Episode 8: What Type of Training Should I Do To Lose Weight?
There are several ways to exercise – cycling, yoga, boxing, running – and each way is particularly great at producing a specific result. However for weight loss the training method may not be as clear cut. As we go through the different training modalities that are effective for weight-loss, we will review the results you should expect to see and how to properly and effectively implement them into your workout to move you towards your goal.
“If you never pass through the endurance phase of training to get to the hypertrophy phase, you won’t get the tight and toned look you’d [want] after losing significant weight.” — David Minishian
Resistance Based Training: Endurance
Th endurance phase of resistance based training focuses on using lighter weights at higher repetitions. This training schema is your opportunity to learn how to safely execute proper exercise form and build your neurological and muscular foundation. As you progress by slowly increasing the weights, you will see a reduction in body fat. However, the endurance phase is only the beginning to toning and tightening. To further your results and prevent plateauing, you will likely need to progress to a hypertrophy based plan.
Resistance Based Training: Hypertrophy
A hypertrophy training plan utilizes 6-12 repetitions per set using 70-80% of the weight you can lift. The main goal of hypertrophy is muscle growth and the most effective way to achieve hypertrophy is to lift until near-failure. You want to push your limits and struggle to hit the last few repetitions. By executing this lifting method, you will build more lean muscle mass and achieve an aesthetic toned look. If you are concerned with looking “bulky,” keep reading below.
Integrating Cardio
Resistance based training is the ideal method to reach a weight loss goal. However, fat loss can be maximized by integrating cardio into the program. Ways to effectively integrate cardio into a resistance based program include compound sets, super-sets, or sprints between exercises. These methods are designed to elevate your heart-rate while minimizing the negative impact cardio has on resistance based training. Blending these training methods will help you burn more calories during the workout, increase total fat loss, and thereby prevent the bulky look that adding muscle mass can have when fat loss is insufficient.
Ready to build the body you want with a sustainable lifestyle?
David is the owner and head coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. He leads the mission at Sculpt to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. For over 10 years he has coached exercise and nutrition, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and kids or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.
Episode #7: The Top 6 Exercises You Need In Your Program
The flashy exercises on social media can be distracting. Doing the “cool” exercises doesn’t equate to getting the most from your efforts. We’re going over the 6 top fundamental exercises that will yield the best results, all of which can be incorporated into any resistance based program and are exercises that you should look for the workout out to be centered around.
“If you do not focus on the basics, you are not going to get the best results possible.” — David Minishian
Lower Body Exercises
There are 3 main lower body exercises you need in a program: Squats, Hip Hinge, and Lunges. Squats focus mainly on the quadriceps and back, providing the strength and core stability to get up and down from a seated position. The Hip Hinge specifically targets the hamstrings, glutes, and back, giving you the ability to pick things off the floor. Lastly, the Lunge combines both the quadriceps and hamstrings in a split stance position which incorporates more balance and stability to help us get off the ground without assistance.
Upper Body Exercises
There are 2 main upper body movements to include in your program: Push and Pull. The Push exercises move any resisting force away from your body, whether out in front or up above yourself. Common push exercises are the chest press or shoulder press. Pull exercises pull any resisting force towards your body, whether pulling from in front or from above. Common pull exercises are rows and pull ups.
Loaded Carry Exercises
The Loaded Carry is a class of functional exercises that are often forgotten in a training program. However, this exercise is helps you improve core stability, posture, balance, and grip strength. It forces you to become aware of how your body moves and that’s important for safer body positioning and effective body orientation. You’ll use the load carry day to day whether you’re taking in grocery bags, holding or playing with a child, holding things on one side, by your chest, or on your shoulder.
Ready to build the body you want with a sustainable lifestyle?
David is the owner and head coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. He leads the mission at Sculpt to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. For over 10 years he has coached exercise and nutrition, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and kids or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.
Episode #6: How To Choose A Group Exercise Program
Choosing the right group exercise program can be confusing. Small vs. Large Group Classes, Resistance vs. Cardio Classes, Sports Specific Classes and so many more. Using the Sculpt Fitness Small Group Class Program as an example, I will break down the important parts of the program and explain who’s goals and needs they address.
“Not every small group or large group class is going to be the right fit.” — David Minishian
What are your goals?
Are you trying to lose weight? Gain muscle? Be more active? Get better at a sport? Great group fitness classes help you accomplish one or two goals really well. However, not every class is going to provide the same results. For example, Zumba or dance classes are an excellent choice for cardiovascular health and lower body muscular endurance, but a resistance based training class is better for achieving a body composition change by reducing fat and building muscle. First determine your goals, then choose the right class to achieve that outcome.
What are your needs?
