The Most Dangerous Piece of Equipment in the Gym: The Scale.

For many individuals, a trip to the gym involves a decent workout followed by a trip to the scale for their daily weigh in. At that moment their attitude for the next few hours is determined by where that number levels off. Gained 2 pounds? Lost 2 pounds? Hooray! Oh no! That single outcome can either make or break your motivation. Bodyweight without any other statistical consideration means absolutely nothing, but using it will cause havoc to you healthy lifestyle. The following article explains why it is best to avoid the scale at the gym and also provides some suggestions for better progress analysis.

 

Reasons to Avoid the Scale

 

• Poor judge of actual weight gain/loss. The scale does one thing: weigh whatever you set on it. There is no consideration of the composition of the individual. Muscle is much denser than fat, and which in turn means that it weighs more. Many individuals who start a diet and training program will actually weigh more than when they started due to stimulating lean muscle growth. Muscle has a calorie debt to maintain it, meaning the more muscle, the more calories you consume and the more fat you will burn. The scale will only show that you are getting heavier, when in fact you are becoming a more and more efficient fat burning factory.
• Frequent weigh-ins can affect your mental state. Weighing yourself day in and day out and seeing little or no change will frustrate just about anyone. The body will only make water retention changes day by day; there is no point to weigh yourself more than once a week at the most. At that point you can start to see some small variations. Stay away from the scale and focus more on training and diet formulation.
• Poor accuracy: Many gyms offer a scale for members to use. Over time these scales will require recalibration to maintain correct data. Most gyms never calibrate and the scale slip further and further off the correct mark. If you are curious how far a scale is off, place a 25 pound weight on a scale and see what the reading displays.
• Other variables: How much clothing you are wearing while weighing yourself, water retention, even the time of day can affect the outcome.

 

 

Alternative Methods

 

• Body fat percent. Many scales on the market now have a body fat measurement device built in. This device uses a small electrical impulse to calculate you total body fat percent. Fairly accurate and extremely simple to use, it gives you a better judge of your progress. Be sure to follow the instructions of each device exactly. I use this method myself. Once a week I use the device upon waking after using the restroom. I record the results on a table each week so I can look back and track the ongoing progress. Also if I see any negative correlations I can make adjustments to diet and/or training to get things back on track. There are many other ways to check body fat, but the scales with the body fat option are by far the easiest method.
• Measurements: Use a measuring tape and measure chest, waist, thigh, bicep, and calf. Conduct measurements once a month and compare results. For most individuals I have had use this method they almost always decrease in waist while increasing in the other areas. This is a very cheap and accurate method to track results.
• Performance: Chart your exercises, weight used, and reps completed. Each week review and adjust to keep things challenging. At the end of each month review your progress and see where you have improved. Seeing the weights increase over a month’s time is a great motivator.
• Personal feel: You should ask yourself how you are feeling. With starting a health and fitness regimen comes pain, sweat, and more pain. You shouldn’t feel miserable either. At the end of your workout you should feel tired but in a good state of mind. You want to push your body to its fullest capability, but not the point where you are being detrimental to your health or your results. This lifestyle change should be a healthy and enjoyable experience, but you should always push towards the next goal.

 

After observing individuals at the gym, and seeing how many use the weight scale day in and day out, I felt it was necessary to address this issue. Weight as a measure of fitness is fine as long as you are using it along with one of the other techniques listed above. The more variables you use, the more accurate your progress can be calculated. Motivation can be hard to come by at times, don’t add further aggravation by jumping on the scale daily. Good luck on all of your health and fitness goals.

 

 

 

Michael Petrinjak, CFT

Evolve Training Systems

www.Evolvets.com

MPetrinjak@evolvets.com

Common Mistakes of Men and Women during their Fitness Programs

As I think back over my own training history, I almost cringe at some of the choices I have made due to misinformation and listening to the “big guy” at the gym. On a daily basis I see and hear erroneous information being used and tossed around in magazines, online fitness sites, even by some trainers at gyms. Honestly, much of it is due to a lack of real information. As a trainer, I always strive to find the scientifically qualified strategies for a more effective health and fitness lifestyle. The following article details a few mistakes I commonly see men and women making with their efforts to be healthier. This is by no means a complete list, if I have missed any I encourage you to comment below.

