The festive season has passed and people are flocking to the gym to lose their festive flab.
Personal trainer, Thabo Pulumo told the Herald five ways in which people do themselves in at the gym.
Most people have New Year’s resolutions to get fit and lose weight, but the attitude of shedding a few kilograms quickly is not the right one.
I always tell my clients that being fit, staying healthy and working out is a lifestyle. If it’s a resolution, you stop after two weeks as you do not become fit overnight,” he explained.
With regards to nutrition, Thabo said the main reason people do not reach their fitness and health goals is alcohol. “I don’t drink at all. I never have and I’m not asking people to give up drinking. Cutting down definitely will help if your goal is to lose weight. You’ll meet your goal quicker.”
Thabo also busted the myth about eating less to lose weight. “Our bodies are like cars – if a car has no petrol, it won’t go anywhere. If it has no oil or water it’ll break down. Training basically is beating up your body and you need food – good food – to replenish it.”
On measuring progress he said, “Often people gym for a month and then weigh more than they did initially. This is normal. At that point your body is just in shock . Also, you gain muscle and lose weigh. You should weigh yourself at least once a month to track your progress.”
The question on everyone’s lips is usually whether you need to gym for hours every day or whether a 15 or 20 minute workout would do.
It’s not about how long you gym, it’s about how you gym. Take the example of two people running a race. The one runs slowly and the other sprints to the finish line.
“Even after having finished, those who sprinted still burn calories for another 30 minutes as their bodies are trying to recover, whereas those who ran slowly only take 10 minutes to recover. You gym hard with very short rest periods and if you do it right your body will be burning calories even after your workout without your doing anything.”
Thabo also gave the Herald his top-five exercises in the gym and at home.
At the gym:
• Full or half squat
• Calf raise
• Bench press
• Dumbbell curl
• Shoulder press
At home:
• Broomstick bicep curl (put a broomstick behind your knees while sitting on a chair, grip the sides sticking out with your hands and curl)
• Push-up
• Jumping lunges
• Sprints
• Chin-ups
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