Any time we make big changes in our lives, it’s natural to be a little bit nervous. Starting a new training programme isn’t quite as dramatic as buying your first house, getting married or having your first baby. But for some people, it can be just as confusing. So today we’ll look at What to Expect When You’re Expecting To Train Regularly!

I’ll start by stating that there are many different  training programmes and nutrition plans that will achieve excellent results. As long as you or your trainer stick to the general principles outlined below, the specific methods won’t matter too much. As I’ve mentioned previously, training for fat loss, muscle gain or improved fitness is not rocket science. But it does require effort, consistency and a certain degree of willpower.

The following items are based on what I believe are Best Practice for achieving Health & Fitness goals. They are what my clients can expect when they start a new training programme. If you train alone or with friends, feel free to adapt the methods to suit. The first 3 items constitute the planning stage and are agreed at the initial consultation

Decide your goals.

Without an inspiring goal to motivate you, training can become boring and pointless. It works best if the goal is Specific, Measurable, Action-based, Realistic and Time-based. Avoid saying you want to get “fitter”, “tone-up” or “lose weight”. These terms are too vague. Picking a specific weight, clothes size or body fat % and declaring when you will achieve it is much more inspiring.

Make the target tough enough that you’ll have to work to achieve it but realistic enough to be achieved. This technique also applies to improving sports performance or strength levels.

Record your starting point.

In order to make your goal realistic, it is best to assess where you currently are in relation to it. If body composition is your target, have your current body fat % measured. You can also take waist/hip/thigh measurements or even record your scale weight. If improved performance is your goal, then what is your current best effort at that sport or activity?

Put A Plan In Place.

You now know where you are and you’ve decided where you want to go. All that remains is putting a plan in place that will help you complete your journey. This plan can be like a contract that you make with yourself.

Decide on how many training sessions per week you can do, how long each one will last and what type of activity will be involved. You can also decide what type of food you will eat to support this training, as well as what food and drink will need to be removed.

Once the initial planning phase is complete, it’s time to put it into action. Here’s what you can expect to do on a weekly basis:

Train at an intensity that challenges you.

This is relative to your current strength and fitness level. Total beginners or anybody who has an illness or injury is advised to get clearance from their doctor. Getting uncomfortable while training will cause changes in your body that will make you leaner, stronger and fitter.

As you get stronger, the training will start to feel easier and when that happens, it’s time to increase the intensity again!

Adjust your eating based on your goal.

As a general rule, if you want to lose weight you’ll need to eat less food. Individuals looking to increase muscle mass may need to take in more calories, especially in the form of protein and carbohydrates.

Rest.

In order to see the results of your hard training, you will need to give yourself time to rest and recover. Sleep is the best and most under-rated form of recovery. Aim for 7-9 hours sleep per night, ideally between the hours of 10pm and 7am. Remember that you cannot train at your best if your body hasn’t recovered from the previous session.

There is no great mystery about improving body shape or fitness. All that it requires is a bit of structure and discipline. Put these steps into each of your training programmes and expect great results!

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At some point in time most people who have tried an exercise or diet plan will have experienced something along the following lines:

The initial part of the programme which is characterized by great enthusiasm and a lot of optimism. In this phase it is fairly easy to stay motivated and to stick to the plan of regular exercise and “healthy eating”. During this time it is quite normal to see some reduction in body weight, and in some cases this can be quite dramatic. This in turn increases the levels of motivation.

Phase 2 tends to see a reduction in these motivation levels. At this point, the weight loss may not be as spectacular and the food plan and training programme may start to feel a little monotonous. When this happens, many people will abandon the plan because they feel that the benefits are not worth the effort they’re putting in.

If you manage to make it this far, Phase 3 is what is commonly known as the Plateau. When you’re here, it feels like an exercise and nutrition Groundhog Day. Although you’re still eating the same food and doing the same training sessions at the same intensity, you’re not seeing any changes.

This is a very frustrating and puzzling situation for most people. How could a diet and training plan that served you so well for so long suddenly stop working?

The answer lies in the S.A.I.D principle, which I’ve discussed in previous articles. In order for us to see strength or body composition improvements, our training must make use of this Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands Principle. This merely says that our body will adapt to whatever demands are placed upon it. So in order to grow stronger or to lose body fat, these demands must increase gradually but continuously.

