More Personal Training Lessons

I've finished the personal training sessions I've done for the past month with Tom through a free program where I work. I posted some initial lessons I learned; here are a few more. My goals were to maintain the 30+ pounds I lost last year and to continue to build strength, firm, and tone.

1. Limit vigorous cardio to 75 to 110 minutes a week. One of the most surprising things I learned was that I didn't need to do as much cardio as I'd been doing. (Note that we're talking very vigorous cardio; I still do lots of low and moderate intensity forms of cardio like near-daily walks.) For someone like me, who has done cardio nearly every morning of the week almost consistently for the past 12 years, limiting cardio took some getting used to. Would I immediately pack on the pounds again? Would I not have the feel-good energy that morning cardio gives me all day? Turns out, Tom was right. My weight stayed within its normal three-pound fluctuation range. And because I was still working out most mornings with strength training plus taking daily walks, I continued to have plenty of energy and feel-good vibes.

2. Switch between weight machines and free weights. Tom explained that when your body becomes used to doing something, you won't progress. I only worked with free weights previously, so Tom showed me how to use the weight machines. He created this program for me to ensure I don't plateau:

• 4-6 Weeks: Using a routine with weight machines: lower body and core twice a week and upper body and core twice a week (for a total of four times a week).
• 1 Week of Rest
• 4 Weeks: Using a routine with free weights, resistance bands, and body weight: lower body and core twice a week and upper body and core twice a week (for a total of four times a week).
• 1 Week of Rest
• 4 Weeks: Using a routine with free weights, resistance bands, and body weight: total body--upper, lower, and core--three times a week.
• 1 Week of Rest
• Start back at the beginning on the weight machines. Tom says you will likely have to start at a lower weight than you ended with because your body is no longer used to the machines.

3. Rest! Tom explained that while rest may seem counterintuitive (if exercise is good for you, why rest?), your body needs time to recover and will perform better when you give it a week of rest every four to six weeks. This doesn't mean don't do anything, but, rather, don't do strength training or vigorous cardio. Instead, Tom suggested doing yoga or pilates three or four times during the week and continuing the low to moderate intensity walks.

After I finished these sessions, not only did I not gain weight from limiting cardio, but I dropped another half-size in pants. I was in between a 6 and 4 and now fit comfortably in a size 4--down from size 12 last year!

For our last session, we played football. I told Tom I'd always wanted to play, so he showed me how to throw and run basic routes. He said I was good, but I have a feeling that the bag of vegan cookies I baked for him as a thank-you may have contributed to that compliment. ;-)

Image from this blog.