Finding Alternative Weight Exercises in a Busy Gym

If you’ve been into a commercial gym during peak time, you’ll be well aware of the crowds in the weights room. Even during off-peak times, you can be waiting quite a while for a particular piece of equipment. I personally remember waiting up to half an hour for the squat rack because I really wanted to perform some sets of squats!

Apart from being frustrating having to wait for a piece of exercise equipment for an extensive period of time, it can also impede your workout effectiveness by lowering your heart rate and extending your workout time.

So when you have a training programme to follow (professionally written or otherwise), yet are stuck in a situation where you cannot complete the exercises – what do you do? In most situations, it’s usually best to substitute the exercise for a similar motion.

By performing a similar exercise to the one that has been prescribed in your training programme, you will be working similar muscle groups. Of course, there may be subtle differences between the movements, however you are still going to obtain a similar benefit from the resistance training programme.

Let’s run through some examples. Barbell squats are on the training programme yet there is a queue for this apparatus and you do not wish to wait. My first port of call would be smith squats. It is a very similar motion and will thus recruit similar muscle groups (primarily overloading the quadriceps and gluteals). The drawback of the smith machine means that less core control and balance is required (as the machine assists with this). So if your a primary target of your training is to work on your core control, you may wish to opt for another leg alternative such as dumbbell squats or lunges.

Another popular example could be the bench press. This is a very popular weights exercise which is commonly in use during peak times. It is not safe to be lifting very heavy weights without a bench press rack available, so using a barbell on a flat bench is out of the question in this situation. Unless you have available a squat rack that can be utilised as a bench press rack by setting it up with a flat bench, you’re probably best to go with a smith machine or a flat dumbbell chest press. The smith again requires less stability, while the dumbbells will require more stability and provide a slightly different motion to the standard barbell chest press.

Now for a back example – the common lat pulldown. If you are not lifting particularly heavy weights, you may be able to substitute this for a standing cable lat pulldown, using the cable crossover machine. However this would obviously not be viable with heavier weights, as you need to keep your body grounded. An alternative could be a wide grip pullup, which does follow a similar motion to the lat pulldown.

Ultimately, if you’re a patient person, or just enjoy the ambiance of a gym, then by all means wait for a machine. However be aware that an extended exercise training session’s duration will detract from the level of intensity, which will thereby detract from your results. Being flexible with your training when necessary is a great asset, which will not only enhance your results, but also keep your training interesting!

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Is Boxing a Good Cardio Workout for Weight Loss?

If you’ve ever seen someone do boxing for exercise, it may have crossed your mind that it would not be nearly as effective as a leg based cardiovascular workout. After all, you’re not carrying your body weight  around – you’re just moving your arms! Don’t be fooled – boxing can be very demanding!

As a personal trainer, I regularly undertake boxing sessions with clients. A common question I receive from clients is whether or not boxing is a good workout for weight loss. Well, that’s before I put them through a session!

Boxing is a highly effective cardiovascular workout. Although you’re not moving your legs, you are moving your arms through complex compound movements repeatedly. This elevates the heart rate significantly and will put you out of breath very quickly. The increase in heart rate means that your body is suffering from an oxygen deficit – the goal of a cardiovascular based workout. This means that lots of calories are being expended. Considering that a calorie deficit is a prerequisite to weight loss, boxing is going to be a highly effective workout in this regard.

When seeking to lose weight, keep in mind that intensity is going to be directly proportional to weight loss. The higher your intensity, the more energy that is expended and hence the greater the energy deficit created. The added benefit of a high intensity workout is that it has the ability to stimulate a significant amount of fat breakdown after your workout has concluded. The reason why you are feeling so exhausted is because your body is readily sourcing nutrients to repair itself from the highly demanding workout – often much of this energy is sourced from body fat.

To make your boxing session intense, switch the drills up. You can try:

• Different styles of punches (eg. jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts, high punches, low punches etc.)
• Intervals
• Incorporating other cardio work
• Switching between punching and strength-based exercises
• Varying between a punching bag and focus pads

Variety encourages intensity – so mix it up!

Also, boxing is a highly effective workout if you do injure yourself and are unable to use your lower body. This form of cardiovascular exercise is a very useful tool with knee injuries (a very common injury).