If your current plan has allowed you to lose body fat and drop a dress size, congratulations! It has worked. However if you continue on the same plan, you will merely get the same results: the same body shape, the same weight and the same fitness levels. Welcome to the Plateau!

If you want to see better results, you’ll have to use a different and better programme. Let’s look at some ways to mix it up and ensure that your progress continues.

Change that Programme!

It’s the simplest way to kick-start some changes in body shape. Too many people have been doing the exact same programme for years and contributing to Einstein’s (alleged) Definition of Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Making changes to your training is not rocket science. Let’s look at the example of someone who has done the same walk at the same pace every day for years. This individual can change the training effect by doing any of the following:

1. Walking faster and doing the same route in less time.
2. Increasing the distance of the walk.
3. Changing the route to something more challenging.
4. Alternating jogging and walking.
5. Alternating sprinting, jogging and walking.
6. Getting a bike and going for a cycle instead!

For the gym-based trainee there are probably thousands of variations that can be introduced to keep the body interested: different exercises, different grips on machines and free weights, different set, repetition and weight combinations. You can even alter the speed of movement or even the rest/recovery period between exercises. All of these changes are simple but are vital in ensuring continuous progress.

Know when to change.

Most people, if they change their training at all, will usually wait too long before doing so. The ideal time to do it is when you’re in “Phase 2”. In other words when your progress is slowing down. Not when it has stopped completely (“Phase 3”).

How will you know when to change? The answer is easy: by constantly monitoring your progress. This can be done by having regular body fat measurements or by recording your workouts in a training diary. As soon as you see that your progress is starting to slow down, then take some action to get things moving in the right direction.

Although that’s the more scientific way of achieving best results, a simpler rule of thumb is to change your exercise routine every 3-5 weeks, depending on how often you train.

Avoiding the dreaded Plateau is much simpler than many people realize. Just shake up your programme on a regular basis and enjoy the improvements!

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However, things don’t always go according to plan and there will be times when illness and injury will slow down or even halt our progress.

At times like that, it can be very frustrating to have to take a break from training – especially when you’re enjoying it and starting to see some positive results. When this happens, it can sometimes be hard to get back the motivation that got you started in the first place.

On the basis that an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, we can look at some ways to help prevent illness and injury.

Make Sure the Training is Appropriate for You
Weight-Training, running, cycling and swimming are all great ways to get fit and strong – as long as you’re training at the level that’s right for your current strength and fitness. Attempting to lift something that’s too heavy for you, or running or cycling further than you can manage are injuries just waiting to happen.

Get a Balanced Programme
In the gym, some people pick up injuries from doing the same exercises on a regular basis. In the case of some lads, there’s a tendency to over-use the bench press and other chest/“push” exercises. These tend to be done to the exclusion of back/ “pull” movements. This can cause an imbalance in the muscles of the upper body and often leads to poor posture and shoulder injury.

A similar issue can happen with runners and cyclists who are doing a lot of hours per week, working on the same movement pattern. In the case of runners the problem can be worse due to the force of impact while training, especially for long distance events. Cyclists can often develop lower back as well as shoulder/neck issue from holding the same posture for hours at a time.

In all of the above cases, it is very important that some part of the weekly training plan should be given to restoring balance in the body. This can include strength exercises for the muscles that are being neglected as well as stretching/flexibility work for the over-used muscle groups.

Monitor Your Recovery
Training breaks you down and it’s only through proper recovery that you will come back stronger and fitter. There are many forms of recovery including massage, compression garments, ice baths and stretching. They are all useful but I believe that the 2 best recovery methods are food and sleep. They are probably overlooked because they don’t seem as “cutting edge” as some of the other methods. However, without them you’ll end up with less impressive results and may even end up sick and injured.

Anybody who is training on a regular basis should aim to have a protein and carbohydrate recovery meal or drink after every training session. They will also do best on 7 to 9 hours sleep every night.

I use an assessment form with my clients on which they give a score for quality of sleep, appetite and willingness to train. These are all good indicators of the individual’s level of recovery and will let me know if they are ready to train hard again. If they score too low, it will be a waste of time putting them through a training session, so they get the day off to have more rest!

