Are you looking for the secrets to stay in incredible shape all the time? Well, there a a few key habits to build if you want to improve your overall fitness level. These 6 simple and easy ways to stay shape can have a substantial impact in your life.
True fitness is about being healthy and in sufficient shape to live the life you aspire to live. Do you want to be able to enjoy all of the activities on your bucket list? Or live a long enough life to spend more time with your family? The only way to accomplish these goals is to stay in shape.
In fact, all it takes is a couple simple and easy methods to add to your daily routine. Fitness has a direct impact on motivation, emotional well-being, and living a fulfilling life.
What does “staying in shape” mean?
The idea behind fitness varies depending on the person. To some it means going to the gym six times a week, where others view it as running ultra-marathons. The meaning behind fitness is different for each person.
However, the core reason behind fitness is the same for everyone. You want to become fit to feel and look better. The benefits of being active are decreasing pain in your body, improving your mood, and performing better, even if just with small tasks.
How to Stay Fit?
The idea behind staying in shape is simple. Exercise and diet. However, there is more that goes into your plan if you want to make a change that lasts.
The following tips are designed to be simple, easy, and manageable to add to your daily routine. As a matter of fact, the best course of action to create results is through consistent and frequent actions.
6 Easy Ways to Stay in Shape
A better performance does not have to be a time-consuming process. The addition of a few key tips can maximize your performance without skyrocketing the amount of time you have to spend training. Even with a busy life, you can easily add these habits into your day. Of course, all it takes is a little planning upfront.
1. An Easy Way to Stay in Shape is to Exercise Daily
The best way to create a better performing body is to exercise daily. This does not mean you have to spend hours at the gym. A well-designed 20-minute workout can have a great impact on your fitness when done over a period of time. It is all about being consistent.
There are many ways to train. Whether at a gym, outdoors, or at your house, there is a workout suitable for everyone. Depending on your fitness goals will determine your path. Just make sure to add a combination of strength, cardio, and flexibility training into your workouts.
Aim for a minimum of two weight training sessions a week (weights or body weight).
150 minutes of cardio a week (walking, running, biking, etc.) This does not have to be done in a formal workout. For example, decide to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Try to do 2-3 stretching workouts per week.
Rest is key for growth. However, skipping your workout because you do not feel like it is not a legit excuse. The best advice is to stay active, as all movement will help you improve your fitness level. It does not matter how small.
2. Pay Attention to Your Nutrition
Nutrition is just as much a part of fitness as physical training. Nutrition is all about eating the right food at the right times. Nutrient dense foods provide the greatest impact with the least amount of food.
For example, foods like spinach or flaxseeds, are superfoods that provide the body with much more vitamins and minerals in every bite. It is all about picking the right foods. The key is to get the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins into your diet. You must supply your body with the essentials to see your fitness level grow.
Although, just as important as the type of food is when you consume these foods. Nutrient timing is supplying the body with the right nutrients at the best time. The body needs the right nutrients for you to be able to perform at your best. Life gets busy. Make it a priority to eat healthy throughout the day.
3. Quality Sleep Over Late Nights
You may lift weight at the gym, or run outside on the street, but your growth occurs when you sleep. Rest and recovery are crucial for growth. In fact, the avoidance to master this part of fitness will destroy your efforts in other areas of physical training.
With this in mind, make sure to get enough rest to recharge your body. Generally, most adults need between 6 to 9 hours of sleep. Although, this can fluctuate as hard training days will require more time for recovery. The best way to know the amount of sleep you need is to listen to your body. If you are constantly tired than something in your life needs to change, whether it be the hours spent sleeping, nutrition, or another factor.
4. Motivation is Crucial to Staying in Shape
Motivation is essential for any change. You will never be able to reach your goals, including fitness, without consistent effort. This means you need to find the reason why you want to create this change. Use this idea to push through your rough periods.
Of course, change is hard. It takes time and commitment. You need to be ready. In fact, it all starts with changing your approach. A shift in your mindset is the path to success with your fitness goals.
Fitness is challenging and will take time to see results. However, reaching your fitness goals is one of the best feelings. You have the power to reach them, all you must do is find and hold onto the motivation to get there. Stay positive and believe in yourself. If you do not actually believe you can make the change, than you will never reach your goals. Accomplishment comes from seeing the end point and believing you have what it takes to get there.
5. Stay Loose and Foam Roller
The best way to prevent muscular injuries is to stay flexible. The addition of a yoga, foam rolling, or stretching routine can have an amazing result. After all, injury will put you far behind.
Roll out your muscles. In fact, loose muscles are less prone to injury, able to be worked harder in the gym, and will have you moving around effortlessly.