Be sure to give it a go – boxing is a lot of fun as well as a highly effective cardio workout for weight loss.

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How to Improve your Strength and Power

On January 7th, I wrote an article that discussed training for a specific event. This article is a follow-up to the sledge hammer experiment I undertook from the date of writing that article.

The Rationale Behind Improving Your Strength

Let’s recap what we discussed in the event training article. Strength is not a function of muscle size. Your strength on one particular exercise also does not indicate how strong you are in another, completely foreign movement. There are a number of reasons for this, including:

1. Exercise technique; as the way in which you execute the movement indicates how efficiently force is generated, or your strength
2. Muscle conditioning; if your muscles have been trained specifically for strength and power, they will be able to produce a greater amount of force in a shorter period of time
3. Brain conditioning; your brain determines what muscles are recruited, how/when they are stimulated and in what proportions. Effective power generation is therefore a result of finding the optimal balance of muscle groups being recruited.

The combination of these three factors will aid greatly in strength and power generation. Here are some other important factors that will play an important role include:

1. Mindset; your mood, confidence and general mental state will affect your performance.
2. Hormonal levels; an imbalance in hormonal levels may affect power output.
3. Nutrition; good nutrition will ensure that muscles are well recovered and have readily available nutrients for optimal results. Nutritional supplements can also aid in performance.
4. Flexibility; being extremely inflexible may inhibit good technique, whereas being too flexible could encourage energy loss throughout the motion.
5. Sleep; being well rested will aid in force potential.
6. Health; your general health will impact the amount of force you can produce.
7. Recovery; if you are well recovered, your muscles will be able to generate force effectively.
8. Temperature; an excessively hot or cold day will hinder performance.
9. Hydration; being poorly hydrated will inhibit strength and power output

So to obtain an optimal power and strength output, all of the above factors must be taken into consideration.

The Test-of-Strength Experiment Results

On January 7th, I declared myself a guinea pig as I set out to improve a previously dismal score on the “Test-of-Strength” amusement park game. This is the machine that you have to hit with a sledge hammer. As you may recall from the training for a specific event article, my previous best score was 83 (out of a possible 150). This score was not high enough to warrant even the smallest prize (a slinky).

Although I initially set out to train for only a few weeks, there were a few obstacles in the way (rain causing the game to be closed and a weekend trip away). So my training period was extended to be seven weeks. During this seven week period, I implemented various strategies including:

1. Practising hitting technique/aim by using a sledge hammer and a boxing bag (laying down). The sledge hammer was wrapped in towels as to not pierce the boxing bag surface.
2. Training specifically for strength with my resistance training programme.
3. Implementing specific exercises into my weights programme that mimicked various aspects to the sledge hammer movement.
4. Supplementing with creatine.
5. Implementing various recovery techniques (nutritionally and physically) prior to the second attempt.

The cumulative effect of all my training resulted in a final score of 131. This was an improvement of 48 points, or a 58% strength increase in just 7 weeks of training. I was quite happy to have won the second biggest prize (a stuffed toy!). Actually, let me rephrase that; my girlfriend was very happy to have won a blue pony!

This is a very dramatic improvement in a short period of time, especially considering my training history. Untrained persons can expect far more profound strength improvements because their muscles have not been conditioned for strength/power output previously.

I can say with certainty that this score of 131 was not the highest possible score that I could have accomplished on this day. The reason is because I had been practising with a boxing bag on the ground, so I had trained myself to hit a target at approximately half the height of the target at this amusement park game. Further, the sledge hammer was substantially lighter and shorter than what I had been practising with. These factors alone meant that my training wasn’t as specific as what it could have been. Force output could have been enhanced had I considered these factors, or had multiple practice shots to “re-calibrate” my brain for the adjusted conditions.

Having said that, I am very pleased with the results that I obtained and would rate this experiment as a complete success. I will now have no hesitation in attempting this test-of-strength game next time I visit Luna Park (but just for fun next time!).

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Why Don’t People Put Their Weights Back in the Gym?

And now for the beef of the week! It’s not often I blog with a beef, but I feel that this is a very important topic for discussion from both a safety and a general consideration point.

Why don’t people put their weights back in the gym?

