INTRODUCTION TO SIMPLE FITNESS

In horse racing we have this thing called the trifecta where the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence. The notion of things being grouped in threes is also a pattern used throughout history, though I can’t exactly explain why. I could research it, but, eh… that’s not the point of this post. (Although I remember one reason being that the brain has an easier time remembering things when chunked in groups of three). Power Puff Girls come in threes too, but that’s irrelevant.

So equating that concept to fitness I’ve found three winners to any fitness regimen. In order:

Nutrition +Resistance + Cardio = Fitness Trifecta

Nutrition is vitally important because what you put in your body determines how your body performs on a daily basis. You can guess what a whole plate of cheesy bread from your neighborhood Little Ceasar’s would make you feel like after.

Resistance comes second in this syntax because of the way your body reacts to your surroundings. No matter where that resistance comes from (weights, bands, bodyweight, your little brother, etc.) your body will learn to adapt to the stress that resistance puts on it, and the state of hypertrophy (muscle growth) begins. Being able to adapt to higher levels of physical stress allows you movement with less strain and more efficiency, hence one of the main benefits of core training and its popularity.

Cardio is third because, though most people will see it as fat-burning first, I feel it serves better as an added benefit for the heart and lungs because really, if you’re having problems breathing… well that just sucks. Most fat burning can be done with resistance training already, as your muscles grow and takes more calories to maintain, thus becoming a fat burner itself. Cardio as I see it aids you with the stamina needed to perform various physical activity like walking to the mailbox or something deemed too much for the voluntary lazy.

I’m sure there are more qualified people than I, who are much more well-endowed with fitness knowledge… and that’s the problem. On a “take-action” basis, the over-abundance of information makes it quite difficult to figure out what works for you. Most people who I know who have excellent fitness themselves usually don’t think too much about it.

They just do it.

I’m more interested in what would get you do something. Just to shut up and get going. Because when you really think about it, the biggest key to getting your ass in gear and taking care of your body is to get your ass in gear and take care of your body. To paraphrase: Do Something.

But not just do something, but do something… consistently. One of the trainers I used to ask questions to a lot while I was still going to a gym (in an attempt to get the “sexy abs” and flirt with all the girls on the treadmills) once told me that the BEST fitness machine is the one you’re going to use.

Consistent effort is imperative in any endeavor. But that goes without saying.

SETTING THE FOUNDATION

Usually, when you first get into something you do your research first. Not here. In terms of being action-oriented, I find it best to dive right in. Play a little. Be curious. Make those mistakes. Now with fitness of course, it is important to make sure you’re in condition to actually DO physical activity thus, please consult with a physician before attempting exercising. I say this for legal reasons too, so don’t be trying to sue me for crap like, “But Leon said this would work, now when I walk I veer slightly to the right.”

With that said I do want to give you some basic theories and concepts associated with this trifecta followed by simple, actionable tasks. Keeping things simple usually helps in taking action so I’m going to attempt to break things down to core work. (Ha, get it, CORE work)

Nutrition

Here are the main nutrition rules I follow. (It’s a modification of John Berardi’s 7 Rules to Nutrition)

1. Eat every 2-3 hours. Eating frequently tells your body that you are supplying it the energy it needs therefore not having to store fat because you’re not starving yourself.
2. Eat complete, lean protein at each meal. Complete proteins are proteins with a balanced combination of all essential and nonessential amino acids such as those found in animal sources like eggs and meat. You’re body is constantly creating new cells which is why it is important that you get what the body uses to build those new cells: protein… ta daaa!
3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each meal. I call these, the good carbs. Now a slight difference. Fruits are considered simple carbohydrates because the release of insulin in your body occurs quicker than complex carbohydrates from those greens we mostly hated as rugrats (or at least I did, bleach).

   We know the carbs are used for energy but an overabundance of carbs gets stored as fat. So not too many simple carbs please, did I mention it messes with your moods too because of crashing too hard from insulin spikes. Just a thought. Complex carbs take longer for the release of insulin to your blood thereby giving a steady energy level throughout the day.

   Glycogen (Carbs) are your main fuel source during intense activities like weight training, sprinting, jumping building rooftops,etc. The quality of your carb intake should take precedence over quantity.

4. Drink plenty of water. It’s been stated over and over and over again, but yea. Flush your body out with water and keep hydrated so your organs can operate better and stay clean internally. That sounds really gross now that I think of it.

There, 4 rules that make nutrition pretty easy. It’s not very complicated but it comes down to eating good food because you are what you eat right.

