Geelong’s Gym

Yes, you did read that right.  If you train the right way, you can burn double the calories in only half the time.  Here’s the key: 20-60 second intervals at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate, followed by 30 seconds rest.  Before I say any more, have a look at this video of two of Geelong’s Gym’s Personal Trainers, Adam Ryan and Nathan Moore, putting this into practice…

First off, please don’t be intimidated by what you’ve just watched.  These guys are incredibly fit and prone to extreme exercise.  But here’s the good news – you can do what they’ve done…

Adam and Nathan are doing High Intensity Interval Based Training, which is based on your heart rate and is suitable for all levels of fitness.  Training in a high heart rate zone of 85% and beyond can only be maintained for a short period of time (high calorie burning zone).  When the heart rate hits the red zone, 95% plus, your body is then forced to rest and allow the heart rate to come down to be capable of repeating the exercise.  During this rest period the energy expenditure is still great, therefore burning a high amount of calories continuously while you rest.

And as an added bonus, it’s really great for time-conscious people who want to get fit and healthy but don’t have a lot of spare time on their hands.  By doing this kind of training you can achieve the results of a one hour workout in just half an hour!

Surely not, I can hear you thinking.  Here’s the key.  This is functional training, which means a variety of different muscle groups are used in each exercise, which results in a higher heart rate thereby increasing your energy expenditure (i.e. burns calories FASTER).  Plus, no session is the same as the last one, so your body doesn’t get a chance to plateau but instead remains at a peak level of training.

So if you want to see real results FAST this is the kind of training you need to be doing.

A sight to behold!  Geelong’s Gym Personal Trainers certainly know how to push to the max!

As a Personal Trainer, you get used to seeing other trainers working their clients hard, pushing them into uncomfortable head space, challenging their muscles and stamina in order to initiate change.

What you don’t see very often is two trainers pushing each other to the max.

Sure, they work along side each other, spot each other and share knowledge and stories, but going for broke is a rare sight.

Burning calories at that rate will have you fitting through the small door in a heart beat!

Recently, I witnessed the most intense training session ever! No stopping, giving up, wasting any precious time. Two Geelong’s Gym trainers, Adam Ryan and Nathan Moore, were trying to set new PB’s (Personal Best).

In what?  How many calories can be burnt in the shortest time.

And the best outcome to date is 672 calories in 38 minutes!

WOW!                             

And why?  Why not!

I’m sure most of us know that the key to losing weight is increasing our metabolism.  But did you know that muscle plays a huge role in raising metabolism?

Many people shy away from lifting weights when their goal is to lose weight, because they’re scared of the weight gain from increased muscle size.  But here’s the clincher…

Watch that weight just drop away

One little pound of muscle burns around 10-20 calories a day, while a pound of fat only burns 5 calories.  So growing your muscle tissue will help you burn fat all day long.

Plus there are a whole lot of other benefits of strength training:

• Increased resting metabolic rate which means you burn more calories, even while resting.
• You will become lean and slim, because muscle takes up less space than fat
• Strong bones and connective tissue, which will help protect your body from injury
• Enhanced balance and stability
• Increased confidence and self-esteem

But this only works if you lift enough weight to stimulate muscle growth.  Here’s a tip – if you can lift your chosen weight more than 16-20 times, it’s not heavy enough.

If you’re struggling to know how much weight you should be lifting, perhaps you should consider booking a session with a Personal Trainer.  Believe me, your muscles will feel the difference after a Personal Training session!

The good news is you don't have to start with the really heavy weights!

There are many reasons why people avoid lifting weights.  Here are just a few:

• It’s really tiring!  True, because most of us aren’t used to pushing ourselves to fatigue in anything we do.  That’s why you start slowly and gradually work your way up.
• I don’t want to injure myself!  Firstly, your muscles are meant to burn with the exertion of resistance.  However, it is important to take it slowly and increase your weights in increments, while still providing your muscles with some challenge.  Again, if you’re unsure, a Personal Trainer can help you get the perfect balance.
• I don’t want to look like the Incredible Hulk!  Needless to say, this is usually a concern reserved for women.  But here’s the good news – lifting heavy weights will NOT make you huge, because women simply don’t have the testosterone levels to build big muscles.  But the heavy weights WILL help you LOSE fat.

These are just a few reasons, but they often prevent people from making any progress towards their ideal body shape.  Heavy lifting will help you achieve that body and if you ease into a weight training program and slowly work your way to bigger weights you don’t need to worry about hurting yourself, or any of the other reasons which are holding you back.

Are you an older woman and have always thought Strength Training and Weight Lifting is only for strong young men?

While this used to be the way many people thought, studies have now shown that strength training is incredibly beneficial for both men and women, young and old, and particularly for older women.

In fact, older women who do an hour or two of strength training exercises every week can see significant improvements in their cognitive function, particularly in the areas of the brain responsible for planning and executing tasks.

A study, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has been carried out assigning 155 women aged bewteen 65 and 75 either to strength training once or twice a week or to a comparison group doing balance and toning exercises.

One year on, those who did strength training had improved their performance on tests of executive function by 10.9% to 12.6%.

Those who did the balance and toning exercises actually experienced a slight deterioration of .05%.

The improvement of the first group included an enhanced ability to make decisions and resolve conflicts.

Don't worry Ladies! You won't be expected to hold up a building!

So if you’re an older woman and want your later years to be full of life, joy and activity, maybe it’s time you considered adding some regular strength training into your schedule and reaping the benefits of greater health, fitness and mental alertness.

And if you don’t know where to start, why not consider Personal Training to make sure you get the most benefit in a safe manner from your workout.  Just give us a call at Geelong’s Gym and we’ll set you up with a Personal Trainer who’ll suit your needs.

Do you want to take your fitness and weight loss to the next level, but don’t want to spend any longer in the gym than you already do?

Thought so.  Well, here’s your answer.  High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

By throwing out your old mindsets that the longer you run, bike etc the fitter and leaner you’ll get, you can burn calories like never before, lose more fat and improve your cardiovascular fitness AND spend LESS time in the gym doing cardio.

With High Intensity Interval Training you'll watch that weight just melt away.

That’s not to say that HIIT is easy, because it’s not.  It’s actually pretty demanding on your body because let’s face it, you don’t get results without working hard.

Basically what it involes is short bursts of maximum intensity exercise interspersed with low to moderate intensity exercise.

How does it work so well?

• HIIT conditions and trains both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.
• HIIT increases the amount of calories you burn after your exercise session because it increases the length of time it takes your body to recover after each session.
• HIIT causes matabolic adaptions that allow you to use more fat as fuel.
• HIIT can limit muscle loss which can occur during traditional weight loss.

The key with HIIT is to use MAXIMUM effort in your high intensity intervals, not just a higher heart rate.  Give it your all and watch your fat just melt away!

If you need some help with changing over to a HIIT method in your workouts, check out our Personal Trainers at Geelong’s Gym.  They are all very experienced in the HIIT method and more than willing to help you take your fitness and weight loss to that next level.