INDIVIDUALS who regularly work out in a fitness gym are likely to improve each day even when using the same equipment and doing the same exercises with the same amount of weight and effort.
But each result and approach may be different for each individual, said Jerry Diaz, a certified National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer.
“I’ve learned to practice movements that specifically work for me and help maintain my interest and determination to stay fit,” he added.
“As a certified personal trainer, I explain to each individual client what results to expect at different stages of training and length of time,” Diaz said.
One of the most common challenges faced by the average fitness enthusiast is reaching a plateau. That’s when exercises no longer seem to have an effect and the body stops making any physiological changes.
Diaz said this happens when one performs the same exercises with the same weight for the same number of repetitions.
He said it is essential to either perform enough repetitions to cause temporary fatigue or perform an exercise that is difficult enough to stimulate change with appropriate repetitions.
For example, if a client’s goal is to increase muscle size, s/he should use enough intensity per exercise to perform six to 12 repetitions only, fatiguing by the final rep.
“If a client can only execute 12 repetitions with a particular weight for an exercise, then that weight is the 12 repetitions max,” Diaz said. “As soon as the client can do more than 12 reps the weight should be increased so the rep range stays between six and 12.”
Diaz said if the training goal is to improve muscle tone or definition, the exercises must be performed to appropriate and functional exhaustion.
But Diaz said training for muscular power also “places tremendous metabolic and mechanical demands on muscle tissue and can rapidly fatigue the nervous system responsible for maintaining proper joint mechanics.”
So “when using heavy weights for technical power-based lifts such as the snatch or the clean-and-jerk, the rep range should focus on the maximum force output for one or two reps and, at the most, be limited to less than four or five. The snatch and clean-and-jerk are technically demanding lifts. If an individual tries to perform too many without sufficient rest or recovery, he or she is at significant risk of injury.”
Diaz said if a client is interested in improving muscle tone there are two options for intensity and repetitions:
• A moderate intensity load for appropriate and functional exhaustion after six to 12 reps; and
• A low-intensity load with which the client performs reps to appropriate exhaustion.
If an individual wants to lose weight, s/he should aim for repetitions of increasing intensity.
One of Diaz’s clients, Charlestone Kim, said “every expert was once a beginner.” He added that one must “believe that success is not just an activity but a process so we must be patient as we work toward achieving our fitness goals.”
Diaz said fitness training doesn’t need to be overwhelming or exhausting, but it does need to be consistent and effective to create desired outcomes.
For more information, contact Jerry Diaz through Instagram at @BBJ_Athletics or Facebook.
Charlestone Kim has been a personal training client of Jerry Diaz for over five years now.
