on the power of friends, I cited a research finding that obesity is epidemic and contagious. Some people call it "sympathetic weight gain" with your friends. On the other hand, thinness could be contagious too. See who has the upper hand over the other.
So stay close to your fit and healthy friends. But don't break up with your overweight freinds as yet. Just be aware and stay conscious in your environments.
Stay away from sources that drain your energy and damage your health. Make friends with like-minded people who are positive, fit, healthy, high-energy and high-performance.
My Last Two Cents
Your New Year's Resolutions should be simple but challenging enough for you to follow through. Pick one or two things in each of the lifestyle, exercise and nutrition areas to work on and improve at a time. When you achieve them, add more gradually. Doing too much too soon is the #1 reason why almost all resolutions fail in the first month.
Remember, your health is wealth and it's invaluable. When you're healthy, you can create more wealth and enjoy your life. I wish all your resolutions and goals achieved by the year end or sooner.
Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang.
All rights reserved.
>>> Sign up for FREE monthly e-Newsletter to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.
Showing posts with label overtraining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label overtraining. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Periodize Your Training Program To Make Continual Progress
Why Isn't Your Workout Working?
Embrace The Changes
Some periodization programs may be better or more suitable for one than the other. Any type of periodization is better than the other types of training programs. Most people respond much better if their training program is periodically changed according to these principles.
Get Professional Help
Still have problems? Hire a qualified personal trainer to help you design an individualized fitness training program. You're welcome to contact me for consultation, carey@careyforfitness.com.
References:
1. Medvedeyev, A. A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting. Trans. Andrew Chamiga. Linovia, Russia: Sportiviny Press, 1989.
2. Fleck, S. and Kraemer, W. Designing Resistance Programs. Champaign, IL: Human Kinectics, 1988.
3. Schuler, L. and Cosgrove, A. The New Rules of Lifting. New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 2006.
>>> Sign up for FREE monthly e-Newsletter to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.
Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitnesss.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Have you been wondering why you stop making progress (e.g., growing muscle, gaining strength or losing weight)?
Have you been doing the same workout routine over and over? That is, you're bored and stuck in a fitness rut.
Have you thought about changing up your training program, mixing up workout routine or even taking a long break from training?
There are many training systems available depending on your goals and training cycle. Here is why your workout isn't working. The basic concept starts with variation and progression for a training system. It's related to so called general adaptation syndrome (Ref. 1 and 2).
It states that variation of certain training factors will lead to greater gains than no variation. When you experience a new training stimulus, your body is "shocked" with some physiological discomfort. Your body adapts to the stimulus and improve performance after a few repeated sessions. After a while your body is used to the routine and intensity and becomes more efficient, the gains start to diminish. Your body has no reason to grow if you stop working out surpassing an optimal intensity threshold.
Put it this way. There is no magic training system, sets or reps.
Everything works, but nothing works forever.
Periodization --- Keep Your Workout Working
The concept of periodization is to change the training stimulus for gains to continue to occur progressively. The training stimulus can be changed by varying volume, load and intensity. Periodization was originally modeled in terms of Olympic weightlifting. Many concepts have been applied directly to fitness training.
Periodization refers to the "planned" manipulation of training volume, load and intensity throughout a series of specific training phases or cycles. Periodization is an application of the principles of progressive training. You vary your repetitions, sets, weight and intensity during each cycle. It's a method used to make continual improvements in performance throughout the year and avoid reaching plateau.
If you follow the same workout for any length of time, your body soon adapts to the constant load and your gains diminish. However, by structuring your long-term training goals in a number of training cycles, you will be able to make gains in strength, mass and endurance all year round. It will also help you avoid overtraining and injuries.
What Is A Periodization Program?
A periodization program is divided into a number of distinct training cycles. The longest cycle is called a macrocycle and usually spans a period of one year, although shorter macrocycles can be used. This would suit those who cannot commit themselves to a year-round program or those who want greater variety in their training.
