Train Smarter, Not Harder
How often do you workout? Everyday? 5 days a week? How long do you workout for each time? An hour, maybe 2?
It really amazes me that many people think that working out and being in shape means spending hours and hours at the gym! NO WAY. I love the gym and I love working out, but common, don’t we all have better things to do?
My motto for training is: train smarter, not harder. And rightfully so. Wouldn’t you want the most results from less time? I know I do! So what does this mean?
Our bodies are super smart. They know exactly how to use the energy (aka calories) they are given and in the most efficient way. This means, the body will learn how to work at the least amount of energy expenditure in order to preserve the calories. Why? Because that’s how the body operates. In order to not let this happen, you simply have to trick the body. This means DON’T DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Sorry runners, but your the best example. Ever notice that if you keep running 5 miles a day every day for months that the body stops loosing weight and maybe even starts to gain weight? This is because the body gets comfortable with those 5 miles and realizes it doesn’t need as much energy for those runs so it keeps it stored and in turn, you can actually gain weight. So how do we avoid this? Interval training and strength training. Aerobic training (and steady state training where the heart rate remains relatively at the same rate) will be the easiest form of exercise for the body to get used to. I’m not saying its not good for you, but you need to switch it up. Interval training or HIIT (high intensity interval training) is one of the best ways for burning fat and avoiding plateaus. Not to mention, it works your heart even better than steady state cardio. Jump on any cardio machine (really, I’m not picky), and do 20 second intervals for 15 minutes. Try sprinting/going really fast for 20 seconds and then bring the pace back down for 40 seconds. All you need is 15 minutes and you already worked your heart much harder than if you were to run for 5 miles. You’ll also be burning more calories longer post workout. Couple the HIIT training with strength training (that is constantly doing different exercises and pushing boundaries with good form) and you’re on your way to a new and more fit you.
Let me know how your workouts are going at cwphysique@gmail.com OR ask me questions! We love to hear from you!
In good health,
Cristina