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STRENGTH TRAINING AND WEIGHT LOSS

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Do you want to dramatically increase your chances of weight loss success? Of course you do! Who wouldn’t? And while you are at it become stronger to do activities of daily living with more ease then ever? Yep! The answer to this is strength training.

We talk to a lot of people who are either struggling to lose weight or have hit a plateau in their weight loss but are afraid to incorporate strength training into their routine out of fear that it will make them gain weight. This is especially true with women.

Let me give you the run down on why we believe strength training is a MUST if weight loss is your goal. (We actually believe that strength training is a must no matter what your goal is but let’s focus on the goal of weight loss.)

Strength Training Increases Your Metabolism

Your metabolism is the amount of energy you burn throughout the day doing every day things. Getting ready for work, walking up and down stairs, getting up from the couch etc. Basically, it’s the amount of energy you use up outside of planned exercise. Muscle is metabolic tissue, meaning that it requires energy to work. When your muscle contracts, energy is spent. The more muscle you have and the more efficiently it works, the more energy you use up throughout the day. This in turn allows for better weight loss results. And the best way that I am aware of to increase muscle and its efficiency is through regular strength training.

Without Strength Training You May Actually Be Losing Muscle and Decreasing Your Metabolism

This is a big point. If you take the route of just dieting or dieting and doing cardio to get to your weight loss goals you could actually end up in a scenario where you could be doing more harm then good for your body long term. For every pound of weight loss, up to 25% of that could come from muscle loss. If you kept this up it would have the opposite effect on your metabolism then we want. Decreasing your muscle mass would also end up decreasing your metabolism, which then slows down your weight loss results. And what is the best way to combat this 25% muscle loss? Regular strength training of course! Strength training keeps the muscle stimulated and significantly decreases the chances of it getting broken down in the weight loss process. We want our weight loss from fat loss not muscle tissue!

Use Compound Exercises

Strength training itself burns quite a bit of energy, especially when you do it right and focus on using compound movements in your workouts. Compound exercises involve multiple joints. Think squats or push-ups versus a bicep curl or calf raise. These types of exercise recruit several different muscles which in turn burns more energy compared to any single joint exercise. Again, over time, this increase in energy expenditure adds up to better weight loss results.

How Often Should I Strength Train?

The minimum would be two times per week, ideally 3 times per week would be most beneficial. There are many different ways to structure your strength training program but however you do it just make sure that you are setting yourself up for success. If you only realistically have time for 2 sessions a week then plan for that. Don’t use a program that is set up for 5 days a week and then get frustrated with yourself because you were not able to complete all of the workouts. Consistency is the key and you want to set yourself up to stay consistent for the long haul.

Final Thoughts

One last big point is that for strength training to be effective, regardless of your end goal, it must be done with effort. You want to use enough resistance to cause what is called temporary muscle failure, meaning you couldn’t do another repetition while keeping proper form. And please make sure that you are performing the exercises correctly. Proper form is crucial to getting the most out of the exercise and to ensure that you do not get hurt.

If you have read this and you get it, great, now go out and get busy. If you are confused or still unsure of how to incorporate strength training into your routine or how to perform exercises properly, don’t hesitate to ask for help. That’s what we are here for! Schedule a free consultation with us to see how we can help you reach your health and fitness goals!

The Power of Regular Activity

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What if we told you that you have the power to add years to your life span, perform daily activities easier or prevent disease and sickness?

The truth is we all have this power and it can all be accomplished through consistent, regular physical activity!

This can be planned exercise or any activity really that requires you to expend energy.

The power of regular movement, be it planned exercise or not, has many proven positive benefits. The more consistent the physical activity is, the greater the potential benefits.