Where is your skill level? Novice, beginner, competent, proficient or expert? Do you need more form correction and personal attention? Are there pre-existing injuries or limitations that require exercise or movement modifications? You have an intuitive sense of what you need, but it’s your coach’s job to ask the right questions to ensure they get you started with the correct program.
Depending on your needs, the class structure can either accelerate or impede your progress. Class structure includes the exercise program, equipment set up, format, and group size. If the exercise program is for those who have a consistent workout regimen, it would be wrong to put a novice or beginner that struggles with regular exercise on that program. If the class size is too large, it won’t allow the coach to make modifications for exercises when necessary. Finally, to reach your goals you may have additional needs outside the exercise class such as at home exercise guidance or nutrition coaching. Having a full support program can help you overcome potential barriers when they pop up.
Ready to build the body you want with a sustainable lifestyle?
David is the owner and head coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. He leads the mission at Sculpt to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. For over 10 years he has coached exercise and nutrition, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and kids or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.
You show up to the gym, but you need an effective training program to get results.
Going to the gym doesn’t equate to results. If everyone who went to the gym got the results they wanted, personal trainers and coaches would just be gym friends you pay to encourage your commitment to exercise. Truth be told, most gym-goers don’t follow an effective training program that yields the results they want.
While you should be proud of getting yourself in the gym, it’s time to take your training seriously. No more messing around. If you want actual results, you need to step outside your comfort-zone and go after them. Here are the 3 critical factors you need for an effective training program.
1. Deadline
Think of all those homework assignments you completed in school, or projects you did for work. You finished them because a deadline existed. No deadline means no urgency to take action.
To build The Body You Want, aim for a target with a deadline. Psychology shows us that a due date increases our chances of success. Without this deadline there is no urgency to make each workout effective and stick to your program. This is why having access to a gym or ‘doing workouts’ will NEVER work. You have no real target in sight.
You need a deadline.
2. Simple To Follow
Countless fitness programs promise incredible results. But in reality, most people can’t stick to them (and personally I wouldn’t want to.) These programs are either impossible to follow or not a program at all.
Many of these ‘experts’ create programs and expect you to fit them into your life. You know…quit your job, find a nanny for the kids, and hire a chef… You can do that, right? Even if the program worked, it’s not feasible.
The other option is to follow a “show up” program. Common examples include aerobic classes or the typical bootcamp where they make you really tired, so you think you’re getting to your goals. These show up programs are only about movement, not movement with a purpose.
You need a specific purposeful program that is simple to follow.
3. Be Challenged
Step outside your comfort-zone if you want to make any significant progress. Pills and shakes don’t work, but most people try them because they want it to be true. Let’s be real. You know these shortcut and quick-fix methods don’t work. Real results take real effort.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable and do the work others aren’t willing to do. You get results by challenging yourself. Doing the same thing over and over will net you the same results. Want a different outcome? Do something different.
You need to be challenged.
If you want a program that will get you results using these 3 critical factors, check out the Semi-Private Training Program.
Hiring an expert saves you time and effort, saves you from making rookie mistakes.
The Right Expert
Buying a house? Hire a realtor. Repairing a car? Hire a mechanic. Building your body? Hire a personal trainer. It’s a no-brainer to hire the expert. We do it all the time. We look at credentials, experience, and reviews to choose the right one. But why hire an expert when you can do it yourself. You don’t need a realtor to buy a house or a mechanic to fix your car. And a personal trainer? Come on, no one knows your body better than you do…do they?
The answer is simple. You aren’t the expert. Experts live in their field, staying up-to-date with the latest information. They have spent years developing their skills to deliver a high-quality product or service. Hiring an expert saves you time and effort, saves you from making rookie mistakes.
But how do you know you are talking to the right expert? There are three main distinguishing factors that help the right personal trainer stand out from the crowd.
Degree or Certification
Check their credentials. Do they have a bachelors, masters, or doctorates degree in a related health field. Higher degrees demonstrate a firm foundational level of understanding and comprehension. Their graduating university may also be of interest as different teaching institutions are known for certain specializations.
For example, I graduated from Loma Linda University’s Masters Program and their curriculum focuses on whole-food plant-based diets.
Certifications are another great indicator, but these need to be examined with more scrutiny. Not all certifications are equal and some aren’t more than a piece of paper. Reputable personal training certifications are backed by well respected organizations such as, but not limited to, NASM, NSCA, and ACSM. These are arguably the top three US organizations. The most famous and recognized certification is the CSCS by NSCA.
As I’m writing this, I’m currently prepping for the CSCS exam. Having this certification is a huge accomplishment among personal trainers. There is a list of prerequisites that prevent just anyone from taking the test and earning the designation.
