Albert K. Park

                        Crazy new age fads and intimidating strongman-training methods are pulling fitness into a get with it or fall behind industry. If I could get paid every time someone asked me about P 90X, Crossfit, Kettlebells, and Tire Flipping I would be making it rain like Steve Pool. (Local weatherman in Seattle) I’m not going to down talk any of these styles of training because all of them can be very effective methods of working out. They are all merely different tools you can use in achieving your desired goals. Do they all complicate what we love to do, working out? Yes! Don’t get scared and not workout. Do a little research and keep reading this article.

                        To make things easier for you I am going to give you a game plan or checklist for you to utilize in your training, regardless of it’s title. All of these are vital elements to help you reach your goals. Read them, write them down, and then reread them.

            I see too many people and hear too many horror gym stories about dreaded plateaus. Every time you walk into the gym, it is an opportunity to get better and improve. This is what you should be striving for. Don’t forget it!

            Make sure that you are adding a little more weight or more reps in order to continually challenge yourself. The human body is such an incredible thing in the sense that it can adapt to the slightest of change very effectively.

            Yes training for muscular endurance can be very challenging. I mean who wants to rep a lightweight to complete failure. The mistake is that a lot of people are convinced that low reps are only for bodybuilding and big muscles. Yes, the adaptation to continual low to moderate volume can produce bigger muscles but what people don’t know is that it can also burn tons of fat and promote lean muscle growth.

            By cycling different levels of volume you can continually challenge your body to grow and become better.

            I often hear too many trainers emphasize weaknesses. “Stop training what your good at it and start drilling exercises that target your weaknesses!” This is a good perspective but what if the exercise your good burns fat and promotes muscle growth.

            If what your good at it is a vital tool to achieving your goals don’t ignore it, make it your go to. As long as the exercise continually produces results, keep plugging away.

            These three elements are the building blocks of getting big, getting lean, and getting stronger. There’s no secret here. Push some big ass weight over your head with presses. Deadlift some heavy weight off the ground and I guarantee you will grow and get stronger. Please don’t ignore the squat, it is the ultimate exercise that has helped me reach all new gains!

            Body weight, Body weight, Bodyweight! If you can’t effectively train your own body weight, why the heck would you load excess weight on a bar. Movements like pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and body weight squats are all exercises that you need to drill and become efficient at. They produce high yielding results that guarantee strength and conditioning.

            If you learn to love these exercises you will never be away from a workout no matter where you are. Never again will you be able to say that you can’t get a workout!

            It has the ability to rip fat off your body, promote muscle growth, and just make you feel damn good. Sure you can work up a good sweat on a stationary bike or bouncing on one of those elyptical machines but you have to really think about your goals. Are you trying to maintain or see gains.

            Try running sprint intervals to push you to the edge. Tap into the awesome effects of post exercise oxygen consumption to stimulate your metabolism to burn more fat and calories. You can do this by hitting high intensity training.

            You can also push the prowler, pull a loaded sled, perform a conditioning circuit, superset your entire workout.

            Regardless of all the fads that may come and go, these guidelines will never fail you. This is the reason why they have been utilized for as long as fitness as been a part of our lives. There are no phone numbers to call, credit card numbers to dish out, or googling that has to be done. Follow them and find yourself closer to your goals.