The Big Debate: Time vs Intensity

The Big Debate: Time vs Intensity

Alright everyone, we all have been there or know someone who has gone to work out and spent hours at the gym perfecting our fitness and not really getting the results we want. If you ask me that is a pretty raw deal!

What if I tell you that you can get the same, if not a better workout in half the time that you usually spend at the gym? Well here is the principle everyone, your body actually has a threshold if you were to call it for anaerobic and aerobic activity; this means your body has limit, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, for the amount of weightlifting and cardiovascular exercise you do! This said, your body does not truly benefit more or benefit less if you go past this threshold, so the idea is high, intense workouts.

Now that everyone understands our bodies’ threshold, let’s talk about intensity. I know most of us have been in the gym and have seen those people just flying through their workout, super-setting every set and using big multi-jointed sets. What do they all have in common? Well for one they are usually RIPPED and FIT! So here is the catch, cranking up your work out intensity with super sets and minimal rest in between sets will not only fire up your metabolism, but push your muscles to their limits.

So let us bring this all together, our body has a threshold of work capacity that can limit our success in the gym; along with a lower, drowned out intensity can really ruin our fitness as a whole. The idea is to have a game plan before you get to your workout and know exactly what you are doing so switching exercises is smooth and quick. The whole idea is to get in and get out. So everyone crank up that intensity and fire up those muscles because you will sweat to success!

ATROPHY is NOT A Trophy!

A recent poll was taken in 24 countries based on 4 categories: 
1. Television watching
2. Internet Use 
3. Aversion to Playing Sports 
4. Calories per day

Among these four categories America ranked first in calories per day and television watching placing us at the top the charts for the “LAZIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.”

It saddens me to know that with all of the privileges people think they deserve as far as cheaper health care, insurance, etc… That a great majority of you are so unwilling to put in the effort to make your lives a little bit healthier. Staying active increases your chances to avoid illness and live a longer more plentiful lifestyle. America has made it far too easy to not be proactive in our lives.

Atrophy: A wasting or decrease in size of a body organ, tissue, or part owing to disease, injury, or lack of use: A wasting away, deterioration, or diminution.

Atrophy is apparent in a great majority of Americans and as we grow older it becomes more difficult to avoid. Every year that we prolong taking any action towards improving our physical activity levels makes it that much harder to gain back the body that we may have had in our early 20’s.

“Lean muscle mass and bone typically decrease, while body fat increases.”(Maintaining Muscle) This can be avoided by committing to daily exercise routines (minimum of 20 minutes, 3 days a week). However some forms of atrophy cannot be avoided for example if it is neuromuscular disease.

Wouldn’t you rather see your family grow healthy and strong together, rather than grow into the couch or recliner in front of the TV? 

Get out and do something active! I want to help you get into the best shape of your life! Give me a call at 402-650-5761 or email me at corey@omahabootcamp.com.