What to Do for Specific Workout Goals

This isn't short. Get comfortable.

What do you hope to get from the fitness part of this game? Your workouts should match your goals!

There are many components to overall fitness:

• Agility, Coordination, and Balance

• Body Composition (weight, muscle definition)

• Cardio Endurance

• Flexibility

• Strength

• Power

• Speed

As you might guess, the #1 request I get is weight loss, but the good news is that no matter your goal, if you engage in regular, consistent exercise, you will improve in most of those components as a result!

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Today, I want to talk about the following main goals:

• Muscular Endurance

• Muscular Strength

• Strength and Power

• Weight Loss

• Cardio Endurance

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Weight Training Basics:

Weight training is extremely beneficial for weight loss, strength goals, physique goals, and health goals like bone density and heart health. Many people shy away from weight training, but I strongly urge you to add it to your training!

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE

If you’re just getting started (or returning from a hiatus), you’ll want to gradually build up your strength and muscular endurance by doing 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions per exercise, focusing on major muscle groups. The Body Basics cycle in the member area would be a great choice.

Endurance is the best place to start if you’re returning to fitness, new to fitness, or have general “improve my overall health” goals. It’s a safe place to be. It’s extremely beneficial. It builds an excellent foundation. Walk every day and do 2-3 strength training workouts per week.

MUSCLE DEFINITION

If you want to sculpt shapely muscles, you’ll want to aim for 3-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise in your strength workouts. Then, burn fat by focusing on nutrition, eating mostly whole foods and controlling portions, and getting your heart rate up several times a week with cardio and/or high-intensity intervals so you can reveal those shapely guns! The Body Basics cycle in the member area is a good choice, noting the cardio intervals assignment on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Or, the HiiT It Hard cycle turns strength training into cardio with AMRAP circuits!.

Muscle definition is what most people want if their goal is to improve their physique. Think bodybuilders. It takes perfect nutrition and a laser focus on training to get ripped, so for those afraid of that, don’t be - you can enter this territory and achieve nice, shapely muscles. Seeing shapely muscles requires a combination of building muscle and stripping away body fat so you can see those muscles! Do 3-4 strength training workouts each week with either long bouts of moderate cardio or short bouts of high-intensity cardio 3 days per week.

STRENGTH + POWER

If you want to build superhuman strength and power, include power moves in your workouts - sprints, jumps, explosive barbell exercises, kettlebell swings, burpees - and aim for pushing yourself during strength workouts and short cardio bursts at an intensity of 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10. This goal should come after you build endurance. The HiiT It Hard cycle in the member area is great for this.

Strength and power is a level-up goal. It’s important to work up to this range by first spending time in the first two ranges. It comes with higher risks. A little goes a long way. Rest is just as important as work. Talk to me if these are your goals.

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Weight Loss Basics:

If you want to lose weight, choose option 1 or 2 or 3 above, do Level III nutrition, control portions, drink your water, get your heart rate up in every workout, get plenty of sleep, and walk a lot between workouts. **smile**

Do you have to be perfect to make progress in losing weight? No. You have to be better than before. That’s a good start. Commit to the habits of the game, control portions, and cut out sugar and alcohol and you’ll be off to the races!

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Cardio Endurance Basics:

The most obvious choice is to simply focus on increasing how long you can run, bike, or swim each week. You can also find a good program like Couch to 5k and follow it.

Here are two additional methods to build endurance.

FAST RUNS + SHORT BREAKS

Run 20 yards at an 80% effort (just under an all-out sprint), then rest 30 seconds. Start out doing this 5x and work your way up to doing it 15x in a row.

CROSS TRAINING

I never recommend my runners only run. Too much repetition causes imbalances. Cross training is critical to work supporting muscle groups and keep the muscles that support your joints strong. Of particular importance are glutes, abs, inner and outer thigh muscles, and back muscles. My Drill and Chill cycle in the member area would be a great choice, offering both accessory muscle building and mobility and flexibility exercises.

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CURRENT PLAYERS:

Now that you’ve chosen your workout goals, choose the ‘BEFORE + AFTER Stats’ option that best fits. Complete it and submit your BEFORE results by the end of week one to get 50 Bonus Points!

You’ll do it again in Week 5 to see how much progress you’ve made!

BAM. :::kisses biceps:::

NOTE: You can do more than one ‘BEFORE + AFTER Stats’ option. In fact, I strongly urge you to do so! But you only get bonus points for one.