The secret to combating tightness is the use of a foam roller. A foam roller is great for massaging and releasing tension stored up in all your muscles. Prior to any athletic activity, the use of a foam roller prepares the body. Key areas to hit are hamstrings, quadriceps, upper back, lats, and your hips. Just a short session with the foam roller can make all the difference.
6. Keep it Compound
Get the most for the time you spend in the gym. Compound exercises work many muscle groups at the same time. If you are looking to increase your physical performance, stick to compound exercises to get your body working in sync. The combination of muscle groups working together builds functional and performance strength.
For example, exercises like squats, dead-lifts, rows, presses, and lunges. Also, make sure to keep your core tight and add some additional abdominal and lower back workouts. This is the foundation of all your muscles. A weak core and lower back is asking for injury.
Staying in Shape for Adventure
These are all the ways fitness can improve your daily life. However, what if you want to add more adventure into your life? Fitness becomes even more important. By all means, adventure will push you to your physical limits at times. A focused, well-designed fitness routine is crucial for adventure.
So, you are ready to take a step forward into the world of adventure photography. Indeed, adventure will test your body in every way possible. There are many challenges out there, so creating a body ready is the key for success. Physical fitness is required for adventure travel and photography. However, a strong physical foundation is just the start into this new exciting life.
Are you looking to get into better shape for an incredible travel experience? If you are done being tired right after the start of an adventure, than check out these strategies to improve your fitness. These 6 powerful ways to increase your athletic performance will have you ready to check off your next bucket list item!
The use of the right training methods will lead to an incredible transformation in your athletic performance. However, are you lost with where to start? With so many options, it is hard to know exactly what you should be doing.
Relax and take a step back. The best way to create results is to not over complicate the process. The key is to train smarter rather than just harder. You can become the new powerful version of yourself by just adding a few new training methods to your weekly routine.
6 Powerful Approaches to Your Fitness
Of course, when trying to get in shape the first battle is just showing up. But once you are in a routine, what’s next? There are six components that will force you to become a better performing athlete. All of these are crucial for heading out on an adventure. The skills that make you perform better are not just going to the gym and lifting some weights, or to walk on the stair stepper until your legs give out.
These powerful approaches to your fitness challenge you in a different way. In fact, if you have never challenged yourself with these fitness components than you must be open to a new form of training. However, it is important to continue to perform cardio and weight training to have the greatest overall effect on your performance. But including these components will improve your athleticism to a far greater level.
If you are dedicated to accomplishing a dream bucket list item than this is for you. It is a must in your training. The development of fitness past the basic requirements for health are where real change takes place. The use of these skill-oriented training techniques is what takes a good athlete to a great one.
1. Balance is the Key to Increase Your Athletic Performance
How is your balance? If you find yourself fumbling around when you walk, than it is time to include some balance workouts in your weekly fitness routine. Balance is the even distribution of your body weight to remain steady.
Adventure requires stability. In fact, walking along steep cliffs, skiing down bumpy slopes, or riding a jet ski in choppy waters all benefit from a strong sense of balance.
Often, balance is forgotten. The importance of balance training stems to your ability to control your body position throughout dynamic conditions. No matter the sport, you will need to adapt your body position to stay upright. Your ability to stay aware of your body’s position can play a crucial role in your athletic performance. Just small improvements can have a huge impact on many other areas of your fitness training. An improvement in balance leads to improved coordination.
Here are great balance workouts to add to your routine:
One-Legged Strength Workouts (For example, single-leg deadlifts, single arm should press, or Bulgarian split squats)
Workouts with the use of a Bosu Ball
Standing/Single-Leg Yoga Poses (For example, tree pose or the handstand)
2. Coordination is the Way to Improve Your Adventure Performance
Okay, so you have your balance skills up to par. Now, it is the time to focus on moving all parts of your body in sync.
Coordination is the efficient movement of all parts of the body. Adventure requires smooth, accurate, and controlled muscle responses to the unpredictable situations thrown at you. It is all about the selection of the right movement at the right time. In other terms, you need to have a body ready to respond in a fluent manner. This will lead to an increase in athletic performance.
External conditions will require you to adapt your performance. As a matter of fact, this comes down to your coordination. The following coordination exercises are a great way to prepare for the unexpected.
Jump Rope
Juggling (Hand-eye coordination to develop control, rhythm, and timing.)
Slack Lining (Slack lining is the act of walking along a thin rope. This will require you to stay adaptive, as you will be constantly shifting all parts of your body to distribute your weight evenly. You must stay concentrated with every movement.)
Are you ready to increase coordination while preventing injuries? In fact, joint stability and the prevention of knee, ankle, and foot injuries are a direct result of slack lining. You will become a well-rounded athlete with the use of this in your training program.