Here is a brief list of what you can expect to achieve by introducing regular physical activity and movement into your lifestyle:

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower blood sugar
  • Improve cholesterol
  • Reduce your risk of heart disease
  • Reduce your risk of diabetes
  • Lose weight
  • Gain strength
  • Improve bone density
  • Improve range of motion
  • Stronger joints
  • Improve joint conditions (eg. arthritis)
  • Help with depression
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase longevity
  • Perform daily activities better/easier
  • Maintain independence
  • Reduce risk of some types of cancer
  • Improve cognitive abilities

This list could go on and on.

The human body was meant to work. Today we sit more then ever in the history of our existence so building regular physical activity and exercise into your life has become a necessity. The more we move and challenge our bodies, the more fit we become, the more efficient and effective we are and of course the healthier we are. So, get moving!

What has exercise done for you lately?

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Since returning to the club on a more regular basis now, I’ve had the opportunity to once again, stop and chat with many of our members. One member in particular stopped and chatted with me one day and the only thing I could think of saying to him after he was finished was “I wish I had a recording of what you just said”. Sometimes, something that is so obvious and makes so much sense isn’t even realized by you until someone points it out. He was kind enough to send us a brief summary of what he said to me that day so I could share it with you. Pay particular attention to the bolded type at the end.

“The day I walked in the doors at G&M Fitness I was unhealthy and unhappy. I had a resting heart rate of about 80bpm. When I spoke with Matt I had one goal in mind and that was heart health. I want to live a long life and have many years with my 2 boys and my wife. Today, a couple years later my resting heart rate is now 57bpm which falls in the category of athlete… I can tell you this: I went from unhealthy and unhappy to being stronger than I have ever been and having amazing heart health and being very happy with myself. This is not just great for me but also great for my family. My boys and my wife can see how truly happy I am…. you can be bigger and still be healthy and the key to that is definitely exercise. As Gino told me “Be the best you” and he is absolutely right.

Cool aye! We seldom think how our health, how we feel physically, emotionally, mentally can affect the other important people in our lives. Here is a prime example of how exercise can most definitely help you, but more importantly sometimes, how it can have a positive effect on others in your life.

Gino

Take pride in what you do.

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Over the course of my life, I’ve been constantly reminded through my upbringing that one should take pride in everything you do and also in everything you have. Take care of things so they last, fix things that are broken, keep things neat, tidy and organized, etc. etc. That’s how I was brought up, so is the story of my life and why I am how I am. It bothers me to no end when I see things that are disorganized, dirty, and neglected.

Sloppy workmanship is just plain unacceptable to me. I may be guilty of that once in a while myself, I’m human, but it bothers me nevertheless. Laziness, well, I just can’t tolerate it. I’ve found from years of experience, that if you don’t inspect what you expect, things tend to fall apart quite quickly and people tend to take advantage of the fact that they are not being held accountable.

Case in point: G&M Fitness Health Club. The only club in the Niagara Region that opened more than 30 years ago that is still running successfully. Why? Three words: PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP.

After 33 years in business, I still walk through my club with the utmost pride. Pride in how far we’ve come, pride in the genuinely good people on our staff, pride in my loyal members and pride in my son Matt. I may be a picky bastard most of the time, but for good reason. My pride in our club has never been stronger. I can only hope that because of how we run our club, you, our members are just as proud to be members as I am to be the owner.

As we wrap up this recent renovation, I am already planning for more improvements and services yet to be incorporated…..all in due time.

The speaker series that we’ve started is another service that we’ve included in your membership that I’m very proud of. As I spend more and more time at the club, and watch members train, especially the younger ones, I’m reminded of all of the training mistakes I made as a young weight lifter, and so I’ve put together an instructive class in order to address those mistakes that are commonly made in the gym. This Thursday is when I’ll be presenting it and I hope to see a lot of the youngsters there so I can help them get the most out of their training and avoid all of the common mistakes made when training.

My next one will take place in May. It will be a “hands on” workshop that will take place on the floor in order to go through the proper technique for all of the most common exercises. In closing, I’d like to thank each and every member of our club for your continued support and sometimes patience. I am grateful to have you all as members of my club, and proud of you for knowing how important it is to maintain good health.

