Got questions about strength training?
Midtown Oak Park Personal Trainer Jim Albrecht has your answers.
With 10 years of personal training experience (8 years at Midtown), and as a Resistance Training Specialist (RTS), Jim has a great deal of knowledge to share.
Question: Why is strength training important?
Jim: There is a common misconception that we don’t need to strength train if we participate in a particular sport or are active in general. Muscular imbalances are extremely common in all types of exercisers, and strength training balances out muscle groups resulting in improved functionality. Additionally, strength training can prevent muscle atrophy and the resulting loss of strength and flexibility that occurs as we age.
Question: What is the most common weight training mistake you see?
Jim: Poor posture. I always teach posture before I teach an exercise to ensure that the movement is as safe and effective as possible. Posture begins with a neutral spine in the lower back and extends up into the shoulders, with a strong core in the middle. I encourage my clients to take a break or lower the weight if they start to lose their posture during an exercise, because perfect reps with less weight will lead to greater strength gains.
Question: How would you coach someone who is just starting a weight training program?
Jim: Beginning a structured exercise program is a lifestyle change, regardless of the shape you are in, so taking small steps is key. Many people push themselves a little too hard at the beginning and end up tweaking muscles in their low back, hips, or quads. My job as a trainer is to help my clients understand their current abilities and provide them with an appropriate level of challenge without overdoing it.
Question: How long does it take to make strength gains?
Jim: It depends on how hard are you willing to work out, and how often. Consistency means working all muscle groups at least one time per week. Two is better, with 3-4 days of cardiorespiratory exercise. On their own, men often avoid lower body work (resulting in weak glutes), and women often avoid upper body work (resulting in a weak back, chest, and shoulders). So, I usually do one day of upper body and one day of lower body with my clients, with the expectation that they will come in and work out on their own. That’s why instructing my clients on how to perform the exercises correctly is so important to helping them reach their goals.
Question: How do you make a strength training workout effective?
Jim: Decide what exercise you are going to start with, take your time with the first set, and then tailor your workout according to the way you feel. If the first set goes well, meaning you are performing repetitions as slowly and controlled as possible and feeling strong, you can do another set. A couple sets of really good reps is better than getting through every exercise on your list. Proper strength training takes a certain amount of concentration – my clients tell me that’s why they never get bored!
Question: Why do you like being a personal trainer?
Jim: Personal training is the only job (other than instructing scuba) where I spend one-on-one time with people I normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to know. Exercise is a concept everyone should think about, and honesty and trust are necessary on both sides of the trainer-client relationship. The most important thing I do is teach people how to use posture to correctly perform an exercise, so that they can repeat it on their own. You don’t have to do it “my way,” just safely and effectively, and you will reach your goals.
Thank you, Jim, for sharing your weight training wisdom with us!
If you have a question you would like one of the trainers in the Fitness department to answer, you can post your question as a comment to this post, or e-mail it to me at kristen.schumacher@midtown.com. If you email the question, I will ask it anonymously on your behalf, and post the question and answer (but not your name) on the next “Ask the Trainer” post. You do not need to be a member to ask a question.
Let’s hear it!
One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to improve health.
Unfortunately, most New Year’s Resolutions are also doomed to fail.
In the interest of saving you time in route to your destination (the body of your dreams, we hope!), let’s examine some of the most common exercise mistakes to determine whether you have what it takes to succeed.
Mistake #1: Doing Too Much, Too Soon
If it has been a while since you’ve exercised, or you have been exercising inconsistently, your body isn’t going to respond well to a strenuous program right off the bat. Choose a schedule that you can stick to (e.g. one hour per day, three times per week), and begin at an intensity level that feels challenging, but not debilitating. Make sure to incorporate adequate time for a warm-up and cool-down.
Mistake #2: Forgetting Proper Technique
When it comes to resistance training, technique is the difference between getting results and getting injured, or not seeing any improvement at all. It starts with proper posture, which means keeping the core engaged (imagine how you would brace yourself if someone was about to punch you in the stomach), and standing tall with a neutral spine, shoulder blades pulled back, and head lifted.
Courtesy of Denverpost.com
Also, make sure you know the purpose of the exercise you are about to perform. What muscles are working? What is the proper range of motion for the exercise? Is this the most effective way to target the muscles I want to work?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, it’s time to talk to a trainer or instructor, or do some research on your own. Time spent now on learning how to do the exercise correctly means less time to your goal.
