TRAIN HARD vs TRAINING SMART
Training Hard VS Training Smart
A perception with training is that after every session you should leave the gym exhausted, red faced and out of breath.
Does that mean you have ALWAYS maximised the training session?
The truth is no.
Below is a list of things you might need to consider in order to train smarter and get the results you have always wanted.
4-6 WEEK TRAINING PHASE: In order to progress, structured training is necessary. Change your program every four to six weeks in order to provide the muscles and body with a new stimulus which will improve your results. By changing your routine, you re-challenge your muscles to work against new stress, which forces them to adapt and improve.
EXERCISE SELECTION: When designing a training program, there are many considerations that need to be taken into account before you hit the gym: your goal, experience, injury history.
It is important to balance out development of all muscle groups, and as a general rule programs should consist of exercises that include legs, upper body push, upper body pull and core.
At Elite this is what we provide and also what we take pride in.
REST & RECOVER: Pushing your body to the limit day after day without the correct rest period may not get you the results you desire. Listen to your body, if it's crying out and tell you that you must rest then rest! Also be smarter on your rest days, don’t just sit down and do nothing. Keep active and use recovery techniques such as foam rolling, light aerobic work or light walking and stretching.
TARGET MUSCLES: When you do an exercise it’s crucial you have an understanding of what muscle or group of muscles the exercise is designed to target. This will give you more of a mind muscle connection which helps with muscle recruitment in the target muscle.
LIFT THE CORRECT WEIGHT: Often, guys want to increase weights too fast to keep up with friends, impress people at the gym, or simply to polish their own ego.
To complete reps, we sacrifice technique by lifting heavier than needed and end up creating muscle imbalances. Lift a weight that allows you to perform the correct technique.
CONTROL THE MOVEMENT: Tempo is your cadence. More specifically, tempo encompasses the amount of time it takes you to lower the weight (eccentric phase), the amount of time you spend in the bottom position, the amount of time it takes you to raise the weight (concentric phase), and finally the amount of time you spend in the top position.
When used properly, using tempo can be a fun way to spice up your training, help you improve control and create hypertrophy.
If you know when and how you are training, when are your recovery days and your drop down period and you are willing to work hard for it then you are onto a winning formula.