Oprah, Get With The Program!

Yesterday, I promised to critique Oprah's current exercise program (or at least the parts she mentioned on her show on Monday).

The Good:

* Oprah said she is doing more strength training than previously. Yes!

* She also said that she's cut back on her cardio (to 20 minutes, I think). If I remember correctly, a few years ago she had worked up to an hour a day so this is definitely a step in the right direction.

* Although she didn't mention intervals, Oprah performs her cardio at a decent pace. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't see her reading a magazine while she exercises.


The Bad:

* Oprah demonstrated some of her strength training exercises. She did exercise after exercise, one right after the other with the same weight, which didn't look real challenging for any of them. I realize that she might not work out that way - it may have just been to demonstrate some moves for the camera- but I doubt it. Ladies, stop wasting time with light weights and lots of reps. If you want to reshape your body, you need to challenge it.

* Even though there was a short article in her magazine a few months back praising cardio interval training, I don't think she's doing it. Even if you're working hard, your body will adapt to doing the same time on the same machines at the same pace, etc.


The Worst

* The worst aspect for me was when she mentioned that she works one or two body parts a day. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Oprah, you are not a bodybuilder. Your goals right now are dropping body fat and overall health. You should be doing three non-consecutive total body strength training workouts a week, concentrating on compound exercises. Big movements, that work multiple muscles will burn more calories and get you out of the gym quicker. With your schedule, you need efficient, effective workouts not time wasters.


If you live in the Lancaster, PA area and have the same goals as Oprah and want to get maximum results for minimum time, call me at (717) 509-7777. If you aren't in my area, check out Craig Ballantyne's Ultimate Turbulence Training Fat Loss Solution which I blogged about below. If you grab it before midnight tonight, you'll still get all the terrific bonuses.

Mickey

Getting Maximum Results From Your Workouts

Everyone wants results from their exercise program but most of us don't have hours to spend in the gym. Luckily, you don't need to. I've written about this before but I got an e-mail the other day from Mike Roulston that spells out the simple steps to get maximum results from your workout.


3 Rules for a Results Focused Workout Program
Mike Roulston, CPT

Rule #1 = Consistency

You have to exercise regularly and consistently in order to see results for your efforts. You could have the most effective workout program ever developed, but if you're constantly missing workouts, the program will not be effective.

Rule #2 = Effort

Exercising regularly isn't enough; you need to put in effort in order to see results. So every time you exercise, you must work hard and put forth your very best effort.

Rule #3 = Progression

This is the real key to producing results from your exercise. Each and every workout, you need to try to perform a little bit better than the previous workout. Perhaps you'll be a bit stronger, or have more endurance, or require less and therefore have a quicker recovery, or a combination of those things. There are lots of ways to progress from workout to workout, so you should always been trying to keep improving every time you exercise. When you work at improving your fitness, you will also see the aesthetic results (usually fat loss) that you're hoping to achieve.


Mike has created a home resistance band workout program. To find out more about it, click ---> here.

Why Your Workouts Don't Work

This is what I've been saying over and over but sometimes I think it helps when the information comes from other sources, too. :-)

One reason not mentioned in the article that I would definitely have included is an over-reliance on cardiovascular exercise.

Why Your Workouts Don't Work

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Get Professional Help

Would you defend yourself in court, install your own roof or pull your own infected tooth? Most of us would not. So, why do the majority of people insist on cobbling together their own fitness program rather than having a routine designed specifically for them by a qualified fitness coach?

When someone decides to start exercising, I'm sure they want to get results. Most people are busy and want to get the most benefit from their time. And yet they spin their wheels spending hours each week on the cardio equipment exercising in the mythical fat burning zone, or using programs like they did in high school, or buying worthless gizmos that promise you six-pack abs in 5 minutes a day.

The $59 + shipping you wasted on "fat burning" pills or gimmicks masquerading as exercise equipment would probably have paid for two personal training sessions. Instead of a dust-collector, you could have invested in a well designed strength training program and proper instruction on good form.

When people think of personal training, most still envision working one-on-one with a trainer every workout. Some people do that but that's a choice; it's absolutely not a necessity.

If you are a novice interested in joining a gym, find one where you get some individual attention and instruction. Is saving a few bucks on membership worth it if you quit because you feel overwhelmed, intimidated and/or frustrated by your lack of results?

If you want to work out at home, hire a fitness coach for a few sessions to get you set up on a solid, effective and balanced exercise program.

Regardless of where you exercise, for best results, meet with your trainer every 4-6 weeks to change your routine.

If you want to get optimum results for your efforts, get professional help. Seriously.
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