3. Enhance Your Speed
Are you ready to become faster? Speed is all about moving your body in one direction quickly. In fact, speed is a key component to reach your best athletic performance.
But why is speed important? Even if you do not plan to become a runner, speed can have a number of benefits when heading out to perform adventure travel. So, regardless of your specific end goal, there is a place for speed in your fitness training.
Changing conditions require the ability to adapt. Speed comes in handy at these times. The best way to increase your speed is with a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program.
The program can be altered to fit your specific speed goals. This type of training involves working at your maximum level of effort, followed by short periods of rest in between sets. The training aims to teach your muscles, cardiovascular system, and mind to work at high levels of intensity. The length and difficulty of each interval is entirely up to you. Here are some exercises to increase your speed:
Forward-Back Sprints (Place two cones in a straight line. Sprint forward to the opposite cone, then jog back to the starting cone.)
Interval Runs (Interval runs consist of a sprint, slow jog while recovering, then repeat cycle for your desired length of time.)
4. Increase Your Athletic Performance With Power
Another component to support your athletic performance is power. Power is the combination of your speed and strength to create your maximum force. Essentially, the quicker you are able to create power, the better.
Power requires full-body strength and coordination. You are to work in sync with all parts of your body to create an effortless momentum. There are several strength workouts to include in your fitness routine to make sure you are building your ability to create powerful movements. Additionally, power works to strengthen your connective tissues as you build lean muscle. This is crucial for avoiding injury.
Adventure will put a high amount of stress on your body at times. Thus, make sure to prepare for this by adding power exercises to your routine.
Plyometric Box Jumps
Weighted Sled Sprints
Clean and Jerk Lifts
5. Work on Your Agility to Stay Adaptable
So, now it’s time to put together all four training skills thus far. Agility is the ability to move your body in a quick and easy manner. After all, moving your body requires the use of your balance, coordination, speed, and power.
When you are agile, you can prepare your body to be in the best position for the upcoming action. You have to be on your game. Action throughout your adventures will force you to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Your success will be dependent on how well you can handle these shifts.
Agility is important to staying safe and injury free while out there. Again, you must be ready to always change the position of your body if needed. The following agility workouts will have you ready for anything.
Ladder Drills (This is for quick foot speed and placement.)
Cone Drills (Cone drills can include sprints, slides, backpedals, and quick changes in direction to have you staying on your toes.)
Dot Drills (Start by jumping from one dot to the next in a X-shaped pattern. Include four dots to have you constantly changing your weight and direction.)
Lateral Plyometric Jumps (Jump from side to side over a line in the middle.)
Shuttle Runs (Sprint from cone to cone. You will have frequent changes in your direction to keep you adaptable.)
6. Quick Reaction Time Will Increase Your Athletic Performance
Are you interested in decreasing the time it takes you to respond? After all, reaction time is the amount of time it takes for you to adapt to something happening in your environment. The ability to respond successfully takes practice.
A short reaction time develops as you build up muscle memory. The best way to improve is to get out and perform that specific action. By all means, a close connection between your mind and body will not occur until you become familiar with your new experience. This is the best path to shortening your reaction time.
Reaction time is a mental challenge, rather than just a physical one. The more knowledge and practice you have towards a specific sport, the better your reaction time. With this in mind, preparation is key for having a strong reaction time. The best way to be ready for change is to anticipate what is to come. For example, while skiing snow conditions are constantly changing when out in the mountains. Your reaction time is in response to recognizing changes in the conditions from your previous experience. After all, it is hard to adjust your performance when you lack the practice and experience.
Thus, reaction time is the combination of improving all other areas of your athletic performance. As a matter of fact, the only way to make giant leaps in your reaction time is to get out there. The more experience you have the better you will become.
Live a Life of Adventure Filled With Your Bucket List Items
These 6 powerful ways to increase your athletic performance will have you ready to take on the world. If you are serious about improving your fitness, add these strategies to your weekly routine. After all, a life of adventure will push your mental and physical boundaries and you need to be ready for it. Check out more tips at The Alpine Pursuit – Fitness.
Are you looking to create an incredible experience on an upcoming adventure? Let’s face it, adventure will break you down if you are not ready. The big culprit is endurance. Are you worried about becoming tired too quickly? Well, here are the best tips and strategies to improve your endurance for adventure.
Adventure is very rewarding. However, if your endurance is not up to par, then it can quickly turn into an awful experience. You must put in the initial work to fully enjoy your adventure. Think about it. In order to capture these amazing experiences, you are going to want to make sure your fitness level is up for the challenge.
