For years there have been stories about an obesity epidemic in the country and while this problem still exists, there is also a lot more reported about the population’s new-found obsession with fitness.
Once again, it’s completely fashionable to be fit. Whether it’s because of ground-breaking new science, the highly technical gym equipment that’s now available or any other reason – we won’t speculate.
Instead, today’s task is to take a look at some of the ways you can push yourself to the next level. We have spoken to Matt Rush in a bid to look at some of the best fitness tips you can implement into your life, and get the very best out of your body.
Weight loss isn’t just cardio training
Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions to hit the country is that you have to run miles and miles in a bid to shake off those extra pounds.
Well, here’s a newsflash, this isn’t true in the slightest. Sure, cardio training isn’t going to do any harm, but few people realize that weight training is one of the most efficient ways to say goodbye to the dreaded belly fat.
By turning to weight training, you will burn calories for hours upon hours after your session has concluded. It speeds up your metabolism to record levels – and this will have a monumental effect when compared to cardio training.
Not only that, but you’ll get toned – and that’s not a bad thing, is it?
Make sure your progress is documented
We’re not going to get into the ins and outs of all of the different metrics you can use for your fitness goals; it’s going to differ enormously for each one of you out there.
Whether it’s your weight, your fat or even the size of individual muscles – it’s crucial that you keep tabs on them frequently.
Of course, the frequent-nature is important here. Do it too often, and you’ll start to become obsessed. Do it too little, and you won’t really know what has worked. Considering the fact you are measuring in a bid to understand your body as much as possible, we would suggest monitoring your performance at least every couple of weeks.
Understand the rest factor
Let’s hand out the easiest piece of advice of the day. Firstly, we’re by no means condoning putting your feet up, but you do need to do this every so often if you are to progress with your fitness goals.
Firstly, if you were to train every day without any rest days you are asking for injuries, whilst you’re also not giving your body any time to recuperate and ultimately start to repair (and develop) your muscles.
It’s not just about rests through the week though. You have got to accept that there will be points through the year in which you just won’t be able to go to the gym, with holidays usually being the biggest culprit. Don’t beat yourself up about this, just accept that it’s part of the plan and make sure that you keep on top of things on the occasions where you can actually make your sessions.