Listen to Your Body
Assessment forms are great and will give a measureable score in a few different categories. However, if you’re so tired that you can barely get out of bed or if it feels like it would be easier to eat a barbell rather than lift one, then you don’t need an assessment form to tell you that you shouldn’t train.

Sometimes we mightn’t feel great at the start of a session but as soon as we get moving everything starts to kick in. Other days, it just won’t happen. On days like this, just listen to what your body is telling you and leave the goals and training programme to one side and focus on getting better.

Making sure that your training programme is balanced and that you are getting the right quality and quantity of sleep and nutrition will help reduce your chances of picking up illnesses and injury and get you closer to those training goals.

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If body composition or improved athletic performance are your goals, there’s absolutely no doubt that in order to reach them, you are going to have to work hard.

But that’s only one part of the solution. You also need to work smart by using a well-designed training programme that will allow you reach those goals.

Let’s look at intensity first. The usual caution always applies: when you begin a new programme, you need to start at an intensity that you can manage and only increase the intensity as you become stronger. You may also need GP clearance if you’ve any illnesses or injuries.

Here are some simple ways to make sure you’re training hard enough:

Make sure you’re working up a sweat: It’s not a very accurate indicator of intensity because on a hot day you can sweat by just standing still. However if you’re not sweating while training, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re not working hard enough.

Use the talk test: If you can hold a full-blown conversation while training, it means that your intensity and your concentration are not where they need to be.

Don’t do the same workout twice: By all means you can do the same type of workout using the same exercises, but you should be aiming for an improvement on your previous session. If you managed to squat 3 sets of 10 at a certain weight, then you should aim for at least 1 set of 11 and 2 sets of 10 on your next visit. On the session after that you’ll do at least 2 sets of 11 etc.

Keep your workout under 60 minutes: Unless you’re training for an endurance event like a triathlon or a marathon you should be gone in 60 minutes. And if you’ve trained hard enough you won’t want to do a minute more!

The following are vital ingredients of all effective weight-training programmes and will ensure that you’re also training smarter:

Choose big compound exercises: A compound exercise uses more than 1 joint. So instead of tricep kickbacks which only work the triceps, you could use chest or shoulder presses which will work, (surprisingly), the chest and shoulders, as well as the triceps. Likewise, chin-ups are a better option than bicep curls or lat pull-downs, while barbell back squats – with full range of movement (hamstring to calf/ “ass to the grass”) – are practically a full workout on their own. Variations of squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, rows and pressing movements should form the basis of all serious weight-training programmes.

Adjust your sets and reps depending on your programme goals: When fat loss is the main goal you’ll be looking at approximately 4-8 exercises with 3-6 sets of each, and anything from 8-15 reps per set. This recommendation is highly individual and depends on training experience and work capacity.

Aim for Muscle Fatigue/Failure: Beginners can aim for fatigue, where they’re tired after doing the last rep of each set, but they could do another 2 or 3 if they had to. Advanced trainees need to be looking at muscular failure on a more regular basis: when you’re lifting 10 reps, the 11th rep is not an option.

Monitor your tempo and rest periods: In order to keep your workouts consistent, you should maintain the same speed for lifting the weights, and take the same rest between sets, on each programme. If body composition is the main goal, shorter rest periods (10-60 seconds) work best, while longer rest is used when maximal strength is the target. A good starting tempo to develop control and co-ordination would be a 3 second lowering of the weights followed by a 1 second lifting phase. This can be changed depending on programme goals.

Change your programme regularly: In order to continue making progress, it’s recommended to change your workout regularly. Some athletes need a programme change every couple of workouts, while beginners would need a change approximately every 3-6 weeks, depending on how often they train and how quickly they adapt to it.

By sticking to the tips above, you will ensure that you get more “bang for your buck” from every work-out!

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There are usually only 2 reasons why some people don’t succeed in seeing results from a regular exercise or training programme.

They either have a good plan but don’t stick with it, or else they are disciplined in their training, but unfortunately they are following a bad plan.

Of the reasons listed above, I believe that not following a good plan is the number one cause of not reaching strength and fitness goals.

