I read an article recently that I shared on my Facebook Page with a short note and it got me thinking about how we train and for what reasons. I came to the conclusion that a lot of what drives us depends on our age, gender and confidence levels.
"a balanced approach"
In my opinion (because that’s what this is), I think that we are driven by social opinions, the media and peer expectations or even peer pressure. We are bombarded by images of perfect bodies on social media and the tv, we see adverts for grooming, exfoliation and depilation. It seems there is a certain “look” that one should aspire to according to FaceInstaSnap!
When we're young and single we’re like peacocks strutting our stuff, trying to look our best, more muscle, lean bodies, abs, biceps and butts! That's if we're not trying to become the next Instagram supermodel! But is this really what we want or us it what we think is expected?
Most guys train what they can see, chest, shoulders and biceps, then maybe chuck in a little back and triceps. For women it’s abs and glutes every session! Unless training for competition which brings a very different to training then the aesthetic goals are the predominant driver for the many of the 30 and under generation.
"lean bodies, abs, biceps and butts"
This is all well and good, and is most certainly better than sitting at home eating pizza.
However, if you are serious about your training and how you look then a more balanced approach will most definitely give you better results across the board. Big compound lifts will boost your metabolism, promote muscle growth and strength gains. This will help to reduce body fat for better muscle definition and help those targeted chest and butt muscles to grow. Working all the bodies muscles will also give you a better overall shape and posture too.
As we age our prioritise change, yes we want to slow (or even reverse) that middle age spread, keep our mobility and strength. We may still feel the need to strut our stuff like that peacock, although for many of us that is usually no longer as much of a priority.
A balanced programme here usually means a mix of strength training, cv and maybe some high intensity circuit work. This will cover all the metabolic and cardiovascular needs along with the mobility and strength work necessary to keep the muscle mass up at optimal levels and to keep movement free and easy.
"a mix of strength training, cv and HIIT"
Sedentary jobs, getting everything delivered to the house from the weekly shop to christmas presents and even working from home all mean that we are less and less active, we move less and do less. This is so bad for our bodies, and coupled with high carb, high sugar foods that are so easy and cheap to buy it is a one way ticket to metabolic disease and an increased risk of life threatening illness.
Get the balance right and enjoy the benefits whether that’s strutting your moves or moving your stuff well. If you are not sure how to put this together in a meaningful programme then speak to a qualified coach or personal trainer. We will be only too happy to help you out, provide some guidance and direction.
You can always reach out to me via email at tsilveter@getcoached.net or through my Facebook Page Get Coached.
Thanks for reading this far, I hope it has helped a little, enjoy your training!