Today I was training in my usual gym, performing a weights session. I walked into the weights area and there were dumbbells spread all over the ground. The EZ bar had been left unattended on the ground with 20 kg on it. The squat bar was left with 80kg on it. The smith machine had 60kg left on it. The 25kg dumbbells were in the 17.5kg dumbbell position, the 35kg dumbbells were in the 20kg dumbbell position and the 7.5kg dumbbells were no where to be found (all four of them). And this isn’t even a big gym!

For years I have pondered upon the ultimate question, why people do not put their weights back in their correct position in the gym. Wouldn’t our weight lifting sessions be a blessing if we didn’t have to dodge obstacles, send out search parties for missing equipment and perform inter-set sets when unloading someone else’s weights?

From a safety point of view, it is critical. All it takes is for one person to trip over a dumbbell to hurt themselves. Further, they could trip over something and fall into someone performing an exercise, causing a severe injury. Further, it is very dangerous leaving very heavy weights around for someone else to put away. It’s not uncommon to see someone leave hundreds of kilograms on a piece of equipment for the next person to unload. This is a major safety issue when the next person is quite weak and cannot handle a 20kg plate in a safe manner.

It also should come as common sense that this is common courtesy for fellow gym patrons. Be bothered to put the weights back in their correct place, it really isn’t that hard.

Ultimately it is the gym’s responsibility to ensure that the weights are in their correct place for OH&S. Some gyms are better than others (my regular gym isn’t all that great, yet the gym where we train clients is excellent). I really think that whilst we should be diligent in returning our weights to their correct places, so too should the gyms that we train at.

If you have any thoughts on this matter, please post it up in the comments section below!

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Training for a Specific Event – Why Strength or Fitness is only a Minor Factor

If you want to be exceptional at a specific event, you need to train your body specifically for that event. Some examples could be sprinting, bike riding, discus, long-jump or boxing. The exercises that you perform as part of your training need to be specifically targeted to the type of event so your body can exert maximal force in the most efficient manner possible.

When you undertake a completely foreign task – for example, throw a javelin as far as possible, you are going to be very inefficient at that particular movement. You may be extremely strong, but this is by no means a determinant as to how far you will be able to throw a javelin. Here are three primary considerations that will determine how far you could throw:

1. Your technique. Obviously technique is crucial. Someone with half the strength of someone else may be able to throw the javelin twice as far, just because that are able to generate force in that specific motion four times more efficiently. This covers everything from body positioning, to how you breathe.
2. How your muscles have been conditioned. If you have been training specifically for power, then you will be able to generate much more force in a short period of time, as is required for a javelin throw. Someone with good endurance capacity would not be able to accomplish this, as their muscles are more effective at lasting for long periods of time with a continual and relatively lower force output.
3. How your brain has been conditioned. Your brains forms neurological connections as you learn a new technique. If this technique is foreign, your brain will be unable to communicate with your muscles effectively. Thus, force generation will be minimal. With a mathematics equation, the more often you perform it, the more efficient you become at solving the problem. The same would reign true for any physical movement.

Other considerations such as fitness, mindset, nutrition etc. would also affect the end result of your javelin throw. However let’s focus on these three aspects listed above in this discussion.

So, how do you become extremely efficient at all three of the above aspects; technique, muscle conditioning and brain conditioning?

1. Technique will improve from practice, practice and more practice. If you wish to throw a javelin far, you need to throw a javelin. You need to be taught correct and efficient technique too.
2. Muscle conditioning will partially come from actually throwing the javelin. More importantly will be the resistance based training work that you perform in a gym. In this particular example, you would want to focus on heavy weighted, power based exercises. Many of these exercises would be compound in nature (recruiting multiple muscle groups simultaneously). You would also perform exercises that mimic the general motion of throwing a javelin, to enhance your strength in this motion.
3. Brain conditioning will come from the combination of actually throwing the javelin and the resistance based work that you do. Both of these activities will teach the brain how to interact efficiently with the muscles being worked.

Depending upon your chosen activity, the exercise prescriptions will vary widely for peak performance. Hence why it is important to hire a personal trainer to guide you to success.

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Now that I have covered the basics, I would like to provide a real-world example of this conditioning. I am personally the subject of this experiment which will conclude at the end of this month.