I mentioned in previous articles that there is a tendency in many of us (myself included) to seek the quick fix or The Magic Bullet. Good examples of this are the latest supplements or “superfoods” that magically melt away fat and allow us to eat as much as we like of all our favourite goodies!

In the training world we have programmes like 5 or 6 or 7 Minute Abs (the shorter, the better) that will have us ripped, toned and looking like Greek Gods and Goddesses. Or better still, machines that vibrate and do all the work for us!

Even when we’re prepared to actually commit some time and our own physical effort to getting in shape, it can be mind-boggling with the amount of options that are available. This amount of choice can lead to what’s known as Paralysis by Analysis. In other words, while looking for the best or Perfect Programme, we actually end up doing nothing.

In order to try and simplify things a bit, I‘ve put together a list of guidelines that can help make your plan simple enough to follow, yet good enough to work.

Decide on The Purpose: OK, so this is just another way of saying “pick a goal” which seems to crop up in every 2nd article I write. However, it needs to happen if you want to be successful in this, or any other area of your life. Your training routine will vary depending on what your main goal is. One size does not fit all, and somebody who wants to run a marathon will need to have a completely different training programme to a rugby player who wants to sprint faster, and be stronger in the tackle.

Choose The Correct Intensity: Your current body shape, fitness and strength levels are the result of your current lifestyle and activity. Training hard causes changes in your metabolism and hormonal output that can result in improved fitness, strength and body composition.

Without the appropriate intensity you are very unlikely to see much improvement, so make sure that your training sessions cause you- at the very least – to sweat, breathe hard, and to feel a certain amount of discomfort if the above items are your goals.

Keep Your Programme Varied and Balanced: This is an area where lack of success may be due to a bad plan. Many people follow training programmes that they found on the internet, in a health magazine or that their friend told them about. This in itself doesn’t make them bad programmes, but they may not be appropriate for you.

Although training at the correct intensity is important, making sure that the same muscle groups are not being constantly overworked is vital to preventing down-time through injury or constant aches and pains.

Far too many lads that want to “bulk-up” focus almost entirely on the “Mirror Muscles” of chest, biceps and abdominals, while neglecting the back muscles, and usually completely ignoring the legs!

When the ladies want to “tone-up”, there’s usually an excessive amount of Squat/knee-dominant movements (squats, split squats and lunges) without an appropriate amount of deadlift/hip-dominant movements like variations of deadlifts.

Most people have a difference in strength levels between their left and right limbs, so it’s also a good idea to train unilaterally on a regular basis i.e perform single arm/single leg exercises.

It’s quite normal to hit a “plateau” with a training programme somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks into it, depending on how often you train. This is known as accommodation to the programme, and simply means that it’s past its sell-by date and needs to be changed.

By making a few simple changes to your programme, you will revert to the adaptation phase and start seeing improvements again.

Enjoy! You are unlikely to stick with anything –especially training- if you hate it. By picking a type of activity that you actually look forward to doing, you are more likely to stick with it and reap the happy hormone benefits of more energy, better sleep and improved mood, as well as looking good naked!

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Training-related injuries tend to result from either a direct trauma caused by heavy knocks which are usually seen in contact sport, or else they can be caused by bad programme design.

There’s not much you can do if you’re unfortunate enough to catch a bad tackle or fall awkwardly, but you can certainly ensure that your training regime is not the source of your injury.

The problem with a lot of training programmes is the fact that they are unbalanced and they tend to overwork certain muscle groups and totally ignore others.

If you go to the free weights area of most gyms you will see lads do endless sets of chest exercises, usually in the form of bench presses. You will also tend to see a lot of bicep and abdominal exercises being performed.

These are known in the industry as the T-shirt Muscles. They’ve also been referred to as the Mirror Muscles because they’re the ones you can see as you admire yourself in the bathroom mirror. Unfortunately there seems to be very few individuals who balance this amount of work with an equal volume of training on the opposing muscle groups: the upper and lower back and the triceps.

This may not seem like a big deal until you realize that the muscles act like giant springs on the bones and joints to which they are attached. When all the “springs” are of equal strength and tension the joint will work smoothly and efficiently.

