The days of 'no pain, no gain' are over:
How to make sure you aren't overdoing it

The two most common questions personal trainers hear are: “How much exercise should I get?” and “How long should I work out?” The answers aren’t easy, because they vary with each individual. 

As we explained in our third column, assessing where you are is critical when you plan a fitness program. And that affects not just the type of exercise but also its frequency, intensity and duration. 

We all know that if you want to improve or maintain functionality, you have to move more. The word on the street is: Use it or lose it. We like to say you need to exercise only the muscles you wish to keep. However, just moving isn’t enough and it might not get you where you want to go. You need to make sure you are using the right muscles in the right way to meet your goals. 

What kind of exercise?

The answer to that question is different, based on the needs of the individual, but there are three main categories of people:

1. Performance athletes. Within this category, there are two types of athletes, both of whom have different requirements. For example, to increase raw strength, you should concentrate on load-bearing exercises and not repetitive ones. That means that if you want to bench press 500 lbs., going running everyday in and of itself won’t get you there. Sure, it will help with other areas of fitness, but it won’t help you increase your strength. So you’ll need a program that enables you to handle larger and larger weights over time. On the other hand, if you’re a runner who wants to increase your speed or distance, you would need to focus on high-endurance activities such as distance swimming and running or long-duration activities like riding a bicycle. For all situations, you must have the right form. It’s not practice that makes perfect but perfect practice that makes perfect. There’s a reason why professional teams have trainers. 

2. People who need toning and shaping up. Most of the people we see at Advanced Training Techniques fall into this category. The first step is to determine why you aren’t toned. The answers are not the same for everyone. It might be that your body has too much fat. Or, if you aren’t fat, it might be that the muscles aren’t tight enough to your frame. In these situations, we need to create a balanced program that combines high-calorie-burning exercise with load-bearing activity. Once again, those are best if they are customized specifically for you. 

3. People who have lost functionality. If you can no longer do what you used to do – whether from injury, illness, aging or a sedentary lifestyle  – it’s easy to become very frustrated. When that happens, your tendency is to focus on what you think you used to do easily, and that isn’t always accurate. For example, when we ask people to stand on one leg, most people think it should be easy and remember when they could do it. But could they really? How long ago did you pick up one leg, position it at a 90-degree angle to your hip and hold it without moving for five or more seconds? Most people can’t do it and haven’t been able to do so for quite some time, if at all. It is of paramount importance if you are in this category to understand that where you were before has no bearing to where you are now. You need to move forward from your new point of reference and shouldn’t look back. It serves no purpose and only adds obstacles as you try to get your body operating successfully. 

Exercises to restore function need to be highly specific, structured and supervised to systematically reteach the body how to function under its new conditions. That’s why doctors send you to physical therapy. But because insurance doesn’t always allow you enough time to completely recover, you usually end up with a sheet of exercises to do on your own. Even if you do the exercises faithfully, you won’t be getting the constant feedback and encouragement that is necessary to really succeed. Doing an exercise the way you think you should be doing it without feedback is a risk. You could be as little as an eighth of an inch off and end up activating a different set of muscles instead of the ones that were intended. We won’t rail on here about our health-care system, but if you are in this position we encourage you to seek the help of a trainer or other professional as you move forward.   

How much activity?

This one is easier to answer. The days of  “no pain, no gain” are over. Pain is the body’s way of telling you have done too much. Similarly, getting your heart pumping so hard that you can feel it beating without putting your fingers to your neck is also not recommended. The body is not meant to sustain such harsh pressures. As with any plumbing system, too much pressure in the pipes and something is going to break. 

To make sure you aren’t doing too much, you have to listen to your body. When something starts to hurt, stop  – unless otherwise directed by a qualified professional. You should also stop when you can no longer control the activity you are doing; i.e., when you are running and your feet are no longer in their normal stride or when you are lifting weights with your whole body instead of the intended muscle.

Where your body is today is different than any other day. Pay attention to it before you set expectations for the day’s activity to ensure you will not only be successful but won’t injure yourself in the process. 

More fitness columns:

• Whether you started on Jan. 1 or not,
 fitness is a journey, not destination
• Looking to trim down? Don’t set yourself up for failure
• Pack your water bottle for a successful fitness journey
• Working out but still not slimming down? The right nutrition plan can put you back on track
• Success with a fitness program is all in your head
• It all comes out in the wash: The five factors of fitness
• The days of 'no pain, no gain' are over: How to make sure you aren't overdoing it
• Six things you can do to lower your risk of workout-related injuries
• Under pressure? Feeling tense? Don't let stress hijack your workout
• Get a workout — at your desk
• Take a hike: How to get the most out of simple walking
• Oh, those aching feet; time to change your shoes
• Fitness programs are not one-size-fits-all
• To avoid injury, you need to be flexible with your yoga practice
• Before you reach for that supplement, take a look at what’s on your plate
• Exercise equipment promises results; but wait, there’s more
• Don’t discount the rest of the workout

Brent Steepe, a personal trainer since 1992, is CEO of Advanced Training Techniques Inc. in St. Clair Shores. Brent, a former bodybuilder and powerlifter, worked at a number of gyms before founding Advanced Training in 2006. He earned a bachelor of science in Exercise Science at Michigan State University and holds a number of certifications in personal training, senior fitness, sports nutrition and  from the American Red Cross. An avid recreational enthusiast, Brent is vice president of the American Ultimate Disc League. For more information, visit www.traininyourhome.com, email Brent at bsteepe@traininyourhome.com or find him on Facebook or Twitter.

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