One of the most common issues when exercising is getting discouraged if you don’t see results quickly. It’s a frequent reason why a lot of people even get disillusioned and stop training altogether. We live in a world where everyone wants immediate results and with the amount of information available to us on every topic conceivable, it can be pretty daunting as to what plan should be followed to achieve results.
This is one of the main reasons why people end up training in a way that is completely unsuited to their health and fitness goals, doing things that don’t support their lifestyle or their body and can only lead to disappointment and physical injury down the line. Why don’t we see someone like footballer Cristiano Ronaldo training like bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger? Or spring king Usain Bolt training like fittest-man-on-earth Rich Froning? One simple reason; because they all have different goals.
We’re all guilty of this. We flip through articles from health and fitness magazines, read online and speak to friends about the latest training and diet plans and trends. All to see if there’s something we’re missing to help us achieve our dream physiques. Well unless one of those “fitness gurus” you follow has found the miracle solution then you’re going to be better off sticking to something that works for you.
Take Steve for example, Steve’s goal like most guys is to put on a bit of muscle, drop a bit of body fat whilst generally get fitter and stronger in the process. Not much to ask right? Well Steve does what a lot of guys does and he follows a 4 day weight lifting split but he also loves football and plays it twice a week for a local team with a midweek training session and a game at the weekend.
Steve’s weight lifting split is a traditional bodybuilding plan with chest, shoulders, back and legs split into 4 workouts across the week. Sometimes, Steve has a lot of back pain when going to football training midweek or has really sore leg muscles just before a big game at the weekend so he under-performs. What could be the cause of the issues?
Well having spoken to some qualified personal trainers, Steve was told that his weight training plan was not suitable for sustaining his requirements for playing football. By following a bodybuilder’s split, Steve was hindering his footballing ability and performance whilst also greatly increasing the possibilities of serious injury.
The simple solution was to undertake a training plan that supports his health and fitness goals whilst also enhancing his performance at football. The best way to do this is to tailor a training plan that involves functional exercises that work on explosive movements and work multiple muscle groups. The weights used shouldn’t be as heavy as possible as more reps are required to condition the muscles to be able to work with a higher output.
Exercises that involve muscle groups used for sport, such as legs, should be performed on days that leave you with a minimum of 48 hours to rest and recover. Stretching should also be done every day, if possible both in the morning and evening, in order to make sure they stay loose and supple which will greatly reduce muscle inflammation and the risk of injury.
With this all in mind, just make sure that if you’re weight training make sure it’s functional for your specific requirements. Tailor it to include exercises that benefit your life, not hinder it. Exercises that improve your strength and performance and keep you on the road to meeting and exceeding all of your health and fitness goals!