However if one muscle is over-trained it will become stronger and tighter than it’s opposing muscle and will cause a change in posture and usually a lot of pain to go with it.

If we take the typical Mirror Muscle Man, you’ll often see rounding of the shoulders,(tight chest muscles) a constant bend at the elbows (tight biceps) combined with the palms turned backwards ( tight chest) and a general forward-head, slouched posture (tight abdominals).

Faulty technique is a major culprit when it comes to training injuries and it can be caused by lack of knowledge of correct movement or, more commonly, by attempting to lift too much weight.

The first one is easy enough to correct if your programme is designed by a qualified instructor who can demonstrate how each exercise should be performed and who can correct any mistakes you might make. When it comes to weight-training the 3 most important items are Technique, Technique and Technique.

Once you can execute the exercise with perfect form you will greatly reduce the chance of injury while strengthening the target muscles. The problem arises when faulty technique is used because muscles are often worked using less than their full range of movement and other muscles that should be acting as stabilizers are recruited as main movers. All of this is usually done using too much weight.

Having mastered proper technique in your custom designed programme, all that you now need is for your equipment to be up to standard. Most gym equipment is perfectly safe as long as it is adjusted to fit you. If you’re using a machine with adjustable parts, make sure that it fits you and allows comfortable, full range of motion for the working joints and limbs. Take note of the numbered settings and ensure that they’re at the correct settings every time you use them. A badly adjusted machine can cause joint pain or postural misalignment so it’s worth the extra effort to get it right.

By being patient and making sure you’re using a well-designed programme with appropriate exercises, weights, and technique, you will help avoid injury and maintain steady progress in your training.

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One thing that ought to be understood is the difference between muscle soreness and injury. As has been mentioned here previously, physical activity places stress on the body and in turn the body adapts to that stress and becomes stronger as a result.

Under normal circumstances an individual will experience DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness) for anywhere between 24 and 96 hours after beginning an exercise regime, with the “discomfort” usually peaking between 24 and 72 hours post-exercise.

For those people who are new to training this can be a scary experience. But it’s important to realize that it’s entirely normal, and that as you train more regularly, you’ll experience it to a far lesser degree.

However, as many trainees will tell you, it never completely goes away and nor should it, but controlling it is a delicate balancing act and depends very much on the individual concerned. If the workout is too difficult, the DOMS effect may prevent you from being able to train for up to a week. But, if the training session is too easy it will not encourage your body to grow fitter, stronger and leaner. Experience and proper instruction will ensure that you get the balance right.

Overtraining can be difficult to prescribe because we all have different levels of physical and mental strength and some people can push themselves to the point of almost total exhaustion, whereas others will stop when they’re feeling a bit tired.

That said, it’s possible for both types of individual to overtrain, because rest and recovery are hugely important aspects of an exercise programme, and they’re usually overlooked.

Supercompensation is the term used to describe the process by which muscles recover and are able to do more work during the next session. Not being able to do so is a classic sign of overtraining. Other symptoms include, but are not limited to, the following: reduced function of the immune system resulting in colds and ‘flu’, constant muscle soreness, joint pain, lack of motivation, constant tiredness, reduced sex drive, disturbed sleep patterns, depression and loss of appetite. That’s not quite what you were hoping for when you took out your annual gym membership, so how do you prevent it?

In order to get the most from your programme and avoid overtraining you will need to recognize the signals your body is sending you.

Sometimes you may feel tired at the start of a training session but as you begin to move, you’ll find that your motivation and energy levels start to rise, and you feel great at the end of the workout.

Contrast that to how you will feel when you are overtrained: the warm-up feels like a High Intensity Interval Session and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to lift, run or even move with any degree of speed or strength.

However, many trainees will persist with their efforts for fear of undoing all the progress they’ve made in previous sessions. I find that this is a very misguided approach and I’ve discovered this through personal experience.

If your immune system is run down and is busy trying to fight an infection, the last thing your body needs is a training session which will divert its scarce energy resources. In situations like this, it makes more sense to skip 1 or 2 training sessions to allow for full recovery rather than making the infection worse and being away from training for 2 or 3 weeks.