Mistake #3: Choosing Quantity Over Quality
If doing an hour of cardio means walking on a treadmill while you catch up on the latest episode of Law and Order and you barely break a sweat, then that hour didn’t do a whole lot to help you improve your fitness (the same concept applies to doing a lot of repetitions with almost negligible weight). Working out should feel challenging, and the good news is, challenging yourself appropriately will lead you to the results you want in less time.
Courtesty of Workoutequip.com
Mistake #4: Always Doing the Same Thing
Don’t worry; you don’t have to give up cycling if that is your favorite workout. Just make sure that you are changing your exercise intensity from time to time (alternating hard days and easy days, or increasing resistance over time), and maintaining a balanced program. That means incorporating cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training.
Now for the Number One resolution-killer
Mistake #5: Ignoring the Truth
Make sure you are answering the following questions honestly:
If the answer to these questions is “No,” or “I’m not sure,” you may be setting yourself up for failure. Give yourself your best chance at fitness this year – avoid these detrimental mistakes, create and stick to a plan, and go for it!
What are your fitness goals this year? What steps are you taking to achieve them?
Why do we care about trends? Researchers study them, writers report them, teachers teach them, and tweeters tweet them. Although there are many advantages to being “in the know,” one of the most important reasons to pay attention to trends is that they can help us prepare for and adapt to changes ahead.
Over the past six years, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has identified trends in the fitness industry with their ”Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends” (you can view the full 2012 survey text here). Come January 1, some of the most popular resolutions will be health- and fitness-related, so let’s get a jump on meeting our goals by looking at what the 2012 fitness trends mean for us.
Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals are the core of a rapidly expanding industry. In spite of tough economic times, consumers still place a lot of value in getting and staying healthy. The fitness industry has responded to this need by employing qualified trainers and instructors.
What does that mean for you? You can breathe a little easier knowing that you can trust your fitness professionals to lead you in safe and effective workouts, helping you reach your goals faster and giving you more bang for your buck.
Strength training is here to stay. Having been near the top of the trends list for several years, strength training is the first training “type” on the trends list, accompanied by personal, core, functional, and group training.
What does that mean for you? Since most of us sit at a desk all day, adding a little weight-bearing exercise such as resistance training can help improve our energy levels, mood, and overall functionality. Expect fitness centers to continue to update equipment and training options to facilitate strength-training programs that meet the needs of all types of exercisers – a stronger body is yours for the taking!
No one will be left behind. Training options are becoming more population-specific, with new programs being tailored to the aging Baby Boomer population and the fight against childhood obesity (just to name a few). Your fitness professionals are trained specifically to work with a variety of individuals from athletes to people fighting obesity or other diseases.
What does that mean for you? The fitness industry is actively trying to meet you where you are to help you get the most you can out of an exercise program, regardless of your goals or fitness level. In other words, you don’t have to start off looking like Jane Fonda to make exercise a part of your life.
It’s all about energy. Zumba, boot camp, and spinning are growing in popularity. These group classes are high-energy and fun, and put the emphasis on pushing your physical limits.
What does that mean for you?Releasing stress through dancing, high-intensity training, and cycling will leave you feeling strong, accomplished, and ready to tackle life’s challenges. You just have to be willing to give them a try. And although not “trending” anymore, Pilates fans shouldn’t be worried that their favorite class is going to disappear; only time will tell whether these new arrivals and old favorites will continue on as actual trends rather than fads.
The key this year is to work with Midtown to customize a fitness program that will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuventated, and (hopefully) like you had a darn good time.
Now that you know what’s to come in 2012, it’s time to use this information to start doing something that will work for you.
Your 2012 motto shouldn’t be “once I meet my goal, I’ll be happy.” Instead, how about you take a chance on what the industry is giving you and say “it’s time to give myself knowledge, revitalizing energy, and a sense of accomplishment, and add some more fun to my fitness routine.” Now that’s a reason to work out today.
What do you think of these trends? Have you already tried any of these fitness programs or plan to in 2012? What are you going to do differently in your workout routine this year?
Let’s face it, we DON’T all do the same exercises, use the same equipment, or wear the same things when we workout. 
But we DO share the same workout space.
That means we can’t just plug in our ear buds and ignore how our workout habits effect others. Young or old, male or female, fantastically fit or still getting there, we can and should work together to ensure a safe, comfortable, and professional environment for everyone.
So, if you’ve ever wondered about the DOs and DON’Ts of the fitness floor, check out Midtown’s Eleven Rules of Weight Room Success.
Image courtesy of Concord High School
Image courtesy of Stephanie C. Hodges
So, those are our top eleven.
Are there any important rules we missed? What are your biggest pet peeves when it comes to health club etiquette?
