Looking to maximize your success with your exercise, weight loss and fitness program? We all are! What do I do you ask? Do I do high intensity aerobic classes, do I do cardio exercise on a machine, do I do weight training? What works best? The fitness industry preys on our lack of knowledge and relentless desire to find the quickest fix.

So what can you do to maximize your effort and desire? … hopefully you at least have those two components!

The most important thing by far is to find your “Strong”.  

What does that mean…Find your Strong?

Find your strength, what ever it is. Are you disciplined are you energetic? Do you like to workout, do you enjoy going to the gym? Do you like aerobic exercise, do you like to lift? Are you willing to try new things? Do you need a partner, do you have to be in a class to show up.?  Are you good about doing things on your own, do you hold yourself accountable? Do you set goals and work towards them? Are you open minded, do you take coaching well? If you make an appointment do you stay with it? These are just a few ideas of how you find your strength.  If you can’t say yes to any or very few of these questions, then maybe your strength is your honesty and you know you need to get help. This is where you get a trainer-either in person or online and you let them take over for you and hold you accountable.  But if you have any of the previously mentioned personality traits and you can do things your self then you have to figure out how you go about it.

Now, to find your strong you have to figure out what works best for you from a workout perspective. Do you need to take classes? Do you like to lift weights, do you hate weights? Do you like to run, can you do aerobic machines? Do you like high intensity work outs, or do you like to keep it mellow but still put in the time?  Dig deep and figure it out. Don’t even attempt to do something you know you will fail at before you  get started. Most people if they stop working out, will stop in the first 6 or so weeks. It takes much more than that to get any type of permanent results. FIND YOUR STRONG!  Find your strong, stay there and maximize it.

So, how do you know how to figure out if your “strong” will  work?  I (based on 30 yrs and 1000’s of clients to go by) firmly believe anything will work regardless of the approach as long as there is discipline, dedication and consistency. At Vital Armour (online training) we take the approach of “train like an athlete…everyone is an athlete”. Do you train just like an athlete?  If that fits your profile-yeah. But training like an athlete has more to do with the discipline, dedication, accountability and not giving up, than it does actually doing athletic exercises. Finding your strong relies heavily on this principle. Now, what to do?  Cardio on machines, weight training, high intensity, low intensity long duration (Aerobic vs Anaerobic), classes; figure it out and commit (again find your strong here too).

There is compelling evidence to support any of your strengths and what you might like to do. Don’t stress whether you are doing the “right” thing, focus on your strength and you will get the results you are looking for.

Just know that what you like to do (YOUR STRONG) should never be ignored. Researching the “best” type of exercise is almost impossible it probably will only confuse you more. Most so called professionals can’t even give an exact concrete answer.  Most research that is done, is done in a lab and is not very accurate when implementing into the real world. Most studies done on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is done in the lab or close to it. In reality when done outdoors or in real life situations, participants had to modify the protocol because of injury, consistency, intensity level of the participants etc. Results in the real world were a lot different (a lot worse) than lab versions. Same goes for most any kind of research of exercise types and what works best. Too many variables and the info can be spun to support any form of exercise and its efficiency.

Suggestion here is, if it works keep doing it. Your body is the research lab, this is where the most important research happens. Let the information guide you and give you options, but never let it override your overall knowledge of your body… your lab. Never let it override your strong! So what about the information to base your decision, in regards to your exercise routine?

Let me give you some unbiased analysis of what is out there and an incredibly informed decision to help you FIND YOUR STRONG!

1. Weight training is what will change your body composition and will do the most to increase your overall metabolic rate.
2. Diet is what helps you lose weight. Get fit in the gym, lose weight in the kitchen-a Vital Armour staple.
3. Cardio does help with fat loss, but it only breaks down your existing tissue it doesn’t give you that coveted “toned” look.
4. Make sure you do strength training and not just using super light weight and a large number of reps, which essentially is like aerobic exercise
5. Weight training can and often does burn more calories than cardio, if done properly. This is due to the “afterburn” effect of  the muscles  worked during exercise.
6. Cardio and weight training is 5-6 times more effective than cardio alone.
7. There is evidence to support high intensity exercise is the best way to get the most out of your workouts, but there is just as much evidence to support  longer less intense exercise (ie aerobic exercise) will get results also.
8. Classes are good for people that need the group support and have their benefits-no question. Depending on the class, beware of burning too many calories at once and not controlling the after effects of being really hungry and not being able to control that. Too many people replace what they burn off and then some, because they are not taking steps to control that post exercise hunger-SO IMPORTANT!
9.  Do what your body does best. Do what you can handle with your schedule your lifestyle and discipline level-DO YOUR STRONG!
10. Do not be afraid to get help, get that accountability. The accountability and the consistency that goes with it, is what fuels your success for any fitness goal.

Want to simplify more?

• Cardio, weight training, classes/high intensity exercise all work-do what works for you.
• The diet is how you will lose your weight.
• Exercise (specifically weight training)  is what changes your body composition and increases your metabolism the most. Metabolism is the real key!
• Personalize your program.
• Stay in your lane, don’t set your self up for failure , don’t do things that don’t fit your schedule or lifestyle or by doing something that is not your strong.
• Work “your strong” then address your weaknesses a little at a time.
• Get help, don’t let yourself fail. If a check engine light comes on on our car, if we just ignore it because we don’t know what it is, or we don’t want to know what it it is, the result is usually not good!  Help can be a trainer or it could be a spouse or a friend.

FIND YOUR STRONG… AND YOU WON’T GO WRONG!

If you want help and want a wide variety of choices, go to vitalarmour.com and look at the options you have to personalize your program and..

Find your strong and you won’t go wrong.