So, follow these steps below. You may think the answer is clear, but with so many options out there what do you really need to do? Start by breaking down your endurance training into three parts: frequency, duration, and intensity. Get started today with the following guideline so you are ready for any upcoming adventure.
What is Endurance?
Are you tired of being tired? The answer is to increase your endurance.
Cardiovascular endurance is a measure of how well you can perform. This is crucial when performing high intensity exercise for an extended period of time. Your endurance determines how well your muscles, heart, and lungs work while out on an adventure.
Endurance training helps you reduce your fatigue, as you supply your body with the right amount of oxygen and nutrients. In fact, this type of training can make all the difference when it matters the most. If you are looking to challenge yourself in the outdoors, then increase your endurance training. It is important for this to be a core part of your weekly fitness routine.
There are so many different ways to train for an adventure. Just pick one. Exercises include walking, running, row machines, climbing stairs, or just heading out on an adventure. Whatever you choose, just get active!
What are the Benefits?
The benefits of improving your endurance level create many healthy changes within your body. All these positive changes allow for your success out on an adventure. Here are the top benefits for why improving your endurance will help you adventure farther and harder than ever before.
Your heart pumps more efficiently. This leads to better functioning muscles, less fatigue, and a delivery of oxygen to all parts of your body.
Stronger lung performance. You will find it easier to breathe while moving quicker. These are huge on long and strenuous days.
Stronger muscles ready for a challenge.
A unified body. Your body’s ligaments, tendons, and bones will all be able to handle more stress. In return, you will experience less fatigue and injuries.
How to Improve Your Endurance for Adventure?
So, now after the basics you are ready to tackle the problem. How to improve your endurance?
There are a few key points to hit during your endurance routine. First, you must provide real effort. You cannot give up early because you become tired. The last few minutes will be the hardest, but this is where the real change happens.
Second, you need to be consistent. Results will not happen from one intense week. If you are ready to produce results than it will take time and dedication. However, you have it. Just remember the reason why you are starting in the first place.
Finally, you need to have a warm-up and cool down routine. You will perform your warm up prior to the bulk of your workout. After your training, use the last portion of your workout as a cool down to lower your heart rate.
Endurance Training Factors
Warm-Up
It is a simple approach that will leave you ready for the hardest challenges.
Your warm-up should be used to get your blood pumping and your muscles ready. Simply, start with a mild 5-to-10-minute walk. Nothing too crazy. Next, perform a quick stretch to prevent pulling any muscles.
Now you are ready to start the bulk of your endurance training.
Endurance Workout
1. Frequency
Your target should be at least 150 minutes a week. Additionally, aim for half that time to be performing high intensity exercise that reaches a higher heart rate. You should space out your endurance sessions between 3 and 5 per week. Typically, you will want to take rest days in between hard days, or perform a less intense workout like a stretching yoga routine.
The key is consistency.
2. Intensity
The intensity of your training must match the adventure you plan to accomplish. The level at which you train will decide your performance. Thus, you better be giving it your all. Otherwise, you will not be able to perform any better when you get out on your adventure. You will be at the same level.
You can measure your effort by tracking your heart rate. First, you will want to calculate your maximum. In fact, it is super easy to figure out with this equation: 220 – your age = maximum heart rate. This is telling you the number of times your heart beats within a minute. The following intensity levels are based on your maximum heart rate.
Intensity Levels in Target Heart Rates
Mild: Under 50% of your max heart rate
Moderate: 50 to 70 % of your max heart rate
Hard: 70 to 85 % of your max heart rate
All target heart rate ranges were from the Mayo Clinic. However, since consistency is the key to producing results, you will want to avoid burnout. Beware of pushing yourself too hard. You can always add more intensity into your training if it becomes too easy. To add intensity, you can take shorter breaks, increase speed, and use weighted vests.
3. Duration
For cardiovascular benefits, aim for at least 20 to 60 minutes at your targeted heart rate. After all, you will see more benefits in your training if stay within your range for a longer period of time. However, keep in mind this does not include your warm-up and cool down.
Cool Down
A cool-down should be done after intense exercise. You are going to want to give your body a chance to recover and lower your heart rate back down to your resting state. It is important to do this gradually as your body needs some time to readjust your blood flow. Again, all you need is a 5-to-10 minute session at a much slower pace.
Why You Should Improve Your Endurance for Adventure?
As a a matter of fact, as your endurance improves so does your enjoyment while on an adventure. Your ability to perform strenuous activities for an extended period is crucial for success. Many adventures will push you outside of your comfort zone, thus having the stamina to perform well is required.
By all means, it is hard to enjoy something when you are physically exhausted. Cardiovascular training will keep you in great shape while getting you one step closer to achieving your adventure goals.