If you look on your training programme as a long-term lifestyle change, rather than a short-term drop-a-clothes size stunt, decisions like the above will be far easier to make and will result in a lot less guilt. So, listen to your body and recognize when it needs a day off training and then put your feet up!

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Steady State Cardio (SSC):

Walking, jogging, and cycling outdoors, as well as indoor cycling, rowing and treadmill work fall under the category of Steady State Cardio training. This is the type of exercise that most people have done at one stage or another and it has many health benefits.

For complete beginners, 2-4 sessions per week of SSC will definitely help to burn some body fat, while also helping to improve the function of the heart and lungs and reducing the risk of diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. That’s the good news.

Unfortunately as a weight-loss tool, SSC has a very short shelf life. I’m sure you know somebody (it may even apply to you), who started walking or jogging a few times a week and were delighted with the weight loss. However, that was 3 years ago and although they’re doing the same training they haven’t lost a gram since. So, what happened?

There are a couple of issues here. The first is that no matter what type of training you do, you HAVE to change it on a regular basis or else you will adapt to it and you’ll cease to improve, and hit what’s referred to as a plateau.

The second issue is that SSC relies mostly on oxygen and body fat to fuel the workout. However, as you continue to do it, your body gets more efficient at it. In other words you can do the same amount of work by using less fat and oxygen and therefore you burn FEWER calories every time you train! Three years ago, that 60 minute walk may have burned 300 Calories and helped you to drop weight. But now, your super-efficient heart and lungs can do the same walk by using only 150-200 Calories. So not only are you not losing weight, if you haven’t adjusted your diet accordingly, you may actually put on weight! Sound familiar? I see it with new clients all the time.

To get the most from SSC, I recommend it only to clients who are new to training or else to people who are doing more intense types of training and can use SSC as a light-training or recovery day.

If you decide that it will be your main type of exercise make sure to vary the distance, speed, route and even method of your training (treadmill, bike or rower) every 4-6 weeks.

Group/Class Training:

Group Training has many positives: the classes are supervised and structured, the group atmosphere and instructor provide motivation, and they are relatively inexpensive. There are also a whole range of options to choose from.

Once again, it’s always best to start with a type that caters for beginners and participants with limited strength, fitness or flexibility. It’s also helpful if it’s a type of training that you enjoy or wish to improve in and which will help you reach your personal goals. The following types are my preferred options.

Resistance Training Classes: Circuit Classes, Bootcamps, Crossfit, and Kettlebells are all great ways to introduce beginners to the benefits of weight-training that I wrote about last week. I encourage my own clients to try them all and change training modes regularly. Training the same movements on a long-term basis can lead to stagnation and possible over-use injury.

Flexibility/Mindfulness/Core: Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Meditation classes are all very different modes of training and for some people they are a way of life. I have grouped them together because each of them can help re-balance the body and mind from the stresses and strains caused by life in general and can also help support other forms of training.

There are enough methods of training available to cater for everybody, so there’s no reason not to try at least one of them. Next week we’ll look at some lifestyle issues to help support training and health.

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For the majority of people who are looking to lose body fat and improve strength and fitness, most exercise or training programmes will fall under the following headings: Weight Training, High Intensity Interval Training, Group/Class sessions and Steady-State Cardio. People will generally have a preference for one particular method, but in terms of improving body composition, a combination of 2 or more of the above will get best results.

Weight Training:

“Pumping Iron” is probably one of the most mis-understood methods of losing body fat. For many people (mostly women), lifting weights is associated with Monstrous Muscles and fears of turning into Arnold Schwartzenegger overnight. As many lads who try to achieve this shape will testify: it doesn’t happen overnight, it requires years of dedicated training and nutrition, and in some cases it’s enhanced by very questionable “supplements”.

If fat loss is your goal, a 45-60 minute session of lifting weights that work the major muscle groups of the legs, back, chest, shoulders and arms will work best. By increasing the amount of muscle you carry, you will increase your resting metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories) which will help to reduce fat levels. My female clients regularly drop a dress size in a month, using only weight training and a good diet. Apart from improving your body shape, it will also make you stronger which in turn makes everyday activities like lifting, pushing and pulling so much easier. There is no disadvantage to being stronger.

