Today I am going to dive into hydration, and more importantly, dehydration; in an attempt to shed some light on the topic to help keep you safe and performing at your best whilst exercising. I tie heat and exercise together as it’s a pretty noticeable trend than when the weather heats up, people are more inclined to start chasing down their body goals for the Summer.
Category: Open Access
Addressing the real issue:
For the purpose of this blog I’d like to talk about how I believe every exercise to be a test, and every corrective to just simply be an exercise. My thought lies on the simple premise that everyone is at a different level with their training and their ability, and that one corrective exercise which I may not need to perform, could be a challenging exercise for you. I often see people who are misinformed with exercise technique, and either perform the exercise wrong or try and find a way to make it simpler.
Improving motivation:
For this blog piece, I’d like to touch on a topic which more than likely affects all those who train. Motivation is something that will come and go, and relying on it solely to get you to a session day to day is probably going to see you come unstuck more often than not.
Progressive Overload:
Whilst the name somewhat gives away what progressive overload actually means, I feel as though it is important to further the understanding of this topic in order for you to get the most out of utilising this tool, as well as not bastardising the concept. By definition, progressive overload refers to an increase in workload from a previous time point. Something to consider though, is that there are a number of ways to actually increase workload and it is important to not mistakenly employ all of these concepts at once.
Use it or lose it:
The focus of this blog piece will be around quantifying the rate of decline in muscle mass resulting from the effects of disuse and time off from the gym. Whilst not intending to be a fear mongering post, I do feel it is important that you understand how rapidly the body can change for the worst during a period of time off. Not only can the body decrease muscle protein synthesis, it can also become more resistant to building lean tissue which over all makes it harder to gain back any muscle lost in the first place.
Creating opportunity:
I think it goes without saying that 2019 and beyond are going to be very much make or break years for all of us. Of course, every year can be a make or break, but in a world where everything is 24/7 and there is more expectation that ever; it is going to come down to what opportunities you are given, what you make for yourself and ultimately what you do with them. I feel as though there are 6 key areas to consider and they are as follows:
Programming:
For the purpose of this blog I’d like to highlight the benefits of having a structured exercise program to follow, when compared to either doing no training or training without any purpose or direction.
Goal setting and managing expectations:
For the purpose of this blog I am going to dive into common pitfalls I encounter with people from all walks of life, who want to take on the world, yet fall dismally short; time and time again. These are common occurrences within all industries and I am not here to single anybody out, however will give examples from my profession as it is a realm that I have good experience within.
Mentoring:
Regardless of the industry which you are working or seeking to work within, my advice would be to surround yourself with those who can help your development and guide you to becoming valued and at the top of your game. In order to do this, you not only need a good sense of direction yourself, something that will change and develop over time, but you also need to be surrounded by those who are well on their way to being successful.
How to be professional within the fitness industry:
Throughout this blog I am going to draw upon my 11 years of experience within the industry and provide you with some tips to always ensure you stand out and are seen as the professional you are trying so hard to be.