With pride and sincerest thanks,

Gino

The “Spill Over” Effect of Exercise in Your Life

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When most of us think about the many benefits of regular exercise in our life we usually think of losing weight, getting stronger, or having better stamina, but they are typically some type of physical benefits.

Achieving these types of outcomes feels great. It changes how you look, how you feel and how you perform, and with that comes a huge increase in your confidence.

This confidence “spills over” into other areas of your life, into your work and your relationships. We hear it all of the time. Things like how losing weight gave them the confidence to get back into a dress they used to wear when they were in college, or getting stronger made them feel more confident in themselves to take a trip of a lifetime mountain climbing, or that they are a better husband, wife, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother because they are happier with themselves.

These kinds of benefits are priceless. This is what we mean when we say we want to help members achieve a superior quality of life. We are not only thinking of the physical benefits, but all of the other benefits that spill over into your everyday life as well.

Another example is how regular exercise creates discipline. Taking care of yourself, eating healthier, going to the gym, that all takes discipline. Again, becoming more disciplined will carry over and positively impact other areas in your life.

Whether you know it or not, building regular exercise into your life is helping you in more ways then is normally thought about. It not only has the power to change your physical appearance and abilities, but also who you are and how you live your life.

A Sneaky Reason We Gain Weight Over Time

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Whether you realize it or not, there are things that happen in our bodies without us knowing about it constantly. Some of it is good, some of it not so good. Today I wanted to touch on one of those things that is not so good, BUT we do have a certain amount of control over. That would be natural age-related muscle loss.

Up until we are somewhere in our 30’s, our bodies are growing muscle and getting stronger. After we get past this point it reverses and muscle begins to deteriorate and quickens as you get into your 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

This not only poses a problem because of the loss of strength and therefore your abilities to perform tasks as well as you used to, but also is a sneaky reason of why we tend to gain more weight as we age.

Muscle is metabolic tissue that requires energy to work. The more muscle you have the more energy you use up in a day. This is your metabolism at work.

As we age and we start to lose muscle, that also slows our metabolism, which means your not using as much energy as you used to going through the same daily routines. If you keep eating the same as usual, you start to gain weight. That is why it can seem like you haven’t changed anything but then all of a sudden over time you notice you are slowly gaining weight.

There is some good news though! There is a way to prevent and or slow this process down. Regular exercise, specifically strength training!

Strength training causes your body to adapt to the stress and make your muscles grow and become stronger keeping your metabolism higher. Instead of getting weaker, less independent and a slower metabolism as you age, you can get stronger, gain more independence, increase your metabolism and get or stay leaner! And you can begin at any age and still receive these benefits.

The current recommendations for strength training are only a minimum of 2 times per week so it’s a pretty low time investment for a very big return on your quality of life!

Strength training is our specialty here at G&M. If you have any questions at all about how to incorporate it into your routines, let us know, we are here to help!

Eric and Bobbi Vickers

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Eric and Bobbi both got into working out and lifting weights around the same time about seven and a half years ago and have been working out together even since. Bobbi got started into it after graduating from the paramedic program and wanted to get stronger to be able to get a job in the field. Eric had been active as a kid and worked out in high school but had got out of it to focus on his career.

Once they got back into working out, they both admitted that they really didn’t know what to do or how to achieve the goals they wanted but just worked hard.

Then they met a couple of people, Zach and Chad, who helped them with their workouts and started to teach them and help them learn more about fitness and working out.

Back then Eric only weighed 123lbs. Today he is about 80lbs heavier, in a good way of course, gaining all kinds of muscle and strength.

Bobbi’s motivation to get stronger came from hearing over and over that she would never be hired as a paramedic. That she was too small and not strong enough and to find another career path. With that motivation she worked at building her strength and not only was hired as a paramedic but is one of the strongest women in the field!

