Make the most of your time :: DETRAINING #2

So, how do we take all of this information about DETRAINING (avoiding training) and sum it up?

If we set a goal, make a plan, or get some professional advice from a personal trainer, we have a better chance at sticking to our fitness ambitions.
If your goal is to increase endurance, strength and power, flexibility, or muscle size; OR, if your goal is to decrease your weight and body fat... You need to progress and periodize your workouts. This means you need to continually increase the intensity over time, while alternating between higher and lower intensity workouts to allow your body to recover. Stimulation is the key word here, your body needs to be stimulated!

The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) recommends working out most (if not all) days of the week, and 7days/week for weight loss. But, if you are currently doing nothing all week and you start to do something, you will see some changes. If you only have limited time, expect limited results. Although, as stated in the first detraining article posted here last week ( http://balancefoodfitness.blogspot.com/2008/10/tough-times-detraining.html ), you can do three training sessions/week to maintain your endurance and one strength training workout every 10 days to maintain your strength.

Now, does this mean your body will change from working out so little? Probably not, but you will get the health benefits and maintain your fitness.

Ending words: if you have limited time, increase the intensity. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: Increase the resistance; decrease rest periods; increase reps/sets; increase the instability; or increase the pace and tempo of the exercise.


To your fitness goals!
--
Ryan Regensburg, BS, NASM-CPT
413.896.2078
www.individualizedfitness.com