I was at Planet Fitness this morning and I was so happy. I love Planet Fitness. Some people bust on it. They think it's not a "real" gym because you can't do REALLY heavy lifts and Olympic lifts and stuff like that.
Well guess what? Not everyone desires or is able to lift that heavy! It doesn't make Planet Fitness any less of a gym and it doesn't make someone any less of a lifter because they choose to go to Planet Fitness.
I was able to completely change my body composition by working out at Planet Fitness. It has everything I need. It is definitely a "no frills" place. You won't find a Zumba class there or baby-sitting services. But is is WELL worth $10 a month. There are cardio machines as far as the eye can see, free weights, benches, cable and smith machines, and then lots of other weight machines. There are mats and stability balls and a whole section of ab machines. I never even ventured to the ab machines, but they're there if you want them!
The thing I like about Planet Fitness the most (besides the fact that it is cheap and has all the equipment I need) is that there are ALL kinds of people there. Case in point: There was a little old man there this morning with a t-shirt on that said, "I'm Not Old, I'm A Recycled Teenager". I LOVE IT. I never feel like I don't belong there. I feel like everyone there belongs because we're all so different. In fact, one of their slogans is, "You Belong", so it totally makes sense!
If someone ever acts condescending to you because you "only" go to Planet Fitness, or Curves, or WHATEVER gym you go to, they need to GET A LIFE. Because they are being a fitness snob. They are projecting their fitness goals and desires onto you. Fitness goals are personal. I'm sure Planet Fitness is not for everyone, but don't tell me it's a useless place.
RANT OVER.
You may also like this post: Planet Fitness: My Gym's Pros and Cons
But wait, I have one more rant...
Don't Hate On Cardio
You know what else I'm sick of? I'm sick of lifters hating on cardio. There is a time and a place and a purpose for cardio. There may not be a purpose for EVERYONE to do cardio. But for most people, doing cardio can be beneficial!
I follow Jen Comas Keck's blog. She writes about fitness and nutrition. She has written MANY articles which I have just adored. But in one of her recent posts titled The Diet Delusion: It's Not All Sunshine, Rainbows, and Pop-Tarts, she writes about how cardio isn't all bad!
"Cardio has gotten such an incredibly bad rap that it’s become quite ridiculous. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of cardio here and there for general cardiovascular health, stress relief, enhanced recovery, and/or to further increase an energy deficit.
Taking a brisk walk 20 - 30 minutes per week is a completely reasonable dosage, and if you can do it outside and get some fresh air I encourage you to do it, additional deficit needed or not!
Some people can get away with very limited cardio while losing bodyfat, while others will need some. Personally I would rather eat a bit more and spend 20 minutes walking and jamming to my iPod in the sunshine than to have to whittle my food consumption back, but that is a personal preference.
There is a big difference in doing smart cardio in the right dosage, and mindlessly hammering out “doubles” every day of the week."
-Jen Comas Keck, Beauty Lies in Strength
I totally agree with what Jen says. Definitely don't do two hours of cardio a day. That is NOT smart and I don't see the point in that. But smart cardio? Go for it.
Some people like to do cardio. And it is beneficial for some people.
RANT OVER.
What gym do you go to and why do you like it?
Do you mostly do cardio or do you mostly lift? Why?
Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.
There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.
The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.
Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.
Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.
The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either.
The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.
Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.
Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.
Well, the good news is that I've spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.
If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. It is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It's really that simple.
Don't waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.
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Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!
Mike Geary