Are you struggling with achieving your fitness goals? The key to create lasting change is to take small actions on a daily basis. These 9 powerful changes to become more fit will take time to perfect. However, getting started today will leave you feeling and looking better right away.
Congratulations on taking the first step towards getting in better shape. Your daily choices have a huge impact on the direction you will head in the future. This is why picking the right habits is crucial to your success.
The choice to become more fit is a decision only you can make. Although it is up to you to make the change, knowing the right direction can be tough. Try out some, or all, of these habits to watch your fitness level skyrocket.
Powerful Changes to Becoming More Fit
1. Finding Your “WHY” is a Powerful Step to Becoming More Fit
Why do you want to get into shape? The “why” behind your actions will help you tremendously through your fitness journey. Whenever you reach plateaus, get lazy with hitting your workouts, or just stop making the gym a priority the reason behind why you started will be what lifts you out of your rut.
Honestly, it is easy to become unmotivated at some point. Having a strong reason for pushing through the struggle will keep you locked in on your overall goals. You will succeed. All you need is the piece of motivation to make sure you will never quit.
Figure out your reason and hold on to it. During difficult times, you will be happy you have it at the front of your mind. However, you must dig deep for the reason. A superficial intention will not hold well during the rough patches. So, make sure it is real.
2. Create a Plan
Failing to create a plan makes it impossible to reach a goal. How will you manage to get where you want to go, if you have not defined the destination? The failure to plan is the worst move to make if you are serious about changing your fitness.
No matter your goals, all it takes is to quickly write them down on a piece of paper. Post this plan where you can see it every day. It will be a great reminder when you are feeling lazy or unmotivated to train. Remember, you can always change your goals. But it is a huge mistake to never clearly define them in the first place.
You must know your goals to achieve them.
3. Stop Making Excuses if You Want to Become More Fit
Excuses are just a reason to slack. Stop allowing yourself to use them. They will never help you create progress, decrease your motivation, and completely remove your sense of accountability.
After all, one of the hardest parts of your fitness plan is to actually start. It takes time to become disciplined. Once you get in a routine, it will become easier. With that in mind, the more you exercise, the more likely you are to continue. However, time is required to gradually build up your fitness tolerance. Avoid the quick rush to go all out. This will leave you burnt out and ready to quit.
Ease into improving your fitness. One of the most powerful changes to become more fit is to be consistent over an extended period of time.
4. Start Every Morning the Right Way
A great start to the day involves a nutritious wake up. Every morning is a great time to supply your body with the right foods to get it ready for the day. Along with a huge glass of water of course.
In fact, starting your day with a health shot is perfect for getting your vitamins, staying healthy, and boosting your energy. A health shot primes your body to perform throughout the day. For example, try out this combination for your morning wake-up:
Option 1: Lemon, Turmeric, Local Raw Honey, and Cayenne Pepper
Option 2: Lemon and Ginger
A little spice to your morning routine and you will be ready to tackle the day. Also, a great boost of energy and immune support. More health shot options.
5. Stop Hitting the Snooze
Set your alarm and wake up. Simple tricks, like counting down or putting your phone across the room, are great methods to avoid hitting the snooze.
Get up and be productive. Dedication and accountability start with waking up when your alarm goes off. An early start to the day leads you to success, especially if this is the time you head to the gym.
6. Powerful Changes to Become More Fit Involve Focusing on Muscle Over Weight
Focus on gaining muscle rather than just losing weight. Keep in mind muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale may not change but if your body composition is improving, you will see an incredible change in your overall health.
Stop paying attention to the scale and look in the mirror. An improvement in body composition is way better than a lower number on the scale. Lean muscle is superior.
7. Short Can Be A Powerful Change
You no longer have an excuse to skip a workout. Just 15-minutes of quality exercise can have a substantial impact. Quality triumphs quantity. You do not have to spend hours at the gym. However, it will take some time and dedication to the right training mechanism to become fit.
Short, intense, and explosive workouts can provide the greatest value for your time. Along with less time spent training, your body is continuing to burn fat hours after your workout. High intensity is a great path to faster results with a limited amount of time.
A short workout can be part of your powerful changes to become more fit. No matter the length, consistent workouts is the key to change. Every person can find a spare 15 minutes throughout their day. However, if you want to further improve your physique you will have to put more time in at the gym.
8. Eat More Vegetables & High-Quality Protein
I know you may not like this one but vegetables should be the focus of your diet. Vegetables are packed with most of the nutrients you need to stay healthy. So, increasing the number of meals with vegetables is a great place to start. Try to keep a variety in your diet.