I’ll begin with the background. On new years eve, I was at an amusement park where there was an old fashioned “Test of Strength” stall. Basically you are given a rubber-coated sledge hammer and you have to hit the base as hard as possible. An electronic light moves up the tall display to show how hard you have hit the target. I decided to give it a go.

I had never had a go on one of these before, nor had I ever used a sledge hammer. Picking up the sledge hammer was a surprise enough as I did not realise how heavy they were!

Hitting the target proved a challenge. It was not that the sledge hammer was too heavy, but rather the movement felt foreign and awkward. I had no idea how to hit this target effectively, so I just tried to bring the sledgehammer over my head and down onto the target, in a similar manner to how other people were hitting it. I also did not feel confident that I was going to actually hit the target, so upon coming down onto the target, I backed off the force somewhat just to ensure that I was actually going to make the target.

The results were poor. Whilst other males with a fraction of my training experience were able to obtain over 100 on the score board, my scores were 79 and 83 respectively. Suffice to say these scores did not even warrant a slinky prize!

This does not come as a surprise though. Apart from having never used a sledgehammer before and having poor technique, my training prior to this had been hypertrophy (muscle building) based and not strength based.

A side note on the scores, the 4 point improvement is a prime example of the “brain conditioning” explained above. Of course, there is only minimal improvement in a single hit, but that is a 5% improvement in a more fatigued state.

So, I decided that I’d set myself a challenge over the next month. Over the next four weeks, I will train specifically for this event. I will do this by:

1. Learning correct technique and practicing this using a sledgehammer and a tyre.
2. Training specifically for explosive strength in the gym, with some specific movements that mimic those when using a sledgehammer.

In late January, I will be at a music festival where they typically have this game available. There, I will give it another shot with improved technique/confidence and more specifically conditioned muscles and mind. I will be sure to post an update on my results!

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The 20m Shuttle Run Fitness Test

Have you ever performed a fitness test in physical education class at school? If you have, chances are you have performed the 20m shuttle run fitness test (AKA the beep test!).

The 20m shuttle run test is a very vigorous cardiovascular fitness test. This examination is used by schools, emergency services and the defence forces. It requires you to perform maximally (ie. until you cannot continue any further). You are assigned a score from which you can determine your VO2max. Your VO2max indicates the maximum rate at which your body can process oxygen, which is how your aerobic fitness is measured. To determine your VO2max, visit our beep test calculator to input your score if you have already completed a 20 metre shuttle run fitness test.

So, how does the 20 metre shuttle run fitness test work? You set up a 20 metre running track (on a flat, hard surface such as asphalt). You are required to run back and fourth, reaching each end of your running track as each beep (or bleep) sounds.

You begin at level one, where the beeps are relatively slow. For the typical person, you would be required to perform a slightly faster than average walking pace on level one. However after each minute, you progress a level where the bleeps become faster and faster. You eventually move from a slow jog, into a faster jog, into a run.

The 20 metre shuttle run fitness test is not only a very accurate test to determine your VO2max, it is also a very effective cardiovascular workout. This is because it is a maximal test, so it will stress your cardiovascular system very effectively. Because you are chasing after an objective goal, you remain accountable during the entire cardiovascular session.

People who should not perform the 20 metre shuttle run fitness test include those at higher risk, particularly the elderly or those who have a pre-existing medical condition preventing them from exercising vigorously. If you have joint problems, this fitness test may not be suitable due to the high impact nature of running.

This week, we have just added the beep test CD into our online store! For under $20, this is a highly valuable tool to have in order to assess your fitness level and prepare for an upcoming event.

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Preventing Injury When Losing Control Performing Weight Lifting

When lifting weights, particularly heavy weights, it is easy to lose control of the weights that you are moving. This is especially true if the weights do move into an awkward position. No matter how controlled your movement, you run the risk of causing a major injury to yourself in such an instance. So, let’s discuss this topic and identify exactly what to do when such a situation arises to prevent the onset of injury.

To begin with, I was inspired to write on this particular topics today following my abdominals workout at the gym. I was performing some cable ball curls in a particularly low rep range (4-6 reps to failure). The first set went okay and I then attempted a heavier weight. Attempting to get into position for the set, I lost my balance and rolled onto the floor. Now I know what I have put some of my personal training clients through who have had exactly the same experience!!