The macrocycle is then broken down into 2 to 6 shorter training cycles (mesocycles). Each mesocycle spans several weeks and emphasises a particular training goal (e.g., hypertrophy for muscle mass, strength, maximum strength/power, or muscular endurance).
A well designed traininig program starts off with higher volume, lower intensity and lower skill workouts. The program gradually increases in training intensity toward heavier weights, lower reps and requires higher skill levels. The aim is to peak at the end of your mesocycle.
Each mesocycle is followed by a short period of 1-2 week rest. Rest is very important to allow your body to recover from the intense training and relieve stresses on your bones and joints. Resting doesn't mean that you do absolutely nothing. You'll engage in "active" resting and recovery. You do only very light training, or a completely different activity for cross training such as golf or recreational swimming that does not tax your energy systems or central nervous system in the same way. Each mesocycle is then divided into weeklong microcycles, around which you plan your day-to-day workouts.
Types of Periodization Program
There are many variations in the periodization program, depending on your goals, training experience and lifestyle. (ref. 3)
Have you been doing the same workout routine over and over? That is, you're bored and stuck in a fitness rut.
Have you thought about changing up your training program, mixing up workout routine or even taking a long break from training?
There are many training systems available depending on your goals and training cycle. Here is why your workout isn't working. The basic concept starts with variation and progression for a training system. It's related to so called general adaptation syndrome (Ref. 1 and 2).
It states that variation of certain training factors will lead to greater gains than no variation. When you experience a new training stimulus, your body is "shocked" with some physiological discomfort. Your body adapts to the stimulus and improve performance after a few repeated sessions. After a while your body is used to the routine and intensity and becomes more efficient, the gains start to diminish. Your body has no reason to grow if you stop working out surpassing an optimal intensity threshold.
Put it this way. There is no magic training system, sets or reps.
Everything works, but nothing works forever.
Periodization --- Keep Your Workout Working
The concept of periodization is to change the training stimulus for gains to continue to occur progressively. The training stimulus can be changed by varying volume, load and intensity. Periodization was originally modeled in terms of Olympic weightlifting. Many concepts have been applied directly to fitness training.
Periodization refers to the "planned" manipulation of training volume, load and intensity throughout a series of specific training phases or cycles. Periodization is an application of the principles of progressive training. You vary your repetitions, sets, weight and intensity during each cycle. It's a method used to make continual improvements in performance throughout the year and avoid reaching plateau.
If you follow the same workout for any length of time, your body soon adapts to the constant load and your gains diminish. However, by structuring your long-term training goals in a number of training cycles, you will be able to make gains in strength, mass and endurance all year round. It will also help you avoid overtraining and injuries.
What Is A Periodization Program?
A periodization program is divided into a number of distinct training cycles. The longest cycle is called a macrocycle and usually spans a period of one year, although shorter macrocycles can be used. This would suit those who cannot commit themselves to a year-round program or those who want greater variety in their training.
The macrocycle is then broken down into 2 to 6 shorter training cycles (mesocycles). Each mesocycle spans several weeks and emphasises a particular training goal (e.g., hypertrophy for muscle mass, strength, maximum strength/power, or muscular endurance).
A well designed traininig program starts off with higher volume, lower intensity and lower skill workouts. The program gradually increases in training intensity toward heavier weights, lower reps and requires higher skill levels. The aim is to peak at the end of your mesocycle.
Each mesocycle is followed by a short period of 1-2 week rest. Rest is very important to allow your body to recover from the intense training and relieve stresses on your bones and joints. Resting doesn't mean that you do absolutely nothing. You'll engage in "active" resting and recovery. You do only very light training, or a completely different activity for cross training such as golf or recreational swimming that does not tax your energy systems or central nervous system in the same way. Each mesocycle is then divided into weeklong microcycles, around which you plan your day-to-day workouts.