Another key point is to consume high-quality protein. A variety of sources is best for getting all of the essential amino acids. Whether you are vegetarian or consume meat, the focus should be to get enough protein to build lean muscle. However, if you do eat meat it is important to buy organic and high-quality.
9. Add a Yoga Routine to Prevent Injury to Improve Your Fitness
The prevention of injury can have a powerful effect on becoming more fit. Yoga is the perfect answer. As a matter of fact, yoga can enhance your flexibility, movement, and keep you healthy. Injuries will prevent progress. So, add a yoga routine to your fitness plan to stay feeling great.
In fact, it is easy to neglect this portion of fitness. However, avoiding a yoga routine could be setting yourself up for problems down the road. If you are serious about becoming more fit, you must avoid injuries in order to stay in shape.
With all the different workouts out there, it is hard to know which one to choose. The most efficient workout routine for adventure athletes is a simple split that promotes functionality. The push, pull, and legs split is a solid workout routine to produce results. Generally speaking, the main goal as an athlete is to create a body that can perform. Functionality is far more important than aesthetics. However, the use of this workout split can improve both qualities quite a bit.
This workout split targets the use of multiple muscle groups. Each day is designed to implement all the muscles in the body that perform similar movements. All in all, your muscles learn to work with one another. A well-performing body is trained through large, compound exercises. In addition, some isolation workouts will be used to target the hard to train areas.
Muscular Endurance and Strength Training Routine for Adventure Athletes
Do you want to build lean muscle mass, increase strength, and lower the risk of injury? With all these in mind, the incorporation of a strength training program will push you far ahead on all of your adventures. Of course, picking the right workouts is key.
There are many different strength training programs. One of the most efficient programs is the push, pull, and legs split. This split has three different days. Additionally, each of the three days can be done up to twice per week depending on your fitness level. Programs that train each muscle group twice a week lead to a greater development of strength and athletic performance.
If you are a beginner, one of each workout is a great place to start. Three workouts a week give your body ample time for recovery. However, if you are more advanced, you can do two of each workout per week, or a total of six workouts. The workout is designed to split body parts with similar movement into the same day. With this in mind, training all of these muscle groups together creates unity and flow between your muscles.
You can change the number of workouts you want to do per week, just make sure to hit all three workouts the same number of times. Also, make sure to maintain enough rest in between hitting the same muscle groups. Remember, recovery is where your muscles grow. So, do not skip the most important part of your strength training.
What is the Push/Pull/Legs Routine?
Number of Different Workouts :Â 3
Workouts Per Week : 3 to 6
Training Time : 45 to 75 minutes
The Breakdown
Â
Push Day
Chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Pull Day
Back, biceps, and forearms.
Leg Day
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
*Notably, core exercises can be added to any of the days. Just plan to spend an additional amount of time on whichever day you choose to add them. However, while performing all exercises you should aim to keep your core tight. The contraction of your abdominal muscles throughout your entire workout will lead to greater underlying strength. The addition of specific ab workouts will create more defined, visual abdominal muscles.
The Connection of an Efficient Workout to Athletic Performance in Adventure
The push, pull, and legs workout split groups muscles together by movement. The upper body is split into two days, whereas the legs are hit in one day. Typically though, since you are training all muscles of your legs together this will be the longest workout.
Upper body is split into two days, a push, and a pull day. Your push day will involve working out your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Whereas, your pull day consists of training your back, biceps, and forearms. The third day, or legs, involves working out your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Specific core workouts can be added to any of the days throughout your week.
This is an excellent choice for an efficient workout routine for athletes of adventure sports. All things considered, the use of compound exercises and hitting each muscle group twice per week lead to a greater improvement in athletic performance.
Each and every day is targeted to teach your body to work together. The key to improving your athletic performance is to promote unity between your muscle groups. In fact, the overlap creates maximum synergy and effectiveness with your performance. Additionally, for more advanced athletes, the incorporation of training each muscle group twice a week leads to increased muscular endurance and strength when compared to separating each muscle group once per week. Thus, you are using the same number of training days but with greater results.
The Benefits
Allows for optimal recovery. At minimum, your muscles will have 72 hours between workouts of the same muscle groups.
Can train all body parts twice per week. Easy adjustments allow for you to workout anywhere between 3 to 6 times per week.
This split allows for serious muscle growth.
The training involves combining multiple muscle groups together. Thus, a more comprehensive connection between all parts of your body will lead to greater athletic results.
An Efficient Workout Routine for Adventure Athletes
Here is a sample workout routine. Easy adjustments can be made depending on training days and fitness level. First, you must evaluate your personal fitness level. Start with a plan that will challenge but not overwhelm you. The first sample routine is for beginners, whereas the second is for more advanced weightlifters. Additionally, include a yoga routine for a warm-up prior to strength training.