I wouldn’t classify such an exercise as dangerous. Sure, it is quite easy to lose your balance, but the risk of injuring yourself is quite low – you’re only going to roll over onto the ground. But what about higher risk movements such as a flat dumbbell chest press, barbell bench press or shoulder presses with heavy weights? If you were to lose control of the weights you could cause some serious injury by dropping a heavy load on your head! Alternatively, what if you are performing heavy barbell squats and you lose your balance? This is a back injury waiting to happen.

Of course, you must take all necessary precautions such as ensuring that the weight isn’t “too” heavy, controlling the weight, having a spotter etc. But what I really want to talk about is, assuming you have taken these steps, what do you do in the 3 or so seconds that you have prior to potentially causing a serious injury.

Let’s begin with all of the pressing movements. Particularly in my earlier stages of training, I had some run-ins on these exercises. I distinctly remember performing an incline dumbbell chest press with very heavy weights (about 4 reps to failure). As I neared muscular fatigue, I pressed up, but moved the dumbbells backwards a little; enough to the point where I began to lose control of the dumbbells. At this point, I had a choice:

1. Try to push the dumbbells forward again
2. Let go of the dumbbells

Option 1 could have resulted in serious injury. The shoulders are in a highly compromised position and trying to move the dumbbells from behind your head is extremely risky. Option 2 really is the only viable option. In such a circumstance, you need to get rid of those dumbbells before they induce serious damage to your shoulder joint, which is extremely prone to injury. It is far safer to push the dumbbells away from your body (and thus avoiding them from dropping on your head) than trying to bring them back forward and either hurting your shoulder or dropping the dumbbells on your head.

Of course, let anyone in the close vicinity know to get out of the way of the falling dumbbells! (You should always ensure that there is no one within your immediate vicinity just in case of such an emergency).

The same approach would reign true for any dumbbell press work. Get those dumbbells out of the way. You need to ensure your own safety before you worry about a big “bang” on the floor.

With barbell presses, this is a tougher scenario. You cannot just drop the bar. This is where you absolutely must get a spotter if you are training to (or close to) failure. A spotter is also essential just in case you lose control of the barbell by pressing forwards or backwards too much. If you do get stuck down the bottom of your rep and cannot push the bar up, yell out for help. This can be a potentially dangerous situation if you are resting an excessive amount of weight on your chest.

Barbell squats are another problem area when it comes to injury. It is quite easy to lose your balance on this exercise, particularly if you are new to it as it is a very complex movement. Although this has never happened to me, I have witnessed some squatters lose their balance. Fortunately I have never seen anyone sustain a major back injury from this, but considering how susceptible the spine is to injury, it is not difficult to accomplish. So if you do find yourself losing your balance on the squats, what do you do?

If you have a spotter, have the spotter assist you in regaining your balance by hooking their arms underneath your armpits. This is usually most practical if you are only slightly off balance. If you are using a squat rack or a cage (and so you should be), you may need to just lower your body down (if safe) or drop the bar down onto the rack. If, for some reason, you are performing squats with no squat rack and find yourself falling over – just let go and drop the bar. Your goal when you are losing control of the weight is to get that bar off your back so it doesn’t seriously hurt you.

Because you only have a limited amount of time if something does go wrong when weight lifting, you are heavily reliant on your reflexes. Never try to move a weight if you are in an awkward position – if all else fails, get that weight away from you as quickly and safely as possible. Prior to initiating your exercise, ensure that your exercise space is well clear so you don’t present any risk to surrounding people just in case something does go wrong.

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Weight Loss and Good Intentions to Exercise

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight because you don’t ever get around to exercising, then this article is for you. Do you feel like you always have good intentions to exercise, yet everything just seems to get in the way so you don’t have the time to exercise?

This is a common scenario for many people. Our lives are so jam packed with activities that exercise can eat up some crucial minutes of your day!

Whilst you may have the best of intentions, it is an all too common scenario for other tasks to be more urgent/important than your exercise session and therefore take precedence. Typical examples could include work deadlines, meetings and sudden unforeseen circumstances like a car or computer breakdown. These are all very important events in your life, but they do get in the way of your plans to exercise.