Types of Periodization Program
There are many variations in the periodization program, depending on your goals, training experience and lifestyle. (ref. 3)
- Linear Periodization: It's the classcic and straightforward method. You do something, make some progress to the next level or next thing, reach a peak, and back off for a break. "The main problem is that you constantly move away from the quality you've just developed," Alwyn says. Linear periodization starts from high reps/low loads and progresses successively to low reps/high loads. For example, you lift 15 reps in Phase One, 12 reps in Phase Two, 10 reps in Phase Three and 8 reps in Phase Four.
- Alternating Periodization: Instead of going straight linearly from the highest reps to the lowest, you alternate reps and workloads in different phases. For example, you can lift 10 reps in Phase One, 12 reps in Phase Two, 6 reps in Phase Three and 15 reps in Phase Four.
- Conjugate Periodization: A program can mix and match weights/reps in different stages. It combines some heavy lifts for strength, some fast lifts for power, some medium-rep sets for muscle mass, and some high-rep sets for muscular endurance.
- Undulating Periodization: This program is designed for athletes who need to maintain high levels of muscular endurance, strength and mass throughout the season. The undulating periodization program adjusts the sets, reps, rep tempo and rest period in every single workout.
Embrace The Changes
Some periodization programs may be better or more suitable for one than the other. Any type of periodization is better than the other types of training programs. Most people respond much better if their training program is periodically changed according to these principles.
Get Professional Help
Still have problems? Hire a qualified personal trainer to help you design an individualized fitness training program. You're welcome to contact me for consultation, carey@careyforfitness.com.
References:
1. Medvedeyev, A. A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting. Trans. Andrew Chamiga. Linovia, Russia: Sportiviny Press, 1989.
2. Fleck, S. and Kraemer, W. Designing Resistance Programs. Champaign, IL: Human Kinectics, 1988.
3. Schuler, L. and Cosgrove, A. The New Rules of Lifting. New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 2006.
>>> Sign up for FREE monthly e-Newsletter to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.
Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitnesss.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Avoid Overtraining to Improve Performance and Prevent Injuries
Train, Train More, Train Longer, Train Harder
Many people have made their New Year's Resolutions to improve their health and fitness. They run out of the gate like hungry tigers with great enthusiasm hoping that this year will be different. They'll do the same things - going to the gym five days a week, lifting weights three times a week and doing cardio five times a week - and yet they expect different or even better results!?
Some people don't even take the time to rest and recover and tend to go overboard. Well, if working out five times a week is good, seven times must be even better. Right!? People want to see the results fast. They spend two hours a day, five days a week in the gym for a good hopeful couple of weeks. You can tell by the gym traffic. These are all great. Or really?? Remember, it's how strong you finish the year that counts, not what you start the year with. Don't end the year like a lamb.
Truth in Life
Then the reality starts to set in. We're living in a super busy society. We all have other commitments in our life - career, family, or kids, etc. Very soon these super busy over-committed people cannot go to the gym as regularly due to late long hours of working, business traveling, time conflicts with kids' games and other social obligations, or getting sick. They start to lose their work-life balance.
They cannot come to the gym to work out on a regular and consistent basis. But when they do get a chance to work out, many skip warm-up to save time. They attempt to lift the heaviest weight they can remember from last time and do as many as possible till they're wiped out. It ends up that they get hurt because their bodies weren't used to sudden heavy weights. Injuries prevent these people from coming back to the gym, if ever, to train regularly at desired intensity. You know what happen next. They'll gain all the weight (or fat) that they have tried hard to lose and plus some more.
Consistency Is The Key
One of the challenges to achieveing your fitness goals is consistency. You need regular exercise to stay on track your fitness resolution without overdoing it and becoming sick or injured.
Many people have made their New Year's Resolutions to improve their health and fitness. They run out of the gate like hungry tigers with great enthusiasm hoping that this year will be different. They'll do the same things - going to the gym five days a week, lifting weights three times a week and doing cardio five times a week - and yet they expect different or even better results!?
Some people don't even take the time to rest and recover and tend to go overboard. Well, if working out five times a week is good, seven times must be even better. Right!? People want to see the results fast. They spend two hours a day, five days a week in the gym for a good hopeful couple of weeks. You can tell by the gym traffic. These are all great. Or really?? Remember, it's how strong you finish the year that counts, not what you start the year with. Don't end the year like a lamb.
