Fat Loss, Weight Loss, and Cardiovascular Exercise

At 4:30am this morning, I started my undercover research of a health club I’m considering working at in San Francisco.

I didn’t know the choice of workout clothes would differ so much.

(I won’t tell you which city has better taste in fitness apparel.)

I also wasn’t surprised to see that the same fitness weight loss mistakes are made on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts.

At 5am the fitness enthusiasts were headed for their favorite brands of cardiovascular exercise; the treadmill, elliptical cross trainer, bikes, and a rower.

What was very interesting to me was that not one of the men and women “getting their cardio done” was with a Personal Trainer.

The Personal Trainers had their clients involved in a mixture of mobility exercises, core exercises, and active warm-ups.

Want in on a little secret???

I’m willing to bet that each of the clients working out with their Personal Trainers burned more calories and did more toward achieving their weight loss and fat loss goals than those on the cardiovascular equipment.

Do you remember those long, boring classes in high school and in college that seemed to never end?

Do you find yourself in business meetings on Friday afternoons that feel the same way?

Well, your cardiovascular exercise shouldn’t feel that way and doesn’t have to feel that way.

Lots of people tell me that they do “traditional cardio” because they don’t have to think about it. It’s just choose a machine and go.

And they continue to do it, no matter how boring it is.

Well, when you are working with a Personal Trainer, you don’t have to think….that much. :)

We choose the exercises for you. We tell you how many to do, at what speed, and with which weights. We offer corrections when necessary so that you get the most out of your valuable time.

A few more important things about how your workouts with a Personal Trainer differ from traditional cardiovascular exercise…

In most cases, you are providing your body and your heart with a tougher cardiovascular challenge. You’re making your heart stronger.

You are moving more joints through a far greater range of motion. Working on the same machine all the time can actually build muscular imbalances around the joints in your body making it tougher for you to move effectively.

Whenever your range of motion or mobility is prohibited, your chance of injury is greater….not to mention that a shortened range of motion means that you activate fewer muscle fibers.

Lessened activation equals lessened toning and fewer calories burned! Not good!!

If you’re bored from doing the same cardiovascular exercise all of the time and you haven’t seen the changes that you’ve wanted to see when you’re looking in the mirror, then it’s time to talk to one of us to learn about Personal Training and what it will do for you.

Don’t be afraid….most of us don’t bite!!

Committed to your fitness success,
Boh

David I. Bohmiller, BS, NSCA-CSCS
My Personal Trainer School LLC