It doesn’t take a genius to identify that good intentions will not do anything for your weight loss goals. You may intend on completing daily workouts for the next week – but if no exercise sessions actually get completed, you’re not going to make any progress whatsoever. It’s also easy to justify the lack of exercise during a week by blaming certain urgent circumstances that arose and reminding yourself that you did have good intentions to exercise.

Ultimately if you find yourself in this situation, you (and only you) need to do something about it. If your weight loss goals are important enough, you are going to have to sit down and figure out a way in which to organise your week so you do get your exercise sessions completed. More often than not, it all comes down to developing a plan. Introduce some structure into your week so you have some foundation from which to work from.

If you are going through the week and reacting to all the events that come your way, you are never going to be able to follow a consistent approach to exercise. Reacting to your environment, whilst instinctual, is an impulsive and unstructured approach to weight loss. By doing this, you are effectively putting the exercise on the back-burner and leaving it up to fate to decide whether or not you will get time to exercise. You may have good intentions to exercise, yet you are not being pro-active about exercise. In this situation, it is important to identify that the reason you are unable to exercise is not due to external circumstances – it is because you have failed to plan effectively.

Your plan is going to be completely different from anyone else’s depending upon your lifestyle. Maybe you need to get up a little earlier and exercise first thing in the morning. You may need to exercise on your lunch break, or maybe on weekends. You could try performing shorter workouts, changing gyms, exercising at home or taking up a sport. Whatever it is – you need to work out the most appropriate plan for you and your lifestyle.

Further, you need to keep yourself accountable. If you feel that you need an external source of accountability, try exercising with a friend or hiring a fitness professional such as a personal trainer. You need to be pro-active about your weight loss goals and take the necessary steps to get into an effective exercise routine.

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How Long Does It Take To See Results From Exercise?

It is very common for our personal training clients to begin exercising with the expectation that they will see significant physical changes within only a few weeks of training. This is not only common for our clients initially, but also for anyone who is embarking upon a journey to reshape their body.

So if you’ve just begun exercising, it is very important to understand how long it takes until you see results from exercise. For, if you begin an exercise programme with unrealistic expectations, this can be extremely discouraging a few weeks down the track when you do not notice the physical results that you expected.

How Long Does It Take To See Results From Exercise?

It really depends upon a number of factors, including:

1. Your goals
2. Your body/genetics
3. Your approach to nutrition
4. Your approach to exercise
5. Your health
6. Your general lifestyle

Everyone will have differing attributes to each of the categories above – all of which will affect the time in which you see physical changes. Let’s consider each briefly:

Your goals and how they affect how long it takes to see results from exercise

If you wish to lose weight only, then you will most likely see relatively quick results as compared to someone who is seeking to build muscle. The reason is simple – for most of us, it is much easier to lose fat than it is to build muscle, given that you follow an effective approach to achieving this goal.

You may wish to read up on my previous blog post which discusses muscle gain, fat loss, and the relative rates at which you can accomplish each goal

Your body/genetics and how they affect how long it takes to see results from exercise

Some people have the ability to lose fat at an amazing rate, without being able to build muscle efficiently. These people typically have the phenotype of an “ectomorph”. Others can build muscle relatively quickly without the ability to lose fat weight quickly. These people typically have the phenotype of an “endomorph”. Meanwhile, there are people who can lose fat and build muscle very efficiently, typically having a “mesomorph” phenotype.

Often no one is one or the other. This is a “scale” of classifications of body types and you will often lie somewhere in between each of these extremes.

Your approach to nutrition and how it affects how long it takes to see results from exercise

Some people prefer a full-on approach to nutrition, in order to provide the body with optimal nutrients for optimal results. Others prefer a balance between their lifestyle and their physique goals. If you are chasing after some body reshaping goals, the rate at which you can expect to see results really depends upon how disciplined you are with your nutrition.

Remember though – fast results aren’t always the best results. If you are better off in the long-term following a more relaxed approach to nutrition (as are most people), do not try and go gung-ho on a “diet”. You will be setting yourself up for disaster as soon as you fall off the wagon.

Your approach to exercise and how it affects how long it takes to see results from exercise

Similarly to nutrition, your dedication to your exercise programme will profoundly impact the rate at which you see physical changes. Are you the type of person who can train in the gym six times a week and enjoy it? If so, you have the ability to see some relatively quick results compared to if you can only train 2-3 times per week.