Truth in Life
Then the reality starts to set in. We're living in a super busy society. We all have other commitments in our life - career, family, or kids, etc. Very soon these super busy over-committed people cannot go to the gym as regularly due to late long hours of working, business traveling, time conflicts with kids' games and other social obligations, or getting sick. They start to lose their work-life balance.
They cannot come to the gym to work out on a regular and consistent basis. But when they do get a chance to work out, many skip warm-up to save time. They attempt to lift the heaviest weight they can remember from last time and do as many as possible till they're wiped out. It ends up that they get hurt because their bodies weren't used to sudden heavy weights. Injuries prevent these people from coming back to the gym, if ever, to train regularly at desired intensity. You know what happen next. They'll gain all the weight (or fat) that they have tried hard to lose and plus some more.
Consistency Is The Key
One of the challenges to achieveing your fitness goals is consistency. You need regular exercise to stay on track your fitness resolution without overdoing it and becoming sick or injured.
There is a fineline between
overloading and overtraining!
overloading and overtraining!
Appropriate and progressive overloading your body is one of the fitness training principles to use so that your body learns to adapt to the loads and grow stronger.
On the other hand, overtraining will have adverse effect on your body and performance. Your body may actually start to break down than build up. To juggle the right amount of training with adequate sleep, rest and nutrition is not an easy task, even to many professional athletes.
What Is Overtraining?
Simply put, overtraininig is the result of subjecting your body more work or stress (load) than it can handle. It happens when a person experiences neuro-muscular stresses from exercise faster than their body and mind can recover and repair. This doesn't typically happen overnight or from just one or two over-workouts. In most cases, it is an accumulated effect of consistent over-stressing without adequate recovery.
You've heard the old saying before: "You lift weights in the gym but grow outside the gym." It is the properly loaded exercise that breaks down your body. However, it's through rest, recovery and proper nutrition to repair your body that makes you stronger and healthier. Improvements occur during your recovery, not during your gym time.
Signs of Overtraining
Stresses can come from physical, mental or emotional sources. They all have effect on your health and well-being. How do you know that you're overtrained? How can you read the signs and symptoms of overtraining? Check the following by youself.
- Elevated resting heart rate or pulse
- Increase in minor injuries, colds or flu's
- Chronic muscle soreness or joint pain/tenderness
- Exhaustion, lethargy, fatigue
- Appetite loss
- Reduced ability to concentrate
- Decreased performance
- Anxiety, irritability or depression
- Apathy or lack of motivation
How to Avoid Overtraining?
Somestimes it's difficult to tell if you're overtrained or simply ill based on these symptoms. The most common signs to look for are lack of motivation in the areas of your life and feeling of exhaustion. Reduced concentration and decreased performance in lifting weights is also a warning sign to watch out carefully. Prevention is definitely better than cure. But what do you do if you think you're overtrained?
Follow these suggestions ...
- Make small and gradual change (progression) in your exercise program over a period of time.
- Make sure you have adequate rest between workout sessions.
- Eat a well balanced and nutritious diet to refuel your body.
- Adjust your training program to fit your work schedule and lifestyle. Perhaps exercising two or three times a week is more realistic and achievable than five times a week. Be flexible and have fun with what you do.
All-or-nothing gung-ho approach to
fitness training is doomed to set yourself up
for failure and disappointment.
- Change up your training program by cross training to add fun and variety, or hiring a personal trainer to help you to design an individualized training program.
- Periodize your training program by cycling your training routines and taking time completely off from training every so often. For example, taking one or two weeks off for every 10 weeks of training is a common training practice. Even professional athletes have off season for a break to rest and recover from wear-and-tear and injuries. Why shouldn't you?
Taking time to take care of your body and mind. You'll come back stronger and be more focused in your next workout session or training cycle. Over the long term, you'll improve your performance consistently and stay injury free.
Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang.
All rights reserved.
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