Balance in Fitness (BIF) Part 1
CONTENTS
Is this post for you?
What is a Complete/Balanced workout program?
Component #1: A clearly outlined Goal
Component #2: Aerobic Fitness
Component #3: Muscle Fitness
Component #4: Flexibility
Component #5: Neuromotor Exercise
Credits:
Corey Springer (Personal Trainer) Apollos Fitness
Winston Barker (ISSA Certified Personal Trainer) Coach Beast
Jeffrey Gay Jr. (Life Coach & Fitness Trainer) Holos Health Inc.
Hey Zealists!
You made it!! This is such an important topic! It is also one that means so much to me. During COVID-19 lock down, I found my zeal and was on a mission to take control and get my fitness back on track. However, not a gym in site was open nor could I afford a personal trainer. So I decided to teach myself about workout programming. I wrote this post to share all the great tips and advice I found. As a bonus, because I believe in sharing accurate, evidence-based information, I consulted three amazing professional fitness coaches & personal trainers to give the information that extra level of credibility. Shout out to Jeffrey, Corey & Winston (you can check them out on their respective IG handles at the end of the post). ‘Balance in Fitness’ is broken down into two parts. This is Part 1! Let's do this!.
Is this Post for you?
If you fall into any of the following categories, YES!
You found your Zeal and you are ready to start your fitness journey but you're not quite sure how to.
You just can't afford a personal trainer right now but you really want to get your fitness journey going.
You started your journey, you are already active and getting results but you saw this article title and was curious about what else could there be to add to a program that already works for you.
You are a trained Personal Trainer or Fitness Coach and you want to broaden/diversify your approach.
You want your fitness journey to serve all aspects of your health and not just the physical.
You're like me and you love to do things yourself (shout out the DIY crew!).
You are on the fence about working out and you're curious as to what workout programs are all about.
BASELINE! I think everyone should have a basic understanding of how to chart their own fitness journey.
What is a Complete/Balanced Workout Program?
A balanced workout program usually refers to one that works for all aspects of your health. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a complete workout program is one that addresses each of the following parameters:
Now, I want to answer the NUMBER ONE question on your mind right now. You’re probably wondering: Why does this even matter? Why do I need a balanced workout program? What’s wrong with just growing my booty or getting the most ripped chest? Nothing is wrong with having and working for those goals. However, I’m challenging you to not work towards them in isolation. Your physical health is a combination of many parameters including cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal strength, balance & co-ordination, flexibility and agility. Each of them should be reflected to an extent in your workout program. Focusing on any one thing too much can create imbalances that may be detrimental to your overall physical health.
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Improves overall health and not just physical health
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Minimises the risk of injury
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Makes your physical gains functionally applicable to real world situations
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The required discipline, drive and willpower, strengthens your mental resilience
Now that you know this information is meant for you and you understand why a balanced workout program is important, let’s dive into the different components of a balanced workout program. The first and most important being having a Clearly Outlined Fitness Goal!
Component 1: A Clearly Outlined Fitness Goal
Your goal is like the compass to your workout program. It dictates the direction for everything. From the number of days you workout and the number of reps you do, to the amount of aerobic exercise done and the number rest days needed. They are all matched to your goal. The most important advice I can give regarding goals is that it is super important to be very clear on what your goal is. Clarity makes things a lot less complicated and increases the likelihood of you succeeding.
“Clearly stated goals will determine the protocols used.”
Don't be afraid to challenge yourself but you have to stay realistic. If you have more than one, choose the most important or meaningful one and start with that. Doing too much at once may prolong reaching any one of those goals & may cause burnout. A really common but effective framework making goals is the SMART framework:
Recently, I saw an upgrade to the SMART framework involving the addition of two more elements to make SMARTER! ‘E’ for Exciting - your goals should excite you! ‘R’ FOR Risky - they should challenge you, take you right up to the edge of your comfort zone and beyond!
Give your goals this breakdown and you’ll be off to a great start!
Component 2: Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic means "with oxygen". This is basically what everyone refers to as cardio. Aerobic exercise refers to any activity that optimises oxygen delivery throughout your body. It does this by getting your heart to beat faster and by making you breathe deeper and faster. By working the heart muscle and those involved in breathing, aerobic exercise strengths your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It basically trains them to handle greater levels of positive stress and to be more efficient at delivering oxygen to your organs.
Component 3: Muscle Fitness
This refers to how your muscles contract to allow you to lift, pull, push and hold objects.
Component 4: Flexibility
Refers to the ability to move a joint through a full range of motion.
Guys I cannot stress how important stretching is! This is definitely an element of a balanced workout program from which you will continue to reap so many benefits throughout your life, especially when you are older. Yes we gotta think long-term! None of us want to be in a position where we lose our independence and freedom to move in those golden years. Can you imagine working so hard in your early life and then retiring in a body that is unable to enjoy the luxuries you worked so hard to prepare? Yea I know! That just isn't it.
“What is the point of lifting 400lbs and can’t touch your toes? What are you doing?”
Component 5: Neuromotor Exercise
Refers activities that improve balance, co-ordination, gait, agility and one's perception of location in space (aka proprioception). This is one aspect of a fitness program that is often overlooked.
According to the ACSM, historically fitness has been mainly about training the cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal systems. It is only recently that the importance of training the neuromuscular system has been established. In doing my research, it is one aspect of training that not many people are either aware of or practice. The minimum recommended frequency for neuromotor training is 2-3 days per week. If this is a concept that is new to you, I recommend starting slowly and gradually. This could simply look like a 30 minute session on one of your workout days. As you get used to it, you can increase the frequency or duration as you see fit.
So there you have it guys! 5 epic components to a balanced workout program. I do want to add that, you aren't "failing" if your workout program does not include all of these things. In my interview with Corey he mentioned, "Complete is relative. Fitness is relative." This is true. At the end of the day your workout program must align with your vision of the body and life your want to create for yourself. Zeal is all about empowering you with the information you need to build a complete healthy lifestyle FOR YOU. This is so that you can become the BEST VERSION OF YOU. So my last take away message is to take this information and mould it into what works FOR YOU! If you do have access to a personal trainer or fitness coach you can definitely use this information to better understand what they may be preparing for you and to be more involved in the planning of your program. Whatever you do, PLAN & TRAIN WITH ALL ASPECT OF YOUR HEALTH IN MIND!
“Complete is Relative. Fitness is Relative.”
Check out the
Shining a spotlight on some of the other (sometimes more representative) ways you can track your progress during a fitness journey.