As with nutrition, you do need to establish a healthy balance with your exercise programme and your lifestyle. If you cannot sustain a high volume of workout sessions, don’t even try to. The key is in sustainability for long-term results.

Your health and how it affects how long it takes to see results from exercise

Your health can play a major role in the rate at which it takes to physically realise the hard work you have invested in achieving your goals. This is a very broad topic and can range from your physical capacity to exercise intensely, right through to testosterone levels and even medical disorders that can prevent fat loss. This is highly individualistic and obviously being in optimal health is the most effective way to accomplish any goal.

This does raise a very important point. Because your health is critical in accomplishing all health and fitness goals, this means that you need to respect your body. Consequently, you should ALWAYS follow a healthy approach to exercise and nutrition (which means no fad dieting or outlandish detox diets). This also means that when you exercise, you should do so in a safe manner as to avoid the risk of injury.

Your general lifestyle it affects how long it takes to see results from exercise

Again, a very broad topic. How well you sleep, how much you stress, how active you are in your daily activities, how often you socialise etc all have a profound impact on the rate at which you can expect to see results, no matter what your goal.

A blanket statement for how long it takes to see results from exercise…

Having got to this point, you will understand that everyone is different and there is no finite period of time that it will take for all people to see results. Assuming that you are in good health and have a reasonable approach to nutrition and exercise, you can generally begin to see considerably physical changes within 6-8 weeks. It may be longer or it may be shorter based on what has been proposed above.

If you have been exercising for a prolonged period of time and have not seen any physical results, then something does need to be changed. Einstein once said “If you change nothing, nothing will change” – oh how true that is. So if this is the case, I would strongly suggest considering the assistance of a fitness professional. We of course do offer the leading Australian online personal training service which you may wish to consider.

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Losing Fat Weight, Building Muscle and Decreasing Measurements

If you’re seeking to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, then it certainly is possible. Of course, you cannot accomplish either of these goals effectively whilst trying to do both at the same time, but you can break down fat tissue and synthesise new muscle tissue.

Many of my clients have this goal and choose to opt for a balance in fat loss and muscle development, rather than focusing too heavily on either extreme. A common question that I am asked is regarding decreasing girth measurements, particularly around the arms and chest; “Why are my measurements decreasing if I’m building muscle?”.

This is a common situation for anyone who is just initiating a new exercise routine. If you are trying to tone-up, by losing fat weight and building muscle mass, then you can expect a decrease in your girth measurements. The chest and arms are no exception.

A typical chest girth measurement will be taken around the entire horizontal circumference of your chest at nipple level. This measurement is greatly affected by:

1. Pectoral muscle mass
2. Latissimus dorsi muscle mass
3. Fat tissue stored around the chest, arm pit and back

A typical arm girth measurement will be taken half way between the shoulder and elbow. The measurement is greatly affected by:

1. Bicep muscle mass
2. Tricep muscle mass
3. Fat tissue stored around the bicep and tricep muscles

Fat loss occurs far more readily than muscle gain in the typical person. Whilst a typical person who has been training for a few months can expect to build somewhere within the vicinity of 3-6kg per year with a bulking emphasis, the same typical person could expect to safely lose 0.5-1kg a week in fat mass. Based on these rough figures, you could expect to lose nearly 9 times the amount of weight you carry in fat, relative to the amount of muscle you could expect to gain.

Note that these are very rough figures for illustration purposes and I am not citing any studies in this post. The point is that you can lose a lot more fat weight than you can expect to gain in muscle weight.

Because your potential for fat loss is generally far greater than your potential for muscle gain, you can expect your measurements to decrease if you are chasing after both goals simultaneously, with a fairly even balance. It is not realistic to expect to lose 20kg of fat mass and gain 20kg in muscle mass within a short period of time, for example. Rather, a 20kg weight loss and 4kg muscle gain would be far more realistic to achieve for the typical male.

As you are moving toward your health and fitness goals, it is very important to measure your progress along the way. That is why we offer a number of workout accessories to assist you in analysing your body composition. A few that may be of particular interest include:

• Body Measurement Tape
• Body Fat Calipers
• Digital Body Fat Calipers

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