After working out for a little while they moved gyms to G&M Fitness which in their words said was a better facility for them with better hours and great like-minded people. They both fell in love with bodybuilding when they came to G&M.

For both of them the gym is just part of their lifestyle.

Eric says he thinks about his workout at work before he comes to the gym.

“I already know what exercises I am going to do, how many sets and how much weight I am going to lift before I even get to the gym. It’s my favourite part of my day.”

In Bobbi’s line of work, she sees a lot of the bad side of not having good health which is another motivator that keeps her going to be the best she can be.

And with Eric’s job he seen a lot of people with bad health habits and knew right away that he wanted a different path then what he saw in his co-workers.

Their path hasn’t been without its challenges either. Back in 2016 Eric had a serious health issue that seen him hospitalized and on bed rest for several weeks and lost a lot of strength in his legs among other things. That didn’t stop him though as today he can easily squat over 400lbs.

Even just recently Bobbi had broken her hand and couldn’t lift weights but that didn’t stop her from coming. She modified her workouts to do what she could and took up running just to stay at it.

They both said they couldn’t imagine not coming to the gym anymore.

“It’s a social thing for us too” they both said. “Our friends come here and we have met a lot of other great people. Everyone is very supportive. It makes us happy.”

Bobbi has had other women ask her about becoming a paramedic and always tells them, “You can absolutely do it! Don’t give up!” She also gets a lot of women saying to her that she must do a ton of cardio to maintain her physique which isn’t the case. “I lift weights and I eat!”

They also both agree that for the most part they eat well but that they allow themselves to eat foods that they love too. They are not afraid to have pizza and wings once and a while.

Their advice for others just starting out or thinking about getting started is to not be intimidated and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Eric says “We all have to support each other. We are all here for the same reason, to better ourselves.”

They also say results take time, to not get discouraged and stay with it. Set attainable goals for the short term, medium term and long term and to train hard!

Diet vs. Exercise. Is Success Really More Diet then Exercise?

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Have you ever heard the phrase “weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise”, or even 90% diet to 10% exercise?

There is no doubt that diet and nutrition play a very big and very important role in our health and especially with weight loss, but I do think that the above phrase is a little misleading.

If your mindset is that the majority of your success comes from diet, you would most likely choose to just focus on diet and maybe not even incorporate exercise at all. After all, it’s only a small part of the equation.

Let me explain why I think this is the wrong way to look at this equation and why if anything, if you had to choose one aspect to focus on, I would put more weight on exercise.

If we have 2 identical people starting at the same time. They are the same weight, same height, same age, everything is identical except one will focus on getting their diet right with no exercise and the other will focus on a keeping a really good exercise schedule but will continue to eat as they normally have been.

Let’s pick a period of 3 months to check back in with them.

Who do you think feels better? Diet or exerciser?

Who do you think is stronger? Diet or exerciser?

Who do you think has gained more independence? Diet or exerciser?

Who has gained more confidence? Diet or exerciser?

Who has gained more muscle? Diet or exerciser?

Who has increased their metabolism more? Diet or exerciser?

Who has increased their performance more? Diet or exerciser?

And lastly, who has lost more weight? Diet or exerciser?

Every answer to every question I asked above, the answer is the exerciser, except for maybe the last one, who has lost more weight. That one could be toss up or lean more towards the dieter as the answer but there is one important fact you need to remember about the dieter. Since they are not exercising, specifically strength training, up to 27% of their weight loss can be from muscle loss. Not good! So again, in the long run I think the exerciser wins this answer too!

I am not pointing this out to say that diet is not important, it is very important, but only to point out that no matter what your goal is, exercise must be a part of your plan, especially the strength training aspect.

Combining the exercise and nutrition components is the secret sauce to success though. Doing both together will bring you to success much quicker. There is no doubt about that. But the bottom line here is that there are too many benefits that exercise creates that dieting alone cannot, and if you had to choose one to focus on, I would always recommend exercise.