What Kind Of Fitness Training Program Is Best For You?

Everyone wants to stay fit, but most of us don’t have a lot of time in our schedules to devote to working out. And if you’re anything like me, you don’t particularly love to exercise. So what workout program can best accomplish the results we’re looking for? Some swear by free weight training programs as the best ways to build strength, endurance and muscles! The following workout program is designed for people who want to lose weight and stay fit, but who don’t have a lot of time and don’t love to work out.

The trick to a really effective workout program is variation. Variation accomplishes several things. First of all, it increases the efficacy of the workout program. Doing the same exercise day after day produces diminishing returns. As your body grows accustomed to the exercise, it burns fewer calories and builds less muscle. So varying the type of exercise in your workout program helps keep the body “surprised” and maximizes the effectiveness of the workout. And of course there’s another benefit: you get less bored not doing the same routine every day.

Another very important aspect of a top-notch workout program is that it must combine cardiovascular exercise with resistance training. All too often, we focus mostly (or entirely) on the cardio, and the benefits of that type of workout are limited. Jogging, biking, doing the elliptical or stair machines, or even doing aerobics classes – these activities get your heart rate up and burn calories, which are both good. But the benefit ends there. Once you stop jogging, the calorie burn ends. A really strong workout program must incorporate resistance or weight training. This will build muscle, and muscle burns calories more quickly than other body tissues. Thus if your workout program involves good muscle-building exercises, you will continue to burn calories even after your workout is over – even when your body is at rest. Don’t cheat yourself of the benefits of muscle-building resistance training.

Lastly, if you truly want to maximize your workouts, then you must build rest into your workout program. In exercise, more is not necessarily always better. The best workout programs involve days off, and one or two days of lighter intensity. If you keep the intensity of your workout high every day, and you don’t take days off, you risk strain and injury. Then you will be unable to work out at all.