 

Common Mistakes for women

 

1. Too much cardio: A big habit I have noticed from women is a long workout consisting of rotating from cardio equipment to cardio equipment over a 1-2 hour period. This is probably the number 1 mistake I see. This much cardio is not only a detriment, but will also impede any progress you are trying to develop. Instead keep it short, difficult, and effective. Do cardio 3-4 times per week for 15-20 minutes at a challenging pace, this will help spare your lean muscle but also will aid in giving you that toned look you are looking for.
2. Too few calories: I don’t know how many times I have had a female client come in for a session and tell me “I haven’t eaten today.” I understand why this happens due to some of the companies who are marketing “diet programs” for women. Calories are not the enemy, get the junk out and eat a diet rich in whole foods. Every meal should consist of a protein, complex and simple carbohydrate source, as well as some fats. The average women should be eating 3-4 meals a day. Work with your body’s processes, not against them.
3. No Weight Training: “I don’t want to bulk up” I believe I have heard this more than hundred times. If you are coming into the gym just to do cardio, you are doing it wrong, period. Not only does weight resistance training promote more fat burning than cardio, it aids in bone density, stronger connective tissue and joints, and promotes lean muscle gains. More lean mass equals more fat burning, 24 hours a day.
4. Using minimal weight resistance over long rep ranges: I see this very often, pick up a 3lb dumbbell and execute a movement for 20-50 reps. Now I commend the individual for actually doing weight resistance training, but this style will not promote the best results. Best rep ranges for muscle hypertrophy(muscle growth) are usually between 8-12 reps per set, even up to 15 reps. Use an adequate amount of resistance, but never at the expense of Range of Motion(ROM) or proper technique. Trust me, you won’t get “Bulky” and the results will be apparent in a short period of time.
5. Setting unrealistic goals: I blame most of this on the health and fitness industry. With the magic of programs like Photoshop individuals can just take this little pill and go from obese to ripped to shreds in just a few weeks. Many of the before and after photos for these advertisements are done on the same day, and altered through various programs to show ridiculous results. Unfortunately, this causes individuals to head to fitness centers with wild ideas of huge results in just a few weeks. It doesn’t happen that way. It is never a sprint, but more like a marathon. Make smaller, attainable goals each month. For example, try to reduce your body fat 2-3% over the next 4 weeks, or make a goal to add a few more levels of difficulty to the cardio equipment. Small goals over a longer period equal results, plus the smaller, more frequent rewards of success will keep you hungry and focused to achieve over the upcoming months.
6. Getting into a rut: I think we all have done this, build a training program and do the same exercises with the same weights over years and years. Your results come from surprising the system and forcing it to react. Write down your weights for each exercise, evaluate how you do each day and make adjustments based on how you feel. Switch up exercises every few months. The changes will keep things fresh and will help avoid the drudgery of the same workout.

 

 

Common Mistakes for Men

 

1. Too Little/ No Cardio: To most guys cardio is a drudgery that will take a back seat to weight training any day. If you want the best results possible, it must be added to some extent to your program. If you are an ectomorph trying to gain mass may be the only exception to the rule. Hit your workout first, and then toss in 15 minutes of high difficulty cardio 3 days a week.
2. Too many Calories: I don’t know how many times I have watched a guy work his way through a 1 hour plus workout only to tell his friend how he’s hitting up some beer and wings later because they are “Bulking Up”. There are guys that constantly complain to me about not seeing results even though they are working out all the time. If you are skipping the scientifically designed diet program to go along with your training, you’re doing it wrong. High calories does not equal big results, great meal selection does. If you are training to gain and you want a “cheat meal” have ONE meal preferably after working your legs. Do not have a cheat day and cheat weekend.
3. Ego Training: This is probably the number one issue for guys. Many want to show off and impress other gym goers by pushing huge amounts of weight on everything they do. If you are throwing away proper technique and range of motion, you’re doing it wrong. If you want results hit weights you can handle at a steady speed, and reach a full stretch at which the muscle trained has to fully contract to return to its starting position. Results don’t come from just pushing weight through half of the motion, but in having to control that weight through the ENTIRE movement. Plus this will allow for better connective tissue durability, resulting in less injuries and more time in the gym doing what you love.
4. Making unrealistic goals: So many guys see the mass monsters in the magazines and always want those kinds of results fast. It never happens fast, those men have trained hard, and eat perfect for years to get where they are at. Make small goals, like 10 more lbs on the bench press, or drop a few percent body fat over the next month. Those little goals will add up and big results will happen due to the time and effort you put in.
5. Getting into a rut: I have trained at the same gym for over 10 years now. My training programs have changed more times than I can count, and I always keep progressing. There are men at the gym that I have known as long as I have been a member there, and they look exactly like they did the first day I stepped into the door. They are doing the same weights, same routine. Your body will not react unless there is something new to react to. Every couple months try something new, shock the system, force it to adapt to the new stimulus. Keep your program evolving and you will see the changes.

 

 

I hope that I was able to cover the most common issues in this short article. I know there are many more and I encourage anyone to comment below on any that I have missed. I hope this information aids in your health and fitness goals!

 

 

Michael Petrinjak, CFT

Evolve Training Systems

www.Evolvets.com

MPetrinjak@evolvets.com