Train Like an Athlete to Shed Fat and Add Muscle
Posted: Sunday, November 22, 2009
by Meghan Callaway
Catalyst Personal Training
Are you one of the many people who simply despises working out? Is it because your workouts are boring? Have you stopped seeing results? Do you spend far too much time in the gym? Working out does not have to be boring, ineffective, and time consuming. Once you believe this your attitude towards working out will change for the better and the results will start rolling in. Years ago I used to dread going to the gym because my workouts were monotonous and I had reached a plateau and was no longer seeing any results. I would go the gym, do the same workouts over and over, and not challenge myself. Not only was I bored mentally, but physically my body had become accustomed to my ineffective workouts so my gains in strength, muscle tone, and fat loss virtually stopped. It wasn't until I tore my calf muscle in the year 2000 that everything changed.
Below is a summary of all the major changes I made to my training:
I ditched my long and slow cardio for shorter and more intense interval training.
Now I do no more than 35 minutes of cardio, including the warm up and cool-down. I do intervals on the treadmill, spin bike, or stairs. Other times I go outside and sprint on the soccer field or skip. I will perform intervals that are between 10 seconds to 5 minutes in length. With the shorter intervals I try to keep the work/rest ratio between 1:1 to 1:3. For the longer intervals I keep the work/rest ratio between 1:1 to 5:1. As my fitness level improves, I increase the intensity either by going at a higher speed, or reducing the amount of rest between intervals. This type of training has given me the best results in terms of my overall fitness level and also body composition. Studies have shown that the metabolism is elevated for hours after a person has performed interval training, which means that they burn more calories throughout the day.
Just to note, this type of training is not optimal for everyone. Before performing this type of training you should obtain medical clearance from your physician.
I increased the intensity of my training but dropped the overall time of the workout.
Before I used to spend far too much time in the gym, and I performed too many exercises that only targeted one muscle group. Now what I do is perform exercises that target many muscle groups and are sports specific. This makes my workouts a lot more efficient and allows me to train in a manner similar to the sport I play, in my case, soccer. Anyone from the average exerciser to athlete can train this way. However, before you attempt to do so it is imperative that you know what you are doing. Just to show how effective this type of training is, in August 2007 I entered Femsport, a strength and fitness competition. I did not alter my training for this competition, and I did not train for any of the specific events. I ended up placing 2nd out of 30+ competitors. That just shows that this type of training has a carry over effect to many speed, strength, agility, and power exercises/sports.
I try to perform exercises where my core muscles are utilized all the time.
For instance, rather than performing a seated shoulder press, I will peform the same exercise standing up. This forces me to use the ultra-important but often neglected abdominal and lower back muscles. We are required to use the core muscles all the time, even in something as basic as sitting down. Therefore it is crucial that we use these muscles all the time.
I engage in plyometric training at least once a week.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term plyometrics, it refers to "a method of training that enhances an individual's explosiveness through rapid and powerful muscular contractions." It is important to note that before any person engages in plyometric training he or she must have a sufficient base strength, otherwise the risk of injury is much greater. Also, it is crucial that proper technique is used all the time. This is where an experienced trainer might be beneficial. Although the majority of plyometric exercises I perform are for my lower body, I do engage in upper body and core plyometric training. It is important to note that I will only perform plyometric training for my lower body, upper body, and core muscles no more than once a week per muscle group. Since this type of training is more intense, the time for recovery is longer. Overdoing it will most likely result in injury or at the very least overtraining.
I make sure that I perform a variety of training, and mix things up on a regular basis.
This keeps me interested and also allows me to continue to see/feel the benefits of my training. Performing the same type of training over and over is boring, but most importantly, you will plateau and stop seeing any results. I will repeat myself again but before you engage in any new type of training, it is imperative that you know what you are doing, and understand why you are doing it.
Challenge yourself and reap the benefits of your efforts! Have fun and do not be afraid to seek the guidance of a professional. This investment in your health can help you get to that next level and help put the fun back into your training.
Sincerely,
Meghan Callaway
Catalyst Personal Training
http://catalystpersonaltraining.weebly.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Hi Meghan. Thank you for writing and sharing this information to us. An interesting piece. Happy Thanksgiving Day. Stay well. ~Nenita~
Welcome to the Searchwarp Community.
Hi Meghan, thank you for sharing your article. I want to get back into shape but what I am finding difficult is finding the time, I am a single mother who works full time. My work makes if difficult as sometimes I work from 9am to 9pm and at other times I have my son - how can I do it and get my son involved?Alexis, thanks for your interest in my article. In order to better answer your question I need to get a little more info from you. How old are you, what is your current fitness level, how old is your son, and do you have access to a gym or other fitness equipment? I offer guidance in online training and nutrition for as little as $2/day and offer exercise routines that are extremely practical yet effective and also very time efficient. These can be done at home, at the gym, etc. Email me your information so I can get a better feel as to what your fitness background is, what type of exercising you like to do and have done in the past, and I can definitely help you get back in shape in a very time effective and fun way, and this can definitely also include your son! Go to my website that is on my profile page and you can receive a link to my email address and feel free to check out the information on my website. Looking forward to hearing from you.Meghan Callaway
Hi Meghan.I can see you are very dedicated to being fit. Hoorah!I work out every day, but I am content to just keep doing my maintenance regimen. But you are inspiring.Dianne
Hi Meghan, great article. I agree with your suggestions in theory and practice. However, I am curious how you would approach marathon training. I completed one marathon, and I am training for a second. I have tried a mix a interval and long, slow running. I thought that I might be able to cut out my long, slow runs as long as I achieved enough intensity during my interval workouts. However, when I did that, it seemed I lost the ability, at least psychologically, to get my long run over 10 miles. Maybe the best approach to marathons is to run one or two a year emphasizing endurance during peak training and then emphasize building strength and power during breaks between distance running.
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