Girlwithnoname – Fitness at Home

Well, another shiny new week is upon us (and this one leads directly up to the holidays… hope you’ve got all your preparations underway or finished, cuz I don’t think it’s going to wait for anyone).

Anyway, to the point:

I was having a discussion the other day with my friend and fellow fitness blogger Becca Calhoun about how so many in the fitness industry negate perfectly good, valid and EFFECTIVE training techniques just because it’s not “their” way of training.

Seems Becca is pretty passionate about this particular topic.

So I asked her to share her viewpoints with us, so that we all might learn from her expertise and experience.

Thanks Becca!!

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Don’t Be So Quick To Dismiss

It amazes me how many “trainers” I see that are quick to dismiss different types of training, and hype theirs as the end-all to fitness. They claim their own to be “revolutionary”.

For example, some heavy lifters whose only focus is on the amount of weight they can rack up while nay-saying routines that consist of high rep “body weight” exercises.

They lose site of the fact that it’s not just about brute strength, but that a true athlete relies heavily on the endurance that the latter style of training builds and that this type of training burns more fat in less time.

Or, the lifters who believe only in heavy weight with minimal reps, who do their body an injustice by dismissing moderate weight hi-rep routines, as a routine that is for wimps!

They negate that this style will pump so much blood to their already-developed muscles, creating nothing but definition, symmetry and belly growth to the muscle while over time creating more muscle maturity.

This style of training also contributes to faster muscle recovery, in turn promoting muscle growth.

How about the people who do a** to the floor squats but dismiss the idea and benefits of squatting just to a slightly below parallel (10 degrees) position?

They do not achieve the benefit that they could from going heavier while losing the higher risk of injury if they cut it a little short of “to the ground”.

As trainers, it is our obligation to realize all styles of training are necessary to create a symmetrically pleasing, fully developed, sound, and healthy body! We need to understand each style of training and adapt it to our clients’ needs and abilities in order to realize the benefits, so that they can obtain their desired physiques.

I have trained with professional body builders and it was often all-out-as-heavy-as-you-can-lift. I was repeatedly told that my form was perfect as I squatted heavy butt-to-the-floor. My personal best on leg press was 600 lbs for 8 reps doing 2 sets.

I was put in front of several men and asked to show them how to properly execute a squat.

Now, mind you, I am 5ft 5.5 inches tall and weigh 127 lbs.

What do you think I got from all those months of “heavy” training and hour upon hour of cardio?

Well, let me list them for you: a hernia, both knees shot, a hip that wouldn’t stop popping, grinding tennis elbow and shoulder, exhaustion, and minimal muscle gain with average storage loss.

But, another girl who I trained with repeatedly during this time achieved phenomenal results!

She suffered no injuries, instead reaping heavy muscle gain while her body fat plummeted.

Please note that this didn’t have me walking away saying that heavy training is a crock. Quite the opposite, in fact. It told me that for my body type, joint range of motion, and my desired physique, this type of training was not right for me.

Do I avoid heavy training?

Not at all. But, it’s for a limited time using modified form to not repeat injuries from overuse.

I know that the most crucial part of fitness is creating optimum muscle confusion.

So, I employed various styles of training, finding my body responds best to lots of body weight dynamic exercises, including mass high reps.

I lost 9 lbs of storage in 3 weeks, while gaining more lean muscle then I had ever had. My endurance went through the roof, and my hip, elbow, shoulder, and knees do not ache one bit.

I now do 2 to 3 workouts a day, each never lasting more than 30 minutes.

Do I believe everyone should train this way? NO!

I would be doing myself and, more importantly, my clients an injustice if I ever thought in a training techniques “box”.

All I am saying is that, as trainers, we should open our minds and bodies to the glorious array of techniques, forms, methods, and styles of training.

Let’s stop belittling those who do not adapt to our style of training, instead trying to open them up to the benefits of it so they have a broader horizon.

By doing this, the fitness industry, as a whole, will work more productively and peacefully together, instead of waging a constant battle and competition with each other.

The average person is already intimidated enough looking in on the fitness industry without us dismissing and belittling each others’ techniques.

The bottom line is this: No one in the fitness industry is re-creating the wheel. The techniques and styles are time honored traditions used, perfected, and tested by Arnold, Zane and many more along the way.

Becca~The Fitness Kitten~Marie

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Thanks again Becca!! That was great insight.

If you want to check out Becca a little more, she’s also a heavy tweeter with lots of great things to say … follow her on Twitter at @fitnesskittin.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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