4 Ways to Grade Your Workout
By Ben Tyler
With all the options to sort through, it can be tough to find the right program. So many programs market as the “best” or the “only”, or “break-through fat-burning technology” and on and on. What’s the best way to sort through the noise?
There are a few questions you can ask yourself to ensure you’re headed in the right direction:
Do I enjoy it?
If you enjoy the workouts, it will be easier to continue doing them. Having a friend, or friends participate with you can make it even more fun, and everyone benefits from having a little friendly accountability and even a bit of competitive spirit :) If it’s not fun, it’s going to be easy to quit.
Does my Coach/Instructor know my personal goals?
If your Coach knows your name, that’s a great start (and a stretch for quite a few programs). However, having an Instructor who knows you on a 1-on-1 basis allows them to know your personal goals, your background, and the “why” behind what you’re trying to accomplish. This simple bit of information and relationship can make the difference between your success or failure, or, your ability to get results. It’s easy to hide in the back of class and not do the things you need to do if no-one knows you, especially your Coach.
Am I being challenged?
If you show up every day and get a slightly elevated heart rate and sweat a little, you will likely not get the results you’re looking for. Or, if you’re wobbling out of class, light headed every day after being pushed to the limit, there’s a good change you won’t get the best results either. Look for a class that challenges you, but is a healthy balance. You should work hard and feel like it after class, but you should be able to drive home safely in a good state of mind too! Every day doesn’t need to be a battle. Some days, breaking a sweat and burning some stress is exactly what you need. Pushing too hard can cause injuries, and not pushing hard enough keeps your body from changing and adapting, which is dangerous to your health as well - if you need better heart health etc, you need to work hard to get the benefits. Having a Coach who knows you and your needs is a huge help. Classes of 20+ people are hard, if not impossible, for a Coach to be able to personalize the workout to your needs. Find a program that offers small classes (ideally less than 15 people) where your Instructor tells you what you need personally each day, and doesn’t just apply the same workout to the whole class.
Do we spend time on the simple stuff?
Warm-Ups, Cool-Downs, and Flexibility work aren’t fancy, and honestly, if not well thought out, can be fairly boring and often times ineffective. An interesting realization I’ve had after many years in the fitness industry: You can tell the quality of the fitness program by how effective (and fun) their warm-ups, cool-downs, and time spent on flexibility are. Warm-ups should not simple get your heart rate up, but they should prepare you for the movements that day - muscularly and neurologically. This will not only allow you to perform well during the workout, but also protect you from injuries that can happen easily with an improper workout (even if you’re just going for a run!). A good cool-down will allow your heart rate to come down steadily, while letting your body process some of the by-products of your workout, which will actually improve your recovery and the benefits of the workout. Some flexibility work at the end when you’re cooling down is a great time to ensure you maintain good range of motion and avoid injuries. If you go to a class and they don’t provide a quality warm-up and cool-down find a better program.
These are just a few of the things to keep an eye out for in the world of fitness, especially with more and more money spent on flashy marketing and new this and that. It’s worth your time to get back to the basics and see what you’re really getting. Hopefully these questions help you make sure you are getting the best!
