| This edition’s column
follows a different approach than usual, and addresses some recent
questions that I received from inquisitive readers:
Question: Is one form of resistance exercise, like kettle bells,
better than another, say resistance machines?
Answer: No, not in and of itself. In other words, working out
with 10 pound kettle bells won’t make you any stronger or leaner
than training with a weight machine of the same resistance. However,
weight training with free weights, whether they are dumbbells,
kettle bells, or cement blocks for that matter, will cause increased
stabilizer strength. To elaborate, doing a shoulder press on a
shoulder press machine will only allow you to move in one plane
of motion—up and down. On the other hand, free weights allows
multiple planes of motion—you have to work to keep your dumbbells
moving only up and down, and not side-to-side. This in turn causes
you to engage more of your stabilizer muscle groups like your
triceps and anterior deltoids. Both types have their place, however.
For beginners, I prefer to start them on machines because they
are safer and allow the exerciser to learn about his or her body
and how it should feel when doing an exercise properly. But if
you find yourself skipping workouts because going to a regular
“gym” doesn’t appeal to you, and all your friends are doing a
kettle ball workout, then by all means do whatever keeps you consistent.
Also, changing your workout method every four to twelve weeks
will not only keep your body progressing and improving, but it
will help prevent boredom from setting in. Because ultimately
a workout is only as good as the results that it achieves, and
in order to achieve results, you need to actually do the workout
regularly.
Question: Is it better to work out in the morning or the evening?
Answer: This is a personal preference. While many people like
to workout first thing in the morning before breakfast, it’s difficult
to achieve a maximum weight training workout without any food
in your stomach. It’s one thing to run, swim, or do some other
type of cardiovascular exercise on an empty stomach, but it’s
another to lift weights. I find a person has maximum power if
they eat something nutritious before weight training, however,
your schedule may ultimately decide for you. I have seen all types
of schedules work for different people. If you start work too
early in the morning to fit in a workout, then try to hit the
gym right after work. Many employers nowadays are also allowing
their employees extra time to exercise on their lunch breaks,
because ultimately healthy employees save a company money. However,
if you deal with customers it may be difficult doing so if you
look like you just finished a marathon. On the other hand, a lot
of people have the best of intentions on exercising after work,
only to find themselves coming up with a lot of excuses as to
why they can’t. So my best advice to you is to experiment in order
to figure out what works the best for you and your schedule. The
important thing here again, is that you simple do it!
©Melissa Allen, Optimum Condition. Melissa is a certified personal
trainer, Blackbelt & fitness consultant, as well as the owner
of Optimum Condition—custom fitness services and mobile personal
training. She is a self-syndicated columnist who welcomes input
from her readers, so please contact her with any questions or
comments by calling (619) 252-4993, or visit her website at www.OptimumCondition.com. |