I’m not strict about my diet as long as I have guidelines. I don’t count calories. The important thing here is to put into your body better things. Better things being anything that has nutritional value. In gauging that value, things that read like a science lab project under ingredients, probably aren’t that nutritious. Raw foods, lean protein, and plenty of greens, are the staple to this simple nutrition plan.

Resistance

Or let’s just call this “working out.” Why should we? I don’t know… what’s your reasoning? As long as you have a reason, I don’t care. You’re doing it. But really the benefits comes down to having a better quality of health which enables your body to do the normal day-to-day with less strain or super heroic endeavors. The choice is yours.

The basic is to train in a fashion that pushes your body to change and adapt for benefit of strength, conditioning, or looks (i.e. getting ripped).

There are a multitude of ways to train which include, but not limited to: dumbbells, barbells, your own body-weight, bands, kettle bells, big-ass tires, medicine balls, weighted vests, etc.

The easiest and most convenient is body weight. But don’t think that just using your body weight won’t make any significant change. I can tell you right now, I’ve been on and designed a few calisthenic and plyometric regimens that kick my hardcore body builder friends’ arses. Now I’m not going to design plans here, but maybe in other posts I’ll put together a few routines.

Getting started is easy

1. Decide on a type of resistance. Or if you’re saavy, combine different types of resistance.
2. Choose 2 exercises for each big group of muscles: Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms, and Legs. There are literally thousands of exercises you can google or get from any fitness magazine out there, this may actually take some research but don’t be afraid.
3. Schedule yourself to take these on all at once, or split them by days.
4. Rest and Recover. It could take a day or a week to recover from an intense session. The way your body feels after a workout will determine how much time you need.

I decided on just 2 exercises per body part because on average that’s all I believe you really need to maintain good fitness conditioning.

Cardio

I HATE CARDIO! There I’ve said it. Look at me promoting good health and fitness yet, I still despise getting on a treadmill. But… pay attention to what I just said… “on a treadmill.” Yes, treadmills are overwhelmingly boring and I’m not the type to read with a book during like all my female friends. Watching tv helps sometimes but I end up not being able to enjoy what I’m watching because my focus is on how tired I’m getting and not trampling over the treadmat that’s forcing me forward on setting 10 at an incline of 12%.

But… cardio is still part of the trifecta because it plays huge part in strengthening the heart and lungs and conditioning that particular system to make it easier to breathe for all you asthmatics, like me, out there. Plus, there’s that little thing that people love to ravish about dealing with burning calories, I know, I know.

Now my take on it is this: If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it.

Again, a lot of my friends will yell at me about that, pummeling into me the necessity of cardio and not to bitch about it because it gets the job done. Well, fitness isn’t my job, it’s my lifestyle. And my fitness isn’t the end goal of my exercising, it’s a byproduct of the many physical things I enjoy doing. So There.

If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it. To be congruent with my philosophy of consistency in fitness, pleasure is a greater motivator in this instance. So this is the direction I’m going to take with it.

Let’s start by thinking of activities that are physical AND enjoyable.

• Aerobic classes. Look online or your nearby health club and spot classes of people getting down to Zumba, or Cardio Salsa, Pole Dancing (hehehe), Tae Bo for Dummies, etc. (FYI, working on a cardio for break dancers, should be fun)
• Sports. Football, basketball, soccer, swimming. These will definitely get your heart rate up as well as make you a damn good player, eventually. BTW, Poker is NOT a sport I don’t care what you say.
• Rockclimbing. Have you ever held on for dear life to a small rock with two fingers? Try it, you will use up a lot of energy and the thought of a fall with make your heart skip a beat.
• Trail Running. Even this is more enjoyable than a treadmill. Just get some good trail running shoes and we’re good to go.

HIIT

Stands for High Intensity Interval Training. I am a big fan of interval training because 1.) Shorter exercise time and 2.) It releases HGH (A fat burning hormone). Works for me! Though it isn’t for everyone, you can still get great results from steady-state cardio and majority of people have.

This type of training is seen more as an anaerobic workout because it promotes strength as well as cardiovascular health, and it’s not as boring as treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, climbers, etc. Training in this manner shouldn’t be done every day because of the intensity of the session so every other day is a good marker.

Twice of a week of cardio, and you’re good to go.

CONCLUSION

Fitness shouldn’t tax your brain and neither should the information. Of course, inundating yourself in the topics of health, nutrition, and body, and continuing to learn about fitness helps to reinforce the motivation to continue.

Keeping things simple is key in taking ACTION. And ACTION begets RESULTS. So be like Nike, and JUST DO IT.