Weight training is very safe – as long as it’s done properly. If you’re looking to start this type of training, it’s very important that you have a well-structured programme designed by a qualified trainer. Make sure that you’ve been shown the proper, safe technique for each exercise and that you use this technique every time you lift. Once this good technique becomes automatic, you will be able to safely increase the amount of weight you lift.

High Intensity Interval Training:

H.I.I.T., as it is often referred to, has become very popular over the last number of years. The basic concept of this method is that it alternates short bursts of flat-out effort with recovery intervals of very little exertion. There are 3 reasons that I train with it myself and also use it with my clients: 1. It’s extremely effective at reducing body fat levels, 2. It has a very beneficial effect on improving sports performance and general fitness, and 3. It’s very time-efficient – a good session can be done in under 30 minutes. The only caution is that it is very tough, and is not recommended for beginners or the faint-hearted.

The other major benefit of H.I.I.T is that it is very flexible – it can be used with a whole range of different types of equipment, or with none at all. The props aren’t important, all that matters is the intensity of the effort. I usually start my clients with 4-6 sets of 30-45 seconds work intervals, alternated with 2-3 minutes recovery, depending on their experience and fitness levels. I use the treadmill, rower, stationary bike, bodyweight exercises or even stair-climbing to work the muscles in different patterns and to keep the “victims” interested!

This seems very easy until you try it: remember that you will be going at all-out, sprint pace rather than jogging pace. The result is very similar to weight-training: your metabolism increases post-workout with enhanced fat-burning, and it prevents muscle loss, unlike long-distance, endurance work.

Today was just an overview of 2 of my favourite training methods – future articles will go into more detail on specific exercises and programme design. Next week we’ll look at how to get the most from Group Training and Steady-State Cardio options.

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However, for many people, the whole area of exercise and training can be very confusing. I’m often asked about how to train in the “fat-burning zone”, or for exercises that will magically remove excess fat from abs/thighs/bums.

You may have heard it said that you can’t “spot-reduce” fat. From an exercise point of view, this is largely true. It means that spending your time doing countless sit-ups does not guarantee that you’ll lose the spare tyre around your mid-section. You may end up with a very impressive six-pack, but unfortunately it will still be hidden under layers of blubber!

In much the same way that there is no single diet that will work for everybody in the world, there is also no “magic programme” that will achieve the perfect body for everyone. However, just like nutrition, there are some basic principles which can guide us to get the results we want.

In order for any exercise regime to achieve it’s goal, it must adhere to the F.I.T. T. Principle of training:

Frequency: You’ll need to decide how often you are going to train. There are various different guidelines on what the “minimum” requirements are for health and fitness. Each person should base their frequency around their individual limiting factors: family, work, study commitments and current level of fitness. I encourage my clients to train at least 4 times per week if possible. However, I believe that habit-forming and consistency are very important. Therefore, starting with 2 sessions per week and doing them on a long-term basis will gain more results than training every day for a month before retreating back to the couch!

Intensity: In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons that most people don’t get meaningful results from their exercise programmes: they simply don’t train hard enough! Remember that your body will need a reason to change shape. From an exercise point of view, this means making it a little bit uncomfortable while training. Once again, this will depend on training experience and current strength and fitness levels. But on a very basic level, training for weight loss or improved performance should cause an increase in heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. Yes, you need to sweat – even in winter!

Type: These days we can choose from an abundance of different types of training. People will tend to stick with a method that they actually enjoy and it is something that I strongly encourage. Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, team or individual sport, or a whole range of gym or group-training classes, there is bound to be something that makes you feel good while you get active. Find out what works for you and get going at it!

Time: How long should you train during each session? Like a lot of things in life, it depends. If you’re a complete beginner, 10 to 20 minutes would be a good place to start. As you get fitter and stronger you can increase the time of your sessions to between 45 and 60 minutes. When improved body composition or strength gains are the goals, I usually limit my client’s sessions to 60 minutes. As a general rule the only people who need to train longer than this are endurance athletes like cyclists, triathletes and marathon runners. If your main goal is to lose body fat and your training sessions last longer than an hour, there’s a very good chance that you’re not training hard enough. Cut back on the time and increase the intensity and you might actually get to see that six-pack!

Next week we’ll examine some of the best training methods for improved health and fitness.

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