Tips To Leverage Training Time
The days are getting longer, the weather is starting to get warmer, and it's prime time for training. But don't get ahead of yourself. It's important not to start ramping up as soon as the weather gets warm, because even though it may seem like time to start training more often, you still have some things to work on before you can properly commit yourself to a regular schedule. This blog post provides tips on how best to leverage your training time in order
to be successful at achieving your desired goal.
To ensure that this article is educational and factual, I will include a list of references at the end of the blog post. Also, if you have any questions or comments about training, please feel free to leave them in the comment section of this post.
The first thing to understand is that strength training, although essential for fitness and good health, is not a sprint race. This isn't just a figure of speech; it's a fact based on two scientific studies. In both of these studies, individuals took an 8-week program designed specifically for their fitness goal and told they could either walk/run at their own discretion or run/walk as fast as they could on the treadmill for as long as they wished (the control group ran/walked). The results of both studies revealed that the control group, who trained at a steady pace, had a significant increase in fitness over the 8-week program. On the other hand, the individuals who trained hard on a daily basis saw no increase in fitness; they had hit their peak after the first week. So what does this mean?
This means it's not how much you train; it's how well you train that matters! That's why we want to make sure you know how to leverage your training time effectively in order to achieve your fitness goals.
First, let's talk about the importance of recovery. Again, this isn't just a cliche; it's science. In the scientific study mentioned above, the individuals who saw no increase in fitness over an 8-week program had glycogen depletion (depleted muscle energy stores). This can occur even when you're not training hard! Muscle glycogen depletion is a normal byproduct of physical activity. The reason for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) during endurance exercise is due to glycogen depletion. So although you may feel like you're getting stronger from your training sessions, if you can't recover properly from them then your body's ability to produce additional energy will be compromised and your performance will suffer. This is why nutrition is an important component of fitness. It's also why it's recommended that you increase your carbohydrate intake to about 1-2 grams per pound of body weight during the initial 3-4 weeks of working out. The reason for this is that carbohydrates, which are broken down into glucose and used as a fuel source, are a key component in the formation of glycogen.
Second, let's talk about how to structure your training sessions so you don't overtrain or undertrain. In order to ensure that you get the most out of your training sessions, they should be periodized. This means that you want to cycle between low-intensity and high-intensity workouts, as well as between workouts focused on specific muscle groups and those focused on overall fitness.
In terms of recovery time, a 30-minute workout that is high intensity can require up to 48 hours for full recovery. It's important not to lift weights for two days after a heavy weightlifting session because it needs time to recover from microtears in the muscle fibers. If you lift heavy weights 2-3 days in a row, the body may not be able to fully recover and that can lead to overtraining. In contrast, a low intensity workout can have longer recovery time; at least 72 hours is required for full recovery. With this in mind, it's best to choose high-intensity workouts when the goal is strength endurance or enhanced muscle size and performance, and low-intensity workouts when the goal is improving your overall fitness level (going from unfit to moderately fit).
Finally, there are things that should take up limited training time as opposed to things that should be done throughout the week (besides physical activity). Here are some of the things that should take up limited training time:
-Weightlifting technique: This should be practiced with lighter weights and focus on form.
-Lifting with poor form, or cheating: This is a bad habit that can cause injury when the workload increases.
-Stretching: Stretching shouldn't require much time. In terms of strength training, it's best to stretch in between sets instead of before and after lifting.
It's also recommended that you limit the number of sets and exercises you do per session because this will keep your body fresh. In terms of overtraining, it's recommended that for every 2-3 days you take off from lifting, you take a day off from all types of exercise. For example, if you have been working out 3 days a week, then it's recommended that after 3 weeks in between workouts is sufficient to allow your body to recover and further training won't negatively impact your performance.
So how much workout time should you allocate per week? Well, this will depend on what your fitness goals are. Let's look at an example: If the goal is overall fitness (i.e. exercise 1-2 times per week), you could train 3 or 4 days a week, but if the goal is to get stronger (e.g. strength training 1-2 times per week), then it's recommended that you reduce the number of days that you're working out to 2 days and only do a single set per exercise. The bottom line is, whatever you do should be done at least three times a week, preferably more and preferably for 20 minutes every session!
References:
1) "Effect of periodization on changes in muscle strength and power in college football players."
2) "Energy metabolism during endurance exercise: Role of muscle glycogen.
Conclusion
In the try to lose weight, build muscle, get fit industry we opted for quantity and not quality. As a matter of fact, it is possible to burn 2-300 calories without burning a single ounce of fat. I have laid out 7 examples below:
1. Jogging at 3mph for 1 hour burns 324 calories while jogging at 5mph for 1 hour burns 468 calories.
From this example you can see that all things being equal, you burn more calories when you jog faster and longer than when you go slower and shorter.