Gym fitness tips

The three most practical core skills for going to the gym to work out are actually "set goals first and then choose exercises", "no need to shorten the training time" and "failure is more important than stacking weights". The remaining equipment, supplements, and celebrity actions are all icing on the cake. Understanding these three points first can help you avoid 80% of detours and avoid most of the pitfalls of sports injuries.

Last week, I was eating a protein bar in the rest area after squatting. I met a little girl who had just applied for the card for half a month. She came here on time for two hours every day, rode the elliptical machine for 20 minutes, did a trampoline class, and fiddled with two sets of dumbbells. After practicing for half a month, she said that her weight had not changed, and her knees were still aching. When I asked her, she didn’t know why she was practicing. She would just join in the fun when watching others practice. There are always people on the Internet arguing that "novices must first practice fixed equipment" and "the first time you go to the gym must start with the three major items". In fact, it is really unnecessary. If you have an old knee injury and want to lose weight, then it is perfectly fine to start with low-impact aerobics such as elliptical machines and swimming. If you want to build some muscles If your body looks good in clothes, then you can find a sense of strength from fixed equipment or directly learn the three major events with an empty bar. The core is that you have to know what you want, and don’t follow other people’s training plans blindly. Their goal is to build a body, and if you follow others to train legs for two hours a day, you are not asking for trouble for yourself.

Speaking of making up the time, a colleague of mine hooked up with me a while ago. I was scrolling through Xiaohongshu and saw someone saying, "Each training session of less than 90 minutes is a waste of time." I was so exhausted after get off work that I had to endure all the energy in the gym. In the end, I had low blood sugar and vomited in front of the mirror. I really can't do it. Some people also say that "short-term efficient training is more effective than long-term training." In fact, both sides are correct. It depends on what you are training. If you do powerlifting, you need to rest for 5 minutes between heavy weight groups. Then it is normal to train for 90 minutes. If ordinary enthusiasts train for muscle hypertrophy, the rest between groups should be controlled within 5 minutes. About 1 minute, 40 minutes to 1 hour can completely train a part. As long as you hold your mobile phone and watch short videos for half an hour between sets, pack up your things and leave after you have practiced well, no one will laugh at you for not practicing for a short time. Those who stay all afternoon will probably spend most of the time chatting with their partners. Oh, by the way, some people argue that "long-term aerobic exercise will lead to muscle loss." I have tried jogging for 40 minutes three times a week for three consecutive months, eating 1.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, and not losing half of my muscle mass. With the amount of training for ordinary enthusiasts, there is really no need to worry about the loss. You are not an athlete preparing for a competition, and you can't miss those two grams of muscle.

The most annoying thing is the "weight comparison party" in the gym. Last time I bench pressed 60kg for a set, the big brother next to me came over and said, "Is this a little girl pushing so much?" My wife always pushed 80", but she turned around and saw that he had added 100kg of tablets. Her waist was so arched that it was almost touching the bench, and her trapezius muscles were stretched harder than a stone. She gave up after pushing two times. The next day, she saw him complaining about shoulder pain in the circle of friends. If your goal is to improve your powerlifting performance, then the training mode of heavy weight and low reps is indeed correct, but if you are an ordinary enthusiast who wants to build some chest muscles and eliminate fat, the standard movements and target muscle strength will be 10 times more effective than piling up weight that you can't bear. I used to lead a friend to do chest exercises, using 5kg dumbbells for chest clamping. When she reached the 11th position in the last two groups, her arms were shaking so much that she could not lift them up. The next day, her chest was sore for three days. The effect was much better than before when she was swinging around with 15kg dumbbells. The core of muscle hypertrophy is sustained muscle tension. This is recognized by the academic circles. Don't force yourself to do exercises just to save face. In the end, you will be injured and lay down for half a month, which will delay all progress.

Finally, let me talk about some bits and pieces of experience that I have gained after three years of digging. You don’t need to remember it. It’s easy to think about it when you encounter it: you don’t need to buy a lot of supplements as soon as you come up. Protein powder is a convenient protein supplement. If you can eat 2 eggs, 300ml milk, and half a catty of chicken breast every day, it is totally fine if you don’t drink it. Those who say that “drinking protein powder hurts the kidneys” are all rumors. If your kidney function is normal, drinking two spoons a day will be fine.； You don’t need to stretch for half an hour after exercise. Just stretch each part for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The muscle soreness the next day is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It has little to do with whether you stretch or not. If the pain is severe, you will get better faster if you walk more and move around. ； If you really don’t know how to practice, don’t buy dozens of classes from a personal trainer. Buy 3-5 classes to test the waters first. In the first class of a reliable personal trainer, they will definitely ask you if you have any old injuries, give you a physical assessment, teach you breathing and force generation patterns, and lead you to push weights and sell the class like crazy. Just turn around and leave.

In fact, there are really not so many "golden rules" in fitness. You go to the gym to make yourself comfortable and healthier, not to take exams. Having fun practicing and being able to persevere is better than any other technique.