Experience
Ask for their background experience. A trainer’s background provides a deeper understanding of their area of expertise. Most trainers learn on the job, shadow other trainers, attend workshops, read books, and earn sub-certifications to specialize. When consulting with a trainer, it is the trainer’s responsibility as a professional to only accept clients they are qualified to train. The same way a urologist does not perform heart transplants; a cyclist trainer doesn’t train boxers.
Unfortunately, there are unprofessional trainers who focus on selling. While there is nothing wrong with sales, it is morally wrong to knowingly sell a client the wrong service for their goals. A trainers job is to serve their client first.
Separate the salesman from the trainer. During your consult ask the trainer how their background and experiences specifically address your goals. This may seem like an invasive question, but good trainers are not cheap and you should know that your trainer is prepared to provide proper instruction and guidance. A professional will be more than happy to divulge their list of qualifying work. There is no replacement for experience.
My experience includes utilizing resistance training and plant-based nutrition to achieve sustainable long term health outcomes. I have applied this in practice in research, gyms, outpatient settings, hospitals, schools, and abroad in numerous South America countries.
Recommendations
Seek out a trainer with good recommendations. Google, Facebook, and Yelp are a decent place to start, but these review sites may provide skewed and unreliable opinions. The best review is from a previous or current client that is willing to express how the trainer has helped them, not just the results they got.
Although results correlate with a good trainer, remember a client does the work and the trainer provides the guidance and support. Evaluate the advice and support the client received in reference to their goals. The training should fit the goal. A good way to interview a client is finding them on the gym’s Facebook page and sending a private message. However, the best review is always from someone you know and trust. This is the most reliable recommendation available. If you’re looking for a personal trainer, ask your social circle. They will likely steer you in the right direction.
Finding the right expert can be a challenging task. The best personal trainers often charge higher prices for their services, making consistent training with them expensive in the long. An expert trainer is a valuable investment, but finding high quality training at affordable prices is a difficult combination to find. This is why at Sculpt Fitness we run hybrid training models like our Small Group Boot Camp and Semi-Private Training, which combine small groups with 1-ON-1 coaching and accountability. These model allows us to personalize a plan for you and your goals, while keeping training affordable.
The aesthetic beach body look requires a training regimen focused on building lean muscle. To accelerate this process, do not skip these 3 fundamental aspects of every bodybuilding plan.
Focus on Compound Exercises
At the foundation of every great training program are compound exercises. These multi-joint movements are effective and efficient for getting the fastest results, because these exercises recruit several muscle groups at once. You do not need to spend hours in the gym. A 45 minute workout that focuses dead lifts, squats, step-ups, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, chest press, rows, and shoulder press will get the best results in the shortest time period.
For each exercise your target should be to complete 3 to 4 sets and 8 to 12 repetitions. If 12 repetitions is easy to hit each set, increase the weight. The last repetitions of the set should be challenging.
Note: A workout with 16 to 20 sets of compound movements is sufficient to achieve results. More sets does not equal better results. Overtraining can inhibit your progress.
Eat More Protein
Exercise places the body under stress by breaking down muscle tissue. This “good stress” of breaking down and rebuilding is required to build muscle. However, the rebuilding process needs ample protein to maximize muscle growth. An insufficient protein intake will stunt your efforts and hard work.
To combat this common issue the market is flooded with different supplements that promote muscle recovery. Will these products help? Some products such as protein powders will, but the truth is you do not need them. Your primary source of protein should come from food. Consume rich protein sources like lean meats, legumes, whole grains, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. By eating a variety of whole foods, you will reap the benefits of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals that support your body’s ability to function at peak performance. There is nothing wrong with protein supplementation. However, it should remain a supplement and not a replacement.
There are a number of different protein requirement estimations, but they do not apply to everyone. A good general rule to follow for someone looking to build muscle is 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass.
Control The Cardio
Is cardio holding you back from your dream body? While cardio is good for heart health and burns additional calories, it may not be supporting your muscle building goals. When the goal is a lean tone physique, resistance training reigns the winner. However, cardio can be effectively incorporated without sabotaging your goals.
Here are my rules for controlling cardio:
Perform cardio after lifting weights, not before
Limit cardio to two or three 20 minute sessions per week
Alternate exercise sets that use different muscle groups to integrate cardio in a strength training regimen
Replace steady state exercises like running with high intensity bouts of cardio
By utilizing cardio in these ways, you can find the sweet spot that will minimize the factors that prevent lean muscle gains and maximize fat loss to better show off your results at the beach. Getting lean with high amounts of cardio won’t do much good if you don’t have the muscle underneath.
Need a program that will get you beach body ready? Check out our Small Group Program.