Beginners:
Push [Day 1]
Rest [Day 2]
Pull [Day 3]
Rest [Day 4]
Legs [Day 5]
Rest [Day 6]
Rest [Day 7]
Intermediate and Advanced:
Push [Day 1]
Pull [Day 2]
Legs [Day 3]
Rest [Day 4]
Push [Day 5]
Pull [Day 6]
Legs [Day 7]
The Guidelines
An efficient workout for adventure athletes involve the right workouts, repetitions, sets, and rest time. For the most part, try to reduce the amount of rest between sets. Allow at most 2-3 minutes to keep a high heart rate. In short, high-intensity will create better endurance and stamina.
Another key point is the number of repetitions. The sets and repetitions are designed to target either muscular strength or endurance. Repetitions, sets, and weights all vary between workouts. Lower repetitions focus on power and strength, whereas the higher ones work to improve endurance.
Overall, the right selection of weight is crucial for performance. The smaller the rep range, the more weight you will be able to use for the workout. The most important aspect, regardless of the reps, is to choose the right weight. The correct weight is one in which you can hit the target repetitions. However, the last few should be difficult. You really need to push yourself to achieve growth. But make sure to maintain good form throughout all workouts. Otherwise, you could end up injuring yourself.
The key takeaway is to work until exhaustion. For example, if you goal is to hit 12 reps, then you should have to work to hit that last rep. Working until exhaustion changes the muscle fibers in a way to create significant growth.
Push Day
Bench Press :Â 4 x 5 – 7
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press :Â 4 x 6 – 8
Incline Dumbbell Press :Â 4 x 8 – 10
Side Lateral Raises :Â 3 x 10 – 12
3 Way Triceps :Â 3 x 8 – 10
Triceps Cable Pushdown :Â 3 x 8 – 10
Weighted Dips :Â 2 x 12 – 15
Pull Day
Bent-over Row :Â 4 x 6 – 8
Lat Pulldown :Â 4 x 8 – 10
Single Arm Rows :Â 3 x 10 – 12
Pull Ups :Â 3 x 8 – 10
Barbell Shrugs : 3 x 12 – 15
Hyperextensions :Â 2 x 12 – 15
Barbell Curl :Â 3 x 8 – 10
Dumbbell Hammer Curl :Â 3 x 10 – 12
Leg Day
Squats :Â 4 x 6 – 8
Romanian Deadlifts :Â 4 x 8 – 10
Bulgarian Split Squats :Â 3 x 10 – 12
Leg Press (High Foot Placement) :Â 3 x 10 – 12
Leg Extension : 3 x 10 – 12
Hip Abductors/Adductors :Â 3 x 15 (each)
Standing Calf Raises :Â 4 x 15 – 20
Core Workouts
Pallof Press :Â 3 x 15
Hanging Leg Raise :Â 3 x 12 – 15
Hollow Body Rock : 3 sets until failure
Maximize the Results from an Efficient Workout Routine
Always look to add variety into your workouts. The constant guessing game will eliminate the chance of your muscles becoming conditioned to a specific workout. From time to time, switch up the workouts you do, the repetition ranges, or the order in which you perform certain exercises.
All these changes lead to greater muscle growth. In addition, switching between cable attachments, unilateral verse bilateral, or the use of dumbbells verse barbell will provide plenty of surprise to your muscles.
Furthermore, the proper selection of weight creates maximum challenge. The correct weight is one in which you can hit the desired repetitions, while maintaining proper form to prevent injury. The key is to pick a weight where you will test your muscles to the point of exhaustion on the last few reps. The longer you train, the easier it will become to consistently pick the appropriate weight. After all, you can record your weight for each exercise to track your progress over time.
In conclusion, an efficient workout routine for adventure athletes is a necessity. The push, pull, and legs split is a great option. Furthermore, check out more fitness tips at The Alpine Pursuit – Fitness Page.
Are you looking to expand your athletic performance? A major step, often neglected, is to focus on improving your breathing. Every activity, movement, or thought in the body is dependent on oxygen. In fact, all the cells in in the body require oxygen to function. The lungs in the body are responsible for the delivery of oxygen to every other part of your body. But how often do you take the time to train your lungs? The use of the following exercises will allow you to maximize your lung capacity.
All athletes know the importance of physical training to success. Meanwhile, the lungs are just like all the muscles of your body, and needs to be trained. The lungs benefit from simple exercises. Well-performing lungs are important for living a healthy and adventurous life.
Lung performance can be changed through training and daily practice of breathing techniques. The improvement in lung strength and capacity improves stamina, power, and the prevention of breathing disorders. Stop skipping your workouts. Try out these 5 simple exercises to completely transform your lung capacity.
Facts About How to Maximize Your Lung Capacity
The maximum lung capacity (amount of air inhaled) is 6 liters.
The maximum amount of air exhaled out of the lungs after a full inhale is 4.8 liters.
At age 25, the amount of air you can forcefully exhale within one second decreases 1 – 2% per year.
Here are 5 Exercises to Increase Lung Capacity
1. Rib Stretching
For this exercise, stand up straight and arch your back. Breathe out until your lungs are completely empty. Begin to inhale slowly, filling your lungs with as much air as possible. Hold your breath for 10 to 30 seconds. Slowly exhale, with either normal or pursued lips, and return to a relaxed position. Repeat 5 times.
2. Abdominal or Diaphragmatic Breathing
For this exercise, begin by lying on your back in a comfortable position. Relax your shoulders, place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Inhale slowly through your nose, hold, then exhale slowly through your mouth. You should feel the air move in through your nostrils and down into your stomach. Hold your breath for 7 seconds, while exhaling for 8 seconds by contracting your abdominal muscles to push out all the air. Feel the rise in your stomach with each breath. Repeat 5 times.
3. Pursed Lip Breathing
For this exercise, begin by relaxing your neck and shoulders. Close your mouth while inhaling slowly through your nose. Pause and slowly exhale through your mouth with your lips pushed together with only a small opening. Make sure your exhale lasts 2x the length of your inhale. Repeat multiple times until you create a slow and controlled breathing rate.
4. Pushing Out
For this exercise, begin by standing upright with your knees relaxed. Begin by pushing all the air out of the lungs. Stand up straight while inhaling to your lung maximum. Bring your arms above your head, while holding your breath for 25 to 30 seconds. Slowly lower your arms while you exhale out of your mouth. Repeat 5 times.
5. Numbered Breathing
For this exercise, stand up straight and close your eyes. Begin with a deep inhalation until you reach your lung capacity. Slowly exhale until your lungs are empty. Now inhale again, hold your breath while counting to 5, then exhale completely. Repeat these steps until you have reached 12. Repeat 3 times to gain more control over your breathing pattern.
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The Benefits
Control the rate and effectiveness of each breath. Quickly be able to slow down your pace of breathing.
Improve ventilation by releasing any air trapped in your lungs, keeping your airways open, and slowing your breathing rate.
Reduces stress, allows the body to lower the harmful effects of the stress hormone cortisol.
Helps to lower both heart rate and blood pressure.
Improves sleep quality.
Athletic benefits include an improvement in core stability, tolerance to intense exercise, prevention of muscular injuries, and a decrease in energy expenditure.
How do each of these breathing exercises work?
The process of breathing with healthy lungs involves the use of the diaphragm, with the diaphragm driving the expansion of the lungs for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Respiratory conditions, such as with asthma, cause the lungs to lose elasticity. The lose of elasticity increases the amount of air staying trapped within the lungs. The increase in trapped air reduces the amount of room for the expansion of the diaphragm.
The reduction of space causes the use of surrounding muscles to work for breathing. When the diaphragm cannot expand, and additional muscles must be involved, each contribute to a limited amount of oxygen available while performing physical activities. The practice of breathing exercises reduce the air build-up in the lungs, allowing more room for the diaphragm to expand. As the expansion and strength of the diaphragm increases, so does the amount of oxygen within the blood.
Abdominal Breathing and Pushing Out
Abdominal breathing and pushing out assist to remove the extra build-up of air within the lungs. Each exercise increases the exchange of air and works to relieve shortness of breath.
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Rib Stretching
Another exercise is rib stretching, which increases the amount of room for the chest cavity to expand during inhalation. The use of intercostal muscles between your ribs helps to enlarge the chest cavity, allowing for your lungs to expand further.
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Pursued Lip and Numbered Breathing
The following exercises help with controlling the rate of breathing. Pursued lip breathing helps to lower and control the rate of breathing. This breathing technique works by assisting to keep the airways open longer. The increase in pressure prevents the collapse of the airways, so that trapped air in your lungs can be removed. The removal of trapped air, from quick and shallow breathing, helps to relieve shortness of breath.
Connection of Breathing and Athleticism
The use of these 5 simple exercises to maximize your lung capacity has a profound impact on your athletic performance. In fact, you as an athlete will benefit from altering the depth, rate, and capacity of your breathing. You must begin to pay close attention.
Proper breathing techniques require practice and repetition. However, as you train you will be able to take your performance to the next level. Certainly, take some time to practice these 5 simple exercises to maximize your lung capacity and excel your athletic performance.
